Episode 120: Egg MacGuffin

TOPIC: What would you do differently if you had a "safety net?"

This week, Dan and Merlin congratulate their pal, Marco, on the acquisition of a company he helped co-found.

Which leads to the nominal topic: what kind of safety net would you need to feel secure, do the things you'd like, and mostly banish the more persistent cumulonimbus clouds of your own anxiety?

Many angles are explored. Why was Elvis unhappy? How is habitual Schadenfreude and automatic bile ensmallening our culture? Can we ever be—let alone feel—truly secure? And, how much of our old selves do we end up lugging along inside every suitcase we carry?

Pretty great episode. Especially if you like the ones where Merlin gets all mad. Those are usually good ones.

Links for this episode:

• [SPONSOR] Stock Photos, Royalty-Free Images and Vectors - Shutterstock
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• Comic Book Reading Order | Comics Back Issues
  When it comes to finding a comic book reading order online, the resources out there are either incomplete or “too” complete. Some sites will focus only on trade paperbacks, while others will split books up by page, sending a flashback from 2009 all the way back to 1972. Neither allows you to put your single issues in the order they were meant to be read. It’s with this goal that we set out to create our first reading order, and upon many requests have spread out to many other popular franchises.
• Adventure Time - “BMO’s Pregnant Song” (Adventure... | kung fu grippe
  Oh! Oh, BMO!How’d you get so pregnant?“Who’s the mother? Oh, who’s the father?”
• "That's where 'Tumbalog' comes in." | kung fu grippe
  On February 12, 2007, I pitched my pal, Nelson Minar, on an idea for a web service we could build that would make it easy for people to setup their own mini-site where they could post random bits of text, photos, etc.
• See You on Larry’s Island - The Talk Show - Mule Radio Syndicate
  Very special guest Merlin Mann joins John Gruber to discuss 43-year-old Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera, career-ending injuries for writers and podcasters, and whether Larry Page more resembles a Bond villain or Magneto. In other words, the usual.
• 5by5 | CMD+Space #43: Option+CMD+H, with Merlin Mann
  This time Myke is joined by Merlin Mann. They have a very 'Back to Work'-esque discussion covering Adventure Time and Comics books (naturally), but with a great discussion around what it's like to work in large companies, living with a routine and why achieving tenure might not be all what it's cracked up to be.
• The One-Person Product – Marco.org
  As for me, while I wasn’t a “founder” financially, David was generous with my employee stock options back in the day. I won’t make yacht-and-helicopter money from the acquisition, and I won’t be switching to dedicated day and night iPhones. But as long as I manage investments properly and don’t spend recklessly, Tumblr has given my family a strong safety net and given me the freedom to work on whatever I want. And that’s exactly what I plan to do.
• [UPDATED] " Back to Work Media Survival Guide
  An informal appendix of movies and TV shows that are compulsively quoted or referenced by Dan and Merlin. See? It all makes sense now!
• Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: Harry Tosses Perry's Gun - YouTube
  
• Adventure Time - “I’m Just Your Problem” -... | kung fu grippe
  That Olivia Olson has some serious pipes.She not only voices Marceline’s speaking voice, but sings many of her awesome songs.
• Amazon.com: ACT Restoring Mouthwash, Cool Splash Mint, 18-Ounce Bottle (Pack of 4): Health & Personal Care
  
• Facebook, One Year Later: What Really Happened in the Biggest IPO Flop Ever - Khadeeja Safdar - The Atlantic
  After Facebook's disastrous debut, the preferred clients of big banks walked away with huge profits. How? Public documents and interviews with dozens of investment bankers and research analysts reveal that the Street caught wind of something the public didn't. The social network and the banks told half the story. Here is the other half.
• Edited for television: Best and worst - Straight Dope Message Board
  What, in your opinion, have been the most memorable things censors have changed when movies are aired on the small screen? I always try to remember what swear words came where, to see what they'll do to them on television.
• Big Lebowski - Edited For TV... Badly - YouTube
  "You see what happens Larry? You see what happens when you find a stranger in the alps?!?!"
• The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety (Vintage): Alan W. Watts: 9780307741202: Amazon.com: Books
  "We spend too much time trying to anticipate and plan for the future; too much time lamenting the past. We often miss the pleasures of the moment in our anxious efforts to ensure the next moment is as enjoyable. Drawing from Eastern philosophy and religion, Watts argues that it is only by acknowledging what we do not and cannot know, that we can find something truly worth knowing. In order to lead a fulfilling life, one must embrace the present—live fully in the now."
• [VIDEO] Blake's monologue from "Glengarry Glen Ross"
  "Go and do likewise gents. Money's out there. You pick it up, it's yours. You don't, I got no sympathy for you. "
• The Godfather Saga - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  The Godfather Saga is a TV miniseries that combines The Godfather and The Godfather Part II into one film. It originally aired on NBC over four consecutive nights (one three-hour segment and three two-hour segments) in November 1977. The Godfather Saga is also known as The Godfather: The Complete Novel For Television, The Godfather: A Novel for Television, and The Godfather Novella. The television version was the basis for a shorter, 1981 video release known as The Godfather 1902–1959: The Complete Epic. Following the release of The Godfather Part III in 1990, a third unified version was released to video in 1992 entitled The Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980.
• "The Godfather: A Novel for Television" (1977)
  The first two Godfather films were re-edited together in chronological order with additional footage added.
• Neighborhood Watch - The Bold Italic - San Francisco
  "I have seen knife fights before. I have never seen one before breakfast."
• I Am Not Spock: Leonard Nimoy: 9781568496917: Amazon.com: Books
  
• I Am Spock: Leonard Nemoy: 9780786889105: Amazon.com: Books
  
• The X-Men #129 - God Spare The Child... (Issue)
  Note: This is the first appearance of the popular X-men Kitty Pryde, Carmen pryde, Terri Pryde, Donald Pierce, Harry Leland, and Emma Frost (who was a villain during her first appearances). And one of the greatest X-men-villains, Sebastian Shaw.
• Secret Wars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Kenner had licensed the DC Heroes. Mattel had He-Man, but wanted to hedge in case superheroes became the next big fad. They were interested in Marvel's characters, but only if we staged a publishing event that would get a lot of attention, and they could build a theme around. Fans, especially young fans often suggested to me "one big story with all the heroes and all the villains in it", so I proposed that. It flew. Mattel thought that kids responded well to the word "secret", so after a couple of working names bit the dust, we called the story "Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars".
• Nelson's Weblog
  
• Aspartame - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. In the European Union, it is codified as E951. Aspartame is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide. It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet; since 2009 it also has been sold under the brand name AminoSweet. It was first synthesized in 1965 and the patent expired in 1992.
• Paper | FiftyThree
  "Five essential tools optimized for the creative process to Sketch, Write, Draw, Outline and Color. Start with Draw and purchase additional tools from the in-app store."
• [VIDEO] Glengarry Glen Ross - "Oh, what a big MAN you are!"
  "Your pal closes, and all that comes out of your mouth is BILE. Ewwww! "
• [VIDEO] Scared Shitless | 43 Folders
  "You can be scared and still do it anyway. Regardless of whatever it is."
• Monster of rock: Allen Klein swindled The Stones and broke up The Beatles and is still rock 'n' roll's most ruthless Svengali | Mail Online
  "In Britain we only really became aware of Klein when the Rolling Stones' first manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, suddenly sold the group to him, without consulting them."
• Top 10 Music Managers Who Fucked Over Their Clients - Los Angeles - Music - West Coast Sound
  
• Billy Joel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  In August 1989, just before the album was released, Joel fired his manager (and former brother-in-law) Frank Weber after an audit revealed major discrepancies in Weber's accounting. Joel subsequently sued Weber for $90 million, claiming fraud and breach of fiduciary duty and in January 1990 he was awarded $2 million in a partial judgement against Weber; in April, the court dismissed a $30 million countersuit filed by Weber.
• Rob Corddry - Los Angeles Premiere of "Pain & Gain" held... | Rob Corddry Picture 3622432 | Contactmusic.com
  
• 'Pain & Gain' L.A. Premiere: Mark Wahlberg, Rebel Wilson Wow on the Red Carpet (PHOTOS)
  
• Quote Details: Henry David Thoreau: Beware of all enterprises... - The Quotations Page
  "Beware of all enterprises that require new clothes."
• Zero–sum game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  In game theory and economic theory, a zero–sum game is a mathematical representation of a situation in which a participant's gain (or loss) of utility is exactly balanced by the losses (or gains) of the utility of the other participant(s). If the total gains of the participants are added up, and the total losses are subtracted, they will sum to zero. Thus cutting a cake, where taking a larger piece reduces the amount of cake available for others, is a zero–sum game if all participants value each unit of cake equally (see marginal utility). In contrast, non-zero–sum describes a situation in which the interacting parties' aggregate gains and losses are either less than or more than zero. A zero–sum game is also called a strictly competitive game while non-zero–sum games can be either competitive or non-competitive. Zero–sum games are most often solved with the minimax theorem which is closely related to linear programming duality, or with Nash equilibrium.
• 5by5 | The Incomparable #141: Tony Stark Wants the Credit
  Put on your high-tech suit of armor and join us for our discussion of "Iron Man 3." We talk about Tony's post-traumatic stress, his problematic relationship with technology, and his questionable choice to use remote armor to give a present to his girlfriend. We also discuss the pros and cons of the first two Iron Man movies, analyze how this film fits in as a post-"Avengers" story, and appreciate Tony's MacGyver moment. Special guests Lisa Schmeiser & Scott McNulty.
• Fan service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Fan service, fanservice, or service cut, is a term originating from anime and manga fandom for material in a series which is intentionally added to please the audience. It is about "servicing" the fan - giving the fans "exactly what they want". Fan service usually refers to "gratuitous titillation", but can also refer to intertextual references to other series.
• Superchunk - "Seed Toss" (1991)
  "You're tossing your SEEDS around!"
• Starting from Scratch | This American Life
  Segment: "Making Money The Old Fashioned Way." Mary Beth Kirchner documents one day in the life of a hustler named Joe, who wakes up every morning broke, hustles as much as $10,000 during the day and then loses most of it by the time he goes to bed. What it's like to start from scratch every day of your life.
• The Specials - Nelson Mandela - YouTube
  

This week’s episode of Back to Work is kindly sponsored by Shutterstock (use discount code “DANSENTME5” for 30% off any package).