AIOOOOOh, Thank You!

Wow. Thanks to your help and your votes, we were awarded the awards for Best Blog and Best New Site/Blog/Podcast at the 1st AIO Websters! What are the Websters? If you've ever heard of the Webbys (the Internet version of the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, Tonys), this is the Odyssey fan version of the Webbys. It was put on by CreativeThinker101 at Just Another AIO Blog (click on the link to see the rest of the award ceremony) and he did a great job. Thanks for all your support, and thanks for CreativeThinker101 for putting the whole thing together! Here's our acceptance speech...we hope you enjoy! Look, I even wore a suit. 

Lyrics to "Odyssey Connection", to the tune of "Rainbow Connection," inspired by an article by Alex Jefferson on Just Another AIO Blog entitled "The Lovers, The Dreamers, and Me"

So thanks for voting on...Just Another AIO Blog!
Thanks for voting our names.
The sweet sounds that brighten up the Odyssey community, (Communicate!)
These voices are one and the same.
We've heard you too many times to ignore it,
it's something that we're supposed to be...
Someday we'll find it, the Odyssey connection,
The lovers, the dreamers in Odyssey!
La la la la la la la, la la la la la la...dah dah dee dee dah dah dah.

One final shoutout to the Old Judge. In his latest post, he seemed a little disappointed on not getting a Webster. I just wanted to say that if I could, I would give you a Special Achievement AIO Webster for both making the Odyssey community a bright, thriving place and creating a site that gives the lowdown on every Odyssey fan site. Your encouragement to all Odyssey blogs/sites/podcasts and compilation of all Odyssey news from all sites is unparalleled, and you are an integral, as well as unique, part of the Odyssey community. You are truly, as CT101, would say, one of the "involved" as well as being a terrific encourager, friend, and Odyssey nerd (AWWWW YEAHH). 

That's all for today, folks. Thanks for reading, and have a beautiful day.

NOTE: What's coming up? A campaign, a music video, a secret project, Odyssey reviews, SMSS, and much, much more. They're coming!

SIDENOTE IF YOU'VE WATCHED THE REST OF THE AWARDS CEREMONY: Garrett, you forgot to mention to thank yourself for "cooling" the Ceiling Fan. That is all. 

FP#9: A Different Kind of Peer Pressure

Happy Labor Day! Be sure to check out the results of the 1st AIO Websters at justanotheraioblog.blogspot.com! I'm hard at work editing my church's Get in the Show music video, but we'll try to get out a post or something soon. In the meantime, enjoy!

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-Earl Boen's first appearance on Odyssey!
-The Hudsons are at the mall, though we can't be sure that it's in Odyssey.
-The not-so-popular girl doesn't want to hang out with the nerd? Uh oh, any moment now, we're gonna get someone singing something from High School Musical.
-Odyssey has Eskimo pies! I actually have no idea what they are, though I've heard of them.
-The crowd decides what the average teen does. Nowadays, the media is trying to determine what the average teen buys, plus hipster culture has been established. While certain schools still struggle with stereotypes and cliques, other schools have different struggles; this school illustrates the first kind of school.
-Jerry Winters, who sounds like a hick, is played by Jack Angel, who would later play Homer Fremont, another hick, in Honor Thy Parents and George Washington/John Adams in The Day Independence Came.
-Discrimination in the workplace continues today in all forms.
-Thank goodness Rich Hudson's drowning his sorrows in coffee and pie instead of another intoxicating beverage.
-Was the term "nerd" invented in the 1980s? 'Cause nowadays, nerds are an integral part of hipster culture. Oh, and there's more categories of nerds now, like this one.
-"Right is right, and wrong is wrong." -Whit, and a subtle mention to absolute truth
-yuppie: "young, urban, professional," a term invented in the mid-1980s
-"Your bill? Oh, right. No charge for the counseling? No, that's on the house." -Richard Hudson and Whit
-Conformists Anonymous would start another chapter in With a Little Help From My Friends (Album 27: The Search for Whit).
-Whit will later make that Romans 12:2 reference again in a later episode. I don't remember the exact one.

REVIEW:

Well, we've come to the last of the Family Portraits to review (the rest are Odyssey episodes and will be reviewed in the near future). This last one is a lot shorter than all the other ones, and that might explain why the reconciliation, or the conclusion, felt so abrupt.

Earl Boen and Hal Smith were terrific as Richard Hudson and John Whittaker, respectively, but I could not say the same about the rest of the cast. Blair's yelling started to border on irritating and I'm not sure if she was supposed to come across as likable at all. I was disappointed that she was only in one scene (even though she was loud in her only scene); I felt that there needed to be a conclusion with her in it. 

It's interesting that this episode has the "customer comes to Whit's End and gets advice from Whit behind the counter" motif, but this is the first one where the adult goes for advice. Later, George Barclay and Ed Washington would also go and get advice. 

I was saddened that this episode could have gone deeper into discussing discrimination with the Richard Hudson incident, but instead stayed only on conformity. With a Little Help From My Friends, a episode loosely inspired by this one, focused on conformity and peer pressure as well, but the stories suited that theme. This "portrait" stayed on the surface, but could have aimed to swim into deeper waters; it didn't reach its full potential as an episode.

AIO Wiki notes that "In the opening wraparound of this episode, Dr. Dobson and Mike  Trout talk about some of the negative mail...about...Family Portraits. One letter did not inclusion of the teen/parent arguments in the program and another thought the programs sounded like they were from the 1950s." Well, it seems like Focus took those criticisms and geared Odyssey toward 8-12 year olds and made the shows seem timeless. But it's "portraits" like Whit's Visitor, The Letter, and even this one that make you wish for something that teens can listen to that specifically is geared toward them. Ben Warren writes in his post about the possibility of a spinoff:

"Way back before Adventures in Odyssey aired, Dr. Dobson, President of Focus on the          Family, was vocal about the importance of counteracting negative programming by providing alternate, biblically-based entertainment. Sadly, 25 years after Adventures in Odyssey began, Focus on the Family still hasn't provided that successful alternative for teenagers. I'm not sure why they haven't. Teenagers are members of a family too--and the most difficult, dumbest ones...the reality teenagers are dealing with choices we are allowing "Glee," "Degrassi," "90210," and "Gossip Girl" have the first and last say. Providing entertainment with good morals is not only a great idea, but one long overdue."

Well said, Mr. Warren, though I wish I could have indented your quote. I know we're just getting out of a recession, but an audience would be there before the show even began, and that's a testament to an already great show that has been produced for 25 years. I'll be posting my spinoff idea eventually and bring another candle to the spinoff discussion.

Back to the "portrait." While having some quality acting and writing, Peer Pressure conforms to many acting and writing cliches that weaken its overall message, with a shortened timespan that reduces the impact of its conclusion. I give this episode an 82/100, or a

B-

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Listen to A Different Kind of Peer Pressure by typing in "again" as Secret Word #6!
AIO Wiki: A Different Kind of Peer Pressure

NOTE:
That concludes our Family Portraits review series! Hopefully, you enjoyed going through the beginnings of Adventures in Odyssey. If you ever find a way to listen to While Dad's Away and/or In Memory of Herman, let us know and we'll review them! Starting after the next SMSS, we'll begin to review the Adventures in Odyssey audio series, beginning with Whit's Flop.

Introducing The Odyssey Phone Book

Well, today at Out of Control in Odyssey, we are proud to present...the Odyssey Phone Book!

This new feature on our blog, available by clicking on that tab at the top of the page (See that connection of words that reads, "Odyssey Phone Book?" Good job. Now click on it.) The Odyssey Phone Book was created as part of our ongoing mission to bring the town of Odyssey to life and become a part of Odyssey and apply it to our lives!

What is the Odyssey Phone Book? It's a tool to expanse the great picture you have of Odyssey in your mind; a connection to the people and places that live there. We have the Yellow Pages of Odyssey! As we go episode by episode, we'll be constantly revising and updating this page, and you're welcome to contribute by emailing us at jandakocompany@yahoo.com! 

But wait, there's more. No, that's not all. Besides all the reviews and SMSSs and Odyssey in the Real World posts, we got a big project coming up! It's super exciting, and we hope you guys will really like it! All I can say for now is that it's another way of immersing you into the Odyssey experience. Get excited!

Luckily, since the week's almost over (tons and tons of homework), I'll be able to do some posting this weekend! We'll have another review and SMSS up soon. Also, be sure to check out Just Another AIO Blog this weekend for the AIO Websters ceremony...it's supposed to be really cool! 

Finally, if you've been liking what you see, I wanted to recommend a similar blog in terms of writing style. Victoria Donahue started an AIO blog back in March (before us!) and everyone just found out about it and it's awesome. She's another teenager giving thoughts and reviews about Odyssey...and it's a little scary how much we've been thinking alike as I read through her posts. Anyways, check it out at http://aiothoughts.blogspot.com/ , but be very careful to avoid the Album 56 reviews if you don't want to be spoiled. Use the blog archive. 

Oh my, The Grand Design is just around the corner! We'll be reviewing new episodes in Album 56 as they come up besides our normal starting from the beginning reviews. Alright, you guys have been updated. I'm busy working on our Get in the Show church video and secret video...another surprise! Man oh man, I'm turning into a little Mr. Whittaker in terms of keeping secrets. Don't worry; he always reveals them in the end. 


Last thing: we've been added to Twists and Turns's Cast and Crew: Take 2 page! Check it out if you want to see...how we look like and if you want to see my not really smile while squinting from the bright sun since I conveniently forgot my sunglasses. It also gives some nice info about us, and while you're there, check out The Old Judge's amazing site, which covers all of the Odyssey fan sites and has some neat features. It's all at Twists and Turns!

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, unless if course, you somehow don't have one, in which case I wish you a very happy Monday working. Please comment, and adios for now! 

 Oh, super cool. It's our two month anniversary and we have a big number in pageviews! It's been a joy watching this blog grow and have everyone be talking about Odyssey, the best radio show on the planet. Hopefully we'll be able to keep it up. So long for now! Actually.

We Got Our Parts to Play

Hooray! We have enough time to post! However, this week, we are unveiling a new feature! Exciting, right? So how come we don't have enough time to write a new review or SMSS? Well...we were filming our Get in the Show music video today at our church picnic, and it went extremely well! 

Our church really "got in the show."

Everyone's creative juices really seemed to flow and we'll be able to post it up and show you guys later this month - after everything's edited! Here's a picture of what we were up to this weekend... 

My, oh my. That "Get in the Show" song by Phil Joel? Yesterday, I spent all day prepping the song and getting it ready, and we filmed today, and I'll be editing throughout the next couple weeks...I've heard that song about forty times this weekend. Hopefully no one pops that song up in Radio class.

Anyway, tune in later this week for the new feature! Peace.

Review: Taken by Brock Eastman

The Quest for Truth. Those four words double as Brock Eastman's intergalactic science-fiction adventure novel series and something we as humans all are on. What is the Truth; what is the thing that eludes our grasp but is more immensely valuable than any gold, rubies, or dollars could offer? It's a truth that causes a secret order composed of renegade forces to kidnap two renowned archeologists. WHAT IS THIS TRUTH? Well, you have to read Brock Eastman's new book series to find out.

Josh is falling for the Quest for Truth. Haha, kneeslapper.

I had first heard about Taken, the first book in the series, from Brock's blog, but didn't really give it much thought. During the trip to Dallas, we stopped in at Mardel's Bookstore in Irving to go to a Q&A with the actors/Paul McCusker and Get in the Show Audition. We arrived a hour early and walked around while we waited. I was looking through the Odyssey albums and made my way down to Taken  when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Hey, that's a really good book." I turned around and immediately bought Taken and Risk.  I then made my way to the man who had recommended the book to me and asked, "Hey, Brock, can you sign my books?" OH YEAHHH. Folks, Brock's just as cool in person as he is on the podcast (watch the new one!) and Social Shoutouts. 

When reading Taken, I could feel Brock's love for this world that he's created. That love shines through in his writing and makes you feel his devotion to his craft. His writing is descriptive, yet distinct. You feel immersed inside this world, and the Visual Glossary in the back keeps things easy to remember if you forget something. The characters are vivid and the action is exciting, but to me, the real star of the story was the world. The devices, technology, and species of the Taken world captivated me the most through Eastman's compelling writing. 

The interesting thing is that the four Wikk kids have different conflicts that make up the book. Oliver deals with his leadership abilities, Tiffany holds a secret unsure if she should tell, and the twins (Austin and Mason) are having trouble with authority. Tiffany's conflict carries the least weight, which makes me wonder, will Tiffany hold bigger conflicts in future installments? Will the Blauwe Mensen reappear? So far, Oliver and Tiffany are my favorite Wikks, although I'm curious to find out if the twins will spill about the blue people to their siblings. 

I think my only quibble would be with dialogue in the beginning of the story (up till Jahr des Eises). Sometimes, the characters would say things that I didn't feel suited their character (i.e. Austin, a 10 year old, says "I was awoken from a deep sleep, and rather rudely I might add."). The most interesting dialogue is when the words being said have another layer to them, called subtext. It'll be intriguing to see if the characters have more complex emotions and feelings as the series and stakes progresses and that comes out in the dialogue. 

The book starts off slow; it's a story about four kids in a spaceship going to rescue their parents (happens all the time to me!), but when the Wikks land on Jahr de Eises, it's full speed ahead. And that's when the book really took off. The conflicts between the twins and the teenagers were very interesting, and the subplots with Mr. O'Farrell and the Blauwe Mensen added another dimension to the story.  

Overall, Taken is a delicious pot of stew with an important message that starts off warm and heats up until the boiling action adventure has taken you firmly into an exciting Quest for Truth that will keep your eyes glued to the page, and your mind glued into Brock's delightful world. I give this book 91/100, or an 

A-

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Visit Brock's website here!
Like him on Facebook here!
Purchase your copy today on CBD.
Read Ben Warren's review over at The Changing Times here.

Just So You Know About Get in the Show

Hey guys! This is a little last-minute, but we ended up making a special Get in the Show video for you! 

From the video page:

"Odyssey Out of Control presents Josh's wild dream. Created in three hours on the day before the Adventures in Odyssey Get in the Show Contest ends. How convenient! Even if you're not between the ages of 6-15, create a video with your family and friends together! 

P.S. Many apologies for Josh's voices in his head...they didn't get to warm up first! :)

And visit us online at odysseyoutofcontrol.blogspot.com

*Nominated for two AIO Websters: Best Blog and Best New Site/Podcast/Blog - Vote today by emailing CreativeThinker101@gmail.com or visiting justanotheraioblog.blogspot.com*

For more information on Adventures in Odyssey, please visit whitsend.org."

Enjoy, and we'll try to have time tomorrow to post our review of Taken! 

FP#8: The Letter

Quick announcement before getting to today's review. Alex Jefferson is hosting the first AIO Webster Awards for achievements in Odyssey fan sites! If you've been liking what you see, we'd really appreciate it if you voted us for Best Blog and Best New Site/Blog/Podcast by emailing CreativeThinker101@gmail.com. Voting runs until Friday, August 24, so vote soon! Visit his blog at justanotheraioblog.blogspot.com to view all the nominees! And now, on to the review!

Just kidding! Quick update first. We started school today (Ally's first day of high school) and it looks like it'll be a busy year. Hopefully we'll be able to keep this blog up! I'm taking Radio Broadcasting this year, so I'm looking forward to DJing and talking! Maybe I'll ask if we could do a radio drama...and now, seriously, here's the review.

 THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-I really really want to learn how to play this Family Portrait theme on the piano.
-Dr. Dobson mentions that this drama is aimed at the teenager...now all we need is an audio drama series (cough cough spinoff of Odyssey cough) for teens in today's day and age!
-So teenagers were allowed to drive other teenagers within a few weeks of getting their license? Ah, the 80s.
-A teenager being embarrassed by their parents driving them to their places. Very relatable to most teens, although at my school, parents are still a normal chauffeur and it's not embarrassing or anything. What's your school like?
-Yay! Katie Leigh and Alan Bergman, the future Connie and Bill Kendall! And this father character named Stan is very similar to Bill.
-I like this mother's voice - I wonder who the actress is?
-"Every time you make a new discovery or make a new skill, my pride dims when I realize that you need me a little bit less. Will I be outgrown someday like pajamas with footies and squeaky teddy bears? ...I pray that as that time draws near, our relationship gains depth, not distance. That when you're grownup enough to stand apart from me, you'll choose - even so - to keep your heart close by. Your daddy's love is as strong and real today as when you first saw the light of day...whatever struggles we face, whatever thoughtless or hurtful deeds we as fallible humans may do to one another, that love will grow with you for as long as I live." -Stan to his daughter Stacey
-Pretty sure the music from today's episode will be recycled into later Odyssey episodes.
-This is the shortest Family Portraits, clocking in at only fifteen minutes.

REVIEW:

While we've skipped five Family Portraits, I can tell you that this is the first one without Whit. It's also the first one aimed at teens. It's also the first one with the fabulous Katie Leigh and Alan Bergman, future Connie and Bill Kendall.

