You can merge your GNOME desktop (Ubuntu 9.10) with Google Calendar via iCalendar Format. This a very nifty hack for people who use Google Calendar and want your Linux to in sync with Google Calendar.
What is iCalendar?
XML or iCalendar – Use these formats to view a read-only version of your calendar from other applications. You can use this address to access your calendar from feed readers (like Google Reader) as well as products that support the iCalendar format (like Apple’s iCal). via Google Support
