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/20237
NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD About 20 percent of Japan’s adult- WEEKLY HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY video market is now “elder porn” with each production featuring one or more studly seniors and Shigeo Tokuda, 76, among the most popular. He told Toronto’s Globe and Mail in October that he still “performs” physically “without Viagra,” in at least one role a month opposite much younger women. His wife and adult daughter learned only two years ago, by accident, of his late-onset career (which began at age 60 when a filmmaker hired him for his “pervert’s face”). Tokuda figures the “elder porn” genre will grow with Japan’s increasing senior population. [Globe and Mail, 10-3-10] Cultural Diversity In Afghanistan, as in many less- developed countries, boy babies are much preferred to girls for economic reasons and social status, but some thus- unlucky Afghan parents have developed a workaround for “excess” girls: simply designate one a boy. All references to her are male, and she dresses as a boy, plays “boy” games and does “boy” chores, at least until puberty, when many parents of the “bocha posh” convert her back. In some tribal areas, according to a September New York Times dispatch, superstition holds that creation of a bocha posh even enhances prospects of the next child’s being a boy. [New York Times, 9-21-10] Although India has forbidden discrimination against lower-caste “Dalits” (so-called “untouchables”), rampant oppression still exists, especially in rural areas. In October, police were investigating reports that a higher-caste woman had disowned her dog after it had been touched by an “untouchable” woman. A village council in the Morena district of Madhya Pradesh state had reportedly awarded the higher- caste woman the equivalent of $340 compensation after she witnessed the dog being given food scraps by the Dalit woman. [BBC News, 9-24-10] Latest Religious Messages Symbols: Although the dress code at Clayton (N.C.) High School prohibits it, freshman Ariana Iacono demanded in September that she be allowed her nose ring, which she said is “essential” to her practice of religion. Her Church of Body Modification, she said, teaches that “the mind, body and soul are all one entity and that modifying the body can bring the mind and soul into harmony.” [WTVD (Raleigh), 9-10-10] Some Ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jews came under criticism in September during the pre-Yom Kippur Day of Atonement because, unlike most Jews, they shunned the euphemistic twirling of substitute objects over their heads for forgiveness insisting on hard-core expression by twirling sacrificed chickens. [Reuters, 9-17-10] COPYRIGHT 2010 CHUCK SHEPHERD WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM ARIES (March 21-April 19) You have some thoughts that deserve to be followed by a roomful of wild applause. Then there are other thoughts you have that are not even really wor- thy of your attention. If a thought is causing you distress, disregard it and choose another. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Though you can’t help but spend a good deal of your week chasing enough dollars to make ends meet, it doesn’t have to be a joyless process. Happiness is available to all. The best part is, it doesn’t cost a penny. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) If you ask some people, for a risk to be fun, it has to be big. You’ll face a challenge that is 100 percent of your own choosing. And you will succeed be- cause your approach is humble and human. CANCER (June 22-July 22) You will be work- ing on another interesting puzzle this week. The answer doesn’t come from thinking things over excessively. Instead, it pops into your head at a moment when your thoughts have vacated — like when you’re driving, walking, shower- ing or just gazing out the window. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) If you write a note, seal it in a bottle and send it out to sea, you will be littering. But you will also be providing a potentially interesting source of excitement and intrigue for the unsuspecting seaside stroller who picks up the bottle and reads the message. This week, your messages are sent through unusual means. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) The friend who is not demanding may not capture your attention as well as a certain needy person has. That’s why you have to make a conscious decision to make the extra effort to appreciate friends who are capable and self-suffi cient. Doing so will be extremely lucky for you this week. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 2) Humor heals. It doesn’t matter what you’re laughing at; it just matters that you do. You’ll have a roaring good time with laid-back Libra or Capricorn. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) You may not feel that you have the skills to tackle the job you are given, but that doesn’t keep you from doing a fantastic job. You assume nothing and learn everything you need to know. you’ll inch along on your way to improvement. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) You will remember the fi rst thing you loved about someone who is special to you, and you will be adding many other things to the list this week. It would be wonderful if you could deliver your love expressed on paper. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You feel better when things are neat and organized, though this may be quite a feat now. Your schedule is packed to the gills, and there is hardly time for you to clean up, return phone calls or do extra things for yourself like get a haircut. If you can enlist some help, you’ll put yourself in a better position. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You will have a playful relationship with your loved ones be- cause you make that your intention. You realize how important it is to make humor and fun a big priority. And your work only gets better as you connect more often with your loved ones through fun and play. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You will have so many fantastic ideas this week that it might be diffi cult to know which ones you should act on fi rst. You can ask others, but that won’t bring you any closer to success. Assume you already have all the answers inside you, and go with your gut instinct. You are more psychic than you know. By Holiday Mathis n di a n ADVICE GODDESS Lady GaGa I’m a 26-year-old guy who’s been on 30 dates this year in hopes of fi nding a woman to build a long, healthy relationship with, but I only ended up with a few notches in my belt. Last night, I went out with a girl who shook my world. I’ve never fallen for somebody so quickly, and the thought of her not liking me tore me apart inside. We met on a dating website when she wrote to say my profi le was “cute” and so was I. On our date, however, I got the impression she wasn’t too interested because she rarely made eye contact and didn’t smile much. I couldn’t sleep last night, as I was so depressed at the thought of her not liking me or being in my life. So, how should I healthily pursue her? She said she wanted to go out again, but many girls say that and don’t mean it. I’m waiting 48 hours to call so I don’t seem desperate. I’m an emotional guy, and the thought of her not liking me is SO hurtful that this will take a while to get over — if I ever do. — Destroyed Yet, after a single date, you whimper, “The thought of this girl not liking me is SO hurtful that this will take a while to get over — if I ever do.” What are you, 12? Amy Alkon Okay, it’s frustrating and even depressing to keep looking for “the one” and only come up with the one-night stands, but get a grip. You’re coming to the conclusion that you might have to date more, not that you’ll die trapped under a rock unless you hack off your right arm with the business end of a drinking straw. While you can feel instantly blown away by somebody, an immediate obsession with a woman you’ve known for maybe three hours stems more from where you are in your life than anything real and substantial about her. But, say you knew her better. Pursuing her in a healthy way would involve merely preferring (that she want you back. Demanding it is irrational, misery- producing baby behavior — the equivalent of stamping your feet and huffi ng, “The universe should be nice to me! In fact, the universe should give me a cookie!” Waiting 48 hours before calling might *Lunch Buffet M-S 11-3 Closed Sunday Fine Dining Mon - Sat 5-10 Full Service Bar • Large Parties • Catering • Take Out Reservations Accepted • Gift Certifi cates Available “Exquisite Indian cuisine prepared by a world renowned chef.” 3401-A Raeford Rd. (Formerly Pierro’s) Next to All American Freeway 433-4351 • www.shalimarfaync.com make you seem less desperate — assuming you don’t pass the time by hyperventilating that you can’t possibly live without her. (Sure you can. You’ve done it for 26 years.) There’s a good chance you’ve already leaked enough desperation to set off her creep-dar. Short of fi nding yourself a doctor who can induce a coma with telephone privileges, you’ll have your best shot if you can calm yourself enough to come off like you’re just hoping to spend Friday night with her, not the rest of your life. In the future, if you can’t be more realistic, at least be more practical. It can be reasonable to decide that some woman absolutely must be yours — if she’s the sort of woman you pick up in an adult bookstore, then take home and blow up with your bike pump. (c)2010, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. NOVEMBER 24-30, 2010 UCW 27 A i r W e o px lr E d e Cl nis Vegetarian & Non-Vegeta egetarian eget sa *Items Change Daily! NOW OPEN ms C ms Cha g D ily ms Ch Daily! Halal Meat ria C ui Is e n c e