Reconcilable Differences

Since John has recently returned from his Summer trip, it's time to review his vacation results. 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. Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code DIFFS to get 30% off. Links and Show Notes: This week kicks off with a critique of Merlin's new haircut and eyeglasses. Also, Happy Birthday to Relay dot fm. John's recommendation of a movie viewing option is very quickly withdrawn, but then he has an even better recommendation. Next up, your hosts talk about John's experience with opening his Twitter DMs. This leads to a discussion of PR spam and the people who make it. What are the benefits and risks of making yourself more available? It's important to know what not to needle people about. Pop, pop, pop, pop, pop! Merlin reads some listener mail, and John briefly disappears down a series of recursive memory holes. Talk turns to chairs. Late chairs, lost chairs, and extremely coincidental chairs. Chairs! (Recorded on Friday, August 2, 2019.) 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 Celebrating Relay FM's 5th Birthday with a Live Show in San Francisco on Thursday, August 22 — Relay FMWe are thrilled to announce a special live show featuring some of your favorite podcast hosts to mark Relay FM's 5th birthday in August. It's what the kids call a podcasting extravaganza! The show will be in San Francisco on Thursday the 22nd. The show is all ages, with water and soda being served. Doors open at 7 PM Relay FM 5th Anniversary Live Show [Tickets]Join us in celebrating Relay FM's 5th birthday with a special live show featuring some of your favorite podcast hosts for what the kids call a podcasting extravaganza! Membership - Relay FMWhen you become a Relay FM member, you’ll get access to exciting bonus content while directly supporting your favorite hosts. Amazon.com: Watch Millenium Actress | Prime VideoA movie studio is being torn down. TV interviewer Genya Tachibana has tracked down its most famous star, Chiyoko Fujiwara, who has been a recluse since she left acting some 30 years ago. Tachibana delivers a key to her, and it causes her to reflect on her career Millennium Actress | Fathom EventsExperience the gorgeous new restoration of what many believe to be Satoshi Kon’s (Perfect Blue, Paprika) greatest work, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS.  Dang Good Losers | Friendshipping! Amazon.com: Watch Fleabag Season 1 | Prime Video Accidental ClickingJohn Siracusa joins me to discuss RSI in depth, drawing on both of our experiences we look at what works, what doesn’t and why you should care. Keyboards, trackpads, trackballs, mice, chairs, we cover it all.

John quizzes Merlin about his vacation results. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code DIFFS to get 30% off. Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Links and Show Notes: After the usual quibbling about terminology, Merlin confesses to being terrible at travel. John thinks vacations don't have to be fun for everybody all the time, but Merlin feels like he was definitely a drag. Can't we just have a plan? If you want ice cream, just put it on the dang calendar. Travel anxiety is discussed. Next up comes an extended meditation on kitchen things. Merlin cleans his pan with chain mail, and John's cheese grater finally died. Knives should not be sharp in the wrong places. In what becomes an unintentional lightning round, the guys cover internet consumer products, a podcast recommendation, Atari arcade games, more mispronunciation virality, jokes people miss, the Baader–Meinhof Effect, and the pointlessness of asking your family not to talk to you. Merlin tests his wife's mental TiVo-ing skills. 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 5by5 | Back to Work #434: Grist for an Unnecessary MillMerlin traveled. Boeing: 787 Dreamliner Does Europe Have Better Sunscreens? | EWG's 2019 Guide to Sunscreens Why Is Sunscreen ‘Better’ in Europe? - Elemental The Perils and Rewards of Travel | The Hilarious World of Depression Amazon.com: The Ringer - The Original Stainless Steel Cast Iron Cleaner, Patented XL 8x6 Inch Design: Home & Kitchen Amazon.com: Victorinox Fibrox Pro Chef's Knife, 8-Inch Chef's: Chefs Knives: Kitchen & Dining Decoder Ring Decoder Ring — Overcast Baader–Meinhof effect - Wikipedia

This week’s main topic is the controversial debate over running Apple betas. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get 3 months free with a 1-year package. eero: Never think about WiFi again. Get $100 off. Burrow: The Luxury Couch for Real Life. Save $75. Links and Show Notes: Merlin is not mentally-prepared, but John reminds him that preparedness is an illusion. Or is it? The boys try to remember quotes from The Godfather. Sally is a cool name. Your hosts discuss what happens when your friends have different taste in movies, and then you have to listen to them talk about it on a podcast. I mean, who doesn't like Hot Fuzz? John and Merlin recall the probematic films of their youth and enumerate several that their kids are specifically not encouraged to watch. John lets his son choose the movie by genre only, and Merlin worries about robbing his kid of a precious film gift. Merlin has thoughts on the humanity of Vines, and John doesn't enjoy Merlin's favorite Vine, although, Merlin really likes John's frog video. Why are the Daddies popping all those cherries, and what's the name of that Ewok guy anyway? In follow-up, Merlin has some excellent ancillary material on Hamilton, but John just won't let him have this one. Isolated track videos are discussed. Your hosts struggle through various aspects of Boston indie rock history. Who should and shouldn’t be running them? What are the risks and benefits? And what happens if all your iCloud data gets borked, smart guy? Things get a little silly, and the guys start doing voices. John has a challenge for Max. In Super Tech Support, John helps Merlin diagnose a weird iOS audio problem. John struggles with his Console, and Merlin does one last voice. (Recorded on Tuesday, June 25, 2019.) 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 Taylor Swift - "Mean" - YouTube Upgrade #251: And Then You Eat the Ice Cream - Relay FMMyke at the Movies calls on "Kiki's Delivery Service." 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. Hero (2002) - IMDbA defense officer, Nameless, was summoned by the King of Qin regarding his success of terminating three warriors. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) - IMDbA young Chinese warrior steals a sword from a famed swordsman and then escapes into a world of romantic adventure with a mysterious man in the frontier of the nation. The Act of Creation - WikipediaFrom describing and comparing many different examples of invention and discovery, Koestler concludes that they all share a common pattern which he terms "bisociation" – a blending of elements drawn from two previously unrelated matrices of thought into a new matrix of meaning by way of a process involving comparison, abstraction and categorisation, analogies and metaphors. shauna on Twitter: "I laughed at this and if it makes me a bad person then I guess we'll both just have to learn to live with that. https://t.co/rjQpXvGtDs" Is that a WEED?! - YouTube Strong Songs Strong Songs: "Satisfied" from Hamilton Song Exploder | Episode 28: The Long Winters "Napster…BAD!" Make Do #35: Merlin Mann and Vulnerability - Relay FM

John has thoughts on Merlin's baked ziti recipe, and Merlin tells John about his family finally getting to see "Hamilton." 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. Use promo code PRINTMOO for 15% off, when you spend $50 or more. Links and Show Notes: This week kicks off with John iteerogating Merlin's authentic Italiano recipe for baked ziti. Merlin says it's a hit with his family, but John has a lot of problems with the ingredients. Not least the yogurt. John has a much simpler approach, but Merlin is anxious about stirring the sauce. Sometimes, recipes come with very long anecdotes, and we should be woke about that. Tall poppies think they're better than you, and sometimes, it can be hard to frame the things you choose to make with the world. Merlin's ideas for podcasts are considered and rejected for practical reasons. You really get an idea in your head about how something should sound, and then you get all mad when somebody doesn't do the thing. Alex did get better, but his Mother definitely went quick. Also, Éponine loves him—but only on her own. Finally, the boys settle in for a Spoiler Slot on the HBO miniseries, Chernobyl. Spoiler horn fires off at 1:02:14. 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 Baked Ziti I Recipe - Allrecipes.com The Chernobyl Podcast — Overcast The Wire - WikipediaSimon has said that despite its framing as a crime drama, the show is "really about the American city, and about how we live together. It's about how institutions have an effect on individuals. Whether one is a cop, a longshoreman, a drug dealer, a politician, a judge or a lawyer, all are ultimately compromised and must contend with whatever institution to which they are committed." How Hamilton Works - YouTube Sondheim teaches Send In The Clowns - YouTube Lane Becker (@monstro) | TwitterDid you have a question for Lane? Dilbert Comic Strip on 1995-02-09 | Dilbert by Scott Adams"Issue One: Monkey Beards" HBO Documentaries - "Six by Sondheim" - YouTube Sniff 'n the tears - Driver's seat (full song H.Q.) - YouTube Make Do - Relay FM Beyoncé - Countdown (Album Version - Video) - YouTube Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton - Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) Lyrics and Tracklist | Genius The Shops at Tanforan ::: San Bruno ::: CA Citizen X (TV Movie 1995) - IMDb A Pukey Thing | Do By Friday “Apex Predator” | Mean Girls on Broadway - YouTube Sondheim teaches 'Not Getting Married' from Company - YouTube

Provided it makes it into the final edit, your hosts finally discuss the Japanese Moving Video. 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: Never think about WiFi again. Get $100 off. Links and Show Notes: This week kicks off with Merlin doing John's bit. Merlin has a new ATP shirt but hasn't earned it yet. Your hosts disagree on which of them has the worse taste and sense of humor. Merlin gender-swaps his face and sends it to John, and this leads to a discussion of hairs. John has some information on genes and earwax. The history of product packaging is discussed. Merlin shares some things he made for a different podcast, and John preemptively declares that he failed at the challenge. Merlin still doesn't understand what's allowed in show notes, and John isn't nearly finished demonstrating that this wasn't the actual challenge. The guys tease some visual homework you might want to watch. In a mini-topic, Merlin complains about words he doesn't like and phrases that should probably be replaced. Maybe he should just pen a piece on their ouster. Unless John takes him to task. There's a brief fever dream on references and pronunciation. John blew the chance to do some of Merlin's bits on his other program, but John couldn't get in. John wants to revisit knife sharpening, but Merlin realizes it's a trap. John thinks the Floppers don't listen to the program, and Merlin implores Stu to please reach out. Miyazaki is quite a smoker. So, of course, smoking is discussed. Believe it or not, John has high expectations about the moving process, and Merlin unsubscribes. Do you have any idea what goes into properly packing books? Do you? (Recorded on Tuesday, May 28, 2019.) 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 Jizz Wailers - Do By FridayThis week's challenge: draw a diary comic. We hired a Japanese moving company! - YouTube The Flop House The Flop House in Boston! – SOLD OUT Why Japanese don't smell! 体臭の違い（日本と欧米）- YouTubeThe science behind why Japanese people don't have as much body odor as us unfortunate foreigners! What your earwax says about your ancestry - Science NewsAbout 98 percent of Europeans have the smelly-armpit version of the gene, and along with it comes stickier and smellier earwax. Fox Village in Zao Japan! 蔵王きつね村・kitsune mura - YouTube Amazon.com: Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: The Bestselling Guide to Doing Business in More Than 60 Countries eBook: Terri Morrison, Wayne A. Conaway: Kindle Store

For a main topic, your hosts fire off the Spoiler Horn to talk about "Game of Thrones." This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Burrow: The Luxury Couch for Real Life. Save $75. Links and Show Notes: John is coming in hot this week, and Merlin is kind of struggling to keep up with him. Merlin tries to compensate by making up some lyrics, and John explains canary traps. Merlin forgets things. John intērrogates the virality of podcast mispronunciations, and before long, the listener is subjected to a blinding fusillade of quips, japes, references, bits, and metacommentary that you will be forgiven for finding exhausting. John incepts Merlin, and Merlin regrets doubling-up on his 100-year words. Merlin catches John up on his cat's costly health issues, and John has a nested solution for dealing with feline proprioception issues. Then, they almost talk about the Japanese Moving Video, but they don't actually talk about it, so John says it still can't be in the show notes. Apparently, people are drinking bleach, and Merlin's mouse starts to die. In particular, they consider fan reactions to the final episode (including their own), but also want to explore why those reactions were so strong. Also, what is a rational response when a bit of media that you love breaks the rules that made you love it in the first place? (Recorded on Tuesday, May 21, 2019.) 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 Real Reason Fans Hate the Last Season of Game of Thrones - Scientific AmericanIt's not just bad storytelling—it’s because the storytelling style changed from sociological to psychological Breaking Down the End of Game of Thrones - The Watch Movie Titles in Movies - YouTube Movie Titles in Movies: Part Deux - YouTube Obscure Audio 3: Colonel Sanders Bloopers - YouTube NPR Morning Edition - Old Theme - YouTube

This week's main topic is "Jobs We Were Terrible At." 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: This week kicks off with John confronting Merlin about his lack of a checklist and Merlin confronting John about his paltry micturition. This leads to Merlin explaining why he's a recycling whale who deliberately withholds his bounty from one particular Tusken Raider. Going to the bathroom can be a sleep-extinction event. John's kids can't print, and now it's his fault. Merlin's kid still can't activate planning mode. There are generally concerns about declaring "done." Preparedness drills and contingency protocols are implemented. John worries that his children will die of exposure. Everybody's pretty much done with buying nice clothes. Suddenly, John gets all aggressive about getting to the main topic, and Merlin has a terrible time adjusting. He's supposed to be ready for anything, and now John has gotten thrown off his rhythm. No spoilers provided here except to say that John wanted a job related to computers, and Merlin wasn't as good as he thought at one of his favorite and canonical jobs. Lots of good talk about understanding (or misunderstanding) your own expertise, and trying to learn something useful from "failure." Finally, John utterly eviscerates Merlin's links on behalf of you, the listener. (Recorded on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.) 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 Up, left, up-right, right, right, down-left-up-up The "Herman" comic Merlin was looking forListener @themillsap found the comic Merlin was thinking of! Thank you, Listener @themillsap! Reconcilable Differences #17: Don’t Touch the BananaFinally, the boys tackle the topic of jobs. First jobs, early jobs, what they did or didn't learn from them, and how their younger work lives shaped their later future employment choices. Compost, Recycle, & Landfill | Recology San Francisco Roderick on the Line #335: Fifteen Things

Merlin needs some help finding an artifact from his youth, and John has beef with whether the artifact is actually funny. 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: This week kicks off with some follow-up on John's epic fridge journey. In addition to many photos of uneven refrigerator doors, John has also received several warnings about what he needs to be watching out for. John also appends his anecdote to include a related new appliance, and Merlin recommends a tactical ice option. Your hosts discuss the mysterious tween Whisper Network. Merlin thinks John might be a Buddhist. John revisits Merlin's oopsies with apparently not remembering to record podcasts. There's initially some confusion about lists, but there's clearly no confusion about Merlin's overdue need for a checklist. Merlin hopes that John can help remove his defects of character. John shares that he didn't get his money's worth from a recent podcast. In a mini-topic, your hosts talk about Game of Thrones and kids. Hey, everybody likes dragons, but could you ever really produce a suitably kid-friendly version that makes any sense at all? An edited collection exists, but John is definitely not sold on how the edits got made. Merlin suffers a brief distraction to perform some financial tech support, and John briefly impersonates a YouTuber. Then, that becomes a whole thing, and the guys reminisce about old newspaper cartoons. Next up is what John describes as a "quick item" about buying a couch. The struggle is real, people, and John hasn't seen anything he really likes. John has twice as many kids as Merlin, and they loosen the legs of things. Your hosts seem to agree on the widespread problem of improper furniture scale, but they do forgive the monsters their Brobdingnagian home furnishings since they live in the midwest. Which is large. Is it okay for a couch to be permanently moist? Finally, John closes by extolling the benefits of a proper headboard. (Recorded on Tuesday, April 23, 2019.) 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 Reconcilable Differences #102: Preparing the Way - Relay FMYour hosts discuss John’s new refrigerator. We hired a Japanese moving company! - YouTube(via @jadegordon) jadegordon on Twitter: "@RecDiffs This moving video blew my mind. https://t.co/okQHMBk5GD So fast, so careful, so protective! Talk about having that 3D calculation down!" / Twitter The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right: Atul Gawande: 9780312430009: Amazon.com: Books The COMPLETE Game of Thrones Recap | CRAM IT - YouTube Who Said ‘Game of Thrones’ Wasn’t for Kids? - The New York Times“Mom, can we talk about ‘Game of Thrones’?” my 4-year-old daughter asks at the dinner table, looking up at me hopefully. My 6-year-old son nods vigorously. Amazon.com : Cooler Shock 4 Mid Size Cooler Freeze Packs 10"x 9" - No More Ice Replaces Ice & Reusable. You Add Water & Save! : Sports & Outdoors Alt Shift X - YouTube Head mirror - WikipediaA head mirror is a simple diagnostic device, stereotypically worn by physicians, but less so in recent decades as they have become somewhat obsolete. Spherical cow - Wikipedia Seinfeld - The Apology - George/Jason "Stanky" Hanky - YouTube "Wings of Fire" by Tui T. Sutherland

Your hosts discuss John’s new refrigerator. 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 Support Reconcilable Differences with a Relay FM Membership Samsung Refrigerator

Your hosts respond at length to a listener’s question about things they’ve given up This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Burrow: The Luxury Couch for Real Life. Save $75. 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: This week kicks off with a critique of the GUI for Skype. What’s Merlin’s problem with Swing anyway? John introduces the “MPU” then mostly agrees to drive. John interrogates Merlin about a recent and notorious technical problem with one of his other programs. There is talk of check lists plus more fretfulness about the topic that cannot be discussed. Status is less pursued, insight on privilege is sought, and hope for interesting side projects is, alas, abandoned. Finally, John looks for help regarding the help he was offered by an internet quiz. (Recorded on Tuesday, March 26, 2019.) 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 Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre: Keith Johnstone: 9780878301171: Amazon.com: Books The Waves 5by5 | Back to Work #3: The Second ArrowMerlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discuss ADD, Buddhism, mindfulness, concentration, and insight. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory - Wikipedia Myers–Briggs Type Indicator - Wikipedia ScummVM Swing (Java) - Wikipedia