The Plague Spreads

Palymra, Syria

The news from the middle east this morning is particularly grim as the forces of ISIL/ISIS have captured a second city in about a week. The New York Times reports the capture in an article titled 
ISIS Fighters Seize Control of Syrian City of Palmyra, and Ancient Ruins.
With the fall of Palmyra, Syria, the world is bracing for the destruction of antiquities which document the history of modern civilizations which have preceded us and which no longer exist. The Greeks, the Romans, the Persians to name three. 

My concern, however, is for the people who live there. The press reports that executions are common when ISIS/ISIL capture a city. And not just a few, but hundreds of people are murdered when the plague on the region sweeps through a city. 

The reports from Ramadi were especially grim after the city's capture. A CNN report contained the following description.

"On the first day that ISIS took over the city, they executed a 3-year-old girl whose father was fighting against ISIS. And he later died in battle," he [the Anbar Government Spokesman] told CNN.

ISIS has a grim track record of ruthlessly slaughtering opponents it captures.

"Anybody who supported the government will probably be executed within the next 24 hours," said Baer. "Their families will be driven out. It will be a bloodbath over the next couple of days. All the soldiers who were captured will be executed."

While I agree that the loss of historical antiquities is tragic, the murders of uncountable numbers of people is criminal and should be the lead story. We have become desensitized to the immorality of the slaughter of people in the wake of ISIS/ISIL occupations.

Let's focus upon the human costs first and worry about the antiquities secondly. 

People suffer and feel pain. Antiquities make no sound. We need to hear the cries of the innocents and the prisoners as they are brutally murdered. These are the crimes to which we should respond.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spring Concert

I can tell that the end of another school year is fast approaching. The lasts are beginning to out number the firsts.

Ethan with Cello

Last evening, I attended the Waugh Chapel Elementary School Spring Concert. It was Ethan's evening to shine and to demonstrate how his cello prowess has improved during the course of another school year. 

Especially with stringed instruments it is easy to follow the progression from disconnected noises to music as a child learns to play. 

I attended the concert which was another well planned event at the school. Elementary schools generally have limited parking and limited seating capacity for the throngs of people who want to attend the concerts. Years ago, the band and the strings performed during the same show--a catastrophe for both seating and parking. Now they wisely separate the performances by about a half hour which allows the string parents and students to clear the seats and making lot in time for the band parents and students to arrive. It is a much more pleasant experience.

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Rustic Dance by M. Williams.

The advanced strings performed five pieces and I recorded four--suffering a equipment malfunction during the fifth, and of course that would be the one in which Ethan and his cello carried the lead for a long time. 

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Honor and Glory by S. Newbolt

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Minuet from the Royal Fireworks by G.F. Handel arranged by J. Capenegro.

Waugh Chapel Elementary Strings performing Let if Go by B. May arranged by P. Lavender.

All of them are available on my You Tube channel. 

Good job to all of the young musicians. Enjoy the show.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Massage to Driving Range

I guess I am under the influence of golf!

Yesterday I had a much needed massage after work, but took my clubs with every intention of hitting the driving range at Timbers on my way home. I'm still slicing my tee shots too much.

The massage was awesome, as usual.

To celebrate, I stopped at the driving range on my way home and I did finally hit a few straight shots--but I can't for the life of me figure out why. I can't repeat success. 

When I see the pros hit drives of 300 plus yards, my paltry 175 yard drives are very frustrating even though punctuated by an occasional 220 yard drive. I knowI have the capability to do better, I just can't figure out how.

I enjoyed playing in a golf tournament last Friday because we had a guy on the team who could hit 290 plus yard drives--it really changes the game when I have a reasonable change for a birdie or even an eagle, and the team made a few finishing the round at a respectable 2 under par--we really should have done better but got off to a slow start.

I'm a mediocre golfer and the Orioles are playing mediocre baseball. I don't like the similarity.

The Orioles were off last evening getting a much needed rest after a stretch of less than stellar baseball. They need to hit the switch from mediocrity to excellence soon.

Me? I just need to work harder.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 18, 2015

1. The Orioles finally won a game this season when scoring less than four runs. What a weird statistic. 

Louis by the Pool

2. Cats are weird. Even though they allegedly do not like water, Louis loves to sit right on the edge of the pool.

Riordin with a Lacrosse Ball

3. Riordin, our other cat, thought playing with a lacrosse ball was fun. 

4. Warm weekends are enjoyable--so far we have been doing fairly well running on only one of our our conditioning systems because it still gets cool at night. I hope the new system gets installed this week.

5. People seem to have forgotten that the war against ISIL/ISIS continues in Iraq. The fall of the city of Ramadi highlights how tenuous the situation remains. 

6. What is the best way to keep three rambunctious boys busy for an afternoon? Just add water--in the form of a pool.

7. The verdict is in--the Boston Bomber received a recommendation for the death penalty on six of the convictions against him.

8. The trains are supposed to begin running again between Philadelphia and New York city after the accident last week.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hot, Sultry Saturday

Lilac Bush Blooms

Yesterday was one of those summer-like Saturdays that just beg for outdoors activities.

It was cool in the morning, but rapidly heats up and blossoms into one of those low 80 degree days that just make me want to be outside--and I was. The day ended on a bit of a sour note with the obligatory thunderstorms that kept me from attending the Orioles game and rather sitting at home on the back porch watching the rain and storms cross the landscape. 

The Orioles lost 6-1 and so it is a good thing I didn't go to the game to add further disappointment to a season that is mediocre at best, also far.

Window Boxes in a row

But aside from Jax's morning baseball game and Ethan's lunchtime lacrosse game--it was a day for outdoors activities, mowing and gardening. 

Our young lilac tree burst into blossom with a spectacular display of fragrant blooms. 

Window Box with Geraniums and Fuchsia

Chris spent much of the day creating the window boxes which adorn the deck and provide that much needed splash of color. The deck is one of the few areas of our house that actually gets enough sunlight to grow sun loving plants, everywhere else we must plant more shade loving and they tend to be a bit more subdued that the sun loving geraniums and petunias. 

I am still, every morning and all day, amazed by the green that surrounds me in my yard. I am so blessed to be enveloped by trees and shrubs that bring the green which also brings privacy and respite from the sounds of the region around me. It is truly a little piece of paradise.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Trains, the Other Transportation

In the aftermath of the horrific Amtrak accident in Philadelphia it has become clear to me that America is not committed to affordable public transportation and that our love affair with the internal combustion engine and the automobile governs how we think and act.

Trains are efficient. Unlike flying, I don't have to get to the station two hours in advance of a 30 minute train trip between major cities that might take two hours to drive. 

The accident in Philadelphia is highlighting how fragile our rail service remains. The entire Northeast Corridor should not be shut down for days following the accident--yet is has been. Where are the alternate rails? There apparently are too many single points of failure in the system. 

Part of the solution begins in Congress. Amtrak is underfunded! Congress need to take responsibility for moving America from roads and highways and onto the rails making this form of transportation more acceptable. 

Here is the calculus that I use. When I am planning a trip to New York City--it takes three hours by train and three hours by bus. The train is $77 and the bus is about $17. You make the choice. And than is the problem. The train should be faster for the added expense. There are faster trains, but the price doubles. The bus is cheaper than driving! The trains is about double the cost of driving--go figure.

Trains need to be competitive, fast, safe, and available! We need to change the way we think about travel to make trains a viable and important option.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Driving into the Sunrise

Stoneybrook Golf Course at Dawn
Bradenton, Fl
March 22, 2015

I almost enjoy going to work during this time of year because the sun is rising across the land and I can enjoy my favorite time of the day--dawn.

I noticed the jets landing at BWI Airport yesterday as I drove to work. They were flying into the rising sun which was casting its golden hues across the scenery. 

I find going to work during this time of year to be much more preferable than traveling to work during hours of darkness.

I enjoy the sunrise, and even though I can't take a picture of it as it rises--because I am driving, I remember the scene with the long shadows chasing darkness from the landscape. 

Some of the best images are captures during the morning while the air is clean and crisp. And it has been crisp--yesterday dawn broke with the thermometer at 47 degrees. It is warmer this morning at 52 degrees. 

I remember standing on a Florida golf course at dawn on morning just two months ago--the fog was lifting from the world as the sun rose to warm the land. The scene was beautiful. There is something serene about being the first group of the day hitting out of the tee box and into a fog wondering if any of the balls will be found again. They were and the day dawned beautiful.

I enjoy every new dawn and the promise that the day ahead brings.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Ice Cream Falls

Last evening was one of those perfect mid-week evenings. Chris and I both made it home early enough to beat the heavy traffic and head to Annapolis for a tasting at a local wine wine store followed by roaming around the city and some dinner at the Red Red Wine Bar.

One of our favorite wineries, Fess Parker, from St Olivos,  California, was conducting a tasting at the Mills Fine Wine & Spirits and that is what caused us to sojourn to Annpapolis for the second time in two weeks. 

Coming to the completion of a perfect evening, a bit cool, but nice; we decided to get an ice cream cone as the perfect topper on the evening before heading home. 

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
on the Sidewalk

We should have known that it would not end well when it took three tries to actually find an ice cream store that didn't smell bad. The first two that we tried both had off odors of heavy chemicals cleaners and it was just not conducive to selecting and then eating ice cream. 

The third store, Kilwin's,  had a nice sweet smell and seemed fine. We selected our ice cream and walked outside to enjoy the evening and stroll back to our parked car when tragedy struck.

As Chris went to enjoy the first lick of her cone, the top fell off onto the street--not ten steps outside theater. Visions of small screaming children immediately came to mind--but, being an adult Chris handled it admirably. She returned to the store for a replacement leaving me to guard the fallen ice cream so that no one accidentally stepped into the pile and potentially injured themselves. 

We tried to find a dog to clean up the mess, to no avail. A small bird happened by briefly--but was not really interested. When Chris returned with her replacement scoop, I used some napkins and removed the fallen scoop to a nearby trash can, ending the crisis.

I chuckled to myself remembering the old adage about not crying over spilled milk--and thought it was good we didn't cry over fallen ice cream.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Looking Ahead to the Summer

Here it is, the middle part of May 2015 already. Wow, it seems that just a few short days ago I was complaining about cold weather and immoderate temperatures that were destroying the excitement of the new year.

Expired Heat Pump

And now, the year is almost half over. Summertime is upon us and the vacation season is almost here.

We are busy, too.

As part of our summertime fun, we get to replace one of our heat pumps! Admittedly, coming in at 24 years old and being part of the original equipment of the house, it has served us very well. There just never seems to be a good time to replace a major system household system.

At least the failure of the system to provide cold air was discovered before the real heat of the summer arrived. We have a few days respite from the heat and humidity to complete the installation without extreme discomfort and panic.

Hopefully, the replacement system will be installed and functional before the Memorial Day holiday and we will then be able to cruise into summer and focus upon vacations and not worrying about the much anticipated oppressive. 

Why is it that there is always something more that needs to be done?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Back in the Win Column

It was a doubly good night for my baseball teams last evening.

Post Game Celebration
May 11, 2015

In an amazing display of batting prowess, the GORC Pirates, Jax's baseball team and the one that I help coach, managed to eke out a one-run victory. That was amazing given the lack of hitting that has plagued the team lately. 

I was happy because each boy on the team contributed to the win both with their bats and with solid plays in the field. And it was a come from behind victory at that, as the team was down by four runs at one point.

My other baseball team, the Baltimore Orioles, also played a great game and overcame the Toronto Blue Jays to secure a victory in their first game at home with fans since before the Baltimore unrest. They also got just their second win in seven games against the Blue Jays to get back in the win column after two especially disappointing series against the the teams from the Big Apple.

Playing for the first time ever--or at least in a very long time, wearing home jerseys emblazoned with the Baltimore city name instead of the traditional Orioles, the O's showed that they are truly the pride of our region and a team with class. 

Two teams, two games, great night! Gotta love baseball!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD