Old Must Go!: Manifesting Astrological Constraints & Mysteries

I like astrology and tarot readings. They are an enjoyable piece of pseudo-science that make a day often more interesting than it really is. Sure, you can be slave to the hum-drum beat into you since childhood, or posit, "I will not waste my time on this frivolous reading," knowing your great ancestors (some not so great ones too) often rolled the bones, I-chinged and divined their futures based on the alignment of our celestial orbs.

So, what do we have today?

Uranus is opposing Saturn for the 4th time in a cycle of 5 occurences. From my very rudimentary understanding of astrology, Uranus is often the explosive, unorthodox, and liberating planet and Saturn is the basis of constraints, structure, morality, and learning from prior experiences. These two planets are like Mortal Combat opponents - much like the far Left and far Right in U.S. politics.

The last time these bodies opposed was in the mid-1960s. For those that were alive - the pot was good (sometimes), the politics were volcanic, and the Vietnam War divided a nation. Happy times by all: not so much.

But America survived.

In today's realm, these two were in exact opposition when Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. Should not have to say more about what he represents astrologically in America.

For my own part, today I did a tarot reading in which the cards of tarot are laid out on the wheel above.

Highlights: The Empress Card fell on the house of Mysteries. Denoting I should mother along my unknown or undiscovered desires in business, love, and the like.

The Ten of Pentacles fell in my Family Matters house. This reflects fortunate times, an 'all is well' attitude. Which should inspire me to be content. (I know otherwise, so far.)

The Nine of Swords landed in my body-mind section. This could mean disruption or avoidance of certain realities as if I am afraid. (Ding!)

The Emperor card arose in my Future Potential section. This could mean I am capable of reaching new heights, but I should be aware to credit others and put forth a consistent message.

All and all, I liked the reading - I did it all by myself, without the constraints of someone else's intepretation or moneyed desires.

More on Sat-Uranus opposition & Presidential outcomes here.

Movie Review: She's Out of My League

Normally, a chick flick/date movie is not my fare of choice. It is one to be tasted in small quantities, and avoided, if the protagonist is who you perceive yourself to be - in a Perceptionville of your own making.

That said, She's Out of My League is truly funny. Jay Baruchel (usually a character actor) plays Kirk, the 5 or 6 out of 10 lead part, as a TSA officer with friends you love, yet cringe at their analysis. Kirk meets up with Molly (Alice Eve) by work accident - getting her away from his awe struck co-workers. Through chance, he answers the call to a misplaced phone that Molly lost in those hated buss tubs in the airport.

From there, you get taken on a field experiment of an inexperienced-in-dating knockouts man trying to be normal while his perfection-is-not-my-goal lawyer (but not really) stunner tries the road less travelled, but bumpy no less, adventure.

Comedy ensues in the love game.

The now jealous 2-year ago ex, who dates a 6.5 at best, but brings him over to hang with Kirk's family regularly. Kirk's family - that has a no-edit button - is loud and proud of their middling life. The funny, and similarly rated, friends of Kirk that constantly analyze the chances and prospects of this Beauty and the Beast pairing. The ex-boyfriend of Molly - Foot Long - plays his integral part in setting a faux bar to measure up to for Kirk. Molly's top gal who is a perfect match for Kirk's top analyzer.

Ratings being the game, She's Out is a 8.5 out of 10. It has heart; it runs well on that - just a few flaws, here and there. But hey, it maybe out of your league.

List-a-Mania: Top 5 songs I cranked up in the last year

I preface, that these are not the only jams I like. And granted, they are not metal-cellists Apocalyptica, Black Sabbath, or Ministry from the ol' days either. But these songs have it for me:
1. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z & Alicia Keys. A take off from Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind." Never been to the Big Apple, but I will soon enough. Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of...

2. Sometime Around Midnight - The Airborne Toxic Event. Similiar to Snow Patrol in going in for the slow burn genre. Always like classical lead-ins to a song. Depressing song behind all the music though.
3. Magnificent - U2. U2 always creates one or two songs like this per album. I never get tired of them. 30 years of great music. Only Love can leave such a mark...


4. Lovers in Japan - Coldplay. The heir apparent to U2. The drums at the end are counterpointed to the soaring guitars.

5. Lisztomania -Phoenix (HD) : The best French import since French Fries & the Statue of Liberty. Just don't tell the French that.

As you can see, I like classical sounds, piano, and driving drums dispersed throughout the song.

What's you listamania?

Up In the Air: Down to Earth

The latest Clooney vehicle is fully equipped with 100s of seats for the in-flight movie goers to bounce from destination to destination during the economic recession of a lifetime.

