Archive for the ‘retro feedback’ Category

papal holidays

January 26, 2016

pope snow

Erica has been listening to AMT291 in which we fielded a question about what the Pope does on his holidays. She says:

I once met a priest who had been part of the Swiss Guard, which is basically the Pope’s secret service. He told me that Pope John Paul liked to go downhill skiing well into his 70s. *

I honestly can’t remember if I imagined a white ski outfit with a cross on the front or if he said that is what he really wore. I am fairly certain it’s the former. **

Well, readers, have any of you actually spotted a Pope on his hols? Whizzing down a black run, robes flapping behind him; or sunning himself on a beach in a pair of papal Speedos?

* It’s true!
** Also true. But maybe he’s wearing his full pope-dress under the appropriate ski-wear. Dare to dream, Erica.

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Casper the dead ghost

September 27, 2015

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT323

Retro feedback time! Jeff from Litchfield, New Hampshire has raised the spectre of mid-2013:

I was listening to episode 261 where someone asked how Casper the friendly ghost died. I have the answer.

According to issue #8 of Crazy magazine (December 1974) he was murdered by his abusive father after he watched his mother be stabbed to death. Later he got his revenge with Wendy the witch by letting his father’s new girlfriend burn alive and Wendy cast the the spell “Butcher knives fly like mad, and slice up Casper’s mean ole dad”.

I should mention that my mother bought me this issue when I was 6. I’m assuming she didn’t know this was in it.

And I’m assuming a 6-year-old didn’t clock that this is a parody, and Kaspar the Dead Baby is not canonical Casper the Friendly Ghost material. They have different names and faces:


kaspar1

Great material though. Abuse, murder, immolation – really LOLtastic.

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new dough scraper; new old life

July 21, 2015

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT318

We love to hear how our questioneers have fared in the wake of our counsel. Here’s a brace of emails from questioneers of episodes long past, some happy, some sad. Let’s start happy, with Eleanor from the Isle of Man from AMT305:

You kindly answered my question in January as to whether I should steal my dad’s dough scraper that he clearly had no intention of using. So imagine my excitement this morning when opening my birthday presents from my husband and children to discover they got me not only a dough scraper, but also an Answer Me This apron! Problem solved!

FullSizeRender (1)

Aaah! Feast your eyes on that birthday joy, then bathe in the sorrow of AMT247‘s Emily:

A few years ago I messaged you about being caught by my boyfriend as I was smoking in the bath and how I tried to play it off as in fact me masturbating.

So, the development is that after 3 years together he has left me, as in ‘stood in the doorway with his bags packed when I got home from work’ left me. I didn’t see it coming and this is really shit.

My question is this: how, when you chose the city you inhabit, the flat you live in, the pets you have and the routine that fills your life for your partner, can you stop being constantly reminded of them once they have left you? Note: I now have a grad scheme job, friends here and am tied into a rental contract (foolishly just in my name) so can’t move away.

Comiserations, Emily. But at least now you can do whatever you want in the bath, without stoking his insecurities.

Readers, have you any ideas for Emily to reboot her life? Rearrange the furniture, take a different route into work, hang out with friends in places you haven’t been before? Not sure what you can do about the pets, but perhaps you could teach them to bark in a different key or swim around the little plastic castle in the opposite direction.

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Black or White: the rapper revealed

May 27, 2015

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT314

Today’s dose of retro feedback is administered by Paul from Germany:

About 100 episodes ago (I think lol) you had a question about who was
rapping on the Michael Jackson song ‘Black Or White‘.

Today I read an article about who that mysterious “LTB” guy is. The source is producer Bill Bottrell.

I’m sure I’m the only one who cares about this, but it reminded me of AMT and I thought I’d share, in case anyone else cares. 😀

For those of you who can’t be arsed to read the article, here’s the big reveal:

The mysterious L.T.B. credited as the rapper is none other than…
.
.
.
..

…..Bill Bottrell himself!

And apparently he gave away the secret years ago, but in a publication too techy for anyone* to read. So there’s a tip for any of you burtsting with a secret: tell it to Sound on Sound, nobody will ever know.

*Except Martin the Sound Man; there are copies of Sound on Sound in the AMT loobrary.

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humanising the human statues

March 17, 2015

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT309

Angela from Seattle writes:

I’m just catching up on a few episodes I missed.

Re AMT287, I see our well known painted statue gentleman walk through the neighborhood to catch the bus quite often. He is also regularly downtown at the bus stop and outside his post at Pike Place. Regularly in the rain with no running of his body paint. It astounds me.

When I see him walking past my house I always want to say hello and invite him in for a drink but alas, what is the protocol there? Answer me this: how does one go about convincing a living statue to come in and chat? (Is that creepy?! I am so curious about how and what he does outside of work.)

Readers, do you think there’s a romantic element to Angela’s interest in the human statue? Does she want to Pygmalion this situation?

Whether you do or not, head to the comments to suggest non-creepy ways for Angela to extend the hand of friendship – and also to discover the secrets of his stay-put make-up.

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Marital Munters

February 16, 2015

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT307

Mark has something to say about an AMT from the very distant past:

I’ve bought the first two batches of back episodes and been working my way though them.

I had to email when I came across Munters in episode 16. While my wife Michelle turned up to our wedding in the fancy car, I arrived in my friend’s Munters Van!

Wedding-66-1954x1308
unnamed

Aah, love is beautiful! And not munting.

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missed connection

September 30, 2014

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT298

Here’s an email from Richard who lives in Hemel, but spends most of his time in Nottingham, né Richard from Halifax from AMT66, as featured in the Intermission in AMT298, on the subject of which he writes:

Good news! and…bad.

I did not ever find my Maharaba princess, my quest for the ultimate holiday romance never materialised, but I did find another girl two years later named Sarah. Sarah and I have now been in a relationship for over 4 years and we are very happy together.

At the tender age of 21 the mentioning of my old story brought back many memories and was rather surprising, but has made me cherish my current relationship even more.

Aaaaah. A happy story! We love to hear how your life problems turned out subsequent to us contemplating them on the podcast, so do let us know. Unless we ruined your life, in which case we apologise, and also accept no legal responsibility.

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embroidering the truth

September 30, 2014

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT298

Mary in New Zealand has done a callback to something I said on an AMT episode so long past, I can’t actually find out which one (possibly 81? If you’ve recently been listening to the back catalogue and can identify the relevant episode, do let me know (UPDATE: Chris has kindly pointed out that it was AMT75, so call off the search.)).

You probably know I do love handicrafts, so the most brilliant thing about Mary’s callback is that it is in the form of EMBROIDERY!

tone embroidery

This adage was also immortalized as a cartoon by listener Luke, so it must be Very Wise Indeed. Hang onto my every word, listeners, because I am a great sage. Now go forth and make cross-stitch samplers of everything I have ever said.

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what happened next?

August 1, 2014

Message in a Bottle

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT294

Even when questioneers are chronic oversharers, they leave us and you wanting more. Gemma from Manchester but living in Leeds writes:

I’ve been listening to a some of your old podcasts recently on my training runs. (One episode = 5k… It’s a great measurement!!) I would love to know some of the outcomes of the advice you give… So Helen and Olly answer me this, have you heard anything back off the following people:

The guy who found himself on a porn website and didn’t know how it happened?

The guy who was dating his first cousin (20 year age difference)?

The guy who found out he had slept with his wife’s sister when he was younger?

Cupcake Lady!!!

Alright, Cupcake Lady’s easy: we first heard from her in AMT271, then again in AMT272, and finally here, which suggested that though Office Nemesis was still up to her old tricks, Cupcake Lady had found it in herself no longer to condemn but to pity. Cupcake Lady has grown. Cupcake Lady’s psychological journey continues without us as travelling companions.

As for the rest: we only know as much about our questioneers as they tell us. We don’t know what’s going with Dave from Smethwick between calls. We can’t tell you what’s happened to Graham from Canada (we refer you to 2008-vintage episodes from answermethisstore.com to get your fix of Canada’s most inquisitive teen) because we haven’t heard from him in five years. Whither Matthew Seymour from Colchester and Robert from Dumfriesshire and Sarah from Gaytown? What happened in the love triange between Wade and Ana and Ned from Bath? How many more punctures has Jessii accrued?

So, if you’re one of the people about whom Gemma is curious, please go to the comments and divulge what happened next in your story. In fact, if we’ve ever answered one of your questions, let us know the outcome, for better or worse. Disclaimer: we accept no responsibility for having ruined your life.

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Important Prince Albert update

June 17, 2014
Not this Prince Albert

Not this Prince Albert

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT291

Time for feedback about AMT long past, from Adam from Yorkshire:

Just listening back to episode 165 and Olly mentions you have to be circumcised to have a Prince Albert piercing.

Well you’re incorrect!

I’m with a guy atm that has that piercing and isn’t circumcised. And it’s perfectly fine. Nothing going wrong there and can still have as much fun as he wants. Just thought I’d let you know.

Thanks Adam, we’ll adjust our plans accordingly.

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Giles Gilbert NOT

May 7, 2014
Up yours, other Gilbert Scott!

Up yours, other Gilbert Scott!

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT288

Retro Feedback Time is here again! Nick in Hampstead writes:

I am a recent convert to your podcast, and have been steadily been working through your back catalogue on iTunes. Everything was all fine and dandy and adequately amusing until I reached episode 222 and your discussion of Battersea Power Station when I was SHOCKED by an inaccuracy.

You bring up that it was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, and mention that he is commemorated in the restaurant of the St Pancras Hotel. Well, apologies for this, but that is WRONG WRONG WRONG. The Gilbert Scott Restaurant is named not after Giles Gilbert Scott, but his grandfather, Sir George Gilbert Scott, also, confusingly, an architect. The elder Gilbert Scott was the one who originally designed the St Pancras Hotel, along with the Foreign Office and The Albert Memorial to name a few others.

I realise there this is hardly an earth-shattering update, but I felt it was worth noting.

Duly noted, Nick. We will travel back in time to July 2012 to slap our wrists, and also to place a lot of bets on the outcome of the London 2012 Olympics.

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toast vs tonsillectomy

April 16, 2014

CLICK HERE TO CATCH UP ON AMT287

Toast our saviour

Toast our saviour

More retro feedback, harking all the way back to AMTs 180 and 181! This is from B in The Hague, Netherlands:

In two of your previous episodes, you answered a question about whether rough foods (e.g. chips, toast) are okay to be eaten after tonsillectomy or not. In a second episode, somebody emailed to say rough foods actually help in cleaning up the buildup at the back of the throat after the operation.

And because you guys are my main source of medical advice, I decided to eat a piece of toast three days after the operation. And guess what…it did help in cleaning up the wound! This resulted in my mouth smelling less of 10 dead rats – it is now a very tolerable 1 dead rat.

I am now on my fifth day post op and I eat one piece of toast in the morning and anothee one before I brush my teeth in the evening.

Toast, it’s a miracle cure! Buy official AMT toast, PROVEN to be medically effective, only £20 a slice!

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