by Bob Banner
Lots of changes. No elaborate table of contents. No letters to the editor since the only ones that come in are heaping praises and it ain’t good for my ego (hah!). No Book Reviews!!!? Can you believe it? Cutting back from 56 pages to 32 because it’s summertime and because I don’t think people are reading the publication. When I ask about how people hear about the films, they rarely say the website or the printed paper. Most attend the films from emails... So the publisher in me, I mean the business person in me, has got to absorb those realities. And here I was thinking there was a tipping point, a brewing with all the talk about Sustainability... and even FOOD is gaining in popularity like Sex was in the 60s, they say. Is it because I’m creating my own reality of bleak and doom? Whatever it is... I ought to just hush my mouth and continue with the hopefulness of our dire situation and tell you all about the COOL things that are happening. Right? If there’s anything you expect from me it’s hopefulness. Right? Even though I’ve been told that the films we screen are all depressing. What? Where have you been? Spiritual films, inspirational films. We even showed Mozart last week. Who are these rumor makers? Please check out the summer films we have garnered the permission to screen in SB and SLO. As for hope: We have reports on the WELL conference in Willits, the small town in northern California becoming famous for its community-building work and preparing for peak oil. We have the stupendous and revolutionary movement afoot called BALLE. Check out Mr. Banner’s report. For more positivity check out Rosemary Wilvert’s report on the EcoSummit. For a very cool report on the ultimate convergence in Portland (which we reported on two years ago) you gotta read Cody and Lianne’s piece ... and please take a serious look at the city repair intersection on page 3 of the print issue. Take a deep look at it... and you might begin to glimpse a possible future; policies and actions manifested from a NEW consciousness (the genuine out-of-the-box phenomenon). Get ready; the future is here and if you don’t like it, it might just bite you in the ass. Another most exciting article (I absolutely love this author) is Mark Morford’s article on “The Hippies Were Right”. Not that I’m biased.
For more fun, you have to read Bruce Sterling’s piece on the Yes Men AND check out the two female comedians coming to town! More fun? Please check into the absolutely positive and hopeful things that Lisa Quinn and her allies and pods over at SLO Rideshare did surrounding Bike Month in May. What cool things for all the family PLUS the fact that many of us got out of our cars! What is happening? We are having fun! And Bart Simpson and John Stewart and Colbert are even getting in on the action in Anne Allen’s piece. Can comedians save democracy? Well, first it assumes we already have a democracy to be saved. It’s debatable. But speaking of comedians, please check out and let’s laugh our asses off with Vanda and Alicia. I just can’t wait. After watching Sicko I’m gonna need tons of laughter. But seriously, let’s praise our activists who can include fun in all their events. I’m talking about Rachel Morris, a powerhouse if I’ve ever seen one. She’s not only talented but beautiful and passionate and courageous... and to think that you or I could become like her. It just takes a little nudge here and there for us to blossom into the beings that the goddesses are eager for us to become. We just have to let go and have fun, and social change will occur! And talking about watching out our kitchen window and seeing nature unfold with its over enthusiastic fecundity, please read Kathryn Santoyo’s piece. Ahhh my fingers are aching from putting together another issue. Gotta stop now. Look forward to the SACRED ACTIVISM issue in September. Until then, catch me at one of the films and say hello... and if you know of any volunteers or interns who are itching to do some work creating a sustainable future, have them drop me a line. For newcomers to this issue, this tone of Introduction is rare. For the old timers, what do you think?
Ciao, Bob Banner
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