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.

Thoughts on Candid KOnversations Pilot Status

Hey everybody!

I'm Woofy, and I'll be one of the hosts of Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally! I'm really excited to work with the Kos again, and this is a really fun opportunity to do just that. I'll be relaying a message to you from the Kos since they're up to some art/school related work right now. So here's your podcast pilot update:

It's getting delayed. Again. Many apologies, por favor. See, Josh and Ally are entangled in a web of putting the podcast in iTunes and copyright issues and legal issues and it's a bit of a mess, really. We're trying to produce the very best that we can for you guys and with that in mind, it's gonna have to take a little more while. Our sincere apologies and gratitude go to you all.  

In the meantime, Josh will finish writing up Album 56 reviews, but the new pilot release date has been pushed back to February. Ally is also at work on an article, which is really cool, and I'll introduce myself in a later article, which is also cool! But you'll mainly find more about me in the podcast, so stay tuned! 

While you're reading this, if you happen to be an aspiring writer, sound designer, or musician; and are interested in joining forces with the Kos, or simply want to be a part of an Odyssey podcast, contact Josh and Ally ASAP if you're interested on working (and maybe acting) on the rest of Season 1 of Candid KOnversations! Email them at jandakocompany@yahoo.com. Click that link, man!

Okay guys! That's it from me, thanks for checking out my first article on this blog, and be sure to see the soon-to-be-released "About Us" section to learn more about the Kos, Puppy, and me! Goodbye for now!

Much obliged,
Woofy Doggy

Thoughts on Candid KOnversations Pilot Recording

Me and Ally snap a photo of our amazing mugs. Well, mine's is amazing.

Hey guys. Guess what...it's a post on this blog FINALLY written by someone other than Josh! Goodness, that boy needs to take a break sometimes, he's too busy. JK (that means "just kidding" for all you non-texters) I shouldn't say that 'cause I'm the busy one! LOL

My name is Puppy Norman, and I'll be playing Puppy Norman on Josh and Ally's new podcast. I like to think of myself as a character actor because I'm a real character when I act and when I don't.  But anyways, I'm nine years old, and I don't want to be prideful, but Stuffed Animal Weekly has called me "the most famous stuffed animal on the planet." I'm co-owner of the Puppy and Woofy Company (but I won't be CEO till I turn 22) and I'm the executive producer of the hit show Puppies on the Stuffed Animal Channel as well as the star of Puppy's Pet Shop. I'm also a recording artist that has had several #1 hits (well, higher than Justin Bieber...BEAT IT BIEBS) like That's What I'm Talking About. 

Me and Woofy record one of our scenes together.

Anyways, on the podcast, I'll be playing an exaggerated version of myself. Imagine me as a more egotistical, mean, even more hilarious than I already am, and just amazing-er puppy. That last part IS NOT EXAGGERATED. And the only reason I'm mean and egotistical on the podcast is because Ally wrote the script. She owes me a new reputation. But amidst the arguing and critical script, I love her... in my own way. On the right is Woofy, my BFF (best friend forever). As you can see, he's...smaller than all y'all'd expect. But he's very friendly, like in the podcast and laughs like an old man. (JK...sorta.) I love that pup. 

Woofy brings the mike down to his level.

Now that you all know me better, since apparently the demographics of this blog don't really watch Stuffed Animal Channel or ANYTHING I do because of your Odyssey love, I'm proud to say WELCOME TO THIS AWESOME BLOG ABOUT A SHOW I DO NOT KNOW! WELCOME! Now you see how we record and you see how amazing we (I) are/am! We hope you enjoy the pilot (VERY LONG PILOT) and thanks for reading! Love you all mwah mwah email me if you want to talk to me (I <3 FANS AND I LOVE WRITING IN CAPS.) So long, sayonara!

-Puppy Norman, the only boy pup who has a high voice and is cooler than Justin Bieber

P.S. Now aren't these pictures more fun than whatever Josh is looking at - some pictures of "Adventures in Odyssey Album 57 Recording" on Facebook? I don't know what that is, but I do know that my pics are way more hip.

Who is that cool puppy? Haha, it's me. 

P.P.S. Josh told me to tell you that we have one more scene to record, one more scene to perform sound design on, and two musical cues to be written. The new target date is Monday, January 28. Yay!

SPOILER ALERT: Okay guys, if you're interested in some KOnversations scoop, check out Proverbs 16:18 in your B-I-B-L-E...it may give you a little teaser of one of the storylines this season! Oh, and our page has been updated with some info on themes of the first season. Check it out!

720: Happy Hunting

Happy Monday! The pilot for Candid KOnversations is nearing completion, I'm done with calculus FOREVER (well, in high school anyways), and my jazz band did really well at a festival yesterday, so things are going well. However, things are slowing down at Campbell County Message Boards - please click on the link below and help us revitalize the site so I can have more people to talk to there! Plus, today, we get to celebrate the man who said that "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Thank you, Dr. King, for reminding us that we are all God's children who had His Son die for everyone, no matter what race, nationality, or sins we've ever committed or been part of so that we could be saved. And now, to our review!

THE ODYSSEY TIMES (Facts, notes, and quotes about Odyssey from this ep):
-So apparently, these paintings by Diego are doing really well by the "sophisticated." Humpty Dumpty, palm trees with bloodshot eyes...is pop art making a comeback in Odyssey? I thought they were stuck in the past? ;)
-Don't worry Penny, I left the tag on a new pair of jeans until someone pointed it out to me. Fortunately for me, they weren't as expensive as your new boots!
-Why is Whit getting confused more often? It makes him seem older...
-"Laugh for seven minutes a day? I get black spots when I laugh for seven minutes. Those are endorphins, which make you happy! Actually, I think it's a lack of oxygen." - Wooton, Penny, and Whit
-Save the rib newts!
-How do you figuratively break your ribs?
-Penny's "ow, ow, ow" reminds me of Katrina in For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll (Album 29: Signed, Sealed, and Committed).
-JOSH'S AWKWARD REACTION OF THE REVIEW: Penny's adorable when she has allergic reactions and just as funny as Lindsey (Best of Enemies, Album 48: Moment of Truth).
-Wouldn't it have been hilarious if that happiness support group was Happy Smilers? (Happy Smilers, Album 37: Countermoves)
-"I never knew alliteration could be so irritating. Memorizing makes the mind more manageable! And alliteration annoys!" - Penny and Connie
-"The quest for happiness in and of itself can be a mistake. It can make us focus on ourselves, our feelings, to the exclusion of others. Sometimes God calls us to sacrifice ourselves in ways that won't necessarily make us happy." -Whit
-"It's an emotion. And no one can maintain an emotion for very long. At best, you can only create short bursts of happiness for yourself...the only kind of happiness...with Him involves peace, joy, and commitment that only He can give us. Those things can't really exist without Him." -Whit


REVIEW:
Hearing this for the first time was very enjoyable. After the second time, I got deja vu - but not because I had heard it before. It was then that I realized that we HAD heard this before - two albums prior in Childish Things (Album 54: Clanging Cymbals). Penny feels like she's missing something in life, so she finds some kind of "advice" to help her find that one thing and tries to implement that advice in her life, and comedic hijinks ensue. This episode, while having a great wrapup by Whit and Chris at the end, accomplishes its lesson by having Penny repeat the same mistake and show us that Penny actually didn't learn anything from last time. But while I would've had Camilla star, what's done is done, and that's what we look at here.

I didn't mean to start the review off negatively, but let's go into the positives and observations now. Connie contrasts Penny by being the "negative Nelly" to positive Penny. It provides a funny and interesting dynamic between the two friends that's something we haven't heard before. Kimmy Robertson plays Penny adorably - yeah, that's the only word I can use to describe it, when she talks about the people who are trying to "squash your spirit," her tone alone is hilariously cute. Penny's still naive and a young Christian who acts a lot younger than her age, but she continues to be funny.

Is anyone else besides me upset over Jacques Henri's fake French accent? What nationality is he actually? Wooton is once again used for comic relief, but at least this time, he's given a barrage of comic material that sustains his character for the entire episode. Whit has been used well this whole season, and that streak continues here. His advice feels more organic and less mechanical, more Biblically-oriented instead of worldly-grounded. John Campbell's score is typical Odyssey awesomeness, but I was disappointed with the sound design for the bird sounds - it seemed very obvious that the voice and sound tracks were recorded separately.

Overall, Happy Hunting is an amusing episode that has a good lesson, great music, and wonderful performances by the main characters, but my smile was dragged down by weaker supporting performances, sound design issues, and a lack of character growth. I give it a 82/100, 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

The Grand Design Avery Awards: Predictions & Snubs

Hey, hey, hey, happy Oscar season, y'all! And in the heat of the award season, the night before the Golden Globes, lies my predictions and sad reflections on the snubs for the 6th Biannual Avery Awards, recorded live from Colorado Springs, CO! Unfortunately, this is finals week, however, our new release date for the pilot is Tuesday, January 22. Stay tuned! Oh, and our Happy Hunting review will follow later in the week. As many, many prognosticators try to figure out the Oscar race, I take on the work carried out so wonderfully by Ben Warren four albums ago for Album 52. I was inspired by all the Oscar guessing game sites but looked back at Ben's to see what I could learn from him as well. By the way, if you haven't checked out his always professional, always entertaining, always thought-provoking blog, The Changing Times, check it out as soon as you're done with this post. And now...zee categories...

