Number Nine, Number Nine
A long time ago, when earpollution was in its first year, we got a piece of fan mail that accused us hiding subliminal numeric codes in our music commentary. We hadn't, but in order to fit the perceptions of our fans, we started to, and the first subliminal was the number nine. Which also happened to be my apartment number at the time.
Nines, you see, it's all about the nines. It symbolizes both the end and the beginning. When you multiply any number by nine and add the resulting digits together, you will ultimately get nine again which is why the Hebrews consider nine as the symbol of immutable Truth. Joseph Campbell's mystic number -- 432 -- adds up to nine. It is the first square of an odd prime; it is, in fact, the trinity of trinities and is the culmination of everything prior to its becoming nothing once again.
On a personal level, nine is the sum of the two digits of my age, and apparently this is the year where I'm supposed to end and begin things. In the spirit of beginnings, I'm very pleased to announce that I've been chosen to be Misfit #9 at the Misfit Library. We -- and when I say that now, I'm not going all royal on you -- have plans for the world.
One of the first thing a new Misfit does is offer up a piece of fiction for the world. My offering is "Chance Island," a fable from Empire City. Click here to go to the Misfits' Library and give it a read.