Studies show that you may be lied to every day anywhere from 10 to 200 times. We say, “Nice song.” “Honey, you don't look fat in that, no.” But another study showed that strangers lied three times within the first 10 minutes of meeting each other. We lie more to strangers than we lie to coworkers. Men lie eight times more about themselves than they do about other people. Women lie more to protect other people. If you're married, you're going to lie to your wife/ husband in one out of every 10 communications. If you're unmarried, that number drops to three. But look, if at some point you got lied to, it's because you agreed to get lied to. Truth about lying: lying's a cooperative act. Not all lies are harmful. Sometimes we're willing to get lied to for social dignity(尊严), maybe to keep a private secret.

    Lying is complex. It exists in our daily and business lives. We're deeply disturbed by the truth. We explain it, sometimes for very good reasons, other times just because we don't understand the gaps between ideals and realities in our lives. We're against lying, but secretly we're for it in ways that our society has practiced for centuries and centuries. It's as old as breathing. It's part of our culture and history. Think the stories from Dante, Shakespeare, the Bible, News of the World.

    Lying has great value to the evolution of human beings. Researchers have long known that the more intelligent the species, the more likely it is to lie. We humans like to become leaders. It starts really early. How early? Well, babies will pretend to cry, pause, wait to see who's coming and then go right back to crying. One-year-olds learn hiding truth. Five-year-olds lie outright and try to control through flattery (奉承). Nine-year-olds, masters of covering up.

    So what do we do about lies? Well, there are steps we can take to guide our way through the bushes. Trained lie spotters (检测员) get to the truth 90% of the time. The rest of us, we're only 54% right. There are clever liars and stupid liars, but there're no real creative liars. While lying, we all make the same mistakes, and we all use the same techniques.

    Tomato Festival

    Started in 2005, the Tomato Festival has grown into a local tradition in Malta. In recent years, the festival has added amusement park-style rides and a yearly Creature Feature, which screens old horrible movies. There are also dance competitions, parades and pancake breakfast. Third weekend in August.

Address: 833 Tinkham Rd, Fountain Park, Wilbraham, Massachusetts 01095 Phone：(413)599-0010

    Brat Days

Don't mistake this festival for a day filled with poorly behaved children. Begun in 1953, the gathering is the biggest festival in the city each year and features more than 50 stands (摊位) selling the sausage, as well as a contest to see who can quickly eat the most bratwurst (德国式小香肠) in ten minutes. Early August.

    Address: 17th and New Jersey sts, Kiwanis Park, Sheboygan, Wisconsin 53081

Phone: (920)457-9491

    Hope Watermelon Festival

    The festival dates back to the 1920s, when many trains went through this small town and local watermelon growers would sell their watermelon to parched travelers. These days, the festival sees a Watermelon Queen crowned(加冠的) and sometimes a world-record watermelon grown. There are also more than 300 stands selling arts and crafts from a six-state area, as well as a car show and the Watermelon Olympics. Early August.

Address: 108 W 3rd St, Hope, Arkansas 71801 Phone: (870) 777-3640

    Oyster Festival (牡蛎节)

Featuring appearances from tall ships and oyster boats, this festival has regularly drawn 60,000 visitors a year since it began in 1978.More than 3,000 volunteers make the festival possible each year. Norwalk is less than a two-hour drive from many of New England's larger cities, making it easy to attend the festival during a trip to New York or Hartford. Weekend after Labor Day.

Address: Sea view Ave, Veteran's Park, East Nor-walk, Connecticut 06855 Phone: (800) 866-7925

    One of the problems with passwords (密码) is that users forget them. In an effort to remember them, people use simple things like their dog's names and their birth dates — anything that will give them a clue to remember what their passwords are. But for a hacker(黑客), this is the same as locking your door and leaving the key under the doormat(门口地垫).

    To create a safe password that is easy to remember, follow these simple steps:

    You should never use personal information as part of your password. It is very easy for someone to guess things like your last name and your pet's name.

    With the help of today's computing power, it doesn't take long to try every word in the dictionary and find your password, so you'd better not use real words for your password.

    You can make a password much safer by mixing different types of characters. Use some capital letters along with small letters, numbers and even special characters such as & and %.

    In order not to create a password using different character types that is hard to remember or using a word from the dictionary, you can use a "passphrase(代码)". Think of a sentence from a song or a poem that you like and create a password using the first letters from each word. For example, instead of just setting a password like "yr$1Hes", you can take a sentence such as "I like to read the about.com Internet network security website" and make it a password like "il2rta!nsw" by using the number "2" for the word "to" and using "!" in place of "Internet". You can use many characters types and create a safe password that is hard to guess, but much easier for you to remember.

    In America, the number of people killed in car crashes in 2016 was above 40, 000 for the first time in a decade, data released on Wednesday shows.

    "Americans believe there is nothing we can do to stop crashes from happening, but that isn't true. We are behind the rest of the developed world in addressing highway fatalities(死亡). We just haven't been willing to do what needs to be done, "said Deborah A. P. Hersman, president of the National Safety Council.

    The National Safety Council data shows a 6 percent increase in deaths in 2018 when compared with 2015 and a 3 percent increase in the number of miles Americana drove in 2016.

    "Motor vehicle fatality numbers have been ringing the alarm for two years, "Hersman said." Unfortunately, we have been blind to the data and the killings on our roadways. If we fail to take action, the death tell will continue to rise. "

    "The trend is clear：After years of progress, highway deaths are heading in the wrong direction, "said Jonathan Adkins, a state safety official.

    The number of people killed reached a record low of 32, 675 in 2014, according to NHTSA statistics. That record followed a fairly steady downward track for the past six years that experts attributed it primarily to safety features that have been built into cars and trucks.

    Safety advances including increased seat-belt use, air bags, anti-lock braking, stability controls and electronic warnings and cameras.

    The bad economy and high gas prices also influenced the reduction in deaths. Now, with unemployment and gas prices both low, more people are driving for work and pleasure trips.

    "It's not just that Americans drive more miles when the economy improves; it's the kind of miles they drive,"said Adrian Lund, president of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Our Annual Cultural Events

    A Night in Rio

    We are proud to bring the energy and enthusiasm of Brazilian Carnival to Charlotte with A Night in

    Rio! Get a taste of Carnival through dancing, live music, authentic food, drinks and marketplace. Put on your green and yellow, and join us for the unforgettable experience of Brazilian Carnival!

    Date: Saturday, February 24, 2018

    TICKETS AVAILABLE ONLY AT THE DOOR

    Location: Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte

    Time: 7 PM

    Ritmo & Sabor

    We are thrilled to bring the annual celebration Ritmo & Sabor Festival! Featuring dance performances and FREE dance lessons and delicious, authentic Latin cuisine, this festival will be a fantastic celebration for the entire family to enjoy! Food and beer will be available for purchase. Come out to enjoy a great summer evening of Ritmo & Sabor!

    Date: Saturday July 2, 2018

    Location: International & Cultural Center, Charlotte

    Time: 5-11 PM

    FREE ADMISSION

    Las Américas

    Join us in the annual celebration LAS AMÉRICAS! We display our history and identity of Latin America through musical performances, story-telling and poetry. Enjoy yourself with local artists, shop your way through a market of arts and crafts and join in some of the finest Latin American cuisine.

    Date: August 18, 2018

    Location: Midwood International & Culture Center, Charlotte

    Time: 2-7 PM

    Admission is FREE.

    Latin American Festival

    Festival Latinoamericano returns for its 28th year, with musical artists and dance performances, a diverse authentic selection of Latin American food, visual artists, and a street festival environment with activities for the whole family.

    Location: Symphony Park at South Park Mall, Charlotte

    Date: Saturday Sept. 29 (1-8pm)

    Admission: $10; Children aged 8 & under are free.

    Introduction

    Blenheim Palace is one of the Europe's largest and greatest palaces. It was built between 1705 and 1722 as a reward of the British government to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, for defeating King Louis XlV's army at Blenheim, a small Bavarian village on the Danube River. The palace was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh, which displayed strength and arm glory. It is the largest non-royal building in England and is now listed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

    Winston Churchill

    In 1874, the palace was the birthplace of the duke's most famous descendant. Winston Churchill, who was to become the UK's Prime Minister (some would say Britain's greatest 20th-century politician) and Nobel prize winner for literature. It is also in Blenheim that Winston got married to Clementine Hozier in 1908.

    A lasting exhibition is devoted to the man's life, work and writings. Winston and his wife are buried in Bladon Church within the palace.

    Opening Hours & Admission

    Blenheim is still the home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and is therefore not open all year round (although the park is). The palace opens its doors to visitors from 12 February to 11 December. Entry to the palace, park and gardens cost £11.50 during the low season and £13 during the peak season (Easter weekend and from 28 May toll September), or £6/£8 for the park and gardens only.

    The park is open all-year round from 9am to 4:45pm (last entry). Admission is £2.50 for adults and £1.50 for children.

    Note that numerous discounts exist for seniors, students, children and groups. Please refer to the official website for more details.