Thursday, July 24, 2008

"BE The Difference Club"

I'm sure you've heard of Caltech (California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California) which is one of the world's premier research institutions. It was started as Throop Polytechnic in 1903 by astronomer George Ellery Hale who had the vision of creating a first-class "college of technology and science." First he recruited chemist, Arthur Amos Noyes from MIT and then physicist Robert Andrew Millikan from the University of Chicago. Even with these deep thinkers and the caliber of people they've since attracted, don't think for a moment it is a place without humor. The three, astronomer, physicist and chemist were dubbed "Tinker, Thinker and Stinker."



If you don't know about Caltech, I'm sure you've heard of some former "Techers" who have made their mark on the world -- or at very least you've used their inventions without knowing it: Frank Capra (film director - It's A Wonderful Life), Chester F. Carlson (inventor of photocopying), Gordon E. Moore (Cofounder of Intel Corp.), Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17 astronaut and the 12th and last human to have walked on the moon, also a former U.S. senator).



Although much of the talk revolves around quarks and quasars, the students (and faculty) know how to have fun. Caltech is also famous for its annual Senior Ditch Day where the Seniors secure their rooms with complex codes that Freshmen, Sophomore and Juniors try to unravel. Once the code has been broken, the successful underclassman finds a bribe within the room (usually a feast of some kind) in hopes that the room won't be trashed (or pranked). Sometimes the bribes are taken - sometimes not. One year the Senior returned to his room to find all his furniture bolted to the ceiling.



Even the professors get in on the fun. One year the late Richard Feynman (a Nobel Prize winner) offered $1000 to any student who could build an electric motor 1/64th of an inch on each side. The challenge was met -- the working motor was the size of a grain of sand -- about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. It is on display at Caltech's Eastbridge Building and a notice reads: THIS MOTOR IS WORN OUT AND NO LONGER RUNS.



I can't even imagine a motor this size: . Isn't it exciting that we have minds that not only imagine such things but actually create them?! It blows my mind!



But certifiable geniuses are not immune from the same feelings, pressures and fears that you and I experience. When all is said and done, knowledge cannot heal a crushed heart or repair a broken relationship. It is kindness and respect that build bridges of understanding and tolerance. No amount of mathematical or logical prowess can do that.



Each of us has the same genius for making the world a better place -- it's called reaching out and helping someone without expecting anything in return. It's all a matter of seeing and treating people the way you want them to see and treat you. It's that simple. It's that world-changing! It's that dynamic. And it's guaranteed to change your life and those around you.

Rex Andrews


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We BELIEVE that Together We Can Change the World!

Quotes Of The Week

"Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness." ~George Sand



"Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses." ~Confucius



We're on a mission and want to invite you along! We exist to help make a difference in our world by helping to create massive funding for organizations, businesses and individuals AND helping children in the U.S. and around the world through Someone Believes In You!, our TWCCTW Foundation, and One-Child-At-A-Time Program. We believe that together, we can change the world! To learn more about who we are and what we're about use this link.


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Someone Believes In You! It's HERE!!

Together We Can Change the World has just added a new division! Someone Believes In You! offers daily emails with powerful stories that encourage, motivate, and inspire. We all need to know we are special, valued and capable of achieving all we were created to achieve. Give someone (or yourself) the daily gift of empowerment to believe in their dreams. Every subscription provides a fr*ee subscription for a foster or at-risk child. Visit Someone Believes In You! to see sample stories, certificates, testimonies, and to find out more. Then snag your subscription(s)! Help us change the world -- one person at a time!







Join our rapidly growing family of EVERYDAY shoppers who are helping their families and favorite cause(s) with every purchase they make.



And remember -- unlike your neighborhood mall, My Power Mall is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week -- has no crowds or parking problems, saves you gas AND valuable time!

What Difference Can I Make?

Don't think because you're only one person you can't make a difference! You can. . .



. . . . help with developing a public space. Notice vacant lots, weedy parks or ponds within the city limits. Work with officials and develop a plan of action to improve the facilities. (Idea taken from our fr*ee E-book, 101 Ways Your School Can Change the World. (TogetherWeCanChangeTheWorldPublishing.com).





Little things make BIG differences!



Another great way to make a difference is by signing up for a Together We Can Change The World DAY project in your area (or register yours!) and multiply your efforts.

Profile of the Week

Francine's mother was a herpetologist and taught at the local community college. Her father, a veterinarian specializing in reptiles, was in charge of the Reptile House at the local zoo. So it was no surprise to the family that Francine became enamored with snakes at an early age.



She smiled at the thought that most people shrink from snakes, but she couldn't get enough of them. Francine loved making the zoo rounds with her dad. The Reptile House was her "home away from home" and where she could be found after school and on the weekends.



It wasn't uncommon for her to have snakes wrapped around each arm while her dad examined them. And she was the one he usually called for help when a snake escaped its cage because she was quick and fearless. He had taught her early how to catch a snake by holding the tip of its tail until it calmed down.



Francine smiled as she remembered how the boys at school were attracted to her and the girls were repulsed by her. She knew it was their ignorance of snakes that made them that way.

Francine couldn't remember the exact moment she knew she would follow in her father's footsteps - she was always "the snake girl."



Her most difficult years were college - not because of the course work - it was easy enough. It was difficult because she was so far from the zoo and her dad's practice. She contacted the local rescue shelter to see if they needed help with reptiles or snakes. She chuckled to herself as she remembered how they'd asked her to come in that day!



Now here she was the head herpetologist at her "home" zoo. Her folks are retired now but show up every now and then to help. It's great to see them handling the snakes and letting the visiting children touch and hold them. Their's is a different kind of "petting zoo" -- the best way to experience there is little to fear and much to learn.



Life has come full circle, and Francine couldn't be happier.







Let's Celebrate!

Need an excuse to celebrate (or go shopping on your My Power Mall)? How about: Stewarts Root Beer Day (17th), Bunker Hill Day (17th), World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (17th), International Violin Day (17th), Eat Your Vegetables Day (17th), Go Fishing Day (18th), International Panic Day (18th), National Splurge Day (18th), Garfield the Cat Day (19th), World Sauntering Day (19th), Butterfly Day (19th), Juneteenth (19th), Recess at Work Day (19th), Summer Solstice (20th), Toad Hollow Day of Thank You (20th), Vanilla Milkshake Day (20th), Cuckoo Warning Day (20th), Midsummer's Eve (20th), Ice Cream Soda Day (20th), Talk the Talk Day (20th), Finally Summer Day (21st), Go Skateboarding Day (21st), Vinegar Day (21st), Peaches and Cream Day (21st), Baby Boomer's Recognition Day (21st), Less Is More Day (21st), National Chocolate Éclair Day (22nd), Auto Race Day (22nd), America's Kids Day (22nd), Descendants Day (22nd), International Day of Radiant Peace (22nd), Stupid Guy Thing Day (22nd), Let It Go Day (23rd), Public Service Day (23rd), Typewriter Day (23rd), or National Pink Day (23rd).



Special Week Celebrations: Hermit Week (13-20), Forgiveness Week (15-21), Splurge Week (15-21), Universal Father's Week (15-21), Take Your Pet to Work Week (16-20), Meet a Mate Week (16-22)



More of the June Month Celebrations: Aquarium Month, Candy Month, Dairy Month, Fight the Filthy Fly Month, National Accordion Awareness Month, National Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Month, Turkey Lovers Month, National Ice Tea Month, National Lady Lawyers Month, National Rivers Month, National Rose Month, National Safety Month, National Soul Food Month, National Steakhouse Month, Pharmacists Declare War on Alcoholism Month, Potty Training Awareness Month, Professional Wellness Month, Rebuild Your Life Month, Skyscraper Month, Sports America Kids Month, Student Safety Month, Vision Research Month, World Infertility Month



2008 has been declared: International Year of Languages, International Year of Planet Earth, International Year of the Potato, and International Year of Sanitation

Did You Know?

Hawaii is the only state in the United States where male life expectancy exceeds 70 years. Hawaii also leads all states in life expectancy in general, with an average of of 73.6 years for both males and females.

Remember:
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Just For Fun




Last week's brainteaser: How can two people step on one page of newspaper so that they can't touch each other without stepping off the newspaper? Answer: Place the newspaper page under a closed door. Each person steps on one end of the page so that they cannot touch each other without opening the door. To open the door, they would have to step off the paper.

Tips & Tricks

Coins, Tires & Cut Flowers

Use a penny to tell you if it's time to replace the tires on your car. Insert a U.S. penny into the tread. If you can't cover the top of Abe Lincoln's head inside the tread, it's time to replace the tire. And to keep cut flowers fresh longer, put a copper penny and a cube of sugar into the vase water.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Great work.