Hey punk! It's just about summer. So what the fuck are you sitting in front of your computer for? Go outside and get some air. Hang out with friends. Go see a show. Turn the damn machine off and leave your room. There's more to life than the internet. In fact, if this column is short, it's because I've been doing exactly that.
Since it is almost summer, and since you should be outdoors taking in some sunshine and oxygen, I decided that this month I'd provide you to links to some environmental organizations and the like. Now, I realize that wanting to improve the environment is extremely hippie in nature, but that seems to be what punk has come to in the nineties (how come is it I write shit like this every other issue or so, and nobody ever calls me on it... oh yeah... I forgot... hippie punks don't own computers and so they don't read this column). Anyway, on with the environmental homepages.
Any discussion of environmental organizations will, of course, start with Earth First!, and so that is exactly what I will do as well. Yes, they are on the web (http://www.efn.org/~efjournl/index.html) and their site provides information on how to start an Earth First! organization, information on exactly what "direct action" means, an explanation of what the organization is about, and a whole bunch of articles about what they have done and what they are doing, in a section called the EF Journal. Definitely worth a look.
I did a search for environmental organizations and came up with this - The Amazing Environmental Organization Web Directory. This page lists thousands of resources to environmental organizations in over 100 different countries. I would have to say this is THE starting place if you are looking for any info about the environment. You'll find this page at http://webdirectory.com . They even have their own search engine where you input a subject and it will find all the info it can about that particular topic.
If you are looking for a Internet Service Provider that also give a shit about some important issues (including the environment) you should check out the Institute for Global Communications (or IGC for short). IGC is actually made up of five "online communities", which are EcoNet, PeaceNet, ConflictNet, LaborNet, and WomensNet. Each area deals with progressive news, information, features, and links to issues pertaining to that area... and they can hook you up to the net as well. You'll find IGC at http://www.igc.org/igc/index.html .
Another great site on the environment is EnviroLink. EnviroLink bills itself as "the largest online environmental information resource on the planet", and by the looks of it, they are telling the truth. More news and information than you could possibly ever read. You'll find this site at http://envirolink.org .
Gee, that was easy. With those few sites, you should be busy reading at least until winter. But really, break away from the 'puter for a minute and take a walk, even if it's just down to the corner store to buy some LockJaw soda and a bag of sour gummi worms. (You can see how health conscious *I* am). So, since those few sites should provide you with plenty of stuff, hows about I move on to more important matters. Of course, I'm referring to music.
Empty Records has a cool homepage with a discography of what they've released, ordering info, tour dates, and links to some of the sites maintained by bands on their label, including the fabulous Motards, Sicko, The X-Rays, Steel Wool, and more. Check them out at http://www.empty-records.com . I just wish they would have included some sound files. With some of the low-fi music that is out on empty, it would sound just as good over the net as it does over my stereo. Gotta love it.
I think I've mentioned the Nepente! Webpage before, but they have recently set up a punk web ring that starts at this site. A web ring is a relatively new concept, where sites are all linked together with the idea that once you finish at one website, you just click on a link at the bottom to go to the next one in the ring. Great idea, though it does mean that occasionally you'll end up on some pretty piss poor pages. It's often a good way to find out about pages you don't know about, however. Get started on the ring by going to http://www.algonet.se/~nepente/ring/, who knows what kinds of interesting pages you might find.
Punk rock in Fargo, North Dakota? Of course! A web page for the Fargo scene? Well, duh! This is 1997. That's right, all you have to do is point your browser to http://www.corpcomm.net/~yahtzeen/, and you to can plan a road trip to North Dakota. This page has links to Yahtzeen, Meat records, and Potent productions, and also plans to have show listings, etc. It's really cool to see what other parts of the country are up to - in fact, that's one of the coolest things about the net - the way that you can visit a scene a thousand miles from you. So, go visit Fargo right now.
Well, I think that's gonna wrap it up for this time. I'm gonna go out and goof around outside for awhile. Remember that you can find past, present, and future copies of this column at my NEW website - http://www.cruzio.com/~hanford/maximum.html . You can also e-mail me at hanford@cruzio.com. Or, feel free to write to PO Box 8059; Santa Cruz, CA 95061. Now, turn off that damn computer!
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