Shows / Reconcilable Differences
Reconcilable Differences
John Siracusa and Merlin Mann try to figure out exactly how they got this way. Hosted by Merlin Mann and John Siracusa.
Episodes
- Reconcilable Differences
299: Rattan Furniture for Your Mouth
Subtitle: Merlin thinks John might like him. John finds resolution regarding a domain name he bought a long time ago. Links and Show Notes: John shares Follow…
- Reconcilable Differences
298: My Geographical Tongue
John shares updates on his locked account and toaster ovens, and Merlin needs to commit to one battery family. Links and Show Notes: John shares updates on his…
- Reconcilable Differences
297: Bison William
John's account's still locked, Merlin knows just enough to be angry, and Casey has opinions about which way his snacks should face. Links and Show Notes…
- Reconcilable Differences
296: The Bird’s Bedroom
Subtitle: Jim can only talk in saxophone. John has Follow-Up on what he was mad about last time. Links and Show Notes: John has Follow-Up on what he was mad…
- Reconcilable Differences
295: If I Adjust for Europe
John eventually tells us what it is he's so mad about. Links and Show Notes: John eventually tells us what it is he's so mad about. (Recorded on Tuesday…
- Reconcilable Differences
294: Grumpy 37
Subtitle: Loneliness is where John is a Viking. What is the role of loneliness on "Survivor?" Links and Show Notes: Things kick off unexpectedly. For Merlin…
- Reconcilable Differences
293: Swedish Sailor Soap
Subtitle: This ain’t no Gendry boat. For people who don't personally enjoy being on a boat, John and Merlin sure talk a lot about boats. Links and Show Notes…
- Reconcilable Differences
292: Yarnfluencer
Subtitle: One time, Merlin helped Joe Walsh fix his internet. John wants to talk about a phenomenon he's observed. Links and Show Notes: John wants to talk…
- Reconcilable Differences
291: Too Good at Turning Off the Water
John conducts some non-elective plumbing, and your hosts check in on the World Cup. Links and Show Notes: John conducts some non-elective plumbing, and your…
- Reconcilable Differences
290: Toilet Cop
Subtitle: Merlin doesn't want anyone policing his corn. Merlin wants to talk about computers a little, and John has questions about why you'd throw away a…
- Reconcilable Differences
289: The Third Kind of Show
Subtitle: Siracusa remembers he was upset that his head was bleeding. Merlin's fans are spinning, and John has thoughts on a novel new Secret Weird Things…
- Reconcilable Differences
288: Live Service Game
Merlin has a smell update, and John mourns the end of Destiny 2. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Vitally: Your Copilot for AI-Powered…
- Reconcilable Differences
287: Died of Robots
Subtitle: Don't bug the widow. This time around, it's homework, Merlin-style. Links and Show Notes: This time around, it's homework, Merlin-style. (Recorded on…
- Reconcilable Differences
286: Ain’t Nothin’ Gonna Break My Stride
In order to proceed with the extraction, John has needed to evolve his approach. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Vitally: Your…
- Reconcilable Differences
285: The Regular Amount of Hopelessness
John has some questions for Merlin. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Vitally: Your Copilot for AI-Powered Customer Success. Get a free…
- Reconcilable Differences
284: Burger Boy
Subtitle: If you want to get into the puffy village, you have to have a child with you. What we talk about when we talk about bagging your own groceries. Links…
- Reconcilable Differences
283: Famous in My Head
Subtitle: I never say it's for kids. Merlin has a question about a YouTube channel, and John has some notes on R.E.M. and their songs' lyrics. This episode of…
- Reconcilable Differences
282: Sadness Accrues
Subtitle: Why are you in the bathroom with our food? Merlin's Garbage Apparatus. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Vitally: Your…
- Reconcilable Differences
281: I’m the Hero
Subtitle: John's systems are a problem. On holes, art, and the nature of friendship. Links and Show Notes: On holes, art, and the nature of friendship…
- Reconcilable Differences
280: How Dangerous I Can Be
John explores how to repurpose an extra hole. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Surfshark: Use this link or use code DIFFS at checkout…
- Reconcilable Differences
279: I Promised Myself I Wasn't Going to Be Excited
Subtitle: Temperature is the enemy of glass. John tells Merlin how to do a fraud with his eyeglasses, and Merlin tells John about his air fryer. Then they talk…
- Reconcilable Differences
278: You’re a Dingleberry
Subtitle: “I am the oven now.” Merlin shares his Large Appliance Results. (Recorded on Tuesday, January 6, 2026) Links and Show Notes: Credits Audio Editor…
- Reconcilable Differences
277: A Comma for Christmas
John's new art piece leads to a discussion of accuracy and build quality in toys for grown men and sometimes children. Links and Show Notes: John's new art…
- Reconcilable Differences
276: Fact Bobby
Subtitle: You can’t yell at math. A quick check-in on whether or not the machines are helping. (Recorded on Tuesday, December 9, 2025) This episode of…
- Reconcilable Differences
275: Horse Magician League
Subtitle: The beginning, the beginning! The dog-blaming continues, and John has updates on the social component of arc raiding. Links and Show Notes: The…
- Reconcilable Differences
274: The Floor for People
Subtitle: Everybody starts out with the same quarter. After some Follow-Up on phone dimming and naked swimming, John discusses a video game with some…
- Reconcilable Differences
273: Concentric Circles
Empty Nest Results. (Recorded on Tuesday, October 28, 2025) Links and Show Notes: Things kick off with some quick Follow-Up on Merlin's hot phone and how our…
- Reconcilable Differences
272: My Bibles and Books
Subtitle: Merlin can still smell the slide oil. TiVo: The Exit Interview. Links and Show Notes: John leads us through the TiVo Exit Interview. In this month’s…
- Reconcilable Differences
271: My System is Symmetrical
Subtitle: “Periscope up!” Main topic is the various voices in our heads. If the technology existed to expose the workings of our interior world, what do we…
- Reconcilable Differences
270: We Inflated Our Pants
Swimming naked in school and thinking about Lead. Links and Show Notes: In Follow-Up, listeners share their experiences with Swimming Naked in School. Won't…
- Reconcilable Differences
269: The Rope Elf
Subtitle: This is where the tractors go. John shares the results of some fascinating recent polling on TV obstructions and chewing gum swallowing. This episode…
- Reconcilable Differences
268: Beach Grit
Subtitle: “No Scraps!” Canada blames the dog, John presents his Vacation Results, and Merlin talks about the beach. In this month's bonus member segment…
- Reconcilable Differences
267: Crumbs and Soldiers
Subtitle: We called them latex invitations. John reports back with his Billy Joel Results. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Vitally: A…
- Reconcilable Differences
266: The Misspeaking Community
Subtitle: The folder is called “Pepperoni.” How does John generate all that cool chapter art? This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by…
- Reconcilable Differences
265: Stop Collapsing Everything
On the complexities and constraints of pursuing the right answer. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Vitally: A new era for customer…
- Reconcilable Differences
264: Alphabetical Shadow
Subtitle: That's why it's hard to be Janice. Merlin presents some Microwave Results and John shares his most recent Graduation Results. This episode of…
- Reconcilable Differences
263: A Ragnarok of the Mind
John's Prom Results and Merlin's Camping Results. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: TRMNL: Clarity, at a glance. Get $15 off for 1 week…
- Reconcilable Differences
262: Everybody’s Got a Tunnel
On goals and accomplishments. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Grist: A modern, open source spreadsheet that goes beyond the grid. Try…
- Reconcilable Differences
261: Apparatus Tycoon
Your hosts finally discuss The Apparatus. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Grist: A modern, open source spreadsheet that goes beyond…
- Reconcilable Differences
260: The Mandala Effect
Subtitle: It's hard to look things up if they don't exist. Merlin is very vulnerable, and John is encouraged to leverage this. This episode of Reconcilable…
- Reconcilable Differences
259: Cascade of Interventions
Subtitle: Consider the Banana. Stop blaming the dog. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Yawn Email: Tame your inbox with intelligent…
- Reconcilable Differences
258: All These Little Things
This week, your hosts talk about ChatGPT's new image generation abilities. And in this month's member after show, John and Merlin talk about the Netflix show…
- Reconcilable Differences
257: Reverse Procrastination Bingo
Subtitle: Merlin thinks John doesn't understand the whole point of the exercise. This week's topic: Kids & Driving This episode of Reconcilable Differences is…
- Reconcilable Differences
256: Tomorrow is an Ice Day
Subtitle: Grandpa is just "Pee Pad" now, Follow-up brings updates on "all balls" plus a novel inversion to "Secret Weird Things People Do." Main topic this…
- Reconcilable Differences
255: The Illusion of a Shared Experience
Subtitle: Merlin is pretty sure Jason Mantzoukas is the voice of the booger. The main topic this week was almost The Big Game. This episode of Reconcilable…
- Reconcilable Differences
254: Someone Else’s Bucket
Subtitle: He’s our special little guy. Merlin tries a new way of writing online, and John thinks about what it really means to own your web presence. This…
- Reconcilable Differences
253: The Torpid Sons of Venezuelan Oil Men
This week's topic: The Simpsons Kitchen Gag. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Grist: A modern, open source spreadsheet that goes…
- Reconcilable Differences
252: Briefly, It Was the Future.
Subtitle: Everything becomes crab. Updates on match cuts, the college ranking racket, and some historical perspective on t-dropping. Links and Show Notes…
- Reconcilable Differences
251: The Finer Things
Merlin introduces a new segment, and John shares Application Results. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Grist: A modern, open source…
- Reconcilable Differences
250: Water Hammer
Subtitle: It's free real estate. John has a new project and Merlin has a new Thought Technology. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by…
- Reconcilable Differences
249: Tally Ho
Rebuilding "Tally Ho." This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using…
- Reconcilable Differences
248: Safflower Wednesday
Subtitle: Your egg salad costs too much. Election results. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first…
- Reconcilable Differences
247: Milk, Milk, Milk
Subtitle: No tea towels on the hob. Main topic this week is "ceilings and floors." This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save…
- Reconcilable Differences
246: Helicopter Don
John has a new angle on smart home monitoring, and Merlin shares some new thoughts about "The Godfather" (1972). This episode of Reconcilable Differences is…
- Reconcilable Differences
245: The One That's Glistening
The uneven paces of technological and personal progress. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first…
- Reconcilable Differences
244: Hillbilly Pâté
Subtitle: Even Lou noticed it. John and Merlin argue about whether John's new avatar is extremely bad. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored…
- Reconcilable Differences
243: Sleep the Clock Round
Subtitle: Italy is not immune to stochastic anomalies. Your hosts relitigate this shameful cultural moment in which people keep blaming sweet precious angels…
- Reconcilable Differences
242: Chewing Gum Shoe Polish
Subtitle: There are no Tuddies in Ohio. Merlin demands an opportunity to defend his honor, and John encourages him to get more adult supervision. This episode…
- Reconcilable Differences
241: Your Father’s Leg
John reports back on his Vacation Results. This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website…
- Reconcilable Differences
240: Transverse Sausage Mode
Subtitle: I'm a snuggler. Your hosts discuss the breathless magic of "Project Farm." This episode of Reconcilable Differences is sponsored by: Squarespace…