Columns

Solo Traveler: Habits

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Solo Traveler: Habits
By SHERRY HARDAGE

We all have valuable habits, like brushing and flossing our teeth, or putting things back where they belong after using them.

Habits are quite valuable while traveling, too, though it’s easy to forget all habits when you’re outside of a comfortable routine. 

I experienced a couple of disorganized trips before discovering that I needed to come up with some habits, practice them so they would actually BE habits, and then use them all the time at home as well as on the road. Life got a lot easier when there was a system in place.

I used to take several bottles Read More

TALES OF OUR TIMES: Drones Are All The Buzz

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By JOHN BARTLIT
New Mexico Citizens
for Clean Air & Water

Drones Are All The Buzz

“Drone” has assorted meanings that fit the range of human industry. To honey farmers, a drone is a male honeybee, which is stingless and makes no honey.

In military news, a drone is an unmanned aircraft steered by itself or by remote control that packs detectors and deadly weapons. Some say the name recalls the plane’s bee-like shape.

Bagpipes get their commanding voice from the loud one-note pipes called drones.

Today’s topic is the variety of tasks that flying drones are doing. Military drones spark many issues Read More

Cinema Cindy Reviews ‘The Giver’

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By CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB

“The Giver” is another young adult novel turned to film that presents a dystopian vision of the future. And like the others we’ve seen in recent years—“Hunger Games,” “Divergent”—it succeeds in making me want to read the book after seeing the film.

From much younger friends, I have heard that the film doesn’t do the book justice. But that is usually the case in movies that have to tell the fullness of a story in less than two hours. Nonetheless, the images and characters in the film will give visuals to the words I will read when I do buy the book. All is not lost, book lovers!

Movie Read More

Pain Free Athlete: Prevent Osteoporosis With Aligned Posture

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The Pain Free Athlete
By JESSICA KISIEL

Prevent Osteoporosis with Aligned Posture

I’m worried about osteoporosis, as are many of my clients. Osteoporosis is a thinning of the bones, which increases the likelihood of fractures and can lead to disability and death. The diagnosis of osteopenia also denotes decreased bone mass and is a precursor to osteoporosis.

Similar to high blood pressure, osteoporosis is a silent disease. You can have it for many years without knowing because there are no symptoms. The body doesn’t warn you of the internal decline of your bones. Often the first Read More

This Week at the Reel Deal

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Column by JIM O’DONNELL
Reel Deal Theater    

This week we are opening The Hundred Foot Journey and A Most Wanted Man (Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s last film.)

Sin City, The Giver, and Guardians of the Galaxy will hold for another week. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will end this Thursday. Despite poor reviews, I saw Sin City and liked it. It is indeed an artistic work of cinematography and definitely worth a look.

Thanks to all of you who waited patiently for The Hundred Foot Journey, and A Most Wanted Man. Hope we have a good turn-out so we can continue to get this type of genre at the Reel Read More

How the Hen House Turns: The Human Factor (Part Two)

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How the Hen House Turns
The Human Factor (Part Two)
Column by Carolyn A. (Cary) Neeper, Ph. D.

Perhaps you’ve seen the PBS special that reported the study of tameness done in Russia.

For several decades, foxes held in captivity were bred selectively. Those friendly to humans were mated and produced pups so consistently friendly they are now let out for adoption. The “friendly” gene package included variation in physical appearance and fur color. Like dogs, those foxes may eventually develop hugely different “breeds.”

If snarling, aggressive foxes are bred together, the result is predictably Read More

Food on the Hill: Cheesy Corn Chowder

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This Week’s Recipe: Cheesy Corn Chowder
 
Photo by Sue York/ladailypost.com
 
Ingredients:
 
8 slices of bacon, fried until crisp, then crumbled (save fat)
1 cup of chopped onions
6 ears of fresh corn
1 cup of cream
16 to 20 oz of good chicken stock
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of flour
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
2 small cans of potatoes, cubed
6 oz. smoked white cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
 
Directions:
 
Boil the corncobs in water for 3 minutes.  Cool under running water and set the corn aside. Fry the bacon in a fry pan and when crisp, set
Read More

Yang: Concluding The Summer – A Little Suggestion On Changing Minds

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Concluding The Summer – A Little Suggestion On Changing Minds
By ELENA YANG

It’s not the official “end of the summer” – not till the 23rd of September – but I’ve always felt at home with the academic calendar ever since I started kindergarten. 

Today, I offer a brief observation on meetings, not the one-on-one kind but meetings of groups. 

Anyone who thinks he can change minds in one group meeting is either colossally arrogant or hopelessly naïve. Seriously, can we even quickly or easily change the habits of, say, our cat or dog? I recently learned that crows are highly intelligent and Read More

Judge Casados: Landlord and Tenant Issues

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Landlord and Tenant Issues

By JUDGE PAT CASADOS
Los Alamos Magistrate Court

Are you thinking about moving and renting a new home? Are you going away to college and will not live in the dorm? Are you sending a student off to rent an apartment or share a house with other students?

Renting a place to live presents many important questions and can have legal consequences. Lack of information or wrong information may cause disputes that can turn into headaches including court action leading to eviction.

The first and most important piece of advice I would give anyone is to KEEP RECORDS.

In looking for housing Read More

Pajarito Rambler: Canada Bonita Trail in August

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Pajarito Rambler: Canada Bonita Trail in August

By NINA THAYER
Los Alamos

As promised, today this rambler hiked the same trail we shared with you this past June and like a favorite museum with rooms full of new displays, the Canada Bonita Trail has many new wildflowers with only a few of the favorites from June.

Park at the west end of the ski hill paved parking lot. Walk 50 yards along the gravel Camp May Road and then turn right at the trailhead sign.

Fireweed. Photo by Nina Thayer

The first difference you will notice on the right side of the road is that the bright pink-purple Fireweed (also called Bloomin’ Read More