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        When individuals speak against accepted truths, they often find themselves in hot water. Folks in Europe thought Columbus was pretty crazy when he said the world was round. Councilwoman Val Applewhite drew the ire of local leaders recently when she suggested that there was more to Fayetteville than downtown. GASP! Heresy! But, I, along with a lot of people, happen to agree with her.
        {mosimage}Fayetteville’s downtown is a wonderful asset to our city. I have noted numerous times in this very space how much my family and I enjoy our afternoons in the city center. But we enjoy a lot of our time in other areas of the city as well. We love Lake Rim Park. Yeah, I know those of you who think the city drops off at the end of the city center, are asking yourselves, “Lake Rim Park? I thought the only park we had was Festival Park.” But it’s not. We enjoy shopping at the mall (don’t start your bonfire yet), just as we enjoy the shops downtown. Over the years, we’ve found some unique restaurants all over the city — that doesn’t take away from the joy we have in dining downtown. It just is.
        And Applewhite, one of the newbies on the council, has yet to learn that you don’t go around yelling “the emperor has no clothes.” She has taken to heart her charge to represent the people who elected her. And they don’t live and breathe and have their being downtown. They live in west Fayetteville.
        You know, the folks who came kicking and screaming into the city limits. They are the folks who are paying for services they don’t get — for water and sewer that won’t be their way for a number of years, for buses that come nowhere near their neighborhoods. You remember those people, don’t you?
        So when Applewhite spoke in opposition to the hiring of a downtown manager, she wasn’t doing it because she didn’t understand how important the downtown is to economic development — she did it because she saw the need in her district. She saw a sector of the city that’s getting left in the cold, but asked to pay the heating bill. And she stood up.
        Local businessman John Malzone recently took her to task for her comments at the city council public forum. Malzone is a champion of downtown, and we salute him for that. But Applewhite is a champion for the people and that carries a lot of weight. She wasn’t, and we aren’t, suggesting the city abandon downtown or investigate its needs. But what she was saying, and we can agree with, is that if our community is to grow and prosper, then all areas of the community must grow and prosper.
        She understands that if the emperor has new clothes, but the rest of the city is shoeless and in rags, we haven’t really achieved anything.

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        Earlier this year, Fortune magazine published a long — and I thought — remarkable profile of Melinda Gates.
        There is a bit of jockeying for the world’s richest person position, but her husband, Bill, is always in the Top Five, which is to say, as F. Scott Fitzgerald did, that “the rich are not like you and me.” If Fortune is right though, Melinda Gates has her own feet anchored firmly on the ground.
        Bill Gates’ story is well-known. He grew up an all-American nerd in a privileged family in Seattle, became Harvard’s most famous dropout, founded Microsoft and the rest is history. Melinda French grew up in Dallas, one of four children of a hardworking engineer father and a stay-at-home mother. At her all-girls Catholic high school, she realized that getting ahead meant being tops in her class. She emerged as a valedictorian fascinated by computers and earned both a B.A. and an M.B.A. in five years at Duke University.
        {mosimage}Melinda French, 22, and still into computers, went to work at a fledgling young company, Microsoft, where she met and eventually married the driven and still nerdy CEO. She moved, albeit reluctantly, into his gigantic techno-mansion where they are raising their three children under as “normal” circumstances as possible.
        And in the strangest twist of fate life has tossed Melinda French Gates’ way — she now presides alongside her husband over the world’s largest philanthropic foundation with assets of more than $37 billion. Together, the Gates plan to give away 95 percent of their wealth during their lifetimes.
        All this from a Texas girl who nearly two decades ago as a high school student set one goal for herself — one goal each and every day.
        Gates seemed to pooh-pooh her goal-setting, telling Fortune her targets were modest, “The goals were run a mile, learn a new word, that sort of thing.”
        I am fascinated by the concept.
        Many of us do this every day without really thinking about it. We tell ourselves, “Today I will be at work on time, go to the grocery store, make sure the children do all their homework.” These too are goals, and we may feel disappointed in ourselves if we do not achieve them, however mundane they may be.
        But to set a daily goal for conscious self-improvement is another thing altogether. It is promising oneself that whatever we may accomplish today — do our jobs, run our households, raise our children — we will also do one thing to make ourselves better in our own eyes. Melinda French’s seemingly modest goals as a high school girl — run a mile and learn a new word — surely helped mold her into the woman whose focus and determination are exerting profound and positive effects on the world’s most basic and most troubling issues, including education and Third World human health.
    What seems most remarkable to me is that this clearly smart and thoughtful woman is partnering with her husband to devote most of their time and talents to helping people far less fortunate than they all over the world. What apparently began as a self-driven, self-imposed self-improvement plan has exploded into a global improvement plan.
        The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has tackled such intransigent world health issues as malaria, AIDS and tuberculosis in the globe’s poorest countries. They offer small or “micro” loans and insurance to people who could never start a business or operate a farm without them. They fund green projects in places where subsistence is far more important than conservation. They invest in the issues that dog our nation’s public schools. Their funding handiwork can be seen in our own community at the Fuller Performance Learning Center. Here, students who have dropped out of high school for whatever reason are back in school online, fulfilling their course requirements and earning their high school diplomas.
    Melinda Gates told Fortune that her youthful goal-setting was modest, but her mind was clearly already on a much larger picture. In her valedictory address, she told her fellow graduates this: “If you are successful, it is because somewhere, sometime, someone gave you an idea that started you in the right direction. Remember also that you are indebted to life until you help some less fortunate person, just as you were helped.”
        None of us can do what the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is doing around the world, and doing so well; in fact, mega-investor Warren Buffett is giving the foundation controlled by the Gates the bulk of his fortune for philanthropic purposes as well. What we can do though, is be mindful of what we want to accomplish in our lives for ourselves and for others. A life lived without thought and direction cannot possibly have as much meaning as one lived with goals and with generosity of both money and spirit.
    The lesson of Melinda French Gates is to set goals, however modest or private, and to go for them.
        One a day.
       

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        John McCormick’s name never made the headlines. He wasn’t a mover and shaker. However, if you ever met John, you would never forget him. McCormick was a man who lived and breathed integrity and possessed an enthusiasm for life. He was a man who was committed to doing and being the best at his job, no matter what that job might be. In the process, he made many friends and provided them a worthy example. Last Friday, our community lost a man, who in his humility, walked head and shoulders above his peers. And when a man of his caliber is lost, he should be mourned.
    For the past five years, John has been one of Up & Coming Weekly’s brightest faces in the community. He directed the distribution and delivery of all three of our publications while attending to his own weekly route. He loved it! In addition, he handled a multitude of other important responsibilities at our office. We never had to tell him what to do — he took responsibility for his job and jobs that were not his. He loved being at Up & Coming Weekly, and that love was reciprocated by our entire staff. He will be missed.
    In his own quiet, unassuming way, John changed all of us for the better. General Manager Jean Bolton hired John. “John wasn’t my employee he was my friend, I loved him, and I miss him,” she said. “He loved talking about the Lord and he loved teasing me about taking a drink. John often freely gave money to people wanting to make their lives just a little better. John was a very good man, not one to be soon forgotten. If you asked him how he was, he would say ‘I’ll be all right.’ I’m sure he is all right now.”
        Sydney Darden, of Kidsville News! started at our company fresh out of college. John was one of the first people she met. She recalled how he always greeted her with a word of kindness and encouragement. “John was extremely special to me. As I made my entrance into the working world, John was there every day with kind words,” recalled Darden. “I can’t express how much it means to have a little extra support every day when you go to work. He also was a constant source of inspiration in his dedication to Up & Coming Weekly. Rain or shine, he was there with a smile and determination to do his best.”
        National Kidsville News! Editor Joy Kirkpatrick quoted Henry van Dyke when speaking of John. “Heaven is blessed with perfect rest but the blessing of earth is toil.”
        “John McCormick wasn’t afraid of hard work. He had a strong work ethic and took on all tasks with his own special joy and charisma. When you weren’t sure who else you could depend on, you knew you could count on John,” she said.
        Up & Coming Weekly’s Sales Manager, Sam Lum, recalled one of John’s favorite sayings, “From the date of your birth… ‘til you ride in the hearse… things are gonna be bad… but they could always be worse.” Associate Publisher Janice Burton noted that there are a thousand things she could say about John McCormick — but believes the way he lived his life was a sermon in itself. One of the first conversations she had with John was about his church. The next conversation she had with him was about his faith, and the next, and the next and the next. “John was a man of great faith, he lived it, and more importantly, he wasn’t afraid to share it,” she said. “When I heard the news of John’s death, the only thing I could think of was John dancing down golden streets and the light on his face when he greeted the God he longed to know. It’s right to mourn a good man when he passes, but it’s easier to celebrate when you know he’s gone home.”
        We could all go on and on about our wonderful friend. We will all miss John — his smiling face, his warm, embracing philosophies, the loving way he referenced his church and family, especially his loving wife, Barbara. He loved being a part of the Up & Coming Weekly family. Week after week, he proudly delivered the “good news” to this community; now, the “good news” is….he has been delivered. John would be the first to tell you “it doesn’t get any ‘gooder’ than that.”

