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DISCUSSED: Doing pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good; Dan discovers a shark is menacingly circling one of his product names; there's a reason Merlin is not in the corner office; your hosts fondly recall the Avon products of their youth; Dan shares a terrific anecdote about George Harrison and Phil Collins; please don't use my things for things those things aren't things to be used for; Mission: Impossible movies are very good; if you want to really appreciate something, it helps to make yourself be an amateur again; a recommendation for a very smart Mac location managing app; Merlin presents a lengthy and disordered jeremiad on HomeKit, HomeKit apps, and the new iOS playground; which is mostly all just to say: why are email apps still so terrible?

Links for this episode:

• Phil Collins recalls the time George Harrison played the biggest prank on him - Smooth
  Despite two hours of Collins' enthusiastic conga contributions, it was all seemingly a wasted effort when Phil Spector asked the congas to be played – and everyone realised Collins' microphone had been turned off for the entire two hours he'd just been playing.
  
• Phil Collins Was An Extra In The Beatles “A Hard Day’s Night” Movie | FeelNumb.com
  The “fans” that were there that night were each paid a standard union fee for their appearance and among them was Phil Collins, then a 13-year-old child actor who years later found fame with the band Genesis and as a solo artist.
  
• dustinrue/ControlPlane: ControlPlane - context-sensitive computing for OS X
  ontrolPlane - context-sensitive computing for OS X
  
• Homebridge
  Bringing HomeKit support where there is none
  
• HomeDash | The Ultimate HomeKit App
  The HomeKit App for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
  
• Home+
  With Home you can control more than just your HomeKit accessories.
  
• Mark Cuban is co-founding a podcast app where hosts can talk to fans live and monetize their conversations - The Verge
  
• Burj Khalifa | Mission Impossible | Fandom
  
• Bare Bones Software | Super Get Info Support Home
  
• Fincher and VFX - YouTube
  Merlin curates a short list of videos highlighting David Fincher's subtle but powerful use of VFX for ordinary-looking (or even invisible) effects in his films.
  
• ArtStation - Ted Lasso Stadium, Barnstorm VFX
  
• "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Porno Gil (TV Episode 2000) - Reference View - IMDb
  A bizarre chain of events starts with Larry accidentally being invited to have dinner with a former porno star, Gil, (Bob Odenkirk).
  
• Simplify Gmail v2: The inbox and keyboard shortcuts - On Simplify
  "3. Rewarding you for reaching inbox zero"
  
• Ding Dong Avon Calling - YouTube
  

DISCUSSED: As The Lone Star state struggles with a surfeit of anomalous weather events, your hosts dig into the challenges inherent to all sorts of complex, interconnected systems.

Links for this episode:

• Brandon Friedman on Twitter: "Water stored in the bathtub froze solid last night. That's how it's going in Dallas. https://t.co/cJdUMDT6pN" / Twitter
  (Show art swiped from this tweet by Brandon Friedman.)
  
• Coldest temperatures in decades continue; more wintry weather mid-week | kvue.com
  
• Causality
  Chain of Events. Cause and Effect. We analyse what went right and what went wrong as we discover that many outcomes can be predicted, planned for and even prevented.
  
• Cautionary Tales – Pushkin
  We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these cautionary tales are for the education of the grown-ups — and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “Messy” and “The Undercover Economist”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They’ll delight you and scare you, but also make you wiser.
  
• Causality — Overcast
  Chain of Events. Cause and Effect. We analyse what went right and what went wrong as we discover that many outcomes can be predicted, planned for and even prevented.
  
• Cautionary Tales — Overcast
  We tell our children unsettling fairy tales to teach them valuable life lessons, but these Cautionary Tales are for the education of the grown ups – and they are all true. Tim Harford (Financial Times, BBC, author of “The Data Detective” and “The Undercover Economist”) brings you stories of awful human error, tragic catastrophes, daring heists and hilarious fiascos. They’ll delight you, scare you, but also make you wiser. iHeartMedia is the exclusive podcast partner of Pushkin Industries.
• Bernard Purdie - Wikipedia
  
• “Babylon Sisters” by Steely Dan — Strong Songs — Overcast
  
• Foo Fighters - Monkey Wrench - Kiss Guy - Austin, TX. 4-18-18 (Yayo Sanchez) Multi-Cameras - YouTube
  
• Led Zeppelin - "Fool In The Rain" - Isolated drum tracks - YouTube
  
• I’ll Do The Procrastination Episode Tomorrow
  In an episode that could not be put off any longer, Merlin Mann joins John to unpick the habit of procrastination, how to identify when you’re doing it, why you’re doing it and how to stop yourself from doing it and get yourself back on track.
  
• Bernard "Pretty" Purdie: The Legendary Purdie Shuffle - YouTube
  The great Bernard Purdie breaks down exactly how The Purdie Shuffle works. Do not miss.
  
• Steely Dan - The Making of "Aja" - YouTube
  
• Cautionary Tales - La La Land: Galileo's Warning on Stitcher
  Galileo tried to teach us that adding more and more layers to a system intended to avert disaster often makes catastrophe all the more likely to happen. His basic lesson has been ignored in nuclear power plants, financial markets and at the Oscars... all resulting in chaos.
  
• La La Land: Galileo’s Warning — Cautionary Tales — Overcast
  Galileo tried to teach us that adding more and more layers to a system intended to avert disaster often makes catastrophe all the more likely to happen. His basic lesson has been ignored in nuclear power plants, ...

DISCUSSED: Merlin has a lot to say about fizzy water and the drugs of Florida; someone please help Dan get his old Twitter name; talking recent media and deciding when a kid is "ready" for it; some Marvel talk; Jack Kirby ruled; finally, hey, tell us what you'd like to hear on topics related to preparation and infrastructure.

Links for this episode:

• How to stop overthinking.
  "I’m newly married but I can’t stop thinking about an old flame."
  
• AmazonSmile | iSi Classic MeshSodamaker for Making Carbonating Beverages, 1 Quart, Stainless Steel: Seltzer Bottles & Chargers
  
• Siouxsie And The Banshees - Cities In Dust - YouTube
  

DISCUSSED: Dan continues to explore the exciting possibilities of his latest hardware acquisition.

Links for this episode:

• Wisdom From Merlin
  Or: “Everybody likes being given a glass of water.” It's only advice for you because it had to be advice for me.
  
• Paperlike, the iPad Screen Protector: write and draw like on paper
  

DISCUSSED: Dan has updates on Texas's recent weather events and the unanticipated cascading effects on complex and interconnected infrastructures; then, for dessert, your hosts explore the delights and insights of the "isolated tracks" rabbit hole.

Links for this episode:

• Van Halen - Dance The Night Away - Guitar Track - YouTube
  
• The Who- Won't Get Fooled Again - John Entwistle's isolated bass (live) HQ SOUND - YouTube
  
• The Beatles - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Isolated Bass) (Surround Sound) - YouTube
  
• Deconstructing And Your Bird Can Sing (Isolated Tracks) - YouTube
  
• Eddie Van Halen - Unchained - Isolated Guitar Track INCREDIBLE - YouTube
  
• Eddie Van Halen Talks Revolutionary Gear Mods and the Death of Rock in his First-Ever Interview from 1978 | GuitarPlayer
  
• Jas Obrecht – “Eddie Van Halen: The David Lee Roth Years” (2010) | The Beat Patrol
  “Pat Travers blew you off? I can’t fucking believe that! Why don’t you interview me? Nobody has ever wanted to interview me.” —Eddie Van Halen (1978)
  
• Texas energy supplier under fire for five out-of-state board members
  Texas controls its own electrical grid, but at least five of the fifteen people serving on the operator’s board of directors do not appear to live in the state, a fact that has angered some state officials as Texas navigates widespread blackouts that have left millions without power.
  
• Austin Today - YouTube
  
• Dan Benjamin is creating Videos | Patreon
  
• Charles looks forward to 2066
  "Just set a 2/23/2066 reminder for myself to nag our now-12-year-old that when I was HIS age (57), I was running playing soccer w/ him most days like a much younger rhino. So maybe get up out of that zero-g La-Z-Boy holo-chair orbiting Io & get your 102-year-old dad a space beer."
• Van Halen - Unchained - 6/12/1981 - Oakland Coliseum Stadium (Official) - YouTube
  
• Backfire effect - RationalWiki
  The effect is claimed to be that when, in the face of contradictory evidence, established beliefs do not change but actually get stronger.
  
• Ryan Deiss on Twitter: "@danbenjamin @maddow Here’s a redneck clip that will probably get me trouble with NBC. :) https://t.co/dHWxdK8YBE" / Twitter