New Official Podcast

The newest Official podcast is out with another free episode. Gloobers! Along with it is an interview with Brandon Gilberstadt and Kris Kachurak a.k.a. Jared and Dwayne! This is a great podcast, definitely don't want to miss it. Not sure why it's not on the official site at the moment...but you can listen with the player below, or on Odyssey Scoop. 

Odyssey Thought : Population

The other day I was listening to Second Thoughts. In this episode Eugene and Bernard are on their trip to California, and have to make an untimely stop in a little town in Iowa. At one point when talking to the young boy that lives there Eugene says "It's (Odyssey) about 97 times your population." Considering the only "fun" thing to do is stare at the stoplight, lets say that this town's population is between 300-1000. Than that means Odyssey would be between 3000-100,000. I'm leaning more in the middle of that somewhere. Odyssey must be a pretty big town/small city if you really think about it. In Something's got to change, The Washington's moved from one side of Odyssey to the other, making Ed's commute to Whit's End Connellsville go from 45minutes-1hr  away to 15 minutes away. By moving from one side to the other of town, it made 30-45 minutes difference getting to Connellsville. Also Odyssey has a bus station and a train station. So to narrow down my guesstimate....I'd have to say Odyssey maybe has between 33,000-80,000 people.

Side note: It seems like somewhere I saw a population sign for Odyssey with Dylan standing next to it. But since that is the video series, it's not really cannon with the audio series.

Keep an eye on the Glossary page/Day in Odyssey blog (Link to side) I'll be going through different places and people in Odyssey.

Christmas was here and now gone.

I had intended to post last week...but with Christmas, last minute wrapping of presents, family visiting, catching up on my sleep, and working in Odyssey Christmas episodes.....That didn't happen. So here's a post to make up for the one I intended to post. (That was sorta rambly...but below is the more important stuff. :] )

Odyssey Connection: It's very easy to get caught up in the Christmas rush. Making a wishlist that is six pages long, running around getting last minute shopping done, and getting the house clean for company always seems to be a natural part of the Christmas spirit right? There's an episode that comes to mind that talks about this very theme (most likely several have similar themes). In the beginning of Peace on Earth,  Tom has to remind Whit what the true reason for the season is. He was so caught up in getting this and that done, that he didn't have the time to enjoy the snowfall. Also in this episode the Barclay parents went all out and got the kids nearly everything they asked for, which was followed by them getting robbed of nearly everything, except their health. This episode reminds me that even though Christmas is a time that I get gifts, it's more fun to give.

Last wednesday, my church did something we called a "cookie ministry". We made up bags of various types of cookies and candies and then delivered them to the community. (We had 136 bags, and around 15 people passing them out.) It was great giving them away for FREE. No catch whatsoever. The recipients of the cookies always had a slightly surprised look on their faces followed by a smile. Even though it was cold when we did this, the smiles warmed me up a little..(Figuratively speaking.)

My point of all this is during the Christmas season and the holiday rush, it's important to remember the real reason for the season. The birth of Jesus in a stable. How he could have been born in a bright shiny palace with servants, in any other place but Bethlehem. He could have been raised as a well known prince. But no. He was born in a stable with stinky filthy animals and placed in a manger (Feeding trough). He was a gift to mankind that in the end was the ultimate gift.

Thanks to those that wished me a Merry Christmas, and I hope your Christmas was a great one as well. Every year my family gets together and we play lots of games, and we always have a ping pong tournament. What did you do for Christmas? What'd you get? Feel free to share in the comments.

That's all for the moment. This is Freddy Jay saying "Merry Christmas."

Album 53 and Books

The repacked covers for the last two Passages books have been released. Also it's been said that if you want to see a seventh book in the series, the repacks have to sell, and you can also send in letters saying how much you like Passages.







This may be slightly old, but I found this on AIOwiki pertaining to news on album 53.

"We have a few new tidbits on Album 53 today, just a reminder that this is all subject to change and none of this will be confirmed until spring when it's on the radio and in stores.
First it seems that the theme for the 12 part episode will be on "Recognizing deception". Also it seems that the album will include a behind-the-scenes video of the actors in the studio creating this unique collection. Lastly there's a slightly different summary for the album out now.
 It all beings when a small plane crashes under strange circumstances outside town. The mystery deepens when a backpack filled with money is found in the woods near Gower's Field, outside of Odyssey. What does all of this have to do with the Green Ring Conspiracy? Whit, Eugene, and Connie have to put together the clues before it's too late to stop a worldwide conspiracy!"

Well that's all for now. The new season has come to a close. So what'd ya think? Thoughts, comments, and possible arguments..er debates are always welcome.

The Malted Milkball Falcon Review

Malted Milkball Falcon

This is the third Jones and Parer mystery as of yet. As stated before, I don't care for them(Especially stage fright. Since my review of Game for a Mystery, my liking of that one went down alot........) Any-who, my thoughts on other J&P mysteries aside, here's my thoughts on this episode.
The way they did thw whole name deal...Suggesting a name, knocking it cause it's too long and then bringing in the actual name....was alright in Stage fright, but perhaps somewhat predictable in this one since they did it before. This episode poses the same kind of feat as the other J&P mysteries we've seen so far. A mystery at hand, clues that point to one person, than to another, and in the end there's no way you could have came up with the solution by predicting the culprit. I liked the rock-a-thon idea, and it sounds like an interesting fundraiser idea. For one reason or another, this episode didn't keep my attention as well as others. I'm beginning to get used to Andre's voice as Whit. He stuck out at first, but now it seems like there's not as much of a difference. He's really beginning to grow on me. I don't have a whole lot else to say on this episode....So here's the ratings.


Rating:
Theme: 3/5 The theme was Honesty, An important thing to remember, but it seemed it took the long way to bring out the theme. I'm not sure I gathered what the theme was till closer to the end.


Humor: 3/5 The humor factor in this episode wasn't necessarily outstanding or overwhelming. It had some funny seconds, but nothing too memorable.

Music: 4/5
Interest Level: 2/5 Like the other J&P mysteries I found myself losing my focus...
"Like" rating: 2/5  This episode ranks purdy close to Stage Fright. The approach to the mystery....so many twists, the unpredictable ending....not to my taste.

Rating:  2.5/5

This Saturday Grandma's Christmas Visit airs and wraps up the new season. Be sure to tune in.

The Imagination Station Series and More Poetry

 The first two books of the Imagination Station series are available to order, and are for a low price of $4.99 on Brock's blog, The Quest For Truth. These books look really good, and would make great additions as Christmas gifts/ on a Christmas wish list.











Odyssey Connection: A while back, I did an Odyssey connection that had to do with poetry in Odyssey. 
A month or so ago I took one of my poems to a church talent dealy. Here it is below.


He Is There
 (A poem By me )

When you feel alone.
like no one else is there
or when you are angry
and want to rip out your hair
He is there
When you need a friend
someone you can talk to
or when you have a problem
and dont know what to do
He is there
When things have gone wrong
and no one seems to care
or when you walk in and
everyone seems to stare
He is there
When a big strorm is brewing
and things are getting rougher
when everything is piling up
and life is getting tougher
He is there
When you need to make a choice
between wrong and right
or when a big ol bully
is forcing you to fight
He is there.
God is always there
no matter what the need
He is there for you
and he is there for me

Since my other post I found a couple more poems from Odyssey episodes.

