Hoytus Interruptus

It's a special LIVE Hoytus Interruption Monday at 1pm Pacific as the former frontman for Presidents of the United States of America drops by to talk about his new solo record "I Am Not Me." Chris Ballew describes the music as "fuzzy and spacey with lyrics that are abstract and cosmic." I've listened and it is ALL OF THAT! I find the record to be a super-fun listen for whatever state of mind, work or relaxation I'm in at the moment.

We'll also talk about what it was like for Chris to put away his Caspar Babypants alter-ego and show schedule to create something new during the pandemic. We'll explore how artists everywhere are approaching their craft in new ways after having more than a year to marinate in a kind of creative sensory deprivation chamber. 

Stream the conversation LIVE at 1pm Pacific at voiceofvashon.org. Then I'll put the whole hour up in this space for streaming at your leisure.

When is an ice cube more than just an ice cube? We found out one day in a grocery store in Tucson. 

For the season finale of Hoytus Interruptus, a bit of drunken silliness seems in order.

#crystalclassic 

A child's imagination can be fired by just about anything. Mine certainly was. For instance, a few errant drops of paint on a black vinyl baseboard can look like a face when the lights are low. (I'll leave that story for Season Two.)

This week's Hoytus is about a painting that hung in my family home most of my life. For me, with no travel budget, that painting became my first experience with teleportation.

#childhoodtales #nightgallery

Have you ever had "one of those days" where nothing goes right and everything takes way longer than it should? I've usually found that the next day is almost always awesome by comparison. There's a strange kind of balance in that.

Of course, the opposite can sometimes be true. Something wonderful could happen one day, only to be wiped from your memory the next day by the worst kind of buzzkill.

This week's story is about that latter scenario. 

#whaletales #closecalls 

It's been twenty years since the Nisqually Earthquake shook up Seattle and Western Washington. More than 400 people were injured in the quake, but no one died as a direct result of the temblor. Like any natural disaster, millions of stories were born in an instant. In this episode, I tell two of my favorites.

#earthquake #nisquallyquake

I enjoy going to the ballpark to see the Mariners play as much as the next fan, but the $30 parking and $10 beer charges do add up, especially if you bring the family.

The minor league experience is more purely enjoyable. You're closer to the action and don't have to take out a second mortgage to afford the evening. You also get to enjoy the wacky promotions that only the minor leagues can offer. 

A Master of the Minors was one Bill Valentine. I worked for him for ten years. 

Many thanks to Nancy Pattison for taking (and then digging up) this old photo of my immensely important job at the ballpark back then.

#BillValentine #ArkansasTravelers #baseball 

Did you have the experience of growing up next to a quiet, unassuming kid who later grew up to be a famous world leader? So did I! And if enterprising journalists hadn't dug around and figured it out for me, I never would have known. 

#borisjohnson #southnorwalk #brexit

Cindy and I have always had a knack for landing in a place just before a local celebration. But to be in country on the day that Vietnam annually celebrates America's departure?  The very prospect left us a bit anxious and not quite sure what to expect.

#vietnam #reunificationday #april30

This week is a good example of what happens when you tell a story and a chain reaction ensues. Someone is reminded of their own story and theirs kicks out yet another one and so on. It happens all the time and I hope that one of my stories might inspire you to send yours along, to possibly be shared (and elevated) in a future Hoytus Interruptus.

This podcast is only five minutes long so think in terms of about 800 words when you email your story to [email protected]. 

#sonnybono #tonyorlando #radioandrecords

This is a podcast based on true life stories. In this episode, I reach all the way back to the very first one I can remember. Good to get the story down now, before time and distance finish having their way with it.

What is your earliest childhood memory? 

#southbend #earlychildhoodmemories