Alex's Asteroid Astrology |

August 5th, 2021 at 08:21am by Alex Miller

Simone Biles’ Olympic Saga

The professional sports world was stunned on July 27^th by the announcement from star American gymnast Simone Biles that she would be withdrawing from the 2020 Olympics, citing mental health concerns. After performing a qualifying round for the vaulting competition, Biles made a hard landing, affected by what gymnasts term “the twisties”, when one’s sense of balance and positioning is lost during vaults or dismounts. Biles went on to withdraw from all team and individual competitions, later stating that the unexpected loss of her aunt two days before the Tokyo games opened, and memories of sexual abuse from her coach, had combined to dangerously distract her focus.

July 26th, 2021 at 09:10am by Alex Miller

Capitol Fireworks: the 1/6 Select Committee

Independence Day may be over, but the fireworks in DC are just beginning. Hard to imagine this could be a controversial topic, but in the post-Trump age even an investigation into an insurrectionist attack on the US Capitol itself can become a bone of contention between the two Parties. Some of the very lawmakers whose lives were threatened by the fury unleashed by Donald Trump’s supporters, now stand by and opine that the attack was just high spirits or a typical congressional tour group.

July 19th, 2021 at 09:50am by Alex Miller

Garden Glimpses: July – Another Day, Another Daylily

Daylilies have always been a part of my experience of this property, from my earliest remembrances of the lemon lilies my mother brought with her from my grandmother’s garden. Bright shining yellow, these late May bloomers are still the first to open, though the encroaching maple shade has thinned them to a precious few.

July 14th, 2021 at 08:48am by Alex Miller

The New York City Mayoral Race

The nation’s largest city is about to change leadership again. Term-limited current mayor Bill de Blasio will be leaving Gracie Mansion in January 2022 and turning over the keys to … who? Metropolitan voter registration of Gotham’s 8+ million citizens leans heavily Democratic, by a 5-1 margin, but that hasn’t prevented independents like Michael Bloomberg or Republicans like Rudi Giuliani from taking the helm in previous elections. Most of the early action took place on the Democratic side, with eight contenders vying for the nomination in a first-ever “ranked choice” electoral process where voters rate their preferences and supporters of candidates who are eliminated in the first round of tabulation are assigned to others.

July 7th, 2021 at 10:00am by Alex Miller

Sha’Carri Richardson Olympics Ban

Olympic hopeful Sha’Carri Richardson is covered in “grass” stains after a stumble and fall on her quest for a Gold Medal. The track phenom, noted for her streaming masses of flame-orange hair as much as for her athletic prowess, failed a drug test for marijuana use and was given a one-month suspension on July 2, which effectively prevents her from fully competing in the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, beginning July 23^rd. The suspension was retroactively imposed on June 28^th, making Richardson free to compete after July 27^th, so though she will miss the Women’s 100 meter, her qualifying race, she could conceivably participate in the Women’s 4 x 100 relay scheduled for August 5^th. However, Richardson has been cut from the roster of the US Olympic team, and will apparently not be allowed to compete at all.

June 26th, 2021 at 10:43am by Alex Miller

NFL Player Carl Nassib Comes Out

Just in time for Pride Month, on June 21^st Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib became the first active NFL player to come out as homosexual, in a very casual and matter-of-fact Instagram post. “I just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I’m gay,” stated Nassib, in what sounded almost like an afterthought, a testimony perhaps to the non-event such disclosures have become in recent years. “I’ve been meaning to do this for a while now, but I finally feel comfortable enough to get it off my chest,” continued Nassib. “I really have the best life. I got the best family, friends and job a guy can ask for. I’m a pretty private person, so I hope you guys know that I’m really not doing this for attention. I just think that representation and visibility are so important.”