Tuesday, July 19, 2016
It's the Future
I felt compelled to watch the opening night of the Republican Convention from Cleveland last evening.
I was treated to an assortment of short speeches from people who are definitely not accomplished orators
But they seemed real and genuine.
The future of our country is at stake. November 8 is looming closer in our divided land.
The election seems to be a polarizing event.
The candidates are alike in their oppositeness. Both seem to view their only path to the presidency comes from bashing the other.
I will likewise watch the opening night and other nights of the Democratic Convention. I want to hear both sides of the issues.
Sadly, given all of the mudslinging, there isn't much brainpower left to apply to the issues.
I have talked to quite a few people who aren't sure they will vote in the November election. I encourage them to change their minds and exercise their very precious ability to vote and change the future.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Monday, July 18, 2016
Monday Musings - July 18, 2016
1. I find it hard to believe that July is half over. It seems as if the summer is just finally getting underway. I think I need a summertime siesta.
2. Falling into the backyard pool after a round of golf on a hot Sunday is a great way to cool off.
12th Hole Crouton Country Club |
4. Cross country flying can be a draining experience, especially flying from Los Angeles. I don't think I still have fully reacclimatized to the time zone.
5. I can tell that the summer is moving along, it is getting darker earlier and the suns rising later. I checked, there is already 20 minutes less of daylight than at the beginning of the month.
Playing Volleyball Under the Lights Off the Santa Monica Pier Pacific Ocean in the Background July 11, 2016 |
7. I saw the Pacific Ocean last week, but was not able to sit on the beach and enjoy the sun, sand, and surf. I wonder when I will be able to get in a bit of "beach" time.
8. Someone I was traveling with proposed that the breeze coming off the Pacific Ocean smells different than the Atlantic Ocean breeze. I think it is true.
9. It is time for some mid-summer fun, before the summer runs out.
10. It is political convention time. Our future is at stake.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Sunday, July 17, 2016
In N Out Burger
While in California, I experienced a new burger place--In N Out Burger.
I am not a burger connoisseur, but some of my traveling companions wanted to enjoy the uniquely Californian burger experience.
In-N-Out Burger Roofline |
I did enjoy the palm tree motif on the roof line of the building.
It was enjoyable, but alas--it is just another burger place. Some say it is similar to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I can see that.
My Lunch at In-N-Out Burger |
So if you need a burger fix--I'd recommend stopping and enjoying the food.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Friday, July 15, 2016
Out the Hotel Window - Lompoc, CA, July 2016
Out the Hotel Window Left July 15, 2016 Lompoc, CA |
Sometimes, hotel don't consider the view that guests will have out their windows.
In this case it is garbage and back alleys.
Out the Hotel Window Right July 15, 2016 Lompoc, CA |
The hotel itself is very nice to look at and a great place to stay, it is just that the back lot leaves a lot to be desired.
I understand why the curtains are closed. Although the garbage truck did wake me during my first night here, the room is generally quiet.
It is really amazing the different views that I have experienced out my hotel window on this trip.
The weather has been the big story. It is 55 degrees as I wake up on this July morning with an expected high in Lompoc of 68 degrees. I am looking forward to getting back to the 90's of Maryland and being in my pool. The hotel has a beautiful pool area, it is just that the air temperature is so cold I would never consider getting into it.
The real reason to come here, however, is for the wines! More about that in the future.
-- Bob Doan, writing from Lompoc, CA
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Lights in the Sky
Near Lompoc, CA July 13, 2016 |
It was picture worthy.
The resulting image was even more interesting that the fog ball which looks like something right out of the movie Independence Day.
What was most interesting was the bright objects in the upper left corner of the image. We did not see them with our eyes--but they are definitely there on the image.
Brings back memories of the mid-1960's and the UFO investigations.
Is Roswell, NM, anywhere near here?
-- Bob Doan, writing from Lompoc, CA
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Out the Hotel Window - Los Angeles, July 2016
Los Angeles July 11, 2016 |
I have been here before, but the sheer magnitude of the city has escaped me on the other occasions that I have traveled to and through here.
Los Angeles (in the distance) July 11, 2016 |
The hotel is conveniently situated in between two of the main runways serving Los Angeles International Airport, which is better known as LAX.
But with the curtains closed, my room could be anywhere because it is so quiet.
I enjoy watching the planes land. I have a great seat to enjoy the constant activity at the airport.
There is a whole world happening, outside the hotel windows.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Santa Monica Alive
Santa Monica Pier from the Bluffs |
Last evening I had dinner in Santa Monica, one of those places that I have seen so much about in the movies.
It exists and is every bit as diverse as I had been led to believe.
Entrance to Santa Monica Pier |
It was a stunning sight as the mountains were silhouetted against the setting sun and I was not the only person with a camera trying to get the perfect shot of the activities. I was amazed at how wide the beach appeared. It was huge. Completely different from the narrow Florida beaches that I love.
Looking out at the Mountains with the Pacific Coast Highway in View |
Looking at Santa Monica from the Pier |
It was definitely a celebration.
I enjoyed the constant reminders of life and excitement.
All in all it was an exceptionally long travel day, but it ended is a way that I could not have imagined.
-- Bob Doan, writing from Los Angeles, CA
Monday, July 11, 2016
Monday Musings - July 11, 2016
1. Life is a balance. Sometimes it gets unbalanced and then bad things happen.
2. Blue skies are the best sky!
Summer Flowers in my Garden |
4. I love summer flowers!
5. Every time I just look at the pool, I feel refreshed! If only I spent more time in it.
6. Did anyone notice that the O's are leading the division at the half-way point of the season?
7. Any idiot can face a crisis, it is day to day living that wears you out.
8. Smile--it isn't going to get any better unless you do.
9. I love July! I recently read about a couple that spends the year chasing Summer. I wish that were me!
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Sports Day Saturday
My Saturdays are often devoted to sporting activities--usually for the grandsons.
Manny Machado Gnome at Home |
I played golf in the morning and attended a long Orioles game in the afternoon.
I spent five hours golfing (including travel) and five hours at the orioles game (including travel).
10 hours of sports related activities.
My Fitbit recorded over 20,000 steps--and I didn't even try!
Some Fans Dressed as Gnomes |
The Orioles late-afternoon game was fun! It was Manny Machado garden gnome day. Everyone attending the game got a gnome. Fortunately, our seats were in the shade given the 4:05 PM start. It was a hot, slow baseball game that officially took 3 hours and 14 minutes to play in the hear. Over 43,000 fans were in attendance to see the Orioles grind out a 3-2 win! And it was a grind.
I love Saturdays like this one!
--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Friday, July 8, 2016
My Take: Police Shootings
I read a very difficult editorial in the New York Times this morning. It was titled "What White America Fails to See," and I found it difficult to internalize and accept.
Yet, I know there are truths contained inside the words that Michael Eric Dyson wrote and I feel his hurt and frustration.
I wish that we were a multi-cultural nation of equals. I wish the concept of America being a "salad bowl" was actually true or even close to being correct--but clearly, it is not. Multiculturalism is a difficult concept and it is clear from the virulent words of at least one candidate for president, not understood or fully appreciated.
Maybe it was easier when America was "melting pot." Even if the concept was a facade, we believed that we could operate from a singular point of view across different ethnicities. I can see how America was built upon the backs of the newest groups of immigrants in history. The cities and the railroads and the critical infrastructure were built by those newest to America. Yes, that a gross generalization, but fundamentally accurate. As the newest immigrants assimilated, they became Americans and were, mostly, accepted.
But some groups, cultures, were never accepted; hence, multiculturalism has always been with us but the majority were blind to the inequity.
The police shootings of the past two years highlight the cultural differences. The author of the editorial this morning suggests that we view other cultures through binoculars. That resonated with me. We watch from a safe distance and make judgements without experiencing the the reality of life happening where the binoculars are looking.
Some of the hard words that he wrote cut deeply.
You hold an entire population of Muslims accountable for the evil acts of a few. Yet you rarely muster the courage to put down your binoculars, and with them, your corrosive self-pity, and see what we see. You say religions and cultures breed violence stoked by the complicity of silence because peoples will not denounce the villains who act in their names.
Yet you do the same. You do not condemn these cops; to do so, you would have to condemn the culture that produced them — the same culture that produced you. Black people will continue to die at the hands of cops as long as we deny that whiteness can be more important in explaining those cops’ behavior than the dangerous circumstances they face.
"Black Lives Matter." I have heard many smug people, including some political candidates, insist that "All Lives Matter" and I too, for a while was blind to the deeper meaning of the cry. Yet, even though my binoculars are still firmly in my hand, I am appalled at the events of the past two days and I am fully aware that a white person in either of the situations in Louisiana or Minnesota would not have been executed by the police. And that is the problem. I watched the video of the Minnesota shooting. There are a lot of things in that video that are just wrong.
My Take: It was wrong! It was murder. Even I am afraid.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
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