Fishing Guide to the Stars starting 8.23.2012

“Nature gives and nature takes away. Anyone with sense and humility will tell her, ‘Give and take as you please,’ not out of defiance, but out of obedience and goodwill.”
Marcus Aurelius Meditations, Book 10, chapter 14

Virgo: I’m starting a little experiment. In my own lifetime, the accepted canon of Shakespeare’s body of work has grown by at least two plays, with a possible contender for the fabled, lost Cardino.

Since the Sun is in Virgo, and since I love all my little Virgo buddies more than any other sign, what I thought about doing was deviating from the plan. I used to start each week with with a quote from Shakespeare, and one reason I did that was because the canon was set in stone.

As it turns out, there are two new plays, added as apocrypha, although, after reading Two Noble Kinsmen, I can see that as having Shakespeare’s hand in it. So, for Virgo, this week, and for the duration of Virgo, I’ll use quotes from Meditations by (Emperor) Marcus Aurelius. This is a special Virgo treat. Maybe not the first self-help author, but his stoic philosophies are useful during these Virgo times. As a bonus, a special Virgo birthday gift, there a free electronic copy of a translation of the original texts available at the bottom of the book section. Happy birthday!

Libra: Two parts, one, I can rarely pass the fragrance counter in a mall or any retail location without trying at least two fragrances. Usually intended for females. Part two? Back in the “bad old days,” there as particular mosquito repellent that worked better than anything else. Had to be careful, though, as the stuff would eat through nylon, plastic, and as it was straight “nasty chemicals” with no marketing or packaging, hardly even a warning label, the stuff smelled horrible.

I hadn’t thought about that particular bug repellent until I tried a new fragrance by (redacted). Sprayed it on my left wrist, took a whiff, and wrinkled my nose. Perhaps I don’t have the most refined palate. I prefer strong, dark roast coffee, unsweet ice tea, and searing, hot peppers. That perfume, available in a big display, at a store near you? “Here, smell this,” I offered a (female) friend. Same response, “Ewww.” Bug juice. Smells like insect repellent. The trick, this week, now, even, does it pass the Libra sniff test? All the pretty posters, displays and rock music, that stuff, that fragrance? Still smells like bug spray.

Scorpio: In military history, artillery has a long and storied past. Depending on the source, the history of lobbing long-distance shells at an enemy can be traced back as far as 5,000 years. Depends on who and what you consult. I was thinking of more recent innovations, and how in more recent times, artillery is nothing more than really big guns.

In decades past, artillery was used soften up a target, from a distance, the target was peppered with approximate fire. Mars enters Scorpio. You’re the target, Scorpio. You’re getting peppered from a long distance by artillery fire. Mars, and his war-like metaphor, are precursors to other events. However, it’s best to figure out where your Scorpio defenses need extra armor-plating. Mars is just the first of a long, and protracted planetary engagement.

If you are properly prepared? No harm.

Sagittarius: I am Sagittarius. I tend to see us all as broad thinkers, broad-minded and we’re certainly not concerned with too many details. Perhaps broad of beam, too, but I don’t see how that matters. Regrettably, this week, “God is in the details.” Where’s a good Virgo when you need one?

The answer is in the details.

Should be more detail-oriented.

Capricorn: I was working on a little piece of code. Not really hard work, the computer code itself looks like figures, numbers and characters in a seemingly random array, on the screen in a text editor. Most of my business friends thinks that is work that should be “hired out.” Means none of my business associates like to get their “hands dirty.” The problem with the offending piece of code wasn’t really a big issue, but there’s a cascading effect when one little widget doesn’t work correctly, then the next item in line, upstream, that doesn’t work, either, and from there?

Whole thing — website — is broken. If I have to hire a gunslinger every time I mess around under the hood of a website, I’d be a lot broker than I am now. The problem was a mistyped command. I copied the code exactly, changed what I needed, and my end of the work was done correctly. There was a mistake in the original document. As I poked through, line by line, almost character by character, I eventually found the problem. Took a little scrutiny, but I fixed it myself.

Capricorn: you can fix it yourself. A little close work, look at the details, you’ll do this much faster than hiring an outside, self-styled expert.

Aquarius: “You know the place, called ‘Chorizo Springs?'” The real name, I believe, is ‘Carrizzo Springs,’ but I just nodded. The young gentlemen was an Anglo cowboy-looking guy, with a healthy (young) blond woman wrapped around his arm and torso. I listened while he talked about ranching. South Texas. Drought conditions. Fire ants. Skinny cows.

There are two big reservoirs; great places to fish. Listened while he told his big fish story. Girl on his arm just nodded. There’s a time to let people ramble. That cowboy, eventually, he told me about the plastic bait he was using, when he caught that really big fish. Next time I’m at that South Texas reservoir, I’ll know what secret bait works better than anything else. I listened. As the moon gets fuller and fuller, bigger and bigger? As an Aquarius? Listen.

Pisces: Stop and assess where you are. I used to use a chatruese-colored “worm.” Plastic, or mostly plastic, although, the more recent innovations in hybrid technology is plastic-like substances that are both environmentally safe and ultimately biodegradable (as well as garlic-scented with the flavor that fish crave). Used on the highland lake chains, that one type of bait was, at one time, just “deadly!” Worked and worked well. However, as I’ve drifted southward, I’ve discovered what once worked, that particular bait and its style of fishing, that doesn’t work as well further south. Out of the highland lake reservoirs, and on into the deep canyons of South Texas, the terrain, and the fishing, changes. As much as I was married to that one style, that one kind, that single plastic worm, I had a whole carton of them, as much as I loved that? Stop and assess. What works. What no longer works. Change as need be. Funny, a darker green seems to work further south.

Aries: There’s one restaurant I love. Little place, down in a tourist trap town, arcane bits and bobs on the wall, some ‘high art,’ and some? Maybe the artist, the cook, maybe someone was just high. The little coastal fishing village, never can tell. Been in and around that one fishing village for more than a dozen years. Been eating at that one place for a similar length of time, as often as possible.

Different wait staff, there was one Gemini guy for the longest time, but he upped and moved. Anyway, that place has an espresso machine. Right there on the counter, big, three-spout machine. Brass, copper plates, nickel-coated, cups and saucers stacked next to it. The machine doesn’t work. They have good Cajun coffee, redolent with its chicory-infused flavor, and as an after dinner drink, the regular blend is a suitable dark-roast French-style. Again, quite good. But the espresso machine doesn’t work. Sort of a routine, I think, I’d eat at that one place when I was in town, and I’d ask for espresso after dinner. At that one place, they would look at me, and say, “Sorry, espresso machine isn’t working.” Realize what works. What doesn’t work. The espresso machine? Never has worked.

Taurus: I was, at one time, enough of gear-head that I enjoy the evocative rumble of big motor, like an American V-8, and that noise can cause my head to whip around. I heard just such a noise. I was near downtown San Antonio, and I looked. Pretty weird, even by my rather liberal standards, it was a Cadillac, late-model sedan — with side-pipes.

A Cadillac with pipes.

Just not something I’d expect. I’ve seen various models of that marque “modded” to be rather fetching Low Riders. One guy near me has a High Rider, too, the big rims and skinny tires on his Caddy. But I never before saw a Cadillac with pipes. Never heard one, either. Gentle Taurus is confronted with a similar type of scenario. It’s a function of Mars moving in Scorpio and the effect is jarring, at best. As this unfolds, what with everything else, I just see the Mars being the biggest deal. The Caddy rolls by, Mars rolls by, and you stop, stare. Close your mouth, you look just like I did.

Gemini: One (female) friend has a theory, that, for lack of better evidence, stand up well over time. “You’re a guy, they’re all ADD.” The acronym is Attention Deficit Disorder. Have to have a psychology license to make such a diagnosis. For an armchair, amateur assessment, though, it works.

Try that one on for size, a single generality that does fit all. Some of my Gemini buddies get upset at the ADD comment until something else flashes before their eyes, and they are off in a new direction. Evidence that supports the theory, I’m just saying.

As a Gemini, you’re getting evidence that supports a theory. Strong, clear message. With the recent Mars interruptions this week? My bet is you ignore the strong evidence and keep saying that the theory is preposterous. Even though you provide evidence that supports it.

Cancer: The common Brown Pelican, along the Texas coastline, that species’s known population dropped to fewer than 20 birds until conservation efforts (think: Texas Parks and Wildlife) reduced certain insecticides, and now? Pelicans are alive and thriving.

We were cleaning fish after a good day on the water. A circle of half dozen pelicans landed next to the cleaning station. As we’d get done with one fish, filleted out, the head, backbone and tail would all get gobbled up by one of the pelicans. Eating mighty fine, and for a once endangered species? Conservation efforts seemed to have been quite successful. The birds were fun to play with, in unison, they would all raise their wings as if to take off, and yet, still stay in their watery seats, watching and waiting for tidbits. As a Cancer/Moon-Child, there are lessons herein, like conservation efforts pay-off, and that one person’s cast-off, the fish carcass, is another’s fine dining. Look at the pelicans.

Leo: The way I first read the line, “Florida is a state in the south, but not a Southern State.” Makes sense, in a manner of speaking. The deal is that the so-called, “Southern States,” they all have a special flavor about them. While Florida certainly has its eccentrics, it’s not totally “southern” in affectations, speech and customs. In part, this is no doubt due to the tourist influence, the winter neighbors.

Personally, I figure the wholly transient nature of Florida’s population is due to living 20 feet above sea level at all times, subject to frequent hurricane eradication. Again, all a matter of opinions. To my friends who’ve never been East of the Mississippi? Distinctions with no point of reference. Mars is going to try and make a point. You can argue, demand your Leo way and vociferously declaim your right. Might wind up wrong. Better yet, as long we have this Mars in Scorpio action? Nod. Maybe say, “You have a valid point.” Leave out the comment that they are vapid, shallow and wrong.