Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 8

The circus beckons…

In no way was this video an anti-climax. Throwing an Actimel bottle up and down(even though she dropped it a few times) is indeed a “funky trick” and can in no way be described as tedious.

Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 7

Uneven Boobs

Branching out into animation now. Her ever expanding scope of talent is something to behold. Not content with cutting edge social commentary, she has now turned her hand to childrens cartoons. Despite being her first venture into this industry, she boldly holds hopes of immediately breaking into the TV market. Unlike her modesty, I can’t fault her ambition.

Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 6

Her own lyrics…

Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 5

Hello Youtube fanatics…

She sounds a bit desperate and I suppose she is. If you don’t find her entertaining, can you atleast subscribe for her love of exaggeration, her lofty dreams or her constant need for clarification that things make sense? She’s clearly putting in the effort with the amount of time and money it takes to make her vlogs.

Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 4

Not only a Youtube star but she’s also a keen jobhunter! I love the consideration of registration plate law- clearly a pro. Look forward to the prize winning opportunities.

Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 3

A romantic message of unrequited love with smutty overtones towards the end. A tender and poignant video I think you’ll agree.

Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 2

“Asda or supermarket- however you say that word”

Not only is she a Youtube star but she is also a money hoarder. Sensible.
She may be seriously misunderstanding the concept of borrowing but how dare her gran ask for money to fix her injured car! As Hollie says she has enough money to spend on food so she’s fine. It saddens me that she was so distressed that she is planning on turning goth.

Hollie Ferguson- Chasing the Dream- Day 1

A Funny Joke

Today is the beginning of Hollie’s glorious quest towards fame and fortune. We must support her endeavor to get a job with “YouTube”. She has a certain screen presence and delivers her scripted vlogs with the eloquence of a pro. Hopefully you appreciate the skill level involved to craft such quality content.

Bishopbriggs Dens

Crime in Bishopbriggs went up by 10% last year. Is this the result of more efficient policing or a genuine crime surge?

I  went round the local area of Bishopbriggs to uncover the hot spots for under age drinking and anti-social behavior.

Although these places may seem trivial woodland and appear to be inconspicuous, they are rich with history and meaning.

1. The Park

Located behind Stanley Drive and surrounded by the woods, the long path leading down to it means there is plenty of reaction time given to spot police coming down.

2. The Abandoned Gypsy Area

Through the hole in the fence at the back of the park is the abandoned gypsy area. It is commonly used as a getaway shortcut.

3. The Blocks

At the far end of the gypsy area is “the blocks”. They are basically just big cinder blocks.

4. The Nollie

Located along the canal past the sports centre. It is through a secret route near Cawder golf course. I can’t understand the appeal of it as it is very far away and you have to walk through stinging nettles to get there. Also it is basically just marshland. It is extremely hidden though.

5. The Youth Cafe

When it was first opened, it was run over by neds. Now it is the place that chrisian biker gangs go to dwell.

6. The Camel Humps

Located at the end of Park Road along the railway track. They are a series of hills that many young children cross to reach the “Haunted House”. It is also a place that teenagers have used it to get onto the railway line to use it as a shortcut.

7. The Junk Yard (The JY)

Near the gypsy area, hidden by trees and the Asda billboard. Perhaps the most common hiding place. Has the best of both worlds as it is hidden as well as having a quick route to Asda.

A Clockwork Orange- Book Review

In the infamous Anthony Burgess novel “A Clockwork Orange”, I believe the most interesting aspect is the development of the main character, Alex Delarge.

“A Clockwork Orange” is the adventures of a 15-year-old boy whose principle pleasures in life are murder, rape, gta, milk-plus and Beethoven. Jailed for his teenage crime spree, he is reformed by the controversial new brainwashing crime cure, “The Ludivico Technique”. Alex is now a political pawn in the battle between free will and state control.

The story is set in the future, in a time where law and order has broken down. This has led to the rise of mob culture and youth criminality. By having it set in the future it adds to the unpredictability of the plot and opens the door to extreme acts of ultra violence being accepted by the reader as normal.

Perhaps the most disturbing factor of the book is that it is written in the first person. The demonic Alex is your tour guide through this strange apocalyptic dystopia. This narrative style lets you inside the head of Alex as he narrates you his every thought. Alex talks to you as his friend, which is a clever device used by Burgess as you find yourself inclined to align with Alex’s logic.

The style of “A Clockwork Orange” is simply breathtaking. Written in “Nadsat” an Anglo-Russian concoction of colloquialisms that are used by the youth of tomorrow. This dazzling new language is a joy to hear and say, a near Shakespearean cocktail of funny phrase-making and jazzy-riffs. It’s a true mark of Burgess’ bravery as a writer that he would invent a new language, safely believing that readers would not only accept it but also take the time to learn it.

In the beginning Alex simply goes around causing misery for those around him for his own amusement. His thoughts towards other people’s emotions are childish, he doesn’t seem to grasp the suffering that he is causing. His one redeeming quality though is that he is not hateful, he is not committing these atrocities out of anger or hate but because of the fun he gets out of it. Or maybe that is actually what defines him as pure evil?

He is inevitably caught and jailed for his actions after being grassed by his friends who had grown resentful of his perceived leadership. Now in the hands of a vengeful state, Alex is put through the torturous “Ludivico Technique”. Through the combination of powerful drugs and a series of video nasties, Alex becomes paradoxically repelled from badness. Now if even a hint of a shadow of a dark thought should flicker in his mind, an immense sickness will take over him.

This is where the main theme of the story is highlighted. His free will has been removed, rendering him no more human than a clockwork orange. No longer filled with all the sweetness and colour of life, like an orange but is now a clockwork man, robbed of the god-given gift of moral choice. The prison charlie is, if you will, the spokesperson of this idea:

“He has no real choice has he? Self interest, fear of physical pain, drove him to that grotesque act of self-abasement. It’s insincerity was clearly to be seen. He ceases to be a wrongdoer. He ceases also to be a creature capable of moral choice.”

After a failed suicide attempt by Alex was induced by a revenge-mad former victim of Alex, who exploited the musical glitch in the effects after Alex wandered unknowingly into his sanctuary, the brainwashing was reversed and the government had to sweeten Alex with bribes of dream employment opportunities. It ends with a newly free willed Alex deciding for himself to be good, without the aid of outside influence (this was famously left out of the film, which left you with the return of evil Alex).

“A Clockwork Orange” is a ground-breaking novel with prophetic sentiments that are becoming increasingly relevent in the world today. It is a warning of an encroaching state and the dangers of having our independence robbed. It is also a optomistic view on humanity and suggests that, if given the chance, we will always revert to goodness. I doubt that’s true but it’s a nice thought isn’t it?

“What’s it gonna be then, eh?”