InternetPaul

The Oak Tree
by Johnny Ray Ryder Jr

A mighty wind blew night and day
It stole the oak tree’s leaves away
Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark
Until the oak was tired and stark

But still the oak tree held its ground
While other trees fell all around
The weary wind gave up and spoke.
How can you still be standing Oak?

The oak tree said, I know that you
Can break each branch of mine in two
Carry every leaf away
Shake my limbs, and make me sway

But I have roots stretched in the earth
Growing stronger since my birth
You’ll never touch them, for you see
They are the deepest part of me

Until today, I wasn’t sure
Of just how much I could endure
But now I’ve found, with thanks to you
I’m stronger than I ever knew

I truly hope this is photoshopped!

Found this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson on the web today: “Every artist was first an amateur.”

I think it is always natural to desire certain talents and skills. To want to be able to sing well, draw beautifully, or play like the masters, though, requires sacrifice. The most significant sacrifice usually is starting out as an amateur. However, having the clumsy hands of an amateur doesn’t last if you have the passion of an expert!

I had lunch with my cousin Jon the other day, and we were discussing a book I want to write. I told him though, that my first book wasn’t really sexy because it will be on blogging. He said this in response: “Oh, feel the curves of blogging—she whispers to me day and night.”

Oh, Jon if you only knew how true these words really are.  ~Paul W.

My good friend Janet Meiners continually shares with me that she uses her blog as a second brain. Basically, blog it and when you need to find it again just do a search.

That’s what this post is for–logging a new discovery into my second brain. Today I learned a great keyboard shortcut for removing multiple web links from a word document. I’ve been putting together an extensive web marketing packet for my day job and I have to copy a lot of information that is riddled with anchored ads. When I put it in Microsoft Word it becomes quite a chore to remove the links.

Instead of removing each link individually, just highlight the anchored text and use ctrl-shift-f9. This is considerably easier than the ardious task of right-clicking  and then selecting “removing hyperlink” for every link.

Hope this helps! ~Paul W.

Yesterday was Fourth of July, and I wrote a post about how we can help relieve the suffering of the Iraqi people. Due to this post I pondered a great deal last night on the freedoms I currently enjoy here in America.

Whether you are for or against the war in Iraq really means little to me. What is important is our responsibility to freedom—both at home and abroad.

I am a grandson of a World War II vet. My grandfather spoke little about the war before his death (even at the great prodding of his grandsons). The atrocities he witnessed and the emotional and physical strain he endured was too great for him to relive.

However, now looking sixty plus years into the past we can see with acute clarity that what my grandfather endured was not only worth it, but essential to the millions of those oppressed by the Nazi regime. Unfortunately, “The War To End All Wars” didn’t, and neither did it end the suffering of future wars.

My brother, who is a year and half younger then me, served in the second Gulf War. The stories he shared with me as they worked to overthrow the Saddam government were appalling; so much so that I have no desire to share them here.

I do not doubt there are politics involved in the current war. However, I am a realist and recognize that we are in Iraq now. Opposing the current war without a solution that doesn’t destroy the fragile freedom of the Iraqi people is a moral chasm that shouldn’t be crossed.

Our soldiers—my brother and grandfather—didn’t fight history’s wars for George W. Bush or Franklin D. Roosevelt. They fought these wars because they realized that freedom was and is at peril. Freedom which allows us to support or oppose the wars we enter.

As you can tell my opinions run deep on this subject. I do not wish to turn this blog into a political platform; that is not its purpose. I just ask that as we walk the path of freedom to not only remember those who have given their lives, but also those who will give their lives for your rights.

There is a great verse in a gospel hymn that sums up our fight for freedom: “If we fail, we fail in glory.” May we not fail, but may we also not use failure as an excuse to cease our struggle for freedom. ~Paul W.

As marketers we often get a bad rap. Mainly, I believe this comes from having the image of being totally money centered and focused. I guess it’s easy for this to happen. Most marketing success is easily gaged by how much money a campaign generates. Large amounts of dollars equal—wine pouring—fantastic success; whereas, no dollars equal—pack up your desk—miserable failure!

Well, I have recently been asked to redeem all marketers and change this poor image. Currently, my close friend, Scott, is over in the scorching deserts of Iraq providing humanitarian aid. He asked that I use my kongfu marketing skills in providing high visibility for their humanitarian effort.

What’s the purpose having marketing powers if you can’t use these talents to save the world! However, we now have a different metric for marketing success. Instead of money, success now equals how many Iraqis’ were given the necessary supplies and medical assistance to live a decent life.

Below is an email that you can forward on to your friends. You can also check out humanitarian efforts by going to www.sheikhdan.com. All the pictures you see in this post were sent to me from Scott.

I am so deeply impressed by what my friend is doing that I am going to see if I can put together drive here locally. I will keep you posted on my labors. ~Paul W.

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An email you can send out to help.

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE IRAQI PEOPLE

We are regular Americans who are currently working in Baghdad, Iraq. Every time we come to Iraq, we’ve been amazed by the support from Americans back home.

People are always asking what they can do, or how they can help. The

people of Iraq are suffering horrible during this period of conflict, and success stories are few and far between.

One such success story is a small medical clinic operating in the Baghdad Green Zone. Every week a number of Iraqi families receive basic medical screenings and further treatment as required. As always, their demands

are far greater than the limited resources available. Diapers, hygiene items, clothing, school supplies and toys can all help to make a difference in their lives.

So we decided to set up a website in an effort to get donations. We also try to take

pictures giving out the donations so you can see your stuff being given to the Iraqis’. If you are interested in helping these Ir

aqi families, please check out the website at http://www.sheikhdan.com for a list of

needs, and send any donations to:

“America Loves Iraqis”
Attn: Daniel Ogden
MNFI-C2-CIOC-C2X-HST
Unit #42002
APO AE 09342