Back to Work

DISCUSSED: Dan has found a terrific solution for his son's iPad case; on the benefits (and challenges) of getting away from our devices for a while; listener recommendations for YouTube keyboard commands, a book about cities, and some Disney scholarship; and, finally, your hosts respond to a listener's question about "circular thoughts."

Links for this episode:

• Keyboard shortcuts for YouTube - YouTube Help
  
• Len Testa and TouringPlans.com - Part One: The Origins - Coaster101
  Last month, we were able to connect with Len Testa, President of TouringPlans.com, and co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland, and The Unofficial Guide to British Theme Parks, to learn more about how TouringPlans got its start, how a Touring Plan “works,” and to learn more about this vital Disney vacation planning guide.
  

DISCUSSED: Merlin is a little hoarse; but what's an actual pony versus an actual little horse?; there's a lot of sadness and housing problems in the Hundred Acre Wood; the challenges of recommending starter media; the further challenges of being a media super-fan; (and how this relates to not seeing The Flintstones and stealing a copy of Fight Club from Blockbuster Video); Florida is hot; may everyone live long enough to feel bad for saying something really stupid on a podcast; is Piglet a small pig or just a pig baby?; Dan needs your help to find Cash a durable iPad case and keyboard solution; Merlin needs your help understanding the logic of keyboard media keys; to Dan, Piglet was always a baby pig; then, there's some follow-up on Disney parks; Dan again threatens to permanently ruin Disney for you, but he promises to clearly bracket it; and, finally, Dan has had it with people stealing flu valor. Just stop it, people.

Links for this episode:

• The Chernobyl Podcast — Overcast
  
• 20+ Mac Productivity Hacks from CEOs, Artists, Developers, Youtubers and More | Boxy Suite
  
• Netflix - "Dark"
  
• Piglet (Winnie-the-Pooh) - Wikipedia
  
• iPad 9.7-inch - Apple
  
• Amazon.com: ZAGG – Rugged Messenger – Backlit Case and Bluetooth Keyboard – Compatible with 2018 (G6) and 2017 (G5) Apple iPad 9.7” – Durable Case with Built-In Stand – Multiple-Device Pairing – Black: Computers & Accessories
  
• Amazon.com: OtterBox DEFENDER SERIES Case for iPad Pro9.7" VERSION - Retail Packaging - BLACK: Computers & Accessories
  
• Roller Coaster Safety: How to Manage Too Many Trains at Once - YouTube
  
• ‘Deadwood: The Movie’ and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge | The Watch — The Watch — Overcast
  
• Our Vlog About Opening Day at Star Wars Galaxy's Edge - YouTube
  
• Star Trek: The Next Generation In 40 Hours – Maxistentialism Blog – Medium
  
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine In 82.5 Hours – Maxistentialism Blog – Medium
  
• The Replacements - Unsatisfied (REMASTERED) - YouTube
  
• Satisfied - Hamilton Musical - YouTube
  

First and most importantly, Dan is back! Woo!

Second, now, listen: please bear with me, and do not leave. Because, when I say we talked mostly about Disney—and especially Disney properties—it's way more interesting than you'd think. Or, so we hope.

Essentially, Walt Disney World in particular has the control, data, and means to be extremely good at resource management, and that's just fascinating to think about.

There's also some thank-you's, as well as some podcast recommendations, plus a response to a listener's question about choosing to use Apple's native apps.

Links for this episode:

• 5by5 | Back to Work #430: Shiny Red Cleric
  Dan's away this week, so Merlin tries going it alone.
  

Dan's away this week, so Merlin tries going it alone.

Topics include lessons from painting D&D minifigs, listener letters, and some recommendations.

Feel better soon Dan; we need you!

Links for this episode:

• Dan Benjamin (@danbenjamin) | Twitter
  
• National Park Typeface
  A TYPEFACE DESIGNED TO MIMIC THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SIGNS THAT ARE CARVED USING A ROUTER BIT.
  

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a catastrophic off-by-one-week error; Roderick's June is very triggering to your hosts; sometimes, it's nice to be exposed to stuff you didn't expect, but…; at a certain point in life, you mostly just see trees of inconvenience and risk; this leads to a long (and surprisingly pretty good) meditation on FOMO, acceptance, and not pretending to be a person you never actually were; Dan helps Merlin unpack a scene near his workplace; Merlin gets in the weeds about Roger Deakins, Torquay, and two different Richards Burton; then, there's a brief side trip into the reboot of Nick Fury; and, finally the boys answer listener questions about taking notes in college and feeling resistance to completing tasks.

Links for this episode:

• Alexa Privacy Settings @ Amazon.com
  
• The Wild Way Samuel L. Jackson Got The Role Of Marvel’s Nick Fury
  The original Nick Fury, i.e. the one from the main Marvel Comics universe, Earth 616, is a white man, but in the Ultimate universe continuity, which launched in 2000, he's a black man who looks just like Samuel L. Jackson. That wasn't initially the case, but when writer Mark Millar began penning The Ultimates limited series in 2002, he decided to model Fury after Jackson, who was his favorite actor. As Millar told THR, he had no idea that Jackson was a comic book fan, and after seeing his likeness alongside these Marvel heroes, the actor called up his agents, who got in touch with Marvel. The company apologized and promised to include Jackson in future movie adaptations, should they even be made.
  

DISCUSSED: Nobody got enough sleep last night, but they're gonna power through anyhow; your hosts fawn over the amazing Chernobyl miniseries; various hardware mute button options are discussed; Merlin can't draw but is very excited about making pictures on an iPad; Dan is looking forward to seeing more Olyphant; your hosts address a listener's question about their "everyday carry," but honestly mostly end up talking about bags; also, you really need a bag in a bag in a bag; and, finally Merlin has an admittedly privileged aspiration involving keys.

Links for this episode:

• Discover Procreate
  
• Brain Bag - Backpacks - Laptop Bags – TOM BIHN
  
• BASE CAMP TRAVEL CANISTER | United States
  
• Fenix LD12 320 Lumen LED Tactical Flashlight USB rechargeable kit with EdisonBright AA battery - - Amazon.com
  
• Pro Co Short Stop | Sweetwater
  
• Pro Co Power Mute | Sweetwater
  
• Linea – Drawing tools for your iPad and iPhone
  
• Timothy Olyphant, episode #14 of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend on Earwolf
  
• Danny Cordray | Dunderpedia: The Office Wiki | FANDOM powered by Wikia
  
• LEATHERMAN - FREE P4 Multitool with Magnetic Locking, One Hand Accessible Tools and Premium Nylon Sheath and Pocket Clip - - Amazon.com
  
• Amazon.com: Tul Retractable Gel Pens 0.5mm Needle Point, Black 4/pk: Office Products
  
• Freudian Slip - Travel Accessories – TOM BIHN
  
• RBMK - Wikipedia
  
• Synapse 25 - Backpacks - Travel Bags – TOM BIHN
  
• Patagonia Atom Backpack 18L
  
• Amazon.com: tomtoc Laptop Accessories Pouch Bag Sleeve fit for Laptop Tablet Power Adapter, Charger, Mouse, Cable, Hard Drives, Pen Case Pencil Pouch, Travel Toiletry Organizer Shaving Dopp Kit Cosmetic Bag: Computers & Accessories
  
• Amazon.com: tomtoc Portable Canvas Storage Pouch Bag Case Accessories Organizer compatible with Laptop Mouse, Power Adapter, Cables, Cellphone, SSD, HDD Enclosure, Power Bank: Computers & Accessories
  
• Chernobyl. Cleaning the roofs. Soldiers (reservists). 1986. - YouTube
  

DISCUSSED: nasty, brutish, and short sleep; watching TV with a game controller; Dan has to deal with suite concatenation; your hosts crave the expertise of a craftsman; Merlin realizes he and his lady friend see very different forests (spoiler: hers is way better); popcorn ceiling comes in cans; your hosts contrast their views on kipple, sentimentality, and need; Dan struggles to turn off his buttons, and Merlin loves his iPad's Paste button; provisional, anecdotal praise for AT&T's Call Protect service; there's a distinction between long sleep and good sleep; Dan has to stab a prestige TV doppelgänger, and Merlin learns about Night Company; Merlin has recommendations for a Mac automation app, a new David Sparks Field Guide, and a handy new IoT dingus; speculation that smart home adoption truly won't tip until the interactions get less dorky; mobile charging options for travel are debated; everybody needs a Dad Hat; and, finally, with only three days of school left, Dan receives a very concerning email.

Links for this episode:

• Bunch - BrettTerpstra.com
  Bunch is a little macOS app that sits in your Dock. It doesn’t have any windows. When you right/ctrl-click it, it gives you a list of “Bunches” you can select from, each one launching a group of applications that you configure. Bunches can be configured to open apps, specific files in an app, and even web pages in your default browser.
  

DISCUSSED: Dan has a new setup, and Merlin randomly recommends a kids' book; your hosts remember too much; Dan realizes he took the wrong shop class, and Merlin realizes why Generation X was (and remains) mostly useless; Dan walks us through his new setup, and the boys talk about the joys of VNC; Merlin is excited about the new "Guard" functionality of the Amazon voice dingus; Ferris Bueller's Day Off is still very good; what is the sound of one Koan falling?; your hosts discuss an article proposing why everything should take 20 minutes; Merlin dives deep on his own longstanding use of this heuristic; this leads to some classic #productivity talk; there's some instamatic camera nostalgia; Dan has a new project, and you should maybe contact him; Once AGAIN!; the glory of Spirited Away is discussed; Dan recommends a good TV show for date night; and, finally, Dan and Merlin admit they'd probably watch basically anything about Watchmen.

Links for this episode:

• Everything should take 20 minutes | The Outline
  
• Cornell Notes - Wikipedia
  The Cornell Notes system (also Cornell note-taking system, Cornell method, or Cornell way) is a note-taking system devised in the 1940s by Walter Pauk, an education professor at Cornell University. Pauk advocated its use in his best-selling book How to Study in College
  

DISCUSSED: Dan explains what the photos he sends mean; Merlin encourages Dan to air a beef, and Dan kindly assents; Oh, boy, Windows! My old nemesis…Windows!; the Mac's interoperability glory days were amazing; it really sucks to watch a computer start up and start up and start up; ports confuse Merlin, who is now officially an old; Dan and Merlin talk about a few things they enjoyed watching on YouTube; Merlin has a recommendation for downloading internet videos (purely for educational reasons); Merlin also recommends a really good podcast episode about "data-driven parenting"; then, Merlin kinda pops off a little; hey, listen: you can rarely have benefits without risks (and kinda vice-versa); Dan's watching Deadwood again, and Merlin gets kinda excitable again and does lots of quotes for some reason; and, finally, Merlin has a super-tip about improving your results in Apple Health.

Links for this episode:

• Manage Health data on your iPhone, iPod touch, or Apple Watch - Apple Support
  
• 376. The Data-Driven Guide to Sane Parenting — Freakonomics Radio — Overcast
  
• The Data-Driven Guide to Sane Parenting (Ep. 376) - Freakonomics Freakonomics
  Humans have been having kids forever, so why are modern parents so bewildered? The economist Emily Oster marshals the evidence on the most contentious topics — breastfeeding and sleep training, vaccines and screen time — and tells her fellow parents to calm the heck down.
  

DISCUSSED: the restorative tonic of a good night's sleep; a return to sleep as video game; it's okay to tweet your hosts about hoagies and Publix; concerns about butt cancer; Dan recommends a Netflix series; Merlin endorses Overcast clips; the difficulty of balancing user requests with reality; Merlin commends the deliberate simplicity of his daughter's spork; Merlin recommends a podcast; and, finally, your hosts respond to a listener's email about the therapeutic benefits of "controlling a small area."

Links for this episode:

• Clip sharing with Overcast – Marco.org
  With today’s 2019.4 update, you can now share audio or video clips, up to a minute each, from any public podcast. Simply tap the share button in the upper-right corner.