*** work in process *** your comments appreciated ***
by Nancy R. Fenn

Update: Quoting from the New York Times.

B ernard J. Ebbers, the founder and former chief executive of World Com who was found guilty of fraud by a New York jury in March, agreed yesterday[June 30, 2005] to surrender nearly all of his personal fortune - about $40 million - to investors who lost billions when the company spiraled into bankruptcy almost three years ago. ...

The deal with Mr. Ebbers was concluded in advance of his sentencing in the criminal case, which is scheduled for July 13. Prosecutors have asked the judge overseeing the case to sentence Mr. Ebbers to 85 years for masterminding the $11 billion WorldCom fraud, the largest in United States corporate history. Barbara S. Jones, the judge in the case, must approve the settlement agreement reached yesterday with Mr. Ebbers. If it is approved, prosecutors said they would not seek restitution beyond the sale of his assets at Mr. Ebbers's sentencing.

UPDATE:

Ebbers was sentenced July 14, 2005 to 25 years in prison.

AUGUST 11, 2005 SCOTT SULLIVAN GOT SENTENCED TO A FEW YEARS IN PRISON. According to the The Washington Post, "Government lawyers called Sullivan a 'model cooperat'r... .For the first time, prosecutors provided details about Sullivan's secret talks with the government. They said Sullivan, 43, contacted Justice Department officials even before his August 2002 arrest to offer his assistance. Plea talks broke down during rampant media speculation. But the negotiations started again in early 2004, after Sullivan learned that Enron Corp. finance chief Andrew S. Fastow had agreed to help prosecutors build a case against his former supervisors. " [ Leniency Sought for WorldCom's Sullivan: Ex-Finance Chief's Testimony Helped Convict Others b y Carrie Johnson, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, July 28, 2005; Page D01]

HERE'S A GREAT NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALS BEHIND BARS.

Recent front page events in the business world have Americans wondering, "What has happened to our business ethics? Are they all crooks?"

The chart of the New York Stock Exchange has Saturn in the 9th house representing hard lessons in ethics.

Before one more CEO takes a perp walk, let me go on record as saying this is inexcusable. But is it new? Or even "news?" Greed (and violence) surface cyclically in the collective. This does not excuse these qualities in human beings but an approach of trying to place "blame" for recent events seems simplistic and nonproductive. The blame seems to be in our very nature.

My purpose in writing this article is less to blame than to teach those who are interested about the nature of cycles and the reaping of harvests so that we all learn to take seriously what seeds we plant.

The harvest may take a long time (this one: 38 years) and the seeds grow in the dark for a long time but the fruit ripens.

The seeds of a new World Order were planted in 1982 when Saturn and Pluto were conjunct in Llibra.

This cycle brought a crisis in ethics and culture to the stock exchange at its halfway mark on July 30, 2001, within a few days of Harvey Pitt's taking office at the SEC. (Pitt took office August 3, 2001.)

When I wrote this article, Sarbanes-Oxley with its 66 separate sections was not yet in place. Since then I have heard regulators refer to these times as "the New World Order".

The New World Order -- life after Sarbanes-Oxley -- demands that public corporations have transparency, reliability, accuracy and timeliness in their reporting capabilities. Investors want to know that the financial reporting they receive is accurate. CEOs are taking the demands of Congress and shareholders seriously. They are also heeding the need to create "cultures of ethical behavior" reinforced by their own examples. In a September 29, 2004 Compliance Week webcast, Richard J. Wolf, Senior Vice President, Legal and Corporate Compliance Officer of Cendant Corporation spoke about the need for ethics training for all employees.

According to his press release, Mr. Wolf has "global responsibility for Cendant’s new business records and information management system, which includes records management policy and procedures, and the general corporate compliance program for Cendant and its subsidiary companies."

Others who oversee compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley in companies around America are Chief Compliance or Governance Officers, CFOs, Chief Accounting Officers, Internal Audit Groups, IT Security Staff and others in Senior Management.

Everywhere that global business is seriously considered, mention is made of the desirability of transparence, not because it is the law but because it is better for business. It has been well known for centuries to be better for business. In his book The Wisdom of Crowds, New Yorker economics columnist James Surowiecki speaks briefly about the foundation of corporations that was laid in England a few centuries ago by Quakers who were noted for their honesty. These people actually created the business model that is preferred around the world and perfected in America. America's capital makets are the envy of the world. The "New World Order" is about preserving them by restoring ethics.

The New World Order is technology driven. Information must be stored and retrieved responsibly in "digital vaults". CEOs are striving for a "single source of truth", one that is incorruptible. Digital fingerprinting is in the offing -- to reveal who has seen electronically archived information and who may have changed it. The storage and retrieval of eMail is a big issue.

Mr. Wolf spoke about including the ethical behavior of executives in their compensation performance measurement. Those who fostered atmospheres of trust and comfort, including comfort to blow the whistle, should be rewarded in their salaries. Provision of anonymous Whistleblowing apparatus throughout a public corporation is now the law.

In this article, I explore important events in the stock market, the New York Stock Exchange, the SEC, the Federal Reserve Bank and other important components of the American economy beginning in 1982 forward which laid the ground work for these developments. The turning point proves to be Harvey Pitt's term at the SEC.

This article is intended to be thought provoking and open ended -- explorative rather than conclusive -- since we are dealing with a very big cycle on a very big scale and with the nature of humans and their collective life.

Alan Greenspan has just been appointed to his last term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board. Saturn transited his Ascendant for the second and last time during June of 2004.

Here's a great series of Business Week articles about Greenspan's BRAVE NEW WORLD.

Let's take a look at the origin and development of events leading to today's crises in confidence and the reforms of Sarbanes-Oxley.

Here is an outline of the major events of this time period.

CHART #1: KEY DATES
CHART #2: KEY PLAYERS
CHART #3: ONLINE BIOGRAPHIES OF KEY PLAYERS, official where possible
CHART #4: ASTROLOGY CHARTS OF KEY PLAYERS WHERE AVAILABLE
WEBPAGE: NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE and charts of related events
CHART #5: ONLINE RESOURCES OF POSSIBLE INTEREST FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING
CHART #6: LIBRARY OF RECOMMEND READING
CHART #7: BREAKDOWN OF SATURN/PLUTO ASPECTS BY DATE
CHART #8: BREAKDOWN OF SATURN/PLUTO ASPECTS BY DATE WITH DETAILS PROVIDED
CHART #9: TIMELINE WITH EVENTS KEYED TO ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS THAT SATURN AND PLUTO TRANSITED
CHART #10: TELECOM EVENTS TIMELINE

This article is the second in a series of articles about the new world order.

The good news is that more investors than ever are participating in the stock market. The bad news is that business coverage has moved to the front pages and confidence is at an all time low. The sagas of Enron, WorldCom and other publicity held companies have revealed greed and corruption on the part of CEOs, CFOs and stock analysts plus negligence and complicity on the part of auditors and directors on a scale that has investors outraged and on the attack.

see books about the rise of the middle class investor

Hedrick Smith's FRONTLINE
Is Wall Street Fixed?
published May 8, 2003
read synopsis

"I was robbed, lied to and stolen from," said a restaurant owner in the Southeast who invested over $300,000 with WorldCom a few years ago on the advice of his broker who relied on a telecom stock analyst.

Another investor expected her investment in WorldCom to triple in a couple of years. She put in $32,000 hoping to retire on her profits and has seen her "life savings" dwindle to nothing.

This March 3, 2004, Bernard Ebbers, former CEO of WorldCom, took a perp walk on federal charges in the biggest corporate fraud case in US history.

Our story actually begins a few months prior to the exact November 1982 conjunction of Saturn and Pluto with the beginning of the longest bull market (generally rising upward trends) in US history that began in August 1982.

On November 4, 1982, Saturn and Pluto conjuncted at 27 degrees of Libra and the seeds for this year's front page news were planted. That year Bernie Ebbers and his Brookhaven, Mississippi pal Murray Waldren, founded LDDS [Long Distance Discount Services], the company that morphed into WorldCom. Also that year MCI became the first long distance competitor of AT&T. Fiber optics was the big news that year. This was the "rise" of WorldCom.

The "fall" of WorldCom coincides with the turning point or "opposition" in the Saturn/Pluto cycle. The exact date of this critical mass was reached July 30, 2001, with Saturn at 12 degrees Gemini opposing Pluto at 12 degrees Sagittarius. That year Arthur Levitt relinquished Chairmanship of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC ") to Harvey Pitt. The SEC is the government watchdog of publicly held companies like WorldCom and the agency that's supposed to see that these things don't happen.

Despite the fact that Levitt, in his unprecedented eight year term in office, created a public relations of educating investors and used his "bully platform" to warn of an impending crisis in the accountancy profession, the gross excesses of Enron, WorldCom, etc., occurred under his watch and were part of the harvest that Pitt reaped shortly after taking office.

Pitt's term was short and controversial but he may go down in history as a very effective crisis manager and dynamic initiator while Levitt's reputation may be tarnished. Let's look at more of the facts.

Aside from the greed that is inherent in human nature, there are two major causes for the events which recently culminated in Ebber's walk.

The first primary cause is deregulation of fixed rate commissions which took place on "May Day", May 1, 1975 under Ray Garrett, Jr.'s term as Chairman of the SEC. [see chart]

For your interest and reference, I have set forth one of the popular charts for the New York Stock Exchange here, with transit charts for these stock market events: Crash of 1929, Deregulation of 1975, "Crash" of 1987, Arthur Levitt's Chairmanship of the SEC (1993), repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act (1999), Harvey Pitt's Chairmanship of the SEC at the halfway point in the Saturn/Pluto cycle (2001) and the day Dick Grasso left NYSE in 2003.

The chart I'm using for the NYSE is Rodden rated DD (dirty data). [There are several charts for the founding of the NYSE but this is the one most often used.] Why not take a moment to visit the chart and familiarize yourself with its characteristics?

In the NYSE chart, Saturn is in Aries in the 9th house conjunct the Moon indicating ethical issues that do not do it justice (?) More ominously, Saturn in this chart at 26 Aries in the 9th house opposes Neptune at 27 Libra in the third. 27 Libra is the degree at which the new Saturn/Pluto cycle began in 1982. This means that transiting Saturn and Pluto were conjunct Neptunein the NYSE chart and opposite Saturn. This portends a very big shakeup with possibly no clear resolution. Issues involving ethics, communication, accurate reporting of data and public relations were also constellated, areas that were naturally afflicted in the NYSE chart.

Uranus and Pluto at the angles of the NYSE chart with Leo Rising make it fun for the players who love to take big risks.

All of these things belie the simple and simplistic Sun/Mercury in Taurus conjunction in the 10th house of the chart. It would seem that where the New York Stock Exchange is concerned, things are not as they seem -- nor will they ever be. Of course there is more to "the stock exchange" than the New York Stock Exchange but for purposes of this article, I will limit my discussion to the NYSE charts and use WorldCom as a classic example of phenomena that occurred between 1982 and today.

The deregulation of fixed rates, coupled with the Telecommunications Acts of 1996 enabled the entry of hundreds of thousands of uneducated and unsophisticated investors into the stock market, many of whom traded at home on their PCs. An "unsophisticated investor" is someone who thinks they can triple their investment in two years without risk. Such an investment would be de facto a high risk investment unsuitable for "life savings".

The greed of inexperienced traders can't be undervalued in assigning blame for the current state of affairs. However, there is more than enough blame to go around. This article will reluctantly assume that a certain amount of greediness exists in all people and will seek to find more interesting currents at work in the undertow of the American economy.

Deregulation helped to end one of the most devastating bear markets that began with a new Dow Jones high in January, 1973 and fell for 21 months to a low of 60.96. Bear markets generally decline at 20-25-30%. This one dropped 50%. Recovery was slow. The Dow Jones didn't break its January 1974 high until July 1980, almost six and a half years later.

When Garrett deregulated fixed commissions, Neptune was at 11 degrees Sagittarius. Harvey Pitt, Chairman of the SEC in 2001, reaped the harvest when Saturn was at 12 degrees of Sagittarius. This strikes me as a karmic exchange of 9th house energies at some mystical level, an echo of the pairing of Saturn and Neptune across the 3rd and 9th houses of the "natal" NYSE chart. In some way Pitt's term gave form to the aspirations of Garrett's vision ... or were they nightmares? It should be remembered by those who are old enough that the early 70s were desperate times where the stock market was concerned. This is not to be said that Levitt didn't try to educate this influx of new investors between 1993-2001. It was one of his principle goals. However, as history keeps teaching us in repeating cycles, the task is daunting.

