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: https://www.epageflip.net/i/114777
NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD An Arizona appeals court ruled in February that someone can be guilty of driving under the influence of marijuana even though its psychoactive ingredient has long left his system. Since tests of marijuana measure both active and inactive ingredients, and since the active substance vanishes quickly but the inactive one remains in the body for weeks, a marijuana consumer may test "positive" even though not the least bit impaired. (In fact, since neighboring Colorado recently legalized some marijuana possession, a Colorado driver motoring through Arizona weeks later could be guilty of DUI for a completely legal, harmless act, as could the 35,000 Arizona medical-marijuana users.) The appeals court majority reasoned that since the legislature did not distinguish the inactive ingredient from the active, neither would the court. [Associated Press via azfamily.com (Phoenix), 2-13-2013] Compelling Explanations Richard Blake took the witness stand in Ottawa, Ontario, in January to deny that it was he who had invaded a home and stabbed two Chuck Sheppard people numerous times. With a straight face, he had an answer for all of the incriminating evidence. He had the perp's car because "a stranger" had just handed him the keys; he didn't recall what the stranger looked like (but guessed that he probably resembled Blake, because for some reason Blake got picked out of the lineup); he donned the stranger's bloody knit cap (abandoning his own cap); he handled the stranger's knife and bloody glove, and that's why his DNA was on them; he fled at the first sight of police, ramming a cruiser to escape (even though he had "done nothing wrong"); he fled on foot after the collision and hid in a tree (but only to get away from a swarm of black flies). After deliberating politely for a day, the jury found him guilty. [Ottawa Citizen, 1-28-2013, 2-1-2013] A 61-year-old man in southern Sweden beat a DUI charge in February even though his blood-alcohol was five times over the legal limit. The man told the judge he is a hearty drinker and normally starts in even before work every day, with "no effect" on his performance. According to the Skanskan newspaper, that must have impressed the judge, who was so awed that he tossed out the charge. [TheLocal.se, 2-6-2013] COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK SHEPHERD WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WEEKLY HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY For the Week of March 17, 2013 ARIES (March 21-April 19) It's not like you to err on the side of caution, but this week it's a pretty decent idea. Even though there are those who will encourage you to do what scares you, there are many dangerous ventures that aren't worth the effort, even for a risktaking ram. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) The social scene has its own flow. Ride it; don't fight it. When you take the long view, you realize that friends will come and go. Some will drift back to you when the timing is better. Others will be pulled into a different tide. Life has a way of organizing these things for you. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) It's true that you are different from the people who surround you. It's a good excuse to ask questions and learn. When you do that, you reach a new level of awareness, where, in fact, you will find that you are not as different as you previously thought. CANCER (June 22-July 22) "Someday" isn't an actual day. It's more of a place to keep your fantasies and give your wishes space to mingle and frolic. Bring the dream into your real life this week in the form of an action plan. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Passion goes a long way, but at some point you will need one of those extremely left-brained tools — like a check list, a schedule or a business plan — to carry you through. Whatever time it takes to develop a good system will save you time in the end. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) This week will bring speculation and intrigue that you are highly unlikely to get to the bottom of. Believe what you will, but remind yourself that it's theoretical at best. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You are free from many of the prejudices that hinder others. Appearances won't cloud your judgment or render you too partial to be fair. With your eyes and heart wide open, you'll know what's right. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) There are many people from whom you will learn. Avoid exclusive arrangements. Anyone who asks you to cut yourself off from other sources of knowledge is power hungry. It's likely that they prefer you in a weakened state. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) What friends and family want for you will be different from what you want for yourself. Meeting in the middle won't help. You simply have to decide. There are decisions you can make that lead to being happy, and then there are decisions you can make that lead to just being. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You have a reasonable appetite for excitement. The thrills and drama don't have to come all the time, but if the events of the day unwind too slowly, you'll grow bored and tired. You'll find the sweet spot between comfort and living on the edge. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Most of the week's focus will be on making someone else's experience positive, beautiful and memorable. You'll get to exercise some artistry in this regard, assembling the special elements that will make the event remarkable. Take pictures for posterity. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) There's something to work out among your colleagues, customers or potential new friends. Lean on your talent for interpersonal dynamics. Differences don't have to be barriers that stop the interaction. Acknowledge the common ground you share with others before disagreeing. By Holiday Mathis The North Carolina State Ballet presents )HSSL[ *SHZZPJZ Directed by Charlotte Blume "IS THE Les Sylphides Holst's "The Planets" Paquita PLAY FILM BALLET CONCERT ART SHOW RESTAURANT ANY GOOD?" Sunday, March 17, 2013 Check the reviews in 3:00 p.m. Reeves Auditorium Methodist University www.upandcomingweekly.com Tickets available on-line at www.ncstateballet.com, quicktixx.com and at the door 910.484.6200 ADVICE GODDESS Ex-rated Movie I've been with my boyfriend for a year. We were best friends and talked about everything — what our kids would be like, projects we'd do together, magical worlds and even other people we found attractive. Then, on his computer, I accidentally clicked on what I thought was just some porn video, but I recognized his blanket and realized it was he and his ex-girlfriend having sex (when they were dating). I had a very hard time seeing him with someone else and have become very sensitive and jealous, and this has set our relationship on edge. We don't talk as we used to. So many areas have become off-limits (even just whom he had lunch with) because he's so afraid that anything he says will upset or hurt me. I want to communicate as we used to when I was his "cool girlfriend." — Shut Out Jealousy is a good thing when it rears its little green head to warn of an actual threat to the relationship: "Eeek! He's having sex with another Amy Alkon woman …" But jealousy needs a slap in the mouth from reason when there is no real threat: "… and it happened a year before we'd even met." To help yourself think rationally, don't be nebulously hysterical ("I'm afraaaaid!"). Verbalize exactly what you're actually afraid of — probably that he'd leave you, maybe for his ex. Next, consider what would happen if he actually did. The world would not end. Your head would not fall off, roll under the bed and become a cat toy. You would probably sob into your pillow for a few months, but you'd eventually get over him and get on with your life. To get back the relationship you had, start acting as if you'd never lost it — meaning, when your boyfriend asks you the time, you just tell him; you don't shriek that all you can see is that clock on the nightstand in his sex video. There's a good deal of research, laid out by psychologist Dr. Richard Wiseman in The As If Principle, that suggests that changing how you behave is actually the fastest, most effective way to change how you feel. Let your boyfriend know that you know your fears aren't rational, that you're going to stop acting like they are, and that he, in turn, needs to stop treating you like a bomb that could be triggered by "pass the salt." Before long, you should be his cool girlfriend again — faster, probably, if that blanket from the video finds its way to some homeless man. 208 Rowan St. Amy Alkon all rights reserved. Children under 12 Free Admission. MARCH 13-19, 2013 UCW 19