Pitch in for Areya's Senior Film!

Areya (Dove) is entering her Senior year at Savannah College of Art and Design and preproduction is in full swing on her Senior Film, 'Life Path'! Everything she has learned at film school has led up to this. Any contribution you can make to this short film is greatly appreciated! As extra incentive, anyone who donates $25 or more will receive a Funder credit in the film! Anyone who donates $100 or more will receive a Funder credit in the film, and a FREE ticket to see 'Life Path' and many other senior films at the SCAD Senior Showcase at the 2011 Savannah Film Festival in October, 2011!

What People Are Saying About Life Path!

“Very well written”

“I love the story!!”

“I could not put it down”

“beautifully written”

“I loved the script!!!”

“I feel a strong connection to the characters”

“Very original and very unique and I enjoyed it”

“both female characters are strongly written”

“It’s very unique”

Synopsis

‘Life Path’ is a spiritual film about reincarnation. Fia remembers her previous life. In that life, she died at the age of 8, which her father was partially to blame for. After having dreams about her own death, Fia joins a group called Life Path, whose members all recall at least one previous life and try to help with one another’s past life issues. With the support of fellow member Aleta, Fia seeks to find her old father so that they can both heal. Meanwhile, Aleta has a story of her own…

Over the years, interest in reincarnation has risen rapidly. To many cultures in the east, reincarnation is nothing new and is accepted without question. It is a topic that is not often addressed in films, much less treated with an entire story written around it. This film will have a very mysterious and spiritual feel throughout. It doesn’t bother with the whole ‘Is reincarnation real or not?’ issue. We go right into it with the assumption that the soul has continuity and is capable of remembering multiple lifetimes. Many stories can be written based on such an assumption, and this is one of them.

TARGET SHOOTING DATES: OCTOBER 15, 16, & 17, 22, 23, & 24 AND 29, 2010

Will be filmed entirely in Savannah, Georgia and nearby Skidaway Island area.

LENGTH OF FILM: 12 Minutes

SHOOTING FORMAT: Canon 7D – 1080p High Definition Video

'Life Path' will be submitted to hundreds of film festivals worldwide! Let’s all come together and create a film everyone will remember!

For more information, go to www.LifePathFilm.com!

Please Chip In through PayPal below! THANK YOU!!!

www.AreyaSimmons.com

COLLEGE FUNDING CRUNCH TIME: What to do Right Now!

Hello World Family,
As June 30 approaches, millions trying to qualify for grant money and scholarships begin to realize there may be a gap to attending their First Choice university. BEFORE YOU GIVE UP, and decide to go to a runner up because it's cheaper, try these last minute, but extremely effective tactics:

First, get yourself on FASTWEB.COM right now, and check and see what scholarships you are eligible for. It is NOT too late! There's a ton of stuff out there that is easy to do and can get you a few quick bucks! DO IT! you have nothing to lose.

Second, talk to your First Choice University's Admissions Counselor and then Financial Aid office right away. Find out if there is anything additional that you are eligible for and see if they will give you some MERIT MONEY (think discount). Also, if you are an athlete, and may not be playing the NCAA sports, but maybe a club sport, see if the school offers some money for athletes in that particular interest. You never know until you ask.

Did you belong to a specific club in high school, see if there is a scholarship for your interest in college. Are yo a sci-fi fan, there may be a scholarship out there for your area of interest at your school. Find out! Don't let pride get in the way.

Third: Does your family belong to any special civic or ethnic organizations? The Rotary Club, a social club, NAACP, Urban League, etc. all have scholarships. Ask about applying. Deadlines have not passed; you still have time. Go for it!

Fourth: Parents, are you throwing your graduate a party? Are you attending a party of a high school graduate? Here's a clue about what you can get them for a gift:

MONEY!!!!!!

Look, if ten relatives and friends give that young student $100, that's $1,000 right there! Don't buy them plaques, pens, and expensive athletic shoes, give them their gap funding. you will be the biggest super hero ever in helping a student meet that gap. Next year, they may have that gap filled after they prove themselves academically on the college level. In the mean time, they have to get there. They have earned the honor of attending college, DO NOT LET THOSE DREAMS DIE!

Give...and give generously to the grad!

There are various need-based scholarships offered at universities. Here is a secret: many private schools have more support for financially struggling students than public schools. Don't be afraid to ask. There is no loss of pride here. Hold your head up high. Parents: you have helped your student get to this point. Students: you have worked hard and deserve to follow your passions where you will do your best job.

AS A LAST RESORT:
Get those loans, public and private. Borrow as little as possible, because you will have to pay it back. You cannot discharge these debts in even bankruptcy, so only borrow what you need, but use it wisely, and make your investment work for you.

Falcon has a book coming out later this year, called : THE PARENT'S GUIDE TO DEBT-FREE COLLEGE: Get in, Stay in, Graduate Debt-Free

We will let you know when the book is available to the public. It will be very reasonably priced so that you can afford to get it. Save this advice because this is a sample of some of the helpful information you will find. The book will be great for those with young children, middle school aged, and of course, high school age.

The important thing to remember World Family:
Start saving early for college. Keep it in the parent's name, rather than the child.

Good luck, families.
Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2010!

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Rally and March for Jordan Miles 12 Noon Today

Hello Pittsburgh Family!
It will rain later today, but it will be fine this morning. It's a great time to rally for a wonderful young man at noon at Freedom Corner in The Hill District. Jordan is a resilent young man: honor student, college bound from CAPA. He was walking from his grandmother's home to his house one evening when he was brutally attacked by three men who turned out to be undercover police officers who thought Jordan was a drug dealer. All charges against Jordan were wisely dismissed, but the officers want the DA to refile. Why ? Probably pride. It certainly doesn't have anything to so with justice.

Come out today and walk with Jordan and let him know that it's still legal for a young African American man to walk home at night in the US. He should be able to make that walk anywhere, regardless of where he lives, without fear or immediate suspicion.
Peace, Jordan. Have a great time at college. We are very proud of you!

Falcon and Dove

GASLAND: Documentary Film Screening in Pittsburgh June 5

Hello Cousins,
Well, Falcon and Dove are together again back in The Burgh for the summer break, and we have to let you know about this startling film that is showing on Saturday, June 5 at the Byham Theatre in downtown at 6pm.

GASLAND is a strong documentary by director Josh Fox showing the process and some of the hazards associated with unconventional horizontal gas well in PA for Marcellus Shale extraction. June 5 is United Nations World Environment Day, and Pittsburgh is the North American host city. This is an important film for our region, but also for our world.

Falcon has seen portions of this film. It is well shot, and goes for first person accounts. No re-creations or set-ups that I have seen.

In town? Come check it out. Also, look and see if the film is screening in your area in the near future. Your future, and your quality of life may depend on you being informed, and proactive.

Peace,
Falcon and Dove

Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law: Its Impact and the Pennsylvania Connection

Hello World Family,
THis event is for those in the greater Pittsburgh region, but its issues should concern us all:

Arizona's Anti-Immigrant Law: Its Impact and the Pennsylvania Connection
Monday, May 17, 2010
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Friends Meeting House
4836 Ellsworth Ave. (at Neville) in Oakland

Arizona’s new law is a watershed moment for its blatant disregard for
America’s most fundamental values of fairness and equality.

This unconstitutional law encourages racial profiling and betrays
American values. It puts Arizona completely out of step with American
values, undermines public safety, erodes trust between Latinos and law
enforcement, and essentially turns Arizona into a police state.

The law makes all of its Latino residents, and other presumed
immigrants, potential criminal suspects. It's implementation means is
that to avoid arrest, citizens will effectively have to carry “their
papers” at all times.

With state Representative Daryl Metcalfe’s announcement that he
intends to introduce similar legislation in Pennsylvania, it is
absolutely critical to understand what this law means for civil
liberties and how we can work to ensure this doesn't happen in our
state.


Presentations by:

VIC WALCZAK
ACLU-PA Legal Director and lead attorney in challenging
Hazelton, PA’s anti-immigrant law

DAVID HARRIS
University of Pittsburgh Law Professor, ACLU-PA Pittsburgh Board
Member and Nationally-Recognized Racial Profiling Expert

Panel Discussion with:

CHRISTINA POWERS
Pennsylvania Immigrant Resource Center (PIRC) Board Member and former
Staff Attorney with the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project
in AZ

JACKIE MARTINEZ
Immigration Attorney and member of the Pittsburgh Interfaith
Impact Network (PIIN) Racial Profiling Task Force

SISTER JANICE VANDERNECK
Sisters of St. Joseph and member of the PATH to Justice committee of
the Religious Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh

SAFDAR KHWAJA
Council on American-Islamic Relations, Pittsburgh Chapter

For more information, call: 412-681-7736, email: info@aclupgh.org or
visit www.aclupa.org/pittsburgh. To get the latest updates on the
legal challenge to repeal SB1070, visit:
www.aclu.org/immigrants-rights.

Also, please help us get the word out on Facebook – here’s a link to
the event page:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123476074334365&ref=mf

Dear Mr. Rooney: Ben Must Go

An Open Letter to the Rooney Family and The Pittsburgh Steelers:

Dear Mr. Rooney,
The mother and daughter team known as Falcon and Dove, born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA ask you to consider our following thoughts:

First, we applaud your caution and restraint during the period of heightened examination of the Steelers organization, and of a couple of players in particular. You have not escalated the media circus, and we appreciate that.

Secondly, we would like to mention that we recognize that this has been a difficult time, an we know that you have struggled with decisions concerning some of our most prominent and successful players, and some off the field behavior that has called their conduct into question. In the matter of Ben Roethlisberger, we humbly ask that you let him go from this franchise to pursue his career elsewhere. We understand that there are contract considerations, and we respect whatever solution you deem fit working in tandem with others to come to an equitable outcome, but for the sake of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, Ben must move on.

Our reasons are: we simply do not trust this man to do the job he is in this city to do. We do not trust his moral code, and more alarmlingly, he seems to be able to cajole other men to become co-conspirators in his breech of conduct; whether in covert or overt acts, or by simple measures of denial-this is most disturbing.

The kind of leadership we expect of members of the Pittsburgh Steelers is high. We do not believe that Ben has exhibited an full understanding of that fact, and he seems more interested in being able to lie and deny, whether it is underaged coeds that he is buying drinks for, (apparently to take advantage of them), or to media, he shows a complete disregard for the high standards of this organization. He doesn't belong here.

We feel that he can make a better start elsewhere, learn from his mistakes, and hopefully, get help for what is apparently a compulsive and vile dysfunction.

Charlie Batch is a fine football player, and a good quarterback. He could be a great quarterback if given the chance. We know that during the draft, you and the organization will recruit players of high caliber and moral conduct, who understand what is expected of them. It is more important to have a great team of character that can win Super Bowls than a team of low conduct with a good win-loss record.

Thank you for your continued leadership.
Sincerely,
Falcon and Dove

Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, passes

Hello World Family,
From our Cherokee Nation:

Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, passed away this morning. Mankiller served 12 years in elective office at the Cherokee Nation, the first two as Deputy Principal Chief followed by 10 years as Principal Chief. She retired from public office in 1995. Among her many honors, Mankiller was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Clinton.

"Our personal and national hearts are heavy with sorrow and sadness with the passing this morning of Wilma Mankiller," said Chad Smith, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. "We feel overwhelmed and lost when we realize she has left us but we should reflect on what legacy she leaves us. We are better people and a stronger tribal nation because her example of Cherokee leadership, statesmanship, humility, grace, determination and decisiveness. When we become disheartened, we will be inspired by remembering how Wilma proceeded undaunted through so many trials and tribulations.

Years ago, she and her husband Charlie Soap showed the world what Cherokee people can do when given the chance, when they organized the self-help water line in the Bell community. She said Cherokees in that community learned that it was their choice, their lives, their community and their future. Her gift to us is the lesson that our lives and future are for us to decide. We can carry on that Cherokee legacy by teaching our children that lesson. Please keep Wilma’s family, especially her husband Charlie and her daughters, Gina and Felicia, in your prayers."

Mankiller requested that any gifts in her honor be made as donations to One Fire Development Corporation, a non-profit dedicated to advancing Native American communities though economic development, and to valuing the wisdom that exists within each of the diverse tribal communities around the world.

Tax deductible donations can be made at www.wilmamankiller.com as well as www.onefiredevelopment.org.

The mailing address for One Fire Development Corporation is 1220 Southmore Houston, TX 77004. Her memorial service will be Saturday at 11a.m. at the Cherokee Nation Cultural Grounds in Tahlequah.

May your journey be bright. Your suffering on this plane is done.
Our prayers are with you and your family, and all our relations.
Peace,
Falcon and Dove