Monday Musings - May 25, 2015

1. Happy Memorial Day.

Louis Napping--well almost

2. Sitting outside the morning with my coffee, I was able to hear the flapping wings of the birds racing by me in between the series of jets taking off from BWI.

3. I set a personal best on the golf course yesterday. I'm still awful. But, I am at the threshold of having a real handicap, however.

Francis' Retirement Party with Selfie Stick

4. The Orioles are happy to be out of Miami. Losing 2 of 3 games to one of the worst teams in baseball is not a good way to for AL East Division Champions to mount a defense of their title.

5. Cats are weird. Louis likes to sleep on his back. 

6. How do you keep a bunch of adults happy at a retirement party? Break out a selfie stick and let them play with it.

7. Ready, set, summer!

8. Where are you going on your summer vacation? You better have it planned.

9. Break out the pool and let the party begin!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Nostalgia and The Monkees

I took a trip down memory lane, early yesterday morning as we visited Patrick's house to examine their vintage stereo system, a recent acquisition.

Patrick and Tina had asked us to bring over some vinyl records that we had in a closet to check out the stereo system. These were records--yes, really 33 and a third stereo records made of vinyl for the distant decades of the 60's and 70's. A veritable time machine.

The old console stereo was much as I remember. An AM/FM tuner and a mechanical turntable. The total programmable memory of the entire system is exactly zero!

I demonstrated to Patrick how to hang a vinyl record on the spindle and explained how the mechanical system should work--and it did! Rummaging through the box of ancient records we chose the 1972 Ithaca High School Choirs in which both Chris and I performed, and listened to the complete 17 minutes of the Song of Democracy. I am glad that high schools don't perform that music anymore--because it brought back great memories of working to memorize music and perform in front of crowds of bored parents.

The real treats in the box of vinyl records were a Jim Morrison and The Doors album and a couple of Monkees albums. It was nostalgic to see the record turning on the table with the stylus making music come alive. I made the video when a Monkees tune was turning.

It was a long was from the digital music we listen to today with storage in the cloud and tunes appearing as if by magic on demand--if we have an internet connection.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Memorial Weekend 2015

They call Memorial Day Weekend the unofficial start to summer. Of course by now you know that I have already proclaimed a number of days to be the unofficial start to summer. These days include:

MLB Opening Day
Pool Opening Day
Cinco de Mayo
And any day where the temperature gets above 80 degrees.

Face it, I love summer!

For all of the excitement of Memorial Day and the weekend parked strategically at the end of May brings, the real meaning of the day is often lost in my revelry. 

I offer the following paragraph, lifted from Wikipedia, regarding Memorial Day:

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces.^[1] The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May,^[2] originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans — established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.^[3] By the 20th century, competing Union and Confederate holiday traditions, celebrated on different days, had merged, and Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.^[1] It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end.

Take a moment during this weekend to remember those who have died in service to our country and to preserve our freedoms and our lifestyle. Their sacrifice is too often lost in the frenetic pace that has become our lives.

If you want to know more, I urge you to read the Memorial Day article from 2014, The Oath of the Soldier, which is a speech given on May 25, 2014. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Snatching Defeat form the Jaws of Victory--but then Winning

A famous 1960's phrase about sports was the ability of a team to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Great teams could stage come-from-behind wins when the game appeared all but over. 

Steve Pearce hits Grand Slam
May 21, 2015

The tale of this season's Orioles, so far, has been just the opposite.

Yesterday's game--which saw two rain delays totaling 2 hours and 17 minutes, got off to a great start with an Orioles grand slam by Steve Pearce in the first inning. From there the Orioles proceed to spend the next 7 innings losing the lead and falling into a tie game which appeared headed for an extra innings loss.

That was the snatching defeat from the jaws of victory part.

But the Orioles persisted. 

On this day, the offense managed to create a timely run in the eighth inning and the closer successfully closed out the game for a win--but it was way too exciting and should not have required heroics to finally win the game and manufacture a much need run to gain a series win.

