View From The Ditch Bank

HAPPY NEW YEAR: Those of you that know me well are aware that I don't make New Years Resolutions. I feel that if something needs changed, do it then, not wait weeks or months until the new year to make that change. Having said that, I will now say that I do feel that each one of us should have a time to reflect on what we have done, and what we still want to do, and perhaps make a course adjustment, if that is called for. Perhaps circumstances either under or beyond our control has come along to get us a little off track. So maybe you don't need to make a resolution, just make a course correction. I also think that this time of year is a good time to do that. MLWFAE and I recently decided that an increase in funds for a short time would be beneficial to some of the things that we have decided we want to do. So, when a job opportunity came my way, I signed up. I will be returning to the ranks of the employed soon. Officially, I am already hired and have went through some refresher training, just haven't been given a start date yet. This was not a new year's resolution, but a course adjustment that we decided to make. I have the option at my age to readjust that course as soon as I decide I want to. Resolutions that have no meaning or no real resolve are just useless time wasters. I recently read a tongue in cheek face book post of a friend that it was now time to start the diet/weight loss resolution that goes from Jan. 1 to Jan. 3. It seems to me that many new years resolutions go like that. I am not against true resolutions and changes made. I'm all for it. I just don't make them, for the reasons already stated. I hope that each of you will have a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. And prosperous does not always mean money. Happy and healthy can make for a good year. Hope it happen's for each of us. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank

The View From The Ditch Bank

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ONE AND ALL

As we celebrate this time of year, I pray that we all remember that Christ is the reason for the season. That we all reflect back on the past year and give thanks for the many blessings he has given us. There is much of tragedy throughout the world. Many of us have been touched somewhat by this, some more than others. Still, as we contemplate on the many things that have happened, most of us, if not all, have much to be thankful for. A saying that has been around for some time is "Wise men sought Him; Wise men still do." I pray that each of us are counted among those who are wise enough to still seek Him. As many who read this blog share the same religious view that I do, I hope that as we seek Him, we will also seek the blessings of attending the temple often. That we acknowledge Him in all our coming and goings, and give the thanks to Him that we should. As we give and get this Christmas season, that we include in those precious gifts, the giving away of hatred, pride, bad attitudes, superior feelings over others, and get the gifts of Humble Prayerful attitudes. Of doing good to all men. Extending a loving hand to all, even those who revile us. May you all have a great Christmas Season and may the Lords blessings attend to each of you throughout the coming year. And that's The View From The Ditch Bank

View From The Ditch Bank

AN UPDATE: New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, has just a few days left in office. He has served, now, for 8 years. Two terms. For a lot of those 8 years, he has been tinkering with the idea of giving a pardon to William Bonney, alias Billy the Kid. I have blogged about this in the past, and if you missed it, you can scroll back through past posts to find it, somewhere back in the past. Kinda like where Billy the Kid is. Back in the past. He was a killer. By design, by intention, by accident or incident. No matter, he was a killer. Now he may not have actually killed 21 men. Many of those he is accused of killing were killed during the Lincoln County war,and since no one knew who exactly killed them, Billy was blamed. Maybe he killed them, maybe not. But it is a proven fact that he killed at least 4 people. And not by accident, either. 2 were deputies he killed in order to escape jail. He supposedly made a deal with then governor Lew Wallace to testify in a trial, in exchange for a pardon. For whatever reason, governor Wallace did not extend that pardon. Now Governor Bill wants to pardon Criminal Billy to do what Governor Wallace failed to do. No one knows why Wallace didn't. But for Governor Bill to do so now would be a travesty of justice, not to mention a slap in the face of the Garrett family. And the Wallace family. Both who have protested to Governor bill on this matter. I have already done so, but if any of you would like to comment to Governor Bill about what you think, you can do so by sending an e mail to btk.comments@state.nm.us and voice your opinion. Governor Richardson, who is now, as I write, on his way home from North Korea, has said he will make a decision on Billy before he leaves office on December 31. He needs your comments by the end of this week. Feel free to say whatever you think, but for me, I hope you send an e mail of protest. And that's The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

