Daniel Pennington
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Articles by Daniel Pennington
Final mayoral debate cements candidates' visions ahead of election
On Sunday, Oct. 24, the three Albuquerque mayoral candidates gathered at the Congregation Albert synagogue for their final debate before the election takes place on Nov. 2. The participants, current Mayor Tim Keller, Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzalez and conservative talk show host Eddy Aragon, answered questions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, crime and homelessness.
OPINION: ‘Squid Game’ ponders how far people will go to escape poverty
This review contains spoilers “Squid Game,” a nine-episode South Korean fantasy-survival drama released by Netflix last month, raises the question: “How much would I have to earn to risk my life?” In “Squid Game,” we see 456 contestants — mostly people with a lot of debt and financial issues — compete in children’s games, like red light, green light or tug-of-war, for the chance to win 45.6 billion South Korean won ($38 million). If a player loses, they are killed.
Operation Legend Has Less Than Legendary Results
This image, which was uploaded in all seriousness, included text which read “Operation Legend/Grip-Op putting up HUGE numbers for Southeast Albuquerque!” At the end of July, Alibi staff writer Robin Babb asked the questions of Operation Legend most of us were too afraid to consider. Is this part of a much larger scale program from President Trump in an attempt to undermine citizens’ freedom and safety, with the guise of civil protection masking it?
Community Looks for Answers In Death of Ken Reiss
The last photo Ken Reiss uploaded to his Facebook. Ken Reiss When a community faces the loss of someone who was well-loved, it’s palpable. The moments and memories they shared with those around them become something held by one less person, with more untold and lost forever. On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11 citizens of Albuquerque woke up to the news of just that.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Crimemapping.com makes knowing your neighbor easier than ever Even Tanoan isn’t safe from the scurge of “noise complaints.” Dan Pennington Things just aren’t the way they used to be. It’s a phrase some of the old-timers love to toss around. It’s true. As time passes, things will inevitably change.
What Is Going On At Weekly Alibi?
Our big, red “a” leaves a nice neon glow across the office late at night. Dan Pennington I remember sitting in the bar I worked at in November of 2016 with friends, watching in abject horror at the screen as we all witnessed state after state go red for Trump. Like roughly half the country, we couldn’t believe what was happening. We knew people didn’t objectively love Clinton, but that night opened our eyes to the fact something was very wrong with the country.
Black Lives Matter
News Feature Black Lives Matter The message could not be more clear: Black Lives Matter. With a peaceful gathering held in downtown Albuquerque this past weekend, the statement that rang truest with the crowd was, “We just want to live.” This isn’t a space for my thoughts or input, but a way to give a platform to the voices that are calling for justice, equity and safety in their community. If you can’t hear those calls for basic needs to be met, then you are not listening.
Community Terrorism
Community Terrorism New Mexico Civil Guard draws on unarmed protestors Filling Philly’s, where the NMCG bunkered down and prepared for violence Dan Pennington Sunday evening a crowd gathered in Downtown for the purpose of speaking out against violence toward BIPOC from police. The organizing group, Black New Mexico Movement, was well-managed and coordinated, ensuring everyone was on the same page throughout the entire protest. The message was to be heard and to maintain peace.
Mask It or Casket
I mean, they do a lot more than that to be fair. Clarke Condé Maskholes. It’s the term that was coined and defined through UrbanDictionary.com as, “assholes who don’t wear masks publicly during the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.” Sadly, this nearly exclusively American problem of mask adoption rates has been one of the larger contributing factors to why the outbreak on the homefront has been so widespread and drawn out. We lead lives where we begin to notice patterns.
Going Maskless
Going Maskless School will open in-person day one, no masks required That “DO NOT ENTER” sign has a whole new meaning now. Clarke Condé Our children are our future. It’s the phrase tossed around a lot, especially by older generations. Ironically, though, this country seems to be staunchly against protecting the future, especially lately.
A Discussion on Honesty and Reporting
Frontier recently had a case pop up, but took the time to shut down and properly reopen safely. Clarke Condé Alright, everyone. It’s time to put on our tin foil hats. One of the stranger parts of working within the journalism sector is the amount of unsolicited “anonymous” tips you get. This isn’t to say I don’t want them. In fact, I love them. You never know what rabbit hole you will be led down from the simplest things.
On Independence and Inequality
On Independence and Inequality As unemployment supplement ends, many fear what's next You gotta admit, they’re very pretty considering their simplicity. Daderot / Wikimedia CC0 1.0 I recently celebrated a birthday. Growing up, summer birthdays sucked. Your friends always seemed to be out of town on vacation, or maybe that’s just what they told me to spare my feelings. The point is I was born on July 14, which to many Americans holds zero significance.
The Long Avenue to Recovery
The Long Avenue to Recovery Downtown, facing setback after setback, eyes a tough future Downtown, or as I call her, Old Faithfully Good Time Clarke Condé What is there to do about Downtown Albuquerque? After the long and tumultuous road (some pun intended) that was Albuquerque Rapid Transit (ART as the cool kids call it), things were finally looking like they were on the mend for the beleaguered sector of the city.
Food for Thought
One of the many pictures posted by NMRA. New Mexico Restaurant Association Facebook With indoor dining closed again, I feel the need to speak up again. I’ve been no stranger to speaking about my time in the service industry. National chains to local dives, I’ve worked front and back of the house multiple times, with varying degrees of uniforms, including a stint in full kilt, much to the chagrin of my fellow employees.
La Placita Dining Rooms offers comfort and nostalgia
Familiar and Forgotten La Placita Dining Rooms offers comfort and nostalgia Seriously, the tree is massive. Dan Pennington Recently, with the abundance of time I’ve had on my hands, I began watching videos from my younger years. Videos of my friends and I just existing in a carefree world—one where responsibility didn’t play a role in our lives and a pandemic wasn’t even a feasible thought.
Fools On Parade
Fools On Parade What happens when you rage against the wrong machine “It’s nice to see the same 40 people over and over.” -An attendee of the protest Dan Pennington I wish I was coming to you with a hard-hitting story about the New Mexico Civil Guard, a group of paramilitary individuals who created a local armed forces group to stand at protests and decide who deserves protecting and who doesn’t.
Opinion: Is the DNC DOA?
The BLM protests have seen more youth engagement than ever before. Many of our readers question our near complete refusal to cover President Trump with our paper, and there’s good reason for it. The near non-stop coverage of his madness leading up to the convention where he properly secured the nomination helped place him as the only topic we would hear about and led to what has been an inarguably disastrous four-year tenure in the White House.
Service Industry Faces More Challenges During the Pandemic
Jarrad Wilson, masked and gloved, drops off food at a table at Slate Street Cafe. Dan Pennington COVID-19 has taken over almost any other thought we would normally have in our day-to-day lives. Traipsing around the home has left many feeling the aggressive urge to do literally anything to feel like a pandemic isn’t happening all around them.
An Occasionally Wild Boy
An Occasionally Wild Boy Steve-O pays homage to where it all began while supporting locals facing food insecurity Steve-O was full of energy when it came to helping fundraise for Roadrunner. Clarke Condé With COVID-19 wiping out so many aspects of our lives, it has been hard for many to find a new normal. A lot of life has gone on pause while we sort through the loss of work, being distanced and trying to land on our feet again. But, we’re a resilient group.
To All Our Friends, Past, Present and Future
To All Our Friends, Past, Present and Future Your support means the world to us You might have seen a couple of the ads bouncing around in our paper, or heard word of it online, but I personally wanted to talk to you, the reader, about what Friends of Weekly Alibi is. Weekly Alibi has been publishing since 1992, a friendly guide to the city and it’s going-ons.
Isolation Log
Day 8 Going out has become a matter of life or death, as I fight against an unseen enemy. I don’t have any real supplies to protect myself, so I was dressed in an excessively puffy jacket, ski gloves and have worn a plastic bag around my head. I was in need of food in my house, so I ventured to the smallest market I could find to scrounge for supplies. I managed to find a bag of potatoes, a quarter pound of ground beef, and 13 boxes of Jell-O.
Tiger King Is A Quarantine Must-Watch
Tiger King Is A Quarantine Must-Watch Tiger documentary is Meth Fueled Madness There’s no proper way to introduce this. Not in a million years could anyone have properly prepared us for what Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness was going to be. Yet here we are, trapped at home and waiting for any kind of good news, and Netflix—kings of streaming—decide to drop the documentary that proves things can always be worse. Maybe you’ve seen the memes and been on the fence.
Kindness In The Time Of Coronavirus
Kindness In The Time Of Coronavirus In the hard times we face, the community has found ways to come together It might be easy to feel defeated right now. There’s little you can do to escape the constant barrage of information that is coming at you, a dark reminder of the struggles everyone in the world is going through. There will be changes coming because of it, no doubt, but it’s times like these that we need to coalesce around an idea.
Isolation Log
‹‹ Alibi V.29 No.13 • March 26-April 1, 2020 Day 1 Now that I’m not leaving home, I’ve been super-excited to get to all the things I’ve put off. On the docket for the first day was snacks, Netflix, getting some serious playtime in with the pets and, of course, more snacks. Gotta say, this is a much-needed vacation and I’m gonna come out of it looking tan and lean. Day 2 I feel super well rested after a night of celebration. My day today was actually pretty much the same as yesterday.
On Metaphors and Pizza
On Metaphors and Pizza Dion’s delivery is a welcome change during the end times Just give us the cheesy goodness straight to our door please! Dan Pennington I keep hearing that things won’t be the same after all this is done, and in a way, I feel glad. There’s a cause I’ve been advocating for years, something near and dear to my heart. I try not to hold strong opinions when it comes to my section, but in times like these, maybe now is the best opportunity to speak up.
Toilet Paper Won’t Save You
Toilet Paper Won’t Save You A guide on stocking up responsibly When I wrote about the plastic bag ban back in January, I started off with a story of chaos in the stores as people had to learn how to carry their own groceries without the use of single-use plastic bags. It was written satirically, because I had foolheartedly believed that humanity was full of levelheaded individuals who can adapt and grow with changes.
New Mexico News
Statewide Changes Going Into Effect Governor addresses social distancing for residents and businesses Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham held a live-streamed press conference today after announcing confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state had reached 28. Her message was clear: Reduction in interactions with others will continue to reduce transmission, and as such, will help prevent further spread of COVID-19.
Covid 19 To-do Guide
‹‹ Alibi V.29 No.12 • March 19-25, 2020 Covid 19 To-do Guide Okay, we’re really in the thick of it right now. For many, it’s easy to get disheartened. Maybe it’s the optimist in me, maybe it’s the fact that I believe the United States won’t let thousands of businesses close over this, but I believe that when this is all over, things will be okay. Things will go back to normal, albeit a different normal than before, but they will return.
No Time For Panic
No Time For Panic Locals come together and create community support We hope it never comes to this. Dan Pennington There are two sides to every story. Yes, the virus is bad. Yes, social distancing needs to happen and, yes, going out isn’t the thing to be doing right now. But that is the logical side. The one that’s based on self-preservation. But what about our human side? The ones based in the need for social interaction?
A Food Hall For All
One of the many things you can choose to chow down on at Sawmill Market. Eric Williams Photography I’ve got to say that I’ve been really proud of Albuquerque over the last few years. That spark of ingenuity and freshness is finally back on the upswing, giving us a constant flow of new and exciting places to see. The rise of locally owned businesses growing into huge spaces is fantastic and a part of a growing trend.
St. Patrick’s How To Guide
‹‹ Alibi V.29 No.11 • March 12-18, 2020 St. Patrick’s How To Guide Can you all believe it’s March already? It feels like the last two months have vanished in a blink as we now begin our preparations for the glorious return of spring. It’s time to break out our lighter clothes (weather permitting) and get back out there to enjoy all the nice warm air before it turns into a sweltering heat death.
Restaurant Review
Let’s Roll, S-A S-A BBQ brings the smoke to Green Jeans Not one part of this meal is bad. Eric Williams Photography Green Jeans Farmery has always been a wonderful anomaly to me. It has a distinct look, a labyrinth of shipping containers housing the innovators of local greatness. It’s a one-stop shop for damn near everything you could possibly need, making it one of the easiest decisions for a group get-together. What surprises me most about it is that it has an impermanence that feels right.
Weekly Specials: Sharp Behind
Sharp Behind How good are you with a knife? Not in a serial killer type of way, but in the kitchen? Can you julienne with the best? Do you have a nice dice? When it comes to quartering potatoes, are you up to snuff? Maybe it’s time to update the skills that pay the kitchen bills with CNM’s Spring Culinary Experience - Knife Skills Basics, happening at the CNM Main Campus (525 Buena Vista Dr. SE) on Saturday, Mar. 7 from 10am to 1pm.
A Dark Roast Is Rising
A Dark Roast Is Rising Casa De Luna preps to open Downtown Let all the right kinds of light in with this amazing window. Alexis Garza It’s fair to say that when it comes to being iconic in Albuquerque, our coffee shops hold the award.
M’Tucci’s Twenty-Five Brings Italy To You
M’Tucci’s Twenty-Five Brings Italy To You A new venture with new ideas Get ready for an Italian experience unlike anything in the city. Sunny 505 Winner of two 2019 Best of Burque Restaurants awards and local favorite (obviously), M’Tucci’s Italian has been at the forefront of making the Italian food scene in Albuquerque interesting. From their catering arm to their now four locations, M’Tucci’s Italian is sweeping the competition on expansion.
Danny Loves Choche
Danny Loves Choche Don Choche brings authentic Mexican to Nob Hill Feel free to dig down on tacos with no shame. Eric Williams Photography Here in the heart of New Mexico, good food is not hard to find. We are lucky in that sense. We manage to weed out the bad and leave only the good, very effectively allowing us to be surrounded by the best of the best. It allows the fostering of local restaurants to start to grow within the city to better heights than you could expect elsewhere.
Weekly Specials: Feeling Hot
Feeling Hot Get your milk ready! The National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show will be hitting Sandia Resort & Casino (30 Rainbow Rd. NE) on Friday, Feb. 28 starting at 11am. General admission tickets are $15.50 a person, and that will get you access to more than 1,000 different products both local and national, all gathered in one convenient place. Plus, you’ll get the chance to see plenty of live cooking demos going on, letting you chow down on fresh samples all over.
Food on the Move
Daydream is aesthetically one of the most relaxing spots I’ve been in this city. Eric Williams Photography There was fear in the wake of Albuquerque Rapid Transit. Our comfortable home in the heart of the city, Nob Hill, had faced struggles in the past, but the long queue of construction that disrupted the flow of Central Avenue caused what some felt was irreparable damage. What was once bustling and lively became empty. Long-time favorites started to have “for rent” signs in the windows.
Weekly Specials: Marg Madness
Marg Madness What day isn’t made better by margaritas? The joy of tequila turning your normal routine into one of semi-controlled chaos is a joy that is hard to match. Everyone has a singular legendary story that starts with tequila in some capacity, and if you don’t, I would argue that you’re missing out and need to rectify that. Time is running out before Lent, so your debauchery needs to get in and moving as soon as possible.
Follow-Ups, Freak-Outs and Flowers
‹‹ Alibi V.29 No.7 • Feb 13-19, 2020 Follow-Ups, Freak-Outs and Flowers Like many weekly specials, this one shall be constructed with a mish-mash of leftover pieces. We’ve covered a ton of Valentine’s Day specials already in this issue, so I’ll toss one more in for good measure and give you all a little bit extra to chew on instead. Perhaps it was foolish of me to think the city would be less crazy as time inevitably marches on but maybe one day, things will settle down.
Tonari No Mise Brings Unique Flavor to City
Tonari No Mise Brings Unique Flavor to City The store next door is amazing for sure Beauty and flavor, together as one. Eric Williams Photography Have we stagnated? Has the culture of creativity slowed down? Many people have asked me what is the coolest, newest place to do something wild and different, and usually, I struggle to give them something they haven't seen before.
Where the Valentines Are
Where the Valentines Are We did the math so you don’t have to Look at the date on your phone. Oh my God, it's probably Feb. 13, if you read the paper the day it hits stands. If not, that’s even more distressing. You forgot to make Valentine's Day plans again! You buffoon! It's the same day every year! We're gonna play a little game.
We Continue To Stray
We Continue To Stray Wow, it’s been a rough start to 2020. In a year that sounds as futuristic as “The Jetsons,” it seems things have only gotten stranger. We’d like to believe that as a species, time will carry us forward to our best selves, yet inevitably, everytime we turn around, things have only become more bizarre and it feels as if we’ve strayed farther and farther from the path of knowledge.
Food Truck Review: Wing It Up
WInging It As We Go Wing It Up brings chicken and waffles to the street Everything here is perfect. Don’t be afraid to get a little messy eating it. Dan Pennington It’s no surprise to many that I genuinely love fried chicken in all forms, and wings fit the mold perfectly for all that is good about them. That crispy skin, the multitude of sauces and the ability to eat 12 in a single sitting usually add up to an all-around good time.
Taylor Garrett Whiskey Changes the Rules of Distilling
Whiskey Away Taylor Garrett Whiskey changes the rules of distilling Scott Feuille is ready to prove he can make change in the industry. Courtesy of Lindsay Rowe Parker We've all done it at some point. We looked at the cost of a nice bottle of alcohol and thought, "Surely, I can do this cheaper!" Then, through a short series of defeats from online articles about the process, we realize how hard it is to just go about it on your own.
Weekly Specials: Beer-ducation
‹‹ Alibi V.29 No.5 • Jan 30-Feb 5, 2020 Beer-ducation Want to learn about beer? You can join the Beer Education Class with Head Brewer Kaylynn from Toltec Brewing (10250 Cottonwood Park NW)! Going down on Thursday, Jan. 30 from 5:30pm to 7pm, this free class is open to the public and will teach you all the basics about brewing, including beer history, ingredients and more. You too can be a beer expert, showing off to all your friends your deep and intricate beer knowledge.
Restaurant Review
The very definiton of mouth-watering Eric Williams Photography When I have a weekly sit-down with my therapist, a small portion of our time is spent discussing what I plan to write in the week ahead, my goals for where my writing will be going. This is partly to do with my struggles with imposter syndrome, and otherwise as a way to get my thoughts out in a healthy way. What does come up often though is that there’s a respite in these pages.
Suping up Your Sunday
‹‹ Alibi V.29 No.5 • Jan 30-Feb 5, 2020 Suping up Your Sunday All these Super Bowl needs, so little time Drown in the glory of wings. Gyan Bahadur Basnet / Pixabay License I’m not going to pretend I know a lot about football. My dad loves the Seahawks, my grandma loves the Cowboys and my girlfriend loves the Packers. I have no allegiance and I’m happy about that. But I do still have a special spot in my heart for Super Bowl Sunday.
Dia de Los TaKos at Hollow Spirits
Stop, Collaborate and Listen Dia de Los TaKos and Hollow Spirits Work Together If the theme is a party, then they’re very on theme. Courtesy of Dia de Los TaKos Anyone who reads this section knows there are two things I love more than anything else: Tacos and booze. So much so, in fact, that Weekly Alibi did two food weeks on those tasty topics last year.
Restaurant Review
Umami, Ooh Daddy Umami Moto finds new home in New Mexico Dive into the bowl and swim through the flavors. Eric Williams Photography We preach local pretty hard here at Weekly Alibi. One of the things that our owner, Christopher Johnson, has always talked to me about is standing in the little guys’ corner. At the end of the day, the industry giants will always have an edge on the market because of what feels like a limitless resource pool to make magic happen.
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