38: Zombie Bot Army March 2, 2009 11:30 AM Subscribe
First episode after the great server hackening, this podcast covers activity across MeFi for the month of February. It was recorded on the 25th of February and runs about an hour.
Helpful Links
Podcast Feed
Subscribe with iTunes
Direct mp3 download
MeFi Music mentioned
Saint V. Massacree by The White Hat
Mefi Rock On by BrnP84, from the February challenge
MeFi Jobs
Design the cover of a MeFi collaborative fiction project
Interactive Fiction-o-rama
MeFi Interactive Fiction Contest (MetaTalk thread with a MeFi demo, a MeFi thread about IF, Don't Shit Your Pants IF game thread.)
MeFi Projects
Things My Beard Can Lift (fake beard lifting, awesome socks)
Look at This Cat! (this cat)
j, a cd command that learns
MetaFilter posts
Döner mit alles!
Letter People (graphic of all Letter People)
The McNuggetini
A detailed history of miniature golf (which is in response to the Time Magazine 25 top blogs article -- MetaTalk post about the Time article that prompted this post, MetaTalk post about the Slate Ask MeFi article)
The President's Desk post
Hey, look at this cat! (penned by jessamyn)
User Friendly copy/paste comics snafu
Ask MeFi questions
What should I know before I shave my head?
What is it like to dream?
Slate guy commented in the thread after we started recording.
What is the best order of blog comments? (hint: not YouTube's model)
What are "taters"?
Easy conversation starters?
How can I be a good grandfather?
Best documentaries about assholes?
Helpful Links
Podcast Feed
Subscribe with iTunes
Direct mp3 download
MeFi Music mentioned
Saint V. Massacree by The White Hat
Mefi Rock On by BrnP84, from the February challenge
MeFi Jobs
Design the cover of a MeFi collaborative fiction project
Interactive Fiction-o-rama
MeFi Interactive Fiction Contest (MetaTalk thread with a MeFi demo, a MeFi thread about IF, Don't Shit Your Pants IF game thread.)
MeFi Projects
Things My Beard Can Lift (fake beard lifting, awesome socks)
Look at This Cat! (this cat)
j, a cd command that learns
MetaFilter posts
Döner mit alles!
Letter People (graphic of all Letter People)
The McNuggetini
A detailed history of miniature golf (which is in response to the Time Magazine 25 top blogs article -- MetaTalk post about the Time article that prompted this post, MetaTalk post about the Slate Ask MeFi article)
The President's Desk post
Hey, look at this cat! (penned by jessamyn)
User Friendly copy/paste comics snafu
Ask MeFi questions
What should I know before I shave my head?
What is it like to dream?
Slate guy commented in the thread after we started recording.
What is the best order of blog comments? (hint: not YouTube's model)
What are "taters"?
Easy conversation starters?
How can I be a good grandfather?
Best documentaries about assholes?
I apologize for the intermittent echo you might hear on some people talking -- there was some bleed-over from one of the recorded tracks that about halfway through I figured out and got really diligent about removing, but it shows up a bit in the first 20min.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:36 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:36 AM on March 2, 2009
I the only one disoriented by the way the content seems locked inside an opaque audio format?
We make a completely optional audio podcast with extensive notes and annotation as seen here, and we've been doing it for two years, and you're just now noticing it exists? And seeing how the mp3 format has been around for nearly 15 years, I'm not sure I'd call it opaque.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:38 AM on March 2, 2009
We make a completely optional audio podcast with extensive notes and annotation as seen here, and we've been doing it for two years, and you're just now noticing it exists? And seeing how the mp3 format has been around for nearly 15 years, I'm not sure I'd call it opaque.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:38 AM on March 2, 2009
No, I'm disoriented each time I see one. And I mean opaque in the "not accessible to my eyeballs" and "can't use in random access mode" senses, not in the "can I google the file structure" sense.
Ooh, pony request: I'd like to hear the section about taters but probably not the section about grandfathers (say). Split it up!
Pony shootdown: This would require more linearity than most conversations actually have.
posted by DU at 11:42 AM on March 2, 2009
Ooh, pony request: I'd like to hear the section about taters but probably not the section about grandfathers (say). Split it up!
Pony shootdown: This would require more linearity than most conversations actually have.
posted by DU at 11:42 AM on March 2, 2009
Pony shootdown: name one other podcast that offers 30 slices of each episode, ordered by topic.
It's way too much work for little gain. Try the seek slider thing the player above, DU.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:46 AM on March 2, 2009
It's way too much work for little gain. Try the seek slider thing the player above, DU.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:46 AM on March 2, 2009
There's probably some way for an adventurous person to go and create a post-hoc time index of the podcast, if they really wanted to do that.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:46 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:46 AM on March 2, 2009
And, sorry if I sound pissy DU, but I spent about 4 hours editing the podcast, then uploading and annotating this episode by listening to it all over again when it was complete, then we had a network outage out of our control right as I was posting this, so I had to rewrite the post announcing it, etc.
