THIS JUST IN!

Clinton Supporter Thrown Out of Rules Committee Meeting,

Whoa!!! Chill Harriet! Hard to believe she's from NEEW YOOOK!

I love what is said at the end, "Your mother gets a liitle exercized.'

Have a better day than Harriet!

Sam

GROWING UP!

Luis and Maddie!

Luis is my adopted grandson, and is the oldest son of Carolina, my surrogate daughter. Luis will turn fifteen next month. A year ago Carolina was worried that some of Luis' behaviors and attitudes were heading him down the wrong path. I assured her that it was part of growing up and being fourteen. A year later he has remade himself into a fine very mature young man. Luis' grades have improved, and he is starting to think about what career he might pursue in college.

He wrote this essay for his ESL class. I don't think he should have even been in the English as a Second Language class, but he was. He has all the reading and speaking skills as anyone born in America, more than some native born. If this essay doesn't tug at your heartstrings a little, I'd be surprised. It did mine. I am so proud of him.

Sam

Growing Up!

By Luis Javier Mijangos

Has there ever been a time or a moment when you finally realize what’s really important to you in life? I know I have those moments, and now more than ever I am finding out what’s really important to me in my life.

I remember the time when my mom told me she was pregnant with my fourth baby brother or sister. I thought to myself, “Oh no! Not this again. I’m not cleaning anymore diapers!” But later that night as I went to sleep I thought to myself, “Wow! Is this for real? My fourth baby sister or brother!” I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions that wouldn’t let me sleep.

For the next couple of weeks I wasn’t sure what to think. I tried to put it aside and tell myself, “Oh well things happen it’s just another baby!” But in my mind the emotions I felt showed me different; that it wasn’t just another baby running around in the house it was something greater than that. So I decided to take some time and figure out what my emotions were; because I knew as the oldest I was expected to help out and I needed to be ready for this new family member in my life.

I took some time to think out my emotions because I knew as the oldest it would also affect me as well. I decided to take my younger siblings to the park for some reason I thought that would help me figure out my emotions. As I watched my younger siblings play it helped me realize how much I love them and that it was my responsibility as the oldest to take care of them and help them out with the problems of everyday life even if it meant helping my littlest sister get on the swing or finding lost toys for my little brother; or even changing diapers for my new sibling; that I would be there for them and love them like a big brother should.

But I knew that if I was going to be there for this new sibling of mine; “I needed to change!” and take this experience and grow from it; that I needed to become a better person and take responsibility in my life because I knew as the older; wait the “oldest” brother; all eyes would be on me to set a good example for the ones looking up at me so; I had to change and become responsible in life and take on the responsibilities that come with being a big brother. At last I was at ease with my emotions.

This experience has helped me mature and grow as a better person. It also helped me find out what really matters the most to me and that is family and that I would anything for them into a better person it has also helped me be grateful to my life and my family. I’m glad I took the time to think out my emotions because I could never take care of my new sibling without knowing if I was ready for it.

I believe things happen for a reason; and that you should take those little moments or experience and grow from them to make you a better and stronger person; because when you do you feel good about yourself knowing that you didn’t let this experience pass you by. I can’t find the words to express myself of on how this experience has helped me grow and change into a better person and a responsible big brother.

Have a wonderful day!

Sam

THIS JUST IN!

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW, OR NOT!

The St. Paul Saints will give away 2,500 "bobble foot" dolls before Sunday's game at Midway Stadium.

The baseball team says the promotion, which coincides with National Tap Dance Day, is "in tribute to all their toe-tapping friends and fans from around the nation who may ever have set foot in Minneapolis-St. Paul… even for just a change of planes. The one-of-a-kind collector’s item depicts a restroom stall and a bobble foot peaking out from underneath."

Get it? Poor old Senator Craig! This promotion is nearly as good as an earlier one. Undergo rectal exam, get free baseball tickets.

*****

JAMES LILAKS, my favorite Twin Cities columnist.

The Strib's Terry Collins had an interesting story last weekend about new advances in education over at Armatage Elementary: the school banned touching. If you were the daily recipient of Dutch Rubs, noogies and/or Atomic Wedgies, this would come as welcome news, but the policy struck many as a bit broad.

Atomic Wedgies?

*****

Oprah has always been one to try the latest wellness/diet trend. So we probably shouldn't be surprised that she has just started a 21-day detox program.

Here's how she says her first day went: "So this first day wasn't hard at all. For breakfast, I had steel-cut oatmeal with fresh blueberries, strawberries, chopped walnuts and a splash of soy milk and some agave nectar. For lunch, chunky mushroom soup with wild rice and pecans. As a snack, a handful of roasted almonds. And for dinner, a baked potato drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper with a salad of shredded lettuce, cranberries, pine nuts and tiny orange slices with a vinegar and oil dressing.

I firmly believe Oprah has ventured to the deep end! However, her lemmings will probably follow her over the edge. I for one am sick of Oprah and her new fad religion., feel good BS. By the way, her ratings are down 7%.

*****

TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico - A Mexican donkey has been freed from jail after doing time for assault and battery. The Televisa network on Wednesday showed "Blacky" gobbling food from a bucket after spending three days in a jail that normally holds people for public drunkenness and other disturbances.

Blacky was jailed for biting and kicking two men near a ranch outside Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas state.

Money says Blacky is a female. Was there alcohol involved?

*****

SARASOTA — Citing the burden they place on taxpayers who pay for government workers' health insurance, Sarasota County officials announced Monday that they no longer will hire smokers.

Sounds like blatant discrimination to me.

*****

PINELLAS PARK, Fla. -- The state's first pet-only funeral home has opened in Central Florida.


Sounds like blatant discrimination to me.

*****

Dumbass of the day!




'Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life,' 
-- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign .

Have a nice day!

Sammy Carl

A FEW WORDS OF WISDOM FOR TODAY!

Observation of the Day!

Take time to enjoy the living of your life, and do the best you can. Concentrate on what you are doing. Experience the moment. At first it will seem hard. Make yourself drink in and absorb the moment you are experiencing. Take time to slow down the pace of your life. As time passes, these small daily experiences will add meaning to your life, and it feels good. NIRVANA WILL BE CLOSE!

Take Time

Take time to think.
It is the source of power.

Take time to play.
It is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read.
It is the source of wisdom.

Take time to be friendly.
It is the road to happiness.

Take time to laugh.
It is the music of the soul.

Take time to work.
It is the price of success.

Take time to do charity.
It is the key to heaven.

Have a nice Memorial Day!

Sam

MEMORIAL DAY- MORE THAN A THREE DAY HOLIDAY!

19-year-old Army private who jumped on grenade in Iraq is to receive Medal of Honor

By KIMBERLY HEFLING , Associated Press

God bless!

WASHINGTON - A Pennsylvania soldier who jumped on a grenade in Iraq to save the lives of his comrades at the cost of his own will be awarded the Medal of Honor.

The nation's highest military honor will be given to 19-year-old Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis of Knox, Pa., on June 2, the White House said Friday.

McGinnis "distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism," White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said.

McGinnis was in the gunner's hatch of a Humvee on Dec. 4, 2006, when a grenade sailed past him and into the vehicle where four other soldiers sat. He shouted a warning, then jumped on the grenade while it was lodged near the vehicle's radio. It blew up and killed him.

Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb, an Army spokeswoman, said McGinnis easily could have jumped out of the vehicle and saved himself.

"The instinct is, jump out of the vehicle, but his four buddies were in the vehicle with him ... and he chose to place himself on top of the grenade and absorb the impact, and it saved their lives," Edgecomb said.

McGinnis was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, in Schweinfurt, Germany. He was posthumously promoted to specialist.

Three others have been awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for their actions in Iraq: Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor and Marine Cpl. Jason L. Dunham.

MEMORIAL DAY!

Something to think about from Brother Jim.

I was going to write a Memorial Day piece, but found it would actually be what Jim had already editorialized about at KOLD-TV in Tucson, especially the part about the lake and the Indy 500.

More Than A Long Weekend

Posted: May 21, 2008 08:55 PM

D ay

KOLD News 13 General Manager Jim Arnold

It's the unofficial start of summer: Memorial Day weekend. I hope for us older folks it is a weekend filled with fun childhood memories. For me it was the weekend we put the pier in the lake in front of a very modest weekend cottage in North Central Indiana. I'm a Hoosier; my memory of Memorial Day is listening to the Indy 500 on the radio. Now I watch the 500, mostly for the pre-race ceremony. I want to hear Jim Nabors sing "Back Home Again in Indiana" and quietly listen to the playing of Taps.

That is when it hits me. It is Memorial Day Weekend. It may not mean much if you or a loved one is not a Veteran. This is the time to honor those who helped make living in the land of the free and home of the brave possible.

My Something to Think About for this weekend is simple. Please take a moment in silence or in prayer and offer thanks and respect to those thousands of brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Have a good Memorial Day

Sam

A LIITLE HUMOR FOR TODAY1

I know I told you I would try not to use internet jokes, but being lazy today, I got the following from my friend, Jim, in Anderson, Indiana. It is answers to questions on the old Hollywood Squares game show. I know it has been around for a while. but it always makes me laugh anyway.

Q. Do female frogs croak?
A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.

Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?
A. Rose Marie: No; wait until morning.

Q.Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say 'I Love You'?
A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q. What are 'Do It,' 'I Can Help,' and 'I Can't Get Enough'?
A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.

Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you' ll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.

Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?
A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.

Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.

Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?
A. Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected.

Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?

Q. When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for its sex?
A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him.

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.

Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you
should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh

Have a nice day!

Sammy Carl

LASTING IMAGE!

No matter what, you never really forget your parents and those dates permanently embedded in your memory bank. Tomorrow would have been my father and mother's seventy-seventh wedding anniversary. They passed away within six months of each other in 1994-1995. My lasting image of them was written in my family history, Missing Pieces in a Blue Sky. The following is the short story of that lasting image.

Lasting Image

Dad, Mom and I sat in the back lounge of the nursing home, along with other patients who were either visiting with visitors, staring blankly at the continuing glare and blare of the community television set or otherwise just making mournful irritating noises to themselves. Dad asked if she wanted to take a little walk, and, as always, mom was quick to say yes. Dad helped her out of her chair, with the accompanying groans of aging bones, and taking his arm for support, they set out for their little piece of confined daily exercise and being together. I followed and then stopped to watch them as they made their way slowly down the hall. It was at that moment that I formed my last and lasting image of my mother and father together, as they had been for sixty-one years of marriage.

Mom had the left-leaning list left behind by her stroke, as she shuffled down the hall on Dad’s arm. Dad had a slightly bent-over walk with his trousers, held up by his suspenders, situated a little too far above his waist and the tops of his white socks showing -- high water pants is what she would have called them. They had finally taken on the feeble look of the very old. Against the bright light, reflecting off the polished beige tiled floor, they moved slowly away from where I stood, supporting each other, moving gently into the light.

The next day, I started back to Minnesota. As I drove along, I couldn’t get that image out of my mind, and suddenly tears began to flow like the torrents of a summer thunderstorm beating against the windshield. I pulled to the side of the road, where I sat crying -- unashamedly. Eventually, the storm of tears subsided and the clouds of mourning cleared away. I felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from my shoulders. In retrospect, that moment on the highway was my period of grieving for the loss of my parents because from that moment on, I cried very little. I realized the time had come to take my seat in the front row of life as the older generation, and someday, I too would walk gently into the light.

Have a nice day!

Samuel

OPINS!

Observation of the Day!

There was a lawn care worker working in the neighbor's yard this week. He had on a appropriate green tee shirt. However, he was bending over and his GREEN undapants showed. Now that's a uniform!

When was the last time a president of the United States went hat in hand to ask the Arabs for more oil, only to be told no? When are we going to drill for some American oil, build some new refineries with less EPA interference, build nuclear power plants (France, one of the greenest countries in the world, is 80% atomic energy), put America's resources, both financial and technical, against building an electric or other type of power in our automobiles (How much to we spend in space or on the war for that matter?) America can do anything we want, so I suspect we have other forces at work. It is political BS.

Anybody else tired of Pundits?

