Two Weeks

 

I almost wrote that Election Day is in two weeks, but that is not the reality this year. It is more correct to think of it as the election season will be over two weeks from tonight. The polls will close and the votes will be tabulated. Some mail in votes will continue to trickle in, but apparently many of us want to be sure our votes are counted on Election Day so that our preference and will is known and, therefore, we are voting early. 

It has been an amazing election season. I do not know what will transpire during the next two weeks, but I am sure something dramatic will happen which, in a previous year may have turned the tide, but with, by some accounts, 28 million votes already cast and many more coming in every day--it is going to be hard to change the will of the American people with a single event. 

Just for reference, about 138 million votes were cast during the 2016 election. That means that 20 percent of the votes cast during 2016 have already been sent to the ballot box. I expect, however, this years vote to be closer to 160 million. Some are predicting 150 million votes, but I think the polarization of the country could drive that number even higher.

I expect to vote next week when the early voting begins in Maryland. 

It is hard to believe that in two weeks the campaigning will finally be over. I believe that I may see a decrease in my email of possibly 100 per day. It has been a long election season, but I am sure that the 2024 election season will begin on January 21, 2021.

CAUTION: Personal Rant Follows

Our country is in great peril. We are under attack by foreign and domestic forces. Our president is more concerned about airing his personal grievances than about running the country. COVID is out of control and Americans, our friends, relatives, and family are dying daily. The budget deficit is exploding in an attempt to mute the effects of COVID on the economy and the military is suffering despite what we are being told to the contrary. And I do not buy the line that the Democrats are the problem, if the president would tell Mitch McConnell to make a deal, then a deal would be made. But the president believes that he gets more mileage by blaming anyone other than himself for the problems in America than he would get by working to fix those same problems.

As I was writing about popularity, I was considering what president says, “Suburban women, will you please like me?” the president pleaded in Johnston, Pennsylvania on Tuesday (The Financial Times) Being president is not an ego building popularity contest.

This country and the world need America back as the military, economic, and political leader of the free world. All of these have been abrogated by the America first policy. I, frankly, am tired of hearing "I" and need to hear more "WE" and "US". Our country was not founded upon the concept of "I". If you don't believe me, read the first line of the Constitution.

I know that I have friends and family who vehemently disagree with me and I respect your views and have spent my entire adult life working so that we can have dissenting opinions without fear of retribution, but I am going to lay it out right here and say that I agree with the words published by the editors of the New York Times on Sunday:

Mr. Trump is a man of no integrity. He has repeatedly violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

CONCLUSION

Vote! The future of America depends upon your participation no matter what direction you believe this country should take. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 19, 2020

 

1. It is the third Monday of October and the month is quickly slipping into November. Daylight Saving Time ends in less than two weeks on November 1st, marking the official beginning of the dark season.

Maple Tree on Karas Walk
Elkridge, MD
October 17, 2020

2. Autumn is on full display. Colorful trees and  blue, clear skies adorn the roadways and paths we travel. Enjoy the scenery, it is days like these that take the sting out of the coming season.

3. There are 15 days until Election Day. If you have not yet, Vote! 

4. From United Steel Workers tweet as reported on Fox News:

Sing along:

Take me out to the ballot box, Take me out to the polls. Get me my sticker so I can ‘gram, I won’t stand for their suppression scams. For it’s root, root, root for @JoeBiden, If we don’t win we‘re all doomed. ‘Cause in 1-2...17 more days, We can save the USA!

5. Did you see on the news that Armenia and Azerbaijan are at war? No, probably not. A violent conflict which has drawn the attention of much of the world is not getting much press here in America. See some headlines below.

6. An editorial in the New York Times, written by the Editorial Board of the New York Times, makes the following assertion about the president: Mr. Trump is a man of no integrity. He has repeatedly violated his oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Now, in this moment of peril, it falls to the American people — even those who would prefer a Republican president — to preserve, protect and defend the United States by voting.

7. Family NFL results:

     Ravens (5-1) defeat Eagles (1-4-1) 30-28
     Football Team (1-5) loses to Giants (1-5) 29-30
     Steelers (5-0) destroy Browns (4-2) 38-7
     Cowboys (2-3) play Cardinals (3-2) tonight

8. History Today. October 19, 1781, Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a larger Franco-American force, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.

Lord Cornwallis was one of the most capable British generals of the American Revolution. In 1776, he drove General George Washington’s Patriots forces out of New Jersey, and in 1780 he won a stunning victory over General Horatio Gates’ Patriot army at Camden, South Carolina. Cornwallis’ subsequent invasion of North Carolina was less successful, however, and in April 1781 he led his weary and battered troops toward the Virginia coast, where he could maintain seaborne lines of communication with the large British army of General Henry Clinton in New York City. After conducting a series of raids against towns and plantations in Virginia, Cornwallis settled in the tidewater town of Yorktown in August. The British immediately began fortifying the town and the adjacent promontory of Gloucester Point across the York River.

Trump Runs the Kind of Campaign He Likes, but Not the One He Might Need - The New York Times

On the Front Lines of a Brutal War: Death and Despair in Nagorno-Karabakh - The New York Times

Remdesivir Fails to Prevent Covid-19 Deaths in Huge Trial - The New York Times

Ending the filibuster is about to be more important than ever - The Washington Post

ISIS attacks surge in Africa even as Trump boasts of a ‘100-percent’-defeated caliphate - The Washington Post

United Steelworkers shine 'bat signal' on Trump Tower in Chicago - Fox News

Only 2 states trending in the right direction - CNN

Italy unveils new COVID-19 restrictions as daily infections climb - Reuters

Armenia and Azerbaijan truce breaks down within hours - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

“If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals — if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.” 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cycle of the Seasons

 

Sitting here this morning thinking that the 39 degrees outside of my door is cold and realizing that in a few months this temperature would qualify as a warm winter day made me think about the cycle of the seasons. 

Grass Mounds Along the Fence
Elkridge, MD
October 17, 2020

Yesterday, for instance, as part of the winter preparations Chris and I cut the ornamental grasses mourned the outside of the pool. We have been experimenting with when to cut the grasses--whether it is better to let them winter or to get them removed while they are still green and easier to manage. It took two trips to the landfill recycling area to remove them as part of what turned out to be a long midday project. I can usually get them all into one highly mounded truck load, but with the exceptionally favorable growing season they were more voluminous than normal. 

But the project is complete. This past year we waited until Spring to cut the grasses and it was a lot messier. Being that yesterday was a cooler day, we did not find as many critters lurking in the mounds--which is good since we have found snakes in the past and while the snakes are the good snakes, it still causes a moment of pause when one comes slithering out as we start cutting away with the hedge trimmers. I do wish the battery on the trimmer would last for the entire project--it just doesn't have enough justice to make it all the way. 

Cutting the grasses is part of the cycle of the seasons. Next we have to drain the water from the lines in the pool house in preparation for freezing temperatures, from which, so far, we have been spared. 

As the leaves change color and fall from the trees, the cycle of the seasons continues.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Week Later

 I am now one week removed from frolicking, OK maybe it wasn't frolicking, on a warm almost 90 degree Florida beach. The relative, by comparison, cold of Maryland has reminded me that given a choice between too hot or too cold--I prefer too hot. Even without air conditioning--which I experienced for the first five days of my recent Florida vacation.

Backyard Trees with Autumn Leaves
Elkridge, MD
October 17, 2020

It was 43 degrees this morning as I stepped outside to allow the dogs to take care of business. I stood outside with them to monitor their activity and ensure that Finnegan actually does what is expected of him. He loves to smell the morning fragrances on the grass and sometimes forgets the reason that he is outside. 

I looked at the morning temperature in Jupiter, and at 7:09 AM it was a warm and likely humid 80 degrees. That is 37 degrees warmer than outside of my door in Elkridge. 

The youth baseball game we were attending this morning was canceled, I guess the field was too wet and so I think we will be cutting the grasses around the pool, once they dry.

I just wish it was warmer. And it is only going to get colder as the month progresses and transforms into November when the dark season begins. 

A week later, I fondly remember the time spent on the beach, it will help me to make it to the other side of the seasons that we have entered. 

But, outside my window, the morning sunlight reflecting off the leaves is transforming the region into a colorful autumn display and I enjoy the color. Can springtime really be that far off? 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Misinformation

 

I don't know how intentional it was, but saying the 85 percent of people who wear masks get COVID-19 demonstrates a definite lack of understanding of statistics and reality. He was trying to discredit the practice of wearing facial coverings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Who said that, you might ask?

The President. 

Trump repeats inaccurate claim about masks, citing CDC study. - NBC News

Along with other outright lies, it appears that the most consistent source of misinformation in the country right now is the president, himself.

What is comical and tragic is watching his staff try to walk back his erroneous comments.

I do not want to restate the lies and false truths because in doing so I could make them seem more real, but an article recapping the first debate delves into many of the misleading and outright untrue statements by both candidates during the first debate. It is interesting reading.

Trump unleashes avalanche of repeat lies at first presidential debate - CNN

My advice--listen and check the facts. Too many people use the cherry picking approach to facts and studies--finding the one that supports their view rather than reviewing the entire body of work on a subject. 

Do not be responsible for spreading misinformation and propaganda!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Football and COVID

 

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) of college football is a mess with COVID positive tests right now. Games are being postponed and coaches and players are returning positive test results. Sadly, it had to happen. Football is an up-close and personal sport. 

The latest headline is:

Alabama Coach Saban Tests Positive as Virus Disrupts SEC - The Wall Street Journal

There have been problems in the NFL as well.

With the infection rates across the country steadily rising, that we are having a football season is fantastic. but we need to recognize that football players have close personal contact with their teammates and opponents--it is part of the game, unless we go to a no blocking, flag-football approach.

The players are taking risks to play the game for our enjoyment and their financial reward--we need to remember that. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

 

The Supreme Court nomination hearings for Judge Amy Coney Barrett are proceeding and are at times fascinating to watch as Senators make surprisingly old arguments seem even older.

My observations:

I am not sure I could sit there for hours on end, as the Judge is doing, and listen to the same things over again.

The Judge is being very polite when a Senator asks a question that is merely only a shade away from one that was asked earlier and to which she did not respond. 

The Judge seems very judge-like.

I was fascinated with one senator's detailed conspiracy theory about dark money.

It is a process and whether we believe the timing to be correct or not, she will become the next Supreme Court Justice and the vote in the Senate to confirm will likely be 52-48. She will likely be seated before November 10th. 

We can discuss the Constitutionality of the process--although there is not much to discuss and we can discuss whether there is precedent for seating a justice so far into an election process--there seems to be a very healthy discussion about Abraham Lincoln's intent--but regardless, he did not nominate a replacement justice until after the election and his speaking and writings do not definitively support either side in the argument, in my opinion.

Bottom Line is that this is our Congress at work! If we are not happy, there is an election underway and the power of change is in our hands.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cold--Where is the Warmth?

 

The Last Palm Tree Image
Jupiter Island, Florida
October 10, 2020

Thirty degrees really makes a difference, especially when the difference is in the daily high. Saturday, Chris, Ethan, and I were on a Jupiter Island beach and the temperature was in the high 80's. We were warm and enjoyed the humidity associated with the daily rains that we were experiencing.

Yesterday, in Elkridge, the high temperature never got past 58 degrees at my house. It rained all day, and it was cold. I actually had to put long pants on to stay warm. It was a shock to my system. 

The last evening we spent in Florida we made our usual trip to the ocean to say good-bye. I have already written about the 360 degree sunset and the image of the palm tree was taken looking west into the sunset behind the clouds. It was a truly special evening and a special memory. Most importantly, it was warm. 

I am looking forward to this afternoon in Elkridge as the temperature is supposed to creep into the upper 70's. Hopefully the lawn will dry enough for me to mow. The falling leaves and the two-week uncut grass make for a messy looking yard. And of course, after they dry it is time to cut the ornamental grasses around the pool. Welcome back to all of the work required to maintain a home. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 12, 2020

 

1. Today is the second Monday of October and it is Columbus Day, a federal holiday. 

2. I experienced a 360 degree sunset my last evening in Florida. The setting sun was reflected off the clouds all around from the west, north and south. It was a sight to enjoy and a great send-off.

Kite Surfer
Carlin Park, Jupiter, Florida
October 10, 2020

3. Kite surfing looks to be an exciting aport. There certainly were enough surfers in the water on Saturday enjoying the sun, surf, and ample wind.

Saying Good-bye
Blowing Rocks, Jupiter Island, Florida
October 10, 2020

4. Saying good-bye to the ocean is always a difficult thing for Chris and I to do. Saturday evening, standing on Blowing Rocks with the 360 degree sunset was a special night. The clouds reflecting the setting sun behind us in the image are in the East and part of the spectacle we witnessed. We reveled in the 85 degree temperatures realizing that we might not experience such warmth until we again visit our Florida Home.

5. Chris and I were amazed at how quickly the autumn colors are arriving. We saw the trees beginning to turn as far south as South Carolina on our drive home yesterday. Along Route 301 in Virginia, the colors were actually very evident and beautiful--even in the driving rain.

6. Family NFL Report.

    Ravens (4-1) defeat Bengals (1-3-1) 27-3
    Steelers (4-0) defeat Eagles (1-3-1) 38-29
    Cowboys (2-3) defeat Giants (0-5) 37-34
    Football Team (1-4) loses to Rams (4-1) 10-30

7. The election is drawing closer! There are just 22 days until Election Day. Many places are already voting--be sure you vote!

8. Today in History. After sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sights a Bahamian island, believing he has reached East Asia. His expedition went ashore the same day and claimed the land for Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, who sponsored his attempt to find a western ocean route to China, India, and the fabled gold and spice islands of Asia. Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy, in 1451. Little is known of his early life, but he worked as a seaman and then a maritime entrepreneur. He became obsessed with the possibility of pioneering a western sea route to Cathay (China), India, and the gold and spice islands of Asia. At the time, Europeans knew no direct sea route to southern Asia, and the route via Egypt and the Red Sea was closed to Europeans by the Ottoman Empire, as were many land routes. Contrary to popular legend, educated Europeans of Columbus’ day did believe that the world was round, as argued by St. Isidore in the seventh century. However, Columbus, and most others, underestimated the world’s size, calculating that East Asia must lie approximately where North America sits on the globe (they did not yet know that the Pacific Ocean existed). 

Politics Dominates as Barrett’s Confirmation Hearings Begin in Senate - The Wall Street Journal

With New ICBM, Kim Jong Un Returns to an Old Tactic - The Wall Street Journal

Trump’s Virus Treatment Revives Questions About Nuclear Authority - The New York Times

Fauci Says a Trump Campaign Ad Misrepresented His Comments - The New York Times

White House pivots again on stimulus negotiations after bipartisan backlash - The Washington Post

Another casualty of the coronavirus pandemic: Trust in science - The Washington Post

Bag Santa and the elves? A holiday hiring slump takes shape - Reuters

Pandemic can be overcome quickly with right tools: WHO - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

With hard work and imagination, there is no limit to what, working together, our nations can achieve. Gaining a peaceful resolution of these conflicts will open whole new vistas of peace and progress -- the discovery that the promise of the future lies not in measures of military defense or the control of weapons, but in the expansion of individual freedom and human rights. Only when the human spirit can worship, create, and build, only when people are given a personal stake in determining their own destiny and benefiting from their own risks, do societies become prosperous, progressive, dynamic, and free.

 Address to the 40th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, October 25, 1985

---

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, Maryland

Dawn South Carolina

The trip to return to Maryland is underway. Dawn finds us cruising I-95 about 20 miles into South Carolina. We know that the remnants of Hurricane Delta are waiting for us further north, but we are making our way home to Elkridge.

Departing was very sad. We finally lived in our condo for it to feel like home. A very comfortable home. I completed a number of small projects while we were there, but for the first time projects were not the reason for the trip.

We need to get our minds ready for autumn. There is a lot of work to do around our primary residence.

I will enjoy the memories of my first and only vacation of 2020.

— Bob Doan, somewhere on I-95 in South Carolina