Kara’s Blog

I learned today that Gmail offers free IMAP access now (they have for awhile, but I'm out of the loop, I guess). I wub Gmail in general. I forward all of my email accounts to my main Gmail account--except for my university account, which is separate. Using Gmail for their email system was, incidentally, the smartest technical decision my university ever made.

However, up until tonight, I've been using POP to view my messages in…

I've finished Sandworms of Dune, the final installment of the Dune saga. Originally conceived by Frank Herbert, who wrote six novels before his death, his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have written six prequels based on the material left behind by Herbert. Since then, they tackled the challenge of completing the famed "Dune 7", the conclusion of the story arc begun in Chapterhouse Dune. This book they split up into two: …

I had a very good day today. Everything just seemed to go well. Sure, there were some rocky moments--I got stuck behind a tow truck trying to hoist a vehicle on two separate occasions--is that weird or what? But I won't let that ruin the rest of the good moments.

If you come up to a group of people waiting outside a room, don't assume they're waiting because the door is locked. Until you actually…

I've tried out all of my Xbox games now (except Forza Motorsport, because I don't do racing games), just to get a taste of what each one offers. Here's my opinion on each. Keep in mind that I haven't completed any of them, and I'm not a gamer. So my evaluations are based on different values than that of what a hard-core gamer or fan of a particular title might look at.

t: Assassin's Creed…

I'm going to skip my usual rant about the Christmas season and go straight to the part where I talk about all the fun material goods I acquired.

Oodles and oodles of chocolate and candy, firstly, which is never a bad thing. Plus some movies, season 2.0 of Battlestar Galactica, some nail clippers, some desk calendars, and some games for Xbox 360.

What was that? Xbox 360--surely Ben doesn't have an Xbox 360!

I…

So what if it's plastic and doesn't actually unlock things (which would be ever so slightly illegal)? It still makes authentic noises, extends, and lights up. Plus it pulls double duty as a regular pen and a UV pen!

Yes, I'm talking about the sonic screwdriver toy. It may be a simple toy, but it makes me happy. :D The sonic screwdriver is a brilliant little device from Doctor Who, so even a plastic…

I'm finished all my exams. Classes are done. Aside from work and the inevitable demands of Christmas, I am on break until January 7. ^_^ Let the relaxation begin. Or at least, that's what I'd like to do.

I've got tons of stuff I want to work on, however. I have several website-related projects, one of which is particularly dear to me. I've been working on it since about September; I don't know how it…

SNOW

There is no other way to describe it. Since it started four days ago, winter has systematically and ambitiously blotted out any trace of summer from our lovely little town, plunging us into a deep snowy (literally) miasma of cold. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

But there is snow, and lots of it. My dad and I spent about an hour shovelling this morning--and that was just to clear the driveway so…

Every time I try to get Kubuntu working, I become more and more convinced that Kubuntu just doesn't want to be friends with me. It's always a mixed bag. It's not all Kubuntu's fault--it's a very nice Linux distro, functions well--sometimes I'm to blame. Still, the learning curve--and the bumps along the way--are disheartening.

Yesterday I decided to do a clean install of Kubuntu 7.10 ("Gutsy Gibbon"). My hard drive was already partitioned because…

We all do it. A celebrity--actor, athlete, whoever--appears on our television screen and tells us to do something, to support some cause, to buy a product. Because, you know, they use the product or support that cause, so we should too.

When that happens, I just like to remind myself that these are the same types of people whom we vilify for leading immoral, hedonistic lifestyles of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. We condemn…