MySpace, the social networking website, is different from other websites which only provide stories about other people. MySpace is a place that allows you to broadcast your own stories and personal information to as many people as you like. Founded in 2003, it is a big source of information for and about American kids.

Teenagers and their parents feel very differently about it. Teens are rushing to join the site, not sharing their parents’ worries. It signals yet another generation gap in the digital era.

For teenagers, it is reliable network to keep in touch with their friends. They will often list their surnames, birthdays, after-school jobs, school clubs, hobbies and other personal information. “MySpace is an easy way to reach just about everyone. I don’t have all the phone numbers of my acquaintances. But if I want to get in touch with one of them, I could just leave them a message on MySpace,” said Abby Van Wassen. She is a 16-year-old student at Woodland Hills High of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Parents, on the other hand, are seriously concerned about the security problems of MySpace. “Every time we hold a parents meeting, the first question is always about MySpace,” said Kent Gates, who travels the country doing Internet safety seminars (研讨会). The National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has received at least 288 MySpace-related complaints, according to Mary Beth Buchanan, a lawyer in Pittsburgh.

“Your profile on MySpace shows all your personal information to anyone on the Web. And MySpace even lists this information by birthplace and age. It’s like a free checklist for troublemakers and it endangers children,” Buchanan said.

Shaanxi kuaiban is a traditional Chinese form of storytelling in the Shaanxi dialect to the rhythm of bamboo clappers. It can be performed by a group or solo. The art form can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty (1644—1911). At first, the art was used by farmers to share their knowledge and earn money. But now, more people perform Shaanxi kuaiban on different occasions—for example, at festival celebrations, parties and art shows.

Yang Jinlong, 45, is an experienced Shaanxi kuaiban artist. He first learned the art at the age of 9. Before that, he often went with his father, an amateur performer, to watch kuaiban performances.

“As a young boy, I was attracted to the art form because many of the stories are about heroes. The performer tells stories while playing kuaiban, and it's easy for the audience to remember the stories since all the lines rhyme,” Yang said.

He has practiced Shaanxi kuaiban for more than 30 years. Since 2003, he has been teaching the art form to young people. At 9 am on weekdays, he drives to primary and middle schools in Xi'an and teaches students about Shaanxi kuaiban until about 6 pm. Then, he returns home to prepare classes for the next day. On the weekends, he teaches for six hours each day at art education institutions in Xi'an.

Yang has made some adaptations to the art form to relate more to students. When he tells modern stories, Yang abandons the traditional gown and wears a suit. He also integrates many pop elements like tap dance, ballet, jazz dance and the rhythm of popular music into kuaiban performances. His stories focus on more trendy topics, like stories of heroes who have worked to alleviate poverty, as well as the Chinese Olympic team.

“Art education is important for students in China. Just as many students learn to play Western musical instruments like the piano and violin, there are many people learning traditional Chinese folk arts, including Shaanxi kuaiban. They are committed and passionate,” Yang said.

It isn’t often that zookeepers call on craftspeople for help. But cold weather at the Wildlife SOS Elephant Conservation and Care Center in northern India was putting elephants at risk. So the center’s staff joined forces with locals to find a creative way to keep the animals warm. Now the elephants are stepping out in style, thanks to volunteers who take advantage of their crafting talents to knit enormous sweaters to protect the animals.

Wildlife SOS is a conservation group that has been taking action against animal cruelty and saving wildlife in pain since 1995. Their Elephant Conservation and Care Center is dedicated to rescuing the gentle giants from abuse and exploitation in circuses, illegal hunting, and other circumstances where they have been neglected or treated with extreme cruelty. There are currently 20 elephants living at the center, and the staff hope to take in 50 more of the creatures this year.

Because most of the elephants housed at the center are recovering from injuries or are elderly and weak, they are particularly vulnerable to cold temperatures. When the staff reported near-freezing nighttime temperatures this winter, volunteers from surrounding villages began knitting enormous sweaters to keep the elephants warm. The sweaters are large enough to cover the elephants’ backs, bellies, and legs.

Making the sweaters is a big undertaking — each one takes approximately four weeks to create, with volunteers working together on the huge garments. Still, the volunteers make sure that the knits are not only warm and comfortable, but they are also colorful, and even fashionable. Centered on a common, compassionate goal, the project helps promote a sense of community in all who participate.