In tonight’s edition of Planet Waves FM, I cover the shutdown of the U.S. government [link to chart on Facebook here]. Is this really a shutdown? How is it happening and how long is it going to last?
I also cover the Libra New Moon [view chart here] that happens on Friday, with the Sun fully involved in the Jupiter-Uranus-Pluto-Typhon grand cross in the cardinal signs.
And I also introduce the 2014 annual edition of Planet Waves — called The Mars Effect. It will focus on Mars retrograde in Libra — the defining (extended) event of 2014. This will include written and audio readings for all 12 signs. It also includes articles and resources. I describe my method of casting and reading the astrology and explain why my readings work so well.
The annual is a Planet Waves tradition — this year is my 14th time doing the project (the first was in 1999, so it’s something that started in the 20th century). Before we offer it separately, we’re offering it as part of the All-Access Pass — our “you can have it all” option.
My musical guest today is the magnificent Erica Quitzow, who performed recently at Backstage Studio Productions in Kingston, NY. I play three of Erica’s songs. Here is her Facebook page.
Good evening. In a post earlier today and on PW FM, I said that NOAA — the agency which includes national weather service — was on the federal shutdown list. Actually about half the staff have their jobs on hold. Fisherynation.com, a trade publication, reports: “According to a recent Commerce Department document outlining its shutdown plan, roughly 6,600 NOAA employees would stay on the job. Most of those workers would come from the National Weather Service, which is required to continue functioning because its work can identify “imminent threats to protect life and property.”
So it seems the core function is intact for now. Happy to hear that. — efc
Another thing I’ll mention about Tea Party Republicans is their belief that somehow charity can help deal with society’s ills instead of government. I think government is better than charity organizations because when government provides help, people feel a sense of stability (both the employee providing the service and the recipient). A charity worker or a volunteer, in contrast, feels just as financially needy as the recipient of charity in many cases.
Now, non-profits do have their place in the world by providing services government may not be able to provide just yet, or that government is not in a position to provide at all. But there are limitations to the effectiveness of non-profits.
I was glad to hear that NWS was still running, in NOAA. NOAA also does research, they study marine life, they study fisheries, and they study climate. They also have a uniformed service (NOAA Corps) mapping nautical charts and flying through hurricane clouds. I know a few people working there. 🙂
As for me, well, I’ve been working hard to get a job at the US Geological Survey (which is part of the Department of Interior), a government agency dedicated to informing and alerting people about earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, floods, droughts, and water quality conditions. It’s a great agency with great people, and it’s awful that the Tea Party has been making life for them so difficult. The government shutdown delayed my interview for the second portion of an internship. I’ve learned a lot from the first part of my internship, and I need to get to the second part of my internship in order to increase my chances of getting a federal job.
Yes, I am going back to school (I’ve found an affordable graduate program suitable to my aspirations) in order to gain more knowledge in hydrology and hydrogeology, and to be able to contribute more to any state or federal agency I end up working for. I also need to know more about hydrology and hydrogeology to do better in state government interviews (such as the State of Minnesota).
Fine, the Affordable Care Act was passed in a sleazy manner, the way Rahm Emanuel persecuted congresspeople who preferred single-payer over mandated health insurance was awful.
While I am working part-time at a video store, I’ll be eligible for medicaid at 26, but once I have a full-time job, I’ll have to pay more for health insurance, but that’s a sacrifice I have to make for people with pre-existing conditions, and I will accept that responsibility. I also noticed that dental health care access is not being improved by this law. And yet, I go to the doctor for two reasons: emergencies (such as getting Lyme disease from a tick, I recovered quickly from that in 2010), and dental cleaning (I’m under my parents’ insurance, but I wonder how I can still get that maintenance in late 2014).
Obamacare may not work because many healthy young people are working part-time these days, and thus may not be able to afford increased health insurance costs to offset the lowered costs for people with pre-existing conditions, and older people. But I think the increased mental health coverage, lowered health insurance costs for older people, and insurance access for people with pre-existing conditions may make Obamacare worth a try.
But the way the Tea Party politicians are willing to shut down a government because they couldn’t get what they want through the regular channels (Supreme Court, etc…) is so wrong on so many levels. To make matters worse, the Tea Party politicians sadly come from a deluded portion of the Pluto in Virgo generation taught to believe that “government is the problem, that everything should be privatized etc.” under Ronald Reagan and during the end of the Cold War.
I have a theory where people are strongly influenced by the events that take place when Pluto sextiles their natal Pluto. The Reagan years had a huge impact on the Tea Party politicians of today. In the 1980s, there was a lot of talk about crime, serial killers, drugs, AIDS, and welfare (Pluto in Scorpio), and Neptune in Capricorn was their refuge (worship of the military and the police, glamorization of corporations, the appearance of shows such as Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous etc.). Historically speaking, Neptune in Capricorn is a counter-reformation period, which explains the backlash against the achievements of the 60s and 70s.
History has repudiated several failed ideologies over time. People are going to realize that they need government in their lives, a government that protects and nurtures the people so that they can pursue their individual aspirations. The private sector has strengths and limitations, just like government does. There are some services the private sector is incapable of providing, and government is necessary there. Government is more impartial than industry when it comes to scientific research, for instance.
The private sector is great for art and for technology, and for people who want to work for themselves. But the public sector is great for people who want to serve someone or something they can be devoted to.
The irony about the Republican Tea Party opposition to Obamacare is the fact that in the 90s and 00s, the Heritage Foundation, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney supported individual mandates for insurance, whereas the Democratic politicians supported single-payer healthcare and employer mandates. Now in 2014, the Democratic Party supports individual mandates, whereas the Tea Party thinks the current healthcare system is fine.
Sure people’s positions change. For example, I am a third party advocate, and I support the Green Party for many reasons. But when I see how adamant the Tea Party is in taking away the paychecks of effective government workers, on some issues, I may have to reluctantly support the Democratic Party. I see I have to think short-term in addition to thinking long-term.
But it really shows how deluded the Republican politicians have become.
The metro buses in DC have less ridership than before, and restaurants are providing freebies and discounts to furloughed government workers.
If the shutdown lasts longer than a few weeks, then the people of the DC area have to come together to survive if paychecks are unavailable. A spirit of solidarity will be needed to get through this crisis.
Regarding the upcoming astrology, thank you for the heads-up regarding Mars in Libra being part of a powerful grand cross, I’m looking forward to any tips you have for 2014 regarding the Mars effect.