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        Although the majority of the members of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) are retired from the military or are members of the local business community, the heart of their mission is and has always has been the soldier with boots on the ground.
        AUSA will put teeth in its mission June 17-18 during the annual Braxton Bragg Chapter’s annual Exposition and Symposium at the Fort Bragg Officers Club. The theme of the event is “Supporting America’s Heroes, Our Soliders and their Families.”
        {mosimage}The event is free to the public and is especially designed for military professionals, Department of the Army and Department of Defense civilians, first responders, law enforcement, defense contractors and those interested in doing business with the defense community.
    More than 58 defense-related displays/exhibits will be featured at the EXPO and Symposium, in addition to two panel discussions on the Global War on Terrorism Operations and Supplying the Force and Logistical Support of the Global War on Terrorism.
        An ice breaker golf tournament will be held on June 16 at Ryder Golf Course on Fort Bragg. The golf tournament will serve as a kickoff for the event. EXPO opening ceremonies are scheduled for 9 a.m. on June 17, and will feature a ribbon cutting by the AUSA Chapter president, Fort Bragg and local community leaders and a performance by the 82nd Airborne Division All American Chorus. The exhibits will be open daily from 9 a.m. and remain open until 4 p.m.

    June 16
    •8 a.m. — AUSA President’s Golf Tournament, Ryder Golf Course

    June 17
    •9 a.m. — Opening Ceremonies
    •9 a.m. — Exhibits Open
    •Noon — Keynote Luncheon
    •3 p.m. — Panel Discussion: Operations in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT)

    June 18
    •7:30 a.m. — Soldiers’ Awards Breakfast
    •9 a.m. — Exhibits Open
    •Noon — Presidents Luncheon
    •1:30 p.m. — Panel Discussion: Logistics Support of the GWOT
    •3 p.m. —  Soldiers Reception/Raffle
    Throughout the symposium, AUSA members will be selling raffle tickets for the winner’s choice of a car, truck or motorcycle. Tickets available from AUSA for $1 per ticket. Proceeds support AUSA’s support of soldiers and their families.


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        Hey batter, batter... swing! Don’t you just love baseball? The smell of hot dogs, popcorn and the crowd yelling after a home run?
        “We are a lot more than just baseball,” said Mark Wilderman, operations manager of the Fayetteville SwampDogs. “We are affordable, fun family entertainment.”
    Wilderman added that in today’s times, where it is hard for a family to go on vacation with $4 a gallon gasoline, their games are a great family outing.         
        The SwampDogs have a plethora of promotional events that will keep the Fayetteville community busy for the rest of the year. Friday the 13th is Freaky Friday. There will be a costume contest and trunk-or-treating inside the park.
        {mosimage}Military Appreciation night is June 14. On June 15 the SwampDogs play the U.S. Military All-Stars. The team consists of active-duty military from all over the country raising money for military charities.
        On June 20, the team will host USA Baseball’s National Team of Collegiate standouts in an exhibition contest at J.P. Riddle Stadium. The team consists of the best collegiate players in the country.
        There is an area high school all-star game on June 21 with recent graduates from the area. The MVP will receive a scholarship.
        June 28 is the SwampDogs’ first annual Green Night. It is designed to show appreciation for Planet Earth. Canvas tote bags will be given away at the event. On July 3,  there will be a  Fireworks Extravaganza.
        “This has become a staple in this area for fans to come out and see one of the best fireworks shows in the area,” said Wilderman.
        The second annual Striking Out Cancer night, hosted by the Blood and Cancer Clinic, is July 19.
        “Our players wear pink jerseys and we auction the jerseys off,” said Wilderman. “We donate the money to a local cancer charity.”
        Wilderman added that cancer survivors come out and walk around the bases during the seventh inning, making it a powerful night. Other events include a Hanna Montana night for young girls. There will also be a Bobble Head Doll giveaway on Aug. 1 for the first 500 fans.
        The SwampDogs have partnered with South River EMC of Dunn to bring three one-day camps to J.P. Riddle Stadium this summer on June 26, July 15 and Aug. 1. Camp hours are 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. Students must be between the ages of 5-13 and will receive a free SwampDogs T-shirt, lunch and a ticket to a SwampDogs game. One day of camp is $40, two days of camp is $75, and all three days of camp are $100. Space is limited.
        “We love to give back to our community,” said Wilderman. “I am so excited about all the fun things that we do for families.”
        Tickets for SwampDog games range from $3 to $7. For more information, call 426-5900 or visit www.goswampdogs.com.     

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        The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra is hosting a free concert in the park on Saturday, June 14. Don’t turn the page … conductor Fouad Fakhouri knows what kind of reputation his genre of music has, and he’s out to destroy that myth. 
        {mosimage}“Most people think that the symphony is stuffy. You have to put on your suit and go sit there and not speak and be bored. The lights are down and you have to sit in this environment that is very sterile,” said Fakhouri.
        “Why go to the symphony when you can go to a pop concert or go sit in front of a TV and watch a football game where you can eat your chips and do all sorts of stuff while you are being entertained?”
        It’s a good question, with a simple answer: it’s good music, it’s fun, and Fakhouri considers it a personal quest to bring it to anyone who wants to listen. 
    “It’s a personal love of mine to try to attract as many people to this medium as I can. Because I love classical music, I don’t think about it as a chore, I think of it as ‘This is fun for me,’” said Fakhouri, adding that introducing someone to the symphony is like making a new friend.
    “It is almost like introducing a friend of yours to another friend. This is my friend and I get along with him very nicely. How about you meet him and then we can all three be friends?’ It is that type of mindset for me.”
        Like any good host introducing two friends, Fakhouri is doing all he can to make the atmosphere enjoyable and his guests comfortable.
        This year, the concert will start at 8 p.m. It will be cooler and a little darker than last year. The theme of this concert is going to be a bit different too — all-American music. There will be Sousa marches and things of that nature along with the works of many great American composers.
        “When we give a concert like we are doing … knowing the history of Fayetteville and the majority of the people that live in Fayetteville and their affiliation to the military, etc. … if we can fit the Fayetteville Symphony to that and inspire people to come and listen to us I can guarantee that there will be people that will be very, very happy after this concert,” Fakhouri promised.
    “It is very much a patriotic American concert.”
        Unlike the stiff and rigid images that the symphony can sometimes bring to mind, this performance will be much more relaxed, which is exactly the point.
    “When you do a pop concert like we are doing in the park, the beauty of that is that people can be less formal, they can bring their food — it is a free concert,” said Fakhouri.
    “They can put their blanket on the lawn and sit and have a glass of wine or a drink and eat their food as they are listening to the music.
        “I feel that we can never do enough to continue to provide our services to as many people in Fayetteville as we can,” said Fakhouri. “It is crucial that we do this.”
        They not only perform in concert halls for a specific group of people who are really diehard fans and aficionados of classical music, but they go out and try to attract new audiences too.  
        “This is a real fun thing for me so why don’t you come and join me and see how fun it can be for you?” said Fakhouri.
        The party is at Festival Park, 8 p.m. Admission is free.

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        {mosimage}This ain’t no video game.
        On Saturday, June 14, local fighters — amateur and professional — will be exchanging uppercuts and hooks, kicks and wrestling moves, some blood, a lot of sweat and possibly tears as they compete in Close Quarters Combat in the Cage at the Crown Arena.
        It’s called mixed martial arts, and in order to be proficient at this brutal and entertaining sport that harkens back to the days of gladiators battling for life and limb in the Coliseum, you have to be good in all aspects of the competition: boxing, wrestling and the martial arts.
        “You have to set time aside to work on different aspects of the fighting styles, but then you have to set time apart to blend them together,” said Jason Kwast, a 5-10, 155-pounder from Palm Beach, Calif., who will be fighting in front of Fayetteville’s fans for the very first time. Kwast is a professional fighter with a record of 5-3; he will be tangling with Alvin Decker, known as a Kempo karate expert.
        And why would Kwast want to compete in a potentially bone breaking, potentially (though incredibly rare) fatal sport.
        “I used to get picked on a lot,” said Kwast, smiling through a gap where there used to be two front teeth.
        Kwast certainly doesn’t get picked on anymore.
        And neither does 170-pound Rhomez Brower, who is fighting in the main event against Kendrick Johnson, a grappling expert also known for his sharp martial arts skills — skills that have earned him a 19-13 record.
        {mosimage}Despite the talent of his opponent, Brower, his ripped physique pouring sweat like a human waterfall, smiled at the prospect of the Saturday night fights.
        “Hell yeah I’m looking forward to it,” said Brower, a native of Winston-Salem who works at Kim’s Barber Shop on Yadkin Road. “It’s exciting. It’s right here in Fayetteville. I never thought I’d see the day that I’d fight before the hometown crowd.”
        Helping bring Brower and Kwast’s dreams of fighting before the hometown fans is Fayetteville’s Spartan Entertainment Group, which is responsible for assembling the Close Quarters Combat fighters from all over the world, from Maine to Vermont to Guam.
    Will Clark, Jesse Drake and Jeremiah Lancaster started the organization to bring a new form of professional sports to Fayetteville.
        Clark, a soldier, has a unique perspective on the sport, as he himself has competed in the cage.
        “We love this sport — this is the fastest growing sport in the nation and we wanted to bring it to Fayetteville and bring another entertainment venue to Fayetteville,” said Clark. “In all honesty, Fayetteville is lacking in professional sports; we have sports, but we really needed to get mixed martial arts and combat skills sports here. We wanted to offer this warrior sport to this warrior city.”
        The Close Quarters Combat team had its first fight at the Crown on Aug. 12, which Clark said was a huge success.
        “The reception has been great, fantastic,” said Clark. “The walkup crowd to the Crown was the largest the Crown has ever seen. Fayetteville is a city full of fighters of one nature or another, and warriors like warriors.
        “We had a lot of compliments about the last show and our fans were on their feet the entire time,” added Clark. “I’ve seen other fights in North Carolina and I saw an absolutely different reaction here in Fayetteville.”
        And these proud warriors aren’t some punch-drunk bums from Palookaville or guys who like to get drunk on a Saturday night and wail on each other down in the parking lot of a strip club — there are champions among these bruisers.
        One fighter of particular note is Jason Palacios, a 155-pound scrapper from Guam who competed in the International Fight League and who recently flew to Japan and returned the lightweight winner of the King of Pancrase fight.
        There’s also a possible surprise for fight fans showing up at the Crown Saturday night: Rich Franklin, a contender for the 185-pound Ultimate Fighting Championship, will either be at Saturday’s match or at another CQC fight on Aug. 2.
        To spice things up, the first three fights on the card will pit local members of the Army against a trio of battling marines from Camp LeJeune, which should really get the juices of all local servicemen rocking and rolling.
        “The Marine Corps and the Army are brothers in arms and we fully expect to see the kind of friendly rivalry you see around the Army-Navy game or any time the services compete,” said Clark.
            Also added to the mix will be live music and the ever present and ever beautiful ring girls, who help out around the cage and also interact with the crowd.
    Speaking of the crowd, don’t be intimidated by the old reputation of organized fighting; the sport has come a long way since the early days of no holds barred brawling when the first sanctioned event in North Carolina, a 1994 match in Charlotte, caused the banning of the sport in the state until Aug. 2, 2007. Since then, rules have been put in place to protect the fighters, and, as one of the fastest growing sports in the nation, it appeals to a wide demographic, including 55 percent women.
        “Our last show was featured on HDNET — national network,” said Clark. “How many sports get featured on national TV?”
        Gates open at 7 p.m. with the fights starting at 8. Clark says the fights usually take about 2 1/2 hours. Tickets are $83, $63, $43, $33, $25 ($5 off for 12 and under).
        “We have some great fighters, live entertainment and some pretty ladies,” said Clark. “Really, what more do you need for a great night out?”
        If you’d  like more information about the CQC, check out their Web site: www.cqcinthecage.com, where you can even sign up to be a fighter or ring girl.
        Who knows? CQC just might be able to release the inner beast or beauty in you.

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        The most recent exhibit at Cape Fear Studios, titled Just the Two of Us, supports the idea that many artists in the surrounding area prefer to use a high key palette of color. Halftones, sepia and raw umbers have been replaced with pure colors that explode across the surface of a painting or pastel drawing.
    Joanne Gill Worth and Margie Graves, the two artists in the exhibit, are from Southern Pines and both rely upon color to express their ideas about abstraction, the still life and the landscape. Both artists have a preference for the intensity of color over the drab, bright over dull and dark to emphasize light.
    Graves’ work is mixed media and abstract. Mood is evoked by using bright colors. The surface of the painting is sometimes modulated through texture. The range of emotions being expressed is deciphered through layers of color, movement and fluidity.
        Graves has a master’s degree in social work and is licensed in clinical social work. Her abstract style has been influenced by a certificate in expressive arts therapy from Appalachian State University.
        The layering effect in Graves’ works illustrates how she fosters her own creativity and methods in the area of expressive arts therapy. Most people are very familiar with art therapy; Graves explains how expressive arts therapy “integrates and embraces all the traditional modalities, sometimes layering several art modalities of art therapy.” Graves further stated that expressive arts therapy is the “practice of using imagery, storytelling, dance, music, drama, poetry, writing, movement, dream work and visual arts, together in an integrated way to foster human growth, development and healing.”
        After understanding Graves was an expressive arts therapist, I was able to bring a new interest to her work that I did not originally experience. The lesson here is sometimes knowing about what the artist is doing can heighten our appreciation of their work. (That said, it is not always true.) 
    Grave’s abstract fluidity is in contrast to the work of Joanne Gill Worth. Gill Worth is the exact opposite in that her still lifes and landscapes are constructed through color to be solid — built up by thick mark making techniques using only oil pastels. 
        In the drawing titled Last Tangerine, viewers can see how Worth uses traditional techniques of perspective to create space. In this still life drawing, three tangerines are placed upon a highly decorative blue and white plate. The artist used a bird’s eye view point; we are above the plate and look down upon the still life from a bird’s eye view. Bird’s eye view, a technique in foreshortening, can be the shortest route to create interest for the viewer.
        Worth has the ability to create the recession of space and volume in her work. In particular, Last Tangerine is a work that truly exemplifies the artist’s talent for skill, composition and detail. Using the complementary colors of orange and blue is another technique for maximizing the use of color — one emphasizes the other and makes the other color look even brighter than it is when isolated.
       {mosimage} Worth’s other still lifes and landscapes integrate her use of technique for contrasting high key colors as well as the contrast of light to dark. It appears  Worth is preoccupied with different types of light and the way it affects color on an object or in the landscape. In her still lifes, the light can be from a direct light source or the indirect light from a window to create a backlit light affect.  
        In After the Storm, Worth captures the bold colors of a setting sun before a storm, dark clouds separating to reveal their orange-red and yellow edges through a band blue to turquoise sky. In After Hours, Worth shows us the lighting affect of street lights on a deserted rural road; the street lights spray an area with a limited distance of yellow-white light on dense foliage and a fence-lined street. 
    Both artists are well worth the trip to the downtown Fayetteville gallery. Cape Fear Studios, located on Maxwell Street, one block behind the Fayetteville Art Center on the corner of Hay and Maxwell Street, invites you to see the works of Worth and Graves. The exhibit will remain up until June 24. For information call the studios at (910) 433-2986.
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        It’s Monday morning, you roll your solid waste and recycling carts out to the curb. When you come home, you find your trash can empty, but youour recycling cart is still full. A quick call to the city reveals that your recycling pickup day does not coincide with your trash pickup. Your frustration mounts.
        Not to worry, Jerry Dietzen, the director of solid waste, has put together a new plan that will not only merge pickup days together, but will also result in savings to the city. Dietzen unveiled the plan at the city council’s work session on June 2.
        Dietzen, who joined the city two years ago, explained that when he joined the city staff he found a great number of inefficiencies within the department. The inefficiencies were a result of substantial growth in the city from the construction of new subdivisions and annexation. Dietzen said that the department added new routes without changing existing customer’s pickup days, which resulted in the inefficiencies.
        {mosimage}The current map of the city’s waste pickup route reflects those inefficiencies. “As you can see, our drivers are all over the city on each day of the week,” explained Dietzen. On any given day the current pick-up schedule has drivers going from one end of the city to the other, while bypassing neighborhoods in the middle of the city. Dietzen said the new pick-up schedule will do two things: first, the new system combines routes into geographic locations, and second it puts the solid waste and recycling pickup on the same day. The new pick-up schedule is scheduled to go into effect on July 14.         He explained that the new routes will result in a number of efficiencies for the city, including a reduced number of routes, which will result in reduced travel time, fuel savings and maintenance costs.
    Additionally, the uniformity of the routes will allow the call center to better assist customers because garbage vehicles will be in one central area. Dietzen said representatives will be able to pinpoint problems in that area and notify the crews in the area, whereas in the past a problem might have been identified after the crews had left the area and moved onto another area of the city.
        Supervisors are currently in the field testing the new routes, which were computer generated. The new schedule will affect 75 to 80 percent of the city’s residents. Pickups will be on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Council members questioned whether any plans had been put in place to deal with problems caused by Monday holidays. No changes have been made at this time.

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        Lou Reed once musically urged people to take a walk on the wild side. I have taken the portion of his advice about walking. On my walks to Barnes & Nobles I sporadically have what for me passes as profound thoughts. (For other people these thoughts would prove mundane at best.) Walking the three plus miles of Morganton Road provides the opportunity to ponder the mysteries of the universe — and the crushed Bud Light cans on the sidewalk.
        The light and airy months of spring have morphed into the raging beast that is Fayetteville’s annual summer festival of heat and humidity. I expect to have even more profound thoughts as solar energy intensifies. In Biblical times, prophets would go into the desert to dream dreams and see visions. Lacking a desert in Fayetteville, the Morganton Road sidewalk substitutes to trigger cosmic revelations.
        Personal Theory of Life #602 holds that life is a constant battle against gravity. Gravity struggles each day to pull you down. You struggle each day to stand up. Most days you will win and remain standing. Eventually, gravity will win. You will fall down and you will not be able to get up. Visit a hospice if you doubt this theory. In order to delay the day that gravity inevitably wins, it is important to exercise. The stronger your body is, the longer you can fend off Mr. Gravity. That’s why I walk, to delay gravity’s final victory. That’s the reason some people go to the gym, do yoga or run. Other people who do not subscribe to Theory of Life #602 supersize their french fries with extra cheese and bacon bits. Mr. Gravity usually wins against these people sooner than their more active brothers and sisters.
        Walking the same route repeatedly is not boring. Obsessive compulsive maybe, but not boring. As Casey Stengel would say, you can see a lot just by looking. There are a number of interesting sights on Morganton Road. Did you know that Fred the Dead Rabbit is lying in the road close to the Fayetteville Academy? Fred has been ripening in the sun for a few weeks. He is silent but wise. Dead rabbits are natural teachers. Fred has taught me how to hold my breath when I walk past him. Fred has reinforced my concept of the difference between upwind and downwind. There is also an odd picture of a woman’s face on a telephone pole sign that cautions about being buried. The Indy 500 nature of cars going 70 mph two feet away on Morganton Road generates copious adrenalin.
         walking next to Fred the Rabbit, I pondered what Hillary Clinton wants. Obama now has the delegates to be the Democratic nominee. Hillary refuses to concede defeat. She is the dinner guest who doesn’t know when it’s time to leave the party. The hosts are yawning and want to go to bed. Hillary refuses to leave. Apparently she’s willing to pick Obama to be president as long as she gets to be vice president. My guess is that Michelle Obama may not want Hillary as VEEP. As a wise man once said, “If Mamma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy.” The White House would not be a happy place with a cranky Michelle coupled with Hillary and Bill trying to be president.
        A number of Hillary’s supporters are peeved at what they perceive as the unfair treatment of Hillary by the Democratic Party and Big Media. They are threatening to go vote for McCain who favors appointing more Supreme Court justices like Scalia and Thomas who will vote to abolish Roe v. Wade and do other colorful things to the Constitution that you might think Hillary voters would oppose. Heck hath no fury like a Hillary supporter scorned. Like the Shiites flagellating themselves, Hillaryites are willing to cut off their noses to spite Obama’s face.  
        What is Hillary to do? Simple, she calls up John McCain and chooses him as her presidential running mate. She’ll become McCain’s vice president. A McCain-Hillary ticket would get John, Hillary and Bill into the White House. Her voters could smite Obama and the Constitution by casting their ballot for McCain-Clinton-Clinton. It’s a political menage a trois made in heaven. It’s coming soon to a ballot box near you. Let the presidential rumpus begin!

  • Details
        My boyfriend of two years has been living with his parents for four years. He’s 49, and first said he had an apartment near them but never wanted me to come over. I soon caught on, and he confessed he was ashamed of being in debt and living at home. I gave him another chance because we get along well, except for money. (I’m frugal and he can’t hang onto a dollar.) The biggie happened last week. I discovered he’d actually lived in his parents’ basement with his wife and kids for several years before they divorced. I don’t know if I’m more upset because he lied or because he put his wife and kids in a basement for so long.
                                                                          — Angry Girlfriend

        So he didn’t exactly take you on a tour of the home he lived in with his wife and kids: “And here we have the master bedroom...” and you look down on two sleeping bags zipped together on bare cement next to the furnace. “And here we have the kids’ room...” a big plaid suitcase from the ‘70s. (Hmm...maybe the baby slept in the bowling bag?)
        Even if what happened in the basement stayed in the basement, there had to be signs the guy wasn’t exactly the financial genius of our time...like, he pays the electric bill by setting up a lemonade stand, and when he picks you up for dates, instead of opening the car door, he helps you onto the handlebars.
        Men and women on the make both lie, just about different things. Because men are hard-wired to prioritize looks, women spend hours painting themselves into “natural beauties,” and squeeze into “shapewear” with names like “Lipo in a BOX.” Because women go for men with money and power, a man’s more likely to be like my friend Frank, who wanted me to take a picture of him leaning on a Porsche so he could send it to the girl he’d been chatting up online. “But, Frank, you’re going to pick her up in your late-model Nissan and take her to your one-bedroom apartment!” He pouted, “Well, it’s not like I’m saying it’s MY Porsche.”
        Come on...you’re angry because you found out the guy stashed his wife and kids in a basement? His live wife and kids, not their mummified corpses? This is the kind of thing men who are chronically broke are forced to do. Maybe what’s really eating you is what a bad investment you’ve made: putting in two years with a guy for whom moving up in the world means going from his parents’ basement into his parents’ garage. In his defense, at least he has the decency, if not to put a roof over his kids’ heads, then to mooch one.
        In your own defense, you say “we get along well, except for money.” Except for money? That’s a bit beyond “He’s into Muzak and I’m into metal.” At 49, the guy’s still working on getting his starter apartment — a reflection of a rather serious character flaw. Has he given you any reason to believe he’ll have it patched up by 50? Instead of pretending not to see the dealbreakers so you can make the deal, be honest about your standards, and hold your dates up to them from the start. If what you really want is a man who’s fiscally responsible, you’re never going to be happy with a man who might be able to bring home the bacon, but only if you give him an advance on his allowance and send him to the grocery store in your car.

    Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA  90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com)
    (c)2008, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved.

  • Details
        The U.S. military operates a beachfront vacation site for its personnel worldwide and their families at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, with $42-a-night air-conditioned suites, surfing, boat rides, golf course, bowling alley and even a gift shop. One T-shirt for sale reads, “The Taliban Towers at Guantanamo Bay, the Caribbean’s Newest 5-star Resort.” News of the facility was not widely reported until a British lawyer who represents 28 of the nearly 300 detainees housed there described it to London’s Daily Mailin May.

    The Continuing Crisis
        Another Criterion for Teacher Certification: Police in Fort Myers, Fla., were called to Royal Palm Exceptional School in April and wound up arresting an 8-year-old boy named Deshawn for punching his female teacher in the face, leaving several bruises. Said Deshawn’s grandmother, Dorothy Williams, when interviewed by WBBH-TV: “He gets very upset, and he loves to hit,” but “If he was overpowering her that much, I feel like she shouldn’t be in that line of work.”
        America in Decline: One of the Internet’s successful Web sites (10 million page views a month, with $500,000 in ads from companies including Verizon, McDonald’s and General Motors) is a site that merely reports on what celebrities’ babies are wearing, in that so many mothers are apparently obsessed with mimicking those clothing choices for their own tots. A May Wall Street Journal feature said sometimes the site’s posting a photo of a celebrity baby incites a nationwide run on what it’s wearing.
        Workplace Culture: Salesman Chad Hudgens filed a lawsuit in January against his former Salt Lake City employer, charging that the boss and a “motivational trainer” used, as a “team-building” exercise, what was essentially the controversial “torture” practice of “waterboarding.” The boss allegedly said that if salesmen tried as hard to close deals as they’re trying to breathe during the simulated drowning, sales would soar. 
        British office worker Theresa Bailey, 43, was awarded the equivalent of about $10,300 by a court in Ashford, England, in May after she complained of sexual harassment by her otherwise-all-male direct-marketing team at Selectabase company. Among the “laddish” behavior was her boss’s regularly “lift(ing) his right cheek” and expelling gas in her direction.

    First Things First
        A supervisor at the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services told a Billings Gazette reporter in March that some of his employees were complaining that new computers delivered to the office lacked games like solitaire, hearts and Minesweeper, and that it wasn’t fair that employees with older computers still had the games. 
        The traffic commander of the Rusafah district in Baghdad told his officers in April to start enforcing the country’s seat-belt laws. The fine is the equivalent of about $12.50.

    News of the Tacky
        The leader of the Liberal Party in the Australian state of Western Australia said in April that he would not resign even though an accusation against him was true: that at a party staff meeting in December 2005, when a female colleague got out of her chair, he playfully moved over and sniffed it.
        The Missouri Supreme Court suspended the law license of David A. Dalton II in March for allegedly arranging leniency, with a prosecutor, for one of his clients in exchange for the client’s having her godfather, retired football star Terry Bradshaw, autograph a baseball for him.

  • Details
        Each year, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts plan an annual trek out west. The group, sponsored by the Association of Free Community Papers, calls itself the Black Sheep. Based in cities all across America, riders will follow a variety of routes to get to the main meet-up point in Jackson, Wyo. The riders are expected to converge on Jackson on the evening of Friday, Aug. 1. {mosimage}
        On Aug. 2, the main thrust of the group ride will begin as riders take a trek through one of America’s most breathtaking national parks, riding through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. The group will stay just outside of Yellowstone National Park. Riders who have participated in the event before say that this part of the ride is easy but puts some of the country’s most beautiful sites in your sight.
        On Aug. 3, the route will take riders over Beartooth Pass, through Red Lodge and Billings to the Little Bighorn National Battlefield near Crow Agency, Mont. Beartooth Pass is reputed to be the prettiest highway in America. Opened in 1936, the Beartooth Highway crosses through the mountains, and in 1989 was designated a National Scenic Byway. Charles Kuralt, who spent much of his life touring the United States, called it “America’s most beautiful road.”
        The Beartooth route originates in Red Lodge. South of Red Lodge, the road quickly begins ascending the Beartooth Plateau. Between 50 and 60 million years ago, a massive uplift created the Beartooths. At roughly 3,000 square miles, the Beartooths are one of North America’s largest land masses, rising above 10,000 feet, reaching its highest point at 12,799-foot Granite Peak. This is a land of glacier-carved cirques, high alpine lakes and fragile tundra.
        On Monday, Aug. 4, the final leg of the ride will see riders crossing Montana and arriving in Sturgis, S.D., about mid-afternoon just in time to kick off the 68th Annual Bike Week. Bike Week at Sturgis has a long and storied history. The event was started by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club, which formed in 1936, and started the Sturgis Rally in 1938. That first rally had a lineup of only nine racers and a very small audience. These days, thousands attend the event which has grown from that one small race. The Jackpine Gypsies still organize the event and a majority of events during the week take place on the club’s 40 acres, which includes a race track, permanent seating, a clubhouse, a concession business and a campground. Each year, 12 events are held during the rally, which draws more than 6,000 spectators.
        Black Sheep riders can stay in Sturgis or nearby areas for as many or as few days as they want, returning home at their own schedule. Riders from the Fayetteville area will meet up with other riders in Nashville, Tenn., to start the cross-country trek.
        Contact Bill Bowman at Bill@upandcomingweekly.com for more information.

  • Details
        Manolo Blahniks.
    If you’re heterosexual and male, those two words are all you really need to know about the screen adaptation of Sex and the City.
        Evidently, Manolo Blahniks is a brand of very stylish and very expensive women’s shoes which also turn out to be a key plot device toward the end of this 2 1/2-hour queen of all chick flicks.
    If you are a fan of either that particular shoe brand or the now defunct HBO series, Sex and the City, then this film is probably for you.
        If you don’t know Manolo from Mazola and never got into the Sex phenomenon during its four-year run, or if you have even remotely male tendencies — such as planning your weekend around a Charles Bronson movie marathon or keeping a stack of Maxim magazines in the bathroom — I would save my time and money and go see Iron Man again.
        {mosimage}OK, full disclosure: Before I screened Sex and the City, I’d never seen a single episode of the — supposedly — groundbreaking series. Of course, through pop culture osmosis I knew that main character Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) has a shoe fetish on par with Imelda Marcos, that the girls like sex — hence the title — and they drink Cosmopolitans nonstop.
        So, I guess you legion of Sex fans think not having seen the series should disqualify me from reviewing the movie, eh? To that, I say... bad sexists! What would happen if a male film critic said female critics were not qualified to review movies, such as the aforementioned Iron Man or the Spider Man anthology, because most women did not grow up reading the comic books said films are based upon?
        That’s right, they’d be strung up by the soles of their Kenneth Coles.
        So, in a broadside for men’s right, here’s what I know about Sex and the City — the movie.
        The plot seems to revolve around Carrie attempting to tie the knot with the rich, handsome Mr. Big (Chris Noth), who leaves her waiting at the altar because, you know, men are pigs.
        By the way, I went to a Monday matinee, because, well, men are not only pigs, but we’re cheap pigs. And let me tell you, I have never, ever felt so out of place at a movie. I was the lone male in the audience and the estrogen was cascading down the aisles like some sort of mutated fog, redolent of Chanel No. 5 and contraband cocktails.
        Anyway, Carrie is so depressed following her matrimonial meltdown that she and her three gal pals flee to Mexico for a vacation in which they drink margaritas instead of their trademark Cosmos and don’t have a lot of sex — the one thing that would possibly attract males to the film. I mean, it is called Sex in the City, not Babes Bonding South of the Border.
        After that, it’s mostly a roller coaster of hormonal hijinks, including pregnancy, infidelity and a spayed dog that likes to make sweet, sweet love to pillows, chair legs and human legs.
        Samantha (Kim Catrall) is, to me, the sexiest and funniest of Sex in the City’s four stars, even if she does spend too much of the movie holding on like grim death to her much younger soap star boyfriend Smith (Jason Lewis).
        The character of Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) is the one involved in the aforementioned pregnancy. When she runs into Mr. Big on the street and starts to animatedly give him a piece of her mind over how he treated Carrie, everyone in the theater smarter than Dick Cheney immediately knew her water was going to break and Big would end up saving the day by driving her to the hospital. I mean, gee whiz... I learned that plot device about the same time I figured out any time teenagers have sex in a slasher flick, they’ve got about three minutes left to live.
        And in the end, predictability is what sinks the good ship Playtex. The writers should have taken a chance or two. Personally, I believe the real life lesbianism of Cynthia Nixon could have been alluded to, giving the film some much needed edge. For example, perhaps she could have fallen head-over-stilletos for a TV repairwoman or a hardened stripper with a heart of gold — played by either the hilarious Ellen DeGeneres, or DeGeneres’ girlfriend, the gorgeous Portia de Rossi (I’ll let you guess which one I would cast to drive the big brown truck and which one would do the pole dancing).
        Or maybe, Nixon, DeGeneres and de Rossi could have been involved in some sort of sexy love triangle.
        Yeah, that’s the ticket — nothing draws dudes to the bijou like a ménage à trois.
        Because, well, you know... men are pigs.

  • Details
        The Middleman (Monday, 8 p.m., ABC Family) is the most delightful pop-culture product since Juno. Heroine Wendy Watson (Natalie Morales) is Juno’s equal as a deadpan hipster smart aleck. But she has one talent Juno doesn’t: a knack for saving the world from machine-gun-toting apes.{mosimage}
        The Middleman is set in a satirical sci-fi universe full of comic book bad guys. Wendy is living a marginal life as an artist/temp when an ugly creature breaks out of a laboratory and grabs her with its tentacles. She calmly stabs it with a letter opener, and her sangfroid captures the attention of the Middleman (Matt Keeslar). He’s a wholesome hero type whose job is not only to save the world, but also to prevent the world from learning that supernatural phenomena exist. He convinces Wendy to be his sidekick over the objections of his cranky robot assistant.
    Wendy and the Middleman are an instant odd-couple classic. Where she’s wised-up and sarcastic, he’s a square-jawed square in the Clark Kent mode. He says things like “dog diggity” and “dag-nabit,” often while chugging a glass of milk. Creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach, who adapted the series from his graphic novels, has a ball spoofing spy movies, superhero comics, Planet of the Apes, The Godfather, Andy Warhol, The Avengers and animal-rights groups — and that’s just in the first episode.
        Is there any way I’m going to miss episode two? Not a gosh-darn chance in heck.

    Celebrity Circus
    Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. (NBC)
    NBC declares that this “thrilling new series immerses today’s top stars in the breathtaking world of the circus.” Would you really call Stacey Dash, Christopher Knight, Antonio Sabato Jr. and Wee Man Acuna “today’s top stars”? It kind of makes you wonder if the network is also stretching things with the words “thrilling” and “breathtaking.”

    The Bill Engvall Show
    Thursday, 9 p.m. (TBS)
        I dissed this sitcom last year based on the mediocre premiere. I didn’t watch it again ‘till now, and what do you know — I’m smiling.
        The Bill Engvall Show is unabashedly old school, with a laugh track, simple sets and a setup-punchline rhythm. The plots look for humor in the minutiae of suburban family life: a cell phone that gets bad reception, children who refuse to clean the garage. A million sitcoms have worked similar territory, but this one succeeds thanks to a great ensemble. Over the past year, something clicked among the actors, all of whom (even the kids) know how to put over the jokes. Engvall is amiable in the Father Knows Worst role, and Nancy Travis complements him beautifully as the Sarcastic Wife.
        I’d call Engvall to congratulate him if I could get reception on my damn cell phone.

    AFI’s 10 Top 10
    Tuesday, 8 p.m. (CBS)
        Every summer, the American Film Institute tries to find a new way to list America’s greatest movies: by focusing on actors, genres, etc. The problem is, America’s greatest movies don’t change all that much, so every year we hear about the same ones in a slightly different way.
        This time, the AFI gives us the top 10 films in 10 different genres. Think it might just be a big night for Citizen Kane and Casablanca … again?

  • Details
        Insolence is big in Japan.
        So big, that its new album, Audio War, made it to No. 6 on the charts in the Land of the Rising Sun, beating out offerings from Linkin Park and Avril Lavigne.
        The band, which hails from San Jose, Calif., also wants to make it big in Fayetteville on Saturday, June 14, when it plays at Jester’s Pub in support of its new CD.
        While my musical tastes don’t tend to skew toward hardcore bands such as Insolence — my favorite “heavy” band of the moment being retro psychedelic space rangers Monster Magnet — I do appreciate a group with energy that takes a different road.
        And Insolence qualifies on both counts, using a metal/reggae/hip-hop blend that can make your head implode and your feet explode.
        The lead track, “Danger,” starts off with the requisite heavy metal thunder of distorted power chords and screaming, indecipherable lyrics, but then segues into a smooth, reggae-style dub that catches you completely by surprise. It’s sort of like Iron Maiden meets Bob Marley. Kudos to the band for creating something totally unexpected.
    “Megumi” takes the opposite tack — leading off with a reggae/hip-hop beat and then kicking out the jams with a wall of sludgy guitar that would make Insolence the perfect house band for Ozzy Osbourne’s retirement party... or funeral, whichever comes first.{mosimage}
        The third track, “Kobra Kai “... I have no idea what it’s about and don’t know if I like it or not — sort of like the first time I tried sushi. I can’t understand a word the kids are singing, though I love its punk rock roots and it does have an interesting guitar solo. It’ll probably grow on me, sort of like that stray wild hair that inexplicably sprouts out of your ear.
    “Blue Sky” is the money track. It’s gotten substantial airplay back in the Bay Area and in Japan. It combines a funky rhythm guitar with some deft deejay scratching; bonus points — my battered and beaten, middle-aged ears can understand every word! “Blue Sky” has echoes of the late, impossibly great Sublime and is absolutely sunny compared to the other tracks, with such sweet lines as the chorus, “Blue sky sunshine, bring back the love I’m telling all of you.” It’s like discovering that lead guitarist/buzzsaw master Scott Ian of Anthrax collects teddy bears. In fact, it’s so poppish that the band just might lose its membership in the Kick Ass Rap Metal All Boys Club. Speaking of which, an excellent rap weaves into the mix so much more melodically than the offerings of hip-hop/metal standard bearers Korn and Limp Bizkit. “Blue Sky” deserves to be a Top 10 hit.
        The band goes for a Rage Against the Machine vibe on “Liberation,” preaching anarchy and riots in the streets with the chorus “take it back, take it back, liberation” amid verses such as “death squads, angry mobs... they control you.”
    Among the remaining tracks, “Kyoadai” is a real standout, fusing Guns and Roses with some Fugees-like rap and a dash of Sex Pistols-style punk.
        All-in-all, a fine effort for a band on the rise.
        If Insolence can hook me — a grizzled old 40-something fan of the Beatles and the Stones — playing music with a probable demographic of males, 14-28, they’ve definitely got something good going.
        The show begins at 8 p.m. Insolence will be opening for the Kottonmouth Kings and tickets are $20.

  • Details
        After finally getting a hold of the elusive band Stronghold, drummer David Sholter decided to give me the lowdown on the band, its dreams of fame and fortune, and a sum being bigger than its parts.
        Give me a Stronghold history lesson — how did you guys get started?
        “It’s the usual fairy-tale-garage-band-get-together. Late in 2004, bassist David West was playing with a popular local band that was beginning to lose steam. West’s in-law, Dave Sholter, had played drums with a few local rock bands ‘back in the day’ and suggested inviting friends, enemies, anybody to ‘the garage’ for jam sessions. The scraped-together sessions were fun, but sparse and going nowhere until West overheard coworker Danny Brock singing along to country radio tunes. Brock soon produced Simmy Sibbet, a guitarist then playing with pop band Clear Conscience, and a jam session ensued. The group found an immediate musical chemistry and lived happily ever after.”
        If you only had two words to describe your band, what would they be, and why?
        “How about: ‘Who gave those idiots instruments…’ wait, too many words… maybe: ‘Unlikely stepbrothers.’ When you see us together, you’ll know why.”{mosimage}
        Who came up with the name and why do you think it fits your band?
        “Bassist West singled out the word from the lyrics to ‘Addiction,’ one of our early original tunes. At the time, the name was pick-of-the-litter from a pretty uninspired short list of possibilities. Some of the runners-up are probably not fit to print.”
        Who does Stronghold look to for inspiration — who do you think did it better before you?
        “Tough one. In common, we all like rock but after that, influences start to pile up pretty randomly. One guy stands out to all of us, though: Jimmie’s Chicken Shack front man Jimi HaHa. That guy has both feet on the ground, with enough creativity and tenacity to fill a large crater. Aside from that, everybody did, and continues to do it better than us. We just hope to be walking upright by the end of the year.”
        What are your expectations for Stronghold?
        “The usual fame and fortune would be nice. Essential, actually. Short-term, we’d like to play out more, beyond our familiar turf.  We’re also looking forward to recording our first full-length CD which is waaaay overdue.”
        What compels you (collectively or individually) to play music?
        “It’s fun, period. Well, it’s mildly amazing to try something that seems beyond you, and then actually pull it off, and then find that it has metamorphosed into some unexpected state of gestalt.”
        What makes your band better then the rest of them?
        “See previous answer. OK, nobody is better or worse, just different. Hey, that’s very PC. We do what we do and a lot of people like it; we’ve never figured out why.”
        Most important music lesson? (Whether it relates directly to music or perhaps the industry.)
        “Rule No. 1 is to HAVE FUN. When you enjoy what you’re doing, it’s infectious. The whole point is to entertain. Rule No. 2: You can never learn enough.”
        Why should people get off their butts and check out Stronghold?
        “What, you gotta wash your hair or something? Besides, we’ve seen you all rubberneck at a lousy fender-bender. What would you pay to see a full-blown train wreck?”
        Coming off of playing at the Special Forces Festival it seems Stronghold is the next thing in town. See if you have as hard of a time getting “a hold” of them as I did. More info and dates are available on their Myspace: www.myspace.com/strongholdrocks.

  • Details
        Dear EarthTalk: Recent NASA photos showed the opening of the Northwest Passage and that a third of the Arctic’s sea ice has melted in recent years. Are sea levels already starting to rise accordingly, and if so what effects is this having?                
    — Dudley Robinson, Ireland

        Researchers were astounded when, in the fall of 2007, they discovered that the year-round ice pack in the Arctic Ocean had lost some 20 percent of its mass in just two years, setting a new record low since satellite imagery began documenting the terrain in 1978. Without action to stave off climate change, some scientists believe that, at that rate, all of the year-round ice in the Arctic could be gone by as early as 2030.
        This massive reduction has allowed an ice-free shipping lane to open through the fabled Northwest Passage along northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland. While the shipping industry — which now has easy northern access between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans — may be cheering this “natural” development, scientists worry about the impact of the resulting rise in sea levels around the world.
        {mosimage}With about a third of the world’s population — and 25 percent of Americans — living within 300 feet of an ocean coastline, sea level rise is a big deal. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, made up of leading climate scientists, sea levels have risen some 3.1 millimeters per year since 1993.
        The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reports that low-lying island nations, especially in equatorial regions, have been hardest hit by this phenomenon, and some are threatened with total disappearance. Rising seas have already swallowed up two uninhabited islands in the Central Pacific. On Samoa, thousands of residents have moved to higher ground as shorelines have retreated by as much as 160 feet. And islanders on Tuvalu are scrambling to find new homes as salt water intrusion has made their groundwater undrinkable while increasingly strong hurricanes and ocean swells have devastated shoreline structures.
        WWF says that rising seas throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world have inundated coastal ecosystems, decimating local plant and wildlife populations. In Bangladesh and Thailand, coastal mangrove forests — important buffers against storms and tidal waves — are giving way to ocean water.
        Unfortunately, even if we curb global warming emissions today, these problems are likely to get worse before they get better. According to marine geophysicist Robin Bell of Columbia University’s Earth Institute, sea levels rise by about 1/16” for every 150 cubic miles of ice that melts off one of the poles.
        “That may not sound like a lot, but consider the volume of ice now locked up in the planet’s three greatest ice sheets,” she writes in a recent issue of Scientific American. “If the West Antarctic ice sheet were to disappear, sea level would rise almost 19 feet; the ice in the Greenland ice sheet could add 24 feet to that; and the East Antarctic ice sheet could add yet another 170 feet to the level of the world’s oceans: more than 213 feet in all.” Bell underscores the severity of the situation by pointing out that the 150-foot tall Statue of Liberty could be completely submerged within a matter of decades.

        CONTACTS: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), www.ipcc.ch; WWF, www.panda.org; Earth Institute at Columbia University, www.earth.columbia.edu.

        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. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

  • Details
        Life is a cabaret, old chum.
        It’s also fleeting, beautiful and often brutal, as shown in the wonderful adaptation of the musical Cabaret, which debuted at the Gilbert Theater on Thursday, June 5.
        The musical, which is set in pre-World War II Berlin, is a metaphor for the downward spiral of that country as the Nazis came into power.
        The performances are exhilarating and grand, especially the characters of Master of Ceremonies (Timothy Lee Lloyd) and Sally Bowles (Alexis Chieffet); but throughout, there is an undercurrent of tension and darkness, because as the boys and girls dance gaily and drink and love passionately at the Kit Kat Club, we know a storm of epic death and destruction is tap-dancing on the horizon.
        The action starts in the Kit Kat Club — the kind of place your mother warned you about — in 1930s Berlin. Lloyd, as the Master of Ceremonies welcomes the crowd, surrounded by beautiful cabaret girls and boys, dancing and frolicking, unaware that Germany is on the precipice of the worst case of mass murder in history.
        Lloyd is spectacular, with just the right mix of decadence and playfulness, intimating he loves a good time at all costs — whether it’s with the boys or the girls. His singing and dancing — as is that of the cabaret boys and girls — is spot on.{mosimage}
        The story segues to a train station where we meet two key characters, an expatriate American named Clifford Bradshaw (Jonathan de Araujo) who is traveling restlessly across Europe in search of inspiration to write his novel, finally settling on Berlin. He is joined on the train by Ernst Ludwig (Tom Bresley), the perfect picture of an Aryan — tall, blond and impossibly handsome. Ludwig is smuggling money for the Nazi cause from France and recruits his new friend Bradshaw into the game.
        After Bradshaw settles into the rooming house of Fraulein Schneider (Leslie Craig), he hustles down to the Kit Kat Club where he meets Sally Bowles. They’re obviously attracted to each other, though we know immediately this union will not end well. As Bowles, Chieffet is pitch perfect, displaying a wonderfully husky singing voice and projecting an exceedingly convincing portrait of decadent sexiness, cooing and purring while wearing the slinky clothes of a true chanteuse.
        A subplot running through the musical is the romance between Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz (Paul Wilson), a Jewish shop owner. It’s both sad and beautiful to watch these two older lovers take a final chance on love, while we as armchair historians know exactly what’s going to happen to Schultz.
        As the requisite Nazi, Ludwig destroys any chance at love between Schneider and Schultz by reminding her that marrying a Jew could have serious consequences.
        More tragedy ensues when Sally becomes pregnant with — possibly, we never know — Clifford’s baby. Clifford wants the couple to return to America and raise their child in a proper setting, as he sees Germany beginning to crumble. But Sally loves the spotlight too much and sells her prize fur coat to a doctor to abort the baby, returning to her job at the Kit Kat Club.
        Clifford eventually leaves for America, gaining the inspiration to begin his novel as he takes his seat on the train: he writes the story he has just lived through — his damned union with Sally, as well as the cursed engagement of Fraulein Schneider and Her Schultz.
    Through it all, the music never stops at the Kit Kat Club, though the performances become increasingly darker, with the ultimate foreshadowing of what’s to come when the Master of Ceremonies dances on stage in a full Nazi regalia, assisted by the Kit Kat girls and boys in the brown shirts of the Nazi youth.
        Standout musical numbers included the performance of the title track by Chieffet, in which she’s dressed like a satin doll and sings like one too.
        Lloyd is masterful in everything he does, giving a randy, raucous performance in which he seems permanently amused by the state of things — life may be going to hell around him, but he’s going to keep on dancing, damn it.
    de Araujo shows off a fine singing voice, even if I did find him just a touch too earnest in his role as the not-so-naive American who sees the swastika on the wall, though he can’t convince Sally that the party is about to end.
    The entire cast gels as if they’ve performed together for years.
        Highly recommended, old chum.
        The production of Cabaret runs through June 22. You can get show times and ticket information by calling 678-7186, or checking out the theater’s Web site: www.gilberttheater.com.

  • Details
        Could you forgive a person who murdered your family? Could you live with them in the same neighborhood? This is the question faced by the survivors of the brutal 1994 Rwandan genocide. 
        The Church of Apostles in Hope Mills will host the film As We Forgive on Wednesday, June 11 at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., at the Cameo Art House Theatre in downtown Fayetteville. The 54-minute documentary is a 2008 finalist in the Student Academy Awards and is narrated by Mia Farrow. The film’s mission is to expose people across America to the untold story of Africa with the intention of inspiring a wider discussion of the need for reconciliation in our personal lives, institutions and government.  
        {mosimage}The movie revolves around the journey of two women whose families were murdered in the 1994 genocide. The prison systems in Rwanda were overcrowded and there were so many cases that the government chose to release more than 50,000 prisoners back into the community. The women were forced to live in the village with the people who were responsible for killing their families.       
        “The documentary tracks their stories of forgiveness and reconciliation,” said Leigh Ross, director of mission development at The Church of The Apostles. “One woman’s killer really tries to show his remorse by helping build her a home.”
    Ross added that the film captures how the people are trying to live after the genocide.
        The filmmaker, Laura Waters Hinson, was engaged in a conversation with Anglican Bishop John Rucyahana and he described a project that seemed unreal.
        “Wilson’s interest was peaked as she imagined a film that could capture the profound message communicated by genocide survivors and perpetrators who are reconciling and living together as neighbors,” said Ross. “Wilson returned to Rwanda with a small crew of student filmmakers and friends to witness the claim that reconciliation was happening.”
        Ross added that Hinson interviewed women and families in the community. 
        Rwanda is a very poor country located in east-central Africa. In 1994, more than 1 million people were killed during a 100-day rampage. Throughout the genocide, Tutsi women were often mutilated, raped and tortured before they were murdered. The genocide created a generation of orphans. 
        The film is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome. Fair trade Rwandan coffee will be sold during the event as a means to stimulate the Rwandan economy.  
        “We invite everyone to come and view the documentary,” said Ross. 
        For information, call 425-2561.

    Contact Shanessa Fenner at editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details

        A pair of sharks swam just feet from my face, suspended amid a turquoise sea that rippled gently with waving seaweed.
        A few moments later, I traveled the pathways and alleys of a small Portuguese town, balancing precariously on a rock wall, looking down into a boiling, raging river.
    And then I was off to Darfur, Sudan, checking out the interior of an ostentatious $1 million apartment, peeking into the bathroom and examining the contents of the medicine cabinet.
    Calm down Trekkies, I had not somehow tapped into the technology of the Star Trek franchise, with Scotty beaming me from place to place as effortlessly as you would change a TV channel: I had discovered the latest technology at Fayetteville Technical Community College — its new 3D imaging system that will be utilized starting this month at FTCC’s Advanced Visualization and Interactive Design Center.
        {mosimage}The center, located in the  Harry F. Shaw Virtual College Center, is a $4 million project funded by Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, the BRAC Regional Task Force, Microsoft, Dell and the state community college system. The system brings 3D technology to the masses, allowing all 3D images created by the computer to be loaded into an online Learning Resources Depository, where any student in North Carolina — K-12, community college, or the state university system — can retrieve the objects for study on computers equipped with inexpensive digital viewers similar to Adobe Acrobat.
    Before taking the virtual tour of the ocean floor and the quaint Mediterranean village, which took place in a subterranean section of the Harry F. Shaw Virtual College Center called “The Cave,” Bob Ervin, FTCC vice president for learning technologies, took a group of faculty members to a screening room — the nerve system of the new technology — where he provided special 3D glasses that allowed the viewing of virtual objects created by the system.
        Leave behind your preconceptions of those cheesy paper glasses your grandmother and a theater full of movie goers wore while munching buttered popcorn and watching the 3D version of The House of Wax in the ‘50s, or the spectacles that come in cereal boxes allowing you to view Tony the Tiger or Toucan Sam in three dimensions — these glasses were sleek and high-tech: imagine the love child of Microsoft and Oakley.
        As a roomful of rapt instructors and administrators looked on through their cyber specs, Ervin’s assistant produced a beautiful blue Suzuki motorcycle that leaped off the projector screen and into our laps. The motorcycle hologram was constructed by California-based Eon Reality — the software company helping bring this technology to FTCC — to be used as a holographic display at a convention in Las Vegas. A prototype of the motorcycle had been taken apart by Eon Reality, allowing the company to scan each part and recreate an exact virtual duplication.
        “With this type of technology available, why would we give a student in a classroom a 2D picture of a heart and say learn the parts of the heart?” said Ervin. “Now, we have the capability to render that heart, put it on a screen, take a pair of glasses and turn that heart, take it apart and look at the ventricles; I can engage that student and help him see things he’s never seen before.”
        Ervin says the same technology will be used at FTCC to give dental assistant students a virtual human head, complete with muscles, nerves, blood vessels, bones and teeth to work from while learning their craft.
        “That same model, I’m also giving to our funeral service restoration folks, because they teach a class on restoring bodies,” said Ervin, “That way, when a relative gives them a photograph and says this is the way I want the departed to look, they can go in and learn facial reconstruction. It can also be used in anatomy and physiology and biology.”
        And it can also be used for military and industrial applications.
        After the floating motorcycle zoomed back into cyberspace, Ervin showed a suspended 3D model of an M-16 made from a training manuscript and a photograph. Just like any GI in training, the person manipulating the computer controls could strip the whole rifle down to its separate parts and rebuild it on-screen — minus the screaming drill instructor.
        The military applications for this technology are as numerous as the number of lives that could be saved on the battlefield with the system, said Bill Griffin, dean of business programs at FTCC
        “Just imagine, rather than sending soldiers into a hostile town they know nothing about, with this system you can recreate that town and they will know every inch of it before they go into battle,” said Griffin as he met with FTCC faculty and representatives from Fayetteville State University to discuss the technology and how it could be shared between the schools. “Another area we want to focus on is the Wounded Warriors program; this would give disabled soldiers the training they would need to move on in their careers.”
        Other possible applications Griffin said students at FTCC and FSU could glean from the 3D program include video gaming, Geographic Information Systems, engineering, architecture and forensic science.
    “You could use this to recreate a crime scene for forensics students to study,” said Griffin.
        The grouping of faculty and administrators were particularly intrigued by the computer gaming possibilities, which could serve as the “hook” needed to make this technology attractive to a generation raised on PlayStation and Nintendo.
        Ervin also pointed out the manufacturing and fabricating possibilities, referencing the need for outdated aeronautical parts.
        “We’re working with Golden Leaf on the aging airline industry in North Carolina,” said Ervin. “In the eastern part of our state they have a lot of aging aircraft and the parts are no longer available, so how do we build parts? We advocate taking a 3D scan of that part and turning it into a CAD drawing that I can hand off to a machining company that can reproduce that part.”
        Ervin said FTCC students, who will learn over a period of 16 weeks how to create the 3D images and other virtual applications, could use the knowledge gained from the technology to land jobs paying in excess of $200,000. At the end of that 16-week period, students may also transfer to Wake Community College to work on a degree in creating computer games.
        Or they can simply slink down to The Cave and swim with the sharks.


    Contact Tim Wilkins at tim@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details

        In my last article I made a mistake... ouch. I said that the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway is Mount Mitchell. Actually, Mount Mitchell is north of Asheville and is the highest point east of the Mississippi at 6,684 feet near Burnsville. The highest point on the Blue Ridge is Richland Balsam Overlook at milepost 431 and is 6,047 feet. So, having gotten a little wet with that mistake, I though I’d tackle what you need when it really is raining outside.
        If you ride you will eventually get wet. Riding in the rain brings a new perspective to your riding experience. The better prepared for rain you are, the better off you will be. Finding the right gear is a very personal endeavor. I will tell you from experience that I have found a nice setup, but it was from trial and error. So let’s break it down from top to bottom.
        The helmet. Some helmets are better than others in the rain. Obviously, an opened face helmet will do nothing for you in the rain. Every drop of water feels like a bee sting until your face becomes numb. First option for the open face helmet is to carry a face shield for your helmet. Full-face helmets are the safest; however, they may leak. They usually leak through the vents or around the shield but they will protect your face. Fog is another problem with full face helmets so make sure you have good vents. There are helmets that do not leak or fog up but you have to do some research.
        Next is the face. Of course if you do not have a face shield you should always have eye protection. A bandana or scarf will help cut down the stinging of the rain as it hits your face.
        The jacket. I have three different jackets for different seasons. All have elbow, shoulder and back padding for additional safety in the event of an accident. One is fully waterproof and the other two, not so much. For them I carry a yellow rain jacket. I choose yellow to increase my visibility. You should also make sure your jacket has a reflector. When you get a jacket you might want to get one with a hood. This is handy in the event of a heavy rain. Put the hood on under your helmet to prevent the rain from running down your back.
        Gloves. I have several pairs of gloves for different seasons and some are waterproof and others not. Make sure that your gloves are waterproof by reading the tag.
        Pants. The most protection is from a pair of waterproof pants with pads in them. If you don’t have them you will want to have a pair of waterproof pants that will slip over your pants. Make sure the pants go down far enough to cover your boots.
        Boots. It is hard to find a pair of riding boots. I have not found the perfect pair that is waterproof, comfortable for walking and stylish. Be sure to get a boot that will cover your ankles and fit under your rain pants. Also, make sure the soles have the traction to hold you and your bike up at stops. Nothing is worse than putting your foot down and dropping your bike because the pavement is slick. Remember that at red lights or at the check points at the base, those areas are especially slippery because of cars dripping oil.
        I think the hardest part about rain gear is storage. If space is a problem consider getting some compression bags to shrink the gear as small as possible. Even on a summer day being wet plus wind will turn a pleasant drive into survival trip. If you get caught in the rain with no rain gear, just pull over under an overpass or at a safe space for cover. Most heavy downpours will pass within 20 minutes. So stay dry and stay safe.

    Contact Jim Jones at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

  • Details

        Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (124 minutes) is bound to disappoint the really hardcore fans. Screenwriter David Koepp did a commendable job in managing a workable script from the somewhat ridiculous premise. In fact, it is entirely to Koepp’s credit that he managed to find a compromise in writing that satisfied Spielberg (who insisted on the crystal skulls plot) and Harrison Ford (who didn’t like the crystal skulls). The previous three installments are powerhouse action/fantasy classics, and the concept still works nearly 20 years later. Spielberg uses a nice light touch with this material, and unlike his more emotionally manipulative work, he manages to avoid aiming for the obvious tearjerkers in the story. 
        {mosimage}The year is 1957. Colonel Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett) uses Indiana Jones and a never-before-seen partner, Mac (Ray Winstone), to infiltrate a military base in Nevada. At first, all the mysterious clues point to the reappearance of a relic from a previous adventure. Soon after, Irina is revealed as a prototypical new-ager, concerned with strange powers and mysterious energies. Following a better than expected escape sequence, Indiana finds himself barely surviving a series of harrowing encounters. 
    Upon his return to his day job, we learn the fate of several characters from the previous films. Then, Indiana is waylaid by Mutt Williams (Shia LeBeouf) and agrees to assist him in rescuing his mother, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen) and a man named Oxley (John Hurt). In classic Indy style, there are fights over ancient relics, improbably dramatic escapes and other crazy hijinks, all while Indiana Jones attempts to solve the mystery of the crystal skull.
        Despite the excitement of seeing a new Indiana Jones movie after so many years, Ford seems pretty bored with going over the same plot twists and reciting the same tired old retorts to a rather lackluster villain. Koepp made a serious error when he used the communists as the antagonists, forgetting that Indiana was always at his best when fighting larger than life evil. One wonders who talked Blanchett into playing such a one dimensional, smaller than life nuisance. 
        Overall, this is the weakest entry in the franchise. This is not due to the weakly written villains or completely unrealistic stunts or plot (Temple of Doom was at least as burdened, but still a fun movie). It was nice to see Marion Ravenwood, but the absence of many Indiana Jones regulars was glaring. Would it have killed Spielberg to insist on a part for Ke Huy Quan (better known as Short Round to Indy fans)? 
        The Good: Shia LeBeouf is growing on me like fungus, but he seems to spend an awful lot of time on the verge of tears. The Bad: The plot, but especially, that ending! I left the theater completely stunned at the complete and utter destruction of a once great mythology. The Reason to See the Film: Indiana Jones! The Fedora! The Whip! Crazy Archaeological Trap Niftiness!  You may not agree with the direction of the movie, but you will enjoy the ride.   

    Contact Heather Griffiths at editor@upandcomingweeekly.com

  • Details

        Hip-Hop’s live band, the Roots, returns with its staggering eighth (can you believe it?) full length studio album, titled Rising Down. The title could not have been more appropriate because over their illustrious career it almost seems like the better the situation gets for the Roots, the more things remains the same, or get worse.
        {mosimage}They’ve been making excellent music for the past oh, 15 years. The crew boasts Grammies, hundreds of sold-out shows across the world, classic albums and gold record sales, etc.; however, they are still largely overlooked by the mainstream public. The lead vocalist MC, Black Thought, is arguably one of the Top 10 rappers walking the planet. Musically, they are led by drummer/composer, Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, who with the band always delivers some jams that are hot if not unique to groove to.
        One of best aspects of the group has been that the vocals of Thought. The sounds of the band are always on the same page, neither one outshining the other to a large extent and this LP offers no exception. The heavy drums and aggressive bassline of Get Busy and the upbeat melodic tone of The Show with its pulsating drums show the Roots at its best. Not only is the music a feast for the ears but the sound quality is exceptional as well. Anyone who listens to music heavily often notices that no matter how great the music may be, if the sound quality (mixing, mastering) of the presentation is just “average,” it leaves the listener a bit unfulfilled. Because the production of the Roots is orchestrated by a live hip-hop band vs. the usual hip hop record where much of the sounds originate from a sampler or an MPC, most of the Roots records sound much better sonically then the usual.
        Lyrically, Thought is utterly peerless on Rising Down. He spits battle ready raps, he story tells, he provides social/political insight, and he gets personal, showcasing his versatility and range on each track. One of the unique qualities of Black Thought’s persona is the fact that he has been rapping for so long that he still sounds as hungry and as passionate as a new jack in the game and each track he spits on he sounds as if it will be his last. One of the first things many Roots fans will notice when picking up this CD is the abundance and the diversity of guests featured on the disc. Out of 14 tracks only two feature BT rocking for delf on the mic. The usual Roots family of Dice Raw and MLK B appear as well as the fellow backpack rappers such as Mos Delf and Tallinn Quell are featured. However, the Roots also look for help outside the usual gamut and enlists street hard rock Styles P, mix tape new jack Saigon and R&B songbird Chrisette Michelle as well as others. Many of the guests on the album strengthen the disc.
        The album kicks off with the title track featuring Thought, Mos Delf and Styles P. All rappers deliver quotable verses with a slow but moving beat provided by the band. The beat is very epic yet it is so minimal that it provides each MC to voice their social commentary and political views about the present world without being overshadowed by the music. Other highlights of the album include @15, which is a long lost a capella recording about one minute long featuring Black Thought rapping at the age of 15. One can only marvel at this track because in truth the teenage Thought’s delivery, vocal dexterity, and wordplay is better then most rappers nowadays that are adults. Immediately following is 75 Bars, where BT simply explodes over a minimal drum beat with an errant horn.
        As aforementioned, one of the weaknesses of the LP is the fact that Thought is such a great MC, that many of the songs the guest rappers simply don’t bring their A game and rather then riding shotgun with Thought they are simply asleep in the back seat. Tallinn Quell is also a brilliant rapper in his own right, but he comes up short on Lost Desire. The band provides an eerie moving rhythmic beat on Singing Man but the direction of the song is confusing and Mercedes Martinez gives the listeners a reason to press the fast forward button.
        Fortunately, a few of the guests actually make their own splash, as Common spits an exceptional verse on the aforementioned The Show,and Saigon gets deep on Criminal. The Roots save one of the best tracks for last on the album’s closer, Rising Up, featuring Wale and the aforementioned Chrisette Michelle. This track is not only hot because of the music, but with a closer listen it defines the integrity of the group and also gives us a deeper meaning about the state of hip-hop and music in general. This album is not perfection, but two or three duds out of 14 is definitely worth a trip to the record store. In fact, the group is so agitated that the album opens and closes with real conversations (not a skit, but actual arguing and cursing) between group members and their label about the marketing and promotion of their music, or lack thereof. Perhaps one day the Roots will finally get fed up with being underappreciated by the masses and hang it up.

    Contact Jay Howard at editor@upandcomingweekly.com

  • Details
    Dear EarthTalk: The 2008 Summer Olympics in China are drawing a lot of attention right now for political reasons. I’ve heard, though, that one ray of light is China’s effort to make the event as green as possible. What’s going on in that regard?       
                                                                                              — Josh Rogers, Concord, NH

       {mosimage} It’s true that China is using the upcoming Beijing Olympics as a sustainability showcase, going so far as to dub the event the “Green Olympics.” Through a partnership with the U.S. government and the Maryland-based International Center for Sustainable Development, China is giving Beijing a green makeover to make the city a model for net zero pollution, green building generate some 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide, in large part because of the flying the world’s athletes will do to get to and from the games. To offset these potent greenhouse gases, China will take a series of measures, Wan says, including planting trees, closing 1,000 small coal mines before and during the games and banning up to 1 million cars from city streets.
        Beijing’s Olympic Village, where the Chinese government has been busy erecting dozens of stadiums and other structures according to rigorous green standards, is emerging as quite an example of sustainable community development. The steel-looped Beijing National Stadium, for instance, includes a rainwater collection arrangement, a natural ventilation system and a clear roof with inflatable cushions made from ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene), a kind of plastic that increases light and heat penetration.
        Another example is the “Water Cube,” a spectacular-looking structure that looks like a building made of bubble-wrap. Officially known as the National Aquatics Center, it is completely surrounded with ETFE pillows and is expected to cut energy use by 30 percent. And when it has finished serving its purpose as an Olympic venue, it has been built to be converted to a shopping area and leisure center with tennis courts, retail outlets, nightclubs and restaurants.
        All seven main Olympic stadiums are equipped with solar generators capable of outputting 480 kilowatts of energy at any given moment. Ninety percent of the lighting outside the stadiums, as well as the entire hot water supply for the Olympic Village, will be powered by solar energy. Also, the main stadiums will receive power from Beijing’s first wind farm.
        While the Olympic Games will only last for two weeks, environmentalists hope the greening of Beijing will indeed continue beyond the summer of ‘08. Some proposals include building 14 wastewater treatment facilities to achieve a 90 percent treatment rate in Beijing, and extending potable water to the entire city.
        Also, the municipal government of Beijing has invested in expensive energy-efficient heating and transportation equipment that will greatly improve environmental quality for decades hence. Beijing, where 1,000 new cars roll onto the streets every day, also plans to source clean energy from other parts of China and through the purchase of pollution offsets on a quickly expanding international market.

    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. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

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