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37 Ways to Make a Difference to Yourself and Others

- By Anolia Orfrecio Facun

"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.

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Naked+Cowboy+Launches+New+York+City+Mayoral+O0adoAeQwKgl.jpg
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.
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 May 26, 2009 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
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.
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. 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.
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.





As a result of Notebook computer's limited internal space, it's cooling system is very different from desktop computers. The quality of cooling is crucial to the stability of it, and since summer is here, this problem can not be ignored. CPU, graphic cards, hard drives, memory, and screen are the heart producing parts in the computers. CPU is the biggest source of heat, which had a direct impact on the temperature of computer. My friends used to joke that she can use her computer's CPU to fry eggs.

So, there are some good tips for keeping your laptop cool.

1. Keep the environment as cool as possible. Using a Notebook computer in the hot summer, you'd better use your air-conditioning. If there is no air-conditioning, at least use fans. Otherwise, even if the computer withstand, I am afraid you will not.

2. Put something under the computer to allow airflow between the laptop and the desk. It may sound like a small trick, but a very important one. You can put part of a book under it, or you can buy the computer cooling pads which works extremely well considering how cheap they are.

3. When using the in the bed or sofa, try not to block the air outlet of the Notebook computer. There are so many cases that the computer died simply because there is no way to get the hot air out. In summer time, you don't want to live in a house with all windows closed, neither does your computer.

Summer is always challenging for all the electronics. Use your common sense, and your computer will be as cool as you.

13 Tips to Quit Smoking

No. 1: Know Why You Want to Quit


So you want to quit smoking, but do you know why? "Because it's bad for you" isn't good enough. To get motivated, you need a powerful, personal reason to quit. Maybe you want to protect your family from secondhand smoke. Maybe the thought of lung cancer frightens you. Or maybe you'd like to look and feel younger. Choose a reason that is strong enough to outweigh the urge to light up.


No. 2: Don't Go Cold Turkey

It may be tempting to toss your cigarettes and declare you've quit, plain and simple. But going cold turkey isn't easy to do. Among those who try to stop smoking without therapy or medication, 95% end up relapsing. The reason is that smoking is an addiction. The brain depends on nicotine. In its absence, the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal occur.

No. 3: Try Nicotine-Replacement Therapy

When you stop smoking, nicotine withdrawal may make you frustrated, depressed, restless, or angry. The craving for "just one drag" may be overwhelming. Nicotine-replacement therapy can reduce these feelings. Studies suggest nicotine gum, lozenges, and patches can help double your chances of quitting successfully when used with an intensive behavioral program. But using these products while smoking is generally not recommended.

No. 4: Ask About Prescription Pills

To ease nicotine withdrawal without using products that contain nicotine, ask your doctor about prescription medications. There are pills that reduce cravings by altering the areas of the brain affected by nicotine. This change may also make smoking less satisfying if you do pick up a cigarette. Other drugs can help reduce troubling withdrawal symptoms, such as depression or inability to concentrate.

No. 5: Don't Go It Alone

Tell your friends, family, and co-workers that you're trying to quit. Their encouragement could make the difference. You may also want to join a support group or talk to a counselor. Behavioral therapy is a type of counseling that helps you identify and stick to quit-smoking strategies. Combine behavioral therapy with nicotine-replacement products or medication to boost your odds of success.

No. 6: Manage Stress

One reason people smoke is that the nicotine helps them relax. Once you quit, you'll need another way to cope with stress. Try getting regular massages, listening to relaxing music, or learning yoga or tai chi. If possible, avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks after you stop smoking.

No. 7: Avoid Alcohol & Other Triggers

Certain activities may boost your urge to smoke. Alcohol is one of the most common triggers, so try to drink less when you first quit. If coffee is a trigger, switch to tea for a few weeks. And if you usually smoke after meals, find something else to do instead, like brushing your teeth or chewing gum.

No. 8: Clean House

Once you've smoked your last cigarette, toss all of your ashtrays and lighters. Wash any clothes that smell like smoke and clean your carpets, draperies, and upholstery. Use air fresheners to help rid your home of that familiar scent. You don't want to see or smell anything that reminds you of smoking.

No. 9: Try and Try Again

It's very common to have a relapse. Many smokers try several times before giving up cigarettes for good. Examine the emotions and circumstances that lead to your relapse. Use it as an opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to quitting. Once you've made the decision to try again, set a "quit date" within the next month.

No. 10: Get Moving

Physical activity can reduce nicotine cravings and ease some withdrawal symptoms. When you want to reach for a cigarette, put on your inline skates or jogging shoes instead. Even mild exercise is helpful, such as walking the dog or pulling weeds in the garden. The extra calories you burn will also ward off weight gain as you quit smoking.

No. 11: Eat Fruits & Veggies

Don't try to diet while giving up cigarettes – too much deprivation is bound to backfire. Instead, focus on eating more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products. A Duke University study suggests these foods make cigarettes taste terrible. This gives you a leg up in fighting your cravings while providing disease-fighting nutrients

No. 12: Choose Your Reward

In addition to the tremendous health benefits, one of the perks of giving up cigarettes is all the money you will save. Reward yourself by spending part of it on something fun.

No. 13: Do It for Your Health

There's more than the monetary reward to consider. Smoking cessation has immediate health benefits. It lowers your blood pressure and reduces your pulse after only 20 minutes. Within a day, oxygen and carbon monoxide levels in your blood return to normal, and risk of a heart attack decreases. Long-term benefits include a reduced risk for coronary heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, and other cancers.

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.

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http://www.rotarypolioplusindia.org/

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.

Rotarians working to eradicate polio in Pakistan have a new partner in the fight: the media. State-run and private television stations and a cell phone company are part of a network helping to monitor and promote immunization campaigns.

During the country's National Immunization Days (NIDs) 16-18 March, seven television stations participated in a "Polio Control Cell" based at the Pakistan Television Centre in Islamabad. The stations promoted a toll-free number that listeners throughout the country could call to report any areas that health workers had missed.

"All the calls were responded to immediately by a team of volunteers, who contacted authorities to dispatch vaccinators to the missed areas," says Shakil Hasan Ansari, a member of the Southeast Asia Regional PolioPlus Committee and past governor of District 3270.


http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/TheRotarian/Pages/Pakistani0908.aspx

Ambassadorial Scholar takes part in immunization efforts in India

By Peter Schmidtke
Rotary International News -- 22 July 2009



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.


Click to watch:

Rotary Polio Eradication
2:38

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


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

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Torchbearers wait for festivities to begin on opening night of the annual Kandy Esala Perahera festival in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

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Olympic Stadium workers in London outlined a giant number three to signify that three years remain until the 2012 Games.
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Torrential rain has flooded the western Indian city of Ahmedabad and driven out around 3000 families from the region.
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U.S. soldiers attend a luncheon to celebrate the wedding of one of their interpreters in the Pesh Valley region of Afghanistan.
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Members of England's Official Monster Raving Loony Party attend the Norwich by-election count.
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Children sleep in the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan.
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A child holds hailstones the size of chicken eggs in Les Esserts, Switzerland.
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A polar bear named Gogo laps a fruit-filled ice cube at the Tennoji Zoo in Osaka, Japan.


PASSAGE OF TIME LEAVES OUT NO ONE


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Brendan Fraser


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Russel Crowe


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Alec Baldwin


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Richard Gere


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Roger Moore

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Arnold
Schwarzenegger

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Clint Eastwood

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Pierce Brosnan


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ARE YOU FEELING BETTER NOW?



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

 Only those vehicles which are violating a traffic rule can be stopped. 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.

Praveen SoodThe 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."