John encourages Merlin to share some happy memories of his family's monstrous cat, and Merlin cries a little. This leads to a discussion of the journey of new pet acquisition.
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Links and Show Notes: Follow-up brings a couple corrections and a quick dive into the technology that was going to change how cities are designed. John thinks it's a miracle that the New York subway was ever built, and Merlin thinks a lot of politics is mostly about telling people they were right.

Credits


Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf

Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano

Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

 Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Give to St. Jude! Elemental - Tears For Fears Induced Demand @petfindernames - Twitter Rome (TV series) The Leftovers The White Lotus Citizens Of Pawnee - Parks and Recreation - YouTube Decoder Ring: "Who Killed the Segway?"Decoder Ring examines the history of the Segway, Dean Kamen, DEKA, Ginger, IT, and Dan Kois, book agent.

166: Our Monster

John Siracusa and Merlin Mann try to figure out exactly how they got this way. Hosted by Merlin Mann and John Siracusa.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Subtitle: They're the size of the schmutz.John complains about a podcast that Merlin likes, and Merlin announces that professional eye care is a racket. 
 This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: 
Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.
Jane Street: The quantitative trading firm. Learn more, and see their open roles now.

Links and Show Notes: John has some concerns about Merlin’s water intake and general desk situation. 

In what begins as follow-up, John has further illumination regarding the oven dial problem. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this leads to a lot of appliance talk. 

John complains about a podcast that Merlin likes, and Merlin announces that professional eye care is a racket. 

Finally, John wonders why he’s started receiving such a big magazine. 

In this month’s member bonus episode, Merlin leads a deeper investigation into the vacation problem. Travel is about more than travel, plus if you want to get better at something, it’s useful to stop pretending you’re great at it.  

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 28, 2024)



Credits


Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf

Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano

Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

 Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Mike Milzz’s stove dials Dan Pierce’s stove dials Impulse: A super-fast electric stovetop with a big battery Voyagers! (TV show) The Omni Samsung refrigerator with stupid doors Blank Check podcast Blank Check's podcast series on John Carpenter Dark Star (movie) Blank Check episode on Dark Star CGP Grey’s Metric Paper video The origin of “Big Tennis” - Do By Friday episode #62: I Fifteen Love You The udm=14 query parameter for removing junk from Google search results StopTheMadness browser extensions Reconcilable Differences #12: Hobbit Tendencies Jenny Nicholson’s four-hour video about  Disney's Galactic Starcruiser hotel Tovala Smart OvenIt’s not just smart— it’s countertop genius: the Tovala Smart Oven.

236: Big Magazine

John thinks Merlin drinks too much water, which naturally leads to a deep dive on the landscape of consumer ice machines.
 This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: 
Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.

Links and Show Notes: Things kick off with some initial concerns, and then Merlin shares why so many things are kind of like a television.

In Follow-Up, John has confused his retired newscasters, and Merlin still hasn't figured why he was so disoriented by a strange oven. Werner Herzog cameos are considered. 

Next, Merlin has a confession that reflects the logical conclusion of realizing you can always augment the sub-standard materials supplied by a host.

Painful rituals of car seats and Catholicism are considered, and John indulges Merlin's retrospective look at 15th century gift cards for sin. 

John thinks Merlin drinks too much water, which naturally leads to a deep dive on the landscape of consumer ice machines.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 14, 2024)





“Irish Breakfast” (August 19, 2012)




Credits


Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf

Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano

Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

 Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. jcs.org - Joshua Stein's cool website about classic Mac stuff Flying Toasters in CSS Howdy Doody on 99% Invisible John's stovetop dial Two-sided stovetop dial Electric glass stovetops on Technology Connections Water intoxication GE pellet ice machine John's terrible ice machine Drop & Run Best of Werner Herzog - YouTube Slime in the ice machine - YouTube

235: Red Thing Get Hot

Subtitle: Merlin penetration tests his vacation.Merlin shares two recent experiences with Apple technology that were unqualified successes. Which, of course, leads to a jeremiad about some consumer tech that's a good deal less successful. John explains how writing books is like jazz, man.
 This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: 
Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.

Links and Show Notes: Things kick off with a recent Apple ID dust-up, but John's not so sure it's any different than the usual Apple ID dust-ups. Merlin has a panic attack when his beloved debit card doesn't work.

Then, there's some Follow-Up on the Magic Marker System which John thinks might be post hoc BS, and Merlin asks John to clarify his term for being his family's TV ambassador, although that's not the word he used.

In something like a main topic, Merlin shares two recent experiences with Apple technology that were unqualified successes. Which, of course, leads to a jeremiad about some consumer tech that's a good deal less successful.

Merlin suspects Airbnbs might be a racket for rich people to get free housekeeping for a house they've never actually lived in, and John explains how writing books is like jazz, man.

In this week's members-only after show, Merlin has a quick drinking update, and then your hosts discuss the very good FX show, Shōgun. Spoiler Horn fires off at 2:08:06.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get cool bonus stuff, and—yes—support this program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 2, 2024)



Credits


Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf

Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano

Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

 Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Baader–Meinhof phenomenon The episode of Upgrade where Myke talks about his Apple ID problems A BS rationalization of the Waffle House Magic Marker System - TikTok The Flop House AeroGarden Shōgun The plastic pregnant lady The death of UK coal in five charts Rule of threes (survival) - WikipediaNormally, the rule of threes contains the following:


You can survive three minutes without breathable air (unconsciousness), or in icy water.
You can survive three hours in a harsh environment (extreme heat or cold).
You can survive three days without drinkable water.
You can survive three weeks without food. Technically, many people have gone for 40 days on a water fast and have survived.

 Letterkenny - "To Be Faaaaair…" “To Be Fair” on Letterkenny - YouTube

234: The Bulgarian Punching Channel

Subtitle: John is disappointed in everyone.Follow-Up opens with a correction from John and an admission that he's very disappointed in you, the listener. John clocks Merlin's sudden overuse of some given word.
 This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: 
Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.

Links and Show Notes: Things kick off with an acknowledgment of the enthusiastic listener response to the Waffle House episode. Merlin compliments John on a bit, and John handles that pretty much how you'd expect.

Follow-Up opens with a correction from John and an admission that he's very disappointed in you, the listener. John clocks Merlin's sudden overuse of some given word.

There's a brief tangent into Shōgun and some films Merlin liked less than John. There's some discussion of subtitles and screenshotting.

There's further Follow-Up on the Mark System in day-to-day use. Then some discussion of horses, words that sound like other words, plus more sneaky Britishisms.

As is so often the case, this somehow leads to your hosts complaining about technology for a pretty long time. Would it kill you to provide a deep link?

Merlin suddenly becomes very animated thinking about designing a new Mark system that would involve 3D-printing some jellypacks. 

The episode concludes on a surprisingly rabbinical note.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 16, 2024)



Credits


Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf

Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano

Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

 Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Waffle House Training - Pull Drop Mark Order Calling Method - YouTubeThe video that changed so many lives.
 Huffman coding Hamming code The Secret of NIMH Anthony Bourdain visits Waffle House Another video of the Magic Marker system in action Metafilter comment about Waffle House Equus (1977) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p] - YouTube Urban Dictionary: Tachy Goes To Coventry Merlin Mann: "Easy." - MastodonMerlin made a GPT for the Mark system.
 Merlin Mann: "Jelly pack. " - MastodonMerlin made a jelly pack supercut.

233: Monkeys in the Hose

John guides Merlin through an unusual form of communication. 
 This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: 
Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.

Links and Show Notes: John guides Merlin through an unusual form of communication. 

So unusual is this form of communication that its interrogation continues through the members-only bonus episode. 

Remember, you can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support this program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 2, 2024)



Credits


Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf

Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano

Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

 Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. You Ruined Everything, by Jonathan Coulton Kottke's post about Waffle House’s Magic Marker System Waffle House's Pull Drop Mark Order Calling Method - YouTube Waffle House's Food Safety Training - YouTube Waffle House Marker System Poster "…wheat" - YouTube Multimodal Literacy and the Myth of Low-Skilled Labor at Waffle HouseThe learning curve for a Waffle House server can be steep, and even steeper for a cook. The process by which an order cycles from the customer-menu interaction to the final presentation of food is complex, multimodal, and reliant on code-switching.
 Hamming codeJohn mistakenly used this name instead of the correct one. (See next link.)
 Huffman codingThis is what John should have said.
 The XKCD comic about generalized systems Merlin's pegboard Julia Child's kitchen

166: Our Monster

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