93: Midlife Crisis Machine
 transcript  June 4, 2014 12:47 PM   Subscribe

The newest episode of the podcast features the same crew of jessamyn (first post-MeFi show!), me, and cortex recapping the funding efforts, and then all the best bits from the MeFi universe that runs a total of 1hr 40min long.


Helpful Links

Podcast Feed
Subscribe with iTunes
Direct mp3 download

MetaTalk links
Fundraising update for MeFi, Original "State of MeFi" announcement, Medium post with more background. TLDR podcast on the MeFi situation.

MeFi Jobs
Looking for Environmental Science bloggers

MeFi Projects
Winter on Georgian Bay by kaibutsu (MeFi post)

MetaFilter Radio app by scottandrew

How Not to be Wrong (book about Math) by escabeche (first chapter preview here)

The Internet Directory by rottytooth

Nervous Times photography by Lorin

The Disintegrator by TwoWordReview (posted to MeFi)

Puppy Space Pirates comic by hellojed

Ren's List dog site for people in the Buffalo-Niagara area by LaurenIpsum

Ask MeFi Questions

Help me understand how Tumblr works?

What have you learned through your career, major, or specialization that you wish the general public knew? (from 2009, came back because of this MetaTalk thread)

Is the Emperor in Warhammer 40k dead or alive?

Can Nuclear Weapons Actually Kill Xenomorphs? (from the Aliens universe)

Weird/unusual Washington DC sights? (jessamyn's answer, photo)

Does poop on a waterslide go the same speed as you sliding or not?

Medieval stories not about kings/queens/nobility but regular folks?

Pioneer/Homesteading/Country Life books about prairie life?

Do new fiber phone lines from FiOS still support analog telephone functions?

MeFi Posts

Last Week with John Oliver on Net Neutrality

Poolside.fm - 80s-ish music and video streaming

One Tap Quest - simple one-click D&D type game

How well can you spell? Spot-the-typo game from the Washington Post

Stevenf's story of mastering Dragon's Lair (World War G comic, Midlife Crisis Machine, Combat on the Atari2600)

Arcade Font Writer

CitiBiker - quest to find the lowest ID Citibike in NYC

SCTV's Dr. Tongue's Evil House of Pancakes (Canadian content)

HR Giger died

The Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles on Oprah in 1989

Google unveils a self-driving car

MeFi Music

Collisions by Wolfdog
posted by mathowie (staff) to MeFi Podcast at 12:47 PM (59 comments total) 9 users marked this as a favorite

OMG I MADE THE PODCAST.
posted by capricorn at 1:10 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


Hahaha! It starts with a quasi pledge break! I love it!

Also, WHAT HO, MODS and MOD EMERITA!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:17 PM on June 4, 2014 [3 favorites]


Heyy, me too. Thanks for looking!
posted by Lorin at 1:18 PM on June 4, 2014


Wouldn't the nemesis be Jessamyn East?
posted by boo_radley at 2:10 PM on June 4, 2014 [5 favorites]


I think nemeses are like witches and bridge partners; West and East vs. North and South.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:11 PM on June 4, 2014 [9 favorites]


(and I'm pretty sure Jessamyn will file that in the "I've never heard that before" file)
posted by boo_radley at 2:16 PM on June 4, 2014


It starts with a quasi pledge break!

I realized after we recorded it that I should have said thank you about a thousand times and I was still in the omg it's really happening mode and didn't do it enough, then pb said I should just Ira Glass it and open with a "special message from Ira Glass" saying what I wished I said when we recorded.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 2:17 PM on June 4, 2014 [6 favorites]


It starts with a quasi pledge break!

Bully pulpit!

But yeah unlike Jessamyn East and Jessamyn South, Jessamyn North actually exists so she is my living nemesis.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 2:18 PM on June 4, 2014 [14 favorites]


What I'm hearing you say is that you hunted down and "took care" of the other cardinal directions.
posted by nubs at 2:20 PM on June 4, 2014 [10 favorites]


Man, sassy snarky jessamyn is making me miss New England something fierce right now. You tell these Pacific NW diffidents what's up.
posted by Errant at 2:22 PM on June 4, 2014 [2 favorites]


Jess told you so!!!

I love that Jess tells you she told you so.

Because, when is Jess ever wrong ?
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 2:28 PM on June 4, 2014 [2 favorites]


That modified plagal cadence at the end gives just the touch of relaxed finality that every podcast needs.
posted by Wolfdog at 2:47 PM on June 4, 2014


Wouldn't the nemesis be Jessamyn East?

