Campbell County Connection

Cover and The Labyrinth Part 1!

2012-02-01T19:20:00.001-06:00

The Labyrinth Part 1 is now available to download free. I shall wait to review it till later when we have all the parts. Hopefully I can catch up with my reviews soon....Hehehe. Anyway enjoy the new episode and download it here. Above is the final cover for album 55.

Like The FACEBOOK PAGE !!!

2012-01-13T18:01:00.002-06:00

The title says alot! The Adventures in Odyssey page needs more likes. It was stated that if the page gets 10,000 likes before February 1 than they would release part 1, 20,000 like parts 1 and 2, 40,000 like and they'll give all three parts of The Labyrinth FREE for download. I understand that many of you may not be on facebook. Tell others who are to like and share the page. Getting the word around will help in the process. Thanks. (I'm a little late on this I know... But still. Get the word out. : D )

A Penny Earned Review

2011-12-28T20:48:00.000-06:00

A Penny Earned Review

Roommates of any can be difficult to live with and sometimes it requires adjustment and more often than not compromises. We've seen the difficulties of clashing roommates with Bernard and Eugene (Room Mates) and with Connie and Lindsey and Tamika and Kelly (Best of Enemies) so my question at the end of a Penny Saved was how will Connie and Penny be as room mates?

Right away in a Penny Earned we see that Connie will be challenged living with Penny? How? Well, for starters the playing board games till really late in the morning and Penny using the walls of Penny's room as canvas. But the main aspect of the episode is her trying to find a job in Odyssey. In some ways it reminded me of Connie's struggle in the episode What are you Gonna Do With Your Life. In this episode we are told that Eugene teaches a computer class at the college. It fits his character well, but I'm kinda sad to see Hand Up disappear without explanation. Penny's a little too trusting. The scene with Douglas Helm proves this. It was an honest mistake.

I like the new guy Jacques Henri. He reminds me of Fred Holstein, and I really look forward to future use of his character. Although Penny is a relatively new I couldn't help wondering if maybe this would be her last episode. But I'm glad it didn't go about that way. Although the twist with Penny and Wooton being so alike that Wooton would know where she would "have to stop" was a little much, it kinda worked out. I'm looking forward to see how they develop Penny and Wooton's relationship in the future.

Theme: 4/5
Humor: 3.5/5
Quotes: 3/5 --
Standout Quote(s):

Penny Wise: What artistic style do you like?
Woman: Hmmm...That! I want that piece of art.
Penny Wise: That's the sign for the restrooms.
~~~

Penny Wise: You've been praying?
Connie Kendall: Yes! Haven't you?
Penny Wise: Well, sure, but I didn't know everybody was in on it.
Wooton Bassett: That's one thing you can be sure everybody's in on. The praying I mean.

Interest level: 4/5
"Like" rating: 4/5

Average Rating 4/5

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-26T17:45:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope everyone had a wonderful time with their family and friends yesterday. I might have another review up later this evening. But in the meantime, feel free to check out my other blog called never a dull moment. It's not another Odyssey blog, but I have mentioned it a little. (just started it..)

More Album 55 titles!!!

2011-12-01T22:27:00.001-06:00

So this is kinda old news. But it's exciting nonetheless. we have more Album 55 titles, as well as another summary for the album. Here's what we have so far.
Child's Play
Mistaken for Good
To Mend or Repair
The Labyrinth Parts 1-3
Sgt York Parts 1-4

And here's the new summary; Jason Whittaker discovers a life-threatening plot in the works after he tracks the villainous Mr. Grote to London. In Odyssey, rumors fly when a wedding brochure is mistaken for an announcement and everyone thinks Connie is getting married. Eugene and Katrina hear unsettling news about their future. And Kids' Radio tells the exciting story about how a back-country man with a simple desire for peace winds up on the front lines of World War I. Amidst all of the conflict and comedy, our pals in Odyssey learn that being in over their heads can be a very touching and funny experience when God is put in the center of it all.

I wonder what the "unsettling news" is? I can't wait to hear Sgt. York, it sounds amazing! And the wedding brochure idea sounds interesting. More reviews are coming soon.

You're Two Kind Review

2011-11-18T21:54:00.001-06:00

Calvin and Hobbes is a new found favorite of mine. But I'll try to mix it up every now and then. Calvin needs a good lesson on being kind especially since Christmas is right around the corner. Perhaps he should listen to this episode.

In this episode it brings more changes to Odyssey. Namely Katrina as a substitute teacher. We've seen Eugene as one before, but not Katrina until now. This adds a nice touch to her though and it makes sense. Also it's nice to see Katrina around in general and we saw more of her and Eugene at home too.This episode gave us a slice of life, and it was interesting too. Ryan was faced with a choice whether to stab Brad in the back or not and he choose wrong. The Eugene story line was interesting. Is trickery the best way to teach a lesson? Although we have seen this kind of thing in Odyssey from time to time. Some think it's fishy, but I think it works. Their point came across in the end.

This episode is strong with the Ryan story line and slightly weak with the bejewler plot. Overall I like it.But the bejewler storyline eh..

Theme: 4/5
Humor: 4/5
Quotes: 3/5 --
Standout Quote:
Ryan Cummings: Valerie. The same Valerie I know? But she's so..
Brad: Spunky!
Ryan Cummings: Yeah, spunky like a pit bull.

Interest level: 4/5
"Like" rating: 3.5/5

Average Rating 4/5

As always i love to hear your comments. And I'm almost caught up too! Freddy Jay over and out.

Forgiving More... or Less Review

2011-11-18T16:52:00.000-06:00

From the description of this episode many fans comments portrayed to the effect of "Story telling to teach a lesson? Sound familiar?" And in some ways I agree, red does have several features similar to Bernard; such as a handy man, relating to the kids, and using entertaining figures of speeches. But is that to say that Red is Bernard's replacement? I wouldn't go that far,but some would say that.

Right away we hear from Red Hollard in this episode. That made me happy. The last time we heard from Red was in Wooton's Broken Pencil Show. I liked seeing the kids working together on a project. In the scene with Camilla and Matthew breaking the oscilloscope we see more of Camilla's athletic side. I really like the chemistry between the Parker kids in this episode. The kids and the family are really developing nicely. Whit's little bit with the free ice cream for Camilla is classic Whit for you. He knew that Camilla broke the oscilloscope, but gave her free ice cream anyway. I liked Red's story alot. Even though when we hear story's from Bernard's we're used to hearing different voices, and sounds effects. I also like the fact that it's a parable from the bible, told in Red's own way. The approach made in this episode was good. You get camilla, red's story, more Camilla, and then more Red's story. Red's expressions are amazing.

The themes in this album revolve around love and different angles on love and 1 Corinthians 13. It's so appropriate because forgiving and loving and be so hard to do at times. This episode reminds us to ask forgiveness and not just to try to forgive others.

Theme: 3.5/5
Humor: 4.5/5
Quotes: 4/5 --
Standout Quote:
Red Hollard: I'm serious as a porcupine in a balloon factory!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red Hollard: Barney was thrilled and he went right out and bought that tow truck, and what do you think happened then?
Camilla Parker: He ran out of toes to truck?

Interest level: 3.5/5
"Like" rating: 4/5

Average Rating 4/5

A good episode overall. More reviews to come. Kinda trying to get caught up so I can review Never For nothing soon. And for now that's all from Freddy Jay.

Anger Mismanagement Review

2011-11-18T13:09:00.001-06:00

I changed the blog to experiment with the new style. I like it, but it's not compatible with gadgets at the moment... They're working on it though. What do you think?

Anger is a natural thing, and it's expressed in everyday life and in the media. Garfield is one example, and another being Tom and Jerry. (Yes I am a big fan of the older cartoons over what we have now..) The cat is constantly trying to catch the mouse, but Jerry is just to smart and sneaky. And every episode he does things to Tom to get away from him, and it just makes things hilariously worse. Tom and Jerry is entertaining, but nothing is ever really resolved between the two of them. In Anger Mismanagement, we look at anger in an entertaining and important way. One that isn't so common in other media.

This episode does what we often see in Odyssey episodes. We get three story lines pulled from different angles to the same theme. In this case we get Olivia mad at Valerie for doing the parade interview instead of Amber, Wooton and Mrs. Cramer, and Lucia's hair salon. The fact that Olivia sits and tells Whit about her anger reminds of older episodes where kids do the same thing. I like that he touched on the factthat getting angry isn't a sin, but what we do with our anger is when we sin. The Wooton story line is nicely done because it shows examples of ways to deal with other peoples anger without getting mad at them in return. And it handled it without Wooton's character getting too goofy. The scene with him getting stuck in the rose bush was classic. Then there's the Lucia hair salon plot. Gotta love Lucia. And it's good to hear that she's moving to Odyssey. Her character has potential to become a close friend of Whit. Is it just me, or does it seem possible that Red and Lucia kinda share the combined traits of Bernard and Tom? The hair slaon plot was interesting because potentially David had every right to get angry because he had to miss the game. but instead he found a solution for Lucia to be able to continue her salon in a different way.

This episode is a classic example of why I like Odyssey. It takes something that applies to everyone such as anger and pulls through with valuable lessons to remember from it in an entertaining way. And now on to the ratings.

Theme: 4/5
Humor: 4/5
Quotes: 4/5 --

Standout Quote:
David Parker: That's odd, I haven't seen this many cars out front since that hot air balloon landed on our roof.
~~~~~~~~~~

