Thursday, January 29, 2009

Love, wealth and success

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."
 
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
 
"No", she replied. "He's out."
 
"Then we cannot come in", they replied.
 
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.
 
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
 
The woman went out and invited the men in"
 
"We do not go into a House together," they replied.
 
"Why is that?" she asked.
 
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."
 
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"
 
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
 
Their daughter was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
 
"Let us heed our daughter's advice," said the husband to his wife.
 
"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."
 
The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest."
 
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?"
 
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Old Carpenter

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer- contractor of his plans to leave the house- building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.
The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career.

When the carpenter finished his work the employer came to inspect the house. He handed the front-door key to the carpenter.
This is your house, he said, my gift to you. The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own, he would have done it all so differently.

We do the most of the things having such thoughts in our mind. But we only realize when it comes back to us.
So it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting less than our best into the building. Then with a shock we realize we have to live in the house that we have built. If we could do it over, we'd do it much differently. But we cannot go back.
You are the carpenter. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Life is a do-it-yourself project, someone has said. Your attitudes and the choices you make today, build the house you live in tomorrow. Build wisely!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Story about love

-by Swami Vivekananda
I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me.
 
Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this: "You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love."
 
This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds.
 
This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... And just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you .
 
For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings.
 
Give and don't expect.
Advise, but don't order.
Ask, but never demand.
 
It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an unconditional caring."

Passing thought... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away.....
Life is beautiful!!!  Live it !!!

Friday, January 23, 2009

Mousetrap

A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife open a package.
What food might this contain? The mouse wondered - he was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning : There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. " "I cannot be bothered by it."
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it but pray. "Be assured you are in my prayers."

The mouse turned to the cow and said "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"
The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose." So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey. The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital, and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.

So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
REMEMBER,,,, EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY; OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

I'll be happy when...

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that, we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, when we are able to go on a nice vacation or when we retire. The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now. 

If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. 

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with ... and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting ...... 
Until your car or home is paid off. 
Until you get a new car or home. 
Until your kids leave the house. 
Until you go back to school. 
Until you finish school. 
Until you lose 10 lbs. 
Until you gain 10 lbs. 
Until you get married. 
Until you get a divorce. 
Until you have kids. 
Until you retire. 
Until summer.. 
Until spring. 
Until winter. 
Until fall. 
Until you die.
There is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. So work like you don't need money, love like you've never been hurt, and, dance like no one's watching. 

18 Rules Of Life

Women

A devoted man was enjoying the beauty of ocean on southern tip of India, praising the lord he prayed, "Oh Lord build me a bridge so I may drive over ocean and go to Sri Lanka."
Suddenly with a flash, a sound was heard, "Oh my loving devotee, this is no easy task, it will drain my treasury, drive me crazy, but I will do it for you. But consider other wishes that may have better use." 
 
After long contemplation the devotee changed the mind and said, " OK my wise benevolent Lord, please fulfill my wish that I may understand women, their inner feelings, their thinking and workings of mind, when and what to trust and what not, so that I may make my women very contented and give them true happiness." 
 
After the pause of a silent few minutes God sighed and said, "You want two lanes or four lanes bridge to Sri Lanka?"

Corporate Lesson

Once upon a time a Washerman was bringing up two donkeys. Let us say Donkey-A and Donkey-B.

Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other.  It always tried to pull the washerman's attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.

Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the washerman's presence.  After a period of time, Washerman started pressurising Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A.  But Donkey-B unable to walk fast, got continuous punishment from washerman.  It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other....we can carry equal load at normal speed ".

That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washerman that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also.

Obviously happier washerman looked at Donkey-B.., his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B. Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way....But the washerman was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly.

Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supremo and happily started carrying more load with great speed.  But now the Load of the Donkey-B is also being carried by Donkey-A., and still it has to run fast.  For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain.  But washerman expected more from Donkey-A. It also tried best, but couldn't cope up with his owners demand.  The Washerman got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing to take more load... Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction.  Finally the day came when due to frustration the washerman killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.

Its an endless story..........
But the moral of the story in Corporate and social life is......
"Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable.... Always share the Load eq ually... Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit...Don't feel happy when ur colleague is under pressure.. "

It doesn't matter if u r A or B, for the Boss u shall be always DONKEY. And most importantly, Never Work Hard, Work Cleverly..... "Success is a journey not a destination"

Honesty is still the best policy

An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called young people in the kingdom together one day. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
 
  The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today. One very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here after one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
 
  One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
  
  Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't have a plant, and he felt like a failure. Six months went by, still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.
  
  Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow.
 
  A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But honest about what happened, Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his mother was right.
  
He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey nice try."
  
  When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "What great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
  
  When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it. Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
  
  Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
 
*********

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.

But

If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.

*********
So be careful what you plant now, It will determine what you will reap tomorrow, The seeds you now scatter, Will make life worse or better, your life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Divorced Barbie

A man was driving home one evening and realized that it was his daughter's birthday and he hadn't bought her a present.
He drove to the mall and ran to the toy store and he asked the store manager,  "How much is that new Barbie in the window?"
The Manager replied, "Which one? We have
'Barbie goes to the gym' for $19.95,
'Barbie goes to the Ball' for $19.95,
'Barbie goes shopping' for $19.95,
'Barbie goes to the beach' for $19.95,
'Barbie goes to the Nightclub' for $19.95 and
'Divorced Barbie' for $375.00"

"Why is the Divorced Barbie $375.00 when all the others are $19.95?, the father asked.

The store manager replied: "Divorced Barbie comes with Ken's car, Ken's house, Ken's boat, Ken's dog, Ken's cat, Ken's furniture and all of  Ken's savings."

Learn Marketing

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. 
You go up to her and say, "I am very rich. Marry me!" 
That's Direct Marketing 
  
You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. 
One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says, "He's very rich. Marry him." 
That's Advertising. 
  
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. 
You go up to her and get her telephone number. 
The next day you call and say, "Hi, I'm very rich. Marry me." 
That's Telemarketing. 
  
You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. 
You get up and straighten your tie; you walk up to her and pour her a drink. 
You open the door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a ride, and then say, "By the way, I'm very rich "Will you marry me?" 
That's Public Relations. 
  
You're at a party and see a gorgeous girl. 
She walks up to you and says, "You are very rich, I want to marry you." 
That's Brand Recognition. 
  
You see a gorgeous girl at a party. 
You go up to her and say, "I'm rich. Marry me" 
She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. 
That's Customer Feedback

16 Signs when you Love Someone

SIXTEEN:
When you're on the phone with them late at night and they hang up, you still miss them even when it was just two minutes ago.

FIFTEEN:
You read their Texts and Ims Over and over again.

FOURTEEN:
You walk really slow when you're with them.

THIRTEEN:
You feel shy whenever they're around.

ELEVEN:
When you think about them, your heart beats faster but slower at the same time.

TEN:
You smile when you hear their voice.

NINE:
When you look at them, you can't see the other people around you, you just see him/her.

EIGHT:
You start listening to slow songs while thinking about them.

SEVEN:
They're all you think about.

SIX:
You get high just from their scent.

FIVE:
You relize you're always smiling when you're looking at them.

FOUR:
You would do anything for them, just to see them.

THREE:
While reading this, there was one person on your mind this whole time.

TWO:
You were so busy thinking about that person, you didnt notice number twelve was missing

ONE:
You just scrolled up to check & are now silently laughing at yourself.

Visualise your Goal

The Catalina  Island is twenty-one miles away from the coast of California, and many people have taken the challenge to  swim across it.
On July 4th 1952, Florence Chadwick stepped into the water off Catalina  Island  to swim across to the California  coast. She started well and on course, but later fatigue set in, and the weather  became cold. 

She persisted, but fifteen hours later, numb and cold, she  asked to be taken out of the water.

After she recovered, she was told  that she had been pulled out only half a mile away from the coast. She commented that she could have made it, if the fog had not affected her vision and she  would have just seen the land.

She promised that this would be the only time  that she would ever quit.

She went back to her rigorous training. And two  months later she swam that same channel. The same thing happened. The fatigue  set in, and the fog obscured her view, but this time she swam with faith and vision of the land in her mind. She knew that somewhere behind the fog was land. 

She succeeded and became the first woman to swim the Catalina  Channel. She  even broke the men's record by two hours.

SUCCESS  PRINCIPLES

When you set your goal, keep pressing on even when you are  tired, physically and mentally, and even though there are many challenges ahead. 
Keep the vision of your goal crystal clear before you and never, never, never…  give up!
See the reaching, commit to it, and you will surely see your goal  realized.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Lunch with god!

A little boy wanted to meet God. He knew it was a long trip to where God lived, so he packed his suitcase with a bag of potato chips and a six-pack of root beer and started his journey.

When he had gone about three blocks, he met an old woman. She was sitting in the park, just staring at some pigeons. The boy sat down next to her and opened his suitcase. He was about to take a drink from his root beer when he noticed that the old lady looked hungry, so he offered her some chips. She gratefully accepted it and smiled at him.

Her smile was so pretty that the boy wanted to see it again, so he offered her a root beer. Again, she smiled at him. The boy was delighted! They sat there all afternoon eating and smiling, but they never said a word.

As twilight approached, the boy realized how tired he was and he got up to leave; but before he had gone more than a few steps, he turned around, ran back to the old woman, and gave her a hug. She gave him her biggest smile ever.

When the boy opened the door to his own house a short time later, his mother was surprised by the look of joy on his face. She asked him, "What did you do today that made you so happy?" He replied, "I had lunch with God." But before his mother could respond, he added, "You know what? She's got the most beautiful smile I've ever seen!"

Meanwhile, the old woman, also radiant with joy, returned to her home. Her son was stunned by the look of peace on her face and he asked, "Mother, what  did you do today that made you so happy?" She replied! "I ate potato chips in the park with God." However, before her son responded, she added, "You know, he's much younger than I expected."

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime! Embrace all equally!

Monday, January 19, 2009

Perception

One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live.
 
They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from the trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?" "It was great, Dad".

"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.

"Oh yes", said the son. "So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.

The son answered, "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night.
 
Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants to serve us, but they serve others.
 
We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."

The boy's father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad for showing me how poor we are."

Isn't perspective a wonderful thing ? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don't have.

*********
Appreciate every single thing you have.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Does Management Know Who You Are?

On walking into the factory, the MD noticed a young guy leaning against the wall, doing nothing. He approached the young man and calmly said to him ,
how much do you earn?" The young man was quite amazed that he was asked such a personal question, but he replied, none the less, "I earn Rs.2,000.00 a
month, Sir. Why?" Without answering, the MD took out his wallet and removed R6000.00 cash and gave it to the young man and said, "Around here I pay 
people for working, not for standing around looking pretty! Here is 3 month's salary, now GET OUT and don't come back".

The young man turned around and was quickly out of sight. Noticing a few onlookers, the MD said in a very upset manner, "And that applies for everybody in this company". He approached one of the onlookers and asked him, "Who's the young man that I just fired?" To which an amazing reply came 
of, "He was the pizza delivery man, Sir!"

--
Submitted by my friend!

Saturday, January 10, 2009

It's really true

Once, there was this guy, who was in love with a gal. 

She wasn't the most beautiful and gorgeous but for him, she was everything. 

He used to dream about her, about spending the rest of life with her. His friends told him, "why do you dream so much about her, when you don't even know if she loves you or not? First tell her your feelings, and get to know if she likes you or not".

He felt that was the right way. The girl knew from the beginning, that this guy loves her. One day when he proposed, she rejected him. 

His friends thought he would take to alcohol; drugs etc. and ruin his life.

To their surprise, he was not depressed. When they asked him how was it that he is not sad, he replied, "why should I feel bad? I lost one who never loved me & she lost the one who really loved and cared for her."

Hospital Window

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.
 
One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs.
His bed was next to the room's only window.
 
The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.
 
The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of  the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue:

  There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.
Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

How to go green


"Going Green" doesn't have to be a daunting task that means sweeping life changes. Start by planting a tree in your backyard or neighbourhood. It's good for the air, the land, can shade your house and save on cooling and they can also improve the value of your property.

When taking a short trip, choose to walk or cycle. This reduces carbon emissions considerably.

 Staying within the speed limit and smoothly accelerating can save upto 25 per cent of a vehicle's typical gasoline use.

 Switching off one bulb for one hour saves upto 22,000 watts per year.

 Lighting an empty office wastes enough energy to boil water for a 1000 cups of coffee and doubles a company's annual electric bil

 Plug your computer, monitor and other home appliances into a power strip and turn them off when not in use- don't leave them in sleep mode. Sleep mode adds immensely to the electricity bill and unnecessary greenhouse gases.

 Recharge your batteries. Batteries contain heavy metals, such as mercury and cadmium, which have become a major source of contamination in dump sites. They either break apart and are released into the soil or are incinerated and the deadly heavy metals are released into the air.

 Plastic bags are not biodegradable. Even if they say they are, they do not decompose fully. Also the ink is made up of cadmium, and is highly toxic when it is released. Whereas paper bags are reusable and biodegradable. If your purchase is small don't take any bag, this alone could save hundreds of millions of bags. Bring a cloth bag when you shop, or use string bags.

 Our oceans provide the earth with most of our oxygen, moisture, and weather patterns. To keep our oceans clean we have to start with our beaches. When you go to the beach you can help by bringing a trash bag and spend a little while picking up litter, or you can join a beach clean-up crew.

 As little as ten years ago there were over 1.5 million elephants on the earth. Today there are only 750,000. By the year 2,000 they may become extinct. Over 80% of the ivory that is taken, is from elephants- Americans buy 30% of it. Over 6.5 million dolphins have been killed by tuna fisherman. To help you can: not buy endangered animal products.

 Do not dump oil, grease, antifreeze, pesticides, fertilizers, paints, cleaners, and other toxic household products down the storm drain. These drains, found in the gutters on the sidewalk, are not treated by the sewage treatment plant--they go straight into rivers, lakes, and maybe even the ocean! By putting these toxic chemicals down the drain, there is a great biological threat to marine life.

 Use CFC free products. ChloroFluoroCarbons destroy the ozone layer, which protects us from harmful UV rays.

 One less meat-based meal a week helps the planet and your diet. For each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land, approximately 55 square feet of forest have been destroyed.

 Recycling just the Sunday papers would save more than half a million trees every week.

 You can reuse gift bags, bows and event paper, but you can also make something unique by using old maps, cloth or even newspaper. Flip a paper grocery bag inside out and give your child stamps or markers to create their own wrapping paper that's environmentally friendly and extra special for the recipient.

 Nearly 90% of plastic water bottles are not recycled, instead taking thousands of years to decompose. Buy a reusable container and fill it with tap water, a great choice for the environment, your wallet, and possibly your health.

 Brush without running your tap dry. You'll conserve up to five gallons per day if you stop.

 Adjust your thermostat one degree higher in the summer and one degree cooler in the winter. Each degree celsius less will save about 10% on your energy use!

 If you must water your lawn, do it early in the morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation. Have a few weeds? Spot treat them with vinegar. Not sure if you should rake? Normal clippings act as a natural fertilizer, let them be. If you've waited too long, rake by hand — it's excellent exercise.

 Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered "disposable," over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

Friday, January 9, 2009

Go Green this Year!!

Welcome to 2009! The year of the eco-ox. On the off chance that you’re still recovering from too many libations and you haven’t had a moment to write down your resolutions for the new year, here is a list of five eco-resolutions to get you off on the right foot - they make it easy for you to give back to the planet as well as your pocket. Here are some simple changes you can commit to and easily start living a more sustainable life.

1. I will stop using plastic bottles and vow to carry my reusable bottle of choice at all times. The NRDC conducted 1,000 separate tests of over 100 bottled water brands and found that the bottled water was not cleaner, purer, or safer than tap water. There have even been reports about certain companies simply bottling tap water. So kick the bad bottle habit once and for all. As an added bonus you can wrap this resolution into the annual “I will save more” declaration and make a jar where each day you put the money you would have spent on bottled water – you’ll be surprised at how quickly it adds up. In 2006, Americans bought 2.6 billion cases of bottled water, totaling $15 billion – which means saving a year of plastic bottle money may allow you to treat yourself to an eco-vacation.

2. I resolve to answer the “paper or plastic?” question with a BYOB solution. Let’s face it, the some 88 billion petroleum-based plastic bags consumed in the U.S. each year are ugly (and take 1,000 years to decompose), but using trees and energy to make paper bags isn’t much better. This year, make it a priority to bring your own bag – always. Just make sure to evaluate the materials used, since many bags being introduced in the market under the guise of “green” or “eco” are petroleum-based or made from conventional cotton (full of pesticides and toxic chemicals). Aside from saving the planet, you’ll also be saving your pocketbook, since most grocery stores give you a small kick-back when you BYOB.

3. Waste: The light green resolution – I will recycle. If you want to take your green routine a shade deeper, then make 2009 the year you start to compost. Really, there are no more excuses for not recycling in 2009. Cities and towns are making it easier and easier, since most have curbside pick-up.Encourage your workplace to switch to recycled paper products wherever possible. With four million tons of copy paper used in the U.S. each year, choosing paper with 100 percent recycled fibers saves lots of energy and water in production, and will significantly reduce the number of trees cut down. As for the eco-devotees that are ready for the next step, start to compost your kitchen scraps. 

4. I resolve to change my transportation habits. If you can schedule in time for the gym and happy hour drinks with friends, you can schedule in the extra time needed to walk or bike to work. Give the road rage a rest and try committing to an alternative form of transportation once a week. Ideally, the carbon-free route is best (with a little added endorphin boost for the traditional “exercise more” resolution) but taking the bus or train will still help to minimize your carbon footprint – according to the American Public Transportation Association, using public transportation saves 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline each year.

5. I resolve to consider where my food comes from and how it is farmed. Ideally, supporting seasonal, local agriculture from organic, sustainably managed farms is best for the planet and for your health. This doesn’t have to mean a weekly trip to the farmer’s market. Simply make a conscious choice at the grocery store when looking at that apple from New Zealand. As you are committing to cut back on your carbon-emitting transportation, try to cut back on your food’s footprint as well. Where it comes from and the amount of toxic pesticides used in its production both contribute to how much waste and carbon emissions are generated – one study by the Rodale Institute found that organic farming reduces carbon dioxide by using 37 percent fewer fossil fuels than conventional farmin