"Making a difference" is not just a scheduled event or activity, but a moment any time when a person finds it in his/her heart to do something good, to care or to share, or to make a voluntary contribution to another individual, a community, or our society. When we consciously give or do whatever we can to help maintain the wellness of individuals and families in our communities, these acts also contribute to the best quality of life of everyone in our society.

Let us continue to gather more bright ideas for our own lives and our surroundings.

Let's now begin to count the ways and put them into action.

The TIME has come... We say 'No more to gloom and doom!'

It is time to rise to our true potential... to experience total wellness in every area of our lives, contributing to solutions to maintain the quality of life we enjoy in our communities.

It is time for each of us to care more, to shine, and to carry the light of HOPE everywhere!

No one individual or one group, not even our government, can do it alone!

This is the time that we need each other most, to work together, joining our hands together in making a difference.

For YOURSELF:

1. Smile more often! Be amazed of how many will be happy to smile back at you. Besides, this is the best facial exercise you can make to delay aging signs -- so smile!

2. Eat right! Boost your immune system by eating more natural food, like fresh fruits and vegetables. This alone can significantly reduce your weight and health concerns.

3. Exercise regularly. The reason is not just to lose weight, but it's a great habit to maintain good health by improved circulation, elimination of body toxins, etc.

4. Drink water more than 'colored drinks' for your health. Water has no sugar or additives.

5. Read and learn more. Devote time and money for self-improvement, the best investment you can make that truly pays off.

6. Love, care, give, and share more. This practice is the very purpose of your life.

7. Keep believing. Pray. Nurture your spirit. This won't cost you any, but help or answer to your needs can be just a prayer away.

For those YOU CARE ABOUT:

8. If you love them, then say it and show it! Do not take them for granted. They need both to hear and see you care.

9. Spend more quality time with them. It is what they'll remember most.

10. Visit, write, call those you haven't for a while.

For our SENIORS:

11. Give a helping hand and cheers -- cooking, cleaning, or whatever they are limited to.

12. Give a ride or offer to carpool with them whenever there's a need.

13. Involve them on activities that will continue to stimulate their senses, or they can contribute their gathered wisdom.

For our CHILDREN or YOUTH:

14. Walk or create programs for youth to benefit them and rally for their good future.

15. Give them more opportunities to explore and develop their natural gifts and talents, express their dreams and goals.

16. Encourage our children more by your words and example. Stay positive! .

For our VETERANS: (For the freedom we now enjoy is due to their sacrifices.)

17. Send cards or anything to show you remember and appreciate them.

18. Recognize them and give a smile, a salute, or high-five when you see them around.

19. Support their events and fundraising efforts to help them.

For our HOMELESS Citizens: (Just like you and me, they need care and understanding. )

20. Encourage them by taking time to help them get the help they need/resources to get back on track.

21. Volunteer in your local shelters. There are many ways you can help or contribute.

22. Help create more programs to help them get out of their situation.

For our VOLUNTEERS: (For helping us make things happen.)

23. Big "thank you!" note or anything to show your appreciation of them.

24. Join them and be prepared to do a random act of kindness anytime.

25. How about "volunteers appreciation day" to celebrate them and have a good break?

For our ENVIRONMENT: (We only have one planet, so we must take care of it.)

26. Clean and plant trees with your workmates, neighbors, etc. anywhere permissible.

27. Recycle consciously, not just plastics and papers, but clothes and others you can share. Clean up your closet, garage, or storage for everything that you don't need. Do a yard sale or simply drive to or call local charities for pickup. This is one recycling to meet needs of others.

28. Learn more of what's causing the global warming and contribute to preventions/ solutions.

For ALL of US:

29. Sing, dance, be happy no matter what. Brighter days are yet to come!

30. Speak the truth. Seeking the truth can set someone free.

31. Notice and say something good or positive to someone, and mean it.

32. Learn survival techniques. Always be prepared for any emergency.

33. Accept yourself. You are gifted and blessed more than you know.

34. Be forgiving and understanding as you seek forgiveness and understanding.

35. Learn how to budget or how to manage your money. Spend only on needs and the money that you actually have.

36. Be involved in your community in making good things happen!

37. Will you support me on my goal to make a difference??? send it to all who you really care about... for me its U... :-)

NOW, THIS IS WHAT WE CALL TRANSPARENCY IN GOVERNMENT.


Robert Burck aka The Naked Cowboy, says he knows better than anyone else how to do more with less. And that's why he's New York's best choice for mayor in these tough economic times.

"It's time to tighten the belt, but of course that's just a saying because I don't even wear a belt," Burck wrote Wednesday. "But that's my point – I don't need a belt. I don't need the whole suit and tie thing either. And you won't see me buying a whole new wardrobe just because I'm running for Mayor – not on the city's dime."

As he puts it, Burck has built a global brand with nothing but a pair of "underwear, boots and hat," and that's why he's qualified to replace Mayor Michael Bloomberg in this year's upcoming elections. Currently Bloomberg, who changed the law in order to be able to run for a third term, faces opposition from Democratic challenger Bill Thompson. And while Thompson currently holds the office of NYC Comptroller, his Wikipedia entry makes no mention of whether or not he looks good in revealing underwear.

Actor/ local New York personality Robert John Burck (C) also known as "The Naked Cowboy" poses with his security detail following a press conference announcing the launch the Naked Cowboy's New York City mayoral campaign at Military Island, Times Square on July 22, 2009 in New York City.

People watch the Naked Cowboy perform on Broadway in Times Square after it was converted to a pedestrian zone in New York City. Sections of Broadway that pass through Times Square and Herald Square have been closed to vehicles in an effort by the city to reduce traffic and pollution while giving pedestrians more space. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Robert Burck

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images North America)

A woman smiles as the street performer Robert Burck, who is known as the Naked Cowboy, performs for pedestrians June 24, 2008 in Times Square in New York City. The $6-million lawsuit filed by the Burck against M&Ms candy maker Mars Incorporated can go forward on grounds of trademark infringement a New York judge has ruled. Burck filed the suit about video billboards depicting a blue M&M dressed in his signature outfit in an animated cartoon it ran on two video billboards in Times Square.

(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America)

The street performer Robert Burck, who is known as the Naked Cowboy, performs for pedestrians June 24, 2008 in Times Square in New York City.

13 Tips to Quit Smoking

Rotary International's India National PolioPlus Committee:

The war against Polio continues… but the victory is now in sight !

The crippling disease that held the world to ransom in the 1950's and 1960's has almost been eliminated with those two tiny drops of oral polio vaccine, a well thought out strategy, large financial resources and the dedication and commitment of thousands of devoted volunteers and international health agencies.

Rotary International is the volunteer arm of a global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. In 1985, Rotary volunteers around the world embraced the fight against polio and 'POLIOPLUS' was born.

Till date, the PolioPlus programme has contributed US $ 610 million for the protection of more than two billion children. By 2007 the end of the programme, Rotary's contribution will touch more than US$650 million apart from the manpower, materials and individual support provided by 1.2 million Rotarians world wide.

Television stations in Pakistan are helping to monitor immunization days so children, like this baby in Peshawar, receive the polio vaccine. Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux/WHO.

Ambassadorial Scholar takes part in immunization efforts in India

Ambassadorial Scholar Esha Chhabra helps immunize children against polio during a February NID in India. Photo by Umar Khan

Most Ambassadorial Scholars wait until their scholarship year to get involved in service projects through Rotary. Not Esha Chhabra.

She volunteered for a National Immunization Day (NID) in India and spoke to schools and Rotary clubs in District 5240 (California, USA) about polio eradication before she even started master's-level coursework at the London School of Economics.

"Once I applied for the scholarship, I started attending Rotary club meetings, and I slowly began to understand what Rotary does," says Chhabra, 22, who was born in Delhi, India, but grew up in California. "I asked our district governor when he'd be taking the next team on an NID, and I said, Sign me up!"

Chhabra and two District 5240 Rotarians went to India in February and spent two days helping local Rotary clubs and international agencies, including UNICEF, vaccinate infants and children in Uttar Pradesh. Staying with host Rotarians, Chhabra also toured Rotary club projects in Delhi, including a blood bank

Although she had traveled to India to visit family, her NID service was the first humanitarian work she performed there.

"It gave development work a human face," says Chhabra, who is using her scholarship to study global politics and international development. "You walk away feeling connected to these people and their communities."

After returning to the United States, Chhabra wrote an editorial for a local newspaper and organized a free, communitywide screening of The Final Inch, a documentary about polio eradication work in India. She hopes to participate in another NID next year.

• See a clip from the documentary The Final Inch

Click to watch:

2:38

Rotary Polio Eradication

Rotary Polio Eradication

The Final Inch: Trailer (2:38)

Eradicating Polio [what it takes] (6:12)

RVM: Polio Exhibit: Rotary International (4:04)

Playlist: walldo60

4 videos walldo60 play all

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/090722_news_scholar.aspx





Serve you community. Join a Rotary Club nearest to you.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/16032/you-neednt-fear-cops.html

You needn't fear the cops

Nina C George

Traffic policemen cannot resort to random checks anymore. Metrolife takes a look at this sudden change in the attitude of the City police

The sight of a traffic policeman from a distance need not leave you with any trepidation any more. Now you can zoom ahead and the cops won't stop you to scrutinise your vehicle documents. They won't stop you unless you have committed a visible violation of any law. Now you can also drive around late in the night and be assured that some place would remain open till midnight where you can gorge upon whatever you want. And you wonder what's happening to Bangalore? Where are its traffic policemen who would be stationed at every turn of the road to accost you with a hundred queries on your vehicle documents? There seems to be sudden change in the City police's attitude. First came the extension of the 11 pm deadline on eateries to 12 midnight. The icing on the cake was the announcement that the police commissioner has asked all traffic policemen not to resort to random checks of vehicles documents. Only those vehicles that are caught violating a traffic rule would be stopped and their documents verified. The makeover in the City's police attitude appears to be on the realisation that the guardians of law and order are there not to harass people but to prevent offences. Revenue collection too is not the raison d'etre, the powers that be seem to have realised. "This halt to random check of documents is in an effort to prevent citizens from being harassed. We don't intend to stop anybody unless they have committed a visible violation," says Praveen Sood, Additional Commissioner of Traffic and Security. The police say fines are an effective deterrent. Praveen Sood A source in the law and order wing of the Bangalore City Police says that even after the revision of the restaurant timing, the cops have booked a few cases against restaurants that remain open well after the stipulated time. One wonders whether the cops could walk into private homes and ask them to close parties after a certain time? "We will not come knocking on private homes unless we get complaints from neighbours stating that either loud music or some unlawful activity is going on the premises," says M R Pujar, Additional Commissioner Law and Order. He says that the cops will pin people and restaurants down only in case of specific violation. People who have been accosted and stopped by the cops randomly are heaving a sigh of relief hailing the present move of the cops as "sensitive and sensible". They see this as the first step towards eradication of corruption, at least the cops wouldn't be able to grease their hands anymore. K C Shafeeque, a quality analyst says that he has paid nothing less than Rs 5,000 as fine till date, most of which is pocketed by cops. "Random checks are nothing but a sure route to make quick money," he says. Roy Varghese with Blink Networks thinks it is a sheer waste of time to get caught by the cops, "On road I am sure the cops earn much more than their salaries. I do hope the Commissioner's order is implemented at the earliest, else it will reflect on his work," says Roy. Sreeja Krishna, a communications expert, feels stopping random checks is not a good move, "If there are no checks then people will take things for granted. At least now the commuter carries all documents fearing random checks."