Ooooh. Hepcat’s birthday is June 6th. Meet you at 6:06 on Sixth Avenue and 6th Street.

June 6, 2006 – or 6/6/06 – isn’t merely the sixth day of the sixth month of the century’s sixth year.

As any horror-film buff or Satanic cult member knows, 666 also happens
to be … (cue ominous chanting) the numeric symbol of the Antichrist,
according to the Book of Revelations.

The date has been a godsend for the studio behind "The Omen 666," the
remake of the 1976 horror classic about Damien Thorn, the boy born with
"the mark of the beast," a "666" tattoo on his scalp signifying he’s
the son of Satan.

In a devilishly clever marketing move, 20th Century Fox is releasing
the film on Tuesday to coincide with the renewed interest in the
subject.

For months, the Internet has been buzzing with doomsayers, Satanists
and religious zealots speculating that June 6 will mark a) the birth of
the real Antichrist, b) the start of Armageddon or c) the release of a
horror flick hopefully not as bad as the two "Omen"sequels of the late
’70s and ’80s.

While no sane parent believes they are about to spawn the Devil’s own,
some moms-to-be are admittedly "creeped" about giving birth on June 6.

"I thought, Ooooo, cool! 6/6/06! But then I was sort of like, wait,
that’s 666! I’m not religious at all, but it sort of creeped me," was a
typical posting on the Mothering Magazine Web site.

Another woman worried about putting her son "through the teasing and
torture he most certainly will endure as a teenager" if he’s born on
the sixth.

At least some expectant mothers are approaching their Tuesday due date
with humor. The Sunday Times of London reports that one woman plans to
name her son Damien, while another said she would name her daughter
Regan, after the possessed girl in the 1973 film "The Exorcist."

"The Omen 666" isn’t the only project taking advantage of the rare
date. Heavy metal band Slayer is kicking off its "Unholy Alliance" tour
on Tuesday, and the mentalist known as The Amazing Kreskin says he will
give a group of New Yorkers "the most frightening experience of their
lives" in a 666-related street stunt.

"All this talk about 666 is fanning the flames," says Kreskin. "Stupid
people are not the only people who are superstitious. Even the most
intelligent people are gripped by the power of suggestion."