Just like the crew who re-introduce egg nog each year, when it’s seasonally advantageous, or those who re-release the easily melted chocolate treat named Ice Cubes, there has to be a gang of language people who remove certain words and expressions from cold storage for elections.
     A couple of candidate-speak expressions taken off the shelves during the political processes are “You can’t change horses in midstream” and “Stay the course.”

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    What a perfect combination, losing at the casinos and securing a payday loan to cover another payday loan in order to buy groceries!
     The practitioner of this financial schedule is a man I’ve known for about 30 years. His wife I’ve known for less time, and each one sat with me for a couple of hours, on different days, to justify why they feel that way. I state emphatically that I am neither their financial adviser nor confessor. They simply wanted someone to listen, not give advice.
     But we’ll get to the gambler and his spouse in a few paragraphs. Let’s start with some observations regarding games of chance.

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    Recently, several members of the Optic newsroom staff went over a host of government-police-type articles that appeared in the state’s newspapers. It was amazing how many times those mentioned in the articles refused comment. Either police failed to identify the suspect or, more commonly, some school or civic or state spokesperson remained mum.
     Commonly we read, “On the advice of my attorney, I have no comment,” or “I can’t comment because the case is under investigation.”

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    Years ago, as a boy about 10, I became mesmerized watching the “Tilt-a-Whirl” at a carnival camped near Independence Street.
     Most fascinating was the girls’ reactions as they emerged from the ride and the operator pulled a lever that released a blast of air, uplifting their skirts.
     That attracted a crowd almost 100 percent male, waiting to see which female would hop on the ride and what her attributes would be when unwittingly made public.

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    It was a wee bit embarrassing as an airport security officer right next to me grabbed a cigarette lighter and proclaimed, in a voice intended to resound considerably, “And this is where this cigarette lighter is going,” as he dramatically tossed it into a black hole of a deep metal container. Several dozen people clearly got the message. I was embarrassed because the actions of the security officer at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas drew considerable deliberate attention, and to the casual observer, I had gotten “busted.” He seemed to draw the lighter out of nowhere, and my being the closest to him made me a likely enough target.

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    One of my passions is sitting down with my 8-year-old grandson and namesake and telling stories about “the way things were in the Dark Ages.”
     It’s revealing to discover that many of the younger generation see the world as strictly late-20th century. Whereas we products of the Dark Ages can recall having lived under some 13 presidents, Bush, Clinton and Reagan are the presidential names that come most readily to mind for teens.

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    A recent event has provided the impetus for considerable soul-searching over actions and beliefs of Americans.
     The event took place only last week, involving an eight-day experience in central Mexico.
     This trip has convinced me that Americans generally, the “haves,” are anthropocentric enough to believe everyone should be just like us–and as soon as possible.
     We toured with other Americans and were led by a Chihuahuan-born guide and took the famous train ride into Copper Canyon, an area inhabited by an indigenous group, the Tarahumara Indians.

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    Evidence of a hotly contested primary election, scheduled for Tuesday, abounds. One merely needs to drive down certain streets in town to see the competition.
     With only minor exceptions, local campaigns appear to be clean. In Santa Fe, however, candidates are accusing one another of removing or damaging the opposition’s signs. And in Rio Arriba County, a county employee was arrested after three elections signs were allegedly found at his house. He told police he had no idea how they got there.

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    The constant changes in the language, wrought by inventions, travel, cross-fertilization of cultures and, especially, wars, would make it difficult, say, for people who use 19th century language to adapt to today’s usage.
     Although modern technology makes it impossible for the average Joe to work on his car, men still lift the hood to impress their neighbors. Does anyone stranded on the interstate, hood up, have any idea what’s broken? True, raising the hood alerts others to your situation, but can you really get help, short of using your cell phone to call a wrecker?

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    With the New Mexico primary election scheduled for June, candidates are redoubling their efforts to gain exposure.
     Because of the interest in the Busy-Kerry battle in November, people in this area are getting involved as election fever hits.

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