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BULCHER — Along the Red River, under the grazing cattle and the oil pumps running like metronomes, lie vast deposits of sand.
Until recently, the sand drew little interest from the mining industry. Silica, the primary component of sand, is one of the most abundant substances on the earth's surface. But then three years ago, EOG Resources, a Houston oil and gas driller, bought more than a thousand acres near the Oklahoma border to open a sand mining operation.
The site is screened from the road by trees and hills, so locals have taken to examining it through satellite images online.
"Look at the size of it. And this was taken last year, so it's probably a lot different now," Jack Schoppa, a businessman in nearby Saint Jo, said as he showed a photo on his computer.
Sand is a principal component in the hydraulic fracturing process. It has been mined in the United States in rapidly increasing volumes since the oil and gas shale boom began. From the northern banks of the Mississippi to the Red River, the flow of sand to drilling operations has created what geologists say amounts to a mining boom.
The exact scale of the industry is unknown. But a U.S. Geological Survey study released earlier this year estimated that 47.8 million tons of sand were mined in 2011, an increase of more than 60 percent from two years earlier — and analysts say that estimate is probably sizably short of the real number.
"I think you'd have to go back to the industrial revolution to see that sort of change," said Mark Ellis, president of the National Industrial Sand Association. "Horizontal drilling and shale gas has completely changed the landscape."
And that dramatic ramping up of mining operations — which brings with it truck traffic, clouds of microscopic sand and intense water demand — has met resistance.
The bulk of the sand for hydraulic fracturing is being mined in the upper Midwest. In Minnesota, public outcry has resulted in state hearings. One case brought a county ordinance banning mining along a lakeside bluff.
Similar tension has arisen in North Texas, where residents along the Red River have been pressing state environmental regulators to block EOG's mine from operating.
They have lobbied state and local politicians and testified at public hearings, expressing fears about heavy trucks wrecking roads and the impact the mining would have on ranchers' water supply.
No permit yet
More than two years after EOG filed an application with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the company still has not received an air quality permit.
A decision is not expected until this fall at the earliest. But already, officials in Cooke County, where the mine is to be located, agreed to back off if EOG installed air monitors around the site, said County Commissioner Leon Klement.
"EOG says they'll be good neighbors. We'll just see how it works," he said. "It's beyond the scope of the county to regulate sand mines. … We thought we got something out of the deal."
The driving force behind the local opposition, a group called Save the Trinity Aquifer, declined to be interviewed for this article, citing a desire not to upset the TCEQ ahead of its decision.
But Schoppa, who does regular business with ranchers through his real estate operation, said air quality was a minor issue compared to the amount of water the sand mine was projected to pull from aquifers.
In its application, EOG estimated water use of 3,700 gallons a minute once the mine is in operation. The company declined an interview, but a page on its website said that 90 percent of the water would be "recycled and reused" and would be drawn from a deeper aquifer of brackish, undrinkable water.
But those assurances have drawn skepticism, Schoppa said.
"How is that going to work? I would like to see a well log," he said. "This town is on well water. If those wells go dry, it's going to be a disaster."
Little attention
But while sand mining has proved to be a volatile issue for those close to the mines, it has not attracted much attention from environmental groups.
Neil Carman, the clean air program director for the Texas Sierra Club, said he had heard some complaints from landowners but the environmental implications of the mines seemed relatively minimal.
"We're looking at big power plants, refineries, and these are very small operations in comparison," he said.
The demand for sand does not appear to be abating anytime soon.
Prices for fracking sand have been rising steadily, pushing oil and gas companies like EOG to develop their own supply.
Traditionally, drillers have demanded that sand be spherical and particularly strong, good for injecting into cracks in oil and gas shale and keeping them open under intense pressure. But the demand has become so great that many have resorted to using lesser-grade sand, said Terry Palisch, Dallas chairman of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
"Seven or eight years ago, we were using 5 billion pounds of propellant worldwide. In 2011 it was estimated at 60 to 70 billion pounds," he said. "When that happened and you had that gigantic increase in demand, the industry could only supply so much."
Follow James Osborne on Twitter at @osborneja.


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BOSTON - The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent forward Darius Miles. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Miles, a 6'9", 235lbs forward out of East St. Louis High School has posted career averages of 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.15 blocks in 412 career games. Miles was originally drafted with the third overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Miles last played for the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2005-06 season when he averaged a career high 14.0 points and 4.6 rebounds in 40 games. Miles missed all of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons due to microfracture surgery on his right knee.
"Darius has been in twice for workouts with us and has impressed us with his progress, health, and attitude;" said Danny Ainge, Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations/General Manager. "Darius will have the next couple of months to prove to myself and Coach Rivers that he can help us win."
The Bellville, Illinois native became the first player in NBA history to receive All-Rookie honors straight out of high school when he averaged 9.4 points and 1.54 blocks for the Clippers in the 2000-01 season. Miles scored in double-figures in 31 of the 40 games that he appeared in during his last NBA season in 2005-06. As a starter in 23 of those 40 games he averaged 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.
"I've watched the Boston Celtics play a lot last year and loved what I saw in their teamwork and chemistry on the court and it's the team that I want to try to resume my career with." said Miles. "I am excited about having an opportunity to play on a team that I feel my personality fits with and a team that can have great success on the court."

subset: commoncrawl


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Kotter's 8-Step Change Model as a tool in Program Management
Developed by Emma Balstrup Klinke Hansen
A program exists in a dynamic environment and is affected by external as well as internal factors this makes it necessary for a program manager to make changes to the program to adapt to changes from the environment.[1] In the program management literature like The Standard for Program Management,[1] one find tools to make the decision of change but not how the change has to be implemented in a program successfully without affecting the people in the program in a negative way. When first the decision about making a change is taken the next step is to implement the changes. John P. Kotter has developed a method to implement changes which consist of eight steps. These steps are described in Kotter's 8-Step Change Model to guide organizations through change.[2] As programs can be seen as temporary organizations, [3] Kotter's 8-Step Change Model can be used to implement changes in a program. This article will present The 8-Step Change Model as well as how to implement the model in a program. Since the model was developed it has been criticized for being inflexible because of its linear nature and Kotter has done further research in the area, therefore, Kotter has made an update to the model called; The Eight Accelerators. The updated version has other values than the first which makes the models suitable for different programs and situations.
Managing programs
A program can be defined as: " a temporary, flexible organization created to coordinate, direct and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects and activities in order to deliver outcomes and benefits related to the organization's strategic objectives. A program is likely to have a life that spans several years." [3] The roles and responsibilities of a program manager are to lead the temporary organization through the time it exists till it has reached the program's strategic objectives and benefits. [1] Leading a program involves being in contact with different stakeholders as each project manager, the project teams, the Program Management Office and the higher management levels and others but a program manager should also have knowledge within program objectives and organizational culture and processes. [1] A program is affected by internal and external factors; an example could be a change of strategy from the top management which can mean big changes for a program.[1]
Change is in the MSP framework mentioned as one of the success factors for a program.[3] As a program manager one has to be able to handle changes, which can be both minor changes and bigger changes since the many stakeholders, the fast-moving market and the duration of a program make changes inevitable and a program being dynamic. [3] A program manager has to lead many people and therefore the program manager has to be able to handle how change affects procedures, costs and other objectives of a program and at the same time how change affects people who are part of a program either as internal or external stakeholders.[3]
People are an important driver of a program and will, therefore, be affected if changes are made in a program.[3] This can affect their work procedures, the meaning of their work and will react if they do not like the changes that have to be made.[4] For this reason, the program manager has to know how to lead people when there are changes to the program. [3]
Often the people factor is not in focus when a change process is happening, the focus is more on the technical perspective.[4] When looking at literature like The Standard of Program Management[1] and how to handle change in a program, it describes tools that explain how a program manager makes the decision of change, however not how the program manager implements changes in the temporary organization. Therefore the following part will describe how the program manager implements major change after the decision of making the change has been taken.
Kotter's 8-Step Change Model as a tool for managing change in a program
John P. Kotter's work is seen as some of the most important work within change management building on Kurt Lewin's three-stage change model from 1947.[5] Kotter bases his research on studies of around 100 companies.[6] Based on his research he developed The 8-Step Change Model which was published in 1995. It is a model to guide organizations through major change. Since change is an important part of program management.[2] The 8-Step Change Model can be useful for program managers to know how to lead people through change. To use Kotter's 8-Step Change Model in program management one has to look at a program as defined earlier in this article "A programme is defined as a temporary, flexible organization created to coordinate, direct and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects and activities in order to deliver outcomes and benefits related to the organization's strategic objectives. A programme is likely to have a life that spans several years." [3] For this reason, in this article, the term program will be used but it is seen as a temporary organization.
The 8-Step Change Model is divided into steps where the program manager starts with the first step and then follows the steps in the model continuous till all steps are developed and ends with the eights step. The steps a program manager has to follow are Establishing a Sense of Urgency, Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition, Create a Vision, Communicating the Vision, Empowering Others to Act on the Vision, Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins, Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More Change, Institutionalizing New Approaches, which is also shown in figure 1.[2]
The steps are meant to be initiated top-down in the program and afterwards to be followed in a linear process starting at the first step "Establishing a Sense of Urgency".[2] Because it is a tool used top-down it is suited for programs having a hierarchical structure and when big changes have to be implemented in the program and not just minor changes since it takes a lot of resources to follow all the steps. [2] The model is meant for organisational changes, therefore, the model should be used when it is the whole program that has to go through a change and not on project level. [7]
- 1. Establishing a Sense of Urgency
The first step to take in the 8-Step Change Model is to establish a sense of urgency in the program. This means that it should be clear why changes have to be applied now and i.e. not in six months. The change has to start from the top and the program manager needs to create urgency for the relevant stakeholders in the program to convince the stakeholders that action has to be taken now since they will be part of the change.[2] Challenges occur in this step if the program manager is not a great leader. Being good at leading people is necessary because it takes a lot of effort to convince people to change. If the Program Manager does not succeed people can be barriers that make the change difficult to make or even impossible.[2]
- 2. Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition
When the sense of urgency is created a powerful guiding coalition has to be made. This is a group of people who will be the front-runners in the change of the program. This group should not only be the top of the hierarchy but the people should have some part of power in the form of titles, information, expertise, reputations and relationship.[2] The group also have to reach broad in the program so each project has a front-runner so the whole program will change and not only parts of it.
- 3. Create a Vision
The guiding coalition develops a vision for the change together. It is important that this step is done in collaboration to make every person in the group feel ownership of the vision to better promote it and not being a barrier.[4] The vision should be clear and possible to explain so the listener understands it and believe in it in five minutes.[2]
- 4. Communicating the Vision
When the vision for the change is made it has to be communicated to the stakeholders. If every person affected by the change is not aware of the vision, the change can move in different directions and the chance of success decrease. Change is not easy especially not if sacrifices have to be made. Therefore the vision has to be communicated in a way so the stakeholders believe in it.[2] For further reading on how to communicate as a program manager The Standard of Program Management is suggested. [1]
- 5. Empowering Others to Act on the Vision
If stakeholders still do not believe in the vision for the change they can become obstacles which will prevent the change to be a success. In this step of the model, the obstacles have to be handled. This could be making an extra effort to convince a person, relocate the person or fire the person. The obstacles do not have to be people but could also be organizational structures or processes on the operational level in the program.[2] In this step, it is important the program manager is not only good at the technical perspectives of the program but also a good leader [1]
- 6. Planning for and Creating Short-Term Wins
The saying an elephant should be eaten one bite at a time also comply with this situation. The sixth step in the model tells the practitioners to make short-term wins. This means that the final goal could be far in the future so sub-goals should be made. This should be so managers have clear performance goals. [2] To do so the sub-goals have to be different for every project, or even on lower levels depending on how performance goals are made normally.
- 7. Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More Change
Step seven guides the practitioner not to celebrate too soon but keep being aware of the changes that have to be made. If the front runners celebrate the change too soon the people who have a negative view of the change will be fast to try to stop the change. When victory is declared too soon the reason is often that the first three steps Establishing a Sense of Urgency, Forming a Powerful Guiding Coalition and Create a Vision have not been done in a powerful way and with a clear vision, therefore first steps are important also to succeed in this step. [2]
- 8. Institutionalizing New Approaches
When a change becomes a part of the culture's mindset the changes are successful and at this point, it is important to make sure if new employees come to the program that they learn the new mindset and not the old one.[2]
The process of the 8-Step Change Model is meant to be followed step by step from first to last, however, the model has been criticized for its linearity.[8] Each step might not fit in every change process but if not all steps are followed it will not work accordingly.[2] Situations, where steps might not be possible to go through, is if the change is affected by a time limit and therefore the last steps cannot be evaluated. [8] A program as a temporary organization can last many years and still it might not be long enough to fully implement changes and evaluate it compared to a traditional organization. Especially the first phases of the program tend to be iterative and cyclical,[1] so implementing a linear process could cause problems. This is especially because changes, happen more in the beginning of a program where it is more iterative and cyclical.[3]
Following all the steps of the change model is time-consuming for both the program manager and also for people involved in the process. This could mean that the program manager chooses another option than the model. The time needed to succeed in the process makes it impossible to use it for small changes and also when changes occur often it is too time-consuming and confusing if stakeholders often have to follow a new vision or several visions at the same time for different change processes. Looking at how fast markets change this model might not be fast enough to follow. [3] If a program manager tries to follow the model it can be difficult to know exactly what to do since the model is not very detailed and each step could have many subprocesses. [8] This means that further knowledge could be needed either from Kotter's book Leading Change from 1996 that describes the 8-Step Change Model further or elsewhere.
The model has been criticized for not being academic since it is based on Kotter's personal research in different companies and does not refer to any other sources than his own. Although it has been criticized for lacking an empirical fundament it became a success when it was published and has been cited more than 4000 in Google Scholar. [8] What it is criticized for could also be the reason why it is and was so popular. The model is made more for practitioners than for academics, which makes sense in the way the research is made from real life cases. This might also be the reason why it got so popular because it was a model designed to be used in real life based on real-life cases instead of basing it on different theories. Kotter's 8-Step Change Model has many limitations and one would be tempted to use the model just as inspiration and then pick the steps a program manager finds relevant to the program but according to Kotter: "Skipping steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces a satisfying result" [2], therefore, the model is made to be used continuously and are not a guarantee for a successful change process if it is not used in the way Kotter describes.
The Eight Accelerators
Since the development of the 8-Step Change Model Kotter have done more research within the field and developed the model further. The newest version is called The Eight Accelerators and was published in 2012 in his book Accelerate. The further research within change management has shown a different reality and Kotter has developed a variation of the way an organization can handle change. A lot of companies are becoming less hierarchical and the world is moving even faster.[7]Instead of having a traditional structure of an organization and then using the 8-Step Change Model when big changes have to occur, Kotter suggests an organization to have a dual operating system. This means that besides the formal system that makes an organization work, the organisation should have a second operating system meant for design and implementation of a strategy. [7]This second operating system is flexible and able to faster adapt to change so the changes can be implemented. Within the second operating system, eight accelerators exist instead of eight steps. The eight accelerators are:
- Create a sense of urgency around a single big opportunity
- Build and maintain a guiding coalition
- Formulate a strategic vision and develop change initiatives designed to capitalize on the big opportunity
- Communicate the vision and the strategy to create buy-in and attract a growing "volunteer army"
- Accelerate movement toward the vision and the opportunity by ensuring that the network removes barriers
- Celebrate visible significant short-term wins
- Never let up. Keep learning from experience. Don't declare victory too soon
- Institutionalize strategic changes in the culture
Since this method is built on Kotter's first research it still has eight different points and formulated almost in the same way, however, the points should be handled differently. The accelerators are working in the second system continuously and not only supposed to happen one time during one big change. Besides not being a linear process this method varies from the 8-Step Change Model by having more people involved in the change. According to Kotter as many people should be involved as possible and do it voluntarily in the new model. [7] It also differentiates because it is meant to work within a network more than a hierarchy which is better suited to the constant changes in the environment around a program.
A program is affected by the constant change and when looking at literature as The Standard for Program Management[1] it suggests tools to get changes approved by stakeholders but not how to implement big changes in a program when focusing on the people perspective. For a program manager, Kotter's 8-Step Change Model could be useful to integrate changes. Since the characteristics of the steps of the 8-Step Change Model are that it is a linear process and meant to go from step one to step eight, it is best suited for hierarchal companies. This method could be used in program management when a big change has to occur and the program manager knows where to move from and to. This tool is best suited for programs that have a hierarchical structure. Considering the critique the model might be too linear and time-consuming to apply in a program. Thus a program manager could use the model as a guideline although it is against Kotter's belief. [8] The updated version of the change model; The Eight Accelerators differ by handling ongoing changes and is better suited for a company that is built on networks and do not have a strongly hierarchical structure. This might make The Eight Accelerators more suited for the way a program work in a fast-changing environment. Therefore the first model might be better to use in a certain situation where the second is better to use when the program is not strictly hierarchical but affected by ongoing changes.
Annotated bibliography
- Kotter, John P.| 1995 |"Leading change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail" Harvard Business Review pp. 59-67
To learn more about the method and the background of The 8-Step Change Model the article is relevant. Each step is also described further in the book Leading Change from 1996 by the same author.
- Kotter, John P.| 2012 | "Accelerate." Harvard Business Review pp. 44-58
The article describes The Eight Accelerators and is useful to get a deeper understanding of the model. The article describes the reason for the updated version of The 8-Step Change Model to The Eight Accelerators and the differences between them. The article is also relevant to better understand the method since it is only described briefly in this article.
- AXELOS, and Cabinet Office | 2011 | Managing Successful Programmes 4th ed.
One thing is to manage programs, another is to manage them successfully. For further information about how to manage programs, this book is useful. Change is a big part of the book. The book describes why change happens and how a program should be ready to handle it.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "Project Management Institute | 2008 | The Standard for Program Management 2nd ed."
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 " Kotter, John P.| 1995 |Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Harvard Business Review pp. 59-67 "
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 " AXELOS, and Cabinet Office | 2011 | Managing Successful Programmes 4th ed."
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "John Hayes | 2014 | The Theory and Practice of Change Management 4th ed."
- ↑ " Armenakis, Achilles A, and Bedeian, Arthur G.| 1999 | Organizational Change: A Review of Theory and Research in the 1990s. Journal of Management Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 293-315- "
- ↑ " Buchanan et al.| 2005 | No going back: A review of the literature on sustaining organizational change. International Journal of Management Reviews Vol. 7 I No.3 pp. 189–205"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 " Kotter, John P.| 2012 | Accelerate. Harvard Business Review pp. 44-58 "
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 " Appelbaum, Steven H and Habashy, Sally and Malo, Jean-Luc and Shafiq, Hisham.| 2005 | Back to the future: revisiting Kotter's 1996 change model", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 31 Issue: 8, pp.764-782,"


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The transits to your chart from the outer planets describe the bigger transformations that are going on/have gone on in your life. And the progressions describe the phases, often lasting years, that you are living through.
I was at the Exeter Astrology group the other night, and Ed Gillam gave a presentation on Dietrech Pessin's work on 'Moon Families', which expands on this idea of New Moons timing significant events. I found the basic idea very interesting.
New Moons occur in 3 year cycles, so that both 3 years before and after our New Moon at 15 Aries (ish), there will also have been a New Moon around 15 Aries. You'll often find that one of these 3 year periods - or sometimes both - was pretty pivotal in your life, probably the one where the 2 New Moons have the tightest orbs to (in this case) your Sun or Asc. These New Moons gradually drift backwards by a few degrees every 3 years, so that quite quickly they are too far off to be significant.
It's sounding complicated already, so I'll give an example. My Asc is at 29 Leo. There was a New Moon at 29 Leo in August 1979. And then one at 26 Leo in August 1982. This was a period in which I moved from one life to another, from being at University, and not quite sure why I was there (like many students!) to getting involved with a Buddhist lifestyle and friends and values that constituted an entirely different life for me.
Interestingly, the immediately preceding cycle, from August 1976 to August 1979, was also close to my Ascendant, with the 1976 New Moon at 2 Virgo being just 2 degrees away. And this was also a period in which I moved from one life to another: in August 1976, I was just finishing 10 years at boarding school, which had effectively become my life. 3 years later I was a different person, having rejected all the main values surrounding my upbringing and searching for an entirely different direction.
There is plenty more to unpack about these cycles. I have so far just mentioned the 3 year cycle as the New Moon repeats itself at significant points in your chart (though occurring a few degrees earlier at the end of the cycle than at the beginning.)
There is also a 19 year cycle which is exact to within a day or so. So my New Moon at 29.01 Leo on 22nd Aug 1979 was repeated 19 years later on 22nd August 1998 at 28.48 Leo. And guess what? August 1998 found me beginning another new life, the Buddhist one having come apart at the seams, and it took 3 years to establish, almost exactly. (The immediately preceding cycle, from 1995-8, also had this quality of fundamental shift, but less obviously so.)
So for me, the pattern has been of 2 of these 3 year cycles happening consecutively on my Asc, with the emphasis of the first cycle being an inner transformation of values and outlook, and the emphasis of the second cycle being on the complete transformation of my life in accordance with that inner revolution. And this has happened twice, 19 years apart.
The 3 year cycle itself is divided into 4 phases, and in a way I should have started with this, because it is basic to the whole idea. But then you can get confused before you've even started! These 4 phases occur at 9 month intervals (which is why Dietrech Pessin calls this pattern the 'Lunar Gestation Cycle'). And they can time remarkably accurately the unfoldment of a theme, from seed idea or impulse through to completion.
This is how it works. If there is a New Moon at 15 Aries, then 9 months later there will be a quarter Moon, remarkably at the same degree: Moon at 15 Aries (ish) square to the Sun at 15 Capricorn (1/4 of the way round the zodiac from the initial Sun at 15 Aries). 9 months after that, there will be a Full Moon, again at the same degree: Moon at 15 Aries opposite the Sun at 15 Libra. And then 9 months after that, we have another quarter Moon, with the Moon at 15 Aries square the Sun at 15 Cancer. The cycle is completed 9 months later with a New Moon at 15 Aries (all give or take a degree or two.)
Obama's decision to run for the Presidency was part of the previous cycle, and the eclipse was the culmination of that cycle, as well as the beginning of the new one. One month earlier he had won his first primary in Iowa in his campaign to be the Democratic candidate. So the first practical step, the first necessary achievement in becoming President was there, which is that you start actually winning primaries. This is the New Moon phase, the first step.
Click to Enlarge
Fast forward 9 months to the 1st quarter, the opening square, of the cycle, with Sun at 14 Scorpio square Moon at 14 Aquarius on 6th Nov 2008. 2 days earlier he had won the Presidency. The opening square of a cycle is always dynamic, as the initial idea/theme bursts into action.
9 months later in August 2009 we have the Full Moon phase, with the Sun opposite the Moon at 14 Leo/Aquarius. It is the Summer to the opening square's Spring, when you are at a peak. Healthcare Reform had always been Obama's top domestic priority, and 3 weeks before this Full Moon his 1000 page plan was first introduced to Congress. Then in early May 2010 there was the closing square of the 3 year cycle with the Sun at 16 Taurus and the Moon at 16 Aquarius. This is the autumn, a time of fruition, of harvesting what you have sown and fought for. A month earlier, at the end of March, Obama's Healthcare Bill was signed into law.
We have not had the next New Moon yet, which will be on Feb 3 2011, but we have already had its signifying event, which was the installation of a new Congress on 4th Jan, one which will be against Obama rather than for him, and most likely making the legislative victories of his first 2 years unrepeatable. This New Moon signifies the end of that period. It does not open up a new cycle, for the Aquarian New Moon in 3 years time will be at 11 degrees, too far off his Asc to be a significant cycle. Well, a lot of astrologers would say that, and I've probably already offended them with my 4 degrees off for Obama's 2008-11 cycle, but when it comes to orbs I'm a bit of a wide boy! Let's see if the next 3 years works as a cycle or not.
Natally, Barack Obama has Uranus conjunct North Node in Leo, so being a mould-breaker, being highly individual, is essential to who he is. The North Node describes the deeper patterns, our destiny if you like, if we are up for change and progress. And in Obama's case, the New Moon/Ascendant cycles both activated his North Node. Just as they activated my own North Node in Scorpio. Which you'd kind of expect, because the North Node is a combination of Lunar and Solar principles.
Along with the MC, the Ascendant is one of the 2 main points in the chart through which we connect with the world. The planets themselves have more of an inner emphasis. So in many cases the Ascendant is going to be what is most visible in someone and most obviously connected with the events in their lives. The New Moon cycles undoubtedly affect e.g. the natal Sun and Moon just as much as they affect the Ascendant, but I suspect that on average the cycle to the Ascendant is more easily discernible. The Ascendant, of course, brings its own problems as it is so closely tied to ascertaining an accurate time of birth.
On the other hand, the New Moon cycles could well be used as a means of rectification. For myself, my own Ascendant is rectified from an original placement in Virgo, and the fact that the New Moon/Ascendant cycle worked so brilliantly has strengthened the case for my Asc at 29 Leo – within a couple of degrees, of course.
I want to re-emphasise at this point the 9 month intervals, the phases of the Moon, that occur within the 3 year cycle, because they can time events so well, and help us understand the particular process we are undergoing. In the case of Obama, the timing of the phases shows that his ascent to the Presidency had a strong element of wanting to transform America. And that the earlier cycle, from 89 to 92, when he was president of the Harvard Law Review, therefore probably also had a similar element: getting himself in a position where he could actually change something in a mould-breaking sort of way.
The idea for these Moon Familes (what I seem to be calling New Moon Cycles) came from an American telephone astrologer, Dietrech Pessin, who noticed that there were often 9-month intervals between people ringing her, and that they often started a cycle of consultations around a New Moon. The issue would then unfold over the next 2 and ½ years, through to the fruition of the closing square. But don't quote me on that, because I haven't read her book Lunar Shadows III ~ The Predictive Power of Moon Phases and Eclipses .
Astrology included, the Moon becomes a profound cyclical principle that describes our lives on a monthly basis in its complete circuit of the zodiac, particularly through the lunar return; and on a 3 yearly basis, shifting forward every 9 months, when we apply it to the points in our chart which have been affected by New Moons over the previous 3 years (and there may be several.) Furthermore, each of these 3 year cycles (of which there would be up to 11: 7 personal planets and 4 Angles) will recur every 19 years, creating repeated patterns of development that build during the course of our lives.
NB 19 years looks rather like 18.6 years, which is the period that the North Node takes to circle the zodiac. They are different numbers, however. It wouldn't surprise me if there is a relationship, but I for one can't get my head around it!


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JOIN US for the Rewilders' first public event: Rewilding Your Rhythm with world-renowned musician, Greg Ellis.
About this event
Master drummer and musician Greg Ellis has a profound knowledge of the healing qualities of organic sound, that can impact us instantly at the cellular level. Harnessing his vast collection of percussion instruments including drums, gongs, and bowls, he creates powerful resonant frequencies that can prompt healing, rewilding, and even transcendence.
Greg teaches us the importance of tuning in to the frequency of our natural state and allowing our true nature and essence to emerge. Indulge yourself with us as we look in this direction together through a rewilding rhythm journey.
There will be a Q&A after the rhythm journey with Greg, Angus, and Rohini.
WHEN: May 29th at 9 am PST to 10:30 am PST (end time approximate)
WHERE: Zoom link
WHAT YOU GET: Healing and transformative rhythmic experience guided by world-renowned musician, Greg Ellis and debrief session with Greg, Angus, and Rohini.
**Please wear headphones while listening.**
ADMISSION: $25 USD (If you need payment assistance click here)
Rewilding Community Members: FREE admission for you and a guest.
Greg Ellis is one of the more innovative and versatile drummers in the world. Crossing multiple genres of music from Indian classical to rock and roll, he has performed and recorded with musical artists from over 30 countries including Zakir Hussain, Mickey Hart, Kodo, Billy Idol, and Juno Reactor. As a passionate advocate of the healing and therapeutic properties of rhythm and drumming, he founded a project called RhythmPharm as a way to encourage the importance of organic rhythm and frequency through recordings and live sessions.
Learn More About Greg
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Down on the Farm
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Minor League Report (Wednesday)
System 4-3 ... Chihuahua's big rally ... Knehr amazing ... Weathers excellent ... AZL Padres sweep
El Paso 9, Reno 7: The Chihuahuas scored 7 runs in the T9 to turn a 7-2 deficit into a 9-7 victory. The comeback included six hits, two walks and two hit batters. Ty France 1-for-3 2BB HBP 2 RBIs .. Jose Pirela 3-for-5 RBI ... Travis Jankowski 2-for-5 ... Webster Rivas 2-for-5 HR#2 2 RBIs ... Austin Allen, Luis Urias DNP.
Springfield 5, Amarillo 2: Nick Margevicius went 7 innings in the 95 degree heat but gave up 3 home runs: 7IP 8H 5R 5ER 1BB 4Ks ... Edward Olivares 1-for-3 2B BB 2 RBIs ... Hudson Potts 0-for-2 2BBs ... Owen Miller 1-for-4 ... Michel Baez 2IP 0H 0R 0BB 2Ks.
Modesto 4, Lake Elsinore 1 (11): The Storm fall in extras, but not after a superlative effort by RHP Reiss Knehr. Taking over in the 3rd for opener Osvaldo Hernandez, Knehr threw 8 shutout innings to keep the Storm in a 0-0 game. Knehr: 8IP 4H 0R 0BB 10Ks. Xavier Edwards 2-for-5 ... Luis Campusano 2-for-5 2B ... Allen Cordoba 2-for-4 BB SB#24.
Ft. Wayne 6, Peoria 2: Ryan Weathers with his longest and best outing since April. After allowing two hits (both pretty cheap) and a run in the 1st, Weathers didn't allow another hit until a HR to open the 6th: 6IP 3H 2R 2ER 1BB 5Ks. Justin Lopez 2-for-4 3 RBIs ... Ethan Skender 2-for-4 ... Blake Hunt 1-for-1 3BBs RBI.
Everett 7, Tri City 1: Sean Guilbe 1-for-3 3B BB.
AZL Padres (1) 3, AZL Dodgers 2: Hudson Head 2-for-3 3B BB ... Garrett Richards (rehab) 2IP 2H 1R 1ER 0BB 3Ks ... Jose Rondon 5IP 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 6Ks. CJ Abrams, Joshua Mears DNP.
AZL Padres (2) 12, AZL Brewers 4: OF Junior Perez 5-for-6 3B HR#2 2 RBIs 4 runs scored.
Thursday Pitchers: Dillon Overton (EP), Ronald Bolanos (Ama), Aaron Leasher (LE), Sam Keating (FW), Jason Blanchard (TC).
El Paso: It's a wonder how so many smart, progressive, experienced execs could be so wrong about a player/pitcher, but the Padres obviously made a big boo-boo on Bryan Mitchell. The $13 million blunder (Chase Headley's contract) made another "rehab" start yesterday: 3.1IP 7H 5ER 5BB. ERA now 13.50 in Triple-A. Guess they're going to be stubborn till the end ... If there's such a thing as a "B" squad at El Paso, yesterday's game was it. The Chihuahuas began the game with 82 home runs sitting on the bench (Urias, Vosler, Allen, Quiroz, Gettys).
Amarillo: Michel Baez was hitting 98 yesterday, and also displayed a good slider and even dropped a nasty changeup. He was unhittable. But how practical? He's throwing 2 innings every fourth day ... RHP Carlos Belen joined the Sod Poodles the other day from Ft. Wayne. Belen is a converted infielder who began his transition midway through last year after failing as a first baseman. Belen staggered badly in April, but improved dramatically since. He originally signed as a 16-year-old way back in 2012.
Lake Elsinore: Esteury Ruiz showed a lot of promise with good months in May and June, but July has been a complete disaster. So far in July, Ruiz is slashing .123/.138/.140 with 1 walk and 16Ks. He's also failed on all four stolen base attempts and made 2 errors in 7 starts in the outfield.
Ft. Wayne: For those who are concerned about Ryan Weathers mysterious drop in velocity since his April arm fatigue, there's good news. Weathers was sitting 91-92 yesterday and hit 93 ... Blake Hunt was drafted 30 spots after Luis Campusano in 2017, and was primarily seen as a defense-first catcher. For the most part, that has held true. But Hunt is showing signs of progress at the plate. Since the MW League All-Star break, Hunt is slashing .333/.408/.476 He's also been given high marks for his maturity and defensive skills ... LHP Cullen Dana was recently promoted to FW from Tri City. A 30th round draft selection (2018), Dana sat out last year after TJ surgery in his junior year at Seton Hall. He threw very well for Tri City, and didn't allow an earned run in six appearances (15IP 1BB 16Ks)/
Tri City: The least interesting team in terms of prospects in recent years. The highest draft pick on the roster is C Logan Driscoll (CBB 2019), Driscoll played only four games before injuring a quad muscle.
AZL Padres: So many interesting and talented young players, especially J2 Internationals. Frequent Arizona observers believe the two Padres teams collectively have the most talent in the Arizona League. As great as CJ Abrams has been, he still might be the second best prospect behind the Giants SS Marco Luciano, who is slashing .341/.448/.705 with 7 HRs.
The Arizona League is perhaps the most interesting and bizarre setting for organized baseball. Fourteen major league teams have AZL entries; half (like the Padres) have two. Each team has about 35 rostered players, not counting those on rehab assignments. All teams play from their Spring Training facilities in the Phoenix metro area.
Consider AZL baseball the ultimate melting pot. Young (mostly high school) draftees from all around the U.S.(North, South, East and West) and international players from South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. There's even a few players from Asia. Around 725 players (plus or minus), suddenly thrown together in a space of about two weeks, playing every evening in 110 degree heat. Imagine the administrative effort in coordinating these teams? Not just the games, but the living arrangements? Dealing with all kinds of individuals, many far, far away from home at age 18. (Some of this is mitigated because the Internationals are usually in Arizona by April). Still. Very young men. Dealing with language barriers and cultural idiosyncrasies. Dealing with homesickness. Dealing with security (and the stupid **** that young men do). Dealing with the expectations of professionals.
It must be a very surreal setting for baseball.Same for the Gulf Coast Rookie League.
Originally posted by Carl Spackler View PostStill. Very young men. Dealing with language barriers and cultural idiosyncrasies. Dealing with homesickness. Dealing with security (and the stupid **** that young men do). Dealing with the expectations of professionals.
It must be a very surreal setting for baseball.Same for the Gulf Coast Rookie League.
Your description sounds like a script for a new movie. "Major Leagues - the dumb a** melting pot" :-)
(Actually, some producer/director could probably make a terrific first POV documentary about the whole experience, taking it from the perspective of a half dozen different young men from all walks of life, including highly paid prospects to the equivalent of walk-ons. Then add in a few coaches and managers, the occasional GM's commentary. It'd be a sure winner, if anyone watched or knew anything about baseball anymore.)
Next year we'll begin to have an idea about how successful the J2 2016 class will be. Obviously, Luis Patino is at the top of the class. Gabriel Arias seems to be progressing along with Ronald Bolanos. Both have a chance with the big league roster by 2021. Jorge Ona was showing his high upside until his injury. It has definitely set him back, but I believe he'll be protected come Rule 5 time. Tucupita Marcano is a year behind Arias, but he has progressed.
But Adrian Morejon and Michel Baez are the keys. Both have been set back by minor injuries, but both seem to be on the right track right now. Morejon's talent is definitely big league quality, with tremendous upside, and he has some time on his side. But the clock has begun on Baez, as he is Rule 5 eligible this winter. He'll definitely be protected.
Some of them have struggled. P Ramon Perez has talent, but has stagnated and is now at TC. Jeisson Rosario also has stagnated, and so has, to some extent, Justin Lopez. LHP Osvaldo Hernandez was progressing nicely until his injury in ST set him back. Jordy Barley lagged behind the others and has been up and down at TC. Many thought Agustin Ruiz might break out this year, but he's been very inconsistent at Ft. Wayne.
The biggest disappointment, by far, has been Luis Almanzar, who received the third highest bonus behind Morejon and Ona. He has shown no progress in any phase in three years, and probably has one more year of grace. Tirso Ornales definitely took a step back this year and has been relegated to the AZL for now. Others who have been slow to gain traction are RHP Michell Miliano, C Alison Quintero, RHP Wen-Hua Sung, OF Carlos Bautista, P Jose Guzman and 1B Carlos Luis,
With their future values very high, Patino, Morejon and Baez would make spending the $80 million on the whole group.well worth it. Most of these players have yet to reach drinking age, so patience is imperative. We shall see.
Minor League Report (Thursday)
System 4-1 ... Tincaps biggest comeback ever ... Leashar shines again ... El Paso returns to power
El Paso 7, Reno 4: The Chihuahuas banged out four home runs and Luis Urias returned to the lineup with a bang. Ty France 2-for-4 HR#20 RBI ... Urias 1-for-4 HR#18 2 RBIs ... Jose Pirela 1-for-4 HR#18 RBI ... Travis Jankowski 0-for-3 2BBs. SB.
Springfield 10, Amarillo 9: Sod Poodles came back three times to tie the score, but the Cardinals scored one in the 9th to win it. Ronald Bolanos had his first bad start in almost a month, surrendering 8 runs in 4 innings. Ivan Castillo 3-for-4 2B BB HR#6 3 RBIs ... Taylor Kohlwey 3-for-5 ... Hudson Potts 1-for-4 HR#10 ... Edward Olivares 1-for-5 3B.
Lake Elsinore 7, Modesto 3: Aaron Leasher turned in another excellent outing: 7IP 4H 0R 0BB 6Ks. Gabriel Arias 3-for-4 2 doubles BB ... Luis Campusano 2-for-5 ... Allen Cordoba 2-for-4 2SBs (#25, 26) 2 RBIs.
Ft. Wayne 12, Peoria 11: After falling being 11-2, the Tincaps mounted their biggest comeback in the history of the franchise, finishing with 5 runs in the 9th inning. . OF Jawuan Harris 2-for-5 2HRs 5 RBIs ... Agustin Ruiz 3-for-5 2B 2 RBIs ... Blake Hunt 2-for-4 BB HR#6 2 RBIs.
Tri CIty 5, Everett 4: Carlos Luis drove in the winning run in the 10th on a groundout. Jordy Barley 3-for-5.
Friday Pitchers: Dietrich Enns (EP), MacKenzie Gore (Ama), Elliot Ashbeck (LE), Omar Cruz (FW), Angel Acevedo (TC).
Gore having trouble in the 1st inning. Gave up a bunt single, a couple of stolen bases, a line single and a bloop single and a double. 2-0 no out.
Gore looking physically and mentally tired. Got nothing tonight. First time all year.
Registered User
- Feb 2003
- 52025
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/07/padres-to-promote-adrian-morejon.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebookThe Padres will promote Double-A left-hander Adrian Morejon to the majors Saturday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports. The club's …
Registered User
- Apr 2009
- 15797
Originally posted by FriarTom View PostWho do they send down to make room for these guys? Logan Allen? Gerardo Reyes? Naylor?
Erlin sent down for Urias (no need for a 3rd lefty reliever, and can always use Allen)
2013, 2014 WAR is stupid Champ!!!!
Originally posted by Golden Spikes 19 View Post
my guess is Kinsler is DFA'd clears a spot for Morejon
Erlin sent down for Urias (no need for a 3rd lefty reliever, and can always use Allen)
There's also Jankowski. I'm pretty sure he has options, so he could go from "rehab" to AAA, at least temporarily. I think a trade between now and July 31st opens a spot for Jankowski. Again, just a wild guess, but Myers or Reyes would be likely possibilities, as part of some trade to bring back someone like Noah Syndergaard. I'm not checking match ups with the Mets, and it doesn't matter, because AJP has the "bullets" to make a three way trade if he needed to.
I honestly don't see anyone like Patino or Gore moving in a trade. I could see someone like Luchessi or Lauer moving to a team in contention. They have proven value. The rest of the (pitching) roster is just protected (e.g. Paddack), or too inexperienced, unproven, or injured (like Lamet) to be any more valuable to another team, than a minor league prospect.
There's almost an endless amount of possibilities, i.e. Naylor, Jank, could both be available and provide value. I think Renfroe and Margot are off-limits (for the next 10 days). Reyes could be a primary piece in a trade. Even Hedges might be moved. I don't see Mejia being proven enough to get anything back. I don't think Yates goes anywhere. Stammen could be available, again, because he's valuable and at this point in the team's build, available.
In other words, your guess is as good as mine. ;-)


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Tokyo (CNN) -- Japan may set standards for long-term radiation exposure that would effectively extend the evacuation zone around the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a top government official said Thursday, as a strong new aftershock rattled the area
Government readings show that people beyond the current restricted zone may be exposed to dangerous long-term doses of radiation even though the readings fall below levels that now require an evacuation, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said.
"It is the time for the government to consider setting another category for accumulated exposure," Edano, the government's point man on the crisis, told reporters Thursday evening. "The safety of the people is the first priority, and social needs come after that."
There is no timetable for a decision, Edano said.
Residents within a 20-kilometer (12.4-mile) radius of the Fukushima Daiichi plant were ordered to leave their homes in the days following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which knocked out the plant's power systems. Those living within 20 to 30 kilometers have been told to remain indoors.
But readings released Thursday by the country's science ministry from areas outside that zone indicated that long-term exposure could top the government's one-time standards for an evacuation within a few months. Some of those are in towns to the northwest, where prevailing winds have blown radioactive particles released from the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
"We have been asking a team of the specialists about setting the line to evacuate by accumulated exposure to radiation," Edano said.
The recorded doses are far below those that would cause radiation sickness but could pose a long-term risk of cancer, according to medical experts. The anti-nuclear group Greenpeace and the International Atomic Energy Agency raised alarms about the spread of radioactivity beyond the 30-kilometer zone in late March.
Current regulations require an evacuation after radiation levels exceed 50 millisieverts in a short period of time. But cumulative doses in one area near Fukushima Daiichi have already topped 12 millisieverts in the month since the accident, and several readings are roughly double the 3 millisieverts a resident of a typical industrialized country receives in a year, according to science ministry data.
Edano said the government is also considering whether to allow the roughly 78,000 people who have been forced to evacuate the area around the plant to return temporarily, "but it is not easy, because we need to secure their safety." Troops and police who have been working in the area are wearing protective clothing and equipment, "so it is not realistic that they can go anywhere, anytime," he said.
At the damaged plant, engineers began injecting non-flammable nitrogen into the No. 1 reactor Thursday to counter a buildup of potentially explosive hydrogen. That work continued even after a strong aftershock rattled much of central Japan shortly before midnight, the plant's owner, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, reported early Friday.
The nine workers in the plant retreated to an earthquake-resistant shelter during the temblor, and the plant never lost power, the utility said. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake was a magnitude of 7.4. The U.S. Geological Survey said it was 7.1.
Hydrogen buildup is a symptom of overheated fuel rods in the cores of the reactors, which plant workers have been struggling to keep under control since the earthquake and tsunami. The nitrogen injections are aimed at displacing oxygen in the reactor shell, reducing the possibility of an explosion -- a chance Tokyo Electric called "extremely low."
A hydrogen explosion blew the roof and upper walls off the No 1. reactor building two days after the quake, and another blast two days later blew apart the No. 3 building. A suspected hydrogen explosion is believed to have damaged the No. 2 reactor on March 15 as well.
Tokyo Electric and Japanese regulators believe No. 2 is the source of the highly contaminated water they are now struggling to contain at Fukushima Daiichi, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Tokyo. Plant workers are pouring 8 tons of water (2,100 gallons) into that reactor every hour to keep it cool, and the water that flows out carries extremely high concentrations of radioactive particles.
That highly radioactive fluid is building up in the turbine plant and the service tunnels around the unit, leaving Japanese officials grasping for ways to contain it.
Until Wednesday, some of that water had been bleeding out into the Pacific Ocean through a cracked utility shaft behind the plant. On Saturday, the day the leak was discovered, concentrations of the reactor byproduct iodine-131 in seawater next to the shaft were 7.5 million times higher than the legal limit, according to sampling data taken by the utility.
Those levels prompted Japanese authorities to start dumping nearly 10,000 tons of less-radioactive water into the Pacific on Monday night, largely to make room in a waste treatment reservoir for the No. 2 reactor coolant. The move enraged the country's fishing industry and drew protests from neighboring South Korea, but Japan's government called it an emergency move to prevent a worse discharge.
Japan is currently consulting with Russian authorities on whether a shipborne decontamination plant has the capability to handle the wastewater, the Japanese Foreign Ministry told CNN on Thursday. But Tokyo has not yet asked for the vessel to be brought into the fight, said Tomosaburo Esaki, an official with the ministry's arms control and disarmament division.
The ship, the Suzeran (Lily of the Valley), can process up to 35 tons of radioactive waste a day and store about 800 tons. Japan built the vessel for Russia in the 1990s to help Moscow take aging nuclear submarines out of service.
Sergey Novikov, a spokesman for Russia's state-run nuclear energy company, Rosatom, told CNN that, "The ball is now in their court."
"We have responded to their questions regarding the plant, and they sent us their additional questions, to which we responded as well," Novikov said. "They are still studying this issue, and we hope to hear from them soon."
Reactors 1 to 3 are believed to have suffered damage to the fuel assemblies at their cores from overheating after the quake and tsunami knocked out cooling systems at Fukushima Daiichi.
Stopping the flow of radioactive water from No. 2 was a victory for plant workers, but Tokyo Electric and a top Japanese official warned the fight is far from over.
Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, said Wednesday that the now-contained water "may lead to more leakage somewhere else," and the utility said Thursday that the water level in the basement of the unit's turbine plant had gone up about 4 centimeters (0.8 inches) since the leak was plugged.
The company says temporary storage tanks that can hold another 15,000 tons of water are expected to arrive late next week, but will need to be connected to pumps and water lines before they can be put to use.
Hiroo Saso and CNN's Junko Ogura in Tokyo and Maxim Tkachenko in Moscow contributed to this report.


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A 12-pound chunk of the moon that fell to the Earth as a lunar meteorite has been sold at auction for more than $600,000.
Boston-based RR Auction announced Friday the $612,500 winning bid for the meteorite, composed of six fragments that fit together like a puzzle, came from a representative working with the Tam Chuc Pagoda complex in Ha Nam Province, Vietnam.
RR predicted it would get $500,000 at auction.
The meteorite was found last year in a remote area of Mauritania in northwest Africa.
It is considered one of the most significant lunar meteorites ever found because of its large size and because it has "partial fusion crust" caused by the tremendous heat that sears the rock as it falls to Earth.
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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"Everyone should know that creating this book has been my life long passion."
Jonn E. JaGozza
A literary work created exclusively to reveal a unique language, a language filled with flair, color, intensity and raw emotion. This book is an in depth look into one of the most intriguing sporting languages inexistence today. The Boxing Dictionary: definitely one of a kind, and an unparalleled tribute to the sport.
Purchase Today!
© 2020 The Official Site of 'The Boxing Dictionary' | Another great book published by The Cow Pie Press .
ALL sales final | NO returns | NO international sales at this time | Applicable sales tax to all Vermont residents.


text: Jill Ciciarelli is a food lover, kitchen adventurer, and board-certified holistic-health coach. Jill blogs at First Comes Health, and her new book is entitled Fermented: A Four Season Approach to Paleo Probiotic Foods. Fermented is a must-have for both cultured food newbies as well as seasoned pros well-versed in the benefits of fizzy, stinky, fermented foods. The photography […]Learn More


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If you are a chocolate connoisseur, Zak's is a MUST try! They make all of their chocolates directly from the cocoa bean. The chocolates are beautiful and decadent which you'll find just from the samples but buy a bar so you can enjoy it afterwards too!
- (-) Remove United States filter United States


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Inside The Fiscal Cliff Budget Compromise Bill: Tax Cuts and Tax Hikes
The budget compromise bill that is meant to allow the U.S. government to avoid higher tax rates and austere budget cuts has tax rates as its central issue, with discussions about more spending cuts, and the federal debt limit, put off until the coming weeks.
Now that NPR and other organizations have had some time to look at the compromise, we can list some of the proposed effects contained in the Senate bill that the House began considering Tuesday. This list isn't exhaustive — we're including links to other analysis below. But here's some of what the proposed deal would do:
- Extend tax cuts for income below $450,000 (couples) and $400,000 (single filers)
- Above those thresholds, raise the income tax rate from 35 percent to 39.6 percent, while capital gains and dividends rates go to 20 percent, from 15.
- Begin a two-month delay on the automatic $109 billion cuts to defense and non-defense spending.
- Extend and alter the tax credit for businesses' research and development.
- Patch the Alternative Minimum Tax to make annual fixes unnecessary for 10 years.
- Raise the highest rate on estate taxes to 40 percent, while keeping the current $5 million per person exemption.
- Extend federal benefits for long-term unemployed Americans by one year.
- Extends the child tax credit, as well as the child and dependent care credit, depending on income.
- Allow more conversions to Roth IRAs (which would bring in revenue, as it requires tax payments up front).
- Extend the farm bill for a year (avoiding the "milk cliff" crisis).
- Bring back limits on personal exemptions and some itemized deductions, for incomes of $300,000 (households) and $250,000 (singles).
- Postpone a planned 27 percent cut to Medicare payments to doctors.
You can review the nonpartisan Joint Committee On Taxation report of the Senate bill online, in PDF form. For more of a boiled-down look at the costs and savings — and, we warn you, all comparisons depend upon which set of projections you use for a base level — the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has a handy chart.


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Manifesto for Agile (Software) Development
We are uncovering better ways of developing
software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.
Or, another version (quick and dirty?)... in this set, 'cheap' is 'no frills', and 'make right' means to 'fine tune':
Agile Principles:
Make it Cheap
Make it Fast
Make it Work
Make it Right
While this approach was conceived for software development, it has been adapted to hands-on, creative development.
This link is my write up on the concept, oriented for boatbuilding. The second link is to a rigging project, but gives a good feel for applying the approach to a specific task:
Dave Z


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Izzie Bag
Large Bag "Blue Flip Flops"
Regular price €18,00
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- Origin: handmade in Lithuania
- Material: 100 % cotton🌿
- Care: wash by hands at a maximum of 30°C or below / do not wring / dry flat / iron cool
- Bags are cut in such a way that generates little or no textile waste in the production
- Eco-friendly dyes are used for fabric coloring
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- Bags can be used many times, thus contributing to the reduction of plastic in our society
We wish you to travel the world with IZZIE BAGs! 🌍✈💚


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Earth Changes
Yipee! Riches Await as Earth's Icy North Melts
Associated Press Writer
Sun, 25 Mar 2007 10:37 UTC
The latest report by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says the ice cap is warming faster than the rest of the planet and ice is receding, partly due to greenhouse gases. It's a catastrophic scenario for the Arctic ecosystem, for polar bears and other wildlife, and for Inuit populations whose ancient cultures depend on frozen waters.
But some see a lucrative silver lining of riches waiting to be snatched from the deep, and the prospect of timesaving sea lanes that could transform the shipping industry the way the Suez Canal did in the 19th century.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Arctic has as much as 25 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas. Moscow reportedly sees the potential of minerals in its slice of the Arctic sector approaching $2 trillion.
All this has pushed governments and businesses into a scramble for sovereignty over these suddenly priceless seas.
Regardless of climate change, oil and gas exploration in the Arctic is moving full speed ahead. State-controlled Norwegian oil company Statoil ASA plans to start tapping gas from its offshore Snoehvit field in December, the first in the Barents Sea. It uses advanced equipment on the ocean floor, remote-controlled from the Norwegian oil boom town of Hammerfest through a 90-mile undersea cable.
Alan Murray, an analyst with the consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, said most petroleum companies are now focusing research and exploration on the far north. Russia is developing the vast Shkotman natural gas field off its Arctic coast, and Norwegians hope their advanced technology will find a place there.
"Oil will bring a big geopolitical focus. It is a driving force in the Arctic," said Arvid Jensen, a consultant in Hammerfest who advises companies that hope to hitch their economic wagons to the northern rush.
It could open the North Pole region to easy navigation for five months a year, according to the latest Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, an intergovernmental group. That could cut sailing time from Germany to Alaska by 60 percent, going through Russia's Arctic instead of the Panama Canal.
Or the Northwest Passage could open through the channels of Canada's Arctic islands and shorten the voyage from Europe to the Far East. And that's where Hans Island, at the entrance to the Northwest Passage, starts to matter.
The half-square-mile rock, just one-seventh the size of New York's Central Park, is wedged between Canada's Ellesmere Island and Danish-ruled Greenland, and for more than 20 years has been a subject of unusually bitter exchanges between the two NATO allies.
In 1984, Denmark's minister for Greenland affairs, Tom Hoeyem, caused a stir when he flew in on a chartered helicopter, raised a Danish flag on the island, buried a bottle of brandy at the base of the flagpole and left a note saying: "Welcome to the Danish island."
The dispute erupted again two years ago when Canadian Defense Minister Bill Graham set foot on the rock while Canadian troops hoisted the Maple Leaf flag.
Denmark sent a letter of protest to Ottawa, while Canadians and Danes took out competing Google ads, each proclaiming sovereignty over the rock 680 miles south of the North Pole.
Some Canadians even called for a boycott of Danish pastries.
Although both countries have repeatedly sent warships to the island to make their presence felt, there's no risk of a shooting war _ both sides are resolved to settle the problem peacefully. But the prospect of a warmer planet opening up the icy waters has helped push the issue up the agenda.
"We all realize that because of global warming it will suddenly be an area that will become more accessible," said Peter Taksoe-Jensen, head of the Danish Foreign Ministry's legal department.
Shortcuts through Arctic waters are no longer the stuff of science fiction.
In August 2005, the Akademik Fyodorov of Russia was the first ship to reach the North Pole without icebreaker help. The Norwegian shipyard Aker Yards is building innovative vessels that sail forward in clear waters, and then turn around to plow with their sterns through heavier ice.
Global warming is also bringing an unexpected bonus to American transportation company OmniTrax Inc., which a decade ago bought the small underutilized Northwest Passage port of Churchill, Manitoba, for a token fee of 10 Canadian dollars (about $8).
The company, which is private, won't say how much money it is making in Churchill, but it was estimated to have moved more than 500,000 tons of grain through the port in 2007.
Managing director Michael Ogborn said climate change was not something the company thought about in 1997.
"But over the last 10 years we saw a lengthening of the season, which appears to be related to global warming," Ogborn said. "We see the trend continuing."
Just a few years ago, reports said it would take 100 years for the ice to melt, but recent studies say it could happen in 10-15 years, and the United States, Canada, Russia, Denmark and Norway have been rushing to stake their claims in the Arctic.
Norway and Russia have issues in the Barents Sea; the U.S. and Russia in Beaufort Sea; the U.S. and Canada over rights to the Northwest Passage; and even Alaska and Canada's Yukon province over their offshore boundary.
Canada, Russia and Denmark are seeking to claim waters all the way up to the North Pole, saying the seabed is part of their continental shelf under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Norway wants to extend its claims on the same basis, although not all the way to the pole.
Canada says the Northwest Passage is its territory, a claim the United States hotly disputes, insisting the waters are neutral. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has pledged to put military icebreakers in the frigid waters "to assert our sovereignty and take action to protect our territorial integrity."
Politics aside, there are environmental concerns. Apart from the risk of oil spills, more vessels could carry alien organisms into the Northwest Passage, posing a risk to indigenous life forms.
The Arctic melt has also been intensifying competition over dwindling fishing stocks.
Fish stocks essential to some regions appear to be moving to colder waters, and thus into another country's fishing grounds. Russian and Norwegian fishermen already report catching salmon much farther north than is normal.
"It is potentially very dramatic for fish stocks. They could move toward the North Pole, which would make sovereignty very unclear," said Dag Vongraven, an environmental expert at the Norwegian Polar Institute.
Russia contests Norway's claims to fish-rich waters around the Arctic Svalbard Islands, and has even sent warships there to underscore its discontent with the Norwegian Coast Guard boarding Russian trawlers there.
"Even though they say it is about fish, it is really about oil," said Jensen, the consultant in Hammerfest.
In 2004, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the sovereignty issue "a serious, competitive battle" that "will unfold more and more fiercely."
With all the squabbling over ownership, Tristan Pearce, a research associate at the University of Guelph's Global Environmental Change Group in Canada, reminded Arctic nations of who got there first: indigenous peoples like the Inuits and the Sami.
"Everybody is talking about the potential for minerals, diamonds, oil and gas, but we mustn't forget that people live there, all the way across the Arctic," he said. "They've always been there and they have a major role to play."
Reader Comments
It is a good example that just goes to show that psychopathic rule is just about everywhere here in 3rd density.


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progression-free survival
(pruh-GREH-shun ... ser-VY-vul)
The length of time during and after the treatment of a disease, such as cancer, that a patient lives with the disease but it does not get worse. In a clinical trial, measuring the progression-free survival is one way to see how well a new treatment works. Also called PFS.


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In The Nation, religion professor Elizabeth Castelli responds to the ongoing conversation about author Reza Aslan's creditbility as a scholar and historian. An excerpt:
"One could go on through Zealot, pointing out places where Aslan represents a particular issue as straightforward and uncontroversial when, in fact, the matter remains the subject of considerable debate among specialists. Or one could ask about the method for his selection of scholarly works on which his discussion depends—and why many important works that would complicate his narrative are missing from the bibliography of the book. (The absence of traditional footnotes—the sine qua non of scholarly documentation—makes it quite difficult, if not impossible, to trace the lineage of many of the claims in the book, the lengthy bibliography at the end notwithstanding.) These would be among the numerous legitimate criticisms that historians of early Christianity and biblical scholars—specialists in the field—might lodge. But there is something else, more elemental to consider about the nature of this work."
Prof. Castelli is Barnard's Ann Whitney Olin Professor of Religion. She specializes in biblical studies, early Christianity, feminist/gender studies in religion, and theory and method in the study of religion.