Beyond the window (From Lost by a Nose)
I see my face
reflecting in the window as the rain falls.
How many times have I seen that face
staring in the glass?
How many times have I wished that face was not my own?
The rain fades softy away.
A shaft of sun pierces the brooding clouds like a sword.
And a thought pierces me as well.
There is one who knows me deeper than the others.
He knows how I cry inside while I put on a smile for the others.
He knows how I remember mocking words and deeds.
He knows how I dream of countries and castles far away.
He calls me by name and smiles at me.
He reaches out his hand for mine.
He knows me. Because he made me.
And now shows me life beyond the window.
~ Gwen Kablonski

The Dishrag (from Plan B, IV- Resistance)
By Connie Kendall
The dishrag sits on the counter,
Catching no one's eye
The polished bronze a reflection
Clear as the cloudless sky.
The dishrag is tossed,
The laundry is it's fate.

 I must say that  Beyond the Window is one of my favorites among Odyssey poems.
TTFN, Tata for now.

An Agreeable Nanny Review

Here we go!

I had a brief moment of de'ja'vu with this episode. The three Parker kids sitting behind the counter telling Whit a story about what happened recently. This story-telling trio was in Grandmas Visit as well.

Why call the babysitter nanny? I guess it comes with her "being from England." Platanos machos fritos sounds like a really good dessert. The Parker kids did a typical kid-like thing. They deliberately tried to deceive the nanny on every turn. The dessert for dinner, then there's the banana fight,the washing the dishes outside, the scary movie. This episode was moment after moment of funniness, chaos and...more chaos. Washing the dishes in the yard and making them launch across the yard sounds like fun. May have to try it some day... The War of the Jurassic Aliens sounds amazing...for a proper audience. Understandably, it doesn't sound like one Camilla should have picked...
Fave quote: Nanny: Where has Olivia...? Olivia: I'm here. Nanny: Oh Goodness, is that a pony? Haha...
Overall I think the Parker kids learned their lesson. They asked for more responsibility, but when they got it, they didn't act responsibly. At first I was thrown off by why the Nanny pretended to be from English. If they didn't know who the babysitter was why act? But I suppose by her pretending to be from England, she could be even more ignorant of American customs and truly test how responsible the kids could be.

Rating:
Theme: 4.5/5
Humor: 4/5
Music: 5/5
Interest Level: 4.5/5
"Like" rating: 4/5

Rating:  4.5/5
Whoah, believe it or not I'm caught up now. Which means I can review others either later or during the week.  Will that last? When will I have another Odyssey Connection? I guess we'll have to see.
Tata for now.

A Thankstaking Story Review

Here we go with A Thankstaking Story.

Version Difference: In the album version there's more talk about where Connie's cell phone might be, including this quote: Whit: Did you check the refrigerator, that's where you left it the last time. Connie: Yes and no it's not in there. Eugene: Well how about the restroom , that's where you make most of your phone calls. Connie: No..How would you know that?
Also it has an extra conversation between Wooton and Connie bout where it may or may not be, revealing that the cookie jar was a spot where it had been before. As well as some other snippets.The online version is approximately 25 min whereas the CD version is approximately 5 minutes longer. (According to a podcast it's the longest episode so far in Adventures in Odyssey). My review for this episode ( as the others have been so far) is from the CD version.

Square One introduced Hagglers Junkyard  and in A Thankstaking Story episode we meet Mr. Haggler. And find out that he's Jay's Uncle. Wooton's suggestion for a game is very...Wooton-like. Perhaps someday I'll try that...permitted I can find people to play it with. Whit being the narator for the story was a nice touch. I think someone else said it, but it has a Passages type touch to it with him as narrator. As soon as the music started for the first song I knew I was going to like this one. One thing that surprsied me was that Wooton plays the harmonica, and actually knows more than camp town races! (Which it wouldn't surprise me if he can play it on the harmonica as well.) I very much liked the songs in this episode. Catchy, and have a nice beat. In the first sing we hear Connie sing, and she's not half bad. She didn't sing the melody, but she did purdy good with the harmony. The way it was a spin on the Grinch who Stole Christmas was an interesting take, and similar to how they did the Thanksgiving Carol. It was very Dr. Sues-y the way it rhymed.  Arctic Blast's tributes to Elvis were cool. The theme was plain and obvious, but sometimes the simple things are the easiest to forget. Thanksgiving is a time for thanking God for the blessings we have. I like the mentioning of the five kernels of corn. First one is for the beauty of autumn. Second one is reminder of God's grace and forgiveness. Third is for the blessings of family. Fourth is the blessing of friendship. The fifth reminds to be thankful for our freedom. All those are great things to be thankful and shouldn't be overlooked. Harlow is back in this episode at the end. And he didn't have a whole lot of lines, and the ones he had aren't too painfully Harlow like.
This episode appropriately aired Thanksgiving weekend. It is definitely a great addition to the few Thanksgiving episodes that we have. And is definitely one of my favorites in this album.


Rating:
Theme: 5/5
Humor: 4/5
Music: 5/5
Interest Level: 5/5
"Like" rating: 5/5

Rating:  5/5

I know it's a little late, but I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving. How was it? Did you burn the turkey like ion Thanksgiving at home? Or did you tell stories like in A Thankstaking Story or a Thanksgiving Carol? I'd love to hear how it went, so feel free to comment. Mine was a nice casual, nothing out of the ordinary dinner with my grandparents and family, followed by a few games of ping pong. (The only sport I'm decent at.)

Well that's all for this post. This is Freddy Jay "saying" "Catch ya later."

Square One Review

Here we go with "Square One." (Spoilers are below. If haven't heard it yet, caution)

The beginning sorta makes it sound like it's gonna be another Jones and Parker mystery, but without Emily's narration. I was pleased however that it was not an official J&P mystery. The name of the pinball machine, Turbox300laserblaster pinball machine makes me chuckle every time I hear them say it. It;'s such a mouth full. Most likely a good fraction of this episode is used with them saying that name. It's so funny....someone should count how many times it's said... Anyway. Matthew sorta seems like either a blabber mouth, has short term memory, or just easy to get information from. Nelson, Ryan and Pete are all back for this episode. Which at first seems to point to another kids-burrow episode. Their secret club turns out to be a tinkerers club, which fits Matthew and Nelson great, and adds more to Ryan and Pete's characters. The feel of this episode was calm, and sorta...old school Odyssey, but that's not a bad thing at all. It definitely kept me interested the entire episode, and the theme is an important one as well. Matthew learns a great lesson on trust. That once a trust is broken, it isn't easily mended with compliments, gifts, speeches, etc. That there's no shortcuts to earning one's trust. Trust has to be earned back with time. Emily didn't gather that concept at the time Matthew did though.  I was pleased that Matthew didn't want back in through Emily's method of blackmail.  It was nice that Matthew was let back in, the right way though.

Rating:
Theme: 4/5
Humor: 3.5/5
Music: 5/5
Interest Level: 4/5
"Like" rating: 5/5

Rating:  4.5/5

In other news, the person who thinks I'm some sort of evil genius that has a plot to control the worl with walking Oreos or something (a.k.a. Agent 3XQ)... is back..sorta...Not sure what he's up to, but something is going on.

Little news, but reviews to come

The AIOwiki is hosting contets. One is a logo contest, which is gradually coming to a conclusion. Last month people sent in their entries, and now it's come to the time to vote. (You can do so here.) (My entries are the two shown below.) Odyssey Way's original Joe has a couple entries as well I believe.


               The album 52 season is gradually coming to a close. (My reviews of Square One and A Thankstaking Story should come soon...along with Tomorrow's episode, An Agreeable Nanny.) What do you think of the season thus far?  How does it compare to album 51? Do you like the new characters better now than before? Inquiring minds want to know what you think! So feel free to comment. (Insert nodding smiley here.)      So until next time (which may be tonight with a review or two) this is Freddy Jay typing "so long".                         

The Owlnapping review

Here's my thoughts on the Owlnapping.

The beginning was a nice way to begin the episode. I was glad to hear from Vance again. It would have been annoying only hearing Jay as the "bully" throughout the album. Having Coach Fang as the basketball coach was great too. Which is interesting that he does both baseball and basketball...He sure gets around. One reason I liked this episode is that it is a basketball episode. We haven't had a basketball episode since.....The Fundamentals (Album 21). The feeling of this episode is great. In general this episode reminds me of Odyssey in the old days. With the Barclays, it just feels calmer than some of the new ones in a way. This episode covers a very important lesson. Superstition. In the same way that the owl controlled some of the team members actions, in the sense that they were willing to do almost anything to get it back, many believe in superstitious mumbo jumbo and it's all fake. As Whit has said time and time again, luck as some call it is really God's blessings. It's all in God's control and nothing happens by chance or coincidence. The scenes where Ryan is doing everything Vance says in order to get the owl back was entertaining."Princess Baba is the twin of Prince Jessup!" Hahaha...Overall, very nice episode.


Rating:
Theme: 5/5
Humor: 4.5/5
Music: 5/5
Interest Level: 5/5
"Like" rating: 5/5

Total average rating : 5/5 Great episode!

Covers Released

We now have glimpses of the final covers for albums 5 and 1. Here they are.

Also there is a new cover for Passages Darians rise and it has the updated look along with the updated logo. The red on album 5 really compliment the designage of the art. Same with the blue of album 1.






Odyssey Connection: Wow it feels like forever since I've done one of these. Anywho. After listening to Opposite Day, Barrett kinda made me think of myself. I mean, club kid-chat is an obvious reference to facebook. I am a big fan of facebook. But it's sort of funny how some people want to be your "friend" on there just by simply knowing your name or by going to the same school. I have quite a few friends on facebook, but only a small amount are close enough friends to be called friends.......This episode just kinda made me really think of the definition of "friend" that facebook puts into our minds.

This is Freddy Jay saying "Tomorrow airs the new episode The Owlnapping. You won't want to miss it."

Opposite Day Review

Here is my thoughts on last weeks episode Opposite Day.

This album has a plethora of recurring characters from album 51. The kids especially. Barrett, Priscilla, Olivia, as well as some new characters such as Amber. The Olivia/Amber story line quickly lost my interest. Nothing specific, but it seemed......ugh.Not sure why. The Barrett/club kid-chat storyline grabbed my attention though.   I originally had mixed feelings about this episode before I heard it. This brings social networking into Odyssey. It sort of seems out of place to me. Then again, Odyssey in general is beginning to get "up with the time". In album 51 they mentioned all sorts of gadgets like dvr, gps, and verminoids which connects through wifi. It seems odd, but I guess it makes sense. With scoial networking on the rise, and it seems like kids are getting a facebook at younger and younger ages.....After hearing it I like the way they aproached this part of the episode.

Rating:
Theme: 4/5
Humor: 3/5
Music: 4/5
Interest Level: 3/5
"Like" rating: 3/5

Total average rating : 3.5/5


Tomorrow, The Owlnapping airs. I may be able to get my review out sooner than the rest have been...

Fast As I Can Review

Alright...Time to get caught up again.

Fast as I Can.

This episode has a great theme. It's one that hasn't been touched on a whole lot in Odyssey. Although in The Meaning of Sacrifice, the Barclay gave up TV for a similar reason, but it's sort of different I guess. I like how each character has their own unique fast/lesson learned from said fast. In this episode, Eugene seems back to his old usual wordy self. Having him give up words more than two syllables was perfect for his character. A very nice touch for this episode. Matthews fast of computers seemed very fitting as well. Although his whole adventure in the imagination station seemed out of place.... The imagination Station being influenced by a computer obsessed mind? It makes sense I suppose, but in the context of this episode it makes it seem like the user would have to have knowlege of the adventure in order for it to work. Which wasn't required before. This aspect of the imagination station is really the only big thing I didn't like in this episode. Wooton's fast of junk food was hilarious as well. The scene with Mrs. Randolph is too funny. "Thank you for the Moon!" All the fasts and all the lessons learned fit together nicely in the usual Odyssey multi story manner. Such a nice way to get multiple perspectives on the same theme.


Rating:
Theme: 5/5
Humor: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Interest Level: 5/5
"Like" rating: 5/5

Overall this episode was a very good episode. Nicely written, and definitely one I could listen to over and over again.
Total average rating : 5/5

Podcast news

Today we have podcasts of a couple varieties. First off on the official podcast, Kathy Buchanan is back talking about the upcoming episode Opposite Day, and the creation of Mitch.

On another side of the net, Austin and Tasha have a new blogcast out with their thoughts on the episodes Stage Fright and Wooton's Broken Pencil Show as well as lots of laughs.

Stage Fright Review

Stage Fright

Right away I was drawn in with Barrett singing about trombones. Definitely a song I'll have to remember. But that's sorta the only thing that sticks out to me in this episode. After Game for a Mystery, I wasn't exactly thrilled with the thought of another Jones and Parker Mystery. But thought maybe it wouldn't be along the same lines as that. Perhaps it would be done...differently? Nope. This episode in particular had more of a Scooby Doo twist. It reminded me of Scooby Doo in part because of the phantom, but also because Matthew (the sidekick) was scared while Emily wasn't. Kinda the same way that Scooby and Shaggy (sidekicks) are always scared and the other three usually aren't for long. But like Scooby Doo, it had this predictability to it. That someone is creating the phantom so everyone would leave for one reason or another. The way that these mysteries point in one direction leading you to believe that it's one person, only to disprove it the next, isn't exactly to my liking. I'm more of a fan of the type that you can collect clues with the detective, and can predict who it is.  Another point, both mysteries tied a bird into the culprit somehow....

Rating:
Theme: 3/5
Humor: 3/5
Music: 4/5
Interest Level: 2/5
"Like" rating: 2/5

Total rating: 2.5/5 (Not a bad episode persay, but it's not on my top 100 list)

Wooton's Broken Pencil Show Review

This is slightly late...but I've finally gotten around to doing this. Here's my thoughts on Wooton's Broken Pencil Show.

The first thing that got my attention was the title and the summary, even before I had the album. The title itself sounds somewhat random. Which in general is a good way to describe Wooton. But this show was one that I was sorta looking forward to, but somewhat worried about how it would turn out. I mean a kids radio with Wooton ablibbing the whole time? ..The way it went was actually pretty good. Having Captain absolutely back was good. Also Harlow and Red played good roles in this episode. Harlow was his usual goofy, and slightly ignorant self, which in some cases is somewhat annoying. This case it wasn't too bad. This episode was somewhat confusing towards the end though. Most of the episode it seems like they are improvising, but then later Connie mentions that the breaking glass was just sounds effects. Therefore it implies that the show was scripted?....Maybe...Anyway, Onto the rating.

Theme: 3/5
Humor: 4/5 (It was more on the entertaining side than haha funny, but good none-the-less)
Music: 3/5
Interest level: 3/5
"Like" rating: 3/5

Total rating: 3/5 (Good episode, but overall average.)

Album 53 News!

I was on the Odyssey Times blog, when I came across this. It's a draft of somesort for an album that is quite possibly album 53. (Found in the background of a pic located on this page. Where you can find out info on endorsing a passages book. ) We can see Whit for sure in this pic, but who are the other two? I think the one in the middle is either Matthew, Emily, or Connie. The one on the left I kinda think is mayor Spencer Hicks, partly because it looks like a slight mustache, and it kinda looks how I imagine him. (For the original picture go here. I enlarged this one a bit.) Also if you look closely you can see somethings in the background that give us an idea of where some of it takes place.




Also the first two books of the imagination station series has arrived at Focus. As shown below. (Brocks full post here.)

A Capsule Comes to Town Review

 I've decided to proceed with reviewing the other episodes starting with album 50. Not sure how often I will do this...Or how far I'll get...but here's the start.

A Capsule Comes to Town

This episode has a somewhat different feel to it. It's done in the documentary type style that we've seen before in episodes like It's a Wrap, and the Coolest Dog. They don't do this style very often, which is kinda good. I mean, it's alright to do that style, but it doesn't keep ones attention as easy as the regular style of episode. I noticed they brought in Glossman for a small part. Along with Glossman, Harlow is in this episode as well, he hadn't been heard from since Odyssey Sings in album 45. I like that they used old characters throughout this album. It kinda adds to the celebration of 20 years in the making/50 albums. The search for the time capsule is interesting and was entertaining.  Overall this episode was done well and here is my rating.
Humor: 3/5
Theme: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Dramatic element: 3/5

Total rating: 3.5

The Mystery of the Clock Tower Parts I, & II Review

The Mystery of the Clock Tower, Part I & Part II Review (Links = Wiki page)

Here's my reviews for the premiere episodes of the season. 

First Part:
The first part was pretty good. Not the "I'm sitting on the edge of my seat, and gotta know what's gonna happen next" good or "One part scared the bajeepers out of me" good, but good all the same. The ending was especially "good". It left me wanting to know why exactly the clock was counting down. Although, I'm not sure the cover art was really explained in the episode. What is Eugene reaching for on the coverart? The characters worked especially well together. Then there's my favorite quote of this episode "It's freak out time!.
Overall I give this episode

Theme: 4/5
Humor: 3/5
Music: 5/5
Interest level: 5/5
"Like" rating:  5/5

Total: 4.5/5

Second Part:
Some think this part didn't hold to the first, kinda like the Inspiration Station. To me it wasn't too bad. It kinda wrapped it up pretty nicely. The whole clock counting down as a diversion was an interesting touch. I had maybe the slightest suspicion that it was the janitor dude, but it wasn't really all that predictable in the sense I had no clue how he'd pull it off or why. So it was perhaps thrown out on a chain, for us to bite, but there wasn't much else to go on until this part. The conversation(s) on the phone part was a funny/unique part to it.
Overall I give it
Theme: 4/5
Humor: 4/5
Music: 4/5
Interest Level: 5/5
"Like" rating: 5/5

Total: 4.5/5

My total rating for this two part episode is: 4.5/5

Other reviews of this episode

The first CCWN Live!

The first CCWN (Campbell County Weekly News) Live! is now here.

We're still getting in the swing of podcasting so it's a little rough in some areas..but it gets better towards the end.

And I found a cool widget that can play them with out a page. So it is now on the side, and I will probably take down the separate page. Although descriptions are fun too... So I'm not sure which route I'm gonna go yet. (feel free to comment)And I don't have much more to report at the moment So Adios.

100th Post!

In the blogger world, Odyssey Way has started an interesting feature that includes deleted scenes of the latest new episode. Be sure to check it out.

Also in case you haven't heard, there is now a summary for album 53.

First, a backpack filled with money is found in Gower's Field; then, a mysterious man survives a nearby plane crash; and an underworld errand boy has possession of a special cell phone. This new adventure puts your kids' favorite Odyssey characters at the center of intrigue, suspense, and a scheme of international proportions!
This sounds fantastic. And with it being a action/mystery that continues through out the whole album it's bound to be superb.

This is my 100th post. Whoot! And as mentioned I have a surprise awaiting you. As you may notice I have a new page entitled CCWN Live! CCWN Live! is a new podcast hosted by me (I'm using my CC username Jason) and Courtney (Another CC user). The primary focus of the cast will be CC news, but we will also hit on Odyssey news as well. It will also have fun things and possibly little contests in it as well. The podcast will be on talkshoe.com and where CC users (and anyone else who decides to pop in) can opt to participate in the chat, or they can also call in as well. If all goes well the show should be entertaining even for those who aren't on Campbell County Message boards. We did a couple trial/ads for it which are now on the CCWN LIVE! page. Check this post out for more info. 
Our first podcast is being planned for evening sometime Saturday...(Plans changed since the ads.....) Which means I'll put it here after it.

Well that's all for now, this is Freddy Jay saying "Happy 100th !"

99th post!

Cause and Effect is finally here! The first episode The Mystery of the Clock tower Part 1 aired last Saturday. My review will come after hearing the second part. Which I can't wait to hear by the way. I myself will be ordering the album sometime this week. But if you absolutely want the episodes right now. You can buy the MP3's for $17.99. And you can hear clips from each episode by going here.

In other news, There are new blogs called Around the corner and Audio Theatre Central. Around the corner is a diverse blog that offers several different tings. Audio Theatre Central features a podcast of different audio dramas.

My next post will be my 100th post. I may or may not have a surprise up my sleeve, but it may or may not be ready for my 100th post...so we shall see.

I think that's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying so long.

Blog, Podcast, and more

There's a new blog hitting the scene called The Odyssey Tattler. So far it looks great. Can't wait to see what becomes of it.
Also another fairly new blog, is The Changing Times. It's well written and a lot of thought and time is put into each entry. The style of writing it contains is well thought out and well put together.

Also the Whits End Podcast #61 is up with some great surprises. I won't give away much more, but it's  definitely worth listening to.

Album 52 starts airing this Saturday. I'm so pumped. The season starts with the Mystery of the Clock Tower Part One. This episode is getting a lot of hype, and with it being a two parter, we shouldn't be let down.

I plan to try to review an episode at least once a week, maybe sometimes more. Starting with album 50 and working backwards. At least during the week. On the weekends starting this Saturday I will review the new episodes as well. I'm going to try to make my reviews a little longer...But we'll see how that goes. With that said,  may start later today, tomorrow, or sometime this week.

Thank you for clicking to CCC, This is Freddy Jay saying "Have a great Day."

52 summaries

So I was browsing the whits end site, and noticed not only do we have all the titles, we now have descriptions for them all as well.  Here they are.






The Mystery of the Clock Tower 1 and 2

Episode: 667/668
Lesson/Theme: Be sure your sin will find you out
Description:
Eugene and Matthew investigate why the clock tower at City Hall seems to be stuck at 11:45. Could it have something to do with the anniversary of a lost love from twenty years ago? 

Wooton’s Broken Pencil Show 
Episode: 669

Lesson/Theme: ????

Description:
In a last-minute replacement, Wooton Bassett hosts his own Kids’ Radio show and is forced to ad-lib for a half-hour. Will his show have a point?

Stage Fright 
Episode: 670

Lesson/Theme: Fear

Description:
Barrett couldn’t be more excited about getting the lead role in the school play. But when his first practice is interrupted by a mysterious booming voice, Emily Jones must investigate the “phantom of the school play.”

Fast As I Can

Episode: 671
Lesson/Theme: Fasting

Description:
Wooton, Eugene, Connie, and Matthew try to apply the discipline of fasting and, through their comedic antics, realize that it’s far more difficult than they imagined.

Opposite Day

Episode: 672
Lesson/Theme: Friendship

Description:
Odyssey Middle School’s “Opposite Day” inspires Olivia to become friends with a girl who is nothing like her. Meanwhile, Barrett becomes obsessed with getting as many online friends as possible.

The Owlnapping

Episode: 673
Lesson/Theme: Only God has true power

Description:
When the Odyssey Middle School basketball team’s mascot is stolen, they suddenly start losing all their games. The team considers drastic measures to get back their good luck charm.

Square One

Episode: 674
Lesson/Theme: Trust

Description:
Matthew joins a mysterious new club and refuses to tell Emily about their activities. Emily decides that this is a mystery that she must solve.

A Thankstaking Story

Episode: 675
Lesson/Theme: Being thankful

Description:
On a snowy Thanksgiving day, Whit, Connie, Eugene, and a few of their friends end up stuck at Whit’s End. To pass the time, they tell a zany story of the Scrunch and his plan for Thankstaking.

An Agreeable Nanny

Episode: 676
Lesson/Theme: Responsibility

Description:
The Parker family kids are convinced that they are too grown-up for a babysitter. A parents’ night out, a nanny named Maria, and the neighbor’s dog Bruno may be their opportunity to prove themselves.

The Malted Milkball Falcon

Episode: 677
Lesson/Theme: Honesty

Description:
A piñata filled with delicious chocolate goes missing from Whit’s End. Only a few people were in the room at the scene of the crime, leading Emily Jones to investigate “whodunit!”

Grandma’s Christmas Visit

Episode: 678
Lesson/Theme: The true meaning of Christmas

Description:
The Parker’s grandma comes for a Christmas visit, in the middle of an elaborate Christmas celebration cooked up by Eugene and Connie. The Parker family parents wonder if it’s possible to have a Christmas without stress

So the line-up of this season looks really promising. Four mysteries, three of which involve Emily doing the investigating.  The themes as well look promising.  I'm particularly interested in Opposite Day because it sounds like it touches on the "internet friends" which is an important topic in our day of the internet. I can't wait for the upcoming season, which once again starts Oct. 2nd.

There's a new podcast out as well that includes an interview with the voice of camilla, and also it includes another scene from The Mystery of the clock tower as well as a trivia tidbit about album 52. Don't miss out.

I'm gradually approaching my 100th post. What does that mean? Do I have a little surprise? Well you'll have to be sure to be here for it when it comes.

I think that's all for the moment. This is Freddy Jay saying "Catch ya later."

Cover art news

Album 52 has arrived. This album has me really excited. I can't wait for them to start airing. The darker border with the cover art has a nice effect to it.

Also, we have some glipmses of the new cover arts for albums 1 and 5 which will soon be available as well.

 <---- Album 1
For the most part it stayed the same, but it has an awesome effect to it that seems to pop more.

<------ Album 5 Once again art that pops. It shows us a back head of Whit. And....Who is that standing on the hill top? Is it Regis? Or maybe it's Richard. Either way, this artwork has found it's way onto my top five favorite cover arts.


That's about all I have for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "What will we find out next?"

Album 52 Back cover!

I realize this is sorta late...BUT, on the Scoop, Jacob posted a pic of the back cover that looks legit. Click on it to the left to see it larger. It has  the complete list of episode titles, as well as their themes. Not only that, but it also reveals the bonus features that will come with the album. A special video feature. If I wasn't already planning on getting this album (which I was) I definitely would be convinced to get it now. The themes themselves are intriguing too. The theme for The mystery of the clock tower sounds great. "Be sure your sins will find you out". That one sounds like a great action filled mystery. It also sounds like a great season opener. This whole season sounds great. I can't wait until October 2nd. And that looks like all I have for now. This is Freddy Jay saying catch ya later.

NEWS!

Sorry I haven't posted in forever. I've been busy with things...but now there's some exciting news that I just couldn't help but post about. Even if most true fans probably know this already. We now know 11/12 titles for album 52. Plus we know some of the schedule. The title that we didn't know before was Wooton's Broken Pencil show. For some of the season schedule, and episode summaries. Click here.

Odyssey Connection: Today in P.E. we were playing one of the most dangerous and most fun games ever. Dodge ball. It was fun. Until we figured out that we were going to lose no matter how hard we tried. It reminded me of the episode Snow Day. How it was Mandy, Alex, Nathaniel, and Cal against the Bones of Wrath.This may not have been a snow ball fight, and we weren't trying to deliver cookies, but we were indeed out skilled. It was then that Alex's chant came to mind. "Are we warriors or are we wimps?" I think my response was pretty much "We are wimps sir."And we gave it our all. We were persistent and didn't give up. Even though we were beaten 5, 6, or 7 times...It was still great fun though. Ahhh the joys of getting hit in the head by a dodge ball and chucking them at people. Great fun.

Well that's about all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "So long."

Little news

Not much news..but in the Odyssey fan community we have a few things. First off AIO Wiki has recently made its 100,000th edit. Which is an amazing number. That site is the place to find just about anything you want to know about Odyssey and it's edited by fans just like you.

Also Original Joe of Odyssey Way recently made his 100th post. And in honor of that he has made six Odyssey character emoticons. With the first two being Eugene and Connie. My 100th post is coming up as well. Do I have something special in mind? Will it be cool? Only time will tell.

One last piece of news, The Odyssey times has a new feature on their blog. It features song clips from Odyssey episodes such as songs from Odyssey Sings, and The Great Wishy Woz, and The Jubilee Singers. You fans out there can submit suggestions for more additions to the page to make it even better.

Well that's about all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "So long"

New Feature

My July schedule was crazy...so sorry I haven't posted for a while...and with school starting soon, don't know how that will effect my blogging either...Anyway on with some news.

With the radio starting from the beginning of Odyssey, I had the inspiration for something new. It's called a Day in Odyssey. I doubt I'll have a new post daily...and it may not go in order. Basically it's an episode as told by a character in the story. It's a work in progress...and I'm hoping it will get better over time. Be sure to take a look and tell me what ya think. I'll have a link of some sort on the side eventually...

Also we know 10 and a half of the 12 episode names of the new season. (This may be old info to everyone else...)

• 667: The Mystery of the Clocktower, Part 1
• 668: The Mystery of the Clocktower, Part 2
• 669: Wooton's Brok...
• 670: Stage Fright
• 671: Fast As I Can
• 672: Opposite Day
• 673: The Owlnapping
• 674: Square One
• 675: A Thankstaking Story
• 676: An Agreeable Nanny
• 678: Grandma’s Christmas Visit

For now that's all I got. Until next time, This is Freddy Jay saying "Busy busy busy."

Green Ring Conspiracy Titles?

While I was away, a ton of news was revealed. (I'm sure you found everything other places such as Odyssey Way, AIO Fan's Life, Voice of Odyssey etc.) One such piece of news is that Album 53's title is The Green Ring Conspiracy and it will be in a similar format as Darkness Before Dawn And a podcast interview with Hope Levy. . I absolutely can't wait and I'm sure you share my anticipation. I decided to use my good ol imagination and well here's what I came up with.



*Note the following information is just a fan's imagination at work. Not an inkling of truth to it.

The Green Ring Conspiracy

1. The Beginning of the End
2. A Long Lost Friend
3. The Ring of Secrecy
4. The Night-Mayor
5. Blackgaard's History
6. Evil is in the Air
7. Vengeful Thinking
8.  The Demise of Maxwell
9.   Rings of Deception
10. The Quest For Truth
11. Evil Never Prevails
12.The Last Chapter

To see other thoughts on possible titles, check out this ToO topic.

Odyssey Connection: Last week I helped at a kids camp. It was great. I was put in a cabin with 8 second - fourth graders, and a head counselor, and we had a great time. My experience kinda reminded me of the episode called Connie Goes To camp. In this episode she is a counselor at Camp What-a-Nut. She says something like (referring to being a counselor) "..That just means I get to go to bed later and get up earlier than everyone else." Quoted for truth. Along with that, they kept the kids busy with all sorts of activities, and I could participate as well. Activities included, Disc golf, Camper bowling, Archery, making marshmallow shooters, obstacle course, and the slip and slide. The speakers were awesome too. Wednesday night was Team extreme night, and they karate chopped tons of boards (enough for everyone in the camp to have a piece son they could sign them.) One of the speakers broke Three cement blocks. It was a spectacular week.

I think that's all for now....This is Freddy Jay saying "Catch ya later."

My surprise!

I mentioned a while back that I had a little something up my sleeve for the 4th. Well I got bored today and finished my surprise, so here it is.

 The music you hear is me playing my trumpet. I added the pictures to make it more...interesting.(All pics were taken and edited by me. )
There are seven Odyssey characters hiding through out the clip. Can you spot them?
(Note: The picture quality on some is worse than others.sorry..... Also some characters are harder to spot than others. Will give answers in comments after a couple comments.)

On the Odyssey Way Original Joe has done an interview with Harlow err..David Harl....well you'll get the picture once you give it a listen.

Well that's about all for now. Let me know what you thought of the clip in the comments. This is Freddy Jay saying "See ya next time."

Flat Tire...

The Odyssey Scoop now has a new feature called time line. This is a time line of events in Odyssey, and has some very interesting pictures/audio clips. You can check it out here.

Also the OBC has taken a step towards setting up the web ring. This will link all the OBC blogs into a ring of sorts. If you are part of the OBC and would like to learn how to set it up on your blog click here. 
(Scroll down for a preview of what it'll look like)

Odyssey Connection: Well today we were on our way back from a family reunion...and we began to hear this strange thunky sound. My dad pulled over and looked at the tires and sure enough one was flat. I helped him change it (It was really hot, so that made me sweat a lot.....) and once again we were back on the road . My sister said something like "Well now we can say we've had a flat tire." And I said "Well it wasn't completely flat, just the bottom."(A reference to a quote from For Better or For Worse ). Ah it's so much fun to use quotes from Odyssey in everyday situations.

Well I think that's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "I'm glad we have air conditioning."

OBC Fan page

The OBC (Odyssey Blogger Committee) now has it's own facebook page. Swing by and start a discussion, or see what's happening in the different blogs. This page will bring updates of new things in the blogs, as well as Odyssey news. "Like it" today please.

The Cover of Album 52!!!!!

The Cover is finally available to see. Here it is. You can get a closer look by clicking on it.



So the characters appear to be Whit and Eugene (of course,) and to me...it still looks like Connie is the third person. But what is that object that Eugene is reaching for? Is it a bomb? Or some other techno gizmo? What do you think?

Also the 97th Official podcast is up. Listen to the results for the Avery awards here.

The Scoopcast episode 5

The latest edition of the scoopcast is by far the best one. It is a "album 52 edition" and you definitely won't want to miss hearing it. In this episode you'll hear of a new episode title, and also a special treat is contained within as well. Subscribe and listen today.

OBC news:  Audry mentioned that she has another blog that she helps with, (Not related to Odyssey), called Words On a Page, It's a blog about writing and stuff.
Also The Heart of Odyssey has their 5th heartcast out and the Ceiling fan crew continues to try to find Odyssey.

I think I have decided that my surprise will be released hopefully on or around July 4th. If all goes well and I hopefully will be home to get it up.

Odyssey Connection: Last week I was on a week long scouting camp out. Thinking about it now, we did just about everything Wooton said in his quote from Tuesdays with Wooton. "Some of my best memories are from being a boy scout and doing all; those fun "ing" things. Boat-ing, camp-ing, raft-ing, hik-ing, fall-ing, hurt-ing, bleed-ing and yell-ing for help. It was the most fun I ever had." Although we didn't raft, or call for help...We did go on a 5 mile hike, go on a 4 hr boating trip, camped and had our tents flooded, went to a swimming pool, and we had some minor injuries through the course of the week. It was a blast. Too bad this is my last official year in boyscouts...

I think that's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "So long."

Tired...Longer post coming tomorrow...

I am back from a week long scouting trip. I hope to post more than this tomorrow. But I did want to say that I have some interesting ideas in store for CC Connection. I won't say any more unless I can't figure out how to do it...but let's just say, when completed this/these thing(s) will be on the about me page. That's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying ...*head hits keyboard*    "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz".

Album 52 rough cover

I don't have much time...(Because I have to pack for a week long camp out for boy scouts...) But I was on the podcast page of the Official website and came across this pic.









If you click on the pic and look closer, you can see a rough draft of the album 52 cover. And from what I can tell it looks like Whit, Eugene, and Connie. I can't wait to hear the episode that goes with the cover. With everything we have heard about album 52, I can't wait.

Slow..but here's some news

Not a whole lot happening in the AIO news section, but there is an interesting interview with Nathan Hoobler that you can check out at the Odyssey Scoop. Also The podcast having to do with the "Whitty"...I mean the now called "Avery Awards" is now up. Be sure to check out the finalists and vote for your favorite.

