I’m really excited to see this new documentary from Rod Pitman (Hempsters: Plant the Seed) and Adam Ross (Cash Crop).  I won’t lie… it’s because I am in it, but I’m also excited to see all my friends and colleagues in it as well.  Check out the Facebook page.

In any complex interconnected system, it only takes a few of the right connections to reach the influencers of the system.

It’s not that I’m so desperate to see myself on the big screen.  I’ve been doing TV and radio and public speaking for some time now, so the novelty of being in a film, while a step up, isn’t the most exciting part of this situation.  The exciting thing for an internet database stats geek like me is that this means I finally have an acting credit listed in The Internet Movie Database (IMDb)!

That provides an extra bit of geek cred on another site, The Oracle of Bacon.  This is a fun little site that tells you how any actor is connected to Kevin Bacon based on a chain of shared movie roles.  For example, Ronald Reagan is connected to Kevin Bacon in two steps – Reagan was in “Brother Rat and a Baby” in 1940 with Eddie Albert, who was in “The Big Picture” in 1989 with Kevin Bacon.

Now I have a “Bacon Number” of three.  My path to Kevin Bacon begins with Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek.  He was in movies with Peter Fonda, Rob Zombie, and Tony Plana that lead then to movies with Kevin Bacon.  Sure, I have to cheat by checking the “include documentaries” option in the search, but I’ll take it; it’s more legit than my friend D.J. Giles having to include TV shows (which, thanks to a failed 1992 TV pilot with Robin Givens, gives him a Bacon Number of two).  Interestingly, we are now four steps away from each other in the IMDb.

So what?  Well, silly as the Oracle of Bacon game is, it does demonstrate an important sociological phenomenon: the interconnectedness of networks.  In the entirety of the Oracle of Bacon, is it difficult to find any actor you can think of who is any more than four steps removed from Kevin Bacon.  And Kevin Bacon isn’t even the most connected actor in the database (that would be Dennis Hopper).

So think about how many people you are directly connected to in your life.  Then consider all the people they are directly connected to, and the people they are connected to, and so on.  Now imagine the ripple you can create just within your own networks by openly proclaiming your cannabis use and educating the people near you.  The fact you give to your co-worker might get re-told to his friend and re-told to his friend the city councilman.  The voice you give your medical marijuana activism may be heard by your relative who is then emboldened to speak out who is then heard by others who then pressure the governor to support medical marijuana.

It also tells you that if you want to make a difference, you need to increase your contacts.  Get out to your local NORML or other reform group meeting or event.  I’m only working for NORML and doing this show because I met someone who introduced me to someone else.  Our engineer and intern are working here because they went out to meet other cannabis reformers.  You can find your local chapter at http://norml.org/chapters and if there isn’t one, email start@norml.org to learn how you can start one.

Download the NORML Daily Audio Stash for 2008-08-12

Download audio file (NORML_Daily_AudioStash_2008-08-12.mp3)

Today is Government at Work day… and most of them are in recess.  So I’m bringing back the interview with Rep. Barney Frank on his HR5843 bill to end federal penalties for personal marijuana possession.

Then I’ve got the executive producer of a new film chronicling the work of hemp activists, Rod Pitman.  It’s called “Hempsters Plant the Seed” and a screening will be held this Thursday at 7pm and 10pm at Portland’s Bagdad Theater (yes, it is spelled that way).