Rum Doings Episode 32
by John Walker on Jun.24, 2010, under Rum Doings, The Rest
In our 32nd podcast, with Nick fully recovered from last week’s cold, we don’t discuss EEEEEEEERRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN.
We cover all bases when discussing football, ponder Trident, and wonder if cream teas work abroad. Then via coming out stories we discuss the James Randi Educational Foundation million dollar prize, dowsing, and how cold reading works. Then there’s memories of some of the funniest moments of Magician Uri Geller looking like a fraud and a fool. Unfortunately the programme On Holiday With The Gellers is not on 4oD. But please do enjoy his being exposed by James Randi on Johnny Carson’s show:
Sadly we cannot link to the clip from Leverage, due to the pathetic stupidity of TNT demanding that the free promotion of the programme be removed from YouTube. But we do discuss a number of television programmes that have professed to demonstrate paranormal powers, and some that have set out to do the opposite. We consider the complexity of stochasticity, the uncomfortable nature of pranks, and we wonder at the wisdom of the NHS’s “Wake Up To Rape” campaign.
Meet John’s sock puppet boss. And then there’s a few words on the budget. Which you’ll not be surprised to learn end up being more about the Matrix and how we annoy our friends.
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June 24th, 2010 on 17:23
Yaaay! Nick’s back!
June 24th, 2010 on 19:10
The term you’re looking for is ‘confirmation bias’. It’s when you only remember the time dowsing works, and not when it didn’t.
June 24th, 2010 on 19:20
Indeed, Strabo. I should have remembered that. Clearly my cold is not completely cured.
June 25th, 2010 on 16:25
I also thought that John got to speak a lot more than “real” Nick usually lets him.
This did not please me.
June 25th, 2010 on 17:53
An excellent return to form.
I saw that Uri doc with him banging on about the number eleven and having room “901”. T’was funny.
I think you should have given more credit to Beadle’s About; the classic one was when they persuaded a woman that an alien had landed in her back garden and she enunciated the words “would you like a cup of tea?” in the way that mentals do when visiting a foreign country.
Jolly good show. Yours, I mean.
June 26th, 2010 on 09:36
Ugh, no. I came here to cite that episode with the alien as an example of the show’s cringe-making meanspiritedness. Publicly humiliating a slightly dim old woman? Top TV!
June 27th, 2010 on 04:19
I really don’t understand the fixation with regressive taxes like the VAT. People with little disposable income can’t stop buying the staple products they’re already purchasing, so it’s not just a matter of excess consumption. You end up with governments (at least here in Canada) mailing you ‘credits’ for the sales tax it figures you shouldn’t have had to pay during the year if your income is too low. It’s like the almost get what’s wrong with the situation but can’t quite grasp it.
June 28th, 2010 on 08:28
There is no VAT on most of the important “staple” products.
June 28th, 2010 on 23:42
Nobody noticed! :O The square root of -4 is 2i, not 2. Don’t look for the square root of negative numbers if you don’t know what you’re doing.
June 29th, 2010 on 08:03
So, where’s this lev’rahzh you speak of?
June 29th, 2010 on 08:43
radomaj: I did realise that it was strictly 2i, but since I’ve decided all numbers are imaginary, I allowed it.