Revisiting the historic 2008 election in a 2022 atmosphere. — By Richard Smith Haven Staff Writer RIO RANCHO, New Mexico — On November 6, 2008, at 10:16 AM, an email correspondent asked me this question: “What do you think of the Election?” Considering today’s political climate in our absurd ‘new normal’ reality known as 2022, it seemed appropriate to dig…

How a cross-country trek conspired to do me in. — By Richard Smith Haven Staff Writer RIO RANCHO, New Mexico — Hello fellow readers. I have a life story to share, one that you might relate to. It all started a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Well, more like a state far away — Pennsylvania, to…

The cultural, aesthetic, and economic vitality of our community. — By Richard Smith ILLUMINATION Staff Writer RIO RANCHO, New Mexico — I recently joined the Arts Commission for the City of Rio Rancho, New Mexico. It is a great honor to be included on such a commission due to the community service initiatives it represents. I also feel privileged to…

Extraterrestrial beings are not a tint, shade, or tone. — By Richard Smith ILLUMINATION Staff Writer RIO RANCHO, New Mexico — I bet you weren’t expecting to read an article titled as such. Neither was I until my wife, Linda, started posting about this subject on Facebook. Then it dawned on me how prevalent the word Grey/Gray is in our…

Igniting the voting bloc of our strong working class. — “The final war will not be a race war, it will not be between blacks and whites. The final war will be an economic war, a war between the haves and the have-nots.” — Malcolm X By Richard Smith ILLUMINATION Staff Writer When Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr…

A historic decision that benefits millions. — By Richard Smith ILLUMINATION Staff Writer This week, President Biden indicated that he is open to canceling some amount of federal student loan debt. We have several children in our family (e.g., one daughter, two sons, four nieces, and several grandchildren). I am sure that many of you can understand…

The connotations, intonations, and ancient origins of proper enunciation. — By Richard Smith New Writers Staff Writer This is a follow-up article to a piece I had written on Cults and Extreme Belief on Hulu. I am finishing out this limited A&E series, the theme of which explores the demented, brainwashed, and abusive marketing tactics of cult indoctrination. Haven’t you…

The misguided bigotry of privilege and self-entitlement. — By Richard Smith New Writers Staff Writer When we view a series such as Madam Secretary or Designated Survivor, we begin to see the bigger picture that exists beyond the provincial scope of your own uninformed community. Regardless of the mythical idealism presented in such shows, they stem from an…

Eight key suggestions for beating that ‘oy vey’ moment in your life’s passion — By Richard Smith New Writers Staff Writer We have all experienced it. You are cruising along at light speed banging out the first four or five chapters. And then BLAMMO! You hit the infamous brick wall known as writer’s block. At that point, the roof may as well collapse on…