John Walker's Electronic House

Episode 55 of Rum Doings sees a sleepy John and Nick not discussing something something something. But instead chatting about the weather.

In an episode recorded before John died of the flu, we take leave of our senses and embrace Winter by drinking neat Pimms. We then consider Christmas meals, the reality of Father Christmas, and how to spend the season. And other Christmassy matters. With excellent impressions of the Queen.

We ponder turkey, writing with pens, and the transmogrifying nature of Quality Street. We then proceed for forget the names of everyone ever. And discuss the theological implications of God’s not having a beard.

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Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e55.mp3]

This week, in a 54th episode of Rum Doings, we don’t discuss: Is it finally time to say a fond farewell to the sell-by date? But we do start arguing about coats and umbrellas.

We consume prana, and biscuits. And then we are inspired to chat by the waiting questions on John’s Formspring. And that’s all the information you get, as since recording John’s got flu and his hands and everythings hurt.

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. And please really do. I’d like to see a spike in our listener numbers. And writing a review on iTunes brings us more attention.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, which apparently people still do, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e54.mp3]

In episode 53 of Rum Doings we don’t discuss whether it’s time to give up on the panda.

We begin with an attempt to understand our favourite worst drink, Stroh. Then Nick gets concerned about how very, very old he is, and John is finally recognised Mozart. We discuss John’s meeting Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, whether Derren Brown has got his name wrong, and how John is the cause of all of Rum Doings’ naughtiness.

There’s talk of Enid Blyton, today’s vote about student tuition fees and my battling with Bath MP Don Foster, Lib Dem bingo, and bad documentaries about Calvin & Hobbes. Then via the topic of WikiLeaks, we end up with what will likely be understood to be a particularly controversial conversation about rape. Just so you know.

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. And please really do. I’d like to see a spike in our listener numbers. And writing a review on iTunes brings us more attention.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, which apparently people still do, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e53.mp3]

Nick’s going to kill me.

In Rum Doings Episode 52, where we don’t discuss why oh why the Russians have stolen our football, Nick and John weren’t able to meet up. Due to interventions by the weather, illness, and her royal majesty the Queen, this week’s episode was record in two separate locations, on our own. Because Skype is awful, and everyone should stop suggesting it.

So we begin with Nick’s monologue, in which he discusses colds, Kickstarter, and ideas for revolutionising the distribution of classical music. He postulates on how billionaires should be spending their money for the better good, and what is a word? You can read the essay he mentions here.

Then it’s John’s turn. He discusses Rum Doings fans, Batman, science, outlandish racism, and the coexistence of dinosaurs and man. Learn how dinosaurs were vegetarians, who loves Nick, and which famous people were lucky enough to meet John yesterday. (And sorry to my friends who listen, whom I have remembered since.)

Let’s see how cross Nick gets.

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Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e52.mp3]

Rum Doings Episode 51 (episode 50 is in the same place as episode 40) begins with the subject that we’re not discussing: what has happened to the good old fashioned British bread bin?

But instead John goes through Nick’s DVDs. Which he brought into the studio for some reason. We reminisce about John’s radio days, getting caught for lying, Nick starts lying, and musicals. The film John couldn’t remember the name of was Guy And Madeline On A Park Bench.

We discuss mega-churches, the modern pop music of the young people of today, and Cloud Cult. Then Michael Buerk, and David Starkey.

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. Do whatever it is that makes the internet work. And writing a review on iTunes makes us happy in our tummies.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, you wretched child, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e51.mp3]

Very welcome are you to Episode 49 of Rum Doings, during which we absolutely don’t discuss whether it’s time that PC local councils stopped trying to ban Christmas.

Instead we discuss which bits are best in Private Eye, the cream tea emergency that is the Easy-Boy Armchair, and what shops will be gone in ten years time. Then we lament books. And Star Wars. And SCUBA diving! Nick invents Abuse Therapy, and John is fat. And of course gay videogame characters.

Re Nick’s suggestion, here are the links to Bastard Of The Old Republic, parts one, two, and three.

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. Do whatever it is that makes the internet work. And writing a review on iTunes makes us happy in our tummies.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, you wretched child, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e49.mp3]

For episode 48 of Rum Doings we don’t discuss whether it’s time to ban fireworks to protect our children. But we do attempt to guess what the internet and technology will look like in 2020. And look at the sad state of John’s Kingdom of America. Then the best thing ever: 10,000 Dreams And Their Traditional Meanings. (Which turns out to be by Gustavus Hindman Miller.)

John learns some Latin, we talk about the fight for the rainbow, and what it’s like to watch a podcast being recorded. Nick then announces that Rock, Paper, Shotgun is not a blog. And then we discuss the lack of corruption in the industry.

Many apologies for the very strange blippy nature of the recording. We’ve deemed it perfectly listenable, if a tiny bit annoying. If anyone knows what might be causing it, let us know. We’re using a Logitech USB mic in a Win 7 HP Mini 311C, recording on Audacity. (If it helps, there seems to be a fictional 8 seconds at the end that doesn’t exist, which is presumably the total time stolen by the blips.)

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. Do whatever it is that makes the internet work. And writing a review on iTunes makes us happy in our tummies.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, sigh, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e48.mp3]

In a forty-seventh episode of Rum Doings, we take our lead from your Twittered suggestions. But we don’t discuss the fluoride conspiracy.

We begin by reminiscing over the last two weeks of events in exquisite detail, before diving into your suggestions. Oh, and after killing a cat, live on air.

What do centaurs do with their arms? Do our listeners hate Israel? A peculiarly placed review of Medal Of Honour. Nicknames. Do our listeners still hate Israel? How do we prefer to insulate our parcels? Premarital sex? Baseball! Prime numbers! What are our favourite most hated films? Hollywood musicals, and midi orchestras. That’s more than enough.

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. Do whatever it is that makes the internet work. And writing a review on iTunes makes us happy in our tummies.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, sigh, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e47.mp3]

Episode 46 of Rum Doings begins with confusion over Ghostbusters cartoons. It turns out that Nick was talking about this, while John was talking about this.

Not being discussed this week: Staycations. But Nick does want to discuss synthesised theme tunes. After quite a long diversion into this week’s vile drink, John steers the conversation toward the Insane Clown Posse. This video being key:

This was inspired by a wonderful article by Jon Ronson, which you can read here.

Then it’s time for Nick’s polemic against Poetry, which gives John an excuse to rage about how much he dislikes Poetry Please.

And now here’s your homework. A full critical analysis, and what it means, sent to our email address. By Tuesday morning, please.

An ode to the tcp/ip protocols.

A war of ice but doomsday thaws beneath
A map of ink, once breached, a world unsaved;
A frigid winter beckons, deadly wreath
To words not launched, so bombs subsume the grave.
But missiles questing on their morbid route
Still need some tangled speech to guide them through
A chain of words in terminal pursuit
But wordly packets glitter forth like dew
They spread themselves betwixt the frosted blades
Fecundity of knowledge jumbled up
Re-formed at every end in liquid braids
Of speech now flowing into Man’s shared cup
For Cerf and allies thought it for the best
That flames be naught but datagrams of text

We consider if accents can be racist, ban “How are you?”, and complain about dreaming. Then Nick sings for us. And then completely ignores John’s attempt to sing back. There’s a teaser for a future discussion of CAP Alert, and then thoughts on Mary Poppins.

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. Do whatever it is that makes the internet work. And writing a review on iTunes makes us happy in our tummies.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, sigh, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e46.mp3]

Excuse the brevity in describing episode 45 of Rum Doings, but in an episode in which we don’t discuss the abolishing of the pocket calculator (for children), we do discuss some subjects at length, and sometimes quite seriously.

There are a lot of thoughts on the coalition government, for which you’ll need this as a primer:

Then Banksy and the Simpsons opening:

And then the issues with Art With A Capital A.

Tweet it, Facebook it, as strangers on Formspring about it. Do whatever it is that makes the internet work. And writing a review on iTunes makes us happy in our tummies.

If you want to email us, you can do that here. If you want to be a “fan” of ours on Facebook, sigh, you can do that here.

To get this episode directly, right click and save here. To subscribe to Rum Doings click here, or you can find it in iTunes here.

Or you can listen to it right here!

[audio: http://rumdoings.jellycast.com/files/audio/rumdoings_e45.mp3]