Back to Work

TOPIC: Modern Media Management: iTunes Match

This week Dan and Merlin begin a 3-part series on Modern Media Management: handling your iTunes Library, iOS Devices, and iTunes Match without making yourself crazy.

In this episode, they cover setting up and using iTunes Match, being safe and paranoid, what to do after you get the iTunes ping, some smart playlists that will help you exclude kwanzaa music, find stuff you don't want to listen to, and maintain your sanity.

Next episode they'll discuss wrangling metadata and smart playlists. Then in the last episode of the series, they'll cover managing the libraries on your devices and some grab bag stuff.

Links for this episode:

• Pokemann - Check out this 8bit version of Plica Plica that...
  
• iTunes Store: Subscribing to iTunes Match
  
• Dealing with iTunes Match's 25,000 Track Limit | Macworld
  
• Apple - iCloud - All your content on all your devices.
  
• Apple - iTunes - Match
  
• [SPONSOR] Squarespace (use offer code `NICE` for an additional 10% off)
  
• 5by5 | Back to Work #41: Carpal Tunnel Diem
  
• How to upgrade tracks to iTunes Match, fast | Macworld
  
• iTunes Match: One year in | Macworld
  
• Squarespace Service Blog
  
• Inscribed Something very, very special has... | kung fu grippe
  
• Debutante - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• John Bonham - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• 8-Bit "Plica Plica" [B2W theme song] by slashram
  
• Pokémann
  
• A podcast with Merlin: SodaStream, BULKBUG, comics - 2000 Nickels
  
• Maintain – Cocktail
  
• Secrets
  
• Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1: Back on the Street: Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson: 9781401220846: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Animal Man Vol. 1: The Hunt (The New 52): Jeff Lemire, Travel Foreman: 9781401235079: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Star Wars continuity mistakes - YouTube
  
• Cocteau Twins - Wax and Wane - YouTube
  
• Fugue state - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  

This week's episode for Back to Work is sponsored by Squarespace (use offer code "NICE" for an additional 10% off).

TOPIC: Creative Costumes vs. Pushing Out Product

This week Dan and Merlin talk about how the legends and mythologies around creative people and beautiful losers can become such a destructive MacGuffin for us aspiring civilians.

Getting gakked out on Hunter S. Thompson's cocaine and buying Sylvia Plath's oven are unlikely to take you anyplace useful, interesting, or…creative.

Also: "BRIANMICHAELBENDIS!"

Links for this episode:

• List of Spider-Man Comics in Order to Amazing Spider-Man #700
  
• Template 1.2.0 · neocotic
  
• Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller, Vol. 2: Frank Miller: 9780785107712: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Nerdist Podcast: Warren Ellis « Nerdist
  
• Spider-Man Read Order
  
• [SPONSOR] Shutterstock
  
• [SPONSOR] Frank & Oak
  
• How to Start Reading Avengers Comics!
  
• Amazon.com: Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human (9780812981384): Grant Morrison: Books
  
• Marvels: Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross: 9780785142867: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Spider-Man: Big Time - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Amazon.com: Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human (9780812981384): Grant Morrison: Books
  
• Marvels - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Twitter / ewanmorgan: A day in the life of Hunter ...
  
• Phil Noto - THUNDERBOLTS  This is the first image I drew of...
  
• The 1940s were super-weird. | kung fu grippe
  
• “Ha! Ha! Ha!” From Wonder Woman #6 (1943) I’ll... | kung fu grippe
  
• Warren Ellis on "writer's block"
  
• Twitter / ewanmorgan: A day in the life of Hunter ...
  
• Captain Marvel, Vol. 8 #1A in merlinmann's Comic Collector Connect collection
  
• The Amazing Spider-Man, Vol. 2 #669G - Spider-Island - Part Three: Arachnotopia in merlinmann's Comic Collector Connect collection
  
• Ask • The Smiths - YouTube
  
• Norman Osborn's Hair
  
• Spider-Man: Big Time Ultimate Collection: Dan Slott, Humberto Ramos: 9780785162179: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Liz Hurley: Beauty and the beasts - Celeb News, Independent Woman - Independent.ie
  
• Warren Ellis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Warren Ellis bibliography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• The Wire - Season One Opening Scene - YouTube
  
• Conversion disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Fugue state - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965) - IMDb
  
• William Faulkner: Trouble in Oxford
  
• Top 15 Great Alcoholic Writers - Listverse
  
• Buzz Bissinger: I Was Deluded to Believe Lance Armstrong When He Denied Doping - The Daily Beast
  
• Black Cat (comics) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Kelly Sue DeConnick
  
• Warren Ellis
  
• .mattfraction
  
• J I N X W O R L D | The Official Site for Brian Michael Bendis
  
• Dominic West - IMDb
  
• Pandora One - Listen to Pandora with No Ads, Higher Quality Audio, and More
  
• Humberto Ramos Official Site
  
• MailChimp Annual Report
  
• Walt Simonson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• The Mighty Thor, Vol. 1, #348 (Oct. 1984) Okay,... | kung fu grippe
  
• [Brown-Haired Rapunzel Sampler]
  
• Tangled (2010) - IMDb
  
• [Rapunzel with awesome, short, choppy brown hair]
  
• The Manchurian Candidate (1962) - IMDb
  
• Dan Slott - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Grant Morrison
  
• Grammar Girl : Ampersand :: Quick and Dirty Tips ™
  
• kung fu grippe - Current Back to Work lock screens
  
• Seven Inches of Bendis (Detail) [per] | kung fu grippe
  
• Hunter S. Thompson - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Ladies. What? I needed a long-sleeved shirt.... | kung fu grippe
  

This week's episode for Back to Work is sponsored by Frank & Oak (use code "BACKTOWORK10" for 10% off your first purchase) and Shutterstock (use code "BACKTOWORK1" for 30% off).

TOPIC: Those New Years When We're Not Actually Resolved.

This week, Merlin and Dan step back from resolutions and shooting yourself in the face with a wrist rocket to talk about what you're actually trying to change.

You're failing and feeling bad and eating a whole bag of cookies because you're resolving to be someone you're not (yet). What are you really trying to address? Are you being honest with yourself? Where do you actually start?

Find the real reasons, build a real infrastructure, and build yourself a real habit.

Links for this episode:

• Loyalty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• [SPONSOR] Squarespace
  (use offer code `NICE` for an additional 10% off)

This week's episode for Back to Work is sponsored by Frank & Oak (use code "BACKTOWORK10" for 10% off your first purchase) and Squarespace (use offer code "NICE" for an additional 10% off).

TOPIC: Yes. The caller is there.

This week, in celebration of their hundredth episode, Dan and Merlin do the first call-in episode of Back to Work.

A bevy of the beloved jackals and nerds ask questions about GTD, creative autonomy, sleep and energy, interpersonal work communications, moving up at work, self-publishing, finding your rabbi, Marines, X-Men, and more.

Links for this episode:

• Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books
  
• Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection - Book 1: Joss Whedon, John Cassaday: 9780785161943: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Astonishing X-Men, Vol. 4: Unstoppable: Joss Whedon, John Cassaday: 9780785122548: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Astonishing X-Men By Joss Whedon & John Cassaday Ultimate Collection Book 2: Joss Whedon, John Cassaday: 9780785161950: Amazon.com: Books
  
• 5by5 | The Comic Shack
  
• 5by5 | Quit!
  
• Zita the Spacegirl: Ben Hatke: 9781596434462: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life: Anne Lamott: 9780385480017: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Amazon.com: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (Shambhala Library) (9781590307946): Natalie Goldberg: Books
  
• The Truth Beyond the Sky (The Epic of Aravinda): Andrew M. Crusoe: Amazon.com: Kindle Store
  
• Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
  
• Kobayashi Maru - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• 5by5 | Back to Work #7: Vocational Wheel
  
• Baldwin's Beans (baldwinsbeans) on Twitter
  
• Saga, Vol. 1: Brian K Vaughan, Fiona Staples: 9781607066019: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Saga Digital Comics - Comics by comiXology
  
• Three Days of the Condor (1975) - IMDb
  
• Amazon.com: I Started Out As a Child: Bill Cosby: Music
  
• Amazon.com: Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right!: Bill Cosby: Music
  
• Amazon.com: To Russell My Brother, Whom I Slept With: Bill Cosby: Music
  

TOPIC: Troubleshooting for Saner GTD

This week, Dan and Merlin wrap up their epic summer crossover series on David Allen's book Getting Things Done, focusing on the trouble spots, hang-ups, and occasional rat holes that people often encounter in implementing and maintaining their GTD system.

Links for this episode:

• Saga #1 - Comics by comiXology [Get it FREE!!!]
  
• [Huffduffer MP3] Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen (2006)
  
• 5by5 | The Frequency #45: Something of a Hipster Geek
  
• Does this "next action" belong someplace else? | 43 Folders
  
• Mental dialogues, yak-shaving & the triumph of the 'mini-review' | 43 Folders
  
• [SPONSOR] OmniFocus 2 Debut
  
• [SPONSOR] Email Marketing and Email List Manager | MailChimp
  
• Productive Talk Compilation: 8-episode podcast with GTD's David Allen | 43 Folders
  
• Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books
  
• Fractal Implementation, or, On the Dangers of David Allen's Finger | 43 Folders
  
• Back to GTD: Do a fast "mind-sweep" | 43 Folders
  
• Back to GTD: Simplify your contexts | 43 Folders
  
• GTD: Priorities don't exist in a vacuum | 43 Folders
  
• 6 powerful "look into" verbs (+ 1 to avoid) | 43 Folders
  
• A Year of Getting Things Done: Part 2, The Stuff I Wish I Were Better At | 43 Folders
  
• 43 Folders: Best of GTD | 43 Folders
  
• The OmniFocus Setup
  
• Omni’s Plans for 2013 - Blog - The Omni Group
  
• Collectorz.com Connect: merlinmann: My Comics
  
• Complete Marvel Comics Reading Order | Marvel Comics in Order
  
• Marvel Chronology Project - Main
  
• Publication history of Marvel comics crossover events - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Ep. 59: "Insufferabilityism" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
  
• Anita Ekberg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• The Freshman (1990 film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Amazing Spider-Man #669 Amazing Fantasy Comics variant cover by Todd Nauck | Apps | Marvel.com
  
• Avengers, Vol. 5 #1C [Avengers Babies!]
  
• Using OmniFocus | Mastering Productivity [GREAT ebook!]
  
• First Look: Amazing Spider-Man #700 | News | Marvel.com
  
• Charlene - "I've Never Been To Me" - YouTube
  
• Anita Ekberg modeling for Milton Greene, 1954 | kung fu grippe
  
• It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff: Peter Walsh: 9780743292658: Amazon.com: Books
  
• Paper Snowflakes - Free Instructions
  
• Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders
  
• Because buying new running shoes is more fun than actually running | 43 Folders
  
• Do Stuff — MacSparky
  

This week's episode of Back to Work is sponsored by MailChimp and The OmniFocus 2 Debut.

TOPIC: Working Getting Things Done to stay current, complete, and creative.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's Getting Things Done system.

Learning how to leverage GTD's modality to firewall time for guilt-free creative work.

Links for this episode:

• 5by5 | Back to Work #95: She's Five for a Living
  
• 5by5 | Back to Work #96: Compensatory Muscles
  
• 5by5 | Back to Work #97: Pope of the Office
  
• David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®
  
• About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®
  
• Getting Things Done - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• GettingThingsDone - MineZone Wiki
  
• Getting things done : the art of stress-free productivity (Book, 2001) [WorldCat.org]
  
• Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders
  
• Trigger List - 43FoldersWiki
  
• Collectorz.com Connect: merlinmann: My Comics
  
• All New X-Men #1C in merlinmann's Comic Collector Connect collection
  
• Skottie Young (on Tumblr)
  
• FF, Vol. 2 #1A - Parts of a Hole in merlinmann's Comic Collector Connect collection
  
• [SPONSOR] Ting - Mobile That Makes Sense
  
• [SPONSOR] The Omni Group - "The OmniFocus Setup" - Jan 31, 2013 in San Francisco
  
• [SPONSOR] Build a Website with Squarespace
  
• Image Firsts A delightfully dark and wonderfully... | kung fu grippe
  
• Fantastic Four #575 The Ben Love The Ben. Love... | kung fu grippe
  
• Heraclitus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Parmenides - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• The Texts of Early Greek Philosophy: The Complete Fragments and Selected Testimonies of the Major Presocratics: Daniel W. Graham: 9780521845915: Amazon.com: Books
  
• In the Valley of the Shadow of Doubt - Radiolab
  
• Nothing is so obvious that it’s obvious. | kung fu grippe
  
• Two Cats Comic Book Store - Two Cats Comic Book Store
  

This week's episode of Back to Work is sponsored by Ting ($50 off your first device), Squarespace, and The Omni Group.

TOPIC: Using GTD to sanely and intelligently decide what to do, and when, and where.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's Getting Things Done system.

Hopping over the basic workflow and setup (you'll definitely need the book for that), this is all about doing—leveraging the horizontal and vertical axes of GTD to intuitively choose exactly the right task at any given moment.

Regardless of interruptions, regardless of unexpected change, and regardless of what you're mindfully not doing.

David Allen calls GTD, "The Art of Stress-Free Productivity," and this is the episode where you'll find out how having put this system in place can yield astronomical improvements in how your actual things get done.

Also included: a teaser for January's "iTunes management" series, plus recommendations for the three best comic series Merlin read this week.

Links for this episode:

• Getting Things Done - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Getting Things Done is a book by productivity consultant David Allen that describes the method/procedure that he created with the same title name, often referred to simply as GTD.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done.

So.

This week's episode of Back to Work is very kindly sponsored by Smile's PDFpen, Squarespace, and Hover (use code DANSENTME for 10% off),

TOPIC: A Better System for Dealing with Life's "Stuff"

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's book, Getting Things Done.

Links for this episode:

• Fractal Implementation, or, On the Dangers of David Allen's Finger | 43 Folders
  
• Beginner's Mind, Metropolis, and all our unnecessary parts | 43 Folders
  
• Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books
  
• Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders
  
• Mac App Store - Flycut (Clipboard manager)
  
• Theatrical superstitions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®
  
• WorldCat.org: The World's Largest Library Catalog
  
• kung fu grippe • 67 Points of Articulation. [Merlin's Amazing Spider-Man]
  
• Life Hacks: Tech Secrets of Overprolific Alpha Geeks (11 February, 2004)
  Notes from Danny's session at O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference; 11 February, 2004; San Diego, CA

This week's Back to Work is sponsored by Studio Neat and Ting.

TOPIC: Intro to David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”

This week, Dan and Merlin start a long-overdue three-part storyline on David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done.[1]

How do you unwad that giant crapball of stuff you call a life? The answer is simple, but it’s not so easy. You need a trusted system in which to collect, process, review, and—yes—do all the things that matter.

Getting Things Done is inarguably one of the best and most influential self-help books of all time for a good reason: it’s a candid, realistic, and painfully honest way to get out of your hole, and then stay out.

This week, we start with the philosophical and psychological underpinnings of GTD, as well as the myriad and thorny problems it can help you address.

So, pick up your own copy of GTD, read it through, then join us for a detailed tour of the system that changed Merlin’s game and helped jumpstart his online career.

©DavidCo, 2001.  ↩

Links for this episode:

• Amazon.com: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity (9780142000281): David Allen: Books
  
• Getting started with "Getting Things Done" | 43 Folders
  
• Getting Things Done | 43 Folders
  
• David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®
  
• About GTD | David Allen, Getting Things Done® and GTD®
  
• gtd workflow map pdf - Google Search
  
• New GTD Workflow Map | D*I*Y Planner
  
• [IMG] gtd-workflow.jpg (1051×1630)
  
• [VIDEO] David Allen: Getting Things Done - YouTube
  
• [SPONSOR] Stock Photos and Royalty-Free Images by Subscription - Shutterstock
  
• [SPONSOR] Build a Website - Squarespace 6
  
• [SPONSOR] Hover - domain name and email management made simple
  
• Amazon.com: Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 for Mac/iPad/iPhone (920-003884): Computers & Accessories
  
• Clarks Desert Boot - Zappos.com Free Shipping BOTH Ways
  
• Jamie Phelps (jxpx777) on Twitter
  
• [BUY THIS!] Jonathan Coulton & John Roderick - "One Christmas at a Time"
  
• Song Premiere: John Roderick & Jonathan Coulton - "The Week In Between" and "2600" :: Featured Audio :: Paste
  
• 5by5 | The Crossover #1: You Just Got Curated
  
• kung fu grippe • Thanks…Bub Special thanks to my pal, emersunn,...
  
• Logitech.com – Logitech® Wireless Solar Keyboard K760 for Mac®, iPad® or iPhone®
  
• Danny O'Brien (American football) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Folders Stock Photos, Folders Stock Photography, Folders Stock Images : Shutterstock.com
  
• White Guys Shaking Hands Stock Photos, White Guys Shaking Hands Stock Photography, White Guys Shaking Hands Stock Images : Shutterstock.com
  
• Ep. 25: "Super Train" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann
  
• chown - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• UNIX permissions
  
• 5by5 | The Talk Show #57: The Banana Window
  
• 5by5 | Back to Work #49: The Field of Completion
  
• Admixture | Define Admixture at Dictionary.com
  
• ComicBookLover
  
• Getting Things Done - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Getting things done : the art of stress-free productivity (Book, 2001) [WorldCat.org]
  
• ISBN.NU: Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
  
• Comic Book Database Software, organize your comic book collection on Windows or Mac OS X
  
• Wheel (Unix term) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• wheel - The Jargon File v4.4.7
  
• A Confederacy of Dunces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• A Confederacy of Dunces:Amazon:Books
  
• Eggs on the Plate Without the Plate - Salvador Dali's oil painting
  
• Entombed (band) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• OmniFocus for Mac - The Omni Group
  

Shutterstock (coupon code backtowork11), Hover use the code (dansentme for 10% off), Squarespace (use the code broastedbird for an extra 10% off).

TOPIC: How to be a proper list-maker

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss the pros and cons of lighting your environment properly, how we fall into bad list making habits and how to solve these issues. Also, Merlin makes some sounds for your enjoyment.

Links for this episode:

• New Business Templates: Aviator and Devlin — The Official Squarespace Blog
  
• 5by5 | The Conversation #27: Missionless Statements
  
• Hammock Stock Photos, Hammock Stock Photography, Hammock Stock Images : Shutterstock.com
  
• Amazon.com: Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device: Health & Personal Care
  

Shutterstock (use code "dansentme10" for 30% off), Ting ($50 off your first device for Back to Work listeners), and Squarespace (use code "broastedbird" for 10% off).