The NY Times had a fun article today about today's date with all the eights. Here are some "miscellaneous octads" and there are more in the link:

1) Eight Sins: gluttony, fornication, avarice, dejection, anger, weariness, vainglory, and pride.

2) Eight Forms of Sexual Indulgence: thinking of; talking about; joking; looking intently; secret talk; resolve; attempt; and execution.

3) Eight Causes of Anger: deprivation of rights; ingratitude; betraying a secret; neglecting a faithful servant; abusive language; unjust suspicion; murder (duh!); and censoriousness.

4) One over the eight - inebriated.

5) Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter: no honking; no touching; no loose trousers (must be British!); no sex; no late nights; no dumping her; no signs of impatience; no fun.

And, lastly, let's relate it to words. The Olympics began at 8:08 on 8/8/08 for a reason. Chinese regard 8 as lucky since its sound in Mandarin (ba) rhymes with the word for prosperity (fa). Actually more than 9,000 Chinese couples will be married today.

I hadn't heard of the lemiscate symbol, a curve in the form of the figure 8, which also related it to words for me.

What did the zero (0) say to the eight (8) ??,,,,,, "Nice belt !"

Interesting point about the deadly sins.

Pope Gregory "borrowed" his list of seven from Evagrius Ponticus, who had eight.

Gregory's seven were Lust, Gluttony. Greed, Sloth, Wrath Envy and Pride.

WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, can anyone guess what was missing that was in Evagrius Ponticus' list?

quote:

WITHOUT LOOKING IT UP, can anyone guess what was missing that was in Evagrius Ponticus' list?

Avarice?

"Sadness," he said, happily..