One of my readers keeps saying I complain a lot. I must agree with him. I have stated a few complaints in these little commentaries. That is why it is called op-ed. Opinion-editorial. I do wonder what his opinion is on some of the subjects I’ve picked.

I had a teacher at Hart High who always complained. Maybe I learned it from him. I don’t know, but it is the nature of an op-ed commentary to air a few complaints.

If you want to see the total of what I’ve written here in the SCV you’re welcome to go to the page that was set up for me. It is DManzer.com.

I don’t always complain, but when I do, I complain via The Signal, SCVNews, Old Town Newhall Gazette or the Virginia Pilot of Norfolk, Va.

In the musical movie, “Chicago,” there is a character named Mary Sunshine. The character was the gossip columnist for a newspaper. She seemed not to complain a lot. She liked to spread “sunshine” and happiness the whole movie. Not me.

It is the nature of these commentaries to do just what I’m doing. I really don’t think I can write just good stuff. Even the local L.A. TV weathermen get tired of saying, “Another warm day here in the Southland with temperatures maybe three degrees cooler but warming again by Saturday.” We don’t need them most of the year. The weather stays the same. Or near to it.

Up in Acton near Vincent Station, there is a place you can practice or learn how to rope a calf. Real horses and real cows. I envy those who can rope. I spent a long time herding but never roped. I sat in my Jeep watching the guys rope a calf.

That reminds me of a cowboy joke. What did the cowgirl say to the rodeo cowboy after dinner one night?

… wait for it …

“I hope you remember later this evening that it is just fine if you take over eight seconds.”

You might have to have been in rodeo to understand it. Send me an email if you need an explanation.

So what do you want me to write about? I’m open to ideas. Wednesday’s commentary was an idea I was given from a reader. Just know that like usual, I might take an idea – but where it takes me I don’t know until I send the whole thing to SCVNews. I’m just as clueless as you are when I start out.

Speaking of clueless, I’m really getting tired of our president not doing anything about the problems at our southern border. Not that he can, at this point. Time to load up some of our large military transport planes and take all of those kids home.

Don’t know, but I’d try something down there. Anything. I know President Obama can’t win this one, and it is his problem to fix. No passing the buck to Bush this time. He is having problems understanding the problem. Most of us don’t have that problem. We know what to do.

The uncertainty at our border and other problems around the world where the USA should be leading the fix are not getting better to win. They are all just a little bit worse. No, make that a whole bunch worse.

And all of this is spreading uncertainty around the country and the world. It is hurting the economy and at the same time is so heartbreaking to watch. All those kids.

The man knows how to campaign, for sure. He has slightly less than zero leadership ability. That is what we need right now. ASAP.

We sure don’t need another golf game.

Darryl Manzer grew up in the Pico Canyon oil town of Mentryville in the 1960s and attended Hart High School. After a career in the U.S. Navy he returned to live in the Santa Clarita Valley. He can be reached at dmanzer@scvhistory.com and his commentaries are archived at DManzer.com. Watch his walking tour of Mentryville [here].