View From The Ditch Bank

ARE YOU IN JAIL YET??? A while back a friend of mine made a comment about his cell phone. I said, "I didn't know you were in jail." he said, with a puzzled expression, "What do you mean?" Me "Well, you just mentioned a CELL phone, so guessed you were in jail." He didn't appreciate the humor.

Have you noticed how many of them things there are around? Yep, I have one also, as does MLWFAE. Mine is mostly on the dresser, turned off. Hers is mostly in a pocket on her purse, built for a cell phone, also turned off. Still, as we drive the highways and byways of this country, you can see them glued to peoples ears, or people are distracted sending a text message. While driving, or shopping, or even in a restaurant eating. Do you suppose, if all those people HAD to put their phones on the dresser, or even in a purse pocket, turned off, and leave them off for at least 30 days, the amount of car wrecks would go down? They would realize there are actually other people on the highway, or in the stores shopping also, or in the restaurant eating. Or in the family? Would the pollution in the air clear up, if all those messages weren't being sent? Would the cramp in their hands go away? Maybe the population of the insane wards would increase as people went into withdrawals, or the use of real CELL phones would increase as people were sent to jail for committing a crime to curb their frustration. In order to get out of the Ward or the Jail, would they have to sign up for CPA meetings? And, no, that does not stand for Certified Public Accountant. But with them in Jail or in the Ward, there would be less people on the road for me to have to watch out for. Maybe then I could pay more attention to eating my Ice Cream Sundae. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank

View From The Ditch Bank

A TWISTED SENSE OF HUMOR---When there is nothing else to blog about, or at least nothing else that appeals at the time, this is what comes up. Things that you , Uh me, as in I, myself, finds humorous, if they were ever actually said. And I guess some of them wouldn't actually be funny. You decide.

1. Cop to Driver--I know you were speeding as you ran that red light, but since you didn't cause an accident, I'll give you a certificate for doing some good driving.

2. I am running for office and would like to be elected, but actually, my opponent is the better candidate.

3. TV Reporter at the anchor desk, telling about a current event---" now we will cut to the reporter at the scene for a dead report."

4. From a used car salesman---What kind of warranty does that used car have, you ask. You have to be kidding. We can't even guarantee it will make it off the lot.

5.From the public safety officer---I know it has been raining hard, and flash floods are likely, but go ahead and play in the arroyo--You can swim, can't you?

6. From the investment broker---Yes, it is a ponzi scheme. You'll just have to trust me to make money for you.

If you don't get them, well, that's just my twisted sense of humor. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank

View From The Ditch Bank

AMERICA, LAND OF THE FREE.---OK, this is the final blog about America. At least for a time. I left the last one at the start of the 60's, kinda, and the advent of the Space Program. I could now blog about the 60's and the Hippie movement, Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, the National Guard shootings at Kent State. The Vietnamese war and the pull out of the US, leaving several countries to become communist ran countries in just a few short years, could fill a couple of blogs. Richard Nixon and his resignation, in disgrace, after Watergate could fill another one. But I will by pass those, and many other items, such as the gas and oil shortages of the mid 70's, and will say just a few things leading up to the election of President Ronald Reagan. There is so much history there, that I will surely leave something out. Probably several somethings. After Nixon's resignation, Gerald Ford watched in frustration as Congress cut off all military and domestic aid to our former allies in South Vietnam. Millions were killed by the communists. Since the US didn't do any thing, other communist regimes began to take over Cambodia and Laos. In Africa the Soviet Union used Cubans to impose "Protection" over ten African nations. Then the Soviet Union supported terrorist regimes in Libya, Syria, Palestine, Eastern Europe, South Yemen and Cuba. Jimmy Carter's presidency was based on the belief that the most important foreign policy was the encouragement of "human rights". While this was a noble goal, it was also impractical. In November 1979, 52 Americans were taken hostage at the American Embassy in Tehran. They were held for 444 days, and released just after Reagan took office. There is much more in this vein, but I will focus on just a bit more. When Reagan took office, much to the surprise of many foreign nations that a nobody actor would be elected to this office, a runaway inflation of 13% was eating up Americans pay. Savings account values were shrinking, and interest rates were at historic levels. Home Mortgage interest rates were in the upper teens and the housing market was in collapse and business and industry were suffering under the crushing interest rates. The US and Russia were in a feverish arms race, spending Billions of dollars every year to stockpile nuclear weapons. The US Senate had refused to sign the SALT II treaty that would have put a cap on the nuclear weapons that the countries could build. There is so much more on what was going on at the time Reagan was elected, that it would be nearly impossible to remember or even blog about it all. Suffice it to say that shortly after Reagan took office, after a small bailout program, he then cut taxes, and within a year the economy had turned around, interest rates began to come down. Crude oil dropped from $30 a barrel to $10 dollars a barrel by April of 1986. ( Boy, wouldn't we like to see the $30 now even) Reagan had to fight a hostile congress and a hostile media for a long time. He believed in America and did not apologise for it to any one. Margaret Thatcher was his only ally for a long time.

Reagan called Communism a failed system, and fought the Russians on every front world wide, until they finally decided that he was a force to be reckoned with. And he called on Russia in 1987 to Tear Down This Wall, meaning the Berlin wall. This did eventually happen. He believed in Peace through Strength, and built up the military arsenal. By the time he left office, eighteen million new jobs had been created, taxes had been significantly cut, unemployment was reduced to 1/2 of what it had been and the inflation rate had been reduced to 4%. The number of pages in publication containing federal regulations had been reduced by half.

Now, I would like to contrast this with the current administration. Once again unemployment is high, the housing market is in decline, and taxes have been raised, not cut. Tax cuts from the previous administration have been eliminated. And Nancy Pelosi just last week or so said that the Government needs to raise the amount of unemployment checks and extend the time they are given as "This will stimulate the economy." Uh! no. It will not. This money comes from pay roll taxes, and until the economy picks up, and people return to work, so there is a payroll, the unemployment checks will only drain the federal coffers further than they already have. Someone needs to un elect that woman. And that is the View From The Ditch Bank

View From The Ditch Bank

SINCE THE CONSTITUTION--I stated that I would have only two more blogs on the subject of the United States. I will hold myself to that, at least for now. So here is the first one of the two. After the Constitution was ratified, the country settled down to actually become the UNITED STATES of AMERICA. However, just a few short years later, the British began stirring up trouble again. With hostile acts against the U.S. beginning in 1807, the U.S. formally declared war against Britain on June 19, 1812. Just like the recently ended revolutionary war, the U.S. lost a lot of battles before the tide began to turn in their favor. I could write a long blog about this war, but will only say this. It was during the battle of Fort McHenry, in September of 1814, that Francis Scott Key, being held against his will on a boat in the harbor, was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner. If you have never read an account of this battle, I encourage you to do so. If it does not stir feelings in your breast and bring a lump to your throat, I am sorry. It does to me. A treaty to end this was was signed December 24, 1814. I could blog about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil war. ( What was civil about it? ) I could blog about the building of the transcontinental railroad and the settling and taming of the West. I could blog about World War 1, the roaring twenty's and the depression of the 1930's. I could write about World War Two, but will only mention that after this war, the U.S. Government established the G.I. Bill, that helped many of the returning Vets to finance an education and jump start the economy with jobs. I could write about the decade I grew up in, the 1950's and the Korean War, which wasn't actually a declared war, but a designated Police action. I will finish this blog, however, with the end of the 50's and President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the beginning of the 60's and President John F. Kennedy. In the 50's, Russia was experimenting with space flight, and launched a space satellite called Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957. This turned the attention of the U.S. towards it's own space program and the space race began. It was under President Eisenhower and his advisers and the congress of the late 50's that funded and eventually passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act. President Eisenhower signed this act on July 29, 1958. NASA acquired and/or took over all the then existing space labs and their employees and their budget of $100 million a year. The space program continued under President Kennedy, who declared that the U.S. would put a man on the moon by the end of the decade, and then with President Johnson after Kennedy's death. I won't blog about all the things, the research and testing, even my small part in all this as it would take more than one blog to complete. Just find it in the many histories if you are interested. And the U.S. did put a man on the moon, landing them there on July 20, 1969. There were more moon missions and then the space shuttle program. A lot of money and research has gone into the next generation of space vehicles. Now the current administration wants to scrap all this, along with NASA, and give Billions to Russia, to carry our Astronauts to the International Space Station. The opinion of this uneducated dweller is that all those Billions should be spent right here in the good ol' US of A continuing the programs that are already in place and not rely on a foreign government that is not sure if it wants to be our friend or not. It is my opinion that any of you out there in blogger land, if you are actually reading this blog, you should contact your Representatives and Senators and let them know what you think about this. I hope you feel the same way I do. I feel that the current administration should take a good hard look at what his predecessors have done with this program, and then continue this program and not weaken the U.S. in this area. And that is The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

THE CONSTITUTION---I said in my last blog that I would be able to post several lengthy blogs on the subject of the Declaration and the Constitution and following events. I also said I would try to hold it down to two shorter ones. I think I may wind up with 3 or 4. We will see.

To start this post, I am going to return the the last post for a moment. Although the Declaration of Independence came out on July 4, 1776, the war had already been going on since the 19th of April 1775. That day the war started in Lexington, Ma. with the shot that became known as "The shot that was heard around the world." The war ended with the Second treaty of Paris signed 15 April 1783, 8 years of war later. The last British troops finally left New York on 25 November 1783.

Now, I am not going to go into a lot of the history of the War or it's aftermath. Suffice it to say that the country was living under the Articles of Confederation. And they were not working. so a convention was called and the States were ask to send delegates to Philadelphia to work on the Articles. This was in 1787. All of the States except Rhode Island sent Delegates. As the convention dragged on, some of the delegates got angry and left. Finally the Articles were scrapped and the Constitution was drafted.

There was much wrangling and dissension among the delegates, and what they wanted. The small States wanted equal representation, fearing that they would be left out by the wants of the larger and more populated States. The large States didn't want the small States to have equal representation, fearing they would lose too much by sharing. Many other issues clogged the system. Some wanted a King, some wanted a President to be elected by the people, but he would serve for life. What finally came out is the Constitution, with a preamble that goes like this We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

It was not presented to the states as the law of the land, but to the people to be ratified. It was decided that it would take 9 of the 13 States to ratify it. Rally's by the federalists were organized in each State against ratifying the Constitution. Many States ratified it only by a narrow margin. The Constitution was sent to the States to be ratified BY THE PEOPLE, in September of 1787. Delaware was the first State to ratify it on December 6. New York didn't ratify it until July 26 of 1788. North Carolina and Rhode Island then ratified it after New York. Many leaders of that time were against the Constitution. However, most of those leaders then followed it after it became the law of the land. There are 7 Articles, each Article divided into sections. It spells out what the Federal Government can and cannot do. I am not going to cover those Articles, although I am tempted to do so. I urge all to read them, or reread them if you have already read them. Then read and study the amendments that have been made in the 200+ years that the Constitution has been in effect. Study it closely, and then watch what is being done, and stand up for the rights of the people and the States, if in no other way, than when you vote. And please register and vote. If you do not already do so. I had hoped to finish this subject with this post, but I feel that two more postings are needed, for me even though you may not agree. I feel that we should make our voices heard, and that we should stand up for the Constitution, as there are now, as then, those who would like to see it fail. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

4 JULY 1776--I could probably write several blogs of considerable length on this and related subjects. I am going to try to hold it to two blogs of shorter length. I assume that most who actually peruse this blog have actually read the Declaration of Independence at least once. If not, I suggest that you do so. I will refrain from going into details that brought about this Declaration, and hope that each of you are aware of the events that conspired to bring this about. I will quote just a bit of this Declaration. It begins "The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United states of America When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying as its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." There is more and then the Declaration lists the many disputes the colonies have against the King of England and how they have been treated. I will paraphrase the ending of the Declaration, in which the writers and signers said We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends........And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor." It was then signed by 56 men from the 13 Colonies.

The war that came then raged for several years, and it wasn't until in the 1780's that the war and the declared Independence was won. There is a saying now that goes---Freedom isn't Free. That is true now, but is never more true than it was in 1776. I encourage all to contemplate this fact, and remember all who have given their time, and their lives, to keep this country free. I hope all have the courage to stand in defense of this country and what it stands for in the face of those who hate this country and would like to see it fall. These people were there in 1776 and they are here today, in and out of this country. I hope we all keep these things in mind as we go into this holiday season, and remember why we celebrate. And that is the View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

SAINT OR SINNER: Or just a common criminal. Your choice. I'm talking about Billy the Kid. You know, the outlaw from the 1870's and early 1880's. Born in New York City probably in 1860 and killed by Pat Garrett in New Mexico 1881. By any account ( and they are numerous ) he was an out law and a killer. You can read numerous historical accounts about Billy the Kid, and they all have different "facts" about his life, but they all agree that he killed several people. He was offered a pardon by then Governor Lew Wallace, but for whatever reason ( you read the histories) that never came through. One interesting thought was that Governor Wallace was too busy writing Ben Hur to actually bother with the tendered pardon. In any case, other New Mexico Governor's have been ask to extend Billy a pardon over the years and all have refused to do so. However, enter current Governor Bill Richardson, rabid, uh avid, fan of all things Holly wood. It seems that he has, for the last 7 years, been contemplating the pardon of Billy the Kid's sins. There are a number of people in this State that would like him to do this. Many more, myself included, do not want him to do this. He is now taking a poll of the state, via a Santa Fe' columnist, to see how the residents of this State would view the Gov's. actually issuing this pardon. Don't yet know how it will play out, but the Gov. will be OUT of office in 6 months. Now, Billy was a murderer. He killed many people, including law enforcement officers. 2 or more, depending on the history you read. As well as many other people. Although this blog seems focused on Billy, it is more about Bill. The already mentioned columnist said, and I quote "Governor Richardson wants to pardon Billy the Kid of his sins." Not his crimes, but his sins. I don't think even slick Bill has the authority to pardon someone of their sins. He may think he does, but I'm sorry McGee, he don't. Depending on the persuasion of your religious convictions, only a Minister or Priest can do that, and then only after a process is followed, by the LIVING person. In many religions, the Minister can only give you assistance to go though the process of repentance, and then your sins can be forgiven by a Being Higher than even the Minister. But never by the State Governor. Me thinks that Governor Bill needs to spend the last 6 months being a responsible Governor ( what a novel idea) and spend no time at all on Billy the Kid. And his sins. And that's The View From The Ditch Bank