Ali Hassan

Gmail now has IMAP

Ali Hassan — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:48:10 +0000

A while back I wrote some instructions on how to get Gmail (which then only supported POP) to work properly with Apple’s Mail client. Well, Google have now added IMAP support to Gmail, so a lot of the jiggery-pokery necessary to get that to work is now unnecessary. The instructions still work, but IMAP is a much more straightforward way to access Gmail.

Gmail posted good instructions on how to get it work in Apple Mail here.

Hail Redskins! (Redux)

Ali Hassan — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:51:43 +0000

In a little less than hour the 2007 NFL season will kick off which means that it is time for me to make a prediction on how the Washington Redskins will perform this year. Last year I was a little wide of the mark, predicting that the

‘Skins finish the regular season 16-0, winning the NFC East along the way. They then march triumphantly through the playoffs to the Superbowl where they meet and defeat the Indianapolis Colts.

That didn’t happen. (Although I’d like to point out that I did correctly predict that the Colts would win the AFC Championship, an outcome that seems more and more just by the day.)

So, what’s my prediction for this season. Well, I’m not prepared to make a prediction on how many games Washington will win, but, based on their modest offseason acquisitions and decent preseason form, my carefully measured opinion is that they are an unstoppable juggernaut destined for Super Bowl glory. I think they’ll be playing the San Diego Chargers in the big game.

Super Bowl Bound!

Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? I dooooooo …

Ali Hassan — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 01:38:36 +0000

You can get Squishees, Buzz Cola, and, best of all, Krusty O’s at Seven-Eleven now. They’re actually not bad.

BoKlok

Ali Hassan — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 01:46:59 +0000

It is now possible to buy an Ikea House. I wonder if people have the same trouble with these as I had assembling Effektiv back in December? Does an Ikea house come with the same frustratingly obscure instructions? Does it come flat-packed and wrapped in a mountain of cardboard? And is it still actually made out of cardboard covered with “birch veneer”? Do you still get the exact number of screws necessary to build the house? Do you still always have one leftover? Is that leftover screw still the cause of the wobbliness? Can you still not be bothered disassembling everything back to step 3 just to put it in? And, most importantly, do you have to assemble the entire thing with a single tiny Allen key?

Rules For Writers

Ali Hassan — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 20:32:46 +0000

I just happened upon an essay by George Orwell entitled “Politics and the English Language”.

In it he puts forth six rules for writing:

Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.

Never use a long word where a short one will do.

If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.

Never use the passive where you can use the active.

Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.

Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Good advice, but I have a feeling it might be surprisingly hard to consistently follow all of them.

A Worrying Development

Ali Hassan — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:11:57 +0000

As I checked my Google Mail today, I happened to notice that one of the advertisements was for a “Bill O’Reilly Podcast”. Apparently, the contents of my e-mail messages mark me as the sort of person who would be interested in the deranged rantings of reactionary, narcissistic Fox News anchors. Awesome.

Jeopardy!

Ali Hassan — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:02:08 +0000

Alex Trebek: Many of Geoffrey Chaucer’s works were first printed around 1477 by this man, England’s first printer.
My wife: Who is Penguin.



Jeopardy! Archive
Ali Hassan — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 00:01:45 +0000
Every Jeopardy! question ever.



Music for babies
Ali Hassan — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 02:20:12 +0000
I’ve been trying to figure out some good playlists for baby music. The music they have at Babies’R'Us is all horrible Casiotone stuff, and prolonged exposure is sure to drive me insane and make the kid stupid.
Here’s my current #1 list:
No Surprises / Radiohead

Big Soft Punch / The Clean

Early Morning Breeze / Dolly Parton

Only The Lonely / Chris Isaak

When I Was Drinking / Hem

Redemption Song / Bob Marley

Georgia On My Mind / Willie Nelson

She’s A Jar / Wilco

Pancho & Lefty / Emmylou Harris

Better Be Home Soon / Kasey Chambers

Sweet Jane / Cowboy Junkies

The Road / Mark Knopfler
Anyone have any good suggestions?



The Amazon 30 Day Price Guarantee
Ali Hassan — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:53 +0000
Turns out Amazon has a price guarantee. If you buy a product and its price falls within 30 days of your purchase they will refund you the difference. They don’t advertise this at all, but they will do it if you ask. So no need to watch Amazon’s prices to get the best deal possible anymore.
Slate has an article which suggests that you have to ring Amazon to get the refund. I was able to successfully request one over the web. Just go through the normal refund process on the Amazon website, and request that they refund you the difference in price consistent with their “30 Day Price Guarantee”. You should get an e-mail from them within 24 hours. 
Sticking with the Amazon theme, here’s a cool search tool to help you find items that will get you up to the magic $25 mark that makes an order eligible for “Free Super Saver Shipping.”