New Podcast: Rum Doings – Episode One
by John Walker on Aug.10, 2009, under Rum Doings, The Rest
Obviously what you were thinking was, “There aren’t enough podcasts around at the moment.” The more astute would be thinking, “There aren’t enough podcasts with John Walker in them.” Fortunately in whichever circle of this diagram you fall, rewards await.
With my good friend Nicholas Mailer, a podcast was recorded this weekend – called Rum Doings – with one aim in mind: to not be on topic.
Something Nick and I have often felt when listening to favourite podcasts, radio programmes, or even television programmes, is that the best bits are always when those participating go off the planned topic and start rambling in surprise directions. It is always received with great disappointment when the host pulls everyone back on track. So the idea behind Rum Doings was to see if it was possible to begin with a topic in mind and then see how quickly it can be abandoned, and indeed forgotten. It seemed to go well. In episode one we didn’t discuss why Claire Fox should be fired from Radio 4’s The Moral Maze.
There is no particular theme. Nick’s primary goal was to not discuss videogames, which makes his extensive discussion of Star Glider a bold move. Also discussed is how to win at Countdown, why the letter Q has got above its station, and how to write music with sine waves. Amongst a great deal else.
You can listen to the programme via this link here, or get the mp3 directly by clicking here, and when it finishes tunnelling under the iTunes concrete walls I’ll link to that too.
As this is the first episode, and as we’re doing this without the launchpad of an established site or mag, we’re going to rely on word of mouth/rampant linking. So if you feel the compulsion, please blog/tweet/IM/scrawl the URL on toilet walls as much as you can. If enough people are interested, we’ll carry on. Let me know what you think below, or write it on a brick and throw it through my window.
August 10th, 2009 on 20:56
Oh, lovely. You’re a good podcaster on RPS, so I’m sure this’ll be enjoyable.
August 10th, 2009 on 21:21
I was just daydreaming that I was at a city hall meeting themed upon “There aren’t enough podcasts with John Walker in them.”
It is good to know the thought police sometimes put their powers to good use.
August 11th, 2009 on 07:33
I listened to this on the way to work today. It kind of works – I think as you say, the lack of a topic makes it hard to find a ‘baseline’. I don’t know who I’d share it with specifically, because I don’t know who it appeals to.
But yeah, some good bits there. I think Nick is a little – sorry, Nick – snobbish? I’m absolutely sure he isn’t in real life, but he does come across like that a little on the podcast.
Other than those two things, it was good times. Change the name, maybe?
Anyway. I’ll listen to the next one, surely.
August 11th, 2009 on 14:12
I can assure you Nick and I are just as snobbish as we sound : )
The name is awesome, however. AWESOME.
August 11th, 2009 on 14:34
Funnily enough, my original topic idea was why it was good to be elitist and a snob! (Genuinely). Perhaps that shall be the topic to avoid next time.
August 11th, 2009 on 14:48
The name makes no senses! It was all Brandy Doings! Which admittedly makes less sense. But still.
Brandy-nanigans?
August 11th, 2009 on 15:26
John did want rum, but we’d run out.
August 12th, 2009 on 08:17
I quite like the name and the meandering podcast.
More please. *clap clap*
August 12th, 2009 on 16:55
Thank you! That was a brilliantly random podcast, I’ll definitely be looking forward to the next one. Maybe next you can do ask for questions via tweet that you won’t answer?
How about Whiskey Thinking as a title? Not that I’m suggesting you’re alcholics, oh no!
August 12th, 2009 on 18:30
Unfortunately still no sign on the iTunes Podcast Transmission Network.
August 12th, 2009 on 21:21
Hmm.. John, can you try to submit it manually?
August 13th, 2009 on 03:32
I thought it was fun to listen to, though really it’s just a recording of a couple of guys randomly chatting for an hour. It may be a bit of a tough sell. I do like the idea that diversions can be the most entertaining bits, but maybe that only works while they’re actually diversions from something? Maybe you guys could have some more structured diversioning to be diverting from?
Right then, having cleared that up I’ll be on my way..
(oh, but maybe you guys need a third party present to at least giggle a bit when a phallic (fellatioic?) analogy is used to describe drinking coke. (and a ‘nice’ one at that.))
August 13th, 2009 on 09:04
These “Rum Doings”. Are they a-transpirin’?
August 13th, 2009 on 19:38
I was listening to this on my portable audio player of choice to-day, and when you held the brandy up to the microphone, I happened to pass a Wetherspoons.
Granted, so it was less ‘brandy’, more ‘lager and sick’, but the end result (i.e. the smell of alcohol) was a nice surprise.
Overall, good podcast.
(Also, I didn’t know you were the person referred to by Mitch Benn in that recent song from the Now Show – my interests are converging in one big Venn Diagram of awesome.)
August 13th, 2009 on 20:28
Not being a listener to the Now Show, what with my issues with blood coming out my ears and eyes, I wasn’t aware either. Until someone told me I should listen. What an astonishingly long grudge to hold!
August 14th, 2009 on 14:33
I bit the bullet and listened to it without iTunes. I had the fortune of seeing Stallman sing the Free Software Song live at GCDS this summer and asked him a a question. He’s a rather rude man.
Good podcast, I enjoyed it a lot, particularly programming chat. Does Nick have a blog/twitter?
August 17th, 2009 on 19:38
You should do another. I particularly liked the way you were trying to persuade Nick that Deus Ex was good. He was itching to say that everyone pronounces “deus ex machina” wrongly, wasn’t he?
August 19th, 2009 on 17:16
Good podcast. I drink tomato juice for fun, even when not on airplanes. And was it me, but did the posh one sound more and more like some English actor playing a Nazi in an old film as the podcast go on?
August 19th, 2009 on 23:56
The posh one? Nazi? Hehe.
I’m foreign scum, so can’t be posh, and the Nazis really didn’t like my sort.
August 20th, 2009 on 16:30
Just reread that and realised that it appears that I was calling you a Nazi. I wasn’t – honest. Just the same accent as one of the actors in Where Eagles Dare or something. Must be just because I’ve never heard a posh South African (I guess) accent *disappears in puff of social faux pas*
August 20th, 2009 on 19:50
So, how about some more of this, eh. It’s been long enough.
August 20th, 2009 on 20:31
More tomorrow.
August 21st, 2009 on 10:30
Man, people power, eh?
August 21st, 2009 on 13:50
Is that like Puppy Power?
August 26th, 2009 on 19:26
I was listening to this and I remember thinking “I *bet* Mike says it sounds a bit snobbish”. Bam! (I’ve known Mike for years and bear a passing similarity (though he’s much less handsome), big up the liberal christian gamer crew etc)
Keep doing exactly what you’re doing. I dig the flanders and swann, the obscure stuff I get. When you’re on a topic with which I am less familiar, you would be terrified to know that I find it enlightening and educating.
August 30th, 2009 on 09:16
This has been a profoundly soothing podcast experience.
Imonna git me some more.
August 31st, 2009 on 07:21
And one more thing: thank you so much for Flanders & Swann. I don’t know how I lived all these years without them. :swoons:
September 1st, 2009 on 18:09
Whoops. There’s two Mikes.
September 3rd, 2009 on 07:53
Enjoyable listen.
With regards to the candle thing. If you are blowing air out of your mouth containing the same energy as a candle flame, that air is going to be quite hot. I believe it is commonly referred to as breathing fire. If you can’t see how that is going to fail to put the candle out, well, I can’t really help you…
September 14th, 2009 on 20:05
Just some more silly science songs:
http://acme.com/jef/singing_science/