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32,233 Twitter users refer to themselves as “ninjas.”

Social media ninjas, that is. Careful, there might be one right behind you. These self-professed nimble tweeters aren’t the only ones who make elaborate and ludicrously exaggerated claims for themselves in their Twitter bios. Joining the ranks are 32,188 social media “mavens,” 30,188 “evangelists,” 31,609 “gurus,” and the list goes on. Digital marketing strategist B.L. Ochman, who has been tracking this trend since 2009, says growth in the use of such monikers is exponential. “At this rate, everyone on Twitter will soon be calling themselves an expert,” she says. But if you want to be taken seriously, you better have the skill set to back it up. “The real Twitter gurus have case studies and clients.” Yes, sensei!

Cranberry Pistachio Shortbread

“Right next door to Cakes & Ale Restaurant is The Bakery at Cakes & Ale. I create the desserts at the restaurant and also run the bakery. What’s great about Billy Allin, our chef, is that he relies on local produce. So when he brought in a bunch of blood oranges, I tried to use them in as many things as I could. I come from a family of bakers, and everything I do starts with a memory. This recipe has all the homey, familiar elements of an icebox cookie, but there’s a fresh component to it. I know the trend for desserts is deconstruction. I respect that, but it’s not what I do. There’s always a sense of familiarity in my desserts. Each of them has a soul.” 

Who Eric Wolitzky, pastry chef
Where Cakes & Ale

Ingredients:

½ cup pistachios

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 blood orange (zest and juice) 

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup dried cranberries, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Toast pistachios in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool, chop, and set aside. Beat butter, sugar, and zest on high speed until fluffy. Mix in juice. Beat in flour and salt on low speed until dough forms. Fold in cranberries and pistachios.

2. In wax paper, roll dough into a 2-inch-thick log. Freeze for 30 minutes.

3. Roll log in granulated sugar. Slice into 1/2-inch pieces. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until sides are lightly brown (12 to 18 minutes), rotating pan once. Keep cookies on tray for 10 minutes, then place on cooling rack. 

New Yorkers will live 2.85 years longer than the rest of us.

The saying goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” So it should come as no surprise that Big Apple residents will live approximately 1,040 days longer than the national average, according to data from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. What keeps the city that never sleeps ahead of the game? Over the past two decades, “New York has focused on healthy food and physical education in schools, smoking bans, trans fat bans, and also promoting simple things like making it safe and easy to walk the city,” says Dr. Ali Mokdad,  who led the research. Non-Gothamites, however, have nothing to fear, he says. “You can live longer anywhere if you change your behavior.” In other words, city slicker or not, avoiding that extra-large cola might not be a half-bad idea. 

Neverware Give slow PCs a boost with this magic box.

Here’s how Jonathan Hefter, founder and CEO of Neverware, describes the service that makes old computers run like new: “After I graduated college, I was struck by how wasteful it is to replace roomfuls of computers every four years. I moved to my parents’ basement and spent the next year fixing this problem. Neverware uses a single, powerful computer to breathe new life into old machines in companies and schools of all sizes. Installing the box—usually next to an existing server—enables older PCs to run the latest version of Windows super fast. Our first client was a Brooklyn high school that had maybe 20 working computers. You could open a Web browser, go make a cup of coffee, and the website would still be loading when you came back. They had another 100 or so outdated PCs just sitting in a closet. Literally overnight, and for a tenth of the price of buying new machines, we turned their clunkers into the fleetest and most muscular computers in the New York City school system. As they say, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”

Outlook Lodge

Situated in the shadow of Pikes Peak, the pint-sized town of Green Mountain Falls, Colorado (population: 655) has been drawing summer visitors to its cool climate and majestic Rocky Mountain scenery for more than a century. Follow their lead and book a room at the newly opened Outlook Lodge: This handsome Victorian house, built in 1889, has been spruced up to suit the tastes of discerning travelers. Midcentury modern furnishings and original works by Marfa, Texas artist Jason Willaford fill the six guest rooms, and the communal living room features a 16-foot-long window bench overlooking the forest. Pack a bottle of wine, and get to know your fellow wayfarers ’round the fire ring. You’ll soon see why this area inspired that endearing ballad, “America the Beautiful.”

Airport Denver International (DEN) Rate From $99  

While You’re There 

EAT YOUR FILL of the famed cinnamon roll French toast at The Pantry, a diner that’s kept visitors properly satiated since 1953. 

GET CREATIVE at the Green Box Arts Festival (June 23–July 3), where acclaimed photographers, musicians, and artists show off their talent as well as lead workshops. 

SCALE PIKES PEAK via the 13-mile Barr Trail. With an elevation gain of 7,400 feet, it’s the steepest base-to-summit climb in all of Colorado. 

If you could have created any work of art by another artist, what would it be? “I Hope You Dance,” a beautiful country song by Lee Ann Womack. But I’d also like to tap dance like Sammy Davis Jr.

If you could create a perfect day for yourself, what would you do? I would awake at 6 and see the light come to the sky, have coffee, and walk out into my garden and enjoy the 100-foot oaks and the roses in my yard, have some breakfast, which is an egg over medium with wheat toast, and then I’d read in my library, whatever book I laid my hands upon first. 

If you could cook one meal for us, what would it be? Smothered chicken, white rice, with chicken-liver gravy, greens, and lemon butter. 

If you could speak again to your mother, what would you say? “Thank you, Mother.”

If you could give your 10-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be? Learn to forgive yourself. When you do something that does not make you proud, realize this: If you knew better, you would do better. 

If a picture paints a thousand words, what are you doing in that picture? Writing a poem. What I really mean is, letting a poem happen. 

If you could be remembered for one thing, what would that be? I’d like to be remembered for my kindness. 

What About You? If you could wish one thing for your future, what would it be? Submit your answer at spiritmag.com/if. Our favorite responses will be published in an upcoming issue of Spirit.

Outdoorsman Peter Brown Hoffmeister offers his advice for answering the call of the wild with kids in tow.

Personality traits most often associated with women translate to top strategies for business success, says leadership consultant John Gerzema. 

Candor 

“The masculine command-and-control model is becoming increasingly out of place in our very social, interdependent, and transparent world,” says Gerzema. “The job of a leader is not to be a dictator but a facilitator, and to listen to lots of voices. Leaders and managers who possess that kind of openness and candor have the ability to lift people up so that everyone’s voice can be heard. It ultimately improves decision-making because the best ideas are brought to bear.”