Wooton Bassett: The point is Olivia, that sometimes we have to try to be understanding even if we don't understand what we're supposed to be understanding about. Understand?
Olivia Parker: Actually that makes sense.
Wooton Bassett: Thanks a lot.

Interest level: 3.5/5
"Like" rating: 3.5/5

Average Rating 3.5/5

Overall a pretty good episode. Love the subplots and the way Lucia takes a part in it. What did you think? Let me know. Freddy Jay over and out.

Album 55's Artwork

2011-11-15T14:56:00.001-06:00

if you haven't seen it yet, the artwork for album 55 has been revealed. It goes well with the impression of the title, the Deep End. Also another note; Brock did an interview with Gary Locke on Brock's blog; Check it out.

Also on a completely random note; this is something I came up with spontaneously. (Originally from Penguin slap)
Reviews on the new episodes coming soon. In the mean time, What are your thoughts on the upcoming show Never For Nothing?

The Amazing Loser Review

2011-10-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Amazing Loser:

I was really excited to hear this one because it looks like it's the one portrayed on the cover. Although, Jay carries around a suppertime triangle in the beginning. He probably plays all percussion though. It fit that Barrett and Priscilla would be partners for the scavenger hunt, and interestingly enough Jay and Matthew were paired together too.

I was EXTREMELY happy that Hal's Diner and Hal Schneider is in this episode. The importance of other businesses is really important, but not just new ones. It's nice knowing that it's sticking around. I like the whole scavenger hunt feel. Though it also introduced more new businesses too.

The scene with the girl wanting shoes and Barrett bought them for her was very touching. It showed Barrett had compassion. Even though they found out that she actually did have other shoes, just not that specific pair. The lady from the Thrift store, it would have been neat if it was the same one from Tuesdays with Wooton. I'm wondering where in the world can I find gumballs for a penny. Cause then I'd have a pretty hefty stash. Barrett feels bad that they lost for nothing. I like Whit's advice to them. That sometimes we're tested whether we'd do the right thing despite the outcome of our actions. It's funny that Barrett and Priscilla win anyway and Jay and Matthew lose because Jay bought the victory gumball.

This episode is pretty good. It's quick paced, and Jay's humor adds to it as always. I was dissapointed that this episode didn't explain what Whit is writing on the board on the cover of the album. It should have been in the episode somehow... And this one didn't have Barrett's trombone or Priscilla's clarinet either. Oh well..

