• After last year’s debacle over the Swine Flu hysteria, vaccine makers aren’t taking any chances and are practicallygiving the stuff away this year.  
• Strikes by train workers in London and France are creating Mercury retrograde havoc for commuters.
• Let’s file this under Mercury retrograde for revisiting past research efforts that fell by the wayside: Scientists are researching the medicinal value of “magic mushrooms” and marijuana.  Watch for a post on this subject coming soon!

And in news that isn’t related to astrology but interesting nonetheless: a new study shows that money can only buy happiness up to an income of about $75,000 a year.  After that point the happiness quotient, as defined with general satisfaction about your life and your day to day experience of joy, levels off.  

Finally, a brief roundup of a few great astroblogs:

• Twilight examines a Bosch painting from the astrological viewpoint.
• JM examines the breakdown of the Obama presidency under Uranus at the 29th degree of Pisces.
• Kathryn gives her take on the Stephen Hawking controversy.
• And Beth reminds us that alone time is a valuable thing.