Things kick off with Merlin pressing John for some candid advice on a new affectation he's been considering. John is certain that using a Dremel is not actually part of Merlin's job, but Merlin's not so sure. Photos of Mr. Miyazaki are reviewed. In Follow-Up, John has some toe updates. Mere moments after swearing he's not going to make noises and recoil, Merlin makes several noises and recoils. Next up, John's favorite band announces a new project to release a bunch of cover versions of songs from their back catalog. This leads to a surprisingly wide-ranging discussion of a music industry that continues to evolve quickly and which now seems to necessitate an entirely new kind of creativity. This week's member episode is already one of Merlin's favorites, so it's being included here so everybody can check it out. The topic? ***What's a thing you had as a kid that you kind of wish your kids could've had?*** Is it ahistorical to wish your progeny had gotten to see an epic baseball lineup? What exactly might happen if you tried to recreate your own free-range childhood? Did having less information lead to a deeper understanding of context and the parameters of the world? And, which kinds of community and scarcity feel elusive or even just irreproducible today? If you'd enjoy hearing more from John and Merlin, we hope you'll consider [becoming a supporter](https://www.relay.fm/rd/join) of the program. And, hey. Thanks for sticking around through 200 of these things. (_Recorded on Tuesday, January 10, 2023_)

Merlin is pretty proud of his dinner, but John has questions about the dressing situation. Merlin may not understand how skiing works. In Follow-Up, John shares more voices from the past, and your hosts confront an escalating international rift about the existence of a facial expression. Finally, it's time for Holiday Results, which somehow includes strong opinions on labeling leftovers, preparing strawberries, and sweating _le mot juste_. Also, ponies are considered.

Things kick off with a consideration of mouth noises and beloved bits. This leads to a look at entertainment that functions as comfort food. Wanna know what you're playing for? Lot of great listener Follow-Up this week, including more on British facial expressions, hassles for the proper Lex, and some prior art around "sharrow." The main topic relates to John's family archive project producing some remarkable voices from the past. For this month's members-only bonus show, the topic is _Andor_. You can [sign up today](https://www.relay.fm/rd/join) to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program. (_Recorded on Tuesday, December 13, 2022_)

Merlin shares a new insight about the pre-flight, but, as usual John disagrees. Then, there's some discussion of playlists and that time John got Merlin into Chvrches. There appears to be some continental disagreement about a ubiquitous facial expression, and John directs Merlin on some more of the things he supposedly pronounces weirdly. Your hosts might could want to explore the things it took them too long to realize, and Merlin graciously reads John one of his dreams. Follow-Up turns to the continuing mishegas over on The Bird Site. Yikes. And this was even before they added the bedrooms and gave a copy of the keys to a right-wing nutty bar. Woof. Eventually, this leads to a slight turn into how different people are exploring Mastodon. Do you treat it strictly as a Twitter replacement, or is it maybe a fresh opportunity to learn how a social media site *wants* to be used? Merlin misses a lot about LiveJournal, and John is just happy to be someplace that isn't owned and controlled by The Birthday Boy. John's goodnatured insistence that Merlin's household acquire a dog is starting to have an impact, and John leads us on a close exegesis of an unpersuasive Billy Joel photo. Finally, talk turns to Christopher Nolan in general and the movie *Tenet* in particular. How can you know when you're not *supposed* to understand what's happening in a film? Also, can an SUV really go that fast in reverse, or is that just because it's driving on the backwards side of the time partition? Who knows. Also, good robots are considered, and Merlin extolls the virtues of the Mr. Noodle family.

Things kick off with a quick look at the recent TicketMaster dustup. Merlin shares what a "news peg" is, and John has simple ideas for avoiding unnecessary logjams on the web. As a main topic. upon Merlin's request, John generously provides a tour of his app, [**SwitchGlass**](https://switchglass.app/). We learn what itch John was scratching and how SwitchGlass differs from various other rows of icons on your Mac. In the members-only bonus show, the guys talk about, you know. Twitter. You can [sign up today](https://www.relay.fm/rd/join) to hear all the member episodes, get more bonus stuff, and, yes, support our program. (_Recorded on Tuesday, November 15, 2022_)