SLEEP MY BEAUTIFUL CHILD!

Observation of the Day!

Larry and Owen

I had a little Nirvana today. I was riding in the backseat with my grand nephew (9mos), Owen. He was riding in is car seat, and I watched him gradually fall into slumber land. He was awake for about the first five minutes. Slowly his big blue eyes started to be covered by some droopy eyelids. Just a little at first, then there was hardly any eye showing. We would hit a small bump and the eyes would pop open and the slowly descend again. Finally it was all over, sweet dreams baby.

As I looked at Owen in all his innocence, I wondered what he was dreaming. His day is spent exploring new little things about the life that surrounds him. He doesn't really know anything. Now in sleep what does a child at this young age dream about. I imagine it just might be pure unadulterated sleep with nothing disturbing it. Kind of a peaceful vacuum of unobstructed purity.

That was the little Nirvana. The following is life's reality.

In the front seat sat his grandfather. Larry is in decline with the signs of Alzheimer's. Owen's great grandfather, Owen (Bud) Chamberlain died of the debilitating disease.

The thought occurred to me that one life is beginning, exploring new things, beginning to think and beginning to dream. Alzheimers comes at the end of a life cycle. As I sat before my father-in-law when he recognized no one, I wondered what he was thinking in that vacuum of his unobstructed mind. What was going on in his head? What, if anything, did he dream about? Was his sleep as peaceful and as carefree as Owens.

Even though Owen doesn't know much about our world yet, he will learn, grow and experience. Larry on the other hand is doing just the opposite. He will unlearn the most simple tasks. He will not be able to explore. He won't know anybody. Perhaps the vacuum of the child's brain returns to the childlike grandparent. The brains have come full circle from child to childlike.

Dreams will come to Owen. Dreams will drift away from Larry.

Have a good day and hug the babies and the grandpas.

Sam

SONG OF THE WEEK!

I'll Stand by You!

Carrie Underwood

For my special friends.

Love you all!

Sam

SAY IT ISN'T SO JOE!

Today, June 27 we have three posts. This one concerns "The Amazing Catch".

I checked with snopes.com. This is a Gatorade commercial shoot. It's so Joe.

Sam

THESE GIRLS CAN PLAY! TOO!

NATALIE GULBIS

Click to get a really good look fellas!

WATCHING GOOD LOOKING WOMAN PLAY GOLF!

Observation of the Day!

This USGA Woman's Open week in Minnesota. I love the woman golfers of the LPGA and all amateur players. I have seen many tournaments over the years. The three main reasons I support woman golfers.

a. They had to work perhaps a little harder to develop their golfing skills, and they were all mentored by a loving father or grandfather.

b. They play a game the ordinary golfer can relate to. They are not as long as the men, but still play a game closer to our skill level. It shows you don't have to be long to have an outstanding game. Closer of course is a relative term

c. I am a dirty old man.

I went to a practice day Tuesday and the opening round on Thursday. Here are a few observations.

1. The thing about the Donald Ross designed Interlachen Country Club course I love is the history that lies beneath the grass. Interlachen has hosted practically all major championships, both amatuer and professional over the ninety-nine years of its existance. It was opened in 1909. The most memorable was the 1930 win by Bobby Jones completeing the third league of the Grand Slam. It was also the home course of the late great Patty Berg, one of the founders of the LPGA. I have had the pleasure of playing the course five or six times over the years. Interlachen is by far my favorite course. It is private, and if I had the money, it is the place I would want to belong. It is a classic.

2. This was the second Woman's Open I have attended. The other one was at Hazeltine in the seventies, won by Hollis Stacy and was Nancy Lopez's first Open. Hotty Jan Stephenson also was in the field. I have also attended several Kraft Nabisco Dinah Shore majors in Palm Springs as well as the Solheim Cup at Interlachen and other tournaments whenever I could.

3. The number of Asians in the tournament is amazing. There are 3 Ohs, 8 Kims, 7 Parks, 27 other Asian names. They are good too.

4. There are not many players that play for the other team anymore, if you know what I mean? However, there are plenty of old switch hitters in the crowd. They are not hard to spot. Not that I have anything against them. I have always wondered why, if they hate men so much, why does one partner usually look like a man.

5. There are plenty of good looking young women playing in the tournament. Natalie Gulbis has legs up to her shoulders. She walked up to her ball on 18. She stood there waiting for a ruling for one of her playing partners and put her arms around to her back and doing a big stretch. Can anyone say perky?

6. Why do some woman wear high heels to a golf tournament? They were most lower heals, (only one with spiked heels) ,but there is a lot of walking on soft ground. Dare I say, they don't know s*** about golf.

7. We were transported to the course on school buses. When I got on the driver said." Does this make you think of your old school days?" I said, "No, actually I was thinking about Natalie Gulbis."

8. No cell phones allowed. This must drive the Blackberry crowd nuts.

9. Michelle Wie was nine over. Nike made her rich, but this poor girl's career has been ruined to date by her parents. She has only won one major amateur tournament. Never played junior golf learning tournament play. Turned her back on the LPGA after they gave her the opportunity to play in their tournaments. She opted to try and play on the PGA tour and has been an embarassing failure. Check out Pat Ruesse's column at startribune.com on Michelle Wie. It is a real rip and pretty much sums up how I feel about her and her parents.

10. Kids got in free.

11. We say goodbye to Annika, unless she pulls a Michael Jorden. I don't think she will. She is class.

12. The hug! I noticed there is a standard procedure for the post round hug. Lean in and pat the opponent twice on the back. Christy Kerr a bit of a hard nose only pats once. There is also a hug for the caddies. An occasional kiss for their own caddie. Asians hug opponents, but lean out and shake hands with the opposing caddies. Hugs for the opponent are friendly hugs, not passionate hugs like the old LPGA.

Keep your head down!

Sam

Fresno Ballgirl's Amazing Catch Extra

I couldn't pass this up and offer it up up you. Amazing.

Sam

HANDS UP OR I'LL FROND YOU TO DEATH!

A stupid man in La tries to rob a store with a palm tree LOL

Is there no end to the danger of being a cashier at a convenience store?

Have a nice day!

Sammy

BRAIN OWIE!

I first got to know Drew McMillen when he came to work for us at the Multifoods Frozen Foods Company in Riverside California. He was a recent graduate of UC Riverside with an MBA. From the start Drew was a keeper. He is just one of those people who you knew was going to be successful.

He had an unfortunate incident in 2004 that changed his life, his career and most all his family. Here, in is own words about what happened that fateful day.

Hi, I'm Drew McMillen and in March of 2004 I was coming home from meeting the CEO of one of the largest processors of vegetables in the world about joining their company when I heard a loud buzzing on my head. Though I was at a traffic light, I was able to go through, pull into a parking lot at a Hollywood Video store before I passed out. Somehow I was found 28 hrs later by a friend who drove up from So. California 5 hrs away who made a wrong turn while looking for me and turned around in the same parking lot.

Everyone was at a loss as to what happened to Drew. He just disappeared. You have to ask yourself what made his close friend from Southern California pull into that particular because he made a wrong turn? Fate, luck, karma, God's plan for Drew. I will let you decide.

I won't go on with the rest of the story. I will let you read it from his website. www.brainowie.com.

Please give it a look.

Have a nice day!

Sam

OIL MAKES ME HAVE GAS!

I'm Thinking! I'm Thinking!

I didn't plan to come back so soon with a "thinking" Blog, but something came up in my brain.
oil/gas policy etc.

In the discussion about drilling in new off shore areas, the politicians have flip-flopped all over the place. The Democrats are driving home the point that the oil companies already have leased rights in millions of acres they have not developed. What hasn't come up is "why" they have not drilled in the already existing lease acreage. There might be a legitimate reason why the oil companies haven't drilled. But no one in the press or political arena has asked this simple question that might help the American public in this decision.

I am sick and tired of the blame game. There is enough blame to go around over at least forty years of various of administrations and Congresses and us. Everyone has a stake in our failure to address the issues. We must address a multifaceted strategic plan that will take many years to complete. This problem is not a political football.

1. A government-auto company partnership to find an electric or other solution.This country can do anything it puts its mind to. This spans the atomic bomb to men on the moon and beyond. Look at the money we are spending on NASA. I for one don't care if there is life on Mars. Someone said the reason we are building a space station is so the space shuttle has someplace to go. Is space a priority issue? Not for me.

2.Nuclear power plants. It is as easy as that.

3.New drilling in Anwar. 2,000 acres of 11 million is not a big deal. I actually am not much in favor of new off shore drilling.

4. Congress get off its ass and quit bringing up short term solutions that solve nothing and are nothing more than a political scams.

5. Perhaps fix the rail system with high speed trains. I am not against light rail, but let's do it where it works. This is not Europe. In Minnesota our current light rail system runs from the Mall of America to downtown Minneapolis (south to north). The major traffic comes from the east and the west sides of the metro area. The Southwestern Transit system (bus) from Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis works for many commuters. and has been successful on a small scale.

I am sure there is more thinking to do on the subject. We need to stop the blame game and political short term solutions and put the Arabs back to the backward countries they are. They are gouging the American public pure and simple.

America's strength is technology of all kinds. We have the resources and the brain power to again be the leader towards new sources of clean energy. All we need is the will and the way. Hear that Congress and candidates.

My brain is tired. See you next time.

Samuel C. Arnold

SOMETHING NEW!

Brother Jim’s editorials are titled, Something to Think About. I am starting and occasional segment I am calling, I’m Thinking, I’m Thinking!

The blog will include some opinion, some beliefs, some theories about life and other things I am thinking about. I am sure I will offend somebody, but that’s the way it goes.

I’m Thinking, I’m Thinking

A recent estimate put the world population at about 7 billion. I have traveled to many places in the United States and Europe. What I found is that people are pretty much people. In others words, the bulk of the world’s ordinary people are just that, ordinary people just trying to make their way.

So why do we have so many wars with each other. Did you ever think what the ratio of so called government “leaders” to the 7 billion of ordinary people? There are 192 countries plus one more someplace making 193. There is usually one person in charge, although there are others involved, like congress etc. That would be 193: 7,000,000,000. Put any number beyond the 194, and it is still extremely infinitesimal.

However, it usually boils down to the one in charge, who makes the decision to kill the enemy. Our destiny is in the hands of politicians and kings. We do need government for order, but war kills the citizens who have the least input to the decision to make war.

I'm thinking that our future is entrusted to a very few politicians, kings and religious fanatics, all driven by power and ego. Not very comforting is it?

In the immortal words, Rodney King, “Can’t we all just get along?”

Thinking of you!

Samuel C. Arnold

SUMMER HAS ARRIVED IN MINNESOTA, FINALLY!

Observation of the Day!

Today is the first day of summer. Yes, summer finally arrived in Minnesota, not only officially, but it is actually warm. Summer never seems to arrive early in Minnesota, but fall usually arrives early.

This evening I took a walk in the neighborhood. As I got to Baker Road,I noticed there was a Little League game going on across the street at Forest Hills Elementary school. I wondered over and watched a couple of innings. The young boys of summer were playing at the national pastime. It was considered a minor league game, one step below Little League majors. These were fifth graders going into sixth. They played to their level of baseball skill. There were several misplays, but every once in a while a kid would make a good play, sometimes made possible by a big mitt. It is the learning process of the game. Some will go on to the bigger league. Some will play in high school, maybe a little further up baseball's pecking order. Slowly we all drop off the dream bandwagon to be a real big leaguer. Most every kid will mature enough to understand that they were just not gifted enough to reach a higher level. And that's ok. It is part of growing up to be a golfer.

Ah! The sounds and smells of summer at the old ball park.

Have a nice day!

Sammy Carl

KINDA PROUD!

A week or so ago I told you about brother Jim's nomination for the Arizona Broadcasting Hall of Fame. This is an article that appeared in the Tucson paper.

ARNOLD REFLECTS AFTER HALL OF FAME NOD
Jim Arnold began the Tucson portion of his broadcasting career as a weekend disc jockey with the old KOLD AM during his college days at the UA.
Today, he doesn't work obscure Saturday and Sunday shifts for minimum wage, and he makes a few more decisions behind the large desk at KOLD Channel 13, Tucson's CBS TV affiliate--but at least the name of the station is the same.
"The crummy white building on Drachman was the KOLD (TV) news department, and behind the crummy old white building was a smaller crummy white building. That used to be the radio station, in the alley by the Tucson Inn," said Arnold. "My first radio job, I was a weekend disc jockey at KOLD AM, and hopefully, my last job (will be as) general manager at KOLD TV. Full circle."
Arnold was recently accepted into the Arizona Broadcasters Hall of Fame, in large part due to a Tucson career that featured a highly successful radio run in addition to his current role at KOLD. Arnold's best-known radio work is probably as morning-drive DJ for KCUB AM 1290, then owned and operated by Jim Slone.
"We got international recognition, and I got a couple of good chunks of national recognition at the time, and the station did tremendously well," said Arnold.
He also double-dipped on the TV side with KVOA Channel 4: "I worked for Channel 4 on a part-time basis, did news, weather and sports fill-in and co-anchored the 5 o'clock news with Lou Waters for a short period of time."
Arnold garnered some notoriety as the host of a bingo show. The half-hour program, broadcast live on KVOA every weekday at 2:30, had a short run in the mid-'70s.
"You'd go to the store and pick up the green color for this week, and then we'd play bingo on the air. The next week, you'd have to go to the store to pick up the blue thing," Arnold explained. "I had a very attractive assistant who was my Vanna White. She would light up the numbers when I called them out. She'd push the button that let out G-49 or whatever it was. My deep-seated desire for doing the bingo show was making a little extra money and getting my face on television."
Arnold accepted a management opportunity with one of Slone's radio stations outside of Tucson, and when Slone sold those interests, Arnold transitioned into TV. He returned to Tucson as KOLD's GM eight years ago, and oversaw the rise of KOLD's news department from doormat to market leader within three years.
Nowadays, Arnold's on-air career is limited to a pair of editorials a week; there's far more to concern a general manager who wants his station to remain relevant in a landscape of new media and entertainment options.
"TV didn't change much until cable started expanding and selling advertising, and now with the digital transition and the Web, it's a whole different ballgame," Arnold said. "There are so many other things to think about when you're trying to build and operate a company. What are you doing, Web-wise? What are you doing digital-wise? Are you multitasking? What kind of video streaming do you have? What kind of programming repositioning do you have on the Web? It used to be you turned on the transmitter in the morning, ran a few programs during the day and shut it off at midnight, and you did a 20 rating. As Ted Turner's book said, now it's not as easy as it looks."
Arnold is keenly aware of the changes radio has endured as well.
"In the early days, it was just a lot of fun," Arnold said. "You were disc-jockeying; you did your shtick and got paid very little for it. The biggest change in radio is the fragmentation and the research that's done, and all the music is played off computer now. Then with the proliferation of talk radio, radio has changed quite a bit, in my mind."
Arnold looks back on his radio days with a great deal of fondness.
"I worked with Frank Kalil on KTKT. Jim Slone was my mentor. Bob Scholz, who used to run the old 1330 AM, actually came up with the nickname "Sunny Jim." There are so many different people I had a chance to work with. Today, business is tougher because of the conglomerations and publicly traded companies, but the people are still a lot of fun in radio and TV. We're basically a good group of people, I think."

Not bad for an asjole!

Sam

THIS JUST IN!

News You Need To Know, Or Not!

As she was attempting to put on a Victoria's Secret thong, a Los Angeles woman claims that a decorative metallic piece flew off the garment and struck her in the eye, causing injuries and a new product liability lawsuit against the underwear giant. Macrida Patterson, 52, alleges that she was hurt last May by a defective "low-rise v-string" from the Victoria's Secret "Sexy Little Thing" line, according to a lawsuit filed last week in Los Angeles Superior Court.
DALLAS (AP) -

Oh Momma! Fifty two years old and wearing a thong, wow. How can a thong be defective?

*****

From midnight Thursday to midnight Friday, a tattoo artist completed 415 tattoos, applying the unlucky number 13 to scores of arms, legs, ankles, backs, thighs and even some rear ends.

Peck claimed a mention in the Guinness Book of Records for drawing the most tattoos in a 24-hour period. He was awarded the honor by Guinness adjudicator Danny Girton Jr., according to a report on The Dallas Morning News Web site Saturday.

Makes a mother proud!

*****

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A flight attendant and an airline pilot face fines of $300 apiece after a nighttime romp in the woods that ended when police found the pilot hiding behind a shed wearing only flip-flops and wristwatch.

A flight attendant and an airline pilot face fines of $300 apiece after a nighttime romp in the woods that ended when police found the pilot hiding behind a shed wearing only flip-flops and wristwatch.

Jeffrey Bradford and Adrianna Connor, both 24, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct charges in Dauphin County Court on Monday. Both declined comment after leaving the courthouse, but Connor's attorney said he was pleased to have the case resolved.

Just like the good old days of flying. I haven't seen a twenty-four year old attendant in years.

*****

Was good old Harry Truman correct when he observed, 'My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano player job to be much more honorable than current politicians.

Good old Harry!

*****

That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it,' 
--A congressional candidate in Texas .

Well said, Jackass!

Have a nice day!

Sammy Carl

NOT YOUR ORDINARY COSMO!

Observation of the Day!

Allison Evanow created one of the nation's first entirely organic spirits, Square One vodka. “But that whole organic kitchen philosophy hadn't really ever gotten to the bar. Once I had the idea in my head and did a little bit of research, I finally said, 'This looks like it's an unmet need.'”

So far, the market has agreed. At least three hotel chains – Marriott, Ritz-Carlton and Kimpton Hotels – now carry organic beverages in their bars. Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay offers Square One cocktails at his newest restaurant.

To be certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as an organic alcohol, the spirit must be made of ingredients grown on certified organic farms and processed in a certified organic distillery. That means no pesticides and fertilizers on the grains and no nitrogen or other chemicals in the distilling process.

Now I have heard everything. What will we think of next. Anyone who drinks this vodka is an absolute phony from the yuppie era. But of course I am not one of the beautiful people. Clean organic vodka rotting your stomach and sirousing your liver. Organic vodka seems like an oxymoron to me.

Another story I read this week, told of a mother's dilema about her son venturing out in the world to kindergarten. She said that she had always given her son organic foods, kept him away from fast foods and used organic household cleaners etc. She was appalled that her son had ventured into a world of school lunches that were not organic, fast foods and tables that were cleaned with bleach, as well as other harmful activities, like chalk dust. What world does this woman come from? This generation is determined to a life for their chidren in which there is no risk. I feel sorry for the kid. How did we ever make it to this stage of our life?

Dare I say Bullshit!

Have a nuce day!

Samuel

Remembering TIM RUSSERT -

Observation of the Day!

If you did not see Meet The Press this morning, you missed something special in the tribute to Tim Russert. Try to view the program, if you can.

I always thought Tim Russert was something special. He certainly was fair in a business that is often very unfair. He was smart. He was always prepared. He honored his family. He was a son who honored his father and a father to his son. He was religious. He was energetic. I admired his constant enthusiasm. He was a natural leader of the Washington bureau. He was a real journalist. I cannot think of all the things this man had.

He was so unlike the man who wrapped himself in a bush jacket and haughtily proclaimed that he was a journnnnilist always in pursuit of the stooory. Dan Rather was the most biased news person in the world. He often lacked ethics. Dan Rather pales when compared to Tim Russert.

While I am at it, there was a quote from Bill Moyers in the paper just this morning. It seems Moyers engaged in an argument with Bill O'Rielly's producer. Apparently the producer accused Moyers of having no class. Moyers responded, "I am not a classy guy. I am a reporter." Tim Russert was a classy guy and a reporter.

The show today was some of Tim's close friends reminiscing about their friend. It comfirmed to me that Tim Russert never forgot where he came from and honored it. America lost a real patriot.

God bless the soul of Tim Russert. He died too early. Sunday mornings will not be the same.

Have a good Father's Day!

Sam

HAVE YOU EVER SPENT THREE HOURS IN MAUSTON, WISCONSIN?

Observation of the Day!

All of you have heard the expression, 'You can't get there from here." Yesterday I genuinely couldn't get there from here.

I sped down I-94 on my way to Indiana for a mini-reunion with my "old" friends from my Marion school days. It was something I was really looking forward to. Lots of laughs and good times. These were the people who knew me before I knew me.

I left about 6:30. I saw a flashing sign that said I-94 closed at Mauston. I didn't think much about it except I would be detoured and it would make the drive a little longer. Ha!, I wish that was the case.

At about 9:30 I hit stopped traffic eight miles from Mauston. It took me almost two hours to get to Mauston. Early on I noticed a woman walking along the line of cars. I guess she left her car and decided to get in her morning walk. I passed her several times. She actually got to the exit before I did (at least four miles) and was on the phone at the bottom of the ramp.. She did this walk in flip flops.

I passed about ten highway workers standing in their orange vests with their thumbs up their asses. Thanks for the help WDOT.

There was also a soldier in full camos just finishing up a pee at the side of the road. It was good to note he was wearing his beret as he should when outside in uniform.

I finally got to the off ramp to Mauston with the other lemmings. When we got to the end of the ramp, you could go left or right. There were no signs, no information, nothing to give us a hint as to what to do. Where the hell am I? I finally learned that bridge was closed because the flood waters on the Wisconsin River. I elected to turn right because a sign said I-94 alternate route. This turned out to be the regular sign for an alternative route everyday. I proceeded to an intersection manned by the local police. I had to take a right. I soon found myself in a residental neighborhood. I asked the cop what might be open. He had no clue. i am not sure he even knew why he was directing traffic to the right. Where in the hell am I?

I turned around and went back to the intersection, deciding that I would go east on hwy 80 and figure out where I might cross the river. As I re-approached the underpass for I-94, I found a sign saying 80 east was also closed. All bridges across the state of Wisconsin all the way to Milwaukee were closed. Still no information about alternative routes. I turn left heading up to I-94 and going back towards Minneapolis. There was a state cop directing us back to the freeway. I asked him what to do. He didn't know, but said that maybe take 21 at Tomah to Oshkosh and then turn south through Milwaukee. OSHKOSH!!!!????? WHAT? Where the hell am I?

I followed a road rally group to Tomah, and we all turned off. We met in the parking lot and no one could seem to find out what to do. By now I had invested three hours in Mauston with hardly an alternative to take. I decided to go home. I couldn't get there from here. 402 miles of wasted time and gas.

I have a great fear I am wandering into one of those periods of personal Murphy's law because not only did I spend three hours in Mauston, I also lost my Ipod and the stem on my sunglasses.

Happy Father's Day!

Sam

SONG OF THE WEEK!

k.d. lang - Close Your Eyes 2008

Still one of my favorites.

I will be going to Indiana for the weekend to see some really "old" friends. I will be observing and should have some new stuff when I return to the Blog.

Happy Father's Day!

Sam

THE RITUAL AT CORONADO GOLF COURSE!

Observation of the Day!

This is US Open week in San Diego and the nation. The Union Tribune ran an article about what happenes day to day a several of San Diego golf courses. Last year my course, Coronado Municipal Golf Course was voted by local golfers as the best public golf course in San Diego County. The following is from the Union Tribune about a day at Coronado. I have participated in this ritual many times.

6:02 a.m., Coronado

The sun has been up for 10 minutes, cresting the mountains in East County and now peeking through the pillars of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge.

SEAN M. HAFFEY / Union-Tribune
Against the backdrop of the San Diego-Coronado Bridge, golfers L.B. Rickards, Ken Trude, Bill Whaley and Sam Browning walked the greens not long after dawn at the Coronado Golf Course, which averages 103,000 rounds per year.

John Higgins takes a swig of coffee, looks at his watch and retrieves a rusty metal cage from a shelf. Inside are wooden balls numbered one to 75.

“All right, step on up,” Higgins says. “Let's get it done.”

The two courses at Torrey Pines may be closed to prepare to host the U.S. Open this week. But America's finest golf city rolls on, like a ball smacked down an endless fairway.

This is how the day begins at Coronado Golf Course, how it has begun since the course opened 51 years ago. People line up at the starter's booth. A metal cage is twirled and it spews out a wooden ball.

The lottery is for tee times two days in advance, but only for times between 6 and 7 a.m. Later tee times have been gobbled up by advance reservations; Coronado, with green fees a steal at $25, averages a whopping 103,000 rounds per year. Higgins will pull out balls for an hour, then start assigning the sacred tee times.

On this day, he has 22 available. Half go to those lucky enough to draw a wooden ball with a low number, the other half to those lucky enough to get through by phone.

He starts assigning tee times at 7 a.m. By 7:07, they're gone.

“Now I have to listen to the whining for the rest of the day,” says Higgins, who has worked at Coronado for 12 years. “That's the one thing about this job I'll never understand. If you get a tee time, great. If you don't, it's not the end of the world. Go do something else.

“But I've never heard such whining. You have no idea how seriously people take their golf around here.”

And so begins another beautiful day at "my" course. Let the Open begin.

Have a nice day!

Sam

PUT IT ON VIBRATE,BABY!

Observation of the Day!

Today Steve Jobs and Apple announced the new IPHONE. I have to admit in my blog profile, I claimed to have an IPHONE. I am sorry, but I rushed ahead a little. However, it was my intention to buy one as soon as the new one came out. After much internal debate with myself, I decided to stick with Verizon and re-upped with a new plan and a new phone. I think I made the right decision, even though I think the IPHONE is a little more user friendly, I was happy with the fact that the Verizon phone was over $300 cheaper than the IPHONE. Of course Apple dropped their price on the new 3G to $199, buT I still saved a couple of hundred bucks. I am very happy with my new phone. Calls, messaging, emailing, news, Internet and more. It has it all.

To think that a little over two years ago I was in a quandary about whether to even get a cell phone. The following is a piece I wrote at the time.

January, 2006

Most think of me as an observer, but I also contemplate, ponder and procrastinate.

I have contemplated, pondered and procrastinated for over six years, as whether or not to join the twenty-first century and venture into the world of telephonic mobility. Should I buy a cell phone? What to do? What to do?

I asked my brother, Terry, how he felt about having a cell phone.= He told me it was good to have, but nobody calls. Could it be that he lives in rural Oregon, south of Eugene, and his home is in a dead zone? However, it makes him feel important and cool when it is hanging on his belt, even if nobody calls.

I talked to nearly everybody about a cell phone. I found the younger a person is the more indispensable the cell phone becomes. I know I was in the minority, but I was kind of proud of not being hooked up. Maybe it is my last bastion of individuality.

What to do? What to do?

I still needed convincing. I went to Best Buy to talk to my son, Mark. I had given him six plus years of false starts, and he was sure he would once again not make the sale. I asked him to give me a good reason why I should buy a cell phone.

“You and mom are getting old, and I think you should have a cell phone in case of an emergency. You know, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” I knew he had a good point, but it also kind of pissed me off to have my old age brought into my decision process.

He almost had me convinced to make the giant leap and join the crowd driving big SUVs, drinking Starbuck’s lattes, talking on their cell phones and trying to back out of tiny parking spaces. I was still not sure I wanted to join the enemy.

Mark tried again. He showed me the various bells and whistles of this tiny and powerful instrument. It was when he showed me the vibrating function that I had a convincing fantasy.

I pictured myself walking along with my cell phone in my pocket set on vibrate, when a beautiful young lady approaches.

“Is that a cell phone in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?” she seductively asked.

“It’s a cell phone-------------------------- ---call me-----------------------------------OFTEN!!”

Sign me up, Marky.

Friends, my number is (952) 797-4213, Call me often.

Now in 2008, I find the cell an indispensable item. If I forget and leave my phone at home, I feel naked and alone in the world. To think between my computer and my cell, the world is my oyster. All from my easy chair.

I AM A MAN OF THE 21ST CENTURY!

Have a nice day!

Sam

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR TODAY!

Pretty Simple Isn't It?

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

If you plant humility, you will reap greatness
Words to Live By
If you plant perseverance, you will reap contentment

If you plant consideration, you will reap perspective

If you plant hard work, you will reap success

If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

If you plant faith in Christ, you will reap a harvest

So, be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will reap later.

Have a good day!

Sam

OLD BUD!

Observation of the Day!

I went to Costco today for lunch. No, not at the snack bar, but the little sampling tables. Free lunch is a good thing. As I wandered the aisles, I happened to notice an older man a little bent over, wearing old jeans. My God, that's Bud Grant, the most famous coach the Vikings ever had. His hair is still white, but there is less of it. He walked around unnoticed, just like the rest of us. I suppose he was not recognized because he wasn't wearing his traditional Vikings hat, so often shown in old NFL films footage. His ramrod straight profile of his athletic and coaching days is no longer there and has given away to a slight bend in the breezes of time. However, he was wearing his traditional solemn expressionless expression. He had a snack and then checked out the driveway sealer.

And life goes on!

Have a nice day!

Sam

THIS JUST IN!

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW, OR NOT!

The following is the 2007 winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term. This year's term was Political Correctness.

The winner wrote:"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forththe proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

Well said!

*****

The latest drug on the New York club scene might surprise some people.

Preparation H.

Yes, that iconic ointment for what ails folks from behind apparently can get women in a lather.

ABC News is reporting that New York bouncer, blogger and author Rob Fitzgerald has noticed that young men waiting outside his clubs are greasing up with the hemorrhoid cream to make themselves look "ripped" for the ladies.

I always thought New Yorkers were a bunch of assholes.

*****

Robbers use thongs to cover their faces?

One robber wore blue, the other green. But they were definitely under dressed for their getaway after stealing cash and cigarettes from a gas station's convenience store in Arvada, Colo.

Police were excited by the suspects' choice of masks — women's thong underwear — which left little the imagination, according to the surveillance video. The "masks" barely covered each man's nose, mouth and chin. That is precisely what I like about women's thong underware.

In another fashion statement, one had a pink backpack for the loot from their pre-dawn caper two weeks ago.

Who were those masked men?

*****

Gianna Vigliotti, who was pulled over by police as she swerved in and out of her lane on Northern Boulevard in Manhasset Friday night, said that's exactly what happened to her, according to court documents.

After the 17-year-old from Glen Cove recorded a .15 percent blood-alcohol level in a portable breath test - nearly the twice the legal limit of .08 percent - she told the officer who pulled her over, "I didn't drink! I was kissing a boy who was drunk," according to the police report.

It made no difference to Officer Michael Pallazzo whether Vigliotti's speech was slurred from smooching or from swigging. When he found four full beer bottles under the passenger seat of her Volkswagen and an empty beer can in her purse, he placed her under arrest, court documents said.

Good try kid!

*****

McDonald's unveiled the McCafé line at Golden Valley's Winnetka Avenue location with an a capella quintet -- dressed in McDonald's uniforms -- and a tasting with local celebrities such as Minnesota Wild player Mark Parrish, a self-described coffee enthusiast. His verdict: The McCafé brew "puts my wife's coffee to shame."

Did anybody say hockey players are stupid ? If that's the worst word his wife uses when he gets home, I'd be surprised.

*****

Paul, a homeless man is a regular visitor at Wesley United Methodist Church. He has a favorite pew that he makes his way to, after which he promptly falls asleep.

The members talked it over and decided to let him sleep, said the Rev. Suzanne. When Paul can't find a shelter for the night, he doesn't get much sleep, so the church members figured that they'd cut him some slack.

"If the snoring gets too loud, someone will go over and nudge him," she said. "But it's just Paul. It's not a big deal."

It couldn't have been a boring sermon that induced his sleep, could it? What about other snoring parishioners? What's their excuse?

*****

SUSAN SARANDON, who appeared in three films last year and won kudos for her TV movie "Bernard and Doris," is still not a contented soul. She says if John McCain gets elected, she will move to Italy or Canada. She adds, "It's a critical time, but I have faith in the American people."

Don't let the door slap you in the ass, Susan. Alex Baldwin is still residing in the US. Promises made, promises not kept.

*****

MILAN, Italy (AP) - First it was the film and the book. Now the next stop for Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" is opera.

La Scala officials say the Italian composer Giorgio Battistelli has been commissioned to produce an opera on the international multiformat hit for the 2011 season at the Milan opera house. The composer is currently artistic director of the Arena in Verona.

I wonder who will play the fat tenor? Probably Al himself.

*****

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's attorney general said Wednesday a surge in drug gang killings, marked by murders of police and decapitations this month, showed an army crackdown on cartels is working.

HUH?

*****

The crew aboard the International Space Station is working on a problem with the system for collecting solid and liquid waste, which is a trickier proposition without gravity than it is on the Earth. Space toilets use jets of fan-propelled air to guide waste into the proper container.

If an astronaut gets hit in the face with a flying turd, I hope it's the clean end.

Stupid Comment of the Day!





'Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country,' 
--Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC.

Have a nice day!

Samuel C. Arnold

SONG OF THE WEEK!

Mary Chapin Carpenter - Come On Come On

Close your eyes an imagine it is a warm summer night, and you are sitting on a dock at a small lake. There is no breeze and the water is like a dark mirror reflecting the great white way of a full moon. It is perfectly still except for the sounds of a stereo, perhaps played a little too loudly. The soft sound of Mary Chapin Carpenter's voice echoes across and back in the calm of the evening. That, my friends, is a Nirvana here on earth. Go there for a while and find a little peace.

Have a nice day!

Sam

HOW ABOUT THAT!

Congratulations to brother Jim in being elected to the Arizona Broadcasting Hall of Fame!

That is quite an honor for a kid that started his broadcasting career at the ripe old age of sixteen at WBAT, Marion, Indiana.

The Arnold family is very proud. Who would have thunk that a brother asjole could be so honored by his peers.

Have a nice day!

Sam