Waiting for the White Smoke

 

Fact versus fiction. 

White Smoke from Sistine Chapel
Announcing Election of a New Pope

Reality versus myth.

Truth versus lie.

I wrote on Election Day that the true colors of the candidates will be shown.

And that statement has come true.

Joe Biden, in the days since Election Day has busied himself by becoming even more involved in the pandemic and in preparing to transition the country, should he be confirmed as president.

The President, sadly, has continued to obstruct, obfuscate, threaten, and litigate the will of the American people.

It is really very simple--let all the votes be counted. 

Losing sucks--I get that. I hate losing, but I have learned in life that we win, we lose, and we draw; but we should act with grace and civility at all times.

I watched the address to America given by both men. Joe Biden provided hope and a call for calm.

The president, conversely was sowing seeds of discord and imputing the character of the people monitoring the process to ensure that the will of the American people is heard. What he said has even been called seditious.

Today we may finally get definitive news about the presidential election, it is much like waiting for the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel to announce the election of a new Pope.  

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thankful Thursday - Waiting is hard

 We are an impatient society.

I am impatient, just ask my wife. She will tell you stories of how I rail against the things like the channel changer for being so slow to change channels after I push the buttons. I even get impatient with Alexa and Siri for taking a couple seconds to answer when I summon them for a task.

So understand my discontent when I went to bed last night with the Electoral College vote at 253-213 and it was the same when I woke this morning.

There was not a lot of movement in the numbers overnight and collectively we are still watching for returns in Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Georgia to help determine who will be inaugurated as president in January.

I admit--I'm impatient. But, I recognize that careful diligence is required right now in order to ensure the results are properly and accurately tabulated. 

These states are not an anomaly! 

I looked this morning and here are the vote count percentages for some states which have already been decided:

New York - 78 percent

Maryland - 73 percent

Colorado - 90 percent

Illinois - 88 percent

So the point I am making is that the states we are watching are under a microscope--but they are conducting their process much like many other states. They are not slow--but they are diligent.

And we must wait!

Enjoy the the time.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wonderful Wednesday - Take a Breath

 

As I write this morning, the president prematurely declared victory in a close, hard-fought election.

The American people have spoken through their votes, but many votes still need to be counted in many places and so the will of the people is still being determined.  

It is time for calm, and watchful waiting--no matter which candidate is being supported. 

I am quite happy that those responsible for counting and documenting the will of the people are doing so in a reasoned and diligent manner. Every vote matters.

I will admit, I thought that the election would not be as close as it has shown itself to be.

It will be a long day and possibly a long week--but when it is over we will know who will be inaugurated on January 20, 2021. And our process will have worked yet again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Terrific Tuesday: Election Day 2020

 

It is go time America!

Take a deep breath--it is going be a long night, possibly a long week. Maybe we will know who will be standing on the Dias on January 20, 2021 by early morning tomorrow. Possibly not. 

I want to write about the American electorate. 

I believe in America and the electorate and the voters. I believe that people want truth, science, and peace. People know right from wrong. People who want to live in peace and trust their elected leaders.

Today the true colors of the candidates will be shown and while we continue to display our country as red or blue states, the next president will have the job of gluing the country back into the red, white, and blue.

I have been involved in many discussions this election season about America and the direction that I believe we need to take this country. I have been vociferous in my defense of my beliefs and I know that in more than one case, I pushed the conversation a bit too far. Yes, it is an emotional issue with me. I love this country. I have worked my entire adult life for this country and for the Constitution. 

I spent a lot of time developing a prediction both for the Electoral College and the popular vote percentages for the two candidates. But, I am not comfortable sharing my predictions in the broken, dysfunctional, emotionally charged environment that has become these United States. I have a map and have looked at the polls--many polls, for almost every state. I will be tracking my prediction through the night to see how well, based upon the information available to me, that I did.

But predictions are just that--the game still needs to be played. And so, today, America, we stand on the field of the future. I cannot remember an election since the mid-60's where so much is at stake and the choices are so different. 

One Facebook correspondent, a former neighbor and a friend, admonished me that I will be surprised tonight that I am in a minority. I wanted to quote him directly, but apparently his comments were removed from the Facebook thread we were discussing. 

I hope that I am surprised tonight! In a good way. I am weary of the pessimism that has gripped our country because our leaders--in the Executive Branch and The Congress have abrogated their responsibilities. 

And I reiterated one more time: VOTE! It is the only way that we can make our collective voices heard.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 2, 2020

 

1. Today is the first Monday in November. There are just over 8 weeks remaining in the turbulent, pandemic filled 2020.

2. Tomorrow is, finally, Election Day and we will discover whether the healing of this country will begin with the election of the 46th President of these United States or whether we will have continued moral bankruptcy, divisiveness, lies, and dysfunction fostered by the 45th President for four more years.

Squirrel on the Screen
Elkridge, MD
October 28, 2020

3. Squirrels decided to play on our screens the other afternoon. It made them appear suspended in air. 

4. Family NFL results:   

    Steelers (7-0) escape Ravens (5-2) 28-24
    Football Team was on a BYE
    Cowboys (2-6) lose to Eagles (3-4-1) 9-23

5. Our pets did not do well on the change from DST to Standard Time. It took us a while yesterday afternoon to understand why they wanted dinner an hour early. 

6. A man came into a forest and asked the Trees to provide him a handle for his axe. The Trees consented to his request and gave him a young ash-tree. No sooner had the man fitted a new handle to his axe from it, than he began to use it and quickly felled with his strokes the noblest giants of the forest. An old oak, lamenting when too late the destruction of his companions, said to a neighboring cedar, “The first step has lost us all. If we had not given up the rights of the ash, we might yet have retained our own privileges and have stood for ages.” (The Trees and the Axe)

7. The true measure of a man is what he has done, not what he says he has done.

8. November and Standard Time dawned yesterday with cold rain.

9. Chris and I made a visit to the Columbia Mall on Saturday. It was our first visit to a mall in many months. Our take away--the economic crisis is real. We were shocked by the number of small businesses which have closed their doors. Perhaps up to one-third of the stores were closed.

10. Today in History. November 2, 1947, the Hughes Flying Boat—at one time the largest aircraft ever built—is piloted by designer Howard Hughes on its first and only flight. Built with laminated birch and spruce (hence the nickname the Spruce Goose) the massive wooden aircraft had a wingspan longer than a football field and was designed to carry more than 700 men to battle.

Howard Hughes was a successful Hollywood movie producer when he founded the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1932. He personally tested cutting-edge aircraft of his own design and in 1937 broke the transcontinental flight-time record. In 1938, he flew around the world in a record three days, 19 hours, and 14 minutes.

England Set for Limited Lockdown to Slow Coronavirus - The Wall Street Journal

French Police Probe Personal Dispute in Lyon Priest Shooting - The Wall Street Journal

Analysis: Dishonesty Has Defined Trump’s Presidency. The Consequences Could Be Lasting. - The New York Times

Dramatic Rescues After Major Earthquake Kills at Least 39 in Turkey - The New York Times

Brazilians protest mandatory COVID-19 immunization, Chinese vaccine - Reuters

Ten dead, three missing as 2020's strongest typhoon slams Philippines - Reuters

How Americans surmounted a pandemic and dizzying rule changes so their voices would be heard - The Washington Post

The real results of Trump’s trade tariffs - The Washington Post

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

You know, Abe Lincoln, the day after his election to the presidency, gathered in his office the newsmen who had been covering his campaign. And he said to them, "Well boys, you're troubles are over now; mine have just begun." I think he -- I know what he meant. Lincoln may have been concerned in the troubled times in which he became president but I don't think he was afraid. He was ready to confront the problems and the troubles of a still youthful country, determined to seize the historic opportunity to change things.

And I am not frightened by what lies ahead and I don't believe the American people are frightened by what lies ahead. Together -- Together we're going to do what has to be done. We're going to put America back to work again. You know, there -- I aim to try and tap that great American spirit that opened up this completely undeveloped continent from coast to coast and made it a great nation, survived several wars, survived a Great Depression, and we'll survive the problems that we face right now.

President-Elect Victory Speech, delivered 4 November 1980, Century Plaza Hotel, Los Angeles

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Super Sunday - Halloween is Behind Us

 

Chris and Talan
Elkridge, MD
October 31, 2020

We celebrated Halloween last evening, despite coronavirus and the cold. We practiced physical distancing by placing the candy on a table and having the visiting creatures touch only the ones they were taking.

Finnegan with the
Headless Horseman
Elkridge, MD
October 31, 2020

 

It was necessary to try to continue Halloween and work within the COVID best practices. 

The numbers of children were greatly down from last year. We had only 31 visitors. I know this because we made 30 bags of candy in advance and wound up one short. The Trick or Treating began about 5:30 PM and was concluded by about 7:45 PM. Chris and I sat with neighbors at the beginning of drive at the street giving the visitors a 2 for 1 special. It also saves the children having to walk down the drive to our house in the dark. 

The preparations and the execution of the evening's festivities were a welcome break from the depressing and confusing news of the day. 

And now it is November! Election Day is ahead followed in fairly rapid succession by Veterans Day and Thanksgiving. 

Enjoy the day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Suddenly Saturday - What's the Plan?

 

The weekend arrived last evening on a Zoom call with friends rather than in person due to the coronavirus uptick. The lack of a plan and the ongoing denials of reality by the president continue to affect the very fabric of our lives--and yet few are calling him on it.

I guess it is OK to surrender to the virus. 

I prefer Patton's approach:

“A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week.”

Problem is, not only is there not a perfect plan next week, the administration has washed their hands of even trying to get a plan together and is telling us to learn to live with it.

Instead of denying the veracity and spread of COVID-19, we need to face it.

Covid-19 Is Worse in the Dakotas Than It Was in the Spring’s Hot Spots - The Wall Street Journal

General George S. Patton
Then a Lt General

To continue with my Patton thoughts as they might apply to the pandemic, I was reminded of this phrase from his memorable series of speeches to the 3rd Army, as recorded on Wikipedia. Here is what he said about the overwhelming odds faced by his troops during World War 2, and with very little reediting they could be applied to the United States today:

Men, all this stuff you hear about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting and clash of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, the big-league ball players and the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. That's why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war. The very thought of losing is hateful to Americans. Battle is the most significant competition in which a man can indulge. It brings out all that is best and it removes all that is base. 

  Wikipedia

Please note that in the historical context of when this statement was made, it was a wartime and the fighting troops of the time were men only. 

What is the plan?

Well, first we need a plan and then we need the intestinal fortitude to implement it. Finally, we need to realize that everything is interconnected: fighting the virus is tied to the economy and our standing in the world; but most importantly it is about people and saving lives.

I remember standing in lines for the Swine Flu vaccine! That was the pan back then, but we were in front of the virus.

So what is the plan? 

Defeat the virus to save lives and don't wait for the promise of a vaccine which will take months to distribute. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Finally Friday

 

It has finally arrived: the final Friday of October. The end of the week and the end of the month is upon us. Tomorrow is Halloween and it will definitely be a different and likely more subdued celebration this year. We are expecting a significantly reduced number of Trick or Treaters due to COVID-19.

As the week ends, Chris and I are finally out of close contact COVID-19 quarantine, but with the explosion of cases across the country many people are again hunkering down. Our Friday Happy Hour group will be conducting its weekly business meeting via Zoom tonight rather than in person. I've been quarantined for two weeks and really wanted to get out and share some adult beverages with friends, but, alas, it is not to be. 

With soon to be 10 months of 2020 in the rear view mirror, I think most of us will be happy to see the year become a bad memory. It has been a unique and disturbing year with the double whammy of COVID-19 and the economic disaster, and that doesn't even consider the record number of hurricanes that have battered the Gulf Coast or the out-of-control wildfires sweeping through California and Colorado. Not a good year to live in a state whose name begins with "C".

Of course the week ahead will be interesting as well. We will learn if we have elected the 46th President of these United States or whether the 45th President has been deemed worthy of an additional term. Tuesday should be a tumultuous day and it might not be until Wednesday or later in the week that we learn the outcome of the election. I am encouraged that almost 80 million Americans have already voted!

If you haven't yet, VOTE! What on earth are you waiting for? The apocalypse? 

For what it is worth--HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

It is All Connected

 

The Wall Street Journal 5 Day Graph
October 29, 2020

I recall that the president was extolling the strength of the economy based upon the rise in the stock market during the last debate. It seems that the silver lining is tarnishing a bit this week as the reality of the renewed coronavirus runs into Wall Street. The Dow was down over 900 points yesterday and it is being blamed on the coronavirus response--or lack of response.

Here is a headline from this morning's The Wall Street Journal:

Stocks End Sharply Lower on Coronavirus Concerns

We must stop looking at trends and situations in isolation and consider the total impact upon everything. As long as the coronavirus response continues to be inept and inconsistent, the economy cannot recover. Despite what we are being told, a solid, cogent coronavirus plan will turn the economy around--ignoring the virus and insisting that it is going away is a recipe for disaster--economically, medically, socially. 

The administration needs to accept the science and forge a plan that will work against the virus and for the economy. We could become a world leader rather than a laughingstock.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wind, Rain, and Hurricane

 

Hurricane Zeta Rain Prediction
October 28-30, 2020

I think writing about the weather is better today than writing about the election. I guess my fervor is decreased since I have voted. But, I still want everyone to get out there and vote. The expansion of early voting is a good thing because it takes the weather out of the election equation. Getting slammed with rotten weather on Election Day could, in years past, affect the vote, but this year with early voting the electorate can vote around the weather.

Some pundits are suggesting that this year's voter turn out may be one of the highest ever. The highest being the election of 1876 where almost 82 percent of voters cast ballots. It also had the closest Electoral College vote at 185-184. Now that is close. Is 2020 destined to be a repeat? We should know in about a week.

Before Election Day, however, the wind, rain, and a hurricane will be racing from the Gulf Coast through the East Coast making travel and life difficult. Voters can get out early, or wait until it passes to cast their ballots.

While the effect of the weather on the election can be mitigated, the effect of COVID-19 cannot. The increase in infections and hospitalizations is a fact and I am always amazed at how some try to rationalize the numbers away trying to indicate that they aren't as severe as they appear. I'm pretty sure I know how those who have contracted the disease view those explanations.

Vote! Find a way around the wind, rain, and hurricane to cast your vote.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD