bitful

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

Archive for January 2008

Mi fa male la gamba destra

Thursday 31 January 2008

Mi fa male la gamba destra
My right leg hurts
Literally: 'To-me (it) does/makes bad the leg right'.

The other night I was woken up several times by painful leg cramps. I spent most of yesterday limping and my right calf still hurts today. Any ideas what that could be? And please don't mention it could be age-related, [...]

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look askance

Thursday 31 January 2008

View with mistrust.

Di solito esco di casa alle sette e mezza

Wednesday 30 January 2008

Di solito esco di casa alle sette e mezza.
I usually leave home at half past seven.
Literally: 'Of usual (I) go-out of house/home at-the seven and half'.

Morning transport is bad, but I found that I can shave off 20 minutes from my commute - and have enough room in the train to hold my book open [...]

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gambol

Wednesday 30 January 2008

To leap about playfully; frolic.

Mi sento un po' Cenerentola

Tuesday 29 January 2008

Mi sento un po' Cenerentola
I'm feeling a bit like Cinderella
Literally: 'Myself (I) feel a bit Cinderella'.

Went to a party organised by a friend, a big corporate do hosted by Alex Zane, saw a couple of live acts (Helen Boulding and Richard Fleeshman, might have missed more at the beginning).
Met friends there, indulged in free booze… [...]

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doughty

Tuesday 29 January 2008

Marked by stouthearted courage; brave.

Non capisco cosa è successo

Monday 28 January 2008

Non capisco cosa è successo
I don't understand what happened
Literally: 'Not (I) understand what is happened'.

Yesterday Facebook matched my ex boyfriend's email to his profile, so I added him as a friend. I received the usual email notification saying 'So and so edited details on how you know each other. Click here to confirm'.
I clicked, but [...]

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My week on the web

Monday 28 January 2008

Here are the websites I bookmarked into my del.icio.us account over the past seven days:

Feed Count | Wordpress Plugin
WordPress plugin that displays the number of subscribers to your feedburner feed.
Tasks Jr. | web-based task manager
'Tasks Jr. is a basic but powerful web-based task manager/to-do list. [...] to keep track of [...] tasks and access [...]

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moil

Monday 28 January 2008

To toil; slave.

Minimela e maxifragola

Sunday 27 January 2008

Minimela e maxifragola
Mini-apple and maxi-strawberry
Literally: 'Mini-apple and maxi-strawberry'.

I'll admit it: this was the smallest apple I could find in my bag of Tesco value odd-sized ones (not glossy enough to be marked up and sold on as 'Fun-size snack apples', I guess).

Still, Dr B.'s monster strawberry is huuuge. But that's alright, because Tesco's stupid nutritional [...]

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eldritch

Sunday 27 January 2008

Strange or unearthly; eerie.

7 things I did not know last week

Saturday 26 January 2008

Firefox offers no option to temporarily disable Flash, but you can do that with add-ons (Adblock or Flashblock).
The BBC's definition of 'licence fee payer' includes not only licence holders, but also 'any other person in the UK who watches, listens to or uses any BBC service, or may do so or wish to do so [...]

Continue reading 7 things I did not know last week

Oggi mangiamo uova e pancetta per colazione

Saturday 26 January 2008

Oggi mangiamo uova e pancetta per colazione
Today we are having eggs and bacon for breakfast
Literally: 'Today (we) eat eggs and bacon for breakfast'

Do you want to get rid of that little bit of extra weight you put on at Christmas? You are still in time to turn into a gay man and book yourself on [...]

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maunder

Saturday 26 January 2008

To talk incoherently or aimlessly. To move or act aimlessly or vaguely; wander.

Mi vergogno di essere italiano

Friday 25 January 2008

Mi vergogno di essere italiano
I am ashamed to be Italian
Literally: 'Myself (I) shame of being Italian'.

An Italian senator who announced he wanted to switch back to support the government (after his party withdrew from the ruling coalition, thereby causing the prime minister to resign and the government to fall), was called a "piece of shit, [...]

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flummery

Friday 25 January 2008

Meaningless or deceptive language; humbug.

Andiamo in vacanza con gli amici

Thursday 24 January 2008

Andiamo in vacanza con gli amici
We are going on holiday with friends.
Literally: '(We) leave in holiday with the friends'.

Yesterday I booked a cheap weekend in Madrid (never been, love Spain, very excited!) folllowed by a week in Ibiza on the way back (as you do).
And the here and now was conveniently shaken off for a [...]

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mulct

Thursday 24 January 2008

To acquire by trickery or deception. To defraud or swindle.

La mia pancia è piena di gas

Wednesday 23 January 2008

La mia pancia è piena di gas
My belly is full of gas
Literally: 'The my belly is full of gas'.

I happen to be quite lucky because I love fruit. I dig vegetables too, not in a 'I can't live if I don't have a tomato in my salad NOW' kind of way, but I can definitely [...]

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caterwaul

Wednesday 23 January 2008

To cry or screech like a cat in heat. To make a shrill, discordant sound. To have a noisy argument.

They look like rechargeable AA batteries to me

Tuesday 22 January 2008

We had to replace our beard trimmer because I dropped it and even after getting a replacement head it does not work properly. As in, it pulls your facial hair instead of trimming it, and often stops half-way through.
I did a little research online and it turns out that the one we have (a Philips [...]

Continue reading They look like rechargeable AA batteries to me

Oggi non so cosa dire

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Oggi non so cosa dire
Today I don't know what to say
Literally: 'Today not (I) know what to-say'.

I do not feel very inspired today. It is only Tuesday morning and already I feel like I've been stuck in a routine for months. And I am in a bit in a rush to go to work, so [...]

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germane

Tuesday 22 January 2008

Related to the matter at hand. Pertinent. To the point.

Iniziamo un'altra settimana

Monday 21 January 2008

Iniziamo un'altra settimana
Let's begin another week
Literally: '(We) begin an other week'

And so another week begins.
Christmas is already a distant memory, although the last item (Isaac Asimov's The Gods Themselves) was finally delivered by Santa's slow reindeer this week).
Work these days is meh. I make an extra special effort to stay motivated but it's hard when [...]

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My week on the web

Monday 21 January 2008

Here are the websites I bookmarked into my del.icio.us account over the past seven days:

Slamdot | easy web hosting and domain registration
Slamdot takes the pain out of web hosting. You can manage your website, domain registration, billing details, and get support — all from the same place. Smallest plan is 11USD/month but it gives [...]

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snifter

Monday 21 January 2008

A pear-shaped goblet with a narrow top, used especially in serving brandy. Slang. A small portion of liquor.

Oggi sono un po' in ritardo

Sunday 20 January 2008

Oggi sono un po' in ritardo
Today I am a bit late
Literally: 'Today (I) am a little in lateness'

Dr B. was disappointed not to find a new Italian phrase upon waking up. Well, it's Sunday for me too.
Domani sarò puntuale
Tomorrow I will be on time
Literally: 'Tomorrow (I) will-be punctual'

If you want to find out more
'A little' [...]

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Stopping my Jiglu experiment

Sunday 20 January 2008

A week ago I installed Jiglu (automatic website tagging) and wrote about it.
It has been fantastic to see how thorough can a free auto-tagging plugin prove to be, and I am definitely interested in the functionality that highlights words on a page and overlays upon request a list of other instances of those words throughout [...]

Continue reading Stopping my Jiglu experiment

slake

Sunday 20 January 2008

To satisfy (a craving); quench. To lessen the force or activity of; moderate. To cool or refresh by wetting or moistening.

Cirque du Soleil: Varekai

Saturday 19 January 2008

Just back from seeing the Cirque du Soleil's Varekai at the Royal Albert Hall. And I feel really rotten.
I did enjoy the show, a lot actually. Their mix of acrobatics, dance and storytelling is perfectly captivating.
And yet, and yet… I had so many expectations (I'd never seen one of their shows), so many people had [...]

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