#879 Cyrus and Forte

This week on The Bugcast: more legends depart, Eurovision is being boycotted, Ethan’s pigeons, and eight tracks of amazing Creative Commons music.

Songs played

Intro: Chris Juergensen – Bug Lips
Outro: Mark Marshall – Man Walking

Topics

Sophie Kinsella, Joanna Trollope, Stanley Baxter, Camryn Magness<br />
Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Iceland <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_2026#Boycotts_due_to_Israeli_participation">boycott the Eurovision Song Contest</a><br />
… and now <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0q5504vv0ko">Switzerland hand their trophy back</a><br />
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DSH0SJyjZJY/">Ethan’s Pigeons</a><br />
<a href="https://hackerpublicradio.org/">Hacker Public Radio</a> New Years Party

Upcoming events

<a href="https://tuxjam.otherside.network/podcrawl/">Podcrawl Christmas 2025</a> on Saturday 20 December 2025 from 18:00 UK time<br />
<a href="https://ogg.camp/">OggCamp</a> will be on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, Manchester UK

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Podcasts mentioned

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Announcements

  • Please leave us feedback on the music or any of the topics that we’ve discussed.
  • The next show will be episode 880 which will be our Christmas show, streamed live on Friday 19 December 2025 at 21:30-ish UK time (UTC).
  • Join us during the week on our Telegram group chat – click here to join
    (you’ll need a Telegram account)

Special thanks go to

Our <a href="https://thebugcast.org/support">supporters</a>!<br />
The artists for allowing us to play their music.<br />
Everyone who joined us in the chat room for the live broadcast of this show.<br />
<a href="https://archive.org/">Internet Archive</a> for hosting the media files<br />
Yannick (FrenchguyCH) for the use of his Shoutcast server<br />
Paul (TopCat Radio) for the use of their Icecast server

The Bugcast is a proud founder member of the Other Side Podcast Network

TuxJam 127 – Festive Stormy Break

Dave (aka the lovebug), Al, Kevie and Andrew return for our final show of 2025 in which we recount experiences of trying Free and Open Source Software interspersed with tunes sporting Creative Commons licenses. There may be some giggling and silly antics.

As ever we begin by running our eye over recent releases listed on distrowatch. We then move on to share our experiences of StormOS and how well it fulfills its stated aim: “to help bring new users over to the world of Arch Linux by offering an easy to install, out of the box Arch Linux experience”. Kevie suggested we look at StormOS because Christmas is a stormy time of the year, especially up on the Isle of Lewis. Nature obliged and sent Storm Bram to batter not only Kevie in the Hebrides but also Andrew in Glasgow during the recording. Thankfully Storm Bram did not blow us away… but did StormOS?

Next up we look at a fun take on a very old computer game in the form of Breakout71 which we tried on our phones. Dave “I’m not a gamer” Lee gave it a particularly thorough test.

Finally we do a round-up of upcoming events including the next podcrawl on 20th December 6pm UTC, the HPR beer garden, Living the Tux Life, the HPR New Year extravaganza and OggCamp 2026. If you have any feedback, we’d love to hear it, please get in touch.

Tracks played in this episode are:

  1. Hollywood Drunks – Let It Snow
  2. Canon and Variation – Twin Musicon (https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/twin-musicom/canon-and-variation
  3. Christmas Canon – dmWiggins (https://www.jamendo.com/track/1476465/christmas-canon)
  4. Tatyana Litvin – Auld Lang Syne

TuxJam 126 – Gifts for Geeks 2025

It is time to buy gifts for your TuxJam hosts the geeks in your life and Kevie, Dave, Andrew and Al have recorded their annual special TuxJam episode to provide you with ideas for us them.

Stocking Fillers (below £10)

Low price (£10-£25)

Mid range (£25-£100)

High End (over £100)

WOW, you REALLY love them (£silly money)

Festive Creative Commons tracks played on this episode:

#878 Train kerfuffles

This week on The Bugcast: events of this week, events of next week, $@&!~*^%, and eight tracks of amazing Creative Commons music.

Songs played

Intro: Chris Juergensen – Bug Lips
Outro: Mark Marshall – Man Walking

Topics

So we’re not going to Brussels after all…<br />
Alex stars in Dick Whittington<br />
Dave’s work Christmas party<br />
Dave and Alex off to the <a href="https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/national-radio-centre-gb3rs/">National Radio Centre</a> this weekend<br />
Crazy train journeys – “Growing old disgracefully” and “I’m trying to renew my car insurance”<br />
Making a decision on songs containing explicit lyrics

Upcoming events

<a href="https://tuxjam.otherside.network/podcrawl/">Podcrawl Christmas 2025</a> on Saturday 20 December 2025 from 18:00 UK time<br />
<a href="https://ogg.camp/">OggCamp</a> will be on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, Manchester UK

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Podcasts mentioned

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Announcements

  • Please leave us feedback on the music or any of the topics that we’ve discussed.
  • The next show will be episode 879 which will be streamed live on Friday 12 December 2025 at 21:30-ish UK time (UTC).
  • Join us during the week on our Telegram group chat – click here to join
    (you’ll need a Telegram account)

Special thanks go to

Our <a href="https://thebugcast.org/support">supporters</a>!<br />
The artists for allowing us to play their music.<br />
Everyone who joined us in the chat room for the live broadcast of this show.<br />
<a href="https://archive.org/">Internet Archive</a> for hosting the media files<br />
Yannick (FrenchguyCH) for the use of his Shoutcast server<br />
Paul (TopCat Radio) for the use of their Icecast server

The Bugcast is a proud founder member of the Other Side Podcast Network

#877 Badger’s Chuff

This week on The Bugcast: theatre, flights, fires, arts, and eight tracks of amazing Creative Commons music.

Songs played

Intro: Chris Juergensen – Bug Lips
Outro: Mark Marshall – Man Walking

Topics

<a href="https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/midsomer-murders">Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger’s Drift</a><br />
BBC News: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cvg4y6g74ert">Flight disruption warning as Airbus requests modifications to 6,000 planes</a><br />
BBC News: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxe9r7wjgro">What we know about the Hong Kong apartment fires</a><br />
<a href="https://thepoint.org.uk/">The Point – Doncaster</a>

Upcoming events

<a href="https://tuxjam.otherside.network/podcrawl/">Podcrawl Christmas 2025</a> on Saturday 20 December 2025 from 18:00 UK time<br />
<a href="https://ogg.camp/">OggCamp</a> will be on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, Manchester UK

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Podcasts mentioned

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Announcements

  • Please leave us feedback on the music or any of the topics that we’ve discussed.
  • The next show will be episode 878 which will be streamed live on Friday 5 December 2025 at 21:30-ish UK time (UTC).
  • Join us during the week on our Telegram group chat – click here to join
    (you’ll need a Telegram account)

Special thanks go to

Our <a href="https://thebugcast.org/support">supporters</a>!<br />
The artists for allowing us to play their music.<br />
Everyone who joined us in the chat room for the live broadcast of this show.<br />
<a href="https://archive.org/">Internet Archive</a> for hosting the media files<br />
Yannick (FrenchguyCH) for the use of his Shoutcast server<br />
Paul (TopCat Radio) for the use of their Icecast server

The Bugcast is a proud founder member of the Other Side Podcast Network

TuxJam 125 – Cheap Yellow Display

The quadrapodcasting bipeds – Al, Andrew (aka mcnalu), Dave (aka thelovebug) and Kevie – are back for another session of Free and Open Source Geekry and goodness sprinkled with tunes that are creatively common.

One we have rounded up some recent releases on the watch of distros we share our experiences of the “Cheap Yellow Display” or CYD. As the it says on the tin, it is cheap and yellow and has a display, but all this is backed up with a capable WROOM ESP32 with the usual WiFi and Bluetooth support on a decent dev board with LEDs and other nicely niche features. We discuss our experiences with it and some uses for it too.

Finally, we run through our feedback received and note some upcoming events that our listeners may be interested in:

Beer lovers amongst you might enjoy Kevie and Dave’s Beer Garden series over on Hacker Public Radio.

Creative commons licensed tunes played in this episode are:

  1. The Stereo Inspectors – Hollow Crown
  2. Ismael Concepcion – No Existe la Distancia
  3. Eldertide – The Dying Trees of Mona
  4. Federico Guglielmetti – Libero di credere
  5. Tabby Wolfe – World on Fire

#875 Father and son

This week on The Bugcast: Alex takes Caroline’s place and we spend the time talking about the theatre, and playing eight tracks of amazing Creative Commons music.

Songs played

Intro: Chris Juergensen – Bug Lips
Outro: Mark Marshall – Man Walking

Topics

Caroline is at an awards ceremony tonight<br />
Alex goes to see <a href="https://www.castindoncaster.com/events/blood-brothers/">Blood Brothers</a><br />
Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Brothers_(musical)">Blood Brothers</a><br />
Dave and Caroline see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackadder_the_Third">Blackadder The Third</a> at the theater

Upcoming events

<a href="https://tuxjam.otherside.network/podcrawl/">Podcrawl Early Winter 2025</a> on Saturday 15 November 2025 from 18:00 UK time<br />
<a href="https://ogg.camp/">OggCamp</a> will be on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, Manchester UK

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Podcasts mentioned

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Announcements

  • Please leave us feedback on the music or any of the topics that we’ve discussed.
  • The next show will be episode 876 which will be streamed live on Friday 21 November 2025 at 21:30-ish UK time (UTC).
  • Join us during the week on our Telegram group chat – click here to join
    (you’ll need a Telegram account)

Special thanks go to

Our <a href="https://thebugcast.org/support">supporters</a>!<br />
The artists for allowing us to play their music.<br />
Everyone who joined us in the chat room for the live broadcast of this show.<br />
<a href="https://archive.org/">Internet Archive</a> for hosting the media files<br />
Yannick (FrenchguyCH) for the use of his Shoutcast server<br />
Paul (TopCat Radio) for the use of their Icecast server

The Bugcast is a proud founder member of the Other Side Podcast Network

#874 Pure Imagination

This week on The Bugcast: sad news, theatre performances, is AI music a crisis, and eight tracks of amazing Creative Commons and independent music.

Songs played

Intro: Chris Juergensen – Bug Lips
Outro: Mark Marshall – Man Walking

Topics

Wikipedia: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Cambridgeshire_train_stabbing">2025 Cambridgeshire train stabbing</a><br />
Rotherham Theatres: <a href="https://rotherhamtheatres.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173657428">Charlie and the Chocolate Factory</a><br />
Royal Ballet &amp; Opera: Orf to the Ballet – <a href="https://www.rbo.org.uk/tickets-and-events/la-fille-mal-gardee-frederick-ashton-details">La Fille mal gardée</a><br />
We have a crisis of conscience – discussion of AI music<br />
Patreon: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/cw/pixiepunkmusic/posts">PixiePunk Music</a>

Upcoming events

<a href="https://tuxjam.otherside.network/podcrawl/">Podcrawl Early Winter 2025</a> on Saturday 15 November 2025 from 18:00 UK time<br />
<a href="https://ogg.camp/">OggCamp</a> will be on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, Manchester UK

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Podcasts mentioned

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Announcements

  • Please leave us feedback on the music or any of the topics that we’ve discussed.
  • The next show will be episode 875 which will be streamed live on Friday 14 November 2025 at 21:30-ish UK time (UTC).
  • Join us during the week on our Telegram group chat – click here to join
    (you’ll need a Telegram account)

Special thanks go to

Our <a href="https://thebugcast.org/support">supporters</a>!<br />
The artists for allowing us to play their music.<br />
Everyone who joined us in the chat room for the live broadcast of this show.<br />
<a href="https://archive.org/">Internet Archive</a> for hosting the media files<br />
Yannick (FrenchguyCH) for the use of his Shoutcast server<br />
Paul (TopCat Radio) for the use of their Icecast server

The Bugcast is a proud founder member of the Other Side Podcast Network

#873 Theatre Luvvies

This week on The Bugcast: Baptiste dies, sharks shock, Moo’s busy week, and eight tracks of amazing Creative Commons and independent music.

Songs played

Intro: Chris Juergensen – Bug Lips
Outro: Mark Marshall – Man Walking

Topics

BBC News: <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2dd7yyly9o">Tchéky Karyo, star of Nikita and The Missing, dies at 72</a><br />
IMDb: <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32525522/">Mummy Shark</a> – Creature Feature WTF<br />
Moo’s busy week – Scotland/England<br />
Theatre Luvvies: Night of the Great British Musicals / Strictly Come Dying / Inspector Morse

Upcoming events

<a href="https://tuxjam.otherside.network/podcrawl/">Podcrawl Early Winter 2025</a> on Saturday 15 November 2025 from 18:00 UK time<br />
<a href="https://ogg.camp/">OggCamp</a> will be on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April 2026, Manchester UK

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Podcasts mentioned

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Announcements

  • Please leave us feedback on the music or any of the topics that we’ve discussed.
  • There will be no show next week!
  • The next show will be episode 874 which will be streamed live on Friday 7 November 2025 at 21:30-ish UK time (UTC).
  • Join us during the week on our Telegram group chat – click here to join
    (you’ll need a Telegram account)

Special thanks go to

Our <a href="https://thebugcast.org/support">supporters</a>!<br />
The artists for allowing us to play their music.<br />
Everyone who joined us in the chat room for the live broadcast of this show.<br />
<a href="https://archive.org/">Internet Archive</a> for hosting the media files<br />
Yannick (FrenchguyCH) for the use of his Shoutcast server<br />
Paul (TopCat Radio) for the use of their Icecast server

The Bugcast is a proud founder member of the Other Side Podcast Network