JINN MAGAZINE

PACIFIC NEWS SERVICE

Issue No. 6.25

12/11/00 - 12/25/00

CONTENTS

VECTORS: A Regular Column on the Ideas and Directions Behind Today's News

Into A World Of Fuzzy Boundaries

We seem to be entering an era in which some very long-established lines are becoming blurred, not least the lines between countries. More and more, these exist only on the map: people, ideas, products -- good and bad -- flow with little interruption from place to place, producing a world we don't quite yet understand. PNS associate editor Walter Truett Anderson is the author of "The Future of the Self" (Tarcher Putnam, 1997).

The Divide Is Social, Not Digital

The common belief is that poor people have little or no access to the high technology that's now taking over popular culture. But PNS correspondent Charles Jones says the divide is isn't digital but something more complicated. Jones is a father of two whose writings have been featured in publications nationwide.

Rubin In Un Finance Panel -- A Case Of Fox Guarding The Henhouse?

Criminals -- drug dealers or dictators -- with embarrassing amounts of cash on hand, or corporations trying to avoid taxation, often use false fronts in poor countries to "launder" the funds. Major U.S. banks are heavily involved in this unsavory business, so banker Robert Rubin may face some interesting questions from the other members of a UN panel intended to help debtor nations. Lucy Komisar is a freelance journalist who, sponsored by PNS, spent three months in Russia on a U.S. National Research Council grant to investigate the impact of offshore bank and corporate secrecy.

French Food Still Resisting Globalization

The French gastronomic tradition is not to be underestimated, but an economic downturn, globalization and changes in lifestyle have been working in favor of le fast food. PNS Cris Yabes is a Filipino journalist living in Paris.

The San Jose Refugee -- Byproduct Of The Silicon Valley Boom

The future is often planned by those least likely to be there, or so it has begun to seem to some young residents of Silicon Valley. As living costs rise faster than most workers' earnings, many are forced to move deeper into California. PNS commentator Victor Saldana's family has been in Santa Clara for three generations. Saldana, 20, began writing for Youth Outlook last August.

Gore Leaves Supporters Without A Vision -- But Agenda Is Clear

Winners and losers are supposed to shake hands and say the game is more important than the result. Al Gore, in conceding defeat, may have met this standard, but the circumstances -- our circumstances -- called for something much stronger and more principled. PNS commentator Peter Dale Scott authored "Deep Politics and the Death of JFK." Some of the is the historic allusions in this article are quoted in his new long poem, "Minding the Darkness." Scott's website is http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~pdscott.

Social Drama Of Election Deadlock Points To A True American Culture

There are many ways to interpret the drawn-out controversy over the presidential election and its close, but anthropology offers a perspective that carries an encouraging message. PNS commentator William O. Beeman is an anthropologist and at Brown University.

Breakthrough From Secret Talks Is The Only Hope In Middle East

Israel has once again begun electing a government, and its domestic politics have taken center stage in the region. But from the Palestinian and Arab point of view, the results of that election will change little; indeed, PNS commentator Rami Khouri thinks the only hope is high-level, and secret, diplomacy. Khouri, a Palestinian-Jordanian, is a syndicated political columnist, author, and television talk show host.

VOICES: First-Person Essays Linking the Private to the Public

Jewish With A Korean Face

A "mixed-up" kid finally comes to terms with the confusing circumstances of his life and uncovers a clear path to his future. Adam Rosen is a contributor to YO! Youth Outlook, a publication by and about Bay Area youth published by Pacific News Service.

Bush Presidency -- Young People Express Fear And Rage

The editors and staff members of YO! Youth Outlook gathered reactions to the end to the deadlock over the presidency. Andre Baca, 21, is a writer, performance poet with Youth Speaks and a screenwriter. Angelika Gomez, 18, is a college freshman, outreach coordinator for YO!, a writer and photojournalist. Nelson Tam is a junior in college, majoring in philosophy, and a documentary filmmaker. Swan Gant, 16, is an aspiring rap artist. YO! Youth Outlook is a monthly publication by and about Bay Area youth published by Pacific News Service.

My Life As Special Ed

Edward Nieto, 22, began writing for YO! in August of 2000. His byline has appeared in the San Francisco Examiner, YO! Youth Outlook, NCMonline.com, and has been distributed via the Pacific News Service.

The Pigeon

Sometimes people in the big city seem like flocks of birds trying to make it in a crowded cage. Hazel Tesoro is on the staff of YO! Youth Outlook, a publication by and about Bay Area youth published by Pacific News Service.

It's Time To Junk Law That Equates Political Spending With Free Speech

Despite remarkable progress in every sort of endeavor, women are still woefully underrepresented in Congress. The basic problems here are money and incumbency, which are intimately entwined, and changes in that situation are unlikely under current law. PNS commentator Jennifer Rockne is the assistant director of reclaimdemocracy.org.

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