Why is Everyone So Crazy? Also: Mercury Retrograde for September

Hey World Family! Falcon here to pose the question I keep hearing over and over again right now: Why is everyone so crazy? We are not talking about the usual quirks and idiosyncrasies; we are talking bold flat-out off the trail and deep into the woods, off the rez, not making any sense, completely off their rocker, crazy. Here are some of the dynamics that may shine light on the deep recesses of the current lunacy.

First of all, there is a Uranus opposition to Sun: we experienced this on Election Day of 2008, and again in February of 2009. Seeds planted then are now coming to bear fruit-for better or for challenge. Now, not all the challenges are ‘bad’; some are the fruits of stuff that needed to be sorted out a LONG time ago and was pushed under the proverbial rug. Now is the time to get them cleaned up and straightened out. It may seem crazy, but ultimately, it may lead to a better more conscious way of living-more responsible, more resourceful, more mature.
There is another reason that there seems to be more unbalanced responses from people right now-it is the symptom of a much larger cold-the virus of FEAR.

I am not going to sugar coat this; it could be a rough fall and winter. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be good things coming down the pike, but only if you have prepared to receive them. If springtime was spent in folly, unfocused, and not taking responsibility for something that should have been owned, fall could frankly suck. Like those who didn’t put seeds in the ground for harvest now, you may find your personal pantry depleted. Here’s the part that really stings: you probably have no one to blame but yourself, even if it appears others are involved. Let me explain:

Health Care Reform: words that strike fear in the hearts of politicians everywhere. Many of them think that the crazy people they are running in to at meetings are completely without merit; in some cases they are right. There is a bigger story to this, however. For years, we have needed modification in this country to health care. We have allowed profit to override, policy; lives to be sacrificed for drugs that don’t work and food additives that poison our populations, and it has all gone unabated. The idea that the federal government could run health care any better than anything else of recent memory is positively fear evoking for many.

We need universal health care. We need to take profit out of the healing of bodies, and it needs to be done now. If we don’t have something in place very soon, it could hamper our efforts to treat people on a large scale if we have an epidemic, a pandemic, or just a bad cold and flu season. The problem is: many people are acting with fear as the leading motivator, not reason and lucidity. As a result, the fear gets all the attention, and little is actually done that promotes creating a system that will benefit all. We must benefit all, or we all will fall.
High paid consultants have been paying people to misrepresent themselves at meetings, send emails that aren’t from the organizations they say they are (astroturfing), and there have been general disruptions in what could have been a sensible, solution-centered conversation about health and wellness. This is despicable. The result is, we may not get a health care plan in place before the end of the year, and literally, lives could be lost because of it. Further, there is no discussion about integrative therapies that could save millions of dollars, and many lives. We could bear bad fruit from inaction, and worse, allowing fear to override reason.

What should we do? There must be a strong, steady response to the stupid. People are whispering about the madness, and not shouting that it is completely irresponsible and costing us collectively. It is time to respond with loving reason and sensible dialog. That used to be respected. That time should come again. We are all responsible for the stupid unless we rise up, speak out, and act accordingly.

Oh, and if you are one of the individuals who have perpetuated lies, misled, behaved deceitfully and maliciously, interfered with fair process, or propagated chaos-you are in deep do-do. Depending on your astrological sign, this upcoming Mercury Retrograde period (beginning September 7 and running through September 29) could be nothing but challenge. You may have experienced a Wylie Coyote lesson this year (i.e. doing things for a prolonged period of time that were completely wrong, and maybe awareness of that wrongness has just come to the surface). If you have, don’t go away mad, just go away. This is a spanking that if not heeded will only grow in its painfulness of teaching whatever important lesson that needed to be gleaned. Don’t be vengeful because in some way, you asked for it. Just take it, be prayerfully grateful it wasn’t worse, and move on.

To those who are just plain overwhelmed with fear right now: STOP. Embrace something nice that makes you feel strong, steady, and renews your confidence. Don’t listen to those who would put you down or try to damage your spirit through underhanded tactics. Celebrate your self. You are so much more than you know; and your capabilities are much greater than you think they are. Rise to the occasion and move forward with confidence that you will figure it all out. Don’t let the retrograde period fool you; better times are coming and you can build a build a better future-visualize your possibilities. Don’t start the program until after Merc retro passes. Plan now.

There are going to be times this fall when it is clear that you are going to have to cut some people loose. You may not win this one, and just let them go and wish them well. DO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH REVENGE ATTACHED RIGHT NOW>YOU WILL PAY IN SPADES! Let it go. Move on.

