FINAL POST

FINAL POST: No, this won't be my final post, but probably the final post for 2012.  I said probably, not definitly. Time will tell.  And this post won't be a rant on a particular subject, but just a short view point on a potporri of things.   So here goes.   Comments appreciated.

1. On the today show this morning, there was a short article on Queen Elizabeth.  About?  Well, if you didn't see that, I'll tell you.  It was about her clothes.  And they called her a fashion icon. And mentioned that her grand daughter in law is also one.  Just a bleep on Kate in the mix of talking about the Queen and how put together she always is.  I happen to agree, and wish the current first lady of the United States would take a lesson from the queen.  I, for one, do not think that Michelle Obama is any where near fashionable.

2. On that same Today show today, there was a short article about a woman, ( I forgot her name, ) who was on the olympic volley ball team. She is pregnant with her third child, and they opened some sort of medical thing that told them what the sex of her child will be.  I assume that there are people who are thrilled to know that.  I, for one, could care less, and feel that this is something to share between her and her husband, not with a national TV audience.  On this vein, though, I have never been enthralled with "stars" movie, singing or sports.  I have (had) actors whose movies I liked, singers whose songs I liked and sports people who I liked to watch. But I never idolized any of them, and often wondered as I grew up why someone would want to spend money on Movie magazines and ooh and ahh over these people.  Didn't understand it then, understand it less even now.  Expecially with the kind of lives they seem to live.  Most of them, any way. 

3.  Are we raising a nation of atheists?  As I go to church and see the many people on Sunday going about every day activities, I have to wonder.  I see young people, many even pre teen, just wondering about the streets, on their phones, of course, and wonder how many of the will be an aetheist, not necessarily by choice, but by lack of any religious training.  Then I think of the many thousands, maybe even millions, of people, who go to church each Sunday, and know that we are not yet a nation devoid of religious convictions.  I also know that we could become such if, the american people, are not careful.  It can happen, and has happened, as recorded in the Book of Mormon.  

4.  December 21, 2012.  Were the Mayans wrong?  Probably not.  Since I am not a scientist, and not a language major, or even minor, I have no clue at all what was on the Mayan calendar.  I do not think that they had any knowledge about the end of the world.  I think that someone mis interpreted what was there.  Wherever there is.  I am also constantly amazed at the gullibility of people who fall for much of this kind of hype.  Note; people that give away their fortunes, property to some preacher who makes statements that he can save them from what ever disaster that is predicted to be coming down the pike.  Also, I remember the near panic of Y2K.  Don't remember that?  Google it. Maybe I'm just not smart enough to be concerned about these kind of things. 

5. Are the TV shows filming on a tight budget?  I have to wonder.  I don't watch much of the TV shows, and I find the current crop of "comedy's" not funny at all.  Most of them are just vulgar.  But, they are being filmed in the dark.  Are they so afraid that someone will see what they are doing if they put a little light on the subject?  Wonder what it would take to get them to light up their life just a smidgeon. 

6.  Do you have a problem concentrating in Church?  Or a problem sitting still?  I don't know about where you go to church, ( supposing that someone will actually read this that don't go to the same church I do ) but at the LDS church the service last 70 minutes.  But there are people who must be very bored, as they can't seem to listen to what is going on.  Instead, they are on the internet, on their phone, or their i pod, or their eye pad or some other kind of pod or pad. Or they are in and out, going to the bathroom or somewhere.  I realize that there are some people with medical problems that may have to make a bathroom break during that 70 minutes, but that many people?  I think not.

7.  What do you think of the fiscal cliff?  Personally, I think if is a farce.  Oh! it will happen, and the country will suffer.  Well, not the country, but the citizens of the country.  How serious will it get?  I don't know.  Time will tell.  And we should blame the Democrats.  And the Republicans.  And the independents. And all the other burecrats that make these kind of tings happen. Or not happen.  It's too bad that some of the common people, with common sense, aren't in a position to work on this problem.  President Obama wants to extend the unemployment benefits.  I say, let them expire.  Then people will get a job.  You say, there are no jobs out there.  I say, yes there is.  Maybe not high paying jobs, but jobs never the less.  And if people get a job, and off the unemployment rolls, then the economy will pick up and more jobs will be created, and the economy will pick up even more.  And more people will be paying taxes, and then there will be no need to raise taxes on any one, rich or poor.  Of course, spending cuts at the government level is an absolute necessity.

8. And a final observation.  It was reported on the Albuquerque news this morning that a man was arrested for stealing a car. Seems he has a habit ( problem?) stealing cars and driving them around until they run out of gas, then abandoning them and stealing another one.  He got caught and was about to be arrested, so he attempted to get away.  In doing so, he tried to run over 4 city policemen.  After his arrest, he was charged with 4 counts of aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon.  What? A deadly weapon.  Well, now.  Do we go into car control?  Or do we ban them out right.  Or, just the particular model and make of car that he was driving at the time?  Maybe we should start a petition.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERY ONE, FROM THE DITCH BANK DWELLER    

   

Gun Control

GUN CONTROL: What can I say?  I have had a few things in my mind to post on my blog for the past few days, but feel to offer a few things about gun control.
With the events of last Friday, in Newtown, Connecticut, as I watched the news reports, and while feeling sick to my stomach for the atrocity that was unfolding, I new in my mind that gun control would be a topic that would come out of this tragedy.  I also knew that they would miss the point, according to me.  While I am not a member of the NRA, I support most of what they stand for.  I also strongly support the 2nd amendment to the Constitution.  I strongly support any who owns guns.  I do not necessarily support private citizens having assault type weapons.  I feel that they should be reserved for military use.  
Having said all that, I want to offer a few things that have came to mind as this past weeks events have unfolded.
In a speech at a memorial for those killed, President Obama said that he would use the power of is office to see that these mass shootings would not happen again.  And I said  HOW?  The NRA finally released a statement that their organization would use their influence to prevent these types of thing happening again.  And again I said HOW?  I like the sentiment of both statements.  I just don't see how that can be done.  And here is why I think like that.
Even if gun control is enacted by the government, and assault weapons are banned, there are still thousands of this type of weapon available for any to get if they want them. Legal or not.  And if the government is successful in banning these weapons, how long will it be before they think to ban all weapons, one type at a time.  It might be tried, but I don't think it will happen.  Too many people support the 2nd amendment, even in the government. And banning guns is not the answer any way. 
Some talk has come out about keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill.  That is a start, but that too will be difficult.  Family's need to be alert to family members who may be involved in this type of action. Unfortunately, in this day and time, more security may be needed.  But you can't secure every school, every mall, every movie theater, every place of public event.  You can't secure every rental truck and every bag or barrel of fertilizer. 
So, a solution:  In my uneducated opinion, bring God back into the schools. Bring family values back into the public spectrum.  Movies, music and TV. Say Merry Christmas at Christmas time instead of Happy Holidays.  Will this stop the types of things that happened last Friday.  No, even I am not so naive as to think it will.  But it would solve a lot of this country's ills. And trying to control guns and throwing a lot of money at the problem, and starting a commission to study how to control guns and the mentally ill will accomplish little.   And THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK.