Ice(īs) Cream(krēm)

ICE CREAM

INT: A DINING(dīn) ROOM.

Lori, mother of three, is trying to explain to her inattentive(ˌinəˈtentiv) kids why they can’t have ice cream.

LORI

When I was a kid, we didn’t get ice cream after every meal(mēl). That was not how things worked back then. Desserts(diˈzərt) were for a special(ˈspeSHəl) occasion(əˈkāZHən), not because you ate the minimum(ˈminəməm) allotted(əˈlät) amount of green beans.

I once got ice cream because I scored(skôr) a goal(gōl) in a soccer(ˈsäkər) game. Now, if my father had bought me an ice cream cone every day, that one wouldn’t have been special, would it? I wouldn’t have worked hard to get it. Do you understand what I’m saying?

Holidays(ˈhäliˌdā) understand this problem. You can get those little round peppermint(ˈpepərˌmint) disks(disk) at restaurants(ˈrest(ə)rənt,ˈrestəˌränt,ˈresˌtränt) for free, but nobody wants them. Then Christmas(ˈkrisməs) rolls(rōl) around and candy canes(kān) are in high demand. It’s important to make yourself wait sometimes and to not overindulge(ˌōvərənˈdəlj). I won’t spoil(spoil) my children and I’m certainly not going to let them spoil themselves.

When I got into college(ˈkälij), my first night I went to the dining hall(hôl) where they had cafeteria(ˌkafiˈti(ə)rēə)-style food. One of the options(ˈäpSHən) was a self-serve ice cream machine. It was beautiful(ˈbyo͞otəfəl). It had chocolate(ˈCHäk(ə)lit,ˈCHôk-) and vanilla(vəˈnilə) and even a swirl(swərl) option for the two. I’d never seen so much ice cream in my life.

I ate two bowls(bōlz) a day for three weeks and got sicker(sik) than a dog. I also gained(gān) eight pounds(pound), Laura, so you just sit yourself down and behave(biˈhāv). A sure(SHo͝or) way to make something not special anymore is to gorge(gôrj) yourself on it. There are things that require moderation(ˌmädəˈrāSHən) in the world, like television(ˈteləˌviZHən), and ice cream, and love.

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Ice_Cream

A New Approach to Treating(trēt) Hypochondria(ˌhīpəˈkändrēə)

Instead of focusing on patients’(ˈpāSHənt) unexplained(ˌənikˈsplānd) symptoms(ˈsim(p)təm), cognitive(ˈkägnətiv) behavioral(biˈhāvyərəl) therapy(ˈTHerəpē) encourages(-ˈkə-rij,enˈkərij) patients to replace unrealistic(ˌənˌrēəˈlistik) or unhelpful thoughts with more rational(ˈraSHnəl,ˈraSHənl) ideas.

By Jane(jān) E. Brody

This spring, when every tree in Brooklyn(ˈbro͝oklən) seemed to be shedding pollen (ˈpälən) all at once, I developed a nagging(ˈnagiNG) itchy(ˈiCHē) throat(THrōt) with frequent spasms(ˈspazəm) of coughing(kôf) that made it difficult to talk or walk. I attributed(a) the problem to allergies(ˈalərjē) even though I’d never had such a reaction before.

But when I got worse instead of better after taking antihistamines(-mēn,ˌantēˈhistəmin) and after days of rain had presumably(priˈzo͞oməblē) cleansed(klenz) the air, I began to wonder if I had something more serious(ˈsi(ə)rēəs) — maybe walking pneumonia(-ˈmōnyə,n(y)o͞oˈmōnēə) or possibly(ˈpäsəblē) even throat(THrōt) cancer from years of drinking hot coffee through a straw(strô).

Though I tried to dismiss such sleep-disrupting(disˈrəpt) thoughts, anxiety(aNGˈzī-itē) about my health loomed(lo͞om) until the cough(kôf) finally abated(əˈbāt), then disappeared(ˌdisəˈpi(ə)r). But the incident(ˈinsidənt) hinted at what it must be like to have chronic(ˈkränik) health anxiety — a problem long called hypochondriasis, in which people are convinced they have a serious undiagnosed(ˌdīəgˈnōs) illness(ˈilnis) despite(diˈspīt) repeated medical reassurances(ˌrēəˈSHo͝orəns) that they do not.

The current(ˈkə-rənt,ˈkərənt) psychiatric(ˌsīkēˈatrik) diagnostic(ˌdīəgˈnästik) manual(ˈmanyə(wə)l) has abandoned(əˈbandənd) hypochondria as a disorder(disˈôrdər), replacing it in 2013 with two new concepts(ˈkänˌsept): somatic(sō-,səˈmatik) symptom(ˈsim(p)təm) disorder and illness anxiety(aNGˈzī-itē) disorder.

Dr. Jeffrey P. Staab, a specialist(ˈspeSHəlist) in psychosomatic(ˌsīkōsəˈmatik) and behavioral medicine(ˈmedisən) at the Mayo(ˈmā-ō) Clinic(ˈklinik) in Rochester(ˈräCHəstər,ˈräˌCHes-), Minn.(ˌminəˈsōtə), said it took two decades of research to come up with the new concepts, which eliminate(iˈliməˌnāt) the focus on medically unexplained symptoms(ˈsim(p)təm). Instead, the new diagnoses(ˌdīəgˈnōsis) put a focus on undue(ˌənˈd(y)o͞o) attention to bodily(ˈbädl-ē) symptoms and excessive(ikˈsesiv) health concerns(kənˈsərn), which, when properly(ˈpräpərlē) explained, can be very reassuring(ˌrēəˈSHo͝or) to patients.

“Health anxiety and body vigilance(ˈvijələns) are much more understandable(ˌəndərˈstandəbəl) to patients when they realize they can have these things despite(diˈspīt) what their doctor finds,” he said in an online report to health professionals(prəˈfeSHənl). “We found it much easier to engage(enˈgāj) patients if we identified(īˈdentəˌfī) what the problem was instead of what it was not.”

…
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/18/well/a-new-approach-to-treating-hypochondria.html

Your brain(brān) absolutely cannot resist(riˈzist) doughnuts(ˈdōˌnət) – here’s why

By Alison George(jôrj)

Doughnuts are particularly(pə(r)ˈtikyələrlē) difficult to resist – and now we know why. A study of how our brains respond to food has found that treats(trēt) that are high in both carbs(ˈkärb) and fats(fat) trigger(ˈtrigər) a super-charged(CHärjd) amount of activity in our brain’s reward centre(ˈsentər).

Dana Small at Yale(yāl) University and colleagues(ˈkälˌēg) scanned the brain activity of hungry volunteers(ˌvälənˈtir) as they were shown images(ˈimij) of foods that were either high in carbohydrate(ˌkärbəˈhīˌdrāt), such as candy(ˈkandē), high in fat, such as cheese(CHēz), or high in both, such as doughnuts. After the scans, the volunteers were asked to bid(bid) money in a competitive(kəmˈpetətiv) auction(ˈôkSHən) for the food they wanted to have for a snack(snak).

Compared(kəmˈpe(ə)r) to food containing just carbs or fat, the team found that foods high in both of these together provoked(prəˈvōk) far more activity in the brain’s striatum(ˈī) – a region involved in reward that releases(riˈlēs) the feel-good chemical(ˈkemikəl) dopamine(ˈdōpəˌmēn).

The volunteers were also willing to pay more for the snacks that were high in both carbs and fat, despite all the food items having the same calorific(ˌkaləˈrifik) value.

…
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2171695-your-brain-absolutely-cannot-resist-doughnuts-heres-why/

The Magic of Seeing Everything as Sacred(ˈsākrid)

By Leo Babauta

When we wake up in the morning, many of us automatically(ˌôtəˈmatik) go on our phones or computers and start reading, checking messages, responding to things, and moving through our online world on autopilot(ˈôtōˈpīlət).

We go through our day like this as well, managing(ˈmanijiNG) as best we can, dealing with stress(stres) and being overwhelmed, moving through the physical(ˈfizikəl) world forgetting to be mindful.

For the most part, everything is normal. We’re managing. On good days, things go pretty(ˈpritē) well. On bad days, frustration(frəˈstrāSHən) and stress get to us.

But what if we could shift everything in a magical way?

What would happen if we changed the way we saw every single thing around us, including other people, including ourselves(ou(ə)rˈselvz,är-), including every little thing we see?

Try this: view(vyo͞o) every single thing you see as sacred.

See what happens.

Now, I’ll admit(ədˈmit) that “sacred” is a loaded word for many people who are not religious(riˈlijəs). It literally(ˈlitrə-,ˈlitərəlē) means “connected with God (or the gods),” and so if you’re not religious, it might seem a bit dumb(dəm). But I don’t believe in God, and still find value in the idea that things might be sacred. Hear me out.

“Sacred” is simply(ˈsimplē) elevating(ˈeləˌvāt) something to the level of divine(diˈvīn). That might be God, if you believe in God, but it could be the divinity(diˈvinitē) in the universe(ˈyo͞onəˌvərs), the miracle(ˈmirikəl) of existence(igˈzistəns) and every moment. If you think of how crazy it is that we exist(igˈzist), and think of how wonderful and miraculous(məˈrakyələs) this universe is … I would argue(ˈärgyo͞o) that it’s divine, no matter what you believe in.

Look outside: the trees and flowers(ˈflou(-ə)r) and birds you can see are filled with divinity. They are absolutely(ˌabsəˈlo͞otlē) sacred. So is the wind, the stars, the sunlight falling upon the faces of strangers, the ability(əˈbilitē) to see colors and to have a conversation and connection with a fellow(ˈfelō) human being.

…
https://zenhabits.net/divine/

Dad’s illness(ˈilnis) wreaked(rēk) havoc(ˈhavək), but we learned to bond(bänd) behind the wheel((h)wēl)

By Justin Mah

“Let’s get you out on the road,” suggests my father, casually(ˈkaZHo͞oəl), over green tea one lazy afternoon. By happenstance(ˈhapənˌstans), he had recently acquired(əˈkwī(ə)r) a late nineties, tan-coloured Toyota Corolla(kəˈrälə,kəˈrōlə).

The offer, in the moment, catches me off guard and awakens long buried(ˈberē) insecurity(ˌinsiˈkyo͝oriti), then a cascade(kasˈkād) of nagging(ˈnagiNG) self-talk: of being inferior(inˈfi(ə)rēər), less than, not yet fully an adult. Living in Vancouver(vanˈko͞ovər), I never learned how to drive. For car trips(trip), I’d compensated(ˈkämpənˌsāt) throughout the years by acting as “road-trip navigator(ˈnaviˌgātər)” and would return the kindness by delivering(diˈlivər) a well-cooked meal – the one adult skill I managed to hone(hōn) in my teenage(ˈtēnˌāj) years being the eldest(ˈeldəst) of three siblings(ˈsibliNG) in a single-parent home.

In a few months, I’d be turning 35. It was January(ˈjanyo͞oˌerē), the dead of winter and, like the skeletal(ˈskelətl)-looking cherry trees lining(ˈlīniNG) my neighbourhood, I, too, felt made bare(be(ə)r). Not only did I not know how to drive, but my romantic relationship had unexpectedly severed and a stable, well-paying job had been recently shed(SHed).

Such ups-and-downs are hardly unique(yo͞oˈnēk) and my father, for one, has certainly encountered his fair share. As a second-generation Chinese kid, he faced discrimination(disˌkriməˈnāSHən) and was raised by parents who, in their own personal turbulence(ˈtərbyələns) and neglectfulness(niˈglektfəl), left their children emotionally(iˈmōSHənəl) ill-equipped(iˈkwip) for the road ahead. As he light-heartedly tells it, my father taught himself to drive on the sly(slī) when he was 19 and drove himself to his driving test with an injured(ˈinjərd) left hand, arm cast(kast) clearly visible. Years later, divorce(diˈvôrs) followed by incapacitating(ˌinkəˈpasiˌtāt) mental(ˈmentl) illness wreaked havoc in his and all of our lives. I was the oldest, I learned to be resilient(riˈzilyənt). The motto(ˈmätō) my father instilled(inˈstil) before his illness – “Slow and steady(ˈstedē) wins the race” – were words I hung(həNG) onto in his absence(ˈabsəns).

I was hesitant(ˈhezitənt) to get behind the wheel, but it was time. “Let’s hit the road!” I agreed.

…
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-dads-illness-wreaked-havoc-but-we-learned-to-bond-behind-the-wheel/

American(əˈmerikən) Independence(ˌindəˈpendəns) Day

Independence Day, also referred(riˈfər) to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth, is a federal(ˈfed(ə)rəl
) holiday in the United(yo͞oˈnītid) States commemorating(kəˈmeməˌrāt) the adoption(əˈdäpSHən) of the Declaration(ˌdekləˈrāSHən) of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Continental(ˌkäntnˈentl) Congress(ˈkäNGgrəs,ˈkän-) declared(diˈkle(ə)r) that the thirteen American colonies(ˈkälənē) regarded(riˈgärd) themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire(ˈemˌpī(ə)r). The Congress actually voted to declare independence two days earlier, on July 2.

Independence Day is commonly associated(-SHē-,əˈsōsēˌātid) with fireworks, parades(pəˈrād), barbecues(ˈbärbiˌkyo͞o), carnivals(ˈkärnəvəl), fairs(fe(ə)r), picnics(ˈpikˌnik), concerts, baseball(ˈbāsˌbôl) games, family reunions(rēˈyo͞onyən
), and political(pəˈlitikəl) speeches and ceremonies(ˈserəˌmōnē), in addition to various(ˈve(ə)rēəs) other public and private(ˈprīvit) events celebrating(ˈseləˌbrāt) the history, government, and traditions(trəˈdiSHən) of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.

…

Independence Day is a national holiday marked(märkt) by patriotic(ˌpātrēˈätik) displays. Similar(ˈsimələr) to other summer-themed events, Independence Day celebrations often take place outdoors. Independence Day is a federal holiday, so all non-essential(iˈsenCHəl) federal institutions (such as the postal(ˈpōstəl) service and federal courts(kôrt)) are closed on that day. Many politicians(ˌpäləˈtiSHən) make it a point on this day to appear at a public event to praise(prāz) the nation’s heritage(ˈheritij), laws, history, society(səˈsīətē), and people.

Families often celebrate Independence Day by hosting or attending(əˈtend) a picnic or barbecue; many take advantage(ədˈvantij) of the day off and, in some years, a long weekend to gather with relatives(ˈrelətiv) or friends. Decorations(ˌdekəˈrāSHən) (e.g., streamers(ˈstrēmər), balloons(bəˈlo͞on), and clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. Parades(pəˈrād) are often held in the morning, before family get-togethers, while fireworks displays occur(əˈkər) in the evening after dark at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares(skwe(ə)r
).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Day_(United_States)

MCK on Communication

Can I help you? Can you help me? Can we help each other?

Glad you’re interested in continuing the conversation(ˌkänvərˈsāSHən) with me

And since we both only have so much time, let’s get to the point, shall we?

Over the past few years I’ve come to realize that improving my ability to communicate directly leads me to all the things I’ve wanted.

Bold(bōld) statement, right?

So I don’t have a million bucks in my bank account or a beach(bēCH) house in Bali(ˈbalē,ˈbälē) or many other things.

BUT…

By improving my ability to be a better listener, to ask better questions(ˈkwesCHən), and to get to the point…

By learning how to share how I’m actually thinking and feeling…

By having the conversations I need to have with the people I need to have them with…

By committing to the practice of being more open and honest…

My life is different. For the better.

Communication is THE thing we spend the most time on and influences(ˈinflo͝oəns) our every interaction(ˌintərˈakSHən), our every relationship(riˈlāSHənˌSHip).

Because whether we’re talking about the people we spend our working life with, or those we spend our personal life with…

Better communication enables(enˈābəl) us to earn the stuff that money can’t buy — respect, trust, and that feeling of being on the same page… of knowing where you stand, or where to stand.

And because of that, I spend my time finding and designing(dəˈzīn) ways for others to also realize deeper meaning in relationships through better communication.

Will you join me for a live conversation tonight?

http://cn.mikecrm.com/Bju3RZk

单实例和懒加载

单实例是某个类在全局环境中只创建一个实例。而懒加载，则是在使用到某个类的实例时才创建该实例。很多面试官会让实现一个单实例，进而实现一个线程安全的单实例。但是普通的单实例就是线程安全的，说明他们想的已不是简单单实例，而是涉及到懒加载的、线程安全的单实例。

单实例

（强制）单实例的实质有两点：类的构造方法应该是私有的，外部无法显式创建，要有效防止创建多个实例；使用类静态常量作为该实例等引用，保证只有一个引用。如下：

• 方法一优点：一目了然

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  public class Elvis { public static final Elvis INSTANCE = new Elvis(); private Elvis() { } }

• 方法二优点：getInstance方法可以在返回单实例前做其他处理，如可以针对每个线程返回不同的单实例，返回不同的范型实例。

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  public class Elvis { private static final Elvis INSTANCE = new Elvis(); private Elvis() { } public static Elvis getInstance() { return INSTANCE; } }

以上两个方法，性能上没有区别，因为jvm实现已经将静态工厂方法作了内联处理。

还有一点需要注意，如果该类实现了Serializable接口，那么反序列时可能会破环单实例模式。解决方法如下：

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

public class Elvis implements Serializable {
	public transient static final Elvis INSTANCE = new Elvis();
	private Elvis() {
		
	}
	private Object readResolve() {
		return INSTANCE;
	}
}

• 另外一种解决方法是使用枚举类（1.5之后）,强烈建议使用这种方式，可以保证单实例、避开序列化问题和反射攻击。

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  public enum Elvis { INSTANCE; private Elvis() { } }

懒加载

懒加载实质：第一次获取时才创建资源。与单实例不同，单实例在类加载时，由于该实例为静态变量，所以会被初始化。所以懒加载不能将资源作为外部类的静态变量。使用那么有一个问题，多个线程同时去获取资源，如何防止资源被多次创建，破坏延迟加载的功效？

• 方法一：线程安全的单实例懒加载，内部类实现

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  public Singleton { private static class FieldHolder { static final Singleton INSTANCE = new Singleton(); } private Singleton() { } static Singleton getInstance() { return FieldHolder.INSTANCE; } }

• 方法二：线程安全的懒加载，Double-check实现，只在1.5之后安全可用（volatile的禁止指令重排）。volatile保证在第二次检查前，从主内存重新获取instance。以下是延迟创建实例变量，也可以用来延迟加载静态变量，但是用方法一更不错。

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  public Singleton { private static volatile Singleton instance; private Singleton() { } public static Singleton getInstance() { Singleton result = instance; if (result == null) { synchronized(this) { result = instance; if (result == null) { instance = result = new Singleton(); } } } return result; } }

Let’s “Bounce(bouns)”: A framework for conversations(ˌkänvərˈsāSHən)

I’ve always been a little bit nervous(ˈnərvəs) socially, and I often feel unsure about myself when communicating with others. I don’t think others necessarily think of me as socially awkward(ˈôkwərd), but I certainly feel that way. So last year when I got the opportunity to take a communication program designed(dəˈzīn) by my friend MCK, I jumped(jəmp) at the chance.

The course(kôrs) was called MasterCom, and it focused on using communication to deal with professional(prəˈfeSHənl) and personal challenges. The core(kôr) of the course was learning and using a tool(to͞ol) called a “Bounce”, which is a simple conversation framework that MCK has developed. The format of a bounce conversation is actually quite simple: you listen to someone tell you about an issue(ˈiSHo͞o) that they are facing, and as the conversation goes along you facilitate(fəˈsiliˌtāt) their finding the best way forward. There’s more to it, but that’s my basic(ˈbāsik) understanding. In addition to having several(ˈsev(ə)rəl) bounce conversations with MCK, a big part of the course was reaching out to others and “bouncing” with them.

At first, I was extremely(ikˈstrēmlē) shy(SHī) about reaching out to friends and acquaintances(əˈkwāntns) to have these conversations, but I ended up being surprised(sə(r)ˈprīzd) at how willing and even excited(ikˈsītid) people were to participate(pärˈtisəˌpāt). It turned out to be a great excuse to have long-needed conversations with friends. Some people even shared things that they clearly needed to talk about but hadn’t shared even with close family members.

I was also surprised by how much I learned from the conversations. While the conversations were for the most part about other people, I learned a lot about myself as I listened. I learned that once I get past my initial(iˈniSHəl) nervousness, I’m almost always glad that I’ve initiated(ɪˈnɪʃiˌeɪt) a conversation with someone, and I learned that listening to how others think about their challenges can actually help me make progress on my own challenges.

If you’re interested in continuing this conversation with us, MCK and I will be talking about some of our biggest communication challenges and how to deal with them in a live conversation on Thursday(-dē,ˈTHərzdā). Would you like to join us?

http://cn.mikecrm.com/Bju3RZk

Rebel developers are trying to cure(kyo͝or) our smartphone addiction(əˈdikSHən) — with an app(ˌapliˈkāSHən)

By William(ˈwilyəm) Wan

To understand why it’s so hard to pry(prī) yourself free from your phone, Facebook account and Twitter(ˈtwitər), you need to know about B.F. Skinner’s(ˈskinər) pigeons(ˈpijən).

In the 1950s, Skinner began putting the birds in a box and training(ˈtrāniNG) them to peck(pek) on a piece(pēs) of plastic(ˈplastik) whenever they wanted food. Then the Harvard psychology(sīˈkäləjē) researcher rigged(rig) the system so that not every peck would yield(yēld) a tasty(ˈtāstē) treat(trēt). It became random — a reward every three pecks, then five pecks, then two pecks.

The pigeons went crazy(ˈkrāzē) and began pecking compulsively(kəmˈpəlsiv) for hours on end.

Fast forward six decades. We have become the pigeons pecking at our iPhones, scrolling(ˈskrōliNG) through news feeds, swiping left/right on Tinder for hours, the uncertainty(ˌənˈsərtntē) of what we might find keeping us obsessed(əbˈses) by design(dəˈzīn).

In the modern economy of tablets(ˈtablit) and apps, our attention(əˈtenCHən) has become the most valuable(ˈvaly(o͞o)əbəl) commodity(kəˈmäditē). Tech companies have armies(ˈärmē) of behavioral(biˈhāvyərəl) researchers whose sole(sōl) job is to apply principles like Skinner’s variable(ˈve(ə)rēəbəl) rewards to grab and hold our focus as often and long as possible.

But some people are starting to fight back. A small but growing number of behavioral scientists and former Silicon(-kən,ˈsiləˌkän) Valley(ˈvalē) developers have begun trying to counterprogram those news alerts(əˈlərt), friend requests and updates crowding our waking hours.

Increasingly, the rebel developers are using fire to fight fire — creating apps that try to put users back in control. They call their movement “digital wellness,” and in recent weeks, they scored two huge victories(ˈvikt(ə)rē) when Google and Apple announced plans to incorporate(ˈkôrp(ə)rət) some aspects(ˈaspekt) of digital-wellness apps — like allowing users to track(trak) their screen time — into upcoming Android(ˈanˌdroid) and iPhone operating(ˈäpəˌrāt) systems.

…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/rebel-developers-are-trying-to-cure-our-smartphone-addiction--with-an-app/2018/06/17/153e2282-6a81-11e8-bea7-c8eb28bc52b1_story.html