Thursday, February 7, 2019

Just a few more useless things

JUST A FEW THINGS THAT I HAVE OBSERVED OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS:
And most of them are useless. I feel that I don't just want to document my life. Not only is it boring, but most of it is NOYB, if I may say so myself. And I just did.  So, that leaves me with not a lot to post about, other than the funny things I observe and politics. i have been trying to stay away from the political arena in my posts, but finding that nearly impossible, I will post a little here along with a few other things that have tickled my fancy lately. So here goes. 
1. The Border Wall. Just need to mention it and get it out of my system. At least for now.  The wall or fence that is shown on the national TV news shows consists of around 700 miles of wall that was approved, financed and built by the previous administration. The rest of the wall is currently being built, about 200 miles or so, and it is being done under the afore mentioned financing. So, I don't understand all the hoopla about the wall. President Trump just needs to shut up. It is being built. The fuss is because Schumer and Pelosi don't like him and never will. accept that and move on to better things. 
2. New York politicals just approved a late term abortion. This can take place up to the minute the baby is being born. They showed how it was to be done. They actually insert a needle into the baby's head or body and inject it with something to kill it and then remove it from the mothers womb. I don't understand their thinking. If the mother don't want it, then just adopt the baby out. If there is a life threatening situation, then do an emergency C section and let the baby live. .......Those extra dots are to say period. 
3. The recent partial government shutdown. The media reported that the majority of people blamed Trump. And maybe they did and maybe their poll was skewed. Not for me to say. However, the members of congress blamed Trump for the shutdown also. HMMMM   I just have to wonder why they blamed him and said they didn't want a shutdown and don't want another one.  Easy solution. There are 100 Senators and 435 Representatives that can simply pass legislation and over ride what ever the President wants. if they really want to, that is. Me thinks sometimes it is easier to just let things go along and blame Trump rather than doing the job they were elected to do. 
4. Colin Kapernick is still in the news.  I have to wonder why. I will say right here that I support his decision to protest against racial profiling and social injustice. I agree with that 100 %. However, kneeling and showing disrespect of the American Flag and the National Anthem is not the way to do that. PROTEST ALL YOU WANT. But DO NOT  show disrespect for the flag. A flag that allows him to be paid millions to play a game and a flag that allows him to protest against what ever he wants to protest.  Showing disrespect for the flag is what gained the people against him.
5. OK one more political item before moving on to other things. I was not able to watch the Presidents State of the Union speech. So, I watched the news Wednesday morning to see what the talking heads had to say. I will insert here I support the 1st amendment and the right of freedom of the press. I do know that some of the national news feeds are very anti Trump. So when I turned on the news Wednesday morning and didn't see a lot of anti Trump bashing, I said to myself HMMM he must have given a good speech. Relatively so, any way. And when I went to Dialysis and sat in the waiting room and listened to some of the people there that also hate Trump talk about his speech and how they liked a lot of what he had to say. Sure surprised me. There has been a lot of comments on social media about the women in White and the disrespect they showed for a lot of things. The things they clapped for and the things they did not. Many are upset that they sat stone faced ( their comments, I didn't see the speech ) while President Trump said that babies should not be aborted late term. Well, we will see what happens in the next two years. A lot of turmoil a I am sure.
6. When I was growing up post world war 2 and into the 1950's when I would go watch a western movie, the wheels of a stage coach would appear to be turning backward when the coach was moving forward.  Now, in 2019, even with all the updated technology available, the tires of forward moving cars still appear to turn backward. Sometimes it seems progress isn't catching up with every thing.
Speaking, (or writing) of when I was young, we had I pads even then. We called them Big Chiefs. And our stylus was a #2 lead pencil, sharpened with a hand crank pencil sharpener. And we used paper grocery bags to cover our text books. Yep, we even had text back then, it was just in a book, not in an electronical devise. And a few days ago we received an order from someone and it had some packing paper in it. My wife smoothed out the paper and remarked, This sure would be good paper to cover text books with. if the kids actually used books instead of computers or I Pads or I phones or what ever they use now a days. 
7. And finally. Watching TV the other day I saw an advertisement for French Fries. Actually it said Crispy Fires grown in Idaho.  WOW. Just WOW. I knew they grew Potatoes in Idaho, but this is the first time I knew that they grew fries also. Not only do they grow fries, but they grow Crispy Fries. Will wonders never cease.
AND THAT'S THE OPINION AND VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

SOMETIMES YOUR HEART JUST BREAKS

YEAH! HOW'S THAT FOR A BLOG TITLE TO START THINGS OFF.  GUESS I'LL JUST HAVE TO EXPLAIN, IF I CAN.
A couple of years ago the news broke the story about a 10 year old gild in Albuquerque who was found murdered. While that is horrific enough, it turns out that she was murdered by her mother, a cousin and a boy friend of the mother or the cousin. I've never been too clear on that. She was apparently raped, tortured, given drugs or alcohol before hand. After she was murdered she was being dismembered when the police arrived. The news showed pictures of the girl and she was a pretty girl. She did not deserve what happened to her. Now, two years later, trials for those involved are looming. Or I should say were looming. A few weeks back her mother took a plea deal and got a very reduced sentence. She now claims that she was not even there when this happened.  The boy friend has a trial date coming up. The cousin, a female, was to go on trial this week. Unexpectedly she took a plea deal yesterday claiming that the boy friend did and she will "cooperate" with law enforcement to testify against the friend when he goes to trial soon. For this deal she gets 50 years in prison with a chance to get out in 20 years with good behavior.  She has  a long prison record already and she has not been one to behave in prison, so we will see. Now they "law enforcement" are saying that there is no DNA linking the boy friend to the killing and the mother said she and her were not even there, but a 4th individual that so far has not been identified actually did the killing, so it seems that the boy friend will get off scot free.  Mean while no one seems to know who this 4th individual is, although someone had to be there when this took place.  You just have to wonder why no one is talking.
Along similar lines, kinda, two children have died along the southern border.  One El Paso and One In New Mexico. By some strange twist of fate, the one that died in El Paso entered the United States in New Mexico, and the one that died in New Mexico entered the United States in Texas. Both children got/were sick and died within days of arriving here. Both were from Central America and had been brought a couple of thousand miles by a father, who then entered the United States illegally, in a remote area where there is no physical facilities to take care of them. While the news decries there deaths, and politicians have rushed to the border to see who they can blame and what needs done to "improve" the situation, they seem to forget that if the father hadn't drug these children across thousands of miles through who knows what kind of circumstances, then to enter the United States in remote areas illegally, much, if not all, of the blame needs to be put on the parent. If the dad's are seeking a better life here for their families, then come here and try to do that, but don't drag your children along with you on that kind of a journey.
Now that last bit is a good enough lead in for the last topic for this post. That is the DACA program. President Obama instituted this program this program when Congress failed to do their job. A job he was trying to get them to do and finally just did it with an executive order. This order was scheduled to end in 2018, but President Trump ended it a little sooner than planned and he too told Congress, "now do your job". They didn't and they haven't. They can and they should. At the time President Trump ended this program, he said if Congress would pass legislation to take care of those under DACA he would sign it. How that would play out now, I wouldn't venture to guess. I think that something should be done, but with one caveat. There needs to be a way to prove that a person filing for citizenship under this program needs to prove they were brought here as a child when they had no control over the actions of their parents. The problem is this; If a person were to enter the country illegally, in one of those remote areas already mentioned, and then applies for citizenship under DACA, there is no way to prove that haven't been here for 10 years or 10 minutes.  One has to wonder if that is the reason some of these parents are bringing their children with them like the two who have passed away, and how may have entered and didn't get caught or sick.  
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

