44 - an impromptu research reveal for Freewrite #375 - forty-four

in #freewrite5 years ago (edited)

Hi everyone! This is my 76th 5 minute freewrite. (Disclaimer: these usually take me significantly longer than 5 minutes to write and edit 😉). Today's prompt was "hate".

Come join in the fun at @freewritehouse! Many thanks to @mariannewest for hosting this wonderful daily freewrite :) https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-375-5-minute-freewrite-tuesday-prompt-forty-four


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Ok so... I was honestly at a complete loss here. Of all possible numbers, why 44? Is it simply a random number? Or is it supposed to mean something specific? is it a drug reference? A police scanner code? I cudgeled my brain. Had I heard it in a rap song, like "187 on a undercover cop" (Dre and Snoop; 187 is the section of the California Penal Code that deals with murder) or "Drive you crazy like a 730, it ain't a secret" (Lil' Kim; a 730 is a police scanner code that refers to someone who may be psychologically imbalanced)? Does it have occult significance? It's only 2 little digits away from 42 - the answer to the question of life, the universe, and everything according to Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series... tantalizingly close, but not close enough. Am I the only one who doesn't know the secret meaning of this number? I dunno, maybe it's because of the time of year and the veil being thin and whatnot, but I'm feeling like nefarious forces might be at work here and not wanting to just take this one and run with it without first doing a little research.

Here's what I found:

-1. The obvious: a "44 Magnum". Duh. I knew I'd heard it somewhere before... Clearly guns are not my strong suit. Apparently there are 44 rifles, shotguns, revolvers, etc. A popular gauge among the firearms set. Can't wait to see the spring catalog!

(https://www.google.com/search?ei=7kbZW8CrLcK-jwSG46P4Bw&q=44+magnum&oq=44+magnum&gs_l=psy-ab.3..35i39j0i20i264l2j0l7.6654.8258..8876...0.0..0.66.424.7....3..0....1..gws-wiz.......0i67j0i131i67j0i20i263i264.z7LPMaC-ybQ)

-2. In police scanner code 44 is used for aggravated kidnapping.

(http://www.policescannercodes.net/)

-3. The Urban Dictionary (disclaimer: NEVER refer to this site if you're looking for actual definitions e.g. definitions that have anything whatsoever to do with the word or phrase they are allegedly intended to define. EVER.) defines "forty-four" as:

"location of supreme coolness; 'to dwell there is to be cool'; reknowned dopespot where entertainment is constant; elite inhabitants; Casa de Cool".

Examples:
"'yo u chillin at 44'
'anyone at 44 hookin up a deal'
'u dont know about 44'"

(https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=forty-four)

This insightful definition of "forty-four" was brought to us by one "Dizzle Richmond", who posted his entry on Jan 24, 2005. It might not be accurate...but it is the most popular posted definition of "Forty-four", so...

Yeah. It's the correct one.

And stands as such to this very day, over a decade hence.

Give the people what they want I guess...

-4. The Urban Dictionary (see disclaimer above) has an entirely different definition for "44". Shockingly (I was actually shocked), and unfortunately (for my purposes), this definition is reasonably accurate, and therefore not at all amusing: ".44 Magnum firearm."

Example:
"My 44 make sure all yo' kids don't grow!"

(https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=44)

If you continue to scroll down the page, the definitions get less savory, so I'll just stop there.

-5. Apparently Mark Twain used the number as a name for Satan in four different texts:

"St. Petersburg Fragment", "The Chronicle of Young Satan", "Schoolhouse Hill", and "No. 44, The Mysterious Stranger," also known as the "Print Shop"

There are various theories as to the reason for this, listed and explained on the same page.

(http://www.twainquotes.com/Number44.html)

-6. According to Wikipedia, 44 is:

In mathematics: "a tribonacci number,[1] an octahedral number[2] and the number of derangements of 5 items.[3]"

In science: "The atomic number of ruthenium"

In astronomy: "Messier object M44, a magnitude 4.0 open cluster in the constellation Cancer, also known as the Beehive Cluster" and "The New General Catalogue object NGC 44, a double star in the constellation Andromeda"

In tech: "The ITU country code for international direct dial telephone calls to the United Kingdom". Also: "The .44 Magnum or .44 Special revolver cartridges"...but we already knew that. Hah! Always one step ahead...

Apparently it's also:

  • "The name of a mysterious savior of Poland..."

  • "A poker game..."

  • the name of a band...

  • Etcetera.

Etcetera, ok? Enough already Wikipedia, I need to go to bed before sunrise. You've outnerded me. I give.

-7. According to "God's Kingdom Ministries", the number "44 is the number of "chosen people."

Go figure.

"It is striking that the 44th time Abraham's name is mentioned is in Gen. 21:14, where Ishmael and his mother are cast out.

(14) So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave them to Hagar, putting them on her shoulder, and gave her the boy, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered about in the wilderness of Beersheba.

This occurred immediately after the final contention between the boys, where the book of Jasher says Ishmael threatened to kill Isaac. When we compare the 44th mention of Abram with the 44th mention of Abraham, we see an important pattern in determining the "chosen one" who was to inherit all things. Without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Abram intended to make Ishmael the chosen one, but Spirit-filled Abraham cast out the child of the flesh in order to establish the child of promise as the true chosen one."

I admit I'm not intelligent enough to follow any of this. But I also don't care.

(https://www.gods-kingdom-ministries.net/daily-weblogs/2011/10-2011/the-biblical-meaning-of-44/)

-8. Apparently it also has something to do with the Illuminaughties, but I'm too bleary eyed (and, frankly, annoyed that the number 44 has so many interesting things to say about itself, and has as a consequence transformed what I foolishly assumed was going to be a quick and painless little exploratory research project into a living nightmare) to read it, so I'll just copy and paste it here, shall I? All nicely tucked in under the number 8, which presumably also means something in cabalspeak, and maybe I should care about that but...

"44 and Illuminati Numerology
Double numbers like 11, 22, 33, 44 are considered master numbers in the occult practice of numerology. 44 has to do with metamorphosis and change. There seem to be a lot of 44's around this year.

Barack Obama is 44th President
Postage Stamp is 44 cents
Super Bowl 44 Saints vs. Colts
WWE is 44 years old
Goldman Sachs sold 44% of its stock in BP
Forecasters say 44% chance of hurricane hitting Gulf
44% support marijuana legalization
44% is Obama approval rating
Inflation at 44-year low

Events that have occured on 4/19-20: Waco Seige Fire, Oklahoma City Bombing, Columbine Shooting, BP Gulf Oil Spill

"Wear everyone out by dissensions, animosities, feuds, famine, inoculation of diseases, want, until the Gentiles see no other way of escape except by appeal to our money and our power." (Protocol 10)
"We will so wear out and exhaust the Gentiles by all this that they will be compelled to offer us an international authority, which by its position will enable us to absorb without disturbance all the governmental forces of the world and thus form a super-government." (Protocol 5)
--Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, Lionel Rothschild (1808-1879)"

(http://brainbender.blogspot.com/2010/06/44-and-illuminati-numerology.html)

-9. Ok, of course it also has numerological significance, "master number", "foundation", blah blah blah...

You're just so full of yourself aren't you 44? Mister Bigstuff. Got all kindsa meanings...


©2018 Bennett Italia, all rights reserved.


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That is the best 44 post ever!!!! I was just getting ready to schedule tomorrow's prompt and was going to say that nobody got the Urban dictionary meaning LOL

You did!!

And when I posted it, I did not even think of guns! At all! LOL

Oh thank you so much Marianne! That piece was a lot of fun to write 😊

Wow, congratulations. I haven't freewritten in a while :o

44, numerology 8, symbol of infinity. The infinite inspiration of a writer ;)

thank you! And nice to meet you. Just coming back to Steemit after a hiatus and getting back into the freewrites. I love them 😍

Ah yes, it adds up to eight, which would be infinity 🙃 Yet another cool thing 44 can do 😁

Ah, then welcome back ;)

Oh, @bennettitalia, your googleness puts mine to shame!
I nominate this for the Tuesday post I never did find - week 28? - nominating a favorite freewrite!
Your exhaustive research does not exhaust me because you have a gift for making it fun to read!

💜 thank you @carolkean! I'm glad it was fun to read 😊 You know, it was a lot of facts about 44 to fill a post with, so I didn't want it to be too dry...

I wonder is 44 a particularly significant number or would all numbers have so many and varied meanings. There’s some research for a rainy day!
It’s the midweek prompt delivery team here with your challenge for today: https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-376-5-minute-freewrite-wednesday-prompt-tiny

Win a Membership in Steem Basic Income - Tell us About a Favorite Freewrite

I know! I was asking myself the same question by the end 🤣 Nice to see you @deirdyweirdy!

This took a lot of research. Thumbs up. I don't think I have the patience for such work

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Thank you! Lol I barely did either. Managed to get through it tho... 🤣

I learned a great deal reading this post, and I commend you for the vast amount of research done! (Obviously, that didn't all happen in 5 minutes!) I missed yesterday's prompt, so was spared the difficulty and simply got a kick out of reading yours!

Thank you @scribblinggramma! Yea I bit off a little more than I could chew, but it worked out ok lol. So glad you got a kick out of it 😊

The Mysterious Stranger is one of my favorite Mark Twain Stories! I even read it out loud here: http://brendanweinhold.com/audiobooks.html

Mark Twain is brilliant! But I don't think I've read this one yet... thanks for the link @improv, will check it out 😊

Oh yes. OH YES. Hope you like it! Let me know when you've finished and we'll talk about it!

and 4 also symbolizes death in many asian cultures 😦

Hi roundbear! Not a fact I came across but definitely one worth including. So I suppose "44" would be twice as deathy?

Lol yes. Old chinese buildings dont have 4th floors either

You’ve been featured in our weekly curation post Freewrite Favorites at @freewritehouse. Thank you for participating and raising the bar with awesome, creative freewrites! Freewrite On!

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Thank you awesome ones! 😊

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