Alan L. Hammond's Posterous Stream

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

A passage from Psalms 91 that reached out to me. A friend of mine, someone I've come to know through our children, said Psalms 91 says all that needs to be said. You learn a lot about someone who references such a powerful portion of the Holy Bible, even on the best of days. This man directed us all to it shortly after learning he had inoperable cancer. 

Today I've learned I only knew a fraction about this man before. I know he's surely a great man.

I won't mention his name here, in this public fashion, but please pray for him, his wife, and his little boy who worships the ground on which he walks.

Alan

I've been fortunate to be able to provide some fundraising assistance to one of my favorite local charities for the last couple of years. It has been a wonderful thing of which to be a part.  As I was working on a project for the upcoming holidays, I took a Twitter break and immediately saw a tweet that demonstrated how social media can bring attention where it's needed.

I took a few minutes then, and this evening, to look at some of the recent tweets from my Twitter friends to see who's doing laudible things for causes, people, organizations close to their heart.

These are a few people, groups and businesses that are making a difference. They're giving of their time, tweets, money, themselves, to help where help is needed.

@jackiepowell - An individual who has done a great deal for the homeless in her city by supporting initiatives and a local organization, Lighthouse Ministries.

@SouthwestAir - Recently donated $100,000 to the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Association.

@tennisfanatic77 - Giving of time and tweets to the Bryan Brothers Grand Slam Jam benefiting pediatric cancer research.

@UKDanceBlue - University of Kentucky's 24-hour dance-a-thon that donates their proceeds to university's children's cancer clinic.

@LIVESTRONG and @nikegolf - These two teamed up for a great fundraiser. Nike Golf donated 15 tour golf bags, signed by well-known athletes, and auctioned (ongoing at the time of this post) them for benefit of LIVESTRONG initiatives.

@MCGMiracle - A student group holding various events throughout the year to benefit children's charities in the Augusta, Georgia, area, in conjunction with the Children's Miracle Network.

I'm convinced these folks are only a fraction of my twitter friends who have others in their minds and hearts. I will keep featuring their efforts as I see them.

I know you know of a twitter-someone, could be an individual, a group, a business, who or whatever in the business of helping and giving of themselves. They don't have to be a large financial donor, even the smallest tweet furthers a cause. Give them some deserved recognition by leaving a comment with their Twitter name in the comments below.

I've re-discovered the cause (it's a conpiracy), now it's on to the re-implementing the cure.

The Procrastination Conspiracy

ALH

Yes, it's another clever play on a golf term.

I'm starting my Twitter #FF list and I'll update it here each Friday, or every Friday that I remember to do it.

This #FollowFriday list has a little twist.

The rules:

#1 NO ONE SHOULD GET UPSET for not being on it for any given week.

#2 The Hammond Cup list is limited to my Twitter golf friends, or those I talk golf with.

#3 People I converse with, or retweet, or like their tweets, or articles, or blog posts, the color of their shirt in their profile pic, you get the picture, will get #FF recognition here. (If I can remember to do it)

#4 Each week I'll total up the number of weeks someone has been mentioned on this #ff list. One week equals one point. The top 12 will make the Hammond Cup team.

#5 There are no Captain's Picks.

#6 Next Halloween, 2011, the team will be set.

#7 These rules are subject to be changed at any time by the captain, me.

If anyone else wants to start a competing team, let me know.  I'll put my people up against ANY TEAM!

Without further delay, here are my Week 1 #FollowFriday picks

@Golf4Beginners - She has subscribed to my posterous.com blog.  She's also a great blogger.

@Stephaniewei - She's in Hawaii. Wish I was.

@Mrbusinessgolf - If you don't listen to him, you're not going to last very long.

@nothreeputt - Simply funny, in a deep sort of way.

@ltbeyer - Likes Tudor history. That's cool.

@Brittany1golf - 61.

@RichLerner - TW and Phil are awesome at ping pong.

@BobDiercksmeier- The consumate Nike Golf fan. I'm a fan, myself.

That's Week 1. Hope to see you here next week.

@AlanLHammond

As a Southerner, I'm quite proud of the natural beauty of our little corner of the world.  Some of the best places to see the variety of that beaty is at our golf courses along the coast, in our hills and plains.  After seeing the two Northern California venues for this week's LPGA and PGA Tour events, I'm convinced they could both make a case for World's Most Beautiful Course.

In contrast to it's financial plight, and the grim possibility that it may become the first and only federal state, California, at least the northern part of it, has the most unique and beautiful scenery. Thanks to the Golf Channel's coverage, I found a new "I have to go there" spot. Not a spot as in something the size of a town or a golf course, but a tiny spot where they set a camera in the hills. That size spot. One of the best views I've ever seen.

Take a look a brief article about both courses.

Being an American, and someone who also loves his country enough to write about it, I love the Ryder Cup. It's an event that brings everyone most people together in support of the team, and it brings about a tremendous feeling of national pride. There's a feeling of togetherness.

It would be great if that feeling could be maintained. We certainly need more of that feeling right about now. It isn't a merely baseless "feeling," it's warranted.  No, the citizens of this country aren't, and never have been, any better than the citizens of any othe country.  But the idea our country was founded upon, and the good this country has done at one time or another for every spot on the globe, is something that should inspire pride.

We, as a nation, are not perfect. Never have been, never will be. But, think of what the world would be without us.  That will should inspire pride in where you live and of what you are a part.

Every country has something for which it can be proud. Being an American, I'm glad I'm an American.

My latest post on Recession-Proofing Life focuses on publishing an information product.  There's lots of ways to do it, the most expensive and the one with the least possibility of success being "learn-as-you-go."  I'm almost embarrassed to say that my first ebook a couple of years ago was a flop. I thought I knew how to build and launch a site, but oh how wrong I was.  Now, I'm preparing to re-write and re-launch the book and site, having learned the right way to do it from Niche Profit Classroom (NPC).

Yes, I am now an affiliate of NPC, and with darn good reason; it delivers. After reviewing and trying several programs, this one delivers the goods and is not light on anything.  Visit Niche Profit Classroom right now, or read a little more about it at Recession-Proofing Life.

So, rather than listen to myself breathe for 3.1 miles, I've made a music playlist to keep me entertained. I'm hoping these will quicken my pace:

Kickstart My Heart - Motley Crüe Take the Money and Run - Steve Miller Band
E-Pro - Beck
Gear Jammer - George Thorogood and the Destroyers
Every Little Thing She Does - The Police
Guitars and Cadillacs - Dwight Yoakam
Soul Man - Blues Brothers
I Will Follow - U2
My Generation - The Who
Red, Red Wine - UB40

Unfortunately, that may not be enough songs:-)

It’s simple. I love the game. One of my biggest regrets, somewhere around number seven or eight, is that I didn’t take up golf before age 17. One of the things for which I’m most thankful is that I did take up the game. It has given me much more than I could ever give back.

Although I’ll keep trying to give back, I’m also going to continue taking from golf. You see, a few years ago I decided to marry the skills I possess with my love of golf and try to make a go of earning a living from it.  Funny how "taking from" helps me to "give back."

If you love the game, and since you’re here, you do love golf, I want you to subscribe to this blog, right now, (there's two options for subscribing in the left column of this web page) so you can be the first to catch glimpses of the new site I'm launching in a few short weeks.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be introducing you to:

• the experiences, good and bad, I've had,
• audio and video interviews with the people I've come to know within the industry,
• and the possibilities and opportunities within the golf industry that exist for everyone, whether you're a golf enthusiast, club pro, writer, pro shop attendant, engineer, physician, business person, etc.

The challenge for Cleveland Classics, relative to the everyday golfer, is to provide a top-quality look and feel, and make it last. Unlike tour players, we all wear our golf clothing for more than a week and we don't get it for free.

I know they have great looking stuff (we got our hands on some samples, thanks to Cleveland's willingness to participate and get the word out), but we'll also be testing the durability and overall quality.

Look for an update in a couple of weeks.

Image Source: John Trainor, flickr.com