3 Things: Garry Shandling, Town Names, and Positive Habits

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

3 Things: Alexis Coe, Captain Beefheart, and Darwinian Doodles

Hi friends,

It's the 100th edition of 3 Things! 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:
Sunday, March 20 at 8:00 p.m. The Macaulay Culkin Show is a great monthly comedy show run by Brett Davis and Sally Burtnick. It has nothing to do with Macaulay Culkin. It's at a venue called Shea Stadium that's not at all the one you're thinking of. It's an unmarked building in an industrial part of Brooklyn. And the show rarely, if ever, starts on time. I'm telling jokes with a bunch of great people and it's also the premiere party for IFC's "Boy Band."  Link

ATLANTA:
Tuesday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. You're the Expert is at Atlanta Science Festival with comedians Amber Nash from Archer, Josh Sharp, and Shalewa Sharpe. Link

You can also see my full schedule up on the website now.

 This week's list

 1 Thing I Think Is Great:

Apparently, despite the availability of planes, trains, and automobiles, there are still Americans who travel by covered wagon. Alexis Coe is a historian and an author. She joined a group of wagon enthusiasts on a journey from Zephyr Cove, Nevada to Placerville, California. Along the way, she describes the fascinating history of the gold rush, what it's like to be a woman on the trail, and a few of the wonders of modern dentistry. Rolling Through The West In Search of The American Dream
 

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

Captain Beefheart gives great advice. I don't want to say much more because I think his list of commandments for guitar stand on their own. Whether you're a musician, an artist, an office worker, or a child looking for a path in life, Beefheart has your answers. 10 Commandments of Guitar Playing  (h/t David Cieri)

 

1 Interesting Thing:

What happened to the only handwritten copy of Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" after his publisher got a copy? It was turned into scrap paper for Darwin's children to draw on. There's something both shocking and joyful about seeing a piece of history covered in weird little animals and scenes drawn by children. I love it. The American Museum of Natural History put the papers online and I strongly recommend checking them out. Apparently, in addition to being a groundbreaking scientist, Darwin was also a super cool dad. His house had "a wooden slide on the stairs and a rope swing on the first floor landing." Plus, you got to scribble all over history. Slide Show: Darwinian Doodles

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

Have a great weekend,
Chris

You Get A Spoon! with Myq Kaplan, David Cieri, and Danielle Blau

Sunday's You Get A Spoon at Under St Marks was a great night of music, poetry, and comedy.

Comedian Myq Kaplan recommended:

1) Fables vol. 1 (a graphic novel)

2) George Saunders - The Braindead Megaphone

3) New York Naturals Bombay Ranch Kale Chips

Poet Danielle Blau recommended:

 1) Hexbug mouse cat toy

2) Little Savage by Emily Fragos

3) Food that looks like other food (e.g., marzipan shaped like fruit)

Musician and composer David Cieri recommended:

 1) The Aristos by John Fowles

2) Tuning fork

3) Captain Beefheart's 10 rules for playing the guitar

And audience member Therese won the spoon!