Back To Work

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." What happens when something we said or wrote gets quoted, misquoted, taken out of context, or amplified a thousand times more than we'd expected? Links for this episode:Bursitis Definition - Diseases and Conditions - Mayo ClinicBursitis (bur-SY-tis) is a painful condition that affects the small, fluid-filled sacs — called bursae (bur-SEE) — that cushion the bones, tendons and muscles near your joints. Bursitis occurs when bursae become inflamed. Yad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaA yad (Hebrew: ???, literally "hand" Chopper Command - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaPitfall! - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSuperman (1979 video game) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe player(s) takes control of the DC Comics character Superman, who must repair the bridge destroyed by Lex Luthor, capture Luthor and his criminal underlings, enter a phonebooth to turn back in

TOPIC: The Life You Actually Want. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about organization, multitasking and new year's resolutions. Links for this episode:Amazon.com: ARRIS / Motorola SB6121 SURFboard DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem - Retail Packaging: Electronics"Requires Cable Internet Service" deep-dark-fearsThe Cost of Continuously Checking Email - HBRSuppose each time you ran low on an item in your kitchen—olive oil, bananas, napkins—your instinctive response was to drop everything and race to the store. How much time would you lose? How much money would you squander on gas? What would happen to your productivity? In search of lost time: Why is everyone so busy? | The EconomistTHE predictions sounded like promises: in the future, working hours would be short and vacations long. “Our grandchildren”, reckoned John Maynard Keynes in 1930, would work around “three hours a day”—and probably only by choice. Economic progress and technological advances had already shrunk working hours considerably by his day, and there was

TOPIC: The Opacity of the Stack In this depressing holiday episode, Dan and Merlin talk about how tenuous our modern infrastructures feel. How great it is when everything in the stack "just works"; how increasingly seldom all the pieces work; and how frustrating it can be to figure out exactly what's broken. Links for this episode:Spider-Woman Gets Her First Costume Change in DecadesSpider-Woman Rocks A Great New Look, Courtesy Of Kris AnkaAmazon.com: LEGO Star Wars 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer Building Toy: Toys & GamesAmazon.com: LEGO Star Wars 75055 Imperial Star Destroyer Building Toy: Toys & GamesDinosaurology (Ologies): Jack Fawcett, Various: 9780763667399: Amazon.com: BooksAll Things Considered for December 22, 2014 : NPRWe Ask A Scholar: How Does Ridley Scott's 'Exodus' Compare With The Bible's? : NPRNPR's Robert Siegel asks Robert Alter, a professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, for his thoughts on the film. Alter has tra

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 Zeppelin and lunch tables. Links for this episode:peg.gd: Bacon Ray - “Tomfoolery” 7-inch (AAJ Records, 1995)BBC Radio 4 Extra - Raw Meat RadioChris Morris is known by most for his ground-breaking film and television work but, like most good things he 'started on the radio'. Described by the man who suspended him from Radio 1 (Matthew Bannister) as 'one of the greatest talents working in British broadcasting', Morris developed his anarchic and surreal style in local radio. It was at BBC Bristol and GLR in the late 80s and early 90s that he honed his trademark technical skills and first adopted some of the sketches and personas that would later help make his name. Workflow | Powerful automation made simple.Powerful automation made simple. ? Skee-Lo - I Wish (Official Video) - YouTubeHow the West Was Won (Led Zeppelin album) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaLed Zeppe

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 overthinking and fetishizing podcast production. Links for this episode:5by5 | Hypercritical #93: A Magic Elf in My ComputerJohn Siracusa and Dan Benjamin talk more about Forstall's departure from Apple, Surface storage, and Fusion Drive, then discuss US voting technology, Google voice search, and how Apple's design problems are more than skin deep. One Man's Epic Quest To Sanitize Your Filthy, Germ-Riddled Coffee Cup Lid | Fast Company | Business + InnovationFor the past seven years, Levey has been working to invent a hygienically sealed takeout coffee cup lid that he calls Clean Coffee. In essence, it is a standard plastic takeout lid with an adhesive seal covering the drinking hole and part of the rim, which can be peeled off like a sticker once the user is ready to drink from it. "This is the simplest way to accomplish that objective," Levey says of his patente

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 almost impossible to do when you're stuck at an official jobby-job. Links for this episode:[VIDEO] Flake Music - "Spanway Hits"Garden leave - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaGarden leave or gardening leave describes the practice where an employee leaving a job – having resigned or otherwise had their employment terminated – is instructed to stay away from work during the notice period, while still remaining on the payroll.[1] This practice is often used to prevent employees from taking with them up-to-date (and perhaps sensitive) information when they leave their current employer, especially when they are leaving to join a competitor. Seki Edge Stainless Steel Fingernail Clipper: Amazon.comButter, Bacon, and Bone Broth: A Week on the Lakers Diet «Amazon.com: Marvel Legends Modok Series Spi

TOPIC: Mail Bag. This week, Dan & Merlin respond to listener email and toots. Specifically, dealing with passive-aggressive team members, bulbous "CC:" lines, and what constitutes "stability." Links for this episode:Image Comics | Releases | Bitch Planet #12014 Best Writer Eisner Award nominee KELLY SUE DeCONNICK (PRETTY DEADLY, Captain Marvel) and VALENTINE DE LANDRO (X-Factor) team up for the very third time to bring you the premiere issue of BITCH PLANET, their highly-anticipated womenin- prison sci-fi exploitation riff. Think Margaret Atwood meets Inglourious Basterds. PREVIEWSworld - Kelly Sue DeConnick Cuts Loose On Bitch PlanetYou’ve hears the old expression “good things come to those who wait”? Well, sometimes the best things come out of those who wait for a really, really long time. Like years. Like what Kelly Sue DeConnick  just did with launching Bitch Planet Turkey in a Can - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaBob is excited about a three-day brine recipe for the Thanksgiving turkey. The holida

TOPIC: Hakuna Matata. This week, Dan and Merlin talk about home pest control, misleading beef jerky, and becoming a more conservative electronics consumer. Links for this episode:'Sync Solver' Allows Fitbit Users to View Fitness Related Data in Apple's Health App - Mac RumorsThe $0.99 app provides a daily sync of eleven different pieces of data from the Fitbit into the Health app. The points of data accrued include: active calories, resting calories, dietary calories, body fat percentage, body mass index, flights of stairs climbed, sleep analysis, walking and running distances, weight, and steps taken. My Big Truck Book (My Big Board Books): Roger Priddy: 9780312511067: Amazon.com: BooksDo It Yourself Pest Control SuppliesDo It Yourself Pest Control Products & Supplies | Do My Own Pest ControlFamily Circle - Teens, Family, Food, Style and MorePork Maple SausagesThe Flop HouseFitbitEpisode #133 – Bullet to the Head The Flop HouseWalter Hill has made several great movies in his career. Is Bu

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 not so great. Links for this episode:Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #6 — Merlin MannMERLIN MANN (Back to Work, Roderick on the Line, You Look Nice Today, et al.) invites you to drop by Two Cats Comics on the evening of Thursday, November 13th to hang out, talk about comics, and just say, “Hi.” The Talk Show: Ep. XCIX, With Merlin MannVery special guest Merlin Mann returns to the show to talk about Comcast customer service, cable-cutting, Marlins Man (no relation) and his showboating-spectator predecessors, and the state of podcasting today. Also: daylight saving time and Roman numerals. Wikipedia:Unusual articles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"This page is for Wikipedians to list articles that seem unusual. These articles are valuable contributions to the encyclopedia, but are a bit odd, whimsical, or something you would not expect to find in Encyclopædia Britannica.

TOPIC: What gets us on the moon? This week, Dan and Merlin talk about varieties of clowns, rogue walruses, bloody elevator buttons, taking risks, and catching footballs. Links for this episode:Charli XCX - SuperLove (Official Video) - YouTubeInquisitive #11: Merlin As A Service - Relay FMThis week Myke is joined by Merlin Mann. They talk about preparing for changes in life and preparing for podcasts, trying to understand what people enjoy, avoiding analytics and a look back at inbox zero. Inquisitive #11: Merlin As A Service - Relay FM on HuffdufferThis week Myke is joined by Merlin Mann. They talk about preparing for changes in life and preparing for podcasts, trying to understand what people enjoy, avoiding analytics and a look back at inbox zero. BONANZA! - Relay FMHosted by Myke Hurley and Matt Alexander, Bonanza! is an important show about nothing in particular. Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #6 — Merlin MannA Nerdy SF Comics Event with Merlin Mann, hosted by Two Cats Comics in West Portal. MERLIN MANN (Back t

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 over. There's about a million ways people can contact us and just as many ways we can unintentionally disappoint every one of them. There's sanity in realizing which stuff you actually control, which stuff you have to let go, and how many of the expectations in-between can be reasonably managed. Links for this episode:Email Drafts the Hard Way"I learned a hard lesson early in my adventures of writing words on a computer screen: The last thing you write is the recipient address." peg.gd: Bacon Ray - “Tomfoolery” 7-inch (AAJ Records, 1995)Reminder: you can download the theme song from B2W for free here. selfdeterminationtheory.org — An Approach to human motivation & personalityHome - selfdeterminationtheory.orgSilver Surfer Vol. 1: New Dawn - Comics by comiXologyThe Silver Surfer, sentinel of the cosmos, is often alone on his quest to defend space. All that cha

TOPIC: Reinforcement, Aikido, and Fear This week, Dan and Merlin try to tackle positive versus negative reinforcement. Links for this episode:Ad-free time! | Blocking ads, unblocking Netflix, Pandora, Hulu, BBC and moreErnie Kovacs - Droongo - YouTubePublished for the First Time: a 1959 Essay by Isaac Asimov on Creativity | MIT Technology Review24 Surprisingly Divisive Pooping HabitsEp. 129: "Museo De Garbagemen" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin MannDeep dive on the Savannah Cat mentioned after recording last week. Guitar for the Practicing Musician - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe awesome 'Guardians of the Galaxy' mixtape will be released on cassette | The VergeBig Red Machine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaSteve Garvey - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaStephanie's New Born Lamb  | LEGO ShopAmazon.com: LEGO Friends 41029' Stephanie's New Born Lamb: Toys & GamesIs This Working? | This American LifeStories of schools struggling with what to do with misbehaving kid

TOPIC: People, amirite? This week, Dan and Merlin talk about neighbors, dogs, Macs, MLB.tv, and flavors of reinforcement. Links for this episode:Support Dan Benjamin creating Podcasts and videosShowbot5by5 | Back to Work #190: C-3PO's BeardWatch Live Streaming Major League Baseball Games Online with MLB.TV | MLB.com: SubscriptionsLOT of asterisks there. Neighbors | This American Life"Stories of people trying to love their neighbors...and failing." Sponsored by Squarespace (use code ITSYOURSHOW for a free trial and 10% off and don't forget to check out all the brand new Squarespace 7 has to offer), lynda.com (Start learning something new by visiting lynda.com/backtowork and get a FREE 7-day trial where you can access all of their 2,400+ courses), and consider supporting 5by5 on Patreon.

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…just work? Links for this episode:Three Ring Binder Tickets, San Francisco - EventbriteBatgirl (2011-) #35 - Comics by comiXologyBarbara Gordon is no stranger to dusting herself off when disaster strikes so when a fire destroys everything she owned, she spots the opportunity for a new lease on life—and seizes it! FoxPro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaRunning and Cycling GPS Tracker, Performance Analytics, Maps, Clubs and Competition | StravaiOS 8 Adoption Stagnates Just Two and a Half Weeks After Launch - Mac RumorsAmazon.com: Gan Mao Ling, 100 ct, Plum Flower: Health & Personal CareAmazon.com: Bi Yan Pian, Nose Inflammation Pills, 120 Tablets: Health & Personal CareAmazon.com: Gan Mao Ling ECONOMY SIZE, 500 ct, Plum Flower: Health & Personal Care$50.00 For sale since 2010. Fifty dollars. ... | kung fu grippeBATGIRL #35 | DC ComicsThe New 52: Futu

TOPIC: Starting the stuff we haven't started. This week—after some entertaining random talk and a handful of hardware and software recommendations—Dan and Merlin dive back into a familiar evergreen topic: why is it so hard to get started with a project? And, just as importantly, what can we learn from that persistent difficulty? In a nut? Just start trying to suck more regularly. Links for this episode:Advanced Tricycling - Merlin Mann - Constant Contact 2014Video of Merlin's recent presentation on the elusiveness of getting better—and learning what to get better _at_. Presented on September 12, 2014 at Constant Contact's e4e Developer conference in Waltham, Mass. Amazon.com: Marvel Infinite Series Rocket Raccoon Figure, 3.75": Toys & GamesList of supernatural beings in Chinese folklore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaLibrary Extension - Chrome Web StoreBan Lan Gen (Isatis Root)Main functions are to clear heat-toxicity, cool blood, and relieve sore throat. Main usage and indications are macula d

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 fast as the technology. Almost. Links for this episode:Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #5 — Merlin MannMERLIN MANN (Back to Work, Roderick on the Line, You Look Nice Today, et al.) invites you to drop by Two Cats Comics on the evening of Thursday, September 25th to hang out, talk about comics, and just say, “Hi.” Introducing Exclusive iOS 8 Updates For All Readdle Apps | ReaddleWithout further ado lets dive into the hottest news our team has prepared for you. Ep. 125: "All the Great Shows!" - Roderick on the Line - Merlin MannThe Problem: John wasn’t actually a big fan. BIRDMAN - Official International Trailer - YouTubeAlejandro G. Iñárritu, Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis | Birdman | Fox SearchlightAmazon.com: Shure SM7B Vocal Dynamic Microphone, Cardioid: Musical InstrumentsAmazon.com: Presonus AudioBox 22VSL 24-Bit/96 kHz 2x2 USB 2.0 Audio Interface: Musical

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 pour out a 40 for Macworld Magazine. Links for this episode:If You’re Going Through Hell, Keep Going | Quote InvestigatorIn conclusion, the above citations represent a snapshot of current knowledge and future discoveries are possible. QI would tentatively credit Douglas Bloch with the adage containing the phrase “don’t stop” based on the 1990 citation. Analog(ue) #5: The Only Way Out Is Through - Relay FMOn this episode Casey and Myke are joined by Stephen Hackett. They talk about what it's like to share private family matters on the internet. Hero InitiativeThe Hero Initiative creates a financial safety net for comic creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. Since inception, the Hero Initiative has been fortunate enough to benefit over 50 creators and their families with over $500

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 kinda not nice to a customer. Links for this episode:What is the blue light from our screens really doing to our eyes? — Tech News and Analysis“I discovered that using light at night is bad for people’s health and interferes with their sleep. I felt a moral obligation to do something about it, particularly when I learned it’s the blue component in ordinary white light that is suppressing the production of melatonin. And melatonin not only helps you sleep but is a marvelous material that has a very big influence on health in general What My Bike Has Taught Me About White Privilege | A Little More Sauceblanco on Twitter: "@hotdogsladies Sorry for the delay your Samson Microphone package should be there today. Hope you enjoy it."Samson — C01U ProLouis CK - Time Travel is Excluslively a Wh

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 causing short-term madness, email is still the medium that we'll never get right. But, quixotically, it never stops us from trying. Links for this episode:Engineers4Engineers 2014 Developer Conference[VIDEO] Two-Wheelin’ Per this week’s Back to Work. ... | kung fu grippeIn which Merlin's kid scoots like a big kid. Rotten Tomatoes: Movies | TV Shows | Movie Trailers | ReviewsJackal PodcastsA weekly interview show with fans of podcasting DaisyDisk - Analyze disk usage and free up disk space on MacIron Maiden - Flight Of Icarus - YouTubeKeyboard shortcuts for Gmail - Gmail HelpLearn them. Love them. MailboxWe redesigned the inbox to make email light, fast, and mobile-friendly. Quickly swipe messages to your archive or trash and scan entire conversations in a chat-like view. It's a whole new inbox. Di

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 empathy. Links for this episode:Rules of the Road - San Francisco Bicycle CoalitionThe SF Bicycle Coalition is proud to be the leading resource for street safety in San Francisco. Every year, we reach tens of thousands of people with the Bicycle Rules of the Road. Here are the 10 bike laws you need to know to pedal safely and legally: 5by5 | 5by5 Specials #29: Four Places at OnceDan and his 6 year old son Cash discuss antenna breaks in the upcoming iPhone 6 housing, iPad as a gaming platform, the technology of podcasting and live streaming, the limits of Magneto's powers, Adventure Time, deadly amoebas, visiting Four Corners, Bigfoot, rodeos, a crystal tooth, and more. California Law Now Requires All Smartphones to Have Built-In Kill Switches By July 2015 - Mac RumorsThe law requires smartphones to include software or hardware that will render the device inoperable t