South Carolina Congressman Joe Wilson, it turns out, was just the red-faced canary in the coal mine of anger toxicity poisoning our national psyche.
Fury is being unleashed across the land and don't say you weren't warned: it's all been astrologically predicted.
While you've been burying your nose in egghead tracts about gasping health care reform and the deteriorating war in Afghanistan, the truly in-touch cultural media, like Susan Miller's AstrologyZone Web site, has the details you need to know. September is a "very rough month" for pretty much all of us, Susan says, "when almost everyone you interact with will be feeling raw, and you may find your nerves jangled, too."
And in case you're unemployed, fundraising for struggling non-profits, looking to budge entitled and entrenched health care/new financial bubble chicanery, or think you have the most clever idea for saving journalism, just hold on. "Don't ask for favors, present ideas or launch new projects this month," Suzy warns.
OK, I know it's astrology. But even after the long speeches and uproar, do you really think all the proposals in Washington, Wall Street, Karachi and Kabul are themselves much more than some pin-striped voodoo?
My home is a bad place to check anger levels because we have a 6-week-old and between postpartum -- don't let anyone tell you it's for moms only -- and sleeplessness, triggers can be quicker than at the OK Corral.
But really, everyone's so MAD right now. While Mercury is in cosmic play on this one, according to Ms. Miller, it wasn't Venus but Serena Williams, the epitome of cool grace in an otherwise sputtering and spittle-filled sport, who actually threatened to kill a line judge. Almost famous reality-TV personality Tila Tequila accused San Diego Charger Shawn Merriman of choking her (he says she was the one out of control) and deservedly famous South African amputee runner, Oscar Pistorius, was arrested on assault claims after a party at his house (he says the alleged victim was the assailant.)
Those are all sports circumstances, but who isn't mad at the media? A new poll has 63 percent of Americans thinking the press isn't doing its job, double the doubters 20 years ago, though we're certainly doing our part to help populate the jobless ranks.
And Kanye West had a hissy pooplosion on stage at the Video Music Awards stage last night because his favorite nominee (Beyonce) didn't win, leaving poor 19-year-old Taylor Swift holding her Best Female Video trophy in terror.
Even the skies in the Bay Area unleashed some wrath-of-God action over the weekend with 350 rare lightning strikes and thunder that could have awoken a propofol junkie.
Finally, the guy who may have started off this freakish era of wrath, the Iraqi shoe-thrower, had his release from jail delayed, showing either that actions do still have consequences or that a grave injustice has been perpetuated, depending on your politics.
One person who's apparently not mad: thrown-shoe victim George W. Bush. His wife, Laura, in an interview where she generously praised Barack Obama, said her husband is doing a lot of mountain biking. So he's probably not into a lot of angry hating (unlike his former Veep.) Maybe Mr. Bush has discovered the truth of a study, featured on the cover of yesterday's New York Times magazine, that says happy friends are a key to making you happy, not mad.
So hug a smiling person tight until the astrological huff has passed on.