AS THE YEAR ENDS

OK, WE HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS LEFT IN 2016.  So, as the end of the year draws to a close, I have a few things I feel to comment on for 2016 and the upcoming 2017.
1. Undoubtedly 2016 has been a year of divisiveness. As in the country has been heavily divided politically as I have never seen in my many years on this third rock. Many people on social media are commenting on the year and looking forward to it's end and the coming of 2017.  Yes, it has been a very eventful year for many.  My perspective is somewhat different from the media. Social and otherwise.
2. 2016 did not kill all the celebrities that have died this year. Many died from substance abuse. Others from accidents or illness. Hundreds of thousands of people died this year without fanfare. From the same issues as the Celebs. My heart goes out to those in war torn countries that have no recourse but to fight or starve or try to escape to a more friendly country and look for a better life. Children that have no control over what is talking place are torn from parents and family members, left to what ever fate may hand out.  They deserve much more attention than any celeb.    
3. I am disgusted at the actions of the many that protested and looted and tore up the country when Mr. Trump was elected.  I have expressed my opinion of Mr. Trump in past posts, so will not rehash that here. I will only say, he was elected.  Live with it and move on.  I have mentioned in past that I am a member of the LDS church, AKA the Mormons. I am not ashamed to say so. Now, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been invited to perform at the inauguration of Mr. Trump and they accepted.  Over 17,000 people, presumably church members, have signed an on line petition asking the choir to not do this.  For shame.  They were invited and they accepted.  The leaders of the choir and the church have said that this is something they do. They have performed in the past for inauguration's of both Democrat and Republican presidents. The church has made a statement that this is not an endorsement of political policy, but a statement of freedom and patriotism.  Accept that and support it. 
4.  People are looking forward to 2017 being a better year than 2016.  For many it will be, for others it will not. For most of us, it will just be another year of doing what ever we do.  There will be successes and failures. Other Celebs will pass away and be mourned by those who idolize them. People will protest President Trump. Others will support him.  But when all is said and done, 2017 will be good or bad according to your circumstances and will have nothing to do with what the calendar says. 
5. A final thought.  Someone on social media has suggested raising $2000.00 in a go fund me account to protect Betty White from death in 2017.  So here is the dilemma. If Mrs. White passes away any way, do the donors get their money back?  And if she does not, does she get the money? One just has to wonder.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

ARE WE DIVIDED

WELL, THE ELECTION IS OFFICIAL. Well, almost. The electoral college has met and voted and even though a couple of electors flipped their votes, Trump was still declared the winner.  This will become official On January 4 when congress counts the votes and formally makes it official.
In spite of this, this country is divided.  Many are still calling for the demise of Trump as president. The Democrats are still trying to place blame on why Hillary lost. They have blamed it on FBI director Comey. On the Russians. On a lot of different things.  So, let me put my spin on this.  Well, this is my post, so I guess I can put my spin without permission.  So here goes.
Director Comey may, and I repeat May, have had some influence in those who were sitting on the fence swinging their vote to Trump.  But in the overall scheme of things, if Hillary had been more in tune with the people, this probably would have made no difference.  And the Russians.  Did they actually hack into any thing?  I Don't know, but from what I have seen on the news, if they did, they hacked into the e mails of the director of Hillary's campaign. And then leaked what they said. Or something like that.  They did not hack into the voting machines.  So, here is my idea on why Trump won. 
President Obama helped institute the Affordable care Act, AKA Obama Care. Even though there is a lot of good things in that plan, premiums have risen so high that for many it is not affordable, if they can even find an insurance company willing to insure them. Hillary said she would continue this program, Trump said he would get rid of it.  People liked that.  Obama has shut down several coal mines and put people out of work. Hillary said she would shut down even more. Trump said he would put the people back to work and the people liked that.  Obama pushed for gun control and when that failed, he shut down mines that provided the lead for bullets, making ammunition hard to get and very expensive.  Hillary said she would continue that plan. She even went so far as to say that the 2nd amendment needed to be rewritten and that she would push for taking peoples guns based on the Australian plan.  Trump said that he would support the 2nd amendment and the people liked that.  Hillary had rally's featuring "stars"  The "Elite".  She talked at the people.  Trump went to out of the way places and talked to the people. And the people liked that.  Many of these Stars even said that if Trump was elected they would leave the country. I guess they thought the people cared enough about what they do to change their vote.  The people said, go ahead, leave.  They changed their minds after the election.
So Trump was elected and Hillary's people went nuts.  Looting and burning and destroying the country.  Sending death threats to members of the Electoral college and doing their best to get them to flip their votes to Hillary.  Didn't work.  
So, now the country is divided. Possibly divided worse than it has been since the Civil War.  Next month Donald Trump will be inaugurated as President of the United States.  How his presidency plays out, only time will tell.  He may heal the divide in the country, or he may widen the divide. he may bring jobs back to America, or he may not. He may redo the Obama Care insurance program, or he may not.  We will just have to wait and see.  And hope that the people who are opposing him will give him a chance.  AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

DO YOU FEEL THE PRESSURE

NO, NOT THE ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, but the pressure of being bombed.  The Christmas season is in full swing and we are being bombarded from all sides. On the TV, the Radio, if you listen to one, in magazines and news papers and on the computer. As are coming in in droves. Buy this or buy that, or even buy both of them.  And you know you need this. it will make you life easier. Just a small monthly payment on your credit card and it can be yours.  Chances are many of these items will be long wore our before the small credit card payment is completed.  Now we have black Friday, and shop small business on Saturday and Cyber Monday.  Makes you look forward to Taco Tuesday, I guess.  What do we do for Wednesday, or Thursday?  Have you seen the TV ad of the man with the black eye that he got while shopping on Black Friday, but he saved hundreds, while his neighbor slept in and saved thousands buying a new vehicle, cause the car dealer has saving type deals all month long?  Well, I didn't sleep in, I didn't shop black Friday, or cyber Monday and I saved hundreds also.  I also didn't buy any thing that the advertisements gushed that they thought I Needed.  I don't need the TV people to tell me what I need, how to act or what to do at any given minute.  I may be getting old and senile, but for now I can still think for myself, and buy what I really Need, when I really need it. So, take your bombs somewhere else. I don't need them or pay attention to them.   AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

TWO WEEKS LATER

WELL, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS NOW; since the election. There will be a lot said and done over the next few weeks prior to the inauguration of a new President. There will be a lot said and done over the next 4 years as the new administration governs. For better or worse. We will see.  On that note, I would like to make a few comments on what happened, and why.
1. In spite of the polls and the media predictions, Donald Trump won the election.  Some of the news talking heads I watched over the next couple of days were in shock. Comments I heard them make was   "What did we do wrong" and "How did we get it wrong"?  It was almost as if they were the only people involved in the election and what ever they said was the way it would go. So, what did they get wrong.  That is the purpose of this post.
2. They polled the "Elite" as it were and they polled in the Cities. They took the word and endorsements of "celebrities" and the failed to poll and pay attention to the "silent majority".  You know the ones. Those of us that work and pay the majority of the taxes that run the tics in Washington. The ones who were losing work because of closed industrial jobs, mines, forests and logging jobs, ranching and farming jobs. Rising taxes and over burdensome regulations on doing business, while the roads and bridges are going to pot.  In some States literally going to Pot. Police officers that are called to a domestic violence situation or a robbery or whatever is being committed by some one with a long history of law breaking and when the officers arrive and the law breaker eventually gets shot, the officer is the bad guy.  The people who are law abiding gun owners who are threatened with losing their 2nd amendment right and their guns because one individual who shouldn't have a gun, gets one and kills some innocent people.  These people.
3. Will Donald Trump be a good President?  Only time will tell. He can bring a boost to the economy and create jobs.  How will he do on foreign policy as well as other domestic policies, we will have to wait and see.  Will he get rid of Obama Care? No he will not.  Will he and congress revamp Obama care. Yes, I think they will. Will he support the 2nd amendment.  He says so. Will he cut the over burdensome regulations on doing business. He says he will. We will see.  Will he revamp and simplify the tax code?  he said he would. We will see. 
4. Will he revamp the immigration status of those who are here illegally? Well, yes, he will do something.  Will he heal the race relations?  He will try, I think, but he will need the assistance of those of other races to work with him.
5. Will he do every thing he said he would do?  Probably not. But then no president has and no president probably will. 
6. One thing I think that will help will be for Hillary and President Obama to stand and call for those who are looting and burning and trashing private or even public property to stop. While President Obama has ask that Trump be given a chance to govern, he has not ask the rioters to stop, and whether she intended it that way or not, Hillary only spurred them on by making a speech and telling the people to continuing doing what they are doing and standing up for what they believe.
7. One last thought.  For the most part, I tend to ignore the rants on facebook, regardless of the direction they are going.  However, I did see a couple of local news programs that High Schools and Colleges were providing counselors for those students who were depressed over Hillary losing the election.  I'm an old man, but I think these kids need to be told the facts of life, and that life isn't always fair and that sometime your side loses.  Suck it up and get on with life. Get an education or a trade and be a contributing person your community and the nation and don't go around crying about losing and destroying someone else's property because you are upset.  
AND THAT'S THE UNEDUCATED VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

JUST A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE OUTCOME

I HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS ON THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTION.  THESE THOUGHTS ARE NOT SO MUCH ON WHY TRUMP WON, AS ON WHY HILLARY LOST. Although, these things are connected, as we will see as I voice my uneducated opinion on the matter. These thoughts will be somewhat scattered and written as they come to mind.  Before I start, I will say this, I am not a fan of Donald Trump and am in no way elevating him to any kind of star status. That being said, here goes.
1. Hillary didn't talk to people. She talked at people. And she held her rally's in the cities and brought in "Stars" to help her with her message.  Donald talked to the people and often held his rally's in small rural areas and wanted to know what the people were thinking.
2. Many years ago, probably before the 1970's, but definitely in the 1970's a movement was started to protect the environment.  Many of the people involved, ranchers, farmers, loggers, etc, got on board with this movement, as they were in the process of protecting the environment any way, as the earth provided them a living and so they believed this philosophy. It took a few years for them to realize that this movement was not in their best interest, as these groups wanted them off the land and wanted to turn it back to what, in their minds, was the pristine land like it was in the Garden of Eden.  So began the conflict.  This movement has continued through the decades and the environmental groups gained more power and voice in Washington, adding to the woes of the people.  During the 8 years of the Obama administration, things have escalated to the point that the people have had enough.  Some examples.   The gun control lobby.  President Obama, and Hillary Clinton, along with many other politicians wants to get rid of guns. Period. When this didn't happen, They, through some environmental rule, closed down the mines that produced lead, thus making it difficult to produce ammunition, making ammunition difficult to purchase. It also put people out of work.  They also, through environmental rules, closed down coal mines, again putting people out of work.  The democratic congress passed the Affordable Health Care Act/ AKA Obama Care.  This was supposed to make health care possible for every one. But no one could actually tell you what it contained. Now, it has gotten so expensive, that people's insurance premiums have increased many fold. In Arizona, the insurance companies are pulling out and there are people who can't get insurance as of January 1 at any price.
3. The government keeps adding rules and regulations to ranchers, farmers, loggers, miners and businesses to the point that they become bogged down in paper work and fees that make it almost impossible to do business.
4. Hillary had stated that she would continue the Obama care program. She would keep the mines shut down. She stated that she wanted to institute the Australian program on guns; which is a "buy back" program, where citizens would turn in their guns for a monetary return. She stated, when the Supreme Court upheld a police officers right to have a gun in Washington D.C. that they Court was wrong. When told that this was a constitutional right according to the 2nd amendment, she said then we need to re write the constitution. She toned this down somewhat in the debates, but she is on record for that remark and belief. 
5. Now to Donald Trump.  He is a brash person, with a vulgar mouth.  He is not a racist. He has said he wants to stem the flow of people coming into the United States until they are vetted and when they do it legally.  He has said that he will overturn Obama care. he has said that he will uphold the constitution, including the 2nd amendment. He has said that he will revamp the tax code and lower taxes. He has said that he will build a wall on the Southern border. he has said that he will create jobs and bring jobs back to America.  He has not insulted Women. He has insulted specific women. Do I agree with that? No. I do not believe that he is a racist. I do believe he makes statements that he can do as a business man, but cannot do as a President who has to work with congress.  
6. So let's look at some of the things he said he will do.  Will he overturn Obama Care. I believe so. It is an unpopular program and the house has already tried to do this but President Obama vetoed the bill. The problem here is what the government will come up with to replace this act.
Fixing the taxes.  Can he fix this? Yes.  Will it get done? We will see.  Much was made during the campaign about Donald not paying any taxes. The media also admitted that what he did was legal. How?  Every time a President says they will raise taxes on the wealthy, the politicians in office come up with a loop hole to hide their money. Only the wealthy has enough money to make use of these loop holes, but they are there for the use of all of us, if we qualify, which most of the middle working class don't have. So, the bulk of the taxes fall to the working man or woman, while the rich get richer and the poor just hold out their hand.  So, while Donald may be able to fix the taxes, congress may not let him, as it will affect them and their pocket book.  We need to watch and see if they will work with him on this.
7. Donald said that he would put the miners back to work. He said that he would reduce the regulations on the working people and maker it easier to do business.I believe he will do this. I do not believe he will build a wall, but he will look at emigration and revamp some of that.  He resonated with the people, in that they have had enough of government in their lives and liked what he said. They didn't like what Hillary said.  There are millions of responsible gun owners in the United States that enjoy sport shooting or hunting that would never use a gun in the manner of Sandy Hook.  When "One" person takes a gun an wrecks havoc, the gun control people holler gun control.  That is just one person, but it makes news. The millions who do not do this are never in the news. 
8. Bernie said after the election that congress would work with Donald Trump, unless he tried to overcome environmental rules etc.  While Bernie and others have their opinion, they need to pay attention  to why Donald was elected and what the people want.  He, and others, may find their own future election in jeopardy if they oppose a lot of the reforms that Donald said he would bring about.  if they really want to work with him, then do that and bring about change that will put the people back to work. 
9. Environmental rules are great and necessary. I believe in protecting the environment. I don't believe in using environmental rules to bring about personal agendas which end up putting people out of work or causing companies to relocate out of  the country. 
10. Trade? I don't really understand all I have heard about international trade, but I think that trade deals are necessary. I just have to rely on someone else for any information on this.
11. So will the Trump Presidency be better than a Hillary Presidency. I have to say yes.  I repeat, I am not a big fan of Trump, but I believe the way he wants to take the Country is a better direction that Hillary would.
12. A final comment.  Gary Johnson received a few million votes nationwide.  The problem with him was that he didn't have the financial backing to Cross the country and present his message. In order for him to get his message out, he needs to start now and build a fund so that the Libertarian party becomes a force to be reckoned with in future elections. he needs to build the party to the point that he or whoever runs for office can get on the debate stage.  Will this happen?  I don't know. Can it happen? Yes. Time will tell.  I may make further comments on a later blog, but this is enough for now.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT?

MUCH HAS BEEN SAID ABOUT THE NOBLE SAVAGE; AKA THE AMERICAN INDIAN. I have to wonder just how noble they actually were, or how savage, for that matter.  I have a little knowledge of the heritage of the American Indian, and I know somewhat of their back ground. There have been times in their history that they were indeed noble and there were times that they were indeed savage.  By the time the Europeans arrived on the scene in the form of Christopher Columbus, they had many centuries to practice their craft of savagery.  Now, I am not posting this blog about the history of the Indian.  I just have to wonder if any of them actually said what they said.   Example.
Daylight saving time is the White Mans way of cutting a foot off one end of a blanket and sewing it on the other end to make it longer.  While I agree with the sentiment, did a member of one of the Indian tribes actually say that?  If so, to whom is it credited?  Just wondering.
Another saying is the Indian comment on a bicycle.  The saying,  That is just the White Mans way of setting down and walking.  Again, did a member of an Indian Tribe actually say that, and if so, who?  
And finally, an Indian saying is that there is in each of us a good person and a bad person, and the one that comes through is the one we feed.  That is probably a paraphrase, but once again, is this an authentic Indian saying, and if so who said it?  
Now, I am not discrediting any of these sayings or their origin being from a member of an American Indian tribe.  I just have to wonder if they actually said that, or if they are credited with saying that for some unknown reason.  JUST WONDERING HERE ON THE DITCH BANK

JUST A FEW OBSERVATIONS, NEXT EDITION

1.  DID YOU WATCH THE COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS SHOW?  No, I didn't either. I am a country music fan, but I like the classic country. I did see a few blurbs on social media about the show, however.  I just have to wonder how many people are now "Country" music fans there are after watching Beyonce do he strip show on a country music show.  Glad I didn't watch that.
2. Did you watch the world series game last night.  No. Me neither.  But the Chicago Cubs won the game and the series in extra innings. This is the first time the Cubs have won the series since 1908. President Obama has tendered them an invitation to the White House. Don't know if they will accept or not.  The Cleveland Indians were the losing team.  The series took 7 games and the Cubs won 4 and the Indians won 3. The Indians haven't won the series since 1948 and they put forth a great effort.  Even though they didn't win the series, I think they should be offered an invitation to the White House also. 
3. Did you vote already?  Are you having Buyers remorse?  It seems that there are some people in some States that voted early, mostly by mail, and now they are wishing they had not voted the way they did and there are some States that are making in possible for these individuals to have a do over.  Seems that they can go in a cancel their previous vote and cast a new one.  Hmmmm. wouldn't it just be easier to wait for election day and then be sure.  Or at least kinda sure?
4. Do you have medical insurance?  Did your premiums go up for 2017?  For many people it did. Almost double, in some cases.  If our old people insurance goes up, we haven't yet been notified. Guess we will have to wait and see.  I think I am glad we made a change a few years back.
JUST A FEW OBSERVATIONS FROM THE DITCH BANK

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION

HALLOWEEN:  LIKE IT OR NOT?  There has been a lot on the news lately about this being the Halloween season and the time to see scary movies.  There was even a special report on the local NBC station this morning on what scary movies to allow your children to see and at what age they could see what movie.  OK    here is my opinion.  I used to love going to the movies.  My wife and I saw a lot of movies when we were growing up.  Good movies. Entertaining movies.  Comedy's, Drama, even a musical from time to time.  Musicals like Oklahoma and South Pacific.  Western's and military war movies.  I even saw, what was a few scary movie's for the time period, but I did not particularly like them. I only remember walking out on one movie, though, and that was a movie based on an Edgar Allen Poe story called   The Fall of the House of Usher.  Now I am an old man, and I still like a good movie. The problem is, there aren't any good movies. Now, they are all slash and burn, violent scenes and foul language.  Even the so called comedy's are not much more that bathroom potty mouth humor and I don't like that.  When you have to sit through a 90 minute movie with 45 minutes of it being nude scenes and cuss words, you really can't enjoy the other 45 minutes. And as for the scary movies, why would you want to go see a movie that is going to scare you and cause  you to have night mares?  Nope, I like to be entertained, but I don't like to be scared to death or bored to death, or embarrassed to the point of being squirming uncomfortable. So, I'll just read my books and watch the few TV shows that I can stand to watch and leave the rest to you.   AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

A FEW REASONS

I STILL WON'T VOTE FOR HILLARY.  I watched the debate last night.  I didn't really know if I would, but I did. At least most of it.  So, I will repeat what I have said in past posts.  I don't really like Trump.  For a lot of reasons. But I just can't in all good conscience vote for Hillary. So, I will ramble along and mention a few things about why I can't vote for her.
1st. in spite of what Hillary said in the debate, she is not in favor of the 2nd amendment. And she wants to change it.  She has said so in several rally's. The DC VS. Heller that Trump mentioned that has Hillary so upset was a supreme court decision that upheld the 2nd amendment.  While Hillary tried to justify her upsetness in the debate, she was told after the decision was made that the right to bear arms was a constitutional right according to the 2nd amendment.  She then said, well then, we need to re write the amendment.  That is a quote and is on video. She also has said that she wants to follow the Australian system of gun control, which is to take everyone's guns from them and melt them down. That is also on video and has been reported in the news.  Gun safety is one thing.  Gun control by taking away a constitutional right is something else again.
2nd.  When Chris Wallace ask about a speech she had given to a Brazilian bank for which they paid her over $200,000.00 as reported by wiki leaks, she quickly sidestepped the question on went of on Trump and Putin.  She did that several times during the debate, ignoring pointed questions and pointing the finger at Trump and something not relevant to the question ask. 
3rd. A lot is being made about Trump's lack of respect for women. While some of that has been debunked, there is no doubt that Trump has said and done some things that are not good. I don't deny that.  I just have to wonder why the press/media keeps harping on things Trump did in the past, and ignores the things Hillary/Bill did in the past.  If that is in the past for them, then it should be in the past for Trump.  On that note, I lived through the Clinton's in the White House already. I don't want to do it again.  And why does the media forget to mention the fact that the Clinton's stole over $200,000.00 worth of art, china and silver when they left the white house. They did get caught and were forced to return it.  
4th. Trump accused Clinton and her party of sending people to his rally's to cause trouble, cause fights and be disruptive.  This has been proven and a news report this morning said that two people had left the Democratic party because of it.
5th.  Hillary is carrying on with Bernie's thought that education for the middle class will be free.  Uh No, Hillary, it won't be free.  Someone has to pay for that. Maybe the student won't. Maybe the government will. But where does the government get their money?  From the tax payers, AKA the middle class.  Much has been said about Trump not paying taxes. But the news that always reports on that does say, quickly, that what he did was legal. The politicians pass tax laws that create loop holes and then they are able to hide money and not pay taxes. Trump is not the only one to do this, and the bulk of the taxes do come from what is called the middle class. So, no folks, the education will not be "Free". 
So, no folks, I don't care for Trump.  Gary Johnson, or any of the other candidates have enough support to win, so I am in a position of voting for someone that I don't like.  All I can do is go vote and hope for the best for the country, because, in my opinion, no matter who wins, the American people will be the losers.    AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

A POST OF FIRSTS

DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST TIME?  The first time you did something that was an accomplishment.  I am in my 8 decade of life here on this third rock from the sun and I still remember a few things.  Not a lot, maybe, but some.  Like
The first time I rode a bike without my parents holding on to me.  Yes, that was a long time ago, on a Schwinn bike that my parents had bought from a cousin.  But I loved that bike, as far as bikes go, and I still remember the thrill of knowing that I could stay on it without falling over.  Yes, I remember that first.  Some of the other firsts of note were the first time I rode a horse, the first time I roped a calf and the first time I killed a deer.  I vaguely remember starting school, first grade and High School.  
I remember the first time I drove a car. Well, really a pickup.  It was a early 1950's model Chevrolet pickup with a 4 speed manual transmission. I started out in 1st gear and I thought I was really flying when I got to shift to 2nd.  I wasn't really going fast, but as a very young teenager driving for the first time, it felt like it. We were on a dirt ranch road with no traffic.  Of course, I was not a novice at driving, as I had driven a ford tractor on the ranch for a while.  But a pickup on a real road was different.  
I remember the first time I flew in a helicopter. I also remember the first time I rode a commercial bus and on a commercial airliner.  
I remember the first time I ran a caterpillar bull dozer and other heavy equipment. I remember the first time I operated a mining shovel.  I remember the last time I ran a shovel better. That is the day I retired.   I remember the first time I bought a car.  I remember the first time I became a father.   Some of the things that were firsts were just that, but few brought the sense of accomplishment of a little boy the first time he rode a bike with help and knowing that  Hey, I can do that.  And there is no other feeling like that in the world.  Regardless of what that first is for you, when you do that one "first" thing, then you know that other firsts are possible.  AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

I JUST HAVE TO SAY THIS

I GUESS IT IS TIC TIME AGAIN.  So I will say up front.  There is Nothing, and I mean nothing, that Trump can say or do that will make me vote for Hillary.  I don't like Hillary. I lived through the years they were in the White House before and the things they did and the things they stole when they left the White House and got caught and had to return the items. The lies she has told. She is a woman who is power hungry and has nothing in mind except winning the white house and the power that will give her, and she will use that power to run rough shod over any one who objects to her agenda.  And she will have an agenda.   Now, having said that
I don't like Trump either. He  is not a likable person.  He is rude, crude and socially unacceptable, as the saying used to go. He demeans women, people of various races, religion and religious people. I am a native of New Mexico and he has demeaned New Mexicans and our governor. So, no, I don't like Trump.  However, in a choice between Hillary and Trump, I would vote for Trump if there was no other choice.    However,
There is another choice.  Two of them in fact.  Well, actually more than two, but I will mention two. The first is former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson. He actually has received some national attention and has been on some of the national TV shows. he is polling around 10 % at this time, and could possibly, and I say possibly, gain enough attention and polling percentage to be on the third Presidential debate.  Boy, wouldn't that put a wrinkle in the Hillary/Trump agenda, if they had a third candidate to contend with during a debate. Gary Johnson was a good governor during his first term in office. He went a little down hill during the second term, and he did divorce his wife when she got sick. Maybe more to that story than meets the  eye, though. He is a successful business man. And he has climbed Mount Everest. Literally.
The other choice is Evan McMullin.  Other than he is a member of the same church I am, I know little about him.  There are many who are touting him on social media. He is from Utah, and could carry that State, since the populace there are against both Hillary and Trump.  He is a longer shot than Johnson, but still  he has a shot.  And here is why, or how;
In order to win the election, a presidential candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win.  If Gary Johnson should carry New Mexico and McMullin should carry Utah, for example, and if Trump nor Hillary should neither one win 270 electoral votes, then the House of Representatives would be task with picking a President.  Since Hillary is a Democrat and the House is largely Republican, and since they are not liking Trump, they could very well pick either Johnson or McMullin.  Boy, wouldn't that be a kick in the collective pants of the Clinton/Trump campaigns. And I can already hear the howling that would go up from both of those camps if that should happen.  Of course, if the House should pick either of the "Popular" candidates, the other side will holler loud and long.  Who ever wins this election, by electoral vote or House vote, the American people will be the losers.
In all my 50 plus years of being old enough to vote, I have never seen a political climate that has been so negative and so insulting to the intelligence of the American people.
AND THAT IS THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

IT'S A GOOD THING

WHAT'S A GOOD THING, YOU ASK?  I WILL TELL YOU TOWARD THE END OF  THIS POST.   BUT FIRST;   
I was raised on a cattle ranch.   When I was old enough to seek employment, I spent some time working for the Forest Service, in the logging industry and then spent 40 years in the mining industry, ultimately retiring from that business a few years ago.  So what? you may ask.  Well, I'll tell you what.
Ranchers, farmers, loggers etc. had and have a penchant to take care of the land.  They have too, since the land is what supplies their living.  They watch the water sources and develop them as needed, and rotate their cattle herds accordingly.  Then in the 1970's, or there about, the environmental movement started.  This movement had been around for a long time prior to the 1970's, I admit, but it really got a foot hold in the 70's.  And guess what.  Ranchers and farmers and loggers supported that movement.  For a while. Cause they were aware of the need to care for the environment.  It took a while, but eventually they realized that this movement was not to care for the environment, but to remove all ranchers, loggers and any one else they could off of the land.  And they succeeded, by underhanded means, using false stories and pictures.  They would show pictures of clear cut logging, stating that it took place on public forests, when actually it was from timber farms in the Northwest. Private land owned by large lumber corporations. But the politicians back east lapped it up and passed laws that affected the people in the west, without actually learning the facts.  Now the movement has reached a point that any one wanting to run cattle operation, open a mine, or any thing else that involves the prudent use of the land, they have to spend hundreds or thousands or even millions of dollars to prove that they will not damage the land in a EIS.  For those of you that don't know what an EIS is, that is an Environmental Impact Statement. And if the environmental groups decide that it is going to affect an owl or a hawk or a fish or a mouse or whatever they can come up with, then you will not be able to use the land.  So what is a good thing.    
Well, if Adam and Eve had been required to file an EIS, they would have starved to death before they were able to start tilling the land.   AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

THE BENEFITS OF OLD AGE

WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS THE GOLDEN YEARS:  And I have to agree that it is.  We have the years and the Doctors get the gold.  And, I may add, the pharmacies, and the ad agencies that pander to the aged and infirm. Or those who are approaching that point.  They point out all the things that can go wrong with you as you get older and the benefits of the various medications that will improve your quality of life.  You have a problem, they have an answer.  Not always the best answer, but they have one. If you listen to the message they are promoting, any medicine that caters to a certain problem will improve your health and help you live a long and prosperous life.  The problem with these medicines, is the "side" effects.  And the warnings.  It may cause cancer. You don't have cancer, but if you take this medicine to help something, you may get cancer. It may cause a stroke or a heart attack, or any number of things that you currently don't have.
And then there are the ones that say, don't drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medicine will affect you.  It may cause you to get sleepy. It may cause you to have diarrhea. The main concern in this case is that these two items don't happen at the same time.
AND THAT IS THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT

I WATCHED THE DEBATE LAST NIGHT:  I really had no intention of doing so. But, there was nothing else on TV that appealed to me and I just got started watching and so continued till almost the end.  This morning I have been watching the news on NBC, AKA the today show, and it is obvious that Matt and Savanna and company is all for Hillary and against Trump.  It is also evident that they watched a different debate than I did, although I did hear a couple of comments that I agreed with.  So, while they are giving their spin on what took place, here is my spin on the debate.
I want to mention Lester Holt.  I like Lester, but last night he stated that the questions were his. And the first question out of his mouth was   "tell me how you will handle the economy better that your opponent?  I hated that form of question.  Better, Tell the public what you will do to improve the economy and the job situation.  And then the candidates need to both go back to school to learn the definition of the word debate.  Lat night was not a debate, it was an argument. And a bunch of accusations. You did this, will you said this  etc. the 15 minute time limit for each segment got totally away from Lester and he had little control over the actual content of the debate. The candidates also got into the performance of President Obama. I have lived through the last nearly 8 years of his Presidency. I don't need these two hashing over what he has or has not done. I want to hear what they will do to improve the country. What will they do with the military. What will they do with the economy and jobs and taxes. And why do they think their plan will improve the situation.  What will they do about foreign policy. I'm not really concerned about climate change, since I know who is in charge of the climate and it ain't them. And that is a subject for a future post.  I also noticed that Lester would let Hillary carry on for as long as she wanted and say whatever she wanted, but he often interrupted Donald when it seemed he didn't like what Donald was saying.  A debate moderator should be neutral, and Lester didn't come across that way. I am disappointed in that.
Now a comment of three or more about the candidates.  While I expected it, I was disappointed that they went on the attack, instead of talking about a plan they would have for improving the country. What they did say was from different view points.  Hillary was from a politician point of view and Donald was from a business man's point of view.  Hillary's plan is to raise taxes and throw more money at the problem. Dona;d's plan is to lower taxes and bring back jobs and companies to this country. Having spent my working life in an environment where taxes and government over regulations often devastate companies, I agree with Donald on this. I don't really like his demeanor or his persona,  but I do agree with him on that. Also, Hillary's answers were very scripted, while Donald spoke off the cuff, as it were.  Donald said what he thought needs to be done to bring law and order to the country. Hillary, in spite of recent FBI statistics to the contrary, said that crime was down under President Obama's administration. Although they didn't really get into this item last night, Hillary wants to dis arm the citizens of the country and rewrite the 2nd amendment.  I hope this is addressed in a future debate.
One final thought. Or two.   Neither Candidate won.  neither candidate convinced many undecided voters to vote for them.  Both probably solidified their own base voter block.  So, for the next two debates, I think we need a little diversion.  Let Gary Johnson be included in the debates. He is on all 50 ballots and is polling at 10%.  This will give another viewpoint to the current two party system.  Who knows, he may have a point of view that will appeal to some, and provide a little relief from the snippyness of the two current leaders.
AND THAT IS THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK  

I MUST BE CRAZY

IF I AM NOT, THEN SOMEONE IS:  Just a few things that I have on my mind as I get older.  Have you noticed it?  If not, then you are probably part of the generation that understands what the heck is going on.  confused yet?  Well, join the club, as I try to explain.  I said Try.
The local TV stations have been hiring young people to give the news.  They talk fast and they don't use proper punctuation. They put periods in their sentences where there should be nothing, or if something, then just a comma.  They start and stop in such a manner that it hurts your head to listen to them. 
Do the commercials on TV bother you?  If not, then you are not part of the crazy generation. I can watch a commercial and by the time they are through I have no clue what they are trying to sell.  Whatever it is, they are obviously not trying to sell it to me. They are reaching out to that young generation that seems  to understand all that stuff.  
I do have a cell phone, even though I have never been in jail.  But I don't stream movies or music or TV shows on it.  It is, after all, a phone.  So I use it to make a rare call to someone, and it is turned off as much as it is on. I am just not tied to the phone, or the TV. Yes, we do watch a few shows.  We watched the opening show of Survivor a few nights ago.  One of the teams is a Millennial group.  Young people.  They won the first round because they won the game.  I suspect that they will win more rounds on the games.  Some of them are gamers.  One girl said she plays video games for a living.  In my time, back before I went crazy, we worked for a living and played for entertainment.  How do you play video game's for a living.  
The more I watch and look at the world around me and the things that people are doing, I just have to assume that I am crazy.  Or they are.   AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

ARE YOU A FASHIONISTA

ARE YOU?  YOU KNOW THE ONES, DONCHA? The ones that have to have the latest in fashion.  Fashion dictated by someone who decided that something should be in style.  So, hair styles change and shoe styles change and the clothes you wear also changes. And you just have to have the latest in fashion.  It don't really matter if you are comfortable or not. It don't matter if you can walk in those shoes or not.  It don't even matter if you are modest or not. It is OK, because someone somewhere said that was what the fashion was. 
I wear western clothes.  Cowboy boots, Wrangler jeans, and western cut shirts and suits.  And, of course, a cowboy hat.  I have worn that style of clothing for over 7 decades.  I know, I know, my family feels that I need to get with the times and update my wardrobe.  So, I thought, OK, I will just do that.  And here is what happened.
A few weeks ago My wife and I were in a shopping mall in a large city on our State. I went into a store to look at a pair of Jeans they had on display.  Man, they were the latest fashion.  They were faded and had holes in them.  Really, there wasn't much thread there holding all the holes together. Wow, I thought. Now here's a pair of pants I won't have to go to the trouble of breaking them in and wearing holes in them.  I can buy them already broke in.  So I went in and ask the price.  $70.00   Yep, that is not a misprint.  $70.00. Well I guess they are worth that much to get them already broke in and faded worn.  But, I had to turn away. No way could I afford that pair of pants. 
I guess I will just have to continue paying $25.00 for mine and wearing them out myself, until I can save up enough money to afford these jeans already broke in and holes worn in them and not have to go to all that work myself.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

I WASN'T HERE THEN

YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE DAY, when Dinosaurs roamed the earth. At least history tells us that they did.  I have only the history books version of that, so maybe they did and maybe they didn't.  Your choice.  As I stated, I wasn't here then.  But now, in this day when I am here, we still seem to have animals that I know nothing about, Namely;

Buffalo.  Oh we have Buffalo. I have seen them. A couple of them up close and almost personal. In New Mexico, and Arizona and Wyoming.  And they looked just like Buffalo are supposed to look. At least as far as I know.  But I keep seeing on Restaurant menu's this offering for Buffalo Wings. And I just have to ask myself, where do they get them?  As I said I have seen Buffalo's. But I have never seen one with wings. 

And Chickens.  I was raised in the country.  We had chickens.  They had feathers, and laid eggs, which I had the opportunity to gather from time to time.  I still know what a chicken looks like. I have never seen one yet with fingers.  Yet, in restaurant menus they list chicken fingers as a food to eat.  I have also heard people say they are as fine a hens teeth.  Guess they don't know what a hen eats with, cause they got no teeth.  Saying they have teeth is a plausible as the syntax of the previous sentence.    And they saying   Fine as Frogs Hair.  I have seen several frogs.  Never seen one with hair.  They must have been barbered by a hen with teeth, and fingers. Who knows, maybe they caught a flight on a flying Buffalo.  And maybe all these animals are actually from the Dinosaur era and so they don't really exist any more, and some one is just plagiarizing the name. 

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

IT CAN BE HEART BREAKING

MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN:  There has been several things on the local news lately that just makes you shake your head, and even choke up a bit and maybe even shed a tear or two. And you just have to wonder,  WHY?  What is going on.
Recently a young mother was walking home in Chicago after walking her children to school. She was shot in the head.  What did she do to deserve that?  Nothing. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and got caught in a cross fire of two men having a gun battle.  Chicago registered 90 gun deaths during the month of August. The first time it has reached 90 in a month for several years. 
I dare say here that none of the people involved in these gun deaths, or the instigators of such, were legal and registered gun owners. Most of them are not.
On August 12, 2 felon's running from a murder charge in Ohio, were pulled over for a traffic violation in the small town of Hatch, New Mexico.  They shot and killed the police officer, high jacked another car and ran from the police.  They were later apprehended after a police chase and other things that took place.  They are now in jail.
A couple of weeks ago, the police in Albuquerque answered a call of domestic violence. Arriving at the apartment they apprehended a woman, her boy friend and a female cousin of the boy friend. The female cousin jumped from the apartment balcony to escape police, but broke her leg in the jump so was apprehended.  Their crime.  They had tortured, raped, then killed and dismembered the woman's 10 year old daughter. They were attempting to burn the body in the bath tub when police arrived.  The girl had just turned 10 years old the day before.  The boy friend and his cousin both had long rap sheets and the cousin had just been released from jail a few days before this incident. The girl was a pretty girl and it just hurts to even see the news reports.
A day or so after the above incident, also in Albuquerque, a woman and her 11 year old daughter from Vietnam had recently arrived in Albuquerque to join the woman's new husband.  The husband shot them to death then shot himself. No one seems to know why he did this, but it cut short a life of someone who thought they were on their way to a better life her in the U.S.
Just two days ago, in the small town of Alamogordo, New Mexico, a police officer contacted a felon who had 4 active warrants for his arrest.  the felon shot and killed the police officer, before being shot and killed by other officers who arrived on the scene.  The felon was just that, a felon who was not supposed to have a gun.  But he did. Against the law, but then I'm sure he didn't care.
This is just a small smattering of things that have happened in the past month. I am sure it is also just a small smattering of the thing that have happened nation or even world wide.
A lot of this kind of thing is taking place, and the general populace is getting fed up with it. Hillary nor Trump, with the help of congress, will not put an end to this. It will be the "uprising" of the general public that will finally stand up and say  enough is enough, and put an end to the madness that has taken over the nation and the world.
And that is the View From the Ditch Bank 

I'LL TAKE A BREAK

I ASSUME BY NOW, most everyone has made up their mind on who to vote for this November. Therefore any thing I say will have little to no effect on any one, so what ever I say is just an opinion.  Well, I guess all of my blog posts are my opinion and rarely agreed with by any one. So be it.  I'll take a break from bashing the tics and go on another tangent.  Here goes.

Recently there appeared on facebook an article from somewhere about what it takes to turn a boy into a man. I am paraphrasing here, and will continue to do so when I say what was in the article, mainly because I only remember the tone of the article.  The author of the article said that in order for a boy to become a man he had to know how to fish and hunt and fix a car, maybe even rebuild a car, how to work and drive a truck and equipment and well, you get the picture.  Do I agree with this article?  Only in some respects.  A boy does need to know how to work. he needs to be taught a work ethic. He needs to be taught that he needs to have an occupation to support himself and his family. If he is interested in fishing, then he needs to learn how to fish. If he is interested in hunting, then he needs to learn how to shoot a firearm safely as well as perhaps a bow and arrow. Depends on the type of hunting he wants to do. If he wants to fix or build cars, learn how to weld or any of the other "trades" then he should do so.   BUT      he does not need to know how to fish or hunt or build a car or drive a truck or operate equipment.  A basic working knowledge of an automobile for maintenance purposes would be helpful, but is not required knowledge to become a man.  The main thing here is that he know how to work at something.

I watch house fixer upper programs on TV.  All too often the "Man" of the house needs a MAN CAVE.  What the heck is a man cave, and what is it's purpose.  Do these Men really need a cave to feel like a man?  The concept baffles me.  What is wrong with a FAMILY CAVE, if you really need a cave. Be a real man and spend time with your family, in a family space. Yes, there is a time and a place for friends, Buddies, if you like, but you house should be a space for your family. Friends can be and should be welcomed there, but not into a "cave" that is the exclusive use of the Man of the family.  be a real man and spend time where it belongs and teach you son to be a moral and responsible man.  And if he wants to hunt and fish and whatever, then OK, but that is not the important thing to his being a man.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

I'D LIKE TO SAY THIS WILL BE THE LAST ONE

BUT SINCE IT PROBABLY WON'T BE, I'LL TRY TO HOLD IT DOWN.  I want to comment on a few more things political, from the point of view of an uneducated person. So here are a few more observations.

1. Hillary said she was in favor of religious freedom.  Well, that is not really a lie, exactly, but her version of religious freedom means something different than mine. Hew view is that if a religion has a certain belief and someone else believes differently, the the first one has to accommodate the individual or group that believes differently. I say no, I should have the freedom to believe what I want and the other individual or group can believe what they want, and neither one should have to cater to the other one.

2. I have said that I don't particularly like Trump.  I will vote for him, however. And here is why. I see in the news reports that several influential Republicans are against him and trying to get someone else to take his place.  All this will do is help Hillary to win.  Here's my opinion of what is going on.  Trump is not part of the good old boy group. He is a lone wolf. he is a business man who has made his millions + and he is not owned by any of the people that are in office. And they are afraid that he will get elected and upset their little money making apple cart. You know the one. The one that is operated on the backs of taxpayers.  So, they will do whatever they can to defeat Trump.  I think the people of the country are smarter than that.  Well, us older ones are any way.

3. I have stated in the past and in my profile that I am a member of the LDS (AKA Mormon) Church.  The pollsters have commented that Trump has upset the Mormons of Utah and so they will vote for Hillary, even though Utah is primarily a republican State.  Little do they know that there are a lot of Mormons outside of Utah and not all of them are as upset at Trump as they are with Hillary. 

4. Trump wants to eliminate the death tax. Hillary says it won't help any one but Trump. Well, it will help the Clinton's also.  And while it won't effect me, it will effect may rural people. Farmers and ranchers that are lucky enough to still be in business will be effected. While they don't have a lot of cash, they do have a lot of funds invested in land and equipment, and the death tax can, and does, devastate many families, and farms and ranches, as well as other family owned businesses are and will be devastated with the death tax.  land and funds that have been taxed at least once already and now the government wants to tax it again just because you die.  Yes, I am with Trump on that one.

5. Environmental regulations. Trump wants to change them. Hillary wants to strengthen them. They have already shut down many operations. The environmental groups just don't realize that livestock actually is good for the land. Over grazing, no, but good conservation efforts are good.  And they have had the Forest service shut down logging, so now instead of having good forests, we have millions of acres of timber going up in smoke every year. And it is not the fault of global warming.  That one lies squarely on the backs of environmental groups.

6.  Last, for now.  There is WOTUS.  Never heard of it?  Look it up. This is the government trying to take over every drop of water that we use. Every lake, every river and stream, every irrigation ditch and every puddle of water that we may even think of using. And this will also harm the folks living in rural areas.

Again, I don't think we will be in good shape no matter who gets elected, but with Hillary it will definitely be worse that Trump.  Maybe they both have lied to the public, but Hillary is worse. AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

I HAVE A PET PEEVE

ACTUALLY HAVE MORE THAN ONE; but this one is about the FLAG.  If you really want to know about Flag etiquette, you can google it, or Bing it or whatever you use.  However, I am going to mention a couple of things that bugs me.    
1.  For the last several years, the flag has been more and more disrespected by the masses.  Men don't remove their hats or caps when the flag passes by in a parade. This should be done and your right hand placed over your heart.  Just do it and show it the respect it deserves.
2. The flag should never touch the ground. Yet, many protesters walk on it, burn it or other wise desecrate it and they are allowed to do so in the name of freedom of expression or some such thing.  No, the flag code says this is not to be done. Period.......
3. flying the flag.  There are several rules on how and when to fly the flag.  When on a float in a parade it should always be on a staff. Always.  If on a vehicle, pickup, car, boat, whatever, it should be firmly attached to the chassis or on the right front fender. It should never be placed over the vehicle.  I don't care if you are a patriotic cowboy or someone else, this is the way a flag should be flown and any one who does other wise, should be told what to do and if they persist, then they need to be arrested.
4. There are a lot of other codes that pertain to flying the flag, at night, in inclement weather, etc. If you want to fly or display the flag, read the code and then do so in an appropriate manner.  And show respect when it passes by in a parade or other official function.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

Some Observations

I have not watched a lot of the two recent political conventions. I have watched snippets and of course saw the news bleeps.  So, based on that, and the fact that I have lived on this third rock from the sun for a while, I feel like I can make a few observations.  Mind you, these are my observations, and unlike the news media, I will spout them as a personal belief.  Who even knows what the talking heads on the news believe. Well, here goes.
1.  If it is true that liars pants really did catch on fire, Hillary would need to start wearing a dress.
2. Bill's speech was so disgusting that many people couldn't stomach it. For my part, if he is so in love with Hillary, why does he carry on with so many other women?
3. Hillary supposedly endorsed some of Bernie's platform in order to woo his supporters to her side. If those supporters think that she will actually conform to those ideas after she is elected, I am afraid they will be sadly surprised.
4. E mails surfaced that proved that Hillary and the DNC conspired against Bernie so Hillary could win the nomination. Then they blamed the Russians for hacking and leaking them.  If they hadn't done that in the first place, there would have been no e mails to hack and leak.  It's like, Oh I got caught, so blame the Russians.  Takes the heat off of what really transpired.
5. Trump made the gaff of saying, Russia, if you can find Hillary's other 30,000 e mails hack them and make them public.  People really got up in arms over that. Well, if they can hack the DNC and leak e mails that showed their behind the scenes manipulations, then they should be able to find the 30,000.  Don't blame them for something and then get in a huff when someone asks them to do more.  
6. My family is divided on who to vote for this election. Some are divided and some are undecided. A vote for Trump is a vote against Hillary. A vote for Hillary is a vote against Trump. A vote for any one else is a vote in favor of Trump of Hillary.  Is there other candidates?  Yes there is.
7. While there will be many candidates on the ballots, The only candidate who will appear on all States ballots is Libertarian Gary Johnson.  While a vote for Johnson or any other candidate will be a vote in protest against the two party system, it will be too little too late and while Johnson is closing in on the 15% mark to get into a presidential debate, He needs a lot more support than he has.  What the country needs at this time is for the Libertarian party to get enough voters together to hold a convention and get it on the national news. They need a lot of people to leave the two main parties and join their cause in order to make a difference.
8. Hillary has not had a job in the private sector for more years than I know about, of ever. She only knows that taxes pay her salary and we the little people can be taxed enough to assure her salary and retirement.  
9. Trump is a business man in the private sector. He understands profit and loss. He knows that you need jobs for the people in order for taxes to be paid to run the country. He may be unethical, and undoubtedly he is, but he may be the man for the season at this season.
10. I tend not to share a lot of what comes through facebook. I don;t tweet or snap chat or any of those other media things that are out there. I see a lot both for and against the current president and his family, as well as the candidates now running for office. I ignore most of it, but s share something that I know to be true.  So when Mrs. Obama said that she wakes up every morning in a house built by slaves, and the social media erupted against her comment, I went in an internet search.  Here is what I found. The White House was designed by Irish Born James Hoban. The initial white house was built by both skilled and unskilled labor. Since slaves were legal at that time, it is safe to say that much of the unskilled labor was done by slaves.  However, the white house has been added on to and updated many times over the centuries by various presidents, the last of which was Harry Truman.  So while Mrs. Obama's speech was partially correct, in that slave labor was undoubtedly used, there were many others involved who were not slaves, and many of the African American men of the time were free men and were paid a wage for their labor or skill. 
11. I wanted to post something here about the Flag, but this has turned into such a long post, that I will save that for another day. A day not to distant in the future.  AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

I REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS

I was/am trying very hard to stay out of the mud slinging going on in the political world.  I really am.  And I refuse to repost a lot the things that come out on facebook, even though some of it may actually be factual.   But I have reached a point where I feel I need to say this.  Feel free to comment if you like.
1.  I am not a Trump fan.  In fact, I made an agreement with a daughter last winter that I wouldn't vote for Trump if she wouldn't vote for Hillary.  I have since reneged on that and released her to do what ever she feels she has to do.  I say again, I am not a Trump fan, but I can on no way vote for Hillary.  So, I will vote for Trump, and here is why.

2. I will start this by saying I voted for Cruz in the Primary. I would have voted for Carson if he was still in the running at that time.  Trump is not a politician, but a business man. So what.  Maybe it is time to have someone in office that looks at things in a different light.  If Trump surrounds himself with people who understand foreign policy and he listens to their advise, he may actually do well.  IF he gets elected, we will see.  He is a bully and a loudmouth. And he may cause Problems for the U.S.  But then, we already have problems, so on to Hillary.

3.  Since Obama took office he has doubled the national debt and this will continue under Hillary.  Also, Hillary has already stated that IF, and I repeat If, the second amendment is a constitutional right, Then it is subject to reasonable regulation.  She wants to model the second amendment on the gun program that have  in Australia.  She has stated this in several speeches. She said that the Australian buy back program worked very well.  Uh, no, it did not.  Even though the country of Australia may have compensated the people for the guns they "took" away from them, it was not a buy back program, as the government didn't own the guns in the first place. Also, Most of the shootings that take place, that have gun control advocates up in arms, take place with guns that are already illegal and were illegally obtained, and by people who were not allowed to own a gun any way.  So, the gun control proposals will only punish legitimate and legal gun owners and leave those who should not have a gun having them any way.  Still, the media will espouse the gun control point of view and ignore the legality of most of these issues.

4.  Yes, there are other candidates.  The most viable one and the most visible one is the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. There are some pros and cons to consider here.  First, Gary Johnson was a good governor of the state of New Mexico.  However, when his wife got sick with cancer, he divorced her and let her die single.  I am sure there is more there than was reported, but it looked bad.  He also wants to legalize marijuana.    While I am against that, I guess that would be better than Hillary's agenda.  The thing against Mr. Johnson and any other candidate of a lesser party, is that the rules are that any candidate has to poll at least 15% of voters before they are allowed to go on a debate stage.  I say, if they were allowed to go on a debate stage, they may poll a high number, but the rules are against them.  So, since they are so low on the polling scale, a vote for Mr. Johnson or an other candidate is simply a wasted vote, except to express displeasure with the two front runners.

5.  Who ever wins in November, we as a people need to be aware of what is going on and do what ever is best for the country and insist that those elected to congress be reminded who they work for and to set the rules of play (they don't really work, for the most part ) be changed and that they make rules for the people.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

WHAT CAN I SAY

I have been away from the blog for a while, although it has not been as long as I thought.  So, I return today to make a few short comments.  They are probably more of an update on old comments, rather than any thing really new. So here goes. We will see what comes out.
1.  At this point, Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee for the Republican party and Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee for the Democrat party and Gary Johnson is the nominee for the libertarians.   Now, I presumptive on the part of the first two parties, because Bernie has not totally given up and The Republicans are still not totally on board with Donald. My opinion on this is that no matter which one of them wins, we lose.  The next 4 years are going to be a lose for the American people.  

2. If Hillary wins, there will be a continuation of the eroding of the 2nd amendment and a continuation of land and water grabs from the people of the West.  If Donald wins, these two items may not be in danger, and I say may not, but he is going to raise a big controversy with other world leaders, as well as members of the senate and the house.  If Gary Johnson should happen to win, he would legalize marijuana, which would not be a good thing, but on the other had, based on his two terms as governor of New Mexico, he would have, or work very hard to have a balanced budget. 

3. Once again, the west is experiencing wild fires of large magnitude.  The talking heads on the TV blame it in the drought.  And they are mostly right.  However, there are a few things to consider here. The environmental movement has got the ranchers and the loggers moved off the forest. And you say, so what?  Well, I'll tell you what.  When the loggers were allowed to log the forests, under the direction of the Forest service, the timber was culled and thinned and this brought two benefits.  One was that there were lest dense forests to burn and the other was that there was less trees to fight for the water that was available.  This created a big benefit for the remaining trees.
The rancher situation is similar.  The animals not only fertilized the forest, but their cloven hoof acted as a cultivator as they walked about the land.  Also, since they were allowed to water on the streams and rivers, the cottonwood growth that has since been allowed to grow up would not be so bad and the trees would not be sucking up all the water from the rivers, allowing for a more free flowing river.  So, do I blame the Forest service.  No. I blame the environmental groups that lobbied congress to pass laws and the members of congress for listening and passing laws that had no benefit for the people and the land in the west.

OK,  I guess that's enough for today, so that's THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

WELL, I PROCRASTINATE

NO, I'M NOT SEEING RED.  ALTHOUGH I COULD, IF I LET MYSELF.  I started out this year to post my opinions of the various Presidential candidates, most of whom I don't really like or care for.  But as the season has progressed and the candidates began dropping like flies, I decided to just let them fare for themselves. Which they would do any way, without me. And since there are so few people who actually take the time to read this post any way, I just felt that for my own good, I would not comment any more on the presidential race.  Well, mostly not any way.  Who knows what the future may hold.
So, for my peace of mind and my stress level, I will just stay with more pleasant subjects.  I and my wife decided that we would be more kind in the future. I am sure she will follow through. I will try. 
One thing that helped with this decision was my trip to the vampire (AKA Lab) office this morning. There was a lady there that complained about everything. She didn't like that the technician that is usually there to draw her blood was not there. She didn't like a former technician who was "horrible"  ( I liked her, BTW,the former tech)  She complained about most every thing and did it vocally.  I have never did that in the lab, and I am a hard draw, but I just sit a take whatever, and well, enough said about that.   So, future posts, such as they may be, I will try to be nicer to the tics and others that I interact with. Maybe if I do that, others will also and who knows, just one nice and kind act on my part may change someone's attitude for the better and it may even domino.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

WHAT TO SAY

EARLY ON, IN THIS ELECTION YEAR, I started voicing my opinion of the various candidates running for President of the U.S.  I have voiced my opinion of Bernie and Hillary, neither good.  I have voiced opinions of some of the Republican candidates, but they started dropping out so fast i gave up on that.  Now, we are left with Trump and probably Hillary.  Neither if which I like.  As the saying goes, when you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil.  So, which evil would be the best for the country. As my wife and I were talking the other day, there will other candidates on the ballot for president. The problem is, no one much has heard of them and the race will be between Trump and probably Hillary.  So, I will probably voter for Trump.  I think he is not a good person. He is a profane bully.  But, he is a business man and will try to pass laws that will favor businesses in America and keep a lot of them from going out of the country. He will protect the 2nd amendment, which Hillary has said she will not.  He will be for a stronger military. He will not have a good relationship with the media, I think, and he will step on a lot of toes. And mostly he won't care.  He will probably have the opportunity to chose some new Supreme Court justices and they will be better suited to what the country needs.  So, yes, even though I don't like Trump, I think he will be better than Hillary.
On another note, there have been three amber alerts this week. OK, there probably has been more than three, but three that I am aware of.  The first one was earlier this week when a 11 year old Navajo girl was abducted as she walked home from the bus stop after school.  Her body was found south of The Shiprock, physically abused and then murdered.  Her younger brother, abducted at the same time, was let go and he identified the killer, who is now in custody.   The second one was a 4 year old boy who was abducted from school by his non custodial mother.  He was found later in the day at a motel in Albuquerque and is now back with his father and his mother is now in custody.  The third one is a brother and sister abducted in Utah by their non custodial parents. They were located in a motel in Gallup New Mexico and are OK.  
The purpose of this post is this, will the new president and any new congress members seek to change laws that will be favorable to families and what is needed to strengthen the family, or will they continue to erode the laws that allows this kind of behavior to continue.  Yes, there have always been predators. yes, there will always be, until the millennium,  but it seems to me that the powers that be are only fostering these things by the laws they pass, and the  way they cater to a minority, who seem to squeak until they are heard, far above the voice of reason.    So, pay attention who you vote for, not just for president, but for all national as well as local candidates.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

MORE OBSERVATIONS

JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS:    I have learned, once again, that I am a nobody.  And I am OK with that.  How do I know?  Well, I like Country music. Old, classic country music.  Recently a classic country music singer/icon passed away. Namely, Merle Haggard.  While this was mentioned on the news, it was just a blip on the news and then gone.  NOW
Prince has passed away and it is on the news morning, noon and night, day after day, and, according to the news,  EVERYBODY, is talking about it and why and what and well on and on.  Well, i am not talking about it.  While I was aware of who Prince was, I could not tell you the name of any song he sang, nor am I playing them over and over now that he is gone.
And then this morning on the news, they talked about a new song/video that Beyonce (I think it was Beyonce) has come out with, and once again EVERYBODY is talking about it.  Well, I am not talking about it. In fact, except on the news this morning, I had never heard of it, and after seeing what they showed on the news, I don't care if I ever hear of it again.
So once again, I realize I am a nobody.  And then on social media, someone said there is only one singer left. I don't remember who that was, but again it was someone I never heard of.  I beg to differ. I will mention just a few that we have left.   Bill Anderson; Mel Tillis; Gene Watson; Willie Nelson; Loretta Lynn; Dolly Parton; Connie Smith.  Just to mention a few.  I am sure that they will also just be a blip on the news when they pass, and the nobody's like me will talk about it, while EVERYBODY, talks about something else.  But I am OK with that. I kinda like being a nobody in this day and time.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

I HAVE TO WONDER

WHY DO PEOPLE DO THE THINGS THEY DO.  That is a statement that can readily be turned into a question.   I occasionally travel the highways and byways of this great State and some time other States, and the things people do never cease to astound me.  I will mention a couple or three of them and then mention one thing about me that I have noticed.

