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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NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD The conflicted double life of Israeli Orthodox Jew Shadar Hadar, 34, might be as formidable to manage as that of an international spy. Though deeply and defiantly religious, he typically around midnight "trades his knitted white yarmulke" for a "wavy blond wig and pink velvet dress" and takes the stage as a nascent drag queen, according to an August Associated Press dispatch from Jerusalem. His gayness has alienated his ex-wife (who bars him from seeing their daughter, now 11) and is only grudgingly accepted by his parents. As a bridge of sorts in his life, he has rejected the usual raunchy drag queen personas and adopted instead that of a female rabbinic adviser, musing from the stage on optimistic teachings of Breslov Hasidic ultraOrthodox Judaism. [Associated Press via Huffington Chuck Sheppard Post, 8-1-2013] Government in Action Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, whose construction was financed in 1964 by borrowing $25 million (and untold more as part of a subway expansion to service the stadium), was demolished in 2004 and is but a memory to the city's sports fans. However, nine years later, the city is still paying for it (though next year will retire the $25 million bond and nine years from now, the city hopes, will retire the stadium/subway bond). The city's deputy controller told PhillyMag.com in June, profoundly, "When issuing a bond to build a facility, the debt payment on that bond should not outlast the facility." [PhillyMag.com, 6-14-2013] Inexplicable: The Oklahoma Department of Public Safety's solution to its legendary long lines at driver's license stations was to create "In Line Online" registration, which it introduced recently. Online registrants were beside themselves, however, when they arrived on time across the state, only to learn that In Line Online merely entitled them to a reserved place in the line for making future appointments to take their driver's test. A spokesman acknowledged that In Line Online might have some kinks and thus would be closed temporarily. [KFORTV, 8-15-2013] COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK SHEPHERD WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM BY WEEKLY HOROSCOPES2013 HOLIDAY For the Week of September 8, ARIES (March 21-April 19) Some say fear is an invitation to be brave. Maybe other people received a different invitation, but you should respond to the one you were given, not to theirs. The lesson this week is in heeding your own internal warning system. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) The worst hurts are those that come from an inner perception rather than an outer reality. You'll focus on your inner world this week, examining the thoughts that lead you to make your best and worst moves. Mutual attraction and love will make your heart full. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Receiving a very precious and valuable gift can be amazing, but it also has a downside. You're suddenly in charge of protecting and maintaining this gift, as well as being properly grateful for it and using it to the fullest. Just be careful in choosing and asking for what you want. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) There are different schools of thought and numerous strategies for playing this game called life. You prefer not to think of it as a competitive sport this week. In the days ahead, your game is more like a puzzle that everyone helps put together. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) There's much to accomplish, and you won't be able to do it on your own. It will be most productive to surround yourself with people who share your values, not your strengths. The ideal team is made up of people who have complementary gifts. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Deals come and go. But your personal life is different. If you're grumpy and unloving, you'll definitely regret it. This week you put a good deal of energy into doing whatever it takes to put yourself in a generous, happy mood, especially around your loved ones. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) You're different. You want the highest and best for all involved. You won't be happy unless everyone gets what's fair, even if they don't know enough to fight for that. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) You like to take the pressure off of people. You want them to be at their best around you. Because you strive to make people feel comfortable and succeed at this, you will be promoted in some way. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)Being heard will be more important to you than it usually is this week. You'll take pains to put your unique stamp on things. Just be sensitive to the feelings of others; carefully read their reactions. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) This week is about exposure. You want to show the world who you are, and you want the world to show you things, too. In exposing yourself to new ideas, people, lifestyles and places, you also could expose yourself to ridicule and rejection. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)There are pirates in your midst this weeks. You'll know them by their tendency to steal and then bury the treasure instead of investing or spending it. Also, the pirates have "yes" people around them, people who echo their ideas like shoulder-perched parrots. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Don't be excessively concerned with your relationships this week. Putting too much emphasis on serving the needs of those around you will cause you to behave in ways that suit the best interests of everyone but you. By Holiday Mathis IN THE MORNING Weekdays 5:30AM to 10:00AM ADVICE GODDESS But Meets Girl My previous relationship was passionate but was with an emotionally abusive man. I've been dating a new man for five months. I wasn't initially attracted to him, but he ended up sweeping me off my feet because he's the most generous man I've ever met. He's all about me. He goes out of his way to do so many nice things for me — even buying me things I can't afford. We've had fun, but I've had doubts creeping in, like about how he's still not my physical type. Also, I'm not sure we share enough interests or, quite frankly, are on the same level intellectually. Then again, I know he'd go along with anything I wanted to do, because he just wants to make me happy. I'm just not sure that's enough. Because of all the pros about him and my previous bad choices, I made myself give him a chance. Perhaps I'm just sabotaging things because subconsciously I don't feel I deserve all this kindness. — Hesitant You, like many well-meaning but misguided idealists, want to believe you can become attracted Amy Alkon to somebody the way you can learn to fly-fish or bartend. Sure, great people sometimes get more attractive as you get to know them. But for them to get attractive enough for you to want to get naked with them, they have to have enough of the stuff you need in a person to go "hubba-hubba" instead of "yawna-yawna" or worse: "Get away from me, or I'll scream." You say you've had doubts creeping in, and around the top of the list should be, "Is he a man or a purse dog?" It's a bad sign if he really would "go along with anything (you) wanted to do." His unflagging eagerness to please suggests he's one of those guys who think they have to buy a woman's company with their cash and compliance. On a more positive note, this pleaserhood does resolve the matching interests issue, since one big thing you have in common is that he likes whatever you like. (Have you nicknamed him "Xerox"?) If you don't feel you deserve a nice guy, that's something to address, but not by bolting yourself to some allweather Santa you find borderline dumb and about as sexy as grout. You need to hold out for physical, emotional, intellectual, and best friendly chemistry. A guy should also be enough of a person to sometimes find what you want to do hellishly boring or excruciatingly girly and suggest you do it alone or with a friend. If he's right for you, at times when he isn't right there with you, you'll probably find yourself wandering off into fantasies about him -- and not the sort in which the guy gets kidnapped immediately after paying for dinner. Amy Alkon all rights reserved. SEPTEMBER 11-17, 2013 UCW 23