Monday Musings - December 17, 2018

1. Christmas Eve is one short week away. New Years Eve is just two short weeks away. Get ready and let the celebrations begin.

2. The dreary skies of the past few days are especially disheartening.

3. I was able to watch some of the exchange between Nancy Pelosi and the President the other day. While I am not a fan of Nancy Pelosi, the political cartoon that I found sums up the exchange pretty well.

4. It is sad that closing the federal government has become an accepted political approach to problem solving. Funny thing is, the Republicans control the government right now. They are fighting amongst themselves.

5. Family NFL Weekend Results

  -- Ravens (8-6) defeated Buccaneers 20-12
  -- Cowboys (8-6) lost to Colts 0-23
  -- Redskins (7-7) defeated Jaguars 16-13
  -- Steelers (8-5-1) defeated Patriots 17-10

6. I ventured out into the shopping arena surrounded by throngs of my new best friends on Saturday. It truly was a scene of chaos and commotion. Shopping on line while sipping a beverage with my feet propped up is far more pleasant.

7. There is a comet on tap for the Christmas season. Although it was brightest over the weekend, we were socked-in by clouds in the Baltimore region. Find the comet by reading the article about the Christmas comet. And then hope for clear skies.

8. I heard an interesting comparison regarding the periods in human development. There was the Stone Age, then the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Space Age, and now the Plastic Age. We are polluting the oceans with plastic.

9. Today in History, 1903. Near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first successful flight in history of a self-propelled, heavier-than-air aircraft. Orville piloted the gasoline-powered, propeller-driven biplane, which stayed aloft for 12 seconds and covered 120 feet on its inaugural flight.

Headlines

As the Trumps Dodged Taxes, Their Tenants Paid a Price - The New York Times

New report on Russian disinformation, prepared for the Senate, shows the operation’s scale and sweep - The Washington Post

Should we be able to indict a sitting president? Consider Spiro Agnew. - The Washington Post

Canada is looking for a way out of big Saudi arms deal, says PM - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

Freedom is not created by government, nor is it a gift from those in political power. It is, in fact, secured, more than anything else, by those limitations I mentioned that are placed on those in government. It is absence of the government censor in our newspapers and broadcast stations and universities. It is the lack of fear by those who gather in religious services. It is the absence of official abuse of those who speak up against the policies of their government.

         -- Remarks Announcing America's Economic Bill of Rights, July 3, 1987, 10:06 a.m. at an Independence Day celebration at the Jefferson Memorial.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD