Existence is a series of footnotes...

Why is it that we'll listen to our favorite songs repeatedly over decades yet the idea of re-reading a book, even a good one, is met with skeptical glances? Why does an abstract painting baffle, yet music - the most abstract or less tangible of the arts - is unquestionably embraced? Why is painting taken way too seriously where preferences or the lack thereof almost have to be stated apologetically ("I wish I liked it.") while music preferences are tossed around cavalierly with no social repercussion ("I hate country/rap/Rush.")?  I have no idea. But here's an article that may provide a bit of neurological insight by revealing how repetition makes us like music even more. By extension, being exposed to the same painting, for example, can make you more comfortable with it. It's just another way that the human brain loves patterns.

Tyranosaurus Pygmaeo?

At first glance this might not look like much. But the curling patterns shown above were found in the cosmic microwave background and are signs of gravitational waves from the early big bang. Some implications are a non-collapsing universe and the possibility of a multiverse.

If you could visit only one museum in each state, what would it be? In this list of top museums there are some hits (Clyfford Still Museum in Colorado) and misses (why not the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio?).

Best downtown in the country: Fort Worth.

Do you remember your first tweet? It's easy to find.

Geeky food. Kitchen Overlord.

Formula 1 seems like something I should like. I've heard engineers lament that more engineers should like it since it's a sport designed - pun intended - almost perfectly for them. Part of the problem for me is that it's so damn hard to find the races on TV. Regardless, here's a video explaining the F-1 rule changes for 2014.

Longish article on Pixar's Ed Catmull's secrets of success. My takeaway? Candor. Frank discussion that takes their movies from suck (all their movies suck in the early versions) to not-suck.

Turn any word into ASCII art.

The most popular emoji: pile of poo.

...to a vast, obscure, unfinished masterpiece. ~Vladimir Nabokov

P.S. I am simultaneously ashamed of and relieved by this post's paucity.