Happy Nine Day!
By Ben and Paul
If you haven't yet noticed, today is a special and important day in history. We're not talking about President Obama's address to Congress or the release of the Beatle's Rockband game either. No, we speak of the only day in our lifetime (pending the advent of miracle drugs) when the calendar will proudly read 09/09/09.
The very beginnings of our Nine saga began whence we were young lads... what with our perspective of life narrow and our naivety guiding every move. We saw that every other number in the primary number scheme (ie 1-9 (10, etc are but copy's and repeats of that which reside in the former)).. had some significance in popular culture, societies values, or had historical weight. Example: 1 - everyone strives for it. 2 makes a couple. 3 - ever heard of the Trinity? 4 balls take your base slugger... etc, etc 5678....... and then there is Nine.......
Despite our best efforts to group it with the rest, we soon discovered that Nine stood alone- stood alone in its meaning, its glory, its majesty. Surely the number is an outcast among its peers. While the rest get together for cocktails and discuss their importance in culture and mathematical theory, there is Nine looking in through the window, rain dripping down its oval head. There is even evidence to suggest the number has been subject to cannibalism in the past, as alluded to by the following infamous "joke":
Q: Why was six afraid of seven?
A: Because seven ate Nine.
Disgusting. So we decided to take this vagabond number under our collective wing. Nine was now our favorite number. But it was more than that. It was a movement, a phenomenon. We quickly invited friends to join our passion, and the wildfire growth that followed resulted in a cult following to rival that of Chuck Norris or Mini Wheats.
The culmination of a century, and wont be seen again for another 100 years-- 9/9/09 deserves a salute. It was for this reason we decided to recognize the contributions of man and nature alike to the betterment of Nine. The following list was put together during a celebration including debauchery and a Nineday cake.
1. The very evolution of Nine:
2. This man released an album with the number for a title. Irish singer/songwriter Damien Rice released his second record and labeled 9 ... a good man.
4. 9 is a 2009 animated sci-fi/action film directed by Shane Acker and produced by Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov-- which was released in theatres this very day... go see it.
5. The International Maritime Symbol for Nine:
(its reallllly big!! So that the sailor can see the signal upon the open sea!!)
6. (which is Nine upside down for our Southern Hemisphere friends) In classical music the curse of the ninth refers to the superstition that a composer who writes a ninth symphony will die soon. Beethoven, who left his Tenth Symphony unfinished, is regarded by the superstition as the first victim of the curse. Among nineteenth-century Viennese composers, neither Franz Schubert nor Anton Bruckner finished nine symphonies. Gustav Mahler attempted to avoid the curse by naming the work after his Eighth symphony Das Lied von der Erde He then wrote a complete Ninth Symphony, yet his Tenth was unfinished at his death...
8. Itunes 9 was released today.. obviously planned intricatly from Apples inception to coincide with Nine Day...
There you have it...
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