6 NovemsBer 10, 2004 YE yf Editorial iBook Love By KATHLEEN DE VERE News EpiTror I am a self-admitted consumer whore. When I saw those television commercials about how wonder- ful, powerful and user friendly Macs were, I believed them. When I saw all my friends using their iBooks .and PowerBooks, I was jealous. I honestly believed that the purchase of a Mac laptop would make me appear thinner, hipper, and more lithe. I wanted to be a part of the exclusive Mac user’s club. I want- ed to be one of those young, cool yuppies in training. I wanted a white laptop that would show off every single dirty fingerprint and scuff mark I managed to incur on I wanted an iBook., I wanted to name it Isaac. Despite being what I’d like to refer as an ‘independent thinker’ I realized one day that I was totally and completely smitten by the seductive allure of the apple brand. I needed fo purchase a new computer, and I had decided on a laptop, but realistically, I didn’t need to get an iBook. As my room- mate loved to remind me, it was more computer than I needed, but I wanted one so badly. If I got some sort of Dell, or a Sony, sure I’d have a new comput- er, but I’d be one of the proles - I'd be like everyone else. I wanted to be unique, and special... Just like all my other friends with Macs. Thad caved to advertising. What the hell had happened to me? I was an example of the bigger problem. People in their twenties like to think they're past the point where they can be swayed by advertising and peer pressuré, but realistically, they’re not. Despite being grown-ups, most of us are still susceptible to feeling insecure, unconfident, and gener- ally inferior to our peers. These complexes may not be something we think about every day, but for. most people, thoughts like that’ drag at the back of the mind, reminding us that if life is a popu- larity contest, some of us are des- tined to get tiaras, and some of us are destined to get popcorn ‘thrown at us when we walk onto the stage. So if you’re fundamentally inse- cure, what are you going to do about it? This is where products come to the rescue! Are you one of those lonely tiara-less people? What you need is something that will make you cool! When other people see how cool you are with your new consumer purchase, you'll be on an even ground with them, and the victory, popularity, and the adora- tion of your peers that you so rich- ly deserve will be yours! It may not be stated as plainly as is Hell, or, Why Advertising Really Works that, but that’s what advertisers try to tell you when they want you to buy their products; especially products that trade on the com- modity of ‘cool’. Now think, what brand of highly priced computing equipment has done a better job than Apple of convincing con- sumers that its products are cool? They certainly had me con- vinced, they had me hook line and sinker. I found Macs to be an irra- tionally better choice, yet I could- n't really say why unless I owned up and said “they're cool...” Add to that the unspoken desire Lhad to be a part of my group of friends (most of whom had those special iBooks) and boom, before I know it, I’m ordering a new com- puter from Apple’s website, and waiting for FedEx to deliver it with baited breath. What does this little parable tell you? Does it tells you that even the strongest minded people can get pulled in by advertising and the desire to fit in? Of course not, you could figure that out on your.own. | Shortly after I got my iBook, my friend Becky saw my computer. She saw me, and my other. friends using our Mac laptops, giggling, generally being young, hip and lithe. The moral of the story is Macs are like viruses, so it’s best to avoid them altogether. Becky's getting a Powerbook. Top 10 Reasons it’s great that George W. Bush got Re-elected: 1. Four more years of getting e- mails that contain amusing pic- tures of Dubya reading a book upside down, or otherwise fucking it up. 2. It’s fun to have a world leader who doesn’t understand the con- cept of sovereignty. 3. The American military-indus- trial complex has never looked healthier! 4. When the Canadian dollar hits 90¢ in 2006, importing Cds from Amazon.com will be really cheap! 5. Provides convenient scape- goat for all world conflicts, wars, tragedies and other assorted douchbaggery. 6. If Dubya can talk English bad, so Over the Edge too can. 7. Hispanically speaking, his platform is economicable. 8. American military hegemony is a surefire way to stamp out ter- rorism! 9. Draft-dodgers and peace lov- ing beatniks leaving the states will increase Canada’s declining popu- lation. 