3 Things: Pi Day, Pattern Behavior, and Ikea /  by Chris Duffy

Hi friends,

If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. I've also got some of my upcoming shows featured below. If you know anyone who you think would enjoy this, feel free to spread the word! They can sign up here or to see the archive of past emails, click here.

SHOW UPDATE:  Tomorrow (March 15), I'm doing a Boston You're the Expert taping in Davis Square at 7 p.m. Come see the show!

Next Saturday (3/21) in NYC, I'm doing a show featuring a guided chocolate tasting from Brooklyn's Raaka Chocolate and then a selection of comedians telling their best jokes about food. There's even a chocolate themed musical number! Check out Taste Test Comedy here

Ok, on to this week's list!
 

1 Thing I Think Is Great:


For a long time, I didn't understand the appeal of Pi Day. Sure, March 14 is 3/14. That coincidence just seemed to be an excuse for middle school math teachers to get you to do some extra geometry. But last year I happened to be doing a show at Caltech on March 14 and I entered a whole new world. They take Pi Day very seriously. How seriously? My buddy Naveen just sent me this email  "My former roommate is getting married at 9:26 am: 3.1415926... Unsurprisingly, he went to Caltech."

You know what? The Pi Day enthusiasm at Caltech really won me over. I've got a soft spot for educational nonsense that involves baked goods. So get out there and eat a slice of pie today. If you're wondering why anyone would get so worked up over a mathematical concept, read this great piece by Cornell mathematician (and Pi Day skeptic) Stephen Strogatz. Why Pi Matters
 


1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

Here's a very simple concept that's nonetheless original and hilarious. What if the drawings of people from old sewing patterns could talk? Natalie Kossar supplies the dialogue and vintage ads become short, absurdist plays.  McCall's Pattern Behavior
 

1 Interesting Thing:

This Fortune magazine article on Ikea's world domination is one of the most fascinating stories I've ever read and not just because the author managed to get the phrase "Ikea is going meatballs out" past her editor. 

Ikea is a $40 billion company that sells a Billy bookcase every 10 seconds. But they also took six years of in-depth research before opening their first store in South Korea. What Ikea knows about the subtle differences between cultures is astonishing. Here's a fun tidbit: when Ikea first opened in the US, they sold a confusingly large number of vases, until they realized Americans were using them as drinking glasses. The Swedish cups were too small. Read all about that and more here: It's Ikea's World, We Just Live In It 

Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/

Have a great weekend,
Chris

3 Things: Katie Fisher Day, Uncomfortable Art History, Colbert Catechism /  by Chris Duffy

Hi friends,

If you're new to these emails, welcome! Every Saturday, I send out a short email with three great things. I've also got some of my upcoming shows featured below. If you know anyone who you think would enjoy this, feel free to spread the word! They can sign up here or to see the archive of past emails, click here.

SHOW UPDATE:  This Tuesday, March 10, I'm doing a live show inspired by these emails. Come see "3 Great Things" live at Le Poisson Rouge. We'll have stories from Elna Baker (This American Life), jokes from Brian Frange (Fake Film Sequels), and music from Evan Altman. Tickets and more info here. 

Friends in Boston: I'm doing a You're the Expert taping and post-Pi Day spectacular onSunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. Details on that here.

Ok, on to this week's list!
 

1 Thing I Think Is Great:


I'm a big fan of kindness and also of cookies. Here's a lovely holiday that celebrates both. On March 12, join the global movement that is Katie Fisher Day. Here's how :
 

"Step 1: Pick someone you love.
Step 2: Bake them cookies.
Step 3: Send those cookies.
Step 4: There is no step 4."
 

You can read the details and the full back story (including why Amy Poehler is on board) on their website. Katie Fisher Day
 

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

The mark of a truly great joke is brevity. Just a few small words that provoke an enormous involuntary reaction (re: laughter). Mallory Ortberg is a writer who consistently makes me laugh with the shortest of sentences. This hilarious piece is a great example. All Mallory does is add her own captions to some famous works of art. All I do is laugh. It's a beautiful arrangement we have. Uncomfortable Attempts at Heterosexuality in Art

1 Interesting Thing:

Everyone knows that Stephen Colbert is very funny. Not everyone realizes he's also very spiritual. I've always loved hearing him speak about his faith and how it informs both his comedy and his life. He's thoughtful and personal, while also skeptical of the kneejerk reactionism and judgement that many people associate with organized religion. So it was a real joy to find this interview about Catholicism that Colbert did with Fr. James Martin. Father Martin is quite a comedian in his own right and the author of "Between Heaven and Mirth," which I can't recommend enough, both for its humor and its insights on the role of joy in religion. Colbert Catechism: Stephen Colbert Professes His Faith to Fr. James Martin

Ok, thanks for reading! More details on shows and my full schedule online atwww.chrisduffycomedy.com/calendar/

Have a great weekend,
Chris