| Navigating the deluge of credit cards
In a country from which there are hundreds of credit cards to choose, picking one that best suits your financial needs and lifestyle is no easy task. There are cards that offer rewards, cards that tout low interest rates and cards that have no annual fees. Many of these credit card offers have been dropping into mailboxes recently. January is a busy month when it comes to applications sent out by credit card issuers. That's not surprising, given that many people who used their credit cards heavily in December for holiday shopping may be in the market for a new one. "We've heard that from card issuers, and we've seen that in our business," said Bill Hardekopf, chief executive officer of Lowcards.com, a Web site that helps consumers compare credit cards.
Stretching benefits
The ancient Indian tradition of yoga has quietly become a $3 billion a year business nationwide, and has made significant inroads in corporate America. At Abt, corporate yoga is a benefit offered to the company's 400 workers. For $6, employees can take a class. Abt provides the space, picks up the other half of the tab, and hires Diane Dymek, a certified instructor who operates Begin Within Yoga, of Waltham, to teach. "I look forward to Mondays because of it," Li said. Over the last 20 years, many employers have developed wellness benefits as a way to stave off rising insurance costs by improving worker health. Generally, they include discounted gym memberships, diet groups, or smoking-cessation courses. But in recent years, many Massachusetts companies, including Stride Rite Corp., Tufts Health Plan, and Dunkin' Brands Inc., have incorporated yoga into the workweek.
Michael Pointer: Purdue Q&A
Question: When will the Purdue quarterback actually look off his primary receiver and go through his progressions? From what I saw Saturday, come-heck-or-high-water, Curtis Painter is going to throw to his primary, even if there is a crowd. And, on two of those interceptions, no Boiler receiver was in the area. I haven't seen anyone say that a receiver zigged when he should have zagged. Were those interceptions all on Painter? Quotes from coaches and Painter seem to suggest so. (Mike from Kokomo)
Answer: Mike, I have covered four quarterbacks since I've been on the Purdue beat: Brandon Hance, Kyle Orton, Brandon Kirsch and Painter. (I missed having the pleasure of covering Drew Brees.) I heard that complaint about everyone of them, including Orton, who had 31 touchdown passes and just five interceptions as a starter.
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