Mike's Sketches

Stupid Einstein

Setting:  Its a perfect Saturday afternoon in suberbia USA.  The sun is out and not a cloud in the sky, one of those days you always dream about especially as a kid looking for mischief.  Bobby is excited for this very reason; he’s upstairs in his room putting his tennis shoes on and getting ready to go out.  He finishes tying them and runs out of his room and down the stairs headed for the front door just inches away.

 

Bobby:  Bye Mom, I’m going to play with Chris, I’ll be back for dinner.

 

Mom:  Hold it right there Mister, where do you think your going?

 

Bobby: I just told you!

 

Mom: Oh yeah.  Well you can’t! You’ve got chores to do.

 

Bobby: No I don’t, I woke up early and did them all this morning.

 

Mom:  Well maybe so, but  you promised Grandpa you’d help him learn how to use the computer today.  (Camera shot opens to show Grandpa, who is Albert Einstein, standing next to Mom. He’s kind of looking around like they aren’t talking about him because he is obviously embarrassed)

 

Bobby: (huge sigh)  Right now?

 

Mom: Yes right now. 

 

Bobby: Fine.  Come on Grandpa lets go into the den.

 

They walk in and begin to set up chairs in front of the computer that sits on a desk.

 

Einstein: I’m sorry Bobby, I know you’d like to be out solving differential equations with your friends.  This means a lot to me.

 

Bobby:  Whatever.  Alright to turn it on you just push this button right here.

 

Einstein:  Hold on a second, let me write this down (pulls out pad and paper).

 

Bobby: Great this is going to take forever (to himself)

 

Einstein: Now does the force used make a difference?

 

Bobby: No, just push it.

 

Einstein:  Okay (rigidly pushes the button and the computer begins to start up)

 

Bobby: While its getting started lets go over the basics. Now this is the mouse, do you know what it does?

 

Einstein: (looks sad and shakes his head)

 

Bobby: When you move it, it makes the curser on the screen move the same direction, like this (demonstrating)

 

Einstein: Oh so its converts linear movement into electrical signals and then back into two dimensional translations.

 

Bobby: Something like that

 

Einstein: You know this reminds me of single string Laplace Transforms...to the second degree of course, but then you’d would have to neglect the integrated constant coef---

 

Bobby: (interrupting) This is the keyboard, do you know what it does?

 

Einstein: (shakes head)

 

Bobby: It types these letters onto the screen

 

Einstein: An electronic typewriter, fascinating (scribbling down on his pad)

 

Bobby: Alright the computer is ready (Einstein checks pocket watch and writes down time).  Okay this is the desktop, its like...um... home

 

Einstein: Germany?

 

Bobby: No, in the computer its like home

 

Einstein: I should hope I don’t have to flee this home because of the Nazis as well (trying to make a joke)

 

Bobby: (totally not amused)  Yeah, so anyway, these are your icons on the desktop, if you click the mouse twice on them you will open that program.  Down here we have the toolbar where you can see all the windows that you have open.  On the far left side of the toolbar there is the start menu that shortcuts you to certain programs and documents and you can search for stuff there too.  Any questions so far?

 

Einstein:  What’s the “internet”?

 

Mom: (interjecting)  How’s everything going?

 

Bobby: Can I talk to you in the kitchen really quick?

 

Bobby gets up and goes to the kitchen with Mom and they are overheard arguing and name calling.  Grandpa meanwhile gets on the computer and is playing with the mouse.  Bobby comes back frustrated.

 

Bobby: Alright so where were we?  Hey what’s wrong the with computer?  What did you do Grandpa?

 

Einstein:  I thought I would be on of you hip beatniks and do some recycling (snaps his fingers)

 

Bobby: Great you threw away the entire hard drive, now I’m going to have to reboot the whole system.  I’m going to be here all day.  Grandpa, what do you even want to use the computer for anyways?

 

Einstein: For watching new pornographic films, I’m going tired of my old flipbooks.  Bobby do you know about the birds and the bees.  Here, I will show you using simple third dimensional physics.

 

Bobby:  Could this day get any worse

 

Scene cuts and Bobby wakes up in a cold sweet in his bed.

 

Bobby: It was all just a dream, but just to be safe I’ll never show Grandpa how to do anything ever.

 

END SCENE

 

Note: It could be longer with more confusion between the master of relativity and a ten year old boy, but I kept it short for starters just for times sake.  I hope the idea is conveyed correctly none the less.