Reconcilable Differences

This week’s follow-up covers good news/weird news on Merlin’s wife’s phone, more on “accessibility” settings, and how craftsmanship and quality often war with management. The main topic is _solo parenting_. Facing The Shoe Crisis, thrice ruining the dinosaur eggs, and finding yourself in a Staples line that’s literally not moving. Is fear and anxiety really such a smart and time-tested motivator? Is it telling that John and Merlin’s partners don’t seem to sweat mornings when _they’re_ not around? Also, we learn why neurosis is *always* built into the price when applying _Siracusa’s Incompleteness Theorem_. (_Recorded Monday, October 3, 2016_)

This week kicks off with a look at the rise of vaping, the decline of public infrastructure, and whether it's okay for authors to sign their own books in the airport store. Merlin (*finally*) figures out how to join Slate Plus, John reminisces about Yahoo!, and both hosts advocate strongly for the vanishing genre of slow-paced movies about how things get made. The main topic this week is _magic and superstition_. What delights (or angers) your hosts in a magic show? Why can't Cardini get rid of those cards? Merlin admits he's superstitious about his water heater, and John reveals how he learned not to mind when his plane takes off. John cruelly schools Merlin on why he should stop trusting himself. (_Recorded Monday, September 12, 2016_)

This week, Merlin figures out what's weird about John, and John declares Merlin to be a clique mixer. The main topic this week is _high school reunions_. Or, at least it starts out that way. John and Merlin are both pretty good at not going to things, then ruminating about it. (_Recorded Tuesday, August 30, 2016_)

This week opens with some follow-up on John’s recent sauce talk, including suggestions on selecting tomatoes and sweating the iffy authenticity of olive oil. John helps Merlin understand modern peaches. Listeners are encouraged to support Relay FM and are tantalized with details of a very special episode that will soon be available for members only. The main topic this week is _ratings and reviews_. John talks about how he drinks eagerly from the fire hose of product recommendations as well as sharing his perspective on how he thinks about his epic OS X reviews in retrospect. (_Episode recorded Tuesday, August 23, 2016_)

This week kicks off with some follow-up on John's receipt of the coveted Blue Check on Twitter alongside some speculation on the lack of motivation that seems to smother even Twitter's most half-hearted approaches to managing abuse. Further follow-up concerns pronunciation of "Marina" (say `məˈrēnə`), thoughts on being "The Other Guy" on a podcast, and more discussion of *thought technology*. Also, we all get dumb PR email, and, sorry, it looks like _Millennium Actress_ got pulled from the YouTube. The big topic this week? _Sauce_. More specifically, John walks us through how he cooks, stirs, and deploys delicious spaghetti sauce at scale. Merlin admits to failing at home fries whilst super-high. A general discussion of cooking practices reveals that Merlin is _probably_ America's greatest microwave wizard. Also, John and Merlin hold a spirited Science Debate on whether and how lighting a match may or may not tackle flatulent effluvia. *With Science*. (*Episode recorded Wednesday, August 3, 2016*)

This week we open on John struggling to jump through the hoops to get _verified_ on Twitter. This leads to a discussion of the myriad ways in which abuse thrives unchecked in the absence of decisive action by Twitter-the-company. John excruciates over his now-required bio blurb. In follow-up, several listeners are thanked and acknowledged, and Good Cop John just can't believe Merlin isn't a more strident and principled critic of "The Popcorn Trick." The main topic is what we talk about when we talk about _Evolutionary Biology_. John runs through some common misconceptions, popular misnomers, and widespread errors of analogy on this mostly misunderstood topic. Merlin candidly admits that he still doesn't really understand what he doesn't understand. * * * * * Note: Since this episode was recorded, Paramount Vault appears to have pulled the _Millennium Actress_ video from YouTube. Team RecDiffs will update if it reappears. (_Episode recorded Tuesday, July 19, 2016_)

This week kicks off with Merlin ranting about his mixed feelings about spoiler warnings, and, as usual, John assumes the role of Good Cop on the audience's behalf. Then, there's some discussion of how John has been gently introducing Merlin to his favorite anime films. Note: audience homework to watch the film _Millennium Actress_ for future discussion is assigned. The main topic can be roughly called, "my part of the couch." More specifically, why are your hosts so piqued about how hard it is to have nice things—let alone _their own things_—in their respective households? Is this a simple tragedy of the commons? Are they just unintentionally acting like 50s TV Dads? Will their daughters eventually steal literally everything? And, honestly, how hard is it to put your phone just anyplace besides John's exactly-iPhone-6-sized spot on the mantle? It seems so simple.

[**N.B.** This episode contains a very brief discussion of plot points in the movie, _Finding Dory_. Skip from `0:15:41` to `0:19:33` to avoid minor spoilers.] This week kicks off with a discussion on the nature of inflammable jammies and general rehearsals for panic. There's some quick FU on Ted Leo, followed by some lessons of _Finding Dory_. This leads to yet 👏 another 👏 dive into Pixar films and what your hosts compulsively crave from them. Like: what would happen if Pixar went Full-Metal-Kubrick on creating a seriously committed sci-fi movie for grownups? In passing, your hosts agree that _Game of Thrones_ is really good, and that Sansa Stark is most definitely a serious badass. The main topic this week is…💫 **The Fuuuuuuture!** 💫 To wit: Merlin can't contain his fascination and admiration with how John's rationality and long view of history has colored and redirected his own conceptions about what the future holds. How does John evaluate and interpolate new technology? How should inchoate cultural vectors inform our thinking? Why do some kinds of change take such improbably more time than others? And how much do we *really* want to learn about cannibalism? (_Episode recorded 2016-06-21_)

This week starts with a vigorous dive into the X-Men movie franchise and what exactly your hosts love and don't about modern superhero movies. Then, Merlin briefly lapses into some serious *Glenning* by torturing John with anecdotes about hanging out with Aimee Mann (plus some assorted randos John’s mostly never heard of). The main topic is *repping*, a pickup of the frequent theme of a program Merlin does with Another John. How do we choose the ways we represent ourselves to the world? Whether it's clothes, cars, haircuts, bumper stickers, music or what-have-you: what are we repping, and how often are we even remotely pulling it off?

This week opens with John's meditation on pronunciation, accents, and the gradual disappearance of America's once-diverse tapestry of vowel sounds. This somehow leads to a rueful examination of the modern media landscape, focusing on the Big Black Box where all the ugly and capricious business of media distribution probably gets decided. Merlin confesses his existential dread about appearing on _The Incomparable_ then happily names names regarding his picks for a non-existent Favorite Hosts draft. Things really kick into high gear as your hosts finally (_FINALLY_) go toe-to-toe on the hot topic of iOS app quitting. Why Merlin is so mad at John and why John insists Merlin is still wrong. Then? Then, things get oddly reconciled as the gloves come off and the boys start tag-teaming on Apple's buggy and broken services, with especially strategic kicks to the biscuit reserved for those inscrutable requests for iCloud logins to which so many fans are treated throughout the working day. What's it going to take to shore up dwindling confidence and frayed credibility? Why are Google and Dropbox so much better at getting this stuff right? And, when the heck will there finally be enough time to talk about Free Will?

This week starts with some updates on Merlin’s cat, her newly discovered medical conditions, and Merlin’s ruminations on how much he’s prepared to tolerate regarding her health budget and snack preferences. In follow-up, the boys address the length of the last episode and debate the merits of chapter markers. Are they an attractive nuisance that encourages people to pick up one of your host’s terrible media consumption hygiene? Also, more talk on smoking, and we learn that John is surprisingly tolerant about how people talk. The main topic this week explores how a young John first began measuring the parameters of the world. How can we tell if something is true? Are Bigfoot, telekinesis, and space travel each really a thing? (Episode recorded May 10, 2016)

This week opens with some followup on the ownership of *Star Wars* and the zero-sum game of ugly corporate distribution battles. John visits San Francisco, sees Todd and Merlin, and there is talk about the modern history of film VFX. Merlin catches John up on the extraordinary amount of _The Walking Dead_ episodes he's been watching (out of order), and John doubles down on his shocked perplexity regarding how Merlin does almost everything. The main topic this week is—wait for it— _drugs_. In particular, the listener is treated to an epic tour of the "four toadstools" that mark Merlin's journey with the forbidden pharmaceutical wild side. Winded and worn, Merlin begins provoking John for answers and anecdotes on the times he's taken crazy risks. Mildly harrowing stories ensue. John tortures himself with thought experiments. Also, John hates smoking. (Episode recorded April 26, 2016)

This week, John and Merlin have two really big topics. Things kick off with a discussion of _Star Wars_. In particular, there is extensive discussion of your hosts’ interests and preferences regarding preservation and fan restorations of the original trilogy, along with a wish list, speculations, and pipe dreams for an _official_ re-release. We can dream, can’t we? Next, the dolorous spoiler horn fires off for a detailed examination of _The Walking Dead_ (TV series). Lots of talk about how and when the series works in general, followed by passionate complaints on the controversial Season 6 finale. Are we finally too far gone? Spoilers start at 01:22:23. (Episode recorded April 5, 2016)

This week, things kick off with a lively discussion of ASMR, furries, bronies, juggaloes, some more car talk, teenaged drinking, and John’s libido. The main topic is *sense of humor*. How, where, when, and from whom did the boys learn what makes them laugh? How come British things seem extra funny? Why does Lisa need braces? How did the Harlem Globetrotters get away with using a ladder? Does she go? Eh?

This week, John and Merlin kick things off with a discussion of the non-English languages kids get exposed to and how *Mandarin* maybe isn't the new *French*. The main topic focuses on _cars and driving_. First, there's the automobiles that their families did or didn't drive and why. Then, John educates Merlin on the evolution of consumer car design over the past 30 years. This leads to more personal thoughts on their early days of driving, including the madness of *Driver's Ed* and the indignities of failed road tests. Following some excellent driving hacks and Best Practices, things conclude with a sad litany of dumb auto accidents.

This week kicks off with some depressing follow-up on Merlin’s stove and his concern that John might think he’s a terrible person. John bemoans the dilapidated state of his own house as well as his grudging tolerance for that state. The main topic is _meeting your heroes_. Who do you wish you could meet and why? What would you say to Steve Jobs in an elevator or Bill Murray on a plane? John marvels at Merlin’s comfort with his many celebrity connections, and Merlin gives some handy tips on not acting like a total creep.

This week, John and Merlin kick things off with a discussion of the Sturm und Drang around dealing with kids’ homework. Things continue with a mostly spoiler-free discussion of _The Leftovers_. The main topic is _trust your mechanic_. How to survive working with the experts who diagnose **and** fix your problems. John's not a Dead Kennedys fan, and Merlin's just so irrationally mad about the state of his oven.

This week, John and Merlin start out by talking about the value of exposing yourself to new or uncomfortable ideas (and how it can be difficult). Following a tuneful diversion on their favorite music as kids, the boys jump into the main topic: _how and when to recommend things to other people_. What's right and for whom? How do you distinguish the "best" versus your "favorite" as against "the best place to start?" Why Merlin goes conservative and John is reluctant to recommend things at all. Also: who's right for The Flop House, and how do they score Scorsese, R.E.M., U2, and Wes Anderson? (Recorded February 2, 2016)

This week, John ruthlessly critiques Merlin's Google Docs style, followed by a tentative announcement about how listeners can help support the show. The primary topic this week is _names and naming_. Merlin struggles in vain to pronounce John's name to his satisfaction, John reveals his middle name, and the boys dive deep on the lore, reality, and complexities of how both people and stuff get their names. Apologies to Daenerys, **BETH!**, Liz, and Jeh-*NIGH*-fur. Finally, Merlin reveals that his family has acquired a PS4 that he doesn't really understand very well and that has been used mainly to repeatedly enter passwords and decorate a makebelieve Disney house. John scolds Merlin for half-heartedly starting _Journey_. (*Recorded January 5, 2016*)

This week, John critiques Merlin's online editing skills, which leads to a discussion of coding conventions. Merlin, in turn, critiques John's propensity to murder a joke by telling it in weird bullets. Next up, we learn that Merlin has (**finally**) watched _The Game_ all the way through, which leads to a spoiler-heavy dive into this terrific 1997 David Fincher film. (Note: Please listen for the spoiler horn, then skip from `00:16:21` through `00:40:47` if you haven't watched the movie yet.) Finally, the boys tackle the topic of _jobs_. First jobs, early jobs, what they did or didn't learn from them, and how their younger work lives shaped their later future employment choices. (Episode recorded December 15, 2015)

This week, John and Merlin start out by exploring the challenges of sleep and AppleTV. Next, John probes Merlin about why exactly he’s so interested in remembering and recording his whackadoodle dreams. We learn, for example, that _Permiso_ delivers 3 to 5 surprises per day. Finally, Merlin interrogates John about why he dislikes and avoids scary movies.

This week, your hosts cover TV buying decisions, the legacy of Star Wars, thoughts on holidays, and how to not end up raising Dudley Dursley.

This time out, John and Merlin start with a consideration of parenting advice and (surprise) the _Star Wars_ prequels. Then, the wardrobe is opened for a discussion of _clothing_. What your hosts choose to wear and why, and how best to telegraph the desire to be a non-combatant in the fashion race. Merlin encourages listeners to give John _a virtual makeover_.

This episode, John and Merlin have a spirited debate on netspeak and emoji talk (🤕👹😭), then address the Wonderful World of Disney (World), including what makes it great and what keeps it relevant.

This week kicks off with some further discussion of salad and the video game, Destiny, and then proceeds into some talk about the current TV season and the state of late-night programming. The centerpiece of the episode is a lot of talk about _travel_, focused on the myriad reasons your hosts find it so terribly difficult. Observations on helplessness, motion sickness, money, and the titular "Hobbit tendencies" emerge. Things conclude with a meditation on _introversion_: what it means to have it (or decide that you have it), and what constitutes the super-wide spectrum between social anxieties and the more garden-variety aversion to, say, wearing pants.

This week, the boys return for Season Two. Things kick off with a clandestine follow-up discussion of evolution based on an unreleased episode of a different podcast. Don't ask. The ball really gets rolling when John ruefully updates us on the stressful state of renovations to his house—and how his quest for quality collides with whatever passes for quote-unquote craftsmanship today.

This final episode of Season 1 kicks off with some fascinating FU on [Clever Hans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clever_Hans) and proceeds into a listener question about John's feelings about "faith." Finally, the boys settle into a detailed exploration of "Merlin's world of music." From AM radio (through a pillow speaker) to abortive accordion and trombone lessons to impersonating Pete Townsend through the Bacon Ray years. The episode concludes with some updates regarding the future of the program.

In this penultimate episode, John and Merlin start with a discussion of salad and some followup on _Destiny_ (John can't even believe he forgot Xur). This week's main topic focuses on the many aspects of being a "late bloomer." From secondary sex characteristics and serial social prickliness through figuring out how to be in a family and studying the anthropology of the opposite sex.

This time around, John and Merlin talk about time-shifted media releases, corporate speak, and Dave the Marketing guy. For the main topic, John educates Merlin about the first-person shooter game, "Destiny." Merlin feels overwhelmed, while John says we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg.

This week, John and Merlin do some follow-up on John's picky eating and his family's failures at meal planning. Both men cop to loving soup. Also some updates on Destiny. Then on to the _big_ topic: how does John's mind work, and how did he get that way? (Recorded July 17, 2015)

This time kicks off with Merlin's torpor, then continues with FU on miscrediting _Synecdoche, NY_, recommendations on the making of _Fury Road_, and an extended meditation on the social psychology of web commenting. Then on to the scintillating topic of the week: _food and cooking_. In which we learn that your hosts and their families are both/all screwed up **and** hopeless in different ways. All involved are, as they say, _chopped_. Merlin is weird, but not bulimic; John is picky, fretful, and hopeless; and children continue to be a problem that cannot be solved.

This week, the boys kick things off with some followup on Merlin's bad media viewing habits, some incomplete homework, and more on the "tells" in *Total Recall*. The remainder of the episode is dedicated to a spoiler-heavy look at *Mad Max: Fury Road*. If you haven't seen it, treat yourself to a cinema viewing as soon as you can. John and Merlin's world is blood and fire.

This week, after John derides Merlin's terrible media viewing habits, the boys share their affection for divisive films and revisit the spectacle of "Hell in a Cell." For this week's primary topic, John probes Merlin's spotty history with video games, then sketches out the current console landscape. Merlin is assigned preliminary homework to start catching up.

This week, John and Merlin finally set themselves to the task of beginning to argue about their differences. After a look at their feelings about reviews (and review culture), John takes Merlin to task for his stance on the 1999 film *Fight Club* (and *Fight Club* culture). Then, things conclude with a passionate debate on the societal impact of sports (and sports culture).

In this episode, John and Merlin discuss the origins of the show, including their contrasting approaches to authority, conformity, and contrariness. Also, Merlin credits John with helping him become less horrible, and John deposes Merlin about his year in military school.

In this inaugural episode of Season 1, John and Merlin begin framing the conversation on exactly *how they got how they are*. From the dungeons of Usenet to the dragons of roving bullies, origins are explored, awkwardness is catalogued, and differences are provisionally reconciled.