In my real life, I know a Jessamyn West and a Jessamyn North. I just need a Jessamyn East and a Jessamyn South, and I'll have the whole set!

Wait! I just read that Jessamyn West knows (or knows of) J. North. That's amazing.
posted by xingcat at 2:53 PM on June 4, 2014 [2 favorites]


The former Jessamyn Bagley? Oh we're in (occasional) touch. I have a directory of Jessamyns and there is (of course) a facebook group.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 2:59 PM on June 4, 2014 [2 favorites]


Now that I know you guys listen to WTF/Maron as fervently as I do this whole site makes much more sense.
posted by escabeche at 3:19 PM on June 4, 2014


I don't actually listen to Maron, but I do listen to a lot of Comedy Bang Bang! and am constantly wondering why Matt and Jess won't follow through on bits.
posted by cortex (staff) at 3:36 PM on June 4, 2014 [3 favorites]


And of course The Jessamyn Beyond The Wall.
posted by The Whelk at 4:02 PM on June 4, 2014 [7 favorites]


"Jessamyn told you so!" needs to be a regular feature.
posted by These Premises Are Alarmed at 4:06 PM on June 4, 2014


oh wow, this is really good. why have I not been listening to this. (because I am a jerk).
posted by jonbro at 4:08 PM on June 4, 2014


I made the podcast tooo! hurrghhg
posted by hellojed at 4:25 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


cake numbers?

0 cake -> bad
0.5 cake -> ok
1 cake -> good
2 cake -> awesome
posted by Hairy Lobster at 4:31 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


The Whelk: "And of course The Jessamyn Beyond The Wall."

you know nothing, Whelk Snow.
posted by boo_radley at 4:51 PM on June 4, 2014 [10 favorites]


How is it possible that Mapstalgia was YEARS ago. Wow.
theme hospital woooooo
posted by Glinn at 6:03 PM on June 4, 2014


You guys should do a podcast from a parallel MeFi universe where Jessamyn has a beard and is in charge of the site. Either the Terran Empire Spock goatee or as a spin-off of the current Google woes, Jeremiah Johnson Riker from the Borg universe.
posted by XMLicious at 6:07 PM on June 4, 2014


Jessamyn, Intergalactic Space Magistrate.
posted by arcticseal at 7:18 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


am constantly wondering why Matt and Jess won't follow through on bits.

"bee buzz"

I just got that NOW.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:32 PM on June 4, 2014


A few things...

Yes, Marc and Moon broke up a few episodes back or so, IIRC they were together less than six months, but he put it all out there. Marc is who he is, which is occasionally abrasive and depressive, but I've come to value his intro more than the interviews. His recent rift with his dad, and later their reconciliation, was difficult to traverse with him but ultimately very rewarding. His ability to put himself out there completely is why he is successful in reaching other people, and why his current work is of real value, interviews and otherwise. As a comedian, he finally arrived with his true voice when he did this through his podcast.

FWIW, I like the length of the podcast, which is similar to a few of my other favorite podcasts, WTF, Mental Illness Happy Hour and Comedy Bang! Bang! Also, Dan Carlin's excellent Hardcore History is 3-4 hours per episode. 1-2 hours is good for a conversational podcast like yours. When it's shorter I always feel like it's cut off before it gets going.
posted by krinklyfig at 7:33 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


I call dibs on naming my band The Milkshake Scenario.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:03 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


Jessamyn speaks for the trains ...
posted by tilde at 8:10 PM on June 4, 2014


But yeah unlike Jessamyn East and Jessamyn South, Jessamyn North actually exists so she is my living nemesis.

There's also the lesser-known Jessamuarks: Jessamyn Up, Jessamyn Down, Jessamyn Top, Jessamyn Bottom, Jessamyn Charm, and the ever-popular Jessamyn Strange.
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:04 PM on June 4, 2014 [9 favorites]


So North West, offspring of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, is her own nemesis?
posted by Pronoiac at 10:46 PM on June 4, 2014


the ever-popular Jessamyn Strange.

That's Sorcerer Supreme Jessamyn Strange thank you.
posted by The Whelk at 10:52 PM on June 4, 2014 [4 favorites]


The transcript is open!
posted by Pronoiac at 11:29 PM on June 4, 2014 [1 favorite]


What's this about planar longitude muscles or something? Can't swipe back to catch it.
posted by Iteki at 3:56 AM on June 5, 2014


You forgot Jessamyn Ana and Jessamyn Kata.
posted by Meatbomb at 4:47 AM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Jessamyn Turnwise and Jessamyn Widdershins
posted by Rock Steady at 6:11 AM on June 5, 2014 [2 favorites]


Palmaris longus probably, Iteki.
posted by cgc373 at 6:21 AM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Wasn't Jessamyn Strange a song by Heart?
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 6:37 AM on June 5, 2014


cake numbers?

40 cakes -> four tens -> terrible
posted by elizardbits at 7:10 AM on June 5, 2014 [2 favorites]


Well, at least this time I has read two of the relevant links. That's a record for me!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 8:10 AM on June 5, 2014


I think by the transitive property 40 cakes = ten petit-fours which is delightful, not terrible.
posted by maryr at 8:22 AM on June 5, 2014


"Jessamyn told you so!" needs to be a regular feature.

I thought that was called AskMe.

Also: Celsius, I am perturbed that you beat me to the quark joke.
posted by Alterscape at 8:33 AM on June 5, 2014 [3 favorites]


You should just put another spin on it.
posted by maryr at 8:35 AM on June 5, 2014 [9 favorites]


Let's not get entangled in a minor issue.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:38 AM on June 5, 2014 [7 favorites]


Those are some cheesy puns. Like non-aged German cheese curds cheesy.
posted by XMLicious at 8:45 AM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


I listened as I drove to work and was kept cheerful and non-homicidal even when I was being tailgated by a woman who was doing her eye makeup (!!!). I mean, I shouted a little, but it was nowhere near as loud or profane as it could have been because I didn't want to miss any of the podcast. Thanks!
posted by rtha at 8:59 AM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Jessamyn Strange & Mr Millard
posted by infinitewindow at 9:12 AM on June 5, 2014 [9 favorites]


As a curdesy, I'd like to point out there's alwheys room for cheesier puns.
posted by maryr at 10:03 AM on June 5, 2014 [8 favorites]


My cake number is 15 because when I was 15 years old I once ate 15 pieces of cake in a single setting.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 12:11 PM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


Heck; made the podcast for the first time. Not once, but twice. {eyes very wide} Need to make a seriously large cup of tea to listen to this.
posted by Wordshore at 1:40 PM on June 5, 2014


{Listens to podcast}

{Is now worried that Jessamyn woke up one day and thought "Y'know, I need to go work somewhere else where I'm not moderating juvenile AskMeFi's about poop on waterslides"}

{Hopes John Oliver Net Neutrality post redeemed and cancelled out juvenile AskMeFi post}
posted by Wordshore at 1:57 PM on June 5, 2014


Make friends of all the animals, indeed.

It's not quite a Dashboard widget, but if you wanted to make a screensaver out of the Internet Directory (or any web page), you can use Websaver.
posted by ignignokt at 6:51 PM on June 5, 2014 [1 favorite]


I searched the site about 5 times before I posted One Tap Quest, because I was damned near certain that it was the sort of thing that Cortex would have already have posted...
posted by schmod at 5:25 AM on June 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


Many thanks to jessamyn, for continuing to contribute to the podcast. Her presence adds a great deal to the program.

I realize it's a vanishingly small fraction of the work that moderators actually do around here. But, it's the vast majority of what *I* see. My first thought at learning of mefi's staff reorganization was sadness that her voice would be absent from the podcast. I'm very happy to learn that's not the case.
posted by eotvos at 7:32 PM on June 10, 2014 [3 favorites]


About that mentioned Midlife Crisis Machine in bondcliff's basement. (photo)
posted by TangerineGurl at 9:32 PM on June 13, 2014 [1 favorite]


Woot! The transcript is done, and on the wiki now! Thanks for the work and the heads up, TangerineGurl!
posted by Pronoiac at 3:33 PM on June 14, 2014


I have abused my non-authority and linked it up!
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 4:35 PM on June 14, 2014 [2 favorites]


Yay! Thank you for all the work, TangerineGurl!!! I have been enjoying the transcripts as a reader even though I have not been able to contribute as much.

And jessamyn, it is lovely of you to keep doing the podcast *and* to link up the transcript for us. :)
posted by beryllium at 3:57 AM on June 16, 2014 [1 favorite]


On the other hand, Jessamyn North-by-Northwest works in advertising and occasionally gets mistaken for someone else.
posted by blueberry at 11:00 AM on June 20, 2014


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