Back To Work

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 episode:OpenDNS: Cloud-Delivered Security Enforcement & IntelligencePublic DNS   |   Google DevelopersAd-free time! | Blocking ads, unblocking Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, BBC and moreStatus overview | Down DetectorInflight smoking - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaHome and Family solutions | OpenDNSBetterTouchToolSpark - fast and smart email for your iPhone on the App Store on iTunesMicrosoft Outlook on the App Store on iTunesSponsored by Lynda - visit http://lynda.com/backtowork for a free 10-day trial, and by Squarespace - use code ITSYOURSHOW for 10% off your first purchase.

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 place, and eliminating disruptive processes. Also, Merlin invokes the term "workflows". Links for this episode:5by5 | Back to Work #221: Minimally Viable InterruptionTOPIC: Time, Stones, and Giving Yourself a BreakJust…give yourself permission to not feel like a dick today. Especially if you think you don't deserve it. Outside the Lines: An Artists' Coloring Book for Giant Imaginations: Souris Hong-Porretta: 9780399162084: Amazon.com: BooksNetflix June 2015: What's Coming? What's Going?The Aviator (June 1): Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio team up for a sweeping Howard Hughes biopic. Stanley Kubrick's Boxes (TV Movie 2008) - IMDbStanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001) - IMDbMise en place - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaa French phrase which meant "putting in place", a

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 deserve it. Links for this episode:Dogs CAN see in colour: Scientists dispel the myth that canines can only see in black and white | Daily Mail OnlineThe Dalrymple ReportMac Power Users #257: Workflows with Merlin Mann: Episode VI - Relay FMColor Therapy: An Anti-Stress Coloring Book: Cindy Wilde, Laura-Kate Chapman, Richard Merritt: 9780762458806: Amazon.com: BooksBalance (Angie's Extreme Stress Menders Volume 1): Angie Grace: 6063887956581: Amazon.com: BooksCreative Haven Creative Cats Coloring Book (Creative Haven Coloring Books): Marjorie Sarnat: 9780486789644: Amazon.com: BooksThe Dalrymple Report — OvercastCreative Coloring Animals: Art Activity Pages to Relax and Enjoy! (Design Originals): Valentina Harper: 9781574219715: Amazon.com: BooksAmazon.com: Sargent Art 22-7251 50-Count Assorted Colored PencilsAmazon.com : Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, 48

TOPIC: Hopeless and Impossible. This week, Dan and Merlin, delve deeper into the impossibly hopeless nature of email. Links for this episode:Girl Talk - All DayGirl Talk - Feed the AnimalsMaking Time to Make: Bad Correspondence | 43 FoldersLetters of Note: Just personal enough? The Kids in the Hall - Hard Day - YouTubeHBO: Living With Lincoln: HomeQueen - Somebody To Love - YouTubeRoman à clef - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia5by5 ShowbotSponsored by Harry's (Use the code COMICS for $5 off your first purchase), Squarespace (Use the code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off), lynda (Visit the link and get 10 day free trial access to their 3,000+ courses), and Wealthfront (Visit the link and get your first $10,000 managed for free).

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 seems. Links for this episode:Inside Amy Schumer - Pretentious Hotel - YouTubeAt sixes and sevens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaTo be "at sixes and sevens" is a British English idiom used to describe a state of confusion or disarray. Axolotl - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJohn Cleese on Creativity - YouTubeSponsored by Slack (The messaging app for teams), Citrix GoToMeeting (Visit GoToMeeting.com and click the “TRY IT FREE” button), Wealthfront (Visit the link to get $10,000 managed for free) and MailRoute (To remove spam from your life for good visit the link and get a free trial and 10% off the lifetime of your account).

TOPIC: Fear, Anxiety, and Existential Whack-A-Mole This week, Dan and Merlin talk about Color Guard, the science of binge watching, and the uncertain future of podcasts. But, mainly, they talk a lot about fear and anxiety. Deep dive here. How are fear and anxiety different? What's a habitual thought feel like? And, what are some little ways to start gently climbing out? Links for this episode:TeeVee | Daredevil Rewind: Episodes 4-6 (Episode 64)In this episode we crest violent bloodshed and flow with universe building. Characters are further fleshed out as the tides begin to rise again. Merlin “The Hammer” Mann and Dan “The Anvil” Moren bring their pipes to help Hell’s Kitchen. Color guard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaQueen & David Bowie vs. Taio Cruz - Dynamite Pressure [DJ Tripp] - YouTube5by5 | Cash's Corner #3: A Psychic Ability5by5 | Back to Work #1: Alligator in the BathroomIn the inaugural episode of Back to Work, Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discuss why they’re doing this show, getting

TOPIC: Take it personal and make it personal. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about culture, solipsism, hiring, and needle-moving things. Links for this episode:Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #8 — Merlin MannSteve Albini: State of the Music Industry 2015 - yewknee? A Few Good Men Introduction - YouTubeJohn Gholson on Twitter: "Recolored KILLING JOKE looks like a totally different book. http://t.co/wcKz73nhHH"#19 Underdog — Reply All — Gimlet Media5by5 | Hypercritical #12: Nothing Is So PerfectJohn Siracusa and Dan Benjamin turn a critical eye towards last week's episode on criticism, then try to pick the single biggest challenge facing three different wildly successful companies: Google, Facebook, and yes…Pixar. Hypercritical: OS X ReviewedNearly 15 years ago, I wrote my first review of Mac OS X for a nascent “PC enthusiast’s" website called Ars Technica. Nearly 15 years later, I wrote my last. Though Apple will presumably announce the next major version of OS X at WWDC this coming June, I won’t be reviewin

TOPIC: Kremlinology and Verbing This week, Dan and Merlin follow-up on Dan's neighbor and The Trailer Incident. They also undertake a rather circuitous exploration of how little we understand about how stuff gets made. This leads to a semi-useful discussion of how the verbs we verb do and don't constitute the nouns we noun—and when we realize that. Links for this episode:5by5 | 5by5 at the Movies #3: The Big Lebowski - "A Life of Achievement"Dan Benjamin and Merlin Mann talk about The Big Lebowski, which is just, like, their opinion, man. 5by5 ShowbotWhat is Catastrophizing? | Psych CentralCatastrophizing is an irrational thought a lot of us have in believing that something is far worse than it actually is. Pain catastrophizing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaKremlinology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSponsored by Squarespace (Use the code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off), lynda (Visit the link for a free 10 day trial and access to their 3,000+ courses), Tripcase (Visit the link and

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, what exactly Dan should do about a construction trailer and a crawfish-pinching doctor. Links for this episode:5by5 | Getting There #33: Merlin Mann Shows Us His PanaceaIn which we talk with the brilliantly undefinable—yet always gracious—special guest: Merlin Mann. Best known as a cornerstone of the classic indie band Bacon Ray, he’s apparently also a prolific podcaster, renowned blogger, sometimes-comedian, and index card enthusiast. However, he’s here today because of his (and all joking aside) amazing insight into, advice about, and dissection of the areas of productivity, motivation, and, well, just trying to get there. As he tackles our listeners' questions (as well as our own), we get a couple hours of some classic Merlin-Mann-ing. 5by5 | Getting There #33: Merlin Mann Shows Us His Pana

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 for this episode:I'm a Lebowski, You're a Lebowski: Life, The Big Lebowski, and What Have You: Ben Peskoe, Bill Green, Scott Shuffitt, Will Russell: 9781596912465: Amazon.com: BooksSearch results for the big lebowski on Can I Stream.It?Dudeism - Ordination by the Religion of The Big LebowskiiTunes - Movies - The Big LebowskiAmazon.com : Aqua Notes - Waterproof Notepad 40 Sheet Mountable Pad : Memo Paper Pads : Office ProductsAmazon.com: No Stress Chess: Game: Toys & GamesAmazon.com: Monopoly Junior Board Game: Toys & GamesExpressed as a Vest | You Look Nice TodayUnhealthy ligatures, a course of Prednisone, “I’m not following you!”, obscure chess moves, smoking for the cure, misused orifices, we pass as nosies, Karl Van Hœt. TV Talk Machine | Werewolf Don Draper (Episode 27)Expressed as a Vest — You Look Nice Today — OvercastTime management - Wik

TOPIC: Thinking Patterns and Thinking Bias This week, Dan and Merlin talk in detail about how our unconscious patterns of thinking can damage our quality of life and hinder our ability to grow. Links for this episode:Cognitive bias - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaDon't You Dare Use 'Comprised Of' On Wikipedia: One Editor Will Take It Out : NPRFor single-minded devotion to grammatical rectitude, you'd be hard-pressed to match a Wikipedia editor named Bryan Henderson, who goes by the user name of Giraffedata. He was the subject of a piece by Andrew McMillan on the long-form site Medium that provoked a lot of debate. Giraffedata has a single bee in his bonnet, the phrase "comprised of." He has written a 6,000-word essay on his Wikipedia user page explaining why he thinks it's an egregious error. And to drive home his point, he has made 47,000 edits over the last eight years, most of them aimed at purging the phrase wherever it occurs on the Wikipedia site. He doesn't show it any mercy even when

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 Apple fandom. Links for this episode:MailMateMailMate is an IMAP email client for Mac OS X featuring extensive keyboard control, Markdown supported email composition, advanced search conditions and drill-down search links, equally advanced smart mailboxes, automatic signature handling, cryptographic encryption/signing (OpenPGP and S/MIME), tagging, multiple notification methods, alternative message viewer layouts including a widescreen layout, and much more. A quick overview is given below, but an extensive list of screenshots is also available. You can read about MailMate and its developer here. 30: Beyond Continuity PornWe help new, long-time, and lapsed comic book fans alike discover characters, stories, and creators worth reading. Part panel discussion, part creator interview, all-new, and all-

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 episode:Email overload: Building my own email app to reach Inbox Zero.Search | San Francisco Public Library | BiblioCommonsCostco Business Delivery - Wilcox Organic Hard Cooked and Peeled Eggs, 2 pk, 12 ctMonodraw for Mac — HelftoneIngenuiTEA Teapot from Adagio TeasAmazon.com : Tazo Earl Grey Filter Bag Tea, 24-Count Packages (Pack of 6) : Black Teas : Grocery & Gourmet FoodCostco Connection MagazineM?nuka honey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAmazon.com : Manuka Health MGO 400+ Manuka Honey (20+) 250gm : Grocery & Gourmet Food5by5 | Back to Work #29: I Download FLACWith Dan on sabbatical, Merlin is joined by TV’s Rob Corddry (Children’s Hospital, The Daily Show, Hot Tub Time Machine) to talk about Getting Things Done, writing, fear, and finding success as a blood-soaked clown.Special guest Rob Corddry. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79: Laur

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 this episode:Eudora (email client) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaMicrosoft Outlook - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSlack: Be less busyMacromedia HomeSite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSponsored by Squarespace (use code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off), lynda (Visit the link to get a free 10 day trial), and Casper (Use the code "BACKTOWORK" for $50 off your mattress order).

TOPIC: Throwing Stars and Managers This week, Dan and Merlin talk about working in a beehive and discuss whether they played D&D properly. Links for this episode:Brain Games (National Geographic) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaBrain Games (TV Series 2011– ) - IMDbApollo Robbins, The Master Pickpocket: Tricks of the Trade - YouTubeapollo robbins - Google SearchAmazon.com : Aqua Notes - Waterproof Notepad 40 Sheet Mountable Pad : Memo Paper Pads : Office Products5by5 | The Dan Benjamin HourUngainly X-Mann Meetup #7 — Merlin MannSponsored by PDFpenPro 7 (Visit the link to learn more and start using PDFpenPro 7 today), Squarespace (Use the code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off), and FreshBooks (Visit the link and make sure to enter BACK TO WORK in the “How did you hear about us?” section to get FreshBooks free for 30 days).

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 television, binge watching, talking baby dolls, and the kind of artificial intelligence we really need. Links for this episode:"Portlandia" One Moore Episode (TV Episode 2012) - IMDbThe Arsenio Hall Show - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia5by5 | Back to Work #3: The Second ArrowTheanine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAdderall: Uses, Dosage, Side Effects & Safety Info - Drugs.comAmazon.com: Baby Wanna Walk: Toys & GamesOral-B’s Bluetooth Toothbrush Offers App Features It Doesn’t Necessarily Need | TechCrunchPortlandia - One more episode... - YouTubeSponsored by Squarespace (use code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off) and lynda (Visit the link and do something good for yourself in 2015, sign up for a FREE 10-day trial).

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 an imbued and mildly-psychedelic fugue state that may strike the listener as alternately insightful and insane. Links for this episode:Review: HAWKEYE #21 | ComicosityHawkeye #21 - Comics by comiXologyUpdated: "Visual Guide to Marvel Character Movie Rights" Infographic by The Geek Twins [Infographic] ~ The Geek TwinsFrom 'Batman' To 'Birdman,' Michael Keaton Knows Suits And Superheroes : NPR5by5 ShowbotThe Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety: Alan W. Watts: 8601300190136: Amazon.com: BooksJoCo Cruise Crazy 5: Jan 31-Feb 8, 2015 | An 8-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas, with Jonathan Coulton and friends | JoCo Cruise CrazyBirdman (2014) - IMDbMarvel 75 Years: From Pulp to Pop! (2014) on VimeoMarvel S

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 as practice." Links for this episode:Cotton Bureau – #SUPERTRAIN by Roderick on the LinePack a small bag with the very first official Roderick on the Line shirt. 5by5 | Back to Work #31: You Can Polish AC/DC All Day Long5by5 | Back to Work #205: Obsolete, circa 19935by5 | After Dark #503: After Back to Work 205Ep. 25: "Supertrain" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin MannThe Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety: Alan W. Watts: 8601300190136: Amazon.com: BooksRicky Jay: Deceptive Practice ~ Film Trailer and Synopsis | American Masters | PBSRicky Jay - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaAudio Dharma - Lovingkindness (Metta)Metta, or lovingkindness is the heartfelt wish for the well-being of oneself and others. The practice of Metta meditation is the systematic cultivation of our capacity for lovingkindness. Cultivating friendliness and goodwill is

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, measuring your arms, the tribal world, selling coats on the internet, and more. Links for this episode:Lockheed AC-130 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaRoderick on the Line - Merlin MannNeoconservatism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJCI - Cold acclimation recruits human brown fat and increases nonshivering thermogenesisFar-left politics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaHow to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical & Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening for Writers, Artists, Contractors, Flange Turners, Anglesmiths, & Civil Servants: David Rees, John Hodgman: 9781612193267: Amazon.com: BooksArtisanal Pencil SharpeningJonathan CoultonDon't miss the Three Johns at Camp... - Armed Forces EntertainmentSF Sketchfest 2015: Roderick on the Line with Merlin Mann an...Sp

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 (starting about 38 minutes in), a VERY SPOILER-HEAVY dissection of the amazing new time travel movie, Predestination. Links for this episode:Predestination (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia'"—All You Zombies—"' - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaPredestination paradoxes in popular culture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaEP 200: All You Zombies - Escape Pod : Escape PodPredestination International TRAILER 1 (2014) - Ethan Hawke Sci-Fi Thriller HD - YouTubemutewinter/ShowbotEclipse desktop & web IDEsAmazon.com: Etymotic Research HF5 Portable In-Ear Earphones (Black): ElectronicsPredestination (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaInvisibilia : NPRBatman | This American LifeThe Man Who Couldn't Stop: OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought: 9781447238287: