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I regularly & strongly recommend The Voter's Self Defense System … VoteSmart dot org.How do they describe themselves: “thousands of citizens (conservative and liberal alike) working together, spending endless hours researching the backgrounds and records of thousands of political candidates and elected officials to discover their voting records, campaign contributions, public statements, biographical data (including their work history) and evaluations of them generated by over 400 national and 1300 state special interest groups. Every election these volunteers test each candidate's willingness to provide citizens with their positions on the issues they will most likely face if elected through the Political Courage Test.The Voter's Self-Defense SystemEvery candidate and elected official from President to local government can be easily and instantly accessed through the Voter's Self-Defense System:Voting RecordsVoting Records -- Vote Smart digests key legislation in Congress and all 50 states into easy-to-understand summaries, making it easy to compare what your representatives said during the campaign with how they actually voted on the record.Biographical & Contact InformationBiographical & Contact Information -- From their previous professions, education, family life, and organizational memberships to their social media accounts and latest email addresses.Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)Issue Positions (Political Courage Test) -- We test thousands of candidates for President, Congress, Governor and State Legislature with our Political Courage Test. The Test accurately measures candidates' willingness to provide voters with their positions on the issues they will most likely face if elected.Interest Group RatingsInterest Group Ratings -- See how over 400 national and 1300 state special interest groups evaluate your representatives. Despite their bias, special interest group ratings can help indicate where an incumbent has stood on a particular set of issues.Public StatementsPublic Statements -- Vote Smart is constantly collecting speeches and public comments made by the president, governors, and congressional representatives. Just type in a word, say; 'immigration' and all public utterances containing the word 'immigration' will appear. Compare what they said while campaigning in California a few years ago to what they are saying now in New Hampshire.Campaign FinancesCampaign Finances -- How much money did your representatives raise and from whom?”How do others describe them: “A study comparing Vote Smart to the New York Times, Yahoo, Fox News, CNN, and other major political information systems reports that Vote Smart is superior to all. - Markle FoundationFor reliable, meat and potatoes political information, research experts nearly all recommend Project Vote Smart. - The New York Times[Vote Smart] would make the Founders weep with joy. - U. S. News & World ReportHeaven for political junkies. - USA TodayProject Vote Smart jammed a wrench into the spin machine, the political and media apparatus that anoints candidates and disenfranchises the vast majority of voters. - The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionProject Vote Smart is a straight-shooting, nonpartisan political site that can bring you up to speed on a wide variety of political races in no time. - Editor and PublisherProject Vote Smart is one of the better and higher-minded projects that our representative democracy has going for it. - Omaha World-HeraldThe folks at Vote Smart are the Web equivalent of Dudley Do-Right: low-key, upright and determined that elections should be decided on the basis of facts rather than emotion. - Orlando SentinelIn the cacophony of political attack ads and “robo-calls,” it’s never difficult for voters to find out what political candidates want them to think. But a Montana-based, online voter service [Vote Smart] is reversing the process. - Ames Daily TribuneProject Vote Smart is legitimate and non-partisan. Its bias represents only a tilt towards transparency and openness. - The Durango HeraldHow do voters educate themselves on the issues and the candidates? There's no better place to start than Project Vote Smart. Site creators are waging war on elections as popularity contests. - Ft. Lauderdale Sun-SentinelVoteEasy™Think of VoteEasy as the eHarmony of political web sites. - The Sacramento BeeThe most compelling voter info resource [I've] ever seen. - GovTrackVoteEasy demystifies the voting process … the ultimate tool. - Communications Arts AnnualLike OKCupid for the political set, VoteEasy (from Vote Smart) let's you weed through the qualities you find most attractive in a potential commander-in-chief. - MTV[VoteEasy] is a great new way to get voter information out without boring the subject to death. Check it out. - Campaigns & Elections MagazineA lot of things around our election do not demonstrate our 21st-century capacity, and [VoteEasy] really takes it to the next level. - Nonprofit Voter Engagement Network

Two names come to mind instantly; Dodger Walker Buehler and Mike Soroka of the Atlanta Braves.As we’re talking about either current or recent prospects, it’s worthwhile to explain some terms. Scouts grade players on a 20–80 scale. Here’s one recognized way of interpreting it.Player scores are shown as current/ future; a 50/55 fastball means it’s average now, the pitch will improve, but its ceiling looks like above average.The scores are combined to create a projection of the player’s ceiling. Remember that the scores are given before he player becomes a professional. Players achieve more or less as time goes on, the score provides a starting point in a team’s evaluation.Walker BuehlerOn August 6, David Laurila posted Walker Buehler Discusses His Curveball for Fangraphs. His opening paragraph describes Buehler wellWalker Buehler is elite — he has a 3.08 ERA and a 3.11 FIP in 278 career innings — and his curveball is among the reasons why. The 25-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander can spin it with best of them.The Dodgers selected Walker Buehler in round one of the 2015 Rule 4 draft, the twenty-fourth pick overall, and signed him for a $1,777,500 bonus.Before the draft Baseball America’s scouting report didn’t seem optimistic.At his best, Buehler has four above-average offerings . . .fastball in the low to mid 90s, (that) doesn't have a ton of life (a) clean arm action, allows him to pound the strike zone, but also makes it a bit easier for hitters to square the pitch up . . . curveball and slider both show promise and he has a good feel for spinning the baseball, but they run together . . . good fading action on his changeup. . . he isn't very physical and also lacks ideal size for a righthander. Scouts have more confidence that Buehler will be able to remain in the rotation, however, thanks to his deep arsenal, athleticism and more polished delivery.The 20–80 scouting scale provided by Fangraphs, shows scouts rated his him as a backend of the rotation starterFastball 70/70 Slider 55/55 Curveball 55/60 Changeup 45/50 Command 45/50 Future Value 55Buehler didn’t read his scouting report, or if he did, he laughed at it. After his first year and a half in baseball, Buehler climbed to MLB’s #11 overall prospect and the #3 right-handed pitching prospect.MLBPipeline showed scouting scores of Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 60Buehler got a cup of coffee at the end of 2017 and came to the Dodgers to stay in 2018 throwing 137 1/3 innings over 23 starts and one relief appearance, while pitching to a 0.96 WHIP, 2.62 ERA, 3.04 FIP, and 3.31. Those innings included 151 strikeouts and only 37 walks, only 12 home runs, and combined total 3.1 fWAR.In the 2018 postseason, Buehler made four starts. The Braves got to him for five runs in five innings and won the game, but lost series.He made two starts against the Brewers, allowing five runs in 11 1/3 innings, losing game three 4–0, but returned in game seven allowing one run in 4 2/3 innings as the Dodgers advanced to the World Series.Buehler came of age in game three of the World Series, holding the powerhouse lineup of the eventual World Champion Red Sox scoreless for seven innings while allowing just two hits and striking out seven with giving up a walk.Buehler currently owns the bests strike out to walk ratio in the majors (7.60), after striking out 152 batters while walking only 20. He’s thrown two complete games in his 21 starts, while pitching to a 1.00 WHIP, 3.22 ERA, 2.98 FIP, and 3.37 SIERA. That combines for a 3.6 fWAR.Mike SorokaThe Atlanta Braves selected Mike Soroka as the twenty-eighth pick in the same draft as Buehler, and gave him a $1,974,700 signing bonus. While everyone knew of Buehler, the selection of Soroka caught most by surprise, largely because he comes from Calgary, Alberta Canada.Fangraphs show scouting grades of Fastball| 55/55. Slider | 55/55, Changeup | 50/55, Command | 45 / 55, Future Value | 55.Oops.Baseball America’s pre-draft scouting report didn’t seem impressed with Soroka either.There hasn't been a player out of Alberta selected in the top 100 picks since . . . 1996, and while Soroka probably won't go that high . . . Armed with three pitches, Soroka attacks hitters with a low 90s fastball that he can spot down and to both sides . . . His best pitch is his above-average curveball, which projects as a plus pitch. I-n a spring start against the Toronto Blue Jays, Soroka's breaking ball froze right-handed hitters, . . . The pitch is as tight as any breaking ball in this class, and breaks very late as it drops into the bottom of the strike zone with 12-to-6 or 11-to-5 shape. Soroka also has feel for a changeup, which scouts see as a potential average pitch. There's some concern about the across-body finish to his arm action, but he has no history of arm trouble and has a physical, 6-foot-5 body. Soroka projects as a middle of the rotation starter. . .Oops.MLBPipeline placed Soroka as the Braves #15 prospects for 2015, with grades of Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50 , and didn’t rank him nationally. No Braves pitching prospect ranked ahead of him on the 2015 list is better today.By 2016 Soroka had crept into MLB’s top 100 prospects at #91 and climbed up the Braves ranks to number seven. Only one pitcher ahead of him on the Braves list has a chance to match Soroka’s performance so far, Ian Anderson and he’s perhaps a year away right now.By 2017 Soroka made it onto the radar nationally, jumping to #34 in Pipeline’s top 100 and the #10 right-handed pitching prospect. In 2018 he passed the pitchers ahead of him and became the Braves number one prospect, MLB’s #20 and the number five right-handed pitching prospect in baseball.Last year Soroka made his Major League debut, throwing six innings of one run ball against the Mets.Six games laterhe went on the disabled list - now call the injured list - with shoulder soreness. He told the team he wanted to come back and pitch in September but the team sad no.At the All-Star Break, Soroka had 5 starts with a 1.05 WHIP, 2.42 ERA, 3.10 FIP. That ERA ranked fifth in the Majors for pitchers with 80 innings pitched,While Buehler will blow you away with his fastball, Soroka carves batters u with a an arsenal of pitches he locates with perfections.Mike Soroka, Disgusting 90mph Sinker...and Sword. ⚔️Soroka may have won himself a Sword of the Week with that one. @CespedesBBQ pic.twitter.com/QZuu5iP1Uv— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 14, 2019Like all top of the rotation arms, Soroka never gets frustrated; looking at him you can’t tell if he’s up by one or down by five.Soroka’s 22-years-old and pitches like he grew up on a pitcher’s mound. When he pitches I remember a young Zack Greinke. He turned out pretty good I hear.I’m sure I missed others but those two pitchers are going to see a lot of each other on the years. It should be fun for everyone but hitters.

The history of astrology is the history of the successive transformations of man’s attitude to Nature.- RudhyarI realize this is one of the longer answers you might consider reading on Quora, but it simply isn't possible to answer the question usefully without touching on a range of questions, and even then this answer can be in no way complete. (Since that would need to be the length of a multi-volume book set).I am writing as someone curious about the subject, who has been thinking about it for a decade now, but who still has a great deal to learn - I am not an astrologer, either by trade or in terms of what I know, although I have been interviewed by German WDR radio on the topic (in terms of its application to a domain where I know more about), and also for deep background and briefly quoted by the New Yorker magazine. In terms of academic credentials, none to speak of in this domain, although I have been a peer reviewer for a decent and fairly quantitative academic finance journal. I prefer not to speak about my professional experience.Do skeptics behave as scholarly people would? Are they sincere?What I miss about my old skeptical friends (I speak as one who spent the first half of his life in their camp) is that I have the impression they do not always do the homework that is consistent with wanting to approach the world in the spirit of reason and in avoiding baseless superstition. Whether that is true or not in the general case, it certainly is often the case when it comes to discussions of astrology.Winning a debate before a mostly uninformed audience is one thing. A serious engagement with the subject in an attempt to sincerely understand it, to see if there are aspects to it that might be true, and to acknowledge the strengths as well as the weaknesses in the position of the field under examination - that is something quite different, and one doesn't see much of it in the modern world. But that is the position of every serious scholar, up until the past few decades when for various reasons many of us seem to feel like we are able to move on from a serious approach, as we feel the answers are now well known.Well, one may entertain oneself as one wishes, but if one takes this approach one shouldn't pretend one is engaged in a discovery for truth and not expect to be called on it."the mass cultural delusion that the sun's apparent position relative to arbitrarily defined constellations at the time of your birth somehow affects your personality".Glib nonsense, that I could happily laugh along with if it were actually funny.History of astrologyThe field of astrology is one of the older fields of human knowledge: it developed along with astronomy - they were once one field (and indeed astrology paid the bills for early astronomical research) - and has become separated in modern times as we have developed a way of thinking that has been spectacularly successful and makes us feel like we know it all, that we are in control of our lives, and simply cannot be influenced by natural forces. It relates to the element in Mary Shelley's work of man being divorced from nature. Whether this is the final turn in the direction of human thought - which has experienced many surprising changes over the millennia - is something that remains to be seen. A paper by Zheljana Peric makes the following observation:Throughout history astrology has functioned symbolically to represent Man's attitude to and understanding of Nature. When Man disconnects himself from Nature, Self and the Cosmos, this disconnection is made evident through a decline or dismissal of interest in astrology. The paper argues that this disconnection makes astrology at times seem like a 'superstitious vulgarity', to use St Augustine's view of astrology. Many others over the centuries have discounted astrology in a similar manner. Yet, at other times in history, astrology has been held in high regard and recognised to be serving an important role in reconnecting Man to Nature, Self and the Cosmos. The present ecological crisis is perhaps a reflection of a psychological crisis - a sign that the modern decline of astrology has progressed too far. The paper concludes with suggestions for how the emerging interest in systems thinking might enable modern man to reconnect with astrological thinking, and therefore Nature, Self and the CosmosOne could interpret the above in a very new agey way, but that's not my interpretation. Please see below for some papers on the physics of things.So to repeat - the most illustrious names in the history of astronomy (pre split) were also quite often practising astrologers who were by no means cynical about their trade - Brahe, Kepler, and Gallileo amongst others. Newton was not sympathetic to astrology, preferring to study alchemy and such instead.I haven't time to check the correctness of this quote for now, but whether or not the quote is right I don't think it is seriously suggested Kepler did not practice astrology (which is not to say that he had a purely positive attitude towards the state of the field at the time):“An unfailing experience of mundane events in harmony with the changes occurring in the heavens, has instructed and compelled my unwilling belief." - KeplerJohannes KeplerThree prominent users of astrology (this doesn't prove anything either way)President Reagan was treated with barely hidden scorn after the revelation that his calendar was heavily influenced by his wife's astrologer.White House Confirms Reagans Follow Astrology, Up to a PointPresident Reagan and his wife, Nancy, are both deeply interested in astrology, the White House spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater, said today, and two former White House officials said Mrs. Reagan's concerns had influenced the scheduling of important events.Tonight, on the ABC News program ''Nightline,'' Ted Koppel reported that he had learned that before the President was shot on March 30, 1981, an astrologer warned Mrs. Reagan that something bad would happen that day. In an interview after the show, Mr. Koppel said a woman astrologer had told Mrs. Reagan that ''there was going to be an incident on that day.'' Mr. Koppel would not identify the source of his information.JP Morgan was reputed to have said "millionaires don't use astrologers - billionaires do", and he certainly did employ a personal astrologer. Whatever one makes of this, it's rather interesting, and does put the suggestion that everyone who is open to these sorts of ideas must necessarily be some sort of soft-headed type that is incapable of reasoning. (Reagan is not known for his intellect, but I suggest reading his speeches earlier in his career and remembering that the American public is suspicious of intellectuals, or was in those times and he was certainly shrewd enough to know this).This of course does not exhaust the field, but they are just two names that came to mind. One more just now - Richard Jenrette, joint founder of the quite well thought-of boutique investment house DLJ and who was chairman of a large insurance company. He has a chapter on astrology in his biography, but talks about it more in the context of understanding people and using it from a Human Resources perspective, although he comes across as quite sincere and genuine. Ie you may think of him as a crank, but he accomplished more than most of us, couldn't have done so if essentially naive as a person, and really means it when he says he has found it useful.From wiki:Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette or DLJ was a U.S. investment bank founded by William H. Donaldson, Richard Jenrette and Dan Lufkin in 1959. Its businesses included securities underwriting; sales and trading; investment and merchant banking; financial advisory services; investment research; venture capital; correspondent brokerage services; online, interactive brokerage services; and asset management.The firm was headquartered at 277 Park Avenue in New York, New York and employed about 11,300 people as of July 2000. Donald, Lufkin & Jenrette was acquired in August 2000.DLJ lives on as an acronym used by the acquiring company and its spin-off for several business units offering specialized financial services.DLJ, (which was majority owned by The Equitable (now known as (AXA Financial), announced on August 30, 2002 that it was being acquired by Credit Suisse First Boston for $11.5 Billion.[1]Jenrette graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA 1951), and from the Harvard Business School (MBA 1957).[1]In 1959, he founded Donaldson Lufkin Jenrette (DLJ) with William H. Donaldson, who subsequently became chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Dan Lufkin. Under Jenrette's direction, the firm concentrated on in-depth analysis, creating a new industry standard for institutionalinvesting.[citation needed] Jenrette was also instrumental in taking DLJ public in 1970, making it the first publicly traded investment firm in the United States.[2]Taking the helm of DLJ in 1973, Jenrette successfully shepherded the firm through a recession and a later sale to worldwide insurance leader, The Equitable,[3]where he served as Chairman and CEO from 1990 until 1996.None of this proves anything either way, but it is helpful to fill out the context for how to think about astrology and how to approach it as a field.Is astrology essentially about personal birth charts, like in the newspaper horoscope?So return to the question: astrology is by no means confined to understanding what influence the planetary positions at the subject's birth may have on his character and on subsequent events in his life, although that is certainly something many people seem to find quite interesting. Even when it comes to the reading of natal charts, this is a highly complex and intellectually demanding field that couldn't be further from the experience most people have with sun sign astrology in the popular tabloids. As with many fields, technology has made this more accessible (since it is no longer required to use a paper ephemeris, let alone calculate the positions of planetary bodies oneself) and there have been mixed consequences as many less able people are now involved. But to do good work is not so easy.To evaluate or criticize a field as a scholar, you must first put in the work to understand it.In science one sees what one is prepared to see, more often than not. The eye of the frog has a theory of the fly, as Popper said, and it is hard for us to conceptualize something that simply fit with our familiar ways of understanding the world. Once a skeptical critic acknowledges that the field is not quite as he describes it, the first serious objection is that he does not believe there is any empirical evidence. I'll come back to that. The second is that he simply cannot understand why the planets should possibly influence human activity in this way. That's quite understandable, but I would note that not understanding why something should happen is not a good reason for saying that it cannot happen. It's completely reasonable to figure that further exploration is a total waste of your time. It's not reasonable to say with great confidence that it simply cannot be true unless you have first invested the effort to understand what you are discussing, and not in a superficial 'look it up in wikipedia way', but genuinely engaging with the subject over a course of a couple of years.Since it's a highly complex field, I can't blame most people for thinking they have better things to do with their lives. I can blame the self-proclaimed defenders of Reason for not acting as someone sincerely motivated by a search for the truth would act.Astrology has evolved over the years, particularly financial astrologyThe field itself has transformed remarkably over the past decades - people here have taken up the use of technology. It makes life easier for everyone, but this has been most noticeable when it comes to applying astrology to financial markets. This latter has been highly empirical, informed by the existing body of lore, but not being afraid to find things that may reject existing understandings or put them into a new light. One wouldn't judge the merit of modern medicine based on its effectiveness since human history began up till c. 1750 (many impartial observers within the medical field think that what medicine gave with one hand it took with the other via treatments we now know to be sheer quackery) - and one shouldn't judge the merit of astrology based only on work done before the computer age. The field develops with time, as with every other.It's an awful lot of work to do this well, and a superior understanding of astronomical effects doesn't translate directly into financial success as an investor any more than does a superior understanding of economics. For myself, it's not an approach I understand enough to use, but I have followed the work of others over the years with fascination. I do know that there are serious investors running billions to hundreds of billlions who have a degree of respect for financial astrology, and that some of them to use it as part of their approach. When I say know, I don't mean hearsay.Of course, nobody wants to talk about it - in part: why give away a source of edge, but mostly investors are highly unlikely to understand. So you hear an intriguing certain version of the truth revealed for example in a lawsuit, but you won't exactly see people managing serious money giving an interview about it.Here is one such example - Nylon was a billion dollar plus hedge fund funded by Barclays. The partners fell out, and this story is based on a filing by one of the partners who wasn't happy and sued the firm/the other partners. So he is obviously not trying to present the firm in the best light. The Feng Shui and the astrologer may possibly be true; I am not sure about the gnomes... and the strategy of the fund was based on a quantitative approach not on astrology. But I mention this so that you can read between the lines if you wish to.U.K. Hedge Fund Loses Its Early Magical PowersQuora isn't the place to prove anything, but to illustrate some pointsI am not asking you to trust me, or to present a complete argument in favour of astrology possibly being of value. To do so would be the work of many lifetimes - it doesn't interest me, and the audience would be highly 'select'. It doesn't matter to me at all what you think, but I would like to set out a few pointers and then you can decide for yourself whether the defenders of 'Reason' are accurately representing the field, and whether it's something you personally believe might be worth learning more about. I would be shocked if more than one or two people on Quora actually do so, and that's fine with me.Federal Reserve Paper on geomagnetic fields and the stock marketFirst of all an interesting paper from the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank that explores the influence of geomagnetic fields on financial market performance. The Fed is one of the world's largest employers of economists and financial market researchers, so you should look at the work on its own merits regardless of what you might think of the role the Fed plays in the world.Playing the field: Geomagnetic storms and international stock marketsSolar Storm May Sour Stocks With Moods: Chart of the DayAbstract: Explaining movements in daily stock prices is one of the most difficult tasks in modern finance. This paper contributes to the existing literature by documenting the impact of geomagnetic storms on daily stock market returns. A large body of psychological research has shown that geomagnetic storms have a profound effect on people's moods, and, in turn, people's moods have been found to be related to human behavior, judgements and decisions about risk. An important finding of this literature is that people often attribute their feelings and emotions to the wrong source, leading to incorrect judgements. Specifically, people affected by geomagnetic storms may be more inclined to sell stocks on stormy days because they incorrectly attribute their bad mood to negative economic prospects rather than bad environmental conditions. Misattribution of mood and pessimistic choices can translate into a relatively higher demand for riskless assets, causing the price of risky assets to fall or to rise less quickly than otherwise. The authors find strong empirical support in favor of a geomagnetic-storm effect in stock returns after controlling for market seasonals and other environmental and behavioral factors. Unusually high levels of geomagnetic activity have a negative, statistically and economically significant effect on the following week's stock returns for all U.S. stock market indices. Finally, this paper provides evidence of substantially higher returns around the world during periods of quiet geomagnetic activity.Geomagnetic fields are not quite the same thing as astrology, but on the other hand astrology and astronomy grew up together and lessons from this study do suggest the possibility of astronomical influence on human emotions and thereby on financial markets, so that is one mechanism for those who insist they need one before they can accept there might be something there.Geomagnetic fields on earth are linked to the activity of the sun. And some quite serious physicists have written over the past decades about linkages between planetary activity and solar activity. One reason is that planetary rhythms keep showing up in the frequency signature of the sun.[More to follow].Bradley indicator for the stock marketSecondly, some reading on the Bradley indicator. This was produced by hand many years previously, but has gained renewed popularity in recent years because more than occasionally it is startling how effectively it anticipates changes in asset market direction that are difficult to explain using other approaches. There is no perfect tool in markets, but if you can beat transaction costs using only one approach that's impressive. Many effects in markets don't beat transaction costs, but are still valuable, because you can strap them together and come up with a strategy that will beat transaction costs. It's a pretty primitive indicator, and it's very far from the state of the art. But it may be sufficiently intriguing to one or two people to start their own project of research.[More to follow]Solar activity and crop pricesThirdly, some work by Israeli scientists linking solar activity to crop prices.[To follow]Nobody saw the crisis coming? Astrologers didFourthly, a link to some work by the American financial astrologer, Ray Merriman. Like with any other approach to trying to understand the future, he gets some wrong, and some right. I don't know if you would make money following every trade in his newsletter, but that's not why I mention him. In investing the point is to avoid large losses (this is one of Nassim Taleb's most profound insights, although not original with him). And whether or not you like his approach, anyone that says many years ahead of time that there will be a world-shaking financial crisis in 2008 (and nothing of the sort before then) has certainly provided a valuable insight because just contemplating the possibility (which most people rules out) could have saved so many people so much trouble and suffering.It's natural to be highly skeptical given that there are so many charlatans in the world, particularly when it comes to financial advice (and that's just at the institutional level!) All I can say is that I have found him to be honest and that he did write this when he said, and that the reasons he gives for having the view fit the basic understanding I have of astrology. Anyone sufficiently interested can research whether or not this is true for themselves.I should say that I have never met him, don't care so much either way about his work, and wouldn't if asked suggest him as the first candidate for premier thinker in this field today. But he writes very clearly and has done very good long-term work in the past.The credit bubble began in 1995 when the Fed allowed banks to meet deposit requirements by using cash in vault (and ATMs) rather than placing an upfront deposit. Every measure of credit growth went bananas between 1995 and 2000, and again from 2003-2007 in a way that had never happened before.http://www.mmacycles.com/articles/articles/the-cardinal-climax%3a-2008%112015/[Written Q4 1994. He gets the nascent credit bubble right, and that from 2008-2012 there will be a remarkable resonance with the kickoff to the Great Depression, and he is proven right in his hopes that we have a bit more wisdom and foresight this time - although I suggest only a bit].The beginning of every Forecast Book attempts to outline the significance of the major geocosmic patterns in effect during the next year. There are at least three such major signatures starting in 1995: Pluto entering Sagittarius for 14 years, Uranus entering Aquarius for 7-8 years, and the final quarter phase of the Jupiter/Saturn cycle (5 years). These are indeed all important, but not likely as eventful as the “Capricorn Climax,” nor as eventful as the period 2008-2012, when Uranus will enter Aries, Pluto will enter Capricorn (squared by Uranus), and Saturn will enter Libra. This will be the first time since 1929-1931 that these three bodies have been in the cardinal T-Square signs to one another. You may recall that 1929-1931 was an eventful time in the world. You may conclude (I do) that whatever we are doing now is simply a buildup into that time period. What happens then will be a direct result of policies, behaviors, and attitudes we are starting to develop and implement now. Hopefully, as a world body, we will have more wisdom and foresight now than we did in the 1920’s. Otherwise it might very well fall apart – again. Oh yes, it will rebuild again. But is it necessary to go through the agony – again? It is until we learn from our experiences.[written Q4 1995]…the probability that the number and intensity of such “doomsday prophets” will probably escalate greatly between now and then. But based upon these assumptions, the course of history (and destiny) upon earth will not likely take a dramatic turn for at least 12 more years. There is not likely to be a major world war, nor nuclear holocaust, nor world wide economic collapse, nor major collapse of a political system that strongly influences the course of Humankind for the next twelve years minimum.Why 2008-2011? And what is the purpose of examining long-term cycles? If the long-term outlook suggests a cycles in effect until 2008-2011, then all shorter-term cycles between now and then must be placed in proper perspective. All of the events, decisions, policies, agreements, contracts, elections, etc….they are all just chapters of a greater book whose climax is not reached until 2008-2011. They seem important at the time, but in and of themselves, they are only part of the grander scheme of things that is moving towards a destination 12-15 years out in time.According to the assumptions provided at the beginning of this chapter, this “new cycle” will remain intact and in effect until 2008-2011. That is because there are no periods of time in which multiple aspects between the major long-term planets form in cardinal signs until then. And what happens then? Pluto ingresses into Capricorn, Uranus into Aries, Saturn into Libra. In addition, the Moon’s North Node will also move back into Capricorn. The last time these three planets (and Node) were all in Cardinal signs was 1967-72 and 1929-1931.[1997]However as mentioned in last year’s Forecast book, the end of this period (2008-2014) may also witness a very sharp economic decline, or threat of war. This is the halfway point of the Kondratieff Cycle, not to mention the time Uranus will move into Aries, Saturn into Libra, and Pluto T-Squaring both as it moves into Capricorn. The last time that happened was 1929-1931.Sometime between here and 2008, the concept of money will change radically, and with it the financial structure of the world economy as we know it today. It is quite possible that the “adjustment” here may be difficult, especially after 2008, and may last 2-6 years, but in the perspective of the longer-term cycle, it is merely a “correction” – not the “end of the world”, as many are apt to claim (again).[1999 - note that tech stocks topped in May 2000, in line with his suggestion that this would be an important turn - but, as he thought, it wasn't the end of the world and the subsequent recession was mild, which is not to say that it didn't hurt if you did lose your job.Furthermore, he was right that the events/decisions of 99/00 did act as a bridge because it was in response to a fear of something much worse than what actually transpire that the Fed pursued an exceptionally easy, then unprecedented monetary policy that set is up for the bubble that began 2002/2003 and ended in 2007/8].There is one other thing to keep in mind, and that is the “broader, longer-term perspective.” Even in astrology, it is useful to keep an eye on the ‘broader cosmic picture.’ Even though May 2000 contains a rare combination of geocosmic signatures, they are not as rare (and hence probably not as significant to the long-term picture) as “The Capricorn Climax” (1988-1993) which occurred recently and dramatically altered the quality of human life throughout the world. Nor is the lineup in May 2000 likely as significant as the “Cardinal Climax” which will unfold 2008-2012. The May 2000 setup is probably the strongest cluster that will happen between these other two remarkable cosmic events, and as such it will likely be important. The fact that it is halfway between two “climaxes” suggests that something of importance could transpire in 1999-2000 that acts as a connection between those two greater celestial periods. Perhaps the events and decisions of 1999-2000 act as a “bridge,” connecting the two major “Climax” periods of 1988-1993 with 2008-2012.[written Q4 2003 - note that the NIESR declared the recession over c. April 2009 if I remember correctly, and stocks bottomed March 2009 - he had the likely time as being 2009-2010 but did allow for some room, which is reasonable in such a long term forecast. I think it's accurate to say that people have struggled with their face in economic and political leaders in a way that wasn't true at the time he wrote the forecast]The third phase is in effect between the opposition and the waning square of these two planets. In current times, that will take place between 2001-2009. Typically the debt of the nation, and the general trend of the economy, enters a period of greater concern and worry. Deficits and debt tend to increase, and so do interest rates. Taxes also tend to increase, and the economy is more prone to recession or sluggish growth. There is even vulnerability to an economic panic or depression at the time of the waning square (2009-2010), as people struggle with faith in their economic and political leaders. These struggles continue into the fourth phase, which takes place between the waning square and conjunction. In current times, that will occur between 2010-2020. The absolute economic or stock market cycle low can take place either at the time of waning square (2009-2010), which ends the prior phase and begins this phase, or within 2 years of the conjunction. If it occurs at the waning square, then the fourth phase is usually just a time of contraction. Neither the economy nor the stock market expand with any force, as a rule, until the conjunction period is near or completed. Additionally, interest rates tend to be high and consumer confidence low, and faith in political leaders is also near a nadir, until the conjunction period arises — or shortly after.… As we now enter the third phase of the Saturn-Pluto cycle (the start of the second half), the dissatisfaction with world government and economic leaders tends to widen, and with it, the threat of terrorism is apt to grow, and not diminish. As the Saturn-Pluto opposition of 2001-2002 brought this threat of terrorism to a whole new light, due to the killing of so many innocent people from many nations of the world from the attack and destruction of the World Trade Center, the waning square could be even more worrisome. That is because at the time of the waning square, it is not just Saturn and Pluto that are in hard aspect to one another. Uranus joins this deadly duo, forming a T-square. These will take place in late mutable, and early Cardinal signs, and hence the term “The Cardinal Climax” for the period beginning at the end of this decade.===Now, life can be a mysterious thing, and it does happen that a human being can be lucky beyond imagination once. Let's have a look at what Manfred Zimmel in Vienna has had to say. [I note that he is somewhat less conventional than Mr Merriman and as one might expect when he is right he can be eerily right, but he is not always right. That ought to bother an investor much less than it might sound, because successful investing is not about prediction or mainly about your hit rate. Being really right now and then can matter a lot, as Mr Paulson - who had a prescient trade around the bursting of the housing bubble has experienced - see the Big Short for details].[I don't agree with him about economic statistics, and I cannot take Cayce seriously, but that does not detract from his work on the timing. Note that according to the NBER the downturn began in Dec 2007, bang on when he thought it would. Whether it is a depression is a matter of perspective, I suppose]. I can testify that he did write this in Dec 2005 when he said he did, although you shouldn't take my word for it.Jupiter-Pluto Depression cycle (12/2005)The great seer and healer Edgar Cayce mentioned a depression of about 24-25 years that I analyzed, I found out that it is clearly astrological in nature, defined by the conjunction of Jupiter and Pluto (both planets are at the same spot in the sky), that's why the exact length is 24.2 years (depending on the orbit eccentricity of Pluto). Pluto symbolizes destructive energy that apparently is reinforced by the expansive Jupiter. It's strange that only every 2nd conjunction is important:Ø conjunction 9/1857: very serious recession 6/1857-12/1858 (18 months contraction)Ø conjunction 2/1882: depression 3/1882-5/1885 (38 months contraction)Ø conjunction 7/1906: serious recession 5/1907-6/1908 (13 months contraction)Ø conjunction 10/1932: serious depression 8/1929-3/1933 (43 months contraction)Ø conjunction 7/1958: recession 8/1957-4/1958 (8 months contraction)Ø conjunction 12/1981: very serious recession 7/1981-11/1982 (16 months contraction) - last deep recessionØ conjunction 12/2007: start of the Kondratieff winter depression 2006-8?On the average the economy contracted by almost 2 years which is a lot. Please consider that with today's fraudulent US government statistics a GDP growth of less than 3-4% is already a recession because the GDP growth is stated way too high. The trigger for the economic contraction could be the exploding oil price and perhaps also a natural disaster in 2006. I do believe that a depression starts between mid-2006 and 2008 that lasts a few years.He started out his professional career with a forecast on gold. He said in April 2001 at a time when gold was utterly hated that gold would bottom within a few months and reach higher than $1000 by 2006/2007 (the rally has lasted longer than he original thought but by the time this date approached he extended his target for its duration - something you should view differently if someone is forecasting something that hasn't happened yet like with the doomsday cults from when someone has been proven right and wasn't thinking on a large enough scale).Precious Metals Bull Market until 2006-7? (April 2001)Returning to equities again - having nailed the date the recession began to the month in his public article published two years previously, and having said elsewhere around the same time that there would be a credit crisis and that all the banks would be bust, he went on in his private letter (which is available to subscribers) to turn bullish 2 days after the low in March 2009 and called for the most impulsive rally in history - which is pretty much what happened. I don't know anyone else who had such a precise call (and I am in touch with quite a few more conventional economists and market participants).I should also say that in 2007 he said that 2008 would kick off a sweeping era of nationalizations and greater state intervention, and that the leisure and airline industries would be in a lot of trouble. I don't know anyone else who anticipated this or who had the timing so precise.I mention this as interesting, but certainly don't think that for most people this is a service they could benefit from because these sorts of calls - although very impressive - are only part of what it takes to do well in investing, and for many people it is harder than you would imagine to profit from them.If you can be remarkably right even 1 out of 5 times and have good timing then you will do will in financial markets if you know how to express your view. But my impression is he does much better than 1 out of 5.===To be continued when I have a bit more time (apologies for the incomplete links - I will fill these out later).Note a predictable sceptical reaction is well people say all kinds of things, and if you have 10,000 monkeys then one of them will be right. But on the one hand you can go back and look at the serious people around at the time he was writing and see what the others were saying. There simply weren't that many others because if you have a brain and work hard - necessary traits to succeed in financial astrology - there are much easier ways to be successful. The two other serious people I was aware of before the crisis - Bill Meridian and Manfred Zimmel - both called the crisis rather well, and with pretty good short term timing. That doesn't mean you should listen to me, but it might prove intriguing. On the other hand: one needs to consider the odds of being right with such good timing and with such detail.