Hand in hand?

Reader question:

Please explain “hand in hand”, as in: “Drug and crime go hand in hand.”

My comments:

They go together.

Where there’s a drug problem, there’s also a crime problem.

And vice versa.

In other words, if there are a lot of people – young people, especially – using drugs in an area, the crime rate in that area is usually high.

Here, drug use (or rather, abuse) and the crime rate are likened to two people walking hand in hand, with one person holding another’s hand.

Lovers, for example, walk with their hands clasped together, showing intimacy and affection. They’re inseparable.

Hence and therefore, when two things are said to be going hand in hand, they appear together. They work in tandem. They are closely related.

In our example, drug and crime are lumped together that way. In other words, if you find one, you usually find another. They go with each other. If a city has a drug problem, then it has a crime problem. On the other hand, if that city has a crime problem, then it usually also has a drug problem.

Why’s that?

Well, drugs make people more energetic and sociable. And drug takers tend to overdose or take more than they should. Drug overdose leads to over excitement and loss of control.

Which, then, leads to quarrels and fist fights.

Also, drug use takes money, lots of money. Not all drug users have the money to indulge in this expensive hobby. So they, say, steal.

One thing leads to another. Along with stealing comes, say, street fights, knives and guns, bank robberies, gangster rings.

So on and so forth.

You get the idea.

Here are recent media examples of things that go hand in hand:

1 When it comes to luxury timepieces, some of the most common questions you are likely to encounter are “why are Rolex watches so expensive?” and “what makes Rolex prices so high?” The simple answer is that Rolex watches are expensive because they are some of the very finest timepieces in the entire world. In addition to the advanced proprietary technologies and immaculate levels of finishing found on every single model, the Rolex brand itself is accompanied by such prestige and universal acclaim that a Rolex watch is an internationally recognized status symbol that is synonymous with excellence, success, and exclusivity. Producing a timepiece of this immense quality is inherently expensive and as you might expect, the cost of purchasing one for yourself similarly requires a relatively significant investment.

Below we are going to be going over exactly how much is a Rolex watch and what it is about these iconic luxury timepieces that makes them so expensive. Additionally, we will be discussing why used Rolex watches often cost significantly more than brand new models, and also breaking down why buying a Rolex might not actually be quite as expensive as you think. Rolex watches are relatively expensive because they are some of the best timepieces in the world, but truly understanding what goes into the production of a Rolex and why the brand charges as much as it does requires a bit more explanation. So, let’s dive in and fully answer the question: why is a Rolex so expensive?

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In all fairness, Rolex’s reputation for producing expensive watches is one that the brand has cultivated, in many ways, itself. Since the 1980s, Rolex has shifted its focus from being merely a manufacturer of high-quality timepieces to the purveyor of the ultimate aspirational lifestyle – and the average price of a Rolex watch has increased with it.

Models that had once been an essential tool for individuals doing specific jobs or activities were now status symbols. A mechanical watch was no longer something you needed, but rather wanted, and the notion of exclusivity became the brand’s major USP. Going hand in hand with that was a new cost structure.The average Rolex price steadily rose faster than ever before, until buying a Rolex watch became something of an event – a reward for achieving a significant personal milestone.

However, at the same time, Rolex started offering more for the money. Billions were spent on research and development in order to perfect every aspect and each individual component. This gave rise to a series of innovations, such as impressive water-resistance capabilities and a range of proprietary materials and lubricants, specially designed for longevity and performance. Whether they are subjected to the enormous pressures found deep under the surface of the ocean, or the extreme temperatures on top of a mountain, a Rolex watch will stay ticking.

- Why Are Rolex Watches So Expensive? BobsWaches.com, August 3, 2022.

2 Imagine sitting at your computer, you’re reading this article and all of a sudden spotlights flash through your window. A tactical team of heavily armed law enforcement officers is storming up to your home and screaming at you to “come out with your hands in the air!” You’ve never committed a crime in your life, your heart is racing and it must be some mistake, so what do you do?

In this scenario, you’ve just become a victim of swatting – a dangerous hoax that online gamers, hackers, or anyone with malicious intent can commit. Though swatting incidents are pranks, several deaths have occurred as a result and it’s a crime that has serious consequences and should not be taken lightly.

We’ll cover what exactly swatting is, who commits swatting, and how to steer clear of becoming a victim in the rest of this article.

What is Swatting?

Swatting is a dangerous hoax where hackers and other malicious parties dupe heavily-armed authorities and special services into responding to a false report. The swatters that call in these false reports hope that special units and emergency services will swarm in on innocent targets.

The term “swatting” is derived from the acronym S.W.A.T. – the special weapons and tactics force of the United States that is called in for a serious emergency like someone holding hostages, bomb threats, active shooters, or other serious criminal activity.

Though having SWAT teams respond to emergencies is a popular form of swatting incidents, swatters have also sent fire departments, police, ambulances, and even high-cost, cash-only pizza deliveries to targets. This means that, although SWAT is a special force in the United States, anyone in the world can become the victim of a swatting attack.

Many cases of swatting have stemmed from the online gaming community. Rival gamers might go after one another through swatting attacks, for example. Even so, anyone who gives away too much information about themselves – on social media, in comment sections, private messages, or phone calls – could easily become a victim.

How do Swatters Gather Information?

In order to perform a swatting attack, swatters need certain information about their victim, like their home address. Going hand-in-hand with swatting are a few key ways of obtaining personal data.They are:

Doxing: The act of doxing is when someone posts private information on a public platform, revealing personal information like business or home addresses and IP addresses. Once that information is out there online, those looking to commit swatting attacks can use it. You can read our full article on doxing for more information.

Social engineering: Social engineering is a method of manipulation that hackers and malicious actors use to get passwords, login data, and sensitive financial information of their victims. But swatters can also use this technique to get a home address or location needed for swatting attacks. They might pose as customer service, technical support representatives, or even as an authority at a victim’s job to squeeze out the data they need. For a deep dive into social engineering, take a look at our full article here.

Social media: It’s a fact that in today’s online world, many users post a lot of information about themselves on social media platforms. They might put up pictures of the house or apartment they just bought or “check in” to various restaurants and businesses, revealing their location, at any given time. A swatting incident can even originate in the comments sections of social media platforms like Reddit, Twitter, or Facebook. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of what you put out there, as a savvy swatter could sift through accounts and pull out the information they need for potential swatting calls.

- What is Swatting and How do you Avoid Becoming a Victim? VPNOverview.com, October 26, 2022.

3 A University of Michigan student is one of the world’s foremost “speedcubers,” a person capable of quickly solving a Rubik’s Cube. He also is an accomplished violinist.

Stanley Chapel says the two fields go hand in hand.

Not only does Chapel say he has equal interest in both, but the 21-year-old says the violin has aided in his speedcubing success.

“Repetition, breaking things down into their smallest fundamental elements, all of these different things that we use to improve at an instrument, and being able to take these into the world of cubing has certainly been a huge help to my progression,” said Chapel, a junior majoring in violin performance at the university’s school of music, theater and dance.

Chapel, who grew up in Ann Arbor not far from the Michigan campus, solved his first 3x3 Rubik’s Cube as a 14-year-old. Five weeks later, Chapel entered his first competition, solving the cube in an average of 22 seconds.

Fast-forward a year to 2017 in Paris, with Chapel placing fifth in both the 4x4 blindfolded and 5x5 blindfolded categories at the World Cube Association World Championship.

At the 2019 world championship in Melbourne, Australia, the recent high school graduate won both events.

Factoring in the time it takes for him to review the cube before placing the blindfold over his eyes, Chapel can solve one in around 17 seconds.

“The deeper I go into the realm of cubing technique, the more I find interest in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible there,” he said.

Chapel has certain inherent abilities: He is capable of remembering and applying thousands of algorithms to solve a Rubik’s Cube and performing one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s violin sonatas from memory.

World Champion Says Rubik’s Cube And Violin Go Hand In Hand, AP, January 27, 2023.

About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.

（作者：张欣   编辑：yaning）