TFATD: Thanksgiving Show - Part 2 - Equus, Films, and Middle-earth

Part Two of The Falcon and the Dove's Thanksgiving podcast! This part is for more mature audiences than the first part (no swearing, however). Parents are advised to use discretion.

- We saw Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths in the Peter Shaffer Broadway revival play of Equus! We give our detailed (but spoiler-free) review of the play and the actors' performances as well as compare it to the original 1973 production (which Falcon also saw). Preview: it's more than worth the price of admission! Tickets are still available! The play's run continues up to February 5th, 2009.

- We review more adult films, including Doubt (with Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman), The Betrayal (a 23-year long documentary), The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (the Holocaust from a child's perspective), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (a comedy that is bound to be hysterical), and more!

- Parents may want to listen to our recommendations and cautions before seeing these films with your tweens, 13 and under. There is more than meets the eye for some of these titles.

- Emerald Took, author of the Lord of the Rings cookbook, 'Regional Cooking From Middle-earth: Recipes of the Third Age', will bring her Middle-earth treats to the East Side Borders bookstore in Pittsburgh, PA, on December 3rd from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. There will be samplings the adults can appreciate like bison stew (with a wee bit o' Guinness), hot chocolate that would defeat the Ringwraiths, and a veggie delightful paella that Barliman would certainly serve in Bree at the Prancing Pony, among other treats.

- There will also be a discussion of how to fix a Middle-earth feast for your guests, cookbook signing by the author herself, and winter gardening tips. Bring an appetite and pick up this special gift for the Elven chef on your list!

- Emerald Took will also be announcing her next book, a must-have for any parent with a college-age son or daughter!

- There will be another book signing by Emerald Took on December 17th at the East Side Borders in Pittsburgh from 6:30pm to 8:30pm!

- You can also order 'Regional Cooking From Middle-earth: Recipes of the Third Age' via Amazon here!

Download Part 2 of our Thanksgiving Show! (Right-click and Save Target As) (Length: 49 minutes; Size: 91 MB)

TFATD: Thanksgiving Show - Part 1 - Rik Emmett and Holiday Movies

The Falcon and the Dove is BACK with a two-part Thanksgiving show! We have a packed show for you! Although we won't be doing shows weekly again until further notice, we WILL release a show anytime there is a major event, film, etc. that we feel needs attention/discussion. And of course, Falcon will be posting on The Falcon and the Dove blog fairly regularly.

The first part of this show is for all audiences. The second part is for slightly more mature audiences (no swearing, however). We have an excellent show for you this week, so enjoy!

- Falcon attended a Rik Emmett concert on Nov. 15th in Pittsburgh, and reviewed it on this blog! She talks about that show and more!

- Falcon AND Dove attended the next Rik Emmett concert in Philadelphia on Nov. 22 at the Tin Angel. We review that show. We have video!

- A comment from a fan at the Philly show opens a discussion on our podcast: 'Is Rik Emmett the best living guitar player on the planet?' What guitar players still have their chops, and who is past their prime?

- Rik Emmett and Triumph are on iTunes! Check them out if you are new to them!

- Tori Martin: Only 9 years old and what a voice! She was at the Philadelphia show and has a CD with Triumph's 'Magic Power'! Check out her website at www.myspace.com/torimartinmusic.

- We review holiday movies! Twilight, Bolt, 7 Pounds, The Tale of Desperaux, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and more, including movies on DVD such as Hellboy II, and The Fall!

Download Part 1 of our Thanksgiving Show! (Right-click and Save Target As) (Length: 1 hour, 4 minutes; Size: 118 MB)

Movies, Music, and Giving Thanks for the Holidays

Hello Everyone!
Falcon here. The Holiday Movie Season has started, and there should be some interesting choices in theaters this year, since some major movie releases were moved to next summer. That has allowed some smaller, independent films to get attention and additional screens that would have been difficult under normal circumstances.

First, I would like to make a music update. Apparently, there are a lot of Rik Emmett fans out there who read Falcon and Dove's blog! Wow! We have posted one of the comments that was pretty typical of what we received: fans for years, seen many a Triumph and solo show...must see this guy in concert! Thanks to everyone who wrote or emailed, or friends who just called and said they didn't know there as a show last Saturday night, and how they wished they would have known because they would have gone to see him. I almost didn't go myself because I had plans to go to New York, and things changed at the last minute, so I probably didn't do my duty of broadcasting the event in advance the way I should have...we will NOT let that happen again.

There will be Triumph reunion tour shows apparently in 2009, so everyone hold on...or "Hold On...(that pun really wasn't intended) and when we have news and tour dates, Falcon and Dove will let you know here!

Now...movies, movies, movies. I think everyone saw Quantum of Solace last week for opening. Is there anyone left who hasn't seen it? Great opening numbers...this weekend is Twilight the extremely popular books by Stephenie Meyer and starring Harry Potter's Cedric Diggory, Robert Pattinson. This is hard to describe. It you like the books, or the eye candy, you will love the film. If you don't know anything about it, and you go to the movie...you may enjoy it, maybe not. I wouldn't take young children to this, I don't care if they have read the books. Take them to see Bolt. There are some delightful animated features coming out this season with some great voices provided by veteran performers. We will cover them as they come along.

The Punisher has been cut by 30 minutes. Ugh! What I have seen leaves me wondering if it will still hold up. There are some projects that if you undertake them you do so with an understanding that some aspects cannot be compromised. The Punisher is violent and a little complicated. It is what it is. If you don't explain that well, the movie will not fly. Let's see how it looks, but I am hesitant at this point.

For stocking stuffers, make sure you get Hellboy II: The Golden Army and Ironman for those fans of comic delight. These look fierce and have great offerings in their home packages. Those who get Hellboy on Blu-Ray will have an opportunity to open some special features in the package, fill in some questions, and submit them to Guillermo del Toro who is being interviewed on Universal's HD link (Sunday at 9pm, EST)and shown on the Sci-Fi Channel next week. go to www.UniversalHiDef.com

Other up and coming films include a remake with Keanu Reeves of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Looks like the outcome is the same. Star Trek the younger...starring Pittsburgh native from Central Catholic high school (and villain on Heroes) Zack Quinto looks really impressive as Mr. Spock. There are a couple of distinctly Glasswegian accents in this younger group, and nice on the eyes for the female viewers (okay, I like rugby players, too...they're hot), but it really is hard to tell where the plot is going by the trailer. We have been waiting a long time for this one...I hope it lives up to all the hype.

Benjamin Button...well, I don't know what to say. This could fly high or drop like a rock; hard to tell. The cinematography looks great, strong actors, panoramic view through various cultures and history... but the plot is weird...weirder than weird. Baby born old and shriveled gets younger as he grows older and looks like Brad Pitt by the time he's middle-aged. Falls in love with Cate Blanchett's character, and is getting younger looking while becoming older. I don't know how this could possibly end well.

Dove and I will cover these and other films on the Thanksgiving weekend podcast next week in more detail.

Many of you are traveling for the holidays beginning this weekend, so we would like to wish you and your family well this holiday season. Stay safe, strong, happy and healthy. From our family to yours, we wish you well, World Family.

You know, Thanksgiving for us is a special, solemn holiday. It's not about football games, and stuffing ourselves over the feast (okay, maybe a little).

Thanksgiving is literally about Giving Thanks. It is a time when my daughter and I share with other friends and family members how much we appreciate their presence in our lives. We review our gratitude journals together and talk about what we are thankful for: the gifts, the blessings, and the trials, because the trials we survive teach us so much.

These are hard times for many families. Some people are losing their jobs, their savings, their livelihood. I know that it is hard to be positive at this time of year when so much is expected. The most important gift you can give anyone, is yourself: free from the burden of doubt, self deprecation, and pity. You may not be able to buy the gifts you want for your family this year, but you are not your money...you are a sacred gift and what you have to offer from your presence in your loved ones lives is more important than money will ever be. You are the priceless gift. Do not allow pettiness, competitiveness among friends and family members, etc. distract you or make you doubt your strength and fortitude. You will get another job, even if it doesn't feel that way right now. You are NOT just your occupation; you are what you dream, share, and actualize with others.

Volunteer this holiday season, you may meet your next employer standing beside you as you pass out the holiday dinner. Put a dollar in the red kettle, if you have one to spare. Sing carols to elders in nursing homes and children in hospital beds; you cannot imagine how much that means to those families. Help send gifts to our troops overseas and away from home. Coordinate events that make people smile, small or large. As you know, Falcon and Dove love these kinds of events. We meet so many cool people every event we do. Make your own celebrations for your own accomplishments. Reward yourself with down time, a good book, nice relaxing baths, or a vigorous workout that you love. Don't forget you during the holidays.

Celebrate the simple things: making meals together, playing in the snow, watching the games on television,listening to music, singing, dancing, sharing. See a movie with the kids for a dollar; most cities have bargain theatres. Celebrate your faith genuinely. Give somebody a hug. Give a lot of somebodies a hug. Tell someone you have never told that you love them. Remind those that you love what a joy they are to have in your life. Be bold and unafraid of rejection or judgement. Forgive past wrongs. Really...what does holding on to all that do for you anyway? It poisons you, and brings no joy. Let go of it and see how much better you may feel.

For those with loved ones far away, know that they love you and know that they know you love them. Distance does not make love any weaker; sometimes it actually makes it stronger. Keep you faith and your prayers high.

Dove is coming home for holiday break, and it looks like we may make a quick road trip to Philly. There's someone she would like to see...

Have a great weekend, Brothers and Sisters!
Peace,
Falcon

Guitarist Rik Emmett has Set of the Century

Hello World Family,
Falcon here. In these times of changing politics and economic upheaval, it is wonderful when you find opportunities that truly give more than you pay for. Such is the case when seeing live in concert some of the guitar greats of rock, jazz, and folk traditions. All of these categories are complimented by the guitar genius that is Canadian singer/songwriter and guitar man extraordinaire Rik Emmett.

Seriously, this guy is absolutely the mot underrated guitar player in the world. I don't say this lightly. Falcon has seen concerts all over the world by some of the most prolific and talented individuals, and Emmett is one for the record books. His career spans over 4 decades, beginning with his tenure with Triumph in the 1970's (and now again in a recent series of reunion shows), and a solo career that began in 1990 through the present. In that time he has delivered some of the most diverse, articulately creative music of an age, and gets just about zero attention for it.

This man was the teaching editor for Guitar Player magazine back in the 1980's and early 90's. Most of the most talented performers of a generation learned off his chops. He has performed with the greats: Clapton, Morse.and been compared to legends, King, Hendrix, and Wes Montgomery. His influences are celestially varied, which is what makes his music so good. The live show in Pittsburgh at the Rex Theatre on Saturday night was in the stratosphere of memorable performances.

One of the contributors to this superb set was input from the Internet on rikemmett.com. Concert-goers were able to put in requests in advance, and that made for a set list of stellar offerings spanning from the Triumph days through the most recent releases with co-Troubadour Dave Dunlop. The duo show, with particular attention to intimacy and acoustic verve is a solidly delightful way to enjoy the variety of approaches to pieces Emmett employs throughout the evening. In short, this is an extraordinary opportunity for music fans to see an ace performance of a lifetime for modest money and a priceless show.

Those in the Philadelphia and Annapolis area, you will have a chance next weekend to see Mr. Emmett at Tin Angel and the renovated Ram's Head respectively. I strongly advise that you run out and get tickets immediately. Triumph is doing some reunion shows in the near future, and Pittsburgh fans were delighted to hear that their city was on the list of possible shows. If you are anywhere near these venues and even if you aren't (NYC, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Harrisburg, you are certainly in range), you should take out some time from the holiday rush, grab your friends and family and see this man in concert.

If you are a young guitar player, you simply must see Rik Emmett in concert. The show and set last night was one of the best I had seen in my lifetime, and that is saying something. I have seen many great guitar players in my time: Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Hendrix, B.B, King, Stevie Ray Vaughn (and I am now going to correct a little Pittsburgh history concerning Mr. Vaughn; his first appearance in Pittsburgh was not at The Decade Lounge; it was his second. His first appearance, believe it or not, was as a warm-up act on the "Long Distance Voyager" Tour for none-other than The Moody Blues...yes I said The Moody "Nights in White Satin" Blues". I was there, I saw him play, and when he was booked at The Decade I roamed around the university area for hours waiting to get in line when the doors opened to see him), Randy Rhoads, Eric Clapton (many times), Eric Johnson (both of them), Steve Howe, and so many other legendary performers. Many times, we didn't realize the history that was being created by these gifted souls.

You are put on notice that this is history.

You should see Rik Emmett play live and in an intimate setting now. Triumph shows will draw thousands of fans, and you will not get this kind of look at this monumental artisan at that kind of show. See this one, if you can.

I won't give away too much as far as the set is concerned, and the set in Philly and Annapolis may be different. Why don't you go to the website and ask for your favorites? Who knows? You may get to hear your special tune in a living room like setting that will remain forever in your mind and heart. I will say that there were some surprises in the set. Songs like "Middle Ground" from Absolutely, and "Three Clouds Across the Moon" on Swing Shift ( if I remember correctly, I believe this piece was inspired by the Henri Rousseau painting, "A Carnivale Evening" hanging in the Philadelphia Museum of Art) and a power duo version of "Midsummer's Daydream" that will blow the mind of any home player who has sat around for years trying to get some of those licks down, much less perform the harmonic in tandem with another guitarist! Dave Dunlop keeps up, and takes Rik's attempts at stand-up comedy between songs in stride. So does the audience. Most seemed to be very familiar with Rik's discography, but there were many who were not that commented that this was possibly the best concert of their lives. Yes, it was that good.

For Triumph fans that have to hear their standards, don't worry, they are included. Personally, I liked all the choices, particularly the extremely challenging "El Cuento de Gadjo" from "10 Invitations from the Mistress of Mr. E", a Flamingo-infused drama that rouses the senses with saffron, roses, and a fierce, sensual dance of love and tension, as well as the Triumph fave "Suitcase Blues" that brings up images for any road warrior musician (Johnny Walker red-black or blue, but not green, according to Mr. E).

Hopefully, Rik will continue to do these theatre gigs that allow young people in particular the opportunity to see his shows in these smaller venues. There were two young fans (Zachary and Elliot, I believe) who enjoyed the show immensely. That is something that they will carry forward and remember. It is important to expose young children, tweens, and teens to good music early...and live, whenever possible.

For those of you too far away from these next gigs, check future dates, and buy some music on-line from iTunes or the website shop. After all, journeymen live for the music, but a CD/Album purchase is nice, too.

Peace,
Falcon

Paulson at the Crack of Doom

Hello World Family,
Falcon here...amazed at yet another week of insanity in what has become the Show that Never Ends on the U.S. economy. Hank Paulson is about to address the public again in a few minutes, but I must make a casual observation about his behavior two days ago, and a certain page out of fantasy literature that it reminded me of...

Paulson, Secretary of the U.S. Treasury was given power several weeks ago by Congress to rescue failing financial institutions from themselves by investing $700 Billion in those banks to free up credit and help families keep their homes and avoid foreclosure caused by irresponsible leveraging and unabated greed along with rampant misrepresentation and solid thievery. Endowed with this power, Paulson has now decided that he is not going to do what Congress gave his the power to do: fix the bad debt, get it off the books, and get money moving to the common man once again. He has decided in his great an infinite wisdom that the 'better' plan is give money to banks in an unanswerable fashion and banks are now refusing to share what exactly they will do with the money, saying they were not mandated to reveal how the assets were going to be used.

As Grant would say on Ghosthunters..."What the fetch?!"

I suddenly recalled a passage from Tolkien's "The Return of the King" (a must-read) the third volume in "The Lord of the Rings". The line was spoken by Frodo at literally the Crack of Mount Doom. Standing over fire and flame at a gaping chasm, in the bowels of Sauron's most treasured foundry...tired, beaten, bruised, and battered (think the American taxpayers), Frodo has come far in his journey, but he is momentarily distracted by the will of Sauron in his most powerful place (think Paulson). In this moment, he says...

"I have come, but I choose now not to do what I came to do". I will not do this thing. The Ring is mine!!!"

For some reason, this line jumped into my head when I saw Hank Paulson speaking. He is possessed, I thought. The power has gotten to him, and he has lost his mind. Is his idea better than the original idea? Well, whether it is or not may be moot. The fact is that he is an employee to the American public. He answers to us. He is not omnipotent, and he needs to remember that he is a humble public servant. For a moment, he forgot this fact, and spoke in a rather pedestrian fashion about how he will not apologize for changing his mind. Like I said, Frodo at the Crack of Doom.

As soon as Gollum/Smeagol did his thing, blinded by greed and selfishness, Frodo was fine. He was no longer possessed by Sauron's evil. I am wondering what it will take to get Hank Paulson to remember who he works for, and that the American public has a right to know what is happening to their money...our money, Mr. Paulson!

I know Congress was hard on his Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Kashkari this morning...but I know why they were. There was a classic bait-and-switch employed, and they are not happy. The American public is not happy. The shareholders are not happy. Hmm...arrogance breeds outrage, imagine that?! "The Treasury should not put money into failing institutions", he said. Ah...isn't that why we passed the $700B bill in the first place? Weren't we going to save financial institutions 'too big to fail'? I repeat Grant's question, "What the fetch?"

Paulson is coming on now...I will listen to what he says with great interest, and many around the world will. Everyone should pay attention to what is begin said. Stay informed, Family!

Have a safe and enjoyable weekend!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Rockin' The Paradise

Hello World Family,
"Tonight's the night we make history...honey, you and I. And I'll take any risk to tie back the hands of time, and stay with you here tonight."
"Dennis DeYoung, Styx, Rockin' the Paradise, Paradise Theatre, 1981

Falcon here. Wow! What an election night here in the U.S., eh? Somehow, in the middle of all the excitement last night, this was the song that popped into my head. After thinking about it, I understand why. Styx was born and breed in the South Side of Chicago (appropriate since that is where President-elect Barack Obama started his community service work) and the song was composed at a time when, under the Reagan administration, many young people were wondering how to change America for the better. Sound familiar?

Falcon and Dove want to congratulate the new first family (yes, there will be a puppy in the White House!) and sincerely pray that now that the election is over, Americans will realize we have a hell of a lot of work to do, and we need to do it together.

I am particularly proud of my home state of Pennsylvania. Obama carried all but 5 counties in the entire state. Unfortunately, those 5 counties he didn't carry surround the greater Pittsburgh area...which gives me pause.

I have a special message for some of the people in those counties:
"Dear neighbor,
I guess you got a lot of those nasty emails about Obama, and read every single one. I wish you would read a newspaper, a book, a noteworthy magazine with the same enthusiasm as you read fear and hate-mongoring emails. If you did, you would know a lot more not only about our national candidates, but our regional and local candidates as well. I can say this with complete confidence because I got those emails, too. (Although I really didn't want to). I understood the mentality of those who create them, but I don't pretend to understand those who spread them.

Those that made them are ignorant individuals whose own self-loathing has become a virus that they cannot even recognise in themselves anymore. Those that spread them I cannot fathom. I do know one thing: there are only two real emotions in the universe (the rest are partial manifestations of these): LOVE and FEAR. I would suppose that those who penned these vile vommitous masses would fall into the latter catagory, since love clearly has nothing to do with it.

Do you really think that your values are unique or separate from those of anyone else? Do you really live in a different America? Do you really only identify with Joe and Plumber, and not Maya Angelou? If so, then this may be a very difficult period for you. As Bob Dylan would say, the times they are a changin' and it is time for those hanging on to immature perspectives and hateful rhetoric to grow the hell up.

I don't know what will happen tomorrow, but I do know one thing: America will not go backwards. The paradigm has shifted and minds will only move forward no matter how rewarding or challenging. I hope that your mind joins the party. Don't be proverbially dragged, kicking and screming like an infant having a temper tantrum to revelation of change and growth. It really is for the best, even in the worst of times. No one said it will be easy, but it will...be.

The First Commandment is to Love They Neighbor, as Theyself...don't forget the last part, dear neighbor. We are all in this together, so let's work together to make things better for all of us.
Sincerely,
Your Neighborhors that Love You"

Brothers and Sisters, I was actually going to close this post talking about how proud I am to be an American at this time in hour history. I was going to mention that Obama and I are the same age, have daughters, and sincere hope for their future. I still want to emphasize that...but I think I am going to change my original plans for song lyrics to quote. I was going to post the lyrics to"Rockin'the Paradise" (Paradise referring to America in the song; Styx did this a lot, also see Suite: Madame Blue on the Equinox album). Those of you who don't know the song, you can go look up the lyrics and/or listen to the piece. It is very poinant to the entire American landscape right now. However, the song lyrics I am going to leave you with are from the Progressive Rock supergroup, YES. This was not their most popular song, but in this post-election environment, I feel it is the most important. It is probably one of my most favorite songs ever written by anyone, anywhere. It is a song of hope, affirmation, resolution...and release.

The More We Live
Verse One

You and I can change the world;

The more we live, the more we learn, the more we know.

From this moment on we share the world;

The more we give, the more we love, the more we grow.

The spirit of imagination can lead us through the dark;

The more we see, the more we try, the more we show.

The evidence of our confusion, life has left its mark;

The more we fear, the more we lie, the more we hide.


As we walk into tomorrow

(Turning away from the path we know)

Holding the future with our hands

(We carry the weight of the world we go)

It's up to you and I -- We hold the key; we hold the answers

Verse Two

All our thoughts of doubt and fear are leaving one by one

The more we live, the more we learn, the more we know.

For each of us the road is clear and life has just begun;

The more we give, the more we love, the more we grow.

Each time we reach for goals we set for ourselves,

The more we fear, the more we lie, the more we hide.

All we need is just to believe in ourselves;

We face the truth, we see it clear, with no disguise.


Cast away our doubt and sorrow

(Turning away from the past we know)

The Universe at our command

(Sharing the fate of the world we grow)

Together you and I, we hold the key to all the answers

(All the answers)

Let go...

(Chris Squire)
From the album, Union, 1991.

Today we move forward, World Family. Let's remind ourselves that there is no 'box' and our 'outside thinking' (thinking outside the box) is really reality shifting. Keep praying, and while we pray...move our feet.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

College Students: VOTE TODAY ONLY!!!

Hello Friends and Family,
Hey college students: have you received an email today, November 4 telling you that you can vote tomorrow if the lines are too long....this is a lie!
You cannot vote tomorrow!

YOU MUST VOTE TONIGHT BY 8pm in MOST STATES, and 9pm in NEW YORK!!!!

If you are already in line as the clock strikes closing time, don't worry; anyone in line will get in to vote. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW ! VOTE TODAY!

THIS IS IT!!!

Brothers, and Sisters, there will be evil forces out there who do not want you to do your civic duty as an American. If for some reason, there is confusion at your polling location about whether you can vote, ASK FOR A PROVISIONAL BALLOT!


THIS IS YOUR AMERICAN RIGHT!

If a machine isn't working, ASK FOR A PAPER BALLOT!

It WILL count tonight! Provisional ballots must be verified, but your vote will eventually be added.

DO NOT BE FOOLED BY EVIL FORCES!

VOTE NOW, do it today! This is the last day that matters for this year's
election!

Good luck!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove