1. It is the third Monday of June. Wow. The month is flying by.
2. Summer is here. It started last evening. Enjoy there first full day of Summer and plan your get away.
3. I had an enjoyable Father's Day. Low key, but very enjoyable. Thanks to all who participated. And as an added benefit, the cicadas were gone and so it was enjoyable to be outside.
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Pool Cover Last Hurrah
Beallsville, MD
June 19, 2021 |
4. I was advised over the weekend that my pool cover had come to the end of its useful life. That was a shock. I knew it needed repair, but when faced with the facts, I could not escape the realization that the cover needed to be replaced. Not an expected summertime expense.5. For the first time in many years I do not have any summertime travel plans.
6. As a sign of the post-Covid experience, yesterday marked the first time that I shopped in a grocery store without first donning my facial covering. It was about a 60-40 mix of people with the majority still covered. I had a facial covering in my pocket, but wanted to see how it felt not to wear the mask. It felt unsettling. We are not fully back to pre-Covid normal yet.
7. Today in History. June 21, 1788. New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land.
By 1786, defects in the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederationwere apparent, such as the lack of central authority over foreign and domestic commerce. Congress endorsed a plan to draft a new constitution, and on May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. On September 17, 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new U.S. constitution, which created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.
How Five Hong Kong Protesters Escaped by Speedboat and Found Freedom in the U.S. - The Wall Street JournalNew York Faces Lasting Economic Toll Even as Pandemic PassesNew York Faces Lasting Economic Toll Even as Pandemic Passes - The New York Times
Tucker Carlson Calls Journalists ‘Animals.’ He’s Also Their Best Source.Tucker Carlson Calls Journalists ‘Animals.’ He’s Also Their Best Source. - The New York Times
Unmasking the far right: An extremist paid a price when his identity was exposed online after a violent clash in Washington - The Washington Post
Preventing Iran from getting nuclear weapon is ‘paramount priority,’ national security adviser says - The Washington Post
American Airlines Cuts Flights to Avoid Potential Strains - The Wall Street Journal
Olympics Tokyo organisers to cap spectators at 10,000 per venue - Reuters
Bitcoin slumps in wake of China crackdown - Reuters
Ronald Reagan Quote for the WeekIn the early days of our Republic, Americans watched Yankee Clippers glide across the many oceans of the world, manned by proud and energetic individuals breaking records for time and distance, showing our flag, and opening up new vistas of commerce and communications. Well, today, I think you have helped recreate the anticipation and excitement felt in those homeports as those gallant ships were spotted on the horizon heading in after a long voyage.
Today we celebrate the 206th anniversary of our independence. Through our history, we've never shrunk before a challenge. The conquest of new frontiers for the betterment of our homes and families is a crucial part of our national character, something which you so ably represent today. The space program in general and the shuttle program in particular have gone a long way to help our country recapture its spirit of vitality and confidence. The pioneer spirit still flourishes in America. In the future, as in the past, our freedom, independence, and national well-being will be tied to new achievements, new discoveries, and pushing back new frontiers.
The fourth landing of the Columbia is the historical equivalent to the driving of the golden spike which completed the first transcontinental railroad. It marks our entrance into a new era. The test flights are over. The groundwork has been laid. And now we will move forward to capitalize on the tremendous potential offered by the ultimate frontier of space. Beginning with the next flight, the Columbia and her sister ships will be fully operational, ready to provide economical and routine access to space for scientific exploration, commercial ventures, and for tasks related to the national security.
Simultaneously, we must look aggressively to the future by demonstrating the potential of the shuttle and establishing a more permanent presence in space.
Remarks at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on Completion of the Fourth Mission of the Space Shuttle Columbia - July 4, 1982
-- Bob Doan, ELkridge, MD
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