Rabbit hole for cyclists
The internet is a rabbit hole, which is its blessing and its curse. You stumble across a link, and fall headlong into a world you never knew existed. A new reality opens up; hours disappear. It can begin with a simple Google Alert that points to an article in...
The secret to a reasonable retirement: flee the country
As America ages—and it’s really aging—America’s newspapers and websites are churning out lists of great places to retire. Sadly, these survey stories are meaningless for a large proportion of older folks because (as reported a few weeks ago) a staggeringly high percentage of Americans have only a pittance set aside for retirement....
On alcohol, scientists still successfully confusing us
Anyone who drinks has probably decided either that the health benefits don’t exist or don’t matter. We’re pretty sure no one drinks because of the health benefits. No matter what you tell your spouse. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t interested in the news about alcohol and health, because we’re...
Sunday quote: November 20, 2011
“Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning.” ~ Thomas Jefferson (Full disclosure: We are very skeptical that Jefferson said this. It’s all over the Internet as a Jefferson quote, but there...
Sunday Quote: November 5, 2011
“People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” ~ John Wanamaker, 1838-1922, considered by many to be the father of modern advertising. Also a merchant and the 35th U.S. Postmaster General
Hiker’s Snack FAQ: Don’t leave home without ‘em
Most people understand the importance of carrying plenty of water on a long trek—for maintaining hydration and as a reserve in case you get lost or injured or the shuttle you planned to take back to your car doesn’t show. And most people know (or sense) that they need...
Sunday Quote: October 30, 2011
“One final paragraph of advice: do not burn yourselves out. Be as I am – a reluctant enthusiast….a part-time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is...
Ouch: Another story about scaling back without stopping
Earlier this week we noted a story about the often painful transition to a less aggressive, less violent, less taxing and (alas) usually less adrenaline-pumping activity. It’s not something we like to dwell on, but it’s worth paying attention to because most of us will have to make that shift,...
Bamboozling booze guidance for old Brits
Health advice used to be like cheap ball caps: one size fit all. Over the years, it has become more discriminating, with guidance that differentiates between ages, genders, ethnicity and more. And in the decades ahead, we’ll be making even finer cuts. Your doctor will run a DNA scan...
Is it safe to eat snakes?
Well, is it? We don’t know. This article from Outside raises and presumably answers the question. We don’t know because we haven’t read it. We don’t need to. Here’s why: Let’s say you’re on a long hike…no, call it a trek, alone, in a wilderness. A wasteland. And...
When it comes to sweating the small stuff, Steve Green is our Yoda, our guru, our sensei
If you’re interested in laying down some of your backpacking burden, you can find plenty of advice in bookstores and online. (Type “ultralight backpacking” into the YouTube search box and you’ll get over 3,100 videos.) But no one synthesizes the opposite poles of obsessive-compulsive, shorten-and-drill-out-your-toothbrush hysteria and utterly...
