caution - this one's a bit geeky. the other day in the computer room (that's what we call the spare room at home on account of it contains the world's oldest ibm - that's not technically true by the way, but i think it might be a collectors' item - and the other computer which i am using right at this very moment) i found a ladybird book entitled 'how it works... the computer', which was published in mcmlxxix (1979, i think). you can see it on the photolog here. i sort of thought it would be full of "one day computers will have replaced the entire work force" but it's actually quite rational, although fairly incomprehensible to me, being as it's full of computers that don't actually have screens. what i do find curious, however, is the section entitled "this year, next year, sometime...?" which states:

"apart from their applications in offices, banks, the post ofice, engineering establishments, airlines and many other fields of operation, computers are now used to control the flight of a spacecraft, and to supervise the working of a machine-tool.... the future will see much more compact machines doing an even greater variety of intricate jobs."

so there's absolutely no mention of the possibility of having computers in the home (or actually in any arts-related jobs - i guess they thought writers would just continue to write on typewriters). apparently in 1979, computers would be used for intensive-care units and space travel but not in the home - what possible use could they have there?

and nowadays it's all bluetooth in your fridge and microwaves that will order your breakfast. (not to suddenly turn into carrie) when did computers move out of the workplace and into the home? and when the hell did we start allowing them to organise our social life? dammit?

i'm not out to the people in college: not out as gay and not out as a blogger. i'm not sure which one is harder to do. usually i would just drop it into conversation, like "mmm willow" while discussing buffy or "well i was writing about it on my blog the other day" but i feel like three weeks might be slightly too long to have left it.

the thing is that once they know about the blog (or at least once they've read it) they'll know i'm gay. so it's not even like i can start with the blog and work up to being bi.

i'm not really stressed about this situation. one or other of them is bound to come up in conversation at some point. it just feels a bit weird - i'm used to everyone around me knowing everything about me. i realised yesterday that i don't even get involved in anecdote telling because i'm used to my friends already knowing my exciting anecdotes because they've read them here. you all know about the first girl i ever kissed and all my exes except for stu, the time i was in a film and so on. but they don't.

back to feeling almost human again, which is a relief. by about thursday i was beginning to think i would never feel better, but now i'm back and i'm bouncy (well as bouncy as i ever was). thanks for all your sympathy, it was most appreciated.

meanwhile karen, dave and mike's blogs (or content management systems in some cases) are going from strength to strength. so i get to feel smug about introducing people to the wonders of solipsism.

last week i saw a girl wearing tweed knickerbockers and knee high socks, a frilly shirt and a tweed cape over one shoulder. she looked like the lesbian daughter of an aristocratic family in the 1920s. the crazy clothes that art students wear might have to become a regular feature.

we had to do a spelling test. i spelled bureaucracy and liaison and accommodate wrong, but those are the correct spellings there. i hope. i got most of the grammar questions right though. i did feel quite a lot like i was back in school.

now i have to go and do my homework.

urgh. i am so ill. no sooner do i get over my cold than i get bastard freshers' flu. and it's the first day of term proper and everything - i sort of blanked out in my first seminar - as in i sort of fell asleep, but i don't think anyone noticed. and now i'm sitting shivering in the library while i wait for my design and subbing lesson - i'm on the late shift between four and six - when all i really want to do is go home and sleep. i think i shall be taking s.lord's advice and getting myself some echinacea on my way home since my immune system is clearly fucked. and also i had to read the mirror because the head guy says we should be reading tabloids as well as broadsheets (and he doesn't mean the tiny tabloid independent.

i know i'm being remiss, but i just started at art school and things are all rather exciting. of course this week is freshers' week, so it's mostly been administrationy stuff, which is not very fun. but there have already been some comedy sightings: like the girl in the bar on tuesday who was wearing legwarmers on her arms. LEGwarmers on her ARMS!

what else? everyone on the course (ma journalism) seems really nice and friendly and cool (but not too cool, not in a trendy mullet/legwarmers on the arms type way), actually i think we might be the most normal people here. although i wore my home-made cherry t-shirt today.

tomorrow i'm going up to york for the indie soc clubnight on saturday, which i couldn't be looking forward to more. huzzah for the indie society. i've been listening to the new belle and sebastian album dear catastrophe waitress. apparently stu and chris are somewhat disappointed with it, but i think it's got some great songs on it. i was listening to it with my mum on tuesday, because the only cd player that i can get at in the house that works is in the kitchen. you don't send me came on and my mum said "that's amazing i haven't heard that phrase since the 60's." she meant you don't send me. which apparently means something along the lines of you don't turn me on. i hadn't heard it before tuesday, but it's a good phrase anyway.

i'm really really really excited about this - i'm seeing donna tartt tomorrow, reading from her new book (which came out in paperback this week, i obviously bought it straight away). i posted after i read her first novel the secret history, because it absolutely blew me away. and i'm enjoying the little friend almost as much (only slightly less because it doesn't really make me nostalgic for my greek erudition).

i'm particularly looking forward to hearing her read because i expect she has a southern accent which for some reason i find extremely attractive. and ms tartt is pretty easy on the eye too. although obviously i'm going for the literary thrills - i won't shake off the english student just yet.

and now i'm reminded to say happy birthday to another southern belle: ms laura llew.

in other news i coined a terrible pun (mus in urbe anyone?) and my cold has gone from bad to nasty. but i've been dosing up on cold and flu remedies and lots and lots of chicken soup. so hopefully i won't embarrass myself with sneezing (or worse sniffling) tomorrow.