It seems the more time we have, the longer we put off living the life we see in our heads, because we feel like we've got some time to kill.

I know where you think I'm going with this, and I also know you've heard it all before: seize the day, make the most of it, live life to its fullest, and so on. But that's the problem. You've heard it all before. These ideas have their impact and have become a cliché. Luckily, that's not my thing.

The real answers wake something up inside you. They make you think. That's what I want to give you today, the story of Bobby Darin, which wakes you up to the truth.

If you haven't heard of the man, I know you've heard his songs. Among his many hits are Mack the Knife, Beyond the Sea, Dream Lover, and Splish Splash.

    If seven years, Darin had several top ten hit songs, was nominated(提名) for four Grammy Awards (winning two), nominated for four Golden Globes (winning one), and even nominated for an Oscar.

    So what was his secret?

All his life, Darin had a heart condition that developed from a childhood illness. The doctors at the time said he would be lucky to live to 16. In other words, his time was limited. And this was secret. He knew the truth. He knew that we all have such a hard time accepting: Life is short. You can't just say it; you can't just hear it. You have to know it, believe it, and feel it. Because Darin knew his time was limited, he packed as much life as he could into the time he had. But he had an unfair advantage. He knew, without a doubt, his time was limited.

    There was no fooling himself, no putting it off. It was now or never.

Because of his family's Jewish background, they are sent to live in the concentration camps (集中营). Scared and alone, Joshua one day makes friends with a little mouse he calls Bethlehem who becomes his closest friend.

in faith and to be a cure for chromic depression(长期抑郁) … cure to strengthen identity and purpose.

presents the highlights of his 83 years of life, including his trips to India and the study of the writings of several great spiritual leaders.

More things in Heaven will appeal to anyone who insists on finding the deepest meaning for their existence based on their own experience.


Creation or Evolution
Michael Ebifegha
ISBN9781450289023

Were humans created ,or did they evolve? How old is the Earth? The debate between science and religion continues to be heated. In Creation or Evolution, Michael Ebifegha examines these two opposed world views within the structure of empirical(实证的) science.


Seeking the Edge
Dr. Joseph L. Rose
ISBN9781462031795

    I've learned that you have to make the choice if you want to get anywhere. If you just let other people decide what is going to happen for you, then all your goals and dreams may never be achieved.

    Everyone always says that studying abroad in college can change your life. I made the decision to experience it for myself during my junior year. I chose to study in the Dominican Republic. As it got closer to the deadline, an advisor told me I had received a scholarship from an alumni (校友) family foundation.

    During my first semester in the country I fell in love. I was becoming bilingual (双语的) but also learning so much about a new culture. I had begun working with a local grassroots organization, taking part in a project supporting an underdeveloped community just outside the city. My main role was to become aware of the issues facing populations such as these and support community education. I was in no way ready to leave this new life. I felt as if I needed more time to get what I wanted.

    As the next semester began, I realized again that I needed to take a chance. I got involved with a local boarding school for girls living in poverty. I first approached the head of the school to volunteer to teach music classes, asking for money from my college church. I could have never predicted the results of this small action. Another volunteer and I were able to put together a benefit (义演) to show off what the students had learned. We invited community members, friends and other students from local universities to support the girls. We also sold art that the students themselves had created to increase the funding (资助) of the arts program. I felt good when I left, knowing that I had laid the foundation for a good cause and bettered the lives of young girls.

    There will always be people that think they know what is best for you, but you ultimately know what you want in life. My time in the Dominican Republic changed my life by giving me the realization of how fortunate I am and the fact that there is always a chance to give back. You have to go after anything and everything you desire or there may be a missed opportunity. My trip to Santo Domingo taught me to take advantage of new possibilities.

    On Friday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two proposals to improve food safety. The regulations are a response to a series of recent foodborne illnesses. The FDA hopes these new rules will prevent problems of food in the earliest period of production, before the contaminated（受污染的）food causes consumers to get sick.

    Over the past decade, foodborne illnesses have caused many people to get sick. Food like spinach（菠菜）, ground beef and cantaloupes（甜瓜）has been sent back to producers, because it is bound to contain germs and bacteria that cause illnesses.

    Among the most common problems are dangerous bacteria that cause stomach pains and food poisoning. Often these illnesses occur when food is undercooked or improperly prepared. While not all illnesses are reported, the FDA estimates that nearly 130,000 Americans a year are hospitalized for food-related problems.

    The two new rules proposed by the FDA are called Preventive Controls for Human Food and Standards for Produce Safety. Each rule is described in detail on the FDA's website. Readers can submit comments, which the FDA will use as feedback to mike future adjustments to the proposals.

    The first rule demands manufacturers should have formal plans for preventing contamination and for fixing problems when contamination occurs. This regulation is applied to food produced in the US and overseas.

    The second rule k specific to food that is eaten raw. It requires strict standards of growing harvesting, and packing fruit and vegetables. Workers must make sure the materials used in soil are safe and free of contamination.

    The FDA believes these new rules will not just improve Americans' health but also make a positive economic impact. The regulations can lead to major savings in medical costs for people who get sick because of the contamination food.

    If manufacturers are able to fix problems at source, they will prevent future issuer However, putting the proposals into action will lake lime and money.

    One advantage of the Internet is shopping conveniently online for clothes; one disadvantage of the Internet is also shopping conveniently online for clothes.

    "Nothing fits," said Lam Yuk Wong, a senior in electrical and computer engineering at Rice University. "Everyone says this. They order clothes and they don't fit. People get very unhappy."

    Wong and her design partner, Xuaner "Cecilia" Zhang, are Team White Mirror, creators of what they call a "virtual (虚拟)fitting room". Their goal is simple and consumer-friendly: to let online clothing shoppers have a perfect fit and a perfect look when shopping every time. Both women are from China, Wong from Hong Kong and Zhang from Beijing. They both order most of their clothing online. They got the idea from their own experience as consumers and from listening to the complaints of friends and relatives. "They say, 'The color is wrong' or 'I got the right size but it still does not fit.' We want to make it like you're in the store trying on the clothes," Zhang said.

    Using a Kinect developed by Microsoft for use with its Xbox 360 video game player, Zhang scans Wong and turns her image into, in effect, a virtual model, keeping Wong's dimensions (尺寸), and even her skin and hair color. "We put the clothes on the shopper's 3-D body models and show how they look when they are dressed," Wong said. So far, Wong and Zhang have adapted the software to show dresses and shirts, and they are now working on shorts.

    Asked if she thought men as well as women might be interested in using their virtual fitting room, Wong said, "I think their wives will care about this, so it will also be important to men."

    Companion planting is the idea that some kinds of plants can help each other grow. Plants that are compatible (兼容的，能共处的) together generally have similar needs in terms of nutrients, soil and moisture levels.

    Advice about which plants are compatible is sometimes based more on tradition than proof. But experts say there is evidence to support certain combinations. These can improve harvests, reduce disease and help with pest control by attracting helpful insects.

    For example, some kinds of soil bacteria take nitrogen from the air and make it into a form that plants can use. The plants hold the nitrogen in their roots. Legumes (豆科植物) are especially good at this nitrogen (氮) fixing. Then any crops that share the same space with the legumes can get the nitrogen when the roots are broken down.

    Beans and potatoes can also share territory well because their roots reach different levels in the soil. Deep-rooted vegetables get nutrients and moisture from lower down in the soil, so they do not complete with plants with shallower roots.

    But some plants placed together may harm each other's development. For example, tomatoes do not like wet soil but watercress does, so you would probably want to keep them separated.

    Some kinds of produce should be kept apart even after being harvested. This is because of ethylene gas (乙烯气体). Ethylene is a plant hormone (激素) that can cause some foods to ripen too quickly. Apples release ethylene gas. Apricots, melons and tomatoes also release a lot of ethylene. Some vegetables are easily affected by ethylene, including asparagus, broccoli, cabbage and cucumbers.

    This risk of ripening too soon is why markets often separate high ethylene-producing foods from those that are sensitive to the gas. But if you put an apple in a bag with a green banana, the ethylene from the apple will make the banana ready to eat sooner.

    What about peaches, plums and nectarines? These kinds of fruit do not need any help from an apple—they release enough ethylene to ripen themselves. But that does not mean there is no way to get the job done faster.

    Growers suggest placing the fruit in a fruit bowl or in a paper bag with the top folded over. Keep the fruit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Once the fruit is soft enough, either use it or put it in the refrigerator to keep it from getting too ripe.