I feel the overwhelming urge to write about my thanksgiving all the sudden. The actual thanksgiving day I’ll get to. I want to start with tuesday night. Shane got here really late tuesday night. My dad and i stayed up until around 12ish sitting on the stairs in the foyer waiting for him. It was pretty funny because all day I was pretty excited that Shane was coming and this was the first time that I could tell that my dad was pretty excited also. So after chatting with Shane for a bit, we all went to sleep.

Wednesday was a pretty chill day. We all hung out and talked. Shane had to take his car to a Saturn dealership to get fixed so my dad and i went with him. Darrel met us there and the four of us hung out in the lobby talking about random things like how cool/uncool our phones are, jobs, and various other things. Then we went to church and had “pumpkin pie fellowship” as my dad fondly calls it. Hannah was home from school and it was the first time Tim, Riley and I had seen her since she left, so that was really exciting for all of us. The entire Carlson family came over after church and we all sat around in the living room and talked. Bjorn came also, so there was a lot of catching up to do between both families.

Thursday…turkey day. I woke up around 11, got dressed and ready for the day and entered the kitchen where my dad asked me to go on errands with him. So we went to the church to pick up some stuff and then to the store. We got back and my mom was cooking, everyone else was already eating cheese and crackers which is our traditional pre-turkey snack. Darrel and his girlfriend Elena arrived around 1, so the 9 of us packed into the living room and talked for a long time before the actual eating. The food was amazing, as it always is (HAHAHHA that garage door just opened because Shane just got back and it scared the CRAP out of me) and we all ate too much. Then there was a cooling down period of an hour before pie, and then after a REALLY fun game that Elena taught us, we all went to the basement where we watched A White Christmas. My dad faked tears during the beginning as he likes to do, there was singing along, there were inside jokes and dancing… Around the point in the movie when Choreography comes on Darrel, Elena, Megan and I went upstairs to find something to eat and ended up staying there until the end when they do the ceremony thing for the General. The four of us hung out in the kitchen for a while, but eventually Elena left and went back to the movie. So darrel, megan and i sat in the kitchen laughing hysterically at each other (SHUT IT, LOCK IT UP!) like we used to when he lived with us.

Then we get to today…or yesterday I guess. Woke up really late to my dad singing incredibly loud with some christmas music. Hung out in the living room/dining room all day writing and pretending to do homework.

To most people, these last few days would seem incredibly boring. I didn’t really go out and do anything, and nothing really big happened, but these last days have probably been the best days I’ve had since school started. I haven’t been home for more than 24 hours in a really long time and I’d forgotten what its like to have day long jokes with my siblings, or get to hug my mom whenever she comes home from work tired. My family is really at their best during the holidays. I don’t want to say it makes us appreciate each other more, but I think it really shows all of us that we’re lucky to have such good friends and that we’re so close as a family. I love sitting in the living room and talking for hours with them. I never get to do that with anyone anymore. My roommates are amazing (the only downside to the holidays is that I see them less)  but we don’t sit in the living room for hours upon hours talking about anything that comes to mind. I’m not saying that we should or anything, but I love being able to do that. At any given point during these last few days I could walk into the living room and someone would be sitting around. Yeah, most the time its my dad, but once people hear us laughing hysterically they join in. Laughing is like a magnet to my family. Always go where there is laughter. Maybe that’s why I feel the constant need to tickle megan, or pretend to fight jake. I need the laughter all the time. EPIPHANY!  HEATHER, MAYBE I LAUGH INCREDIBLY LOUD AT TV SHOWS BECAUSE I HAVE TO FIND A LAUGHING OUTLET! Whoa.

So yeah. Home is good. I feel good here. Being here makes me never want to leave again. I keep thinking about having to go back sunday and thinking about my little room at school and having to do my own dishes…we have a dishwasher here and its amazing. but yeah, i don’t want to go back to Concordia. I’m just dreading the thought of having to go back. I check my email compulsively there and i’ve checked it maybe once a day here. I’m not on facebook more than twice a day. If i’m on my computer at all its to play music or to write. Its the atmosphere here I think. It would take a lot to make me truly upset while I’m here I think. This house is my bubble and the people in it are security blankets. Megan gets sick of me once in a while but all it takes to get her back is tickling her or hugging her until she laughs. Most the time its a combo. Tim is always pretty cheering around thanksgiving, so I don’t worry about him getting mad. today he was going on and on about not giving into the machine. Hopefully this will pass because if anyone is part of the “machine” its him. He’s addicted to farmville, his phone, his laptop, the internet, and tv. I mean, I may be addicted to 4 out of those 5 things, but at least I admit to it. Jake is always happy. he’s been hilarious. When i got here on tuesday he was watching The Office on youtube. He LOVES the fire safety episode and watches it everyday. So I showed him The Office on hulu and now he’s working his way through all the clips. heather, if you think I’m a vocal tv watcher you need to listen to jake. I can be in the computer room of my house on the second floor and I’ll hear him laughing from his room in the basement. Its HILARIOUS to hear and you can’t help but laugh. My dad LOVES the holidays, so he’s typically in a good mood. My mom gets stressed about the holidays sometimes but we’ve all learned how to sense her stress level and tend to help her out.

Of course Shane plays a large part in this happiness. I don’t think any of us can get really upset knowing that he’s in the house. I just LOVE my house in the holidays. Maybe I won’t come back monday and I’ll just finish online or something. My dad would never let me do that…bummer.

Alright, well i’m tired now and all i’ve managed to do is talk about my family again. sorry all. just wanted to update.

love Emily

The Weekend Space Review is nearly at full operation. We are working on the layouts and tweaking the site so it best displays the content presented. We are really excited about this project.

For now, we leave you with a video. This is a lunar flyover video of the moon created by one of the incredible images captured by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched this past June. Enjoy the video and thanks for stopping by.

©2009 by Donna Cunningham, MSW

Announcing a new resource:  Before talking about flower remedies, a quick announcement.  Trishia Jacobs, a regular commentator on this blog has started a chatroom for people who want to talk about what’s going on with their Pluto-Sturn transits.  You can see it here: Chatroll: Planet Earth Gets Real.

  I do need to make it clear that it’s not a Skywriter project. I’m not monitoring it, nor will I be looking in frequently, but it’s something Trishia is making available to people who want to discuss this transit.  And now, back to the essences.

You’ll find flower essences mentioned often on this blog because they’re a potent healer that can help us get through this transit.  They’re natural substances that catalyze a change of attitude and awareness or allow a release of emotional backlogs related to difficult events and issues. Also known as flower remedies, these liquids are based on the energy fields of plants and are taken by mouth.

Please understand that essence aren’t magic bullets that cure depression or anxiety—what they do is to catalyze emotional release and help you gain awareness of any of your patterns that might be contributing to the problem. Today we’ll be looking at some essences that can help you work through issues related to Pluto and Saturn.

Note: For those of you who aren’t familiar with flower essences, I’ve uploaded the introductory chapter of my ebook, Flower Remedies—How Plants’ Energies Can Heal Us here: flower essence information-ch1.They are not to be confused with essential oils, the main component of aromatherapy. Be sure to read the instructions given there before starting to use them. Because many people experience an emotional catharsis as part of the healing process, you may also wish to read Understanding Healing Reactions or Healing Crises.

The Bach remedies are generally available at health food and metaphysical bookstores. Healing Herbs essences are a very strong and pure version of the same preparations and are available in the US through FES.  Links to websites for companies that make these essences are given at the end of this post. Flower essences are a potent healer that can support us in not only getting through this transit in one piece, but also promote real and lasting change in how we handle vital issues and patterns in our lives that brought us to this fork in the collective road.  

 Remedies for Saturn Issues:

 During a Saturn transit, in some areas of life, you are:  Confronting lack or loss; taking responsibility; eliminating dead wood; getting your act together; raising the bar; performing at peak; waiting for the right time; and reaping what you have sown—whether rewards or consequences. Here are some patterns related to Saturn and essences to help you learn to handle them differently: 

FEAR VS COURAGE: ROCK ROSE: (Bach/Healing Herbs) Overcoming panic or terror when faced with a serious situation. BORAGE: (FES) Courage, facing challenges with a cheerful attitude. PENSTEMON: (FES) Inner strength to meet times of hardship, especially tough world conditions. MIMULUS (Bach/Healing Herbs) helps with timidity and specific fears.

 DISCOURAGEMENT: GENTIAN for those who give up easily due to a history of failures.  GORSE to overcome deep despair and hopelessness. MUSTARD: (Bach/Healing Herbs) Overcoming a pattern of dark despair and black moods that descend suddenly.  OAK (Bach/Healing Herbs) for those who are tired and discouraged after a long, hard struggle.  SWEET CHESTNUT (Bach/Healing Herbs) to lift the dark night of the soul.

 Remedies for Pluto:

 Under a Pluto transit you are:  Brooding on wrongs; delving into causes of pain; unearthing the suppressed or the secret; reacting to your discoveries; accepting your part in it; healing the wounds; and reclaiming your power.  Here are some patterns related to Pluto and essences to help you learn to handle them differently:

 RESENTMENT/SELF-HATE/FORGIVENESS: WILLOW (Bach/Healing Herbs) for those who hold onto resentment or grievances. HOLLY (Bach/Healing Herbs) for hate, self-hate, envy, jealousy, spitefulness. SALAL (Pacific Essences) forgiving the self and others.  MOUNTAIN WORMWOOD (Alaska Flower Essences) Forgiveness.

 GUILT/SHAME:  PINE (Bach/Healing Herbs) for guilt on the hoof, a neurotic guilt that eats away at self-esteem.  HYSSOP (FES) for actual transgressions.  CRAB APPLE (Bach/Healing Herbs) shame, the sense that you are unclean or somehow disgusting to others. CENTUARY (Bach/Healing Herbs) for those who have trouble saying no, and thus are easily exploited or taken advantage of. 

 Here’s a good general remedy for emotional clearing that was suggested by Stephanie Gailing of planetaryapothecary.com in her post Scorpio New Moon:

 “Pink Monkeyflower flower essence (FES): As the Scorpio energy allows us to probe deeply, this New Moon can be an auspicious time to go within and find the aspects of ourselves that we have been hiding, likely because of fear of being vulnerable or concern that if we show who we truly are we may be abandoned.

This emotional armoring—usually accompanied by an inherited sense of shame–keeps us from sharing ourselves truly with others (and sometimes even with ourselves) and restricts us from living more freely. Pink Monkeyflower essence can help fortify our hearts, helping us to take risks emotionally so that we can let our selves—and love—more fluidly flow through.”

 Company Websites:

• Alaskan Flower Essence Project http://www.alaskanessences.com
• Flower Essence Society (FES) http://www.flowersociety.org   
• Healing Herbs Ltd. UK http://www.healing-herbs.co.uk/   (U.S. Distributor: FES)
• Pacific Essences http://www.pacificessences.com

 More Articles about Flower Remedies on this Blog:

• Understanding Healing Reactions or Healing Crises
• In a Crisis? Rescue Remedy Can Help You through It
• Hope for Those in the Dark Night of the Soul
• Flower Essences to Help You Overcome Fear and Worry
• Red Clover Essence–A Gentle Antidote to Mass Hysteria, by Sheryl Karas
• Space Clearing, Flower Essences, and the Art of Sacred Space
• Healing Tools For Plutonians: Transforming The Self And Others

 More Posts for your Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit:

• The Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit—an Overview of the Series
• The Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit—Part 1 (Houses and Areas of Life Affected)
• The Pluto-Saturn Square—Two Examples of How It Works
• The Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit—Part 2  (Best Case/Worst Case Scenarios)
• Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit #3: How to Use these Energies Well
• Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit #4–Taking Concrete Action to Change your Life
• Pluto-Saturn Preparedness Kit #5: Key Players in your Drama
• People who Misuse Pluto and Saturn—Don’t be Fooled by Scare Tactics!
• From Clutter to Closure–Using the Pluto-Saturn Square
• Pluto-Saturn Kit #6: The Train is Coming. Are You Stalled on the Tracks?
• How the Pluto-Saturn Square may Affect People born with that Aspect

Note: Donna says: You’re welcome to download the introductory chapter of my ebook about essences, Flower Remedies—How Plants’ Energies Can Heal Us here: flower essence information-ch1. 

The ebook itself—which includes a chapter about using these essences in astrological practice—is available at this link: Donna Cunningham’s Astrological Mysteries and Flower Essence Book.  As regular readers know, I’m also co-editor for Vibration, the free educational journal and blog for flower essences/aka remedies. For a wealth of articles and information about flower essences, visit Vibration Magazine’s blog at http://www.floweressencemagazine.com/blog.  

If this post was helpful, DON’T MISS THE NEXT INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES.  Sign up for a subscription, and get a FREE EBOOKLET for Skywriter Subscribers Only: Mothers, Daughters, and the Moon, a 50-page excerpt from The Moon in your Life. Read more about it here: NEW: FREE BOOKLET FOR SKYWRITER SUBSCRIBERS! 

 If you’re already a subscriber and want a copy, forward the most recent email post to me at moonmave@spiritone.com. To sign up for a subscription, go to the top right hand corner of the blog and click on “Subscribe.”  Then send me an email with your subscription confirmation or an email post with a request for the booklet in the subject line.

So, the day of being paid came, and in the process, I ended up with two free consoles, and two cheap consoles (£20 each including games). The first was a PS1 as documented before, then after work I visited my friend Martyn to go fetch the Megadrive he was giving me

Megadrive

Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Coolspot, Aladdin and Cannon Fodder came with the bugger, and it’s just like being a kid again . I have ordered Earthworm Jim, Thunderforce II and Jungle Strike for the beast as well. The only slight issue I’m having is the RF cable is ever so slightly dodgy, but over time I may get/do the S-Video upgrade on it so that it will be better quality and shouldn’t have these dodgy cable issues.

Obviously Sonic 1 and Sonic 2 are classics, I’ve not really touched the other three yet, but my thoughts will be known in time.

Xbox

I went after visting my friend Martyn, to someone called Steve to fetch his Xbox, for 20 whole english pounds. The console had not been used in a long time, so this was a bit of a bargain for me. Theres a few games with, some I will probably get rid of (Fifa 03, and NHL 03, 04 and 05), but Halo, Toca Race Driver, PGR etc, it’s got some beasts

The only thing I need to look into on this is if the 360 and the original Xbox can share the same Xbox live account, so that I don’t have to have a silver account on the Xbox, or just not go online with it.

Sega Saturn

BEAST! I’ve kinda wanted one of these for years. I’ve been a Sega fan for many years, I’ve owned a Master System that didn’t get much play, but the Megadrive brought my love of gaming to the fore originally, and I’ve always had a soft spot for Sega ever since. I got this from someone on Gumtree (like Craigslist in the UK, not quite as well known but definitely useful), it came with a fair few games (Sega Rally and Sega Touring Car boxed, and a CD wallet with games like Virtua Cop, Tomb Raider, Enemy Zero, Command And Conquer etc), and an RGB Scart cable.

It has highlighted how much games have developed in the years since the thing came out, but at the same time, it also proves that great graphics do not equal great games, as some of the games are more fun than most next gen stuff.

I will get more games over time. I’m definitely wanting to get Nights Into Dreams, Daytona USA, Sonic R, Clockwork Knight, and then I’ll look into RPGs and Shooters once I have what I consider my essentials sorted.

Overall, not a bad haul for one day to say the least, especially to say I paid £40 in total yesterday, and have 4 more consoles and about 25 more games, maybe more. To say I’m a happy bunny is an understatement

Next up: Nintendo consoles. I’ve only ever owned one N64, and nothing else by Nintendo. This definitely has to change. As much as I’ve been a Sega and Sony fan for years, I still liked EVERY games company (even Microsoft now), so definitely time to go for it.

Oh and….

“Northern Lights”, the aurora borealis, don’t just happen on Earth; they happen on Saturn too.

As fall gives way to the winter months, and the land has given up its harvest and begins to become barren, being grateful that we will be able to survive through the season, comes to mind.  The early pilgrims celebrated with the Indians that they would survive and see another year and again toil the land to see many more winters in this new unknown territory.  The thoughts of being thankful and humble gave them the humility and understanding to accept help and develop the resources and inventions to survive and prosper in this new world.  These days it is harder for us to be grateful and thankful for what we have, because life is so much easier, or so we think.  What planets give us the ability to be grateful and thankful came to mind as I was thinking about this matter?

Jupiter and Saturn the gods of the ancient world does the trick for us, but not alone and separate, but as twins (as in the sign of Gemini) working in harmony to bring about the world we wish to live in.  Their work is so tied together, that they appear to be like Siamese twins, where one can not tell who is doing what to what.  It all comes out in the wash as one, and we are very happy that it does.  Saturn gives us structure, organization, consistency, security, stamina, steadfastness, limitations and boundaries.  The power of Saturn to help the individual to be true to it self, and to have the perseverance, endurance, conscientiousness, patience, wisdom, dependability, and consistency helps one to solve difficult situations and tribulations.

Jupiter represents trust, belief, growth, impetus, thriving, good fortune, prosperity, and the broadening of one’s horizons.  A developed sense of morality, ethics, truth, understanding, principles, and values which would represent what the individual stands for.  Jupiter also means wisdom, hope, grace, confidence, affluence, optimism, generosity, expansion and abundance.  Furthermore Jupiter together with Saturn means appearance, formation, compression, concentration, obligation, justice, law and order.

Depending on what signs and aspects these two planets are making with one another, and then to the other planets in the natal chart, will determine how much gratitude will come naturally to the individual.  In cases where the individual is hampered by their chart, one will use the chart’s information to help the individual gain the gratitude needed.  As I have always stated, the natal chart only indicates, it does not destine the individual to that fate.  I believe that although God may have given us problems and hardships to deal with, he has also given us the ability and assets to overcome the situation.

With gratitude on our side we begin to realize and appreciate what ever is given to us in this life, whether large or small.  Being grateful to God allows our subconscious to be open to all that comes our way, and being open we are able to see all the good that He has created for us.  Have you ever noticed during your daily routine, when one has been thankful to someone for their kindness and appreciated what was done, how that particular individual tries to do even more for you.  How can God do any less?  Actually I believe that the good for us is already here, but it is our gratitude that opens our vision to what is already in our harvest and bounty.  It is like the old saying “Is the glass half full or half empty?”, and it is true with how we see our lives.  So remember, the harvest and bounty is already in, and if we are grateful for it, our vision will be to see it, and it will manifest in our lives. 

When I woke up, I immediately flipped open my antiquated  workstation from where I lay in bed. It sprang to life with renewed vigor, a needlessly complex reformatting was still treating the Z-140x as well as one would expect within the first week. All that mattered was that I could access a network again, and within seconds I was connecting to the Magnate family’s portal. Though Allan and Rikka’s terminals were silent, and Ploki was still asleep, his porti was downloading a large file, so there was a little latency in the sphere.

After sliding through the various social webs I keep a profile in, checking my multiple inboxes and even the dashboard control panel for this tlog, finding no new messages in each, I hovered purposelessly in the internet for a few moments, idly rapping my fingertips on the case of the computer. I’d hoped by then I would have at least received word back from Olympus Coast College about my application or student financial aid. Not knowing what else to do, I brought up a window from an interplanetary newsource, probably based on Earth. The stark headlines it launched at me in grim menacing boldface startled me at first.

– [FLU DEATH TOLLS IN THE UNITED TERRITORIES ESTIMATED AT 3,900] –

– [NEPTUNIAN PIRATES FAIL TO CAPTURE IONIAN CARGOSHIP SECOND TIME] –

– [TIPS TO SURVIVE BLACK FRIDAY AND SHOPPING BATTLEGROUNDS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON] –

Suddenly concerned for my health, and worried that all those months of not worrying weren’t going to pay off, I thumbed over the article. I truly detest the tricks these fear mongering, ad-savvy newsources use to optimize search results to generate some more hits each day. The report is contrary to the one just a couple of days ago which calculated deaths to be closer to 130, so I just figured they wanted to claim that all of the regular annual flu deaths had been attributed to the H1N1 virus. I closed the window before I could see how many of those confirmed deaths were on Mars, lest I become a victim of the pharmaceutical industry’s scare tactics.

The next window informed me pirates had been thwarted in their attempt to gain control of a ship leaving the orbit of Galatea. Either by coincidence or the attractiveness of the damn thing, it was the same ship hijacked last spring near those same waters. These marauders from the sixth moon of Neptune have reportedly captured over 50 vessels, and seemed to have a pretty good reputation until the Euxine Carolina was rescued by UT marines earlier this year. This time, the enhanced security placed onboard the hundred-ton spacefreighter was able to resolve any issue before it even developed into one.

I didn’t care about holiday bloodbaths or a house with a bunch of dead people in it. I couldn’t be compelled to look too deep into the stories reported by the Ganymedean newsource or an associated feed I’d brought up in the background while I digested these either. I really didn’t care about Earth’s prison camp or the election being gorked up on Ceres, or any of the other news they don‘t often openly address in Earth media. I’m usually enthralled with that sort of stuff.

I brought SpaceBook, my main social network, back into focus and updated my status to something disparaging to human nature for letting the media get so commercial, and closed my clunky old porti.

As if stirred by a ripple in a pond, Ploki Magnate rolled over in his bed. As he rested, he’d probably been able to sense so many similar, relatively tiny waves just and slept right through it. But a rock being thrown into the pond from so close may have felt like a surge against the barriers of his constant digital stream. He sat up, rubbing the side of is head.

“Oh, good morning, Ploki,” I said, realizing I hadn’t actually spoken a word to anyone when my voice cracked. The name already sounded a little strange to the tongue since it was a throwback to old hacker slang from days when a keyboard similar mine would still have been used. It was the handle that he chose to go by in all of his social avenues, virtual or not.

“Morning,” he said, not looking up from the glow of the button already alight in his hands. It illuminated his sharp face and the accentuated Ganymedean features. If he had antennae or pointy ears I would have seen them in the wash of blue light, but his head was framed only by a short haircut and a little scruff of beard.  “What’s this about the news?” he asked me, responding to the notification that woke him.

“Huh? Oh, well ther-” I began before he cut me off, he’d obviously brought up the headlines.

“Pirates…prison camp…experiment demonstrates possibility of life in Centauri?” he read aloud, a questioning tone as he wondered if he’d already heard that somewhere.

I was rising off my futon bed and walking as I replied. “I think that whole thing’s a ruse to get more scientific funding for exploration,” I grumbled as I stepped into the kitchen to scrounge up something.

“So it’s better we don’t find life outside the Solar system? You’re so cynical, Klay.” He was beginning to wake and warm up, getting out of bed only to settle into his computer chair.

I spoke to him over the kitchen counter, his workstation setup just on the other side. Anyone who used this kitchen couldn’t help but feel watched if he was seated there, though his eyes hardly rose from his screen. “No, I just think it’s going to be a huge bust if it turns out we went all the way there again and didn’t find anything … again,” there was little I came across in the fridge that screamed edible to me.

“Well it won’t be any bigger of a waste than if that money went to the defense budget,” his sleek porti connected to the portal the second he touched it, and in moments he was tangled in his various webs. “They got something like 700 bil for the military, just for a single year. That calculates to almost 2 billion a day.”

“Gork,” I exclaimed, slamming an unyielding cupboard. “Nothing’s looking appealing to me in here, wanna start the vaporizer?”

He glanced at the time and yelled “Fire it up!”

«←→»

Hunger was of the few things that could involuntarily force someone out into the big, scary world; and even then there are the options of fast food, take-out and delivery services to minimize a given human’s exposure to the outside as much as possible.

Ploki and I trod along the broad walkways of Newport’s Style Isle. Fashioned by The Caspian Company after a cookie-cutter Ionian Mission, it was a way to disguise their corporate headquarters as an outdoor shopping mall and gain a little extra revenue. It’s not actually an island, just a small mesa overlooking the Amazonian Ocean, and was used by natives in the past for their jamborees. Glancing back over my shoulder, I could see it twinkling like a thousand diamonds in the midday light, beyond the rows of fancy crawlers, oily parking spaces and pristine, artificial palm trees.

I used to work here. Tucked away in the digital media section of Style Isle’s outdated bookstore, I toiled the first year I lived on Mars. The commute to Newport from Fender was treacherous at the least, a whole 30 minutes. It was enough to make the job feel not worth it to me, spending the entirety of my only raise on the fuel it took just to get to work late every day.

We wove amongst the flow of shoppers, consisting mostly of wealthy women who didn’t need to be making any more money. It always felt a little strange, walking amongst the same people I used to serve, calmly passing them decked out in their most splendid weekday attire. From the hottest trends off the runways in Mihr Patera to soft velour sweat suits encrusted in rhinestones. Large embellished sunglasses, gaudy jewelry and any number of insanely eye-catching accessories glinted and dangled in the red sun.

Anything they could afford to distract or cover up the seams between cosmetic surgery and plastic treatments. Neck-tucks and antenna-removal scars can still be tricky to hide, and that’s where expensive bronze and ivory make-up assisted. They perfectly mimicked the exemplary mannequins, stiff in the windows beside them but so posh. I cringed to think what these reptiles would look like without any mods.

Just a few minutes there and I’d already seen  too many aged women showing off their new breasts and arms, many of which still needed some tightening and laser treatments to erase the damage of decades of sun exposure. Gray roots hid under platinum blonde, deep crows feet under cakes of eye shadow, and I’m sure I would have noticed the stench of death if it weren’t for the aroma of nail polish and hair products. I just wanted to find the cheapest place to grab a bite, then get the hell out of this commercial trap.

“I’m so excited for my appointment next week!” Ploki said, grinning ear to ear. “I’m going to get my license, and then my new toy will be completely legitimate,” there was so much glee behind his eyes as he said this.

“I just hopes it work’s out for you, it would suck if you were denied cause you didn’t qualify,” I pointed out, though that would be just as upsetting to all of us.

“Seriously,” he replied and winced with his blue eyes, tryinag not to imagine that possibility.

I turned to my Martian friend as we rounded a corner near the geyser fountain. “Hey, Ploki, can you look something up for me real quick?”

“Yeah, sure,” he said, slid his button out of his pocket and unlocked the palm-held device. The flat, blue screen lit up in broad daylight, appearing a few inches above his hand.  It rested on a faint laser cone, projected from the solitary LED eye; simplicity was the only identifying feature of an AM-3Gi button. He called up a search application, and looked at me, asking “What do you need?”

“Gork, that was fast. Don’t you still have to connect to a network with that thing?”

“No, I canceled that basic service that came with it.” He pointed to his temple with his free hand, saying “I’ve been auged.”

“Ahh, now it makes sense, you are your own sphere,” I looked at him again as if I’d be able to see it’s sheen around him now. “That’s astro, I’d love to get a chip one day,” I said quietly.

The cyborg’s eyes locked on me in disbelief. “What? You haven’t been auged?” the question rang loud here, even outside. Any sort of alterations, whether internal or external, are regarded highly by those of status, and I’m sure any of the women who could afford a boost in confidence could pay an extra few thousand to have a little silicon implanted in their heads, too.

I looked around at no scowling faces or judging eyes, surprisingly. “No, what makes you think I have?”

“I totally thought you were. You don’t have extra memory in there?” he asked, genuinely amazed I hadn’t undergone any sort of capacity upgrade.

“No, not at all,” I said with as little pride as I could show these technophilic Newpsies.

“Huh, I could have sworn. Hmm…well I guess you just have a good memory then,” he said, adjusting to the idea of my head being emptier than his.

“Thanks, I’ll take that as a compliment…especially coming from a machine,” I said facetiously.

He protested “Hey, I’m still mostly human!”

“Whatevs, Robot. Find me the cheapest food around,” I commanded.

He grumbled, and returned his gaze to the screen, manipulating the flattened beam that the browser was illustrated upon with the swish of his fingertips. He looked up, over to the other side of the food court we had just meandered into. “There. The pizza place has the lowest cost here,” he said at once.

“Wow, you found it that quick?” I said, astounded by his technology again.

“No, I just remembered,” he said with a grin, adding “Gorker.”

After we finished our two-dollar slices of pizza pie, and made our way back through the mess of grotesque human facsimiles, we found ourselves at his little, cerulean crawler. The two-door hatchback always reminded me of my elusive vehicle, though his wasn’t built on Ganymede.

His Saturnian-made Polaris was probably of a finer construction than my rodent. The interior had been optimized for comfort and visibility, so much so that even the HUD cowling had been displaced to the center of the dashboard, creating more storage areas.

At the press of the ignition switch, the engine whined and instruments illuminated with bright blue light, similar to the glow of the Ploki’s button, which now rested in a crèche on the center console. It supplied music from it’s harddrive to the entertainment system, and the driver or passenger could easily control media with the interface on either end.

We hurried home, where Allan waited for our return. He’d sequestered himself into his room, determined to make full use of his burgeoning class-load by doing everything he could to pass them all. Little had been seen of him, except when he needed transit to and from campus, or when there was a bi-weekly jam, or if Nymh had come over to lure him out, though she just as often did nothing to make him want to leave the room.

Similar could be said of the youngest of the Magnate siblings. Rikka was often out of the house since she was usually working one of her two jobs, and only appeared in sharp, semi-formal outfits when she was home from either, or on her way to an interview for a third. Attention seeking and a hypochondriac, she was currently fighting a bout with the deadly flu upstairs in her quarters, and no one could tell if she were actually sick or not.

I’d become good friends with Ploki over the previous weeks, finding similar interests was easy for us; or something like that. It could have been something to do with being the same age as me, or that he was easier to tolerate for an entire day than his often boisterous older brother. Perhaps it was because we had planned to move to that ski resort in Cyane this winter and had begun pre-roommate rituals of bonding. But it’s probably just because we both share the ground level of the house, he and I sleeping in the living room and family room, respectively.

We arrived back at his house in the mid-afternoon and immediately return to our positions in front of our workstations. Using some sort of control on his terminal, he remotely activated his brand new vaporizer, allowing it to warm up the 600 seconds so it will work properly. He then sent a message through the sphere to let Allan know he’d have about ten minutes to find a stopping point.

By force of habit, I brought up the newsources again with my renewed net connection, feeling warm with this novelty: the privilege of fresh information afforded only to those who have the technological means. By the look of the new banners, it seems healthcare reforms were stagnated by both sides of UT government, Earth’s new president visited Titan, and strife continued between warring factions on little Davidia.

A terrorist plot on another Earth skyscraper was foiled, a fusion plant in New Ganymede almost meltdown again and AM would probably release a new model of the button over the holidays. Students protested an increase in tuition rates at University of Mars campuses, a ferry crash in The Rings left 26 dead and the sequel to that stupid teenage-heartthrob-vampire movie broke box office records this weekend.

I closed all the windows at once and brought up one of my bookmarked links: a streaming, real-time image of the star Sol. I zoomed in partway, only until I spotted the well recognizable shapes of the gas giants, the thin haze of asteroid belts and the glint off the terrestrial worlds orbiting close the yellow main-sequence star. If it weren’t for a ticker running the time at the bottom you would have sworn it was just a still image, captured by a traveler from some rocket’s window.

I attempted to imagine for a moment that I was peering out of that porthole at the static but majestic view. I tried to picture myself away from any apprehensions of holidays, pirates, finances or vaccinations. It wasn’t working.

I collapsed the screen of the outdated porti. “Hey Ploki,” I called as I stood up, “I’m getting Allan whether that machine of yours is ready or not.”

]]> http://skyweek.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/cassini-kann-es-nicht-lassen-neue-dramatische-bilder/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:51:23 +0000 skyweek http://skyweek.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/cassini-kann-es-nicht-lassen-neue-dramatische-bilder/

Jeden Tag werden derzeit neue dramatische Bilder aus dem Saturnsystem veröffentlicht: vorgestern und heute verrückte Schwerkraft- und Lichteffekte in den Ringen und gestern eine Animation von Saturns Polarlichtern.

Hier hat der 86-km-Mond Prometheus nicht nur bemerkenswerte Muster im F-Ring (links) produziert, sondern wirft – nur eine Woche nach dem Äquinoktium im August – auch seinen Schatten schräg über den A-Ring.

Die nur 8 km große Daphnis (der helle Punkt) hat hier ein Wellenmuster im A-Ring an der Keeler-Lücke erzeugt, das schon im Juni vorgestellt worden war – aber nur eine Woche vor der Äquinoktium sind die Schatten der “Wellenberge” noch viel länger.

Und dies ist eins von 472 Bildern aus einem Film, der die Entwicklung der Polarlichter Saturns (im sichtbaren Licht aber in Falschfarben dargestellt) über 81 Tage verfolgt – mit 1200 km über den Wolken sind sie die höchsten des Sonnensystems (weil hier Wasserstoff zum Leuchten angeregt wird, der leichter als die bei irdischen Polarlichtern leuchtenden Gase ist).

In Sachen Saturn sorgt überdies noch ein Paper für Aufsehen, in dem anhand der – direkt von Cassini gemessenen – Atmosphärenchemie des Titan auf die Zusammensetzung seiner Seen geschlossen wird, über die es keine direkten Daten gibt. Das Gebräu könnte dank Ethin (Trivialname Acetylen; Anteil ~1%) überraschend ‘nahrhaft’ sein, für sehr spezielle Mikroorganismen, deren Existenz natürlich hochspekulativ ist …

Yesterday I wrote a blog about Sagittarian energy.  Today I want to discuss how we can best utilize this energy considering the movements that other planets will be making during this time.

On December 1, Uranus goes Direct in Pisces.   Uranus, the planet of enlightenment, rebellion, and upheavals, has been in Pisces, the sign of compassion, self-sacrifice, and a movement towards divine union, since 2003.  Uranus’ placement in Pisces has caused humanity to look in non-traditional places in order to connect with the Divine and the energy that helps us to evolve.  People will tend to go off of the well-beaten path to find other ways to define and manifest their beliefs.  As Uranus goes Direct, we can anticipate its arrival in Aries, the sign of beginnings, leadership, and warrior strength in 2010.

On December 5, Mercury enters Capricorn.  Because I tend to relate astrology to the orishas, I compare Mercury to Elegba, the orisha who is the holder of ashe (God’s life force) and the one who takes our prayers to God (called Olodumare in Yoruba).  He is the messenger, just as Mercury is the messenger Roman mythology.  In astrology, Mercury symbolizes the rational mind and that we perceive and communicate.  Capricorn energy is similar to Ochosi, the orisha of the hunt who always hits his mark.  Ochossi is the energy of focus and direction balance, judgment, and reason, just as Capricorn is — all about hard work, intense concentration, and ambition.   Mercury in Capricorn is about focusing the mind in order to reach our goals.  On December 7, Mercury conjuncts Pluto in Capricorn.  Pluto, to me, relates to Oya, the orisha of the air, winds, and transformation.  When combined (or conjunct) with another planet, Pluto brings a heightened intensity.  So Pluto’s energy only heightens that sense of focus!  Mercury also squares Saturn in Capricorn on December 7.  Saturn is the planet of limitation, restriction, and karma — the great teacher –is the ruler of Capricorn and thus represents Ochosi…even more intense focus.   It may be very beneficial to hold some sort of goal-setting ceremony on December 7, asking Ochosi and Oya to help to have the intensity of focus and ambition in order to meet your goals.

Ochosi, orisha of the hunt. He brings balance, reason, focus, and direction.

Mars goes retrograde in Leo on December 20.  Mars is the planet of courage, aggression, and strength and relates closely to Ogun, the orisha of war, truth, and iron.  Like Elegba and Ochosi, Ogun is a warrior orisha.  Leo is a fire sign, a sign of will, strength, and creativity.  I liken Leonine energy to the energy of the orisha Shango, the orisha of thunder, lightening, justice, dance, and the sacred bata drums.  With Mars in Leo, it’s like Ogun and Shango linking up to create a very strong, very willful, very “hear me roar” evergy.  That’s the energy we now have the privilege to enjoy and this current placement is a good time to try something new and to let go of the fears that hinder our true expression.  However, once this retrogradation occurs, the energy becomes a lot more introspective and become egotistical and narcissistic.  If you are a leader, watch your back because people may feel the need to rebel.

Shango, orisha of thunder and lightening, justice, and the bata drums.

Ogun, orisha of iron, war, and truth.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

- Dr. Joachim Schmidt: “We will continue this positive trend, and we expect sales in the fourth quarter to be above last year’s level.”
- Record sales in China – Schmidt: “We expect Mercedes-Benz Cars to increase its sales in China by more than 50 percent in full-year 2009.”
- Mercedes-Benz USA posts best monthly result since the beginning of the year, with sales up by 21 percent in October
- E- and S-Class sedans maintain market leadership

Stuttgart, Germany, Nov 06, 2009 – In October, global sales were up at Mercedes-Benz for the first time this year. Mercedes-Benz was able to increase sales significantly in October by seven percent to 88,400 units (October 2008: 82,500. The smart brand sold 9,300 (October 2008: 11,300) units (minus 18 percent). With the delivery of 97,700 passenger cars (October 2008: 93,800), total sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars increased by four percent. The October sales increase was due to the E-Class and the new generation of the S-Class as well as to high growth rates in many regions such as North America and Asia/Pacific. Sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles were also above last year’s level in Western Europe.

“We will continue this positive trend in the coming months, and we expect sales in the fourth quarter to be above the level of the same period of last year,” said Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars. Contributing to this development will be the new E-Class and the new generation S-Class, as well as the ongoing strong growth rates in the Asia/Pacific region, particularly in China. By the end of September, Mercedes-Benz had already sold more vehicles in China than in all of last year. Says Schmidt: “Mercedes-Benz Cars will continue to grow at a dynamic rate in China, and we expect the increase for 2009 as a whole to amount to more than 50 percent.”

In October Mercedes-Benz once again set a sales record in China, with sales rising by 78 percent to 6,600 units (October 2008: 3,700). As a result, since the start of the year, Mercedes-Benz has been the fastest-growing premium brand in China. In October, Mercedes-Benz Cars also delivered more vehicles than ever before to the Asia/Pacific region as a whole, handing over 14,100 passenger vehicles to customers (October 2008: 10,500) for an increase of 34 percent. High growth rates were also posted in October in Australia (up 22 percent) and South Korea (up 63 percent).

In the United States, October was the best month of the year so far for Mercedes-Benz. Sales bucked the general market trend, rising by 21 percentto 18,200 units (October 2008: 15,000). This was the first time this year that sales were substantially higher than in 2008, and ensured that Mercedes-Benz remains the strongest German premium brand in the U.S. Contributing factors here included the E-Class, deliveries of which tripled to 6,100 units, and the GLK, which was once again the best-selling vehicle in its class in October, with deliveries of 1,800 units. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz posted another sales record in Canada in October, increasing customer deliveries by 28 percent to 2,200 passenger vehicles (October 2008: 1,700).

In the Western Europe region (not including Germany), Mercedes-Benz increased its sales by seven percent in October, thanks in particular to the high increases for the new E-Class. The brand enjoyed strong growth amounting to 55 percent in the UK, with a total of 5,800 units sold.

Sales of new E-Class continued to develop positively in the past month, with worldwide deliveries doubling in October to 17,100 units. Double-digit sales increases were registered in almost all markets. That made it once again the clear market leader in its segment. The company expects the launch of the new station wagon, which can be seen at dealerships starting on November 21, to give an additional positive boost to the E-Class family.

The new generation of the S-Class also got off to a successful start. Worldwide sales of the S-Class sedan were slightly above the previous year's level. Since the beginning of this year, the sedan has been the best-selling sedan in its segment. In China, which is now the biggest market for the S-Class, 1,100 luxury sedans were delivered to customers in October alone, which represents an increase of 12 percent. The sedan also sold very well in Germany, with an increase of 42 percent, and in Japan, where October sales increased by 13 percent. Mercedes-Benz sold 15,100 units of its SUVs worldwide (2008: 14,800), with an increase of two percent. The GLK, which was especially popular, enjoyed mainly double-digit growth rates in the Western European markets.

Overview of Sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

Copyright © 2009, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

Stuttgart, Germany, Nov 06, 2009 – In October, global sales were up at Mercedes-Benz for the first time this year. Mercedes-Benz was able to increase sales significantly in October by seven percent to 88,400 units (October 2008: 82,500. The smart brand sold 9,300 (October 2008: 11,300) units (minus 18 percent). With the delivery of 97,700 passenger cars (October 2008: 93,800), total sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars increased by four percent. The October sales increase was due to the E-Class and the new generation of the S-Class as well as to high growth rates in many regions such as North America and Asia/Pacific. Sales of Mercedes-Benz vehicles were also above last year’s level in Western Europe.

“We will continue this positive trend in the coming months, and we expect sales in the fourth quarter to be above the level of the same period of last year,” said Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars. Contributing to this development will be the new E-Class and the new generation S-Class, as well as the ongoing strong growth rates in the Asia/Pacific region, particularly in China. By the end of September, Mercedes-Benz had already sold more vehicles in China than in all of last year. Says Schmidt: “Mercedes-Benz Cars will continue to grow at a dynamic rate in China, and we expect the increase for 2009 as a whole to amount to more than 50 percent.”

In October Mercedes-Benz once again set a sales record in China, with sales rising by 78 percent to 6,600 units (October 2008: 3,700). As a result, since the start of the year, Mercedes-Benz has been the fastest-growing premium brand in China. In October, Mercedes-Benz Cars also delivered more vehicles than ever before to the Asia/Pacific region as a whole, handing over 14,100 passenger vehicles to customers (October 2008: 10,500) for an increase of 34 percent. High growth rates were also posted in October in Australia (up 22 percent) and South Korea (up 63 percent).

In the United States, October was the best month of the year so far for Mercedes-Benz. Sales bucked the general market trend, rising by 21 percentto 18,200 units (October 2008: 15,000). This was the first time this year that sales were substantially higher than in 2008, and ensured that Mercedes-Benz remains the strongest German premium brand in the U.S. Contributing factors here included the E-Class, deliveries of which tripled to 6,100 units, and the GLK, which was once again the best-selling vehicle in its class in October, with deliveries of 1,800 units. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz posted another sales record in Canada in October, increasing customer deliveries by 28 percent to 2,200 passenger vehicles (October 2008: 1,700).

In the Western Europe region (not including Germany), Mercedes-Benz increased its sales by seven percent in October, thanks in particular to the high increases for the new E-Class. The brand enjoyed strong growth amounting to 55 percent in the UK, with a total of 5,800 units sold.

Sales of new E-Class continued to develop positively in the past month, with worldwide deliveries doubling in October to 17,100 units. Double-digit sales increases were registered in almost all markets. That made it once again the clear market leader in its segment. The company expects the launch of the new station wagon, which can be seen at dealerships starting on November 21, to give an additional positive boost to the E-Class family.

The new generation of the S-Class also got off to a successful start. Worldwide sales of the S-Class sedan were slightly above the previous year's level. Since the beginning of this year, the sedan has been the best-selling sedan in its segment. In China, which is now the biggest market for the S-Class, 1,100 luxury sedans were delivered to customers in October alone, which represents an increase of 12 percent. The sedan also sold very well in Germany, with an increase of 42 percent, and in Japan, where October sales increased by 13 percent. Mercedes-Benz sold 15,100 units of its SUVs worldwide (2008: 14,800), with an increase of two percent. The GLK, which was especially popular, enjoyed mainly double-digit growth rates in the Western European markets.

Overview of Sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

Source >> Mercedes-Benz-Blog — Unmistakable. Unique. Classy. Mercedes-Benz. – Mercedes-Benz Boosts Sales by Seven Percent
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For 2010 the Legacy looks more aggressive and sporty. The headlights are angled more, the character lines create a more muscular look, along with bigger wheel arches. The Legacy has a more modern, mainstream, Japanese appearance. It will be more competitive in the midsize sedan segment, but it's aggressive styling wouldn't look at home in a forest carrying mountain bikes like the old Legacy did.

While the exterior doesn't give thoughts of the usual Subaru activities of hiking and kayaking, the interior gives impressions of a more mainstream midsize sedan at home in mall parking lots. Comfortably designed for the driver and passenger with easy to use controls, soft cream leather seats, and class leading passenger space. Steering wheel controls are standard on the 2.5i Limited are well laid out and easy for the driver to use. Subaru's shortcomings in quality with their use of hard plastic, flimsy door panels, and cheap wood trim left me disappointed, while the previous generation Legacy excelled in quality.

Subaru has used it's new Lineartronic CVT transmission in the new Legacy. It provides a very smooth drive with gearshifts that are as smooth as a hot knife through butter. The paddle shifters are possibly the easiest I've ever used for manual shifting and coupled with the CVT provide a smooth ride. The base 2.5 liter engine feels very underpowered. Subaru's have been known to have a tighter suspension and this Legacy is completely different. The drive feels more like an everyday sedan focused more on driver comfort than a Subaru has ever been. Everyday driving is more polished and tranquilizing than the previous generation Legacy. I took the Legacy through some winding country roads where Subarus usually shine, and was very surprised. Clumsiness and body roll plagued the Legacy like an old woman without her walker. The 2.5 liter 170 hp engine made the Legacy feel underpowered and heavy. The other two optional 256 or 265 hp engines would make the Legacy feel more capable for everyday driving. Even with Subaru's all wheel drive system it felt as though it lacked Subaru's willingness to go off road, instead focusing on a smooth and comfortable drive for those city folk.

The redesigned Legacy is a Subaru aimed more towards a mainstream market. It's comfortable ride and cabin make for a pleasing highway and city drive. Aggressive styling coupled with it's soft ride may scare away some loyal Subaru owners and attract a different buyer. The Legacy lacks what makes Subaru a Subaru. It has evolved into a mainstream car, one that won't be found driving through dirt trails or going on camping trips, instead will be at home on highways and city streets.

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This video shows the movement of energetic aurora over Saturn’s northern hemisphere, taken my the Cassini spacecraft over the course of four days. Saturn’s aurora is caused by the same process as found on Earth but the results are much, much larger…some of the lights seen here stretch nearly 750 miles above the edge of the planet!

This is the first time Saturn’s aurora has been filmed in visible light. The images were originally black-and-white; the orange color was added later by the Cassini imaging team to highlight the aurora better. The actual color of Saturn’s northern lights isn’t yet known.

Read the official release here.

Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

]]> http://openparachute.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/awesome-pictures-from-the-enceladus-flyby/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:55:31 +0000 Ken http://openparachute.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/awesome-pictures-from-the-enceladus-flyby/

It’s amazing how much we are finding out about other bodies in the solar system these days. And the images we get back from some of our robotic spaceships can be incredible.

Here’s one taken by Cassini during a deep swoop past Enceladus, a moon of Saturn. This is an intriguing moon because it is thought to contain an ocean of water below an ice surface. It is also very active with plumes of material shooting at least 1000 km into space. In fact, these plumes may be contributing material to Saturn’s rings.

The swoop, early this month, was the deepest yet brought the spacecraft to about 100 km from the moon’s surface. it also took the craft through the heart of a plume enabling further investigation of its compositions and density. Scientists thinks the heating and tectonic activity arises from tidal forces caused by proximity to Saturn. There is even speculation that this energy and the presence of liquid water could provide conditions for life on the moon.

Thanks to Emily Lakdawalla at The Planetary Society Blog.

Click on Enceladus flyby for a compostie animation of images of the plumes.

See also: Video compilation of still images from a previous flyby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5PqLPU2VA4

See also:
Greetings to All You Fellow Cassini Travelers!

Enceladus Flyby – Nov. 2, 2009

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(Ciclops.org) – An aurora, shining high above the northern part of Saturn, moves from the night side to the day side of the planet in this movie recorded by Cassini.

These observations, taken over four days, represent the first visible-light video of Saturn’s auroras. …

http://ciclops.org/view/5970/Northern_Aurora_in_Motion

Year End  Nissan sales and repairs. check details

როგორი იქნებოდა დედამიწა იმ შემთხვევაში მას რომ პლანეტა სატურნის მსგავსად ასტეროიდული რკალი ჰქონოდა. ვიდეოში ნაჩვენებია ისიც თუ როგორ გამოჩნდებოდა ეს რკალი დედამიწის ზედაპირიდან.

Jupiter the giant ruler of Sagittarius

This year the heavy burden of change in earth’s systems, world governments and weather patterns is sometimes laid at Scorpio’s door. But a much greater force was at work: Saturn, the great planet of sidereal change, slowly and inexorably moved out of the communicative and meticulously-ordered earth-sign of Virgo, where he has ruled, written in stone, made careful lists and acted in a predictable manner for the last three years. On October 29th 2009, he entered Libra, the zodiac sign of partnerships, cooperative ventures, balance and – above all – change.

Changes at the end of the year are expected as we in the Northern hemisphere descend into winter; but Saturn’s influence is huge. Just as the moon affects earth’s ocean tides, the ringed giant’s great orb reaches from its distant position in the sixth solar orbit to touch and move this little world of ours in the third planetary belt round the sun.

At the beginning of November this huge astrological catalyst of change had already joined forces with the sun in Scorpio and world mayhem, freak weather systems, and cultural upheaval were apparent: floods, tsunamis and out-of-season storms added to wars and conflict, famine and a breakdown in communications in both Old and New worlds. We are only now recovering from the effects of drought and starvation in some African regions and deluge and homeless scenarios in the North.

Saturn the planet of change and upheaval

It is a surprise and relief when, following the double Scorpionic portion dished out to us in mid-November by the New Moon, that Saturn’s new position in Libra should be accentuated by the sun’s transition on November 22nd into jovial Sagittarius. This zodiac sign is ruled by abundant Jupiter. It allows us a respite, a time to remember our place on the planet, our blessings, our way forward. But it, too, heralds change.

Sagittarius is a fire sign, sent to melt the icy waters Scorpio dragged in with its lethal tail. The archer, sunny of disposition and sending arrows presaging abundant flow to come, allows the glow of Thanksgiving and a glimpse towards the festivities of midwinter, but he reminds us that more work is round the corner as we are moving into a New Age. It helps to know, however that his ruler, Jupiter presently stands with Neptune, the planet of change and the spiritual, the mystical and unknown in forward-looking Aquarius; so our path, while difficult, is overseen by angels.

A trusted astrologer friend says:
“November 22-30: This is a highly creative time. Pay attention and focus on the little signs. Push the boundaries of what you perceive possible. Stretch your imagination. Resist the temptations of the status quo. Ask the right questions, ‘why not’ and ‘what if’. Be brave.

“Mostly just be in your own spirit, take time to meditate, try to remember that the Universe is ordering things in right timing; that in moving from a place of trusting, your own ability and power to create will open up. Spend time with others you like to be around and keep cutting clutter and non-essentials from your life.”

As the month draws to a close, we are being challenged to seek even greater clarity and depth of meaning in life, in our relationships, in our day-to-day interaction with others, work colleagues, family and strangers alike, so that we start to evolve in spiritual understanding of our place on this special planet Earth.

And at month-end, as we move into December, Mercury aspects challenge us to release stress and restore clarity of thinking. Mercury the messenger and communicator-par-excellence may get us through the hard part.

December begins with a powerful double-whammy: a Full Moon in Gemini on December 1st coincides with giant Uranus’ turning direct.

Changes and new directions are on the cards – in spades.

But we have help. Angels and giants are around to help us through.

This is an occasional astrological blog posting, as we move through the year. I am aware that many are familiar with the Western zodiac and its implications. However I hope to encourage a friend who understands the ramifications of the Vedic astrological system of the Indian sub-continent to join me in the next blog post. It is a fascinating system, with many parallels with Western and even Chinese texts. I think it will be something to look forward to.

So I’m thinking of putting together a little LAN party/game gathering, but with consoles.

Given that 360s, PS3s, Wii’s, Xboxs, and whatever else have ethernet/wireless available, using a PC isn’t strictly needed to have a mass gathering.

I’ll be able to provide the networking gear, but depending on how many people are coming, I need to see whether this can be based in a home, or has to be at a place rented out.

The following games would probably be good for it I’m guessing: -

• Any of the Halo games (1 2 or 3)
• Borderlands (if anyone has it)
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
• Forza 2 and/or 3
• Gears Of War
• Burnout Paradise
• Race Driver: Grid
• Red Faction: Guerilla
• Colin Mcrae: Dirt
• I guess the Call Of Duty’s could be involved (I don’t own any of them, but could get one)

I can also work on trying to link together other systems (Dreamcasts, PS2s, etc), and have mini tournaments for those that cant be linked for everyone.

The only requirements really would be bring console, and if possible bring your own TV too, even just a 14″ CRT or something like that, as long as it works and your eyes dont burn off using it

I’m mainly looking for people receptive to the idea, to either help out, or if you just wanna be part of it, and also suggestions as to what games to play, and other stuff.

I am well versed in PC/Linux setup and networking, so in terms of an infrastructure, there is nothing to worry about there, I can set that up, hell it may even be possible to have a local version of Xbox Live/PSN, I’ll take a look into that.

So yeah, if you are in the Rotherham/Sheffield area in the UK, and wanna get involved, join in, or just wanna heckle, go for it.

Sign up to the forum and discuss which games should be involved, whether you are interested, or anything else related

Platform:Sega Saturn

Format:NTSC Japan

Genre:Shooting

Release:23.07.1998(by Treasure)

Current Price:$220

If you like to purchase this Game please send mail

Considered to be both a milestone in shooter design and one of the toughest games in the genre, Radiant Silvergun comes courtesy of Japanese developer Treasure. Released only in Japan, Radiant Silvergun offered two modes, Arcade and Saturn mode. The former is all about intense 2D shooting action, while Saturn Mode adds a storyline to the mix and features anime-style characters and voice overs. Radiant Silvergun’s most interesting feature is that it did away with the power-up system so prevalent in 2D shooters and instead offered a choice of attacks — and combos between them. From standard lasers, to split shots, tracking fire, homing blasts, rear attacks, lock-on laser, and the Radiant Sword that can act both as shield and smart bomb, players have to choose the right attack for the right enemy to make it through.

NASA’s Cassini space probe flew by the Saturn moon Enceladus and sent back some pretty cool images.  Enceladus is one of Saturn’s 61 moons — 23 if you count only those that have regular orbits — and is pretty interesting.  It is the sixth largest moon of Saturn, and its fissured, ice-covered surface spews vast plumes of water vapor into space.  The NASA website has some interesting pictures.

Enceladus, for those who don’t have an encyclopedic recollection of Greek mythology, was one of the Giants who was defeated by the Olympian Gods.

1, 2, 3 of Enceladus' icy geysers

Another great image from the latest flyby of Enceladus by the Cassini spacecraft, this one shows three frigid plumes firing off into space from the moon’s south pole.

More images from the flyby can be seen on my previous posts, or by going to the CICLOPS site listed in the sidebar.

This last flyby of Enceladus, Cassini’s eighth so far, was the last sunlit view of the “tiger stripe” fissures before they’ll be hidden in darkness during the moon’s winter. The fissures are the source of the ice geysers that have attracted so much attention over the past few years.

“These first raw images are spectacular, and paint an even more fascinating picture of Enceladus.”

– Bob Pappalardo, Cassini mission scientist

Raw image: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

(Oh, and sorry about the post title. )

Something that I sometimes wonder about in relation to this study is the idea of destiny. The reason that anyone studies this particular unconfirmed field is to try to get a heads up  on a future which is already dead certain. What I mean by this is that somehow, there is a destiny which is already fact and that although our lives are only in the making, although our lives are incomplete and lacking at the moment, the idea that there is something definite in the future is tantalising and promising.

But, no matter how much I study, I will never fully “know” the future. I will never understand that I might be different at some future time, just as I had been different in the past. The scope of emotion that I have experienced in life, I would never have dreamed of in childhood. As a child there was no worry, no sadness, no disappointment, but those things came just as they come to all.

A chart though contains more potential than what is lived at the moment in which one looks at it. This is part of the reason for study. It´s the fact that you can find things that you would have never before dreamed of. There is more potential than what you are able to garner in one look. What is there in this life that is worth living for? What is there in the chart which makes this life worth living for? In part it requires you to remain open and unconscious about the possibilities, but in a like manner, cautious about the possible dangers. For there is the same possibility for harshness as there is for joy.

In some ways the stars appear to look a little like Heaven. According to the ancient Greeks, Heaven and Hell were in fact one place, and your life in the afterlife could be pleasant or it could be nasty, (carrying a large rock which always roles back, or carrying water with a sieve), depending on actions and deeds on Earth.

Let´s say though, for argument´s sake that there is no real afterlife, that for all purposes, this is the only life that we get. In this case, the Heavens are a kind of reflection of what´s going on down here. Only studying the paths of the demigods, (the planets) may give us clues as to the paths that we ourselves are likely to take. Heaven obviously does continue, and according to the ancient tradition, the gods, (though I don´t deny a prime mover), the gods as represented by the planets are in fact jealous of our mortality, because it makes our lives so much the more precious.

Our lives really are precious, in the case that there is only one life. But, what say, if your life is more like a tragedy? There is no chance at a replay. This is where I get stuck. This is where I find I can´t escape despite my best efforts. In one sense, it should then be our duty to have some faith, that all will eventually work out the way it ought to. Perhaps the fact that it is impossible to know all that a life contains from the start is another small aid in getting through the tough times.

What kind of life is rewarded? What kind of attitude is given happiness? The rewards that come to those that are of the nature of Mars are immediate, they are probably pleasurable and exciting, but they are gone just as fast, and the down side is that of danger. The rewards in life that come to those of the nature of Saturn or Venus will probably not be apparent at the beginning, it looks grim or shoddy, or inadequate, but it probably lasts right until the very end. With this view in mind it does not profit us to look at what other people get in life and compare notes or even try and garner what might be your own fate through similarity of planetary force.

Jupiter trine Venus persons might be incredibly lucky, they might have a permanent party, all of the friends they could wish for etc. etc. and this is cause of much misery for the Venus-Saturn person who must sit next door listening to other people having fun while contemplating the reasons for not being popular, for being a social reject. Bu perhaps in ten years time Saturn-Venus will have someone love them solidly, and permanently and despite all imperfection, while Jupiter is on the next empty and soulless relationship based on appearance and excess.

What does destiny say about the life as a whole rather than the life as viewed from the perspective of someone only interested in the “now”? IT is said that “God created Heaven and Earth.” In heaven we see the stars and planets, which in my opinion are what the ancients believed to be gods, and which in a sense are in fact forms of higher power, demigods perhaps. The final word though, the final word is that if there is a singular thought that runs through everything, then there can´t truly be anything that is bad, or rather there can´t be anything that isn´t pre-destined, or part of the plan and therefor it cannot be bad.

What is the meaning of the suffering that I go through now? Or that I went through two years ago? According to the stars it changed my attitudes in certain ways by being a transit to my third ruler. What was the meanin of that mental suffering? In one sense it was a stretching of the mental muscles. And it is a well known fact that muscles do not grow unless they are trained through the strenuous if not at times painful exercise. “No pain no gain…” A lot of people interested in the stars look at a transit and are glad that it´s over once it´s over and consider it as one would consider a tragic act of random fortune. I´ve stipulated here that there is no random act of fortune, because the stars are put there by God, whoever he may be, benevolent or not.

So what does this have to do with anything? It´s the idea of destiny, the idea of suffering the pains of life by “being good” in order to reap the rewards in the “afterlife” or more to my taste, the life which we haven´t yet lived, but which is definitely projectionable and visible on the horizon. To suffer loneliness will create the appreciation for company, not just the appreciation, but the desire and the need for partnership. To suffer stupidity or to suffer powerlessness will give rise to talent, to adaptability. The idea is not that the FATE of our lives is random, cruel and unprecedented, but that because it comes from one  mind, that there is reason behind the current suffering in whatever from it may take.

The things that are most lacked will be the things that are most compensated. It seems that humanity tilts itself in the opposite direction from where it is, whether it is instant or whether it takes years. It´s the idea that everything is not realised that is important to keep in mind. It´s what we don´t have now, and ask for and pray for that may be ours tomorrow or later on in the future. One of the steps towards this materialization is that of imagination, of thinking and creating a blueprint of what it is that you want to create. Persistence pays, this is why Saturn is associated with achievement, with things that last, with a very moderate amount of happiness each day for the rest of your life.

This dialogue isn´t finished yet, because the full extent of it´s possible realisation isn´t apparent and because the mind that has written it isn´t satisfied with the philosophical clarity which it is meant, or designed to bring. Part of it is a reason in order to have faith that the present time is how it is meant to be as a foundation for greater future things. Part of it is a reconciliation with the apparent seeming randomness of life. There is nothing random, and it is difficult to believe this. When as individuals we strive and struggle, it is impossible to think that those struggles are in fact destined in the same way that other things in life appear to be destined. When you feel pain, you do not accept that the pain is in fact part of the plan. Pain is inconceivable to be part of some divine plan, it´s practically incomprehensible. Though, as an argument it might be said that the birthpains of a mother make her realise that a child is serious business, and the pain is part of the reason for the protection she eventually gives.

There is more to this…

A good friend forwarded this on to me recently. It’s an animation projecting the rings of Saturn onto the Earth and shows how they would look from some of the great cities of the world; it’s a fascinating exercise.

From YouTube:

What the rings would look like from different cities and latitudes across the world. It’s interesting to imagine how it would affect culture throughout time. It would have influenced religion, mythology, navigation, etc..