Ryan Bingham, a layoff termination specialist, flies into the depths of manufacturing/tech sector demise and downsizing from coast to coast to offer boilerplate advice and quick-witted empathy that departs vapidly with his next boarding call. He has absolutely mastered the art of winning no friends and influencing no company's direction while in hot pursuit of a rare aviation feat.

He finds oddly similar companionship on his frequent flyer quest. Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga), a road warrioring, thirty something with a sly smile and devilish intentions, takes to meeting up with Bingham after a quick flirtation over travel perks and specialty cards jets off to bed with him. Alex is in an amoral search for more of an escape than a new destination which seemingly fits with Bingham's mantra on life and people.

Meanwhile, the home office saddles Bingham with a newbie, tech-driven young lass with all the answers and none of the questions. Natalie (Anna Kendrick, above) plays an overconfident, Ivy league-educated operations tech analyst to a convincing and Oscar-worthy end. Clooney now finds himself with two hard jobs: one, the lover-come-landing who learns too late the causality of his years of absence from any personal life; the other, as the mentor/father figure that a young woman with a drive, determination, and spirit might not learn from unless something overwhelms her to the point of delusion with that job.

Clooney's realness as a person shines through despite his character's task. And you like that just enough. The characters seem straight out of your local workforce. Indeed, they are in some parts of the movie; yet they are not prosaic, or banal. You understand them, especially if, you, the moviegoer, are unemployed. Small, but important roles, are played by Jason Bateman as the office manager, and Amy Morton as Bingham's sister. They move along the plot well - with good method.

This movie is really down to Earth while ending up in the air.

20-10 Visions: Don't Let the Aughts go for Naught

A decade of decadence. A span of spam-filled E-mails from Nigeria. A quest for queries that made little difference to the malaise of life. A cadre of crass-filled, celeb-ME! quirky shows that made you vomit, or you ogled them more intently in utter disbelief. A boom-bust cycle for bankers from Bali to Bombay to Boston. A gaggle of whatcha-think-of-this websites where Google reigned surpeme.

Oh yes, the Aughts were a fun-filled, debt-laden, country-screwed-up-on-celebrity time. The Roarin' Twenties Redux?

As 2010 hits you in the face, with the problem of writing the date right, unless you have that all automated in your life, now, we hope again that the New Year brings hope and answers. Normally, it is a time to tighten up, get on swole, and flip da scrip, without blaming others for your flab, drab, and shabby life. (Another facet of the Aughts: language is changin' fast and TTYL, LOL, ROFL, BRB and POS borrowed from the acronym-laden computer field.)

From Lily Allen's The Fear:

I don’t know what’s right and what’s real anymore
I don’t know how I’m meant to feel anymore
When we think it will all become clear

‘ Cuz I’m being taken over by The Fear

People fear A LOT these days. Governments. Economic Woe. The Loss of Community while being sucked into the rabbit hole of the internet via Google and Facebook. 2012...

Yet, "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself" to worry about.

The days and decade ahead should be one of fantastic visions filled with some version of what we want to become as people. And how we should figure out and live on the best path to a environmentally friendly, economically-beneficial and everyone-is-included situation? Clean up our act. Spend wisely. Think about future ramifications.

Of course, some will deny any changes need to be made at all, even after some of the more drastic events of the past decade. (Katrina & New Orleans, A Multi-Trillion-dollar banking meltdown, Oil price fluxuations, costly guerrilla wars in the Middle East, and BRIC's rise in economic dominance.)

So what can we do? What should we do to make the aughts lessons leap forward into the teens?

Self-improvement. Ben Franklin had his method for getting the most out of his life. He spent 2 years (approximately) working on these things. (from mysimplerlife.com):

1.TEMPERANCE. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. SILENCE. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. ORDER. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. RESOLUTION. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. FRUGALITY. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
11. TRANQUILLITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.
13. HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

If we can do these things half as good as Franklin, we probably will be a much better person to be around. We aught to do better in life.

My personal resolution: Start a Publishing business by forming an LLC. (In process.) It will center around sports and personal stories related to sports endeavors, at first. Hopefully, it will also take advantage of green technologies, like Kindle, instead of printing more books than are really needed. Downloadable files instead of a printed copy. Audio books in the near future. And whatever else seems to work.

For others: Maybe you have a hidden talent or a penchant for certain things or ideas. Utilize them more. Create something. Innovate it. Make America (I am an American) better in the teens. The world has gotten our Capitalistic message loud and clear. And they are doing things elsewhere we seemingly could never dream of. Education is a key too.We need to promote it, fund it and find a way to get those eager youths coming up with amazing technology that will annoy the best of us - and freak out the narrow minded amongst us. No matter. We need those things.

Happy New Year and Decade!!! 2010!!!

Yahoo!!! (Ok, they are so 1990s...)