Episode description

This week, Dan and Merlin talk a little too much about Harry Potter, but also manage to cover some other media properties as well as the shockingly limited options for British casting. Dan has a new task management app, and Merlin decides to give it a spin too. The need for help from the jackals who make Cash's iPad app is escalated.

In a somewhat classic style, the conversation moves to considering Big Issues around work, friction, modality, usability, and apps for pound-sign productivity.

Twitter, its apps, and its perplexing (lack of?) company direction are discussed. Merlin has something like a razor for this.

Dan is told that he is upset.

Links for this episode:

• Thought-terminating cliché - RationalWiki
  A thought-terminating cliché is a saying, often a tautology, that is repeated in order to relieve the stress of cognitive dissonance by avoiding all further consideration of a matter. Everyday examples include "it is what it is," "it's just common sense," and "you gotta do what you gotta do."
• 5by5 | Back to Work #299: Unhook from the Comparison
  This week, Merlin shares some useful thoughts (via Patrick Rothfuss) on being careful about how we compare ourselves to others.
• Manure Digester — Unattended Consequences — Overcast
  
• Behind the scenes: Professor Flitwick - Pottermore
  
• TickTick: Todo list, checklist and task manager app for Android, iPhone and Web
  
• Merlin's Trick for Remembering HP ages and order
  
• The Mythical Man-Month - Wikipedia
  
• Towards a Bra-free Instagram Experience – NewCo Shift
  
• Welcome to Willow Management
  
• Douglas Adams - Wikipedia
  

• RXBAR (For 25% off your first order, visit RXBAR.com/backtowork and enter the code BACKTOWORK at checkout).

• Molekule (Visit Molekule.com and use the code BACKTOWORK at checkout for $75 off your first purchase).