Dunkirk: Movie Review

See this movie!

That, in short, is my review. 

Dunkirk is 1 hour and 47 minutes long and it is a riveting and fully involved story. The filmography is spectacular and the up close and personal look at a select number of the characters provides a unique perspective of the events and the situation faced by the 400,000 trapped British, Belgian, and French soldiers on the shores of Dunkirk, France during May and June 1940. In the end, 330,000 of the troops were evacuated.

It took me a while to understand the manner in which the events were presented because the movie does not proceed in a classic chronological manner. The events are overlaid upon each other and viewed from the multiple perspectives of the participants. 

The movie provides a gritty, earthy, realistic look at the events that are unfolding from multiple perspectives. The action is intense and very personal. 

I had the opportunity to view the movie in a D-Box seat. While is it not as plush as some other movie seats, it transmitted the action including the bombs exploding, the aircraft dogfighting, and the swells of the sea for me to enjoy adding a new viewing experience. I enjoyed the D-Box seat.

Recommendation: See the movie and get in touch with the history of the greatest generation.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

When the News Becomes Too Real

Missile Graphic from the New York Times

I usually watch the news on television and feel detached from the unfolding events. Unless the action is happening in my own backyard, I feel like the activity is not likely to affect me personally.

That is changing as the world continues to grow smaller.

An article this morning in The Washington Post, titled Hawaii rolling out civil defense plan for North Korean missile attack, took me back to my days in grade school when we practiced sheltering in place and civil defense drills. 

What caught me was how Hawaii, in response to something that happened almost an ocean away on during Independence Day celebrations is creating a plan to protect people. 

Here is an excerpt from the article:

The state of Hawaii is formulating a preparedness plan for a North Korean missile attack, much to the dismay of the state’s tourism boosters.

“We do not want to cause any undue stress for the public,” Vern T. Miyagi, Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency administrator said in a statement reported Thursday by the state’s news media, but “we cannot wait to begin our public information campaign to ensure that Hawaii residents will know what do if such an event occurs.”

The full plan for that campaign will be unveiled Friday, according to Hawaii News Now. 

So while I watch the news, sometimes the news becomes more than just a detached event on the television and it requires action. I applaud Hawaii for their proactive response to the news. It is scary, but sometimes we need to respond and be prepared.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Confounding Orioles

OPACY
July 19, 2017
Orioles Defeat Texas 10-2

I was ready to write the season off and begin thinking about trades to make the Orioles a contender next year after the weekend series against the Cubs which saw the Orioles get swept while surrendering 27 runs and scoring 11, and 8 runs were scored in a losing effort. 

It was and ugly series and I have to remember that the league leading Houston Astros are coming into town for a weekend series that could result in a similar slaughter; however, there is still hope!  

The Orioles have played three games of a four game series against the Rangers and have surrendered only 4 runs while scoring 25 and winning the all of the games so far. They actually could complete a four-game sweep tonight with a win. The turn around, which has been fueled by three consecutive quality stats from the beleaguered pitching corps, has returned the O's into Wild Card contention and they remain only 8 games behind the Red Sox for the division.

There remain 68 games in the regular season and the Orioles need to start winning. The Red Sox are 8 games ahead of them with a .563 winning percentage. To achieve that modest goal, the Orioles need to get to 91 wins which means winning 46 of the remaining 68 games. Going 46-22, .676, over the course of the remainder of the season is not likely. That means that the Wild Card is the most likely route into the playoffs. 

The mid-season collapse of the pitching staff coupled with inconsistent batting has pushed the team to the brink of elimination, yet there remains hope. It should be a fun run to the end of the season and hopefully some great October baseball.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Going to the Dogs

Arthur and Florence
By the Door

I have wondered which is harder--watching other people's children or dogs?

It is an interesting question. 

I am sure watching kids is harder than watching dogs, but sometimes I wonder. Dogs, other than my own, require work to keep them regular and happy when they are not in their usual environment. 

One of the hard parts is picking up on the potty cues. 

And it is hard as well because the environments are different. But, I think we have reached a classic canine-human, or cross-species understanding about potty time. 

Feeding time is easy! Keeping the water dish filled is a chore, but fairly self-explanatory--fill it when it is empty.

But we are having fun together. The cats are a bit frazzled, but they have a portion of the house they can live in free from the dogs.

Life can go to the dogs for a while, it is all about keeping perspective!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Towel Animals

One of the fun things about cruises are the towel animals left in the cabins by the stewards.


During our recent cruise, we received five towel creations to enjoy and I took an image of each one. 

I don't intend to post them all, but just a few of them.

It is funny ho at the end of the day I looked for the towel animal to enjoy.

It is funny the things that we look forward to on cruises. Towel animals. Who would have thought?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 17, 2017

Palm Trees Before the Storm
Tequesta, Florida

1. It is hard to believe that more than half of July is complete! Summer is running away. 

2. The Orioles at the mid-season turn have become a major disappointment. They surrendered 27 runs in three games while scoring 11, but 8 of the 11 were in one game. The team lacks pitching and batting! Changes must be made!

