BAD DAY: So what if today is...

BAD DAY: So what if today is Friday the 13th! After all, do people really take all that bad luck stuff seriously? You bet they do. . . . Just ask Henry De Miranda, owner of the Aquarius Bookstore in Chatsworth, which specializes in Tarot card readings and astrology. “People won’t schedule appointments for this day,” he said. “Most people think there are just better days than Friday the 13th.”

DILEMMA: The sexual harassment suit against President Clinton has, of course, become a hot topic for tabloid talk shows such as “Maury Povich”(E1). . . . The issue has also caused plenty of discussion among feminists. . . . “A lot of women favored Clinton because he had a better stance on women’s issues,” said Tricia Oeser, NOW coordinator in the Valley, “but if this is true, this will be a tremendous letdown.”

PATIENCE: If you demand instant results, the Desert Tortoise Natural Area outside California City is not the place for you. Rather, it’s better suited to patient visitors willing to look for hours with the chance of not finding tortoises. . . . Naturalist Chuck Boland (above) has a stuffed tortoise on the grounds that he can show to visitors. See Valley Life! Page 10.

SECOND TRY: In baseball, there’s always the next game. And for the all-woman Colorado Silver Bullets, that couldn’t come soon enough. They lost 19-0 in their opening contest, but they’ll get another opportunity today in Mesa, Ariz. . . . “We need to work on our fundamentals,” said ex-Cal State Northridge softball star Missy Cress.

BIG WEEKEND: Meanwhile, Missy’s former team hasn’t missed a beat without her. In fact, the third-ranked Matadors trail first-place Fresno State and Utah by just one game heading into the final weekend of the season. . . . Plenty is at stake, as well, for the school’s baseball team, which, despite a season of disappointments and distractions, has a chance for a division title (C10).