New Age apparently assumed that moniker because the genre often has a spacey feel. For me it was a satisfying method to calm down after a hard day leaning over a computer, writing, writing, and writing. All these years later, I'm sitting at my keyboard, writing a column with a small part of my brain listening to the sounds of a performer named Dueter.

His new album, "Sun Spirit" (New Earth Records) celebrates the essence of the sun with captivating melodies, brought to life with spirited flute, synthesizer and drum.

It turns out that Dueter is something of a one-man band, requiring no additional musicians for this leisurely and inoffensive hour, consisting of nine tracks that (and I don't mean to be insulting) all sound alike... BOB POWERS "New Age? It's OK, Almost.." More

MY GLASS HOUSE: I've been accused of having a "Pied Piper" affect on some people.
Believe me, that was NOT through any intention of my own. If anything (and if you've followed this Glass House column for a while,) my mission has been to show people how NOT to be like me. How you can make so many mistakes that you become the paradigm for God's Own Fool.

There is a supposed Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times." Extrapolate on that and think about the consequences of living an interesting life.... ROD AMIS "An Interesting Life" More

VOX POPULI: From "Diamond D.", HIGGANUM, CT, USA:

Subject: nice....

hey great issue, i would say that this proves that it is always worth it to take the time to do things rights.

but then you already knew that...

"The Oppressive Victim"

This propaganda claiming victimization of the Jews could be morally and politically dangerous.

It automatically immunizes the Jews against any criticism, since this criticism, when put in a context where the Holocaust is always present and remembered, could be tracked and accused of being anti-Semitism.

What is worse is that this self-victimization also immunizes Israel, a state that openly proclaims and constantly commemorates its Jewish identity and post-Holocaust history, from any blame or criticism. This absence of political reproach with regard to Israel has given the Western World an image of a sin-free, infallible Jewish state.

For example, for a typical American, Israel is a state that has fought justly to constitute itself on a land that it used to own 2000 years ago, a democratic country in the middle of a hostile region, surrounded by a bunch of totalitarian Arab countries.

What the typical American does not know is that a multitude of truths have been auto-censored by Western journalists and academia, in general, due to the fear of being taxed with anti-Semitism.

Most Americans have never heard of the Deir Yassine massacre when the Irgoun, one of the terrorist branches of the Israeli army, killed 250 Palestinians; or how the Haganah, the official Israeli army, in various Palestinian villages like that of Haker, used to kill a few Palestinians and let their corpses hang from trees, thus sending to the rest of the villagers a message of what they should be expecting. The massacres and the hangings were part of a strategy to incite the local Arabs to flee and leave free ways for the foundation of the "Biblical" Jewish State. The reactions of the new Israeli population to these strategies were diverse.. More

MEMOIRS OF THE INFORMATION AGE: Is it really a "World White Web?" Another provocative discussion from our MOIA Discussion List Members. We blame Rod!... More	IRISH EYES: DAN VANDEMORTEL & JAMES J. BROSNAHAN of Northern Ireland Alert report on the imbroglio between the US and Britain over the Patten Report. Whither US foreign policy on Northern Ireland? Here are the trends. ...More
G21 AFRICA: ROBERT O'DOUL reports on the Kenya government flap about allowing radio stations (and people) to express themselves in the "People's Voice." Is this a case of media censorship? OR just crass politics? ... More	DAY ONE: In Part Two of his rumination on politics, KEVIN CAREY continues to assert that *just maybe* the politicians are better than the people they serve. "The Last Supper"....More

G21 STUFF:

RECOMMENDED DAILY REQUIREMENT:

"Dish Preview"

Anne dumps Ellen and is seen at a trendy Beverly Hills restaurant with A MAN! George Dubya admits that he lied about the last time he was arrested for drunk drivin'. The Jerry Springer Show takes trailer-trash infotainment to new heights with the on-location "Springer Cam!" Now that's the America we all know and love, isn't it, Sanitation Engineers?!?