Your Mid-Week Experiment
Do you need a gift recommendation? Because I have a gift recommendation.
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.
Hey, before we get to all the good stuff to read, watch, and listen to, remember to send Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth to your friends and family back home for Christmas. Honestly, it’s a lot of fun to send the book to boomer dudes who were force-fed the Walt Disney myth of Davy Crockett’s stoic heroism. Click on the image below, and you can order it from Book People, an independent bookstore in Austin that has been a huge supporter of the book. Or you can click here so Jeff Bezos can afford more HGH.
Anyway, let’s get to it:
Imagine you’re one of the most-successful actresses on the planet. Now imagine that you’re Flo from Progressive. (Caity Weaver)
Why is it hard to accept that we look as we do? (Amelia Taitt)
“It’s hard to determine how much of this is smart strategic thinking and clearheaded analysis, how much is unanchored self-belief, and how much is pure bluff.” This is a terrifying yet worthwhile and deeply reported profile of Steve Bannon. (Mike Heath)
This is about as clear-eyed and terrifying a read on Donald Trump as you’re likely to read. (Nick Catoggio)
Did you know we have two noses? (Sarah Zhang)
This is a real box-of-chocolates newsletter, and one I come back to more and more. (Beth Broderick)
Elise Hu recommended this podcast that tears down airport reads in her newsletter, and I couldn’t agree more.
Imagine Liam “I have a particular set of skills” Neeson is a teenage girl, and you’ve got 2020’s Becky…
…and now imagine they made a sequel that showed up one day, much to your very pleasant surprise.
This was very, very good.
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. The New York Times bestseller is 44% off and the same price as a paperback now!