Luck

People say that the number 13 is unlucky; there are a number of theories how this might have come about: from such as 13 people being at the Last Supper ("Thirteen at the Table"); to Alexander the Great wanting to be Deified into the 13th seat of the pantheon; to the Ancient Sumerian system of counting which was Base 12 (Based on someone counting the joints of the fingers with their thumb). It is certainly curious that the number to have come up least on the National Lottery should be unlucky 13 (Click on the 'to date' function).

But that begs the question of whether luck actually exists; superstitions the world over acknowledge it in that random blind fate can be propitiated by rituals (Jonny Wilkinsons little ritual before kicking the ball in the world cup being a current famous example) - but of course that begs the question of how much the extra little bit of confidence that performing the ritual (or the little dent to confidence that not carrying it out, or having that Black cat cross your path, or breaking the mirror) actually affects your own performance and concentration and ability.

I've always believed in my own luck. I have a confidence that everything is going to turn out okay as I blithely wander through life, and what do you know? It usually does. But does this mean I'm actually 'lucky' in the sense that fate bends about me and the curve of happenstance is skewed in my favour? Or am I just confident? Or do I just see events in a generally positive light?

Is there, in other words, such a thing as 'luck'; a thing that makes events and probability fall in favour or disfavour to one person or another? Or is it simply that the blind, cold, uncaring universe apportions fortune and failure irrespective, and the whole shebang is based on how we view it and our own perceptions of events?

The Sporting Life

On Friday afternoons, the guys in our office tend to get the online betting pages up on their screens and have a bit of a flutter on the races. of course, as I'm a tightwad, i don't get involved in this but i'm only too happy to dish out advice based upon the most tenuous of reasons as to which horses they should be putting their money on. Then, if they win, I try and claim a cut and if they lose I'm usually nowhere to be seen.

What I've learned from this is that betting on the horses on the basis of them having a nice name or good colours on the jockey is no guarantee of winning. In fact, as 'Three Legged Lad' stumbled to an early grave in the 3:00pm, quickly followed by 'Dead Donkey' in the 3:30 and then 'Knackers Delight' in the 3:45 failing to place, I'm convinced that there must be a more scientific way to pick a winner.

But hey, it isn't my money so what do I care?

What I haven't told the people I share an office with is that I hold shares in Earthport (who provide the online transactions to Sportingbet.co.uk) and so I get a cut no matter who wins. I'm not sure this would make me any friends. Hyah, giddup, dobbin!