Back to Work

DISCUSSED : Rabbit, rabbit!; Dan wants to be sedated; at some point, Merlin had most of the optimism bred out of him; a lot of problems and small beefs get overlooked for survival and sanity reasons right now; Dan shares listener recommendations for movies like the Missions Impossible ; time was, you went to the weird video store and just hoped you got the good guy; Dan wants to remind you that he...

DISCUSSED : Merlin has a lot of infrastructure going on; your hosts share strong feelings on time zone discrimination and its attendant big-timing; Dan has more cool videos coming to his channel ; some boring nerd talk on voice recording options; Dan needs your suggestions for more movies like the Missions Impossible; in Follow-Up, there's some good news and some bad news related to both COVID and...

DISCUSSED : time is hard; X-Men for eight cellos; in follow-up, Dan has some clues for troubleshooting his jumpy screen; it's valuable to understand what problem you didn't solve; then, of course, comes the extended weekly airing of COVID grievances; Merlin needs advice on choosing a Zoom recorder; check out Dan's new thing !; recommendations for Ted Lasso and Ethan Hunt; some lessons to bring hom...

DISCUSSED : Dan is joining a campaign, and Merlin's eyesight now precludes him from being an AD&D dungeon master; Dan has a concern about his laptop screen and needs your help; then, the boys settle in for a good, old-fashioned recommendations episode; podcasts, pens, video editing apps, a 3D printer, a new SoundSource, hard drives, and even a moisturizing cream for your little patch. Links fo...

DISCUSSED : the joys of a movie that reveals itself over multiple viewings; good storytelling is difficult but so rewarding; as you know, Bob, a lot of movies have that Walk Hard problem; Merlin has questions about Dan's day-to-day in Travis County; people are cooking the books; why do so many people have the Extremis virus these days?; we could still make a big dent; and, finally, wow, the demand...

DISCUSSED : Merlin has discovered a unique new voice emerging from the medical and spiritual communities; your hosts interrogate the implications of this new material; Dan and Merlin have media recommendations; as a main topic, your hosts explore the many, intertwined complexities of trying to figure out "the future" right now. Links for this episode: Stella Immanuel, Trump’s New COVID-19 Doctor,...

DISCUSSED : There's really only one topic right now, and it's not going away any time soon. Many analogies and historical echoes are explored. The future, if it exists, is going to be very weird. Links for this episode: And the Band Played On (film) - Wikipedia Cooter (30 Rock) - Wikipedia And the Band Played On streaming: where to watch online? What teachers really think about school reopening in...

DISCUSSED : knife talk and flea market nostalgia; a deep dive on state knife law; knife tips from listeners; Merlin reinstalled Homebrew; comfort viewing amidst these challenging times; also, a healthy fear of Australian spiders. Links for this episode: Flea Market | Drive in Movies| Florida Swap Shop California’s Knife Laws – What You Need to Know California Knife Laws - Rules On Possession And U...

DISCUSSED : Merlin has flies in his bathroom; Dan's town is really going through some times; there's some COVID talk, duh; Merlin solved a very strange iOS beta bug; main topic involves some thoughts on the Apple betas and the tantalizing future that they imply; Dan has a new keyboard and an accompanying conspiracy theory; leathers men are discussed; and, finally, Merlin needs to use the bathroom—...

DISCUSSED : the things we can and cannot do anything about; the things that can and cannot change; and the wisdom to know all of the differences. Links for this episode: Ep. 389: "The New March" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin Mann State Flag - 1845 - Florida Department of State On March 3, 1845, Florida became the twenty-seventh state. Citizens of Tallahassee presented incoming Governor Will...

DISCUSSED : Dan and Merlin take a first look at Apple's recently-announced iOS and iPadOS updates. Links for this episode: iPad Keyboards - Apple Paul Verhoeven - Wikipedia Secure, Fast & Private Web Browser with Adblocker | Brave Browser AmazonSmile : Arlo Pro 3 – Wire-Free Security 2 Camera System | 2K with HDR, Indoor/Outdoor, Color Night Vision, Spotlight, 160° View, 2-Way Audio, Siren | W...

DISCUSSED : Merlin is nauseated, and Dan has advice on what you definitely should or should not buy at a gas station; Merlin says he'll be brief, but, as usual, it turns into a real stem-winder as…; Merlin addresses the complexity of treating mental illness in a way that doesn't upend your body and life ; Dan needs some TV show recommendations, but has very strong feelings about talking animals; M...

DISCUSSED : Dan and Merlin talk about hot dogs. Links for this episode: Uncured Beef Frankfurters (Natural Casing) | Boar's Head Products - Hot Dogs - Applegate PRODUCTS « Kahns Donate - Howard Brown Health "Howard Brown was established on the premise that healthcare in the LGBTQ community should be a readily accessible right, not a luxury – that those who lack the privilege of adequate health cov...

DISCUSSED : not everything can be everything; pain accumulates; getting weepy about a cool teacher; expanding on our new thought technology for reframing negative thoughts and feelings; abstracting that new thought technology to tons of different endeavors; why won't they just let me win this video game?; the scissors and Scotch Tape are wherever you left them ; the joys of ritual and control; the...

DISCUSSED : Skype struggles; nobody likes parsnips; Dan remotely teaches Merlin to cut his own hair; Dan introduces a new game show, and Merlin is dealing with poop; life is not currently optimized for multiple-event days; Merlin challenges you to remember when exactly eight minutes has gone by; why we'll eventually each discover what the hell happened on our personal Galápagos; the exhaustion of...

DISCUSSED : discussion of The Freshman and thoughts on what makes a movie "hold up"; has anyone ever craved a three-star movie?; what Merlin really wants is a smart friend; Dan is enjoying On Becoming a God in Central Florida ; the difficulty of making weird good; I didn't buy it a beer; your mask is not a case for your beard; Dan has follow-up on bikes; Merlin has follow-up on companies and WFH h...

DISCUSSED : Here we are in Spain; a lot went on behind the scenes of The Wizard of Oz ; also Modern Problems existed; further discussion of 80s movies; they used to make more movies; B-MO gets a show?; secrets of the child whisper network; Saturday morning memories; C19 is making a lot of holes and gaps in kids' lives; what even is the deal with colleges?; wisdom from the great Kevin Kelly ; it's...

DISCUSSED : Dan has concerns!; every road has many parts, but you seriously need to show your humanity; stop signs are really just velocipede serving suggestions; not all wood floats; too soon; an ambitious crossover is proposed; Cormac McCarthy rules ; Phillip W. Battery sure has a lot going on for a busy and attentive new dad; as a main topic, your hosts bounce off a terrific recent episode of M...

DISCUSSED : Merlin is having a strange day, and Dan notices everything ; please remember that fear and stress and anxiety are pretty terrible motivators; praise for On Becoming a God in Central Florida and 1Password; security theater vs. security reality; Dan's new mouse is as quiet as a…what's the word?; Brushing with Hardest Available Toothbrush Considered Harmful; Dan is gently exposing his son...

DISCUSSED : our perception of value is definitely personal and maybe even a little generational; sometimes, the only thing you can afford is the best; a listener question about where your hosts are with comics; further praise for TaskPaper; updates on macOS text editing; Merlin capitulates to Catalina; Dan answers a listener question about coping with chronic back pain; learning how to stop rehear...

DISCUSSED : Dan loves it when things just work and so does Merlin; Dan is composting, and Merlin is down to clown; ¡repita después de mi!; massive real-time follow-up; playing with iBeacons; excellent follow-up and notes from listeners; many reccomendations; memories of Grad Night; this is a very silly one. Links for this episode: The Weirdly Enduring Appeal of Weird Al Yankovic - The New York Tim...

TW: very brief mention of suicide around minute 24. DISCUSSED : a classic three-act episode! Expertise is difficult to explain—let alone to teach; the Sunday Scaries are real ; it's an interesting (and surprising) time for people with anxiety and depression; let's keep trying to give each other a break; some follow-up on Descript and the One-Drawer Project; You Look Nice Today is back ; finally, D...

In this very intimate episode, Dan and Merlin share some ideas for positive yet do-able projects to improve your life and world in these dumb, scary times. Also, covered in this episode: recommendations for Max Richter's Sleep and an insane new podcast production app called " Descript ". Links for this episode: Sleep (album) - Wikipedia Max Richter: Sleep Album Review | Pitchfork The audacious com...

Difficult times and the Venn overlap between anxiety and OCD. Hang in there, everybody. Links for this episode: Epistemic Trespassing | Mind | Oxford Academic Epistemic trespassers are thinkers who have competence or expertise to make good judgments in one field, but move to another field where they lack competence—and pass judgment nevertheless. We should doubt that trespassers are reliable judge...

DISCUSSED : “ CATS — Now and Forever!”; BokBok.wtf ; on civic responsibility; Dan browses worms, and Merlin finds him a spider; Dan wants some keyboard advice, and Merlin just needs a ride; some thoughts on engaging versus escaping right now; praise for Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo; suggestions for leveraging the wonder of libraries today; Dan is working on a big Minecraft project, also some list...