Back to Work

Dan dives deep on his Sonos setup, and Merlin explores official state things.

Links:

• Amazon.com: Pyle Home 4-Zone Channel Speaker Switch …

DISCUSSED: Merlin's family doesn't understand him; an extremely funny TV show is recommended; your hosts address some of the trade-offs that continue to hinder easy smart home adoption; Dan teases a big smart audio …

Try to make sure fear is always preceded by curiosity.

Links:

• (1) AI Generated Ad - Synthetic Summer. No real people featured - By Private Island - …

Merlin has a lot of thoughts about AI stuff.

Links:

• The Nice Guys (2016) - IMDb

Dan's house continues to get smarter, and Merlin has some very good media picks.

Links:

• boygenius - the film - YouTube
• Ancient Warfare Expert Rates 10 …

Dan has big updates about his smart home setup, and Merlin is getting intimate with a robot.

Links:

• The Future is a Dead Mall - Decentraland and the …

DISCUSSED: Steve Buscemi is celebrated, and The Big Lebowski is congratulated; the guys continue their dive into the state of smart home hardware …

Dan is curious about AI voice transcription, and Merlin has yet more smart home advice for a new homeowner.

Links:

• How an 18th Century Sailing …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has some been analyzing a very misleading song about beaches, and Dan has been visiting more with ChadGPT.

Links:

• You're not going …

DISCUSSED: Dan has a new iPad keyboard, and Merlin is intrigued by ChatGPT. Also, Merlin almost tunes his guitar.

Links:

• OpenAI
• I tried using AI. It …

DISCUSSED: Dan's takes some smart baby steps into home automation, and Merlin has a lot to say about everything.

Links:

• Obsidian — Obsidian is a …

DISCUSSED: Dan begins a new journey into smart home living, and Merlin is excited about common misconceptions.

Links:

• List of common …

DISCUSSED: After settling some confusion about Anna Borg, the boys settle into an amble about the state of voice assistants and the future of the theoretically smart home. As ever, Merlin is pretty excited about music, …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is extremely happy with a suggestion that Dan made, and Dan has a bunch of apps he's excited about.

Links:

• Yahtzee - Wikipedia
• …

Typing on an iPad, rhyming compulsively, default media, and taking a young foodie out on the town.

Links:

• 7UP Commercial- Make 7...UP yours! - YouTube
• …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is excited about reading, and Dan sometimes puts his time in a box. Also: Breaking Bad.

Links:

• Living In Expectation of the …

DISCUSSED: Merlin recommends an exciting new beta; Dan gets a new e-reader; and Merlin has a lot to say about taking notes.

Links:

• Readwise's …

DISCUSSED: a classic odds n' sods episode encompassing a missing remote (and a failed system), some wallet FU, cool help with playlist management, …

Merlin is still on Island Time, so discussion is mostly limited to Columbo, Star Wars, Merlin's playlists, Ellsworth, and, of course, wallets.

…

DISCUSSED: Dan has a new concern; some thoughts on resistance; Merlin shares a new insight on creativity and sleep; Dan has FU directly from the Nosferatu band; Merlin serves a turducken of suggestions related to text …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is playing with his new dingus; Dan almost talks about wallets; try Tailscale to make your stuff work better together; why you (yes, you) need a VPN; Dan is getting enthused about Obsidian; Merlin is …

DISCUSSED: Halloween Follow-Up; exit interview for Season 4 of What We Do in the Shadows; how Apple could build users' confidence and stimulate their …

Fortunately, Merlin had thoroughly prepared for 62 minutes of lizards, Morgellons, animal powers, and Tom Cruise.

Links:

• Ruby on Mac: Get Ruby …

Sleep, practice, infrastructure, power, and OCD are themes. As per usual.

Links:

• ⭐️👉 How to wield power to improve the workplace : Invisibilia : …

Dan has Covid, so Merlin agrees to carry him, and yet Dan improbably carries them both.

Links:

• Amazon.com: ZHAOFAFA Fat Orange Plush Cat …

There are a few odds and sods, but, yeah, it's mostly about adjudicating Peak Cruise.

• Bespoke Slime Hole
• Gavin Assumed
• Nom De …

Feeling bad about feeling bad is ultimately optional.

Links:

• Amazon.com: Beard Apron Cape for Men Shaving and Trimming with Suction Cups Adjustable …

From choosing a pencil to relocating your ladder, one big and complex part of Knowledge Work is deciding how to do what you do.

Links:

• MacMenuBar.com | …

DISCUSSED: Your hosts talk about some of their favorite Mac apps available via Setapp.

Links:

• Setapp | The best apps for Mac in one suite
• Texas vs. …

We've got a man on the boat.

Links:

• Murder of Dee Dee Blanchard - Wikipedia
• The Day Breaking Bad Was Born - YouTube — Exploring the origins of Breaking …

DISCUSSED: A very moist man's lawyer learns how Dropbox works; Merlin introduces "The Bump"; Dan has a cool new calendar technology; and Merlin …

Frankly, it was a bit of a fever dream, but your hosts discuss sportsball, collective singular nouns, Coleridge's trap street, LEGO, and a handful of …

Merlin has thoughts on survival, aging, and whether to bother trying to understand whatever NFTs are. Next up, the triumphant return of "Cool Thing I …

Your hosts discuss dramaturgy, package managers, and monospaced fonts.

Ladies?

Links:

• Ruby on Mac: Get Ruby working on your Mac in minutes with a …

DISCUSSED: Dan misses going to the movies; cool ways to save your bacon in Git; and Merlin is excited about a (new to him) app for personal tracking …

DISCUSSED: Merlin runs the table this week with: unseasonable heat; the joy of realizing when someone obviously loved (and probably had to fight for) the thing that they made; and finally, an extended meditation on a …

A classic odds n' sods episode. Merlin needs help with a journaling via voice solution; your hosts look at password enhancements in the Apple betas; …

Dan & Merlin are live from the show floor, sharing their thoughts on the WWDC 2022 keynote address.

Links:

• Apple Events - Apple
• ATP 486: Field Day …

On memory, security, and sleeping injuries.

Links:

• The apps I use to read and write for this blog (Interconnected)
• Working Copy, Git on iOS

Considering the value of finding something new to suck at.

• Stop Trying to Meditate and Just Breathe
• I’m That Guy in My Own Head
• …

It's a very special "Oops! All Automation Check-ins" episode. But, of course—as always—there's also a philosophical component.

Links:

• Black Bear Head …

DISCUSSED: Dan's new tenants flip him the bird, and Merlin has strong feelings about email.

Runner-up titles:

• Glass Surfing
• I Don't Believe in a …

Your hosts are finally back in action with vital updates on #productivity and #creativity. Also, ginger ale and egg substitutes.

Links:

• 'Severance' …

DISCUSSED: Updates on new Plex functionality; praise for Severance; plus some updates on Merlin's new setup—and pursuing the life that you'd like to …

DISCUSSED: Big news from Plex; Merlin has an expansive new computer project; and Dan continues to make his way at a new gig using his trusty calendar.

DISCUSSED: Dan is doing new things that require a new approach to his calendar. Merlin proposes some appropriate Calendar Kyber Crystals.

Links:

• …

DISCUSSED: Dan is back from reporting on the show floor; recommendations for some Back to Work-adjacent podcast episodes; incidental thoughts and advice on presentations as performance; everybody wants a better email …

DISCUSSED: Dan and Merlin talk about Apple's latest event and consider what the future looks like from Cupertino.

Links:

• Mac keyboard shortcuts - Apple …

Links:

• uBlacklist for Safari on the App Store — "Blocks sites you specify from appearing in search engine results"
• uBlacklist for Safari | Search …

DISCUSSED: the Russians are coming; Dan has thoughts on Marvel TV shows, and Merlin has thoughts on Hawkeye specifically; Merlin bravely and boldly …

DISCUSSED: your hosts can't complain (but, sometimes, they still do); a provisional craving for secular pre-cana; what are your canonical family …

DISCUSSED: boiling ATX water and the long-term return of the Bang-Bang Machine; thought-provoking insight on youth, hustle, and work-life balance …

DISCUSSED: 🐇🐇; Dan shares follow-up on surviving his Covid week; a listener emails the show with a fascinating offer; your hosts discuss childhood …

An epic journey that begins with Dan's viral week and ends with a misunderstanding about the first Chicago album.

Links:

• Amazon.com: Weiman Stainless …

DISCUSSED: Memories of Super Dave; KEYnote by LockPickingLawyer; Dan gets conspiracy theory-curious; the tapestry of entertainment by cults; Dan …

Taskapalooza begins.

Rock me, Joseph Alberto Santiago.

Links for this episode:

• Kiss - "Love Gun" - YouTube
  
• Why 70% Isopropyl Alcohol Is a Better …

Wrapping up the year with thoughts on unearned Covid optimism, defining "normal," Roomba training, Microsoft Visual Studio, plus a new (and decidedly …

Talking Spider-Man and phones for kids.

Links for this episode:

• Magneto | Marvel Database | Fandom
  
• Dimensions | Into the Spider-Verse Wiki | Fandom
  
• …

Merlin's Best of 2021™ kicks off with the return of "Cool Things I Learned This Week."

Links for this episode:

• The Talk Show #331 – “John Was the …

A classic odds and sods episode covering: Rush lyrics; personal pronoun tips; Fitness+ meditation; more melees with various voice assistant ecosystems; a big shout-out to the iconic Listener Rachel A.; and Merlin's …

The Boys are back, and they're not sure how big this thing gets.

Links for this episode:

• Amazon.com: Celery Man : Alexa Skills
  Good morning, Paul. …

DISCUSSED: Dad stuff; flying too close to the smart home sun; appreciating the magic of Wes Anderson; the virtues of UPS battery backup; and, finally, Merlin starts tentatively sketching a unified field theory for …

DISCUSSED: please stop changing the clocks; our kids are not us; the people of England have spoiled or corrupted several very good words; The Ellis Island Bit; surnames mean things; getting pelted with rocks and …

This is what happens when Merlin stays up til 2 a.m. watching a movie and then has to record a podcast at 9 a.m.

Because, your day is a continuum.

…

Dan has all the waiters singing at him, and Merlin tries to buy the non-existent SIMS 4 for the Mac.

Main topic is considering how best to set up a device that provides structure and motivation without all that …

DISCUSSED: Your hosts talk about music, Apple Watch, and getting out of your kid's way. Also: life and MacBooks Pro.

Links for this episode:

• Michael …

DISCUSSED: Dan and his son are up to Daniel Craig in their Bond journey, and this leads to an exploration of how our feelings about movies and their characters can change over time; considering the media you're scared …

DISCUSSED: Exploring rural voices; the things that kids (and we) have had stolen away over the past couple years; what movie would get your butt back …

DISCUSSED: Merlin considers a black market medical purchase; the anatomical anomalies of the problematic sleeper are considered; some favorite YouTube finds are discussed; and, finally, your hosts begin scratching the …

Dan and Merlin almost talk about iOS 15.

Links for this episode:

• The Different Types of Twilight, Dawn and Dusk
  
• Blues Traveler - Hook - LIVE! - YouTube

Reporting live from the show floor and looking at options for time tracking.

Links for this episode:

• Toggl: Time Tracking, Project Planning and …

DISCUSSED: The rules of "Rabbit Rabbit"; exploring the magic of Domino's probability-altering powers; forests versus trees and past versus future; …

Links for this episode:

• Scotch-Mount™ Extreme Double-Sided Mounting Tape | 3M United States
  
• Community (TV series) - Wikipedia
  
• Magneto | Marvel Database …

DISCUSSED: Nicholson movies; Synology yums and yucks; difficulties of shows about music; upcoming rabbit rabbit plans.

Links for this episode:

• One …

DISCUSSED: Catching up; Merlin's Travel Results; praise for Best in Show, SCTV, and public libraries; Dan has a new computer.

Links for this episode:

A celebration of M1 devices, the benefits of learning how to learn, and considering when a new learning curve might be worth the climb.

Links for …

Find the tool you need—but, keep asking yourself, "Soooooo…

Things get pretty silly, yet somehow land on some extremely Back to Work points about time management, compression, values, and moving your own …

DISCUSSED: Dan begins a journey into new worlds of voice control and home automation.

Links for this episode:

• Run Farther, Faster: tips from Endure …

DISCUSSED: Some ups and downs of living the smart speaker lifestyle.

Also: the dramatis personae of The Land of Make Believe; feeding the demon …

DISCUSSED: Merlin and his wife realize the moment they crossed a line; in Follow-Up, your hosts celebrate the late great Fred Willard; in further …

DISCUSSED: Dan finally gets more three-six-five, and Merlin gets extremely deep in the stack. Also, just a little more calendar talk, including a …

DISCUSSED: Merlin runs into some problems reporting live from the show floor; is social media making us as happy as we'd like to think?; thoughts on pro wrestlers and the films of John Carpenter; finding the triggers …

DISCUSSED: Part one of a deep dive into calendars.

Links for this episode:

• 206 - Narcissism — You Are Not So Smart — Overcast
  
• Dark triad - Wikipedia
  In …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is full of beans this week.

Links for this episode:

• Adam Neely - YouTube
  
• Once More, With Feeling
  
• Thread Benefits
  
• HomeKit over Thread | …

DISCUSSED: A classic, old-school “Odds ’n Sods” episode that includes: Apple’s audio upgrade announcement; AirTags and the promising future of UWB; …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has been cracking nuts, and Dan is enjoying a beverage; in Follow-Up, Dan has made great progress with his new voice assistant; …

DISCUSSED: Dan is actively gaslighting Merlin, and this can be proven; please stop stealing focus; praise for Ferris Bueller in general and the knees …

Merlin has a whole new setup, and Dan has a whole new TV.

Links for this episode:

• My Secret Sauce of Blogging
  This is where I give away all of my …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is reporting live from the show floor; sleep is complicated; food is complicated, too; Dan tries to build muscles the right way; he also has strong feelings about TV shopping; Merlin just wants someone …

DISCUSSED: some important movie follow-up; films (and other media) can be a powerful way to talk about things we aren't supposed to be talking about; …

DISCUSSED: fake southern accents lead to some movie talk; Merlin apologizes; Dan does not want to spend a night in The Box; please utilize the …

DISCUSSED: iOS has gotten really good; still, there's some Apple stuff we'd love to see get better; some Covid updates; anxiety and OCD in these fraught times; finally, Dan and Merlin need your advice for some …

DISCUSSED: DST and rebooting sleep; some quick documentary talk; a challenging H.R. Giger poster; updates on sane prepping, looking at some interesting sources for electric power; on rational prepping; oh, boy, …

Diving deep on the power of infrastructure. Yes, for you, too.

Links for this episode:

• The new, improved StyleStealer for Marked 2 - BrettTerpstra.com

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a lot to say about fizzy water and the drugs of Florida; someone please help Dan get his old Twitter name; talking recent media …

Preparing isn't just for preppers. But, how do you incorporate scope and infrastructure without turning into a nut?

Links for this episode:

• Four-Day …

DISCUSSED: Dan has updates on Texas's recent weather events and the unanticipated cascading effects on complex and interconnected infrastructures; then, for dessert, your hosts explore the delights and insights of the …

DISCUSSED: As The Lone Star state struggles with a surfeit of anomalous weather events, your hosts dig into the challenges inherent to all sorts of …

DISCUSSED: Doing pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good; Dan discovers a shark is menacingly circling one of his product names; there's a reason Merlin is not in the corner office; your hosts fondly recall the Avon …

No way am I even going to attempt a description this week.

With that said:

[this is a good one]

Links for this episode:

• harrumph! still crazy …

DISCUSSED: There are things that one wants to see less or fewer often; is this particular button actually hooked up to anything?; there is literal …

DISCUSSED: Dan continues to explore the exciting possibilities of his latest hardware acquisition.

Links for this episode:

• Wisdom From Merlin
  Or: …

DISCUSSED: life's relentlessness continues apace; Cash enjoyed Dan's modified Godfather trilogy; celebrating Lil' Inappropriate Books; a terrific recent use of "Layla"; some Inside Baseball talk about a recommended app …

DISCUSSED: Merlin looks at a shelf and then, for some reason, discusses it; walls and Japanese beds and jokey-sized dishwashers all benefit from wheels; life is different when you live on a boat; it's important to find …

DISCUSSED: Making a problem go away is not the same thing as solving the problem.

Links for this episode:

• Craft - Create Amazing Documents
  Built for …

DISCUSSED: The generational struggle to understand things we can't understand, dealing with other people, and Star Wars.

Links for this episode:

• …

Sometimes, no one can see the ball—let alone reach the ball.

DISCUSSED: Habits, cycles, and patterns of thinking. Why it's difficult to rehearse success—but surprisingly easy to rehearse failure.

Links for …

Discussed: the paths of thought and emerging from a rut the size of the Grand Canyon.

DISCUSSED: From Jerry Lewis to a drinking bird in a scant 80 minutes.

Links for this episode:

• Opinion | Your Brain Is Not for Thinking - The New York …

DISCUSSED: lot of projects going on!; praise for Nicki Minaj; some recent TV shows that are important to your hosts; Merlin is a little obsessed with a new Mac productivity app; interrogating problems with deliveries …

DISCUSSED: Merlin's additions to Bunch have him stepping on his own dingus; maybe it's time to invert the permissive legacy model for who gets access …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a lot to say about the benefits of making lists; this leads to an old-school stemwinder on "Journal" calendars, functional …

DISCUSSED: hey, it's an advice episode!; San Francisco has a lot of available office space; a musical unguent for your soul; a cool font that makes …

DISCUSSED: Sending good vibes to The Dude; Merlin has a couple awesome app recommendations; some Follow-Up on the Apple Event, including what your …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is reporting live from the show floor; Dan is due for a new phone; nostalgia for buying a carton of cigarettes; praise for Netflix's "Challenger" series; Merlin shares some updates on his big …

DISCUSSED: Merlin craves an easy visit with Floyd; Spirit's lawsuit no longer winds on down the road; Question: what obligation does a company have …

DISCUSSED: the boys update one another on some very good media they're enjoying; everybody loves a movie with a big world; Merlin pitches Dan on the improbable magic of Ted Lasso; talk turns to some new features of …

DISCUSSED: Folks, this one is a doozy, and that's all I'm gonna say about that.

Links for this episode:

• Inbox Zero: Merlin Mann's Tips for Managing …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is reporting live from the show floor; remember to photograph your kid's room; some bearded dragon updates; some thoughts on pets; Merlin's grandfather was a reluctant dog obsessive; Dan wants to read …

DISCUSSED: California has no shortage of crises; Dan's got a brand new bag; thoughts on exercise as prophylactic medicine; extremely anecdotal data on the rise of fake ratings and reviews on Amazon; the return of "A …

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 …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a lot of infrastructure going on; your hosts share strong feelings on time zone discrimination and its attendant big-timing; …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

…

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 …

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, …

DISCUSSED: Dan and Merlin talk about hot dogs.

Links for this episode:

• Uncured Beef Frankfurters (Natural Casing) | Boar's Head
  
• Products - Hot Dogs - …

DISCUSSED: not everything can be everything; pain accumulates; getting weepy about a cool teacher; expanding on our new thought technology for …

DISCUSSED: Skype struggles; nobody likes parsnips; Dan remotely teaches Merlin to cut his own hair; Dan introduces a new game show, and Merlin is …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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; …

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 …

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 …

TW: very brief mention of suicide around minute 24.

DISCUSSED: a classic three-act episode! Expertise is difficult to explain—let alone to teach; …

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 …

Difficult times and the Venn overlap between anxiety and OCD. Hang in there, everybody.

Links for this episode:

• Epistemic Trespassing | Mind | Oxford …

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 …

DISCUSSED: heck, yeah, there's a lot of uncertainty; the woeful knock-on effects of COVID-19, from SxSW to presidential handshaking; Dan graciously …

DISCUSSED: Merlin's uvula thing is back; some handy one-liner suggestions; the boys are loving uBar, and this leads to a dive on how they use the …

DISCUSSED: Skype steals focus, and Merlin ate your poem; music is pretty great; some odds and sods and recommendations; everyone should have a bell; …

DISCUSSED: Merlin isn't quite awake yet and has some audio struggles in the midst of a new project; Dan is bringing back The Podcast Method; …

DISCUSSED: new muting!; infrastructure is hard; on dogs; Dan gets a podcast recommendation from his fish guy; who we're 'shipping on Star Trek; a free musical performance for a beloved sponsor; some good TED talks; do …

DISCUSSED: thoughts on hand-washing and habit-building; Dan has a really good scarecrow joke; Merlin still can't figure out how many 12-year-olds Dan …

Merlin is pretty out of it this week, and Dan shares some listener questions.

Links for this episode:

• Reilly's a match for show business / …

DISCUSSED: strongly-held podcast preferences; Skype hates you; praise for Rogue Amoeba and Strong Songs; a small B2W milestone passes; Dan likes 1917; what Jack did; praise for Match Game; a couple app and font reccos; …

DISCUSSED: A fun and creepy new face swap app; Twitter is not creating much new happy; this leads to a discussion of generational perceptions about what's acceptable or even desirable (especially with Apple products); …

Merlin needs help in the NOC; Dan discovers sensitive sauce; there are thresholds; hurting your roller skating muscles; new printer; and, finally, …

For this very special end of the century, fin de siècle episode, Dan and Merlin make bespoke personal recommendations for music, podcasts, apps, TV …

DISCUSSED: holiday lizard talk; some benefits of using "Environment" and "Journal" calendars; nostalgia for the Palm family of products in general …

DISCUSSED: Dan presents a curious new bathroom project; some thoughts on OCD, procrastination, and empathy; praise for Fury Road, Inglourious Basterds

DISCUSSED: Drafts for Mac is out!; check out Damon Lindelof on The Watch; suggestions for HomeKit power strips; and responses to listener letters on rediscovering the joys of physical media and getting started with …

Discussed:

• the commercials you get in your head
• listener feedback on music management
• first results of Merlin's own deep dive on music management …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has an email confession; Dan steps up with a shoulder; listeners have given your hosts a season of the show; praise for HBO's …

• updates on travel and packing
• a new notebook Merlin likes
• finding a notebook that accommodates both your brain and the shape of your day
• Merlin's …

Our worst episode ever. Enjoy!

Links for this episode:

• Mark Text
  
• CommonMark Spec
  
• Venice ‘on its knees’ after second-worst flood ever recorded
  
• Sweeping …

Dan is getting a Synology, Merlin has been making stuff, plus the return of "Cool Things I Learned This Week."

Links for this episode:

• Keyboards, …

DISCUSSED: coincident birthdays; mathowie's gigantism and very online Ex Machina house; extensive actor and media talk; you probably hadn't heard, …

This week, Dan and Merlin dive into the benefits (and fun) of a NAS project. Also, Merlin goes off about the horror show of letting old people …

It's Infrastructure Week! Dan and Merlin start with California's power crisis and end up pivoting to phones, cable TV, and, of course, Apple.

What …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about living in a world of hardware choices.

How do you decide which device is best suited to a given task? Which ones do you find yourself preferring to use because they're …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Apple's OS rollouts, changes in Apple retail, and week two with the new Apple Watch.

Links for this episode:

• …

This week, Dan and Merlin focus on the new Apple Watch.

Links for this episode:

• New iPhone set up: Transfer data directly to a new iPhone wirelessly, …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a cool new voice from talking to friends late last night; Dan has an automotive collision anecdote, while Merlin has thoughts …

Dan and Merlin discuss the upcoming big Apple event and why this one's potentially interesting. Also, dog anecdotes.

Links for this episode:

• AVIATOR …

• hurricanes!
• hyperactivity
• exposing kids to the canonical films
• that weird, affected Hollywood accent
• a name for that time comparison phenomenon
• …

Lots of talk about the changing media landscape, plus some odds and sods.

Links for this episode:

• Jia Tolentino on what happens when life is an …

DISCUSSED: finding an actor's age and height; time analogies; Merlin needs help naming two critical phenomena; Dan is dissatisfied with how cars …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a little visitor today. Dan has some thoughts on conference scheduling. This leads to a broader discussion of the sensitivities …

Dan and Merlin explore the complexities of personal style. Not personal style as in fashion, but as in preferences, identity, and modes of interaction. How do we let others know how we are?

How do we derive a sense of …

DISCUSSED: the admirable candor of B.B. King; the simple joys of the Ordinary Night; movies that are or are not dated and how that affects your enjoyment; how sci-fi seemed to mostly miss the internet; our embarrassment …

DISCUSSED: kindness; eyeglasses, at length—including eyeglasses indignities, discounts, and injuries; a renewed surfeit of dingalings, fake friends, and a dumb podcast hit piece; and, finally, your hosts respond to a …

Show notes are short this week because Merlin had to go buy contrast paints for his figs.

Main topic is speculating about speculation.

Links for …

DISCUSSED: Dan has found a terrific solution for his son's iPad case; on the benefits (and challenges) of getting away from our devices for a while; …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is a little hoarse; but what's an actual pony versus an actual little horse?; there's a lot of sadness and housing problems in the Hundred Acre Wood; the challenges of recommending starter media; the …

First and most importantly, Dan is back! Woo!

Second, now, listen: please bear with me, and do not leave. Because, when I say we talked mostly about Disney—and especially Disney properties—it's way more interesting …

Dan's away this week, so Merlin tries going it alone.

Topics include lessons from painting D&D minifigs, listener letters, and some …

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a catastrophic off-by-one-week error; Roderick's June is very triggering to your hosts; sometimes, it's nice to be exposed to stuff you didn't expect, but…; at a certain point in life, you mostly …

DISCUSSED: Nobody got enough sleep last night, but they're gonna power through anyhow; your hosts fawn over the amazing Chernobyl miniseries; various hardware mute button options are discussed; Merlin can't draw but is …

DISCUSSED: nasty, brutish, and short sleep; watching TV with a game controller; Dan has to deal with suite concatenation; your hosts crave the …

DISCUSSED: Dan has a new setup, and Merlin randomly recommends a kids' book; your hosts remember too much; Dan realizes he took the wrong shop class, and Merlin realizes why Generation X was (and remains) mostly …

DISCUSSED: Dan explains what the photos he sends mean; Merlin encourages Dan to air a beef, and Dan kindly assents; Oh, boy, Windows! My old nemesis…

DISCUSSED: the restorative tonic of a good night's sleep; a return to sleep as video game; it's okay to tweet your hosts about hoagies and Publix; concerns about butt cancer; Dan recommends a Netflix series; Merlin …

DISCUSSED: Dan and Merlin get hungry, but they've had it with all the bread; the trough food is so costly; no one is sweating Polycyclic Aromatic …

DISCUSSED: Dan has just started a new pen; there's some pen, pencil, and eraser talk; Dan has an important anecdote about utilizing eraser-based people skills; Dan's iMac is working fine, but he's concerned about the …

DISCUSSED: What we talk about when we talk about optimism; the power of "Act as Though"; on edibles; a YouTube recommendation, then more YouTube recommendations; how even do we tell YouTube what we never want to see …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is back on his old cans; Dan is pivoting to video; Cash stepped in paint, and kids are terrible storytellers; a book …

DISCUSSED: allergy attack!; big anniversary today; elegy for Two Cats Comics; some D&D talk; Dan got a sword!; yet more D&D talk; key commands for line-moving; Dan got his YouTube URL back; a Theranos book …

DISCUSSED: Top o' the Morling!; praise for the home release of Spider-Verse; Dan and Merlin offer some more TV recommendations; Merlin endorses an excellent "turns out" podcast; a deep dive on slow-rise squishes and …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is trying some new things and probably needs to adjust his DIP switches; audio equipment is discussed; remembering Hal Blaine; German words; fish dropsy; dining at Alamo Draft House; kids and crafts; …

DISCUSSED: Merlin is living the Domino lifestyle; R.I.P. Two Cats Comics; praise for iA Writer; Merlin needs help with his sudden Gmail spam; a meditation on comics as some awesome fun and an ugly damned business; …

DISCUSSED: Dan has an awesome new video; Spider-Verse is out!; Merlin's dorky Segway is discussed; app recommendations for a clean new Gmail and an even-smarter Dark Sky; Dan spills the beans on his new sound bar setup; …

Mostly one big topic: screen time.

Links for this episode:

• How to Fix “Cellular Update Failed” on iPhone with iOS 12.1.2 SMS, LTE, Cellular Data …

DISCUSSED: It's the optimistic day, but Merlin really screwed up an edit; there's some Inside Baseball about how podcasts get made; it's nice to have someone notice the shaving cream on your jowl; movie ratings are …

DISCUSSED: Gong Hei Fat Choy!; follow-up on the FaceTime bug and the complexity of getting bug and security reports from normals; the weirdness of …

DISCUSSED: Dan's fighting his computer and explores font corruption; Merlin hates pebbles in his shoe; Dan has an anecdote about massages; Merlin has an anecdote about the FaceTime exploit; this leads to discussion …

DISCUSSED: dreams and whether people like hearing them; turns out: Merlin recommends a podcast episode about mental stuff; practice vs. rehearsal; …

DISCUSSED: moisture; kids and watches; some recent media consumption; encouraging kids to have good taste; memories of watching VHS movies in school; …

DISCUSSED: Optimistic Tuesdays; office cleanup; a grave bleach mishap; follow-up on Wirecutter; a listener suggestion on, of all things, acupressure; …

DISCUSSED: "Rabbit Rabbit!"; partial shutdown and the toilet problems it creates; updates on options for Bluetooth keyboards; some extremely random and anecdotal reckoning about the recent Big Apple News; your hosts' …

It's the most wonderful time of the year, so the boys answer listener mail and get a little silly.

Happy Holidays, jackals.

Links for this episode:

• …

Discussed: the harsh mistress of holidays, Hanukah presents, Cash's cool gift, the joys of good UX, some excellent very good recommendations, an …

Discussed: Merlin worries that Dan is getting ground down; web sites are getting very thirsty; Dan thinks it's like pads in football; Dan has updates and more thoughts about doing development work on an iPad; Merlin …

Discussed: Why Tuesday is the optimistic day; pourover coffee for Dan's wife; confirm shaming; updates on iPad keyboards and covers; approximately annual history of "Bawk Bawk!"; some thoughts on Frank Zappa and Captain …

Discussed: Thanksgiving; spatchcock chicken; kids and their stupid eating; Dan's concern about how we talk to each other; Merlin encourages people to try not to be terrible.

Also, some odds and sods on iPad Pro …

Discussed this week: Dan's MOSH setup on iPad; Dan's new NEW iPad; ease of setup on iOS; some iOS photo editing app recommendations; two things Merlin learned this week; and a little rant about how everybody apparently …

Dan and Merlin talk about their first week using the new iPad Pro.

Links for this episode:

• The Talk Show: Ep. 234, With Special Guest Merlin Mann
  …

Discussed this week: coffee water, voting, inertia, new iPads on the way, difficult buying decisions, returning merchandise (as a thing), some TV …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Apple's Fall event in Brooklyn today. They liked the event.

• Molekule (Visit Molekule.com …

Discussed: nailing it, the optimistic valence of Tuesdays, difficulties finding replacement parts on Amazon, headphone preferences, Alexa's service …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the FitBit Charge 3 and where it fits into their worlds—as well its place in the larger tracker and smart watch ecosystems.

Excursions also include: BroBot, weather stations, …

Discussed: the tyranny of earliness, the benefits of timeliness, an interesting horology episode about Apple Watch, more watch talk, a blog …

This week: some TV and movie stuff, Dark Mode and accessibility, OS stability and beta temptation, Merlin has an anecdote, the powers and frustrations of Siri via Apple Watch, updates to the Fitbit family, tech that …

This week, Merlin's got a LOT going on. Full Catastrophe Living!

Discussed: booger colors, some tv and movies, a dream deferred, various X-Persons, …

A classic odds-and-sods episode, featuring important discussions about sleep tracking, the Apple Watch, Succession, sound bars, Chris Nolan's Batman, …

Discussed: upcoming Apple announcements; do people with bigger screens use more apps more often?; some follow-up on adaptive testing; and comics for …

Skype gets way too ambitious; sprinkling sauce on a service; a mandatory social network for doorbells; Dan acquires a new deity; some excellent …

Discussed: homework and testing; wallets and wallet philosophies; things to learn from wallet philosophy; how to fall asleep; watching Star Trek; Dan's new smart speaker; Merlin yells at Alexa several times.

Links for …

Discussed: courting a vegetarian; The Information Problem; FU on Dan's new slide remote and keyboard; also, belts; travel pre-screening options; a recommended article on hypocognition; Dan saw IT; thoughts on Twiki and …

Discussed: tech that's gotten so much more dependable (and, yeah, so much less dependable); Dan needs a new presenter remote; Marvel's First Family …

Discussed: Merlin sounds like a saxophone, keyboards are extensively discussed, pros and cons of various MacsBooks Pro, Dan likes using one monitor, pining for best-of-class hardware from Cupertino, Merlin has dorky and …

Discussed: current monospaced font preferences, experimenting with text sizing, getting on the sucker list, old McDonalds had some styrofoam, new …

Merlin really likes the ones where Dan prepares.

Discussed: four-twenty in The Mile High state, some tv and movie recommendations, the creativity that comes from constraints, The Information Problem, plus thanks for …

This week: Dan may or may not be sanguine, and Merlin is having another meetup; comics, movie and TV discussion (and recommendations) abound; Cash is …

Dan's ex-cold, some media recommendations, strobe light problems, Dan's new phone, bad eyeglasses, your fault versus your problem, plus listener …

Discussed this week: head colds, Florida, vitamin shots, Pleiades, Pigeon Pose, a new kind of spam, some media recommendations, iOS 12, and a …

Follow-up on the Benjamin family phone plan, what it's like to use a phone that's not a phone anymore, excitement for Siri Shortcuts, an AR …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about some of their favorite announcements at the big computer show.

They also deep dive into how to handle the …

Discussed this week: media dustups, the deleterious career effects of social media, a week or so of Instagram, love of dogs, a podcast appearance, two great services for spotting fake Amazon reviews, some Netflix …

Discussed: trust my method, beards, foo bar baz, casting Mysterio, villains of Peter Spiderman, an unpaid debt to Dan, medieval electric billing, endorsing Evil Genius and Belief, the power of Spotify podcasts via …

Discussed: lame patents, Salvador Dalí, allergy season, backpack discrimination, friend cosplay, things Dan can't say, AT&T woes, Merlin saw a …

Discussed: time flies, nesting dolls, cloud saves for Switch, oy vey the service subscriptions, wheat and chess boards, WiFi and health, abdomen …

Discussed: places that are closed, dinosaur eyes that follow you, a TV show about makeup, some thoughts on Infinity War, the joy of content that …

Discussed: Dan's gummi vitamins, vitamins in general, the childhood shame of those weird plaque pills, exotic sickness images, Fifth Disease comes to Austin, Dan's car troubles, Faraday Cages and how to build them, a …

This week, the boys discuss Drafts, The Archive, Merlin's love of Spotify, some great playlists, and weird rules for cheerleaders.

In extensive …

Bula vinaka, bee tee dubs nation! This is an epic odds and sods episode, replete with TV follow-up, font follow-up, and Wild, Wild Country follow-up, …

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss Jessica Jones and the problem of super power constitution, plus some more Netflix recommendations ("Look away! Looooook awaaaaay!"). They also do a dive into updates on the monospace …

This week, your hosts say "Bula Vinaka!" They also discuss phone cards, some Netflix recommendations, Merlin's phone usage, and "accidentally" …

This week, your hosts discuss Steely Dan, digital mastering, The Police, Dune, high-quality VCRs, and Dan's brother-in-law's close call.

Next, they …

This week, your hosts talk about some stuff they're doing, loving Spotify, some Echo podcast-listening tips, the attraction of Google Drive, some …

This week, your hosts talk about using Windows, technology modalities, making sane decisions as a developer, reality TV, 20th anniversary of The …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about weather as a thing and giving up on Cash's dumb iPad problem. This leads to discussion about the risks, opportunities, and frustrations of having lots of data in different places …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk a little too much about Harry Potter, but also manage to cover some other media properties as well as the shockingly limited options for British casting. Dan has a new task management app, …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about lots of recent experiences with the weird and often-frustrating world of streaming TV. What a mess.

There's also some discussion of sauna suits, The Eagles, Mummers, and Dan's …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the Eagles' big win, what constitutes a catch, Dan's cool new shirt, Merlin's surprisingly positive interactions …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about crazy kids' homework, Dan's exciting nerd field trips in the Bay Area, the magic of PIXAR, a handy Netflix companion site, and using Siri on Apple TV.

Things get a little heated …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk a lot about writing and respond to feedback from listeners.

Links for this episode:

• Bacon Method
  
• How long to grill a …

This week, Dan has some weather, Cash makes a battery, homework can be a silly drag, management is about scalability and quantification, how to figure out how much you have to do, 80s movies can be problematic, …

This week, your hosts cover some odds and sods, share some recommendations, design some fantasy podcast apps, and introduce an exciting new feature …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about why they're trending, an exciting update on the Mr. Robot ATV bug, the frustrating opacity of using Apple's stuff, Dan's love for Nintendo Switch, nostalgia for NASA, Merlin's love …

The boys wrap up a big year—a huge year—with an unintentionally thematic episode about feelings, expectations, nostalgia, and the black boxes of …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about keyboard preferences (and their noises), Merlin catching Dan's weird "Mr. Robot" bug on Apple TV, feedback about "inside jokes," exclusion as a weapon, more good Robert Wright …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about (partial) resolution to Dan's Apple TV bug, some venting about delivery problems, general complaining about …

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss theories on Dan's Mr. Robot/Apple TV bug, living in an opinion bubble, an update on flu shot efficacy, Dan's recent …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about…so many things. Merlin had a lot of coffee.

Big topics include:

• Flickr nostalgia (and smart photo backup tips)

This week, your hosts discuss: holiday disruptions, life patterns, the joys of regularity, discovering unnecessary existential vulnerabilities, …

TOPIC: Integrity and Fear.

This week your hosts discuss: sandwiches, solar power, some recent movies and what makes them memorable (or not), the …

TOPIC: Trials, Trophies, and Trying Harder.

This week, the boys arrive from either the past or future to talk about Dan's spoon problem, the refuse racket, the slog of incremental improvement, the perils of black and …

Dan and Merlin talk about Halloween, the Chromebook, Apple, WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), and hair removal.

Links for this episode:

• SNL …

TOPIC: Too much ambiguity in time.

This week, your hosts discuss hot weather adjustments, Merlin's Skype woes, the state of the union on Skype replacement contenders, ruminations on Mac troubleshooting, the fraught …

TOPIC: Turns out.

This week, the boys talk about audio problems, hot dogs, kegeling, Merlin's next meet-up, Tsum Tsums, comic suggestions, Battle of the Sexes, excellent recent TV series, All the President's Men, the …

TOPIC: Surface Tension.

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss names of cities in Florida, wireless neckbands, elliptical bikes, chore systems (and …

TOPIC: You're not supposed to pet the car.

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss Nest Cam updates, Ring doorbell tracking, Echo family additions, HDMI questions, the fraught landscape of 4K HDR TV stuff, and how shopping …

TOPIC: Publix Hustle

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about grocery store promotions, transactional help, the racket of school photos, Occam's Razor …

After some Followup and Front Matter, your hosts dive into iOS 11. (Spoilers: it's really good.)

Links for this episode:

• Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #18 — …

This week, Dan and Merlin convene to talk about today's big Apple event.

Links for this episode:

• Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #18 — Merlin Mann
  MERLIN MANN …

This week, Dan has useful updates on Windows backup options and answers questions about building a Hackintosh. Both of your hosts extoll the virtues …

TOPIC: Don't provoke Dan.

This week, Dan and Merlin (once again) complain about what works and what just kiiiinda works with smart devices. Who's …

TOPIC: It's like elevator buttons.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk a lot about komodo dragons. Also, homework sucks, seed codes rule, and @Movesapp …

TOPIC: How do you know when you're legitimately overwhelmed?

This episode, your hosts catch up on Florida, schedule and sleep consistency, ladders …

TOPIC: Keep your hand away from the giant's mouth!

This week, Dan and Merlin look back on summer and forward to the new school year. Also, some …

TOPIC: Start treating yourself like a dummy today.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about iOS 11, the trade-offs of running betas, and waking up to how we're using devices differently. Merlin has thoughts on the …

TOPIC: Mapping Your Focus and Motivation

This week, Dan talks about a cool new addition to his Fireside.fm service, and Merlin interviews him about …

TOPIC: Help! My bosses are doing a really dumb thing!

This week, Dan and Merlin help a listener and his youngster get started with Spider-Man. Also, …

TOPIC: Making the spice flow.

This week, Dan and Merlin dive into the thriving ecosystem of Florida's ad hoc roofing and lawn care professionals. Merlin gets The Boeing Contract, and Dan leaves a check under the mat.

…

TOPIC: Time Tetris in Difficult Mode

This week, Dan and Merlin do a VERY deep dive on one listener's question about life with an excruciating shared …

TOPIC: Drawing effective water.

In this week's tight and bright episode, Dan and Merlin do dome followup on food bars and CBD oil, then discuss how …

TOPIC: Thirty cable boxes.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about beloved late night talk shows, Planet of the Apes, and the future of TV. Dan …

TOPIC: Asterisks and Question Marks.

This week, Dan and Merlin cover corgis (and other pets), asking for lettuce wraps, high-floor sandwiches, bread …

TOPIC: She was only 15 years old!

This week kicks off with some thoughts on yesterday's WWDC Keynote and some potentially promising signs for …

TOPIC: "The results have been increbidle."

This week, Dan and Merlin opine about various Apple feelings and wondering where the heck things are …

TOPIC: Again with the motivation.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about what motivates the companies who make set-top boxes vs. the providers of the content for those dinguses. What attracts fans to a given platform, …

TOPIC: Odds 'N Sods

In this sprawling "odds 'n sods" episode, Dan and Merlin discuss: superheroes, scary movie trailers, (yes, more) egregious package delivery drama, customer service Buddhism, some excellent kids …

TOPIC: Lady in a tube.

This week, Dan and Merlin unexpectedly end up doing a pretty deep dive on Amazon voice products and the evolving ecosystem …

TOPIC: Curiosity before fear.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the experience of Apple stores and repairs, The Handmaid's Tale, Dan's …

TOPIC: Velocity!

This week Dan and Merlin talk about lice, Kenny Rogers, strange memory phenomena, an intriguing new oil, and popcorn nugs pricing.

A question from Listener Ben leads to suggestions for finding …

TOPIC: Triangles Everywhere!

This week, Dan and Merlin shuck and/or jive about stealing, Publix, airlines, driver’s ed, douchebagerié, Twitter bots, and more.

Main topic this week is a question from Listener Brian …

TOPIC: Oh my GOD, this is torture.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about—amongst other odds and sods— the Mean FedEx Guy, the weird future of gig economies, and Adventure Time.

Then, there's some handy tips on how to …

After some brief shucky-jivey, the boys resign themselves to discussing the big Apple announcement. They ponder why and how the message was delivered in the way it was as well as what it means. Dan has thoughts on …

After some very important follow-up, and more than a little shucking and jiving, your hosts answer questions from listeners.

This is a good one!

…

This week, Dan and Merlin have one of their beloved "odds and sods" episodes. Something for everyone in this diverse and bewildering episode.

"Same …

TOPIC: "Delivery Attempted."

This week, Merlin struggles with his coffee-making options, and Dan recalls his days of fishing lures. USPS deliveries, …

TOPIC: "Remember this film is supposed to be a comedy."

This week: Dan struggles with his progressive lenses, but he really liked the movie, Logan. Merlin's daughter has made four piles, and he finally accepts that he …

TOPIC: You can't perfect life.

This week opens with the carnage of today's Amazon S3 problems and why so much of the internet seems broken. A brief history of outage monitoring is provided and a praxis for improving …

TOPIC: You're living in the future!

This week, Merlin is in a bit of a tizzy as he tries to make coffee, redo his ads, and change his productivity …

TOPIC: Alice hopes to hear from you.

This week's episode is packed—literally, packed—with useful tips, tricks, and even a crazy challenge.

Psyching …

TOPIC: My place is here—I fight with you!

This week, Dan and Merlin cover a meetup announcement, Merlin's Les Mis obsession, Dan's new Hackintosh Method, and the Benjamin Family's slippery bar problem. Merlin advocates …

TOPIC: Celebrating your successful failures.

This week, Dan and Merlin kick off with discussion of night bears, the ascendance of Netflix, and some …

TOPIC: Act like you're somebody that you like.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the evolution of voice recognition and touch interfaces and …

TOPIC: Youth is the aberration.

This week, Dan provides updates on his Hackintosh project, which leads to a discussion of finding reviews and advice with context. The hosts realize, acknowledge, and quickly move past …

TOPIC: Reframing the conversation with yourself.

This week, Merlin talks about his weird mortgage ads and compliments the literally fancy pants he got from the silver underpants people. Suggestions are offered for …

TOPIC: This is a feeling I'm feeling.

This week, your hosts look at the announcement of Dish's new Air TV box, along with the rapidly evolving …

This is the Best of 2016 Compilation Episode, featuring your favorite moments of the show over the last 12 months. Each clip was suggested and submitted by you, our amazing listeners.

Have a great new year!

Links for …

TOPIC: Is Tim firing us?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the challenge of dealing with email that's only kind of from a real person. There's …

This week, the boys talk about slicing sand, unboxing videos, Overwatch, and some recommended TV viewing. Odds and sods, as you say.

Main topic is …

TOPIC: Vaio Life!

This week, Dan and Merlin respond to listener feedback and talk about the tightrope walk of caffeine consumption.

Merlin suggests a new AudioDharma talk, which leads to a discussion of whether you …

TOPIC: Kipple and Boomboxes

This week Dan and Merlin start by talking about purging junk and answering listener feedback about kids and phones and teachers dealing with email.

Main topic this week is whither Apple? …

TOPIC: Your "backstage" vs. their "onstage"

This week, Merlin shares some useful thoughts (via Patrick Rothfuss) on being careful about how we …

This week, Dan and Merlin do another of their beloved Odds 'n Sods episodes, with tons of great recommendations for movies, TV, apps, services, and …

This week, Dan and Merlin are a little out of sorts, so, after some chat and followup, they talk about some of the things that make them happy. Plus, …

TOPIC: Leaving Dropbox Vegas

Merlin survives a sleepover, and Dan has a concern about Dropbox.

Links for this episode:

• Microsoft OneDrive
  
• iCloud - …

• Dan's still a little under the weather
• What home automation is good at right now (and what it mostly isn't)
• Updates on Hiya and call-blocking apps …

TOPIC: How to pester people responsibly.

• Dan's a little under the weather.
• Maybe kids should be in balls. Who knows?
• "Wrap a hot towel around your …

TOPIC: The Minimum Viable Waste of Time.

Some awesome odds and sods, a great new Markdown editor for OS X, and a main topic on dealing with those …

TOPIC: A Surfeit of Merlin Mannsplaining.

This week, Dan and Merlin produce an undisputed instaclassic odds and sods episode.

• When technology …

TOPIC: The Unreliable Narrator of You

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about weather, compost, small changes, plus some Sling TV followup.

The main …

TOPIC: Nobody's favorite thing.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about update failures, magic, and attention.

Their ongoing dive into the fractured and frustrating world of the modern cord-cutter ecosystem continues.

…

TOPIC: Every week (and every time you think of it)

This week, Dan and Merlin start by talking about some of the great updates iOS 10—alongside the usual strident advice about backing up before you do anything. Merlin …

TOPIC: Find My Mac. Please.

With Apple's big iPhone event coming tomorrow, Dan and Merlin discuss what makes this particular day such a black box in …

TOPIC: Frantic SM 10 Pieces

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the problem with wraps, the problem with notebooks, and the problem with Amazon …

TOPIC: Hey, try this.

This week, Dan and Merlin have a shortie, so they talk about stuff they're loving right now and make some recommendations on gadgets, music, movies, and more.

Also, the scientific link between …

TOPIC: Kids don't need VCR Plus+.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their series on updates.

The topic this week is all about media consumption—in …

This week, Dan and Merlin open with an unintentionally deep dive on how Merlin has been tricking out his house with home automation stuff.

The main topic this week returns to the theme of updates; in this case, how …

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their series on updates, talking about the evolution of electronic task management in their lives. Hint: simplify, …

TOPIC: Orinoco Flow

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their series on updates, focusing on the difference between the days before and after ubiquitous wifi.

Also, lots of fun odds and sods on Scrivener and surviving …

TOPIC: Way of the future.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion on updates to their systems and their productivity worlds. In …

TOPIC: Updates on Productivity and a modern Kobayashi Maru Scenario

This week, Dan and Merlin start a new series on updates. Which sounds really boring, but it isn't, we swear.

This time out, the boys start by diving …

TOPIC: …and, then what happens?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the unexpected cognitive benefits of ritual, repetition, and thinking through the fascinating question: "…and, then what happens?"

Links for this …

TOPIC: People, amirite?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the complexities of communicating with each other. And, brother, is it ever complicated.

TOPIC: Varieties of pain.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's progress on building fireside.io and its imminent beta release. Lots of fascinating details on why he's made it and who it might be great for.

Then, …

TOPIC: Merlin's never sent his heartbeat.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about some of this week's WWDC announcements, the past and future of Apple, …

TOPIC: Fill one bag.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about our relationship with the stuff in our lives and how overwhelming it can be. Solutions are …

TOPIC: Disruptions in Service

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about that ineffable but growing feeling of disconnection from the collections we used …

TOPIC: True or false dilemmas?

This week, things kick off with a discussion of how to be helpful. Especially at your kid's school, but really just …

TOPIC: Such small hands.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's acquisition of an iPhone SE and how much he's loving it. This leads to some ruminative discussion about how we pick devices based on how we prefer to …

TOPIC: Grow what? Grow HOW?

This week, Dan and Merlin have a surprisingly passionate discussion about growth.

Companies gotta "grow," right? But…what the hell does that really even mean?

Lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta …

TOPIC: Opinion at Scale.

This week kicks off with a confession that Dan and Merlin are increasingly less interested in coverage of Apple's finances …

TOPIC: Finding stories and insights hiding in your data.

This week, Dan and Merlin dive deep into the new world of personal tracking. Dan has a new …

TOPIC: Putting an Overt Stake in the Ground.

This week, Dan and Merlin end up talking about the surprising stuff a Fitbit can do for you. Dan even buys one.

Also, some discussion of pope hats, NASCAR, (the amazing) …

TOPIC: But, alas.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Smile's updated announcement about TextExpander and the ugly problem of blind internet rage.

TOPIC: Wow, times change.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the challenges and opportunities of subscription-based payment models. When do they work (or not) and how quickly does autopay fatigue kick in?

Links for …

TOPIC: Welcome to Costco. I love you.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about breakfast sandwiches, the pain and suffering of dealing with Apple IDs, managing kids and their iOS devices, Merlin's weird week with …

TOPIC: Serving the super-motivated super-fan.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about:

• a modest request from Merlin
• some interesting new options for …

TOPIC: No one cares about your demo anymore.

This week Dan & Merlin talk about realizing when life isn't all about you and getting better at learning how to say "thank you."

Also, lots of great practical (and …

TOPIC: Staying out of Technology Detention

This week, Dan and Merlin do another giant-size grabbag episode that covers a lot of ground, including:

TOPIC: That's Not How the Future Works.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about evolving technology culture, the weird landscape of semi-smart devices, …

TOPIC: Grab Bag.

This week, Dan and Merlin cover the waterfront. This wide-ranging episode covers lots of listener feedback, corrections of egregious errors, D&D alignment, the danger of guessing why people are how …

TOPIC: Epistemology and Parenting as Dumpster Fire

This week, Dan and Merlin end up talking a lot about what they don't know and how they know they …

TOPIC: Feelings, Slide Rules, and The Franklin Test

This week Merlin hasn't had enough coffee and may have early-onset toxoplasmosis, so he and Dan …

TOPIC: Information, Context, and Courage.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the reaction to last week's episode about work and identity and …

TOPIC: Coder, Kayaker, Father, Person.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's attempt to vastly rejigger his schedule in the interest of mental …

TOPIC: Say something funny.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about entertainment as a career and how difficult it can be to know whether you're suited …

TOPIC: Budgeting the Primary Secondary Project

This week, Dan and Merlin do a deep dive on a very old and very thorny topic: managing time.

Thing …

TOPIC: Elephants all the way down.

This week, Dan and Merlin do a deep dive on communication, perception, persuasion, empathy, and understanding, as illustrated by everything from The Force Awakens to Don LaPre to PR …

TOPIC: Something something the things we own.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the way shopping changes how we buy stuff—and how buying is changing what we can actually shop for.

Then, there's a ruminative …

TOPIC: Maybe quit being so "busy."

This week, Dan and Merlin drop a lot of science on the miraculous taxonomies of Judaica. Mazel Tov!

For the big …

TOPIC: Sunrise, Sunset.

This week, Dan and Merlin celebrate their 250th episode with an extensive discussion of McDonaldland and its horrific …

TOPIC: Personal Crazy Walls

This week, Dan and Merlin start by covering a lot of things that you might actually be thinking of.

The meat of the episode focuses on a listener question about deciding what things go …

TOPIC: More Songs About Buildings and Food

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about transitions, microwave ovens, air conditioning, and the likelihood …

TOPIC: A Mark on a Page

This week, Dan and Merlin kick off by talking about Dan's recent interview with "Weird Al" and how he's such an interesting harbinger of changing times for media and platforms.

Next, Merlin …

TOPIC: Medieval or Renaissance?

This week, Dan and Merlin start out by helping listeners learn to identify the subtle differences between all things Renaissance and Medieval.

The remainder of the show is split between …

TOPIC: First impressions of the new Apple TV

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the triumphs and travails of their first few days with the fourth …

TOPIC: You are who you choose to be.

This week Dan and Merlin talk about making buying decisions, dealing with unsolicited email, preventing stupid …

TOPIC: It's Business All the Way Down.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about joys and frustrations of contemporary consumer technologies. So great …

TOPIC: Procrastination is a life sentence.

This week, after some high-level discussion on the topics of Marvel and media reduxes, Dan and Merlin (maaaaybe) wrap up their initial and very positive impressions of iOS 9 …

TOPIC: iOS Amazement

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's new iPad Air 2 and continue their discussion of how much iOS 9 on modern devices is already changing how we do our work.

Also, some nerdy updates on how …

TOPIC: Speed, Reliability, and Expectations

This episode, Dan and Merlin talk about this week's massive leaps forward with the pairing of iOS 9 and …

TOPIC: Block! Block! Body blow! Uppercut!

This week, Dan and Merlin talk less about ad-blocking and more about what kind-of feels like (but might not actually be) a point of change for web advertising, podcasting, and …

TOPIC: Knowing what you'll need to know.

This week, Dan and Merlin answer a listener question about how the "slow your roll" thought technology can …

TOPIC: Stop that train!

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about some ideas for noticing and then battling the surfeits of negative thought that …

TOPIC: Practice, practice, practice.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the perilous wonders of practice of all kinds.

Links for this episode:

• How …

TOPIC: Losing hit points.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the stuff you have to do to stay healthy and well—and the rocky path to realizing …

TOPIC: Compensatory muscles

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about how much emotions can become like physical injuries—and what happens when we try to …

TOPIC: Can I ask you a question?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the complexities of communicating effectively via email. They also begin to sketch out a unified field theory for escalating communication media …

TOPIC: Don't just be the meatbag in the room.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about "the fill-in guy," TV shows they're loving, listener feedback, …

With Merlin on sabbatical (returning next week), Dan is once again joined by John Roderick. They discuss the significance of dreams, sleep paralysis, unexplained phenomenon, alien abductions, a relationship with magic, …

With Merlin on sabbatical, Dan is joined by John Roderick to talk about being a candidate, taking care of yourself, managing introversion, trying on ideas without fear, the Thirty Years War, and the struggle of being a …

TOPIC: The perils and joys of just getting started.

This week's episode is chockablock with awesomeness, from the sublime to the ridiculous. It ends …

TOPIC: What kind of "perfect" can you tolerate?

This week, Dan and Merlin have a big week. A huge week.

Opening with a thank you to generous …

TOPIC: Learning to shut up and relax.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the challenges and benefits of getting out of your own head.

Links for …

TOPIC: Hitting and sharing and dietetic lunch.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about having and not having siblings (and what it may or may not actually mean) as well as addressing some of the rapid changes coming to …

TOPIC: You can't have ALL the phone calls.

This week, Dan and Merlin battle Skype to talk about Dan't hissing floor, text editing on iOS, plus more …

TOPIC: Poundsign Communication

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about evolutions in how we do and don't communicate with each other.

Links for this …

TOPIC: Interstitial time and why you want it back.

This week, after some preliminary discussion of smoking and the children who throw rocks and run track, Dan and Merlin answer questions from listeners.

Links for this …

Merlin and Dan use The Aviator as a jumping-off point to talk about OCD as it relates to perfectionism, creativity, and drive in the workplace. They discuss rituals and their consequences, the importance of mise en …

TOPIC: Time, Stones, and Giving Yourself a Break

Just…give yourself permission to not feel like a dick today. Especially if you think you don't …

TOPIC: Hopeless and Impossible.

This week, Dan and Merlin, delve deeper into the impossibly hopeless nature of email.

Links for this episode:

• Girl …

TOPIC: Jumping Over the Precipice.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about what to be courageous about and when. It's rarely as easy or as simple as it …

TOPIC: Fear, Anxiety, and Existential Whack-A-Mole

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Color Guard, the science of binge watching, and the …

TOPIC: Take it personal and make it personal.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about culture, solipsism, hiring, and needle-moving things.

Links for …

TOPIC: Kremlinology and Verbing

This week, Dan and Merlin follow-up on Dan's neighbor and The Trailer Incident. They also undertake a rather …

TOPIC: With great power comes…uh, uh, what-have-you.

This week, Dan and Merlin cover a lot of ground. What makes a great comics movie. What movies to show (and not show) your kids. The majesty of The Big Lebowski. And, …

TOPIC: Youth as exception.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about chess, the problem with SEO, and why getting old is normal (if you're lucky).

Links …

TOPIC: Thinking Patterns and Thinking Bias

This week, Dan and Merlin talk in detail about how our unconscious patterns of thinking can damage our …

TOPIC: A lotta ins, a lotta outs, a lotta what-have-yous.

This week, Dan and Merlin are all thrown off since they're recording on a Monday. Weird, right?

They mostly talk about the respective states of comics and …

TOPIC: The weather is not the sky.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about discovering the challenges that help you to thrive—and grow.

Links for this …

TOPIC: Less of an Island.

This week Dan and Merlin talk about time, negotiations, and what we want (and don't want) from our email apps.

Links for …

TOPIC: Throwing Stars and Managers

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about working in a beehive and discuss whether they played D&D properly.

…

TOPIC: Illness, Late Night TV, AI in the home, and Talking Baby Dolls

This week, Merlin battles the flu to talk with Dan about late night …

TOPIC: Scoping the Minimally-Viable Me

This week, Dan and Merlin catch up on illness, Marvel comics, and what-have-you, but end up talking a lot about who we really are—who "I" actually am. Merlin eventually slips into …

TOPIC: Work as Practice

This week Dan and Merlin chew on some of the numerous eternal imponderables of creative work—with a special focus on "work …

With Merlin on sabbatical, Dan is joined by John Roderick to discuss his recent visit to Africa, the military, corporate friends, strategic thinking, the Internet, digital books and albums, echoes, playmobil figures, …

TOPIC: "I am NOT talking about bartending."

A kind of two-parter this week.

First up, a meditation on invasive thoughts, how they can take over our lives, and how we can maybe learn to deal with them.

Second …

TOPIC: The things you did or didn't say.

This week, Dan and Merlin sympathize with their pal Marco's recently becoming "way too popular for a day."

TOPIC: The Life You Actually Want.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about organization, multitasking and new year's resolutions.

Links for this …

TOPIC: The Opacity of the Stack

In this depressing holiday episode, Dan and Merlin talk about how tenuous our modern infrastructures feel. How great …

TOPIC: He'll only do three of these.

This week, Dan and Merlin mark their 200th episode by responding to listener feedback and talking about Led …

TOPIC: When You Love a Voice.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about podcasts they're loving right now. And, yeah, Merlin rants a little about …

TOPIC: Time to reboot.

This week, Dan and Merlin respond to a note from Listener Tim on how to stay busy and active during his garden leave. The Boys encourage him to experiment with the personal rebooting that's …

TOPIC: Mail Bag.

This week, Dan & Merlin respond to listener email and toots. Specifically, dealing with passive-aggressive team members, …

TOPIC: Hakuna Matata.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about home pest control, misleading beef jerky, and becoming a more conservative electronics …

TOPIC: Working alone together.

This week, Dan and Merlin look at the many ways workplaces have changed over the years, and how they can be great or …

TOPIC: What gets us on the moon?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about varieties of clowns, rogue walruses, bloody elevator buttons, taking risks, …

TOPIC: You Are That Little Dot.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about notifications, beeps, bloops, flashes, and all the stuff we have zero control …

TOPIC: Reinforcement, Aikido, and Fear

This week, Dan and Merlin try to tackle positive versus negative reinforcement.

Links for this episode:

• …

TOPIC: People, amirite?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about neighbors, dogs, Macs, MLB.tv, and flavors of reinforcement.

Links for this episode:

• …

TOPIC: The Ultimate Existential Investor

This week, Dan and Merlin vent about Apple as only its superfans really can. What happens when things…don't…

TOPIC: Starting the stuff we haven't started.

This week—after some entertaining random talk and a handful of hardware and software …

TOPIC: Media, Rarely Well Done

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the modern consumer media landscape and how we seem to be changing almost as …

TOPIC: Knowing What You'll Need to Know

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about a recent presentation Merlin gave on expertise and curiosity. They also …

TOPIC: Grab bag.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about—what? Well. They talk about privilege, empathy, bikes, bass players, Merlin's new mic, more bathroom signs, and a controversial anecdote about how Apple was maybe …

TOPIC: The Durable Impossibility of Email.

This week, Dan and Merlin return to an evergreen topic: the impossibility of email.

Chaotic, paradoxical, debilitating, frustrating, buoyant, and occasionally capable of …

TOPIC: Is there anything else you want to tell me?

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss what bathrooms can teach us about learning, expertise, and …

TOPIC: Wait, what'd I DO?!?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about anger, misunderstandings, and trying to do the right thing. How bewildering (and emotional) it can be to feel misunderstood—as well as trying to better …

TOPIC: Thinking, Thinking, Thinking.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the inextricable links between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. They also take some time to fondly remember Robin Williams.

Links for this …

While Merlin takes a short sabbatical, Dan is joined by special guest David Sparks to talk about presentations, making your thing, balancing acts, …

TOPIC: Stupid can't stick to me.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the distinction between being against something vs. not having an opinion about it vs. just choosing not to let the world stick to you.

Links for …

TOPIC: A Personal History of Personal Publishing

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the constantly-changing landscape of online publishing. How we got from home pages to blogs to social media and beyond. Things move …

TOPIC: Yes. Yes.

This week, Dan and Merlin follow-up on their recent 5by5 at the Movies episode about Glengarry Glen Ross, talking more about sales …

TOPIC: Motivation

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about their upcoming 5by5 at the Movies episode on Glengarry Glen Ross, which segues naturally into a discussion of the many aspects of motivation.

Carrots, sticks, …

TOPIC: (Not) Solving People Problems With Technology.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the challenge of finding business workflows that…actually …

TOPIC: "Creativity" where you din't expect it.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about PIXAR, creativity, and FoldingText before finally succumbing to …

TOPIC: Dan & Merlin in Fancy San Francisco

This week, Dan and Merlin visit across a table in a darkened room to talk about WWDC, San Francisco's lesser-known features, and how to spend less time bogged down in …

TOPIC: Culture is what we DO.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about processing a hotel room and leading by example.

Links for this episode:

• John …

TOPIC: How to undig a river.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about an email message from a listener who's having trouble getting away from his inbox …

TOPIC: It's like wallets and backpacks.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about H.R. Giger, Dan's latest Android experiment, more on app privacy, and why we need both wallets, backpacks, and suitcases. You know. Analogies.

Merlin and Dan talk about Marked, Drafts, MLKSHK shutting down, App.net, routers, Hong King Phoey, poisoned meatballs, and more.

Links for this …

Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin talk about comiXology and the future of online digital purchases.

Links for this episode:

• Wonder Woman (2009) (V)
  A …

TOPIC: Standing up to Attention Bullies.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the world's impossible expectations regarding each of our own time, …

TOPIC: Ubi Sunt, LCS?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the uneasy future of local comic shops—especially in light of Amazon's announced …

TOPIC: The future we can't know.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about how quickly technology is evolving, how janky that evolution can be, and how …

TOPIC: Words mean things.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the blight of buzzwords, jargon, and douchespeak writ large.

Links for this episode:

• …

TOPIC: Curiosity & Creativity

This week, Dan and Merlin talk more about expertise and how it relates to the ineffable qualities of curiosity and creativity. Can curiosity be inspired or taught? Or, is it just …

TOPIC: LEGO and Expertise

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about LEGO and what becoming a Master Builder can teach us about expertise.

Also: tooth fairies, binder clips, and the pedagogical warning shot.

WARNING: This …

TOPIC: ““Experiencing Issues”” with Customer Service

This week, Dan and Merlin analyze what's really going wrong when we get bad customer service. Spoiler: The brand is only as sound as its day-to-day implementation.

…

TOPIC: Time, Sleep, and Aspirations

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about impossible trade-offs and the benefits of remembering this is actually your …

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about shaving, lights, and Dan's amazing new superpower.

Links for this episode:

• 5by5 | CMD+Space #85: Being a Geek, …

Merlin and Dan talk about Library Elf, app launchers like Quicksilver and Alfred, Stanley Kubrick, pushing people to create greatness, not knowing what you like until you see it, the typefaces of Moon, and more.

Links …

TOPIC: Why We Have Doors.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about internet nostalgia, hacking vs. whacking, and why we have doors for a reason.

Links …

TOPIC: The Spreadsheet of You

This week, Dan and Merlin talk more about sleep and how self-quantization can goose your mindfulness.

Links for this …

TOPIC: Better Sleep Habits

This week, Dan and Merlin do a deep dive on building better sleep habits with a focus on the paradoxes and planning of daily activities that can make all the difference.

Links for this …

TOPIC: Isolation and Identity

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about civility, identity, Florida, and how you can't unsee Idiocracy.

Links for this …

TOPIC: The Attention Stack

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about—what?—maybe the attention stack. How what we pay attention to (and, yes spend our time on) can't help but affect how we see, think, feel, and decide.

Not …

TOPIC: The thoughts we think. And think. And think.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about anxiety, compulsive thoughts, and how to at least crack an …

TOPIC: Consistency, Change, and Counting-Down

This week, Dan and Merlin return to the evergreen topic of new year's resolutions. Remember: in the …

TOPIC: Christmas and Control

This week, Dan and Merlin meander through holiday matters, including the Winter Warlock-like impotence of having your …

TOPIC: Enough.

This week, Dan and Merlin meander around the meaning of, "enough," pondering the deep existential pit we dig for ourselves and maybe how to get out of it.

Merry Christmas. Get your head out of your ass.

TOPIC: Criticism and Its Discontents

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about criticism, people who don't like you, and how much to let each have …

TOPIC: Gooseneck Options

This week, with Dan re-sick and Merlin full of beans, the boys do a deep dive on hand washing, purpose-built bathroom …

TOPIC: Perfectionism and Procrastination

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about why the classic meanings of perfectionism mostly miss the mark; it's less about being scared to finish and more about being terrified to …

TOPIC: Going Mobile-er.

This week, Dan and Merlin are very sick, so they talk about being sick. Then, they talk about what it would take to move to …

TOPIC: Grab bag

This week, Dan takes a minute to sit down with Merlin to talk about bathroom GIFs, Marvel movies, private school ejection, and a new …

TOPIC: Perception and Perspective.

In their second ever live, face-to-face episode, Dan and Merlin talk about goats, noise gate, and taking a step …

TOPIC: Preparation

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about preparation.

Links for this episode:

• [SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors …

TOPIC: Traveling Like a Gentleman.

This week, Dan and Merlin revisit the travails of air travel. How to prepare, how to survive--and how to be a …

TOPIC: Learning the Wheres and Whens of Productivity

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about learning from how you work to improve your basic productivity infrastructure, with specific attention to using Perspectives in …

TOPIC: Special Guest, Matt Alexander

This week, Merlin is joined by Bionic co-host, Matt Alexander. They discuss ““technology ecosystems,”” life as …

TOPIC: Grab Bag, plus Tasks vs. Calendar Items

This week Dan and Merlin administer an epic grab bag episode, chockablock with new app, book, podcast, and music suggestions.

Also, a return to the evergreen topic of …

TOPIC: Informal Background Self-Quantization

This week Dan & Merlin discuss the merits of self-quantization. Which is fancy way of saying, "Merlin got a new Fitbit."

Why is anecdotal self-reporting a sucker's bet? …

TOPIC: Etiquette, Intros, and Endorsements

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the surprisingly complicated topic of email introductions.

Who emails whom? Who gets cc'd and for how long? How much homework are we …

TOPIC: Fear of Your Own TODO List

This week, Dan and Merlin cover a topic suggested by listener, @jeff_nordstedt: not wanting to look at your todo list.

From capture to completion, there are a million ways to fall off …

TOPIC: Joss Whedon GTD; Meeting Redux

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about getting specific with your productivity and why every meeting needs an …

TOPIC: Talk Shows, Baseball, and Inboxes.

This week, Dan and Merlin cover a range of topics related to expertise, experience, professional …

TOPIC: How many keys do you really need?

This week, Dan and Merlin return to the question, "What do you want ten times more of?" and weigh the risks and benefits of increasing the amount of complexity in your life.

…

TOPIC: Fraud vs. Failure

This week, Dan and Merlin dive into what makes us feel like frauds and what makes us feel like failures.

Links for this …

TOPIC: Power, Yelling, and Airport Kung Fu

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of power and how it does or doesn't work.

Do real leaders actually talk like the douchebags, serial entrepreneurs, and …

TOPIC: Delays

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about delays, agency, power, and why yelling at people about your problems rarely helps anyone.

Links …

TOPIC: Lists

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about 3½ kinds of lists that can change your game.

Merlin knows a lot about Productivity.

Links for …

TOPIC: Time Awareness & Scope Wormholes

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about why we (and Frank) are terrible at estimating time, as well as what …

TOPIC: Employers, Bosses, Leaders, and Managers

This week—in what may easily turn into a multi-episode arc—Dan and Merlin talk about bosses.

…

TOPIC: How many Saturdays do you get?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about time. Its scarcity, its passing, its tyranny, and its possibilities.

…

TOPIC: There are Only Two Prices: Free and What It Costs

This week, Dan and Merlin return to the classic lineup and some classic topics, including knowing your value, learning what to charge, and realizing what you can …

TOPIC: The Chinese Symbol for 'Pants' Inside of The Chinese Symbol for 'Jury Duty.'

This week, Dan's away, so Merlin goes solo, taking a break from …

TOPIC: First Meeting, Gifts, and Grifts

This week—after 122 episodes, plus almost a decade of internet pal-dom—Dan and Merlin finally meet and record in a room together for the first time.

With only passing nods to …

TOPIC: Loyalty, Altruism, Reality Check, or Extortion?

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about what we talk about when we talk about "loyalty."

Links …

TOPIC: Dan's Recent Bathroom Incident, et al.

This week, Dan and Merlin exhale. Don't search for secret doors.

Links for this episode:

• [SPONSOR] …

TOPIC: What would you do differently if you had a "safety net?"

This week, Dan and Merlin congratulate their pal, Marco, on the acquisition of a …

TOPIC: Macintosh Nostalgia and Utter Apple ID Madness.

This week, after an entirely appropriate amount of very important follow-up, Dan and Merlin …

TOPIC: Toward an (Admittedly Dubious) Unified Field Theory of Creativity

This week, Dan and Merlin consider a framework for understanding the basic …

TOPIC: Offices, and when to get out of them.

This week—in what will surely be remembered as the greatest Back to Work episode of all time—Dan and Merlin eventually talk about working at a desk and when to take it …

TOPIC: Quit & Analyze, and Marvel Character Speculation.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Dan's "Quit & Analyze" episode, then proceed …

TOPIC: Fixing the Culture of Meetings

This week, Dan and Merlin address the problems with meetings, and how we can each choose to improve them.

Ten …

TOPIC: Quicksilver and the OS X App Launcher Landscape

This week, Dan triumphantly returns from two weeks of crippling illness. So, the boys ease …

TOPIC: Drafts for iOS, and Who You Want to Be

This week, Dan and Merlin cover two very different topics.

First, there's a detailed discussion of one of Merlin's favorite iOS apps, Drafts, including a deep dive on the …

TOPIC: Choosing Your Forks.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about some of the deeper and more slippery issues behind changes in our career and life.

TOPIC: Memory.

This week, Dan and Merlin try to tackle the complexities of memory.

Why do we remember things from childhood with unimpeachable detail, but then forget our own phone number or PIN code? How can the same …

TOPIC: Stupidity.

This week, Dan and Merlin tackle stupidity. And, brother, there sure are a whole lot of flavors of stupid.

Are we really talking …

TOPIC: Not So Much

This week, Dan and Merlin eschew ““topic”” to freely discuss razors, beef, They Might Be Giants, prolapse, Genesis, dogs, …

TOPIC: Shaving a Yak

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about The Hierarchy of Fiddling. When does self-improvement silently shade into navel-gazing, and how do we realize that it's happening?

Some fixes mean applying a …

TOPIC: Compression

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about compression. What happens when we don't account for how long something really takes to do? And, worse still, what if we don't think about what has to happen …

TOPIC: Duplicates, duplicates, duplicates.

This week, Dan and Merlin conclude their discussion of media management by focusing on dealing with duplicates. Just so many duplicates.

Music, Photos, Contacts, and Finder …

TOPIC: Cool stuff Merlin loves.

This week, Merlin is delirious and may be in a fugue state, so he and Dan talk about a bunch of cool apps and …

TOPIC: Modern Media Management: Metadata and Smart Playlists

This week Dan and Merlin continue their 3-part series on Modern Media Management: handling your iTunes Library, iOS Devices, and iTunes Match without making …

TOPIC: Modern Media Management: iTunes Match

This week Dan and Merlin begin a 3-part series on Modern Media Management: handling your iTunes Library, iOS Devices, and iTunes Match without making yourself crazy.

In …

TOPIC: Creative Costumes vs. Pushing Out Product

This week Dan and Merlin talk about how the legends and mythologies around creative people and …

TOPIC: Those New Years When We're Not Actually Resolved.

This week, Merlin and Dan step back from resolutions and shooting yourself in the face with …

TOPIC: Yes. The caller is there.

This week, in celebration of their hundredth episode, Dan and Merlin do the first call-in episode of Back to Work.

A bevy of the beloved jackals and nerds ask questions about GTD, …

TOPIC: Troubleshooting for Saner GTD

This week, Dan and Merlin wrap up their epic summer crossover series on David Allen's book Getting Things Done, …

TOPIC: Working Getting Things Done to stay current, complete, and creative.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's Getting Things Done system.

Learning how to leverage GTD's modality to …

TOPIC: Using GTD to sanely and intelligently decide what to do, and when, and where.

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's Getting Things Done system.

Hopping over the basic workflow and …

TOPIC: A Better System for Dealing with Life's "Stuff"

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their discussion of David Allen's book, Getting Things Done

TOPIC: Intro to David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”

This week, Dan and Merlin start a long-overdue three-part storyline on David Allen’s book, Getting Things Done.[1]

How do you unwad that giant crapball of stuff …

TOPIC: How to be a proper list-maker

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss the pros and cons of lighting your environment properly, how we fall into …

TOPIC: Florida, Education, and Peaking

This week, Dan and Merlin continue their purging personal odyssey through the state of Florida. Isolation, …

TOPIC: Florida.

Hinted at since Episode 1—and repeatedly threatened nearly every week since—here, at last: The Florida Episode.

The heat, the …

TOPIC: The tech you want, and the tech you can live with.

On our second Last Show Ever™, Merlin and Dan talk about parenting, Gatsby hats, note taking and sharing, the Techno-Organic virus, and more.

Links for this …

TOPIC: Sleep and How to Get It

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about sleep—why we need it, why most of us don't get enough of it, and why we all strain to find a million excuses for perpetually walking around like a sad …

TOPIC: Programming Your Kid's Danger Room.

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss the parenthood racket: the advice and expectations, the doubt and the fear, the assessment, the concentric circles, the snow cones.

…

TOPIC: Finding Grit.

This week, Dan and Merlin return to a popular topic from last week: grit.

Why is it we stick with some things but totally …

TOPIC: Grit, Confidence, and Intuition.

This week, Dan and Merlin begin a conversation on what researchers and educators are learning about why students of all ages do or don't succeed. Yes, it's about intelligence and …

TOPIC: Anxious about the Change

This week Merlin updates Dan about his schedule changes. They're going to come, but it's probably the anxiety, not …

TOPIC: One Operational Paper Towel; One Safety Paper Towel.

This week, Dan and Merlin discuss how to use a public restroom.

There's some other stuff, too. But, yeah. Mostly Dan and Merlin discuss how to use a public …

TOPIC: Superpowers, Madness, and the Pursuit of Interesting Problems

Dan and Merlin talk about the superpowers you have and can't control as well as …

TOPIC: Obsessions, Compulsions, Obsessions, and Compulsions. Also, Obsessions—and Compulsions.

This week, Dan and Merlin lick the doorknob five …

TOPIC: Capture, Contracts, and Mapping the Territory.

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about keeping an honest calendar and ensuring you regularly …

TOPIC: Honesty and Sociopathy Go to Work

Merlin and Dan talk about the cultural divide between you and your work. Coping with work is a little like …

TOPIC: Kicking and Screaming

Merlin has been dragged kicking and screaming into at least two things this week. Sometimes, that works out, and sometimes it doesn't. But, how many of those things do we need? How many can …

TOPIC: Adapting to the Danger Room of Life

Dan and Merlin talk about how the protagonist of your story handles change in personal and work environments.

How do you respond in the face of change you haven't anticipated …

TOPIC: Gut Churn, Pointing Arrows, and Recognizing Change

This week, Dan and Merlin talk at length about a recent article by Radiolab's Jad Abumrad, …

TOPIC: Motivation, Hardware Stores, and Fighting the Last War

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about motivation—how it changes, how it doesn't, and how it can be fueled by anxiety and cognitive dissonance.

There is also …

TOPICS: Better Meat & Working Backwards

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about the many strategic and tactical benefits of reverse-engineering your next project.

There is also extensive discussion of choosing, …

TOPIC: Feeling Stuck in the Middle

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about a topic suggested by listener, @toddsandends: what happens when you're stuck …