Theme: 4/5
Humor: 3.5/5
Quotes: 4/5 --

Standout Quote:
John Whittaker: Well, let me say it's been a pleasure to host this year's band camp. I'm really looking forward to hearing what you all learn. Now, to kick things off. We decided to begin with something a little different. A competition.
Jay Smouse: Look out Barrett Jones. Soon you'll be tasting cold steel. The cold steel of my supper time triangle.
~~~~~
Jay Smouse: (To tune of Hail to the Chief) Hail to Jay Smouse who wins the scavenger hunt. Barrett Jones loses cause he's such a chump.

Interest level: 4/5
"Like" rating: 3.5/5

Average Rating 4/5

What are your thoughts on this episode? Be sure to catch Anger Mismanagement next week.

A Penny Saved Review

2011-10-09T23:31:00.001-05:00

A Penny Saved

The episode title may throw some people off. By first glances one may think; "Penny is going to become a christian." But that would be too redundant. But that poses the question, if she doesn't "get saved" then what is she saved from?

This episode was one I really looked forward to hearing. Because just like they did with the other sagas, it ties up some loose ends. I really liked the beginning with the news report and trial. We got to see some of Polehaus and his dry sense of humor. This episode really added to Penny's character too. We got to see how this whole ordeal effected her. And it showed that she isn't the type to ask for help even if she needs it. This episode adds to the friendships between Wooton, Connie and Penny. Connie and Wooton show genuine concern for her even though they haven't known her for too long. I like that we meet another Professor of the college. It seems like Odyssey lost some of it's businesses in after 50 albums. It gained some, but some things just haven't been mentioned yet, like the paper, Odyssey 105, etc.

Wooton's concern for Penny is uncanny. And Connie hit it on the head. Love? This soon?.... But will it last? Penny at McCalister park is kinda funny. Yet sad all the same. The trunk part is kinda strange, but it fits her character. I can see her as the type that would have trouble figuring out things like finding the trunk button. The fact that she requests that the officer read her her rights was funny too. The fact that she was ridiculed for doing the right thing reminds me of Mitch's situation after Novacom. It is pretty similar, but in her case she takes it a step further by hiding the fact that she needs a place to stay. Her being "put in Jail" for her protection was kind of the officer.It was very Penny-like to throw a party in jail. Classic. Penny is a character that I can see sticking around for a while. The post-50 character mesh is gradually coming together, and a Connie/Wooton friend is a nice thing to see.

This episode precedes the GRC quite nicely. Wooton and Penny's chemistry wasn't used too much in this one. The news cast at the end stating that Trask gets 25 years for his crimes wrapped it up nicely. I enjoyed the scene with Penny, Wooton, and Connie overlooking Odyssey and the area where the whole thing happened. It created a feeling that the characters would be able to move on after everything that had happened. One thing that wasn't answered was what happened to Buck? They could have mentioned him in a passing statement or something? But I guess if we don't hear anything referencing him in 54, maybe we will in 55.

Theme: 3.5/5
Humor: 3.5/5
Quotes: 4/5 --

Standout Quote:
Ted Humpfries: Wooton Bassett, also from Odyssey and personally involved in the case, gave us his take on the verdict.
Wooton Bassett: Thanks Ted. Did you see the size of the judge's gavel? That thing was huge! I'd love to have one of those at home.
Ted Humpfries: About the verdict?
Wooton Bassett: Oh yeah, the verdict. That was a good call, and the jury foreman had good diction when he read it out. Very Shakespearean.
Don Polehaus: I've seen it happen more times than Wooton can count.
Wooton Bassett: Six?
Don Polehaus: Exactly.
Interest level: 4/5
"Like" rating: 3/5

Average Rating 3.5/5

And that wraps up my thoughts on this one. What did you think? What do you think is yet to come? What do you think will happen in the other Penny related episodes? Be sure to comment.

Wooton Knows Best Review

2011-10-08T22:46:00.000-05:00

Wooton Knows Best:

Stories are a wonderful way to pass time. And it's really fun to tap into your creativity and just roll with the flow. We see this in Odyssey characters from time to time. Whether it be Bernard with a story from his life/bible story, Whit with a story with a lesson, or Wooton with Captain Absolutely. (Also with a lesson) And once again in Wooton Knows Best it starts with a story by Wooton. The point of the story was to tell Whit's Sunday School Class that he needs an assistant for a weekend retreat at Camp What-a-Nut. That's a place we haven't heard from in quite a while. I like that they brought it back.

The over all angle and theme of this episode is great. The conflict between Matthew and Olivia, the bickering between them in this one is classic. It brings back thoughts of the chemistry between Donna and Jimmy. The fact that Wooton had to choose one of them knowing that one might be hurt that he/she wasn't chosen is very applicable to real life. Wooton seems more classic Wooton in this one. He has some funny lines, but he also shows a more human side than we've seen in some of these recent episodes. The way Wooton determines the helper was great. And I like the over all plot of the episode.

Olivia's tantrum seemed a little over the top, and in some spots seemed forced. But I kinda like it in a way. It shows a side of Olivia we hadn't seen yet. The talk between David and Olivia following it is a very memorable scene. Including David's humor with the fire extinguisher. This scene is very touching and down to Earth. It's a classic down to Earth dad wisdom scene that we've scene a few other times. The theme is very clear from this scene as well.

The only complaint I have about this episode is the ending. Why bring Melissa Cyphers (Why does that name sound so much like Miley Cyrus to me....probably just a coincidence.) to meet Olivia? I mean she gets hurt that she can't go to camp, learns a lesson and then gets what she wanted anyway? What message does this send? She clearly made it obvious to Wooton that she was upset that she couldn't go, but things like that happen. Why make a consolation prize, it doesn't always work out that way.There aren't always happen endings...

I also really enjoyed the snippet at the end with Wooton and his story at Camp What-a-Nut. I've always enjoyed the tacked on scenes and can't wait for more of them.

Theme: 3/5
Humor: 4/5
Quotes: 3.5/5 --

Standout Quote:
Olivia Parker: I'm better with kids than you are.
Matthew Parker: Oh, right. Did you decide that before or after you dyed Camilla's hair purple?
Olivia Parker: You know that was an accident. Easter egg painting got a little out of control.

Interest level: 4.5/5
"Like" rating: 4/5

Average rating: 3.5--- Slightly above average episode. Great season opener.

So far the season has started well. It's nice to be able to finally share my thoughts. The review for A Penny Saved will be coming soon as well.

New Covers and More on 55!

2011-09-03T20:34:00.001-05:00

So the final covers for 29 and 23 have been revealed. I unfortunately have little time for this post... So you can see the covers on The Voice of Odyssey.

The other really exciting piece of info I have is this which I also saw on VoO. Though it's an excerpt from aiowiki's future page.
"This album will have two three part episodes.One of the 3 parters is called "The Labyrinth." Refer to the first part of the summary. This episode will feature an Agent Billings. The other 3 parter is called "Sgt. York." Refer to the second part of the summary.This was originally a 3 part episode. However, after editing the voice tracks, the AIO team discovered that the episode is 18 minutes too long. Rather than cut out 18 minutes out of the story, they decided to make it into AIO's first 4 part episode. Because of this, an episode from album 55 will be pushed back to be released in a future album. "

Odyssey's first four part episode! I think it'll be great. I really can't wait for 55!..!

Jason Wallpaper

2011-08-26T14:34:00.001-05:00

Here is another wallpaper, Jason style. I will try to maybe do more at some point. Click on thumbnail, then right click and set as background if you would like to use it.

GRC VS DBD: Beware of Spoilers for both albums

2011-08-25T10:32:00.000-05:00

With summer almost being over I made a point in getting this done before school starts...

I'm gonna break this down into several categories which will also give points for the final talley of which wins in my opinion. The categories being: Characters, Quotes, Plot, Theme, and "Likeness".

Characters:
DBD:
The majority of the characters in Darkness Before Dawn , aren't specifically new to the album, with a few exceptions. We have many characters that play an important role to the story line and conflict of the plot. Knowing that we already know most of the characters at this point in the show, it's easy to portray a concern for the characters we've grown to love. Such as; Richard Maxwell almost dieing by flying out of the back of a moving car, Jason almost being put in jail, and Jack almost getting caught in an explosion with Regis Blackgaard. The bad guys here are ones we've pretty much grown to loathe and love both at the same time.

GRC:
In The Green Ring Conspiracy, we're hit with a plethora of new characters, some of which were introduced in 51 and 52, such as Matthew and Emily whom we've had some time to grow attached to. But the "plethora" includes; Penny, Detective Polehaus, Agent Tanner, Derk Beggs, Dr. Graham, Archie Haggler, Buck Oliver, Mr. Skint, and maybe some I forgot. But as well as the norm recurring characters, it brought Katrina, and Jason whom we hadn't heard from since 50 or before. Another character that was brought back from way back when is Monty Whittaker, a huge surprise there.

Winner: DBD

Darkness Before Dawn has mostly characters that we already knew including the bad guys. The Green Ring Conspiracy has an overload of new characters, but counteracts this with action and intrigue. Though DBD wins in this category for it's usage of characters that we've had time to love and fear.

Quotes- For this section I have scanned through the quotes on aiowiki, picking the ones that stand out to me and compared them against each other.
DBD:

"Rodney Rathbone: Thanks Pop, you won't regret it.
Bart Rathbone: I already do regret it. I still don't like any of this. And don't call me--
Rodney Rathbone: Hey, I'm on the phone Pop." -Angels Unaware

"Bryan Dern: (on the radio) Ladies and Gentleman Dr. Regis Blackgaard!
Connie Kendall: WHAT!!
Jason Whittaker: No it can’t be!
Regis Blackgaard: (on the radio) Hello, Odyssey, I’ve come home.
Connie Kendall: I can’t believe it!
Jason Whittaker: This is impossible, he’s, he’s dead!" -The Return

"Bernard Walton: Well, stuff me with feathers and call me a pillow!" - The Time has Come

"Jack Allen: I'm not here to save the world Dr. I'm here to save Odyssey nor even Whit's End. I'm here for you. For you're soul. That's the only thing that matters right now. Not money or power or computer programs or viruses or world terrorism. It all comes down to your soul."

"Jack Allen: So, you're...taking over the Israelites.
Jason Whittaker: Yeah.
Jack Allen: Well, I can't stop you...any more than I've been able to stop you from anything you've done over the past few months.
Jason Whittaker: Well, you always said I was stubborn like Dad.
Jack Allen: (chuckles sadly) Stubborn, yes...but not like your dad.

GRC:
"Emily Jones: That's not the only thing, Eugene. You have to see what's inside this back pack.
Eugene Meltsner: Now this isn't a trick I hope. I wouldn't want to be surprised by a spring loaded snake or a collection of badly played banjo music.
Emily Jones: No, it's [the backpack] full of money.
Eugene Meltsner: Allow me. &lt;Gasps&gt; Loudly exclaimed euphemisms escape me! This is... &lt;whispers&gt; This is a lot of money! ~ Part 1

"Don Polehaus: I once kidnapped a cow after hitting my head in a car accident, but that's another story for another time." ~Part 3

"Buck Oliver: What are you doing?
Jay Smouse: Ahh! Me? I was just admiring your truck.
Buck Oliver: This truck?
Jay Smouse: Yeah, it's ...um... big!
Buck Oliver: You have a thing about big trucks?
Jay Smouse: Oh yeah. Ever since I was a kid, you know, (makes truck noises)
Buck Oliver: If you want to make friends, don't ever do noises like that again, OK?
Jay Smouse: Yeah." ~ Part 5

"Wally Haggler: Did you write everything down?
Jay Smouse: I think so, but I had to scribble on [the front of this] receipt from the hardware store, so it's kind of mixed up.
Wally Haggler: Let's hear it.
Jay Smouse: They drove the big truck back to a very nice house in a 40 gallon trash can.
Wally Haggler: What?
Jay Smouse: Sorry. Brentwood Estates. Then, they took the sheets off the hex-head cap screws.
Wally Haggler: Jay!
Jay Smouse: Furniture! Furniture! I told you this was a mess. And then they drove the big truck down to a lot near Gower's Field where the Tub Shelf Utility Cart is set up.
Wally Haggler: Uncle Archie's Carnival
Jay Smouse: Yeah, that. Then they got into a PVC plastic fitting.
Wally Haggler: Pickup truck.
Jay Smouse: Pickup truck and drove here to an iron gate on chrome pike.
Wally Haggler: Gold Camp Road." ~Part 5"

"John Whittaker: So how long are you gonna wait?
The Stiletto: Wait?
John Whittaker: To take off that disguise.
The Stiletto: Disguise?
John Whittaker: You know what I'm talking about.
The Stiletto: Now that's very interesting. I'm afraid the beard won't come off without a razor. However the hat will and the sunglasses. How's that?
John Whittaker: That's much better. It's good to see you again." ~Part 8

"Wooton Bassett: You know, I've always found that running along the top of a train gives me inspiration.
The Stiletto: Good, then that's what I'll do." ~Part 12

Winner: GRC
In GRC there are many more humorous quotes that stand out, rather than serious ones. But not only that, my favorite quote is the one where we find out that Jason is the Stiletto. Compared to DBD, the ones in GRC are sometimes more comical, and more ..the word escapes me...but you get the idea.

Plot
DBD:
This album starts with Odyssey getting hit by different acts of vandalism. It kinda hits home in a way, because Odyssey and different locations that listeners and fans have to know and love are being hit. But it goes much deeper than that. As it progresses, we also hear about the isrealites, and their battle against the Bones of Wrath, A.K.A good vs evil. One twist in the album is Regis returning to Odyssey. Glossman, Regis and a newcomer Jellyfish, thicken the plot by trying to take over Odyssey and Whit's End. Blackgaard runs for mayor, and Richard returns to town to try to stop his evil plans. This album is packed chalk full action and suspense, including Blackgaard blowing up Whit's End and Jack almost not getting out alive.

GRC:
The GRC takes a different angle. Around Odyssey, there is a counterfeit ring planning to transport a ton of counterfeit money across the country. Monty and Derk Beggs crash in an airplane which begins stirring up things in Odyssey. This album is full of suspense as well, but seems to work in more comedic moments. The biggest plot twist was when the Stiletto was revealed to be Jason Whittaker. My all time favorite character in AIO.

Winner: DBD
Both albums are great in their own way. But DBD has way more scary intense moments that GRC lacks. GRC is presented in a very suspenseful and quick paced way. Which it is easy to miss details that prove to be important later on. DBD has such an interesting plot that can easily fill everyone with distress and hatred towards the evil wreaking havoc on our favorite town. And our hatred doubles as it reveals our favorite villain Blackgaard is behind it all trying to become mayor and reign over Whit's End.

Themes:
DBD:
The themes presented in DBD are: Stewardship, Salvation and Spiritual Warship.

GRC:
The themes presented in GRC include: Friendship, Lies, Trust, Honesty, Wisdom, Discernment, Deception, Loyalty, Redemption, Hope, Fraud, Change, Survival, Evil, Money, Good, Potential, Affection, Justice.

Winner: GRC

The GRC covers a more variety of themes, and is presented in a very interesting way. DBD has good themes too, but in a different way. So with that, GRC ties it up. So we move on to the last match.

Likeness:
DBD: There are so many aspects to DBD that is liked by fans. The fact that it goes on from episodes before it adds to the "likeness" of this album. But besides this it also has lots of excitement, Jason, and an epic conclusion.

GRC: The GRC has alot to like as well. The action, the excitment, humorous lines/quotes, and of course Jason's return.

Winner: DBD

It was tough to call this one, but DBD beats GRC in Likeness by a just a bit. Some of the reason being that it's more intense for older listeners. GRC still is definitely a favorite in my book don't get me wrong, but DBD tops it by just a little. I can say that GRC tops Novacom though.

Overall Winner: DBD

By a score of 3-2 DBD tops GRC by such a small margin.

GRC Review

2011-08-24T17:00:00.002-05:00

The Green Ring Conspiracy is an amazing tale that takes the listener along with the characters to foil the bad guys. It's filled with suspense, "cliff hanger agony" and twists that make your head spin. If you haven't listened to the Green Ring conspiracy yet, you totally should. That sounded almost like an ad... Well, onto the review. I will touch on different things from the episodes, but for a full summary of the episodes check out aiowiki's episode pages for each part. (Those plots were also mostly written by me.)

Parts 1-3 get you into the swing of things and you find out that things are just getting stirred up. Emily finds a bag of money, plane crashes in Gower's Field, and Connie starts art classes at Campbell County Community College. One downside to these parts is that we don't hear from Monty until part 4, and the first three end with cliff hangers about Monty. One of the victims in the crash says Whit's name; Monty, Monty is missing from the hospital, and then Monty is found at Whit's House on the floor. Although mostly exciting, perhaps that could have been switched up somehow.

As we reach 4-6, we find out tons more information. In part 4 we find out what Monty and derk were doing in Odyssey and why the plane crashed. In Part 5 they follow a lead that connects the carnival to the conspiracy. Part 6 takes us to the carnival and ends with Monty getting captured as the cliff hanger...

