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/544343
JULY 22-28, 2015 UCW 23 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM ADVICE GODDESS Flea Market Capitalism You recently printed a letter from a woman who had decided to stop dating so she could make better choices about men. I also decided to do this, though I haven't had her trouble in sticking to my plan. The thing is, since I stopped dating, I have been deluged with suitors. Coincidence? Or do men sense when you've packed away your desperation? — Crowded Men, like all of us, are most attracted to what's somewhat out of reach. Had Rapunzel been sitting behind an unlocked window on the f irst f loor, she would have been just another chick with a hairbr ush. Value is actually a relative thing. A lack of supply — something being (or seeming) rare and hard to get — tends to increase demand (as in, desirability). Consider the pricing of different sorts of rocks, and why you see Jared ads for expensive diamond rings and not expensive princess-cut gray speckled pebbles: "Just $5,901.76, for this lovely bit of roadside gravel!" Understanding the value of scarcity can help you transform how you act with men — and, in turn, how they treat you. There's this mistaken notion that you have to feel secure before you can act that way. Actually, you can simply act more secure — though it won't feel "natural" at f irst -- and you should f ind that men respond to you as if you are more secure. Combine that with a mindset of "I hope I like them" instead of "I hope they like me" and you should f ind yourself coolly considering prospective suitors — as opposed to answering the door to a confused pizza delivery guy with "I cleared a drawer for you. Pick a toothbr ush." AMY ALKON Copyright 2015 WEEKLY HOROSCOPES NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD It Pays To Fail The enormous compensation CEOs of large corporations receive is justified in part by their bringing prosperity to their shareholders, but last year (an excellent one for most investors), two of the nation's best-paid chief executives "earned" handsome raises despite presiding over losses: Philippe Dauman of Viacom Inc. (paid $44.3 million, stock lost 6.6 percent) and Jeffrey Immelt of General Electric (an 88 percent raise to $37.3 million, stock lost 6.7 percent). CEO Steven Newman of Transocean earned only $14.2 million, according to a June Wall Street Journal report, but that was a 2.2 percent boost -- for stewardship that resulted in one of 2014's biggest flops — Transocean's 59.9 percent loss for its shareholders. [Wall Street Journal, 6-25- 2015] The Entrepreneurial Spririt The Japanese, especially, report a decline of intimacy (for instance, a recent estimate found that about a quarter of 30-year-olds had never had sex with another person) -- convenient for a Kyoto research institute's announcement in June that it had developed a huggable, human-sized, featureless pillow (resembling Casper the Friendly Ghost), with skin-like texture, to serve as an embraceable intimacy substitute. For people with actual lovers, the "Hugvie" (retailing for the equivalent of $80) has a mouth slot for a cellphone to enable running sweet talk with a remote "companion." [phys. org, 6-5-2015] Redneck Marketing Challenges: (1) Scotty and Beverly Franklin of Springfield, Missouri, are trying to tempt cowboys to actually wear leather boots retrofitted to be open-toed sandals. KHOU-TV (Houston) reported that the Franklins would sandal-up your favorite pair for $75. (2) One of the more reviled consumer products of 2015 is a gun-shaped iPhone case, which so alarms police that it suddenly in early July became hard to find, even at the online Japan Trend Shop, which previously offered models from $5 to $49. Asked one officer, "Why would you want to make yourself look like a threat (to cops)?" [KHOU-TV (Houston), 6-23-2015] [CNN Money, 7-1-2015] Government in Action Copyright CHUCK SHEPPARD ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, the part of your life that is ailing will be healed by a routine, methodical approach. Take it slow and steady and commit to doing it daily over a long period of time — at least a month. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, as St. Francis of Assisi suggested, baby steps will lead to greatness. "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, what if you could listen so hard to another person that you could express that person better than he or she could? Those who listen well are liked. Those who listen masterfully are revered." CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, there are times when distraction can be a great help. People who are experiencing something painful or frightening will glide through more easily with the help of a distraction. You'll mercifully provide such a distraction today. LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, psychic clearing is real. It can be felt, and it can make for an easier, lighter, healthier experience. Today's best method for psychic clearing is simply to get what's in your heart out in the open. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, rinse and repeat isn't just for shampoo. Excellence may come in the form of a glorious action, but it is actually the result of habits. Practice daily. Don't wait for the inspiration; just go. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Maybe you can have it all, but you can't have it all at once. The key to feeling like you've had a successful day is in picking one thing to work on and working on it until it's finished. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Even the most capable people require assistance sometimes. The more responsibilities a person has the more help he or she needs. You may be the only one who notices this, so don't hesitate to lend a hand. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 The philosopher Nietzsche suggested that we are all in a flight from ourselves. Though this may be true, today's journey will bring you round trip. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 The thing you felt entrapped by will magically disappear. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 You'll probably have to make your own fun, but the extra effort will prove worthwhile. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Set aside your pride. Giving yourself a wide margin for error (especially in regard to bank accounts, projects and deadlines) will make life better and work enjoyable. Amy Alkon Chuck Sheppard