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        Apparently there are no longer any adults in charge of the world. We’re ruled by buccaneers. Like Willie Yeats once wrote, “things fall apart, the center cannot hold.” Stock market crashes, golden parachutes and politicians whistling past graveyards. Oh for the simpler days when all we had to worry about was lipstick on pigs and shooting baby seals from helicopters. To quote the great songwriter Randy Newman “Now it seems like we’re supposed to be afraid/ It’s patriotic in fact and color coded.” We have no warm fuzzy FDR or Ronald Reagan telling us not be afraid. The whole country has fallen into the Salem Witch Project movie. We can roll ourselves up into a ball of fear and hide under the bed or we can try to put the fun back into dysfunctional. When economic catastrophe is inevitable, might as well try to enjoy it.
        {mosimage}The leadership displayed by our political and financial leaders during our current financial crisis calls up the cheerful and yet minty fresh painting by Bruegel the Elder called “The Parable of the Blind Leading the Blind.” The painting shows six blind beggars holding onto each other walking down a path. The leading beggar has fallen in a ditch and the other five are soon to follow. Bruegel painted this in 1568. Who knew he was predicting America’s leadership in 2008? Nostradamus step aside.
        Watching the $700 billion bailout booty fizzle and seeing the stock market drop 800 points during one day can be a bit off putting. Get used to it — your money has gone to Davy Jones’ locker. Your financial future’s been keelhauled. In the Great Depression II, all is not lost. We’ll get to try out new roles in the brave new world in which the Good Ship Deregulation has foundered. Like Gilligan, the Skipper and the landlubbers who were shipwrecked from the Minnow on Gilligan’s Island, our visit to the island of Lost IRAs and ghost banks is going take a lot longer than a three-hour tour.
        We’re going to need new jobs because the old ones won’t exist. Personally, I am going to apply to be a Pirate Spokesman like Suguli Ali. Suguli is the Pirate Spokesman for the Somali pirates who took over the Ukranian freighter M.V. Faina. When captured by pirates off the Somalia coast, the Faina was loaded with guns and Russian T-72 tanks. At first I was mildly surprised that 21st century pirates have a spokesman. How would you go about getting that job? Suguli announced the pirates would release the ship and crew for only $20 million. That’s a lot less than the Wall Street Bailout.
        As I pondered the concept of a world that can generate a Pirate Spokesman, I realized that AIG, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley all have spokesmen. There’ll be no cat o’ nine tails for those gentlemen of fortune executives, just a huge pile of golden doubloon parachutes and a McMansion at Fiddler’s Green for them. Our financial wizards are no better than seagoing pirates. Naturally, the Somali pirates have the right to have a spokesman. Put an eye patch and a parrot on Richard Fuld of the late, great Lehman Brothers and you’ve got a dandy pirate. Pirating is just another form of love.
        The pirates also have K Street Lobbyists. Tucked away into the starboard side of the $700 billion bail out bill for Wall Street was a nifty little earmark for $192 million in excise tax rebates for rum producers in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Who benefits from cheaper rum? Pirates of course. The pirates got their earmark. How great is that? Unsurprisingly, pirates get treated better than non-pirates. Sixteen congressmen on a dead individual retirement account’s chest, Yo-Ho-Ho and a bottle of rum!
        It is no coincidence that we just observed International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Sept. 19. The stock market went up 388 points that day to over 11,000 just to fool us into thinking we’d found a safe harbor. Unfortunately, Talk Like a Pirate Day contained a secret message to the Bilge Rats who ran Wall Street to take the money and run. Arrr, me hearties! The scurvy curs grabbed the gold from the hold of the Good Ship America when they scuttled the stock market by making the credit markets walk the Bring down old Glory, Mateys! Hoist the Jolly Roger! Guzzle the grog! Aye! We be under new management.

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        As my father would have said, “I think I have seen it all now.”
        My culturally-observant daughter who informs me about parts of our modern life that I might otherwise miss sent me an article by Sarah Kershaw in the New York Times addressing the nature of human beauty. What makes us find one person beautiful but another one with similar physical attributes — say, blond hair and blue eyes or smooth skin and curly black hair — less attractive? 
        {mosimage}Scientists are studying this, and a group of computer scientists in Israel have come up with a computer program featuring a “beautification engine.” The program has taken more than 200 measurements between facial features — eyes to nose, eyes to mouth, nose to hairline, and the like, to try to determine which configurations people find most attractive when we look at someone else. It then takes ordinary human faces, like yours and mine, and applies these ideal distances through the magic of computer technology. This is not a program that airbrushes fine lines or changes hair color. It is more like plastic surgery by computer, lifting an eyelid here and plumping up a lip there, theoretically making faces more attractive.
        The online version features human faces which have been put through the beautification engine. One woman with a long face looked dramatically different, many of us would say more attractive. She is quoted as saying she preferred her regular old face.
        I could hardly tell the difference in several of the faces, including those of a young Marlon Brando in a military uniform and those of a mature Woody Allen with serious bags under his eyes in both photos. Mid 20th century French sex symbol Brigitte Bardot’s lips got less plump, and while her beautified self looked just fine, I prefer the original bombshell. A note beside several pictures which were not much different after beautification speculated that those faces were already so naturally well proportioned that they did not need realignment.
        There is no question human beings find some of us more beautiful than others, but why. Scientists say attributes of beauty are common even among people of different cultures, races, ethnicities, ages and genders. Apparently, we all agree that symmetry of features, youthfulness, smooth and clear skin, and hair and eyes of a vivid color make people attractive, sometimes even beautiful.    
        There is no question we all want to be beautiful.
        A peek into the cosmetics drawers and bathroom cabinets of women around the globe will demonstrate that. I read magazines in the grocery store checkout line, and a recent perusal told me this is true even in hard times. I read an article on how to give yourself a pedicure when you cannot pay for a professional one.
    My concern is not that we all want to be attractive.
        It is the importance we have attached to it, sometimes at the expense of other qualities which I believe are ultimately more important in human life and certainly more enduring.
        I was astounded several years ago to learn that a perfectly lovely young woman I know had been given breast augmentation surgery by her parents for her high school graduation. The message she and her friends must have received from the gift is that large breasts are important in life and that the body she was born with was not good enough to go forward into adulthood. {mosimage}
        I am equally astounded when I visit local schools and see elementary school girls in what look like quite grownup outfits, sometimes even provocative outfits. In high school, I have seen girls teetering along terrazzo floors in stiletto heels that are not only dangerously high but also damaging to their still developing feet.
        I am also astounded and occasionally embarrassed by the clothing of some young adult women whose desire to be attractive has led them to dress as if less were more.
        Looking at the photos of the people who have been through the “beautification engine,” I realized that most of them, even enhanced by pleasing facial measurements, still look like real people. Some were younger, some looked healthier, some more made up, but each could have been someone we might run into somewhere — well, maybe not Marlon and Brigitte. 
        They look much the way nature made them, which to me, is the point. We all arrive into this world with certain physical attributes, and I am all for playing up the best ones and down the ones we like less.
    The danger, of course, is falling over some ill-defined edge of what is both healthy and attractive into a place where the search for beauty becomes more than the search for what makes a positive and productive human being.
        Nancy Etcoff, psychologist at Harvard Medical School, put it this way to the Times. “Everyone wants to look better. And we keep taking it further and further….There is a whole generation of girls growing up who think it’s normal not to look the way they really look.”
        Yikes!

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        What is there left to say about Sarah Palin?
        Since her public debut just before Labor Day, observing the endless cycle of leftist attacks on her and ponderous conservative commentaries on why the left attacks her has become tedious. Yet like many Americans, I am anything but indifferent to the governor and if a 60-minute news show promises a 30-second blurb on her at the end, I will stay tuned.
        But no one has yet to fully answer, why does the left hate Sarah Palin?
        Disclaimer: I am a conservative Republican and I like our VP nominee for her drive, determination, her record of reform in unseating an incumbent Republican governor, her small town, small government philosophy and her stands on certain issues. Her critics, on the other hand, some of whom do voice legitimate concerns, hate her not just because she is supposedly unqualified or because she is Rush Limbaugh in a dress (I forget who said that). We political junkies tend to look at life through the prism of ideology when some answers reflect simple human nature.
        They hate her because she is so darn perfect. No, they will never admit that, but let’s be honest, Sarah Palin flits from one career-topping achievement to the next without ever losing her gosh-darn small-town charm. Her whole life seems to be a seamless, upward trajectory — basketball star, hometown beauty queen, city council member, mayor after defeating a nine-year incumbent and you know the rest.
    High on my resume is that I have learned to lose gracefully. As I write this, though I don’t hate her, I am starting to highly resent her.
        And, of course, she is attractive and is the mother of a beautiful brood who could’ve stepped out of a Sear’s catalog. The oft-played image of the successful governor, holding her newborn to her bosom just after accepting her party’s nomination for VP should have served as an iconic feminist moment, but in some their lesser selves took over and a certain green-eyed monster reared its ugly head.
    Then, of course, there’s Todd — handsome, rugged, manly and supportive of his ambitious wife and the consummate stay-at-home dad. What aging, unmarried heterosexual feminist wouldn’t want a man like Todd waiting for her at home after running the state all day?
       {mosimage} Is it any wonder that an unattractive mess like “comedienne’” Sandra Bernhard of an entertainment industry littered with drugs, alcohol, broken relationships and attention-seeking social misfits, would spout off an obscenity-laden attack on even the very idea of a Sarah Palin? And Sarah Palin will probably never know and will surely never care.
        She is not in the least contentious and there is not an ounce of arrogance or ego about her. She doesn’t even give her critics the opportunity of dropping the b-word on her. It just doesn’t fit her and they know it and they hate her for it.
        Appearances, of course, can be deceiving and no one knows what, if any, private heartbreak she bears. There is always the suspicion and sometimes the hope that the outwardly successful pay for their fortune like some figure out of Greek tragedy. Certainly, a Down Syndrome baby and a pregnant teen daughter present challenges but she seems no worse for the wear.
        Certainly politics and ideology matter. To many she is simply wrong and even some conservatives think she is unqualified. Nonetheless, a media sensation was born when an Alaska reporter remarked that the new governor, clad in leather boots and a skirt, didn’t fit his image of a Republican. In a celebrity-obsessed, media-saturated culture, she will draw attention even if McCain loses — especially with the prospect of a 2012 presidential run. Everyone is vying for fame in this age of blogs and YouTube and Sarah Palin has already exceeded her 15 minutes. For some that is reason enough to hate her.

  • Details
        What is there left to say about Sarah Palin?
        Since her public debut just before Labor Day, observing the endless cycle of leftist attacks on her and ponderous conservative commentaries on why the left attacks her has become tedious. Yet like many Americans, I am anything but indifferent to the governor and if a 60-minute news show promises a 30-second blurb on her at the end, I will stay tuned.
        But no one has yet to fully answer, why does the left hate Sarah Palin?
    Disclaimer: I am a conservative Republican and I like our VP nominee for her drive, determination, her record of reform in unseating an incumbent Republican governor, her small town, small government philosophy and her stands on certain issues. Her critics, on the other hand, some of whom do voice legitimate concerns, hate her not just because she is supposedly unqualified or because she is Rush Limbaugh in a dress (I forget who said that). We political junkies tend to look at life through the prism of ideology when some answers reflect simple human nature.
        They hate her because she is so darn perfect. No, they will never admit that, but let’s be honest, Sarah Palin flits from one career-topping achievement to the next without ever losing her gosh-darn small-town charm. Her whole life seems to be a seamless, upward trajectory — basketball star, hometown beauty queen, city council member, mayor after defeating a nine-year incumbent and you know the rest.
        High on my resume is that I have learned to lose gracefully. As I write this, though I don’t hate her, I am starting to highly resent her.
        And, of course, she is attractive and is the mother of a beautiful brood who could’ve stepped out of a Sear’s catalog. The oft-played image of the successful governor, holding her newborn to her bosom just after accepting her party’s nomination for VP should have served as an iconic feminist moment, but in some their lesser selves took over and a certain green-eyed monster reared its ugly head.
    Then, of course, there’s Todd — handsome, rugged, manly and supportive of his ambitious wife and the consummate stay-at-home dad. What aging, unmarried heterosexual feminist wouldn’t want a man like Todd waiting for her at home after running the state all day?
        {mosimage}Is it any wonder that an unattractive mess like “comedienne’” Sandra Bernhard of an entertainment industry littered with drugs, alcohol, broken relationships and attention-seeking social misfits, would spout off an obscenity-laden attack on even the very idea of a Sarah Palin? And Sarah Palin will probably never know and will surely never care.
    She is not in the least contentious and there is not an ounce of arrogance or ego about her. She doesn’t even give her critics the opportunity of dropping the b-word on her. It just doesn’t fit her and they know it and they hate her for it.
        Appearances, of course, can be deceiving and no one knows what, if any, private heartbreak she bears. There is always the suspicion and sometimes the hope that the outwardly successful pay for their fortune like some figure out of Greek tragedy. Certainly, a Down Syndrome baby and a pregnant teen daughter present challenges but she seems no worse for the wear.
        Certainly politics and ideology matter. To many she is simply wrong and even some conservatives think she is unqualified. Nonetheless, a media sensation was born when an Alaska reporter remarked that the new governor, clad in leather boots and a skirt, didn’t fit his image of a Republican. In a celebrity-obsessed, media-saturated culture, she will draw attention even if McCain loses — especially with the prospect of a 2012 presidential run. Everyone is vying for fame in this age of blogs and YouTube and Sarah Palin has already exceeded her 15 minutes. For some that is reason enough to hate her.

  • Details
        I’m a 30-year-old woman who started seeing a guy in his early 40s a month ago. He’s very healthy and confident, and seems pretty balanced. We get together about once a week, on weekends, and he’s amazing in bed! He wants sex three to four times in a 12-hour period, and lasts quite a while. I’m loving this, but just once on some days would be fine, too. Also, I’m thinking this is unusual for a guy above 25. Would it be out of line to ask if he’s taking Viagra?
    —Wondering

        Don’t look a gift stallion in the mouth. The problem comes if, say, all that wild adult fun starts to seem like having a newborn, with you being awakened every night at 3 a.m. by something pawing for your breast.
    For now, if you’re enjoying your new pony, why fret about why? Maybe he’s got a high sex drive, and his idea of abstinence is going without for three hours. Maybe he’s like that right now, on account of this being something new. Maybe he’s trying to impress you (okay, he’s 40-something, but he can still lead a girl to bed and show her around the circus). On a less sexy note, maybe he’s in a feeding frenzy after a long hiatus or maybe he’s doing the squirrel thing and stocking up in case there’s a long winter.
        As for parsing whether he’s naturally extra-perky or pharm-fresh, it’s kind of like worrying, “Are you somebody who doesn’t have hideous body odor, or are you just wearing deodorant?” You are right that the guy rebounds like a 25-year-old. Dr. Jacob Rajfer, chief of urology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, explains that the big difference between younger guys and guys in their 40s is a longer “refractory period” — the penile coffee break they have to take before they can come back up for more (sometimes a day or days for the 40-something penis). Viagra, often mistakenly thought of as a libido booster, actually works on the mechanics of the penis, increasing blood flow to allow for an erection. But, more and more, guys without erectile problems are using it to last longer and to shorten the downtime between playdates.
        Rajfer doesn’t have a problem prescribing Viagra for these purposes, providing a guy’s not taking nitrates — for cardiovascular problems or as “poppers,” a potentially deadly mix — and his heart’s strong enough for him to survive sex. (It isn’t the Viagra that kills you, it’s the sexathalon.) Of course, with any drug there can be risks, maybe yet-unknown, maybe long-term and serious. In healthy men, however, Rajfer said there are mainly temporary complaints of facial flushing, a headache, maybe a little indigestion, and “some men may see a blue halo.” (And then there’s the gummy residue from the gold star their girlfriend sticks on their forehead.)
        After essentially four dates, it’s a little early to start taking the guy’s medical history. You could mention that once is sometimes enough for you — relieving any pressure he might be feeling to keep the Tilt-A-Whirl on overdrive. Meanwhile, take a pill yourself, the chill kind. It takes time and settling in to figure out whether you’re compatible — whether you want what he wants as often as he wants it, or you find yourself longing for the days when you could get off an airplane without three new bruises: one for hot, one for cold and another for the soap dispenser.

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    Unclear on the Concept
        Bernard LeCorn, running for the school board in Ocala, Fla., declared himself the best-qualified school steward among the three candidates because of his “doctorate,” but the Ocala Star-Bannerdiscovered that not only was it from a well-known diploma mill (cost: $249), but that Alabama A&M, a real school where he had claimed to be a faculty member after receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees, had never employed him and had enrolled him for only one year.
        (In another diploma-mill fraud indictment in August, one alleged purchaser of a doctorate was Bart Anderson, superintendent of a school district in Columbus, Ohio.)

    Can’t Possibly Be True
        Jose Rivera, 22, survived two tours in Iraq, but back home in California, he took a job at the high-security Atwater federal prison, where officers cannot carry even non-lethal crowd-control weapons, and Rivera was murdered 10 months later by two inmates armed with handmade shivs. “Every single inmate in there is armed to the teeth for his own protection,” complained one officer, but a Bureau of Prisons spokesman told CNN in August that “communication” with inmates is a better policy than even modestly arming guards.
    When Eric Aderholt’s house in Rockwell County, Texas, burned down in June, it wasn’t because the fire department was too slow. They arrived within minutes, but none was aware that local hydrants were locked. Apparently, departments know that hydrants in rural areas have been shut off, as part of post-9/11 security, and must be turned on with a special tool, which no one brought that night. Texas law even requires shut-off hydrants to be painted black, but the firefighters still arrived without the tool, and by the time they retrieved it, Aderholt’s house was gone.

    With Too Much Time on Their Hands
        In December 2003, Yves Julien worked a regular 11-hour shift, plus overtime, all at premium pay, for the Canada Border Services Agency, and then demanded an additional $9 (Cdn) for a sandwich he had purchased when asked to put in the extra hours. The agency said he was not entitled, by contract, because the overtime was already at premium pay. In September 2008, after nearly five years of multiple reviews, hair-splitting legal decisions and lengthy appeals, Julien won his $9.

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        Who would’ve guessed that angels wear leather?{mosimage}
        For more than 25 years, a laid back, loose confederation of female bikers and bike fans known as the Gypsy Women  have performed angelic deeds to benefit the folks of Cumberland County.
        Spearheaded by Holly Whitman, owner of Fayetteville’s legendary Legendís Pub, the Gypsy Women are most famous for the Gypsy Women Spring Fling — an annual party held at Legend’s to raise money for local folks in need through an auction, poker run and other biker-centric events.
        “When we started the Spring Fling about 12 years ago we decided then that we didn’t want to do it to benefit any particuar organization,” said Whitman. “It’s just a good time and a way for us to give back to the community.”
    “We (the Gypsy Women) are not a real organized group of people,” added Whitman. “There’s no membership roster or rules or anything like that; we just get together to have a good time.”
        In additon to the Spring Fling, the Gypsy Women put on a number of events throughout the year, including a golf tournament to benefit bikers and their families in need and other worthy beneficiaries. This year’s golf tourney will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, at Hope Mills Golf Course — registration for the tourney is at 9 a.m., with the blind draw, captain’s choice event to start at 10 a.m.
         “We’re sponsoring it along with Bob Marlow’s Motorcycles,” said Whitman. “The cost is $45 to play and everyone is welcome. It’s always a good time.”
        Of course, if you find a good woman, chances are there’s a good man standing behind her. Whitman says all the good works performed by the Gypsy Women would not be possible without the “men behind the scenes.”
        “I really have to thank the husbands and boyfriends and all the men who help us put on the Spring Fling and the golf torunament and all our other events,” said Whitman. “They support us in so many ways.”
        If you’d like to volunteer to help out the Gypsy Women – or possibly join up with this female caravan of do-gooders on wheels – go by Legend’s Pub (4624 Bragg Blvd.) any night of the week itís open and just ask for Holly.
        “Like I said, we’re not an organized club or anything,” said Whitman. “We’re just a bunch of gals who like to get together and have a good time and do good things for deserving people.”
        You can contact Holly at Legend’s Pub at 867-2364.

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    Dear EarthTalk: Are there natural headache remedies that can get me off of Tylenol, Advil and other medicines whose side effects can be as bad as or worse than the pain that led me to use them?                                    – Jan Levinson, Portland, Maine

        {mosimage}Many of us may be too dependent on over-the-counter painkillers to treat the occasional headache, especially given the side effects of such drugs. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can increase the risk of heart and circulation problems — including heart attack and stroke — and is also tough on the digestive tract. Too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been linked to nausea, diarrhea and kidney and liver problems. Many natural health care practitioners disparage drugs for merely masking the symptoms of larger problems.
        All headaches are not the same and gobbling down pain pills will not address the causes, whatever they may be. Some headaches are caused by tension; others stem from sinus congestion, caffeine withdrawal, constipation, food allergies, spinal misalignment or lack of sleep. And then there are migraines, which researchers think are neurological in nature: The brain fails to constrict the nerve pathways that open the arteries to the brain, resulting in a pounding headache as blood flows in unchecked. Assessing what kind of headache you may have can help lead the way to a solution beyond deadening the pain with a pill.
        To make tension headaches go away, the Farmers’ Almanac recommends applying an ice pack to the neck and upper back, or, even better, getting someone to massage those areas. Also, soaking the feet in hot water can divert blood from your head to your feet, easing any kind of headache pain in the process.
        Another all-natural headache cure is acupressure (like acupuncture, but without the needles), which promotes healing throughout the body by stimulating channels of energy known as meridians. Victoria Abreo, alternative medicine editor for the Website BellaOnline, says that anyone suffering from a tension headache can employ a simple acupressure technique to help relieve the pain: “With one hand, press the shallow indention in the back of the head at the base of the skull. Simultaneously, with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand, press firmly into the upper hollows of the eye sockets, right where they straddle the bridge of the nose and meet the ‘t’ of the eyebrow bridge.” She says to press softy at first, and then more firmly, holding for three to five minutes.
        As for migraines, avoiding certain trigger foods might be key to staving them off. Abreo says migraine sufferers should try steering clear of dairy products, processed meat, red wine, caffeine and chocolate. New research has shown that some people with specific dietary deficiencies are more prone to migraines.
        According to Dr. Linda White, who writes about natural health for Mother Earth News, some recent clinical trials have shown three nutritional supplements — magnesium, riboflavin and coenzyme Q10 — to be particularly effective at reducing the frequency and severity of migraines. Also, a number of herbs — including feverfew, butterbur, lavender, gingko biloba, rosemary and chamomile — have proven track records in preventing or stopping migraines. Since herbs can be potent and are not regulated or tested, headache sufferers should consult a trusted doctor or naturopath before using alternative remedies.

    CONTACTS: Farmers’ Almanac, www.farmersalmanac.com; BellaOnline, www.bellaonline.com; Mother Earth News, www.motherearthnews.com.

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

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        North Carolina is home to some of the most-exciting political races of the 2008 election season. So why is voter registration in North Carolina growing so slowly?
        Before I go on, let me pause to allow all those infuriated readers whose hair just caught on fire to extinguish the flames. Safety first.
        Now, I know that you’ve been told something entirely different. I know that throughout much of the year, news organizations have reported historic, earth-shattering surges in North Carolina voter rolls. Just a few days ago, political correspondent Jim Morrill of The Charlotte Observer reported that more than 600,000 new voters have registered since the beginning of the year, a trend that is “smashing records.”
        Furthermore, I know that the Barack Obama campaign, the Democratic Party and various local and nonprofit allies have many hundreds of staffers and volunteers registering voters around the state. My argument is not that these are phantom efforts just producing a bunch of falsified registrations. In fact, I’m not denying at all that Democratic candidates (with the important exception of Beverly Perdue, still trailing Pat McCrory in the gubernatorial race) are reaping benefits from an “enthusiasm gap” and from the fact that new voters are more likely to be Democratic, and far less likely to be Republican, than the existing electorate is.{mosimage}
        All I’m saying is that, as I predicted in a column several months ago, voter registration in North Carolina is not growing at a record rate. In fact, the 9 percent growth in registered voters so far in this presidential-election cycle (from the end of 2004 to now) is on track to be a little over the 2000-2004 trend (8 percent) but below the 12 percent average registration growth over presidential cycles since 1980. The truly record surges were those leading up to the 2000 and 1984 elections. The voter rolls grew by about 18 percent in both cases.
        Voter-registration trends are driven by a number of factors. The “motor-voter” laws in the 1990s boosted the registration rate — the share of voting-aged North Carolinians who are registered. So have periodic registration drives, like the ones underway this year by all the parties and campaigns (the Democrats are obviously having more success with it). Another key factor is the growth in the denominator of the rate, the population itself. North Carolina has imported millions of new voters over the past two decades. It just so happens that our electorate, while continuing to grow this year, used to be growing at an even-faster rate.
        OK, well, if the overall increase in registration isn’t all that shocking by historical standards, then doesn’t the Democratic skew of the new registrants this year still auger well for Democratic candidates in November?
        Yes, but the effect isn’t as large as the hoopla might lead you to believe. Democrats now make up 45 percent of registered voters, while 33 percent are Republicans and 22 percent are unaffiliated. At the end of 2007, Democrats made up 45 percent, Republicans 34 percent and unaffiliated 21 percent. On Election Day 2004, the statewide percentages were 47 percent Democrats, 34 percent Republicans and 19 percent unaffiliated. In 2000, the statewide percentages were 50 percent Democrats, 34 percent Republicans and 16 percent unaffiliated.
        After counting the impact of the new registrants, the North Carolina electorate is still less Democratic in registration now than it was in 2000 or 2004. The Republican share is down, too, but only slightly. The real story is an explosion in unaffiliated voters.
        Again, I’m not saying that Democratic candidates for federal office aren’t running a lot better this year than John Kerry and Erskine Bowles did four years ago. I’m saying that the primary reason isn’t a change in the composition of the electorate. It’s the fact that swing voters, new and old, are swinging more Democratic this year.

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        What words of wisdom and inspiration will were heard in Chapel Hill?
        On Oct. 12 each year, the community gathers to celebrate University Day, the anniversary of the founding of the University of North Carolina. More precisely, it marks the day in 1793 when the cornerstone was laid for the first campus building, Old East.
        Why celebrate that day rather than an earlier day in 1789 when the state legislature granted the university its charter? If the charter day is recognized as the official beginning date, then the University of North Carolina loses its claim to be the oldest state university. The University of Georgia was chartered in 1785.
    But UNC began its building program much earlier than Georgia or any other state university. It also enrolled its first student and graduated its first class well before Georgia or any other state university.
        {mosimage}Traditionally, University Day is an occasion for public reflection and speeches that consider the historical contributions of the university and challenges in the days ahead.
        When University Day coincides with the installation of a new chancellor, the new leader’s remarks can be doubly important. These spoken words may lay down markers of the perspectives and commitments that will guide the chancellor in the years to come.  
        This Sunday will mark the installation of a relatively young new chancellor, Holden Thorp (44). Since he has the potential to lead the university for many years, his words and the values embodied in them could be of extraordinary importance to the campus and to the entire state it serves.
        In preparation for his remarks, Chancellor Thorp will doubtlessly study the words of his predecessors and other important university leaders. In their times and special circumstances they sought to articulate the core values that would undergird their platform for leading the university.
        Coincidentally, a collection of speeches, letters and remarks about the university was just published, thanks to efforts of Daniel Barefoot, who is the editor of Hark the Sound of Tar Heel Voices: 200 Years of UNC History.
        Hark the Sounddemonstrates that from the earliest times the university’s friends and leaders had high aspirations for it. For instance, hear this from Willie Jones, who spoke at the first graduation in 1796: “…the rays of knowledge, with virtue attendant, diverging from Chapel Hill, shall likewise illumine not only the state of North Carolina, but the utmost limits of the United States.”
        At University Day in 1976, President William Friday, explaining why alumni are so loyal, said in his speech, “…this University reached out and embraced us. Its great teachers and scholars opened new worlds and guided us in self-realization.”
        More recently, another young chancellor laid out his vision in his installation remarks. Here is Michael Hooker on University Day in 1995. Speaking of UNC-Chapel Hill, he said, “…we should deceive ourselves if we thought such an institution could have its effect only within this state. We are in fact an institution of national and international significance and meaning….Its faculty and its graduates moderate life, not only in North Carolina, but around the globe. Its destiny is to be free, to follow truth, and to shed light.”
        Thorp can find important guidance from his immediate predecessor, James Moeser, speaking in Washington in 2002: “The only way we’ll find answers to the really big issues facing our state, our nation, and our world is to create an environment of unfettered inquiry in which our students learn to think critically, ask tough questions and come to their own conclusions….”
        On Sunday, perhaps we will hear echoes of some of these words selected from Hark the Sound. But we will be listening most to what Chancellor Thorp has to add to them.

  • Details
        Unexpected troubles like a lay off, illness or death in the family can make it hard to keep up with mortgage payments, and homeowners may find themselves facing foreclosure. Sometimes, loan rates are set up to adjust to higher and higher rates, catching unsuspecting consumers off guard.
        Foreclosures hurt families, communities and our entire economy. It’s in all of our interest to help homeowners find a way out of foreclosure when possible.{mosimage}
        If you face foreclosure, keep the following tips in mind to avoid scams and frauds:
        • Beware of so-called foreclosure assistance or rescue companies that require payment up front before they “help” you. It’s illegal to charge an upfront fee for foreclosure assistance services in North Carolina.
        • Steer clear of foreclosure assistance or rescue companies that want you to make your mortgage payment to them, or who tell you not to talk to your mortgage company or to an attorney.
        • Watch out for so-called real estate investors, who promise to pay off your mortgage if you sign over the deed to your property, but not the mortgage. The investor then rents your home back to you or to a tenant but doesn’t make mortgage payments and the bank forecloses. Remember, just signing over your deed doesn’t get you out of the responsibility for paying your mortgage.
        • Other scam tip offs: the schemer refuses to put his or her promises in writing, pressures you to sign paperwork you haven’t had a chance to read thoroughly, or offers to fill out the paperwork for you.
        For free help dealing with foreclosure, call the HOPE hotline at 888-995-HOPE. You can call the hotline toll-free 24 hours a day, seven days a week for free counseling on options to avoid unnecessary foreclosure. The hotline can help connect you with non-profit housing and credit counselors in your local community.
        To report a foreclosure scam, contact Attorney General Roy Cooper’s Consumer Protection Division free within North Carolina at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM.

  • Details
        I’ve been dating my boyfriend for two years, and I’m miserable. I want to break it off, but he moved to Colorado to be with me while I finish college, and has no friends here. The last thing I want to do is hurt him. I was thinking about moving back home and finishing college there.
    — Stuck

        How could you ditch him in that barren wasteland where he toils in the biting cold breaking rocks on the work gang and eating only stale crusts of bread and watery soup? All because he moved to Siberia to be with you. Oh, sorry — Colorado. No, breaking up isn’t a laugh riot, but if a guy’s going to get dumped somewhere, a mountain paradise with hordes of hot ski bunnies isn’t exactly the Gulag annex. And besides, he chose to move there. I’m guessing you didn’t encourage him to do it, thinking, “Hah! I’ll lure him out, ditch him and ruin his life!” As for your idea of moving home to finish school, if it’s for educational reasons, have at it. Otherwise, maybe you could do the adult thing and tell him what he surely already knows — that it isn’t working — instead of giving him the idea that you aren’t breaking up, just moving. Well, eventually giving him the idea. When the U-Haul pulls up, he’s sure to figure it out.

    In Need Of A Good Butch Slapping
    I’m straight, but women sometimes think I’m gay. I’m 24, and have what some describe as “pretty boy” features. Apparently, I also have “gay mannerisms.” Is there something I can do to become more masculine? Are there masculine traits or hobbies I could adopt?
    — Straight But Misunderstood

        Um...having sex with women? Then cutting out at 3 a.m., and saying “I’ll call you.” And then don’t. You could also burp a lot and scratch your groin. Of course, then you’ll probably just seem like a gay guy with indigestion and crabs. Okay, so maybe if you start hanging with a bunch of stereotypically straight guys, and really practice walking the walk and talking the talk (keeping hand gestures to a minimum, especially those involving a lot of wrist), you might seem a notch or two butchier. But, ultimately, some bit of swishy business is going to slip through, and you’ll be mistaken for, well, you. Your best bet is just accepting that, and hitting on women you find attractive — lots of them, since you need to find those few who like their men less masculine, and because you’re bound to attract more than a few who’d like a gay best friend. Before long, you should be sashaying off on dates with gayish pride: “We’re here, we’re straight but a little femmy, get used to it!”

  • Details
        Angela Pusateri, 79, may be unconventional, but, according to Jenna, 13, “She really is a cool grandmother.” The Hallandale Beach, Fla., woman is a rap-music singer with a new CD (Who’s Your Granny?) and occasional playdates, where she shows up in hockey jersey, jewels, sunglasses and baseball cap. Sample rap: “I can bring the noise better than P-Diddy / I am older and wiser, I ain’t a disguiser / I am condo commando in a high-riser, Who’s your granny?” Also, “Move over, Trick-Daddy, ‘cause this is my town / I gotta shuffleboard posse and we’re known to get down.” Actually, conceded Jenna to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in September, “Sometimes it’s embarrassing.” 

    Latest Religious Messages
        Toward a More Accessible Anglican Church:
        In August, Birmingham Cathedral announced plans to open a series of wine bars in London, as (according to an official) one of the “alternative ways” of engaging non-church-goers.
        The new church curate in Dursley, Gloustershire, is Rev. Skye Denno, 29, a married mother of two, whose down time is spent in biker boots, hot pants, a dog collar and her six piercings, listening to the Sex Pistols. Said she, “I don’t do it to be difficult. (I) think it makes me more approachable.”

    Undignified Deaths
        A 21-year-old man fishing off Jones Beach on New York’s Long Island in July was killed when he yanked his line back too quickly, propelling his 3-ounce lead sinker out of the water, where it struck his head and penetrated his brain.
        A 32-year-old man lounging beside a pool in Leland, N.C., in August was killed when a burst of wind dislodged a canopy umbrella, thrusting the tip into his skull.
        A 79-year-old motorist watching a crane lift a steeple onto a new church in Oklahoma City in July was killed when the crane toppled over and crushed his car.

    Fine Points of the Law
        Joey Bergamine, 19, who is preparing for a re-trial in Fayetteville, N.C., on a DUI charge stemming from a July 2007 incident, will argue that he should have been advised of his right to have a lawyer present when his father kicked open his bedroom door hours after the incident to help police officers who had come to question him. Joey’s father is the police chief of Fayetteville, and Joey’s lawyer said entering a locked room, as well as the subsequent interrogation, constituted “police” action and not “parental” action, and since his dad failed to “Mirandize” him, the charge should be dismissed.

  • Details
        It is that time of the year again when the mountains of North Carolina sing with color. October is a great time to get on your bike and head to the hills. There are two great destinations for your riding pleasure: the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains.{mosimage}
        The Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited park of America’s national park system, attracting about 20 million visitors annually.
        The parkway is loaded with great rides, however, for me, the best riding is from Boone south to Cherokee. This portion of the Blue Ridge offers fabulous curves and spectacular views. Along the way you will visit some of the highest peaks east of the Mississippi. These mountain tops are accessible by road and within short drive off of the parkway. About 30 miles from Spruce Pines (at mile marker 330) is Roan Mountain. The Roan as the locals call it, straddles the North Carolina and Tennessee border and is at 6,285 feet elevation. About 30 miles down from Spruce Pines you will find Mt. Mitchell. Mt. Mitchell is 6,684 feet tall and is the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi. Past Asheville you will find Richland Balsam Overlook at milepost 431. This is the tallest point of the parkway at 6,047 feet. All these locations provide beautiful sights, great roads, and a nice day trip.
        One of my favorite spots to stop is the Mountain View Restaurant located in Little Switzerland, around mile marker 330. The view is incredible and the food is reasonably priced and tasty. Also at marker 330 is Big Lynn Lodge, another nice little place to stay. There is a restaurant at the lodge and very nice views looking to the east of North Carolina.
        Past Asheville is the Pisgah Inn. At milepost 408.7 it is the only inn and restaurant on this stretch of parkway and is located at 5,000 feet. It’s a great place (and very popular) to stop for lunch since their dining room has big windows with beautiful vistas. It is opened through October. Before you travel south of Asheville be sure to fill your tanks with gas. There are few stops along this stretch of the parkway with exits to get gas. At one point it is 50 miles between stations, so fuel up so you can enjoy the view.
        The parkway continues to milepost 469.1, ending near Cherokee at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At the end of the parkway you will hit U.S. 441. Turn left and travel to New Found Gap and turn right to the road that goes to Clingman’s Dome. Clingman’s Dome is 6,643 feet elevation with a nice paved walkway to the top from the parking lot and large 360 degree observation deck. Clingman’s Dome is located along the North Carolina and Tennessee border and is the highest point in Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountain Park and the Appalachian Trail. It is the second highest peak east of the Mississippi. If you want to head back towards Cherokee you will find lots to do. One town over is Maggie Valley where you can visit Wheels Through Time museum. This museum features more than 100 motorcycles dating back over 100 years.
        If you want to know where and when to see the best colors for the leaves check out the Weather Channel’s Web site www.weather.com, maps, fall foliage. RIDE SAFE!

  • Details

    An L.A. socialite bottoms out in The Starter Wife

        I panned The Starter WifeTV movie last year, which is hard to believe now that I’ve seen its new incarnation as a series (Friday, 9 p.m., USA). This time, the production strikes me as a masterpiece, an inside-Hollywood satire worthy of Entourage. All I can say is: My new medications must be working like a charm.
        {mosimage}The Starter Wife is Entourage from the female point of view. Molly (Debra Messing) once lived the high life as a smarmy producer’s spouse. Post-divorce, she has no money, no job and no prospects. To grow as a person, she must find the fortitude to “face the day in machine-wash clothes. ”Messing shines in this role, her face expressing 20 shades of comic humiliation. And the series’ take on Hollywood manners and mores is just plain wicked. Molly’s 7-year-old daughter wants a BlackBerry because other kids at her exclusive private school - namely “Skyler M. and Skyler P.” — have them. A typical movie-producer’s pitch goes something like this: “Think Big meets Die Hard. I call it Big and Hard.”
        I hope The Starter Wife holds up, along with my medications.

    Kath & Kim
    Thursday, 8:30 p.m. (NBC)
        This adaptation of an Australian hit stars Molly Shannon as a tacky hairdresser and Selma Blair as her tacky daughter. They yell at each other, stuff chips into their mouths and get jealous of their tacky boyfriends. The screen is thick with condescension: Look how stupid lower-class people are! If the jokes clicked, fine; but since they don’t, you have plenty of time to get offended by the snobbery. Shannon and Blair act broadly idiotic, trusting their loud outfits to supply all the humor.
    “Let’s go someplace fun!” Kath cries.
        “Applebee’s?” Kim answers, as if the mere mention of a moderately priced restaurant would send us     into hysterics.
        To be honest, Applebee’s sounds a lot more fun than Kath & Kim.

    Life on Mars
    Thursday, 10 p.m. (ABC)
        A modern-day detective named Sam (Jason O’Mara) gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973. Sam can’t believe he’s really time-traveled, and sadly, neither can we. Life on Mars is chock-full of detritus from the early ‘70s: eight-track tapes, bushy sideburns, Nixon portraits, Harvey Keitel. But it never seems authentic, and the script pushes the cute anachronisms way too hard. “Diet Coke, now that would be somethin’,” a 1973 bartender tells the perpetually disoriented Sam.
        I turned on the producers for good when they showed our hero gazing in awe at the intact World Trade Center towers, blithely milking our national tragedy for their two-bit drama.
        “I had an accident and woke up 35 years in the past,” Sam says. “That either makes me a time-traveler, a lunatic, or I’m lying in a hospital bed in 2008 and none of this is real.”
        You forgot one possibility: You’re in a lousy TV show.
     
    Eleventh Hour
    Thursday, 10 p.m. (CBS)
        Dr. Jacob Hood (Rufus Sewell) is a brilliant scientist who solves mysteries for the FBI. You can tell he’s brilliant by his penchant for talking like the World Book Encyclopedia. He alludes to Rene Descartes and Catherine de’ Medici in the course of an investigation, and even finds an opportunity to quote Nietzsche: “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”
        Yes, Dr. Hood is smart, but Eleventh Hour isn’t. It takes the low road for emotional effect — dead children, anyone? — and offers the silliest solution to a mystery that I’ve seen in years.
        What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger, but Eleventh Hourmight just kill me.

  • Details

    Eagle Eye (Rated PG-13) 4 Stars
       

        Eagle Eye(118 minutes) is a neat action-thriller, with a little sprinkle of mystery thrown in to keep the audience guessing. While it bears similarity to several classic movies from the last 30 years, giving specific titles would probably give away the entire plot. There are two overriding themes that guide the logic of the movie. First, there is the danger of relying too heavily on technology (especially government controlled technology). Second, the film offers a very subversive take on the dangers of taking the Constitution too literally, making this one of the best timed movies in years. The film is particularly interesting in light of the current Democratic/Republic divide, as well as the various Supreme Court justices’ opinions on literal interpretation of the Constitution. 
        {mosimage}We open in the middle of a crucial decision — destroy a suspected terrorist without confirmation of his identity, or strike first and ask questions later. The Secretary of Defense (Michael Chiklis), keenly aware of the politics of the situation, is in favor of holding back. The President overrules him, and the strike results in terrorist retaliation on American citizens. 
        Meanwhile, as shown in the trailers, Jerry Shaw (Shia LaBeouf) comes home to find his apartment filled with terrorist paraphernalia. Despite a woman’s voice on the phone telling him to escape, Jerry is arrested and interrogated by FBI Agent Thomas Morgan (Billy Bob Thornton). As Air Force Investigator Zoe Perez (Rosario Dawson) arrives to speak with Jerry, the mysterious voice assists him in an escape. During his flight from the law Jerry meets up with single mother Rachel Holloman (Michelle Monaghan), who is also receiving her orders from the mystery woman. 
        Jerry and Michelle execute a series of maneuvers that land them in Washington D.C., in time for the State of the Union Address. It is here that the climax of the film takes place, involving some very nice explosions, but a lamentably high body count. In fact, for a PG-13 movie, the casual way in which police officers and random bystanders are violently dispatched calls into question MPPA standards for movie ratings.
        Director D.J. Caruso seems to know what he is doing with the action genre, but the ending of the film seems like too much of a compromise between a good ending and an audience-friendly ending. Billy Bob usually drives me up a wall, so it is no faint praise to say that here he gets all the best lines and is hardly grating at all. As much as I love Michelle Monaghan (do yourself a favor and check out the criminally underappreciated Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), I wish they had written less Monaghan and more Rosario Dawson. 
        Yes, Eagle Eye requires above average suspension of disbelief. Yes, it borrows from other, better films. However, the movie gods are smiling on this film. What might have been a sad little pastiche quickly disappearing into second run theaters actually holds its own. All the elements are old, but they are combined well. 

  • Details

    (PG 122 minutes) Rated: 5 Stars
      

        Okay, at the risk of inflaming those who think the mention of God is against the Constitution, I’m warning you: This movie is about God, and I’m going to mention God a couple of times in this review. If you have a problem with that, STOP READING RIGHT NOW. Whew, now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you about this movie.
        {mosimage}Fireproofis the third film by Sherwood Pictures. You might not have heard of Sherwood. It’s not based in Hollywood, its corporate headquarters is a Baptist church in Georgia. The films are written, produced and filmed in the town of Albany, Ga. So, don’t expect high tech graphics or Hollywood pyrotechnics or any of that kind of stuff. There’s only one famous person in the movie — Kirk Cameron, who’s mostly known for his role as Mike in the TV comedy Growing Pains. More recently he has been seen in The Left Behind series of movies. Cameron, a born-again Christian, has traded Hollywood for his faith, and it looks good on him.
        The movie didn’t have a huge budget or promotional campaign, but it finished third over the weekend, having only played in 800 theaters nationwide. I think that alone says something about the movie.
        The movie tells the story of Caleb Holt, a fireman in the town of Albany. Caleb is married to Catherine, a public affairs person at the local hospital. The couple would seem to have everything: great jobs, two cars, nice house. But something is wrong and that something is tearing their marriage apart.
        The two are at the point of divorce when Caleb’s father steps in and makes Caleb promise to complete The Love Dare. It’s a 40-day program designed to save a marriage. Caleb accepts, although his heart isn’t in it. Over the next few days, he halfheartedly pursues the dares in the books. When he’s called on to do something thoughtful for his wife, he buys a handful of day-old flowers. When he needs to do something unexpected, he pours a cup of coffee. You see where this is going. It’s only when Catherine hits him in the face with these words, “I don’t love you,” that Caleb starts to take the dare seriously and we are introduced to the idea of selfless love.
        So before you think this is too preachy or too serious, let me throw out some of the other stuff. This film is funny. There’s one scene when the two are telling their side of the story to their respective friends. It’s a classic he said/she said. The theater was filled with laughter — but most of it was probably self-conscious laughter — we’d all been there, done that before.
        The movie’s tag line also speaks to an ideal that flourishes among the military — never leave a fallen man. But in this case, it’s never leave your partner behind. And while on the face of it, it’s talking about the firemen, in the subtext, it’s talking about your spouse. The movie drives home the point of never giving up on your marriage; never taking the easy way out; and ever, forgetting that love is a choice. I think everyone should have to see this movie before they get married and at least once or twice along the path of marital bliss.
        So you won’t think I’ve led you astray, there is some preaching. The movie, again, it’s made by a Baptist church, talks about the fact that if you can’t love yourself through God, you can’t love anyone else. There is a very moving evangelical scene in the movie, which made me think not only of my marriage, but also of my relationship with God; and it made me want to give both a lot more.
        This is a movie that will touch your heart and maybe even change your life.

  • Details
        {mosimage}The Fayetteville State University Homecoming Concert featuring T-Pain and guests Plies, Shawty Lo, Ace Hood and Hot Stylz, will be held at the Crown Coliseum on Friday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m., according to FSU Student Activities Council and Diamond Life Concerts announced today.
        Tallahassee-based MC and vocalist T-Pain (born Faheem Najm) came up in a rap group called Nappy Headz but eventually went pro as a solo R&B artist. Recording artist Akon heard  the first release by T-Pain and took him under his wing with a contract on his Jive-distributed Konvict Muzik label. Produced and written mostly by T-Pain, Rappa Ternt Sanga was released in December 2005, led by the Top 20 single “I’m Sprung.” Top selling album Epiphany followed in June 2007. He is currently touting in support of his newest album, Thee Ringz.
        Tickets are $29.50 to $37.50 and are on sale now. Tickets may be purchased at the Crown Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by calling (910) 223-2900. The Crown Center main box office is located at the Crown Coliseum and open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A limited number of tickets are available for $25 to FSU students with ID and may be purchased on campus at the Seabrook Auditorium only.
        The Crown Center features a 60,000 square-foot exposition center, a 2,400-seat theatre, a 4,500-seat arena and a 10,000-seat coliseum.  For more information on the complex, visit www.AtTheCrown.com.

  • Details

        Dear EarthTalk: Is using nitrogen to inflate my car’s tires really better for the environment than using air? And if so, how?                    
    — Roger Mawdsley, Abbotsville, BC

        Whether or not it makes environmental sense to inflate car tires with nitrogen instead of air is a matter of much debate. Proponents of nitrogen say the element is a smart choice for the environment primarily because it leaks from tires at a slower rate than air, so tires stay inflated longer at full capacity, which helps a vehicle attain maximum fuel efficiency, i.e. better gas mileage. According to the Get Nitrogen Institute, a Denver-based non-profit which advocates for replacing the air in our tires with nitrogen, under-inflated tires inadvertently are a big contributor to global warming as they cause drivers to waste fuel.
        Although auto experts recommend checking your car’s tire pressure weekly, studies show that the majority of drivers rarely if ever check to see if their tires are properly inflated and usually only add air when a tire is visibly low or beginning to go flat. A recent study by the European division of tire maker Bridgestone found that 93.5 percent of cars in Europe have under-inflated tires, wasting some 2.14 billion gallons of high-priced, polluting fuel every year. Analysts believe that a similar percentage of North Americans are driving around on under-inflated tires as well.{mosimage}
        While properly inflated tires certainly promote better fuel efficiency and are thus good for the environment, not everyone is convinced that filling tires with nitrogen instead of plain ol’ air makes a difference. Terry Jackson, who writes the influential “Driving for Dollars” column for the Bankrate.com Web site, points out that air is composed primarily of, you guessed it, nitrogen; some 78 percent of the regular air you put in your tires is nitrogen, with oxygen making up most of the remainder. “So going to pure nitrogen only squeezes out a small amount of the oxygen molecules that nitrogen proponents argue are so detrimental,” relates Jackson.
        Nitrogen proponents may quibble that it’s the oxygen in the mix that causes problems, though, as oxidization can start to degrade the rubber inside tires while corroding the interior of the wheels as well. But Jackson counters that tires and wheels will have been long worn out on the outside before any oxygen-induced interior damage causes them to come apart. Also, he adds that a lot of the leakage from tires happens because the wheel and the tire do not line up perfectly, and air (or nitrogen) escapes accordingly.
        Another factor, of course, is cost. Nitrogen-equipped service centers will fill up your tires with nitrogen for something like $10 per tire, which is a far cry from the couple of quarters (if even that) it takes to trigger the air machine at your local gas station. “When it comes down to a dollar decision, it’s hard to argue that spending as much as $40 for nitrogen in a set of tires is a good fiscal move,” writes Jackson.
        “Save your money and just keep an eye on your tire pressures,” he concludes.

    CONTACTS: Get Nitrogen Institute, www.getnitrogen.org; Bankrate.com, www.bankrate.com

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

  • Details
        After more than 20 years reporting on, studying and writing about North Carolina government, I’ve commented on hundreds of separate news stories, political campaigns and policy issues. But if I had to summarize my overall “take” on our state and local governments, it would be that North Carolinians don’t get a good rate of return on the (excessive) tax dollars they pay.
        In our private lives, we all constantly shop for bargains. That’s not to say that we always choose the lowest-priced good. We look for the best value for the dollar. Sometimes that may indeed mean buying the least-expensive product. But other times, we’re willing to pay more to obtain a more valuable outcome.
        {mosimage}Lots of North Carolina politicians use this line of reasoning to justify their favorite new programs and, when it comes time to pay the bill, new taxes or fees. But to assert that a new educational program will improve student performance, a new health care program will save lives, or a new transportation bill will increase public safety or mobility is not to make it so. Perhaps the program has been tried elsewhere and found wanting. Perhaps there are good theoretical reasons to doubt that it targets the right problem. And after the fact, you have data with which to compare the predictions of politicians to actual experience.
        One of my John Locke Foundation colleagues, Joe Coletti, has just completed a study subjecting my “take” to empirical analysis. It consists of two parts: 1) how North Carolina compares to other states in the cost of government, and 2) how North Carolina compares in recent economic, educational, social, and other trends. If our costs were relatively low and our outcomes were relatively high, that might well constitute evidence that North Carolina’s state and local governments were making good use of our money.
        You know where I’m going with this, don’t you? Unfortunately for taxpayers, Coletti found precisely the opposite. North Carolina imposes a relatively high tax burden but has lagged, not led, the region and nation in most outcome categories. Some key findings:
        • North Carolinians pay twice as much in state and local taxes, adjusted for inflation, as they did in 1983. As a percentage of income, North Carolina’s tax burden now exceeds the national average and is one of the highest in the South.
        • While North Carolina experienced better-than-average performance in some economic and social indicators during the 1980s and early 1990s, more recent trends aren’t as favorable. After Jim Hunt and the General Assembly created major new initiatives in the mid- to late 1990s, and Mike Easley and lawmakers raised taxes to finance them a few years later, the state’s progress actually stalled.
        • Since 2000, North Carolina students lost ground in reading and underperformed other states in math. More than half the states posted more improvement in crime rates than North Carolina did. For much of the decade, our road system deteriorated in quality and congestion compared with regional rivals such as Florida and Texas. Economically, North Carolina experienced rapid population growth, but job creation and income growth lagged the regional and national averages, sometimes badly.
        None of this is to say that North Carolina is a bad place to live and work. Governments matter, but their performance isn’t necessarily decisive. While taxes are too high and the return on tax dollars is too low, our state has many other attractive amenities. At least until recently, North Carolina’s land, energy and labor costs have been comparatively low. These are tremendously important variables that both households and businesses consider when deciding where to move or expand. In addition, and in tacit recognition of the fact that North Carolina’s overall governmental costs are out of line, state and local officials have become increasingly willing to offer targeted tax breaks and generous subsidies to big businesses, largely exempting many from the excessive tax burden that smaller businesses and households must shoulder.
    What Coletti’s study shows is that progress in North Carolina has increasingly come despite rather than because of the policy choices of our politicians. Considering both governmental costs and outcomes, he came up with a letter-grade ranking of the rate of return that each state’s residents derive from the taxes they pay. Among the A states were Florida, Texas, and Tennessee. Virginia and South Carolina earned Bs.
    And North Carolina? We got a D. There are states where taxpayers get an even-worse deal than North Carolinians do, but not many.
    The good news is that our policymakers have plenty they can learn about government reform from the successes of other states — if they are willing.

  • Details
        Here is one more thing to watch out for during the time between now and Election Day.
        I want you to give attention to a group of people who hang around political gatherings and rallies. Their eyes shift from person to person, from candidate to candidate, and from table to table — wherever political paraphernalia is being distributed.
        Watch them as they lurk around. They are not perverts. They are not dangerous or evil. But watch for them giving every political person the once over.{mosimage}
        These strange people are button collectors. They want to come away with at least one sample of every button they see. For them, the bounty of times like these are the additions to their collections that hard fought election campaigns, like our current ones, make possible for them.
        Political button collectors are generally shameless in their efforts to secure buttons. If they cannot find freely distributed buttons at a candidate’s table, they will accost the candidate directly, sometimes persuading the candidate to part with his own button. Then, the collector, rather than wearing the button, secures it in his pocket and moves on to find another.
        Now for a confession. I am one of these people. At least I used to be, until about 25 years ago when I became a candidate for office and gave up collecting.
        Most of us, collectors and former collectors, enjoy seeing the collections of others. With every button there is a story. Most of the stories of the buttons bring life to the candidates they represent. Often, they help tell something important or interesting about the campaigns and the political battles in which the buttons were used.
        For instance, take the campaign button for 1972 U.S. Senate candidate Nick Galifianakis, who was running against Jesse Helms. “Helms” fits easily on to a button, but Galifianakis is a “button-full.” Meeting this challenge, the Galifianakis campaign came up with the idea of two buttons: “Galifi” and “anakis.” It was cute, got attention, and helped give a positive and laughing response to the “he is not like us” messages about his opponent that sometimes crept into Helms’s campaigns.
        Those Galifianakis buttons are a proud part of my collection. They are also one small item in a new exhibit of North Carolina-related political memorabilia at the Wilson Library in Chapel Hill. Using examples of political buttons and related items, “Soapboxes and Tree Stumps, Political Campaigning in North Carolina” guides the visitor through more than 100 years of our state’s election campaign history.
        The new exhibit is composed largely of items from the new “Lew Powell Memorabilia Collection.” Powell, an editor at the Charlotte Observer, is a different kind of collector from the ones I have described. He concentrated on earlier rather than current campaigns. As a result, he had to pay, sometimes big bucks, for historic buttons like some special ones in the late 1800s and early 1900s when North Carolina white Democrats were wresting control of the state’s government from a coalition of Republicans, African Americans, and Populists.
        An early badge associated with industrialist and philanthropist Julian Shakespeare Carr (for whom Carrboro was named) says “North Carolina Redeemed,” which refers, according the exhibit, to the effort by Democrats to break the Republican-Populist coalition.
        Among the many great buttons that caught my attention were an “Ah Lahk Ike” from the 1950s, a 2000 button with a photo of Michael Jordan in support of presidential candidate Bill Bradley, and a 2004 John Edwards button with a close up of Edwards’ face and a caption that said “Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear,” which was meant to suggest that Edwards was very close behind John Kerry and catching up fast.
        The exhibit runs through April 15. If you are a button collector, a political junkie or anyone with a passion for North Carolina history, don’t miss it.

  • Details

        {mosimage}For more than 200 years, MacPherson Presbyterian Church has been a part of the bedrock that supports the faithful in Cumberland County.
        And now, the church is looking to dig deep down into that holy shale and mine a tradition that dates back to the 1940s and 1950s — the ingathering.
        According to the written history of MacPherson Presbyterian Church, “An ingathering was a major undertaking used by many churches, particularly in the 1940s and ‘50s as a means of raising money. A combination of a latter day bazaar in which handmade crafts were sold at community feasts.”
        On Saturday, Oct. 18, the church will bring back those festive days of fellowship and good, honest commerce. On that day, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., bazaar items will be sold, including cakes, candy, pies, frozen soups, “MacPherson’s Own” homemade spaghetti sauce and vegetable soup, pick-up or take-out dinners will be available from 4-6 p.m., while sit-down dinners will be at the church from 6-7 p.m. Tickets are being sold in advance at the church office.
        Also on that day, there will be live music — with contemporary Christian and bluegrass from 1-5 p.m. — and an auction at 7 p.m.; auction items will include a beach house weekend, a china place setting, quilts and other items.
        All funds raised will go toward missions and the building program.
        More than the tangible results, the church also hopes to get back to the old ways of the ingathering which bound the community together in the past — a past that MacPherson Presbyterian Church member Ann Welch remembers well.
        “When I was a child, the farmers brought in cotton, hay and their wives made canned goods and crocheted and knitted... All types of crafts,” said Welch. “My father donated a decrepit mule, for which Joe McGrath paid a handsome $16. And he fed it so much that it floundered and died in a couple of weeks. We’re trying to get it back to what it was.”
        Not only will the ingathering feed the church’s coffers, it will offer the community a bit of history about the church — a church founded in 1800 and full of religious artifacts,  from a crystal and tin communion set to an old sound board used to amplify the preacher’s words in the days before microphones and sound systems.
        The church’s rich history extends to the graveyard, where church member Bill Kern said contains the resting places for many war veterans, including a number of Civil War vets. Among the markers is a huge, ornate marker for Confederate army hero Lt. Gen. Theophilis Hunter Holmes. resting side-by-side with Holmes is his wife, whom Kern said Holmes had exhumed and transferred at great expense from her original grave site in Governor’s Island, N.Y..
        “It’s a large stone,” said Kern. “After the war people didn’t have a lot of money, so he must’ve thought a lot of her.”
        Kern said Holmes paid his wife the ultimate compliment with the tombstone’s epitaph, which reads: “She Made Her Husband a Christian.”
        Just the kind of sentiment MacPherson Presbyterian Church hopes to renew with its Old Fashioned Ingathering.

  • Details
        Two downtown galleries opened the fourth Friday in September to host their two yearly competitions, the annual Photography Competition and the annual Nellie Smith Ceramic Competition. Both exhibits will remain in place until October and November for visitors to the Fayetteville Arts Council or the Cape Fear Studios.
        For the Annual Photography Competition the Fayetteville Arts Council decided upon the theme Unity in Our Community. In place until Nov. 22, 2008, Unity in Our Community was conceived as a complementary theme, opening during the weekend of the 30th International Folk Festival.                                                         Calvin Sims, the arts services coordinator for the Arts Council, commented on the results of the exhibit: “We were surprised at everyone’s interpretation of the idea of unity; what we learned is that interpretation of unity by photographers is very diverse. From processionals to amateurs, our gallery walls are filled with images that are as diverse as the Fayetteville community.”
       {mosimage}The gallery is filled with photographs that range from the emotional to landscapes; special moments to interpretations of the figure in an environment, the laugh of a child to the moment families are separated as they leave for Iraq. Sims commented, “Yes, the artist’s interpretation of a theme is broad, but it’s pleasing to see broad interpretation; after all, it is our similarities and our differences that unify us.”
        The juror for Unity in Our Community was Theresa Olier, a local photographer who owns her own business. Olier specializes in photographing children, family portraits and photographing on location.
        For the first place award, Olier selected Tearful Departure by Andrew Craft — a color photograph of a woman, arms around a child wearing red, she raises her hand to the open window of a bus, and her hand touches the extended hand of what is probably her husband.
        Second place went to Steve Kennedy for a digital color photo titled Water Fall in Brevard. Third place was tied between two digital photographs: A Mother’s Love by Stephanie Bruce and Show-Nuff by Jonathon Diaz.
        Diaz was one of five artists who participated from the art program at Fayetteville State University. Shane Booth, the photography professor at FSU encouraged his students to participate with their large format prints. The large prints were hung together at the Art Center; Booth’s influence was easily recognizable in the work of April Harmon, Katherine Ortiz, and Diaz. In the spirit of a competition, even Professor Socorro Hernandez from FSU exhibited two of her photographs of architectural cites on campus.
        Of the 23 artists who participated, many were familiar names from past photo competitions. Photographers like Sonja Rothstein and Alphonso Peppers were exhibiting in their usual highly competent and creative style.
        {mosimage}As well, many new photographers are showing us snapshots of their lives, a journey to foreign places and moments they interpret as unity in the community. With so much diversity in the subject matter, I asked Sims about the public’s response to the exhibit. He readily commented, “We have had very positive responses, every visitor to the gallery will find something they can relate to!”
        Upon leaving Unity in the Community, you can walk ablock down on Maxwell Street, behind the arts council, and visit the Cape Fear Studios to see the annual Nellie Smith Commemorative Ceramic Competition; this year it is their 14th competition, the exhibit will remain up until Oct. 22, 2008.
        Juror for the competition was Joyce Bryan, owner of Stone-Crowe Pottery outside of Pittsboro. A distinguished artist, Bryan has many years as a ceramic artist and an instructor of functional pottery at Central Carolina Community College.
        Pleasantly surprised, visitors to the Cape Fear Studios for the 14th Annual Nellie Smith Commemorative Ceramic Competition will find many artists exhibiting who do not live in Fayetteville and familiar local talent.
        Local talent includes artist Greg Hathaway, an artist and ceramic instructor. Hathaway earned a third place award in the functional category. Tall and graceful, Hathaway’s lidded vessel represents his proficient and diligent dedication to his craft and variety.
        The second place award went to Edge Barnes and first place to Mark Gordan. Best in show was awarded to John Garland, an artist who has been exhibiting his multicolored glazed vessels. Floral details and multi-firings are the hallmarks of Garland’s ceramic ware.
        Non-functional is the second category in the competition. Sun Jester by Darlene Cote won a first place award. Second place went to Cote for her Resting Dragon. Both works were medium to small in scale and figurative. Third place went to Orbit III by Mark Gordan, an abstract circular form with repeating yellow ochre projections.
        Visitors to the 14th Annual Nellie Smith Commemorative Ceramic Competition will not be disappointed, a variety of interesting techniques in the medium of clay are being exhibited. As well, prices have a range from the affordable to the more expensive.
        From the wood firing of ceramic ware to the finely glazed platters and vessels, the 14th Annual Nellie Smith Commemorative Ceramic Competition is one of the best in many years. And it is open to the public and free. Anyone interested in visiting the galleries, needs direction or the hours of operation can call the Cape Fear Studios at (910) 433-2986 and the Fayetteville Arts Council at (910) 323-1776.
        In addition, if you are interested in joining an art guild or art organization, both agencies have information for you. 

  • Details
        Having tried to stage this show for 15 years, the Gilbert couldn’t have found a better time for the premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins. With political drama taking center stage of a large majority of the American populous, snubbing even our most celebrated sitcoms to watch debates, seeing Assassins allows us to revisit history in the hope that surely, with all that we’ve learned, we won’t repeat it.
        The play opens with the number “Everybody’s Got the Right” sung by the Proprietor (with an excellent stern but tongue-in-cheek delivery by Paul Wilson), who hands out guns to the play’s collection of mal-intents. The song portrays them as frustrated American dreamers: “No job? Cupboard bare?/One room, no one there?/Hey pal, don’t despair--/ You wanna shoot a President?” Given today’s shaky economy, many viewing this play are sure to identify with these defeated dreamers who lash out at the ailing system that only pretends to serve us, just as I did. The American dream takes many on a loopy de loop spinning in circles that inevitably leave a few sputtering and crazy. The sputtering and crazy are seen here, in a tug of war for the American dream that leaves them flat on their backs yet gracing the pages of history books.
        The audience is then taken to the moment in which John Wilkes Booth (played captivatingly by Jonathan de Araujo) assassinates President Abraham Lincoln. Booth has the opening assassination, and as such, plays the devil on the shoulder of almost every assassinator henceforth. He does so with great relish, and Araujo’s capability as an actor allows the audience to see how Booth believes he was betrayed by history and violence of the Civil War. It is achingly beautiful to watch as he becomes the charismatic snake that leads all into their garden of demise.
        The production was replete with capable performances; however, a few went above and beyond. James Johnson’s Samuel Byck seethes with a terrifying lunacy that remarkably, makes sense. The line “You know the world is a vicious stinking pit of emptiness and pain,” carries its weight in irony when it comes from a man wearing a Santa suit. Caroline DePew, though in a smaller role, truly understands Emma Goldman’s belief in anarchy as a means of reason, and her lines “They make us servants, Leon. We do not make servants of each other,” to me, embodies the theme of the play in a memorable way. Lastly, Tim Kranz’s Guiseppe Zangara does much more than characterize desperation; he breathes it in a way in which I truly pity. 
        Assassins is criticized as a play that skirts the haunting moments of America’s history, and I tend to agree. From viewing Sweeney Todd, I expected disillusionment and terror going into the play, but was met with a pigeon-holed depiction full of humor. However, there is a moment in which the play digs deeper, that of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. After Oswald completes his deed, the song “Something Just Broke” allows the audience a moment of reflection on history without forcing us to look at in humor.
        The Gilbert has its limitations in producing such a large scale musical production, however, each actor’s adeptness and the quality of the lines and score allow us to revel in the humor of horror while pushing to pause and reflect post-show on how, while not excusable, the most terrifying acts in history are understandable. The play gently reminds its audience with the invocation of Arthur Miller’s “Attention must be paid” that those in power in America need not forget those in need, those who made them what they are.   
        As the sneer of Halloween draws near, and the interest of the election explodes, there couldn’t be a better musical production to take in. Check it out at the Gilbert Theater through Oct. 19t. Tickets are  $12. For more ticket information and showtimes, call 678-7186 or e-mail  gilberttheater@aol.com.

  • Details

         Marriage is a beautiful commitment if both parties are willing to give their all and of course, compromise. Compatibility or being “equally yoked” is an essential component. Oh how I, Shanessa Linette Fenner, long to be married one day to my African-American king.  To get married and live happily ever after is the dream for some women.   
        Tyler Perry’s current stage production The Marriage Counselorfrom Oct. 24-26.  Show times are Oct. 24 at 8 p.m., Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. His tenth production profiles relationships, tells how in the end love conquers all and is a reflection of everyday living in today’s society.      
          {mosimage} Palmer Williams Jr. plays the character Floyd in the production as well as the character Floyd the barber in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.  “Floyd is a character who is the father of one of the main characters,” said Williams. “I lost my house due to Hurricane Katrina and now living in my son’s house.” Williams added that his son is an accountant and taking care of the whole family.           
       The plot entails Roger Jackson, a hard working good man, who is an accountant. He takes care of his wife, Judith; his pop, Floyd; and his wife’s mom, TT.  Floyd and TT do not get along.  Judith is a professional Ivy League educated marriage counselor who gives marital advice everyday but cannot get her own marriage together.  
        The scene switches to the married couples seeking advice.  Dr. Jackson has the answer for everyone but a turn of events causes the marriage counselor to need some advice once a college friend drops by the office. “As the play unfolds the audience will see that even though Judith is a marriage counselor, she is still distracted just as other couples become,” said Williams. “There’s counseling going on, distractions from the past and other situations.”     
         Tyler Perry, the writer-director-producer-actor-composer-playwright, opened Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta in September 2007 which is one of the first movie studios in this country owned by an African-American. Perry was inspired by Oprah Winfrey to channel his creativity and talents through writing. He has had nine successful stage productions, two collaborations, five hit movies and one hit TV sitcom since 1997.  Some of his movies and plays include Daddy’s Little Girls, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Why Did I Get Married, Madea’s Family Reunion, Madea Goes to Jail, Meet the Browns and more.  His current movie, The Family That Preys, is a must see and the title evokes a message that when “prey” turns to “pray,” good things are likely to happen.          
        “I encourage everyone to come out and enjoy this production,” said Williams. “It is a play that everyone can relate to.”   
        For more information or ticket information call 438-4100 or visit  www.tylerperry.com”   

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