It's Friday the 13th edition of the Trainwreck of Thought.

We passed the mic around at the weekly FTTW meeting of the minds and asked the authors about their superstitions.

We were going to ask them what their favorite Friday the 13th movie is, but there's only one right answer to that. So it's the cliche of superstitions instead.

Branden: The only superstition I have is that I must clean the blood from my killing knife with the Mickey Mouse towel I bought at a yard sale in 1993. Why? Because it was a damn fine yard sale, that's why.

Ernie: All my superstitions revolve around sports. As an example, I am wearing my Red Sox socks today in combination with my Patriots superbowl t-shirt, because together they have the power to help the Sox get a win tonight. I have so many of these it's fucking ridiculous...

Turtle: From my new Alaskan Crabbin' buddies:

A naked woman on board will calm the sea.

Something about her boobies and the sea god being horny.

You all see where I am going with this so I might as well stop now.

Pat: Well, being a WITCH, this is my favorite date on the calendar - no bad vibes about Friday the 13th here! I walk under ladders (always making sure no idiot's going to drop something on my head), step on cracks in the pavement, and I love black cats - have one... although the cat that's my familiar is the pure white one. Am I superstitious? Of course I am. I do the salt over the shoulder thing if I spill any. Bright Blessings to everyone who writes for and reads FTTW!

Shawna: My Japanese mother-in-law (very superstitious) yelled at me once for standing my fork up in my food, she taught me that you should never hand someone the salt shaker, always put it down for the other person to pick up and she also told me that it's good luck if it rains on the day you move. So, those are my biggest three.

Meg: In China, 6 is a lucky number, so as a foreign teacher I was given a phone number with 666 in it, at no extra charge.

Um, thanks?

Kali: 13 is my lucky number.
that being said i still have to FORCE myself to step on cracks in the sidewalk. ...

Pirate: My examples are all from the sea. First, naked woman DOES calm the sea and anyway beats anything else you have onboard. Next, there are several things which are not allowed onboard, and we don't mention while at sea. I'm at sea. And you want me to mention them. Dammit man! OK, a large, four-legged animal cowboys ride around on, what you use to sweep the floor with, the ugly bitch that kidnapped Dorothy in the WOO and those furry little animals that we say other things fuck like. Yeah, those things, but I'm not.the least bit superstitious. There are a few more but I need to sacrifice a goat up on the bow, just in case.

Turtle digs up some more weird sea stuff:

Avoid people with red hair when going to the ship to begin a journey.
Red heads bring bad luck to a ship, which can be averted if you speak to the red-head before they speak to you.

Avoid Flat-footed people when beginning a trip.
They, like red heads, are bad luck. The danger can be avoided by speaking to them before they speak to you.

Michele: If you're watching a hockey playoff game and your team scores a goal, you have to stay in the exact same position you were in when they scored or they wont' score another.

For reals.

Ernie adds to that: That is totally true. Also your position in the room can be a huge factor in the game. For example, if you're on the couch and your team is going nowhere and generally getting an ass kicking, maybe it's time to switch to the other side of the couch, or move to the standing position in another part of the room.

Lucky socks can be helpful. So if you are wearing slippers, take them off. OR, the socks could be chilly, so if you're not wearing slippers, put some on. Whatever it takes to help the team.

Michele adds: As I watch the Islander game tonight, I will be sitting on the left hand side of the couch.

I will be wearing no socks.

I will be eating a peanut butter sandwich.

If they win, I have to do the same thing tomorrow night.

The peanut butter sandwich, no socks, left side of couch thing goes all the way back to 1983.

Ian: One of the only things that I really, truly believe in - that can't be proven by science - is Karma. I don't know if tossing salt over your shoulder or not walking under ladders will actually change anything but, if it does, I see no reason to tick off the universe.

In addition to the usual salt, cat, ladder and cement-crack related superstitions, I basically will adopt any superstition that I hear about. Because you never know which ones will really stop karmic retribution from coming down on your ass.

Oh, and lucky boxers. They're zebra-striped.

Seetwist: The number 4 never fails me, but as for lucky items, I always carry around at least 1 pig on my keychain or backpack. They're good luck in Germany, and I have a relative who sends me a new batch every year.

Bad luck: I'm more afraid of the jinx than anything else. If something good is scheduled to happen to me, or if I am about to get a new job, a raise or something like that, I keep it to myself. As soon as I tell someone about it, it usually ends up not happening, and I look like a fool.

Deb: It's bad luck to turn your calendar to the next month on the first day of that month.

No I don't know why, it just is.

Also if the last words you say out loud on the last day of the month are "Hare Hare" and the firsts words you utter the following morning are "Rabbit Rabbit" you will get your fondest wish.

I learnt that from Trixie Belden.

I am obsessed with calendars

Pirate has another: One more for your list is to steel the broom from the last whorehouse you visit before setting sail, then mounting it on the bulkhead in the common room. You always touch the broom before coming on shift.

Philbrick: Remember: Always spit over your left shoulder when you see a dwarf. Try not to hit the dwarf, though, 'cause that's just plain rude.

Let's close this out with some interesting words from Johnny:

this dictionary i normally use to break my weed up on says that a superstition is an irrational belief in or notion of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, etc.

now, i don't know if this qualifies because i don't feel the fear is irrational, but it is certainly ominous in its significance.

i'm talking about a girl's shoes. i'm totally superstitious about them. cuz if they're dirty, it means a dirty puss. to me, it's like walking under a ladder or breaking a mirror or having a black cat cross your path. i won't do it. i'll go out of my way to avoid it. and if it happens, it's guaranteed bad luck.

That's a sampling of our superstitions. What are yours?

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