HP BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP RAISES $4.4 MILLION FOR CHARITY

Irving, TX – The Salesmanship Club Charitable Golf of Dallas, host organization of the HP Byron Nelson Championship, announced today that the 2009 Championship raised $4.4 million in net proceeds for local children and families.

“The incredible commitment of our title sponsor, HP, and the many companies and individuals who continue to support this great event are an inspiration to me,” said 2009 Tournament Chairman Charley Spradley. “I am proud of what we were able to accomplish in the face of the worst economy in two generations, and I’m deeply grateful to all of our sponsors and volunteers for their tremendous support and to the members of the Salesmanship Club for overcoming the challenges and doing it all for the kids.”

Since its inception, the Championship has raised more than $112 million for Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers (SCYFC), more than any other PGA TOUR event.

Funds generated from the sale of sponsorships, tickets, merchandise, concessions, parking and other amenities benefit SCYFC, a nonprofit organization that provides innovative education and mental health treatment services for troubled and at-risk children and their families in the Dallas area. Funds raised by the Salesmanship Club throughout the year combined with the proceeds from the HP Byron Nelson Championship provide the majority of SCYFC’s operating budget. More than 7,000 children and family members in the greater Dallas area were served in the last year as a result of funds raised at the Championship.

“The Salesmanship Club hosts this event solely to raise money for our charity,” said Mike Haggerty, Chairman of the Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers Board. “Our laboratory school achieved Exemplary status with a student passing rate of 90% or above for all TAKS areas. Further, two-thirds of our former students have enrolled in college or vocational schools. This is just an example of the incredible work that our sponsors and volunteers are making possible.”

The 2010 HP Byron Nelson Championship will be played May 17-23 at the Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in Irving, Texas. For details, visit hpbnc.org.

-HPBNC-

United Airlines Breaks Guitars...

Taken from Almost the Speed of Sound posted by Jeffrey.

Recently United Airlines got a huge, viral slap in the face when they broke a musician’s guitar and failed to acknowledge his lose and to compensate him for it. As a response, the owner of the guitar, Dave Carroll, a Canadian musician responded by creating a music video about it. In true YouTube fashion, this video spread throughout the Internet proving that social media yet again can have a huge impact.

Anyway, posted below is a blog entry from TheAirlineBlog which explains the whole event very well. I’ve just reproduced it for you to read or you can click here to visit the blog itself:

“Last week, a music video was posted to YouTube that was every airline PR executive’s nightmare: a catchy country-music song, professionally edited with a humorous music video, that was quickly spreading across the Internet. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but the song was called “United Breaks Guitars,” by Canadian singer Dave Carroll and his band, Sons of Maxwell, and describes his fight with the airline to receive compensation after United baggage handlers in Chicago damaged his $3,500 Taylor guitar.

In the last week or so, the song/video (which only cost $150 to make) has reached almost three million views on YouTube, gained prime-time exposure on CNN’s Situation Room, and was the most popular song at the band’s concert last Friday. “Everybody was calling for that song the minute we hit the stage,” Carroll said to Rolling Stone. “It was unbelievable, 1,500 people raising their hands in the air to the ‘United breaks guitars’ tag line in the chorus.”

That’s got to be causing some serious pain over at United headquarters in Chicago. It’s bad enough when a YouTube video critical of your airline (no matter how light-heartedly) garners millions of views; it’s even worse when you see that the song has had such success that over a thousand people put their hands in the air to the words of “United Breaks Guitars.” How many of them are going to have that chorus line stuck in their heads at the first mention of United? And how many discussions of the song (”Did you see that video on YouTube?”) are going to evolve into discussions about a lack of customer service on United (”You know, I flew with them last April…”) ? And it’s not over, yet - there are still two more songs on the way.

Obviously, it’s hard to blame United for not seeing this particular incident arising. I don’t think a case where someone, slighted by an airline, has turned around and released a wildly popular country song about their experiences. But it does highlight some serious customer service policy deficiencies, ones that United is seeking to rectify. United Airlines’ PR department has been working hard to respond to comments on Twitter regarding the song, and has said that the video will be used for training, and that they’ve “apologized for, have fixed, and most importantly, learned from” the mistake, too. Airlines are starting to understand the power of social media - a $150 music video can be more effective than a multi-million dollar Madison Avenue ad campaign.

Perhaps airline reps everywhere now will be thinking in the back of their minds, “Could this turn into a smash YouTube hit?” After all, it worked for Carroll - national attention and a priceless amount of free publicity. Rolling Stone has said that Bob Taylor, of Taylor Guitars, personally phoned and offered Carroll two free guitars of his choice for the second video, while other airlines have reportedly offered him free tickets.” - Thanks to TheAirlineBlog

So, important lesson to all you pilots. Unless you want some YouTube video made about you (and don’t think it can’t happen) for your antics while either at the airport or flying, you are a representative and goodwill ambassador for aviation and your airline and the airline you represent and you should strive to uphold that image. You should be above reproach and your actions and professionalism are watched and commented on whether you think they are or not. You just don’t fly airplanes, you are customer service representative as well and the future of our industry partly rests on our shoulders.

To Your Flying Success…

Jeffrey

A Small Water Slide...

This is for those that secretly wish they were at a water park instead of enjoying the office today. Pretty amazing stuff. I hope that you enjoy it.

Playing for Change

"Watching new Playing for Change video made me happy. Go for it." - Ann Curry

Ann Curry posted this earlier and I couldn't resist. She is the greatest female journalist ever. You will probably recognize some of the artists. The way in which the collaboration was developed and produced was a uniquely enjoyable type of genius. Hope you enjoy the music.

Crazy Human Stunts

There's no real reason to post this other than the entertainment factor. Kind of weird to me but to each his own right?

The Ministry Of The Interior - Oswald Chambers

"But ye are . . . a royal priesthood." 1 Peter 2:9

By what right do we become "a royal priesthood"? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centred, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God. Until we get into a right relationship to God, it is a case of hanging on by the skin of our teeth, and we say - What a wonderful victory I have got. There is nothing indicative of the miracle of Redemption in that. Launch out in reckless belief that the Redemption is complete, and then bother no more about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ said - pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints, pray for all men. Pray on the realization that you are only perfect in Christ Jesus, not on this plea - "O Lord, I have done my best, please hear me."

How long is it going to take God to free us from the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves? We must get sick unto death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God can tell us about ourselves. We cannot touch the depths of meanness in ourselves. There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Christ Jesus. When we are there, then we have to pour out for all we are worth in this ministry of the interior.

Have You Come To "When" Yet? - Oswald Chambers

"And the Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends." Job 42:10

The plaintive, self-centred, morbid kind of prayer, a dead-set that I want to be right, is never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is a sign that I am rebelling against the Atonement. "Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer; I will walk rightly if You will help me." I cannot make myself right with God, I cannot make my life perfect; I can only be right with God if I accept the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to resign every kind of claim and cease from every effort, and leave myself entirely alone in His hands, and then begin to pour out in the priestly work of intercession. There is much prayer that arises from real disbelief in the Atonement. Jesus is not beginning to save us, He has saved us, the thing is done, and it is an insult to ask Him to do it.

If you are not getting the hundredfold more, not getting insight into God's word, then start praying for your friends, enter into the ministry of the interior. "The Lord turned the captivity of Job when he prayed for his friends." The real business of your life as a saved soul is intercessory prayer. Wherever God puts you in circumstances, pray immediately, pray that His Atonement may be realized in other lives as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now; pray for those with whom you come in contact now.

Toothpick Folk Art

So many people have so very many interpretations when it comes to art. This folk art is really neat. The man in this story has literally been building this piece throughout his entire life. Creativity never ceases to amaze us!

Leaving Denton - Upcoming Show

Another Crazy Tragedy

How does this stuff happen?

Get A Move On - Oswald Chambers

"Abide in Me." John 15:4

The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by the Atonement, then I have to construct with patience the way of thinking that is exactly in accordance with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus, I have to do it myself; I have to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. "Abide in Me" - in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. It is not a bandbox life.

Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances because I say it will hinder my communion with Him? That is an impertinence. It does not matter what my circumstances are, I can be as sure of abiding in Jesus in them as in a prayer meeting. I have not to change and arrange my circumstances myself. With Our Lord the inner abiding was unsullied; He was at home with God wherever His body was placed. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek towards His Father's dispensations for Him. Think of the amazing leisure of Our Lord's life! We keep God at excitement point, there is none of the serenity of the life hid with Christ in God about us.

Think of the things that take you out of abiding in Christ - Yes, Lord, just a minute, I have got this to do; Yes, I will abide when once this is finished; when this week is over, it will be all right, I will abide then. Get a move on; begin to abide now. In the initial stages it is a continual effort until it becomes so much the law of life that you abide in Him unconsciously. Determine to abide in Jesus wherever you are placed.

Getting There - Oswald Chambers

"Master, where dwellest Thou? . . Come and see." "Come with Me." John 1:39

"They abode with Him that day." That is about all some of us ever do, then we wake up to actualities, self-interest arises and the abiding is passed. There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.

"Thou art Simon, thou shalt be called Cephas." God writes the new name on those places only in our lives where He has erased the pride and self-sufficiency and self-interest. Some of us have the new name in spots only, like spiritual measles. In sections we look all right. When we have our best spiritual mood on, you would think we were very high-toned saints; but don't look at us when we are not in that mood. The disciple is one who has the new name written all over him; self-interest and pride and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.

Pride is the deification of self, and this to-day in some of us is not of the order of the Pharisee, but of the publican. To say "Oh, I'm no saint," is acceptable to human pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. It literally means that you defy God to make you a saint, "I am much too weak and hopeless, I am outside the reach of the Atonement." Humility before men may be unconscious blasphemy before God. Why are you not a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe God can make you one. It would be all right, you say, if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is just what He will do! "We will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Make no conditions, let Jesus be everything, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for ever.

Presidential Pardon

President Obama writes a young girl a pardon for missing her last day of school. Very nice. I wish those were a bit more accessible.

CNN News Story

I was curious if this method should be brought to the United States to fight our ailments also. Perhaps we could reduce West Nile related illnesses with such a deterrent.

Don't Slack Off - Oswald Chambers

"Whatsoever ye shalt ask in My name, that will I do." John 14:13

Am I fulfilling this ministry of the interior? There is no snare or any danger of infatuation or pride in intercession, it is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit whereby the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to be frittered away, or am I bringing it all to one centre - the Atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest in my life? If the one central point, the great exerting influence in my life is the Atonement of the Lord, then every phase of my life will bear fruit for Him.

I must take time to realize what is the central point of power. Do I give one minute out of sixty to concentrate upon it? "If ye abide in Me" - continue to act and think and work from that centre - "ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Am I abiding? Am I taking time to abide? What is the greatest factor of power in my life? Is it work, service, sacrifice for others, or trying to work for God? The thing that ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the Atonement of the Lord. It is not the thing we spend the most time on that moulds us most; the greatest element is the thing that exerts most power. We must determine to be limited and concentrate our affinities.

"Whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do." The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and his apparently free choices are God's fore-ordained decrees. Mysterious? Logically contradictory and absurd? Yes, but a glorious truth to a saint.

Soldier Surprises Daughter

Thought I'd share a recent CNN report about a soldier returning home after a year and surprising his daughter at school. This was a touching story. I just wanted to take a moment and express gratitude to all of our service men and women for their sacrifice. We would not have the freedom we have today without them. God bless them all.

Airline Safety Refresher

In case it's been a while since you've flown, Delta Airlines has produced this video focusing on passenger safety. It's nice to see a major company taking the time to have fun while producing a video that can be enjoyed by those watching it. Hope you enjoy it.

iTunes Single of the Week - David Nail

For those of you that have not heard of iTunes, you should down load it immediately. The folks at Apple, the marketing geniuses that they are, have bridged the gap between PC and Mac users. The iTunes media software is a gold mine for anyone who enjoys podcasts, music, movies, television shows, audio books, games, applications and even old radio shows. Many items can be purchased at very reasonable prices, and there are also many subscriptions and downloads that are free for iTunes users. It is standard on all iPhones and Macintosh computers. As well, it is the interface for the ever-popular iPods. Virtually any windows computer purchased in the last five years can support the software that is a free download on the Apple website.

If you consider yourself a lover of music you should be aware that each week, a free single of the week, may be downloaded from the iTunes store. These singles cover a huge range in genres and are always used to help promote up and coming artists. This week David Nail, country artist, is featured. And each week new items appear for the public's pleasure. If you do have the opportunity to check out iTunes I would highly reccomend it. You won't regret it.

Faith and the Economy - CNN Video

In these desperate times of financial crisis, everyone is feeling the effects. Communities of faith struggle just as hard to keep their doors open as do other Americans.

"Yes - But...!" - Oswald Chambers

"Lord, I will follow Thee; but . . ." Luke 9:61

Supposing God tells you to do something which is an enormous test to your common sense, what are you going to do? Hang back? If you get into the habit of doing a thing in the physical domain, you will do it every time until you break the habit determinedly; and the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will get up to what Jesus Christ wants, and every time you will turn back when it comes to the point, until you abandon resolutely. "Yes, but - supposing I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?" "Yes, I will obey God if He will let me use my common sense, but don't ask me to take a step in the dark." Jesus Christ demands of the man who trusts Him the same reckless sporting spirit that the natural man exhibits. If a man is going to do anything worth while, there are times when he has to risk everything on his leap, and in the spiritual domain Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold by common sense and leap into what He says, and immediately you do, you find that what He says fits on as solidly as common sense. At the bar of common sense Jesus Christ's statements may seem mad; but bring them to the bar of faith, and you begin to find with awestruck spirit that they are the words of God. Trust entirely in God, and when He brings you to the venture, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis, only one out of a crowd is daring enough to bank his faith in the character of God.