Best Actress
Chris Anthony as Lady Deluxe Haversham in "Push the Red Button"
Georgia Dolenz as Rhoda in "The Perfect Church"
Katie Leigh as Connie in "Home Again"
Christina Pucelli as Emily Jones in "Great Expectations"
Kimmy Robertson as Penny Wise in "Happy Hunting"

Should/Will Win: When looking at the nominees in this category, I connected Katie Leigh and Christina Pucelli's performances very closely. They both portrayed female characters unsure about their future; Emily about their future career and Connie about Jason's future and her future connections with Whit and Eugene. Emily continues to deepen and develop as a character, but I feel like the emotional weight continues to fall behind Katie Leigh, who has had 25 years to develop Connie. Similarly to the Oscars, it's often difficult to compare dramatic and comedic performances (unlike the Golden Globes), but we are forced to through Chris (who has a delightfully over the top performance) and Kimmy (Penny's mishaps). While I really enjoyed Perfect Church, I thought Georgia Dolenz's performance as Rhoda was good, but not great unlike some of the other nominees. Lady DH was a little too over-the-top for me and Penny is still lacking mature emotional growth, so my Should Win/Will Win falls to Katie Leigh for Connie! Again.

Snubbed: Carolyn Hennesy stole every scene she was in in "Perfect Church" taking on the role of Saphira after  similar biblical roles and Mama Shepard in her past AIO career. Disappointed, but definitely not surprised.

Best Sound Design
All episodes nominated

Should/Will Win: Josh is undergoing relistens to Album 56, so hold your horses. However, he really enjoyed sound design for "Perfect Church," done by GAP Digital. 

Snubbed: Uh, that invisible episode on Disc 5 definitely should've gotten nominated. 

Best Actor
Zach Callison as Matthew Parker in "The Perfect Church"
Jim Custer as Young Whit in "Great Expectations"
Townsend Coleman as Lord Gargantuan Foulspleen in "Push the Red Button"
Dan Hagen as Drill Sergeant Combs in "The Bible Network"
Whit Hertford as Jay Smouse in "Groundhog Jay"

Should/Will Win: The nicest surprise in this category is that Dan Hagen was recognized for all of his great work in "The Bible Network." He played multiple roles, but the drill sergeant was the funniest and had tons of memorable lines. Looking back, there were a lot of great male performances this year. Jay continues to be a fantastic antihero that reflects many moral struggles people go through. Matthew articulated our thoughts and feelings in The IS. And Jim Custer plasters in a very warm quality to his portrayal of Whit, and his ability to sound older as Whit did was incredible. Jim Custer has my vote for "Should Win," (Dan Hagen, don't worry, you're right behind) but I'm predicting that Whit Hertford will take home his second Avery in two years, due in large part to Jay's popularity, and I'm fine with that as well.

Snubbed: JIM CUMMINGS. Come on, his Stephen was one of the best Biblical reenactments I have ever seen. The retelling and the acting were top-notch, and I'm incredibly disappointed he did not get a nod. Can he get a honorary Avery for being Jim Cummings? Heck, why we're at it, let's give Phil Lollar a honorary Avery for "Best Being Back on Odyssey Moment." I would've also liked to see Townsend nominated for "Home Again," but a nod is a nod is a nod. Or something like that.

Best Script
All episodes nominated

Should/Will Win: If you've been reading this blog, you already know that my Should Win is..."The Perfect Church." As I said in my review, "'The Perfect Church' pulls something off masterfully; it manages to take Scripture (Acts 1:8-8:3) and create a narrative that tells the story and yet makes you wonder how McCusker/Younger are going to tell it." Sadly, I don't believe that enough voters will take notice and the award will probably fall to "Home Again" because Jason and Joanne showed up or "Groundhog Jay" because Jay was in it and had funny things to say. However, I must admit that if "Perfect Church" wasn't in the album, my vote would've gone to "Jay."

Best Scene
Barrett finally realizes the consequences of not tithing in "For Three Dollars More"
Bible Boot Camp in "The Bible Network"
Dale Jacobs learns the whole story from Kenny Rutherford in "The Lost Riddle"
Connie, Wooton, and Penny reunite with Jason in "Home Again"
Lord Gargantuan Foulspleen destroys the Sistine Chapel in "Push the Red Button" 

Should/Will Win: Of these particular scenes nominated, the only scene that stuck out to me was Bible Boot Camp. It was the funniest, but also had the best lesson. Jacobs/Rutherford sounded familiar (Buried Sin, Album 32: Hidden Treasures), the reunion scene wasn't as impactful since we'd already heard a lot of Jason and it didn't happen till the middle of Part 2, and I sadly don't remember the Barrett/LGF scenes. I'm thinking voters will feel the same way as me, but don't count out the Jason Reunion scene; pure Jason nostalgia could carry that scene to a victory. 

Snubbed: I'm getting tired of repeating my praise for "The Perfect Church," so here's an excerpt from my review: "The most powerful scene was when Jim Cummings as Stehen testified to the high court with his defense. The fact that it was taken literally from the Bible, along with Cumming's commanding performance, made me begin to tear up. Now, I don't cry very often at media, unless some element of the form moves me (See: Clara). His acting is powerful, intense, and speaks to us today."

Best Overall Episode
All episodes nominated

Should/Will Win: And once again, another excerpt: "['The Perfect Church'] speaks to us today. The church today is not perfect as well. The episode shows us how God uses all of us with our flaws for his purpose. We have our flaws, and we have our disagreements, and yet, God still calls us to fellowship, worship, and preach together. This can be hard, as I know well, but it's an important lesson for us to learn today. The whole episode feels very human, as often we think of the people of the Bible as superheroes, but God uses all kinds of people for His plan, from prostitutes to corrupt tax collectors to murderers (Saul!). The theme is beautiful, with wonderful harmonies, and a score that captures the episode completely. Paul McCusker and Marshal Younger have crafted an episode that deserves to be up there with the best of the best in Odyssey. The story is engaging, well-told, fresh, moving, and relevant; with powerful performances, dialogue, and sound." My Will Win falls to "Home Again," though "Groundhog Jay" could always be the dark horse in this race.

Let me know what you guys thought of this season's performances! More Candid KOnversations, Album 56 reviews, and Album 57 discussion to follow in the weeks and months ahead. 

LINKS:
Read all of our Album 56 reviews
Buy Album 56 on CBD
Vote for The Grand Design Avery Awards at the Whit's End Blog

719: The Bible Network

Well, hi there. As always in the Josh world, things are always crazy, and that was certainly true again this past week. I'm struggling to schedule recording sessions, let alone find time to produce the sound design and music cues. So, sadly, I will have to once again push back the debut of Candid KOnversations with  Josh and Ally. The script's going through polishing as we record, but I'm really liking where it's going. One thing that will make this podcast unique is the storyline that will pretty much be a separate segment from the interviews that make up the KOnversations part of the show. It's a story arc that will probably take the whole season to complete, but hopes to bring up thought-provoking questions about...oh, I probably shouldn't give that away. But I'm excited, and I really hope you enjoy the podcast (which, by the way, will be audio unless we see a great opportunity to use video)! So look for it now later in the month. However, I'm pretty much positive that the pilot WILL come out later in January, so don't worry! I don't want to promise in case something horribly catastrophic goes wrong, but I am convinced. And now to our review...

MEMORABLE LINES OF DIALOGUE:
"What's your name? Rick. Rick; beautiful name. Thanks. And I have one too! You will address me as Sir! Or Mr. Combs! Or Sergeant Combs! Or Drill Sergeant Combs! Or Brother Combs! Or Brother Drill Sergeant Combs!" - Drill Sergeant Combs, Rick

"But my Bible's all wet, sir. Then dry it all off with the lip rag of your cowardice." - Ron, Drill Sergeant Combs

"I forgot that you have a Master's degree in counseling and went to seminary for four years. And I completely blanked that you've been in the ministry for twenty-two years and have trained people in discipleship for the past six. Well, actually, I didn't do any of that. You didn't? Uh, no, that's you. THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S ME! NOW DO WHAT I SAY!" - Drill Sergeant Combs, Stanley
 
REVIEW:

Marshal Younger takes a third crack at writing an episode involving three parodies of pop culture to bring attention to Biblical teachings, this time looking at Scripture and four ways to apply it to our lives (from 2 Timothy 3:16). The three segments on this show are "Who's the Real Sheep," "BSI: Bible Study Investigation," and "Bible Boot Camp." Unlike the first two episodes he wrote with the same format, the very funny Hidden in My Heart and The Devil Made Me Do It, the parodies are not as focused on a particular genre or "show," which leaves less room for humor, and if the hope was to again make fans have their stomachs hurt from laughing too hard, it doesn't fulfill that hope in that regard, but does succeed in teaching the Bible in a fun way.

