Reconcilable Differences

John and Merlin argue about the Google doc for a pretty long time.

This week kicks off with some complaining about Google’s UI cruft. Also, why are school websites so bad? Technology old and new is discussed. John just wants to upload a photo, and Merlin learns a lot about targeted individuals. John is skeptical about whether this is really a thing, but Merlin is pretty sure it is.

John thinks Merlin missed an opportunity to be a guru, and Merlin has thoughts on how not to be that particular guy. In further discussion of crappy business software and practices, your hosts reminisce about Gantt charts and other bad ideas. Managers just want to know what people are doing, and sometimes that takes a surprising amount of effort. Merlin thinks hammers and nails are a problem for everybody, so…where are we with that?

In further important metatalk, past and future homework is reviewed. Merlin has beef with Slate.

In follow-up, John is brought up to speed on the situation with homework at aftercare. Merlin endorses Succession for John, but not without (yes, more) complaining. What is the DEAL with HBO’s video quality and excruciating banding and artifacts? John notices these things too and thinks compression is an issue. Too many channels in the band! John just wants correct 24 frames-per-second.

John endorses Castle Rock, and Merlin has an app for John to track his TV watching. In the interest of consistency, the episode ends with yet more complaining.

(Recorded on Tuesday, September 11, 2018.)

White Knighting is an attempt at being a feminist ally that assumes that men are better feminists than women are.

Track the shows you love and react to the moments that move you.

Hosted by Federico Viticci and Fraser Speirs, Canvas is a podcast all about mobile productivity. Armed with iOS, Federico and Fraser will be walking through workflows, exploring the best apps for the iPad and iPhone and helping users solve problems.

Homework is discussed, and John confesses to once starting the world’s longest book report. John recounts his career of creative abuse of Macintosh skills back in elementary and high school, and Merlin dons his notional 43 Folders hat.

This week, Merlin is losing his mind, and John’s kids can’t even.

Merlin praises his kid’s tech-savvy teacher, and John has questions about how well Merlin has been following his orders. Merlin admits that he literally has not.

The topic expands to a wider exploration of Big Ideas in parenting, education, and pedagogy. Merlin has a little niggle, and John remembers when parents had a modest annual kiss budget. Then, things get gritty. Can models help kids? Want a Rice Krispies treat?

John clarifies a previous insane reference you couldn’t possibly understand, and Merlin vents a little.

At 1:26:29 the spoiler horn fires off for a discussion of HBO’s Sharp Objects Season One.

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 28, 2018.)

The main topic this week is Merlin’s documentary obsession. Turns out: there are a lot of turns-outs. John and Merlin explore what’s so tantalizing (or off-putting) about some documentary films—as well as the whole genre as a thing.

Also under consideration is Roger Von Oech's fascinating modal, character-based approach to making stuff—acknowledging the very different work of the Explorer, Artist, Judge, and Warrior. But, critically, also striving to keep those characters in the right order and on the right parts of the right task at the right time. Then, knowing when to change things up.

John has some questions about a podcast Merlin likes, and this leads to a discursive walk through what makes a podcast stick.

This week kicks off with John’s candid assessment of Merlin’s new facial hair experiment, and Merlin expresses sympathy for John’s own grave face challenges. Ziti is briefly discussed, and Merlin has a feature request for ATP.

John doesn’t want to know how much Chapo makes each month, Merlin makes some recommendations, and your hosts struggle, as ever, with recommending pretty much anything.

The Relay FM membership drive is on, and we’d love it if you’d consider supporting it.

Ziti is discussed further. John may blog more about video games someday. Maybe.

This week’s mini-topic finds John interrogating Merlin about camping. Merlin doesn’t like leaving the house, and John learns about bear boxes. Merlin shoos his child away, and John reminisces about his young and moist tent days. Merlin has some tips and a lot of gear. John’s daughter’s camping was more—how does one say?—rustic.

John has some follow-up regarding a good opportunity to see Perfect Blue on the big screen, and the boys reminisce about the time when Star Wars was scarce. Merlin remembers when Betamax tapes were costly.

Finally, the horn fires off at 1:23:13 for a Spoiler Slot on A Quiet Place (2018).

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 14, 2018.)

Sometimes I make playlists, especially for the particularly musical episodes of podcasts I do. I really like making these, so I'll probably do more.

PERFECT BLUE, the groundbreaking and rarely screened first film from the legendary director Satoshi Kon (Paprika), returns to theaters for its 20th anniversary in a brand-new digital transfer.

This week’s main topic is a goodie: the things only YOU notice. The things only you care about. And, sure, the things only you don’t notice (but probably should).

Again with the Skype, and the show is off and running with a quick gloss on Programming, Scratch, homemade Pong, and another podcast where John adjudicates what is or is not a thing.

John goes bowling, but it isn’t proper bowling, and Merlin doesn’t actually make it into arcades so much anymore. John explores the squalid underworld of Gambling for Children, and Merlin talks about some recent high-quality dogs he’s met. John thinks Merlin is nowhere near ready for a canine in his life, but Merlin just wants a sweet, precious, cos-playing Corgi.

Merlin wonders when it’s time to talk about Elon Musk, and John draws comparisons to his favorite big-talking, emotional CEO. Merlin doesn’t like John personally, but continues to listen to his old podcast with Dan.

John has some follow-up on his daughter’s time at sleepaway camp. The Sorting Hat erred, there may have been a spinal injury, and scurvy is a concern. Anyways…

Children are observed via GPS, and spouses just disappear in another county. How hard is it to pick up a phone?

Merlin has two pieces of business, including some pre-talk about a future Spoiler Slot. Then, there’s a brief update on the Mann family raiding Professor Siracusa’s Plex. Merlin’s daughter was reportedly last seen somewhere near The Lost Woods.

John sees scratches on his Mac, Merlin wants to know who slightly moved a cable, and why in God’s name do people keep turning the scale 90°? Where does this agita come from, how do these emotions get misdirected, and why in the hell is this pizza box here?

On the other hand, how even can you know what you don’t know if you don’t know what you don’t know? John makes a strong case for obliviousness.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.)

What is computer programming? And what doesn’t qualify?

What do you hear when you walk into a Casino? It can feel like chaos, but each sound is carefully curated to draw you in and make you stay. One collection of sounds are scientifically and artistically designed to keep the gambler, gambling. Slot machines. This episode features interviews with Willie Wilcox, Chief Sound Designer at Scientific Games in Las Vegas, Laura Taylor, composer and sound designer for a number of slot machines across the US, and Karen Collins, who has led extensive research into the sound and music behind these games. Is it addiction or entertainment? Maybe it's both. Pull the lever and listen for yourself.

The way our brains process sound affects the way we respond to sound. This episode is about why that happens in those who suffer from misophonia, the hatred of certain sounds. Featuring researcher Dr. Phillip Gander, psychologist Dr. Ali Mattu, and misophonics Meredith Rosol and Josh Furnas.

5by5 Time Machine is an service that lets you subscribe to time-shifted feeds for current and retired 5by5 shows.

The TV Business has all of us feeling about as tired of each other and ourselves as we can get — which is why this episode is mostly us eschewing comedy altogether in favor of the development of the BEST GAME EVER MADE. Grab your friends and put the kids to bed: It’s time for Which One Vapes?!Suggested talking points: Celebrity Power, The Fish Happening, Vape Club, Sports Fact Coupons, Guytunes Pranks, A Hot New Party Game, The Invention of Salad, Aquaman’s Business

Taking a step back and looking at how we look at things.

A Selection of the Most Popular and Up and Coming Games from Around the World

The boys weigh in on The Civility Debate.

This week, Merlin has managed his time poorly and John has notes about the verisimilitude of Memoji. John’s daughter is at camp and Merlin thinks the show notes are just a mess.

This week’s mini-topic cover’s Merlin’s struggle with a sound bar. This leads to some TV (set) talk. John is in the market for a new one and Merlin asks for some tech advice. Plants are discussed.

John brings us up to date on his recent trip to England, and Merlin talks about Cho Chang.

John has some notes on Merlin’s ice cream workflow. John has many layers, and Merlin just wants to get back to his life. Merlin’s family raids John’s Plex, and Professor Siracusa has some recommendations. Zelda is discussed, and John has a thought on Link’s gender. The Mann Family Summer Movie Project is discussed.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 17, 2018.)

"The awful thing about life is this: Everybody has their reasons."

This week's main topic is "Getting Big in Podcasting."

This week starts with an inhale as Merlin fails to solve several of John's musical puzzles. Then, there's some R.E.M. talk. As you do.

This week's mini-topic involves Merlin's Summer Projects. Merlin likes choosing the right word, and John doesn't really do projects. This ends up leading to some deep discussion about buying a guitar and trying to get better at it.

John can't understand why Merlin would paste a screenshot, and Merlin likes watching John edit the Google Doc.

Our fellow Relay host made a video about getting on a podcast network, and this leads to a broad exploration of value, independence, friendship, and the unique power to make something you love.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.)

As keyboards replaced cursive, backspace replaced erasers and whiteout. Then touchscreen keyboards emerged, yet backspace remained unquestioned and unchanged. On a touchscreen, backspace functions as it does on physical keyboards, as if there were a real key with a pressure pad underneath. Then and now, backspace has a very binary 2-bit input: you can TAP or HOLD.

The Mosaic is a solid cedar top guitar with solid mahogany back and sides. The cedar & mahogany combination typically produces a sweet warm sound. The Custom Polished finish further enhances the sweet sound of this combination. This model excels in more intimate musical settings.

In what ends up being the accidental main topic, John and Merlin dive into the impossibilities of "Keeping House."

This week opens with Merlin’s heavy reappraisal of Isle of Dogs, plus an anecdote that involves his wife slapping a remote out of his hands. John shares some strong opinions about motion smoothing and reveals the stunning secrets of Instagram. Your hosts discuss New England.

John reveals a new wrinkle in his daughter’s recent dietary radicalization, while Merlin points out that John has a lot of balls in the air. It is agreed that all houses should probably come with documentation. Your hosts may have the ultimate white whine. That said, there are consequences.

Stackers and pilers are contrasted, large trucks are hastily hired, and things (still) need to leave John’s house.

Fantasy house management is explored, but throwing air conditioners from the attic is, sadly, just not going to happen.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 19, 2018.)

Coined by Carlin Vieri in his time at the MIT AI Lab (1993-8)[1] after viewing[2] a 1991 episode of The Ren and Stimpy Show featuring "Yak Shaving Day," a Christmas-like Holiday where participants hang diapers instead of stockings, stuff rubber boots with coleslaw, and watch for the shaven yak to float by in his enchanted canoe.

This week’s main topic finds John interrogating Merlin about the germophobia threat model. Merlin tries to distinguish his carefulness from a three-letter condition, and John reminds us why he doesn’t make lists.

This week’s wraparound episode begins with the annual WWDC reporting live from the show floor. Then, Merlin explains a joke and shows John an image you can’t see yet. John has trouble stopping the flow of WIRED, and Apple TV apps are further discussed. Merlin briefly uses his Nest camera as a voice dingus. Very briefly.

Your hosts talk about how they handle the Wild West of two-factor authentication, and what happened with that whole Amazon tube lady dustup. John has thoughts on what it would take for these things to get smarter. Merlin accidentally freaks out his landlord with Technology.

John provides an update on solo-dadding and his new domestic vegetarian, and Merlin is still up against it with the family’s disruptive snacking workflow. John has follow-up on Merlin’s other program and his recent foray into Instagram. The fretfulness of preparing kid lunches and getting hair brushed is discussed.

Also, how hard is it to just pick up the phone and make a call? It’s not that hard.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 29, 2018.)

Fecal microbiota transplantation or FMT is the transfer of fecal material containing bacteria and natural antibacterials from a healthy individual into a diseased recipient.

This week's challenge: read Vision.

This week's challenge: swab your bacteria.

This article shows you how to connect your Nest products to your Google Assistant along with some examples of things you can say and do. For example, you can use your voice to control Nest thermostats, Nest cameras, and the Nest Secure alarm system, and you can have Google Home announce when someone rings your Nest Hello video doorbell.

Smart home company Nest today announced that a promised Google Assistant update for its Cam IQ security camera has now arrived, which brings Google’s voice-based artificial intelligence platform to the indoor version of the camera.

This week’s challenge: get some help.

This week kicks off with a main topic: Kid Independence Projects. Merlin is trying a new thing, and John admits that he’s "pan-fretful."

What kind of stuff do you undertake to encourage your kids’ independence and responsibility? What about the fires and the knives? Merlin is proud when his daughter deceives him, but John’s a little disappointed with his kid’s failure to cover her tracks. Can you even imagine your kid having to go to church?

In follow-up, John updates us on how his beloved TV fared during the sleepover dance party. Merlin shudders to recall the unbelievable tween drama of a very large sleepover.

Merlin was hoping John had forgotten he’d agreed, out of nowhere, to definitely watch Millennium Actress. Would you like to speculate as to whether John remembered? Merlin confesses his Broadway kick.

John interrogates Merlin’s sleep and napping habits, then reveals what would happen if he had a week at home alone. Merlin shares an unexpected side-gift of the Kid Independence Project, and both hosts continue to embarrass their daughters very deeply.

Nest Cam IQ Indoor includes the Google Assistant. That means you can speak to your camera to get information, manage tasks, and control the other smart devices in your home. Here’s how to enable the Google Assistant on your camera and some things you can say.

This popular book is now updated with new illustrations and advice that will help you feel confident and in control when you're home alone. It includes boredom busters, fun-for-one ideas, quizzes, neighborhood know-how, snack recipes, safety tips, first-aid information, and sibling survival secrets. Plus, this girl-friendly guide features a handy tear-out booklet for keeping track of important information and house rules.

Goofball Island is one of the Islands of Personality. It consists of a jack-in-the-box, hammer and a merry-go-round. It was spawned when Riley Andersen danced around the house naked with underwear on her head after a bath. It gets started off when Riley makes monkey noises or rides down a railing.

This week’s main topic is tricky to label, but let’s call the jumping-off point, Millenials and Quality.

This week kicks off punctually, with some follow-up from John on Destiny 2 users getting more vault space to hold all their stuff. Why not 3000 slots? Who even knows? Merlin confesses that he’s terrible at controlling his PlayStation and extolls the magic and perplexity of Movies Anywhere. Siri control of Apple TV is discussed.

In more official follow-up, John has updates on the systematic chair cleansing at his office. John has a rooting interest in the last rebel chair, and Merlin wonders if John’s maybe thinking about it a little too much. John also updates us on the status of his peckerhead.

Merlin is happy to hear John checked out Monster Factory but continues to be sad that the McElroys aren’t John’s cup of comedy tea. Other homework is reviewed.

Next up comes a short and mostly spoiler-free discussion of the movie, Isle of Dogs. John’s curious what Merlin thought was so kid-unfriendly about it, and Merlin obliges, albeit with important additional details. The Fantastic Mr. Fox is lauded.

Merlin thinks six podcasts is too much podcast, and John says that’s nothing compared to real performers. For some reason, Les Miz keeps coming up, and Merlin endorses the comedy of John Mulaney.

Does curating the stories about one’s possessions potentially represent a subtle generational divide? Merlin has a young and cockamamie theory about why younger people obsess about coffee and backpacks, and John notes that everybody used to keep their houses way nicer. John struggles to identify the things he doesn’t know he doesn’t care about, and Merlin finds portent in his Grandmother’s biannual stripe of cleanliness.

Things wrap with John’s concerns for his television in the presence of dancing, and news is shared about a family member’s bold new dietary declaration.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.)

Set in Japan, Isle of Dogs follows a boy's odyssey in search of his lost dog.

Merlin takes his sleeping pill, then John has some important updates on the return of his chimney's avian peckerhead. John still lives in a drum, and Merlin thinks it's time to deploy a reconnaissance drone. John still really, really doesn't want to fall off his roof.

Movies Anywhere lets you seamlessly store your favorite movies in one place so you can watch them when and where you want.

This week's challenge: buy a bag.

For the main topic, John educates Merlin about the first-person shooter game, "Destiny." Merlin feels overwhelmed, while John says we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

The episode about self-hacks.