Have you heard a story about Oliver Wendell Holmes and got what he meant? He once attended a meeting in which he was the shortest man present. "Doctor Holmes," joked a friend. "I should think you would feel rather small among us big fellows." "I do," smiled Holmes. "I feel like a dime（一角硬币）among a lot of pennies."

I ever believed only such a person like Holmes could think that way. But I was proven wrong.

Yesterday I watched a huge flight of geese winging their way south through one of those beautiful sunsets that colored the entire sky for a few moments. I saw them as I rested against the lion statue in front of the Chicago Art Institute, where I was watching the Christmas shoppers hurry along Michigan Avenue.

When I looked sideways, I noticed that a bag lady, standing a few feet away, had also been watching the geese with great attention. Sensing someone was looking at her, she cast a sideways look. Our eyes met and we smiled silently acknowledging the fact that we had shared an amazing sight, a symbol of the secret of the struggle to survive. I overheard the lady talking to herself as she walked away. Her words, "Life treats me kindly", nearly made my jaw drop.

Was the lady, this homeless street beggar, being kidding or even mindless? No. I believed the sight of the geese had reminded her of, however briefly, the difficult and unpleasant reality of her own struggle. I realized later that moments such as this one provided her with great comfort and encouragement; it was the way she survived the hardness of the street. Her smile was real.

The sight of the geese was her Christmas present. It was proof that hard work mattered. It was all she needed. I envy her.

London's Metropolitan Police has announced controversial plans to use Live Facial Recognition(LFR)technology to improve officers' ability to identify suspects and police the British capital.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement Friday the technology will be introduced to places where data indicates that people responsible for serious and violent crimes,such as gun and knife attacks,are most likely to be located(定位）。＂Clearly marked cameras will be focused on small,targeted areas to scan people's faces as they walk by,"it added.

＂As a modern police force,I believe that we have a duty to use new technologies to keep people safe in London,"assistant commissioner(专员）Nick Ephgrave said."We are using a tried-and-tested technology.Similar technology is already widely used across the UK,in private places,"he added.

The decision follows an October research into the technology by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office,which raised serious concerns over privacy and accuracy."Moving very quickly to employ technologies that can destroy people's lawful daily lives might damage trust not only in the technology,but in the fundamental model of policing,” Elizabeth Denham,the UK's Information Commissioner,said.

In the United States,some California cities have decided the risks of LFR outweigh the benefits and banned its use by city departments.India,on the other hand,has used the technology to find missing children and wants to build the world's largest facial recognition system.

Denham’s office called on the government to urgently introduce laws to govern LFR.

“We have been told that the Metropolitan Police is considering the consequences of this technology and is taking steps to reduce intrusion(受扰）and met the requirements of data protection rules,"Denham' s office said.

One of the costs of being a lover of old trees is the all-too-frequent loss of a beautiful soul you've grown fond of.Last summer was harder than most for old trees and their human supporters.The spring's nonstop rains flooded soils and caused root systems of many large,old trees to rot in part.Then,when the summer came,trees could not tap deep sources of water that would normally have maintained(维持）them.Many valuable old trees died.

When I volunteered on the Mount Rainier Tree Commission,I heard from many people concerned about their trees.We had little to offer them.That's because public and private urban tree resources and programs were aimed almost entirely at planting trees and not at all maintaining trees.No state or province program that I could find provided any financial resources for maintaining tree health. Small and under resourced cities such as ours were on their own.

This is backward.Scientists are learning that large,old trees are the most valuable,especially in cities.They put on wood fastest and take the most carbon out of the air. They harbor the most wildlife.They can lower summer temperatures by 20 degrees or more.In a recent study,researchers found that Boston would get more benefit from keeping the trees it has alive than from planting new trees.There's reason to think this finding would apply in other cities,too.

Now,our public and private tree programs often ignore old trees until it is too late.As long as we abandon our old trees,planting more is merely to keep pace with growing losses. We want trees to help protect us,but we leave them unprotected.Consider this in the human world:Nobody would send a baby into the world and expect it to just make it. Children need caring for and it's why we have schools and child health-insurance programs.We could get so much more out of our trees if we just put   a little more into them.

Let's just be honest.    11    Given the limited space that comes with an economy class seat, you can expect to sit for hours with a stiff（僵硬的）neck and backs, which has a bad effect on your circulation. While most people know that standing up and walking around during your flight can encourage your blood flow, it's not always possible or convenient to do so.    12    

Confused? Just hear us out. Tennis balls can put any fancy and expensive things to shame when it comes to killing pain, relieving（减轻）tightness, and improving circulation on long flights or road trips. This is why you should always pack a tennis ball for your trip.

    13     It is practically the on-the-go self-massage（自我按摩）you never knew you needed. Not only are tennis balls tiny enough to fit into a small bag, but also using one during a flight won't bother your neighbors either. And luckily, it's not one of the things most likely to get you flagged in the security line.

There are certain areas you should target when performing a self-massage.    14    They are your ankles, wrists, legs, and upper back and shoulders. Apply gentle pressure to each area with the ball as you roll, and use extra care with any spots of tension.

Seems simple enough, right?     15     Always remember to fly with a tennis ball in your carry-on.