Prediction is what zoning is all about!

In an article entitled, "Lack of a crystal ball shouldn't keep us from moving forward" the zoning board of Kingman, Arizona is compared with those who make predictions with crystal balls...no wonder zoning boards in general botch things up. Perhaps some tarot card readings could assist the decision making powers of the city of Kingman?

Lack of a crystal ball shouldn't keep us from moving forward: "We owe it to ourselves and our future to keep moving forward. No one has a crystal ball that will predict the traffic on Kingman Crossing or who will actually shop there when we do get a mall. Prediction is what zoning is all about. You can re-route heavy truck traffic to a more accommodating exchange. You can have a mall that fits our themes. If you want opportunity, take it! "

Not Gonna buy a brain wave reading toy for my child

The Orange County Register - News - AP

"Engineers at NeuroSky Inc. have big plans for brain wave-reading toys and video games. They say the simple Darth Vader game - a relatively crude biofeedback device cloaked in gimmicky garb - portends the coming of more sophisticated devices that could revolutionize the way people play.

Technology from NeuroSky and other startups could make video games more mentally stimulating and realistic. It could even enable players to control video game characters or avatars in virtual worlds with nothing but their thoughts" [source]

Brain control -- Yuck

You think Rhianna is kidding? These companies are not kidding:
NeuroSky
Emotiv
S.M.A.R.T. BrainGames

When Rhianna was a little girl she played a game called "Headache" with a "pop-o-matic" --these games look like they could give migraines *Laugh*

Illiteracy Jumps in China, Despite 50-Year Campaign to Eradicate It - washingtonpost.com

Illiteracy Jumps in China, Despite 50-Year Campaign to Eradicate It - washingtonpost.com:

"Illiteracy is increasing in China, despite a 50-year-old campaign to stamp it out and a declaration by the government in 2000 that it had been nearly eradicated. The reasons are complex, from the cost of a rural education to the growing appeal of migrant work that draws Chinese away from classrooms and toward far-off cities.

In many cases, as in this farming hamlet in China's southern Guizhou province, villagers whose education ended in elementary school have simply forgotten basic skills."

No wonder fortunes in cookies don't always make sense!

Have you ever noticed a futility in campaigns? Campaign for this, campaign against that -- they don't work. There's always a campaign in the United States to get people to quit smoking or there's campaigns that require more and more "education" about pre-marital sex and the "educational campaigns" always ensure that there's lots and lots of pre-marital sex.

Campaigns don't work, close interactions do (i.e. close interactions with family members) -- if the family doesn't encourage education there's not going to be a high value set in terms of that goal.

Of course on the other hand it's easier to control the masses if most of them can't read ;-)

Check out Orwell Farm

Tony Chan Chun-chuen Foresees Nina Wangs’s Fortune ? Big Brother Celebrity News & Gossip : Anorak

This is funny:

Tony Chan Chun-chuen Foresees Nina Wangs’s Fortune ? Big Brother Celebrity News & Gossip : Anorak:

"WAIT, it’s all coming clear to me now. I see a short dark stranger, and she’s giving me a blooming great wad of cash. Two billion pounds of it."

Dollar Slumps; Euro Hits Record High

This is not good for the United States economy.

"The euro climbed to an all-time high against the dollar Friday as weak U.S. growth figures reinforced fears of a widening economic disparity between Europe and the United States.

A higher euro makes goods from the euro-zone more expensive for customers abroad, or cuts into manufacturers' profits if they try to keep the U.S. dollar price of products constant.

Along with the rise in the British pound, which broke through $2 earlier this month for the first time in nearly 15 years, the stronger euro makes visits to much of Europe more expensive for travelers from elsewhere and makes shopping trips to the U.S. more appealing to Europeans.

The reading of U.S. gross domestic product, considered the best barometer of the country's economic fitness, was the weakest since a 1.2 percent pace registered in the opening quarter of 2003. It underscored just how much momentum the U.S. economy has been losing as it copes with the strain of the troubled housing market.

The dollar's woes aren't confined to Europe: It is at a 17-year low against the Australian dollar, hovering near 26-year lows against the British pound and at an all-time low against the Chinese yuan."

Forbidden Public Show of Affection

Corky Trinidad, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Gere confident kissing issue will be sorted

Indians Issue Arrest Warrant For Gere Over Taboo Kiss

Combo: kid playing superhero & Orwell's doublespeak

Andy Singer, NO EXIT

Government help sought in row over Nina's will

Nina Wang Kung Yu-sum's family is putting up a fight over her will.
The Chinachem Charitable Foundation is taking steps to involve the (Chinese) government in what looks to be a long legal battle.

