DO YOU EVER WONDER HOW THINGS APPEAR TO OTHER PEOPLE? Or how different people see the same thing so differently? I guess I will explore that somewhat in this post. If you don't follow my line of reasoning, then you obviously see things differently than I do. And so we begin.
Some time back we purchased an enchilada plate from a group of young people. They were a little league baseball team. We didn't particularly need the enchiladas, but they were raising funds for their cause and we supported that. Then more recently we purchased an enchilada plate from a group of young people who were raising funds for their cheer leader squad. For those who read this and are in the know, this was the Cobre cheerleaders. Then just last week or so we purchased an enchilada plate from a high school band group. Silver High for any one who reads this and wants to know. So why do we do this? Well, cause we can and we feel that any young person that is interested in pursuing an activity that will keep them active and away from idleness, we will do what we can to support that. Many people don't feel that way, and I am ak with that.
A few days ago my wife found a recipe somewhere for a 15 bean soup. Well, that sounded interesting, but frankly, I would like more beans in my soup that 15. If two people share the soup, that would give them 7 1/2 beans apiece.
Now here is a topic that is sure to get someone steaming, or freezing or something. Climate change. A young 16 year old girl is making passionate pleas for the governments of some 15 or 16 countries to do something about it, cause she says they have stolen her childhood and her dreams. I say bull. I am 60 years + older than her and I can say that climate change has been going on for centuries. And no, I am not centuries old, I just know that it has been going on and I also know that there is a much higher power in control of the climate than the governments of the earth.
That being said, yes there is much that governments and residents of said governments can do to keep the environment, namely air and water, clean and healthy. However, much if this is about power and money and fear on the part of those in position to exert said power.
So, lets explore a couple or three things that are fact.
Fact 1. Environmentalists and governments are pushing for solar and wind to furnish our power for the future, and closing down coal and other mines. They do support natural gas, though.
Fact 2. You have to mine material from the earth to produce the wind turbines and solar panels.
Fact 3. Solar panels don't last forever and have to be replaced. They can become damaged in a hail storm and if they are broken they release toxic substances into the ground at an alarming rate.
Fact 4. Electric cars. They run on batteries that have to be charged by electric power. Power form wind farms or solar panel arrays that may not be working because the wind don't blow or the sun isn't shining. And the batteries will need to be replaced and put where? In a land fill? Probably not, but they will need to be put somewhere.
And finally Fact 5. Microsoft is building a new facility in Fawn Lake, VA. It will run on a solar energy farm of 6350 acres holding 1.8 million panels containing an estimated 100,000 pounds of cadmium. These panels will last about 20 years, then what do they do with all that toxic waste when they have to replace them.
OH! guess I will have a Fact 6. Wind turbines also last about 20 years, just long enough for the power savings to pay for them and the they also need to be replaced. More mining and more waste to dispose of.
And finally, yes there is much we as people can do, but cutting off our collectively noses to spite our face is just plumb idiotic. And to listen to those who cry the sky is falling will only lead to bad choices, usually.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Friday, September 13, 2019
A CHANGE IN DIRECTION
When I started this posts all those many years ago, about 10, I think, at the insistence of some of my children, My focus was on politics and things that are going on around me, from my uneducated point of view. For the most part, I have stuck to that focus. I don't really intend to depart from that, but have decided to change directions from time to time and post something else. So bear with me and we will see where this goes. Probably not very far.
Due to some medical issues that I choose not to dwell on, I lost a lot of weight and all my muscle. Literally all my muscle. For a time I was very weak from being in the hospital 5 times for a total of 45 days over a three month period.
I am now gaining some muscle back and have put back some of the weight. I am eating more healthy and walking a fair distance three days a week. My wife walks also, often on the days I don't she walks any way, and often regardless of the day takes a longer route. She walks faster than I do, she always has, but there was a time I could mostly keep up with her. Now, nope, not happening. So, being members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, if we were in Nauvoo, Illinois and were ask to walk to Salt Lake City, we could do that. However, my wife would be in Salt Lake City and have a cabin built while I was still crossing the plains of Wyoming. But perseverance would come into play, and I would make it, eventually. And be there in time to help till and plant a spring garden. Such is the life of us oldsters.
We are now getting into the fall of the year. I love fall. I am not so much of a winter person any more, all though there was a time that I enjoyed winter. I like spring and summer, but I love fall. We are also at the end of what the weather people call our monsoon season. Here it has been more like a nonsoon season, but we can hope for some winter moisture in the form of snow.
My wife and I are in the process of going through a lot of our belongings and getting rid of the excess. This will prevent the children from needing to do that at some future date. We can see them now, rolling their eyes and saying to one another, why in the world did they keep that? Well, in order not to put too much strain on their eyes, we will get rid of a few items any way.
OK I will mention politics. I did not watch the democrat debate last night. I heard about it this morning, though, and it seems that the 10 of them are spending time trashing President Trump and trashing each other to the point that they can't put forth a comprehensive plan of what direction they want to take the country. Maybe they did, but the talking heads on the news didn't say so.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Due to some medical issues that I choose not to dwell on, I lost a lot of weight and all my muscle. Literally all my muscle. For a time I was very weak from being in the hospital 5 times for a total of 45 days over a three month period.
I am now gaining some muscle back and have put back some of the weight. I am eating more healthy and walking a fair distance three days a week. My wife walks also, often on the days I don't she walks any way, and often regardless of the day takes a longer route. She walks faster than I do, she always has, but there was a time I could mostly keep up with her. Now, nope, not happening. So, being members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, if we were in Nauvoo, Illinois and were ask to walk to Salt Lake City, we could do that. However, my wife would be in Salt Lake City and have a cabin built while I was still crossing the plains of Wyoming. But perseverance would come into play, and I would make it, eventually. And be there in time to help till and plant a spring garden. Such is the life of us oldsters.
We are now getting into the fall of the year. I love fall. I am not so much of a winter person any more, all though there was a time that I enjoyed winter. I like spring and summer, but I love fall. We are also at the end of what the weather people call our monsoon season. Here it has been more like a nonsoon season, but we can hope for some winter moisture in the form of snow.
My wife and I are in the process of going through a lot of our belongings and getting rid of the excess. This will prevent the children from needing to do that at some future date. We can see them now, rolling their eyes and saying to one another, why in the world did they keep that? Well, in order not to put too much strain on their eyes, we will get rid of a few items any way.
OK I will mention politics. I did not watch the democrat debate last night. I heard about it this morning, though, and it seems that the 10 of them are spending time trashing President Trump and trashing each other to the point that they can't put forth a comprehensive plan of what direction they want to take the country. Maybe they did, but the talking heads on the news didn't say so.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Monday, September 2, 2019
WHAT I BELIEVE
I'M GOING TO STATE RIGHT UPFRONT. I BELIEVE IN AND SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES. And yes, that includes all 27 of the amendments to it.
And that does include the 1st and 2nd amendments. Both of which are under attack by so many now, both in and out of politics. However, having stated that, I am going to focus at this time on the 2nd amendment and my view of what is going on.
Much has been said about gun control both pro and con. There is so much on the news and on social media that is just not correct. Again, both pro and con. Many that want gun control, often those talking heads on the tv and print news, say things that is just not correct. I'll address that in a moment. On the other side of this coin, many that want guns also say things that are not correct. In most cases both sides present "Facts" that support their viewpoint and are misleading. So where to start. OK on the side of gun control. This item comes to the forefront every time there is a mass shooting. And there have been far too many lf late. OK so even one is too many. I agree. But the talking heads will so often say the person used an AK-47 usually purchased legally. Well, no, AK-47 are not legal and have not been for a long time. So now they say they used an AR-15 with a clip that held X number of rounds. They always include this to mean that the AR designation means assault rifle. No, it does not. It means the material the rifle is made of and stand for armor lite. I probably spelled that wrong. But those rifles have been around since I was a teen ager and that was a LONG time ago. And clips that hold a lot of rounds have been outlawed in most states, also for several years. While the rifles can be purchased legally, the multi round clips were legal and so they are around but probably not purchased legally now. Many other restrictions have been imposed on gun owners over the years, and many of them are beneficial in this day and time. And this day and time is what I am going to focus on now.
When I was growing up, a majority of households had guns. And they used them to go hunting or sport shooting. People still do. Also when I was growing up, the flag of the United States was respected, people in uniform saluted when it went by ( they still do) men took off their hats and put them over their heart or their right hand if they didn't wear a hat or cap. A lot no longer do. People were mostly religious and went to what ever church they belonged to on Sunday. Prayer was allowed in school. Now, the percentage of people of religion is smaller, and prayer is banned in school, as well as any type of religious teaching. I know there are exceptions to this statement, but for the most part it is accurate. While drugs and alcohol have been around since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, I suppose, they are exceptionally prevalent today. Parents aren't allowed to discipline their children, police arrest law breakers and judges let them go. Family's call police to come because a family member (usually one with a police record already) is causing problems. The family members then threatens the police and winds up getting shot and then the family sues the police office and the department and the city, state, etc because they didn't need to do that. And if it happens to be a white cop and a black man, or woman, then they protest and wind up getting big bucks when the law suit is settled. Never mind that the dead person was breaking the law to start with. And as the morals of the country seem to get lower and lower with each passing day, crime rises and shootings become more prevalent.
Am I immune to these shootings? No I am not. It breaks my heart when a shooting happens. Not limited to, but especially in a school and children lose their lives. I fear every day when I turn on the news and wonder what will happen today.
So, should there be gun control? Well, there are laws already on the books that don't seem to be enforced. More laws probably won't solve the problem. Not to be trite, although it will come out that way, I will quote one thing that is circulating on social media. It is not a gun problem, it is a people problem. One of lower or lack of a moral compass. One that has been predicted by the prophets in the scriptures. I am glad that I am an old man but I feel for my children and grandchildren and just hope that the millenium happens sooner than later.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
And that does include the 1st and 2nd amendments. Both of which are under attack by so many now, both in and out of politics. However, having stated that, I am going to focus at this time on the 2nd amendment and my view of what is going on.
Much has been said about gun control both pro and con. There is so much on the news and on social media that is just not correct. Again, both pro and con. Many that want gun control, often those talking heads on the tv and print news, say things that is just not correct. I'll address that in a moment. On the other side of this coin, many that want guns also say things that are not correct. In most cases both sides present "Facts" that support their viewpoint and are misleading. So where to start. OK on the side of gun control. This item comes to the forefront every time there is a mass shooting. And there have been far too many lf late. OK so even one is too many. I agree. But the talking heads will so often say the person used an AK-47 usually purchased legally. Well, no, AK-47 are not legal and have not been for a long time. So now they say they used an AR-15 with a clip that held X number of rounds. They always include this to mean that the AR designation means assault rifle. No, it does not. It means the material the rifle is made of and stand for armor lite. I probably spelled that wrong. But those rifles have been around since I was a teen ager and that was a LONG time ago. And clips that hold a lot of rounds have been outlawed in most states, also for several years. While the rifles can be purchased legally, the multi round clips were legal and so they are around but probably not purchased legally now. Many other restrictions have been imposed on gun owners over the years, and many of them are beneficial in this day and time. And this day and time is what I am going to focus on now.
When I was growing up, a majority of households had guns. And they used them to go hunting or sport shooting. People still do. Also when I was growing up, the flag of the United States was respected, people in uniform saluted when it went by ( they still do) men took off their hats and put them over their heart or their right hand if they didn't wear a hat or cap. A lot no longer do. People were mostly religious and went to what ever church they belonged to on Sunday. Prayer was allowed in school. Now, the percentage of people of religion is smaller, and prayer is banned in school, as well as any type of religious teaching. I know there are exceptions to this statement, but for the most part it is accurate. While drugs and alcohol have been around since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden, I suppose, they are exceptionally prevalent today. Parents aren't allowed to discipline their children, police arrest law breakers and judges let them go. Family's call police to come because a family member (usually one with a police record already) is causing problems. The family members then threatens the police and winds up getting shot and then the family sues the police office and the department and the city, state, etc because they didn't need to do that. And if it happens to be a white cop and a black man, or woman, then they protest and wind up getting big bucks when the law suit is settled. Never mind that the dead person was breaking the law to start with. And as the morals of the country seem to get lower and lower with each passing day, crime rises and shootings become more prevalent.
Am I immune to these shootings? No I am not. It breaks my heart when a shooting happens. Not limited to, but especially in a school and children lose their lives. I fear every day when I turn on the news and wonder what will happen today.
So, should there be gun control? Well, there are laws already on the books that don't seem to be enforced. More laws probably won't solve the problem. Not to be trite, although it will come out that way, I will quote one thing that is circulating on social media. It is not a gun problem, it is a people problem. One of lower or lack of a moral compass. One that has been predicted by the prophets in the scriptures. I am glad that I am an old man but I feel for my children and grandchildren and just hope that the millenium happens sooner than later.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
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