Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site baidu.com, they all best illustrate the word “cool”.

    But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.

    Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy. “Cool” relates to ideas of grace under pressure.

    “In Africa,” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”

    The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war 'cool' was in part an expression of war-weariness… it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules: Anatomy of an Attitude.

    But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.

    Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.

But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.

    “Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.

    The National Day holiday is a great opportunity to do something a little different. Many people use the National Day for a getaway, a short trip to leave the stress of their everyday lives behind and explore, learn, or relax.

    Hotel Romance

    Many hotels and resorts feature something special to start the getaway, such as champagne, flowers, or a fruit basket in the room on arrival. Getaway packages usually include a room with something special, a heart shaped bed, for example. Additional benefits could be room service meals or other private dining, plus tickets or discounts for local attractions.

    Visit a Spa

    Spa getaways can take place at a location that focuses only on spa services or at a hotel that offers a spa as one of its features. Some spas emphasize treatments fit for their geographic area or a local attraction. A spa in a grape growing region might provide grape juice masks, or a hotel near a hot spring could offer mineral baths. Most spas offer a range of massage, health and beauty treatments, so a spa getaway can be relaxing with other benefits.

    Learn a Skill

    The National Day holiday may not be enough time to become an expert at something new, but it provides a way for people to begin their explorations. Some organizations offer intensive courses that last five or six days. People with special interests can get away from their routines while learning such things as how to make beer, speak a new language, or take better photos.

    Help Others

    Some organizations cooperate with businesses to have accommodations and activities for short-term volunteers. Most volunteer vacations involve ecology friendly or charity activities. A volunteer getaway is a way to relieve stress and help others at the same time.

    Stay in a National Park

    For those who want to relax in a rural environment, a national park fits the bill. Most national parks provide camping areas for tents and trailers. Several have cabins within the parks available to rent. A getaway to a national park provides privacy, stress relief, and the time to get to know some important natural resources.

    Once there was an old man, who was completely broke (破产的), living in a tiny house. He had to live on a $105-a-month social security (保障) check.

    At 65 years of age, he decided things had to change. So he thought about what he had to offer. His friends thought highly of his chicken recipe (烹饪法). He decided that this was his best shot at making a change.

    He left Kentucky and traveled to different states to try to sell his recipe. He told restaurant owners that he had a mouth-watering chicken recipe. He offered the recipe to them for free, just asking for a small percentage (比例) on the items sold. Sounds like a good deal, right?

    Unfortunately, not to most of the restaurants. He heard "NO" over 1, 000 times, but he didn't give up. He believed his chicken recipe was something special. He got rejected (拒绝) 1,009 times before he heard his first yes.

    With that one success, the old man changed the way Americans eat chicken. Kentucky Fried Chicken, popularly known as KFC, was born. The old man was Colonel Harland Sanders, who was an American businessman, best known for founding fast food chicken restaurant chain Kentucky Fried Chicken. His name and image (肖像) are still symbols of KFC now.

    A woman was sitting by herself in a movie theatre. The movie she was about to set was a musical version(版本)of a very successful book that had sold a million copies that year.

    As the woman was waiting for the movie to begin, she noticed that the theatre was very crowded but the two seats next to her were empty.

    Suddenly a large man carrying a big fur coat walked down the aisle(走廊) and sat down, placing the fur coat on the seat next to her.

    When the lights went out, the fur coat bean to move, and the woman realized it was not a coat but a large furry dog. He was sitting up in the seat, watching the movie screen with great interest. As soon as the movie started, the dog began to nod his head and beat his paws (爪) in perfect time to the music.

    When the movie was over, the woman turned to the man and said, “Excuse me, sir, but I've never seen Such a well-behaved dog in a movie theatre before. Does he go to the movies often?”

    “Oh, yes,” replied the man.

    “And he seemed to enjoy everything so much,” she said, “It was just amazing!”

    “As a matter of fact, it surprised me too.” said the man. “He hated the books！”

    LaVonn was helping out in her dad's store when a little boy, about five or six years old, came in. He was wearing a brown and oversized coat with dirty, old clothes beneath it. His shoes were broken, and only one had lace (鞋带). The boy looked around the store, picked up several items, examined them one by one and then carefully put them back on the shelf.

    LaVonn's dad walked over to the child and asked if he could help. The little boy said, "I'm looking for a gift for my brother." After 20 minutes, the child picked up a toy airplane. He held it carefully in his hands as if it were made of glass and carried it to LaVonn's father.

    "How much is this?" he asked. "My brother loves airplanes." LaVonn's dad answered, "How much money do you have?" The little boy reached into his coat and pulled out some small change (零钱). He spread his money out on the table and began to count. "I have twenty-seven cents," he answered. Her dad picked up the coins and said, "The airplane costs exactly twenty-seven cents! Wait here and I'll pack it up for you."

    The little boy walked out of the store with the gift and a smile of total satisfaction on his face. LaVonn made her way back to the shelf and she found the plane was priced at $11.98.She never mentioned it to her father. Her father didn't say anything more about it either, but she realized later, "My best gift that Christmas was seeing my dad's love in action."

    After attending another parent meeting about my 7-year-old child's behavior, I didn't know what to do. It was the second school we had tried for Nathan and, as always, everything was being done for my child's needs. It was also having bad influence on Nathan. He would come home and say, "Mom, I hate my life. I do not want to live any more." I was afraid that my son was beginning to suffer from depression(抑郁) and that I was losing him. We needed help.

    By the age of seven, Nathan had already had three surgeries (外科手术) for his ears. He was in great pain, which made it difficult for him to learn or pay attention. Despite Nathan's bad condition, the staff at two former schools seemed as if they didn't care. They often forgot to deal with his medication(药剂). As a result of many times of ear infections (感染), Nathan had hearing loss. To make things worse, Nathan's speech was not very good. Children would make fun of him and Nathan began to fall behind in study.

    When I first set foot into Ripley House Charter School, I knew this was the school for my son. It felt positive from the moment I entered. From the start, Mrs. Elsen and her staff heard my concern over Nathan. Mrs. Elsen dealt with my concern, not with empty words but with action.

    That day, Nathan came home from his first day of school saying, "Mom, I love school!" By the end of the week he was saying, "Mom, I like my life. I have a good life." Ripley House Charter School gave me my son back and saved our lives. Thank you for giving me back what we had lost—HOPE.