I wonder which John Wick prefers
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He did mark Pencil Day a couple of years agoâŚ
Thereâs also âcommemorative merchâ available:
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Good morning! 
It is Wednesday, 31 March 2021 my dudes! 
(W13/D90/275 rem)
Today is: 
World Backup Day
You keep meaning to do it. You keep putting it off. And then unexpected kak happens. And your backups are either horribly out of date, or non-existent.
Itâs happened to all of us at some stage of our technology-dependent lives. Whether itâs photos and contacts on stolen phones, documents on a failed hard drive, or corporate data on a lightning damaged server somewhere. And each time it happens, we lament not having solid backups of our data, and vow to never let it happen again. And then we diligently make backups for the next few months, and then slowly fall back into our old habits. Stop doing that already!
World Backup Day is set aside as a reminder to back up your files, even if itâs once a year! A backup is a reserve copy of all the files youâd be loathe to use.
Thereâs nothing more traumatizing than losing your phone, or having your hard drive crash, and having hundreds of valuable and irreplaceable documents or photos suddenly gone.
No matter how secure or safe you feel your data and equipment is, itâs important to back up your files. 30% of people donât have any way to save their important files in the event that tragedy strikes. In our electronic based world, there are hundreds of ways to suddenly have things go terribly awry. 29% of all disasters are caused by accidents, costing valuable time and money as the resources they affected are lost forever. You may feel your computer is safe, but 1 in 10 of all computers, including household and business computers, are infected with a virus that may suddenly cause all of your data to be gone beyond retrieval.
âBut my phone is always on me!â I hear you say! Wonderful! Thatâll make it easier for you to be one of the hundreds of phones stolen every minute, each day. In this modern digital world, many of us live from our phones. Whether itâs for business, or just personal use, these electronic assistants often contain gigs of valuable documents, pictures, videos, and music. Do you really want to chance losing all of that when backup options are so easy and available?
âEasy? How do I backup my files and protect myself?â There ya go! Now weâre asking the right questions!
There are a myriad of ways you can use to backup your files, most phones are connected to some form of backup system. iPhones are tied directly into iTunes, which can back up all of your valuable data, you just need to hook that thing up to your computer and update the files daily! You can even do it as part of charging, just plug it in to your computer, set it to backup, and itâll go about the process automatically while it takes a charge.
Android phones are intrinsically tied to Google, and with the availability of Google Docs and the Google backup, itâll tie all of your data in to your profile, uploading it to a secure location while allowing you to choose which ones to share!
Google Docs can also be used to store all of your valuable files online! The bonus here is that from google docs you can access your files from any computer, saving you from having to wait for your system to be back up before you get those important files back!
Go on, do it right now. Many of you are reading this on your phones right now. Go to Settings > Backups and double-check that the automatic backup setting you know you created when you got your phone is still active. And that your backups are being stored on the device being backup! That would be kak pointless!
Visit http://www.worldbackupday.com/en/ for more backup tips and tools. And donât become an April fool!
Have a data-safe Wednesday, my dudes! 
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Does sitting up straight count?
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I still want to get myself 6TB storage to backup my PC, but eish, the money is not there.
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It is Thursday, 01 April 2021
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Today is: April Foolâs Day
Perhaps one of the oldest of the daily celebrations weâve had so far⌠itâs April Foolâs Day!
Since April 1, 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Foolsâ Day by playing practical jokes on each other. Even so, the history of All Foolâs Day stretches even further backâŚ
Although the day, also called All Foolsâ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery.
Some historians speculate that April Foolsâ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.
These pranks included having paper fish placed on their backs and being referred to as poisson dâavril (April fish), said to symbolize a young, âeasily hookedâ fish and a gullible person.
April Foolsâ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with âhunting the gowk,â in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on peopleâs derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or âkick meâ signs on them.
Historians have also linked April Foolsâ Day to festivals such as Hilaria (Latin for joyful), which was celebrated in Ancient Rome at the end of March by followers of the cult of Cybele. It involved people dressing up in disguises and mocking fellow citizens and even magistrates and was said to be inspired by the Egyptian legend of Isis, Osiris and Seth.
April Foolsâ Day traditions include playing hoaxes or practical jokes on others, often yelling âApril Fools!â at the end to clue in the subject of the April Foolsâ Day prank. While its exact history is shrouded in mystery, the embrace of April Foolsâ Day jokes by the media and major brands has ensured the unofficial holidayâs long life.
In modern times, people have gone to great lengths to create elaborate April Foolsâ Day hoaxes. Newspapers, radio and TV stations, global fast-food brands, and many other websites and companies have participated in the April Foolâs tradition of reporting outrageous fictional claims that have fooled their audiences and customers.
In 1957, the BBC reported that Swiss farmers were experiencing a record spaghetti crop and showed footage of people harvesting noodles from trees.
In 1985, Sports Illustrated writer George Plimpton tricked many readers when he ran a made-up article about a rookie pitcher named Sidd Finch who could throw a fastball over 168 miles per hour.
In 1992, National Public Radio ran a spot with former President Richard Nixon saying he was running for president again⌠only it was an actor, not Nixon, and the segment was all an April Foolsâ Day prank that caught the country by surprise.
In 1996, Taco Bell, the fast-food restaurant chain, duped people when it announced it had agreed to purchase Philadelphiaâs Liberty Bell and intended to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell.
In 1998, after Burger King advertised a âLeft-Handed Whopper,â scores of clueless customers requested the fake sandwich.
Google notoriously hosts an annual April Foolsâ Day prank that has included everything from âtelepathic searchâ to the ability to play Pac Man on Google Maps.
Hereâs a handful of articles covering some classic April Foolâs pranks:
- A Brief, Totally Sincere History of April Foolsâ Day. Washington Post
- Historyâs Greatest April Fools Jokes. National Geographic
- Some of the greatest April Foolsâ pranks of all time. CNN
- 15 Best April Foolsâ Day Hoaxes. CBS
- 40 April Foolâs Pranks to Pull this Year. Readers Digest
Which are some of the more memorable April Foolâs jokes that you remember? Which have you been caught out by?
Have a fun-filled (but safe!) Thursday friends! And try not to get fooled!
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Also to be noted, a lot of April Foolâs gags were canned last year because apparently the whole world lost its sense of humour due to the pandemic.
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Google once again canned theirs this year as well. I feel its stupid - we need the humor to cope!
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I agree this is exactly the time we need humour.
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It is Friday, 02 April 2021
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Today is: World Autism Awareness Day 
World Autism Awareness Day was established on December 18, 2007 by the United Nations. The General Assembly put together resolution 62/139, which consisted of four major elements. The participation of all UN organization and its member states, a dedication to raising awareness of Autism in the general community, and a standing request to the UN Secretary-General to move forth this message to all it the UN member states.
Autism affects approximately 1 out of every 150 children around the world. It is a neural development disorder that affects their ability to socialize normally by impacting their abilities to utilize verbal and non-verbal communication. Since 2012, there has been a 30% increase in the amount of children being affected with autism, and World Autism Awareness Day helps to bring awareness to this growing health concern.
Autism first appears very early on, sometimes manifesting as early as infancy, in other times waiting until later in childhood.
The disease progresses steadily without remission, its first symptoms generally appearing around six-months, and being firmly in place by age two or three. Rather than having one distinguishing characteristic, Autism is indicated by the coming together of three separate symptoms. The triad includes difficulty socializing, problems in communication, and a limited number of interests combined with repetitive behavior such as can-stacking.
Autism is no longer classified as a single disorder, but rather an entire spectrum ranging in severity. Autism is the core of all of these syndromes, with its features being prevalent to varying degrees throughout, and includes such disorders such as Rett Syndrome and Childhood disintegrative disorder.
One of the most commonly known disorders on the list, outside of Autism itself, is Aspergerâs. Asperger Syndrome is signified by the presence of Autism symptoms with no impairment of language development.
Asperger Syndrome often leads to problems with social interaction with their peers. Common body language queues that are picked up on by those not on the Autistic Spectrum are often lost on those who suffer from AS. It is not uncommon among the Asperger community to hear them speak of their frustrations with non-Asperger people, as huge chunks of the conversation just seem utterly lost on them. Things such as tone, context, and sarcasm have to be considered very carefully, as they are not often native to those with AS, and their frustration with communication often stems from this and other social queues.
However, much like anyone on the Autistic spectrum, they will present with areas of intelligence that are much stronger than that of others. These areas tend to be in the reading, language, music, or spatial skills, occasionally manifesting to such a degree that they may fall into the âgiftedâ range in those areas. This seems to be counterbalanced by significant delays in other areas of development.
On WAAD, you can help raise awareness by hosting an event with local families with Autistic family members, bringing them all together to be among others sharing their difficulties, challenges, and joys.
You could contact local businesses and encourage them to light up their building blue to signal their support for those suffering from Autism, or you could even light up your own home. Spend WAAD reading about Autism and discussing it with others, and perhaps trying to gain a little understanding about this special group of people and the syndrome they live with.
Have a brilliant, blue Friday!
Today is also the Christian day of observance, Good Friday 
. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his subsequent death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of Passover. The reference to it being âGoodâ Friday, when the occasion was anything but good, comes from the obsolete use of the word meaning âpious or holyâ. Other examples of expressions based on this obsolete sense of âgoodâ include âthe good bookâ for the Bible, âgood tideâ for Christmas, and âthe Good Lordâ.
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Have a fantastic and mindful Good Friday all.
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It is Saturday, 03 April 2021
(W13/D93/272 rem) We are 25.2% done with 2021 already. A quarter of the year has passed in a flash.
Today is: Chocolate Mousse Day
After a few serious days of observance and reflection, I feel today is a good day to lighten things up, and have a good celebration day. Luckily our American friends are constantly celebrating food, so we do have one today to enjoy with them: itâs Chocolate Mousse Day!
(After tiramisu, chocolate mousse is my second favourite dessert, so today definitely works for me 
)
In French, the word Mousse means âfoamâ, and this is an apt description of this dessert, being light and frothy, or creamy and thick, it all depends on how you prepare this scrumptious treat.
Though the origins of this delicacy are largely unknown, it is known that it was a popular dish in the 18th century in France. However the first written record of its appearance is actually from an exposition in New York City in 1892.
The recipes first started appearing in a âHousekeepers Columnâ in the 1897 edition of the Boston globe. The recipe actually produced a dish with far more in common with chocolate pudding, instead of the more familiar foamy treat of this day. It wasnât until egg whites were introduced to the recipe, parted from the yellow yolks. It was an art form to create the mousse, as it was necessary to hand whip it at a consistent pace for a long period of time, it wasnât until the electric mixer was involved that it became common to produce the proper consistency.
There are many recipes for a chocolate mousse, all of them introducing different combinations of flavorings and toppings, all in the attempt to produce the perfect mousse flavor and consistency. The first step of creating the perfect chocolate mousse is of course utilizing the best possible chocolate available to you.
There are many ways to celebrate this day, among them being serving chocolate mousse to your family, or bringing them into the office. A challenge can be laid out to those co-workers to bring in their favorite chocolate mousse, whether itâs an old family recipe, or one from their favorite confectionary shop.
There are those who claim that the perfect rendition of a chocolate mousse is based in its simplicity. The very basis of most French Cuisine is to create a panoply of flavors using only the most basic of flavors and techniques. The most basic of chocolate mousse recipes has just five ingredients, and is presented below.
Classic French Chocolate Mousse
- 300 grams of chocolate (dark chocolate is preferred)
- 6 large eggs
- 50 grams of butter, plus a bit.
- 50 grams of sugar
- A pinch of salt
The recipe is remarkably simple on the surface, but the importance lies in processing it exactly. You first need to melt the chocolate with butter in a double boiler, waiting until the top presents with a silky shine. While this is going on, youâll need to whip the egg whites with the salt, and then add the egg yolks with the sugar, and complete the mix with the chocolate, whipping all the while. After this youâll need to place it in the fridge for 6 hours.
This is the most basic recipe for chocolate mousse, and from here on out it takes little more than your innovation to produce a special blend all your own.
There are so many directions you can go, though you must be careful to maintain a proper balance of ingredients to keep the consistency. Vanilla extract is a popular additive, as are various rich dark alcohols such as rum.
Try my classic French recipe, or head online to see what other variations are possible. And share the results of your efforts with us please - what works, what doesnât.
Have a fantastic, chocolate mousse filled day!
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We have made a chocolate cake instead, does that count?
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Nope, sorry. Weâve already had Chocolate Cake Day back in January. If it ainât Chocolate Mousse today it doesnât count. Donât get me wrong, Iâm not saying thereâs anything bad about homemade chocolate cake - err, yum!! Enjoy the heck out of that cake. You just canât legitimately claim to have observed Chocolate Mousse Day. 
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It is Sunday, 04 April 2021
(W13/D94/271 rem)
Today is: Walk Around Things Day
Hereâs an interesting observance day, that I am struggling to find the origins of⌠Walk Around Things Day.
This day has two different perspectives, one is taking the literal meaning of the day, i.e., walking around the things that stands as an obstacle, for an example instead of walking through a park bench or a mud puddle, you can walk around them to avoid distraction and to have a peaceful walk. It just means to walk around for some exercise.
The other figurative and metaphorical meaning for the day is that to walk around the problems that stand in your way. Sometimes it is better to neglect issues than to deal with them. In that way you be in peace and happiness. You can avoid unnecessary arguments, uncomfortable situations, conditions which are not under your control, etc. Many of lifeâs problems are not worth fighting for so just walk around them. But be careful that from what kind of problems you walk away.
Literally, one would not walk through a puddle of water or mud; one would walk around it. One would not walk under a ladder or over broken glass, one would walk around both.
Figuratively, one would âwalk-aroundâ avoiding certain problems or potential problems. One would also âwalk-aroundâ avoiding arguments, certain situations, or unwanted or uncomfortable conversations.
Another possible intent of this day could very well be to walk around things such as a neighborhood, park, or the shopping mall. While weâre walking around we might also walk around obstacles or structures we come across during our stroll. In a park, we might find a fountain or swingset to walk around. At the mall, benches and planters interrupt our easy stride. Of course, at home, we have all sorts of things that we walk around willingly. Sometimes the reason we walk around these items is pure avoidance like laundry or clutter. We might also walk around a sleeping pet.
There are many days and affirmations that are about meeting your challenges head on, and those are powerful and valid tactics. This day reminds us that sometimes you have to pick your battles, and sometimes the best way to deal with a situation is by simply not dealing with it at all. You must be careful what you choose to walk around though, what you may be walking around isnât the problem, but the path of wisdom!
Have a great Sunday walking around things! (Except if youâre on an Easter Egg Hunt - then definitely donât walk around things!)
Today is also Easter Sunday, also called Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, a Christian festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in the New Testament as having occurred on the third day after his burial following his crucifixion by the Romans at Calvary c. 30 AD. Many Christians worldwide celebrate Easter with special church services, music, candlelight, flowers and the ringing of church bells. Large Easter processions are normally held in some countries such as the Philippines and Spain, but sadly, COVID-19 has curtailed many of this years celebrations. Many Christians view Easter as the greatest feast of the Church year. It is a day of joy and celebration to commemorate that Jesus Christ is risen, according to Christian belief.
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It is Monday, 05 April 2021
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Today is: Star Trek First Contact Day 
Today is the day we will make First Contact with the Vulcans, see their split-fingered salute for the first time, and hear the words âLive long and prosperâ for the first time. âWill makeâŚâ because according to the Star Trek timeline, the momentous event only takes place in 2063.
First Contact Day is the holiday celebrated by all good people of the galaxy in tribute to the flight of the Phoenix and the pivotal first interaction between humans and Vulcans. The event took place â or will take place, depending on how you look at it â on 5 April 2063.
That evening, a Vulcan survey ship, the TâPlana-Hath, landed in Bozeman, Montana, after tracking the warp signature of the Phoenix, a spacecraft that represented mankindâs first successful attempt at achieving warp drive.
And, of course, moments later on that same day, a robed Vulcan, flashing the split-fingered Vulcan salute, greeted Dr. Zefram Cochrane, creator of warp drive and pilot of the Phoenix. Thus, First Contact was made, setting in motion a chain of events that led to the formation of the United Federation of Planets.
According to Star Trek âhistoryâ, on that day in 2063, Zefram Cochrane first took a flight at speeds in excess of Warp 1 in the Phoenix, alerting the Vulcan race to their entrance into the interstellar community and initiating the first contact. Some 300 years later it was commemorated as First Contact Day, and the celebration went on from there. Star Trek: First Contact Day commemorates this particular day in real life, in earth time, and fans all over the world have the opportunity to get together to celebrate the most pivotal moment in Star Trek human history!
First Contact is an important part of the introduction of a species into the galactic community and is handled very carefully by the extant species of StarFleet. Generally speaking, it has been found to be beneficial to privately approach the scientists and other intellectuals of the target species with the belief that theyâll be ready to accept the existence of off-world species. The approach is generally timed for when the species is about to enter the galactic community by engaging in their first faster-than-light travel.
The first step to celebrating this day is getting out Star Trek: First Contact and giving it a fresh watch. This 1996 film was the 8th in the Star Trek film series, and the second to star the beloved cast from the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, itâs the film that contains the iconic scene.
Fans interested in learning more about First Contact and First Contact Day should be sure to also check out the TOS episode âMetamorphosis,â with Glenn Corbett portraying Cochrane; the TNG film First Contact, with James Cromwell in the role (which he reprised briefly on Enterprise); the books First Contact (the novelization of the feature) and First Frontier; and the Voyager episode âHomestead,â in which Neelix and Naomi Wildman oversee a party celebrating the 315th anniversary of First Contact Day, complete with an old-school jukebox, helpings of Cochraneâs favorite food (cheese pierogies), and the sight and sounds of a stoic, reluctant Tuvokgiving the Vulcan salute and uttering those immortal words, âLive long and prosper.â
Be sure to also visit the official Star Trek siteâs dedicated First Contact pages to see other ways to mark the occasion:
https://intl.startrek.com/shows/star-trek-viii-first-contact
Live long, prosper, and have a marvellous Monday!
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It is Tuesday, 06 April 2021
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Today is: New Beerâs Eve 
For lovers of all brews everywhere, the years of 1920 to 1933 were incredibly sad times. This was the period of the Prohibition in the United States, where any and all forms of alcohol were verboten.
Thankfully in 1933, the United States government came to their senses, and President Roosevelt decided that this frothy brew should once again flow freely in the taverns and bars of the country.
On this date in 1933, people lined up around the block at the doors of their favorite public house to prepare to imbibe the first legal brews in 13 years.
Ever since that night, this day has been referred to as âNew Beerâs Eveâ, a precursor of âNew Beers Dayâ. It was said that at 12:01 on 1933, Roosevelt stated âI think this would be a good time for a beer.â For such an auspicious patron, Anheuser-Busch pulled out all the stops, delivering the beer with their Clydesdale draw carriage directly to the Commander in Chief.
The first 24 hours of the end of the prohibition saw an estimated 1.5 million gallons of beer consumed.
This is a great time to set up a party, bringing in an abundance of different types of brews and calling in New Beer Day with an abundance of craft beers and the like. Seeing how itâs only this yearâs New Beerâs Eve once, it just makes sense to go a little out of well-travelled waters for it.
There are micro-breweries popping up all over, so the opportunity to try a local brew for the first time is popping up every day. Nothing better than celebrating the end of the prohibition by trying out a beer that may never have existed if it had not!
But that doesnât mean you should spend a small fortune on it, most microbreweries produce beers at a very reasonable rate. While there are higher priced beers on the market, there is nothing saying that they are in fact of superior quality. Some of the most delicious beers on the market are bottom shelf mostly unknown micro-brews. So go for a rarely experienced beer, but donât get a new mortgage on your house to make it happen.
There are many good suds to be tried this time of year, and itâs a great time to run beer scout for the craft beers that are out there. You can take this opportunity to introduce friends and family, and even fellow beer drinkers to your favorite beverage. There are beers with different qualities that have light fruity qualities, and others with the dark rich body of Guinness.
Setting up a party with your friends to get together for a beer tasting is a great way to celebrate this holiday. Your craft brew deprived friends will thank you! Just make sure thereâs designated drivers and Uber vehicles available for all!
Itâs been a long time since the prohibition, and the world is full of the amazing achievements of brewers reveling in the new freedom beer drinkers have been given because of it.
Cheers! Prost! Salute! Slainte! Have a top-shelf Tuesday!
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It is Wednesday, 07 April 2021 my Dudes!
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Today is: World Health Day
World Health Day is celebrated every year on the founding day of the World Health Organization. Established in 1950, this event has a theme each year to draw attention to a current world health issue. The focus this year is on Equality in Healthcare.
The WHO puts together regional, local, and international events on this day related to that theme. Local governments also tend to jump on this band-wagon, after all, global health means everyone!
On this day you may take some extra steps to care for your health, consider getting a gym membership (and going!), starting a diet, or starting multi-vitamins!
Even better, get involved with the local events or organize one yourself! Spreading the news of health and threats to the same can be an excellent way to celebrate this holiday, and inform others of the important issue of global health. Themes throughout the years have varied, but always covered important issues of the day, covering everything from the Global Polio Eradication, staying active while aging, even road safety. All of these issues were deemed to be important enough to global health that they merited an occasion of their very own on this date.
The World Health Organization is an agency of the United Nations that focuses on the public health of the world at large. The WHO has a constitution that countries involved in the United Nations had an opportunity to sign, and unanimously did, agreeing to the tenets laid out within to promote the general health of the globe.
Through its efforts we have seen the eradication of small pox, and its focus then turned to communicable diseases, with a particular focus on tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
Everyone needs to be concerned about the health of themselves and their community, and as such itâs a good time to turn your attention to this yearâs theme.
By checking in at their website at http://www.who.int/campaigns/world-health-day/ you can find out what the current theme is, and find all sorts of plans and activities that will help you raise awareness about this important issue. You can keep up with it every year, and play a big part in helping to promote global health all around.
The World Health Organization has been involved in mobilizing many health efforts the world over. Describing what medicines are essential for public health, and which diseases to give a particular focus to. The movement to eradicate smallpox started in 1958, initiated by pressure from Viktor Zhdanov, the Deputy Minister of Health for the then USSR. In 1979, the WHO declared that smallpox had in fact been eradicated, making it the first disease in history to be eliminated by the dedicated efforts of humans.
As you can see, celebrating World Health Day is very important, and you can use it to organize fund-raisers to support local free clinics and other public health sources. Everyone can take a hand in improving the overall health of the world, just by starting with yourself, your family, and your community.
Blood banks are often taking volunteers to help out with their efforts, and the ability to have healthy, fresh blood on hand is central to saving many lives.
You can also take the task at home, by getting to know your environment and property, and eliminate all possible sources of standing water. Standing water is a breeding ground for insects such as mosquitos, who spread disease by consuming the blood of its hosts, and moving from victim to victim, spreading it as it goes.
So this year, take some time to spread the word about how you and your neighbors can improve the worldâs health, on World Health Day!
Hereâs hoping yours is a fine, fit, and healthy Wednesday all round, my Dudes!
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