Back to Work

DISCUSSED: Dan and Merlin take a first look at Apple's recently-announced iOS and iPadOS updates.

Links for this episode:

• iPad Keyboards - Apple
  
• Paul Verhoeven - Wikipedia
  
• Secure, Fast & Private Web Browser with Adblocker | Brave Browser
  
• AmazonSmile : Arlo Pro 3 – Wire-Free Security 2 Camera System | 2K with HDR, Indoor/Outdoor, Color Night Vision, Spotlight, 160° View, 2-Way Audio, Siren | Works with Alexa | (VMS4240P) : Camera & Photo
  
• WWDC 2020 Special Event Keynote — Apple - YouTube
  

DISCUSSED: Merlin is nauseated, and Dan has advice on what you definitely should or should not buy at a gas station; Merlin says he'll be brief, but, as usual, it turns into a real stem-winder as…; Merlin addresses the complexity of treating mental illness in a way that doesn't upend your body and life; Dan needs some TV show recommendations, but has very strong feelings about talking animals; Merlin wonders aloud if he's ever met @Darth; case close.

Links for this episode:

• 5by5 | Back to Work #3: The Second Arrow
  Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discuss ADD, Buddhism, mindfulness, concentration, and insight.
  

DISCUSSED: Dan and Merlin talk about hot dogs.

Links for this episode:

• Uncured Beef Frankfurters (Natural Casing) | Boar's Head
  
• Products - Hot Dogs - Applegate
  
• PRODUCTS « Kahns
  
• Donate - Howard Brown Health
  "Howard Brown was established on the premise that healthcare in the LGBTQ community should be a readily accessible right, not a luxury – that those who lack the privilege of adequate health coverage or access to competent medical providers should be able to find care in a confidential and supportive environment."

Memberful (Memberful is the easiest way to sell memberships to your audience, used by the biggest creators on the web. Sign-up for FREE by visiting the link).

DISCUSSED: not everything can be everything; pain accumulates; getting weepy about a cool teacher; expanding on our new thought technology for reframing negative thoughts and feelings; abstracting that new thought technology to tons of different endeavors; why won't they just let me win this video game?; the scissors and Scotch Tape are wherever you left them; the joys of ritual and control; the importance of infrastructure; break the big thing into a bunch of little things; Merlin performs a brief recitation of Back to Work's Greatest Hits; please cut up my food for me please; theme dining nights rule; praise for Daniel Kahneman; it used to be so confusing when TV shows had inside film and outside film.

Links for this episode:

• 5by5 | Back to Work #479: Use or Avoid
  Dan Columbos Merlin with a question about napping, which leads to some surprising insights on our feelings about success and failure.
  

DISCUSSED: Skype struggles; nobody likes parsnips; Dan remotely teaches Merlin to cut his own hair; Dan introduces a new game show, and Merlin is dealing with poop; life is not currently optimized for multiple-event days; Merlin challenges you to remember when exactly eight minutes has gone by; why we'll eventually each discover what the hell happened on our personal Galápagos; the exhaustion of Zoom calls; an omnibus recommendation related to movies; finally, Dan Columbos Merlin with a question about napping, which leads to some surprising insights on our feelings about success and failure.

Links for this episode:

• 30 Singular Films to Watch in Quarantine - The Atlantic
  These films, each unforgettable in its own way, are essential viewing.
  

DISCUSSED: discussion of The Freshman and thoughts on what makes a movie "hold up"; has anyone ever craved a three-star movie?; what Merlin really wants is a smart friend; Dan is enjoying On Becoming a God in Central Florida; the difficulty of making weird good; I didn't buy it a beer; your mask is not a case for your beard; Dan has follow-up on bikes; Merlin has follow-up on companies and WFH help; thoughts on what we know and don't know about the difficulties of ““reopening””; the benefits and challenges of being a chain-worrying project manager; praise for the Austin Grackles.

Links for this episode:

• The Freshman (1990) - IMDb
  
• Bruno Kirby - Biography - IMDb
  
• Carmine Said One Boy - YouTube
  
• Freeway movie review & film summary (1997) | Roger Ebert
  "Occasionally an unsuspecting innocent will stumble into a movie like this and send me an anguished postcard, asking how I could possibly give a favorable review to such trash. My stock response is Ebert's Law, which reads: A movie is not about what it is about. It is about how it is about it."
  

DISCUSSED: Here we are in Spain; a lot went on behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz; also Modern Problems existed; further discussion of 80s movies; they used to make more movies; B-MO gets a show?; secrets of the child whisper network; Saturday morning memories; C19 is making a lot of holes and gaps in kids' lives; what even is the deal with colleges?; wisdom from the great Kevin Kelly; it's one thing to know something, but it's another thing to know something; and, finally, beginning to explore how best to level resources and expectations as many of us work from home.

Links for this episode:

• Merlin's Twitter poll from Monday
  "Poll: as your company prepped for people to WfH, how much interaction did you have to address your specific challenges, get extra resources, and set individual expectations?"

DISCUSSED: Dan has concerns!; every road has many parts, but you seriously need to show your humanity; stop signs are really just velocipede serving suggestions; not all wood floats; too soon; an ambitious crossover is proposed; Cormac McCarthy rules; Phillip W. Battery sure has a lot going on for a busy and attentive new dad; as a main topic, your hosts bounce off a terrific recent episode of Merlin's beloved You're Wrong About; hey, what B2W-ish lessons can be drawn from the response to the Y2K "bug"?; ultimately, it is just so hard to solve one problem without potentially creating five other problems; memories of New Year's Eve, 1999; for once, Dan wasn't concerned at all; more praise for YWA, and a humble apology to Sarah; hey, listen, don't be ashamed to find delight; praise for Slugline 2; a recommendation for a James Franco movie.

Links for this episode:

• You're Wrong About
  With Michael Hobbes & Sarah Marshall
  

DISCUSSED: Merlin is having a strange day, and Dan notices everything; please remember that fear and stress and anxiety are pretty terrible motivators; praise for On Becoming a God in Central Florida and 1Password; security theater vs. security reality; Dan's new mouse is as quiet as a…what's the word?; Brushing with Hardest Available Toothbrush Considered Harmful; Dan is gently exposing his son to one of the great films. So what?; a couple great pieces on making actual good passwords; recommendations for a Sondheim special and a terrific YouTube guy; extensive advice and suggestions for a listener moving to a Mac; learning almost anything is a lot like learning The Metric System; and, finally, praise for the great Peter N. Lewis.

Links for this episode:

• Multiple Level Thinking | Levels Of Thought In Poker
  
• Ep. 378: "Lion, Tiger, Horse, Monkey" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
  The Problem: John has rarely driven a car hard and hung it up wet.
  

DISCUSSED: our perception of value is definitely personal and maybe even a little generational; sometimes, the only thing you can afford is the best; a listener question about where your hosts are with comics; further praise for TaskPaper; updates on macOS text editing; Merlin capitulates to Catalina; Dan answers a listener question about coping with chronic back pain; learning how to stop rehearsing frailty by embracing the wonders of momentum.

Links for this episode:

• CBR and CBZ Files (What They Are and How to Open One)
  
• nvALT - BrettTerpstra.com
  
• Sublime Text - A sophisticated text editor for code, markup and prose
  
• Bare Bones Software | BBEdit 13
  
• TaskPaper – Plain text to-do lists for Mac
  
• alefore/edge: Edge - a text editor
  
• Rowing Machine - Model D with PM5 | Concept2
  
• Amazon.com: Clever Coffee Dripper Barista's Choice - Bonus 100 Filters Included (18 oz Large, Clear): Kitchen & Dining
  
• The Incomparable | Kids Have Bad Taste (Episode 104)