Jokingly, earlier today, I asked a colleague:

"Hey, let's start a pool. We can guess on how long it'll take someone to find Hurricane Katrina using Bible Codes!"

He responded, "yeah, only we need an option for writings of Nostradamus, because someone will go that route too." So we added that option.

I mentioned this to another colleague a bit later on, and then I actually took a guess: Monday, Sept. 5, 2005.

My second colleague did an internet search. It seems I was too gracious in allotting a full week for someone to partake in shoddy mathemat-egesis (what, there's good mathemate-gesis?) because some guy did it yesterday (Sept. 1, 2005).

Behold: Revelation 13: The English King James version Bible code - Part 8d - Hurricane Katrina hit Florida, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi in August 2005.

I honestly don't know how to respond. There is so much wrong with that, I'm speechless.

But I think I won the pool. No money exchanged hands, I only receive the admiration of my friends and colleagues.

Update (2005-09-02): My colleague who pushed for a Nostradamus exemption, disgusted in losing the pool, went and seached Nostradamus' quartrains himself. Lookie what he found:

Near the great river, great ditch, earth drawn out,
In fifteen parts will the water be divided:
The city taken, fire, blood, cries, sad conflict,
And the greatest part involving the coliseum
                               — Century IV, Quartrain 80

Apparently the AV geeks ... er, "serious Nostradamus scholars" ... have been discussing this already. Sheesh.

Update (2005-09-04): The Google hits are already coming on this one. Lest there be any question from folks who arrive here from search engines, I think the Bible codes (and Nostradaman prophecies, for that matter) are a bunch of bunk. I'm still mildly shocked that anyone would think such a practice could actually inform exegesis. It can't. Get out of the fantastic and just read the Bible. You don't need to dig for hidden messages and deeper truths, you need to love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.