HE'S STILL GOT IT!

Observation of the Day!

He is nearly as old as I am, his hair has gone gray, maybe a face lift tightened up the face a little, his pants are still tight and woman still through their panties to the stage, but he's still got it. I'm talking about Tom Jones.

Last night I went with some friends to see Tom at the Belly Up music club. The Belly Up is a small venue (600 capacity) in Solona Beach. It's kind of a dump, full of life. Kind of like me. Tom sang some classic TJ plus new songs from his recently released CD 24 Hours.

The crowd was mostly older of course. Not too much Spandex around, but his fans have never forgot how to get with it.

It brought back memories from 1967. Doe and I and the Koivistos saw Tom on his first major engagement in Las Vegas at the Hilton. I became a fan of Tom Jones even though it has been 42 years since I spent money to see him. How time and life pass before your eyes and ears. Tom Jones in Las Vegas is one of those memories that is never forgotten when ever I see or hear him on records and TV. It is one of those predictable anecdotes that I repeat almost verbatim whenever I see him on TV. "Yes, Dad we have heard that story a thousand times."

Tom's voice and showmanship are still vibrant and his female fans still throw their panties, even if they may now be "granny panties".

It was a fun evening in a time, when fun doesn't happen as often as it should. And it made me feel young again. I was moving it, Baby!

"So I walk on and make my memories"

Line from Tom Jones song, Seasons, from CD 24 Hours

Have a nice day!

Sammy Carl

WHAT HAPPENED?

Observation of the Day!

Today I went to Costco for some gasoline. As I was turning the corner, I noticed a homeless person begging for money from motorists at the light. He was wearing an Obama tee shirt with "Yes We Can" on the back. I guess the Obama's promises and the bailouts missed him.

Have a nice day!

Sam

THE HONEYMOON WAS SHORT!

Observation of the Day!

The honeymoon is over for me. I gave Obama a chance and he has lost me already. The common adage is run from the right or left to please the base, and then govern from the center. Obama seemed to do that at first. He reached across the aisle like no one before. It turns out is was a head fake and he has moved way left to govern. I don't envy his economic task. It is is a very high mountain to climb, and there is enough blame to go around. However, he actually gave us hints as to where he and the Democratic Congress were going.

He was going to take the country in a new direction. We just didn't know it was European Socialism. Socialism does not work. It never has in history. Do we, as a country, really want to be another France or Germany?

What he said to Joe the plumber was another hint as to the real Obama agenda, redistribution of wealth.

The budgeted spending is astronomical, and I hope all you younger Obamians like the debt you will carry the rest of your life. The stimulus package in my opinion does not create the jobs promised. I sincerely hope it works. However, the Dems don't seem done yet. They have more spending planned on the other issues. While these issues are important to be debated, doesn't anyone know we can't afford it. Does anyone believe Obama will cut the national debt in half by 2012. Even if he does cut it in half ,it will still be larger than the debt he inherited.

I am not a Bush fan either. He did not govern in any way of a conservative. He is the worst president in my life time with dear old Jimmy a very close second. The ecomomy in his administration was nearly as bad as Bush's.

Government has no sense of setting priorities. It's not their money. It is all about building the beaucracies. One of the two increases in jobs was in D.C. The new spending will create even more beaucarsy.

Say hello to China the new world power.

God Bless America!

Samuel C. Arnold

A SHORT COMMENT!

Observation of the Day!

Does anyone but me think it is time to march on the Congress? Every other group of angry and oppressed people have marched on Washington. Why don't we fools who played by the rules do the same? These self-centered windbags no longer represent the American people.

Actually, I believe the best way is to attend every local town hall meeting our representatives hold. Attend those who we voted for and have actually represented us pretty well to let them know we are watching them and to warn them about being consumed by the bright lights of the beltway. Keep writing them at every opportunity, even though it does no good.

I am mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore.

Have a nice day!

Samuel C. Arnold.

THE BEACH CLUB!

Observation of the Day!

The Beach Club at Coronado Shores is right on the ocean, looking out to Point Loma. It is truly one of the premiere locations anywhere on Earth. It is a place where residents can gather for Happy Hour, the Friday night dance,Bridge games, Gin games and many other community events. The club has also been described as God's waiting room.

On Sunday Susan and Judy put on an old fashioned Jewish brunch. It was a delightful carbo loading meal. I felt I could have run a marathon fueled by these rich carbs.

The entertainment was the San Diego Gay Men's ensemble. They were quite good. Most of them looked pretty straight until they started to sing, then some of the effeminate features came out. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

The audience loved them. As you know, most of the residence of the Shores are are golden aged. When the director chided the oldest member of the group about being the oldest, he responded that he was going to move to the Shores the next day. Was that a cheap shot? Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Yesterday was a stormy rainy nasty day. Even the ocean was angry. I went to the Club in the afternoon, as I often do, to read. I waited until the really hard rain subsided before I ventured out. When I got there, I found the Gin group (they play everyday) was hard at work at their usual table. It wasn't until I sat down on the couch that I realized that two of the players were playing in their boxer shorts, their pants hung to dry on a chair. Neither rain Nor snow will keep the Gin players from there game.

Have a nice day!

Sam

AN ERROR ON MY PART!

I received a comment from the keeper of Home of Heroes Website. I am always interested in how people find my little blog. Must be Google. I said he could not find John Mckinny's name on the list of Navy Cross recipients. I apologize because I had spelled John's last name wrong. It is John Blackhall Mckinny. He is a recipient of this distinguished reward for serving our country. He is one of only 6,900 + in history of the medal.

Sam

WHAT A WONDERFUL EVENING IN NIRVANA!

Observation of the Day!

Last evening was a most wonderful evening for me. Paul Payne, my best Coronado friend, held a dinner party at a very fine Coronado Italian restaurant. There were fourteen people invited. They were all golfing buddies and wives. The occasion was to celebrate the sale of Paul's Mexican business. As his golfing partners, we were all subject to Paul's whoa is me and moans about the sale of his business. He got less sympathy from Ingrid. This was payback for our patience. He really didn't have to do this payback because we all enjoyed the needles we placed in his body, whenever the subject came up.

I was honored to be included. I love my golfing life and golfing friends. I am so proud of being accepted as a part of the group, even though to date I am only here five months a year. I love my life in Coronado.

I arrived on time at the appointed hour of six o'clock to find that eleven were already seated and on their first drink. I was surprised, but should have known that old people eat early and on time. I guess going to the bank and driving around the block to kill time so I wouldn't arrive too early cost me an early drink.

Since I was a single, my "date" was my wonderful friend John McKinney. John is truly a hero to us all. He won the Navy Cross for sinking a Japanese carrier in WWII. He tells of flying high, waiting for the order to dive bomb the target. He remembers being just above the flack and thinking that in a few minutes he would be diving through it. He was 22.

John actually survived two other close calls. He was in a hotel fire in Atlanta and fell out of the window, saved by the pile of bodies, some of them his buddies from a perty that he was to attend on the thirteenth floor. He also survived being in the back seat of a car that skidded backward into a river in Lousiana. I believe his pilot training saved his life. John has been blessed. He is not well, but still has lunch at the golf course a couple of times a week. He has trouble remembering even his last bit of conversation. The fun is that he gets a special twinkle in his eye as he laughs about his difficulty in remembering. He is a hero and a wondeful man. God bless John McKinney.

The food and company made for a wonderful evening, an evening to remember. Thanks Paul for bringing us together.

Have a wonderful day and go Cardinals.

Sam