bitful

UK-based weblog on technology, queerness, language and fitness

Archive for November 2007

The best and the worst of the UK

Friday 30 November 2007

There's nothing I like on TV these days.
Apart from the fantastic Flight of the Conchords, all saved up on the PVR for a rainy day marathon, all I record now is filler TV, the kind of stuff I play back at 1.5 speed while folding laundry (i.e. Project Runway, The X Factor and Ugly Betty).
Last [...]

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All I want is a seat with juice

Friday 30 November 2007

I seem to be unable to travel without electronics to keep me entertained during trips. A what? A 'book', you say? Is it something I can download on my phone?
So when I book seats I try and get one that's got a power outlet for laptops and phones.
Not if you book online, you can't. You [...]

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dudgeon

Friday 30 November 2007

A sullen, angry, or indignant humour.

fustian

Thursday 29 November 2007

Any of several thick twilled cotton fabrics, such as corduroy. Pompous, bombastic, and ranting.

skittle

Wednesday 28 November 2007

A bowling pin of the type used in ninepins - or (in England) skittles.

yaw

Tuesday 27 November 2007

To swerve off course momentarily or temporarily. To move unsteadily; weave.

My week on the web

Monday 26 November 2007

Here are the websites I bookmarked into my del.icio.us account last week:

Move your iTunes music while preserving library data
How to move your iTunes music while preserving library data (when you don’t let iTunes manage your music library)
Hand-Crafting My FOAF
'[...] if you want to play around with FOAF take over control of your own public [...]

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jejune

Monday 26 November 2007

Not interesting; dull. Lacking maturity; childish

billingsgate

Sunday 25 November 2007

Harsh, often insulting language.

7 things I did not know last week

Saturday 24 November 2007

Echinacea products made from the leaves and stems are not known to be clinically effective. I just hope the root is as good as they say, because I've been using it to keep a cold at bay for a week now.
Tecknonik (a blend of hip hop and techno dance styles) is a registered trademark, and [...]

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cozen

Saturday 24 November 2007

To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud; deceive. To persuade or induce to do something by cajoling or wheedling. To obtain by deceit or persuasion.

tocsin

Friday 23 November 2007

An alarm sounded on a bell. A bell used to sound an alarm. A warning; an omen.

Block Facebook Beacon

Thursday 22 November 2007

You might be aware of Beacon, Facebook's new advertising platform that allows Facebook's partners to place a cookie on your machine when you shop with them, and next time you log on to Facebook you are notified that the retailer is sending a story to your profile that says 'X bought (played, watched, etc.) Y [...]

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bootless

Thursday 22 November 2007

Without advantage or benefit; useless.

ester

Wednesday 21 November 2007

Any of a class of organic compounds corresponding to the inorganic salts and formed from an organic acid and an alcohol.

hovel

Tuesday 20 November 2007

An ugly, squalid dwelling.

My week on the web

Monday 19 November 2007

Here are the websites I bookmarked into my del.icio.us account last week:

Destination of 'recycled' electronics may surprise you
'Most Americans think they're helping the earth when they recycle their old computers, televisions and cell phones. But chances are they're contributing to a global trade in electronic trash that endangers workers and pollutes the environment overseas.'
Firefox [...]

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flange

Monday 19 November 2007

A protruding rim, edge, rib, or collar, as on a wheel or a pipe shaft, used to strengthen an object, hold it in place, or attach it to another object.

ding

Sunday 18 November 2007

(slang) give a minor bitching about something, esp. something trivial.

7 things I did not know last week

Saturday 17 November 2007

Your teeth get smaller as you grow old and that makes your face sag. You can have a dental facelift to increase the size of your teeth and fill out your face.
Band Aid II did a cover of Do They Know It's Christmas? in 1989. I was at the time living abroad and was therefore [...]

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whitebait

Saturday 17 November 2007

The young of various fishes, especially the herring, considered a delicacy when fried. Any of various similar or related small edible fishes.

plumb

Friday 16 November 2007

(Also plum. Informal) Utterly; completely: plumb worn out.

'Preserved' as innapropriate behaviour?

Thursday 15 November 2007

A friend sent me this notice he found posted at his gym, which I don't think it's even one of the gayest in town.
You go to a gym? Then you are expected to be supple enough to soap your own back.
Otherwise, they will preserve it as inappropriate behaviour. Preserve, regard, same thing…

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marmoset

Thursday 15 November 2007

Any of various small clawed monkeys of the genera Callithrix and Cebuella, found in tropical forests of the Americas and having soft dense fur, tufted ears, and long tails.

conniption

Wednesday 14 November 2007

A fit of violent emotion, such as anger or panic. Also called conniption fit.

high jinks

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Playful, often noisy and rowdy activity, usually involving mischievous pranks.

My week on the web

Monday 12 November 2007

Here are the websites I bookmarked into my del.icio.us account last week:

DivX and Xbox 360: A Potential Win-Win For Everyone
The Xbox 360 may soon support DivX. I would love not having to encode video every time I want to enjoy HD on the big telly.
Nabaztag WordPress Plugins
'first Nabaztag API plugin for WordPress [...] every [...]

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gumshoe

Monday 12 November 2007

A sneaker or rubber overshoe. Slang. An investigator, especially a detective.

rake

Sunday 11 November 2007

(architecture) A slope; an inclination; e.g., the inclination (from the horizontal) of an auditorium floor.

7 things I did not know last week

Saturday 10 November 2007

Jason 'J' Brown from boy band Five (originally spelled 5ive) is taking part in the new I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! I've always hated the show. But ten years ago I use to kiss the ground J walked on. Thanks heavens for PVRs and fast-tracking through hours of footage at 3x speed [...]

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