Father's Day

    The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special.

    However, the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a selfless and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spikane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

    In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge declared the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.

    When children can't visit their fathers or take them out to dinner, they send a greeting card. Traditionally, fathers prefer greeting cards that are not too sentimental. Most greeting cards are too special so fathers laugh when they open them. Some give heartfelt thanks for being there whenever the child needed Dad.

    Most people know that Marie Curie was the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, and the first person to win it twice. However, few people know that she was also the mother of a Nobel Prize winner.

    Born in September, 1987, Irene Curie was the first of the Curies' two daughters. Along with nine other children the parents of whom were also famous scholars, Irene studied in their own school, and her mother was one of the teachers. She finished her high school education at the College of Sévigné in Paris.

    Irene entered the University of Paris in 1914 to prepare for a degree in mathematics and physics. When World War I began, Irene went to help her mother, who was using X-ray facilities (设备) to help save the lives of wounded soldiers. Irene continued the work by developing X-ray facilities in military hospitals in France and Belgium. Her services were recognised in the form of a Military's Medal by the French government.

    In 1918, Irene became her mother's assistant at the Curie Institute. In December 1924, Frederic Joliot joined the Institute, and Irene taught him the techniques required for his work. They soon fell in love and were married in 1926. Their daughter Helene was born in 1927 and their son Pierre five years later.

    Like her mother, Irene combined family and career. Like her mother, Irene was awarded a Nobel Prize, along with her husband, in 1935. Unfortunately, also like her mother, she developed leukemia because of her work with radioactivity (辐射能). Irene Joliot-Curie died from leukemia on March 17, 1956.

    When I recently revealed to my friends, colleagues, and family members that I would be moving my family to Israel, the reactions were numerous and varied. Some people said it was an expected thing while others asked: Why now? What will you do?

    For me, making the move to Israel is the fulfillment of a dream that has lasted for my 47 years of life. I have always known that Israel is my home. Over the years Israel has been in my heart, but I have found a number of reasons to put off making it my permanent residence: kids, the economy, education… you name an excuse, and at some point I have probably used it.

    Truthfully, I believe that I was always just a little bit scared. And of course I still am, with the fear factor that is reported by the press surrounding the Israeli military and economy. However, it has come to the point when I have realized that for over 2000 years we have longed for this land, and that for 47 years I have denied the opportunity to make it my home. I am finally ready to fully grasp this opportunity.

    Over the years, I have always loved visiting Israel. I have traveled there with my family, and enjoyed introducing thousands of travelers to the country. I have come to love all of these things about Israel as a tourist because I get to love my home. And as far as waiting for the “perfect” condition under which to make aliyah, I believe the time is now!

    I have been asked many times if I am nervous about moving to Israel. Before I answer, I remember that we have overcome the Greeks, the Romans, the Russian killings, Hitler and the Holocaust(大屠杀)，and the armies of seven countries.

    How can I not feel confident that I , and my family, will overcome any difficulties that may come our way? I am not worrying, complaining, crying, or fearing as I prepare to make aliyah. I am proud and excited to say that I am fulfilling a 47-year-old dream: I am going home.

    A popular saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, that's not really true. Words have the power to build us up or knock us down. It doesn't matter if the words come from someone else' or ourselves—the positive and negative effects are just as lasting.

    We all talk to ourselves sometimes. We're usually too shy to admit it, though. In fact, more and more experts believe talking to ourselves out loud is a healthy habit.

    This "self-talk" helps us encourage ourselves, remember things, solve problems, and calm ourselves down. Be aware, though, that as much as 77% of self-talk tends to be negative. So in order to stay positive, we should only speak words of encouragement to ourselves. We should also be quick to give ourselves a pat on the back. The next time you finish a project, do well in a test, or finally clean your room, join me in saying "Good job!"!

    Often, words come out of our mouths without thinking about the effect they will have. But we should be aware that our words cause certain responses in others. For example, when returning an item to a store, we might use warm, friendly language during the exchange. And the clerk will probably respond in a similar manner Or harsh (刻薄的)and critical language will most likely cause the clerk to be defensive.

    Words have power because of their lasting effect. Many of us regret something we once said. And we remember unkind words said to us! Before speaking, we should always ask ourselves: Is it loving? Is it needed? If what we want to say doesn't pass this test, then it's better left unsaid.

    Words have power: both positive and negative. Those around us receive encouragement when we speak positively. We can offer hope, build self-esteem(自尊) and encourage others to do their best Negative words destroy all those things. Will we use our words to hurt or to heal? The choice is ours.

A grocery store in Ann Arbor, Michigan opened on Tuesday to the public. This is an artist's uneatable creation. The Plastic Bag Store presents shelves filled with items such as meat, eggs, cakes and so on, all of which are made from single-use plastics taken from streets and garbage.

The store at times during the day will be transformed into a stage for a series of short films in which puppetry(木偶戏表演), shadow play, and handmade sets are used to tell a story of how the overabundance of plastic waste we leave behind might be misinterpreted by future generations—and how what we value least may become our most lasting "cultural legacy (遗产)".

Theater and film director Robin Frohardt is the creative driving force behind the Plastic Bag Store. "I got the idea many years ago after watching someone bag and double-bag and triple-bag my groceries," Frohardt said on Tuesday. "I just was sort of struck by how much packaging was involved in our everyday lives. And it just seemed so unreasonable. I just thought, maybe I could set up a project to change it." Combining a real-life supermarket with film experience, Frohardt planned to use art and humor to question our culture of consumption and convenience and to show one of the greatest problems of our planet.

Plastic bags are created by fossil (化石) fuels and often end up as waste in landfills and the ocean. Americans throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags per year. She hopes that she can continue to tour with the project and bring it to different communities. "My dream would be that this project will become unnecessary one day," said Frohardt.

 "Frohardt's work reminds us, with humor, to think not just about the next two weeks, but also about the next two decades and the next two centuries. What will remain hundreds of years later? We hope that our legacy will be plays rather than piles of plastics," said Tim Tompkins, President of Times Square Alliance.