I’ve been porting some code over to Linux and in the process I’ve discovered what slow really is. I tend to work on only one computer system, my PowerBook G4, so I loaded up SuSE 8.2 Linux into Virtual PC. I’m not sure I understood what slow really is until now. It’s painfully slow, compared to running Windows XP on Virtual PC. I suspect that what’s really going on is the lack of optimization for Linux and a really slow gcc compiler. Ah, well — the price one pays for carrying around a single computer.

On another note, I’ve started reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. It’s been on my reading list for a long time, but I had never gotten around to it. I picked it up at the urging of a friend who said that the book was “me”. Well, as a motorcyclist (HD Road King), I could definitely relate to much of what Pirsig says is the beauty of motorcycling. One quote I just read really stood out to me:

The number of rational hypotheses that can explain any given phenomenon is infinite.

I’ve been rolling that around in my head for the last few hours since I first read it and it’s just a fascinating statement. I’d love to say something about it, but you know, there’s just nothing to add. Just enjoy it.