A few facts and observations

FACT: I have never seen an episode of Saturday Night Live and I'm OK with that.

Fact: I don't take selfies and don't understand the need to do so and then post them on social media, but I'm OK with that.

Fact: I don't care that Beyoncé and Amal are having twins. I don't understand the need to gush over that like some of the National media people are doing. If that is what they want to do, I am OK with that, but really, people have been having babies, even twins, for thousands of years.

Fact: George Bush started building a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and that continued somewhat under the Obama administration. Trump has vowed to build a wall. He will only continue the wall that has already been started.

Fact: Regardless of whether a wall is built or not, it will not work.  Why; you may ask. Because those who are trying to come here legally don't need it and those who are coming here illegally will only go over it, around it, under it or through it. It may slow them down a little, but it won't stop them.  So, we can save the money and use it for something else.

Fact: I am getting older and having trouble accepting that I can't do the things I used to do. I do them, but it takes longer and more help. I am learning to accept that, but I am not OK with that.  Accepting  yes, but not OK.  Just the way it is.

Fact: AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

I AM REALLY GONNA DO IT

I AM REALLY GONNA GET AWAY FROM POSTING ON POLITICS: But before I do, I have a couple of things to say at the start of this post.
1. Fact--I have mentioned before that Donald Trump was not my choice for a President. I did vote for him, but would not consider myself a staunch supporter. he has his problems, and many of them are self inflicted.  I do not concern myself overly much about his business dealings, vs. his government dealings. I am concerned with the way he is brashly going about the business of conducting the office of President and I think he needs to quit being a tweety bird. 
2. Fact--When Bill Richardson was governor of New Mexico, he got a law passed that issued valid drivers licenses to any and all.  Even those who had entered the country by illegal means. Because of that, the Federal government has been after the State to rectify this mistake.  Susanna Martinez has for the 6 years she has been governor tried to get the State legislature to overturn this law, but they have been reluctant to do so.  The Obama administration kept telling the state they had to do something, and finally last year they said that New Mexico drivers licenses would no longer be considered as a valid ID for a lot of reasons.  Because of this, they State government finally created a two tier license system. The top tier, which requires a citizen jumping through a lot of hoops to prove citizen ship, can have a drivers license that is valid and can be used as a valid ID for government purposes.  If you don't want that, you can get a lower tier and can drive with it, but you can't use it as a valid ID.  Now, a former Santa Fe mayor is accusing Governor Martinez of being a racist because she advocated for  this.  Really.
3. Fact---My wife and I walk two to three miles a day, most days. My wife can walk faster than I can. She never says any thing, just adjusts her pace to match mine and we go along together.
4. Fact---Every day there seems to be a new APP for something. I don't need or even want those APP'S. I. Just. Don't.....     I will muddle along with what i have and hope I can live in the "modern" world in an older world type of style. I don't need all the  electronic items coming out.
5. Fact---When I go through the candy aisle in Wal Mart, I sometimes feel that I want some thing to eat from that aisle. And I guy it and then I find out it is not as tasty as I thought it would be.  I am getting to the point that candy just don't taste as good as it used to. So I just don't go through that aisle much any more.  I don't need the candy any way. I used to love a Snickers bar. Now, I can't hardly eat a whole one with out feeling sick.  Old Age I guess.
FACT----THAT IS THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

SOME OBSERVATIONS

DID YOU WATCH THE SUPER BOWL?   My wife and I did. Well, kinda. We watched a souper bowl, AKA a bowl of vegetable soup.  That is what we had for lunch on Sunday afternoon, along with some hot buttered fresh made corn bread. As far as the super bowl, we learned who won this morning when we turned on the news.  And we didn't care in any case.  On that note, I have a couple or three or so observations I want to make.
1. Why is it Ok for the Obama's to remain in Washington while their youngest daughter finishes school, but it is not OK for Melania Trump to remain in NYC while her son finishes out the school year? 
2. Why do people, AKA news anchors and Hollywood "Elites" feel it is OK to gush about a movie like 50 shades of gray and 50 shades darker, movies that degrade women in the worst way, but feel that they can trash a president for some things that he said?
3. There was a news item yesterday afternoon that said that since the TV channel that was showing the super bowl wasn't sure what Lady Gag Gag was going to do, there would be a 5 second delay of broadcasting her performance in order to prevent showing a possible "wardrobe" malfunction. Or some other thing that they felt they may need to bleep.  Turns out the performance was kinda "tame" according to the news casts. Almost like they were disappointed. It is getting pretty bad, and a sad commentary on the entertainment industry, when a national event like the super bowl has to have a delay on the half time entertainment just in case the entertainer does something inappropriate. 
4. There was a group of people participating in a protest march before or during the super bowl. A reporter interviewed one of the participants, a young girl/woman, early 20's perhaps, college age, and ask her what the march was about.  She said it was a good time to march and protest against the new administration so they would know how America really feels.  UH no, America showed ow they really feel last November. if you disagree with that, then work to make a change in 4 years, but do not suppose that you are the voice of America. You are not. You are the voice of your own opinion and perhaps the opinion of the group that you are marching with. That you have an opinion I understand, and respect. But don't think that you are the voice of what others feel. 
5. Why was there such an outcry on social media about the taxpayers being on the Hook for security for a Trump family member to the tune of $100,000 when nothing was said about the many hundreds of thousands of dollars that was spent on security every time Mrs. Obama took her family and went on a vacation?
Was it OK for her to do and not OK for a Trump member to travel?
6. I saw a thing on social media that said if President Trump was to eliminate cancer, those who oppose him would accuse him if cheating the grim reaper of business.  While this is perhaps a little extreme, it does seem that no matter what he does or says, he is opposed by those who are upset that he got elected.
7. Finally, why did the people cheer when President Clinton said we need to close the border and when President Obama said the same thing and thought it was a good idea, and then get so upset when President Trump actually did close the border.  Did he do it correctly? probably not. Could he have done it differently? Definitely so. But, does something more need done than has been done in the past.  Very definitely.  Will we pay for the court decision to over turn his action. Yes we will. we can only hope the price isn't too high.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

REALLY? REALLY?

THIS IS ANOTHER CHAPTER OF A POST I HAVE DONE A TIME OR TWO IN THE PAST.
That is the idea that "Everyone" feels, or wants, what ever someone else does.  So, a few thoughts on REALLY.
1. Carolyn Kennedy was on the Today Show this morning and was being "interviewed" by Matt Lauer.  She has just returned from serving as ambassador to Japan for the last three years. So Matt ask her if she was considering running for political office. Why, Because "Everyone" wanted to know.  UH no, Matt, not every one. There are a few, maybe a few hundred thousand, of us who could care less. Or was even aware she was still in Japan. 
2. So when she said she wasn't sure what she wanted to do going forward, she said maybe be on TV.  And Matt said, yes, on Morning TV cause Every one wants to be on TV.  UH no Matt, not every one wants to be on TV, morning or otherwise.  In fact there are many of us that don't even like to watch that much TV, much less be on TV.
3. There is a big hype going on about the Superbowl this weekend.  Every One is waiting and wanting to know what Lady Gag Gag is going to do for the half time show.  UH No, not every one is waiting to even watch the game, much less the disgusting display that will be lad gag gag.
4. There has been a facebook post going around that several "Stars" have suggested that all people in Hollywood associated with making movies or TV shows go on strike until President Trump resigns.  A little digging and this was actually started before he was elected and carried on to the inauguration, and now that he is President.  Well, there was a mile long series of comments to this on facebook and the bulk of them said, go ahead and strike.  Who cares.  Again, not "Everyone" looks up to them as the "Elite" that they think they are.  So strike, Maybe if you do and you actually use up all your millions, you may have to get a real job, not job where you act like you have a job.
5. Rosa Brooks has proposed 4 items, or ways, to get rid of President Trump. This ranges from  campaigning against him so he is not re elected in 4 years to a Military coup to take place as soon as possible.  Really, Does she really think that a military in this country would work? Did she not listen to the people?  Apparently not.
6. President Trump has done some things that has shocked the people of the world.  It should not have. He said he would do these things and he was elected on that basis.  I do not like some of the brash ways he is doing things. I also know that the media tends to report things in the worst light, as they all supported Hillary and are against Trump and so will look for any thing negative to report.  And so they will find it and report it.  I don't know the exact nature of the conversation between Trump and the Australian Prime Minister, and it may not have been a good thing on his part, but Really, John McCain calling to apologize for that. Really, John. You do not need to apologize for the United States.  You just don't.  Not every one really cares what your opinion is, even after all you went through in your military career, that was decades back and you now need to look forward. 
7.  Is Donald Trump going to be the best President we ever had? Not be a long shot.  But he is doing some things that needed to be done and I think that we the people need to support him as best we can.  Protesting and looting and burning is not going to solve any thing.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

IT JUST WON'T GO AWAY

I AM NOT A POLITICAL ACTIVIST. AND I AM NOT REALLY A BLOGGER. OK, so maybe I do write some blogs, but I don't consider myself a political blogger.  Even though I write a blog post occasionally, I don't really consider myself a blogger. And every time I blog about a political situation, I say I won't do that again for a while, then something happens that changes my mind. So here we go again. 
First, I want to restate something that I have stated already.  There seems to be 5 kinds of people in the political spectrum at this time.  I will name them and lump some of them in to groups where they don't really want to be, but I am putting them there any way.  Just bear with me.
1. There is the group that strongly supported Hillary.  2. There is the group that strongly supported Trump.  3. There is the group that didn't like Hillary but voted for her because they didn't like Trump more.  4. There is the group that didn't like Trump, but voted for him because they didn't like Hillary more.  and 5. Everyone else.  I know there were other candidates but I am not talking about those.  so, now Trump is President. And he has caused a stir of controversy. And that is what this blog is about.
Trump won the election on a campaign of controversy. He promised a lot of things that a lot of the American public liked the sound of.  Now as President, he is backing down on some of them and carrying through with others.  I fit in group 4 listed above.  On that basis, I think Trump does need to do a lot of things that he promised he would do.  But, I feel that he needs to take a really good look at just what he is doing and how he is going to do it.  Do I feel that he, and congress needs to revamp the Obama Care health program. Yes I do.  Do I feel that it needs to be completely repealed and leave people without any insurance. No I do not.  Has Trump said that he would completely repeal it? No he has not. He has said that he wants to keep the good parts and get rid of the bad parts.  I don't see any problem with that.
He said that he wants to close the borders and build a wall. He said that Mexico would pay for the wall. Mexico has said no we won't.  Time will tell on both points.  In the meantime, Trump did sign an executive order placing a ban on certain people coming into the country.  This is not a permanent ban. It is a, Lets vet some of them right now and put a 90 ban on others while the immigration policy is looked at and things figured out.  He hasn't really done any thing that Presidents haven't done since Bill Clinton, including Obama.  It's just that his methods are a bit more drastic.  he is being applauded on some sides and trashed on others. So, I have an opinion and will voice it in the next paragraph.
Immigration policy has been in place for several presidencies.  Obama limited the number of people who could come into the country in any given year. He increased the number to 70,000 and then last year he raised it to 110,000.  Trump, in his executive order, has reduced the number back to the 50,000 that was in place before Obama raised it to 70,000 in 2011. I feel at a little cross purposes on this. Living in the southwest where we see the results of a porous border, I agree with a more drastic measure on border closings.  I do not believe a wall will solve the problem. I feel that people need to be vetted before they are allowed to come into the United States. I feel that those who are working on the proper method of getting here, should be allowed to continue that process. I believe that the United States really needs to look at this process and provide assistance to those who need it. I don't think that the protests that destroy property will solve any thing. 
One last thing.  I read a lot of the posts on social media. And watch the news.  I do not like the things that I see there.  I have a lot of family, past and present who are Democrats, and they were not and are not the names that they are being called by those who are so strongly in favor of any thing Trump does.  All that name calling is senseless and baseless and is only creating more of a division in the country. a country that was already divided and there are many people on both sides that just keep picking at the scab. And as long as they do so, the division will never heal. 
OK, one more last thing.  Even though you just read the above paragraph, I just have to say that I am disgusted at the display of Senator Schummer and Representative Pelosi.  To cry crocodile tears and accuse the statue of Liberty of doing so was only creating more of the drama that I feel is causing the rift to remain unhealed.  Yes, they can oppose the order. yes they can voice their opinion. Yes, the can vote on the Senate or House floor to rule against the order. Yes they can voice their opinion and vote accordingly. But the display that they put on only makes people like me turn against them in disgust.  And that applies to members of the congress or the news media's all across the country.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

TIME FOR A BREAK

I'M GOING TO WRITE THIS POST ABOUT MY OPINION ON THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP, then I think I will take a break from political posts.  At least that is what I think.  I have been watching the unfolding events, listened to the rhetoric, tried to cut through the verbal nonsense and hopefully came up with something somewhere on the side of reason.  Well, my reason, any way.  So here goes.
1. Whatever your personal opinion of the election was or is, Donald Trump won.  What he won was the electoral college vote.  What does that mean?  Well, our founding fathers set it up so that a highly populated state wouldn't be able to elect an official over the desires of several less populated states.  If the majority vote had been the rule, Hillary would have won and would have been the President of California and new York, so to speak, because the majority of the votes that gave her the majority came from there and a few other places.  People in the majority of States, however voted for Donald, thus the advantage of the electoral college.  At least that is my understanding. 
2. Because Donald won, many of the Hillary supporters were upset, to say the least.  Many others chose to riot and loot and burn.  I am not really sure that those were actually voters, but just chose to riot and protest because they felt they had a cause and could get away with it.
3. I have seen so many posts on social media on both sides of this coin.  I have seen posts by people, some of whom I am aquainted with, somewhat, call the people who voted for Hillary some vile names. Names that I know are not true. And even though I voted for Trump, for reasons that have been mentioned in previous posts, I can't help but feel upset when I read posts by friends or even family when they spout the same vile hatred type of messages that accuse the "other" side of doing.  We should all be on one side.  The side of the American people.
4. I don't understand the purpose of the Women's march on Washington and in other places across the country, including the small city where I currently reside.  The signs and the slogans just didn't fit what I thought a protest should be.  It seems to me that these women felt that they had rights that were going to be taken away from them by President Trump.  I just failed to understand the rhetoric spiel they were spouting.
5. Without a doubt, President Trump and the Republican congress will make some changes.  Some of them will be good and some will not. They will make mistakes, just like all past President's and Congresses have done. Will they actually do the damage that some of these groups think they will. I think not.  But then that is a matter of perspective.
6.  We can hope that all will go well and know that it will not.  I just hope that the country can come together and work for the best of the people. I think, however, that there are groups of people who will oppose President Trump at ever turn, regardless what he proposes and how good it may be for the country.  Just cause they don't like him. I can hope things will settle down, but they probably won't.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

PEDESTALS

WHAT THOUGHT COMES INTO YOUR HEAD WHEN A PEDESTAL IS MENTIONED?
There are many things to think about.  Many decades ago, a man I admired very much came to a Church meeting and gave a talk.  During the talk he told us young boys that the use of foul language was not a good thing and that we should avoid the use of this kind of language. And I had put that man on a pedestal. He didn't ask to be put there. He had no intention of being put there. I put him there in my mind.    
Fast forward a few short years and I had occasion to go to work for this man.  One day I came around a corner and he was in a discussion with his superintendent for the job we were working on, and the language he was using was the same kind of language he had encouraged me and my friends that we should not use.  His pedestal crumbled that day.  A pedestal that he did not even know he was on.  
While I have elevated others to a higher esteem in my eyes over the years, I have been very careful not to elevate them to a pedestal.  It is very discouraging to discover that those we thought were above some things were actually human and just flesh and blood after all.
I write this after reading on face book today the comments of a friend of ours that had put Martin Luther King, Jr. up on a pedestal of sorts.  The to learn that MLK was actually human and subject to the weaknesses of the flesh after all. That he was a womanizer and that he was actually with a women other than his wife the night he was shot and killed.  This is history and something I have been aware of for decades.  My face book friend, however, was floored upon learning this information. So, on that note I want to mention a couple of things.
1. John F. Kennedy was a womanizer also. This was not as well reported as things are now, but that is a fact. That does not negate the many things he did for this country and his service to the country.  MLK was who he was.  this also does not negate what he did for the betterment of people of color and the helping to get them into a more racial equality.  
2. When we look at those who guide us and lead us, we need to look at where they are going and how they intend to get us there. We need to look at their strengths and realize that no matter how strong they seem to be, they can be a pillar of strength without being on a pedestal. 
And while a pillar can rest upon a pedestal, we need to be careful not to put a pillar in a pedestal that they do not want nor expect.  A pillar may stand the test of time, while a pedestal will probably crumble.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK