"Murphy's Law"

 So there was this guy named Murphy.  Edward Aloyisius Murphy.

He was the Director of Safety for Northrup Aviation back in the late '40's.  They were trying to determine if man could withstand the rigors of exceeding the speed of sound.  They did that by strapping a guy named Lt. Col. Stapp into a rocket sled.  And firing those rockets up and sending Stapp past the speed of sound on train tracks leading across Edwards Air Force Base.  But even after multitudinous testing, and preparation, and making sure nothing could go wrong, it did.

Waaay wrong!

Turns out a sensor switch failed to turn off at the desired time.  Resulting in Stapp failing to stop when they planned.  So bad was this failure that Stapp went more than 100 mph faster than planned.  And like the fall doesn't kill you, but gravity does, the stop nearly killed Stapp.  He wound up with detached retinas, bruised kidneys and dislocated shoulders.  

Murphy later commented, "Seems like if a thing can go wrong, it will.  And sooner rather than later."

Arthur Bloch remembered that event.  He was a professor at Berkeley and decided to write a book about it.  One intended to map out all the ways a thing can go wrong.  And just like with the "Peter Principle," which I've written about in the past, "Murphy's Law" became entrenched into our psyche.  And I've been collecting "Laws" for decades.  And here are some of my favorites...

     -  Once you open a can of worms, the only way to recan them is to use a larger can.

     -  Left to themselves, things will definitely go from bad to worse.

     -  Nature will always side with the hidden flaw.

     -  If you're feeling good, don't worry.  You'll get over it.

     -  When things can't possibly get any worse, they will.

     -  Capitalism is based on the assumption you can win.  Socialism is based on the assumption you can break even.  Mysticism is based on the assumption you can quit the game any time you desire.

     -  If you keep anything long enough, you can throw it away.  If you throw it away, you'll need it the very next day.

     -  No matter which way you ride, it's uphill and against the wind.

     -  A toothache will always begin on a Saturday night.

     -  The other line will always move faster.

     -  Computers are unrealiable.  But humans are even more unreliable.

     -  The likelihood of a buttered slice of bread falling buttered side down, is directly proportional to the price of the carpet.  Inversely.

     -  If it jams, force it.  If it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.

     -  The fear of loss is a far greater motivator than the anticipation of gain.

And I close with:

     -  Never judge a man until you've walked a mile in his shoes.  And if you still don't like the bastard, you'll be a mile away and you'll have his shoes.

If you like these, let me know.  I'll send a few more your way in the future...