Reconcilable Differences

Merlin's household has expressed a renewed interest in PlayStation games, and John has been wondering about "super babies."

Things kick off with some call confusion, a boombox cameo, and a roundtable on the problematic nature of John Hughes's movies. Automobile?

This leads to some nostalgia for the 1979 film, Breaking Away. Your hosts debate which one of them is which character in the movie, but both agree it’s still a stone cold classic.

John has a lot of thoughts, but his memory is getting really bad.

What happens when two talented people sire a child? Seems like sometimes they inherit their parents’ genius, and other times they just want to run in the opposite direction. What roles do wealth, support, and expectations play? And how about the times when someone would very much prefer that their kid not get into the family business?

Your hosts disagree on whether one super baby’s name is terrible but agree that “geriatric pregnancy” is kind of an awful term.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 18, 2021)

These are some of my favorite video games. They also happen to be truly great games, though they vary widely in terms of the required time commitment and gaming experience.

The 18-year-old son of Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi is considered a great baseball talent. The career should pick up speed in autumn.

EXT. - OUTSIDE FRIEND'S HOUSE IN TOWN

Finally, it's The Reconcilable Differences Quorn Pre-Post-Mortem Spectacular.

Things kick off with the usual disagreements about who’s driving and who’s in the trunk, but then things briefly settle into an interrogation of the purpose behind begging for podcast ratings and reviews. Does it actually, really help new people to discover the show?

John tries to remember a song, and Merlin fondly recalls un cheval maladroit.

Next, John has some thoughts on grass and how it grows. Merlin wonders if it might be another “Trust Your Mechanic”-type situation. Both of your hosts agree it seems like there’s maybe a lesson about life in there somewhere.

Then, at last, it has come to this: The Reconcilable Differences Quorn Pre-Post-Mortem Spectacular.

While it is (obviously) way too early to talk about this business as if it’s done, it does feel like a useful moment to look back at what we’ve learned and what has changed—even as we look forward to what we might continue to learn and what might continue to change.

What BS did you miss, and what BS would you be happy to never have to deal with again? Whither handshakes and awkward hugs? When will we stop doing that weird retail crab walk? Will mask people remain mask people? Should more of us learn “the claw?”

What about subtlety and uncertainty? What about society and culture? Has the epistemological cherrypicking of The Dumb Guy just become our permanent way of life?

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 4, 2021)

aka "Humanity Horse"

Merlin needs a 4K monitor, and Apple won’t end his suffering by making one. John got his first vaccine shot, so he’s not sweating it.

Our members’ special episode is coming soon, with a special guest. Become a Relay FM member to get access to this and all our past special episodes. In the meantime…

Merlin’s grandmother liked to make lists and talk on the phone with retail staff. Do you have the exact product she needs? No sense in driving all that way if you don’t. Perhaps there is some post-COVID wisdom in this.

John’s smart outlet is once again smart. Not like everbody says! Like, dumb! It’s smart, and it wants respect! Meanwhile, Merlin’s Internet disappeared for a while due to a clerical error, which seems unfair. John missed a credit-card payment, which also seems unfair.

John’s son needs to learn how to pump gas, and also how money works. Watch out for the skimmers! Boy-Merlin sometimes had to go out for cigarettes, but he turned out fine.

John’s garage remains smol. It is apparent that some people don’t know what a basement is. Merlin did time on a "concrete apron" in Florida, where it smelled like clay.

The main topic this week is vaccines and vaccinations, as your hosts share their frustrating and mostly fruitless journeys toward that elusive date with the needle.

Things kick off with the usual disagreements about the doc and its proper usage. Merlin thought he was going to be driving, but John curtly redirects him into the trunk.

Follow-up brings a handful of fun D&D-related content, including the work of John's talented Cousin Frankie. Outrage-based documentaries are considered.

As your hosts share their frustrating and mostly fruitless journeys toward that elusive date with the needle, hope you like filling out forms and hitting "refresh."

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 6, 2021)

"Confronting late-stage pandemic burnout, with everything from edibles to Exodus."

"Will we go back to living the way we did before? And what if we do? Do we risk losing something we’ve learned from one long and terrifying year?"

Use your smartphone to tell CDC about any side effects after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. You’ll also get reminders if you need a second vaccine dose.

(no spoilers, so listen to the RecDiffs ep first)

John has recently discovered a beloved artist's Patreon and highlights the influence of his work.

Your hosts skip the pre-flight, then end up talking a little about preparing for a performance. Novelty sports experiments are considered.

Following some corrections, self-analysis, and technological digression, Merlin's computer poops the bed. Covid considerations continue to interfere with life, and sometimes you have to fight your family's optimism a little.

Merlin tries to use an analogy from a TV show, and John introduces the class to "The Plumber Problem."

It can feel pretty frustrating when the internet doesn't love someone or something as much as you do. Just remember, there are a lot of easy and inexpensive ways to let someone know what their work means to you.

"Nitpicking correction for this weeks @RecDiffs, @siracusa & @hotdogsladies bbc 4 is a tv station. The shipping forecast is on bbc radio 4. Glad I got that off my chest."

BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasting House, London.

"BBC4" redirects here. For the BBC radio station, see BBC Radio 4.

A dramatization of the Black Sox scandal when the underpaid Chicago White Sox accepted bribes to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series.

Donny, you're out of your element.

Inspired by a plaintive earworm from "Hamilton," John presents a main topic: what does relaxation mean to me?

John has questions about Merlin's use of the doc, and Merlin is confused about the challenge this week.

Merlin never got his nap, but John has thoughts in general about things being played at him. Which leads to an exploration of how your hosts differ in the role various sorts of audio play in their lives.

Should meditation be "relaxing?" Why do people react so differently to ambient and environmental sounds? What can you do when spouses differ on nighttime noise options? And why in the hell is Merlin listening to old UK weather forecasts on the reg?

Which is to say, how would your hosts prefer to "Take a Break," and how would they each go about, say, spending a month upstate?

John is uncannily good at the stripping away of things, but Merlin struggles with unhooking without heavily consulting his various demon dogs. That said, we can all agree on the need for a break from quorn.

In related news, despite our best efforts, sometimes the people we love the most can make us the most insane.

Things wrap with Merlin interrogating John about his real world definition of a "vacation." Hopeful plans for the future are conveyed.

Get the world's most advanced sleep and power nap system to fall asleep fast, stay asleep, and wake up feeling refreshed.

The Shipping Forecast is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles.

In something like a main topic, Merlin has questions for John about his take on the twisting path to expertise. Are we talking about a fast yoyo or a slow climb? Is it really more like bottom-up versus top-down?

Things kick off with some questions about Merlin's naps, then proceed to John's Follow-Up on accents, dialect, and pronunciation. John shares a historical artifact of 80s teen retail life, and this leads to nostalgic reminiscing about the classic arcade games of youth.

John has a toe update (sorry), and Merlin wants to learn about an anomalous genital condition—but only if he can be assured it will involve no images.

There's some Follow-In via John's more popular program regarding privacy, then there's some fun facts about US states. Merlin is proud of his household's young Billy Joel fan.

Things conclude with a surprisingly difficult pop quiz on the lore of states.

While pretty much all of TV stands are incompatible with John's house, your hosts undertake a careful visual interrogation of the bizarre manner in which Sony thinks your home works.

Merlin meets a new neighbor, and John still wonders whether he lives in the woods. This leads to a deep dive on clothes that don't fit. John has doubts about Merlin's reported height.

In follow-up, John corrects the record on the provenance of his family's Christmas tree stand. In what turns out to be an ongoing stretch of sematic satiation, this leads to an exploration of Stephen King. Are any of the adaptations as good as his books? And what happened when a canine-having Mainer wanted some of those Mahzes-bahs they have up to the store?

Immensely helpful and illuminating to any aspiring writer, this special edition of Stephen King’s critically lauded, million-copy bestseller shares the experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work.

Be careful who you let run the railroad.

"Friend" of the Show, Elliott Kalan, was on TV's Jeopardy. No spoilers, but his little buzzer hand was held high.

John is not doing intermittent fasting, but his meal schedule is all messed up. Also possibly his life schedule. Merlin likes a Snickers bar (or Kit-Kat) when he's on the road, but he doesn't like being fat and poopy.

A short episode of Back to Work may have accidentally found its way into the show. (You’re welcome.)

John brings a fascinating mystery involving cars, hairs, and an unexpected new dining spot.

John gets quizzed on abbreviations as Merlin revisits his early career working for The Man. California has a lot of things you're not allowed to buy.

Then, there's some haircut updates plus some quick advice on knowing when to take a break. Merlin thinks just ""wearing a mask"" doesn't make you a good boy, and John thinks he's pretty good about picking up Daisy's poo from the landing strip or whatever it's called.

There is some disagreement over who chose the main topic of Christmas tree stands, but you could not have picked two better people to review their history, materials, design flaws, and improvement opportunities.

Merlin makes a case for leveraging The Economics of More Fun, and John tries to make him feel bad about his new TV. [This is false. –Ed]

Finally, terrible TV features are enumerated and decried.

(Recorded on Tuesday, January 12, 2021)