Monday 21 April 2003

• How nice of Yahoo! to wish me happy birthday.  I thought I'd share it with you tonight: 

  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  This Day in History

  
  

  On April 20, 1971, the Supreme Court upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools.

  
  

  On this date:
  

  In 1812, the fourth vice president of the United States, George Clinton, died in Washington at age 73, becoming the first vice president to die while in office.
  

  In 1836, the Territory of Wisconsin was established by Congress.
  

  In 1889, Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau, Austria.
  

  In 1940, RCA publicly demonstrated its new and powerful electron microscope.
  

  In 1945, during World War II, allied forces took control of the German cities of Nuremberg and Stuttgart.
  

  In 1968, Pierre Elliott Trudeau was sworn in as prime minister of Canada.
  

  In 1972, the manned lunar module from Apollo 16 landed on the moon.
  

  In 1978, a Korean Air Lines Boeing 707 crash-landed in northwestern Russia after being fired on by a Soviet interceptor after entering Soviet airspace. Two passengers were killed.
  

  In 1980, the first Cubans sailing to the United States as part of the massive Mariel boatlift reached Florida.
  

  In 1999, the Columbine High School massacre took place in Littleton, Colo., as students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.
  

  Ten years ago: President Clinton ( news - web sites) told a news conference he accepted responsibility for the decision to try to end the 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Texas, but said David Koresh bore "ultimate responsibility" for the deaths that resulted. Mexican comedian Cantinflas died in Mexico City at age 81.
  

  Five years ago: In an unusual use of a racketeering law designed to fight the mob, a federal jury in Chicago ruled that anti-abortion protest organizers had used threats and violence to shut down clinics. (However, the U.S. Supreme Court ( news - web sites) ruled in February 2003 that federal racketeering and extortion laws were wrongly used to try to stop blockades, harassment and violent protests outside clinics.) A Boeing 727 leased to Air France crashed in Bogota, Colombia, killing all 53 people aboard.
  

  One year ago: Representatives of the Group of Seven countries, meeting in Washington, agreed to intensify efforts to combat terrorist financing and also adopted a plan to better deal with international debt crises. 

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Today's Celebrity Birthdays

  
  

  April 20th
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  ·	Actor Joseph Lawrence is 27.
  ·	Actress Carmen Electra ( news) is 31.
  ·	Rock musician Mikey Welsh is 32.
  ·	Actor Shemar Moore ( news) is 33.
  ·	Country singer Wade Hayes ( news) is 34.
  ·	Actor Crispin Glover ( news) is 39.
  ·	Actor Clint Howard is 44.
  ·	Singer Luther Vandross ( news) is 52.
  ·	Actress Jessica Lange ( news) is 54.
  ·	Rock musician Craig Frost (Grand Funk; Bob Seger ( news)'s Silver Bullet Band) is 55.
  ·	Actor Ryan O'Neal ( news) is 62.
  ·	Actor George Takei ( news) is 63.
  ·	Singer Johnny Tillotson is 64.
  ·	Actress Nina Foch is 79.
  ·	Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens ( news - web sites) is 83.

  
  
  
  
  

  Thought For Today

  
  "Life is made up of desires that seem big and vital one minute, and little and absurd the next. I guess we get what's best for us in the end."
  — Alice Caldwell Rice, American humorist (1870-1942).
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  Your Birthday Horoscope

  
  
  
  
  

  Sunday, April 20, 2003 - - -

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Positions of Planets at Birth:

  Sun Position is 00 deg. 48 min. of Taurus Moon Position is 24 deg. 24 min. of Capricorn Mercury Position is 19 deg. 04 min. of Taurus Venus Position is 15 deg. 16 min. of Aries Mars Position is 16 deg. 06 min. of Cancer Jupiter Position is 05 deg. 55 min. of Taurus Saturn Position is 26 deg. 49 min. of Cancer Uranus Position is 05 deg. 16 min. of Scorpio Neptune Position is 13 deg. 39 min. of Sagittarius Pluto Position is 10 deg. 13 min. of Libra

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Paul's Sun Sign is Taurus ...

  Paul, your sign is that of earthy Taurus, the second sign of the zodiac, the sign characterized by endurance and sensuality. Taurus is also associated with material goods. Venus, the planet of love and beauty, is your ruler, and makes you a very warm and faithful person. For the most part, Paul, you are even-tempered and show a great capacity for affection, as well as an appreciation for beauty and art. You are loyal and reliable. You keep your promises. As the first of the three earth signs, you are realistic, patient, and persistent. You are the most grounded sign of the zodiac, preferring to put down roots and aiming for stability. Comfort, even luxury, is very precious to you, Paul. And indeed, you rule the second house, the sector of the horoscope that encompasses money and possessions. This house describes your value systems, including the value of oneself. You are a fixed sign, Paul, meaning you enjoy responsibility and taking charge. However, you are not a doer - you are a delegator! Like every genuine Taurus, it may take you longer to get involved with something, but once you do, you don't want to stop. You are more passive than active, and prefer to have the world move around you while you sit still and direct. Your strengths lie in your decision-making abilities, Paul; you don't make snap judgments or jump to conclusions. You engage in careful consideration, as hastiness and impulsive actions do not appear in your script. In your relationships, you are fully committed and faithful, and you seek harmony and inner peace. But you have a few weaknesses, too, Paul. One trap you may fall into is that of obstinacy and self-righteousness. Due to your firm beliefs, you are deaf to any kind of criticism. This inflexibility can cause you to resist change and procrastinate. You run the risk of becoming lazy, overindulgent, or convinced of your own infallibility.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Your Rising Sign is Leo ...

  Leo Rising, you present yourself with dignity, energy, and will. You are able to engage and fascinate people by displaying an incredible amount of self-assurance, and an exquisite sense of courteousness. In some cases, Paul, you may even enter into and dominate a situation without being invited, and once you are center stage, you begin your show, very attentive to the audience's applause. Your creativity, mixed with a touch of drama, usually gets you the attention you want, because you strive on the vital energy you receive through recognition and admiration. Sometimes, when you are alone, you turn to the mirror admiring and studying yourself, wondering how others see and think of you. You can definitely be considered a force of nature, Paul, because you never seem to run out of energy. You enjoy a practically indestructible confidence in yourself, which allows you to accomplish great things. When you use your powers for good, you are as generous, humane, open-minded, and faithful as can be, and enjoy sharing your experience with others. You are supportive, loyal, and benevolent, which is the reason why people love and respect you. However, when you use your powers for selfish reasons, your intense personality may suffer from arrogance, autocratic pride, egocentrism and extreme narcissism. As a Leo Rising, you may have a hard time being independent, in the sense that you take action only after getting other people's opinions on those actions. However, if you act according to your deepest aspirations, without necessarily obtaining other people's approval, you can become the most powerful of all, dear Paul. Behind all the sparkle on the outside, you are a very tender, sensitive person with a heart of gold.

  
  

  ---

  
  Character and Personality
  

  The following paragraphs concern the study of Paul's personality, as induced by the positions of the planets and Rising sign. Some of the character traits mentioned may seem completely contradictory and incompatible. This is because the rough-hewn personality is a rarity. Usually, individuals are made up of a subtle orchestration of many different tones or aspects. However, serious introspection or detailed analysis should make it possible to distinguish the opposing or diverging images comprising Paul's overall character, and perhaps, in time, find the best and most harmonious way to integrate them.
  
  Paul is a practical mover-doer: his personality has no room for utopian ideals or mirages. When all systems are go, his inner strength and stamina will drive him straight to the heart of the material world with no detours or mistakes. He then becomes the quintessential creator and producer. He creates out of love for the phenomenon of creation, on every level. Although his innate sense of matter, his earthiness, may sometimes confine him to the material plane, it also endows him with the power to give substance to his intuitions. His material possessions embody his spirit. Paul is a man of conviction. He believes in his action; he has faith in his approach. Striding purposefully ahead, he goes even farther, more effectively. He is aware he has a job to carry out; he knows his duty is to create and construct. As a result, it is important for him to be deeply implicated in his career, and to feel as though he is really accomplishing a goal that is important to him. He is coherent and pragmatic, and his life and mind are carefully organized. Improvisation is not his forte; on the contrary, he tends to plan out his work in advance, stick to the plan obstinately, and pace himself carefully. This tendency may strike others as being somewhat plodding and slow. But the opinion of others means little to him; he judges himself on the basis of the fruit of his labor. His accomplishments arouse his pride and possessiveness, since he views them as the evidence of his worth. However, the work ethic so prevalent in our society is deeply ingrained in him. Merely by slogging on with his duty, he achieves such personal rewards and satisfactions as the knowledge that his potency never flickers; his inner virility and ability to follow through are steady, sure, and irresistible. The only drawback is that his earthiness and stubbornness may confine his interests to somewhat low horizons. Paul's capacity for work is related to a capacity for self-devotion. He is able to give his entire being to a great cause, to devote himself body and soul, with all the might and conscientiousness he possesses, if he believes the goal to be his ultimate purpose. His initial problem is to find the person or cause he will make his purpose in life, because if he were to err, if he wandered into the trap of a bad cause fraught with risk, he would suffer a terrible setback. Therefore, the essential value which will define his life and destiny is the fruit of a long ripening process, a slow, gradual deliberation, the opposite of an impulse. If his purpose in life were to elude him, he would be tempted by indulgence, apathy, and laziness. His taste for sensual pleasures like good food and drink might then take over, depriving him of maturity and fulfillment, and, ultimately, his vital potency. But, don't worry, this is pure conjecture!
  
  Due to the influence of Leo rising, Paul seems to have a high ideal of himself. Although his presence is electrifying, it belies a serious, cold demeanor, and he rarely indulges his taste for luxury, preferring an ascetic lifestyle. These contradictions arise from a deep-rooted feeling of anxiety. Paul continually sabotages his true nature, and represses his emotional outbursts and instinctive motivations. He is as severe with others as he is with himself, and they resent his harshness and pessimism. As a result, he feels more comfortable in behind-the-scenes activities which demand analytical abilities, tenacity, and self-control. He has succeeded in inhibiting his natural narcissism to such a degree that he only rarely allows himself to seek the approval and confirmation of his personal worth in the eyes of those around him. Because he is ambitious and generous, authoritarian and magnanimous, he still enjoys giving orders for the opportunity it gives him to display his righteousness and the nobility of his ideals. Maturity and experience (a bit of suffering and hardship) should help him build a more secure sense of self-esteem. At that point, he can rediscover " the lightness of being " and the pleasures of the flesh.
  
  Paul is sensual. Pleasure is important to him.
  
  Paul needs others to fulfill himself and accomplish his ambitions.
  
  At the time of Paul's birth, his Rising Sign was located in Leo (the Lion), while the Sun was passing through the constellation of Taurus (the Bull). A summary of the various clues mentioned above provide Paul's personality profile; the following key words distill the essence of his character and indicate certain contradictions which may be sources of tension:
  
  Narcissism - Determination - Opposition to progress - Pride and self-assurance - Compassion - Superiority - Perseverance - Brilliance - Pragmatism - Generosity - Productivity - Positivism - Sensuality.
  
  With his steadfast, wholesome personality, honest and determined, Paul is intolerant of evasiveness and subterfuge in others. He is never happy with anything less than excellence, and will actively seek out social success, power, and material comfort. Although he has a taste for privatization, he knows how to be generous. His great sensuality makes him appreciate pleasure as much as duty, with the same optimism and delectation.
  
  Born between three-and-one-half and seven days after the rising of the Full Moon, Paul is said to be a " Shining Moon " type. This soli-lunar configuration gives him a shining personality which is apt to communicate and transmit ideas. Throughout his life, he will be attracted to the idea of acting as a spokesperson for a cause, idea, or person whose message seems essential to him. He will have to develop his powers of discernment, to determine which subjects or people are really worth his personal commitment.
  
  Warm and affable, Paul is animated by honesty and generosity. Due to the solar dominant of his birth chart, his father (or a man who served as a father figure, possibly a teacher) influenced him strongly and imprinted him with the positive values which are now at the core of his being. However, his perception and comprehension of the world are filtered through an innate ability for artistic discrimination: a sense of aesthetics. For him, " beauty " is " truth " - and not vice-versa. Style and harmony, and the skills involved with putting things on display, such as artistic representation, light, and transparence, are concepts which come naturally to him, and he makes use of them in his life.

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  DRAGON SPRING is your season. APRIL is your month.

  Personality : Sovereign in your kingdom, you exist to be flamboyant and exceptional. Like the mythic, fiery Dragon, you love to confront the enemy in battle, leaving the earth behind you burnt to a crisp, and hearts inflamed along your path. Great commander of the rain and fine weather, one must respect you when you talk, admire you when you act and submit when you command. An impetuous energy animates every one of your actions: you are ready to take on any challenge, go off on a conquest of power, and tear down any obstacle. If by chance you fail, you will never admit to being vanquished and will find in this snub a new will to conquer. An insatiable warrior, you become stronger after each defeat, and more invincible after every wound. Demanding of others, you are rather gentle on yourself and rare is the Dragon who recognizes his faults... Intelligent, lucid and clairvoyant, you willingly bang your fist on the table when your audience doesn't share your point of view. You like to see life as a big adventure and can't stand it when those around you lack ambition. Your fault: A bit of megalomania and narcissism! Work : You are meant for big projects. A tunnel under the Atlantic, a trip to Mars, a pyramid at the Louvre... You are at your best when involved in great projects and in extreme situations. Intuitive and visionary, you are exceptionally creative, endowed with an innate sense for the show and stage. You belong to the race of powerful men and horsemen. Hungry for success, you can work day and night without sleeping to get a big project going. Boredom is what kills you, not work. Money : An aristocrat in the world, you love to live in a grand style, going out every night and spending money without counting. You like to drive a sports car, hunt for antiques in China, and sleep in silk! You are generous to yourself, family, and friends, and you cover them with presents... especially if they show their gratitude! Born under the sign of Luck, the Dragon is rarely without money. But come what may, you never lower yourself to do work that you hate for money. You have your pride even where money is concerned! Love : Exasperating Dragon! Your irresistible powers attract consenting victims into your den. When you deign to lower your regard to the chosen one, you know that they are already conquered, all the better, since you hate all forms of resistance! In exchange, you ask for nothing more than to be honored when they are at your side. For you, love is something owed to you, not a duty, so your partner must often make do with little to be happy. If they reproach you the slightest thing, you leave by slamming the door, once you have let out all your rage. Trying to blackmail you has no effect. To seduce you, a person needs to be fascinated by you and your gestures, to swoon in admiration, and hide a strong heart behind a seeming fragility. In The Year Of The Goat The Dragon Needs Gentleness Dragon is a leader. With fiery weaponry, Dragon can defend any position, romance, or business. From February 1, 2003 to January 21, 2004, the Year of the Water Goat, Dragon energy is asked to apply kindness and compassion in order to grow and thrive. If Dragon thrashes it's tail and breathes furls of red-hot flame as it goes about the business of living, Goat will withhold opportunities that should rightfully go to the Dragon. Goat will not reward anything other than empathy and the ability to listen to Dragon's higher self and others. Should Dragon forget these lessons, Goat will use its horns to pierce the Dragon belly, which translates into damage to self-esteem and to the good will of others. If Dragon walks softly, however, and willingly carries others on it's strong back, then Goat adds to riches and wealth during the Goat Water year. The key point for Dragon is to quiet the mind and the mouth long enough to realize that Dragon can digest a lot of life that is not to Dragon's liking without getting emotional indigestion. Goat can make a meal on tin cans, remember! So Dragon needs to learn to do with less during a Goat year, and to mimic the ability of Goat to be alone, rather than the usual manner of Dragon, which is to gather a large and adoring audience. Romance for Dragon is hot and fiery, as long as the Dragon personality is calm and collected. Business thrives if Dragon is enterprising and sharing.

  
  

  I'm back from Holy Week, in case you couldn't tell.  Expect me to slowly catch up on my journaling as time permits me this week.  However, I'm going to bed early tonight.  I've spent my requisite hour after fainting and hitting my head on the ground.  I don't think I'm at risk for a concussion, so I'll set the VCR to record SG-1 for me.  I'll explain it all later.  Trust me.  Night all!  Happy Easter! 

  

  • 02:17
  • 5 Comments