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www.hopedance.org
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| <back | home Introduction by Bob Banner As we stated in the last issue, The End of Oil, we will be committed to bringing more information and positive stories about this incredible tsunami-like transition from cheap oil to a post carbon world. Communities are doing something about it. See the stories about City Repair in Portland and check out the interview with For The Future in Santa Barbara. The Shorts section is chock full of inspiring stories to move you beyond the gloominess of the past election. There is a story about how people came together to create a cohousing complex within an already existing ecovillage. But if you need material about URBAN ecovillages and cohousing stay tuned for the next issue. We will feature an article by Larry Santoyo and will report on some local SLO residents who are pursuing urban cohousing. This introduction is brief, due to the outpouring in an article called Turning My Back on Bush, which articulates the mood of the current HopeDance — with more and more solutions and less focus on the Bush Coup 2. We’d prefer to work hard with the solutions than with banging our heads against a wall of stubborn, haughty, self-righteous leaders who are simply crying out their last gasp of a dying paradigm. Let it wither and die! Expatriots in Baja is one of an ongoing series about expatriots joining those who have the guts (or cowardice, depending on your perspective) to leave the maddening world of growing fascism in the U.S. And films? See the special centerfold pullout insert [ in the print version ] that gives you all the details for the various films, slide show presentations and film festivals for both SLO and Santa Barbara for both January and February. Or, check the front page of the website. One word about word of mouth. The corporations are now using buzz agents to sell their products (since techno gadgets like TiVo are allowing people to turn OFF the commercials). It is estimated that 66,000 young buzz agents are in the U.S. talking about products in their daily conversations, For Free! Yes, that’s right; these young people do it for free — whether it’s selling sausages, books, perfume, shoes, whatever — just like in the scenes from the excellent film, The Corporation, on such sly and covert advertising ploys. My question is, why not do it ourselves? I mean, I already do it with so many of the green, fair- traded products that I care about. Why don’t more people get into the act? When you meet with friends, talk up green businesses, wind power, solar businesses, fair-trade coffee; talk up the films, books, HopeDance, progressive publications, Santa Barbara Indymedia; talk up the events you read about, talk up FSTV and LinkTV. Forget about complaining and analyzing (for awhile) and talk up the Solutions. It ain’t gonna be on regular TV, so why not Become the Media? Also, check out our "green store" at our website [ coming soon ]. If you have to buy stuff, why not buy fair-trade, socially just and sustainable products while helping out HopeDance as well! Bob Banner, Publisher P.S. Also, we are having a CONTEST to give away a FREE 10-day City Repair event in Portland. Send us a query about how to apply. February 15th is the due date. Email to: info@hopedance.org <back | top^ |