Jokers must always be prepared to risk the wrath of their victims, but my colleague Farley Rusks seemed to be going out on a limb when he provoked a witch into cursing him.

    Farley has a contraband radar gun (the full story of how he acquired this impressive and useful implement is told in the chapter on science).  He was driving north on route 128 near Salem, Massachusetts, when he was passed by a very skinny woman in a Volvo.  She was doing 80 mph while looking at herself in the rearview mirror and messing with her hair.

    Pride is number one of the seven deadly sins, and sinners must always be punished, so Farley zapped her with the radar gun.  Bingo!  He must have set off her radar detector, because she immediately hit the brakes and dropped behind.  She recovered her nerve a few minutes later; as she came alongside, Farley gave her some more microwaves and let her see the pistol.  Just to make it obvious Farley blew across the tip of the gun and smiled.  The suspected sorceress was not amused.  She started cackling and waved something at Farley that looked like a turkey wishbone wrapped in green ribbon.  Farley claims that he hasn't had any bad luck yet, although a hubcap fell off his tire the next day and two weeks later he dropped a dime and it rolled down a drain.  Don't tell me there's no karma.