269: The Rope Elf

Subtitle: This is where the tractors go.

John shares the results of some fascinating recent polling on TV obstructions and chewing gum swallowing.

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Links and Show Notes:

John speculates about a reference, then Merlin sings like Paul Simon for a few seconds.

In Follow-Up: if you thought "shirts vs. skins" was bad? Oh boy, just wait until you hear how they used to do things in 1970s Michigan.

Next up, Merlin has questions about urban phone usage. Specifically, hey, what's the deal with all the talking on speakerphone?

Then, John shares the results of some fascinating recent polling on TV obstructions and chewing gum swallowing.

Merlin really wants John to watch the movie, Megalopolis (Francis Ford Coppola, 2024).

(Recorded on Tuesday, September 2, 2025)

Credits

• Audio Editor: Jim Metzendorf
  
• Admin Assistance: Kerry Provenzano
  
• Music: Merlin Mann
• The Suits: Stephen Hackett, Myke Hurley

Get an ad-free version of the show, plus a monthly extended episode. Give to St. Jude! Roderick on the Line #593: These Are the Days These Are Days, by 10,000 Maniacs These Are Days (audio links) Sharon Linne Faulk on her husband's high school PE class in the 1970s John's TV blockers poll Megadoc (2025) - IMDb Aubrey Plaza says Megalopolis is “disturbing,” Coppola “repressed”