Why being too smart kinda ruins everything
These are the best things I found on the internet this week!
What’s up newsletter family!
Thanks for making the launch day for The Cinephile Bucket List such a success yesterday. In case you missed it, I’m selling posters with my best 100 movie recommendations. If you enjoy my Friday newsletters, I think you’ll love the poster. Apologies in advance for how many times I’m going to be bugging you about it over the next couple of weeks.
I’m back from my trip and have been catching up on the wild world of the internet from the past couple of weeks. Pumped to be sharing with you once again my weekly batch of “Conversation Starters,” the best, most interesting and most entertaining content on the internet. 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.
An absolute firestorm was set off in one of my friend group chats over this article by (who else) The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson. It’s about baseball analytics, sort of, as a stand-in for the Moneyball-ification of everything in modern life. Sometimes, Thompson claims, optimizing something kinda ruins it. I agree. My friends thing he’s nothing more than nostalgic for the way things were. Read and decide for yourself!
A woman in Indonesia went missing this past week, until they found her body swallowed whole by a 22-foot python. How does that happen? The science is as fascinating as it is terrifying.
You’ve probably seen pictures online of the beautiful, pastel-painted coastline of Positano at some point and wished to one day visit. But Vox’s Rebecca Jennings calls Positano, “the most unpleasant place I have ever been.” Her reasoning mirrors my own thoughts about the negative side of traveling around Italy right now. In short, I think we’ve gotten too smart as travelers (much like the Moneyball story above!). We know exactly what the “best” places to be are, which has led to “too many people wanting to experience the exact same thing because they all went to the same websites and read the same reviews.” But, what isn’t included in her piece is the positives — once you escape the tourism traps, Italy is one of the most magical places on earth.
Elsewhere on the internet, this guy rigged a leaf blower to help him chug six beers in 39 seconds. It’s crazy and gross but you simply can’t look away.
Lebron James’ son Bronny is a “four star recruit with a five star name,” writes The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil. She spoke with eight NCAA head coaches who spoke anonymously and candidly about the circus of recruiting the most famous high school basketball player on the planet.
This group of frat boys are entertained for hours with nothing but a piece of chalk and a board. Their mission? Free hand draw the perfect circle. And honestly, as ridiculous as it is, it’s mesmerizing to watch.
Last Night in Soho was released last year around this time, and director Edgar Wright (a personal favorite of mine) celebrated the anniversary by sharing this awesome behind the scenes footage of how the crew pulled off the dancing dream sequence. It’s an unbelievable and impressive example of practical filmmaking effects.
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka gave a pep talk so hilariously bad that someone edited it into a scene from “The Office.” Conference room, five minutes!
By now we’re all familiar with the plywood shacks that were erected overnight on the sidewalks and streets of New York City (and most other cities in the U.S.). They transformed dining culture, and even though indoor options have long since returned this mass reshaping of the city's architecture has remained. Nevermind the fact that many are ugly, decrepit, or a haven for the city’s rats. Will they be a permanent fixture in the Big Apple?
The military is investing a lot of money into wearable technology — including an Iron Man-inspired helmet complete with a “JARVIS” style AI.
Thanks for reading and sharing! We’re back with a packed movie edition on Friday, hitting The Banshees Of Inisherin, All Quiet on the Western Front, Ticket to Paradise and hopefully Armageddon Time too!