Istorie
Legile lui Murphy - legile entropieiLEGI, AXIOME, COROLARE, MAXIME 01 Legile lui Murphy: * Daca ceva poate sa mearga prost, va merge. * Daca mai multe lucruri pot merge prost, vor merge in cea mai defavorabila secventa. * Probabilitatea de aparitie a unui eveniment este invers proportionala cu dezirabilitatea lui. * Indiferent de ce merge prost, probabil ca arata bine. * Cand lucrurile par ca nu se mai inrautatesc, ai rabdare. Se vor inrautati curand. * Cand lucrurile merg bine, ceva a mers prost. * Cand lucrurile se inrautatesc: - daca pierzi prea mult, fi atent; - daca nu pierzi nimic, relaxeaza-te; - daca ai sansa sa castigi, relaxeaza-te; - daca nu conteaza, atunci n-are nici o importanta. * Nimic nu este atat de prost, incat sa nu devina si mai prost. * Dupa ce lucrurile s-au inrautatit suficient de mult, ciclul se repeta. * Indiferent de ce merge prost, exista intotdeauna cineva care a stiut ca asa va fi. * Problemele complicate au intotdeauna raspunsuri simple, pe intelesul tuturor, dar gresite. * Oportunitatea iti bate la * Natura tine intotdeauna cu latura ascunsa a lucrurilor. * Ca sa cureti un lucru, murdaresti un altul. Dar poti murdari mai multe lucruri fara a curata nici unul. * Lucrurile incompatibile cu alte lucruri, pot fi compatibile intre ele. * Daca anticipezi ca sunt patru variante posibile de a iesi ceva prost si reusesti sa le ocolesti, atunci va apare imediat o a cincea posibilitate, care va strica totul. * Probabilitatea de a distruge un lucru este direct proportionala cu valoarea lui. * Cand apesi din greseala pe doua litere la masina de scris, se imprima litera care nu trebuie. * Timbrele care nu se lipesc pe scrisori se vor lipi in schimb pe orice altceva. * Cand avionul in care esti are intarziere, avionul pe care trebuie sa-l iei in continuare pleaca la ora fixata. * Cand pisica iti adoarme pe picioare si te farmeca cu torsul ei, simti o nevoie imperioasa de a merge la baie. * Daca o franghie are un capat, atunci are precis inca unul. * Cand trebuie sa-ti concentrezi atentia asupra unui anumit lucru, este imposibil sa nu apara altul care sa-ti distraga atentia. * Ori de cate ori stabilesti sa faci un anume lucru mai intai, survine un alt lucru care trebuie facut primul. * Ori de cate ori iti tai unghiile, constati ca dupa aceea ai nevoie de ele. * Intotdeauna gasesti usor ceea ce nu cauti. Iar ceea ce cauti gasesti abia in ultimul loc in care poti cauta. * Un lucru ratacit il poti gasi numai dupa ce rascolesti intreaga casa. * Cand cauti un lucru, niciodata nu il gasesti decit dupa ce ti-ai cumparat un altul in loc. * Cand garantia unui produs este de 60 de zile, defectarea lui se va produce in ziua a 61-a. * Legile nu sunt decat niste simulari ale realitatii. * Proliferarea unor noi legi conduce la proliferarea unor noi exceptii. * Indiferent daca legile sunt bune, rele sau neutre, trebuie sa se supuna celor din urma. * Daca o lege a lui Murphy poate sa greseasca, va gresi. * Murphy a fost un optimist. Legile entropiei: * Un om cu un singur ceas stie cat e ora. Un om cu doua ceasuri nu este sigur niciodata. * Anticiparile negative conduc la rezultate negative. Anticiparile pozitive conduc la rezultate negative. * Cand un lucru iese prost, orice incercare de a-l indrepta nu face decat sa-l strice si mai mult. * Lucrurile se inrautatesc inainte de a se imbunatati. * Lasate singure, lucrurile se desfasoara de la prost la mai prost. * Orice lucru care incepe bine se sfarseste prost. Orice lucru care incepe prost se sfarseste si mai prost. * Lucrurile incep sa mearga prost, toate deodata. * Singurul mod de a descoperi limetele posibilului este de a trece in domeniul imposibilului. * Anumite lucruri sunt imposibil de cunoscut. Dar este imposibil de aflat care sunt aceste lucruri. * Universul este nu numai mai straniu si mai enigmatic decat ne imaginam, dar el este mai straniu si mai enigmatic decat ne putem imagina. * Informatia se deformeaza cand trece spre nivelele ierarhice superioare. * Intr-o intreprindere, confuzia creste odata cu nivelul ierarhic * Expansiunea inseamna complexitate, iar complexitatea conduce la dezagregare. * Odata ce ai deschis o cutie cu rame, singura solutie de a le inchide din nou este sa folosesti o cutie mai mare. * Pentru un biciclist, indiferent in ce directie o ia va fi la deal si impotriva vantului. * Dupa ce adaugi doua saptamani la termenul de predare a proiectului, datorita unor intarzieri neprevazute, mai adauga inca doua luni pentru intarzierile neprevazute care nu pot fi prevazute. * Mai sigura este o pasare in mana decat una care zboara pe deasupra capului. * Cu cat stirile proaste se transmit mai repede si mai detaliat, cu atat mai bine. * Istoria nu se repeta, dar istoricii da. Legile gravitatiei: * Cand cade o scula de pe banc, se va rostogoli spre coltul cel mai putin accesibil al atelierului. * Inainte de a atinge podeaua, orice scula in cadere se va opri mai intai pe degetele de la picioare. * Nu poti cadea mai jos decat podeaua camerei. * Cu cat urci mai sus in ierarhia administrativa, cu atat cazi mai de sus. * In conditii speciale de atractie universala, caderea celor din varful ierarhiei administrative se poate face si pe orizontala. * Nu poti sti dinainte pe ce parte sa ungi felia de paine cu unt. Sansa ca ea sa cada pe covor cu partea unsa cu unt este direct proportionala cu costul covorului. * Cosmonautii se supun legilor gravitatiei numai cand sunt pe pamant. Legile relativitatii: * Chiar daca faptele sunt rigide, adevarul este flexibil. * Durata unui minut depinde de pozitia ta fata
