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.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/815469
APRIL 26 - MAY 2, 2017 UCW 31 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WEEKLY HOROSCOPE ADVICE GODDESS by Amy Alkon Caveheart I'm a woman in my 30s. I love parties and talking to people, and thank God, because I attend networking events for work. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is an introvert, hates talking to strangers, and loathes "shindigs." How do we balance my longing to go to parties with his desire to stay home? — Party Girl I actually have personal experience in this area. Like you, I'm an extrovert. Also like you, I have a boyfriend who's an introvert. For him, attending a party is like being shoved into an open grave teeming with live cockroaches — though, compassionately, it also includes an open bar. This isn't to say introverts are dysfunctional. They're not. They're differently functional. Brain imaging research by cognitive scientist Debra L. Johnson and her colleagues found that in introverts, sensory input from experience led to more blood flow in the brain (amounting to more stimulation). The path it took was longer and twistier than in extroverts and had a different destination: frontal areas we use for inward thinking like planning, remembering, and problem- solving. So, introverts live it up, too; they just do it on the inside. Extroverts' brain scans revealed a more direct path for stimuli — with blood flowing straight to rear areas of the brain used for sensory processing, like listening and touching. They also have less overall blood flow — translating (in combination with a different neurochemical response) to a need for more social hoo-ha to feel "fed." Sometimes, you'll really want your boyfriend there with you at a party — for support, because you enjoy his company, or maybe just to show him off (kind of like a Louis Vuitton handbag with a penis). But understanding that "shindigs" give his brain a beating, consider whether you could sometimes take a friend. When he accompanies you, maybe set a time limit and be understanding if he and the dog retreat to the den. Sure, mingling makes you feel better, but pushing an introvert to do it is akin to forcing an extrovert to spend an entire week with only the cat and a fern. Before long, they're on the phone with the cable company. Tech support: "What seems to be the problem?" Extrovert: "I'm lonely! Talk to me! Have you ever been arrested? And do you think I should go gluten-free?" Copyright 2017 Amy Alkon NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD Samuel West announced in April that his Museum of Failure will open in Helsingborg, Sweden, in June, to commemorate innovation missteps that might serve as inspiration for future successes. Among the initial exhibits: coffee- infused Coca-Cola; the Bic "For Her" pen (because women's handwriting needs are surely unique); the Twitter Peek (a 2009 device that does nothing except send and receive tweets — and with a screen only 25 characters wide); and Harley-Davidson's 1990s line of colognes (in retrospect as appealing, said West, as "oil and gas fumes"). (West's is only the latest attempt to immortalize failure with a "museum." Previous attempts, such as those in 2007 and 2014, apparently failed.) [CBC Radio, 4-6-2017] Government in Action Toronto, Ontario, Superior Court Justice Alex Pazaratz finally ridded his docket of the maddening, freeloading couple that had quibbled incessantly about each other's "harassments." Neither Noora Abdulaali, 32, nor her now-ex-husband, Kadhim Salih, 43, had worked a day in the five years since they immigrated from Iraq, having almost immediately gone on disability benefits and begun exploiting Legal Aid Toronto in their many attempts to one- up each other with restraining orders. Approving the couple's settlement in March, Judge Pazaratz added, "The next time anyone at Legal Aid Ontario tells you they're short of money, don't believe it. ... Not if they're funding cases like this." [Toronto Sun, 3-17-2017] In May, a new restaurant-disclosure regulation mandated by the Affordable Care Act is scheduled to kick in, requiring eateries (except small chains and independents) to post calorie counts for all menu items including "variations" — which a Domino's Pizza executive said meant, for his company, "34 million" calorie listings. The executive called the regulation, for the pizza industry, "a 20th-century approach to a 21st-century question," since for many establishments, orders increasingly arrive online or by phone. [Washington Post, 4-7-2017] Copyright 2017 Chuck Sheppard ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 You need to buckle down for the time being and get your health in check, Aries. Change your diet to one that includes more foods that supply a healthy boost of energy. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, if you have been dissatisfied with some aspect of your career, now is the ideal opportunity to do something about it. Start testing the job market. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, the things you need to get done this week in order of priority so that you can get everything accomplished. Otherwise, you'll just have ideas swimming in your head. CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, if you are in a relationship or just starting one, you may be in the mood for courting and seduction this week. You'll only need your natural charm to forge ahead. LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, satisfaction will come from your interactions with others. Take the initiative and propose a social event for your friends, particularly one that involves outdoor activities. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 It is up to you to motivate people and get them to have fun together, Virgo. Express your enthusiasm to friends or family members and others will quickly join in. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Tap into your artistic side, Libra. Even if you think there's no art inside you, you'll be surprised at what you find. This newfound creativity will pay dividends now and into the future. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, address your anxiety by talking things over with a friend or someone else close to you. Simply talking about a problem can make it less intense. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, you may feel more energetic this week than you have in recent weeks. Use your motivation to check things off that lengthy to- do list or to look for new prospects. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, getting your voice heard might be challenging in the days ahead. You just need to maintain a consistent voice, and others will eventually come around. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, take the necessary steps to start living a healthier lifestyle. Now is a good time to scale back on extravagance and make time for a healthy diet and exercise. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 The stars are trying to tell you to take care of yourself this week, Pisces. You need to rest, dream and take some time off. Amy Alkon Chuck Sheppard