"Who's the Real Sheep" does a good job with explaining different points of view other than a Christian worldview and explaining how the Bible is useful for teaching truth.  The skit, while not overtly humorous, has some light touches in there, and I enjoyed hearing Lori (the contestant) apply her Bible help to the question being asked. If anything, it mostly suffers with some overacting by some of the panelists.

"BSI: Danny's Apartment" holds the job of transitioning from the first skit to the final large skit. "Lassie the Wonder Dog" performed this job beautifully, as the Lassie snippets made a coherent story as told through "commercials." "BSI" could have been better told if more time was given to the skit, but the snippets for BSI seemed way too short. I hate to compare, but when these types of episodes use the exact same format, it's worth looking at the ones that did to see how effective they used the format. If there's anything humor-related that works, CSI fans might find a chuckle from the name of the detective, Danny Caluso, who I believe is spoofed from the lead of CSI: Miami, David Caruso. However, after further listens, I enjoyed the parody on the "investigation" but didn't understand the need for the "going to prison" motif. "Star Trip" succeeded because it spoofed Star Trek perfectly while teaching a valuable lesson and creating humor from the cliches. "BSI," while lightweight entertaining, fails to teach the lesson memorably, although attempts to (along with the humor). 

"Bible Boot Camp" is the best skit of the three, although I'm not sure what Younger was not parodying (the tough sergeant reminded me of one of the trainers from The Biggest Loser). The acting is spot on and the characters are funny and easy to identify with. All of the memorable quotes from this episode for me came from this segment. I loved the Bible verse jabs when the contestants got heated, and appreciated how the application (All Scripture is profitable for correction and training in righteousness) felt very organic into the story, which I felt "BSI" didn't have time to do.

I thought Ron's answer to Sergeant Combs about why he didn't read his Bible was interesting: "There's a lot of words in that big Bible; it's overwhelming to carry that Bible, let alone read it." That's how a lot of people see God's Word; they feel like God should compress His message into something easier for them to digest, perhaps through a paragraph or two for easier reading. Although this episode didn't illustrate this, it takes a love for God and trust and willingness in Him to start a hunger and thirst for the Word. This episode took a verse and tried to make it easier to digest, which is not a bad thing, but couldn't capitalize on the success of the same episode format that was used in the past. 

While humorous in certain parts and interesting in others, it lacks the comic energy and organic applications found in other episodes with the same format. I give this episode an 87/100, or a 

B+

AVERY WATCH:
Best Line of Dialogue - "What's your name? Rick. Rick; beautiful name. Thanks. And I have one too! You will address me as Sir! Or Mr. Combs! Or Sergeant Combs! Or Drill Sergeant Combs! Or Brother Combs! Or Brother Drill Sergeant Combs!" - Drill Sergeant Combs, Rick
Best Actor - Dan Hagen 

Promo #2 - The Yak With Zach Gets Crackin'

The Yak with Zach is about to get crackin'. 

Recorded live at KEcG Studios, this extensive four-part interview with Zach Callison, voice of Matthew Parker on the #1 radio drama in the world Adventures in Odyssey and Prince James on Disney Junior's new hit show Sofia the First, is sure to captivate, entertain, and interest!

The last installment of the interview will feature a new remixed version of Josh and Ally's award-winning music video Odyssey Nerd entitled Odyssey Nerd - Callison Remix FT. Zach Callison. It's a song no Odyssey fan will want to miss! 

COMING SOON IN 2013 - FOR DETAILED RELEASE DATES VISIT THE OFFICIAL PAGE HERE - http://odysseyoutofcontrol.blogspot.com/p/candid-conversations-w-josh-ally.html

Candid KOnversations with Josh and Ally is an engaging, engrossing conversational podcast who bring on fascinating guests and talk candidly with them on a variety of topics, inspired by the hit radio drama Adventures in Odyssey. Candid KOnversations is a production of Ko Media.

Visit Zach's Youtube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZachCallison

The Yak With Zach will make up Episodes #2 - 5 of Candid KOnversations' freshman season and will debut later in 2013.

On a less serious note, I'll try to get out a review of The Bible Network ASAP. Happy new year everyone! And anytime you have any questions or comments on the blog, podcast, or anything, join the conversation at the Soda Shop or email me at jandakocompany@yahoo.com!