UNLAWFUL OR ILLEGAL

UNLAWFUL OR ILLEGAL; IS THERE A DIFFERENCE? I miss those signs. You know the ones. No, not the Burma Shave signs, although I miss those also. The unlawful signs that used to be on the highway's. At least in New Mexico.
My wife and I recently attended the International balloon festival in Albuquerque. We drove there, and having business in another County, we took a road less traveled to get to the City of the Duke. Along the way we reminisced about those old signs. They used to say "It is Unlawful to pass when solid line is in your lane." Or "It is unlawful to pass school bus when lights are flashing" Or "It is unlawful to exceed the posted speed limit" Or, well you get the picture. Do you remember those signs? It was always Unlawful, never illegal. do you know why? Do you know the difference between Unlawful and Illegal? Ask a police officer. See if they know. There is a difference, you know. Now the road signs simply say "do not pass, or Pass with Caution" Or Speed Limit and the number of the limit. It is not only not illegal but it is not unlawful any more either. Yes, I miss those old signs. Like a lot of other things I miss, which may be mentioned in a future post. Probably won't though, as I miss my memory at times also. But I do remember the difference between Unlawful and Illegal. OK, so those of you that don't already know, want to know. Well, Unlawful means something is against the law. As in, Don't do it. Illegal. Well, ask any animal doctor and they will tell you that an illegal is a sick bird. And THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK.

DO ENGLISH TEACHERS HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR

DID YOU EVER DANGLE A PARTICIPLE? I could have named this post a number of things. It also probably should be split into two or three posts. But I named it like I did, and it will cover a few things English, so bare, uh bear with me and we will see what comes out.
I was not a strait, I mean straight A student. Heck, I was rarely a A student in any thing. And if I ever knew what a dangling participle was, I have forgotten, but I do know that I never did actually learn how to correctly diagram a sentence. Or even understand the reason for doing so. I read a lot. I mean really a lot. I have yet to see a sentence in a book that is diagrammed. I did learn something about subjects and predicaments, I mean predicate's, noun and professional nouns, more commonly know as pro nouns, verbs and advertising verbs, or adverbs for short, and prepositions and propositions. I didn't always understand all them thar things, but we durn sure studied them. But I did learn a few things about using the English language, proper spelling of, and usage of, words like bare and bear, their and there, and others of their ilk. And when to use them and why they were spelled different. I also learned when to use and not to use a preposition. I don't remember all the rules that apply to this English rule, but one of the most over used prepositions in the world where I live and work is the word AT. Usually used in a question. Where are you at? Where are you parked at? Where would you like to meet me at? Drives me up a wall. Or would if I knew where the wall was at. And it was actually possible to be driven up a wall. Well, you get the point. I hope.
Now, how does an English teacher of today teach English. Like, you know, really teach, you know, English. If their, uh, there is any word or phrase, more over used than the preposition at, it is the words like and you know. Drives me down the other side of the wall. Know what I mean. Feel free to correct my incorrectness.
Guess I better end this post and get my tongue out of my cheek before I chew it off. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank.

TIMES AND SEASONS

TIS THE SEASON OF THE YEAR: There are many seasons. Spring, summer, fall and winter. Others are the holiday season, Thanksgiving and Christmas. For others there is the football season or basketball or baseball. For me, though, I tend to think of seasons in the terms as first listed. I live in an area that the local Chamber advertises as having 4 gentle seasons. Well, I guess. Although it can get very hot in the summer, and extremely cold in the winter, both of which we have recently experienced. But what brought all this to mind was yesterday. Yesterday evening, to be specific. I was driving to work, minding my own business and thinking my own thoughts, when there happened upon my senses a smell that I equate with fall, and the Southwest. I was passing a parking lot of a local business when that smell came wafting in the car window. You know the one. Roasting chili. Aww, is there any thing that says the Southwest in the fall any more than the smell of chili roasting. The temperatures are cooling off, the daylight is getting shorter, and life is slowing down, but the smell of chili in the roaster just caps off the perfect season. Yep, I like all seasons, except maybe football, but the fall is the best one for me. And here, in the advertised CHILI capitol of the world, Southwest New Mexico, nothing says fall like roasting chili. Maybe they roast chili the world over, but to me, where ever I might be, that smell would bring me right back here. To the Southwest. And THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK.

THEN AND NOW

SOMEWHERE THERE MIGHT BE A POINT: I fear this post will ramble and seem pointless. If you manage to read it clear through you may scratch your head, ( in confusion, not from a rash ) and just say HUH! Oh! not so different from my regular posts, then. Well, read on and we will see what comes out.
Back then, you know, way back, before even I was born, the inhabitants of this country were the people. AKA Indians. Native Americans. They lived from the land. Migrating within certain boundaries, set by the boundaries of other tribes. Usually tribes strong enough to keep the neighbors from invading their territory. And there was buffalo roaming and deer and antelope playing. And these people lived from these animals, along with many others, and flora and fauna and, well you get the picture. Then along came the other people. From other lands, and they started to settle the land, and they fought one another, and then they fought the Indians. And to help them win the fight, and for other reasons, they killed off the buffalo. Almost. And the Indians moved to reservations, cause there waran't any buffler to assist and edify them. Then the white man moved into the Indian lands and brought cattle. Herds and herds of cattle. To survive on the Buffalo grass. And water. And along came the wolves and the grizzly bears, and the coyote and other animals to kill the ranchers cattle. So they ranchers killed the bears and the wolves, but in spite of all they and the road runner could do, wiley coyote just stayed around. Then along came a group of people claiming that the wolves had a right to live too, so they introduced them back into the wild. But guess what. People now live in the wild, and they still have cattle, and they don't like the wolves killing their cattle. That's why they were hunted to almost extinction decades ago. So now the families children aren't safe from the wolves and the grizzly bears, and if you kill one, the government will arrest you and jail you and fine you, and pat the remaining wolves on their collective heads and say, good doggie, please don't do what you are naturally programmed to do. Eat straw, or something. Hey! maybe they should eat deer. Why oh why would I say that. Well, I'm fixin to tell ya.
In this fair city where I almost live, population 10 or 12 thousand, there seems to be a large population of deer. And they are destroying peoples flowers beds and gardens, and leaving deposits on the lawn. And the people are unhappy. So the decision has been made by the state game department to try to dispose of the deer. By trapping them. (Trapping is illegal in this state for fur bearing animals cause you might catch a wolf.) Or killing them. ( You can't kill a wolf, even if it threatens you and your pets or children. It's against the law ) And even though these people say, let the wolves alone. They deserve to live and eat your cattle. But kill the deer, cause they ate my roses. And the mountain lions and the coyote are following the deer into town. But not the wolves. They are too busy killing cattle. For fun. Several recent cattle kills have been proven wolf kills. For food? No, they didn't eat the cattle, they just brought them down and killed them. Too bad they won't eat deer. Too bad people with a deer destroyed yard can't feel some empathy for the rancher losing cattle to wolves and having to fight environmental groups and the government over it. But the government will kill the deer. Or jail and fine an Idaho man for killing a Grizzly Bear to protect his family. Guess we need a little more of then and a little less of now in this case. And That's The View From The Ditch Bank.

OF LAWS AND LAWYERS

THIS IS NOT A RELIGIOUS POST: Nor is it a post castigating lawyers. Well, most lawyers. When Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden, they lived God's laws. Even after they were cast out, they lived God's laws, cause they knew no other. I don't know at what point man's laws began to come into effect, but it was probably sometime after Cain killed his brother. I do know that lawyers are mentioned in the scriptures. I also know that Judges are also listed in the scriptures, and so it only follows that if there are judges, there needs to be someone trained in the law to present a case to the judge. I have a cousin who is a retired criminal defense attorney. My wife has a cousin who is a retired attorney. Don't know just what kind of law he practiced. I have a daughter in law who is an attorney. I think she practices corporate or business law. I understand and accept that there needs to be attorneys in all manner of life's events. If you have made it this far, know that these statements were only to explain my opinion of lawyers. I might add, well guess I will add, that I understand the need to have man's laws, since man don't want to live God's laws. Too bad, the world would be so much better off if we would. Thus the need for those trained in the law. Now, to the point of this blog.
Here, in the grand ol' State of New Mexico, there are now two cases in the courts that almost boggle the mind. The first one. In 2006, a man, wanted by the police as a suspect in a murder, was pulled over by a County deputy. Did the deputy know who he was pulling over. We will never know, for shortly after he pulled the man over, the deputy was shot and killed. His killer was caught and jailed. Fast forward to 2010, when the New Mexico State Legislature abolished the death penalty as a form of punishment. The deputy killer was subsequently tried and found guilty, and the death penalty was listed as a form of punishment for his crime. Hold on , his attorney said, the death penalty has been abolished. yes, the State said, but years after the killing for which his client was convicted for. Before the killer can be sentenced, a decision has to be made by a judge on whether the death penalty is in place for him. A play on the writing of laws, I assume, but who am I to decide.
Next case. A man robs a bank in Albuquerque. As he leaves, the police are alerted by the bank teller. The police gives chase. There are two women, one 28 years old and one 34, in a car, on their lunch break, sitting in traffic at a red light. The robber, in his attempt to elude the police, crashes into the car with these two women, killing both of them. The robber is unhurt and is arrested. He is now charged with several crimes, including robbing the bank and for killing the two women. Not so fast, says his attorney. He did rob the bank, but the killing of the women was not his fault. So whose fault is it? The bank tellers for alerting the police and the police for giving chase. If they had just let him get away with the robbery, the two women would still be alive. True, says I, but if that is the case, then why have police. Just let people do whatever, and all would be well. NOT. If this man had not robbed the bank in the first place, he wouldn't be in trouble, the women would be alive, raising their children, and the police could have continued eating donuts. Then the man could be arrested for causing the death of the police men for causing them to have a heart attack. HUH! guess the man will end up in jail in any case. And THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK!

Politics, Again

IT'S BEEN AWHILE: Since I actually blogged just about the tics. Maybe I should say politicians. Or, even nicer, those who hold public office. Why do I want to be nicer. Well, a few days ago, we received one of those forwarded messages from a friend. You know the ones. this one was anti Obama cartoons. Some of them crude, some of them humorous, none of them necessary. So, we deleted them and didn't send them on. We felt we needed to be a little nicer. Having said that, I will say I didn't vote for Mr. Obama in the last election, and given the chance, I won't vote for him again. I don't feel that he has done much of what he said he would do. And he has blamed Bush for the things that haven't gone right. OK, the economy was going into the tank while George Bush was still President. And the wars we are involved in were going on while Bush was still President. But President Obama has just dug the tank deeper, and the wars are still waging. And while we are struggling, as a country, with unemployment, he is causing more of it daily. A Democrat started, or accelerated, the space program in the early 60's. It has been a success and we are the world leaders in the space program. Or we were. Now, President Obama is ending the space program and handing it over to the Russians. And putting thousands of Government and private individuals out of work. I'll not belabor the issue, as that is just one item. He now wants to raise taxes. Guess he did, as the taxes that come out of my check are now more than they were when I started in February. He says "We don't have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem." And he wants to raise taxes to fix the problem. Won't work, McGee. Never has, never will. Do the Republicans have the answer. Not totally. Spending cuts are in order, but maybe not as deep as the Repubs want. We all know, at least those of us that have a house hold budget, that if we spend more than we take in, we have a spending problem. Maybe it is a revenue problem, also, but raising our wages just don't work. Even if we did get a raise, most people would just spend more, causing a continuation of a spending problem. Who should be president? Don't know. I like Sarah Palin, but I won't vote for her for President, for several reasons. Will just have to see who has a good platform.
Now a moment on local politics, then I'll quit boring you. Oh! guess if you actually read this far, you may not be bored. Smiling or frowning, depending on your own feelings on the matter. Because of the wild fires in the Southwest, many of the politicians in Arizona and New Mexico want to get legislation going that will give the forests, along with other rights, back to the States and the people. More on this in the future. President Obama wants to sign an executive order relating to a United Nations Agenda 21 program, that will give control of our forests over to the U.N. We need to watch that one very closely. We also need to watch closely the various environmental acts that will affect people adversely. Namely, the Clean Water act that will affect ranchers and their stock tanks. The clean air act that will affect farmers plowing and disking their fields. The Food safety act that will affect farmers markets.
Well, guess I got a little carried away. More on a later blog. But
That is The View From The Ditch Bank

Now What???????????

NOW WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO DO? Some time back, decades, actually, centuries maybe, the people here in the US of A were what we now call Indians. And there were Buffalo roaming and Deer and Antelope playing and occasionally there was fire. At least I would assume there was fire. In spite of what many think, I'm not old enough to remember back that far. And as the Deer and Antelope played and the Buffalo roamed, the Buffalo created chips that fertilized the land, and their cloven hooves cultivated the land, and things grew, and there was occasional fire. Or so the history books say. Then came the white man and the deer and antelope continued to play, but the buffalo gradually ceased to roam. But in their place came the white mans cattle, and they created pies that fertilized the land and their cloven hooves cultivated the land and things like grass grew. And the western range was taken care of. And the white man wanted houses, so the trees in the forest were cut and milled into lumber, and minerals were dug out of the land and the land was taken care of, mostly. And you could see the water in the streams, and occasionally there was fire. Some as big as 30 square miles. And then 40 years or so ago, ( maybe you have a different timeline ) there was a movement in the land for environmental awareness. And the cattle ranchers and the loggers said OK. They thought it was a good idea, cause they were already being environmentally correct about the land. they were pruning the trees and cultivating the land and keeping the land clean and the streams flowing, and life was good. What they didn't understand was, the people, or groups, that were sponsoring this environmental movement, weren't interested in keeping the land clean, the streams flowing and the ground cultivated. They wanted the pies to disappear, the cattle rancher to disappear, the logger to disappear, the miner to disappear. And by the time these hard working folks realized this, they were way behind in the movement. And losing their way of life. Laws were passed by city folk's in the west and people in the east, who didn't understand what was going on. So, the land was "saved" for Mexican Spotted Owls, who had coexisted with the loggers and ranchers for decades, maybe even centuries, and then there was the willow fly catcher, a small bird, and the spike dace minnow, a small silver fish, and so many other animals that it makes your head swim to think of them all. Or it would swim, if you could find some water to swim in. Now, the streams are choked by the trees on the river trying to use the water. many of those trees are dying, cause there isn't enough water for them all. The loggers and sawmills are shut down, cause they can't cut trees. The ranchers are out of business cause they can't ranch. So the land is dying, cause it isn't being cultivated and fertilized. And then there was fire. Not the 30 square mile fire, but the 600 to 800 square mile fires. Yes fires. plural. And the land is cleansed. And the streams are clogged with ash, and the silver minnow chokes to death, and the fly catcher has no where to catch flies, or what ever it does. And the owl? Well, it has no where to lay it's head, cause the trees are all burned up. So what are they gonna do now?
I HOPE THE ENVIRONMENTALISTS ARE HAPPY NOW. Oh! they said it is not their fault. Yeah! Right.
And That's The View From The Ditch Bank