Internet Rumblegumption.

There's been a crackdown on internet usage at work. There's room to argue that it's unfair, but since the past week has been too busy to even think about checking email, there's been no reason. Now, on a quiet night, I'm learning some of the odd quirks behind the web-blocking service.

I can't access major search engines, like Yahoo! and Google.
I can access Google Groups.
I can't access Yahoo!Mail or Yahoo!News.
I can access Yahoo!Launch.
I can access LiveJournal (obviously).
I can't access The Onion.
I can access Salon.
I can't access Feelies.org (because it's apparently a "Sports" site).
I can access ifMUD.
I can't access the NPL website.
I can access the IF archive.
I can't access Yahoo!Games.
I can access Shockwave.com.

I don't miss email, actually, but I do miss being able to do web-wide trivia searches. If I could use the search engines but still not surf through to restricted sites, I would probably be pretty darn happy. For now, though, late-night messages will be coming and going through LJ during the work week.

Word of the Day.

Also, my firm has re-upped its subscription to the online Oxford English Dictionary. This is a Good Thing. It means I get to jump around quickly looking for fun words. Here's some of what I found today:

chthononosology

'The geography of diseases'

mixschipe

wickedness (c. 1255)

shchi

Cabbage soup.

whoo-whoop, who-whoop

The shout of huntsmen at the death of the game.

Also of interest: doh, filk and Game Boy.