By now, someone's probably already made you aware of the fact that today is Friday the 13th. And whether you happen to be superstitious or not, don't tell us you weren't tempted to look up exactly which word it is that covers anyone fearful of the number 13. (In case you aren't sure, the Merriam-Webster dictionary reminds us that it's "triskaidekaphobia." But did you know it's a subset of a fear of numbers --  "arithmophobia"?) Earlier on Friday, I tripped across something a little different online referencing the spooky day -- and it's hilarious.

Now, let me preface this by assuring you that just because it involves a government agency, it isn't weighed down with a bunch of wokeness. I checked it over ahead of time; if it had even a hint of that, I would have passed it by, I promise.

As my colleague Ward Clark mentioned earlier in October, the past week (October 4 - October 10) marked  "Fat Bear Week." The National Park Service (NPS) has been sharing interactive social media posts and activities with the public through its Twitter/X account. Many of the lighthearted posts revolved around a pretend bracket contest about the bears.

Honky Chonk Beardonkadonk⁣⁣...

In a battle of outrageous proportions, 32 Chunk takes on 128 Grazer in the @KatmaiNPS #FatBearWeek final.

Which bear will take the crown? pic.twitter.com/sHAfTCDVuD

— National Park Service (@NatlParkService) October 10, 2023

If you want to see the filled-out bracket, they posted it on Tuesday when the winner was announced.

Now that that's over, the fun moves along to another funny post from them.The NPS has pulled together a special set of 13 survival tips for Friday the 13th. But when you read their list, you'll notice the contest about bears getting ready for hibernation has a major connection to it:

Tis the season…#FridayThe13th pic.twitter.com/Zz8KxCcGQW

— National Park Service (@NatlParkService) October 13, 2023

See what I mean? Lots of bears! You likely have a few favorites from the list, like I did, but number eight made me smile while remembering my colleague Ward's recent piece about the not-so-smart ways a Montana hunter acted toward a bear in the wild. In another piece, he shared even more tips on surviving a run-in with bears.

It's worth mentioning that this Friday the 13th happens to fall during the month of October, which has the creepiest unofficial holiday of the year, Halloween. In honor of that, leading up to the end of the month, I'll be bringing you a handful of reviews of some new and classic horror movies. Check back for that -- I hope you enjoy it!

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