The Blatchford-Star

Hey, we've been out for a while but life has been unfortunately busy! Catch up with us as we talk about what's been going on, what's going to happen next year, what's going on right now in Formula One race car driving, Pepper's special football, and other critically important things. Other topics: capitalism, activism, nihilism, etc. Send us a voice mail or voice text if you want to reply to anything on the pod! We miss you and we love you.

We're talking comic strips and books and things today, giving special attention to Cathy and Dykes to Watch Out For. Why didn't someone draw an evil Woodstock pooping on the Chevy logo? We also talk about hot dogs and the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile...and dark matter makes a strange return. Warning to parents: there are a few more fucks than normal in this one. View Leander's comic strip Track the Meat Fleet! You're welcome. Interesting video about the Webb telescope seeing stuff really far away.

Dissociate with us! Today we welcome our friend Beth, and we talk about black holes, Christmas sweaters, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, a vagina coloring book, and our queer joys that we've found lately. Want to tell us about your favorite cosmological phenomena? Have you bought anything particularly fun lately? Call the hotline and leave us a message: (503) 298-6980‬ - or just text either of us a voice memo. Pepper gives us a pupdate about her singing voice. We love you and we miss you!

Are you scared? Can't imagine why! Feel your fear feelings with this episode, which features friend of the pod, Portlander, and bassoonist Margaret! We discuss the paranormal, ghosts, energy transfers, home invasions, aliens, and Texas. There is a pupdate from the Great Beyond!

Today's episode: a transportation theme. Bicycles! Trains! Transporting yourself on foot! Self improvement! Staying away from the Void (i.e. depression)! Pepper arrives with stories of a new possum living under the house. The Basic Bitches (songs that we mention) Download your own habits wheel.

OMG we are back! Think of this as the real beginning of season two. Leander is back in Eugene, everyone has started school, and we have a retrospective on all the things that surprised us most about the summer. Also: the highest highs and lowest lows of our trip to Japan in August. Pepper gives us all a standard pupdate.

In this episode, we talk about our road trip times and Leander gives a music camp re-cap. A very special young guest, Ms. Taylor Smiff, gives us the rundown on what it's like being a kid growing up in Manhattan, her favorite places and what's over-rated, and what she's doing visiting her grandma in Portland, Oregon.

This week we are joined by dear friend, musician, composer, and farmer Nat. Topics up for discussion: zen practice, bird feeders as musical instruments, the city of Philadelphia, the Sun Ra Arkestra, and farming. We give hot takes on the saxophone, among other things. Bruce the cat gives us a scoop on 0% APR financing on a new Jeep Grand Cherokee. If you're curious, give Nat's bandcamp page a listen: https://natevans.bandcamp.com/ Here's a photo of Bruce, for reference.

Leander and Elise are back to tell you about summertime. Hot tubs! Women's soccer! Pirate dykes! Arm, leg, and feet injuries! Allergies! Star Wars! Tango music! In this episode, we talk about going to the movies and literally stopping to smell the roses. Pepper gives another update about turkeys and other creatures she has recently encountered in Oregon. Have an update of your own? Want to file a correspondent's report? Send an audio message to Elise or Leander via text, or call the hotline at (503) 298-6980‬.

Summer is upon us, and Oregon hath called us. Elise and Pepper talk about their road trip out west. We compare notes on mystical happenings, including ancient forest vibes and old cemetery vibes. Leander talks about his students' composition project. We give hot takes on Mahler, moms, and the Supreme Court.

Former Memphian and dear friend Erika joins us for the pod, and we are full of advice here: how to take your nauseous dog on a cross-country road trip, how to set boundaries with parents, how to manage your ADHD, how to care for your nice mattress. Elise reviews the new tiki bar in Memphis. Brutus the greyhound gives a pupdate.

Elise and Leander review the last two weeks' events, which includes the total solar eclipse trip, Leander's virtuosic tarot card readings, Leander's recent travel drama and audition experience. Leander thought the eclipse was "neat-looking." Elise gives us a rundown on playing 20-plus Wicked shows and what that feels like. Pepper gives a pupdate.

Happy Eclipse Day! Call the hotline with your eclipse experiences: (503) 298-6980‬ . In this episode, we talk gigs, fancy houses, what it's like to play the same thing over and over, fancy toilets in fancy houses, and standard poodles. The U.S. Army Drum and Fife Corps make an appearance, as does ancient Egypt. Leander gives his first-ever Pupdate.

In this episode, we host the great Vermont-born piccolist Kelly! We chat about orchestra life, questions that are both big and small, all the amazing food offerings in the DFW area, and what makes a good teacher. Kelly's dog Jalapeño makes an appearance, briefly waking from her constant napping.

Everything is...fine? In this episode, we talk Star Trek and Vulcan sex drives, shorts that are too short, and university admissions season. Does that sound boring? Because we also talk about the bass trumpet, Sheryl Sandberg, and whether Elise should move to Oregon. A five-month old puppy calls the hotline to give their pupdate! Visual aids! Free People shorts. Really low bass clarinet experiments.

Enter the sacred mists (mysts?) with this special Eugene edition of the pod with our lovely guest Tigre! Up for discussion? Dumb dispensaries! Local grocery stores! Home remodeling projects! Leander weighs in on his love of good hardscaping and water features. A disgruntled schnauzer calls the hotline. Do you have something to say to the hotline? Call (503) 298-6980‬ and leave your message.

We're back with Hot Takes, dishing on 'dishons (auditions), and tons of media recommendations for the bored and lonely. Elise talks about Dune a little too much. A hotline message reports queer joy literally coming out of the walls! There is some spicy content about...research conferences? Does your cat want to call the hotline? Call (503) 298-6980‬ and leave us a message.

Elise and Leander are back with many updates of our wanderings from the last few weeks. We discuss the new season of Queer Eye, the recent City of Tomorrow tour, and Leander's big horn studio recital coming up. Pepper gives a pupdate and describes Elise's food poisoning experience. A cat from Philadelphia calls the hotline!

We're still here! In this episode, we recap the snow and ice events in Memphis and Oregon. We have a backlog of hotline messages to get through, with folks calling to talk about brownies, mechanical music-makers, rich people's weird collections, and their dating life. Product recommendations include a particular kind of boot and...human hands? ? We interview each other instead of a guest. And Pepper gives a kind of depressive pupdate.

In this episode of manic potpourri, Elise and Leander re-cap the recent wind quintet composer camp we went to in Pennsylvania. We touch upon such cornerstone current events as the Alaska Airlines blowout, the lost moon lander, and other stuff. Product Recommendations return! Pepper gives a pupdate, complaining about stuff we have heard her complain about before.