Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – 03-03-26 – Condensed Short Show – 98 KUPD

Episode Overview

In this condensed Tuesday morning episode, John Holmberg and his crew—Brady Bogan, Bret Vesley, Dick Toledo, and occasional guest Gary—take listeners through a rapid-fire series of irreverent, comedic explorations of everything from astronomical phenomena and questionable TV moments to outrageous news stories and oddball personal anecdotes. The tone is light, self-deprecating, and typically off-the-cuff, peppered with banter, pop culture riffs, and the group’s signature blend of observational humor and blunt honesty.

Main Discussion Topics & Insights

1. The Blood Moon Eclipse & Scientific (Non)Understanding

[01:03-09:22]

• The crew discuss the “rare” lunar eclipse—The “Blood Moon”—and collectively express skepticism about its supposed rarity due to the frequency of eclipses in recent years.
• Brady set his alarm to witness the event, only to feel underwhelmed:

  “Why do I do this?...This sucks...I’ve done it several times.” – Brady ([02:10])

• The group jokes about their inability to comprehend the science behind it, openly embracing their limits:

  “If I understood what was happening, the scientific phenomena…would be great. But I’m not smart. I’m not at all. I’m barely.” – Brady ([07:47])

• Discussion devolves into lamenting their past struggles learning algebra and math, with AI’s (ChatGPT's) explanations not helping:

  “Chachi PT might as well have been speaking French.” – Brady ([06:22])

• Humor about failed attempts at photographing the moon and social media “flexing.”

2. News Coverage, “War,” and a Name Conundrum

[10:56-16:47]

• Brady sarcastically refers to war coverage as a binge-watchable TV series:

  “Last night ‘War’ had a new character they introduced…” – Brady ([10:56])

• A running bit about a war expert appearing on TV whose name, Negar, is pronounced in a dangerously controversial way on American broadcasts. The group veers into mock apprehension about using such a name on air or in public, noting cultural clashes and accidental offensiveness.

  “If you named me, I’d change my name. I don’t care what culture you were from…” – Brady ([12:30]) “There had to be a meeting earlier that day. So we need an expert… What’s her name? We can’t have her on…” – John ([13:04])

3. Public Funding & The Media Landscape

[26:38-28:05]

• Brief social commentary on NPR/PBS-style radio (specifically a station called “CAGES”), with jokes about how public funding, rather than popularity or commercial appeal, keeps certain stations alive.

  “They’re the WNBA of radio. You wouldn’t be a station if it wasn’t for government funding.” – Brady ([26:39])

4. Gross-Out Bathroom Stories & Relationship Privacy

[19:58-24:44]

• A listener email sparks a dialogue on witnessing a spouse’s “maintenance” routines (shaving, etc) and the importance of boundaries:

  “Certain things, maintenance of the body needs to be a private act because it’s very rarely pretty.” – Brady ([21:13])

• The group shares stories about awkward and outright disgusting shower/bathroom experiences, including the infamously revolting “waffle stomp” tale (poop in the shower, stomped down the drain).

  “She was right on this. I don’t know who Jan Kelly’s husband was, but that guy’s a monkey. That’s disgusting.” – Brady ([23:30])

5. Outrageous News: Door-Dashing Plan B

[29:07-37:38]

• The hosts dig into a scandal involving Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts, charged with statutory rape, who DoorDashed Plan B after sex with her son’s underage friend. The group expresses both disbelief and humor at the notion you can now get Plan B delivered as easily as snacks:

  “How lazy are you? I wonder if she ordered food and then it says, ‘You need anything else? Double dash and Plan B.’” – Gary ([31:02])

• Side commentary about the wide availability and pricing of emergency contraception, and why abortion clinics even exist if it’s this easy to buy pills online.
• Personal stories about buying Plan B for panicking kids, highlighting generational cultural changes and awkwardness:

  “I wouldn’t ever tell my dad I need a Plan B.” – Brady ([34:21])

6. Classic IHOP Debate & Pancake Philosophy

[39:01-41:27]

• The crew marks National Pancake Day with personal takes on the appeal (and timing) of pancakes, quipping that pancakes are mostly a post-party, 3 a.m. food.

  “I don’t like pancakes that much… I don’t think I’ve had pancakes and it wasn’t 3:30 in the morning for 30 years.” – Brady ([39:30])

• Sarcasm about IHOP’s brief attempt to become “IHOb” (International House of Burgers).

7. Podcasting, Comedy, and the Flaws of Heroes

[45:47-54:10]

• Guest James (of "A Small Town Murder") discusses the comedy club circuit, podcasting success, and the big break of getting picked up by Netflix.

  “They just threw a bucket of cash at you…and said, here, just keep doing this thing they could have done.” – Brady ([47:45])

• Pitch for a podcast based on debunking revered figures—“All Your Heroes Are…They Are”:

  “Go back and you find people in history that everybody has revered…and you find their fault, their humanity...Man, Rosa Parks was a dick.” – Brady ([51:10])

• Example given: Mother Teresa’s questionable ethics, Kennedy, Gandhi, Harriet Tubman, and the concealed warts of celebrated icons.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Eclipses and Science:

  • “For some reason, whenever the news starts talking about stuff like this, I always am like, it seems like there’s been an awful lot of eclipses.” – Brady ([02:06])
  • “I can B.S. my way around most stuff, but with this, I don't know what I’m doing, and I don’t know why I'm watching.” – Brady ([08:05])

• On Door-Dashing Plan B:

  • “You can just have some random stranger grab some Plan B for you.” – John ([29:24])
  • “That’s just Coke. See if you can double dash and play [Plan B].” – John ([31:32])
  • “We’re getting slaughtered out there by these pills.” – Brady ([35:06])

• On Relationship Privacy:

  • “I never understood the whole shared bathroom thing…Then you get married and this virus of a person and you have to share a limited amount of space and they take over and it’s gross.” – Brady ([21:31])
  • “If you hear a shower, you just let somebody have a shower.” – Brady ([22:26])

• On Flawed Heroes (Mother Teresa et al):

  • “Mother Teresa, she’s a horrific human being. Tell me more. She killed people non stop. She was great friends with Papa Doc Chevalier of Haiti.” – Brady ([51:59])
  • “I want that show to make people, when it’s over, go, man, Rosa Parks was a dick.” – Brady ([51:10])

• On Coffee:

  • “It’s the worst taste. It’s gross. I drink a pot a morning now, a full five or six cups...” – Brady ([41:47])

Segment Timestamps

• Blood Moon/Eclipse & Science: [01:03–09:22]
• War Coverage & the Expert Name Bit: [10:56–16:47]
• Public Radio (CAGES) Commentary: [26:38–28:05]
• Bathroom Boundaries/Waffle Stomp Story: [19:58–24:44]
• Mayor’s Plan B Scandal: [29:07–37:38]
• IHOP & Pancake Banter: [39:01–41:27]
• Podcast Success & Hero Demolition: [45:47–54:10]

Summary: Tone and Style

This episode delivers the trademark “Holmberg’s Morning Sickness” blend of breezy, slightly edgy Arizona-based morning radio: snarky, blunt, and always teetering between observational wit and outrageous, sometimes gross-out, humor. There’s open self-deprecation about intelligence, honesty about relationships, and willingness to dig into both pop culture and darker societal taboos. As always, conversations are unscripted, marked by quick pivots, playful mockery among the hosts, and the ability to find comedy in everything from science to scandal.

For listeners who missed it, this show captures the unpredictable, hyper-caffeinated spirit of the Valley’s top-rated morning radio with lightning-fast tangents and unmistakable chemistry among its cast of Arizona radio legends.