Month: October 2016

HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

The history behind Halloween is one that began long before the commercialization that we know today. All Hollow’s Eve has a blend of pagan tradition and Christian beliefs meshed into a holiday that was originally created to celebrate the dead. During the 8th Century the Catholic Church created the All Souls Day to recognize the Christian Martyrs who died in Rome and then later extended the celebration to honor the Saints who died for the faith. As the Catholic Church spread to far lands and pagan lands, the holiday took on a new form to incorporate the beliefs of the native lands to find a common ground. The All-hollow’s Eve was celebrated on November 1st and the night before was dubbed All-hollows Eve which is the day as we know it, Halloween. So as you go and put your costume on and ask the time old question, “Trick-or-Treat” remember this holiday was one to celebrate the dead not the living.

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ADOPT A SHELTER DOG MONTH

By now it’s pretty common knowledge we love pets, especially dogs at the Walker house.  Here’s some friends of ours, “Animal Place” in Grass Valley, CA that have an amazing animal rescue program.  They rescue …. Cows, pigs, turkeys, goats, chickens, sheep and rabbits and adopt them out.

Kim Sturla and Ned Buyukmihci sold their homes, emptied their savings accounts to purchase a 60 acre block of undeveloped land in 1988 in Vacaville, CA to rescue farmed animals.  Theirs is a one-of-a-kind place with a completely different perspective on a animals usually raised to eat.

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DICTIONARY DAY

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Rotary Clubs all over the country and especially here in Modesto take this day seriously by distributing special, comprehensive dictionaries to every 3rd grade student in the area-wide school system.  This tradition with Rotary began about 15 years ago nationwide and 11 years ago here in the Modesto school system.  Beginning with 1 club, Modesto Sunrise Rotary and since branching out to include all 4 clubs and all the schools in the area.

 

THE TYRANNY OF THE URGENT

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How To Handle E-mail Overload: Well here’s a stark but brilliant solution from Tom Patterson, CEO “Tommy John” (undershirts for men).  When his e-mail box went from 150 or so a day to 300-400 as the company grew.  “There wasn’t enough minutes in the day to handle all of them.” His solution? Don’t answer them.  Instead Tom created an “auto response” that said “I am currently checking email before 9a.m. and after 5p.m. EST so there will be a delayed response.  If this is urgent please call or text.”  The result was remarkable: Tom was able to step back and “focus more on operations, strategy.. it allowed me to be more present and impactful,” he said.

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NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE RIDE DAY

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We all have heard of Harley Davidson and those who ride their motorcycles are dedicated to the brand and company. Earlier this year the U.S. Government settled a lawsuit with the company due to failing to follow EPA guidelines with after market parts. Although Harley Davidson settled the case, they do not accept it as a form of guilty manufacturing. Click the link to read more

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RAMEN NOODLE SOUP- HAPPY NATIONAL NOODLE DAY

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National Noodle Day is celebrated everywhere among college students and teenagers who haven’t quite mastered boiling water. So why just keep it to one day of celebration, when most of us lived off months of Ramen Noodle Soup. South Korea has just settled out of court with the Plaza Market Agency based out of California, who blew the whistle on price fluctuation of Noodle cost to subsidiaries companies purchasing the Noodles to sell within the United States. The manufacturers have been order to pay back $120 million dollars for price influx spanning 7 years that created a 54% price influx at one point.

 

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BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH

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The spotlight on Breast Cancer is one that has been pushed to the forefront for the battle against the disease of cancer, but did you know that Breast Cancer isn’t just a disease found in women? About 2,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2016. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000. This disease although promoted to encourage women to take a proactive role in early diagnosis and treatment, is still very much a cancer that can be found in men. The statistics are there and men need to take a proactive approach as well. Real men can wear pink and be survivors as well. If you’d like to know more statistics click the link

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