This is seriously the most disturbing thing I've seen in a while. An official Apple store opened recently in a shopping centre near my apartment, and somebody filmed the big "event" and uploaded it to youtube. The video contains an absolutely pathetic display of slavish fanaticism from seemingly endless hoards of consumer whores on the one hand, and some particularly cynical cultist behaviour from the employees as they run around like hare krishnas in their bright gaudy clothing on the other. Pay careful attention to the time stamps as the video progresses and you will realise that once the store opens the employees stand around clapping and cheering for over 30 fucking minutes non stop. Replace the Apple logo with a portrait of L. Ron Hubbard and suddenly everything would make sense.

[link]

Dont these people realise that this shop is just selling the exact same products at the same price as at least 3 other stores in the same shopping mall? This is a complete non event, no new products are being launched and as far as I'm aware there were no big prize givaways or promotions going on. These people genuinely seem to have nothing more important to do than celebrate the opening of the retail outlet of a big american corporation. I'm a strong atheist, but when I see my fellow countrymen acting like this it makes me question how utterly meaningles peoples lives must be when a secular society is reduced to this. This new form of Corporatism is starting to go mainstream, and it's filling the vacuum left by religion perfectly.

I've known several Apple fans over the years, and I have several observations about them. My former co-worker was a huge Apple devotee and he happened to be one of the larger imbeciles I've met in my life. I quickly learned that talking about computers with an Appleite is like talking about the veracity of the bible with an evangelist born-again christian who has an inferiority complex regarding catholics, they cannot be reasoned with and will treat you with a sickening self congratulatory facade of righteousness and barely veiled contempt: their computer just works (tm) and they will actively try to convert you.

Appleites seem to fall into 2 categories. The first category are the oldskool believers who were around when those boxy monochrome Macintosh computers were everywhere in the 80's. This group isn't so bad, they're mostly older more mellow dudes who aren't really taken in as much by the new evangelical fervor, rather they remember the good old days when computers were absolute shit and Steve Jobs really did lead the early followers out of the typewriter and mainframe desert. No, the group that really draws my disdain are the rabid fanatics. These poor deluded souls grew up in a computer saturated world, and got taken in by the gospel singing (marketing) and the speaking in tounges (itunes). They are attracted by the brash outward appearence of the religion and lack any depth of understanding or quiet inward peace of a real holy man. It is these wretched individuals who turn up at shopping centres at 7:30am and wait in long lines for the chance to high-five a clown in a pastel shirt with an apple logo.

Meanwhile, Microsoft watches this spectacle from the security of their Vatican City, and ponder what all this means for them. They know they don't like it, they sure as hell don't understand it, and they try desperately to keep control of their faithful flock. Things have gotten so bad for them that they have little choice but to begin an awkward and painful reformation. The trouble is, their heart just isn't in it and they're not convincing anyone. The evangelical Appleites will never be able to trust Microsoft after their brutal and oppressive tactics, and the local parish nerd sees the bread and circus tactics for what they are: a sad decline and a betrayal. See for yourself:

[link]

Will Nietzsche 2.0 deliver us from this evil?