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Well That Explains It

In 2021, Mercury will be in complete retrograde movements during the following date ranges:

    • January 30 to February 21.
    • May 29 to June 22.
    • September 27 to October 23.

(I don't believe any of this crap anymore, but damn if this doesn't accurately describe my experiences over the past few weeks!)

Buckle up, because it's here: the second Mercury retrograde of 2021. Starting on May 29 and lasting until June 22, the Planet of Communication's backwards dance in Gemini is going to uncover secrets, mess with our communication, and send us into a hectic, glitch-filled frenzy. And, fair warning — Narayana Montúfar, senior astrologer for Astrology.com, is calling this the most potent Mercury retrograde in all of 2021. There's only one thing to do now, and that's prepare.

We'll have the classic Mercury retrograde mess-ups to worry about: travel, communication, technology, and information. But there are a few factors that point to why this particular retrograde may be exceptionally tough to handle. "For starters, it's beginning while Mercury is forming a conjunction with Venus, so expect to have misunderstandings within relationships during Memorial Day Weekend," she warns. It's also happening in impulsive Gemini, which is ruled by Mercury, meaning that the planet is most comfortable in the sign of the twins. "This allows Mercury to reach its full-on trickster splendor, so expect to fall victim of its jokes," she says. And finally, this retrograde is happening right in the midst of eclipse season and forming a conjunction with the new moon eclipse that's happening on June 10, magnifying its power even more.

Okay, so things are about to be a little intense — but this isn't exactly new energy. Lisa Stardust, the author of Saturn Return Survival Guide and The Astrology Deck, tells Refinery29 that this is because the pre-retrograde zone began on May 14, and the post-retroshade zone will end on July 7. "We'll be working with this energy for a while," she says. "This retrograde will expose secrets, scandals, and add anxiety to our vibes." Her advice? Be gentle with yourself and others. Stardust says to "give yourself extra time for projects and travel, say 'hello' to old ghosts from the past, and make sure your work is backed up in the cloud." The only way out of Mercury retrograde is through, so taking any and all steps right now to prepare for battle is a must.

Because this transit is happening in chatty Gemini, your gatherings may be prone to turning into dishing sessions à la Gossip Girl. "Mercury in Gemini can have loose lips and bring out our inner Blair and Serena," warns Madi Murphy, astrologer and co-founder of The Cosmic RX and The Cosmic Revolution. "When Mercury's retrograde, those messages can end up in the wrong hands or backfiring in our face." In other words, be extra cautious about what you say and who you say it to — you never know who it'll get back to. Xoxo.

There's more to look out for, according to Montúfar. She says that during this time, the second of the three Saturn-Uranus squares will take place on June 14, which means that we can expect this Mercury retrograde to bring a lot of news that will impact our world. "During this time, it will be important to protect our psyche from information overload," she says. "Turning off our phones, getting off the screen, and protecting our energy will be key during this time." If there were ever a time to go with the flow, it'd be now — flexibility is key here.

Although this transit can be nerve-wracking, Leslie Hale, psychic astrologer at Keen.com, says that Mercury retrograde isn't all that bad. "Retrograde Mercury is not part of a cosmic plan to upset, delay, or screw things up. Rather, this is part of the natural cycle intended to be a time of reflecting and re-doing things that need our attention," she says. "Even though it can be maddening at times, if you keep this perspective you can make the most of this three week cycle."

Mercury retrogrades always make us feel restless, like we're not ticking the boxes off our to-do lists fast enough. But while the Planet of Communication is in retrograde, it's more important than ever to stop and smell the roses. "In the fast-paced world we live in, it can feel like a punishment to have to slow down but, truthfully, it can be a blessing," Murphy says. "It offers us an opportunity to tidy up, chill out, and get crystal clear on exactly what you need to do to further align with your truth." It'll be rocky, sure — but it's nothing we can't get through.

[Source]

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This Album Needs No Introduction

Pink Floyd: Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

But this is only the second time I've owned it on vinyl.

I received my first copy as a gift from Ben back in 2016. It was an Amazon purchase, and the quality of the disk was abysmal. It was warped and noisy, basically rendering it unplayable. We just ended up returning it for a refund. It fell off my radar thereafter, because there were so many other albums I wanted on vinyl, but lately I've been wanting to try another copy.

I did some research beforehand, and the consensus seemed to be that the 2016 180g reissue was one of the best. So I tracked that down and located a new, unopened copy on Discogs. It arrived the other day, and I have to say that while I wasn't expecting much, it's awesome. There is absolutely no surface noise (comparable to the excellent German pressings of the Kraftwerk catalog I have), perfectly flat, and really makes my system sing.

If you're into vinyl and for some reason don't already own this, I highly recommended getting it.

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Friday

This has been the week from hell. While the concept certainly looks good on paper, our current policy of 50% in office/50% WFH, is presenting difficulties, not the least of which is I don't know what fucking day of the week it is anymore. We've been slammed with tickets, and it seems everyone has turned into a Karen, demanding that their problems be addressed now.

Honey, it don't work that way. Unless you're VIP, or the entire network is down because of your issue, you wait your turn like everyone else.

Despite my grousing prior to this in/out policy being implemented, I am enjoying being back in the office—if for no other reason than it allows me to do things I am unable to do remotely.

The biggest problem right now is that people requiring direct assistance are often on the opposite schedule from me. "Can I come up and check this [problem requiring hands-on assistance] today?" "No, I'm only in Tuesdays and Thursdays." "Oh…I'm WFH Tuesday and Thursdays, so I guess I'll see if one of the other guys can help you." Much ticket shuffling ensues.

There's also the question of the folks who have laptops with a docking station, as well as (often dual) monitors they brought home from the office. Now that they're shuttling back and forth two or three times a week, they're whining because they don't have the same setups in both locations to plug into. This has caused a considerable amount of drama in the department this past week, as this sort of setup is in direct violation of enterprise policy (one device and a maximum of two 24" monitors per employee, unless they are high level AutoCAD or GIS users, in which case they get one 32-inch and one 24" monitor). At one of our field offices, several employees took it upon themselves to grab unused monitors and give themselves three monitors, with a few of them asking for four. WTF? Why does an admin assistant need FOUR fucking monitors at her desk? Short answer, she doesn't.

Amid much gnashing of teeth, it was finally decided that enterprise policy would be enforced. Users will be allowed to have their monitors/docking stations at home or in the office, but not both. They can bring a monitor back into the office and use their laptop as a secondary screen, or leave the setup as-is until everyone is back in the office full time. We won't be providing secondary docking stations, but will have multifunction dongles available for them to use at home or in the office, depending on where the rest of their equipment ends up living.

"But, but…"

Honey, if you don't like it, you can return all the equipment and come into the office full time. THAT is the new policy.

The enterprise also lifted its mask/social distancing mandate for the fully vaccinated. This is strictly "on the honor method" so I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this—especially since it applies not only to employees, but also members of the public interacting with us. While I feel that the employees will have each others' backs and do the right thing, the general public? Not so much.

Thankfully I have absolutely no interaction with those unwashed, potentially unvaccinated masses.

I also need to keep reminding myself that masks don't especially protect you, but are to protect others from you if you're infected.

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Windows 11

Not enough to get me to switch back from Apple, but I have to admit it's damn pretty.

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Fuuuuuck!

I sent this photo to a friend in Oregon who quipped, "At least you're not in Texas!"

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Be Civilized

Years ago, anthropologist Margaret Mead was asked by a student what she considered to be the first sign of civilization in a culture. The student expected Mead to talk about fishhooks or clay pots or grinding stones.

But no. Mead said that "the first sign of civilization in an ancient culture was a femur (thighbone) that had been broken and then healed." Mead explained. In the animal kingdom, if you break  your leg, you die. You cannot run from danger, get to the river for a drink, or hunt for food. You are meat for prowling beasts. No animal survives a broken leg long enough for the bone to heal.

"A broken femur that has healed is evidence that someone has taken time to stay with the one who fell, has bound up the wound has carried the person to safety and has tended the person through recovery. Helping someone else through difficulty is where civilization starts," Mead said.

We are at our best when we serve others. Be civilized.

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It is Apparently the Policy of the United States to Let It Happen

It keeps happening:

The shooting happened Monday afternoon at the Big Bear grocery store along Candler Road, across the street from South DeKalb Mall…

…The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said the cashier told Victor Lee Tucker, Jr., 30, of Palmetto, to put on a mask and that's when the chaos unfolded.

"Tucker left the store without making his purchase, but immediately returned inside. Tucker walked directly back to the cashier, pulled out a handgun and shot her," the GBI said in a news release.

The cashier was killed, the store security guard shot Tucker, who shot him back. So, final score: 1 dead, 2 injured in hospital (and a third person was treated on the spot); so in an instant 4 lives changed.

During the Trump-Virus restrictions, sheltering in place and whatnot, gun violence was down and now it's back. We thought that working in retail during the worst of the Pandemic was worthy of hazard pay, but the job seems even more dangerous now that red-state Republicans in their wisdom are removing all gun restrictions.

It's all random. You cannot predict when/where/why some dude will decide to shoot someone. They do it because they can, and it is apparently the policy of the United States to let it happen, and there is no political will to put an end to the madness.

(H/T Scissorhead Beckymaenot)