I am not very good at unplugging from work, and taking breaks. I have to take a forced staycation today and tomorrow.

How do you… not?

“I wanted to be a space man…”

For real, Harry. For real.

These stupid avatars still don’t have a bow tie option. Total garbage.

Sometimes, it’s a dream to want a good job. Other times, you dream of not being at a job.

“Dream a little dream of me,” means something different, if it’s about a job. “Sweet Dreams” aren’t necessarily made of these…

What political affiliations should art have?

Is art inherently bent toward one perspective or another?

What is the responsibility of art during difficult times?

Is there such a thing as neutral works of art?

If a piece of art is destroyed in the forest, and there’s no one there to notice, will the artist make their rent that month?

My hands are still very dry and chapped. Sigh.

Occasionally, I get to work on cool projects that I can’t really talk about (yet). But, people who support me over at my digital Lemonade Stand get to hear all about the behind-the-scenes goings-on. And, when you support me that way, you ensure that I can continue to participate in cool projects like… well… there’s one way to find out…
https://www.patreon.com/posts/exclusive-update-51213170

I’m fully ready to admit that I’m wrong about everything I’ve believed. But believing in science has always paid off.

I feel like I missed something. Everyone is posting about the B-52’s.

I love the B-52’s, and I’m not finding anything obvious to spurn so many posts. Did something happen? I’m worried.

A friend is working on their first novel, which is always a worthy cause, but they have also had some personal setbacks, and could use a little help. I support anyone trying to get their first novel published, and maybe you do, too?
https://gofundme.com/f/janysirens-first-novel-support-fund

Not too long ago I participated in a mail-art show that was hosted by The Art Department. As part of the show, we all mailed in pieces we made, and then after the show was over, we got to trade with the other artists. We also received, as participants in the show, these excellent “Snailed It” buttons! How very cool.

I selected this piece by an artist named Audrey (last name withheld). I really liked this piece, a combination of paint and collage, which is totally my jam.

There’s some excellent stuff happening at The Art Department lately, and if you are in the Salem area, you should be shopping here.

Thanks again Jessica! Let me know when you want a weird art show… I have a few ideas.

You would too if you could.

For “work,” I found myself watching some clips of sitcoms. And, this led to me watch a couple clips of News Radio, which I hadn’t seen any of since it was in syndication at some point, many years ago. 

I haven’t thought about it in any way since then, so even who was in it sort of felt vague to me. (Phil Hartman, right?)

Suddenly, it occurred to me that I was seeing Joe Rogan doing jokes on something I was listening to. I got really nervous, and had to shut it off immediately.

Like, even as a joke, even for a podcast, I don’t want to get caught accidentally listening to that dude saying ANYTHING.

That was a close call. I’m so glad Marla was out of the house at the time. I felt gross.

This week, on an off-week episode of 20 Minutes Into The Future: A Max Headroom Podcast, we are joined by comedian Luc Thiers, to talk about what they enjoy about sitcoms, and a little about how they got into comedy.

Before we got leads on our recent interviews, Heather and I recorded a few interviews (and other kinds of shows), thinking that we might want to have some filler material, so we can get the most out of our show as possible. So our original plan is still to have the “main feed” shows come out ever other week. But with this backlog of other material, these off week shows give us a chance to talk to you in a “real time” way, announce stuff like the Patreon (patreon.com/austinrich), and play some of these interviews and other material.

Luc really breaks down the sitcom format, and will be making some other appearances on the show in the future. But for this one, you can get to know this Rochester comedian who happens to love Max Headroom, too.

And then get ready for next week, because it’s our show where we review “Rakers,” and it’s gonna be a big one.

https://20minutesintothefuture.org/2021/05/09/the-return-of-sipcoms-w-luc-thiers/

Here’s my mom (far left), with her band from the early ’70’s. “Borrowed Time.” (pnwbands.com/borrowedtime.html) I was trying to find a link to the video she made of the song she wrote about getting butt dialed by her girlfriend, but my Kung Fu is not as good as it once was, and “Butt Dialed Song” is turning up bupkis.

Oh well. Happy Mother’s Day!

Convince me this isn’t the greatest song about Volcanoes on the greatest album about the problems with middle-America, then and now?

I bet you can’t name a single other one.

Some Mothers are Daddies.

Regardless: today is their day.

Treat her right.

There should have been a Big Time Television spin-off show.

I spent so much time as a youth playing this. I think about the music from this version of this game probably once a week. In the days I played, we didn’t have walk-throughs, or cheat guides. I brute-forced my way through everything, including the second play-through, where everything is hidden in different places.

I think about a lot of other video games every so often. But this was the first one that absolutely blew my mind.

Everyone once in a while I want to play this game again. But I think it was the combination of having nearly endless free time and a pristine Nintendo was what made it possible for me to play this game to death. When I idly think about playing it again, I think: when would I actually play it? Like, how would I make the time to do so?

Middle age is dumb, that’s for sure.

I want so badly to run a DIY, consignment shop that has records, ‘zines, circuit bent toys, and other art.
Who wants to fund it?

Here’s the long and the short of it: we have some Max Headroom pins and other goodies available for our Patreon supporters, and there are now specific “MaxHead” Tiers that get you early access, max-related ‘zines, and unique pin-sets that aren’t available elsewhere. We will have “Big Time Television” sets, “Network 23 Boardroom” sets, and others coming down the pike eventually, and we’re currently designing some fun things that we want to share with you. If you like Max Headroom, our show, and want to get some cool pins, we could use your support.

patreon.com/posts/new-support-for-50936503

What’s with all the helicopter action in Salem tonight? Did they reboot Airwolf?

How in the fuck is it already Wednesday?

Soon I can tell you how you can get these… #MaxHeadroomPodcast #Buttons #Merch #KeepThisDreamAlive

Marking my 23rd year in radio, on Mid-Valley Mutations I’ve been re-running some of my earliest radio recordings from when I got started on KWVA in Eugene, Oregon. For the last three weeks I’ve been airing “re-creations” of those early shows, with the voice overs and the other bits, and with songs assembled from the playlists, and from other recollections of the original broadcasts. Those first three sort of reveal that my show really did begin as a normal DJ show, that leaned heavily on punk and late 90’s oddities.

This week, I’m featuring two hours of broadcasts that I made with my co-host in those early days, Holden Craft (Justin Anderson). Holden was not a professional broadcaster or comedian, and was not even a comedy writer or wannabe radio personality. He was just a bartender, who happened to be funnier than most people I knew. It made perfect sense to do shows with him when I could.



Here’s two hours or late-90’s radio weirdness, with very strange and inappropriate jokes, and all the music that was common on my show in those early days.

Ladies and Gentlemen: let me introduce you to the Legendary Holden Craft.

https://midvalleymutations.com/2021/05/05/the-legendary-holden-craft-kwva-years/

Today we mourn a coffee mug. Losing a Spock mug is a huge tragedy. Hopefully I can find a way to make it through the rest of the year in one piece. My mug won’t.

Happy birthday, Daniel L. Remington!

Time to go to dreamland… where I imagine every aspect of the economy shutting down permanently so we can kill all viruses, capitalist greed and Republican assholery, included.

Money and businesses ruin all aspects of true, valuable love, community and culture… (I say to myself endlessly in a sleepy time mantra…)

First jam with another person in a very long time. Just two vaccinated musicians in search of a performance.

As I’ve said before: I love Star Wars, but I might love Bill Murray more.

Guitar Wolf…

or living a life without Guitar Wolf?

THREE! TWO! ONE! ZERO! WILD ZERO!

And with that, I have turned off the heated mattress pad for the season.

See you again in the fall.

The dumbest summary rhyme that has ever just occurred to me suddenly, after reading a long passage of text:

“When passante is passe, the flâneuse gives way.”

I’m making an effort to post fewer passing thoughts of horror and doom, and instead try and find and cultivate the things that I love.

While I do think They Might Be Giants are a singularly incredible band, their tendency towards gloomy songs in an upbeat manner can sometimes pile on sadness upon misery. This might be the single exception in their catalog, and it’s a cover, of course.

This song is amazing. Cub, who wrote the song, are amazing. But they are very clearly from Canada, as no one from NY would write a song like this, unless they were traveling from out of town to play a show where they are well loved.

Here’s to trying to focus on things I like. Please: join me on this journey.

Today is the 50th Anniversary of the first NPR broadcast. Consider that I am only four years younger than NPR, and you realize how new it actually is. I’m sort of astonished it has only been that long; part of me imagined they had been going since the dawn of time. Turns out is was more like around the time my parents first met.
https://www.npr.org/2021/04/30/992336360/bonus-celebrating-50-years-of-npr

So, I really can’t contain my excitement anymore. As a kid, this was my favorite show, and when I was able to revisit it growing up, I discovered that this show was saying a lot more than the funny jokes I stole as a youth. So, I thought it would be fun to talk about Max Headroom – TV Series with my friend, Wendella Mermelstein, as she had never seen it. I figured that was a good dynamic: one of us enthusiastic, the other, skeptical. Seemed like a good match. We launched 20 Minutes Into The Future: A Max Headroom Podcast, and we had a lot of fun.

So, how do I tell the 12 year old me that we now get to talk with three of the creators, that made that show happen? It’s really hard to say. I’ve sure he would never believe me, anyway, because we are silly when we are young. But regardless, it happened, and now you can enjoy it, too.

Join us as we talk with the creators of “Max Headroom”: Brian Frankish (Producer on “Field of Dreams,” “The Last Starfighter,” & “The Fugitive”), Steve Roberts (writer for “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,” “Redwall” and, of course, “Max Headroom”) and Michael Cassutt (writer for “Z-Nation,” “Eerie Indiana” and “Strange Luck”), as they reminisce about working on the program, and what bars were key to various stages of the show’s progress.

There are two versions of the show, and both are worth your time: an audio podcast version, with editing, footnotes, and other audio production elements that are typical of our other shows. And then there’s the video, which is a more raw conversation, and offers you a chance to see all the cool stuff that’s going on during the chat. Both are different, and contain things the other doesn’t. So hopefully that encourages you to check out both. But really, either one is VERY entertaining. (I talk very little, and let our guests take over.)

I had a lot of fun working on this episode, and I hope you check it out. This show is a passion of mine, and I am having a great time working on it. Hopefully you can enjoy it, too.
https://20minutesintothefuture.org/2021/05/02/04-writing-producing-the-future/

Today the fourth episode of 20 Minutes Into The Future: A Max Headroom Podcast comes out (at 4 PM, PST), and this one is near and dear to our hearts: a conversation with the creative team behind the American version of “Max Headroom.” This includes Producer Brian Frankish, and Writer’s Steve Roberts and Michael Cassutt.

This is a very fun conversation, where they talk about getting to work on the show, what it was like for each of them day to day, and even discuss how the whole thing came to an end. This is the first time the three of them have gotten together to talk about the show like this, and it is something you won’t get to hear anywhere else.



For this episode, we will have two versions of it available for you to enjoy. First, the podcast version, which is presented much like our normal shows: plenty of SFX and interjections from producer Mitch. However, we think you will want to see this one, too, so there’s a much more “raw” version of the interview on YouTube, where you can see the entire thing, without the fancy audio production and announcer interjections. Both offer something the other doesn’t have, and both tell the story of the passion these creators had for getting this vision on the small screen.

The YouTube version will have live chat going, and Austin will be in there for anyone who wants to hang out. You can enjoy it all at:

bit.ly/MaxHeadroomCreatorsPanel

Be Seeing You!

Looks like the April release for one of my exchange groups landed! Hell yeah.

Important Calendar Note:

Well? Which is it?

Rabbit rabbit. I love rabbits.

I was having a really bummer day early on yesterday, just not at all ready for anything, dragging my feet the whole day, just bringing a storm cloud with me all day. Then, a small group of vaccinated friends came over to get me very drunk. Wow, this hangover is for real. No foolin’.

Ya’ll are the best. Thanks for cheering up a grumpy, difficult person who has become feral in this pandemic. I don’t know why ya’ll put up with me, but you do, and it makes all the difference.

Today is the last day that you can sign up to get the benefits that will go out in May. (You can sign up at any time, but that puts you in for the following month’s benefits, etc.) Starting tomorrow, I will begin assembling packages and items for The Lemonade Stand supporters. The last couple of bits and bobs to get into the mix: Mutated Money and Custom Buttons!

There is a unique Button for each level of Membership. Mail-Art Members will get a different button with their mail art, and a new edition of Mutated Money will be coming out soon, which is only available to supporters. (I believe we will be releasing $2, $3 and $20 denominations, each with their own, unique serial number that may or may not be tracked when you cross international borders.) There’s a lot of benefits for signing up at the higher levels, and I really appreciate it when you do.

There is a level of membership for General Support, what I’m calling, “I’d Buy That For A Dollar!” Over a year that comes to $12, about the cost of an album of new music in a record store. I mention this only because it’s a low-impact, easy way to show your support, without feeling like you are on the hook in a big way. You get billed a single dollar, every month, and it helps support this crazy thing I do. And, even at the $1 a month level, you get a badge that tells the world you are helping me live my dream. 

It’s been exciting see all of this come together. While I still feel very strange about this kind of arrangement, I’ve heard some encouraging things so far. I know I would probably keep making things anyway, even if I didn’t have this motivation. Hopefully a few of you can see the benefit in that, and want to join me on this quest.

https://www.patreon.com/austinrich

Happy Birthday to my B-Day twin, Jen Bandini. Hopefully they are faring better on your coast than I am on mine.

Bah, humbug.

Growing up, I was always told I shared a birthday with Willie Nelson. Of course, the story is more complicated than that. He was born very close to midnight, and while it was on the 29th side of the clock, the Dr. recorded Willie’s birthday as being the 30th.

Growing up, I dint know this. But according to this story, Willie also didn’t know. When I was a kid, he thought it was the 30th. So that’s probably why I grew up thinking it was the same as me. As I have learned, at some point when I was in High School is when Willie found out the truth. But with all the various evidence sort of muddying the truth, and all of this happening before the Internet, it is a wonder the story was confusing until 2018, when he and his family finally set the record straight for the public.

I still love Willie, even if we aren’t b-day twins like I thought. He’s still amazing.

I’m mostly furious that money is still a fuckin’ thing in the far-flung future date of 2021, but I resent the most how much was promised by going to school, and how much is actually gained from having an education. I’m largely miserable, I have no access to jobs because of it, and it has weighed me down, financially, since I went, and to make matters worse, the only things I really got out of college was some nice books and a new appreciation for McTeague by Frank Norris. But I’m no smarter or better prepared for work life than I was, and now much more in debt with fewer options than if i’d kept working for that ten years instead.

I’m so angry that this is still sold as something that will better your life. That’s fairly unlikely, unless you already have means and connections anyway. And I never had either.

Blur was right. Modern life is rubbish.

How do you beat loneliness?

Like, when you have a partner, but no community to share in what you love, and what you want to do?

I’m completely afloat. Adrift, with only myself on this journey, too.

Sigh. I hate this feeling.

Trying not to think about all the things that keep me up most nights.

(Being alone in the universe, not having a function, making up ways to pass the time, etc.)

Who wants a button? Bigger price breaks for larger orders. Any image you want, on a 1″ button. Not everything is Patreon and blue skies.
https://wtbc.bandcamp.com/merch/five-custom-1-buttons

May Postcards were dropped in the mail today. If you are a “High Five!” supporter, you can hear and see the postcard NOW in a slightly different form, and you can see / read a little behind the scenes in making this month’s card.

And, if you want to see / hear this kind of stuff, and get access to other cool perks, I have a recommendation as to someone you could support. If that’s your bag.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/50636272

This has been on my mind a lot lately. I think I’m either desperate to go on a road trip, or desperate to return to the 90s.

“Take me, break me
Tell me a good one and maybe I’ll cry
Go with me, show me
Tell me a good one and maybe I’ll die.”

