The Crap You Get on Facebook Sometimes.

I saw the below posted on my brother-in-law's Facebook status this afternoon.
"GOOD LUCK EVERYONE !!~~This year October has 5 Mondays, 5 Saturdays and 5 Sundays. This Happens once every 823 years. This is called money bags. So copy this to your status and money will arrive within 4 days. Based on Chinese Feng Shui. The one who does not copy, will be without money. Copy within 11 mins of reading. Can't hurt so I did it :) IT CAN'T HURT"

I really hate these things. They’re like those awful, awful chain e-mails and texts you get sometimes. My response (as posted on MY status, is this:

OK, let's be clear here. Humans appeared on Earth at an arbitrary point in its lifetime. Some arbitrary point after this, we started giving names to the days, months, seasons and whatnot. That there are 5 Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays (or anything else) in an arbitrarily-named time period - no matter how rarely it occurs, means nothing. Zip, Zilch. Nada.


The universe does not go by what we say - or by what we post on Facebook.


Even if every single FB user pasted the above tripe into their status, the ONLY thing that would happen is that FB's DBAs (database administrators) would probably have to consider adding disk space to accommodate such an extra load of meaningless twaddle. I daresay they're used to it - they've probably got auto-grow on the database files set up anyway.

But I digress.


The universe runs on Physics, not people's wishes.


Money will arrive in 4 days? Why 4 days? Why not tomorrow?


Based on Chinese Feng-shui? Ah yes, that well-known and scientifically proven set of principles that has more to do with where best to put your pot-pourri than with the calendar, last time I looked.


The one who does not copy will be without money. Really? I rely on having a job to give me money - not mumbo-jumbo.


And 11 minutes to re-post? Again, purely random. Eight I would have understood, as I believe it's deemed lucky in Chinese numerology (as we seem to be taking a taxi the hell OUT of Rationality City, I thought I'd mention it).


No it can't hurt anything - except YOUR BRAIN!


Let's take responsibility for our actions. Work hard.  Pay your dues.  Give one another a helping hand occasionally, and I can pretty much GUARANTEE the world WILL be a better place.


Not bollocks, just common sense.


Have a great weekend!