Reconcilable Differences

Relay
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Sep 19, 2019 • 1h 37min

113: Ambient Pleasure Generator

Your hosts return to Secret Weird Things People Do, and this week it's John's turn. Merlin wants to learn about the benefits that John gets from keeping his things nice. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: 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. Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit. Backblaze: Unlimited cloud backup for Macs and PCs for just $6/month. Links and Show Notes: Things kick into gear fast as John interrogates Merlin about his weird reaction to the recent Apple event. Why all the Charlie Brown? John has calibrated his expectations for these things, but Merlin still struggles to articulate what felt so off this time. Maybe it's just not understanding the profile for the Apple customer any more, but who knows? John's introduces a fascinating new thought technology involving the swirly circles emanating radiation from sources of pleasure and pain. Merlin thinks minimizing entropy can be a great source of pleasure plus a bulwark against madness. The benefits of the Tiny Life Improvement Project are extolled, and ways of detecting sources of both radiation and weirdness are examined. (Recorded on Tuesday, September 10, 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 Apple Events - Keynote September 2019 - Apple Reconcilable Differences #112: Here Comes the But - Relay FMThis week's main topic is the backdoor pilot for a multi-episode arc: secret weird things people do. Are we even able to even realize when there's something extremely weird that only we do? 5by5 | Back to Work #442: Dog Eating Chair DigestionDan and Merlin discuss the upcoming big Apple event and why this one's potentially interesting.
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Sep 5, 2019 • 1h 45min

112: Here Comes the But

This week's main topic is the backdoor pilot for a multi-episode arc: secret weird things people do. 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: Get your WiFi fixed as soon as tomorrow! Free overnight shipping. Moo: Custom business printing and design. Save 15%. Links and Show Notes: After some opening remarks, your hosts reveal the very special guest for their forthcoming member episode. They also invite you to please help Relay with a really cool project to benefit an excellent cause. Merlin has some follow-up on his Apple TV, and John wants to understand why Merlin overpays his bills. Talk turns to the evolution of ecommerce. John assures Merlin he's still a valuable part of the team. John critiques how well or poorly Merlin helped Roderick fix his computer. Talk turns to the care and feeding of a Synology NAS running Plex. Merlin gets John to talk a little about Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her TV show, Fleabag. This leads to a brief, spoiler-free discussion of this terrific series. Two enthusiastic thumbs-up. Are we even able to even realize when there's something extremely weird that only we do? The inaugural sub-topic is Merlin's strange obsession with making spreadsheets. What is he tracking and why? Does he really need to know the historical price of asthma medicine he doesn't even use any more? Are Halloween costumes and flashlights the sort of thing a normal person would ever need or want to track? And, importantly, what sorts of things will John be trying to notice about himself? Does he have anything like separate sock drawers, and how even would he know? Tune in next time to find out! (Recorded on Tuesday, August 27, 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 Events Donation Form - St. Jude Heroes Donation FormDonate on behalf of the event Relay FM for St. Jude.
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Aug 21, 2019 • 1h 37min

111: Brackets Around the Brackets

John interrogates Merlin about his weekly reminder errand. 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. BarkBox : A monthly box of dog goodies. Get one month free. Burrow: The Luxury Couch for Real Life. Save $75. Links and Show Notes: John wants to take another shot at promoting Relay dot fm, and Merlin admits a shame. In follow-up, John has an update on Millennium Actress. As you know, Satoshi Kon is not the bitcoin guy. Listener response about cast iron skillets was huge. Merlin has updates on his Apple TV, and John has trouble understanding Merlin's beta obsession. Unsurprisingly, this leads to yet another discussion of the Apple TV's ample room for improvement. Children are not qualified to know which things are good or bad. John assures Merlin that he does not ever need this reminder, and Merlin assures John he has his reasons why he does things. Merlin does not like creating unnecessary work for himself, and John has thoughts about the implicit encouragement to overextend oneself. How are you training your audience? John knows how this book turns out. (Recorded on Tuesday, August 13, 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 Membership - Relay FM Quote by Haruki Murakami: “If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that b...”If there is a hard, high wall and an egg that breaks against it, no matter how right the wall or how wrong the egg, I will stand on the side of the egg. Stripping a Cast Iron Skillet with Easy-Off Oven Cleaner | Plus Seasoning & Maintenance - YouTubeThis video demonstrates how to strip a cast iron skillet using Easy-Off Oven Cleaner. Easy-Off contains lye, which is a popular chemical used in stripping cast iron. I also demonstrate my seasoning method along with what I do to maintain my cast iron cookware. Are We The Baddies? - The German Soldiers - YouTube Amazon promotion error: we have cameras. | MetaFilter"We have cameras."
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Aug 8, 2019 • 1h 49min

110: Five Dollars in a Bar of Soap

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.
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Jul 25, 2019 • 1h 37min

109: My Self-Hypnosis Period

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
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Jul 10, 2019 • 1h 39min

108: Next Week is Now

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
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Jun 27, 2019 • 1h 52min

107: Aren't We a Pair?

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
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Jun 12, 2019 • 1h 34min

106: Tales from the Elder Days

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
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May 29, 2019 • 1h 52min

105: Bastik in a Bastik

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
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May 15, 2019 • 1h 34min

104: True Bottom

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

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