Happy Saturday!
I hope you're having a great week and easing into November. It's kind of a great month, right? Even though it's been a long time since I've been in a classroom, school is still how I think about the year. November means we're past the hiccups and challenges of getting into a new class and new material. Now, we're starting to settle into routines and make progress. Everybody has a sense of what you can get away with and what will get you detention. You have Thanksgiving break coming up, but there's also enough time left in the school year that anything is possible.
Upcoming Shows
ONLINE:
Probably Science Podcast. I was a guest on this week's episode of Probably Science. Hosts Matt Kirshen and Andy Wood are so funny and they run down the latest in scientific news and discoveries with me. I had a blast and I cannot stop thinking about the rats that learned how to drive tiny cars. Link
This week’s list
GREAT:
Dolly Parton is unbelievable. Her talent as a performer, a songwriter, and just a cultural force are only the tip of the iceberg. I so rarely binge podcasts, but I listened to every episode of Dolly Parton's America in a row. Jad Abumrad, who co-created Radiolab, started out interviewing Dolly thinking he'd make one episode about her. But he stumbled onto so much material that it became its own miniseries. Like Radiolab, it's beautifully produced with lush layered audio. But it's also packed full of revelations about America, popular culture, suffering, transcendence, and creativity. I could listen to Dolly talk for hours (and I literally have). Dolly Parton's America
(Bonus link: I kinda knew Dolly's music for a long time, but the first song that really got me hooked and I played on repeat was this weird slowed-down version of Jolene. That was my gateway drug.)
FUNNY:
Good Cop Great Cop are one of my favorite sketch groups. They always put together a smart premise with perfect visuals and direction. Their sweet spot is identifying a tiny moment that everyone else overlooks and then pulling apart its logic until the whole thing unravels. Their newest video is about a secret agent who's getting briefed on his spy tools. It's so funny. Cube
(Here are two of my other favorite GCGC videos: Roommate and Game)
INTERESTING:
I'm excited for the new Mister Rogers movie. I loved the documentary, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, and like everyone else, I sobbed through the whole thing. The film is based on an article by journalist Tom Junod. He wrote a new piece this week about Fred Rogers' enduring wisdom. "I first met him 21 years ago, and now our relationship is the subject of a new movie. He's never been more revered—or more misunderstood." My Friend Mister Rogers
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Have a great day,
Chris