Bah Humbug 'n all that.

I know, I know, Christmas is meant to be an enjoyable time, what with presents and nice food, but this time of the year leaves me feeling slightly Scrooge-ish. Not that I don't like presents and food, but getting that itchy jumper from Great-Aunt-Bessie and over-eating mince pies isn't exactly what I'd call a Merry Christmas! I don't really need that build-your-own bird box from Uncle Bobby, and turkey leaves me feeling quite sick! Christmas is all ways filled with disappointment. You don't get what you want, we never have 'A White Christmas', shopping is rush, and everyone is too festive. Not that I don't enjoy listening to Cousin Ralph ramble on about his new ideas for an ecofriendly farm in the Highlands, or Grandma Susan reminiscing about wartime Christmases...

Radio vs Television

Since long ago, us human beings have enjoyed listening to the Radio. Now the allure of TV has stolen our hearts, are we closing the door on out once loved friend? Radio helped us through the toughest of times, WWII for instance, and it used to be the thing that the family gathered round to hear the news or humorous radio programmes. Of course, I was born into the age where television was king, and I long to live in an era where we are not ruled by an electrical appliance! Being a human, obviously I watch TV, and quite enjoy watching my favourite shows once in a while. However, this does not mean it dominates my life. Actually, I prefer the radio. Whether it's 'The Christian O'Connell Solution' on BBC 5Live or 'Desert Island Discs' with Kirsty Young on BBC Radio4, radio is still a firm favourite with myself. If your listening to a more fictional programme, radio gives you a chance to imagine the setting, characters and other various things that TV steals you of. Also, comedy programmes are even more funny, as they can tell you a joke without ruining it for you with pictures, props, and other things. Apparently Television gives you square eyes. What does Radio give, Square ears? I'm not shunning Television completely, I like it too, I'm just saying that there are other alternatives out there, so use them! Because we will not let Panasonic, Toshiba, LG, Samsung and Sony rule the world.

iPod Touch

Having purchased an apple iPod touch last month, I realised I hadn't done a review yet. This is a first, I thought. I never miss an opportunity to write my reviews, and once I get the apple iPhone 3.0 software update, I will be able to review anything and everything, even if I'm in a restaurant in a foreign country! So here is the review...
Where to begin? I'm actually rather satisfied with my iPod. Unusual for me, as I always seem to find something to complain about! Anyway, with many applications, or "apps", for really absolutely everything, as the advert suggests, from Twitter to Paper Toss, links to the iTunes store, app store, and Safari web browser, plus loads of download able games (some are even free!) you're never bored. Although battery power can be gone within hours, and you always need your charger, the device is simple and easy to use. Even my 7yr old brother mastered it! With the iPod's sleek and ergonomic design, that fits easily into the palm of your hand, you feel at home with the touch screen, excellent sound quality, and crystal clear resolution. Really the iPod Touch has no faults, I think this product is the leading in touch-screen personal entertainment consoles, and if anything better comes along, well I'll go to the foot of our stairs.

A Clockwork Orange

How many of you have heard about a clockwork orange? I read the book and are now reviewing it for you. The book and the film follow the same principle, and as I have only seen clips of the film, I cannot do a comparison, which I would've preferred, so here's my review of the truly 'horrorshow' book.

A Clockwork Orange, By Anthony Burgess, follows the story of Alex and his 3 'droogs', Georgie, Pete and Dim. They spend the majority of their time in the Korova Milkbar, drinking milk plus, milk "peeted with vellocet or synthemesc or drencom or one or two other veshches which would give you a nice quiet horrorshow fifteen minutes" before going out for a night of ultra-violence and rape. Throughout the beginning of the book, Alex describes the milkbar, and the people in it. He also states that they were dressed in the height of fashion, tight black tights, a 'old jelly mould' fitting on the crotch underneath the tights, waisty jackets without lapels but with very built up shoulders, off-white cravats and flip horrorshow boots for kicking. They beat up and rape various different people, in particular a man and his wife. They get into their house by pretending that there has been an accident on the street and need to use the telephone. They attack the man, wreck their house, and rape his wife. In the middle, Alex is in prison after apparently murdering a woman, and gets into a fight with his other cellmates, and one of them dies from a heart attack. When his parents come to visit, he is told Georgie, one of his droogs, is dead after being hit over the head. Alex, after a brief stint in prison, is transferred to a place where he is given an injection after every meal and is forced to watch clips of ultra-violent scenes, with his head strapped to the head rest and his eyes held open by clamps to prevent him from blinking. All of these films are to his favorite music, Beethoven, Mozart and Bach, his preferred being Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. During these films, he begins to feel ill, and by the end of the treatment, he can't listen to the music without feeling ill and is deemed a 'person fit for society'. Alex goes back into the world, wanting to kill himself, as he can't listen to the music he loves without picturing horrible scenes of ultra-violence. Whilst in the public library, the man who he attacked at the begging sees him and takes revenge. The police arrive, and Alex realises on of the police officers is Dim, a former droog. Later, Alex arrives at the house of the old man who's wife they killed and raped, and asks to stay, as his parents have a lodger who refuses to leave. The man agrees, not knowing who he is until later, when Alex asks some questions that he wouldn't know unless he knew the man. The man figures that Alex killed his wife, and tries to get revenge by locking Alex in a room playing Beethoven's 9Th Symphony. Alex can't stand this and jumps out the window. He survives, but breaks alot of bones in his body. At the end, we see Alex returned to his former ultra-violent self, Alex bumps into Pete, another ex-droog, and seeing he is married, starts to dream of having a job, wife and a son. Alex realises that he is too old for all this stuff (he's 18 at the end) and looks to find a wife to share his dreams of a family. I think this is one of the most brilliant books I have ever read, and I can't wait to watch Stanley Kubrick's celebrated movie.