Cat Fails

One of my cars--the Jaguar convertible, is known as Cat. Cat has an issue. As I pulled into the garage last night clouds of steam billowed up from under the hood and orange coolant began forming on the floor of the garage.

Cat has a problem. One of the heater hoses burst and hot coolant was steaming out everywhere. It was a huge mess, and frankly it was something that I really didn't need after such a nice drive home on a beautiful afternoon.

In retrospect, where better for a car to fail than in the driveway?  At least I was not stranded on the side of a rush hour clogged highway with scores of travelers gawking at me wondering what was wrong.

I was safely in my garage.

I was home and my biggest concern was moving my racquetball gear to my truck in preparation for the morning.

Do I call AAA and have them tow Cat to a repair place? To a Jaguar dealer?

Do I attempt a backyard repair?  It looks pretty simple. Really. Only problem is that I spend most of the evening online and cannot find the hose needed to effect the repair. It has two bends in it.

Monday! I'll fix it on Monday afternoon.

I hope.

Ugh! Why do cars break? Why when we least need them to break. Although, when is a good time for them to break?

At least, as I wrote earlier, it was not alongside the parkway on a busy afternoon. I hate being stared at. People wondering what transgression I committed for my car to fail.

I'll drive my truck today.  I could drive Kitty. I have choices.

I am blessed in so many ways.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tragedy in a Baltimore School

I decided that I needed to comment on tragedy which occurred in a local high school this week--a 15 year old boy allegedly (OK, they saw him do it) shot another student in the lunch room on the first day of school.

The school? Perry Hall High School--with over 2100 kids the largest high school in Baltimore county.

The weapon? A shot gun.

The shooter? A troubled boy, who reportedly was bullied and comes from a problem filled home and life.

The tragedy? This is a far reaching tragedy which includes first and foremost the boy who was shot and is in critical condition at a local hospital, his family, the students of the school, the community. The tragedy is in the lives destroyed by this incident.

A sensational article in the Baltimore Sun really got me going, and on my soap box about irresponsible reporting. Apparently everyone is to blame for this shooting--from parents and step parents, to everyone who knew this kid and even those of us reading the article after the fact should have intervened it seems. I'm not sure if the article placed any blame on the shooter.

The article in the Baltimore Sun begins:

Charged as an adult in the Perry Hall High School shooting, 15-year-old Robert Wayne Gladden Jr., was held without bond Tuesday as a portrait of a withdrawn and occasionally bullied student with a troubled home life emerged through interviews with classmates and court documents.

The article goes into a very detailed look at not only his life, but the lives of everyone associated with him. Their lives, and mostly their failings, are laid out for everyone with even a passing curiosity to read and ponder. I felt that some of the details presented passed beyond responsible news reporting and into the realm of tabloid sensationalism.

Did I find it interesting that the shooter's step Dad was arrested later that same day after police searched his house and found marijuana and firearms? Turns out the step Dad is a convicted felon and it is against the law for him to possess firearms. Is it germane to the situation? No, because as the article continues, the shot gun used in the shooting came from his Dad's house where he "sometimes stayed."

For the gun control advocates--BTW--there is a data point that gun control doesn't work.

Another news agency, Business Insider, provided a more balanced view of the shooter and his motives.

Interestingly, another article suggests that the student that was shot was a bystander and the shooting occurred after the gun was discharged at the ceiling for effect and subsequently went off as he was being tackled. This is the only article I could find about the incident and really changed my perception of the events.

This incident is a tragedy. We may never know the real reason that this young man decided, with some premeditation, to take a disassembled shotgun and some vodka to school that day. But, the desperation that many people are facing in today's world is reflected in his face and his actions. And everyone around him suffers as a result.

Pray for everyone involved in this tragedy. They need hope. And don't forget to pray for the recovery of the shooting victim and for his family. They are the true victims of this tragedy.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Winds of Autumn

I noticed it yesterday morning for the first time this season. It was dark when I took Makayla out and I couldn't really see very well to clean up after her. I had to feel around on the ground for the warm spot.

Autumn is coming.

The morning temperatures are drifting down. I noticed they were expecting 48 degrees in Upstate NY this week. Not just cool, but cold.

Too cold for me.

Too cold for palm trees.

And the darkness of autumn is already upon us as the daylight grows shorter every day. The equinox is coming--even though still three weeks away its presence is being felt, or seen.

Football is in the air. Cold is clinging to the morning in the dew.

Even after the rain and an 85 degree day, it is cool in the morning.

I have noticed the leaves beginning to turn and fall in small numbers form some of the trees. I was asked when I was closing the pool--never I replied, although it was merely bravado. I don't have the time to clean it once autumn fully arrives and the leaves fall to the ground in waves.

The grapes are being harvested to make wines--2012 vintage. I'm sure the rains of the past few days have been a real problem for the wine makers.

And daylight fades into darkness as the grip of autumn strengthens.

It is almost September. Wow. Just yesterday, it seems, we were moving from May into June and the hope of the now completed summer was still in front of us.

At least summer is coming somewhere south of the equator.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Upset

It doesn't happen too often, but I got really emotional and, frankly, pissed off last evening while playing racquetball.

Why?

Philosophy.

I play racquetball because I love to play. I don't call hinders and screens unless they are flagrant. I played a guy who was so intent on winning that he called even the most minor, and frankly not there, hinders. I could not believe some of the calls--in fact when I won the second game I was more concerned with looking around to make sure he couldn't call a hinder than I was celebrating a great comeback and a stolen win.

We had played last week and he upset me with his tick-tacky calls then. As we were discussing that game after last night's game he admitted he called screens on two of my ace serves because they were close. The standard is 18 inches--and at the time I knew they weren't that close. That is just the wrong approach. If we were playing for money in a tournament, then there would be a disinterested party, a/k/a/ referee, to make close calls. Without a referee, my philosophy is--play on.

I know how to lose--Lord knows I lose more than I win now. I just don't like losing when we are playing two different games on the court. I play racquetball because I love the game and the competition.

But I admit, I kinda lost it last evening and just let the other guy have the last three points of the tiebreaker--just because I was so upset about the bad, questionable calls he kept making. I didn't even return the last three serves just to express my dissatisfaction.

Bad on me.

Today is a new day though. I'll try to do better.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 27, 2012

1. Heard at the wine tasting about one of the lesser know Italian wine regions, Lazio, around Rome: They produce wines in quantity, not quality. Historically they had to supply the Roman Legions and the Roman Legions were just a bunch of guys sitting around drinking wine.

2. Manned space is in the news again with the death of Neil Armstrong. It is hard to believe that those first pioneers of space are getting so old. And now we can't even put a man into space anymore. Priorities need to be reevaluated.

3. The Boston Red Sox have apparently packed in the season by sending off three of their highest paid players to the Dodgers. The Orioles have moved to within 4 games of the Yankees!

4. Preseason football is really difficult to enjoy. It is even slower than regular season football.

5. The Republican Convention begins a day later than planned. Do we get a respite from the campaigning for a day?

6. Communication is behind most of the problems we have,

7. “Houston,Tranquility Base here.The Eagle has landed.”~ Neil Armstrong (1930 – 2012 ) I remember that day so well. We were all united together as two Americans landed on the moon.

8. To the educators, the bus drivers, the janitors, the parents, and the students--let's have a great school year. Enjoy day one of the 2012-2013 year!

9. I had an interesting conversation yesterday where the NCAA and the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA) were both considered to be agencies that need someone watching over them due to their apparent arbitrariness.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tasting Tuscany Wines--Bin 201

Yesterday, I sojourned to Annapolis to a wine store named Bin 201 for a tasting of wines selected from Italy and more specifically, Tuscany and some of the nearby regions.

I enjoy attending these tastings because they are more than just tasting wine--they are about understanding the grapes and conditions in the region.

Bin 201 Being Prepared for Tasting

Although Tuscany was the principle region for yesterday's tasting, I was also treated to a sampling of wines from Umbria, Marche, and Abruzzo.  But the wines of the day truly were from Tuscany: Chianti, Chianti Classico, Super Tuscan.

I admit, one of the wines did not have a pleasant nose--it smelled like a cat box, but most of them were very nice and enjoyed. The tasting was complete with a plate of cheese, salami, prosciutto, and of course some palate cleansing bread.

The Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello de Montalcino 2000 Tuscany was clearly the wine of the day. But it was $87.99 and I just don't buy wine that expensive because I never want to drink it--so the enjoyment is never fully realized because it just stays on the wine rack.

The best buy was Ornellia "Le Volte" 2009, Bolgheri, Tuscany for $29.99. This was a Super Tuscan, being a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. It gets a solid average 88 rating on Cellar Tracker and I think it will be awesome with pasta.

I love expanding my wine knowledge and my tastes, and yesterday was no exception as I also tastes a few whites--but nothing spectacular.

While the Bin 201 tastings are not free, they are not expensive--less than tastings for more in Napa. And, we tasted 10 wines coupled with history and a small intimate group of 14 people. It makes for a nice Saturday afternoon activity. I highly recommend these events.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Crushing a Hero - What is the USADA, anyway?

I have to weigh in on the Lance Armstrong situation.

Despite whatever they say, Lance still won seven Tour de France races from 1999-2005. Period. And now, seven years later, the revisionists are trying to rewrite history. Nice move.

I don't understand the singly-focused expensive effort to discredit a hero and cancer survivor. And from what I can tell, the evidence, if there is any, is not all that conclusive.

One article notes that: A federal judge wrote last week, “USADA’s conduct raises serious questions about whether its real interest in charging Armstrong is to combat doping, or if it is acting according to less noble motives.”

Until yesterday, frankly, I didn't even know that there was a US Anti Doping Agency. I am still not sure where they get their funding--if there is any governmental money involved, then I think we have found a probable way to help alleviate some of the budget deficit. They indicate that they are a non-profit, non-governmental watchdog agency authorized by Congress, so there are few controls on them.

Unless more compelling evidence is released--I believe that the USADA needs to be suspended.

Continuing on in the referenced article I cited earlier, the writer related the magnitude of the odds stacked against the athletes by the USADA and the 

So forget Lance. I have so many problems with USADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) — which is supposed to be where athletes can appeal, only they never, ever win — that it’s hard to know where to begin. American athletes have lost 58 of 60 cases before the CAS. Would you want to go before that court?

Anyone who thinks an athlete has a fair shot in front of CAS should review the Alberto Contador case. Contador was found to have a minuscule, insignificant amount of clenbuterol in his urine during the 2010 Tour de France. After hearing 4,000 pages of testimony and debate, CAS acknowledged that the substance was too small to have been performance-enhancing and that its ingestion was almost certainly unintentional.

Therefore he was guilty. He received a two-year ban.

There has to be a better way. I understand why Lance is dropping his fight--it is not a fair playing field.

So, despite the proclamation by the USADA--Lance still won seven Tour de France races, AND, btw, is still a cancer survivor--I bet they want to strip him of that title next.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Convention Watching

Now that the Olympics are completed, it is time for our every four-year Presidential Sweepstakes in which we the people get to exercise our right to vote for the officials who will declare war and raise taxes while fighting economic maladies. Well, it sounds good anyway.

And it is off to Tampa, for the Republican entertainment. I think it would have been more fun had no one actually wrapped up the nomination. Maybe we the voters and people would have been better served as we watched the floor fights and the dealing to determine a candidate.

So the really fun part will be if the hurricane hits Tampa at the same time that Romney is accepting the nomination. Would that be considered a mandate for winds of change?

What do I expect from the convention? Not much really. It is just another campaign event.

And after the Republicans--then the Democrats get their turn. I think the last convention with meaning was the 1944 Democratic convention which found Harry Truman on the ticket with FDR--that was not the plan at the start of the convention--but it was a back room deal.

Unless Biden winds up being replaced, I'm not thinking we will have anything that exciting.

Too bad.

We could use a bit of mystery in the election season to help people decide.

But, with the Olympics over, we do need something to talk about and the conventions should do the trick. That is, if the Republicans don't get rained out.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

And it is only Thursday

Some weeks have a way of lingering beyond their welcome.

This week is exactly such a week. I do not know why that is, nor can I finger any specific instance or series of instances, but the week is just dragging.

It may be  that I will actually report to the office on all five days--even though I escaped yesterday for an afternoon of fun filled doctors appointments topped off by a blood draw and my allergy shot. If only the doctors had been running on schedule maybe I could have parlayed some of the afternoon into pool side lounging. But no--by the time I left the first appointment with the added surprise blood draw and got my chores done, it was time to go off and sit at another doctor's office who was running over 30 minutes late for my appointment.

At least I was able to get my allergy shot while I was waiting. What a reward that is--an annoying needle prick in the arm! Yay!

I am beginning to have dreams about getting shots--really!

I tend to like to schedule multiple doctors for the same day--it reduces the pain of leaving work for these appointments significantly. But by the time it was all done, I effectively got home later than when I would have done had I worked.

And on top of that, my insurance company has dropped the ball on paying for all of the shots I've been getting--so now I have to call them and discover why it is taking over 90 days to reimburse the doctor who wants to charge my credit card. Ugh!

And then the Security Company called to advise me of a low battery situation in one of my sensors at my house! Great! Another appointment for a service call. Too bad they can't call and say something like: "We are seeing a low battery situation in one of your sensors, our service technician will be there in 15 minutes to remedy the issue."

What a service concept that would be.

But no, I get a two hour appointment block on Monday.

Like I wrote--it is only Thursday, and early morning at that,

At least it is only two days until the weekend and then I get to do it all over again with a whole new set of issues and problems. Like traffic as the schools reconvene for the 2012-2013 School Year. Busses, soccer Moms (and Dads), teachers and too many students joining the already crowded roads. That is something to look forward to next week!

Well, there is that way cool wine tasting I'm doing on Saturday to look forward to. And sleeping in (until 6AM) is always nice. Lawn to mow. Errands to run.

Weekend?

It is still Thursday.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Freaked Out Dog

Bring in the Dog Whisperer. Makayla has gone off the deep end and is displaying a deep seated phobia about walking on the hardwood floors.

It is not so much walking, but rather starting from a standing. She looks like Fred Flintstone trying to get his car going as she flails against the floors to get moving.

Makayla Fighting Against the Wood Floor

Yet, she does not need to aggravate herself so.

She walks perfectly fine once she is going forward.

It is just the spinning her wheels (or rather paws) which freaks her out as she tries to gain some forward momentum.

I feel bad for her, but I do not want to contribute to the delinquency of a canine by coddling her. But the whining is terrible.

But, I cannot give in to her fears or they will not get better. And when she accidentally jumps on the couch--she cannot get off. Or rather she will not get off until she finally determines that no one is going to rescue her.

Where is the Dog Whispered when I need him.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD