October 17, 2004
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PEOPLE WHO KNOCK ME OUTAlbert Einstein, 1879-1955
Who in their lives hasn’t said at some point some version of, “Well, I’m no einstein but……” And none of us are. He was a one-of-a-kind, not just because he invented E=MCsquared but because he was this little nebbish-looking guy with fly-away white hair who also played the violin, failed early exams, had a hard time getting a teaching job, just up and wrote theoretical physics papers on his own while working menial jobs, and by the time he was 30 was recognized as a leading scientific thinker. He visited the U.S first when he was 42, the same year he got the Nobel Prize for his work on photoelectric effect. On the eve of the Nazis coming to power, he moved to America for good when he was 53 and taught at Princeton from then on. He made many contributions to peace in his life, including a week before his death when he signed a letter to Bertrand Russell saying that his name should go on a manifesto urging all nations to give up nuclear weapons. He was cremated at Trenton, NJ and his ashes scattered at an undisclosed place. It sure makes me wonder what he would say today about the “weapons of mass destruction”. I would hope it would be something really, really brilliant because god knows, “we ain’t no einsteins.”
(If you want to read a little more in depth about him click here.)
Deep Thought: When we would go for a drive in the family car, I used to love to stick my head out the window, until one time we passed an oncoming car and my head knocked off a dog’s head.
Today I am grateful for: Being able to come up with some damn thing to be grateful for day after freaking day
Guess the Movie: “By the way, we had that water brought in especially for you folks. Came from a well in Hinkley. ” Answer: Erin Brockovich, 2000.
Winner thenarrator
Polls Today – no change from yesterday. EVP: “Frank Luntz, the top Republican pollster wrote in the Financial Times: “Step by step, debate-by-debate, John Kerry has addressed and removed many remaining doubts among uncommitted voters. My own polling research after each debate suggests a rather bleak outlook for the Bush candidacy: many who still claim to be ‘undecided’ are in fact leaning to Mr. Kerry and are about ready to commit.” In a world where the spinmeisters constantly claim that their horse can not only walk on water, but also trot and gallop on it, having a top GOP strategist with access to real data say his horse is sinking fast is ominous for the Bush campaign.”
And as of today, my Oregon mail-in ballot is in the mail for better or worse.
End of Day: 8:57 pm
+ = Got to eat a great big good-for-me salad out at a restaurant for lunch.
- = It had too much oil in the dressing.
Comments (11)
even Einstein said there was no way to know it all…no harm in trying though…
oh, I read the book of his life..he was really great scientst..and his rase was attacked from Nazis.he played violin at Carnegy holl..he really want to world peace. however, cynicaly, he prodeced bomb and made an experiment twice …he seems very complex mind hurt after this, so he had hard ship of his soul life continu untill die..* /N
Erin Brockovich? I almost said A Civil Action but that’s a different town.
Einstein is proof of the wonder of the unconstrained mind.
Oh yeah! And BTW, loved your answers to the Friday Five.
I love Einstein! (Said like a groupie?)
How amazing that he was able to be recognized…wonder how many other “Einsteins” we’ve never heard of?
Loved the “Deep Thought”!
What an unassuming man of brilliance! Thanks for this, as I didn’t know too much about him. I like the way you began with a joke & then moved into facts.
How nifty that you got to vote before Nov. 2nd. I’m getting up early that day to beat the crowds to cast my Kerry vote.
Seems like a good practice to have to come up with something new to be grateful for each day!
It’s so true, when in comes to nukes we are so far from Einsteins.. if only we could be when it comes to that matter!
wish some EINSTEIN would fiure out how to win this !@#$%^&*( election sooner than later ha ha magi
He’s one of my heroes. I’m an admirer of Bertrand Russell too, especially for his call to abandon superstition if there were no solid grounds for belief in it. Not a popular theory, but there you go. I’ve always had a thing about iconoclasts.
Today I am grateful for: Being able to come up with some damn thing to be grateful for day after freaking day
How do you do that? It’s an admirable trait, nevertheless, I suppose.