de * Durata unei casnicii este invers proportionala cu durata petrecerii de nunta. * Daca pastrezi un lucru prea mult, il poti arunca. Daca arunci un lucru prea devreme, vei avea nevoie de el imediat ce l-ai dat la gunoi. * Daca cumperi banane necoapte, ele vor fi mancate inainte de a se coace. Daca le cumperi coapte, ele se vor strica inainte de a le minca. * Telefonul suna intotdeauna cand esti la baie, sau esti in fata usii de la intrare si iti cauti cheile ca sa descui * Cand formezi un numar gresit, nu suna niciodata ocupat. * O jucarie care nu se sparge poate fi folosita la spartul altor jucarii. * In mult se poate economisi cumparandu-l. * Opulenta de la intrare este invers proportionala cu solvabilitatea firmei. * La coada cealalta se serveste mai repede decat la coada la care te-ai asezat. * Nimic nu arata atat de frumos cand este privit de aproape, ca atunci cand este privit de departe. * Intotdeauna ploua cand iti speli masina. Dar nu incerca sa speli masina ca sa ploua, ca nu merge. * Intotdeauna este greseala partenerului. * Este foarte simplu sa faci ceva complicat, dar este foarte complicat sa faci ceva simplu. * Cand remediul oferit de minister nu se potriveste problemei ridicate, este mai usor sa schimbi datele problemei decat sa obtii un alt remediu. * Orice solutie genereaza noi probleme. * Locul in care ajungi depinde de scaunul pe care stai. * Daca ajungi prea devreme, s-a amanat. Daca iti dai sufletul ca sa ajungi la timp, va trebui sa astepti. Daca intarzii, este prea tarziu. * Daca te simti bine, nu-ti face griji. Vei trece peste asta. * Zambeste, Legile managementului: * Prima lege a managementului este ca exista. * Cine detine aurul stabileste regulile. * Cei ce au primesc. Cei ce pot fac. Cei ce nu pot ii invata pe altii. Cei ce nu-i pot invata pe altii administreaza. * Indecizia este baza flexibilitatii. * Orice este posibil daca nu stii despre ce vorbesti. * Nu crea nici o problema pentru care nu ai nici un raspuns. * Oricine poate lua o decizie daca are suficiente informatii. Un manager bun poate lua o decizie fara a avea informatii suficiente. Un manager perfect poate lua o decizie fara a avea nici un fel de informatii. * Cand un manager vrea sa-si impresioneze subalternii cu detalii sofisticate, inseamna ca el a pierdut din vedere obiectivul final. * Nu veni niciodata cu idei noi, care ti se pot da inapoi ca sarcini. * Pentru fiecare viziune exista o contraviziune, la fel de atragatoare. * Sedintele sunt evenimente in care minutele conteaza, dar orele nu. * Daca parasesti camera risti sa fii ales. * Nu exista un moment mai prielnic ca acum, pentru a amana ceea ce nu vrei sa faci. * Cu cat un plan este mai complicat si mai grandios, cu atat sansele lui de esec sunt mai mari. * Cu cat planifici mai bine un proiect, cu atat este mai mare riscul de confuzie, atunci cand ceva nu merge bine. * Orice problema tehnica poate fi rezolvata daca sunt destui bani si, respectiv, destul timp. Din pacate, nici una dintre cele doua cerinte nu poate fi indeplinita. * Printre economisti, lumea reala este considerata adesea un caz special. * Tehnologia este dominata de doua tipuri de oameni: a) cei care inteleg ceea ce conduc; b) cei care conduc ceea ce nu inteleg. * Daca exista o cale de intarziere a unei decizii importante, un bun management o va gasi. * In orice intreprindere, munca se orienteaza spre nivelele cele mai de jos ale ierarhiei. * Daca o idee a supravietuit unui sistem birocratic si a fost implementata, inseamna ca nu a fost deloc interesanta. * In orice intreprindere exista o persoana care stie tot ce se intampla aici. Aceasta persoana trebuie data afara. * Mai usor sunt recunoscute talentele din alta parte decat talentele din propria companie. * Recrutarea personalului inseamna de multe ori triumful sperantei fata de experienta. * Daca un subordonat iti pune o intrebare particulara, dar pertinenta, priveste la el de parca si-ar fi pierdut sensul realitatii. Cand isi va pleca ochii, parafrazeaza-i intrebarea. * Gandeste inainte de a actiona. * Este bine ca in afara biroului sa ai mersul grabit pentru a nu da prilejul subordonatilor sa-ti puna intrebari. * Daca dai dispozitii, sa fie verbale. Cele scrise pot fi folosite mai tirziu impotriva ta. * Un management bun este expresia unei mari idei. * Schimbarea lucrurilor este o tema preferata a oricarei conduceri. * Oricat de mult muncesti, niciodata nu faci destul. Ceea ce nu faci este intotdeauna mai important decat ceea ce faci. * Cand esti in dubiu, murmura. Cand esti in dificultate, deleaga pe altcineva sa rezolve problema. Cand esti direct raspunzator, cantareste. * Un plan bun astazi este
mai necesar decat unul perfect * Daca o problema conduce la prea multe sedinte, atunci sedintele devin mai importante decat problema insasi. * Atunci cand nu este necesar sa se ia o hotarire, este necesar sa nu se ia nici o hotarare. * Daca nu-i poti convinge pe birocrati, atunci creeaza confuzie. * Eficienta unei sedinte este invers proportionala cu numarul participantilor si cu timpul afectat. * Durata unei sedinte creste cu patratul numarului de participanti. * Timpul afectat fiecarei probleme de pe agenda sedintei va fi invers proportional cu importanta ei. * Cu cat doresti mai putin sa faci parte din tot felul de comitete si comisii cu atat vei fi rugat mai mult sa o faci. * Timpul inseamna bani. * Nu exista pranz gratuit. * Cheltuielile tind sa creasca pana egalizeaza veniturile. * Pentru saritura in inaltime este mai bine sa antrenezi un om care sare 2 m, decat doi oameni care sar fiecare 1 m. * Cheltuielile banale pot fi rezolvate destul de repede; chestiunile importante nu sunt rezolvate niciodata. * Rezolvarea a 'n+1' probleme necesita un timp dublu fata de rezolvarea a 'n' probleme. * Rezolvarea a 90% dintr-o problema se face de obicei in 10% din timp, restul de 10% rezolvandu-se in 90% din timp. * Nimic nu este imposibil pentru cel care nu trebuie sa le faca singur. Legile competentei: * Competenta contine semintele incompetentei: competenta + competenta = competenta; competenta + incompetenta = incompetenta; incompetenta + incompetenta = incompetenta. * Intr-o ierarhie, orice angajat tinde sa fie promovat pana la nivelul lui de incompetenta. * In timp, orice post va fi ocupat de un angajat incompetent sa rezolve problemele lui. * Munca ramane de obicei pentru cei care nu si-au atins inca nivelul de incompetenta. * Expert este cel ce stie din ce in ce mai mult despre din ce in ce mai putin pana cand stie absolut totul despre nimic. * Expert poate fi oricine din afara orasului. * Loialitatea fata de superiori valoreaza mai mult decat calitatea muncii efectuate. * Orice angajat isi incepe serviciul de la nivelul competentei sale. * Supercompetenta deranjeaza mai mult decat incompetenta. * Generalizarea incompetentei este direct proportionala cu nivelele ierarhice spre care tinzi sa urci. * Cauta sa arati ca esti o persoana foarte importanta. * Un gram de imaginatie valoreaza cat un kilogram de competenta. * Cauta sa fii vazut in compania unor oameni foarte importanti. * Vorbeste cu autoritate, chiar daca spui banalitati. * Nu te lasa atras in discutii contradictorii. * Daca iti pastrezi calmul, cand toti ceilalti si-l pierd, inseamna ca nu ai inteles problema. * Pentru a cunoaste performantele unui agregat, inmulteste cu 0,5 datele furnizate de firma constructoare, respectiv cu 0,25 pe cele oferite de firma comerciala. * Este imposibil de a face ceva impermeabil la prostie, pentru ca prostii sunt foarte ingeniosi. Legile vietii universale: * Ca sa studiezi cat mai bine o problema, incearca s-o intelegi mai intai. * Nu crede in miracole; bazeaza-te pe ele. * Cand intrebarile studentilor primesc raspunsurile profesorilor, stiinta se explica. * Cand intrebarile studentilor devin intrebarile profesorilor, stiinta progreseaza. * Progresul nu consta in inlocuirea unei teorii gresite cu una adevarata, ci cu una mai subtil gresita. * Toate marile descoperiri au fost facute din greseli. Cu cat fondurile alocate unei cercetari sunt mai mari, cu atat mai mult timp va lua comiterea unei greseli. * Orice problema mai mare contine una mai mica, care conditioneaza rezolvarea problemei mari.
* Solutia unei probleme schimba natura problemei. * Dupa cercetari de laborator, atente si migaloase, ti se va spune ca ai primit o proba de analiza gresita. * Cand te chinui sa rezolvi o problema, de mare folos iti poate fi cunoasterea solutiei. * Pentru orice problema continind 'n' ecuatii, vor fi intotdeauna 'n+1' necunoscute. * Este mai bine sa rezolvi o problema in mod aproximativ si sa afli adevarul cu o eroare de +10%, decat sa obtii o solutie exacta si sa nu stii care este adevarul. * Cand un student urmeaza cursurile unei facultati el stie ce vrea sa faca in viata. Cand urmeaza in paralel doua facultati, nu mai e sigur. * Daca prezenta la curs este obligatorie, atunci studentii vor absenta de la examen. Daca prezenta este facultativa la cursuri, atunci se vor prezenta la examen si absentii de la curs. * Fiecare profesor considera ca studentii trebuie sa se pregateasca numai la cursul sau. * Daca examenul se da cu cartea deschisa pe banca, precis ca vei uita cartea acasa. * Nu atribui rautatii ceea ce poate fi explicat prin stupiditate. * Orarele studentilor sunt astfel facute incat sa se piarda mai mult timp la facultate. * Cand inveti la un examen, constati ca iti lipseste exact cursul cel mai important. * Cand tragi biletul la examen constati ca doua din cele trei subiecte sint din cursurile pe care nu le-ai mai repetat. * O concluzie marcheaza intotdeauna momentul in care ai obosit sa gandesti. * Intuitia este o stiinta exacta. * Cand sunt in discutie propriile lor probleme, profesorii sunt foarte conservatori. Cand sunt in discutie problemele altora, ei devin liberali. * Cartile nu se pierd atunci cand sunt imprumutate. Exceptie fac numai cartile la care tii foarte mult. * Cel mai important citat este cel pentru care ai uitat bibliografia. Sursa bibliografica va apare insa in revista in care ti se va face o recenzie dezastruoasa. * Cand un profesor isi pregateste o carte pentru publicat, el nu intelege ca lucrarea va fi inteleasa numai de cei ce stiu mai mult decat el in domeniu respectiv. * Daca explici ceva atat de clar incat oricine poate pricepe, se va gasi cineva care sa te inteleaga gresit. Legile programarii calculatorelor: * Sa gresesti este uman, dar ca sa zapacesti de tot lucrurile ai nevoie de un calculator. * Un program de calcul face ceea ce ii ceri, nu ceea ce ai vrea tu sa-ti faca. * Valoarea unui program este direct proportionala cu greutatea listingului. * Complexitatea unui program va creste pana va depasi capacitatea de intelegere a operatorului care trebuie sa lucreze cu el. * Descoperirea unei erori intr-un program de calcul se face abia dupa ce programul a fost folosit cateva luni de zile. * Orice program de calcul ajuns in faza de rulare este depasit. * Orice program de calcul costa mai mult si necesita mai mult timp decat s-a considerat initial. * Daca un program este util, va trebui schimbat. Daca nu mai este util va trebui sa fie justificat. * Orice program se va extinde pentru a ocupa intreaga memorie disponibila a calculatorului. * Daca pentru introducerea corecta a datelor in calculator s-au prevazut o serie de teste, se va gasi un idiot ingenios care va descoperi o metoda de a introduce si date gresite. * Daca ai gasit doua erori intr-un program, caut-o si pe a treia. * Calculatoarele pot gresi, dar oamenii gresesc si mai mult. * Dupa ce eroarea gasita a fost corectata, se va constata ca de fapt nu a fost nici o eroare. * Orice sistem care depinde de fiabilitatea umana este nefiabil. * Erorile nedetectabile se prezinta intr-o infinitate de forme, pe cand cele detectabile sunt prin definitie in numar finit. Legile cercetarii experimentale: * Stiinta iti spune adevarul. Nu te lasa inselat de fapte. * Prin definitie, cand investighezi necunoscutul, nu stii la ce rezultat vei ajunge. * Daca un experiment iese bine inseamna ca ceva nu a fost in regula. * Daca repetarea unui test de laborator ridica probleme, e bine sa faci testul o singura data. * Nici un experiment nu este reproductibil. Daca ar fi, atunci ar trebui ca si esecurile lor sa fie reproductibile. * Niciodata sa nu incerci repetarea unui experiment reusit. * Progresul in stiinta este invers proportionala cu numarul revistelor de specialitate publicate. * Nu gasesti niciodata timp sa faci bine un experiment, dar vei gasi intotdeauna timp suficient pentru a-l reface. * Cu cat teoria este mai sofisticata, cu atit mai bine. * Un experiment poate fi considerat terminat cu bine daca nu se ignora mai mult de 50% din datele experimentale obtinute, pentru ca totul sa se conformeze teoriei. * Daca suficiente date experimentale au fost culese, atunci se poate demonstra orice prin metode statistice. * Daca un program de cercetari nu merita facut, atunci nu merita sa fie bine facut. * O cercetare suficient de indelungata va tinde poate sa sustina o teorie. * Daca anumite rezultate nu sunt conforme cu teoria, ele trebuie ignorate. * In orice lucrare experimentala, mai intai desenezi curbele finale si dupa aceea fixezi punctele corespunzatoare datelor obtinute. * In orice set de date experimentale, valorile care par a fi corecte, se dovedesc dupa o verificare atenta ca sunt eronate. * Orice idee revolutionara trece prin trei stadii caracterizate prin reactiile: a) Este imposibil, nu-mi irosi timpul. b) Este posibil, dar nu merita. c) Eu am spus intotdeauna ca este o idee grozava. Legile lui Murphy despre sex: * Cu cat e mai frumoasa femeia care te iubeste, cu atat mai usor iti vine sa o parasesti. * Nimic nu se imbunatateste cu vremea. * Sexul nu contine calorii. * Nu exista remediu pentru sex decat sexul. * Sex appeal-ul este 50% ceea ce ai si 50% ceea ce cred ceilalti ca ai. * Sexul este ca zapada: nu stii cati centimetri o sa obtii sau cat o sa dureze. * Virginitatea poate fi vindecata. * Cand sotia unui om invata sa-l inteleaga, de obicei nu-l mai asculta. * Sa nu te culci niciodata cu cineva mai nebun decat tine. * Sexul este murdar numai daca e facut cum trebuie. * Este intotdeauna momentul nepotrivit din luna. * Cea mai buna cale de a retine un barbat este in bratele tale. * Cand luminile sunt stinse, toate femeile sunt frumoase. * Sexul este ereditar. Daca parintii vostri nu l-au avut niciodata, toate sansele sunt ca nici voi sa nu-l aveti. * Sexul face discriminari asupra timizilor si uratilor. * Inainte de a-ti gasi printul cel frumos, trebuie sa saruti o multime de broaste. * S-ar putea sa existe multe lucruri mai bune ca sexul si multe lucruri mai rele. Dar nu exista nimic la fel. * Iubeste-ti vecinul, dar nu te lasa prins. * Dragostea este triumful imaginatiei asupra inteligentei. * Nu te certa niciodata cu o femeie obosita sau odihnita. * O femeie nu-i uita niciodata pe barbatii pe care i-ar fi putut avea. * Un barbat nu le uita niciodata pe femeile care nu le-a putut avea. * Nu spune niciodata nu. * Un barbat poate fi fericit cu orice femeie pe care n-o iubeste. * Sexul este unul din cele noua motive pentru reincarnare, celelalte opt sunt neimportante. * Nu te duce niciodata in pat furios, stai sus si lupta. *** LEGI, AXIOME, COROLARE, MAXIME 02 *** Murphy's law: * Anything that can go wrong will. * Trust everybodythen cut the cards. * Two wrongs are only the beginning. * If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. * To succeed in politics, it is often necessary to rise above your principles. * Exceptions prove the ruleand wreck the budget. * Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view. * Quality assurance dosen't. * The tough part of a Data Processing Manager's job is that users don't really know what they want, but they know for certain what they don't want. * Exceptions always outnumber rules. * To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research. * No one is listening until you make a mistake. * He who hesitates is probably right. * The ideal resume will turn up one day after the position is filled. * If somthing is confidential, it will be left in the copier machine. * One child is not enough, but two children are far too many. * A clean tie attracts the soup of the day. * The hardness of the butter is in direct proportion to the softness of the bread. * The bag that breaks is the one with the eggs. * When there are sufficient funds in the checking account, checks take two weeks to clear. When there are insufficient funds, checks clear overnight. * The book you spent 20.95$ for today will come out in paperback tomorrow. * The more an item costs, the farther you have to send it for repairs. * You never want the one you can afford. * Never ask the barber if you need a haircut or a salesman if his is a good price. * If it says 'one size fits all,' it dosen't fit anyone. * You never really learn to swear until you learn to drive. * The colder the X-ray table, the more of your body is required on it. * Love letters, business contracts and money due you always arrive three weeks late, whereas junk mail arrives the day it was sent. * When you drop change at a vending machine, the pennies will fall nearby, while all other coins will roll out of sight. * The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach. * Experience is somthing you don't get until just after you need it. * Life can be only understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards. * Interchangable parts won't. * No matter which way you go, it's uphill and against he wind. * If enough data is collected, anything may be proven by statistical methods. * Work is accomplished by those employees who have not reached their level of incompetence. * Progress is made on alternative Fridays. * No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session. * The hidden flaw never remains hidden. * As soon as the stewardess serves the coffee, the airline encounters turbulence. * For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism. * People who love sausage and respect the law should never watch either of them being made. * A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking. * When reviewing your notes for a test, the most important ones will be illegible. * A free agent is anything but. * The least experienced fisherman always catches the biggest fish. * Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with. * The one item you want is never the one on sale. * The telephone will ring when you are outside the door, fumbling for your keys. * If only one price can be obtained for a quotation, the price will be unreasonable. Glib's fourth law of unreliability: Investment in reliability will increase until it exceeds the probable cost of errors, or until someone insists on getting some useful work done. Fourth law of applied terror: The night before the English History mid-term, your Biology instructor will assign 200 pages on planaria. Corollary: Every instructor assumes that you have nothing else to do except study for that instructor's course. Fourth law of revision: It is usually impractical to worry beforehand about interferences, if you have none, someone will make one for you. Fresco's discovery: If you knew what you were doing you'd probably be bored. Fudd's first law of opposition: Push something hard enough and it will fall over. Gerrold's laws of infernal dynamics: * An object in motion will always be headed in the wrong direction. * An object at rest will always be in the wrong place. * The energy required to change either one of these states will always be more than you wish to expend, but never so much as to make the task totally impossible. First law of bicycling: No matter which way you ride, it's uphill and against the wind. First law of procrastination: Procrastination shortens the job and places the responsibility for its termination on someone else (i.e., the authority who imposed the deadline). First law of socio-genetics: Celibacy is not hereditary. First rule of history: History doesn't repeat itself, historians merely repeat each other. Flugg's law: * When you need to knock on wood is when you realize that the world is composed of vinyl, naugahyde and aluminum. * For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong. H. L. Mencken, fifth law of applied terror: If you are given an open-book exam, you will forget your book. Corollary: If you are given a take-home exam, you will forget where you live. Fifth law of procrastination: Procrastination avoids boredom; one never has the feeling that there is nothing important to do. Finagle's creed: Science is true. Don't be misled by facts. Finagle's first law: If an experiment works, something has gone wrong. Finagle's fourth law: Once a job is fouled up, anything done to improve it only makes it worse. Finagle's second law: No matter what the anticipated result, there will always be someone eager to: a) Misinterpret it; b) Fake it; c) Believe it happened according to his own pet theory. Finagle's third law: In any collection of data, the figure most obviously correct, beyond all need of checking, is the mistake. Corollaries: * Nobody whom you ask for help will see it. * The first person who stops by, whose advice you really don't want to hear, will see it immediately. Glib's fourth law of unreliability: Investment in reliability will increase until it exceeds the probable cost of errors, or until someone insists on getting some useful work done. Ginsberg's theorem: * You can't win. * You can't break even. * You can't even quit the game. Freeman's commentary on Ginsberg's theorem: Every major philosophy that attempts to make life seem meaningful is based on the negation of one part of Ginsberg's theorem: * Capitalism is based on the assumption that you can win. * Socialism is based on the assumption that you can break even. * Mysticism is based on the assumption that you can quit the game. * Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it. * Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you recognize amistake when you make it again. * Experience is what causes a person to make new mistakes instead of old ones. Emmersons' law of contrariness: * Our chief want in life is somebody who shall make us do what we can. * Having found them, we shall then hate them for it. * Ever notice that even the busiest people are never too busy to tell you just how busy they are. Drew's law of highway biology: The first bug to hit a clean windshield lands directly in front of your eyes. Ducharm's axiom: If you view your problem closely enough you will recognize yourself as part of the problem. Ducharme's precept: Ehrman's commentary: * Things will get worse before they get better. * Who said things would get better? * Do not believe in miracles, rely on them. DeVries's dilemma: * If you hit two keys on the typewriter, the one you don't want hits the paper. * Dimensions will always be expressed in the least usable term. Velocity, for example, will be expressed in furlongs per fortnight. * In any organization there will always be one person who knows what is going on. This person must be fired. Percussive sublimation is the promotion of an incompetent employee to a 'higher' position which brings on no new responsibility but unclogs the rest of the hierarchy. This is known as kicking someone upstairs. Hierarchiology tells us that every thriving organization will be characterized by this accumulation of deadwood at the executive level, consisting of percussive sublimatees and potential candidates for percussive sublimation. One well-known appliance manufacturing firm has twenty-three vice-presidents! The lateral arabesque is another pseudo-promotion. Without being raised in rank, sometimes without even a pay raise, the incompetent employee is given a new and longer title and is moved to an office in a remote part of the building. So we see that percussive sublimation and lateral arabesques can serve to keep the drones out of the hair of the workers. - 'The Peter Principle' - Chisolm's first corollary to Murphy's second law: When things just can't possibly get any worse, they will. Churchill's commentary on man: Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on. Colvard's logical premises: All probabilities are 50%. Either a thing will happen or it won't. Colvard's unconscionable commentary: This is especially true when dealing with someone you're attracted to. Chism's law of completion: The amount of time required to complete a government project is precisely equal to the length of time already spent on it. Carelessly planned projects take three times longer to complete than expected. Carefully planned projects take four times longer to complete than expected, mostly because the planners expect their planning to reduce the time it takes. By doing just a little every day, you can gradually let the task completely overwhelm you. Cahn's axiom: When all else fails, read the instructions. Captain penny's law: You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool mom. Brady's first law of problem solving: When confronted by a difficult problem, you can solve it more easily by reducing it to the question 'How would the Lone Ranger have handled this?'. Bucy's law: Nothing is ever accomplished by a reasonable man. Boren's laws: * When in charge, ponder. * When in trouble, delegate. * When in doubt, mumble. Boling's postulate: If you're feeling good, don't worry. You'll get over it. Bombeck's rule of medicine: Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died. Boob's law: You always find something in the last place you look. A transistor protected by a fast-acting fuse will protect the fuse by blowing first A real person has two reasons for doing anythinga good reason and the real reason About the time we think we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends. Herbert Hoover: * After an instrument has been assembled, extra components will be foundon the bench. * After the last of 16 mounting screws has been removed from an access cover, it will be discovered that the wrong access cover has been removed. Anthony's law of force: Don't force it; get a larger hammer. Anthony's law of the workshop: Any tool when dropped, will roll into the least accessible corner of the workshop Corollary: * On the way to the corner, any dropped tool will first strike your toes. * Any small object that is accidentally dropped will hide under alarger object. * Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from a rigged demo. * Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Arthur C. Clarke: * Anything labeled 'NEW' and/or 'IMPROVED' isn't. The label means the price went up. The label 'ALL NEW', 'COMPLETELY NEW', or 'GREAT NEW' means the price went way up. * Anytime things appear to be going better, you have overlooked something. * If it should exist, it doesn't. * If it does exist, it's out of date. * Only documentation for useless programs transcends the first two laws. Laws of love: * People to whom you are attracted invariably think you remind them of someone else. * The love letter you finally got the courage to send will be delayed in the mail long enough for you to make a fool of yourself in person. * Avoid reality at all costs. Bagdikian's observation: Trying to be a first-rate reporter on the average American newspaper is like trying to play Bach's 'St. Matthew Passion' on a ukelele. Baker's first law of federal geometry: A block grant is a solid mass of money surrounded on all sides by governors. Barach's rule: An alcoholic is a person who drinks more than his own physician. Barth's distinction: There are two types of people: those who divide people into two types, and those who don't. Baruch's observation: If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Beifeld's principle: The probability of a young man meeting a desirable and receptive young female increases by pyramidal progression when he is already in the company of: * A date. * His wife. * A better looking and richer male friend. If the slightest probability for an unpleasant event to happen exists, the event will take place; preferably during a demonstration. Buttered Pancake principle: Any buttered pancake that falls down will land on the buttered side. Results of this principle are not affected in any way by adding jam. The pancake will land on the non-buttered side whenever attempting to demonstrate this principle Gordon's warranty law: All warranty clauses expires upon bill payment. Gordon's object lifespan theorem: No matter the amount of care given the purchased object, it will fuse/explode/disassemble within three (3) days of warranty expiration. IBM project management axiom: Need for project modifications increases proportionnally to project completion Universal tech document units law: Characteristics, specifications, dimensions and any other data included in technical documents must be stated in exotic units, such as 'tenth of troy once per barn' for pressures, or 'acre times atmosphere per kilogram' for speeds Instruction booklet governing principle: Instruction booklets are lost by the Goods Delivery Service. If not, they are listed in four languages: Japanese, Thai, Swahili and Moghol. Sjeverrijk theorem: In any computation, the value given for certain is wrong. Scientific computations law: * Decimal points are misplaced. * Positive powers of ten are in fact negative, and vice-versa. Fractions computations basic principle: In any fraction of mid-level complexity, interchange of factors above and under the fraction bar takes place. Scheverezhin's equation system theorem: When solving an equation system, the result yielded is x=17x + 1, which is evidently false. Careful recomputation will yield x=x or 1=1. Vuilleumier's laws for building electronic prototypes: * Any pre-cut equipment is too short. This is specially true of optic fiber cables with expensive connectors at both ends. * If n electronic components are required, n-1 are available. * Any tool escaping manipulator's hands will not necessarily follow Earth's gravitational field, but will land in the most unreachable location in the prototype, smashing on its way the most expensive component of the prototype. This will know only one exception if the tool is particularly heavy, in which case it will land on the manipulator's foot. * When proteup first, thankfully leaving the fuses intact. * Prototype npn blackboxes actually hold pnp transistors, and vice-versa. * A quartz oscillator oscillates at a frequency off the rated one by a minimum of 25% - if it does oscillate at all. * When the prototype has been fully assembled according to lab instructions, a minimum of 11 components are left. Murphy's corollary: If every expert consulted states the problem has no solution, its solution will be obvious to the first unqualified person entering the room, whether he/she speaks the language or not. Prospective principle: A graphic curve must be plotted before computing any values actually supposed to belong to it. Fudge's principle: If measured results do not match computed values of your equation, add a new factor - named after yourself - to the equation. Diddle's principle: Any set of results can match any set of equations provided you develop a good imagination and sense of tolerance. Ostrich's principle: Ignore any bugging problem; it will be solved as soon as people stop talking about it. Soviet method: Set working methods in complicated rules and numerous authorizations. Nothing will therefore happen, for which no blame can be put on you. Parkinson's law: Any corporation with a minimum one thousand work force becomes an autonomous entity, in which enough administrative paperwork is generated to make external contacts superfluous. If there's a wrong way to do a thing, somebody will find it and do it that way Computers are unreliable, but humans are even more unreliable. Any system which depends on human reliability is unreliable. The only difference between a fool and a criminal is that the fool will attack a system unpredictably and on a broader front. A system tends to grow in complexity instead of simplicity, until there sulting unreliability becomes intolerable. Self-checking systems tend to have a complexity in proportion to their inherent unreliability. The error-detection and -correction capabilities of any system serve as a key to understanding the types of errors it cannot handle. Undetectable errors are infinite in variety, in contrast to detectable errors which by definition are finite. All real programs contain errors until proved otherwise which is impossible. Investment in reliability will increase until it exceeds the probable cost of errors, or until somebody insists on getting some useful work done. Laws of innovation management: * Change is the status quo. * Management by objectives is no better than the objectives. * A manager cannot tell if he is leading an innovative mob or being chased by it. Laws of advice: * The correct advice to give is the advice that is desired. * Any decision is better than no decision. * A decision is judged by the conviction with which it is uttered. * Decisions are justified by the benefits to the organization, but they are made by considering the benefits to the decision-makers. Laws of communication: * The purpose of the communication is to advance the communicator. * The information conveyed is less important than the impression. To protect your position, fire the fastest rising employees first. Adding manpower to a late technology project only makes it later. Anyone else who can be blamed should be blamed. Anything that can go wrong will go wrong faster with computers. Whenever a computer can be blamed, it should be blamed. If you have to ask, you're not entitled to know. If you don't like the answer, you shouldn't have asked the question. Abrams's advice: When eating an elephant, take one bite at a time. Rule of accuracy: When working toward the solution of a problem, it always helps if you know the answer. Corollary: Provided, of course, that you know there is a problem. Acheson's rule of the bureaucracy: A memorandum is written not to inform the reader but to protect the writer. Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Ade's law: Anybody can win, unless there happens to be a second entry. Airplane law: When the plane you are on is late, the plane you want to transfer to is on time Albrecht's law: Social innovations tend to the level of minimum tolerable well being. Algren's precepts: * Never eat at a place called Mom's. * Never play cards with a man named Doc. * Never lie down with a woman who's got more troubles than you. Allen's law of civilization: It is better for civilization to be going down the drain than to be coming up it Agnes Allen's law: Almost anything is easier to get into than out of. Fred Allen's motto: I'd rather have a free bottle in front of me than a prefrontal lobotomy. Alley's axiom: Justice always prevailsthree times out of seven. Alligator allegory: The objective of all dedicated product support employees should be to thoroughly analyze all situations, anticipate all problems prior to their occurrence, have answers for these problems, and move swiftly to solve these problems when called upon. However, when you are up to your ass in alligators, it is difficult to remind yourself that your initial objective was to drain the swamp. Allison's precept: The best simple-minded test of experience in a particular area is the ability to win money in a series of bets on future occurrences in that area. I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated. Andrews's canoeing postulate: No matter which direction you start it's always against the wind coming back. Law of annoyance: When working on a project, if you put away a tool that you're certain you're finished with, you will need it instantly. Laws of applied confusion: * The one piece that the plant forgot to ship is the one that supports 75% of the balance of the shipment. Corollary: Not only did the plant forget to ship it, 50% of the time they haven't even made it. * Truck deliveries that normally take one day will take five when you are waiting for the truck. * After adding two weeks to the schedule for unexpected delays, add two more for the unexpected delays. * In any structure, pick out the one piece that should not be mismarked and expect the plant to cross you up. Corollaries: * In any group of pieces with the same erection mark on it, one should not have that mark on it. * It will not be discovered until you try to put it where the mark says it's supposed to go. * Never argue with the fabricating plant about an error. The inspection prints are all checked off, even to the holes that aren't there. Approval seeker's law: Those whose approval you seek the most give you the least. The Aquinas axiom: What the gods get away with, the cows don't. Army axiom: Any order that can be misunderstood has been misunderstood. Army law: If it moves, salute it; if it doesn't move, pick it up; if you can't pick it up, paint it. Ashley-Perry statistical axioms: * Numbers are tools, not rules. * Numbers are symbols for things; the number and the thing are not the same. Klipstein's laws: * A patent application will be preceded by one week by a similar application made by an independent worker. * Firmness of delivery dates is inversely proportional to the tightness of the schedule. *** LEGI, AXIOME, COROLARE, MAXIME 03 *** Violenta este ultimul refugiu al incompetentilor. - Isaac Asimov - Fundatia O viata nu valoreaza nimic, dar nimic nu valoreaza cat o viata. - Jerome K. Jerome - Intelingenta pe Pamant e Orice om are un orizont intelectual; cand acest orizont se ingusteaza el atinge dimensiunile unui punct, si atunci respectivul spune: - Acesta este punctul meu de vedere. Injuratul este o supapa de siguranta prin care nervii barbatului se descarca sub forma de aburi inofensivi. - Jerome K. Jerome - Daca nu-i poti convinge, zapaceste-i. - Murphy - Doua lucruri sunt omniprezente pe Pamant: hidrogenul si prostii. Daca ai un ciocan toate lucrurile din jur ti se par cuie. Scoala-i buna, dar sa n-o iei in serios. - Nae Ionescu - Dumnezeu nu joaca zaruri cu lumea. - A. Einstein - Oamenii sunt ca luna si cocosatii: nu-si arata decat o fata. - A. Shopenhauer - Cu cat experimentul este mai departe de teme cu atat este mai aproape de premiul NOBEL. - F.J.Cune - Moartea este un fenomen simplu in natura. Doar oamenii il fac inspaimintator. - Marin Preda - Paradoxul este mirarea incompetentei umane. - Ady Dumitru - Arta de a citi si de a studia consta in urmatoarele: a conserva esentialul si a uita amanuntele. - Adolf Hitler - Ce poti face azi nu lasa pe - Murphy - Foloseste-ti timpul rezervat pentru a-i critica pe altii in scopul propiei tale perfectionari. Baza oricarei vointe este nevoia. - Manuel - Cand totul incepe bine se termina rau, iar cand totul incepe rau se termina si mai rau. - Murphy -
|