Friday, February 28, 2003 W A L K E R -- "There's no doubt in my mind that we should allow the world worst leaders to hold America hostage, to threaten our peace, to threaten our friends and allies with the world's worst weapons." --George W. Bush, South Bend, Indiana, Sept. 5, 2002. (Official White House Site) -- George keeps me guessing, and I’m not alone. From Chinese Astrology; its computer assisted Western counterpart, or the prophecies of Nostradamus; Bush Jr remains the focus of pundits, prophets, presidents, poets and professors alike. Call him a visionary, madcap warlord, or counterfeit Christian- he has thoroughly neutralized global dynamics. Who’s he? And what’s in store for us when his main foe has been eleminated? -- "I am mindful not only of preserving executive powers for myself, but for predecessors as well.” – George W.Bush - Washington, D.C., Jan. 29, 2001 -- The Dogmatic In the West, the Dog is man's best friend, but in Chinese Astrology this Sign is a little more unpredictable than that. Dogs are loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to their firm codes of ethics. However, this Sign has trouble trusting others. It's generally quite trustworthy itself -- except for the occasional "little white lies" the Dog tells in order to make things go more smoothly. The Dog makes a wonderful, discreet and loyal friend (despite any white lies) and is an excellent listener. This Sign tends to root for the underdog and its keen sense of right and wrong makes it duty-bound to the core. The Dog's mantra seems to be, Live right, look out for the little people and fight injustice whenever possible. Dogs can also be rather dogmatic, too. They don't go in for light social banter; instead, they go straight for home, expostulating on the topics that are most important to them. At these times the Dog's narrow-minded or stubborn side can become apparent; this Sign has trouble staying light and calm when an important issue is at stake.This Sign can also be very temperamental; mood swings characterize its emotional life and often the Dog needs to run off to be alone in order to recuperate. Part of the problem is the result of this Sign's load of irrational fears that turn into niggling anxieties that turn into hurt feelings and occasional grouchiness. This sensitive Sign needs to warm up to others over time and gradually learn to trust them. Without that trust as a foundation, Dogs can be judgmental and coarse. The Dog's discerning nature does make it an excellent business person, one who can turn that picky, guarded nature into a keen sense of the truth of another's motives. Where love is concerned, Dogs often have a tough time finding the right match. They can be so anxious and overwrought in the romance dance that they'll stress their partner to the max! In any forum, this Sign is happiest when able to be quite physically active; at home or at work, the Dog will always be constructing something new or cleaning something up in order to make things better. Dogs need to work on controlling their irrational worries and would also be well-served to relax their mile-high standards, which can sometimes wind up alienating the ones they love. -- http://chinese.astrology.com/dog.html -- "One of the interesting initiatives we've taken in Washington, D.C., is we've got these vampire-busting devices. A vampire is a—a cell deal you can plug in the wall to charge your cell phone."— George W.Bush - Denver, CO. Aug. 14, -- From: Re: NOSTRADAMUS ON G.W.BUSH - Posted by Bob C. on October 04, 19102 at 09:26:15 -- "Come the millennium, month 12, in the home of the greatest power, the village idiot will come forth to be acclaimed the leader". Nostradamus in 1555- I've found Nostradamus' Mabus About two weeks ago I came across a few web sites dealing with the Nostradamus prediction. To my surprise, nobody has seriously tried to decode the Century 1, Quatrain 50. Century 1, Quatrain 50 From the three water signs will be born a man who will celebrate Thursday as his feast day. His renown, praise, rule and power will grow on land and sea, bringing trouble to the East. The above quoted quatrain best describes the Third Antichrist. The up-to-date given explanations, which I have found on the web, seem to be too mystical and non-conclusive. I guess fate has left the decoding to me. To start to understand the quatrain, it is necessary to know a little bit about the author. I can imagine Nostradamus standing in his dark, cave-like room, surrounded by mirrors in front of a bowl of water. Somehow, he is able to transfer his senses to places far away time-wise and far away distance-wise. To explore the Third Antichrist, Nostradamus goes on a virtual tour to the place of the third Antichist's birth. Yes, the "three water sign" is the best description of the place from which, in the future, the third Antichrist would be born. At first glimpse, I must admit, many of you may say "What kind of a description is that?" Well, he sees a region; and the only description worth mentioning that he comes up with is "the three water signs." Lieutenant Colombo would say: It is important what he sees; and also, what he does not see. He does not see any cities, any roads. He sees a land undisturbed by a civilization from which, in the future, the third Antichrist would be born. He sees the land as it is in his Sixteenth Century. He sees "the three water signs" as a foundation best suited in the region for future settlements. However, before we can find our mystery land, we have to decode line 2 of his quatrain. "who will celebrate Thursday as his feast day" The key words are "Thursday" and "feast". We have to ask ourselves, "Who would ever have feasts on Thursday?" It just happens that I asked the same question many years ago; and I was told: "Many, many years ago a group of pilgrims was in a state of starvation and suddenly a group of turkeys walked into their room. The turkeys were like God giving gifts and the answer to their prayers. They where the first to have a feast on Thursday. We call that feast Thanksgiving now." Yes, Nostradamus gives us a country. Our blessed USA is the only country in the world which has a holiday like that, which comes once a year-only on Thursday. Just now, we do know the country; let us see if we can find our mystery "the three water sign" land. Thanks to Mr. Gore's Internet, we can also (as Nostradamus did) take a virtual tour. I downloaded the quote below from an official state web site: "The flag was adopted in 1897. On a field of azure blue is an ornamental white shield with three grapevines, each bearing three bunches of purple grapes. The state's motto He who Transplanted Sustains Us is displayed on a white ribbon. The three grapevines are thought to represent the three settlements (New Haven, Saybrook and Connecticut) which came together to form the state. " We have to put ourselves in Nostradamus's shoes. How would you describe in three words the State of Connecticut during the Sixteenth Century?--- "the three water signs" - is the best it can be. The presence of water has been always the base of most human settlement, an elementary requirement of any major settlement. Small signs of water bring an overnight camper – an abundance of water brings also neighbors and then a city into its surroundings. If we, as humans, would find "the water signs" even in far away places like Mars or Venus, five hundred years later "the water signs" would become a settlement. "The water signs" are synonomous with settlements. Nostradamus, when he wrote the quatrain meant: From the State (Connecticut) of the three settlements (New Haven, Saybrook and Connecticut) would be born a man in a country where he and his countrymen celebrate Thanksgiving (USA). The only problem which I have so far is how I'm going to tell to my priest that the Third Antichrist has been born in (New) Haven. Before we tackle the next issue, we have to better understand the meaning of Antichrist. I myself see a man dressed in a red outfit with two horns growing from his forehead and holding a pitchfork in his right hand. I do not believe this is Nostadamus's Antichrist. I, also, do not believe it has to be a non-Christian. Let us take a look at the two previous Nostradamus Antichrists. Neither Napoleon nor Hitler made as a primary objective a crusade against the Christian church. They both were born in Christian countries. Napoleon is still viewed in many European countries as a leader who promised to bring freedom and more democratic institutions to the subjects of the Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires. They both were leaders who were waging wars which in the end brought untold suffering to their nations and the remainder of the World. Nostradamus, in one of his quatrains, states that Napoleon took the flower (the best men) of the French society and spread their bones all over the globe. Now, it is time to take a look at the remaining two lines of the quatrain. "His renown, praise, rule and power will grow on land and sea, bringing trouble to the East." "His renown, praise, rule" describes a powerful political leader. And the words: "power will grow on land and sea" describe a military leader in command of land and navy forces. And "bringing trouble to the East" is somebody who wants to "improve" governments in North Korea and Egypt, and more than a few countries between them. So we are looking for a somebody in the good old USA, born in the state of Connecticut, who holds both political and military powers. Somebody like a commander-in-chief of political and military life who would not mind "a regime change" in a few countries in the East. To be politically correct, to descibe the man, I would prefer to use the term "person of interest", instead of Nostradamus's Antichrist. Somehow it sounds more correct in our troubling times. The last clue as to the identity of our "person of interest", is the name which Nostradamus gives us. Nostradamus gave us a five letter name. Our "person of interest" has a six letter name – the intials of the two first names plus a four letter family name. Three of the letters of the Nostradamus name match our "person of interest" without any smoking mirrors-the letters match perfectly. I have seen a few web sites dealing with the name issue. Basically, you drop the " h" which is silent in Latin, flip "m" bottom to-the-top, and "m" becomes "w", and handwritten the letter "a", when flipped from left to the right, reads as "q". Well, I found one more quatrain in which the two first lines also describe the identity of our "person of interest". Century 2, Quatrain 30 One who the infernal gods of Hannibal Will cause to be reborn, terror of all mankind Never more horror nor the newspapers tell of worse in the past, Than will come to the Romans through Babel. Again, the key words are "infernal gods" and "reborn". Apparently, we should look for a somebody with a less than perfect behavior during his youth years and who would later become reborn to a new religion. Briefly: a dude when young, reborn in Christ later. -Posted by Bob C. -- http://www.smithnetny.com/polboard/messages/617.htm -- W A L K E R 2 -- “The human being and fish can coexist peacefully."- George W. Bush - Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000 -- Professional natal report (computer generated) for George.W Bush (born 6th July 1946) From the AstroDatabank Company -- -The Main Emphasis in Your Chart- The general distribution of planets around you at your birth is one of the things that shows the overall shape of your personality. Before taking a closer look at the details, let’s stand back for a moment to see whether your chart contains any obvious emphasis in a sign, group of signs, or other division of the horoscope wheel. -Most planets are in the eastern half of the chart- You prefer to be in charge of your own destiny, rather than following someone else's dreams, adventures, projects or proposals. This tends to make you an outgoing, active person, in charge of your affairs. Independent and outwardly directed, you are conscious of the direction in which you lead your life. An entrepreneurial pursuit of some type will find you at your best. You need followers to help you, so be sure that you attract those who are willing to follow your vision. Be clear, however, as to who is in charge. Joining forces with someone as strong-minded as you may cause the kind of stress that will distract you from your goals. Make all possible allowances for practicality; and then go ahead and pursue your vision. -Most planets are below the horizon- Your personal sense of identity is very important to you. Who you are and where you have come from are constant sources of interest to you.Your understanding of your cultural heritage and family roots will help you to determine your direction and goals in life. You feel that answers to important questions can best be found within, rather than in the outer world or in a relationship. Self-awareness and self-composure allow you to be self-assured in your career and relationships. -There are many planets in Fire signs- With many planets in either Aries, Leo or Sagittarius, you are likely to be one of the original self-starters. Passionate and full of strong feelings and ideals, you do not need external stimuli to get you moving in new directions. Drama is your mantra. Perceiving life as a game with high stakes, you are just as passionate when you win as when you lose. In many ways you act and feel as if the world revolves around you, and sometimes it does. You tend to dominate your sphere, and when you come across other Fire types you instantly like or dislike them with no feelings in-between. You are devoted to your ideals and beliefs, and will play the game to the end, displaying your boundless enthusiasm no matter what the outcome.You despise static, unchanging and unyielding situations, and will put forth your best efforts to change them. With your courage, energy and dramatic flair, you can be an effective leader, and will be the first in line to explore uncharted regions. Your tendency to act first and think later, however, may lead others to accuse you of insensitivity. Learn to be more aware of others’ feelings. Realize that your actions affect others’ lives in ways that you may not have considered. Remember to develop sensitivity and appraise situations intellectually before you act with your heart. -There are few or no planets in Earth signs- With a marked lack of planets in Taurus, Virgo or Capricorn, you may find it difficult to handle the practical, everyday details of living with any degree of grace. Practical knowledge is not one of your higher priorities, and you may not particularly like doing things that require hands-on manipulation. You tend to be either unconnected with the day-to-day reality of your life or to make plans that reality dictates cannot come to fruition. Because you dread taking on everyday responsibilities, you may do things that others judge to be childish or irresponsible. Establishing good habits for daily living will help smooth out some of your inconsistencies. By taking the time to stick with a plan, regimen, or project, you will learn the value of creating things that last. Otherwise you will tend to drift from one idea or concept to another without really settling down and experiencing life on its most fundamental level. Try also to develop your sensual side. Take the time to feel, smell, taste, and physically experience things. Doing this will help keep you in focus and connected to the larger world around you. -There are many planets in Cardinal signs- Your strong emphasis in signs like Aries, Cancer, Libra and Capricorn gives you an ability to initiate things, whether they be actions, relationships or projects. You do not care whether something has been done before: if it interests you, you will attempt it. Though you tend to be sullen and unhappy in the role of minion, you feel creative and fulfilled in positions of leadership. Once projects are under way, however, you tend to lose interest. It would be ideal to have someone to follow in your footsteps and complete the details. -There is an unusual number of planets in Leo- You do things with a style and flair that demand to be noticed. Indeed, when you are not noticed for who you are, you get morose and arrogant. Your overdeveloped and dramatic sense of “self” is probably quite appropriate, because you usually add honor, grace and integrity to any venture with which you choose to associate yourself. A shining source of energy around whom others naturally gather, you function best in positions of leadership. Sometimes your personal charisma is all that is needed, but in some situations it is good to make sure that you bring to the role something more substantial. http://www.astrodatabank.com/NM/pnr/BushGeorgeWPNR.htm -- posted by Walter at 2/28/2003 Sunday, February 23, 2003 G U R G I T A T O R “The environment that people are exposed to in terms of food is toxic, there is too much food available, too much of the time, at too low a cost, and it’s pushed too heavily” Kelly Brownell – Professor of Psychology- Yale University -- ****** - Eric Badlands Booker Leaves Little Doubt After Matzo Victory - ****** NEW YORK – 27 January 2003- Eric Badlands Booker added to donut, hash, burrito titles with a quality win to establish himself as the nation’s top Gurgitator. If there were any questions about Eric Badlands Booker being the finest competitive eater in America he answered them decisively on Tuesday, January 27th when he downed 21 oversized matzo balls in five minutes and 25 seconds to establish a new world record. The contest was held at Ben's Deli in Manhattan as part of the restaurant's annual fundraiser for charity. Booker faced off against six other IFOCE eaters including Oleg "The Great Z" Zhornitskiy, Joe Menchetti, Ed "Cookie" Jarvis, Don Lerman, Crazy Legs Conti and Scott Soifer. Zhornitskiy won the event in 2002 by downing 17 matzo balls. "Badlands has done far more than secure the first title of the New Year," said Robert Gilman, IFOCE's chief counsel. "He faced off against a Who's Who in competitive eating and blew each and every one of them away." With this victory, Booker adds matzo balls to his stable of impressive eating titles, which includes donuts, corned beef hash, burritos and hard-boiled eggs. He also holds the American hot dog title with 28 in 12 minutes. From a bulletin by IFOCE – International federation of Competitive Eating -- Last year I was stirred, and troubled by an article which appeared in the IHT of November 2-3 2002. The article reported of a “Competitive Eating Event” held in the Oceana nightclub in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn NY. The world pelemeni-eating championship (a Russian meat-dumpling) was attended by 20 top members/contestants of IFOCE and some 250 spectators. The audience attending the pelemeni event was slim compared to the 2001 Wing Bowl spectacular held in Philadelphia which pulled a record crowd of 15.000+, not to mention Nathan's Famous Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island held last year which received television coverage from around the world. The all-time Hot Dog world record is held by Takeru Kobayashi of Japan; currently IFOCE’s top ranking member, who ate 50 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes in 2001. The Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest was premiered in 1916, the year Nathan's opened on Surf Avenue. From the IHT article of November 2-3 2002 last: -- “The competitive eating federation and the eaters themselves insist that competiitve eating be recognized as an athletic event. George Shea, who founded the federation with Richard Shea, his brother, said: “sport is about the refinement of a skill, like throwing a basketball. And eating is a skill that has been refined by these athletes, so the components that make up a good competitive eater are capacity, the speed with which you eat and the speed of your hands.” -- www.ifoce.com - the irony-tinged forum of the federation founded by Richard and George Shea placards the federation’s principles next to a historic overview of competitive eating, from its early pioneers onwards to its current practitioners; a community of saber-toothed hippos prepared to engage in “battles of swill” with the finest specimen of their breed. The IFOCE site also features a list of titles and record holders, upcoming seasonal events, as well as cameos of up- and coming stars. Also available- THE GURGITATOR – the official IFOCE newsletter. -- ABOUT THE IFOCE The International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. supervises and regulates eating contests in their various forms throughout the world. The IFOCE helps to ensure that the sport remains safe, while also seeking to achieve objectives consistent with the public interest -- namely, creating an environment in which fans may enjoy the display of competitive eating skill. The IFOCE strongly discourages younger individuals from eating for speed or quantity under any circumstances. Speed eating is not a sport for the home. The IFOCE coordinates members and affiliates in the United States, Japan, England, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Thailand and the Ukraine, helping to promote the sport in local, national and international media. The IFOCE establishes liaison with all individual competitive eating venues and sponsors and helps to organize a wide variety of competitive eating events. -- A list of IFOCE records and current title holders (-) BEEF TONGUE 3 pound 3 ounces pickled beef tongue whole 12 minutes Dominic Cardo BUTTER 7 quarter-pound sticks, salted butter 5 minutes Don Lerman BURRITOS 15 BurritoVille burritos 8 minutes Eric Booker CABBAGE 6 pounds 9 ounces giant cabbage 9 minutes Charles Hardy CANNOLI 21 cannoli 6 minutes Cookie Jarvis CHICKEN WINGS 74 chicken wings (2.65 pounds meat) 12 minutes Oleg Zhornitskiy CHILI 1 1/2 gallon Stagg Chili 10 minutes Richard LeFevre CONCH FRITTERS 45 conch fritters 6 minutes Joe Menchetti CORNED BEEF HASH 4 pounds of hash 1 minute 58 seconds Eric Booker COW BRAINS 57 (17.7 pounds) 15 minutes Takeru Kobayashi DOUGHNUTS 49 glazed 8 minutes Eric Booker EGGS 38 Hard Boiled Eggs 10 minutes Eric Booker HOT DOGS 50 1/2 Hot Dogs and Buns 12 minutes Takeru Kobayashi HAMBURGERS 11 1/4 quarter-pound Burgers 10 minutes Donald Lerman ICE CREAM 1 gallon, 9 ounces of vanilla ice cream 12 minutes Edward "Cookie" Jarvis JALAPENOS 152 jalapenos 15 minutes Jed Donahue JELLO 7 16-ounce portions 3 minutes Steve Lakind MATZO BALLS 16 1/4 Ben's Kosher matzo balls 5 minutes 25 seconds Oleg Zhornitskiy MAYONNAISE 4 32-ounce bowls mayonnaise 8 minutes Oleg Zhornitskiy OYSTERS 168 Acme Oysters 10 Minutes Crazy Legs Conti PELEMENI 274 Russian dumplings 6 minutes Dale Boone PANCAKES 3 1/2 pounds pancakes & bacon 12 minutes Crazy Legs Conti POMME FRITES 2 pounds 9 ounces of Pomme Frites 8 minutes REINDEER SAUSAGE 28 Glacier Brewhouse Reindeer Sausage 10 minutes Dale Boone SHRIMP 4 pounds 9 ounces spot shrimp 12 minutes Charles Hard -- Excerpts from the IHT account of the Brooklyn pelemeni event- -- “For the pelemeni-eating contest, the setting itself satisfied the carnival aspect. Smoke from dry ice spilled over the stairs of a tiered stage. Dancers dressed in thigh-high leather boots and thongs sprang out from behind a glittery curtain, putting on an S-and-M theme show. Then the Shea brothers dashed onto the stage in tuxedos. “We will see these beautiful, seductive pelemeni go down the throats of our competitive eaters by the hundreds,’ George barked like a carnival showman, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are in the midst of competitive eating’s best.” “Because the federation only strict rule is that you cannot vomit during the competition, there is a great deal of personal style involved in competitive eating. Boone took an early lead by gathering pelemeni between both palms and squeezing them into his mouth like a sausage maker. Meanwhile Booker worked rhytmically to the house music, bringing pelemeni to his mouth one by one, and Jarvis, like a boy made to eat his broccoli, looked grim as he chewed. Oleg Zhornitskiy, called Oleg Cassini, last year’s champion, ate deftly with his right hand and drank water with his left. He was considered a clear favorite. He was this year’s matzoh balls champion and mayonnaise eating champion (eight pounds in eight minutes) and, being Russian grew up on pelemeni.” “As the contest went on, the competitors got sloppy. Boone squished his dumplings into spaetzle. Slimy bits flew out of Booker’s mouth as he ate. But the numbers climbed steadily. Zhornitskiy took the lead with 241 pelemeni under his belt. The crowd pressed in closer. By the third and final minute-long round, the men ate sluggishly but dutifully. Boone mashed his pelemeni so much that the officials had to count his remaning dumplings by the number of meat nuggets left in the watery slop. The Sheas bounded back onto the stage, and large sparklers went off as the top three finishers were announced. Zhornitskiy came in a disappointing third. Boone took the first prize by four dumplings, maxing out at 274 pelemeni, eaten in six minutes. He roared something incomprehensible into the microphone and held up his trophy.” IHT- Amanda Hesser -- posted by Walter at 2/23/2003