Quote of the day

[richlevy]

Hearing that President Bush called together former Secreataries of State and Defense, including Colin Powell whose advice he ignored by invading Iraq, I thought of this scene from Alice in Wonderland. Now since the book was disguised political satire, it might be that it was referring to a similar situation in British history.

`Cheshire Puss,' she began, rather timidly, as she did not at all know whether it would like the name: however, it only grinned a little wider. `Come, it's pleased so far,' thought Alice, and she went on. `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

`I don't much care where--' said Alice.

`Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

`--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation.

`Oh, you're sure to do that,' said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.'

[dar512]

There are other aphorisms about the need for setting a goal, but none that say it quite as well.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass are both great books and full of useful tidbits like this. I find that most programmers have read them - they seem to strike some chord.

Larry Wall (the author of the computer language Perl) in an interview once quoted Humpty Dumpty from Through the Looking Glass - `When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, `it means just what I choose it to mean -- neither more nor less.' It was both humerous and a wonderful use of the quote to describe a part of the Perl language. However, the text of the interview indicated that the interviewer didn't get it.

I wrote Larry to ask about the interview and actually got a reply. He also is a big fan of the books. He told me that it is no accident that his son is named Charles.

[dar512]

"Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately
explained by stupidity" - Hanlon's Razor