Homeless people need affordable places to live—an obvious statement on its surface. But a survey released last week by the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness arrives at that conclusion and flies in the face of many assumptions people maintain about Albuquerque's homeless population, says Lisa LaBrecque, policy and advocacy director with the coalition.

When I heard the news that three employees at the Orlando Weekly were arrested on charges of deriving proceeds from prostitution and aiding and abetting prostitution, my first thoughts were: What about every other alternative weekly (including the Alibi) that runs advertisements for escort agencies? Why haven't they been targeted, and are they going to be?

How does cancer's latest foe do battle? How much is APS paying its educational assistants? How did a Northern New Mexico resident get caught by Johnny Law? And what does the "Governator" think about the sticky-icky?

1. The state's train

7. The Alibi's original mascot

8. “Ask a _____”

10. _____ 101.5, independent radio in Santa Fe

12. AM radio host who accused the city of shortening yellow light times

15. Banned as animal cruelty

16. “Best of _____”

17. The Apple product that got way too much media attention this year

I wasn’t able to attend the public meetings conducted by the search committee for a new APS superintendent. The committee’s purpose was to gather input from the community on two important issues the search will have to confront, so I’d like to toss my own two cents into the pot.

Dateline: England--Vince Mattingley of Watford, Hertfordshire, has proudly showed off his tattoo for the last 26 years. The tat, emblazoned across his chest, spells out his name in Chinese characters--at least that’s what he thought. According to England’s The Sun, Mattingley was on a recent trip to Thailand when a barman asked him why he had “Coca-Cola” written on his chest. “I thought it was a joke, then I found out that’s what it said.” Mattingley got the tattoo’s design by asking the staff of his favorite restaurant to write out his name in Chinese characters. “The restaurant staff must have had a good laugh about it.” Mattingley says he now plans to get another Oriental tattoo to cover up the name, adding, “I’m going to go with something Japanese this time.”

Plant fruit trees and nut trees in your yard for food. Plant fruit trees and nut trees instead of other trees. Imagine if all the trees in Albuquerque were fruit trees and nut trees. Lots of nutritious, fresh fruit and nuts, free! Trees for shade, oxygen and beauty are great! Trees for shade, oxygen, beauty and food are much better yet! Fresh, local, tree-ripened fruit tastes better and is more nutritious than store-bought fruit picked green and shipped hundreds or thousands of miles.