Golf Tune-up

Timbers at Troy Hole 1 From the Tee
Elkridge, MD
August 22, 2024

 I managed to get out for a tune-up round of golf before tomorrow's tournament. It was important for me to do that in that I had not swung my driver since last August at the tournament. Chris and I have been playing on a par 3 course which allows us to complete a round in about2 hours, which is about all one can stand in the heat of South Florida. 

Jeremy and I hit the course at 5:33 PM and managed 11 holes before darkness. It was a beautiful afternoon. I managed to hit all of the fairways except one, which made me happy, but my distance off the tee has definitely decreased. Perhaps it will get better with more swings, I did seem to be improving as the evening went on. 

It was fun to be out on the course. 

Today is another travel day to Cortland, NY, where we are staying. Sadly, it is just Chris and me this year as the rest of our Maryland contingent was unable to make the trip. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Truth, Honor and Joy

I have been impressed and encouraged by the Democratic National Convention. 

The use of the words Truth, Honor, Joy, and Hope continue to excite me and are far different from the hate words spoken at the Republican National Convention. 

Another word that is used correctly is Freedom! I have been encouraged when speakers say there is not enough room in our houses for our family and the government. People should be free to love whom they choose, and live as they please without undue government interference. 

America is not a failing nation as Donald Trump spews, the facts clearly show that America it is the leader in the world and is not failing, but growing. 

To see an example of a failing nation look at Russia. 

The chants: We're not going back are encouraging and promise that there is something better to offer the American people.

Oprah Winfrey said in her speech last night:

So, we are Americans. We are Americans. Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual, because that’s the best of America. And let us choose optimism over cynicism, because that’s the best of America. And let us choose inclusion over retribution. Let us choose common sense over nonsense, because that’s the best of America.

And let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday. We won’t go back. We won’t be sent back, pushed back, bullied back, kicked back. We’re not going back. 

So, let us choose. Let us choose truth, let us choose honor, and let us choose joy! Because that’s the best of America. But more than anything else, let us choose freedom. Why? Because that’s the best of America.  (Time Transcript)

Let us choose freedom, because that is the best of America! Those words resound with hope and joy. 

Mr. Trump has shown a character unworthy of the responsibilities of the presidency. He has demonstrated an utter lack of respect for the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people. Instead of a cogent vision for the country’s future, Mr. Trump is animated by a thirst for political power: to use the levers of government to advance his interests, satisfy his impulses and exact retribution against those who he thinks have wronged him. (New York Times)

By contrast Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz closed his speech last night by saying:

Look, we’ve got 76 days. That’s nothing. There’ll be time to sleep when you’re dead. We’re going to leave it on the field. That’s how we’ll keep moving forward. That’s how we’ll turn the page on Donald Trump. That’s how we’ll build a country where workers come first, health care and housing are human rights, and the government stays the hell out of your bedroom.

That’s how we make America a place where no child is left hungry. Where no community is left behind. Where nobody gets told they don’t belong. That’s how we’re going to fight. (New York Times Transcript)

I remember four years ago when the pandemic raged because then president Trump denied its existence. Over 1 million Americans died and the shuttering of businesses and the crashing of the economy created problems that we are just now overcoming. I remember the unrest in the country, the separation of Blue vs Red, and us vs them. It took Joe Biden to boldly promise to be a president for all Americans to bring recovery and prosperity.

I'm not going back! 

Am I better off now than 4 years ago? You bet!

When we fight, we win!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Looking Over the Yard

Buck in the Yard
Odenton, MD
August 19, 2024

 One of the joys of visiting Maryland and staying with our daughter and her family is the abundance of wildlife around her yard. There always seem to be geese, deer, fox, woodchucks, and other assorted animals passing through, grazing in the yard, or swimming in the pond. 

It is very different from where we reside in Florida. The most abundant form of wildlife we see are lizards--of many sizes and colors. And then there are the birds which transit through or that we can watch along the shoreline. But from the windows of our house we do not get to enjoy a wide scene like that from the deck of Nicole's house in Odenton.

The Small Herd
Odenton, MD
August 19, 2024

Seeing a young buck in the yard reminded me that Autumn is arriving soon. Of course the 57 degree temperature this morning also reminded me of the same thing. Autumn is coming. I am a bit worried about golfing on Saturday in the cold morning air. I may need a gallon of coffee to get moving. 

The deer did not seem to mind our activities on the deck. They were not even spooked by the dogs, who have grown used to the deer and did not bark. They munched their way through the yard until an evening thunderstorm drove us all inside and the deer retreated to the nearby forest. 

Earlier this year the pond supported geese, although they seem to have moved on probably preparing for winter. I understand that most geese in Maryland do not migrate. I remember the huge flocks that used to transit the skies when I was growing up in Upstate New York. They were huge.

Update on Removed Facebook Posting: Still nothing heard from Facebook. Hmmm.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Arrived Alive

Finn Riding out of the Hotel
Dunn, NC
August 19, 2024

 Chris and I completed our travel arriving in Odenton, MD, yesterday early afternoon. The trip was not without two serious unwanted incidents caused by inattentive or aggressive drivers. Both incidents occurred within the last two hours of our travel yesterday. 

I, with some divine intervention, avoided a serious accident when an inattentive driver failed to see my truck next to him and made a strong aggressive lane change causing me to use every bit of shoulder on the left side of the road before a concrete barrier to avoid what would have been a very serious accident. I do not know how our vehicles failed to intersect, but thankfully, we did not collide. In the other incident, about 40 minutes later, an aggressive driver came around a truck, from the wrong side (passenger), and moved through an open lane I was making a lane change into. I noticed the fast-mover and aborted my lane change rather abruptly.

Thankfully, the drive is complete. We were blessed with great weather and our hotel stop is a keeper. We will likely use it again on our travels. 

Finnegan started the day by humorously riding out of the hotel on the baggage cart. He was cute sitting among our belongings. He ensured he was not forgotten. 

Like we could forget him?

Programming note: Facebook still has not responded regarding the post they took down. I continue to await the promised response to my appeal.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

#travel #I-95

Monday Musings - August 19, 2024

 

1. Welcome to the third Monday of August. There are 19 Mondays remaining in the year. 

Out the Hotel Window
Dunn, NC
August 18, 2024

2. Chris and I were amazed when we looked at the temperature this morning in Dunn, NC. It was 69 degrees and foggy. I am more used to the numerals being reversed. It was pleasant this morning as I took Finn for a walk. 

3. My take away from driving I-95 yesterday is that drivers proceeding at excessive speed is the most dangerous thing we face on the highways today. Their rapid lane changes and approach speeds mean that I must be almost as keenly aware of what is happening behind me as well as planning for what is ahead.

4. FACEBOOK has not yet responded regarding the post they took down on Saturday. I had expected a response this morning, but they remain silent.

5. We head out on day 2 of our trip this morning. I am hoping for more good weather and no major traffic tie-ups between Richmond and DC.

6. Today in History. On August 19, 1909, the first race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, now the home of the world’s most famous motor racing competition, the Indianapolis 500.

Built on 328 acres of farmland five miles northwest of Indianapolis, Indiana, the speedway was started by local businessmen as a testing facility for Indiana’s growing automobile industry. The idea was that occasional races at the track would pit cars from different manufacturers against each other. After seeing what these cars could do, spectators would presumably head down to the showroom of their choice to get a closer look.

The rectangular two-and-a-half-mile track linked four turns, each exactly 440 yards from start to finish, by two long and two short straight sections. In that first five-mile race on August 19, 1909, 12,000 spectators watched Austrian engineer Louis Schwitzer win with an average speed of 57.4 miles per hour. The track’s surface of crushed rock and tar proved a disaster, breaking up in a number of places and causing the deaths of two drivers, two mechanics and two spectators.

Analysis The party will kick off a convention that was hastily reconfigured to try to vault Kamala Harris to a historic presidency - CNN

When and how to see the rare super blue moon - CNN

Ukraine aims to create Kursk ‘buffer zone,’ Zelensky says, as Kyiv’s forces blow up second Russian bridge - CNN

Blinken warns Israel, Hamas of last chance to end Gaza war - Reuters

Venezuelan opposition protests as election dispute drags on - Reuters

South Korea, US kick off annual drills over North's military, cyber threats - Reuters

Trump and Harris Duke It Out on Social Media - The Wall Street Journal

Flash floods in Connecticut, as some towns hit by ‘1,000-year’ rain events - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Dunn, NC

#mondaymusings

Heading North

 

But-ee's Jacksonville, FL
August 18, 2024

Today and tomorrow are travel days. We are on the road north to Maryland and also New York for a golf tournament.  It will be a busy couple of weeks. 

We departed later than normal, at 7:30 am, and made our first stop about 11:00 am just south of Jacksonville, Fl. Yes, we stopped at Buc-ee’s. It was a good stop as we took on enough fuel to get us to our hotel for the evening. We also bought sandwiches for lunch and were able to eat while still driving. We effectively saved a stop. 

Even-so, we will not get to our hotel north of Fayetteville, NC, until after 5pm. 

Fortunately, the day is bright and clear.  The drive has been easy.  That is good. But, we are in SC now where easy driving goes to die. 

Enjoy your Sunday. 

— Bob Doan, I95 in SC near mm 27

Unfit for the Position

 Former President Donald J. Trump on Thursday described the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which honors civilians, as being “much better” than the Medal of Honor, because service members who receive the nation’s highest military honor are often severely wounded or dead. (New York Times)

I engaged in a discussion last evening with someone who was trying to walk this statement back by saying he was only referring to one particular instance. Nonsense. He said it! I know he says a lot and mostly lies, but he has been consistent in his comments about the military and specifically disdain for those who were killed or wounded in service to this great nation.

The almost unintelligible quote follows:

“It’s actually much better [referring to the Medal of Freedom], because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, that’s soldiers, they’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead,” Mr. Trump said, using a common misnomer for the military award. “She gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman.” (New York Times)

I am not sure exactly what he is trying to say, but my take away is that the Medal of Freedom is better because a pretty woman was awarded it. 

Oh yes, and he called it the Congressional Medal of Honor, which is not the correct name. It is the Medal of Honor! Period!

This is not the first time Trump has disparaged those who gave of themselves for our nation:

When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, near Paris, in 2018, he blamed rain for the last-minute decision, saying that “the helicopter couldn’t fly” and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. Neither claim was true.

Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day. In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed. (The Atlantic)

He has no understanding of service, personal sacrifice or even heroism. 

Trump's comments continue to underscore why he is not fit for the office he seeks. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Stormy Day Blues

Finnegan and Me
Tequesta, FL
August 15, 2024

 Although Chris and I got out and managed a 14-mile ride during the morning, the middle portion of the day consisted of almost continuous thunderstorms. It was, therefore, a rainy and noisy day. 

Finnegan does not like thunder. I think he got traumatized during the Fourth of July celebrations in the neighborhood with all of the loud booms. It may not have helped that we took him with us as we wandered out the end of the street to see some of the fireworks and listen to the booming of the retorts. 

Finn Looking Out the Car Window
Jupiter, FL
August 15, 2024

He has developed a near paralyzing fear of booms. Whenever thunder is in the area he glues himself to me. Now, as most of you are aware, he is Chris's dog and generally has prefers her company to mine. But when the thunder crashed he seeks out the "big dog" for protection. That was the scene yesterday as he laid in my lap trying to blend into the chair while the storms were overhead. 

Chris thought it was cute and snapped an image of the traumatized dog trying to become one with both me and the chair. 

Later, however, he was fine after the storms cleared and we headed out to cast our Florida Primary ballots. As we are not going to be in town for the actual primary day, we took advantage of early voting. Finn even got a sticker announcing that he is a future voter--although I am not sure how that is going to work. Well, this is Florida and almost anything can happen here.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Again? Another pandemic?

 And from Reuters this morning:

The World Health Organization has declared mpox a global public health emergency for the second time in two years. We take a look at what that means. 

While the current outbreak is mostly in Africa, in our global environment I would not expect it to be confined there for long. 

We do not need another pandemic! Oh wait, you didn't realize they had renamed monkey pox as mpox? Yup they did. 

So here is the description:

Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral disease that can spread easily between people and from infected animals. It can spread through close contact such as touching, kissing or sex, as well as through contaminated materials like sheets, clothing and needles, according to WHO.

The current outbreak, Congo's worst ever, has seen 27,000 cases and more than 1,100 deaths since January 2023, largely among children. The disease causes flu-like symptoms and pus-filled lesions, and is usually mild but can kill. Children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV, are all at higher risk of complications.

Two strains of mpox are now spreading in the country: the endemic form of the virus as well as a new offshoot.  (Reuters article)

I guess we need to be aware.

Oh yea, Happy Friday-eve!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

And He's Gone

Flight 667 to Baltimore
PBI
August 13, 2024

 We dropped Lucas off at PBI yesterday morning. Both Chris and I were able to get gate passes (even though we were told by the staff that they were allowed to provide only one gate pass) to stay with Luke until he boarded. 

We had to pass through the non-TSA-Pre line. Ugh! I had forgotten how long that line could be. We were in the line for over 20 minutes. Fortunately, we arrived about 90 minutes before his flight and we still had time to enjoy a lounge after passing through security. Although I am told the lounge, to which I have privileges, has been there three years I only noticed it yesterday. It was a very civilized way to wait in the airport away from the crowd. And yes, for those of you who have flown through the usually sleepy PBI airport, there were crowds yesterday. I think United, American and Southwest all had flights arriving and departing while we were there.

The concourse was, however, deserted, as we left after Luke had boarded. 

And so our time alone with Luke is over. We enjoyed his stay, but wish we had been able to do more. 

Now we are preparing for our own journey. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL