YOUR FUTURE IN 2008

CHINESE EARTH RAT YEAR STARTS FEBRUARY 7, 2008.

HOW CHINESE ASTROLOGY WORKS

From the Year of the Rat through the Year of the Pig, there are twelve animal signs romping through the Asian or “Chinese” astrological system. To find your own sign, all you need to know is the year of your birth. Though there are no complicated rising signs nor intricate charts to reckon with, the Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. It can occur as early as mid-January or as late as mid-February. So if you were born in either of these two months, please enter your birth date on my web site http://www.suzannewhite.com for accuracy. A person born in late January of a Snake year might not be a Snake subject, but rather will be given the sign of the preceding Dragon year.

The cycle of the Chinese zodiac renews itself every dozen years. As luck would have it, 1900 was a Rat year. Since Rat is the first in the series of twelve signs and its year opened our century, we can often calculate the signs of our contemporaries with ease. The year 2000 was not so convenient. Instead of rounding out nicely to start the new century with a Rat year, 2000 was a Dragon year. The Dragon, unlike the Rat, is not the first sign of the Chinese Zodiac but the fifth. So in this new century we have to work a bit harder to calculate our Chinese sign.

Every Asian person about to make a major decision: mar¬riage, family, profession, burial, or relocation will first check to see if his sign and those of the people involved indicate that any benefit will result from the anticipated act. In many Asian countries parents still arrange marriages. If the family considers that a Horse son is not well matched to a Rat woman, the wedding will be called off.

Astrology – like various other “ologies” – is yet another way of finding out who we are and how we can be happier. Astrologers do not claim to have all the answers. As a soothsayer, I do not presume to know if you must or must not buy a pickup truck on Thursday, the twenty-ninth of July, 2021. But what I do know is that the animal symbol that rules the year of your birth has endowed you with certain basic characteristics and helped to define your funda¬mental nature.

Once you are made aware of your qualities and have accepted certain aspects of your faults, it is conceivable that you will have a better chance of making life cooperate with you. Given definite attributes to work with, you will then possess the wherewithal to fashion your own life to fit your desires and ambitions. Moreover, as you examine the qualities and faults pertaining to your friends or acquaintances, you may learn why you (and they) behave in ways hitherto incomprehensible.

WHO WILL BE RUNNING THE SHOW?

WHAT IS A RAT PERSON LIKE?

According to a Chinese legend, one day during some dynasty or other, Buddha called all 12 major animals together for a race. The Rat not only won the race, he was probably canny enough to ride on the Ox’s back to do so. Oxen tend to be slow, but they are steady and plodding. We all know from our own legend about the Tortoise and the Hare that steady plodding wins the race.

You won’t find many steady plodders

among the Rat population.

RAT YEARS

1900, 1912, 1924. 1936, 1948, 1960,

1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2052,

2044, 2056, 2068, 2080, 2092

NB- Born in January or early Feb.? Check my Chinese Sign page (http://www.suzannewhite.com) to be sure you are not among those who fall into the sign of the previous year.

Rat is the first sign of the Chinese Zodiac.

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE RATS BOAST:

APPEAL SOCIABILITY

INFLUENCE INTELLECT

THRIFT CHARISMA

ON THE RAT’S UNDERBELLY CHECK FOR:

ANXIETY THIRST FOR POWER

VERBOSITY GUILE

ACQUISITIVENESS MEDDLING

“What? You tell me I’m a Rat. Yucko! Gross. No way!” I hear these protests all the time. Nobody wants to be a Rat. Apparently, they’d rather be something less revolting. Rats don’t benefit from an elegant reputation in our occidental, urbanized society.

But think for a moment of the clever farm rat. It is this rat: the collector, the hoarder, the deft and admirable country rat, whom Buddha honored. This rural rat is, to this day, a scrounger for food, finder of warm places to nest and a procreator par excellence. Let us then put aside our base image of the repellent city rat and concentrate on the characters of his artful country cousin.

The key adjectives I like to use to describe Rat people are: “charming, assertive, protective and relentless.” Rats go whole hog for what they are after and they never give up. You’ll never meet an unattractive Rat. They may not be classically handsome. But they ooze allure. Neither will you find a Rat person who doesn’t seek to achieve and succeed, stand out from the crowd and even assume power over others. Rats are go-getters. They are born with leadership qualities and a hefty measure of guile. For the Rat, the ends frequently justify the means.

Rat people usually appear calm and at ease in company. They’re talkative (to a fault sometimes) and make pleasant conversationalists. But take a closer look. That Rat has a rubber band in his hand which he incessantly snaps back and forth between two fingers. The Rat woman keeps wiggling the fastener on her bracelet. Rats only seem tranquil. Inside, they are like nuclear reactors: churning, bubbling, twisting and steaming. Rats seethe and sizzle. But they never—or rarely—explode.

Rats are not only stashers of food, they have a well-developed sense of economy. They know where their money goes and for which frivolities they are willing to spend lavishly. Parties and gatherings of all sorts please the Rat. In fact, any chance to communicate is seen as a joyful occasion. Rats love—no, need—to talk. If Rats have problems, they talk them through. If they are depressed, they blab it out. If they lose a lover, they can only cure themselves of heartbreak by exposing the whole gory story until the listener’s ears are red with compassion and the Rat has emptied his despondent soul. If you have a gabby Rat crony, keep your IPOD handy and pump up the volume.

If you are loved by a Rat, consider yourself lucky. Rats will fiercely defend and cheerfully spoil the people they care about. But outsiders don’t count. The Rat wants to be surrounded with those who like and admire him. He will lavish presents on them and feed them all till they burst from admiration. Loyal companionship is the Rat’s idea of contentment.

Rats are not necessarily high-minded. Nor are they artistic dreamers. But they are wily and intelligent. And they are often gifted – too clever by half. They make excellent lawyers and executives. Too, Rats dabble more than a little in politics. They crave power. Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr. and John McCain – Rats to a man. And they know how to use their brains with words. In the world’s Rat Pack, you will find all manner of highly talented writers, composers, singers, actors and actresses. Here’s a famous Rat sampling:

