I had to use that danged smiley face at least once in my life...



Helmut, you are a man of such immense integrity, you leave me in awe. And I mean that sincerely. Your work, your commitment, your passion.



OK, you and I may be at somewhat different extremes of aesthetics -- but never think for a moment that I do not hear every second of what you do: it is strong, beautiful work.



Na ja, du und Heidi, alles klar!

--------------



Ok, that's my "blush" moment, Edwin.

Another sublime maestro: do we cherish him enuff?

c'mon everybody! time for a gruppe hugge! on edwin!



ok, now I'll be serious. (heh heh)



You are also right, Mut, about America, and its almost infinite diversity, which is what keeps me here. But I also detect, at last, after so many years WAITING, the faint stirrings of a counter-culture. Anti-consumer, anti-oil, anti-global etc. etc.



But pro what you ask?

Too early to tell.

Whatever emerges, that is where I have my hope,

beyond the gloom.



And laughter OF COURSE is the supreme weapon against tyrants.

Maybe the only weapon? We shall see.



Alas, it should be said that our National Public Radio is unlikely to play much of a role in whatever new culture pushes to the surface through the glut of malls and spectacles --- the core gang there is too tired, I dunno, maybe too much cheesecake, whatever, it just is not happening, on the air. I can say it, because I'm on the outside, so very far away from what is "hot", and for that matter, from what is "not".



Something new will come.

Count on it.



Perhaps before my memory gets all wonky, and I can't remember who Mother Radio is,



From the heart of Bushamerica, where old europe meets the other side of Lady Liberty, which is the backside, which, we all now, is where freedom is most --- insistent.







G-vich.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Replying to:

Dear Gregor, dear friends –



thank you for this gloomy (and at the same time enlightening) text on the German and the American autumn, which is to become winter soon followed by a long lasting ice age. In the last days I found myself sometimes beginning letters with "Havana …" or "Tripolis, February 6th …" instead of "Berlin, February 7th…" with a severe hatred towards "the" Americans – knowing, that it is nonsense to hate a country as such (or to hate at all … but it's not so easy to keep cool and "vernuenftig" in those martial times) --- knowing further, that our colleagues Gregory, Julie, Deborah, David, Alex, Joe, Steve and Steven (…) are Americans, too … And yesterday I saw Paul Auster speaking clearly at the NYU, and Dustin Hoffman delivered a very bright and moving speech during the current Berlin Film Festival, stating that "the Vietnam war also began with a lie". Tomorrow (February 15th) I certainly will meet a great number of radio people on the huge anti-war demonstration in Berlin, feeling – at least for a few hours – that "we are not alone". My personal conclusion as a radio professional with access to what Octavio Paz called a "relevant minority" is: Don't waste your time with irrelevant subjects (what doesn't mean to exclude formal beauties, experiments, fun and laughter) BUT take your public job serious, while the wariors take their job deadly serious and show it to the public every day.



With hopeful greetings from OLD EUROPE –

Helmut