Episode description

TOPIC: Criticism and Its Discontents

This week, Dan and Merlin talk about criticism, people who don't like you, and how much to let each have anything to do with the work you produce.

Links for this episode:

• Better - Merlin Mann
  Politics, celebrity gossip, business headlines, tech punditry, odd news, and user-generated content. These are the chew toys that have made me sad and tired and cynical.
• Snell-o-vision (How to watch "Doctor Who")
  As someone who became a fan of the show in the mid-’80s and who re-engaged with the show during its 2005 comeback, I have happily promoted it to numerous people and I hope I’ve learned a few lessons along the way. At the very least, I have opinions.So here are a few different ways to get into “Doctor Who.” [For my ultimate recommendation, scroll down to the bottom.]
• TextExpander Help: Detailed Release Notes
  
• Ungainly X-Mann Meetup #2 — Merlin Mann
  MERLIN 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, December 12th to hang out, talk about comics, and just say, “Hi.”
• TextExpander: Mac Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You Time
  
• Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock
  Over 30 million stock photos, illustrations, vectors, and videos
• Vicks VapoInhaler for Nasal Congestion Relief
  
• Lip Care | Skin Care | Carmex Lip Care | Carmex Skin Care | Carmex Lip Balm & Skin Care Products
  
• Carmex - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Amazon.com: Vicks Vapoinhaler 0.007 Oz: Health & Personal Care
  
• Vitamin C, Linus Pauling was right all along. A doctor's opinion - Medical News Today
  
• Top 10 Programming Fonts
  
• PragmataPro™, coding font designed by Fabrizio Schiavi
  
• M+ Fonts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Twitter / Walmart: @danbenjamin Hi Dan - Perhaps ...
  
• Use Only as Directed | This American Life
  One of the country's most popular over-the-counter painkillers — acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol — also kills the most people, according to data from the federal government. Over 150 Americans die each year on average after accidentally taking too much. And it requires a lot less to endanger you than you may know. We reported this alongside ProPublica. Their stories here and here.
• Accidental Tech Podcast: 41: Penny Wise, Pound Foolish
  Extended after-show: how we deal with criticism, trolls, and our own flaws when facing our audience.
• 5by5 | The Incomparable #169: A Man with a Long Scarf
  50 years ago some very clever people invented "Doctor Who." 50 years later we still love it. On the occasion of the show's golden anniversary, here's our unabashed lovefest for the BBC's most clever invention. Four American fans discuss how we discovered the show, our favorite Doctors and stories, and the unique and welcoming culture of sci-fi fandom. Special guests Erika Ensign, Glenn Fleishman, and Chip Sudderth.
• 5by5 | The Incomparable #170: Let Zygons Be Zygons
  In this special unedited flashcast edition, we talk about the 50th Anniversary episode of Doctor Who, "The Day of the Doctor," immediately after viewing it! It just about made our heads explode and we want to watch it again immediately. Join us for our post-episode breakdown of what we saw and what we liked. Special guests Dan Moren, David J. Loehr, Scott McNulty, and Serenity Caldwell.
• Blink (Doctor Who) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  "Blink" is the tenth episode of the third series of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 9 June 2007 on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The episode was directed by Hettie MacDonald and is the only episode in the 2007 series written by Steven Moffat. The episode is based on a previous short story written by Moffat for the 2006 Doctor Who Annual, entitled "'What I Did on My Christmas Holidays' By Sally Sparrow".
• The Dark Side of Linus Pauling's Legacy
  Pauling is largely responsible for the widespread misbelief that high doses of vitamin C are effective against colds and other illnesses. In 1968, he postulated that people's needs for vitamins and other nutrients vary markedly and that to maintain good health, many people need amounts of nutrients much greater than the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). And he speculated that megadoses of certain vitamins and minerals might well be the treatment of choice for some forms of mental illness. He termed this approach "orthomolecular," meaning "right molecule." After that, he steadily expanded the list of illnesses he believed could be influenced by "orthomolecular" therapy and the number of nutrients suitable for such use. No responsible medical or nutrition scientists share these views.
• Huffduffer
  
• The Rite of Spring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  The Rite of Spring is a ballet and orchestral concert work by the Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company
• Tagged "applebeesandme" | Chip Zdarsky
  
• Reye's syndrome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  
• Samantha West The Telemarketer Robot Who Swears She's Not a Robot | TIME.com
  When Scherer asked point blank if she was a real person, or a computer-operated robot voice, she replied enthusiastically that she was real, with a charming laugh. But then she failed several other tests. When asked “What vegetable is found in tomato soup?” she said she did not understand the question. When asked multiple times what day of the week it was yesterday, she complained repeatedly of a bad connection.

This week's episode of Back to Work is kindly sponsored by:

• TextExpander: Mac Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You Time
• Shutterstock (25% off everything with discount code "BACKTOWORK1213")