Reconcilable Differences

In a main topic, your hosts try to share some ideas on sustainably working remotely from home

On top of all the sheltering-in-place, John is nursing a new injury, and Merlin doesn't love hearing it described at all. This leads to some medical technology discussion plus an on-air debriding agent demo.

History and experience can be pretty good teachers, but working yourself to a damaged nub is a terrible game for the young and should be considered harmful.

And, then there's the technology we use to stay connected and the managers who need to manage. Were you aware that Tom totally knows Craig Chaquico?

Listen, team, there are going to be a lot of adjustments, but also some great opportunities. We swear.

Hang in there, stay inside, and please take care of yourselves.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 24, 2020)

"John Siracusa joins me to discuss RSI in depth, drawing on both of our experiences we look at what works, what doesn’t and why you should care. Keyboards, trackpads, trackballs, mice, chairs, we cover it all."

What makes for a good car movie?

Things kick off with some soap talk, and then there's a deep dive into the current state of…things. Stay home, friends.

There's some follow-up on Billy Joel Results.

John thinks it's different for car people, and Merlin saw a Tesla. Sometimes, it can be difficult to enjoy media that gets details you care about wrong.

For homework, please watch FX on Hulu's Devs.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 10, 2020)

Law professor @UCDavisLaw @ucdavis & on @TrumpConLaw. Thinking about technology, law, dystopia & the Constitution.

The main topic is the career and oeuvre of New York resident, William Martin Joel.

This week kicks off with some virus talk. Merlin is worried that we've lost the recipe for ice, and John is feeling very cynical. Don't worry about the giant barrel full of explosives; the water will cushion that. John remembers chicken pox parties, but Merlin is confused about exactly how a quarantine works.

In follow-up, your hosts wrap up their (mostly spoiler-free) discussion of Cheer. As it turns out, cheerleaders are kind of a lot like soldiers, and you really wanna be on the lookout for those entrepreneurial dads. Merlin dreams of typewriters. John requests an update on Millennium Actress progress.

When John was growing up, Billy Joel was everywhere and was a lot like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Then, John left Long Island.

There is some disagreement about whether Billy ever technically got "big," but you gotta know that the man is a very gifted melodicist. John wonders how he would function in a Beatles-like band, and Merlin just really loves those bridges. John seems to kind of envy Billy's helicopter lifestyle.

(Recorded on Sunday, March 1, 2020)

While investigating a temporal rift, the Enterprise encounters a ghost from its own past - the USS Enterprise-C, which travels twenty two years into the future and changes the course of history.

Having sold more than 150 million records, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in the world. Throughout the years, Joel’s songs have acted as personal and cultural touchstones for millions of people, mirroring his own goal of writing songs that “meant something during the time in which I lived … and transcended that time.”

WINS: 5

Some back-door Secret Weird Things People Do about the cadences that trigger stuff in your head.

Merlin is healing just as John is getting sick. Merlin has chained several bad decisions, and John has concerns about Merlin's office wall. John has moved some things around in the doc.

In follow-up, John has acquired some Studio Ghibli from iTunes and reports back. This leads to further discussion of the beauty of Miyazaki films and a consideration of what makes them so special. Are the roles of filmmakers similar to the work of comics artists? What if you're just not a fan of currently fashionable inking techniques?

Hollow bones.

Your hosts talk about the new Netflix show, Cheer. They could have gone a lot of directions, but we can all agree that there are many, many injuries to be had.

Next up, a recent Roderick on the Line conversation leads to a consideration of the voice in your head alongside the ability to visualize. Consciousness is very difficult to discuss.

John thinks Merlin definitely doesn't have an actual photographic memory. And she's loving him with that body, I just know it.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 10, 2020)

Grab your black cat and portable radio, climb on your mom’s broomstick, and join us for a king-sized discussion of Hayao Miyazaki’s classic animated film “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” This film features a climactic scene featuring an out-of-control dirigible, so you know we love it.

A litany of the lost things is presented and analyzed, and a catechism for finding the lost things is interrogated.

This week kicks off with some accidental video and an update on Merlin's ill health. John has been maintaining some lists, and Merlin shares some confessions of the Banker's Box lifestyle. Many things still need to leave my house.

In follow-up, Merlin is ready to present his iTunes Results regarding the acquisition of Studio Ghibli movies. John finally draws a line in the sand. Why split the movie? Why no extra features? Is it Siracusa's day to watch Roderick? The magic of Miyazaki is extolled. So much smoking.

Speaking of media homework, John has a new assignment for Merlin. Then, some documentary talk in general.

John is back to harassing Merlin about how often he washes the towels, and Merlin is provoked into making a confession of fanciness. Some friend. John, in turn, confesses to being upset by Merlin's ghastly pet companions. Everything in the house is Bando'd. Merlin has some questions about Daisy's technology stack. This leads to a pretty deep dive on the design trade-offs that go into contemporary dog-tracking innovations.

Finally, the boys return to Secret Weird Things People Do, and John has a bath mat concept for consideration, plus a hot tip on bathtub materials.

(Recorded on Thursday, January 30, 2020)

"Enjoy your favorite purchased moviescombined into one collection."

The ROLLS MS111 is a general purpose muting switch for microphones. The MS111 will pass phantom power, with no popping on the outputs. It is configurable to be Push to Mute or release to Mute by a second switch accessed on the side of the unit. The MS111 can have the mute switch configured to be Momentary (see manual), the switch is set to latching from the factory. The MS111 is only compatible with balanced signals.

"They are spirits resembling giant chickens or ducks that are clients of the Bathhouse, here they put themselves into bath tubs. They are servants of the deity Ōtori."

How life is like a rally or a bridge or some…software, I guess?

Things kick off with an administrative meeting about the doc. Merlin tries to keep John from sneaking in, and John thinks Merlin should just use his eyeballs. Analogy sandwiches and their contents are debated. John lives with an unnamed two-towel person, and Merlin thinks he knows who it is.

Spock loses his phaser, and Merlin earns his first multisyllabic laugh from John. Merlin can tell whether you are an AT&T customer, and John thinks phone calls in general are creepy. Merlin demonstrates his robot hands for John. Merlin thinks he's an open book, and John realizes there's always something to be yelled at about. There's also some fairly harrowing cat follow-up.

In a mini-topic, John talks about Studio Ghibli movies (finally) being available digitally, and Merlin offers to take one for the team and report back. Also, some talk about metadata.

Merlin has questions for John about what constitutes a "rally." Is there a better word for having to thread an existential and chronological needle in life? Because that's what Merlin needs a name for.

Regardless of what you call this phenomenon, it's not about being first or fastest; it's about timing all the jobs and obligations that you know about, as well as leaving padding for when (inevitably) more comes up or stuff changes.

Like project management and software development, life has a funny way of hiding dependencies and disguising milestones. This leads to a deep dive on understanding the culture of your environment and the foibles of human nature.

People, amirite?

(Recorded on Tuesday, January 14, 2020.)

John has a Mac Pro prep mess, and Merlin is struggling with post-holiday mess stress.

This is all well beyond Preparing the Way. This leads to a surprisingly detailed exploration of the challenges posed by setting up a new workspace given the constraints of the room and gravity. Cables, man. Cables.

Sisyphus is pushing another Sisyphus up a hill. You really don't want to make Daddy bring in his banker's box. How long before the elves arrive to remove all these yogurt containers? Maybe they'll "do it later." Stuff your sorries in a sack! Also, this new bean bag chair is very, very large.

Christmas Results are discussed further, and John has makeover ideas for Merlin's lounge. John's vegetarian has recently widened her palate.

Finally, John has a new pinboard, but there are some design and integration challenges. Merlin gratefully receives the only gift he's wanted for years. 🎢

"She's there with the nose ring."

"Looking for thrills? Well, you've found them. In fact, you've found some of the fastest, tallest, wildest, most gut-wrenching rides in the country-including a few record-breakers."

A/K/A, 'The Matt Haughey Lights'

John continues to Prepare the Way, his wife can't close one eye, and there's a Spoiler Slot on HBO's "Watchmen."

In the interest of timeliness, this episode, recorded Tuesday evening, has been rushed to you on an accelerated schedule.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.)

The boys envision a Thanksgiving in which you won't get anywhere near the turkey until you've dealt with an upsettingly mercurial new host.

Things kick off with a review of Thanksgiving results that quickly swerves into a deep dive on hotels. Why is Merlin obsessed with this one Marriott in Gold Country, and how come John avoids bunking with roommates?

And, even then, you'll be called upon to help solve a stomach-churning murder mystery.

There's just a little bit of Survivor talk. Why don't the castaways like the odds of rocks, and when will Coach and Russell return as mentors?

Merlin has been excavating old hard drives, and John can't understand how he ever got to this point. Hug your backups, people.

Speaking of food, things wrap with a twist on Secret Weird Things People do: what's the deal with food?

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 3, 2019.)

Maitrī (Sanskrit; Pali: mettā) means benevolence, loving-kindness, friendliness, amity, good will, and active interest in others.

Some more Secret Weird Things People Do. And, we've got some doozies.

Things kick off with a check-in on Watchmen. Is John feeling more confident about it? There are MacGuffins inside of MacGuffins. John is still enjoying the Apple TV+ shows, and Merlin thinks expectation deflation can really work in your favor. John didn't remember that Jennifer Aniston was in Office Space.

In a related mini-topic, Merlin wants to talk about The Mandalorian as a way to explore what we like about Star Wars. Unsurprisingly, John is avoiding a poster, and Merlin gets schooled on the importance and greatness of Return of the Jedi. Thank goodness for our fellow fans who grew up to make new Star Wars for us.

John has qualms with Merlin's neologism and doesn't even like when people do that anyway. The summer of 1982 was wild.

Your hosts try to explain live TV to their children. Also: telephones.

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 19, 2019.)