One evening, author Neil's son was angry. Neil had said one of those things that parents say, like “isn't it time you were in bed.” His son looked up at him, angry and said, “I wish I didn't have a dad! I wish I had … a goldfish!” That conversation gave birth to Neil's book, “The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish”. The book is a funny adventure of a son searching for the dad he swapped.

    Whether they realize it or not, fathers play an important role in their children's development. Roland Warren, Director of the National Fatherhood Initiative, says that, “The shape of their dads has a role in the kids' soul.” I agree. We live in the best of times and the worst of times for fatherhood. We live in the best of times because fathers who are engaged in their child's life spend more time than fathers of any previous generation. We live in the worst of times because there are still millions of children who continue to miss the regular presence of Dad.

    What difference does a dad make? Are they really that important? For the most part, studies have proved clearly that fathers, whether they live with their children or not, matter in the lives of their children. When fathers are present, they provide economic support for their children and caregiving responsibilities. Well-fathered children are shown to be more emotionally intelligent and socially successful as adults. When fathers are absent, their absence may negatively influence children's academic achievement, general behavioural adjustment and anger management, especially in males.

    Yet just being physically present isn't enough to be a great father. It is important that a dad be warm and emotionally available to his child. Author and researcher, John Gottman, describes this kind of father as an “emotion coaching father”. Emotion coaches are parents who listen to their children's feelings, see the sharing of feelings as an opportunity for intimacy（亲密）. It is not just the mere presence of fathers that matters, but how they are present. Most children long for and need a loving, devoted and responsible father.

    You can't always predict a heavy rain or remember your umbrella. But designer Mikhail Belvacv doesn't think that forgetting to check the weather forecast before heading out should result in you getting wet. That's why he created lampbrella, a lamp post with its own rain sensing umbrella.

    The designer says he come up with the idea after watching people get wet on streets in Russia. “Once, I was driving on a central Saint Petersburg street ad saw the street lamps lighting up people trying to hide from the rain. I thought it would be appropriate to have a canopy(伞蓬)built into a street lamp.” he said.

    In addition to the rain sensor, there's also a 360°motion sensor on the biberglass street lamp which detects whether anyone's using the lampbrella. After three minutes of not being used the canopy is closed.

    According to the designer, the lampbrella would move at a relatively low speed, so as not to cause harm to the pedestrians. Besides, it would be grounded to protect from possible lighting strike. Each lampbrella would offer enough shelter for several people. Being installed at 2 meters off the ground, it would only be a danger for the tallest of pedestrians.

    While there are no plans to take lampbrella into production, Belyacv says he recently introduced his creation one Moscow Department, and insists this creation could be installed on my street where a lot of people walk but there are no canopies to provide shelter.

    Wanted, Someone for a Kiss

    We're looking for producers to join us on the sound of London Kiss 100 FM. You'll work on the station's music programmes. Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss 100.

    Father Christmas

    We're looking for a very special person, preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit.

Working days: Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays, 10:30-16:00.

    Excellent pay.

    Please contact (联系) the Enterprise Shopping Centre, Station Parade, Eastbourne.

    Accountants Assistant

    When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience.

    Wealden District Council

    Software Trainer

    If you are aged 24-45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in programme writing. You will be allowed to make your own decisions, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of ￡15,000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV (简历) to Mrs R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.

    Our mother earth is going through a very tough situation and we, the entire human race, are destroying our environment or unconsciously without even realizing its consequences. Now we have to act very smartly and plan something to sustain what we still have, getting all necessary support from nature to lead healthy lives.

    Gardening is always an excellent and environmentally friendly idea. If you can go for sustainable gardening, then it will be even more useful for all. Gardening is a favorite hobby for many. It is time to channelize your hobby towards a more meaningful motivation.

    When we do gardening we need to use different ingredients (材料) to grow plants. Some of them are natural resources like water, soil, sunshine, and many things like this. Using these resources smartly is a part of sustainable gardening. Some simple techniques include: use less water and organic things to grow plants; try to store rainwater so that you can use them for gardening; try using less energy to drive devices; avoid using plastics in any form while gardening; reuse the leaves from your garden to fertilize them. These are the basic sustainable measures. To do so we need to have proper knowledge about gardening and its requirements so that we can use proper resources without wasting any of them.

    In today's busy life we don't get much time to spend on our environment. Gardening gives us a chance to do so. We can also have some pesticide-free (无农药的) and fresh food if we grow them in our garden. This is the right time to do some good to protect our own environment and gardening is one of the easiest ways. Do you want to start gardening, but you're not sure how? Click here: http://www.gardenhowto.com.

    I used to be crazy about the hunting season. The excitement of waiting for a prey(猎物)and the pride of showing off the kill fascinated me. However, everything changed after that cold morning.

    Early on that day of the late fall, I set off alone for the woods, packing a gun, a bottle of hot coffee and three thick sandwiches. After finding the fresh deer's tracks in the snow, I settled down behind a little bush.

I sat there for about an hour. It was then that I saw him. A deer, a big beautiful deer! There was no cover nearer to him than 30 yards. Surely I couldn't miss! I waited for him to realize I was there. I waited for him to be shocked and run away. But he fooled me completely. He came towards me! He was curious, I suppose, or maybe lie was stupid—how else can you explain it? Well, that deer walked right up to where I was sitting. Then he stopped and looked at me!

    What happened next is hard to believe, but it's true. And it all seemed quite natural. Just as when a friendly young deer comes near you, I reached up and scratched his head. And he liked to be scratched. In fact, he practically asked for more. Then, I fed him my sandwich! Yes, I know what a deer eats, but that deer ate my sandwich. Well, he finally went his way, down the hill and up the deer trail. Shoot him? Not me. You wouldn't have either, not after that. I just watched him go.

    When I was about half way back, I heard two shots, followed by a dull slam(撞击)a few seconds later. Those two shots usually mean a kill. I had forgotten there were other hunters that day.

    Those hunters would never know they could have scratched his head.

    Duolingo — iOS/Android

    Have you ever wanted to learn another foreign language? You might say: "English is hard enough  I don't want to go through that again."

    Relax — learning a foreign language doesn't always mean you have to sit in class and take endless exams. An app named Duolingo has been designed to help you memorize new words and grammar in creative ways, such as online lessons, games and interesting exercises.

    Named "the best language-learning app" by The Wall Street Journal, Duolingo currently offers 30 languages, including English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Irish, Dutch, Danish, and Swedish.

    Headspace: Meditation & Sleep— iOS

    With homework to finish tests to prepare, it can seem like you don't have a moment to relax and gather your thoughts. What's to be done?

    Meditation(冥想)may help, and here's an app to get you started. Headspace teaches you to face some of the toughest problems of everyday life. It has courses on work and productivity, personal growth and how to deal with troubling emotions like anger and fear. There are also courses designed specifically for kids and students about dealing with distraction and homesickness.

    And, if that isn't enough, Headspace can help us with the biggest single cause of stress and anxiety: lack of sleep. The combination of the app's calming voices and relaxing music will help you get a good night's rest, ready to face the challenge of the next day with optimism and energy.

    Gentle Wakeup — Sleep & Alarm Clock with Sunrise — iOS/Android

    Every device(仪器)has an alarm function these days. But what does this app have to offer?

    The makers of Gentle Wakeup believe people can wake up w ell. The key is that the app wakes with light rather than sound. It offers a better move out of sleep through a "Sunrise" — a light slowly, gradually becomes brighter, just as the sun does. But the sunrise is only half of the waking process: The light grows for 20 minutes before you are eased out of your sleep by the natural early morning sounds of birdsongs. The makers believe users of the app will never wake up in the same w ay again: "Start getting awake by light and you will never w ant to wake up by sounds again".

    Forest: Stay focused — iOS/Android

    Though phones make life more convenient, many people feel that they are addictive. Forest is a clever intervention(干预)designed to make people understand that there's more to life than phones.

    Here's how it works: you plant a seed in the app and the longer you stay away from the phone, the more it grows. From a seed, it becomes a tree and then a forest at last. The makers say, the "sense of responsibility and achievement will encourage you to stay away from your phone and focus on what's important in life". And Forest has received some good review s from users, who say that's exactly what it does: "It's a phone game that gives you time rather than taking it away."