3 Things: New Zealand, Thomas Sanders, TAL / 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 and/or see the archive of past emails here.

SHOW UPDATE:  


NYC: Tomorrow (8/16), join me for my monthly variety show / prize giveaway You Get A Spoon! featuring Jo Firestone, music from Irish singer/songwriter Colin Dempsey, and a reading by Maris Kreizman. Details/tickets here. Down the road, I've got two big You're the Expert shows at The Bell House. Details here

DC: Only 9 tickets left for Taste Test Comedy on Wednesday, September 16. Small bites, big laughs. Details and tickets here.

BOSTON: You're the Expert is back on September 27. Get tickets here. On October 1, I'll be at Johnny D's doing a version of You Get A Spoon! with spoken word poet Sarah Kay and storyteller Elna Baker. Tickets are already going fast, so get yours here.

Ok, on to this week's list!
 

1 Thing I Think Is Great:


The citizens of New Zealand are voting on a new flag, which is a wonderful example of democracy in action. That being said, opening up flag designs to the public resulted in some pretty insane but spectacular suggestions. I know it's officially out of the running, but let me just publicly declare that if New Zealand chooses "Laser Kiwi" as its new flag, I will immediately move there and renounce my American citizenship. New Zealand Announces Longlist of Flag Designs

 

1 Thing That Made Me Laugh:

At the risk of sounding like an old man, I don't understand Vine. The social network built on looping six-second videos is supposedly producing "the next wave of comedy superstars," but I think it's dumb. Then, every once in a while, I see someone who's using the constraints of the medium to make something genuinely unique and funny. I love Thomas Sanders' series of vines "Narrating People's Lives", especially the way normal people react to his narrations. At the same time, I think Paul Scheer's parody of "Vine superstars" is funnier than just about anything actually on Vine. The Meltdown: Paul Scheer
 

1 Interesting Thing:

This American Life ran a two-part episode on education that is one of the most important and devastating works of journalism I've heard. I've had so many conversations over the years with friends who are thoughtful, intelligent, passionate educators working day-in and day-out to close the achievement gap. But I think nothing gets at the fundamental issues and painful challenges quite like this. "Right now, all sorts of people are trying to rethink and reinvent education, to get poor minority kids performing as well as white kids. But there's one thing nobody tries anymore, despite lots of evidence that it works: desegregation." The Problem We All Live With


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

Have a great weekend,
Chris