yes, but are rich people greedy?

MINIMUM WAGE -- SENATE MULTIMILLIONAIRES VOTE TO BLOCK WAGE HIKE: After repeated delays by conservatives, the Senate voted 87-10 yesterday to end debate on legislation that will raise the minimum wage for the first time in a decade, from $5.15 to $7.25. The bill is expected to move to a full vote in the next several days. Ten conservative senators stuck together and voted to further delay raising the minimum wage. As ThinkProgress detailed in a report last year, at least two of those 10 senators -- Judd Gregg (R-NH) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) -- are multimillionaires with a combined fortune of up to $35.5 million. In financial statements, Gregg shows holdings of between $3,402,000 and $10,055,000, including between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 in Fleet Bank stock, while Isakson shows holdings of between $7,631,000 and $25,515,000, including millions in Georgia real estate. Despite their enormous personal wealth, they refuse to grant even a small raise to the nearly 8 million Americans who live on $5.15 an hour.#

There's one of my GA politicians showing his true greedy colors...and the combined income for Judd and Isaakson is only what they admit to....

Mussolini quote on Corporatism

Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power: Benito Mussolini

Thanks to www.legitgov.org for the above quote.

But where's the vatican, Beni? Ah yes, embedded in the state.


note to SO'W reader: Art and the creation of it have been calling me away from my keyboard to my drafting table. It can't be helped at the moment as art takes time and it doesn't just happen in a vacuum, y'know, Sparkie.

Q: who said that one should never create anything unless the not creating of it becomes a positive nuisance to you.

Well, I've become nuisanced and must tend to the situation...

...see what the hub-bub is about and what I've been up to--if you're 17+ please--at http://cosmicpersonadesigns.blogspot.com or...

...if you prefer your art more of the magical/cosmic-with-fairy realms mosey over to http://secretmoonart.blogspot.com and perhaps you'll discover a fairy or two and I know you'll find some moonbeams and a few moonbushes sprinkled about.


fyi: all my blogs/galleries were set up using IE7. Sorry.

United for Peace

As protestors march in Washington today Bush is actually in town! Wonder what his aides will go through to keep his nibs' sensibilities from being offended by the people whose opinions he cares not a fig for.

Energy proposals that were going to knock your socks off, said Bush aides about the SOTU address the other night. Fighting a forest fire with a garden hose turns out to be the consensus on Bush's ideas for energy conservation.

Cellulose conversion must be part of the plan--corn ain't enough, says Tom Harkin. Well, he didn't say, ain't. But it ain't.

I just hope all this protesting today isn't using another garden hose. And my tar'n'feather fund is still bubbling for those who are ready for Cheney and Bush on a rail...

two Ohio election workers convicted

Ohio election workers convicted of rigging '04 presidential recount 24 Jan 2007 Two election workers were convicted Wednesday of rigging a recount of the 2004 presidential election to avoid a more thorough review in Ohio's most populous county. Ohio gave President [sic] Bush the electoral votes he needed to defeat Democratic Sen. John Kerry in the close 'election' [2nd GOP coup d'etat] and hold on to the White House in 2004.

Mark Twain said

"In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.": Mark Twain (Samuel Clemons 1835-1910)

From my old favorite, Mark Twain. But even if the resolution passes, will it stop the madman?

David Petraeus Nov 7, 1952

It's been said that if anyone can improve the situation in Iraq, it's Gen. David Petraeus.

Here's his solar/sunrise chart for Nov 7, 1952. Wikipedia gives him as 'growing up in Cornwall on the Hudson, NY' but doesn't say he was born there. Of Dutch-American parents, his father was a 'sea captain' which may be inferred from Saturn (father) conjunct Neptune (the sea), among other things.

And with the sunrise's Sun/Moon 18Vir11, he will surely be an early mention in tonight's SOTU address by Bush, the man who appointed him with a hail-mary pass. And after wondering several weeks ago here on SO'W just who Jupiter was representing--Jupiter, the General--it is fairly safe to assume--given how things have played out with Bush's isolation and the Iraq War--that Petraeus, on some level, is Jupiter.

This may be supported by his natal Sun/Jupiter opposition--which certainly makes Petraeus a Jupiterian--but unfortunately, a Sun/Jup opposition indicates someone who tends to promise more than he can deliver.

