This week, John and Merlin come in _hot_ with an accidental main topic: ***punctuality***. Is punctuality important, and how much tardiness can we abide from our pals and business associates? Merlin wonders if _expecting_ punctuality might be a form of privilege, and John has strong feelings about the police, just in general. In follow-up, Merlin clarifies where you can listen to that Simpsons episode of _The Incomparable_, then applauds Jason Snell's editing skills and suggests ways to give oth...
May 03, 2018•2 hr 56 min•Ep. 77
This week’s episode has _lots_ of really good follow-up. Follow-up on accents, Face ID, how Roderick records, and Merlin’s new internet friend. John provides much-requested follow-up on Twitter’s recently announced changes. This leads to a broader discussion of free speech and platform ownership. John and Merlin embarrass their families, fret about Disney, and talk about some excellent Simpsons lines. Combed, biscuits, chicken, yellow, mailman…very good. (_Recorded on Tuesday, April 9, 2018._)...
Apr 18, 2018•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 76
This week, things kick into gear quickly with a mini-topic about ***Instagram***. Why isn’t Merlin on it, and why does John like it so much? John likes it as a refreshing break from word things, but Merlin still thinks there are too many hashtags and birds on wires. Merlin really misses the salad days of Flickr, but of course John derails it to yet another goof on Merlin’s pronunciation. And, then, the boys are on to accents. _‘Ello, guv’na!_ Next, your hosts wind back around to the occasional t...
Apr 04, 2018•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 75
This week’s first mini-topic concerns ***John's office chair***. Honestly, why can't people just leave John's chair alone? Why always with the moving and the replacing? A chair is a very personal thing, and John likes his chair. So, what, now he has to get a bike lock or something? Merlin wonders if the form is actually hooked up to anything, and John thinks Merlin's cat looks like a towel. The second mini-topic gives Merlin the opportunity to blow off some steam about ***FaceID***. Merlin wonde...
Mar 22, 2018•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 74
This week kicks off with a return to an old chestnut: _Twitter_. John doesn’t want too many things to check, and Merlin finds some therapy. The distinction of the “muffle” is highlighted. This week’s mini-topic concerns the ***new Google Calendar UI***. Merlin thinks there’s just too much clicking, and John would like some better information density. The influence of old Mac habits is explored, leading to a nostalgic visit to the bygone, halcyon days of using a Macintosh. The sad and downward hi...
Mar 08, 2018•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 73
This week kicks off with recalibrating some expectations and repeatedly clicking some buttons. Merlin likes dog shopping and dislikes that dumb Winston Churchill movie. In follow-up, John scores a monarchical point to listener, "`swilliams`," and Merlin likes Parliamentary questions. In an accidental nano-topic, your hosts discuss the decline of **Shame**. In further follow-up, John has some more tips on getting the lyrics right. In this week’s mini-topic, John has some pointed questions about M...
Feb 22, 2018•2 hr 49 min•Ep. 72
This week kicks off with John tweaking his settings and then slides into a quick tour of some cool commands that a lot of veteran Mac users don't know about. John's not looking for thanks; he's just making a point. Merlin observes that the commands are in his fingers, not his brain. Some follow-up commences, covering scoot-scoots, _Patriot_, potential topics, and, of course, Aimee Mann. Merlin's niece joins an all-star cast dressed as a vulva. John endorses a recent _Flop House_ episode, but Mer...
Feb 08, 2018•2 hr 52 min•Ep. 71
This week kicks off with Daisy making a run for it and pretty much everything being Merlin’s fault. Merlin gets mobbed up in a terrible app, and John considers funding a big, beautiful fence. This week’s mini-topic finds John _voir-diring_ Merlin about his weird new means of transportation. Merlin just wants us to explore our options, but John is skeptical about how it’d perform in bitter east coast climes. John wonders about all the city spikes, and Merlin endorses knife videos. After firing of...
Jan 25, 2018•2 hr 46 min•Ep. 70
This week kicks off with follow-up on _The Barkley Marathons_ and the totally bananas mental and physical capacity of endurance athletes. Your hosts dive into an accidental mini-topic on ***the art of podcast titles and show notes***. Merlin tries really hard, but John knows he can always do better. The next mini-topic ends up being about who gets each of your hosts ***feeling starstruck***. Merlin meets (yet) more of John’s heroes, and John’s not loving it. John isn’t sure what he has to say to...
Jan 11, 2018•2 hr 44 min•Ep. 69
This week kicks off with some talk about a recent Holiday Party and a rumination from Merlin on why people like podcasts. Quick follow-up on kids and passwords yields to a resigned shrug about the seemingly impossible epistemology of children’s anecdotes. John worries about Merlin’s office and offers some new notes on his pronunciation. This leads to an unintentional mini-topic on ***kids’ toys***. John’s wife has found a new way to buy toys, and Merlin makes the case for the raw power of Lady T...
Dec 28, 2017•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 68
This week kicks off with some discussion of humidity, noisy clothing, an attempted delivery, and that whole ongoing “are flats a thing?” debate. Under protest, Merlin is persuaded by John to discuss a recent acquisition of new technology. Merlin thinks security is a little like a mall, and John gauges success by a relative dearth of complaints. The pronunciation of “aunt” is discussed. In a mini-topic, John has some things to say about ***garlic***. Merlin’s convenience cubes are explored, while...
Dec 14, 2017•2 hr 53 min•Ep. 67
This week kicks off with the traditional monthly discussion of Skype. Even as John disallows another word from the program, Merlin tries to explain the intricate interplay between all the great shows. Your hosts agree there are too many services they pay for and that credit cards are annoying. In a lively mini-topic, John brings up **teaching kids to cook**. How do you prepare your progeny for eventually feeding themselves? Merlin feels like he missed a window, and John couldn’t opt out of _Home...
Nov 30, 2017•2 hr 25 min•Ep. 66
This week kicks off with Merlin having a rare on-air beverage to celebrate, but not too many, unless he feels like it. John helps Merlin remember some things that he couldn't remember he’d forgotten. Luckily, we record this program. John thinks the water fountain story has been robbed of its power, and Merlin learns that cornhole is real. John tackles the first of several unfounded points about himself, but Merlin still thinks John is arbitrary. Britishisms are debated. This leads to a nostalgic...
Nov 15, 2017•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 65
This week, John drives, and Merlin leads from behind. Your hosts are pretty sure they remember talking about having trouble remembering whether they’ve talked about memory before, but no way does that stop them from taking their deepest dive yet into the many troubles with human memory. Or, at least it’s the deepest dive that they can remember taking. _For now_. Anyway. This leads to an exploration of cognitive tricks and the potentially narrow line between **science and balderdash**. How even w...
Nov 02, 2017•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 64
This week kicks off with Merlin’s Bon Jovi snobbery and John’s concerns about Bono. The excellent _Vietnam War_ series is discussed and mutually endorsed. With the overdue return of Ordinary Time, your hosts cover some exciting Nest IQ Cam follow-up and debate face recognition in the macOS Photos app. There’s some worrisome follow-up on those iOS password pop-ups and how they could potentially be exploited by ne’er-do-wells. Merlin gives Jeremy five stars, which (eventually) segues into this wee...
Oct 18, 2017•2 hr 55 min•Ep. 63
This week kicks off with a meander through Skype avatars, back-to-school night, and personal metadata quirks. Merlin feels bad about getting a new TV, and John assures him it probably won’t be terrible. On separate occasions, John and Merlin both demonstrate a lot of restraint. Merlin apparently doesn’t know how to (not) turn off his PlayStation, so John walks him through it. Paul’s in the basement, Sahm’s on the roof, and Merlin doesn’t even know how to make fun of John to his satisfaction. Typ...
Oct 05, 2017•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 62
This week kicks off with dives into religious time, talking like a wizard, kid manners, and the times your hosts did and mostly did not get recognized. *Google me!* John gets hung up on Merlin’s avatar choices, and both hosts get Happy-Go-Jackie on the junkiness of Apple’s Mac apps. John’s kid made a comic, and Merlin has some diminished expectations for his Cat Lady and her van. Then, there’s an improbable amount of _Seinfeld_ discussion. Main topic this week is **Household Pests**. The gloves ...
Sep 21, 2017•2 hr 32 min•Ep. 61
This week kicks off with some Daisy updates and surprisingly deep dives into online banana quizzes and proper application of The Bristol Scale. Merlin hates having a freezer full of fruit, and John has frankly had it with all the Britishisms. Merlin kindly offers to buy John a new dingus, and John demurs with extreme prejudice. Moving onto John’s doggy spy camera, your hosts find much to dislike about many IoT devices. John reviews Merlin’s recent Amazon review and schools him on how to avoid cr...
Sep 07, 2017•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 60
This week kicks off with some travel woes, news stress, and how Merlin is laboring to save “Planty.” John learns his concerns about Merlin’s multitasking afternoon bath habits were well-founded. The beauty of non-obvious movie effects and CGI are lauded. This week’s main topic is ***Mid-Life Crisis***. What even is it? How do you know if you’re having one, and how many will there be? How come there’s so few movies about women going through this? John dings Merlin for yucking on Red Corvette Guy’...
Aug 24, 2017•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 59
This _double wraparound_ episode kicks off with updates on John’s ongoing struggle with Daisy’s potty habits. Merlin tries to help, but John suffers neither his analogy nor his blatant Male Answer Syndrome. Merlin still thinks John may be a doggie racist. Further, few differences are reconciled in debating which are the best MCU movies. Merlin’s daughter goes to theme camps, and John pushes back on assuming how much stuff in movies is intentional. Conspiracy theories around _The Shining_ are dis...
Aug 14, 2017•2 hr 58 min•Ep. 58
This week kicks off with Merlin walking John through his exciting new nap workflow. John has significant safety concerns. In dog news, it seems Daisy has discovered toilet paper. This week’s accidental main topic finds your hosts ending up talking _a lot_ about ***80s Music***. Why are all the lyrics sites wrong? U2 vs. R.E.M.? How even would you make a radio mixtape? Is it really just a matter of trust? The more on-purpose main topic is ***Taking Care of Things***. How did John get so careful w...
Jul 27, 2017•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 57
This week kicks off with thoughts on breaking-in new stuff, a tutorial on washing blue jeans, and, regrettably, the official retirement of Barrel Week. Eighties comedies are _problematic_, Richard Dawson had a pretty sweet mic, and our calendars are still **such** a mess. John’s got beef with deliberately-distressed stuff, Merlin commits to a new lifestyle, and John helps you find photos of his dog. John also provides encouraging updates in Dog Follow-Up. Merlin wonders why all schools smell lik...
Jul 13, 2017•2 hr 56 min•Ep. 56
This week kicks off with some discussion of Yakov Smirnoff’s beard, why Merlin wants to buy a drill, and how John feels a little vindicated about his read of _Fight Club_. In follow-up, John catches us up on how things went after his wife listened to the house duties episode. Merlin just wants to be loved, and John just isn’t sold on the benefits of being a _no-shoe household_. This week’s mini-topic concerns John’s fraught relationship with a noisy summer appliance. You just need to get somethi...
Jun 29, 2017•2 hr 51 min•Ep. 55
In this wraparound episode, your hosts kick off with follow-up on _Arrival_ (no spoilers) and why John gets sad when people don’t listen to the program. Merlin has questions about YouTube influences and quickly forgets John is on The Incomparable. Do dogs like NPR, and how would we even know? Can you please turn the TV off, _please_? George is getting angry! John’s bird seems to be moving further away, and no wrist rockets have been acquired. A strict edict on choosing an internet handle is mutu...
Jun 15, 2017•2 hr 49 min•Ep. 54
This week kicks off with some follow-up on John’s bird-enemy and why a person would ever eat popcorn with a spoon. A (spoiler-free) check-in with _The Leftovers_ Season 3 leads to a further discussion of trailers, recaps, and…spoilers. Your hosts address their approaches to “His ‘n Hers” media consumption, and the joys of watching closely. The main topic this week is ***PIXAR***. Specifically, your hosts react to a recent article on whether Disney has “ruined” PIXAR, then proceed with candid opi...
Jun 01, 2017•2 hr 52 min•Ep. 53
Follow-up kicks off with Merlin’s iMac repair and why it’s fun to buy things with your phone. Strategies for tricking kids into watching media are explored, and John talks about why he’s still a TiVo man. _Engadget_ hangs John’s Mac. Merlin bemoans point-of-sale systems, and John provides important corrections from his wife on that weird metal Visa card he got. Merlin updates us on some unusual tech support for January’s #grassfed bag of blood incident, John struggles with getting logged-in, and...
May 18, 2017•2 hr 38 min•Ep. 52
This week, John and Merlin fret about their kids’ health and inherited emotional baggage. Merlin fails at becoming Sisyphus, while John is pessimistic about keeping anything in pairs. John shares his recent experience at a concert by his celebrity crushes, Aimee Mann and Jonathan Coulton. Jonathan gets dressy, and Aimee receives an important message from the Ancient Bird. Finally, talk turns to travel, with both of your hosts having recently returned from time away from home. John shares tales f...
May 03, 2017•2 hr 59 min•Ep. 51
This week, Merlin helps a friend and John disallows an awkward neologism. John wonders who refills the store-smell machine. John surprises Merlin by (finally) watching the film, _Les Misérables_, and shares his impressions. What works, what doesn’t, and why does the sewer need to be so sewery? In a surprisingly robust main topic, John recalls his youth spent playing handball and many other New York street games that Merlin had assumed were just made up. Dodgeball is debated, Merlin shares his ve...
Apr 19, 2017•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 50
This week kicks off with John analyzing Merlin’s various mouth noises, self-styled music cues, and personal sound effects. Both hosts get songs stuck in their heads. John lays a trap for Merlin, and Merlin shares an important new dream with the Ancient Bird. At length, your hosts get a little meta, with follow-up on things Merlin still hasn’t watched. Many mini topics are considered, discussed, and/or discarded, but what John wants—what’s most important to him—is that Merlin just pick one damned...
Apr 05, 2017•2 hr 51 min•Ep. 49
This week kicks off with John talking about the new Zelda game alongside thoughts on what it takes to keep a franchise great. In follow-up, John addresses online angst and agita about the recent discussion of _Arrival_. Next up, Merlin gets his time in the barrel as John disabuses him of his self-styled situation as "the dumb one." Merlin tries gamely to change the subject to how status works in improv, but finds his knife further sharpened in the bargain. Your hosts reluctantly accept that thei...
Mar 23, 2017•3 hr 32 min•Ep. 48
