Columns

Cinema Cindy Reviews ‘The Big Short’

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By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos
 
“The Big Short” could be the most important film of 2015. It exposes the risky financial under-girdings of our capitalist system where the key players, big banks, are expected to play by the rules and don’t.
 
Greed is the central motivator and some level of gambling is inherent. Yet our nation is dependent on this corrupt system.
 
The film dramatizes the 2005-2007 events leading up to the burst of the housing bubble. We lived through the foreclosures and the bank losses, the market failures and government bailouts. But do we really understand
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Cinema Cindy Reviews ‘The Revenant’

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By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB
Los Alamos
 
“The Revenant”, at 2 hours and 36 minutes in length, is a test of endurance for the moviegoer. But compared to the story of endurance told in the film, that is nothing.
 
In 1823, Hugh Glass was serving as a scout on an American fur-trapping expedition through the upper Missouri River watershed, in Montana and North Dakota. While out hunting food for the party, Glass unknowingly gets between a grizzly and her two cubs. He is severely mauled and left for dead by the bear.
 
His own company, after attempting to carry him on a wooden pallet for many miles
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How The Hen House Turns: Whispering Works

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How The Hen House Turns:
Whispering Works
By CAROLYN A. NEEPER, Ph.D
Los Alamos
 
I know little about horses, but I understand horse whispering. Horses simply need to know that you are a reliable leader of the herd. They like attention from human hands.
 
It’s very much like the neck nibbling they do to establish close relations. Whispering works with most animals, even chickens. But you have to listen carefully.
 
Chickens respond with quiet murmurs when you say, “Good morning.” It was easier to hear Lucy Goose. Her “good morning” was a very distinctive “honk
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Pastor Granillo: Handling Manna

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By Pastor Raul Granillo
Los Alamos

Handling Manna.

“Do you not know that God entrusted you with that money (all above what buys necessities for your families) to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to help the stranger, the widow, the fatherless; and, indeed, as far as it will go, to relieve the wants of all mankind? How can you, how dare you, defraud the Lord, by applying it to any other purpose?” ― John Wesley

There is a story in the Bible about how God provided food for the recently freed Israelites. They had only been free from Egypt for a couple of months; and yet their fear of the unknown world in front Read More

YANG: NUMMI – The Giant Moved One Foot Forward

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By ELENA YANG
Los Alamos

In the Joint Venture (JV) negotiation between GM and Toyota for the NUMMI (New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated, (link), the labor union had to concede many of their usual taken-for-granted rights, such as seniority.

Recalling the bad-to-worse workforce at the Fremont site, it would be insane for GM to rehire that same lot after closing down the plant. Yet, the UAW western region boss, Bruce Lee, felt compelled to give the same crew another chance because he believed that their poor behavior was the product of the system. However, before Lee got the green light Read More

For Chronic Pain Relief, Consider Physical Therapy

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By JESSE KNIGHT MD
AND STEVEN LAUER NP

Millions of people wake up in pain every day. Some major culprits include backache, arthritis, and chronic pain in the knees or shoulders. Pain can stem from illness; inactivity; injury; or repetitive movements, such as typing.

Easing chronic pain often starts with medicine and therapy. If you suffer from chronic pain, the first stop should be your doctor’s office. Your physician may refer you to a physical therapist (PT). PTs use a hands-on approach to help relieve pain.

During Your Therapy Visit

During the first session, the PT will ask you to describe your Read More

Renewing Our Existing Neighborhoods; Supporting Public Employees

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By Susan O’Leary, Vice Chair
Los Alamos County Council

In the coming weeks, the Los Alamos County Council will be considering both Capital Improvement spending and Economic Development spending.

There’s typically some interplay between these two programs. In the past, the County has devoted considerable resources to developing new housing subdivisions as a way to improve our housing stock and attract more residents. While those efforts have been and can continue to be beneficial, the focus on new neighborhoods hasn’t done much to promote the renewal of our existing neighborhoods; many Read More

Griggs: Ringside Table On Life In The Marrakech Medina

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House buntings cheerfully clean up the floor in a restaurant on top of a fondouk where in days gone by visiting merchants would unload their camels and store their goods to sell in the souks. Courtesy photo

Los Alamos Daily Post foreign correspondent David Griggs having dinner at La Porte du Monde, deep in the ancient Marrakech Medina. In the background, the narrow Rue Riad Zitoun Djdid passes through an old arch. Courtesy photo

 

By DAVID GRIGGS
Foreign Correspondent
Los Alamos Daily Post

Recently I had the pleasure of spending two months in Morocco, on the northwest coast of Africa.

The ancient Read More

Smart Design With Suzette: Organizing Your Kitchen

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Store lids with containers. Courtesy photo
 
By SUZETTE FOX
Los Alamos

Although January is nearing its close and many a New Year’s resolutions have fallen by the wayside, I’ve decided to let my neat-freak flag fly and get down ‘n dirty with home organization.

If you’ve been bitten by a similar clean-up bug and are looking to organize your own home—I’ve got you covered in the kitchen! These tips, tricks, and techniques will have you in the organizing groove well into the new year!

The kitchen is an area of your home that gets used more often than most other areas. So it stands to reason that Read More

Pastor Granillo: It’s Complicated!

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By RAUL GRANILLO
Los Alamos

“When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.” (Genesis 29:31 NIV)

Reading the story of Rachel and Leah’s competition for Jacob’s love, in the book of Genesis, is a lot like reading a Jerry Springer show in the making. It started when Jacob ended up marrying two sisters (Leah and Rachel), but really only loved Rachel. To comfort Leah, God gave her sons, which Leah thought would make Jacob love her—which didn’t work (29:34).

Rachel then got jealous and blamed Jacob for her infertility (30:1); so, in her infinite wisdom, Rachel told Read More