By Jack Fertig

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAY

Mel Gibson turns 55 on Monday. After riding years of box office success, karma bit the actor/director in the ass hard. His homophobia and anti-semitism are no secret, but charges of domestic violence and racism throughout 2010 hurt his career. He was dropped by his talent agency and his film Edge of Darkness was considered one of the bigger flops of the year. Mega-ouch.

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THIS WEEK

Sun squaring Saturn adds the weight of age and responsibility, but Venus enters Sagittarius, leading affections and aesthetics toward new adventures. She gets in the middle of that square offering frivolous escape that can too easily complicate problems at hand, but she also offers creative solutions.

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CAPRICORN Dec 21-Jan 19
You’re at the top of your game, but what’s next? The answer to that is not as urgent as it may seem. Relax, indulge in a romantic or sensual retreat and the hard questions will gain perspective.

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18
The world’s troubles are not necessarily your own. Discussing global and personal worries with friends help balance it out. For answers, look across borders and oceans.

PISCES Feb 19-Mar 19
Put your deep, dark imagination to work. Even in a bleak future there are opportunities. Even if the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train, you can ride it out.

ARIES Mar 20-Apr 19
The responsibilities of work and relationships feel oppressive. A romantic adventure is needed. If partnered, plan a getaway. If single, a stern attitude is sexy, but balance it with playful warmth.

TAURUS Apr 20-May 20
As hard as you’ve been working, you’re entitled to a much-needed release. If you really need to beat someone, there are eager victims. Just keep it safe and consensual.

GEMINI May 21-Jun 20
Play only for funsies. Take a chance on love or a passionate facsimile. Incredible sex is no basis for a solid relationship. Take it one day at a time and see what else there is.

CANCER Jun 21-Jul 22
A strong sense of responsibility at home can be a millstone or a motivator. Go with the latter. Once you drag your tush into action, momentum will make the rest of it a lot easier.

LEO Jul 23-Aug 22
Even you have inarticulate moments. Take them as a creative challenge. Playfulness boosts morale and productivity. Too much, not so good. Turn up the jokes and your dazzling smile.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sep 22
Your best investment of time, energy and money is in your own home and community. Think ahead before taking on responsibilities. Spreading good will at home will help build your standing.

LIBRA Sep 23-Oct 22
The weight of the world seems to be on your shoulders. Opportunities can be hard to find, but they’re there. A lighthearted chat with a sister (genetic or otherwise) can help you get perspective.

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 21
Life is tough, but don’t let troubles wear you down. When you find yourself worrying, channel that into constructive thought toward a solution. Stick to basics and remember what’s important.

SAGITTARIUS Nov 22-Dec 20
You may be worrying too much about money. Focus on your personal assets, the kind you’d have even if you were penniless and naked. You almost always fare better than most.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition December 31, 2010.

Has God Hates Fags run its course? Fred Phelps seems to have a new target. Or maybe just an additional target.

This week Congregation Beth El Binah, Dallas’ LGBT Jewish congregation, received a package labeled “Obama Hates Israel.” The return address was simply “WBC” with a Topeka, Kan., address. “WBC” is Westboro Baptist Church.

The DVD inside the package is labeled “Jews Killed Jesus.”

Before putting the DVD into my computer, I’m waiting for our IT person because I’m afraid it may contain a virus. He’ll be here Tuesday. I’ll let you know what kind of hate is on the DVD then.

But what a great target Beth El Binah makes for Fred Phelps. LGBT and Jewish. Makes me very proud to be a member. And BEB’s vice president is African American. Even better! But does Fred hate blacks the way he does Jews and gays?

Maybe not, according to a CNN profile that ran today about a noted civil rights attorney from the 1960s who fought passionately for the rights of blacks until he was disbarred for witness badgering in 1979.

He was a ‘brilliant’ civil rights attorney in the 1960s who would take on racial discrimination cases that no other lawyers would touch, say longtime African-American civic leaders in Topeka.

The civil rights attorney was none other than Fred Phelps, whom CNN describes as the leader of “America’s most hated family.”

Phelps’ daughter Shirley is also an attorney who does most of the family’s litigation, including a recent case in which the father of a soldier killed in Iraq will have to pay the Phelps family’s court costs.

Shirley claims the difference between LGBT and racial inequality is “God never said it was an abomination to be black.”

Mark Potok from the Southern Poverty Law Center pointed out that Phelps regularly spews anti-Semitism. And Phelps’ estranged son said his father held racist views even while working as a civil rights attorney.

The Vatican is saying that accusations against the pope and the Catholic Church in the sex abuse scandal are like the “collective violence” suffered by the Jews. The Associated Press reported that the Pope defended the church against the current scandal.

The comparison is heinous. The Vatican is comparing criminal activity by members of their church to the murder of Jews during the Holocaust, the Inquisition and other periods of history.

Most disgusting part of the comparison is that another group targeted in large numbers during the Holocaust were priests and nuns. To compare those killed by the Nazis to those abusing children is unconscionable.

The Vatican continues to ignore one teeny little fact. Molesting children is criminal, as well as immoral. Sheltering those who committed those crimes is also a criminal activity. And no one is accusing ALL priests of doing these things.

Speaking for the Vatican, Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa continues to show his ignorance by talking about the “coincidence” that Passover falls the same week as Easter celebrations.

The Last Supper was a Passover Seder. The two holidays inextricably intertwined. But history seems to have to relevance to this Vatican.

Prosecuting child molesters is no different to this pope than slaughtering people because of their religion. I didn’t realize that child abuse was a Catholic value and that stopping it makes law enforcement officials in countries around the world anti-Catholic.

If the pope wants to make a comparison, he might trying comparing the surviving victims of abuse by priests to survivors of anti-Semitic hatred.