Comments on: 42: Elvis Costello is adenoidal

42: Elvis Costello is adenoidal

mathowie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:08:50 -0800

Episode 42 was recorded on June 16 and runs about an hour long. We cover the past thirty days or so of all sections of MetaFilter

Jobs mentioned: Google Wave Developer Projects: Super URL shorteners (also ended up on MeFi) Flash game version of Starcom (again, also on MeFi) Can I marry gay? (wow, posted to MeFi as well) Markov generator for Twitter Old Postcards MeFi Music: Current challenge: Hallelujah covers Skallelujah which prompted skinny jeans talk which prompted obesity lookups (1, 2) Ask MeFi questions: Strange Cookie Recipes Help me find easy tactical RPGs Seeking long-term art project for my newborn son What is the song they always use...? (examples: busy office gets the typewriter song, Civil War movie writing home a letter background music) How to deal with being mediocre and How to get creative again Turning 30 and not married yet MetaFilter links: Elvis Costello mentions from the NYTimes (plus shibboleths mention) Awesome hug story from ColdChef Three Frames My Milk Toof Childhood cereal boxes nostalgia gallery Why can't I find Coke Zero and where to find no caffeine drinks Cloud appreciation society (phronist's dad won their cloud of the month) Night sky above Texas (time-lapse) All about the Milky Way Some comics about mental illness (related: Ask MeFi post about crazy-seeming websites with melissa may's comment) Toto: Africa sung by a choir (related: Heat of the moment dot asia) MeFi Music Collaboration #2

By: starzero

starzero — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:44:02 -0800

let me be the first one to say: yay, new podcast.

By: davejay

davejay — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:04:45 -0800

MetaFilter: You wound me!

By: Phire

Phire — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:24:03 -0800

I shall be the second to say: yay, new podcast.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:42:46 -0800

I'm wondering how many MeFi user's real names we used in this podcast. I count cortex, secretariat, ColdChef and I guess hodgman if you count him.

By: davejay

davejay — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:54:04 -0800

Man, I totally missed that opportunity, Phire. Way to go for it.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:01:16 -0800

Did No Doubt have anything to do with the downfall of ska?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:04:24 -0800

Let me be the first to say thank you for pointing me to the 'adenoidal Costello' comment from Combustible Edison Lighthouse, which I had missed. Kudos, CEL, for a spot-on piece of research that so damningly illustrates the fact that music *journalism* (even as practiced by the august, hallowed and noble New York frikkin' Times) is all-too-depressingly-often often just lazy hackery, fit for wrapping tomorrow's fish.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:05:58 -0800

(running commentary) holistic horse massage is totally the shallow end of equestrian crazy, Jessamyn. I've known a person or two who has dealt with a psychic horse therapist.

By: cortex

cortex — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:09:58 -0800

Did No Doubt have anything to do with the downfall of ska?

They probably didn't help any, boo_radley.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:18:46 -0800

Oh, and regarding the adenoidal-obsessed NYT, it's worth noting that the majority of those quotes are from Times old-timer Stephen Holden. But isn't it reassuring (yeah, right) to see that the Noble Traditions of the Gray Lady have been upheld in recent years by insightful thinkers like Neil Strauss (whose "adenoidal" descriptor showed up in three of the examples). Neil is better known now for his appearances on the talk-show circuit, hawking his bestseller book on how to pick up chicks. Way to go, Neil! Adenoids, baby! Roooowwwrrrr!

By: mattdidthat

mattdidthat — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:22:50 -0800

posted by boo_radley Did No Doubt have anything to do with the downfall of ska?

No, because No Doubt is not ska.

By: ODiV

ODiV — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:11:53 -0800

Heh. "The Facebook".

Why don't you go watch some moving pictures on the Youtube?

By: Karlos the Jackal

Karlos the Jackal — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 19:48:05 -0800

Thanks for including the Exquisite Corpse in the podcast! (And thanks for sidebarring it, as well.)

By: grobstein

grobstein — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:22:12 -0800

Heh. "The Facebook".

Facebook used to be known as "The Facebook" to avoid address collisions, because http://facebook.fas.harvard.edu points to the Harvard College facebook. The slightly altered name meant you could type "thefacebook" into your address bar and get the site, which was probably valuable for branding.

By: Miko

Miko — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:03:48 -0800

The music clips from "What's that song they always use" totally make this podcast. Can you guys just intersperse those clips into every podcast from now on? 'Cause it really adds a lot.

I didn't say it in the thread, but the reason "Ashokan Farewell' conjures the Civil War is that Ken Burns took that song, a contemporary composition, and put it in his Civil War documentary. People kinda went nuts for it and Jay Ungar and Molly Mason will probably be enjoying the results for the remainder of their lives. But it was used on every show, and also in every constantly-repeated PBS promo for the show, and now, forever, "Ashokan Farewell" and the American Civil War will be permanently linked in the public mind.

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:32:03 -0800

Facebook used to be known as "The Facebook" to avoid address collisions

I meant to do that!

oldskool!

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:42:29 -0800

Did No Doubt have anything to do with ~~the downfall of~~ ska?

FTFY.

By: wendell

wendell — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 21:49:46 -0800

Podcast #42 is the Ultimate Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.

Wait. Where's my towel?

By: Jofus

Jofus — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 02:02:11 -0800

I like to post "SQUEEEEEEEEEEEE" in podcast threads.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:10:12 -0800

I like how, despite the fact that I live on Metafilter, the podcasts always point me to stuff I missed.

By: Devils Rancher

Devils Rancher — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:45:03 -0800

Can we ratchet down the output? I'm still on July '08, and feel a little bit weird reading Metafilter all day, then listening to the podcast constantly during my drive time in a desperate, losing gambit to catch up, so I ration myself to once a week or so in order to not squick myself out.

The good part is I get to remember stuff I've totally forgotten for an entire year.

At least I'm now past the November election on the Common Sense podcast. That feels like real progress.

By: Erberus

Erberus — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:18:07 -0800

Did No Doubt have anything to do with the downfall of ska?

It's a shame that these days when anyone thinks of ska they think about third wave (e.g. Reel Big Fish) or stuff that isn't even ska. As opposed to first wave stuff (e.g. Justin Hinds) which is far far superior.

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:22:45 -0800

Hey, I'm anyone and juuuuuust old enough to have been into ska as a pre-teen.

So someone says "Ska!" and I think this or this

Upon watching that first video: I now know where my dancing style comes from!

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:33:50 -0800

So someone says "Ska!" and I think this or this

OK, you're a certain age, so you think of that and that. Fortunately, though, recording technology predates that and that, and if you are so inclined, you can look back to a time before your pre-teen years, and listen to the original stuff. Then when you hear someone say "Ska!" you can think of this. Yay!

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:35:48 -0800

I shall consider myself schooled Mr. Midnight.

marry me?

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:37:55 -0800

hmmm... what kind of dowry are we talkiing, Whelk?

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:40:04 -0800

all the dried cranberries you can stand

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 05:43:23 -0800

I'll get back to you...

By: sleevener

sleevener — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 07:44:43 -0800

More old Jamaican music is available for the ears to hear when you stream GENEROSO'S BOVINE SKA AND ROCKSTEADY RADIO SHOW

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:20:57 -0800

holistic horse massage is totally the shallow end of equestrian crazy

Holistic Horse Massage is totally the name of my next band.

By: boo_radley

boo_radley — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:54:48 -0800

Then I'm taking The shallow end of equestrian crazy. $1 for a shot of Scope.

By: goodnewsfortheinsane

goodnewsfortheinsane — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:23:48 -0800

No Doubt is ska-influenced, but I wouldn't call them a ska band. They had nothing to do with any perceived downfall of ska, mostly because there never was such a downfall.

By: goodnewsfortheinsane

goodnewsfortheinsane — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:25:20 -0800

What I'm trying to say is, about the future of ska I remain mostly upbeat.

By: Marisa Stole the Precious Thing

Marisa Stole the Precious Thing — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:36:47 -0800

Frat ska is dead; ska is forever.

By: greekphilosophy

greekphilosophy — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:05:55 -0800

Woo hoo! Two of my music suggestions from the megamusic thread made it into the podcast!

Also, Afroblanco, please consider me your first groupie.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:23:47 -0800

I dunno, greekphilosophy, Afroblanco might already have a groupie or two...

By: The Whelk

The Whelk — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:59:26 -0800

We can all be each other's groupie and take turns hurling whiskey bottles at each other.

By: flapjax at midnite

flapjax at midnite — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:25:22 -0800

Cool. Let's just hope that there's plenty of whiskey (and whisky, too) IN the bottles. And, instead of throwing them, we can just pass them around calmly.

And no adenoidal singing, or bringing copies of the New York Times to the party.

By: ColdChef

ColdChef — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:32:51 -0800

Bud Cort was also the voice of the computer in "Electric Dreams."

Sorry I flaked on the reading of my hug story. I blame my continuing blindness. Thanks for the shout-out anyway. And no one tell Merlin Mann that I'm gay for him. Please.

By: Pronoiac

Pronoiac — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:35:10 -0800

Oh! I just met someone who lived in Antarctica for years! What info should I pass along?

By: Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell

Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 00:38:33 -0800

What were you guys referring to at the very beginning - something you had previously sold, but now wanted to give away at meetups? I couldn't quite catch it.

By: Karlos the Jackal

Karlos the Jackal — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:30:35 -0800

And no adenoidal singing

Fine, I'm out.

By: joeclark

joeclark — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:53:51 -0800

Keeping in mind that the MP3 actually claims Elvis Costello is "adneoidal."

By: steef

steef — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:30:18 -0800

Bud Cort was also the voice of the computer in "Electric Dreams."

No freaking way. (Also, what the hell?)

By: cortex

cortex — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 08:49:30 -0800

What were you guys referring to at the very beginning - something you had previously sold, but now wanted to give away at meetups? I couldn't quite catch it.

A few years ago, before Music existed in its current form, I organized a Metafilter Compilation Album featuring tracks by a couple dozen folks here. We did pre-orders, came in looking solid for funding a thousand-CD printing, and I had them made up and mailed 'em out to folks. (Here's some condensed history of the project.)

All in all I think we sold between 250 and 300 of 'em, at least half of those pre-orders and most of the rest in the two or three months following the release. Sales are pretty much dead, now; I haven't had more than maybe two orders in the last year and change, and, like I said in the podcast, without any reason to expect them to start up in earnest and start selling by the hundreds again I'm tempted to just decommission the orders page. Doing one-off fulfillment every several months is kind of annoying and also not something my personal slacker-procrastination personality meshes all that well with.

So the remaining several hundred are sitting in my office closet at this point. We were talking about maybe sending boxes of these off to the larger meetups for folks to go ahead and take and then pass around the extras to friends or whatnot. Given that the proceeds for the project all went to charity (The Mockingbird Foundation, to whom I ended up writing a $1700 check a while back, and I should really should at some point find and scan the form-letterish-but-thankful note they wrote back), I feel more okay about giving away the excess than I would about trying to like move it at a discount or something like that.

And it really is a nice CD (really solid music plus a bunch of art by interrobang and others on a glossy full-color 10-page booklet) and I'm proud of what we managed to put together, but at this point Music has literally a hundred times more content and doesn't require any overhead to either contribute or listen to, so the meficomp is destined I think to be a one-off. At this point, the new Music Podcast I'm doing feels to me like a worthy and more modern successor to the compilation format anyway.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:00:01 -0800

but at this point Music has literally a hundred times more content and doesn't require any overhead to either contribute or listen to, so the meficomp is destined I think to be a one-off.

Awwww. But is says Volume 1, cortex. Volume 1! That means there has to be at least 1 more.

I still listen to the mcsweetie/Mister Grits song every once in a while. Dig that dude's voice. It's a shame they broke up.

By: mrzarquon

mrzarquon — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 11:11:14 -0800

I had a box of those CDs in the trunk of my car for weeks after I visited cortex. Seriously, be careful, he is so dedicated to giving them away, he will start putting them in bags when you aren't looking.

I think if you invest in some sharpie markers and discount stickers, you could stick a bunch in coffee shops, or at the front desk of a record store and see how long it takes for them to get moved at "~~$10~~ Free!" prices.

By: Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell

Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:54:22 -0800

Thanks for the explanation, cortex.

By: Phire

Phire — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:44:02 -0800

Yeah, I found it a bit hard to catch the bit about the MeFi comp as well, to the point where I rewound the podcast twice (and then checked on MeTa) to make sure I didn't miss the boat on ordering T-shirts.

When are those coming out, anyway?