Subtitle: “I’m Not Worried. I’m Concerned.”

What happens in the bathroom can no longer stay in the bathroom.

For this month's members-only bonus show, Merlin shares his surprising Vacation Results.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Monday, April 3, 2023)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

How To Pronounce Slainte - YouTube

Florence Y'all Water Tower - Wikipedia

Toilet seat example of Secret Weird Things People Do

Poll: Do you have a cup in the bathroom?

Poll: For non-cuppers only

Non-Cupper Definition of Terms

does-the-peloton-ceo-drink-water-like-this.html">I’m Sorry, WHAT Does the Peloton CEO Do Every Morning?

Photos of attic water tanks in Ireland

Water tank house diagram

Rat-Water thread with Kieran Healy

David O’Doherty's comedy song about his water tank

Back to Work #85, featuring a public bathroom RPG

Things I recommend you buy and use, by Sam Bowman

Pink Uber | Do By Friday

This week’s challenge: share private mind motions.

Subtitle: A Brimley Vibe

Things kick off with Merlin teaching John a thing people used to say in Florida. Then, John ends up repeatedly having to say a phrase that doesn't really seem like the kind of thing that John ever says. Old concert t-shirts are researched and considered.

This somehow leads to a discussion of where things go that then transitions nicely into a new installment of the fan-favorite "Secret Weird Things People Do."

John has discovered a community of people who seem to kind of know what they're doing is weird, and Merlin repeats an anecdote about when he almost lost his mind from washing dishes with the absolutely incorrect soap.

Things conclude with a pop quiz and another plea to stop putting things on the stairs.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 21, 2023)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Meniscus

Van Halen 1980 Invasion t-shirt

Van Halen in concert - June 12, 1981, Oakland Coliseum Stadium

493-part-of-an-amp.html">Roderick on the Line #493: Part of an Amp

The Simpsons - messy kitchen gag

Meet the Secret Society of People Who Piss in the Sink

Things kick off with Merlin's noisy electronic livestock and a frustrating health update from John. Whose family now hates him.

In Follow-Up, Mr. Siracusa provides his son with a correction on The Novocaine Story, which leads to a digression into how John's dad writes text messages........

This ends up providing a great segue into the main topic: how memory breaks, and how we try to address it.

Because, as you quickly realize, many memories involve other people who have—well—different memories. But, also, why did I go to the garage, because I'm pretty sure I went there for a reason.

For this month's members-only bonus show, your hosts talk about artsy-fartsy video games like Life is Strange and What Remains of Edith Finch

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Monday, March 6, 2023)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Burrow: Discover the new Outdoor Collection. Get 10% off your first order.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Heavyweight #16: Rob

The podcast episode about the misremembered broken arm.

The Foot Fist Way

The Doorway Effect

Memory biases

SS.pdf">Araby, by James Joyce (PDF)

It's barely SIX pages long. Read it!

Paul's Case (short story)

Forgetfulness, a poem by Billy Collins

Billy Collins reads his poem, Forgetfulness

John’s “Great Games” list

The Secret World of Arrietty

Red Flag Perfume by Chanel - SNL - YouTube

Compulsion: Cologne - SNL - YouTube

Subtitle: “You Haven’t Earned a BM”

Things kick off with Merlin auditioning a new on-air style, and John coughing in a way that portends imminent health developments.

Unsurprisingly and delightfully, there is a lot of really good Follow-Up on John's recent medical adventure. Listener-experts chime in on all manner of issues. Also John reveals his test results, and Merlin feels like a hungry man.

Things seem to be wrapping with an update on John's Unexpected Side Effect, but then they end up talking about food and medicine for, like, twenty more minutes.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 21, 2023)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

ATP #523: I Can't Give Him the Carrot Fast Enough

"Pre-show: ✅ ATP hat-trick achieved ☹️"

Why Smells and Memories Are So Strongly Linked in Our Brains

The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry: The Mind Numbing Medicine

ATP Eats: Frozen Dinners

Hand-in-ice-water memory experiment (PDF)

Alpine Pastry Shoppe

Emilio's Pizza

Branchinelli's Pizza

dinners.html">Libbyland Dinners

Follow-up brings updates on skiing metaphors and ideas for tricking your brain into drawing a little better.

Then, for the balance of the episode, John shares details of a recent medical adventure. Including an unexpectedly positive side effect.

For this month's members-only bonus show, your hosts talk about The Last of Us in its incarnations as both a prestige TV show and a video game series.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 7, 2023)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

The Gluck Method

My Year of Rest and Relaxation

“I’m the best there is at what I do but what I do best isn’t very nice.”

Magnesium citrate

The Last of US Part 1 for PS5 (disc)

The Last of US Part 1 for PS5 (digital)

Merlin talks about episode 4 of The Last of US on The Cast of Us podcast

John talks about The Last of Us (PS3) on The Incomparable

John talks about The Last of US Part II on The Incomparable

John’s “Great Games” list

Things kick off with a consideration of John's theoretical funeral. Merlin can't understand why John won't adopt him.

In Follow-Up, your hosts briefly consider their recent bicentennial and agree that words about parts or multiples of a thing are way too confusing.

As a main topic, John has questions about Merlin's fraught history with drawing. What's it take to get good at a thing you care about, and what motivates us to stick with it?

Things end up touching on grit-adjacent stuff like consistency and tenacity. But, whether or not one is gifted, it does seem like we naturally tend to pursue things we like doing. Which just as naturally can make it difficult to stick with the things that don't come so easily. Gotta really pile up that paper.

Comparisons between the habits of making music and writing are made, and differences are easily reconciled regarding the genius work of Jonathan Coulton.

John thinks Merlin missed the focal plane on a photo he used to think was pretty good. Merlin recalls a movie poster whose Renaissance-era optical trick first made him wish he could draw better.

(Recorded Tuesday, January 24, 2023)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
• Burrow: Get 10% off your first Burrow order.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

“I Was a Starter Wife” - Inside America's Messiest Divorce

John's Destiny character drawing, by EmilyMeganX

Some of John's childhood artwork

Spud Webb

Merlin's video game tweet

The Chapman Stick

Jazz Guitarist Stanley Jordan Shows “Touch” Technique

John’s original “Hypercritical” article

Lessons on How to Draw by Hokusai

Jonathan Coulton’s song, Shop Vac

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, Original Stephen Spielberg Movie Poster – Original Vintage Movie Posters

Things kick off with Merlin pressing John for some candid advice on a new affectation he's been considering. John is certain that using a Dremel is not actually part of Merlin's job, but Merlin's not so sure. Photos of Mr. Miyazaki are reviewed.

In Follow-Up, John has some toe updates. Mere moments after swearing he's not going to make noises and recoil, Merlin makes several noises and recoils.

Next up, John's favorite band announces a new project to release a bunch of cover versions of songs from their back catalog. This leads to a surprisingly wide-ranging discussion of a music industry that continues to evolve quickly and which now seems to necessitate an entirely new kind of creativity.

This week's member episode is already one of Merlin's favorites, so it's being included here so everybody can check it out.

The topic? What's a thing you had as a kid that you kind of wish your kids could've had?

Is it ahistorical to wish your progeny had gotten to see an epic baseball lineup? What exactly might happen if you tried to recreate your own free-range childhood? Did having less information lead to a deeper understanding of context and the parameters of the world? And, which kinds of community and scarcity feel elusive or even just irreproducible today?

If you'd enjoy hearing more from John and Merlin, we hope you'll consider becoming a supporter of the program.

And, hey. Thanks for sticking around through 200 of these things.

(Recorded on Tuesday, January 10, 2023)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Miyazaki documentary trailer: The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

Does Miyazaki drink his coffee from a Totoro mug? You’re goddamn right he does.

Upcoming U2 album will feature 40 new versions of old U2 songs

John Denver Country Boy - BBC Documentary (2013)

Listen to Your Heart - original, by Roxette

Listen To Your Heart (Edmee's Unplugged Version) - YouTube

Listen To Your Heart (Edmee's Unplugged Version) - song.link

Born Fighters (1979) - Documentary about Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds & Rockpile

1984 Mongoose Californian (black)

1984 Mongoose Californian (blue)

1984 Mongoose Californian (red)

Merlin's Wisdom Project

"It's only advice for you because it had to be advice for me."

Hayao Miyazaki, creativity, and selfishness

"THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN 43 HAYAO MIYAZAKI SCREENGRABS"

almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1975&t=CN5">1975 Cincinnati Reds Roster | Baseball Almanac

14 Pete Rose

Morgellons - Wikipedia

Morgellons is not well understood, but the general medical consensus is that it is a form of delusional parasitosis, on the psychiatric spectrum.

Moops | WikiSein | Fandom

'Born Fighters' 1979 Documentary Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds & Rockpile - YouTube

This Granada TV documentary follows the recording process, circa 1978-1979, of Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds

FlyLady.net: Your personal online coach to help you gain control of your house and home

Purple Puddles | FlyLady.net

Playlist: "It Means That I Love You" - An Evening with Rockpile - YouTube

Spotify – Slate's Hit Parade: Angry Young Men Edition

Three punk sophisticates helped invent New Wave.

How three British post-punkers named Joe, Graham, and Elvis helped “write the book” on New Wave.

Nick Lowe - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding (Live on 89.3 The Current) - YouTube

Brinsley Schwarz - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding - YouTube

Cheap Trick: Steve Albini Sessions 1997 - YouTube

Merlin is pretty proud of his dinner, but John has questions about the dressing situation. Merlin may not understand how skiing works.

In Follow-Up, John shares more voices from the past, and your hosts confront an escalating international rift about the existence of a facial expression.

Finally, it's time for Holiday Results, which somehow includes strong opinions on labeling leftovers, preparing strawberries, and sweating le mot juste. Also, ponies are considered.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Zocdoc: Find the right doctor, right now with Zocdoc. Sign up for free.
• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Burrow: Get 10% off your first order.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Max Kreienbaum on "frown"

Canecittadino on "frown"

Jonny Eklund on "frown"

Imre on "frown"

Mark Steadman on "frown"

Cai on "frown"

Florence Pugh being vaguely frown-y

The Wonder

Frontline: The Merchants of Cool

John's birthday carrot cake recipe, from Ina Garten

Laurie Anderson - "Language is a Virus" (1982) - YouTube

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003) - Reference View - IMDb

A documentary on how Los Angeles has been used and depicted in the movies.

Meditations On Moloch | Slate Star Codex

Like all good mystical experiences, it happened in Vegas.

Chloë Grace Moretz Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED - YouTube

‎John Siracusa’s films • Letterboxd

John has watched 204 films rated ★★½ .

Things kick off with a consideration of mouth noises and beloved bits. This leads to a look at entertainment that functions as comfort food. Wanna know what you're playing for?

Lot of great listener Follow-Up this week, including more on British facial expressions, hassles for the proper Lex, and some prior art around "sharrow."

The main topic relates to John's family archive project producing some remarkable voices from the past.

For this month's members-only bonus show, the topic is Andor.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 13, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Vincent Schiavelli - IMDb

What is a STROAD? - YouTube

Strong Towns - YouTube

Videos on the topics of StrongTowns.org, mostly about the financial viability of cities, and insolvent cities of America and Canada.

Moist and Worried - Corner of the Sky #25 - The Incomparable

Merlin talks about "Free to Be…You and Me."

'Highlights: what we may call today “gender equity,” non-musical, Cincinnati, proto-Terry Crews, my cool baby, sharing media across generations, a (not so) surprising amount of Hamilton talk, the kids are alright, columnists.'

William Katt - "Corner of the Sky" (from "Pippin") - YouTube

Merlin shares a new insight about the pre-flight, but, as usual John disagrees. Then, there's some discussion of playlists and that time John got Merlin into Chvrches.

There appears to be some continental disagreement about a ubiquitous facial expression, and John directs Merlin on some more of the things he supposedly pronounces weirdly. Your hosts might could want to explore the things it took them too long to realize, and Merlin graciously reads John one of his dreams.

Follow-Up turns to the continuing mishegas over on The Bird Site. Yikes. And this was even before they added the bedrooms and gave a copy of the keys to a right-wing nutty bar. Woof.

Eventually, this leads to a slight turn into how different people are exploring Mastodon. Do you treat it strictly as a Twitter replacement, or is it maybe a fresh opportunity to learn how a social media site wants to be used? Merlin misses a lot about LiveJournal, and John is just happy to be someplace that isn't owned and controlled by The Birthday Boy.

John's goodnatured insistence that Merlin's household acquire a dog is starting to have an impact, and John leads us on a close exegesis of an unpersuasive Billy Joel photo.

Finally, talk turns to Christopher Nolan in general and the movie Tenet in particular. How can you know when you're not supposed to understand what's happening in a film? Also, can an SUV really go that fast in reverse, or is that just because it's driving on the backwards side of the time partition? Who knows.

Also, good robots are considered, and Merlin extolls the virtues of the Mr. Noodle family.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Dril speaks on Musk and Twitter - The Washington Post

The ‘patron saint of the internet’ tells The Post he’ll never pay for verification but will learn to code if Musk offers him a job

The Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Memory Man guitar pedal

CHVRCHES - Screen Violence

Don't chase your dreams! Humans are persistence predators…

Twitter is no longer enforcing the COVID-19 misleading information policy

I Will Follow

Movetodon.org - A tool for porting your follow list from Twitter to Mastodon

Fedifinder - Another tool for porting your follow list from Twitter to Mastodon

Hotline

LiveJournal

Maillard reaction 🦆

TARS

NaN Cat #1

NaN Cat #2

Mastodon's Eternal September begins

K-2SO

Rogue One teaser - "I rebel."

Primer

Primer diagrams

Spotify – Pretty Maids

"These are runs of two or more consecutive album tracks that rule. If you play the first song, you must play the others. I do not, as @darth says, make the rules."

Random impressions - YouTube

Spotify – Pretty Maids

"These are runs of two or more consecutive album tracks that rule. If you play the first song, you must play the others. I do not, as @darth says, make the rules."

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary" by Mother Goose

"…And pretty maids all in a row."

Things kick off with a quick look at the recent TicketMaster dustup. Merlin shares what a "news peg" is, and John has simple ideas for avoiding unnecessary logjams on the web.

As a main topic. upon Merlin's request, John generously provides a tour of his app, SwitchGlass. We learn what itch John was scratching and how SwitchGlass differs from various other rows of icons on your Mac.

In the members-only bonus show, the guys talk about, you know. Twitter.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 15, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

SwitchGlass

and-center.app">Front and Center

Angry Taylor Swift fans rail about Ticketmaster glitches - The Washington Post

Bruce Springsteen fans face $5,000 tickets — and a ‘crisis of faith’ - The Washington Post

Gamergate - Wikipedia

giverelay.com - RelayFM new annual membership plans are 20% off until December 17, 2022

MastodonThings kick off with about ten minutes of very useful nail clipper talk.

Up next, lots of good listener Follow-Up on the origins of CSS color names, how to pause a TikTok with your meat fingers, plus revealing some scalable methods for finding free money from the government.

Next, comes some FU on Lifestreams that somehow kind of becomes the basis for the rest of the episode.

How can we track the stuff that's valuable to us—but also provide the specificity and context needed to annotate that data in a way that makes it actionable?

Then, of course, you wonder about the privacy implications of living in a panopticon. Sure isn't working out too great for the Uyghurs. Won't somebody please think of the children?

The digital divide is real, but you may not realize how real until you watch someone else use a computer. Secret gestures, powerful browser plug-ins, and even general internet hygiene are still anything but evenly distributed.

Finally, John shows Merlin how to fix his notifications even as he continues to refuse a very generous job offer.

(Recorded Thursday, November 3, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

479-personal-forklift.html">The Roderick on the Line episode where Merlin talks about his haircut

Alex Sexton's talk about X11 colors - YouTube

annotations.html">Annotations in NCSA Mosaic

Screenshot of NCSA Mosaic on X11

Unclaimed property meta-search: missingmoney.com

Lifestream - Wikipedia

Yale Lifestreams homepage

RecDiffs episode #169 (November 13, 2021) where we discussed Lifestreams

Timestamp link to RecDiffs #169 where we discussed Lifestreams (at 53 minutes 22 seconds)

ATP episode 66 (May 21, 2014) where John talks about Lifestreams

Timestamp link to ATP #66 where John talks about Lifestreams (at 1 hour 52 seconds)

Rewind.ai

"How much does Rewind cost?"

The ATP episode #507 where John talks about Rewind.ai

Black Mirror episode - The Entire History of You

San Junipero - Netflix

What Next: TBD - "Big Brother, Big Tech, and China"

COVID may be an inflection point in the relationship between the surveillance state and the surveilled.

RescueTime Mac app

IINA media player for the Mac

1987 IBM PS/2 Computer Family Classic Intro - YouTube

IBM PCjr - Wikipedia

The Rape of Europa (2006) - Reference View - IMDb

The story of Nazi Germany's plundering of Europe's great works of art during World War II and Allied efforts to minimize the damage.

del.icio.us

Pinboard

Mozilla - Wikipedia

Firefox - Wikipedia

Greasemonkey - Wikipedia

Think of the children - Wikipedia

How to undo/redo on an iPhone - PhoneArena

Things kick off with John's strident observation of pre-show hygiene, and Merlin struggles to know his Targaryens from his Velaryons and his Valyrians. Merlin has a lot of problem with twins, and John mourns this new generation's lack of respect for proper media queuing. As ever, Merlin's demos are the worst.

There's some brief confusion about 80s music, and, even though he's drop-tuned, Merlin plays John a nice "FMaj7" chord. John claims to have no interest in Merlin making him a mixtape.

In Follow-Up, John interrogates Merlin about a new domain name. John pushes some commits to Merlin, as various tool tip options are workshopped in real time lol.

Merlin offers John a prestigious new position, because he's got a bunch of computer problems to put him on. John demurs.

John has been looking into the unclaimed property of Massachusetts, but Merlin always assumes everything like this is some kind of jam-up.

This somehow leads to a surprisingly deep discussion of Letterboxd and the inevitable return of the evergreen topic of ratings and reviews. John and Merlin do not want to host their own email.

In the (101 minute!) members-only bonus show, John has real-time Letterboxd homework for Merlin, and your hosts consider what it will be like to pick through their digital lives after they die.

And, finally, yes: John has even more updates on his seemingly endless journey towards "home improvement."

Remember, you can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 18, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Luke Tittensor (Arryk Cargyll on House of the Dragon)

Elliott Tittensor (Erryk Cargyll on House of the Dragon)

Targaryen Family Tree - House of the Dragon

World, from the New Order album Republic

If you see someone drowning…lol

Scrivener

A Confederacy of Dunces

Why do people put xX and Xx around their name?

There's a Hole in My Bucket

Wipr

Unclaimed Property Division of Massachusetts

FindMassMoney.com

The Mat Honan hack

"Pig Butchering" scam

Inventing Anna - Anna Delvey Netflix show

Studio Ghibli Park

Blast my cache!

Trakt,tv

Jack Dorso - Arrested Development

Mac Office 2001 icons

Elliott's naming-things bit on The Flop House

John's Letterboxd profile

Merlin's Letterboxd profile

John's Letterboxd lists

Merlin's Letterboxd lists

CSS Keywords

Mac Spotlight search tips

Goldfinger Corgi DB5 Model With Ejector Seat l Official 007 Store - 007storeUS

Pay attention 007! Indisputably the most famous Corgi product release of all time, the 60's version of the James Bond DB5 from Goldfinger (1964)  is a feature packed replica worthy of Q Branch.

Welcome to the Sack | Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories | Adult Swim - YouTube

"Oh, perfect. I got a BUNCH of computer problems I'm gonna put you on."

The Jolly Teapot

by Nicolas Magand

The Replacements - Unsatisfied (REMASTERED) - YouTube

Some Old Music (Oct. 2022) - ungainly

Defunctland: The History of Disney's Worst Attraction Ever, Superstar Limo - YouTube

Things kick off with an ambitious proposal to recognize outstanding work by team members and keep the relationship fresh.

After ticking an item off of his "queue," John leads a nominally rapid-fire round highlighted by a controversial new Secret Weird Things People Do.

Things wrap with a provocative Dog Update in which John leverages the love of a British TV show to re-home a new friend with Merlin's family. Merlin identifies the wrong Helen.

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 4, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.
• Doppler: Sync environment variables at scale.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Relay FM for St. Jude - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

"Relay FM and its community raised...$706,397.10"

Nobody Cares But Me, But I Do Care (Book cover image)

Mackenzie Davis

Halt and Catch Fire

Station Eleven (TV series)

San Junipero - Netflix

Andor (TV series)

UCB - Titular Line In Star Wars - YouTube

"Your bloodline is weak" meme

Didn't We Almost Have It All

The Dog House (TV series)

That's a Reference (@atpreferences) / Twitter

they/them - A completely incomplete record of the pop culture references made on @ATPfm / Haphazardly maintained by @AdamTheSak

Spit-take - Wikipedia

A spit-take is a comedic technique or reaction in which someone spits a drink, or sometimes food, out of their mouth as a reaction to a surprising or funny statement.

Obi-Wan Kenobi Movie - The Patterson Cut

Meet the dogs | Channel 4's The Dog House | Woodgreen Pets Charity

Four legs and two - meet the dogs we've helped at Woodgreen, and the humans getting them back on their paws.

things that need a name

John has concerns about why his fans are spinning up, and Merlin interrogates his recent obsession with the previous vice president.

The main topic this week concerns a question that's been banging around in Merlin's brain forever: is John inoculated against stress?

Once the usual arguments about wording and meaning have been (mostly) settled, numerous angles are explored. Including an exploration of one of life's thorniest differences to reconcile: how much can I be "how I am" with other people?

In our (85-minute!) members-only bonus show, John has updates on his "home improvement" projects. [This is a good one]

Remember, you can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, September 20, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Theory of Mind - Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Theory of Mind is the branch of cognitive science that investigates how we ascribe mental states to other persons and how we use the states to explain and predict the actions of those other persons.

Perfectionism and the Performance of Organizing

Revising a book (or any piece of writing) is about exerting control and imposing order over the first messy draft. But it’s also about running up against the brick walls of your talent and realizing just how much of the success of the book you absolutely cannot control. So it’s not a huge surprise that in between revising bursts, I’ve been organizing the shit out of my house. 

Power Series Garbage Disposals - InSinkErator

Handle tough food scraps like fruit pits.

Insinkerator Evolution Excel, Best Disposal Ever, Has a leak - YouTube

Exposure therapy for OCD - Wikipedia

Exposure and response prevention (also known as exposure and ritual prevention; ERP or EX/RP) is a variant of exposure therapy that is recommended by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), the American Psychiatric Association (APA), and the Mayo Clinic as first-line treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) citing that it has the richest empirical support for both youth and adolescent outcomes.

You Are Two - YouTube

Roger Sperry’s Split Brain Experiments (1959–1968) | The Embryo Project Encyclopedia

When Sperry removed the eye patch and the cats could see with both eyes, he performed the same experiment.

Split-Brain: What We Know Now and Why This is Important for Understanding Consciousness - PMC

Does a split-brain harbor a split consciousness or is consciousness unified?

Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment, by Robert Wright

'Why Buddhism Is True' Looks At The Religion's Link To Science - NPR

Wright's main point is that evolution hardwires us with intense emotions that are in fact delusions.

Why Buddhism Is True, by Robert Wright - Philosophy Now

He interweaves secular Buddhism and evolutionary psychology with precision and clarity, and in doing so he has followed perhaps the best route for modern philosophy: to glean insights from contemporary science in order to examine the human condition and reflect upon our moral imperatives.

John learns a little about a legendary Hollywood producer, and Merlin may not know how to do his job.

Apple announces some new products, London Bridge is down, and your hosts continue their tour of mini-topics.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Give to St. Jude!

for-the-rest-of-us.html">What are people using GitHub for besides coding? | InfoWorld

Git made it possible for programmers to coordinate distributed work across teams -- now GitHub makes it possible for everyone else

GitHub for English teachers – Jon Udell

This week I tried a different approach when editing a document written by a colleague. Again the goal was not only to produce an edited version, but also to narrate the edits in a didactic way. In this case I tried bending GitHub to my purpose.

John's cheap Olixar leather case for his iPhone 12 Pro

Greeble

Greeblies

The 22 countries that have never been invaded by Britain, mapped

Map of dates that countries celebrate their independence from Britain

The Crown (TV series)

The Princess (HBO Documentary)

The Queen (2006 movie)

Michael Sheen giving a motivational speech to the Welsh football team

Hand turkey

How to make a hand turkey

The Walking Dead (TV series)

The Dog House (TV series)

John's Mac apps

GitHub for English teachers – Jon Udell

for-the-rest-of-us.html">What are people using GitHub for besides coding? - InfoWorld

Things kick off with a brief debate on whether using things wrong makes you a hacker.

In Follow-Up, John has updates on that announcement about dropping a device in a plane seat, and Merlin expresses skepticism about announcements in general.

Then, there's some updates related to the prior discussion of performance reviews. Believe it or not, quantifying the unquantifiable is even more difficult than it sounds.

And, finally, we learn why John is still behind on his podcasts as well as why Merlin liked it better when podcasts were less…professional.

In our members-only bonus show: John has updates on Half-Empty Nest Syndrome.

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(Recorded on Tuesday, August 23, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Doppler: Sync environment variables at scale.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Jay Leno on “water landing”

Sully

Racial Disparities in Performance Evaluations at The New York Times

Liz Ryan's Twitter thread about 360s

Chesterton's Fence

Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking

Nonce Forms: What They Are and How to Write Them - Writer's Digest

Procedure word - Wikipedia

The word "REPEAT" should not be used in place of "SAY AGAIN", especially in the vicinity of naval or other firing ranges, as "REPEAT" is an artillery proword defined in ACP 125 U.S. Supp-2(A) with the wholly different meaning of "request for the same volume of fire to be fired again with or without corrections or changes" (e.g., at the same coordinates as the previous round).

AVID POWER Tire Inflator Air Compressor, 20V Cordless Car Tire Pump with Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, 12V Car Power Adapter, Digital Pressure Gauge : Automotive

Merlin now owns two of these.

Jay Leno on David Letterman (July, 1987) - YouTube

This is the "water landing" bit Merlin still somehow remembers 35 years later.

No Plan Survives First Contact With the Enemy – Quote Investigator

In conclusion, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder deserves credit for the words he wrote in German in 1871.

Playing God in Yellowstone: The Destruction of America's First National Park

In Follow-Up, John reminds everyone that RecDiffs listeners knew what’s bad about TV stands before any of the normals.

John also shares his Vacation Results—alongside some anthropological observations on the state of air travel in 2022.

Finally, your hosts dig in to the continuing saga of John’s TV.

(Recorded August 9, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

I Just Want My TV Legs to Actually Work - WIRED

As TVs get bigger, it’s gotten more complicated to set them up. One simple fix could have you streaming Netflix in no time.

Dirac Live

Sony A95K QD-OLED TV

OLED TV demo footage of honey, etc.

ATP 494: Ultra-Wideband Park Bench

Cable Matters Plug USB to Ethernet Adapter

Salp

Person on an airplane using an iMac. (Also, look at the Dock in the first photo.)

Larger overhead bins in airplanes (top photo)

John's thermostat graph

This week finds both John and Merlin helping things leave their house.

In our members-only bonus show: John previews vacation planning progress.

Sign up today to get lots of extra stuff and to support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 19, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Strunk & White

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, by Stephen King

On Writing Well, by William Zinsser

Using the 5 S's to Soothe a Crying Baby: Dr. Harvey Karp – Happiest Baby

a-certain-age-its-impossible-to-get-a-good-photograph-of-your-child.html">At a certain age, it’s impossible to get a good photograph of your child

You Ruined Everything, by Jonathan Coulton

Hazardous Waste - Recology San Francisco

It is illegal to put items such as electronics, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, pesticides, and other chemicals in any of your bins. These items are not recyclable, compostable, nor are they allowed in our landfills.

Once John is ready, things kick off with a discussion of Merlin's increasing asymmetry.

Follow-up concerns pinned messages. Merlin thinks Marco still doesn't understand what a priority is, and John thinks skeuomorphism doesn't mean what it used to mean.

John graciously saves Merlin's sanity, and then your hosts express skepticism about the wisdom of offering subscriptions in premium automobiles.

As an extended mini-topic, you hosts talk about the recent FX show, The Bear. John points out that Merlin is still misquoting Billy Joel. But, so close.

Finally, John is discovering life with SwiftUI to be a bit of a drag.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 12, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Doppler: Sync environment variables at scale.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Fringe

Skeuomorph

BMW seat-heater subscriptions

The Bear

The Boys

SwitchGlass

SwiftUI

How The System Works — The Enneagram Institute

"The Enneagram, however, is ultimately subtle and complex, as you will appreciate the more you use it in your life."

Freddie Laker - Wikipedia

Apple Car Design Goals

Eve Button

Welcome to the Sack | Tim & Eric's Bedtime Stories | Adult Swim - YouTube

King of the Hill - "Spin the Choice" - YouTube

How ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Does Running Gags | Deep Dive - YouTube

"No touching!"

good.asp">Veblen Good (Definition)

A Veblen good is a good for which demand increases as the price increases, because of its exclusive nature and appeal as a status symbol.

Things kick off with Merlin proposing a new title for himself which John immediately vetoes for cause.

In Follow-Up, John claims that he knows what month it is, plus there's some promising new data on John's TV project.

👉 Time is running out, so please consider buying our shirt.

The main topic concerns the question we've all been asking for over two years: is it the after times yet?

Is Covid "over" to a point where we can feel good about making plans and…doing things?

In our members-only bonus show: John and Merlin read each other their ideas, and then eventually settle in for a deep discussion of performance reviews.

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(Recorded on Tuesday, June 28, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Buy a RecDiffs t-shirt before July 15th!

"You're Soaking In It" Palmolive commercial, 1981

Frame Game explained

Frame Game history viewer

HDTVTest's Sony A95K review

PIP - Performance Improvement Plan

karass - Wiktionary

A network or group of people who are somehow affiliated or linked spiritually.

The Jargon File

formal.stanford.edu/jmc/history/lisp/lisp.html">History of Lisp

70s Calgon "Ancient Chinese Secret" Commercial - YouTube

Aloha - Episode #196 - The Flop House - YouTube

Our Performance Review - The Phantom Podcast — Blank Check with Griffin & David — Overcast

Things kick off with an immediate derail into Merlin's Apple Health data, with John noting that he never liked Statistics.

Next up, your hosts have—at least by their standards—a pretty big announcement. This leads to an appropriately in-depth exegesis into the process of making and selling a t-shirt.

Side topics include Scott Pilgrim, JavaScript, domain names, throwing money at artists you love, and just one of the numerous ways Factory Records managed to lose lots of money.

👉 If you think you might enjoy having one, please consider buying our shirt.

In Follow-Up, John is still monitoring the trades for insight into whether he wants to buy the TV he thinks he wants to buy. This is, as you know, not a decision John takes lightly, so he has sought the counsel of a Former Professional TV Calibrator. Which is apparently a job.

In further Follow-Up, John's toes are still a mess—and John saw the charts that prove it.

In the interest of equal time, your hosts discuss the stuff that they buy from creators they love. Merlin has a cascade, and John doesn't wear his own shirts. Or hoodies.

This leads to the sad backstory behind John being contacted by one of his heroes. Imagine getting an email from somebody whose photo used to hang on your teenaged wall asking you to stop doing something.

Moof.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 14, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Buy a shirt at recdiffs.store!

Reconcilable Differences #1: We All Ruined It Together

Blue Monday 12-inch

Mr. Show: Pre-Taped Call-in Show

HDTVTest YouTube channel

Digital Trends YouTube channel

rtings.com

CNET TV reviews

Brian David Gilbert YouTube channel

BDG: I built the perfect gamer space - YouTube

Kipple

I built the perfect gamer space | Unraveled - YouTube

Brian David Gilbert has always wanted to get good at PC gaming, but he's never had the space. Today, with a little help from his sponsor, he'll unravel how to make the perfect gamer space.

Health Auto Export - Export Apple Health Data - JSON & CSV

Stick Figures in Peril | Flickr

On Young Neil's "Sloan" shirt in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Merlin, showing off his handsome Wizard Shirt from The Incomparable

Apple Watch Series 7: Electric bike features review - YouTube

Lexy Savvides puts Apple Watch's ebike functionality through its paces in a beautiful neighborhood of western San Francisco. (MM)

Sysfont (Chicago lookalike font)

This is a revival of Susan Kare’s original Chicago, the default typeface in Apple’s System (80s operating system, MacOS’s precursor).

Susan Kare Limited Edition Prints

Media Tweets by Stuart Wellington (@flophousecat)

Stuart Wellington is shredded like a ninja turtle. (MM)

Telling strangers what you do for work, Merlin's life as a Ricky Montgomery dad, and How to Talk to People.

In our members-only bonus show: John has questions about Merlin's Bike Results, and Merlin has gotten religion about how we make cities.

Sign up today to get lots of extra stuff and to support our program.

(Recorded on Thursday, June 2, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.
• Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

ATP 484: Hot-Spare Price is Right — Accidental Tech Podcast

John is preparing the way for a new AV setup (‼️)

Watch The Boys - Season 1 | Prime Video

Watch The Boys Presents: Diabolical - Season 1 | Prime Video

From some of the most unhinged and maniacal minds in Hollywood today comes Diabolical, a collection of eight irreverent and emotionally shocking animated short films. Featuring stories by Seth Rogen, Awkwafina, Andy Samberg, Aisha Tyler, Justin Roiland, and more, each episode plunges elbow-deep into unseen crevices of The Boys Universe.

Stranger Things Cast Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED - YouTube

The Flop House | A Podcast About Bad Movies

Blank Check with Griffin and David

Maisie Williams Answers the Web’s Most Searched Questions | WIRED - YouTube

Willem Dafoe Breaks Down His Career, from 'The Boondock Saints' to 'Spider-Man' | Vanity Fair - YouTube

John Goodman Breaks Down His Career, From 'The Big Lebowski' to 'Monsters, Inc.' | Vanity Fair - YouTube

Rick Springfield - "Don't Talk To Strangers" (Official Video) - YouTube

Jonathan Coulton - "Don't Talk To Strangers" - YouTube

cat eating burger - YouTube

Before My Sharona: How Power Pop Became Power Pop - YouTube

Strong Towns - YouTube

The Ugly, Dangerous, and Inefficient Stroads found all over the US & Canada [ST05] - YouTube

Decoder Ring examines the history of the Segway, Dean Kamen, DEKA, Ginger, IT, and Dan Kois, book agent.

This is the story of the invention and development of a potentially revolutionary device, how Dan may or may not have doomed it, how the hype and speculation about the Segway got out of control, and how that speculation helped birth the modern internet.

How highways make traffic worse - YouTube

Expanding highways doesn't do what you think it does.

How to Fix Traffic Forever - YouTube

The Simple Solution to Traffic - YouTube

See How an Insane 7-Circle Roundabout Actually Works | WIRED - YouTube

But this thing—which is actually seven roundabouts in one—has been working for 60 years.

Maps & Routes – San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

San Francisco Bike Network Map | SFMTA

Rick Springfield - "Love Is Alright Tonight" (1982) - YouTube

Things kick off with a dive on the hacker mindset, black swans, corner cases, and the exception that proves the rule. Whatever that means.

This leads to a side trip into security, troubleshooting, and the difference between non-linear thinking and untethered madness.

Finally, in a conversation both sprawling and comically on-brand, your hosts explore the concept of properness.

What does it mean to do something properly, when should it matter, and what are the risks and benefits of demanding that certain things always be done a certain way?

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 17, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Doppler: Sync environment variables at scale.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

The Hacker Mindset

Operation Mincemeat - Wikipedia

Operation Mincemeat was a successful British deception operation of the Second World War to disguise the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily.

Operation Mincemeat (2021)

Operation Mincemeat (2010)

Postel's Law

Ian's Shoelace Site

John Chidgey's Causality podcast

Operation Fortitude - Wikipedia

Operation Fortitude was the code name for a World War II military deception employed by the Allied nations as part of an overall deception strategy (code named Bodyguard) during the build-up to the 1944 Normandy landings.

Method Acting / Quotes - TV Tropes

Black Swan Definition

A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences.

Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, severe impact, and the widespread insistence they were obvious in hindsight.

Urban Dictionary: Peter Brady Party

A party or event that no one shows up for (or is poorly attended). Based on episode 21 of the Brady Bunch where Peter throws a party for himself and no one shows up.

✂️ Fonzie's Lonely Christmas - YouTube

I'll Let Myself In: Tactics of Physical Pen Testers - YouTube

Things kick off with some discussion of food, which finds one of your hosts trying to prove with science that he tastes everything better.

Also, there is not a band or a sports team called "The Miami Giants."

Next up, John frog-marches Merlin through a check-in on his terrible sleep.

Finally, on the heels of releasing their annual member episode, John and Merlin answer some of the very good questions posed by one of their friend-guests at length.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 3, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.
• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Context collapse

The Incomparable #104: Kids Have Bad Taste

MARINA

"(often stylized in all caps)"

iJustine's health scare

iJustine's health update

Boop

Interpol - "Obstacle 1" - YouTube

This is 2002's empirically best song for walking on a treadmill at a neighborhood YMCA.

Plaza Suite (1984) | Flickr

"Yep. Senior play. In your FACE, Neil Simon."

John Lee Supertaster - YouTube

Stewart Lee - "Give It to Me Straight, Like Pear Cider That’s Made from 100% Pears" - YouTube

"And I'm supposed to believe that's a coincidence, am I?"

They Might Be Giants - "Man, It's So Loud in Here" (Conan O'Brien, 2001) - HQ - YouTube

You have to carry all your things. You can't misplace them. There's nowhere to place anything.

Things kick off with an unexpected chalk talk from Merlin on the provenance of a favorite phrase as well as an even less expected history of his college's dorms.

In follow-up, John would like to clarify that he knows the difference between a TV show about pirates and a Southern California hardcore band. Merlin offers to make John a mix tape.

After confidently announcing he's not going to talk about his Synology updates this week, Merlin talks about his Synology updates.

Next up, John has project updates pertaining to his security camera journey, including his exasperation at the lack of one blindingly obvious feature. Believe it or not, this leads to a discussion of the sorry state of smart home products.

Finally, your hosts dig into the AppleTV+ series, Severance. Spoiler horn fires off at 1:31:12.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Microsoft Lists – MSA Preview: Sign up, sign in and track what matters most.
• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Brutalist architecture

Le Corbusier

I.M. Pei Architecture at New College

I.M. Pei left his mark on Sarasota’s New College

Resurrecting New College history with Emeritus Professor Arthur “Mac” Miller

Black Sails

Black Flag

SST Records

Steve Albini wants to be paid like a plumber

Schroeder from Peanuts

John's Nest camera

Severance

In follow-up, John has corrections for himself, but Merlin says he knew what John meant. Errors are so much easier to identify once everybody else has had a chance to see them too.

In further follow-up, both the listeners and John have some advice for Merlin on programmatically scooting Git files around on his Mac.

This week's mini-topic involves some crossover with Do By Friday via a consideration of the varying depictions of J.H. Christ in the iconography of different faiths. Merlin admired his church's minimalist design aesthetic, but John recalls a parishioner at his childhood church espousing strong feelings about getting the man back on the wood where he apparently belongs.

As a main topic, your hosts dive into some recent features introduced by Plex—several of which would seem to scratch some of the itches brought up in their recent streaming media discussions.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 5, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Drafts: Where Text Starts. Try it free now. Plus, get a full year of Drafts Pro for a fraction of the normal cost.
• Sourcegraph: Universal Code Search. Move fast, even in big codebases. Try it now.
• Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Every Frame a Painting - YouTube Channel

Every Frame a Painting: Edgar Wright - How to Do Visual Comedy

Every Frame a Painting: Wolf Children - The Lateral Tracking Shot

Every Frame a Painting: Jackie Chan - How to Do Action Comedy

Television Time (iOS app)

Trakt.tv

Letterboxd

Last.fm Audioscrobbler

Manila: an open-source Finder icon changer

The Incomparable #167: The Greatest Show on Earth

Karamo's shirts on Queer Eye

Vampire on Titus - Wikipedia

'Jim Shepard of V-3 remarked to Pollard once that he “was like a vampire on Titus, sucking songs out of the earth.”'

Edgar Wright - How to Do Visual Comedy - YouTube

If you love visual comedy, you gotta love Edgar Wright, one of the few filmmakers who is consistently finding humor through framing, camera movement, editing, goofy sound effects and music.

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith: Lamott, Anne: 9780385496094: Amazon.com: Books

"I would like to be paid like a plumber" - Steve Albini

Reconcilable Differences #177: I Have Dim Hopes - Relay FM

As a main topic, your hosts dive deep on John's recent post about streaming video apps and a follow-up post about how people feel about the streaming apps they use.

Back to Work Episode 572: My Open Source Thomas Edison Film

DISCUSSED: Big news from Plex

Kiss the Streaming Struggle Goodbye with Plex | Plex

So we started to dream up a rather big dream—a system that unifies all of your subscription services, all of your watchlists, and all of your recommendations into one easy-to-use app.

That Mitchell and Webb Look - Evil Vicar - YouTube

"Are you testing me, Satan?"

About the Creation Museum | Creation Museum

The state-of-the-art Creation Museum allows you to venture through biblical history, stunning exhibits, botanical gardens, planetarium, zoo, zip line adventure course, and much more.

Capgras Syndrome - PubMed

Capgras syndrome (CS), or delusion of doubles, is a delusional misidentification syndrome. It is a syndrome characterized by a false belief that an identical duplicate has replaced someone significant to the patient.

Ned's Freaky Beatnik Parents - YouTube

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

The Eisenhower Method

Things kick off with Merlin blowing his nose and John hearing it.

In Follow-Up, John brings us up to speed on his recent adventures in jury duty. Merlin has thoughts on what we can infer from a drug tester who keeps sipping meth from the big control jug.

Next, John is (yet—further) trolled by the jackals who make announcements about their future TVs. Merlin wonders if maybe John should just learn to weld.

And, finally? There's John's Main Topic.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 22, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.
• Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.
• Instabug: Empower mobile teams to monitor, prioritize, and debug performance and stability issues and ship better mobile apps.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

The Talk Show ✪: Ep. 172, With Special Guest Merlin Mann

Merlin Mann returns to the show to discuss the election, by which I mean we mostly talk around the election. I hope we never do another show again with such heavy hearts, but whatever you think about this election, I think you’ll like this show.

Samsung's QD-OLED TV - YouTube

How to Fix a Drug Scandal - Netflix

John's Mac apps

SAMYANG 2x Spicy Buldak Hot Chicken Flavor Ramen

Spicier version of Hot Chicken Flavor RamenExperience extremely spicy chicken flavor ramen!

Don't Talk to the Police - YouTube

Regent Law Professor James Duane gives viewers startling reasons why they should always exercise their 5th Amendment rights when questioned by government officials.

This Is Why You Should NEVER Talk to Police - YouTube

In this video we discuss 5 reasons why you should never talk to the police.

In follow-up, John continues to be trolled by the announcements of television makers, and Merlin clarifies which Blu-ray box he recommends. Also, Merlin has nice things to say about the Peacock app.

As something like a main topic, John finally presents an authentic Italian-American's take on the "doing Italian food wrong" meme. Merlin wonders about locating the line between personal preference and natural law.

Next up, Merlin needs John's Tech Support for a Git question And, finally, your hosts reflect on their podcast marriage.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 8, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

John continues to be trolled by TV makers - YouTube

Merlin’s Snell-Approved ASUS Bluray with MakeMKV-friendly firmware

What is LibreDrive?

Lutron Aurora smart bulb dimmer

Reconcilable Differences #45: The Blood is Normal, Right?

Downstream podcast

Big Night

"Italian Chef Reacts" example video - YouTube

Timbale

…that's a paddlin'

The Mother of All Demos - YouTube

Steve Jobs at WWDC 1997

You’re doing Italian food all wrong, say Italians | YouGov

A new international YouGov survey identifies 11 ‘food crimes’ committed against Italian cuisine by the rest of the world.

Things kick off with a withering review of presentations by children.

Follow-up covers TV pricing updates alongside John's complicated entertainment-stack needs.

As a main topic, your hosts dive deep on John's recent post about streaming video apps and a follow-up post about how people feel about the streaming apps they use.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 22, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Sony 2022 TV price rumors. - YouTube

John's potential TV stand

John's potential blu-ray player with a fan

Forum post explaining how to make the fan quieter on the blu-ray player

John's receiver that's not currently in stock anywhere

John's second-choice receiver

Merlin's blu-ray player, still for sale

Oppo blu-ray players

Reavon blu-ray player

1997 SONY TRINITRON, Videoscope TV, DSS, WebTV Maximum Television commercial from 25 years ago SONY - YouTube

"We call it…maximum television."

Hypercritical: An Unsolicited Streaming App Spec

Again, these are not frills. These are the bare-bones basics.

Hypercritical: Streaming App Sentiments

Nevertheless, for posterity, here’s how people are feeling about the streaming video apps they use.

ATP #470: Computers Can Do Things

Merlin's spreadsheet for rating streaming apps

Merlin apologizes about the links last week, but John saves the day by picking up the tabs.

Follow-up covers listener feedback on CRI and what Gmail's little envelope means. Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts are extolled. John has an update on his Ongoing Appliance Rebellion but has nothing new to share on his Ongoing Toe Rebellion.

As a main topic, your hosts dive deep on spaces. The places where we live, work, hoard, purge, and hang up just so, so many coats. Can there be a taxonomy of spaces that helps us better pursue the lives we'd like to have?

Merlin thinks your spaces should be a willing partner (rather than a bossy adversary), while John sees benefits in giving your desk a fresh start (via a fresh attitude).

Is it weird to take advice from someone who's terrible at something, or is that maybe sometimes the best teacher you could hope for? Merlin contorts John's "Empathy for the Machine" to make a broader point about what can qualify as a machine.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 8, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

CRI, TLCI, TM-30, SSI Explained - YouTube

Understanding CRI & TLCI: The Importance Of Color Rendition

Solar Outdoor Lights

It's All Too Much - Amazon.com

mann-reviews.html">Merlin Mann reviews It's All Too Much, a book on decluttering

It’s All Too Much - Cool Tools

George Carlin Talks About "Stuff" - YouTube

Simplehuman garbage can

The Simpsons: Kitchen Door Swing Gag

The Kitchen Triangle

Merlin's awesome ladder

Two Thousand Rats on Hoarders

John's old family photo

Show'N Tell record player

Show'N Tell record player - YouTube

Kipple

Mise en place

A Bell Is a Cup

FRAKTA Shopping bag, large, blue, 19 gallon - IKEA

Power Marketing - Upright Citizens Brigade (Video Clip) | Comedy Central US

"New brain!"

Adarsh on marking Gmail as unread

Link - Zelda Wiki

There are many incarnations of Link, each possessing the spirit of the hero, with some of them being blood-related as well.

Things kick off with your hosts not quite talking about John's scanning project, but it quickly turns into a dive into tiny on-screen targets, DRM that prevents screenshots, and why, oh, why don't streaming services make things easier to share?

In follow-up, Merlin shares his new enthusiasm for the powerful combination of Git and Visual Studio Code. John expresses disappointment that Merlin still hasn't renamed his hard drive.

Finally, John has important updates on his body.

(Recorded on Tuesday, January 25, 2022)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

After some discussion of the pre-flight and Merlin's problematic meal, there's a surprising amount of donut-related content, including identifying the unexpected challenges of running a successful Donut Friday. Merlin has some thoughts on the perils of cute ordering.

In follow-up, John highlights some helpful listener responses on LED bulbs. Man, light sure can be complicated.

As a main topic, John tells us why Sony is breaking his heart and making his journey to buying a new television more difficult than it needs to be.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Doppler: Sync environment variables at scale.
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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

This Is the Best-Tasting Donut at Dunkin'

I'd argue it's the perfect donut, especially if you're a chocolate lover.

MR16-GU5-3.php">Soraa high-CRI 2700K LED lightbulbs

Luxrite 4FT T8 LED Tube Light

Feit Electric LED T8/T12 Tube Light

Solid-state street lighting: calculating light loss factors (PDF)

Sony A95K QD-OLED TV

Sony's "Goofus and Gallant" TV placement diagram (PDF)

Goofus and Gallant

arcade.com/comic/1999/10/18/boob-raider">You mean wall candy?

ATP 464: Monks at Drafting Tables

TV talk.

John opens with a question, and Merlin admits to thinking about John in the morning. This leads to some U2 content and quick look at Disney's Encanto.

In follow-up, John shares some updates on his freezer situation and implies that he still plans to talk about his body soon.

This week's main topic concerns Merlin's Wisdom Project.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

A Sort of Homecoming

The Unforgettable Fire (Album)

The Unforgettable Fire (Song)

Rattle and Hum

Encanto

Merlin's Wisdom Project (Gist)

Merlin's Wisdom Project (Repo)

5ives - Merlin's Lists of Five Things

John's Hypercritical article with the image of a stern Steve Jobs

Joni Mitchell - "Talk To Me" (1977) - YouTube

"I'm always talking… / Chicken squawking!"

M&Ms - "Thanks, Easter Bunny!" (1989) - YouTube

Your hosts discuss John’s new freezer.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Relay FM member perks, including wallpapers

Relay FM members can download their wallpapers here

APSE: A Personal Search Engine

Waveform Lighting

Carl Sagan: "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."

Things kick off with Merlin's ongoing confusion about the role of the pre-flight.

Merlin thinks John is being kind of terse, and John almost quotes what The Wolf said—and, yet, he somehow remembers exactly what model of car The Wolf drove.

Then, there's a fair amount of talk about old Apple keyboards. Merlin abuses his relationship with John to get some tech support.

In follow-up, John takes an unprecedented third crack at explaining security through obscurity. John can't even imagine ever sharing his screen, and Merlin bemoans the normalization of terrible security practices. In something like the opposite of nostalgia, your hosts remember their "college ID numbers."

In the main topic, Merlin finally took a real vacation.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Chris Poole's tweet about Kerckhoffs's principle

Kerckhoffs's principle - Wikipedia

Security through obscurity - Wikipedia

Merlin's Wisdom Project

Flonase

Social Security History

Social Security Cards Explained - YouTube

Rusty Shackleford

Apple Extended Keyboard II with template overlay

"Curse a REAL sword?" - MBMBAM animatic on YouTube

Apple Extended Keyboard II triple threat | The classic, time… | Flickr

Student Conduct Resources and Campus Policies | Oberlin College and Conservatory

In follow-up, your hosts fix a couple errors, then complain about restaurant delivery apps and label makers. The hammer drill is considered and demoed.

As a main topic, your hosts discuss the future of gender.

(Episode recorded Tuesday, November 16, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

JayLene 21V Cordless Drill Set

Back to Work 555: The Accretion of Non-Essential Things

Abraham Wald and bullet holes in airplanes

The Incomparable episode about Dune (2021)

Dune (2021)

Dune (1984)

Virginia Madsen

Electric Dreams (1984)

Drive (2011) - The Quadrant System - YouTube

Following an accidental pre-show, John bans clapping, and Merlin announces he doesn't want to run a store.

In an epic mini-topic, John addresses how he deals with safely getting rid of old media. The answers will not surprise you.

Next, Merlin has questions about lawn signs. Frank Chu is remembered.

The main topic is Lifestreams. What were they, and why have you never heard of them?

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 2, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Nuclear waste lawn sign parody

The (non-joke) lawn sign inspiration

San Francisco honey bears

Cut honey bear costumes

Lifestreams Project Home Page

Idempotence

HotSauce

Frank Chu - Wikipedia

Chu has been campaigning to impeach an array of former U.S. Presidents he considers guilty of collaborating with a nefarious network of alien populations called the "12 Galaxies" to film him against his will, to broadcast this footage intergalactically, and to embezzle the royalties he is owed as a television and movie star.

Merlin and Frank Chu - Market near 4th.

More Merlin with Frank Chu

Your hosts did their first pre-flight, and it went pretty well.

Next up, in direct contravention to the dictates governing the uneasy peace with ATP, there is some computer talk. Specifically, Merlin wants to know if John really didn't do any research, and John wants to hear Merlin's reactions to Apple's recent announcements.

(Editor's Note: At one point, John accidentally/casually reveals the existence of a queue, and, of course, it's all Merlin can do not to stop the program, start over, and spend three hours interrogating John about this previously undisclosed queue. If John thinks he's off the hook for discussing this in the future, he is super wrong.)

Then, despite putting it off for as long as they could, your hosts finally return to the concept of grit. Merlin confesses to being more frustrated with the fans than the concept, and John has some thoughts about oat bran. Also, Merlin is obviously more frustrated with the actual concept than he's comfortable admitting.

Can we reliably reverse-engineer grit from success? And how do we account for the grit it takes many folks just to survive day-to-day? John admits to being skeptical about any skeleton key, and Merlin thinks parents get way too attached to stuff that makes them feel smart.

(Episode recorded Tuesday, October 19, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• The Intrazone, by Microsoft SharePoint: Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast about SharePoint, OneDrive and related tech within Microsoft 365.
• talk.html">HPE Tech Talk: HPE news, tech insights and world-class innovations. Listen now.
• Ladder: Flexible life insurance in minutes.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Reconcilable Differences #86: Horse’s Feed Bag Full of Food - Relay FM

The topic expands to a wider exploration of Big Ideas in parenting, education, and pedagogy. Merlin has a little niggle, and John remembers when parents had a modest annual kiss budget. Then, things get gritty. Can models help kids? Want a Rice Krispies treat?

Chuck Garabedian - Simpsons Wiki

"He also claims that his suit was cheap due to it being the suit that McCarthy-era lawyer Roy Cohn died in"

Research scholars to air problems with using 'grit' at school - The Hechinger Report

While it remains unclear whether grit can be taught, educators should be aware that even if it is possible to teach perseverance and passion, it’s unlikely to translate into things that schools can measure and take credit for.

The problem with teaching ‘grit’ to poor kids? They already have it. Here’s what they really need. - The Washington Post

"My investigation led me to two conclusions. The first is that the widespread assumption that grit is a salient concept for low-income students is a stark misconception. The second is that while grit theory offers little of value to those disadvantaged students, it can certainly harm them, by romanticizing hardship."

MacArthur 'Genius' Angela Duckworth Responds To A New Critique Of Grit : NPR Ed : NPR

MacArthur 'Genius' Angela Duckworth Responds To A New Critique Of Grit : NPR Ed : NPR

"What Shall We Do About Grit? A Critical Review of What We Know and What We Don’t Know" by Marcus Crede

Opening Credits: How TV's Title Sequences Grew Up - YouTube

Art of the Title

A-Team arm bump - YouTube

Stranger Things intro (season 1) - YouTube

Stranger Things on Art of the Title

Nine classic TV intros that were too damn long

L O S T

The Leftovers opening credits (season 1)

The Leftovers opening credits (season 2)

The Leftovers opening credits (season 3, episode 7)

John will not relay messages from Merlin to John's wife, and Merlin feels like he's finally getting over whatever passes for summer. Marco hates it when his phone hits his junk, and both of your hosts consider how an eagle, a monkey, and a bucket of water can do heroic work together. Also, Merlin can't remember several things, but he claims to have a method for back-solving the stack.

In vitally important Follow-Up, Merlin has found the original recipe for "Bachelor Pasta," which, naturally, leads to a deep dive on The Modern MAN'S Guide to LIFE. Together, your hosts learn how to buy a computer in 1987.

Merlin has finally gotten religion on Twitterrific muffles, but John seems a little reluctant to lead a challenge involving regular expressions.

As a main topic, your hosts wonder how many cults they've each been in—and, hey, what even is a cult anyway?

The Most 1987 Book Probably Ever

(but not the pea juice)

Why did it have to be snakes?

Yeah, but where'd the bucket come from?

The LEADS are weak?

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Gotcha Day

Wonder Twins

ATP 450: Distending My Wardrobe — Accidental Tech Podcast

Source of Merlin's beloved "Bachelor Pasta" recipe

The modern man's guide to life (eBook, 1987)

The Modern Man's Guide to Life - Amazon.com

wars-harry-potter-star-trek-captain-picard-meme.jpg">Incorrect Franchise Meme example

Twitterrific: Twitter Your Way

Muffling and Muting Tweets in Twitterrific

Oneida (the silverware sex cult)

MLM - Multi-Level Marketing

What is a cult?

The Seven Signs That You're in a Cult - The Atlantic

Several years ago, the founder of IHOP, Mike Bickle, created a list of seven ways to recognize the difference between a religious community and a cult. Written down, the signs seem clear:

What Makes a Cult a Cult? | The New Yorker

The line between delusion and what the rest of us believe may be blurrier than we think.

expressions.info/tutorial.html">Regular Expression Tutorial - Learn How to Use Regular Expressions

RegexOne - Learn Regular Expressions - Lesson 1: An Introduction, and the ABCs

Steven Oniki Obituary (2014) - Sarasota, FL - Herald Tribune

expressions.info/tutorial.html">Regular Expression Tutorial - Learn How to Use Regular Expressions

Archive.org: John Hodgman Reads 700 Hobo Names

Hypercritical: Better Pasta

I’m specifically not talking about preparing or cooking fresh pasta, how to execute any particular pasta recipe, or why you should never, ever buy pasta sauce in a jar. (You really shouldn’t, though.) This is just about the basics: how to cook and serve dried pasta as part of some larger recipe, the details of which are out of scope, for now.

Follow-up brings a couple corrections and a quick dive into the technology that was going to change how cities are designed. John thinks it's a miracle that the New York subway was ever built, and Merlin thinks a lot of politics is mostly about telling people they were right.

As a main topic, John encourages Merlin to share some happy memories of his family's monstrous cat, and Merlin cries a little. This leads to a discussion of the journey of new pet acquisition.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights
• Privacy: Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Give to St. Jude!

Elemental - Tears For Fears

Induced Demand

@petfindernames - Twitter

Rome (TV series)

The Leftovers

The White Lotus

Citizens Of Pawnee - Parks and Recreation - YouTube

Decoder Ring: "Who Killed the Segway?"

Decoder Ring examines the history of the Segway, Dean Kamen, DEKA, Ginger, IT, and Dan Kois, book agent.

John wonders about up-talk greetings, and Merlin confesses to some recent situational imbibing.

Follow-up addresses the "Too-Rye-Ay" question, the enumeration of pasta shapes, and how many kinds of beetles there actually are. Tangents include celebrity biographies, Adam and the Ants video casting, Alta Vista search operators, and the actresses that Merlin collects.

The main topic concerns Merlin's recent turn as Mr. Mom.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.
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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Give to St. Jude!

Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullaby)

Bing Crosby singing Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral

"I used to be able to name every beetle that there was…"

Van Morrison - "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)" - YouTube

Dexys Midnight Runners - "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)" - YouTube

Brian Wilson Said - Tear for Fears

Take On Me (Live From MTV Unplugged)

Spotify Landmark: Tears For Fears

The 19 ways you can say "ha ha, what"

The dog-grooming YouTube channel that John mentioned

Amadeus

Simon Callow

Amanda Donohoe - IMDb

Adam & The Ants - "Antmusic" (1980) - YouTube

Feat. Amanda Donohoe

Adam & The Ants - "Stand And Deliver" (1981) - YouTube

Feat. Amanda Donohoe and Simon Callow

Adam & The Ants - "Prince Charming" (1981) - YouTube

Feat. Simon Callow

Drift | Pacific Rim Wiki | Fandom

The Drift…is a process that two Jaeger pilots undergo prior to synchronizing with the Jaeger itself.

High rising terminal - Wikipedia

The high rising terminal (HRT), also known as upspeak, uptalk, rising inflection, upward inflection, or high rising intonation (HRI), is a feature of some variants of English where declarative sentence clauses end with a rising-pitch intonation, until the end of the sentence where a falling-pitch is applied.

LockPickingLawyer - YouTube

"This is the lock-picking 📈 lawyer…"

Simple Minds - "Up On The Catwalk" (1984) - YouTube

Betty Everett - Shoop Shoop Song (it´s in his kiss) - YouTube

Salt-N-Pepa - Shoop (Official Video) - YouTube

There's follow-up on Merlin's Vacation Results, and your hosts wonder which Doctor they'd each be. The big topic of college continues with thoughts on the thistle of standardized testing.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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• Privacy: Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Give to St. Jude!

The Doctor from Doctor Who

Merlin "Grandma" meme image

The Chaotic Story of Dexys Midnight Runners & "Come On Eileen" - New British Canon

WPI moves to "test-blind" admissions

WPI's Career Outcomes and Salary information

UC Agrees to No Longer Consider ACT/SAT Scores in Admissions - UCSD Guardian

Universal Backlit IR Learning Remote

Merlin shares his Vacation Results.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

@Sage re "diminutives" in Australian English

"The word you’re looking for here is “diminutive”. Which gives me an opportunity to share one of my all-time favorite Wikipedia pages"

Diminutives in Australian English - Wikipedia

"There are over 5,000 identified diminutives in use in Australian English."

Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition) by Jon Kabat-Zinn: 9780345536938 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

"The Full Catastrophe" ~ Zorba the Greek (clip from the movie) - YouTube

The Full Catastrophe - Wikipedia

Remembering various animal actors, enumerating genres that need a name, considering the philosophies behind "bag in a bag," and contrasting college with the ordinary crucibles of post-adolescent life.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase plus free shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Exploring Italian food, celebrating markup languages, and (finally) beginning to tackle the topic of college.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 13, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Setext - Wikipedia

Setext (Structure Enhanced Text)[1] is a lightweight markup language used to format plain text documents such as e-newsletters, Usenet postings, and e-mails.

TidBITS announces its move to Setext

"Welcome to TidBITS-100 and our new setext format!"

(January 6, 1992)

Little Original Joe's

How to make a decent Italian hero at home - YouTube

Dean Allen - Wikipedia

Daring Fireball: Dean Allen

"Every few months, though, it would occur to me that I dearly missed Textism, and I’d think to write Dean and tell him so — and to tell him that his offhand compliment in 2003 was still something I thought about all the time."

Daring Fireball: Introducing Markdown

"I’ve written a text-to-HTML formatting tool called Markdown, which is now available for download."

Dean Cameron Allen

"It is with unspeakable sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of Dean Cameron Allen, on January 13, 2018 at the age of 51….His absence is unfathomable. We miss him with every breath."

Textism

Archive of the late Dean Allen's lovely website, ca. 2001.

Markdown reference links

Fleetwood Mac - "Tusk" - YouTube

E-mail addresses it would be really annoying to give out over the phone - McSweeney’s

Illuminion: Infocom - classic text adventures

"A venerable old trophy case stands in a corner. You curiously open the lid and peek inside."

Inside Job (2010) - YouTube

"'Inside Job' is a 2010 American documentary film, directed by Charles Ferguson, about the late 2000s financial crisis."

Merlin just woke up, John is full of beans, and things get a little silly.

Meet Lidlicker.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

Featuring additional music this week by Producer Jim.

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

editor.org">RFC Editor

editor.org/info/rfc7322">RFC Style Guide

editor.org/rfc/rfc7322.txt">RFC Style Guide (plain-text version)

editor.org/rfc/rfc1149.txt">A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers

BBN: In the Beginning

J.C.R Licklider

Dogen: Japanese lessons for English-speakers - YouTube

Aspirated vs. non-aspirated "k" sound - YouTube

WWDC video on sound recognition

Wet-bulb temperature

Wet-bulb temperature Twitter thread

Brain Bag - Backpacks - Laptop Bags – TOM BIHN

Synik 30 Backpack (Clamshell, Suspended Laptop Pocket, Comfy Straps) – TOM BIHN

George Carlin Talks About "Stuff" - YouTube

Hyman Krustofsky | Simpsons Wiki | Fandom

Cameras! Just so much about cameras.

But, also: amusing primates, Taylor Swift, ““content creation,”” crummy band managers, widespread misunderstanding of Lucille Bluth, the genius and tragedy of Howard Ashman, RFC1178, plus John shares his nostalgia for one indefatigable computer naming scheme.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

The Problem with Music (Steve Albini, 1993)

"Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying sh*t."

Taylor Swift masters controversy - Wikipedia

She condemned Braun's purchase; although she attempted to make peace, she denounced him as an "incessant, manipulative bully".

Taylor Swift - "Change" (2008)

The Battle Between the Rolling Stones & Allen Klein

'After countless lawsuits, verdicts and settlements (26 in all counting the Beatles), as each party licked its wounds and counted casualties in terms of lost property, wasted time and treasure, perhaps it was the Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards who summed up the battle best: it was “the price of an education.”'

Howard Ashman

Howard | Disney+ Originals

'[…]“Howard” is the untold story of Howard Ashman, the brilliant lyricist behind Disney classics like “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Little Mermaid” and creator of musicals including “Little Shop of Horrors.”'

Sony A6600 Camera

Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD Lens for Sony E APS-C (AFB070S700)

Sigma 56mm for E-Mount (351965)

Sony 70-350mm F4.5-6.3 G OSS APS-C Lens (SEL70350G)

SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card

Best Memory Cards for Sony A6600

Think Tank Digital Holster 10 V2.0

Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro

(Merlin's fancy video camera)

Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art DC HSM Lens

Sigma 50mm F1.4 Art DG HSM Lens

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM Lens

RFC1178 - Choosing a Name for Your Computer

Cattle, Not Pets

[green beans monkey]

[banana strings monkey]

This week kicks off with Merlin offering a heartfelt thank you to John for helping him know where he is. John shouldn't need to wiggle, and Merlin can't imagine ever asking for the return of "contact." Your hosts agree accessibility is good for everybody.

John has updates on drama in the NES Tetris Scene, and Merlin remembers bringing a pencil to the arcade so he could cheat. John repurposes an excellent graphic by Neven to ask how buttony a button needs to be to look like it's a button. This leads to a surprisingly interesting mini-dive into practical UX and ways that an affordance can let you know that it's an affordance.

As a main topic this week, your hosts discuss Theme Dining Nights. Why can't more experiences be like John's old deli? Differences regarding leftovers are, unfortunately, not reconciled.

John's worries that his dispose-all may be starving to death.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 1, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
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• Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Increase Apple TV screen contrast - Apple Support

Jigsaw puzzle glossary – Cloudberries

In The Unlikely Event - 99% Invisible

Trying Everything on the Menu at an Iconic NYC Restaurant - YouTube

NES Tetris "Rolling" technique

How "button-y" is your button?

It Takes Two - PlayStation game

LG G1 vs. Sony A90J - YouTube

Pink tint off-axis on LG G1 (starts at 8:21) - YouTube

HDMI Cables: Types and Specifications Explained

Putting a Bolder Face on Google - The New York Times

Her decision was diplomatic, but it also amounted to relying on her gut rather than research. Since then, she said, she has asked her team to test the 41 gradations between the competing blues to see which ones consumers might prefer.

ATP 432: I Shouldn't Need to Wiggle — Accidental Tech Podcast

Compacted sugar, Jade theories, TV-remote button feel, and looking — but not reaching! — very far upward.

design.org/literature/topics/affordances">What are Affordances? | Interaction Design Foundation (IxDF)

Affordances are properties of objects which show users the actions they can take. Users should be able to perceive affordances without having to consider how to use the items. For instance, a button can be designed to look as if it needs to be turned or pushed.

Button-mashing classic Track & Field returns on PS4 and Nintendo Switch – Destructoid

Track & Field is notorious for its button-mashing ways, and has built many legends around the methods used by ’80s kids to get high scores, from having a third hand help out, to the game’s notorious “pencil trick” which saw players see-saw a pencil between their fingers for knuckle-crushing, high-scoring action… Ahh, the suffering we went through just to become number one.

Things kick off with some call confusion, a boombox cameo, and a roundtable on the problematic nature of John Hughes's movies. Automobile?

This leads to some nostalgia for the 1979 film, Breaking Away. Your hosts debate which one of them is which character in the movie, but both agree it’s still a stone cold classic.

Next up, your hosts talk about a resurgence of interest in PlayStation games at Merlin’s house. John has a lot of thoughts, but his memory is getting really bad.

Finally, John wants to talk about “super babies.” What happens when two talented people sire a child? Seems like sometimes they inherit their parents’ genius, and other times they just want to run in the opposite direction. What roles do wealth, support, and expectations play? And how about the times when someone would very much prefer that their kid not get into the family business?

Your hosts disagree on whether one super baby’s name is terrible but agree that “geriatric pregnancy” is kind of an awful term.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 18, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Instabug: Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Hypercritical: Great Games

These are some of my favorite video games. They also happen to be truly great games, though they vary widely in terms of the required time commitment and gaming experience.

Andre Agassi - Wikipedia [Relationships and family]

"Extraordinary skills" - Jaden Gil Agassi wants to become a professional baseball player · tennisnet.com

The 18-year-old son of Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi is considered a great baseball talent. The career should pick up speed in autumn.

Breaking Away (1979) - IMDb

"Refund?!"

Phone Guy: Hearing Huey Lewis - YouTube

EXT. - OUTSIDE FRIEND'S HOUSE IN TOWN

Newcleus - "Jam on It" - YouTube

Things kick off with the usual disagreements about who’s driving and who’s in the trunk, but then things briefly settle into an interrogation of the purpose behind begging for podcast ratings and reviews. Does it actually, really help new people to discover the show?

John tries to remember a song, and Merlin fondly recalls un cheval maladroit.

Next, John has some thoughts on grass and how it grows. Merlin wonders if it might be another “Trust Your Mechanic”-type situation. Both of your hosts agree it seems like there’s maybe a lesson about life in there somewhere.

Then, at last, it has come to this: The Reconcilable Differences Quorn Pre-Post-Mortem Spectacular.

While it is (obviously) way too early to talk about this business as if it’s done, it does feel like a useful moment to look back at what we’ve learned and what has changed—even as we look forward to what we might continue to learn and what might continue to change.

What BS did you miss, and what BS would you be happy to never have to deal with again? Whither handshakes and awkward hugs? When will we stop doing that weird retail crab walk? Will mask people remain mask people? Should more of us learn “the claw?”

What about subtlety and uncertainty? What about society and culture? Has the epistemological cherrypicking of The Dumb Guy just become our permanent way of life?

Finally, your hosts share some preliminary wish list items for post-Quorn life and work.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 4, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Cheval Maladroit.

aka "Humanity Horse"

Our members’ special episode is coming soon, with a special guest. Become a Relay FM member to get access to this and all our past special episodes. In the meantime…

Merlin needs a 4K monitor, and Apple won’t end his suffering by making one. John got his first vaccine shot, so he’s not sweating it.

Merlin’s grandmother liked to make lists and talk on the phone with retail staff. Do you have the exact product she needs? No sense in driving all that way if you don’t. Perhaps there is some post-COVID wisdom in this.

John’s smart outlet is once again smart. Not like everbody says! Like, dumb! It’s smart, and it wants respect! Meanwhile, Merlin’s Internet disappeared for a while due to a clerical error, which seems unfair. John missed a credit-card payment, which also seems unfair.

John’s son needs to learn how to pump gas, and also how money works. Watch out for the skimmers! Boy-Merlin sometimes had to go out for cigarettes, but he turned out fine.

John’s garage remains smol. It is apparent that some people don’t know what a basement is. Merlin did time on a "concrete apron" in Florida, where it smelled like clay.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Become a Relay FM member!

ConnectSense Smart Outlet 2

Speedpass, by Mobil (NOT Shell)

webster.com/dictionary/basement">The definition of basement

Things kick off with the usual disagreements about the doc and its proper usage. Merlin thought he was going to be driving, but John curtly redirects him into the trunk.

Follow-up brings a handful of fun D&D-related content, including the work of John's talented Cousin Frankie. Outrage-based documentaries are considered.

The main topic this week is vaccines and vaccinations, as your hosts share their frustrating and mostly fruitless journeys toward that elusive date with the needle. Hope you like filling out forms and hitting "refresh."

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 6, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Loopback, from Rogue Amoeba: Cable-Free Audio Routing for Mac. Get 21% off with the code DIFFS21.
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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Eye of the Beholder: The Art of Dungeons and Dragons - Prime Video

Frank's fantasy art - Instagram

burnout-productivity.html">We Have All Hit a Wall - The New York Times

"Confronting late-stage pandemic burnout, with everything from edibles to Exodus."

pandemic.html">Emerging From the Coronavirus - The New York Times

"Will we go back to living the way we did before? And what if we do? Do we risk losing something we’ve learned from one long and terrifying year?"

V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker - CDC

Use your smartphone to tell CDC about any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. You’ll also get reminders if you need a second vaccine dose.

ATP 426: Loaded Baked Potato - Accidental Tech Podcast

(no spoilers, so listen to the RecDiffs ep first)

Your hosts skip the pre-flight, then end up talking a little about preparing for a performance. Novelty sports experiments are considered.

Following some corrections, self-analysis, and technological digression, Merlin's computer poops the bed. Covid considerations continue to interfere with life, and sometimes you have to fight your family's optimism a little.

Merlin tries to use an analogy from a TV show, and John introduces the class to "The Plumber Problem."

John has recently discovered a beloved artist's Patreon and highlights the influence of his work. It can feel pretty frustrating when the internet doesn't love someone or something as much as you do. Just remember, there are a lot of easy and inexpensive ways to let someone know what their work means to you.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Technology Untangled: Join Michael Bird as he untangles innovation through a series of interviews, stories, and analyses with some of the industry’s brightest brains.
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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Correction via Adie B. on Twitter

"Nitpicking correction for this weeks @RecDiffs, @siracusa & @hotdogsladies bbc 4 is a tv station. The shipping forecast is on bbc radio 4. Glad I got that off my chest."

BBC Radio 4 - Wikipedia

BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasting House, London.

BBC Four - Wikipedia

"BBC4" redirects here. For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 4.

Sony A7IV rumored specs

Banana Ball: The Savannah Bananas' Attempt To Change Baseball

Banana Ball video explanation - YouTube

Calvinball

TV tag

Psycho Goreman (2020) - IMDb

Larry Elmore's Patreon

Larry Elmore's website

Dragonlance

John's Dragonlance book cover tweet #1

John's Dragonlance book cover tweet #2

Larry Elmore's Lord Gunthar & Fisban painting

15-year-old John's chalk-pastel recreation of Elmore's Lord Gunthar & Fisban painting

Why Do Swimmers Do That? Specific Swimmer Habits Explained

Eight Men Out (1988) - Reference View - IMDb

A dramatization of the Black Sox scandal when the underpaid Chicago White Sox accepted bribes to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series.

Top 15 Baseball Players Who Will Always Have An Asterisk (*) Next To Their Legacy

Jim "Captain Cool" Johnman's Don Bradman Cricket 14 | Monster Factory - YouTube

Donny, you're out of your element.

John has questions about Merlin's use of the doc, and Merlin is confused about the challenge this week.

Merlin never got his nap, but John has thoughts in general about things being played at him. Which leads to an exploration of how your hosts differ in the role various sorts of audio play in their lives.

Should meditation be "relaxing?" Why do people react so differently to ambient and environmental sounds? What can you do when spouses differ on nighttime noise options? And why in the hell is Merlin listening to old UK weather forecasts on the reg?

Next, inspired by a plaintive earworm from Hamilton, John presents a main topic: what does relaxation mean to me? Which is to say, how would your hosts prefer to "Take a Break," and how would they each go about, say, spending a month upstate?

John is uncannily good at the stripping away of things, but Merlin struggles with unhooking without heavily consulting his various demon dogs. That said, we can all agree on the need for a break from quorn.

In related news, despite our best efforts, sometimes the people we love the most can make us the most insane.

Things wrap with Merlin interrogating John about his real world definition of a "vacation." Hopeful plans for the future are conveyed.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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• Fortnite, from Epic Games: Embrace your wild side in Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 6: Primal.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

You Ruined Everything, by Jonathan Coulton

Take a Break!

Pzizz

Get the world's most advanced sleep and power nap system to fall asleep fast, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed.

5 Hours of The Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4! - YouTube

Shipping Forecast - Wikipedia

The Shipping Forecast is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles.

The Shipping Forecast: A Miscellany

Attention All Shipping: A Journey Round the Shipping Forecast (Radio 4 Book of the Week)

Glen Hansard, Marketa Irglova - "Falling Slowly" (Official Video) - YouTube

Falling Slowly - Once (2006) on Vimeo

In Limbo - YouTube

THE COMMITMENTS - Trailer ( 1991 ) - YouTube

Sing Street Official Trailer #1 (2016) - YouTube

Sing Street "Riddle of the Model" clip - YouTube

Things kick off with some questions about Merlin's naps, then proceed to John's Follow-Up on accents, dialect, and pronunciation. John shares a historical artifact of 80s teen retail life, and this leads to nostalgic reminiscing about the classic arcade games of youth.

John has a toe update (sorry), and Merlin wants to learn about an anomalous genital condition—but only if he can be assured it will involve no images.

There's some Follow-In via John's more popular program regarding privacy, then there's some fun facts about US states. Merlin is proud of his household's young Billy Joel fan.

In something like a main topic, Merlin has questions for John about his take on the twisting path to expertise. Are we talking about a fast yoyo or a slow climb? Is it really more like bottom-up versus top-down?

Things conclude with a surprisingly difficult pop quiz on the lore of states.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Gorf - Wikipedia

Erik Singer's accent tour of the US, part 1 - YouTube

Erik Singer's accent tour of the US, part 2 - YouTube

Mall City - YouTube

Merlin meets a new neighbor, and John still wonders whether he lives in the woods. This leads to a deep dive on clothes that don't fit. John has doubts about Merlin's reported height.

In follow-up, John corrects the record on the provenance of his family's Christmas tree stand. In what turns out to be an ongoing stretch of sematic satiation, this leads to an exploration of Stephen King. Are any of the adaptations as good as his books? And what happened when a canine-having Mainer wanted some of those Mahzes-bahs they have up to the store?

Next, the focus turns to TV stands. While pretty much all of them are incompatible with John's house, this generates a careful visual interrogation of the bizarre manner in which Sony thinks your home works.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Merlin's fancy sweatpants

Todd Vaziri Answers Movie & TV VFX Questions

Sont A90J TV

LG G1 TV

OLED-G1-14-Gallery-Stand-Desktop.jpg">LG G1 "Gallery Stand" photos

How to Draw an Owl meme

John's Destiny artwork, by Emily Megan X Art

Time-lapse video of John's Destiny artwork being created

Real-time streams of John's Destiny artwork being created

Buy prints from Emily Megan X Art

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft: King, Stephen: 8580001040363: Amazon.com: Books

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

"Friend" of the Show, Elliott Kalan, was on TV's Jeopardy. No spoilers, but his little buzzer hand was held high.

John is not doing intermittent fasting, but his meal schedule is all messed up. Also possibly his life schedule. Merlin likes a Snickers bar (or Kit-Kat) when he's on the road, but he doesn't like being fat and poopy.

A short episode of Back to Work may have accidentally found its way into the show. (You’re welcome.)

Be careful who you let run the railroad.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

The Flop House podcast

Jeopardy episode featuring Elliott Kalan

Eric Hodler's Sudoku tweet

jennings.com/brainiac">The Ken Jennings book

T9 - Wikipedia

Causality podcast with John Chidgey

Causality 38: Thunder River Rapids

How Uncle Jamie Broke Jeopardy - NPR

jennings.com/faq">Ken Jennings FAQ with Jeopardy strategy tips

The Geek Hierarchy - Brunching Shuttlecocks

Ladyhawke

John’s “Destiny buddy”

John gets quizzed on abbreviations as Merlin revisits his early career working for The Man. California has a lot of things you're not allowed to buy.

Then, there's some haircut updates plus some quick advice on knowing when to take a break. Merlin thinks just ""wearing a mask"" doesn't make you a good boy, and John thinks he's pretty good about picking up Daisy's poo from the landing strip or whatever it's called.

As a mini-topic, John brings a fascinating mystery involving cars, hairs, and an unexpected new dining spot.

There is some disagreement over who chose the main topic of Christmas tree stands, but you could not have picked two better people to review their history, materials, design flaws, and improvement opportunities.

Merlin makes a case for leveraging The Economics of More Fun, and John tries to make him feel bad about his new TV. [This is false. –Ed]

Finally, terrible TV features are enumerated and decried.

(Recorded on Tuesday, January 12, 2021)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Merlin's Christmas tree stand

John's Christmas tree stand

The Talk Show's Star Wars holiday episode

Removing the wire harness from a McLaren 720S (starts at 16:28)

McLaren 720S rebuild playlist

Things kick off with a cameo and Merlin's abortive attempt to make a connection.

Next, John reeds Merlin the riot act on his unintentional use of red receipts. Merlin pleads nolo contendere but, as you can imagine, this does not dissuade John from explaining how he broke some cockamamie social contract. The complexities and risks of asynchronous communication are explored.

Merlin makes a case for broader use of procedure words. He also wants to learn how to do those cool hand signals.

In Follow-Up, John shares some encouraging news about his childhood teppanyaki destination. Enthusiasts of life's ephemera are celebrated, and John professes his own enthusiasm for a free grill-cleaning show.

Teppanyaki videos are further discussed, because they are awesome, and it was cool to hear how many of you agree. Competence Porn is enumerated, before the conversation somehow turns back (yes, again) to teppanyaki videos.

As something like a main topic, Merlin offers a sheepish series of recent anecdotes regarding technology and hasty decision-making. He seems not to remember this being his idea (he did that), which he is surprisingly not all that sheepish about. But, let's be honest. Technology can be terrible and very confusing.

With that said, the new Macintoshes are very good. And, finally, Merlin narrowly dodges a bullet with another completely avoidable bonus consumer technology mishap.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 29, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Gasho of Japan | Gasho of Japan

Gasho delivers great tastes and transcends the ages as we bring you back to the original hibachi mastery of old.

Procedure word - Wikipedia

Procedure words or prowords are words or phrases limited to radio telephone procedure used to facilitate communication by conveying information in a condensed standard verbal format.

C.W. McCall - Convoy - YouTube

The Strange Story Of 'Convoy': How A Trucker's Protest Anthem Became A '70s Hit : NPR

Check Out This Infographic of Sniper and SWAT Hand Signals

For those who've always wanted to know the different SWAT and sniper hand signals, here you go.

Bios and whatnot that I use on twitter dot com (hotdogsladies)

Bios and whatnot that I use on twitter dot com (hotdogsladies)

Watch The Boys Season 1 | Prime Video

5 Hours of The Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4! - YouTube

Time Stamp: "There are warnings of gales in Trafalgar."

Christine Nangle on Twitter: "I work at Four Seasons Total Landscaping in PA"

"I'm just trying to match your ENERGY."

Impressions of actors from "The Crown" on why they are not available.

Gasho Of Japan Men's Restroom Full Shoot - YouTube

"This restroom is awesome! Rating: 10/10."

Top 5 Plastic Chairs Enthusiasts Would Die To Own… - YouTube

"The guy at Lawnware wanted to make the ultimate rental chair, and I'd say he did."

Schindler elevator and shopping cart escalators at The Atlanta Target - YouTube

"The elevators are pretty boring but the shopping cart escalator is awesome!"

Competence Porn - TV Tropes

It's the thrill of watching talented people plan, banter, and work together to solve problems.

Miniature Space - YouTube

"We provide miniature kitchen, and kitchen tools such as kitchen knife, the movies of miniature cooking are very popular on You tube now."

Quote by Oscar Wilde

“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune

OLED screen burn-in: What you need to know now - CNET

from Endymion by John Keats | Poetry Foundation

"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever…"

Reviews and Ratings - RTINGS.com

Straight to the point buying recommendations. We purchase our own products and put them under the same test bench, so that you can compare the results easily. No cherry-picked units sent by brands. No ads. Only real tests.

Things kick off with (surprise, surprise) some complaints about Skype, alongside ruminations on what might eventually replace it as the podcaster's app of choice. Also, please don't asterisk your first-person swears. It's unseemly.

In some important John-centric Follow-Up, the listener is brought up to speed on the status of his eyeglasses and, regrettably, his deeply problematic toe. John also has a terrible song from a video game to share with the class.

As a main topic, John has questions about Merlin's weird obsession with teppanyaki videos. Sometimes, you just want to watch somebody be great at their job.

This leads to a nostalgic amble through the storied event dining of your hosts' youth. Birthday Boy gets to pick the place, but do be sure to warn your siblings when the tabletop inferno is about to pop off. Also, your hosts debate the role and timing of salting meat.

After-times meal planning is proposed.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 15, 2020)

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Aden Films - YouTube

Olive Wagyu in Japan - The rarest Steak in the World - YouTube

Hope For the Future - YouTube

You Are Two - YouTube

The Fable of the Dragon-Tyrant - YouTube

Benihana Interlude - Flickr

Things kick off with John's dissection of Merlin's bespoke automated filler text. This leads to a fascinating discussion of Lorem Ipsum, type specimens, and lexical anomalies.

Which, of course, leads to a look at Tenet (available in cinemas everywhere now). John has some sports analogies, and Merlin found himself rewinding a lot (in the cinema, of course). Merlin likes specificity, and John sees protons and anti-protons across Nolan's oeuvre.

In further media dissection, your hosts talk about Ted Lasso and The Crown. Sometimes, you just get lucky and find the right show at the right time.

Your hosts share wisdom from their kids' schools.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 1, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Adriano Celentano - "Prisencolinensinainciusol" - YouTube

Prisencolinensinainciusol - Wikipedia

The song is intended to sound to its Italian audience as if it is sung in English spoken with an American accent, vaguely reminiscent of Bob Dylan

Lorem ipsum - Wikipedia

In publishing and graphic design, Lorem ipsum is a placeholder text commonly used to demonstrate the visual form of a document or a typeface without relying on meaningful content.

Lorem Ipsum – Generator, Origins and Meaning

Pangram - Wikipedia

A pangram (Greek: παν γράμμα, pan gramma, "every letter") or holoalphabetic sentence is a sentence using every letter of a given alphabet at least once.

"You're Wrong About" podcast

Mike and Sarah are journalists obsessed with the past. Every week they reconsider an event, person or phenomenon that’s been miscast in the public imagination.

Jim Gaffigan - "Opening" (Beyond the Pale; 2006)

("He's a pale fellow…Is this all he does?")

Things kick off with some new hardware, an examination of hair hats, and a look back at a self-similar fast food clown.

John has questions about Merlin's projects.

In the extended members-only episode, John and Merlin talk about making art. Go to https://www.relay.fm/rd to become a member today.

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 17, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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✅🇺🇸

(Recorded on Saturday, November 7, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Professor Karl Friston Selected papers

His main contribution to theoretical neurobiology is a free-energy principle for action and perception (active inference).

Norman Lear on Twitter: "#breakfastthoughts https://t.co/TLMpl5R3kh" / Twitter

Norman Lear's moving response to the recent presidential election.

The Talk Show ✪: Ep. 300, With Merlin Mann

Another election. A different result. Let’s talk around it.

HyperNormalisation: A new film by Adam Curtis - BBC iPlayer - YouTube

Welcome to the post-truth world. You know it's not real. But you accept it as normal. But there is more out there. HyperNormalisation.

HyperNormalisation (2016) by Adam Curtis | FULL DOCUMENTARY - YouTube

He argues that an army of technocrats, complacent radicals and Faustian internet entrepreneurs have conspired to create an unreal world

BBC - Adam Curtis, HyperNormalisation

Our world is strange and often fake and corrupt. But we think it’s normal because we can’t see anything else. HyperNormalisation - the story of how we got here.

Mr. Show - Grass Valley Greg - YouTube

Divide and choose - Wikipedia

Divide and choose (also Cut and choose or I cut, you choose) is a procedure for envy-free cake-cutting between two partners.

Hillbilly Elegy movie review: Netflix’s adaptation of J.D. Vance’s controversial book is bafflingly awful - Vox

(Yelling happened multiple times throughout the movie.)

Things kick off with a discussion of election plans. What a time.

In an addendum to a previous topic, John talks about what it was like to actually attend the infamous Action Park as a kid. This leads to a discussion of the roller coasters and thrill rides that Merlin adores and young John very much did not.

In the extended members-only episode, John and Merlin listen to music that was personally recommended to them by you, the listeners. Go to https://www.relay.fm/rd to become a member today.

(Recorded on Thursday, October 22, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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• Mint Mobile: Cut your unlimited wireless bill to $30 a month.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Kings Island - Wikipedia

The Beast | Kings Island

Kings Island History - YouTube

History of Kings Island Amusement Park in Mason, Ohio as told by Gary Wachs, the creator of Kings Island, and several influential people that had a hand in birthing the park.

SUPERMAN Ultimate Flight (HD POV) Six Flags Discovery Kingdom - YouTube

Zipper (ride) - Wikipedia

The passenger capsules travel around the perimeter of the boom at 4 revolutions per minute (rpm), not particularly fast, but the "flip" around the end of the oblong frame causes a sudden burst of speed and sends the compartments flipping end over end.

Things kick off with a post-mortem on the recent song challenge as well as an extension of that challenge that requires input from you, the listener. Hit us up at @RecDiffs with #listen.

John goes a little meta to interrogate how Merlin's brain functions and wonders where a catch phrase actually started. Maybe you know? You do that. Considering phrases we picked up from relatives and/or TV.

John has questions about Merlin's experimental garage panopticon. After providing some context on how and why one might have a box full of disused security cameras, Merlin lays out the details of the bizarre surveillance state he's created to track and analyze the movements of a recent visitor. Things get more than a little Dale Gribble.

The rest of the show concerns news of a popular social media platform announcing their intention to minimize the reach of fringe conspiracy groups and content. No spoilers, but if you're a big fan of Facebook, you might want to skip this one. Because, oh boy, do your hosts ever go off.

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 6, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Ethics Explainer: The Panopticon - What is the panopticon effect?

6 Best Mouse Traps of 2020 - Most Effective Traps for Mice

qanon-crackdown.html">Facebook Amps Up Its Crackdown on QAnon - The New York Times

The company said an earlier effort to curb the conspiracy movement’s growth didn’t properly address its increasing popularity.

House investigation faults Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google for engaging in anti-competitive monopoly tactics - The Washington Post

The approximately 450-page document, capping a roughly 16-month investigation by the House’s top antitrust panel, found that the four tech giants relied on dubious, harmful means to solidify their dominance in Web search, smartphones, social networking and shopping — and in the process evaded the very federal regulators whose primary task is to ensure that companies do not grow into such unmatched corporate titans.

In follow-up, John has extensive clarifications regarding the importance of saucing the pasta in accordance with his instructions. So, of course, he also has some more instructions. Ultimately, John just wants to help you, the listener.

Moving on to kids and eating, your hosts contrast their views on how to manage a constantly moving target. Merlin doesn't want to contribute to an eating disorder, and John has grave concerns about whether his son could survive when confronted with an unopened container.

As a main topic, John wants to talk about Dangerous Things We Did as Unattended Kids. Inspired by the recent documentary about Action Park, your hosts recall some of the inadvisable things they each did in the absence of adults. No spoilers, but Siracusa easily wins this one. How is this man still alive?

In the extended members-only episode, John and Merlin challenge each other to curate and present some songs that they think their co-host might like. Go to https://www.relay.fm/rd to become a member today.

(Recorded on Tuesday, September 22, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.
• Burrow: Get $75 off your Burrow purchase—plus, fast & free shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Hypercritical: Better Pasta

Here’s my advice, in no particular order.

la-pasta.php">Condire la pasta!

Action Park

Class Action Park

John quickly puts the kibosh on Merlin's idea for a special theme episode.

John has Follow-Up on his self-imposed egg homework and invites some friends for a socially-distanced meal. Merlin's kid attends a socially-distance birthday party. What a fun time to be alive, huh?

John's usual method of remembering a song fails him, and Merlin bemoans the weird chronological gaps in what makes it onto YouTube. Fancy restorations of music videos are addressed. John can never remember what he's said in a podcast episode until he listens to it.

A novel musical challenge is posed for the next member episode. Merlin likens John to a passive-aggressive rodent. In a nice way. John saw a movie Merlin loves, but, as usual, Merlin is reluctant to hear what John thought of it.

In what has fast become a regular segment, your hosts complain about where other people keep putting things. Merlin is rethinking his pots and pans strategy, and John introduces a new technology in fancy cookware. John's daughter has a somewhat daring approach to learning how a fire extinguisher works. The most dangerous shoes are the ones that can't move.

As a main topic, your hosts talk about those movies. You know the ones. The ones you discovered when you were supposed to be asleep and you weren't allowed to watch anyway? Yeah, those.

Then, there's the movies and trailers that just scared the bejesus out of you. Before the internet, it was very difficult to find almost anything.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Magic - 1978 Trailer - YouTube

Dragonslayer (1981 film) - Wikipedia

Excalibur (film) - Wikipedia

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film) - Wikipedia

Escape from New York - Wikipedia

R.E.M. - 9 June 1984, Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ (COMPLETE - HQ) - YouTube

Wham! - Last Christmas (Official Video) - YouTube

a-ha - Take On Me (Official 4K Music Video) - YouTube

How to Season Carbon Steel — The Proper Way. - YouTube

We hired a Japanese moving company! - YouTube

John has Follow-Up on the name of an Australian rock, and Merlin learned New Zealand's true name from an old Split Enz song. Doesn't seem all that difficult to call things by the old name, but what do we know?

Merlin did not watch any educational YouTube videos, but John is just asking the question. A glimpse into Merlin's perilous journey into John's pasta sauce recipe is teased. John job-shames Merlin for some reason. Then, Merlin digs up a very old email exchange with John that, in retrospect, set the tone for their entire relationship.

John has some questions about what Merlin was planning to do before he forgot about the recording. Welcome to the highly specialized and deeply opinionated world of cast iron skillets.

This leads to a riveting tour of Merlin's history with the notoriously finicky kitchen implements, including leaning how to use, maintain, season, and re-season them. It's ultimately less of a tool than a project. Which can be fun if you like that sort of thing.

This, in turn, leads to some strongly held opinions about the broader topics of sound kitchen praxis and, as ever, the Sisyphean role one inhabits as the only person in the house who understands how to do things properly.

John speaks passionately about furniture and floors and the various scratches he apparently just has to live with now. What do you expect when you're a Zentradi?

Finally, Merlin went and got a banker's box, and brother, you really do not want him to go and get a banker's box.

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 25, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Ayers Rock or Uluru? | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

That means you can use either Uluru or Ayers Rock to refer to the rock. However, in the national park we always use the original name: Uluru.

Split Enz - "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" - YouTube

Aotearoa, rugged individual. Glisten like a pearl, at the bottom of the world.

Ted Leo - "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" - YouTube

The Original Stainless Steel Cast Iron Cleaner

Geographical renaming - Wikipedia

Geographical renaming is the changing of the name of a geographical feature or area.

Zentradi

Relativity Playlist - You Tube

Calculus Playlist - YouTube

Better Pasta

Stripping a Cast Iron Skillet with Easy-Off Oven Cleaner | Plus Seasoning & Maintenance - YouTube

Aotearoa - Wikipedia

Mr. Show - Dr. X Doomsday Telethon

This week finds John perusing some of Merlin's homework. This leads to a discussion of the benefits and risks of educational tourism. Will there be any Math on this Math test?

John presents a new "Secret Brit," but it turns out that there is a Turns Out. For some reason, your hosts are really putting The British Empire on blast. Merlin is kind of out of it, and John is still thinking about his bug.

There's an aside about nature documentaries and the extent to which they are either "real" or legitimately educational. Still. They can be pretty great.

It's that time of year again, so it is necessary to review some COVID-era Vacation Results. As nice as it is to get everyone out of the house, it's definitely not a normal Summer. But, it remains critical to periodically force children to go places.

Why are we still not throwing all of the assets at the problem? As ever, we have not earned optimism. Also, there is no motorcycle to drive up your steps, and, if there were, it would not be free.

Is this our 1943? John wonders what it will take to get critical mass, and Merlin explores wishlists for the after times.

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 15, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

secret-vacations.html">Shhh! We’re Heading Off on Vacation - The New York Times

Sharing vacation adventures used to be fun. But during the pandemic, some travelers are content to let the tree fall in the forest, so to speak, without a single soul to hear it.

Apoorva Mandavilli - The New York Times

Apoorva Mandavilli is a reporter for The Times, focusing on science and global health. She is the 2019 winner of the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting.

children-and-the-coronavirus-a-new-wrinkle-in-the-debate.html">Older Children and the Coronavirus: A New Wrinkle in the Debate - The New York Times

A new report from South Korea throws into question an earlier finding regarding transmission by older children.

Trying Everything on the Menu at an Iconic NYC Restaurant (Ft Claire Saffitz) - Bon Appétit

WIRED: 5 Levels Video Series

Ted Lasso on Apple TV+

Sarah Snook - IMDb

Tampopo (1985) - Rotten Tomatoes

Things kick off with John rejecting some of Merlin's canny improvements to the doc. The doc really needs some work.

It doesn't get any easier as Merlin attempts to do a normal podcast thing, but John keeps stepping on his bit. John does that. Anyway. Thank you.

John has some follow-up on his haircut situation as well as sharing some important drop cloth advice.

Next up comes a potential new segment called, "Secret Brit." Is that guy English? And what about her? Is she that gal from the other thing? Merlin got out of Russian dashcam videos just in the nick of time. And, also, hey, why is it so difficult for streaming media apps and the hardware on which they run to do the most basic stuff? Just…why?

John wants to get Merlin off of the main topic mindset, and Merlin reminds John they really need to work on the doc.

In apparently not a main topic, your hosts talk about the state of modern Mac window management. There are things John has just given up on.

Merlin thinks he should maybe learn the basics of Statistics, but John thinks he should just learn some Logic. Merlin is not here for the Wagyu.

In the extended members-only episode, John and Merlin talk about s03e11 of Shark Tank. Yes, the one with the Sullivan Generator. Go to https://www.relay.fm/rd to become a member today.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 28, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

Movie Accent Expert Breaks Down 32 Actors' Accents | WIRED - YouTube

Dialect coach Erik Singer analyzes the accents of some of Hollywood's biggest names. How accurate were they really?

Sullivan Generator – Mensa Scientist Gets Debunked After Shark Tank

The "sea greens" (mis)quote is from Logan's Run, not Brave New World

Fish and Plankton and Sea Greens and Protein from the Sea

Coriolis Effect | National Geographic Society

The Coriolis effect describes the pattern of deflection taken by objects not firmly connected to the ground as they travel long distances around  Earth.

Things kick off with a huge thank you to everyone who gave Siracusa their money, followed by a survey of listener suggestions for the name of the member feed.

In follow-up, John shares some detailed updates on his chronically troubled toe. Merlin finds this content extremely challenging.

Merlin relates an upsetting Walgreens anecdote, and John shares his etymological research on when you learn the notes to sing. Merlin can't get his tween to one-ee-and-uh with him.

For a main topic, your hosts interrogate some additional axes for choosing media—especially the axis of available attention. You really super-get this when you have a fresh baby. Legacy notions about the dangers of screen time are explored and debated. We can all agree that this is a tough time for kids and connection.

In the extended members-only episode, John and Merlin discuss the 2001 Satoshi Kon film, Millennium Actress. Go to https://www.relay.fm/rd to become a member today.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 14, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode.

The origin of the doe-ray-me thing

Depressing Twitter thread about a retired nurse

Shark Tank (TV Series 2009– ) - IMDb

Daring Fireball: Return and Enter Are Two Different Keys

from Endymion by John Keats | Poetry Foundation

Solfège - Wikipedia

Syllables are assigned to the notes of the scale and enable the musician to audiate, or mentally hear, the pitches of a piece of music being seen for the first time and then to sing them aloud. Through the Renaissance (and much later in some shapenote publications) various interlocking 4, 5 and 6-note systems were employed to cover the octave.

Shark Tank Season 3

Shark Tank Season 3 Episode 11 on Hulu

Rick Beato - YouTube

What Makes This Song Great? Ep.76 XTC - YouTube

Things kick off with an announcement on a new way you can help support the program—as well as get some challenging new content. Please give Siracusa your money.

In follow-up, John has a very important haircut update. His barber was reluctant, and the experience was a little fraught. Do our ears and head really keep growing, or is that just a myth?

Merlin puts a hat on a hat on a hat, and John badly confuses his Mels.

Then, things move on to time. Can you choose to be tricked by your own clocks? What if every clock is different? What even is time? John has a history with clock manipulation and sometimes invites too many snoozes.

This turns into a broader meditation on punctuality and character. Are late people late for one reason or is it a whole situation? Can you know how long something takes until you really know how long it takes? Can you? (Spoiler: you cannot.)

John gets to the party early, and Merlin super hopes he actively offers to help with the crudités. Merlin used to be late for everything, and John interrogates how exactly that so drastically changed.

Also, why did we arrive at the airport six hours early, daddy? Breakfast muffin, honey. Please, just eat your breakfast muffin.

Merlin is grateful for people educating him (even when that's not their job). Unconscious bias is unconscious.

And, finally, Merlin had a pretty wild bug with the iOS beta, and you won't believe what happened next.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 30, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

Help Support Reconcilable Differences

Merlin Mann on Twitter: "You’ll never guess what I’m trying to fix. https://t.co/trhLzLYCtx" / Twitter

"You’ll never guess what I’m trying to fix."

iOS 14 safari issues iPhone 11 Pro… | Apple Developer Forums

"Are you using a Smart Battery Case by any chance? If so, this is a known issue in Seed 1 which can be resolved by removing the case. Once Safari is working again, you can resume using it."

NATO phonetic alphabet - Wikipedia

@eiramanit on Instagram: “John’s been threatening to shave his head. I convinced him to let me have a crack at cutting it first. It wasn’t a complete disaster;…”

What is Lombardi Time? | Crown & Caliber Blog

The Origin Of Love - Hedwig And The Angry Inch - YouTube

Matthew Rosenberg on Twitter: "I have a Carl Reiner story that I hold very dear to me. I figured I'd share it today, on the day of his passing, because I hope it will bring some other people some joy the way it does me." / Twitter

"I have a Carl Reiner story that I hold very dear to me. I figured I'd share it today, on the day of his passing, because I hope it will bring some other people some joy the way it does me."

'Parks and Recreation' Co-Creator Mike Schur Remembers Carl Reiner | Hollywood Reporter

'[Michael] Schur pays tribute to the comedy legend, who appeared on a 'Parks and Recreation' episode alongside Amy Poehler. "For 98 years, comedy flowed through Carl Reiner, and radiated off him, and followed him like an obedient hunting dog, ready to follow his commands."'

Roger & Me (1989) - IMDb

From Roger & Me: Christmas Eve in Flint, 1988 on Vimeo

Unconscious Bias | diversity.ucsf.edu

Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. Everyone holds unconscious beliefs about various social and identity groups, and these biases stem from one’s tendency to organize social worlds by categorizing.

Lawyers, Guns and Money (2007 Remaster) - YouTube

Someone has tampered with Merlin's bell, and John is looking forward to his "vacation." This leads to an exploration of seemingly hippie-dippie workplace policies and how they actually get applied in practice. Especially for everyone who's not the boss.

In follow-up, John has an update on a recent addition to his home. Boy, they really wanna push those extra "features" on you, don’t they? No one should have to worry this much about water.

In further follow-up, Merlin has a huge update on something he finally persuaded his family to do for him. 🐱✂️

John has never seen Shark Tank.

Merlin is confused about the buttons on his keyboard, and John has thoughts on what’s in the actual code.

Merlin hates his clock. You can really tell when the people who make something don’t love it as much as you do.

John gets yet another free dingus, and Merlin loves him some surprise baby photos.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 16, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

How to use clippers on men's hair - YouTube

"This guide shows you how to use clippers on men's hair"

"Shark Tank" Episode #3.11 (TV Episode 2012) - IMDb

Mark Sullivan Research

YayText: A text styling tool for Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Merlin Mann on Twitter: "@patbits Crazy part is the man WENT FOR IT. Took over an hour. What a Mensch. "So…you…uh…get many…customers…like me?" "No. This is the first time I've ever tried to cut a white person's hair." "Oh. Cool!" "Mmmm."" / Twitter

Netflix "vacation policy" Reviews | Glassdoor

The Downsides Of Unlimited Time Off That Netflix Won’t Tell You About – ThinkProgress

Why We Ditched Our Unlimited Vacation Policy | Facet

Ethics Explainer: The Panopticon - What is the panopticon effect?

In America, you are not allowed to hit back.

Black Lives Matter.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 2, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Amazon.com Help: Timers Aren't Displaying on Echo Wall Clock

Is your paired Echo device playing music in a Multi-Room Music group? If the paired device is playing music in a Multi-Room Music group, Echo Wall Clock alarms and timers don't work. To use alarms and timers with your clock, turn off Multi-Room Music playback.

Amazon.com: Echo Wall Clock - see timers at a glance - requires compatible Echo device: Amazon Devices

Amazon.com: La Crosse Technology WT-3181PL-INT 18 inch Atomic Outdoor Clock with Temperature & Humidity: Home & Kitchen

Los Angeles Police Commission meets in wake of regional unrest - YouTube

UC Davis pepper spray incident - Wikipedia

Police mistake nationwide protests as demanding more brutality - The Washington Post

"Imagine how hideous they will seem to themselves when they realize people were asking for them to stop.

And if they are not confused, I would hate to think what they were doing."

UEC12M0.html">Leveled Readers | SRA Reading Labs | McGraw Hill

LBJ Orders Pants - YouTube

Things kick off with a review of recent household paper cuts. Breaking the AirPods Rule, not using the hand rail, and barely surviving the chute into the kill zone.

John hears the case of Merlin's exploding plumbing in order to adjudicate whether it constitutes an actual emergency. Service people are all about lead generation, but, John appreciates the input.

The consequent verdict leads to exploration of minimizing COVID attack vectors. Speaking of riding things out, again with John's toe. Just the one. Descript is also discussed.

For a main topic, John wants to talk about regrets, lost loves, and things that could have been different. Better put, John wants Merlin to talk about this, so he does. Witness his confessions.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 19, 2020)

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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381-slots-in-some-imaginary-future.html">Ep. 381: "Slots in Some Imaginary Future" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann

​of Montreal – The Past Is a Grotesque Animal Lyrics | Genius Lyrics

Of Montreal - The Past Is A Grotesque Animal - YouTube

Friends (1979 TV series) - Wikipedia

A.I. Artificial Intelligence with David Rees — Blank Check with Griffin & David — Overcast

Mortal coil - Wikipedia

To "shuffle off this mortal coil" is to die, exemplified in the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

Reconcilable Differences #20: Stove Vigilance - Relay FM

The main topic is trust your mechanic. How to survive working with the experts who diagnose and fix your problems. John's not a Dead Kennedys fan, and Merlin's just so irrationally mad about the state of his oven.

Quarantine updates, Banana Results, follow-up on John's sleep heat needs, and home improvement is also sheltered-in-place for now.

In a main topic, John asks Merlin to talk about why he loves improv comedy so much. What part of your brain do you want scratched?

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"Yes, and..." — EDMUND MITCHELL

'"I want a divorce." Joan said. "Honey, what about the children!" Del said. "We don't have any children!" Joan replies.'

Harold (improvisation) - Wikipedia

The form was further developed by improv teachers Del Close and Charna Halpern, as well as the Upright Citizens Brigade.

Improvisational theatre - Wikipedia

'Well, you are about to start the greatest improvisation of all. With no script. No idea what's going to happen, often with people and places you have never seen before. And you are not in control. So say "yes." And if you're lucky, you'll find people who will say "yes" back.'

—Stephen Colbert

Status | improv, improvisational theater, comedy

'Johnstone's "status", on the other hand, comes from the behavior of the characters in a specific encounter. He stresses that there is no neutral status.'

improv theater and comedy

In this wiki you will find games and exercises, but also other interesting things about improv. You can participate and bring in your own ideas.

Keith Johnstone | Improv Interviews | Status - YouTube

Improv - The Office US - YouTube

Out-of-band data - Wikipedia

"An out-of-band data mechanism provides a conceptually independent channel, which allows any data sent via that mechanism to be kept separate from in-band data."

What is the difference between sketch comedy and improv? - Quora

'Some groups (Second City, most notably) will use improv as a basis for their sketch. They will present a show of improv for the purpose of gleaning material which can be worked up into viable sketches. It should be noted that this is not "sketch-based improv," but "improv-derived sketch." While the improv is used as a launching point for the sketch, it does not make the sketch improv.'

Quote by Christopher Marlowe: “Mephistopheles: Why, this is hell, nor am I out...”

"Why, this is hell, nor am I out of it."

Recipes, Products and News from Quorn – The Meat-Free Experts

"Quorn is a sustainably sourced meat-free super protein that is naturally high in protein and fiber."

Cat On a Hot Tintin Roof - YouTube

Middleditch and Schwartz

Netflix Specials — Middleditch and Schwartz

John Mulaney - Official website of the comedian and actor.

UCBComedy

Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz — Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend — Overcast

Mitch Hedberg - An escalator can never break: it can only...

"An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience."

Things kick off with Merlin bemoaning John's emerging role as his primary existential creditor. John reminds Merlin that all that grinding is just continually sharpening him.

In follow-up, your hosts thank the many, many listeners who remembered the movie that John and Merlin clearly could not. Turns out, it was not "Batman." Or "The Notebook."

This leads naturally into a main topic that pulls together a bunch of previously discussed topics: how do you get your family to watch really good movies? Like, high-quality movies. Not bad movies, but good movies. As we all know, John is a tough rater, but his diligence has paid off. Merlin's kid hasn't shown much interest in The Godfather.

We learn that John has given Merlin his pasta sauce recipe, but Merlin hasn't tried to make it yet, and, when he does, he'll probably do it wrong. Related: do not ask for John's pasta sauce recipe, because it is not supported.

Finally, John may have discovered a Secret Weird Thing about bananas, which—you guessed it—leads to more homework for Merlin.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 21, 2020)

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

Good Will Hunting | ‘The Best Part of My Day’ (HD) - Ben Affleck, Matt Damon | MIRAMAX - YouTube

Conan The Barbarian: What is best in life...? - YouTube

Scott Simpson on Twitter: "Rotten Tomatoes Decoder"

A Man's Life: The Complete Instructions: Boyles, Denis: 9780060951412: AmazonSmile: Books

Amazon.com: Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food (9780061767937): Seinfeld, Jessica: Books

5by5 | The Talk Show #57: The Banana Window

"On this special episode recorded while Dan was still on paternity leave, John is joined by guest host Merlin Mann. Merlin and John discuss Vegas, Disney, Pixar and more!"

Things kick off with John describing an unknown movie in bullets and Merlin thinking it sounds a little like Batman. Of course, this just ends up leading to John chiding Merlin for not utilizing his quarantine time to finish his long-overdue homework.

The guys end up talking about the confusingly-titled resurrection of Merlin's old podcast. John has questions, and Merlin does his best to respond. Sometimes, you wanna give yourself a blue ocean, even if you never end up changing very much. Much like Neil Peart said.

This leads to a nostalgic stroll through the before times of the internet. Back when you had to buy all the misspellings and just hope you came up high on AltaVista. Also, what comes after Google? Man, the web used to be such a primitive, ugly affair. Time was, putting a field and two buttons on a web page was some pretty radical stuff. Brand names and regional fizzy drink appellations are briefly debated.

Finally, the baked ziti topic somehow also rises from the dead. And, John is still affronted that Merlin feeds his family that execrable swill from a jar.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 7, 2020)

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

You Look Nice Today

California King

AltaVista - Wikipedia

Francesco Rinaldi- As I Got Older I Got Better - YouTube

On top of all the sheltering-in-place, John is nursing a new injury, and Merlin doesn't love hearing it described at all. This leads to some medical technology discussion plus an on-air debriding agent demo.

In a main topic, your hosts try to share some ideas on sustainably working remotely from home. History and experience can be pretty good teachers, but working yourself to a damaged nub is a terrible game for the young and should be considered harmful.

And, then there's the technology we use to stay connected and the managers who need to manage. Were you aware that Tom totally knows Craig Chaquico?

Listen, team, there are going to be a lot of adjustments, but also some great opportunities. We swear.

Hang in there, stay inside, and please take care of yourselves.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 24, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Craig Chaquico - Wikipedia

Things kick off with some soap talk, and then there's a deep dive into the current state of…things. Stay home, friends.

There's some follow-up on Billy Joel Results.

In the main topic, your hosts discuss what makes for a good car movie. John thinks it's different for car people, and Merlin saw a Tesla. Sometimes, it can be difficult to enjoy media that gets details you care about wrong.

For homework, please watch FX on Hulu's Devs.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 10, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Elizabeth Joh (@elizabeth_joh) / Twitter

Law professor @UCDavisLaw @ucdavis & on @TrumpConLaw. Thinking about technology, law, dystopia & the Constitution.

5by5 | Back to Work #468: Cancellation Christmas

This week kicks off with some virus talk. Merlin is worried that we've lost the recipe for ice, and John is feeling very cynical. Don't worry about the giant barrel full of explosives; the water will cushion that. John remembers chicken pox parties, but Merlin is confused about exactly how a quarantine works.

In follow-up, your hosts wrap up their (mostly spoiler-free) discussion of Cheer. As it turns out, cheerleaders are kind of a lot like soldiers, and you really wanna be on the lookout for those entrepreneurial dads. Merlin dreams of typewriters. John requests an update on Millennium Actress progress.

The main topic is the career and oeuvre of New York resident, William Martin Joel. When John was growing up, Billy Joel was everywhere and was a lot like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Then, John left Long Island.

There is some disagreement about whether Billy ever technically got "big," but you gotta know that the man is a very gifted melodicist. John wonders how he would function in a Beatles-like band, and Merlin just really loves those bridges. John seems to kind of envy Billy's helicopter lifestyle.

(Recorded on Sunday, March 1, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Yesterday%27s_Enterprise_(episode)">Yesterday's Enterprise (episode) | Memory Alpha | Fandom

While investigating a temporal rift, the Enterprise encounters a ghost from its own past - the USS Enterprise-C, which travels twenty two years into the future and changes the course of history.

Billy Joel discography - Wikipedia

Billy Joel Lyrics, Songs, and Albums | Genius

Billy Joel Biography | Billy Joel Official Site

Having sold more than 150 million records, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in the world. Throughout the years, Joel’s songs have acted as personal and cultural touchstones for millions of people, mirroring his own goal of writing songs that “meant something during the time in which I lived … and transcended that time.”

Radiohead - Creep [live @ MTV Spring Break '93] - YouTube

Billy Joel | Artist | www.grammy.com

WINS: 5 NOMINATIONS: 23

BILLY JOEL "THIS NIGHT" LONDON JUNE 1984 - YouTube

Billy Joel - Piano Man (1973) - YouTube

Billy Joel - Only The Good Die Young (from Old Grey Whistle Test) - YouTube

Billy Joel - Just The Way You Are (from Old Grey Whistle Test) - YouTube

Billy Joel - Honesty (Official Video) - YouTube

Billy Joel - Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Live from Long Island) - YouTube

Billy Joel - Pressure (Official Video) - YouTube

Billy Joel - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) (from Old Grey Whistle Test) - YouTube

Billy Joel - Big Shot (Official Video) - YouTube

Rolling Stones - "Stupid Girl" - YouTube

Merlin is healing just as John is getting sick. Merlin has chained several bad decisions, and John has concerns about Merlin's office wall. John has moved some things around in the doc.

In follow-up, John has acquired some Studio Ghibli from iTunes and reports back. This leads to further discussion of the beauty of Miyazaki films and a consideration of what makes them so special. Are the roles of filmmakers similar to the work of comics artists? What if you're just not a fan of currently fashionable inking techniques?

Hollow bones.

Your hosts talk about the new Netflix show, Cheer. They could have gone a lot of directions, but we can all agree that there are many, many injuries to be had.

Next up, a recent Roderick on the Line conversation leads to a consideration of the voice in your head alongside the ability to visualize. Consciousness is very difficult to discuss.

Finally, there's some back-door Secret Weird Things People Do about the cadences that trigger stuff in your head. Especially songs. John thinks Merlin definitely doesn't have an actual photographic memory. And she's loving him with that body, I just know it.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 10, 2020)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

The Incomparable | A Real Imaginary Friend (Episode 194)

Grab your black cat and portable radio, climb on your mom’s broomstick, and join us for a king-sized discussion of Hayao Miyazaki’s classic animated film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” This film features a climactic scene featuring an out-of-control dirigible, so you know we love it.

Thinking About Inking: the role of comic book inkers | In My Not So Humble Opinion

Judas Priest - Grinder (Official Video) - YouTube

6 Reasons Why Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye Is One of Marvel's Greatest Comics

Yarn | I have avian bone syndrome. Hollow bones. ~ 30 Rock (2006) - S01E21 Hiatus | Video clips by quotes, clip | 664c27d8-fafd-46c3-a92f-ce6df35b6505 | 紗

370-tomorrows-heart.html">Ep. 370: "Tomorrow's Heart" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann

Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl (Official Video) - YouTube

Aphantasia - Wikipedia

This week kicks off with some accidental video and an update on Merlin's ill health. John has been maintaining some lists, and Merlin shares some confessions of the Banker's Box lifestyle. Many things still need to leave my house. A litany of the lost things is presented and analyzed, and a catechism for finding the lost things is interrogated.

In follow-up, Merlin is ready to present his iTunes Results regarding the acquisition of Studio Ghibli movies. John finally draws a line in the sand. Why split the movie? Why no extra features? Is it Siracusa's day to watch Roderick? The magic of Miyazaki is extolled. So much smoking.

Speaking of media homework, John has a new assignment for Merlin. Then, some documentary talk in general.

John is back to harassing Merlin about how often he washes the towels, and Merlin is provoked into making a confession of fanciness. Some friend. John, in turn, confesses to being upset by Merlin's ghastly pet companions. Everything in the house is Bando'd. Merlin has some questions about Daisy's technology stack. This leads to a pretty deep dive on the design trade-offs that go into contemporary dog-tracking innovations.

Finally, the boys return to Secret Weird Things People Do, and John has a bath mat concept for consideration, plus a hot tip on bathtub materials.

(Recorded on Thursday, January 30, 2020)

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Credits

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• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Redeeming 4K/UHD Codes - Google Sheets

DIGITAL MOVIE RESOURCES - 4K Sheet Help

Movies Anywhere

"Enjoy your favorite purchased moviescombined into one collection."

Cheer - Netflix

Review - Series | Comedy Central Official Site | CC.com

Get Into the Elephant Stuff - The Incomparable's Watchmen episode

Exporter for Notes.app - Export or Backup Notes from Apple's OSX Notes app to Plain Text .txt

MS111 | Rolls Corporation - Real Sound

The ROLLS MS111 is a general purpose muting switch for microphones. The MS111 will pass phantom power, with no popping on the outputs. It is configurable to be Push to Mute or release to Mute by a second switch accessed on the side of the unit. The MS111 can have the mute switch configured to be Momentary (see manual), the switch is set to latching from the factory. The MS111 is only compatible with balanced signals.

STEALTH VAN LIFE TOUR | Extremely ORGANIZED Cargo Van Conversion - YouTube

SUPER COOL AMPHIBIOUS RV Woelcke Autark T5 Crosser Off Road 4x4 Campervan Motor Home - YouTube

David Ogden Stiers - IMDb

Ōtori-Sama - Ghibli Wiki

"They are spirits resembling giant chickens or ducks that are clients of the Bathhouse, here they put themselves into bath tubs. They are servants of the deity Ōtori."

Panic Button - Pro Co Sound

Things kick off with an administrative meeting about the doc. Merlin tries to keep John from sneaking in, and John thinks Merlin should just use his eyeballs. Analogy sandwiches and their contents are debated. John lives with an unnamed two-towel person, and Merlin thinks he knows who it is.

Spock loses his phaser, and Merlin earns his first multisyllabic laugh from John. Merlin can tell whether you are an AT&T customer, and John thinks phone calls in general are creepy. Merlin demonstrates his robot hands for John. Merlin thinks he's an open book, and John realizes there's always something to be yelled at about. There's also some fairly harrowing cat follow-up.

In a mini-topic, John talks about Studio Ghibli movies (finally) being available digitally, and Merlin offers to take one for the team and report back. Also, some talk about metadata.

Merlin has questions for John about what constitutes a "rally." Is there a better word for having to thread an existential and chronological needle in life? Because that's what Merlin needs a name for.

Regardless of what you call this phenomenon, it's not about being first or fastest; it's about timing all the jobs and obligations that you know about, as well as leaving padding for when (inevitably) more comes up or stuff changes.

Like project management and software development, life has a funny way of hiding dependencies and disguising milestones. This leads to a deep dive on understanding the culture of your environment and the foibles of human nature.

People, amirite?

(Recorded on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Code Complete - Wikipedia

Cold fusion - Wikipedia

"The Stallone Tangent" - Episode #133 - The Flop House Podcast - YouTube

Steganography - Wikipedia

Markl | Howl's Moving Castle Wiki | Fandom

Baba Yaga - Wikipedia

Things kick off with John's Mac Pro prep mess. This is all well beyond Preparing the Way. This leads to a surprisingly detailed exploration of the challenges posed by setting up a new workspace given the constraints of the room and gravity. Cables, man. Cables.

In a related topic, Merlin is struggling with post-holiday mess stress. Sisyphus is pushing another Sisyphus up a hill. You really don't want to make Daddy bring in his banker's box. How long before the elves arrive to remove all these yogurt containers? Maybe they'll "do it later." Stuff your sorries in a sack! Also, this new bean bag chair is very, very large.

Christmas Results are discussed further, and John has makeover ideas for Merlin's lounge. John's vegetarian has recently widened her palate.

Finally, John has a new pinboard, but there are some design and integration challenges. Merlin gratefully receives the only gift he's wanted for years. 🎢

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
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Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

The Original Bean Bag Chair | Fatboy – Fatboy USA

128: Eating Scones in the Closet — Back to Work — Overcast

"She's there with the nose ring."

Thrill Rides | Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

"Looking for thrills? Well, you've found them. In fact, you've found some of the fastest, tallest, wildest, most gut-wrenching rides in the country-including a few record-breakers."

In the interest of timeliness, this episode, recorded Tuesday evening, has been rushed to you on an accelerated schedule.

John continues to Prepare the Way, his wife can't close one eye, and there's a Spoiler Slot on HBO's Watchmen.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

Studio Ghibli will soon sell digital movies

Things kick off with a review of Thanksgiving results that quickly swerves into a deep dive on hotels. Why is Merlin obsessed with this one Marriott in Gold Country, and how come John avoids bunking with roommates?

Then, there's a swerve back to the holiday of gratitude, and the boys envision a world in which you won't get anywhere near the turkey until you've dealt with an upsettingly mercurial new host. And, even then, you'll be called upon to help solve a stomach-churning murder mystery.

There's just a little bit of Survivor talk. Why don't the castaways like the odds of rocks, and when will Coach and Russell return as mentors?

Merlin has been excavating old hard drives, and John can't understand how he ever got to this point. Hug your backups, people.

Speaking of food, things wrap with a twist on Secret Weird Things People do: what's the deal with food?

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 3, 2019.)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
• eero: Get your WiFi fixed as soon as tomorrow! Free overnight shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

Dilbert Comic Strip on 1995-11-24

RITZ Mock Apple Pice Recipe

Maitrī - Wikipedia

Maitrī (Sanskrit; Pali: mettā) means benevolence, loving-kindness, friendliness, amity, good will, and active interest in others.

Things kick off with a check-in on Watchmen. Is John feeling more confident about it? There are MacGuffins inside of MacGuffins. John is still enjoying the Apple TV+ shows, and Merlin thinks expectation deflation can really work in your favor. John didn't remember that Jennifer Aniston was in Office Space.

In a related mini-topic, Merlin wants to talk about The Mandalorian as a way to explore what we like about Star Wars. Unsurprisingly, John is avoiding a poster, and Merlin gets schooled on the importance and greatness of Return of the Jedi. Thank goodness for our fellow fans who grew up to make new Star Wars for us.

John has qualms with Merlin's neologism and doesn't even like when people do that anyway. The summer of 1982 was wild.

Your hosts try to explain live TV to their children. Also: telephones.

Finally, it's time to clear out some more Secret Weird Things People Do. No spoilers. Just…listen.

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 19, 2019.)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
• Dollar Shave Club: Look, feel, and smell your best.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

How To Make A Blockbuster Movie Trailer - YouTube

Fountains of Wayne Hotline

ScreenCrush - Watchmen - YouTube

The Mandalorian

Return of the Jedi on The Incomparable - Part 1

Return of the Jedi on The Incomparable - Part 2

Summer Movies: 1982

11 YOUTH-TARGETTED TV SITCOM FAILURES 1977-79 - YouTube

Cut For Time: Gus Chiggins, Old Prospector - SNL - YouTube

Things kick off with some quick Macintosh and video game nostalgia. John redrew his sprites, and Merlin enjoyed some stolen pinball. Merlin did lots of work this week. Your hosts discuss Sayonara Wild Hearts in particular and Apple Arcade in general.

Merlin's family recently rented a very large automobile, and its various interfaces are reviewed. John declares the vehicle to be as ugly as it is large. Where is innovation welcome, and where is it mostly preferable to avoid? And what happens when that "innovation" was really just kind of a cheat?

Apple TV+ is on the docket, but, first, Merlin wants to share the detailed results of his scientific Apple TV and Siri experiments. This leads to him saying much more than "exactly one thing," and it takes much longer than the promised thirty seconds. Strap in, because this one is quite a ride.

John takes over to talk about his thoughts on the new Apple TV+ shows. Viewers and critics seem to really disagree, but John found things to like. Reviews and ratings come up again. Mikhail Baryshnikov is not the guy from Die Hard, and there is so much TV.

Damon Lindelof seems like a really smart guy. John gives a thumbs-up to The Space Show but feels like Watchmen is still walking a line. John crosses-over with Do By Friday.

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 5, 2019.)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code DIFFS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
• Moo: Custom business printing and design. Save 15%.
• Burrow: The Luxury Couch for Real Life. Save $75 and get FREE one-week shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

to-use-siri-for-hands-free-apple-tv-control.html">How to use Siri for hands-free Apple TV control | TechHive

A similar frustration can emerge if the Apple TV tries steering you into the wrong app for given program. After signing up for HBO through Apple TV Channels, for instance, Apple might prompt you to install HBO Go instead of launching shows directly. If this happens, grab the remote and scroll down while viewing the info page for any show until you see the “How to Watch” section. Select your preferred source, and Apple TV should remember it in the future.

Sayonara Wild Hearts

Sayonara Wild Hearts by Daniel Olsén on Spotify

CGP Grey - "How Machines Learn" - YouTube

Reconcilable Differences #33: Survival Bucket - Relay FM

Damon Lindelof on “The Business” podcast with Kim Masters

The Official Watchmen Podcast

BMW X7 SAV – Model overview – BMW USA

The culmination of comfort, luxury, and powerful living is embodied in the BMW X7 – the biggest BMW ever built.

Navigation Destination Input Menu | BMW Genius How-To - YouTube

Learn how to use the destination input menu in the iDrive navigation system of your BMW.

BMW ConnectedDrive - BMW USA

BMW ConnectedDrive integrates your BMW's intelligent interfaces, your smartphone, and other technologies to keep you aware and in control of everything going on both in your vehicle and your day-to-day life.

Tivo!, a song by Patton Oswalt on Spotify

Warning: contains coarse language and words that we don't use any more.

11-05.md?dl=0">recdiffs apple tv experiments 2019-11-05.md

Contents of Merlin's Apple TV experiments using Siri.

Upgrade #270: The Toughest Compare - Relay FM

Apple TV has finally arrived, and we discuss Apple's first round of new shows--as well as an unimpressive performance from the TV app itself. We've also got reviews of the new AirPods Pro, and Apple's latest financial results reveal that for the iPhone, sometimes down is up.

Confusion About What ‘The Morning Show’ and Apple TV+ Are Trying to Be, Plus: ‘Watchmen’ S1E3 | The Watch — The Watch — Overcast

Rana Foroohar joins Slate Money to discuss political ads on social media, the NCAA, and the California wildfires.

The Morning Show: Season 1 - Rotten Tomatoes

Flashy, but somewhat frivolous, The Morning Show often feels more like a vanity project than the hard-hitting drama it aspires to be -- but there is pleasure to be had in watching Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon give it their all.

Naked Consumer: How Our Private Lives Become Public Commodities: Erik Larson: 9780140233032: Amazon.com: Books

Posing as a CEO of a fictitious direct-mail corporation, Larson infiltrated companies that gather and sell personal information to assist businesses in their marketing campaigns. He discovered the systems used to gather personal data, the staggering amount of personal information companies can gather, and the government’s role in helping companies learn about you.

Mike Murphy on Twitter: "Why do car center dashboards all still look like skins for WinAmp from like 1999 https://t.co/bFjNm4bIKV" / Twitter

Accidental Tech Podcast: 351: The Floor Is High

AppleTV+ initial reviews

(That's the Leftovers) | Do By Friday

With special guest, John Siracusa.

John opens with some follow-up questions, and Merlin realizes it's going to be one of those episodes. John calls out Merlin's racism against his people. Both your hosts are now living the arms-free lifestyle.

Merlin has follow-up on his ongoing Siri and Apple TV experiment, and, improbably, this leads to further discussion of Cupertino's frustrating quality slide. Voice dinguses are reviewed, and IMDB is bad.

John has some water issues, and Merlin's lizard apparently has an unconventional face. Then, more with the Apple complaints. Messages is making Merlin look insane.

John has some harsh words about Merlin's Star Wars spoilers, and he doesn't even like those movies anyway. Getting tickets to the movie requires some detailed instructions, but then it ended up being unnecessary. Sometimes, it's just easier to do stuff yourself.

Avoiding spoilers is difficult, because, as stipulated, pretty much everything is a spoiler. Watchmen is lightly discussed. John's level of commitment to media he doesn't actually like is remarkable and weirdly admirable.

And, finally, John has questions about Merlin's bizarre obsession with the House of Commons' Brexit proceedings. To be clear, John is not telling the joke, he's communicating the joke.

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 22, 2019.)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package.
• Moo: Custom business printing and design. Save 15%.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

John has some questions about productivity, and Merlin has realized the new dragon is an attractive nuisance.

Merlin has questions about his costly new chair, and John offers some further arm removal encouragement. John's flying monkeys chime in, and Merlin gets a reference in one. Merlin's family watches some Star Trek, and technical drawings are considered.

John gives Merlin some stick about his entirely proper USPS formatting. Next, John has follow-up on using the Apple TV TV TV app, and Merlin is very impressed with his results.

Believe it or not, this leads to discussion of problems with using the Apple TV. How do you click left on a diving board?

John agrees to skip talking about the new dragon for now, but, somehow, still manages to work in some side dagger.

The PG&E power debacle is discussed. Merlin assures John that his spreadsheets are safe.

Your hosts return to their Secret Weird Things People Do project. You'll have to just listen and judge for yourself: are John and Merlin secretly weird?

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 8, 2019.)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Moo: Custom business printing and design. Save 15%.
• eero: Get your WiFi fixed as soon as tomorrow! Free overnight shipping.

Links and Show Notes:

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership

[PDF] 442 Gesture Chair - Control Replacement

355-the-lieutenant-colonels-of-hell.html">Roderick on the Line #355: The Lieutenant Colonels of Hell

Why does walking through doorways make us forget? - BBC Future

Forgetting why you entered a room is called the “Doorway Effect”, and it may reveal as much about the strengths of human memory, as it does the weaknesses, says psychologist Tom Stafford.

How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive: A Manual of Step-by-Step Procedures for the Compleat Idiot: John Muir, Tosh Gregg, Peter Aschwanden: 9781566913102: Amazon.com: Books

"First published in 1969, this classic manual of automotive repair equips VW owners with the practical skills to keep their Volkswagen running smoothly."

5by5 | Hypercritical #42: The Wrong Guy

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5by5 | Back to Work #446: Charm Offensive

stolen-from-knitter-Hayes-Valley-car-theft-14498944.php">'A complete loss': $15,000 worth of yarn stolen in San Francisco car break-in - SFGate

"The incident was every knitter's nightmare…"

Delivery Address | Postal Explorer

"All capital letters."