{"id":16100,"date":"2024-02-27T11:07:27","date_gmt":"2024-02-27T17:07:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/?p=16100"},"modified":"2024-03-11T15:23:52","modified_gmt":"2024-03-11T20:23:52","slug":"two-quintessential-american-salesmen-and-mirror-opposites-tim-arndt-and-jimmy-mcgill-saul-goodman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/?p=16100","title":{"rendered":"Two quintessential American salesmen and mirror opposites, Tim Arndt and Jimmy McGill\/Saul Goodman"},"content":{"rendered":"
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“And the Good Samaritan, he’s dressing, he’s getting ready for the show<\/em>
He’s going to the carnival tonight on Desolation Row<\/em>.” — Bob Dylan, “Desolation Row”<\/p>\n

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Tim Arndt (1959-2024). All photos of Tim courtesy of Tim and Amy Arndt.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

As I\u2019m going in a sleepless gonzo-mode lately, I might not do justice to Cousin Tim Arndt or to spouse Amy Arndt\u2019s power-packed obit of the extraordinary man who died of prostate cancer recently, at 64. It\u2019s a revelation, the depth and myriad benevolence of Tim\u2019s life. So, I hope this doesn\u2019t seem too irreverent, as this is not an obit per se, and the ensuing analogy is meant to serve by contrast.<\/p>\n

But as a culture vulture, I was struck by something in the sadness of Tim\u2019s passing. In my house, we\u2019re currently on a Better Call Saul<\/em>-watching binge. Here\u2019s the mirror reflection that caught my eye. It strikes me Tim\u2019s life is the moral mirror-opposite of the title character. Tim started his professional career selling flip-style cellphones — close to the depicted the era when Jimmy \u201cSaul Goodman\u201d McGill starts re-inventing himself — selling \u201cprivate\u201d covert flip-style cell phones. And the TV series\u2019 New Mexico setting ain\u2019t far from Texas, so the cultural milieu isn\u2019t too alien.<\/p>\n

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Jimmy McGill hustling private flip-style cell phones. The Georgia Straight<\/em><\/p>\n

The big difference is how disgraced and disbarred lawyer Jimmy\/Saul takes to selling cell-phones, for nefarious purposes. He has a born-salesman\u2019s gift-for-gab, like Tim, but oh my, what Saul does with his gifts. Throughout the series he\u2019s a salesman first and best, even when working as a lawyer.<\/p>\n

What unfolds is a contemporary variation on the tragic American story of moral dissembling, through desperation, gravitating to the lure of free-market greed. He begins (with a lovely and upstanding blonde woman partner, like Tim), and he could\u2019ve done so much good, and he knows it. We see this all grow like a cancer in him because Bob Odenkirk is a superb actor who reveals many shades of his character\u2019s two-facedness. As Saul, he ends up exploiting his customers (initially retirees), and the system, as much as he can, eventually falling into the deadly cesspool of a Mexican drug cartel. He can\u2019t help himself, his brilliant lawyer brother Chuck explains, dating from childhood, and consciously if compulsively continues to avoid the better angels of his nature.<\/p>\n

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Promotional image. Amazon.com<\/em><\/p>\n

Activist Tim Arndt, by contrast, used the medium of Ma Bell for the sake of Mother Earth, as a springboard to profoundly protect and replenish the planet as a “climate change warrior,” and to help anyone who needed help. It seems that, like Saul, Tim couldn\u2019t help himself, but to \u201cdo the right thing.\u201d I shouldn\u2019t make him out to be a saint but he seemed to be one of an empowering sort who \u201csaw the potential in everyone and everything,\u201d as his brother Steve commented. Saul sees the potential weakness in everyone.<\/p>\n

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Quoting Amy: “At Austin Energy, Tim was instrumental in the creation of the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) Ordinance. He took his passion for combatting climate change to 360 Energy Savers, where he leveraged rebates to help lower utility bills for residents of Austin.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim purchased 1st Choice Energy in 2021. There, he continued to fight climate change and helped make Austin\u2019s low to moderate-income families more comfortable by providing energy efficiency upgrades as part of Austin Energy\u2019s Weatherization Assistance program.”<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Widow Amy also notes that Tim would stop to help anyone with car trouble. Jimmy McGill\u2019s beat-up 1998 Suzuki Esteem \u2013 rusted-out yellow with one red car door, would\u2019ve needed Tim\u2019s help. In fact, Jimmy is in an accident in the series pilot when two skateboarders try to scam him by purposely running into Jimmy\u2019s car. Jimmy\u2019s nearly broke at the time (working at a Cinnabon shop) and the punks-on-little-wheels demand $500 compensation for the \u201caccident.\u201d Jimmy points to his car as \u201ca steaming pile of crap\u201d to show how hard-up he is and says, \u201cThe only way this car is worth $500 is if there\u2019s a $300 hooker in it!\u201d<\/p>\n

If Tim Arndt had been cast in the show at that point, Jimmy might\u2019ve seen the erring of his ways, though probably continuing down his slippery slope. That ethical task is up to Jimmy’s girlfriend, the sharp-lawyer Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), who loves her pro bono<\/em> work, in an almost morally preening way. She loves Jimmy, too, as his sounding board yet is strangely vulnerable to his \u201caw shucks\u201d charms and deceptive bloviations. It\u2019s a variation on a Macbethian love story, with the man as the infecting partner.<\/p>\n

As Amy\u2019s obit recounts in admiring detail, Tim Arndt was \u201cThe Ultimate Good Samaritan.\u201d Jimmy\u2019s version of \u201cGoodman\u201d Samaritan is to teach the young skateboarders how to scam better.<\/p>\n

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Girlfriend Kim Wexler (Reah Seehorn) listens to another explanation\/vow from Jimmy McGill\/Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk). Although high-minded, she has a weakness for his powers of persuasion and evasion. global.ca\/news<\/em><\/p>\n

Over time it became known that Tim had helped everyone in the neighborhood. If Tim could have been satirized at all, it might\u2019ve been as a too-good-to-be-true do-gooder and tree-hugger, who might rankle some, but only as if we don\u2019t need more of those in America. His tendency to be a found-objects \u201choarder\u201d might seem comical too, but all his gatherings were stashed in his garage (nicknamed \u201cVietnam\u201d because of its devastated-looking chaos) which, with his special brand of genius, became a myriadic fix-it and repurpose shop for anyone who needed the once-again right stuff.<\/p>\n

Among the more remarkable things Tim did was \u201creturning BB King\u2019s famous guitar Lucille to its rightful owner when it ended up in his possession,\u201d as Amy recounts. (Please read Amy\u2019s obit on Tim following this article — originally posted on her Facebook page — on more of what made him an extraordinary man.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tim Arndt, proud family man with (L-R) daughter Emily, spouse Amy, Tim, daughter-in-law Taylor, son Matthew.<\/em><\/p>\n

Tim Arndt and Jimmy McGill embodied two versions of a quintessential American. Tim might have come as close as anyone with limited resources to being the ideal American, living to pursue justice, equality, and a measure of happiness for his own (the proud father of three) and anyone, and to help save the only planet we have to survive on. Though I didn\u2019t know him well (he was a life-long Texan, I a Wisconsinite), Tim now feels like the brother I never had. In our shared Lynch genes, we even resemble each other. But he was probably a better man than me, than most.<\/p>\n

Jimmy the Saul-man, with his own peculiar resourcefulness, was the every-man-for-himself American, the transactional con-man first brilliantly characterized in Melville\u2019s The Confidence Man: His Masquerade <\/em>from 1857), and agonizingly relevant today. Jimmy\/Saul was a winning glad-hander, even capable of a flawed love, ever despoiled by the neediness of his greediness.<\/p>\n

As for the way Tim loved, as Amy sweetly notes: “Tim was born in Dallas, Texas on Valentine\u2019s Day in 1959. His mother Eileen almost named him Val, but thankfully, she chose Timothy James instead. Still, being born on Valentine\u2019s Day meant Tim Arndt was born to exemplify love.”<\/p>\n

May the Tim Arndts of the world inspire us, and may we be ever vigilant of the Saul Goodmans.<\/p>\n

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Tim and Amy.<\/em><\/p>\n

_________<\/p>\n

*Saul (Bob Odenkirk) may still be better known as the sleazy lawyer on Breaking Bad.<\/em> Better Call Saul<\/em> was a sort of prequel, telling the story of how Jimmy McGill came to be Saul Goodman. Odenkirk (only three years younger than dear Tim) has received six nominations for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, marking his comic-tragic brilliance at embodying the conflicted yet chillingly mutating character.<\/p>\n

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Tim Arndt’s obituary – the hardest thing I’ve ever written. What a guy!<\/strong><\/div>\n
By AMY ARNDT<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
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Timothy James Arndt, 64, died on January 22, 2024, after a 6-year battle with prostate cancer. Tim was the ultimate Good Samaritan, a climate change warrior, friend to many, and owner of the best laugh on the planet.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim was born in Dallas, Texas on Valentine\u2019s Day in 1959. His mother Eileen almost named him Val, but thankfully, she chose Timothy James instead. Still,\u00a0 \u00a0being born on Valentine\u2019s Day meant Tim Arndt was born to exemplify love.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim is survived by his wife Amy, the love of his life and pain in his ass, his son Matthew Arndt, daughter-in-law Taylor, daughter Stephanie Martinez-Arndt, and daughter Emily Rose Arndt. He is also survived by his brother Steve Arndt and wife Joy, brother TJ Arndt, and brother Mike Arndt. Other relatives include mother-in-law Judy Wilkins, father-in-law Glenn Underwood and wife Pam, sister-in-law Emily Montez and husband Rocky. Tim was predeceased by his mother, Dr. Eileen Lynch, and father Terry Arndt (unless you consult 23andMe, but that\u2019s another story).<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim attended W.T. White High School in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from Walden\u00a0 Preparatory School in 1976. When Tim\u2019s grades didn\u2019t quite cut the mustard, he used his charm and gift of gab to gain admission to the McCombs Business School at the University of Texas.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim\u2019s career was always focused on helping people. His sales career began at Cellular One in San Antonio, TX, where he sold the original \u201cbrick\u201d cell phones and the original flip phone which sold for over $2,500. He later worked at the Travis County Medical Society\u2019s Medical Exchange, where he sold pagers and communications services to physicians. He was responsible for developing the training of thousands of Central Texans at the Customized Training division of Austin Community College. At Austin Energy, Tim was instrumental in the creation of the Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure (ECAD) Ordinance. He took his passion for combatting climate change to 360 Energy Savers, where he leveraged rebates to help lower utility bills for residents of Austin.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim purchased 1st Choice Energy in 2021. There, he continued to fight climate change and helped make Austin\u2019s low to moderate-income families more comfortable by providing energy efficiency upgrades as part of Austin Energy\u2019s Weatherization Assistance program.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim\u2019s brother Steve wisely noted that Tim \u201csaw potential in everyone and everything.\u201d An altruistic hoarder, Tim\u2019s garage was well known as \u201cVietnam,\u201d because his collection of random objects looked more like a war zone than a garage full of dreams. We joked that if you needed something, Tim would ask, \u201cWhat color?\u201d because he likely had more than one of whatever it was you needed. He stopped to help anyone having car trouble. He refused to pass a lemonade stand without stopping to support a small business. One time Amy realized Tim had helped someone from every single home on their street. He considered people experiencing homelessness to be his neighbors, and he never judged a person for their circumstances. He simply helped them.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim\u2019s laugh is almost as well-known as his good deeds. When the kids were little, if they got separated from Tim in a store, they never worried because they could find Tim by the sound of his bellowing laugh. Amy described Tim\u2019s laugh as \u201ca cross between a machine gun and Bert from Sesame Street.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim could do so many things that we kept a list of \u201cThings Tim Arndt Can Do.\u201d The list included: taking almost anything apart and putting it back together, buying and fixing cars, building a treehouse out of recycled materials, and returning BB King\u2019s guitar Lucille to its rightful owner when it ended up in his possession. He could dance the Jitterbug, cross-country ski, juggle, walk on stilts, safely hold bees in his mouth, and catch snakes and tarantulas. He could cook like nobody\u2019s business, sew his firstborn son\u2019s baby bedding (including bumpers), and create custom Halloween costumes, often at the very last minute. He could swim the length of a pool in one breath. He could even catch a fly with chopsticks.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Though Tim spent his life serving others, his family and friends were his greatest joy. He was often overheard telling someone on the phone, \u201cI\u2019m just lucky that I\u2019m still madly in love with my wife.\u201d He loved his Saturday morning ritual of talking to his brother Steve (and by way of speakerphone, Steve\u2019s wife Joy). He was a caring role model for his little brother Mike. His Sunday morning breakfasts with his best friend Jon were his favorite start to the week. Nothing made him prouder than being a parent to Matthew, Stephanie, and Emily Rose. His legacy of love and good deeds lives on in his children, who all possess his best qualities.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim was a Yellow Dog Democrat to his core, working on numerous campaigns, block walking, phone banking, and helping register voters. One of his favorite things to tell people was, \u201cThe only part of my permanent record that I\u2019m proud of is that I\u2019ve never missed an election.\u201d And it\u2019s true; Tim voted religiously.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Speaking of religion, Tim was a cradle Catholic and lived the examples of a Christian life his entire life. However, when Tim\u2019s cancer spread to his bones, he developed a skepticism about God and the afterlife. During this time Tim developed a friendship with Father Matt Boulter, the priest at St. George\u2019s Episcopal Church in Austin. Tim concluded one of their last conversations by saying, \u201cIf you\u2019re right, I\u2019ll see you on the other side!\u201d Then he laughed his giant laugh.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tim\u2019s family and friends believe that Tim\u2019s work on earth gave him a VIP pass to the other side. While the world is a quieter place without Tim and his famous laugh, his memory will live on through his children, his countless good deeds, and the good deeds we can all do to honor him.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The family sends their unending appreciation and love to Tim\u2019s medical team and caretakers. To the team at Texas Oncology: Dr Carlos Ruben de Celis, Colleen Adkins, PA-C, Dr. Louis Lux, Francesa Ciponi, LCSW, C-DBT, Vanessa Hohn, Senior Patient Services, and the many nurses and techs that Tim made laugh, thank you for your excellent care. Thank you to the team at Hospice Austin, especially Stephanie Beam, RN, and Cat Ross, CNA, whom Tim truly loved. Thank you to the incredible team at Christopher House, who cared for Tim so lovingly in his final days.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, March 23 at 2:30 at the Hancock Recreation Center in Austin. To honor Tim\u2019s memory, please consider a donation to Hospice Austin, Christopher House, the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State (FACTS), or a climate change organization of your choice. If donations are cost-prohibitive, please consider doing a kind deed in Tim\u2019s honor.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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All reactions:<\/div>\n

317<\/span><\/span>You, Sheila A. Lynch\u00a0and\u00a0315 others<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“And the Good Samaritan, he’s dressing, he’s getting ready for the showHe’s going to the carnival tonight on Desolation Row.” — Bob Dylan, “Desolation Row” Tim Arndt (1959-2024). All photos of Tim courtesy of Tim and Amy Arndt. As I\u2019m … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[366,2299,2377,187,2379,2378,2388,2389,2376,2375,2380,2383,2374,2384,2381,2382,2387,2385,2303,2386],"class_list":["post-16100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-www-kevernacular-com","tag-herman-melville","tag-amy-arndt","tag-better-call-saul","tag-bob-dylan","tag-bob-odenkirk","tag-breaking-bad","tag-cinnabon","tag-desolation-row","tag-eileen-arndt","tag-emily-rose-arndt","tag-jimmy-mcgill","tag-kim-wexler","tag-matthew-arndt","tag-reah-seehorn","tag-saul-goodman","tag-suzuki-esteem","tag-taylor-arndt","tag-the-confidence-man-his-masquerade","tag-tim-arndt","tag-valentines-day"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2hJWE-4bG","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=16100"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16118,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16100\/revisions\/16118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=16100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=16100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=16100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}