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/430739
DECEMBER 10-16, 2014 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM ADVICE GODDESS AMERICAN IDLE My girlfriend is beautiful, highly intelligent, and interesting. She's smart for a living (as a strategic planner in advertising), so I find it sad that she watches so much television — maybe two hours of it upon coming home from work. She could be spending her time doing so many other things. — Dismayed Engineering professor Barbara Oakley explains in her neuroscience-based book on learning, A Mind for Numbers, that our brain has two modes of problem-solving that it shifts between. There's the "Heigh- ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go!" focused mode and the resting-state, brain-in-the-La- Z-Boy diffuse mode. Focused-mode thinking is what we're using when we put our atten- tion on a problem or on learning, writing, or memorizing. It's direct and intense, like shining a flashlight on a raccoon. But your brain is not a Denny's and should not be ex- pected to be "always open!" In fact, Oakley explains, you will be far more efficient if you take breaks and let your diffuse mode take over. This is the subconscious processing that goes on when you turn your focus away from a problem, like by taking a walk, cleaning the gerbil cage, or watching something dopey on TV. And while the focused mode can get you roadblocked into an overly narrow set of potential solutions, diffuse mode involves big-picture thinking that draws on a wide range of neural networks. This means that afterward, when you refocus on the prob- lem, answers come more easily. Consider the sort of "slackers" who watch TV — like the late crime writer Elmore Leonard, who was awarded the National Book Foundation's 2012 Medal for Distin- guished Contribution to American Letters. After a long day working on one of his 45 novels, he'd be on his couch watching Jeop- ardy and Wheel of Fortune. As my boyfriend (his researcher of 33 years) put it, "you could say, 'Elmore, the Martians just landed on your tennis court,' and he'd say, 'Wait! It's Final Jeopardy!'" Sure, your girlfriend could be "doing so many other things," like staring blankly into a bookcase or tossing back four marti- nis and passing out on the sofa with an olive in her ear. But TV-watching is the brain vacation that works for her. It's only "sad" if her boyfriend, despite the neuroscience mini-tour above, remains too entrenched in his beliefs to respect a TV-watching woman. Unfortunately, once disgust for a partner is afoot in a relationship, the thing is probably shot. Though, rather incred- ibly, "the idiot box" can help a person be a smarter decision-maker at work, scientists have yet to discover any similarly unbeliev- able lowbrow cures for ailing romantic partnerships, like a month of eating Big Macs for a relationship-saving McDonald's cleanse. WEEKLY HOROSCOPES NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD Comprehensive Pentagon studies of America's nuclear missile infrastructure released in November (following disturbing reports of readiness failures) included the revelation that nuclear warheads had to be attached with a particular wrench, even though the Air Force owned only one with which to service 450 missiles housed at three bases. Consequently, one official told The New York Times, "They started FedExing the one tool" back and forth. No one had checked in years, he said, "to see if new tools were being made" — typical of maintenance problems that had "been around so long that no one reported them anymore." [New York Times, 11-13-2014] Autumn Canceled: London's Daily Telegraph reported in November that a gardener hired by the House of Commons had spent a day pulling color-changing leaves from trees on the Westminster Palace grounds — because it would be more cost-effective than to rake them up after they fell. The gardener (whose name sounds right out of a James Bond adventure — "Annabel Honeybun") said she had 145 trees to service. (A local environmentalist lamented denying autumn visitors "one of the few pleasures at this time of year." [Daily Telegraph, 11-14-2014] Cultural Diversity Various cogs in South Korea's national machinery paused briefly on Nov. 13 so as not to distract the nation's high-school-age kids, as 650,000 of them were sitting for the decisive university entrance exams (which are several levels more important than the SATs or ACTs for American students). Large companies and government agencies told employees to commute later in the morning — to keep traffic lighter for students traveling to the 1,257 test centers — and "no-fly" zones reduced noise during the 40-minute period in which students tested aurally on the English language. [Daily Telegraph, 11-13-2014] Latest Spiritual Messages "Santa Muerte" (Our Lady of the Holy Death) might be described as a cynic's unauthorized byproduct of Roman Catholicism currently festering in drug- cartel-roiled Mexico and Central America and is, according to Vice Media, "the world's fastest growing" religion. "Saint Death" first appeared only 12 years ago, in the Mexico City barrio of Tepito, and is now a first line of protection for worshippers in danger zones. (Almost 80,000 Mexicans have been killed in drug-related violence since 2006, Vice reported.) Said an author who has studied the religion, "People feel more comfortable asking (Santa Muerte) for favors they probably shouldn't ask a Catholic saint for." [Vice.com, 11-13-2014] ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, although you are full of excitement this week, rein in some of those feelings so you can focus on the tasks at hand. Use your energy to your advantage. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, motivation may not be strong this week, so begin with some menial tasks around the house and build up to bigger plans. Eventually you will find a groove. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, try to avoid focusing on just one issue for too long. Sometimes you simply must trust your instincts and forge ahead anyway. Let past experience guide you this week. CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, avoid the temptation to take on too many responsibilities this week. If you don't, you might not get much done. Think before you accept more work. LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Financial matters are looming and a decision must be made, Leo. Don't be overcome with anxiety, as all you need to do is carefully examine your finances to come up with a solution. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Spontaneity beckons, Virgo, even though you are a careful planner who puts a lot of thought into your decisions. Overthinking is more hassle than it's worth this week. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Someone may catch you off guard this week, Libra. This person will bring a welcome surprise, so look forward to this unexpected encounter. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Back up your promises with decisive action, Scorpio. That's the only way to prove to others that your word means something and you are committed to honoring your commitments. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 There may be more to the big picture than you are seeing, Sagittarius. Gather the facts before you jump to any conclusions. You may just see things from a different perspective. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, you are riding high and looking to share your good fortune with others. Make the most of this chance to improve the lives of those around you. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, you have an idea about how to tackle a difficult obstacle, but someone crosses your path with a different agenda. Perhaps there's a way to work together. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, avoid open conflict without being a pushover this week. Find the middle ground and try to understand another's perspective. Amy Alkon Chuck Sheppard