Host Mac McElwain has long conversations with folks who interest him, in a lifelong attempt to be a better person.
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.
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.
This is for the vaccinated who disagree with mandates but are having trouble standing up and saying so.
This episode is for all the military service members, healthcare workers, EMTs, fire fighters, and anybody else who sacrifice their body to help others.
Mac discusses a thought experiment called The Trolley Problem. Stay tuned to the end for an update to MDI schools' new indoor mask mandate!
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.
Mac and Thia talk about the bad thing. https://mainestandsup.org https://americasfrontlinedoctors.com https://childrenshealthdefense.org https://healthimpactnews.com https://thehighwire.com
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
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.
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.
Mac reads a USAToday article and chat's with Justin Hovey about the Coronavirus.
Mac rambles for an hour about the Spit & Whittle Club. Crafts. Community. Conversation.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mac reads some stories from the Mount Desert Islander police beat, and the obituary of Richard Paul Sassaman.
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
Mac talks to his buddies Mike and Justin about poop for an hour, among other embarrassing behavior.
Mac and fiancee Hayley talk shit about their kids.
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.
Mac's friend Justin talks about life as a midget. Little people beware.
Mac talks to his mom about cigarettes, kids, arts & crafts, military deployment, and the U.S. conquest of Hawaii.
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
Mac sits down with Will Hoar and talks about Passwords Episcopalians Pavarotti Bowhunting Hawking Anxiety Attacks on Airplanes, and Smuggling Wine!
Mac and Mike actually stay on topic this episode, talking about food. Christmas feasts, lab-grown meat, factory farming, GMOs, and - as always - poop.
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
Mac talks about the Spit & Whittle Club, then with Bunny about scarring your children and shithead tailgaters.
Mac invites his old pals Mike and Justin to talk about nothing in particular. WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT