Tuesday, January 14, 2020

The National Championship


I sat last evening and watched the beginning of the National Championship Game 2020 between the two teams known as Tigers. I have to admit that I was awed by the energy and the excitement. It has been a long college football season and it comes down to this finally final game. 


I must confess that I really didn't care which team won the game. I was just happy that Alabama and Ohio State were not in the championship game as it seems that those two teams tend to dominate such affairs. Although Clemson, as the defending champion, is beginning to start a dynasty of its own having played in 3 of the past 4 national championship games with this being its 4th appearance in the past 5 years. They had two championships and were going for the third. 

The game began with fireworks--but no scores during the first two drives for each team. Clemson finally drew first blood on their third possession with a touchdown. From there there game was on!

As I was playing racquetball at 5:30 AM this morning, I did not to watch too much of the game and opted to get some much needed rest. 

Congratulations to LSU, the National Champions and owners of the college football bragging rights for 2020. LSU defeated Clemson 42-25.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Monday, January 13, 2020

Monday Musings - January 13, 2020





1. It is now the second Monday of January and of 2020. I have no idea how many times I have inadvertently written 2019 instead of 2020--but I am sure it is quite a few. 

2. It was a disappointing football weekend with the Ravens losing. I am defaulting to cheer on my childhood favorite football team the Kansas City Chiefs--who won a very exciting game this weekend, for the remainder of the playoffs and Super Bowl.

3. We hosted friends this weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the company and excitement that two small children can add to a house. 

4. How could one not appreciate two 70 degree days in a row in January AND on a weekend? Wow! It was a great foretaste of the Springtime yearning to start.

5. Baseball season is on the horizon! Orioles pitchers and catchers report to camp in 29 days and in 45 days I will be in Sarasota watching Spring Training games!

6. It should be a quieter news week this week than last--let's hope so.

7. Today in History. On January 13, 1128, Pope Honorius II grants a papal sanction to the military order known as the Knights Templar, declaring it to be an army of God. Led by the Frenchman Hughes de Payens, the Knights Templar organization was founded in 1118. Its self-imposed mission was to protect Christian pilgrims on their way to and from the Holy Land during the Crusades, the series of military expeditions aimed at defeating Muslims in Palestine. For a while, the Templars had only nine members, mostly due to their rigid rules. In addition to having noble birth, the knights were required to take strict vows of poverty, obedience and chastity. In 1127, new promotional efforts convinced many more noblemen to join the order, gradually increasing its size and influence.


Headlines

Iran Cracks Down as Protests Over Downing of Airliner Grow - The New York Times

Defense Secretary Says He Didn’t See Specific Evidence of Plans for Embassy Attacks- The New York Times

'Our enemy is here': Iran protesters demand that leaders quit after plane downed - Reuters

White House says U.S. has asked North Korea to resume talks: Axios - Reuters

Philippine financial markets shut after volcano spews ash over Manila - Reuters



Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

“I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.” 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, January 12, 2020

January Weather Respite


I did not see yesterday coming. 


Around the Fire Pit with Friends
Elkridge, MD
January 11, 2019
The high temperature yesterday was officially 72 degrees! The record for the date was 73 degrees! I was outside in my shirt sleeves enjoying the day. We had the windows open and enjoyed having an outside event. By evening, we had the fire pit burning and enjoyed wine in the evening with friends. 


Weather Underground Forecast for BWI Airport
Baltimore, MD
For January, it was a fantastic day. A welcome break from the cold and means that we are one day closer to the beginning of Spring. I am sure that there will be some very cold and weather trying days ahead. Looking at the ten-day forecast, the temperatures are trending down to more seasonable levels--fortunately, right now there is no snow in the forecast. 

The beautiful day did end on a sour note, however. The Ravens were defeated in their playoff game by the Titans. It was not a particularly close game and that means that there will be no AFC Championship nor Super Bowl to celebrate for the Ravens. It was the franchise's best season ever and they had the best record in all of football. It was sad to have the season end in such a defeat--but that is, after all, sports. Neither of the two-best teams in baseball last season, the Dodgers or the Astros, won the World Series.

So today, I think I will just enjoy the expected nice weather with a forecast high of 71 degrees and some sun in the afternoon.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Saturday, January 11, 2020

Out the Airport Window - Denver International Airport, January 2020


Out the Denver Airport Window
Denver International Airport, Denver, CO
January 10, 2020
Last evening I was at the Denver Airport waiting to depart on a flight home. Since it was a 6 PM flight, I had a couple hours to wait and, of course, I did enjoy a glass of wine in my favorite wine bar--Vino Volo. 

The sky out the window was clear as the sun was setting behind the almost visible mountains. I was anxious, at this point, to board my flight and to return home. It was the end of the week and the end of the day on Friday. The scene out the window was of activity and preparations for departures. The aircraft to the right of the scene was one which would fly me to Baltimore. The empty jet way to the left is where a flight to Salt Lake City was supposed to have departed already, but the incoming flight was delayed because it had to fly around the terrific storms in the midsection of the country. It arrived a short time later and that flight departed about an hour and a half late. 

It was dark by the time I departed and I remember looking out the cabin window into the darkness as the jet picked up speed rumbling down the runway. My trip was complete and all that remained was getting home and falling into bed--which fortunately happened without incident.

And so the day ended.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, January 10, 2020

Out the Hotel Window - Denver, January 2020, part 2


Out My Hotel Window
Denver, CO
January 9, 2019
As I had hoped, I was able to get an image out of my hotel window yesterday while it was still daylight. The scene is very different in the daylight--very desolate with brown grasses seemingly reaching all the way to the mountains and a gray winter sky overhead. Not an exciting scene, but it is far better than just looking at the building next door--which has been my fate during more than one trip. 

The day was a cool winter day. The overcast skies kept it warmer during the night, but this morning it is 26 degrees outside and the sting of the season will be apparent as I make my way into my job site. Today is both a work day and a travel day. I will be home tonight--but it will be late and I likely will not fall into my bed until just past midnight. I wish I was able to sleep in, but I likely will be awake by 6 AM ready to start the day tomorrow.

And so the day begins. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, CO

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Out the Hotel Window - Denver, January 2020


Looking Westward at Denver
Denver, CO
January 9, 2019
I arrived at the hotel under the cover of darkness and will depart for work this morning while it is still dark. The view out the hotel window therefore is somber and dark. The world is waking, yet the sun continues its winter slumber. 

Ski Lift Chair
Denver, CO
January 8, 2019
I am looking forward to potentially seeing the scene during the daylight at some point today. 

Occasionally, I stumble across strange things during my travels and last evening was no exception. As I walked out of the hotel, I saw an interesting thing on a trailer. It took me a moment to identify the item, as it is not something that I routinely come across. I finally determined that it was a ski lift chair. I have only one experience with such an object, and it was not a good one. The chair deposited me at the top of a Colorado mountain on my face and as I struggled to gain my footing on my skis, I was being yelled at by the staff to get out of the way. That was just the beginning of the only ski run I have been made n my life and where I believe I saw my life pass before my eyes on three separate occasions. 

Welcome back to all of the good memories that I have of living in Colorado!

-- Bob Doan, Writing from Denver, Colorado

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Counter-punch


The news is full of the reports about the Iranian counter-attack on two U.S. bases in Iraq. I take exception to the headline in The Washington Post this morning:

Iran strikes Iraq bases housing U.S. troops, escalating conflict

I do not see this as a definite escalation of the conflict, but rather a measured response. Recall back to last year when the Iranians shot down the U.S. drone? That the U.S. did NOT respond with a measured response in that incident, was, in my mind, a major policy failure. 

It appears that Iran has provided a measured response, one which allows them the opportunity to say they have extracted revenge for the killing of Soleimani and also allows for the deescalation of the entire incident. 

It is possible that properly executed, the Iranians have provided the means to end this nasty incident. It is possible, however, that the U.S. will fumble the ball on this opportunity and the situation will further escalate. 

Time will tell which side is better at foreign relations. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Act of Terrorism


It is no surprise that the world is reeling from the recent action taken unilaterally by the U.S. against the Iranian general responsible for planning and executing much of Iran's state sponsored terrorism.

But then, in a radical shift--now the tables have been turned. 

Iran's parliament approves bill labelling US army as 'terrorist'


What an interesting turn of events. I have to admit, I did not see that move coming as the problems between the U.S. and Iran ratchet to a new level not seen since the take-over of the U.S. Embassy in Teheran during 1979. The U.S. had listed the Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) during April 2019. 

I hope there is an exit strategy hidden in here somewhere.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday, January 6, 2020

Monday Musings - January 6, 2019




1. Well, it is the first Monday of January and the first of the year 2020. The whole year lies ahead of us. 

2. The Christmas lights are mostly removed for the houses in the neighborhood. It is sad to see them depart and to put a period on the Christmas Season.

Corks Ready for Sale
3. What do you do with over 700 wine bottle corks? Try to sell them on EBay of course. 

4. Family NFL Results. None of the family teams played this weekend. The season is over for the Steelers, Redskins and Cowboys. The Ravens had a first round bye in the playoffs. 

5. Youth basketball has become my main Sunday activity these days. We had two games yesterday which resulted in split results meaning a win and a loss. The important thing is that both boys played strong games with Jax scoring almost as many points as the other team and Ethan dominating the boards with rebounds. Both boys made dramatic three-pointers.

6. Foreign policy cannot be accomplished using a transaction-based approach. Given the frequent change in our governments, it is an area where America has always struggled to find consistency. The latest activity with Iran only serves to highlight the inconsistency and dangerous approach that the U.S. displays in foreign policy execution. 

7. Today in History. On January 6, 1838, Samuel Morse’s telegraph system is demonstrated for the first time at the Speedwell Iron Works in Morristown, New Jersey. The telegraph, a device which used electric impulses to transmit encoded messages over a wire, would eventually revolutionize long-distance communication, reaching the height of its popularity in the 1920s and 1930s.



Headlines

Iran Pulls Back From Nuclear Deal as Killing of Iranian General Upends Mideast - The New York Times

It’s Not Just Software. Boeing Finds New Potential Risks on 737 Max - The New York Times

At Least 5 Dead and 60 Injured in Pennsylvania Crash, Officials Say - The New York Times

Maduro government stages de facto takeover of Venezuela’s National Assembly - The Washington Post

In fire-ravaged Australia, climate denial goes up in smoke - The Washington Post

Iraq wants foreign troops out after air strike; U.S. urges leaders to reconsider - Reuters

Rain brings brief respite in Australian bushfire crisis - Reuters




Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week


Ladies and gentlemen, during the official departure ceremony in Washington, I said with regret that on this visit I had little chance to see America. I feel, however, that I did understand what is important about the American people, and that is their enormous stock of good will. Let me assure you that Soviet people, too, have an equally great stock of good will. Putting it to good use is the most noble and responsible task of government and political leaders in our two countries. If they could only do that, what is but a dream today could come true - a lasting peace, an end to the arms race, wider ranging trade, cooperation in combating hunger, disease and environmental problems and progress in insuring human rights and resolving other humanitarian issues. May the coming year become an important milestone as we move down that road.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Tis the Season for Donations


Today is the true beginning for the year. It is the first Sunday beginning the first full week and everything to this point is mostly a warmup for the main event. The first few days of the year have been a test drive for the year. 

Hopefully, things will settle down soon because the news certainly has been unsettling to start the year. 

Yesterday was a busy day, it seems that Chris and I are doing want many others are doing--cleaning out and donating. As part of our New Year's commitment 
(note that I consciously did not call it a resolution) to begin cleaning out the house and reducing the amount of "stuff" we have we cleaned out two closets and began reviewing the holdings in the attic. We made a drive-by at Goodwill with a lot of items to donate and found the place clogged with throngs of others doing the same thing. The place was jammed. It was good to see so many people donating things--and it was too late for a 2019 tax deduction. 

Chris and I will be making many more donations throughout the year as we do that magical thing--downsize. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
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