Articles

Why Washington DC Should be Our 51st State

51 stars on the US flag

Has this ever happened to you? You start to hear about an upcoming get-together -- a birthday party among your classmates. Or someone in your family is getting married. Or your co-workers are organizing some celebration. They're making plans, they're all excited, and you expect to hear the details about when it is, and where...

But wait! You never get the invitation! What the -- ! How come you're being excluded? You thought you were part of the group but turns out you're ... not?

If you've ever had this experience then you know how Washington DC residents feel.

Day Hikes of Central New Mexico

Sandia Mountain hike March 28 2021

Early last year, I started hiking locally with a group of about four or five regulars. These were friends I'd hiked with before, but we fell into a rhythm of hiking every Sunday.

It seemed to work out for all of us, and even during the pandemic lockdown, we decided to continue despite the risks.

I'd hiked before, mainly with UNM's Recreational Services Getaway Adventures program, but this was the first time in years I had gone so regularly, and gone on so many trails that were new to me.

The Pathway of Greater Good

Leanne Yanabu holding the Distinguished Toastmaster Plaque

As a web designer, I mostly update webpages.

Sometimes I’m asked to redesign a website.

One thing I’ve found is, no matter how outdated, clunky, or ugly the existing website, the new website you replace it with will be met with plenty of complaints.

People hate change!

"Where is my stuff?" "I can't find anything!" "I can't login." "I hate the colors." "The organization is horrible." "Bring back the old website! Why'd you have to change anything?!"

United We Stand

United we stand, divided we fall

I respect the office of the President of the United States, and the ideal of a government by the people, of the people, and for the people.

Part of what makes this country great is the ability to criticize the government and its representatives.

I am not a fan of the current President, Donald Trump:

The Case for Backyard Chickens

Chickens in the Backyard

Every so often, there are egg recalls due to a salmonella outbreak. In 2010, Wright County Egg, in Galt, Iowa, recalled 380 million eggs nationwide.

What if there was a way you would never have to worry about getting sick from factory farmed eggs, and that it was also easy, cheap, educational, fun, beneficial to the environment, and could improve your social life. You would say "How do I get started?"

What you want to do is raise chickens in your backyard.

Blowing In the Wind: The Smart Way to Dry Your Clothes

Hanging Laundry in New Mexico

The other day I was at Walmart, doing one of my favorite things which is judging what other people are putting on the checkout belt. There was an old guy in front of me, and I saw he had a pack of air fresheners with the scent “Clean laundry” with a picture on it of a white shirt hanging on a clothesline waving in the breeze.

I thought, how weird is that? We live in New Mexico where the sun shines 280 days out of the year. He could hang his clothes out and get the same smell for free.

Do you hang your laundry?

A Toast to COVID-19

We're all experiencing the effects of this COVID-19 pandemic together, though separately.

Does it feel surreal? Like nothing you ever experienced before?

Actually, this feels familiar to me. Feeling useless, confused, with things constantly changing?

I felt like this the whole two years I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali.

But looking back, it was one of the best times of my life and one that profoundly changed who I was and what I realized I could handle.

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