Spit & Whittle Podcast

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Host Mac McElwain has long conversations with folks who interest him, in a lifelong attempt to be a better person.

Mac McElwain


    • Sep 13, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 1h 22m AVG DURATION
    • 31 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Spit & Whittle Podcast

    #033 - Talkin Shit w/ Justin Hovey

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2022 82:18


    #032 - Big Dumb Brown Belts w/ Kris & Aaron

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2022 139:41


    http://acadiayurts.com http://acadiabjj.com http://snwclub.com/bcc Mac sits down with Kris Douglas and Aaron Sprague to talk brazillian jiu jitsu, yurts, drinking, and not drinking. Podcast begins at the 12 minute mark.

    #031 - Maine Policy w/ Nick Murray

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2022 133:29


    Justin and Mac interview Nick Murray, Policy Analyst at the Maine Policy Institute. Nick took over the Policy Analyst position right as the pandemic struck in early 2020. Since then, Nick has kept a close eye on government and public health officials, particularly in Maine, and challenged their policy decisions when transparency was needed. Follow @NickMurr on Twitter to stay up-to-date on Nick's work.

    #030 - Please Speak Out

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2021 24:47


    This is for the vaccinated who disagree with mandates but are having trouble standing up and saying so.

    #029 - Thank You for Your Service

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2021 12:11


    This episode is for all the military service members, healthcare workers, EMTs, fire fighters, and anybody else who sacrifice their body to help others.

    #028 - The Trolley Problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2021 39:47


    Mac discusses a thought experiment called The Trolley Problem. Stay tuned to the end for an update to MDI schools' new indoor mask mandate!

    #027 - Mama Tried w/ Aunt Jamie

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2021 91:44


    Aunt Jamie tells Mac the details about his cousin, who has been in and out of jail for half of his life. It's heartbreaking, eye-opening, and quite possibly life-changing for some.

    #026 - Maine Stands Up w/ Thia Embers

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 77:59


    Mac and Thia talk about the bad thing.    https://mainestandsup.org  https://americasfrontlinedoctors.com  https://childrenshealthdefense.org  https://healthimpactnews.com  https://thehighwire.com

    #025 - No Radiation, Thanks

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2021 30:46


    Mac talks about his experience attempting to opt-out of a smart meter installation by his power company, Versant Power. Visit http://ehtrust.org for info on wireless radiation. Watch the Take Back Your Power documentary at http://takebackyourpower.net Watch Doctor Devra Davis tell you to keep your cell phone out of your pocket and away from your head here: https://youtu.be/BwyDCHf5iCY

    #024 - Dangerous Misinformation

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2021 52:46


    Don't panic. Email: mac@snwclub.com

    #023 - Thanksgiving Special w/ Justin Hovey

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2020 113:32


    Mac and Justin talk about Mac's recent hunting trip, slaughtering a rooster on Thanksgiving, and online dating. Surprise guest Big John stops in to do a whiskey.

    #022 - REGROUP

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2020 36:39


    VOTE https://snwclub.com/vote Mac comes out of hiding to deliver an important message to all Americans, as well as our friends in faraway lands.

    #021 - Coronavirus w/ Justin Hovey

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2020 70:42


    Mac reads a USAToday article and chat's with Justin Hovey about the Coronavirus.

    #020 - S&W Club

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2020 51:36


    Mac rambles for an hour about the Spit & Whittle Club. Crafts. Community. Conversation.

    #019 - Alex Brookings and Erik Milles

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 26, 2020 114:29


    Alex and Erik make a trip out to Southwest Harbor to visit Mac and talk about diet, organization, and the legendary Brookings family of Bangor, ME.

    #018 - Will & Mac Quit Smoking w/ Will Hoar

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2019 94:23


    Will and Mac took a midnight stroll through the woods to sit by a stream and chain smoke one last time before giving up their lung darts.

    #017 - MDI Police Beat 002

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2019 18:06


    Mac talks about the recent Draft Day that took place at the Spit & Whittle Club in Southwest Harbor, and reads from the police beat section of the Mount Desert Islander.

    #016 - Doomsday Prepping w/ Justin Hovey

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2019 120:29


    Mac and esteemed guest Justin Hovey talk about the first moves they'd make if news of an impending ASTEROID impact reached them. SPOILER ALERT: There's no step-by-step here, but it'll give you some thoughts worth thinking. The Spit & Whittle Club is an online store for Maine craftsmen and artists to sell their wares without paying a consignment fee. Work together with your friends and neighbors to promote each others work, and save money while you're at it. Community and Collaboration is what we're all about.

    #015 - MDI Police Beat w/o Richard Sassaman

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2019 40:49


    Mac reads some stories from the Mount Desert Islander police beat, and the obituary of Richard Paul Sassaman.

    #014 - The Big D(eaf) w/ Linda Amato

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2019 135:26


    Linda’s family is friggin' Deaf, with a capital D. And I’m not referring to the fact that many of them are hard of hearing, or deaf. Being “big D” Deaf means that you are part of Deaf culture: a world that is all around us but unbeknownst to those who listen only with their ears.   Linda was born hard-of-hearing into a family of deaf parents, as was her sister Gina, who is the deafest of them all. For a deaf or hard-of-hearing child, having deaf parents is a godsend. Not all deaf or hard of hearing children are so fortunate.   When an infant can’t hear much, or at all, their concept of language is grasped much later than that of a hearing child’s… UNLESS they’re exposed to sign language.   Fortunately for Linda and Gina, their parents had been deaf their whole lives, and were a part of the Deaf community and very fluent in sign language. Linda and Gina were therefore introduced to language the same time hearing children were, because their parents signed with them from day one, just like your parents began speaking to you the minute you were born.   Most people who have deaf children aren’t deaf. Think about that for a second, and put this number to it: Approximately 95% of deaf or hard of hearing children are born to hearing parents. I know, it doesn't make sense, but Linda said it and I trust her knowledge on the subject.   That means 95% of the people who have deaf children are entirely unequipped to raise their child. When you take your kid to the doctor and find out your child is deaf or hard-of-hearing, there are a few paths you could take.   The typical, doctor-recommended course of action is to treat the hearing loss as a problem that needs fixing, and to do whatever is in your power, and your budget, to fix the child's hearing. Being a hearing person myself, that makes a lot of sense to me. Or at least it did, until I had a conversation with Linda.   Take a minute to think about the Native American cultures that used to abound in America. Each was unique, though they had many things in common. They were, and many of them still are a very tight-knit group of people who share a bond that none outside of it can appreciate fully.   In the late 19th century, Indian boarding schools were designed to educate and assimilate, by force, Native American children into white culture, to "kill the Indian in him, and save the man." The children were taken from their parents and forced to learn English, and forbidden to speak their tribal language.   I know it's a bit of a stretch, but can you see the parallels between assimilation out of Deaf or Native American culture? A child who is born into a deeply complex and profoundly connected culture, is prevented by others, at a very young age, from being a member of a culture that is their birthright.   Granted, in one example the antagonist is the oppressive 19th century U.S. Government, and the other a set of loving parents who want what they think is best for their child. I only paint this comparison to elucidate how powerful membership in Deaf culture seems to me to be, and to urge parents to at least try options B and C when the doctor tells them their child is deaf.   A - Talk about ways to fix the child’s hearing B - Find the Deaf people and start asking some questions C - Start learning sign language   My conversation with Linda was eye-opening and informative, and I want so much to share it with the world. My podcast attempts to do that. But, as I’m now realizing, deaf people can’t listen to my podcast. There’s a completely untapped market of approximately 1 million deaf people in the United States who don’t know what they’re missing on the Spit & Whittle Podcast. Well, deaf folks, I’m here to tell you that you ain’t missing much. I'm usually to drunk and unfocused to have a conversation worth listening to, but this episode, and a handful of others, have actually been pretty good, and I want very much to make them accessible to the Deaf community.   But I’m not deaf, so I have no idea how to help. If you’ve got any ideas, please tell me. Obviously I could transcribe this entire episode into text, but it was 2 hours long and I’m already getting burnt out on this short blog post.   On that note, thanks for reading and/or listening. -Mac   p.s. Here are some links and videos Linda recommended   Bill Vicars, deaf feller on youtube: https://youtube.com/user/billvicars   ASL Dictionary (American Sign Language) https://lifeprint.com        

    #013 - Everybody Poops Their Pants w/ Mike and Justin

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2019 87:51


    Mac talks to his buddies Mike and Justin about poop for an hour, among other embarrassing behavior.

    #012 - Raising up Kids with Hayley Merchant

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2019 58:31


    Mac and fiancee Hayley talk shit about their kids.

    #011 - Storytime with Mac

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2019 13:17


    Mac doesn't have a guest this week, so he talk to himself for 10 minutes, tells a story, and squeaks in a quick freestyle at the end.

    #009 - I Hate Midgets w/ Justin Hovey

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2019 100:54


    Mac's friend Justin talks about life as a midget. Little people beware.

    #008 - Bonnie "Mom" Whitmore-Willey

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2019 70:12


    Mac talks to his mom about cigarettes, kids, arts & crafts, military deployment, and the U.S. conquest of Hawaii.

    #007 - Matt Winterbourne - Cousins in (parked) Trucks Drinking Tequila

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 26, 2019 200:05


    Mac's cousin Matt is an expert communicator, and 5-year social media abstainer. You could learn a lot from him, and every single one of your relationships could benefit from his insights. Also, lots of freestyle rapping going on in this episode. In order of appearance, here are the tracks from the Youtube Audio Library used in this episode: Cut That Cake by Nana Kwabena Roots of Legend by Density & Time Scratch the Itch by Qunicas Moreira Morning by Text Me Records Cut That Cake by Nana Kwabena   TOPICS Dicks n shit Back injuries Home improvement Nail gun accidents Surnames Old trucks n truck nuts Asbestos n lead Social media I'm offended! Bullying Outrage culture Unwelcome advice Spheres of concern and influence Chuckin butts RAP BATTLE Intervening in violent situations Punching chicks Papa Murphy's Pizza Portland Pie Co. #greatdiamond

    #005 - Will Hoar

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2019 92:50


    Mac sits down with Will Hoar and talks about Passwords Episcopalians Pavarotti Bowhunting Hawking Anxiety Attacks on Airplanes, and Smuggling Wine!

    #004 - Mike Amato - The Food Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2019 111:43


    Mac and Mike actually stay on topic this episode, talking about food. Christmas feasts, lab-grown meat, factory farming, GMOs, and - as always - poop.

    #003 - Kissy Kisserson

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2018 141:51


    Mac and his cousin step into the garage for a little pre-Christmas podcast. Topics include home improvement, ancient Egypt, parenthood, shitty dogs, going to jail, midgets (again), and mushroom smuggling. WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT

    #002 - Edith "Bunny" Cook

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2018 95:41


    Mac talks about the Spit & Whittle Club, then with Bunny about scarring your children and shithead tailgaters.

    #001 - Old Friends

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2018 116:02


    Mac invites his old pals Mike and Justin to talk about nothing in particular. WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT

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