Train robbers, torpedo bats, and how to make carbs healthier
Here's the best things I found on the internet this week!
What’s cracking digital friend-o’s,
Unfortunately I’m NOT in Vegas this year for CinemaCon, so I’ll have to wait those precious few extra minutes (even *gasp* hours!) to see the giant slate of movie trailers that will trickle out after each major studio gives their presentation on their 2025 slate — and for the first time Amazon is giving one!
Here in the real world, it’s television that’s dominating pop culture conversation — The White Lotus, Adolescence, The Studio, Dope Thief all feel buzzier even than Snow White.
And none of that is matching the internet. YouTube accounted for nearly 12% of all viewing in the U.S. last month, a new high watermark.
With all that in mind, there’s more need than ever for my “conversation starters,” a roundup of the best, most interesting and most entertaining content on the internet in the past week. Read, watch, enjoy!
What’s the coolest story or thing you found on the internet this week? Reply to this email and shoot me a link. Would love to hear from you!
GQ’s Zach Baron continues his run as the celebrity whisperer with this in-depth Q&A with Ben Affleck, a man who despite how many times he’s gotten burned continues to fall for famous women, make blockbuster movies and be totally open to talking about all of it. The viability of his pseudo-studio Artists Equity continues to be a fascination of mine.
This edition of our Long Read of the Week is an interesting one — Christianity used to be “borderline illegal” in Silicon Valley. “Like, how are you a smart person,” says one person in this Vanity Fair story, “and a Christian?” But thanks to some billionaire backers and a cultural vibe shift, a new (and possibly skewed) version of Christianity is the new hot fad around SF.
Me and my friends know we’re getting old because we’ve all recently become obsessed with Costco, and its mysterious in-house brand Kirkland Signature. This Wall Street Journal video breaks down how Costco uses its Kirkland brand to maintain a killer business despite low prices.
Baseball’s first weekend was dominated by conversation of the new “torpedo bats.” The bowling pin-shaped bats are designed by a former MIT physics professor and helped the Yankees hit 15 home runs in their first three games. Tough day for my #KeepSportsDumb crowd.
Fans of Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid or The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford (two incredible movies) might be excited to learn that train robbery is on the rise across the United States — up 40% since 2023. The LA Times details one band of robbers that has hit 10 trains nabbing more than $2 million worth of Nike sneakers.
Headlines That Require No Context: LA-to-Shanghai United Airlines flight turns back after pilot forgets passport.
When I saw this National Geographic headline about a simple way to make carb-heavy healthier, I was equal parts excited and skeptical. Turns out, it’s legit, and easy, buuuuut it may be a flavor sacrifice I’m personally not willing to make.
Thanks for reading and sharing! We’re talking A Working Man and Opus on Friday, see ya soon.