I have not watched a lot of the two recent political conventions. I have watched snippets and of course saw the news bleeps. So, based on that, and the fact that I have lived on this third rock from the sun for a while, I feel like I can make a few observations. Mind you, these are my observations, and unlike the news media, I will spout them as a personal belief. Who even knows what the talking heads on the news believe. Well, here goes.
1. If it is true that liars pants really did catch on fire, Hillary would need to start wearing a dress.
2. Bill's speech was so disgusting that many people couldn't stomach it. For my part, if he is so in love with Hillary, why does he carry on with so many other women?
3. Hillary supposedly endorsed some of Bernie's platform in order to woo his supporters to her side. If those supporters think that she will actually conform to those ideas after she is elected, I am afraid they will be sadly surprised.
4. E mails surfaced that proved that Hillary and the DNC conspired against Bernie so Hillary could win the nomination. Then they blamed the Russians for hacking and leaking them. If they hadn't done that in the first place, there would have been no e mails to hack and leak. It's like, Oh I got caught, so blame the Russians. Takes the heat off of what really transpired.
5. Trump made the gaff of saying, Russia, if you can find Hillary's other 30,000 e mails hack them and make them public. People really got up in arms over that. Well, if they can hack the DNC and leak e mails that showed their behind the scenes manipulations, then they should be able to find the 30,000. Don't blame them for something and then get in a huff when someone asks them to do more.
6. My family is divided on who to vote for this election. Some are divided and some are undecided. A vote for Trump is a vote against Hillary. A vote for Hillary is a vote against Trump. A vote for any one else is a vote in favor of Trump of Hillary. Is there other candidates? Yes there is.
7. While there will be many candidates on the ballots, The only candidate who will appear on all States ballots is Libertarian Gary Johnson. While a vote for Johnson or any other candidate will be a vote in protest against the two party system, it will be too little too late and while Johnson is closing in on the 15% mark to get into a presidential debate, He needs a lot more support than he has. What the country needs at this time is for the Libertarian party to get enough voters together to hold a convention and get it on the national news. They need a lot of people to leave the two main parties and join their cause in order to make a difference.
8. Hillary has not had a job in the private sector for more years than I know about, of ever. She only knows that taxes pay her salary and we the little people can be taxed enough to assure her salary and retirement.
9. Trump is a business man in the private sector. He understands profit and loss. He knows that you need jobs for the people in order for taxes to be paid to run the country. He may be unethical, and undoubtedly he is, but he may be the man for the season at this season.
10. I tend not to share a lot of what comes through facebook. I don;t tweet or snap chat or any of those other media things that are out there. I see a lot both for and against the current president and his family, as well as the candidates now running for office. I ignore most of it, but s share something that I know to be true. So when Mrs. Obama said that she wakes up every morning in a house built by slaves, and the social media erupted against her comment, I went in an internet search. Here is what I found. The White House was designed by Irish Born James Hoban. The initial white house was built by both skilled and unskilled labor. Since slaves were legal at that time, it is safe to say that much of the unskilled labor was done by slaves. However, the white house has been added on to and updated many times over the centuries by various presidents, the last of which was Harry Truman. So while Mrs. Obama's speech was partially correct, in that slave labor was undoubtedly used, there were many others involved who were not slaves, and many of the African American men of the time were free men and were paid a wage for their labor or skill.
11. I wanted to post something here about the Flag, but this has turned into such a long post, that I will save that for another day. A day not to distant in the future. AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Friday, July 29, 2016
Thursday, July 21, 2016
I REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS
I was/am trying very hard to stay out of the mud slinging going on in the political world. I really am. And I refuse to repost a lot the things that come out on facebook, even though some of it may actually be factual. But I have reached a point where I feel I need to say this. Feel free to comment if you like.
1. I am not a Trump fan. In fact, I made an agreement with a daughter last winter that I wouldn't vote for Trump if she wouldn't vote for Hillary. I have since reneged on that and released her to do what ever she feels she has to do. I say again, I am not a Trump fan, but I can on no way vote for Hillary. So, I will vote for Trump, and here is why.
