THE WORLD - 
From Mae Roberston, (No City Provided), USA:
SUBJECT: A Rave Review of 'Smile'
Dear Mr. Powers,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review of Smile. I am thrilled that you enjoyed it. I'm peddling as fast as I can to spread the word and I really appreciate your help!
Thanks SO much!
Mae
BOB RESPONDS: I rarely get a letter like this one. It's appreciated.
From Mattie Lennon, Dublin, IRELAND:
SUBJECT: Home is the Hero
Hi Rod,
I'm looking for a copy of "Home is the Hero" ( a film based on a work of Walter Macken) which was shot, with the Abbey Company at Ardmore Studios in 1959. Is there any chance that you might fit my request in somewhere on the site?
Mattie
ROD RESPONDS: Your wish is my command, mate. Cheers!
From Lionel Rolfe, Los Angeles, CA, USA:
SUBJECT: chutzpah
chutzpah. what's that. just all in a day's work trying, not very well, to
sell books. i was pretty affected by bulgaria -- i met a beautiful woman and
found a lot about the country that was also very beautiful. what can i say?
ROD RESPONDS: Lionel, my friend, this is why I love you. If I could promote myself as successfully I'd get out of "The Black Hole of New Orleans" and be known as a known international writer. Cheers!
From Margriet K., (No City Provided), SOUTH AFRICA:
SUBJECT: Destinies of Anarchy by Mphuthumi Ntabeni
I found mar. Ntabeni's eloquent article quite interesting, but was wondering
why the author chose to present only the one side of the argument, in what
could have been an informative article. I am not a globalization supporter,
neither am I a Bush-groupie, but I do wonder about all the reasons behind
the world order as it exists today.
America being the super power it is, one can only admire the social
structure it has been built on. Comparing the USA to many other countries in
the world, it is quite obvious that something is done correctly in those
quarters and the rest of the world has still a lot to learn from it. It
still remains the land of opportunities and these opportunities are not
handed over on silver plates to all the ideologists and wanna-be dreamers.
Hard work, perseverance and ambition steers it. But everyone can participate
in that ideals, whereas many other countries constrict the social mobility
of people through class systems, religious, political, or cultural barriers.
The questions I would like answered:
1) How many soldiers died, or was permanently scarred, in the recent Kuwaiti
battles from chemical substances used by Sadam Hussein?
2) Sadam killed thousands of his own people with the same weapons. Why don't we talk about that?
3) If we don't like the USA as the "keeper of Peace" in the world, which
super power would we prefer to replace America with - given their
investments in foreign economies. Which country in the world can afford to
replace the USA? Comparing the different countries' Human Rights
track-records, which one can we honestly say deserves this honor?
4) Slavery was once a colonial money-spinner for great imperialists. It's
still exists and thrives in many African countries and Asia. Do we hear the
same angry voices blaming the colonialists, going up in rage over these
modern atrocities?
4) In the recent Afghanistan scrambles thousands of Asian women and children were saved from oppression and inhuman conditions by the forces apposing the Taliban and other religious fanatics. Even though a few people died, thousands were saved......Doesn't that count in anyone's books?
5) And if we don't like the Bush-rhetoric on war, are we all going to cut
oil products out if our lives to make a point? Oil is not only used in tyre
and fuel production you know.
The world is not going to be a better place without the USA in the lead. On
the contrary.........Think about it. If the USA pays the bills of the world,
it has the right to defend their investments they made. Once again, if I
have to choose between evils, I would choose the one with the most
successful track record on opportunities.
Regards from South Africa to everyone.
ROD RESPONDS: Mr. Ntabeni was joining the peace march in Capetown when this e-mail came in. He assures me he will respond to your questions when this page is next update.
From Mitchell B., Alexandria, VA, USA:
SUBJECT: Shelby Steele
Raheem
Re: "Many thanks to Stanford University Hoover Institute Fellow Shelby Steele. It is because of him that I now know the civil rights movement is over. According to Mr. Steele, we won. Nobody bothered to send me that e-mail."
You may have heard this 30 million times before but, once again - - RIGHT ON!
Mitchell Brown
http://www.tsuwdc.org/mbrown/
RAHEEM RESPONDS: Mitchell, it seems there are lots of folks who don't agree with this brother's opinion, as you may have seen in these pages.
But I still think somebody had to speak up about Steele's hypcrisy. (I especially requested that our publisher link to your page, my friend.) Thanks for your support.
Peace!
From Paul T., San Jose, CA, USA:
SUBJECT: the MAN
RaH,
How you do it is beyond my dogmatic belief systems. How you keep trudgin' is most amasing if with no comparison to linger. Or, lingeur. (Whatever you are the linguist.)
I miss your voice and influence.
Allot O'shit iz about to happen right now, so, here WE go.