The Orioles are still two games below .500 ball and need to find pitching and hitting consistency along with reliable defense to begin to move ahead of the other contenders for the AL East crown.

It was a win--of that I'm happy, especially after being at the park for the uninspiring loss the night before. Hopefully, yesterday's win will inspire the team to begin playing better.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Plague Spreads

Palymra, Syria

The news from the middle east this morning is particularly grim as the forces of ISIL/ISIS have captured a second city in about a week. The New York Times reports the capture in an article titled 
ISIS Fighters Seize Control of Syrian City of Palmyra, and Ancient Ruins.
With the fall of Palmyra, Syria, the world is bracing for the destruction of antiquities which document the history of modern civilizations which have preceded us and which no longer exist. The Greeks, the Romans, the Persians to name three. 

My concern, however, is for the people who live there. The press reports that executions are common when ISIS/ISIL capture a city. And not just a few, but hundreds of people are murdered when the plague on the region sweeps through a city. 

The reports from Ramadi were especially grim after the city's capture. A CNN report contained the following description.

"On the first day that ISIS took over the city, they executed a 3-year-old girl whose father was fighting against ISIS. And he later died in battle," he [the Anbar Government Spokesman] told CNN.

ISIS has a grim track record of ruthlessly slaughtering opponents it captures.

"Anybody who supported the government will probably be executed within the next 24 hours," said Baer. "Their families will be driven out. It will be a bloodbath over the next couple of days. All the soldiers who were captured will be executed."

While I agree that the loss of historical antiquities is tragic, the murders of uncountable numbers of people is criminal and should be the lead story. We have become desensitized to the immorality of the slaughter of people in the wake of ISIS/ISIL occupations.

Let's focus upon the human costs first and worry about the antiquities secondly. 

People suffer and feel pain. Antiquities make no sound. We need to hear the cries of the innocents and the prisoners as they are brutally murdered. These are the crimes to which we should respond.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spring Concert

I can tell that the end of another school year is fast approaching. The lasts are beginning to out number the firsts.

Ethan with Cello

Last evening, I attended the Waugh Chapel Elementary School Spring Concert. It was Ethan's evening to shine and to demonstrate how his cello prowess has improved during the course of another school year. 

Especially with stringed instruments it is easy to follow the progression from disconnected noises to music as a child learns to play. 

I attended the concert which was another well planned event at the school. Elementary schools generally have limited parking and limited seating capacity for the throngs of people who want to attend the concerts. Years ago, the band and the strings performed during the same show--a catastrophe for both seating and parking. Now they wisely separate the performances by about a half hour which allows the string parents and students to clear the seats and making lot in time for the band parents and students to arrive. It is a much more pleasant experience.

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Rustic Dance by M. Williams.

The advanced strings performed five pieces and I recorded four--suffering a equipment malfunction during the fifth, and of course that would be the one in which Ethan and his cello carried the lead for a long time. 

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Honor and Glory by S. Newbolt

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Minuet from the Royal Fireworks by G.F. Handel arranged by J. Capenegro.

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Let if Go by B. May arranged by P. Lavender.

All of them are available on my You Tube channel. 

Good job to all of the young musicians. Enjoy the show.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Massage to Driving Range

I guess I am under the influence of golf!

Yesterday I had a much needed massage after work, but took my clubs with every intention of hitting the driving range at Timbers on my way home. I'm still slicing my tee shots too much.

The massage was awesome, as usual.

To celebrate, I stopped at the driving range on my way home and I did finally hit a few straight shots--but I can't for the life of me figure out why. I can't repeat success. 

When I see the pros hit drives of 300 plus yards, my paltry 175 yard drives are very frustrating even though punctuated by an occasional 220 yard drive. I knowI have the capability to do better, I just can't figure out how.

I enjoyed playing in a golf tournament last Friday because we had a guy on the team who could hit 290 plus yard drives--it really changes the game when I have a reasonable change for a birdie or even an eagle, and the team made a few finishing the round at a respectable 2 under par--we really should have done better but got off to a slow start.

I'm a mediocre golfer and the Orioles are playing mediocre baseball. I don't like the similarity.

The Orioles were off last evening getting a much needed rest after a stretch of less than stellar baseball. They need to hit the switch from mediocrity to excellence soon.

Me? I just need to work harder.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 18, 2015

1. The Orioles finally won a game this season when scoring less than four runs. What a weird statistic. 

Louis by the Pool

2. Cats are weird. Even though they allegedly do not like water, Louis loves to sit right on the edge of the pool.

Riordin with a Lacrosse Ball

3. Riordin, our other cat, thought playing with a lacrosse ball was fun. 

4. Warm weekends are enjoyable--so far we have been doing fairly well running on only one of our our conditioning systems because it still gets cool at night. I hope the new system gets installed this week.

5. People seem to have forgotten that the war against ISIL/ISIS continues in Iraq. The fall of the city of Ramadi highlights how tenuous the situation remains. 

6. What is the best way to keep three rambunctious boys busy for an afternoon? Just add water--in the form of a pool.

7. The verdict is in--the Boston Bomber received a recommendation for the death penalty on six of the convictions against him.

8. The trains are supposed to begin running again between Philadelphia and New York city after the accident last week.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hot, Sultry Saturday

Lilac Bush Blooms

Yesterday was one of those summer-like Saturdays that just beg for outdoors activities.

It was cool in the morning, but rapidly heats up and blossoms into one of those low 80 degree days that just make me want to be outside--and I was. The day ended on a bit of a sour note with the obligatory thunderstorms that kept me from attending the Orioles game and rather sitting at home on the back porch watching the rain and storms cross the landscape. 

The Orioles lost 6-1 and so it is a good thing I didn't go to the game to add further disappointment to a season that is mediocre at best, also far.

Window Boxes in a row

But aside from Jax's morning baseball game and Ethan's lunchtime lacrosse game--it was a day for outdoors activities, mowing and gardening. 

Our young lilac tree burst into blossom with a spectacular display of fragrant blooms. 

Window Box with Geraniums and Fuchsia

Chris spent much of the day creating the window boxes which adorn the deck and provide that much needed splash of color. The deck is one of the few areas of our house that actually gets enough sunlight to grow sun loving plants, everywhere else we must plant more shade loving and they tend to be a bit more subdued that the sun loving geraniums and petunias. 

I am still, every morning and all day, amazed by the green that surrounds me in my yard. I am so blessed to be enveloped by trees and shrubs that bring the green which also brings privacy and respite from the sounds of the region around me. It is truly a little piece of paradise.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Trains, the Other Transportation

In the aftermath of the horrific Amtrak accident in Philadelphia it has become clear to me that America is not committed to affordable public transportation and that our love affair with the internal combustion engine and the automobile governs how we think and act.

Trains are efficient. Unlike flying, I don't have to get to the station two hours in advance of a 30 minute train trip between major cities that might take two hours to drive. 

The accident in Philadelphia is highlighting how fragile our rail service remains. The entire Northeast Corridor should not be shut down for days following the accident--yet is has been. Where are the alternate rails? There apparently are too many single points of failure in the system. 

Part of the solution begins in Congress. Amtrak is underfunded! Congress need to take responsibility for moving America from roads and highways and onto the rails making this form of transportation more acceptable. 

Here is the calculus that I use. When I am planning a trip to New York City--it takes three hours by train and three hours by bus. The train is $77 and the bus is about $17. You make the choice. And than is the problem. The train should be faster for the added expense. There are faster trains, but the price doubles. The bus is cheaper than driving! The trains is about double the cost of driving--go figure.

Trains need to be competitive, fast, safe, and available! We need to change the way we think about travel to make trains a viable and important option.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD