Reconcilable Differences

Merlin can't tell whether John is mad at him, but John claims that he's not.

Merlin can't tell whether John is mad at him, but John claims that he's not.

In follow-up, listeners share even more upsetting information about ice machines, and John has further remarks on a podcast Merlin likes. Also, Merlin remembers to tell John about his health problems.

Names and pronunciation are further explored, and John criticizes Daisy's herding skills. Then, for some reason, they talk about lunchboxes for a while. John thinks Merlin should do more due diligence on his realizations.

In an unexpected burst of Macintosh nostalgia, your hosts recall weird hard drive problems and Kerry from MacWarehouse.

Then, Merlin has to go home to turn off the smoke alarm.

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 4, 2024)

“Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

John complains about a podcast that Merlin likes, and Merlin announces that professional eye care is a racket.

John has some concerns about Merlin’s water intake and general desk situation.

In what begins as follow-up, John has further illumination regarding the oven dial problem. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this leads to a lot of appliance talk.

John complains about a podcast that Merlin likes, and Merlin announces that professional eye care is a racket.

Finally, John wonders why he’s started receiving such a big magazine.

In this month’s member bonus episode, Merlin leads a deeper investigation into the vacation problem. Travel is about more than travel, plus if you want to get better at something, it’s useful to stop pretending you’re great at it.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 28, 2024)

It’s not just smart— it’s countertop genius: the Tovala Smart Oven.

John thinks Merlin drinks too much water, which naturally leads to a deep dive on the landscape of consumer ice machines.

Things kick off with some initial concerns, and then Merlin shares why so many things are kind of like a television.

In Follow-Up, John has confused his retired newscasters, and Merlin still hasn't figured why he was so disoriented by a strange oven. Werner Herzog cameos are considered.

Next, Merlin has a confession that reflects the logical conclusion of realizing you can always augment the sub-standard materials supplied by a host.

Painful rituals of car seats and Catholicism are considered, and John indulges Merlin's retrospective look at 15th century gift cards for sin.

John thinks Merlin drinks too much water, which naturally leads to a deep dive on the landscape of consumer ice machines.

(Recorded on Tuesday, May 14, 2024)

Merlin shares two recent experiences with Apple technology that were unqualified successes. Which, of course, leads to a jeremiad about some consumer tech that's a good deal less successful. John explains how writing books is like jazz, man.

Things kick off with a recent Apple ID dust-up, but John's not so sure it's any different than the usual Apple ID dust-ups. Merlin has a panic attack when his beloved debit card doesn't work.

Then, there's some Follow-Up on the Magic Marker System which John thinks might be post hoc BS, and Merlin asks John to clarify his term for being his family's TV ambassador, although that's not the word he used.

In something like a main topic, Merlin shares two recent experiences with Apple technology that were unqualified successes. Which, of course, leads to a jeremiad about some consumer tech that's a good deal less successful.

Merlin suspects Airbnbs might be a racket for rich people to get free housekeeping for a house they've never actually lived in, and John explains how writing books is like jazz, man.

In this week's members-only after show, Merlin has a quick drinking update, and then your hosts discuss the very good FX show, Shōgun. Spoiler Horn fires off at 2:08:06.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get cool bonus stuff, and—yes—support this program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 2, 2024)

Normally, the rule of threes contains the following:

Follow-Up opens with a correction from John and an admission that he's very disappointed in you, the listener. John clocks Merlin's sudden overuse of some given word.

Things kick off with an acknowledgment of the enthusiastic listener response to the Waffle House episode. Merlin compliments John on a bit, and John handles that pretty much how you'd expect.

Follow-Up opens with a correction from John and an admission that he's very disappointed in you, the listener. John clocks Merlin's sudden overuse of some given word.

There's a brief tangent into Shōgun and some films Merlin liked less than John. There's some discussion of subtitles and screenshotting.

There's further Follow-Up on the Mark System in day-to-day use. Then some discussion of horses, words that sound like other words, plus more sneaky Britishisms.

As is so often the case, this somehow leads to your hosts complaining about technology for a pretty long time. Would it kill you to provide a deep link?

Merlin suddenly becomes very animated thinking about designing a new Mark system that would involve 3D-printing some jellypacks.

The episode concludes on a surprisingly rabbinical note.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 16, 2024)

The video that changed so many lives.

Merlin made a GPT for the Mark system.

Merlin made a jelly pack supercut.

John guides Merlin through an unusual form of communication.

John guides Merlin through an unusual form of communication.

So unusual is this form of communication that its interrogation continues through the members-only bonus episode.

Remember, you can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support this program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, April 2, 2024)

The learning curve for a Waffle House server can be steep, and even steeper for a cook. The process by which an order cycles from the customer-menu interaction to the final presentation of food is complex, multimodal, and reliant on code-switching.

John mistakenly used this name instead of the correct one. (See next link.)

This is what John should have said.

Topic include perception, misdirection, binaries, and how it is that "Survivor" so rarely leaks.

Things kick off with the usual problems, and then somehow there's a whole thing about magic tricks, perception, and misdirection. John cannily coins "The Reverse Columbo."

In Follow-Up, Merlin has a headphone correction, Listener Dave nominates !bff, Listener Benjamin identifies the weird old guy pronunciation channel, and a band from the 80s gets the LED out.

John points out that, with computers, binaries are definitely a thing, but Merlin feels like he could go either way about it.

For a main topic, your hosts have more to say about Jelinsky. As a very entertaining dingaling, our guy's brief time on Survivor provides a good opportunity to explore how the show is produced and presented.

Finally, your hosts consider John's potential career path as "an external coach."

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 19, 2024)

The series Seinfeld mentions many fictional films, sometimes as major plot elements, sometimes minor plot elements and often as running gags.

"I ONLY ATE ONE!"

A new season of Survivor brings an amazing new dingaling with a novel definition of "several." Then, John chats with Merlin about his recent Apple Vision Pro experience.

Things kick off with having already begun, then there's some words that also mean their opposite, and some new weird pronunciations.

In Follow-Up, a new season of Survivor also brings an amazing new dingaling with a novel understanding of "several."

As a main topic, John chats with Merlin about his recent Apple Vision Pro demo.

For this month's members-only bonus show, John offers Merlin and his family advice on buying a computer.

We also have, as a special added attraction, how Merlin goes to bed.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, March 5, 2024)

In the interest of transparency, I only JUST realized SCTV is Second City TV. Ugh. I know. I KNOW.

Jelinsky's brief time in the game was marked by a tendency to overcommit before giving up at the slightest resistance. His non-committal attitude cost him his tribemates' faith and he became the first person voted out of the season.

Follow-up, Billy Joel, and Apple Vision Pro.

John doesn't like how Merlin starts the show but, unsurprisingly, has nothing better to offer. Counting is discussed. Then, there's a tangent on the peculiar joys of long-running videos series.

Then there's a lot of really good listener Follow-Up, including new Things It Took You Too Long to Realize plus more examples of movies that don't seem to understand the sport that they're about. Merlin confesses that Ry is his only friend.

Next up is some fascinating FU on the ways non-English languages handle plurals. John demands Merlin find out whether his kid knows what a jellyroll is and directly implies that Merlin also does not know what a jellyroll is.

It seems like your hosts are about to talk about Apple Vision Pro when Merlin suddenly remembers there's very important new content from Dr. William Martin Joel that requires immediate discussion. John thinks he kinda looks like a Sontaran.

Then your hosts talk about Apple Vision Pro for a pretty long time.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 20, 2024)

"Tim Heidecker's On Cinema at the Cinema is a web series created by Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington. Well, web series is reductive... its more like a cinematic universe... the OCU?"

Merlin's sole friend on the internet.

John has Follow-Up on the Ides of March that leads to an examination of Roman numerals, contextual adjectives, and the challenge of adapting software for the peoples of Volapük.

John has Follow-Up on the Ides of March that leads to an examination of Roman numerals, contextual adjectives, and the challenge of adapting software for the peoples of Volapük.

Next up is some guidance on the rope John was trying to push in the previous episode, and Merlin expresses gratitude to the listeners who also didn't know Aja has a person on it. Your hosts learn that you can't make an Omelas without…you know. Breaking something.

Then, John and Merlin talk about the American singer, Taylor Swift.

Apparently still in Follow-Up, there's more talk about DisneySea, and then Merlin gets surprisingly animated in discussing his ardor for some networking software and a recent music video.

Finally, the listener is treated to a discussion of sports in movies.

For this month's members-only bonus show, John has questions about Merlin's AI friends.

You can sign up today to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program.

(Recorded on Tuesday, February 6, 2024)

Margaret Qualley dances her little heart out in this outstanding commercial directed by Spike Jonze.

"or no-see-um-green"

Listen for the subtle music changes between lands in the MK. Also notice how the pavement changes as well, especially as you travel across the nation and through time from Liberty Square (the Colonial Eastern US) into the Frontierland (western US). 

The Purkinje effect occurs at the transition between primary use of the photopic (cone-based) and scotopic (rod-based) systems, that is, in the mesopic state: as intensity dims, the rods take over, and before color disappears completely, it shifts towards the rods' top sensitivity.[