This article's surreality index is 'R' (real).
If you were to ask someone today "do you believe in magic," chances are that they'd immediately reply "don't be stupid!!" Magic is not so much a matter of believing: it exists! And it's really quite simple. Magic is just making use of the first degree approximation of Murphy's Law. This method is not infallible, because the full extent of Murphy's law keeps harassing you. Example: Take a cola-vending machine. If you put in your money and nothing comes out (and you've made all the right moves... insert money, push button of choice, feel in dispensing slot, push button, push, push, feel, kick, kick, kick, kick...) you just need someone to come along and state: "it's out of order." Promptly the drink of your desire will come out. Be sure that you're not the one to state it, because the other one always gets the goodies, unless of course Murphy's Law comes spoiling all the fun. In that case you've probably relied too much on Murphy's Law. It is in the nature of Murphy's law to spoil it's own effects. [1] The thing now is to act very natural, that is, to positively not believe that simple words will do the trick. Now I have to restate what I said before. Magic *is* a matter of believing: Magic exists as long as you don't believe (in) it. [1] If it doesn't pop out immediately, it could also be that the stress of Murphy's Law is now on the last bit: "If something can go wrong, it will... eventually." Thus a lot of waiting can be involved. Maybe even that approximately infinite amount of time it takes for a mechanic to show up.