Bottom line: it's already a lot of work and I don't look forward to making it worse.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:50 AM on March 2, 2009
Bottom line: it's already a lot of work and I don't look forward to making it worse.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 11:50 AM on March 2, 2009
FWIW: I appreciate it, guys.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:53 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:53 AM on March 2, 2009
Sorry sorry sorry. I'm only posting because my eyes need filling while I listen.
posted by DU at 11:54 AM on March 2, 2009
posted by DU at 11:54 AM on March 2, 2009
Pony shootdown: name one other podcast that offers 30 slices of each episode, ordered by topic.
One quick question: Why "ordered by topic"? The podcast is linear. Chronological order might be more user-friendly in a don't-have-to-keep-count-of-the-songs-to-figure-out-which-one-this-is sense.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:58 AM on March 2, 2009
One quick question: Why "ordered by topic"? The podcast is linear. Chronological order might be more user-friendly in a don't-have-to-keep-count-of-the-songs-to-figure-out-which-one-this-is sense.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:58 AM on March 2, 2009
Pony request: Can you guys type up the podcast as a script, and then come over to my hosue and perform it for me live?
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:12 PM on March 2, 2009 [8 favorites]
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:12 PM on March 2, 2009 [8 favorites]
Yes, hosue. I wanted to make the request as hard to complete as possible.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:13 PM on March 2, 2009 [8 favorites]
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:13 PM on March 2, 2009 [8 favorites]
But it's an idea Josh Freese already had, snsranch.
posted by cgc373 at 12:18 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by cgc373 at 12:18 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
I was just lamenting the fact that there wasn't one for February, and then, like Christmas in March, this.
posted by boo_radley at 12:21 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by boo_radley at 12:21 PM on March 2, 2009
> I'm only posting because my eyes need filling while I listen.
Watch Fox News with the sound off and pretend mathowie is Bill O'Reilly, cortex is Sean Hannity, and jessamyn is Ann Coulter.
posted by ardgedee at 12:25 PM on March 2, 2009 [6 favorites]
Watch Fox News with the sound off and pretend mathowie is Bill O'Reilly, cortex is Sean Hannity, and jessamyn is Ann Coulter.
posted by ardgedee at 12:25 PM on March 2, 2009 [6 favorites]
Pony request: Can you make the "mathowie noise" available as a ringtone?
posted by boo_radley at 12:26 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by boo_radley at 12:26 PM on March 2, 2009
Yorvit was really excited about the shout out. And by "really excited" I mean he slept right through it.
posted by gingerbeer at 12:27 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by gingerbeer at 12:27 PM on March 2, 2009
I don't know, the idea of having them come all the way out, it could get expensive.
But there is absolutely no reason they couldn't do a video podcast, where everything is done with sockpuppets, and each admin is responsible for 5 to 10 different voices.
Also, whether the episode calls for it or not, I think there should be at least one green-screen jumping-from-the-explosion per podcast.
And a scene where everyone just stops and dances like it's a wild 1960's party, with Go Go sockpuppets.
Oh, and there should be a point where the Matt and Jess puppets act out scenes from famous movies. We should be able to write in what we want to see a couple of days in advance.
If you did all that, I guess it would be all right. Pretty ok, even.
posted by quin at 12:32 PM on March 2, 2009 [7 favorites]
But there is absolutely no reason they couldn't do a video podcast, where everything is done with sockpuppets, and each admin is responsible for 5 to 10 different voices.
Also, whether the episode calls for it or not, I think there should be at least one green-screen jumping-from-the-explosion per podcast.
And a scene where everyone just stops and dances like it's a wild 1960's party, with Go Go sockpuppets.
Oh, and there should be a point where the Matt and Jess puppets act out scenes from famous movies. We should be able to write in what we want to see a couple of days in advance.
If you did all that, I guess it would be all right. Pretty ok, even.
posted by quin at 12:32 PM on March 2, 2009 [7 favorites]
Also rtha does not pronounce her name 'Eartha,' but I do.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:40 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:40 PM on March 2, 2009
Ooh, that raises a question I've been wondering about forever: How do you deal with really weird usernames? Do you just best guess, or do you contact the person ahead of time and find out how the hell it's supposed to be said.
I mean, in some cases, the username is a visual pun that would be pretty much unpronounceable.
posted by quin at 12:45 PM on March 2, 2009
I mean, in some cases, the username is a visual pun that would be pretty much unpronounceable.
posted by quin at 12:45 PM on March 2, 2009
How does she pronounce it, jessamyn? I've always said it by the initials.
posted by Stewriffic at 12:51 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Stewriffic at 12:51 PM on March 2, 2009
A puppet show would be awesome.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:52 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:52 PM on March 2, 2009
Nah, with all that phat cash Mathowie's surely rolling in by now, they should fly people out on his personal plane to be on the podcast.
posted by jmd82 at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by jmd82 at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
It's cool. I pronounce jessamyn as if it were spelled "You took an awesome picture of our cat Yorvit and you were pretty awesome before that anyway!"
