Monday Musings - February 10, 2020

1. Mid-February is upon us. How quickly the days seem to be passing.

2. Baseball season is finally upon us. Orioles pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training tomorrow! And so it begins. My pre-season prediction, unfortunately, is for the Orioles to finish 57-105. It will be their third consecutive 100 loss season and their fourth consecutive losing season.

3. I am heading to Orioles Spring Training in just over two weeks to review the team's rebuilding progress in person. 

4. The weather was beautiful this past weekend. It was nice to enjoy pleasant February days while waiting for the big one. 

5. As the winter continues into the middle of February, I am thankful that it has been mild here.

6. Civility matters! We need to be understanding of each other. Disagree over facts, but do not attack the person.

7. Winners should be magnanimous, losers should be humble, and those on the sidelines should remember where they are.

8. Counting our blessings means that every day we recognize that we have more good things in our lives than we do negative things.

9. Today in History. On February 10, 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Garry Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second.  Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in the match with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize. An estimated 6 million people worldwide followed the action on the Internet.

Coronavirus deaths climb as China corrals sick in quarantine facilities - The Washington Post

Foreign interference in elections is unacceptable. Congress must make it illegal. - The Washington Post

Ransomware Attacks Grow, Crippling Cities and Businesses - The New York Times

3 Officers Wounded in Targeted Attacks on Police in the Bronx - The New York Times

China's coronavirus death toll surpasses SARS - Reuters

Iranian 'Victory' satellite fails to reach orbit - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

The objective I propose is quite simple to state: to foster the infrastructure of democracy - the system of a free press, unions, political parties, universities - which allows a people to choose their own way to develop their own culture, to reconcile their own differences through peaceful means. - Ronald Reagan

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD