Is Zidane Insane? An Astrological View On A Moment Of Lunacy

Over 1 billion people around the globe, and 69,000 people in a German stadium, looked on in disbelief as the French team Captain in the World Cup Football Final committed an act of sheer madness. Zinedine Zidane, was playing the final minutes, of the final match in his professional career, when he violently headbutted his Italian opponent, Materazzi, and got sent off in disgrace. What should have been, win or lose, his moment of professional glory has instead gone down in history as his moment of shame - one which will haunt him forever.

Many of the headlines gracing newspapers and media reports across the World on the subject include the words 'an act of lunacy.' And from an astrological perspective, indeed it was. The word lunacy comes from the Latin word for the Moon, Luna.

Zinedine or 'Zizou' as he is affectionately known was born on June 23, 1972 in Marseilles, France. Not only is he a lunar ruled, Cancerian but his Mercury and Mars also occupy the sign. His Moon is in the water sign of Scorpio in mutual reception with his Mars, therefore acting as final dispositer for his Sun. In other words this is one highly emotional man. My guess would be that the inflammatory comments of Materazzi must in some way have been directed either at Zidane's family, or his nationality, for no other planetary placements are more hypersensitive, defensive and reactive to this type of personal insult than these.

With the Sun, Moon and Mars linked in this way his normally controlled, enigmatic, family-man persona belies an aggressive, impulsive streak which can appear to emerge suddenly but which, on closer examination, is invariably linked to the lunar cycles. A connection between weather patterns, tidal rhythms and menstrual cycles have long been recognised and accepted as part of the close relationship between the Sun, Earth and its satellite, the Moon. Less widely recognised however are the other stresses and effects on the human body that the lunar phases exert.

The word 'lunatic' is defined as such because it was once noticed that insanity was brought about by the changing phases of the Moon. Hospitals know that admissions rise significantly around the time of the Full Moon due to an increase in emotionally driven incidents. Surgeons appreciate that blood take longer to coagulate at the time of the Full Moon and some avoid operating. Law enforcement officers know that a significant rise in arrests for violent disputes occur in 29 day cycles.

So, can Zidane excuse his behaviour by blaming the decision of FIFA to stage the World Cup Final less than 36 hours before a Full Moon - I think not. And neither should people who possess close links between the Sun, Moon and Mars in their charts be fearful that they might suddenly headbutt someone one day! No, to explain, but not excuse, Zizou's behaviour we have to see the Moon for what it is - a cyclical trigger for impulses which at other times might lie dormant or find positive, rather than negative expression in his life. Just as when he headbutted his opponent in Turin on 24 October 2000, transiting Venus was again in close aspect with transiting Pluto at the time of this match. These two planets link in with Zidane's Moon and were themselves in a tense alignment at the time of his birth.

The position of the Cup Final's transiting Moon (and that of 2000) in relationship to the planets in his horoscope alert us to a flashpoint. With the aid of astrological advice, Zidane could have been warned that he was more susceptible to acting on his propensity to 'lose it.' Forearmed with that information he might have been able to arrest his emotional reactions and perhaps have altered the course of World Cup history. In this way he would have been truly collaborating with his fate, rather than being a victim of his periodic 'lunacy'.

Kathryn Cassidy is a professional astrologer. She writes on a variety of topics which fall under the umbrella of the word metaphysical at http://collaboratingwithfate.blogspot.com.

Liverpool Football Club

Youll Never Walk Alone

Liverpool FC is ranked as the most successful soccer team ever in the English League with an unparalleled record in domestic and European competition. However the history of the club is marked by sadness as much as it is by celebration.

The Early Years

Bizarrely, this incredibly successful soccer team was born as the result of a rent dispute! Anfield the home of Liverpool FC was originally the home ground of Everton. When they (Everton) won the English Football League Championship in 1891, Anfield owner John Houlding tried to increase their rent substantially. When Everton refused to pay, and no agreement was reached, the club decamped to a new ground at Goodison Park, leaving only three players behind.

Determined to see soccer remain at Anfield, Houlding recruited 13 professional players from Scotland and created the first Liverpool FC side.
The club was unable to secure election to the league until 1893, when they joined the second division. Ending their first season with an unbeaten record, they were promoted to division one, and have never been lower than the second division again in their entire history.

Liverpool won their first Football League championship in 1901, and their second only a few years later in 1906. That same year, a significant expansion of Anfield took lace with the construction of a massive cinder bank behind the home goal. This bank named the kop after a British defeat in the Boer War where many Liverpuddlian soldiers died is the sentimental home of every Liverpool fan.

It wasnt until 1914 that Liverpool played in their first FA Cup final, and it was 1921/2 before they won it though they did then go on to win it again the next year!

Famous Managers

Most great soccer teams are defined in terms of their great players, and of course Liverpool has had its fair share of stars over the years. But it is managers more than anyone else who have defined the different eras of Liverpools history starting with perhaps the most famous of them all; Bill Shankly.

Shankly joined Liverpool as manager in 1959 when Liverpool were languishing in the second division. Although he had no real experience of managing big teams, it was Shankly who firmly set Liverpool on the path to success and established the management and training systems that served subsequent managers well for the next 30 years or more.

The changing fortunes of Liverpool and Shanklys personal charisma resulted in the club fielding the greatest players of the time, including Emlyn Hughes, Kevin Keegan, Ian St John, John Toshack and Roger Hunt.

Shankly took Liverpool back into the first division in 1962, the season in which Roger Hunt scored a record (to this day) 41 league goals. First division championships and FA Cup victories followed through the 1960s and 70s, and then came Liverpools first European trophy (the UEFA Cup) in 1973.

In 1974, Shanklys shock retirement resulted in the promotion of his assistant, Bob Paisley, and the beginning of a new chapter in Liverpool history. This continuity of management may well be one of the secrets of Liverpools success, as two of Paisleys player signings Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness later became managers of the team.

If Shankly is remembered as the manager that turned Liverpool around, Paisley is the manager who made it all pay and the record he established for winning soccer trophies was unbroken for twenty years after his retirement.

His record in nine years of management:

• 6 Football League Championships
• 3 European Cups
• 1 UEFA Cup
• 3 League Cups (successive years)
• 1 European Super Cup
• 3 Charity Shields

In the 1982/3 season, Liverpool won both the Football League Championship and the League Cup for the second consecutive year. Following this victory, Bob Paisley retired, handing over to Joe Fagan another internal promotion to manager at Anfield.

Fagan only stayed for two seasons, but they were spectacularly successful seasons, winning the League Championship for the third consecutive year as well as Liverpools fourth European Cup. As well as the established squad that remained from the Shankly years, Fagan was able to field players such as Ian Rush, Alan Hansen and goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar.

The end of Fagans managerial career was also the first of two great tragedies in Liverpools history, when crowd violence led to 39 Juventus fans being crushed by a falling wall at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium. The occasion was the 1985 European Cup final what should have been another great night for the club turned to disaster.

The resulting six-year ban from European soccer meant that new player-manager Kenny Dalglish had to focus only on domestic competition which he did with great success. In 1986, Liverpool were only the fifth team to achieve the double of FA Cup and League Championship a particularly satisfying season for them as they beat local rivals Everton into second place in both competitions. A dip in form the following year led Dalglish to inject new talent in the form of Peter Beardsley, John Barnes and John Aldridge to the attacking unit, and a return to former glories followed.

The 1988/9 season saw the second great tragedy in Liverpools history, this time in the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Playing Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough stadium, crowd control problems resulted in 96 Liverpool fans being crushed to death, and over 700 more injured.

The end of Liverpools ban from European competition ended in 1991, and with it came the departure of Kenny Dalglish. His replacement Graeme Souness was yet another manager to be promoted through the ranks at Liverpool. Although home-grown players like Robbie Fowler and Jamie Rednapp were making names for themselves, Souness followed the trend of the day and invested heavily in new players from outside a strategy that did not prove successful and Souness was gone by 1994.

Souness was replaced by the last of the internally-promoted Liverpool managers Roy Evans. While Evans tinkered with the squad, Liverpool still relied heavily on veterans like Ian Rush to score goals, although newcomer Robbie Fowler made an impact with a 29-goal season.

The brightest playing talent from this period came in the form of the young Michael Owen who played regular first-team soccer from the age of 18.

With no major trophy success under Roy Evans, the Liverpool board drafted in French coach Gerard Houllier to assist in 1998, but Evans left after another disappointing season, leaving Houllier in charge.

Returning to form in 2000/1, Liverpool won the incredible treble of League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup. Building the squad to new strengths with the addition of soccer goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek, midfielder Steven Gerrard and striker Emile Heskey did not bring more trophies to Anfield although they enjoyed some league success in 2002 and 2003.

The changing pace of English soccer then seemed to leave Houlliers style of management behind, and the Valencia manager Rafael Benitez replaced him in 2004.

Early indications suggest that Liverpool may well be back on the road to substantial trophy success if their 2005 Champions League campaign is any indication. Playing AC Milan in the final, Liverpool were 3-0 down at half time. In the second half, Liverpool heroically fought back until the score was 3-3 at full time. With no change after a dramatic period of extra time, a penalty shoot-out finally resulted in Liverpool winning their fifth European Cup trophy.

Liverpool FCs anthem, Youll Never Walk Alone, is emblazoned everywhere on soccer apparel, badges, stickers and countless DVDs, books and videos and is an appropriate sentiment for a team that has endured such a mixture of elation and sadness throughout its history.

About The Author

Julie Amos is a freelance writer providing tips and information for consumers purchasing various soccer gear, soccer apparel including replica jerseys, and soccer goalkeeper equipment.

Tips For Romantic Ways To Propose Success

The proposal is THE start of the rest of your life together. Being Boyfriend and Girlfriend is great, but when you pop the question that shows your commitment to your relationship. Here are just a few romantic ways to propose:

1. Propose at the first place that you met at. Grocery store, mall, beach.

2. Go on a vacation. Mask it as a regular getaway. Of course some place that she has always wanted to go to, or a place that she really enjoys visiting like Hawaii.

3. Plan an engagement party. Pretend its a regular get-together for friends and family and let everyone in on it or not and pop the question.

4. If you live near somewhere with beautiful sunsets it could present the perfect opportunity. The sky looks most magnificent as the sun sets and changes to all shades of orange and red.

5. Use your resources. Some people spend too much money setting things up and neglect planning out the actual asking part. Make things or create them, being unique and creative will definitely make it that much more memorable.

And finally here are some tips to follow to ensure a smooth proposal:

1. Be almost positive she will say yes. The reason I have this in here is because if you both have not even entertained the idea of marriage, you may find yourself on the emotionally crushing end of a failed proposal. First hand find out if your girlfriend will say yes. If she is like some women who want to just date forever without the commitment of marriage and you want the opposite, you may have to start looking elsewhere.

2. Save enough money for a ring. There is nothing worse then coming to the time that you want to propose, perhaps on a special day like an anniversary and not having the money to get a decent enough ring. Plan ahead.

3. Compatibility. Before you even propose, be sure that you are compatible. If she has many issues with stuff you do and you with her, you need to work these things out. Or at least come to some sort of plan to deal with times like this. If you and your significant other have too many fights and cant seem eye to eye, marriage nay not be the right thing to do just yet.

There are so many things you could do to make your proposal special. I know that if you sit down long enough you will come up with your own plan to make your special day that much more special. Heres to your success!

Plan on ruining the proposal? If you aren't Click Here!

Boost Your Business With Effective Financial Management

Working Capital, to put it briefly, refers to a business organization's total current assets (short-term ones), marketable securities, accounts receivables, inventory, and cash. Management of the financial segment is a great responsibility that demands equal attention on investments as well as sources of income (both long term and short term). In fact, a business firm can never enhance its value if it fails to survive initial hiccups in the short run. Hence, efficient management of finances is essential for any business to survive.

Strategies to finance short-term working capital needs much greater attention than are usually practiced. Precisely speaking, there are two short-term working capital financing options; business cash advance programs and short-term commercial mortgage loan programs that have been often overlooked. But these two working capital funding options are excellent for small and new business ventures to ward initial financial obstructions off their way. Business cash advance is one of the best financing options for businesses accepting credit cards as mode of payment. Speaking of benefits, business cash advance offers great help even to prospering businesses. For instance, even thriving businesses need working capital that might not be borrowed from a bank. Under these circumstances, business cash advance or merchant cash advance programs come to the rescue. Retail chains, bars, and restaurants, service businesses are highly benefited from these finance programs.

Receivable factoring or "credit card factoring" is another unique working capital management strategy, whereby the businesses sell their future receivables at a discount. However, it is not possible for all small businesses to document their receivables in order to qualify for this financing option. The documented sales volume and credit card sales activity of these small businesses serve as financial asset to attain a business cash advance or a merchant cash advance.

Not negating the importance of short-term working capital loans, it is also necessary to understand the importance of long-term working capital management. While planning to finance your business long-term, make sure to get hold of a long-term commercial mortgage for at least 15-20 years. In a few cases though it becomes essential to avoid long-term commercial mortgage loans and opt for its short-term counterpart. This would especially be applicable for those who intend to sell or refinance their business within one to five years. In fact, availing short-term commercial mortgage loans comes with the added advantage of negating prepayment penalties and "lockout" fees, normally associated with long-term loans.

There are few lenders providing effective services for both these financial strategies. Hence, working capital loan in the form of business cash advance programs or commercial mortgage loans should be chosen with great care.

Suzanne Macguire is an Internet marketing professional with expertise in content development and technical writing in a variety of industries. Working Capital Financing

Living Is This Moment

We are so busy with doing whatever we do on a day-to-day basis that we ignore what we are experiencing. Our thinking has become so much a habit that we do not pause to look at what is happening to us in any moment.

We worry about what might happen in the future or we fret about what we did yesterday, not stopping to think about what we are doing today will make us fret tomorrow or cause us to worry later on. We do not stop to remind ourselves about what is giving us joy in this moment.

Stopping every time something happened would not be very productive and would likely drive us crazy.

But at least once in the day, at work or at play, whenever you interacting with others, stop for a moment and think about these questions. Catch yourself doing something that you enjoy every bit as often as you catch yourself doing something less enjoyable.

What just happened?

Sometimes we just read the events incorrectly. I was recently asked , "Someone smiled at me when they stood beside me at a urinal. What was that all about?"

Many men are uncomfortable with other men standing close to them in washrooms. There is little privacy and that makes them self-conscious.

This is an example of allowing what you are feeling in the moment to color your thinking. Your automatic response to your habit of feeling shy, that others may be watching your every move, is influencing how you think.

There are many reasons why another person might smile at you. He may just be friendly. He may be gay and flirting with you. He may be shy too, but want to lighten up the situation. He may just be curious about you.

What was I thinking?

We need to be cautious about reading other peoples minds. We can't and they can't. We imagine what others are thinking and that often depends on how we are feeling at the moment.

We judge others it is from our own experience, thinking, feelings, attitudes and beliefs. We can we never be sure that our thinking isn't colored by how we feel at the moment.

Everyone else has their own beliefs, attitudes and thinking habits to make their own way through life. No matter how many rules you set for someone, you cannot control how they think. The only person you can control is yourself.

Language is also important. Stop and think about the words you use. Constantly swearing is not a productive use of language. How much respect do you show to yourself and others if you are constantly angry or speaking from exasperation?

How did I feel?

Feelings have both mental and a physical parts. You feel because it affects your body in some way. That is why they are called feelings. So become aware of the tensions across your shoulder or tightness in your abdomen.

Try to name what you are feeling. Why? Because then you can apply a plan of action to overcome bad feelings, or make a mental note of good feelings. Good feelings are important to remember when you are not feeling so good. I call this writing a history of good feelings.

What did I do?

When someone smiles at you do you smile back? When you see someone do you smile first?

When someone speaks sharply to you do you speak the same way to them?

If someone comes into the bathroom while you are there, do you immediately leave or find an enclosure to get away from them?

How you behaved is very much about how you were feeling and thinking before something happened. It all depends on your thinking habits. If you tend think with confidence about yourself, then you will do things that show you are.

If you think that everyone is out to get you then you will act in exactly that way. If you think that you can hide your feelings then you will appear cold and secretive.

There is a rule in understanding communications. Even if you do or say nothing, you can not not communicate.

Summing Up

Life gives us many experiences on our journey. We need to be aware of what is happening to us in the moment.

We need to ask ourselves these questions:

What just happened?
What was I thinking?
How did I feel?
What did I do about it?

For more feature articles go to http://www.themeaningisyou.com
The author has many years experience, writing and reading for self development.

Copyright Gilles Hamann 2007
Permission is granted to publish this article providing Gilles Hamann is identified as the author and the links to ezinearticles and to The Meaning Is You remain intact and are displayed with the article.