Thursday, October 15, 2009

Oh, New Mexico ("Why Not Bill?" edition)

I arrived at our place in New Mexico last Sunday and have been continuing my projects while here. Old adobe ranch houses require a lot of maintenance, to say the least. There's still plenty to get done before winter comes on, but about as far as I got this time was to gravel the front walk so it isn't as likely to be a path through the big muddy when the rain or snow or slush comes, make arrangements with Critter Control and the neighbor lady to deal with the skunk infestation (this is an ongoing challenge. I will say these skunks are really beautiful, and everyone claims they make great pets if you get them when they're little), and mow some of the dust.

Well, there's been a real drought here, not like the pseudo-drought in California that has had everyone in hysterics for the past year or more. There hasn't been any rain in this part of New Mexico, not even close to normal, though it's been tropical up in Santa Fe, downpours all the time, and our unlandscaped property looked rank and dry and sere. So I mowed the dust. Looks better. I guess. Have to do something about xeriscaping eventually, but I'll have to have more time to do it.

My internet here is now dialup as the source of the high-speed that used to work from time to time has disappeared. I think I know what happened, but cannot be sure. Many of the neighbors have moved, new ones moved in, my next door neighbor is moving out at the end of the month, and yet things aren't really as bad here as in many other places.

It's just that in rural anywhere, but especially rural NM and regions contiguous, it's tough all the time, and when a recession like this hits, it can be devastating.

But to the topic, I was listening to NPR, and one of the local persons had an editorial opinion to the effect that all this hoo-hah over Obama's Nobel Peace Prize was keeping people buzzing, to be sure, but real Worthies weren't being mentioned as substitutes for the President. "Why not?" he said.

"Why not Bill?" Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, in other words.

The guy went on at some length about all of Richardson's many peace-making accomplishments (quite a list), and yet, he said, nobody much knew about it and it seemed like fewer people cared.

I've got plenty of issues with Richardson (Wen Ho Lee, anyone?), but when it comes to actually doing something, accomplishing something, sticking to something, in the realm of what you call your mediation and your peace, Richardson is right up there with some of the giants in the field, and his neglect (apparently he's been nominated several times) by the Committee tells you pretty much all you need to know about them and what they're up to.

And, no, I don't hold it against them. You see, I don't get a vote on the Nobel Prize Committee, and neither do you (well, I assume!). They make their choices based on whatever they think is important at the time, and they don't consult us about it; they consult one another.

Yes, Richardson is worthy of Honor -- at least for some things -- and there is nothing to stop anyone at all from honoring him appropriately.

Why wait for the Nobel Committee to get its Norwegian ass in gear?

I never understood that.

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