TYR L-1 Lifter. After years of squeezing my Fred Flintstone feet into my narrow Adidas weightlifting shoes and enduring aching arches after every session as a result, I finally found relief in TYR’s L-1 Lifter. Here’s what I love about this weightlifting shoe: The anatomical toe box is a game-changer for those of us with wider feet — no more feeling like your toes are in a vice grip while trying to maintain stability in a heavy squat. The 21mm heel-to-toe drop puts it right in that sweet spot for Olympic lifts and squats. If you’ve been suffering through cramped lifting shoes, your feet will thank you for making the switch. While they’re not cheap, neither are visits to the podiatrist. (If you want to know why you might consider wearing weightlifting shoes in general when you lift, watch this video.)
Smells Like American Spirit. This sharp piece from Franklin Schneider offers a darkly comic window into the underbelly of American salesmanship. Schneider uses his own experience as a telemarketer back in the 90s to give readers a history of salesmanship in America. Along the way, he provides a smart critique of how we’re all becoming salespeople in the modern economy, hustling our “personal brands” and social media presence. If you want a read that’s equal parts entertaining and enlightening, this one’s worth your time.
Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard. In a previous Odds & Ends, I recommended a good lecture series on René Girard, the influential French thinker who coined the concept of “mimetic desire.” (Check out my interview with Luke Burgis on the subject.) Recently, I’ve been enjoying this new documentary about Girard. One of the best things about it is that it’s completely free on YouTube. The film explores Girard’s groundbreaking theories about human desire, violence, and culture through exclusive interviews with Girard himself, along with insights from figures like PayPal founder Peter Thiel, Bishop Robert Barron, and Fr. Richard Rohr. The film makes Girard’s complex ideas accessible while maintaining their intellectual depth. A great introduction to his philosophy.
Claude AI. I’ve been experimenting with AI tools, particularly Claude, in my work. While ChatGPT gets most of the attention, I’ve found Claude provides more natural-sounding and creative outputs. One thing I’ve found it super helpful for is summarizing dense academic articles — it can break down complex text into digestible chunks without losing the nuance. What’s surprised me most, though, is how useful it’s been as a sounding board for business problems. It’s not like asking a Magic 8 Ball for answers; instead, I’ve found myself having lengthy back-and-forths with it, using it as a tool to think through problems from different angles. It’s more like a business coach. While it won’t replace human creativity or judgment, it’s become an surprisingly effective tool in my workflow for developing and refining ideas.
Over on our Dying Breed newsletter, we published “Sunday Firesides: Being Existentially Average Is Over” and “What Nietzsche’s Typewriter Brain Can Tell Us About Twitter Brain.”
Quote of the Week
I have never heard anything about the resolutions of the apostles, but a great deal about their acts.
—Horace Mann
