OVER THE EDGE NEWSPAPER. NOVEMBER 22, 2006

405 : any walt ER

1. Cloaking 1 De- vice

No longer confined simply to the realms of science ficuon, British and American scientists have developed a device which can cloak an object against waves (all excepr light) by absorbing them and sending them back our with- out any visible change i in the waves, Cur- rently light is the one thing the device can't cloak from but the team is working on it and its still a big step forward for rechnclogy,

2. Wii

Nintendos latest console olieog | isa depature from the norm to say the least, using a motion sensor controller the wii is set to change the way people play video games. While many at first appeared to have their doubts those who have had a chance to play with the console for ex- tended periods of time have no -doube that itll be a hit, While the graphical

power isn't anywhere as good as either.

Sic P57 oe Bie ll les pe

FEATURE

A Sense of Community

ANNA GRADOWSKA STAFF WRITER

When I first moved to Prince George from Vancouver two years ago, I had:no sense of the town's personality, It seemed like some backwater collection of hous- es and industries with no real history. Thankfully, this year, I got to bond with the people of Prince George and discov- et the issues that affect this town that no one in Vancouver can-discern._

I became a lot more interested in womens issues this year and learned a lot more about the town’s perspective. This fall I went to Take Back the Night and Take Back the Highway became im- mersed in the culture of those events. It

ANDREW KURJATA EDITOR IN CHIEF

Forget the end of history. The Soviet Union may have collapsed over a decade ago, but its communist legacy lives on.

The flashpoint was Hugo Chavez, the left-leaning president of Venezuela. Over the past year, he engaged in a re- gional power struggle against the United States that has threatened to end plans for a free trade zone extending through- out the northwest hemisphere. A staunch critic of neo-liberal economics, Chavez has focused on using his coun-

try's oil wealth to build an increasingly

was a great bonding experience and in- credibly empowering and educational. had never really know how women in this town were affected by violence. Through all the stories and songs, I heard so much of the voice of Prince George women. I was particularly interested in the voices of First Nations women of the area. As a white privileged woman, you rarely get to hear other perspectives. The issues that face native women are compounded by issues of race, and their stories really inspired me to be involved in womens rights. These events, which were marches, were the first of their kind that I had ever been involved in. I'd never walked

left-leaning Latin America, doing such things as taking on part of Argentina's debt and engaging in an oil-for-doctors program with Cuba, This has seen the return of some old communist friends to the international scene: before his health problems set in Fidel Castro was once again becoming a poweful player, and ex-commie revolutonary Daniel Ortega was just elected president of Nicaragua.

Meanwhile, despite the fact they both have market economies, China and Rus- sia continue to present a challenge to the West. They have lent tacit support to the changes in Latin America, and

Hidden Gems ‘06

BY ANDREW KURJATA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

One of my favourite things about the end of the year is when all the critics put out their lists of the best music of the year. Aside from the stone-cold clas- sic “St. Elsewhere” from Gnarls Bark- ley, 2006 didn't really see the release of any clear contenders for the top spots. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Racon- teurs, and My Chemical Romance will probably be up there for the old-school rock fans, hip-hop heads will be talking Clipse, Lupe Fiasco, and the Roots, and the snootier critics will cite TV On the Radio, Muse, and Yo La Tengo. If you haven't heard these albums, go check them out, like, now. They're all great. But amidst all the hype-making and gauntlet-throwing, there are bound to be a few good albums that slip through the cracks, generally because the artists behind them are a. too old, b. too weird, or c, Canadian. So in recognition of this, I present to you 2006's best albunis that no one else will recommend.

Big Old Eyes- Cathedral and Cath- edral

Most definitely, this is one of the best albums of the past year. The only reason this will be the only publication to say so is because this is the only publication to hear the album, since its release is pretty much limited to Prince George and area. Check it out.

k-Os- Atlantis: Hymns for Disco

Ever since “Northern Touch” came out in 1998, people have been saying this is the year Canadian hip-hop breaks through to an international audience. Half a decade on it's safe to say this isn’t going to happen, but no mind, On his thitd album k-Os brings new levels of innovation to rap, combining it with futuristic rock, jazz, and classic ‘soul, It's the rest of the world’s loss that they're never going to hear it.

Weird Al Yankovic- Straight Outta Lynwood :

Over twenty years (!) since his first album, Weird Al releases his strongest set yet. He still officially does parodies, but “White & Nerdy” and “Trapped in the Drive Thru” are so inspired (and the originals by Chamillionaire and R. Kelly are so stupid) that Yankovic surpasses his source material to make two of the best songs of 2006,

Ray Davies- Other People’s Lives

As the lyricist behind the Kinks, Davies has been praised as one of the greatest songwriters of all time. Though the production on his first official solo album can sometimes sound dated, his’ craft shines through.

