 GENERATOR 21 - The World's Magazine of News & Commentary |
30 OCTOBER - 6 NOVEMBER, 2000
EVENT # 239: THE BOAT ROCKERS' EDITION
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 AMERICAN DREAMS:
"I Wannah be Elected!"ED CANTARELLA
"Sustainable traffic"? The elections are November 7th and, even during the political conventions of August, the combined monthly total of unique visitors to USA-related political sites remained below 110,000 (Netratings.com). As part of my journalistic duties, I requested some statistics from the good folks of Politicstock, to-wit: (1) Most unique visitors in a month: 6000 and; (2) Number of current members - limited to those who have traded in the last 30 days (for relevancy): 350. Besides the numbers being suspiciously round, I have to wonder about their claim that,"Politistock has a very loyal user community." ... More
The Hidden DebatePoint - Counterpoint on the Boston Presidential Debate ProtestsDOUGLAS MC DANIEL & DIAMOND D
...More DAY ONE:
The Crucible of PoliticsKEVIN CAREYKevin Carey says that politicians usually behave better than the people they serve. It is a lucky man indeed whose straightforward, unwavering moral and political convictions can be accommodated by unflinching friends and unchanging institutions. I do not think my mildly libertarian, mildly interventionist, mildly redistributive, fervently Euro-federalist political convictions have changed significantly in three decades but I have found myself in that time housed in three different political parties - Labour, Social Democrat and Liberal Democrat - and may yet go full circle and end up where I started with Labour. For a very short time indeed I even had to flirt, in order to establish Britain's position in Europe, with the otherwise horrific idea of voting Conservative at a time when Labour was at best equivocal about the European Union (EU). Today the two Parties have completely reversed with the Conservatives equivocal at best and Labour very much in favour of the EU. Just from that example it is clear that an individual can retain a steady conviction but be joined and deserted by various political forces.... More |
POWERSSOUND: Once more this week, I devote the leadoff position in this little baseball game of music to a hard rockin' group of Swedish musicians. Baltimoore shows its power and authority with its fifth album called "Original Sin" (Lion Records). Leader/vocalist Bjorn Lodin remains firmly in charge, sporting a voice that sounds like it's been on a debilitating romp through the streets if Copenhagen on a cold winter's night. He will remind your ears of a rough-hewn Rod Stewart, back in the days when Stewart sang rock --- not those irritating smarmy ballads.
It's the week before a major, close US Presidential race, I was thinking, maybe this will pan out. "In your dreams, Web Boy!" the evil little voice said. "Kiss your growing readership good-bye. "You want my advice?" the little buggy voice went on, "Sex! We need more sex in this rag!" I was willing to accomodate
"What about the one he said he loved you?.... ROD AMIS "Important Stuff" More RECOMMENDED DAILY REQUIREMENT: Many civilizations developed occasions to commemorate the passing of the days full of life, and the rebirth that comes in the New Year and, obstensibly, a new life.
Egypt: the seventeenth day of the month Athyr, "when nights were growing long and the days decreasing." (Note that Athyr is a variant of Hathor the goddess who was guardian of the tombs of the dead.) ... ED CANTARELLA "Dead Man's Boots" More
The Good News? Next time I get back on my reg'lar Gossip and Dish rotation. AND THERE AIN'T NO BAD NEWS! Still, I been thinkin' lately there ain't enough Gusto to go around, fellow Sanitation Engineers... THOMAS HART "Hail to The Chef..uh, Chief" More
To the Editor: I'm writing in to report what I find a major deficiency with your "World's Magazine." After surfing around this 'Zine for a while, I've found all sorts of timeless and informative articles --- but I had to work at it! I notice that you archive only a few columns, like the "RDR" and "Memoirs of the Information Age." I think you should archive *all* of them, or have a "Back Issues" page when one considers how many years of articles are on your site. I enjoy reading the G21, but I find this a major short-coming. I believe other readers might, too. Print and respond if you wish.
Jason... More
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Generating energy for the 21st Century. GENERATOR 21. No Foolin'!
FEED THE HUNGRY.You can help someone else in this world and IT WON'T COST YOU A DIME.If you simply remember to drop by The Hunger Site every day that you surf and click a simple button ONE LESS PERSON WILL GO HUNGRY.The food is distributed by the United Nations World Food Programme and paid for through the sponsorship of companies that care.Do your part.
OTHER EDITIONS
THE PREVIOUS EDITION
(BOB POWERS does an interview of Denmark's Torben Enevoldsen; PHALA RAY-ORIANS debuts, and ROD AMIS on the Third Wave Economy in MOIA...)
THE NEXT EDITION
THE NOW EDITION
| The WRITERS | TALKBACK | AWARDS |
| MY GLASS HOUSE | THE PREVIOUS EVENT | COMING ATTRACTIONS | THE WRITERS/GUIDELINES | |
"This is an important crowd -- the haves and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite. I call you my base..." --- 
According to PC DATA (www.pcdataonline), an online ratings company, less than ‡ of 1 percent of the total Web audience uses political sites. In a recent article on political websites in Inter@ctiveweek.com, Allen Weiner of NetRatings (www.netratings.com) - another online audience measurement firm - stated, " It's not a business....Business is based on sustainable traffic".
Things flashed through my head: Big black boots, stormtroopers, footage from the Seattle riots, Klaatu Barada Nicto. They stood there, holding their clubs at the ready, and I thought, 'my God, are they really going to hit us? For just standing here?' We began to talk among ourselves, wondering whether anything would happen, and if so, would we be warned. The cops put their visors down, and I could feel my stomach drop and my whole body shake. I wondered what the riot police felt; were they making themselves hate us in case they had to hurt us? Did they hate their jobs right now? A girl near me had a cell phone and I briefly thought about asking whether I could use it to call a friend so that I could just tell them how scared I was. I saw police dogs being brought out.
Five of the songs were written entirely by Lodin, with help on lyrics on the remaining charts credited to Allan Sjoholm. Unlike many metal bands whose lyrics are simplistic and impossible to hear for the clatter made by the turned-up guitars, Baltimoore's tunes are easily discernible, sometimes clever, and occasionally funny. The band sounds like a well-hewn crew, at ease with each other and properly respectful of their leader.... BOB POWERS "Sinful in Denmark"