Roderick on the Line: Ep. 141: "Al's Yacht"

February 3, 2015 9:44 AM

The Problem: Everything’s gonna be fine.

This installment of Roderick OTL gets somewhat introspective, with John reflecting more on community, belonging, and where he fits in. The conversation lasts about 90 minutes.

"How's it going?" "Good, good..."; a normal time of day, John's Power-Time; Merlin is trying to sleep more; John likes burrowing back into bed; Sleep Hacks; Second sleep; Disco Naps;

The Paleo-lifestyle; bullshit theories; heritage chickens; do things that make you feel good, no theory needed; John doesn't have a TV;

Social Media Grist; comments on articles are the WORST; John is still looking for his "culture"; the road not traveled; the Party on Al's Yacht; parallel tracks through life;

Whispering to your kin; Re-Frame It! With Merlin Mann; Thoughts from the Live Show; the 3x5 cards and the hubris border;

More from Africa; Everything goes in the basket; humane killings; "Slurry"; More on Sketchfest; cabs vs uber; Dan Benjamin; Content Providers; Napster for the News; Merlin is the Whitest Person on the Planet!

posted by jazon (3 comments total)

The story of the 3x5 cards was kind of heart-breaking. I mean, it sounded like a funny bit and I see why they set John off, but it felt unresolved that he didn't get to fully apologize for it. I'm sure talking about it on the show conveys how weird he felt after with the person that made the cards, but it still felt a bit unresolved.

The story of Roderick almost becoming a stock analyist/broker is amazing. The world would be a very different place if that boat ride went differently.
posted by mathowie at 8:15 AM on February 5, 2015

I've found the efforts Roderick is putting into working through where he "belongs" has been insightful. In this age of person-as-a-brand finding a niche and an audience seems like an insurmountable task. Jonathan Coulton and John Hodgman are examples of performers that have made the pivot in to self-sustaining brand. I'm sure it's frustrating to Roderick, as part of his charm is that he doesn't pigeon-hole nicely. He would be very successful in any number of gigs, but his bouncing from thing to thing and experience and experience is what makes him truly unique.
posted by jazon at 7:49 AM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

I like that this episode came full circle and ended on a high note of billionaire sky fuckers.
posted by srboisvert at 7:17 AM on February 12, 2015