Beltane: A Day of Decisions,College choices, a Fertile Season

Hello World family,
Falcon, here. Happy May Day, Beltane, or whatever you call it.

College D-Day

It’s the day high school seniors who have been accepted to colleges pay them the big matriculation fees to say “YES” to attending that particular college. It is a hard decision, but make one today. That way, you have a school to attend, even if it isn’t your First Choice School.

Wait-listed? Write a very nice letter letting them know that you really want to attend that school. Accept elsewhere and send the money in, but write the letter to your fav anyway. It may be just what you need to get in the door.

Remember: most colleges over-accept. That is, they have sent acceptance letters to more students than they can really handle. They assume about 20% will probably attend elsewhere (note: these are averages; if you are accepted to an Ivy, it’s more like 10% over).

Want to attend a really nice “new Ivy”? You know, CMU, Rice, Drexel…or a highly competitive art and design school…RISD, SCAD, Emerson, Columbia College…better accept. It is hard enough to get in, much less wait past May 1. If you aren’t sure if you can pay for it, send the fee, and tell them you may need more scholarship money (merit money). Many schools have lots of ways new students can qualify. Reality check: This will be a very hard year. Many scholarship organizations disappeared after the evil Bernie Madoff and other Ponzi schemers put the funds of many into a black hole of oblivion. Yet, colleges are sympathetic, and receptive. If they have accepted you, they want you. Let your admissions counselor work with you and your family to find a resolution to the gap in funding. You are not out of options. Say yes, and keep working to fill that gap.

They are plenty of scholarships available for summer, too. Go to:

www.fastweb.com

Check out what may be due right now that could take the fear out of the ‘payment due’ date.

Arlen Specter: Jedi

Okay, not quite. He clearly had a wake-up and dream experience, though. It was coming for awhile. Serving the Republican Party all these years and watching it become a mockery of itself was very painful for him. Eventually, he realized that he had to go with self-preservation. He had to go with the things that mattered. He had to see his legacy through…and that meant a change of party. So, now Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania is a Democrat. He is a new man, and it’s a new day. That’s because he knows that now that he is in the latter years of his life, every day matters. He has stared death in the face with illness, and defeated it. Death will come to us all, but this is a new Arlen that recognizes that he has days numbered to make a difference that will crown his legacy. It wanted to make sure he could still make a real difference to Pennsylvanians. Thank you, Arlen. We appreciate that. Wow, I guess that does make you Jedi! Yes!

Oh, and to the Republican Party, this word of advice: grow up. This was once the party of the enfranchising everyman, who embraced the opportunity to move the country forward. Not any more: fear mongering, and xenophobia is the call of the day. This was once the party of less government and taxation and more American freedoms. Now, it is the party of inflated government, debt, and tax everyone but the rich guys. Freedoms? This is Big Brother on steroids, eroding the Constitution except where owning an automatic weapon is concerned, then it’s freedom for all! Whatever happened to real Republicans? Individuals who never feared that justice would prevail because a just and fair republic was the goal of the party? Now it is the party of misinformation and rumor-mill. Want to change things? Grow up, suck it up, and turn it up for real, and people will follow genuine leadership coupled with sensible science for the new frontiers. Stop looking for a new spin on the same old song: write a new song. See the world without boundaries and boxes; without an ‘us and them’. Come to the proverbial table like grown ups and see the wonder of cooperation and bipartisanship shine through.

The Pittsburgh Marathon is back! Fundraiser for the Homeless

Everyone in town from everywhere…WELCOME! We are glad to have you! The weather should be ideal, not too hot or cold. It may be a little rainy, but not awful. There will cheerleading squads from various Pittsburgh schools to cheer you all on, so have fun, be safe, and go for it! They had a huge waiting list for this race, and that is a wonderful sign for the future of the event.

Don’t forget the Concert for the Homeless on Saturday, May 2 from 1pm-11pm in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. There are a ton of great bands performing, including Falcon and Dove friend, Jack Knight.

Movies this weekend

The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is hysterical! Great, genuine acting by Jennifer Garner and Matthew Mc Conaughey make this film work well. The script is well written and well shot.

Wolverine is intense. Does it work? The action is so good, no one will care.

May 8, Star Trek for all those fans (go Pittsburgher Zack Quinto), Little Ashes for those into independent films who may want to see Robert Pattinson doing something besides Teen oriented material. He plays Salvador Dali…magnificently!

Have a great weekend!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Damhnait Doyle and Lighthouse Webcast Live TONIGHT 8pm

Hello World Family,

While you are avoiding swine flu, we thought you might enjoy some free live music tonight. Live from the Rose Theatre in Brampton, Ontario, Canada there will be a wonderful show at 8pm. Go to:

www.orchardtv.com

Also check out their excerpts from previous shows. Have some fun on a Monday evening for free and enjoy some good music!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

p.s. Don't forget the Strung-Out Troubadours TODAY at 1:20pm!

You can listen and watch on the Web!

www.classical963fm.com

Troubadours on Monday; Victorian Tea in May, New Movies

Hello World Family,
Falcon, here. It's the weekend! It should be good weather here in the Northeast of the U.S., and we hope everything is well wherever you are.

We want to sent out props to the hard working emergency workers in Myrtle Beach, SC. We hope the wildfire will be brought under control soon. Our prayers are with families who lost their homes. Keep your heads up!

Now...this weekend's movies: see Earth from Disney (believe it or not) and see The Soloist, the first really great movie of 2009! The cast is incredible and the cinematography is wonderful!

On Monday, April 27 the Strung-Out Troubadours (aka Rik Emmett and David Dunlop) will perform LIVE on 96.3FM Classical in Toronto at 1:20pm EST. You can listen or watch on the Internet here:
visit www.classical963fm.com
Then, click on TURN ME ON

LISTEN: tune in to 96.3FM or listen from your computer at www.classical963fm.com

A Springtime Victorian Tea in Historic Harmony

At Harmony's Museum's Stewart Hall

Saturday, May 16, 2009, seating 12:30pm, price is $20, and must be paid in advance

Call 724-452-6220; checks should be made out to HBA (Harmony Business Association)

Falcon and Dove attended the Spring Tea last year and it was absolutely wonderful!

We will post many other upcoming events, and the beginning of the Summer Movie Season soon!

Have a glorious weekend, Family!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Free Concert: Soihadto at UMBC tonight!

Hey Brothers and Sisters,
Falcon, here. I have had a busy week so far; just came back from Washington, D.C., visiting with our representatives concerning climate change. I will have a major post on that shortly. In the meantime, we just got notice on this one, and we wanted to pass it along! Are you in the Baltimore area? Check this out!
Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Soihadto playing a Free Concert tonight at UMBC

Soihadto (Duff from Ace of Cakes band) is playing tonight at the University of Maryland Baltimore Campus along with Telesma and The Flying Eyes. This concert is free, so get there early. Check out My Space at Soihadto's page for more information. These guys are fierce, so if you are in the area, this would be a rare opportunity to see them live for free!

Have fun!

EPA Declares Global Warming a Danger to Public

Dove here! I received this in my email this morning and all I can say is 'It's about time!' Read on!

National Wildlife Federation Says Most Significant Federal Action to Date

Washington, DC (April 17, 2009) – Today the Environmental Protection Agency announced its finding that global warming pollution constitutes a threat to public health and welfare under the Clean Air Act. The announcement signals that EPA will take action to limit greenhouse gas emissions.


Joe Mendelson, global warming policy director at the National Wildlife Federation, said:

“The EPA decision is historic and a game-changer for climate policy that will have political and policy repercussions domestically and abroad.



“With this decision, the Obama administration has made crystal clear its firm commitment to fight global warming. It also demonstrates a firm commitment to sound science and clean energy solutions that will bury the notion that we won't make historic progress confronting climate change this year. This is the single largest step the federal government has taken to fight climate change.



Immediate Release: April 17, 2009



Contacts:

Christine Dorsey, National Wildlife Federation, 202-797-6615, dorsey@nwf.org

Miles Grant, National Wildlife Federation, 202-797-6855, grantm@nwf.org

A New Hope to End Genocide

Hello! Dove here! Today, I read an article that I feel everyone in the United States should read. It's by Andrew Slack, head of the Harry Potter Alliance, an organization that tackles the world's most difficult issues and acts proactively on them. I am proud to be a part of this charismatic organization. One of their recent fights has been to end the genocide in Sudan, a cause that is near to my heart. Andrew recently wrote an article on the genocide, which was published in the Huffington Post. I have reposted here, because I feel this is extremely important for people to be aware of.

There are very simple things each and every one of you can do to help. Read on to find out and please check out www.thehpalliance.org.

This issue goes beyond political lines, so I encourage all of you to approach this article with an open mind and heart.



Andrew Slack is Executive Director of the Harry Potter Alliance, which takes a creative approach to activism by mobilizing thousands of kids [and adults] to spread love and fight for justice in the spirit of the Harry Potter novels. The HP Alliance has been featured in over 200 US publications including Time Magazine, the LA Times, and the front covers of both the Chicago Tribune Business Section and Politico Newspaper.

In the 1977 classic Star Wars: A New Hope, Obi Wan Kenobi shudders just moments after Darth Vader destroys the planet of Alderaan. When Luke asks his mentor what's wrong, Obi Wan replies, "I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened."

A real world disturbance happened in the 1994 Rwandan genocide that claimed the lives of over 800,000 innocent people. In the last week we have reached the fifteenth anniversary of this horror when Bill Clinton and his administration did hear those "millions of voices crying out in terror" and allowed them to be silenced.

These calculated decisions by our leaders in Washington coupled by a media obsessed with OJ Simpson led to the perverse reality that a good friend of mine from Rwanda lived through. At the time, her one source of news for what was happening in her country was phone calls from family members saying goodbye and asking why the international community had abandoned them. Some of them were murdered while they were on the phone with her.

While 1994 was the summer after Schindler's List won best movie, the Clinton administration and our allies showed great disregard to the memory of those killed in the Holocaust by failing to protect the millions at dire risk and the more than 800,000 that were killed in Rwanda.

On this fifteenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, will the Obama administration show similar disregard to those killed in Rwanda by failing to protect the millions at imminent risk in Darfur? In short, does the Obama administration plan to commemorate the Rwandan genocide by letting another innocent 1,000,000 Africans die?

When I read the testimony of Rwandan survivorsat this site, such as the story of a young Rwandan woman who was infected with HIV after being gang raped at the age of five, of young men who as children laid next to their parents' corpses pretending to be dead, I am reminded that none of these people are mere statistics. Their tales of horror and their ongoing courage to rebuild their nation is a humbling reminder to prevent these stories of brutality from continuing in Darfur while honoring these brave survivors of genocide in Rwanda.

In order to show Rwandans the world over that the international community of young people will not forget what happened while sharing their hope for their nations future,
the Harry Potter Alliance partnered with a pretty interesting group called the Nerdfighters, and in one week our members made over 300 videos in which they lit a "candle of hope" for Rwanda. Through Candles For Rwanda, these videos will be shown alongside a video of celebrities, world leaders, and leading activists (their video can be seen here) lighting candles of hope as well. Rwandans the world over will see these videos and the best of them will be shown on July 16, during the closing ceremony of the fifteenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide in Rwanda's capital of Kigali.

Through these videos and thousands of book donations meant for a youth village in Rwanda I have seen first hand young people across our world taking the small steps within their power to commemorate the genocide in Rwanda and support the survivors. President Obama can do much more. Putting forward a comprehensive plan to work with our allies to apprehend the killers from the genocide who are hiding in the US, UK, France, and who continue their killing spree in Congo with plans to return to Rwanda to 'finish what they started' is an essential step. But another essential step is that the President authenticate his April 7 statement on the fifteen year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide where he says "the memory of these events also deepens our commitment to act when faced with genocide and to work with partners around the world to prevent future atrocities." As of now, John Prendergast and Jim Wallis have noted that the US policy towards Darfur leaves a great deal to be desired:

What has been missing is America's leadership in forging a coalition that can both negotiate with and pressure Sudan to seek peace in Darfur as well as implement the existing peace agreement for the South. Building this coalition for peace should be Mr. Obama's objective.

In the last month, the genocide in Darfur has shifted to a new phase of horror for the Darfuri people. Over 13 aid groups have been evacuated and over 1,000,0000 lives hang in the balance. Further, as Sudan's President, Omar al-Bashir continues his current attempt at mass murder, he is once more rallying the support of radical terrorists, meaning that Sudan could easily become a hotbed of terrorist recruitment as it housed Osama bin Laden in the nineties. So to those isolationists who can stomach watching innocent children die under the pretense that we need to care about our own country first, acting now on Darfur is not only a moral imperative, it is a strategic one as well.

But as we look to the fifteenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, there is also a historical imperative. To his credit, President Obama has acknowledged activists for their work on Darfur, finally appointed a special envoy to Sudan, and now Senator John Kerry has arrived in Darfur. But with the exception of Kerry, these were all steps that George Bush took for years. An occasional statement here and there about how "Darfur is in a crisis" is not going to get them out of this new stage of genocide with 1,000,000 lives in imminent danger. The people of Darfur need the US to not forget them as they had Rwandans. In the face of this fifteenth anniversary, the US needs to show what we have learned by leading a coalition of allies to do whatever it takes to get the aid workers back into Darfur and find a point of leverage for peace in all of Sudan. As Prendergast and Wallis note, while this is a moment of potential horror, it is also a moment of great opportunity should the President decide to show that he cares enough, not just to talk, but to act.

The Harry Potter Alliance is working to wake up the President to ending the genocide in Darfur the way Dumbledore's Army woke the world up to Voldemort's return in the Harry Potter novels. Thankfully we are part of a growing worldwide movement. You can join this movement by signing up with us, with the Genocide Intervention Network, and the Save Darfur Coalition. Hopefully the actions of these groups will influence action from advocacy organizations like MoveOn.org as well as attention from the blogosphere -- it's time that some of this country's most politically engaged public health activists and intellectuals start prodding our President to take leadership on a public health crisis of over one 1,000,000 innocent people.

Here are some more simple steps that you can take toward showing our president that he has the political capital to take necessary leadership on this matter of great urgency:

1- Call 1-800-GENOCIDE

2- Text 90822 to send a message about Darfur to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton! Create your own message or text "Take immediate action to restore aid to Darfur!" Send a text every day.

Further, each of us today can help Rwandan survivors with their homes and medical expenses by donating at candlesforrwanda.org where you can also upload a video of yourself lighting a candle of hope.

In order to honor these heroic individuals who survived the Rwandan genocide and that part of humanity itself that was lost as we watched yet another genocide and did nothing to counter it, it is time for us to find appropriate ways to commemorate the fifteen year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide by allowing "the millions of voices [that had] suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced" to finally be heard.

I imagine that if we continued to listen to the whispers of those voices that were silenced in 1994, we may be reminded that people's spirit and love cannot be done away with by machete or starvation -- and that we will allow their spirits to guide us in love toward working towards a world where each of us is revered, not forgotten and left to die needlessly.

As Prendergast and Wallis say:

"When the dust clears and the bodies are buried, burned or left to rot in forsaken camps, the world will mourn for what it did not do. What Darfur needs is not a future apology, but steps today that offer hope."

Hope, a New Hope, is what Obama promised our country and our world. He has until July 16 to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide by showing the world that there will no longer be millions of voices suddenly crying out in terror and then suddenly silenced. The "force" of our world must be restored by listening deeply and acting for the millions of voices crying out in Darfuri refugee camps.

While "Change We Can Believe" includes Obama's wish to change humanity's twentieth century style relationship with the environment and nuclear weapons, it must include changing the twentieth century's pattern of inaction toward the mass murder of civilians and toward a reverence of life and love that speaks to all of our most deeply held values.

Time is of the essence Mr. President. Despite all the problems at home and abroad that you and the leaders of both parties are grappling with, now is the time to look to the people of Rwanda and the people of Darfur and say, Yes We Can. Yes We Can Honor the memory and rebuilding of Rwanda. Yes We Can End Genocide in Darfur.


Spread the news! Thank you so much!

BROTHER: Drastic for a Good Cause

Hello World Family,
This is an extremely important event. Please read the message Falcon and Dove received from our dear Brother Hamish of the Celtic Tribal Rock band, BROTHER.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

BROTHER: Drastic for a Cause

Hamish, a founding member of BROTHER, is set to lose 7 years of dreadlocks in Australia this weekend to raise money for cancer research. If you haven't yet, please check out "Drastic For A Cause" at BROTHERmusic.com and help make sure the cutting is well and truly worth it ...

Hamish speaks: G'day lovelies. It's been a while now since i've caught up with most of you but i still delight in the many, many faces and characters that roll like an old home movie through my mind whenever i think of all the touring, all the shows, all the different places over all those evolving BROTHER years.

Anyway... i'm putting my dreadlocks on the chopping block to raise some funds for cancer research. Annie Robinson - an old college friend - inspired me to do my bit. She has rewritten the medical record books, having bounced back from metastatic cancer again and again over the last 10 years. Annie died just over a week ago.

The dreads have been my companions for the last 7 years and they will be missed - i'd really appreciate everyone's help in ensuring it's all worth it. Not long to go now so anything you can do to help spread the word and fill the bucket would be appreciated. $10,000 is the goal - how close can we get?

Forward it on, share it round.

love love love h

From anywhere in the world, purchase "Drastic For A Cause" coupons from BROshop @ http://www.brothermusic.com/