A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.

    Later the boy lost his way on the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn't find him. The mother felt very sad and didn't know how to face her husband.

    When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said “I love you, darling.”

    The son was missing. If she had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There is no point in blaming (责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That is what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family's relationship became stronger over that time.

    Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find the world is much more wonderful.

    We know that hugs make us feel easy inside. And this feeling could actually ward off stress and protect the immune (免疫) system,  according to a new research from Carnegie Mellon University.

    It's a well-known fact that stress can weaken the immune system. In this study, the researchers sought to determine whether hugs could protect individuals from the increased sensitivity to illness brought on by the particular stress that comes with interpersonal conflict.

    "We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety," the study's lead author, psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen , said in a statement. "We have tested whether awareness of social support is equally effective in protecting us from sensitivity to infection caused by stress and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and thus protect a person against infection."

    In the experiment, over 400 healthy adults filled out a questionnaire about their perceived (感知到的) social support and also participated in a nightly phone interview for two weeks. They were asked about the frequency that they engaged in interpersonal conflict and received hugs that day.

    Then, the researchers exposed the participants to a common cold virus, and monitored them to assess signs of infection. They found that both perceived social support and more frequent hugs reduced the risk of infection associated with experiencing interpersonal conflict. Regardless of whether or not they experienced social conflicts, infected participants with greater perceived social support and more frequent hugs had less severe illness symptoms.

    "This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the effects of stress," Cohen said. "The apparent protective effect of hugs may result from the physical contact itself or hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and closeness. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection."

    If you need any more reason to wrap your arms around someone special, consider this: hugs also lower blood pressure, reduce fears, improve heart health and decrease feelings of loneliness.

    We're Hiring Shift Workers for Our Production Plant

    Looking for a career with a company that values its employees, and promotes them from within? Then Black Cat Blades is the company for you!

    Cutting Operators

    CNC Operators

    Heat Treat Operators

    Full training provided, starting at $14.50 per hour, with the potential to move to $18.16 in one year.

    We also require a Skilled Welder(焊接工), to work 12-hour rotating shifts (轮班) in our cutting department. The successful candidate must be a registered journeyman(熟练工) within the Province of Alberta or with a Red Seal.

    We offer a great benefit package, including health and RRSPs(注册退休储蓄计划). Desirable welfare: Profit Sharing, Pay for Years of Service, Fitness Program Allowance, and fun social events for you and your family.

    Apply in person, and we'll take you on a tour of our production equipment or forward your personal information by fax or e-mail.

Black Cat Blades Ltd

    HR@ blackcatblades.com

    5604-59 St. , Edmonton, AB T6B 3C3

    Fax:

    There was once a man who had a donkey and a beautiful lapdog. The donkey was kept in a barn and had plenty of corn and hay to eat. Indeed, he was just as lucky as any donkey could be. The little dog stayed in the house and was well liked by the master. He was always playing and jumping about in an funny way and was allowed  to lie in his master's lap (膝盖). Meanwhile, the donkey had plenty to do. He pulled wood all day long and had to take his turn at the mill during the night. He often complained about his problems, and it bored him to see the lapdog living such an easy life, while he had to work so hard. Finally he thought to himself that if he acted the same way as the lapdog to his master, he would be treated the same way. So, one day he ran out of his barn and went fast into the house, where he began to kick about in a very strange way. Then, swaying his tail and imitating the funny behavior of the pet lapdog, he knocked over the table where his master was eating. He also broke all the dishes into very small pieces and did not stop until he jumped onto his master, trying to lick and paw him with his rough feet.

    Seeing their master in great danger, the servants thought it was time to help him. They beat the foolish donkey with sticks until he could not get up again. As he was about to die, he cried, "Why couldn't I have remained satisfied the way I was? Why did I try to imitate a creature who was nothing but a lazy puppy after all?"

    Raccoons are smaller relatives of bears. They are native to North America, but they can also be found in Asia and Europe. Raccoons live in wooded areas close to water, but they can be often found near urban areas. There are about 7 different species of raccoons. Pygmy raccoon is the only endangered species.

    Raccoons usually reach 40 to 70cm in length and weigh between 5­26kg. Raccoons that live in colder climates are larger and heavier. They have grayish fur, black masks around eyes and long tails covered with black and brown bands. Because of their tails, they are also called "ringtail".

    Raccoons are omnivores. They like to eat insects, eggs, small mammals, fruit, berries, garbage, and so on. Raccoon's hands look like human's. They each have five fingers and are used to collect food, open shells, door or trash cans. Raccoons often place food in water before they start to eat it. They have highly sensitive sense of touch and water increases their sensitivity even more. By touching the food, they get better insight about things they will eat.

    They are easily adaptable (适应的) to various environments. They can live in hollow (中空的) trees equally happily like they can in useless cars. Raccoons live on their own and hunt at night. They don't hibernate (冬眠), but they spend the coldest days of winters in their holes.

    Mating (交配) season takes place from January to mid March. Two months later, female will give birth to 3­4 babies. Their tails don't have bands, and the mask around eyes is still missing. Mother is very protective and she will teach them how to survive and what to eat as they become­ready to leave the hole. Raccoons usually can live only 1.8 to 3.1 years in the wild, but they can live up to 20 years at a zoo.

    Raccoons can pass rabies, a kind of disease, to home­raised animals and people, which is very dangerous. What's more, their waste often has roundworms.

    Forget Cyclists, Pedestrians are Real Danger

    We are having a debate about this topic. Here are some letters from our readers.

    ■ Yes, many cyclists behave dangerously. Many drivers are disrespectful of cyclists. But pedestrians are probably the worse offenders.

    People of all ages happily walk along the pavement with eyes and hands glued to the mobile phone, quite unaware of what is going on around them. They may even do the same thing while crossing a road at a pedestrian crossing or elsewhere. The rest of us have to evade (避让) them or just stand still to wait for the unavoidable collision.

    The real problem is that some pedestrians seem to be, at least for the moment, in worlds of their own that are, to them, much more important than the welfare of others.

—Michael Horan

    ■ I loved the letter from Bob Brooks about cyclists (Viewpoints, May 29). I am afraid they seem to think they own the roads.

    I was walking across Altrincharn Road one morning when a cyclist went round me and on being asked what he was doing he shouted at me.

    The government built a cycle lane on the road but it is hardly used.

    The police do nothing. What a laugh they are!

    The cyclists should all have to be made to use the cycle lanes and wear helmets, fluorescent (发荧光的)jacket and tights at night and in the morning. They should pay some sort of tax and be fined for not wearing them.

—Carol Harvey

    ■ Cyclists jump on and off pavements (which are meant for pedestrians), ride at speed along the pavements, and think they have a special right to go through traffic lights when they are on red.

    I was almost knocked down recently by a cyclist riding on the pavement when there was a cycle lane right next to him.

    Other road users, including horse riders, manage to obey the rules so why not cyclists?

    It's about time they had to be registered and insured, so when they do hit a pedestrian or a vehicle, or cause an accident, at least they can be traced and there might be an opportunity to claim.

—JML

    Write to Viewpoints of the newspaper.