MetaTalk Holiday Post Queue

November 22, 2011 9:17 AM

It's almost time for another major US holiday and we're trying something new here at MetaTalk this Thanksgiving: a post queue.

Like most MetaFilter sites, new MetaTalk posts are added without any moderator approval. If the post breaks the guidelines it's removed or closed after the fact. This works well when mods have their full attention on the site. But mods are humans too and they like to eat turkey with their friends and family. So from Wednesday to Friday this week, MetaTalk threads will require moderator approval to appear in MetaTalk.

This is a first test of a moderation queue that we plan to use around holiday times only. As always, the contact form will be available and folks will be around, but latency might be higher than usual. If something in the post requires immediate community attention, the thread will be posted. If not, a moderator will contact the poster about why their post wasn't approved.

Thanks for your understanding, and happy Thanksgiving (if you're into that).

posted by pb to MetaFilter-Related at 9:17 AM (241 comments total)

I wondered what would break the 3 days of no metatalk posts... irony abounds!

That said, this is a good idea.
posted by tomswift at 9:20 AM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

I would support this occuring year-round (if it doesn't end up adding more work to the moderators) - there are a lot of MetaTalk threads that could be resolved by using the contact form.
posted by muddgirl at 9:25 AM on November 22, 2011 [28 favorites]

enjoy your time with your friends and families! i like this idea.
posted by anya32 at 9:25 AM on November 22, 2011 [6 favorites]

Just hand the keys to me and head off to enjoy your hols; I'm not American and will be available. I can be trusted to do what's best for the site, though you can of course un-ban the quidnunc kid when you return refreshed, if you must.
posted by Abiezer at 9:25 AM on November 22, 2011 [10 favorites]

Never mind gman, it won't work now.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:29 AM on November 22, 2011

Awesome, long needed and well-deserved for all of you! Happy Thanksgiving!
posted by Lynsey at 9:34 AM on November 22, 2011

This is ridiculous. You've finally gone too far. I'm closing my account!

(Be thankful; free flameout to roast your turkey over!)
posted by Eideteker at 9:36 AM on November 22, 2011

I fear this will have a negative effect on the December Worst MeTa contest. I really wanted to win that iPad full of pigeon droppings.
posted by mintcake! at 9:36 AM on November 22, 2011 [9 favorites]

(Enjoy the holiday, US mods. Doowutchyalike, non-US mods.)
posted by mintcake! at 9:37 AM on November 22, 2011

Man, weird MeTa shitfests are as much a holiday tradition as watching Black Friday stampeded videos. This is an outrage!
posted by Burhanistan at 9:40 AM on November 22, 2011 [19 favorites]

I predict this will result in at least one SILENCED ALL MY LIFE post to the Blue because the complainer got his MeTa rejected/not approved fast enough. Still a good idea regardless.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 9:45 AM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

Since this only applies to MetaTalk, is this designed to stop potentially long and contentious threads before they start, or merely to delay them until later?
posted by longsleeves at 9:46 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I mis-read and thought this was going to be for the blue. You had me torn between fearful happiness and complete awe at the coming MeTa shitstorm.

It's great to hear you guys are taking a (bit of a) day off and Happy Thursday/Thanksgiving/whatever!
posted by librarylis at 9:46 AM on November 22, 2011

Bravo!
posted by tommasz at 9:50 AM on November 22, 2011

While I occasionally enjoy the Wild West that this place sometimes becomes in the absence of mods, I think this is a great idea. Less chance for unexpected drama pointlessly fouling up the holidays.

Hmm... "fowling" up the holidays? I feel like there is a play on words to exploited here...
posted by quin at 9:51 AM on November 22, 2011

is this designed to stop potentially long and contentious threads before they start, or merely to delay them until later?

Mostly delay, although it will be really nice if people decide they don't need to make that callout after all once they cool down a bit.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:51 AM on November 22, 2011

I think we could all probably use a rest.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 9:52 AM on November 22, 2011

Now I really want to make a Meta post just to see the queue in action. Or inaction. Whatever.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 9:52 AM on November 22, 2011

Great! Happy Thanksgiving mods!
posted by Kimberly at 9:53 AM on November 22, 2011

This is a good idea - cheers for everyone getting a little break.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:54 AM on November 22, 2011

delay them until later?

Mostly this. Generally speaking it's fine to have some topic drift around MeTa posts. However, the nearly-not-moderated aspect of this site means that leaving threads open for possibly several hours before anyone from the mod team looks at them could be problematic. Historically, Thanksgiving is one of the days when people sometimes go off the rails here. No big deal, certainly, but we'd like to make sure that posts are okayed when there's someone around who at least knows they're happening.

Generally we see new MeTa threads posted as soon as they're up because we get email notification, but on the odd days when we're not near our email we might not see something that was a fight in the making and then we'd spend a lot of time having to babysit a thread that already had generated a lot of ill will and was possibly avoidable in the first place. Our usual operating principle is that doing a little bit of up front attention to things can save an awful lot of after-the-fact clean up and approving stuff when we can keep a bit of an eye on it [or answer quick bug reports that may not need community input] will really help smooth out bumps that might happen.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:54 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Just hand the keys to me and head off to enjoy your hols; I'm not American and will be available. I can be trusted to do what's best for the site, though you can of course un-ban the quidnunc kid when you return refreshed, if you must.

W-O-A-H there - let me just set out my qualifications to precede Abiezer in the MetaQueue for leadership of the Adminarchy.

Firstly, I am MUCH more not-American than Abiezer. I don't even know what America IS - I've just been nodding along on this site these past 7 years, hoping no-one tries to make me define America. A kind of cheese? A species of mollusk? A shade of grayish-green? No fucking clue.

Secondly I am MUCH more available than him - I'm so available I am desparate. I mean, really slutty desperate is what we are talking here - really pitiful, needy, embarrassing shit. With low self esteem, too. Like ZERO low. I could literally go home with ANYONE, and I'm already half-drunk.

So anyway, vote #1 quidnunc kid - clearly the sensible choice.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 9:54 AM on November 22, 2011 [66 favorites]

I could literally go home with ANYONE

Herman Cain?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:58 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

The police state has arrived.

(Just kidding - have a great Thanksgiving mods!)
posted by jpdoane at 9:58 AM on November 22, 2011

Excellent.
posted by rtha at 10:02 AM on November 22, 2011

THIS IS WHAT DEM MODOCRACY LOOKS LIKE!
posted by Jahaza at 10:03 AM on November 22, 2011

Well, Happy Thanksgiving!

(Good idea.)
posted by OmieWise at 10:06 AM on November 22, 2011

Herman Cain?

I said I knew nothing about America, not Libya.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 10:08 AM on November 22, 2011 [12 favorites]

But mods are humans

Well there's your problem...
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 10:10 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm looking forward to not being able to see the MeTa posts about not being able to see their MeTa posts.
posted by inturnaround at 10:13 AM on November 22, 2011 [7 favorites]

QUEUED ALL MY LIFE
posted by The Whelk at 10:15 AM on November 22, 2011 [23 favorites]

I'm queued for deletion on twelve systems!
posted by Crabby Appleton at 10:27 AM on November 22, 2011 [11 favorites]

I approve. Make it permanent.
posted by DWRoelands at 10:27 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE... eous idea that I'd fully support for year-round deployment.
posted by odinsdream at 10:35 AM on November 22, 2011

How will we get our answer for "sitting down at dinner, mom throws a snarky comment to DH. DH throws turkey across the room. How do I survive" dysfunctional "help me" MetaTalk questions?
posted by stormpooper at 10:38 AM on November 22, 2011

So we're starting a tradition named Callout Tuesday? Awesome!

Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for all your hard work, mods.
posted by xingcat at 10:39 AM on November 22, 2011

Make it permanent.

You can't have a community site where issues are only brought before the community based on the judgement of a select few. Nothing against the mods of course, but MeTa is the place where a user can bring up any issue they want, in full public view. That can be a messy and uneven process, but it's a vital one, in my opinion, for keeping pretty open and transparent.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:41 AM on November 22, 2011 [18 favorites]

NO! Thanksgiving MetaTalk is my Wrestlemania! How could you do this to me???? *sobs*
posted by Think_Long at 10:44 AM on November 22, 2011 [8 favorites]

QUEUED ALL MY LIFE

You think THAT's bad? I was raised by pirates. I've been AAARRRRRRRRRed all my life.
posted by argonauta at 10:44 AM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

YOUR KOWTOWING TO THIS GENOCIDAL USIAN "HOLY"DAY IS GOING TO RUIN EVERYTHING FOREVER (EXCEPT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN TERRIBLE SINCE FOREVER) YOU FASCISTS.
posted by griphus at 10:45 AM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

Just out of curiosity, are you planning on changing the wording on the new post page to reflect this?
posted by Deathalicious at 10:45 AM on November 22, 2011

and I realize that metatalk isn't a spectator sport and it serves a very important community function and yadayada
posted by Think_Long at 10:45 AM on November 22, 2011

You can't have a community site where issues are only brought before the community based on the judgement of a select few. Nothing against the mods of course, but MeTa is the place where a user can bring up any issue they want, in full public view.

This is only true if you somehow pretend that the owners of this site aren't, in fact, completely able to delete metatalk threads without record.
posted by odinsdream at 10:46 AM on November 22, 2011

Just out of curiosity, are you planning on changing the wording on the new post page to reflect this?

Yes, we'll make it clear that posts aren't posted immediately once the queue is active.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2011

QUEUED ALL MY LIFE

You think THAT's bad? I was raised by pirates. I've been AAARRRRRRRRRed all my life.

My parents raised me in a weird California cult.

est all my life :(
posted by griphus at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2011 [6 favorites]

Will we have this for Canadian Thanksgiving next year? Oh, wait, no one knows when that is.
posted by desjardins at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

I definitely agree with Brandon about permanence. This is a good idea for this specific circumstance, but in general, it's important that MeTa is always accessible as a safety valve, even though it gets messy sometimes.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2011

Yeah, there is absolutely no plan to make this permanent. It just a handy tool for the increasingly rare occasions when we would all like to eat dinner/watch football/drink at the same time.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 10:54 AM on November 22, 2011

This is only true if you somehow pretend that the owners of this site aren't, in fact, completely able to delete metatalk threads without record.

There's been a lot of MeTa threads about deletions by mods. There is, indeed, a record.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:54 AM on November 22, 2011

Have there ever been MetaTalk threads deleted? I've only noticed closed ones.
posted by kmz at 10:56 AM on November 22, 2011

Have there ever been MetaTalk threads deleted?

It happens, but it's relatively rare. The only ones I can recall offhand have been joke posts or otherwise not made in good faith.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 10:59 AM on November 22, 2011

There have been a few.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:59 AM on November 22, 2011

And maybe a string of like four identical-topic threads in a row that I think cortex just started deleting after the second one. I'd have to go looking.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 11:01 AM on November 22, 2011

I think it's a good idea that makes sense for holidays, though I hope it doesn't have to become permanent.

I also wonder, though, if the holiday problem is really only FPP-related. It seems like at least a couple of the major things that have blown up over the holidays didn't really happen because of the initial post, but because of a weird or unpredictable turn the comments took, maybe even hours after the post. Is that a concern too - that because the mod crew will sort of feel like they have some time "off," problems in commenting could go undetected even longer?
posted by Miko at 11:04 AM on November 22, 2011

Re, closed Metatalk threads, as restless_nomad says, it's extremely rare. In addition to stunt posts there might have been a couple like that that had weird outing info or similar. I deleted one not too long ago because it was asking about an anonymous Askme post that had been deleted because the OP was worried that there was too much identifying info (not at ALL something we like to do, but we do it occasionally), and the Metatalk thread was of course linking to the post that was deleted but still accessible by direct url -- so essentially probably getting even more eyeballs than if it was just left open as an Ask thread.

But even that was kind of a not good thing, and maybe not something I would do now. It pretty much has to be a very unusual situation with somewhat extreme factors for a Metatalk thread to be deleted as opposed to just closed.
posted by taz (staff) at 11:10 AM on November 22, 2011

This is a good plan because everyone needs time for pie.

HOWEVER since I am a horrible person I also think it would be a good idea to have an open MeTa party post full of free-for-all mass hysteria during that time. With img enabled.
posted by elizardbits at 11:11 AM on November 22, 2011 [14 favorites]

so that i can post ponies.
posted by elizardbits at 11:11 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

HOWEVER since I am a horrible person I also think it would be a good idea to have an open MeTa party post full of free-for-all mass hysteria during that time. With img enabled.

This would be hilarious. I propose the title "Go nuts."
posted by odinsdream at 11:12 AM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

PECANS
posted by The Whelk at 11:13 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

...I'm so available I am desparate. I mean, really slutty desperate is what we are talking here - really pitiful, needy, embarrassing shit. With low self esteem, too. Like ZERO low. I could literally go home with ANYONE...

I just want to state for the record that I have empirically tested that statement, and found it to be false.

*sobs*
posted by Capt. Renault at 11:13 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Go Nuts more like Goatse.
posted by griphus at 11:13 AM on November 22, 2011

also it would be rad if there was a kind of hellban attached to the img tag wherein you yourself would see the (presumably ghastly) image you linked but everyone else would see something random from a large database of Maru gifs.
posted by elizardbits at 11:16 AM on November 22, 2011 [9 favorites]

man i am full of awesome ideas today. go me.
posted by elizardbits at 11:16 AM on November 22, 2011 [8 favorites]

This will give a whole new meaning to Black Friday
posted by Sailormom at 11:19 AM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Miko, I think basically that there's a certain sense of urgency to respond to a Metatalk post that brings up a problem or concern, while if someone makes a complaint about X in comments in a thread about Y, it will most likely be seen and answered sooner or later and responded to, but it's less imperative, in the sense of why aren't you answering my concerns now!?

It would be great if people didn't use comments in open threads to pull (especially the U.S.) mods in and occupy all their time during the holiday, though, obviously.
posted by taz (staff) at 11:21 AM on November 22, 2011

That sort of ban can work for text as well. For instance:

"God another Apple post, $USERNAME? Come on fanboys. Blorf. Grar. Hork."

We see:

"Excellent post, $USERNAME! You're a valuable member of the community."

Also it replaces all instances of the word "hipster" with "18th-century colonial haberdasher."
posted by griphus at 11:21 AM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

man his bar is total hatmaker bait.
posted by The Whelk at 11:23 AM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I think this is an amazing plan which will allow for the appropriate consumption of good things and family time.

Happy thanksgiving indeed!
posted by winna at 11:45 AM on November 22, 2011

Interesting. This is good.
posted by carsonb at 11:56 AM on November 22, 2011

Enjoy the break and very Happy Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating it!

(Sounds good to me.)
posted by wiskunde at 11:56 AM on November 22, 2011

it's less imperative, in the sense of why aren't you answering my concerns now!?

I was actually think of the GiveWell debacle which ruined some New Year's-es, and transpired mainly in comments. But that's probably a serious outlier.
posted by Miko at 12:07 PM on November 22, 2011

Will we have this for Canadian Thanksgiving next year? Oh, wait, no one knows when that is.
posted by desjardins at 10:47 AM on November 22 [+] [!]

It took an hour and half for the first Canadian Thanksgiving comment. I don't even recognize this place any more.
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 12:10 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

Will we have this for Canadian Thanksgiving next year? Oh, wait, no one knows when that is.

It's on many calendars here in the U.S. But they never tell us when you guys have Christmas! Weird, huh?
posted by longsleeves at 12:10 PM on November 22, 2011 [6 favorites]

What's a Canadian?
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 12:11 PM on November 22, 2011

I hope it doesn't have to become permanent.

I really hope this doesn't turn into a "don't make it permanent!" discussion because that is not the plan. MeTa is for the community to talk about stuff with the community, period. It's also the one place on the site where we feel we need to be in attendance a good deal of our active time on MeFi for a few reasons

1. Open MeTa threads tend to have new questions pop up as they are open
2. Sometimes things need to be dealt with fairly quickly
3. This is where policy discussions basically happen
4. This part of the site is less moderated which means it's sometimes more contentious

There have been too many holidays in the past 5-7 years where a few users having a bad time of it basically started trouble that we had to remain on top of for a good chunk of the day. All we want to do is set up a situation where a mod has to affirmatively say "okay" to stuff for a brief period so that we'll know if and when we'll be around and we can talk to each other to make sure that's the case. I know it's a little weird, but we tossed around a few solutions but most of them meant sticking someone with holiday duty just so they could be around in case there was some sort of disaster and we thought it might be more effective to be a little proactive about potential disasters.

There's probably a larger discussion to be had about MeTa threads that are just sort of chatty and/or bug reportish that maybe aren't strictly kosher or necessary here, but that's somewhat separate though has informed some of how we thought about this. Any open thread is a thing we need to pay attention to, this is a way for us to be on top of that sort of thing more easily when all of us are somewhat distracted.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 12:13 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

What's a Canadian?

Twenty bucks, la meme que dans la ville.
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:19 PM on November 22, 2011 [41 favorites]

Don't you mean 19.2845 dollars?
posted by desjardins at 12:48 PM on November 22, 2011 [9 favorites]

It's more like $25 with the sales tax.
posted by Sys Rq at 12:52 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

Had planned to post Treaty of Westphalia as a little joke. *sulks*
posted by Cranberry at 12:52 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Sweet. Because we've got a lot of MeFites coming for Thanksgiving but I don't want to miss anything nor have to explain to the couple of non-MeFites why we have to refresh every couple of minutes nor what a flameout is.
posted by klangklangston at 1:00 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

My currency converter says it's 3 dozen Tim Horton's donuts, with a few Timbits thrown in.
posted by argonauta at 1:00 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

plz send any extra timbits here.
posted by nadawi at 1:04 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

argonauta: My currency converter says it's 3 dozen Tim Horton's donuts, with a few Timbits thrown in.

How much is that in skyr?
posted by Kattullus at 1:05 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Well, great idea. Have a lovely holiday.
posted by annsunny at 1:08 PM on November 22, 2011

I am afraid it is not possible to convert Tim Hortons donuts into products with such high nutritional content. Please try again.
posted by argonauta at 1:10 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Timbits? American translation please.
posted by empyrean at 1:13 PM on November 22, 2011

Hockey pucks slathered with gravy and maple syrup, served with beer. To be eaten while riding on the back of a moose and carrying a chainsaw.
posted by desjardins at 1:14 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

Donut holes.
posted by Pantengliopoli at 1:15 PM on November 22, 2011

My understanding is that Timbit is slang for "toonie," an amusing piece of Canadian currency. Y'know, like the old saying, "shave and a haircut... TIMBITS."
posted by argonauta at 1:16 PM on November 22, 2011 [7 favorites]

It's more like $25 with the sales tax

You can get that back when you cross back to the US. Providing of course, everyone at the border's not off for some unexpected holiday. Did you know Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving in May or some shit?
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 1:18 PM on November 22, 2011

Historically, Thanksgiving is one of the days when people sometimes go off the rails here.

Really? Thanksgiving? That's surprising to me. I mean I believe it and all, I'm just wondering what especially sets people off around this time. Tryptophan intoxication?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:19 PM on November 22, 2011

I imagine it's being stuck for hours in a hot dining room full of all the family you've been avoiding since last year's turkey filled debacle that releases the hounds.
posted by elizardbits at 1:23 PM on November 22, 2011 [7 favorites]

I'm just wondering what especially sets people off around this time.

I know somebody who hasn't been keeping up with their AskMe reading.
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 1:25 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

Guilty as charged.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:27 PM on November 22, 2011

...wondering what especially sets people off around this time.

Being forced to spend time with your family.

Before my family started shuffling off the mortal coil en masse, I can easily count the number of times Holiday Dinner did not devolve into a screaming match between my mother and her mother. Because that number is "zero."
posted by griphus at 1:27 PM on November 22, 2011

Family conflict as a cause makes sense. I guess in my family the food has us to tranquilized too fight with any real vigor. Accusatory sentences trail off as the staticy roar of the football audience on the TV lulls the more aggressive ones to sleep, leaving the passive aggressive ones to wash dishes noisily. Christmas, on the other hand - wow. "Deck the halls" is right.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:30 PM on November 22, 2011

yeah, it is exactly this time of year that i feel kind of guiltily relieved that my entire immediate family is dead. I CAN SIT AROUND IN MY UNDERWEAR AND EAT TACOS AND WATCH ICARLY AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME.
posted by elizardbits at 1:31 PM on November 22, 2011 [15 favorites]

I'm just wondering what especially sets people off around this time.

I have no idea. I'm in a great mood, in a few days I'll be with my family celebrating Thanksgiving and it'll be fantastic.

My grandmother will be holding forth about The Obama and about how most hurricanes develop off the coast of Africa, my uncle will thankfully not be speaking at all (and indeed, hasn't spoken a word to me in oh, 11 years. not counting grunting). Dry turkey will be plastered to the roof of my mouth and I'll most likely be staring at the slow-spinning blades of a droopy outdoor ceiling fan, holding a beer in one hand with the other drapes over my eyes.

It's a most wonderful time of the year.
posted by empyrean at 1:32 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Really? iCarly? I'd stop you.
posted by maryr at 1:38 PM on November 22, 2011

Why not simply close MeTa for the duration instead?

Pre-deleting posts for any reason from Metafilter's court of final appeals strikes me as a very bad precedent.
posted by jamjam at 1:38 PM on November 22, 2011

I am soooooo happy we're going to my mom's house. My mom came with me to Grant Park on election night to celebrate Obama's victory, and my stepdad is practically a socialist.
posted by desjardins at 1:39 PM on November 22, 2011

I'm not going home for Thanksgiving (I sometimes do, but I was just there last month and given my uncle's in-process acrimonious divorce and attendant logistical drama, I'm just as happy to stay away) but my alternate plans are with a friend's family. Her grandmother just died (the service is on Friday) and her brother's wife's father just died (the service is on Sunday.) So I've been tasked with keeping my friend's partner sane throughout. It will be... interesting.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 1:39 PM on November 22, 2011

I'll be trying out my brand spankin' new US passport to fly home and spend Thanksgiving with my family. I have an Icelandic passport, but I'm still a US citizen, so I have to use a US passport. America's like some jealous boyfriend or something. "Oh, so, you want to come round and pick up a couple things to bring back to the apartment you share with that ... that guy you're seeing now? Fine. Fine! Then I want my Third Eye Blind CD back."
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 1:43 PM on November 22, 2011 [10 favorites]

[this is good]
posted by lysdexic at 1:45 PM on November 22, 2011

I'd stop you.

you can TRY but i will have TACO POWER on my side
posted by elizardbits at 1:46 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

jamjam: Why not simply close MeTa for the duration instead?

Speaking selfishly, I'd like to make an announcement (in the existing thread) when the secret quonsar swap email notifications go out, and field any post-draw questions ("What do we do if all the person I drew only requested a gold-plated alfa romeo?" or "Hey, I haven't gotten my draw yet! What's up with that?" or "secret quonsar? I thought I was signing up for the okra of the month club!" . So closing down MeTa entirely would delay that process, effectively silencing me for all my day or day and a half.
posted by julen at 1:48 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Remember that old SNL sketch where the family ends up tying up Julia Louis-Dreyfus and stuffing a turkey leg in her mouth? That almost happened to my sister when I was growing up, but ever since then we've all mellowed out a bit, and T-day is rather pleasant. (Thanks for reminding me that we're not all that crazy.)

I still wouldn't mind watching some football, tho. For some reason, no one except me likes it.

Hey, is there a greasemonkey script for deleted threads in MetaTalk? The one I have only seems to work for the blue and the green.
posted by Melismata at 1:48 PM on November 22, 2011

Thank you for your comments. This comment will be held for moderation until after the holidays are over. bwahahahahahahahahahah



ps. its an eclipse that day
posted by infini at 1:49 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

total eclipse of the snark
posted by The Whelk at 1:49 PM on November 22, 2011 [7 favorites]

you can TRY but i will have TACO POWER on my side

Spaghetti taco power, I presume?
posted by argonauta at 1:51 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I just realized that this will be the first Thanksgiving I won't celebrate in a decade. That makes me a teensy bit sad. As late-to-my-life holidays go, I had come to like it. Arbor Day can suck it, however.
posted by Kattullus at 2:00 PM on November 22, 2011

What's your beef with trees man?
posted by The Whelk at 2:02 PM on November 22, 2011

Trees Man is the second-crappiest superhero, right after Crap Man :(
posted by owtytrof at 2:07 PM on November 22, 2011 [6 favorites]

Be interesting to see whether this has the desired result or if all the pent up GRAR just gets appended to the end of the most recent open thread.
posted by Mitheral at 2:08 PM on November 22, 2011

Remember that old SNL sketch where

I totally thought you were going to describe that "unexpected outbursts" sketch, where the family's sitting around Thanksgiving dinner, discussing how good the mashed potatoes are, where the recipe was from, who's graduating next year, when Kevin Nealon flips his plate in the middle of someone's sentence, yells "Fuck this" and storms out.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:09 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

I'm just wondering what especially sets people off around this time.

Well, for me it's having to go off grid and power down the compound so that my relative's drones and surveillance satellites can't pick out my location, because once they pinpoint where I am, I am required by blood oath to attend the family's bacchanalia feast, and I just can't spend another holiday fighting with giant chainsaw robots spiders on a full stomach.

You know, pretty much the same stuff that stresses everyone else out, I'm sure.
posted by quin at 2:10 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

when Kevin Nealon flips his plate in the middle of someone's sentence, yells "Fuck this" and storms out.

I actually couldn't watch the rest of that sketch. There are so many real and imagines intermingled expectations over the holidays surrounding food and ritual that people who are otherwise pretty okay at compartmentalizing stuff often wind up with a full frontal dysfunctional family assault often involving extended travel, drinking and other people you might not normally put up with for more than five minutes. The combination of the holidays being a time when many people have strong feelings about how you "should" behave combined with people's own desires and daydreams about what they'd rather be doing [and the unsteady significance of the "holiday" in the first place, partnered with the totally-problematic-to-me shopping frenzy the next day (or even that night)] and you've got a tinderbox recipe that just continues to deliver year after year.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 2:21 PM on November 22, 2011 [16 favorites]

Wow, jessamyn. That is a pitch-perfect description of Christmas back home. I'll stay in doing a Letterman, thanks.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 2:39 PM on November 22, 2011

Wow, Jess, just...wow. I don't believe I've ever read a better summation of holiday angst/misery/DO NOT LIKE.

Thank you.

I hope yours, however you spend it, is far and away better than that!
posted by Lynsey at 2:42 PM on November 22, 2011

I think the folks who are feeling down on this plan are sillypants and wish they'd embrace this for the genius it truly represents.

So happy that we're likely to avoid the Holiday Heartsink trend that has eaten up MeTa (and infested the rest of the site to some degree) in the past with this fix!
posted by batmonkey at 2:46 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

What's your beef with trees man?

They always leave.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:52 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

Arbor Day can suck it, however.
posted by Kattullus

What's your beef with trees man?
posted by The Whelk

As the twig is bent:

Iceland has since around 1200 been almost treeless country and is the country in Europe with the largest deserts. ...

Forests in Iceland consist mainly of small areas of birch woodlands or plantations of native or exotic species, covering only 1.4% of the total land area. At the time of settlement (AD 876), forests covered about 30% of Iceland, which means that 95% of the original forest cover has been lost.

As is perhaps not as surprising to you people as I'd like it to be, something I said to my father's brother at Thanksgiving dinner when I was twelve broke our entire extended family in two, and the wound never healed.
posted by jamjam at 3:01 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

what do you mean YOU PEOPLE
posted by elizardbits at 3:05 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm glad the mods get at least one day a year off, but I can see that any open MeTa threads will need to be watched closely, because those frustrated with being queued will just take their drama to the nearest open thread.
posted by dg at 3:08 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Sorry; you people and whatever species 'elizardbits' may signify.
posted by jamjam at 3:11 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

robot ninja spacemens ideally

sry spacepersons
posted by elizardbits at 3:22 PM on November 22, 2011

OHHH NOOOOOEZZZ!1!! Where am I to get my DRAMAZ ration?!?! My family is way too boring and I need my DRAMAZ!! WOE IS ME!!1!






Seriously, this is an ossem idea and I have no complaints.
posted by deborah at 3:27 PM on November 22, 2011

jamjam: Iceland has since around 1200 been almost treeless country and is the country in Europe with the largest deserts.

My problem with Arbor Day is that right now the only green I see is my envious face in the mirror.
posted by Kattullus at 3:28 PM on November 22, 2011

stop taking the chlorophyll tablets Poison ivy gave you they are not candy.
posted by The Whelk at 3:45 PM on November 22, 2011

Happy USian Holiday to you all, no matter where you are or what country you are from; I hope this MeTaFilter helps make these days better for all of us.

[NOT-POULTRYIST]
posted by not_on_display at 3:58 PM on November 22, 2011

I just realized that this will be the first Thanksgiving I won't celebrate in a decade.

What is stopping you? Just pop a cranberry skyr-loaf in the oven, and it will be a festival!
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:10 PM on November 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Kattullus:"How much is that in skyr?"

I must confess that having no idea what a skyr is, I actually looked that up and was pleasantly surprised to discover it was not a fictional form of currency in a certain recently-released and very highly acclaimed videogame entertainment.
posted by Dr. Zira at 4:20 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

what do you mean YOU PEOPLE

The cyborgs.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:21 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

the increasingly rare occasions when we would all like to eat dinner/watch football/drink at the same time

SxSWi, then? (replacing "watch football" with "talk nerd")

Also, the last DRAMA Thanksgiving I had to deal with* was when I was a teenager, Grandma decided she was getting too old to host a full T-Day, and Aunt Jane decided that she'd host...but no little kids, because her furniture was too nice, or something. She was at the time the only sibling whose kids were grown. Since baby sis was still a little kid, Mom decided it would be a delightful thing to go to the beach for Thanksgiving. And it was.

* Not counting the year in college I got pinkeye over Thanksgiving weekend. Pinkeye sucks. But it's not terribly dramatic, just painful.
posted by epersonae at 4:32 PM on November 22, 2011

Cyborgs are largely people too.
posted by The Whelk at 4:40 PM on November 22, 2011

But mods are humans too and they like to eat turkey with their friends and family




There's not been one instance posted here of a mod looking forward to this.
posted by sgt.serenity at 4:46 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

partnered with the totally-problematic-to-me shopping frenzy the next day

Ah yes. This gives me a nice opportunity to invite you all to join me in celebrating, not Black Friday, but Pie for Breakfast Day. It's simple and fun: 1. Eat pie for breakfast. 2. Do something other than go shopping. As it turns out, it's a pretty good antidote to holiday stupid, if you are able to do it.
posted by Miko at 4:47 PM on November 22, 2011 [5 favorites]

I have to work Black Friday, and both me and Pips' dysfunctional families are unavailabe so we're going to spend thanksgiving at the new casino in Queens out by Aqueduct pigging out on buffet and playind video poker. Then on Friday, I'll face the fucking hordes.
posted by jonmc at 4:50 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yay! You deserve a stress-free holiday and I support this 200%. Thanks for how hard you all work to keep this place a great place to spend time.
posted by madamjujujive at 4:53 PM on November 22, 2011

I must confess that having no idea what a skyr is

It is a food and a time-honored vehicle for political protest!
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:58 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I looked up skyr too, because I thought maybe it was related to the Skeksis. (I had in mind a sort of turkey-vulture meatloaf.)

Gosh, Jessamyn, after your nutshell description of family holidays, I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to spend your off hours policing threads titled things like "Fuck you, $USERNAME," and "$MODNAME - always wrong, or just conspiring against me?"

I hope you guys have the best possible holiday weekend!
posted by gingerest at 5:02 PM on November 22, 2011

There's not been one instance posted here of a mod looking forward to this.

To be totally clear, I like Thanksgiving (especially when I'm not at home - I love my parents but still the holiday manages to be more stressful than it's worth.) But especially this year, I'm busy - literally and emotionally. And, knowing that household, chemically.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 5:07 PM on November 22, 2011

Does this really happen at many Thanksgivings?

As you read this, Americans around the world will be rolling up their sleeves, gearing up to push some readymade stuffing into a dried-out bird while a male relative stands to one side, arms at his waist, poised to make the traditional joke as inscribed in the constitution by the Founding Fathers: "Heh heh – most girls make me buy them dinner before I get to do that!" Heh heh. [source]

If I had to hear that one every year I would also be prone to once-yearly internet anger.
posted by Kattullus at 5:08 PM on November 22, 2011

There's not been one instance posted here of a mod looking forward to this.

Yeah I'm mostly spending the day either alone, with my boyfriend, or for a short time with the one member of my family who I adore (and who is an amazing cook) and her boyfriend and HIS family. And I am quite looking forward to that.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 5:08 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

I find this queue idea to be in contradiction to the Festivus tradition of the airing of grievances.
posted by IndigoRain at 5:44 PM on November 22, 2011

Festivus comes earlier every year :( Poles in the shops and it's still Movember.
posted by Abiezer at 5:45 PM on November 22, 2011 [4 favorites]

the best part is the feats of strength when we have to thumbwrestle cortex for the giant donut prize
posted by elizardbits at 5:46 PM on November 22, 2011

and on behalf of all retail employees everywhere, this fucking commercial makes me want to go on a killing spree.
posted by jonmc at 6:02 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

While I wouldn't want to see queueing for MeTa implemented full time, for big holidays like Thanksgiving, it makes a lot of sense. Here's hoping you guys decide to queue so there are no bombs thrown during the SXSW meetup next year.
posted by immlass at 6:05 PM on November 22, 2011

Iceland has since around 1200 been almost treeless country and is the country in Europe with the largest deserts. ...

I read that as "desserts" and wondered what all the griping was about.

Katullus, I would have sent you cookies if I had known it was your first year not celebrating Thanksgiving! I just sent out all my Mefight batches yesterday.
posted by misha at 6:24 PM on November 22, 2011 [3 favorites]

Guys, don't worry, I'm bringing something back to Iceland from the States for Kattullus. Just don't tell him, alright?
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 6:38 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Brennevin?

Can you bring me some, too?
posted by jonmc at 6:40 PM on November 22, 2011

to Iceland from the States

otherwise, yes, that makes a fine gift.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 6:44 PM on November 22, 2011

Am I the only mefite who looks forward to holidays not only with her own extended family, but with her extended family-in-law as well? Reading these stories makes me want to thank all the gods above and below that I was born into and also married into a family full of essentially decent people with no major grudges.
posted by KathrynT at 6:49 PM on November 22, 2011

I get on great with all the family too, but I'll have to wait a while to enjoy a get-together because, as I said above, we don't do Thanksgiving. We were the lot who pissed you off so much you were delighted to get away. :thumbs:
posted by Abiezer at 7:22 PM on November 22, 2011

Am I the only mefite who looks forward to holidays not only with her own extended family, but with her extended family-in-law as well?

No, you aren't. I hit the family and in-laws jackpot, myself, dysfunction on my father's side of the extended family (who we rarely see anymore, and managed to get along fine with on the holidays anyway) notwithstanding.

The Internet at large and MetaFilter in particular have taught me a lot about my own privilege and how that privilege has shaped my views and assumptions. Several members here and threads like the Sandusky one have been a real eye-opener to me, standing as sobering examples of people who on the surface seem entirely together but underneath are carrying a fair amount of baggage. Truckloads, in some cases.

To me, this is one of the greatest gifts of the internet. People open up here the way they wouldn't over a beer and a pizza, or perhaps even a years-long acquaintance, so you're forced out of your comfort zone. Out in that uncharted territory, you learn two things:

1. The world is a lot weirder and more varied than you first expected.
2. You are emphatically not alone in what you're carrying.

I think those two revelations are the greatest gifts to humanity that the internet will ever bring. Well, that and the slightly surreal experience of finding yourself terrified/worried/sad/joyful/excited/angry for people you've never actually seen. Which is both weird and beautiful.
posted by middleclasstool at 7:22 PM on November 22, 2011 [31 favorites]

Good idea OP where'd you get that one? (hehehehe!) (seriously, implement this for Metafilter as well)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:24 PM on November 22, 2011

jessamyn wrote...
The combination of the holidays being a time when many people have strong feelings about how you "should" behave combined with people's own desires and daydreams about what they'd rather be doing [and the unsteady significance of the "holiday" in the first place, partnered with the totally-problematic-to-me shopping frenzy the next day (or even that night)] and you've got a tinderbox recipe that just continues to deliver year after year.

So who's going to queue Thanksgiving, that's what I want to know.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 7:27 PM on November 22, 2011

This is a great idea and I really hope it means you guys get to have a nice holiday. What about also freezing comments on any FPP that gets too contentious and flagtastic? Like, if a big fight breaks out, close the thread to new comments, and leave a note that comments will be open again once the holidays are over.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 7:39 PM on November 22, 2011

Man, Thanksgiving and Xmas have been so mellow since my folks moved to Denver 15 years ago. I'm pretty happy that they're paripatetic and that all I had to do was get off the bus, and watch it zoom by every few years to find me some normal. I get along pretty well with my wife's family - they're a bunch of squares, but they're genuinely nice people, who hold down jobs and don't yell, and everyone actually seems to like everyone else, from what I can tell. In-law jackpot, for sure, though this year, I think we're just going to Hoover's with the MIL, who is a fantastic lady, and having a huge lunch brought to the table, then coming home to watch the Aggies grind the Longhorns into sand one last time. Life is pretty fucking sweet!
posted by Devils Rancher at 7:42 PM on November 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Brennevin?


Weapon of mass destruction.
posted by The Whelk at 8:05 PM on November 22, 2011

no you're thinking of hákarl

brennevin is hugs and puppies in comparison
posted by elizardbits at 10:09 PM on November 22, 2011

and on behalf of all retail employees everywhere, this fucking commercial yt makes me want to go on a killing spree.

Great. Thanks. Now I want to go on a killing spree.

(I am not actually going to go on a killing spree.)
posted by wondermouse at 10:11 PM on November 22, 2011

Hákarl is friggin' watermelon sherbert compared to skata, a plate of which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
posted by Marisa Stole the Precious Thing at 10:34 PM on November 22, 2011

I notice that cortex hasn't commented on this yet. I wonder why?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:03 PM on November 22, 2011

I guess you're joking, but cortex is off doing things that aren't Metafilter right now, and that comment was in reference to the idea of a permanent queue for Ask Metafilter questions.
posted by taz (staff) at 11:16 PM on November 22, 2011

Yes, I was just poking fun.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:36 PM on November 22, 2011

I really hope this isn't going to be a regular thing.
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 11:38 PM on November 22, 2011

There's no seekrit plan to introduce this over holidays and then make it permanent. See Jess' comment above.
posted by taz (staff) at 11:42 PM on November 22, 2011

Mods, I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Thinking of Thanksgiving recently reminded me of a couple of my favorite comments, which happen to be Thanksgiving-themed (the comments were made last year, but I still think they're lovely):

- An AskMe answer from dr. fresh about the turkey pardoning in The West Wing (the Thanksgiving episode "Shibboleth" -- also one of my favorite episodes).

- A night-before-Thanksgiving anecdote from phunniemee (prompted by the word "kumquat" of all things) about going with her uncle to the grocery store for last-minute ingredients.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 1:26 AM on November 23, 2011

How long before US Thanksgiving and Xmas merge completely, and become one amorphous megafestival of turkey, family dysfunction and consumer debt?
posted by unSane at 5:10 AM on November 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

(You'd go home on 23 November and stay there until, say, 5 January).
posted by unSane at 5:10 AM on November 23, 2011

I'm confused. Why not just have some non-American mods?
posted by salmacis at 5:22 AM on November 23, 2011

We have one in Greece: taz. But as Jess mentioned, "Historically, Thanksgiving is one of the days when people sometimes go off the rails here." Setting up a queue during US holidays that for some reason turn US members bonkers makes sense.
posted by mediareport at 5:33 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Why not give the mods a long weekend holiday, regardless of their passport?
posted by infini at 5:33 AM on November 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

middleclasstool is one of the things I'm thankful for.
posted by Jofus at 6:50 AM on November 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

Did you know hamsters used to be called toy bears? I mean really.
posted by The Whelk at 6:58 AM on November 23, 2011

I'm confused. Why not just have some non-American mods?

Getting new mods on board is non-trivial and not something we'd plan to do just to have holiday coverage. This would solve the Thanksgiving problem perhaps but wouldn't address Xmastime and New Year's which are more universal. We have been talking about it and would really like to be the sort of workplace where someone didn't have to draw the short straw and mind the fort over their holiday. Usually I work on Xmas because I don't really celebrate it, but again it would be nice to have options, or to have working over holidays be a little more mellow.

I notice that cortex hasn't commented on this yet. I wonder why?

We've created a situation here where someone taking a day off [as cortex did yesterday] is notable enough to be remarkable (I know you were joking TMNL) and there is a sense in which setting expectations of 24/7 availability of your mod-of-choice may be unrealistic. Obviously if there is something urgent, we'd like to be contactable. We'd also like a bit of an "Is this trip really necessary?" speed bump sometimes to remind people that MeTa threads do have a bit of a mod-dogwhistle aspect to them so a reminder that we're all people with lives at the same time as we're here to answer questions and help out is sort of our goal here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:34 AM on November 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

This would solve the Thanksgiving problem perhaps but wouldn't address Xmastime and New Year's which are more universal.

You already have a Mod in Greece. Now you just need a Greek Old Calendarist mod.
posted by Jahaza at 7:39 AM on November 23, 2011

Yeah, I took yesterday off off, on the reasoning that that's totally a thing I ought to do now and then. I've taken "I'm not really around" vacations before and weekends since we brought restless_nomad and taz on have been much more relaxing and flexible than they were previously, but I honestly can't remember the last time I literally didn't look at Metafilter at all for an entire day. So it felt like a thing to do.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:42 AM on November 23, 2011 [3 favorites]

Yeah, I took yesterday off off

I'm picturing you in a boat^*, rod and reel in hand, wearing a fisherman's hat and cargo shorts, floating serenely across a lake, birds chirping, insects buzzing, gentle waves lapping against the sides of your boat, for what seems like an eternity.

Then, in the middle of it, standing up, shouting "fuck this", and storming off, promptly stepping off the boat and into the water.

Seriously, take two days off off. They're small.

^{*...on a RIVER...}
posted by davejay at 9:10 AM on November 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Yeah, I took yesterday off off,

That's a shame. With the queuing thing I had imagined you locked in the prison cell in Matt's basement, pulling desperately on the bars and howling "NOOOOOOO QUUUUEING!!!!" late into the night. In the early hours with your sanity finally destroyed you escape and are later found hunched over and limping up the side of 99 towards Portland muttering "donut, donut, donut" over and over again.

I suppose a vacation is better, really.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 11:47 AM on November 23, 2011

"We have been talking about it and would really like to be the sort of workplace where someone didn't have to draw the short straw and mind the fort over their holiday."

Wow, you know - that makes me really happy.

I just love knowing that there's a company (I am really struggling for the right word, there - MetaFilter doesn't so much seem like a company, or an organization, or a place - ) where the folks (employees, management) got together and said, "Hey, is there a way we can make this work for everybody, and not make one person have to suffer?"

The notion that the real-life lives of the mods matter as much as - or more than - instantaneous immediate attention to every aspect of the site really makes me happy.

I'm glad you're doing this. Happy Thanksgiving.
posted by kristi at 1:17 PM on November 23, 2011 [6 favorites]

In all serious, thanks to all the mods for all the hard work and dedication you give to this site. You all deserve a break and I wish you and yours the best.
posted by Dr. Zira at 3:10 PM on November 23, 2011

Time to go eat more of my parents pickles
posted by nathancaswell at 7:33 PM on November 23, 2011

What?
posted by Burhanistan at 7:50 PM on November 23, 2011

dill or half-sour?
posted by elizardbits at 7:54 PM on November 23, 2011

I was thinking about something; the fact that you folks are taking the steps to make things better for yourselves (as employees), even though you aren't necessarily "ready to be that organized" from a technical standpoint.

As someone who has worked on nightmare projects, where the health and well-being of the employees was being sacrificed for the sake of technical work that -- for the most part -- turned out to be ill-conceived at best and pointless at worst...I think you are really doing this right, you know?
posted by davejay at 8:11 PM on November 23, 2011

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Hope the queue doesn't result in a tidal wave of GRAR on Monday.
posted by arcticseal at 8:49 PM on November 23, 2011

The beauty of that is being able to say "Alright, all vacation emails have been deleted, if something was important please GRAR it again"
posted by infini at 9:04 PM on November 23, 2011

I'm so putting that on my next away message.
posted by arcticseal at 9:22 PM on November 23, 2011

we'll just have to content ourselves with bloodspurts football in the meanwhile
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:10 PM on November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
posted by longtime_lurker at 6:15 AM on November 24, 2011

This is the grosses thanksgiving themed mixed drink ever
posted by The Whelk at 7:04 AM on November 24, 2011

But mods are humans too and they like to eat turkey with their friends and family

>There's not been one instance posted here of a mod looking forward to this.

I just assumed it was a nicer way to say 'But the mods are humans too and it can be a hectic time without having to deal with alla y'alls fucking holiday-induced tsuris bullshit, too.'
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:19 AM on November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving, moderators (and everyone else!)
posted by Curious Artificer at 8:08 AM on November 24, 2011

This is the grosses thanksgiving themed mixed drink ever

There are instructions for making a Bailey's martini on my bottle, which I noticed last night. They are as follows:

- Pour Bailey's into shaker with ice
- Shake
- Pour into martini glass
- Done!

I am not exactly a mixologist but I feel there's something wrong with that.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 8:09 AM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

Too much vermouth!
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:11 AM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

The only place bailey's Irish cream has any place is in a cup of coffee or possibly ice cream.
posted by The Whelk at 8:21 AM on November 24, 2011

ben & jerrys makes a bailey's ice cream that is basically the best thing ever
posted by elizardbits at 8:31 AM on November 24, 2011

It's a sundae!

It's a martini!

It's both!

( I shouldn't talk, my first mixed drink ever was a Grasshopper, a drink that tastes like a thin mint and glows electric green)
posted by The Whelk at 8:37 AM on November 24, 2011

The only place bailey's Irish cream has any place is in a cup of coffee or possibly ice cream.

You've never had an Irish Car Bomb, have you, sir?
posted by jonmc at 8:41 AM on November 24, 2011

I feel there's something wrong with that.

Needs more Bailey's!
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:54 AM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

cortex, you really deserve more kudos for the fine job you did on mefi-ing Alice's Restaurant (I'm listening to it again for the first time in years right now).
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 8:55 AM on November 24, 2011

Sugary thick liquor fiiiiiiight
posted by The Whelk at 8:58 AM on November 24, 2011

I see that three mods have commented here today, and unless I'm totally misunderstanding the whole idea of this thread, regular mod comments were supposed to be queued until approved by Meatbomb, in order to give us a break on this holiday.
posted by gman at 9:17 AM on November 24, 2011 [3 favorites]

SEQUENSTERED ALL MY LIFE
posted by flabdablet at 9:30 AM on November 24, 2011

Is the search function down for maintenance part of the thanksgiving queue?
posted by Big_B at 9:31 AM on November 24, 2011

No, the database is being reindexed after something hinky happened with a hard drive someplace and I think pb is working on that this morning.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:43 AM on November 24, 2011

I really deserve the least credit of the three people involved with that recording. Flo did all the writing, and French Fry did all the vocals; I just did the dumbass guitar loop and shouted CUT! at French Fry fifty times or so.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:44 AM on November 24, 2011

Yeah gman, I've been at the computer most of the day so I've been clearing the queue pretty regularly and because of that mod comments might seem more or less real-time. I'm just that good at what I do.
posted by Meatbomb at 9:47 AM on November 24, 2011 [3 favorites]

... but I honestly can't remember the last time I literally didn't look at Metafilter at all for an entire day.

Battle not with Meatbomb, lest ye become a Meatbomb, and if you don't gaze in the Metafilter, no worries, we have you tagged and the Metafilter will gaze into you and compile stats.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:51 AM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

I gaze into the Metafilter until only myself remains.
posted by The Whelk at 9:53 AM on November 24, 2011

I gaze at the Metafilter like it's the sky.
posted by Skygazer at 9:57 AM on November 24, 2011

Also:

WANT!!
posted by jonmc at 10:05 AM on November 24, 2011

That's nuts.
posted by The Whelk at 10:07 AM on November 24, 2011

Fuckin' A.
posted by jonmc at 10:08 AM on November 24, 2011

Well, more kudos to IRFH and FF for the song.
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 10:14 AM on November 24, 2011

I don't understand the whole Hawaii fascination with spam, but I'm glad it exists. It's nice to have a tropical paradise with a weakness, like a tragic flaw in literature.
posted by Curious Artificer at 10:15 AM on November 24, 2011 [3 favorites]

Metafilter will gaze into you and compile stats

Percentage of users who are currently in a Thanksgiving related alcoholic haze: 20%
Percentage of users who are still working on it: 57%
posted by Meta Filter at 10:58 AM on November 24, 2011

Let's get that number up people! Tequila!
posted by The Whelk at 11:01 AM on November 24, 2011

Spam-flavoured macadamias: Nuts that taste like balls
posted by Sys Rq at 11:04 AM on November 24, 2011

I'm pretending the game that started at 12:30 started at 4:30 and that the game that starts at 4:30 is starting at 8:30 so that I can get to bed in time to get back up at 11:00 tonight and be at Target to start working at 12:30 in the morning.

I'm already on my fourth beer, so my plan is working perfectly so far!
posted by Curious Artificer at 11:04 AM on November 24, 2011

Pie #4 is about to be done. The turkey is in the smoker. And I have bourbonized my coffee; all is right with the world.
posted by rtha at 11:17 AM on November 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

rtha, aren't you of Hawaiian descent? What's your position on the Spamacadamias?
posted by jonmc at 11:18 AM on November 24, 2011

The turkey is in the smoker.

Mmmmmm, smoked turkey is the best. And it makes great leftover sandwiches.
posted by doctor_negative at 11:29 AM on November 24, 2011

rtha, aren't you of Hawaiian descent? What's your position on the Spamacadamias?

As far away from them as I can get!

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week. Try the turkey!

No, I dunno. Never had 'em. I think Spam is pretty gross, but I do have faint but fond childhood memories of fried Spam for breakfast whenever I stayed with my grandma and aunt and cousins. My mom's side of the family is Czech, so I have pork on both sides. Maybe next year for Tday I'll do a capon and a Boston butt in the smoker.....
posted by rtha at 11:41 AM on November 24, 2011

No, the database is being reindexed after something hinky happened with a hard drive someplace and I think pb is working on that this morning.

Thanks. Was just curious. Tells you something when your goto reference for everyday questions becomes searching AskMefi.
posted by Big_B at 11:58 AM on November 24, 2011

I had thanksgiving dinner with my husband's boss


it was nerve-wracking
posted by subbes at 2:12 PM on November 24, 2011

Man, I was sooooo tempted to make a MeTa thread regarding that post on ?uestlove, but now I fear I'll forget it by Monday.

Where can I get my holiday fill of GRAR?!
posted by the man of twists and turns at 4:25 PM on November 24, 2011

you can listen to dj assault really loud until all your neighbors want to fight you.
posted by elizardbits at 4:30 PM on November 24, 2011

I am having Thanksgiving sat in the office here in China. I would take a Baileys, Grasshopper or any other kind of alcoholic beverage (spam or turkey flavoured) to get me through the day.
posted by arcticseal at 6:17 PM on November 24, 2011

jessamyn: "I think pb is working on that this morning."

Pony request: Leave it til next week, and enjoy the weekend!
posted by schmod at 8:38 AM on November 25, 2011

He spilled gravy on it, he fixes it. That's how things work around here.
posted by griphus at 8:45 AM on November 25, 2011

Then the posting form has to explicitly state “For period X, MetaTalk posts are held until approved by mods.” You shouldn’t have to have somehow known this MetaTalk posts existed to know what would happen.
posted by joeclark at 6:42 AM on November 27, 2011

It did say that. While the queue was active. For the period we said it would be in the post, which is over now.
posted by cortex (staff) at 7:32 AM on November 27, 2011

I'm curious about how this went. Any stats on number of posts rejected from the queue?

(I'm guessing Not Many, seeing as this made it through the approval process.)
posted by nobody at 7:31 AM on November 29, 2011

Nothing else stayed in the queue after the two I mention here, which were both more "this is not a well-formed metatalk post" situation than anything and could have turned into approvable posts if the posters had gotten back to us with edited drafts. I think we had something like two posts a day come in altogether over the weekend, about normal volume for Metatalk.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:13 AM on November 29, 2011

Yeah it worked pretty much as we hoped it would. The one really touchy thread was approved when we were all around to sort of keep an early eye on it and while I think we may have idealized ideas of MetaFilter where we don't even have to deal with posts like that [and I got a nice personalized apology from the guy who wrote it who is my neighbor and dealing with some weird RSI that is keeping him from sleeping well] as these things go, I think it all went okay. The peace of mind in knowing there wasn't some fomenting mess in MetaTalk while I was having hangout time with friends and family was a huge deal for me personally.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:26 AM on November 29, 2011

Is there any way to tell whether daily commenting volumes were down compared to say the last couple of weeks across the sites? Because the place seemed like a ghost town when I was home sick on Friday/Saturday and I was wondering if that was just my mood or if things were noticeably quieter compared to other Firdays.
posted by Mitheral at 6:53 PM on November 29, 2011

You can do a little sifting through the Infodump to count comments per day or week (the files update every weekend), but if you want to just do a super simple volume count you can always just check the archives for the comment id of the first comment in the first thread of each of a series of days/weeks/months and subtract one from the next to find out how many comments were made in that given span of time.
posted by cortex (staff) at 8:09 PM on November 29, 2011