My wife and I owned two doge that we had owned before we met and brought into the marriage. Her dog was a pit bull(斗牛犬) named Zack, and he hated me. When our daughter was born, I was worried that the family pit bull would be dangerous to have around our young daughter. I warned my wife that the dog would have to go at the first sign of trouble. I said, “If he nips(啃咬) at the baby, he's gone.”

    We brought our daughter home in a car seat, and both dogs sniffed(嗅）and licked her, tails wagging. I had to pull Zack away from her because he wouldn't stop licking her. Zack immediately became my daughter's protector, and when she was lying on a blanket on the floor, he always had one foot on the blanket.

    Zack loved my daughter extremely, and when she became a little older always walked her to bed, and then slept on the bed with her. He somehow knew whenever it was time to go upstairs, and he would wait at the bottom of the stairs for her, and then follow her up to bed.

    Zack was poisoned by some neighbor kids, and we had one of the worst days of our lives. Watching my daughter say goodbye to him as he lay still on the kitchen floor, my wife and I were both sobbing.

    At 8:00 that night, my daughter walked to the stairs to go to bed. At that moment, all three of us realized what was about to happen. My daughter looked at her mother and me with a look of horror and panic. It was at that moment that my dog, Sam who loved my daughter dearly, stood up, walked over to her, and nudged her with his head. He put his foot on the stairs, and looked up at her. They walked up to bed, with my daughter holding his neck tightly.

    For the next six years, until he died, Sam waited for her by the stairs each night.

    Those accustomed to browsing (浏览) through thousands of books in large bookstores may find Japan's Morioka Shoten a little strange. That's because this tiny bookstore that is located in Ginza, Tokyo sells only a single book at a time.

    Opened in May 2015, Morioka Shoten is the brainchild (脑力劳动成果；发明；主意) of Yoshiyuki Morioka. He began his career as a bookstore clerk in Tokyo's Kanda district before branching out into opening his own store. It was here while organizing book reading and signing that he realized that customers usually came into the store with one title in mind. Morioka began to wonder if a store could exist by selling multiple copies of just one single book. In November 2014, he partnered Masamichi Toyama to establish a unique bookstore with the philosophy of "a single room with a single book".

    The selections that are picked by Morioka change weekly and vary widely to attract customers with different interests. Recent choices include The True Deceiver, an award-winning Swedish novel by Tove Jansson, Hans Andersen's fairy tales, and a collection of Karl Blossfeldt's photography of plants. Morioka has also selected books written by a famous Japanese author Mimei Ogawa.

    To highlight his only offering, Morioka often uses clever tricks. For example, when selling a book about flowers, the storekeeper decorates his shop with the ones that have been mentioned in the book. He also encourages authors to hold talks and discussions so they can connect with customers. Morioka says his goal is to let customers experience being inside a book, not just a bookstore.

    Risky as the idea might seem, things appear to be going well. The storekeeper says he has sold over 2,100 books. Things can get better given that his bookstore is becoming increasingly popular not just among the locals but also visitors from other countries.

    Have you ever lost your car on a parking lot? You don't have a clue where your car is after shopping. Then you start walking around clicking on your car keys so the alarm goes off. It can be annoying, especially on a hot sunny day.

    No, you needn't install (安装) an expensive GPS system to keep track of your car. That's too expensive. You would need to pay a monthly fee to use it.

    But is there a way to track your vehicle without spending a fortune? Yes, now there is! A California-based company has created a tiny device that works with your smartphone, which could be exactly what you're looking for!

    What is it?

    It's called TrackR. It is a state-of-the-art tracking device the size of a coin. It's changing the way we keep track of the important things in our lives.

    How does it work?

    It's easy! Install the free TrackR app on your smartphone, connect the app to your device and you're ready to go! Simply attach TrackR to whatever you want to keep an eye on. The entire process of setting it up only takes 5 minutes or less.

    You can attach it to your keys, briefcase, wallet, your latest tech gadgets and anything else you don't want to lose. Then use the TrackR app to locate your missing item in seconds.

    If you forget where you have parked your car, pull out your smartphone and open the TrackR app. Tap on the “find device” button on the screen and the app will tell you the exact spot of the last known location of the TrackR.

    What else can I do with TrackR?

    The device is small and unnoticeable enough that you can attach it to your pet. Put it on their collar, and the issue of searching for them when they run away to nearby places will be over! You'll never waste a minute searching the whole house for it.

    TrackR even comes with a double-sided glue (胶水) so you can stick it to your laptop or under your bike seat. Track down and punish the thieves who steal your expensive things!

    How much does it cost?

    You're probably thinking that this device is very expensive. False! TrackR only costs $29! That's a small price to pay for peace of mind, isn't it?

    Where can I buy one?

    You can buy it directly from the company's website by clicking here https: //buy. thetrackr. co/gu/special- offers/15/.

    You may find yourself wondering: do blind people dream? Dream sleep is generated deep within the brain. As it is a function of the brain, and not the eyes, blind people dream as much as a sighted person would. It is interesting that the timing of the blindness in life may in fact influence the content of the dreams, however.

    Research has evaluated the sensory experiences of blind people while dreaming for decades. These findings have been interpreted (解释) within the context of sighted people's experience of dreams. It is useful to consider the content of all dreams to better understand where it differs among the blind.

    Most dreams contain features that are both visual and kinesthetic (related to movement, such as falling). More than half of dreams contain a sound. It is rare for people to describe other sensory experiences, such as those related to smell, taste, and pain. It is estimated that these latter three elements occur in less than 1 percent of dream reports. Interestingly, women more often experience smell and taste in their dreams while men more often report sound and pain.

    Blind people are more likely to report feelings of touch, taste, and smell in their dreams compared to sighted people. This likely corresponds to their waking experience which relies more on these senses. They do not have dramatic differences in dream content, except that they seem to have less aggression in their dreams.

    Despite these subtle differences in dream content, can blind people see when they dream? Some blind people actually can see in dreams, but it depends on when they lost their vision. Individuals who are born blind or those who become blind at a young age (typically by the age of 4 or 5 years) do not have visual imagery in their dreams. On the other hand, those who become blind after 5 or 6 years of age are able to see in their dreams. Therefore, there seems to be a window in the development of the brain in which the capacity to have visual dreams is established.

Teen Ink Contests

    Educator of the Year Contest

    Do you know an outstanding school teacher, coach, librarian, or principal? Recommend that special teacher and give him/her the chance to be recognized in a national magazine!

    Convince us your educator is special. Tell us about his or her style of teaching, involvement in school activities, and community service. Give examples with specific details. Keep your essay between 200 and 1,000 words.

    Prizes:

    Cash awards will be given to educators from across the country honored as Teen Ink Educators of the Year. Winning essays are published in Teen Ink magazine.

    Deadlines:

    The deadline for submitting Educator of the Year essays is April 30. Entries are accepted and considered for publication in Teen Ink magazine throughout the year.

    Cover Art Contest

    Want your photo or artwork to appear on the cover of a national magazine? Submit your images now!

    Teen Ink will only consider photos and artwork by teens. The subjects should primarily be other teens. The best images for the cover are clear, in color, and close up.

    Submit entries through our website. All photographs and artwork submitted to Teen Ink are automatically considered for the cover art contest.

    Prizes:

    Every month one image is selected to appear on the cover of Teen Ink magazine. Winners receive a copy of the magazine featuring their image.

    Deadlines:

    There are no deadlines; images are accepted and published throughout the year. Keep in mind 迁 your submission has a seasonal or holiday theme, it's best to send it early.

    Nonfiction Contest

    Make us laugh, move us to tears... write a memorable nonfiction piece and you may be one of our two monthly winners.

    Teen Ink will only consider original writing by teens. Entries of all kinds are accepted serious, funny, long or short. We like to read them all!

    Prizes:

    Winning articles are published in Teen Ink magazine, and contest winners receive a copy of the magazine featuring their work.

    Deadlines:

    There are no deadlines; entries are accepted throughout the year. Winning nonfiction pieces are published in Teen Ink magazine and online each month.

    Painkillers (止痛药) are turning out to be a real pain: according to a new study in the British Medical Journal. Taking them for just a week can increase your risk of heart attack by 50%. The research suggested that the risk related to the use of certain drugs was greatest with higher doses (服用量) and during the first month of use. The potential risk may increase by 75% for medicines like ibuprofen (布洛芬) and naproxen, and more than 100% for rofecoxib.

    It all sounds bad but, your risk is very low, — say, one in a million — a 100% increase means you still only have a two in a million chance. Of course, all painkilling medication that works can have side effects — nothing is safe and effective. Paracetamol (扑热息痛) has very few unless taken too much, in which case it can cause serious liver danger, but it isn't very effective. Drugs like opiates are strong painkillers but easy to be addicted and often have other bad effects. Maybe you find that you are in a dilemma now. But don't despair; you can refer to a pain clinic for some professional guidance. For ongoing pain, music and exercise may be the best choices to help you reduce the feeling of it.

    Scientist at Harvard have recently done a quite horrible study on mice. They made the mice experience extremes of hot and cold, applied pressure to their back legs and injected the capsaicin (辣椒素) into their feet. And then they timed how long it took them to respond to the pain. Lack of sleep increased the discomfort, while stimulants (兴奋剂) such as caffeine made them less responsive to pain. This has been widely reported that a good night's sleep and a cup of coffee in the morning may help reduce pain.

    But anyway  don't throw the pills away because the study also shows taking small doses of drugs, such as for short periods of time can be effective and safe as long as your heart is in good condition.