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  #1  
Old 03-06-2012, 10:06 PM
dzero dzero is offline
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Do you have a problem with inanimate objects trying to "escape?"

Be honest.

I'm fairly clumsy so I suppose that has something to do with it - maybe. But it seems that the trajectory of any object I drop follows, with an unsettling frequency, the worst and most inconvenient vector possible. Sometimes I'm convinced that they consider the laws of motion completely optional.

Of course this is likely just my imagination combined with selective memory - or at least that's what "they" keep telling me. But how do I know that "they" aren't in on it?

The orderly says it's time for my meds, but I'm sure some of you will be bold enough to admit that it's not always your imagination.

Last edited by dzero; 03-06-2012 at 10:06 PM.
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  #2  
Old 03-06-2012, 10:09 PM
elfkin477 elfkin477 is offline
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I do. I put things down on what seem to be flat surfaces, turn my back, and they slide to the floor. Constantly. I suck at putting things down, apparently.
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  #3  
Old 03-06-2012, 10:41 PM
Trinopus Trinopus is offline
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Yep! "Inanimate" my eye! For instance, I find it almost impossible to shake only one pill from a pill bottle. They always pop out in pairs, at least, and often more. I shake the bottle with the utmost delicacy... Nothing... nothing.... nothing.... two.

And, yes, dropped items! Drop a screw, and it will bounce directly under the heaviest piece of furniture in the room. Or between a bookshelf and the wall. Or into a shag carpet.

It all started with buttered toast... Once inanimate objects learned they had the power to cause us to feel frustration and angst, they never stopped!

(I'm actually surprised my computer didn't crash during the co
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  #4  
Old 03-06-2012, 10:45 PM
Antinor01 Antinor01 is offline
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The cats toys always end up under the sofa. It doesn't matter if he has actually been playing with them or not.
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  #5  
Old 03-06-2012, 10:53 PM
dzero dzero is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trinopus View Post
It all started with buttered toast... Once inanimate objects learned they had the power to cause us to feel frustration and angst, they never stopped!
EXACTLY!!!

I understand the longing to explore and see the undersides of furniture. I mean, who doesn't? What I hate is the obvious malice involved. I've tried to "teach them a lesson", but they just won't learn. It's sorta how I ended up here, but we won't get into that - not just yet anyway.
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  #6  
Old 03-07-2012, 02:32 AM
Beware of Doug Beware of Doug is offline
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I wish my hamburgers would stop mooshing their way out of the bun while I am trying to eat them.
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  #7  
Old 03-07-2012, 03:24 AM
Senegoid Senegoid is offline
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You all don't seem to understand the gravity of these situations. Gravity is the evil motivating sourceforce of much inanimate malice you have observed. You need to eliminate gravity from your homes, workplaces, wherever you spend much time. This will give you a much greater handle on this. Note, this in no way reduces the malice of your inanimate objects, it merely eliminates their capacity for evil. But that's good enough, mostly.

Last edited by Senegoid; 03-07-2012 at 03:25 AM.
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  #8  
Old 03-07-2012, 03:31 AM
Mangetout Mangetout is online now
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I exploit the effect to my advantage. Coins roll until they hit something, then they fall over - often this is beside the recessed kickboard of a shop counter or some such. I pick up the money that other people lose.
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  #9  
Old 03-07-2012, 03:55 AM
dzero dzero is offline
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Originally Posted by Mangetout View Post
I exploit the effect to my advantage. Coins roll until they hit something, then they fall over - often this is beside the recessed kickboard of a shop counter or some such. I pick up the money that other people lose.
Coins are among the most deceitful objects I've known. Actually, I'd say more passive-aggressive with a side order of deceit. They almost always pretend to follow the rules, but in fact, all they have is contempt, laughing at both gravity and probability.

I'm sure that whatever they do, it's always to their benefit somehow. Your found coins are a perfect example. They travel to some hidey hole where their "owner" won't know to look but someone else will. An intricate plan followed by exquisite execution that to all appearances demonstrates complete obedience to the laws of motion.

