i don't know what to say but one thing i know i dont know most them...honestly, you, as an essayist is one of my favorite..please don't stop write
thank you!
Some Heroes
81–90 of 109 posts
Re: Some Heroes
#82I was hoping to see Feynman on this list (especially after reading the two qualities that these people had in common). Good read, though.
I almost included him. But I don't understand his work in physics, and it seemed lame to like him for peripheral stuff like his autobiography.
I don't think that you have to understand all his work in detail to claim him as a hero. He was more than just his work.
I wonder about John von Neumann. I thought maybe he'd be on there too.
Re: Some Heroes
#83Thanks for mentioning so many English heroes: Newton, Austen, the Spitfire, Wodehouse. I love em all too. As an Englishman, I'd like to nominate some American heroes: Paul Feynmann, Jimi Hendrix, Willard Van Orman Quine, Jackson Pollack & Hunter S Thompson. Where would the English speaking world be without them ?
Re: Some Heroes
#84"For example, it returned false for Montaigne, who was arguably the inventor of the essay."
The essay was invented by the Stoic philosopher Seneca.
Re: Some Heroes
#85I am with all those, who would put you, Paul, on the list of heroes. You do great things.
Re: Some Heroes
#86Paul, call me weird, but I searched Larry Mihalko after you had written about him, and I came across this:
http://www.post-gazette.com/regionstate/19991031newabuse1.as...
Was he a teacher at Gateway? If so, then it says that he was being charged with sexual assault or something strange like that. I wanted to let you have the last word on it, because charges don't necessarily mean that much. Anyways, I would rather take your word that he was a genuinely good teacher (which your post indicates)
Re: Some Heroes
#87No Alan Turing? I am surprised. I always thought the cover of ANSI Common Lisp was a nod towards his life (and death).
For those of you who do not know much about the Alan Turing man, I suggest that you check out one of the excellent biographies that have been written about him. He was a really amazing and interesting guy. And the persecution that lead to his suicide provides a valuable (and tragic) lesson on the evils of homophobia.
Re: Some Heroes
#88Hamming ?
"Richard Hamming’s three questions for new hires at Bell Labs: 1- What are you working on? 2- What’s the most important open problem in your area? 3- Why aren’t they the same? "
Re: Some Heroes
#89I enjoy reading your essays. I think the concept of heroes is a worthwhile one and I might compile my own list. Einstein would be there for me but probably as much because my mom put a poster of him in my room when I was six (which remains there today) as anything. I'm also from the 'burgh :) and as I grew up in the next generation of Steelers football, Hines Ward would be my Jack Lambert. His love for his work is truly inspirational and infectious.
Re: Some Heroes
#90well i thought they were pathetic and you all need to get some lives and stop being fag little nerds with no life and too lazy to stop sitting on your asses...DO SOME WORK U FAGS