Monday Musings - November 20, 2017

Blanks Snow Village Canvass

1. I do not fully understand why I cleaned the leaves from the yard on Saturday. The cold and winds of the overnight made the yard look as if I had not done anything by Sunday morning.

2. I decided not to play golf yesterday was the temperatures were falling through the 40's and the wind was gusting to 50 mph. I have enough trouble with my game without adding extreme weather conditions into the equation.

2017 Snow Village Display

3. Winners and Losers: Winners: Ravens, Steelers. Losers: Cowboys, Redskins, Penguins

4. Attention! Christmas is arriving. Yesterday was Snow Village Day and the 2017 edition is on display!

Close-up of the City Portion of the Snow Village Display

5. It seems there is always more to do than time to complete the projects.

6. Thanksgiving is Thursday. Take a moment to be thankful for the many blessings that we all have.

7. As the season of the turkey draws to a close, the holiday season will get into full swing.

8. Be safe as you travel this holiday season.


Headlines

The U.S. must prepare for Iran’s next move in Syria - The Washington Post
Search for Missing Argentine Submarine Raises Grim Scenarios - The New York Times

'Stop saying Christmas' Priest warns Christians to abandon the word - Express

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"There is no reason why people in any part of the world should have to live in permanent fear of war or its spectre. I believe the time has come for all nations to act in a responsible spirit that doesn't threaten other states. I believe the time is right to move forward on arms control and the resolution of critical regional disputes at the conference table." Remarks to Members of the National Press Club on Arms Reduction and Nuclear Weapons, November 18, 1981

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Taking the Dog for a Ride

Taking the Dog for a Ride

As Chris and I were returning home yesterday after a shopping trip, we came upon a scene that just made us laugh.

At a light, the driver opened the sun roof and out came the head of a large dog. We thought the dog would go back inside the cabin of the car once the light turned, but that did not happen. The car proceeded down the road with the dogs head sticking out.

Chris took my cell phone and snapped an image because we were just fascinated by the scene.

It was a really big dog and it seemed to be really enjoying the ride.

It was a nice afternoon for the dog to enjoy.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday Night Politics

Friday evenings mark the beginning of the weekend for Chris and I and our group of friends.

Friday Night Appetizers

Last evening was no exception. We gathered together at a friend's house to enjoy the end of the workweek and reconnect our lives. 

The food was sumptuous and enjoyable while the wine freely flowed.

The discussion centered on the politics of the week with two topics taking center stage: taxes and elephants.

Taxes have been in the news and we all agreed that the plans being presented by the Congress do not represent wins for the middle class. Robert Reich wrote and article titled The GOP Tax Bill is Everything That's Wrong with Our Democracy and in it spells out the problems and inconsistencies.

And then there was the discussion of elephant trophies. We were collectively appalled that the government was going to allow the importation of elephant trophies. Clearly, every middle class household has room for an elephant trophy and we are all big game hunters on the side. Wile were were having an excited discussion a headline came across my phone which indicated that the President had reversed the decision and the ban will remain in place while he reviews the conservation facts.

Our group could solve the problems of the world, if only . . . 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Taxes?

Taxes have been in the news. 

My view is that if a politician's lips are moving, they are lying. 

The tax reform appears to be an attempt to buy the American populace by trying to proposing a tax plan that appears to offer something for nothing.

As I dig into the plans out there, I find that true middle Americans are likely lose under the plans. Those of us who own our homes and try to pay our bills on time are going to be expected to fund the tax deductions for everyone else.

Some of the real problems in the bills:

Loss of the ability to deduct state income taxes--that is a 7 percent hit here in Maryland. 

Fortunately, the Representatives realized that home ownership is the bedrock of our economy and kept in deductions for mortgage interest and taxes--albeit reduced, the reductions should not affect most middle class Americans.

Here is a summary from The Washington Post:

About 30 percent of filers itemize. Most of the people who itemize claim the state and local tax deduction (SALT) where they deduct their state and local sales, income and property taxes. Under the House bill, only the property deduction would remain. This hurts people living in high-tax (and often blue) states like New Jersey, New York and California. Several GOP representatives from these states plan to vote no on the bill in protest.

The adoption credit stays. The 401(k) exemption stays. But . . .

Say goodbye to the tax credits for plug-in motor vehicles. It gets repealed in 2018.

Say goodbye to the deduction for medical expenses. It goes away in 2018.

Say goodbye to being able to write off the costs of your tax preparer. That goes away in 2018.

Say goodbye to the deduction for moving expenses. It goes away in 2018, except for members of the military.

Say goodbye to most tax benefits for college. 

I am not sure how this is going to be a tax reduction. And i clearly am not going to be buying a Tesla in the future.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD  

How Much?

2017 Silverado

I was watching TV and noticed an advertisement for a Chevy truck. 

Save $12,000 the big letters were displayed across the screen.

It dawned upon me then that we don't see the real prices anymore. Just the savings.

In 1968, the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) for a Chevy C10 pick-up with basic configuration was $2,333 according to a website I checked out. 

1968 C10

I could have bought almost 6 trucks with the savings on just one Silverado.

I remember the ads for Volkswagen: $1995! Yea. A complete car for less than $2,000.

In 1975, Chris and I considered buying a Chevy Camaro. The MSRP is listed at about $3,685. And that seemed like a lot of money!

I wonder how much the Silverado is that is being advertised for a savings of $12,000. According to the ad I found on line, the MSRP is $56,785.

Wow! No wonder we need to start dealing with $12,000 off.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Where the Eagles Are

Eagle in Fulton, MD
November 14, 2017

Chris had an interesting sighting on her way to work yesterday.

She saw an eagle perched in a tree.

Eagle sightings while not rare are also not common.

The majestic birds and the symbol of our nation are making a comeback in the region--but, seeing an eagle in the wild is still an experience. 

They are big birds!

Chris reported that some of the maintenance staff of her school went up onto the roof to watch the eagle. Although invited to join them, Chris remained firmly planted on the ground. 

I like the idea of soaring with the eagles.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wine for the Holiday

One of the joys of the holidays for me is selecting the wines to accompany the meals.

I have already begun planning the wine courses for the Thanksgiving meal. I guess that is my part of the meal, planning the wine to accompany the meal while recognizing the varying tastes of the family. 

I just find it a lot of fun.

Apparently, I am not the only one who enjoys panning the wine and worrying about how it will compliment the meal and be received by the guests.

An article in the New York Times this morning gave me hope. The article, titled The Four Rules of Thanksgiving Wines, provides some excellent holiday wine serving ideas. 

I am going to provide the four rules below, but I recommend reading the article to fully understand them.

Rule No. 1: You will be anxious before the holiday.

Rule No. 2: The holiday always goes beautifully.

Rule No. 3: If the food is good and the company convivial, you cannot go wrong with the wine. If the food is bad and the company annoying, wine can only help.

Rule No. 4: Choose wines that you like; everybody else will like them, too.


And there they are! I place a lot of importance on Rule 4 and Rule 3. Pick wines that you know and that you like! Don't experiment with untested wines for the meal unless you are willing to accept that it may not work out.

Enjoy the day and most of all, the wines.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 13, 2017

1. This is the in-between week. The week sandwiched between Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving!


2. Patrick took his drone with us to visit some wineries yesterday. He got some great shots at Big Cork Winery and was the center of attention as people took interest in his endeavor. 

3. It was a great three-day weekend, except for the cold. Now, it is back to our regularly scheduled workweek.

4. Do retirees actually care what day of the week it is?

5. If the Congressionally sponsored tax plans take away the tax advantages of home ownership, then who will own homes?

6. About taxes--why are they continuing to meddle with the existing and admittedly flawed system. Perhaps it is time to go to a flat tax system with few deductions and be done with it. 

7. I think people are finally becoming done with the antics of the NFL and the over-paid prima donna players. See the Headline below.

8. Winners and Losers: 
    Winners: Steelers. 
    Losers: Cowboys, Redskins, Penguins (2). 
    Did not play: Ravens.

Headlines

Trump Mocks Kim Jong Un: I Would Never Call Him ‘Short and Fat’ - The Washington Free Beacon

Senate Plan Could Increase Taxes on Some Middle-Class Workers - The New York Times

Hey NFL=> Bears Packers Game HALF EMPTY at Soldier Field — This Ain’t Good Folks! - Gateway Pundit

Surveillance Cameras Made by China Are Hanging All Over the U.S. - The Wall Street Journal

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"Each time our nation has called upon our citizens to serve, the best have come forward. Words cannot express our gratitude and admiration. But we can and should take the opportunity on this Veterans Day to remember their gift to us. When you see one of our young men and women in uniform on the street or someplace, how about a smiling 'hello' and, maybe, a 'thank you.'" Radio Address to the Nation on America's Veterans, November 5, 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Lost in the News

If someone is making the news, then they are controlling the news.

Most often we look at making the news as a bad thing and that is because it seems that the news media likes a juicy story that is full of poor decisions and subterfuge. 

In reviewing the headlines form the past few months, there have been hurricanes, Charlottesville, Las Vegas, New York City, Sutherland Springs, Russian meddling in the election, tax plans, Obama-care repeal and the list goes on.

The hard part is finding out what happens after the events are over are no longer in the headlines. 

The recovery from the recent hurricanes continues. People are still putting their lives back together--yet I cannot find any more coverage of that in the news.

As for the shootings--many people will be living with the pain of loss or the recovery from wounds for years.

I constantly remind myself that the news stories are about people and that once the reporters have departed from the scene, the people remain. The people are the story--be they the perpetrator or the victims.

Lost in the news are the people and they remain after the lights have turned off.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Crisp Autumn Day

Yesterday was a crisp autumn day yesterday. It was perhaps a bit colder than crisp. The high temperature crept out of the 30's topping out at 41 degrees.


This morning the temperature fell to 20 degrees before dawn. It fell almost a degree during the hour I was awake from 5:30 to 6:33. Dawn was only beginning to grace the morning sky as the the temperature fell. I can feel winter wrapping its tendrils around the thermometer.

At least the morning fire in the fireplace began to chase the cold from the house.

Yesterday it was too cold to work outside. I usually put up the outdoor Christmas lights on Veteran's Day. We don't illuminate them, but I get them in place and ready for the coming season. That did not happen yesterday. The lights remain safely in their container. It is likely that we will be changing the exterior lighting this year and no longer using the icicle lights that have decorated our home for the past 17 years. I guess they are getting a bit dated.

Autumn Tree
November 10, 2017

Yesterday, however, did provide some stunning autumnal beauty. 

I came across this tree, which against the backdrop of the clear sky provided the perfect advertisement for autumn. It is the color that people look for during the all-to-brief autumn season.

Today should be an equally spectacular and cold day. The sky is clear as sunlight begins to tickle to tops of the trees.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD