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TOPIC: Is Tim firing us? This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the challenge of dealing with email that's only kind of from a real person. There's some follow-up on Apple and wishing they'd just give us a "Get out of here!" Merlin recommends some podcasts and a terrific new clipboard manager from Tapbots. Dan talks about why he finally gave in and treated his eyes to a bigger phone. Just don't get him started on progressive lenses. Links for this episode:PastebotThe Hilarious World of Depression | Podcast | APM PodcastsBad Medicine, Part 1: The Story of 98.6 - Freakonomics FreakonomicsMaladroite Cheval. on VimeoChang and Eng Bunker - WikipediaApple’s Tim Cook assures employees that it is committed to the Mac and that ‘great desktops’ are coming | TechCrunchSeinfeld Scripts - The Pilot (1)GEORGE: How could you be a doctor and not say "get outta here"? It should be part of the training at medical school: "Cancer? Get outta here!" "Go home! What are you crazy? It's a little test. It's nothing. You're a real nut. You know that?" (Jerry gives him half of his sandwich to hopefully shut him up) I told you that God would never let me be successful. I never should've written that pilot. Now the show will be a big hit, we'll make millions of dollars, and I'll be dead. Dead Jerry. Because of this. (showing his lip) Tech21 Evo Elite Case for iPhone 7 Plus - AppleMaterial Dock | Studio NeatBlue (Joni Mitchell album) - WikipediaJoni Mitchell - Blue (1971) [full album] - YouTubeJohn Moe (@johnmoe) | TwitterBrought to you by: Smile Software (Give the gift of Smile, and give someone the most precious gift of all: more time. For more info, see SmileSoftware.com/b2w.

This week, the boys talk about slicing sand, unboxing videos, Overwatch, and some recommended TV viewing. Odds and sods, as you say. Main topic is follow-up re: listener feedback on recent Apple conversations. Links for this episode:Hour of Code | Disney PartnersLOVE BOAT INSANITYSatisfying Sand Videos (@icutsand) • Instagram photos and videosAmazon.com: moon sand: Toys & GamesOverwatchAn oral history of 'Get a Mac,' Part 1 | Campaign USAn oral history of 'Get a Mac,' Part 2 | Campaign USMac Power Users #355: The iPad as a Mac Replacement - Relay FMDavid gave up his laptop and went iPad only for several months and now shares both the joy and the agony. Watch Saturday Night Live: Family Dinner | HuluWatch Dr. Beaman's Office From Saturday Night Live - NBC.comBrought to you by: Casper (Visit Casper.com/itsyourshow and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for $50 towards your new mattress).

TOPIC: Vaio Life! This week, Dan and Merlin respond to listener feedback and talk about the tightrope walk of caffeine consumption. Merlin suggests a new AudioDharma talk, which leads to a discussion of whether you have to be an X to learn about Y. Spoiler Alert: you don't. Dan updates us on his son's hot new gaming PC, and your hosts can't stop themselves from ruminating (again, again) on why Apple's hardware choices feel be so frustrating…and disappointing. Links for this episode:Anxiety Worry and Fear — Audio Dharma — Overcast(New talk) Andrea Fella: Anxiety Worry and Fear(Old talk) Most Days (2016-12-05) on VimeoAmazon.com : RUNA Clean Energy, Traditional Guayusa Tea, 16-Count Tea Bags : Black Teas : Grocery & Gourmet FoodAudio Dharma - Welcome to Audio Dharma090 - Reality - Donald Hoffman — You Are Not So Smart — OvercastDonald Hoffman: Do we see reality as it is? | TED Talk | TED.comApple’s Support Gap — Pixel EnvyThis seems like a pretty significant gap. Of all the things that may have changed about Apple in the past fifteen years, the ability to walk into one with your gear and get personalized service hasn’t wavered. Whenever I ask someone why they stick with Apple over time, one of the reasons I almost always hear is the retail and support experience. I sincerely hope that this gets resolved soon. Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop | DellCafeteria Catholicism - WikipediaVaio - WikipediaKremlinology - WikipediaMichael Tsai - Blog - Apple’s Support GapAdvance-fee scam - WikipediaCaffeine PharmacologyAudio Dharma — OvercastReconcilable Differences #40: Slippery Slope to Dr. Manhattan - Relay FMAccidental Tech Podcast: 196: Roasting Your Own BeansBrought to you by: FreshBooks (FreshBooks is offering a 30 day, unrestricted free trial. Just go to FreshBooks.com/backtowork and enter Back to Work in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section). Foot Cardigan (Visit FootCardigan.com and enter the code WORK at checkout for 10% off and get some awesome socks!). Squarespace (Visit squarespace.com/backtowork and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off your first purchase).

TOPIC: Kipple and Boomboxes This week Dan and Merlin start by talking about purging junk and answering listener feedback about kids and phones and teachers dealing with email. Main topic this week is whither Apple? Based on how the company is evolving, who do we think their future products will be for? Links for this episode:Plex Gets Its Own Kodi Add-On, Plex Media Player Now Available to EveryoneMeth Lab Full of Memories | Do By FridayThis week's challenge: throw something away. Urban Dictionary: kippleKipple is a word coined by the remarkable science fiction writer Philip K. Dick. It refers to the sinister type of rubbish which simply builds up without any human intervention. Eventually, one day, the entire world will have moved to a state of kipplization. Amazon.com: Ikea Frakta Shopping Bag, Large, Blue, Set of 5: Kitchen & DiningAmazon.com: The Rook (2015316098809): Daniel O'Malley: Books'Reply-all' email chain sent to all 1.2 million NHS employees - Business InsiderBlackBerry - WikipediaRogue Amoeba | Audio Hijack: Record Any Audio on Mac OS XClutter–Hoarding Scale™ | Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD)Levels of hoarding: some guidelines for recognizing the problem | Pittsburgh Post-Gazettesuperman 1978 movie program - Google SearchBrought to you by: PDFpenPro (Get 20% off new PDFpenPro 8 purchases by visiting SmileSoftware.com/b2w before December 15, 2016). MailChimp (Join more than 14 million people who use MailChimp to grow their businesses on their terms). Meh (Definitely don't click this link for Meh. It's horrible and terrible. Each day they have a new thing they're selling and funny videos. Who wants that?)

TOPIC: Your "backstage" vs. their "onstage" This week, Merlin shares some useful thoughts (via Patrick Rothfuss) on being careful about how we compare ourselves to others. The hosts also share some terrific listener suggestions for fantasy books for kids. Also, Dan has strong feelings about poultry. Links for this episode:Diffen - Compare Anything. Diffen. Discern. Decide.Diffen:About - Difference and Comparison | DiffenDiffen lets you compare anything. What is the difference between DVD+R and DVD-R? What is the difference between a pub and a bar? An alligator and a crocodile? What is the difference between 401(k) and IRA? Treasuries and bonds? AMD Turion and Athlon processors? How is a Pentium Core 2 Duo different from Pentium Dual Core? How does the work environment at IBM compare with working at Microsoft? How does living in Seattle compare with living in Amsterdam? What is the difference between a Plasma TV and an LCD TV? Cal Tech and UCLA? Yankees and the Red Sox? You can find or write all these comparisons on Diffen. Episode 10: Throwing Away Your Shot with Merlin Mann — SMGPatrick Rothfuss - Official WebsiteThe Name of the Wind: Patrick Rothfuss: 8601300468570: Amazon.com: BooksManure Digester — Unattended Consequences — OvercastAuthor Pat Rothfuss on comparing somebody else's "onstage" to your "backstage." Unattended ConsequencesA weekly conversation between Patrick Rothfuss (Name of the Wind) and Max Temkin (Cards Against Humanity). Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life - Anne Lamott - Google BooksBartimaeus 3-book boxed set (Bartimaeus Trilogy): Jonathan Stroud: 9781423136828: Amazon.com: BooksAmazon.com: Diane Duane Young Wizards: BooksPeter and the Starcatchers: Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Greg Call: 9780786849079: Amazon.com: BooksThe Chronicles of Prydain (5 Volumes): Lloyd Alexander: 9781250000934: Amazon.com: BooksAmazon.com: The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (9780385736008): Michael Scott: BooksPercy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set (new covers w/poster) (Percy Jackson & the Olympians): Rick Riordan, John Rocco: 9781484707234: Amazon.com: BooksThe Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1): Rick Riordan: 9780786838653: Amazon.com: BooksAmazon.com: His Dark Materials Omnibus (The Golden Compass; The Subtle Knife; The Amber Spyglass) (9780375847226): Philip Pullman: BooksHis Dark Materials Trilogy: The Golden Compass / The Subtle Knife / The Amber Spyglass: Philip Pullman: Amazon.com: BooksAmazon.com: brad meltzer i am: BooksDiary of a Wimpy Kid Box Set Collection (10 Books): Jeff Kinney: 9780141336466: Amazon.com: BooksAmazon.com: The Giver (Giver Quartet) (9780544336261): Lois Lowry: BooksGabby and Gator: James Burks: 9780316259354: Amazon.com: BooksLen - Steal My Sunshine - YouTubetoxicmoldsyndromemoldremovalnyc1.png (709×567)Ender's Game (The Ender Quintet): Orson Scott Card: 9780812550702: Amazon.com: BooksAmphigorey: Fifteen Books: Edward Gorey: 8601300252452: Amazon.com: BooksThe Gashlycrumb Tinies: Edward Gorey: 9780151003082: Amazon.com: BooksLibrary Extension - See book availability from your local library | Library ExtensionA Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet): Madeleine L'Engle: 9780312367541: Amazon.com: BooksChronicles of Narnia Box Set: C. S. Lewis: 8601400210253: Amazon.com: BooksThis is Not a Conspiracy TheoryBroken windows theory - WikipediaThe Problem with "Broken Windows" Policing | Policing the Police | FRONTLINE | PBSBrought to you by: FreshBooks (FreshBooks is offering a 30 day, unrestricted free trial. Just go to FreshBooks.com/backtowork and enter Back to Work in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section).

This week, Dan and Merlin do another of their beloved Odds 'n Sods episodes, with tons of great recommendations for movies, TV, apps, services, and nighttime medical appliances. Links for this episode:Word to Markdown ConverterThe Gyroscope App · your health tracking dashboardSnapseed - Wikipediaplantar fasciitis sleeping - Google SearchJunecloudA Wrinkle in Time - WikipediaSatanists & Pedophiles Run The World - David Icke - YouTubeMorgellons actually Explained!! - YouTubeExplaining chemtrail? What are morgellons?Who made them and Why? What are they made from? Where did they come from? What is the purpose for their purpose? What will it really mean for us? Pick Parts, Build Your PC, Compare and Share - PCPartPickerParametric Part Lists - PCPartPickerHarry Potter Spell ListThe Spells of Harry Potter - Skyler Johnson | Tableau PublicEvery spell muttered, flicked, and yelled in the Harry Potter book universe, visualized at occurrence position. Tickled - WikipediaBarkley Marathons - Wikipedia#3 Concrete – Gimlet MediaFrom the dawn of human civilization, to the end of days: Concrete will outlast us all. Additional Reading Göbekli Tepe and “The Birth of Religion” by Charles C. Mann for National Geographic Concrete Planet: The Strange and Fascinating Story of the World’s Most Common Man-Made Material by Robert Courland The Facts The Reverend John DeLore… SAND WARSHis Dark Materials - WikipediaHarry Potter & The Deathly Hallows "Three Brothers Story" - YouTubeSerena | Bewitched Wiki | Fandom powered by WikiaWatch Full Episodes Online of Soundbreaking on PBSBrought to you by: Warby Parker (Head to warbyparker.com/dan to order your free Home Try-On’s today).

This week, Dan and Merlin are a little out of sorts, so, after some chat and followup, they talk about some of the things that make them happy. Plus, awesome Mac key commands. Links for this episode:GitHub - Obbut/iCloud-Control: User-controlled selective sync for iCloud DriveThe Talk Show: Ep. 172, With Special Guest Merlin MannMerlin Mann returns to the show to discuss the election, by which 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. Ep. 172: ‘Holiday Party’, With Special Guest Merlin Mann — The Talk Show With John Gruber — OvercastMerlin Mann returns to the show to discuss the election, by which 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. The Law You Won't Be Told - YouTubeHuman Torch (android) - WikipediaThe Terminal • furbo.orgThe Good Wife - CBS.comBennett Cerf's Houseful of Laughter: Bennett (ed.) Cerf, Kelly, Price Illus. by Roth: 9781122690799: Amazon.com: BooksWonder: R. J. Palacio: 8601300239491: Amazon.com: BooksThe Show - No Agenda - With Adam Curry and John C. DvorakYouTube Red - YouTubeBrought to you by: Squarespace (Visit squarespace.com/backtowork and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off your first purchase). Tommy John (For 20% off your order visit tommyjohn.com/backtowork and enter the code BACKTOWORK).

TOPIC: Leaving Dropbox Vegas Merlin survives a sleepover, and Dan has a concern about Dropbox. Links for this episode:Microsoft OneDriveiCloud - iCloud Drive - AppleGoogle Drive - Cloud Storage & File Backup for Photos, Docs & MoreSpiderOakSecure File Sharing, Storage, and Collaboration | BoxSyncthingInsync is Google Drive sync & backup with multiple account supportChronoSync Overview | Econ Technologies SoftwarePhone Number Search | TruecallerWestworld: Season 1 (Selections from the HBO® Series) - EP by Ramin Djawadi on Apple MusicHBO Releases Westworld Soundtrack of Old-Timey Rock Covers | Film | News | Hot PressGolem - WikipediaRavenclaw | Harry Potter Wiki | Fandom powered by WikiaThe Hogwarts Sorting Quiz (Pottermore Version) | PlaybuzzMacBook Pro - AppleSRD:Golem - D&D WikiBenjamin Button Reviews The New MacBook Pro (Pinboard Blog)Netflix - Steve Jobs: The Lost InterviewDo By FridayA weekly challenge show hosted by Merlin Mann, Alex Cox, and Max Temkin. Dropping DropboxAccidental Tech Podcast: 88: Standing on Opposite Sides of the Gym8.3 filename - WikipediaAmazon Drive: Cloud Storage - Online BackupExpanDrive for Mac & Windows | SFTP, Dropbox, Google Drive, S3, OneDrive, Box.com, WebDAV, Swift as Network DriveSynology Cloud Station as DIY Dropbox Alternativerm -r * by Jeffrey VeenRoman à clef - WikipediaLoanword - WikipediaA loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word adopted from one language (the donor language) and incorporated into a different, recipient language without translation. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) - Quotes - IMDbSteve Zissou: I'm right on the edge. I don't know what comes next. Craig on Twitter: "@hotdogsladies @danbenjamin #b2w CallKit problems are allegedly addressed in 10.1.1.""@hotdogsladies @danbenjamin #b2w CallKit problems are allegedly addressed in 10.1.1." Spotify Web Player - Westworld: Season 1 (Selections from the HBO® Series) - Ramin DjawadiRamin Djawadi - WikipediaHe is also known for his works on movies such as Pacific Rim and Warcraft or television series as Prison Break, Person of Interest and Westworld. Westworld: Season 1 (Selections from the HBO® Series) - EP by Ramin Djawadi on Apple MusicRadiohead - No Surprises - YouTubeMaking of: No Surprises - YouTubeDeadpool (2016) - IMDbScreens - Control Your Computer Remotely - EdoviaScreens - Control Your Computer Remotely - EdoviaThe Good Wife - WikipediaBennett Cerf's Houseful of Laughter: Bennett (ed.) Cerf, Kelly, Price Illus. by Roth: 9781122690799: Amazon.com: BooksBrought to you by: Casper (Visit Casper.com/itsyourshow and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for $50 towards your new mattress). eero (For free overnight shipping of your brand new eero wifi system visit eero.com and at checkout select overnight shipping then enter the code BACKTOWORK to make it free).

Dan's still a little under the weather What home automation is good at right now (and what it mostly isn't) Updates on Hiya and call-blocking apps not working so much Merlin is getting pretty good at making Trump hands Hey! Follow-up and listener questions! Listener Greg wisely reframes the communication problem If you want to help people: offer something specific John Siracusa just wants toast in a reasonable amount of time Listener Johnathan has trouble getting timely responses from his busy manager Tip: It pays to ask around and maybe escalate Everybody feels vulnerable about something Listener Brian doesn't want to pester people about his side project Tip: Scale up and act like a magazine editor Ooooo…The Monty Hall Problem! Listener Matt needs tips on being a new dad Tip: You're not as bad at this as you think (or fear) Links for this episode:Jamie Buck on Twitter: "@hotdogsladies Thanks for the white gaffers tape shout out. A cool surprise on my drive to work."John Wayne Drunk Speech.wmv - YouTubeMonty Hall problem - WikipediaBirthday problem - WikipediaWonder (Palacio novel) - WikipediaWonder: R. J. Palacio: 9780375869020: Amazon.com: BooksReconcilable Differences #37: A Useless Angle for Swordfighting - Relay FMRuna | GuayusaFlammable vs. Inflammable: What's the difference? | Merriam-WebsterBoth words mean the same thing, but one of them is bound to confuse most people. Hiya: Caller ID, Call Blocker & Protection for a Better Phone Experience5by5 | Hypercritical #18: Worse and More DiverseJohn Siracusa and Dan Benjamin put the TV technology and PHP topics to bed, touch on SSD reliability again, then discuss what's wrong with Twitter and why toaster ovens are worse today than they were a few decades ago. Occam's razor - WikipediaPrivacyStarHuge phone scam targeting Americans leads to 700 being detained in India | World news | The GuardianCarl Weathers Got Stew Going - YouTubeAngel Summoner and BMX Bandit - YouTubeBrought to you by: TextExpander ( Visit Smilesoftware.com/b2w for more info and to claim a 50% discount on your first year of a TextExpander Life Hacker subscription. Offer ends November 15th).

TOPIC: How to pester people responsibly. Dan's a little under the weather. Maybe kids should be in balls. Who knows? "Wrap a hot towel around your head." Westworld. It's definitely a thing. Follow-up… TaskPaper 3.5 is awesome. Yes. There are good board games. Sorry about that. How Merlin made Candyland more interesting. But only a little. Followup on smoke detectors. What a mess! More advice on covering up dumb LED lights. Merlin has an amazing rice cooker. Harry Potter talk. Movies we like, etc. Cool new Harry Potter prints. MAIN TOPIC: How to pester people responsibly. Trouble getting a response: what's the real problem here? Merlin learned a lot from being an unsuccessful project manager. If your results are at odds with your expectations? Something isn't working. Dan talks about his new interest in informal journaling. Writing is a 3D printer for your thoughts. Links for this episode:Strange Animals (@Strange_Animals) | TwitterTaskPaper – Plain text to-do lists for Mac3M Lithographers Tape 616 Ruby Red: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific5by5 | Back to Work #293: The Frame for Our RelationshipTaskPaper – Plain text to-do lists for MacUniversal Security Instruments | HomeZojirushiAmazon.com: Zojirushi NS-ZCC18 10-Cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker, 1.8-Liters, Premium White: Kitchen & DiningAmazon.com : Mahatma Long Grain Jasmine Rice, 32 oz : Jasmine Rice Produce : Grocery & Gourmet FoodOlly Moss on Twitter: "Announcing 7 new officially licensed Harry Potter art prints, produced in collaboration with @Pottermore. Link: https://t.co/jU85tYnUet https://t.co/yMNcoN5Kht"Home / OLLY MOSS SHOPHarry Potter Print Set / OLLY MOSS SHOPAcceptance and commitment therapy - WikipediaWrap A Hot Towel Around Your Head - YouTubeRobot & Frank (2012) - IMDbMars Sazerac | Bob's Burgers Wiki | Fandom powered by WikiaConnie Sellecca. Nothing wrong that, huh | The Nap quotesConnie Sellecca. Nothing wrong that, huh? Unit testing - WikipediaKobayashi Maru - WikipediaQuote by Pema Chödrön: “You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just th...”“You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather.” Apollo Robbins: The art of misdirection | TED Talk | TED.comTony Buzan | Inventor of Mind MappingMind map - WikipediaPreposterous TV censorship: Fight a Stranger in the Alps - YouTubeBrought to you by: Blue Apron (Check out this week’s menu and get your first THREE meals FREE—WITH FREE SHIPPING—by going to BlueApron.com/backtowork. Squarespace (Visit Squarespace.com/backtowork and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off your first purchase).