Astrology and The Stock Market

Dan Dorfman from The New York Sun, just posted this astrological assessment about the state of the country and the stock market based on one of my favorite astrologers Bob Marks. Fair warning - Dan Dorfman is a market bear meaning that he usually thinks doom and gloom. But now, enlisting the assistance of the eminent Bob Marks, he bolsters his outlook with astrology. Please put down your coffee....

I summarize it here but go to the link above to read the entire article:

As if there weren't enough economic and stock market bears around, we've got some new ones — the moon, the sun, and the stars. The outlook from the heavens is hardly heavenly.

Bob Marks, a professional Big Apple astrologer and TV personality has been tracking planetary movements for more than 27 years and boasts some remarkable predictions. One of his notable market forecasts came in early 1998, when stock prices were spiraling. He predicted at the time that two years later, on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2000, the bull market would end. As it turned out, the market began to cave in on March 17, 2000, just four weeks later than he had predicted. At that point, the market went down, bounced back, and then collapsed.

His latest message from the heavens, as it turns out, is more alarming than what I have heard from some of the gloomiest individuals: The country's current astrological problem, financially, as Mr. Marks sees it, is that come Election Day (November 4, 2008), two planets — Uranus and Saturn — will oppose each other. Uranus, he notes, rules high-tech companies, while Saturn is a planet of difficulty, delays, and obstacles.

"When these two planets oppose each other," he explains, "it means we're in for a very bumpy ride both in the economy and the stock market." He also sees 2009 as "a very bad year for technology stocks," which he expects "will drag down the rest of what should be an unstable and roller-coaster market throughout the year." He sees a similar rocky performance for the balance of 2008.

Making matters worse, Jupiter, a planet that makes things larger, will enter the picture after the first week of January. That signifies, he says, the prospects of significantly higher inflation, which should push the rising price of gold even higher.

He concludes that the next president will not be in office long enough to accomplish anything significant because most likely he will not serve out his first term. The latest national polls indicate that Senator Obama will be the next occupant of the White House. Mr. Marks sees tough sledding ahead for the Illinois senator, however, noting his horoscope shows a sudden rise followed by a sudden fall. "Senator Obama's problem is that he has already had his sudden rise," Mr. Marks says.

Take all the above for what it is worth. As for me, I am very happy to buy stocks when they are low. Maybe what we are looking at is a buying opportunity in late 2009? But I will leave that to the experts - both astrological and financial.
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Related reading: The Financial Universe: Planning Your Investments Using Astrological Forecasting : A Guide To Identifying The Role Of The Planets And Stars In World Affairs, and Finance

Eel Drink: New Japanese Energy Boosting Product Goes on Sale

Eel-Eating Frenzy For the Lazy, Hazy, Hot Days of Japanese Summer

It's that time of year in Japan when the weather is hot, hot, hot and Japanese men, exhausted by the summer heat, take to eating eel. They feel eating eel during the hottest days of the summer will boost their stamina and restore their vitality now and throughout the rest of the year. Typically the eels are grilled over hot charcoals two times so that it ends up crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Demand is so strong for eel this year that there have been many cases of fraud; for example, mislabeling eel from China as domestic.

To the rescue -- Japan Tobacco Inc. has just launched a new canned drink called "Unagi Nobori" (translation: surging eel). It's a yellow, fizzy drink which contains special nutrients found in eel. If the Japanese can be convinced to drink their eel instead of eating it, perhaps this new product will help meet the strong demand. And at about $1.30 a can, the drink costs about only one-tenth as much as the charcoaled version.

Now, can anybody tell me how Unagi Nobori tastes?

Using Aromatherapy at Credit Suisse Bank

Some smart bank managers are realizing that certain smells correlate with happy customers and therefore increased deposits. Case in point: Credit Suisse just launched a program called "sensory branches" which uses aromatherapy to help make the customer experience more enjoyable. The bank has hired an aromatherapist to blend scents of peppermint, grapefruit and green tea - all designed to put customers in a better frame of mind and make them more relaxed. Credit Suisse has also arranged a musical selection where they synchronize branch traffic flows with beats per minute (or is it bank notes blowing in the wind...?) This is all designed to keep customers cool and mellow.

The result? The bank says that customer satisfaction is up at these sensory branches. That is until the bank increases its mortgage rate..... ;-)
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Related reading: Awake at the Wheel: Getting Your Great Ideas Rolling (in an Uphill World)
The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures

Jingjing, a Panda: Official Mascot of 2008 Chinese Olympic Games

Jingjing, The Black One

Pandas are one of China's national treasures and are adored by people everywhere, especially children. Jingjing is sure to make children smile and to deliver the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. He strikes a charming dancing pose and has wavy black and white fur. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing hopes to inspire people to protect nature's gifts--and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations.

I am betting that Jingjing will be the most popular of the five mascots. There is a (real) baby panda recently born in captivity to Ya Ya that has been named "Jing Jing."

There is an old Chinese tradition of spreading good wishes through signs and symbols. Each of the five Olympic symbols has a rhyming two-syllable name which is a traditional way of expressing affection for children. When you put all their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing." Jingjing is noted for strength, is charmingly naive and optimistic, and he represents the black Olympic ring.
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Related post: Yingying, The Yellow One. And here's a selection of official Beijing Mascots.

Total Solar Eclipse on August 1, 2008

Check out SPACE.com for full coverage on the next solar eclipse this Friday, August 1, 2008. They give a great synopsis of the entire route and the time of the eclipse over different parts of the world. This eclipse is the first in over two years and falls into the sign of Leo which is dramatic and exuberant energy. I have had posts about what happens to us behaviorally and astrologically during the eclipse. My past posts include Eclipses - How to Maneuver Through Them and Total Lunar Eclipse, Feb 20, 2008.

A total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada (the first opportunity to view a total eclipse in Canada for a generation), northern Greenland, then through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk Route of China. The path of totality for this upcoming eclipse is never more than 157 miles (252 km) wide.

Protect your eyes before looking directly into an eclipse. Just as Leo is a fiery sign, so too the eclipse can burn your eyes. Even if you are in the path of the total eclipse you will need to protect your eyes during the partial phases.
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Related Reading: Eclipses 2005-2017: A Handbook of Solar And Lunar Eclipses and Other Rare Astronomical Events.