Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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MARCH 25-31, 2015 UCW 27 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM ADVICE GODDESS Eyes that Light Up a Womb I'm a 35-year-old guy who's doing online dating and who's against having kids for moral reasons. Don't get me wrong; I love kids. I just don't think we need any more people on this crowded, violent planet. I'm wondering whether I should make the "no kids" thing clear in my profile. I know this can be a major deal-breaker for many women. — Nobody's Daddy Bear with me as I put a buzz saw through your reasons. As for this "violent planet" business, it used to be that somebody was always cracking somebody over the head with a cudgel. But today, as psychologist Steven Pinker reports in The Better Angels of Our Nature, the planet is less violent than ever, and violence continues to decline. As for the "crowded" argument, in 2011, National Geographic's Robert Kunzig reported that all seven billion earthlings could fit comfortably in Texas — "if Texas were settled as densely as New York City." And it turns out that women in the U.S. aren't having enough children to replace the population dying off. According to World Bank data, American mommies are only having 1.9 children, while demographers put the replacement rate at 2.1. The good news is that if you truly like kids, you don't have to bring them into the world to bring them into your life. There's adoption, of course. But there are also countless kids already in existence whose divorced, widowed or otherwise single moms have a harder time finding boyfriends. Do profile searches for moms, and say in your profile that you don't want to create new earthlings but love kids and are open to a woman who already has some. Then again, say you like your life child-free but went all eco-pacifist so you wouldn't seem like a big meanie. Definitely put the "nobody's daddy" thing in your profile. You might also want to consider a vasectomy. Unfortunately, getting snipped is not the deterrent to aspiring mommies you might think it would be. In other words, yes: Disclose! Disclose! Disclose! State your preference in your profile. But don't think that this will be any sort of mandate for women to care about what you want. Some will. They'll be the ones who default to their ethics instead of their biology. So until there's highly reliable male birth control that doesn't require a scalpel, make it your priority to find out whether a woman is ethical before having sex with her. AMY ALKON copyright 2015 WEEKLY HOROSCOPES NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD "This will be upsetting," cautioned Justice Robert Graesser, addressing jurors in February in the Edmonton, Alberta, murder trial of Brad Barton. At issue was the cause of the victim's having bled to death from her genitals, and the judge, ruling that jurors would benefit by inspecting the actual wound, admitted the vagina itself (not a photograph) into evidence. The organ had been removed for autopsy and preserved, and the chief medical examiner donned rubber gloves and pointed out to jurors how "clean" the wound was (suggesting a sharp object), rather than the rougher, "scraping" wound that would have been created in other ways, such as by impalement. (At press time, the trial was still in progress.) [Edmonton Journal, 2-27- 2015] News You Can Use Researchers from Cornell University, inspired by the book World War Z, recently computer-simulated the spread of a "zombie apocalypse" — and now advise the anxiety-prone to head for higher ground if infections break out, recommending Glacier National Park in Montana or, even better, Alaska. Using differential equations and "lattice-based" models, the statisticians demonstrated that infections would slow dramatically as fewer people became available to bite (but that, ultimately, we're all doomed). The state most quickly wiped out? New Jersey. [Washington Post, 3-4-2015] Legislators' War on Science Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore told a radio audience in February that she would soon introduce a bill reforming end- of-life procedures for terminally ill cancer patients, such as administering baking soda intravenously to "flush out" the cancer "fungus." Before her election in 2013, she was CEO of Always There Personal Care of Nevada (which she describes as being "in the healthcare industry"). (Bonus: Fiore blames her accountant for the company's reported $1 million in IRS tax liens; the accountant is her ex-husband.) [Think Progress, 2-24-2015; Ralston Reports, 12- 8-2014] In February, Idaho state Representative Vito Barbieri, at a hearing on a proposed bill to ban doctors from prescribing abortion-inducing medications via remote telecommunication, asked expert witness Dr. Julie Madsen about one alternative he had in mind: Couldn't a woman just swallow a small camera, he asked, and then have doctors "conduct" a remote gynecological exam on her? Dr. Madsen quickly reminded Rep. Barbieri that "swallowed" things do not end up in that part of a woman's body. [Associated Press via Salon.com, 2-23-2015] Chuck Sheppard Copyright 2015 ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, your hard work will finally come to fruition this week. You will feel like a huge burden has been lifted off of your shoulders, and you deserve to take some time off. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, don't allow frustration to get the better of you. A problem you can't seem to solve may have you feeling hopeless, but perseverance will lead you to a solution. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Others may need your help this week, Gemini. You are ready and willing to offer your services and advice when they are sought. A welcome reward is coming to you. CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, your career may conflict with the demands of your relationship if you let them. Find a balance between the two so you can have your cake and eat it, too. LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, some exciting changes lie ahead. Now is a great time to step out of your comfort zone, even if you are a little nervous to take the first steps. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, this week brings a change in your life, and this change will lead to some great things down the road. Don't be embarrassed to be excited about this new path. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 You may feel pushed and pulled in a number of directions, Libra. This makes it difficult to pursue your own personal goals as a result. Speak up if you need more time to yourself. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, a relatively rebellious streak surfaces this week. Risk-taking is at the center of this new attitude, and you may find yourself doing a little damage control. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, you may think that the grass is greener somewhere else, but that is not always the case. Seek ways to make your own grass greener. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 Experiences at home can affect your sense of security, Capricorn. Take the necessary steps to feel safer. Surround yourself with friends and family during this time. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Avoid making any big decisions this week, Aquarius. You are preoccupied with something else and cannot devote enough attention to any one task at the moment. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Some extra money unexpectedly comes your way this week, Pisces. Work with a financial planner for some good ideas. Amy Alkon Chuck Sheppard Connecting Your Business to Cumberland County. 484-6200