Podcast
Back to Work
Hosted by 5by5 · EN
Back to Work is an award winning talk show with Merlin Mann and Dan Benjamin discussing productivity, communication, work, barriers, constraints, tools, and more.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 585: The Wahlberg Uncertainty Principle
Aug 2, 2022Tap to summarizeFrankly, it was a bit of a fever dream, but your hosts discuss sportsball, collective singular nouns, Coleridge's trap street, LEGO, and a handful of Merlin's recent wins. Links:Matter — via Alex CoxWalk With Me | To The Best Of Our KnowledgeTextSoap - Automate Your Text CleanupSearchLink - BrettTerpstra.comForgetfulness - Billy Collins Animated Poetry - YouTubeMasterClass - Chris Voss Teaches the Art of NegotiationFirefox (film) - WikipediaYayText: A text styling tool for Facebook, Twitter, etc.» 30 for 30 Shorts: ‘The Schedule Makers’Galaxy Explorer 10497 | LEGO® ICONS™ | Buy online at the Official LEGO® Shop UST. rex Breakout 76956 | Jurassic World™ | Buy online at the Official LEGO® Shop USHagrid's Hut: Buckbeak's Rescue 75947 | Harry Potter™ | Buy online at the Official LEGO® Shop USHow to get an upgrade: Tips from FBI hostage negotiator Chris VossAmazon.com : Maruman MNEMOSYNE Notebook 8.27 x 5.83 Inches (A5), 5mm dot grid, 80 Sheets (N105), white : Office Products — Merlin's preferred desk notebook.Amazon.com: Tul Retractable Gel Pens 0.5mm Needle Point, Black (8 Pack) : Office Products — Merlin's preferred ink pen.The Greatest haka EVER? - YouTubeHomepage - WahlburgersAmazon: Small Ceramic Dipping Bowls, White Oblong Dishes (3 oz, 12 Pack) : Home & Kitchen — The ramekin, evolved. Watch out, chickens.Archers of Loaf - "In the Surface Noise" (2022) — The new Archers of Loaf single.Archers of Loaf - "Raleigh Days" (2020) — Merlin's favorite Archers of Loaf song since their 90s glory days.Archers of Loaf - "Harnessed in Slums" (1995) — Probably Merlin's favorite Archers of Loaf song.Archers of Loaf - "Wrong" (1994) — A close second place for Merlin's favorite Archers of Loaf song.
Transcribe →Episode 490: Penetration Engineer
Aug 11, 2020Tap to summarizeDISCUSSED: Dan is joining a campaign, and Merlin's eyesight now precludes him from being an AD&D dungeon master; Dan has a concern about his laptop screen and needs your help; then, the boys settle in for a good, old-fashioned recommendations episode; podcasts, pens, video editing apps, a 3D printer, a new SoundSource, hard drives, and even a moisturizing cream for your little patch. Links for this episode:AmazonSmile : MUJI Aluminum Body Fountain Pen - Fine Nib - with 2 Refill Ink Cartridge : Office ProductsBlank Check with Griffin & DavidNot just another bad movie podcast, Blank Check reviews directors' complete filmographies episode to episode. Specifically, the auteurs whose early successes afforded them the rare ‘blank check’ from Hollywood to produce passion projects. Each new miniseries, hosts Griffin Newman and David Sims delve into the works of film’s most outsized personalities in painstakingly hilarious detail. RoboCop — Blank Check with Griffin & David — OvercastAmazonSmile: Tul Retractable Gel Pens 0.5mm Needle Point, Black 4/pk: Office ProductsAmazonSmile : PALOMINO BLACKWING 3Pencils SET(Original, 602, Pearl 1each) : Office ProductsMonoprice MP Voxel 3D Printer, Fully Enclosed, Easy Wi-Fi, Touchscreen, 8GB On-Board Memory, Polar Cloud Enabled - Monoprice.comOFFICIAL Wondershare Filmora9 Video Editor (Win & Mac) | Download Filmora9!Professional video editor | Adobe Premiere ProThingiverse - Digital Designs for Physical ObjectsRogue Amoeba | SoundSource: A Superior Sound ControlRogue Amoeba | Quality Audio Software for MacOSAmazon.com: SAMSUNG T7 Touch Portable SSD 2TB - Up to 1050MB/s - USB 3.2 External Solid State Drive, Black (MU-PC2T0K/WW): Computers & AccessoriesAmazon.com: WD 2TB My Passport SSD External Portable Drive, USB 3.1, Up to 540 MB/s - WDBKVX0020PSL-WESN: Computers & AccessoriesAmazon.com: AnuMed Vitamin D3 Cream with Magnesium 10,000 IU | Healthy Skin Care & Face Cream | Maximum Calcium Absorption | Non-Greasy Moisturizer for Dry Skin - 3 Ounces: Health & Personal CareBrought to you by: Indeed (Try Indeed out with a free $75 credit at Indeed.com/BACKTOWORK. This is their best offer available anywhere). Mack Weldon (For 20% off your first order, visit mackweldon.com/backtowork and enter promo code BACKTOWORK).
Transcribe →Episode 401: Carrier Fluid
Nov 20, 2018Tap to summarizeDiscussed this week: Dan's MOSH setup on iPad; Dan's new NEW iPad; ease of setup on iOS; some iOS photo editing app recommendations; two things Merlin learned this week; and a little rant about how everybody apparently already knows everything. Links for this episode:welcome home : vim onlineKrissy Brierre-Davis on Twitter: "How come you guys never told me this iPhone trick? I feel duped.… "How come you guys never told me this iPhone trick? I feel duped. Brought to you by: FreshBooks (To claim your month long unrestricted free trial, go to FreshBooks.com/backtowork and enter BACK TO WORK in the “How Did You Hear About Us?” section). Care/of (For 25% off your first month of personalized Care/of vitamins, visit TakeCareOf.com and enter promo code BACKTOWORK50). eero (Get $100 off the ‘eero base unit and 2 beacons package,’ and 1 year of eero Plus by visiting eero.com and enter BACKTOWORK at checkout).
Transcribe →Episode 399: Blue Whale Salt
Nov 6, 2018Tap to summarizeDiscussed this week: coffee water, voting, inertia, new iPads on the way, difficult buying decisions, returning merchandise (as a thing), some TV suggestions, Dan's new ODROID, 80s video game nostalgia, asking for your iPad-at-work input, plus seeking suggestions for apps for new joggers. Links for this episode:Building A Better Ballot Box — To the Best of Our Knowledge — OvercastBrydge - Award Winning Bluetooth Keyboards for iPad & Surface ProCREATE - Logitech SupportBodyguard (TV Series 2018– ) - IMDbstart [ODROID Wiki]Amazon.com: ODROID-GO open source gaming console : Assembly and learning WHY, CODING CAMP: Video GamesODROID-GO Game Kit — ameriDroidODROID | HardkernelGorf - WikipediaLG UltraFine 4K Display - AppleLG UltraFine 5K Display - AppleLindsey Vehlewald on Twitter: "1/[Thread] Storytime. Listen up. It’s a long one. But it's important, I promise."LG Corporation - WikipediaEp. 312: “Always is How” - Roderick on the Line - Merlin MannThe Problem: John hasn’t earned a chair. Reconcilable Differences #90: Cargo-Cult Thoreau - Relay FMThis week kicks off with some Dear Evan Hansen talk, and Merlin admits he still hasn’t earned the second act. This leads John to interrogate this odd affliction of Merlin’s. Both hosts finally address how, whether, and when they commit to the full consumption of cultural products. Why does John so often stick with the whole season of a C-plus TV show, and when does Merlin know he’s ready for the second half of a given Broadway hit? Brought to you by: Slack (Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at Slack.com). Casper (Visit Casper.com/itsyourshow and use the code ITSYOURSHOW for $50 towards select mattresses).
Transcribe →Episode 388: Defcon Water
Aug 21, 2018Tap to summarizeDiscussed: courting a vegetarian; The Information Problem; FU on Dan's new slide remote and keyboard; also, belts; travel pre-screening options; a recommended article on hypocognition; Dan saw IT; thoughts on Twiki and Erin Grey; and Dan's recent home problem. Links for this episode:Episode 75: I Set Up a Fake Child – AppStoriesJohn is joined by Merlin Mann to discuss managing family tech use and the upcoming iOS 12 Screen Time family features. Guide - Grey - Arcade Belts | Arcade BeltsUnknown Unknowns: The Problem of Hypocognition - Scientific American Blog NetworkWe wander about the unknown terrains of life, complacent about what we know and oblivious to what we miss PsycNET Record Display - PsycNETTwiki | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century Wiki | FANDOM powered by Wikia#83 Voyage Into Pizzagate — Reply All — OvercastA conspiracy theory, a pizza related map, and a website fighting for its very soul. This episode originally aired in December of 2016.save in overcast Amazon.com: Logitech R500 Laser Presentation Remote with Dual Connectivity Bluetooth or USB for PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, Prezi: Computers & AccessoriesAmazon.com: Das Keyboard 4 Professional for Mac Soft Tactile MX Brown Mechanical Keyboard (DASK4MACSFT): Computers & AccessoriesRAID™ BELT in Men Hats, Belts, Accessories | KÜHL ClothingBrought to you by: Slack (Slack: Where work happens. Find out why at Slack.com). Molekule (Visit Molekule.com and use the code BACKTOWORK at checkout for $75 off your first purchase). eero (For free overnight shipping to the US or Canada, visit eero.com and at checkout select overnight shipping then enter BACKTOWORK to make it free).
Transcribe →Episode 110: Okay, Then.
Mar 12, 2013Tap to summarizeTOPIC: Stupidity. This week, Dan and Merlin tackle stupidity. And, brother, there sure are a whole lot of flavors of stupid. Are we really talking about being clueless, unaware, dumb, absent-minded, or just plain-old ignorant? Because they're actually pretty different animals. Whether you're dropping your library book in the mailbox, leaving your iPad at home, following baseless medical advice, or doing whatever Dan did with his garage door (don't worry: the car is fine), it's really helpful to understand where your real problem really lives. From a tactical standpoint, try some useful failsafes, rituals, and habits. But, at a higher level, learn to develop the curiosity to keep evolving. Stay open to how you might be wrong by always seeking out the smartest person you can find who disagrees with you. Links for this episode:[SPONSOR] SquarespaceBuild a Website - Squarespace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included. [SPONSOR] ShutterstockRoyalty-Free Subscription Stock Photography & Vector Art - Search and select from millions of high resolution royalty free images, stock photos, vector art, and stock photography. Superman Family Adventures Vol. 1 (Superman (Graphic Novels)): Franco, Art Baltazar: 9781401240509: Amazon.com: BooksSuperman! Superboy! Supergirl! Krypto the Superdog! The entire Superman family is reimagined here in this energetic all-ages graphic novel. Don't miss the heroes of Metropolis fighting such foes as Bizarro, Metallo, Lex Luthor and more in these tales from issues numbered 1-6 of the all-ages series. b2w-chrome-shortcuts.jpg (668×598)SUPERMAN FAMILY ADVENTURES #1 | DC ComicsSuperman's closest allies take the stage like you have never seen before, from the Eisner Award-winning team of Art Baltazar and Franco (TINY TITANS) Superman Family Adventures Digital Comics - Comics by comiXologySuperman's closest allies take the stage like you have never seen before. Classic Superman elements reinterpreted for all ages--pack your bags and meet us in Metropolis! An all-new all-ages title from the Eisner Award-winning creative team of TINY TITANS, Art Baltazar and Franco! superman family adventures - Google SearchGamechanging 'Marvel Unlimited' App Offers Digital Subscription Model — Gutters and PanelsThis is news many of us were hoping for - it was just a matter of time. Gizmodo reports that Marvel Comics will now begin offering their digital catalog of back issues for use on iOS (iPhone and iPad, with Android coming soon)? for a flat subscription rate. Prices start at $10 a month, or limited-time offer of $60 for a year of service, which will allow access to over 13,000 digitally-scanned comics from Marvel's extensive history. Marvel Unlimited for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App StoreIntroducing the Marvel Unlimited app for iPhone and iPad - a new benefit of our digital comics subscription program! Dreyfus model of skill acquisition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaIn the novice stage, a person follows rules as given, without context, with no sense of responsibility beyond following the rules exactly. Competence develops when the individual develops organizing principles to quickly access the particular rules that are relevant to the specific task at hand Dunning–Kruger effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly rating their ability much higher than average. This bias is attributed to a metacognitive inability of the unskilled to recognize their mistakes. Four stages of competence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaIn psychology, the four stages of competence, or the "conscious competence" learning model, relates to the psychological states involved in the process of progressing from incompetence to competence in a skill. Dreyfus: A five-stage model of the mental activities... - Google ScholarSE Dreyfus, HL Dreyfus - 1980 Abstract : In acquiring a skill by means of instruction and experience, the student normally passes through five developmental stages which we designate novice, competence, proficiency, expertise and mastery. We argue, based on analysis of careful descriptions of skill acquisition, that as the student becomes skilled, he depends less on abstract principles and more on concrete experience. We systematize and illustrate the progressive changes in a performer's ways of seeing his task environment. We conclude that any skill- training procedure must be based on some model of skill acquisition, so that it can address, at each stage of training, the appropriate issues involved in facilitating advancement. brianmichaelbendis: Age of Ultron #1 by... | kung fu grippeAesop's Fables: A Pop-Up Book of Classic Tales: Kees Moerbeek, Chris Beatrice, Bruce Whatley: 9781416971467: Amazon.com: BooksView All | Home Inspection Nightmares I | This Old HouseField Notes Memo ArchiveDaredevil, Vol. 1: Frank Miller, Bill Mantlo, Marv Wolfman, Roger McKenzie, David Michelinie, Klaus Janson: 9780785134732: Amazon.com: BooksA classic Marvel hero defined by one of comics' greatest visionaries! A Marvel Comics mainstay since 1964, Daredevil got a new lease on life in a landmark 1979-1983 run by writer-penciler Frank Miller and inker-penciler Klaus Janson, whose daring reinvention of the character quickly made Miller one of the biggest and most influential stars in the comic-book industry. Miller put his own stamp on established cast members such as reporter Ben Urich, femme fatale Black Widow, mad assassin Bullseye, the saw-fisted Gladiator, and monstrous crime boss Kingpin. Miller also introduced Daredevil's mysterious mentor Stick, deadly ninja foes the Hand, and Matt's long-lost love Elektra, a beautiful assassin who would become one of Marvel's most memorable characters. Mixing traditional super-heroics with mysterious martial artistry, doomed romance, and dark personal drama, Miller's character-defining DD run is collected across three titanic trade paperbacks! Collecting Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man Daredevil by Mark Waid, Vol. 1: Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, Marcos Martin, Emma Rios, Kano Kano, Khoi Pham: 9780785168065: Amazon.com: BooksA fresh start for the Man Without Fear! Matt Murdock is back in New York and hoping to resuscitate his law practice, but not everyone is happy to see him. And Daredevil hits the streets as Klaw, master of sound, makes his deadly return! Then, a blind client holds the key to a global conspiracy perpetrated by some familiar foes. Can Daredevil protect him long enough to bring down an international criminal organization? And when a piece of cutting-edge technology goes missing, Daredevil and Punisher team up to track it down and clear the Black Cat of the crime. But is Black Cat really innocent?! And after someone exhumes Battlin' Jack Murdock's grave, DD heads underground to find the villain responsible. Mark Waid's fantastic rejuvenation of Daredevil begins here! Amazon.com: Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev Ultimate Collection - Book 1 (9780785143888...
Transcribe →Episode 108: What Can I Spray?
Feb 26, 2013Tap to summarizeTOPIC: Shaving a Yak This week, Dan and Merlin talk about The Hierarchy of Fiddling. When does self-improvement silently shade into navel-gazing, and how do we realize that it's happening? Some fixes mean applying a fast change that produces outsized results (a true "life hack"). But, most of our more circuitous excursions into the world of ““productivity”” lead straight into a recursive black hole of lost time, sheer frustration, and soul-sucking existential onanism (let's call that one a "life whack"). Learn how to live with your dirty debit card, just satisfice with your dish-washing skills, and quit trying to solve non-problems with non-solutions. Yes, learn the key commands, but, don't feel like you need to learn all the key commands. Iterate with mindful sanity. And, like it says on the tin: always focus on how you'll get back to work. Links for this episode:[SPONSOR] TextExpander: Mac and iOS Typing Shortcut Utility Saves You TimeSave time and effort with TextExpander! Whether it's a simple email signature or several paragraphs of a standard response, you'll love how easy it is to use TextExpander to avoid typing the same thing over and over. yak shaving - Wiktionary(idiomatic) The actually useless activity you do that appears important when you are consciously or unconsciously procrastinating about a larger problem. I thought I'd get more work done if I just fixed a problem with my .emacs file, but then I spent the whole afternoon yak shaving. Yak ShavingStuck in the middle of a stack of stuff you're supposed to do? Sharpen your wool clippers, and stop getting distracted by the pointless activities which surround any serious problem--unless you want to, that is. Shaving the yak. « BRYONY COLEYak-shaving is that time when you set out to do something and end up completely off-track – bogged by little details, that actually seem crucial and dependent on the goal at the time, but later turn out to be irrelevant. bikeshedding - Wiktionarybikeshed +? -ing. The word originates in Berkeley Software Distribution culture and implies technical disputes over minor, marginal issues conducted while more serious ones are being overlooked. The implied image is of people arguing over what color to paint the bicycle shed while the house is not finished. The word has its origins in Parkinson’s Law of Triviality. [edit] Squarespace Commerce is Here — The Official Squarespace BlogGiving our customers the ability to manage and sell products on their websites has been the most requested Squarespace feature of all time. Thanks to the powerful architecture of Squarespace 6, we've built a truly integrated commerce solution that gives our customers amazing power and flexibility within a single platform. 5by5 | Systematic #33: Merlin Mann - Failing gracefullyMerlin Mann guests to talk about failure, success and self perception in an organic and enlightening conversation. 5by5 | Back to Work #4: Failing with StyleMerlin Mann and Dan Benjamin talk about trying to change other people, how things really aren’t that bad, balancing fear or being driven by fear, leaving capacity for when you get The Pitch, procrastination (eventually), and giving yourself permission to fail in an interesting way. You’re not gonna get black lung from a spreadsheet. Consilience (book) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaConsilience: The Unity of Knowledge is a 1998 book by biologist E. O. Wilson. In this book, Wilson discusses methods that have been used to unite the sciences and might in the future unite them with the humanities. Wilson prefers and uses the term consilience to describe the synthesis of knowledge from different specialized fields of human endeavor. Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge: Edward Osborne Wilson: 9780679768678: Amazon.com: BooksHistorically, all of the sciences were once united under the rubric of "natural science." Over time, they became fragmented and specialized. Nevertheless, Wilson argues that there is a genetic and neurological basis for knowledge and that all subjects of human inquiry can be reunited under the umbrella of "consilience." Sugar ant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe sugar ant (Camponotus consobrinus)—also known as the banded sugar ant—is a relatively large ant, identifiable by their orange-brown bodies, black head and mandibles. The sugar ants' name comes from their liking for sugar, but they are attracted to other savory food. Mounds (candy) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaMounds is a candy bar made by Hershey's, and is the sister product of Almond Joy. Like Almond Joy, it consists of a coconut based center; however, it is enrobed with dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate and does not contain almonds. World War Hulk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe plot is the culmination of a series of events that began with the Hulk being tricked into space by the Illuminati and a life model decoy of Nick Fury, the Hulk's subsequent exile seen in Planet Hulk and his imminent return to Earth to seek revenge on the Illuminati. Image Comics | Saga #10Marko and Alana's long-lost babysitter Izabel finally returns to the fold, but at what cost? Like I say. Help yourself: Three. Hours.... | kung fu grippeLike I say. Help yourself:Three. Hours. DUNGEON.http://i-0.us/three-hours-dungeon Jim Eno - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJim Eno (born February 8, 1966 is the drummer and one of the founding members of the Austin, Texas band Spoon. He is also a record producer and a semiconductor chip designer. Arnold Robbins - O'Reilly MediaArnold Robbins, an Atlanta native, is a professional programmer and technical author. He has worked with Unix systems since 1980, when he was introduced to a PDP-11 running a version of Sixth Edition Unix. He has been a heavy AWK user since 1987, when he became involved with gawk, the GNU project's version of AWK. As a member of the POSIX 1003.2 balloting group, he helped shape the POSIX standard for AWK. He is currently the maintainer of gawk and its documentation. He is also coauthor of the sixth edition of O'Reilly's Learning the vi Editor. Since late 1997, he and his family have been living happily in Israel. Exchequer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Exchequer is a government department of the United Kingdom responsible for the management and collection of taxation and other government revenues. The historical Exchequer developed judicial roles. A similar office existed in Ireland during British rule from 1299 to 1877. Merlin’s Awkward Hair Odyssey - a set on FlickrOne's man's frequently unfortunate journey of discovery. Particoloured - Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaParticoloured, particolored or parti-color – showing different, often bright, colors or tints. Twitter / hotdogsladies: Cheese Dog Life Hack"[LIFE HACK] A chili cheese dog can be very messy to eat with your hands. So, eat it over your french fries and—hey—free chili-cheese fries!" Repulsion (1965) - IMDbSafe (1995) - IMDbThis week's episode for Back to Work is sponsored by Smile's TextExpander.
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