In the Odyssey blog department we have several news items actually. After a short break from the blogging world Squirrel Original Joe is back to business with more Odyssey Squirrel. There are also some contests going on. The Odyssey Times has a survey you can fill out and then receive a ToO dollar. The AIO Blog is having a Guess that Album contest. The ceiling fan has their 26 Podcast up and it's an interesting one at that. On The AIO Fan's Life you can comment question's for Marvin to answer in an upcoming audio clip/podcast. (Also Happy 13th Birthday Marvin) The ceiling fan has their 26th podcast up. This is the beginnings of an adventure with Ethan you won't want to miss.

Odyssey Connection: I was randomly surfing the internet, and happened to come across something called "Emotiv Epoc". The really strange thing is that I came across it in an image search for mind control. Apparently, this device is a headband type thing that somewhat makes me think of novacom. Here are some of it's key features.

• Artistic and creative expression - Use your thoughts, feeling, and emotion to dynamically create color, music, and art.
• Games & Virtual Worlds - Experience the fantasy of controlling and influencing the virtual environment with your mind. Play games developed specifically for the EPOC, or use the EmoKey to connect to current PC games and experience them in a completely new way.
  
• Life changing applications for disabled patients, such as controlling an electric wheelchair, mind-keyboard, or playing a hands-free game.
  
• 
  
  Market Research & Advertising - get true insight about how people respond and feel about material presented to them. Get real-time feedback on user enjoyment and engagement.   

Also another connection is with the episode "My Girl Halie " where a kid in the Twilife Zone learns the importance of time management after getting a new computer that came with a headband. This kid could control the computer just by telling it commands. The Emotiv Epoc sounds and looks cool, but it kinda freaks me out that it knows the users thoughts....I don't think I'd ever get one, especially after hearing the Nova Com saga...

 I think that about wraps things up. This is Freddy Jay saying "Beware Emotiv..ha ha.".

Secret Agents are among us

First off we have some news pertaining Album 52. More titles have been given. Thankstaking Story, and White Elephant Gift. You can check out Odyssey Way for more info and his theory on a couple episode summaries.

In other news. Another interesting character blog has started up. His name is Agent 3XQ. Although he claims that he isn't Aredjay, it makes sense that he is. His goal is to provide the "world" with the "truth" about happenings in our world and in Odyssey.  His posts so far although way out there, are pretty entertaining. (And just for the record I am NOT an evil genius in disguise that is plotting to take over the world with a herd of mutated animals and a pack of walking twinkies.)
I'm interested to see what this blog has to offer in the days to come.

The Jubilee Singers Review

The Jubilee Singers

Before I got the album, I was glad to read that we would hear more of the Gallery. When I heard the episode I wasn't let down either. Using the Gallery they have another way of telling stories without using the Imagination Station, or a main character telling. In these episodes Frederick Douglas tells the story of the Jubilee Singers. Unlike others, I kinda like the voice for Frederick Douglas. His voice helps me picture the character, like most of the characters in Odyssey.
I was glad to hear another episode with Red. In a way it increased the humor factor in the beginning. I think I said this before, but I will say it again. I think Red will prove to be a promising character, with many fun quotes in the future.  This episode definitely had an awesome story to it, along with great music/songs. The music style was well done, and I really liked that it had a southern gospel feel to it.I recognized some of the songs. One of them I sang with my school choir!
My rating:
Theme: 5/5
Humor: 4.5/5
Action: 5/5
Total Rating: 5/5

This episode is by far the best in album 51. If by some chance you missed the others in this album, The Jubilee Singers is one you definitely don't want to miss hearing.

Well that ends the reviews for album 51. Album 52 doesn't start airing until October. What will we do in the mean time? Well Audry of AIO Insanity hit her 100th post and has a podcast up, and if you want to hear what Marvin of The AIO Fan's Life sounds like, you can hear him on his blog as well.  If you're curious what the upcoming summer schedule looks like, you can check it out: May, June, July

 That's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "School's Out for the summer!"

Ethan Daniels Blog

The latest podcast is up. On it is an interview with Mandisa. You can check out the whole thing here.
Also there are  end of season awards going on. You can do your part by sending in nominations for the different categories and then there will be polls up to vote on them as well. Also it is currently being referred to as The Whitty Awards. If you can think of a better name you can submit that as well. To submit, you can go to The Odyssey Scoop,  AIO Wiki,  or the Official AIO site.




In other news, Ethan Daniels now has his own blog. We know and love him as the host of the ceiling fan podcast. He has proclaimed himself as the biggest Odyssey fan time and time again in his podcast, and once again in his first post. I may have to disagree with him on that one. I mean he is a HUGE fan and all that, but I think several people could argue with him about who is truley the biggest Odyssey fan. (Myself included.)  Anyway I can't wait to see more posts by Ethan on his blog.

According to my counter , I have reached 1015 visitors. Whoot! Thank you to all my visitors/readers out there.
That's about all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "Catch ya later."

Ceiling Fan Contest and Other News

Hey do you like Adventures in Odyssey? Would you like the chance to win numerous cool Odyssey prizes? If so, then head over, and check out the Ceiling Fan's latest fan hijack contest, by clicking here.

 It seems another fan blog has joined the ranks. This one is done by our very own Camilla Parker. It has posts written from her perspective. So far it is really good. If you want to check it out, click here.
There are some blogs from other Odyssey characters, but most of them haven't been updated for a while. If you would like to check them out here are some of them. The most up to date one being Mandy's blog.
Mandy's Blog - Rodney Rathbone's Blog - Rusty Gordon's Blog   - Bart Rathbone's Electric Palace - The Secret Witness

Also, Audry (AIO Insanity) is getting close to her 100th post, to celebrate she plans on having a podcast. Can't wait to see what it sounds like.

Odyssey Connection: When I was younger I loved baseball. I started with t-ball. I was decent, and if I remember right, I even hit a grand slam. But that was t-ball. Once I moved up into baseball, things weren't quite so easy. I wasn't good at baseball, kinda like Davey Holcomb in Whit's Flop. I'd often strike out, drop pop flies, but I did have a good arm. Anyway like Davey learned, everyone has their own talent. Mine is definitely not baseball, although I do play it for fun every now and then. I later learned what my talents are. They include: playing the trumpet, singing, and boy scouts. Davey got discouraged and thought he wasn't good at anything. He later helped Whit invent a pizza oven from the old photo copier, and that oven is still in Whit's End to this day, as far as we know.

That about wraps things up for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "Don't be afraid to comment. We bloggers like fan input."

Busy, Busy, Busy!...

This past week I have been really busy with various things. Cramming in last minute school work, a youth retreat thing, (was gone from Wednesday till yesterday). So now I am finally posting and catching up on everything I missed while I was gone, just in case you missed it on one of the other blogs/sites.This week was a busy week in the AIO world as well.

So first off, I'll start with some news that pertains to Odyssey. The first Family fun panel video is up. And it has to do with Album 51. It's about making a Wod-fam-choc-sod. The ingredients are also found in the insert included with album 51. It looks so good, I may have to try my hand at making one. Also if you complete it, you have the option of buying a collectors button. You can watch the clip here.  I can't wait to see what other Family panels are in store. What a great idea.

