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/17356
NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD Civilization in Decline: “Tom Tom,” a 2-year-old Yorkshire terrier, was laid to rest at the Oakland Cemetery in Monticello, Ark., in March, even though he was in good health. His owner, Donald Ellis, had just passed away but had left explicit instructions that he wanted Tom Tom buried along with him, and not later on, because he felt that no one could love Tom Tom as much as he did. Ellis’ reluctant family finally took Tom Tom to a veterinarian, who tried to change their minds but ultimately acquiesced and euthanized the dog out of fear that they would put him down anyway, less humanely. [KMBC-TV (Kansas City), 3-5-10 The Entrepreneurial Spirit! Unlikely Successes: In July, the world’s largest four-day rodeo, the Pendleton Round-Up, released a signature- brand men’s cologne, Let’er Buck, to mark the company’s 100th anniversary. A spokesman claimed that the $69-a-bottle product has the fragrance of “sensuous musk and warm sandalwood.” [Wall Street Journal, 7-29-10] Thai Airways announced in June that it would begin selling seven curry sauces directly from its airline food menu in take-out shops in Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai. [Belfast Telegraph, 6-23-10] Leading Economic Indicators To most, the toilet is a functional appliance, but to thoughtful people, it can be an instrument upon which creativity blossoms. Thus, the price tags were high this summer when commodes belonging to two literary giants of the 20th century went on sale. In August, a gaudily designed toilet from John Lennon’s 1969-71 residence in Berkshire, England, fetched 9,500 pounds (about $14,740) at a Liverpool auction, and a North Carolina collectibles dealer opened bids on the toilet that long served reclusive author J.D. Salinger at his home in Cornish, N.H. The dealer’s initial price was $1 million because, “Who knows how many of Salinger’s stories were thought up and written while (he) sat on this throne!” [Reuters, 8-28-10] [BBC News, 8-20-10] In September, the Romanian Senate rejected a proposal by two legislators to regulate, and tax, fortune-tellers and “witches,” even though the government is otherwise desperately seeking new sources of revenue. A prominent witch had complained about potential record-keeping burdens on the “profession,” but one of the bill’s sponsors told the Associated Press he thinks opposition came from lawmakers who were frightened of having spells and curses placed on them. [Toronto Sun-AP, 9-12-10] COPYRIGHT 2010 CHUCK SHEPHERD WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WEEKLY HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY ARIES (March 21-April 19) You’ll let your friends be the way they are naturally, and you’ll be careful not to push them in directions that are uncomfortable for them. But when it comes to family, you feel differently. This is especially true of your children if you are a parent. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You have many outgoing friends and relatives. You also love someone who has a more solitary style of operation. You might have to fi nd a hobby to occupy yourself with while this person does things on his or her own this week. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) Though you hear stories about lucky success seekers who get taken under the wing of a powerful rainmaker, the truth is that no one can do it for you. You’ll get help, but ultimately, you’ll fi nd success because you take hold of your own business and make it happen. CANCER (June 22-July 22) Your independent streak continues. Others may feel that it’s nec- essary to give an explanation for their actions. In contrast, you maintain a “no explaining, no complaining” policy. You do not need anyone else to understand your particular viewpoint. You understand it, and that’s what matters. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Your vision of the world is different from the way it appears to the average citizen on the street. So when you feel alone or out of step with the common interests and activities of those around you, this is posi- tive. You were meant to do your own thing. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) It would be far too easy to let those around you in on the secret: You don’t exactly know what you’re doing. You have not faced a scenario like the one you’ll see this week, that’s true. But you have taken on similar tasks and found your way, no problem. This week’s adventure is no different. Become your own ally in this matter. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You’ll be an expert at the dance of love. You’ll let a partner know that you’re there to support and accompany them, but you won’t follow so closely that the other person can’t move and fl ow as desired. There will be a sense of freedom inside the structure of your relationships. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) In some regard, it will benefi t you to call it off, stop the sub- scription, cancel the membership. There comes a certain point when enough is enough, and you’ll reach it this week. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Listening to the same song over and over makes you tire of it, even if it started out as your favorite song. With this in mind, you’ll change the way you communicate with those around you this week. With a little effort, you’ll be like a fresh tune that always falls on receptive ears. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Your relation- ships will enrich and educate you, especially when you open yourself to infl uence. For in- stance, you could hone your eye by listening to the opinions of a friend with stellar taste in art, or you could enjoy a different kind of cooking when you follow the restaurant recommenda- tion of a colleague. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You have a mind of your own. Sure, your fi rst inclina- tion is usually to stand your ground, but that doesn’t mean you never back down. This week, when you see that a rigid opinion isn’t helping to move the action forward, you may choose to soften your approach. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You are likely to agree and acknowledge the rightness in the other person’s position, whether or not you be- lieve this 100 percent. Your wisdom will make your way more pleasant. By Holiday Mathis ADVICE GODDESS Putting the Spark Plugs In the Relationship Five years ago, my love and I shared our fi rst kiss. Since then, we’ve been see- ing each other three times a week for an hour. We spend this hour in his truck being intimate. We love each other. We talk about getting married, how we’ll spend our retire- ment years, where we’ll live, what our lives will be like. Unbidden, he promised that last year’s Christmas would be the last we’d spend apart, that our life together would begin this year. I’ve been ready for this step for three years. But, as the months fl y by, he speaks less of this, and I’m increasingly despondent that we’ve wasted another year. We’re both married to other people. Neither of us has children. I know our lives are complicated, but doesn’t it come down to knowing what you want? Should I wait to see if he will be true to his promise? — Waiting For My Love Men sometimes make extravagant gestures for love. Heathcliff wandered the moors calling Cathy’s name until he froze to death. King Edward VIII ditched the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. Emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as an “elegy in marble” to his late wife. And then there’s your guy, who has yet to spring for sheets, pillowcases, and a headboard. Sorry, but you don’t have a relationship; you have sex in a guy’s truck. You can call the guy “My Love,” but he’s given you no reason to believe he’ll make good on his promise to take your relationship to the next level (the sidewalk?) by Christmas 2010 — or Groundhog Day 2020. You know very well that this is one of the oldest stories in the world. Yeah, sure, he’ll leave his wife for you. Eventually. When the time is right. When the moon is in the seventh house, and dogs fly and pigs read aloud from the encyclopedia. Your guy has the wheels; the thing that’s stopping him from speeding to a divorce lawyer is probably the same thing that always has: any need whatsoever to do it. Five years in, you have yet to demand (or even ask) that he leave his wife — let alone hop out of the truck and take you to Denny’s. And sorry to say it, but other women walk away with $50 for the service you’re providing. What do you go home with, more pretty talk about how you’ll spend your retirement years? (Lemme guess: feeding the meter?) Not surprisingly, you spin this in Amy Alkon the way that protects your ego: This is your great love, not pretty good sex in a Walmart parking lot. The truth is, you don’t even know the guy outside the confines of the truck cab. Clinging to your fantasy future with him allows you to duck the looming questions in your present: What do you have with your husband, and should you try to repair your marriage or get out? Be honest about your situation and what you need to do. That’s how you might someday have a love who makes good on his promises — and not just the easy ones, like moving a little to the side so you won’t go back to the office with “Built Ford Tough” pressed into your left calf. (c)2010, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. OCTOBER 6-12, 2010 UCW 23