The second primary cause of recent failures is the more remote but critical repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, which took place in 1999, capping a decade of perhaps unprecedented greed and excess in business. The repeal of Glass-Steagall essentially permitted Sanford Weill to build the colossal CitiGroup by combining his investment banking house, Salomon Smith Barney, with the commercial bank CitiCorp which could lend huge sums of money. It is the huge investment banks which drive corporate America.

Weill had been aggressively lobbying the President, the Federal Reserve Board and Congress for many years. The climate for repeal changed when anti-regulatory Alan Greenspan took over the Chairmanship of the Federal Reserve Board in 1987 but progress was still slow.

CitiGroup's Sanford Weill, together with his high profile "rock star" telecom stock analyst Jack Grubman, might be considered the masterminds behind WorldCom ... the rise. Prior to teaming up with another Christian from Mississippi, Bernie Ebbers, the former CEO of WorldCom, was a small town high school basketball coach and ran a motel.

Many have speculated that Ebbers could not have taken WorldCom global without help. Telecom analyst Susan Kalla said on Frontline, "You had a small player that came from nowhere, a CEO that did not have a technical background, did not have a financial background and did not have an industry background and catapulted him into number one. You couldn't do that without a lot of help."

Help is something Jack Grubman was more than happy to give. WorldCom was the dream of every analyst ... a capital intensive business with lots of acquisition banking fees. Grubman had begun to act as a bird dog for investment banking rather than a representative for the investor. This could be considered a conflict of interest and illegal.

New York State Attorney Eliot Spitzer said on Frontline, "Analysts would help you to take [your company] public, keep a strong buy on your stock, become a part of your management team ... who got hurt was the ordinary investors who didn't understand the game."

Jack Grubman more or less "tagged" Ebbers back in 1986. He admits to attending at least three WorldCom board meetings. The "morphing" of the stock analyst during the 90s, from scrupulously independent bookish nerds to "rock stars" tied in relationships that might be considered conflict of interest to investment banking firms is personified by Jack Grubman and is a contributing factor to the crisis in recent years as is the condition of the accounting profession which openly declared war on the SEC in the 90s. The accountants were represented collectively by Harvey Pitt.

Weill was under intense scrutiny by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer for various reasons but so far has escaped criminal penalties for his conduct. Grubman has been fined $15 million and excluded from stock market analysis for life. Bernie Ebbers may wind up behind bars. Isn't this rather like arresting the doorman because the owner of the building is negligent? I think this speaks plainly for the sophistication and ultimate accountability of these three men, though you may disagree with me.

Let's take a look at how these events evolved and coincided to change the face of Wall Street in the past few years.

The new cycle between Saturn and Pluto began on November 4, 1982 with both planets conjunct at 27 degrees Libra, the same degree as Neptune in the chart of the New York Stock Exchange opposed by Saturn at 26 degrees Aries in the 9th house (ethics). This cycle brought a crisis in ethics and culture to the stock exchange at its halfway mark on July 30, 2001, within a few days of Harvey Pitt's taking office at the SEC. (Pitt took office August 3, 2001.) Transiting Saturn was at 12 degrees Gemini opposing transiting Pluto at 12 degrees Sagittarius.

The problematical Saturn/Neptune opposition in the founding chart of the NYSE is a theme throughout this cycle and this article. Saturn/Neptune aspects bring a kind of fundamental confusion, denial and conspiracy ... at least in the sense that someone may conspire not to see what is plainly obvious.

Saturn is the planet of structure and infrastructure. Pluto is the planet that destroys structures. It is interesting that Harvey Pitt has often referred to a "kind of Darwinism" operating in corporations today. Pluto may symbolize a kind of Darwinian survival of the fittest.

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LET'S LOOK AT THE BASIC PLANETARY CYCLE FOR SATURN AND PLUTO

The cycle between any two planets can perhaps best be understood by referring to the moon cycle with which we are so familiar. The moon cycle begins with the New Moon, then the Waxing Moon, Full Moon and Waning Moon. Then the cycle repeats again.

Moon Cycle

All planetary cycles are based on the Sun/Moon Cycle. Below is a chart of the cycle between Saturn and Pluto. The faster planet revolves around the slower.

Saturn/Pluto Cycle 1982-2020

The aspects the planets make during this cycle are listed here in sequence: semi-sextile, sextile, square, trine, inconjunct, opposition, inconjunct, trine, square, sextile, semi-sextile and return to conjunct. Periods of growth and crisis alternate with periods of ease and integration. You are familiar with this in your own Saturn/Saturn or Saturn to Angles cycle.

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#1: KEY DATES

These are the key dates for the squares and oppositions in the new Saturn/Pluto cycle. Other aspects are put in italics with no dates:

• beginning conjunction 1982 (marked X)
• semi-sextile
• sextile
• first square waxing cycle 1991
• trine
• inconjunct (crisis) - important
• opposition 2001
• inconjunct (crisis) - important
• trine
• final square waning cycle 2009-2010
• sextile
• semi-sextile
• culmination 2020 - beginning of new cycle

The symbolic meanings of the major aspects are these. At the conjunct and semi-sextile, the car pulls out of the driveway in 1st and 2nd house fashion. At the sextile, the car heads down the road in 3rd house fashion, passing through the neighborhood at appropriate speed.

At the waxing square it picks up speed and pulls out onto the freeway. This is called "leaving home" in 4th house fashion. At the trine,you're doing great, on the open road, making good headway.

At the opposition, in 7th house fashion, there is a psychological crisis. This is because at the halfway mark you are 180 degrees across the circle from home and psychologically the farthest from your goal, though you are actually halfway there. This is the point where quitters quit and winners go on to win. At this time in the Saturn/Pluto cycles, Harvey Pitt was appointed Chairman of the SEC, Enron and WorldCom failed. It is represented by the 9 of Wands in the Tarot deck.

If we want to predict the "outcome" of this new world order cycle, all we need do is look at how far we came between 1982 and 2001 and project the "other half" to 2020. In this regard 2001 was the shakedown ... what's working, what isn't ... with deregulation, telecommunications, unsophisticated investors, investment banking, accounting and other issues. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 followed quickly.

Let's be optimistic and assume that the good inherent in all of these events will prevail by 2020.

At the waning trine, things get back to normal and you continue making progress toward your goal. This is the time period we are experiencing as you read this article.

The waning square is a "returning home" or a 10th house aspect.

The waning sextile is one of genius, an 11th house aspect. This is where we get every last bit of what "it" is we're supposed to get in a cycle. If it seems difficult to understand what there is to get in a cycle, rely on someone with 11th house energy to grok it for you.

The semi-sextile is like an exaggerated Balsamic Moon, in some ways like a Void-of-Course Moon, a 12th house letting go and releasing back in preparation for the new cycle.

There are inconjuncts which take place on either side of the opposition which could be compared to tightening the screws. Inconjuncts remind me of the music in a Verdi opera when someone is being tortured in the other room. By nature, these things may happen behind the scenes as there are not major events in the Saturn/Pluto cycle at these times.

Inconjuncts reflect the archetypal relationship between Aries, Virgo and Scorpio or the 1st, 6th and 8th houses wherein the identity is subjected to a type of crisis.

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#2: KEY PLAYERS

The key players in the drama which will unfold as Saturn circles Pluto are:

• Bernard Ebbers, CEO WorldCom (1982-2003)
• Alan Greenspan, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board (1987 to present) - anti-regulation; abetted repeal of Glass-Steagall Act
• Arthur Levitt, Chairman of the SEC (1993-2001) - focuses on educating investors and curbing or reforming accountants, takes aggressive stance with bank regulation
• Robert Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury (1995-1999); assistant to Sanford Weill (1999-time of writing this article) - mixed reviews in ethics
• Eliot Spitzer, New York State Attorney General (1999-present) - Spitzer’s investigations of conflicts of interest on Wall Street have been the catalyst for dramatic reform in the nation’s financial services industry
• Harvey Pitt, Chairman of the SEC (2001-2003) - volatile and controversial term reflecting the oppositional aspect under which he took office; reaped what Levitt sowed
• Sanford Weill, head of CitiGroup - pressures Congress to repeal Glass-Steagall; gives IPOs to favored customers, pressures analysts for preferred ratings
• Jack Grubman, telecom analyst for CitiGroup's Salomon Smith Barney - together with Weill, perhaps the brains behind WorldCom; personifies the telecom stock analyst of the 90s

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There are links to biographies, articles and interviews. Of particular interest is a videostream of Hedrick Smith's award winning Frontline documentary, Is Wall Street Fixed?

#3: ONLINE BIOGRAPHIES, official where possible

• Bernie Ebbers - CEO WorldCom (1982-2003)
• Alan Greenspan - Chairman, Federal Reserve Board (1987-present)
• Arthur Levitt - Chairman SEC (1993-2001) [frontline]
• Robert Rubin - Secretary of the Treasury (1995-1999) and assistant to Sanford Weill (1999 to present)
• Harvey Pitt - Chairman SEC (2001-2003)
• Sanford Weill - CEO CitiGroup
• Jack Grubman - Telecom Stock Analyst, Salomon Smith Barney
• Eliot Spitzer - New York State Attorney General (1999-present) [frontline]

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A timeline of major events is provided for reference. Read the Timeline first or concurrently to follow key WorldCom, economic and political events as they unfold.

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#4: ASTROLOGY CHARTS

• The New York Stock Exchange - Saturn in the 9th house indicating a potential problem with ethics [there are various charts for the NYSE]
• Charts reflecting the Evolution of the New York Stock Exchange since its creation in 1792
  • 1972 founding
  • transit at 1929 Crash
  • transit at 1987 Crash, Greenspan appointed
  • transit in 1993 Levitt appointed Chair SEC
  • transit in 1999 Congress repeals Glass-Steagall
  • transit at 2001 midway point in Saturn/Pluto cycle
  • transit for 2003 Grasso leaves
• Ray Garrett, Jr. - Chairman, Securities Exchange Commisson (1973-75)
• Alan Greenspan- Chairman, Federal Reserve Board (1987-present)
• Bernie Ebbers - CEO WorldCom (1982-2003)
• Robert Rubin - Secretary of the Treasury (1995-1999); assistant to Sanford Weill (1999-present)

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#5: OF POSSIBLE INTEREST FOR FURTHER UNDERSTANDING

Ebbers' Federal perp walk, New York, March 3, 2004 - photographs
Summary - Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002
Discussion, Makkula Center for Applied Ethics - WorldCom
Creation and Functions of the SEC - official site
Great Photographs from the Great Depression (after '29 Crash)
Bigger than Enron - Frontline wrap-up of accounting issues of the 90s
Accounting Lessons - Levitt, Pitt, Turner, Berardino, Volcker
Accounting Wars - Frontline discussion of accounting in the 90s (stock options - tort reform - auditing and consulting)
Radio Interview - Pitt/Webster controversy the day before Pitt resigned

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#6: THE LIBRARY OF RECOMMEND READING
RECOMMENDED READING - click to see list of books

#7: BREAKDOWN OF SATURN/PLUTO ASPECTS BY DATE

I will break the Saturn/Pluto cycle down into 11 distinct segments between 1982 and today. Exact dates are given for conjunct and opposition.

1. Conjunct - Saturn and Pluto at 27 Libra
2. 11-6-83 to 11-18-85 Saturn and Pluto conjunct in Scorpio
3. 11-18-85 to 2-14-88 Saturn in Sagittarius semi-sextile Pluto in Scorpio
4. 2-14-88 to 2-7-91 Saturn in Capricorn SEXTILE Pluto in Scorpio
5. 2-7-91 to 5-22-93 Saturn in Aquarius square Pluto in Scorpio
6. 5-22-93 to 1-18-95 Saturn in Pisces trine Pluto in Scorpio
7. 1-18-95 to 4-8-96 Saturn in Pisces square Pluto in Sagittarius
8. 4-8-96 to 6-11-98 Saturn in Aries trine Pluto in Sagittarius
9. 6-11-98 to 8-11-2000 Saturn in Taurus inconjunct Pluto in Sagittarius
10. 8-11-2000 to 6-5-2003 Saturn in Gemini opposite Pluto in Sagittarius (exact opposition on August 3, 2001)
11. 10-5-2003 to 7-17-2005 Saturn in Cancer inconjunct Pluto in Sagittarius

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#8: BREAKDOWN OF SATURN/PLUTO ASPECTS BY DATE WITH DETAILS PROVIDED

1. Conjunct - Saturn and Pluto at 27 Libra
   
   There are two critical events which occur in 1982 which now seem important. LDDS, the precursor to WorldCom, is founded and MCi enters the scene as the first competitor to AT&T. [See Ebbers' chart.]
   
   As it turns out, WorldCom is a good example of the nature of business being done on the stock market during the cycle from 1982 to 2001, the halfway point.
   
   Socioconomist Robert R. Prechter, Jr., states that Cendant's accounting shenanigans date all the way back to its initial public offering in 1983. [source: Enron Scandal: A Case in Point by Robert R. Prechter, Jr.]
   
   
   
   
2. 11-6-83 to 11-18-85 Saturn and Pluto conjunct in Scorpio
   
   During this time period, the Senate tries to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act but is blocked by the House. Glass-Steagall is important because its repeal ultimately permits Sanford Weill to put together the giant conglomerate CitiGroup. Salomon Smith Barney stock analyst was directly tied to Sanford Weill and may well have been the mastermind behind the rise of WorldCom.
   
   
   
   
3. 11-18-85 to 2-14-88 Saturn in Sagittarius semi-sextile Pluto in Scorpio
   
   During this time period, which we have compared to pulling out of the driveway, there are several events of importance.
   
   Jack Grubman, an aggressive telecom stock analyst tracks Bernie Ebbers down in Mississippi and tags him for future success. Grubman will eventually be a critical factor in taking WorldCom to the top.
   
   Ken Lay becomes the CEO of Enron. The bankruptcy of Enron is one of the first events at the halfway mark in 2001, revealing massive corruption and cover-ups.
   
   On October 19, 1987, Black Monday occurs, technically the worst stock market crash in history
   [the 22.9% loss in 1987 almost doubles the percentage lost in the Crash of 1929, which was 12.82%] - see chart
   
   Texaco files for bankruptcy, the largest ever until Enron which tops it by 70%.
   
   Alan Greenspan is appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank in 1987. Greenspan favors deregulation where possible and is instrumental in bringing about the repeal of Glass-Steagall. [See Greenspan's chart.]
   
   Sanford Weill, wealthy but temporarily out of work, begins his push to the top. Eventually he will put together CitiCorp, the biggest conglomerate in the world. Weill lobbies President Clinton, Alan Greenspan, Seretary of the Treasury Robert Rubin and Congress mercilessly during this time period for repeal of Glass-Steagall.
   
   Ivan Boesky is convicted of major stock fraud and serves two years of a three year sentence for insider trading. He is represented by attorney Harvey Pitt, who becomes Chairman of the SEC at the halfway point. Learn more about Ivan Boesky at Bad Boys Bad Boys. [Sentences are getting tougher. Contrast this with Sam Waksal of ImClone who recently began serving a seven-year sentence for insider trading.]
   
   
   
   
4. 2-14-88 to 2-7-91 Saturn in Capricorn sextile Pluto in Scorpio
   
   Drexel Burnham's Junk Bond King Michael Milken is convicted and sentenced to ten years for security fraud but only served two. His maneuvers started the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s that resulted in many people losing their life savings. He also gave junk bonds a bad name.
   
   Learn more by ordering:
   
   The Predators' Ball: The Inside Story of Drexel Burnham and the Rise of the Junk Bond Raiders by Connie Bruck.
   
   
   
5. 2-7-91 to 5-22-93 Saturn in Aquarius square Pluto in Scorpio
   
   There are no specific events during this time period. However this was the build up of the so-called "accounting wars" with Congress. The combined accounting firms were represented by Harvey Pitt, who became Chairman of the SEC at the halfway mark.
   
   
   
   

   SIGNS OF CHANGE "... A decade and a half later, a gang of white-collar thugs, men like Bernie Ebbers at WorldCom and Dennis Kozlowski at Tyco and Andy Fastow and Jeff Skilling at Enron and the Rigas boys at Adelphia, decided that the securities laws didn’t apply to them. James J. Cramer New York Magazine 10.20.2003

   
   
   
   
6. 5-22-93 to 1-18-95 Saturn in Pisces trine Pluto in Scorpio
   
   Arthur Levitt is appointed Chairman of the SEC. His agenda includes educating investors, bullying from the platform of the SEC (particularly accountants) and asking for squeaky clean ethics. Ironically the worst excesses occur under his Chairmanship, both Enron and WorldCom.
   
   Jack Grubman is hired by Salomon Barney Smith.
   
   Robert Rubin becomes Secretary of the Treasurer. After being successfully lobbied by Sanford Weill, he leaves to become Weill's assistant in 1999.
   
   LDDS expands as Bernie Ebbers perfects his skills as a rollup artist.
   
   
   
7. 1-18-95 to 4-8-96 Saturn in Pisces square Pluto in Sagittarius
   
   The Telecommunications Act is passed in 1996, the first change to the field in over 62 years. This prepares the way for the internet and telecom explosion.
   
   The 1995-97 bull market began literally the first week of 1995 never looked back. It broke above the range it held for virtually all of 1994 and quickly set record highs. The S&P 500 ended 1994 at 459.27 and gained 34.1% to rest at 615.93 by the end of 1995. 1996 was more volatile, but by the end of the year, the S&P 500 was at 740.14, a gain of 20.2%. So far 1997 has been more of the same. After a very brief downturn in March and April, the market resumed its powerful rally.
   
   
   
8. 4-8-96 to 6-11-98 Saturn in Aries trine Pluto in Sagittarius
   
   WorldCom acquires MCI; CitiGroup is formed.
   
   1997, 1998, and 1999 all had some dramatic times for the stock market. Each year featured days where the Dow Jones fell more than 500 points in a single day. And each year featured dramatic rallies after those drops. Everything changed in the year 2000....
   
   
   
9. 6-11-98 to 8-11-2000 Saturn in Taurus inconjunct Pluto in Sagittarius
   
   Ebbers marries (see his chart.)
   
   Alan Greenspan warns the elderly not to invest in telecom stocks.
   
   Robert Rubin, now assistant to Sanford Weill, warns that the TeleCom Industry is a bubble about to burst.
   
   Levitt vows to reform the accounting industry.
   
   David Chacon writes warning memo to superiors at Salomon Smith Barney about abuses with IPOs going to preferred customers and conflict of interest with Jack Grubman.
   
   Merger of WorldCom with Sprint is blocked. This is the precipitating event to WorldCom's bankruptcy because they can't cook the books anymore.
   
   Socioeconomist Robert R. Prechter, Jr., dates March 10, 2000 and the day the NASDAQ switched from up to down and the influence of social mood on millions of limbic systems was reversed. On the approach to that high, the accountants themselves were consumed with hope and denial. Afterwards the essence of the job (stock analyst) became to doubt the numbers. [source: Enron Scandal: A Case in Point by Robert R. Prechter, Jr.]
   
   
   
   
10. 8-11-2000 to 6-5-2003 Saturn in Gemini opposite Pluto in Sagittarius (exact opposition on August 3, 2001)
    
    Paul Volcker, former Federal Reserve Board Chairman, warns that the accounting industry is in a state of crisis.
    
    Susan Kalla, an important telecom stock analyst warns her people to pull out of the stock market.
    
    Harvey Pitt is named Chairman of the SEC.
    
    Enron declares bankruptcy, precipitating a crisis in Arthur Andersen & Company.
    
    New York Attorney General Jack Spitzer scrutinizes Sanford Weill and Jack Grubman.
    
    Harvey Pitt resigns as Chairman of the SEC.
    
    The Senate Banking Committee holds a hearing on whether or not the "culture" of Wall Street can be improved.
    
    
    
    
11. 10-5-2003 to 7-17-2005 Saturn in Cancer inconjunct Pluto in Sagittarius
    
    Dick Grasso exits as President of the New York Stock exchange. [Coup de Grasso, The New Yorker]
    
    Bernie Ebbers is arrested on federal charges.
    
    This is the Saturn Return of deregulation which occurred in 1975 under Ray Garrett's Chairmanship of the SEC. ...... deregulation (plus the Telecommnunications Act of 1996) permitted an unprecedented number of investors to participate in the stock market at home on the internet.

William Donaldson retires as of June 1, 2005 and Christopher Cox is proposed.

Bernie Ebbers is sentence July 13, 2005 to 25 years in jail.

#9: TIMELINE WITH EVENTS KEYED TO ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS THAT SATURN AND PLUTO TRANSITED

Preface: August 12, 1982: US bear market ends, with Dow Jones industrial average (DJIA) at 776.92 points, and Nasdaq at 159.84.

1. New cycle -- New World Order -- begins at the conjunction of Saturn and Pluto at 27 degrees Libra on November 4, 1982 - Saturn and Pluto conjunct

- seeds are planted

(a) In 1982 MCI becomes the first long-distance competitor of AT&T with plans for major fiber optic deployment

(b) In 1982, Bernard Ebbers, and several small town business partners in Hattiesburg, Mississippi see a golden opportunity to sell cheap long-distance service. Murray Waldron sketches out the plans for LDDS.

(c) Biography of Bernard Ebbers - Venture

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2. Both Saturn and Pluto are in the sign of Scorpio, beginning November 6, 1983 to November 18, 1985

- this was a very intense time from a planetary point of view but I found no major events in the development of this situation

(a) 1984, Senate passes bills that would lift many of the restrictions of Glass-Steagall but the House blocks passage

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3. Saturn in Sagittarius and Pluto in Scorpio from November 18, 1985 to February 14, 1988

- the planets are just 30 degree apart and this is a developmental stage in the cycle, like pulling out of your neighborhood on the way to work in the morning

(a) In 1986 Jack Grubman, a telecom analyst for PaineWebber, meets Bernie Ebbers.

(b) February 1986, Kenneth Lay takes over as CEO for Enron

(c) October 19, 1987, now known to the world as Black Monday is documented as the worst stock market crash in history. The 22.9% loss in 1987 almost doubles the percentage lost in the Crash of 1929, which was 12.82%

(d) Spring 1987, Federal Reserve Board votes 3-2 in favor of easing regulations under Glass-Steagall, overriding the opposition of Chairman Paul Volcker.

(e) In 1987, Wall Street arbitrageur Ivan Boesky is convicted of insider trading. He serves a two-year prison term and pays $100 million to settle civil lawsuits. He is represented by Harvey Pitt, later Chairman of the SEC.

(f) In 1987, Alan Greenspan is appointed Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board by President Reagan. Greenspan is arguably one of the most powerful individuals in the United States. He has served under both Republican and Democratic administrations. Formerly a director of J.P. Morgan, Greenspan is a proponent of banking deregulation and continues to interpret Glass-Steagall liberally until it is repealed in October/November 1999.

NOTE: [Greenspan's Chart] The time may not be exact but Saturn is about to cross Greenspan's Ascendant indicating a career change.

(g) In 1988, Sanford Weill, future head of CitiGroup, begins his comeback by acquiring Primerica and the Smith Barney brokerage firm.

(h) 1988, Senate passes bill that would lift many of the restrictions of Glass-Steagall - House blocks passage

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4. Saturn in Capricorn Pluto in Scorpio February 14, 1988 to February 7, 1991 - Saturn in Capricorn sextile Pluto in Scorpio May and June, 1988; January 1990

- Saturn is in its own sign and so is Pluto, echoing the Saturn/Pluto conjunction. The sextile is an "easy" aspect and the separating sextile like this one speaks of communication, wireless, telephones, internet, etc. It is a "third house" aspect.

(a) In 1990, Drexel Burnham Junk Bond King Michael Milliken pleads guilty to fraud; spends 22 months in prison and pays a $600 million fine.

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5. Saturn in Aquarius and Pluto in Scorpio February 7, 1991 to May 22, 1993 - Saturn in Aquarius square Pluto in Scorpio March 1993

- this is a difficult aspect between two difficult planets in the difficult fixed signs. When fixed signs square off, it can be a Phyrric Victory as neither side will give.

I found no major events under until this time period. However, all during the 1990s - Congress and the Accounting Wars - Accounting firms aggressively lobby Capitol Hill for reforms in stock options, tort reforms, auditing and consulting

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6. Saturn in Pisces May 22, 1993 to January 18, 1995 when Pluto first entered Sagittarius

(a) In 1993 Sanford Weill buys Travelers Insurance Company

b) Securities Exchange Commission goes through its second Saturn Return [the chair during the first Saturn Return was William L. Carey]

(c) In July 1993 President Clinton appoints Arthur Levitt chairman of the SEC. Chairman Levitt creates the Office of Investor Education and Assistance and a website to bring investors up to speed. He also holds over forty investor town meetings throughout the country to educate investors on prudent market behavior and to get their feedback.

Arthur Levitt established a law firm with Sanford Weill in the early 1960s - see interview with Arthur Levitt

(d) In 1994, Jack Grubman is hired by Salomon Brothers He comes to typify the analyst of the 90s, helping Ebbers with his financial planning and attending three Board Meetings of WorldCom.

(e) LDDS continues expanding; in December 1994 it merges with IDB WorldCom and a few months later announces the purchase of WilTel Network Services of Tulsa, OK.

(d ) January 10, 1995, Robert Rubin sworn in as Secretary of the Treasury (appointed by President Clinton) - he served 'til July 2, 1999. Rubin scored high in ethics when predicting publicly that the telecom bubble would burst three months before it did and, according to telecom analyst Susan Kalla, against the wishes of his employer Sandy Weill. However, his being hired by Weill just a few days after repeal of Glass-Steagall raised some eyebrows.

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7. January 18, 1995 to April 8, 1996 Saturn in Pisces while Pluto enters Sagittarius - it is always significant when Pluto changes signs

(a) May 1995, Jack Grubman initiates coverage of Ebbers' LDDS at Salomon, rating the stock a "buy"

(b) May 1995 LDDS name changes to WorldCom

(c) February 1, 1996, the Telecommunications Act is passed, the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in almost 62 years. The goal is to overhaul the old system and turn it into the backbone of the internet, creating a large need for building new fiberoptics systems. This puts stars in the eyes of Wall Street investment bankers. [FCC] They are dreaming of a company like WorldCom which has multiple ongoing financial needs.

• raising capital to finance the growth
• bringing new telecoms public
• helping telecom industry finance
• corporate mergers
• sell corporate bonds

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8. Saturn in Aries Pluto in Sagittarius April 8, 1996 to June 11, 1998 - Saturn in in Aries trine Pluto in Sagittarius April and May 1996; February 1997

(a) The Fed, with support of Alan Greenspan, renders Glass-Steagall effectively obsolete by a series of decisions for less regulation

(b) WorldCom takes over MCI and becomes MCI WorldCom, the world's second largest long distance company

(b) Jack Grubman upgrades WorldCom stock to a "strong buy" in December 1996.

(c) Summer 1997, Sandy Weill, head of Travelers, seeks merger with J. P. Morgan - deal falls through

(d) In September 1997, Weill buys Salomon brokerage firm and combines it with Smith Barney to form Salomon Smith Barney

(e) The Trillion Dollar Fib: 1997 is the year that data traffic really was doubling every 90 days. WorldCom kept repeating this for the next three or four years when it was no longer true. This "phantom mantra" (according to Hedrick Smith of Frontline), triggered a $1 trillion increase in 14 core telecom companies that evaporated when the bubble burst.

(f) April 6, 1998, Weill merges Travelers with Citicorp to create Citigroup, the largest financial institution in the world. The superbank combines one of the largest insurance companies (Travelers), one of the largest investment banks (Salomon Smith Barney), and one of the largest commercial banks (Citibank) in America.

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9. Saturn into Taurus June 11, 1998 and Pluto in Sagittarius to August 11, 2000 - Saturn in Taurus inconjunct (quincunx) Pluto in Sagittarius May 1999, a very difficult aspect where adjustments take place; also December 1999; February and March 2000

(a) In September 1998, the Fed agrees to give temporary approval for Weill to operate his superbank for two years.

(b) March 1999 Bernie Ebbers (58) marries Christy (30) [sometimes Kirstie], a WorldCom employee ? - see photo after booking in New York 2004 - photo #9

(c) March 1999, Alan Greenspan warns the elderly against investing in dot.com firms.

(d) In 199, MCI WorldCom uniquely offers dial-on-demand service that enables corporations to connect remote office, branch locations, and outlying sales offices through a single local dial-up connection

(e) Sandy Weill lobbies heavily with Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and President Bill Clinton for repeal of the 1933 Glass-Steagall Act, the only thing between him and his SuperBank. Read about Weill's trip to Washington.

(f) October 26, 1999 Robert Rubin, former Secretary of the Treasury, joins CitiGroup

According to CNN, Rubin "is largely credited as the "steady hand" that has guided the U.S. economic boom and shaped the president's economic policy." [CNN]

(g) November 1999 Congress repeals Glass-Steagall Act

(h) Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin accepts top job at Citigroup as Weill's chief lieutenant. Visit Robert Rubin, On Surviving the 1990s in Forbes Magazine.

(i) Leading up to November 1999, Sanford Weill pressures Jack Grubman into raising the rating on AT&T stocks before an Initial Public Offering - Weill admits directing a $1 million request to the 92nd Street "Y" where Grubman is trying to enter his children in its exclusive Jewish preschool but both denied the two events were related [SEE MEMO]

(a) In January 2000, SSB held its Annual Telecom Conference at La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs, CA. - this is Jack Grubman's prime selling turf

In an interview for Frontline, leading telecom analyst Susan Kalla, who attended this event, explains ... " He Robert Rubin] gave every investor in this room, which was every investor that really mattered, three months to get out of these stocks. He said he had no money in the stock market."

"To have someone with that kind of profile give you that kind of warning is unprecedented," she continues.

(j) April 2000, Arthur Levitt, Chairman of the SEC, proposes reforming the accounting industry

(k) May 25, 2000, Salomon broker David Chacon writes memo to superior protesting improper IPO allocations to people like Bernie Ebbers and says he is troubled by Jack Grubman's "well known conflicts and resulting misguidance to our retail clients."

(l) July 13, 2000, WorldCom/Sprint merger blocked -- the beginning of the end -- the beast could not be fed and the books could not be cooked

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10. Saturn into Gemini August 11, 2000 and Pluto in Sagittarius through June 5, 2003 - Saturn in Gemini opposes Pluto in Sagittarius July 30, 2001, when Harvey Pitt is appointed Chairman of the SEC - this is the halfway point in the new Saturn/Pluto cycle which ends in January 2020; also November 2001

- with Saturn in Gemini, the tendency is to monkey with rules, to cheat and/or to lie (Winona Ryder has Saturn in Gemini natally) So ... it's payback time.

(a) October 2000, Paul Volcker, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, makes a public statement before the assembled chief financial officers of the United States that the accounting profession is in a state of crisis.

(b) December 2000, Arthur Levitt announces he will step down as Chairman of the SEC by February 2001. Levitt’s action is consistent with the general practice of SEC chairs resigning from their position when a member of the opposing political party is elected president.

(c) March 2001, Susan Kalla, a top telecom analyst, warns investors about WorldCom - see The Pessimist

(d) April 2001, monthly statistics for US dot.com lay-offs peak at 17,554.

(e) August 3, 2001, President Bush appoints Harvey Pitt Chairman of the SEC; Pitt took the brunt of investors' fury for events which occurred on Levitt's watch [see a Tale of Two Chairmen]

(f) 911[reference point]

(g) December 2001, Enron filed for bankruptcy

hi) March 10, 2002, Nasdaq reaches all-time closing high of 5.048.62.

(i) March 2002, Joseph Berardino steps down as head of Andersen Worldwide

(j) April 30, 2002, Bernie Ebbers forced out as CEO of WorldCom

(k) June 2002, WorldCom's Cynthia Cooper blows the whistle, telling the Board's Audit Committee about a $3.8 billion mistake

(l) July 2002, WorldCom files for bankruptcy protection

(m) July 8, 2002, Jack Grubman testifies before the House Committee on Financial Services, giving his Telecom Thesis

(n) August 2002, Jack Grubman resigns, saying, "While I regret that I, like many others, failed to predict the collapse of the telecommunications sector and I understand the disappointment and anger felt by investors as a result of that collapse, I am nevertheless proud of the work I, and the analysts who worked with me, did."

[As a side note, according to USA Today, Grubman earned $67.5 million dollars from 1999 through August 2000.]

(o) August 2002, CitiGroup and Sanford Weill under close scrutiny by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer

(p) November 8, 2002, SEC Chairman Harvey Pitt resigns

(q) February 18, 2003, shortly before Saturn left Gemini, President Bush appoints William Donaldson Chairman of the SEC

(r) April 28, 2003, Weill is prohibited from talking to his company's research analysts without an attorney present; Citigroup agrees to pay $400 million in penalties, disgorgement of profits and other payments to avoid criminal prosecution [SEE BRIEF OUTLINE OF SETTLEMENT]

(s) May 7, 2003, Senate Banking Committee holds hearing to examine whether the settlement could change the culture of Wall Street. [SUMMARY]

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11. Saturn in Cancer June 5, 2003 with Pluto in Sagittarius through July 17, 2005 - Saturn in Cancer inconjunct (quincunx) Pluto in Sagittarius July and August 2004; January 2005; May 2005

(a) August 2003, Oklahoma Attorney-General Drew Edmondson charges WorldCom, Ebbers and other former company executives, saying action taken so far by federal law enforcement authorities and regulators had been inadequate. Ebbers is charged with violating Oklahoma securities laws. Along with five other former of the company, he faces 15 felony counts each carrying penalties of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 U.S. fine. He is freed on $50,000 US bail.

(b) September 18, 2003 Richard Grasso steps down as NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) chairman. See chart.

(b) October 9 through November 12, 2003, deregulation experiences its Saturn Return. Deregulation went into effect May 1, 1975.

(c) Oklahoma charges against Ebbers are dropped.

(d) March 3, 2004, Ebbers surrenders in New York to face federal charges in the biggest corporate fraud in U.S. history. He is released on $10 million US bond. He hands over his passport and will limit his travel to New York City, Mississippi and Washington, D.C.

(e) March 2004, former WorldCom CFO, Scott Sullivan, pleads guilty to three criminal charges, then strikes plea deal

(f) June 9 through June 26, 2004, final period of Saturn Return for deregulation.

(g) William Donaldson resigns as Chairman of the SEC June 1, 2005 effective July 1, 2005.

(h) Christopher Cox is proposed as new Chair June 2005.

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THE CONTINUATION OF THE SATURN/PLUTO CYCLE WITH DATES TO LOOK FOR

July 2005: Saturn goes into Leo
Saturn in Leo trines Pluto in Sagittarius November and December 2006 and August 2007

September 2007: Saturn goes into Virgo

January 2008: Pluto goes into Capricorn ***
Saturn in Virgo trine Pluto in Capricorn April 2008

October 2009: Saturn goes into Libra
Saturn in Libra squares Pluto in Capricorn November 2009; January, February and August 2010

October 2012: Saturn goes into Scorpio
Saturn in Scorpio sextiles Pluto in Capricorn December 2012 and January, March, May and June 2013

December 2014: Saturn goes into Sagittarius

December 2017: Saturn goes into Capricorn

JANUARY 7, 2020 NEW CONJUNCTION in CAPRICORN, A NEW CYCLE BEGINS

Perp Walk with Christy and Bernie Ebbers [AFP Photo]

CHART #10: TELECOM EVENTS

This cycle began in 1982 as well. Tracking voice and data service innovations reveals more of the New World Order.

MCI and Sprint voice and data service innovations, 1982-99

1982 First long-distance competitor of AT&T with plans for major fiber optic deployment MCI
1983 First long-distance competitor of AT&T to extend its network into a foreign country MCI
1986 First nationwide alternative to AT&T's 800 service MCI
1986 First transcontinental fiber optic telephone and video circuits US Sprint
1988 First U.S. long-distance company to offer a dedicated network for the domestic and international transmission of facsimile messages MCI
1988 First long-distance carrier to install Signaling System 7 throughout its network US Sprint
1989 First transatlantic fiber optic phone call US Sprint
1990 First company to provide packet- and circuit-switched voice and data services over the same T1 access facility US Sprint
1991 First nationwide public frame relay service Sprint
1992 First long-distance company to introduce a Simple Network Management Protocol-based ("SNMP") frame relay network management service MCI
1993 First U.S. long-distance carrier to offer a new high-speed, transatlantic circuit-switched bandwidth-on-demand data service MCI
1993 First nationwide ATM service Sprint
1995 First Frame Relay-to-Asynchronous Transfer Mode interworking service Sprint
1995 First carrier committed to deploying Dense Wave Division Multiplexing in nearly 100% of its fiber miles Sprint
1999 Remote Office: dial-on-demand service that enables corporations to connect remote office, branch locations, and outlying sales offices through a single local dial-up connection - a "unique offering in today's marketplace" MCI WorldCom
1999 Circuit View and Circuit View Plus: advanced network management and reporting service for frame relay customers MCI WorldCom
1999 First major telecommunications company to offer streaming, Internet-based video conferencing services Sprint

Source: SBC, Opposition of SBC Communications Inc., FCC, CC Docket No. 99-333, p. 34, Table 4. [from an article by William G. Shepard, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and general editor of the Review of Industrial Organization.for the Economic Policy Institute, May 2000, entitled "Wrong Numbers"]

Nancy R. Fenn