John has a new angle on smart home monitoring, and Merlin shares some new thoughts about "The Godfather" (1972).

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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In Follow-Up, John has updates on his health journey, and Merlin shares a fun cameo appearance by the Magic Marker System. Also, there's a new twist on the Millennial Tic project.

John has a new angle on smart home monitoring, and Merlin has some new thoughts about The Godfather (1972).

In this month’s member bonus episode, your hosts discuss the importance of door management.

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(Recorded on Tuesday, August 20, 2024)

Credits

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

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The episode of Last Week Tonight where John Oliver talks about Waffle House

Reconcilable Differences #232: Ham Means One

The episode where we discuss the Waffle House Magic Marker System™.

Semantic satiation - Wikipedia

The Rule of Thirds - PetaPixel

A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander

Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software

Waffle House Training - Pull Drop Mark Order Calling Method - YouTube

"Easy!"

Eve Door & Window sensor

YoLink Smart Hub and two Temperature Sensors

YoLink Water Leak Detector

The YoLink store at Amazon.com

Don Corleone's Mustache Turns into a Tree

Chad L. Coleman - Wikipedia

Morgan Jones from The Walking Dead - Wikipedia

The Stallman report

The uneven paces of technological and personal progress.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Merlin checks in with John to see if he's started noticing the Millennial Speech Tics. Of course, this leads to a lot of discussion about how people do and don't talk.

In Follow-Up, John shares a French meat word, and then he updates us on his health.

The main topic this week seems like it's going to be about best practices for phone charging. Fortunately for the listener, it broadens into a slightly more interesting exploration of the uneven paces of culture, technology, and personal habits.

(Recorded on Tuesday, October 1, 2024)

Credits

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

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Who has the most repetitive intonation? - YouTube

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

Iron Sky (2012)

Megalopolis (2024)

Tom and Ray Magliozzi's 1999 MIT Commencement Address - YouTube

Unrealistically easy phone-booth hacking in WarGames - YouTube

The History of Pets vs. Cattle, and How to Use the Analogy Properly

Subtitle: Even Lou noticed it.

John and Merlin argue about whether John's new avatar is extremely bad.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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John and Merlin argue about whether John's new avatar is extremely bad. Opinions differ.

Merlin identifies John's new catchphrase, and John catches us up on his health. In further Follow-Up, there's some bad news for liver sausage enthusiasts.

Mini-topics include: fake swearing, garlicky pasta, poor line management, and your hosts' unusual food equipments.

In this month’s member bonus episode, your hosts discuss John's HBO updates, plus Season Two of House of the Dragon.

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(Recorded on Tuesday, September 17, 2024)

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.

Give to St. Jude!

Doug DeMuro's YouTube channel, featuring "…but anyway…"

The John Siracusa paper doll, by David Galletly

Boar’s Head Shuts Down Virginia Plant Tied to Listeria Deaths

The "starn" video, which attempt to explain the Australian "Oh NAUR" pronunciation

Paprika recipe manager app

$h*! My Dad Says

DVRs Can’t Handle New Show’s Title - The New York Times

JustWatch website

JustWatch apps

Kanopy

Blur Vs. Oasis: Who Won The Battle of Britpop? - YouTube

The Story of Pulp and COMMON PEOPLE - YouTube

Wonderwall at Know Your Meme

Finally! Best Pliers I've Ever Tested! Not Even Close! - YouTube

Simply Saline™ Allergy & Sinus, Seasonal Congestion

Subtitle: Italy is not immune to stochastic anomalies.

Your hosts relitigate this shameful cultural moment in which people keep blaming sweet precious angels for human stovetop cock-ups.

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Links and Show Notes:

John is under the weather and hands over the keys to Merlin who very much does not want the keys handed to him.

In Follow-Up, there are updates on misleading names and a theory on why everyone's a doctor now. Project Farm Todd has some fun with a bit about YouTube, but, gratefully he doesn't do the voice.

John considers officially becoming a real Italian.

Most importantly, your hosts relitigate this shameful cultural moment in which people keep blaming sweet precious angels for human stovetop cock-ups. John will not stand for it, and Merlin begs people to just stop asking cops questions.

(Recorded on Tuesday, September 3, 2024)

Credits

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

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Stewart Lee's stand-up show - YouTube

How French Drains Work - YouTube

French drain - Wikipedia

German chocolate cake - Wikipedia

An example of Austrian title fever

iPhone Mirroring in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18 Now Supports Jiggle Mode

Todd Osgood “imitates” other YouTubers

Another dog unjustly blamed for a fire

Dozens injured, pets killed in fires causing Samsung to recall 1.1M stoves

Kerry Condon

Sleep the Clock Around - YouTube

Subtitle: There are no Tuddies in Ohio.

Merlin demands an opportunity to defend his honor, and John encourages him to get more adult supervision.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

Things kick off with Merlin demanding an opportunity to defend his honor and John encouraging him to get more adult supervision.

Next up, there's so much good Follow-Up on new Things It Took Me Too Long to Realize, the judge from a Jonathan Coulton song, which dwarf didn't get the tattoo, plus further insight on whose notes live in the margins of John's The Power Broker.

In this month’s member bonus episode, your hosts finally talk about Merlin's soundbar.

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(Recorded on Tuesday, August 20, 2024)

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.

Krud Kutter Brand Page

It's simple. We believe cleaners should be tough on krud, but gentle on nature.

Original Krud Kutter Cleaner & Degreaser

Removes really tough soils as quickly and effectively from so many different surfaces. Cuts grease, grime, oil

The Must for Rust - Rust Remover & Inhibitor

The proprietary formulation penetrates into every void of a metal surface and dissolves rust/oxidation through chemical action. Then tiny, rust-inhibiting crystals are formed and become integral with the surface molecules of the metal to resist future rusting.

Kenesaw Mountain Landis is a Jonathan Coulton song

Gimli didn’t get the tattoo

Lord of the Rings cast members showing off their matching tattoos

Lord of the Rings cast reunion Zoom call in 2020

Location details for the Lord of the Rings cast tattoos

The margin note in John's copy of The Power Broker

The back cover of John's copy of The Power Broker

Chimp Crazy

Sherman's March documentary

Thomasin McKenzie

Alfred Molina Breaks Down His Career - YouTube

Sir Ian McKellen's acting process - YouTube

Siracusa and the meta-meta-bit

In general, I love any meta-meta-bit where Siracusa refuses to participate in the meta-bit.

What Roy Wood was capable of. | Everybody's a critic. | Flickr

Merlin's toddler learned how to work a stereo receiver pretty early on.

John reports back on his Vacation Results.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.

Links and Show Notes:

John's Vacation Results, some listeria concerns, the bridges of New York City, and sundry thoughts on long sentences. All interspersed with periodic commentary on Merlin's legacy of poor decisions.

(Recorded on Tuesday, August 6, 2024)

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.

Sayonara Wild Hearts (Game)

Sayonara Wild Hearts (Album)

Sayonara Wild Hearts soundtrack - YouTube

LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"

Merlin's toot about stain

Boar's Head recall

Boar's Head recalled products (PDF)

Boar's Head recalled product labels (PDF)

Traditional Pepperoni (Natural Casing) | Boar's Head

Hell Gate Bridge in New York

99% Invisible's podcast series about The Power Broker, by Robert Caro

Tanger outlets in Riverhead, NY

Transporting wind turbine blades in China - YouTube

'It's Transformative': Māori Women Talk About Their Sacred Chin Tattoos - Vice

Subtitle: I'm a snuggler.

Your hosts discuss the breathless magic of "Project Farm."

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.

Links and Show Notes:

Things kick off with John preparing for his family's annual sojourn to the beach.

In Follow-Up, there's a new Scandinavian sleep technology, and your hosts aren't precisely sure what makes it so Scandinavian. Still, they remain open to adjudicating whether it might be a Secret Weird Thing. The modal shapes of a sleeping dog are considered.

The main topic this week is Project Farm. Merlin cops to buying some new knives and a jug of acid, and John has thoughts on the value of objective product testing.

In this month’s member bonus episode, your hosts talk about some recent TV shows they've enjoyed.

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

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 16, 2024)

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.

The origins of the gated snare - YouTube

Monitors Unboxed - YouTube

Project Farm - YouTube

Todd Osgood - IMDb

Todd Osgood's Patreon

Jerry Cans - YouTube

Merlin's first Project Farm video - YouTube

Project Farm: Scissors

Project Farm: Vacuums

Project Farm: Kitchen Knife Sets

Project Farm: Ratchets #1

Project Farm: Ratchets #2

Project Farm: Ratchets #3

Project Farm: Water Filters

Project Farm: Rust Remover #1

Project Farm: Rust Remover #2

Ceramic vs. Steel Knives - YouTube

Canary Cardboard Cutter - Amaon

Roderick On the Line #56: We Paradise in Our Wake

Consanguinity

Stupid Thing, by Aimee Mann

Poor Judge, by Aimee Mann

Aimee Mann's discography

Dan Harmon's favorite 30 Rock joke - YouTube

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons episode of Community - Wikipedia

Kit Fisto Makes Everything Better

Fallout (TV series) - Wikipedia

Hampton Fancher

Girls5eva - Wikipedia

Daniel Kahneman - Wikipedia

The Night Manager - Wikipedia

House of the Dragon family tree meme

Curl, by Jonathan Coulton

Subtitle: Merlin is pretty close to just giving up.

John has updates on some recent elective plumbing.

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.
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Links and Show Notes:

In Follow-Up, there's an update on movies with spelled-out abbreviations, John finally figures out why his magazine got bigger, and Merlin checks in on jiggle mode.

Next up, John shares some very biased reporting on dogs and technology. Merlin thinks people should just stop interviewing first responders. This somehow leads to a very useful discussion of proper key hygiene.

Then, your hosts conduct a studious review of the literature regarding why we build ships.

As your main topic, John has updates on some recent elective plumbing.

(Recorded on Tuesday, July 9, 2024)

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.

How an 18th Century Sailing Warship Works - YouTube

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

No Gnews is Good Gnews with Gary Gnu

Big Blue Marble - intro - YouTube

Elliott Smith - "Sweet Adeline" - YouTube

HomePod Saves Family's Life After Dog Starts Kitchen Fire

Electric scooter sparks apartment fire in San Francisco

“A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” – John Augustus Shedd

The Princess Bride (1987)

Reconcilable Differences #58: Elective Plumbing

Sacrificial Anode

MythBusters Season 5 Episode 20: Exploding Water Heater

Trethewey Brothers Plumbing

Chesterton's Fence

Cutting off the ends of the roast

Merlin's Wisdom Project

Subtitle: When you go from zero readers to one reader, it's the biggest 100 percent in the world.

What does it mean to be a young person in the age of ubiquitous capture?

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Listen Later: A read-it-later service for your ears.
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Links and Show Notes:

Things kick off with Merlin's inspiring Apple success story. Then, there's some consideration of where all these wrecked cars might be coming from.

In Follow-Up, John learns he's not the only aging auto enthusiast whose magazine has gotten bigger. Also, listeners share more novel, rich-people technologies for making your kitchen look like it's not actually a kitchen.

The main topic finds your hosts considering what it means to be a young person in the age of ubiquitous capture. John makes a case for the value of having all your ideas challenged, and Merlin learns how little he knew about the ERA.

In this month’s member bonus episode, your hosts finally address a topic that's been hanging out in the doc for a while now: Mastodon hates threads. After making two distinct piles, Merlin does a terrible job just sticking to the first one.

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

(Recorded on Tuesday, June 25, 2024)

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.

Portrait of Madame X, by John Singer Sargent

Invisacook.com

A kitchen where everything is hidden - YouTube

Associated Motor Cycles

American Motors Corporation

American Motors Incorporated

Nash Metropolitan Coupe

200 cars in the woods - YouTube

What's the Story Behind the Wrecked Car on a Mount Tamalpais Trail?

Love Island on SNL - YouTube

Merlin's Mastodon thread about the Portrait of Madame X

Michael Whelan - Wikipedia

Michael Whelan on Mastodon

Why didn’t the Fellowship take a boat to Mordor?

Feeding a farting wombat - BBC - YouTube

Flash photography used to be pretty wild - YouTube

Gender: An Ethnomethodological Approach, Kessler, McKenna

Kessler and McKenna convincingly argue that gender is not a reflection of biological reality but rather a social construct that varies across cultures. Valuable for its insights into gender, its extensive treatment of transsexualism, and its ethnomethodological approach, Gender reviews and critiques data from biology, anthropology, sociology, and psychology.

Subtitle: It’s rotten, Mohammed.

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

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes:

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)

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.

Big Brother and the Holding Company

Imogen Poots

Dale Carnegie quote about names

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

An example name-pronouncing YouTube video using the Dale Carnegie quote

A look inside a fountain drink machine

Adam 12 lunchbox

John's Super Hero lunchbox

MacWarehouse catalog

Kerry from MacWarehouse

LaCie Tsunami external SCSI hard drive

A larger image of the LaCie Tsunami hard drive

John's Mac OS X reviews

Will Ferrell (Ashley Schaeffer) - "Let The Boy Watch" - Eastbound and Down Outtakes - YouTube

Subtitle: They're the size of the schmutz.

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

This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

• Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code DIFFS.
• Jane Street: The quantitative trading firm. Learn more, and see their open roles now.

Links and Show Notes:

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)

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.

Mike Milzz’s stove dials

Dan Pierce’s stove dials

Impulse: A super-fast electric stovetop with a big battery

Voyagers! (TV show)

The Omni

Samsung refrigerator with stupid doors

Blank Check podcast

Blank Check's podcast series on John Carpenter

Dark Star (movie)

Blank Check episode on Dark Star

CGP Grey’s Metric Paper video

The origin of “Big Tennis” - Do By Friday episode #62: I Fifteen Love You

The udm=14 query parameter for removing junk from Google search results

StopTheMadness browser extensions

Reconcilable Differences #12: Hobbit Tendencies

Jenny Nicholson’s four-hour video about Disney's Galactic Starcruiser hotel

Tovala Smart Oven

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