Some things ... cannot be learned quickly

There are some things which cannot be learned quickly,
and time, which is all we have,
must be paid heavily for their acquiring.
They are the very simplest things,
and because it takes a man’s life to know them
the little new that each man gets from life
is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave.

- Ernest Hemingway (From A. E. Hotchner, Papa Hemingway, Random House, NY, 1966)

... and so it begins

Welcome to my blog, gentle readers. Here you will be exposed to all manner of speculation and conjecture on my part. Those with an enhanced sensitivity to non-rigorous reasoning might occasionally experience a feeling akin to motion sickness. I urge such rigor-bound passengers to depart at the earliest exit. To the rest, welcome aboard. Happy trails!