3. Sitting around the pool on a hot, Sunday afternoon is not the same as being in the pool.

4. Getting back into the swing of life is hard after being away for two glorious weeks.

I'd Rather be Golfing
Compass Pointe
July 15, 2017

5. Is it easier to watch kids or dogs while their parents/owners are away?

6. With the Orioles collapsing, did I mention that the NFL resumes in a few short weeks? Unfortunately, the Ravens do not look to be contenders either.

7. Three boys and three dogs equals chaos.

Headlines

Behind Bucks County Killings, a Young Life Skidding Off the Rails - The New York Times

Exodus From a Historic Puerto Rican Town, With No End in Sight - The New York Times

The country’s flood insurance program is sinking. Rescuing it won’t be easy. - The Washington Post

Trump is killing the Republican Party - The Washington Post

Quote for the Week

"You know, someone wisely said that a hero isn't really braver than anyone else; he's just brave 5 minutes longer than anyone else." Ronald Reagan Remarks to Marine Corps Basic Training Graduates in Parris Island, South Carolina, June 4, 1986 -- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Best Images from Vacation

Fishing Boats
Saint Martin

Loggerhead Turtle
Jupiter Island Beach

It is over.

Sadly.

I have to return to the daily grind tomorrow armed with my vacation memories and images to remind me of the fun and relaxing time that I have enjoyed for the past two weeks. 

So I took a few minutes to review many of the images taken during the vacation to find the best four. My favorite is of the fishing boats lined up in Saint Martin. It is a classic Caribbean image.

The loggerhead coming out of the surf along Jupiter Island Beach obviously is one of my favorites. It was such a fantastic event that the memory will stay with me for a long time. 

Castillo San Felipe del Morro
From Oasis of the Seas upon departure
July 6, 2017

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse
Jupiter, Florida

The Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is a structure that I never grow weary of imaging. I should probably go back through all of the images that i have ever taken and put together a good of the lighthouse from various angles and lighting conditions. 

And of course the image of the Castillo San Felipe del Morro in San Juan as the cruise shop sailed by is a stunning image as well. I enjoyed the brief visit to San Juan and want to return soon to spend a longer time enjoying the sights and learning more about the culture of Puerto Rico.

Ah, the memories. The images provide a key to recall the memories of a great vacation.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hot, Sultry Golf Saturday

Compass Pointe East Course Hole 1
July 15, 2017

I made it to Compass Pointe golf course this morning and enjoyed a round in the near 100 percent humidity. The dew on the grass was heavy at 7AM and the greens were slow, but we had a great time smacking the small white ball around the course.

Compass Pointe North Course Hole 8
Rainstorm

At one point we also enjoyed a passing rainstorm that cooled the temperatures but helped to keep the humidity at near 100 percent. 

On the longest hole of the day, which was the 17 hole we played, the rain drenched us and soured my spirits for a while. The hole is a long par 5 at 585 yards from the white tees. Hitting from the wet fairways was not a lot of fun, but I got to use my rain gear. 

When the sun returned, the humidity returned to 100 percent.

I didn't play very well, but it was fun being out on the course.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: White House Sideshow

Upon returning from vacation, I was saddened to learn that the circus sideshow that has become the White House continues unabated.

The continuing news about the Russia investigation and entanglements is making the entire American system the laughing stock of the world. 

The bigger problem is that the focus upon the disclosures and allegations is distracting us and the news media from the real news happening around the world. 

We: the news media, people, and government of the United States, have become so inwardly focused that we are ineffectively dealing with activities around the world. When damage control becomes the main diplomatic activity of the day, then we have become totally reactionary and are not setting policy and pushing programs and focusing the direction of the world.

The inward focus means that the United States has effectively abrogated its world leadership and allowing other countries are setting the direction and respond to international issues while the U.S. deals with its internal crisis.  

We need to set policy, not be totally in the respond mode to other's actions.

My Take: The Sideshow that has become the White House needs to end and the business of governing must begin.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Road Home

On I-95 near Waverly, Georgia
July 13, 2017

Vacations end. It is a sad and indisputable fact.

It has been two weeks since Chris and I took the road for our cruise vacation. We are now on the way home and passed through Waverly, Georgia, an hour or so ago.

We got up early this morning and hit I-95 about 5AM for the 16 hour sojourn back to Elkridge.

I drove the first shift and it was only after we changed drivers did I get the opportunity to document the day with an image from the highway.

Yesterday it rained on our last day in Florida meaning that we neither played golf or hit the beach. It was a good relaxing day prior to the marathon drive home.

I have a lot of memories. I am fully relaxed and recharged and I admit that I do not need to go back to work in order to get over my vacation. I have been on vacations where getting back to work was a welcome relief from the hectic schedule.

It is sad that the time off is nearly complete. But, getting back home will be nice.

-- Bob Doan, writing from South Carolina on I-95