Happy last Saturday of the year!
My goal for 2019 was to send these emails every week. Mission accomplished. I hope you enjoyed reading them. For me, it's been a way to force myself to focus on all the good work that's being put out into the world. It was a weekly reminder that's there's more out there than just bad news. And I've really appreciated all the friends (old and new) who have responded to these emails to say hi or to suggest something they thought I might enjoy. Thanks for letting me be a part of your weekend routine. I'm looking forward to starting a new year together.
Upcoming Events
EVERYWHERE
My New Yorker piece about McKinsey is still online and free to read as a "Digital Shout." Link
LOS ANGELES
Thursday, January 9th at 7:30 pm. Due to a scheduling conflict, this show had to be postponed. New date TBA
Wednesday, January 15th at 7 pm at the Lyric-Hyperion. Matt Porter and I are starting a monthly multimedia comedy show called HOMEWORK. Tickets are on sale now. Link
NEW YORK
Friday, February 7th and Saturday, February 8th. I will be back in NYC workshopping a stage show about long term couples and new scientific research on love. Presented by All For One Theater. Link
This week’s list
GREAT:
Ram Dass passed away this week. Over the course of his 88 years on Earth, he went from a clinical psychology professor at Harvard, to a leader of the counterculture movement and advocate for psychedelics with Timothy Leary, to one of the most widely read and studied teachers of Hinduism. It's hard to wrap my head around how broad his impact on American society was. He influenced the way we talk about everything from mindfulness, to being present, to drugs, to the stages of grief.
For the last decade, as he dealt with the aftermath of a stroke, much of Ram Dass' writing and teaching had been about how to overcome physical pain and the fear of death. So I imagine he was about as prepared to go as you can be. This Fall, I watched a documentary about his life where he looks ahead and directly addresses his mortality. It's called Becoming Nobody. Personally, I've found his ideas very helpful in dealing with life's challenges. There's something beautiful and profound in how much laughter and joy Ram Dass brought to the end of his life.
FUNNY:
Ronny Chieng is a correspondent on The Daily Show and one of the stars of Crazy Rich Asians. His new Netflix special shows a comedian at the top of his game. Sometimes comics release specials and I get the sense that it's more because they had a great career opportunity than that they had an hour of polished material. Ronny's special is the opposite. He doesn't need this hour to come out. Instead, it's the culmination of years of work. It shows. The jokes are sharp, precise, and he doesn't waste a second. There are even a few hilarious moments where he shushes the audience from laughing or clapping too early, so he can fit another punchline in. Here's one of my favorite jokes: So Many Screens
INTERESTING:
I've been reading about traditions people use to mark the passage of time and the start of a new year. I was particularly touched by this story about a family in Washington State that cooks osechi, traditional Japanese New Years foods, as a way of preserving their family's history. "The Sasakis have gathered in Washington State to make osechi for more than a century. Their history, including internment, is the story of many Japanese in America." A Family Connects With Its Past
I hope these last few days of the year are good ones for you. If you like these emails, please forward to a friend or spread the word. If someone forwarded you this email but you're not yet on the list, you can subscribe here.
Happy New Year,
Chris