John Siracusa and Merlin Mann try to figure out exactly how they got this way.

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    #190: Three Whys Later

    September 2nd, 2022 · 81 minutes

    We learn why John is still behind on his podcasts as well as why Merlin liked it better when podcasts were less…"professional."

    This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by:

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    Download: MP3 (75.04 MB)

    Links and Show Notes

    Things kick off with a brief debate on whether using things wrong makes you a hacker.

    In Follow-Up, John has updates on that announcement about dropping a device in a plane seat, and Merlin expresses skepticism about announcements in general.

    Then, there's some updates related to the prior discussion of performance reviews. Believe it or not, quantifying the unquantifiable is even more difficult than it sounds.

    In our members-only bonus show: John has updates on Half-Empty Nest Syndrome.

    Sign up today to get lots of extra stuff and to support our program.

    (Recorded on Tuesday, August 23, 2022)

    Credits
    Jay Leno on “water landing”
    Sully
    Racial Disparities in Performance Evaluations at The New York Times
    Liz Ryan's Twitter thread about 360s
    Chesterton's Fence
    Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Second Order Thinking
    Nonce Forms: What They Are and How to Write Them - Writer's Digest
    Procedure word - Wikipedia

    The word "REPEAT" should not be used in place of "SAY AGAIN", especially in the vicinity of naval or other firing ranges, as "REPEAT" is an artillery proword defined in ACP 125 U.S. Supp-2(A) with the wholly different meaning of "request for the same volume of fire to be fired again with or without corrections or changes" (e.g., at the same coordinates as the previous round).

    AVID POWER Tire Inflator Air Compressor, 20V Cordless Car Tire Pump with Rechargeable Li-ion Battery, 12V Car Power Adapter, Digital Pressure Gauge : Automotive

    Merlin now owns two of these.

    Jay Leno on David Letterman (July, 1987) - YouTube

    This is the "water landing" bit Merlin still somehow remembers 35 years later.

    No Plan Survives First Contact With the Enemy – Quote Investigator

    In conclusion, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder deserves credit for the words he wrote in German in 1871.

    Playing God in Yellowstone: The Destruction of America's First National Park