Not much to say today. Just a few random blips.

Geek: I've been looking at random build tools. As a longtime Loonix sympathizer, I'm well familiar with the ./configure -> make -> make install procedure and have written config.m4 scripts for buildconfig before, but have never taken that much intense interest in the systems as a whole, usually just rolling with whatever was being used for any given project. I've got to look at initiating a project where I've a lot more autonomy than usual, and have to decide on various mechanisms to use, one of of which is the build toolchain.

Aside from make, I'm also familiar with jam and its variants (as used by perforce, boost, and the freetype projects). To be honest, I'm more familiar with the intricacies of jam than make, even though I've 'used' make far more as an end-user / worker-monkey. Are there any alternatives to these two? Why has make become the dominant methodology? GNU presence? History? I'm tempted just to roll with jam, but am wondering why make is ubiquitous, and if this ubiquity offers any advantage to using jam.

Swiss Army Chainsaws == Utter fucking time tarpits ...

Books: I'm roughly two-thirds of the way through 'Quicksilver' by Neal Stephenson. Besides wanking off about the amount of research he's done and performing the cheap post-modern authorial trick of connoting a character's genius by ascribing thought processes from later times, does anything actually happen?

I've also been reading 'The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat' by Oliver Sacks. Very interesting, especially when read after Vilayanur Ramachandran's 'Phantoms in the Brain'. Are you really in control of your mind?

Svengate: I see Faria Alam has contracted Max Clifford (in both senses). If the F.A. thought this was behind them, boy are they wrong. That guy could incite a violent uprising in a buddhist temple ...

Footie: ... Actually, nah, can't be bothered today - lots of little tidbits - nothing that inspiring ...

Have a funky weekend.