Maybe the best song ever written?

“Oh, the Merry-Go-Round broke down
And it made the darndest sound,
The lights went low, we both said “Oh!”
And the Merry-Go-Round went
‘Um-pah-pah, um-pah-pah
Um-pah! Um-pah! Um-pah-pah-pah!’ “

Chris Blossom and I are working on a new musical:

“When you’re well read
you’re well read all the way.
From your first Borges short
To your last Beckett Play.”

I feel like we should catch up. It’s been too long.

Unless you’d rather cats up. I guess that’s where we gossip about our cats?

I miss you.

“Stop your messing around;
Better think of your future,
Time to straighten right out,
Creating problems in town.”

I guess I’m back on here. Man, the soc meads is the hard stuff for sure.

Here is:

1.) A picture from my yard?

2.) A metaphor, weighing down my every action?

You make the call.

A new, once monthly podcast is one of the benefits of supporting me at the “Mail-Art Member” level, over at the Lemonade Stand. In fact: people who are already doing that are hearing an ALTERNATE VERSION of the theme song, right now! It won’t be in the podcast, and the band has been kind enough to let us include it as a special bonus for those on the inside. The real theme song will be heard on the first episode of the new show, coming the first Tuesday in May.

If you wanna throw down at the “Mail-Art Member” level, you not only receive custom mail art that no one else will get to see, but a variety of old publications and releases in these mail art packages, sort of “thank you” gifts for your generosity. All of this, and the once-monthly podcast will be yours. Join the fun! There’s a lot going on over at Austin’s Lemonade Stand.

patreon.com/posts/bonus-batters-1-50590686

I’ve been wondering if I could do this or not, and so today’s experiment paid off in the way of a new perk for “High Five!” Support Members. There is now a unique, one of a kind zine that is only available to supporters, and will contain your name in the back, as a thank you for supporting this work.

The first edition of that zine will be coming out soon, for the first batch of supporters who join before May 1st. If you want to get one of the first editions, you will need to support the digital Lemonade Stand, to help keep this dream alive. I’ll give you a tease: this is a new Detective Dexter Roland tale that has never been told before! Largely because I wrote it today. And it will never be told elsewhere, so this is your chance.

If you want to get this, consider signing up to support me in this crazy thing I do. I promise, you won’t be sorry.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/50560064

New blog post for supporters. We are now making enough to cover our monthly postage! Read all about it by following the link. And: why not join the crew who are keeping The Lemonade Stand in operation, so you can read stuff like this? Even when you join at the $1 level, you help keep this dream alive, for which I’m very grateful.

patreon.com/posts/covering-postage-50507806

We don’t have an off-week show this time, so instead, why not check out our friends The Secret Light? Their guitar player, kiisu d’salyss, remixed our theme song, which you can hear when you subscribe to 20 Minutes Into The Future. They are good peeps, and their songs are your new faves, for sure.

Next week: our big panel show with the Max Headroom creators. Don’t miss it!

thesecretlight.bandcamp.com/

Within hours of launching my Patreon page, I already got a few supporters signed up. How cool is that? While there will still be content at my old blog, supporters will get access to blog posts that only THEY get to read, just for being a supporter. The first one is up now, so if you want to read it, you’ll have to join. I hate putting anything behind a paywall, but after almost 30 years of having almost no paywalls, putting a few things in a place where you have to pay to see them isn’t that much different than selling merch at a show. (I keep telling myself.)

The first episode of the Patreon-only podcast will come out in May, so this is the perfect time to get the lead out. There are five tiers to choose from, so choose wisely! If I can get 198 more supporters at any level, I can afford to start to actually treat this like a real job.

Are you doing something similar? How can I find yours?

https://www.patreon.com/posts/50454558

#Patreon #DIY #Podcast #Radio #Music #Zines #MakeMyDreamComeTrue

I’m taking the plunge: I’m asking for you to support me on Patreon, to help keep this dream alive. patreon.com/austinrich

There’s five tiers, starting at $1. For $5 a month you start getting stuff in the mail for your patronage. There’s merch, custom mail art, and some other items that you have probably already been hearing a bit about from me, at the different tiers of membership. Hopefully, there’s a level that works for you. 

With enough patrons, I can start paying my collaborators… and maybe myself? I can replace some broken (and much needed) gear, and I can relax a little regarding trying to earn an income. And, it will also help me recover the money I haven’t been able to make this last year.

I love making music and radio, and it is a total dream. This new podcast about Max Headroom is a combination of so many things that I love, that it is absolutely a labor of love for me. But it is also hard to maintain doing all of this without finding some way to balance the costs of doing this stuff. I hate asking for money. This is not how I want to go about the work I do.

But maybe we can look past that, and move on to making really cool music and radio?

If you have advice / recommendations about Patreon, I’m very curious. Please, let me know what you think. 

And in the meantime: thanks. I love and miss all of you.

The new Audient Void pairs well with the new Instagon record.

The new @lobinstagon record is pretty beautiful. And copy number two! I’m not sure how many are left, but you should look into getting one.

Genuine Idea: as I contemplate how to make a place for myself in the world, I am considering the idea of an old-fashioned Lemonade Stand, but for DIY Art. 

Part of me feels like it would be more of a stunt than anything that could ever make any money. (Even if I was just looking for enough coin so I could got to the A&P to get some penny candies.)

Another part of me is just looking for something to do during the day that might lead to some human interactions.

Regardless: would you shop at a folding table with charming DIY art for sale? More importantly, how far out of your way would you drive for it? 

Will this end up being a situation where M ends up buying pity 7”s from me just so I don’t get frustrated after a few days? 

Sigh. “The Days Are Just Packed…”

My friend @malygris13 and I made a CD, and I just got my copy. He wrote the songs and I recorded them.

It sounds beautiful, and I’m proud of it. Thanks for letting me do this with you.

Salem or nearby friends: on Tuesday, this couch goes out on the front lawn with a free sign. It is old and has seen some action, but it still has some miles left if someone wanted to put the effort in.

Message me if you want it.

Today in Max History: the episode “Security Systems” first aired on ABC television on 21 April, 1987. This episode is about a private company that offers security, in exchange for knowing everything about you, and can use that power against you at the drop of a hat. But when this company is up to be sold, suddenly everyone’s privacy is a news story worth trying to make Edison Carter… disappear.

An eerie tale of modern life… accurately predicted in 1987.

Today in Max History: 420 is the day Max made the cover of Newsweek. Would love a copy of this issue again someday. #HappyHolidays #MaxHeadroom #Newsweek

Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to do next.

And a beautiful mail art postcard from my pen pal C. Mehrl Bennett, who I desperately owe some return post to very soon.

New @formaldehydra musical postcard that is totally fitting my afternoon malaise. Minimalist noise with a beat. I’m there for it.

I spent all day doing laundry. I’m still not done, but I need a break before dinner. #HouseHusbandDiary

It’s time for our third episode of, “20 Minutes Into The Future.” (I believe the kids are already using the #TMITF hashtag when they chat about it online.) For this one, we are reviewing Season 1, Episode 1 of, “Max Headroom.” Heather and I discuss this and so much more, including our continued tech issues, and how much we really love Billie Bird’s brief performance in this one. Tune in to hear that and so much more in today’s dispatch from, “20 Minutes Into The Future.”

https://20minutesintothefuture.org/2021/04/18/03-keyboarding-abc-s1e1-blipverts/

#MaxHeadroom #Podcast #Blipverts #BillieBird #CyberpunkChristmas #TechIssues

I wrote this song in the 90s, while working in a bookstore, across the hall from a record store. Today I woke up singing it for the first time in decades. I never recorded it with anyone, or really shared the lyrics either. It goes:

“Record Store Girl
Always listening to an ironic band
Record Store Girl
I’ll never get to hold her hand.
It won’t be long
Before I write myself a song
And the song will be called:
Record Store Girl.”

And it’s stuck in my head…

I can’t wait for all financial systems of slavery to fuck off. I’m all for someone owning a small business so they can trade the work they do for other local labor that is also useful to your neighbors, but all forms of capitalism are vile, and our obsession with money is gross and is actively destroying lives.

I’m sick of hearing people talk about money. Rich people can go to hell. Anyone who believes in this system is the true monster of the 21st Century.

(I could really use a fuckin’ job. Can you tell how desperate I am?)

Our Zoom Watch Party was a success, even though we totally got Zipped by Racist and Transphobic trolls, who were absolutely children.

It just goes to show that, if you want to have a Max Headroom watch party, you will run the risks that all people living 20 Minutes Into The Future do when it comes to living “online.”

Hopefully everyone who wanted to participate got in. And if you missed it: message me. We might have a link for you.

Tomorrow Episode Three drops. Until then: Be seeing you!

Tonight:

bit.ly/MaxHeadroomZoomPartyTWO

The fun goes down tomorrow, at 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST! We are having another Max Headroom watch party, and this time it is for S1 E1, the classic, “Blipverts.” Hosted by Heather & Austin of, “20 Minutes Into The Future,” there will be cocktails! Jokes! An Episode of Max Headroom! And a Q&A / hang party afterwards. So join the fun!

bit.ly/MaxHeadroomZoomPartyTWO

#MaxHeadroom #WatchParty #Blipverts #TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture

Now available in the podcast feed: The first inauguration in the United States took place in April, not in January. And on April 16th, George Washington set out to become the first president inaugurated in the United States. Join me for the first installment of a three-part story about a president you don’t know much about… and how his story sounds very American, even today.

https://betweenradiozine.com/2021/04/16/issue-36-the-first-inauguration-1-of-3/

#RadioZine #RadioJournal #BetweenRadioZine #Podcast

Today, on KMUZ.org at 10:30 AM, join me on my half-hour radio journal, where I present the first part of a three-part story about a president you might not know much about. It’s “Somewhere In-Between: A Radio ‘Zine,” every Friday on KMUZ.

#RadioJournal #KMUZ #BetweenRadioZine #President #CommunityRadio

This came my way yesterday, and I finally got to take a look at it: the newest issue of “Dialtone Aggressor,” with an essay I wrote about some gear I love. (#GearTalk, as they say.) I write about the @mothhuntermods Tapeworm, and the tried and true Bastl Microgranny.

This zine rules! Interviews with other artists and some great live photos. I believe you can still get them from “Forever Escaping Boredom” out of Florida. Message me if you’d like some contact info.

Today is my radio-versary. Been on the air for 23 years now. Feels both longer and shorter, and I have a lot to say on the subject.

I thought it might be fun to try and line up this new podcast, about “Max Headroom” and Network 23, for my 23rd year. You know, for a lark? It was funny to me, anyway.

Turned out I actually made contact with Network 23, without really trying. Who knew I’d be talking to Brian Frankish, Steve Roberts & Michael Cassutt – people who made “Max Headroom” – for my 23rd radio-versary.

Here’s a few thoughts on the last 23 years of making radio, the privilege that comes with it, and the constant, deep uncertainty that lies ahead.

https://austinrich.org/2021/04/15/23-me/

#Radio #23 #MaxHeadroom #Podcast #SteveRoberts #MichaelCassutt #BrianFrankish #MidValleyMutations #AustinRich #Unpredictable #Anniversary

The yard is pretty sassy today, that’s fir sure.

I’ve been feeling very lonely and confused. I know these two dont understand, but I am so thankful for them. They are the only socializing I get these days.

Sigh. I miss you.

Gift from my pen pal in Eugene. I adore Spike Jones. This collection is so damn good!

Beautiful mail art cassette release, with hand printed lyrics and painted art, from creator Ryan J. Boyd. Can’t wait to put this on later.

It is our distinguished honor to announce that we will be having three of the creators of “Max Headroom” as guests on our podcast. Writers Steve Roberts and Michael Cassutt, and Producer Brian Frankish, have all agreed to interviews, and to a one-off, panel discussion of the work it took to get the show on the air. And it will all be on our show, in the coming weeks.

This is huge news. We’re incredibly excited, and we can’t hold this news in any longer. Here’s the press release for the full details.

https://20minutesintothefuture.org/2021/04/11/join-us-for-writing-producing-the-future/

This is the perfect time to subscribe, because the only way to hear these is on 20minutesintothefuture.org

Join us on 17 April 2021, 6 PM PST / 9 PM EST, for another ZOOM WATCH PARTY! This time, we’ll be watching S1 E1 Episode, “Blipverts.” Follow the link: bit.ly/MaxHeadroomZoomPartyTWO in order to join the party when it’s time.

It’s time to live… 20 Minutes Into The Future. See you then!

Now it can be told! It’s a new, off-week episode of “20 Minutes Into The Future,” and it is a hot one, for a show that is less than 30 minutes long. We absolutely offer details on our next Zoom Party (April 17th), we unveil a NEW REMIX of our theme song by kiisu d’salyss of The Secret Light (which absolutely makes our theme song KICK ASS), we address listener correspondence, AND introduce a new segment of our show, “Memories of Max,” where people call in with their stories of what Max means to them. It’s a lot to pack into a 30 minute show like this, but we do all of that, AND MORE!

Because in this episode, we announce something we’ve been sitting on for a few weeks now: we have been in contact with Brian Frankish and Michael Cassutt, part of the creative team that brought the US show to life, and FURTHERMORE, we had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Roberts, who wrote the UK Telefilm, and most of the ABC program along with Michael.

This is a real honor, and we are very excited to bring these conversations to you. All three were very generous with their time, and offered great stories about their careers, and working on “Max Headroom.” They seemed as excited to speak with us as we were to speak with them, and we think that comes through, too.

We will be dropping these in regular running order, along with our normal stock and trade, where we talk about episodes we watched. We’re still massaging the schedule, but we knew we couldn’t sit on these interviews for very long, and we wanted to let you know as soon as possible.

The first one arrives May 2nd, where we offer a panel discussion with Steve, Michael and Brian, led by Heather and Austin. It’s an informal walk through their lives and work, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

So, tune in and enjoy “Memories of Max,” and be sure to thump the new theme song. Then check back next week, when we review “Blipverts,” and then two weeks after that: “Writing And Producing The Future: A Conversation with Steve Roberts, Brian Frankish & Michael Cassutt.”

It’s been a joy to work on this program, and the fun is only just beginning! In the meantime:

Be Seeing You!

I have so much to say.

I hope my Howard The Duck poster can say it for me.

Something has been cooking in the “20 Minutes Into The Future” kitchen, and we are dying to tell you about it. So we will have a half-hour, off-week episode tomorrow, to get everything off our chests, and to introduce you to a new segment on our show, “Memories of Max!” This is where listeners call in with their stories of the character, what they remember from growing up, and other related experiences with the show. You can leave your “Memories of Max” in audio form, by calling: (585) 678-1211. Or, send us an e-mail: mitchheadroom@gmail.com. Your correspondense may wind up on the show!

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to the program. The more listeners we have, the more weight that holds in podcast aggregators, like iTunes, and thus, makes it easier for others to find. And, speaking of: please leave a review, if you can, in whatever service you use to listen to us. Those reviews also help people find the show, and are a good way for us to find out what you like about the show. 

And: tell a friend! The old-fashioned, word-of-mouth system of advertising still works, and we are grateful for everyone who has already sung our praises.

So: tune in tomorrow for our new episode, and we’ll do our best to keep this news until then…

One of my favorite experimental albums released in 2019 is “The Secret Assembly” by Daona, a UK band who really captured my imagination. I began listening to, and playing their album, which led to them composing a piece that debuted on my program, “Mid-Valley Mutations.”

On my half-hour talk show, “Somewhere In-Between: A Radio Zine,” I speak with Daona about making music and art, and how a partnership can lead to other beautiful things.

The full conversation will come out on “Mid-Valley Mutations” later this year. Visit daona.bandcamp.com to check out “The Secret Assembly” and their composition for our program, “Nightside of Eden.”

“How did they get so big?”