The Standard - China's Business Newspaper:

"Wang's brother Kung Yan-sum and younger sisters Kung Yan-sum and Kung Chung-sum, who are on the board of the Chinachem Charitable Foundation, have been actively building a strong team of witnesses for the anticipated court battle.

They have requested the two non- beneficiaries on the purported 2002 will - Heng Kim Thiam, a project director of Chinachem Group, and Li Chi-ming, a major shareholder of a private architect's firm - as well as Wang's former doctors and nurses, business tycoons and lifelong friends to act as witnesses should this be necessary."

'I spent a fortune on my lover - and all I got was a three-timing hussy' | the Daily Mail

'I spent a fortune on my lover - and all I got was a three-timing hussy' | the Daily Mail:

Read the article for a true case of a wealthy lover's woe.

"So what does the man at the heart of this tug of love - a self confessed 'romantic old bugger' - have to say, safely ensconced inside his astonishing country pile, a seven-bedroom, four-bathroom, mock Tudor mansion in the village of Rowde near Devizes, complete with marble Jacuzzi room and 20m outdoor pool with its own thatched bar and palm trees.

'I'm still a bit teary,' he says. What man wouldn't be if they'd lavished a ?133,000 limited-edition Ferrari, a £12,000 Rolex and an £8,000 copy of Princess Diana's diamond and sapphire engagement ring on a lover who proved to be less than constant?

This week, Mr Chudleigh chose to tell the Mail the full story of the torrid affair, which he readily admits has left him heartbroken. He admits he left his former partner for 51-year-old Rachel Leigh, and believed she would leave her husband, David, to marry him."

Focus on Opals and other Precious Gems

Sterling Silver Tiger Eye Pendant

Tiger's Eye is a type of quartz with eye catching brown and black bands running through the gem.
Folklore aligns this gem with the eyes of the tiger. Tiger's Eye is a gem of Gemini and makes a wonderful gift for a Gemini (or anyone would love this beautiful piece handcrafted in Nepal).

Adambha Jewelry offers free shipping via USPS on all US online orders!

British video cams can read your lips

British video cams can read your lips:

"LIP READING software could be installed as part of the UK's web-cam surveillance system within three years, according to Wired.

The software will look to see if anyone mentions any key phrases when talking to their mates and alert the constabulary."

Bobby 'Boris' Pickett Tribute

Read Rhianna's "Bobby 'Boris' Pickett Tribute" here

Philadelphia is cracking down on fortunetellers!

City enforces obscure anti-fortune telling law:

"PHILADELPHIA - In a series of apparently unforeseen visits, city inspectors slapped desist orders on the shops of psychics, astrologers, phrenologists and tarot-card readers who charge money for their services.

Dominic E. Verdi, deputy commissioner of the city Department of Licenses and Inspections, said Thursday the agency was just recently alerted to a state law, on the books for more than 30 years, that makes fortunetelling 'for gain or lucre' a third-degree misdemeanor."

Hey, a lot of the so-called "fortune-tellers" in the little hole-in-the-wall offices weren't any good anyway. They often relied on the "curse scam" to scam money off of clients.

Philadelphia shuts down psychics - Peculiar Postings - MSNBC.com

Philadelphia shuts down psychics - Peculiar Postings - MSNBC.com:

"PHILADELPHIA - They never saw it coming.

City inspectors shut down more than a dozen psychics, astrologers and tarot-card readers after learning about a decades-old state law that bans fortune telling for profit."

Fiery Dragon Lamp

Fiery Dragon Lamp

Want to create a relaxing atmosphere in a special room? Would you like a special glow during a tarot card reading?
The ancients possessed a wisdom that is just beginning to be understood today. The iconic dragon on this decorative lamp is symbolic of that wisdom. Use it any room to brighten up the atmosphere with a soft, pastel light.

Groovy readings from Swami Crystal Ball

Be awed by the eerie lightning as the Swami offers advice.
The motions of this wise man's mouth and eyes are synchronized to his speech.

• This crystal ball stands 18" tall x 14" wide.
• Requires 4 - "AA" batteries (not included).
• Has up to 6 phrases.
• Intended for indoor or covered porch use.
• Sound activated.
• UL Listed adapter included.

Spirit Ball - Swami

Avril Lavigne to provide animated 'Manga' shorts to Anime Network

Indiantelevision.com's Digital Edge: Avril Lavigne to provide animated 'Manga' shorts to Anime Network

Avril Lavigne will combine manga and anime with her latest CD, The Best Damn Thing.

"Both the manga series and the music videos deal with an introverted teenager, Hana, whose life is changed forever when she meets her hero Avril Lavigne and, through her, finds the courage to conquer her own personal demons. Bringing the manga series to life, music videos incorporating songs from Lavigne's new CD release The Best Damn Thing with animations from the manga series, are available to view and/or download at $1.99 per episode online through the website, www.make5wishes.com and Nettwerks' website." [source]

Hits in the new CD are:

• Girlfriend
• Everything Back But You
• I Can Do Better

Family Fights for Fortune

Nina Wang's family has filed a writ with the high court against Feng shui master Chan Chun Chuen's claims that he is the sole beneficiary of Wang's 4.2 billion dollar estate (nice sum, eh?)

"Wednesday's writ is set to spark another costly and spectacular courtroom drama, this time involving the little-known Chan, described by his lawyer as a successful property developer who practices feng shui as a hobby." [source]

Oh, so the attorney is playing down the importance of Chan's feng shui connection with Nina. Suddenly Chan's focus is that of a property developer and not of a suave, smooth talking fortuneteller.
A large fortune is at stake (represented by the 7 of Coins) but sitting in limbo will not do anyone good (nor will a lengthy court battle).
Nina Wang's family sees the money as rightfully theirs yet to their amazement they see Chan's claim and in that regard they feel the money is theirs yet the money can not be grasped/used/utilized as envisioned. Chan likewise sees the money as represented by the 7 of Coins. All is not lost when the 7 of Coins is present but the card advises action and warns of possible disappointment.
Obviously the family has taken swift action (as represented by the 8 of Wands) and is not letting a moment go by. The 8 of Wands often is symbolic of communication but in the case of Nina Wang's family vs. the claims to the estate by Feng shui master Chan Chun Chuen this card may symbolize the initiation of court battles. There will be communication and bitterness back and forth in a volley.

Fortune tellers seek signs to predict French poll - Yahoo! News

See, fortunetellers have an important function. Statistics at times can become false to chance, so why not consult the tarot? Chances are that the election could be in the cards ;-)


Fortune tellers seek signs to predict French poll - Yahoo! News:

"PARIS (Reuters) - With France's presidential elections just days away, the nation's fortune tellers are urgently shuffling tarot cards and staring into crystal balls as they try to predict the result ahead of time.

Most opinion polls put right wing former interior minister Nicolas Sarkozy in the lead for Sunday's first round vote, ahead of Socialist Segolene Royal and centrist 'third man' Francois Bayrou.

But with up to 40 percent of the electorate still undecided, there remains plenty of room for alternative forecasting methods, even though these could prove as reliable as the polls which failed to predict the outcome of the 2002 election."

Twists in the Fortuneteller Windfall Case

The dream of every fortuneteller is to advise wealthy clients.
To be named an heir in a billion dollar estate is a dream come true but the interference of angry relatives can bring such dreams to a grinding halt.

What was the real life interaction like between Tony Chan Chun-chuen and Nina Wang?
Read about the interesting contrast in lifestyles between the two.

Legal cases and gossip are certainly to follow. Here are some interesting reads:

• Fortune teller heir to billions faces uncertain future
• Feng shui master claims Asian fortune
  
• Billionaire Leaves Fortune To Fortune Teller (The Spoof.com)
  

Kashimashi Figure Collection Series 2 Display Box

Kashimashi Figure Collection Series 2 Display Box



The Kashimashi Figure Collection Series 2 Display Box is a mini figure set based on the Japanese romance manga Kashimashi (Girl Meets Girl). The display box of 12 pieces contains a seven piece assortment (6 pictured plus 1 mystery figure) of 5-inch tall trading figures. Each figure comes in a closed box, so you never know what you're going to get! There are 6 characters in the series: Ayuki, Hazumu, Pu, Tomari, Yasuna in apron, and Yasuna in schoolgirl outfit, plus one mystery figure.

" Kashimashi is a shoujo-ai and romance manga written by Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Yukimaru Katsura. The manga is published in the seinen manga magazine, Dengeki Daioh , which is targeted for the 18–30 year old male audience. An anime series was also produced by Bandai Visual under the same title. The story starts out about a boy, Hazumu, who was always teased for being a little too feminine. He decided to confess his love to another girl, but was rejected. To ease his heartache, he visited Mt. Kashimayama, where he had first met her. While he was lost in the mountains, Hazumu made a wish on a falling star, but it turned out to be a falling alien spaceship! After being severely injured by the spaceship crash, the alien managed to repair Hazumu's body. However, Hazumu's body was reconstructed into a woman's body! Even though his appearance had changed, his feelings for the one he loved never went away."

My Otome Nina Wong (Coral) Action Figure

My Otome Nina Wong (Coral) Action Figure




My Otome Nina Wong (Coral) Action Figure
is a 6 inch poseable action figure imported from Japan with a special spiky anime hairstyle and lots of fashion details.

From the anime series My Otome , Nina Wong is ready to do battle with dirt and disorder! Tthis combat magical maid is decked out to be the top student at Coral throughout the series, and this figure will look awesome on your desk helping you to be the best, too!

Fortuneteller heir to wealth of anime-like sweetheart

And to my fortune teller I leave£2 billion | the Daily Mail

Nina Wang, Asia's wealthiest woman and widow of pharmaceutical magnate died and left a large sum of money to a feng shui master (Chinese fortuneteller).

Nina, quite the sweet eccentric was known as "Little Sweetie'' and often played the part dressed like a manga doll in schoolgirl miniskirts, bright groovy clothing and braided pigtails.

"In January, Forbes magazine named Mrs Wang the 11th richest person in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong and reckoned her wealth at well over £2bn."[source]

At the moment it seems as if Tony Chan Chun-chuen is the sole heir but will his expertise in feng shui help Chan stave off court challenges for that fortune?

Glass Wind Chimes herald balmy weather

SohoDecor 20 Inch Stained Glass Wind Chimes-Clear




This clear stained glass wind chime is the perfect accent for your home.

Funny View of Mall Shopping

Don't you just hate driving to the mall in order to shop?

This video is a funny angle on shopping at the mall!

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees? - Independent Online Edition > Wildlife

Be[e] alarmed!

Are mobile phones wiping out our bees? - Independent Online Edition > Wildlife:

"The theory is that radiation from mobile phones interferes with bees' navigation systems, preventing the famously homeloving species from finding their way back to their hives. Improbable as it may seem, there is now evidence to back this up.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) occurs when a hive's inhabitants suddenly disappear, leaving only queens, eggs and a few immature workers, like so many apian Mary Celestes. The vanished bees are never found, but thought to die singly far from home. The parasites, wildlife and other bees that normally raid the honey and pollen left behind when a colony dies, refuse to go anywhere near the abandoned hives."

Accessory Changes

RIP Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut, Counterculture’s Novelist, Dies - New York Times:

"Kurt Vonnegut, whose dark comic talent and urgent moral vision in novels like “Slaughterhouse-Five,” “Cat’s Cradle” and “God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater” caught the temper of his times and the imagination of a generation, died last night in Manhattan. He was 84..."

Kurt Vonnegut: books, articles, & related sites

My favorite short story by Vonnegut first Published in the collection Welcome to the Monkey House is Harrison Bergeron
and begins in this amusing way:

THE YEAR WAS 2081, and everybody was finally equal. They weren’t only equal before God and the law. They were equal every which way. Nobody was smarter than anybody else. Nobody was better looking than anybody else. Nobody was stronger or quicker than anybody else. All this equality was due to the 211th, 212th, and 213th Amendments to the Constitution, and to the unceasing vigilance of agents of the United States Handicapper General.[1]

It's a futuristic satire that the human spirit can prevail in spite of an overly intrusive government and the reign of mediocrity.

Harrison Bergeron's summary in Wikipedia

Questions for analysis, thought & study

"Security crystal ball gazing from McAfee"

My RFID-embedded car numberplate has a virus

"Spyware - malicious programs that covertly track surfing habits or steal confidential data - are likely to migrate onto new platforms, including mobile phones and RFID chips.

The scenario is sketched out in the second issue of McAfee's twice annual Global Threat Report."[source]

So, what's in the crystal ball? What awaits everyone now that RFID chips are used to such a great extent?

"The growing, almost ubiquitous, use of RFID technology creates a platform for malware. Research first presented in March 2006 shows how vulnerabilities in RFID technology might be used to spread viruses, worms, and spyware. Dutch researchers showed how RFID tags could be virally infected through SQL injection attacks, exploiting links between an RFID tag and a vulnerable database."[source]

In Tarot the Seven of Cups is symbolic of illusionary success and the promises of RFID chips will become another deception in your life. Why that declaration? RFID chips have made wonderful conveniences such as EZ PASS possible [yeah, if you like to broadcast your whereabouts].

Here are some wonderful possibilities ahead:

• RFID "tattoos" -- use your imagination
• RFID-embedded license plates -- get caught running that red light ;-)
  
• Your cell phone could turn into the perfect spy
• Better brush up on Bluetooth security to avoid:
  

"Bluebugging, where an attacker manipulates a phone to dial numbers, [or] Bluestabbing, where an attacker tries to crash vulnerable devices."[source]

www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/11/

Read McAfee's report and check out the crystal ball on the cover!

The Tease

Paul Combs, Tribune Media Services

Playing Captain America

Paul Combs, The Tampa Tribune

Happy Easter

Timeless Tulips® capture the essence of Spring

HALLE shaves her head & it is admirable!

Two celebs make the same choice: each one shaves her head. Britney's choice makes her not only appear weak but as if something were wrong with her.

Halle decides to do the same thing but this time it's a career move.

Seems like a double standard.

Mirror.co.uk - Showbiz - Latest - HALLE 'TO DO A BRITNEY':

"MOVIE beauty Halle Berry is to go bald for her next film, she has revealed.

The Monster's Ball Oscar-winner bared everything else to scoop her 2001 Best Actress award.

But now she has agreed to 'do a Britney' and will shave her head for romcom Nappily Ever After.
Advertisement

Singer Britney Spears hit headlines around the world when she was photographed removing her locks earlier this year."

Political Promises & Realties

Keep this in mind when politicians make fantastic promises.
What you hear isn't always what you get:

Universal healthcare's dirty little secrets - Los Angeles Times:

"What these politicians and many other Americans fail to understand is that there's a big difference between universal coverage and actual access to medical care.

Simply saying that people have health insurance is meaningless. Many countries provide universal insurance but deny critical procedures to patients who need them."

Why Does Bush Make this Sign so Often?

Why does Bush make this sign so often if the sign is associated with a satanic sign?
Check the link to see the number of times he has made this sign.

Bush Devil Sign: "Bush says it's the Univ. of Texas
'Hook 'em Horns' sign.

The sign of Satan:
A clenched fist
with his index &
little fingers
sticking up." [source]

In case you didn't click the link yet, click here for an informative series of photos
The commentary is humorous but there is a tinge of the scary.

Competition for YouTube is in The Cards!

You Tube will be in for a bit of competition but competition can be the source of innovation.

NBC, News Corp. push new Web rival to YouTube | CNET News.com: "Sohn said that although Yahoo, AOL and MSN will feature the same content, there are plenty of ways for each to differentiate themselves.

'We'll compete on the customer experience,' Sohn said. 'How does the player at each site work? Is it easier on one site to find videos? You build a network and create a set of experiences around media that you think are more compelling.'

A nascent market is already crowded with companies, such as Brightcove, Joost and Veoh Networks, eager to help them do this."

So Hungry He Bit His Wife!!

FOXNews.com - Man Charged With Biting Wife After She Refused to Cook Dinner - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News:

"According to police, Hughey told officers he tried to wake his wife by 'gently rubbing her stomach.' Hughey said he did that so she would get up to cook dinner.

The woman told police that she remained asleep and that Hughey became hostile. "

Avril's (Q of Swords) cutting message for Britney (Q of Wands)

Avril Lavigne (born September 27, 1984) a first decanate Libra (air sign symbolized by the Queen of Swords) has just cut to the quick with a little advice for Britney:

“You can’t complain about the pressures, the paparazzi, the madness because that’s the job.” [source]

Often drawn to psychology, first decanate Libra females as personified by the Queen of Swords can see things "like it is" and cut to the quick.
So is Avril giving out some sound advice or is she just contributing to gossip and stirring the pot with jealousy? Has her revelation about the business come too late to be of help? Is Avril using Britney's recent downfall as a way to gain one up? And what exactly is the point of Avril's recollection of the jab she gave in Toronto -- to show some punk toughness? A hint of some wild past occurrences or does the incident highlight her current state/belief in balance?
Avril is walking a tightrope here in terms of is she offering some advice or is she just criticizing Britney with a cheap shot? Is it ever okay to stumble and fall?
So what's the interaction between an air sign and one of fire?
Air signs often are compatible with fire signs because just as oxygen can "give life" to a fire so too can a friendship be demonstrated by individuals of air and fire signs but has this gone over the top? How will Britney react? Will Brintey react? Britney , symbolized by the Queen of Wands is a first decanate Sagittarius with tremendous energy, and optimism but has recent negative events caused anxiety and depression? Perhaps Avril's ultimate
message to Britney is "don't let it get you down."

April 1 looms, but hoax expert says times are hard | Oddly Enough | Reuters

April 1 looms, but hoax expert says times are hard | Oddly Enough | Reuters:

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - As April Fools' Day looms, the curator of the Museum of Hoaxes has a word of caution for those who want to believe the unbelievable -- a good hoax is hard to find.

Alex Boese, the curator of the museum which exists online only at museumofhoaxes.com -- despite the lovely photographs of its nonexistent headquarters in San Diego -- has issued his annual list of 100 top hoaxes and cautioned, in the interest of truth, that none of the items have changed this year before April 1."