Al Franken was a satirist and comedian, a staple on Saturday Night Live for 15 years before he got serious and became a Junior Democratic Senator for Minnesota. He kept a low profile for his first term as he learnt the Washington ropes, but now on his second lap he’s become the ‘breakout … Read more
The drift of eastern EU countries away from democracy towards authoritarianism and Russia is causing considerable concern. A 2017 report described 18 of the 27 Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries as being in democratic decline. The most worrisome are Poland and Hungary, in the 1990s seen as success stories. Hungary under Viktor … Read more
The helter-skelter carousel of Trump’s administration just turned into a freefall for the benighted White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, as he voluntarily jumped from the podium at the news that wealthy financier Anthony Scaramucci has been appointed as Communications Director. “A major mistake” in his view, shared by many who think Scaramucci … Read more
The upcoming late August Leo Solar Eclipse conjunct the Israel Mars is certainly making its influence felt as clashes break out at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, revered by both Jews and Muslims as a holy site. Nearly 3000 Palestinians have been in clashes with Israeli forces, with 193 wounded. Tensions have soared since … Read more
The voices of doom, gloom and apocalypse are being sounded in the media over the uncertain start to the Brexit negotiations with Barnier looking forbidding and Davis/Fox spouting their usual clap-happy platitudes. But it’s early days with much game-playing going on. No doubt it’ll come down to the wire after screaming fits, … Read more
The failure to pass Trumpcare is being seen as a major humiliation for Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader. And it’s not at all clear where it goes from here, since the USA has found that they actually like health care being protected. McConnell, 20 February 1942, does have the upcoming Lunar eclipse conjunct … Read more
There’s a heart-rending struggle going on over baby Charlie Gard, 4 Aug 2016, suffering from a rare genetic condition which has left him unable to see, hear, move, cry or swallow, and reportedly has fits that are difficult to control. London doctors had said that his life support should be switched off because there … Read more
Tension is mounting as North Korea blows a possible nuclear raspberry at the USA and Trump is facing up to Xi Jinping on a laundry list of differences (NK, trade, China’s territorial expansion). China is also muscling in on a disputed border with India. The Middle East is a hyena’s nest of myriad conflicts amongst … Read more
Kim Jong Un has thumbed his nose at the USA, China and the rest of the world by firing what he said was an intercontinental ballistic missile which landed in the Sea of Japan. North Korea, his officials proclaimed, was now “a full-fledged nuclear power that has been possessed of the most … Read more
Nicola Sturgeon is feeling the downward drag of tr Saturn through her first quadrant, which was always going to make a continuing roll of success tricky. And she’s lost the bounce of tr Jupiter through her 10th and 11th houses which kept the last two years optimistic. Even tr Uranus opposition her 12th … Read more