Sound Focus Podcast

After reading a glossy article on travel, it's easy to imagine yourself as the lucky author who gets to vacation for a living. Thomas Kohnstamm discovered reality is a bit uglier. He shares tales from his memoir Do All Travel Writers Go To Hell? Then, it's cherry season!

One of the most important people keeping your plane in the air is someone you never see. Today, we visit air traffic controller Dave Gildea at the flight control tower in Renton. We also hear how a group of five year olds helped a local indie rocker redefine his music.

$4.35 a gallon doesn't seem as bad when you find yourself in the middle of a gas riot. Today, Travis Arket tells us about the riots, crashes, and close calls of a thousand mile rickshaw race through Nepal and India. We also get life lessons from Seattle's pre grunge era.

When Puget Sound tides are low, you might find snail eggs, giant sea stars, or even a stranded octopus. We explore Golden Garden's beach with a Seattle Aquarium naturalist. Then, the co author of What Angry Kids Need explains why she likes working with unruly children.

When Amanda Arkebauer was a kid, she devoured Nancy Drew novels. Now, she collects clues from the Internet to uncover hidden boxes all over the Northwest. It's a pastime called letterboxing. We also ask a former vocalist from the band Velvet Underground why building violins in Ballard is more satisfying than being a rock star.

Erik Lindbergh is the grandson of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh. But growing up, Erik was told to avoid flying at all costs. Today, Erik explains why it was impossible to resist the lure of the open sky. We also learn how wi-fi could become the latest driving distraction.

Bainbridge Island teacher Warren Read knew that his family history was not a pretty one. Still, he was shocked by what he found out about his great grandfather in Duluth, Minnesota. Today, the story of a famous lynching and a personal apology for a terrible family heritage.

Six years ago, Seattleites Maha Gebara and Susan Davis created Middle East Peace Camp, a local summer camp for Arabs and Jews to hang out together. They tell us how it all started. We also learn how poetry can battle depression, and we get book reviews from Nancy Pearl.

Alice Finch set out to visit the Philippines with her mom in 1941. What started as a grand vacation suddenly became a nightmare when they were taken prisoner of war. Alice shares memories of her mother's courage and survival instinct. We also meet a chalkboard artist.

Most toddlers don't know where the Wright brothers flew their first plane. But the young Ken Jennings did. He tells about going from a trivia loving child to becoming the Jeopardy world champion. Then, we hear a song that puts us in the mood for peanuts at the ballpark.

The Saint John's Bible is the first hand written, illuminated Bible commissioned in over 500 years. A local artist has been chosen to help illustrate key passages. She explains why it's been both daunting and inspiring. Also, a former Microsoft employee bounds into dance.

Evan McMullen's car holds the World Record for gas mileage 376.59 miles per gallon. But it's not a hybrid. Today, Evan tells us how this ultra efficient fuel system was designed in 1973. We also visit Fast Girl Skates and learn how West Seattle Bowl continues to thrive.

In 1981, Hugh Nguyen was sinking in a marooned refugee boat in the South China Sea. Pirates had raided his boat, stolen his sister, and stripped away his hope of survival. Today, he recounts the journey from Saigon to Seattle. We also get book reviews with Nancy Pearl.

The world's largest collection of 20th century classic cars is located in SouthTacoma. It represents the life's work of a garbage man. We tour the LeMay Museum to learn about classic automobiles. We also explore burlesque in Seattle and the rehabilitating powers of yoga.

In 1958, the UW rowing team was so strong, they took on the most powerful team in the world: The Soviet Union. Today, Len O'Donnell recounts the tale from his documentary, 'Rough Water: Odyssey Behind the Iron Curtain.' We also consider the last resort of email bankruptcy.

Jimi Hendrix didn't make it big until after he left Seattle, but critics still debate about the influence Jimi took away from the local music scene. Today, a case for early Hendrix recordings that suggest a legend in the making. Plus, violinist and storyteller Swil Kanim.

It takes about two months to build a violin from start to finish. But for Howard Scott, the process took 60 years and two generations of family. Today, how the story of the instrument became a family legend. We also go inside the mind of a bestselling romance novelist.

At 2:05 p.m. Kubota Garden Seattle has a garden fit for a Japanese emperor. Fujitaro Kubota created a unique fusion of Japanese and European traditions for local homeowners as a landscaper. But at the Kubota Gardens, the public can witness his life's work. Head Gardeners Don Brooks maintains all 20 acres. In an archive from July 20, 2007, he takes Megan Sukys on a stroll that stretches from Japan to the Northwest. At 2:20 p.m. Boeing Field History Boeing Field is a Seattle institution that got off to a bad start with the neighbors. Shortly after the airport's 1928 opening, nearby farmers complained that their chickens had stopped laying eggs due to low flying aircraft. Boeing Field's history as the birthplace of some of America's most important aircraft is comic and tragic. Cory Graff is an aviation historian and exhibits designer at the Museum of Flight. Today, he shares some of the stories he chronicles in his book Boeing Field. At 2:40 p.m. Robert Horton Movie Reviews Robert Horton reviews Hollywood Blockbusters and art house rarities every Friday on Sound Focus. He joins us with a look at films screening in our region this weekend. At 2:50 p.m. Connecting to the Iraq War Seattle documentary filmmaker Patricia Boiko says her latest movie, The Corporal's Diary, fell in her lap. She didn't even intend to do a film about the Iraq War. But she ended up immersing herself in the life of one local family deeply affected by the war.

A fifty fifty bet is far from a sure thing. But if you get married, those are your odds for staying together. Today, gambler Rob Johnsen explains how he's hedging his bets this summer by planning his wedding on an auspicious date. We also meet the founder of Utilikilts.

There is music associated with tides and the rotation of the moon. We speak to a professor of geology at Western Washington University who is helping his students better understand the universe by listening. Then, we visit a cafe that caters to new moms and their kids.

Nearly two million Americans live in nursing homes. But according to Emory Baldwin, most of them don't have to. Today on Sound Focus, the Seattle architect shows us how his own home adapts to the entire life cycle. We also learn how to track wildlife in the urban landscape.

Twenty three people in Redmond shared the world record for firewalking in 1997. We speak to the co author of Weird Washington about testing his own toes on eighteen hundred degree coals. We also get book reviews from Nancy Pearl and tap into the wisdom of Orca whales.

At 2:05 p.m. Smiling at the World Two pair of quick drying underwear can take you through a year long adventure around the world. That's just one small discovery that Joyce Major made when she left her Seattle houseboat to travel around the globe as a volunteer. She shares her quest in the book, Smiling at the World. In an archive from November 30, 2007 Megan Sukys talks with her about how the whole journey began with an epiphany on Rattlesnake Mountain. At 2:20 p.m. Life Lessons from the Piano Seattle has helped shape the career paths of musicians from Ray Charles to Kurt Cobain. Margie Balter studied music at the University of Washington before embarking on a career teaching piano in Los Angeles. Margie loves the sense of discovery and empowerment that music study provides. And Seattle played a vital role in her development as a musician and composer. At 2:30 p.m. Jesse Sykes Seattle is a whirring hub of technology amid forests, mountains, and leaping salmon. Singer songwriter Jesse Sykes has been fascinated by the intersection since she moved to the area in 1991. She reflects on the disconnect between nature and the modern world on her new CD, 'Like, Love, Lust, and the Open Halls of the Soul.' Today, Jesse shares a couple of songs from the CD and a story about connecting with nature at Discovery Park. At 2:40 p.m. Robert Horton Movie Reviews Robert Horton reviews Hollywood Blockbusters and art house rarities every Friday on Sound Focus. He joins us with a look at films screening in our region this weekend.

You have to wash gas off your hands 17 times before a dog won't be able to smell it. We visit a fire site with Capt. Stephen Baer and his dog Henny to sniff around for signs of arson. We also get an art review and learn how an old gravel mine has become a golfing green.

At 2:05 p.m. The Works: Loyalty for Wi Fi and Streaming Rentals to TV In case caffeine addiction isn't enough, Starbucks is looking for new ways to keep you coming through their shaded doors. A new Starbucks Card rewards your loyalty with free Wi Fi, among other perks. Glenn Fleishman is a freelance technology reporter. He joins us every week for a look at how hi tech works in our lives. Today, we consider the perks of coffee shop loyalty, stream rental movies right to our TVs, and encrypt sensitive information via USB. At 2:20 p.m. People and Polar Bears Steven Kazlowski is a Seattle resident who spent nearly a decade photographing the polar bear in the wild. During his years in the sub zero temperatures and isolation of the Arctic coastline, he learned first hand of the interdependence between people, polar bears and the environment. Steven's photographs appear in the current Burke Museum exhibit The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World. He speaks with Dave Beck At 2:40 p.m. Cooking Klatch White tablecloths and stellar service are some common hallmarks of fine dining. For a lot of people, fine dining also means: food I could never make . Gabriel Claycamp wants to take the elitism out of gourmet food. He's the founder of Culinary Communion, a cooking school he runs out of his Seattle home. He also runs Vagabond, a monthly dinner where chefs and diners eat together at one big table. Today, Gabriel shares a few recipes that sound as fancy as can be, but he'll explain that they don't have to be intimidating. At 2:50 p.m. Made In China In rural 1930s China, a group of white American children were noticing they looked nothing like their peers. These were the kids of YMCA missionaries. And Tom Helde was among those kids. He was born in China and lived there until he was 15. John Helde is a local filmmaker, and the creator of the documentary Made In China. He's also Tom's son. John realized he didn't know anything about his dad's childhood after stumbling across a book at his parents' house. He tells Jeannie Yandel the story.

Replacing your office chair with a treadmill could do wonders for your brain. Dr. John Medina shares this and other cognitive tips for thriving at work, home, and school. We also meet a doctor who spends his spare time finding and repairing cellos for young musicians.

Today, Rebecca Andrews tells us about her journey on the Camino de Santiago, a 450 plus mile pilgrimage trail that ends in Spain and takes more than a month to complete. We also visit the Northwest African American Museum get book reviews from librarian Nancy Pearl.

Today, Rebecca Andrews tells us about her journey on the Camino de Santiago, a 450 plus mile pilgrimage trail that ends in Spain and takes more than a month to complete. We also visit the Northwest African American Museum get book reviews from librarian Nancy Pearl.

Jonathan Winter has devoted his life to exploring the magic of radio, from early crystal sets to the tube amp. We visit a museum in Bellingham that houses his collection of over 1,000 radios. Then, we meet a barista who isn't afraid to serve you coffee in a sexy costume.

Jonathan Winter has devoted his life to exploring the magic of radio, from early crystal sets to the tube amp. We visit a museum in Bellingham that houses his collection of over 1,000 radios. Then, we meet a barista who isn't afraid to serve you coffee in a sexy costume.