Back to Work

Discussed: Dan's gummi vitamins, vitamins in general, the childhood shame of those weird plaque pills, exotic sickness images, Fifth Disease comes to Austin, Dan's car troubles, Faraday Cages and how to build them, a potential t-shirt for you. Dan was cleaning out his garage, and Merlin has a lot to say about the philosophy and practical components of getting rid of junk at scale. Also, Dan really kills it on eBay. Merlin is very excited about Fantastic Four coming back and has some potential warnings about the new Wes Anderson film. Spoilers: there's nothing weak about knowing what freaks you out. Also, the boys discuss why Merlin changed his mic setup. Which is fascinating. Links for this episode:A little-known California law is Silicon Valley's secret weapon - VoxApple, Google give high tech workers an extra $90 million in “no-poach” suit | Ars TechnicaUngainly X-Mann Meetup #22 — Merlin MannMERLIN MANN (Back to Work, Roderick on the Line, Reconcilable Differences, Do By Friday, You Look Nice Today, et al.) invites you to drop by Two Cats Comics on the evening of Thursday, May 17th to hang out, talk about comics, and just say, “Hi.” It's free and it's fun. flickr downloadr - Batch download your flickr photos!Amazon.com: Nature's Way Alive!® Immune Gummies, Food-Based Blend (150mg per serving) and Elderberry, Gluten Free, Made with Pectin, 90 Gummies: Health & Personal CareAmazon.com: Jarrow Formulas Methylcobalamin (Methyl B12), Supports Brain Cells, 5000 mcg, 60 Lozenges: Health & Personal CareThe Basics on Fifth DiseaseAmazon.com: Blocsilver High Protection EMF Wifi Radiation Shield Bed Canopy (Californian King): Home & KitchenSara Pichelli's Excellent Tumblr [NSFW!]Fantastic Four Returns this Summer from Dan Slott and Sara PichelliThe Return of the Fantastic Four - The New York TimesMarvel Age-by-Age Guide | Common Sense MediaIsle of Dogs Movie ReviewDoes the Dog Die?Isle of Dogs [2018] [PG-13] - 1.5.2Merlin Mann on Twitter (re: "Isle of Dogs")Weird datapoint. “Isle of Dogs” was a movie I expected to utterly adore, then only kinda liked in the theater, but now I keep thinking about it a lot a lot. So, I think maybe I liked it more than I thought? Walter Hickey on Twitter: "#justice4hawkeye… "Brought to you by: FreshBooks (To claim your month long unrestricted free trial, go to FreshBooks.com/backtowork and enter BACK TO WORK in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section). Slack (Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at Slack.com). Squarespace (Start your free trial site today, at Squarespace.com and when you sign up make sure to use the offer code ITSYOURSHOW to get 10% off your first purchase).

This week, the boys discuss Drafts, The Archive, Merlin's love of Spotify, some great playlists, and weird rules for cheerleaders. In extensive follow-up, your hosts talk about the listener who was having trouble with addressing employees and social media use. This goes lots of interesting places. Next up, even more input from listeners on social media policies and living life in a fishbowl. Links for this episode:Drafts | Agile TortoiseDrafts (@draftsapp) | TwitterVector with Rene Ritchie: 033: Drafts, with Greg Pierce and Merlin MannDrafts is developed by Greg Pierce and used the hell out of by Merlin Mann. They sit down together to talk direction, workflows, and what's coming next. Upgrade #189: Obsolescence Isn’t What It Used to Be - Relay FMBaby's Breath · Bill Callahan"Wild, Wild Country" playlist on SpotifyHow N.F.L. Teams Use Social Media to Promote, and Control, Cheerleaders - The New York TimesSmog - Your Wedding - YouTubeBurt Bacharach - The Look of LoveKey & Peele - Substitute Teacher - YouTube"Ay-ay-ron?" Brought to you by: RXBAR (For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/backtowork and enter the code BACKTOWORK at checkout). ButcherBox (For FREE bacon and $20 off your first box go to Butcherbox.com/backtowork and enter BACKTOWORK). Slack (Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at Slack.com).

Bula vinaka, bee tee dubs nation! This is an epic odds and sods episode, replete with TV follow-up, font follow-up, and Wild, Wild Country follow-up, along with book recommendations, happy Splatoon 2 talk, and a pretty terrible 70s board game. Also, ubi sunt retail amirite? Also, your hosts finally (finally!) address a listener's excellent and very difficult question about her millennial employee's use of social media. Lot of levels! Links for this episode:Rules of Thumb: A Life Manual: Tom Parker: 9780761150732: Amazon.com: BooksThe Order of Things: Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders: Barbara Ann Kipfer: 9780761150442: Amazon.com: BooksDrawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The Definitive, 4th Edition: Betty Edwards: 9781585429202: Amazon.com: BooksToys R Us blames Amazon, Target, Walmart for dealing death blow over holidaysKid80s.com: M&M's "Thanks, Easter Bunny" Commercial from the 80s - YouTubeSplatoon 2 for Nintendo Switch - Nintendo Game DetailsSplatoon 2 - Turf War Gameplay - YouTubeSplatoon 2 Review - YouTubeSplatoon 2 for Nintendo Switch – Official Sitetonsky/FiraCode: Monospaced font with programming ligaturesThe Times Issues Social Media Guidelines for the Newsroom - The New York TimesThe new guidelines underscore our newsroom’s appreciation for the important role social media now plays in our journalism, but also call for our journalists to take extra care to avoid expressing partisan opinions or editorializing on issues that The Times is covering. [PDF] Starbucks Dress CodeBBQ and Foot MassageBrought to you by: Simple Contacts (Get $30 off your contacts at Simplecontacts.com/backtowork or enter code BACKTOWORK at checkout). Slack (Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at Slack.com). Hullo Pillow (Visit hullopillow.com/backtowork to learn more).

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss Jessica Jones and the problem of super power constitution, plus some more Netflix recommendations ("Look away! Looooook awaaaaay!"). They also do a dive into updates on the monospace fonts they like and use. Next, up they talk about the new app, The Archive, contrasting with nvALT. Finally, your hosts answer an excellent listener question about struggling to manage more experienced developers. Links for this episode:The Archive (macOS) • Zettelkasten MethodJessica Jones (TV series) - WikipediaAlias (comics) - WikipediaMax (comics) - WikipediaKrysten Ritter - WikipediaAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - WikipediaTop 10 Programming FontsIntroduction | IBM PlexGetting Apple’s SF Mono Font in macOS – Shashikant Jagtap – Mediumsource-foundry/Hack: A typeface designed for source codeRoboto Mono - Google Fontsmozilla/Fira: Mozilla's new typeface, used in Firefox OSDIN Schriften™ - Desktop font « MyFontsFactor Rainbows | Worksheet | Education.comRainbow method to find all factors of a number - MAT0018 Additional resources - Oliver - LibGuides at Polk State CollegeAmazon.com: ART Pro Audio HeadAmp 4 Four Channel Headphone Amplifier: Musical InstrumentsNetflix - A Series of Unfortunate EventsBrought to you by: Squarespace (Start your free trial site today, at Squarespace.com and when you sign up make sure to use the offer code ITSYOURSHOW to get 10% off your first purchase). eero (For free overnight shipping to the US or Canada, visit eero.com and at checkout select overnight shipping then enter BACKTOWORK to make it free). Casper (Visit Casper.com/itsyourshow and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for $50 towards select mattresses).

This week, your hosts say "Bula Vinaka!" They also discuss phone cards, some Netflix recommendations, Merlin's phone usage, and "accidentally" getting punched in the face by your kid. Of course, they also talk about the TV and voice control ecosystems. They also respond to listener questions about better active listening, and how they each take notes for podcasts. Links for this episode:AT&T Fiji Commercial - YouTubeNetflixWild Wild Country | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix - YouTubeNetflixNetflixFlint water crisis - WikipediaList of Movies and TV Shows on Netflix | FlixableCustomer relationship management - WikipedianvALT - BrettTerpstra.comWould ‘Black Panther’ Work As TV? Plus Guilty Pleasures and New Music In the Mailbag | The Watch (Ep. 236 ) — The Watch — OvercastMichael Wolfe's answer to Why is Dropbox more popular than other programs with similar functionality? - QuoraBrought to you by: Squarespace (Start your free trial site today, at Squarespace.com and when you sign up make sure to use the offer code ITSYOURSHOW to get 10% off your first purchase). RXBAR (For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/backtowork and enter the code BACKTOWORK at checkout).

This week, your hosts discuss Steely Dan, digital mastering, The Police, Dune, high-quality VCRs, and Dan's brother-in-law's close call. Next, they dive into a fascinating article on why projects fail. Finally, the boys respond to a listener's question about cautious workplace enthusiasm. Links for this episode:The meaning of snafu, clusterfuck, and shitshow: There's a difference — Quartz at WorkSPARS code - WikipediaBrought to you by: Squarespace (Start your free trial site today, at Squarespace.com and when you sign up make sure to use the offer code ITSYOURSHOW to get 10% off your first purchase). FreshBooks (To claim your month long unrestricted free trial, go to FreshBooks.com/backtowork and enter BACK TO WORK in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section).

This week, your hosts talk about some stuff they're doing, loving Spotify, some Echo podcast-listening tips, the attraction of Google Drive, some thoughts on backup strategies, getting swole, the joys of rock tumbler ownership, scary times in Austin, weird iMac problems, some more thoughts on backup strategies, Merlin's obsession with drumming videos, and yet more Apple TV foibles. Links for this episode:Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #21 — Merlin MannAmazon adds follow-up mode for Alexa to let you make back-to-back requests | The VergeMindfulness in Plain English - Audiobook | Audible.comBeatles '66 - Audiobook | Audible.comAll the Pieces Matter - Audiobook | Audible.comThe Dragonet Prophecy - Audiobook | Audible.comSpotifySpotify Integration - FiresideAmazon.com: My Pod: Alexa SkillsHome - My PodUsing Google Drive - New Features, Benefits & Advantages of Google Cloud StorageMicrosoft OneDriveGoogle Photos - WikipediaHow to use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac - Apple SupportShirt PocketSuperDuper!EtcherHow to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple SupportHow to download macOS Sierra - Apple SupportCory Doctorow's craphound.com | Cory Doctorow's Literary WorksAudiobooks matching keywords percy jackson | Audible.comSchool for Good and EvilBernard "Pretty" Purdie: The Legendary Purdie Shuffle - YouTubeNo Retreat, No Surrender - WikipediaJean-Claude Van Damme - WikipediaThe Doctor's Promise - YouTubeNetflixBrought to you by: Audible (Audible is offering you a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audible.com/B2W or text B2W to 500-500 and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs. Bombfell (For $25 off your first purchase, visit bombfell.com/backtowork).

This week, your hosts talk about using Windows, technology modalities, making sane decisions as a developer, reality TV, 20th anniversary of The Dude, Merlin's new fondness for Spotify, analyzing takes on the HomePod, options for high-quality in smart speakers, dealing with recurring financial (and psychological) eels, competitive heat in the smart home ecosystem, Canadians, and the name of Scotland Yard. They also answer a listener question about feeling overwhelmed by content options. Links for this episode:Amazon Alexa (Choose default music services) STAMP - Move to Apple Music, Spotify or Google MusicStamp moves tracks and playlists across various services - Apple Music, Spotify, Google Music and others! Amazon.com: AcuRite 01014M Weather Station with AcuRite Access for Remote Monitoring: Home & KitchenUnder the Radar #120: Productivity by Inefficiency - Relay FMAdopting inefficient hacks to save developer time, since hardware is so fast that it's often a worthwhile tradeoff. Under the Radar #70: The Hacks We Ship - Relay FMThe difference between good and bad hacks, and some glorious hacks we've shipped in our apps. GitHub Octoverse 2017 | Highlights from the last twelve monthsGitHut - Programming Languages and GitHubSid the Science Kid, “Checking Out Charts” on VimeoNetflixCredit union - Wikipedia(1) The Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England Explained - YouTubeGreat Scotland Yard - WikipediaBored and Brilliant | WNYCThe Beatles discography - WikipediaBrought to you by: FreshBooks (To claim your month long unrestricted free trial, go to FreshBooks.com/backtowork and enter BACK TO WORK in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section). Casper (Visit Casper.com/itsyourshow and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for $50 towards select mattresses).

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about weather as a thing and giving up on Cash's dumb iPad problem. This leads to discussion about the risks, opportunities, and frustrations of having lots of data in different places (probably). The main topic this week is an exploration of TickTick. Neat app. They also almost talk about Black Panther. Links for this episode:TickTickOverview · TickTick User GuideDew point - WikipediaJaz drive - WikipediaMusicBrainz PicardQueen - Somebody To Love (Official Video) - YouTubeTickTick - Todo & Task List - Chrome Web StoreSTAMP - Move to Apple Music, Spotify or Google MusicNetflixBrought to you by: FreshBooks (To claim your month long unrestricted free trial, go to FreshBooks.com/backtowork and enter BACK TO WORK in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section). HelloFresh (For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, visit HelloFresh.com and enter promo code BACKTOWORK30).

This week, Dan and Merlin talk a little too much about Harry Potter, but also manage to cover some other media properties as well as the shockingly limited options for British casting. Dan has a new task management app, and Merlin decides to give it a spin too. The need for help from the jackals who make Cash's iPad app is escalated. In a somewhat classic style, the conversation moves to considering Big Issues around work, friction, modality, usability, and apps for pound-sign productivity. Twitter, its apps, and its perplexing (lack of?) company direction are discussed. Merlin has something like a razor for this. Dan is told that he is upset. Links for this episode:Thought-terminating cliché - RationalWikiA thought-terminating cliché is a saying, often a tautology, that is repeated in order to relieve the stress of cognitive dissonance by avoiding all further consideration of a matter. Everyday examples include "it is what it is," "it's just common sense," and "you gotta do what you gotta do." 5by5 | Back to Work #299: Unhook from the ComparisonThis week, Merlin shares some useful thoughts (via Patrick Rothfuss) on being careful about how we compare ourselves to others. Manure Digester — Unattended Consequences — OvercastBehind the scenes: Professor Flitwick - PottermoreTickTick: Todo list, checklist and task manager app for Android, iPhone and WebMerlin's Trick for Remembering HP ages and orderThe Mythical Man-Month - WikipediaTowards a Bra-free Instagram Experience – NewCo ShiftWelcome to Willow ManagementDouglas Adams - WikipediaBrought to you by: RXBAR (For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/backtowork and enter the code BACKTOWORK at checkout). Molekule (Visit Molekule.com and use the code BACKTOWORK at checkout for $75 off your first purchase).