Superstitions?

[Brett_Tabke]

Everyone has 1-2 superstitions.

Mine is "never start a major project on a Friday". I don't know where that one started, but a gift from my mother. It goes back to an old fishermen saying, 'A Friday's sail, always fail.'

What's your quirky superstition?

[thecoalman]

Don't listen to Metallica's "Battery" while driving on a winding road in my supercharged Regal GS. :P

[engine]

@thecoalman Agreed, completely. :) I'd add that the earliest track that caused me to end up at speed was Mealoaf "Bat out of Hell" There something about that track that makes me want to drive faster.

I like the major project Friday rule. I used to move meeting away from Friday's for that same reason.

Perhaps not so quirky a superstition: Don't walk under a ladder. If you've ever had something fall on your head from someone working up the ladder, you'll know it's not really a superstition, it's more of common sense.

[LifeinAsia]

Not really a superstition- just good sense: don't move new code into Production Friday afternoon. (Or late afternoon on any day for that matter.) Unless, of course, you don't mind spending your entire weekend fixing problems that result.

After living in Asia for years, I have an aversion to 4 objects. In Chinese and other Asian languages, the pronunciation of "4" is similar to "death," so buildings often got from floor 3 to 5, individual food portions are 3 or 5 pieces instead of 4, etc. I use that as an excuse to eat 5 chocolate peanut clusters instead of 4. :)

And I also feel uncomfortable leaving utensils, especially chopsticks, in a bowl of rice. At some Asian funerals/remembrances, a bowl of rice with 2 chopsticks inserted vertically into the rice is left as an offering to the deceased. And to other Asians, it looks like a stick of incense in front of the picture of the deceased.

[lawman]

I've thought and thought. Can't think of any superstitions. Start a pet peeve thread and I could definitely contribute to that.

[blend27]

Anybody who has to start a new project or deploy the code to Prod on a Friday afternoon has to learn one thing: The week is Over and you can't get a free lunch anymore till the next week.

So what's the point?

[graeme_p]

No superstitions.

My former employer always advised clients to deploy to production on Thursday night (and I think clients always agreed) so that any problems could be fixed over the weekend, and even the worst problem would only result in a loss of one days trading.

[lucy24]

"Don't launch a new venture immediately before the requisite technicians go off duty and/or change to triple overtime" is not a superstition. It is ordinary common sense. The last two times I had a plumbing emergency were, as far as I can remember, on a Saturday night and on the afternoon of New Year's Eve.

Speculations about whether inanimate objects have access to a calendar may fall into the realm of superstition, though.

It is a well-attested fact that certain categories of inanimate objects or mechanical devices are sexist pigs. I used to be much plagued with cable boxes that played dead until the moment the repairman (male) showed up. There are probably documented cases of the reverse type of piggery as well; I wouldn't know.

[LifeinAsia]

Speculations about whether inanimate objects have access to a calendar may fall into the realm of superstition, though.

Not a superstition- it's a well-known fact that all mechanical/electrical devices are acutely aware of the exact date their warranty expires. :)

[Lame_Wolf]

Everyone has 1-2 superstitions.

I have zero. Please do not speak for everyone.

[lawman]

When BT mentioned everyone, it was understood that you are excluded.

[Lame_Wolf]

Rubbish. I know plenty of people who are not superstitious. Was that understood that they were excluded too? Or, was it a case of using a word without knowing its meaning?

[brotherhood of LAN]

I wouldn't call myself superstitious but when good luck is wanted and the superstition 'touch wood' comes to mind, I'll look for something wooden nearby.

If there's none nearby I'll just remind myself I'm not superstitious.

[lawman]

LW, your sense of humor seems to have gone missing. I was trying to help you find it.

[ronin]

My superstition is that thoughts and words are manifestive.

Not massively so.

But just enough that if you say something will happen, there's a very tiny increase in the likelihood that it actually will.

[lucy24]

if you say something will happen, there's a very tiny increase in the likelihood that it actually will.

Really? My experience has always been that if you say confidently that something will happen, you've pretty well ensured that it will not happen. Well, except for things like "In the next twelve months, {legislative body of your choice} will enact at least one stupid law". That's at a higher level of immutability. (Washing your car will not make it rain. That kind of thing.)

[Old_Honky]

Long ago I put superstition (which to me includes astrology and all religion) into room 101. It is astonishing that with all the progress mankind has made as a race we still cannot shrug off these irrational beliefs. It is at the root of all the major problems in the world and the sooner we do away with it the better.

[lawman]

Superstition can be good. Without it Stevie Wonder never would have written and my son's band would never have played this:

[drive.google.com...]

[Clay_More]

Without any creepy sound effects or thoughts.

I have a machete that has served me well over quite a few years. My kids have used it, it always accomplished the task at hand.

Several months back, my leg and the machete had some interaction requiring about an hour until the blood stopped flowing. Little bit of a divot still, but otherwise no issue.

I don't trust that blade. I'll use it, but under very stringent conditions and expecting it's going to "bite" me if it has the chance.

Not trusting a piece of steel is superstition. Not following religion/astrology is different in my mind, I don't really spend much time thinking about it.

[graeme_p]

I thought religion was not supposed to be discussed on WW? Or is it just that attacks on religion are OK.

People do have rational reasons for believing in religions, therefore they are not superstitions.

On the other hand things like homoeopathy are definitely superstitions - homoeopathy is just a variant of sympathetic magic.

[lawman]

Whew, some of you guys are taking this thread a little too seriously. Let's try to keep it fun.

[lucy24]

Not trusting a piece of steel is superstition.

No, that's just "Once bitten, twice shy". It's a survival trait.

[incrediBILL]

Everyone has 1-2 superstitions

I have none either, but thanks for the global generalization ;)

Regarding road music, Molly Hatchet's "Flirt'n With Disaster" has put my pedal to the metal more than a few times doing 3 digits in rush hour and almost got busted once. Bad idea to play that song in a car.

FWIW, if you want to see a lot of wild superstitions, just read various Google forums <ducks>

[lucy24]

[ ### forums hiccups ### ]

[graeme_p]

@lawman superstitions are serious - some people live their lives on the basis of astrology.

If you want something more on topic I suggest one superstition everyone should (act as though they) believe: If you have not taken a backup recently your hard drive will break.

[tangor]

My only superstition is to beware of superstitious people. Oddly enough, most superstitions (of the old kind) are actually commonsense. I don't buy into that black cat or crossing path kind of thing... except for What made The Cat Cross My Path? Should I look both Ways? Reminded of that famous Elvis Song... whoops... wrong "S" word with :Mind" attached. My bad. Still stuck in 1969...

[Clay_More]

@lucy24

It's kind of a "trades" thing. You don't use your tools to remove nearby pests as you don't want the tools to "taste" blood. Superstition, but there are those superstitions that have something of a survival trait element.

[Brett_Tabke]

Triskaidekaphobia got a big shot in the arm last Friday the 13th when I cracked some ribs. ouch.

[adder]

I don't whistle (it's believed to scare money away) and I don't walk underneath a ladder (because I don't want a paint bucket on my head)

Triskaidekaphobia got a big shot in the arm last Friday the 13th when I cracked some ribs. ouch.

Oh no! Are you ok? I hope you didn't trip over a black cat.