But we know better. I can't always tell what goal their behavior advances, but I know that they have one. It's just not always possible to see behind the perfectly crafted facade to the dark machinations within.
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  #10  
Old 03-07-2012, 04:04 AM
Senegoid Senegoid is offline
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Originally Posted by dzero View Post
I'm sure that whatever they do, it's always to their benefit somehow. Your found coins are a perfect example. They travel to some hidey hole where their "owner" won't know to look but someone else will. An intricate plan followed by exquisite execution that to all appearances demonstrates complete obedience to the laws of motion.

But we know better. I can't always tell what goal their behavior advances, but I know that they have one. It's just not always possible to see behind the perfectly crafted facade to the dark machinations within.
I read a little story once about an Evil Ring that did that . . .

As for Mangetout's practice of picking up those gravity-addled coins that gravitated away from their past masters . . . I befriended a poor borderline-homeless couple once. They told me they picked up money by going to those self-service car-wash places, with the huge hungus vacuum cleaners, and cleaning out their air filters. They always found coins there, and sometimes even pwnable jewelry.
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  #11  
Old 03-07-2012, 04:31 AM
Accidental Martyr Accidental Martyr is offline
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Yes. If I only have enough change for the drink machine and I drop a coin it will roll under the machine.
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  #12  
Old 03-07-2012, 06:59 AM
Corcaigh Corcaigh is offline
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Originally Posted by elfkin477 View Post
I do. I put things down on what seem to be flat surfaces, turn my back, and they slide to the floor. Constantly. I suck at putting things down, apparently.
This happens to me all the time in my kitchen - and I have a tiled floor in there, so anything breakable explodes on contact. I've suffered the loss of so many items of crockery that I'm tempted to believe the kitchen is haunted by the vengeful/ playful spirit of my deceased cat.

But she never used to climb around on kitchen surfaces...

I've checked (using a marble) and the counter tops aren't wonky. I've also put down mats on the floor and falling objects simply bounce off the mat to smash to smithereens elsewhere.

I also have several empty CD, or DVD, boxes. I have no idea where the discs are.

I bought a stapler, lost it, bought a new one, the old one didn't suddenly reappear.

My shampoo or shower gel bottles regularly fall over (I leave them standing in the floor of the shower)

Towels fall off the towel rail on a regular basis

Whenever I throw something in the bin, it misses. Doesn't matter if I'm "going for a three pointer", or standing right next to the bin - whatever is in my hand will land on the floor.

One morning I was woken by a strange noise - strange enough for me to be woken instantly - I opened my eyes to see some flattened filing boxes slithering off the top shelf of my wardrobe onto the floor.

I put up some shelves, all bar two of them have parted company with the wall - one was above my bed and hit me in the face while I was asleep (the walls are solid concrete, and I use that "no nails" or whatever it's called glue stuff - the shelves are very small and have lightweight items on them).

My handbag never ever stays where I put it, unless I hang it on the hook that I put up for my handbag as I was sick to death of it falling off chairs, falling over on the floor etc etc.

Last Christmas I bought a chocolate cheesecake, was it nomilicious? I have no idea, the bag it was in somersaulted off the back seat and the cheesecake fell out, the box burst open and the back of the car is still manky from it. The car was stationary at the time, I was still taking bags out of the trolley. The bag containing the cheesecake was the only bag I'd put into the car. I'd set it at a 45ish degree angle (leaning back) specifically to stop the bag falling over.

I have lost several items of clothing. I have a washing machine and dryer, and don't put anything out on the line.

I picked up my prescription at the chemist one day, three days later I couldn't find the tablets anywhere. I had to go back to the chemist and request a re-supply. The originals have never resurfaced.

spooky
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  #13  
Old 03-07-2012, 07:12 AM
Wheelz Wheelz is offline
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The prescription pills I take have somehow gained the ability to become invisible upon touching the bathroom floor. When I happen to drop one, it will have a good laugh watching me search on my hands and knees for several minutes, then become visible again, directly in front of the sink.
Little bastards!
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  #14  
Old 03-07-2012, 07:36 AM
ThelmaLou ThelmaLou is offline
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In the past there have been several key items necessary for the maintenance of civilization of my home and body that kept disappearing on me. But I thwarted the nefarious plan of the evil bastards about 20 years ago.

I could NEVER find my scissors, tweezers, or metal nail file, so over a period of a couple of years I laid in a supply of at least a dozen of each object and placed them all over the house. Now, no matter where you are-- bathroom, kitchen, desk, watching TV-- you are never more than three feet away from one of those things. In my bathroom, I have at least three pairs of tweezers and another one on my bedside table. Scissors are everywhere. TV watching location has at least two of each.

Bwaaa-haaa-haaa!! Take THAT yeh fiendish thingies!! (cf. the Beatles' movie HELP!).

Of course, I still can't ever find a roll of scotch tape or wrapping paper, no matter how many of those I buy. I prolly need to live in an office supply store.
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  #15  
Old 03-07-2012, 08:43 AM
Maastricht Maastricht is offline
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Yes, but you can outwit them. Many a time I have pretended to throw away an earring because I had only one left, and this isn't the eighties anymore where I got away with wearing just one earring.
Anyway, after the click of the carbage bin, I say out loud: " That was a shame. Oh well, if that other earring ever shows up, I will have to throw that one out, too."

Within a day after the garbage truck has passed, the other earring shows up, hoping to savour my frustration. Then I say: "gotcha!" and reunite it with its twin.
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  #16  
Old 03-07-2012, 08:44 AM
tdn tdn is offline
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Socks.
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  #17  
Old 03-07-2012, 08:49 AM
Maastricht Maastricht is offline
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Oh, socks!

I have a separate part of my drawer for mismatched socks. After every laundry sorting, I make sock-rolls the Navy way. The socks that don't have a match go in the single-sock-drawer. Every once in a while I try to make pairs out of the singles; surprisingly often, that doesn't succeed.

Doper Lightray remarked he was amused that I was running a dating service for socks. And that I was just about as successful as any other dating service.
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  #18  
Old 03-07-2012, 09:40 AM
ThelmaLou ThelmaLou is offline
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Socks do not obey ANY of the known laws of this dimension. They operate on a different plane and no one has ever been able to crack the code.
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  #19  
Old 03-07-2012, 10:58 AM
dzero dzero is offline
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I fear it may be a little rude to have so many quotes, but I really want to comment on these. After all, part of the purpose of the thread is to share strategies and techniques. I'm especially in need of that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maastricht View Post
Yes, but you can outwit them. Many a time I have pretended to throw away an earring because I had only one left, and this isn't the eighties anymore where I got away with wearing just one earring.
Anyway, after the click of the carbage bin, I say out loud: " That was a shame. Oh well, if that other earring ever shows up, I will have to throw that one out, too."

Within a day after the garbage truck has passed, the other earring shows up, hoping to savour my frustration. Then I say: "gotcha!" and reunite it with its twin.
Yes. I will call this the Sun Tzu approach. Why fight with brute force when you can use their own methods against them. Misdirection --> Sell the deception --> VICTORY!!!
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Originally Posted by ThelmaLou View Post
In the past there have been several key items necessary for the maintenance of civilization of my home and body that kept disappearing on me. But I thwarted the nefarious plan of the evil bastards about 20 years ago.
This sounds like a good plan, but I wonder what might happen in the even of a full scale revolt. It's not likely because I think they need us for something beyond the obvious. Not sure what, but I've been working on it.
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Originally Posted by Wheelz View Post
The prescription pills I take have somehow gained the ability to become invisible upon touching the bathroom floor. When I happen to drop one, it will have a good laugh watching me search on my hands and knees for several minutes, then become visible again, directly in front of the sink.
Little bastards!
Ah, yes. Invisibility. I was thinking wormholes or dimensional jumps, but Occam's Razor says I should favor this explanation. And this is perfectly in line with their modus operandi - stealth, deception, cunning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corcaigh View Post
This happens to me all the time in my kitchen - and I have a tiled floor in there, so anything breakable explodes on contact. I've suffered the loss of so many items of crockery that I'm tempted to believe the kitchen is haunted by the vengeful/ playful spirit of my deceased cat.
I've noticed that ceramics seem to be mostly suicidal. I think because of their sized, they can't flout the rules with the same abandon as smaller objects. I think it's a little like the vampire code. They don't care if some of us know. They actually want that since they need people like us to torture and harrow. But they can't let any actual proof get out. Now that I think about it, it may be less about a tendency toward suicide and more about internal enforcement.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Corcaigh View Post
Whenever I throw something in the bin, it misses. Doesn't matter if I'm "going for a three pointer", or standing right next to the bin - whatever is in my hand will land on the floor.
I think misdirection might work here. Say aloud that you want it to land somewhere else and sell it by making that seem like a plausible target. I'm betting it will go in every time. But you must remember to seem frustrated when it does.

Note: I don't know if they can read everyone's mind. I think it might just be a few of us whom (who? ) I believe where specifically bred for that purpose (long story). But if it seems that they can anticipate your next move occasionally, then they probably can. BTW, tin foil doesn't seem to help.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Corcaigh View Post
Last Christmas I bought a chocolate cheesecake, was it nomilicious? I have no idea, the bag it was in somersaulted off the back seat and the cheesecake fell out, the box burst open and the back of the car is still manky from it. The car was stationary at the time, I was still taking bags out of the trolley. The bag containing the cheesecake was the only bag I'd put into the car. I'd set it at a 45ish degree angle (leaning back) specifically to stop the bag falling over.
This sounds quite serious. And it happened in such a public place. Very uncharacteristic. I suspect something unrelated was going on and your poor cheese cake was collateral damage. Let's hope so anyway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corcaigh View Post
I picked up my prescription at the chemist one day, three days later I couldn't find the tablets anywhere. I had to go back to the chemist and request a re-supply. The originals have never resurfaced.
This is the sort of evil we are dealing with. That can't be emphasized enough. Would you deny your great uncle his nitroglycerin if he were to have chest pains? Of course not. You're good and moral (apologies if that offends anyone ). But this is part of the game. They don't really want to kill you outright, but if they're having fun and that happens . . . oh well. It takes them a while to find your weakness, vulnerabilities, etc. and they don't really want to start from scratch again. So you are somewhat valuable. But that is valuable as in chattels. Basically, how we would look at an ox or a cow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Corcaigh View Post
spooky
Indeed. Good luck!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Senegoid View Post
I read a little story once about an Evil Ring that did that . . .

As for Mangetout's practice of picking up those gravity-addled coins that gravitated away from their past masters . . . I befriended a poor borderline-homeless couple once.
Just want you to know that we really did appreciate the help. Borderline is impossible to treat pharmacologically (more or less) and because of the wild swings, people tend to be put off very quickly.

BTW, sorry about rearranging the rocks in your Zen garden. That was the OCD not me. I had no choice. I hope you'll understand.
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  #20  
Old 03-07-2012, 11:26 AM
Jackmannii Jackmannii is offline
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Originally Posted by Corcaigh View Post
My shampoo or shower gel bottles regularly fall over
The full ones in particular, if placed in their usual recess high up in the shower, gleefully tumble over onto your feet when you have your eyes closed shampooing your hair. When you hear them start to go, you have only a split second to take evasive action.

Most atrocious inanimate object of all - garden hose. It kinks, it knots, it trips you up, it deliberately drags itself across your delicate plantings, it won't coil in a logical way, it refuses to join up with other hoses properly so that you get sprayed in the face when you turn the water on...the list is endless. Hose is evil.
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  #21  
Old 03-07-2012, 11:50 AM
salinqmind salinqmind is offline
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There isn't one level surface in the whole house. The stove. The counters. The refrigerator shelves. Everything falls over and rolls off all the time...And socks disappear. I don't care about my own as I have a lifetime supply, but Mr. Sali has special thick wool socks for his Princess-and-the-Pea feet. Only four pairs, which means I have to keep up with the laundry all the time - no spares - so if one of his Special Socks disappears, there is great scrambling and rending of garments in the morning until I "find" one (a used one, in the laundry basket - I brush off any dust and quick iron it flat so it looks 'clean').
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  #22  
Old 03-07-2012, 11:53 AM
cjepson cjepson is offline
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I have no problem with inanimate objects trying to escape. If they really love me, they'll come back.
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  #23  
Old 03-07-2012, 12:44 PM
ThelmaLou ThelmaLou is offline
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Hmmm... I expect the objects will know that we've been comparing notes. It's the one thing they don't want. Retaliatory strikes will probably increase. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
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  #24  
Old 03-07-2012, 02:55 PM
Dr. Woo Dr. Woo is online now
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Oh jeez yes! I drop something (about a thousand times a day, by the way), bend down and pick it up, drop it again. Pick it up, drop it again.

Stop trying to escape!!
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  #25  
Old 03-07-2012, 03:11 PM
Rachellelogram Rachellelogram is offline
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I'm surrounded by an anti-plasnetic field which repels all attempts to hold on to bottle caps. I swear to god all 10 of my fingers turn to thumbs when I'm opening a bottled beverage. Then the cap scatters under my bed or under my desk or even out the door.

They're doing it on purpose, I'm sure of it.
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  #26  
Old 03-07-2012, 03:58 PM
tdn tdn is offline
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Ah, escapee food. The other day I got a little bag of Cheez-Its. I opened it in the standard way, but either I don't know my own strength, or those little buggers were planning an escape. Before I knew it the bag was in two and I had a yellow desk.
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  #27  
Old 03-07-2012, 05:56 PM
QuarkChild QuarkChild is offline
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A solution to the sock problem

I have solved The Sock Problem by wearing only one style/color of sock 98% of the time. Every once in a while it behooves me to wear dress socks, but otherwise, I always wear black Maggie's organic cotton socks. I probably have 12 pairs of these socks, so I don't care if one get eaten by the dryer beastie.

Note that using this method of sock acquisition, you never need to mate your socks. Just grab any two!
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  #28  
Old 03-07-2012, 06:52 PM
FloatyGimpy FloatyGimpy is offline
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And if you're in the bathroom when something manages to squirm its way out of your hand (especially if it's a toothbrush or hairbrush) it will always dive for the floor behind the toilet so you're forced to kneel down and reach around the toilet and then you either have to boil or throw out the item thus securing their release into the great outdoors.
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  #29  
Old 03-07-2012, 07:08 PM
jackdavinci jackdavinci is offline
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No buy they often try to kill me.
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  #30  
Old 03-07-2012, 07:53 PM
LegsAkimbo LegsAkimbo is offline
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Wow, I had no idea this kind of thing was so widespread. Kind of creepy. Here's my thing: When I am pulling any sort of cable, be it the vacuum cord, extension cord, a garden hose--it doesn't matter what--it will catch on something. The thing it catches on will not be in a direct line from me and the source, it will have to reach outside that line to snag. A hose will catch on something 1/8" off the ground and a yard away from the drag trajectory. I know, this doesn't qualify as an "escape" necessarily, more as stubborn resistance. But it happens with uncanny frequency.
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  #31  
Old 03-07-2012, 08:13 PM
Daylate Daylate is offline
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If a scientist is discussing this sort of thing he will label it "Entropy" if nobody stops him. See below:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/entropy.gif/

Ny Father had a theory about this. He called it "The Malevolence of the Inanimate".

Last edited by Daylate; 03-07-2012 at 08:15 PM.
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  #32  
Old 03-07-2012, 08:24 PM
dzero dzero is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ThelmaLou View Post
Hmmm... I expect the objects will know that we've been comparing notes. It's the one thing they don't want. Retaliatory strikes will probably increase. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
This is very disturbing.
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Originally Posted by Daylate View Post
If a scientist is discussing this sort of thing he will label it "Entropy" if nobody stops him. See below:

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/entropy.gif/

My Father had a theory about this. He called it "The Malevolence of the Inanimate".
He was obviously very wise and not afraid to see the world as it truly is.
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  #33  
Old 03-07-2012, 09:35 PM
Sattua Sattua is offline
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The inanimate objects are out to get me. The damned things are so disobedient.

I don't have bad days, they have naughty days.
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  #34  
Old 03-07-2012, 09:51 PM
Michael63129 Michael63129 is offline
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I sometimes feel the same way when I drop something (usually electronic components) and it ends up far from where I would expect it to be found. Or I put something down and never find it again (or not for a long time). In particular, pencils, so I keep several with the idea that it is unlikely that all of them will be lost at once (works pretty well; they usually end up in component boxes so i find them when I access one).
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  #35  
Old 03-07-2012, 10:07 PM
chela chela is offline
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so it happens to you too?

Yes.

I suppose this week it could be about my face cream (where the hell does a jar of face cream roll off too?)and two sets of housekeys gone missing, no worries, Im sure they'll turn up some day next week

but it's not.

It's about the wild animal on the prowl, that yowled and woke up a household. But it wasn't the cats, they heard the growls too. We turned on the lights and peered outdoors, nothing, so we went back to bed.

the next morning, the inaninmate objects told the story...

lions off their pedestals!

the inanimate objects tried to escape!
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  #36  
Old 03-07-2012, 11:23 PM
ThelmaLou ThelmaLou is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LegsAkimbo View Post
Wow, I had no idea this kind of thing was so widespread. Kind of creepy. Here's my thing: When I am pulling any sort of cable, be it the vacuum cord, extension cord, a garden hose--it doesn't matter what--it will catch on something. The thing it catches on will not be in a direct line from me and the source, it will have to reach outside that line to snag. A hose will catch on something 1/8" off the ground and a yard away from the drag trajectory. I know, this doesn't qualify as an "escape" necessarily, more as stubborn resistance. But it happens with uncanny frequency.
I have OFTEN thought about this one, namely how odd teeny hooks or knobby things will catch on something in a way that defies the laws of gravity and physics.

I mean, if someone stood next to you with a suitcase full of $100 bills and said they would give you 24 hours to randomly fling that cord or whatever so it would get hung up in just that way and the money would be yours, you couldn't MAKE the fiendish thingie catch in a million tries. But every time you get the vacuum out or unroll the hose it happens spontaneously
.

And what about necklaces and chains that tie themselves in knots inside jewelry boxes when no one ever touches them?
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  #37  
Old 03-08-2012, 12:57 AM
Senegoid Senegoid is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Woo View Post
Oh jeez yes! I drop something (about a thousand times a day, by the way), bend down and pick it up, drop it again. Pick it up, drop it again.

Stop trying to escape!!
Worse, multiple inanimate objects in your shirt pocket will conspire, and do this to you as a tag-team. Typically, when I bend over to pick up something (or for whatever reason), my glasses will fall out of the leather case in my pocket. When I bend over to pick up the glasses, the leather case will fall out. When I reach to pick that up, various other things in my pocket will fall out.
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  #38  
Old 03-08-2012, 07:30 AM
Colophon Colophon is offline
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Originally Posted by Mangetout View Post
I exploit the effect to my advantage. Coins roll until they hit something, then they fall over - often this is beside the recessed kickboard of a shop counter or some such. I pick up the money that other people lose.
In the changing rooms here at work there are lockers with a fixed bench in front of them. The bench has slats on it and you wouldn't believe how many people drop their coins under there. I take a look under there every week or so and it usually pays for my lunch.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Senegoid
Worse, multiple inanimate objects in your shirt pocket will conspire, and do this to you as a tag-team. Typically, when I bend over to pick up something (or for whatever reason), my glasses will fall out of the leather case in my pocket. When I bend over to pick up the glasses, the leather case will fall out. When I reach to pick that up, various other things in my pocket will fall out.
Oh yes. Or you drop something, step over to pick it up and somehow end up kicking it across the floor. Or you try to catch it with one hand before it hits the ground and instead bat it clear across the room into someone's head.

And don't even get me started on the keys that somehow hook everything else out of my pocket and onto the floor when I pull them out. I think I mentioned in another thread that this is one of those minor irritations that often leads to small fits of rage, flinging the rogue items onto the ground...

Last edited by Colophon; 03-08-2012 at 07:34 AM.
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  #39  
Old 03-08-2012, 08:38 AM
Zebra Zebra is offline
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The headphones to my iPod have wrestling matches in my pocket, which is why they are tangled up and knotted when I pull them out.
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  #40  
Old 03-08-2012, 08:42 AM
dzero dzero is offline
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Originally Posted by Michael63129 View Post
I sometimes feel the same way when I drop something (usually electronic components) and it ends up far from where I would expect it to be found. Or I put something down and never find it again (or not for a long time). In particular, pencils, so I keep several with the idea that it is unlikely that all of them will be lost at once (works pretty well; they usually end up in component boxes so i find them when I access one).
I had been leaning toward the idea of a cloaking ability of some sort since it seemed to be more realistic (whatever "realistic" means in this context). But while reading your post, I realized that it has to be something much more sophisticated. The shear volume of items that simply disappear would eventually make their presence know - invisible or not. Disappearing works for a few things in a nook here and a cranny there, but what most of us have experienced is orders of magnitude beyond that.
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Originally Posted by chela View Post
It's about the wild animal on the prowl, that yowled and woke up a household. But it wasn't the cats, they heard the growls too. We turned on the lights and peered outdoors, nothing, so we went back to bed.

the next morning, the inaninmate objects told the story...

lions off their pedestals!

the inanimate objects tried to escape!
Fascinating!!! I've heard of such things happening but I've never witnessed it myself.

It seems that some objects are made with one extra, but very special ingredient - the distilled essence of pure evil. Such objects are so far beyond the reach of tiny concepts like good and evil that they are simply inscrutable. The only thing you can be certain of is that they will ruin your day, often in spectacular and legendary fashion.
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Originally Posted by Colophon View Post
Oh yes. Or you drop something, step over to pick it up and somehow end up kicking it across the floor. Or you try to catch it with one hand before it hits the ground and instead bat it clear across the room into someone's head.

And don't even get me started on the keys that somehow hook everything else out of my pocket and onto the floor when I pull them out. I think I mentioned in another thread that this is one of those minor irritations that often leads to small fits of rage, flinging the rogue items onto the ground...
Recently they seem to have been focusing on my cat. She's a bit faster than I am and . . . . I'm so ashamed that have to admit this, but I on some level I sort of understand the entertainment value.

Oh god, I feel so dirty. Please forgive me fellow martyrs.
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Old 03-08-2012, 09:20 AM
Tom Tildrum Tom Tildrum is offline
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The philosophical theory that posits that inanimate objects act out of deliberate spite is called "resistentialism".
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Old 03-08-2012, 10:45 AM
Edward The Head Edward The Head is offline
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Originally Posted by Senegoid View Post
Worse, multiple inanimate objects in your shirt pocket will conspire, and do this to you as a tag-team. Typically, when I bend over to pick up something (or for whatever reason), my glasses will fall out of the leather case in my pocket. When I bend over to pick up the glasses, the leather case will fall out. When I reach to pick that up, various other things in my pocket will fall out.
I had this happen to me last summer with my sun glasses. I had a really nice pair, I took my daughter to the portapotty and the small opening behind her butt and the seat was just big enough for them to escape through. They had never fallen off my shirt before, but that day they made a run for it. I'm just glad my cell phone wasn't listening too.
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Old 03-08-2012, 01:01 PM
Corcaigh Corcaigh is offline
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I've noticed that ceramics seem to be mostly suicidal. I think because of their sized, they can't flout the rules with the same abandon as smaller objects. I think it's a little like the vampire code. They don't care if some of us know.
And mere hours after I'd posted, didn't a little dish do a Greg Louganis off the worktop onto the floor - as if to say "we know you told others"

*hides under blankey*


Quote:
I think misdirection might work here. Say aloud that you want it to land somewhere else and sell it by making that seem like a plausible target. I'm betting it will go in every time. But you must remember to seem frustrated when it does.
That is genuis! Next time, I won't aim for the bin, but for the floor!! I'll let you know how it works out!

Quote:
This sounds quite serious. And it happened in such a public place. Very uncharacteristic. I suspect something unrelated was going on and your poor cheese cake was collateral damage. Let's hope so anyway.
It was quite disturbing, I put the bag at an angle specifically so it wouldn't fall over, turned around, heard a whump, turned back OMG!!! asspolded cheesecake all over the place! No matter how many times I clean, there seems to be some that I missed...

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Indeed. Good luck!!!
*salutes* thank you!



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Originally Posted by Jackmannii View Post
The full ones in particular, if placed in their usual recess high up in the shower, gleefully tumble over onto your feet when you have your eyes closed shampooing your hair. When you hear them start to go, you have only a split second to take evasive action.
Mine fall over when I'm not there, they take particular delight in falling over when I'm downstairs watching something alike GhostHunters or Paranormal State on TV.


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Originally Posted by Colophon View Post
Oh yes. Or you drop something, step over to pick it up and somehow end up kicking it across the floor. Or you try to catch it with one hand before it hits the ground and instead bat it clear across the room into someone's head.
Yes!

I have a coffee mug that likes to reposition itself when I'm not looking - I'll reach out to pick up the remote control and the mug will move so that it's between my hand and the remote and I end up with coffee everywhere - it never does this when it's empty. sneaky
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Old 03-08-2012, 03:36 PM
Senegoid Senegoid is offline
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Originally Posted by Colophon View Post
And don't even get me started on the keys that somehow hook everything else out of my pocket and onto the floor when I pull them out. I think I mentioned in another thread that this is one of those minor irritations that often leads to small fits of rage, flinging the rogue items onto the ground...
It's one of the corollaries of Quantum Physics that to extract any object from a pocket, you must extract all other objects from that pocket first.
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Old 03-08-2012, 09:15 PM
thelabdude thelabdude is offline
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The nice thing about dogs is that they will eventually find anything that disappears. Now how good is my Lisinopril for my dog?
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:12 PM
Askance Askance is offline
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Oh yes. How is it that I can put an item on a flat surface, have it sit there unmoving for 5 or 10 minutes .. then it starts slithering over and eventually falls to the floor? How is that possible? Tides in the earth? I have no idea.
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Old 03-08-2012, 11:49 PM
Senegoid Senegoid is offline
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The nice thing about dogs is that they will eventually find anything that disappears. Now how good is my Lisinopril for my dog?
In other words, you mean, they will eventually find and eat anything that disappears. Right?
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Old 03-09-2012, 04:01 AM
anya marie anya marie is offline
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I'm having this problem. I found my tweezers and the remotes but NOW my glasses are missing and I could just scream.

Been trying to organize and store stuff properly here and i have fuck all to show for it.
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Old 03-09-2012, 04:39 AM
jz78817 jz78817 is offline
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when I'm working on a car, any dropped item whether it be a screw, socket, or whatever will always end up under the car at the exact center. Forcing me to crawl down there and get it.

doesn't matter if I'm working underhood or on a door.
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Old 03-09-2012, 08:55 AM
thelabdude thelabdude is offline
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In other words, you mean, they will eventually find and eat anything that disappears. Right?
I guess I felt eat, or at least chew was so obvious I didn't mention it. The one possible exception would be a pill they need to take. We have had at least one young Lab in the house most of the time since 1991. Some of them have not depended on things to fall off the table. Some of our sofa pillows are so clumsy that when they ''fall off'', they land clear on the other side of the room.

Oh, working on the car. Some of your more crafty sockets will roll directly behind the tire. Still difficult to reach, but only after you finally find them.
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