I think this applies strongly anywhere near a work bench or layout
Inanimate objects can be classified scientifically into three major categories: those that don't work, those that break down, and those that get lost.
The goal of all inanimate objects is to resist man and ultimately to defeat him, and the three major classifications are based on the method each object uses to achieve its purpose...
As an example , any object capable of breaking down at the moment when it is most needed will do so.
Please give your experiences of these rules when applied to your modelling >:D
(when it happens it ain't no joke - hence not posted under jokes!)
A few 'inanimate' problems I have had, although they don't necessarily match your criteria.
1. Tools you need to use are always just out of reach so you have to put your work down to fetch them.
2. Even if you've got dozens of tweezers there never seems to be a pair that match your needs.
3. When oiling locos the oil frequently seems to miss the bit you want to oil and go everywhere else instead.
4. You always run out of paper towels at the critical moment.
5. You can never find track pins you drop on the floor until you tread on them.
6. Coupling springs are not 'inanimate' they have a life of their own.
7. Rerailers don't.
8. There is never enough room to put all the boxes for your rolling stock
9. There are never enough storage boxes to put all your rolling stock in.
10. The instructions for anything are always filed safely away.
There must be loads of others - too numerous to list.
:D :beers:
I believe that Einstein had an Irish friend/colleague who came up with a law to describe these phenomena ;)
Best regards,
Joe
Quote from: joe cassidy on February 11, 2016, 08:16:15 PM
I believe that Einstein had an Irish friend/colleague who came up with a law to describe these phenomena ;)
Best regards,
Joe
And wasn't our Irish friend just spot on right!! :D
There is also a rule that the only way to find something you have put away safely, but can't find, is to go out and buy a replacement.
Quote from: Malc on February 11, 2016, 08:48:39 PM
There is also a rule that the only way to find something you have put away safely, but can't find, is to go out and buy a replacement.
Oh!! you are so right. The number of things I've now got two of!! :doh: :D
I have 3 of somethings!
Quote from: Malc on February 11, 2016, 08:53:05 PM
I have 3 of somethings!
You bragging or complaining?????????? :whistle:
Quote from: Malc on February 11, 2016, 08:53:05 PM
I have 3 of somethings!
I can find none of the 3 I know I have!! :D
First corollary of Murphy's law:
The likelihood of the thing going wrong is directly proportional to the importance of the people watching.
You are in the middle of wiring up a couple of point motors.
You need just one simple toggle switch to finish the job.
You know you bought several last time you went to the shop.
Search everywhere.
In frustration drive 5 miles to the shop to buy another so that you can finish the job.
Get home.
Up to the workroom.
There are three switches right next to the place you were working originally.
It's the sort of thing that happens to me all the time !
Quote from: joe cassidy on February 11, 2016, 08:16:15 PM
I believe that Einstein had an Irish friend/colleague who came up with a law to describe these phenomena ;)
Best regards,
Joe
I never knew that Sod was an Irish name
As it applies to exhibitions:
At any given moment within an exhibition, the locomotive , wagon, point set and / or electrical connection that was hitherto working faultlessly, will fail, with the size and severity of said failure being in direct relation to the number of members of the public who are at the time standing in front of said layout.
Equally, the second that said viewers depart the scene (and no viewers are present) the hitherto-recalcitrant object will miraculously correct itself (without any 'operator assistance being required) and perfect operation will resume...
(I've seen and experienced such occurrences too many times to consider that it might be 'coincidental'. No doubt others will have had similar experiences).
Quote from: cycletrak9 on February 11, 2016, 09:57:36 PM
Quote from: joe cassidy on February 11, 2016, 08:16:15 PM
I believe that Einstein had an Irish friend/colleague who came up with a law to describe these phenomena ;)
Best regards,
Joe
I never knew that Sod was an Irish name
Wash your mouth out.. :)
Quote from: edwin_m on February 11, 2016, 09:47:56 PM
First corollary of Murphy's law:
The likelihood of the thing going wrong is directly proportional to the importance of the people watching.
One of my oppos was doing a demo of some video viewing software to a load of company big wigs, but the main server hiccuped and nothing happened. He quickly skipped over that bit, but left the audio turned up. During his next demo, the server started playing some random clip about midwives. The audio was of a woman giving birth. Cries and screams echoed around the room. Exit demonstrator stage left.
Another one is Leak's 1st law of physics:
"Any length of cable coiled neatly and left unattended for any length of time will immediately tangle itself".
Quote from: port perran on February 11, 2016, 09:55:52 PM
You are in the middle of wiring up a couple of point motors.
You need just one simple toggle switch to finish the job.
You know you bought several last time you went to the shop.
Search everywhere.
In frustration drive 5 miles to the shop to buy another so that you can finish the job.
Get home.
Up to the workroom.
There are three switches right next to the place you were working originally.
It's the sort of thing that happens to me all the time !
Completely standard behaviour - if you can't find something, get another one - suddenly, you have TWO! Oh yeah!!!!!
There is another class, although it can be though if as a subclass of "those that break", it is "things that when knocked over will cause confusion and delay, and mayhem, etc."
Examples:
Jars of water for washing paintbrushes - particularly when near electrical devices.
Jars of paint
Open bags of flock or ballast
Cups of the beverage of your choice (a subset of the first item)
Quote from: DarthBadger on February 12, 2016, 09:52:53 AM
There is another class, although it can be though if as a subclass of "those that break", it is "things that when knocked over will cause confusion and delay, and mayhem, etc."
Examples:
Jars of water for washing paintbrushes - particularly when near electrical devices.
Jars of paint
Open bags of flock or ballast
Cups of the beverage of your choice (a subset of the first item)
Hello person with strange and unusual name! Your last item bothers me a little. It suggests that, just possibly, and probably not deliberately, you may have either taken a drink from your brush washing container or dipped a brush in your coffee. ??? :-[
Quote from: DarthBadger on February 12, 2016, 09:52:53 AM
There is another class, although it can be though if as a subclass of "those that break", it is "things that when knocked over will cause confusion and delay, and mayhem, etc."
Examples:
Jars of water for washing paintbrushes - particularly when near electrical devices.
Jars of paint
Open bags of flock or ballast
Cups of the beverage of your choice (a subset of the first item)
And the worst one of all -
solvent!
That's precisely why drinks are banned from university chemistry labs.
Best regards,
Joe
Quote from: joe cassidy on February 12, 2016, 06:44:37 PM
That's precisely why drinks are banned from university chemistry labs.
Best regards,
Joe
I always thought the best drinks came from Chemistry labs??
:D :beers:
First day in the lab we were regaled with this:
Jimmy Brown is dead and gone,
And he will drink no more.
For what he thought was H2O,
Was H2SO4!
malc
A slight variation on your 'One of my oppos etc'.
A military establishment, scrambled egg for miles. We were all there to learn about the (then) new computer system being introduced into general service.
The 'Designated Resident Expert' (DRE)was a Flight Sergeant (FS), who did a very good job at 'educating' those present.
Lunch time arrives, 'students' depart; each rank to the appropriate mess.
Class resumes, no FS. 'Egg-covered ones' very unimpressed...
FS reappears 30 minutes later, very apologetic.
It seems that in the luncheon interval (an hour) the techies (conveniently located on another base 400 miles away BTW) had completely changed everything and all that had gone before was now obsolete and not to be used. Alterations were still being made even as the class resumed!!
Back to square one!!! RTE did an admirable job, despite being handed 'updates' while doing-so. but was fighting a loosing battle as the techs played havoc with his presentation (one had to feel sorry for him, he was in a totally untenable position). Mickey Mouse would have been proud!!
Brass eventually had had enough, class suspended, and techies advised to 'get their act together ' 'or else!!.
The hapless FS was last seen in the Sergeants Mess consuming a well-deserved beer - he'd certainly earned it.
(FWIW: The bugs never were actually totally fixed and eventually the programme was abandoned; but not before it had cost a very large amount of taxpayer and Defence Force money...)
Murphy's Law would seem to have numerous sub-variants...
Quote from: austinbob on February 12, 2016, 08:12:05 PM
I always thought the best drinks came from Chemistry labs??
:D :beers:
Apparently there is one university in the UK where they have an ancient piece of wood (from an old stair rail) that they steep in the "party ethanol" to give it bit of flavour/colour.
Best regards,
Joe
This reminded me of a science-fiction short story I read ages ago. I've just dug it out and had a speed-read through it again. It's called 'Inanimate Objection' written by H. Chandler Elliott in 1954. In a nutshell, the premise is that mankind spends a lot of time organising, arranging, controlling stuff but the Universe as a whole works in the opposite direction towards chaos. So the more we try and arrange the world to our satisfaction, the more the Universe fights back by getting inanimate objects to misbehave.
Sounds perfectly plausible to me...
Have a nice day!
Chris
The point you laid in the most awkward place decides to become a non working point at the most inopportune time at an exhibition.
Quote from: edwin_m on February 12, 2016, 04:46:52 PM
Quote from: DarthBadger on February 12, 2016, 09:52:53 AM
There is another class, although it can be though if as a subclass of "those that break", it is "things that when knocked over will cause confusion and delay, and mayhem, etc."
Examples:
Jars of water for washing paintbrushes - particularly when near electrical devices.
Jars of paint
Open bags of flock or ballast
Cups of the beverage of your choice (a subset of the first item)
And the worst one of all - solvent!
Yep been there and done that and when applying static grass on Martini Holt left my coffee cup too close to the area being covered and then sneezed result very grassy coffee
:'(
Quote from: Papyrus on February 13, 2016, 02:11:20 PM
This reminded me of a science-fiction short story I read ages ago. I've just dug it out and had a speed-read through it again. It's called 'Inanimate Objection' written by H. Chandler Elliott in 1954. In a nutshell, the premise is that mankind spends a lot of time organising, arranging, controlling stuff but the Universe as a whole works in the opposite direction towards chaos. So the more we try and arrange the world to our satisfaction, the more the Universe fights back by getting inanimate objects to misbehave.
There's a word for that - Entropy ?
Best regards,
Joe
Insufficiently secured scenic scatter can become a series of small but numerous animate objects when in a room heated with an air heater (as is common here in Japan). Don't ask me how I know this.