Happy New Year to all of you! As we are preparing ourselves for the new opportunities of 2003, I would like to briefly highlight the year just behind us. It was a year of the war on terrorism (do you still remember Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden?) and the increased pressure on Iraq. It was a year with the never-ending Israel-Palestine conflict and its suicide bombers. It was a year with economic unpredictability and financial scandals, where most people lost confidence in accountants, financial analysts, bankers, and CEOs. It was a year in which the Catholic Church has been in the news in ways it never could have foreseen. It was a year when the Democratic Party showed it had not learned anything from the last presidential elections and from the two years of the Bush administration. It was a year when the Republican Senate leader Trent Lott showed he had not learned anything from 50 years of progress in civil rights. It was also a year when the European Union decided to invite 10 more Eastern European countries to join its ever-growing economic-political community. And it was a year where the largest South American country, Brazil, elected for the first time ever a left-wing president.

How this will develop in the coming year is for futurists and forecasters to predict, and for all of us to play our own smaller or larger role in.

At Paraview we are also trying to play our role by informing our readers about valuable media programming and by creating a platform for authors to have their message published in the most effective manner. We started the year with our first POD bestseller Mothman and Other Curious Encounters by Loren Coleman. In the spring we acquired the online media guide Conscious Planet, which matched our philosophy and has turned out to a good fit with our audiences. Later in the year we announced a partnership with Simon & Schuster, through which we will bring Paraview books and topics to wider audiences. Our first books under this new imprint will be released in a few months. We also developed Paraview Special Editions, which will bring new life to out-of-print titles and titles by international authors. An example of a Paraview Special Edition title is this month?s totally renewed Feng Shui American Style by Ralph and Lahni DeAmicis, who are wonderful teachers and experts. This is a book for anyone who is interested in applying ancient Asian and European design knowledge in a modern setting.

Well, what was a chaotic year in the world and a very active year for Paraview could be followed by a year full of positive developments and events. I invite everyone to do what he or she feels drawn to do to make this an exciting and wonderful year.

Alexander M. Dake
CEO, Paraview.com

Lux Mentis, Lux Orbis
Light of the Mind, Light of the World

BBC World News (BBC America)
Check website for times.
The BBC is the world?s largest news-gathering organization, with a reputation that?s well deserved. Tune in daily for reports from across the globe that often focus on international issues that the American media ignore.

The Dream Team with Annabelle and Michael (SCI FI)
Premieres Monday, January 20 at 11 p.m. ET
Are you late for your final exam, or do you show up on time, but naked? Find out what your dreams and nightmares reveal in this first-ever show dedicated to dreams. Submit your own dreams on SCIFI.com, or watch the premiere and learn about other people?s secret nightlives.

The Pet Psychic (Animal Planet)
Mondays, 8 p.m. ET and Sundays, 1 p.m. ET
Sonya Fitzpatrick communicates with all creatures great and small on this fascinating program. If you ever wanted to know what a shy turkey, irritable wolf, or suddenly sick show dog has to say, tune in.