Monday Musings - March 16, 2015

Et tu, Brute?

1. Yesterday was the Ides of March, I have attached the funniest image I saw during the day. An historical parody.

2. March Madness is officially underway. Go Maryland!

3. Fun times together with the family should not be missed. Especially when there are celebrations involved!

4. The weather is warmer--why is it that I want it even warmer?

5. Spring Training continues and the Orioles are still waiting to gel and have a disappointing 3-11 record. I hope they turn it around during the next couple of weeks. 

6. Spring begins on Friday! The Winter is nearly over!

7. The scary part about yesterday being the Ides of March is that there are now only 30 days left to get the taxes done for all of the procrastinators out there.

8. Is this really another 5-day week with no holidays in sight?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

NCAA - Tournament Time and Sanctions

The NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament has arrived. The conference championships are finishing with teams across the country vying for a spot in what is known as March Madness.

People are beginning complete their brackets to predict the road to the Final Four and the eventual NCAA Men's National Basketball Champion.

It is all very exciting.

What is at stake? According to one report I read, over $800 million. The tournament has become much larger than amateur athletics. 

Yesterday, the Maryland Men's Basketball Team lost its semifinal game and will not be playing for the Big 10 Conference Championship today; however, they are expected to be a 3 seed in the tournament. They posted an exceptional year and I wish them the best of luck as they start down the path that leads to an eventual champion of the nation.

One team that is not participating in the post-regular season conference and NCAA tournaments is Syracuse. The school is enduring a self-imposed post-season ban because of violations of NCAA and school standards. The NCAA, as I have written about two other times this past week, has levied a number of sanctions on the school which seem to be to be very harsh. I read an Op-Ed piece by Joe Nocera in the New York Times yesterday that expresses my feelings about the situation titled, Syracuse, Boeheim and the N.C.A.A. 

I have to agree with Joe--reading about the NCAA report in the news and then actually reading the report I was left wondering about the true intent of the NCAA in the situation. The sanctions levied on Syracuse are very severe--returning over $100 million in revenue sharing monies, vacating over 100 wins, and other equally as harsh penalties. And the difficult part is the Syracuse recognized the problems and corrected them before the investigation. 

Is it about the student athletes? Especially the ones currently in the program? No.  I did not see any mention that the program had self-corrected from 2012 onward. Is that not what the true desired end state is? Programs discover problems, correct them and move on? I guess not.

It all comes down to money. 

The tournament is about money and, sadly, college sports are about money. Everyone gets a piece except the student athletes.

The report and the capricious sanctions against Syracuse tarnish the image of the NCAA as a governing body and confirms that it is not about the students--but about making money!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Snow Swan Song

Ice on the Pool Cover

It is nearly gone. 

Finally! 

The temperatures have been above freezing for most of the week and only a few piles of snow remain in and around my yard. 

March 6, 2015
Snowy Dawn

Even the ice in the pool is mostly gone and I can begin to think about living outdoors and the impending warmth of summer with life around the pool!

Sure, opening the pool is still over a month away--but it seems a lot closer this week than it did last week. 

I am just happy about the change in the view of my yard from frozen and snow covered to greening and ready for Spring--and yes, that is the golf target ready to receive golf balls.

March 14, 2015
Rainy Dawn

What a difference a week makes. I never would have thought it possible that almost all of the snow would be gone and the green would already be returning!

This is a much different scene from my friends and family living in the frozen northlands--but the good news is, the thaw is coming to you as well!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

March Madness has Arrived!

In my writing about Springtime, I forgot to mention March Madness as a sure sign of warmer temperatures. 

While usually reserved for the NCAA tournament to crown the basketball champion of the year, March Madness encompasses the entire month as the regular season ends and the conference championships begin. 

Tonight, for instance, the Maryland Terrapins begin their conference championship quest. Seeded number 2 in the Big 10 Conference, they have a fair chance to win the championship. Regardless, they should be no lower than a three seed in the big dance--which will be announced Sunday with play commencing almost immediately for the play-in games and the main tournament beginning on Thursday. 

I am not a fan of the NCAA. The rules that support raising billions of dollars in revenue for the schools, the NCAA, television, and gambling ensure that the student-athletes receive almost nothing for their efforts. After reading the recent report on Syracuse University infractions, I am even more convinced that the NCAA governing body needs to be dissolved. It is applying 1930's logic to the 21st Century situations and requirements. In some respects, the rules harm the ability of student athletes to live and successfully complete college. 

But the madness is beginning and the excitement of the greatest basketball tournament in Earth! 

Break out the TV channel guide because it's gonna be another wild ride.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Life Under the Snow

Daffodils

I was pleased to find that my hypothesis was correct about daffodils and hyacinths poking up under the snow.

Yesterday I received confirmation. Clumps of daffodils and hyacinths making an appearance in the muddy but snow free areas of the lawn.

Hyacinths

Snow in the Yard

The warmer temperatures have accelerated the arrival of Springtime as the snow pack recedes and the lawn appears. 

Thankfully, it seems we have survived the winter which saw numerous low temperature records fall. Too many low temperature records fell. I am not really interested in receiving my BG&E electric bill for the period. It could be a record as well--in a bad way!

Snow remains in the yard mostly in the areas where it was piled to clear the driveway and walks, and of course the pool remains frozen. 

But the season of darkness and cold is clearly ending. I expect at least one more assault of cold weather--but the warmth is arriving.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Whether the Weather

I checked the thermometer this morning as I was making my coffee. 

The temperature was 41 degrees. Amazing what a few days can do. Last week at this time we were struggling with single-digit morning temperatures and the threat of snow which materialized in a big way. 

Today the temperature is supposed to hit 65 and the rain has stopped. 

I think Spring is arriving! 

Just Sunday, Makayla was rolling in the snow--she loves the snow, and today it is mostly gone and what remains is more ice than snow!

The snow is melting and I am going to check the gardens this afternoon for signs of buds peeking through the ground.

It is amazing how a little sunshine and a springtime rain can change the mood of the entire region.

I'm in a good mood, too!

Countdown:
Days until Spring Begins: 9
Days until Orioles Opening Day: 26
Days until Orioles Home Opener: 30
Days until the Pool is Opened: 42 (est.)

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spring Training Update

The Orioles are conducting Spring Training in Sarasota, Florida, and I hope to be there in a about two weeks to see the team first hand! 

Their record is currently a disappointing 2-6. The O's have been losing a lot--but most of the games have been close and it seems that the hitting hasn't showed up yet. They have scored 1 run during the past two games and have lost 2-1, and 1-0. The pitching is coming around, now the hitters need to do their part.

Spring training records are not that important. More important is to check out the talent and ensure the team breaks camp with the 25 best players so that they are competitive. 

I am convinced that Buck is working hard to ensure the best team possible takes the field on opening day.

Opening Day is 27 days away. Spring is just 10 days away. It is so close that it is beginning to be real.

The snow is melting and hopes are rising. Play ball!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - March 9, 2015

1. It was over 50 degrees yesterday for the first time since the beginning of February. 

Happy Hour on the Deck
March 8, 2015

2. Happy Hour on the deck with the fire table and snow in the background. 

3. It is amazing how one day with temperatures warm enough to allow me to venture outside into the sunshine improves my outlook on life.

4. I noticed that the tulip poplars have leaf buds on them already. Spring is surely trying to arrive.

Gridlock at Arundel Mills
March 7, 2015

5. Saturday evening Chris and I mistakenly attempted to attend a movie at Arundel Mills Mall. After thirty minutes of gridlock we finally escaped after missing the start time of the movie. Note to self: Avoid Arundel Mills Mall!

6. I am appalled at the severity of the punishment levied against Syracuse University and Coach Boeheim by the NCAA. It seems inconsistent with punishments handed out to other universities.  Further, I think the NCAA is an organization that has outlived its usefulness.

7. I find it interesting that the Maryland Legislature decided not to repeal a tax on rain. Who elected the representatives that decided that?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

History's Demise

Reading in the NY Times about the widespread destruction of antiquities by the ISIL hordes in Iraq struck a chord with me. 

If people do not have to be confronted with their history, then they are free to believe anything they want. People seem to be afraid of history when it clashes with their belief system.

I have read and heard it before. For example:

In 2001, the Taliban destroyed Budda statues that was the country's most famous tourist attraction. 

There are those who deny the holocaust ever happened.

Those who want to believe that theirs is the only civilization that ever existed.

Those who rewrite history to make their more prominent or more important.

Those who strike words from speeches and books which are contrary to their beliefs.

Those who ban books, like Tom Sawyer and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from school libraries because they contain values contrary to their narrow beliefs. 

Some people operate on the principle of: Don't confuse me with the facts.

I must strive not to impose my narrow beliefs upon the world and eradicate things that do not conform to how I believe. The world is too big and my mind is too small appreciate the diversity that is set before me and as I grapple with making sense of everything, it is too easy to eradicate those things that disagree with my beliefs--so that I don't have to deal with them.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bird Watching on a Snowy Winter Day

I am not the only person in the house that likes to watch the birds outside the window on cold and snowy days.

Chris was busy with her camera during the storm the other day and took some nice shots of birds visiting the feeders. 

We both like cardinals and so the images captured are tend to be mostly of them; however, not just the males but the females as well. I think one of her best shots was of a female cardinal. 

When the snow is falling so quickly, what else is there to do except plan to shovel and be thankful that we are in a warm house with nature to provide entertainment. 

Stay warm!

-- Bob and Christina Doan, Elkridge, MD