UP OR DOWN!

Observation of the Day!

I've been pondering. There is something that has bothered me most of my life. That issue is one that seems to be very important to all women, toilet seat left up or down???

Women say down. The rationale I have heard that if a woman gets up in the dark she wants to have the assurance that she will be seated on the proper throne. If a man goes to the john in the dark, he is supposed to know the rules and lift the seat, hopefully.

Now who says that the burden of the rules should rest on the man's shoulders. He is required to check that everything is in its proper position, while the woman is able to march in and set her butt on the seat with confidence. Why shouldn't man be able to stagger to the john, stand there with confidence that he will hear the tinkle tinkle? If he does not hear the sound he knows he must adjust.

It seems to make sense that the seat should be left in the up position, and then everyone who has to squat, including the man, knows to reach up and lower the seat. Makes sense to me!

What am I missing? Help me out here! If my solution makes sense, it will still be wrong because I am a man. We always lose these arguments, but it is worth a ponder.

Next time I will ponder the merits of two ply and one ply toilet paper.

Have a nice day!

Sammy Carl

A GUIDE TO MAKING YOURSELF WELCOME IN MINNESOTA!

Observation of he Day!

Republicans gather in St. Paul next week for the four day political infomercial convention. Be sure to not to say it is in Minneapolis because, as several TV anchors have discovered, it really pisses St. Paulites off. Kristin Tillotson wrote this guide to conventioneers in the Star Tribune this morning. Her observations are the truth about Minnesotans, not exaggerations. This article will make them angry, just as "Fargo" did. Many Minnestotans failed to see the humor in one of the greatest Coen brothers movies.

Dear conventioneers: As you make your way through this strange, foreign territory known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes, here are some pointers to help you get your feet wet.

By Compiled by Kristin Tillotson, Star Tribune

Loving the Vikings is a safe conversation starter. Hating the Packers unfortunately is not because of all the Wisconsonites that have … read more invaded our state and are obnoxious about the Packers.

Driving and taxis

• "Uptown Minneapolis" is south of downtown.

• Most traffic lights are on the corner curbs, not overhead in the middle of the street.

• Don't take the directional indications of "35W" and "35E" too seriously.

• Minnesotans are notorious for not knowing how to merge onto freeways, finally heaving the car into your lane at the last minute while going 25 miles an hour. We brake for on-ramps -- if not for pedestrians.

• No honking! Around here, laying on your horn is the equivalent to deliberately rear-ending someone.

• "The Crosstown" means Hwy. 62, which goes east-west on the southern border of Minneapolis and is a common airport route.

• Taxi tips: You can't hail a cab from the street. You have to go to a designated taxi stand. During the convention, some of those stands may be closed or moved. Some cabs have glowing lights hard-wired on top. This does not mean they are available.

Notorious landmarks not worth the effort

• Mary Tyler Moore house. It's a private residence and has changed too much.

• Larry Craig bathroom stall at the airport. Really, what do you expect to see?

The rivalry between the Twin Cities

• Never, ever refer to St. Paul as Minneapolis.

The reverse never happens, so no worries there.

• St. Paulites say: Minneapolis is where we

play, but St. Paul is where we live. Minneapolitans say: Minneapolis is where we live and play.

St. Paul is ... someplace in Wisconsin?

• People from Minneapolis find navigating St Paul to be difficult.

People from St Paul just don't believe in navigating Minneapolis.

Eating and drinking

• Soda is "pop."

• Seltzer is "soda water."

• Casserole is "hot dish."

• Bars are places to drink, also 50 percent of desserts made in Minnesota are bars (lemon bars, pumpkin bars, etc.).

• Do try: Wild rice, walleye and lefse (thin Scandinavian potato pancakes rolled with sugar and butter).

• Try at your own risk: lutefisk, smelly whitefish cured in lye.

Minnesota expressions

• Yep. You bet.

• "Oh, fer," as in "Oh, fer nice!" or "Oh, fer gosh sakes!"

• "Ish" = "ick" or "gross."

• "Not too bad" = Amazingly great! not to be confused with ...

• "It's not that bad,'' the stock answer to any question about living here.

• DFL stands for the Democratic Farmer Labor party.

• You want to come with?

• A "hockey haircut" is a mullet. Even our governor used to have one.

• Can you borrow me five bucks?

• Schmoozing: In Minnesota, this means brown-nosing, not just chatting (we're suspicious of extroverts).

• "We'll be up at the lake" or "the cabin." Like there's only one. And it's always "the cabin," even when it's a house.

• "Up North" is anywhere north of the Twin Cities, but "the North Shore" is along Lake Superior between Duluth and the Canadian border.

• "The Cities" is the Twin Cities metropolitan area to anyone who lives outside of it.

Social customs

• Start saying goodbye at least 15 minutes before you really have to leave.

• Replying to an RSVP request is considered an optional courtesy.

• When in doubt, be indirect.

• Be prepared to face passive aggression around every corner. If a Minnesotan tells you something is "interesting" or "different," you can be sure you've been insulted.

Have a nice day!

Sam

REMEMBERING OUR DAD!

Our father died August 29, 1994, fourteen years ago today. You never forget your father, no matter what your relationship was. The greatest tribute to our father came not from our family, but from a local Marion, Indiana sports writer.

Ken Hill, the publisher of The Sport’s Hotline, a weekly newspaper featuring local sports in and around Grant County, came to the visitation and later wrote in the September 9, 1995 issue of his little newspaper the following wonderful column about Ward Arnold. I think it captured him perfectly. It symbolized a lot about who my father was in the eyes of a person in the community. It said more about him than anything I have written about him. The column came from a person who knew, admired and respected my father at a different level.

It’s too bad there’s not a Super Fan Hall of Fame because if there was Ward Arnold surely would have been one of the first to be elected. Ward was more than just a fan. He was a super fan just like some athletes are super stars, only without all the ego, fame, money and publicity. He died last week at the age of 82 and with his passing closed the book on one of the greatest supporters of Marion High School athletics ever had.

He never scored a basket or a touchdown. He never hit a home run or pitched a no-hitter. He never ran a 100-meter dash and he never pinned his opponent in the first period. He never won a 100-meter freestyle or took first place on the balance beam. He never hit an ace serve and never scored a winning goal. He never crossed the finish line first and he never made a 25-foot birdie putt. Nope, he never did any of those things but yet he probably saw others do them more than anyone in the history of Marion High school sports. Ward Arnold was a fan’s fan.

Basketball was his big thing but he would follow all the other sports as well. For so many years as long as a Marion Giant team was playing there was a good chance Arnold was there. The year was 1975. Marion hadn’t won a state basketball championship since 1926. The Giants got to Market Square Arena that year for the Final Four. Ward was vacationing in Arizona at the time. But he didn’t let a few miles stand in his way of seeing his Giants go for the state title He got on a plane and was at MSA when Marion took it all. Arnold was in the eighth grade when the Giants last won the state championship.

He was a rabid fan but not a very vocal one. At basketball games he would sit there with pencil in hand keeping score. More often than not, right beside him, too, would be Maxyne, his wife of so many years. Maxyne became ill a year or two ago and was unable to make the games. In fact, she became ill at a Marion Giant home game one night. Ward and Maxyne were pretty much inseparable. One can’t recall seeing Ward at a Marion basketball last season because Maxyne was unable to be there, and he didn’t want to leave her and go alone. Yet, he kept buying season tickets. Last year marked the 66th straight time that he had season tickets to Marion High School basketball games.

They were a lovely couple that seemed to depend on one another quite a lot. Arnold didn’t yell out like some fans but he would voice his opinion rather quietly, giving either words of praise or criticism as he saw fit. There are a lot of adults who attend Marion basketball games. They don’t have kids playing, but they are there to support the Giants. But once the season is over most of them aren’t to be seen at another athletic event until the next basketball season rolls around. But that wasn’t the case with Ward. He had no son or daughter playing but he was there at other events just the same. He saw his share of sports besides basketball or football. He was a genuine fan. He went to games because he loved sports and young people. He went because he was a true blue Marion Giant fan.

None of us will live forever. Ward Arnold had a good long life. Marion High School was blessed to have such a dedicated fan. There are fans such as Joe Blow and then there are fans like Ward Arnold. People, there’s a world of difference. The Hotline’s sympathy goes to wife Maxyne and the family. There have been few fans like Ward Arnold and there won’t be too many more like him down the road either.

Have a nice day!

Sam Arnold, son of Ward and Maxyne

A FEW COMMENTS ON THE OLYMPICS!

Observation of the Day!

I must admit I didn't watch the Olympics door to door. I did watch much of the swimming and track. These are my limited observations.

1.There is no question China launched itself on the world stage. it had arrived. Chinese citizens went about their business in Western clothes,and they were just ordinary people. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies were spectacular. No expense was spared, and it was pure creative genius. I don't think London or anybody could come close to this show. Nor do I think London should try. Just put some sparklers on the big Ferris wheel and get on with the games.

2. When I was doing my training seminar, my closing contained the story of Mark Spitz and his great feat of winning seven medals. To make my point I told the audiences that his final Gold Medal was in the relay, A TEAM EFFORT! Now the name changes to Michael Phelps. What a performance. His body was custom made for swimming, 6'7", long waste and big flexible feet. However, it was the work that ultimately made the difference. It is not the tools, it is what you do with them.

3. I was intrigued by the synchronized diving. It was just amazing. Absolute mirror images.

4.How could everybody drop the baton?

5. Lightening Bolt.

6. Synchronized swimming always gets my attention. I wonder why? Heh! Heh!

7. The woman's discus thrower is a big woman. She set a new record. Nobody will mess with her.

8. The Redeem Team redeemed. The played as a team, not the prima donnas of the last Olympics. The Chinese love basketball.

9. What the hell happened with the woman's softball team. 22-1? The one loss being the Gold Medal game. However, they did have Jenny Finch. Heh! Heh!

10. Tennis should not be an Olympic sport. They already play on an an international stage.

11. Todd Bachman, the father-in-law of the men's volleyball coach was randomly stabbed to death by deranged Chinese citizen. Bachman's is a well known 100 year old floral and gift shops in the Minnesota area. Doe works at the Bachman's store in Eden Prairie. Their was much sadness because everyone who works at Bachman's is a family. The men won the gold when they were ranked fifth at best. Barbara Bachman, Todd's wife, was also slashed. She was brought home to Mayo's and has now been released. you don't think of these things happening so close to home.

12. I love woman's beach vollley ball. Heh! Heh!

11. NBC reaped big rewards.

I am glad it is over, and we can move back to the pennant race.

Have a nice day!

Sam

HELLO CHINA!

Observation of the Day!

When I was writing my family history, my research on the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection and my grandfather's service in both ends of the war, I learned that the reason we did not give the Philippines their independence as we did Cuba was the fact that the U.S. viewed the Philippines were the gateway to China and the Far East and the vast markets. It has been a slow evolutionary process, but now a hundred years later it would seem that China has finally made it. The Olympic Games were the coming out party to the world.

Yes, China is communist country with an authoritarian government, but it seemed to me that the people in China were relatively happy and going about their lives. The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. The athletes were all getting along fine in the spirit of the games. There was some questionable judging occasionally, but that isn't something new to the Games.

It further confirms in my mind that ordinary people are ordinary people and bear few hostilities toward each other. Once again it is governments that create wars, not the people. In the government controlled world former enemies become friends and old friends become enemies.

Not long after I go my way to another world, China will be the next truly world power. The U.S. will continue to wither away. Their education system works,. Ours is failing. Foreign countries are buying U.S. assets until we won't own much.

We have become arrogant and lazy. We will wither.

A few years ago I heard my management hero, Peter Drucker, tell us that the intermingling and codependents of business being global will do much to prevent wars in the future. There will be too much to lose on all sides.

China is out there and the Olympics added the exclamation point.

Tomorrow I will give you some of my observations of the games themselves.

Have a nice day!

Samuel

WHOOPS!

This is the first post on the Olympics. More to follow, but I thought these were priceless.

Olympic Blooper

Here are the top nine comments made by NBC sports commentators so far during the Olympics that they would like to take back: 1. Weight-lifting commentator: This is Gregorieva from Bulgaria. I saw her snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing. 2. Dressage commentator: This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once mounted her mother. 3. Paul Hamm, Gymnast: I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father. 4. Boxing Analyst: Sure there have been injuries, and even some deaths in boxing, but none of them really that serious. 5. Softball announcer: If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again. 6. Basketball analyst: He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn’t like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces. 7. At the rowing medal ceremony: Ah, isn’t that nice, the wife of the IOC president is hugging the cox of the British crew. 8. Soccer commentator: Julian Dicks is everywhere. It’s like they’ve got eleven Dicks on the field. 9. Tennis commentator: One of the reasons Andy is playing so well is that, before the final round, his wife takes out his balls and kisses them... Oh my God, what have I just said? Have a nice day! Sammy C.

DOG DAYS! OR BORING MYSELF TO DEATH ONE DAY AT A TIME!

Non-Observation of the Day

I am sure all my regular readers have noticed my posted have dwndled to a trickle. I am truly sorry, but the dog days of summer are upon me. I just haven't observed much happening around me because it would seem that the dog days are dogging everybody.

Let's see what I can muster up about the summer that is rapidly winding down.

It has been a good summer weather wise in Minnesota. It got off to a wet and cold start, but ended in good shape. Very few days over 90 and few nights under 59. God that's boring!

I didn't play too much golf. Once a week and no practice in between. I guess I play golf in California more now. I did learn that the highest handicap I have ever had over the last twenty years is not so bad. It has been very rewarding. In my senior league I have won more money in the last two years than I ever did with lower handicap. Golf stories are also boring.

Those are the highlights of the summer. WOW! That's it? That's the best I can do! I hope to get back on track as the observation business picks up this fall. I have plans.

Have a nice summer day.

Sam