This portrait of a daughter embarrassed by her father and her mother trying to show her how much her father loves her is very touching. The mother gives the best performance as she tries to navigate both sides of the argument. 

Once again, this episode uses the Kishōtenketsu structure. Similarly to the last portrait we heard, the introduction and development are interesting, but the twist slows the momentum down as the same plot device is used. 

I thought it was fascinating when Dr. Dobson mentioned that the father was wrong. Parents are not perfect. They are vulnerable, they have feelings, needs, hurts, and problems they don't tell you about. They are people too, and that's something difficult for a lot of teens (including me occasionally) to understand. I could relate to both Stacey (the teenager) and Stan (the father) not being as open because of rejection and insecurity; it's a very real issue today as competition intensifies. There were a lot of great take-aways from this episode, including a verse from Ephesians 4:26; something about not letting the sun go down on your anger. Oftentimes, anger is stagnant, and it shouldn't be that way; if it's righteous anger, we should do something about it, and if it's not righteous, we should ask God to help us stop and find His love and peace and grace.

Overall, this episode was better than the last one; the reconciliation (last part) was great as well. We'll see if in future episodes with this format, the team can work on making that twist interesting! I give this episode a 88/100, or a 

B+

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Listen to The Letter by purchasing Album 14: Meanwhile, In Another Part of Town on CBD

NOTE: Today I can officially announce that a new site feature and two new videos will be coming your way later this month! However, this is only one of the two new features we plan to bring you by the end of the year. As Sarah from the Unofficial AIO Podcast would say, "Yayyyy!"

Sunday Morning Scramble School - Christianity Fact or Fiction

NOTE: Elements of today's SMSS are taken from Pastor Peter Wang's sermon at CBM Camp on Tuesday, July 31, entitled "In the Flesh," and covering Philippians 3:2-11.

Well, if you've read our Camp What-a-nut Experience post, you'll know that we have a lot of SMSS to cover. So today, we'll be talking about...wrong beliefs about Christianity! Don't worry, there's nothing controversial...I think. xD

WB#1: Legalism - the belief that you can earn your way to heaven by doing good deeds; or that the better you obey the rules, the better Christian you are!

ODYSSEY APPLICATIONS: Lucy in Have You No Selpurcs? (Album 9: Just in Time), Saul in the Saint Paul series (Album 23: Twists and Turns, Album 26: Back on the Air) 

• Lucy is the goodie two-shoes in Odyssey Generation One. Whether it's complaining about missing the church clean-up day (Return to the Bible Room, Album 2: The Wildest Summer Ever) or being a good campaign manager to Curt's very true-to-life campaign thinking (By Any Other Name, Album 8: Beyond Expectations), Lucy always tries to do what's right. But occasionally, she'll congratulate herself...in Have You No Selpurcs?, Lucy felt proud of herself for always making the right decision in the game and looking down at Curt for making the wrong choice.

WB#2: Intellectualism - the belief that you're a great Christian if you know a lot about the Bible

ODYSSEY APPLICATION: Olivia in Wooton Knows Best (Album 54: Clanging Cymbals)

• Olivia tried to gain Wooton's approval by memorizing 1 Corinthians 13...and when he didn't choose her to be his assistant, she went all unbrotherly love on Matthew. Mr. Parker gently reminds her that "as proud as your mother and I are of you memorizing Scripture, it means more to us that you apply it." Man...that should totally have won Best Scene at the Averys.
• SIDENOTE: There are tons of professors who know the Bible in ten different languages and memorized multiple chapters, yet aren't Christians. Memorizing Scripture doesn't mean anything unless you use it. You use or you lose.

WB#3: Cultural Christian - the belief that you're a great Christian if you do Christian things like going to church

ODYSSEY APPLICATION: Mandy in Only By His Grace (Album 48: Moment of Truth)

• Mandy is the goodie two-shoes in Odyssey Generation Two. But when her parents seperate, Mandy thinks that if she does all these good things, like feeding the hungry and helping Whit teach Sunday School, God will make her parents get back together...but it's by grace that God blesses and tests us!

Now, let's look at some right beliefs from Philippians 3:8-10 (HCSB)!

Philippians 3: 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ

In The Toy Man (Album 39: Friends, Family, and Countrymen) and The Chosen One (Album 47: Into the Light), the Washingtons give up a life of "comfort and ease" to gain Christ by operating Whit's End Connellsville and bringing Kelly into their home to share God's love.

3:9 and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ-the righteousness from God based on faith.

This verse compares the self-righteous attitudes that Lucy, Saul, Mandy, Olivia, and Joshua Meanie have all had to the righteousness we can have from God if we have faith in Him!

3:10 My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to his death

Here are the signs of knowing Christ: knowing the power of HIs resurrection, sharing in suffering with Christ, and becoming like him (not trying to be him, like Connie did in Let This Mind Be in You, Album 4: FUNdamentals). A Christian is a person who is grateful because they are transformed by the grace of God (A Christian is much more, I'm just sharing one aspect of it)! As we look after the conversions of Whit (Thank You, God, Album 3: Heroes), Connie, Eugene, Katrina, the Sellars, June, Aubrey, Leonard, Grady, and Kelly; we see how God's love takes over and transforms them. And hopefully, like our friends in Odyssey, we can continue to grow in knowing and loving Christ. 

NOTE: I think we have a pattern here! We'll alternate on reviewing and SMSSing and throw  in Odyssey in the real world articles every once in a while. Please comment and let us know what you liked and what you want changed! And enjoy the new logo, created by the wonderful Wooton Bassett over at the Unofficial AIO Blog (see the links on the right). You can also become a follower of the blog by joining on the right column; it'd be great if you did to get a better idea of who's reading and adjusting for the right demographic and other technological mumbo jumbo. School begins Monday; so pray for me and Ally - for rest and to have time to post! 

ANOTHER NOTE: We're working hard to bring you two new features to the blog...and they'll hopefully be out by the end of the year! Get excited!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Albums 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 23, 26, 39, 47, 48, and 54 are all available for purchase at CBD by clicking here. Simply type in the name of the album in the search box.

For more information on these albums, visit AIO Wiki by clicking here and typing in the name of the album in the search box.

Read our first Sunday Morning Scramble School on Idolatry, featuring more Odyssey and McKalister Park references.

FP3: The New Kid in Town

Well, cheerio once again! Hope you enjoyed the London Olympics with your family...'cause we sure have. Anyways, we've been in SoCal this past week visiting our grandparents, so we've been swimming and reading and watching the Olympics and checking our Odyssey sites (Twists and Turns, Just Another AIO Blog...). But now it's time for another review! Whoo hoo! 

 THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-I love, love, love this theme song for Family Portraits.
-Making new friends gets difficult as you get older. (i.e. Kindergarten- "Hey, wanna be friends? Sure!)
-So Chuck Bolte is playing George Poindexter the mailman. He's played two George's!
-Snow and rain might not stop him, but coffee and donuts sure do!" -Whit, referring to the mailman's motto
-Whit's monologue strolls are wonderful for me, since it's like we're walking and talking to Whit (a la Aaron Sorkin), but it could be seen as boring to visitors infrequent to Odyssey.
-On one block, there's Mrs. McAlister, Mr. Barnes, and the McKay house...any relation to Grady McKay and family? Bob McKay could be an uncle.
-Odyssey Chronicle...a competitor to the Odyssey Times.
-This is the only episode where I've heard of Odyssey Community College. Larry and Colleen Walker work in PR and are consulting for fundraising at OCC. It could be a smaller college than CCCC.
-"Most places we've lived; people have been so cold, distant. It's refreshing to know that there still are places where there are people who are actually interested in each other." - Larry Walker, not knowing that he's predicting the demise of physical conversations due to social media twenty years before 
-First mention of Whit working at UPF...Whit humbly doesn't mention that he's the chairman of the board.
-Jenny passed away nine years before this episode and she and Whit were married for 33 years. If Odyssey time is the same as current time, she passed in 1978, and they got married in 1945.
-First mention of a school name: McCollum
-Hey, the mom, Colleen Walker, is Carol Bilger...who would go on to be the defining voice for Mary Barclay!
-Whit's End is a book place, coffee shop, and good place for conversation. The third would later be integrated in 
-fortnight: two weeks
-Whit was born and lived the first few years in Scotland...he mentions the story that would later be told in Thank You God (Album 3: Heroes).
-KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON mention. This town was the inspiration to Odyssey for Phil Lollar.
-She likes going to Dodgers games? Well, that's one thing Sean and I don't have in common... (go Giants)
-FROM AIO WIKI: Shawn says that she could see all the way to the bottom of Crater Lake. Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and its bottom cannot be seen.
-Uh, oh, Jimmy has a twin who sounds EXACTLY LIKE HIM named Bob. Mr. Whittaker, I think you have yourself your very own Parent Trap.
-"I thought that maybe the best way to help you was to let you think you were helping me."
Hey, it's the first example of Whit's mind games to help kids learn valuable truths!
-"You see, for some folks like Shawn, Odyssey is a start. For others, it's a finish. For everyone, it's at least a stopping place. But it's always a place for unforgettable experiences. That's a big part of what makes Odyssey so special." -Whit

REVIEW:
After hearing another Family Portraits, it seems that the writers have established a pattern by this point. It starts with Whit talking to the audience, and then he comes across a problem. He helps solve the problem and helps a child learn a lesson. So far, this has happened in Whit's Visitor and now here. 

The first episode tackled divorce, a very tricky topic, while this one deals with making new friends. The two episodes have wildly different feels, as Whit's Visitor ended on a melancholic tone while this episode had a happy ending. However, since the topic of divorce has many angles and is very interesting by itself, the lesson of making new friends is not as interesting unless placed in a good story. Since both stories had the same pattern, I can say now that it worked on Whit's Visitor and didn't work as well here. Sure, it's fascinating to hear more history and facts about the town; this was probably one purpose for this episode. However, the actual conflict is not as interesting as Davey Morrison's was in Whit's Visitor. SPOILER ALERT: The plotline is basically Whit meets parents, Whit talks history, parents talk history, daughter angrily storms out, Whit helps daughter learn to make new friends.

This episode doesn't use the typical conflict in most media. It uses the Kishōtenketsu structure, which relies on exposition and contrast to draw interest. Four acts occur: the introduction, development, twist, and reconciliation. This structure is used throughout Odyssey, and is often a great form of storytelling. However, it doesn't work as well here. The first two acts (intro and development) are interesting as we learn about the histories of Whit and Odyssey, but the actual conversation with Shawn in Act 3 is just that, a conversation, there's no reason to show how it connects or relates to the rest of the story. At least the moral is something we can all relate to, and that's the bottom line: that we take away something from what we just hear. It's not the episode I'd use to introduce new listeners to Odyssey, but it's something to hear if you're a long time fan and want to learn some more Odyssey/Whit history and mystery. 


While this episode shows us more backstory of Whit and the town, the rest is slightly dull and unrelated to the rest of the plot. So this epi will get a 65/100, or a 

D

EDIT - NOTE: No Stupid Questions is FP#4 and My Brother's Keeper is FP#6, , but since they're also Odyssey episodes, we'll come back to them.  FP#5: You're Not Going to Believe This was later remade as #44: It Sure Seems Like It to Me, so we'll review both at the same time. I don't know how to listen to While Dad's Away, so the next review will be FP#8: The Letter.  Please comment and let us know how this review went and what can be improved! Thanks!

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Listen to The New Kid in Town by typing in "gone" as Secret Word #4!
AIO Wiki: The New Kid in Town
*SIDENOTE* The link to CBM Camp has been fixed on our Camp What-a-nut post!

Now Hiring

Ah, August. That magical time when summer still is in session...and school is only a couple weeks away. Uh oh.

This year I'll be starting my junior year, taking 3 APs, and if you don't know what they are, let me just say that they are a lot of work. 

So...for this blog to maintain frequent posts, I'm looking to take on a fellow blogger to write a review once a week, consistent with the style of the current reviews on the blog. 

Are you interested, but not sure how to write a review like the ones so far on this blog? Do you have the drive and passion to do one once a week? Let me know!

Send me a sample review or ask me how to write one at jandakocompany@yahoo.com (or just comment if you have a question) and I'll reply back as soon as I can! However, if I decide not to take on another consultant to the blog or don't add you personally, don't feel bad. I'm just trying to prepare for what might be a long school year and may not even need another one.

So there's my speal (is that how you spell it?) about [possibly] adding someone else to the blog.

Need inspiration? Try Around the Block (Album 46: A Date with Dad).  

And hey, even if you send one in and aren't a "consultant," anyone is always welcome to post something on the blog if it matches up with the ideals of our blog and is okayed by me and Ally!


*Oh, and by the way. Since we're on the topic of announcements, we have a new development in the works that should be really exciting! We hope to tell you about it within the next few weeks to months.*