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The Frustrating Truth About Luxury: It Just Looks Sexier

I get an email every morning from a popular online men’s magazine. It’s a digest of their newest content, consisting of posts about rare luxury cars, liquor, gear, getaways and whatnot. It’s bro porn.

Here’s the problem: I don’t drink, I neither have nor really want a car, and I don’t have any money. And I’m guessing that at least 99.99999% of the men on this website’s mailing list do not have the money for 99.99999% of the featured gear and getaways either. On rare occasions, the editors feature something fantastic that is actually affordable, which is nice.

So why don’t I unsubscribe? Well…

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Dialing Down the Dairy

I grew up drinking milk, eating cheese and living for ice cream. They’re delicious! But as I grow older and learn more about dairy’s role in human nutrition and the way animals are treated so we can get a good chunk of feta, I’m dialing back.

I’m not a vegan, but I do unwittingly have vegan days – whole 24 hour periods where I will unintentionally not consume any animal products. After experimenting with vegetarianism and going full swing a few years ago, it just happens. It would probably be more accurate to describe me as “vegan-adjacent.”

While I haven’t dropped dairy altogether, I have cut back dramatically. After years of going without meat but occasionally enjoying fish, my thinking on the whole subject of animal consumption is evolving. Sticking with the things I was raised on is easy. It’s what I know. But as I keep thinking, learning and seeing more over time, dairy is growing harder for me to justify.

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Podcast N.38: Record Stores Are Never Coming Back

As one of the many Americans who feel crushed by vanishing work, I’m not so quick to point a finger at a villain in this story. The idea of making something “great again” has always felt like a reductive sentiment that conveys a distinctly backward motion. It boils down to this: record stores are never coming back. The sooner we accept that fact, the quicker we can get on with it. It’s more about accepting that nothing stays the same (whether we like it or not) and being open and willing to change, grow and progress.

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A Smart New Handlebar Bag from Brooklyn Bicycle Co.

Anybody who rides a bike can use an extra compartment for things like lock and chain keys, a phone, a tire repair kit, a bag of weed… The big challenge is finding one that balances looks, durability and price. Brooklyn Bicycle Co. just introduced one that does just that.

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While Our Sense of Occasion Goes on Life Support…

I went to a Broadway show the other night. When I arrived at my seat at the Lyceum Theatre for Nick Kroll and John Mulaney’s hilarious “Oh, Hello,” I took a look around the audience and quickly realized that I was the only one in a suit, let alone a tie. It looked like a crowd at a Yankees game.

This is where we are.

Jeans, sneakers, t-shirts, hoodies, shorts, flip-flops, baseball caps… at a Broadway show. I also hear that it’s not much different at the opera or the ballet. It’s no wonder why so many guys rely on anonymous nude or semi-nude profile photos on smartphone apps to get laid, because in person with clothes on, their chances are bleak. It’s a boner killer.

Our culture is awash in the relentless pursuit of super casual comfort. I look around and see a world dressed in the sartorial equivalent of mac ’n’ cheese, bringing the cozy, fleecy, stretchy, onesie, elastic waistband comfort of the couch at home with them wherever they go. If I didn’t know any better, I’d presume everyone was on his way to or from the gym. But one look at the bodies infected with the athleisure virus, and I know better. If it’s about dressing for the job you want, I’m seeing armies of aspiring camp counselors and intramural softball coaches.

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Why I Love James Bond

Ian Fleming was an average looking man with an ordinary physique. What he lacked physically he made up for with exceptional intelligence, wit, taste and talent for storytelling. From a privileged upbringing, he became a British naval intelligence officer (though not with assignments as intense as a 00 agent’s) and then a journalist. When he created the character of James Bond for his first novel (Casino Royale, 1953), Fleming essentially created an idealized version of himself: the man every women wanted to be with and every man wanted to be.

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Smart New Carry-On Luggage from Away

My luggage sucks. Thanks to another smart entry in the straight-to-consumer disruptor game, it’s about to get a long overdue upgrade.

Away is a slick, simple and brand new carry-on luggage option with quality and features that rival others on the luxury spectrum but at a fraction of the cost.

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