Hump Travel Day

Jupiter Beach
Jupiter, Florida
April 25, 2021

Mid-week travel and an escape to Florida for almost a week, that is the plan for the day.

I will be making my triumphal return to the land of Palm Trees and our condo. Well it may not be a triumphal return except in my own head. It seems as if I have been waiting to get to Florida for a very long time (well, it was April). And yet, very soon it will be my residence.

The travel does provide a way to get away from the pace of life at work, which has been a bit over the top lately. I guess it just goes with the territory. 

And I do look forward to enjoying Happy hour on my favorite beach--maybe tonight? Probably not since we arrive after the happy hour begins. But definitely a walk tomorrow morning. 

I really can't think of a better way to enjoy Indigenous People's Day (a/k/a Columbus Day). Yes, it is a Holiday. WooHoo!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

the Booster

I did it last evening.

I received my COVID-19 vaccine booster. 

Yup, since I'm eligible and it was recommended, due to my advanced age, I am now not only fully vaccinated, but within two weeks I will be fully boosted. 

Chris and I determined that since we are traveling, and much of the travel is to the misguided and poorly led states of Texas and Florida, we needed the extra protection. And we were eligible for the booster. We are also planning on a cruise in January--so additional protection was also desired. 

The person administering the booster shot indicated that since a lot of businesses are requiring vaccinations as a condition of employment, they are seeing a lot of first timers. 

So I will continue to be free to move about the country and the world for that matter. 

Get vaccinated and if eligible, get the booster. The price is right and it is a lot cheaper than getting COVID.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 4, 2021

 

1. October has arrived and today is the first Monday of the month. There are three Mondays remain in October and 12 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. NFL Family Results:

    Ravens (3-1) defeat Broncos (3-1), 23-7

    Cowboys (3-1) defeat Panthers (3-1), 36-28

    Washington (2-2) defeat Falcons (1-3), 34-30

    Steelers (1-3) lose to Packers (3-1), 27-17

Tournament Image - Jax at the Bat
Pasadena, MD
October 2, 2021

3. The baseball tournament played by the Severn Seminoles 14U ended in an unsatisfactory manner with a sour loss yesterday morning 11-8. Based upon how the three games win the tournament were umpired, I wonder if there is an unconscious bias by umpires against teams with plain uniforms. Just wondering because it seemed every questionable call went against out boys and the others teams were wearing modern and unique uniforms. And some bad calls were not questionable--like giving an opposing batter a 4th strike, confirmed by video after the game, which resulted in a two run single rather than an out.

4. It was a sports filled weekend: three baseball games and I watched 2 and a half NFL football games. In addition I repaired the pull cord on my gas powered blower. It is amazing how simple instructions can be difficult to understand. Maybe I'm getting older or maybe some additional words needed to be added. Fortunately YouTube came to the rescue!

5. The past week was some of the best weather the region has experienced in a long time. Warm, but not hot and humid afternoons with cool evenings. One evening Chris and I even sat around the fire pit for the first time this season. 

6. Today in History. October 4, 1957. The Soviet Union inaugurates the “Space Age” with its launch of Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite. The spacecraft, named Sputnik after the Russian word for “satellite,” was launched at 10:29 p.m. Moscow time from the Tyuratam launch base in the Kazakh Republic. 

Sputnik had a diameter of 22 inches and weighed 184 pounds and circled Earth once every hour and 36 minutes. Traveling at 18,000 miles an hour, its elliptical orbit had an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 584 miles and a perigee (nearest point) of 143 miles. Visible with binoculars before sunrise or after sunset, Sputnik transmitted radio signals back to Earth strong enough to be picked up by amateur radio operators. Those in the United States with access to such equipment tuned in and listened in awe as the beeping Soviet spacecraft passed over America several times a day. In January 1958, Sputnik’s orbit deteriorated, as expected, and the spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere.

Broader Inflation Pressures Begin to Show - The Wall Street Journal

Mortgage Payments Are Getting More and More Unaffordable - The Wall Street Journal

Back on the Bench, the Supreme Court Faces a Blockbuster Term - The New York Times

Democratic Voters See Many Losers in Party Schism, and One Winner: Trump - The New York Times

Crisis - what crisis? British military deployed to solve fuel crisis - Reuters

Swedish 'Mohammad' cartoonist Lars Vilks killed in car crash - Reuters

Biden's new China trade plan echoes Trump's, but assumes Beijing won't change - Reuters

U.S. Navy hit by another international bribery scandal - The Washington Post

Why the arrest of an ex-president may be one crisis too many for Georgia - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Day 2 of the Tournament

 

Early Morning on the Diamond
Pasadena, MD
October 2, 2021

Well, the seeding part of the tournament did not end as well as it could. The Severn Seminoles 14U lost the second game 10-1, although the game was much closer. The bats just never got hot and we had a couple really difficult plays which killed our offensive spark. 

Batter interference is a show stopper. A double play on the bases is also a killer--and we had two of those. 

Today will be better. We can still win the championship--we just have to do it the old fashioned way: one game at a time.

Show time is 7:30 am again! Full sun and chilly weather. We get a do over--playing one of the teams we should have beaten yesterday. Not looking ahead--but here's hoping the bats show up.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Early Baseball

 Baseball tournaments start early and eat the whole day. This morning the Severn Seminoles 14U baseball team had its first game at 8:30 am with a 7:30 am show time. 

In the Batting Cage Between Games
Pasadena, MD
October 2, 2021 

The grass was wet and the temperature was in the low 50s as we warmed up and it was clear that the boys were up too early. Lethargy was the word of the morning. I do love baseball and being on the field just after dawn was a great start to the day. 

The first game was a loss, 7-3, although it was because of two disastrous innings: the first and second. For the remainder of the game we outscored them 2-0. 

Waiting now for game 2. We have a two hour plus break. 

More fun to come. 

— Bob Doan, Pasadena, MD

Rolling into the Weekend

 Happy Friday!

There, I am being more positive. I was informed that my end of September post was a bit depressing.

I am encouraged that the government shutdown did not occur. They kicked the can down the road again, until December 3, but at least cooler heads prevailed and solid bipartisan action prevented a disastrous government shutdown.

I dearly hope that the Congress can get their act together and move forward--the people want a function government not a dysfunctional one.

This weekend the Severn Seminoles 14U will participate in its first tournament of the Fall Season. The first game is tomorrow at 0830--and it should be cold. That is what Fall Ball is all about--playing baseball despite the onset of cold weather. We believe that we will compete very well.

And then there is the end of the MLB regular season and the plans for the playoffs coupled NFL Football. 

Wow--it is gonna be busy!

Monday will be back again before I can even begin to think about it.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

September's End

Wasn't Labor Day weekend just yesterday?

It seems as if September rocketed by like a supersonic jet aircraft. It was only just beginning; then it was gone. 

September was a busy month and its passing makes me a bit sad because with October's arrival we are now officially entering the dark season. I had to get the Halloween decorations out of the attic last evening. Chris and I have an agreement--no Halloween until the 1st of October. I need to enjoy the last vestiges of the Summer which has passed before focusing upon the multiple holidays and celebrations ahead. 

I did survive my birthday--thank you to all who sent me greetings. I appreciated each of them. 

Football season ihas arrived, baseball, thankfully, is ending and hockey and basketball will soon return. The progression continues. I have a dream that I could find the perfect day of the year and just live there. It would be in July, that much I know. 

I will enjoy this last day of September and relish the memories of the month and the summer which have passed. 

carpe diem

-- Bob Doan, ELkridge, MD

Vaccines and COVID-19

CAUTION: Potentially harsh words follow.

According to the CDC, unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die for COVID-19 than vaccinated people.

I don't get it! Why subject oneself to those kinds of numbers?  The data is out it, is verified and the reasons not to get vaccinated are pretty thin.

I find it strange that people are unwilling to get vaccinated citing all sorts of unfounded reasons including that the vaccine was not properly tests and yet, when they get COVID they race for the monoclonal antibody treatment--even more untested. 

Vaccine cost: $24

Monoclonal treatment: $2100

Do you wonder who is paying for that difference? We are! Nothing is free; all of this is going to come out in our taxes. 

What are the medical reasons for net getting vaccinated? There really aren't any according to a Forbes report titled:

What Are The Medical Exemptions For Not Getting A Covid-19 Vaccine?

The report states the following, as an answer to the question:

There are no known medical conditions which absolutely prevent a person from getting a Covid-19 vaccine.

Enough said--get the shot! Save a life, save your life. Beat the virus and let's stop dancing around. 

As for it being your right not to get vaccinated--not so! The Supreme Court has already upheld that mandatory vaccine laws are Constitutional in Jacobsen vs Massachusetts in 1905! 

So--if you lose your job because you don't want to get vaccinated--suffer in silence. You made the decision and you don't want to do your part to beat the virus, protect other people, and protect yourself. That's just selfish.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

6 More

There are but six games remaining in the disastrous Orioles season. The Orioles are tied for the worst recored in all of Major League Baseball at 50-106. If this were the Premier League, they would be facing relegation--and deservedly so--they have been the worst team in baseball for too long.

This is supposed to be a rebuilding period, but it seems to be a "no" building period. The worst team in Orioles history, and the last one with veterans to take the blame were the 2018 Orioles who finished at 47-115. AN embarrassment. Upon entering the official team rebuilding or retooling, it has not become much better. 

Since then:

2019: 54-108

2020: 25-35

Not a team that is getting any better. 

It is very difficult to want to go to the games to see a team that is so poorly performing. 

Well, there is always next season. But, is there, really?

I will visit Sarasota during the Spring and see the team at least once. It is an over 3 hour drive, so there may be an overnight in there somewhere as well. Maybe, just maybe next season the real Orioles will emerge and we can stop calling them the baby-Birds.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - September 27, 2021

 

1. It is all but over--September, that is. This is the last Monday of the month and October is in the wings ready to take the stage. Scary thought--there are but 13 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. Family NFL results

   Ravens (2-1) defeat Lions (0-3), 19-17

   Steelers (1-2) lose to Bengals (2-1), 10-24

   Washington (1-2) lose to Bills (2-1), 21-43

   Cowboys (1-1) play Eagles (1-1) Monday night

3. Has anyone else noticed how fast and aggressive some drivers are on the highways?

Statue of Liberty and Manhattan Skyline
New York Harbor
September 25, 2021

4. The Statue of Liberty and the skyline of Southern Manhattan. I thought it made a great image. We were on the ferry circling around to dock and disembark during the mid-morning hours of a beautiful Autumn day.

5. During our visit to NYC, we discovered people in Times Square and on 5th and 6th Avenues--but elsewhere things were very sparse.

6. How does my dog seem to know what time it is? Every morning at the same time she lets me know she is hungry and has needs to be done outside. And my dog cannot read a clock.

7. I love it when the house is quiet. Sometimes I can even hear the water filling the ice machine in the refrigerator.

8. Today in History. On September 27, 1779, the Continental Congress appoints John Adams to travel to France as minister plenipotentiary in charge of negotiating treaties of peace and commerce with Great Britain during the Revolutionary War.

Adams had traveled to Paris in 1778 to negotiate an alliance with France, but had been unceremoniously dismissed when Congress chose Benjamin Franklin as sole commissioner. Soon after returning to Massachusetts in mid-1779, Adams was elected as a delegate to the state convention to draw up a new constitution; he was involved in these duties when he learned of his new diplomatic commission. Accompanied by his young sons John Quincy and Charles, Adams sailed for Europe that November aboard the French ship Sensible, which sprang a leak early in the voyage and missed its original destination (Brest), instead landing at El Ferrol, in northwestern Spain. After an arduous journey by mule train across the Pyrenees and into France, Adams and his group reached Paris in early February 1780.

Fed Could Be Forced to Revisit Emergency Playbook - The Wall Street Journal

Killings of Islamic State Militants Highlight Power Struggle With Taliban - The Wall Street Journal

A Changed Germany Sees the End of an Era as Merkel Nears the ExitA Changed Germany Sees the End of an Era as Merkel Nears the Exit - The New York Times

This Lab Charges $380 for a Covid Test. Is That What Congress Had in Mind?This Lab Charges $380 for a Covid Test. Is That What Congress Had in Mind? - The New York Times

Companies are hoarding personal data about you. Here’s how to get them to delete it. - The Washington Post

Thousands flee raging California Fawn fire as woman arrested with lighter in her pocket - The Washington Post

Iran fails to fully honour agreement on monitoring equipment, IAEA says - Reuters

Evergrande's EV unit terminates plans to issue RMB shares - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD