Panadola Diction

“Hello world!”

Thanks Wordpress, for opening that old wound.

Welcome to Panadola Diction.

As an ex-computer science student (I am not a computer scientist! (Though I have a degree (somewhere) saying I am)) , “Hello World!” was one the first things I encountered in college. I think it was Day 2. And then again, on the first day of each of the following three years, as they introduced us to yet another programming language, despite the majority of us having never fully grasped the last. As a result of this thorough education, I can programme a useless pop-up window to say “Hello World!” in Java, C++, Lisp and some other obscure language. That’s about the limit of my programming ability. (Potential employers - feel free to get in touch.)

I’m also an ex-geography student, an ex-multimedia technology student, and an ex-student. Just so you know.

So. . . here we are. . . . my first date with Wordpress, and an awkward silence already. I’m sure soon the awkward silences will be replaced by contented silences.

I’ve recently finished a creative writing course (well, three of them actually), which I started by accident. I went along with a friend about a year ago, expecting to feel like a fish out of batter, but ended up liking it. I have no background in English or literature (in fact English was my worst subject in both the Junior and Leaving Certs), and I’m not very well read at all, but these courses have really opened my eyes to good fiction, and good books in general, and given me some useful delusions of mediocrity. More on these courses in a future post perhaps. In the meantime, don’t you dare correct my grammar.

Anyway, my literary renaissance (haha) has occurred, and I’ve just been discharged from hospital without a birth cert. Strangely, a similar thing happened to me with music about seven years ago. It seems, that unlike the lucky few kids who somehow grew up with refined tastes and an interest in the arts, I’m quite a late developer. But at least my parents weren’t alternative. Thank [insert favourite deity] for that.

I’m going to have to cut down on all these brackets and parentheses.

So, as you may have read (in more succinct form) in the “About” section, I’ll be writing about writing, music, nerd stuff, and other things I claim to know enough about to have an opinion on, such as sport, Dublin, travel and toast.

I hope at least three of you (world), find this of some interest.

jusk