View From The Ditch Bank

DON'T WE ALL BELIEVE THE SAME; KINDA--I have read the many news stories, watched the TV news, read the political blogs of some, and listened to the you tube postings of others, all relating to the Mosque that some are wanting to build around the corner from Ground Zero. To some it is a bad thing, to others it is a good thing, to still others it is shoulder shrug. Evidence points to the fact that those who practice this religion have done this on other occasions, in other places, when they declare a victory over a Christian State or Nation. Perhaps so. And if so, then this Mosque is a very disturbing thing, indeed. My personal opinion is, I am not as close to it as those in New York, and they don't want it. So, if Islam, or who ever is building this Mosque, actually is doing so in peace and want's to get along with their neighbors, then find somewhere else to put this Mosque. To continue to force the issue, in the face of so much public opinion against it, seems to this uneducated person, to be saying "I don't really care." I cut an article from a paper some years ago, and this is what it said.

Christianity: "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you."
Islam: "Not one of you truly believes, until you wish for others what you wish for yourself."
Judaism: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor."
Hinduism: "Do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you."
Buddhism: "Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful."
Confucianism: "Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself."
Taoism: "Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain, and your neighbor's loss as your own loss."
Sikhism: "I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all."
Baha'i: Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you."
Jainism: "One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated."
Zoroastrianism: "Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself."

Now, I have not heard of the last three of those listed, and don't know where they originated or where they practice. I don't really care. BUT; if all these religions believe what these sayings say, why can't we all just get along. I am a Christian, and don't know any thing about other religions, so can only assume that what was printed in this article is correct.
However, if Islam actually believes the principle stated here, I believe they will not persist in the building of this Mosque. If this is not actually the true Islam religion driving this project, then it probably is terrorist driven and we need to be aware. And put a stop to it.
And That Is The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch

WHISKEY OR WATER---What's your choice. Samuel Clemens, AKA, Mark Twain, said one time; Whiskey is for drinking, Water is for fighting over. Well, that is sure the thing here in the arid Southwest. Although the drink of choice may be beer. Which takes a lot of water to make. Not me, I'm not a drinking man, as far as alcohol drinks are concerned. I drink a lot of water, though. Still, do we know how blessed we are? My youngest lives on a big Island down under. Most people call it Australia. He lives not too far from a River. A big river. One that probably loses more water every day to evaporation than you can find in the whole of the Rio Grand. Still, they are in a drought, and under severe water restrictions. As in, they are allotted a certain amount of water a month, depending on the size of their family. This water allotment allows them to cook and clean, do laundry and a 4 minute shower a day. If they go over their allotted water amount, they pay 5 times the regular rate for the overage, and have to write the city why they went over. They are not allowed to have a water hose hooked up to an outdoor faucet. They are fined a large fine if caught. Not watering, just for having the hose hooked up. How we would holler if we were to be put under similar restrictions. Still, we do waste water. This year has been nice, with an unprecedented amount of rain, leaving the country side green and beautiful. A recent ruling has left the Southwest part of the State of New Mexico with 14,000 annual acre feet of water and millions of dollars to help use this water. Now, the people involved with getting the water distributed are having meeting's, for several months now, trying to decide what to do with the water and the money. I don't know how long they have to come to a decision, but meanwhile, the water is running downstream, to Arizona and California. Water rights put in place in New Mexico in the 1960's are hindering some of what is wanted to be done. So, trying to make the loss of those water rights whole, restoring previously irrigated lands back to production, ( the mentioned water rights prevent that ) addressing those with non consumptive wells so they can use domestic water out side of their house and the use of stock tanks, are some of the issues those deciding these water issues are looking at. Also, building a dam on a local river, ( the one that carries the water out of state ) to contain some of this water and use it to recharge the water table and for irrigation etc. are being discussed. One official, raised on a farm, has stated that those who farm get less for their water than most because they are mostly self sustained, while city dwellers get more of the benefit of those who farm and ranch. Well, Duh! like I didn't already know that. So stay tuned, more to come in future posts, as things develop. Oh! as to the Whiskey and Water thing mentioned at the start of this post. Whiskey is for fighting also, but those fights are usually spur of the drunken moment and over soon, while water fights build and build and continue for generations. And That Is The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

WHEN I STARTED THIS BLOG--I thought I would blog two or three times a week, about current items in the news, with an occasional humorous item thrown in, and not repeating myself. I have several items to blog about, but instead find me repeating myself, somewhat. Those few of you that actually read this blog, know my political leanings. Just in case you don't, though, I am Republican, but will vote for a Democrat if I feel they are the best candidate. On that note, I have a few things to say about the current ladies vying to be the next Governor of New Mexico. I don't like politics and the games that are played. I know, they have been going on since the beginning of time, I guess. I still don't like them. And all parties play them. The Republicans, the Democrats, the Green party, the independents, the Tories and the Whigs. So, when the New Mexico Republican party tries to paint Diane Denish, The Democrat for Governor, with the Bill Richardson brush, I don't like it. Mrs. Denish was voted in on the party ticket, yes, but not as a running mate with Bill. And she has had her differences with Slick Bill. Having said that, I do not intend to vote for her.
Both she and Mrs. Martinez, the Republican candidate, agree that the State of New Mexico is Broke, and the government of New Mexico is broken, and both need fixed. What they don't agree on is how to fix it. Gov. Bill spent a lot of unnecessary State taxpayers money. Some of it was on a multi million dollar airplane. That wasn't needed. Both ladies have said they will sell the plane. Mrs. Denish says, however, that there are a lot of planes on the market, so she will wait until the market gets better. So, she continues the use of the plane as Governor, while we pay for the maintenance and the State absorbs the depreciation. So when the market is better, the plane isn't worth as much, cause it's an older used plane. it's already a used plane. Sell it asap. In fact, that's what governor Bill was for buying it in the first place. Mrs. Martinez, not having as much campaign money as her opponent, has TV ads telling what she will do. ( Both have kinda quit the dirty political sniping, kinda.) Mrs. Denish also has ads telling what she will do, but she always says "Even though my opponent continues her negative 'campaign against me, this is what I will do. Uh! I haven't heard a negative ad from the Republican in a long time. Just the little snipes from the Dem. And while the State in in financial difficulties, education has taken a hit. Mrs. Denish, though, brags how she, as Lieutenant Governor, expanded Pre-K education, she campaigns that she will expand it even further. If it goes much further, new borns will leave the hospital in a car seat, with a cell phone in one hand and a lap top in the other. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank.

View From The Ditch Bank

POTPOURRI---A word that has an origin in French and Latin, our old dictionary says it is a noun. The dictionary in my computer gives one definition as a hodge podge. Speaking of French, I don't know French, but I do know one word is "Oui" pronounced as "We" which in English is a word plural, meaning more than one, or a hodge podge. So that is what this blog will be. A hodge podge of things. Mostly a few comments or updates on blog posts past.
So I think I will start with Governor Bill and his obsession with Billy the Kid. As has been mentioned, New Mexico Territorial Governor Lew Wallace thought about issuing him a pardon, but didn't. Then Pat Garrett killed Billy in 1881. A man who called himself Brushy Bill came from Texas to New Mexico in, Oh, 1952 or so, claiming he was Billy the Kid, and ask Governor Mabry for a pardon. He didn't get it. Now Slick Bill wants to issue that pardon. To Billy, or Brushy Bill. Members of the Pat Garret family recently visited the Gov and requested that he not issue this pardon, claiming that Pat did indeed kill Billy, that Billy was an outlaw and a killer, and it would be an insult to the Garrett family if he gave this pardon. There have been so many people in the State weighing in on this matter, that the Gov is getting a mite testy, saying on the news that no decision had been made and for people to just chill out. Guess he don't have enough to do, governing the State.
And over in Arizona, a federal judge has struck down part of the Arizona immigration law. Makes one wonder why. Several cities, including Albuquerque, have similar laws, and many States also have similar laws, some as much as three years old. Is there some kind of retaliation going on, between the current administration and the State that Senator John McCain is from. Especially since McCain is struggling to hold on to his Senate seat, the news says. Is this a blow to his campaign? Probably not, but still, a person wonders.
And speaking of the current administration, have you been keeping up with the vacation of the first lady and her daughter. To Spain. Many people have. And there is a lot of controversy about it. Including from this blogger. She went to Spain, reserved 30 rooms of a plush resort to stay in. Reports are that the Obama's will pay for their own expenses on this trip. But in a time when the U.S. economy is in the tank, people are still losing jobs, while but a few are finding new ones, homes are being lost, the oil spill on the gulf is devastating the coast line there and affecting the economy of many , not to mention the effect it will have on the rest of the country, shouldn't the first lady and her husband have a little more sensitivity to the people of the country. While they may pay for their own expenses, this trip cost the U.S. taxpayers over $150,000.00 for the plane she flew in plus a little over $95,000.00 for the security and staff that accompanied her. Sure, other first ladies have taken vacations. Laura Bush, mostly hiking trips in our U.S. National Parks. And Hilary took Chelsea to Africa. But Hilary was on official business, and just took her daughter along. Neither of which cost the taxpayers a quarter of a million dollars. And the economy wasn't bad then, like it is now.
Now a little closer to home. The two ladies campaigning to be Governor of the State of New Mexico has kinda quit snipping at each other. There is a lot of what is wrong and needs fixed in this State that they agree on. What is not agreed on is just how to fix it. They each have their own ideas, and are advertising on TV on just how to accomplish it. One thing I have in mind. Mrs. Denish, the Dem. pushed for Pre K education while serving as Lieutenant Governor, and is using that accomplishment as one of her selling points. I'm an old man, and am not totally convinced that Kindergarten is necessary, and am totally opposed to Pre K, and the cost of such, so this is not a selling point to me. I think parents should take care of their children, and see to their initial education, you know, like learning how to spell and how to count. And if they just can't do that, or won't do that, cause they want or need to work, then pay for kinder care, with some one that will do this, at the parents expense, not the State. But the law makers will be elected in November, then go to Santa Fe' in 2011 and find a way to raise our taxes to pay for programs that are not needed, instead of cutting out those programs that are not essential. Like Pre K.

One last thing. Out in California, a judge has overturned Proposition 8. You know the one that voters voted on that said that marriage was between a man and a woman. I could do a whole post on that, and may do so yet. And I admit to one and all that I don't know much about politics and the law, but it seems to me that for a judge, one individual, to have the power and authority, to overturn the voted on will of the people, is just giving too much power to the judiciary, and I don't think that much power was in the mind of those who wrote the Constitution. You know, the ones that said a Government of the People, by the People, for the People. Maybe it is time that we, the people, said, enough is enough. And that is The View From The Ditch Bank.

View from The Ditch bank

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A RATTLE SNAKE SMILE? Those of you that know me well, know that I don't do a lot of fishing. Very little, in fact. But sometimes I get the urge, and buy a license and go fishing. It only takes a time or two to get my fill for a while. And the cost of a license, a trout stamp, a habitat stamp, a postal stamp, OK so I exaggerate a bit, but not much. Plus the cost of gas to get to the lake and back, I could buy all the fish I would ever eat at the grocery store, Salmon, even, and have money left over for a Taco or something. But back to the story. After making the above necessary purchases, and cause I had never caught a Bass, and after hearing the Bass were biting at a local lake, ( 30 miles away, does that make it local?) I loaded up my skimpy fishing gear, a bait can of worms, cause that's all I ever fished with. I know a lot of people use a lot of different kinds of baits. Fish eggs, cheese balls, dough balls, artificial lures, ( for artificial fish? :-) and so forth. But, all I ever fished for growing up was trout, and we used worms. So when I got to the lake, I baited up and began fishing. Now, in addition to trout, I have caught Cat Fish, and Blue Gill, but never a Bass. As I fished at the local lake, I caught a couple of Trout, a couple or three Bluegill, but no Bass. Maybe the bites I had, that took my worms were Bass. There was a man close by catching bass, using frogs. He was also using a bottle of Jack Daniels. Not for the fish, but for himself. He took a nip ever time he caught a fish. Now that I think about it, he took a nip even when he didn't catch a fish. I sure wanted to use one of his frogs, but he didn't offer and I didn't ask. I was about to pack it in and go home, when I saw this rattlesnake swimming out of the lake with a frog in it's mouth. Now, I hate snakes in general, and rattle snakes in particular. But I wanted that frog, and since it was in the snakes mouth, he couldn't bite me. so I grabbed that snake by the neck. You know, right behind it's head. He, ( I assume it was a he ) opened his mouth, in surprise, or protest, I didn't ask, but open his mouth he did, and the frog dropped right into my bait bucket. And just sat there. Too stunned to move, no doubt. Uh Oh!, now I have a problem. There being no frog in the snakes mouth, he is now free to bite me. I say free, cause I doubt he would pay if I sent him a bill. And he is mad. Have you ever held a mad rattle snake. They are strong. they have muscles on their muscles. And he was writhing around, coiling up my arm, rattling and hissing, and telling me what he would do to me, when he got loose. Not if, when. I now have a dilemma. The man close by realized my problem and came over and offered me his bottle of Jack Daniels. I don't drink and didn't have time to even if I did, but he said, not for you, for the snake. Give him a shot. Can you imagine a snake, high on Whiskey. well, it couldn't be any worse, so I poured a shot down his throat. He soon went limp, passed out colder than Uh,a snake. I wondered how mad a rattler would be when he woke up with a hangover. But I threw him out into the lake, baited my hook with the frog, and proceeded to catch a Bass. In a little while I felt something bumping my foot, and just as the Jack Daniels man started laughing, I looked down, and there was that snake, a grin on his face from ear to ear, and he had two frogs in his mouth. And that's the Tale, Uh, View From The Ditch Bank

View From The Ditch Bank

AFTER ALL THIS TIME, I STILL DON'T GET IT: Tomorrow, the Immigration Law goes into effect in the State of Arizona, unless the Feds stop it in court. Today a group is traveling from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Phoenix, Arizona, to protest the new law. They were shown on the news carrying signs against the new law, mostly saying "Stop Racial Hatred" Stop Racial Profiling" and other Racial themes. I agree. HUH! you say. He agrees. Yes, I agree. We should stop racial hatred. But, this law has nothing to do with racial hatred, and every thing to do with LAW. You know, the legal system under which we in this country, and every other civilized country, can live and breathe. The news has reported that at least 50 families have left Arizona and moved to Albuquerque to avoid the advent of the new law. I say, if they are legally in the United states, including Arizona, they need not fear, and they need not leave. If they are not here legally, then that is a different matter. It deals with LAW, legality. Not race. I personally, have no objection to any one coming to this country. I have visited other Country's, including Mexico, when it was safe to do so, and I had the papers I needed to prove who I was and where I belonged. I recently visited with a niece who had this summer visited in Sweden with her husband. She enjoyed the visit, but said she would not want to live there. But she had the papers she needed to visit the country legally. A year ago a son and his wife visited the U.S. from another country. He has the papers necessary to live in that country, and his wife had the necessary papers to visit this country with him. So, since we require this documentation for others, and other countries require documentation when we visit them, why is this Arizona law causing such a stir. Not only among those here illegally, but by our own political leaders who have taken an oath to uphold the law of this Country. If their oath means no more to them than that, I say we need to be looking at them very hard come next election. And their appointees. Maybe especially the appointees. And that is The View From The Ditch Bank

View From The Ditch bank

WELL; WELL; WELL.---No, I'm not talking about three holes in the ground. So, then, what am I talking about? Well, I'll get to it in a minute. Those few if you that have read more than a few of my posts, will have read a few weeks back, my posts of the two lady candidates for Governor of New Mexico. On election night, the Democrat, Diane Denish, said to her supporters " Look for the Republicans to come out with a mud slinging campaign." Then she promptly began a mud slinging campaign. I said in my blogs, that either of these two ladies could be a good Governor. I repeat "Could" be not "Would" be. Well, the Republicans have responded with a little mud slinging, but not nearly as much as the dems. in my biased opinion. Also, I have blogged about the spendthrift ways of our current Governor, slick Bill Richardson, and his spending on planes, trains and automobiles. In spite of the State having a huge surplus of funds before the economic downturn, and against the advise of the state legislature, he managed to spend all the surplus and put the State in the red. As a result, State jobs have been cut, people laid off, others required to take unpaid days off, and so forth, in order to balance the State budget. Now, to the title of this blog. Last week it came to light, by a news reporter in Albuquerque, that a state employee was given a "Leave of absence" from her department, to work for the campaign of the democratic candidate, Diane Denish. She is being paid by the Campaign, not the State, but she still has her State job. When her department head was ask who was doing her work, while she was on a leave of absence, they were told that her work was being done by other workers in her department. Well, they were ask, in light of the fact that the state budget is in a crisis, and State employees have been laid off, if her work can be done for 4 or 5 months, while she campaigns, why does the state need her in the first place. Shouldn't she be laid off also. Oops! The Governor, when he "Heard" of this, said she needs to resign her State job, or return to the job and quit the campaign, and he issued a directive to all State departments, that no one was to be given a leave of absence. Hmmm, just when you think Maybe, we have a candidate who has a little common sense, we learn that such seems not to be the case. Guess she learned well from her boss of the last 8 years. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank