Reconcilable Differences
371 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 421 ratingsJohn Siracusa and Merlin Mann try to figure out exactly how they got this way. Hosted by Merlin Mann and John Siracusa.
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Episodes
186: QD-OLED Vaccine
July 08, 2022 22:45 - 1 hour - 83.3 MBThings kick off with Merlin proposing a new title for himself which John immediately vetoes for cause. In Follow-Up, John claims that he knows what month it is, plus there's some promising new data on John's TV project. 👉 Time is running out, so please consider [**buying our shirt**](https://recdiffs.store). The main topic concerns the question we've all been asking for over two years: _is it the after times yet?_ Is Covid "over" to a point where we can feel good about making plans and…_d...
185: A Shirt’s Journey
June 24, 2022 19:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBThings kick off with an immediate derail into Merlin's Apple Health data, with John noting that he never liked _Statistics_. Next up, your hosts have—at least by their standards—a pretty big announcement. This leads to an appropriately in-depth exegesis into the process of making and selling a t-shirt. Side topics include Scott Pilgrim, JavaScript, domain names, throwing money at artists you love, and just one of the _numerous_ ways Factory Records managed to lose lots of money. 👉 If you ...
184: Back Door Preparation
June 11, 2022 00:15 - 1 hour - 100 MBTelling strangers what you do for work, Merlin's life as a Ricky Montgomery dad, and How to Talk to People. In our members-only bonus show: John has questions about Merlin's Bike Results, and Merlin has gotten religion about how we make cities. [Sign up today](https://www.relay.fm/rd/join) to get lots of extra stuff and to support our program. (_Recorded on Thursday, June 2, 2022_)
183: The Pinching Opportunities
May 27, 2022 20:30 - 1 hour - 102 MBThings kick off with a dive on the hacker mindset, black swans, corner cases, and the exception that proves the rule. Whatever that means. This leads to a side trip into security, troubleshooting, and the difference between non-linear thinking and untethered madness. Finally, in a conversation both sprawling and comically on-brand, your hosts explore the concept of *properness*. What does it mean to do something properly, when should it matter, and what are the risks and benefits of dema...
182: Disapproval Has a Scent
May 13, 2022 18:45 - 1 hour - 95.2 MBThings kick off with some discussion of food, which finds one of your hosts trying to prove with science that he tastes everything _better_. Also, there is not a band _or_ a sports team called "The Miami Giants." Next up, John frog-marches Merlin through a check-in on his terrible sleep. Finally, on the heels of releasing their annual [member](https://www.relay.fm/rd/join) episode, John and Merlin answer some of the very good questions posed by one of their friend-guests at length. (_Reco...
181: I Saw Your Wife
April 29, 2022 22:45 - 2 hours - 124 MBThings kick off with an unexpected chalk talk from Merlin on the provenance of a favorite phrase as well as an even less expected history of his college's dorms. In follow-up, John would like to clarify that he knows the difference between a TV show about pirates and a Southern California hardcore band. Merlin offers to make John a mix tape. After confidently announcing he's not going to talk about his Synology updates this week, Merlin talks about his Synology updates. Next up, John has p...
180: I’m Doing a Lot of Stuff with Computers Right Now
April 17, 2022 23:00 - 1 hour - 94.8 MBIn follow-up, John has corrections for himself, but Merlin says he knew what John meant. Errors are so much easier to identify once everybody else has had a chance to see them too. In further follow-up, both the listeners and John have some advice for Merlin on programmatically scooting Git files around on his Mac. This week's mini-topic involves some crossover with _Do By Friday_ via a consideration of the varying depictions of J.H. Christ in the iconography of different faiths. Merlin adm...
179: I Believe in the System…Kind Of
March 31, 2022 01:15 - 1 hour - 107 MBThings kick off with Merlin blowing his nose and John hearing it. In Follow-Up, John brings us up to speed on his recent adventures in jury duty. Merlin has thoughts on what we can infer from a drug tester who keeps sipping meth from the big control jug. Next, John is (yet—_further_) trolled by the jackals who make announcements about their future TVs. Merlin wonders if maybe John should just learn to weld. And, finally? There's **John's Main Topic**. (_Recorded on Tuesday, March 22, 2022_)
178: Ill-Advised Fashion Muse
March 19, 2022 00:15 - 1 hour - 79.9 MBIn follow-up, John continues to be trolled by the announcements of television makers, and Merlin clarifies which Blu-ray box he recommends. Also, Merlin has nice things to say about the Peacock app. As something like a main topic, John finally presents an authentic Italian-American's take on the "doing Italian food wrong" meme. Merlin wonders about locating the line between personal preference and natural law. Next up, Merlin needs John's Tech Support for a Git question And, finally, your ...
177: I Have Dim Hopes
March 05, 2022 00:00 - 2 hours - 117 MBThings kick off with a withering review of presentations by children. Follow-up covers TV pricing updates alongside John's complicated entertainment-stack needs. As a main topic, your hosts dive deep on [John's recent post about streaming video apps](https://hypercritical.co/2022/02/15/streaming-apps "Hypercritical - 'An Unsolicited Streaming App Spec'") and [a follow-up post about how people feel](https://hypercritical.co/2022/02/17/streaming-app-sentiments "Hypercritical: 'Streaming App...
176: The Curse of Convenience
February 19, 2022 00:45 - 1 hour - 91.4 MBMerlin apologizes about the links last week, but John saves the day by picking up the tabs. Follow-up covers listener feedback on CRI and what Gmail's little envelope means. Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts are extolled. John has an update on his Ongoing Appliance Rebellion but has nothing new to share on his Ongoing Toe Rebellion. As a main topic, your hosts dive deep on _spaces_. The places where we live, work, hoard, purge, and hang up just so, *so* many coats. Can there be a taxonomy of space...
175: One Giant Mountain
February 05, 2022 20:45 - 1 hour - 99 MBThings kick off with your hosts not quite talking about John's scanning project, but it quickly turns into a dive into tiny on-screen targets, DRM that prevents screenshots, and why, oh, why don't streaming services make things easier to share? In follow-up, Merlin shares his new enthusiasm for the powerful combination of Git and Visual Studio Code. John expresses disappointment that Merlin still hasn't renamed his hard drive. Finally, John has important updates on his body. (_Recorded on ...
174: Cardamom & Turmeric
January 21, 2022 14:15 - 1 hour - 78.7 MBAfter some discussion of the pre-flight and Merlin's problematic meal, there's a surprising amount of donut-related content, including identifying the unexpected challenges of running a successful Donut Friday. Merlin has some thoughts on the perils of cute ordering. In follow-up, John highlights some helpful listener responses on LED bulbs. Man, light sure can be complicated. As a main topic, John tells us why Sony is breaking his heart and making his journey to buying a new television mor...
173: The Chicken Project
January 06, 2022 23:15 - 1 hour - 92.5 MBJohn opens with a question, and Merlin admits to thinking about John in the morning. This leads to some U2 content and quick look at Disney's _Encanto_. In follow-up, John shares some updates on his freezer situation and implies that he still plans to talk about his body soon. This week's main topic concerns Merlin's Wisdom Project.
172: First, Make a Hole
December 24, 2021 21:00 - 1 hour - 102 MBYour hosts discuss John’s new freezer.
171: Time Off
December 10, 2021 22:45 - 1 hour - 85 MBThings kick off with Merlin's ongoing confusion about the role of the pre-flight. Merlin thinks John is being kind of terse, and John almost quotes what The Wolf said—and, yet, he somehow remembers exactly what model of car The Wolf drove. Then, there's a fair amount of talk about old Apple keyboards. Merlin abuses his relationship with John to get some tech support. In follow-up, John takes an unprecedented third crack at explaining _security through obscurity_. John can't even imagine ...
170: Overton Shame Window
November 27, 2021 02:30 - 1 hour - 99.4 MBIn follow-up, your hosts fix a couple errors, then complain about restaurant delivery apps and label makers. The hammer drill is considered and demoed. As a main topic, your hosts discuss the future of gender. (*Episode recorded Tuesday, November 16, 2021*)
169: Open Up the Frog
November 13, 2021 00:30 - 1 hour - 84.9 MBFollowing an accidental pre-show, John bans clapping, and Merlin announces he doesn't want to run a store. In an epic mini-topic, John addresses how he deals with safely getting rid of old media. The answers will *not* surprise you. Next, Merlin has questions about lawn signs. Frank Chu is remembered. The main topic is _Lifestreams_. What were they, and why have you never heard of them? (_Recorded on Tuesday, November 2, 2021_)
168: The Robes of Science
October 29, 2021 22:15 - 1 hour - 91 MBYour hosts did their first pre-flight, and it went pretty well. Next up, in direct contravention to the dictates governing the uneasy peace with ATP, there is some *computer talk*. Specifically, Merlin wants to know if John really didn't do any research, and John wants to hear Merlin's reactions to Apple's recent announcements. (Editor's Note: At one point, John accidentally/casually reveals the existence of a *queue*, and, of course, it's all Merlin can do not to stop the program, start ov...
167: A Close Italian Reading
October 15, 2021 22:45 - 1 hour - 92.7 MBJohn will not relay messages from Merlin to John's wife, and Merlin feels like he's finally getting over whatever passes for summer. Marco hates it when his phone hits his junk, and both of your hosts consider how an eagle, a monkey, and a bucket of water can do heroic work together. Also, Merlin can't remember several things, but he claims to have a method for back-solving the stack. In vitally important Follow-Up, Merlin has found the original recipe for "Bachelor Pasta," which, naturally,...
166: Our Monster
September 30, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 69.6 MBFollow-up brings a couple corrections and a quick dive into the technology that was going to change how cities are designed. John thinks it's a miracle that the New York subway was ever built, and Merlin thinks a lot of politics is mostly about telling people they were right. As a main topic, John encourages Merlin to share some happy memories of his family's monstrous cat, and Merlin cries a little. This leads to a discussion of the journey of new pet acquisition.
165: In the Drift
September 17, 2021 19:45 - 1 hour - 86.2 MBJohn wonders about up-talk greetings, and Merlin confesses to some recent situational imbibing. Follow-up addresses the "Too-Rye-Ay" question, the enumeration of pasta shapes, and how many kinds of beetles there actually are. Tangents include celebrity biographies, Adam and the Ants video casting, Alta Vista search operators, and the actresses that Merlin collects. The main topic concerns Merlin's recent turn as Mr. Mom.
164: Casual Injustices
September 03, 2021 23:00 - 1 hour - 90.1 MBThere's follow-up on Merlin's Vacation Results, and your hosts wonder which Doctor they'd each be. The big topic of college continues with thoughts on the thistle of standardized testing.
162: A Pile of Bed
August 07, 2021 01:45 - 1 hour - 90.6 MBRemembering various animal actors, enumerating genres that need a name, considering the philosophies behind "bag in a bag," and contrasting college with the ordinary crucibles of post-adolescent life.
161: ASCII Salad Bar
July 24, 2021 01:45 - 1 hour - 103 MBExploring Italian food, celebrating markup languages, and (finally) beginning to tackle the topic of **college**. (_Recorded on Tuesday, July 13, 2021_)
160: The Spouse Trap
July 10, 2021 03:15 - 1 hour - 97.7 MBMerlin just woke up, John is full of beans, and things get a little silly. Meet Lidlicker.
159: The Narrow Priesthood
June 25, 2021 00:45 - 1 hour - 72.8 MBCameras! Just *so* much about cameras. But, also: amusing primates, Taylor Swift, ““content creation,”” crummy band managers, widespread misunderstanding of Lucille Bluth, the genius and tragedy of Howard Ashman, `RFC1178`, plus John shares his nostalgia for one indefatigable computer naming scheme.
158: Wait for the Wave
June 11, 2021 21:15 - 2 hours - 125 MBThis week kicks off with Merlin offering a heartfelt *thank you* to John for helping him know where he is. John shouldn't need to wiggle, and Merlin can't imagine ever asking for the return of "contact." Your hosts agree accessibility is good for everybody. John has updates on drama in the NES Tetris Scene, and Merlin remembers bringing a pencil to the arcade so he could cheat. John repurposes an excellent graphic by Neven to ask how buttony a button needs to be to look like it's a button....
157: Champion Snackers
May 28, 2021 05:15 - 1 hour - 84.1 MBThings kick off with some call confusion, a boombox cameo, and a roundtable on the problematic nature of John Hughes's movies. *Automobile?* This leads to some nostalgia for the 1979 film, _Breaking Away_. Your hosts debate which one of them is which character in the movie, but both agree it’s still a stone cold classic. Next up, your hosts talk about a resurgence of interest in PlayStation games at Merlin’s house. John has a lot of thoughts, but his memory is getting really bad. Finally,...
156: Feeding the Meetings
May 13, 2021 21:15 - 1 hour - 95.1 MBThings kick off with the usual disagreements about who’s driving and who’s in the trunk, but then things briefly settle into an interrogation of the purpose behind begging for podcast ratings and reviews. Does it actually, _really_ help new people to discover the show? John tries to remember a song, and Merlin fondly recalls _un cheval maladroit_. Next, John has some thoughts on grass and how it grows. Merlin wonders if it might be another “Trust Your Mechanic”-type situation. Both of your ...
155: I Don’t Feel like It’s an Edge
May 01, 2021 03:30 - 1 hour - 82.4 MBOur members’ special episode is coming soon, with a special guest. Become a Relay FM member to get access to this and all our past special episodes. In the meantime… Merlin needs a 4K monitor, and Apple won’t end his suffering by making one. John got his first vaccine shot, so he’s not sweating it. Merlin’s grandmother liked to make lists and talk on the phone with retail staff. Do you have the exact product she needs? No sense in driving all that way if you don’t. Perhaps there is some pos...
154: Put Your Chair in the Queue
April 16, 2021 20:30 - 1 hour - 67 MBThings kick off with the usual disagreements about the doc and its proper usage. Merlin thought he was going to be driving, but John curtly redirects him into the trunk. Follow-up brings a handful of fun D&D-related content, including the work of John's talented Cousin Frankie. Outrage-based documentaries are considered. The main topic this week is **vaccines and vaccinations**, as your hosts share their frustrating and mostly fruitless journeys toward that elusive date with the needle. Hop...
153: Banana Ball
April 03, 2021 17:30 - 1 hour - 78.9 MBYour hosts skip the pre-flight, then end up talking a little about preparing for a performance. Novelty sports experiments are considered. Following some corrections, self-analysis, and technological digression, Merlin's computer poops the bed. Covid considerations continue to interfere with life, and sometimes you have to fight your family's optimism a little. Merlin tries to use an analogy from a TV show, and John introduces the class to "The Plumber Problem." John has recently discovere...
152: Warnings of Gales in Trafalgar
March 19, 2021 22:45 - 1 hour - 83.3 MBJohn has questions about Merlin's use of the doc, and Merlin is confused about the challenge this week. Merlin never got his nap, but John has thoughts in general about things being played _at_ him. Which leads to an exploration of how your hosts differ in the role various sorts of audio play in their lives. Should meditation be "relaxing?" Why do people react so differently to ambient and environmental sounds? What can you do when spouses differ on nighttime noise options? And why in the ...
151: Fully Emptive
March 05, 2021 21:30 - 1 hour - 93.1 MBThings kick off with some questions about Merlin's naps, then proceed to John's Follow-Up on accents, dialect, and pronunciation. John shares a historical artifact of 80s teen retail life, and this leads to nostalgic reminiscing about the classic arcade games of youth. John has a toe update (*sorry*), and Merlin wants to learn about an anomalous genital condition—but only if he can be assured it will involve _no images_. There's some Follow-In via John's more popular program regarding priva...
150: The Stands
February 18, 2021 19:30 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBMerlin meets a new neighbor, and John still wonders whether he lives in the woods. This leads to a deep dive on clothes that don't fit. John has doubts about Merlin's reported height. In follow-up, John corrects the record on the provenance of his family's Christmas tree stand. In what turns out to be an ongoing stretch of sematic satiation, this leads to an exploration of Stephen King. Are any of the adaptations as good as his books? And what happened when a canine-having Mainer wanted some...
149: Babysitting the Dragon
February 06, 2021 19:45 - 1 hour - 82.2 MB"Friend" of the Show, Elliott Kalan, was on TV's *Jeopardy*. No spoilers, but his little buzzer hand was held high. John is *not* doing intermittent fasting, but his meal schedule is all messed up. Also possibly his life schedule. Merlin likes a Snickers bar (or Kit-Kat) when he's on the road, but he doesn't like being fat and poopy. A short episode of *Back to Work* may have accidentally found its way into the show. (You’re welcome.) Be careful who you let run the railroad.
148: McLaren of Theseus
January 23, 2021 04:45 - 1 hour - 98.6 MBJohn gets quizzed on abbreviations as Merlin revisits his early career working for The Man. California has a lot of things you're not allowed to buy. Then, there's some haircut updates plus some quick advice on knowing when to take a break. Merlin thinks just ""wearing a mask"" doesn't make you a good boy, and John thinks he's pretty good about picking up Daisy's poo from the landing strip or whatever it's called. As a mini-topic, John brings a fascinating mystery involving cars, hairs, an...
147: Pan-Pan!
January 08, 2021 17:45 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBThings kick off with a cameo and Merlin's abortive attempt to make a connection. Next, John reeds Merlin the riot act on his unintentional use of red receipts. Merlin pleads _nolo contendere_ but, as you can imagine, this does not dissuade John from explaining how he broke some cockamamie social contract. The complexities and risks of asynchronous communication are explored. Merlin makes a case for broader use of *procedure words*. He also wants to learn how to do those cool hand signals. ...
146: Rogue Rice
December 24, 2020 22:30 - 1 hour - 85.5 MBThings kick off with (_surprise, surprise_) some complaints about Skype, alongside ruminations on what might eventually replace it as the podcaster's app of choice. Also, please don't asterisk your first-person swears. It's unseemly. In some important John-centric Follow-Up, the listener is brought up to speed on the status of his eyeglasses and, regrettably, his deeply problematic toe. John also has a terrible song from a video game to share with the class. As a main topic, John has questi...
145: The Opposite Mistake
December 11, 2020 03:00 - 1 hour - 80.4 MBThings kick off with John's dissection of Merlin's bespoke automated filler text. This leads to a _fascinating_ discussion of Lorem Ipsum, type specimens, and lexical anomalies. Which, of course, leads to a look at _Tenet_ (available in cinemas everywhere now). John has some sports analogies, and Merlin found himself rewinding a lot (in the cinema, of course). Merlin likes specificity, and John sees protons and anti-protons across Nolan's oeuvre. In further media dissection, your hosts talk...
144: The Other Side of the Owl
November 26, 2020 06:45 - 1 hour - 89.8 MBThings kick off with some new hardware, an examination of hair hats, and a look back at a self-similar fast food clown. John has questions about Merlin's projects. In the extended members-only episode, John and Merlin talk about making art. Go to to become a member today. (_Recorded on Tuesday, November 17, 2020_)
143: The Shape of Time
November 12, 2020 00:15 - 1 hour - 87.2 MB✅🇺🇸 (_Recorded on Saturday, November 7, 2020_)
142: The Threshing Machine
October 29, 2020 21:15 - 1 hour - 69.3 MBThings kick off with a discussion of election plans. What a time. In an addendum to a previous topic, John talks about what it was like to actually attend the infamous Action Park as a kid. This leads to a discussion of the roller coasters and thrill rides that Merlin adores and young John very much did not. In the extended members-only episode, John and Merlin listen to music that was personally recommended to them by you, the listeners. Go to to become a member today. (_Recorded on Thur...
141: The Panopticon of Frasier
October 15, 2020 20:45 - 1 hour - 76.2 MBThings kick off with a post-mortem on the recent song challenge as well as an extension of that challenge that requires input from you, the listener. Hit us up at [@RecDiffs](https://twitter.com/recdiffs) with `#listen`. John goes a little meta to interrogate how Merlin's brain functions and wonders where a catch phrase *actually* started. Maybe you know? **You** do that. Considering phrases we picked up from relatives and/or TV. John has questions about Merlin's experimental garage panopti...
140: I Know What to Do in a Tree
October 01, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 69.8 MBIn follow-up, John has extensive clarifications regarding the importance of saucing the pasta in accordance with his instructions. So, of course, he also has some more instructions. Ultimately, John just wants to help you, the listener. Moving on to kids and eating, your hosts contrast their views on how to manage a constantly moving target. Merlin doesn't want to contribute to an eating disorder, and John has grave concerns about whether his son could survive when confronted with an unopen...
139: Everything's a Competition
September 17, 2020 22:45 - 1 hour - 88.8 MBJohn quickly puts the kibosh on Merlin's idea for a special theme episode. John has Follow-Up on his self-imposed egg homework and invites some friends for a socially-distanced meal. Merlin's kid attends a socially-distance birthday party. What a fun time to be alive, huh? John's usual method of remembering a song fails him, and Merlin bemoans the weird chronological gaps in what makes it onto YouTube. Fancy restorations of music videos are addressed. John can never remember what he's said...
138: Their Terrible Butts
September 03, 2020 14:45 - 1 hour - 80.5 MBJohn has Follow-Up on the name of an Australian rock, and Merlin learned New Zealand's true name from an old Split Enz song. Doesn't seem all that difficult to call things by the old name, but what do we know? Merlin did not watch any educational YouTube videos, but John is just asking the question. A glimpse into Merlin's perilous journey into John's pasta sauce recipe is teased. John job-shames Merlin for some reason. Then, Merlin digs up a _very_ old email exchange with John that, in retr...
137: The Fifth Flavor of Entertainment
August 20, 2020 23:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MBThis week finds John perusing some of Merlin's homework. This leads to a discussion of the benefits and risks of educational tourism. Will there be any Math on this Math test? John presents a new "Secret Brit," but it turns out that there is a Turns Out. For some reason, your hosts are really putting The British Empire on blast. Merlin is kind of out of it, and John is still thinking about his bug. There's an aside about nature documentaries and the extent to which they are either "real" or...