Snowshoe Pajarito

Los Alamos, a city filled with history, science, and an odd assortment of people. Many postdocs here feel the social scene is limited. If you feel this way, snowshoe.



You don't need friends to snowshoe, only snowshoes. You may also ski, if that's your thing. The advantage of snowshoes is they don't require special boots, bindings, or poles; they hug whatever closed shoes you have and protect you. When times are hard and your social circle either doesn't exist or collapses, you still have yourself and the mountains.

Bad things are happening in Kenya, Bill Richardson dropped out of the race (well, we knew his chance was slim), people in Los Alamos suffer from depression, gossip, and loneliness. Embrace your isolation; the ski hill sits quietly, a beautiful bird waiting and welcoming. And vote. Donate money to causes you care about, and start a project: volunteering, learning Spanish, or perfecting cupcake recipes.

Everything bad is good, er, right?

Finally, confirmation that violent movies reduce crime! According to two economists (economist=psychologist), young men aced to wreck havoc and mayhem on society may get their yayas by watching violent movies instead of actually committing violent acts. During the weekend of violent movie premiers and in the few days after, there is a dip in reported crime. So not only do violent films keep these scoundrels off the streets, it pacifies them for awhile. There is some logic to this, as undesirable no. 1 cannot be in two places at once (at least not without some polyjuice potion). The conclusion of the article is to find other ways to keep young men entertained, perhaps with seductive older women, funding more Adam Sandler films, or distributing passes to hear Mike Huckabee. Keep danger off our streets!