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

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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

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.

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(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

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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

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

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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…

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

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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!"

John's new art piece leads to a discussion of accuracy and build quality in toys for grown men and sometimes children.

Links and Show Notes:

John's new art piece leads to a discussion of accuracy and build quality in toys for grown men and sometimes children.

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
  
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
  
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Merlin's toot: "I may have figured out why my phone keeps dimming."

Maclock on Ali Express

Hatsune Miku figurine at Walmart

Frieren figurine

Hand-painted model kit of Nausicaä riding Kai - Reddit

Stellar Blade’s Eve figurine

Calico Critters

LEGO Friends

LEGO Creator 3in1

LEGO Duplo

LEGO Quatro

Four-Byte Burger recreation story - YouTube

Four-Byte Burger pixel art, by Jack Haegar (1985) re-digitized by Stuart Brown,

Four-Byte Burger recreation (PNG)

Cheltenham (typeface) - Wikipedia

In 2003, The New York Times introduced a more unified Cheltenham typographic palette for its headline use in the print edition.

Elmo's World: Jackets (DVD Rip) - YouTube

James Bond's Aston Martin D.B.5 (261) – Corgi Model Club USA

Subtitle: You can’t yell at math.

A quick check-in on whether or not the machines are helping.

(Recorded on Tuesday, December 9, 2025)

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code DIFFS with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.

Links and Show Notes:

A quick check-in on whether or not the machines are helping.

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
  
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
  
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Get 20% off annual membership until the end of 2025!

Bloody Sunday (2002)

Peelers - Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives

Why are the Irish police called peelers? - Quora

Plants with Seeds that Stick to your Clothing (aka burs), by Miles Hearn

Kenny Rogers and the First Edition - Wikipedia

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People Who Have Alzheimer Disease and Other Dementias

Richard Dormer - Wikipedia

Game of Thrones cast singing I Hope I Don't Fall In Love With You, by Tom Waits

Magic (1978) Trailer - YouTube

Subtitle: The beginning, the beginning!

The dog-blaming continues, and John has updates on the social component of arc raiding.

Links and Show Notes:

The dog-blaming continues, and John has updates on the social component of arc raiding.

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
  
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
  
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Dog Accidentally Shoots and Injures a Pennsylvania Man, the Police Say - The New York Times

Dog-Centered Design - One Foot Tsunami, by Paul Kafasis

OU launches wireless button allowing dogs to control household appliances

INRI - Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum

Clever Hans - Wikipedia

Arc Raiders

Subtitle: Everybody starts out with the same quarter.

After some Follow-Up on phone dimming and naked swimming, John discusses a video game with some unusual—and possibly unintentional—social mechanics.

Links and Show Notes:

After some Follow-Up on phone dimming and naked swimming, John discusses a video game with some unusual—and possibly unintentional—social mechanics.

In this month’s member bonus segment, your hosts discuss the first two episodes of Prur1bus (Apple TV, 2025).

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

(Recorded on Tuesday, November 11, 2025)

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
  
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
  
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

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Get 20% off annual membership until the end of 2025!

iPulse - Iconfactory

iPulse in the Apple App Store

Naked swimming in gym class mentioned in the pilot episode of 21 Jump St. in 1987

Written by Patrick Hasburgh, who was born in 1950.

Technology Connections - YouTube

Nissan Figaro - Wikipedia

Marathon (2025-ish) - Wikipedia

ARC Raiders

ARC Raiders trailer - YouTube

ARC Raiders - Wikipedia

Nexon, owner of Embark Studios, makers of ARC Raiders - Wikipedia

Pluribus (aka Plur1bus, aka Plurbius) - Wikipedia

Rhea Seehorn - Wikipedia

John’s post about a review of Top Gun - Hypercritical

Pluribus’s log line

“The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.”

Edgar Wright: How to Do Visual Comedy - Every Frame a Painting on YouTube

I Think About My Painting Goblin in The Sims a Lot - Becca Schuh in The Cut

Monster Factory - YouTube

Empty Nest Results.

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 28, 2025)

Links and Show Notes:

Things kick off with some quick Follow-Up on Merlin's hot phone and how our ancestors' brains dealt with Lead.

For a main topic, John's kids have left for college, so what kind of changes has he noticed so far?

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 28, 2025)

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.

Our Human Ancestors Were Exposed to Lead, and New Research Suggests It May Have Shaped Human Evolution - Smithsonian Magazine

The Wandering Village: a game that really wears its influences on its sleeve

Subway Surfers - Wikipedia

Why TikTok Always Has Subway Surfers Or Family Guy Playing - YouTube

Remess: an app to show stats from your Messages history

Use at your own risk!

Kids in the Hall: The Eradicator - YouTube

Subtitle: Merlin can still smell the slide oil.

TiVo: The Exit Interview.

Links and Show Notes:

John leads us through the TiVo Exit Interview.

In this month’s member bonus segment, your hosts discuss Alien: Earth (FX, 2025).

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

(Recorded Tuesday, July 22, 2025)

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.

Quaker meeting (game) - Wikipedia

Last One Laughing: Bob Mortimer's Funniest Moments - YouTube

TiVo Stops Selling DVRs

Philips DSR6000 for DIRECTV - TiVopedia

Merlin's first TiVo

Alien: Earth - Wikipedia

Alien (1979)

Aliens (1986)

Alien³ (1992)

The Tithingman at the Ipswich Meeting House – Historic Ipswich

Apparently, what Merlin calls "the bonking stick" refers to a staff or rod wielded by a "Tithingman."

Subtitle: “Periscope up!”

Main topic is the various voices in our heads. If the technology existed to expose the workings of our interior world, what do we imagine it might look like?

Links and Show Notes:

John has Follow-Up on naked swimming as well as an update on his mystery beep. Merlin is increasingly concerned about his Lead, but it's a little late for that now.

The main topic is the various voices in our heads. If the technology existed to expose the workings of our interior world, what do we imagine it might look like?

(Recorded on Tuesday, September 30, 2025)

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.

Reconcilable Differences #270: We Inflated Our Pants

This episode includes our members-only aftershow, free for everyone.

How half the US lost part of their minds - YouTube

This is the "lead in baby teeth" video.

How artificial intelligence gave a paralyzed woman her voice back

Meet the Little Brain Region that Helps You Say What’s on Your Mind

Scientists develop interface that “reads” thoughts from speech-impaired patients

AlterEgo: Thought to text

Aphantasia - Wikipedia

Unified Modeling Language - Wikipedia

The Rest Is History #604: Greek Myths: Sex, Drugs & Tragedy (Part 3)

Lawrence M. Schoen - Wikipedia

New College professor and Klingon language specialist from whom Merlin took a Mnemonics class.

New Order - "The Beach" ('Blue Monday' remix, 1983) - YouTube

Merlin thinks this is how electric cars sound.

Kraftwerk - "Uranium" (1975) - YouTube

Source of the sample used by New Order.

Everything You Know About “Blue Monday” is Probably Wrong I New British Canon - YouTube

Peg-word mnemonic - Oxford Reference

one is a bun, two is a shoe, three is a tree, four is a door, five is a hive, six is sticks, seven is heaven, eight is a gate, nine is wine, ten is a hen.

Amazon.com: The Memory Book: The Classic Guide to Improving Your Memory at Work, at School, and at Play: 8580001059679: Lorayne, Harry, Lucas, Jerry: Books

Merlin couldn't remember the author of this book, and that's just funny.