Inaugural Bloggery

Hi. My name is Al, and I am a creepy old man.

Seriously, though: after looking around the classroom on Thursday, I can't escape the unwelcome suspicion that I'm by far the oldest student in the class. According to the law of averages, I should therefore have already outdone most of y'all in terms of socially transgressive behaviour. If so, I'll try not to play that advantage too heavily...

A blog is an unusual kind of assignment, but a strangely apposite one nevertheless. I mean, the word blog is phonetically filthy enough in itself-- the first time I encountered it, I honestly initially assumed it the term to be slang for some new and no doubt appalling variety of public-toilet rendezvous-- but moreover, keeping a coherent journal over any length is something at which, historically, I have indeed been thoroughly and consistently bad.

Regarding last week's lecture, and specifically the 'dirty deeds' exercise, though: I'll admit to being somewhat shocked, although maybe not in the way that I've noticed other blog authors have been. Several people have already commented on the ew-value of the records read out in class, and sure, they were pretty dire... but what really struck me was the banality (especially by comparison) of the notes my own little circle received. Either we were just unlucky and got lame fiction from people who were taking the piss, or else some of you have led quite distressingly sheltered lives. "Stolen Jaffa Cakes from Tesco?" Really? That's one of the most ill-regarded things you've ever done?? HARD. CORE.