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Tuesday, October 13, 2020

Tuesday - I woke from a dream of the very small, and it wasn't about Trump's morals or ethics because they are non-existent.

When I begin by typing the day of the week on the title line,  I find myself tempted to plug in something such as, "Tuesday the quantum mechanic came by to tune the furnace. When he left, the leaves fell up," or something equally stupid, but I forebear. After all, the quantum mechanic hasn't figured out which wrench to use and I can't seem to fathom the possibilities.

Okay, so I admit it, I've been thinking about string theory, gravitons, dimensions of space we cannot see, multiple universes, the collapse of the wave function, and so many things for which I can do the math but only in my dreams.

Sitting at the dinner table last night, talking about Dante, I said. "he was 'dreaming dreams no mortal dared dream before." without remembering what 19th Century poet wrote that line. So I looked it up, and of course it was Poe. Then I was asked if I ever studied the equations. In truth, I replied, I did look at them but that didn't mean I understood them. And back into that same poem, but paraphrasing, I pondered, weak and weary. / Over many a quaint and curious volume of to my eyes impenetrable lore.

I won't worry that experimental physics is battling with theoretical physics because nobody's figured out a way to test string theory, yet. When you consider that the math is beautiful, elegant and consistent, even if there are no strings it's great to think about them. Consider as well the size of these things. I mean, they are small: very, very, very, very ... very very very small, not much bigger than a Planck length, and that is about as short a distance as can be, don't expect to wake up one morning and find a heap of these little energy entities spraying out of the shower head when you turn on the tap. Well I mean don't expect to see them. 

I very much appreciate that minds wired and trained differently from mine can do the math. 

The election is three weeks from today. People are already voting. Here in NY State, everyone can vote by mail, or beginning on 10/24 participate by early voting, or go to the polls on election day and cast a ballot. I hope the turnout is strong, which might be the only good thing to come out of this very bizarre campaign. 

I had an insight this morning into why Doofus Donald's striving so mightily to undermine his follower's belief in the vote: he hasn't figured out a way to do what Alexander Lukashenko did in Belarus, and doctor the vote to give himself an overwhelming victory. And even if he could figure it out, he knows that only his most devoted, unthinking followers would give it any credence at all.

So please, vote by mail or vote early or go vote on election day, whichever you prefer, and if you care about the future of the country, vote Biden/Harris, unelect Trump. If you live where you can unelect a Republican senator, that will help, too.

I think these photos are appropriate to the theme. All were taken in or near Grand Central Terminal.








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