Reconcilable Differences

By RelaySociety & Culture

Reconcilable Differences episodes

May 21287: Died of Robots
Subtitle: Don't bug the widow.
This time around, it's homework, Merlin-style.
Links and Show Notes:
This time around, it's homework, Merlin-style.
(Recorded on Tuesday, May 12, 2026)
Credits
Audio Editor/Tarantella Identifier: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. The Pasta Song
Merlin's toot showing a video of his pasta timer.
Tarantella - Wikipedia Tarantella in The Godfather Part II - YouTube @chrisgardner's question about aluminum foil - Mastodon The Great Aluminum Foil Debate: Shiny Side Up or Down? - America's Test Kitchen The Reason Aluminum Foil Has a Shiny and a Dull Side - Reader's Digest
1 hr 9 min
May 08286: Ain’t Nothin’ Gonna Break My Stride
In order to proceed with the extraction, John has needed to evolve his approach.
This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:
Vitally: Your Copilot for AI-Powered Customer Success. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes:
In order to proceed with the extraction, John has needed to evolve his approach.
In this month’s member bonus segment, your hosts discuss homework.
You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and help support our program.
Recorded on Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Credits
Audio Editor/Merlin's Handler: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Reconcilable Differences #224: A Second Lap of the Babies
Maybe the episode where we talk about Dole raisins?
GoodLinks
John’s link-tracking app.
American cheese - Wikipedia Emulsified, by Yo La Tengo - YouTube Visualizing The Simpsons episode ratings - Reddit John’s 24-second Marathon video - YouTube Break My Stride, by Matthew Wilder - YouTube Break My Stride, by Matthew Wilder - Wikipedia John explains his Destiny music videos - Hypercritical.co Pon farr - Memory Alpha
1 hr 50 min
April 24285: The Regular Amount of Hopelessness
John has some questions for Merlin.
This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:
Vitally: Your Copilot for AI-Powered Customer Success. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes:
John has some questions for Merlin.
Credits
Audio Editor/First Chair Saxophonist: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. I Deleted My Second Brain, by Joan Westenberg
Why I Erased 10,000 Notes, 7 Years of Ideas, and Every Thought I Tried to Save.
YAGNI - Wikipedia XKCD #974 - The General Problem The IKEA Effect ATP Dev: Nuggets of Wisdom Jonathan Trott’s toot about Demolition Man and Taco Bell in Australia Demolition Man (1993) Pizza topping changes in Inside Out More country-specific changes in Inside Out - YouTube Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist - Wikipedia Dr. Katz, Season 1 Episode 2 - YouTube Not Too Soon, by Throwing Muses - YouTube Joaquin Phoenix Takes The Colbert Questionert - YouTube Sting Takes The Colbert Questionert - YouTube
1 hr 53 min
April 10284: Burger Boy
Subtitle: If you want to get into the puffy village, you have to have a child with you.
What we talk about when we talk about bagging your own groceries.
Links and Show Notes:
Things kick off with some vintage and international Follow-Up on video extras. Your hosts also consider why you might not actually want to deliberately remove all the Fluoride from your family's drinking water.
John admits he was once residentially saddled with persistently discolored drinking water.
As a main topic, your hosts consider whether bagging your own groceries might not be the most durable analogy for how we navigate the present—let alone what we anticipate some eldritch, notional future. Expertise is agreed to be complicated.
In this month’s member bonus segment, your hosts discuss why someone might choose to delete their "second brain." Should you consider throwing out everything you ever wrote down and just start over? Especially given that it can be difficult to meter the usefulness of a given 55-gallon contractor bag?
You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and help support our program.
(Recorded on Tuesday, March 31, 2026)
Credits
Audio Editor/First Chair Saxophonist: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. SNL UK opening monologue - YouTube Nick Lowe - Wikipedia 'Born Fighters' 1979 Documentary Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds & Rockpile - YouTube Voice of Harold, from Dead Letter Office, by R.E.M. - YouTube Mike Martin‘s post about behind-the-scenes documentaries in Australia Jess Bowers’s post about EPKs (electronic press kits) Chad Hughes Interviews Todd Osgood from Project Farm - YouTube West Campus at Boston University Ski lift ticket holder (“wicket”) The Bluesky post by James in MN that gives the example of bagging groceries John D. Mott: Accused of Sexual Misconduct St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, in Smithtown, NY The Testament of Ann Lee - YouTube I Deleted My Second Brain, by Joan Westenberg
Why I Erased 10,000 Notes, 7 Years of Ideas, and Every Thought I Tried to Save
Merlin’s garbage-free Readwise link for the “I deleted my second brain” post Tool For Thought, by Steven Johnson Elements of a ColdFusion application
1 hr 25 min
March 27283: Famous in My Head
Subtitle: I never say it's for kids.
Merlin has a question about a YouTube channel, and John has some notes on R.E.M. and their songs' lyrics.
This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:
Vitally: Your Copilot for AI-Powered Customer Success. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes:
Merlin has a question about a YouTube channel, and John has some notes on R.E.M. and their songs' lyrics.
Credits
Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Victor Fell Yellin Behind the Scenes: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - YouTube
Merlin’s first Serious Feather video
Practical Engineering - YouTube
Grady Hillhouse's YouTube channel.
Behind the Scenes: True Grit - YouTube Mr. Scorsese - Apple TV
The life and work of Martin Scorsese.
Merlin's Bluesky post containing questionable R.E.M. lyrics Merlin's Bluesky post showing a 1984 R.E.M. magazine page
The magazine page includes the lyrics to So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry).
Unjustly Maligned #48: Early R.E.M.
Marlin talks about early R.E.M. with Antony Johnston.
Best of Bootie Mash-Ups
More free mash-ups than you can shake a stick at.
How R.E.M. Became The Preeminent College Rock Band (And Then Graduated) - YouTube
Trash Theory's video about R.E.M.
1 hr 46 min
March 13282: Sadness Accrues
Subtitle: Why are you in the bathroom with our food?
Merlin's Garbage Apparatus.
This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:
Vitally: Your Copilot for AI-Powered Customer Success. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
Links and Show Notes:
Merlin has some Follow-Up on words, and John updates us on dishwashers.
This week's main topic is Merlin's Garbage Apparatus.
In this month’s member bonus segment, your hosts discuss the first season of HBO's A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and help support our program.
(Recorded on Tuesday, March 3, 2026)
Credits
Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. QI: Series O, Episode 7 - Opposites Backronym - Wikipedia Retronym - Wikipedia Aptronym - Wikipedia Dishwasher Air Gap Garbage Apparatus, v1 - YouTube Merlin’s garbage backboard system Stuff Made Here: Moving hoop won't let you miss (2020) - YouTube Stuff Made Here: I made a ball seeking hoop (2022) - YouTube Smarter Every Day 208: Laminar Flow - YouTube Nate From the Internet: short laminar flow demo - YouTube Epcot: Jumping Water Fountains at Imagination Pavilion - YouTube Jumping Water Fountains of Imagination at EPCOT in 4K - YouTube Kids playing with the jumping water fountains at EPCOT - YouTube The Man Who Made Water Fly: The Inspiring History of Epcot’s Leapfrog Fountains (Article) The Man Who Made Water Fly: The Inspiring History of Epcot’s Leapfrog Fountains (Video) The Line: Saudi Arabia - Wikipedia A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Bloopers - YouTube A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms official podcast ALT SHIFT X - A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (Dunk & Egg) - YouTube The Dog Sitter Detective series, by Antony Johnston
1 hr 43 min
February 27281: I’m the Hero
Subtitle: John's systems are a problem.
On holes, art, and the nature of friendship.
Links and Show Notes:
On holes, art, and the nature of friendship.
(Recorded on Tuesday, February 3, 2026)
Credits
Beloved Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Five Short Graybles - Wikipedia Naming Schemes Elkay Dayton 25" Drop In Single Basin Stainless Steel Kitchen Sink An image of a sink with 4 holes on the rim and one drain hole Thaddeus Quintin’s sink hole advice Todd’s soap dispenser Joris-Karl Huysmans - Wikipedia Colin from This Does Not Compute converts his Maclock into a working Mac Corgi 261 Aston Martin DB5 model car Maize. You call it corn. Wednesday is Prince spaghetti day
1 hr 37 min
February 12280: How Dangerous I Can Be
John explores how to repurpose an extra hole.
This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:
Surfshark: Use this link or use code DIFFS at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!
Links and Show Notes:
Merlin comes clean about his slashed-sevens resolution, and John explains the sweatshirts of his storied attic.
For a main topic, John explores how to repurpose an extra hole.
In this month’s member bonus segment, your hosts discuss the Australian Open's 1 Point Slam.
You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and help support our program.
(Recorded on Tuesday, February 3, 2026)
Credits
Audio Editor/First Chair Saxophonist: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Swapfest: The Flea at MIT RFC 2822 - Internet Message Format RFC 1178 - Choosing a Name for Your Computer Pets vs. Cattle Stress-Shift: stress, accent, and rhythm explained - Dr. Geoff Lindsey on YouTube OpenClaw (née MoltBot, née ClawdBot) From Clawdbot to Moltbot: How a C&D, Crypto Scammers, and 10 Seconds of Chaos Took Down the Internet's Hottest AI Project Capocollo - Wikipedia Prosciutto - Wikipedia An example of a "Kitchen Side Spray" An example of a kitchen faucet with an integrated spray Gridfinity - Zack Freedman on YouTube Gridfinity 2.0 - Zack Freedman on YouTube Sir Alan Frederick "Tommy" Lascelles - Wikipedia Australian Open 1 Point Slam Galliano - Wikipedia The OA - Wikipedia Maddux (baseball statistic) - Wikipedia Australian Open 1 Point Slam highlights (20 minutes) - YouTube Australian Open 1 Point Slam highlights (5 minutes) - YouTube AstroTurf - Wikipedia
1 hr 47 min
January 30279: I Promised Myself I Wasn't Going to Be Excited
Subtitle: Temperature is the enemy of glass.
John tells Merlin how to do a fraud with his eyeglasses, and Merlin tells John about his air fryer.
Then they talk about a new thing they've both independently started using a lot.
Links and Show Notes:
John tells Merlin how to do a fraud with his eyeglasses, and Merlin tells John about his air fryer.
Then they talk about a new thing they've both independently started using a lot.
Credits
Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. SNL: Taco Town - YouTube Merlin’s air fryer John’s air fryer First impressions of Claude Cowork - Simon Willison What Actually Is Claude Code’s Plan Mode? - Armin Ronacher My Claude Code Workflow And Personal Tips - Zhu Liang Status Board, by Panic Calculator Construction Set - Folklore.org OMG.lol Pondering an orb…
2 hr 21 min
January 16278: You’re a Dingleberry
Subtitle: “I am the oven now.”
Merlin shares his Large Appliance Results.
(Recorded on Tuesday, January 6, 2026)
Links and Show Notes: Credits
Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
Music: Merlin Mann
The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley
Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Get a Job - The Silhouettes (1957)
Dip dip dip dip dip dip dip…
“…and that’s my trick.”
Clemenza teaches Michael how to make sauce in The Godfather.
10 Apple TV Tips from Stephen Robles - YouTube Princess telephone - Wikipedia Trimline telephone - Wikipedia Five products so over-engineered, they're actually kinda worse, by Zack Freedman - YouTube Zack Freedman’s 3D Filament Tier List - YouTube Jumperless V5
The next generation jumperless breadboard.
Colin M. Ford's screenshot of the “Writing Direction” menu items’ icons in iPadOS “The Staten Island of San Francisco” - jwz.org Merlin’s big toaster oven: the Breville BOV900BSSUSC John’s favorite toaster over: the Breville BOV650XL The smallest Breville toaster over: the BOV450XL Lawn Darts from the 1980s - Reddit Aerobie - Wikipedia Raclette - Wikipedia Raclette grill mistakenly placed in the wrong orientation Old Trapper beef jerky Fight Club (1999) Demotivators from despair.com Meetings: None of us is as dumb as all of us Merlin Mann: Who moved my brain? - YouTube Midnight Commander Tautulli for Plex Blu Lights (2023) season 1 - Wikipedia Downstream #107: A Thanksgiving Visit from Alan Sepinwall The Wire - Wikipedia Nicola Coughlan - Wikipedia Nicola Coughlan on The Graham Norton Show - YouTube Richard Dormer - Wikipedia Merlin’s Trakt.tv list: The Troubles & Northern Ireland Siân Brooke - Wikipedia Taylor Tomlinson - Wikipedia Kelsey Cook - Wikipedia The Troubles, by U2 - YouTube Watching TV Makes You Smarter - The New York Times
"The total number of active threads equals the multiple plots of "Hill Street," but here each thread is more substantial. The show doesn't offer a clear distinction between dominant and minor plots; each story line carries its weight in the mix."
7 - Wikipedia
Most people in Continental Europe, Indonesia, and some in Britain, Ireland, Israel, Canada, and Latin America, write 7 with a line through the middle (7), sometimes with the top line crooked
Local files - Spotify Georgia-Pacific to Close Its Foley Cellulose Facility in Perry, Florida
The paper mill that Uncle Bill mentioned.
NEVER Touch "The Cornballer" - Arrested Development - YouTube
"Hot! Hot! Hot!"
1 hr 38 min