Newsletters of Note IX

It's primarily a promotional tabloid for the National Gang Crime Research Center's Sixth International Gang Specialist Training Conference scheduled for August 13-15 in Chicago, but the Gang Specialist, is a fascinating read. With brief pieces on gang recruiting in the school environment, the "Christian gang specialist" (a Christian specialist on gangs or a specialist on Christian gangs?), the Insane Popes gang, and gang symbols, the eight-page paper also outlines the conference's agenda. The center also publishes the Journal of Gang Research, which, while expensive, appears to be an intriguing read -- moreso than this conference mailing. Back issues of the journal have included articles such as "Coming Out to Play: Reasons to Join and Participate in Asian Gangs," "Issues in Accessing and Studying Ethnic Youth Gangs," "The Implications of Social Psychological Theories of Group Dynamics for Gang Research," and "Fraud Masters: Studying an Illusory, Non-Violent Gang Specializing in Credit Card Crimes." The social network theorist in me is salivating.

Colloquy, the "voice of the loyalty marketing industry since 1990," is published by Frequency Marketing Inc. -- and is less interesting. Vol. 11, No. 2 includes articles on brand insulation; managing expectations; the coming rebound in the travel industry; and how companies such as Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, British Airways, and Air Canada are weathering the recession. The analysis of loyalty program trends in Spain is particularly interesting, but for the most part, there's not much to this 16-page newsletter.

Lastly, the Summer 2003 edition of GreenMoney Journal, a 24-page issue of a newsletter that's been in print since 1992. Guest edited by BJ Harris, publisher of the Harris Directory, this edition includes interviews with Nadav Malin, editor of Environmental Building News; John Schaeffer, president of Gaiam Real Goods and the Real Goods Solar Living Center; and Robyn Griggs Lawrence, editor in chief of Natural Home magazine. Articles on green building, global warming, and water conservation flesh out the newsletter, along with a calendar of events and a table looking at mutual fund performance.