We've all heard of Murphy's Law. But who is Mr Murphy?

(Published on 29 May 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

I just love the Murphy’s Law. It states – ‘If anything can go wrong, it will.’ Now isn’t that a bit ridiculous – but what the Murphy’s Law teaches us is that there are some things beyond our control – and what we need to do is take things in our stride. Besides – there is a knack for everything unexpected and uncanny to just happen. So it’s best to expect the unexpected.

Basically good old Murphy – the one who I presume formulated this law wanted us to know that things can go wrong… and well there is no point fretting and sweating to achieve perfection – for what is destined to happen will happen. Also it’s a good way of voicing our resignation to one’s fate – by just stating the Murphy’s Law!! Each one of us can make our own interpretation of what Murphy wanted to say… but have you ever wondered who Murphy was?

As per The Desert Wings written in March, 1978, the Murphy's Law was born at Edwards Air Force Base. The term was coined in 1949 and was named after Capt. Edward A. Murphy, an engineer working on an Air Force project designed to see how much sudden deceleration a person can stand in a crash. The project, a part of a research on the rocket sleds that tested the limits of human endurance to acceleration and deceleration was being conducted in California.

One day, after finding that a transducer was wired wrong, Murphy cursed the technician responsible and said, "If there is any way to do it wrong, he'll find it." Murphy was referring to a particular technician, whose name is sadly unknown and not recorded. The project manager kept a list of ‘laws’ and added this one, which he called Murphy's Law. In a press conference, Dr. John Paul Stapp, an Air Force doctor allegedly credited his program’s safety record to the Murphy’s Law. He said that their good safety record on the project was due to a firm belief in Murphy's Law and in the necessity to try and circumvent it. Aerospace manufacturers picked it up and used it widely and soon it was being quoted in many articles. And this was how Murphy's Law was born.

Ironically, Murphy died under strange circumstances. One dark night, his car ran out of gas. As he hitchhiked to a gas station, he was struck from behind by a British tourist who was driving on the wrong side of the road.

Like Murphy, some of his other colleagues too came up with their own wise liners:

Nichols' Fourth Law credited to George E. Nichols, the Northrop project manager states, "Avoid any action with an unacceptable outcome."

While Stapp's Ironical Paradox by Doctor Col. John P. Stapp states that "The universal aptitude for ineptitude makes any human accomplishment an incredible miracle."

Aah! How wise. How true.
Remember ‘dahlings’ it’s Miss Know-All who knows it all. From irregular bowel movements to quivering jowl movements, I have an answer to everything.

Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com

The 'hobble skirt' bottle

(Published on 22 May 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

I attended the Finale of the Brand Equity Quiz in Mumbai recently and was greatly intrigued when a team was asked to comment on a picture shown on the monitor. The picture seemed old – say of the 1915’s and showed a couple in European attire. Just when the audience was wondering what the picture had to do in a Business Quiz – pat came the reply from one of the participants. The famous Coca-Cola bottle was designed to look like the ‘hobble skirt’ shown in the picture. That was a very interesting bit of trivia and I decided to find out just how a Coca-Cola ended up looking like a hobble skirt.

A hobble skirt is a skirt with a narrowing hem. It got its name as it inhibits the wearer's stride. The shape of the skirt made the wearer 'hobble’. The term 'hobble skirt' came into popular use in the early 1910s when a fashion trend started by French designer Paul Poiret introduced long skirts that were narrow at the hem. Interestingly some attribute the hobble skirt to Mrs. Hart Berg, the first American woman to fly with the Wright Brothers. To keep her skirts from flying out of control while airborne, she tied a rope around them below the knees.

The famous Coca-Cola bottle, called the contour bottle, which is also known to some as the "hobble skirt" bottle, was created in 1915. The Coca-Cola Company launched a competition among its bottle suppliers to create a new bottle for the drink. The brief was that it should be - "a bottle which a person could recognize even if they felt it in the dark, and so shaped that, even if broken, a person could tell at a glance what it was". Chapman Root, president of the Root Glass Company, delegated the task to members of his staff including Earl Dean, bottle designer and supervisor of the bottle moulding room. It was decided to base the bottle’s design on one of the drink’s two ingredients, the coca leaf or the cola nut. But as no information was available about coca or cola – Dean took inspiration from the gourd-shaped cocoa pod. It is also believed that he got the inspiration for the design from the ‘hobble skirt’.

Dean sketched out and created the mould for the bottle. The prototype bottle was approved and a design patent was issued on the bottle in November, 1915. The bottle was chosen over other entries by Coca Cola in 1916. By 1920, Dean’s contoured bottle became the standard for the Coca-Cola Company.

The Root Glass Company wanted to reward Dean for his efforts. He was offered a choice between a $500 bonus or a lifetime job at the Glass Company. He chose the lifetime job.

Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com

Hobble Skirt Postcard

Guinness - a record breaking idea!

(Published on 15 May 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)


You all know my Aunt Jigna – thanks to this column, where she features ever so regularly. Well this aunt of mine has a penchant for facts and figures… (and arguments may I add) and has a ‘record breaking’ collection of the Guinness Book of World Records.

I did ruffle up the old lady when I told her that it was easier and quicker to refer to the internet rather than flip pages and search for results. But the truth is that I do envy her collection of the Guinness Book of World Records. I could spend hours and hours browsing and marvelling.

The story about how the idea of putting together such a book of records is an interesting one. The idea was conceptualised by Sir Hugh Beaver. Educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, Sir Hugh Beaver spent two years in the Indian Police force from 1910 to 1912. Later he returned to England, and joined Alexander Gibb and Partners Engineers, the firm commissioned by the Canadian government to conduct a survey of its national ports. Beaver supervised the rebuilding of the Port of St John, New Brunswick. He was the Director General and Controller General of the Ministry of Works from 1940-1945

In 1946, he became the managing director of Arthur Guinness, Son and Co Ltd. On 10 November 1951, while Beaver was still the managing director of the Guinness Brewery, he went on a shooting party by the River Slaney in Ireland. While on the shoot, he became involved in an argument with a friend about whether it was the Golden Plover or the Grouse that was the fastest game bird in Europe.

The argument came to no conclusion for it was not possible to confirm the answer in any reference books. Beaver realised that there must be numerous similar questions debated, but there was no book with which to settle arguments about records. He recognized then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of question might prove popular.

Sir Hugh’s idea saw the light of day when Guinness employee Christopher Chataway recommended his University friends Norris and Ross McWhirter. The two brothers had been running a fact-finding agency in London, and were commissioned in 1954 to compile all the information into one book which came to be called The Guinness Book of Records. The first 198 page edition was bound on 27 August 1955 and went to the top of the British best seller lists. The following year it launched in the USA, and sold 70,000 copies.

Since then, Guinness World Records has become a household name in world records. No other venture collects, confirms, accredits and presents world record data with the same commitment. The Records Management Team maintains a vigilant watch to guarantee the accuracy of each and every Guinness World Record. A fact becomes a Guinness World Record when it’s tested and verified. The book has gone on to become a record breaker itself. With sales of more than 100 million copies in 100 different countries and 37 languages, the Guinness World Records is the world’s best ever selling copyright book.

Sir Hugh Beaver KBE was knighted in 1943. He was awarded a KBE in 1956. He also received honorary degrees from the University of Cambridge, Trinity College, Dublin, the National University of Ireland. The London School of Economics made Sir Hugh Beaver an honorary fellow in 1960.

What a record breaking idea!
“Good ideas are common - what's uncommon are people who'll work hard enough to bring them about” - Ashleigh Brilliant, English author and cartoonist.

Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com

Water intoxication... drinking too much water can be dangerous!

(Published on 8 May 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

A recent newspaper report about a young 22 year old marathon runner, David Rogers dying as a result of drinking too much water had me absolutely stumped. For, every fitness instructor and dietician I have ever known or heard of, have claimed that one should drink as much water as possible. A die-hard Oprah Winfrey fan – I followed the instructions given during her boot camp – and religiously downed bottles and bottles of aqua. Then what was this about?

David Rogers collapsed at the end of the race and died due to water intoxication or hyponatraemia. This happens when there is more than necessary water in the body which results in low levels of vital minerals such as sodium. Medically, Hyponatraemia means a low concentration of sodium in the blood. This happens especially in the case of long distance runners who sweat extensively. Lost sweat which is composed of salt and water is replaced only by intake of water. This dilutes the level of sodium in the bloodstream.

Sweat contains between 2.25 - 3.4 grams of salt per litre. During a long race that takes place in hot climatic conditions, the rate of perspiration averages to about 1 litre per hour. This means longer the race – more the loss of salt. Without realising the consequences, the athlete replaces only the lost water resulting in the drop of percentage of salt in the body. This explains the importance of electrolytes and sports drinks to replenish salt in the body.

The symptoms of hyponatraemia can range from mild to severe and include nausea, muscle cramps, headaches, disorientation, slurred speech and confusion. In severe cases the sufferer experiences swelling of the brain, seizures or coma. In mild cases, the problem can be treated by eating salty foods and hydrating with sodium containing sports drinks. However, severe cases need immediate medical attention.

There are no clear cut instructions to be followed as a precaution. It is not really correct to recommend drinking less water to rebalance sodium and water intake as one might run the risk of dehydration and heat related injuries. Some experts recommend increasing salt intake. By ingesting more sodium, hydration with water is balanced and dilution of sodium does not occur.

This year’s London Marathon that took David Rogers life was the hottest in the event’s 27 year history. More than 600 runners failed to complete the race as a result of the unbearable heat. Hyponatraemia was found in as many as 13% of runners in a Boston Marathon. In January 2007 Jennifer Strange, a woman in California, died following a water-drinking contest sponsored by a local radio station. Jennifer, 28, had taken part in the contest to see how much water she could drink without going to the bathroom. Her family has since filed a civil lawsuit against the radio station

Do you and I need to worry? No. For us – eight to ten glasses of water a day is recommended. And unless you are out hiking in a desert or running a long marathon, you need not worry too much about dipping sodium levels. Keep hydrated and keep guzzling that aqua.

“If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water” - Loran Eisely, The Immense Journey, 1957

Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com

Are all plastics microwave safe?

(Published on 1 May 2007 in 'Women at Work' - W @ W - a supplement of the Daily Mirror, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Every visit to my Aunt Jigna is a nightmare. I return with frayed nerves and a splitting headache. She has an opinion about everything. As she rambles on, I comatose myself taking comfort in a beautiful world where silence prevails. Just as I had reached into a blissful stupor – I heard my Aunt shriek. She held in her hand a deformed plastic bowl and bore a flabbergasted look.

As I sat her down, I learnt that it was the microwave that was to be blamed. “Was the bowl microwave safe?” I enquired. All I could hear was a volley of abuses hurled at the microwave oven. This brought us to the most obvious question: Are all plastics microwave safe?

Today, there is a lot of kitchen ware that is made of plastic. Different plastics serve different purposes in the kitchen. Storage and reheating, being the main two functions. Majority of the plastic kitchen ware is specially designed to withstand high temperatures. But this does not mean all of them are. It is wise to check the item before presuming that it is microwave friendly.

Plastics that are designed to withstand microwave temperatures will be marked accordingly. Some products are labelled with the term ‘Microwave Safe.’ or carry a microwave symbol. This is the manufacturer’s way of letting consumers know that a product has been designed to withstand microwave heat without melting or warping. Others provide instructions for proper microwave use – informing you of the temperature that it is able to with-stand. If used inappropriately, the plastic container may warp or melt when exposed to extremely hot temperatures. It is best to look for plastics that are labelled for microwave use and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Why take chances? If your container isn’t labelled for microwave use, it’s best to choose something that is.

However it is not necessarily unsafe to use a plastic container in the microwave if is not labelled as microwave compatible. But it is wiser to select a microwave safe dish and have the assurance of knowing that the item was tested and evaluated for this purpose.
Frozen meals are often packaged in microwavable trays made of PET, a type of plastic which is also used to make jars and bottles. While microwavable PET trays are specially fabricated for high heat resistance, the jars and bottles made with PET could warp if subject to high heat.

For some time there has been an email doing the rounds that claims that microwaving food in plastic containers or plastic wrap is dangerous. The message warns that chemicals can seep out of the plastic and into the food, causing cancer and other diseases. That is when food is placed in a plastic container and cooked in a microwave; substances used in manufacturing the plastic may leak into the food. However, this is not true as manufacturers of food products that belong to well known brands, closely regulate the quality of the plastic containers and ensure that no such chemicals migrate from the plastic into the food.

Here are some tips from Miss Know All’s kitchen to keep in mind when using your microwave:

( Don’t microwave food in plastic storage bags from the grocery store.

(Vent the container before microwaving food that is leave the lid ajar.

(Takeout containers, water bottles, and plastic tubs or jars made to hold yogurt and foods such as cheese, mayonnaise, and mustard are not for use in the microwave.

(Takeout dinner trays that can be put in the microwave are designed for one-time use only and this will be mentioned on the package.

(Don’t allow plastic wrap to touch food during microwaving as it may melt.

(If you’re confused about use of plastic containers in the microwave, transfer food to glass or ceramic containers labelled for microwave use.

(Microwaving in containers that are round or oval in shape can help foods heat more evenly. With rectangular containers, the corners tend to receive more energy, which can cause food to dry out or overcook in these areas.

This quote by Bryan Miller is for all the great cooks I know (including Aunt Jigna, who I must admit makes the most awesome prawn curry!) - “The qualities of an exceptional cook are akin to those of a successful tightrope walker: an abiding passion for the task, courage to go out on a limb and an impeccable sense of balance.”

Miss Know-All
miss.know.all@gmail.com