Vulnerability 

“Today, you can’t read a business article without hearing about how people learn from failure. There’d be more progress if we were better at admitting what we don’t know in the first place. When you ask for help, people align themselves with your needs and come to your aid, which saves both time and money. You could argue that vulnerability is not only an effective leadership trait, but that it’s rooted in pragmatism.” 

Empathy 

“Empathy is innovation, and sensitivity to others is a huge catalyst for creativity. So many leaders envision markets, then go out and create needs. But people who really devote themselves to studying the human condition often uncover important underserved markets.” 

Connectedness

“Collaboration and consensus-building are really prized in a social economy. Be flexible. Be collaborative. In masculine societies, winning involves stepping on your competitors. But in a world that values connectedness, winning is plural. In working together, we might just get a bigger piece of the pie.”

John Gerzema is the co-author of The Athena Doctrine: How Women (And the Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future. 

Men with shaved heads look 10% stronger than those with hair.

Bald is beautiful—and, apparently, brawny. Overall, fellas rockin’ a shorn scalp were perceived to be more dominant than their hirsute counter-parts, according to a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Despite the inevitable if slight height disadvantage, those lacking locks were viewed as nearly an inch taller than the average mop-topped male. Lead researcher Albert Mannes, who was spurred by his own decision to sport a pristine pate, ascribes the results to the Bruce Willises of the world. “In our society, a shaved head is associated with masculine figures,” Mannes says. “You see it a lot in Hollywood action heroes, even dating back to Yul Brynner in the ’50s and ’60s.” It remains to be seen if Daniel Craig will be jumping on the bare bandwagon.

The Southpaw

“Aylesbury Duck is a new vodka created by three bartenders. It’s made from Rocky Mountain winter wheat, so you get a nice, soft, grain character from it. These guys understand what bartenders need, which is the same thing you need at home: affordable, high-quality ingredients to make great cocktails. The label on the bottle, which shows two ducks in a boxing match, reminded me of my grandfather, who was once a boxer in Chicago, so I came up with a drink called The Southpaw. With vodka cocktails, it’s best to keep it simple. In this one, the white vermouth brings in all sorts of herbs and botanicals, and the sherry adds a little salinity. But it’s still a straight-forward cocktail: clean, crisp, and refreshing. It’s something your martini drinker—even your gin martini drinker—might enjoy.”

Who Charles Joly, beverage director
Where The Aviary 

Ingredients:

2 ounces Aylesbury Duck vodka

¾ ounce La Gitana Manzanilla sherry

½ ounce Martini & Rossi bianco vermouth

3 dashes Regan’s orange bitters

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Add ice, stir, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Spritz with lemon oil and garnish with a lemon twist.

41% of couples squabble over how to load the dishwasher.

Talk about an icky argument. A survey from home appliance manufacturer Bosch revealed that the dishwasher might not be making life easier after all. Of the 2,140 adults who participated, 877 reported getting down and dirty over how much space to give their dishes. In general, women favored separating items, while their male counterparts preferred the pile-up technique. Is there a clean winner in this debate? “Like any good relationship where each person needs their space, each dish should be separated by a dishwasher’s tines,” reads a statement from Bosch. “Often, couples can keep the peace by splitting up large loads of dishes into smaller loads.” Once again, it all comes out in the wash. As for pre-rinsing: Don’t even go there.  

Hotel Lincoln

The eclectic, unfussy style of this year-old property echoes the easygoing ethos of its Lincoln Park environs. Fronting the park itself, the hotel affords instant access to hike-and-bike trails, a free zoo, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Extra enticement to do some exploring: Sprightly staffers organize group runs, and you can hail the hotel’s pedicab or rent wheels from the front desk. Seasonal comfort food steals the show at the ground-floor, Michelin-starred restaurant, Perennial Virant, while the rooftop garden–equipped J. Parker serves up craft cocktails alongside impeccable Lake Michigan views. 

Airport Midway International (MDW)  Rate From $129  

In The Neighborhood 

LAUGH IT OFF at The Second City, Chicago’s top spot for sketch comedy and improv for 50 years running. The stage that helped launch the careers of Dan Aykroyd and Tina Fey is just a five-minute walk away. 

GET YOUR GRAZE ON at Green City Market, less than a block from the hotel. Every Wednesday and Saturday starting May 5, purveyors peddling everything from cantaloupes to cookies convene for Chicago’s largest sustainable farmers’ market. 

Hey, Big Spender Get what you bargain for with these cost-saving tips from coupon queen Joni Meyer-Crothers.

1 Collect ’Em All “The Sunday paper isn’t the only place to find coupons,”Meyer-Crothers says. “You can print them from sites like Coupons.com and RedPlum.com. There’s also an app called Ibotta that allows you to shop first and reap the savings later. Simply buy featured items, scan the barcode and receipt, and the app credits your PayPal account accordingly.” 

2 Shop Sales “Blogs like my own, FreeTastesGood.com, post links to coupons that correspond with items already on sale. That almost always translates to ‘free’ or ‘very cheap.’ Some stores, including Target, Walgreens, and Rite Aid, allow you to use a manufacturer’s coupon on top of a store coupon for even more savings.”

3 Let Go of Loyalty “Because sales come in cycles and some products have higher-value coupons than others, the more brand loyal you are, the less you’re going to save. I grew up using Tide, but I’ve found that it’s very hard to get for free. You can get it for cheap—$2 to $3—but never for free. Purex and All you can get for free by watching for sales and combining coupons.” 

4 Think Small “A 6-ounce tube of Arm & Hammer toothpaste costs about $4, whereas the trial size costs a dollar. If you have a coupon for a dollar off any Arm & Hammer toothpaste and there’s no size restriction, you can get the trial size for free. Seven trial sizes equal one 6-ounce tube.”

5 Take A Rain Check “If a sale item is no longer in stock, go to the customer service desk and ask for a rain check. It allows you to purchase the item at the sale price when it’s available again. By the time it’s back in stock, there may be a better coupon to make the price even lower.”

Joni Meyer-Crothers is the author of Extreme Couponing: Learn How to Be a Savvy Shopper and Save Money…One Coupon at a Time.

What’s Mine Is Yours Why sharing is an idea your business should borrow.

By Mike Darling

One of Jeff’s clients was acting funny. It was early 2012, and he was running a successful apartment cleaning business out of his spacious four-bedroom pad on New York City’s Upper West Side. Most people ordered a cleaning every few weeks, but not this guy. His appointments were frequent but erratic. Jeff called him to ask what was up, maybe commit him to a more predictable schedule. What he learned changed his life. 

The client, it turned out, had been using a popular but still growing site called Airbnb to rent out his spare bedrooms—like hotel suites, only cheaper—and he wanted the rooms professionally cleaned after each guest left. 

Since 2008, travelers have booked more than 10 million nights in 192 countries using Airbnb’s system, which now contains more than 300,000 listings. A recent report concluded the site pumped $52 million into San Francisco’s economy over the past year alone. And that success hasn’t gone unnoticed: According to The Wall Street Journal, venture capitalist Peter Thiel—an early investor in Facebook—has considered buying a $150 million stake in the company, a move that would value it at a staggering $2.5 billion. 

Inspired by his client, Jeff decided to rent out his own spare rooms. “I’d had a bad run of roommates,” he says. “You can imagine how desperate I was to get the household finances in order.” 

Within months of creating the listing, cash flow was no longer a concern. Both bedrooms were regularly occupied, and their nightly fees—anywhere from $75 to $250 per room, depending on the time of year—covered much of his rent. 

Stories like Jeff’s aren’t uncommon. He’s now a small part of the burgeoning “sharing economy,” in which millions of people have used a wave of new online services to share goods, services, and even knowledge, all in the name of making a buck. “Everyone has a way to earn money from things they already own, which is an empowering and limitless concept,” says Nate Blecharczyk, Airbnb’s co-founder. “If you can rent out a room in your home, why not rent out the tools in your shed, or your car while you’re at work?” 

The seeds of this idea have existed for some time now: Websites such as Craigslist, for example, have allowed people to sublet apartments and even offer couch space to budget-conscious travelers for years. But there’s a key difference between sites like Airbnb and their predecessors. 

“What’s allowed Airbnb to work so well is that its founders included a large social networking component that helped them to build trust.” says Michael Luca, assistant professor of business administration at Harvard Business School, who has studied the sharing economy. 

Airbnb came with built-in mechanisms designed to help high-quality owners rise to the top. Renters were encouraged to give feedback, rate experiences, and speak to the occupants before committing to a space. In this way, Airbnb harnessed the power of social media to make people feel more comfortable about the risk they were about to take. The owners, meanwhile, seemed to embrace the thrills that came with their nascent entrepreneurialism. 

“People are looking for a more inclusive way to be involved in the exchange of goods and services,” says Airbnb’s Blecharczyk. 

Indeed, many entrepreneurs have started following Airbnb’s example. RelayRides, now available in many major cities, allows people to rent out their cars for as little as $7 an hour, appealing to those who might just want to run a quick errand rather than pay for an entire day’s rental. 

And if you’ve decided to forgo car ownership, you can still take advantage of your driveway’s unused real estate on Parking Panda, a new service geared toward motorists in urban areas where privately owned lots and garages charge a premium. But while the primary appeal of these businesses may lie in the savings, it’s not the only reason for their sudden boom.   

“Beyond economics, the movement is also driven by a sense of community and shared experience,” says Nick Miller, Parking Panda’s co-founder and CEO. “You can get a lot more out of your trip by staying with a local in a neighborhood where there might not be many hotels or by using a service like Lyft to get a ride with someone who can recommend the best ramen in the city.” 

Gidsy, a new travel site, takes that idea even further, linking visitors up with locals who are eager to act as impromptu tour guides, meaning you don’t always need access to tangible goods to participate in the sharing economy. 

The draw of these sites lies, partially, in their ability to allow customers to circumvent traditional businesses like tour agencies. “Today, people can leverage these platforms and conduct commerce externally,” says Chris Redlitz, a founding partner at Transmedia Capital, an investment group that focuses on early-stage companies.

Other sites—Zozi, Vayable, SideTour, GuideHop, and Blink Collective—in one way or another, allow people to visit new cities and book unique experiences, or meet up with locals who want to show off their town’s greatest, most underappreciated assets. That, some investors say, is a quality likely to be embraced as younger generations of travelers come of age, and it’s part of what’s helped these businesses take root. 

“Millennials are more accepting of business models that are about helping each other,” says Dave Knox, co-founder of The Brandery, a Cincinnati-based startup accelerator. “Because of technology, sharing is taking place on a scale never before possible.” 

While these burgeoning businesses may be writing new rules of commerce, they sometimes struggle to comply with long-standing laws. In New York, for example, Airbnb users like Jeff who rent out private residences without a license could be subjected to hefty taxes and fines.

But those hurdles are small compared to the momentum the sharing economy is experiencing. And lucky for entrepreneurs like Jeff, the spirit of generosity tends to be infectious. “I have standing invitations to visit everywhere from Australia to Brazil to virtually any place in Europe,” he says. 

Now that’s a thought worth sharing. 

Mike Darling is a senior editor at MensHealth.com. 

Habanero Pickles

“Searsucker started in San Diego. Last fall, we opened in Scottsdale, and this month, we’re coming to Austin. It’s social dining: All three locations have an open kitchen, a DJ booth, and couches right in the middle of the dining room. I love pickles, and while I was creating the original menu, I played around with a ton of recipes. I’ve always been scared of habaneros, but I thought that with enough vinegar and sugar, I could tame them, and it worked. The coriander adds a little bit of a Southwest feel. They’re great in Bloody Marys or on a charcuterie platter. I also love to put them in BLTs and chicken salad.”

Who Brian Malarkey, executive chef
Where Searsucker 

Ingredients:

2 cups white vinegar

1½ cups water

1½ cups sugar

4 garlic cloves, halved 

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 habanero peppers, halved

4 Persian cucumbers 

1 pinch sea salt

Directions:

1. Bring all ingredients except cucumbers and salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. 

2. In a clean glass container, submerge cucumbers in the hot liquid. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 days. To serve, slice, then sprinkle with sea salt.

LifeSwap This new job-search tool helps find a career that fits.

Here’s how Bastiaan Jamaat, co-founder of LifeSwap, describes the new way to pick a profession: “When I graduated from college, I applied for jobs with no knowledge of what they’d actually be like. We can choose a hotel based on details down to the bedding’s thread count, but when it comes to choosing a career, why are we limited to online listings filled with superficial information? I teamed up with three classmates at Stanford to turn the process on its head. We partner with employers to give potential hires an inside look at the company’s environment, culture, and people. For an afternoon, recruits work on solving real challenges companies face, and get the chance to prove their worth. Giving candidates a better sense of where their passions lie and an inside look at a company ultimately leads to higher job satisfaction. In turn, employers get a peek at the applicant pool, and also save time and money by keeping their top talent in the office instead of at career fairs. We’re creating the Airbnb of work experiences: People will be able to get a glimpse of a job, get closer to pursuing their passions, and make our workforce more fulfilled and efficient.”

The exclamation point made its keyboard debut 43 years ago.

Don’t worry, pre-1970 typists didn’t have to suppress their anger, surprise, frustration, or delight. To convey strong emotion, they simply topped periods with apostrophes to create what was once referred to as a “bang.” Today, SHIFT+1 makes it easy to communicate your excitement—some might argue too easy. When asking yourself, “To exclaim or not to exclaim?” keep your audience in mind. If you think your reader will mistake a period-punctuated message as a sign of displeasure or disinterest, don’t hesitate to go out with a bang, says Mignon Fogarty, author of Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. “There’s no point in being unnecessarily staid if you’re afraid it will offend someone.” We agree wholeheartedly!

Frances of Rome

“Maison Premiere is a turn-of-the-century New Orleans–inspired absinthe, oyster, and cocktail bar. We have one of the largest selections of absinthe in the U.S., and we try to use a different one in each cocktail on our menu—not only because they all have different qualities, but also because we want to share with our guests the variety that’s available. Vieux Pontarlier is a traditional French absinthe verte, or green absinthe. It’s a pretty potent potable and you need something to stretch it out structurally. A whole egg is an emulsifier that also adds a distinct flavor and creamy mouthfeel. Benedictine is a cognac-based herbaceous spirit from France, and Campari is a bitter aperitif from Italy, so I named this cocktail after the Italian saint, Frances of Rome, because she was a Benedictine.” 

Who Maxwell Britten, bar director 
Where Maison Premiere

Ingredients:

¾ ounce Vieux Pontarlier absinthe 

½ ounce Benedictine

½ ounce Campari

¼ ounce demerara syrup*

1 whole egg

1 dash Peychaud’s bitters

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except bitters in a cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously without ice for 20 seconds, then with ice for 30 seconds. Double strain into a poco grande glass. Fill with crushed ice, top with bitters, and garnish with a sprig of mint.

*Combine two parts raw brown sugar with one part water. Heat and stir until combined, then cool.

Aziz Ansari, if you could take back one sentence you’ve ever spoken, what would it be? “Sure, I’ll do the Spirit magazine Q-and-A.”

If you could give your 10-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Work hard; be nice to others.

If you could choose to be born to parents other than your own, who would they be? 

Cliff and Clair Huxtable. You didn’t say they had to be real. 

If you had to choose a first name other than your own, what would it be and why?

Axel, as in Axel Foley [of 1984’s Beverly Hills Cop]. This is 12-year-old Aziz answering questions now.

If you ruled the world, what’s the first thing you would change? 

I wouldn’t want to rule the world. But I do enjoy the Tears for Fears song that counters that notion.

If a picture paints a thousand words, what are you doing in that picture? 

Probably wasting time on the Internet.

If you had a superpower, what would it be?

Either knowing what people are thinking or having the ability to know the perfect text to send to girls.

If you had a time machine, where would you go and why? 

I’d go right to the date of my death, pop up outside the funeral, and blast T.I.’s “I’m  Back.” 

If you had coined a single phrase of wisdom, what would it be? 

I love what Steve Martin says when people ask for advice on how to make it: “Be undeniably good.”

What About You? If you could listen to only one album for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?

Submit your answer at spiritmag.com/if. Our favorite responses will be published in an upcoming issue of Spirit.

We each consume 10 pounds of cheddar cheese per year.

If you think that’s a lot, get a load of this: Cheddar accounts for roughly a third of the 33.5 total pounds of natural cheese we each devour annually—and the beloved burger topper isn’t even the big cheese in this category. In fact, cheddar has been on the decline since 2009. The new king of curds is mozzarella, with a per capita consumption rate of 11.43 pounds. “The rise of mozzarella is parallel to the rise in popularity of pizza,” says International Dairy Foods Association spokesperson Peggy Armstrong. Is there another cheese coming on strong? Well, when isn’t Gorgonzola coming on strong?

These health-minded smartphone apps do a body good. 

Your Goal: Sit Up Straight

Because your mother can’t always be around, there’s LUMOback (device, $149; iOS app, free), a sensor worn around the waist that gently vibrates when you start to slouch. Track your progress with the device’s companion app, which features LUMO, a stick-figure avatar who mirrors your motions.

Your Goal: Get Moving

Get in stride with RunKeeper (iOS and Android, free), a GPS-enabled app that tracks distance, pace, elevation gain, and calories burned for all forms of motion exercise (runs, walks, bike rides, hikes, etc.). You can save routes for later use, measure progress against fitness goals, and share your journey with friends via Facebook, Twitter, and RunKeeper.com.

Your Goal: Quiet Your Mind

Find your happy place with Buddhify (iOS and Android, $2.99/$0.99), which provides calming audio guides to meditation. Once you’re relaxed and ready to catch some Z’s, schedule a gentle wake-up with Sleep Cycle (iOS, $0.99), an intelligent alarm clock that uses subtle sensors in your iPhone to monitor your slumber and, during a designated window of time, rouse you from your lightest sleep phase.

Your Goal: Build Strength

Simply select the area you’d like to tone, and follow the video or animation supplied by Fitness Buddy (iOS and Android, $0.99), which puts more than 1,700 muscle-building exercises at your fingertips. Recuperate with Pocket Yoga (iOS, $2.99), an app that lets you choose from 27 yoga sessions based on your individual skill level.  

Your Goal: Lose Weight

Start your healthy diet by shopping smarter. Scan the bar code of a grocery store item and Fooducate (iOS and Android, free) will assign a letter grade based on an algorithm developed by dietitians. After you’ve filled your pantry with nutritious edibles, record how much you eat and exercise with Lose It! (iOS and Android, free), which uses a daily calorie budget to help you achieve your weight-loss goal. 

Montelucia

If your schedule doesn’t permit a trip to the south of Spain, consider this majestic retreat, inspired by the architecture of Andalusia. The resort’s centerpiece is the 31,000-square-foot Joya Spa, where you can partake in a traditional Arabian hammam experience: It starts with a supine stint on a heated platform and ends with a body scrub and visits to the steam room, whirlpool, sauna, and cold plunge pool. A roster of on-site activities (salsa-dancing lessons, tapas cooking classes, sunrise yoga), plus a clothing boutique and a gelato shop, ensure guests remain entertained within the sumptuous confines. For dinner, follow the stone walkway to Prado, which specializes in old-world European cuisine. Opt for a table outside and toast to the dazzling desert sunset over neighboring Camelback Mountain.

Airport Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) Rate From $349 

Black Velvet

“We only offer beer and wine, but we wanted to give people the opportunity to have a mixed drink, so we created a list of beer cocktails. The Black Velvet is a classic that’s made with equal parts champagne and stout beer. We created a twist on it by adding crème de cassis, which brightens it up a little, and a maraschino cherry. Even though it’s a Belgian-style stout, Allagash Black is not overwhelmingly heavy. It actually has more of an aromatic floral note to it, which really marries well with crème de cassis, a black currant-based liqueur that adds just the right amount of sweetness and tartness. This drink can be served as an aperitif, but at the same time it’s rich enough to stand up to anything on our menu.”

Who Brooke Williamson, co-owner and executive chef

Where The Tripel 

4 ounces cava 

4 ounces Allagash Black Belgian-style stout beer 

1 teaspoon crème de cassis

Pour cava into a tall pilsner glass. Top with beer, then add crème de cassis. Garnish with a Luxardo maraschino cherry.

Dave Grohl, if you ruled the world, what’s the first thing you would change? 

The process of choosing who rules the world. 

If you were an animal, what kind would you be?

A T. rex. I mean, duh…

If you had a time machine, where would you go?

The Woodstock festival, 1969. Hendrix, The Who, Santana, Sha Na Na!

If you could rid yourself of one deeply personal fear, what would it be?

Bridges. They freak me out—and are quite necessary. 

If you were to receive a surprise package in the mail today, what would be in it?

A one-way ticket to the Big Island of Hawaii. 

If you could play in any band but your own, which band would it be?

The one that plays down the street at that dingy little bar every Friday night. 

If you could have any other talent, what would it be?

Tap dancing! I’ve got the rhythm. I just need the moves. And the shoes. 

If you could relive one moment over and over again, what would it be?

The one where I come home, open the front door, and my two daughters scream, “Daddy!” 

What About You? If you could listen to only one album for the rest of your life, which would it be and why?

Submit your answer at spiritmag.com/if. Our favorite responses will be published in an upcoming issue of Spirit.

Humans generate only 49% of all Internet traffic.

If you think you know who’s visiting your website, think again. Approximately 51 percent of Internet activity is created by bots, according to data released by Incapsula, a cloud-based security service. The automated programs lighting up the Net come in a variety of forms: The good guys, or search engines like Google, whose servers never rest, represent 20 percent, while the remaining 31 percent would love nothing more than to worm their way into your PC. Of that menacing group, hacking tools account for 5 percent of traffic, and refer to software that visits a site to crash it or steal data. So-called scrapers (5 percent) are notorious for pulling info from one site and publishing it to another to pillage search-engine traffic. And comment spammers (2 percent) do just that, posting malware and other annoying content to bog down a site. Spyware (19 percent), which covertly gathers info that can compromise competitive advantage, rounds out the derelict visitors. We aren’t alone after all—at least not on the Interwebs.

Monarchs can’t fly in temps below 55 degrees.

But they will make an exception if it’s sunny out. Karen Oberhauser, a wildlife professor at the University of Minnesota who has been studying monarch butterflies for almost 30 years, explains how these colorful creatures thermoregulate: “If it’s cooler than 55 degrees but sunny, you’ll see them orient the middle part of their bodies, known as the thorax, toward the sun. Because their bodies are black, they soak up the heat just as you would if you were wearing a dark-colored shirt.” To warm their muscles, they also shiver, which results in what Oberhauser describes as “tiny twitches.” As you might imagine, the weather plays a crucial role in monarch migration. “Butterflies are on a tight schedule, just like air travelers,” Oberhauser says. “If they don’t get far enough south in time, they can literally get stuck.” Guess we have more in common with these winged things than we thought.

Postcard on the Run Turn smartphone snapshots into lasting memories.

Here’s how Josh Brooks, founder and CEO of Postcard on the Run, describes the app that turns your photos into postcards: “We all have countless digital pictures we’ve taken with our phones and then forgotten. Some of them captured a special moment in our lives that might have lived in a social media feed for 12 seconds. I wanted to build a business that let people remember such moments with a physical keepsake. Postcard on the Run lets you create a postcard using your own photo, write an accompanying note, and send it in the mail—all without ever seeing or touching the card. Since most phones double as video cameras, we’ve found a way to share video, too. When you send a postcard using the iOS version of the app, you can, at no extra charge, include a short video that the recipient can access by scanning the QR code or navigating to the URL printed on the back of each card. The app is free to download and also works with Android and Windows Phone. Postcards cost $.99–$1.69, depending on where they’re being mailed.” 

Hot Dixie Prawns

“Talula’s Garden is complemented by a 66-seat, open-air garden, which really drives our concept. We typically approach things vegetable first. The sauce in this dish is a Spanish romesco. When they’re in season I use red bell peppers, but in colder months, when local produce is limited, I rely on preserved peppers. Peppadews are pickled and have a hot and sour flavor, while piquillos are more smoky. We decided we wanted to give back to the Gulf Coast economy, so we use fresh Louisiana shrimp. The seafood coming out of that fishery is just wonderful. At the restaurant, a lot of people start out with one of our curated “cheese collections,” which puts them in the mood to share. This appetizer is a nice segue from that to dinner.” 

Who Sean McPaul, Executive Chef

Where Talula’s Garden 

1 cup fried and salted Marcona almonds 

1 cup drained Peppadew peppers 

1 cup drained piquillo peppers

4 ounces olive oil

2 ounces sherry vinegar

12 jumbo Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined

1. Combine almonds and peppers in a food processor and pulse until coarsely combined. Separately, whisk together oil and vinegar. Add to pepper mixture and pulse. Add more vinegar to taste.

2. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat, flipping once and cooking for two minutes on each side.

3. Spread shrimp over sauce.

22% of us would hire Bruce Springsteen to write a new national anthem. 

The Boss is still, well, the boss. In a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll that asked which musician should be entrusted with the patriotic duty of crafting an alternative to “Oh, say can you see,” the “Born to Run” singer edged the competition. Dolly Parton was the runner-up with 19 percent of the vote, and Stevie Wonder followed with 18 percent. Bob Dylan, composer John Williams, and Jay-Z sat squarely in the middle, and Madonna proved to be the immaterial girl, garnering just 5 percent. Clearly, Springsteen’s Americana-laden body of work helped him clinch the win. Bruce titles already taken: “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Glory Days,” “The Promised Land,” and “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

Urban legend or absolute reality? Historian Albert Jack clarifies a few famed claims.

Charlie Chaplin lost a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

“At the height of Chaplin’s fame, look-alike contests were popular,” says Jack. “On one occasion, Chaplin, dressed casually and not in character, entered one. As the story goes, he failed to make the final stages of the competition, which was actually won by his brother.”

Gum stays in your system for seven years. 

“While it’s an easy way for parents to convince their children not to swallow gum, this tale is simply not true. Gum passes through the intestines in the same way corn does—without breaking down completely. Don’t tell the kids!”

Winston Churchill was a Druid.

“Not only was Britain’s most famous prime minister a member of the mysterious ancient priesthood, but his signature ‘V is for Victory’ salute is a traditional Druid symbol demonstrating the Law of Fives, which suggests that all things happen in fives. Two fingers up and three down equals five.” 

A man lived in the terminal of a French airport for nearly 20 years.

“In 1988, Iranian refugee Mehran Nasseri was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport for travelling without identification. A French court ruled that he could not be forced to leave the country, but refused him a visa. Despite eventually being granted residency, Nasseri chose to stay at the airport until 2006.”

Walt Disney is cryopreserved at Disneyland.

“It’s rumored that Walt Disney had himself frozen while awaiting a cure for lung cancer. In fact, he died without knowing his illness was terminal, so no such arrangements would have been made. Disney’s cremated remains rest in peace in Glendale, California.”

The new Spock in next month’s Star Trek on pals, Pittsburgh, and pointy ears

1) STEELY ROOTS: Pittsburgh, the city I grew up in, is an incredibly supportive community. It’s a surprisingly cultural town with a tight-knit collection of enormously talented theater artists. My experience as a young actor in Pittsburgh has a lot to do with starting me on the path that has led me to this point.

2) THE S WORD: “Surprise” is a word I try to live by. I invite it all the time into my experience, into the roles I play. I’m understanding more and more that every gift or opportunity emerges from a challenge or conflict. I wouldn’t have the things I have without those challenges, or if I did, they wouldn’t mean as much.

3) ENTOURAGE: My closest friends are many of my college classmates. We sustain each other through all the ups and downs. They didn’t really care when I was unemployed, and they don’t really care that today I have a job. It is important to be surrounded by those kinds of people: the ones who know the real self.

4) VULCAN SALUTE: I can’t say how amazing it was to have Leonard Nimoy be such an integral part of the process of making Star Trek. Getting to know him was one of the highlights of the experience—and considering him a friend is one of the great honors of my life.

A rec room classic gets an injection of testosterone.

What do you get when you cross a foosball table with the bumper of a farm pickup? Answer: On the Edge Marketing’s Diamond Plate Foosball Table . Made of durable polycarbonate materials, the manly game looks tough enough to withstand years of beer-fueled abuse. The 55-by-30-by-34-inch table also comes with a built-in mp3 player dock, speakers, and amplifier—perfect for rocking out as you spin-kick the winning point down the playing field. Two chrome soccer balls; a chrome-plated ball return bin; and eight rows of stylish, black- and silver-colored figures ensure that no player will ever look like a girly man. $1,223

February/Paperback
An Incomplete and Inaccurate History of Sport

THE CONCEPT: ESPN commentator Kenny Mayne offers his somewhat random, frequently erratic, and highly entertaining take on the wide world of sports.

SCOUTING REPORT: Mayne covers an abundance of sports (bowling, horse racing), but leaves almost as many out (swimming, roller derby). He often goes on tangents about unrelated topics—like a discussion of Starbucks in an entry on hunting—as well as personal anecdotes, such as the epic summer from his youth when a neighborhood kid hit 843 wiffle ball home runs. His daughters’ illustrations make the book even more surreal, a welcome contrast to the often-overserious genre of sports books.
GET IT: Feb. 3

February/Hardcover
Galway Bay

in a nutshell: Author Mary Pat Kelly revisits the great immigration of Irish citizens to America during the mid-1800s by following a single fictional family. After surviving a potato famine in their native Ireland, Honora and Michael Kelly and their children join 2 million of their brethren in immigrating to America. But they soon discover that things are not much easier on this side of the pond. Follow the family as it gets swept into Chicago’s shift from frontier to “city of the century ” and then winds up in a bloody Civil War.

WRITING SAMPLE: “August now and no doubt remained. Blight had killed the entire potato crop of 1848. Fields, planted at such sacrifice, were black and blasted. For the third time in four years we’d lost our food.”
GET IT: Feb. 9

Each NFL game gets 36 footballs.

So why do the pros require more pigskins per game than a high school gym? Most of the time, they’re just playing it safe. New balls get swapped into the game for a lot of reasons. Sometimes players keep them after a big play or flick them to a fan following a touchdown. A dozen balls appear only for kickoffs , punts, and field goal and extra-point attempts . Still other balls go to record-setters or wind up on charity auction blocks. And open-air stadiums—such as the one in Tampa Bay for Super Bowl XLIII this month—like to have a few spares, too, just in case the weather turns ugly .

How a top young chef went from Subway to culinary star.

I think I always had the ingredients of a cook. I asked for an Easy-Bake Oven when I was 6, but I never had the patience for the light bulb to heat up, so I ate everything raw. You could say I was a demanding kid. At 29, I’m still demanding, and it’s paying off. I received the James Beard Rising Star Chef Award in 2008, and I competed in The Next Iron Chef . For a Minnesota kid who started at Subway , it feels wildly gratifying. But receiving an award is one thing. Living up to it is another.

I grew up on Rice Krispies bars and Cheetos . Those humble culinary beginnings come through in my cooking at Café Boulud in New York City, as does a newly discovered patience. These days, I’ll wait four weeks for a sausage to cure. What a change that is from my days with the Easy-Bake Oven.

February/TV

Dollhouse
Your favorite restaurant. Your childhood house. Your middle name. Imagine if someone could erase these memories. That’s the situation Echo (Eliza Dushku ) finds herself in as a member of an underground agency hired by the wealthy and powerful for odd jobs. In the new show Dollhouse , creator Joss Whedon returns to the small screen with his first new series since the short-lived Firefly in 2002. Just try to remember the show premieres on Feb. 13.

February/Film

Fanboys
Most people in 1998 would have stood a better chance of escaping from the Death Star than scoring a sneak peek at a Star Wars sequel. But that doesn’t stop four fictional super-geeks from traveling cross-country in Fanboys to try a major heist: Stealing Episode I: The Phantom Menace from George Lucas’ headquarters to show their dying friend. On Feb. 6, Kristen Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) headlines an ensemble comedic cast. We like the lineup of nerd-friendly cameos, including William Shatner and Seth Rogen . What more could a fanboy want?

Darius Karsas riffs on a sweet treat.

Our restaurant serves food that reminds people of their mom’s cooking. So when we had to come up with the bar menu, we turned to classic kid beverages—Kool-Aid , Sunny D —and created updated, playful versions. The Hooville takes on the creamy and chocolatey Yoo-hoo , but with added almond flavor, since what goes better with chocolate than almond? It’s a nutty, rich-tasting cocktail that makes a really good after-dinner drink. Darius Karsas is the bar manager at Ketchup in Los Angeles.

Hooville
1 3/4 ounces vodka
3/4 ounce amaretto
1 1/2 ounces Yoo-hoo
White chocolate shavings

Combine the vodka, amaretto, and Yoo-hoo in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with white chocolate shavings. Makes one Hooville.

Travel back to a simpler time in northern Kentucky.

Want to get all shook up? It could happen in Pleasant Hill , home to the country’s largest restored Shaker village.

Located about 70 miles southeast of Louisville , Shaker missionaries from New York established the community in 1805.

Spread over nearly 3,000 acres of farmland in Harrodsburg , Shaker Village includes an 81-room inn , 40 miles of trails, a living history museum with 34 original and restored Shaker buildings, craft shops, and a furniture showroom.

Stroll through the clapboard 1820 Meeting House, where services were held. Enjoy a meal in the Trustees’ Office Dining Room, where you can dine by candlelight on sliced pork with apple cider sauce. Next, watch costumed interpreters demonstrate 19th-century woodworking techniques in the living history museum. Finally, end your stay with a trek along the hiking trails, a horseback ride, or even a canoe trip down the Kentucky River. Just don’t get too shook up in the boat.

The actor/singer/comedian reflects on the stage, Sammy, and staying in the moment.

1) New Media: You always have to find new things to conquer. An improv comedy TV show? I found out I can do that. Broadway? A Vegas show? A CD of great music? I can do that too. I never stop reaching for greatness and challenging myself. You want to make sure everything you do is as interesting as the last thing you did.

2) Straight Talk: I’m a straightforward person, and that comes across, even in comedy. Sixty percent of connecting with audiences is natural. You’ve got to be an open person. And the other 40 percent is just being a good performer. People respond to a guy who looks them in the eye.

3) Sammy’s Lead: Las Vegas was Sammy Davis Jr. ’s world, and every time I step on stage at the Venetian , I feel like I’m stepping into a house he built for guys like me. There were times when a black performer couldn’t even come in the front door. Sammy showed that not only could you be an intelligent black performer, but you could have class and style too. Without him, there would be no me.

4) Book Smarts: My grandmother, who raised me, turned me onto books when I was a little kid. I got called “nerd” a lot, but I still read everything I can get my hands on. The Lord of the Rings completely freed my imagination, which is—in a lot of ways—what led me to improv. I started reading sci-fi and fantasy, which led to writing my own stories. Going to the stage was the next logical step.

5) The Here and Now: Staying in the moment is important. In improv, when your partner’s talking to you, you can’t be thinking, Oh, I’ve got such a great joke! You’ll tell that joke three minutes later and everyone’s moved on. Same goes in real life. If you’re not enjoying that moment, then you’ve already missed the moment.

8,000,000,000 candy hearts will come out this year.

It all started in the 1800s with a hard candy called cockles . The shell-shaped treats were stuffed with small papers. Daniel Chase of the New England Confectionary Company (NECCO) later invented a process that allowed him to print words directly onto candy. By the early 1900s, candy hearts evolved into their current form, with phrases like “Be Mine” and “Kiss Me.” About 20 years ago, NECCO began retiring worn-out sayings for new ones. This year, look for “Honey Bun,” “Spice It Up,” and “Recipe 4 Love” to come from your secret admirer.

Because freeing your follicles can change your perspective.

By Steve Almond

DURING A DEBATE TOURNAMENT back in college, my partner and I decided to have a little fun. Rather than arguing on behalf of nuclear disarmament or public transportation, we proposed that all people on planet Earth should shave their heads at least once in their lives. We combed through the Old Testament and Greek mythology for supporting evidence. We invoked the holiness of Buddhist monks and the Egyptian priest class. We mocked our opponents for their “follicular snobbery.” We lost.

The judge said our arguments lacked gravity. Perhaps he was right. Or perhaps he was simply bitter over his own male-pattern baldness . In either case, the verdict had a strange effect: I began to take this conviction seriously.

In my own moony, collegiate manner, I believed head-shaving had been given a bad rap, linked to criminal behavior, conformity, and emasculation. To me, it represented a brave rejection of our culture’s hair-obsessed narcissism . Which is why, upon arriving at grad school a few years later, I walked into a barber supply shop and bought an electric clipper.

Back at my apartment, I stood in front of the mirror in my bathroom and plugged in the device. It buzzed and trembled in my hand. I took a deep breath and watched as tufts of hair drifted to the floor. Within a few minutes my head looked like a pale, stubbled fruit.

How did I feel? I felt incredible, even better than I’d ever imagined. I felt clean and sleek and somehow…simplified. I walked outside to my porch and the wind rushed across my bare scalp and the thousands of nerves gathered there sang out in glee.

Then my neighbor Holly appeared in the driveway. “Oh God,” she said. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing,” I insisted. “I did this myself! Just now. With a clipper.”

Holly cocked her head. “Seriously,” she whispered, “you can tell me.”

As it turned out, walking around with a shaved head kind of freaked people out. Michael Jordan could get away with it . But he was the world’s greatest basketball player. I was merely one of the world’s most obscure and annoying short story writers . And I admit that my lockless look was extreme. My nose, never a dainty arrangement, appeared swollen to three times its normal size. The various scars and deformities of my skull—relics of a childhood spent in combat with my brothers—were suddenly on display. I looked funny, but my appearance felt like a much more honest accounting of who I was.

I spent nearly a year living this way, quite happily. I might never have grown my hair out at all, were it not for the beautiful woman I met at the end of my first year. She was not interested in dating someone whose head—to quote her—looked “like a nicked-up bullet.” Ouch.

So the clippers went into storage and my hair reemerged, in various awkward configurations. But the itch to buzz never left and a few years later, during a particularly merciless Boston summer, I dug out the clippers. It was just as pleasurable the second time—and just as distressing to my friends.

I hope this explains my personal fondness for head shaving. But the question remains: Why would I advocate it for others? I’m going to offer six reasons, which I hope you will read before nudging the person in the seat next to you, pointing to this article, and murmuring, “This guy is out of his mind.”

OK, here we go.

1) It feels really good.
Have you ever had your scalp massaged ? Or even just had someone run his or her fingers through your hair? It’s just about the best feeling in the world (among the top three, anyway).

The reason it feels so good is because the scalp is exquisitely sensitive. It has the thickest skin of any part of the body, and therefore the highest density of nerve endings, especially around the follicles. This will become clear to you the moment you kiss your curls goodbye. Simply put: It’s impossible not to caress your scalp.

I even came to love the act of shaving my head. I’d let my hair grow out a centimeter or two, buzz it back down and, if I was feeling decadent, slather my head with shaving cream and work with a razor. The result was a head so smooth it felt almost rubbery. I would then immediately go swimming. The water felt divine, as if God were kissing me on the crown of the head.

2) It strips away your vanity.
To be clear: I have nothing against beautiful hair. My wife has beautiful hair. But it’s hard to dispute that our consumer culture has gone overboard in emphasizing the importance of beautiful hair. How else might we explain the proliferation of shampoos, conditioners, thickeners, and mousses that stare out from the supermarket shelves? Take a look at your own bathroom. I’d be willing to bet you have a dozen hair-care products.

This is to say nothing of the incessant emphasis on hair restoration for men. Larry David , the grumpy hero of HBO’s comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm , has a very funny riff on the discrimination suffered by bald men in this country. The joke works because it’s rooted in truth: From the Age of Samson to the Age of Fabio , a healthy, lustrous head of hair has always represented physical prowess and sexual power. This is part of what makes the sheering of one’s locks seem like such an extreme, transgressive act.

3) It can set you free.
With some caution, let us examine the case of Britney Spears. Back in February of 2007, pictures surfaced of the pop singer shaving her head . The reaction was one of horror. How could she do something so self-destructive?

But consider what has transpired in the months since. By all accounts, Ms. Spears has straightened out her personal life, gotten back in shape, and relaunched her career . Shaving her head may have been her way of flipping out the paparazzi, but it also trimmed the narcissistic excess from her life. Intentionally or not, it turns out to have been an act of spiritual liberation.

This was part of the reason why I loved the ritual of shaving my head. It felt like a purification rite. A number of professional athletes describe having the same feeling. They make it a point to shave their heads before big games. It’s not just a ploy to intimidate your opponent or to cut down wind resistance. It’s a way of eliminating distractions.

4) It’s eco friendly.
I’m not going to overstate the case here, but it just happens to be true that when you have a shaved head you use a lot less shampoo and hot water and towels.

5) It fosters greater empathy.
Remember that old American Indian expression about how you have to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you can know his heart? The same rule prevails when it comes to hair.

There are, of course, many reasons why people wind up with no hair on their heads. They go bald. They get sick. They make a religious or cultural decision. They join the military. Sometimes, tragically, the decision is imposed on them.

Whatever the cause, they wind up moving through the world in a state of greater vulnerability and humility. That was certainly how I felt. Heck, my own mother gasped and said that I looked “like a refugee” the first time (since birth, at least) she saw me sans hair.

But these reactions didn’t make me angry. On the contrary, being judged makes you less apt to judge others—and more apt to sympathize with them.

6) It’s only temporary.
For the past few years, I’ve been telling my wife that I want shave my head again. “Go right ahead,” she always says. “Then hand the clippers to me.” This is her attempt at a deterrent.

The flaw in her logic is obvious: Hair grows back. To those who see my proposal as a radical one, I offer this reminder: Head shaving is, at most, a temporary measure, no more radical than a bad dye job. If you find life with a shaved head to be embarrassing or difficult, you have only to survive a few months of wearing hats. That’s what makes hair so remarkable: the miracle of regeneration.

Oddly, this argument never holds much sway with my wife.

And honestly, I don’t expect you to run out and shave your head, simply because some guy in a magazine says it’s a profound experience. But on the off chance that you do, please know that I support your decision. Oh, and also: Please don’t tell your spouse it was my idea.

Steve Almond’s latest book is the essay collection Not That You Asked . He lives with a full head of hair in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Dear Reader,

About half an hour ago, while surfing the Web, I came across some facts so alarming that I immediately took a nap.

According to Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs of the Sleep Disorders Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School , adults as well as toddlers have a “biological readiness to fall asleep” in the middle of the afternoon. The only difference is, toddlers act on that readiness by taking a nap. Most adults don’t, except for those happy residents of what sleep researchers call “siesta cultures.”

During the mid-afternoon, while sensible toddlers and Latin countries catch a few winks, here’s what happens to the rest of us:

• Our moods tend to darken.
• Accidents increase.
• Daytime deaths from all causes spike—probably, researchers think, because of those accidents.
• Our body temperature drops slightly. (I have no idea what this has to do with naps, but sleep researchers like to mention it.)

Here’s the good news: Ten minutes to half an hour is all the nap you need. This holds especially true if you’re like most Americans, getting an average of one hour less sleep than you’re supposed to. That’s why I followed the example of power-nappers like Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein .

I heard someplace that many Japanese drink a cup of coffee before napping ; the caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in, eliminating that groggy post-nap feeling. I had a Coke instead of coffee, and 20 minutes later had to go to the bathroom. The technique works, though. (Admittedly, this letter might put even caffeinated nappers to sleep.)

Before my prose inspires you to nap, read Daniel Radosh’s story on sleep technology . Meanwhile, a note to my co-workers: If you see me snoring on the floor of the conference room, please don’t wake me up. I’m napping for your own safety.

Jay Heinrichs
Editorial Director