Topic: Cheese

Nicholas Gregorchik requests the "Mac and Cheese" jingle and discusses his return to the church inspired by the "We Get to Do This" podcast. He reflects on his listenership since 2022 and his appreciation for the hosts' Christian perspectives. The segment features the iconic jingle describing macaroni and cheap cheddar melted together.

Sir John of South London requests karma for the entire producer community, while Sir Gust Cadaver thanks the hosts for their coverage during the "Wuhan virus" era. David Arelains is knighted as "Sir David EA of Extended Reality" and requests Oxacan ball string cheese for the roundtable.

Sir Hair Heel reaches Baron status and requests a roundtable menu of various pharmaceutical drugs (Ipilimumab, Nivolumab) and a "lack of side effects." Adrian Sales from Australia is knighted as Sir Machiavelli, requesting macaroni and cheese with Hennessy. The classic "Mac and Cheese" jingle is played.

Joel Cox is knighted as "Sir Engineer of Most" after 19 years of listening, crediting the show as "conspiracy therapy" during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brent Stricker sends a "triple nickel" ($555) donation from Rhode Island, requesting the "Mac and Cheese" jingle. The segment highlights the deep personal connection long-term listeners have with the show's hosts and tropes.

The show plays the "Dvorak Mac and Cheese" jingle one last time for a donor from Wisconsin. Adam Curry and Tina the Keeper conduct the final large-scale knighthood ceremony, reading a long list of new Barons, Viscounts, and Dames. They celebrate several birthdays and title changes, marking the end of the 19th-anniversary peerage segment.

The show continues with the knighthood ceremony for several producers, including Sir Double J and Sir Robertson of Two Sticks. Donors share personal stories of listening to the show for over a decade and the impact John C. Dvorak had on their lives. Adam Curry plays requested jingles, including "Mac and Cheese" and "Shut Up Slave," as part of the ceremony.

Suzuki of Enoshima hopes Dvorak is enjoying "the best mac and cheese ever" in heaven. Baron Bones recalls shaking Dvorak's hand at a Seattle meetup. Dame Rebecca remembers Dvorak affectionately calling her the "VO girl" during a live appearance.

A segment dedicated to high-tier donors features the knighting of Sir Lauren, Sir Crazy Carl, and Dame Catty Bones. The hosts read personal notes from producers, including a touching tribute from Catty Bones to her late husband. New "Red Knights" are inducted into the "Order of the Heart," receiving signet rings and certificates of authenticity.

A discussion regarding the "walking dance" phenomenon on TikTok describes it as a jig-like movement popular among younger users. The conversation shifts to the lack of value found on social media platforms, with the exception of specific food trends like cottage cheese chips.

A Black Friday promotion involving a 65-inch television-sized box filled with 65 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese for $19.37 caused consumer outrage. Shoppers reported that carts were emptied and supply vanished within seconds of the online launch. Critics labeled the event a clever but frustrating marketing stunt that left many fans disappointed.

The discussion of modern robotics prompted a retrospective on Nolan Bushnell, the founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese. In 1983, Bushnell introduced the Topo robot, which was marketed as a breakthrough in personal robotics capable of navigating to a refrigerator to retrieve beverages. Despite the hype of the "year of the robot" in the early 1980s, these early machines remained largely gimmicks compared to modern AI ambitions.

The show acknowledges major donations from "Sironimus of Dogpatch" and "Dame Catherine," the latter contributing via Bitcoin. Amidst the donor thank-yous, a news item is shared regarding Kraft's release of an apple pie-flavored mac and cheese available at Walmart. The hosts express disgust at the new product, labeling it a "nasty" take on a holiday classic.

A discussion of shifting economic conditions highlights the return of "Mac and Cheese" times as consumers move toward budget meals like Hamburger Helper. An anecdote regarding the Fredericksburg Food and Wine Festival in Texas illustrates a disconnect between high-end events and declining consumer revenue. Local business owners report that while foot traffic remains high, actual spending has dropped significantly as visitors are "just looking."

A retrospective on General Mills' attempt to remove artificial dyes from Trix cereal reveals that consumers rejected the "boring" natural colors, forcing the company to revert to synthetic dyes. The discussion covers how brands like Kraft and Mars use different ingredients in Europe versus the U.S. due to regulation and consumer perception. The hosts recall historical marketing tactics, such as putting towels or toys inside product packaging.

Kraft created a grilled cheese-scented incense, which the hosts criticize as a "cheap" chemical scent. They suggest a pivot to "Mac and Cheese candles" as a superior home fragrance product.

Several high-value donors are recognized, including Hayes and Sir Lawrence of Dystopia. A note from Sir Lawrence celebrates his wife's mac and cheese and mentions his latest gun purchase. The hosts also acknowledge February 2nd as the 120th birthday of philosopher Ayn Rand.

The history of "Government Cheese" is traced back to World War II, when the U.S. government became a massive buyer of milk to produce ice cream for military morale. After the war, the government continued buying milk to prevent the dairy industry's collapse, storing the surplus as cheese in underground caverns. During the Reagan administration, this surplus was distributed to low-income families, leading to the creation of the National Dairy Council to drive private milk consumption.

Curry compares the high quality of raw milk cheeses and local food in Italy to the "slop" served in America. He notes that Italian food often features "0 km" labeling, indicating extreme locality. The conversation touches on the disparity between US health insurance costs and the more affordable, though sometimes slower, European socialized systems.

Eloise of the Woods describes her experience working as a 24-7 stakeout guard for ballot boxes in Vancouver, Washington. Another donor points out that investors are accidentally buying "Blue Sky Digital" stock, a penny-stock crypto company, thinking it is the social media platform Blue Sky. The segment concludes with various "karma" requests for jobs and health.

The FDA confirmed that viral fragments of bird flu found in grocery store milk are inactive and pose no threat to humans due to the effectiveness of pasteurization. Health officials continue to warn against the consumption of raw milk, while some argue the bird flu scare is being used to target the raw dairy industry.