57: Letterpress Waffles

Episode 57 of the podcast runs about an hour and fifteen minutes and covers the previous month (November plus first week of December) of MetaFilter. Lots of new features and holiday stuff mentioned.

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Podcast Feed
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Direct mp3 download

Letterpress Waffles
Episode 57

MeFi Jobs
help k8t unpack in DC

Special stuff
MeFi Holiday Shopping Mall page (metatalk post about it, twins/triplets store)

Gift Ideas page on the wiki for holiday gift ideas

MeFi Projects
The full story of the song Tom Dooley

Dempsey press letter press

Bittermensch comics

Across Africa book

Lute Cat in card form

Ask MetaFilter questions

How do you walk across the country in your country?

Newbie tips for playing Arkham Horror?

What things are overpriced in retail and cheaply found online?

Why do commercials show products killing MOST but not ALL germs?

Blogs about unusual lives

What things are better when they are worse?

Science tricks for an 8 year old's party?

Milk + Food Coloring:


Ferrofluids:


Good books with libraries in them

How do you use digital media while cooking?

MetaFilter posts

How to make Google Beatbox for you

Desaturated Santa



Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie reunion video

Worst band cover of Pink Floyd

The ultimate Alice's Restaurant post

All about the Misfits

Henry Rollins yelling at hipsters:


Josephine and Fredrick's African driving adventure through the DRC (metatalk post about)

Mystery Science Theater 3000 mega-post

Jessamyn's janky home bird feeder


MeFi Music mentioned
Holiday Music shows from 2009 (one, two)

Tonight you belong to me (cover) by TheCoug

GOLFSAUCE by jake

posted by mathowie to MeFi Podcast at 3:29 PM (48 comments total)

See, man, when the Rollins thing came up I assumed it was like Rollins in a bar somewhere minding his own business and then someone put a cameraphone on him on the sly when someone said "Rollins blah blah" and then he like started ranting, to no presumed recording device or audience, about the whole thing. Like he was sitting on a bar stool staring at, and then shouting at, a tumbler of cheap rye or something.

The real thing's less entertaining, but I guess it had to be.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:36 PM on December 9, 2010

Also, did I actually physically consume the microphone for this one? I'm all HELLO I AM JOSH I AM MUMBLING AT 110 DECIBELS HOW ARE YOU.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:49 PM on December 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Inline videos and images are making my head hurt. WHERE AM I AND HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 3:53 PM on December 9, 2010 [5 favorites]

Inline videos and pictures? Unfair! Unfair! Showing off! Unfair! This is a dictatorship of the few! Which, I guess, technically makes it an oligarchy. Everyone should get <img> back or you're no better than Ed Gein! ED GEIN I SAY! ED GEEEEEEEIIIIINNNNNNN!

please don't bring the image tag back... I will never unsee that pissing elephant... in fact, whenever I blink, in that split second of darkness, I see that pissing elephant
posted by Kattullus at 4:00 PM on December 9, 2010 [2 favorites]

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posted by fire&wings at 4:34 PM on December 9, 2010 [14 favorites]

stavrosthewonderchicken: "Inline videos and images are making my head hurt. WHERE AM I AND HOW DID THIS HAPPEN"

DAD! PAW-PAW'S IN THE CRAWLSPACE AGAIN!
posted by boo_radley at 4:36 PM on December 9, 2010

Letterpress waffles! That's genius. Think what a great branding vehicle that would be for bed & breakfasts.

Love the multimedia!

My mind is reeling from desaturated Santa. It's gotten me wondering if I could go as a sepia photo for Halloween next year. It does look like it involves a loooot of pancakin' the face.
posted by Miko at 4:51 PM on December 9, 2010

Oonce Oonce!
posted by Gator at 5:02 PM on December 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Sweet Jesus, thank you Gator. That has been bugging me for two days, not being able to find it.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:05 PM on December 9, 2010

Okay. Belgium! Those guys who found, and paid for, every pothole in Congo are Belgians. Giveaway citation: "...drink a beer together"...not Dutch, nor Danish. Secret tip: a map of Europe, someone once made one, and it shows countries and stuff.
posted by Namlit at 5:20 PM on December 9, 2010

discussion about using racist slang unawares

Porchmonkey!
posted by pwnguin at 5:22 PM on December 9, 2010

Namlit, given the size of countries in the EU, it would be like me expecting you to remember some small story from last week involved someone in Iowa, not Missouri or Kansas.

In other words, it's not ignorance so much as easy to get certain countries mixed up in memories of posts from a month ago.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:37 PM on December 9, 2010

some small story from last week involved someone in Iowa
I thought it was pronounced Ohio. Wait. Spelled Idaho. Damn. Messed up the entire joke...

Otherwise. Yeah, I see that and I wasn't all that serious, it's just because the entire podcast started out with someone admitting his Geographical cluelessness...

-- in a way it actually does matter, because Congo was a Belgian colony until 1960, and a lot of the GRAR on that thread had to do with this specific background.
(Also, the Dutch are quite adamant about not wanting to be mixed up with the Belgians, and vice-versa. And how Denmark entered the equation...)
posted by Namlit at 5:54 PM on December 9, 2010

It was that German guy Amerigo Vespucci that made a map of Europe, right?
posted by cjorgensen at 5:59 PM on December 9, 2010

I am so happy that jessamyn has the lyrics for Africa for Toto wrong in the exact same way that I did! Men on Mars!
posted by misskaz at 6:07 PM on December 9, 2010

Africa by Toto, that is.
posted by misskaz at 6:08 PM on December 9, 2010

I never listen to the podcast for some reason, but the podcast post is wonderful. It points out everything I shouldn't have missed. I'm glad it exists for this reason alone.
posted by cjorgensen at 6:15 PM on December 9, 2010

Africa for Toto

Most Unexpected Celebrity Fundraiser Ever?

"We've got Vieux Farka Touré coming to the stage right now, everyone, but first here's Didier Drogba to talk a little about what you can do to help Dorothy, and her little dog, too!"
posted by scody at 6:20 PM on December 9, 2010 [7 favorites]

Wow.
posted by rtha at 6:59 PM on December 9, 2010

Men on Mars!

I had no idea until right now that I did not know the actual words. But I did know the thing about the Belgian Congo, I have coins from there!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:14 PM on December 9, 2010

I want to sing a duet with Jessamyn.
posted by 256 at 8:18 PM on December 9, 2010

Grade c maple syrup is not "industrial grade".
posted by onya at 2:35 AM on December 10, 2010

Look it's not so hard: Belgium is latin for low countries, Netherlands means low countries, Dutch is etymologically related to Deutsch, i.e. German. Holland is not the country but a province, two actually. The province of Noord-Brabant is in the Netherlands, but mid Brabant, i.e. Antwerpen is in Belgium. Friesland is in the Netherlands but Ost-Friesland is in Germany.
Sheesh, get your facts straight people.
posted by joost de vries at 4:26 AM on December 10, 2010 [8 favorites]

Joost i applaud your ability to spray all of that snark without insulting the Belgians.
posted by bukvich at 4:59 AM on December 10, 2010

The way I like to troll-snark belgians is to ask their opinion on their political difficulties in creating a government that's shared between the Flemish and the Walloons. Commiserate and then suggest cheerily "Hey, why don't you guys rejoin the Kingdom of the Netherlands?".
That always gets them.
posted by joost de vries at 5:14 AM on December 10, 2010 [2 favorites]

nobody in europe can remember where belgium is either matt, so youre quite alright.


PRETTY PLEASE can we have the elephant ??


just once, for christmas ????
posted by sgt.serenity at 6:27 AM on December 10, 2010

I cracked up when jessamyn made the "This is my Sideshow Bob rake noise" comment, and everyone immediately did it.
posted by The Lurkers Support Me in Email at 7:55 AM on December 10, 2010

Grade c maple syrup is not "industrial grade".

Yeah I don't know what it's technically called. This web site says "commercial." Basically it's not syrup you're supposed to be able to buy for personal use and it's used commercially as a maple flavoring. What used to be called Grade C is now actually called Grade B (confusing I know) so people may have different understandings of what people mean by "Grade C"

There is one grade of maple syrup not commonly known to, or sold to, the retail buying public. Maple syrup Grade C (commercial) is sold only in bulk (40 gallon barrels) to industrial producers of maple flavored products. Any food product claiming to be flavored with real maple syrup, ie: maple flavored bacon, hot and cold maple flavored cereal, imitation “maple” syrup etc., will use commercial grade syrup as an additional additive for flavoring.

Grade C (commercial) is the last syrup made during the sugaring season. It is very dark and may have an off taste, a burnt taste or even be fermented. Although some grade C maple syrup may have a good flavor, it is not to be repackaged in retail containers.

posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:28 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

I would love to try Grade C. I'm a big fan of B.
posted by Miko at 8:30 AM on December 10, 2010

Metafilter taught me there was such a difference between A and B, but I am one of those coffee for breakfast type of people, so telling the difference is pretty much not going to happen. I learned I am as happy with the $3 bottle of Mrs. Butterworth's, but the girlfriend now buys only B (in bulk).

She doesn't understand my indifference to breakfast or my inability to differentiate grades of syrup.
posted by cjorgensen at 9:35 AM on December 10, 2010

Look it's not so hard: Belgium is latin for low countries,

?
posted by kenko at 10:35 AM on December 10, 2010

kenko you probably don't read Dutch but here's a reference
posted by joost de vries at 10:45 AM on December 10, 2010

Ack. Sorry to hear about the bending. I need to invest in a huge red DO NOT BEND stamp.
posted by The Whelk at 10:58 AM on December 10, 2010

Look it's not so hard: Belgium is latin for low countries

Gallia omnia divisa est, much?

English Wikipedia on "Belgae": Julius Caesar describes Gaul at the time of his conquests (58 - 51 BC) as divided into three parts, inhabited by the Aquitani, Galli (who in their own language were called Celtae) and Belgae, all of whom had their own customs, laws and language. He noted that the Belgae, being farthest from the developed civilization of Rome and closest to the Germanic people, were the bravest of the three groups, because "merchants least frequently resort to them, and import those things which tend to effeminate the mind"

Whereas, in the view of some, Belgium may be a metaphor for "low," for Caesar (who was the first to put the word in print) it was synonymous with "far away, brave and not effeminate," by grace of the lack of consumption goods.
Then the Dutch came along with their kroketjes, bitterballetjes, poffertjes, stroopwafeltjes, draaiorgeltjes, and dubious governmentjes, and everyone started telling jokes about each-other.

Hah. History is fun that way.
posted by Namlit at 11:09 AM on December 10, 2010

God I want a Stroopwafel now.

(Oh wait, I live in New York, there is a waffle truck like 100 feet from me. Waffles ON DEMAND. With syrup)
posted by The Whelk at 11:11 AM on December 10, 2010

The silly thing with stroopwafels is that you actually can bend them (up to a certain angle, at least).
You put them whole as a lid on your cup of whatever you drink, and wait until you can't stand the waiting any more. The lukewarm wafels are then mangled and mauled in most disgraceful ways.
posted by Namlit at 11:14 AM on December 10, 2010

What horrible things are you doing to waffles and why?
posted by The Whelk at 11:28 AM on December 10, 2010

I had associations of sharks and feeding frenzy when writing this. There are no stroopwafels in Southampton; I'm stuck for the evening with a rest of Green & Black's Organic dark chocolate, see?
posted by Namlit at 11:37 AM on December 10, 2010

By the way, I was also charmed and amused by the Sideshow Bob rake noise. In fact, it totally made my day. The only one who understands the reference around here, when I make that noise, is my son.

*shakes red curls, waves fist to heavens and intones in mesmerizing Baritone voice:* "Whyyy doesn't anyone understand me around here?"
posted by Namlit at 12:27 PM on December 10, 2010

I think the mods give Metafilter users way to much credit on the Congo post there - that was some appalling display of assholism there.
posted by Artw at 6:16 PM on December 10, 2010

I use YouTube like the radio too. Does that make me Matt's father?
posted by fixedgear at 2:26 AM on December 11, 2010

Matt, this page has rolls gaffers tape for, like, FOUR BUCKS.
posted by Deathalicious at 9:37 AM on December 12, 2010

I was disappointed the project of mine Jessamyn found “terrific” she didn’t see fit to mention.
posted by joeclark at 1:22 PM on December 12, 2010

It was on my list to mention in the podcast but this was a month with a lot of great stuff and I didn't get to all my favorites.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 1:41 PM on December 12, 2010

Tragedy!
posted by chunking express at 1:42 PM on December 12, 2010

Hot tip for making sure something one of us thinks is neat actually gets mentioned in the podcast: post it like two days before we record the podcast, when we can still remember that shit.

Successfully guessing when we will record the podcast is left as an exercise to the reader.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:08 PM on December 12, 2010 [1 favorite]

Jury rigged

Jerry built

That saying mathowie is thinking of at 1:12:15 of sounds like the first but has a meaning closer to the second.
posted by peeedro at 10:31 PM on December 13, 2010

You mentioned Rifftrax, but the other MST3K-based group doing movie riffing is Cinematic Titanic. That's the one for the Joel fans out there.
posted by hippybear at 9:13 AM on December 14, 2010