Yet unless he was born a minute or so prior to midnight, his natal Sun-Moon personality blend is Sun Sco/Moon Cancer which may help him rein in his out-of-bounds tendencies (which include having Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars out-of-bounds making him exceptional--perhaps a thinker-out-of-the-box extraordinaire.)

With natal Mars exalted in Capricorn--an efficient and appropriately controlled placement for Mars to be--military authority has been his desire--now satisfied with promotion to General status.

And so we see that the mailed-fist-in-a-velvet glove combo of Sun Sco/Moon Can gives him resilience, courage, and an ability to "feel where things are at" and then to take appropriate action to do something about helping restore harmony.

Sounds great but rescuing Bush's Iraq mess will be the miracle of the century if he can help there--and will Bush take his advice? Will US politics will be more important in Washington?

And it must be the 'velvet glove' people respond to so easily since he seems to be well-liked by all who know him.

Here are the Images for Sun Sco/Moon Can:

A mother eagle defends her babies with immense courage...A mother passionately defends her delinquent child and pleads for a compassionate verdict...A surgeon develops life-saving methods. (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Chas. and Suzy Harvery.)

Sounds like he's in the right profession and SO'W wishes him well in this massive save-America's-bacon task...just hope his overconfidence doesn't mirror that of George Bush.

Outside Petraeus' chart I have scribbled the transits for Jan 4, 2007, Sun conj Mc--when his commandership was announced and okayed by Bush. The operative midpoint of the day, however, was speculative, dreamy, philosophical Jupiter/Neptune....

Jup/Nep = Sun: speculation; irresponsibility; squadering of physical strength; the act of deceiving or being deceived; following a dream; potentially misguided states; feeling the spirit.

Jup/Nep = Mc: a visionary; a fortune-hunter; a speculator; a squaderer or spendthrift; harm or damage through thoughtlessness; potential for all kinds of self-indulgence.

(Note: there is some indication in his natal chart of alcoholism but hopefully that monkey resides the appropriate cage.)

Some of the above midpoint pictures may apply to Petraeus--or to those around him.)

Well, time is short today, m'peops, so I'll pick up later on Gen. Petraeus, plus, I'm sure you'll find more details on him in the blog entries of my esteemed colleagues!

There is, too, the SOTU address this evening...and the state of the union is deteriorating (whether Bush admits it or not--will he begin with the usual "strong" boast? Gerald Ford didn't!),...deteriorating just as bin Laden hoped it would...do you ever wonder just which side Bush and pals are really on?

Midpoints pictures from: The Combination of Stellar Influences, Reinhold Ebertin; and Natal and Midpoint Directory, Dr. Noel Tyl.

SOTU 2007: drawer full of diamonds?

Tony Snow said that picking out the best part of Bush's SOTU address Tuesday evening would be like looking through a "drawer full of diamonds."

Now what Sabian Symbol do we know that relates to such a poetic image? It's the last Great Conjunction of Jupiter (Rs) and Saturn (Ds) on May 28, 2000..."23Tau": "A jewelry shop filled with the most magnificent gems." We are still in that cycle (since a conjunction begins any planetary cycle) and are now past their square/blockage stage and heading for the helpful, cooperative trine stage. Yippee...the rich get richer.

But as for Tuesday night's show...I've set this chart for 9 pm--at 9:02 and 9:03 pm, the transiting cusps will conj Bush' secondary progressed cusps...if you click chart to enlarge, you will see his sec (secondary) planets scribbled 'round the outside of the chart with nebulous, delusional Neptune first to rise.

Everyone knows it easier to deceive others if you've first deceived yourself.

You'll also see a few asteroids such as tr Sun conj ICARUS of the melted wings. Wounded Chiron is conj PALLAS, keywords: strategy; wisdom.

Chiron/PALLAS' degree "10AQ": "A popularity which proves ephemeral." Does this describe Bush limping through his second term--or perhaps the tarnished "popularity" of his 'surge' plan? That would have to be among the few Rs who still give it lip service, of course.

Moon in Aries = "I AM the People" so he'll suppposedly be connecting with the unwashed masses on his usual psycho-detached level we're accustomed to suffering through and from.

The forward-looking and radically-viewed Sun AQ/Moon Aries combo gives us these Images:

A court jester mocks the social injustices of the realm...Robin Hood and his band of merry men outwit the evil King John once again. (Sun Sign-Moon Sign, Chas. and Suzy Harvey.)

Chart-ruler Mercury, the communicator, is applying to conjunction with wool-gatherer Neptune and its only other applying aspect is a trine to Mc, the Aspiration Point of the chart. There will be, of course, a lot of magical spin to this one by media types and others who bought stock in the neocon war portfolio.

The Mc's degree 17Gem07 you may remember from the Sea Island GA G-8 Summit of June 8, 2004...it's the Venus Occultation degree: "18Gem": "Two Chinese men speaking in Chinese in a Western crowd."

Venus occulting the Sun is an indicator of the formation of unusal alliances--previously unheard of associations...and I'm sure we've not heard the truth of them yet.

Consulting Bil Tierney's Dynamics of Aspect Analysis we see Uranus as focalized Apex planet in a Mutable T-square using Mc as part of the formation--and since Mc = Public Status/Career, I think it's safe to consider it. First the midpoint picture:

Jup/Mc = Uranus: optimism; ability to utilize the right moment (including a tv cue!); a fortunate adjustment to changing circumstances.

Apex Uranus = the impractical and blunt communicator. Mutable Apex Uranus relates to spreading oneself too thin (as he's done with the US military and to our tax coffers), and if mismanaged, indicates the social misfit who is willfully out-of-tune with society (ya think?)

This person is a law-unto-himself--a radical thinker who defies the traditions of society with his idiosyncracies. He may unpredictably overthrow his previously-held ideals with no real explanation as he acts as social catalyst for collective reforms.

Mutable energy being unstable and changeable, Uranus, the rebel/revolutionary/reformer will be evident, if not during the address, then it will surely be on people's minds if not on their lips.

Bush will be expressing his communal sense Tuesday night with his usual engaging manner (he hopes) but his mojo, as we know, is seriously damaged.

And as I've posted previously, I don't wish for his end to be a trainwreck--mainly because he takes America--and the world--down with him as he goes.

Guess I'll watch him squirm and dissemble once again while his sec Moon is conjuncted by tr Pluto...

Moon/Pluto: exaggerated new plans; zeal without regard for other people.

Transiting asteroid, Niobe, the grieving mother is conjunct Moon/Pluto and nearing 9/11/01's Mars, god of war. More grieving mothers bwo George Bush who insists he loses not the first wink o'sleep at all.

It's been said the 2007 SOTU address will be shorter than usual...but will it be enough time to tout one of his more pathetic accomplishments in Iraq...the hanging of Saddam Hussein?

Yes, President Widow-maker requests your rapt attention Tuesday night. RSVP--if you can stand to hear that voice one more time.

Litvinenko's poisoner caught on video tape

The London Times Online has the story...here are some highlights:

Seems the polonium-210 was slipped into a hot cup of tea after all--in a cold drink polonium would've shown up.

Poisoned in a Millenium Hotel room with a cup of tea in the morning...assassin Pluto arose on November 1, 2006 at 11:07 am London...with a crisis 29 degree Mc/Ic.

If anyone finds the leak of the approximate--or exact--time for the fatal tea please inform me...Pluto's rising time is my best guess so far. More on this chart asap.

The culprit may be seen on tape arriving at Heathrow Airport from Hamburg--supposedly on the same flight as former KGB agent Dmitri Kovtun who is being investigated for trafficking in the radioactive material that did the job.

This 30-something man with Central Asian features is described by Mars (Mars = male, 25-35 age range) with close-cropped hair, tall stature, and a powerful build. He's the 'mystery man' who was brought in to the 4th-floor hotel room be introduced to Litvinenko as "Vladislav" in the meeting with Kovtun and Andrei Lugovoy concerning a "security" business venture.

A false EU (Lithuanian or Slovak) passport was used to fly into London and he had a spare EU passport to fly back out.

And who hired him? Why, the Kremlin, so they say...and several witnessess in the Yukos trial are under threat as well bwo Mercury poisoning.

Mr. Putin, Mr. Putin, I'm disputin' your humanity. But your Machiavellian methods are never in dispute at all.