Just Buffering - A light-hearted look at the week's news

Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter
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  • News Commentary
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Just Buffering is a relaxed, light-hearted weekly podcast where two old friends, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter, take a sideways look at the week's news. With decades of broadcasting experience between them, Steve and Gordon bring warmth, wit, and a reassuringly familiar style to the stories everyone's talking about — from the headlines that matter to the ones that simply make you smile. It's informed without being heavy, entertaining without trying too hard, and always delivered with a touch of humour and perspective. Think of it as the kind of conversation you'd enjoy over a cup of tea… if it just happened to be recorded in a studio. New episodes every week.

  1. 6d ago

    Trump's Ballroom, Wobbly Trolleys & Naked Truths!

    Trump's Ballroom, Wobbly Trolleys & Naked Truths! It's another extraordinary week in the news, and Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter are back to make sense of it all — or at least have a good go! 🇺🇸 Trump's midterm troubles: The boys discuss the American election results, Trump's grand building ambitions and whether his political allies are beginning to distance themselves. ⚡ Electric cars under attack? With talk of charging EV drivers by the mile, Steve and Gordon crunch the numbers. Are electric vehicles still cheaper to run, and why can't car dealers just let you take a proper test drive? 💷 Interest rates and the cost of living: As mortgage pressures and rising prices dominate the conversation, the boys wonder whether the people making the decisions understand everyday life. 📺 Reality TV gone too far? From celebrity scandals to the pressures of reality television, is the pursuit of fame becoming dangerous? 🤖 The AI bubble: Billions invested, huge valuations and plenty of promises. Is artificial intelligence heading for a financial reckoning? 🍺 Pubs versus saunas: Apparently, some men are swapping the traditional pint for a towel and a sauna. Steve and Gordon aren't entirely convinced! 👑 The King and the Commonwealth: A spirited discussion about historical apologies, slavery and reparations. 🚗 And finally: Pushy car salesmen, missing pensions and the search for the next James Bond — although Steve may have to settle for an audition for Shrek! It's news, views, a few disagreements and plenty of laughs from two old broadcasters who still have something to say. JUST BUFFERING — Still Loading. Still Judging. 🎧 Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. 🌐 justbuffering.com 💬 Have your say! Leave Steve and Gordon a 60-second voice message through the website.

  2. Oct 31

    Budgets, Baked Beans & Political Madness!

    The Budget's landed, the bills keep rising, and apparently we should all be stocking up on baked beans. Welcome to another week of Just Buffering! Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter return with their weekly rummage through the headlines, asking whether the world really has gone mad — or whether they're just getting older! This week, the Chancellor's Budget comes under scrutiny. With energy relief, bank surcharges and changes to property and savings taxes, is anyone actually going to be better off? Meanwhile, we're being encouraged to keep three days' emergency supplies at home. Water, tinned food and a wind-up radio — but will any of it help if Armageddon arrives? There's also growing nervousness in the financial markets. Google shares are under pressure, AI companies are spending billions, and Steve and Gordon wonder whether the artificial intelligence bubble could be about to burst. Across the Atlantic, Donald Trump faces the American midterm elections. Could the results change the direction of his presidency? And in France, political uncertainty, presidential ambitions and continuing unrest are keeping everyone guessing. Plus this week: Why is it becoming so difficult to negotiate a better deal with your television provider? Is the cost of the weekly supermarket shop getting out of control? The move from traditional telephone lines to digital services — and what happens when the electricity fails. Steve's verdict on the changes around London's Oxford Street. And the remarkable chap who visited all 272 London Underground stations in less than 24 hours! It's another 28 minutes of news, views, questionable wisdom and the occasional technical difficulty. JUST BUFFERING — Still Loading. Still Judging. 🎧 Listen at justbuffering.com or wherever you get your podcasts. 💬 Have your say! Leave Steve and Gordon a 60-second voice message through the website.

  3. Oct 23

    Hackers, AI Job Cuts & Knitted Coppers!

    Hackers are causing chaos, artificial intelligence is taking jobs, France is in turmoil… and a village has turned to knitting to catch speeding motorists! Welcome to another edition of Just Buffering, the weekly podcast where Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter take a sideways look at the news, share a few opinions and occasionally wonder whether the world's gone completely mad. This week, a major PHP security scare raises questions about how vulnerable our websites and digital infrastructure have become. With cyberattacks making headlines and undersea communications cables potentially at risk, should we all be preparing for the worst? There's also the suggestion that households should have emergency survival packs. Steve and Gordon discuss what they'd put in theirs — and whether an Anderson shelter might make a comeback! Meanwhile, France is facing widespread protests and unrest. Could similar scenes eventually reach Britain's streets? And what about artificial intelligence? Barclays is reportedly planning thousands of job cuts as AI takes on more work. But can we really trust technology that sometimes struggles to get its facts right? Also this week: Trump, Putin and the continuing uncertainty over peace in Ukraine. North Sea oil and gas — should Britain make more use of its own resources? The approaching Budget, pensions, taxes and defence spending. The reliability of television news and social media. And finally, the wonderful Warwickshire villagers who've created life-sized crocheted police officers with speed cameras to slow down motorists! It's another half-hour of news, nonsense and the occasional technical difficulty. Just Buffering — Still Loading. Still Judging. 🎧 Listen on your favourite podcast platform or visit justbuffering.com. 💬 Got something to say? Leave Steve and Gordon a 60-second voice message through the website.

  4. Oct 16

    TRUMP, TAX RISES & AI — WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

    Are there any honest politicians left? And can artificial intelligence be trusted any more than the people running the country? Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter return with another lively edition of Just Buffering, taking their weekly sideways look at the news, politics and the increasingly baffling world around us. This week, Donald Trump's latest manoeuvres involving Putin and diesel prices come under scrutiny. With American midterm elections approaching, is Trump playing politics with the price of fuel? Back in Britain, the forthcoming Budget has Steve and Gordon wondering where the next tax rises might come from. Could the banks be in the firing line, and will ordinary taxpayers end up footing the bill? Meanwhile, Reform UK faces more controversy, the Green Party gets a roasting, and Andy Burnham's relationship with Manchester City sparks a debate about politicians, football and media sensationalism. And then there's artificial intelligence. Steve has been experimenting with ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude, with some rather alarming results. If three AI systems can't agree, which one should you believe? There's also Ukraine, Zelenskyy, the Strait of Hormuz, Harry and Meghan, and the discovery of a mysterious green planet. Two old broadcasters. Plenty of opinions. Absolutely no guarantee they'll agree. It's Just Buffering — news, views and a few laughs with Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter. 🎧 Listen now at justbuffering.com

  5. Oct 2

    Burnham's Budget, Trump Trouble & The AI Revolution

    This week on Just Buffering, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter tackle another packed week of headlines with plenty of laughs along the way. This week's conversation includes: • Andy Burnham's latest economic proposals and whether Britain can really afford them. • Growing concerns over energy prices and the cost of living. • Donald Trump continues making headlines in America. • Security concerns surrounding RAF bases. • The future of pensions and whether the triple lock can survive. • AI, technology and whether we're ready for what's coming next. • Great TV returns including The Traitors and Wargames. • Plane safety, global tensions and Putin's latest threats. Plus the usual sideways look at the week's news, a few questionable jokes and two old blokes trying to make sense of it all. 🎙 Just Buffering – News, views and a few laughs every week. Leave us a voice message at JustBuffering.com and you might feature in a future episode.

  6. Sep 24

    Burnham, Trump & the Rise of AI

    Just Buffering - A light-hearted look at the week's news

  7. Sep 17

    Burnham's Budget, Trump's Promises & AI Panic

    This week on Just Buffering, Steve and Gordon are back after a short break and there's plenty to catch up on. Andy Burnham warns of tough budget decisions, Reform's finances continue to make headlines, and Donald Trump is making yet more extraordinary promises ahead of the US midterms. The pair also debate whether AI really is the biggest threat facing us, discuss Ed Sheeran's American tour controversy, ask whether modern protest movements actually achieve anything, and wonder if politicians have completely lost touch with reality. Plus... King Charles hosts AI leaders, oil prices surge again, the world's black pudding throwing trophy is finally found, and Gordon discovers the only walking joke that's guaranteed to leave you 25 miles from home. News, opinion, laughter... and the occasional technical difficulty.

  8. Aug 28

    Slow News... Big Opinions

    It's the summer holiday lull, but there's still plenty for Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter to get their teeth into. This week the pair discuss Donald Trump's latest headlines, political manoeuvring in both the UK and US, soaring energy prices, immigration policy, and whether governments are making promises they can actually afford to keep. There's also debate over Andy Burnham's latest proposals, social media for under-16s, AI and data centres, autonomous taxis, Wetherspoons banning loudspeaker phone calls, the return of Top Gear, The Traitors, and even the possibility of eating biscuits made from recycled plastic. Another week of news, opinion, humour and the occasional rant from two broadcasters who aren't afraid to say exactly what they think.

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About

Just Buffering is a relaxed, light-hearted weekly podcast where two old friends, Steve Hyland and Gordon Baxter, take a sideways look at the week's news. With decades of broadcasting experience between them, Steve and Gordon bring warmth, wit, and a reassuringly familiar style to the stories everyone's talking about — from the headlines that matter to the ones that simply make you smile. It's informed without being heavy, entertaining without trying too hard, and always delivered with a touch of humour and perspective. Think of it as the kind of conversation you'd enjoy over a cup of tea… if it just happened to be recorded in a studio. New episodes every week.

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