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 Equal justice under the law might just depend simply on whether a judge’s stomach is growling when he pronounces sentence, according to a study of 1,000 parole decisions during 50 courtroom days observed by students from Columbia University and Israel’s Ben Gurion University for an April journal article. The students found that, day after day, judges were increasingly stingy with parole as a morning or afternoon session wore on, but that dramatic spikes in generosity took effect immediately following lunch or a snack break. The lead researcher, Columbia professor Jonathan Levav, expressed satisfaction with the scholarship but disappointment “as a citizen” with the findings. [ABC News, 4-11-2011] Repeated Themes: Bizarre Adventures “Man’s best friend” sometimes isn’t, as when a playful dog hops onto a gun on the ground, causing it to fire a round. John Daniels, 28, took a bullet in the knee from his dog, for example, in Raleigh, N.C., in January. [Raleigh News & Observer, 1-26-2011] Dogs betray in other ways, too. Motorist Joel Dobrin, 32, was pulled over in a traffic stop in February in Moro, Ore., and rushed to hide his alleged drug stash, which was in a sock. However, his dog intercepted the sock for an impromptu game of dog-tug-of-war in the car. Dobrin won but lost his grip, and the sock flew out the driver’s window, right in front of the officer. Dobrin was cited, and later indicted, for drug possession. [KTVB-TV (Boise, Idaho), 2-15-2011] At least three jihadist groups in recent years have published full-color Arabic magazines lauding the Islamist struggle, with articles and essays to recruit fighters and offer personal advice for women on the importance of raising proper families and catering to mujahedeens’ needs. The latest, Al-Shamikha (“The Majestic Woman”), which surfaced in March, featured interviews with martyrs’ wives and advised women to stay indoors, both for modesty and a “clear complexion” (advice that earned the magazine its nickname “Jihad Cosmo”). [Daily Mail (London), 3-13-2011] Prevailing medical authority 20 years ago warned that few humans could survive blood-alcohol readings above .40 (percent), but in recent years, drivers have rather easily survived higher numbers (curiously, many from Wisconsin, such as the man in February in Madison, Wis., with a .559). (In 2007, an Oregon driver was found unconscious, but survived, with a .72 reading.) The plethora of high numbers might indicate mistaken medical teaching, or nonstandard machine measurements — or an evolutionary hardiness in American drinkers. [Star Tribune (Minneapolis), 2-15-2011] Snowmobilers fall through thin ice every season because the ice’s thickness is difficult to estimate, especially at night. Less understandable is that every season, when other snowmobilers come to rescue the downed snowmobiler, they drive their vehicles as close as they can to the spot of the fall — which, of course, is right at the lip of thin-ice- break, thus virtually assuring that their vehicle, too, will fall in, such as the four people who fell through the ice in a pond near Holyrood, Newfoundland, in February. [Canadian Broadcasting Corp. News, 2-13-2011] COPYRIGHT 2010 CHUCK SHEPHERD WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WEEKLY HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY ARIES (March 21-April 19) Money motivates you, especially when your goals happen to have a lot to do with your professional, and actual, survival. But money is not the only reason you do your job with great attention and skill. You have something personal to prove, and this week you will prove it well. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Constant com- parison is a debilitating habit, especially if it involves scanning and judging every person in the vicinity to determine how you measure up. Take a break from being analytical in this way. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) Whether giving a speech or telling an impromptu story to a friend, you will easily capture the attention and imagination of your audience. With practice, you’ll get better at delivering your message. People will either do as you suggest, or copy your example. CANCER (June 22-July 22) You like to acquire things, but you like to give them away even more. You would rather cycle through a menagerie of curios and oddities than hoard and keep old things indefi nitely. You’ll negoti- ate with those who have a different manner of dealing with possessions, and you’ll benefi t from striking a mutual agreement. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) No matter how great you are at what you do, you can always make improvements. You’ll jump at the chance to develop your talents, even when it comes at a cost. You’ll enjoy the education and the process of polishing your skills. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)You’ll enjoy enhanced powers of self-discipline, which the other signs will probably fi nd quite unfair given the impressive level of self-control you already exhibit. So try not to show off! ADVICE GODDESS So, His Wild Oats LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Your natural talent for balancing life will come into play this week. Though you’ll give the required amount of at- tention to the activities that allow you to make ends meet, your involvement will be limited in some way because you refuse to let work take over your entire life. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21)You’ll meet a person who has a lifestyle that is very differ- ent from yours, though this person also shares many of the same values you hold dear. This meeting may inspire you to investigate new al- ternatives, especially having to do with fi nance and diet. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Your mind has many chambers, and you always get a thrill when a new one opens up. Your travels, either physical or intellectual, will cause such an opening to happen this week. And because your imagination is so fertile now, books and other media will be nearly as exciting as real-life experience. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) It is possible that the most impressive thing you could do is simply to be comfortable with yourself and con- fi dent in your choices. You have an abundance of charm, as long as you focus on listening more than on telling what you know. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) You’ll be acutely and perhaps even painfully aware of your ambitions, which will inspire you to work harder than ever for gratifi cation that seems to be indefi nitely delayed. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Care for yourself well this week, not only because you’ll feel bet- ter for the effort, but also because the way you present yourself is a treat to the others around you. Loved ones will gather to reminisce, laugh and enjoy one another. By Holiday Mathis Women always insist they’re looking for a “nice guy,” but they waste no time running past one to get to a jerk/bad boy. It really seems they’re drawn to guys who treat them badly. My most egotistical friends score with women like crazy, and I’m a nice guy who’s alone. If my experience is any indication, what women really want are domineering users who have sex with them and toss them aside. — Nice And Tired Of It “Nice” versus “jerk”/”bad boy” is actually an oversimplifi cation. NYU personality psychologist Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman has been digging into the nuances, which he laid out in his talk at an evolutionary psychology conference I attended in April at SUNY-Binghamton. Kaufman described the classic jerk as “narcissistic, selfi sh, thrill-seeking and chauvinistic.” He focused on the narcissistic angle, noting that narcissists tend to be a bust in long-term relationships (they’re all about being admired instead of being a partner), but they’re “masters at fi rst impressions.” He cited research that suggests a whole lot of us fi nd narcissists highly likeable at fi rst. But, in the research, those who initially found the narcissists charismatic, well- adjusted, and fun saw their true colors upon further interaction (recognizing them for the self-obsessed, groupie-seeking, manipulative creeps they actually are). Regarding your contention that women want “domineering” men, Kaufman laid out research that shows they actually want men who are “assertive” as opposed to “dominant.” What’s the difference? Well, a guy who says to his date, “We’ve got to leave right now” as opposed to tying her up and throwing her in the trunk. Kaufman summed up his talk by describing the ideal man as strong without being aggressive and demanding, and sensitive without being meek, wimpy, or submissive. He described this man as “the Prestigious Man,” and gave George Clooney as an example. This sort of man is confi dent, achievement- oriented and extroverted while also being caring, generous and helpful. Kaufman emphasized that kindness and assertiveness aren’t mutually exclusive, and having both in one man is especially important to women. He also noted that the Prestigious Man has genuine self-esteem, based on his accomplishments (as opposed to the blustery “Look at me!” self-esteem of the not-so-nice guy). Amy Alkon What you need to do is borrow from the bad boy’s successful tactics. You won’t transform yourself overnight, but you can work on being more self-assured, and until you start to feel it, do your best to act self-assured. In time, with practice, you just might convince some cute girl to come home with you to help you put Bactine on that rash you got from tucking your tail between your legs. Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. MAY 18-24, 2011 UCW 23