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        The guy I’m dating is a high school graduate with a manual labor job. I have a master’s and a corporate career, and I’ll eventually make several times his salary. He’s a great guy, and does stuff like spontaneously buying me flowers at the farmers market and calling just to say goodnight. We talk sports, which I love, and he shares his work gossip, but I can’t talk to him the way I talk to my egghead friends. I use $5 words (my natural speech after years of schooling), and I can tell he sometimes has no idea what I just said. My friends seem put off by him and question whether we’ve got enough in common. I’m more concerned with how he feels around them (going silent, fumbling words, getting grumpy).     Is it reasonable to give up this sweet, attentive man for somebody married to his work, but who can match wits with anyone, anytime?
     —Opposites                                  


        Opposites might attract, but then they start talking. You say tomayto, he says tomahto, and you throw in a side order of antidisestablishmentarianism. (Man is from Mars, Woman is from Encyclopedia Britannica.)
        It’s amazing how you can be in a man’s arms and over his head at the very same time. In a way, this is a case of terrible timing. If you’d both been around during the Oklahoma Land Rush, he would’ve been a much wiser choice of boyfriend than some pointyhead who’d just read the collected works of Charles Darwin. But here you are in 2008, probably all cozy in some starter condo, feeling the constant grate of his intellectual incompatibility, especially at those smart people clambakes you’re always attending.
        While people will tell you money can’t buy happiness, if you make lots more than he does, you might end up feeling pretty miserable. There was this theory that women only wanted rich, powerful men because they couldn’t get money or power themselves. Studies by evolutionary psychologist David Buss and others actually show that rich, successful women tend to go for even richer, more successful men.
        As a woman who uses $5 words, can you be satisfied with a man who only has $2.75 or so to play around with? Most importantly, do you admire him? And will you — when he stretches his hand skyward and promises you the stars...without the faintest idea that he’s actually offering you a passing satellite?

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    What was once a gentleman’s hobby among a few dozen enthusiasts at the turn of the 20th century,” wrote The New York Times in July, “has evolved into a multimillion-dollar industry,” namely, collecting strands of hair of famous people. Mastro Auctions of Chicago sells $100,000 worth of hair a year, and in October, a tuft of Che Guevara’s went for $119,500 (and John Lennon’s recently for $48,000). Westport, Conn., Americana dealer John Reznikoff (who owns strands of Lincoln, Washington, Napoleon and Beethoven) appraised Britney Spears’ locks (after her 2007 head-shaving) at “only” $3,500. Reznikoff told the Times that, while he advertises his trade in books and autographs, the hair is low-key: “I’m concerned clients might not take me seriously if they see me selling a lock of Charles Dickens’ hair.”

    THE CONTINUING CRISIS
    As Denton, Texas, Pizza Patron employee Stephanie Martinez complied with a disguised robber’s demand for money at closing in July, a co-worker jumped the man, knocked him down, and began beating on him. As the robber’s sunglasses and wig fell off, Martinez recognized him: “Don’t hit him again! That’s my dad!” Police later charged Stephanie’s father, mother and husband with the attempted robbery, concluding that Stephanie had been kept completely in the dark about the heist.

    MADE FOR ‘LAW AND ORDER’
    David Steffen was convicted in Cincinnati in 1983 of murdering a 19-year-old woman and sentenced to death because the jury found that he also raped her, a violation that was an added devastation to her parents. Steffen confessed to the killing but vehemently protested for almost a quarter century that he did not rape her, and, finally, a 2007 DNA test of semen backed him up, disturbing the family even more (and calling Steffen’s death sentence into question). In July 2008, the prosecutor learned that the DNA belonged to 55-year-old Kenneth Douglas, who is not a suspect in the murder but who was a morgue assistant in 1982 when the woman’s body arrived and, said the prosecutor, had sex with it. Though the statute of limitations likely prevents prosecuting Douglas, the woman’s parents seemed somewhat comforted that, after all, their daughter was a virgin. 

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        I first learned about motorcycles when I was a youngster. My next door neighbor had bought an Indian motorcycle. I would look at it with amazement. My father quickly instructed me that I was to “never get on one of those things.” Soon, my neighbor had purchased his wife and son a bike. Raymond was my age and had a Honda 80cc bike. They took off on weekends and did family rides. At that time in Tennessee people didn’t seem to care much about age and the vehicle laws when it came to motorcycles. Timmy Ward was riding a motorcycle to school in the 6th grade. Timmy is the guy who taught me how to ride. I still remember the bike — a purple Yamaha DT 100. Oh happy days!                                                                                            Today, riding is still a family affair. One of the guys at work told me that he and his son have 15 motorcycles in the shed and spend the weeks competing at the track. John Glebus is 14 and has been riding for 6 years. He started off with a Honda 80cc motorcycle and has now progressed to a Yamaha YZ250. His sister Johanna rides as well. I enjoy watching them pack up their bikes on the weekend as the family heads over to Wide Open motor cross track in Raeford. {mosimage}
        Like John, most young riders learned how to ride off-road from a family member or friend. For riding on the road, things are not that easy. In North Carolina you must be at least 16 to operate a bike on the road. You must have a full provisional driver’s license, a regular or commercial license issued by the DMV. If you are younger than 18, you must have your parents or legal guardian sign for you. Not only do you need a motor vehicle license but you must also pass four additional tests: vision, traffic signs, motorcycle knowledge and road test.
        Somewhere along the way you need one additional thing. A motorcycle! This is one of those subjects I get a lot questions about: What would be a good first bike for my kid. I tell the questioner there is no right answer because everyone has a different vision of what they need or want their child to operate. Some will want something that will get them around town or to school. Some want something that is street legal but will also go off-road. It just depends on what bike best meets your child’s needs, so take some time to analyze your situation.
        Size matters. I personally don’t think a Yamaha R1 is a good idea for a new rider regardless of his/her age. One slight twist on the throttle and you’re airborne or off the road. There is simply too much power for a new rider.
        New or used? Used is good because it is his or her first bike. Chances are it’s going to hit the ground. There are additional costs to remember, including maintenance, taxes and insurance.
    If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com.
        RIDE SAFE!

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         Gossip GirlWrestles With The Big Problems

            The new season of Gossip Girl(Monday, 8 p.m., CW) heats up as the beautiful young Manhattanites make messes of their privileged lives. This week’s episode hinges on an explosive plot point: Should Vanessa call Nate? Or, conversely, should she, like, not call him? Jenny, the blonde would-be designer, comes up with a brilliant solution based in syllogistic logic: “You like him, he likes you, so just call him!” But Vanessa remains torn, uncharacteristically so. “I am so not the whiny should-I-call-him girl!” she whines.
        {mosimage}The philosophical questions become only more perplexing. Should Serena and Dan get back together? Should Blair have a quickie with Chuck? I can’t decide if Gossip Girlis the most enjoyable show on TV, or the silliest, or both. And that’s weird, because I am so not the whiny should-I-pan-this-series TV critic!

    TOP DESIGN
    Wednesday, 10 p.m. (Bravo)
        Project Runway makes fashion design compelling, and the same goes for Top Chef with cooking. But Top Design can’t pull off the trick with interior design. There are no vivid personalities in the new season, either among the judges or the contestants. Despite the stress of competition, most of the designers get along pretty well. “We know what we have to get done,” one of them says happily during a challenge, “and we’re going to work as a team to pull it off.”
        Well, that’s just great, but it means we have to sit there watching people paint and saw with very little underlying drama. For many of us, matching the drapes with the bedspread is not a scintillating payoff for an hour of TV viewing.

    COCO CHANEL
    Saturday, 8 p.m. (Lifetime)
        Shirley MacLaine affects thick red lipstick and an even thicker French accent as legendary designer Coco Chanel. This TV movie flashes back to Chanel’s upbringing in an orphanage, followed by her success with jersey dresses and perfume. Despite the abundance of Chanel No. 5, the movie stinks, indulging in every inspirational biopic cliché. The only real drama is whether MacLaine will tip forward or backward from the weight of her enormous hat and horn-rim glasses.

    ENTOURAGE
    Sunday, 10 p.m. (Fox)
        HBO’s masterpiece shows no signs of decline in season five, setting the standard for inside-Hollywood satire. At this point in the story, budding star Vince (Adrian Grenier) and his horndog entourage hit the bad side of the town’s boom-and-bust cycle. Vince’s last movie flopped, and nothing feels right with sex or society life. “You’re in movie jail until the stench from Medellin clears,” declares his subhuman superagent, Ari (Jeremy Piven).
        As always, Piven steals the show with his portrait of a man who would sell his soul to the devil for a deal — if he had a soul, and if the devil had access to a major studio. Ari is our ticket to the sick side of Hollywood, repulsive even when he’s trying to be reassuring.
        “You can come back stronger than ever,” he tells Vince. “Like Lance Armstrong, but with two balls!”

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       Babylon A.D. (Rated PG-13) One Star

        When Babylon A.D.(90 minutes) was first advertised, it looked good. It looked liked a thinking person’s movie, a dystopian take on a near future with a Russian aesthetic and some pretty, pretty lead actors. Then, rumors of conflict between director Mathieu Kassovitz and Fox Studios developed, and everyone started busting on the film before it was even released. Additionally, a substantial amount of footage is missing from the U.S. cut against the director’s wishes. The Internet Movie Database reports a loss of more than 70 minutes, but I couldn’t verify that amount. What I can verify is at least 15 minutes missing from the U.S. studio release, enough to completely change the character of a film. Think that 15 minutes can’t change a movie? Let me direct your attention to the theatrical versus the director’s cut of The Descent.   
        {mosimage}Kassovitz’s wrote, directed, and starred in 1995’s controversial La Haine(The Hate), and starred as Amelie’s love interest in the French Amelie (2001). His stateside work includes the notoriously stinky Gothika and a brief appearance in The Fifth Element. This movie might have been his big break into quality science fiction. Instead, the film American audiences are seeing is chopped up beyond all hope of quality, and a more sophisticated film is lost on the cutting room floor, sacrificed to the PG rating gods.
        The film centers on a U.S. military veteran turned mercenary, Toorop (Vin Diesel). He is recruited by a wealthy man named Gorsky (played primarily by Gerard Depardieu’s nose) to escort a sweet young thing from a monastery in Kazakhstan to New York. While escorting Aurora (Melanie Thierry) and her guardian (Michelle Yeoh, who used to make good movies), he discovers that Aurora is capable of some pretty odd intuitive leaps, among other unusual traits. They make their way across a heavily guarded border despite the menace and confusion surrounding them. Eventually, Aurora’s fate is balanced between science and religion, with only Toorop privy to the secret that can rescue her. About here is where I usually start to worry about giving away the ending, but this version really doesn’t have an ending. Things start blowing up, and we see about five minutes of confusingly edited scenes, which quickly lead into the credits. But sincerely, I have only the vaguest conception of the finale. It was abrupt and left many questions unanswered.
        I have nothing personally against Vin Diesel, The Pacifier notwithstanding. I enjoyed him in Pitch Black, and I am even eager to see his take on the famous Carthaginian general Hannibal. Here however, he seems to sleepwalk though his lines. All the major players are poorly used and move through the film with apology in their eyes. The cinematography is atrocious, the fight choreography childish and uninspired.     There are far too many holes in the plot. For example, at one point the merry crew tries to evade motion sensing robots. Our hero offers to draw them off, but his companions continue to move…why would the robots chase the hero but not the other moving targets? That’s just bad storytelling.
        Honestly, there is nothing like a good sci-fi action movie. Unfortunately, this truly is nothing like a good action movie…instead it is just awful and dumb.  

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        On the release of The Game’s third full length album, LAX, a myriad of questions await the man named Jayceon Taylor on his self-proclaimed “last album.” What’s The Game talking about on this album? Who is he working with? Is this his last album? Even with these burning questions from onlookers, The Game pushes all of his old controversy and recent speculation to the side and delivers his project to the world.
        Even though some naysayers might say that he might not have much to talk about on this album or the South is on top right now and doesn’t have room for The Game’s West Coast sound, with LAXhe’s out to prove them wrong. {mosimage}
        See, The Game is used to being an underdog and what he does have going for him is a menacing delivery and incredible flow; respect from his peers in the industry; and a keen ability to write songs and make hits. It’s also interesting to note that while The Game is a West Coast artist, his sound accompanies more of an East Coast flavor which gives him a wider audience (along both coasts) than many other artists could accommodate.
        The album begins with a spirited sermon by none other then Earl Simmons (yes, DMX), and follows with the opener, “LAX Files.” This is not a spectacular opening song, but not a bad one either. “State of Emergency,” featuring Ice Cube, is a riot-inciting track with that signature West Coast sound and Cube’s barking on the hook, welcoming back a rejuvenated vigor reminiscent to his days of classic albums Death Certificate and Lethal Injection.
        The Game also brings out another rap vet, Wu-Tang’s Raekwon for “Bulletproof Diaries,” and rides with neo-soul singer Bilal on “Cali Sunshine.” The anthemic “Big Dreams” produced by Cool and Dre with its epic horns and booming drums should be one of the radio singles off the album and “House of Pain” is also a trunk banger.
        With all of theses highlights to offer, The Game flies even higher with the feel good anthem of “Angel” featuring Common and a melodic driven beat by Kanye West. The closing musical track is the moving “Letter to the King” featuring Nas. On the latter, Game laments on Dr. Martin Luther King and his respect for the “first Braveheart.”
        “If Dr. King march today would Bill Gates march?/I know Obama would Hillary take part?/great minds think great thoughts the pictures I paint make the Mona Lisa look like fake art/da pain I feel is like Nelson Mandela ‘cause when it rains it pours I need Rihanna’s umbrella……”
        Introspective indeed. As strong as this quote is, one of The Game’s greatest strengths is also one of his greatest weaknesses. Many have accused his style of being “namedropitis” where he fills his verses with too many bars of celebrity’s names and aliases like “my competition is stiffer than Ronald Reagan” or “I keep a Cannon (Nick) like Mariah.” Sometimes his style is refreshing and entertaining while other times it can be annoying and redundant. As brilliant as a song like “Angel” is, he sounds generic and boring on “Touchdown.”
        Fortunately for The Game, these mistakes are minor, and with LAX, he has arguably produced one of the best hip-hop albums of 2008. While Nas’ Untitledis on another level lyrically and Lil’ Wayne’s The Carter 3 sold the most albums this year, commercially and artistically, LAX might be the sleeper hit of 2008 for rap fans. The Game shows his versatility by being introspective and personal with songs like “My Life,” keeping it gangsta on “Let Us Live,” and showing his sensitive side to the ladies on “Gentleman’s Affair,” all without sounding forced and being 100 percent The Game. The production is A+ with everyone from Scott Storch to J.R. Rotem to DJ Hi-Tek delivering some of their best work, and The Game shows a balanced chemistry shining (but not overshadowing) alongside every guest. If this is his last album as he says it is, we are truly witnessing one of this generation’s greats retire while still in his prime — at a time when he is truly at the top of his “game.”

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        Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that increasing eco-awareness around the world has now extended itself to the afterlife, whereby burials can even be “green.” Is that true?
       — Mary Lewis, Duxbury, Mass.

        Modern western-world burial practices are arguably absurd, all things considered: We pack our dearly departed with synthetic preservatives and encase them in impenetrable coffins meant to defy the natural forces of decomposition that have been turning ashes to ashes and dust to dust for eons. And in the process we give over thousands of acres of land every year to new cemetery grounds from coast to coast.
    According to National Geographic, American funerals are responsible each year for the felling of 30 million board feet of casket wood (some of which comes from tropical hardwoods), 90,000 tons of steel, 1.6 million tons of concrete for burial vaults, and 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid. Even cremation is an environmental horror story, with the incineration process emitting many a noxious substance, including dioxin, hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide, and climate-changing carbon dioxide.
        But increasing demand for more natural burial practices has spawned changes in the industry, and dozens of funeral homes and cemeteries across the country have started to adopt greener ways of operating. Many of these providers are members of the nonprofit Green Burial Council, which works “to make burial sustainable for the planet, meaningful for the families, and economically viable for the provider.”
    The organization partners with land trusts, park service agencies and the funeral profession to help consumers get the greenest burial experience possible. Its network of approved providers is committed to reducing the industry’s toxins, waste and carbon emissions. Many of the group’s member cemeteries — you can find a directory on the Green Burial Council’s Web site — offer clients the option of burying loved ones in more natural landscapes uncluttered by headstones and mausoleums. In place of a traditional headstone, for example, a tree might be planted over the grave.{mosimage}
        And instead of conventional wood and steel coffins, clients can bury loved ones in more biodegradable wicker or cardboard, or in a casket made of wood certified as sustainably harvested by the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council. Advocates of such greener burials say that people take comfort in knowing their bodies will decompose and become part of the cycle of nature.
        Likewise, dry ice is becoming a popular, non-toxic alternative to embalming. According to Greensprings Natural Cemetery in Newfield, N.Y., “No state in the U.S. requires embalming, though some may require it if burial doesn’t take place within a set amount of time — usually 24 or 48 hours.”
        Even the practice of scattering ashes at sea has a new wrinkle. Florida-based Great Burial Reef will place urns with cremated remains within 100 percent natural, PH-balanced concrete artificial reefs placed at the bottom of the ocean. And Georgia-based Eternal Reefs will mix your ashes with the cement they use to create “reef balls” — hollow spheres that resemble giant Wiffle balls that are sunk offshore. Loved ones equipped with the GPS coordinates can boat or even dive to visit the site of the remains.

        CONTACTS: Green Burial Council, www.greenburialcouncil.org; Forest Stewardship Council, www.fscus.org; Greensprings Natural Cemetery, www.naturalburial.org; Great Burial Reef, www.greatburialreef.com; Eternal Reefs, www.eternalreefs.com.

        GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com.

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        {mosimage}Joe Biden? What does he know about North Carolina?
        Some North Carolinians are asking this question this week as they assess Biden’s vice presidential nomination.
    I have a partial answer, coming from some personal memories. You see, I am responsible, at least in part, for one of Biden’s early political visits to our state.
        Back in 1986, I was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress in a district that had been represented by Republicans for many years. The race was close. Lots of senators and members of Congress came to campaign with me. I loved hobnobbing with famous political personages like Jim Wright, Claude Pepper and Charles Rangel-and future presidential candidates Bill Bradley, Dick Gephardt and Gary Hart. But these visits often drove our campaign volunteers crazy trying to figure out how to readjust our campaign schedule, develop an “appropriate” program for them and gather respectable crowds to greet them.
        One of these visitors was Joe Biden. His staff gave our campaign scheduler Marcia Webster only a day or two to prepare. She called some of the loyal supporters who never said “no” even to the most challenging requests.
    One of these, Brenda Barger remembers that she and her husband Hugh hosted a small group at their farm near Davidson. Davidson Mayor Russell Knox and College Union Director Shaw Smith came to meet Biden and hear him tell about a run for president someday.
        Amy Steele, whose ability to organize campaign operations was unexcelled, took on the task of gathering a group of supporters to meet Biden in Statesville. She got a young couple, David and Sally Parker, to host an event.
    But, as Sally Parker remembers now, they had planned a trip with their children that day to Carowinds in Charlotte, leaving Amy and her crew to prepare. Sally says, “Amy had a magic wand.” When the Parkers returned and Biden arrived, their home and garden were full of fresh flowers and a big crowd.
        Biden was charmed. So were the Parkers.
        Later, Sally quizzed Biden about his views on capital punishment. She remembers his thoughtful listening and response to her concerns. Biden was a hit with the Parkers. A few months later, soon after the publication of a photo of Donna Rice on Gary Hart’s knee ended Hart’s presidential campaign, the Parkers ran into Biden again. “What happened to that photo?” Biden asked them, smiling but maybe just a little worried that it could be misunderstood. “Don’t worry,” the Parkers told him, “the photo did not turn out.”
        The Parkers remain Biden fans to this day. David Parker is a convention “super-delegate.”  He says “if it had not been for John Edwards’ candidacy, I would have supported Biden’s presidential campaign this year. And I am glad I can vote for him this week in Denver.”  
        Our campaign manager Henry Doss remembers Biden’s visit to campaign headquarters where Doss’s 5-year-old daughter was visiting and drawing a picture of a red dog. She told Biden a story about that dog. “For that moment,” Doss says, “he was really interested in what Elizabeth was telling him and giving her his full attention. I think one of Biden’s greatest strengths is his ability to engage from moment to moment. This builds on his authenticity. He is what he is, and that’s what makes him powerful.  I’ve always been in awe of his grasp of world affairs, and his comfort level around power. But his encounter with Elizabeth illustrates his rare ability and desire to connect with people. Maybe he even learned something about the red dog.”
        Great memories for me. And for Biden, some North Carolinians who remember him well.


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        Responding to new data this week from the U.S. Census Bureau on income, poverty and health insurance, some politicians and commentators noted that North Carolina posted improvements but still had far to go to reach the national average.
        That’s mostly true, and worth chewing on a moment, but later I’ll suggest that there’s an even more-important message in the new statistics.{mosimage}
        A troubling characteristic of North Carolina’s political culture is what I like to call the “Blarney Tradition.” Over the past century, our leaders have shown themselves to be excellent marketers. But they haven’t been as skilled at delivering the goods. There’s been a gap between the talk and the walk.
        Here’s a fact you won’t see trumpeted in press releases and political speeches: since the mid-1990s, North Carolina’s economic performance has been lackluster. In some measures and time periods, we’ve lagged the national average. On others, we’ve matched or slightly exceeded the average but been outpaced by regional rivals such as Virginia and Florida.
        Take income. While the new Census report studies median household income, that measure is affected not just by earnings but also by changes in household composition. On the purer measure of income growth, average income per resident, only six states had a worse showing from 2000 to 2007 than North Carolina did. As for unemployment, since July 2000 there’s been only one month — January 2005 — when North Carolina’s jobless rate was not higher than the average for Southern states. During most of these months, our jobless rate also exceeded the national average, as it did in July 2008. Now, there’s plenty of room for public-policy debate about causes and solutions. Advocates of cutting taxes and shrinking government budgets can point to states such as Florida and Texas that outperform North Carolina and have substantially lower tax burdens and marginal tax rates. Advocates of more spending on education and social services can point to the better-than-average growth experienced by big-government states such as New York and Maryland.
        The data show that poverty is highly correlated with three variables: education, family structure, and work. Those who drop out of high school, have children out of wedlock, and fail to place at least one family member into full-time, year-round employment have a high risk of being poor. About two-thirds of families headed by single parents who don’t work full-time are poor. High-school dropouts are twice as likely as high-school graduates to be poor.
        On the other hand, parents who graduate, marry, and work full-time have a low incidence of poverty. Among married families with at least one full-time worker, the poverty rate is 3.8 percent. If both parents work full-time, the rate is less than 1 percent.
        This is not to say that public policy has no role in affecting individual decisions about education, marriage, and work. For example, our public schools fail to impart basic skills to many youngsters, placing them years behind their peers, and then fail to provide good options to high-school students who don’t see themselves as college-bound. But before political partisans get carried away blaming specific policies or politicians for broad economic trends, they should take seriously the idea that government’s ability to determine social outcomes is limited.
        Many fateful decisions are made by individuals when they are young, inexperienced, and uninformed. The goal should be to help them make better decisions. That’s a difficult enough task without expecting government to plan our way to economic utopia.

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        Scam artists and other dishonest businesses try to take advantage of consumers of all ages, but seniors can be special targets because they’ve built up a lifetime of savings and may be more trusting. One of the worst kinds of scams pressures seniors into spending their savings on living trusts and annuities that many of them don’t even need.
        My office recently won court orders against two companies that ran a living trust and annuity scheme in North Carolina. American Family Prepaid Legal and Heritage Marketing and Insurance of California are now banned from selling to North Carolina consumers.
        These companies targeted seniors and used tricky sales practices to sell them living trusts and annuities. The two companies worked together, visiting seniors at home and pressuring them to pay $1,995 for a living trust by preying on fears about the costs of handling their estates.
        {mosimage}Once the paperwork for a living trust was finished, a sales agent delivered it and tried to convince the consumer to buy insurance products such as annuities. Some seniors were talked into putting their entire life savings into annuities, a poor investment choice for most seniors.
        For example, a sales agent convinced one Charlotte couple to cash in their investments and put all of their savings into an annuity he told them would earn 7 percent interest. But the agent never told them the interest rate was guaranteed for only one year and that they would pay steep penalties of nearly 20 percent if they needed to withdraw their money.
        A senior from Cary got talked into cashing in an IRA worth tens of thousands of dollars to purchase an annuity. She told the sales agent that she depended on monthly payments from the IRA to cover her living expenses. The sales agent failed to tell her that switching to the annuity would cut her monthly income from $1,700 to less than $300.
        We’ve stopped these two companies from preying on any more North Carolina seniors but there are other scammers out there using some of the same tricks. Here’s how you can keep yourself and your loved ones from being hurt by any similar schemes.
        Never buy anything you don’t understand.
        Don’t make a quick decision about investment offers or changing insurance policies. Ask an independent professional and read all forms completely before you agree to sign.
        When a loved one dies, don’t be pressured into making major financial decisions or purchases right away.
    Be wary if a sales person says “it’s a special opportunity but you have to keep it secret,” or urges you to “act now” while using phrases like “limited offer,” “risk free” or “tax-free offshore investments.”
        When considering a living trust, check with an attorney first to see if a living trust meets your needs.         Living trusts are not one-size-fits-all documents, so before committing to any financial opportunity or agreeing to cash out your investments, consult with a trusted professional adviser, such as a lawyer or an accountant.

    If you or a loved one has been a victim of a scheme to take seniors’ savings, let us know about it. Call my Consumer Protection Division toll-free in North Carolina at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

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        If you’re a man who cringes at the word “ball,” don’t worry... this is one ball you’re going to be more than happy to accompany your spouse or significant other to. The 3rd annual Blue Jean Ball and Chair-ity Auction is a fun, laid back family event that will keep you in good graces all year long.
        The Blue Jean Ball, which benefits The Child Advocacy Center, is slated for Saturday, Sept. 27, at Highland Country Club. And, the event is exactly what its name implies. To attend you don’t have to dress up or even wear a tie. Simply climb into your faded jeans — the more faded the better — grab your family and head over to the club for a night of food, music, dancing and art — lots of art.
        “All families are welcome,” said Sandy Ammons, a volunteer with The Child Advocacy Center. “This is the third year of The Blue Jean Ball. It has grown tremendously since last year, when we went from making $3,000 to $43,000.”
        Ammons said the community is already buzzing about the event. “What’s so great about this event is that you can do it with your children,” she said. “A lot of events are either geared toward children or they are geared toward adults. This is both. The children will have their own party with a deejay, dancing and food, and adults will have the same, as well as the auction.”
        The auction, like the event, is unique. It showcases chairs that are actually pieces of art.
        The number of artists participating in the event has more than doubled this year. In addition to the chairs, artists will also be offering paintings, clay pots, metal tubs and more. And the chairs will also be as eclectic. There will be the traditional straight-back chairs, Adirondack chairs, stools and much more.
        In addition to the more well-known artists in the community, there will also be some celebrity artists. Mayor Tony Chavonne as well as other members of the Fayetteville City Council will create works for the auction. County Commissioner Breeden Blackwell is contributing a different kind of art — a backyard barbecue grill.
        “As you can see, it has grown tremendously in a lot of different ways,” said Ammons.{mosimage}
        One thing that has not changed is the involvement of volunteers in the planning of the event. A group of 20 middle school children have been working furiously to plan the event. According to Ammons, they’ve decided everything from the food to be served to the invitations. They are also creating works of art for the auction. But more importantly, they are becoming advocates for abused children in our community. “They’ve learned how to reach out to those children in our community who have been abused,” said Ammons.
        The event is chaired by Ginny Breece and Martha Spires.
        Tickets for the event are $25 per youth and $50 per adult. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Child Advocacy Office at 486-9700 or by downloading a ticket request from the Web site at www.childadvocacycenter.com.

    Janice Burton, Associate Publisher
    COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or
    editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details
        For the past two years, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has been operating outside the box. The symphony, under the direction of Fouad Fakhouri, has been reaching out to the community to try and introduce a new audience to the joys of symphony music.
        To date, the symphony has performed outdoors in Festival Park, gone into the schools and performed at a variety of special events in this effort. In a new venture, the symphony is asking its followers to have dinner with the orchestra at J. Wesley Vineyards and to attend a chamber concert
        The ultimate dinner and chamber concert evening is offered Friday, Sept. 19, and  features music by a talented trio of FSO Musicians: Robert Burkett (oboe), Rachel Harmatuk (violin) and Randy Ward (cello). Fakhouri, and the musicians, will be on hand offering guests a rare occasion to enjoy personal conversation outside of the traditional concert auditorium.
        {mosimage}A new piece, The Seductress, by Boston composer John Lawless will be premiered by the FSO trio. Additional musical selections include: London Trio II, George Fredrick Handel; Serenade, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; The Gift of Love, American folk tune arranged by Robert Burkett; Pie Jesu, Andrew Lloyd Weber arranged by Robert Burkett; and Duo K496A, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, also arranged by Robert Burkett.
        Continuous tours of the vineyard and wine tasting will begin at 6 p.m. Dinner prepared by The Invisible Chef will be served at 7 p.m., offering a choice of London Broil or Chicken Champlain.
        J. Wesley Vineyards will also be offering a 15 percent discount on wine purchases made the evening of the concert.
        Dinner/Concert tickets ($75 single tickets; $125 couple tickets) may be purchased by calling J. Wesley Vineyards at (910) 321-9463. Also visit them online at www.jwesleyvineyards.com.
        On Sunday, Sept. 14, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra will offer another free chamber concert at the Beth Israel Synagogue at 2204 Morganton Road, before their 52nd Subscription Concert Season, A Tour Around the World, opens in October. The concert begins at 4 p.m. with a reception to follow. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. Along with a selection of chamber pieces, the orchestra will feature the following works: The Hebrides Overture, Op. 26, by Felix Mendelssohn, and, Overture on Hebrew Themes, Op. 34, by Serge Prokofiev.
    Marvin Feinsmith, one of the newest additions to the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, will make his debut performance with the orchestra.
        Feinsmith’s extensive performing experience includes principle bassoon with the Indianapolis Symphony, the Mozarteum of Salzburg and the Brooklyn Philharmonic; bassoon with Symphony of the Airand the Little Orchestra Society of New York; assistant bassoonist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra; and, co-principle bassoon with the Israel Philharmonic.
        Also a composer, Feinsmith’s music is profoundly influenced by his Jewish heritage. His Hebraic music includes two symphonies — Peerkay Avot-Ethics of the Fathers(Denver Symphony 1975 and 1976) and Isaiah(Kansas City Philharmonic 1979). He also has several film scores to his credit.
        Marvin Feinsmith is a native of New York City and attended the Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music as a scholarship student of Simon Kovar, graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
        Fakhouri noted, “I am extremely proud that the FSO is attracting such experienced talent from all over North Carolina and beyond. That we continue to draw highly talented professional musicians is a credit not only to the FSO but also to the continued growth and high standard of the arts and the cultural life of Fayetteville.”
        This free concert is funded through a Community Grant from the Cumberland Community Foundation.
        For more information please call the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra at (910) 433-4690 or visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org.

  • Details

        The military has, for good or bad, changed the face of Cumberland County. From blending driving styles to music, the diverse group of people who call Cumberland County home makes our community unique. In celebration of that diversity the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is sponsoring the 30th International Folk Festival.
        The event, which draws crowds to the streets to celebrate their heritage, is scheduled for Sept. 26-28. A big part of the event will be the September 4th Friday. In celebration of our community’s diversity, the Arts Council is asking: How does Unity in Our Community look from your perspective? Actually, how does it look through your lens?
        Share your photos through this juried photo competition at the Arts Council. Individuals may enter up to four photos with awards totaling $1,000. There are three separate categories for entries: black and white, color and digital/mixed-media. Winners will be announced on Sept. 26, with the photography remaining on display through Nov. 22.
        Photos may be submitted to the Arts Council, 301 Hay St., on Thursday, Sept. 11, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, Sept. 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; and Saturday, Sept. 13, from noon to 4 p.m. Entry fees are $20 for up to two entries ($15 for Arts Council members) and $25 for up to four entries ($20 for Arts Council members.)
        The competition is open to residents in Cumberland, Bladen, Harnett, Hoke, Lee, Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson and Scotland counties as well as Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base. Entries must be framed with wire attached to the back. Sawtooth, loop or tag hangers will not be accepted.
        Entries must be original and not previously entered into any Arts Council exhibitions. Photographers will be notified by email of the juror’s selection. Declined entries may be picked up on Sept. 18, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
        In addition to the photography show, there will be an outdoor concert in front of the Arts Council building featuring the Heritage Bluegrass Band.           
        For more information call (910) 323-1776, or download entry forms at www.theartscouncil.com.

    Janice Burton,
    Associate Publisher
    COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or
    editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details

        The Fayetteville Museum of Art has been making a lot of headlines recently, but they’d rather people focus on their mission rather than the headlines. With that in mind, the museum is hosting a premier party on Friday, Sept. 12, for a new sculpture exhibit titled Sense of Place.
        Sense of Place features the sculptures of three East Carolina University professors: Carl Billingsley, Jodi Hollnagel and Hanna Jubran. The large-scale sculptures not only take up a great amount of space, they also require viewers to reinterpret their Sense of Place.
        Billingsley was born in Oklahoma and spent his formative years in a variety of locations as his father, a sergeant in the field artillery, was transferred from post to post. Three years in Germany made an indelible impression on Billingsley and he has returned to Europe as an adult many times. Billingsley teaches sculpture at the School of Art & Design, and has a very active exhibition schedule. Billingsley’s work can be found in collections and sculpture gardens from North Carolina to Wisconsin. He has permanent public sculptures in Norway, Israel, Estonia, Japan, China and Brazil.
        {mosimage}Billingsley’s recent works have focused on a renewed interest and exploration of color. “Having made numerous sculptures which were intended to maintain as direct a relationship to the process and material as possible and which were therefore not painted, I decided to change my focus from the material to the dynamic of color in the public realm,” said Billingsley in an artist statement. “I strive to utilize color as phenomenon and to bring the attention of the public to the many ways that color changes as the light changes and as the environment around the sculpture affects both the form and the color of the sculpture. Color is not a static, passive element in these sculptures.”
        Billingsley will be joined by his fellow instructors, who have something else in common. In addition to their art and academic pursuits, Jodi Hollnagel and Hanna Jubran are married. They own and operate J&H Studio Inc. Their lives are dedicated to art by teaching at East Carolina University, making and exhibiting their art and traveling around the world participating in international sculpture symposiums.
        Hollnagel has works on display both nationally and internationally. Some of her accomplishments include: a 22’ wing-spanned bronze eagle for the Jesse Helms Archive Center in Wingate; an 11’ bronze wildcat at Davidson College; a 12’ bronze Scotsman at Presbyterian College in South Carolina; a 13’ bronze Pirate at East Carolina University in Greenville; and a monument to a Century of Flight in Kitty Hawk. She is currently making a life-size bronze figure and bas-relief work for a Veteran’s Memorial in Asheville.
        Jubran’s work addresses the concepts of time, movement, balance and space. Each sculpture occupies and creates its own reality influenced by its immediate surroundings. The work does not rely on one media to evoke the intended response, but takes advantage of compatible materials such as wood, granite, steel, iron and bronze.
    He received his M.F.A. in 1983 in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is currently a sculpture professor and sculpture area coordinator at ECU. One of his most recent commissions can be found on the campus of Fayetteville State University. It is a nine-segmented concrete sculpture and reaches 11 feet in height.
        While you visually take in the sculptures at the premier, you can also listen to the eclectic sounds of the Prayers and Tears of Arthur Digby Sellers, a band based out of Chapel Hill. The band has become something of a fixture at the museum’s openings, and will delight you with its delicate blend of acoustic guitar, keyboards and electronic mixing. Folksy and introspective, the band is in perfect compliment to the museum’s evening.
        The opening party begins at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged and, according to museum officials, they are “happily accepted.”

    Janice Burton, Associate Publisher
    COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or
    editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details

        Do you know what Esse Quam Videri means? Can you recite the state toast? And what’s so important about the Longleaf Pine? If you know the answers to those questions, you might be just who the Cape Fear Historical Complex is looking for.
        {mosimage}On Thursday, Sept. 25, The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex will sponsor the first annual North Carolina Quiz Bowl. The event designed to test your knowledge of North Carolina history will be held in the museum’s multipurpose room.
        “In the past the museum has done a Civil War Quiz Bowl which has been very popular,” said Catherine Beach, the curator of research for the museum. “There are a number of contestants, as well as their supporters, who participate in the event.”
        Beach explained that while the Civil War Quiz Bowl focuses solely on the Civil War, this event will focus on North Carolina history and trivia. She noted that many people may not think of trivia — like what is the state dog — as history, but she maintains it is. She explained it tells a story about our state and its people.
        “Somebody with a good knowledge of North Carolina history would be the ideal contestant,” she noted. “We want to get them excited and to test their knowledge. With the Civil War Quiz Bowl, we have had high school students who have been very sharp and accurate and who have done very well in the quiz bowl.”
        She added that if your knowledge of our state’s past isn’t up to par, you can come and cheer on the contestants and pick up some interesting knowledge along the way. “A lot of people watch Jeopardy just for the knowledge they get from the questions,” she said.
        The event, which begins at 7 p.m., is free for all contestants and spectators, and all ages are welcome to participate.
        The North Carolina Quiz Bowl is limited to 20 participants. If you are interested in participating, call at (910) 486-1330 to pre-register. Registration is also available at the door and will continue until all 20 slots are filled.
        Categories for the North Carolina Quiz Bowl will include Civil War history, sports, higher education and more. Prizes will be awarded to the top contestants. This event promises to be a family-friendly, educational evening about North Carolina history. For more information or to register, call Jim Brisson at (910) 486-1330.

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        September is a big month for fashion and beauty magazines — literally.
        These editions are whoppers, packed with page after page of carefully designed and often provocative advertisements for the latest in fashion and beauty. Sometimes it is not altogether clear just what product is being advertised, but the images are invariably striking. Tucked among all this fashion and beauty commerce are photographs of fall fashions. The fabrics are rich and luxurious, sometimes even exotic, such as reptile skins and bird feathers. Sometimes prices are noted, often in the range of a house payment. If the cost is truly stratospheric, the copy will discreetly note, “Price available upon request.”
        Some of the magazines actually have a bit of editorial content as well.
        After a recent airplane trip involving both layovers and a rental car, I wound up with an armful of September issues, five in all. Just for fun, I plopped them all on the Dicksons’ bathroom scale. They weighed in at a collective and impressive 10.7 pounds. My first thoughts when I saw that number were how many trees died for fashion and how thankful I am that none of the three junior Dicksons weighed that much upon arrival!
        {mosimage}Vogue is the venerable grand dame of fashion mags. The September issue’s cover boasts about its “798 pages of brilliant fall fashion” including “73 wildly romantic dresses for evening, 92 statement-making accessories, 76 clean, lean looks for day,” many draped over the perfect and willowy bodies of either impossibly beautiful or arresting young women, some teenagers. I would be satisfied myself to simply look clean, and, especially, lean every day, but that is a different issue. Inside, you can read about lace dresses, yoga studios in big cities but not in Fayetteville, and the cover story features actress Keira Knightly in many different outfits that are so expensive no prices are listed. There is, however, a strange pair of two-piece, lace-up boots with stiletto heels which will set you back $1,800 plus tax. Editorial contents include a profile of actor Warren Beatty and an interview with author Candace Bushnell of Sex in the City fame. 
        InStyle is the next fattest magazine in my September collection, with 486 pages and actress Uma Thurman on the cover. Few models here, though. Instead the women in gorgeous clothes — most far more wearable than those in Vogue — are movie stars and other entertainers whose wardrobes seem to consist mainly of, as we say in the South, “dress up” and evening clothes. I have heard of some of these young women and have even seen a few of their movies, but others have escaped me entirely. Minka Kelly? Emmanuelle Chriqui? Cassie? Ginnifer Goodwin? In Style has a handy little section about how to put different items of clothing together to wear for different occasions and times of day, but since I doubt many of us have all the pieces needed to complete a “look,” we might find that section a tad frustrating. I was put off by the pocketbooks, albeit good-looking ones, for $1,990 and $2,450 respectively, but I felt better when I found a section called “Deals and Steals” in which most of the items were under $150, something a mother who shopped for a family of five for years finds most appealing. I was unable to find any editorial content not dealing with some aspect of beauty or fashion. 
        More is aimed at women like me — mature. The cover girl is actress Felicity Huffman, 45, and no one featured seems to be under 40. I read about the perfect little black dress, or LBD, and most of the beauty tips, both commercial and otherwise, tend toward anti-aging. It does not have the impressive advertising pages of Vogue and InStyle but does have editorial content clearly geared toward, well, moi. I was engaged by an article on the woman founder of Gymboree, whose business and personal life fell apart, and who at 61, now owns yoga studios. Then there is a piece entitled, “Are Younger Women Trying to Trash Feminism?”, which I plan to read soon. There are even a few recipes and eating tips for those of us in the over 40 set.
        And, finally, one more from my fashion mag stack: Lucky, a 382-page entry into the crowded fashion magazine field I had not encountered, is perhaps the most straightforward. It makes no claims to be anything but what it is: “The magazine about shopping and style.” There are plenty of photos of clothes and accessories and tips on what to wear with what. It is blatantly about consuming, with one feature entitled “what I want NOW!” including a “truly versatile little dress with intriguing sculptured tiers” and some purple satin high heels at a mere $550. 
    I come from a family business background, and I like clothes and the rest as much as any other woman. But some of this worshiping at the altar of fashion and beauty is a bit over the top.
        Please tell me I don’t sound like Andy Rooney.

    Margaret Dickson,
    State Representative and Contributing Writer
    COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 or
    To reach her directly, call 919-733-5776 or email MARGARETD@NCLEG.NET

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    “Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it.”
                                                                     — Winston Churchill

        Seems like lately that has been the theme of both the Fayetteville City Council and the Fayetteville Museum of Art. How many times have elected and/or appointed public bodies or agencies in Fayetteville and Cumberland County left in their political wake public projects, agendas or programs that  have become an irritant to the electorate. Is it because those decision makers fail to remember why the previous projects remain a constant target of derision and disdain? 
        Every time something goes wrong in city hall or the county offices there are letters to the editor that somehow incorporate the most recent political debacle such as the Crown Coliseum, Ticketgate or the Big Bang annexation (to name a few) as part of whatever ails the writer. These issues thus take on a negative life of their own like a never-ending story.
        {mosimage}Have you ever considered the common denominators of these decisions? They are typically accompanied by egos and personal agendas that far outweigh the need for a decision that is in the best interest of the community. 
    Our decision makers many times fail to agree to disagree, make a democratic choice based on the facts, and then forget who won and who lost that particular vote at the next meeting or election. The best example of how to do it right is a zoning case. I have seen some bitter, embroiled debates over rezoning cases, but in the end the vote is based on what is best for the property and the surrounding area. Once the vote is taken, the disagreements are forgotten.
        In regard to the location of the new Fayetteville Museum of Art, I am afraid the train left the station with egos and personal agendas still on board when the city council decided to appoint the task force last month. Whatever the task force recommends, unless the decision makers make their decision based on the facts found and hopefully sound recommendation of the task force based on those facts, nothing will be gained, more time will be lost and the museum will be even further behind in its fundraising efforts. I don’t know when the architect ran his numbers on the estimated cost, but by the time bids are let, does the phrase “We’ll have to go back and cut some frills,” ring a bell?
        What more information and facts are needed to decide the location based on anything other than what is in the best interest of the community? Was the contract approved over a year ago not the result of that process? And we wonder why economic development agreements with the corporate world are so hard for this county to come by! 
        This community will be well-served by a first-class museum facility located DOWNTOWN. Just ask the Airborne and Special Operations Foundation. As long as the decision makers continue to decide its location by swatting at gnats, writing letters to each other that do nothing but result in name-calling and who-shot-who when, we will have forgotten our history and the project will be doomed, and added to the list when someone writes a letter to the editor.
    How frustrating …. and how inevitable.

    Bob Cogswell, Contributing Writer
    COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 222 
    editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details
        Most people look forward to Christmas the way I look forward to the Best of Fayetteville season. Seeing the way Up & Coming Weekly readers perceive our community is a great big present for me. Up & Coming Weekly has always had its finger on the pulse of this community. Each year this event measures and illuminates our readers’ deepest insights into our community, which serve as a barometer of our quality-of-life. So, it is no wonder this is the most popular, anticipated and most read edition of the year. Hence, my excitement.
        But I’m not the only one who gets excited about this. The community gets excited. Residents, local businesses and organizations all know what is at stake here. They know this is the time of year when Up & Coming Weekly reports on how well they met the needs of their customers and constituents throughout the community. For 10 years they have realized that being recognized in the BOF survey is a testament and measure of their success in bringing quality products and services to the community. They want to measure their impact on the community.  Winning a category says “you are making a difference” in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. This is why you will see Best of Fayetteville plaques displayed all over the city. They earned it!
        This honor is not a gimme, nor is it automatic. Matter of fact, we go to a great deal of work and expense to ensure that the readers survey is fair and honest and that every “legal & legitimate” vote is counted. Notice I said “legal & legitimate.’’  To that end, when we first embarked on this venture in 1998, we put some stringent participation rules and guidelines in place to make sure the survey maintained its integrity in the eyes of the community. Not an easy task.
        {mosimage}Believe me; our strict guidelines are not infallible. However, judging by the number of ballots we receive every year and the increased number of disallowed ballots we have every year, two things are certain: 1. More and more residents, businesses and organizations have come to recognize and accept the annual BOF readership survey as a valid measurement and excellent reflection of goods, services and quality of life venues in this community. And, 2. People, businesses and organizations will go to great lengths to position themselves in contention just to have a chance of winning BOF recognition. Well, sorry folks! No ballot stuffing here. Simply put, with this event “you can’t fake it, till you make it.”  We are confident that we have done everything we possibly can to ensure a pure reflection. Here are a few:
        First, only one ballot per person and you have to record your telephone number. If the ballot appears doctored, faked, duplicated or “iffy” in any way we have been known to call the participant to validate the entry. A “what ballot?” response is an obvious call to action.
        Second, each participant must complete at least 15 categories on the ballot. This takes some thought and some effort and prevents opportunities to cheat while providing us great information. After all, this is what we want.
        Third, the ballot has to be mailed in, walked in or faxed in. At present we do not have online or anonymous voting. Next year, if we can create a way to assure the integrity of the survey, we will have online voting. Remember, it is a “reader’s poll.”
    Fourth, ballots counted are reviewed and inspected. Again, all suspicious and duplicated ballots are invalidated.
        Fifth, ballots are sent directly to the local firm of Utley & Knowles, CPAs, PA. They validate each ballot, verify and confirm the tallies. Once this process is complete and they have signed off on the winners, we start preparing for the biggest and best Up & Coming Weekly issue of the year. In addition, we prepare to host a Best of Fayetteville Reception where we will recognize and congratulate all the 2008 winners. This is not the biggest event of the year but it is one of our most important.     The marketing and promotion of the event, the rules, regulations, the counting, checking, double checking of ballots, verifications, designing certificates and plaques, publishing the BOF edition and hosting the recognition reception takes a great deal of time, effort and commitment.  It’s all worth the effort because Up & Coming Weekly is a quality-of-life publication.     Our mission is to talk about the good stuff and shine a light on the accomplishments of this community and its residents. By showcasing what our readers think is the best, then we are providing them the confidence and a roadmap on where to go and what to do in this community.
    S    o, study this issue, congratulate the winners and if I don’t see you at the party tonight I’m sure I will see you around town. Keep in mind that this is our annual BOF issue. Every Wednesday we bring the daily and weekly scoop on the Best of Fayetteville and it is always “up & coming.”
        Thank you for making us your community newspaper. Because you are well read, so are we.
        Thanks for reading.

  • Details

        The Cumberland County Public Library and Information Center and the Lafayette Society are sponsoring a lecture and book signing at the Headquarters Library, 300 Maiden Lane, on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. for historian Alan R. Hoffman.
        Hoffman’s translation of Auguste Levasseur’s Lafayette In America In 1824-1825 was published in 2006.     The book is the first complete translation into English of the detailed journal kept by the Marquis de Lafayette’s private secretary during Lafayette’s Grand Tour of the United States on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.{mosimage}
        The program will begin with a showing of Vive Lafayette, a short documentary on Fayetteville’s celebration of Lafayette’s 250th birthday in 2007. Copies of Lafayette In America In 1824-1825 will be available for purchase.
        This program is one of many events planned for Sept. 4-6 as part of the Lafayette Society’s annual celebration of Lafayette’s birthday. For a listing of all events, or to learn more about Lafayette, visit www.lafayette250.com.
        Hoffman, a trial attorney in Boston, received his undergraduate degree in history at Yale and graduated from the Harvard School of Law. He spent three years translating Levasseur’s journal from a copy he discovered in a bookstore in Cambridge.
        Lafayette first came from France to America as a 19-year-old nobleman to fight in the Revolutionary War against England. His heroics at Brandywine and Yorktown, coupled with his fervent support of equal rights for all men after he returned to France, later earned him the title “Hero of Two Worlds.” Invited by President James Monroe in 1824 to visit the country he helped to found, Lafayette was greeted by enthusiastic crowds and elaborate receptions everywhere he went.
        Levasseur was a young French officer who had participated in a conspiracy against the Bourbon monarchy in the early 1820s. His journal not only traces Lafayette’s year-long tour of America, but also provides eyewitness accounts of intimate visits with presidents Monroe, John Adams, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson.
        Hoffman will highlight the portions of Levasseur’s journal describing Lafayette’s reception in towns in North and South Carolina, including Murfreesboro, Camden, and Fayetteville — the first American city named for Lafayette and the only namesake city he actually visited.
        The book shows how Lafayette, long an outspoken critic of slavery and advocate for its abolition, attempts to address the issue during his tour. Levasseur includes information enthusiastically gathered regarding the history, climate, commerce, and other characteristics of the states and cities they visited. Through the eyes of Levasseur, the reader in 2008 has a remarkably clear vision of life in America in the early 1800s.
        Levasseur’s journal reveals aspects of Lafayette’s character that help explain his popularity in America at that time. As Hoffman notes, “Lafayette had star quality. He was self-effacing, charming and charismatic. For a man who was raised as a member of the nobility, he definitely had the common touch.” In his introduction, Hoffman says, “I hope that by spreading the story of Lafayette on his farewell tour — as well as the Revolution as told in Levasseur’s flashbacks — this book will help to highlight his unique place in American history.”

    Tim Wilkins, Associate Editor
    COMMENTS? 484-6200 ext. 105 or tim@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details
        Great Moments in Capital Punishment: Prosecutors in Portland, Ore., took the death penalty off the table for Tremayne Durham in July, accepting a minimum-30-year prison term for an “aggravated murder” over a business deal. Durham agreed to plead guilty when prosecutors relented to his additional demand of two pig-out meals (featuring KFC, Popeye’s and Haagen Dazs right away, and pizza and lasagna on the day the judge accepts the plea). Prosecutors said they hated appearing to cater to the whims of a murderer, but eyeing the expense of a long trial and lengthy appeals, as well as the turmoil for the victim’s family, they agreed. In August, the judge accepted the deal.]

    CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE
        Though it has been on national cable TV since mid-July, ratings have not been spectacular for the G4 channel’s show, Hurl!, leaving many Americans unaware of precisely how far standards of taste have fallen. Hurl! contestants are forced to gorge themselves, then are purposely, rapidly, twirled and shaken on carnival-type rides, with the last player to retain his stomach contents declared the winner. Wrote a Washington Postreviewer, it’s “for people who found Fear Factor much too nuanced.”

    TOO BUSY PARENTS
        A Dallas entrepreneur recently created a programmable device for those busy, busy parents who actually need to be reminded that they brought their tots with them in the car (lest their child become one of the several hot-car deaths a year in America). Provided that they’re not too busy to set the system up, an alarm alerts them if they exit the car without the baby. Said one Texas woman interviewed by NBC News, “As a mom, you can get really distracted.”

    OH YEAH, TOUGH GUYS!
        Lamont Cooke was arrested by a SWAT team in Vernon, Conn., in July after spending the last year on the run from Philadelphia and Maryland authorities, who wanted him for charges of kidnapping and murder. According to the arresting U.S. marshal, Cooke surrendered quietly, except that he wet his pants.
        A police task force in Orem, Utah, arrested a 21-year-old gang member in June, catching him riding a tricycle that he had just stolen from a little girl.

    COPYRIGHT 2008 CHUCK SHEPHERD

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        I’m 42 and in love for the first time. I live in a beautiful house with the most kind, generous, sweet and gentle man imaginable. Unfortunately, he’s a slob, and it’s making me crazy! The worst is walking downstairs in the morning and facing the mess. Aaarrrgh!! It can make me irritable/angry/depressed all day. I’ve begged and cajoled. Most embarrassingly, I’ve even thrown a fit. When I pick up after him (I have to — his stuff gets in my way) I feel angry and resentful. He claims he doesn’t like the mess either. On the rare occasion he does clean, he’ll do one small area and immediately begin trashing it. Should I just accept that my living room will always look like a garbage dump?
                                   — Besieged
                                      
                                      
        Little girls play house. Little boys play war. War is messy, okay? Like, when you’re in the foxhole, nobody’s complaining, “You left shells everywhere again, and you never pick up the fresh flowers when it’s your turn!”
        The irony is, probably the neatest guys out there are those who’ve been in the military. And sure, there are plenty of women who have to bring in a disaster cleanup company just to find the telephone. But, as I’ve written before, many straight men just don’t have the eye for clutter that women do. It’s a hard-wired biological thing, and no, I don’t mean biological warfare. Studies show women and gay men seem to have a better eye for ultra-local detail, and straight men seem to have better distance vision; as in, “Hark! There’s a wildebeest on the horizon. Let’s go spear it!”
        Yes, it would be great if he could become as fastidious as some archetypal gay decorator, or if you could say to yourself, “Sure, I hate a mess, but seeing his underwear hanging off the curtain rod where he tossed it four days ago reminds me how lucky I am to have the most kind, generous, sweet and gentle man imaginable.”
        This mess you’re in probably started when you visited the home of the man you love and saw him missing the bowl, the sink, the trash can, and the dumpster, and tried to believe, “Oh, it’ll be different at my place.” And it is. Now, he’s missing your bowl, your sink, and all the rest. And here you are, angry and resentful, and for what? It’s cute that he claims to be as disturbed by the mess as you are, but there’s a good chance he’s one of those guys who never cleans, but just moves when the bacteria-to-human ratio starts to reach CDC alert levels.

    Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA  90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)

  • Details

       Death Race 2000 (Rated R) Rated: 4 stars

        The original Death Race 2000 was an exploitative Roger Corman classic, featuring a very young Sylvester Stallone and David Carradine. Death Race (89 minutes) the remake, helmed by Paul W.S. Anderson of Event Horizon fame, is a fun B-movie that highlights all the violence and explosions of the first movie, without the campy over-the-top theme costumes. In a clever nod to the source material, an uncredited David Carradine does the voiceover work for the character he played in the 1975 version, Frankenstein. Much like The Running Man and Series 7: The Contenders, Death Race extends the modern trend of reality television to its most extreme form; a reality show in which the death of the participants is the highlight of the show. 
        {mosimage}The film begins in a future United States suffering from a complete economic breakdown. Prisons have become privatized and inmates compete against each other in car races for the chance at release papers. Machine Gun Joe (Tyrese Gibson) is fighting it out with Frankenstein (voiced by Carradine) when something goes wrong, and Frankenstein’s navigator (Natalie Martinez) ejects while Frankenstein’s car flips and explodes. Meanwhile, Jensen Ames (Jason Statham), an out-of-work steel worker, is sentenced to the Terminal Island prison for a crime he did not commit. Once there, the warden of Terminal Island, Hennessy (Joan Allen), convinces Ames to participate in the Race. When he agrees, he is provided with a pit crew, including Coach (Ian McShane!  He’s punk rock!) and Gunner (Jacob Vargas). In stage one of the race, several drivers are killed and the ratings skyrocket. In stage two of the race, Jenson takes the initiative, challenging the rules of the game. Finally, in stage three of the race, he must make the choice to play the game and reap the reward or challenge the system and risk everything. 
        Not much from the original made it into the remake. First, as in the original, the “death race” is televised. Second, the murderous drivers are paired up with scantily clad navigators. Also similar to the 1975 original, the contestants’ personas are distilled to nicknames, such as Machine Gun Joe. While there is a shady authority figure, it is not the president. Instead, the remake introduces the character of Hennessey to play the evilly-motivated antagonist to Statham’s hero. Allen, as the warden of the prison colony Terminal Island, seems to channel a combination of Hilary Clinton and President Roslin from Battlestar Galactica. She will shoot (or airlock) first and ask questions later. Fans of the original should be reassured by the references to the original, but those who missed the first version will not find it difficult to figure out what is going on. 
        No, this film will not go down in history as the greatest movie ever made. But, it certainly is a fun little remake, heavy on the fiery explosions, bloody decapitations, and crunching metal. There is even some social commentary. The soundtrack is a good mood setter, the eye candy abounds, and the acting is amazingly sincere. This is an action film that rises above the rest because of the overall quality of its lead actors.   

  • Details

       A Tutor Navigates High Society in Privileged

        In Privileged(Tuesday, 9 p.m., CW), a literary type named Megan (JoAnna Garcia) gets a job tutoring two spoiled heiresses in Palm Beach. At first glance, Megan looks like a standard character in a standard 14-to-29-demo drama: the neurotic jabbermouth beauty. But there’s more to her than that, and more to Privileged, too. The series offers Gossip Girl-style fun, with just enough substance to make it more than a guilty pleasure.{mosimage}
        Megan is delightfully quirky, and her charges can be delightfully bitchy. “It’s gonna be super-fun,” one of them tells Megan sarcastically, just before making her life a living hell. The pilot is chock-full of such snark, along with enough bonding and betrayal, sexy swimwear and sincere speeches to give the 90210 area code a run for its money.
        Privileged is gonna be super-fun.

    KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
    Thursday, 8 p.m. (Fox)
        In last season’s Kitchen Nightmares, mean British chef Gordon Ramsay vented his ire on struggling restaurants around the U.S. “Your food is crap,” he sneered at tearful owners. He screamed at the chefs, cursed at the waiters and, as a grand finale, made a show of vomiting.
        It was, I have to admit, an entertaining act. A year later, Ramsay returns to the restaurants to see how they’re doing. Some have improved greatly — a triumph for them, a tragedy for us. Because a happy Ramsay is a boring Ramsay. He hugs the newly successful owners, compliments the chefs and even asks for recipes. “I owe it all to Chef Ramsay,” one owner says in a segment that’s about as compelling as a Hallmark card.
        Please, bring back the vomit.

    SAMURAI GIRL
    Friday-Sunday, 8 p.m. (ABC Family)
        A Japanese girl named Heaven (Jamie Chung) has been raised in seclusion by her wealthy Tokyo family. She goes to San Francisco for an arranged marriage, but samurai warriors crash the ceremony and kill her brother. Heaven goes on the run, trains as a samurai and embarks on a quest to learn her family’s secrets, all while wielding a sword called Whisper of Death.
    Obviously we’re not in a realistic universe, but Samurai Girl gives artifice a bad name. Though Japanese, Heaven speaks with a suburban mall-rat accent. She takes time out from eluding assassins to giggle about cute boys. She doesn’t talk so much as disgorge large chunks of exposition. She conveys about as much mystery and allure as a bowl of lukewarm miso soup.
    Now that you mention it, that’d be a more appropriate name for her samurai sword: Whisper of Lukewarm Miso Soup.

    FRINGE
    Tuesday, 8 p.m. (Fox)
        This new series is about government agents investigating fringe phenomena, and it has a scary-cool opening scene. Airline passengers experience strange symptoms en masse, their skin melting and their jaws falling off.
        But Fringe quickly goes from scary-cool to silly-foolish. One of the agents is infected himself, and his beautiful partner-lover has a brilliant (read: stupid) idea for saving him. She springs a mad scientist from the loony bin and agrees to let him insert a probe into her skull so she can enter her beloved’s memory and “see” the villain who spread the infection.
        For some reason, this requires her to be immersed in fluid in her bra and panties.

  • Details
        {mosimage}Scarred for Life is a relatively new band on Fayetteville’s musical landscape. Made up of Kyle (Toadie)Thorp on vocals, Kevin Spencer on guitar, Tim Spencer on drums and Timothy Roberts on bass, the band hopes to bring its energy to clubs and venues near you.  
        Up & Coming Weekly is always excited to hear about new talent, so we took some time to find out about Scarred for Life.
        UCW: How did the band get its name?
        Scarred for Life: It refers both to a childhood experience shared by the guitarist and drummer and is a general reference to the things we’ve all faced growing up that shapes our development as adults.
        UCW: How would you describe the type of music you play?
        Scarred for Life: Hard edged rock with a touch of metal and pop!
        UCW:Is there any band (famous) that you relate to or that people compare you to?
        Scarred for Life: So far I haven’t had anyone compare us to anyone else, but I’m waiting!
        Who is your biggest musical influence?
        Scarred for Life: Everyone in the band has different influences and they all come together beautifully. The guitar player is into Ozzy, Guns ‘n Roses, Pink Floyd and a lot of those classic rock and metal bands. The singer is more into contemporary rock like Atreyu, Killswitch Engage and the newer stuff. Our rhythm section is into Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch and stuff like that. We all love Bobaflex and WE ALL LOVE SEVENDUST!!!!!
        UCW: Is music your only gig or does everybody have a day job and how does that affect the band?
        Scarred for Life: Guitar player is a concrete finisher and the vocalist works in food service. Bass player doing music full-time right now and so is the drummer.
        UCW: What is the weirdest gig you’ve ever played? What has been your favorite?
        Scarred for Life: Kill the Pig in Parkton was weird for us but it was a great time. It was outside and we were freezing!!! The PopEvil show at Jester’s Pub was probably our best show ever!
        UCW: Do you perform any original stuff and who writes it?
        Scarred for Life: We are an all original band and we all have a hand in writing. Some songs may fall more onto one member over another, but in the end it all goes into one big melting pot.
        UCW: How long has the band been together and where do you see the band six months from now?
        Scarred for Life: That’s hard to answer, it’s kinda’ complicated. The drummer and guitar player are brothers. We’ve been a team for a long time. We started playing with Tim Roberts, our bass player about 10 years ago. The three of us had played on and off in that time and we recently started playing together again,three years ago. We needed a vocalist and a good friend of ours named Jeff Brown of the band, Waist Deep Madness, put us in contact with Kyle. That was last August. We did our first show last October. So I would say that was when we became a band. So,we haven’t been at this long!
        UCW: How would you describe the Fayetteville music scene?
        Scarred for Life: I think it’s the best it’s ever been! There’s something for everyone here. The venues are great too. You don’t have to look far for a great band to listen to. You just have to get out and go see ‘um!

  • Details
        On a recent road trip, I found myself scanning my XM radio channels. There’s really only so many times you can listen to the same songs over and over and XM offers such a wide variety you really can’t get bored. {mosimage}
        I found a channel that seemed to have some potential, and after a couple of songs, a new song (at least to me) caught my attention. The name Hank Williams Jr. flashed across the radio, but I knew that wasn’t Hank all by himself. My friend Becca and I thought it was a new duet featuring Hank and his good friend Kid Rock, but it wasn’t. It was Hank with the Georgia-based band Rehab, and the song, “The Bartender Song,” was hysterical.
        It’s right up there with the perfect Country and Western song. It talks about prison, Chevys, love lost in the trailer park and drowning your sorrows at the bar.
        “I’m sittin’ at a bar on the inside, waiting for my ride on the outside. She stole my heart in the trailer park, so I jacked the keys to her daddy’s car, then I crashed that Chevrolet and I stepped away.”
        After hearing the song, I had to learn more about the band, so I downloaded their 2008 re-release of Graffiti the World, and got a little more than I bargained for. Rehab’s music is a mix of southern rock, dirty south rap, reggae, alternative and rap/rock think Limp Bizkit. So there is a mix of music on the CD — a little rap, a little rock and a mixture of both; however, the lyrical melodies of “The Bartender Song” were replaced by-in-large by a booming rap beat on the majority of the tracks.
        Let me be upfront, I am not a huge rap fan, so I was a little taken aback; however, I stayed the course and listened to the whole CD, and I liked it. There were a number of tracks that made it worth the price of the download.
        Of particular note, “Red Water” tells the story of a kid who watches with envy his next door neighbor who seems to have a perfect life. That illusion is shattered when the man’s beautiful wife finds him sitting in a tub overflowing with red water. The song is about the overworked, overstressed, perfect lives that people seek to lead, and the truth that sometimes lurks underneath the pretty picture.
        The title track “Graffiti the World” is rap, but it kind of reminded me of Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.” It talks about the damage we do not only to our Earth, but to our children and our society. The song touches on just about every aspect of our lives from religion to pollution to politics to terrorism.
        The song “This Town” talks about the band’s roots in a small Georgia town, and how the way they were raised, and the people they grew up with remain with them wherever they go. It should make their home town proud.
        Other than “The Bartender Song,” my other favorite is “Last Tattoo.” Much like “The Bartender Song,” “The Last Tattoo” talks about love gone wrong, except in this case, rather than drowning his sorrows, the man decides to ink her memory away with you guessed it — “The Last Tattoo.”
        There are two versions of this CD available for download, the cleaned-up version and the explicit version. I downloaded the cleaned-up version, but they really didn’t do the best job cleaning it up. So keep that in mind if you want to listen to it and children are around.
        Also, after you listen to it, let me know if you found some of the raps a little too much — on a couple of songs I kept thinking about Brad from the movie Malibu’s Most Wanted. But maybe that’s just me.

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