Aquarius Personality Profile: January 20 - February 18

Aquarius is the eleventh Sign of the Zodiac, and Aquarians are the perfect representatives for the Age of Aquarius. Those born under this Sign have the social conscience needed to carry us into the new millennium. These folks are humanitarian, philanthropic and keenly interested in making the world a better place, which is why they focus much of their energy on our social institutions and how they work (or don't work). Aquarians are visionaries, progressive souls who love to spend time thinking about how things can be better. They are also quick to engage others in this process, which is why they have so many friends and acquaintances. Making the world a better place is a collaborative effort for Aquarians.

Individuals born under the sign of Aquarius, or "Aquarians" as they are called are often quirky and unconventional. Sometimes their eccentricities are obvious, they may have an unusual sense of humour, or have interests that others do not. Other times, Aquarians will have very small, quirky and sometimes amusing eccentricities which only become apparent as one gets to know them.

Aquarius is a very free-spirited, unpredictable sign, and those born with this sun-sign are often given to a wide range of emotions, and to indecision. Aquarians will often change their mind about certain things, as the mood suits them. While typically intellectual, charming and well behaved, Aquarians will sometimes change their mind regarding important issues, or act in a very self interested way. For the most part, Aquarians are concerned with the "greater good" and express humanitarian interests, just so long as those interests don't conflict with their own.

Aquarians are extremely friendly, and very well liked. They are always a mystery, with their unpredictable responses and often complex personality types. Aquarians typically love to travel and are always up for adventure.

Aquarius at Work:

Aquarians are usually very fast learners. They pick up general concepts and ideas extremely easily, often just by speaking to someone for a few moments. Aquarians typically know a little bit about everything. On the downside, Aquarians tend to be rather sensitive people and are prone to having their feelings bruised by a callous remark or an inconsiderate gesture. For this reason many Aquarians work for themselves, they are intelligent and intellectual, and they are typically very hard workers. Their broad range of skills and knowledge give them a decided advantage in entrepreneurial endeavours.

Aquarius in Love:

Aquarian unpredictability is a wild card in any relationship. In many cases, it is a wonderful trait which always keeps a relationship fresh and new. In other cases it can be frustrating and seem insincere. Aquarians are very independent people, and for them relationships will require a necessary amount of "space" and time for themselves. Crowding and restricting an Aquarian will often cause an Aquarian to run off in search of more freedom, space and an environment which better tolerates their unpredictable and very independent nature.

But if an Aquarian finds that "just right" environment, they make wonderful, loving and very giving partners.

Koi, known as the ‘living jewels of Japan’ and certainly the beautiful jewels of my pond are intelligent, protective and positive, as often witnessed from their behaviour. It is hard not to be seduced by their dazzling colours of oranges, reds, yellows, blacks, silvers, bronzes, even greens and blues.

I love their balletic movements and when swimming together as a bunch they are like a flaming, swirling, underwater wind. Equally appealing is their tameness, a report that has developed overtime. 

Watching them and raising them takes this section of my garden into a sort of Zen mysticism and a relationship that is mutually beneficial.  They can feel the vibrations from my feet as I walk to toward the pond and get themselves into an excited frenzy, twirling and dancing as they know I am approaching. It is also interesting to observe how they respond differently to the approach of others than they do to me. When feeding they come to the surface and like to be touched and hand fed. I love these intimate little moments.

Koi, descendants of the common carp found their way to various parts of the world from China in the 1800’s. In Japan koi have been cultivated as far back as the 17th century, when a few fish with colourful patches were discovered and bred together in an isolated north western coastal area of Japan. By the 19th century, breeding of decorative koi had become a thriving business. During the Tokyo Exhibition of 1914, the most beautiful specimens were presented to Crown Prince Hirohito as a gift, and koi quickly became a national treasure. 

Unfortunately koi appeal not only to people but to herons, cats and hawks, just a few among their threatening predators. I have however planted exotic plants and trees in and around the pond, which together with the cascading water, provides ample hiding space from predators.

While their jewel box colours may seem random and overwhelming, there are precise ways of identifying and naming koi. The elaborate Japanese names are based on colour, patterning, scalation, and lustre. For the novice enthusiast, the Tetra Encyclopaedia of koi breaks down the dizzying number of varieties into 14 major classifications.

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the visit. About John Mortimer; yes I did see reference to his death on the news. I too enjoy his writing. I don’t recall reading anything about Patrick McGoohan, however put your way as in your comment on my page, makes it all sound quite humorous, for me that is.

Kind thoughts

Kate.

Capricorn Personality Profile: Dec 22 –Jan 19

While other signs are given to flights of fancy and daydreams, Capricorns always have their feet on the ground. One of the most stable signs in the zodiac, Capricorns are capable of exercising enormous discipline when they need to. Capricorns are also great listeners, and because they are enormously patient they can spend long hours listening to the stories and lives of others. This special Capricorn trait gives Capricorns great insight into other people's lives, traditions and personal histories. Capricorns tend to be very cultured and knowledgeable about the world and culture as a whole.

Capricorns care a great deal about their personal appearance and how they are perceived. They are usually very neatly dressed, or very stylish -- often with a keen sense of fashion and style.

Capricorns have "big" personalities. They tend to be generous, interesting and tactful. They are always patient and have an air of wisdom about them.

Capricorn at Work:

Capricorns are very ambitious people, and with their innate people-skills, immaculate presentation and natural smarts, they tend to do well in the workplace. Because they are immensely patient and restrained, Capricorns tend to perform especially well in high-stress environments that would be difficult for other signs to handle.

Capricorns also do extremely well in management roles, where juggling multiple personality types, and exercising extreme patience are required.

Capricorn in Love:

While Capricorn is very pragmatic in most areas of life -- this is sometimes less true in matters of the heart, where Capricorns can exhibit unusual jealousies. Capricorns make great lovers. In relationships they are very attentive, and very patient at all times. But suggest to a Capricorn that the relationship may be in trouble, and that Capricorn jealousy will bubble up to the surface and begin to boil.

Domestically, many Capricorns are "neat freaks", always insisting on cleanliness and perfection. Depending on who a Capricorn is partnered with, this can make for a perfect home, or lots of disagreements.

Global warming seems to be running hot and cold!

Courtesy: Daily Express
For several years now we have been told that mankind faces no bigger challenge than global warming. Indeed, some scientists have gone so far as to say that the global warming poses a greater threat than terrorism.

 
It’s freezing out there and for once, the term is properly used to describe precisely the weather conditions. The temperature gauge is showing zero degrees centigrade. It might edge up a degree or two in the middle of the day for a couple of hours but since the New Year, daytime temperatures have been a good four or five degrees lower than the norm for this time of year in temperate Britain.

In fact, the weathermen say we are on course to beat the record-breaking winter of 1962-63, which was the coldest winter on record in England and Wales since 1740. So this is how global warming manifests itself is it? With the coldest winter for 268 years? With Siberian tiger cubs, which are purpose built for the cold, refusing to come out of their shelters at Banham Zoo in Norfolk because it was too chilly for them? Or, since we are talking about global WARMING, perhaps we should think back to the last few summers we have been lucky enough to enjoy in Britain. Wet they most certainly were; ditto cloudy, overcast, stormy and dull, not to mention cool verging on downright perky at times. But warm? Absolutely not. If summer were a product, we would have asked for our money back and sued the manufacturer under the trade descriptions act. Yet still we are urged to believe that the planet is on a slow simmer to oblivion. Not only that but anyone dissenting from that view is dismissed as irresponsible or dangerously mad. Dr David Bellamy has felt the chill wind of derision for more than a decade, ever since he declared that he did not believe the planet was warming up.

Rather, he argues that the Earth has been heating and cooling for 13,000 years and that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have nothing to do with it.“Climate change is happening and it has been happening all the time there has been a climate. The Earth is always going through cycles of change. Ten thousand years ago, this country was under ice. Two thousand years ago after the Romans conquered Britain, they grew red grapes on the Scottish border."

"They were not putting out carbon dioxide on the modern scale. The Middle Ages were warm too, and then it got cold again for about 400 years. In that period, the Thames would freeze over so solidly that they held markets on it. We came out of that mini-Ice Age in around 1850, and now we heading for another cool-down. "
“There is official data available showing that world temperatures have been getting colder every year since 1998. In 2002, Arctic ice actually increased. The ice-caps are getting bigger. Why don’t we hear about that?” “Carbon dioxide levels were much lower in previous centuries yet the climate still changed, so how can CO2 be the driver of climate change now?”

Besides, he adds, carbon dioxide - the principal greenhouse gas - is not the killer gas demonized at the Earth Summits of Rio and Kyoto but one of the most beneficial and necessary things on the planet.
It is the most important airborne fertiliser in the world. Plants breathe it in and exhale oxygen, which is vital to us humans. When plants combine CO2 with water and sunshine, they produce complex carbon compounds which we either eat or feed to our livestock or build with or simply admire for their beauty. Without CO2 the world would have no greenery.

“Increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, double it even, and this would produce a rise in plant productivity,” says Dr Bellamy. That doesn’t sound like much of a killer gas to me. “Indeed, if carbon dioxide were removed from the atmosphere, the temperature would be likely to fall by only 0.3 per cent."
"There is no proof that carbon dioxide is anything to do with any impending catastrophe. The science has, quite simply, gone awry. In fact, it’s not science - it’s anti-science. “ Dr Bellamy accuses supposed experts such as the former US vice-president Al Gore, of “cherry-picking“ the models which help to substantiate their argument.

“Yes, the lakes in Africa are drying up, but that’s not global warming. They’re drying up for the very simple reason that most of them have dams around them. So the water that used to be used by local people is now used in the production of cut flowers and vegetables for the supermarkets of Europe. Any noticeable warming is more likely to be linked to sun spot activity on the sun, which is getting hotter as it ages.”

It is extremely surprising that the Arab financed TV station in Dubai would allow this to air. Be sure and watch this, it is so powerful I have no doubt she now has a very large price on her head. I also have no doubt it won't be on the net very long.
She is one impressive woman. Here is a powerful and amazing statement on Al Jazeera television. The woman is Wafa Sultan, an Arab-American psychologist from Los Angeles .  I would suggest watching it ASAP because I don't know how long the link will be active. This film clip should be shown around the world repeatedly!

http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=214&ar=1050wmv&ak

With the exception of the paparazzi leaning out of noisy helicopters with their cameras at the ready, hoping to snap some pictures of the rich famous and not so famous along the slopes of Clifton, all was reasonably peaceful over the festive season.

Guests arrived from near and far to spend some time at House Clifton with its private, tranquil setting and awesome views from its perch up against the mountain slopes over looking Clifton and the Atlantic ocean. The weather could not have been better. Soft balmy nights, whispers of overhead ceiling fans, sunset drinks and the usual five star cuisine.

The last to arrivals for the season were Cameron and Tegan, who departed back to Durban yesterday. It will be their last trip until after the birth of baby Abbott, the due date being toward the end of March 2009. With this in mind we packed in as much site seeing as was reasonable under the pregnancy circumstances.

They were gathered up and taken off to visit one of the historical wine farms, (pictures included below) where we had lunch and enjoyed some good wine. The setting was superb and the walks most enjoyable. The farm has an interesting history with links back to the U.k. in one way or another, a story I would like to include but that is a posting for another date. 

All over the world, there exists a simple precept that, when followed, has the power to end conflict and banish strife.

It is the Golden Rule, a key concept in many philosophies and spiritualities that admonishes us to “do unto others as we would have them do unto us.” Its meaning is clear: treat others only in ways that you would want to be treated. However, the golden rule is not always easy to follow. It can be a challenge to honour others as we wish to be honoured. Yet, when we do so, we bestow a gift of loving kindness on our fellow human beings. And, in honouring others, we honour ourselves.

It is as uncomplicated a tenet as one could wish for. When we live by it, harming another person becomes nearly impossible. The Golden Rule is rooted in pure empathy and does not compel us to perform any specific act. Rather, it gently guides us to never let our actions toward others be out of harmony with our own desires. The Golden Rule asks us to be aware of the effect our words and actions may have on another person and to imagine ourselves in their place. It calls on us to ask ourselves how we would feel if what we were about to do were directed toward us. And yet this rule invites us to do more than not harm others. It suggests that we look for opportunities to behave toward others in the same ways that we would want others to act toward us. Showing compassion, being considerate of others, caring for the less fortunate, and giving generously are what can result when you follow the Golden Rule.

Adhering to the Golden Rule whenever possible can have a positive effect on the world around you because kindness begets kindness. In doing so, you generate a flow of positive energy that enfolds everyone you encounter in peace, goodwill, and harmony.