Thursday,2010-07-29 at 11:08 PM
Everywhere we look we see Americans running. They run for every reason anybody could think of. They run for health, for beauty, to lose weight, to feel fit and because it is the thing they love to do.
Every year, for example, thousands upon thousands of people run in one race, the Boston Marathon, the best known long distance race in the United States. In recent years, there have been nearly 5,000 official competitors and it takes three whole minutes for the crowd of runners just to cross the starting line. You may have heard the story of the Greek runner Pheidippides. He ran from Marathon to Athens to deliver the news of the great victory 2,500 years ago. No one knows how long it took him to run the distance. But the story tells us that he dies of the effort.
Today on one will die in a Marathon race. But the effort is still enormous. Someone does come in first in this tiring foot race. But at the finish line we see what this race is about: not being first but finishing. The real victory is not over one’s fellow runners but over one’s own body. It is a victory of will-power over fatigue. In the Boston Marathon each person who crosses that finish line is a winner.
Tuesday,2010-07-27 at 12:22 PM
There are three kinds of goals: short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.
Short-term goals are those that usually deal with current activities, which we can apply on a daily basis. Such goals can be achieved in a week or less, or two weeks, or possibly months. It should be remembered that just as a building is no stronger than its foundation, our long-term goals can not amount to very much without the achievement of solid short-term goals, we should date the occasion and then add new short-term goals that will build on those that have been completed.
The medium-term goals build on the foundation of the short-term goals. They might deal with just one term of school or the entire school year, or they could even extend for several years. Any time you move a step at a time, you should never allow yourself to become discouraged or overwhelmed. As you complete each step, you will enforce the belief in your ability to grow and succeed. And as your list of completion dates grow, your motivation and desire will increase.
Long-term goals may be related to our dreams of the future. They might cover five years or more. Life is not a static thing. We should never allow a long-term goal to limit us or our course of action.
Sunday,2010-07-25 at 9:37 PM
Agricultural pests are winning the battle against the poisonous chemicals in pesticides. As each new chemical pesticide is used, the insects or rodents gradually become used to it. The pests change themselves so that they are not killed by the poison. Therefore, farmers, scientists, and food planners are trying a new method to control the pests that attack crops. This method is called Integrated Pests Management, or IPM.
Integrated Pest Management is a plan that combines several different methods to destroy insects and rodents. These methods are specifically developed for individual areas and crops. The control methods include using the pests’ natural enemies, controlling the pest’s breeding environment, and developing stronger varieties of seeds. Chemical poisons are used only when necessary. The IPM method accepts the fact that it is useless to try to destroy pests completely with chemical poisons. Its aim is to control pest populations so that crops can still grow well.