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/41404
NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD Arkansas Time Machine, Back to the 1950s: In McGehee, a town of 4,200 in southeastern Arkansas, a black girl (Kym Wimberly) who had finished first in her senior class was named only "co- valedictorian" after officials at McGehee High changed the rules to avoid what one called a potential "big mess." As a result, in an ironic twist on "affirmative action," the highest-scoring white student was elevated to share top honors. Said Kym's mother, "We (all) know if the tables were turned, there wouldn't be a co-valedictorian." In July, the girl filed a lawsuit against the school and the protocol-changing principal. [ABC News, 7-26-2011] Chuck Sheppard Redneck Chronicles Roy Griffith, 60, John Sanborn, 53, and Douglas Ward, 55, were arrested in Deerfield Township, Mich., in July and charged with stealing a 14-foot-long stuffed alligator from a barn, dragging it away with their truck, and using it to surf in the mud ("mudbogging"). When the gator's owner tracked down the three nearby, they denied the theft and insisted that theirs is an altogether-different 14-foot-long stuffed alligator. (Ward's blood-alcohol reading was 0.40.) [Flint Journal, 7-7-2011] When deputies in Monroe County, Tenn., arrested a woman for theft in August, they learned that one of the items stolen was a 150-year-old Vatican- certified holy relic based on the Veil of Veronica (supposedly used to wipe Jesus' face before the crucifixion). The painting had been stolen from the closet of a trailer home on a back road in the Tennessee mountains, where a local named "Frosty," age 73, had kept it for 20 years with no idea of its significance. [WVLT-TV (Knoxville), 8-4-2011] Government in Action! Of the 1,500 judges who referee disputes as to whether someone qualifies for Social Security disability benefits, David Daugherty of West Virginia is the current soft-touch champion, finding for the claimant about 99 percent of the time (compared to judges' overall rate of 60 percent). As The Wall Street Journal reported in May, Daugherty decided many of the cases without hearings or with the briefest of questioning, including batches of cases brought by the same lawyer. He criticized his less lenient colleagues, who "act like it's their own damn money we're giving away." (A week after the Journal report, Judge Daugherty was placed on leave, pending an investigation.) [Wall Street Journal, 5-19-2011, 5-27-2011] COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK SHEPHERD WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WEEKLY HOROSCOPES BY HOLIDAY ARIES (March 21-April 19) It's easier to be persistent if you don't have a lot of emotional baggage and/or frustrated feelings attached to your efforts. This week brings tests of your patience. On a few occasions, you'll have to wait for what you need, so bring something to do in the meantime. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You encourage people to stretch beyond their usual boundar- ies. This week, you make a conscious effort to cheer people on. You go out of your way to make it safe for others to excel beyond their previous limits. GEMINI (May 21-June 21) You have always been disciplined in many regards, though you will leap to a new level of effectiveness in the days to come as you learn to apply that disci- pline in a daily, organized process. You'll have a mentor. This person has fi gured out a method that works for her and for many others. CANCER (June 22-July 22) You make friends easily, and yet good friendships are still hard to come by. The perfect combination of mutual interest, logistical convenience and indescribable chemistry is required to form special bonds. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Being well-rounded may help you appreciate and understand a wide variety of people and infl uences. However, when it comes to your work, you will be better off if you specialize. Become an expert, if not The Expert. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)Just because you understand your feelings doesn't mean you'll automatically be able to get over them. This week brings a breakthrough. An exciting person and a brand-new goal will take your mind off of old history. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You'll have increased powers of self-control this week. Instead of applying them to make yourself do what is unpleasantly "good for you," why not apply your power to creating more enjoyment in your life? SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21) Getting a grip on your emotions will be easier for you when you have a healthy perspective on your life. Imagine that a future version of yourself is looking back on this current scene. Ask your future self for insights. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Success de- pends on your ability to recognize an opportunity, even when the opportunity happens to be dressed as a shabby little problem. Your remarkable imagination helps you see three steps ahead of where you are now and make decisions that will lead you in a positive direction. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You'll notice how a certain pattern affects your life — for instance, your habit of accepting way more responsibility than one person can gracefully handle. You'll change the trend by getting into a new environment. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Your perfect balance of ego and ability will attract opportu- nities, both professional and personal. You'll be in a position to choose. It might be diffi cult for you to let someone down, but you'll enjoy the part where you get to make another person's day. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) You were due for some great news. The resources and elite con- nections you have been wishing for will begin to materialize this week. At fi rst, good luck comes in sprinkles and trickles. Think of each drop as a sign of things to come. Your gratitude and happy attitude will attract a deluge of good fortune. By Holiday Mathis Youth football is here! Football helmets starting at $49.99 Shoulder pads starting at $39.99 Mouthpieces 99¢ Kneepads, socks, belts, water bottles and a great assortment of protective gear. Thanks to our teams & best wishes for a great season! Two Great Businesses Under One Roof! 3006 Bragg Blvd. 910.323.1791 www.trophyhouseinc.com ADVICE GODDESS This Is Where You Draw the Spine My boyfriend lives in Germany, and I'm in Switzerland (a one-hour plane ride away). His close female friend is getting married, and I'm not invited to the wedding. Last spring, when we were broken up for three months, he had a fl ing with the bride's friend. As a courtesy to the fl ing woman, I'm blacklisted. Last summer, when we got back together, I asked that he clear up things with his fl ing immediately, which he agreed to do. Our relationship grew stronger for a couple weeks, and then I learned he was going on vacation with her. (He had already booked the trip and didn't want to cancel!) Fun fact: He wrote me a postcard while away with her. I was incredibly hurt. Only when I screamed at him afterward did he muster the courage to break up with her. Since then, he has been nothing short of wonderful and tells me I'm "the one." I love him, but I'm feeling humiliated by this wedding situation. He has promised to try to persuade the bride to invite me but feels he shouldn't miss her wedding. Amy Alkon — The Girlfriend As hurtful as this has been for you, he probably isn't driven by malevolence, just a crushing need to be liked. This is tough to overcome because it typically traces back to parents who gave conditional love ("I'll love you, you rotten kid, if you dry the dishes"). He has no problem saying no to you — probably because he feels secure that you love him — but for everyone else, it's "Shall I lick your boots or just use my toothbrush and a little soapy water?" A people pleaser is an emotional chameleon, constantly transforming himself into the person he thinks other people want him to be. If your boyfriend ever had values and opinions of his own, they're probably so long gone that he has no idea how to fi nd them. (Too bad you can't look them up on Facebook like an old school chum: "Hey, whassup?!") It was only when you made some squeak of objection about the vacation plans that he fl ew into action. He wasn't about to cancel and disappoint "the other woman" and his travel agent just to preserve the dignity of the woman he (supposedly) loves. But, he did loop you in with a postcard: "Gerta wore her milkmaid outfi t today. Wish you were here!" Don't you think you deserve a man who treats you more like "the one" than the one he sells out fi rst? If so, the only German you should be with now is a German shepherd — one you borrow to help you search for the word "dealbreaker," which seems to have been kidnapped from your vocabulary. Likewise, if you fi nd this man "wonderful," it's because you've downgraded your idea of wonderful, and you'd best take a long, wonderful bath in raw sewage so you can contemplate how you'll keep yourself from engaging in anything so wonderful ever again. Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2011 UCW 23 Is your player pr operly equipped?