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Smartphone Security Blankets

　　Security-for the information on your smartphone, as well as for the phone itself-is a hot topic these days．The truth is that you're packing a lot of sensitive information on your phone, and you should keep it safe．

　　When it comes to physical security, iPhone users would do well to download Find My iPhone, a free app(application program)from Apple that allows you to visit a website and see your(lost, stolen or misplaced)phone on a map．You can then sound an alarm, send a message that will pop up on its screen, lock the phone or erase all your data．

　　Android does not have an exact equivalent, but there are plenty of alternatives．A free app called Lookout offers the find-my-phone feature．The paid version allows you to wipe the data from your phone remotely．

　　Then there is your coffee shop's WiFi network．Anyone with minimal technical expert skill can snoop on(窥视)people using shared wireless networks, harvesting passwords and other personal data．Lookout's apps will caution you when you've logged on to an unsecure network, but cannot protect you once you're there．

　　In order to protect yourself on such networks, you can use a virtual private network, or V．P．N．This turns all your activity into nonsense to anyone trying to read along with you from across the Starbucks．It also keeps websites from tracking you and, if you're traveling, allows you to get access to sites that may be blocked in other countries．

　　If you have an iPhone, the simplest V．P．N．app is probably Hotspot Shield, whose distinguishing feature is said to be that it automatically kicks in each time you start browsing(浏览), as opposed to other V．P．N．apps that require you to start them up manually．This matters, because even if you decide you want a V．P．N．app, you want to spend approximately zero time thinking about it．For the most part, that was true of Hotspot Shield, though occasionally it took a while to connect or temporarily lost connection without warning．I found myself having to turn the app on and off sometimes, which involved setting my phone constantly．

　　If even reading about the settings on your phone drives you crazy, then it is probably best to stay away from a V．P．N．app．But if you're the type who can't resist checking your bank balance from your corner bar, the hassle may be preferable to the risk．

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　　If you haven't heard or seen anything about Road Rage in the last few months, you've probably been avoiding the media．There have been countless stories about this new and scary phenomenon, considered a type of aggressive driving．You have most likely encountered aggressive driving or Road Rage recently if you drive at all．

　　While drunk driving remains a critical problem, the facts about aggressive driving are surely as disturbing．For instance, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association, 41,907 people died on the highway last year．Of those deaths, the agency estimates that about two-thirds were caused at least in part by aggressive driving behavior．

　　Why is this phenomenon occurring more than ever now, and why is it something that seemed almost nonexistent a few short years ago? Experts have several theories, and all are probably partially correct．One suggestion is sheer overcrowding．In the last decade, the number of cars on theroads has increased by more than 11 percent, and the number of miles driven has increased by 35 percent．However, the number of new road miles has only increased by 1 percent．That means more cars in the same amount of space; and the problem is magnified in urban areas．Also, people have less time and more things to do．With people working and trying to fit extra chores and activities into the day, stress levels have never been higher．Stress creates anxiety, which leads to short tempers．These factors, when combined in certain situations, can spell Road Rage．

　　You may think you are the last person who would drive aggressively, but you might be surprised．For instance, have you ever yelled out loud at a slower driver, sounded the horn long and hard at another car, or sped up to keep another driver from passing? If you recognize yourself in any of these situations, watch out!

　　Whether you are getting angry at other drivers, or another driver is visibly upset with you, there are things you can do to avoid any major conflict．If you are susceptible(easily influenced)to Road Rage, the key is to discharge your emotion in a healthy way．If you are the target of another driver's rage, do everything possible to get away from the other driver safely, including avoiding eye contact and getting out of their way．

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How do you feel about watching other people work?

　　Nothing is more refreshing on a warm summer day than watching someone else work．

　　Right now, I'm sitting on my porch and watching young Beth baling(打捆)the big field on top of the hill．She's been haying that field for over ten years．I know：I put her on the tractor when she was just twelve years old．

　　She picked a great day for baling．It's not too hot, and there's a nice breeze．On Monday, when she cut the field, it was so hot I thought the corn would start popping in the field．Didn't stop her, though．She just stuck that big hat on her head, wrapped a wet handkerchief around her neck, and set to work．I remember when I would have done the same thing．

　　While I'm here sucking a lemonade, Beth is driving the “hay(干草)train,” a tractor pulling a baler and an old wagon．You'd think someone her size would never be able to see over the tractor．But somehow she manages．When she's finished, her tracks are very straight．

　　The whole time she's haying, that dog of hers is working just as hard, running along beside her like he's afraid she'll drive away without him．Beth sure knew what she was doing when she trained him．

