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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DECEMBER 21-27, 2016 UCW 23 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM WEEKLY HOROSCOPE ADVICE GODDESS Present Tense Women are really cuckoo when it comes to gifts. If my lady didn't get me a present on my birthday, I wouldn't really care. But if I didn't buy her something for hers or if I chose badly, brace yourself! Don't get me wrong; I love my girlfriend. I just wish I understood how to avoid the minefield here. — Lost In Santa's Wonderland Gift-getting generally is a bigger deal to women than it is to men. To understand why, consider that our emotions aren't just feelings; they're motivational mechanisms that evolved to guard our survival and help us pass on our genes. Of course, both men and women feel jealous and are deeply hurt by both sexual infidelity ("Did you have sex with him/her?!") and emotional infidelity ("Do you love him/her?!"). However, evolutionary psychologist David Buss finds that men and women differ in which type they find more distressing. Because men experience "paternity uncertainty" ("Mama's baby, Papa's maybe"), they're more distressed by sexual infidelity, which could chump them into raising a kid who'll pass on some other dude's genes. There's no such thing as "maternity uncertainty." Accordingly, Buss finds that women are more distressed by the prospect that a man might be emotionally elsewhere. In light of this, it makes sense that a woman puts more weight on a male partner's displays of love and commitment — which is ultimately what gifts to your girlfriend are. Maybe understanding that can help you convert gift-giving from a perilous chore to a way to tell your girlfriend that you love her, that you don't take her for granted, and that it means something to give her a little burst of happy. Unfortunately, this may not make your shopping any easier on Official Girlfriend Holidays (Christmas, Valentine's Day, your anniversary, and her birthday). What might is asking for advice from women close to her — her mom, her sister, her BFF. However, there's a way to minimize the effects of any big-gift fails, and it's with semi-frequent little gifts — like picking up her favorite overpriced smoothie or that special cheese she raves about. Doing this tells her something very important: that you love her enough to pay attention. Copyright Amy Alkon NEWS OF THE WEIRD by CHUCK SHEPPARD American gangsters traditionally use euphemisms and nicknames ("Chin," "The Nose") to disguise criminal activities, but among details revealed at a November murder trial in Sydney, Australia, was that members of the "Brothers 4 Life" gang might have used "pig latin." In a phone-tapped conversation played in court, one of the men on trial was overheard cunningly telling a henchman that a colleague had been "caught with the un-gay in the ar- kay." A helpful witness then took the stand to explain to the jury that the defendant thus knew there was "a gun in the car." At press time, the trial was still in progress. [Australian Broadcasting Corp. News, 11-16- 2016] Recurring Themes An "academic" paper composed entirely of gibberish was accepted for a lecture at the International Conference on Atomic and Nuclear Physics in Atlanta last month. Prof. Christoph Bartneck of New Zealand's University of Canterbury said he began writing (using Apple iOS) by entering "atomic" and "nuclear" into his tablet and "randomly" following whatever "autocomplete" suggestions emerged. (Sample sentence: "The atoms of a better universe will have the right for the same as you are the way we shall have to be a great place..." Conclusion: "Power is not a great place for a good time.") [The Guardian (London), 10-21-2016] Divorcing couples who cannot decide who gets to keep a treasured family home leave the decision to a judge, and in October, a court in Moscow ordered a couple to build a brick wall dividing in two their expensive house in an elite neighborhood. Apparently contractors' measurements have been taken, and the couple has assumed dominion over their respective areas, even to the extent that a friend of the wife had become "trapped" on the husband's side and prevented from leaving until she called emergency services. Furthermore, the wife must have a second stairway built, as the existing one is on the husband's side. [Daily Mail (London), 10-21- 2016] Copyright Chuck Sheppard ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, no one can fool you this week and this is quite an advantage. Make the most of your renewed sense of awareness and use it to make some important decisions. TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 A change of scenery could be just what you need, Taurus. Get out of town for a few days and recharge your personal batteries. This respite can do wonders. GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Work in conjunction with a coworker to accomplish a difficult task, Gemini. Embracing your cooperative, team-first side is the right approach in the week ahead. CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Big changes are ahead for you, Cancer. Are you ready to turn your schedule on its head for the time being? You will have to make a series of changes in the coming weeks. LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, a hectic schedule on the horizon has you feeling some pressure to get everything done. It's understandable, but afford yourself some time to have fun as well. VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, uncertainty has you considering some options you never gave much thought in the past. Be open to new experiences and embrace this chance to start anew. LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, think about exploring your creative side and find out ways to make the most of that exploration. The reward will be well worth the investment. SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, just when you think some miscommunication has been smoothed over, you find yourself needing to explain a situation all over again. Remain patient. SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 Sagittarius, now is a great time to make some healthy resolutions. Changes to your diet or exercise regimen may be just what the doctor ordered. CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 Capricorn, do not overlook information that is right in front of you. This info can help you get through a tricky situation at work that pops up unexpectedly. AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Aquarius, try to schedule a fun diversion that takes you away from the daily grind. A brief getaway may be ideal, or even a night out with friends. PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 Pisces, take a step back and reassess a situation that has frustrated you thus far. A new perspective might do the trick. Amy Alkon Chuck Sheppard