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by BILLY JACKSON

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, USA - In saffron and maroon robes, the Dalai Lama stands by a still mountain lake that reflects the thousand-roomed Potala Palace. His expression does not betray the tragedy being suffered by the people he was forced to leave. Slapped across the picture, a bright yellow banner reads, "THE ESCAPE THAT ROCKED THE REDS".

This painted scene adorned the cover of Time magazine"s 20 April, 1959 edition, which sold for 25 cents and recounted the escape of Tibet"s most eminent exile.

In October 1950, the Chinese " liberated" and occupied Tibet. China"s human rights record in the country ever since has been among the worst of the century.

Since the Dalai Lama's flight into India over 40 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Tibetans have slipped past trigger-happy border guards and braved the highest mountain passes in the world to flee a country they say is controlled through fear. Thousands perished in the attempt, but those who survived are scattered across the globe, from New Delhi to Zurich - and even to Salt Lake City. In fact, Utah is home to a veritable community of refugee Tibetans that is almost 200 strong.... MORE

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, USA - (March 25th) - The Tijuana border was teeming with sentient humanity as usual the Friday afternoon I crossed south to north, disguised as a tipico day-tripping turista and armed only with a slim jim of Gusano Rojo mezcal and a frilly pinata to establish my identity as a U.S. citizen.

The post 9/11 Tijuana border station is a bit more orderly and vigilent but it still remains the world's slipperiest crossing with millions pinballing back and forth between first and third worlds each year at the rate of 35,000 a day (more on Fridays.).

The lines trying to get into upper California snaked out the back door, inching inevitably towards the dread Migra checkpoint. There are more x-ray machines now and people murmur fretfully to each other in Spanish as they wait on the 'cola' - the crossing over always seemed to be much more of a festive occasion before homeland security became the motif. A small knot fisted up inside my gut as I approached the U.S. Border Patrol window.... MORE

SAN RAFAEL, CA, USA - Fascism is rearing its ugly head once again. It is not the virulent racist type that we associate with Hitler and Mussolini. But rather the ideologically pure fascist relationship between government and industry.

This is illustrated by many ongoing and recent developments. The recent appellate circuit court decision to strike down laws prohibiting television networks from owning local affiliates, cable systems and each other is a dangerous encroachment on diversity in the marketplace. Having 100 cable channels to choose from isn't the kind of diversity I'm referring to. Rather, the concentration of communication resources into the hands of fewer and fewer companies, no matter how many movie and sports channels they give us, limits the opportunities in the marketplace for all but the top of the corporate and financial food chain. Creative and employment opportunities in the media are also restricted.... MORE




by BOB POWERS

MARIETTA, OH, USA - It's never easy to follow a jazz musician's career unless you have an occupation such as mine, writing about jazz musicians and their latest achievements.

One of my all-time favorites on piano was Hampton Hawes. Although I hadn't heard from Hawes in recent years, I assumed he was sitting in a rocking chair in a home for worn-out jazz kings from the past. With the arrival the other day of a compilation album called "Northern Windows Plus" (Prestige Records), I learned that Hawes died in May of 1977 after a major stroke. That's 26 years ago, dear reader. For some reason, I hadn't thought of Hampton Hawes across those many years. More precisely, I had thought of this piano genius, but hadn't attempted to see what he had been doing lately.

Not much. ... MORE





by ROD AMIS

NEW ORLEANS - 26 March, 2003: I have to recant on one of my predictions from last week. It's now clear that the U.S. war in Iraq will not end quickly. Not only will it not end quickly, as of today; the pain is starting to be felt.

Resistance? Even from the Shiites we expected to rebel again after we left them twisting (slowly, slowly) in the wind last time? Yes. It's real. And it won't go away anytime soon. Unlike those of Slow-Attention-Span, people in the rest of the world remember who came through and who did not. (Us.)

Would you trust someone who didn't watch your back the first time?

Only if you're dumb.

So now it's boiling down to urban, street-by-street, fighting in Iraqi cities and U.S. troops are dying. How long will America put up with that?

You don't have to provide an answer right now.... MORE

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