Living

Life is a series of risks vs. rewards. I like to ski, but it’s possible I could crash into a tree and die. I mitigate this risk by wearing a helmet.

Festive theft is the rather jolly term used to describe the everyday grief of having your wallet or your iPod stolen during the months of November and December. It is theft as set to the tune of Michael Bublé’s rendition of I’ll Be Home for Christmas.

It’s only polite to ooh and ahh over a friend’s new baby, or to make all those enthusiastic “mmm” and “yum” sounds when dining on a pal’s rubber chicken.

If you’re sick of meeting creeps and really can’t stomach one more minute of the gym-rat lothario’s suggestive banter, there is a practical solution, say scientists.

Can you guess a person’s political leanings from a quick glance at the TV shows on their PVR? If it’s heavy on crime procedurals and Biggest-Loser-style reality competitions, you can make an educated guess that they’re not voting Green—or that’s what a recent survey by a U.S. research company seems to suggest.