

Do By Friday
Merlin Mann and Alex Cox
A weekly challenge show hosted by Alex Cox and Merlin Mann.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 26, 2025 • 2h 9min
Pure Information
The hosts dive into a delightful mix of birthday banter and melodramatic musicals, sharing insights on Wicked and the viral side of Broadway on YouTube. They explore a quirky celebrity heights spreadsheet, revealing surprising facts about famous short people. The conversation shifts to admiration for Ricky Jay and the art of misdirection in performance. They dissect the concept of 'pure information' in media and challenge each other to try Netflix's audio description, leading to amusing reflections on its impact. It's a charming blend of nostalgia, creativity, and witty commentary!

Nov 20, 2025 • 1h 44min
Gratitude is My Kink
LinksPresident Trump Delivers Remarks at McDonald's Impact Summit - YouTubeJeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich - WikipediaUS election: Donald Trump sorry for obscene remarks on women - BBC NewsBig Mac Index - WikipediaDonald Trump Access Hollywood tape - WikipediaNo One Shows Up to Peter Brady's Party - YouTubeWatchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter (2009) [1080p] - YouTubeAdrian Veidt | Watchmen Wiki | FandomThe Hunting Wives Season 2 Trailer - SNL - YouTubePapillon (1973 film) - WikipediaTerry ZwigoffCrumb (film) - WikipediaIntroducing Kafka - WikipediaWhen Harry Met Sally... (3/11) Movie CLIP - Just Friends (1989) HD - YouTubeThe Book of Genesis (comic) - WikipediaGhost World (film) - WikipediaBad Santa - WikipediaCrumb (1995) | The Criterion CollectionSome Good Movies About Making Art, a list of films by Merlin Mann • LetterboxdAftershow LinksWhy Saudi Arabia Is Building a Floating City - YouTubeWhy Saudi Arabia Is Building a Linear City - YouTubeFingal's Cave - Wikipediawisdom/3d.md at master · merlinmann/wisdom · GitHubModel Context Protocol - WikipediaWhat is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)? - Model Context ProtocolPrompt 3🎙️ MacWhisperJonathan Haidt - WikipediaNo Way Out (1987 film) - WikipediaA Futile and Stupid Gesture (film) - WikipediaHow to Stop the Jellyfish! - Apple CommunityThe Crown (TV series) - WikipediaAudio Description for TV shows and movies | Netflix Help Center

Nov 12, 2025 • 1h 17min
A Break from Myself
This week, the hosts dive into the quirky world of dining rituals, poking fun at awkward restaurant scripts and the pressure of sharing small plates. They then explore the theatrics of teppanyaki and the oddity of modern dining experiences involving QR codes. The conversation shifts to the challenge of trying THC, discussing its effects on relaxation and muscle tension. They reflect on using mild substances as a mental reset, highlighting art's role in emotional calibration and the importance of personal communication in friendships. It's a delightful mix of humor, insights, and relatable struggles.

Nov 6, 2025 • 1h 32min
Immune to Narrative
This week, hosts dive into the challenge of repurposing buttons in creative ways. They explore crafting soundboards from podcast clips and the history of audio tools in radio. A lively debate about denominators reveals how context alters meaning in statistics and media. They also share tips on using Stream Decks for smart automation and delve into Adam Curtis's unique use of archival footage in storytelling. The episode wraps with quirky suggestions like turning old keyboard keys into refrigerator magnets!

Oct 30, 2025 • 1h 20min
J.J. Crumbletops, O.B.E.
The hosts dive into the whimsical world of family theme restaurants, brainstorming hilarious concepts like 'Crumble Tops.' They hilariously reminisce about dangerous toys like lawn darts and discuss bizarre slip 'n' slide accidents. A thought-provoking analysis emerges from the documentary 'The Perfect Neighbor,' exploring race, policing, and community dynamics. The discussion challenges listeners to reflect on privilege and biases, all while sprinkling in nostalgic stories and humor about local ads. It's a blend of absurdity and deep social commentary!

Oct 22, 2025 • 2h 12min
Opportunity Gobbler
LinksMerlin’s Game Changing Calipers: Amazon.com: iGAGING Absolute Origin 0-6" Digital Caliper, IP54 Stainless Steel, SPC/USB Output Port, Inch & Metric Modes, Case, Manual : Industrial & ScientificScrewed Up Filament Clip V2 - Save Your Spools! by ZombieHedgehog MakerWorld: Download Free 3D ModelsI Can Tolerate Anything Except The Outgroup | Slate Star CodexDavid Starr Jordan - WikipediaWhy Fish Don't Exist a book by Lulu Miller - Bookshop.org USThermoplastic polyurethane - WikipediaFive Bizarre 3D-Printing Mysteries with Insane Solutions - YouTubeWhy am I wearing a heads-up display? - YouTubeBambooHR: The Complete HR Software for People, Payroll & BenefitsThunderbolt (interface) - WikipediaDaring Fireball: Consumer Confusion Regarding USB Power AdaptersHow to zoom in on your iPhone or iPad screen with Window Zoom — Apple Support - YouTubePower adapters for iPhone - Apple SupportHeat-shrink tubing - WikipediaHow to Wrap Cables Like a Pro: Over/Under (Roadie Wrap) Method Explained! - YouTubeThe Cindys - Dry TV (Official Video) - YouTubeTeenage Fanclub - WikipediaSteve Albini discography - WikipediaLetterkenny | Season 1 | Florida State Seminal Vesicles - YouTubeHappy Hippie Presents: Miley Cyrus & Laura Jane Grace - True Trans Soul Rebel - YouTubePitfall! - WikipediaRoboism #73: No More Flesh Buddies - Relay'AI Psychosis': Term Doesn't Accurately Describe Chatbot DelusionsSpontaneous Human Combustion w… - American Hysteria - Apple PodcastsReconcilable Differences #270: We Inflated Our Pants - RelayHeat-shrink tubing - WikipediaMovies with Mikey | FilmJoy - YouTubeTheodoric Of York quoteMedieval Barber Theodoric of York - SNL - YouTube

Oct 15, 2025 • 1h 23min
You Were Made On the Good Day
LinksMary Mallon (Typhoid Marry)Humblebrag : the art of false modesty : Wittels, Harris : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet ArchiveDouble Fantasy - WikipediaJohn Lennon Double Fantasy - YouTubeSlaughterhouse-Five - WikipediaWord of the Day: Zaftig | Merriam-WebsterThe Substance - WikipediaTHE SUBSTANCE | Official TrailerErnst Röhm - WikipediaHitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial | Official TrailerHitler: The Rise of Evil - Wikipediawisdom.limoNumber of unfit Texas Guardsmen recalled from Chicago goes upConcerns mount over increased violence among federal immigration agents : NPRChicago TV producer’s arrest in Ice raid ‘alarming and horrifying’, lawyers say | Ice (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement) | The GuardianICE in Chicago amid ongoing "Operation Midway Blitz" activity: Live updatesJacqueline du Pre & Daniel Barenboim - Elgar Cello Concerto - YouTubeKnife-Throwing Academy - YouTubeKnife-Throwing Academy | The Island of Misfit ToysIt's an Honor | The Island of Misfit ToysThe Island of Misfit Toys - Furiouser & Furiouser (FULL EP) - YouTubeFlying Nun Records - YouTubeTeenage Fanclub - What You Do To Me - YouTubeKing Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Iron Lung (Live on KEXP) - YouTubeThe Cindys | The CindysThe Cindys - Dry TV (Official Video) - YouTube“If I were 25 and independently wealthy, I'd follow King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard on tour for at least a week or five.” Post by @hotdogsladies.bsky.social — BlueskyTeenage Fanclub - Everything Flows - YouTubeHeavenly Pop Hits: The Flying Nun Story (Music Documentary 2002) - YouTubeThe Clean - Anything Could Happen - YouTubeKing Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Iron Lung (Live on KEXP) - YouTubeTetsuo: The Iron Man Original Trailer (Shinya Tsukamoto, 1989) - YouTube

Oct 8, 2025 • 1h 48min
The Box of Unknown Weight
LinksQuotes to get right. #runx · GitHub“People aren't supposed to look back.”Reconcilable Differences #270: We Inflated Our Pants - RelayValley Girl (1983 film) - WikipediaYork Steak House - WikipediaThe Awards for Advertising American Ads - YouTubeMerlin's Happy Place - YouTubeEdward Elgar - Enigma Variations, Op.36: IX. (Nimrod) - YouTubeDon Henley - The Boys Of Summer - YouTubeThe Ataris - The Boys of Summer - YouTubeDuck Soup (1933 film) - WikipediaAFI Movie Club: DUCK SOUP | American Film InstituteSqueeze - Is That Love? (Official Music Video) - YouTubeDeadspin | The GookieRufus T Fireflys introduction - YouTubeThe Lemonade Vendor - YouTube"This Country's Going to War" - YouTubePre-Code Hollywood - WikipediaHays Code - WikipediaAnti-Catholicism in the United States - WikipediaThe Very Weird Rules of Golden Age Hollywood: The Hays Code and the effect it still has today! - YouTubePolitics and the Star Persona of Katharine Hepburn - YouTubeGroucho Marx Dick Cavett 1969 - YouTubeSqueeze - Is That Love? (Official Music Video) - YouTube

Sep 24, 2025 • 1h 49min
A Truck Made of Children
This week's challenge: watch "Weapons" (2025).

Sep 17, 2025 • 2h 1min
Punish My Mouth
LinksRelay for St. Jude - St. Jude Children’s Research HospitalProgressive disclosure - WikipediaKristina Hooper Woolsey - WikipediaApple Multimedia Lab - WikipediaThings - To-Do List for Mac & iOSApp Intents | Apple Developer DocumentationMerlin Mann - Who moved my brain? - YouTubeDifferentiation and comorbidity of bipolar disorder and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in children, adolescents, and adults: A clinical and nosological perspective - PMCHOOBS – Smart Home Hub and App for Home AutomationBelkin Official Support - Wemo Support Ending – What You Need to KnowNanoleafEmporia Vue 3 Home Energy Monitor – Emporia EnergyDimmers, Switches & Light Control Accessories | LutronAll of Pearce Media’s HomeKit AppsHomeCare for HomeKit on the App StoreHomeScan for HomeKit on the App StoreHomePass for HomeKit & Matter on the App StoreHomeLog for HomeKit on the App StoreShellyValkyrie Font Family · 1001 FontsZotero | Your personal research assistantZotero Documentationwisdom.limowisdom/mmd-style-demo/HOWTO.md at master · merlinmann/wisdom · GitHubJimmy Carter’s “malaise” speech - “A Crisis of Confidence” - YouTubeIt takes a worried man.How Corporations Hijacked Anti-AI Backlash - YouTubeHypercritical Episode 42: The Wrong GuyOn Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - WikipediaOn Writing: A Memoir of the Craft PDF on The Internet ArchiveTurn Every Page - WikipediaRobert A. Caro | Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing - YouTubeAmy Madigan - WikipediaThe Secret Weapon of ‘Weapons’: Amy Madigan Is Aunt Gladys - The New York TimesWeapons (2025 film) - WikipediaAlex Cox’s Playlists on Apple MusicAlex Likes Live Music - YouTubeMerlin Mann’s Playlists on SpotifySome Very Good Live Performances - YouTube