Mercury Retrograde is a time of planning, introspection, cleaning out junk, organizing, moving forward with current plans with caution, but not starting any new ones right now. If you have a really great new idea, start it as soon as this period is over. Right now, investigate how to implement it, and form a business plan. Stay light on your toes; be flexible and patient. This period will pass.

Every time one of these challenging periods passes, we hear from Family on the blog that find the warnings were helpful. That is why we continue to share them.

Oh, and one more thing: if I had been in the store where the 61 year old man had hit a 2 year old baby four times for crying while in the check-out line, the baby wouldn’t have been the only one crying! The comments I have heard from mothers the past few days confirm to Falcon that this guys was lucky that mother wasn’t like the mothers I have met…or me for that matter. This was an example of extreme stupid craziness. Whatever kind of bad day this man was having, he is now facing felony assault charges-did that make his day any better? Think before acting, Family! Walk in love, even when it’s tough love. Let go of what you have outgrown, or what is no longer appropriate for you. Don’t seek revenge, seek wisdom. Keep as cool a head as you can right now.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Polluter Fraud Citizen Tip Line Launches THURSDAY

Hello World Family,
Falcon here with an important announcement and conference call THIS MORNING!!!
Please see the announcement from our Brother at the National Wildlife Federation:

Polluter Fraud Citizen Tip Line Launches THURSDAY

Aims to Uncover Extent of Oil and Coal Lobby Abuses
Callers Can Report Forgeries and Staged Events



What: Lobbyists funded by the coal industry are under
investigation for forging letters to Congress--
going so far as to falsify and steal the letterhead of civil rights,
senior, and other interest groups and send letters on their behalf to
members of Congress. Recent weeks have also seen the American Petroleum
Institute create a new front group in an effort to manufacture
opposition to comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation.

Now the AAUW, National Wildlife Federation, NAACP, and Center for
American Progress Action Fund and Sierra Club are joining forces to help
average citizens blow the whistle on deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal
tactics being perpetrated by big polluters and their lobbyists to strike
down clean energy innovation. The tip line (866-363-4648) launches on
Thursday morning.

When: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Eastern

Dial-In: Call 1-800-944-8766 pin 62856# just before 11 a.m.
(Eastern)

10 a.m. (Central) / 9 a.m. (Mountain) /
8 a.m. (West)


Who: Adam Kolton (moderator), senior director, congressional
and federal affairs, NWF

Linda Hallman, CAE, executive director, American Association of
University Women

Mary Anne Hitt, deputy director, Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign
Hilary O. Shelton, vice president for advocacy & director, NAACP
Washington bureau

Dan Weiss, senior fellow, Center for American Progress Action Fund

Contact: Tony Iallonardo, National Wildlife Federation,
202-503-8581, iallonardot@nwf.org
Lisa Goodnight, AAUW, 202-785-7738, goodnightl@aauw.org

Special thanks to my friend Ed Perry for forwarding this along. This is too important!

Falcon and Dove

Going to TIFF? Check out this event!

Hello World Family,
This morning we heard from our Brother Mike Regina at TORN-The One Ring.net, and he will be part of a panel at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. See his information below:

I will be doing a panel at the Toronto International Film Festival(TIFF) and would love to have a chat with anyone else who is attending! Dropme a line if you are interested, my panel will be:

Time: Sunday 13th 11:00am to 12:00pm
Location: 5th Elementt Restaurant, 1055 Bay Street, M5S 3A5

I am doing it in conjunction with the folks from z2hmedia.com, check out their website when you get a chance!

The panel is part of the 'Meet With...' segment of TIFFhttp://www.tiff.net/industry/programmes/meet-with

Meet With... is a series of informal and intimate information sessions on the hottest topics in today's film industry. Meet With... provides attendees with a unique opportunity to gain insight into the fundamentals of thebusiness and craft of filmmaking from seasoned industry professionals.

Meet With... is open to all Sales & Industry and Guest Relations Passholders.

2009 Meet With. Topics include:
* Feature comedy writing*
Digital distribution*
DIY Web 2.0* What filmmakers and producers should know about the convergence of the Film and Game industries*
An interview with a special selection of Variety's "Top 10 Producersto Watch"*
The state of international film festivals* and more...

Confirmed Guest Speakers include:
John Cooper, Director, Sundance Film Festival

Matt Dentler, Head of Programming and Marketing, Cinetic Media

John GalwayPresident, Astral Media

The Harold Greenberg Fund

Paul GertzExecutive Producer, Network Entertainment

Nathon GunnCEO, Social Game Universe

Sydney LevineStrategic Planner, sydneysbuzz.blogspot.com

Kevin ShorttLead Scriptwriter - Story Design,

Ubisoft Matt TonerPresident, Zeros 2 Heroes Media

All the best, Michael Regina, Editor in Chief - TheOneRing.net

ALL G-20 PERMITS HAVE BEEN APPROVED!

Hello World Family,
BREAKING NEWS! As of noon today, all G-20 public permits have been approved! All parks will be used that were applied for, and the march is also approved! HUGE VICTORY FOR DEMOCRACY!!!

This is why America can be cool! When we all work together, use our voices, use some logic, and keep our hearts and minds open, we can find an accord. Yes, there will be conditions...

Point State Park is only available 9am-11pm-no overnight camping. We still don't know where the march on Friday will end in downtown; that is still going to be figured out, but it will happen with approval!

Other issues like who is paying for all this and additional police begin approved to come in rom other cities was also on the docket today, all the figures seem to be all coming together.

More news is pending, and things will be in flux for awhile, but we here at Falcon and Dove just had to share the good news!!!

Everyone, be proud of your hard work!!! It was excellent! I am so proud of all my Brothers and Sisters who worked so hard on this. I am proud of our officials who worked diligently and consistently in front of, and behind the scenes to make this a reality.

World-you are gregariously welcomed to Pittsburgh to share ideas, protest, and engage in democracy during the G-20. You are invited to not be disruptive nor distructive. This is our house, and we want you be comfortable, but we don't want you doing anything that will bring harm to us or our children. Be kind, engage, enlighten, but do not disrespect our hospitality.

There will be many, many local eyes and ears and hearts in this sacred place: honor it with your presence, your love, your insight, and your wisdom.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

City of Champions Becomes a G-20 Police State? Oh, No We Can't

Hello World Family,
Falcon, here, reporting directly after returning from a meeting of coalition forces of labor groups, spiritual groups, environmental groups, veterans groups, and more to say that even though no permits have been approved for the public for the G-20 period in Pittsburgh Sept. 24-25, 2009, our voices will be heard! This is our house, and we will be heard.

Here's the thing: It's our right. It's our constitutional right. Americans have watched their rights widdled away by government during the past decade, and this is another example of a good idea gone bad. Want to protect the public? Allow them to participate in the Democratic process that is our right as Americans. Here's what I mean...

Turning Point State Park into a staging area for law enforcement is, in a word: dumb. There's a reason my ancestors didn't base themselves in what is today the Golden Triangle: you're a sitting duck down there. This is the space that law enforcement will plan and stage? The point furthest from everything else in downtown Pittsburgh, including the Convention Center? Seriously? Well, a malcontent wouldn't have to be in downtown to do damage; they could pick you off from the West End!

This is not good; let the people have the park...every park; staging should be done in strategic places all over downtown, and preferably, underground. Yeah, I know soft targets in the park? Better locals with local knowledge a double the sets of eyes in Pittsburgh on every bridge, buffer, underpass, tunnel, overpass and hillside than some out of town law enforcement who are going to have a crash course in familiarizing themselves with the streets, topography and terrain in a month's time. Yes, I said that. If permits were issued to the organizations who applied, there would be 100,000 pairs of eyes with local knowledge, working with law enforcement 'cause this is OUR HOUSE! This is OUR HOME! You think we are going to let some troublemakers mess up our town? Oh, no we won't!

If the approach is to treat this like a natural disaster, I have a suggestion: bring in the aid BEFORE the storm hits! Your aid is your people; the people.

This is not just a political issue; it is a moral one. This is a sacred place; the confluence of The Three Rivers is a sacred force of power and prayer. That spot belongs to the people. ALL THE PEOPLE.

This is the City of Champions. WE are champions because we invite all peaceful people into our borders as family and friends. We are all Brothers and Sisters. Isn't that what Falcon and Dove have said since we started this blog?! We honor our differences and the opportunity to share our perspectives. We are not going to allow those with distracted tendencies to undermine our messages of peace, tolerance, and our constitutional right to do what we will do. We will also not allow our city, our home, our front yard to become District 9. We will walk, talk, and act. That is how democracies work, and that is how it will work in Pittsburgh during the G-20. WE will see to it.

We are all shareholders: veterans, politicians, clergy, environmentalists, union members, bloggers, firefighters, police, EMS, and teachers. We all have an investment in this event, and we all have something to gain...and to lose. There will be drama to be sure, but if we focus all our collective efforts, this will be an extraordinary opportunity to share. Why the elitism? Why the separation? What are we really afraid of? NOTHING! WE THE PEOPLE are not afraid.

We are taking a stand for our children and our grandchildren. We are honoring our ancestors with our hands, our voice, and our walk.

As Peter Gabriel once said in a song about a strong freedom fighter, Steven Biko, "The eyes of the world are watching now".

So are our children.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Les Paul, Guitar Virtuoso, dies at age 94

Hello World Family,
On this the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock, guitar great Les Paul has passed away from complications from pneumonia. To try to sum up the accomplishments of this man in a few lines is simply impossible. He was one of the greatest pickers ever. His innovations of, with, and for the guitar are unmeasurable. He was a studio progressive, seeing the way forward into an emerging music industry that was just about to burst forth in Rock 'N Roll. He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Without Les Paul and Leo Fender, there would be no electric guitar.

The first Gibson solid-body was released in 1952. Les Paul's contribution to recording was unprecedented: he created multi-track recording. He and his wife Mary Ford (Colleen Summers), experimented with echo and over-dubbing. It completely changed the way previous releases of his music sounded, and revolutionized the industry, to say the very least.

If you listen to electric music today, if you have ever touched a Les Paul autograph, solid-body, pearl inlaid, black guitar...or dreamed about it, say a prayer of thanks for Les Paul's gift to the world. If you haven't...well, you probably aren't reading this on the Internet, are you? If by chance you are about to hear your first electronic guitar tonight, may I suggest a recording:"I'm Sitting on Top of the World". Somewhere in the heavens, he is sitting, and hopefully, still smiling.

Thank you, very, very much, Mr. Paul. For everything you gave us, inspired us to do, and took from our dreams and brought into reality...thank you bunches!

I will miss you...from the top to bottom of my heart...I love you.

Peace be with you and your family,
Falcon

Netroots in Pittsburgh This Weekend; Pancreatic Cancer Walk on Sunday

Hello World Family,
There are some pretty cool events in Pittsburgh this weekend, and some food for thought from one of my favorite brothers. If you are in the area:


Important Reminders for Pick Up the Pace

Please double-check these event details!
Registration opens at 9:00 a.m.
Event begins at 10:00 a.m.

The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network invites you to Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer this Sunday, August 16, 2009! Join us at the North Park Boathouse in Allison Park, PA as we create awareness, raise funds and meet others who share the same goal: to find a cure for pancreatic cancer!

Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer includes a 1- or 3-mile walk, live and silent auctions, a raffle and live music. Activities for kids include face painting and balloons. New this year will be a survivors' tent, children's tent and organized team photos. Registration and check-in begins at 9:00 a.m., and the walk's opening ceremonies begin at 10:00 a.m.

There is no parking at the boathouse; parking will be provided in the surrounding lots, and shuttle buses will take participants from the swimming pool parking lot to the event beginning at 8:00 a.m. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

Register online for this event. Online registration will close today at 5:00 p.m. EDT, but you can also register at the event beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. T-shirts will be available while supplies last. Pancreatic cancer survivors register for free! After registering, your very own personal fundraising site will be created for you to customize and share your story. We encourage participants to fundraise and you can earn fun prizes for doing so!

Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer will also feature an honor wall at our event. If you would like your loved one's picture on the memory wall, bring your photo the day of the walk. You can also include information about your loved one to post alongside the photo.

For more information, please contact Theresa Dukovich at tdukovich@pancanvolunteer.org.

Pick Up the Pace for Pancreatic Cancer
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Registration opens at 9:00 a.m.
Event begins at 10:00 a.m.
North Park Boathouse
Pierce Mill Road
Allison Park, PA 15101


Netroots in Pittsburgh at David L. Lawrence Convention Center-food for thought

Falcon has been covering a booth, and talking to a lot of people about a lot of things. This article by our Brother Garrison came to my attention this week, and it provides some interesting food for thought: about blogging, the Internet, and how the New Media revolution is changing the face of communications…for the better. There are also some comments about Healthcare Reform. Thanks to Tribune Media. I will contribute my own at the end of this piece:

The tragedy of the Internet
By Garrison Keillor
http://www.salon.com/opinion/keillor/2009/08/12/new_media/


Aug. 12, 2009 | You know it's going to be a difficult day when you wake up with "Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera, Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera" going around and around in your head and it won't stop. You know that probably you should not tackle healthcare reform today though brainlessness has not stopped other people from weighing in on it. (FALCON’S NOTE: I haven’t heard that song in years).


Here are mobs of flannel-mouthed robots denouncing Socialist Gummint Takeover as Medicare goes rolling along rather tidily and the private schemes resemble railroads of the early 19th century, when each line decided its own gauge and each stationmaster decided what time it is. Anyone who has tried to coax authorization for payment from Federated Amalgamated Health knows that, for incomprehensible standards and voluminous rules and implacable bureaucrats, the health insurance industry carries on where the Italian postal service left off. But don't mind me, I'm a man with a viral song in my head and I should go soak it.


The goons who go to town hall meetings and shout down the congressmen are museum pieces. They can shout until the bats fall off the rafters, but if you really want to know about health insurance, you just look around on the Internet and it's all there and more. The president gave a good solid tutorial on the subject back in June to the AMA, and you can still find it at YouTube. When you come to choose between him and the goons, you don't have to think too hard.

This is the beauty of new media: It isn't so transitory as newspapers and TV. Good stuff sticks around and people e-mail it to friends and slowly it floods the country.


What the new media age also means is that there won't be newspapers to send reporters to cover the next war, but there will be 6 million teenage girls blogging about their plans for the weekend. There will be no TV networks to put on dramas in which actors in costume strut and orate and gesticulate, but you can see home video of dogs and anybody's high school graduation anywhere in America. We will be a nation of unpaid freelance journalists and memoirists. This is not necessarily a bad thing.


It comes too late for Richard Nixon or Bill Clinton. In the new media age, there would not be a Watergate or a Monica Lewinsky. The president could conspire to break the law or canoodle with anybody within arm's reach and likely there would be nobody in the forest to hear that particular tree fall. And that would be just fine. All we got from those enormous Old Media events, frankly, was entertainment. They were no more enlightening than a Harold Robbins novel.


I'm an old media guy and I love newspapers, but they were brought down by a long period of gluttonous profits when they were run as monopolies by large, phlegmatic, semi-literate men who endowed schools of journalism that labored mightily to stamp out any style or originality and to create a cadre of reliable transcribers. That was their role, crushing writers and rolling them into cookie dough. Nobody who compares newspaper writing to the swashbuckling world of blogging can have any doubt where the future lies. Bloggers are writers who've been liberated from editors, and some of them take you back to the thrilling days of frontier journalism, before the colleges squashed the profession.

The Internet is a powerful tide that is washing away some enormous castles and releasing a lovely sense of independence and playfulness in the American people. Millions of people have discovered the joys of seeing yourself in print -- your own words! the unique essence of yourself, your stories, your jokes, your own peculiar take on the world -- out there where anybody can see it! Wowser.


Unfortunately, nobody is earning a dime from this. So much work, so little pay. It's tragic.


But one door closes and a window opens. The healthcare industry is wide open and there's a need for writers. Old people are lonely, old people want to be listened to and their stories written down, old people need entertainment. That's why I am opposed to the current healthcare reform bill -- there is nothing in there for creative therapy and the artistic fulfillment of the sick and elderly. A humorist in every hospital ward. Laughter is the best medicine. Sick people need distraction. When you wake up in the morning with "Guantanamera" going around in your head, you forget about your troubles except for that one.


(Garrison Keillor is the author of "77 Love Sonnets," published by Common Good Books.)
© 2009 by Garrison Keillor. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Falcon thinks the Healthcare Reform issue has been focusing on the wrong things. Here is what I have been thinking:

One: When that pandemic breaks out, are we going to be arguing about who gets the vaccine first? The guy next to you on the morning bus or subway train…the child next to your child in class…or at a university? The pregnant woman who just moved to a new state? The person in front of you at the coffee shop?

Answer: Well, I know one thing: I would be a lot more concerned about the 43 million people who don’t have any access to healthcare and pay whatever it takes when a pandemic could take us all out, indiscriminately.

Two: Socialized medicine? Yes, we have had it for quite some time: seniors, children in some states, handicapped, SSI, those on public assistance. Frankly, they have better healthcare than I do. Bring it on!

Three: Do you really want the current bunch in charge of deciding whether you get the life-saving drug or not? How about that ‘experimental’ drug not approved for your child, but has been in use in other countries for years, and your insurance company won’t cover treatment? Yeah…what about that scenario?

Four: What about those with pre-existing conditions that can’t get health care? Whole families denied because of one person’s illness in the group…what do we do about them? This is why having something concerned with health and profits are mutually exclusive goals; you can’t serve two masters. I say serve the former and screw the latter!
There are other ways to make money; making it on the backs of the most needy is most repugnant.

Five: If integrative therapies are not included, this is all still a sham…just a smaller one. Alternative therapies work, have been in use for literally thousands of years, and save big bucks. If we are talking about saving money, why hasn’t this been said more loudly? Oh, yeah…big pharma…shhhh…they may hear me….

Food for thought, World Family…I hope you eat well. Have a great weekend!

Peace,
Falcon and Dove