10. Increased the value of Over the Edge’s Halliburton shares. A Letter from NUGSS Big Man on Campus Well November is here, the month of American turkeys, Thanksgiving not their Presidential ‘election. Ba dump bump. It also marks the halfway point of my term in office, the fourth issue of BMOC in OTE. So what, talk is cheap I know, but luckily I’m here to walk the walk. We at NUGSS are working hard towards developing a plan to work with the University in order to step up the process for the Student Union Building. By the time you read this article you will have had the first of many oppor- tunities to participate in the SUB planning process. The Planning *Club’s World Planning Day event had several blackboards in the Wintergarden hallway, asking you what you want the SUB to be. BUGSS is helping us by working on assessing UNBC’s “market share” so we can better under- stand our commercial viability, for businesses within the SUB. PGPIRG is working with us to research the many “Green” possi- bilities for the SUB. So what the hell am I doing if we are having | clubs do some of the work for the SUB? Well as much as I would love to be the dictator that I am often painted as, I have stated from the beginning that the SUB is bigger than any one person, and much like everything else we do I see | student participation as a major bonus. Now onto the fun topic of student participation, another luke warm topic, by the time you get to this article in the “Opinion” sec- tion, the front page of this issue of | OTE should read Operation OTE Freedom a Success, or Eternal Damnation (or something equally witty to express the results of the referendum). So this brings me to the fun Question section of BMOC, “So J, what's up with the OTE people in | our clash bashing NUGSS? Are: you really that terrible?” In short... Yes, OTE needed a linchpin to rally the troops and secede from Canada, I mean NUGSS. So if being portrayed as a bad guy, so OTE can separate, I am cool with | that. I mean it is a hard job “dic- talking about Airport cards, and | tating” what is and is not appro- priate to OTE everyday. Controlling the minds of the stu- dent population will be tougher without my iron fist ruling the media, but I am sure I will survive after the results of the referendum. OTE needs their “journalistic ethics” and Canadian law, so that the next time someone complains that their rights have been violated by an OTE’s freedom of the press publishing they won’t have to fight Tyrannosaurus J, they'll you. Just the fact that responsibility is . continually shirked over the article is a pretty clear to me that it’s obvi- ously all NUGSS fault. Right-o. Question #2 - “It’s inappropri- ate and unprofessional for you to use the paper as a battleground for your own personal qualms with the un-named person in your arti- _ cle.” Earson Gibson Aka Brian E Gonso Aka Sera S Noosbig. Well Mr Gibson I appreciate your response, however as stated above I am a Dictator. If you have, any concerns with regards to the con- tent of OTE please direct them to the Editor in Chief Carolyn.” Thanks for your concern about my column however as a stated earlier I am a dictator, however if you have concerns over the content of anything within OTE I suggest you direct your concerns to their wonderful Editor in Chief Carolyn. The next one is not a question directed to me but I’ll answer any- ways. Mr. Peter Bagnall’s ques- tions about the Backyard BBQ cover of OTE last month. While my dictatorship powers must not have been working well when I was telling OTE what to print the cover slipped through. You have every right to question the validity of your newspaper’s content, hell you pay for the thing. I’m pretty sure your complaint was over the cover of OTE and not the Backyard BBQ, but if you have concerns about the actual event, come visit NUGSS, where we won't blow you off...as much Well kiddies, another six months of J -tatership lies ahead. Props are sent out to the rugby club for their kick ass Halloween party, good job guys/gals. And the Fidel J $500 bursary still has no applicants you’ ve got to the 19th people. Halo 2 11/09/04 challenge your Prez on Xbox Live (Jerzilla). PEACE AND BANNOCK JEREMY BELYEA “] may not agree with what you have to say, but J will defend to the death your right to say it,” - Voltaire The opinions expressed in editorials or letters to the Editor that are submitted to Over the Edge are not the opinions of Over the Edge or UNBC. The views expressed in a letter submitted to Over the Edge are the views of the original authors, and therefore, do not reflect the views of Over the Edge, or its staff. To submit a letter to the editor, e-mail over-the-edge @ unbc.ca