In Seattle, the event is a beautiful 2 or 5-mile scenic walk around Magnuson Park, beginning at 9:00am. In Tacoma, it is a 1.5 or 5-mile walk around Port Defiance Park.

Every dollar raised at both walks will benefit the  American Diabetes Association (ADA), working to prevent and cure diabetes, a disease that affects one in ten Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The American Diabetes Association is currently funding six research projects in Washington state.

For more information about diabetes, go to the American Diabetes Association web site or call 1.800.DIABETES (800.342.2383).

Magnuson Park
7400 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA 98115

Registration begins at 7:30am. Walk begins at 9:00am.

Point Defiance Park
5400 N Pearl St
Tacoma, WA 98409

Registration begins at 7:30am. Walk begins at 9:00am.

Pet-A-Palooza
Sunday, October 9
Marymoor Park
6046 W. Lake Sammamish Pkwy. N.E.
Redmond, WA 98052

http://seattle.cbslocal.com/2011/09/19/join-in-all-the-fun-at-pet-a-palooza/

Whether you love parrots, hamsters, or dogs, Carter Subaru Pet-A-Palooza is the perfect family event for pet lovers! Carter Subaru Pet-A-Palooza happens on Sunday, October 9th, from 10am – 4pm at King County’s Marymoor Park in Redmond. Bring the entire family and your favorite pet(s) and enjoy this FREE event!

Seattle Home Show 2: Get Your Green On!
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday
October 7, 8, 9 and 10
Century Link Field Event Center
1000 Occidental Ave S
Seattle, WA 98134
425.467.0960
http://www.seattlehomeshow.com

The 13th Annual housing extravaganza will have hundreds of displays of home and garden products; daily “Meet the Experts” seminars; cooking demos by well-known local chefs on the Viking stage; the newest in building products and materials; landscape displays; living green; wine tasting sponsored by Lulu Boutique of Lake Chelan; arts & crafts and home decorating. Friday, Saturday and Sunday appearances by nationally known art & antique appraiser Dr. Lori; and the humorous Renegade Gardener Don Engebretson!

Fall Harvest Party
Friday, October 7
Meadowbrook Community Center
10517 35th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/centers/Greenlake/Fall11.pdf

Celebrate the fall harvest with your friends and family and enjoy freshly pressed apple juice, samples from the PCC Kids Mobile, pony rides, a bouncy house, and much more!

Tacoma Film Festival
Friday, October 7 – Thursday, October 13
The Grand Cinema
606 S Fawcett Ave
Tacoma, WA 98402
http://www.grandcinema.com

The Tacoma Film Festival is an eight-day celebration of current independent film from around the globe that began in 2006. The primary focus of the festival is on art house, foreign language, independent, documentaries and numerous short films. We keep our format open and don’t decide ahead of time how many features, shorts or documentaries we will show. We simply search for the best quality and most interesting films, no matter what the type or length. If your film stands out, we’ll definitely find a spot for it in Tacoma.

Oktoberfest Northwest
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
October 7, 8 and 9
Puyallup Fairgrounds
110 9th Avenue SW
Puyallup, WA 98371
425.295.3262
http://www.oktoberfestnw.com

Families are welcome in the Festhalle Biergarten until 7pm each evening (Sunday, families are welcome all day!); for the remainder of the evening, guests must be 21 years of age or older. Beer, games, music, food and festivities celebrating Oktoberfest! Free Parking.

St. Nicholas Greek Festival
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
October 7, 8 and 8
Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
1523 S Yakima Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98405
253.272.0466
http://www.stnicholastacoma.org

Tacoma’s 50th Greek Festival! Free parking – Free admission Daily 11am-10pm, Sunday 11am-7pm Live Greek Dancing, Greek food, music and fun.

Everett Sausage Fest
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
October 7, 8 and 9
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
2619 Cedar Street
Everett, WA 98201
425.349.7014
http://www.everettsausagefest.com

From our traditional Bavarian Dinner to a variety of food booths, children’s games, the Family Entertainment Stage, bingo, carnival, and Bavarian Beer Garden and Stage, there is something for everyone.

Make Your Own Glass: Glass Fusing Workshop
Saturday, Oct 8
Museum of Glass
1801 Dock Street
Tacoma, WA 98402
1.866.468.7386
http://www.museumofglass.org

Create your own beautiful fused glass art! Join us for a new workshop led by artist Keke Cribbs. Using colorful glass shards, stringers and frit, create a one-of-a-kind glass tile that can be used for a coast

Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair
Saturday and Sunday
October 8 – 9
Seattle Center
305 Harrison Street
Seattle, WA 98109
http://www.seattlebookfair.com

An International Book Fair featuring thousands of Rare Books, Prints, Maps, Photographs & Ephemera for sale. “The Premier Pacific Northwest Rare Book Event!”

Arab Festival
Saturday and Sunday
October 8 and 9
Seattle Center
305 Harrison Street
Seattle, WA 98109
http://www.seattlecenter.com

Learn, share, discover! Sample Middle Eastern food, dance to Arab music, play backgammon (a popular game in the Middle East) and engage in the culture through exhibits, films, children’s music and dance workshops and panel discussions on current and historical events and issues. This rich and complex world stretches across 22 countries and two continents. Experience it all at Arab Festival.

Straight Selections

1. Texas + 10 ½ vs. Oklahoma

The annual Red River Rivalry in Dallas should be a closer game than expected.  Texas may not be all the way back yet, but we are not 100% sold on Oklahoma as one of the nation’s elite.  The Sooners have played two good teams so far, and they won them both by 10 points.  Texas is a good team, and we believe the Longhorns are not being given their due.  Thus, this line appears to us to be off by about five points.  We won’t call for Texas to win outright, but we believe they will cover.  Call it a 34-27 win for the Sooners.

2. Notre Dame -14 vs. Air Force

The Irish are back on track, and they should cover this spread with relative ease.  Notre Dame crushed Michigan State by 18 points, and Air Force would not beat the Spartans one time in 10.  The Falcons lost at home to a rebuilding TCU by more than two touchdowns, and we can see them yielding 40 points in this game.  We see the Irish winning 45-24.

3. Michigan -7 vs. Northwestern

The national public has not yet jumped on the Wolverines’ bandwagon.  They remember a maize and blue defense that could not stop any conference foe last year.  So far under Coach Brady Hoke, UM is giving up just 10.2 points per game, while they are scoring 37.2 points per game.  Northwestern quarterback Dan Persa is expected to start, but after suffering a minor setback in his return last week, we feel he may be a little gun shy this week.  We believe Michigan will win this one 35-17.

4. Wyoming +12 ½ vs. Utah State

The Aggies have lost three games in ways other schools might not experience in a decade.  Their lone win came against Weber State.  Wyoming is off to a 3-1 start, and they had an extra week to prepare for this game.  We feel like the Cowboys actually have a decent chance of pulling off the upset, but even if they fall short, Wyoming should cover this spread and lose by single digits.  Look for a 28-24 game that either team could win.

College 13-point Teasers

Our college 13-point teasers have been less than stellar so far, going just 4-5 in the first five weeks.  Nevertheless, we are selecting three parlays this week.

5. 13-point Teaser

Mississippi State -6 vs. Alabama-Birmingham

Iowa +17 vs. Penn State

North Carolina – ½ vs. Louisville

Toledo -8 vs. Eastern Michigan

6. 13-point Teaser

Georgia Tech -1 ½ vs. Maryland

Stanford -16 vs. Colorado

Tennessee +14 ½ vs. Georgia

Notre Dame -1 vs. Air Force

7. 13-point Teaser

Michigan +6 vs. Northwestern

South Carolina -8 vs. Kentucky

Kansas State +16 ½ vs. Missouri

L S U  Pk vs. Florida

College Football Moneylines

Our moneyline parlays have done quite well for us so far at 9-4.  As a reminder for those that have not followed our service this year, we are only playing parlays that offer odds better than a 13-point teaser (better than -130).  We’re going with three selections here this week.

8. Moneyline Parlay (5 teams @ -117)

West Virginia over Connecticut

Mississippi State over Alabama-Birmingham

Georgia Tech over Maryland

Notre Dame over Air Force

South Carolina over Kentucky

9. Moneyline Parlay (3 teams @ -127)

North Carolina over Louisville

Houston over East Carolina

L S U over Florida

10. Moneyline Parlay (5 teams @ -126)

Toledo over Eastern Michigan

Alabama over Vanderbilt

Stanford over Colorado

Illinois over Indiana

Michigan over Northwestern

N F L 13-point Teasers

Our NFL 13-point teasers have gone 8-5 thus far, and we have isolated three more selections here.  With byes beginning this week, it becomes a little more difficult to find value, but we are confident in these three selections.

11. 13-point Teaser

Kansas City +14 vs. Indianapolis

Arizona +15 ½ vs. Minnesota

Houston +7 vs. Oakland

New Orleans + 6 ½ vs. Carolina

12. 13-point Teaser

Cincinnati +14 vs. Jacksonville

New York Giants +3 ½ vs. Seattle

San Francisco + 10 ½ vs. Tampa Bay

Chicago +18 vs. Detroit

13. 13-point Teaser

San Diego +9 vs. Denver

New England +4 vs. New York Jets

Atlanta +19 vs. Green Bay

Pittsburgh +10 vs. Tennessee

451  The first session of the Council of Chalcedon began.

1075  Dmitar Zvonimir was crowned King of Croatia.

1200  Isabella of Angoulême was crowned Queen consort of England.

1480  Great standing on the Ugra river, a standoff between the forces of Akhmat Khan, Khan of the Great Horde, and the Grand Duke Ivan III of Russia which resulted in the retreat of the Tataro-Mongols and the eventual disintegration of the Horde.

1573  End of the Spanish siege of Alkmaar, the first Dutch victory in Eighty Years War.

1600  San Marino adopted its written constitution.

1806  Napoleonic Wars: Forces of the British Empire laid siege to the port of Boulogne by using Congreve rockets.

1813  The Treaty of Ried was signed between Bayern and Austria.

1821  The government of general José de San Martín established the Peruvian Navy.

1829  Stephenson’s The Rocket won The Rainhill Trials.

1847 Rose Scott, Australia social reformer, was born (d. 1925).

1856  The Second Opium War began with the Arrow Incident on the Pearl River.

1860  Telegraph line between Los Angeles and San Francisco opened.

1862  American Civil War: Battle of Perryville – Union forces under General Don Carlos Buell halted the Confederate invasion of Kentucky by defeating troops led by General Braxton Bragg.

1871  Four major fires broke out on the shores of Lake Michigan including the Great Chicago Fire, and the much deadlier Peshtigo Fire.

1879 War of the Pacific: the Chilean Navy defeated the Peruvian Navy in the Battle of Angamos, Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau was killed.

1895 Zog I, King of Albania, was born (d. 1961).

1895 Juan Perón, Argentinean President, was born.

1895 Eulmi incident- Queen Min of Joseon, the last empress of Korea, was assassinated and her corpse burnt by the Japanese in Gyeongbok Palace.

1912 First Balkan War began when Montenegro declared war against Turkey.

1918  World War I: In the Argonne Forest in France, United States Corporal Alvin C. York led an attack that killed 25 German soldiers and captures 132.

1920 Frank Herbert, American writer, was born (d. 1986).

1925 Cubana de Aviación founded.

1928  Joseph Szigeti gave the first performance of Alfredo Casella‘s Violin Concerto.

1932  The Indian Air Force was established.

1939 Paul Hogan, Australian actor, was born.

1939  World War II: Germany annexed Western Poland.

1941  Stan Graham shot dead three policemen and fatally wounded two other men before escaping into the bush.

1941 US civil rights activist Jesse Jackson was born.

1943 US actor Chevy Chase was born.

1943 US children’s horror writer R.L (Robert Lawrence) Stine was born.

1944  World War II: The Battle of Crucifix Hill – Capt. Bobbie Brown received a Medal of Honor for his heroics.

1948 Johnny Ramone, American musician (The Ramones), was born (d. 2004).

1949 Sigourney Weaver, American actress, was born.

1952  The Harrow and Wealdstone rail crash killed 112 people.

1962  Spiegel scandal: Der Spiegel published the article “Bedingt abwehrbereit” (“Conditionally prepared for defense”) about a NATO manoeuver called “Fallex 62″, which uncovered the sorry state of the Bundeswehr (Germany’s army) facing the communist threat from the east at the time.

1965 C-Jay Ramone, American musician (The Ramones), was born.

1967  Guerrilla leader Che Guevara and his men were captured in Bolivia.

1968  Vietnam War: Operation Sealords – United States and South Vietnamese forces launched a new operation in the Mekong Delta.

1969 The opening rally of the Days of Rage, organised by the Weather Underground in Chicago, Illinois.

1970  Vietnam War: In Paris, a Communist delegation rejected US President Richard Nixon’s October 7 peace proposal as “a maneuver to deceive world opinion”.

1973  Yom Kippur War: Gabi Amir’s armored brigade attacked Egyptian occupied positions on the Israeli side of the Suez Canal  in hope of driving them away. The attack failed, and over 150 Israeli tanks were destroyed.

1974 Franklin National Bank collapsed due to fraud and mismanagement.

1978 Australia’s Ken Warby set the  world water speed record of 317.60mph at Blowering Dam, Australia.

1982  Poland banned Solidarity and all trade unions.

1990  Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Police killed 17 Palestinians and wounded over 00.

1998  Oslo’s Gardermoen airport opened.

2001 A twin engine Cessna and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) jetliner collided in heavy fog during takeoff from Milan, Italy killing 118.

2001  U.S. President George W. Bush announced the establishment of the Office of Homeland Security.

2005 -  Kashmir earthquake: Thousands of people were killed by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in parts of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia

Tomas Saraceno's "Cloudy Dunes. When Friedman meets Bucky on Air-Port-City" at MACRO

This Saturday, October 8th, marks the seventh edition of “La Giornata della Contermporanea” aka The Day of Contemporary Art.  Sponsored by AMACI – The Association of Italian Contemporary Art Museums – this giornata is intended to expose contemporary art to the public and stimulate cultural development on a local level. In addition to free entrances to a variety of museums (more on that later), the day will feature exhibitions, workshops, events and conferences to give the public the opportunity to encounter the complex world of contemporary art in an accessible way.  The initiative is supported by the Directorate General for Landscape, Fine Arts, Architecture and Contemporary Art  of Ministry of Heritage and Culture (Ministero per i Beni e le Attivita Culturali), as well as many of Italy’s prominent cultural institutions.

For a full list of events in museums and galleries throughout Rome (and the rest of Italy!), check out the website.  There’s no English option, but Google Translate gives a pretty good approximation of the details!

Rome’s leading contemporary art museums are participating, but keep in mind the MACRO will be free all day, while the MAXXI is only free from 7pm-10pm (and if the lines on Notte dei Musei last spring were any indication, you might wanna get there on the early side). MACRO is currently showing a sweet Tomas Saraceno installation (see photo at top), as well as Dash Snow’s “Sisyphus, Sissy Fuss, Silly Puss”, one of the artist’s final completed works and a part of the “Three Amigos” exhibition going on across Rome alongside Nate Lowman at the American Academy and Dan Colen at Palazzo Rospigliosi.

Got papers that are cluttering your home or office? Don’t miss out on this FREE Event at RE/MAX United(behind the CVS on Kildaire Farm Road) in Cary in the back parking lot! 10 boxes per person limit. De-Clutter your Home and Improve your Life!

For newcomers, the idea is to consider celestial influences as part of a larger whole, or the Flow.  All too often, astrologers tend to write about astrological events as if each were an isolated specimen as if pulled out of the sky and analyzed by itself – and there is no dearth of astrological sites on the net that write that way.  Here, it is the movement and interactions that are important and form the basis of discussion.

If any of the material is unclear or unfamiliar to you, it is probably unfamiliar to others as well, please leave a comment and I will be glad to answer your questions. 

If you like what you see, please share it with friends!  If you would like to get email notifications for when The Flow! is updated, or have a private question please email me at skywatcher888@yahoo.com.  Thank you!

The Flow! is updated every Sunday.

Please note: all times are in the Pacific Timezone.

This week’s synopsis: Where are we again?

Where are we? That is the question of the moment. If you feel like you’re in the middle of a jumbled muddle in a muddy puddle, you are not alone.

Bear with me a bit while I paint the general social-political landscape. The slow moving outer planets – Pluto, Neptune, and Uranus rarely affect us personally, however they form the basic foundation on which the more personal energies of Jupiter, Saturn, and Chiron operate. You can’t really tell what they players are going to do until you have defined the playing field. We will get to that soon.

Pluto, that madcap agitator of transformation is in the early degrees of the earthy sign of Capricorn, and he busy at work fomenting change in the high Capricornian institutions of government and big business. We feel this right in our pocketbooks and in the realignment of wealth and power that this brings.

Right now, Pluto is crawling through the very last vestiges of the part of Capricorn that deals with power and the demand for recognition. Pluto has been in this area of Capricorn off and on (mostly on) since January of 2008, and has been busy both restructuring our economy, bringing illicit deeds to the light of day, and transforming our idea of the role of government.

Pluto leaves this area of Capricorn on Friday and enters a part of the sign that is more harmonious and cooperative. Whether that will be evident in our politics remains to be seen, but it could also be indicative of some economic good news.

Neptune has been dilly-dallying at the end of Aquarius and beginning of Pisces for the past few months. Unfortunately for those of us who follow politics, it means the crazies are out in force again. Neptune, planet of mysticism, drugs, religion, and confusion does not sit well in intellectual, iconoclastic Aquarius. Neptune’s sojourn through Aquarius has given us buckets of nifty gadgetry, but has also tended to turn the public mood cold, uncaring, and disinterested in others’ troubles. In February, Neptune enters Pisces where he is much more at home, and this will do much to subdue public rancor promoting the politics of the insane and improve our collective compassion, caring, and comprehension that helping the needy helps us all in important ways.

Zany Uranus is revving up his engines in fiery Aries having entered the sign for the next seven years last March. Why do I call Uranus zany? Because Uranus acts like quantum matter — you never know what it is going to do next, or what the effects of its actions are going to be. It often reminds me of an absent-minded chemistry professor. You don’t know if he’s going to blow up the classroom, transmute lead into gold, or reveal the answer to important questions from one minute to the next. And Aries doesn’t help matters. The sign is generally impulsive and impatient, does not understand any part of any word of negation ever invented, and dances where demons fear to tread.

This makes for a highly volatile environment. Almost anything can happen. Conventional wisdom? Yesterday’s news. Take nothing for granted? Couldn’t happen in a million years? Tomorrow is millionth year plus one.

Chiron, the planetoid of the Wounded Healer, is very much seen as the bridge between the impersonal outer planets and the more intimate inner planets. He is now trotting through Pisces, a sign very strongly associated with hospitals and other methods of healing and dissolving our pains, wounds, and karma into the oceanic domain of the fishes.

Chiron was in Pisces encompassing most of the ‘60’s, from late March 1960 through late January 1969. The sexual revolution? A quest to finally heal the repressive mores and gender stereotypes of the post-Victorian era. The Great Society? A quest to heal the epidemic of poverty in this country. The Counter-Culture? A quest to heal the self in the midst of a consumerist culture. The Vietnam War protests? A quest to heal a nation, and ideas of incessant, senseless, and debilitating war.

Chiron only entered Pisces in early February, and it will take time to get its feet wet, so to speak. So how all this will play out remains to be seen, but already some trends are becoming evident. People are much more concerned with the spiritual well-being. This could lead, over the next eight or nine years into a spiritual reawakening. And try this one on for size: feelings matter more. How people feel about something is taken much more seriously than before.

Now we come to the personal planets, Jupiter and Saturn, who are driving much of our individual long-term actions.

Saturn has been in Libra since late July 2010 and will remain there until early October 2012, when about a year from now it will enter Scorpio. Saturn is the planet of our responsibilities, limitations, and individual karma. He’s the Karma Kop, holding the scales of justice and the guards of the gate of the ring-pass-not.  In Libra, he has been forcing us to work on our interpersonal relationships, emphasizing the importance and ramifications of cooperation, fairness, consensus, and personal boundaries.

It is no idyll utopia that Saturn pushes us toward, but to better understand the manner in which we interact with others, bringing into sharp focus what the benefits and costs of that manner are. Are we wishy-washy marshmallows that allow others to walk all over us? Then perhaps it has been time to learn how to set some boundaries and stand up for what we want out of life. Are we obstreperous, cantankerous, blowhards? Then Saturn just might come along and teach us how to get along. Either way, the emphasis is on relationships and the importance of maintaining good healthy ones.

And don’t forget — the most important relationship any of us have is the one with our own Self.

Furthermore, Saturn has an ulterior motive. While we’ve been busy arguing, compromising, and setting boundaries, Saturn is subtly transforming us into different, more socially skillful, better people who are both better able to relate to others and satisfy our own needs and lifestyle. It isn’t easy, and many of us have undergone some difficult if not traumatic experiences, but the struggle is worth it. And for those of us who have already been through the trauma, Saturn’s job for us is to put what we have learned into practice in our every-day lives.

Finally, Jupiter is currently in the earth sign of Taurus. Jupiter generally remains in a sign about a year, and true to form, it entered Taurus in early June 2011 and remains there until early June 2012 when it will enter the next sign of Gemini.

Jupiter, bringer of fortune, adventure, and opportunity in practical Taurus is a reminder that our best success this year comes from those actions and interests that are solid, reliable, and offer security. Taurus is often considered an agricultural sign, and that’s because Taurus’ actions are slow, steady, dependable, and reliable. Bonds, precious metals, and natural resources are better than volatile stocks and get-rich-quick schemes.

Also, like a field of grain, good roots secure and generate wealth. Those things with which you have deep connections and long-standing interests are those areas that will be most productive and successful.

Taurus also has a softer side, and with Jupiter here there is an emphasis on enjoying life in the present. Whether that takes the form of lavish meals, sensual luxury, and expense simply for the pleasure of it, or an extra chocolate cookie for desert, we all share an appreciation for the good things in life we have and a need to enjoy them.

So where are we?

It may seem trite to say that we live in difficult, volatile, and treacherous times, but there are long-term difficult, volatile, and treacherous astrological processes afoot. Our very ideas about what kind of country we are or what kind of people we want to be is changing, simultaneous with an unprecedented shift of wealth in the West not only to the top of the income scale, but more generally from West to East. Nations are displacing traditional tenets of sovereignty with interconnected economic associations, compacts and obligations.  The economic climate of Athens can send the price of IBM stock tumbling.

We are in the midst of a tense conflict between Pluto and Uranus that reaches a plateau next June that lasts until mid-March 2015. It’s likely to be a time of significant change and upheaval that will set the stage for us politically, culturally, and economically.

Personally, the focus is on our relationships and putting into practice what we have learned. Now is the time to address those things in our lives that are not working the way we want them to, and to use our newfound skills to help us achieve our goals and ambitions. Goals and ambitions that are best served by devoting our energies to those areas that have long-term potential, offer security, and provide the opportunity for growth.

I hope you found this useful. It is, unfortunately much longer than I intended or would like, but you have a whole week to read it!

On to the Daily Details!

Sunday, October 2^nd

Mars square Jupiter at 10:21pm

The Moon is in Sagittarius all day. If you enjoyed Saturday, the good times should continue through most of the day today. Emotions run high in the morning, so go easy on yourself if you happen to burn the toast or run late. Generally we feel good, and our mood is optimistic…and for good reason, it’s a day when we can pretty do whatever we want and have a decent astrological wind at our back. Even though this is a Sunday, there is a good possibility of good news, making progress toward long-term goals, or having something rather nice occur as the afternoon fades into evening. Buona fortuna!

Monday, October 3^rd

No major aspects

The Moon enters Capricorn at 1:16am, so overnight the good times stop rolling. Today has all the potential to be a rather creative day. If you are involved in the arts, design, or marketing fields, or in influencing public opinion, you ought to find inspiration and good ideas plentiful and useful. Even if you’re not in one of these fields, you may find a new way to solve an old problem, or put the right people together to make substantial progress. A little after noon tempers have a tendency to flare, so watch to be sure that you don’t get involved in anything you might regret later. Furthermore, in the evening our emotional selves and rational selves are not reading from the same playbook. If you find yourself beset with doubts, worries, and insecurities, take a bath, watch TV, or imbibe in a little comfort juice – it will do wonders to take your mind off things!

Tuesday, October 4^th

No major aspects

The Moon is in Capricorn all day. Today may not be the happiest day of the week, but it may be quite productive. Our thinking is sharp, on point, and directly addresses the issues at hand. The astrological energies are conducive to business dealings, and if we are willing to trust our Selves we should be able to make good progress with the day’s activities. Heightened emotionalism may still be a bit of a problem, but hey – this is one time the fault truly is in the stars!

The most significant danger today is in damaging otherwise good relationships, particularly those of the romantic variety. If little annoying things have been building up, try to keep them in perspective – they are, truly, just little annoying things. Not worth causing a blowup or consequent breakdown over. Think of them as good karma chips and an opportunity to be more tolerant. Temptations are also likely to flutter by with their siren call. Be careful! Whatever you say or do is not likely to remain secret for long!

Wednesday, October 5^th

No major aspects

The Moon enters Aquarius at 8:18am and we all go just a touch bonkers. In a good way! Freed from the restraints of demanding Capricorn, we feel the need to express our personal independence and freedom from limitation. We are just a bit more inventive, original, spontaneous, and imaginative and can put those talents to good use if we try. In fact, today is highly favorable for brainstorming, generating new ideas, and getting people to cooperate toward a common goal. In the late afternoon and evening, beware of making important purchases or taking on more obligations – either may be rather difficult to handle and have hidden strings attached.

Thursday, October 6^th

Mercury conjoins Saturn at 3:01pm

The Moon is in Aquarius all day. Overnight energies are rather stressful. If you find yourself up in the wee hours of the morning upset or concerned, you may be best advised to leave them to address later in the day. As the day gets underway, the astrological aspects greatly improve favoring all kinds of activity and problem solving. Like Monday, today has all the makings of turning out to be a substantially productive day, particularly if we put our minds to it. There is also a good possibility that opportunities could fall from the sky like rain, but only if we’re attentive enough to perceive them. There’s a good chance that many of us could wake up feeling slow and lethargic today – more inclined to call in sick than set the world on fire, but if you are willing to apply yourself, there could be substantial opportunities to achieve goals and ambitions. And if you call in sick, instead of being where they could do you the most good, you’ll be at the beach!

Friday, October 7^th

Venus trine Neptune at 4:29pm

Tonight at sundown begins Yom Kippur, the highest and most solemn of all Jewish holidays. A good yontif to all our Jewish friends and family!

The Moon enters Pisces at 6:13pm. Ah, what a day today could turn out to be! Like a fairy tale, or a trip through a hall of mirrors little is exactly as it seems. Not so much because there’s intentional deception, but because it is so easy to see things as we want them to be rather than as they are. There’s a misty, shimmering glow to our thoughts and opinions that is so alluring that we couldn’t possibly let reality tarnish them! Be careful, then, today of walking too far out on a limb. You must just come to find out there’s no tree in that rarefied air.

Later in the afternoon and evening Venus and Neptune make lovey-dovey, and so should you. If you are involved in a good-standing mutual relationship, you shouldn’t let tonight’s opportunity go to waste. Enjoy each other!  These energies are so favorable that even if your relationship is a bit on the rocks, you might be able to use it to help smooth over some rough edges. And if you are in the market for a relationship, tonight could be the start of something wonderful. Just keep in mind that no small part of the energies today are mystical and romantic, almost illusory, so that the stardust you see tonight could turn to coal dust rather quickly.

Saturday, October 8^th

Venus enters Scorpio at 10:50pm

The Moon remains in dreamy Pisces all day.  The energies today are fairly favorable for a wide range of activities. Attending to chores, making plans, being with friends and family or doing whatever you please. For those of you who followed my advice earlier in the week and avoided making large purchases, today is a good day for going shopping and doing so. It’s certainly possible today that parents or other relatives might make an intemperate remark that could cause some hard feelings – and serve as a good opportunity to clear the air and leave any misunderstandings and their attendant baggage behind. On the whole, however, today should be a good day for domestic harmony, good spirits and tranquility.

Venus enters Scorpio tonight and since this post is already so long and it is so late in the week, we’ll discuss next week!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

I will shove off a fraction of the blame- I didn’t know we had the week off until 3 weeks ago. Apparently China hates to make plans in advance. The National Holiday is 7 days, from October 1-7. I expect crowds #thenationishuge.

Fun fact about the National Holiday: We get 7 days; weekends are included. on October 8, I go to work. It’s a Saturday. Same with that Sunday. This concept is the strangest for me- working on a weekend? Working 7 days straight? Whaaaaaa? The classes that would have occurred on Thursday will take place on Saturday, and the classes from Friday will take place on Sunday. All I can think is, doesn’t that screw up the lesson plans? Half the classes will be further ahead #teachin’it. Maybe it can be a movie day #Mulanofcourse.

Shanghai came about when the Canadians I hang out with #teachatanotherschool mentioned they were going. I didn’t know yet what days we had off #nothingsetinstone, so I couldn’t commit. Today rolled around, and I realized I had a week of vacation…in China. Part of me wanted to do nothing more than lay around the apartment and wander the city, but I knew if I did that I’d regret not taking advantage of the time to travel. Plus, what’s there to blog about when I’m sitting around an apartment?

Therefore, Shanghai. It will be quite the adventure. Wish me luck!

• For $12, you get one general-admission lawn ticket (up to a $24.75 value, including fees).
• For $25, you get one ticket for a reserved seat in covered sections 5–8 (up to a $90.45 value, including fees).

There’s only one day left, click here to purchase your Chris Brown discounted tickets from Groupon!

*I realize there are rumors on Kelly Rowland or Bow Wow, but I’m going with Power 98′s update: Bow Wow!*

The 13th Annual housing extravaganza will have hundreds of displays of home and garden products; daily “Meet the Experts” seminars; cooking demos by well-known local chefs on the Viking stage; the newest in building products and materials; landscape displays; living green; wine tasting sponsored by Lulu Boutique of Lake Chelan; arts & crafts and home decorating.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday appearances by nationally known art & antique appraiser Dr. Lori; and the humorous Renegade Gardener Don Engebretson!

Be ‘green’ and carpool! Cars with “four or more” can park free in designated spots at CenturyLink Event Center Garage or Safeco Field Garage.

Be ‘green’ and buy an e-ticket! E-tickets are available for purchase online at http://www.SeattleHomeShow.com. E-tickets also get you free parking for Seattle Home Show at CenturyLink Event Center Garage and Safeco Field Garage.

‘Conserve’ energy and come back for a second day free! Show visitors can register to return a second day for free. ID required.

CenturyLink Event Center
1000 Occidental Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98104

Admission: $10.00 adults, $7.00 seniors (60+), $3.00 juniors (7-15), under 7 free.

For more information, and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.SeattleHomeShow.com.

The headlining act at the festival, held at the Seattle Center, is the Arabesque Trio, a world-renowned group of musicians who specialize in classical and traditional Arab music. The festival will also host a Freedom Stage where local Arab Americans will speak about the changing Arab world in panel discussions, lectures and stories. The Freedom Stage will feature readings by Remi Kanazi, a poet from New York City who will read from his book, Poetic Injustice, and an Arab Spring Panel Discussion: A Cultural Revolution, with representatives from Syria, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

The festival will host local Arab restaurants and the popular coffee tent with traditional desserts tea, and coffee.

Al Noor (Light): Illuminating the Faces of Arab Culture puts the spotlight on Arabs in America and beyond. The Festal Fabric of America Project asks the question “What does Arab culture look like?” and invites people to think beyond what they know and discover the culture from new perspectives.

Scholastic Tournament

Get the 2011 National Chess Day Scholastic Tournament Announcement and Registration Form.

WHEN: October 8, 2011

WHERE: Gamescape in Tallahassee Mall, 2415 North Monroe Street, Suite 303, Tallahassee, FL 32303 (where the Old Navy used to be, across from the Food Court)

ENTRY FEE & REGISTRATION

• $10 if you pre-register. Mailed entries must be received by October 3rd
• $15 after October 3rd and on-site
• $5 discount for members of Tallahassee Chess Club
• On-site registration is from 10:15 am – 10:45 am the day of the tournament
• ALL Players MUST check in by 10:45 am or they will not be paired for the first round
• You do not need to be a member of the Tallahassee Chess Club or US Chess Federation to participate in this tournament
• Mail your entry form and entry fee to: Tallahassee Chess Club, 209 West Georgia Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301-1138

TOURNAMENT FORMAT

• This is a non-rated 5-round Swiss System tournament.
• Every player will play in all five rounds and be paired against players with similar scores.
• Tie-break methods will be used and could include a tie-break playoff round.
• United States Chess Federation pairing rules will be used.

TIME CONTROL

• Each round is G/30 (game in 30 minutes). Each player receives 30 minutes to make their moves. So each round could last up to 1 hour.
• If there are not enough chess clocks, then players will have to play their game without a clock. At the end of 1 hour, the Tournament Director will adjudicate the game as either a win for White or Black or as a draw.

ROUNDS

• 11:00 am, 12:15 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:15 pm, 4:30 pm (there is a lunch break between the 2nd and 3rd rounds).
• Tie-break playoffs will be played if/as needed after the last round.

TROPHIES & AWARDS

• 1st through 3rd place trophies to each of the following grade levels: K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12.
• All participants will receive a commemorative medal.
• Top Female player of the tournament will receive a copy of “Play Like a Girl” autographed by the book’s author, International Woman Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade.
• Trophies and medals will be awarded immediately after all rounds have been played.

Quick Chess Tournament

Get the 2011 National Chess Day Quick Chess Tournament Announcment and Registration Form.

WHEN: October 8, 2011

WHERE: Gamescape in Tallahassee Mall, 2415 North Monroe Street, Suite 303, Tallahassee, FL 32303 (where the Old Navy used to be, across from the Food Court)

ENTRY FEE & REGISTRATION

• $20 if you pre-register. Mailed entries must be received by October 3rd
• $25 after October 3rd and on-site
• $5 discount for members of Tallahassee Chess Club
• On-site registration is from 10:15 am – 10:45 am the day of the tournament

TOURNAMENT FORMAT: This is a USCF Quick Chess (only) rated 5-round Swiss System tournament.

TIME CONTROL: G/29. Deduct 3 minutes from the clock for a 3 second delay. Delay clocks are preferred.

ROUNDS: 11:30 am, 12:45 pm, 2:30 pm, 3:45 pm, 5:00 pm.

TROPHIES & AWARDS

• Trophies and cash prizes for 1st, 2nd overall and top under 1600.
• b/15 fully paid entries: 1st-$168, 2nd-$93, Top U1600-$56
• 85% of entry fees will be returned as prize money.

INFORMATION: Contact the Tournament Director with any questions you might have:

Steven Cullifer
Info@TallahasseeChess.com
850.345.7838

Members of Tallahassee Chess Club will be awarded TIPP’s based on their performance at 30 TIPP’s for a win and 15 TIPP’sfor a draw. If you do not plan on playing in either of the events, but would like to assist, TIPP’s will be awarded. Please contact me if you would like to assist rather than play.