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Our selections for this first week of the new year will challenge your spirit, engage your mind and delight your inner wino. Hey, you can't appreciate the virtues without a little vice.
Huffington Post: "Easy New Year's Resolutions You Can Actually Stick To In 2012"
Part of the reason people enter the "post-holiday slump" is because they feel pressured to completely makeover their life in the new year, an endeavor that can easily lead to feeling overwhelmed or unaccomplished. The ideas for improvement in this Huffington Post piece, however, are not only effective, but completely doable. Our favorites from the list include "turn your cell phone off" and "eat in more than you eat out." Both are quite simple, but also a definite adjustment for those of us who lead hectic lives. Technology is great, but it can diconnect us from the present, and most would agree that if you're not living in the moment, you're not really living. Dining out can be a wonderful treat, but cooking most of your meals at home will not only save you money but also help cut out the extra calories restaurants often sneak into their fare. Press the off button, turn on the oven and enjoy a revitalization in 2012.
Time: "First Privacy, Now Censorship: Will Twitter Continue to Stand Up for Its Users' Rights?"
We can all agree: Twitter has had a heck of a year. Beyond the company's obvious success, though, they have faced legal troubles in the form of government pressure to disclose users' private information. Author Jerry Brito applauds their firm stance in these dealings and looks ahead to a major future issue: What will Twitter do now that Homeland Security is pushing for them to disable the accounts of Hezbollah and Al-Qaeda members? Can we fault Twitter for operating based on basic American values? This controversy is sure to heat up.
Serious Eats: "5 Ways to Get Into Wine This Year"
It's always a good thing to actually know what you're talking about when it comes to your interests – and we happen to strongly encourage developing a solid interest in wine. We also want all of you future lovers to be nurtured with the proper knowledge before we push you out of the nest. The greatest part about this article? We promise it's not the least bit condescending, just full of helpful tips for choosing and appreciating wine. This bit for beginners is especially significant: Don't line up your wines on the fancy rack you bought and let them sit on your kitchen counter. In this case, age is definitely more than just a number. Store in the basement and allow your bottles time to mature! Your parents did the same for you, right? (Er, hopefully not in the basement).
What's your New Year's Resolution? Do you have Twitter's back in the fight against Lieberman? Could you stand to brush up on your wine wisdom? Tweet us at @GoodLifeReport