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        Dear EarthTalk: My body doesn’t tolerate cheese well. Are there dairy-free cheeses that will be easier on my constitution and better for the environment, too?   
                     — Steve Sullivan, Seattle, Wash.
     
        With some 30 to 50 million Americans suffering from various degrees of lactose intolerance, and an estimated 3 million of us now eating animal-free (vegan) diets for humane, environmental and/or health reasons, the production of alternatives to dairy products has started to become big business.
        But while substitutes for milks and ice creams abound, mostly soy- or rice-based blends that have come a long way since they first appeared on grocery shelves, finding satisfactory alternatives to the many varieties of cheese can be a challenge. But the choices are expanding rapidly.
        The first place to look might just be your regular supermarket’s produce section — that’s often where you’ll find Galaxy Foods’ veggie line of non-dairy cheeses. After all, they are made from soy, a crop. Galaxy’s offerings come shredded, grated, in slices and in hunks. Fans swear they taste just like the real thing. And they are all excellent sources of calcium without cholesterol, saturated/trans-fats or lactose.
        {mosimage}Galaxy also offers cheeses made from rice. And while some of both the rice brand and veggie line contain small amounts of cultured milk salt, dried skim milk protein and trace amounts of lactose, Galaxy also make two purely vegan varieties, usually found in the dairy sections of grocery or health food stores.
        A few other popular brands made with rice include Rice Slices and Lifetime Low Fat Jalapeno Jack Rice Cheese. Check the shelves of your local organic or natural food market to find one or more to sample.
        Another leading producer of dairy-free cheeses is Scotland’s Bute Island Foods. The company began making its own vegan hard cheese alternatives (sold under the Sheese brand name) in 1988, and has since expanded into cream cheese alternatives (Creamy Sheese) as well. From pizzas to sauces to sandwiches to spreads, Bute Island has vegan and lactose-intolerant cheese lovers covered.
        Some other soy-based choices that get good reviews include Good Slice Cheddar Style Cheese Alternative (great for sandwiches), vegan-friendly Tofutti Soy Cheese Slices, Follow Your Heart’s Vegan Gourmet (pizza, anyone?), and Teese (it melts with the best of them), among others.
        Do-it-yourselfers might want to experiment with making their own non-dairy cheese using ingredients such as tofu and yeast. A quick Web search will yield many recipes for making cheese and for using non-dairy cheeses in favorite dishes. Many of the best are collected in Joanne Stepaniak’s The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, available in some bookstores as well as from Amazon.com and other online vendors.
        With so many good choices, not to mention recipes for home cooked varieties, many a vegetarian may just make the leap into full-fledged vegan eating. And existing vegans can rejoice: French Onion Soup (dairy-free, of course) is back on the menu.

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        Most us need a second chance from time to time. Maybe it was at swinging a baseball bat, riding a bike, taking a test or falling in love. As we look back over life, we can all recall a time when we wish we could say, “Do over!” That is exactly the point of forgiveness.
        The Bible is filled with story after story about forgiveness. And though you would agree there are times when you need forgiveness, you would have to admit that giving forgiveness is hard to do. When a friend betrays our confidence, a coworker slanders our reputation or someone physically or emotionally abuses us, forgiveness is hard. But the exciting truth is that forgiveness can be learned; and as with all learning, forgiveness takes time and much practice.
        {mosimage}One key to learning to forgive is learning to handle your anger. The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:26, “be angry and do not sin.” Being angry is not in itself a sin. The sin comes in how we manage that anger, what we do with it. Our words can often be very damaging. Our actions and responses can also be damaging. Instead of being hurtful and harmful, seek to restore the relationship. In the same passage, Paul says to “speak the truth.” A final lesson on managing anger is learning to deal with it swiftly. Paul closes out verse 26 saying, “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” In other words, deal quickly with the issue so that anger does not brew and make you bitter.
        A second key to learning to forgive is learning to build up instead of tear down. Forgiveness is an active response. When we forgive someone, we are seeking to not only restore them, but to build them up. In Ephesians 4:29, Paul says, “no rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear.” Words can tear down, but words can also build up. This is not referring to puffing up someone’s low self-esteem. Rather, encourage them with your words. Tell them they are forgiven. Affirm their intentions although their actions may have been premature.
        And the final key to learning to forgive, which really is the first key, is to remember that God has forgiven you.         There are times when you will be hurt by someone who does not deserve your forgiveness. Perhaps their offense to you has never been paid for, restituted, or even acknowledged … forgive them anyway. Why? Remember Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:32, “forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, our offenses toward him had never been paid for, restituted, or even acknowledged by us…but he died to forgive us anyway.
        Go and do likewise this week. Find someone who needs your forgiveness, and give them a second chance. Aren’t you glad God gave you one?
        The Rev. Chris Dickerson is the pastor at Green Springs Baptist Church.

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        There is an increasing momentum, a movement in this community, to embrace the arts in new ways. What was once potential and vision is now becoming a reality. From the skateboard tree to the relocation of the museum to the downtown area, people are starting to understand that art plays many roles in a community.
        For decades, a large core of artists, art patrons, art organizations and art agencies have devotedly supported the idea of creating a more inclusive approach to integrating the arts into our community. The momentum of the art core underpinning has been augmented with a slow migration of creative people to the area.
        Artist Dwight Smith is one of many who have relocated to Fayetteville. Smith brought with him his love of art and sharing the arts with others. Smith and Calvin Sims both relocated to Fayetteville with the idea of retiring and moving from their long standing home — Detroit, Mich. Both had founded the Ellington White Project in Detroit, a nonprofit foundation to teach arts and healthy living to inner city youth.
        Retirement was short-lived as the Ellington White Project moved south. Sims has been recently employed by the Fayetteville Arts Council’s as the artist services liaison. Smith, although recently hired by Fayetteville State University, had already started coordinating the Ellington White Project in Fayetteville last year.
        {mosimage}The result was collaboration with other agencies to make it possible for over thirty children and adolescents to discover the world of visual art and participate in an exhibit at the sfL&a Architects Gallery on Burgess Street.
    A project of that magnitude takes leadership, planning and support. This year the project included grant writing, funding from agencies and volunteers from the community.
        The Department of Performing and Fine Arts at Fayetteville State University participated in the program by loaning one of their studio spaces during the summer as a place for the participants to work — a working academic studio.
    Funding was received from the Junior League of Fayetteville, a Summertime Kids Grant from the Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc., as well as funding and staff from Cumberland County CommuniCare. (Anthony Summerville from CommuniCare was there to drive the students to Fayetteville State and assist when needed.)
    Rose-Ann Bryda, a volunteer for the program, explained how “three classes of about a dozen students each met twice a week. Classes were separated by students’ ages. The teen class met on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, including at-risk adolescents from CommuniCare’s MAJORS and Prevention programs.”
        Bryda continued: “Nine to 12 year olds meet on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and older youth meet on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. These particular classes are made up of young people from the community and participants in CommuniCare’s Juvenile Assessment Center’s Summer Program.”Volunteer Noreda Hess (photographer) and Fayetteville State University visual art majors (Mike Romagano, Shantel Scott, and Kim Anderson) were there when it was time in July to give each student a Ziplock bag of art supplies (watercolor, drawing pencils, easers, scissors, glue, and osil pastels). The volunteers helped Dwight Smith throughout the summer to interface with the students and share their personal experiences about being an artist and assisting in the classroom.
        Besides the bag of supplies, Bryda noted “the participants were given a simple pre-test to gauge their art knowledge and had fun exploring a three-dimensional assembly project “Genius Kits” from Detroit’s Arts and Scraps. One field trip for one of the classes included a trip to the Fayetteville Museum of Art to see the exhibit Forsaken: Edifice and Landscape.”
        I visited the classes several times and witnessed many of the students quietly exploring the world of color and design. On one of my visits I asked students — whose ages varied between 14 to 15 years old to comment about their experiences in the program.
        Nikki said, “I am learning more about art as a profession;” while Qwon commented, “It was a program I could participate in during the summer months; I will be able to take new techniques back into the classroom when I return to school.”
        Joya said this was her first art class and she was now thinking about attending art school. Monique quickly pointed out that she would like to participate in the program next summer and she had learned new drawing techniques.
        Lauren was happy to inform me that her mother had told her about the program. “I have learned so much about shading and creating depth and also about the tints of an object and color techniques.” 
    Lastly, Valerie commented that she had learned many new techniques that added to her art experience since she didn’t take art classes at school.
        When I asked the students how to improve the program, two telling comments were shared with me” Invite more artists into the class to explain their work and find transportation for students who wanted to participate but couldn’t get there.
        I noticed FSU student volunteer Mike Romagano was there regularly to assist. Romagano commented, “It was nice to see artists at such an early stage. I was able to share my ideas with them, and they had ideas to share with me.”
        The program ended in early August.
        I could see lots of colorful work was completed during the program.
        Mediums included — but were not limited to — paper making, painting and drawing. Students took the majority of their work home, while some of their work was part of an exhibit during the August 4th Friday event at sfL&a Architects Gallery.
        Anyone interested in seeing the work completed during the program can visit the exhibit at the sfL&a Architects Gallery on Burgess Street until the third week in September. Gallery hours are regular business hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
        For further information about the success of the project and future projects, contact Rose-Ann Bryda at (910) 425-6670.

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        The United Way of Cumberland County kicked off its annual fundraising campaign Aug. 19. More than 250 community leaders gathered for the luncheon at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church to show their support for United Way and enthusiasm for this year’s campaign.
        For its annual fundraising campaign, United Way works with more than 100 companies and organizations in Cumberland County.
        “What’s so unique about United Way,” said Roberta Humphries, director of resource development, “is that people can donate through payroll deductions.”
        Humphries added, “It’s incredible to see how seemingly small amounts of money add up to make such a great difference for the people of Cumberland County.”
        {mosimage}Speakers at the kickoff included United Way’s 2008 campaign chair, Stuart Walters; board chair, Mac Edwards; and volunteers George Quigley, Patty Pittman, and Brian Morrison.
        The three volunteers spoke about the importance of advocacy, philanthropy and volunteerism. Patty Pittman, who received aid from a United Way agency when her house caught fire in 2001, told the kickoff audience, “If you were a contributor to the United Way back in the year 2000, you helped us that day. And the best part is, you didn’t even know us!”
        A phrase from the United Way’s 2008 campaign video, created by Time Warner Cable and Media Sales, Jeff Hylland, another United Way volunteer, echoes Pittman’s sentiment: “You can feel good about (your) money going to something bigger than what you could do on your own.”
        The United Way of Cumberland County was started in 1939, as a nonprofit organization working to improve the overall quality of lives in our community by addressing critical human needs, including education, income and health. Annually, the United Way supports numerous organizations in Cumberland County including the YMCA, the American Red Cross, Better Health, The Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, CommuniCare, Boy Scouts, Fayetteville Urban Ministries and the Rape Crisis Center. In the 2006-2007 fiscal year, the United Way of Cumberland County gave more than $110 million in funding to community programs.

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        {mosimage}In 2007, the Lafayette 250 Committee of Arrangements and the Lafayette Society staged a celebration of the Marquis de Lafayette’s 250th birthday. Fayetteville, the first city to be named after Lafayette, was recognized last year by proclamations in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as the place “where North Carolina celebrates Lafayette’s birthday.” 
    In 2008, the Lafayette Society will sponsor Fayetteville’s annual Lafayette birthday celebration Sept. 4-6. Numerous fun and educational activities are planned and many downtown merchants will feature Lafayette Birthday Specials.
        •On Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m., the Headquarters Library will host Boston historian Alan R. Hoffman, who translated Lafayette In America: 1824-1825. This is a journal of Lafayette’s triumphal return visit to America. The free program will start off with a short documentary film on the 250th celebration in Fayetteville. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
        • On Friday, Sept. 5, there will be a bus tour of the Lafayette Trail. Participants may retrace Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville in 1825 with live narration by city historian Bruce Daws. The tour begins at 9:30 a.m. with coffee and pastries at the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry museum on Burgess Street and ends with lunch at McDuff’s Tea Room. The tour and lunch are $20. Space is limited. Reservations may be made by calling 678-8899.
        •That evening at 6 p.m., an illustrated history of Lafayette’s life and contributions will be unveiled at City Center Gallery & Books. Illustrated by graphic arts students at Fayetteville State University, Hero of Two Worlds uses a comic book format to tell the story of Lafayette and his contributions to mankind.
         • On Saturday, Sept. 6, there will be a block party for Lafayette’s birthday around the Market House downtown. The Fayetteville Animal Protection Society will stage the Lafayette Dog Parade in front of Horne’s Café at 9 a.m. Poodles and other French breeds will be featured, but others are welcome to participate if they or their owners come in costume with a French or colonial theme. Horne’s will host a pancake breakfast for $6 to benefit FAPS, and the doors will open at 7 a.m.
        •The All-American Fencing Academy will have hourly fencing demonstrations under the Market House starting at 10 a.m. Between the matches, academy students and instructors will discuss sword techniques and the history of fencing.
        •Also at the Market House, the Sons of the American Revolution will host a display of Revolutionary War military equipment and uniforms. Methodist University will display items from its Lafayette collection, and the Fayetteville Transportation Museum will display educational panels on Lafayette’s visit to Fayetteville in 1825.
        •The Museum of the Cape Fear will offer colonial era games for children and a coloring contest in front of Dock’s. The first 100 children to color in the contest will receive a free ice cream cone from Rita’s and a chance to display their artwork that day. The museum will also host a Colonial-themed “Saturday History Special” on the museum grounds at 2 p.m.
        •There will also be a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. for a time capsule to be placed inside the base of the Lafayette statue in Cross Creek Park by the Sons of the American Revolution and the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry. The statue was erected in 1983 with funds raised by the Lafayette Society. Items from 1983 will be on display along with items from the 200th birthday celebration in 1957.
        In addition to the activities downtown, the Lafayette Rotary Club will host The Lafayette Run to benefit the ABC Dictionary Project at 9 a.m. at Fayetteville Technical Community College. The Lafayette Run includes a 10k and a 5k race, as well as a 1-mile fun run/walk. It is a USATF sanctioned event.
        Additional information may be found in the timeline below, at  HYPERLINK “http://www.lafayettesociety.org” www.lafayettesociety.org or by contacting Hank Parfitt at 286-3979 or  hankparfitt@embarqmail.com.

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        The controversy surrounding the construction of the Fayetteville Museum of Art on the grounds of Festival Park is heating up, following the delivery of a letter signed by the president of the FMA’s board, Menno Pinnink, to Fayetteville City Manager Dale Iman on Aug. 21.
        The letter accuses the city of a breach of contract in its agreement to deed land in Festival Park to the museum for its new building, and it further requests the city “cease the conduct that breaches the agreement and that the city abide by its obligations under the agreement.”
        At issue is the proposal by freshman councilman, Ted Mohn, to appoint a task force to study the issue of locating the museum in Festival Park. Earlier this month, Mohn brought the issue back before the city council, noting that there were too many unanswered questions concerning the museum’s presence in the park, and whether or not it was a good place to build the $15 million facility.
        Mohn was not on the council in August 2007, when the city council held a special meeting and agreed to donate two acres of land inside the park for the construction of the facility. That arrangement had been made after the museum’s first choice, on the promenade at the park, was taken away by then City Manger Roger Stancil. The building that currently sits in that location, which was designed for commercial/retail space is mostly vacant.
        During its work session on Aug. 4, the council, with the museum’s agreement, elected to appoint a task force comprised of individuals from the arts community and other members of the community to discuss the location of the facility, and the ability of the museum to keep up the facility.
        The museum had initially agreed to take part in the task force and had forwarded the names of its task force members to the city prior to sending the letter to the city. The director of the museum, Tom Grubb, is on vacation and unavailable for comment; however, in an earlier interview with the Fayetteville Observer, Grubb said he thought the task force would be “too confrontational.”
        In the letter the museum argues that the city, “acting by and through persons who include elected officials, has engaged in conduct with the purpose and effect of undermining the agreement and injuring the museum’s rights under the agreement.”
        The letter further states: “The city has never offered an alternative site to the museum for its board to consider, but instead has engaged in this conduct. The museum alleges that the city has delayed the conveyance of the property; opposed the building of the new museum in the location designated in the agreement after the city determined that location is appropriate; encouraged others to oppose the agreed-upon location of the new museum; formed a task force to find a different location for the new museum and to address issues that were already settled by the agreement; and demanded that the museum take actions that are not required by the agreement.”
        Mohn, who has been the most vocal of the council, is adamant in the fact that he is not opposed to the construction of the new museum downtown. “We just want some questions answered,” said Mohn. “No one is stopping them from raising money. But if the museum is not in the right place and people don’t want to contribute money to it, then we won’t have a museum downtown.”
        Mohn pointed to the recent Fayetteville After Five event as another source of questions. Members of the Save Festival Park Committee were at the park’s entrance to try and gain signatures on their petition against the museum’s location in Festival Park. Museum officials had Fayetteville police officers make them leave the grounds of the park. The museum had, in fact, rented the park for the evening, but Mohn and others question how they will act when they have ownership of half of the park.
        {mosimage}Mohn said the idea behind the task force was to allow for full public discussion of the issues surrounding the park and the museum. He added that the museum was initially very receptive of the idea of the task force. “Now, they are saying it should be handled in a more private environment,” he noted. “It needs to be in the open rather than behind closed doors.”
       The city responded to the letter via the city attorney, Karen McDonald, who noted that the “city categorically denies that it has breached its agreement with the museum.”
        Rather than backing down from the issue, the city prepared to move ahead, appointing the members of the task force during its Aug. 25 meeting.
        “We are going to continue to try and find a way for everyone to come together and have a discussion, answer some questions and get a museum downtown,” said Mayor Tony Chavonne. “We are continuing on our track with the task force. We do not believe there has been a breach of contract.  It is in everyone’s best interest for this to be done out in the open and to have involvement from all parties.”

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        First some good news, then some bad.
        Since the federal government forced all 50 states to change their legal drinking ages to 21 by threatening to withhold highway funding, fatalities related to drunken driving among that age group have indeed gone down. Other negative behaviors, however, have skyrocketed.
        The number of college-age people who literally drank themselves to death almost doubled between 1999 and 2005, most of them on Saturdays and Sundays. That sad reality speaks to the binge drinking that college administrators confess is rampant on many of our nation’s campuses. The Associated Press says that research indicates nearly half of college students report at least one symptom of alcohol abuse or dependence. In addition, many of our students, perhaps as many as half a million according to the AP, are injured each year in accidents related to alcohol consumption, and about 1,700 die in such accidents. We have all read news accounts of drunken college students falling off balconies and other such senseless injuries and deaths.
        Two more young women were added to those grim statistics earlier this month when they were struck by a student athlete driving an SUV which ran off a Chapel Hill street. The women were hospitalized with broken bones and other serious injuries, but they are — blessedly — expected to recover. The tennis star faces DWI charges and a vastly changed educational — perhaps even professional — future.
        The 2006 allegations of rape against Duke lacrosse players were fueled by alcohol use among all parties involved. The rape allegations turned out to be false, but no one disputed the drinking.
        Bad news all the way around.
        As the mother of three young adults, each now over 21, I have seen a number of young people struggle with such issues, which is why I welcome news about the Amethyst Initiative. Under that banner, almost 100 college presidents from all across our country are calling for “an informed and dispassionate debate” on the issue of underage drinking. These educators come from some of our most respected institutions — Duke, Dartmouth, Syracuse, Tufts, Colgate, Kenyon, Morehouse and Ohio State among them, and they are on the front lines of this issue and see the situation first hand.
        The Amethyst Initiative makes a number of thought-provoking points. It says our current laws actually encourage binge drinking by pushing the issue into hiding. A widespread practice among underage students called “pre-gaming” encourages them to drink as much as possible before they go out since once they are out, they do not want to be caught with alcohol in public. John McCardell, a former president of Middlebury College in Vermont started the initiative. He says that our drinking age is “a law that is routinely evaded. It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe it is unjust and unfair and discriminatory.” The statement released by the group addressed the lawbreaking aspect of the problem this way: By choosing to use alcohol illegally and “by choosing to use fake IDs, students make ethical compromises that erode respect for the law.” What does that say about their future respect for the law or about our tolerance for their lawbreaking behavior?
        {mosimage}Duke President Richard Brodhead writes that the 21-year-old drinking age “pushes drinking into hiding, heightening its risks.” It also prevents school officials “from addressing drinking with students as an issue of responsible choice” for fear of appearing to condone illegal activity.
        The statement also addresses an issue we see in our own community. Our laws allow our citizens who are at least 18-years-old to make all adult decisions except one. They can sign legal documents, take out loans, get married, vote, join the military and put themselves in harm’s way in defense of our nation, but they “are told they are not mature enough to have a beer.”
        Not everyone agrees with the Amethyst Initiative’s call for a national conversation.
        Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, reacted strongly. A spokesman says changing our nation’s drinking laws will lead to more highway fatalities. Other opponents accuse the presidents of wanting to avoid the problem by “defining it out of existence,” according to Henry Wechsler of the Harvard School of Public Health.
        I wish I had the wisdom to solve this painful social issue which both sides of the debate agree is a huge problem on our nation’s campuses. Prohibition did not work in the 1920s, and our current drinking age is not doing all we want it to do either. Would more stringent penalties for drunken driving — say, loss of driving privileges for five years or more — be enough to keep younger drinkers off our roads?
        Speaking like a true academician, William Trout, the president of Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., puts it this way. “I’m not sure where the dialogue will lead, but it’s an important topic to American families and it deserves a straightforward dialogue.”
        It is hard to argue with that.
        How can we address a problem if we are unwilling to discuss it?

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        If downtown Fayetteville is the golden-haired child of Cumberland County, then the streets right on the outskirts of the historic downtown district are its red-haired stepchildren.
        You have only to drive down the back streets to see that the love and care lavished on Hay Street doesn’t extend very far past its borders. You won’t find business thriving on those side streets, nor will you find manicured Hurley pots or plantings. They are in fact in great need of revitalization and attention.
        The same can be said of Rowan Street. As many of you know, the Up & Coming Weekly’s offices are located on Rowan Street. Being outside of the historic district, Rowan Street does not get the attention that Hay Street does, yet tens of thousands of cars drive down this road every day.
        It is almost impossible to pump gas, stop for a bottle of water or walk down the sidewalk without being accosted by a panhandler. In fact, one of the sights I see daily is a panhandler standing in the center median at Rowan and Bragg Boulevard — his cardboard sign proclaiming his desire to work for food. Oddly enough, just a block over he would be ticketed for doing the very same thing. But, since he is a block over, Fayetteville Police officers simply drive by, ignoring the situation. I’m pretty sure it’s just as dangerous for him to stand there as it is for him to stand on the sidewalks on Hay Street; in fact, it’s probably more dangerous because of the sheer volume of cars that pass by.
        It is that volume of cars that has drawn the Fayetteville Museum of Art to Festival Park and the corner of Rowan Street and Ray Avenue. The museum sees the occupants of those cars as potential visitors and members, which begs the question: Does the city see the importance of those people?
        Because it seems to me if the city did understand the importance of those people and the impact the appearance of Rowan makes on them, they would put a little more effort into policing and maintaining the area. This became very apparent to me as I walked down the Ray Avenue sidewalk to Fayetteville After Five last Thursday.
        {mosimage}The sidewalk was littered with little brown paper bags; you know, the kind people sip beer or wine out of. The vine-covered wall that borders Ray Avenue was littered with used soft drink containers and broken wine bottles representing Mad Dog, Boones Farm and Wild Irish Rose, just to name a few. The wrappers of snack papers also littered the area. Keep in mind; this is the sidewalk directly across from the proposed Fayetteville Museum of Art location.
        It seems to me if the city did understand the importance of those people and the impact the appearance of Rowan Street makes on them, they would put a little effort into policing and maintaining the area.
        We know that litter is a big problem in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. However, this particular litter wasn’t thrown out by a passing motorist. This was litter caused by people sitting on the wall eating and drinking alcoholic beverages on a public street. And that’s a huge problem.
        I first commented on this situation following last year’s symphony in the park. My family and I, along with two other families, spent a beautiful afternoon in the park, only to be confronted by two or three drunken panhandlers as we walked back to our cars. It definitely took the shine off an otherwise enjoyable evening.
        We know the problem, but why does it persist? We’ve gotten it right on other streets, now let’s spread it out. Let’s make Fayetteville the city it should be — even if it’s one street at a time.
        PS: Out of courtesy to our readers, I did not mention an array of other debris and items found on the Ray Avenue wall. Use your imagination.

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        Television personality Dave Mordell is best known for his appearances on the reality show Last Comic Standing. On Sept. 6, Mordell will be able to add “Last Cowboy Standing” to his resume as he participates in a professional bull riding event at the Shady Acres Ranch in Gray’s Creek.
        The event will be recorded for a nationally known reality television show, though Tim Fowler — the man who runs Shady Acres — says he can’t say what network. And as everybody knows, no cowboy wants to be “branded” as a tattletale.
    “I wish I could tell you the name of the show and what network is filming it,” said Fowler, “but I promised not to. I can say it will be a show something like Dirty Jobs. Mordell is training in Montana but he’s going to come to Shady Acres for the filming in which he gets in the ring for a professional bull riding competition.”
        {mosimage}Mordell has been learning the ropes as a freestyle bullfighter at Sankey Rodeo Company in Joliet, Mont. in preparation for a reality show. And by bullfighter, I don’t mean a Spanish matador clothed in his suit of light; I’m talking about a freelance, Americanized bullfighter akin to a rodeo clown who jumps into the ring after a rider is thrown from a bucking bull during competition; it’s the job of the minder to step in and shoo the bull away so the cowboy doesn’t get crumpled — sort of rodeo clowns without the makeup.
        Fowler adds that he will have at least one genuine rodeo clown tricked out in all his face-painted glory at the event. Plus, there’s the added bonus of television cameras set on record.
    “The folks who come out to the show on Sept. 6 will not only see some great bull riding, but will also get a chance to be on TV,” said Fowler.
        The show is sanctioned by the Southern Extreme Bull Riders Association and will feature at least 30 bull riders. Fowler says there will also be a calf scramble in which a ribbon is tied to the tail of a calf that will run around the ring like an Olympic sprinter gone bovine — the kid who captures the ribbon from the little dogie wins.
        Shady Acres has been hosting these bull riding events since 1996 and is looking forward to showing off its facility and its bulls to a national viewing audience. In addition to being the center of bull riding competition in Cumberland County, Shady Acres hosts various horse and bull events such as barrel racing and bull riding every Sunday night at 6. Fowler also offers bull riding lessons for your inner cowboy; and unlike most other bull-riding schools, Shady Acres has bulls that are suitable for every skill level.
        “We have bulls for all levels of riders, from beginner to the most experienced,” said Fowler. “Most places that teach bull riding don’t do that; they say ‘here’s a bull, ride him.’ They have that old school way of thinking that bull riding is a tough sport and you start out riding whatever bull they give you.
        “We’re not like that here at Shady Acres,” said Fowler. “If you’ve never ridden a bull before you shouldn’t have to ride the same bull that professionals ride. We have women who want to learn and even children. We’ve had an 11-year-old girl and an 84-year-old man come here.”
        Fowler said he was a little concerned about the fragility of the 84-year-old; however, after you’ve allowed a blind man to ride a bull, there aren’t many other barriers to break.
    “A friend of mine was blinded when a bull kicked him in the eye,” said Fowler. “He still wanted to ride and no other place would let him do it. But we did and he was just fine.”
        Unlike the bulls Fowler will put out for novice riders, the bulls that will be in the dirt ring Sept. 6 will be of the nose-snorting, paw-the-ground, hold-on-and-pray variety — the kind of bulls that make the sport one of the most dangerous and physically demanding in the world.
        “I won’t say that bull riders are the best conditioned athletes, but I do think they are the toughest,” said Fowler, “especially the professional riders in the upper echelon. I saw in the Olympics that a Chinese athlete didn’t compete because of a fairly minor injury. I’m not knocking those athletes, but a bull rider breaks a bone and he still gets back on the bull. I saw a guy get his head split open with blood pouring down and the medics said he had to go to a hospital. He just looked at them and said ‘8 more seconds’ (the amount of time you have to stay on a bull in competition).”
        There will be plenty of toughness on display Sept. 6 — from both the cowboys and the bulls — and if you show up you just might see yourself on the TV. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate; tickets for children 11 and under are $8 in advance, $10 at the gate; children 3 and under get in free. Tickets can be purchased at Seasons Micro Spa and Salon and Dee’s Feed and Things. For information and tickets, call 551-8936.

  • Details
        Have you ever eaten dried, salted horse meat? Neither have I, but it’s on the menu in Florence, Italy. You can also see Italian tractor racing on TV there. The roar of a racing tractor in Italian or English sounds the same. When we weren’t watching speeding Tuscan tractors, we went to art museums and cathedrals. Italy has more culture than you can shake a VISA card at. Even our hotel bathroom had culture, featuring a sign which implored us to “Help the Nature” by reusing our towels. {mosimage}
        It’s hard work having fun. You have to walk 12 hours a day to see the culture in Italy. Italians store much culture in their museums and cathedrals. Your lower extremities develop a condition called Museum Feet, which is indistinguishable from Cathedral Feet. Tired feet in Italy feel like tired feet in America. After three days in Florence, we had consumed about as much culture as can be absorbed by the human body. Culture was oozing out of every pore. I felt like a National Public Radio station.
        Italy is the saint capitol of the universe. There are more pictures of saints in Italy than the Internal Revenue Service has received excuses from people who haven’t paid their taxes. After a while, all the art becomes a holy blur. To maintain my equilibrium by keeping myself at the low level of culture to which I am accustomed, I started taking pictures of coffee cups across Italy. For some reason I found this entertaining. There are many different types of coffee cups in Italy, most of them fairly small but filled with liquid gold. Each cup of coffee went for about $4 if you sat down to drink it.
        Florence is the Museum/Cathedral feet center of Italy. There is so much art there you feel horribly guilty if you don’t walk yourself into bilateral peripheral neuropathy. Dr. Scholl must make a lot of money in Italy. The podiatrist is king, or at least doge there. How can you pass up the chance to see two more Michelangelo statues after you’ve only walked for eight hours? It’s on to the next museum or wear the Philistine badge. Quitters never attain cultural Nirvana. It’s culture versus feet in a 24-hour Texas death match in Florence.
        Italy was our first tour experience. I was resistant to the idea of a tour as I feared it meant I was no longer young. Turns out that fear is accurate. Turns out the transition from backpacks to tour buses ain’t so bad. I didn’t have to drive in strange cities looking for a hotel. Our luggage would magically appear in our rooms. We got to know the folks on the bus. A dinner was included in each new city. Each tour dinner had a bottle of wine per table. I quickly learned to sit with Louise and Donna who did not drink wine. My wife would drink only one glass of wine, leaving the rest of the bottle for my personal edification. Italy became so much more entertaining. Louise regaled us with exciting tales of her dog Cletus at dinner as I studied the wine.
        Culture in Italy is not confined to museums. Street vendors in Florence’s town square were selling groovy, glowing frisbee flying saucers that launched from a stick. We took a day trip to Sienna where Crayola invented Burnt Sienna crayons. Sienna is a nice brown medieval town. Sienna has the Basilica of Saint Catherine where you can see her preserved head and one of her fingers. I couldn’t see the finger but Catherine looked great.
        On the way back to Florence, our bus stopped at a vineyard for a wine tasting featuring excellent grape products and the most olive oil-soaked piece of bread I have ever eaten. We were instructed on the proper method of tasting wine as a bizarre chicken with a pompadour wandered among the tourists. Our table mates were Jake the undertaker from Minnesota and his lovely bride, who were on their honeymoon.
        As a tip for future Italian tourists, never, ever use your credit card to call home from an Italian pay phone. If you think the cost of the Iraq war is impressive, wait until you see the charges for four phone calls from Italy to North Carolina. Send a post card instead.

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        I grew up witnessing my sister and close friends being chased after by many guys, some even claiming to be in love. Then there’s me, 23, never in a relationship, and barely ever sought after. I’m not unattractive, but I’ve just begun to get it together with the clothes, the hair and what not. I lost my virginity last year in a hookup on vacation. I’m now dating somebody I don’t see as relationship material, but who goes MIA, calls randomly and makes me initiate us hanging out. I’m literally STARVED for attention, tired of coming in last place, and meeting men who act interested, but turn out to be distant, sex-crazed maniacs. I feel sick to my stomach when I see how late in the game I am compared to my friends. Am I doing something wrong?
                              —Late Bloomer
                                      

        Your problem isn’t that you don’t have the perfect boyfriend right here, right now, but that you’re in a panic about it, probably making you about as seductive as a mountain lion that hasn’t eaten for weeks: “Shall I pounce on you from above, claw your heart out and eat it raw, or do you feel you need a glass of wine first?”
        You appear to be confusing your love life with The Amazing Race. Your sister, your friends and all their men are licking fondue off each other’s fingers on a plane to the Swiss Alps, while you’re in the dressing room of some dusty sporting goods store, waiting for the manager to come back from lunch and unstick the zipper of your snowsuit. And why aren’t you doing exactly what your sister and friends are doing, exactly when they’re doing it? Um...because you are not them? Sadly, there’s a good chance some of them are also better at long division, and have much shinier hair. 
    Yeah, it’s harsh out there, particularly at 23. Guys are distant because they’re 23 and not that comfortable with themselves. They’re also vats of hormones with shoes and maybe a mustache for a disguise. In other words, it’s not exactly the ideal time to find lasting love. It is, however, a great time to figure out what you want in a lasting love by trying on a lot of fleeting “love.” To do that, you’ll have to stop living like you’ll turn into a cleaning lady and your car will turn into a corn dog if you don’t land the romance of the century by midnight.
        While you’re at it, you might relax some in the “grass is greener” department. Judge the value of what you’re doing by whether it makes you happy, not by whether your friends did it by age 12. Try to remember that things aren’t always as they seem from the outside.

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

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        Brother Cesare Bonizzi, 62, of a Capuchin Friars monastery near Milan, Italy, is the lead singer in a heavy-metal band that recently released its second album, “Misteri” (“Mysteries”), following a successful performance at Italy’s “Gods of Metal” festival (headlined by Iron Maiden and, ironically, Judas Priest). On stage, the white-flowing-bearded Brother Cesare booms out gritty but non-proselytizing lyrics while wearing his traditional brown robe. He told BBC News in July that his superiors have never interfered with his sideline and that he plans to send a copy of the new album to the pope. “He’s a music lover, and metal is music.”

    ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
        High Point University (just south of Greensboro) is not quite Club Med (“Club Ed,” it was called by the Chronicle of Higher Education) but provides free ice cream for students, a hot tub in the middle of campus, wake-up calls and a concierge service, all run by a campus “director of WOW,” whose job it is to thrill the “clients” and attract new ones. This is the strategy of President Nido Qubein, a motivational speaker and “customer comes first” businessman, and so far, enrollment is way up (even at higher tuition), new construction is transforming the campus, and $100 million is in the bank. 

    LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS
        The U.S. government’s $100 billion stimulus distributed to taxpayers this spring achieved mixed results, according to economists, but at least the Internet pornography industry flourished (according to a July trade association spokesman). Adult Internet Market Research Co. reported that “20 to 30 percent” of “adult” Web sites reported that sales rose during the time checks were being issued. However, Nevada brothels were suffering, even though Hof’s Bunny Ranch ran a stimulus-check special: Hand over your $600 check and get the usual $1,200 “party” (“three girls and a bottle of champagne”).
     
    ROARING DEAFNESS
        After complaints by neighbors, police went to an apartment in Framingham, Mass., in July to quell a raucous screaming match between two women who, it turns out, are deaf.
        In Crawley, England, in July, police were called to a supermarket to break up a fight between two grandmothers, who were ramming each other in their mobility scooters.

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        The majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by collision. The second most frequent is the motorcyclist losing it on curves. Negotiating a curve is something that takes practice and more practice. Once you are in a curve it is very easy to misjudge it. {mosimage}
        The process of going through a curve consists of the following factors: the approach, entering, braking, the line, drifting wide, straddling the center line, throttling and exiting.  All these factors happen in a matter of seconds.
        Going through curves at a racer’s pace makes for a very risky day. Although it looks cool to see a racer on TV with his leg down on the pavement, the racer does not have to worry about a dirty road, deer, gravel or other obstacles that may be waiting on him. The racer also does not have to worry about oncoming traffic, shoulders or guard rails.
        So let’s break it down. Many riding schools and drivers’ manuals will tell you to SLOW, LOOK, LEAN and ROLL. As you approach the curve you will want to SLOW down by decreasing your speed to get you through the curve. Roll off the throttle and brake slightly before you get into the curve at a safe speed. You will want to do this while still in an upright position.
        LOOK. Before getting into the curve you need to pay attention to the landscape and signs. If you see a 20 mph sign you are in a tight curve. I use my GPS in mountainous areas because I can zoom in and see oncoming curves in detail. This gives me a good reference of what is ahead. Be sure to look through the curve and see any hazard ahead that may be in your way. Do not look at the road where your tires are — look at where you want to go.
        LEAN and ROLL. Once you are in the curve, ROLL on the throttle and keep your speed nice and steady. With a smooth speed established LEAN. There are many techniques to get a good lean. Try the different ways to find a way that is comfortable for you and your bike. You can push pressure on the foot peg; shift your weight over the seat, apply pressure on the hand grips, knees against the tank or forcing your shoulder to the opposite hand grip. Once you find your technique, practice and prefect it. If you find yourself going too wide then lean harder.
        If you have to brake while in the curve, be mindful of your balance and do not allow your bike to spin out or drift in or out of your lane. As you come out of the curve and you have a clear view of the road ahead you can increase your speed again.
        There are four things you can do to improve your riding technique: Be mentally prepared for the curve. Learn everything you can about driving through curves. Know the landscape; know your limits. Never drive beyond 80 percent of your ability; practice, practice and more practice. And finally, keep your space.
        If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com.
    RIDE SAFE!
     

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       Pineapple Express (Rated R) Four Stars

        {mosimage}With Pineapple Express (111 minutes), you get what is promised, a sort of Harold and Kumar go to White Castle mixed with Reservoir Dogs. While there is nothing new here, neither is the film impossible to enjoy. Apatow productions consistently delivers in the R-rated comedy department, and writers Judd Apatow, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg provide some clever dialogue in between the near constant physical comedy (and, for you trivia buffs, the script was actually inspired by the character of Floyd from True  Romance). David Gordon Green (who is rumored to be tackling the Suspiria remake next) seems an odd choice for director here, but even so he lives up to the material. The only glaring misstep is the inexplicable casting of Rosie Perez as the “sexy” corrupt cop, Carol Brazier.     You know who would have been a much better choice in this role? Pam Grier. You know who has far too much self-respect to agree to such a  pathetic role? Pam Grier. 
        We open in 1937 in a secret underground government laboratory, where Pfc. Miller (Bill Hader) is participating in tests to help the government make a decision on the legal status of marijuana. In the present, a process server named Dale Denton connects with his new dealer, Saul Silver (James Franco). Dale buys a rare strain of cannabis from Saul, heads off to visit his girlfriend Angie (Amber Heard), and then goes to serve a subpoena to Ted Jones (Gary Cole).       Dale witnesses something he shouldn’t, and runs to Saul’s apartment while Ted dispatches his henchmen Matheson (Craig Robinson from The Office) and Budlofsky (Kevin Corrigan). Dale and Saul find their way to Red (Danny McBride), Saul’s middleman, and thence to a series of violent misadventures in which Dale and Saul affirm, again and again, that “bromance” never dies. The film’s climax takes place at the underground bunker introduced in the beginning of the film, now turned into a grow house for the wacky tobaccy sold by Ted.
        Does the film glorify drug use, specifically the use of marijuana? While the film focuses on the comic aspects of smoking dope, as the characters evolve they do seem to develop some self awareness regarding the negative side-effects of pot. For an action comedy, there is actually a certain amount of depth to the discussions regarding the pros and cons of illegal marijuana use. Will the average viewer pick up on the fact that by the end of the move Dale has become disenchanted with his lifestyle, having pointed out several times that if it weren’t for the drugs he might have avoided much of the trouble Saul and he faced, as well as identifying specific instances in which being high worsened their situations? It is hard to say, but even though this is a hyper violent action/stoner comedy, there are certainly several levels on which to enjoy this. 
        But before the credits roll, Pineapple Express does have several more lessons to teach us. One, James Franco makes perfect sad puppy dog eyes. Two, putting your foot through a car windshield to improve highway vision does not work. Three, shaved armpits actually improve your fighting ability. Four, Ed Begley Jr. with a shotgun is actually less scary than Ed Begley Jr. preaching an environmental message. Five, and most important, even though the excellent song “Paper Planes” is in the trailer, the song does not find its way into the actual movie or the soundtrack.  

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    Reporter Helen Thomas Makes a President’s Life Miserable

        Helen Thomas, the dean of the White House press corps, specializes in asking uncomfortable questions.     Thank You, Mr. President: Helen Thomas at the White House (Thursday, 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 10:30 am, HBO) begins with one such question she asked President George W. Bush: “Your decision to invade Iraq has caused the deaths of thousands of Americans and Iraqis, and every reason given has turned out not to be true. My question is, why did you really want to go to war?” Bush offered his spin, but Thomas wouldn’t drop it. So he dropped her, shutting her out in future press conferences.{mosimage}
        It’s all in a day’s work for this dogged reporter, who’s been covering the presidency since John F. Kennedy. Thomas was the peculiarly inquisitive daughter of illiterate Syrian immigrants, and she became a pioneering female White House correspondent for UPI. The documentary itself is journalistically suspect, using Thomas as its only source. But it’s still fascinating to get her idealistic take on the press: “You can’t have a democracy without an informed people. If we don’t ask the questions, they don’t get asked.”
        Thomas isn’t even afraid of asking uncomfortable questions of herself. She wonders why she didn’t uncover Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal rather than reporters from outside the White House press corps. She wonders if she went easy on any of the presidents after being charmed or flattered by them.
        I live in fear that Thomas will ask uncomfortable questions about this blurb.

    ON THE OTHER HAND, DEATH: A DONALD STRACHEY MYSTERY
    here! (On Demand)
        The gay network here! is available On Demand, and this program is well worth demanding. It’s as good as any other mystery series on TV, but it has one thing they don’t: a gay private investigator. The roguish Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) helps out a lesbian guidance counselor (Margot Kidder) who suffers harassment in a small town. He attends a school board meeting overrun with homophobic protesters, who brandish signs reading “Adam and Eve, Not Adam and Steve.”
        After watching this refreshing mystery, I feel like making a sign that reads “Adam and Steve, Not Adam and Eve.”

    CRISS ANGEL MINDFREAK
    Wednesday, 10 p.m. (A&E)
        Criss Angel is the magician known for controlling matter with his mind: levitating, making robots come to life, etc. His series usually opts for a portentous tone, but this week the producers attempt to lighten things up by throwing Criss a surprise birthday party. Let’s hope he’s not so surprised that he accidentally changes the guests into donkeys.

    TABATHA’S SALON TAKEOVER
    Thursday, 10 p.m. (A&E)
        There’s a serious problem in our country that’s been underreported in the press. Hair salons are not operating up to snuff. Thank heavens Bravo is on the case, premiering a reality series with a mean British star named Tabatha. As ominous music hums on the soundtrack, Tabatha sends spies into American salons for haircuts. One spy asks for an inch taken off and winds up with — I kid you not — three inches.
    Tabatha gravely shakes her head. “The stakes on this are really high,” she sighs.
        Are you as disgusted as I am that, after nearly eight years in office, the Bush administration has done next to nothing on this issue?

    OLYMPICS FINALE
    Sunday, 7 p.m. (NBC)
        It’s time for the grand finale of the Beijing Olympics. The Chinese hosts honor two weeks’ worth of international cooperation, raise a toast to high ideals, and round up the last batch of protesters.

    DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
    Monday through Thursday
        The media have been doing saturation coverage of the 2008 presidential race since, like, 2002. I know I should be excited that the conventions are starting, but my brain melted down somewhere between the flag-pin debate and the fist-bump debacle.
        My official position is that I’m watching the start of convention coverage on Sunday, and I urge you to do the right thing and join me. I wouldn’t even think about switching over to Colossal Squid on the Discovery Channel. Not in a million years.

    AMERICA’S TOUGHEST JOBS
    Monday, 9 p.m. (NBC)
        This reality series invites contestants to leave behind their comfortable jobs for dangerous blue-collar work on Alaskan crab boats or Texas oil rigs. They’re judged by their new coworkers, with one employee eliminated every week. The winner walks home with $250,000.
        I know you read that paragraph and thought, “I’m not watching this crap.” Well, I don’t have that luxury. I not only have to watch it, but also to think about its contribution to the decline of American culture.
    Oil rigger? Give me a break. America’s Toughest Job is TV critic.

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        Local musician Kenny Huffman was born and raised in the coal country of Pennsylvania. This seems only natural, as the Quaker State transplant will light up the stage with his combustible rock ‘n’ roll energy at Huske Hardware in downtown Fayetteville on Friday, Aug. 25, as part of the city’s monthly 4th Friday celebration.
        Huffman, who has made Fayetteville his home for the past nine years, will play alongside backing  band Workhorse.
    Huffman plays a brand of diamond-sharp folk-rock that recalls Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar-Mellencamp and Buffalo Springfield; however, his own personal music tastes run a wide and eclectic gamut.
        “I love rock bands, such as Boston and Steely Dan,” said Huffman. “But I have a variety of influences, like Robert Earle Keen.
        “I like to think of my form of music as ‘Americana,’ or ‘roots’ music,” added Huffman.
    Despite his breadth of musical influences and the perceptions of others, Huffman has a style all his own. And to hone that style, Huffman has branched out with a multimedia packaging of his music that includes not only several CDs, but music videos. In fact, come Friday night at Huske Hardware, Huffman will debut a brand new video for the song “Pirate Days.”
       {mosimage} “It’s a collage of performances from Fayetteville and Sanford.” said Huffman. “And there are some clips from previous 4th Fridays, including the belly dancing troupe Shadows of the Fire.”
        Huffman says he’s excited about playing during the 4th Friday celebration. He says the event is indicative of a revived music scene taking root in Fayetteville.
        “I really like the Fayetteville music scene,” said Huffman. “I think the scene is really growing. I’ve talked to some of the older guys who tell me what it used to be like when the scene was hopping; I think we’re getting back to that and I think it’s related to how the downtown is blossoming.”
        And as the Fayetteville music scene blossoms, so does Huffman’s core of fans, which he says skews to the “over 30” demographic, though his music is timeless rock ‘n’ roll designed to appeal to all ages.
    “It’s hard to build a huge following if you’re only playing weekends like we do,” said Huffman, who has a “day job” at Cross Creek Early College High School. He has worked as an educator for 15 years. “I want to appeal to as many people as possible when I play.”
        While his workdays are filled with the molding of young minds, his weekends are filled with helping mold his collaborative partners, Workhorse, into a well-lubed rock ‘n’ roll machine.
        “They’re great guys,” said Huffman. “And they’re not just great musicians — they’re really great human beings.”
    Huffman has released two CDs with Workhorse, and says it was a “blast” to make the “Pirate Days” video. In fact, he enjoyed the filming process so much that he hopes to make another. And while he has embraced this new visual medium to get his musical messages to the masses, he has also seen the electronic scribbling on the wall when it comes to the intertwined future of music and the Internet — there are original song downloads at www.kennyhuffman.net.
        “We try to direct people toward our Web site rather than attempting to sell a lot of CDs at our shows,” said Huffman.
    Jut like the Internet, Huffman and Workhorse will be “wired” and ready to go on Aug. 25 at Huske Hardware, with the music starting at around 10 p.m.
        For more information about Huffman, Workhorse, or the 4th Friday show, you can check out the Web site or e-mail Huffman at huffmani@hotmail.com.

  • Details
        These guys have been around the block. They don’t kid themselves about their music, but they play it straightforward. Their music may not be visionary or present a new formula to invigorate the current lackluster rock scene, but you know what, it does R-O-C-K . {mosimage}
        New Machine was originally created as Downfall in 2004 and had a good start locally. Like most bands, all four members struggle with a “day job.” Three of the four members live the military life, and have been called to active duty numerous times. Still, the group’s passion and zeal for music has kept them playing local gigs as often as possible under the reformed name New Machine.
        The working parts of the band are Dave Marshall (vocals, guitar), Scott Hawkins (lead guitar, vocals), Mitch Dennis (bass), and David Miller (drums).
        I was able to sit down and ask the boys a few questions about the band’s future, their opinions on the Rock Band craze, and just exactly what grinds the gears on New Machine’s machine.
        What makes you stand out from other bands?
        Hawkins: We don’t sound like anyone else. We’re a bit older than most bands at this stage of the game, so there is a bit more maturity — though you wouldn’t know it hanging out with us.
    Miller: Versatility! We are as versatile a band as you’re gonna’ find. We can play everything from Zeppelin and Tool to Skynyrd.
        Marshall: You certainly won’t read about crazy nights in the tabloids. Our tone has a lot to do with that. When I write, I try to tell a story that people can follow. The ‘70s had some great tales to tell. We still do today, and our band adds a harder feel to those stories.
        Dennis: Our broad range of inspirations allows anything we write to morph into something completely different sounding.
        What do you think about Rock Band?
        Hawkins: I’ve tried Guitar Hero and my 14-year-old son kills me at it every time. Despite this, I think there are more musicians out there with more integrity than most politicians today. The creation of a video game to commemorate such artists is a testament to this.
        Miller: Those games don’t interest me — I never even think of the bands on them, just the music played.
        Marshall: No game will ever substitute the hours of practice, collaboration, pain, boredom and satisfaction of learning an instrument. I’m just glad to see the game pays respects to greats like Aerosmith over the Miley Cyrus’s of the world. Still, it’s a quick fix for people too lazy to actually take the time to appreciate the feel and sound of the real thing.
        Dennis: Eh, I think Rock Band is fun, but there isn’t anything better than playing a good show and meeting the REAL people who enjoyed your music.
        What about music inspires you?
        Hawkins: A good guitar tone, an awesome drum beat, a low-down-fat-bottom bass line, inspiring lyrics...You know,     New Machine.
        Miller: I get going by the way a song feels and builds.
        Marshall: Music to me is therapeutic. A good song can put you in a good mood and keep you there. Playing for other people inspires me because if a song makes someone not worry about their day for just a few moments, then that song is powerful.
        Dennis: Intricate music. I want to be able to play faster and heavier than anyone else.
    When asked why anyone should check out the band, bassist Dennis replied with a simple “Because we have pizzazz.”
        Any man who uses that word in all seriousness and to indicate worthiness gets my vote. So, go check ‘em out. Their heavy rock sound finishes with clean vocals creating a new machine for a tired rock vehicle. For their next show, check out dates on their Myspace: www.myspace.com/fayettevillesnewmachine.

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        {mosimage}Dear EarthTalk: What is “community-based tourism” and how does it purport to safeguard pristine places?                           
                      — Erin O’Neill, Tukwila, Wash.

        Community-based tourism refers to situations in which local people — usually those that are poor or economically marginalized in very rural parts of the world — open up their homes and communities to visitors seeking sustainably achieved cultural, educational or recreational travel experiences.
        Under a community-based tourism arrangement, unique benefits accrue to both the traveler and the hosts: Travelers usually accustomed to chain hotels and beachfront resorts discover local habitats and wildlife and learn about traditional cultures and the economic realities of life in developing countries. And the host communities are able to generate lucrative revenues that can replace income previously earned from destructive resource extraction operations or other unsustainable forms of economic support.
        Locals earn income as land managers, entrepreneurs or food and service providers — and at least part of the tourist income is set aside for projects which provide benefits to the community as a whole. And just as important, says ResponsibleTravel.com, which promotes community-based tourism in a partnership with Conservation International, the communities become “aware of the commercial and social value placed on their natural and cultural heritage through tourism,” thus fostering a commitment to resource conservation.
        Travelers indulging in a community-based tourism trip might follow a local guide deep into his tribe’s forest to spot otherworldly wildlife, eat exotic regional delicacies around rough-hewn tables, watch and even take part in celebrations of local culture, and sleep on straw mats at the homes of local families.
        In many cases, local communities partner with private companies and nonprofits that provide money, marketing, clients, tourist accommodations and expertise for opening up lands to visitors. In 1997, eco-travel operator Rainforest Expeditions wanted international visitors to learn about threats to the rainforest. Natives in Peru’s Esé-eja community of Infierno wanted to generate income without destroying their rainforest home, central to their subsistence lifestyle. So the two joined forces and the resulting Posada Amazonas lodge to this day offers visitors an exotic way to learn about rainforest ecology directly from English-speaking Esé-eja staff, who in-turn earn a living sharing their local knowledge and traditions.
        Another example is the partnerships that the nonprofit Projeto Bagagem (Project Baggage) has forged with several Brazilian communities to bring in tourist dollars to support sustainable choices. A third of the cost of every Projeto Bagagem trip goes to the villagers and another third to a local nonprofit. Last year the group won a Seed Award from the United Nations and the non-profit World Conservation Union for its efforts to translate “the ideals of sustainable development into action on the ground.”
        Extreme poverty coupled with abundant natural resources makes the Amazon basin an ideal place for such programs to thrive, but community-based tourism can be experienced anywhere. To find qualifying, pre-vetted trips that contribute to local economies all over the world, visit ResponsibleTravel.com.

        CONTACTS: ResponsibleTravel.com, www.responsibletravel.com; Rainforest Expeditions, www.perunature.com; Projeto Bagagem, www.projetobagagem.org.

        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/

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        {mosimage}Q: How much water do I need to drink in a day? I constantly hear different standards from different nutritionists, trainers, dietitians etc. I have been seeing some saying one should have half the amount of one’s weight. Right now I have lost some weight since working out with you guys and I am down to 240 pounds. That would mean I would have to drink 120 ounces or 15 cups of water.
                                      — Kevin, Fayetteville

        A: Kevin, while that’s a valid question, what we look at is how much water are you consuming in a day and how can we make that as easy as possible. So the easiest “formula” to follow is to answer these questions, “is your urine clear or dark?” Does it have a strong smell? “Does the flow ‘feel’ slow or ‘thick’?” These are some of the questions I’ll ask someone regarding their water consumption.
        The problem is that there are so many theories and ideas that can be “scientifically” proven — good or bad; however, the best gauge is to use common sense. The body is comprised of protein and water, so doesn’t it make sense to refuel it with what it needs to rebuild? Let me know if this helps.

        Q: I had a baby two months ago and my doctor told me I need to start exercising to lose weight. What do you suggest?
                                   — Shirley F., Fayetteville

        A: Start slowly — start moving around again and stretching your body. Once you’re used to moving around, you need to add in weight training. One of the reasons we recommend weight training, even over traditional cardio, is that with an effective program you’ll not only strengthen your heart like you would with cardio, but also condition and strengthen your muscles which is going to help you in your day-to-day activities. Additionally, if you pair your cardio with weight training like we do with our training, you’ll see huge positive results stemming from your body having to constantly adapt to ever changing challenges.
        Starting out, we normally recommend two days a week — no more than three — of exercise …You don’t need another job! We believe functional, compound movements to be the best for your body. These are full body movements like squats, lunges, overhead pressing, and pull-ups. These are going to use more muscles and energy than the fluffy exercises you typically see – inner thigh machines and the like! Think of it this way, the more muscles you use, the more “tone” you will get and the more calories you will burn. Yes, that is an overly simplified view of it, but you get the picture.

        Q. I am getting ready to join the military and need to lose 20 pounds to enter — what do you think I should eat? My recruiter keeps telling me to do these seaweed wraps and eat once a day. That doesn’t sound healthy
        A: Your recruiter is going to hurt someone! You need to be eating frequent, small meals throughout the day to rev up your metabolism and exercise on a regular basis. While not a dietitian, we have seen our clients succeed by eating meals or snacks balanced out with protein, vegetables, fruit and good healthy fats while cutting out sugar like sodas, breads and pasta.
        Seriously, the recommendation to only eat once a day is setting you up to lose muscle and actually gain more fat — regardless of what weight you might lose. What that means to you is that you’re going to be weaker than before and fail your pt test.
        The seaweed wraps will help you lose subcutaneous water (below the surface) and dehydrate you. Whatever inches you “lose” will come right back as you rehydrate yourself. In the end, the advice given — while possibly well intended — will not help you. If you are serious about getting into the military, do it right and set yourself up to succeed in this adventure.
        E-mail your questions to John Velandra at: john@designsinfitness.net or call him at (910) 306-3142. John is a certified personal trainer and the owner of CrossFit Cape Fear and Designs In Fitness Personal Training Services in Fayetteville.

  • Details
        {mosimage}There are many sensible goals in state tax reform. But if anyone is unsure where to start, I suggest that they zero in on places where the tax code isn’t just inefficient or unfair, but blatantly nonsensical.                                                            The General Assembly just acted in one such area: gift taxation. In the 2008 budget bill, lawmakers agreed to repeal the tax as of Jan. 1, 2009. Budget officials estimate that North Carolina’s tax, one of only four state gift taxes left in the country, nets the treasury about $18 million a year. In fact, it’s not even clear there is a net revenue gain for the state, given the economic distortions that gift taxation creates.
        It’s related to the larger debate about estate and inheritance taxes. The logic behind gift taxes is that if the government taxes transfers of wealth at death, individuals with substantial assets will attempt to evade taxation by giving away assets to family members before passing away. So the government should tax those gifts. But asserting logical relationships among flawed premises will always yield flawed conclusions.
        For one thing, this case for gift taxation assumes that the tax system should be used to punish thrift or redistribute wealth. These are Keynesian and Marxist sentiments, respectively.
        Keynes taught that saving was bad for the economy because it reduced aggregate demand for goods and services. Because higher-income individuals tend to save more of their income than lower-income individuals, the government ought to use the tax system to discourage saving and put more money into the hands of lower-income folks who’ll spend it — and thus prop up the consumer economy. Or so the Keynesian argument goes.
        Keynes was, to put it charitably, off his rocker. Savings would only have the economic effects he theorized about if it consisted of greenbacks and bullion residing in someone’s mattress. In reality, people now save by depositing funds in banks, plowing money into their own businesses, or purchasing stocks, bonds, real estate and other assets. These actions shift the demand for economic production, rather than reducing it. Instead of consumers using the money to buy finished goods, the companies receiving the investment may purchase new machinery or develop new distribution channels, which must themselves be produced using labor and other resources.
        As for the appeal of wealth-redistribution socialism, it’s really pretty limited when spelled out in plain English. That’s why most Americans oppose wealth taxes at death even though most of them don’t have enough assets to reach the taxation threshold. The idea just doesn’t seem just to them. Death-tax proponents have learned to change the subject by arguing that it’s unfair for heirs to gain “unearned” income — but that does not explain why it’s fair to dictate to those who earned the income that they must leave it to strangers rather than family.
        Even if you buy the principle that the tax code ought to try to confiscate wealth, that doesn’t mean it will succeed. What the entire thicket of estate, inheritance, and gift taxes really does is sustain an industry of accountants, financial planners and lawyers who help wealthy people structure their assets to minimize their tax burden.
        With regard to North Carolina’s gift tax, the pros have been telling individuals for years to establish a domicile in another state with no tax and then structure their gifts, trusts, and insurance to avoid triggering a taxable event in our state. That’s why it’s not even clear the repeal of a state gift tax generating $18 million a year will actually cost the treasury that much, because North Carolinians will now have less of a financial incentive to game the state’s tax code, resulting in higher property and income-tax receipts.

  • Details
        Most North Carolinians, whatever their political persuasion, would argue that our state is very progressive, particularly when compared to other states in the South. {mosimage}
        About 60 years ago, in his book Southern Politics in State and Nation, V.O. Key gave substantial support to North Carolina’s progressive self-image. He wrote that our state was “progressive plutocracy,” and that it was more progressive than other southern states in industrial development, public education and race relations.
        Duke professor William Chafe refers to North Carolina’s “progressive mystique.” Some others talk about a “progressive myth,” asserting that the “progressive” aspects of our state have usually been in service to the interests of the powerful “elites.”
        However, North Carolina’s partisans proudly affirm that our state’s sharp progress in business, education, expanding opportunity, racial justice and quality of life justify the state’s progressive reputation. “If we are not progressive,” they say, “why are so many people from other states moving here?”
        A new book, The New Politics of North Carolina, edited by Western Carolina professors Christopher Cooper and H. Gibbs Knotts, asks if North Carolina deserves this “progressive” designation. The editors’ conclusion, after a long survey of North Carolina politics and government, is  “…North Carolina is no longer the regional leader, losing ground to peripheral South states such as Florida, Texas, and Virginia. Georgia, North Carolina’s Deep South neighbor, can also legitimately claim to have surpassed North Carolina in terms of progressivism.”
        How do Cooper and Knotts support this “heresy?” They recruited a number of their academic colleagues to examine various topics in North Carolina political and governmental life, compared with that of other Southern states and the rest of the county. The essays collected in the new book summarize their findings in the areas of partisan politics, public opinion, public and private interest groups, media, state and local government operations and two specific public policy areas, the environment and education.
        The contributors use various methodologies to compare North Carolina’s “progressivism” with those in other states. So, readers are free to challenge both the selection of information to describe North Carolina’s situation and the basis for comparison with other states.
        Putting aside for a moment the book’s conclusion about our state’s “progressive” status, the in-depth discussion of various aspects of North Carolina’s government operations makes a real contribution to anyone who wants to know how things get done in North Carolina government.
        The essays on electoral politics and public opinion in the early chapters should be helpful to new students of North Carolina political history, although the repetitive summaries of that history could slow down serious readers who are searching for the authors’ “new” insights.
        At the core of the book are excellent and useful descriptions of the three branches of governments — their powers, the limits to those powers, and the role of individuals in office in determining how the various institutions work.
        Especially helpful to me was the essay by Sean Hildebrand and James Svara about the complex interrelationships in North Carolina between state and local governments. Read this part of the book if you wonder why North Carolina cities can annex adjoining areas without state approval (or majority vote) but cannot issue bonds without approval of a state agency.
        Dennis Grady and Jonathan Kanipe’s essay on the state’s environmental politics is a wonderful introduction to the hard conflicts of interests that have to be managed by a host of federal, state and local governmental agencies, all of whom are being pressured by an even larger group of public and private interest groups.
        Such essays introduce readers to a “new” kind of politics and a new way of doing public business that would be unbelievable to North Carolinians of 60 years ago. Now, after reading the book, do I think our state is still a progressive leader? My opinion, bottom line, North Carolina still leads the pack.

  • Details
        Enrico Glover and Lezzit Duren met about four months ago through an online dating service. They are still together — not as a couple, but as business partners.
        “We met for the first time and we began to talk about our horror stories of meeting (other singles) and being single,” said Glover. “The frustration of going out and getting all prepared only to have the photo they emailed you turn out to be 10 or 15 years old, and things just going downhill from there. Then we just thought about it and said ‘Hey, what about speed dating?’ We both had heard about speed dating before and thought it was a great idea.”   {mosimage}
        Instead of one date, you actually have the opportunity to meet six or seven folks at one event. “With that amount of numbers you are at least a lot closer to connecting with some one,” said Glover.
        Some research, a few phone calls and three months later, Glover and Duren are area representatives for Cupid.com and set to host their first speed dating event. This is the first of several speed-dating socials that they have committed to. The venue is Big Apple Restaurant and Sports Club at 5900 Yadkin Rd., on Aug. 26. Singles 27-39 are invited to register at www.Cupid.com/PreDating.
        Glover noted that speed dating is fun and can be sometimes misunderstood. “People, when they think of speed dating, they think of these folks who can’t find a date or anything of that nature — which is completely opposite of what we’ve found,” said Glover.
        In reality, many young professionals are so busy with their careers that they don’t have a lot of time to go to bars and clubs. “So when we can find an atmosphere where we can find a like-minded individual that is not just looking for dating but possibly more, we thought this would be a great opportunity,” said Glover.
        In fact, one of the things that Glover and Duren really like about Cupid.com is how they follow up with the participants after the event. They don’t just leave you out there on your own. “What happens is, you may go there and you may like somebody, but you have no idea if they like you. With this system, you can actually find out that such and such found some interest and it leaves it wide open instead of going to an event and just mingling or going to a club and you see somebody you like, but don’t know if they are interested in dating,” said Glover. 
        So far the response has been enthusiastic according to Duren. “People are really excited and keep asking ‘When is the speed-dating party? Are you still doing it?’”
        “We don’t provide background checks on people who are coming. We just wanted to provide an avenue for like-minded people who are interested in an icebreaker event. We will provide that format and they may meet new people but they should take the same precautions that they would if they met someone in a different venue. We are just providing that atmosphere. This is not a dating service,” said Duren. “This will provide them not only with other people who are single and are looking to meet, and date (because people go out all the time but that doesn’t mean they are ready to date). This atmosphere they know, they don’t have to wonder if it is a good move to go over and talk to someone.”
        With the hope of speed dating becoming a regular part of the Fayetteville singles scene in mind, Glover and Duren are already planning events for other demographics. “We are doing the first one dealing with the age population in Fayetteville (which is mainly military) which is 27-39,” said Glover.
        “But then the next one we may do a little higher scale may be the Hilltop restaurant...A little smaller a little classier, or a wine tasting or something of that nature. So it is not just going to be for the young single professional but I can see something like maybe going to folks who are retired but still looking for that significant other.”
        The party starts at 7 p.m. Check out www.cupid.com/PreDating for the details and to register. You don’t have to join Cupid.com to be a part of this event. 

  • Details
        Southern Soul Blues Music is a style of popular music developed by Black Americans combining elements of gospel, blues and R&B and is derived or pertains to the South. It is music filled with emotion, sensuality and passionate romanticism. This music warms your home and touches deep down into your heart and soul.
        The first annual Southern Soul Blues Festival will be held on Friday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Crown Arena. The artists scheduled to perform include Lacee, Shirley Brown, Clarence Carter, Theodis Ealey, Willie Hill, Sir Charles Jones, K-Ci from Jodeci, Lebrado and Fayetteville’s own Reggie Codrington.  {mosimage}
        “I want the crowd to enjoy themselves and send the couples home with a romantic nightcap,” said  Codrington, a smooth jazz saxophonist and performer of the Southern Soul Blues Festival. “I want the audience to take their minds off of the issues and problems going on in the world and enjoy some soothing and mellow music.” 
        Codrington was born with a mild case of Cerebral Palsy. After a total of nine operations, intensive physical therapy and fierce determination, he has been playing saxophone for 28 years and been making a living out of it for 18 years.     Codrington has experienced some bumps and bruises along the way but has learned a wealth of information regarding the entertainment business. His latest CD, Sunny Days, includes the single “Special Treasure” and can be purchased at www.cdbaby.com. His next CD will be released in December 2008.                         
        Southern Soul songstress, Lacee, will perform her hit, “The Twist,” for the audience. She is from Memphis, Tenn., and has done extensive work with the Bar-Kays, Howard Hewitt and Glenn Jones. “I want the audience to be energetic and feel what I feel,” said Lacee. “Before I get on the stage I pray because I want to minister to others.” 
    Lacee added that she puts emphasis on her music because she wants to inspire others. Her next album will be released in September 2008.                  
        “This is going to be a spectacular event,” said Codrington.   
        {mosimage}Tickets are $39 in advance, $46 the day of the show and are on sale now. Military and group discounts are available. Tickets may be purchased at the Crown Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 223-2900. The Crown Center Box Office is located at the Crown Coliseum and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call 438-4100. 

  • Details
        You can tell a lot about a person by taking a look at their home. What’s hanging on their walls or tucked away on their shelves shines a light on their personality: Is it whimsical, traditional or off the wall?
    Fayetteville residents will get a chance to learn a little more about members of its art community during 4th Friday. The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County is hosting Off the Wall, an exhibit of art works literally taken off the walls of its staff and board members.
        “It’s a fun show for staff and board members,” explained Calvin Mims, the arts services coordinator at the council. “People will bring something in from their personal collection. It can be from a very serious collection or piece from a child’s collection or a whimsical piece. We want something with an interesting story, background or history. We think this will give our community some insight into our staff and board members.”
        As of this writing, pieces were still coming in, but a pretty eclectic bunch of art work has already made its way into the exhibit.
        “We have a couple of pieces from C.J. Malson, the former owner of Art and Soul Gallery,” said Mims. “She is bringing in a couple of pieces — one a work by Roseanne Brida who did the façade of Art and Soul and a  pencil drawing by her late grandmother which absolutely has tremendous sentimental value, but is not marketable. So we’re getting things like that.”
        William Brooks, a board member, brought in four works of art by his two sons, who take art instruction from Becky Lee, a Fayetteville artist and art teacher. “They have done some very interesting drawings, and he has submitted those,” said Mims, who added that many board members are bringing in collectible pieces by a Fayetteville artist.
        Among that group is Deb Mintz, the director of the Arts Council. Mintz has an eclectic collection of works by area artists. Some of the works she is sharing are from some very prominent local artists, while others are from artists who are just making their way in the art community.
        Mims, an acclaimed artist in his own right, is also contributing art to the show. “I’m bringing in a very special piece by Elizabeth Catelett,” he explained. “It’s a linoleum block print called Two Generations. Elizabeth Catelett is one of our African-American masters who is internationally renowned for her paintings, sculptures and drawings.
        “I purchased this piece about 20 to 22 years ago when I had an opportunity to meet her,” he continued.  “It’s one of the few collectible pieces I have where I’ve met and engaged the artist.”
        In addition to the great art, music lovers will also be in for a treat at the Arts Council, as the cool music of the Roy Roach Orchestra takes them on a sentimental journey with the big band sounds of Glenn Miller, Count Bassie, Woody Harman and Benny Goodman.
        The event kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22 at the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County located at 301 Hay St.
        “This is going to be pure fun,” concluded Mims. “The exhibit is going to be an interesting insight into the hearts and minds of all our art lovers.”
        The fun doesn’t stop there. Be sure to wind your way through downtown and take a peak at the other venues in the 4th Friday lineup.
        Just down the street from the Arts Council, Cape Fear Studios will be featuring The Collective Works of Lawrence Favorite, a wood turner from Mebane.
        Favorite notes of his works, “I derive my greatest satisfaction as an artist from the sheer joy of doing — of being at one with the wood and releasing the beauty that is within. I love the challenge of looking at it and listening to a piece of wood and letting it reveal to me what it should become,” he said in an artist statement.
        {mosimage}Favorite knows a lot about listening. In the early ‘70s, he was working as a mechanical engineer with a manufacturing firm in Arizona. His work was leaving him empty, and after a period of reflection, he dropped it and decided to pursue his growing interesting in art.
        In looking for a way to express himself, he began a period of work with desert ironwood, a species of wood that is only found in the Sonora Desert. That love affair continues today, .
        Additional 4th Friday Venues:
        •CJ Designs – Local Impressionistic Artist, Leigh Ann Withrow.
        •Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum Annex: Special Exhibition of SCCA Formula race cars.
        •Hay Street United Methodist Church: In One Accord, a local Christian vocal group, performing a wide variety of musical selections, ranging from the traditional to the contemporary and from hymn tunes to gospel numbers. 
        •City Center Gallery & Books: Winners of the Field of Honor photography contest.
        •Cotton Exchange: Spontaneous Combustion jazz ensemble, refreshments.
        •Fascinate-U: Children will be creating buses with art supplies. Free admission and refreshments.
        •Market House: Exhibition of artifacts, period weapons and uniforms from the Spanish-American War and the role our region played in it.
        •Headquarters Library - Big Medicine, string band music of the rural South: Old-time melodies, mountain harmonies, ancient ballads and archaic fiddle tunes, heart songs, hollers, hymns, and a touch of early bluegrass. Refreshments.
        •Olde Town Gallery will host its 2nd Food Show Art Competition.
        •Rude Awakening will host photographer Jennifer Seaman and her work.
        •SfL+a Architects Gallery: Art by the Communicare Kids, music by Tad Dreis.
        •White Trash will feature hand scrimshawed bangle bracelets by Jessica Kagan Cushman.

  • Details
        Years ago when the Dicksons were still ferrying junior family members to and fro for summer camps, we found ourselves at a large table in a loud and busy pizza parlor with two other young families one night before the opening of a sports camp the following morning.
        Those in our own boisterous crowd included the five Dicksons, my favorite Raleigh cousin, her husband and their four sons, and a family we had not met before but who turned out to be a successful Raleigh attorney and his wife and their two children: A daughter and a son who would be attending the sports camp.
    A fine evening and lots of pizza were had by all.
        The whole world now knows the third family as John and Elizabeth Edwards and their children, Cate and Wade, who died several summers later in a car accident on I-40. In the curious way of the world, I bumped into them again the following weekend at a camp for girls where we were both dropping off our daughters.
        Our camp trips seem now, just as they did then, normal summer activities for families with active young children. No one had any inkling that John Edwards would become first a United States senator and later a candidate for president, or that Elizabeth would remain a private citizen and still become one of the most admired women in America.
        {mosimage}We had absolutely no idea that John Edwards would go on to become yet another poster boy for excruciatingly bad behavior by a well-known politician. 
        I am reading and hearing all the same outrage toward Edwards that everyone in this nation is absorbing these days. There is speculation about when the affair between Edwards and a hired videographer began and how long it lasted. Who knew about it? Edwards has said he told his family but when? Was it before or after his wife of more than three decades and four children, Elizabeth, was diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer, which is now incurable. Is Edwards still in contact with his mistress, and, above all, is he the father of her infant daughter whose birth certificate lists only the mother’s name?
        What about the married Edwards’ staffer who seems to be taking the fall on the paternity issue?
        Some, if not most, of these questions will probably never be answered publicly, and perhaps they should not be since Edwards is no longer an elected official charged with the public trust. Perhaps this entire affair is no more our business than if the situation involved a perfectly ordinary private family down the street.
    Do women elected to high office behave this way? Maybe so, but I have never heard about it.
        Some men in high office, however, have made astoundingly bad decisions. 
        Think former Colorado senator and one-time 1988 Presidential frontrunner in Gary Hart. With rumors of womanizing circulating, Hart challenged the national media. “Follow me around. I don’t care. If anybody wants to put a tail on me, go ahead. They’ll be very bored.” 
        They did and they were not.
        An attractive young model was spotted leaving the senator’s apartment, and the two were later photographed aboard a yacht named — of all things, Monkey Business. The frontrunner dropped out of the presidential race. 
        Think President Bill Clinton.
        In a historic second term, with a strong economy and a balanced budget, he took up with a White House intern only slightly older than his own daughter. In a particularly creepy twist on degrees of separation, my favorite Raleigh cousin’s brother had somehow arranged a special tour of the White House for his family during that time. They were viewing the Oval Room one quiet Saturday afternoon when the Secret Service suddenly hustled them out, saying the president had an unexpected meeting. Much later, the investigative Starr report published the White House visitors’ log for that day.
        The only meeting participants that afternoon were the President and the intern.
        Think Elliot Spitzer, New York’s crusading and seemingly fearless prosecutor turned governor, who lost his job and his credibility in Washington’s elegant Mayflower Hotel with a high-dollar call girl.
        And now we have our own John Edwards whose story of betrayal and deception is still unfolding and whose family and loyal political supporters feel angry, disappointed, and deeply betrayed.
        What were these men thinking? 
        Each of them is clearly talented and each clearly wanted to use his intellectual gifts and political skills for the betterment of our nation.
        Was what brought them down arrogance, a feeling that they were so special they could behave in ways the rest of us cannot? Did they believe they were so vastly different from the people they served? Was it what we call in our family, “high self esteem?”
        Countless lessons wait in all of these sad and tawdry tales, but one stands out to me. 
        None of us — wife or husband, mother or father, daughter or son, colleague or confidante - can ever truly know another’s heart.

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