My Take -- Bottled Water

If I had tried selling water when I was a kid, people would have laughed at me. 

Water was available everywhere! Free!

Look at us now. We have almost become slaves to bottled water. I myself, have two cases of bottled water in the garage. I am too lazy to go to the cupboard, get a glass, and fill it from the tap. I grab the plastic bottle and throw it in my pocket and head out the door.

An interesting OpEd piece in the New York Times writes about The Republican Fetish With Water Bottles, and describes how some National Parks have reduced the volume of water bottles in the trash while also encouraging a more environmentally healthy approach to ensuring proper hydration. 

Sadly, there are those in Congress who would reverse the trend of decreasing the volume of one time use plastic bottles in the trash--even despite an increase in profits at one National Park from the sale of reusable water bottles.

I do understand the problem with reusable water bottles. I keep losing them.

But, there are serious questions about the possible health effects from a steady diet of plastic bottled water. 

I like free, ubiquitously available water. Lets do that and reduce landfill volume and no worry about adverse health effects.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Open in between Raindrops

I got up early this morning. I couldn't sleep--it happens and I don't worry about. 

I decided to watch The Open, which because of the five hour time difference was being televised from Scotland. Unfortunately, there was no golf.

I found rain!

Crews at St Andrews Moving the Water

I think I have had enough rain for a while. It was interesting to see the grounds crews squeegee off the greens--so much water. Water everywhere. 

The water on TV reminded me of the last time I played Patuxent Greens. I played one morning, shortly after dawn and after storms delivered torrential rains the night before. As I surveyed the course, I was amazed that it was even open at all. The grounds crews there did a great job, but they couldn't get the back nine open and the front nine had water standing on the course. The bunkers were even full of water.  I wrote about my experience in Raindrops of Life. At least in Scotland they were not waiting on the cart paths for turtles to swim by.

Golf is a tough enough game without adding indiscriminate water hazards in the middle of the fairways.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: The Iran Deal

Change is hard. Iran has been an enemy of the United States since the 1979 hostage crisis--and even the recently signed nuclear deal is not likely to change that characterization soon.

Too many people in our country, especially those with political motivations, are condemning the nuclear deal with Iran without reading the entire text and considering the alternatives. I have not read the agreement, nor would I expect to understand everything in the agreement were I to read it, but having an agreement that appears on the surface to limit access to the materials and technologies required to develop and deploy nuclear weapons cannot be a bad thing.

I am encouraged by the analysis in an article in the New York Times which writes about the depth and complexity of the agreement. Perhaps this agreement possesses the necessary tools to be successful. The Huffington Post also wrote and article which addresses some of the myths about the deal. 

I have read articles comparing John Kerry, Secretary of State, or President Obama to Neville Chamberlain who led the efforts to appease Hitler in the years leading up to World War II. These characterizations, I maintain, are very unfair and represent a "knee-jerk" response by people who have made offered their opinions without reading the text of the agreement.

I remember another President once brokered a nuclear deal with our greatest rival and enemy. That President was Richard Nixon and the deal was the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) Treaty--perhaps one of the most successful treaties in the history of the country. While that specific treaty is no longer in effect, there have been successful follow-on treaties which have limited the deployment and development of nuclear weapons for decades.

And then there is President Ronald Reagan, perhaps the greatest president of the modern era, who when speaking with Soviet Premier Gorbachev about strategic treaties used the words, "Trust but Verify!"

Trust but verify must be the mantra for all treaties and I see a verify component in the Iran Deal. 

Getting right down to the bottom line, sanctions against Iran have been in place for many years with dubious results. While the people of Iran have been suffering their government has been intent on developing the capabilities that this agreement seeks to limit. Except for this agreement, I do not see any other option short of military action to limit Iran's access and production of nuclear weapons. However, looking at is from a different angle, is can be said that the sanctions have worked! They have brought Iran to a point where they are willing to negotiate. 

I urge everyone to read the deal and consider the alternatives before rushing down the paths to either condemnation or congratulation.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

MLB All Star Game 2015 Reflections

I am convinced that Major League Baseball is the only professional sport that really knows how to stage an All Star event. Last night's version was nothing less that spectacular.

I did not watch all of the game, nor did I watch all of the coverage prior to the introduction of the teams earlier in the evening, but I have to admit as the individual all stars were being introduced their smiles at being selected an All Star were clearly evident. 

I was proud of the Orioles that represented Baltimore in the game and even more excited that Adam Jones was selected to start the game. Manny Machado and Zach Britton did their parts and displayed the Orioles Way before a national crowd. Darren O'Day did not get into the game, but represented the team and the city.

I attended the 1994 MLB All Star Game when it was hosted in Pittsburgh and it was an experience to remember. It was one of the few, if not the last, All Star games to go into extra innings. I look back on the roster of player that night and am simply amazed at some of the talent that I watched play together.

Johnny Bench, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays
(from left to right)

Turning to last evening, however, one of the greatest moments of the game was the ceremonial opening pitch. Four baseball living legends were introduced and walked out onto the mound: Hank Aaron (last game October 1976), Johnny Bench (last game: September 1983), Sandy Koufax (last game October 1966), and Willie Mays (last game September 1973); seeing these four great players together made me remember so many great moments in baseball history. And then, to top it off, Sandy Koufax threw the opening pitch to Johnny Bench--a truly spectacular moment. 

Good job MLB. Oh, did I mention that the game was fun to watch as well? It lived up to the hype and was a great collection of All Stars gathered together to have fun and enjoy the game. And as an added benefit, should it be necessary, the American League team will get to host game 7 of the World Series--and that could be in Baltimore!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Visit to Pluto

A space probe called New Horizons will make the closest ever fly-by of the former planet Pluto today. The estimated time of the closest point of approach is 7:49 AM EDT at which time the space craft will be 7,750 miles above the surface of Pluto. To put that into perspective, it is about the same distance that Seattle, Washington, is from Sydney, Australia, (7,744 miles); or New York is from Mumbai, India, (7,786 miles). 

It took a lot of planning to get a New Horizons to Pluto. In this case it took 9 years for it to fly the 3 billion miles. Most of us forgot that it was making its way through the solar system during that time. But here it is--fulfilling the purpose of its mission--to help us understand more about the solar system and ultimately even ourselves as we look outward from our own home.

Whenever a new space-related discovery is made or one of our craft crosses a new frontier my imagination becomes energized. The coverage of this mission has really hyped up during the past few weeks as the images have come streaming in from the far reaches of the solar system. I like the title of the article in Wired, Pluto will send Earth a Love Letter Tomorrow. 

NASA has developed an app to help people watch the flyby in computer animated style. It is called NASA's Eyes, and I installed it and have found it to be very rich in information.

Take some time today to follow the mission and let your mind consider the possibilities! We have come a long way from the days of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. We do not have to imagine what "outer space" is like. We are there!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 13, 2015

1. July is screaming by--it is almost half over!

Pluto, A Planet Again?

2. The New Horizons spacecraft makes it closest approach to Pluto tomorrow! It only took 9 years to get there. 

3. Tomorrow is Bastille Day, a celebration of the French Revolution and a huge jail break. It is also my second favorite foreign holiday. Vive la France!

4. While those of us living in the eastern part of the country are experiencing incredible rains, the west is extremely dry. I wish it would all even out. We experienced a dryer weekend and it was goo to get outside.

5. When staying on vacation, have you been charged a "resort fee?" Maybe the fee wasn't fully disclosed.

6. It is tough to head back to work on Mondays!

7. It is quiet in the house this morning, the extra animals and children have returned to their own home. Maybe it is too quiet.

8. I have to make one golf comment, I played 18 holes in less than three hours yesterday and shot under 100 for the second time! I was looking forward to shooting under 100, but now have set my sights on sub-90!

9. I just figured out that somehow my twitter feed is automatically posting on my Facebook--sorry for the double posting last week. Who knew how that happened?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Animals in the Yard

It doesn't seem to matter where in the yard I look, animals abound. Some are enjoyable to watch, others are nuisances. 

Squirrel on the finch feeder

Boogie Boarding Toad

Out front, on the finch feeder, there was a unique bird the other day--I call it the "squirrel bird." This bird is flightless, but loves bird food and can often be seen at feeders in the area. It is ubiquitous, and can often be a pest by chewing through the feeders. They are nimble and it seems nothing thwarts their efforts to obtain food.

In the back, specifically the pool, we are besieged by toads and frogs. The daily count continues to be in the teens, but one enterprising toad found refuge form the chlorinated water by climbing upon a brightly colored boogie board that was left in the pool. It was rescued and released into the long grasses around the pool, hopefully not to return.

I wish there was a way to frog-proof the pool, but I'm not sure that it possible.

I haven't even begun to address the damage the rabbits are doing to the hostas. But that is a story for another day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Juxtapositioned Events

Yesterday saw two very different memorable events happen within hours of each other and caused me to reflect on the strange times in which we live and how unity can be achieved both by the raising and the lowering of a flag.

The first event, which began promptly at 10:00 AM EDT with an incredible amount of ceremony and professionalism occurred in Columbia, South Carolina, when the Confederate Battle Flag was lowered, permanently, from its post flying over the State Capitol where is had by flying since 1961. I watched the CNN coverage of the event live and was fascinated by the numbers of people who turned out for the event. Perhaps the Civil War is finally ending and America is entering a new era of unity and equality.

The second event, a few short hours later, signified the rebirth of unity in our country not by taking a flag down, but by raising the American flag high in celebration. The celebration for the FIFA Women's World Cup Soccer Champions--the USA Team! A ticker tape parade through New York City was attended by thousands and viewed by millions. It was a fantastic celebration of patriotism and the display of the American spirit was everywhere.

America is diverse. Celebrating unity cements the fundamental beliefs expressed by the Founding Fathers in the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. These beliefs assure us that we can be and are, inherently, a diverse people with the rights to live as we choose. Raising the American flag high above our celebrations is a symbol our unity that protects our diversity!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Where's Louie?

It is true, I forgot one animal in the manager that I am watching while other members of my family enjoy a much needed sojourn to the beach.

Louis with Florence and Arthur behind

Louis--the white Ragdoll cat. 

He is here doing his usual thing--tying not to be seen, but when he is visible he is generally unperturbed by the activity.

Louis takes full advantage of the sanctuary areas we afford the cats--areas of the house that are off limits to canines who desire to eat cat foot or roll in the cat boxes. Truly, dogs have some disgusting habits that need to be monitored and controlled. 

Louis always seems to have things under control. For instance, this morning I heard Arthur, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, barking incessantly. At 5 AM that can be especially annoying. Louis was on the table looking down at the dog who dearly wanted to play with the cat. I think Arthur thought Louis was a stuffed animal. Louis was unperturbed and looked at me with his big blue eyes as if to say, "when are they leaving so that I can have the house back?"

That is the essence of Louis. He is around only when he wants to be around, but when he is around--it better be just him.

Pets, especially dogs and cats, living together, can be a lot of fun! I wonder how much fun a bird would add to the mix?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Going to the Dogs

Among my tasks for the next couple of days is watching and caring for the dogs.

Makayla

Literally, I am going to the dogs. I could have been at the beach, but I got the dogs!

It is in interesting trio. There is Makayla--who is the unquestioned monarch of the family and the domicile. She is also trying to make the best of the situation by having to share walks with two additional dogs.

Florence

First, is Florence, an Italian Greyhound, with a cute, but demanding personality. She is a cuddle and prefers to sleep next to anything warm--like me. She is the Energizer Bunny on steroids and ins a bit too intelligent for her own good. She can figure out how to acquire any object of her desire--usually some kind of food, from almost anywhere.

Arthur

Next is Arthur, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. He is rapidly becoming the brains of the operation because his incredibly cute looks and personality can get him almost anything he desires. He is also very cuddly and prefers to lay on my lap when I am working on my blog. 

It is an interesting combination, especially at meal time because they each eat different foods and must be fed separately to ensure there are no dietary crossovers! 

Riordin

I guess table food doesn't count and neither do the "cookies" they get for doing their business outside and expediently.

Actually, I enjoy having them around. The one who is not amused is Riordin! He is relaxed about the additional dogs, but they get in his way. He would prefer to have my lap for himself--but with one or two dogs vying for it, he gets a bit left out. And the space on the bed for sleeping is limited as well. He will get over it!

And to think, I could have gone to the beach and missed all of this.

Nah! I'm good!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD