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/136115
NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD Low Fashion Meets Islam on Turkish TV: Five self-proclaimed devout, conservative Muslim women host the TV series Building Bridges on channel A9, presenting the seemingly contradictory case against both the female headscarf and Turkey's turn to secularism. A report on Slate. com in May noted that the five are "mostly bottle blonds ... (with) neon lipstick" wearing "brightly colored satin pantsuits and T-shirts with designer brand names that stretched over their chests." Building Bridges in principle supports interfaith dialogue, but guests (noted Slate) "often appear ... with their eyebrows arched in the manner of a serious person certain he is the victim of a practical joke." [Slate.com, 5-2-2013] Recurring Themes Creative Smuggling: Abdullah Riyaz, 50, was arrested at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India, in April after he appeared to be uncomfortable sitting in the waiting area. Officials found four "biscuits" of solid gold in his socks but obviously thought there might be more, and after nature took its course, found Riyaz to be one of those rare humans with the ability to brag that Chuck Sheppard he once excreted gold (eight more "biscuits"). [Khaleej Times (Dubai), 4-19-2013] A report circulated in April that an apparently Orthodox Jewish man (likely a "Kohen") had tied himself up, head to toe, in a plastic bag while seated on an airline flight — likely because his teachings told him that flying over a cemetery would yield "impurities." News of the Weird mentioned a similar report in 2001. Airlines have made accommodations in the past, even in the face of criticism that a man in a plastic bag is a safety hazard. (Exceptions to the Kohen belief: Accidental tears in the bag are excused, but pre-punched air holes not; Kohenim unaware of the cemetery overflight in advance do not need protection; and deceased family members yield no impurities.) [Daily Mail (London), 4-11-2013; Jewish Press, 4-12-2013] Accountability: The chairman of the National Showcaves Center in a Welsh national park, aiming to halt a recent downturn in tourism business, threatened in April to sue the U.K. National Weather Service for its "all too (frequent) ... gloom and doom reports." The NWS had called for snow and cold weather over Easter weekend, but no snow fell, and the cold weather was tempered by sun and blue skies. (He also suggested adding "health"-type warnings to forecasts, e.g., beware that weather reports might be wrong.) [Daily Mail (London), 4-17-2013] COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK SHEPHERD WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WEEKLY HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY For the Week of June 16, 2013 ARIES (March 21-April 19) You'll be taking things apart to see how they work. You'll do the same with concepts, stories and people — asking the questions to really get to know what's going on in your world. Do be careful to remember where things were so you can put them back together. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You can speculate about a person's character, but it is best proved through action. You'll apply this principle to yourself, challenging yourself to do the thing that proves your strength and kindness. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) You'll get out of bed on the same side that you always do, and yet it may feel wrong to you because you're not the same person you were. All signs point to change. But what exactly should you change first? Observe yourself. Gather information. CANCER (June 22-July 22) When you're in a social mood, voices are lovely as wind chimes. When you want to be alone, voices split the thoughtful silence like an axe. This week, it's easy to take responsibility for the way you receive people and to take control of your schedule, too. Choose what pleases you. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) You may not feel ready to move on from a situation that is, nonetheless, progressing in its own way, but resistance is futile. Your future will be bright. Believe it, and then embrace what you believe. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) There's something wonderful about getting into a made bed, and there's something terrible about getting into a bed that's not made. Your keystone habits will hold you in good stead this week. There will be so much that you have to react to quickly. With your basics covered, you'll come from a grounded place. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) It doesn't take an expert to know something's wrong, but an expert can tell you exactly what the problem is and how to fix it. Trust your gut reaction and act quickly. Don't hesitate to call in a professional. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Most people would like to have more time for home, more time for work and more time in general. You realize that there's nothing to be done in this department. You have better things to do than fight for mythical "balance." You'll make the brilliant choice to fight a battle you can really win. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) This week you'll spend time with those who have done more than you in life, and this should in no way make you feel small. Rather, you'll feel stronger and better for the experience. Accomplished people will make you believe that you, too, can become accomplished. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) The quick and perhaps desperate solution will be as effective as climbing a tree to get away. It will work, but for how long? Eventually, you'll have to come down. Will the problem still be there when you do, or will it have passed? Congratulations! Your stars favor the latter scenario this week. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) Mobs tend to fall to the lowest common denominator. Your aversion to crowds will play in your favor, as you will be saved from a group mentality that is beneath you. Honor your originality, and give yourself plenty of space to be you. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You have something to gain from seeing your scene from a more constant and stationary point of view. This could come from someone you know, or it could be born of your imagination. By Holiday Mathis ADVICE GODDESS Beating Them About The Head With A Shtick I've always made people laugh with my self-deprecating humor, but I was complaining about not having much luck with the ladies recently, and my buddy told me that my humor is a problem. He said I come off as kind of a downer to women. Other guy friends told me not to listen to him; women love a man with a sense of humor. So, who's right? — Overweight, Poor and Ugly So, the question is, exactly how much of a self do you have to deprecate? Evolutionary psychologist Dr. Gil Greengross sees self-deprecating humor as a social version of conspicuous consumption (outlandish spending implying that a person has so much money, he could use packets of dollar bills for firewood.) Poking fun at yourself can suggest that you have so much personal and emotional capital that you not only don't need to sweat to impress a woman, you can laugh at what a loser you are. (This works especially well if you're a loser like George Clooney.) Amy Alkon Greengross cautions that it's risky to shine a spotlight on actual flaws, so if there's a ring of truth to "Overweight, Poor and Ugly," avoid opening with "Hey, babe, how bout I sell my plasma and take you to dinner?" But say what you lack in looks and money you make up in confidence. You could show off how cool you are with that uncomfortable moment of hitting on a woman with "Hi, I really wanted to talk to you. Can we talk about the weather while I'm thinking of something to say?" And instead of mocking who you are, you're probably safer poking fun at something you've done, like, oops, splashing beer down the cleavage of the woman you're hitting on: "They usually just slip my water dish into my cage so these sorts of things don't happen." Still, although some humorous selfcondemnation can be fun, a constant barrage of it may make a woman's ears try to coerce her arms and legs into a suicide pact. Also, it's easy to fall into the habit of using humor as a force field so you never have to open up and get real. This tends not to go unnoticed or go over with the ladies. So, sure, disarm a woman with humor, but after she's disarmed, see that you actually talk to her, person-to-person, not comedian-to-person. Your goal should be finding out things about her that resonate with you and responding to them and seeing whether there's a connection there. It's connecting with a woman that will make her stick around — and for far longer than if you just try to hammer her with jokes until she loses consciousness. Amy Alkon all rights reserved. JUNE 12-18, 2013 UCW 27