Ally's Favorite Characters

Hello hello hello! It's Ally, and *gasp* I'm doing my own post! Now most of you have heard from Josh, and now you get to hear from me, joy, huh? As you can tell from the title, I will be talking about my FAVORITE ODYSSEY CHARACTERS! Let's go!

First off, I just want to say I love most of the Odyssey characters, because they can all relate with different people, and it shows how God works in their lives in other ways. And I love a lot of them...but I would have to say my all time favorite characters so far are: Connie Kendall, Whit, Tom Riley, and Bernard Walton. What are the reasons why these are supposedly my favorites? I'll tell you why, and how they relate to me as well, and how they influence or inspire me. Here we go!

CONNIE KENDALL

Everyone has to love Connie. She's funny, spunky, has a true heart for God, and makes us laugh. We hear from her almost every episode; she's played the lovable and talented Katie Leigh. I mean, hey Connie's been a teen for like twenty years! Imagine that! That's gotta be kinda cool. 

Now, personal application. Well, both Connie and I are both really curious (like in Album 44 where Whit was acting strange and something was going on?), and sometimes a little unbearable. We both have a lot of friends at different ages (like Whit, Tom, Mandy, Bernard, Eugene, Penny), which might seem kinda crazy to some of you. But honestly, it's not! Connie influences me to keep up my relationship with God, and even when things happen that make us wonder and wish we could go back to change it, there's a reason for it, even if it's bad, and it hurts. She stands up against others who mock and tease Christians and her fellow Odyssians. I liked how we got to see how she was before she met Christ to show us how our old self is gone, and how we must show how our faith has changed us to share the gospel! 

WHIT

Yes, everyone loves Whit, well, all of them, but I really like the Paul Herlinger Whit. To me he sounds the most grandfatherly, and again his belief and trust in God is something I wish I had. Plus Whit is so brilliant, with all of his inventions, and ideas to help kids out. He strives for the truth, and has the best place ever, Whit's End!

Whit is almost like a close grandfather to me. My paternal grandfather died when I was four, and my maternal grandfather (Gung-Gung) lives near LA, while I live near San Francisco. So I've never really had someone elderly just give me advice from a grandfather side. Whenever I hear Paul Herlinger's Whit, it just makes me feel comfortable, like I can just ask him anything and he could be able to give me any advice possible, even though I can't, sadly. 

Just like Connie, Whit inspires me because of his faith in the Lord, his willingness to defend his beliefs, and his ability to always go to God for everything. The way he treats everyone with compassion, being so friendly to everyone (like to Shawn Walker in "The New Kid in Town"), and helping others with an open heart is so loving!

TOM RILEY 

I was so sad when I heard that Walker Edmiston passed away, not being able to hear thoughtful Tom, who's kinda giddy with Bernard (another elderly person I'd love to hang with). He's such a good teacher to the kids, and relates so well with Whit. His country, laid-back, sweet personality made Odyssey what it is. 

Tom sometimes is kind of slow at understanding things (in Album 44: "A Most Intriguing Question" when Tom doesn't quite get Connie's plan of action to talk to Whit), and I too can have a hard time understanding. We both believe that prayer is a very important part of the Christian faith and for anything. Mr. Riley inspires me to keep firm in God and to keep reading my devotions daily to grow in my spiritual life. He showed me how to be able to forgive the people who hurt you so much (Richard Maxwell during the Novacom Saga). 

BERNARD WALTON

I honestly miss Bernard so much. He has been one of my favorite characters for such a long time! I enjoy the way he tells stories, and his ability to be so sarcastic, which makes me crack a smile. In "I Slap Floor", the way Bernard made up that whole story was hilarious. I listened to that episode for days after I found out what the whole episode was really about, just to hear Bernard tell that crazy conundrum of a story. 

Bernard and I have so much sarcasm it's not even funny. Okay, maybe it is. Honestly, that's one of the characteristics that make me love this janitor so much. He enjoys company with others and jokes around so much, especially with Eugene. We have a friend who's super intelligent, where the sarcasm and joking around comes in a lot. AND WE BOTH LOVE STORIES, MAN, HE'S SO GREAT AT TELLING THEM (BTV and telling bible parables/stories to the Odyssians). 

Bernard inspires me to stick by your friends (Eugene Returns when he, Tom, and Connie sneak into Whit's End to find out why he's been acting so strangely). He's always checking on others (Eugene's Return, visits to Whit's End numerous times), and he always uses the same squeegee for his windows until he changes it (Eugene's Return). 

These aren't all of my favorites total (too much to count!), but they are some characters that I keep a place for definitely in my heart. Heck, I love these guys so much because of what the actors put into them and how the writers wrote them to become. Their passion for God, adventure, and excitement is anyone's dream. Wouldn't it be awesome to just have a Wodfamchocsod with Whit, go to the food mall with Connie, join Tom in fishing and devotions, and lose at chess continously with Bernard? 

EDIT (4/14/13): One score minus five years ago, Ally Ko came into the world! Take a moment and say happy happy birthday to her! - Josh

723: Groundhog Jay

Hi guys! Thanks for sending us your feedback on the pilot of Candid KOnversations; we'll be using it all season long! We're getting ready to record Ep 2 this week. In the meantime, thanks to the Peacheys for their promotion on their blog (see Our Friends in Odyssey). We really appreciate it! And now, on to the review...

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-Wait a minute, so now ANYONE can program something into the Room of Consequence? Matthew's was at least a little more understandable since he's somewhat of a tinkering genius and all, but Barrett? The guy who had trouble making a birthday card? Next thing you know, Tom Riley will show up and invent the Innovation Station - with his eyes closed. It all makes Whit's inventions seem less special!
-Jay's new idea: the Room of Coincidence?
-Jay, dates inside of inventions don't work out so well. Do you not remember The Triangled Web?
-NOOOO...how many ice cream floats were harmed in the making of this adventure?
-"Hey, watch it, there's an arm in that sleeve!" - Jay
-Jay's new idea: the Room of Challenges?
-"What would Barrett say?" "I don't know, durrrrr." - Priscilla and Jay
-"Barrett's not my boyfriend. He's just a good friend." FOR NOW.
-Nice reference back to Stage Fright ("Rue the day")
-"You steal my heart, I have underestimated you." Could this be the beginning of a possible Jay-Priscilla future?
-"Every action has an opposite fraction." - Jay
"I didn't realize I had such rugged good looks. Squint of my eyes, lean man-like jaw, mhmm." - Jay
-Jay's new idea: the Room of Concentration?
-Why do the people in Odyssey have to trick each other all the time to teach each other lessons?
-Proverbs 20:11: "Even a child is known by his deeds, whether what he does is right and pure."

REVIEW:
After last reviewing The Lost Riddle, which took the structure of Buried Sin, Groundhog Jay follows the structure of The Eternal Birthday. The great thing about this particular structure is that you can do multiple stories that repeat over and over again, so Jay feels very fresh. It also doesn't hurt that the cast has such great chemistry with each other. This is the first pairing with Jay and Priscilla, and in my humble opinion, they're a more entertaining mystery-solving team than Emily and Matthew! Jay's morally ambiguous personality combined with Priscilla's sweet sensibilities is an intriguing combination, proved by their first episode co-starring together. 

Bob Hoose and Dave Arnold work together to create fantastic snap-crackle-pop dialogue for Jay all the way through. Hertford was given line after line to work with, and he delivered once again. This episode combined both Jay's more devilish tendencies (as in Unbecoming Jay) and dramatic tendencies (Mistaken for Good).  It was interesting to see him learn a lesson, but learn it in a very funny episode that still felt very Jay. I'm curious to see what further character development happens to Mr. Smouse in Album 57.

The revelation that the adventure was once again a sneaky trick by the good folks at Whit's End to teach someone a lesson baffled me at first, but then I realized that it was the only way that would get Jay to get in the Room of Consequence. I do think that the writers need to stop using that device so often - it's almost becoming a cliche, and it didn't work very well in You're Two Kind.  However, it worked out fine here, although Barrett being a puppetmaster (Italian) doesn't fit with Jay's description of him ("a leprechaun - without the beard!") 

In the episode, Jay asks "What is the brilliant but slow building big idea?" The theme of taking responsibility for one's actions is explored quite well - and interestingly through the fantastic pairing of Jay and Priscilla. With great dialogue and humor, I give this episode a 91/100, or a

A-

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Buy this episode and 11 others on Album 56: The Grand Design via CBD
Talk about this episode and a bunch of other Odyssey stuff over at Campbell County

Candid KOnversations Pilot Finally Goes Live!

No April fooling here; friends, family, and countrymen. Today we finally announce the long-delayed (and hopefully long-awaited, at least by us!) pilot of Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally! And here's the summary:

In the pilot to Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally, Puppy enters a new role he's not ready for and Woofy tries to maintain a role he's very ready for, while Josh tries to get a new role that could change the world of Odyssey as he knows it, which no one would be ready for. Plus, our fearless hosts explain what this new podcast is all about and what's happening in the season to come.

Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally: Pilot

Written by Josh and Ally Ko, Directed by Josh Ko
Sound Design by Josh Ko
Original music written by Josh Ko and David Ko
Running time - 16:27
Copyright The Josh and Ally KOmpany. 2013.

We'd love your feedback on how the first episode turned out! Comment below or email us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com, and be sure to let us know how you heard it (the preview on Dropbox or the premiere on the feed here) and what you thought of it. We already know there's lots of things to work on, but we need you, our fantastic listeners and readers, to let us know what you think! 

In the meantime, since Spring Break is this week (happy Easter!), we'll be writing and recording Ep 2, which has a tentative release date on April 20. I'm also hoping to do as much Album 56 reviewin' as I can, so check in for that!

My iTunes fellows: the pilot is on the way...don't worry! We'll let you know as soon as it's there.

Our new About Us page, with information on us and the characters on our podcast will be released today or tomorrow - so check back soon. So long for now!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Check out the official Candid KOnversations page here

The Phoenix

March 29, 2013.

The day has finally arrived, and another chapter in Odyssey fan history comes to a close. With the release of the final episode of the AIO Blogcast today, Austin and Tasha Peachey have changed the game of AIO podcasting after 45 Blogcasts. How have later podcasts, including ours, been inspired by them?

1. The sibling dynamic.

After four years of Blogcasting, what are we going to remember most about the Blogcast? Why, Austin and Tasha, of course! Austin played a great brotherly straight man to the cheerful Tasha to make a great podcasting team and great dynamic.

2. The podcast epic.

Austin Peachey, P.I. Sibling Spies. Skye Weldon and the Crazy Cactus Caper. Austin and Tasha had one of the first podcasts to do more than review Odyssey episodes and talk about Odyssey - they created their own original drama.

3. The open discussion.

While most podcasts started out with just the hosts discussing Odyssey, Austin and Tasha followed suit - and then branched out to interview people from all walks of Odyssey life, from Andre Stojka to yours truly. Discussion became something that anyone could join in or participate in - a factor that has helped Odyssey forums succeed (just look at the rapid success of the Soda Shop Message Boards).

So thank you, Austin and Tasha, for four years of your hard work and dedication sharing your voices with us. It was an incredible odyssey, one we won't forget anytime soon.

Austin has been a huge supporter of our blog since its inception and has helped tremendously with the production of our own podcast, Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally. And here comes the title of this post...the phoenix is a mythical bird that lights on fire every night and rises again from the ashes each morning. The AIO Blogcast ends today. Candid KOnversations aims to learn from the Blogcast, creating our own dynamic, working on our own epic, and always encouraging open discussion. 

Today also happens to be Good Friday - a day in which we remember the incredible sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us - a perfect phoenix who lit himself on fire, taking the wrath of God for our sins for us - and rising from the ashes three days later.

Both the Peacheys and the Kos take the Phoenix (the rocketship that the Wikk kids travel on [The Quest for Truth, Brock Eastman]) for the same reason the Wikks do - we are on a Quest for Truth. 

The phoenix symbolizes new beginnings, and that message is especially prevalent come Easter time. If you're interested in finding out more about what a new beginning following Christ is, email us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com.

Have a happy Easter! And if you're on Twitter (unlike me), here's some hashtags for yo weekend.

#phoenix #lastaioblogcast #candidkonversationspreview

It's Spring Break! That means you'll be getting more posts since we're on vacation. I'm hoping to finish up Album 56 reviews and get to work on getting the pilot officially up and writing/recording Ep 2 of Candid KOnversations. Please email us or comment with your feedback!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Listen to the last episode of the AIO Blogcast here

Listen to the whole pilot episode of Candid KOnversations here, and get ready for its official release next week!

Candid KOnversations Pilot Preview!

Haha, thought I'd gone away for good, hadn't you? Yeah, I didn't think so. 

Let's start with the good news: we finished the podcast five days ago! Yay!

Now the bad news: I'm not quite sure how to share it with you guys via feed and iTunes yet - I must admit that I am REALLY confused. 

But here's more good news: we know you guys really want to hear it, so for a limited time only, this post right here (and the official page here) will be hosting an exclusive look at the pilot of Candid KOnversations! 

And you can check it all out (all dat audio podcast goodness) by clicking right here!

Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally: Pilot
Written by Josh and Ally Ko, Directed by Josh Ko
Sound Design by Josh Ko
Original music written by Josh Ko and David Ko
Running time - 16:27
Copyright The Josh and Ally KOmpany. 2013.

We'll be back with regular posting after we get this whole Feedburner/iTunes thing settled, but for the meantime, enjoy the podcast and please give us your feedback - especially now because it's our first attempt at Odyssey podcasting! You can let us know what you think by emailing us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com or commenting right here.

EDIT 3/27/13: New additions to the Coming Soon feature.

Candid KOnversations Pilot Update - March 11

Yo, yo, yo, it's a Ko.

Sorry to make this so short, but I have a barrage (ooooh, fancy word) of project due dates this week. 

Basically, OUR PODCAST IS DONE. Whoo hoo! But did you notice the word "basically?" 

The only thing missing - literally - from the podcast is the piano part of our theme song. After that, we're ready to upload and send to your friendly neighborhood RSS feeds and iTunes. 

Thanks so much for your patience! 

QUICK UPDATE ON US: This past weekend, we were privileged to perform at two music festivals for wind ensemble. I'm back in swimming, and Ally's starting badminton this season. This weekend, I got my junior prom, so yay, dancing (possibly to Cryin' Bryan Dern's 24 hour polka station?). My film project about abuse is undergoing a first screenplay draft, so that's really cool, and I have another wind ensemble concert this Friday with guest conductors from Wheaton College and Sonoma State! I'm also studying for the ACT, catching up on shows, doing homework, thinking up new projects, and filling up applications. Fun stuff, right? :D

There, something exciting to read, haha. Anyways, when our podcast is released either at the end of this week or the beginning of next week, this post will be deleted 'cause it's mostly just a filler post so you guys have something to read.

In the meantime, check out our podcast page above for more information and two trailers, and you'll hear from us hither! (Does that mean "soon?" I'm reading Othello for AP Lang, so I'll let you know.)

Josh out. 

722: The Lost Riddle

Well, hi there, everyone. I've been visiting some colleges during my break this week and it's starting to make me realize just how little time I have left until it's time to move on to a new stage in my life.

Well, Grover Cleveland, that was a rather dim way to kick off this review.

College hunting was also fun to check out different campuses and ask questions and do awkward things (like normal), but I had to do a lot of investigating this week. You might say in fact, as much investigating as EMILY AND MATTHEW DO IN TODAY'S REVIEW.

Oh, come on. Was that a great tie-in from real life to review or what? Just wait till the next review: Groundhog Jay. Haha, alright, let's get serious (not) and head into a Jones/Parker/Jacobs mystery.

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-I sympathize with group partners not doing their fair share.
-Emily grunts quite loudly when banging herself against her locker.
-As Ben Warren noticed, in all the years since the riddle has been in the locker, NO ONE HAS NOTICED IT? Hey eyedoctors, there's a great opening for you at Odyssey Optometry.
-"I have never been, am always to be; no one ever has, nor ever will be a witness to me. You cannot touch me or taste me, I neither grow nor decay; but if I did not exist, you would all pass today." - #riddlemethis
-Matthew and his wry comments on Emily's case-naming skills. Love 'em.
-Whit taught 25 years ago. My deduction is that if 25 years ago in the real world was 1987, and Whit was at Whit's End then, Odyssey time either runs slower, or this mystery happened over five years ago. I won't know until I review the other seven hundredish episodes I have left. That shouldn't take too long.
-Mrs. Mays w/ motorcycle is played by Mary Pat Gleason. I searched her up, and she's been in dozens, if not hundreds, of TV shows and movies, including Guiding Light, 1600 Penn, and The Island.
-I appreciate the sound design in the filing room, as I do with the rest of the show.
-"Dale Jacobs of the Odyssey Times? Dale Jacobs of the need for pimple cream." - Emily and Mrs. Mays
-THE SOUND OF DALE JACOB'S VOICE ON ODYSSEY ONCE AGAIN; IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE...oh wait, he was in The Labyrinth. Never mind, nothing to see here, carry on.
-Secret Codes 101: Put water on laminated cards and messages can appear as the ink outside of the card rubs off. When you put all the letters all together, it'll create groups of words. Then you put them all together into a simple message. Lemon juice can be used for invisible ink and can be viewed when you put heat on it.
-The Science of Secret Codes 101: The acid of the juice weakens the paper fibers.
-Whit tells Emily and Matthew "happy hunting" - inspiration for the name of the episode two eps prior?
-Kenny Rutherford writes the Big Jack Brannagan mystery series.
-From AIO Wiki: It is revealed that Whit was a teacher while Dale Jacobs was still in middle school over 25 years ago. As Whit stated that he that he was teaching part time this means that Whit was either in his 50s or 60s at the time putting Whit in his 70s or 80s now and putting Dale in his 40s or 50s now which would make sense taking into account Robyn and Melanie are living on their own.
-In addition to all of that, if Dale was in middle school 25 years ago, yet Robyn and Melanie were already preteens 25 years ago, the timeline gets screwed. The time paradox continues...
-"And I'm a big fan of your books, Mr. Rutherford! And I'm...her friend." - Emily and Matthew
-"With my guilt, I read into everything you did and didn't do." - Kenny Rutherford

REVIEW:
I've developed a special relationship with the Jones and Parker Detective Agency mysteries over the years. I enjoy reading them in Ally's Clubhouse, but the first time I was introduced to them was through Game for a Mystery. My, oh, my, have times have changed. While definitely disenchanted with the Agency at first, they've steadily improved from Stage Fright to The Case of the Missing Appleberry (name coined by me) to Something Old, Something New. This mystery continues off where Something established, which was to make us care about the case. Quite honestly, Barrett's voice was so irritating and annoying back in Album 51 that I didn't really care that he'd lost his video game. Emily hadn't been established long enough to make me want to care about her solving the ghost problem (that, and the fact that it was once again all a ploy by a reality TV show). But as the characters of Emily and Matthew have developed, I've started to care, and the writers have latched on to that whole "caring" notion by connecting Penny and Connie in their last case.

The Lost Riddle brings back Dale Jacobs to our ears to help Emily and Matthew solve this case, so we already have someone we know and love to care about, and since Emily has been made much more sympathetic and vulnerable with her character arc, we care about the crime-solvers as well. Since this case was about a riddle, there were elements of this case that the listener could try and solve for themselves, something that fans complained about back when Game for a Mystery first came out.

I must admit that I was one of the fans who complained that Odyssey had once again ripped off a past show, in this case, Buried Sin. But after relistening to the show for the review, I had to slightly retract that thought. The idea, skeleton, and structure for the show were similar, but it was the tone that was different; I guess you could say that this was slightly more comedic. Nonetheless, I'm still disappointed that Odyssey has to resort to recycling old ideas after steadily coming up with new material for 20 years, but hey, that's another article for another day.

The music and sound effects sounded even better when I listened via headphones. The scenes really came alive, especially in the aforementioned filing room scene with Mrs. Mays. The tie-in with Jay fit, and not only was a case solved, but a lesson was learned by the case solvers.

The Lost Riddle takes an old Odyssey idea and adds some new elements that work, with excellent production design, although it lacked some originality. Nonetheless (and partly in thanks to the very presence of Dale Jacobs), I give it a 89/100, or a

B+

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Buy this episode and 11 others on Album 56: The Grand Design via CBD
Talk about this episode and a bunch of other Odyssey stuff over at Campbell County

Kelly Washington, Day Trader

Happy Valentine's Day/President's Day everybody! Great time to fix that Odyssey fix with great stuff like "The Last I Do" and "Lincoln," among others. The Oscars are also right around the corner, so since I'm in award season mood, I'll discuss the results of the latest Averys soon. 

THAT CANDID KONVERSATIONS UPDATE: So, here's the thing. Our one holdup is recording our theme song, and since we have to drive somewhere to get access to one of the instruments, that's why we're having this delay. I'm somewhat (haha, not somewhat) of a perfectionist, and since I can't have this, I HAVE to have to try as best as I can to make it the best it can be. After that, it's simply a long list of technical steps to put it on a feed and on iTunes and we're there!

I read an article this morning about a 16-year-old named Rachel Fox (Kelly Washington, that one girl from Passages: Darien's Rise) WHO IS A DAY TRADER AND HAS ALREADY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL. Well, William Howard Taft and call me crazy, but that girl is one heck of a quadruple threat (acting, day trading, academics, AND music). Anyways, I'm sharing that article with you now. If you click on the link below, it'll take you to the original source of the article - where you can also watch a 9-minute interview with her and see what she looks like!

If you're interested in more Rachel Fox or day trading or investing tips, visit her website at foxonstocks.com. And while you're at it, listen to some Kelly or Darien's Rise! (So if she's the same age as me, and she last appeared four years ago, she was 11/12 when she last recorded for Odyssey.

The Lost Riddle ended up getting lost in a sea of work and has been pushed to next week. If time permits, I'll also hit up Groundhog Jay.

[The following article was written by Jeff Macke for the Breakout blog on Yahoo! and can be accessed in its entirety, with video attached, by clicking here. Out of Control in Odyssey has no malicious intent to capitalize on Mr. Macke's work and gives him full credit for his writing; the reprinting is to give its readers an easier opportunity to access Mr. Macke's work.]

Rachel Fox isn’t an ordinary 16-year-old. She's already graduated from high school and has been a working Hollywood actress for years, appearing in shows like Desperate Housewives as evil Kayla Scavo and in the film Dream House with Daniel Craig and Naomi Watts. When she’s not on set she can often be found on stage, singing and playing guitar in an indie rock band.

That would be a packed schedule for most of us, but Rachel has another activity that’s a real passion. For the last year-and-a-half she’s been actively day-trading stocks with her own money. She says she's been racking up stellar returns, claiming a 30.4% gain in 2012, versus the benchmark S&P 500 which gained 13% for last year.

While she’s doing it all, she’s also helping teach people about investing via her websiteFoxOnStocks.com. On the site she updates her thoughts on the markets and posts videos for those new to the game; teaching them how to do the basics like finding quotes and understanding what a stock option is. For now, the blog is just for fun, she has no plans to monetize; just teach others how to invest, the way her Mom taught her.

From the time she was 8-years-old her mother would read to she and her sister from a book on finance that was kept in the house. Even as she was teaching her daughters fundamental investing, Rachel’s mom was warning them about the stock market.

“She had explained that the market is different nowadays; it’s not so ‘oh you buy something, you hold it for a long time, and can grow with the company,'” Rachel says in the attached video, casually dismissing 100 years of stock market theory. “Nowadays we have day traders, institutional investors and people who just rip the market up and make stocks go like crazy.”

Which is why Rachel started trading stocks with virtual money, until she proved to her parents that she had a knack to make smart investments. In November 2011, she began trading using her own income from acting.

“Last year I made 338 day trades,” she says proudly. Trading that often is not just a hobby. Rachel is up at 6:30am every morning, looks through her account, scans headlines and then makes her picks for the day. She uses a standard brokerage account and makes use of an app that enables her to trade on her smartphone.

“The days when I’m working on set in between takes I’ll be on my iPhone trading; it’s a solo project,” she shrugs, “I’m just doing this.” There’s not a frenetic stock exchange vibe surrounding her at work, just a young actress trading stocks on her phone. Most of her co-workers probably just assume she’s texting the way people her age are “supposed” to. She doesn't talk about trading with other Hollywood-types; she only shares some investing ideas with her parents on occasion.

Her methodology for stock picking isn’t going to be in one of her mom’s textbooks anytime soon. For the vast majority of her trades she’s going strictly by her gut instinct and technicals, or stock charts. She tries to ignore the news flow that fundamental players live off, and instead watches price action and lets the charts guide her on when to buy and sell.

Her dream targets are companies that have been pushed too far away from their normal trend. It’s what traders call overbought or oversold.

“If the stock is seriously sick with one of those cases I’ll just go right at it,” she says sounding just a little like a grizzled trading floor veteran being channeled through a teenage girl. “I’ve got some shark instincts.”

Rachel’s best trade so far in 2013 is a short sale on high-end jeweler Tiffany & Co. (TIF). “The stock kept going up and up and up and was really overbought and I had the instinct,” she explains. After putting on her short position, she woke up the next morning to find a trader’s dream: the shares were collapsing on weak earnings. “I short sold it and the next morning when I woke up it had dropped $3 or $4; it was perfect,” she says.

Not all trades are wonderful though. Rachel says her first trade was her worst trade. When she was 15-years-old, she got a stock tip from a family friend at Thanksgiving dinner. It was a $2 stock, sure to go to $10 she was told. The stock is now trading under a penny. But the beating she took didn’t make her want to quit; it motivated her to start generating her own ideas.

“I learned not to take stock tips from people because I think it’s so important that you enter and exit trades on your own instinct.”

In the bigger picture Rachel sees no reason why she can’t trade and act at the same time. “It’s going to be Oscars while day trading,” she says about her future. “I’m going to be acting until I can barely see anymore and the same with stock trading. I’m going to be stock trading forever.”

She also plans to continue blogging and expanding her video content. The topics she covers aren't just for traders like herself. Rachel wants to give people the basics and let them decide how to best fit it to their personal temperament and goals. “I’m just doing what my parents did with me. I’m saying ‘here’s the market, here’s how it works.’”

And she's even tackled questions about her age in a recent blog post. For now, she leave us with some advice you just wouldn't expect from the average teenager:

“Learn how to make your money grow, it is one of the most empowering things you can know.”

721: The Holy Hoopster

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, & quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-NEW: the Odyssey Owl Radio Network
-Coach Chang Fang is back!
-Camilla takes a new career as a watergirl, while Nelson spends time as a benchwarmer.
-Ally's favorite character sorta Ryan Cummings is there! :D
-New team name: Trenton Knickerbockers
-"Prayer isn't about working or not working. Or winning and losing. Prayer is about a relationship with Jesus. That's what's important." - Ryan
-"Has it occurred to you that the reason he's nice is because of all that prayer stuff?" - Nelson

REVIEW:
Surprisingly, I didn't find that much to say about this episode. I did really enjoy the real-life parallels (Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow) to the Odyssey world - but if you wanted to hear more about that, you could just check out Ben Warren's review over at The Changing Times. 

The introduction of the Odyssey Owl Radio Network was interesting, but was it really necessary? Why didn't they just broadcast it via Kids' Radio like they usually do - are Odyssey residents really gonna turn on the radio to get the latest updates on middle school basketball as much as the NFL or NCAA? Regardless, Jay was a definite highlight of this episode with his color commentary work and great lines.

Don't get me wrong; I loved this episode. I'm mostly nitpicking to give feedback on what could have been better. The middle got a little slow for me as Ryan went into a slump. Another interesting angle that the plot could've taken could have been to have Ryan have some big "mess-up" or "scandal" that made everyone question "just how holy the Holy Hoopster" is. But those are moot points; the chemistry with all of the characters felt great, and the music/sound design was as on-point as ever. The Lightning Livingston made the Odyssey Nerd in me feel very satisfied, and the acting continues to be terrific. 

Overall, The Holy Hoopster is another engaging sports plot by Marshal Younger with a lesson that applies to our times and appeals to both kids and adults, with terrific chemistry between all of the actors. Although the pacing is slow at times, I give it a 90/100, or a

A-

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Buy this episode and 11 others on Album 56: The Grand Design via CBD
Talk about this episode and a bunch of other Odyssey stuff over at Campbell County

Garrett Vandenburg & Blimey Cow on Worship

With a little help from Garrett Vandenburg, blimeycow creates a video that exposes just how repetitive worship songs can be. When we worship, let's put our all into praising the Creator, the King of Kings, instead of telling him, "Whoo hoo. Hallelujah. Yeahhh."

Worship should come from the innermost part of our soul. We were made to worship after all - so why shouldn't we settle for the very best?

Wishing everyone a happy Sunday Morning Scramble School wherever they are - I'm working to put another one out in the spring. Reviews for Holy Hoopster/The Lost Riddle coming Sunday and later in the week, respectively.

Two steps away from finishing the pilot for Candid KOnversations.