Full Moon "Madhouse"

[onager]

Yesterday while Doing Other Stuff, I had the TV on the History Channel "Madhouse" series.

It's not about Teabaggers or honestly insane citizens. Nope, just ANOTHER non-history program about car racing (modifieds) in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Growing up in South Carolina near a small jalopy race track, it was sort of a nostalgia trip for me.

One whole episode worried about a night of racing under a full moon, with all sorts of dire predictions about what might happen.

But one driver said he was "not superstitious," so he wasn't worried.

This driver paints the number "13" on his car, to flaunt his non-superstitiousness. He also violates a weird local taboo about never eating peanuts on a race night - he comes to the track with a giant jar of peanut butter and walks around happily chowing down, while the other drivers complain about him "bringing bad luck."

HOWEVAH...across the back of his car, he has JESUS written in huge letters. He's a devout SoB (Southern Baptist), he says, despite a penchant for erupting in cuss-storms and picking fist-fights with other drivers. And apparently spending the household money on his racing hobby.

As a Fundamentalist Atheist, I'm always interested in any possible interaction of the Sacred with the Profane. So this guy is completely without superstition, but Jesus is his co-pilot?

Let's see how that's working out for him...

Race #1 - he finished last.

Race #2 - miracle! With only 12 cars in the race, his official finish position was fifteenth. So he came in Last - 3.

Race #3 - early in the race, he aggressively tried to knock another car out of his way. That broke his front suspension and it couldn't be repaired.

Maybe he should try another number besides "13," knock off the peanut butter, and convert to Islam.

(Ha! I just had a mental picture of Will Ferrell in "Talladega Nights" - "Help me, Jesus! Help me, Xenu! Help me, Oprah!")

[trotsky]

1. You can't eat peanuts on race night?

OK, do you have any idea where that came from?

LOL at the Talladega Nights quote. "Dear Baby Jesus..."