I’m not sure why, but Ubuntu takes a hell of a long time to start. The best I could get was 59s - and on occasion it even went to 1:15! If you think this isn’t a cause for concern, this might tell you why it is.

I got the high-end Linux laptop available in the market: the System76 Bonobo Extreme. It is certainly my prized possession, way more awesome than anything I have ever owned, and anything I am likely to own in the next few years. I am not a professional reviewer by a long shot, but after two weeks of using the bonx6, I thought I’d post some of my observations.

One thing to note before you start reading this: I haven’t written anything in a long time. I’m just gonna ramble. Note 2: I started writing this before Echoes and some of the stuff meant to be here ended up there, so not much rambling! :)

Recently I started reading Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time series. Each book is well written, and the characters strong and memorable, the tales themselves grand. The series itself vies with the Mahabharata, considered by most Indians to be the greatest epic. One thing I noticed time and again is the number of similarities, echoes, as it were, of tales from elsewhere, books and movies. By itself, it might seem like a weakness, but no! It is a strength, for each echo strengthens the feeling that the tale is your own experience long forgotten, from a different life perhaps, for it is familiar and yet strange. Perhaps like the feeling Birgitte Silverbow has for the memories of each of her adventures with Gaidal Cain.

We saw a recent lecture series on club loyalty. I believe that those fans who abandon their club when they are down don’t understand the core point of football, or any team game, or any game, for that matter. I admire Barca, not for their style of play, but for the sheer talent and skill some of their players have. I admire Royal Madrid, because of the impunity with which they play Fantasy Football. I admire Manchester United, because they have grit. I admire Tottenham Hotspur, because they fought to grow out of the shadow of their neighbours and succeeded.