Monday Musings - April 20, 2026

 1. Monday has arrived again; right on schedule! Wow, it never seems to miss showing-up as expected. Today is the next-to-last Monday of April. May flowers are right around the proverbial corner. Additionally, the year is slipping away and there remain only 36 Mondays to enjoy during 2026. 

McLaren Spider Sports Car
Jupiter, FL
April 29, 2026

2. While Chris and I were headed out shopping yesterday, we came across a car that we see only infrequently, a McLaren. I thought I took a good image of it as we were stopped for the light at Indiantown Road, but the UV film I added to the windshield seems to impart a honeycomb pattern to parts of the image. When I come across vehicles on the highway with retail prices in excess of $200K, I wonder if I have enough insurance. 

3. We have another travel week ahead with a return trip to Maryland beginning Wednesday. Hopefully, it will be warmer than the most recent visit. Upon returning home, we likely will not be traveling again until late-May. 

4. The Orioles had a rough week. They fell from a tie for first in the division, to third place and now three games out of first. The season is young. Hopefully they will begin winning again soon. 

5. Aside from our own inconsistent leadership trying to end the Iran War, the U.S. is experiencing what I believe is the downside of leadership decapitation. Apparently, there is a problem with who is in charge in Iran. The Foreign Ministry seems to be making agreements that the IRGC is ignoring. The closed-open-partially closed-is it open-closed nature of the Strait of Hormuz demonstrates why leadership decapitation is not usually a good plan because it leaves no one possessing actual authority with whom to negotiate.

6. Today in History. On April 20, 1999, two teenage gunmen kill 13 people in a shooting spree at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, south of Denver. At approximately 11:19 a.m., Dylan Klebold, 17, and Eric Harris, 18, dressed in trench coats, began shooting students outside the school before moving inside to continue their rampage. By 11:35 a.m., Klebold and Harris had killed 12 fellow students and a teacher and wounded another 23 people. Shortly after noon, the two teens turned their guns on themselves and died by suicide.

The crime prompted a national debate on gun control and school safety, as well as a major investigation to determine what motivated the teen gunmen. In the days immediately following the shootings, it was speculated that Klebold and Harris purposely chose jocks, minorities and Christians as their victims.

World awaits fate of ceasefire after US seizes Iranian ship - Reuters

Iran's president stresses importance of diplomacy while noting distrust of US - Reuters

Oil prices rise 6% on fears of US-Iran ceasefire collapse - Reuters

Eight children killed at home in Louisiana domestic violence - Reuters

Strong earthquake hits off Japan’s coast, tsunami warning issued - CNN

A US citizen said she was illegally held by ICE. Surveillance video, the DHS and a million-dollar lawsuit say otherwise - CNN

FBI chief Kash Patel threatens to sue The Atlantic over report on heavy drinking - MS Now

U.S. Military Strikes a Boat in the Caribbean, Killing 3 - The New York Times

This Is One of the Most Successful Federal Programs of the Last Century. The Trump Administration Wants to Kill It. - The New York Times

oil-prices-rise-markets-fall-us-iran-ftse-100-gas-strait-of-hormuz - The Guardian

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Lazy Saturday

View of the North Fork Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
April 18, 2026

 It was a lazy Saturday here in South Florida. 

It is not as if we did nothing during the day, but we did not head out on an adventure.

I managed an 18-mile ride, which felt great even though the humidity and temperatures are building. I did not see a lot of wildlife on my tour, but I did enjoy the scents of the gardenias and other flowering plants, trees, and bushes.

Chris and I also managed to move the repacked Easter decorations along with other unused items to the storage room. Out of sight and out of mind! We freed up some space in the garage to use for other infrequently used items.

Aside from that, we made an emergency run to the grocery store for some ice cream.

Thinking about some of what transpired last week.

It was a crazy week in the news as both the president and vice attempted to cast themselves as theologians and religious leaders. I was appalled at the image of Trump as a messiah and then Vance schooling the Pope on Catholicism and theology. And then there was Speaker Johnson lecturing the Pope about the "Just War" theory. I did, however, learn a lot about the "Just War" theory and its application. 

It seems as if the Jesus' words of prophecy as recorded in Mark 13:14-23 are being fulfilled:

14 “But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be” (let the reader understand), “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 15 The one on the roof must not come down or go inside to take anything out of his house. 16 The one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days! 18 Pray that it may not be in winter. 19 For in those days there will be suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the creation that God created until now, or ever will happen. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved. But because of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut them short. 21 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe him. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, the elect. 23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:14-23 NET Bible) (Highlighting mine)

I was also reminded of Matthew 7: 15-20.

15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit. (NET Bible) (Highlighting mine)

Happy Sunday!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Mascots and Nicknames

 A funny thing happened on the way to college. 

Our second grandson, Jax, who is destined for higher education declared his future school of study yesterday. We are very excited for him and I am not going to steal the joy of the announcement except to say that Chris and I are thrilled for him and shocked because we did not even think the school he chose was on the list. 

Here's the thing. His choice got me thinking about mascots. 

Mascots are a part of our lives we often do not consider. 

I was a Fighting Ibis and a Saltine Warrior during my college career. Yea, I changed colleges.

My favorite sports teams mascots are Pittsburgh Pete, Poe, Gunnersaurus Rex, and the Orioles Bird. 

I have cheered for teams with mascots like Sammy the Sea Gull, Rocky the Pride, Testudo, Skunk, and Hairy Dawg. And there is a new one coming--which I will not name.

And then there are the team nicknames: Hurricanes, Orangemen, Ravens, Orioles, Penguins, Bulldogs, Sea Gulls, The Rock, Terps, Gunners, Wildcats, and Cowboys.

Wow! How do we keep them all straight? I am sure I have forgotten to include some. 

But it is fun! 

OK, I had not thought about the Saltine Warrior in decades. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Off to see the Wizard

Scene from The Wizard of Oz
From my TV
Tequesta, FL
April 16, 2026

The Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie growing up. The movie was so old, released during 1939, that it had a run on TV every year. It was a special TV event and I don't think I missed watching it very many times.

Chris and I had a busy day, including with lunch at Coopers Hawk and a short walk around the mall. We spent Happy Hour on our veranda until dinner. Afterward, we tried to find something to watch for the evening, which was almost as challenging as an Olympic event because we’ve seen so many movies and have very different tastes in entertainment. As we scrolled through the streaming services, we stumbled upon The Wizard of Oz. Even though we actually own a Blu-ray copy, we decided to watch the movie. 

And we did. 

It is nice to go to bed after watching an uplifting movie, although I remember as a child that the wicked witch and the flying monkeys really scared me. But after the the witch was defeated, they turned out to be really nice and appreciative of being freed from her spell.

One thing I noticed was the vibrance of the colors in the movie. I had forgotten how the movie is so colorful. Of course the horse of a different color always makes me laugh. 

This time through the movie I noted the foreshadowing where Toto chases after a cat and jumps out of the balloon as he and Dorothy are preparing to return to Kansas with the wizard. The scene was foreshadowed very early in the movie where Dorothy runs home after Toto had just rampaged through Mrs Gulch's garden chasing her cat. 

it was a great ending to the day and I completed another viewing of the movie! The Wizard of Oz is without a doubt my most watched movie.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Battery Frustration

Battery Area on EV Mower
Tequesta, FL
April 15, 2026

 Changing batteries should be easy, right? Even rechargeable batteries should be easy to remove and replace. 

Batteries fail/wear out. We all know that.

If batteries cannot be replaced then the entire unit is no longer usable. 

I discovered that with my Ray-Ban Meta glasses. There was no way to replace the battery and that meant the glasses were no longer functional. 

Yesterday, I assisted a friend in changing the batteries on his EV riding mower. 

The sad part was that it was known that the batteries on this EV usually last only two years. That meant the designers should have known they would need to be replaced. 

Apparently not. 

