Your Mid-Week Experiment

A malevolent roadway interviewed me this week

Welcome to the always free, reader-supported mid-week edition of The Experiment where we share great things to read, cook, listen to, and watch. If you’d like to support my work, buy my Alamo book, buy some Experiment merch, drop some coins in the PayPal fountain, or become a paid subscriber. But even if you don’t, this bugga free.

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If you read, listen to, and watch everything in this mid-weeker, you will not only be smarter, entertained, and chuffed (It’s a word, shut up, I heard it somewhere), people will find you more attractive and witty. You’ll lose 10 pounds. The air will smell sweeter. So let’s get to it!

My wife has rizz, and my children pay a Fanum tax. Everyone say hey to Generation Alpha. (The New York Times)

This was a lot of fun to read→ “Joe Biden Is A Better Dresser Than Donald Trump” (Brian Butler)

I forgot the Alamo with everyone’s least-favorite roadway.

This might be the smartest thing I’ve read on the Israel-Palestine War. (Julia Ioffe)

“God is a bunch of drunks together in a room.” (Hank Azaria)

Speaking of a bunch of drunks together in a room, kids, do you like the Russian hip-hop?

Imagine you work for a school district, and a mass grave is discovered on your property. (The New York Times)

Speaking of school districts, here’s a story and a podcast about a girl was punished for reporting a possible school shooting. (Dallas Morning News)

Holy cow—> “Virtually every major part of the selective college application process — the freshman class cap, the interview, an emphasis on outside interests and character, the desire for geographical diversity, the legacy preference — were put into use in an effort to cut down on the Jewish student population.” (Valerie Strauss)

If you’re at all interested in Michael Lewis or writing controversial books, give Brian Koppelman’s interview a listen. It feels like a friendly conversation that turns into a police interrogation. This might have been the best hour I spent all week.

Great advice about listening, the secret superpower—> “Everyone wants to be the podcast; nobody wants to be the audience.” Seriously, I resisted the urge to send this to a lot of you. h/t Ma (Eric Barker)

You should take a walk after dinner. (The New York Times)

Good lord, this was a good movie.

I think I like Pete Holmes’ podcasting more than his comedy, but this special was a net plus…

…but I liked this podcast about his comedy special better.

Everybody loves a parade, especially a parade of celebrity impressions on SNL.

This SNL sketch was delightfully silly.

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We set up a merch table in the back where you can get T-shirts, coffee mugs, and even tote bags now. Show the world that you’re part of The Experiment. 

We’ve also got a tip jar, and I promise to waste every cent you give me on having fun, because writing this newsletter for you is how I have fun.

Buy the book Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick banned from the Bullock Texas History Museum: Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of the American Myth by Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson, and myself is out from Penguin Random House.