Easy Star All-Stars- Radiodread

Last year around this time, I was hanging out in the record shop in the basement of Electron. I noticed that the music playing seemed familiar, but couldn't quite put my finger on it. The owner told me it was “Dub Side of the Moon,’ a reggae cover of Pink Floyd's “Dark Side of the Moon.” It was so pet- fect I soon had my own copy and was sharing it with all my friends, 2006 saw the Easy Star All-Stars (a collective of about a dozen reggae artists) repeat the unrepeatable, putting a bit of Rasta into Radiohead.

Mastodon- Blood Mountain

Speaking as someone whose heavy metal collection amounts to Black Sab- bath, Metallica, and System of a Down, Mastodon are that rare thing in hard- core rock: a band that focuses on craft, not speed; songs, not sludge; and man- age to sound innovative and classic at the same time.

Beyoncé- B’ Day -

Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguil- era, and Nelly Furtado all had better singles and bigger hits. But with B’ Day, Beyoncé has released an album devoid

in the streets in protest or attended a rally,'so there was a lot of significance of these experience for me. Sharing in the pain of loss and the angry of abuse with women who had experienced these emo- tions was powerful.

I definitely got a sense of community from being there and a bond to other women I had never experienced. I hope that next year I can be involved too and support these causes, I encourage anyone who is interested in women's issues (and those who are completely unfamiliar) to participate. I've learned so much about Prince George through these events that no amount of casual participation could have given me,

Communism Strikes Back |

have joined Chavez in stirring things up in the Middle East by supporting “rogue nation” Iran and the Hamas party in Palestine. And of course North Korea made its own waves with its semi-suc- cesful testing of nuclear weapons. Leftist nationalists in Latin Amer- ica? Nuclear threats coming from Asia? Washington and Moscow engaging in a subtle diplmoatic struggle in the Middle East? It seems that when it comes to international politics, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

of filler that is steeped in soul classicism and hip-hop attitude, Not since Aretha Franklin (or possibly Lauryn Hill) has a female R&B singer been this-commer- cially successful while being this good.

The Hold Steady- Boys and Girls in America

For their first two albums, the Hold Steady sounded like a drunk who thinks too much ranting over the best bar band in the world. They don't mess with this formula too much on their third outing, and the result is the most visceral experi- ence in rock all year.

Various Artists- ‘Tropicalia: A Bra- zilian Revolution In Sound

Did you know that. some of the best psychedelic music of the sixties came out of counterculture bands located in Brazil? Neither did I, until the release of this fantastic compilation that is like nothing you've ever heard. _ Final Fantasy- He Poos Clouds

Dont let the title fool you, Owen Pal- ette, the string arranger behind The Ar- cade Fire and Stars, combines resonant vocals and sparse violins to make some of the most haunting, beautiful, and up- lifting music around.

Malajube- Trompe-Loeil

You know that Rogers cellphone commercial where all those kids go on a road trip before school starts? Well, the debut album from this Montreal is where its soundtrack comes from, along with eleven other indie-pop gems. Even if you don't speak French you'll want to sing along.

The Pipettes- We Are the Pastas

This British trio look and sound just like a 1960s-era girl group, along the lines of the Angels or the Crystals. But with song titles like “One Night Stand” and “Dirty Mind,” they're attitude is all 21st century, with song titles like “One Night Stand” and “Dirty Mind.” To get an idea download “School Uniform,’ a great single that for some reason is not

included here. Then buy this album.

KYRA JANOT STARE WRITER

‘This year marked n new advances in making the PC to Mac switch even eas- ier, Upon the release of Apples “ Boot Camp" software, Mac 1 users now have the capability: to run Windows XP (and possibly, on Intel based Macs, Vista as well), without going through buggy, early stage PC emulators. ‘The age of the ideal computer has finally come. that is to say, games that DON’T suck coupled wich freedom from Vaneanduced para-

2006 beouphe a lor of os “fos me anyways. I finally moved out of my parents basement, moved to PG and en- rolled my ass in school.

Coming here was probably the best thing for me, even without my moms cooking,

So 2006 was pretty much the year I stopped being a lazy, no good, smug loser who lived in my parents basement, and became a lazy, no good, string loser who lives up North.

2006 brought some good scuff £00,

body style, this will be the f available from North Am i