Just Two?

There are two things that one must get used to or one will find life unendurable: the damages of time and injustices of men.
—  Nicolas Chamfort
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On This Day In:
2017	Living Without Love
	Good News!
2016	At This Moment
2015	Still Dreaming
2014	Good Wins
2013	Before
2012	Look To This Day
2011	One View Of Man

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No Boundary

It is clear that we are just an advanced breed of primates on a minor planet orbiting around a very average star, in the outer suburb of one among a hundred billion galaxies.  BUT, ever since the dawn of civilization people have craved for an understanding of the underlying order of the world.  There ought to be something very special about the boundary conditions of the universe.  And what can be more special than that there is no boundary?  And there should be no boundary to human endeavor.  We are all different.  However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at.  While there is life, there is hope.
—  Stephen Hawking
The Theory Of Everything (2014) — movie review
Today’s review is of the romantic drama / biography – story of the college and adult life of Stephen Hawking (played by Eddie Redmayne) and his first (and longest) wife: Jane Hawking (played by Felicity Jones).  Both Redmayne and Jones received Best Actor / Actress Oscar nominations for their respective roles with Redmayne actually winning the Oscar.  The movie received three other nominations, too, including Best Picture.
The movie roughly covers the time between 1960 and 2010, with some after-notes about the subjects lives.  Basically, Hawking is a brilliant student, who falls in love, finds out he has a deadly disease and then goes on to outlive the medical prognosis and become a world-famous celebrity physicist.  His “popular” fame arises from both his brilliance and his overcoming his illness (motor neurone disease, aka ALS – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease).
The movie makes a passing attempt to explain the general concepts of a black hole, a singularity, time, and the creation of the universe.  It also spends a fair amount of time establishing the belief disagreements between the two leads.  Steven is an atheist and Jane is CoE (Church of England / Protestant).
Hawking achieved general fame by authoring a book (“A Brief History of Time“) in which he tried to explain his work / theories in terms the “common man” would grasp.  I remember reading the book a few years after it was published and by then it had firmly established its reputation as the most widely un-read coffee table book of the 20th century.  Just as a side note: I asked the few friends who did display the book on their coffee tables (or book shelves) if they’d actually read the book.  The response was 0.  Only 1 admitted to having even started reading it.  Granted it was a limited sample size, but it made me feel a bit sad – mostly because it meant I had no one to discuss it with.  The sad life of an unrepentant nerd…
Anyway, this is a very good movie which is instructive about human character (Jane’s and Stephen’s) and ends with the message that what is achieved through love is often the greatest accomplishment of any life.  Final recommendation: Highly recommended.
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On This Day In:
2017	Don’t Sink Now
2016	A Burning Passion To Teach Freedom
2015	Before Debit (And Credit) Cards
2014	Herding Cats
2013	Ooops!
2012	Understand A Great Truth
2011	Start Here…
2010	Random Acts of Vandalism On Easter Weekend…

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What Time Is It?

The trouble with a man who takes his time is that he takes your time, too.
—    William Feather
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On This Day In:
2017	Gifts
2016	30 Seconds
2015	Success
2014	Create The Fact
2013	Overpowering Curiosity
2012	On Planning The Invasion Of Iraq…
2011	This And That
	I’m Bettin’ On The Bible

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Time Too

Time Is…
Time is…
Too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love,
Time is…
Eternity.
Days fly,
Flowers die,
Pass by…
Love Stays.
—    written by:  Henry Van Dyke
[Apologies to the author.  This is actually a quote, but I liked it better reformatted as a poem.   —    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2016	The Cornerstone Pays
2015	Would That This Be True
2014	More Likely
2013	Enjoyed The Desolation
	Watching Faux News
2012	Speaking Of Products
2011	Ready To Be Immortal?

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Time For More Research, Too

We must all take time to do enough thinking to formulate our own conclusions.
—  Thomas J. Watson
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On This Day In:
2016	Original Thoughts
2015	If They’re Good Enough
2014	Three…
2013	Uncle Joe’s Song
	Live, Then, As If…
2012	Still Trying
2011	Not Deserving

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Soothe, Inspire And Recharge

Don’t underestimate the real cost of a book, as it is not found in its price, but in the investment of your most precious commodity — time.
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Never underestimate the power of a good book to soothe your soul and inspire you.  Reading books is like recharging batteries, giving you new life with which to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
—  Peter Cawdron
[Found on one of the blogs I follow:  “THINKING SCI-FI”  located at:  http://thinkingscifi.wordpress.com/
The specific post is at: https://thinkingscifi.wordpress.com/2017/10/05/the-value-of-books/
Well worth a visit.   —    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2016	Aren’t We?
2015	Cold Embrace
2014	Delightful
2013	Apprenticeship
2012	Curtain Rods
2011	A Living Force
2010	BART Rides – A Tipping Point

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In It Now

Eternity is not something that begins after you are dead.  It is going on all the time.  We are in it now.
—  Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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On This Day In:
2016	On Viewing This Mudball
2015	It Takes A Village
2014	In God’s Eyes
2013	We Root For Ourselves
2012	Like A Shark
2011	Discernible Virtue

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Happy New Year — 2016!

Every day is lost in which we do not learn something useful.  Man has no nobler or more valuable possession than time.
―  Thomas Jefferson
There isn’t time, so brief is life, for bickerings, apologies, heartburnings, callings to account.  There is only time for loving, and but an instant, so to speak, for that.
—  Mark Twain
[Hopefully you did not wake too late this morning or regain consciousness too painfully from last night…  Happy New Year, all!!  —  KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2015	Happy New Year — 2015!
2014	Happy New Year – 2014!
2013	Another New Year’s Thought (In Case It Rains)
	Happy New Year – 2013!
2012	Best Wishes For 2012!
	Where Did You Spend New Year’s Eve?
2011	Happy New Year (2011)!!

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Reckoning

Some reckon time by stars,
And some by hours;
Some measure days by dreams,
And some by flowers;
My heart alone records
My days and hours.
—  Madison Julius Cawein
From his poem: “Some Reckon Time By Stars“
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On This Day In:
2013	Trying To Capture Serenity
2012	Above The Vaulted Sky
2011	Active Learning

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A Fine Balance

So many books, so little time.
—    Frank Zappa
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On This Day In:
2012	One Measure
2011	Seeking The Common Ground
	In Brightest Day…

 

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Scale

Now, proud man! now, where is thy greatness fled?
What art thou in the scale of universe?
Less, less than nothing!
—    Henry Kirke White
From his poem: “Time“
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Suddenly

Time: that is mother nature’s way of preventing everything from happening at once.
—    Herb Cain
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