Columns

Santa Fe Opera Revives A Worthy Early Work By Mozart

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By ROGER SNODGRASS with CARL NEWTON
Los Alamos Daily Post

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s eighth opera, La Finta Giardiniera, written in 1775, when the German wunderkind was only 18 years old, represents another venturous effort by the Santa Fe Opera festival to introduce a lesser-known work by a big name composer.

A somewhat marginal dramatic undercarriage artificially inflated by Mozart’s rapidly developing musical gifts, “The Phony Gardener,” as the title might be translated awkwardly from Read More

Yang: Data, Thinking & Wisdom

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By ELENA YANG
Los ALamos

Data, Thinking, & Wisdom

After learning the pitfalls of relying on common sense (link) and our shortcomings in using heuristics for judgment (link), I am left with, “now what?”

Knowing all the foibles doesn’t automatically, or easily, propel us to temper our old tendencies. Neither does the newfound awareness immediately lead us to locate newer and better tools with which to navigate our daily lives, and more importantly, to make weighty decisions. 

The tension between relying on intuition and researching for facts and data will always be there. Intuition Read More

Classical Music World: Musical Taste

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By ANN MCLAUGHLIN, Artistic Director
Los Alamos Concert Association

I don’t like sushi. Growing up near fishing boat and cannery aromas conditioned me to avoid eating anything raw from the sea and there is something about that chewy seaweed wrap that sets my teeth on edge. My husband and children love the stuff.

Musical taste, like culinary taste, is a very personal matter.

Several years ago, I heard from two friends after a concert. One described the experience as “transcendent.” The other referred to “that horrible, horrible pianist.” And guess what? They were both right. 

In matters Read More

Smart Design With Suzette: The Value Of Interior Design – Why Hire A Designer?

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An example of a well designed kitchen. Courtesy photo
 
The Value of Interior Design – Why Hire a Designer?
Smart Design With Suzette
By SUZETTE FOX

Lately I’ve been pondering how to communicate the value of interior design. Defining one’s personal value is more than what service we offer, of course, but it’s good to communicate a lifetime’s wealth of knowledge in order to help others.

One of the most common myths about working with an interior designer is that it will cost too much. While it is true that some designers command high fees, many charge rates that are quite reasonable and Read More

How The Hen House Turns: First Days Of Turkey One

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How The Hen House Turns
By CAROLYN (CARY) NEEPER Ph.D.
 
The First Days Of Turkey One

It’s June 2-4, sometime in the mid-1970s. We called our surviving turkey poult Dee-dum, but the name didn’t stick. She (we hoped) was called Turkey. She is now known in this column as Turkey One.

The young fuzzball insisted on a cuddle every evening at dusk. The rocking chair worked for both of us. After one half-hour, she was sleepy enough to settle down with the chicken chicks on an old ski hat under a piece of pale green blanket. They all slept through the night, quietly, if the box was closed.

On June 5, daughter Read More

Column: A Sense Of Duty

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By KENNETH NADEAU
Commander, Post 90
Los Alamos American Legion

A Boy Scout takes an oath to become a Scout, “On my honor I will do my duty to GOD and my country and to help other people at all times and to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight”. It is as simple as that.

To become an American Legionnaire one does not take an oath because one will have already done that when he/she raises their hand and swears to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and to defend our country against all enemies foreign and domestic. One then dons the uniform of the United States Read More

What The Changes To UC Retirement Plans Mean To Investors

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By BEN BOUMAN
Alpine Financial Partners

As a registered Investment advisor representative who grew up here in Los Alamos and whose parents both worked for the University of California, I always do my best to be aware of what is happening with my client and prospect base. 

About a month ago I learned that effective July 2, 2015 the University of California was “streamlining” the investment choices of their 403(b) and 457 retirement plans. I was also able to attend one of their hosted webinars explaining the changes and how it affects participants. 

The most critical aspects are the “streamlining” Read More

This Week At The Reel Deal

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By JIM O’DONNELL
Reel Deal Theater

“Summer at the Movies,” sponsored by Los Alamos National Bank, continues at 10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. so be sure to come early, as these free movies have filled to capacity in the past. Film titles are listed at the bottom of this column.

New Reduced ticket prices:

  • Matinees before 6 p.m. for everyone $7.50
  • Evenings after 6 p.m.
    • Adults: $8.75
    • Seniors 60 and over: $7.50
    • Students (ID may be required) $7.50
    • Children 12 and under: $7.50
  • 3D surcharge: $2

This Friday we are opening Pixels, with Adam Sandler, Kevin James and Read More

Salome: The Princess And Her Worst Nightmare

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Brian Jagde (Narraboth) and Ensemble in ‘Salome.’ Photo © Ken Howard/Santa Fe Opera, 2015 

Ryan McKinny (Jochanaan) and Alex Penda (Salome) in ‘Salome.’ Photo © Ken Howard/Santa Fe Opera, 2015
 
 
Review by ROGER SNODGRASS with CARL NEWTON
Los Alamos Daily Post

A new production of one of Richard Strauss’s most popular operas, Salome, opened Saturday night at the Santa Fe Opera. An excruciating portrait of a homicidal family, the opera conceivably takes place in real time in less than two hours in a single act. It goes down in a gasp.

This is a story about a very bad dream

Read More

Column: Our Flag, My Flag

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By VERNON N. KERR
Los Alamos

Our Flag, My Flag

Here is hardly anything more beautiful than to be on a troopship coming into harbor with all those American flags flying. I’m home, I’m home, I’m home.

From the time I was a 12-year-old old Boy Scout I remember being respectful to the flag that represents so many good things about the United States of America.

I am a first generation American as were so many of my classmates. We were Scots, Italian, Yugoslavian, Mexican, Polish, Japanese, Irish and more. It was a great time and a great place to grow up and every morning we recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Some Read More