Murphy's Law by Arthur Bloch is one of the two books that I found delightfully humorous in spite of their profound cynicism. The other is Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. Let me reproduce here some of the 'laws' propounded by Bloch.
Murphy's Law: If anything can go wrong, it will.
Corollary: 1. Every solution breeds new problems.
2. It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
3. Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
4. Mother Nature is a bitch.
Law of the Perversity of Nature: You can't successfully determine beforehand which side of the bread to butter.
Boling's Postulate: If you are feeling good, don't worry. You'll get over it.
* If things appear to be going right, you have overlooked something.
* Always keep a record - it indicates you've been working.
* When in doubt, assert louder.
Finagle's Rule 6: Do not believe in miracles - rely on them.
* Capitalism: You can win.
Socialism: You can break even.
Mysticism: You can quit the game.
First Law of Bridge: It's always the partner's fault.
Horner's Five-Thumb Postulate: Experience varies directly with equipment ruined.
Cahn's Axiom: When all else fails, read the instructions.
Whole Picture Principle: Research scientists are so wrapped up in their own narrow endeavours that they cannot possibly see the whole picture of anything, including their own research.
Corollary: The Director of Research should know as little as possible about the specific subject of research he is administering.
Mr Cooper's Law: If you do not understand a particular word in a piece of technical writing, ignore it. The piece will make perfect sense without it.
Young's Law: All great discoveries are made by mistake.
Corollary: The greater the funding, the longer it takes to make the mistake.
The Peter Principle: In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.
Corollary: Work is accomplished by those employees who have not reached their level of incompetence.
Peter's Placebo: An ounce of image is worth a pound of performance.
* Incompetence is directly proportional to one's position in the hierarchy.
Imhoff's Law: The organisation of any bureaucracy is very much like a septic tank - the really big chunks always rise to the top.
Match's Maxim: A fool in a high station is like a man on the top of a high mountain; everything appears small to him and he appears small to everybody.
H L Mencken's Law: Those who can - do. Those who cannot - teach. Those who cannot teach - administrate.
Truman's Law: If you cannot convince them, confuse them.
Swipple Rule of Order: He who shouts loudest has the floor.
Issawi's Law of Conservation of Evil: The total amount of evil in any system remains constant. Hence, any diminution in one direction - for instance, a reduction in poverty or unemployment - is accompanied by an increase in another, e.g. crime or air pollution.
Katz's Law: Men and nations will act rationally when all other possibilities have been exhausted.
Vique's Law: A man without religion is like a fish without a bicycle.
Gattuso's Extension of Murphy's Law: Nothing is ever so bad that it can't get worse.
Lynch's Law: When the going gets tough, everyone leaves.
Hlade's Law: If you have a difficult task give it to a lazy man - he will find an easier way to do it.
* Fools rush in - and get the best seats.
* If everything is coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.

Recommend
votes