　　The way the machine works is pure poetry．Each row is pushed into shape．When just enough hay is in a bale, it is wrapped up and fastened together．A second or so later, the bale comes flying out and into the old wagon．The person who invented that machine sure was some kind of genius．

　　That's not to say it works perfectly．Every once in a while a bale misses the mark, especially when you are turning the machine at the end of a row．That means, of course, that you have to go back and pick up those bales and throw them into the wagon．

　　I can remember when Beth's mother was her age．She looked an awful lot like Beth does now．Makes a man proud to see his daughter and granddaughter taking such good care of themselves．

　　Well, I suppose I should get up and fill this glass again．Not much fun sitting here with an empty glass．

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　　"Wanna buy a body?"That was the opening line of more than a few phone calls I got from self-employed photographers when I was a photo editor at U．S．News．Like many in the mainstream press, I wanted to separate the world of photographers into "them", who trade in pictures of bodies or run after famous people like Princess Diana, and "us", the serious newspeople．But after 16 years in that role, I came to wonder whether the two worlds were easily distinguishable．

　　Working in the reputable world of journalism, I told photographers to cover other people's difficult life situations．I justified marching into moments of sadness, under the appearance of the reader's right to know．I worked with professionals talking their way into situations or shooting from behind police lines．And I wasn't alone．

　　In any American town, after a car crash or some other horrible incident when ordinary people are hurt or killed, you rarely see photographers pushing past rescue workers to take photos of the blood and injuries．But you are likely to see local newspaper and television photographers on the scene-and fast…

　　How can we justify doing this? Journalists are taught to separate, doing the job from worrying about the consequences of publishing what they record．Repeatedly, they are reminded of a news-business saying：Leave your conscience in the office, A victim may lie bleeding, unconscious, or dead．Your job is to record the image(图象)．You're a photographer, not an emergency medical worker．You put away your feelings and document the scene．

　　But catastrophic events often bring out the worst in photographers and photo editors．In the first minutes and hours after a disaster occurs, photo agencies buy pictures．They rush to obtain the rights to be the only one to own these shocking images and death is usually the subject．Often, an agency buys a picture from a local newspaper or an amateur photographer and puts it up for bid by major magazines．The most sought-after special pictures command tens of thousands of dollars through bidding contests．

　　I worked on all those stories and many like them．When they happen, you move quickly：buying, dealing, trying to beat the agencies to the pictures．

　　Now, many people believe journalists are the hypocrites(伪君子)who need to be brought down, and it's our pictures that most anger others．Readers may not believe, as we do, that there is a distinction between clear-minded "us" and mean-spirited "them"．In too many cases, by our choices of images as well as how we get them, we prove our readers right．

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　　A woman in the US is able to speak for the first time in 11 years after a pioneering voice box transplant(移植)．

　　Brenda Jensen said the operation was a great success which had saved her life．Thirteen days after the surgery she said her first words："Good morning, I want to go home．"It is the first time a voice box and windpipe have been transplanted at the same time and only the second time a voice box has ever been transplanted．

　　Ms．Jensen, 52, had been unable to speak on her own since her voice box was damaged during surgery in 1999．Since then, she has been unable to taste or smell food, could breathe only through a hole in her windpipe and could talk only with the help of an electronic voice box．

　　In October, surgeons at the University of California Davis Medical Centre removed the voice box and 6cm of the windpipe from a donor body．In an 18-hour operation, this was transplanted into Ms．Jensen's throat and the team connected it to her blood supply and nerves(神经)．

　　Professor Martin Birchall from University College London, who was part of the surgery team, said："We've learned that we can repair nerves to make even very complex organs function again．It'll open the door to better facial transplants and will be extremely important as tissue engineering develops．"

　　A voice box transplant might be life changing, but it is not life saving．Everyone who receives a transplant must take drugs to control the immune system(免疫系统)for the rest of their lives．These drugs can reduce life expectancy, so they are normally set aside for life saving procedures．

　　One of the reasons Ms．Jensen was a suitable person for this transplant was that she was already taking immune controlling drugs after a kidney-pancreas transplant four years ago．Professor Peter Belafsky, part of the surgical team, said：" Brenda was an exceptional candidate for the transplant because she was highly motivated．Anyone who's met Brenda knows that she is a strong and determined person with a great outlook on life in spite of the many physical challenges she's faced over her lifetime．

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Present or Future?

　　Americans are future-minded．They really live in the future．The present is just a way station．This enthusiasm for the future is really not shared even by all European countries．The French are known to be present-minded while the British are often called past-minded．For Japanese Zen followers, time is like a pool of water．Things just happen．There is no past, present or future．Egyptians are well known for their past mindedness．

　　I did not grow up with a telephone．So the Yellow Pages were something brand new for me when I first arrived in the U．S．．I still had the habit of going to a store only to find out that it didn't have what I needed．My wife used to ask, "Didn't you call before going there?" The concept of calling ahead of time requires planning and a future mind, while my upbringing was in a present-minded culture．

　　One thing my nuclear family enjoys when my mom visits is her cooking．So normally I ask my mom a couple of days in advance what things she needs for the upcoming meals．She is always sure that she has everything．The truth is that many times, in the middle of cooking, she will ask for items we don't have．That shows a present mind．You deal with it when you get there instead of doing advanced planning．

　　Listening to weather forecasts and then living your life accordingly is a sign of a future mind．Normally, when I get to work and see everyone walking around with their umbrellas, I figure that it will rain today．Here people are trained from their childhood to figure out at least that day's expected weather before leaving the house．I am normally missing my umbrella because it was not raining and the sky did not have dark clouds．Here my present mind gets me wetevery time．

　　Mainstream Americans have put inside themselves the clock to a degree which is beyond the comprehension of many cultures across the globe．So the annoyance many Americans face when working with people from other cultures is understandable．In today's dialogue, building the bridge to the 21st century may turn out to be easier than building bridges with other cultures, which may appear to be so foreign．However, they are vital partners for our interdependent life on this planet．

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　　When I was a baby, I entertained you and made you laugh．Whenever I was "bad", you'd shake your finger at me and ask：" How could you?"-but then you'd give up, and roll me over for a belly scratch and I believed that life could not be any more perfect．

　　My housetraining was a long process, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together．We went for long walks, runs in the park and car rides．We stopped for ice cream．I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day．

　　Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate．Eventually, you fell in love．She, now your wife, is riot a dog person, but I still welcomed her into our home．I was happy because you were happy．Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement, I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them too．Your wife was afraid I would bite them．But nevertheless, as they began to grow, I became their friend．

　　Now, you have a new job in another city and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets．You've made the right decision for your "family", but there was a time when I was your only family．

　　I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the dog pound．It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness．You filled out the paperwork and said："I know you will find a good home for her．" They shrugged and gave you a pained look．The children were in tears as they waved me goodbye．And "How could you?" were the only three words that swept over my mind．

　　Is it better to live with hope or without hope? At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you, that you had changed your mind and that this was all a bad dream．

　　My beloved master, I will think of you and wait for you forever．I hope you receive more faithfulness from your family than you showed to me．

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　　Societies all over the world name places in similar ways．Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people．Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name．Frequently it happens that a place has two names： One is named by the people and the other by the government．As in many areas, old habits died hard, and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost．

　　Many roads and places in Singapore are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations．Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place．This is in keeping with traditions in many countries －in both the West and the East．

　　Another way of naming places is naming them after other places．Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after．The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases．If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus－obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel．

　　Some places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places．Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay．Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple．During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road．

　　A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes．There is “Circular Road” for one．Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”．This road is called a crescent(月牙)because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again．

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　　Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing： Amsterdam's story is a tale of two cities-one during the day and a completely different one at night．

　　During the day, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River．You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi．But when the sun goes down, the partying begins．In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke．

　　Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam．And they're all within a short cab ride of each other．For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events．Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there．And there's the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall．

　　But at night party-seekers come to the square．Hip hop or funk music is heard there．So if you come, be ready to dance．The clubs don't shut down until 4 am．

　　And while you're there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city．Don't worry about getting lost．Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions．And you'll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent．

　　Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system．For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise(巡游)the "Venice of the North"．

　　The city has a historic past．One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets．It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War Ⅱ．Visitors can view Anne's original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years．

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　　Your body, which has close relations with the food you eat, is the most important thing you own, so it needs proper treatment and proper nourishment(营养)．The old saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away ”is not as silly as some people think．The body needs fruit and vegetables because they contain vitamin C．Many people take extra vitamins in pill form, believing that these will make them healthy．

　　But a good diet is made up of nourishing food and this gives all the vitamins you need．The body doesn't need or use extra vitamins, so why waste money on them?

　　In the modern western world, many people are too busy to bother about eating properly．They throw anything into their stomachs, eating hurriedly and carelessly．The list of illnesses caused or made worse by bad eating habits is frightening．

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