Editorial

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Editorial EDITORIAL

Dear readers,

Being somewhat overwhelmed as I have been for the past few years with a growing family (four young kids) and a very small living space (two sixteen foot sheds stuck together in the centre with a ten foot addition) the magazine has been far from my mind most times. I have watched Dara struggle with what was the best thing to do, what energy was there for the doing of it. We both agreed that it was time to sell the press and to wave goodbye to years of printing into the early hours of the morning. But whether or not we should keep it up on the Net was still an open question. Like Dara said there was a lot of wondering and it remains to be seen how things will go.

However, I was moved to hear how a woman asked to subscribe on the web when she had found a copy of the magazine among the belongings of her father who had just died at the age of ninety two. This story means a lot to me. I am old-fashioned in the sense that I love books and paper, solid things in my hands. Something I can put down and pick up again, a tactile and visual experience rather than merely visual. I do not particularly like reading on a computer. It somehow is not quite the same as the experience of reading a book, magazine etc. Yet the story somehow allows me to believe that it is worth putting the magazine out on computer because the magic of the word cannot be limited by the medium. And there is need for magic words, for breath of vision, for dreams and dreaming. This was what the magazine was about all those years ago, it is still what it is about.

For those of you who will read the magazine on the Web, enjoy, participate and thank you for the support.

All the best,

Tess.

We are delighted to be again publishing the AISLING magazine after a long and uncertain break.
The transition from printed paper edition to solely internet edition has been traumatic. We wondered if there was still a need for the magazine, with so much information now available on-line. We wondered if we still had the energy for it, having been publishing it since 1991. We wondered if we should not now direct our energies more towards writing and publishing our own ideas rather than everyone elses.

These questions have not gone away, but I have experienced a renewed energy in getting this edition out. I realize that there are still many people out there who are struggling against dominant powers and dominant ways of thinking and who need a bit of support. It is also clear that the critique of our world must continue at a deep level and that we must share that critique with each other in order not to allow ourselves be sucked back into the common way of thinking, where it is foolishly believed that there is no other way.

We have sold our ABDick offset printing press, our electric paper guillotine, and our platemaker with all the accoutrements. That marks the end of an era. Memories will always stay with me of hauling that enormously heavy press on a car-trailer across the island, of doing our first print run in a freezing shed with a leaky roof in the middle of winter, of nearly losing my finger when it got caught between the rollers while the machine was running.

We have used the money gained from the sale to invest in a new iMac computer, new upgraded software, and an ISDN line. Unfortunately we are still not able to get broadband here, but we're working on it!

While we are happy to continue working on the magazine in a voluntary capacity, the ongoing economic viability of the project is a concern. We do not know if people in any numbers will be willing to pay a subscription towards internet version of the magazine on a regular basis. Our office relies to a large extent on the income of the magazine to cover its costs. These are the ongoing costs of upgrading the computer and software every two years or so, paying for ISDN line and web server, and covering heating, lighting, telephone and other incidentals. We calculate that our office costs are around €3,000 a year. This is not huge money, but if you don't have it, it's a problem.

We are relying on you, our reader, to promote the magazine for us. You can do this by sending the web address and password to your friends and acquaintances. They get to read the issue for free. But please encourage them to subscribe. We need the income to continue. Subscriptions are €10.00 or $13.00 for four issues.

We also ask that you will send us material for publication — your own writings or those of other people that you have come across. We want our magazine to be a forum for alternative thinking. Our four key areas of interest are: Celtic roots, inner world, social analysis and nature. Around these are gathered a wide range of thoughts and ideas which we hook onto icons representing various themes. You will find these icons and themes next to every article on the contents page.

We are not sure as of yet how often you will receive a new issue of the magazine. We are hoping for three a year. A pattern will emerge. Please be patient with us.

We reach out to you in solidarity

Join hands with you in resistance

And

Walk with you towards the realization of a new vision.

Dara.

This magazine was put together by Tito Martín, with assistance in its earlier stages from Emese Huse. It was co-edited by Tess Harper and Dara Molloy.

Click here to Subscribe! Feel free to send our web address, and the password for this issue, to a friend.
Encourage them to subscribe! Click here!

A subscription is 10.00 euros or US$13.00 for 4 issues. If using another currency please pay the equivalent. PayPal is an easy way to pay online, or you can send a cheque or credit card details by post. We will accept cheques in any currency, but cannot accept bank drafts.

The AISLING Magazine, 'An Charraig', Mainistir, Inis Mór, Aran Islands, County Galway, Éire
Phone: + 353-(0)99-61245 - Fax: + 353-(0)99-61981 - E-mail: info@aislingmagazine.com

Contents Next Editorial	EDITORIAL
	Dear readers, Being somewhat overwhelmed as I have been for the past few years with a growing family (four young kids) and a very small living space (two sixteen foot sheds stuck together in the centre with a ten foot addition) the magazine has been far from my mind most times. I have watched Dara struggle with what was the best thing to do, what energy was there for the doing of it. We both agreed that it was time to sell the press and to wave goodbye to years of printing into the early hours of the morning. But whether or not we should keep it up on the Net was still an open question. Like Dara said there was a lot of wondering and it remains to be seen how things will go. However, I was moved to hear how a woman asked to subscribe on the web when she had found a copy of the magazine among the belongings of her father who had just died at the age of ninety two. This story means a lot to me. I am old-fashioned in the sense that I love books and paper, solid things in my hands. Something I can put down and pick up again, a tactile and visual experience rather than merely visual. I do not particularly like reading on a computer. It somehow is not quite the same as the experience of reading a book, magazine etc. Yet the story somehow allows me to believe that it is worth putting the magazine out on computer because the magic of the word cannot be limited by the medium. And there is need for magic words, for breath of vision, for dreams and dreaming. This was what the magazine was about all those years ago, it is still what it is about. For those of you who will read the magazine on the Web, enjoy, participate and thank you for the support. All the best, Tess. We are delighted to be again publishing the AISLING magazine after a long and uncertain break. The transition from printed paper edition to solely internet edition has been traumatic. We wondered if there was still a need for the magazine, with so much information now available on-line. We wondered if we still had the energy for it, having been publishing it since 1991. We wondered if we should not now direct our energies more towards writing and publishing our own ideas rather than everyone elses. These questions have not gone away, but I have experienced a renewed energy in getting this edition out. I realize that there are still many people out there who are struggling against dominant powers and dominant ways of thinking and who need a bit of support. It is also clear that the critique of our world must continue at a deep level and that we must share that critique with each other in order not to allow ourselves be sucked back into the common way of thinking, where it is foolishly believed that there is no other way. We have sold our ABDick offset printing press, our electric paper guillotine, and our platemaker with all the accoutrements. That marks the end of an era. Memories will always stay with me of hauling that enormously heavy press on a car-trailer across the island, of doing our first print run in a freezing shed with a leaky roof in the middle of winter, of nearly losing my finger when it got caught between the rollers while the machine was running. We have used the money gained from the sale to invest in a new iMac computer, new upgraded software, and an ISDN line. Unfortunately we are still not able to get broadband here, but we're working on it! While we are happy to continue working on the magazine in a voluntary capacity, the ongoing economic viability of the project is a concern. We do not know if people in any numbers will be willing to pay a subscription towards internet version of the magazine on a regular basis. Our office relies to a large extent on the income of the magazine to cover its costs. These are the ongoing costs of upgrading the computer and software every two years or so, paying for ISDN line and web server, and covering heating, lighting, telephone and other incidentals. We calculate that our office costs are around €3,000 a year. This is not huge money, but if you don't have it, it's a problem. We are relying on you, our reader, to promote the magazine for us. You can do this by sending the web address and password to your friends and acquaintances. They get to read the issue for free. But please encourage them to subscribe. We need the income to continue. Subscriptions are €10.00 or $13.00 for four issues. We also ask that you will send us material for publication — your own writings or those of other people that you have come across. We want our magazine to be a forum for alternative thinking. Our four key areas of interest are: Celtic roots, inner world, social analysis and nature. Around these are gathered a wide range of thoughts and ideas which we hook onto icons representing various themes. You will find these icons and themes next to every article on the contents page. We are not sure as of yet how often you will receive a new issue of the magazine. We are hoping for three a year. A pattern will emerge. Please be patient with us. We reach out to you in solidarity Join hands with you in resistance And Walk with you towards the realization of a new vision. Dara.
	This magazine was put together by Tito Martín, with assistance in its earlier stages from Emese Huse. It was co-edited by Tess Harper and Dara Molloy.
Click here to Subscribe!	Feel free to send our web address, and the password for this issue, to a friend. Encourage them to subscribe! Click here!
	A subscription is 10.00 euros or US$13.00 for 4 issues. If using another currency please pay the equivalent. PayPal is an easy way to pay online, or you can send a cheque or credit card details by post. We will accept cheques in any currency, but cannot accept bank drafts.
The AISLING Magazine, 'An Charraig', Mainistir, Inis Mór, Aran Islands, County Galway, Éire Phone: + 353-(0)99-61245 - Fax: + 353-(0)99-61981 - E-mail: info@aislingmagazine.com