Greetin's, Cretins!

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Zachariah Love, Commissioner
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and Greg Hicks, Bartender
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Well, Since you put it that way....

Rod,

Stan, here. Meg sent me over to your site. I liked your reminiscence. It reminded me of Marcel Proust. Your writing was enjoyable in the same way. Maybe you have room for one more writer/editor. I think I'd like to write in G21. Tell me more about it soon.

Best,
Stan


ROD RESPONDS: Stan, you are obviously a gentleman of great erudition and discernment.

The G21 is always looking for quality writers to round-out our roster. If you're in Asia, Africa, or South America, we'd like it even better. I'll get our Guidelines to you via e-mail.

And YOU think you get spammed....

(Yeah, I saw the funky Microsoft code, but do you really expect me to edit this stuff?)

PRESS RELEASE

FirstRASTAFARI Multi-Purpose Co-operative
Flamingo Beach, Falmouth P.O.Box 1823, Trelawny, Jamaica
For more information contact: RAStor Black at Chantin
Phone: 876-954-5252, Fax: 876-954-5157
e-mail: bobarts@n5.com.jm - www.bobartsinstitute.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FirstRASTAFARI Multi-Purpose Co-operative World Conference ë98.
Focus on JAMAICA-2000 and forward......

The FirstRASTAFARI Multi-Purpose Co-operative World Conference ë98, dubbed ìFocus on JAMAICA-2000 and forward......î will take place on July 22nd. sealing Emancipation Day, August 1st.1998 at Chantiní, Flamingo Beach, Trelawny (border of St. James).

The FirstRASTAFARI Multi-Purpose Co-operative is an autonomous association of Rastafarians united voluntarily to meet our common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise.

The FirstRASTAFARI Multi-Purpose Co-operative is based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. The co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

The FirstRASTAFARI Multi-Purpose Co-operative World Conference ë98 ìFocus on JAMAICA-2000 and forwardî will highlight Agriculture, Manufacturing, Information Technology, Credit Union, Tourism, Education and Culture, seasonings and a cultural Expo. The conference will feature a panel of local and international guest speakers, such as Mr. Ivan Green J.P. President on the National Union of Co-operative Societies Limited and Vice-chairman of the Christiana Potato Growers Co-operative Association Limited. Mr. Green is instrumental in the creation of the FirstRASTAFARI Multi-Purpose Co-operative.

All road will lead to an ìAll Night Emancipation Chantî July 31st. at Thorpe House, in Falmouth(our forced arrival port and was the most vibrant slave trading port in the western world) sealing with a commemorative Emancipation March to Chantiní at Flamingo Beach, for Sabbath gathering and FREEDOM family fun day.

Travel, Accommodation and Transfers plus camping at Chantiní for ones wishing to feel RASTAFARI-JAMAICA and voiding the all-Xclusive hotels can be made by contacting FirstRASTAFARI Co-operative.

ìOne loveî

FROM Lazarus L., [NO CITY PROVIDED]:

Dear Rod,

Thought you would like to see this. Here is the The Independent on Sunday web site, the article on New Utopia is supposed to run tomorrow the 31st, so it should show up here.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sindy/sindy.html

Sincerely,
Lazarus

FROM "GLOBAL SYNERGY" [NO CITY PROVIDED]:

We are sorry for any intrusion on your privacy. We tried listing our site with the different search engines, but we were still difficult to find.

Our research is important. We are a small development company that has created enjoyable transformational products that help increase consciousness' while dealing with the stresses and strains of daily living.

We wanted to invite you to our web site http://www.globalsynergy.com where you can experience a free Alpha brain frequency "tone-up".

We are developing an interactive web site where surfers can stop in for a quick "tone-up" using sound, graphics and voice analysis during their busy day.

We are looking forward to your visit, comments and suggestions.

Feeling good is good!
Global Synergy

Someone noticed?....

FROM Art W., Boston, MA, USA:

Rod,

I always liked your Vox Populi page, but I especially enjoy the new use of "editorial" headlines. Some of your comments above these letters are a kick!

Keep makin' it better!

AND NOW: The Nial and Tom Show....

[EDITORIAL NOTE: G21 has been publishing our readers' letters, unedited, for over two years. Though the temptation has arisen in the past, it has always been our official policy NOT to edit reader submissions. This exchange, on the other hand, has finally begun to test even our patience. Thus, in the interests of space and (my) time, I've determined that it's time to change our policy. The following exchange has been edited. --- RA]

FROM Nial C, San Diego, CA, USA:

Well I see I am again attacked with no improvement in attitude. Go to the principals office Tom.

....Tom, please do not denigrate "elderly people" who stay on the phone because they are lonely. That is a cheap shot and beneath you. Time does march on. "Yes" you too will grow old. Next time you see an old lady or old man crossing the street, stop Tom, and let them go first. They may be on their way to the Bank to buy a computer to catch up with you! You, too, Tom will find a rite of passage from the computer to books and senility.

Is the inference I too am lonely and need to talk to you for diversion? We come from different times Pal. What could I possibly talk to you about other than to try to correct your opinion, or advise you of the greatness of out county and the common bond we have in it. You seem pretty dissatisfied.

....So knock it off Tom, you stand in the shadow off all the elderly citizens as a reproduction of them. Writing to me is something I would hope would broaden your outlook on life, and the circumstances of your being here, even temporally, as we all are. Dialog is the wine of life, even if you happen not to like the brand. I do not mind though, talking to you, though I would rather fly with eagles, that talk to turkeys.


THOMAS HART BREAKS IN: Back again, hey, Nial? I wish I could say that this has been fun.... Or even good wine... Oh well.

I'd just like you to consider your own words again, pard': "What could I possibly talk to you about other than to try to correct your opinion, or advise you..." Do those sound like the words of someone who wants to have a genuine dialogue? I don't think so.


NIAL C. CONTINUES: .... Now about that Cherished Fantasy you carp about.

Your remarks that I not live in some "cherished fantasy" which springs from my preconceived notions, reeks of infantile prattle. All my beliefs, and suspicions, spring from some doctrine, or law, principals or doctrine or advice, and the American creed, plus the experience of life. I do forgive you Tom. for have little experience, you have not lived long enough. Your destiny in life Tom. is to be saddled with some experience. That will surely cure you of your guerulouesness about divergent views. That will be your "jumping off point" for personal growth, and true understanding of your place in our society, and yes, in the World.

i see, of course, you are caught up in the thrill of our new way of life "The Computer Life" and all it seems to promise. the PC is a personal toy, except for those whose desire it is to chain it to a way of making money. Some use it for education, for which it certainly is a wonderful tool. I wish you could incorporate that use in your scheme of life too. Especially while you are running the gauntlet of life. Sometimes in reading you stuff I think you might have hit you head on the computer while reaching for your coffee, thus creating hallucinations. After all this is not the Mother Of All Arguments, just a friendly conversation in type.

..... As to your belief that "when people write in" it is for self-aggrandizement and not to entertain other readers. You again wear blinders in the race to the wire, and loose by a nose. Like Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind, "frankly I don't give a damn" about writing in to generator21.net.


THOMAS HART RESPONDS: Let me get this straight, you "don't give a damn" about writing in, but you've spent the last three weeks doing so.

Yeah. Huh-huh...

And if this is the "Reader's Digest-version" of your e-mail, as Rod has assured me, you sure make some verbose "don't give a damn" statements. I stand by my earlier comment about the purpose of your correspondence to this page.


NIAL C. CONTINUES: ....Congratulations Tom. You finally found something to crow about. Money based politics is fundamentally wrong, that I agree. How to fix it is the question. But I would no deny anyone spending his own money to run for office. Maybe spending limits is an answer, and free TV debate to all comers who qualify. A free TV debate is the best I have seen, but then of course you really do not know the man. I am against matching funds too. Yes I read Mother Jones and a bunch of others of the counter culture. That's ok just another voice in our mix.

....In closing I point out that my generation was not "so wise" as you put it. No more than your generation. We just seemed to have better values. We did not generate a counter-culture force. Of course we only had WWII and Korea to bitch about, not Vietnam, undertaken to try an stop communism from spreading in the world. Nor did we have the persuasiveness of dope to contend with either in our schools or on the street.

Take it or leave it!

Nial C. in sunny California at San Diego.

THOMAS HART RESPONDS: Nial, I take it that last comment was a paraphrase on the old saw, "Love it or leave it."

The obvious flaw in that type of sentiment speaks for itself. You see, Nial, progressive thinkers don't believe that if you find something you love is flawed you should abandon it, rather--- we think --- you should work to improve it.

I think I'm safe in saying that that philosophy is at the core of the spirit of the GENERATOR 21. Everybody writing here wants to work as part of a community to make our lives better. That's why I'm here.

+++ THE PREVIOUS VOX POPULI +++