Illustration: Alex Nabaum for Newsweek

By Linda Stern 
April 7, 2008 issue

Let interviewers know you’re talking to others. Expect to take at least six months to find a good job.

Here’s a case of bad timing: being midcareer in midrecession. In February, 63,000 U.S. jobs evaporated; 17,000 were lost in January. The job market is deteriorating just as a generation of workers is looking to move up a rung. How can you find a better job when you’re only tenuously clinging to the one you have now?

Ask Patricia Jones. In November, the 41-year-old midlevel manager was laid off from her job as head of a support staff of 18 at a large New York law firm. She took the holidays off and then hit the job market, just as the job market was hitting that wall. She continued the day-care arrangements for her 5-year-old daughter and spent each day crafting her résumé, sending it to everyone she knew, making countless phone calls, answering ads and networking. Now she’s one month into her new, bigger and better post: managing 150 support workers at a big international law firm. Nice salary, nice benefits, great situation and the better of two offers she received almost simultaneously. “I’m very happy,” she says.

So it can be done, though it isn’t easy. “People in midcareer are getting jobs now, though they really have to work harder at it,” reports Anita Attridge, a career coach with the Five O’Clock Club (fiveoclockclub.com), an outplacement and job-counseling firm. “In many cases they are changing careers or industries to do it.” Here’s how to job-hunt like it’s your job.

Rent “The Night of the Shooting Stars.” Set in a German-occupied Tuscan village in 1944, this 1982 Taviani brothers film is a one-of-a-kind war movie, unfolding like a folk tale passed on from generation to generation. Stirring, lyrical, savage, it’s a marvel of a movie.

Read “Before John Was a Jazz Giant.” This children’s book imagines a young John Coltrane absorbing the sounds of his environment—hambones in his grandmother’s pot, the whistle of a steam train—before he ever picked up a sax. Concise, rhythmic prose and gorgeous illustrations make this imposing legend accessible to a new generation.

Log on to seafoodwatch .org and download a pocket guide that lists the best seafood to buy to support environmentally friendly fisheries and fish farms. The guides are tailored to various U.S. regions and also recommend seafood to avoid.

Every tax season has its own set of blunders—mistakes that can cost you real money. Here’s what to avoid this year.

Not filing. If you made $3,000 last year but didn’t earn so much that you’re required to file a return, file one anyway. It’s the only way you’ll get your stimulus check.

Spending too much to get an extra-fast refund. Many preparers offer instant or one-day refunds. But the refunds are really expensive loans guaranteed by your refund. They can carry fees that can add up to a hefty sum. Just authorize the IRS to deposit your refund directly into your bank account.

Not checking for extra write-offs. Tax year 2007 carries some special credits and deductions that are easy to miss. Teachers who buy supplies, homeowners who save energy, folks who lost property in hurricanes and tornadoes, those who have kids in college or anyone who’s gotten relief from their mortgage banker should all make sure they are getting what they are due.

Reneged on your New Year’s exercise resolutions? Planning to rush back to the gym for swimsuit season? You’re not alone: at gyms across the country, the spring rush is getting underway. Here are some new workout trends to look into.

Rowing. For those who enjoy rowing but don’t have the discipline to go it alone, Rowbics, a 50-minute full-body fitness class on rowing machines, is spreading to gyms nationwide. It includes calisthenics and stretches to give a workout for all muscle groups and burns more calories than spinning. See rowbics.com for more info and locations.

Semipersonal trainers. Bally Total Fitness (ballyfitness.com) is introducing a new series of classes manned by two or three personal trainers who walk students through dozens of different stations, maximizing their workout. The gyms are offering these classes free of charge on Thursday nights in an attempt to help gymgoers get a partial personal-training session if they’re not yet ready to make a full commitment.

Soar above the treetops on a zip line, a 30-second thrill ride that zooms you downhill at high speeds. Riders wear a harness that clips to a cable, and automatic brakes prevent crashes at the bottom. Popularized in Costa Rica as a way to tour the forest canopy, zip-line rides are popping up across the United States.

The newest is at California’s Heavenly Mountain ski resort, where riders hit speeds of 50mph and enjoy views of Lake Tahoe ($30; skiheavenly.com). Other ski areas with zip lines include New Hampshire’s Wildcat Mountain (skiwild cat.com) and Utah’s Park City Mountain Resort, which zips you 110 feet above the ground ($19; parkcitymountainresort .com). Or watch Nordic ski jumpers launch from the 120-meter jump that parallels the supersteep zip line at Utah Olympic Park, where riders can attain speeds of 60mph ($20; utahathleticfoundation .com). The zip line at Alaska’s Icy Strait Point is more than a mile long and is popular with cruise-ship passengers who visit Juneau. Suspended 530 feet above the ground, riders sometimes look down to see bald eagles flying below ($90; icystraitpoint.com). How popular are these heart-pounding rides? ZipRider (ziprider.com) is building one at a ski resort in Siberia. Hold onto your fur hats!

Bordeaux’s celebrated 2005 vintage has triggered sticker shock. Top châteaus are selling bottles for as much as $2,000. But the vintage quality is high across the board, so you can also find some great values. Lesser-known appellations and châteaus are a great source for the bargains, including the wines below:

92 - $18
Château Puygueraud Côtes de Francs 2005
An obscure region delivers lovely black currant, floral and licorice flavors in this merlot-based red.

91 - $17
Château Caronne Ste.-Gemme Haut-Médoc 2005
This bottling, based on Cabernet Sauvignon, is pumped up with raisin and dried-fruit flavors.

90 - $16
Domaine de Courteillac Bordeaux Supérieur 2005
This wine exhibits beautiful aromas of blackberry, coffee and milk chocolate.

89 - $13
Château La Grange Clinet Premières Côtes de Bordeaux 2005
Delivers a good core of juicy black fruit, with blackberry and flowers on the nose.

88 - $12
Château Cour d’Argent Bordeaux 2005
This merlot-based red comes from vineyards near St-Emilion. It has blackberry and coffee-bean flavors.

Click, Save: More than 1,100 bloggers are devoting their Web space to family frugality
Illustration: Alex Nabaum for Newsweek

Cheap is the new cool, and just in the nick of time. Economic worries, $4-a-gallon gas, a weak job market and stuck salaries are scaring everyone into taking another look at their expenses. Happily, much of the belt-tightening can be painless if done right. Here’s how to run your own squeeze play.

Go for the big bucks first. Insurance is in a category that Greg Karp, author of “Living Rich by Spending Smart” (FT Press. $17.99), calls “low-hanging fruit.” It’s easy to pluck big savings from your policies by raising your deductibles, comparison-shopping all your policies at least once a year, turning to one company for your auto and homeowner’s insurance, and using all the safe-driver, good-student, home-security-system discounts you have coming to you. Raise the deductibles on your car insurance from $200 to $1,000 and you can save as much as 40 percent on your premiums. Do the same with your homeowner’s insurance, and set the savings aside to cover the higher deductibles.

Control your electronics. If you “need” a full menu of cable channels, a home phone and high-speed Internet, you can probably save hundreds of dollars a year by bundling all your services and getting competitive quotes from your local cable and phone companies, says Consumer Reports. You can often find a $99-a-month deal for all three. But if you break up that bundle and really focus on the services you need, you might save more. You can cut your cell-phone bill with a prepaid phone deal, or ramp up your cell-phone use and cut your landline altogether. You can use an Internet-based phone service like skype.com ($3 per month) or magicjack.com (a one-time $40 device fee) instead of placing long-distance calls from your home phone. Every six months, call your phone and cable companies to ask if they have cheaper plans.

Focus on food. There are two different approaches to saving on groceries. The Sara Brady way involves downloading coupons from sites like hotcouponworld.com, shopping the local sales and pairing coupons to low prices in a way that’s so artful she’ll get $21 worth of goods, plus $17 in coupons back, for spending $11. This requires spreadsheets, a couple of hours of comparing items, three to five shopping trips a week, and the discipline not to stock up on stuff you don’t want just because you have a coupon. Mary Webber of frugalfamilykitchen.com goes the other way, advocating a less-shopping-is-better approach. She goes to the grocery once every other week and steers clear of packaged and processed foods.

Cut your restaurant budget. It’s one of the biggest money pits. The average household spends almost half its $6,000 annual food budget eating out. Put prepared meals in the freezer and skip the stop for rotisserie chicken. When you do eat out, use coupons from sites like entertainment.com and restaurant.com. And, you’ve heard it before, but here’s one more try: brew your own coffee. You can buy a nice travel cup for the cost of two overpriced lattes. By the end of your first week, you’ll have $15 extra that you can take to the bank.

• Leave your retirement account alone. Chances are, you’re already in diversified mutual funds that will moderate your losses, so don’t sell in fear, says Jane King, of Fairfield Financial Advisors in Wellesley, Mass. Rather, keep buying into today’s cheaper market by continuing your regular contributions.

• Lock in tax losses now. If you’re losing money on stocks outside of tax-protected retirement accounts, sell shares on bad days. You’ll be able to use those losses to cut your 2008 taxes. Don’t buy the same security back for at least 31 days, to protect that tax break.

“Otto Runs for President,” by Rosemary Wells (ages 4 to 8; $15.99). A young dog defeats two popular, self-centered classmates in a school election. In the end, he learns how tough it is to be president.

“LaRue for Mayor,” by Mark Teague (5 to 8; $16.99). In this slapstick tale, a dog runs for mayor after a crackdown on canine civil liberties. Finally, a real “change agent.”

Hear the B-52s’ “Funplex.” The beehives are gone, but it’s still rainbow-bright party time for the B-52s. Like a sonic shot of vitamin B12, the dance floor beats, fuzzy guitar riffs and happy, shiny lyrics keep the energy going.

Rent “Bonnie and Clyde—Ultimate Collector’s Edition,” the new, remastered two-disc edition of Arthur Penn’s watershed gangster flick. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway are the legendary lovers/outlaws who come to a most spectacular end in an orgasmic hail of Texas Ranger bullets. It includes a new documentary on the making of this classic movie.

By Tina Peng

Nancy Muriello, 37, decided a few years ago that she wanted to “empty all the junk” from her mind. So she began studying meditation techniques and practicing breathing and mindfulness, or being aware of the present moment. Now Muriello spends 15 minutes per day clearing her head of clutter. “You can really picture it as a reversal,” says Muriello, who owns Big Apple Power Yoga in New York City. “All the junk, all the stimuli are pouring out of you, so you’re left with a clearer, lighter mind and body. You feel very refreshed, very relaxed, and you have more capacity to take on new things.”

Recent studies have shown meditation can yield a host of health benefits, from increased concentration to some relief from depression. Hospitals and clinics are including meditation as therapy, and medical schools are including it in their curricula. As the practice becomes more accepted as something that can be both secular and therapeutic, publishers are responding: at least a dozen books on meditation are scheduled for release in the next three months. “It’s definitely become very mainstream in many ways,” says Alan Wallace, president of the Santa Barbara (Calif.) Institute for Consciousness Studies.

Brain-imaging research has shown that meditation reduces stress and can enhance one’s sense of well-being. Novice practitioners have increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that can produce positive feelings and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, says Richard J. Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin and the director of its Lab for Affective Neuroscience. Long-term practitioners are able to better focus their attention and cut down on a psychological effect called the “attentional blink” that causes people to overlook rapidly changing visual stimuli. Wallace, who is currently studying how meditation can be used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), says the practice can also lower anger levels and act as a supplementary treatment for depression, heart disease and social-anxiety disorders.

And it can be surprisingly easy to get started. “You don’t have to leave it all behind or run away to a mountaintop,” says Sharon Salzberg, a meditation teacher and author who cofounded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Mass. Practitioners can learn it in a class, off a CD or from a book. Here’s a look at some of the new offerings, as well as some of the classics.

“Real Meditation in Minutes a Day” (Wisdom Publications. $16.95. May 2008), by Joseph Arpaia and Lobsang Rapgay, leads readers step by step through the process of medi-tation, helping them build from focusing awareness to developing mental flexibility and clarity to, finally, opening the mind. Bullet-point tips and instructions make the book seem like test prep for life.

“Ending the Pursuit of Happiness” (Wisdom Publications. $16.95), by Barry Magid, takes a Zen approach to meditation and spirituality, arguing that meditation shouldn’t be a conscious effort to treat spiritual or physical ailments.

“Eat, Pray, Love” (Viking. $15), by Elizabeth Gilbert, has topped The New York Times’s paperback nonfiction bestseller list for more than a year. Gilbert writes about taking a year off to travel the world and find herself, spending four months learning to meditate at an ashram in India.

“Full Catastrophe Living” (Delta. $20), by Jon Kabat-Zinn, is about increasing mindfulness and using meditation to deal with stress and pain. Kabat-Zinn was one of the first to bring meditation into the secular world and point to its more-medical, less-spiritual applications. He’s particularly famous for this title.

Pema Chodron, a Buddist nun and well-known meditation teacher, has released several audio CDs, including “How to Meditate With Pema Chodron” ($19.77; amazon .com). She has forthcoming titles on such subjects as living with uncertainty and cultivating compassion (preorders at bn.com).

Salzberg has created Unplug ($21.56; bn.com) and Insight Meditation ($19.77; amazon.com) kits comprising workbooks, audio CDs and flashcards.

Several meditation teachers also offer free series of podcasts for download. Mary and Richard Maddox talk listeners through breathing and grounding techniques and pain-release meditation on Meditation Oasis (meditation oasis.com or iTunes).

Learn to Meditate (meditation .org.au or iTunes), produced by the Meditation Society of Australia, has published 25 podcasts since 2006. Each episode consists of a lecture on such diverse subjects as love and string theory, followed by a guided meditation session. Now you can contemplate the interconnectedness of the universe from just about anywhere.

Should you ever worry that a toddler isn’t active enough? For the most part, kids naturally are going to get enough activity. But if the child is gaining weight excessively, and you think a lack of activity might be contributing to that, then it might be an issue.

What can you do to encourage a shy child to run and climb? Try going to the playground at a less busy time. Help them climb up the slide backward, or ask them to race you to the swings. Play Hide and Seek or Simon Says.

Don’t overdo it. Runners of all levels fall victim to the too’s—“too much, too soon, too hard,” says Dr. William Roberts, medical director for the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota. Start slowly, running half a mile, then walking half a mile—or walking a block, then running a block. People who do too much too quickly can develop problems like tendonitis in their heels or knees. For the average runner, a half hour five times a week is enough.

Don’t postpone a doctor visit. “People are notorious for trying to run through their pain,” says Dr. Tyler Cooper, a physician at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas and coauthor (with his father, Dr. Kenneth Cooper) of “Start Strong, Finish Strong.” “Be proactive. Go to the doctor before it gets bad. A lot of times just put-ting some orthotics [special inserts] in your shoe can change everything.”

Walkvest: As you progress in your exercise and weightloss program, it’s harder to improve as quickly. The Walkvest, made famous recently by actress Valerie Bertinelli, who used it to shed pounds, allows you to add half-pound weights, up to eight pounds, to make your walking or running regimen more challenging ($59.90; walkvest.com).

Goody: If you often have to stop mid-workout to adjust your hair band or clip, what good is it? Goody’s StayPut collection really does just that. Its hair bands ($3.99) have 52 percent more holding power than a regular band, and the quarter-inch and half-inch claws ($3.99 to $4.99) grip probably longer than you can on those barbells (goody.com).

Stretch and strengthen. Strong, flexible muscles provide the best back support. “God created us with a back brace: it’s the muscles in our back and stomach that help support our spine,” says Darrell Barnes, a certified athletic trainer at St. Vincent Sports Performance Center in Indianapolis. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s most recent recommendations to combat lower back pain call for paying attention to posture, standing up straight, always warming up first, getting a good night’s sleep on a firm mattress that doesn’t sag, adding aerobic exercise and using proper lifting technique (standing with a wide stance and a slight bend at the hips and knees, tightening the stomach and keeping the back flat).

Radishes Nutritional Info: A good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium Crisp and refreshing, radishes should be refrigerated and eaten raw, sautéed or pickled.

Cauliflower Nutritional Info: High in fiber and vitamins C, K and B6

More than half the U.S. population—including about 70 percent of the elderly and 90 percent of minorities—is vitamin-D deficient, according to Dr. James E. Dowd, author of “The Vitamin D Cure.” The nutrient helps maintain normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It also helps the body absorb calcium and keeps bones strong. Vitamin D may also protect against osteoporosis, hypertension, cancer and other diseases, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Vitamin D is mostly produced in the skin after UV exposure from the sun, but it can also be derived from milk, fish, egg yolks and vitamin supplements. It’s harder for the obese and people with more melanin in their skin to absorb vitamin D. It doesn’t help that we’ve become a nation of sunscreen wearers who eat low-vitamin processed foods and work mostly indoors; that all leads to D deficiency, which can cause susceptibility to seasonal affective disorder, fatigue, headaches and a variety of immune-related diseases, according to Dowd.

Checking the ingredients list on food packages has become a no-brainer for the health-conscious. But what about the ingredients for personal-care products? Read the label on that bottle of moisturizer and you may find ingredients that are as scary to pronounce as they are to learn about. Parabens (generally seen as a suffix, as in methylparaben) and phthalates (listed as dibutyl and diethylhexyl, though sometimes listed generically as “fragrance”) are a few of the chemicals that have been linked to cancer, birth defects, infertility and a host of other problems. But since the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate cosmetics and personal-care products, and there is therefore no safety testing required, consumers are left to fend for themselves. Some companies are responding to increased consumer demand for safer, chemical-free alternatives. A few of our favorites:

Hear “Pretty Buildings,” the new single by Welsh band People in Planes (peopleinplanes.com). This ballad, rich in melody with strong, searching lyrics, shows why this group is one to watch.

People tell me all the time how much they hate L.A. When I ask why, they cite our unsightly urban sprawl and a lack of culture. I can't deny we spend too many hours on clogged freeways. But a lack of culture? To these people, I say, come see the Los Angeles I know, where culture comes in unexpected ways. Oh yeah, and while the Midwest and East Coast are still braving ice storms, we here in Southern California are dining al fresco and sailing along the coast under cloudless skies.

Stay: Live like a rock star at the Hotel Bel-Air (http://www.hotelbelair.com/), where a typical day on the sun-mottled patio restaurant brings sightings of real rock stars, legends like Nancy Reagan and international glitterati. Bungalows with private patios and French country furnishings are tucked among the über-verdant foliage and old-growth trees in this exclusive residential Bel-Air neighborhood. Rates from $395.

The Huntley Hotel (thehuntleyhotel.com) in Santa Monica towers over the Pacific with views of the landmark Santa Monica Pier and its rainbow-colored Ferris wheel. Rooms were recently renovated in midcentury swank but with modern touches like flat-screen TVs and marble baths. One of the city's hottest hotel bars, the Penthouse, sparks a party each night 18 floors above the coastline with views that do it justice. Rates from $350.

Glen Zabriskie’s three sons like to watch DVDs, play games and catch some of their favorite PBS shows on the aging televisions scattered throughout their Salt Lake City home. But in a little less than a year, they, along with millions of Americans, could find themselves looking at screens full of snow when they try to tune in to their favorite programs.

On Feb. 17, 2009, television stations across the country will stop transmitting analog signals over the air and start broadcasting exclusively in digital, a bandwidth-saving technology that sends crisper pictures and sound. Preparations for the transition are already underway.

The good news is that the majority of couch potatoes will be unaffected when the switchover occurs. If you receive programming via cable or satellite, you can relax. According to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, most cable operators will continue to transmit both digital and analog signals to customers (your existing cable box will function normally). You’re also all set if you already receive digital or high-definition television over the air through a newer TV.

But if your set lacks a digital (or ATSC) tuner—and you get reception through rabbit ears—you may not have “House” in your house come February. Nielsen Media Research estimates that more than 13 million homes (about 10 percent of households) receive analog broadcasts exclusively via an antenna, while an additional 6 million homes have at least one TV that would stop working after the switch (the National Association of Broadcasters puts these numbers even higher.

Generally speaking, says Jonathan Collegio, the NAB’s VP for digital-television transition, sets purchased before 2002 probably don’t have a digital tuner while most televisions bought in the past year should; TVs purchased between 2002 and 2006 are a gray area, though the larger the screen, the more likely it is to be equipped. If you don’t know whether your television has an ATSC tuner, check your manual or look up your model on the manufacturer’s Web site.

If your TV is outmoded, you have three options: subscribe to a cable or satellite provider, upgrade that old Zenith to a set that has a digital tuner or purchase a DTV converter box, which allows digital signals to be displayed on analog sets. Converter boxes are available at retailers like Wal-Mart, RadioShack and Best Buy, and will range from $40 to $70. For a list of approved boxes, go to ntiadtv.gov/cecb_list.cfm.

If you choose the third option, the government will subsidize the purchase by doling out two $40 coupons per household (you can use only one coupon per box). Coupons started shipping in late February, and more than 6.6 million have been requested (to apply, visit dtv2009.gov). If you apply today, you’re not likely to receive your coupons until May, which is about the amount of time it will take to get through the backlog of requests. In the future, the turnaround time will be approximately three weeks.

The government has allocated enough funding to honor 33.5 million coupons. Since the coupons expire 90 days after they’re mailed, wait until you actually plan on buying the box before applying. There’s another advantage to being less zealous: more boxes should be available this summer (including a $40 model from EchoStar), and you could see price drops.

Most important, make sure you’re aware of your choices before hitting the stores. According to the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), many clerks are ill-prepared to answer questions about the switchover. Last fall the organization sent secret shoppers into 132 Wal-Mart, RadioShack, Circuit City, Best Buy and Target stores, and found that sales clerks did everything from misinform consumers about converter boxes to trying to sell them new TVs.

“What we found is that salespeople were woefully unprepared to give good, accurate information to shoppers,” says Steve Blackledge, senior policy analyst for CALPIRG, the California arm of the U.S. PIRG. So it’s essential that consumers do research ahead of time (sites like dtv.gov, dtvanswers.com and dtvtransition.org are good sources). Whether you use the switch to digital as an excuse to finally splurge on a big flat-panel, or opt for one of the cheaper options, crisper viewing is in your future.

Arranging a wedding can be a headache. But a growing number of Web sites are helping to ease the pain by letting couples plan their weddings online. Wedding Web sites allow the bride and groom to post event details, maps and directions; biographies about the couple and wedding party, and links to hotels and gift registries. They also let guests RSVP and vote in customized polls to pick the first song the couple will dance to or which drink to serve at the reception.

The sites offer contracts (for a fee) that can go as long as a year, but JoAnn Gregoli, a New York-based wedding planner, says it’s best to opt for monthly contracts. “You don’t want to sign a year contract for a wedding in six months,” she says.

Rent “No Country For Old Men.” Fresh off its Oscar win for best picture, the Coen brothers’ adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s brutal thriller comes to DVD. Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin costar, but Javier Bardem’s brilliant performance as an insanely terrifying killer with a bad haircut will make you understand why he nabbed an Oscar, too.

Hear “Good Time” by Alan Jackson. This cowboy’s cowboy mixes it up with his 15th studio album (the first he’s written all the songs for); raucous boot scoot, sleepy love ballads and even some bluegrass fingerpicking round out the 17 tracks. Listen to his duet with Martina McBride on “Never Loved Before” ($9.99; amazon.com).

The historic Dutch capital of Amsterdam still retains its Old World grandeur. Here's how to maximize your visit to one of Europe's most walkable cities.

The Dutch know citymaking. Their historic capital, Amsterdam, is a product of 17th-century merchant capitalism, widely considered to be the first age of globalization, and its structure was heavily influenced by Europe's trade with the wider world. The concentric ring of canals that make up the old city are extensions of the routes that led to China, India, and the southern tip of Africa. Mokum (the Yiddish nickname for the city) has managed to remain accessible even as it has modernized. An efficient tram system links peripheral neighborhoods to the core around Central Station, and because of its relatively small size, it is one of the most walkable capitals in Europe.

Touring: A beguiling warren of narrow lanes, canals, and tiny bridges, Amsterdam is perfect for a meandering stroll. For the complete tour, choose from two options: bicycle or boat. Almost everyone rides a bike in Amsterdam, and renting one is easy. The city is as cycling-friendly as they come, with a network of designated lanes and parking, and the old prewar-style bicycles that dominate the lanes will take you back to another time. Mac Bike can put you in the saddle at any one of their numerous locations.

The Netherlands' capital is a watery place, nestled well below sea level, and touring by water provides a great way to view the rows of 17th-century canal-side homes and warehouses. Forgo the cumbersome cruise-boat tours that crowd the major waterways and take a more pleasant, personalized journey through the backwaters. The St. Nicolaas Boat Club is a little-known gem that offers daily tours on their small fleet of quaint, authentically Dutch canal boats. Bring a picnic and a bottle of wine, and see one of the most beautiful European cities from its most unique vantage point. For the pleasure, your ship captain will accept donations at the end of your voyage, and tours can be arranged only by visiting Boom Chicago, a comedy club and bar in the Leidseplein square.

 

By Anna Kuchment

March 10, 2008 issue

Last year Sam Chapman banned gossip at his small Chicago firm. “Since we put the regime in place, it’s changed everything,” says Chapman, CEO of Empower Public Relations. Each of the company’s 17 employees has agreed that when an employee says something negative behind a co-worker’s back, he or she will be required to repeat that gossip to the person’s face. As a result, one person who was seen as unproductive got the chance to explain she had negotiated reduced hours because she was still in school. Another was rumored to be dating someone at the office but revealed she had recently become engaged to someone else. “When you clean up the stories, you find that more than half of them are untrue,” says Chapman, who credits the policy with helping to double his firm’s business; workers, he says, are less distracted, more efficient and communicate better with one another.

Chapman’s policy offers a drastic solution to a common workplace problem. A recent survey by the staffing firm Randstad USA found that 60 percent of employees named gossip as their No. 1 pet peeve at work. As the economy sours, problems with office gossip may well increase. “Sometimes people deal with anxiety over layoffs by focusing on others and not getting along with them,” says Fran Furman, director of a large employee-assistance program run out of St. Vincent’s Hospital Manhattan, who has already seen an uptick in complaints related to the office rumor mill.

March 10, 2008 issue 

Star in your own action sports video with a wearable, miniature camcorder. Helmet cams are the latest must-have gizmo for adrenaline junkies, who post their exploits online and e-mail clips to friends. They mount to your head, handlebars, surfboard or kayak, leaving hands free for rip cords or ski poles.

The POV.1 features a lipstick-size camera, a wireless remote, a microphone and editing software that allows you to organize and upload clips to video-sharing sites ($700; vio-pov.com). The Digital Hero 3 has waterproof housing, shoots 56 minutes of video and sound and features a slide-show mode that takes a picture every five seconds ($140 to $180; goprocamera.com). Built for simplicity, the VholdR features aluminum housing, one on-off switch and no cables, and weighs 4.8 ounces ($350; vholdr.com). Already own a camcorder? Hoyttech.com sells lipstick cameras that can attach to your camcorder such as the EconoSport HelmetCam kit ($190). Helmetcameracentral.com sells a variety of brands and includes product reviews. Post images on YouTube or upload them to rip.tv and watch the spills and thrills.

By Tara Weingarten

March 10, 2008 issue

‘I’m Ready for My Chase Scene’

Forty years ago Steve McQueen popped his Mustang GT over San Francisco’s pointy hills in “Bullitt.” Ford pays homage to that iconic man-car with a limited edition. Get on the list fast: just 7,000 will be built.

Mag Wheels: These 18-inch cast aluminum Euroflange wheels are made in the original charcoal satin finish with Argent gray-painted brake calipers.

Ride: A high-performance engine with 300hp is sweet at this price point. And a Tremac five-speed manual transmission is easy and quick to shift.

Interior: The engine-turned aluminum dashboard trim is inspired, even if hard plastic on air vents, the audio system and door panels isn’t.

March 10, 2008 issue

If spring’s impending arrival has got you wondering what to do about your overgrown yard, you might consider hiring a gardening coach. Gardening coaches provide one-on-one consultations to first-time gardeners, as well as those with a little more experience looking for a second opinion. They’ll help you get a handle on that chaotic overgrowth, as well as identify your flora, make design suggestions or show you how to fertilize properly. “We try to teach people how to do it themselves, not do it for them,” says Susan Harris, a Takoma Park, Md., gardening coach. And, compared with the cost of a full-time landscaper, they are relatively cheap, charging as little as $25 an hour. To find a gardening coach near you, log on to thegardeningcoach.com, a worldwide directory. If there isn’t one for your area, check with your local garden center, nursery or garden club and ask if someone is available to serve as a consultant or coach. Then put on your garden gloves and get ready to face the spring.

March 10, 2008 issue

True balsamic vinegar, that slightly sweet, deep, dark purple, syrupy condiment that many of us use on salads, comes from only two places on Earth: Modena and the Reggio Emilia region of Italy. Ferraris and Parmesan cheese are made there, too. Clearly, it’s a special spot. TIP SHEET sampled three balsamicos of various ages:

Fattoria Estense 8 Year: Less dense than an older vinegar, it’s an ideal consistency for salads and a dipping sauce for bread. $9.95 at surlatable.com.

Fattoria Estense 12 Year: At this age, the vinegar begins to show its true personality, being more viscous and with deeper flavors of the grape. It’s also more expensive. Use sparingly atop grilled vegetables, grilled fish and other simply prepared dishes. $35.95 at surlatable.com.

Our top picks for the week  

Rent “Into the Wild,” Sean Penn’s vital, lyrical, unsettling adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction book abo