Monday Musings - February 12, 2018

1. We survived another government shutdown. The cost to the American taxpayers is enormous and the loss of status in the world is unquantifiable.

2. What did you do with your Sunday afternoon now that the NFL football season is over?

Rolls Royce Hood Ornament

3. The U.S. is lagging in the Olympics medals race. Currently standing at 2-1-1 for a total of 4, that is half as many as Norway, the current leader.

4. The torrential rains of the weekend have soaked everything. The lawn is a squishy land of mud. Maybe Springtime is close at hand?

5. The thermometer hit 66 degrees yesterday. Officially it was 63.9 degrees. This morning it is 52 degrees, which looks as if it will be the high for the day.

6. I was reviewing some of the images I captured at the auto show last week. I had forgotten this one with the Rolls Royce hood ornament in it.

7. Youth basketball season is winding down, the playoffs are up for next week. I'm excited because after basketball comes baseball.

Headlines

Abuse Case Exposes Fissures in a White House in Turmoil - The New York Times

Russian Plane Crash Kills All 71 Aboard - The New York Times

Pence: The United States is ready to talk with North Korea - The Washington Post

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"The lesson of all this was, of course, that because we're a great nation, our challenges seem complex. It will always be this way. But as long as we remember our first principles and believe in ourselves, the future will always be ours. And something else we learned: Once you begin a great movement, there's no telling where it will end. We meant to change a nation, and instead, we changed a world."

Farewell Address to the Nation, January 11, 1989

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Radio Flyer Takes to the Skies

February, so far, has been a month of wild weather. The weather has ranged from below freezing temperatures to the current torrential rains which are making the region excessively soggy.

Looking up the Street
February 10, 2018

Yesterday, however, there was a break in the cold and rain and I was able to get Radio Flyer, my DJI Spark drone, out for a flight. It felt great to wind up the engines and have my drone respond by launching into the sky. 

The flight plan for the day was to continue developing dexterity with the controller and do a lot of low altitude work around the year and up the drive. But, I managed to get some nifty images from the skies in what was my also my highest flight to date. Even the clouds were interesting to look at an realize they contained rains which was going to envelop the region.

My flights were shorter than desired because both the batteries only contained a 60 percent charge from sitting unused for almost two weeks. Note to self--the batteries need to be topped off after they have been sitting unused.

The next time I get the opportunity to fly, I will be working on the hand-launch and hand-signal control of the drone. It is one of the coolest features of this drone and I have been studying the videos in preparation for my first hand-signal control flight.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Week that Was

Yes, there was a government shutdown, despite the news reports indicating that the shutdown was averted. It was not. I spent time working the shutdown all week and even during the shutdown. It was an incredible waste.

The weather has been cold! Too cold. It has been no fun. 

Nathan Chen Falling

The Olympics began in South Korea. 

I watched some of the team ice skating on the night before the opening ceremonies. 

I felt very bad that Nathan Chen fell during his opening program. All of the build up was a lot of an 18 year old to handle. I am sure he will recover nicely.

The Falcon Heavy liftoff from Florida restored some moxie to the US Space Programs. The double-booster landing was fabulous. No one else on the planet has been able to pull that off.

The week!

I'm happy that Saturday is here. I only wish it were warm enough to golf.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Our Government at Work

I really a being a bit facetious with the title because as I write this i have been advised that appropriations to fund the government have lapsed again and that we are in yet another shutdown furlough.

We just did this a couple of weeks ago.


Congress continues to unevenly attempt to fund the government and the President  seems to enjoy the on and off-again form of government that shutdowns create. 

Chaos!

Waste! The amount of money that goes into planning for a shutdown, whether one actually occurs or not is phenomenal. 

As I write this, the New York Times is reporting that the shutdown is over! 

House Passes Budget Deal to Raise Spending and Reopen Government - The New York Times

But has the President signed the bill? Are we going to have to do this again in a few weeks? 

The questions remain.

Fundamentally, this is not way to run a government. We are rapidly becoming a third world country in terms of consistency in government. If this continues, our credit rating will slump and it will cost a lot more to fund the debt.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

I Love a Parade

A large military parade to demonstrate how powerful the U.S. military is for all to see.

It is like an adolescent game of who can spit the watermelon seed the farthest. 

Or a game of my army's bigger than your army!

Ugh!

Have we not gone far enough with this insanity? The need to demonstrate how big and bad we are seems a bit lost on the world. Our military is becoming a shell of its former self due to the continuing budget crises.

The last big military parade in Washington D.C. was during 1991 to celebrate the end of the Gulf War.

Military parades are about ego and power. Of course Trump wants one. - The Washington Post

What would we be celebrating this time?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Budget Train Wreck

Here we are again!

Some bad dreams just do not end. 

Congress and the President are playing a dangerous game of Chicken with the future of the country.

This republic deserves responsible leadership!

Soon, I hope.

The threat of another government shutdown is looming large. The brinkmanship is horrific. 

"I would love to see a shutdown . . . " The President said.

This is not the right way to run the government. And another continuing resolution is not the way to do business. 

We need consistent and committed government. 

There is a glimmer of hope. Some Senators are talking about a two year budget. It will actually be a year and a half budget, but it would mean we do not have to do this again--next month or next year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Orioles Outlook

Spring Training is just days away. 

Orioles pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota on February 13th. The remainder of the team is only days behind that. 

I wish I could say that the outlook is hopeful, however, the team has failed to make any meaningful moves to shore up the pitching and the circus that has become Manny Machado's tenure with Orioles will be a continual source of distraction as the season progresses.

Frankly, I do not believe that the Orioles will be a better team than the one that finished 5th in the division with a 75-87 record.

Manny on Opening Day - Will This Year be His Last in
an Orioles Uniform?

The other teams in the division have improved their teams overall, while the Orioles have done precious little.

It certainly appears that the Orioles will finish last in the division again and may not even win 70 games. I know that is a dire prediction--but reality is setting in. I need to go to baseball games for their innate entertainment value and stop hoping that my team will win the division and goto the World Series. I just do not, at this time, see that happening this year.

There is still time for the Orioles to acquire a couple of pitchers to shore up the starting rotation. 

But time is getting short.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 5, 2018

1. What a weekend it was. Cold and ice storms. The trees were covered with ice by the end of the day yesterday. I'm sure there are many broken limbs around the area this morning. 

2. Because of the ice, many of the schools are delaying opening for two hours to give time for ice removal/mitigation.

3. The Super Bowl was super! What an exciting game which remained undecided until the last play. I am happy that the Eagles won and secured their first Lombardi Trophy. 

4. Orioles pitchers and catchers report in 8 days! Baseball is going to get started again and that isa good thing. My Spring Training trip is planned and i will begin reviewing the Orioles soon.

5. Ice, why did the weather have to bring ice. 

6. The weather in February is what? Cold and icy!

7. Another government shutdown looms as early as Friday and the Congress and President are playing their violins as the country burns. 

Headlines

Eagles defeat Patriots, 41-33, to capture first Super Bowl title - The Washington Post

Trump steps up war against FBI, Democrats have their own memo plan - CNN

To Counter Russia, U.S. Signals Nuclear Arms Are Back in a Big Way - The New York Times

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"The task that has fallen to us as Americans is to move the conscience of the world, to keep alive the hope and dream of freedom. For if we fail or falter, there'll be no place for the world's oppressed to flee to. This is not a role we sought. We preach no manifest destiny. But like the Americans who brought a new nation into the world 200 years ago, history has asked much of us in our time. Much we've already given; much more we must be prepared to give."

Remarks at the Conservative Political Action Conference Dinner, February 18, 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

D.C. Autoshow 2018

The event of three day yesterday was a trip into DC to attend the Auto Show at the convention center. The DC Convention Center is huge, I had forgotten how large.

We saw lots of cars and had a great deal of fun. Chris and I went with the Mike, Nicole, Ethan, Jax, Jack, and Jim. Wandering the show was a lot of fun. And we saw there new Jaguar SUV/crossover. What a great car.

I got some great photos of cars and had a funny Kia video made with Ethan. 

The cars were the stars however. 

2019 Mustang Bullet

And I really enjoyed them.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Into the Wormhole

Depiction of a Wormhole

I discovered a new fun fact the other day.

30 seconds can equal 6 minutes!

Amazingly enough I had suspected this fact for a long time. It is almost like a wormhole situation when things are just right.

In this case the right combination of events involves me leaving the house 30 seconds too late and meeting up with the dreaded school bus!

I hate the school busses that ply our streets. The kids  that board them in the morning are especially slow and nonchalant about even being at the bus stops on time. That said, if I have to wait for the bus at the end of my street, I get the added benefit of waiting through two more stops and then painfully waiting for the bus to make a right turn at the end of the community onto US 1. 

Having been 30 seconds too late on a couple of occasions this past couple of weeks I have computed the net time of the delay to be about 6 minutes. Unfortunately, I cannot see the bus when I leave my driveway and so it is not like I could pour another cup of coffee and relax while the bus picks up its "self-loading cargo."

But instead, I am stuck following along behind the big yellow bus as it waddles down the street. And time passes through the wormhole.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD