Lately, I've come to realize that appreciating great ideas as I encounter them is one thing. Retaining and making good use of them is quite another. The desire grew - and continues to grow - in me to start taking learning more seriously.

At the same time, inspired by the many samples of clear, lively exposition I've marveled at over the years, I wish to improve my (latent?) writing skills.

Here I hope to begin the ambitious, perhaps noble but undoubtedly naive attempt at my own explanation of all these things I don't want to just forget - because I find them elegant, shocking, illuminating, or, simply, beautiful.