Beach Vacationers Are Doing It Wrong. Psychiatrist Richard Friedman makes the case that vacations where you do a lot of lying and idling around may “work against the very things a trip is meant to cultivate: a mental reset, a sense of relaxation, happiness.” He argues that what most of us really need a break from is the anxiety-creating “tyranny of self-absorption,” that leisurely vacations only enhance this preoccupation with our thoughts, and that it would be better to take active vacations full of the kind of physical exertion that creates endorphins, absorbs your focus, and takes you out of yourself. As someone who dislikes the beach (especially sitting on the beach), and just got back from spending a couple days in Colorado hiking, biking, and fishing, I endorse this message.
The Material Review. OG men’s style blogger Michael Williams (check out my podcast interview with him and David Coggins about developing your “personal uniform”) has resurrected a sister website that he had with his site A Continuous Lean. The Material Review is a bi-weekly Substack in which Williams and his co-conspirator, Taylor Stacey, highlight cool stuff they’ve come across on the world wide web related to gear, travel, sport, food, and life. You’ll find links to interesting articles and products (many of which are American-made). This is how the web should be: human-curated links rather than algorithmically-pulled-together content goo.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ Prayer Before Study. Andrew McLuhan, grandson of famous media intellectual Marshall McLuhan (the guy who originated the idea of “the medium is the message“), tweeted this prayer penned by St. Thomas Aquinas that his father Eric McLuhan (another deep media thinker) kept pinned next to his desk. It’s a prayer to offer before engaging in study. I really like the idea of infusing soul into your intellectual pursuits.
Legendary Protein Toaster Pastry. I’m always on the lookout for tasty and convenient high-protein snacks. One that I’ve been enjoying lately is the Legendary Protein Toaster Pastry. They’re a high-protein, low-carb Pop-Tart alternative. They’re just 180 calories and have 20 grams of protein and only 22 grams of carbs (a lot of which is fiber). They come in a variety of flavors, including brown sugar cinnamon, chocolate (my favorite!), and strawberry. Do they taste exactly like a Pop-Tart? Definitely not. Are they a “frankenfood” that bears little resemblance to actual food and should only be consumed on occasion? Surely. But they’re great for when you need something high in protein and low in calories on the go and have become one of my go-to road trip snacks.
Quote of the Week
A man is already of consequence in the world when it is known that we can implicitly rely upon him. I have frequently seen in life a person preferred to a long list of applicants for some important charge, which lifts him at once into station and fortune, merely because he has this reputation — that when he says he knows a thing, he knows it, and when he says he will do a thing, he does it.
— Edward Bulwer-Lytton
