Happy Halloween

Dirt with Worms

The last day of October has arrived and with it the annual celebration of the harvest and goblins: Halloween.

We are having a gathering at work today and I'm bringing dirt--with worms.

Mmmm. Delectable!

I can already imagine crawling into it and wallowing around in it for a long time.

I'm not going to do the costume thing, but I do enjoy looking at the costumes that others wear. It is funny how people find costumes that reflect their personalities.

I wish I could take pictures of the costumes people wear at work--some are pretty funny, like the horse costume on guy wore last year.

We have two parties tomorrow--a kids party in the afternoon and an adult party at night. There will be another dirt with worms for the evening party.

It is time to party--responsibly!

Be safe. Watch for trick or treaters, and more importantly--stay sober! It's a jungle out there.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Baseball Season Ends

The  MLB season ended last night when the San Francisco Giants became the World Series Champions for the 3rd time in 5 years becoming the first team to win a game 7 on the road since 1979. Congrats to them. The road to the Championship that began in Spring Training during February has finally concluded. After 2,461 games, it all came down to last night and game number 2,462. I call it Game 7. Where one team is champion and the other 29 teams are unhappy.

Wow, there will be no baseball for the next four months. I will have to survive on hockey. Go Pens!

It is good to be finally through with the baseball season, I guess.

I am already preparing for next season. The dates for the Spring Training Trip have been selected--and it will include a golf outing this year.

I will probably really need a golf outing in March and golfing while getting my baseball fix--what could be better.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

We are being monitored--Everywhere

The disclosures last year about government monitoring of Americans, while sensational and much over blown, are nothing compared to what is really happening as state, and local governments as well as businesses increase monitoring of "metadata" and develop huge databases where no one truly has privacy.

I am reminded of one of my favorite sayings: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they aren't after you." Joseph Heller wrote that line in Catch-22.

There is no way, it seems, to go off the net.

An article in the New York Times yesterday describes the increase in postal mail monitoring in the United States. The opening paragraph is below.

WASHINGTON — In a rare public accounting of its mass surveillance program, the United States Postal Service reported that it approved nearly 50,000 requests last year from law enforcement agencies and its own internal inspection unit to secretly monitor the mail of Americans for use in criminal and national security investigations.

Every time we use a credit card, make a phone call, send an email, or even drive on the highway; we are being monitored.

I have recently learned about a program that is especially frightening--License Plate Recognition, or LPR. An advertisement for a LPR system describes my concerns: 

The  Viper  ALPR  Camera  Solution is a standalone “All-in-one” plug-n-play DSP Based camera system, that automatically detects vehicle license plates for fixed installations up to speed of 30 mph. Using  advanced ALPR algorithms and simple web-based configuration  GUI, the Viper solution performs three functions in Real-Time (R/T): Analyzes the video input, captures vehicle license plates, and sends results to the hosted server over the network (local or cloud-based solution).

As if that isn't disconcerting enough, Maryland has a web page devoted to the Maryland LPR program. Every time we drive anywhere--we are being watched.

While I agree there is some utility in monitoring license plates and there is no expectation of privacy on the highways, where does it end? How long is this data retained? Who can access these databases?  Under what circumstances? 

Where does the monitoring stop? 

I guess I have questions. Why do governments and businesses need all of this data? 

And there is a lot more data being collected--monitoring citizens not suspected of a crime.

Someone needs to take these issues up and start ensuring our privacy is protected now and into the future.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Pair O' Kees

Ben with Chris on the Sofa

It was another one of those weekends when the number of dogs in the house doubles. 

Ben, Jeremy's dog came for a couple of days while they were out of town. Ben enjoys being at the house and treats it like his own. Even to the point of occupying sofas and chairs as the spirit moves him.

When Makayla and Ben are in the house, I call them my "pair o' kees," because they are both Keeshonden (or, for Americans, Keeshonds). 

Ben is truly comfortable at the house and becomes a member of the pack. And the pack includes both cats. The cats, Riordin and Louis, do not mind having Ben around. They don't run or hide like they do when some other dogs arrive--but everyone blends together.

One big, happy (sort of) family!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 27, 2014

1. Sitting around a fire last evening watching the night fall was an awe inspiring experience at the end of a full day. We have not done that much in the past--but we should have.

Burning Fire at Night

2. Burning embers on a cool autumn evening. 

3. I played golf again yesterday--my best round ever. It's not that great though, my computed handicap is still at the maximum of 36.

4. Football is winding down into the playoffs for high school and youth. I've been following the Homer, NY football team--go Trojans. On to the playoffs.

5. Smoke makes a fire linger long after it is gone.

6. People came to look at buying Kitty today--they test drove it for 40 minutes, but no sale--yet.

7. Read an article about possible links to cancer from the electromagnetic waves from my FitBit. Really?

8. Next week at this time we will be on standard time instead of daylight saving time. Translated--it will be darker sooner.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

I Had a Revelation

Thinning Tree Canopy

While enjoying the better than forecast October weather yesterday, I had a revelation.

If the weather was beautiful every day, I wouldn't appreciate the good days anymore because they would all be good days.

If there was not an autumn, I wouldn't appreciate the green leaves of the trees and the green grass of my lawn during the summer. As the season winds down and the tree canopy in my backyard gets thinner, I appreciate how thick it is during the summer. 

Autumn Flowers

I believe I could live in a tropical climate and never get bored--but I realized that living without leaves on trees for five months of the year makes me appreciate the leaves even while I am raking them from my yard.

The autumn flowers are also providing their last splash of color before the frost settles and robs my yard of their color.

I think I finally understand autumn. That doesn't mean I like it, but I appreciate how it makes me enjoy summer even more.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunset over Annapolis

Sitting at dinner last evening at a restaurant in Annapolis, the sunset became a topic of discussion.

It was stunning scene as the setting sun painted the clouds with fiery red hues during our dinner.

I captured the scene as best as I could through the dirty windows of the restaurant. 

It was a great way to close out the work week and begin the weekend. I thought of it as the exclamation point at the end of the week. It was an inspiring scene.

On to the weekend.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Gas Prices Dip

Elkridge, MD
October 23, 2014

I was amazed when I bought gas yesterday. Gas prices have fallen about $1 since summer. And they are still falling.

Road trip!

I really never thought I'd see sub $3 per gallon prices again.

Yay!

But, the analysts indicate that the lower prices may not be a long term good thing. 

According to a Washington Post article, low gas prices may signal that the world economy is much weaker than originally thought.

Secondly, lower gasoline prices may also damage the developing U.S. shale oil industry, which amazingly, may be responsible for employing over 2 million people. They call it tight oil and shale gas.

Wow!

For now, I'm looking forward to some extra spending money for the holiday season. My concern about the larger worldwide economic problems is definitely secondary to my personal checkbook. I wonder if gas prices will get into the low $2 range for Christmas? And that would be good for people who use fuel oil to heat their homes, too.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sportsmanship begins Young

Following on to yesterday's blog about the Royals and their lack of championship character, I was reminded of what I observed during last weekend's football game between the GORC Wildcats, the team that grandson Jax plays for, and the Chesapeake Cougars. 

Jax has been developing into a tough-nosed player during the season. The past two weeks he has not even come off the field--playing offense, defense, and special teams. He loves to recover fumbles and loves to run the football.


Last Saturday he scored his first point by running the ball across the end line for only the second point after touchdown for the team this season.

The week before, he picked up a fumble and rambled thirty or so yards before being dragged down from behind.

But you know what made me proudest? Last week after he leveled a kid trying to block him as he rushed on defense to tackle the quarterback, after the play, he stopped to help the kid back to his feet in a friendly sort of way.

Sportsmanship.

The game is not personal!

Pro teams need to take a lesson from six-years olds like Jax! (and so do many fans)

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

World Series 2014 Thoughts

Jeremy Guthrie's Offensive Tee Shirt

I was ecstatic that the Giants defeated the Royals 7-1 in the first game of the World Series last night. Just to be clear--I hope the San Francisco Giants sweep the World Series from the bad-boy Kansas City Royals.

No, it is not because the Royals beat the Orioles--I usually hope the team that beats mine wins it all so at least I can be comforted by realizing that my team was dispatched by the eventual champions.

Not so this year. 

The Royals do not possess the character of a true champion. They are thugs, similar to many NFL or NBA teams and do not deserve to represent either MLB or the US as our World Series Champions.

Champions have compassion and understand that winners are only a few outs or hits away from being losers.

Jeremy Guthrie and the rest of the Royals were not gracious in victory. They forgot that in sports only one team goes home happy at the end of the season. Rubbing the losers noses into the loss--especially a hard fought series which featured some of the worst umpiring I have ever seen in playoff baseball, is just not how it is done.

The Kansas City Royals have replaced the team from up north that shall remain nameless as my least favorite team in baseball because of their lack of character and respect.

The Royals are not royal, they are pretenders for the crown and the Giants will hopefully humble them into submission and be gracious about it.

Just saying.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD