Fun with Firefox
My mom read about a new web browser in the San Jose Mercury News today. It's called Mozilla Firefox v. 1.0. The Mozilla people believe in open-source (meaning, sharing) as opposed to the evil empire otherwise known as Microsoft. Firefox is fun because you can customize six ways to Sunday (whatever that means). Oh, and it's free.
My Firefox currently sports a theme called Red Cats (green flavor). You can download skins for it just like WinAmp. I also enabled the code to make the program complete URLs as I type. For example, if I type "www.y" it comes up with "www.yahoo.com." By default, it will give you a drop-down list of possibilities, as in Internet Explorer, but I prefer the URL autocomplete.
Firefox is supposed to be more secure than IE. Maybe it's partly because you have the option to make your version different from mine, whereas everyone's copy of IE is virtually identical. Since it's open-source, all sorts of programming folks are working on it all the time, which is cool. There are more volunteers working on this than there are employees.
If you'd like to play with Firefox, too, go to Mozilla.org, and for future reference, the Firefox support page. (The forums will answer a lot of your questions.)
And just for reference, that bit of autocomplete code: browser.urlbar.autoFill (it's a boolean value, and the answer is true)
Whenever Jenny does these quizzes, I end up taking them too.....
20 Questions to a Better Relationship
eXpressive: 7/10
Practical: 5/10
Physical: 3/10
Giver: 8/10
You are a XPIG--Expressive Practical Intellectual Giver. This makes you a Catch.
You are a magazine-cover, matinee idol dreamboat. Parents love you and want to set you up with their kids. However, first dates are tough because it takes time for your qualities to come out.
You are generous and kind. You think first and act later. You are cool in a conflict, but your practical side means if your partner throws out emotional appeals ("why can't we do what I want for a change?") they will grate on your nerves, even when the conflict is resolved.
You're a romantic. You enjoy the thrill of the hunt, and you don't just fall into bed with anyone. You pay close attention to your significant other's needs, and this makes you an excellent lover and partner. The problem is that your friends and lovers may find it so easy to express things to *you* that they lose sight of whether you feel as comfortable with *them*! This doesn't necessarily make you feel under-appreciated -- you're too well-adjusted and self-aware for that -- but you may feel restless. Thus you seek adventure in your life outside the relationship to prove and actualize yourself.
Of all the types, you would make the best parent.
You are coiffed.
Didja see "Big Fish"? 'Cause you're like Ewan MacGregor in "Big Fish."
Of the 147066 people who have taken this quiz, 9.3 % are this type.
Today, I installed computer hardware for the first time in my life.
I'd never even taken a computer apart before two weeks ago...thank you new job with lousy computers. Today, I got my new computer, but it only had one CD drive. The nice folks in IT said it was fine if I wanted to rip one of the CD drives out of my old computer. I got everything installed, turned it on and....nothing. The computer didn't recognize the drives. Okay. Power down, rearrange some stuff and...nope.
The lesson learned: when something doesn't work, first check that your cable is firmly plugged in to the motherboard. You might save a whole lot of time.
On another note today, I finally got my own digital camera. I decided to copy Jenny and get one of those tiny Minoltas, 'cause Fry's had some leftover ones for $200. I picked a teeny tiny one so I'll never have those "Darn, I wish I had my camera with me" moments again. I'm charging the battery now, so hopefully it will prove to be a good investment.
Quzzes...'cause they're fun
I AM 17% GEEK!  I wanna be a geek. But I'm not. Why would I even want to be one. Do I think it's fun? I should try writting an online test application at 1 am in my underwear |
I am sooooo less geeky than Jenny! =)
I AM 27% PUNK ROCK!  Well, I may know what punk is, but... Okay maybe some people think I am punk, but is that enough? Nope. |
And yet, I am more punk.
I AM 47% TORTURED ARTIST!  I have some artistic ability, but it is probably a hobby and doesn't drive my life into a dark abysmal hole were I am alone and against the world. |
I'm not an artist, just tortured.
I AM 44% INTERNET ADDICT!  I could go either way. Deep into the madness of nights filled with coding CGI-Scripts and online role playing games, or I could become a normal user. Good luck! |
I just haven't found my drug of choice yet.
I AM 36% GOTH!  Goth by night, normal by day. Deep in my heart I know I am evil, but not on the company's time. I do need to eat. |
Okay, no one else took this one, but I thought I should.
Continue reading " "
Please read Khristine's blog (or Xanga, or whatever you call it). The girl is on a rampage through Europe, and it's hilarious.
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So, I went to the library today and saw Michael Moore's Dude, Where's My Country? I'm about three chapters in, and it is interesting. Perhaps the funniest part so far is Moore's rundown of the "Coalition of the Willing" aka the countries who actually went along with W's unthought-out plans of war, although in most cases, the citizens of said countries disagreed. Here are some highlights of the list:
"Afghanistan? What exactly was their contribution going to be? Horses? Ten sticks and a stone?"
"[W]hile Morocco also was short on military assistance, they did offer to send 2,000 monkeys to help detonate land mines in Iraq. But they didn't and, if you don't cough up the monkeys, you don't get to reap the benefits of being a member of the Coalition of the Willing."
You'll also learn about the nation of Palau, which you've probably never heard of. Of course, I haven't seen "Fahrenheit 9/11" yet, although I hear it contains much of the same information as the book.
On another politic-ish note, have you ever watched that Bill O'Reilly guy (I think he's on Fox News Channel). That man annoys the hell out of me. I happened to see the other day when O'Reilly pretty much would not let one of his guests speak because the guest had a differing viewpoint than O'Reilly. What's the point of having guests, then? So they can just sit there and look pissed off? And O'Reilly kept chanting "This is a no-spin zone," which really means "no spin except in the O'Reilly approved direction." How about a "no catchphrase zone" instead? Continue reading " "
My friend Jenny did this. I don't even watch "Sex in the City," but I figured, why the hell not.
 |
You Are Most Like Carrie!You're quirky, flirty, and every guy's perfect first date. But can the guy in question live up to your romantic ideal? It's tough for you to find the right match - you're more than a little picky. Never fear... You've got a great group of friends and a great closet of clothes, no matter what! Romantic prediction: You'll fall for someone this year... Totally different from any guy you've dated. Which Sex and the City Vixen Are You Most Like? Take This Quiz Right Now! Find the Love of Your Life (and More Love Quizzes) at Your New Romance. |
Strangely enough, I have no desire to fall for someone this year. Kirk is enough for me, and I think I can safely say he's like no other guy I've ever dated. I can't handle more than one boyfriend, thanks.
And just for the heck of it, I did the quiz again, with other options that are also true for me, and I got Charlotte, the romantic idealist. Continue reading " "
Hey, is it July already?
Where does the time go? So, what have I learned lately?
1. There are no jobs out there if you're under the age of 35. Nope. None. And it kinda sucks, since I've finally decided I can take my current retail servitude no more. Everyone wants five to a million years experience. I'm gonna laugh when in ten years there's no one left with experience. Just us inexperienced folks between 18 and 35.
2. Corsets aren't as hard to make as you think. Nor are they anywhere near as expensive as people sell them for. Well, I guess you have to pay for the labor. I made one for about...well...99 cents a yard for fabric, so about $1.50, about $2.50 for nylon boning, $4 for neat black and silver cord, and the expensive part, $18 for eyelets and the tool to apply them (the tool was $15, but it's reusable). So let's say $26. Oh, and $2 for the pattern. There is a trend lately for historical patterns, so I got one with Civil War era corset patterns. So, there's an initial cost of about $28, but I could make a second one for half that price. Sweet.
Wow, first post of the new year. I saw Evanescence Friday night for the third time in 13 months. It would have been three times in less than a year, but the concert was postponed from November to February. It was my first time going to the San Jose State Event Center, and I'd just like to say their website lies! It says the 7th Street Garage is free after 6pm on weekdays, so we got there at like 6:10. I pull up, and they're like, "Ten dollars." I informed them it's supposed to be free. "Not today," they said. I told them they ought to have a sign then that says $10. They said there was....apparently it's an invisible sign because neither Jenny nor I saw it. The next garage also had no sign, so I asked the attendant. No free parking. I said screw that; so we parked on the street at the other end of campus, which proved to be a shorter walk, anyway.
After making it through the line of thousands, we were inside the arena. Time to check out the band merchandise. In two other Evanescence concerts, I had yet to come home with my usual concert T-shirt. Bad news here, too. The shirts were not only large and ugly, they were $30! I think I'll get both shirts I like online for about $10 more.
During the concert, I became a boring old lady and sat in my seat the whole time. I didn't feel like hassling with all the annoyingly tall people standing out on the floor. At least I had a clear view of the stage...it was just a little distant. Actually, it was distant enough that Amy Lee's outfit confused me for 90% of the concert. It was only at the encore that I realized she was wearing ripped jeans under her red and white sporty-looking skirt. I thought she had really ugly boots on. I finally got to see Amy play the keyboard for "My Immortal" and the start of "Bring Me to Life." I also heard "Farther Away" for the second time. I really like it, but the song is virtually impossible to get. Sadly, there was nothing off the "Origin" album. Terry Balsamo (formerly of Cold) gave the band a different sound at times...especially on the guitar solos. Ben Moody barely deviated from the recording when I saw him with the band. And while playing along with a recorded track limits how creative you can get, they did manage to finally make the songs a little different in concert...but not much.
This time there were two cover songs (there were two or three plus bits and pieces of a few others last time): Metallica (can't remember the title) and Soundgarden. Amy may love Soundgarden, but the Metallica song went over much much better.
And on a side note, I was pleasantly surprised by Evanescence's opener, Default. Their singer is pretty amazing live...in other words, he sounds just as good live as on the recordings.