Sitting here, as I am, trying to avoid studying too hard for an upcoming exam, I tuned into my iPod - you know the way sometimes it's just background, then something comes on that you just HAVE to sit up (or sit back) and listen to?

Anyway, it was a live version of Pulp's 'Sunrise' from their Peel Sessions. A really stormingly good version, so good that part of me is incredibly jealous that my husband & 17-year-old son will be seeing them live at Glastonbury. I know that I'd hate much about Glastonbury, but I'd so love to see Jarvis in all his pomp again. Anyway, I'm rambling.

The thing that made me write this is that as I sat there musing on the greatness of Pulp, Jarvis ended the set with a heartfelt thanks to John Peel - I think this was a celebration of his 60th birthday. And then the great man came in with a typically dry "Help the aged, indeed".

And just hearing his wonderful voice again made me fill up, with a huge lump in my throat. I was truly filled with sadness that we'll never have him on the radio again.

Sorry for the rambling.

Which is all very wonderful, but I'm as bamboozled as I was when I was first faced with a computer, many years ago.

I know all you clever guys and gals of the massive will help. I need it mostly for my Uni course, to take notes at lectures etc, though I will also use it for procrastinating when I'm supposed to be studying. What are the best apps to get? And is there an Apple office-type suite I can get - preferably free?

And do you have any other tips for a not very tech-savvy girl to make the most of this beauty?

I just felt I had to share this.

My adored niece is in the States just now, and was in New York yesterday. I noticed that some friends of ours who are in a band were playing at the Bowery Ballroom last night.

So with consumate ease, from the comfort of a living room in a wee suburb of Glasgow, we arranged to get her and her friends on the guestlist, then let her know where and how to get in.

All this with a few texts. And she could say hi to our friends, all the way over in New York, for us. This would have been unimagineable even 10 years ago, as though we all (mostly) had mobiles then, the costs of calls and texts from the US was prohibitivly expensive.

Anyway, that's all. Thanks for allowing me to share.

reading this story:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8651077.stm

after the recent Piers Morgan rants did make me giggle a bit. Do you think the magistrate was taking the piss when he fined him £666?