To infinity and beyond. One small step for man, one large step for Odyssey fandom kind. That's right, a huge Odyssey fan Col. Virts took a copy of the AIO episode "For God and Country" into space with him. To read more about this, you can check out The Odyssey Scoop, or this site.

The episodes The Jubilee Singers Parts 1 and 2 are currently online. This three part episode is one you definitely won't want to miss out on. It is an awesome episode with great music and an awesome story. Like most of the other blogs... my review will come after the last part airs. You can listen here.


Before I get into news about other blogs I'm gonna do a quick recap of the info we know about the upcoming fall season, album 52 Cause and Effect.

• The album is planned for a release in October of 2010.
• Mrs. Randolph will be returning.
• The Parker family gets a new babysitter.
• Emily Jones solves another case.
• Matthew Parker invents a new Imagination Station program.
• Dave Arnold will continue his position of being executive producer.
• There will be a Christmas and a Thanksgiving episode.
• At least one two-part episode will be included.
• Some episodes will have sound design by Jonathan Crowe.
• Nathan Hoobler is directing an episode written by Marshal Younger and Paul McCusker.
• It was announced that the AIO team is working on more Kidsboro episodes for the spring 2010 season. These episodes did not appear in album 51, so it can be assumed that at least two episodes in album 52 will involve Kidsboro.(At least we hope so.)
• Three episode titles, Fast As I Can, Stage Fright, and An Agreeable Nanny.  This info found on Aiowiki.

The Heart of Odyssey has their third and fourth heartcasts up.Which includes interviews with Kevin and Loren (from the Ceiling Fan, A.K.A. another really cool podcast.) and reviews of some episodes as well. They kinda get border line offensive sometimes, but it's alright. Be sure to check it out if you want.

The Odyssey Way now has a new page. This page is the awards page where you can vote for different categories such as Best episode, best new comer and more. Check it out here.

Also be sure to check out the latest AIO Blogcast. In this blogcast Tasha and Austin review more episodes and talk about various things. Be sure to check it out.

I'm thinking that's about it. I have some Odyssey connections in mind, but will save them for later because this post is getting really long. (I hope I remember...) Anyway this is Freddy Jay saying "Now my fingers hurt."

The OBC

The growing community of Odyssey-loving-news-giving-fans-that-give-their-thoughts-on-the-latest-Odyssey news-and-episodes now have an Official group name, (and thankfully it's shorter than that)  and it's called...

The OBC (Odyssey Blogging Community) now has 9 members right now.  If you have an Odyssey blog and aren't in it yet, you are welcome to join.

The Jubilee Singers Part 1 airs tomorrow, you won't want to miss it.

That's all for now, This is Freddy Jay signing off.

AIO Podcast(s)

The official site has been busy with podcasts. One of which was a video podcast revealing a Mother's Day Contest. This is a really cool contest. And Mother's Day is right around the corner. To read more details about it. Go here.

If you haven't watched the podcast you can go here. In this video podcast they reveal these facts about the upcoming album 52.

• The Parker family gets a new babysitter.
• Emily Jones solves another case.
• Matthew Parker invents a new Imagination Station program.(This one sounds cool)
• Album 52 includes an episode titled "Fast As I Can.
• A sketch of album 52 cover. Although not seen very well, here it is.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  More and more things are being revealed about album 52.
  Including another episode title which was revealed in the interview podcast they released yesterday. (An Agreeable Nanny.)
  The interview is with Zach Callison the voice of Matthew Parker. You can listen here.
  
  
  I think that's all for today. This is Freddy Jay saying "My cough needs to go away......."

Passages and Podcasts

 First things first, the newest podcast on the official website is up. Has some very interesting things that you won't want to miss. Check it out here.


In other news the 2nd book in the Passages series, Arin's Judgment,  is now available.

One minute, Wade Mullins is in Odyssey, attempting to burn his friend's top-secret drawings for the atomic bomb. The next, he is staring at a strange prophet from an alternate world who says Wade is the final sign—an end-times omen of a culture on the verge of annihilation. Can Wade stop the production of a bomb and a madman's reign of terror?

The second heartcast of  The Heart of Odyssey is up, and the 24th podcast of the ceiling fan is up as well. Be sure to check them out if you'd like.

I think that's all for now...This is Freddy Jay saying "zzzzz."

Finish What You..... Review

Finish What You.......

• Right away Eugene starts talking in his usual confusing, big vocabulary style. Olivia though doesn't ask the usual "huh" like other kids have in the past. 
• Eugene plays the guitar? Well I suppose it wouldn't be too different than the ukulele.
• Eugene teaching guitar lessons? I think it's going better than his substitute teaching. (The Invisible Dog)
• Version difference: The disc version includes a scene where Eugene knocks on the Parkers door and is greeted by Mrs. Parker. This extra scene includes the fact that Eugene named his guitar Henrietta.
• The "I broke a nail" line is kinda  a little weird for an 11 year old.
• The cubits line, best joke of the episode.
• The endless list of things sitting around of previous commitments reminds me of......well me....
• Yet another episode without Katrina?.......Not even a mentioning.......
• The song played by Eugene and Olivia at the end is pretty good.
• the wrap up at the end was pretty funny too.

Rating : Humor:3/5
            Theme4/5
            Action: 3/5
            Total: 3.5/5
Well that's all for now, Be sure to watch for The first part of The Jubilee Singers next week. This is Freddy Jay saying "so lo.......".

Some news

Right now the wind is blowing like crazy. So much that I don't think a kite would be able to stay up in it.

I found a new news item on AIO wiki. This is what it says on the AIO wiki homepage under news.(In the mist of the other news)   

"There is a new sampler album coming out in February 2011 called Mystery, it will feature the Jones and Parker Detecive agency, we don't know what episodes will be included yet but when we do, we'll let you know" 

That sounds great! 

Also don't forget, An upcoming Official podcast will feature a Q and A with the actors behind the Parker Family, if you want to submit a question leave it in their comments here. 

Tomorrow "Finish What You....." airs. Whoot!
In other news, Audry from AIO Insanity commented on my last post saying.


"You're right, our little blogger community is getting pretty big! Let's see: AIO Insanity, Campbell County Connection, the AIO fan's life, the Odyssey Way, The Voice of Odyssey and now the Heart of Odyssey! We need a nickname for the not-so-little community! It takes forever to list them all out!"

The list is pretty long, along with the previously mentioned, There's also  Adventures in Odyssey Blog,  The Odyssey Owl, The Whit's End Podcast,    The Odyssey Times, and The Unofficial AIO Podcast. 
So I definitely agree that it takes forever to list them all. I thought maybe The OBC (The Odyssey Blogger community/or committee)...Do you have any suggestions for the "growing community of Odyssey-loving-news-giving-fans-that-give-their-thoughts-on the latest Odyssey news/-and-episodes? Comment here, or on The Odyssey Way.

I think I may have had more to say......but it's storming now... so I think I'm gonna end quickly. This is Freddy Jay saying "It's raining it's pouring the ol man is snoring......."