Getting to the battery area required disassembly of the mower. What should have been an simple battery removal and replacement turned into a complicated mess of screws, nuts, and bolts along with various pieces of trim. The EV was definitely under-engineered focusing on looks and not practicality. 

The worst part of the battery replacement? The replacement batteries did not physically fit into the space allotted on the chassis of the mower. Despite assurances that the batteries would fit--they could not. There was no way to check the fit without completely disassembling the mower to physically access the batteries.

As one who has ordered replacement rechargeable batteries, I understand that there is apparently no standard and each battery and connector is unique. 

The EV mower remains in pieces in his garage awaiting another set of replacement batteries. 

I am a huge EV fan, but this was an unacceptable situation especially knowing that the factory batteries fail after two years. And batteries are not inexpensive. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tiki Tuesday

Tiki52 Evening
Tequesta, FL
April 14, 2026

 Tax Day

The weather has finally cleared and our increasingly busy schedule allowed us to resume Tiki Tuesday, that is where we head off to Tiki52 for Happy Hour and dinner. 

The slower pace was the lull in the storm as we have been incredibly busy and will be again traveling next week. But until then, we have been able to have some enjoyment. 

Looking North from Loxahatchee River Bridge
Tequesta, FL
APril 15, 2026

It was a beautifully low humidity, breezy, sun-filled evening. We enjoyed Happy Hour with friends and just relished at being out enjoying the Florida scenery.

This morning, I finally managed my first bike outing of the month! I rode almost 19 miles and it felt so very good to be on my bike again riding the neighborhoods. 

The low humidity continued this morning, but the skies were gray and mostly overcast. I ran into some roadwork that caused minor detours and added about a mile to my overall ride. 

As it is Tax Day 2026, my hope is that, like me, your taxes are already filed and refund received or additional tax paid. I can now forget about it until next year. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

They Arrived

One of First Images from New Meta Glasses
Jupiter, FL
April 13, 2026

 I arrived home yesterday from errands just as the UPS truck pulled up to the house to deliver my replacement Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

It is an understatement to say that I was excited. 

My existing glasses had been broken and functioning as only expensive sun glasses for a number of months. I had finally been able to break through the protective cyber nonsense to actually secure help in replacing the glasses via warranty!

As I previously wrote, the company determined the glasses were out of warranty and were too old to be repaired, but made me a very sweet offer on new glasses. And I am happy to have the glasses with their varied and useful features back. 

As an example, I was able to have the glasses take the image just by telling it to take an image from the driver seat of the car. It was so easy, I had both hands on the wheel. It is impossible to do that with an iPhone or camera. And that is but one of its useful functions.

I have since learned that some cruise ships are limiting the areas that these types of glasses can be worn due to privacy concerns and so I likely will have to take along a more traditional pair for all around use.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - April 13, 2026

 Tax Day is at Hand

1. Today is the second Monday of April and the last Monday before taxes are due. Have you filed? Time is running out. There are 37 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. Go O's. The Orioles, after a rough start are tied for first place in the AL East. That is really exciting. They have a winning record and are beginning to play strong!

3. Chris and I enjoyed a weekend of entertaining and yesterday attended an auction in Wellington for some added enjoyment. It was a nice auction and I may have brought Chris a gift while there. Call it an early Mother's Day present. 

4. So I am confused, if Iran is totally defeated why then are they unwilling to negotiate terms? Traditionally, the victor sets the terms to end a conflict. As I see it, Iran is dictating terms to the U.S. Perhaps the real fake news is what is coming out of the White House?

5. Congratulations to the people of Hungary for ousting authoritarian leader, Viktor Orban, after 16 years. It was a landslide! Orban's playbook is being used by the Trump administration to suppress the American people. We should be ashamed that VP Vance went to Hungary to campaign for Orban.

6. Riddle me this: IF the energy requirement for AI Data Centers is going to be as great as projected, why are renewable energy resources not being encouraged to help meet the requirements? It does not make fiscal sense.

7. Today in History. An armed group of white supremacists attacks a courthouse guarded by a mostly-Black militia in the town of Colfax, Louisiana on April 13, 1873. A bloodbath ensues, as the militia surrenders and the white supremacists carry out a day-long campaign of terror that came to be known as the Colfax Massacre.

In the years following the U.S. Civil War, a number of freedmen and white candidates sympathetic to the cause of racial equality were elected to office across the South. This progress stirred up deep resentments among other white Southerners, bitter over the loss of the Civil War and eager to once again enshrine white supremacy into law. During this period, known as Reconstruction, federal troops were stationed throughout the South to pacify the region and protect elections. The Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871 prohibited people from congregating with the purpose of disrupting an election and gave the federal government the authority to use its troops in defense of African Americans and their recently granted constitutional rights.

US set to begin naval blockade of Iran's ports - Reuters

Hungarians look to changed future after pro-EU Magyar's election landslide - Reuters

Oil jumps more than 7% to above $102 ahead of US blockade on Iran - Reuters

Trump says gas prices may remain high through November midterm election - Reuters

Analysis Failed peace talks leave Trump with few options to end Iran conflict - CNN

Pope says he has ‘no fear of Trump administration’ after president’s criticism - CNN

Trump administration admits it made a mistake in Medicaid fraud accusations - MS Now

The invisible force Einstein mocked may reveal how God knows what you are thinking - FoxNews

Swalwell Suspends Campaign for California Governor Amid Sex Assault Accusations - The New York Times

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#mondaymusings

Sleep Eluded Us

 We had a difficult night.

Chris and I hosted another couple for dinner and had a great evening with them. Finnegan was part of the action, as he does. When we moved in from the veranda, we left the charcuterie board on the coffee table thinking we might return after dinner. This was the first time that we had not bought the board in with us when retiring from the veranda. Finn has never been a counter surfer, but the board was on the table at nose height. Apparently, he could not resist. He nabbed the remaining capocollo, about an ounce, and ate it. 

We didn't think much about it. 

Until about 3 AM.

Finnegan had been up about every hour wanting to go outside and then drinking a lot of water before heading back to bed. It was this fourth time of the night where I became concerned and determined that he was in mild distress. 

I consulted ChatGPT and received the following advice:

Capocollo is very salty, and for a dog that small, this could be enough to cause salt (sodium) overload.

Excessive thirst is often the first sign, but it can progress.  (Chat GPT)

There was further advice to monitor and call a vet if additional symptoms occurred. I called a 24-hr vet for advice. Since it had already been about 8 hours since he ate the capocollo, they advised me to ensure plenty of fresh, clean water was available and monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea. He has not developed any additional symptoms and is behaving normally. Given that now more than 12 hours have passed, we are likely out of danger.

Who knew that dried, cured meats were bad for dogs. We have not even even given him a bite of the meats form the charcuterie board, but he took matters into his own paws. 

If only packaging contained a warning for dog owners when the contents are especially harmful when ingested. Grapes are apparently even worse for dogs than, cured meats--which are bad because of the high salt content. 

Lesson learned! 

We are going to need a nap today!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Red or Rosé

Showing the Wine Selections
Tequesta, FL
April 10, 2026

 We hosted Happy Hour for a neighbor last evening. We know the Happy Hour was successful because it lasted until after 10 PM. It was also nice than no one had to drive home! 

Chris had a good time as she wanted to sample both wines. Seriously, I asked her to hold the glasses so I could make a pithy comment about her being a two-fisted drinker. She is not!

Another measure of the Happy Hour success was that I totally forgot about the astronauts returning from their moon journey. Totally! I read about their successful return this morning and was happy that everything went well for them and aside from rocking on the ocean for over an hour. I wonder if they got motion sickness after being in space for 10 days?

I received some good news yesterday with respect to my broken Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses. Although my warranty claim was denied, they made me a very acceptable replacement offer. I am anxious to have the new pair as I had missed their features, especially the always at the ready imaging capability. 

Although the wind blowing at 15 mph this morning, I am hoping to get out on my bike today. I will see how that works out. 

--Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL