John 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, leads to a deep dive on _The Modern **MAN'S** Guide to **LIFE**_. Together, your hosts learn how to buy a computer in 1987. Merlin has _finally_ gotten religion on Twitterrific muffles, but John seems a little reluctant to lead a challenge involving regular expressions. As a main topic, your hosts wonder how many cults they've each been in—and, hey, what even is a cult anyway? The Most 1987 Book Probably Ever (but not the pea juice) Why did it have to be snakes? Yeah, but where'd the bucket come from? The LEADS are weak? 

Reconcilable Differences

167: A Close Italian Reading

Follow-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.

166: Our Monster

John 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.

165: In the Drift

There'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.

164: Casual Injustices

163: Big Flyers

Remembering 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.

162: A Pile of Bed

Exploring Italian food, celebrating markup languages, and (finally) beginning to tackle the topic of **college**. (_Recorded on Tuesday, July 13, 2021_)

161: ASCII Salad Bar

Merlin just woke up, John is full of beans, and things get a little silly. Meet Lidlicker.

160: The Spouse Trap

Cameras! 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.

159: The Narrow Priesthood

This 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. This leads to a surprisingly interesting mini-dive into practical UX and ways that an affordance can let you know that it's an affordance. As a main topic this week, your hosts discuss Theme Dining Nights. Why can't more experiences be like John's old deli? Differences regarding leftovers are, unfortunately, not reconciled. John's worries that his dispose-all may be starving to death. (_Recorded on Tuesday, June 1, 2021_)

158: Wait for the Wave

Things 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, John wants to talk about “super babies.” What happens when two talented people sire a child? Seems like sometimes they inherit their parents’ genius, and other times they just want to run in the opposite direction. What roles do wealth, support, and expectations play? And how about the times when someone would very much prefer that their kid _not_ get into the family business? Your hosts disagree on whether one super baby’s name is terrible but agree that “geriatric pregnancy” is kind of an awful term. (_Recorded on Tuesday, May 18, 2021_)

157: Champion Snackers

Things 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 hosts agree it seems like there’s maybe a lesson about life in there somewhere. Then, at last, it has come to this: **The _Reconcilable Differences_ Quorn Pre-Post-Mortem Spectacular**. While it is (obviously) way too early to talk about this business as if it’s done, it does feel like a useful moment to look back at what we’ve learned and what has changed—even as we look forward to what we might continue to learn and what might continue to change. What BS did you miss, and what BS would you be happy to never have to deal with again? Whither handshakes and awkward hugs? When will we stop doing that weird retail crab walk? Will mask people remain mask people? Should more of us learn “the claw?” What about subtlety and uncertainty? What about society and culture? Has the epistemological cherrypicking of The Dumb Guy just become our permanent way of life? Finally, your hosts share some preliminary wish list items for post-Quorn life and work. (_Recorded on Tuesday, May 4, 2021_)

156: Feeding the Meetings

Our 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 post-COVID wisdom in this. John’s smart outlet is once again smart. Not like everbody says! Like, dumb! It’s smart, and it wants respect! Meanwhile, Merlin’s Internet disappeared for a while due to a clerical error, which seems unfair. John missed a credit-card payment, which *also* seems unfair. John’s son needs to learn how to pump gas, and also how money works. Watch out for the skimmers! Boy-Merlin sometimes had to go out for cigarettes, but he turned out fine. John’s garage remains smol. It is apparent that *some* people don’t know what a basement is. Merlin did time on a "concrete apron" in Florida, where it smelled like clay.

155: I Don’t Feel like It’s an Edge

Things 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. Hope you like filling out forms and hitting "refresh." (_Recorded on Tuesday, April 6, 2021_)

154: Put Your Chair in the Queue

Your 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 discovered a beloved artist's Patreon and highlights the influence of his work. It can feel pretty frustrating when the internet doesn't love someone or something as much as you do. Just remember, there are a lot of easy and inexpensive ways to let someone know what their work means to you.

153: Banana Ball

John Siracusa and Merlin Mann try to figure out exactly how they got this way. Hosted by John Siracusa and Merlin Mann.

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Reconcilable Differences

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