Saturday, December 15, 2018

A FEW MORE THINGS OBSERVED THIS WEEK

WELL, I KNOW I SAID I WAS GOING TO TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM POLITICAL THINGS
but I feel to make these two comments.
1. I just read a news article that I agree with. Now, regardless of your view of Christine Blasey Ford, there are many who feel that she had an agenda and that agenda was not truthful. However, she is being touted this week with being chosen to give an award to someone who came forward and reported the abuse in the Olympic Scandal.  Many feel that using Christine Ford for this takes away from those who have actually been sexually abused. Ms. Ford claims she doesn't want the spotlight or money, yet she is in the spotlight and has acquired around $800,000 in go fund me funds since she claimed assault 35 or 36 or 37 years ago. What makes her story so questionable for many is her lack of actual information and the contradiction of people who she said would back her up and then they could not.  If she was assaulted as she claimed, then she needs to be taken seriously. But until she can prove she was, she should not be touted in the manner she is and take away the spotlight on this serious problem in our society and those who were assaulted. And sorry, I did not intend this to be such a long paragraph.
2. A young girl, 7 years old died a few days ago in an El Paso hospital. I feel for her family. However, they were entering the U.S. illegally and were apprehended by the Border Patrol in a remote and desolate pate of the United States. She had not eaten or had any thing to drink for several days prior to that. She got sick while the Border Patrol were transporting her and her family from the point they entered the U.S. to the Southern Border Station in Lordsburg, New Mexico and then she was flown to the afore mentioned hospital, where she died a day later. Now, that is tragic and I am not trying to indicate any thing otherwise. However, the enemies of President Trump are blaming him for this. No, they were coming here illegally. She had not eaten or had any thing to drink for days, not the few minutes she was in custody of the border patrol between Antelope Wells and Lordsburg.  She was not put in a detention center as one California politician has indicated. While you may not like Trumps policies, really they haven't changed that much since the time of Clinton in the 90's, or even prior to that.  Yes, Trump tweets a lot and says a lot and carries on a lot, but the policies are still long standing and I am aware, living where I do, of people being caught, jailed and eventually deported, splitting up families long before Trump even ran for the Presidency.  OK  Nuff said.
3. When did these unsightly blowups become the norm for Christmas decorating? Will they go away or will it just get worse?
4. We have had a lot of cloudy days the last several months. I like it cloud up and rain, or snow. But if it isn't going to do those things, then just let the sun shine and keep these old bones warm.
5. Recently on social media, Ford announced a feature on their F series pickups. This sparked a lot of trash talk among said media users about Ford vs. Dodge vs. Chevy with each individual building up their choice and trash talking the other two. I will say this. When the economy meltdown happened in 2008-2010 and the government offered the big three, namely Ford, Chrysler and General Motors a bail out, General Motors and Chrysler took it. Ford chose not to. The backed up and regrouped, as it were, eventually eliminating some of the small vehicles that the public were not buying and retooling their plants to produce the F series pickups and their SUV's. They still produce some sedans, but on a limited scale. Chrysler eventually followed suit and they are picking up sales and have paid off the bail out to the government. General Motors chose to stay with their sedans and they went down. I am not sure of their bail out pay off, but now they have Seen The Light, as it were, and are closing some of their plants that produce the small cars and laying people off and trying to regroup. Too little Too Late, or a wise move on their part.  Time will tell.  Meanwhile, I'll stay with my Fords.  
That being said, I was raised on General Motors products, have driven Chrysler and Ford Products all my married life and I know one thing for certain.  At some point in time, they will all break down on you at the most inopportune time.
AND THATS THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK  

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

SOME RECENT OBVERSATIONS

HERE IS A SHORT LIST OF SOME RECENT OBSERVATIONS.

They aren't any thing new, just something to put in a post that has nothing to do with politics.  Well, i think it will go that way. 
1. How you can tell it is Christmas time.  The ads on TV or advertising the Chia Pets and the Clapper.
2. While walking to the post office in my little town I saw a man hole cover by the side walk. On the cover it said   "Sanitary Sewer".  Well, OK, I thought. If there was ever a case of false advertising that would be it.  Kinda like a garbage dump being called a sanitary landfill.  Just don't compute.
3. After going on 6 decades of marriage I realize that there are a few things that my wife and I just don't agree on.  And I am OK with that, since they are, in the overall scheme of things, things of no great importance any way.
4. Regardless of the turmoil in the world, birds still tweet and dogs still love their owners and they are not concerned with what any one thinks.
And that's the view from the ditch bank

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

ELECTIONS ARE OVER

ELECTIONS ARE OVER; RESULTS ARE KNOWN;THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE;IS CLEARLY SHOWN.
That is the opening lines of a poem that was popular when I was a teenager back in the 1950's. I can remember most of it but am not going to quote it here. What's troubling is that the will of the people is not clearly shown every where.  Why after more than a week are some places still counting votes. Or contesting the final count. And Broward County in Florida seems to have this problem every election.  And folks I am scared.

I have toyed with the possibility of no longer posting on political things. Then I seem to do it any way. So why, you ask, am I scared.  Before I tell you why, I want to say up front. I am a republican.
In this, and in every election since I was old enough to vote, I have voted for Democrats that I thought were the better candidate. 
So having said that, I am scared because of some of the Democrats that got elected. They have publicly stated their views and they are not good. They want to take this democracy and turn it into a socialist country. The problem with socialism is that pretty soon you run out of other peoples money. The first thing the Republican candidate for governor in our State wanted to do was start apprentice ship programs in our schools for those who want a trade rather than go to college. Create jobs and put people to work. The first thing the Democratic candidate said was that she wanted to dip into the States permanent fund ( which is set up for schools only) and use it to build infrastructure and fund programs. She won. And the next day the first ting she said was that she wants to create laws for stricter gun control. The next thing was to raise taxes. I fear for January and what she will try to do.   But that is the least of my worries. There are so many individuals elected this time that are going to congress that have some radical views of what they want done that I am glad I am an old man. I just fear for my children and grandchildren and the country they will be living in. I fear that they will wake up to late to realize the freedoms they are going to lose. 
I have said before and will state here again. Trump was not my choice for President. But I voted for him over Hillary and given that choice in 2020 I will vote for him again. Other than that, I will wait and see who is running before deciding. Meanwhile,  I wish he would just stay quiet and go about being President.  While he stated what needed to be done with the forests in California was correct, a statement I have made before myself, I feel that, that was not the time to say so, as those people who have lost every thing, including family members, need not be castigated for something that was caused by the government under environmental rules. 
Now I have a question.  When did the political party's become RED and BLUE. And why? And what color are the Independents and the Liberal party members? Just wondering while I sit here on the ditch bank chewing on a straw and contemplating the State of the Nation.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK 

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

SERIOUSLY

SERIOUSLY:  LETS GET REAL FOR A MOMENT. I HAVE JUST A FEW ITEMS TO POST ABOUT THIS MORNING, SO I'LL GET ON WITH IT AND THEN GO DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE.
I realize that the national news people are very anti Trump. They try not to show it in the news casts, but it comes through any way, so lets look at a couple of things. In a rally President Trump said, and I quote, Next year we will put in a tax cut for the middle class. This morning the today show said, and I quote, President Trump said he would put in a tax cut for the middle class before the mid term elections, but he can't because congress is not even is session. Will a tax cut for the middle class be put into effect? I don't know. Maybe and maybe not, but at least report what he said. 
There is a horde of people marching from Honduras to the United States.  At least that is what is being reported by the media. And they show pictures of them marching and packing children and "all" their belongings. What they don't show is all those people riding on 18 wheeler trailers. They did include a short bite of news about one person who died when they fell from a trailer.They didn't go into detail on that though. One has to wonder how this many people got together at this time to march to the United States, why do they seem to have clean clothes every day, where did they get the money to fund this march of days and weeks, since they do need food and water. Today it was reported that they will rest a day and then march to another city in Mexico where they will board a train for Tijuana on the California state line. How did they get reservations for the train for over 7000 people and where did they get the money to pay for the tickets? Or are they just going to hijack the train? If they really want to seek asylum in the United States, why are they flying the flag from there old country. Seems like that many people, that well organized, could march on their own government and demand change. Having said all that, I feel sorry for the children that are going through this.
And finally. Really people. Watching a TV shopping channel this morning, they were selling a blanket that you can get up and wear as a coat since it has a hoody on it. Guess you can wear it in cold weather with the pajamas you wear to wal-mart. I fear for the world when people can't get up and clean up before going out in public.
AND THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK

Saturday, October 20, 2018

I'M STILL TRYING

I'M STILL TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM POLITICAL POSTS. TODAY I JUST MIGHT MAKE IT. Naw, probably not,but let's see what comes out of this computer keyboard.
There has been much in the news the last few weeks or more on the political scene. The one that dominated it was the Kavanaugh supreme hearings and well, you know the rest. I have a definitive opinion on a lot of that but will refrain from getting into that as the deal is over and settled. For now.
President Trump is making a political swing through parts of the country and making his usual brash comments. He was not my President of choice, but I preferred him over Hillary. Still do. But I so wish that he would just go about being President and keep his mouth and twitter shut. I think things would go much better.
Speaking of Hillary. Did you see her comments on the Me Too Movement. She thinks that the accusations against Kavanaugh were legitimate even though the proof was skimpy as best and controversial. But the accusations against Bill raping a woman, where evidence was in place and many people know about it almost immediately was different. Her claims are ridiculous but they were and are being ignored and Bill and her are starting on a speaking tour where people are ask to pay several hundred of dollars to listen to their vitriol. I wouldn't go to one of their speeches if you paid me several hundred dollars.  Those two people are evil along with many of their associates.  I know many will disagree with me, but this is my post and my opinion. 
My wife and I voted yesterday. We voted early for reasons which I will not mention here. OK I will. We just wanted to and we could. Many people call for term limits on our members in congress. I agree. But there are term limits in a way. They were not hired for a permanent job. If you don't like them, vote them out. That would limit their term. Unfortunately, too many people like them and voting them out is often difficult, so term limits would be the way to go. Also unfortunately, they are the ones to put this into motion and they are not going to limit their selves to term limits. 
I hate to think that there is people here in our state that is against the states economy. But there is and they are running for office. I try to look at all things that people stand for and vote accordingly. Yesterday, when I voted i did not vote a straight ticket.  I did vote for a few members of what I will call the opposing party. People that I thought were doing a good job or that would do a good job. After the election we will see who sins and if we, the people, lose. 
I don't care what your politics are, or which party you affiliate with, please get out and vote. Your vote counts. But when you do go vote, please study the candidates and what they stand for. Mainly, but not limited to, do they support the constitution and all amendments. Unfortunately, there are many across the country that not only want to abolish the 1st or 2nd amendment, but want to abolish the entire constitution. The movement is there, small right now but growing. Pay attention to that and the candidates who support that theory. If enough of them get elected, we will be in big trouble.
Well, enough for now. Have a good election year and get out and vote. And THAT'S THE VIEW FROM THE DITCH BANK