NOSTALGIA, OR, CAN ALL CHANGE ACTUALLY MEAN PROGRESS?: For the few of you that actually spend time reading my drivel, you will know that I don't blog about myself much, but this time I am going to make an exception. Kinda. Back in the 1950's, when I was a teenager old enough to think I knew more than I actually did, to run around with buddies who had cars, and to get a car of my own, there were a lot of places to eat and party. That is Party 1950's style. Which was very tame, compared to today. There were also many places to eat good food. I am going to talk about both of these things somewhat, as compared to current times. Now, we ate and danced from St. Johns, Arizona, to Silver City, New Mexico, although both of those places were on the extreme edges of where we mostly went. Mostly we went to Springerville and Eagar Arizona, better known as Round Valley. And to Reserve and Glenwood, New Mexico. In Round Valley, one of the best places to go to a good ol' country dance was a place called the Arvazona. And, yes, that is spelled correctly. Also, a good place to eat American food was the Safire Restaurant, and the best Spanish food was the Spanish Inn. In Silver City, you could eat at the Hilltop Cafe or Druley's. And dances were in the high school gym in Reserve or at the Mound House in Glenwood. To live bands. Someone DJ,ing a dance? Unheard of. Now, I don't know if the Arvazona is used any more or not. I think not. The Mound House, mostly empty, is used occasionally for specially booked parties, I think. And in the little mountain valley where I was raised, we could go to the two room school house and dance, or roller skate, or even watch a movie from time to time. Back when movie stars didn't cuss or undress, at least in public. It was replaced many years ago by a three room school house, but the old building stood for many years to be used for above mentioned events. Even Square dances. Does any one do that any more?? And if Bar room dancing was your thing, you could dance at the X A Bar in Springerville. Now, my wife and I have eaten Spanish food from Southern California to West Texas, from Northern Utah to Southern New Mexico. And for the most part it was good food. I even tried it one time, back in the 60's, in Kansas City, Mo. Now that was an experience. But no one, I repeat no one, has ever, in my humble opinion, been able to touch the Spanish Food of the Spanish Inn. Except one place. Maybe. A Spanish restaurant in Silver City called the Kountry Kitchen. There are several Spanish restaurants, and many other restaurants that serve Spanish food in Silver City, but to me, the Kountry Kitchen is the best.
OK, now a little update. The Spanish Inn is no more. It moved many years ago, from the side street where it used to be, to a more main street place, but it is now no more. The building where it was is now a laundry, I think. One of the watering holes of back then is now a funeral home and the XA Bar is just an empty building. The Hilltop Cafe is now a Chinese Buffet and Druley's gave way to a highway extension. Now, there are McDonalds, Arby's, Sonic's, Burger Kings and Taco Bells. Not to mention several other fast food places. Back then, you could order a burger and fries, and a malt, ( you can't get malt's much any more) and then wait while they were cooked, to your specifications. And they were good. The Safire Restaurant burned and was rebuilt, at the same location, but on a different footprint. And the food isn't as good as I remember it being. Different atmosphere there also. Maybe I'm just getting old. But all has changed from the 1950's and I can't think that it is all for the good. Or that it is necessarily progress. The only thing that remains the same is the Kountry Kitchen. Oh! wait. My wife and I ate there a few days ago and were told that they would be closed from Christmas to New Years, so the new owners could remodel and update the menu's. New Owners?? we ask. Yep, there will be some changes there also. We can only hope that the food will remain good. I'm getting to old to change every thing. And that's The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

WHERE DO OLD POLITICIANS GO? Well, I don't really know. Mostly don't really care. President Kennedy was killed while in office. President Nixon killed himself, politically and left in disgrace. President Carter wasn't really a good President, but I have to admire him and his wife some, for the charitable works he has participated in since leaving office. The two Presidents Bush have not been very visible, but they have been involved in a few things. President Clinton, who I didn't vote for, and given the opportunity wouldn't vote for again, has been very visible, poking his nose into things every chance he can make. So, I left out a couple of presidents and a lot of other politicians. Check on them if you are interested. I am going to mention a few New Mexico Governors now. Our current Governor, Bill Richardson, who leaves office at the end of this month, but left the country today to visit North Korea, has said that he is turning down a $1 million a year job running the Motion Picture Association. Given his penchant for all things Hollywood, that is a surprise to many in the State, including Moi. He has said he wants to remain in the State, probably in Santa Fe', and be a gentleman rancher. Well, OK. Past governors left office, and Santa Fe' and went: Garey Carruthers moved home to Las Cruces. Gary Johnson never liked Santa Fe' and now lives in Taos. Jerry Apodaca and Toney Anaya remain in Santa Fe', but you hardly ever hear of them. Bruce King returned to the family ranch in Stanley, where he raised cattle. A little aside. The incoming Governor, Susana Martinez, has been touted in the news as a possible U.S. Attorney General, or even a Vice Presidential candidate. Uh! She hasn't even taken office as Governor yet. Maybe we need to wait and see what she will do in that capacity, before shipping her off to D.C. In the preliminary, I like her. She does have her opinions on what she wants done, and I hear she was very strong in her opinions while serving as a District attorney. I think that is what we need in a governor. I'm sure she will be cross wise with the Legislature quickly, though. Stay tuned. I will end with this observation. A cattle rancher raises cattle. A horse rancher raises horses. A sheep rancher raises Sheep. A sugar rancher rancher raises cane. :-) So, since Bill Richardson wants to be a Gentleman Rancher he will raise... No, I don't think so either. And that's The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

WHO IS ON OUR SIDE; CHAPTER TWO: In my last post I mentioned a bit about my uneducated understanding of the political situation on the national scale. I'll expand on that just a bit more, then mention a bit about the local situation. I assume that the few of you that actually read this blog are aware of the current state of affairs in Washington. The President is caught in the middle of the Repub's and the Dem's on the tax break situation. Neither side likes any thing that is taking place. And some of the President's allies are turning on him. Again, this is what THEY want, with us caught with the Pres. In the middle. While they fight over us. Oh! well. Same song just using different words. Same solution, namely, we pay, regardless. Now, on to the local scene.
Back in October, slick Bill, the Governor of New Mexico and his group said that the deficit in the State was $240 Million. Susana Martinez, and Diane Denish both said they could balance the budget and not touch education. And they may have been able to do so. We will never know. Just two days after the election in November, it was reported by the Gov and his henchmen that the deficit was actually $450 million. Uh! what happened in the few days before and after the election that caused the State to be an additional $200 million in the hole. When Governor elect Martinez ask that, and blasted Richardson and his staff for lying to the public, he said, "Well, Mrs. Martinez just doesn't understand how the budget works, and if she had ask, she would have been told that it was actually $450 million. She, along with others, including her opponent Mrs. Denish, did ask, and were told the lower amount. Just another example of the type of politics that the Richardson administration has been ruining, uh, running this State. Oh, by the way, in case you haven't heard, Richardson and his people are still under federal investigation for pay to play cover ups. They may get him yet. More posts to come on the budget and the new legislature in the future, but the next one will have a tongue in cheek look at the future of the current President, the outgoing Governor and the incoming Governor. And maybe a few other things. Stay tuned to the View From The Ditch Bank.

VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

SO WHO IS ON OUR SIDE: In November the American people voted out several congress people. In January, the house will be controlled by the Republicans, the Senate by the Democrats, but just barely. Now, many of the newly elected are saying that they received a mandate from the people. And that is to cut spending. Also, Mitch McConnell has said that he and the Republicans want to make President Obama a one term President. So, they want him to fail. I have no problem with him being a one term President, but in the meantime, what does that do to us? The Republicans refuse to raise taxes, the Democrats refuse to eliminate Entitlements. They both say that Americans want a balanced budget, and they are most likely correct. But they disagree on how to do that. What I, as an American want, is for a balanced budget, by cutting the fat and waste that is permeating D.C. And State governments. But more on the State side of it in the next post. So, in the next two years, the President and the Democrats will strive to raise taxes, saying that the Americans want the things they are used to getting. The Republicans will try to hold taxes down and cut Entitlements. And see that the President and the Congressional Democrats look like the bad guys, so Obama doesn't get the things done that he says he wants done, thus he fails and the people will vote him out. The Republicans won't get any thing done either, cause they will be too busy fighting the Democrats and causing the downfall of their causes. And the Democrats will be busy voting against anything the Republicans want to do. And the rest of us? We sit here in the middle of the fighting and say; Vote them all out and start over. And if the new ones can't do the job, vote them out also. My advise: cut the budget waste. Cut the pork. Cut the fraud. Do things that actually benefit the people. Forget their little power trips and do what is best for the country. Oh! well, it has probably never been that way, and until the Millennium, probably never will be. But it sounds good any way. And that's The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

IS IT TRUE, OR IS IT JUST ME? Does it seem like we are a two region country? New York and Washington, D.C. for the East and Los Angeles/Hollywood for the West. And the rest of us just filling or binding that holds the two together. Or apart. If you watch the news, and we here in the Rocky Mountain West, yes I said West, have a big storm, lots of snow, or wind, or rain, or some other so called ka trass tro fee, we might get an honorable mention. Or dishonorable mention, depending on what exactly is being mentioned. But have those same events in the above mentioned regions, and the talking heads on the news carry on forever. Like it never happened to any one else. OK, OK, so I understand that when we get a large winter storm, for example, it affects only a few people, maybe a few hundred thousand, and on the West or East it affects millions, still we just seem to be the step children to these two regions. Like nothing can come out of places like ours any way. And I am not feeling bad about it, or feeling sour grapes or any thing. Just filling up space on my Friday blog, while I put together a little better written blog for Tuesday. Not that it will be any better written, just perhaps more factual. But wouldn't those puffed up people that report on the news, or make the laws, or the movies, be surprised if they discovered that there are many of us ( or am I alone in this ) out in the real world, that work, sweat, play, pay our bills, go to church, go to bed at night and arise early in the morning, mind our own business, and don't really get excited about, or mostly don't even care about, most of the thing's that takes place in these "important" places. Is it legal in literature to write a sentence that long? Just saying. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank