23

Our baby was born on the 23rd day of September, 2002.

So maybe there was a good reason why Miles arrived a week late — September 23 turns out to be a very auspicious day. For one thing, it’s the Autumnal Equinox, so there’s a nice seasonal/celestial connection.

The 23rd also turns out to be John Coltrane’s birthday – who better for a child sharing a name with Miles Davis to share a birthday with than John Coltrane?

And then there’s the 23 connection – in the works of William S. Burroughs and Robert Anton Wilson, much is made of the significance of the number 23. We’re not numerologists, but Scot and friends have always taken pleasure in uncovering the strange preponderance of the number 23.

  • Homo sapiens are given 46 chromosomes from their parents: 23 male and 23 female.
  • The human biorhythm cycle is generally 23 days long.
  • It takes 23 seconds for blood to circulate through the human body.
  • There are 23 vertebrae in the human body.
  • Geosynchronous orbit occurs at 23,000 miles above Earth’s surface.
  • A full turn of the D.N.A. helix occurs every 23 angstroms.
  • The tilt of Earth’s axis is roughly 23° accounting for the changing seasons and the procession of the Zodiac.
  • The Dog Days of Summer begin on July 23 when Sirius the Dogstar rises from behind the sun.
  • 23 Skidoo

Technically a Libra, Miles was born on the cusp between Virgo and Libra. Like we care ;)

7 Replies to “23”

  1. 9/23 is also the Boss’ birthday. you know – bruce springsteen.

    and i’d be remiss if i didn’t point out that wilson is more concerned w/ people’s reaction to/interest in the 23 meme than the meme itself.

    ciao.
    baald

  2. I just timed my blood and mine takes 24 seconds to circulate. And although its travel time is slower, its boiling point is lower.

  3. I just read the great news on LJ and I am really happy for the two of you! I also have to mention that the background song for the video of Amy’s belly couldn’t have been chosen better. Congratulations, but unfortunately, I can’t really add anything 23-y, except that I proved a while ago that it’s a terribly magic number which consists of 11 and 12 which, looked at closely, constitute themselves of 2 and 3 as well (it was a damn hard way to get there though and I don’t want to think about it again).

  4. Last month while I was on vacation the company I work for changed the extension for voice mail. I just found the new number and checked them. There were 23 messages.

    Also 23rd is the birthday of Ray Charles

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