1912 (Water Rat Mary McCarthy, Loretta Young, Roy Rogers, Gene Kelly, John Cage, Eugene Ionesco, Laurence Durrell, Werner Von Braun, John Cheever, Perry Como, Studs Terkel, Woody Guthrie, Julia Child, Michaelangelo Antonioni, Danny Kaye. 1924 (Wood Rat) Marlon Brando, Lauren Bacall, Sarah Vaughan, James Baldwin, Truman Capote, Charles Aznavour, Doris Day, Lee Marvin, Zizi Jeanmaire, Sidney Poitier. 1936 (Fire Rat) Glenda Jackson, Dennis Hopper, Keir Dullea, Yves St Laurent, Dick Cavett, Vanessa Redgrave, Albert Finney, El Cordobes, Alan Alda, Kris Kristifferson, Marion Barry, F.W. DeKlerk, , Dean Stockwell, Glenn Campbell, Roy Orbison, Bobby Darin, Dennis Hopper, Englebert Humperdinck, Tom Snyder, Bruce Dern, Chad Everett, Geena Rowlands, Oscar de la Renta, Wilt Chamberlain, Buddy Holly, David Carradine, Ismael Merchant, Lou Rawls, Shirley Bassey, Dyan Cannon, Boris Spassky. 1948 (Earth Rat) James Taylor, Olivia Newton-John, Mikhail Barishnykov, Donna Summer, Gerard Depardieu, Billy Crystal, Al Gore, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jimmy Cliff, Kathy Bates, Cat Stevens, Jeremy Irons, Mary Beth Hurt, Olivia Newton-John, Jackson Browne, Donna Karan, Kenny Loggins. 1960 (Metal Rat) Kenneth Branagh, Yannick Noah, Daryl Hannah, Sean Penn, Greta Scacchi, Meg Tilly, Ayrton Sienna, Kristin Scott Thomas, Antonio Banderas, Branford Marsalis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Nastassja Kinski, Valerie Bertinelli, Hugh Grant 1972 (Water Rat) Shaquille O’Neal, Carmen Electra, Busta Rhymes, Julie Gayet, Elizabeth Berkley, Marlon Wayans, Ben Affleck, Cameron Diaz, Geri Halliwell, Liam Gallagher, Gwyneth Paltrow, Eminem, Toni Collette, Jenny McCarthy, Alyssa Milano, Vanessa Paradis.

Rats are not infrequently found meddling in other peoples’ business. They are intensely curious and can become overly involved in the lives of friends and neighbors. They cannot be termed “busybodies” – but almost. Rats also delight in the running of committees and will gladly take over the administration of a board of directors. Rats will not usually volunteer to be on the cleanup committee. Nor are they apt to beg to decorate the church crypt for the charity bazaar. They may tell you how they want it done. But they are not about to actually DO the decorating. No. It’s power that Rats are after—power and influence and lots of praise and kudos.

Rats too are marriers. They crave security and need to be attached. They hoard money and foodstuffs in secret places so they will never be caught short of either. Show up unannounced at her place, the Rat will feed you well. But don’t try to borrow any money or expect to be treated to lavish meals at the Four Seasons or the Ritz. Rats are much more conservative than their splendid surroundings would have us believe.

THE EARTH RAT YEAR

FEBRUARY 7, 2008 TO JANUARY 25, 2009

Hang on to your hat, here comes the Rat!

2008 promises to be a whole new Rat Race. This year jump starts the Chinese twelve year cycle all over again. Prepare for twelve months of Monday mornings.

We just oinked our way through and oozed out of the prosperous Pig year. If you recall, I forecasted a year of too much plenty. I warned that the rich would get richer and the poor would do far less well. Of course I could not have predicted that women’s handbags would increase in value to the point where some ladies are carrying around ten bucks and a lipstick in a hot pink crocodile clutch bag that cost their husband’s credit card $4000. Seriously, I just consulted the Neiman Marcus online shopping catalogue and in such top stores women’s’ purses cost upwards of $1000. Some (and not just a few) cost six thousand smackers! That’s a concrete example of what I said would happen under the influence of the Fire Pig. Glut for glut’s sake. End of cycle excess. Quantity over quality. For some, it was a great year. In 2007, “Them that has” had themselves a hugely piggy Pig year.

Here’s a quote from my last year’s forecast: “People are going to have more “stuff” in the Pig year. Extravagant real estate and luxury items, jewelry and antiques, authentic old masters – everything having to do with wealth and affluence will be favored. But… this abject profusion of material possession means that anyone who is not rich or prosperous or rolling in gold bullion cubes will – by virtue of the scales being tipped too far – fare worse.”

And are not a slew more wealthy humans cluttering up golf courses and crowding shopping mall parking lots with their splendiferous gas guzzling cars? And, by contrast, are not a lot more people out of work, out of luck and nowadays even out of their homes?

Well folks, the party (and the twelve year cycle) is most decidedly over.

2008 will be an Earth Rat year. Rat years are always choppy and appeal mostly to those with a finely-developed sense of economy. But the Earth Rat year (The last one was 1948) is also chockablock with market upsets and other unspeakable bolts from the blue. NO. I can’t tell you what color, size or shape the bolts will be. Just think surprise events which jolt your synapses and give your heart goose bumps. I am not threatening earthquakes or typhoons, although we will surely see our share of those. The bolts from the blue will be more personal than that. They will take the form of accidents or mishaps due to inattention, clumsiness or pure bad luck. In an Earth Rat year, we learn (usually the hard way) that we cannot possibly anticipate what might happen next. Some might say, “Then let’s just have fun. Why worry?” Others of you will shudder and shake, fearing insecurity and mourning free lunches.

Relax! Worry is a waste of your precious time. What you worry about today will certainly not happen. And what will happen is something you might have been worrying about but didn’t even know existed. Just be more cautious than usual about wasting – both time and money.

In this coming year, the fragile quality of the world’s financial condition will become glaringly obvious. People and governments in the western world will wake up to the fact that they cannot go on spending more money than they have and get away with it. In fact, many very rich people will barely have time to preserve existing finances. Get ready to swap those $4000.00 purses for some spanking new food stamps. Flog your $50,000.00 golf cart and learn how to walk again. Give up caviar and luxury cruises in favor of hot dogs, macaroni salad and a romantic rowboat ride on the local park lake. Forego smoked salmon and learn how to fish. This coming year will be about the prudent managing of finances, cost-cutting measures and trendy cheap backpacks made in China. It will also be about power.

Something intriguing about Rat years is that at first they appear to bode only wealth and bounty. But such glittering harvests are merely the calm before the storm and hunger pangs of future shortages. Nobody will be spared. Already in February, inflation will be on the rise. People all over the world will see their buying power diminish. My advice? Open a savings account. Plant a vegetable garden. Stash gold jewelry under your mattress. Junk the gas guzzler and buy a book of train tickets. Take the kids out of private school. Teach them at home. Learn to cook cheaper cuts of meat or eat no meat at all. Take pride in wearing handsomely patched jeans and be the first on your block to remember how to darn socks. In general, in the coming Rat year, do as the British were advised after WWII, “Make do and mend”. We did it before and we can do it again. Might as well face it. Scantier days are ahead.

This year is not all bleak, drab and gray however. It’s a splendid year for power grubbers who gain dominion over others. Dictators will thrive in this Rat year. Hoarders of foodstuffs get a leg up. It’s also a banner year for owners of savings (and even piggy) banks. And it’s a fabulous year for people devoted to living the simple life, playing music or party games at home with their children, going on picnics, taking advantage of free museum entries and walking everywhere instead of taking the car. The inherently parsimonious Rat year is here to help us clean up our act. Join forces with Brother Rat. Dismount your cherished Hummer. Slog a bit and drudge a bit. Cut back and save. Take one paper towel instead of two at a time. If one doesn’t do the job, you can always go back for more. Wash your own car and polish it too. Quit the expensive gym and ride your bike to work. If you co-operate with the spirit of the Rat year, you can expect to enjoy a carefree twelve months. But buck the system and continue to troll the thousand dollar handbag department at Nordstrom or Harrods’s or Galeries Lafayette and your golden goose will flap its wings a few times and fall right over dead (next to the overdue credit card bills) on your snazzy $10,000 dining room table.

Children born in Rat years are luckier if their birthdays come in sum¬mer. They will not have to dig through the snow for provisions and can benefit from sultry sunshine to make the hay that they will so need to have stored away for the long, cold winter ahead.

WHAT WILL THE EARTH RAT YEAR BE LIKE

FOR EACH CHINESE SIGN?

RAT

Your year at last! 2008 begins a whole new cycle of Chinese animal signs and, as usual, you are leading the pack. Directly following the New Year, life will seem suddenly more fluid. Bumps in the road will even out for you and people you thought you could never get along with are all of a happy sudden on your side. Profit from every possible angle you can wangle. But come April watch out for a tendency to let down your guard and go slack when you should be quicker on the draw. Toward June, romance will increase in intensity and want to become engagement. Commitment beckons. Then marriage is nigh. Don’t hold off. If you feel you have found “The One”, then go ahead and tie the knot. Real estate will doubtless become a preoccupation this year. You current property/ies is/are too costly, meaning that the real estate that you own or rent and inhabit either doesn’t suit your lifestyle or work well with your commute or else it simply clashes with your taste. Find a new place to live that is appropriate not only to your needs – but to your pocketbook. Before winter sets in, lay in stores. You will be needing them around Christmas time when shortages loom. Keep in mind that, overall, your main objective this year is to carefully plot out the next dozen years of your life. Where do you want to be in twelve years? With whom will you be living? How much do you want to be earning and will you prefer the city or the country? You have twelve long years to get where you want to go with whom and for how much. Think ahead and be extra calculating. Make major long term decisions in 2008. And don’t look back. Life is too short to regret missed opportunities that are probably out of fashion anyway. Stay alert. Leap into new projects with your usual enthusiasm, but hold the reckless abandon.

OX

Rats covet power and they often get it. Whether in relationships, in government positions or in business dealings, Rats seek dominion and go after it tooth and claw. This coming year fairly reeks of the Rat’s powerful influence. But that pungent smell doesn’t bother you Oxen too much. You were born with a keen sense of your own strength and haven’t had to struggle, as the Rat perpetually does, to gain and maintain control. In your case, control comes with the territory. Because the Rat’s drive for supremacy doesn’t threaten Ox people, you usually cruise right through Rat years without missing a beat. Beware, early this year, of developing symptoms of emotional stress. Your private life lacks satisfaction and this dearth of sexual or romantic excitement may cause you to doubt your ability to maintain relationships. My advice? Stop listening to detractors. Clamp your front hooves over your ears and refuse to hear anything negative in your regard. Remember (when you can’t sleep at night) that you are the one pulling this plow under your own steam. Listen to the force of your inner voice. That’s where your self-confidence is lurking. Way deep inside. Snatch it. Gobble it up. And go back to sleep.

Rats move quickly. You tend to advance more slowly. But for you, it’s constructive to march to the pokey cadence of your own inner drummer. This year, from the outset, you will be encouraged to accumulate wealth, nurture your crops and tend to your family’s harmony. In the Autumn, tension may threaten your professional life. It will no doubt come from a person born in a Dragon or Rabbit year. Keep your ears pricked up for signs of nasty backbiting and subterfuge in the wings at the workplace. Someone would like to see you fail. By November, if there is no improvement in the situation, take pains to actively discourage that person’s desire to do you in. Even if you must use force, this is one battle you do not want to lose. But be wise. And subtle. Strategize. Prepare. You are not one to enjoy playing games. But this time, the prize will be worth the departure from your usual bulldozer style.

TIGER

As you no doubt already know, whether in relationships, in business or government or even in stupid traffic! – the Rat seeks to dominate. For you Tigers, this peculiar Rat character trait is both un-nerving and irritating. You find Rat years tedious. You really hate it when someone who isn’t you feels like pushing his or her weight around. But do not allow tedium to get in the way of your survival instinct. Prepare to scrimp a bit and tighten your stripes. You will in any case be on the move. Wherever you go it seems you are being given options: new ways to make a living or chances to join a prestigious group or opportunities to be creative or to enhance your public image. Basic trusts can be broken in these years. You are not usually avid to be the one in control. Being the titular boss, who answers yammering phone calls and e-mails in an office all day long and waits for employees to show up at yawn-filled meetings would send you straight into a coma. But the Rat does not necessarily know this about you. You appear so strong and so sure of yourself that the terminally insecure Rat feels threatened. Hence your life in this coming year may prove to be less than delightful. The Rat could try to thwart even your most innocent of desires for self-governance, belittle your cleverest notions and may even sabotage your plans. There is also the possibility of chronic illness developing in a close friend, associate or member of your family. You will be called upon to deal with it. And you will. Another hint? Don’t be tempted to ally yourself with any Rats. The Rat not only wants power. He or she wants to be the sole owner of that power. Rats are hoarders and savers. You are the spendier, devil-may-care guy or woman who believes that money grows on trees and that so long as you keep changing forests, there will always be more ready cash hanging from the branches. Conflict between your splurging spirit and the Rat’s desire to stash will arise. Advice? Plan to travel and make changes this year. Don’t bother to try to save money. You don’t know how.

CAT/RABBIT Not the most encouraging of years for you Cat/Rabbit people. Why? Because the Rat tends to envy your settled, secure lifestyle and would not in the least mind turning it on its head. Rats love drama and excitement. Like you, they are budget-conscious. But they don’t settle down the way you do. They crave (and often create) havoc and excitement. You favor safety over histrionics and will opt for simple jaunts in the countryside instead of choosing excitement for its own sake. Of course, you are the more sagacious of the two signs. You prefer not to have to enter any fray or conflict to get what you want and always seek to avoid belligerence. Rats are forever stalking dominance and are unafraid of confrontation. I advise Cat/Rabbits not to perform any public stunts which will attract attention to them during this sharp-edged year. It’s not the moment to run for mayor of your town or even to seek the presidency of your Bridge club. Nor is the Rat year a time for you to splurge on antiques, classic vehicles or mansions in high end neighborhoods. Anxiety may prevail as well because of on and off tensions present in this coming year which will evolve mostly from dissension in some part of your private life. Either you are married and experiencing a classic “rocky” period. Or you are not married and long to be, but can’t get along with the intended for more than a week without quarreling. As you despise conflict, you flee. In your absence, she or he meets someone else. Now you are thoroughly upset, so you return on pitty pat paws to reclaim your territory. And what do you discover? A love triangle. More discord. Further controversy. And perhaps even a fight! Hang in there. Rat years are never wonderful for the Cat/Rabbit’s love life. To change the subject radically, your finances could come under some scrutiny from the tax authorities. Better to lie low and while away weekends listening to classical music, reading history books or polishing your antique clocks. Around November, you very well might enjoy a fling or two with someone charming and frankly, openly sexy. Take pains to protect your reputation for refinement and good taste. Money, this year, should not be scarce. Most Cat/Rabbits are known for their ability to see around corners in dodgy markets.

DRAGON

Here comes a bonanza year for you personally. Nobody admires your dashing self more than the canny Rat. And the feeling is often mutual. You will be awash in propositions for new projects and called upon to direct (the job you love best) everything from the village orchestra to the Neighborhood Watch. You are a rising Star in this Rat year, and what’s more, you can feel it. A rush of approval and freewheeling comes over you about mid-March and won’t leave until the end of next January. Take wise advantage of the opportunities presented to you because they are almost all excellent chances for the betterment of both your financial and personal life.

An enticing love interest appears about halfway through the year. If you are otherwise attached, beware of temptation. The person in question is most seductive and what’s more is magnetized by your charisma. If you are not hitched, go for it – give him or her the full Dragon treatment: gifts, rings, trips to exotic venues and cozy nights by the fireside. So much for the positive aspects of the Rat year. On the other side, toward the summer holidays, family members’ needs may impinge on your time. Lavish some of that precious Dragon time on those in need of your moral support. But don’t be tempted to shower them with funds. Don’t let the syrupy sentimental side of your nature take over and drive you to begin any useless squandering. Don’t make meaningless sacrifices. You have better things to do with your money in Rat years than bail people out of gambling debt or lend your new BMW to your shiftless brother-in-law who lost his license for drunk driving. You may however have to take charge of everything to do with a flailing member of your clan this year. Somebody in your immediate home life has lost his or her bearings and needs a few Dragon coaching sessions. Encourage and boost. But resist the urge to preach. It’s likely the person in question is depressed. If the condition persists, make them seek professional help.

SNAKE

Your health and well-being are in better fettle this year. All the physical ills you were suffering last year will dissipate in the salutary ambiance of the protective Rat. Nevertheless, trouble will be afoot in your financial sector. Hide that checkbook, scissor your credit cards and politely refuse the over draught privilege at the bank. Although you will start the year with a sense of plenty and even continue it in ample sufficiency, you will stumble on some unexpected cracks in the sidewalk toward the end of the year. You should begin putting money away for the future and stop the buying frenzies. Shopping may be tranquilizing for you while it’s happening. But when those hair-raising credit card bills and excessive mortgage payments start avalanching into your mailbox, it will be bye bye to serenity and hello to all night nail-biting sessions. In the professional sector, there will be no more obstacles to prevent you from making sudden huge strides. Your talents and abilities will be more in demand than you ever dreamed was possible. You could even become an overnight star or experience a giant breakthrough in an area of expertise that you hitherto imagined was closed to you. As the Pig year was less than clement for most Snake people, the Rat year will come as a grand relief. Little by little you will feel renewed and energetic. With this new dynamic, you will be able to shed many of the preconceived notions you harbored about your entourage. Too much emphasis has been put on your family situation for the past 12 months. Now it’s time to attack career goals and make them happen for you and your loved ones’ benefit. The Rat is a nervy sort and that sizzling edginess which emanates from inside the very vector of this year, can cause you to occasionally doubt the loyalty of your partner. Not to worry. You are sufficiently loved and admired. This year, make no major purchases. Invest only in what you can actually afford. Otherwise, when next year rolls around, you will be paddling against the current for twelve long, frazzled months

HORSE

Don’t expect any jolly miracles to come waddling down the trail to greet you this year. Rats and Horses are notorious enemies. Between you, there is usually an initial attraction, a brief honeymoon period and then a swift slide into bickering and eventual schism. Rats like power. You refuse to be told what to do. Get the picture? Rats need to surround themselves with people they can feel protective of, look after and give direction to. In short, Rats need to dominate their friends and family in some way or other: financially, intellectually or with pure authority for its own sake. There is nothing worse for you Horses than to feel smothered by some meddling outsider who sticks his or her nose into everything you get up to. Horses crave freedom and thrive on independence. Should you hanker to buy a new home, build an extension on the one you have or invest in a second residence on a Caribbean island, put it off till next year. Everything to do with visas and passports, building permissions and zoning permits will be fraught with delay. You execrate paperwork. Filling out forms is torture for you. You do not fancy rendering accounts to anyone whatsoever. So in this Rat year, you had better remain in the wings. Don’t attempt any great stunts or public displays of your talents. Of course you probably won’t follow my advice anymore than you would follow the Rat’s instructions. You Horses can be led to water but we cannot make you take even one tiny sip if you don’t want to. No amount of coaxing or blackmail or guilt trips will make you ingest a drop. So Horses mine, this coming Rat year will be a bit of a trudge. Low profile time. Take off to the countryside with your main squeeze and spend the time thinking about the heft deals you will pull off when the Goat year rolls around. But as you will not heed my counsel . . . as they say for good luck in the theater “Break a leg.”

GOAT

You inventive Goats are hard put to make much a of (of a) personal statement in this year. Being dictated to by a Rat doesn’t have a positive effect on you devil-may-care creatures. You are always willing to oblige when asked politely to perform. But when someone literally kicks you in the rump and orders you to get a move on, you either buck or back away in fear and loathing. You may feel misunderstood and sulky this coming year. You definitely don’t feel like painting the Mona Lisa or re-inventing pizza. Expect to have to deal with some productive pain. The beginning of the year (until mid July) will be freighted with petty miseries of an emotional nature. Fallout or remnants from a past romance or spent passion want to haunt your aura. Unfinished business. The feelings may manifest in the form of insomnia or nightmares. Or they may simply present as free-floating anxiety. My advice? 1) Build yourself an armor of spiritual awareness thought meditation, yoga or even martial arts. Your soul (not your mind) needs a boost. 2) Actively seek new romantic interests. Mix with people in groups or find them online. Attend parties and functions where you stand a chance of meeting someone new and “possible”. Do not sit on your hands and worry or lose sleep over past blunders. What is gone is gone. Better prospects are on the way come September. By that time you should have begun to emerge from all angst. Make an effort to look your best at work. You can expect to be promoted this year. All supplementary professional efforts will be rewarded. You may quietly pursue your pet creative projects at home in a protected environment where you feel safe and cared for. But stay out of the spotlight. Rat years are no time for building a reputation as the genius you often are. Hang in there and love will come trotting along in the Autumn of this year. Someone sweet and strong (a Pig if you’re lucky) will be overcome with a stunning admiration for you. This love interest will appear out of nowhere . . . a restaurant, a public beach or even on an escalator going the other direction. Don’t miss out. Say “yes” to the urge to take up with this sterling character.

MONKEY

For Monkeys in this year, it’s all systems go. After wading through a couple of challenging years, you are finally entering a gentler period. All year, you will feel understood and admired. Rats and Monkeys get on like a pair of matched socks. The Rat is an emotional sort who often has problems making decisions. Should I buy a red car or a blue one? Marry a Dragon or a Tiger? Take that new job offer or stay in my current position? How should I configure my life now that my parents are no longer around? What should I wear to the ball? By now, we all know that any time one is in the throes of a dilemma big or small, the solution is to dial-a-Monkey for assistance. Monkeys cannot solve their own problems all that readily, but they are masters at helping others to make quick, workable choices. So in a Rat year, you Monkey people will find yourselves being called upon to give advice, to sort out thorny issues or to untwist the knickers of someone whose temper has him or her in a state of advanced frenzy. You can always figure out how most gracefully to exit a dilemma. Should you have in mind to begin a huge project, build a new home, start a business, write a novel or take a trip around the world, this is the year to undertake that endeavor. Don’t keep destiny waiting. Put yourself in gear directly when the year begins in February. Make every day count toward producing something that expresses who you are. You have been waiting long enough. Take advantage of the propitious aspects surrounding you. Strike while the iron is hot. If you need to borrow money or stay with relatives in Beijing or Paris or use someone’s garage workshop to invent a better mouse trap, do not hesitate to ask. You will be given a leg up at every turn. Power grabbing is a big part of this year’s agenda. As you are the opposite of power hungry and don’t even want to risk being in the forefront, you are not in competition with the authority-hungry Rat. You might want to consider taking out a better insurance policy against theft and accidents. There is a chance that while you are building a new flying machine or sailing single-handedly around the world, a robbery, a flood or a fire might take place. Not to worry unduly. Just be sure your insurance premiums are paid up.

ROOSTER

Protect the savings you have worked so hard to store up. The Rat does not dislike you, but has little time this year to while away in your company. Cut back on extravagances. Stop thinking you can just blithely fly off any old where, spend a few days enjoying yourself in Paris or Marrakech or Bali and still be able to make those car payments. You Roosters are not very flexible and tend to crowd yourselves into a corner. If you’re working, then the job becomes the only thing you can think about or do. You obsess, overwork and can burn out very quickly. Then, of course, you feel sorry for yourself and decide that you are owed a break. But once again, instead of just lying down and reading a fat novel for a couple of days at home, you must move about. So you jet off to just the place you fancy with just the right climate and the tastiest food and the best people. Then, as soon as you are there, you start shopping up all the money you earned whilst overworking and burning out. Is this beginning to sound like a pattern?

Well, the Rat year is a good year for you Rooster people . . . but only if you break this madcap pattern of yours and espouse rest and relaxation in your own surroundings. Sit still for heaven’s sake. Welcome the opportunities that waft your way. Of course, if you are never at home, you won’t be there to receive them, will you? There are movements afoot in your career which can set certain things to rights that may have gone awry in the past. You want out of something. You have finished a portion of your existence in a job or a business or even in a relationship and you want to see that engagement come to an end. The currents in the work place are flowing in the direction you need right now. But if you keep fleeing the work place and ignoring those subtle changes, you may miss the boat. The changes may take a few months to hatch. So to distract yourself from the tedium you so fear, take breaks during the day. Go for a big walk. Get three (thee?) to the gym or to tai chi or yoga classes. Meditate. Take Pilates classes. And instead of squandering your hard-earned burnout cash on air travel and wine, put a bunch away in the bank and let it earn you some interest. The message? Slow down, kick back and thrive. Keep on racing breakneck willy nilly and you will live to rue the day.

DOG

The Rat year will be absent the idealism necessary to spur Dogs into action. You Dogs find these years superficial and tritely material. This Rat year will not be your most productive. Why? Because you are basically unlike the Rat. Dog people are more high-minded than mercenary. It’s just the opposite with Rats. Rats seek power and stash cash. Dogs like to have some power too but for entirely different reasons. And money? Not really a priority for Pooches, except as a means to an end. Dogs only go after authority and loot if it gives them the necessary clout to effect social change. The Dog presidents or leaders of the pack in any organization want

to see justice done. They rule to improve the world their way – not

just to order people about. Rats rule to rule. So in this Rat year, you

Dogs may bark as stridently as you wish, but no matter how fiercely

you yap, you won’t get much further than the bottom of your garden.

The Rat simply doesn’t give a damn for what you care about. So be extra careful not to make mistakes or cause them to be made by others. You are borderline paranoid anyway and are normally an overly cautious person. But this year circumstances may crop up that make you feel you have slipped up or blundered. This feeling certainly doesn’t help you regain lost self-confidence. But take heart. Next year will turn all of this around. Meanwhile, keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole. We learn from our mistakes. Make sure you have taken stock of those lessons. Your personal life should be carefully monitored in August. Betrayal by a family member lies in wait. As it’s a family matter, this fundamental issue is probably either about money or property (or both). It might also concern a young adult child who is threatening to leave school or home. Nip this in the bud by taking the time to talk it through and offering just alternatives. Do not despair. The Rat year is not all bad for Dogs. You may not feel that you are making much progress. But at least you are learning and maintaining the status quo. In Rat years, that’s about as much as any Dog can ask for.

PIG

Rat years can be mostly fun for Pig people. Best of all, you are free of last year’s responsibilities and have begun your own new 12 year period of self-realization. This year is yours to enjoy. Let the Rat run the show. The Rat is a protector of those he loves. And he really digs Pigs. You Pigs possess a brand of personal power that the power-hungry Rat respects. You are your own person. You depend on nobody and you know what you like and go after it in life. Rats are quite similar in that way. They are go-getters and are unafraid to take the reins and drive their own existence – their way. But Rats do not own the rustic peacefulness of Pigs. Rats are more like urban dwellers than country folk. They live at a frenzied pace, are nervous and chatty and needful of admiration from others. Pigs don’t much hurry. Nor do they care who admires them. They just carry on tra la la with their conviviality and their taste for the authentic and comfortable in life. Rats also work at a frenzied speed and if things are not moving quickly enough, they can tantrum out in the twitch of a whisker. Pigs, on the other hand, handle inter personal affairs with great diplomacy, take their time about things and rarely freak out. Aside from minor health issues which tend to crop up in summer, you Pigs can be comfortable this year in the knowledge that you are protected and admired and respected. It is however incumbent upon you to perform economically (which implies putting the brakes on squanderous abandon). The Rat demands you make wise investments or none at all. Control excessive gourmandise and don’t forget to invite Rat people to all your country dinner parties. Let your Rat friends chat up the guests and take home the leftovers. That way, you Pigs can lose some weight and gain extra points with King Rat. Do much thinking about your 12 year program. After last year’s planning sessions, you ought to have some idea where the next dozen years want to take you. Be certain not to fritter away precious time hunting for treasure in posh antique shops and art galleries. Don’t take up with lazy people who want your assistance more than your affection. Don’t be distracted by idle flattery. Stay ruthlessly on your own path.

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Extraterrestrials

Ok so I have been asked to give my thoughts on extraterrestrials…what are my thoughts on extraterrestrials. This is a huge subject and certainly hard to know where to start. I must say that what I write may not be directly linked to my own beliefs. This will not be a rant…. more of stroll around a fascinating subject. So if it clashes with your own perception that is fine, just remember that this is a stroll and not a preaching of a belief system.

I suppose a stereotypical view of ET’s is the thought of little green men flying around. But this is not thought I agree with. I mean this is not to say there is not such a species, but first we must think of the vastness of space and then all the planets within and realise that the structure of other beings would definitely vary. And of course maybe some do not even have physical bodies…yes I realise that sounds a little strange but this is not out of the realm of possibility. Our universe is of course all energy at an atomic level and smaller. So who’s to say that all aliens vibrant at the same density as we do. I mean our eyes as wonderful as they are only capture a minute fraction of what is going on around us. But then this is not to say they do not perceive themselves as physical beings as their eyes maybe more highly evolved. First thing though I shall share this thought.

Dr Harrison H. Brown (California Institute of Technology) Estimates that virtually every star in our galaxy has a planetary system, in each of which, two or four planets might have an Earth-like environment and chemistry that encourages our kind of life to exist. He gives the enormous figure of 100 billion stars with planets in the Milky Way alone. (There are 450 billion galaxies)

They are some seriously big numbers. But are they correct? I do not know, but to be honest we all know without being astronomers that universe is ridiculously big. In my head when some one says there is no such thing as aliens, this is nothing but an illogical statement. There is no question in my head that beings exist outside of our planet. I would also put forward that there have been races else where in the universe that have long been and gone. Humans seem to perceive ourselves as highly evolved beings but although we are not doing bad, I would suspect there are far greater evolved species than humans. In terms of an evolutionary scale we are actually not that old and as for the characteristics of the human mind well I would say that is still rather primitive in it’s ways. I mean think of what we are doing to our planet and all the species that live upon it. But mostly think of the way we treat each other, with our messed up separatist attitudes and our egos flying all over the place causing at times utter chaos. Surely that is not the ways of a highly evolved mind…. we have a lot to learn.

 
So I suppose the question I need to ask myself is have we ever had alien visitation?

 
A man named Laurence Gardner said this: It took man over a million years to progress from using stones as he found them to realization that they could be chipped and flaked to better purpose. It then took another 500,000 years before Neanderthal man mastered the concept of stone tools, and a further 50,000 years before crops were cultivated and metallurgy was discovered. Hence, by all scales of evolutionary reckoning we should still be as far removed from any basic understanding of mathematics, engineering or science – But here we are only 7,000 years later, landing probes on mars…So, how did we inherit this wisdom, and from whom?

 
So of course his question is related to the theory of guidance by extraterrestrial biological entities. He ponders whether a race came from the stars and helped us make a jump in evolution. Well many may scoff at such a thought and label the man a nut. But the fact is there are many who lean to this theory and it is by no means a new idea or even one that stays at happening around 7,000 years ago. Many people and that includes the man who discovered DNA actually believe or at least lean towards the theory of our DNA originating from some where other than Earth. This theory even has a name and this is panspermia. The theory is that some how the DNA travelled here on maybe an asteroid, meteor etc…. maybe even aliens them selves and most likely ended up in the sea and then sparking the evolution of life upon this planet. The reasoning for this theory is that many believe the complexity of DNA could not have evolved in the time between the creation of the Earth and the first life to come about. They think the DNA is just too technical for this occurrence.

 
But there is a man who has studied the Sumerian tablets and spent many years studying this civilisation, which is believed to be the oldest. And this man, other researchers and many who agree with this believe that some thing took place in this time that effected humans considerably. They believe a race called the Annunaki came here from a planet called Niburu that takes a 3,6000 year cycle around the sun. Now they believe that when the planet came close the beings came here to harvest gold. Now they did not come to harvest gold for wealth but because as there planet moved further and further away from the sun it became very cold. So they were going to turn the gold in to fine particles and put it into their ionosphere to insulate their planet. It is said the humans were used as slaves. But what is said to of happened was the beings interbred with us humans and created a hybrid race, which of course is us. I will say that the Sumerians new the Earth revolved around the sun.

 
Now I will not say I agree with this but what I will say is the evolution of the human race definitely did appear to take a leap both in technical ability and biological form. You see the thing is the theory of evolution is just that, a theory. When Darwin came up with this it was based on assumption. The assumption was the finding of what is known as the missing link. He believed it would be found in his lifetime…only it was not. Many species have been found that have been believed to be the missing link, but none have stood the test of time and others were just ridiculous. They had built a replica of a missing link all from a tooth. But it was later found out that the tooth was actually a pig of some sort. There was another that (possibly java man, cant remember off the top of my head) was built up because a human femer was found about a meter away from a skull that looked like a humanoid. They built this being up and hailed it as the missing link but it was later discovered that it was nothing more than a monkey skull near a human femer. There was another that they realised walked on all fours but had been standing in a museum for years…that was removed. The point is many things have been called the missing link but none of them have been proven to be legitimate. But yet they still teach this in schools. Now I expect the creationists amongst you are feeling quite content right about now. But sit tight because I will get to you now.

 
Ok so what about religion? Many have also interpreted religion as alien intervention. Angels for instance and also beings depicted in hieroglyphs throughout the ages have been depicted with wings. Now many would say yes angels have wings but many would disagree with this thought and put up the argument of symbolic reference. Now what that means is the wings are symbolic to flight. Lets say for a second that beings had came from the stars and early man had witnessed this. They would see these beings come from above and that they flew to earth. Well early man may not be able describe such things and would use any reference that they can relate to. So what could they use to relate… well birds fly and they do this through the use of their wings. So the symbolic reference for flight is the wings. So when you look at the glyphs of Sumeria or angels we see winged beings. Could this be symbolic to beings that came from the stars? 

 
Ok so what about the fundamental reasons for most belief systems? Well of course many religions believe in a grand architect of the world, universe and whatever surpasses that. So where did this idea stem from? Well we have the theory of astro-theology that believes that religions are generally nothing more than sun worship and the heavens above. But many believe that there is a little more to it than that. They believe the idea of a god may again be related to extraterrestrials. It is thought that thousands of years ago early man may have just been going about his day when suddenly he may have heard a great rumble in the sky and magical bright lights coming towards him. A ship may have landed; beings came from the ship and maybe departed some information to early man. Now lets say this did occur… in fact think about if this happened in our time. We would see these beings as marvels and we may be in awe of their abilities to cross-space and enter our world. But we would not be as impressed or confused as we have reference points to this and of course we talk of possibilities in this very post. But early man would surely be astounded by this strange phenomenon as this is like nothing they would have ever seen. Would these beings be hailed as supreme beings…. maybe even Gods?

 
There is a more spiritual belief as well when it comes to ET’s. Many spiritual people believe that ET’s walk amongst us. They believe that there is what is known as Earth angels, beings that have the soul of another entity other than human. They believe that in the realms outside ours that they chose/agreed to come here to learn, to teach and to play a part in the evolution of the human mind. Now generally speaking there are a few different types of Earth angel. You have the angelic souls and the wise beings etc, but there are also believed to be something called star-seeds. They are said to be of extraterrestrial origin and they have crossed their souls to here for various reasons. They of course appear human as they have been born into the human physical form but fundamentally they do not feel 100% comfortable here as the souls come from elsewhere.

 
Now this is just my mind pondering but I have wondered if maybe aliens could even be us? I am not talking about our capabilities at the moment or suppressed technology but one day if we manage to last long enough, we may work out time travel. There have been rumours for years about the humans trying to crack this concept from Tesla, the nazi’s and to things like the Philadelphia experiment. But maybe we will one day understand how such a thing is possible and if we do then I am sure some one would come back. Maybe they would do this onboard some sort of craft and maybe we would perceive them as aliens.

 
So what about more recent thoughts about the ET issue? Well we had suspected ET activity at a place called Rendelsham forest many years back where it is said over a couple of nights an illuminated craft was seen by military personal. They even went in to the woods to take a closer look where it was said this thing was moving through the trees. They did not have any video evidence but one of the soldiers did take a voice recorder with him on the second night of activity. There has been many instances of UFO’s being caught on radar at break neck speeds and pulling off incredible feats of manoeuvrability. There was something that was caught on radar and also seen again by military personal at two separate bases, as well as other sightings through out the night. This UFO was seen coming into Wales and across the west side of England for over 5 hours.

 
There was also a case in Africa where a ship was said to have actually landed close to a school and beings even came out of their ship. This was said to have been witnessed by many of the children. There is also a tribe in Africa I think called the Dogons and what is strange about them is that they worship a suited like being. They dress some one up as this being and they could be perceived to have the look of an astronaut about them. But what is even more remarkable is that the tribe know the movement of the Sirius star system and this cannot be known by eye alone. It is assumed by sceptics that there must have been some travellers there years ago with a telescope.

 
And then there is the incident, which the world knows about and that is of course the Roswell incident. Was this a weather balloon or some thing else? I shall not speculate but this then does lead us into a shady area of government cover-ups and black ops. As we all know the Roswell area is home to groom lake, dreamland or the most familiar name… Area-51. Ufologists have swarmed this base for years and many lights are often seen flying around the area. Many have gone as far as to suggest the governments are actually working with the aliens without the public knowledge. Whether that is true or not I would not like to speculate. But I have no doubt that our own personal capabilities far exceed what we have been told. We only have to think of the stealth bomber to know that many secrets are kept.

 
When the bomber came out into public knowledge we where amazed but we soon realised that they had this plane for over a decade. So I think it is logical to say they have long been keeping things under wraps. It is known or maybe believed that there is a plane that can reach a good few thousand miles an hour and this is called the Aurora. But this has been speculated about for many years so if this is true then no doubt they have long since moved on again. We do know that something was caught coming out of America heading out across Europe and off towards Russia. The estimated speed was not far off double figures. (thousands)

 
There is a man called Nick Pope who worked for the M.O.D on what you could deem the x-files. He looked into possible UFO sightings for many years and he started off as extremely sceptical about the possibility of ET’s. But by the time his job had finished, his mind had changed somewhat. But governments have been looking into this issue for many years. The Americans had project grudge and Majestic 12 decades ago.

 
Sightings have been going on for years. There was the battle for L.A as well where shots where even fired at some crafts many, many years ago. But even in the wars, lights and crafts where being seen in the sky. As I am sure many have heard off foo fighters. This name was given to UFO’s during the wars.

 
Hitler’s men where trying to make disc shaped crafts and many actually believe they succeeded. The Americans took many of the German scientists/engineers under project paperclip after the war and stuck them in bases to get to work… could this have anything to do with area-51 and the other black ops that have gone on over the years? We do know German engineers played a huge part in the NASA space program.

 
In recent years we have had what is known as the disclosure project. Where many military personal, ex personal and, also radar traffic controllers. Have come forward and gave their accounts of UFO activity. Some accounts talk of having to ground all planes because of something hanging around and others are actual sightings around the military bases. There is definitely one but may have been more that actually talk of a UFO coming onto a missile base and proceeding to fry the components of the missiles. The witnesses all said they would be willing to testify under oath as to what they had seen. Now the point of the disclosure project is because they are afraid that humans trying to weaponise space could be deemed as hostile. They believe that their evidence conclusively proves that we are not alone and that these beings are far more technologically advanced than ourselves. So to weaponise space could be a big mistake and one that we must add these beings into the equation when we consider taking such actions.

 
So what is my personal take on all this? Do I believe we have originated from the stars? Do I believe we have been given a helping hand through out history, not only to evolve but also to maybe even protect us from ourselves? Do I believe that the government has had far more knowledge of this than we are lead to believe? I am an open minded kind of a guy and I would not want to bore you with my thoughts on all this.

 
I suppose we must remember though. That perceived from the outside that we to in our own right are extraterrestrials.

By Tarot

Come vist: http://searchfortruth.homestead.com

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Party lover Bolt added the 19.30 — 0.02 better than Johnson’s old mark — to the 9.69 he ran the 100 four nights before when he hot-dogged the final 20 meters to set the world record.

Everyone thought he could’ve done better in the 100 had he run hard the whole way, but the 200 has always been Bolt’s favorite, the one he spent his life on, and this time he saved the showboating for after the race.

“I’ve been dreaming of this since I was year high,” Bolt said. “So it means a lot more to me actually than the 100 means.”

After the determined effort with a slight headwind in his face, Bolt sprawled out on the ground, arms and legs outstretched, basking in the roar of the Bird’s Nest crowd and the glow of becoming, quite possibly, the greatest sprinter ever in the world.

Bolt’s name now goes above, or at least beside, every great sprinter to ever put on spikes. He became the first man to win both the 100m and the 200m at the same Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984.

He gets mentioned in the same breath with Johnson, as well as Jesse Owens and any of the other six men to complete the Olympic 100-200 double. Nobody other than Johnson had ever run a 200 in under 19.6 and nobody had broken 9.7 in the 100 before Beijing. Bolt has done both. He is the only man ever to break the world record in both sprints in the same Olympics.

Bolt is simply a unique kind of runner – packed intense power in his 6-foot-5 frame, supposedly too big for success in the 100, but certainly built to run the 200.

“It’s his anatomy,” said Renaldo Nehemiah, the former world record-holder in the 110-meter hurdles. “He’s just blessed with an uncanny frame, an uncanny quickness, a huge competitive heart. And he is having a good time, which I think our sport sorely needs to see.”

Now, track and field could redeem its name after years of bad news, bad characters and failed drug tests that have come close to turning the sport into second-tier Olympic viewing.

There are cynics who suspect Bolt might be too good to be true himself. But the Jamaican reamains confident in telling that he is clean, that he plays by the rules, that any improvement he’s enjoyed over the last few months has come courtesy of rededicating himself to his training and staying off the dance floor he loves so much.

Before the race, track officials said he had been subjected to 11 doping tests since the beginning of 2008, including four since July 27. None so far has come back positive.

The has-been whose record was broken was talking about Bolt’s dominance, not his drug tests, when it was over. “Incredible,” Johnson said. “He got an incredible start. Guys of 6-5 should not be able to start like that. It’s that long, massive stride. He’s eating up so much more track than others. He came in focused, knowing he would likely win the gold and he’s got the record.”

Bolt’s move out of the starting block isn’t nearly as important in the 200 as the 100, which makes the longer race more about raw speed. But a good start certainly doesn’t hurt. He got one this time, even if it was fifth out of the eight runners. He burst out of the blocks from Lane 5 and overcame the lag about a quarter of the way through.

Bolt averaged 9.65 per 100 meters when he ran the final 200m. It was faster than his 4-day-old record in the 100.  Amazing!

Bolt won the race on the eve of his 22nd birthday and a version of “Happy Birthday” played over the public-address system as he took off his gold shoes and wrapped the Jamaican flag around his shoulders like a scarf.  Basking in his glory, he did another hip-swiveling dance, then raised his hands and pointed toward the scoreboard. A little later, he posed near the trackside clock — the traditional picture that all world record-setters take so that other runners should treat them with some respect. Bolt  has three of them already — this, the 100 from Saturday and the picture he took in New York in May when he broke the 100 record the first time.

“You’re back there giving it everything you’ve got — it’s brutal,” said Kim Collins, the 2003 world champ who finished sixth. “He’s doing it and making it look so simple. Michael Johnson did it, and it didn’t look that easy.”

Jamaica, that night, erupted into a tremendous celebration. It has improved to 3-for-3 in Olympic sprints, including Shelly-Ann Fraser’s win in the women’s 100 on Sunday. But there was still more for Jamaica to be happy about Wednesday night. Shortly after Bolt finished, Jamaican Melaine Walker won the women’s 400-meter hurdles in an Olympic-record 52.64, finishing ahead of Sheena Tosta of the USA. 
More than an hour later, in a nearly empty Bird’s Nest, the struggling American team — the team with only three gold medals so far — took another blow when Brad Walker, the reigning pole vault world champion, didn’t reach the final. All of that was mere filler for this night, though.

And while Michael Phelps may be The Story of these Olympics with his swimming gold medals, Bolt became the breakout superstar in his own right with double world records on the track.

“I can’t, I won’t compare myself with Michael Phelps,” Bolt said. “I’m on the track; he’s in the water. We can’t compare too much. He’s the best in what he do.”
So is Bolt, and his absolute supremacy in the most basic tests of speed will not soon be outmatched.

Unless, of course, he does it himself.

“As he gets older, physically more mature, he can only get faster,” Nehemiah said.
Indeed he earns the title Insane Usain!

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As part of your stay in and around Cambridgeshire you will more than likely want to spend a couple of days exploring the nearby horse racing town of Newmarket. Steeped in horse racing tradition and home to the Jockey Club, Newmarket is a jewel on the Cambridgeshire/Suffolk border.

Although technically in Suffolk, Newmarket is surrounded on three sides by Cambridgeshire, and it has a CB postcode so it would be a shame to visit the county without a quick hop over the Suffolk border to sample this delightful town.

Thankfully, due mainly to the horse racing industry there are plenty of top class hotels in Newmarket. The Rutland Arms on the High Street offers first rate accommodation with easy access to the local pubs and restaurants. The White Hart Hotel a bit further up has the convenience of being next to a taxi rank, which is handy for the racing, but the pub below can be quite lively at weekends, which needs to be taken into consideration if you are travelling with a young family.

If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the High Street the Bedford Lodge hotel is situated about a mile or so down the exclusive Bury Road. The Bedford Lodge offers top class accommodation, along with a pool, gym and restaurant. A range of Spa treatments are also available at the health centre to make your stay that extra bit special.

If you are travelling on a budget there a number of decent B&B’s and Guest Houses scattered around the town and in the nearby villages such as Burwell, Exning and Chevely.

In summary, you should not have any difficulty in finding a selection of fine hotels in Newmarket. If you are visiting during May to July you should try and time it with one of the fabulous Newmarket Nights events. These combine a night at the races followed by a guest performance in the grandstand. Previous performers have included Jools Holland, Westlife and Girls Aloud and they are guaranteed to be a good night.

To find accommodation providers in Newmarket follow the link below:

http://www.cambridgeshiretouristguide.com/Display_Results.asp?cboService=113&CityID=437

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• Johnny Benson to Drive No. 46 Toyota Camry as Nextel Cup Visits Richmond
• Extraterrestrials

The tenth race of the ongoing Nextel Cup Series is set to take place on the 5th May this year at the Richmond International Speedway. This year’s race will be called the “Crown Royal Presents the Jim Stewart 400” after the winner of the essay writing contest sponsored by the Crown Royal.

As drivers, engineers and racing personalities gear up for the race, Johnny Benson is also taking preparation in his sixth start this year. Recently, the veteran driver talked about his relationship with present employer Wyler Racing.

Johnny Benson was recently named by the team to drive the no. 46 Toyota Camry at the next race of the season. Benson looked back on how he got the job. “The Wyler’s and (Crew Chief) Tony Furr asked me to do some testing for them at the end of last year and we thought that test went pretty well,” says Benson. “As this year got underway, they were talking about doing some more testing and called to see if I would do it. I said, “Yeah, I’d be glad.” I thought it would be pretty cool to help them test and just to help them out. I like doing that type of stuff,” he continued. After testing, the team apparently liked his performance which led to him being named as the team’s starter. “We went to Richmond earlier this month and the test went very well. I was hoping that if they ever went racing I’d get an opportunity to drive. I told them that they didn’t have any obligation for me to drive it, but that I would love to have the chance. This past week they called and said that we were going to race at Richmond and that I could drive, so I was pretty excited about it. It’s a pretty cool deal,” enthused Benson.

As far as his expectation for the upcoming race and his familiarity with the track, Benson appears to be ready for the race. “I think as a whole Richmond has been a great track for me. I love racing there. I love the type of track it is. I like how the racers approach that track knowing it’s a two groove race track.” Benson also pointed out his love for the track in his recent statement. “You can race anywhere you want,” he says. “You don’t have to beat and bang your way past somebody. It’s just a great race track. And it’s a Saturday night race which is great for the fans and you know the whole atmosphere aspect of it is good. It’s a type of track that I like. It’s a challenging track but it’s also a finesse style race track. I think that falls within my suit. I’ve had a lot of great races there and some that we’ve run really well that don’t have the finishes to prove that based off being caught up in something. But it’s a place that I really enjoy and love to race at.”

The next race will be held in relatively shorter tracks than other speedways. For Benson, this fact is considered as an advantage. “I like racing on all of the tracks that we go too. They all have their own challenges. But I think as most racers – because we grew up on short tracks – we always enjoy racing on them,” says Benson. “We do so many intermediate tracks now that the short tracks are a little more few and far between; maybe not so much in the Truck Series, but in the Cup Series. So I think we all enjoy going back and running the short track races.”

While Benson has had good races in Richmond and he admitted that the track is to his liking, how he performs in the actual race is evident on how he has tested his Camry at the speedway. To his credit, Benson looks set to have a good race after he has completed his test of the track with no sign of problems at all. “I think the communication that I had with Tony Furr at the test in Richmond was excellent,” he said. “We unloaded for the test and were decent right off of the truck,” he added. He also credited his team for the way the test has gone. “As the day went on, I was pretty impressed by Tony and all the guys that work at Wyler Racing. I was impressed when I worked with them at the Homestead test last year and then, of course, at Richmond too. They all work well together and communicate well. Our speeds were good and we were happy with our qualifying efforts and our speeds in race trim.”

While testing good is a positive boost for the team, Benson knows that the actual race will be a different area. “It will be a different deal going back for the race, but I hope we can maintain the type of run that we had at the test,” Benson said. “The opportunity sitting in front of us is a good opportunity to hopefully go there and run well,” he concluded.

With Benson’s driving experience, his familiarity with the track and his admission that the next track they will be racing on is to his liking, there is a positive chance that he will have a good race come May 5. Aside from that, he has a Toyota Camry to drive which is engineered to provide more boost than standard a Toyota Camry equipped with a Toyota cold air intake system.

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