Good thing your not there, morale would take a turn to 'lets go home'.
Maybe that's what you could do... Send some boys some mail about how they
need to be home instead of what they are about to commit. To themselves etc.
I would love to see you,
ciao,
Paul
ROD RESPONDS: Baby, I keep putting this magazine out because I'd die without it. I thought I'd made that clear ages ago.
Glad you appreciate the effort. FedEx me a burrito from Valencia Street in Ess Eff.
Cheers!
P.S.: It's RA, as in the sun god. 
From Jean-Francois B., Milan, ITALY:
SUBJECT: INGRID BETANCOURT
Hi,
Your Web site includes the true story of Tom Hargrove kidnapped in Colombia by the FARC in 1995.
This coming Feb. 23rd 2003, it will be 1 year that Ingrid Betancourt is held hostage by the same FARC. Kidnapping is an true industry in this country and literally thousands of people are being kidnapped every year. This must stop. International opinion must know about this and peace in Colombia must be one of the many goals of so called civilized nations.
Please advertise Ingrid Betancourt's situation on your site as well and spread the word that details on how to help can be found on www.betancourt.info.
Already more than 400 cities worldwide have nominated Ingrid Betancourt Honorary Citizen for her efforts for peace and her long fight against corruption in Colombia, including Paris and Dublin. The hope is to raise international public opinion to encourage the dialogue for peace with the FARC and the liberation of all hostages. Ingrid Betancourt has been recommended by 2 Peace Nobel Prize winners for her own nomination to the Peace Nobel Prize. See details on www.betancourt.info.
Please help and advertise the situation in Colombia. Please point your readers to www.betancourt.info so they can help in our efforts to free all hostages.
Thank you.
JF B.
ROD RESPONDS: As you know from the tenure of this publication, we feel very strongly about the kidnap & ransom problem. I'm gratified that you would write to us to help in this situation.
I've made no bones about our vehement opposition to these kidnappings, being an international traveler myself. That Tom gave testimony before the U.S, Congress based on words published here first is something I'm extremely proud of. I hope this mention of Ingrid Betancourts's circumstances in our pages helps Ingrid and other captives.
Regards,
Rod
From Ashley C., Milwaukee, WI, USA:
SUBJECT: brooke and asia
hello
i am a high school junior in milwaukee, wisconsin. recently in my sociology class, we watched the program on tlc about brooke, asia, and other painted babies. as a follow up assignment, credit will be awarded to thoes who take the time to find out where brooke and asia are now, and what they are doing with their lives. any information at all about them would be greatly appreciated.
ashley
ROD RESPONDS: Ashley,
Thanks for visiting G21 and for writing! I'll post your e-mail on our "Vox Populi" page when it is updated this week and see if any of our readers or writers can help you with this project.
(Frankly, I'm constantly amazed that people can still find that article of ours!)
Cheers,
Rod
Flotsam & Jetsam again. (Rod Relents)
From Bill P., Oakland, CA, USA:
SUBJECT: Iraq
Rod
Democracy in action!
Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill P.
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Sent: Wednesday, February 19, 2003 5:09 PM
Subject: Iraq
Mr. President,
There you go again, mischaracterizing the message delivered from millions of protesters worldwide. We are not naive and do "view Saddam Hussein as a risk to peace". However, we "respectfully disagree" with you! A wise man knows when to listen...do you?
William P.
From Ed C., Bloomfield, MI, USA:
SUBJECT: Our Patriotic Duty
The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor. An
interesting thought it to boycott their GAS. Every time you fill up the
car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just
buy from gas companies that don't import their oil from the Saudis.
Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the
tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family,
and my friends. I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil
companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import
Middle Eastern oil (for the period 9/1/00 - 8/31/01):
Shell................ .......205,742,000 barrels
Chevron/Texaco....... 144,332,000 barrels
Exxon /Mobil............. 130,082,000 barrels
Marathon/Speedway.. 117,740,000 barrels
Amoco................ 62,231,000 barrels
If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION!
Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:
Citgo....................0 barrels
Sunoco............. ..0 barrels
Conoco............. ..0 barrels
Sinclair............... 0 barrels
BP/Phillips.......... 0 barrels
Hess...................0 barrels
All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing. They report on a monthly basis. Keep this list in your car; share it with friends. Stop paying for terrorism...
But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of gas buyers. It's really simple to do!! Now, don't wimp out at this point...keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!!
I'm sending this note to about thirty people. If each of you send it to at least
ten people (3 x 10 = 30) least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000) ... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it..... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!
Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people. How would all that take? If each of us sends this e-mail out to ten more people within one day all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next eight days!
From Jeff Winbush, G21 Alumni, Columbus, OH, USA:
SUBJECT: Walter Mosley's Plea for Peace
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030127&s=mosley
via e-mail.