Also: rtha pronounced like Eartha makes me think of Eartha Kitt, and that is good.
posted by rtha at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
Also: rtha pronounced like Eartha makes me think of Eartha Kitt, and that is good.
posted by rtha at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
rtha! how do you pronounce your naaaaaaaaaaaaaame?
posted by Stewriffic at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Stewriffic at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
I say it the way you do, Stewriffic.
Bird nerds, amirite?
posted by rtha at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
Bird nerds, amirite?
posted by rtha at 12:55 PM on March 2, 2009
I say redtailedhawk very quickly in my head. Or arrthuh.
posted by exlotuseater at 12:59 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by exlotuseater at 12:59 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
OMG, I just got it. You're crazy, missy. I wonder which species code I should be?
posted by Stewriffic at 12:59 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Stewriffic at 12:59 PM on March 2, 2009
I've decided: CAWR.
posted by Stewriffic at 1:00 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Stewriffic at 1:00 PM on March 2, 2009
If we checked with people ahead of time about how they pronounce their usernames, it'd rob us of opportunities to quibble over pronunciation during the podcast itself and in the thread after, and that'd be no fun.
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:13 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by cortex (staff) at 1:13 PM on March 2, 2009
How about making it an enhanced podcast by using chapters, links, and images?
posted by blue_beetle at 1:20 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by blue_beetle at 1:20 PM on March 2, 2009
Do you cover the server SQL drama? I'd really like to hear about that.
posted by Science! at 1:26 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Science! at 1:26 PM on March 2, 2009
Can you guys do it as a puppet show? With fire and and guns and a pink elephant on meth?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:29 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 1:29 PM on March 2, 2009
MetaFilter reserves the right to substitute your monthly podcast with a dick-punch of equal or lesser value.
posted by anifinder at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by anifinder at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2009 [3 favorites]
Point of contention: cortex should be the Ann Coulter, and jessamyn the Hannity.
mathowie can be the pink elephant on meth.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2009
mathowie can be the pink elephant on meth.
posted by Sys Rq at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2009
enhanced podcasts would force us to use AAC instead of mp3, and so far I think we have a lot more mp3 support.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:46 PM on March 2, 2009
Pony request: Make the podcast mandatory. Put a captcha on the comment box with a trivia question that can only be answered by listening to the podcast.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:50 PM on March 2, 2009 [8 favorites]
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:50 PM on March 2, 2009 [8 favorites]
I started the "Say, what's this JavaScript fooferaw?" Great Server Hackening thread about three hours before the site flew into the mountain, but nobody remembers and the thread seems to have died in the Great Crash.
As a Relatively New Minor MetaFilter Contributor that is my only claim to fame here. And it has been lost.
posted by Shepherd at 1:54 PM on March 2, 2009
As a Relatively New Minor MetaFilter Contributor that is my only claim to fame here. And it has been lost.
posted by Shepherd at 1:54 PM on March 2, 2009
The whole Slate-article-leads-to-mod-request-thing made me laugh a lot.
MAI I MODERATE? PLZ THX K BYE.
posted by anotherpanacea at 1:56 PM on March 2, 2009
MAI I MODERATE? PLZ THX K BYE.
posted by anotherpanacea at 1:56 PM on March 2, 2009
Wow, cortex, I totally am d'accord to your differentiation between real dreams and just waking up having some tiny shreds of memories, or only a slight feeling left or something. And calling the latter "daydreaming while you are asleep" is fantastic! I am going to use that for sure.
Could all you admins please start dream diaries and publish them on MetaDream?
posted by Henrik at 1:56 PM on March 2, 2009
Could all you admins please start dream diaries and publish them on MetaDream?
posted by Henrik at 1:56 PM on March 2, 2009
I'm trying to figure out how you could do the Clockwork Orange thing, but with ears instead of eyes.
posted by dg at 2:00 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by dg at 2:00 PM on March 2, 2009
I started the "Say, what's this JavaScript fooferaw?" Great Server Hackening thread about three hours before the site flew into the mountain,
I remember that!
but nobody remembers
False!
and the thread seems to have died in the Great Crash.
True! But I think someone had a mirror of it somewhere. Lemme see if I can find it.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:03 PM on March 2, 2009
I remember that!
but nobody remembers
False!
and the thread seems to have died in the Great Crash.
True! But I think someone had a mirror of it somewhere. Lemme see if I can find it.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:03 PM on March 2, 2009
Here's the first real "Metatalk is back!" thread, and the immediately following Who Attacted thread.
And, bingo, from the first one: a (partial?) mirror of Lost Thread 17267, via Pronoiac.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:08 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
And, bingo, from the first one: a (partial?) mirror of Lost Thread 17267, via Pronoiac.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:08 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
A small suggestion: It would be super awesome if the podcast files were clearly titled like "MeFi-Podcast-38.mp3" rather than simply "38.mp3" . . . this would make it easier, upon finding this file at a later date to realize "Oh! It's that MeFi podcast I need to listen to!" as opposed to "What the hell is that file?"
posted by donovan at 2:10 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by donovan at 2:10 PM on March 2, 2009
Thanks for the plug guys. I really encourage everyone to participate. As I mentioned in the MeTa thread, everyone who submits a story gets a personally signed certificate from me, and the winner gets something special as-of-yet not determined.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:32 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Deathalicious at 2:32 PM on March 2, 2009
Yay! For one brief shining moment I had the unmitigated thrill ride of seeing comments posted to a thread I started at the rate of about one every ten seconds. MY SPIRITS SOARED WHILE YOUR SITE BURNED.
posted by Shepherd at 2:33 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Shepherd at 2:33 PM on March 2, 2009
donvan, am I missing something, or can't you just change the file name as you save it?
posted by peep at 2:33 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by peep at 2:33 PM on March 2, 2009
A small suggestion: It would be super awesome if the podcast files were clearly titled like "MeFi-Podcast-38.mp3" rather than simply "38.mp3"
Rename it when you save it to your hard drive. Why does Metafilter have to do everything for you?
posted by crossoverman at 2:39 PM on March 2, 2009
Rename it when you save it to your hard drive. Why does Metafilter have to do everything for you?
posted by crossoverman at 2:39 PM on March 2, 2009
Hey, the MeFi Collaborative Novel was discussed. Cool!
To elaborate on what cortex said about it in the podcast; Yes, the novel is a continuous work, not a collection of short stories. It runs at nine chapters, each written by a different author and is just over 90 pages long from memory (at work, don't have a copy of the draft with me). We also had three awesome editors from the MeFi community who kindly donated some of their time to edit our work. The authors are now looking over their edited chapters and, with any luck, should be sending me their revised chapters by tomorrow.
The plot is science-fictiony, so those of you hoping for a romance novel or a period peice set in bonny old England are out of luck. That said, I think it's a pretty great story and it's interesting to think that it blossomed out of the single line story idea of "extra-terrestrial life discovered."
We don't have a title yet (although robocop is bleeding, one of the authors, has suggested a title I like) or a front cover as of yet. We'd like to get a front cover done for this, but despite the MeFi Jobs ad, nobody has offered their services so far. Given that we want to get this out to all of you by Easter, it's looking unlikely that we'll get a cover done in time. But as cortex said, if you're able to help, hit me up. My e-mail is in the job ad.
Anyway, when it's all done, I hope that you all enjoy it. Speaking for myself, I think that the novel is a pretty good read and if nothing else, should provide most of you with a great piece of collaborative fiction to read while you scoff down your Easter eggs.
posted by Effigy2000 at 2:44 PM on March 2, 2009
To elaborate on what cortex said about it in the podcast; Yes, the novel is a continuous work, not a collection of short stories. It runs at nine chapters, each written by a different author and is just over 90 pages long from memory (at work, don't have a copy of the draft with me). We also had three awesome editors from the MeFi community who kindly donated some of their time to edit our work. The authors are now looking over their edited chapters and, with any luck, should be sending me their revised chapters by tomorrow.
The plot is science-fictiony, so those of you hoping for a romance novel or a period peice set in bonny old England are out of luck. That said, I think it's a pretty great story and it's interesting to think that it blossomed out of the single line story idea of "extra-terrestrial life discovered."
We don't have a title yet (although robocop is bleeding, one of the authors, has suggested a title I like) or a front cover as of yet. We'd like to get a front cover done for this, but despite the MeFi Jobs ad, nobody has offered their services so far. Given that we want to get this out to all of you by Easter, it's looking unlikely that we'll get a cover done in time. But as cortex said, if you're able to help, hit me up. My e-mail is in the job ad.
Anyway, when it's all done, I hope that you all enjoy it. Speaking for myself, I think that the novel is a pretty good read and if nothing else, should provide most of you with a great piece of collaborative fiction to read while you scoff down your Easter eggs.
posted by Effigy2000 at 2:44 PM on March 2, 2009
The comment that started the whole "Deskology" meme.
The first published article.
An annotated bibliography.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:54 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
The first published article.
An annotated bibliography.
posted by Deathalicious at 2:54 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
Why does Metafilter have to do everything for you?
It said it loved me!
*sob*
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:58 PM on March 2, 2009
It said it loved me!
*sob*
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:58 PM on March 2, 2009
i knew someone wouldn't like it if i marked all of the answers to my question as best, but i really did find them all useful. and Jessamyn's right, i was happy with them.
also, i probably have a lumpy head. guess i'll find out Saturday...
posted by gursky at 3:07 PM on March 2, 2009
also, i probably have a lumpy head. guess i'll find out Saturday...
posted by gursky at 3:07 PM on March 2, 2009
The authors are now looking over their edited chapters and, with any luck, should be sending me their revised chapters by tomorrow.
eeek. I guess I should be better at checking that account! Guess I know what I'm doing tonight!
posted by rtha at 3:26 PM on March 2, 2009
eeek. I guess I should be better at checking that account! Guess I know what I'm doing tonight!
posted by rtha at 3:26 PM on March 2, 2009
That "what's this Javascript OMFG APOCALYPSE *flails*" mirror is partial, yup, but I don't think it's missing much? I later saved the last version I loaded before leaving for work, & I think by the time I got to work EVERYTHING WAS GONE. *sobs* I've since saved a mod's number just in case.
And the clear thing for a fan to do here is to act out the vocals with sockpuppets or Terry Gilliam-like cutout animation in front of a screencast of the threads, & annotate them with links in Youtube (oh wait, the podcast is too long) or Viddler (I think?).
I think the concept is likely funnier than the the video would be. Also, I'm worried about becoming "surreal video guy."
posted by Pronoiac at 4:08 PM on March 2, 2009
And the clear thing for a fan to do here is to act out the vocals with sockpuppets or Terry Gilliam-like cutout animation in front of a screencast of the threads, & annotate them with links in Youtube (oh wait, the podcast is too long) or Viddler (I think?).
I think the concept is likely funnier than the the video would be. Also, I'm worried about becoming "surreal video guy."
posted by Pronoiac at 4:08 PM on March 2, 2009
If this is one of those "it's 'zed'" things, I'm staying home.
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:16 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by cortex (staff) at 5:16 PM on March 2, 2009
I never heard it called a doo-ner either, but I'm willing to let that one slide after finding the Languagelog entry where no one can agree what they're called or how it's pronounced.
posted by GuyZero at 5:25 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by GuyZero at 5:25 PM on March 2, 2009
If this is one of those "it's 'zed'" things, I'm staying home.
I am an editor and I immigrated to Canada three years ago THIS IS MY LIFE.
posted by kate blank at 5:31 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
I am an editor and I immigrated to Canada three years ago THIS IS MY LIFE.
posted by kate blank at 5:31 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
I'm staying home.
As opposed to what you usually do?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:35 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
As opposed to what you usually do?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:35 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
So, have you been to the Zed-Zed-Top show?
posted by qvantamon at 5:38 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by qvantamon at 5:38 PM on March 2, 2009 [1 favorite]
There's a bit on the latest 'Barenaked Ladies' album (the kids' one) where they they do a zee-zee / zed-zed -Top routine. It's amusing for Canadians.
There's a certain amount of cognitive dissonance among Canadians who grow up watching US Sesame Street and singing the ABC song rhyming zee with cee, while still reading the letter as zed. At any rate, zed-machine sounds better to my ears than zee-machine but that assumes you know what hell zed is.
posted by GuyZero at 5:44 PM on March 2, 2009
There's a certain amount of cognitive dissonance among Canadians who grow up watching US Sesame Street and singing the ABC song rhyming zee with cee, while still reading the letter as zed. At any rate, zed-machine sounds better to my ears than zee-machine but that assumes you know what hell zed is.
posted by GuyZero at 5:44 PM on March 2, 2009
I admit, I've never listened to a Metafilter podcast until now, but hearing Jessamyn go "pew pew" was so darned cute I might listen to another.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:51 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:51 PM on March 2, 2009
I guess you were not talking about this z-machine (big awesome picture)
posted by jouke at 6:00 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by jouke at 6:00 PM on March 2, 2009
You guys' take on Time's mini-golf joke is way off. The joke the Time author was trying to make is that what you *wouldn't* see is someone deciding *not* to make a post about the history of mini-golf because it would be too trivial for the site, not that you would never see a mini-golf post. Read their quote again, it ends with "but it seemed too trivial to post here".
posted by Rhomboid at 6:04 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Rhomboid at 6:04 PM on March 2, 2009
No, I got it, and most of the people seeing the post when it happened got it (though a few didn't).
I don't consider the existence of that post to be an attempt to defy a misinterpretation of Time's joke; I consider it to be a see-your-joke-and-raise-you-a-manifestation sort of thing.
In other words: not "Fuck you, we can so post about mini-golf, don't tell us what we can't do". That would be missing the point, yes.
Rather: "fuck you, you joke about us never not making mini-golf posts but we actually just made one, how do you like THEM giant novelty apples with three inlet tunnels that come out on a separate lowered green on the other side, and you really want to aim for the left tunnel because a solid shot there is pretty much a whole in one".
Also, I just like cursing at major publications.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:12 PM on March 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
I don't consider the existence of that post to be an attempt to defy a misinterpretation of Time's joke; I consider it to be a see-your-joke-and-raise-you-a-manifestation sort of thing.
In other words: not "Fuck you, we can so post about mini-golf, don't tell us what we can't do". That would be missing the point, yes.
Rather: "fuck you, you joke about us never not making mini-golf posts but we actually just made one, how do you like THEM giant novelty apples with three inlet tunnels that come out on a separate lowered green on the other side, and you really want to aim for the left tunnel because a solid shot there is pretty much a whole in one".
Also, I just like cursing at major publications.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:12 PM on March 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
The authors are now looking over their edited chapters and, with any luck, should be sending me their revised chapters by tomorrow.
I've just popped you an email and a MeMail, but to be complete - I have not received my chapter back with edits.
posted by never used baby shoes at 6:15 PM on March 2, 2009
I've just popped you an email and a MeMail, but to be complete - I have not received my chapter back with edits.
posted by never used baby shoes at 6:15 PM on March 2, 2009
But their joke was essentially saying "anything, including mini golf, can be made into an acceptable post for metafilter, so the only thing you won't see is someone with interesting knowledge on a topic deciding not to post it." So the refutation of that notion would have been for nobody to ever make a mini-golf FPP on the blue. That someone carried through with the post just validates that their their observation was in fact spot on, it doesn't in any way challenge it.
posted by Rhomboid at 6:32 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Rhomboid at 6:32 PM on March 2, 2009
It's not challenging the accuracy of their observation; it's challenging the implicit hypothetical nature of the example given. The post acts as a kind of letting-air-out-of-the-tires attack on the jokey example, not by proving it inapt but by concretizing what was presumed by the Time writer to be abstract.
Not a Gilligan Cut, but something similar if partially inverted.
The shape of the thing is something like if someone was trying to tell a story using fake names to obscure a referent's identity, and they said "this one girl, let's call her Alice", but then someone pointed out that the ostensibly-obscured person in question was, in fact, named Alice and was standing right there. Abstraction fail.
Except in this case it's not a passive failure of the abstraction but an active assault by the referent on the abstraction of the referrer.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:40 PM on March 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
Not a Gilligan Cut, but something similar if partially inverted.
The shape of the thing is something like if someone was trying to tell a story using fake names to obscure a referent's identity, and they said "this one girl, let's call her Alice", but then someone pointed out that the ostensibly-obscured person in question was, in fact, named Alice and was standing right there. Abstraction fail.
Except in this case it's not a passive failure of the abstraction but an active assault by the referent on the abstraction of the referrer.
posted by cortex (staff) at 6:40 PM on March 2, 2009 [2 favorites]
Also rtha does not pronounce her name 'Eartha,' but I do.
I do too, sorta. More urrrrtha, i guess. I tried arr-tee-aitch-ayy but it was just too annoying to say like that.
posted by desuetude at 8:11 PM on March 2, 2009
I do too, sorta. More urrrrtha, i guess. I tried arr-tee-aitch-ayy but it was just too annoying to say like that.
posted by desuetude at 8:11 PM on March 2, 2009
By the way, when you were talking about cornering someone at youtube who can speak for the design behind the biblical-flood-scale river of shit that is their comment system, it made me recall a very old Daily Show episode where they had Jerry Springer on as a guest. The host -- I can't remember if this was Kilborn or if Stewert had replaced him yet -- began the interview simply with, "So Jerry, why crap?" Springer kind of sighed and did a sort of facepalm for a bit, and a few moments later managed to come up with "because otherwise you'd get all backed up?"
posted by Rhomboid at 8:34 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by Rhomboid at 8:34 PM on March 2, 2009
Aww... that was a great plug for ThingsMyBeardCanLift.com y'all! Here's a special pic just for you!
By the way, for anyone who really can't afford to make a donation in these troubled times, Jessamyn mentioned our newest project: all you have to do is grab some scissors and floss to lift the human spirit yourself! If you upload a pic of yourself lifting something with the downloadable beard, I'll make a donation on your behalf in honor of your achievement! Hooray!
posted by eamondaly at 9:17 PM on March 2, 2009
By the way, for anyone who really can't afford to make a donation in these troubled times, Jessamyn mentioned our newest project: all you have to do is grab some scissors and floss to lift the human spirit yourself! If you upload a pic of yourself lifting something with the downloadable beard, I'll make a donation on your behalf in honor of your achievement! Hooray!
posted by eamondaly at 9:17 PM on March 2, 2009
This podcast (the first one I've heard) was my first realization that not all the mods are aware of every post and every drama and every meme that goes on on MeFi. Makes sense, but I think I had this illusion of all-seeing mods.
My experience with dreams matches Cortex's; my dream memory seems to have declined significantly since high school. Same thing: maybe once a month I recall any sort of dream activity upon awakening.
I don't know if this is a common age-related finding.
posted by dgaicun at 10:39 PM on March 2, 2009
My experience with dreams matches Cortex's; my dream memory seems to have declined significantly since high school. Same thing: maybe once a month I recall any sort of dream activity upon awakening.
I don't know if this is a common age-related finding.
posted by dgaicun at 10:39 PM on March 2, 2009
So, the other day I was in that transient post-dream, pre-awake state when I was struck by a joke.
I was thinking about seals and I was thinking about chemistry. Here goes:
What do you call a seal that's missing an electron?
A Seal Ion
I'm sorry
posted by schyler523 at 10:44 PM on March 2, 2009 [4 favorites]
I was thinking about seals and I was thinking about chemistry. Here goes:
What do you call a seal that's missing an electron?
A Seal Ion
I'm sorry
posted by schyler523 at 10:44 PM on March 2, 2009 [4 favorites]
The podcast was like that.
posted by schyler523 at 10:45 PM on March 2, 2009
posted by schyler523 at 10:45 PM on March 2, 2009
I do too, sorta. More urrrrtha, i guess.
I've been pronouncing it Arthur (in my head) ever since she first arrived here.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:32 PM on March 2, 2009
I've been pronouncing it Arthur (in my head) ever since she first arrived here.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 11:32 PM on March 2, 2009
never used baby shoes: "I've just popped you an email and a MeMail, but to be complete - I have not received my chapter back with edits."
Hopefully you should have it now. Let me know if not.
posted by Effigy2000 at 12:19 AM on March 3, 2009
Hopefully you should have it now. Let me know if not.
posted by Effigy2000 at 12:19 AM on March 3, 2009
This podcast (the first one I've heard) was my first realization that not all the mods are aware of every post and every drama and every meme that goes on on MeFi.
Mods, not Gods.
posted by gman at 4:13 AM on March 3, 2009
Mods, not Gods.
posted by gman at 4:13 AM on March 3, 2009
I completely understand the reason why '3 answers to post a question!' would be a bad, bad thing. I like to try to keep my answer:question ration at 10:1, but it's not hard-and-fast, because recently there's been a lot of questions I don't feel equipped to answer (like noted in the podcast, it's aggravated by the self-help theme). So the ratio rule is a good measure for being useful--unless keeping the ratio means posting noise, why I'm not willing to do.
posted by flibbertigibbet at 4:46 AM on March 3, 2009
posted by flibbertigibbet at 4:46 AM on March 3, 2009
For a second there when you were talking about the "she favorited every answer in the thread" and made fun of her, I thought you were already talking about my "What is it like to dream?" question and I was screaming at my laptop here in the office "I'M A DUDE GODDAMMIT AND I DIDN'T FAVORITE EVERY ANSWER." Ahem.
Also, since you asked, mathowie, I do have a high-pressure job but I don't consider myself broken.
Except maybe when I get in a yelling fight with a podcast at work.
posted by allkindsoftime at 6:02 AM on March 3, 2009
Also, since you asked, mathowie, I do have a high-pressure job but I don't consider myself broken.
Except maybe when I get in a yelling fight with a podcast at work.
posted by allkindsoftime at 6:02 AM on March 3, 2009
While I don't know everything about the MeFi drama here, I do seem to have a pretty good idea of who is a dude and who is not a dude.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:06 AM on March 3, 2009
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:06 AM on March 3, 2009
I'm forever in your dept, cortex. I'd never seen tvtropes.org before, and now I'm probably going to get fired because I won't be able to work until I've devoured the entire site.
That said, I'll be coming to you for a bailout package because I don't have a job, putting me much, much more in your debt.
posted by SpiffyRob at 7:14 AM on March 3, 2009
That said, I'll be coming to you for a bailout package because I don't have a job, putting me much, much more in your debt.
posted by SpiffyRob at 7:14 AM on March 3, 2009
Also, whether the episode calls for it or not, I think there should be at least one green-screen jumping-from-the-explosion per podcast.
And a scene where everyone just stops and dances like it's a wild 1960's party, with Go Go sockpuppets.
Oh, and there should be a point where the Matt and Jess puppets act out scenes from famous movies. We should be able to write in what we want to see a couple of days in advance.
You're looking for "The Totally Rad Show" quin. Minus the sock puppets, and Metafilter.
posted by P.o.B. at 7:26 AM on March 3, 2009
And a scene where everyone just stops and dances like it's a wild 1960's party, with Go Go sockpuppets.
Oh, and there should be a point where the Matt and Jess puppets act out scenes from famous movies. We should be able to write in what we want to see a couple of days in advance.
You're looking for "The Totally Rad Show" quin. Minus the sock puppets, and Metafilter.
posted by P.o.B. at 7:26 AM on March 3, 2009
I'm forever in your dept, cortex.
Best typo ever. And yeah, TVTropes is a powerful productivity vacuum. I don't know how many hours I've spent there, wandering from page to page.
Though I do wish I could press a magical "please stop telling me about anime examples, I do not care at all" button.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:41 AM on March 3, 2009 [6 favorites]
Best typo ever. And yeah, TVTropes is a powerful productivity vacuum. I don't know how many hours I've spent there, wandering from page to page.
Though I do wish I could press a magical "please stop telling me about anime examples, I do not care at all" button.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:41 AM on March 3, 2009 [6 favorites]
LOL BUTTS!
I laughed hard at this and the other meta stuff about youtube "everything is gay and everything sucks" comments.
posted by P.o.B. at 7:45 AM on March 3, 2009
I laughed hard at this and the other meta stuff about youtube "everything is gay and everything sucks" comments.
posted by P.o.B. at 7:45 AM on March 3, 2009
You're looking for "The Totally Rad Show" quin. Minus the sock puppets, and Metafilter.
To me it sounds more like Sifl & Olly.
posted by burnmp3s at 8:15 AM on March 3, 2009
To me it sounds more like Sifl & Olly.
posted by burnmp3s at 8:15 AM on March 3, 2009
I'm forever in your dept, cortex.
Best typo ever.
Either that or you just accidentally acquiesced to taking me on as a subordinate.
Accidental Acquiesence is an awesome band name. Perhaps for a band that tours BDSM coventions?
posted by SpiffyRob at 8:22 AM on March 3, 2009
Best typo ever.
Either that or you just accidentally acquiesced to taking me on as a subordinate.
Accidental Acquiesence is an awesome band name. Perhaps for a band that tours BDSM coventions?
posted by SpiffyRob at 8:22 AM on March 3, 2009
Though I do wish I could press a magical "please stop telling me about anime examples, I do not care at all" button.
They group the examples now, so you can just scroll right past it.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:51 AM on March 3, 2009
They group the examples now, so you can just scroll right past it.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:51 AM on March 3, 2009
They group the examples now, so you can just scroll right past it.
Sure, but you still get over half the page filled with "examples" of how, say, six different episodes of Avatar the Last Airbender managed to partially avert the "Rousseau was Right" motif trope, when the whole point is obviously just for the anime-fan community there to mention the names of their favorites over and over whether it has anything to do with a topic or not.
Still, I love that site.
Anyways, I made the Mini-Golf thread, and understood was Time was saying, and yeah, cortex has it mostly right about the form of humor I was going for. I'm not sure there was even a real "fuck you" in it, but if there was, it was somrhing like, "Time Magazine joked that we're the type of people who would make an FPP about Mini Golf, well FUCK YOU, Time, damn straight we are! Fucking fuckers!"
(profanity added for cortex's benefit.)
posted by Navelgazer at 1:56 PM on March 3, 2009
Sure, but you still get over half the page filled with "examples" of how, say, six different episodes of Avatar the Last Airbender managed to partially avert the "Rousseau was Right" motif trope, when the whole point is obviously just for the anime-fan community there to mention the names of their favorites over and over whether it has anything to do with a topic or not.
Still, I love that site.
Anyways, I made the Mini-Golf thread, and understood was Time was saying, and yeah, cortex has it mostly right about the form of humor I was going for. I'm not sure there was even a real "fuck you" in it, but if there was, it was somrhing like, "Time Magazine joked that we're the type of people who would make an FPP about Mini Golf, well FUCK YOU, Time, damn straight we are! Fucking fuckers!"
(profanity added for cortex's benefit.)
posted by Navelgazer at 1:56 PM on March 3, 2009
I never heard it called a doo-ner either
Me either—I couldn't figure out what they were talking about for a while. Ö, ö, ö! Is zat zo hard??
Also, I too say Eartha. I'm glad to see I'm not alone.
posted by languagehat at 2:13 PM on March 3, 2009
Me either—I couldn't figure out what they were talking about for a while. Ö, ö, ö! Is zat zo hard??
Also, I too say Eartha. I'm glad to see I'm not alone.
posted by languagehat at 2:13 PM on March 3, 2009
I've said it as ritha, somehow adding an i, even though I'm a birder and should have figured out the red-tailed hawk reference. Duh!
posted by readery at 5:07 PM on March 3, 2009
posted by readery at 5:07 PM on March 3, 2009
BRAIN DOANER!
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:06 PM on March 3, 2009
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:06 PM on March 3, 2009
I just want all them to know
them=mathowie
I love the podcast.
Been listening for the last 7
... this is in direct conjunction of me gasping
the moment I realized there was a MeFi podcast.
[/ass kiss]
posted by will wait 4 tanjents at 3:06 AM on March 4, 2009
them=mathowie
I love the podcast.
Been listening for the last 7
... this is in direct conjunction of me gasping
the moment I realized there was a MeFi podcast.
[/ass kiss]
posted by will wait 4 tanjents at 3:06 AM on March 4, 2009
Huh. I'd been pronouncing it 'Arthur'.
posted by the latin mouse at 1:39 PM on March 4, 2009
posted by the latin mouse at 1:39 PM on March 4, 2009
I have been singing ♪ zombie bot aaaaarrmy ♪ to the tune of Bob Marley's Buffalo Soldier all week.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:36 AM on March 5, 2009
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:36 AM on March 5, 2009
Zombie bot army
Crowdsourced mischief
There was a zombie bot army
In the heart of the internet
Slacking at dayjobs
Turning into flashmobs
Fighting on the forums
Fighting with the morans
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:46 AM on March 5, 2009 [6 favorites]
Crowdsourced mischief
There was a zombie bot army
In the heart of the internet
Slacking at dayjobs
Turning into flashmobs
Fighting on the forums
Fighting with the morans
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:46 AM on March 5, 2009 [6 favorites]
This is the first podcast I've listened to with cortex. I enjoy the frequency with which he proclaims things to be bullshit.
posted by danb at 6:35 PM on March 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by danb at 6:35 PM on March 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
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posted by DU at 11:34 AM on March 2, 2009