2. I will start this by saying I voted for Cruz in the Primary. I would have voted for Carson if he was still in the running at that time. Trump is not a politician, but a business man. So what. Maybe it is time to have someone in office that looks at things in a different light. If Trump surrounds himself with people who understand foreign policy and he listens to their advise, he may actually do well. IF he gets elected, we will see. He is a bully and a loudmouth. And he may cause Problems for the U.S. But then, we already have problems, so on to Hillary.
3. Since Obama took office he has doubled the national debt and this will continue under Hillary. Also, Hillary has already stated that IF, and I repeat If, the second amendment is a constitutional right, Then it is subject to reasonable regulation. She wants to model the second amendment on the gun program that have in Australia. She has stated this in several speeches. She said that the Australian buy back program worked very well. Uh, no, it did not. Even though the country of Australia may have compensated the people for the guns they "took" away from them, it was not a buy back program, as the government didn't own the guns in the first place. Also, Most of the shootings that take place, that have gun control advocates up in arms, take place with guns that are already illegal and were illegally obtained, and by people who were not allowed to own a gun any way. So, the gun control proposals will only punish legitimate and legal gun owners and leave those who should not have a gun having them any way. Still, the media will espouse the gun control point of view and ignore the legality of most of these issues.
4. Yes, there are other candidates. The most viable one and the most visible one is the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. There are some pros and cons to consider here. First, Gary Johnson was a good governor of the state of New Mexico. However, when his wife got sick with cancer, he divorced her and let her die single. I am sure there is more there than was reported, but it looked bad. He also wants to legalize marijuana. While I am against that, I guess that would be better than Hillary's agenda. The thing against Mr. Johnson and any other candidate of a lesser party, is that the rules are that any candidate has to poll at least 15% of voters before they are allowed to go on a debate stage. I say, if they were allowed to go on a debate stage, they may poll a high number, but the rules are against them. So, since they are so low on the polling scale, a vote for Mr. Johnson or an other candidate is simply a wasted vote, except to express displeasure with the two front runners.
5. Who ever wins in November, we as a people need to be aware of what is going on and do what ever is best for the country and insist that those elected to congress be reminded who they work for and to set the rules of play (they don't really work, for the most part ) be changed and that they make rules for the people.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
1. I am not a Trump fan. In fact, I made an agreement with a daughter last winter that I wouldn't vote for Trump if she wouldn't vote for Hillary. I have since reneged on that and released her to do what ever she feels she has to do. I say again, I am not a Trump fan, but I can on no way vote for Hillary. So, I will vote for Trump, and here is why.
2. I will start this by saying I voted for Cruz in the Primary. I would have voted for Carson if he was still in the running at that time. Trump is not a politician, but a business man. So what. Maybe it is time to have someone in office that looks at things in a different light. If Trump surrounds himself with people who understand foreign policy and he listens to their advise, he may actually do well. IF he gets elected, we will see. He is a bully and a loudmouth. And he may cause Problems for the U.S. But then, we already have problems, so on to Hillary.
3. Since Obama took office he has doubled the national debt and this will continue under Hillary. Also, Hillary has already stated that IF, and I repeat If, the second amendment is a constitutional right, Then it is subject to reasonable regulation. She wants to model the second amendment on the gun program that have in Australia. She has stated this in several speeches. She said that the Australian buy back program worked very well. Uh, no, it did not. Even though the country of Australia may have compensated the people for the guns they "took" away from them, it was not a buy back program, as the government didn't own the guns in the first place. Also, Most of the shootings that take place, that have gun control advocates up in arms, take place with guns that are already illegal and were illegally obtained, and by people who were not allowed to own a gun any way. So, the gun control proposals will only punish legitimate and legal gun owners and leave those who should not have a gun having them any way. Still, the media will espouse the gun control point of view and ignore the legality of most of these issues.
4. Yes, there are other candidates. The most viable one and the most visible one is the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. There are some pros and cons to consider here. First, Gary Johnson was a good governor of the state of New Mexico. However, when his wife got sick with cancer, he divorced her and let her die single. I am sure there is more there than was reported, but it looked bad. He also wants to legalize marijuana. While I am against that, I guess that would be better than Hillary's agenda. The thing against Mr. Johnson and any other candidate of a lesser party, is that the rules are that any candidate has to poll at least 15% of voters before they are allowed to go on a debate stage. I say, if they were allowed to go on a debate stage, they may poll a high number, but the rules are against them. So, since they are so low on the polling scale, a vote for Mr. Johnson or an other candidate is simply a wasted vote, except to express displeasure with the two front runners.
5. Who ever wins in November, we as a people need to be aware of what is going on and do what ever is best for the country and insist that those elected to congress be reminded who they work for and to set the rules of play (they don't really work, for the most part ) be changed and that they make rules for the people.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Friday, July 1, 2016
WHAT CAN I SAY
I have been away from the blog for a while, although it has not been as long as I thought. So, I return today to make a few short comments. They are probably more of an update on old comments, rather than any thing really new. So here goes. We will see what comes out.
1. At this point, Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee for the Republican party and Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee for the Democrat party and Gary Johnson is the nominee for the libertarians. Now, I presumptive on the part of the first two parties, because Bernie has not totally given up and The Republicans are still not totally on board with Donald. My opinion on this is that no matter which one of them wins, we lose. The next 4 years are going to be a lose for the American people.
2. If Hillary wins, there will be a continuation of the eroding of the 2nd amendment and a continuation of land and water grabs from the people of the West. If Donald wins, these two items may not be in danger, and I say may not, but he is going to raise a big controversy with other world leaders, as well as members of the senate and the house. If Gary Johnson should happen to win, he would legalize marijuana, which would not be a good thing, but on the other had, based on his two terms as governor of New Mexico, he would have, or work very hard to have a balanced budget.
3. Once again, the west is experiencing wild fires of large magnitude. The talking heads on the TV blame it in the drought. And they are mostly right. However, there are a few things to consider here. The environmental movement has got the ranchers and the loggers moved off the forest. And you say, so what? Well, I'll tell you what. When the loggers were allowed to log the forests, under the direction of the Forest service, the timber was culled and thinned and this brought two benefits. One was that there were lest dense forests to burn and the other was that there was less trees to fight for the water that was available. This created a big benefit for the remaining trees.
The rancher situation is similar. The animals not only fertilized the forest, but their cloven hoof acted as a cultivator as they walked about the land. Also, since they were allowed to water on the streams and rivers, the cottonwood growth that has since been allowed to grow up would not be so bad and the trees would not be sucking up all the water from the rivers, allowing for a more free flowing river. So, do I blame the Forest service. No. I blame the environmental groups that lobbied congress to pass laws and the members of congress for listening and passing laws that had no benefit for the people and the land in the west.
OK, I guess that's enough for today, so that's THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
1. At this point, Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee for the Republican party and Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee for the Democrat party and Gary Johnson is the nominee for the libertarians. Now, I presumptive on the part of the first two parties, because Bernie has not totally given up and The Republicans are still not totally on board with Donald. My opinion on this is that no matter which one of them wins, we lose. The next 4 years are going to be a lose for the American people.
2. If Hillary wins, there will be a continuation of the eroding of the 2nd amendment and a continuation of land and water grabs from the people of the West. If Donald wins, these two items may not be in danger, and I say may not, but he is going to raise a big controversy with other world leaders, as well as members of the senate and the house. If Gary Johnson should happen to win, he would legalize marijuana, which would not be a good thing, but on the other had, based on his two terms as governor of New Mexico, he would have, or work very hard to have a balanced budget.
3. Once again, the west is experiencing wild fires of large magnitude. The talking heads on the TV blame it in the drought. And they are mostly right. However, there are a few things to consider here. The environmental movement has got the ranchers and the loggers moved off the forest. And you say, so what? Well, I'll tell you what. When the loggers were allowed to log the forests, under the direction of the Forest service, the timber was culled and thinned and this brought two benefits. One was that there were lest dense forests to burn and the other was that there was less trees to fight for the water that was available. This created a big benefit for the remaining trees.
The rancher situation is similar. The animals not only fertilized the forest, but their cloven hoof acted as a cultivator as they walked about the land. Also, since they were allowed to water on the streams and rivers, the cottonwood growth that has since been allowed to grow up would not be so bad and the trees would not be sucking up all the water from the rivers, allowing for a more free flowing river. So, do I blame the Forest service. No. I blame the environmental groups that lobbied congress to pass laws and the members of congress for listening and passing laws that had no benefit for the people and the land in the west.
OK, I guess that's enough for today, so that's THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Monday, May 16, 2016
WELL, I PROCRASTINATE
NO, I'M NOT SEEING RED. ALTHOUGH I COULD, IF I LET MYSELF. I started out this year to post my opinions of the various Presidential candidates, most of whom I don't really like or care for. But as the season has progressed and the candidates began dropping like flies, I decided to just let them fare for themselves. Which they would do any way, without me. And since there are so few people who actually take the time to read this post any way, I just felt that for my own good, I would not comment any more on the presidential race. Well, mostly not any way. Who knows what the future may hold.
So, for my peace of mind and my stress level, I will just stay with more pleasant subjects. I and my wife decided that we would be more kind in the future. I am sure she will follow through. I will try.
One thing that helped with this decision was my trip to the vampire (AKA Lab) office this morning. There was a lady there that complained about everything. She didn't like that the technician that is usually there to draw her blood was not there. She didn't like a former technician who was "horrible" ( I liked her, BTW,the former tech) She complained about most every thing and did it vocally. I have never did that in the lab, and I am a hard draw, but I just sit a take whatever, and well, enough said about that. So, future posts, such as they may be, I will try to be nicer to the tics and others that I interact with. Maybe if I do that, others will also and who knows, just one nice and kind act on my part may change someone's attitude for the better and it may even domino.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
So, for my peace of mind and my stress level, I will just stay with more pleasant subjects. I and my wife decided that we would be more kind in the future. I am sure she will follow through. I will try.
One thing that helped with this decision was my trip to the vampire (AKA Lab) office this morning. There was a lady there that complained about everything. She didn't like that the technician that is usually there to draw her blood was not there. She didn't like a former technician who was "horrible" ( I liked her, BTW,the former tech) She complained about most every thing and did it vocally. I have never did that in the lab, and I am a hard draw, but I just sit a take whatever, and well, enough said about that. So, future posts, such as they may be, I will try to be nicer to the tics and others that I interact with. Maybe if I do that, others will also and who knows, just one nice and kind act on my part may change someone's attitude for the better and it may even domino.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Friday, May 6, 2016
WHAT TO SAY
EARLY ON, IN THIS ELECTION YEAR, I started voicing my opinion of the various candidates running for President of the U.S. I have voiced my opinion of Bernie and Hillary, neither good. I have voiced opinions of some of the Republican candidates, but they started dropping out so fast i gave up on that. Now, we are left with Trump and probably Hillary. Neither if which I like. As the saying goes, when you vote for the lesser of two evils, you are still voting for evil. So, which evil would be the best for the country. As my wife and I were talking the other day, there will other candidates on the ballot for president. The problem is, no one much has heard of them and the race will be between Trump and probably Hillary. So, I will probably voter for Trump. I think he is not a good person. He is a profane bully. But, he is a business man and will try to pass laws that will favor businesses in America and keep a lot of them from going out of the country. He will protect the 2nd amendment, which Hillary has said she will not. He will be for a stronger military. He will not have a good relationship with the media, I think, and he will step on a lot of toes. And mostly he won't care. He will probably have the opportunity to chose some new Supreme Court justices and they will be better suited to what the country needs. So, yes, even though I don't like Trump, I think he will be better than Hillary.
On another note, there have been three amber alerts this week. OK, there probably has been more than three, but three that I am aware of. The first one was earlier this week when a 11 year old Navajo girl was abducted as she walked home from the bus stop after school. Her body was found south of The Shiprock, physically abused and then murdered. Her younger brother, abducted at the same time, was let go and he identified the killer, who is now in custody. The second one was a 4 year old boy who was abducted from school by his non custodial mother. He was found later in the day at a motel in Albuquerque and is now back with his father and his mother is now in custody. The third one is a brother and sister abducted in Utah by their non custodial parents. They were located in a motel in Gallup New Mexico and are OK.
The purpose of this post is this, will the new president and any new congress members seek to change laws that will be favorable to families and what is needed to strengthen the family, or will they continue to erode the laws that allows this kind of behavior to continue. Yes, there have always been predators. yes, there will always be, until the millennium, but it seems to me that the powers that be are only fostering these things by the laws they pass, and the way they cater to a minority, who seem to squeak until they are heard, far above the voice of reason. So, pay attention who you vote for, not just for president, but for all national as well as local candidates.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
On another note, there have been three amber alerts this week. OK, there probably has been more than three, but three that I am aware of. The first one was earlier this week when a 11 year old Navajo girl was abducted as she walked home from the bus stop after school. Her body was found south of The Shiprock, physically abused and then murdered. Her younger brother, abducted at the same time, was let go and he identified the killer, who is now in custody. The second one was a 4 year old boy who was abducted from school by his non custodial mother. He was found later in the day at a motel in Albuquerque and is now back with his father and his mother is now in custody. The third one is a brother and sister abducted in Utah by their non custodial parents. They were located in a motel in Gallup New Mexico and are OK.
The purpose of this post is this, will the new president and any new congress members seek to change laws that will be favorable to families and what is needed to strengthen the family, or will they continue to erode the laws that allows this kind of behavior to continue. Yes, there have always been predators. yes, there will always be, until the millennium, but it seems to me that the powers that be are only fostering these things by the laws they pass, and the way they cater to a minority, who seem to squeak until they are heard, far above the voice of reason. So, pay attention who you vote for, not just for president, but for all national as well as local candidates.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Monday, April 25, 2016
MORE OBSERVATIONS
JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS: I have learned, once again, that I am a nobody. And I am OK with that. How do I know? Well, I like Country music. Old, classic country music. Recently a classic country music singer/icon passed away. Namely, Merle Haggard. While this was mentioned on the news, it was just a blip on the news and then gone. NOW
Prince has passed away and it is on the news morning, noon and night, day after day, and, according to the news, EVERYBODY, is talking about it and why and what and well on and on. Well, i am not talking about it. While I was aware of who Prince was, I could not tell you the name of any song he sang, nor am I playing them over and over now that he is gone.
And then this morning on the news, they talked about a new song/video that Beyonce (I think it was Beyonce) has come out with, and once again EVERYBODY is talking about it. Well, I am not talking about it. In fact, except on the news this morning, I had never heard of it, and after seeing what they showed on the news, I don't care if I ever hear of it again.
So once again, I realize I am a nobody. And then on social media, someone said there is only one singer left. I don't remember who that was, but again it was someone I never heard of. I beg to differ. I will mention just a few that we have left. Bill Anderson; Mel Tillis; Gene Watson; Willie Nelson; Loretta Lynn; Dolly Parton; Connie Smith. Just to mention a few. I am sure that they will also just be a blip on the news when they pass, and the nobody's like me will talk about it, while EVERYBODY, talks about something else. But I am OK with that. I kinda like being a nobody in this day and time.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Prince has passed away and it is on the news morning, noon and night, day after day, and, according to the news, EVERYBODY, is talking about it and why and what and well on and on. Well, i am not talking about it. While I was aware of who Prince was, I could not tell you the name of any song he sang, nor am I playing them over and over now that he is gone.
And then this morning on the news, they talked about a new song/video that Beyonce (I think it was Beyonce) has come out with, and once again EVERYBODY is talking about it. Well, I am not talking about it. In fact, except on the news this morning, I had never heard of it, and after seeing what they showed on the news, I don't care if I ever hear of it again.
So once again, I realize I am a nobody. And then on social media, someone said there is only one singer left. I don't remember who that was, but again it was someone I never heard of. I beg to differ. I will mention just a few that we have left. Bill Anderson; Mel Tillis; Gene Watson; Willie Nelson; Loretta Lynn; Dolly Parton; Connie Smith. Just to mention a few. I am sure that they will also just be a blip on the news when they pass, and the nobody's like me will talk about it, while EVERYBODY, talks about something else. But I am OK with that. I kinda like being a nobody in this day and time.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
Monday, April 4, 2016
I HAVE TO WONDER
WHY DO PEOPLE DO THE THINGS THEY DO. That is a statement that can readily be turned into a question. I occasionally travel the highways and byways of this great State and some time other States, and the things people do never cease to astound me. I will mention a couple or three of them and then mention one thing about me that I have noticed.
1. Why, when I am traveling somewhere, and doing so at the posted speed limit, does someone feel the need to speed past me, then slam on their brakes so they can make a turn off the highway onto a side road, causing me to have to slam on my brakes also. Knowing they were going to make that turn, couldn't they just stay behind me, at the posted speed limit for 60 seconds or so?
I have to wonder.
2. I own a vehicle or 2. None of them are new by several years, although they don't look very bad. My wife and I have tried to take care of them over the years, and when we go to a store, such a Wal-Mart, or a shopping center in a distant city, we park far away from the normal line of parked cars. As in, in the North, or South, 40. So why, when we return to the car after the shopping, with numerous parking spaces in the lot, does someone feel that they have to park in a space right next to us. Even if they are trying to take care of their own vehicle, and parking in the aforesaid 40, they do have a choice to park in a spot away from me. So, why do they feel the need to park right by me. I have to wonder.
3. Another traffic issue. Why, when I am traveling down the road and approaching a construction zone, and the speed limit is dropping and the sign says a certain lane is closed ahead, and I move to the appropriate lane and slow to the posted speed limit, why does the people in the vehicle several vehicles back feel the need to speed up and then crowd in at the last minute where the orange barrels are scooting them over, causing the line of traffic to all slow even further to accommodate them. I have to wonder.
4. And finally, what is it with me. Many years ago I would watch general conference and wonder how much longer is this going to go on. It seemed like a two hour meeting lasted forever. Now, in my dotage, it seems like I have just turned the meeting on and it is already over. I just have to wonder.
I assume that my age, and the passage of time, going by faster and faster every day is the culprit.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
1. Why, when I am traveling somewhere, and doing so at the posted speed limit, does someone feel the need to speed past me, then slam on their brakes so they can make a turn off the highway onto a side road, causing me to have to slam on my brakes also. Knowing they were going to make that turn, couldn't they just stay behind me, at the posted speed limit for 60 seconds or so?
I have to wonder.
2. I own a vehicle or 2. None of them are new by several years, although they don't look very bad. My wife and I have tried to take care of them over the years, and when we go to a store, such a Wal-Mart, or a shopping center in a distant city, we park far away from the normal line of parked cars. As in, in the North, or South, 40. So why, when we return to the car after the shopping, with numerous parking spaces in the lot, does someone feel that they have to park in a space right next to us. Even if they are trying to take care of their own vehicle, and parking in the aforesaid 40, they do have a choice to park in a spot away from me. So, why do they feel the need to park right by me. I have to wonder.
3. Another traffic issue. Why, when I am traveling down the road and approaching a construction zone, and the speed limit is dropping and the sign says a certain lane is closed ahead, and I move to the appropriate lane and slow to the posted speed limit, why does the people in the vehicle several vehicles back feel the need to speed up and then crowd in at the last minute where the orange barrels are scooting them over, causing the line of traffic to all slow even further to accommodate them. I have to wonder.
4. And finally, what is it with me. Many years ago I would watch general conference and wonder how much longer is this going to go on. It seemed like a two hour meeting lasted forever. Now, in my dotage, it seems like I have just turned the meeting on and it is already over. I just have to wonder.
I assume that my age, and the passage of time, going by faster and faster every day is the culprit.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK
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