Hi friends,
Thanks for subscribing. Each week, I send out an email with something I think is great, something that made me laugh, and something interesting. If you feel like you haven't gotten these in a while, try checking to make sure this email is a trusted address so they aren't getting filtered to spam. Feel free to spread the word and share these with friends. Anyone can sign up for the mailing list online and/or check out the archive with all past emails here.
Live shows
NEW YORK:
Every Wednesday at 7 p.m. The Sensible Show at Williamsburg's Annoyance Theatre features the best standup comics in NYC and surprise celebrity guests. I co-host with Josh Gondelman, Emma Willmann, and Evan Kaufman. This week, we've got Phil Hanley (@Midnight), Mary Houlihan (Comedy Central), Ryan Beck (The Daily Show), and more.Link
BOSTON:
Thursday, April 21 at 7:30 p.m. You're the Expert is at the Cambridge Science Festival and it's about to sell out. If you want to come, you should get tickets now. Link
LOS ANGELES:
Saturday, April 30 at 1:45 p.m. I'm giving the keynote address at the 2016 Spring Conference for the California Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education. It's at Camp Hess Kramer in Malibu and they've got all sorts of great stuff lined up. Details and registration here: Link
I'll also be out in LA that weekend doing a bunch of standup shows that I'll update on the website soon, so check online if that's of interest to you.
You can always find my most up-to-date show schedule online here.
This week's list
1 Thing I Think Is Great:
Garry Shandling passed away this week at 66. I have to admit that I wasn't all that familiar with his work, but after reading the tributes and then watching old episodes online, I was blown away by how funny he was and how clearly he influenced all the comedy I love. One of the best things that I came across is Garry on what he's learned in his life and career. The lessons veer from the hilarious to the profound and back again. "I had a car accident when I was twenty-seven in which I was nearly killed. I had a vivid near-death experience that involved a voice asking, 'Do you want to continue leading Garry Shandling's life?' Without thinking, I said, 'Yes.' Since then, I've been stuck living in the physical world while knowing, without a doubt, that there's something much more meaningful within it all. That realization is what drives my life and work." And then his next lesson is "Dating a professional actress is tough. Especially if you're up for the same part." Read it all here:Garry Shandling's What I've Learned
1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:
God bless PRI for assembling this list of towns and cities with suggestive names. I giggled like a school girl reading this, and now I have a plan for my next cross-country road trip. I'm very excited to make stops in Reamstown, Pennsylvania and Spread Eagle, Wisconsin on my way to Rough and Ready, California. Just spectacular work all-around. PRI: Wait, you're from where?
1 Interesting Thing:
Humanity's "negativity bias" mean that we're hard-wired to pay more attention and devote more mental energy to negative events and interactions than positive ones. But new research from Harvard suggests it's possible to overcome our brains' default negativity. That's important news for relationships (studies have shown it takes 5 positive interactions to make up for each negative one), health, and general well-being. This is part of Harvard's Usable Knowledge initiative, which is trying to make research something regular people can actually use (a goal that I'm all in favor of). I wouldn't say this article was a revelation, but it's certainly a good reminder. Our brains respond to how we use them and we can consciously improve on less-than-ideal defaults. The Biology of Positive Habits
Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online at www.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/
Have a great weekend,
Chris