Is there any wonder the Congress has its lowest rating ever, when Arlen Spector wants the Congress to investigate the Patriots filming of a football practice, even though the league investigated it. This is not an issue you should waste your time on Arlen.

Al Gore has been strangely quiet on the recent discussion on ethanol and its problems in efficency, overall environmental impact and world food shortage. On the other hand Al was quick to blame the Myanmar cyclone on global warming. What a phony!

Please Jesse, don't run for the Senate in Minnesota. It's embarrassing!

Have a nice day!

Sammy C.

SONG OF THE WEEK!

Scare Easy!

Album: Mudcrutch!

Tom Petty, Benmount Tench, Mike Campbell,

Tom Leaden, Randall Marsh

Mudcrutch is the name of a farm where Tom Petty lived as a young man in the seventies. Petty adopted the name for his excellent Florida bar band, pre-Tommy Petty and the Heartbreakers. The album was released a few weeks ago, and they did a few concerts on the west coast as Mudcrutch. The album is a little bit bluegrass, a little bit country, and little bit rock. The guitar playing is outstanding.

Check out other songs on the menu, particularly the story of Mudcrutch.

Have a nice day!

Sammy

THIS JUST IN!

News You Need to Know, or Not!

In USATODAY there was an article about some of the old band names. The Grateful Dead
The year: 1965

“The problem: It's difficult to stay grateful when your members actually start dying.”

*****

Obese and overweight people require more fuel to transport them and the food they eat, and the problem will worsen as the population literally swells in size, a team at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine says.

Oh Please! Is there no shame in global warming people?

*****

During a fishing-opener interview on WCCO Radio on Friday, Pawlenty said this about First Lady Mary Pawlenty: "I have a wife who genuinely loves to fish. I mean, she will take the lead and ask me to go out fishing, and joyfully comes here. She loves football, she'll go to hockey games and, I jokingly say, 'Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me.'"

In the background, Mary Pawlenty quickly added, "Sorry -- my apologies for my husband."

Gov’s need love too!

*****

In my effort to keep you informed about the economic growth in my home town, I am happy to announce that it’s official: White Castle on the way, Restaurant likely to open within a year.

Starbucks, Sonic, a tattoo parlor and now White Castle. We are on a
Roll, baby!

*****.

BOULDER — How liberal is the University of Colorado at Boulder?

The campus hot-dog stand sells tofu wieners. A recent pro-marijuana rally drew a crowd of 10,000, roughly a third the size of the student body. And according to one professor’s analysis of voter registration, the 800-strong faculty includes just 32 Republicans.

Chancellor G.P. “Bud” Peterson surveys this landscape with unease. A college that champions diversity, he believes, must think beyond courses in gay literature, Chicano studies and feminist theory. “We should also talk about intellectual diversity,” he says. So over the next year, Mr. Peterson plans to raise $9 million to create an endowed chair for what is thought to be the nation’s first Professor of Conservative Thought and Policy.

Mr. Peterson’s quest has been greeted with protests from some faculty and students, who say the move is too — well, radical. “Why set aside money specifically for a conservative?” asks Curtis Bell, a teaching assistant in political science. “I’d rather see a quality academic than someone paid to have a particular perspective.”

Any questions about the leftist at our universities? Thank you Bud Peterson.

*****

VATICAN CITY (AP) - The Vatican's chief astronomer says that believing in aliens does not contradict faith in God.

The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, says that the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.

I am sure the Catholics in Roswell NM are relieved.

*****

At the request of the Swiss government, an ethics panel has weighed in on the ‘dignity’ of plants and opined that the arbitrary killing of flora is morally wrong.

This is no hoax. The concept of what could be called ‘plant rights’ is being seriously debated.

Does this mean we will have to get a background check and register our weed-wackers? What about the poor rocks who have been trampled and broken up for years.?

*****

Barry Bonds is upset his phone isn't ringing with MLB offers, and that makes for today's most laughable story. Bonds has prodded the players union, and his unemployment issue may result in an accusation of collusion against the owners.

Shut up Barry, just shut up!

*****

More teenagers today are feeling pressure to create larger identities for themselves like the celebrities they see depicted in national media, said Laurie Ouellette, a communication studies professor and reality TV expert at the University of Minnesota. In an era where teens aim to increase their list of "friends" on social networking sites, that can mean flashing nudity in an effort to compete for attention.

Now they have a professor who is a reality TV expert? Go Gophers! We are so proud.

*****

Stupid person of the day!


'Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world , I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff.' --Mariah Carey

Have a nice day!

Sammy

Annika Sorenstam Calls It Quits

A LADY OF CLASS!

ANNIKA!

Annika Sorenstam announced her retirement from the LPGA at 37 years of age. The game will miss her, but she is going out at the top. She will concentrate on her upcoming marriage, her new golf academy, golf course design, a clothing line and perhaps most important, starting a family. Her records speak for themselves. She is a champion both on and off the golf course.

22 million dollars in career earnings.

72 career tournament victories, third most behind Kathy Whitworth (88) and Mickey Wright (82).

10 major victories, tied for fourth all time and five behind record-setter Patty Berg.

59 strokes in a single round, the lowest in LPGA history.

6 women, including Sorenstam, to complete career Grand Slam.

8 LPGA player of the year awards – a record- including five consecutive seasons until Lorena Ochoa ended the streak in 2006.

58 years since a woman had competed on the PGA Tour, before she did so at the Colonial in 2003. She missed the cut. But earned respect for the way she comported herself amid massive scrutiny.

She is already a member of the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Tiger called her the greatest lady golfer of all time.

She still has the remainder of the 2008 season to add to these numbers, and who knows how she much more she might have accomplished if she continued to play. She goes out on top and with class. She has her priorities in order.

I would like to add my comments on the Annika I know. No, I really don’t know her personally, but I have seen her play and practice many times at various LPGA tournaments I have attended over the years. Of course it was a pleasure to watch her game, but the thing that sticks in my mind most is the way she conducts herself on the golf course and around her fans. She was always a lady. My son, Tim, and I attended the Solheim Cup at Interlachen Counrty Club in Minnesota. As she passed, Tim said, ‘”Good luck”! She could have easily walked on by, but she answered with a thank you. She made Tim a fan of Annika and the LPGA. At the Tucson Open she signed a personalized poster for my nephew, who is legally blind.

I took the picture above. I had squatted down to catch the shot while she was signing autographs, She looked up and smiled for my camera. I have seen her gracefully grant photo opportunities for young girls and giving her gloves and balls to fans. Her fans and I will miss this classy lady.

Have a nice day!

Sam

HOW TO MAKE A JERK OUT OF YOURSELF!

Top 10 Angry TV Reporter Meltdowns Caught On Tape

CAUTION: SOME LANGUAGE MAY BE OFFENSIVE!

Have a nice day!

Sam

A SLOW TWITCHER!

Observation of the Day!

From the Marion High School class of 1955 prophecy. “Sam Arnold broke his own record in the 100 yard dash -50.1” Unfortunately, that was not far from the truth. Later I learned that I was a victim of slow-twitch muscle fibers. It really is in the genes. A slow twitcher can be an athlete, but no matter how hard a person works they will never be a more than a journeyman jock.

In junior high school we had a “decathlon” competition in the spring semester in connection with physical education class. Points were earned on a scale based on how well you did as an individual in each event. Theoretically, based on increasing strength and maturity, a student should win a bronze medal in the seventh grade, a silver in the eighth and a gold in the ninth. In the late winter months we would do sit-ups, push-ups, chin-ups etc in the gym. As the weather got better in the spring, we moved to outside events, 100 yard dash, standing and running broad-jump, pole vault etc. It all culminated with an all-school field day where you took your final outdoor test to earn points. The decathlon was the basis of the class prophecy statement. I never won any medal in any grade.

My lack of athletic ability did not deter me from my overall love of sports and it didn’t stop me from trying out for baseball and basketball teams right up until my sophomore year in high school when I went out for baseball. That was the last team I tried out for. Naturally, I never survived the first cut in any sport I attempted.

Today I play golf. It is an individual sport you can play for a life time. I can break 100 regularly. that's not great, but better than many who play the game. The greatest benefit of golf is the friends you meet and make. I shot a 94 today in a lot of Minnesota wind. I had fun I think.

Have a nice day!

Sam

MOM'S DAY!

Observation of the Day!

I have tried to think of a Mother's Day memory. The original celebration was designed by Hallmark, aided by the flower industry, to sell stuff. That aside though, it is a wonderful tradition to honor those who brought us to the dance.

The memory that sticks in my mind is the wearing of of Carnations in our lapels to church on Mother's Day. I don't know if that is or was a universal tradition. People wore red if their mother was living and white if she had passed away. I think it was a rather nice tribute to honor mothers, both living and dead. Eventually, we all wear white and remember.

In Minnesota Mother's Day coincides with the fishing opener. This is hardly a Mother's Day memory, unless you catch a big Walleye. Perhaps her Mother's Day present will be a mounted Walleye. Who says men haven't got a clue?

Have a nice day!

Samuel

ONE HIT WONDERS!

SONG OF THE WEEK!

Basically your one hit wonders, We Five. Go to bottom one first (1965). Second one (2008). I wonder how many times they have song this song in the forty-three years in between. I still love the lyrics and you are truly on my mind this morning.

Have a nice day!

Sam

UPON THIS ROCK! PART TWO!

Observation of the Day!

As a Part Two to yesterday’s posting, I offer a brief history of my religious background that you may not know. It may surprise you that I was born and raised in the Quaker Church. The Quakers were what was called a peace church and Anabaptists, much like German Baptists, Mennonites, Amish etc. One of the beliefs that made these churches different is the fact that they believed that a person should have reached an age when they can make their own decision about their religious preference, as opposed to the early baptism in other Christian faiths.

We were Quakers for no particular reason, I guess. I had always felt that the Arnold side of the family were life long Quakers, but in my genealogical research the Arnolds were actually originally German Baptist and did not join the Quaker Church until 1931 when my grandfather, grandmother and dad joined the First Friends Church in Marion, Indiana. However, on my mother’s side is a long history of Quakerism from the early days of William Penn and Philadelphia. The good thing for a genealogical researcher is that the Quakers kept meticulous records of births, deaths and moves from one meeting to another. I actually found the information about my family joining the Quaker Church in these records at the Minnesota Historical Society.

Quakers believe in a personal relationship with God with little help from a middleman. The Quakers would sit in long silence at the meeting house, men separated from woman, until the spirit moved them to give testimony to those gathered.

Quakers are also pacifists. It is up to the individual, but the original Quaker belief urged conscientious objector status. Many Quakers served their country as medics and other non-combat roles, particularly in WWII. WWII created much anguish among the Quakers, as to how they would serve their country. Many did in fact serve in combat roles. The true Quakers are genuinely a humble, simple and peaceful people.

However, the First Friends Church of my youth was not unlike other Protestant services I have attended. There was a Sunday school, a sermon, a period of silence in deference to the basic Quaker beliefs, no communion and of course an offering. Our church was also on the local radio station every Sunday. Our minister was Murray Johnson, a very short parson.

In my young adult years I really didn't attend a church.

When I met Doe, she was a Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church had always caught my religious interests. I converted before I got married. I continued as a church going Catholic until a couple of years ago. I often said I was the last Catholic standing in Doe’s family, since all of them had fallen away. When the pedophilia scandal hit the Church, I could not reconcile being a member of the Catholic Church. The priests and hierarchy rail against everything sexual, and yet some priests committed crimes too horrific for anyone to imagine from a man of the cloth. Just as bad was the cover-up by the Church hierarchy. The Church still doesn’t get it. At that point I renounced my Catholicism.

I decided I did not need organized religion to find God. It is interesting that this decision brings me almost full circle back to my original Quaker roots. I don’t know where I go from here, but I have found that The Rock interests me. We will see.

God Bless my friends!

Have a nice day!!

Samuel

UPON THIS ROCK!

Observation of the Day!

Upon this Rock I will build this church. Hence, St. Peters was founded as the seat of the pope and the Catholic Church. I have been to St Peter’s and the Sistine Chapel. They are magnificent. While I was in California I went to a Rock church, but it was a long way from St Peter’s and the pope.

The Rock church is a Pentecostal, Evangelical church devoted to bringing the Bible and its teaching to especially young people in their twenties and early thirties. In this day and age you would not perhaps think that there are many 20-30 somethings that would have much interest in biblical teachings. The Rock is no ordinary church. It seats 3,500 churchgoers and was nearly full at 5:00PM service. The service starts with a half hour concert by a Christian rock band. It has the beat and the guitars that rock the soul and tap the feet. The lyrics are Christian. The sermons are given by the pastor, Miles McPherson and his staff of young pastors. They are truly inspiring and absolutely fabulous and entertaining speakers.. They don’t cast judgment on the attendees. They preach a Christian logic based on the Bible. Whether you chose to accept is totally up to the attendees. There is nothing forced or dictated. It is just put out there to think about and act on if you choose.

Over and above the Evandegical flavor of the church, however, is the large audience made up of beautiful young people, men and woman. They are involved. They are interested. Yes there is a bible “wave” and a few amens thrown in, but it is inspiring. There is certainly something going on here. While I am not a bible thumper and feel totally uncomfortable in the active participation, I do listen and observe. I found it most gratifying and intend to go back again. Perhaps I am searching for an answer.

I believe in God. I believe God is there because of man’s fear of the unknown. Something created the heavens of infinity. Man cannot really contemplate and understand infinity. The infinity of space was created by something. We call it God. But everything we say and do focuses on the human experience. Perhaps we cannot comprehend what the universe and the heavens are all about. Even our sci-fi space aliens usually have exaggerated eyes, arms and legs.

If you would like to check out a service, even though briefly, go to therocksandiego.org. Go to “stuff” and look for the video of a service. If nothing else, check out the crowd. This is not your ordinary group of worshipers. They rock!

Have a nice day!

Samuel

A LYRIC/POEM FOR TODAY!

I Will Remember You

(by Sarah McLachlan, Seamus Egan, and Dave Merenda)

I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

Remember the good times that we had?
I let them slip away from us when things got bad
How clearly I first saw you smilin' in the sun
Wanna feel your warmth upon me, I wanna be the one

I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

I'm so tired but I can't sleep
Standin' on the edge of something much too deep
It's funny how we feel so much but we cannot say a word
We are screaming inside, but we can't be heard

But I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

I'm so afraid to love you, but more afraid to loose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose
Once there was a darkness, deep and endless night
You gave me everything you had, oh you gave me light

And I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories

And I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Weep not for the memories
Weep not for the memories

Have a nice day!

Samuel

THIS JUST IN!

News You Need to Know, or Not!

FORT WORTH, Texas – Charles Ray Fuller must have been planning one big record company.

The 21-year-old North Texas man was arrested last week for trying to cash a $360 billion check, saying he wanted to start a record business, authorities said. Tellers at the Fort Worth bank were immediately suspicious – perhaps the 10 zeros on a personal check tipped them off, according to investigators.

Fuller said his girlfriend's mother gave him the check to start a record business, but bank employees who contacted the account's owner said the woman told them she did not give him permission to take or cash the check, according to police.

Ah Shucks. Does that mean I can't start a record company? I love Texans!

*****

For the first time in Chile, a mayor plans to give out free Viagra to men 60 and older in his town to improve their "quality of life" four times a month, according to media reports.

"This has to do with quality of life and it's done responsibly. It's not just like handing out candy at the corner," Gonzalo Navarrete, a physician and mayor of the poor town of Lo Prado south of Santiago, told Las Ultimas Noticias daily.

He said any man 60 years and older we'll give out four, 50 milligram pills, in other words, for four sexual relationships per month,"

He did have some advice, however, for the Viagra seekers: "Sildenafil doesn't get you going without direct stimulation.

Sounds like a candy store to me!

****

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) - A governor in northern Saudi Arabia has ordered authorities to punish men who flirt with women in public places by cutting their hair, local media said Tuesday.

Ah Geez. Another good reason not to go to Saudi Arabia!

*****

It could've been a typical spat between grocery store customer and manager, with the customer announcing he planned to take his business elsewhere. But then the customer drew his gun. The store manager drew his and so did the assistant manager.

It all happened at 5 p.m. Monday at the IGA Supermarket at 1000 36th St. in West Palm Beach. And in the end, West Palm Beach police arrested customer Marshall Hugo Grant for attempted first-degree murder, shooting into an occupied dwelling, aggravated assault with a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm.

Gun fight at the Circle K corral!

*****

On the stump, the former President dispensed idiosyncratic political analysis. “One of the reasons that she won Ohio that nobody wrote about,” he said, without explanation, “is that Ohio has a plant that produces the largest number of solar reflectors in America.” HUH! He offered commentary about his wife’s earlier limitations as a candidate: “I think Hillary’s become a much better speaker.” But, most of all, Bill Clinton talked about Bill Clinton:

You have to love him!

NEW YORK – Roger Clemens had a decade-long relationship with country star Mindy McCready that began when she was a 15-year-old aspiring singer and the pitcher was a Boston Red Sox ace, the Daily News reported.

Clemens' lawyer, Rusty Hardin, confirmed a long-term relationship but told the newspaper it was not sexual.

Rog must have misremembered!

From my niece the teacher:
A fellow teacher, Chelsea was about to kill her senior class because none of them had done their homework. One of the boys claimed he had, but it was on his USB drive and he needed to print it. Calling BS, Chelsea asked him to give her the USB drive saying that she would print his work for him. The USB drive was full of porn. Oh yeah, and the student had not done his homework. So that's what's going on here today.

Nothing more to say!

*****


DUMB, DUMBER and DUMNEST! 



(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.) 
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? 
Answer: 'I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever,' 
--Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest. 


Who cares? It is better to look good than be smart.

Have a nice day!

Sammy C.

NO BAIL OUT!

Observation of the Day!

Nobody said much when the prices for homes were sky rocketing at double digit rates. People were buying, driving the prices even higher. Now the market place finally has taken over and balanced the pricing.

Whatever happened to putting away some money every month to accumulate a down payment to buy a home? Instant gratification is the mantra of the younger generations. By the way I believe the bankers and mortgage company execs should be in jail or fired at the bare minimum. NO BAIL OUT! TS!

Have a nice day!

SCA

TOO MUCH TIME, BUT NOT ENOUGH!

Observation of the Day!

I got home last Thursday afternoon. The following is a few notations of the trip.

1. Gas in CA was $3.88, $3.22 in AZ, averaged about $3.41 the rest of the way.

2. Making cell phone calls wakes you up when you are tired.

3. Roswell NM still has the Ten Commandments on the court house lawn.

4. There are two extremely large crosses just off the highway, one on I-40, the other I-35.

5. In a Texas cowtown there was a sign honoring the high school sports teams, the Chiefs and the Squaws. How about that Fighting Sioux.

6. Every year I want to go and drive on old Route 66. It basically follows I-40. I never take the time to relive the two trips I made on this historic highway. One was when I got out of the Navy in 1962. Theother was with Doe just after we were married in 1966 and were moving to LA to begin our new life.

7. Every year I think about getting off I-35 in Kansas and take the short drive to Winfield KS where my great-grandfather and grandfather lived in the 1880s. I drive right past. It has been a long driving day.

8. Every year I think I should stop and see my distant cousins in Iowa, but I am getting too close to home and don't have the time.

What do I have, but time or not? Maybe next year.

Have a nice day!

Sam

IMPORTANT MESSAGE!

CLARIFICATION!

My Blog of April 29, " A POWERFUL MESSAGE FOR TODAY" is about a young female friend with a prescription drug and alcohol problem. IT IS NOT ABOUT DOE, as some people have seemed to assume. I am not sure why her friends have assumed the worst. I am sorry about that.

It is about a friend in California,who I have chosen to walk away from until she gets professional help. The story is very personal to me because I failed to help her see the effects on the people who care for her, including her parents, husband, daughter and friends. I could do no more for her.

It is important that you read the message in red. That is what the real message of the Blog was. It happened to come as I was wrestling with what to do about the situation with my friend. It was a powerful message on many levels for me.

Sam

SONG OF THE WEEK!

I Try!

Macy Gray

Have a nice day!

Sam