By Jonathan Shipley
A weekly roundup of what’s on Shipley’s periodical table.
Home Office
According to the December issue of Psychology Today, employees do best when they work from home. The magazine cites a study from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York that found that stay-at-home workers who are connected to the office by phone or Internet feel more trusted and less drained. They also stay longer at their jobs then commuters. And they spend more time surfing for pictures of Angelina Jolie, because she is freakin’ hot.
All I Want For Christmas is a Low APR
The average American spends $907 on holiday gifts, according to the December issue of Money. People who make those purchases on a credit card and make minimum monthly payments based on a typical 13.9 percent APR, however, will spend $1,225 and won’t pay off the bills until March of 2013. APR: All Property Repossessed.
Pizza Puffs
The January/February issue of Bicycling has some ideas for what bicyclists should put on their pizzas to enhance their bicycling ways:
Pineapple . . . For its immune boosting Vitamin C.
Chicken . . . A cup of chicken has 21 grams of muscle-building protein.
Red Bell Peppers . . . Chock full of antioxidants and beta-carotene.
Garlic . . . It lowers your cholesterol 4 to 6 percent.
Olives . . . It contains anti-inflammatory compounds.
Spinach . . . Rich in beta-carotene, antioxidants, and iron.
Marshmallow Creme . . . Puts some fat on your ass so the seat’s more comfortable.
Is That a Cell Phone In Your Pocket Or . . .
Construction workers, shoe shiners, men who leer and make lewd comments, beware. The November/December issue of the Utne Reader reports on a new blog in New York City where women can post cell phone photos of men they encounter exhibiting bad behavior (third item). How soon before they need more bandwidth?
Fight Club
Oliver Broudy dives into the creepy subculture that his High School Debate in the November/December issue of Mother Jones. Guess what? Brad Pitt was in Debate. So was Michael Moore. And JFK. And Karl Rove. And Oprah. So was my brother-in-law, who still goes on and on about how it’s shaped him as a person, made him a better citizen, yadda yadda yadda. Forget it, Christian, you’re just a big nerd and, my guess? You didn’t get laid in high school. Another guess? Neither did Karl Rove.
Jonathan Shipley is the Beachwood’s designated magazine reader.
Posted on December 14, 2006