Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Join your neighborhood council or school board. Start a petition. Speak out in the community. Stand for local election.

Answer: Does your city have councils and school boards? Some do, and joining is a great way to get politically active in your local community. Neighborhood councils usually meet regularly and may get funds for things like crime prevention, roads, streets, sidewalks, and the creation of safe play spaces. School boards manage the local school system. Talk to people in your area to see if you are served by a neighborhood council. If you don't know, call the city offices and ask about such bodies, how they operate, and how you can join one. Consider putting your name up for a school board position. Often representatives are chosen in local elections for a number of years. Another way to get politically active in your community is to petition the government. Start a petition drive on an issue that speaks to you. Do you think that the community needs a park? Maybe you are sick of dangerous speeding on your street and want speed bumps installed? Petitions are a way to bring your concerns forward. Pick an issue that you care about. Then, start putting together a formal petition. Usually, a petition will start with words like, "We the undersigned..." You can find many templates online. For example, a petition on speed bumps could start, "We the undersigned are very concerned with unregulated speeding on X Avenue and advocate speed-bumps to protect pedestrians." Take your petition around the neighborhood and knock on doors to collect signatures. Even if some neighbors don't sign, you will have the chance to inform them on the issue. If your issue is of wider importance, you can also put the petition online on a site like Change.org and reach a larger, regional audience. There are other ways you can advocate on issues in your community besides petitions. Do you have a special interest in a topic like traffic control, community schools, or parks? Think about writing an opinion-editorial piece for a local website or newspaper, or even giving a talk at a community meeting. Take your issue to the local paper. Call the editorial office and say that you would be interested in writing a short op-ed piece on X issue, which is important to the community. Do you have expert knowledge on a community topic? You might be able to get an audience to listen. Ask to speak at a city council meeting, at the school board, the PTA, or at a community center. Some people who get politically active in the community take the next step: they make involvement a part-time or full-time career and stand for local office. You could run for positions like school board representative, city council member, roads commissioner, or perhaps even mayor. To get these jobs, you'll usually have to run in an election and win. Pick a job that you find important. If education is your passion, start with the school board. If you are sick and tired of poor roads, perhaps the roads commission is for you. Prepare yourself. Standing for election requires a lot of work, so read up on the requirements. You will probably have to file an affidavit of candidacy by a specific date to run, and there may be filing fees and other paper work. Run a campaign. Local elections are generally small affairs. You likely won't have a "campaign team," but still consider doing some publicity. Canvass door-to-door to get your name out, invest in yard signs, or try, again, to write an op-ed in the local paper.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Choose a purpose. Know what to say. Acknowledge your surroundings. Recognize individuality. Be conscious of your body language.

Answer: Every conversation conveys something. If you're going to carry on a conversation with someone you know, it's probably either to tell them something or to ask them something. Before you get too far into the conversation, it may be helpful to know in advance what you intend to talk about. Is the purpose of your conversation to apologize? To let someone know that you're upset about something? To talk about an incident that occurred between you and a mutual friend? Each of these conversations will have a drastically different tone, and should be approached with a different conversational agenda. You don't need to dictate how the conversation will progress. It's simply helpful to be aware of what your intentions for the conversation are (if you have any) so that you do not have to change gears abruptly. It's a good idea to plan out important conversations. That way, once you're talking to someone and find a gap in a conversation, you can easily draw on what you've planned in advance. Of course, that doesn't mean planning out the entire conversation. But it can be helpful to have a few basic phrases or topics in mind, like how you intend to open up the conversation and what kinds of questions you might ask to keep it going. Planning out the specifics of a conversation will make it feel scripted and forced. Don't plan out everything you're going to say. Instead, just give yourself a basic idea of the kinds of things you'd like to talk about. This works in two ways. First, it may be useful to acknowledge your physical surroundings as a way to keep the conversation going. For example, if you're in a park, you can comment on the scenery if the conversation begins to drag. Second, it's important to be aware of your surroundings and know what's appropriate. For certain conversational topics, like letting someone know about a recent death or other upsetting/unpleasant news, there's a right and wrong time and place. Bringing up the wrong thing in the wrong time/place can be a real conversation killer. It's important to be aware of your surroundings. It can help or hurt a conversation, and may even dictate the tone and topics of the conversation. You may go into a conversation knowing that your favorite movie/artist/band is the greatest, but not everyone will feel that way. And that's okay - in fact, it's a good thing. Different tastes and opinions will combine to create an interesting dialogue. But the important thing is to be respectful of those differences, and to remember that they exist. Not everyone will see/think/feel the way you do. It's imperative that you be aware of this reality, and respect the way others see/think/feel. Nothing will kill a conversation faster than telling someone that they're wrong to think or feel a certain way. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. It will help keep the conversation going and may help bring you closer to the other person. Many people don't think about their own body language, but most people recognize body language cues (both conscious and unconscious) in other people. If you avoid eye contact, turn your body away from the person talking to you, and cross your arms across your body, it conveys a lack of interest or an unwillingness to listen. Face the person you're talking with, and make eye contact while you chat.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Consider a multivitamin. Don't take large doses of any particular vitamin. Don't take expired vitamins. Research the vitamins you are considering.

Answer:
The benefit of multivitamins is that most are designed to give you the Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) of many different vitamins and minerals. The RDA is an amount that should be sufficient, but not too much, for most healthy adults. Examine the label on the product. There should be a table that tells you what percent of the RDA the product has for each vitamin or mineral it contains. The best ones provide you with approximately 100% of the daily value for lots of different vitamins and minerals. If your doctor feels it would be beneficial, you can purchase multivitamins over-the-counter at drug stores and grocery stores. If the label on the bottle says that it provides much more than 100% of the recommended daily amount, then it is a megadose. For example, 500% of the RDA is a megadose. Over dosing on some vitamins can actually be harmful: Both too little and too much vitamin B6 can cause nervous system problems. Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are easier to overdose on because excess amounts are not excreted through the urine, as with water soluble vitamins. Too much vitamin A can raise the risks of hip fractures. Too much vitamin D can cause the blood to have too much calcium. This can cause vomiting and constipation. Overdosing on iron can cause vomiting and liver damage. Vitamins and minerals are frequently added to processed foods and beverages. If you are taking vitamins that provide a high amount of some vitamins, be aware that you may need to reduce your supplement intake if your diet already provides you with the right amount. Vitamins can degrade over time. This is particularly likely if they are stored in hot, humid places. If your vitamins have expired, it is safer and healthier to simply purchase new ones. If the type you are considering does not have an expiration date on it, don't take it. The contents of vitamins and supplements are not strictly quality controlled the way food is. This means that it is difficult to be sure exactly what is in the pills that you are purchasing. Check with the Food and Drug Administration's website to see if your supplements are under review. The website can also tell you if people have complained of negative reactions.