1.  Why, when I am traveling somewhere, and doing so at the posted speed limit, does someone feel the need to speed past me, then slam on their brakes so they can make a turn off the highway onto a side road, causing me to have to slam on my brakes also.  Knowing they were going to make that turn, couldn't they just stay behind me, at the posted speed limit for 60 seconds or so?
I have to wonder.

2.  I own a vehicle or 2.  None of them are new by several years, although they don't look very bad.  My wife and I have tried to take care of them over the years, and when we go to a store, such a Wal-Mart, or a shopping center in a distant city, we park far away from the normal line of parked cars.  As in, in the North, or South, 40.  So why, when we return to the car after the shopping, with numerous parking spaces in the lot, does someone feel that they have to park in a space right next to us.  Even if they are trying to take care of their own vehicle, and parking in the aforesaid 40, they do have a choice to park in a spot away from me. So, why do they feel the need to park right by me.  I have to wonder.

3. Another traffic issue.  Why, when I am traveling down the road and approaching a construction zone, and the speed limit is dropping and the sign says a certain lane is closed ahead, and I move to the appropriate lane and slow to the posted speed limit, why does the people in the vehicle several vehicles back feel the need to speed up and then crowd  in at the last minute where the orange barrels are scooting them over, causing the line of traffic to all slow even further to accommodate them.  I have to wonder.

4. And finally, what is it with me.  Many years ago I would watch general conference and wonder how much longer is this going to go on.  It seemed like a two hour meeting lasted forever.  Now, in my dotage, it seems like I have just turned the meeting on and it is already over.  I just have to wonder.

I assume that my age, and the passage of time, going by faster and faster every day is the culprit.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

A FEW RAMBLINGS

YEP, I'M BACK WITH MORE RAMBLINGS ABOUT THINGS THAT I OBSERVE IN MY UNEDUCATED WAY.  So, most of these are not even related to each other.  Well, maybe.
1. Why are Catholic Nuns concerned about a birth control bill in their insurance policy.  That should not even be on their radar.  OK, I know there is more to this than meets the eye of the media, but sometimes you just have to wonder, the way the report is presented.

2.  Do I even want to get into the political scene at this point.  It seems to me that the tics are doing a worse job on each other than I could ever do, even if my blog were to be read by many. All I can say at this point is that there is some common sense come November.  The problem is that common sense is just not that common.

3. The Staff of life.  We have been without water off and on for the past two days.  You don't realize how much you depend on water being there until you don't have it. Oh, we had water to drink, and there are emergency supplies, but still, the convenience of water is a given until it is not available at the turn of the tap.

4. Weather. Here where I live we have wind and dust. And lots of it.  Well, today hasn't been so bad.  But just a few miles, well a few hundred miles, although it is only across a State line, Colorado is buried in a winter blizzard of snow.  Welcome to spring time. 

Hope you all have a happy Easter and remember why we celebrate it.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

SOME MORE OBSERVATIONS

WELL, A COUPLE MORE OR SO.  WE WILL SEE.

1.  I guess I am getting to be a sour old man.  Why? you ask.  You already knew this, you are just wondering how I discovered it.  Well, I'll tell you.  I used to like candy. Lots and lots of candy. I really liked Snickers and Milky Way bars, with a Coke. And peanuts. A 20 oz. bottle of Coke.  I still like Coke, and peanuts, but don't drink them much any more, but any time I break down and buy a Snickers etc, I can hardly eat it as it is so sweet.  Same with most of the store bought cookies that I used to like.  Just don't like most of them any more.  Well, except Fig Newtons. I still like those, so maybe I have not completely soured. Just mostly.  I do like most home made pies and cookies.  And Ice Cream.  As soon as I don't like them I will have made it all the way to sour.

2.  Have you bought any honey lately?  Just wondering.  It has gotten so expensive even Pooh may have to change to Syrup.  Sopapilla Syrup, that is.  Have you had any Sopapilla Syrup lately.  Bet you have if you have gone to a Mexican Restaurant and ordered a Sopapilla with Honey.  And you got Honey.  Nope. Syrup.    Don't believe me?  Google Sopapilla Syrup and see what you come up with.  Let me know.

3.  Have you seen the commercial for eye glasses where the guy comes out in a pink body suit. Or whatever it is.  May get someones juices flowing to buy glasses from them. Not mine. I hate that commercial so much I am not really sure who they are advertising for.

4.  I have often heard, during an election year, May the best man win.  I have often replied that the best man is not even running.  I read something a few weeks back that said the best man or person, is not running because the best man don't want to govern his fellow man.  Yep, that about sums it up. So, as a result, we live with what we get and always hope for a better future.

AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

JUST A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS

OR THREE.   Do you watch TV? Do you pay attention to the Ad's?    If so, maybe you can enlighten me.  
1. Why would an insurance agency feel the need to insure a bunch of deer having a pool party>

2.  Although Ben Franklin thought the Turkey was a smart bird, are they really smart enough to high jack a meat delivery truck and cause the driver to tremble in fear? And the insurance company feels the need to cover that?

3.  And why does Tarzan need car insurance any way. He just swings through the jungle on a vine? 

4. And finally, if all the money spent on the Dems and the Repubs trying to get into the white house legally, was actually spent on feeding the hungry or paying sown the national debt, just think how much better off the country would be.

JUST SOME ERRANT THOUGHTS FROM THE DITCH BANK

SORRY, I JUST CAN'T HELP MYSELF

I HAVE HELD OFF ABOUT AS LONG AS I CAN.   I just feel I need to express myself on the current state of the election campaign.  So, bear with me, as I may ramble a bit.  OK   OK    a lot.
First, the Dems.   Actually, there were three candidates, but one has dropped out, so now there is just Hillary and Bernie.  Neither of which is a good choice.  I almost want to leave this right there, but will say a couple of things.  Bernie is an avowed socialist.  Never has socialism worked for a country without problems.  Although we have a lot of things headed in that direction, the last I checked, this was still a democracy.  Shouldn't Democrats want Democracy?  And Hillary.  What can I say that I have not already said?  Not much, I guess. She continues to deny the things she has done wrong, and while the media will mention these things, they continue to not call her on them.  
Now to the Repubs. As of this writing, the field has dropped from 16 to 5.  Donald Trump continues to lead the pack.  And the pack he is leading is the public that continues to vote for him.  All I can think of is a pack of ravening wolves, with Trump the leader.  Depending on your point of view, Trump is a successful business man.  He has shrugged off the many bankruptcies he has had as just business as usual.  He is a bully and he uses the kind of language most bullies use; foul and often misleading.  He attacks any of hos opponents that start to get too close to him in the polls. When Cruz won the primary that he did win, Trump threatened to sue him for stealing the election. He stated that he hated to lose. Well, too bad.  We can only hope that he does lose even more on Super Tuesday.  I like Ted Cruz. He is campaigning on the issues more than any candidate and he is not attacking his opponents like the others are.  Following Cruz, I like Marco Rubio. I think either one of them would be preferable to Trump.  I like Ben Carson, but he has fallen so far behind that I feel he will eventually drop out, along with Mr. Kasich, leaving a field of three.  Time will tell, I guess.
So for a final wrap up on this post.   I do not like Hillary or Bernie or Trump.  I made an agreement with one of my daughters that if she would not vote for Hillary, I would not vote for Trump.  If it comes down to the two of them in the general election, I release her from that agreement, as I may have to renege on my part also.  While I don't like Trump, I think he will be better than Hillary.  Not good for the country, but better than Hillary.
And I will say this. I read an article a while back that while the Democrats look at the country's problem and the solutions from the Democrat point of view and the Republicans look at them from the Republican point of view, Trump looks at the problem and tries to find a solution to the problem, with a point of view of a business man, not a politician.  So be it.  Maybe that is what we need, but still, I find Trump hard to take.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK