This Just In!

1. Southern California woman gives birth to 15 lb 2 oz baby.

Ouch!

2. The Miss El Cajon beauty pageant is looking for more contestants. The person must be between the ages of 10 and 20. (4 age categories), reside in El Cajon or attend Grossmont College. There will be a secondary titles given to the runner up. Miss Rancho San Diego.

It looks like everybody wins so there are no self-esteem issues. Covers all ages and most everyone wins. Good luck! 

3. Fire alarm goes off in Snoop Dogs hotel room. The fire department, who were I the building, responded right away. Everything was quickly under control. They attributed the alarm to the heavy marijuana smoke I the room.

Oh Snoop you dog.

 4. The body of woman was found near the 15th hole of a Maryland country club. Police were asking ifanyoftheearlyfoursomes noticed the body.

I'll bet they were waiting until they got to the club house to report it, that is if they even noticed.

5. Their has been a festival each summer in the La Croix rivertown of Stillwater, MN. The name of the festival was changed last year in hopes of giving new life to the festival. The name was changed from Lumberjack Days to Stillwater Log Jam Days. No big deal, but the City Administrator requested that the name be try old man who is quick to pick up on funny sexual innuendoeschanged because it might have sexual over tones.

Really ???? As a Dirty old an who picks up on sexual innuendoes quickly, I have to say that was the last thing om my mind, and I miss few things sexualwhen I read the article is that  only dirtymindhere is the city administrator. By the way the festival committee said it had no plans to change the name. What are we coming to? With all the vulgarity we are surrounded daily with, this hardly qualifies as a concern.


6. Andrea Mitchel interrupts an interview with a Congesswoman for breaking news," Justin Bieber arrested in Miami."

Need I say more about the quality of our news media?

7. Cow farts in a barn in Germany cause it to explode.

Holy cow Batman"

8. Northwestern Football team wants to unionize.

Another loss for this team who has losing seasons in all sports. Going on strike would be a blessing to Wildcat fans.

9. Opera singer suing and must give up her singing career because of some surgery after child birth that caused continuous flatuance.

As a critic once said.  That performance was a stinker.

There you have it and now you know it. Until next time,
Little Sammy Carl

Observation of the Day!

I wake up every morning and look across Glorietta Bay to the Naval Amphibious Base. It is the place where I began my adult life. Full circle in my cycle of life.

At 8 o'clock sharp every morning, the strains of the National Anthem reverberate across the Bay. If you listen closely, you can hear the Anthem, as the sounds travel across the water from military installations around San Diego Bay. It is good to reaffirm everyday that "the flag is still there."

God Bless America.

Sam

Can We Make The Dream A Reality?

"I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. " 

Martin Luther King

I believe that the quote is the most important quote among many memorable quotes in Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech. It has two thoughts in it. Not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character. 

I don't think I have a racist bone in my body, but I do have extreme predjudice against a person who lacks character. I hate thieves, abusers, murders, rapists, child molesters, liars, drug addicts and drunks etc. Character is not an illusive term. You know character when you see it, and you know character when it is absent.

Many churches today are very segregated. There's the white church, the black church, Hispanic church and the Asian church. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a fact and has more to do with its neighborhood than it has of race. One of the things I enjoy most about going to the Rock church is its extreme diversity. If you looked out from the pulpit, you would see the highest example of diversity. There is every skin color in the world represented in this congregation. Young people, old people, fat people, skinny people, children, blind people, tattooed people, ex-convicts, ex-prostitutes, ex-gang members, rich and poor. I never feel race in this place of worship. The common denominator is a belief in God and the relationship with him. We have a small church group whose commonality is we all attend the Rock. Small groups and ministries area very important part of making a large church smaller and more intimate. In our group there are four whites, one of whom is from Poland, three black woman and one Hispanic. We are as close as any group of people can be. We may see color, but we don't see color. We see people coming together.

I do believe that race relations have improved, but still a fact of life among some people. Some of them even call themselves Christians. I do see that people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson as exploiters of their own people. Without the race industry they wouldn't have a job. Their rants do nothing to bring people together.

If people learned the content of character, as taught by every religion in the world, it would be a better world. We need a world that pays more attention. Little children don't see race, they see a playmate. We need more playmates.

Have a nice MLK Day.

Sam

War Is Stupid!

When we think of the 20th century, we think of the technical marvels that were not even thought of at the turn of the century. And it only picked up its pace during the last quarter of the 1900s.

However, there is another distingstion. Between the years of 1337 and 1433 there was a series of wars between the Kingdom of France and the Kingdom of England. These continuing wars were  lumped together to be called "The Hundred Years' War". I'm sure some of you out there think how could a conflict be carried on for a century over two human life times. What barbarians. Before we get too superior, didn't we just finish a hundred years ourselves? At the turn of the century, was the Spanish-American War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam Nam, Granada , Bosnia, Iraq I and IIS, Afghanistan. In between the majors were many smaller military actions. Nothing has really changed except the technology of killing. Smart Killing machines.

I have found in my experience that people the world over are pretty good people aising families and trying to just get along. I remember, as a child, during WWII the " Krauts and the Japs"were our mortal enemies. Now we think off them as allies and friends.We carry on friendly conversations with them in their country and ours.

Not long ago, I sat at a dinner party in Coronado. There was a Englishman, an Indonesian, a Maylasian, a Japanese and me, old whitey from America. I couldn't help but think what a wonderful world when people come together from very different circumstances and cultures and can be sitting enjoying the company and the stories. We were truly friends. This same conversation could not have taken place, just 50 years ago. What a wonderful world.

So how do well meaning people fight ongoing wars for an entire century? Wars are also caused by people, except they are our political and so called religious leaders. Imagine if these leaders were just serving their citizens instead of themselves and their ideologies.

What is accomplished by war. Nothing because over time our enemies become our criends and our friends become our enemies. Imagine what the world would be like if the lives and resources were spent making a better life for the citizens of the world. Don't forget it's also about the money, greed in the first degree.


WAR IS STUPID!

Peace be with you.

Sam

Googling God!

This morning I took a friend's daughter to her school in El Cajon. It was a wonderful drive on a wonderful day. I put the address in Google Maps, and directions were right there in various formats, driving, bus, walking and written. A stern irritating lady makes commands, as you get on your way. Even when you take a wrong turn or short cut you know, she always gets you back in the right direction. No matter how many mistakes you make, she is always there to forgive and restart the journey.

God is a lot like that. Life is about the journey, but the Heaven is always the final destination.No matter how many times you get off the path, God will offer forgiveness and redirection. The voice of God can also be just as irritating as the Google lady, but both voices remain calm, never showing emotion or anger when you screwup. If you listen, you will get back to the right direction. It is the moral compass of your life.

So Google God, he is always there to get your life back on the right path to Heaven. It is God's GPS. Pay attention and Heaven awaits.

Have a great day!

Samuel.

Hidden in Plain Sight!

I  have dodged Heaven's door five times in my life that I know of, the last time being the closest,when my defribulator did its job. I pray everyday, following Pastor Miles formula for prayer: AWCIPA!

A- Adoration of God giving thanks for the blessings he has bestowed upon me and acknowledging power of God.
W- Wait. Wait in the solitude of your own mind. Silence is a time of gathering peace.
C- Confession for the sins I know and the my sins of which I am unaware.
I- Intervention. Ask for God's assistance in helping people in need of God in their lives. My favorite part.
P- Petition  Giving thanks for the personal blessings bestowed on me and things for which I need God"s help and guidance.
A- More adoration and praise of God our Father. Amen!

The easiest part is praying for others. The hardest part is praying for myself. I consider myself the most blessed man in the world. I never pray for "things".

However, for some time I have been asking God what he wants me to do with the rest of my life. Surely he has given me more time to do something. God always has a plan. With the last heart problem, my prayer became more intense, searching for that elusive answer. I have been saved to do something more on this is earth. God, What is my purpose?

While praying one recent evening, I came to the Petition. "God, what to you want me to do"? It was then that I felt God's answer. "You are already doing it, and you have been doing it for sometime." The answer was right there in plain sight. God wanted me to "pay it forward."

I came from a totally Midwestern background with middle class morals and values. My prayers never missed the blessings I have had. Our parents grounded us in those values, and knew that further our education was a solid building block for the future. Both brothers and I graduated from college, and went on to be blessed in our careers. Character and education are building blocks to living a life well lived.

I had always helped young people by trying to be a mentor to those in whom I saw potential. Over the past few years, I have helped young people with financial humps they may have had. Yes, I was careful not to be taken advantage of. Yes, there were a few, but they were quickly put out of my life. Their problem, not mine.

However, when Mark passed away my world changed. He was getting the bulk of my estate. Now he was gone. I prayed about it, the answer that came back was "Pay it forward". I can't give people character, but I can help them get an education. And so, 80% of my estate is going to two educational foundations In the name of my son and nephew, who died at a young age just eight months apart and to my home town foundation in the name of my parents. 20% will go to my church. I had done this months ago. But I guess God was not through with me. I have a young friend,who is a server at a local restaurant. She had overcome much in her life. She works hard and has faith in God. I always checked with her how school was going. I knew it was always a struggle to make ends meet. I learned she had been accepted as a junior to San Diego State, and she earned a 3.8 her first semester. I knew she had the right stuff. I awarded her my little private scholarship and I felt good about it. The foundation scholarships will not commence until my passing. In the meantime I can continue to seek out more people to help. It is not a give away, it must be earned and not expected.

God showed me my purpose, and it was always hidden in plain sight.

Samuel

Writers Write!

I was reading a piece the other day that asked, "What are two things you enjoy doing most?" That's a much harder thing to sort out than you may think. Most of us enjoy doing a lot of things, how do I narrow it down to just two?. It also said meditate on these two things because they are in your soul.

What are my two most enjoyable things? I finally settled on observation of  the human race and writing about it. I discovered how closely they are linked. Without observation I would have nothing to write about. I have written a self-published book. I was a columnist for a trade magazine.  I have done genealogy research and written my family history. I have written a group of essays and made poor attempts at poetry. I currently publish a blog.Yes I am a writer . I  actually made money writing. When I write, I get in a zone of concentration and words and the words flow automatically.. Time passes quickly. I love the zone. It truly is a calling to use this talent. Sometimes when I read a piece I have written years ago, I am amazed that I wrote anything that good, even if I have say so myself.

You become a better writer by writing, but I think some schooling in the creative process of writing will make a better writer as well.  If you write, you are a writer.  It has little to do with writing as a profession, although it can be a profession.  Writing can simply be a form of personal expression of your inner most thoughts to yourself and to others, if you choose.  It can be a source of personal therapy and/or simply for your own pleasure and enjoyment.  I do it because I like to do it.  Writing for me is like a mind laxative - it flushes out and makes me feel better. 

Professional writer means that you have been paid money for writing.  I have sat in a writing of professional writing “wannabes” with their little round steel-rimmed eye glasses (both sun and regular) expounding on the artistic intellectual elitism of being a writer.  They may feel writing is a noble profession; but if they want to make a living at it, they may have to compromise some of their artistic pureness.  I have to laugh because I may be the only non-professional writer in the room who has actually been paid a semi-handsome sum for writing.  Between the magazine articles, my books (two versions of the same book) and a couple of sales and product manuals, I have made over $60,000 writing.  If you throw in the seminars based on the book the figure is over $90,000.  Writing about foodservice may not be very glamorous to some professional writers, but it made me a non-professional-professional.  I have probably earned more money than many in the room will ever earn as professional writers.

So I write because I have something to say. Whether anybody cares is their problem.

Sam Arnold

Writer

Over the River and Through the Desert!

On Monday of Christmas week, I made the decision to drive to Tucson to spend Christmas with my brother, Jim. I have never been short of Christmas dinner invitations, but this year I decided to spend it with my brother. He was family, and we had both lost our sons within eight months of each other. This would be my first Christmas without Mark.Even though I hadn't been with him for the holidays since 2008, he was always in my thoughts during this holiday time. It was time for a little family Christmas, even though it would be just the two of us.

On Tuesday morning I packed a few things and headed east. I have made this drive many times before. It is easy to get  mesmerized by the never ending straight road across the California and Arizona desert at 80 mph.This time I decided to pay more attention to the uniqueness of the South West that I passed by.

I headed east to I-8 to the mountains of East San Diego County. I started up the grade that would eventually reach 4,000 feet. The road was cut through mountains of solid rock and boulders. The changing light made the shadows fly by. I couldn't imagine what it took to build this part of the highway. We all have a story, even rocks. How did they get there? How long have they been there? I have often picked up a small stone in many places in the world and ask that same questions. What's your story little stone? The rocks were here long before us, possibly thousands or millions of years.We are such a small part of God's universe.

I descended into the desert and into the Imperial Valley, which is rich agricultural land. Who had the vision  of using water from the Colorado River to irrigate this barren desert and make it bountiful? I passed green fields of lettuce. There were bales of hay stacked ready for delivery. Citrus trunks carrying their colorful loads. I wondered if any one of these desert farmers owned a car because I saw nothing but pickups.

On and on back to the dry flat sage bush populated desert. In the distance were purple mountains majesty rising, cutting through the horizon like a Dow Jones flow chart. Now I was passing through pure tan sand dunes, with many desert riders and their trucks and trailers dotting the landscape. A movie about the Sahara could be shot here. Just as quickly, I was past the dunes and back to the sage brush desert.

Up came Yuma and into Arizona. It's the land of RVs, dealers and visitors, a poor man's Palm Springs. However, this was a town that was the real wild west. There was the sign pointing to the Yuma Territorial Prison. What stories this land could tell.

I came through a little valley with giant Sonora cacti on the hills like an army of long necked soldiers guarding the highway. What was their story? When did a seed fall and where did it come from that began the lives of these majestic plants?

Interstate 8 ended and I turned south on to I-10 to my brothers house, and family for the greatest holiday of all. It was a merry Christmas.

Life goes by quickly like my Camry across the desert. As with life, all you have to do is pay attention. Slow down, the wonders of God's work is right before you

Merry Christmas.

Sammy Carl