SO I'VE NOW WRITTEN 33 LDS HYMN PARODIES...

Yes, I've now written 33 LDS Hymn Parodies.  Truly, I can't believe it.  For something that started off as a novelty, with alternative words popping into my head for one or more of the LDS hymns, the whole thing seems to have snowballed.  In fact, some people have suggested that I record a CD of my LDS hymn parodies, and I have been thinking about that possibility.  Of course, at this point, since I have written 33, I could record a 2-set CD.  Hmmm, how to go about that?  I have thought of trying to figure out a way to contact Trey Parker and/or Matt Stone (the South Park guys and creators of the Book of Mormon Musical)... after all, they are originally from Colorado (which is my new adopted home state).  So who knows?  Maybe I'll work on that...

Numbers have always fascinated me.  My favorite number is 3, which I consider to be my "lucky" number.  And I always seem to gravitate toward multiples of 3, looking for them in the numbers I see.

Here are some examples:

My birth month is December, which is the 12th month - and 1 + 2 = 3 (and 12 is a multiple of 3).

My birth year is 1951 - and 5 + 1 = 6 (a multiple of 3).

I graduated from high school in 1969 - and, of course, 6 and 9 are both multiples of 3 (as is 69 itself).  And 6 + 9 = 15, which is a multiple of 3.

My first name DIANE has the numerical equivalent of 33 - 4 + 9 + 1 + 14+ 5 = 33.

My last name TINGEN has the numerical equivalent of 69 - 20 + 9 + 14 + 7 + 5 + 14 = 69.

Amazing stuff, huh?!!

So I consider it a very big milestone to have hit #33 in my writing of LDS hymn parodies.

In looking at the number 33, though, there is some controversy involved.  For instance, there are a number of "celebrities" who died at age 33, including John Belushi and Chris Farley (both SNL comics and actors); Sam Cooke (American soul musician); Carole Lombarde (actress and wife of Clark Gable); Eva Peron (actress and Argentina first lady who died of cancer); and even Eva Braun (Adolf Hitler's lover who committed suicide).  Of course, Jesis Christ died at age 33 (and according to what I've read, Jesus performed 33 performed miracles).

Interestingly, the other famous age category of celebrity deaths seems to be 27 (which is also a multiple of 3).  Just this past weekend, I discovered this phenomenon when Amy Winehouse died at age 27.  Apparently, there is the "Forever 27 Club" of rock stars who have died at the age of 27, which includes Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones, and many others.

And speaking of "clubs," there is a special club (members only) at Disneyland named Club 33.  From what I have read, the name of this club was derived from the number of initial corporate sponsors for Disneyland at the time of its inception.   Apparently, though, there are other theories on the source of its name.

33 also holds the following distinctions:

33 is the atomic number of Arsenic.

33 is, according to the Newton Scale, the temperature at which water boils.

A normal human spine has 33 vertebrae (when the bones that form the coccyx are counted individually).
And in addition to the fact that Jesus Christ died at age 33, and the fact that Jesus performed 33 recorded miracles, the religious implications of the number 33 also include:

33 is not only a numerical representation of “the Star of David,” but it is also the numerical equivalent of the word AMEN:  1 + 13 + 5 + 14 = 33.

Pope John Paul I, the 33-day pope - one of the shortest reigns in papal history.

33 is the highest degree in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Of course, the number 3 itself has religious significance as the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  Although religious considerations have nothing to do with my fascination with the number 3 (or 33).

Another use of the number 33 that I find rather interesting is on the Rolling Rock beer label.   In searching for information on that use of 33, I discovered that 1933 is the year when prohibition was repealed.

And here's a link to a website called 33 Mysteries Facts.  Some interesting stuff on there.

Apparently 33 also has significance in Mathematics (being a composite number), as well as Astronomy (like the M33 Triangulum Galaxy), but since trying to outline those distinctions would be almost impossible for me (not a math or science whiz), I'll skip over those.

So what does this all mean?  Nothing, in most likelihood.  It is trivial information, obviously, but it's still fascinating... at least to me...