In Part 7-9 things really start heating up. In part 7, Buck and Emily look for his appleberry, and Whit looks into a neat way to find Monty using the chip implanted in Monty's arm. In Part 8, it ends with the biggest twist of the whole album, that the Stiletto is really Jason Whittaker. In part 9 we learn more information, and how Jason connects into the whole thing. and that Archie Haggler is indeed connected with the conspiracy and that he wants the Stiletto out of the way. Note that both 8,9 and 10 end with hangers involving Jason/the Stiletto. But it doesn't bug me as much as the Monty ones because we actually hear Jason.

In 10-12 it dramatically draws to a close. Jason as The Stiletto is taped and drugged and put in with the money, in part 10's ending. Part 11 puts Connie, Penny, and Wooton in a train car with the money, and the rest of the good side searching for where the money is. In the dramatic closure, Jason ends up crashing the train into Wally's warehouse, and the bad guys are stopped.

This album easily makes it's way into my top favorite albums list. I love how they brought Jason back, and I really can't wait to see what they do with him next in Album 55: The Deep End.

I rate this as follows:
Part 1: 3/5
Part 2: 4/5
Part 3: 4/5
Part 4: 4.5/5
Part 5: 5/5
Part 6: 4/5
Part 7: 4/5
Part 8: 5/5
Part 9: 5/5
Part 10: 5/5
Part 11: 5/5
Part 12: 5/5
Average overall: 5/5 Great episodes. My GRC vs DBD head to head is coming. Hopefully before the end of this week as well... But thought I'd go ahead and do this too. That's all for now, this is Freddy Jay saying; "What did you think of album 53?"

Name Not a Number Popupisode

2011-08-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Official Site has released another popupisode, A Name Not a Number, Part 1. And it may or may not have some "Brock inserted info on 55" in some spots. be sure to check it out.

Mistake..

2011-08-22T23:28:00.001-05:00

Contrary to what I posted in a previous post, the real final cover for album 29 has not been shown. CBD isn't necessarily a reliable source for album art. It will be very similar to that, but will have the old logo. The albums 1-50 will remain with the old logo. So for future reference, don't use CBD as a reliable source for album cover information...

Also it has been confirmed that album 2 will have a new title. Brock Eastman is encouraging fans to guess the title on his facebook fan page although nothing has been officially stated on what it actually is. Have any guesses, feel free to comment them.

Cover Art, 4 of them!

2011-08-18T15:14:00.003-05:00

[This was on the fb page, as well as aiowiki.] Here are the arts for 2, 23, 26 and 34. They are pictured below. we finally get to see Jack!!!!

Album 2: Stormy Weather Album 23: Twists and Turns

Album 26: Back On The Air Album 34: In Your Wildest Dreams

Album 55 News!!!!

2011-08-15T19:33:00.001-05:00

I happened to come across something very interesting. On aiowiki there is now a page for album 55. And it now has a summary for that album. 54 is right around the corner, but I am super excited for 55. Here is the summary.

"When Jason Whittaker tracks the villainous Mr. Grote to London, England, he discovers another ominous plot. With the help of some old friends, will he unravel it in time? Back in Odyssey, Eugene and Red reveal the story of a World War I hero—Sergeant Alvin York."

I was really hoping they'd continue that storyline and looks like we won't be let down. London? Cool! And we get more of Jason. How awesome is that? And more RED! Odyssey loves to keep us in anticipation for the next album.

Click here for other info that we know about this album right now.

We also have the new cover art for album 29. Shown below.

I really like this take on it. We see the wedding cake, and some of the main characters around it, such as Jason, Tom, and Bernard, but you still don't know who is getting married.

The downloads for 54 are now available, mine came about a week ago as part of my prize. I'll save my thoughts for later though ;). That's all the news I have for now. Discuss what you think.

I met THE Brock Eastman!

2011-08-14T21:07:00.000-05:00

Friday, Brock had a book signing and it just happned to be close enough that I was able to go! I met THE Brock Eastman from the Adventures in Odyssey Podcast, as well as author of HowlSage, Taken and the sixth book in the Imagination Station series. Not only did he sign Howl Sage for me, he also signed the back of my cover for my dollar that won the AIO GRC contest in the 18+ category. Below are pictures of me and Brock, and his signature. Click to see em bigger.

It didn't take long for me to start on his book HowlSage. I really dug into yesterday, and I finished it today. This is an excellent book. In this book, the main character Taylor is a young demon hunter. And the demons he hunts purposely have similar characteristics of werewolves, and vampires amongst other things. It makes the point that some shows and movies portray werewolves and vampires as heros. But this book puts those creatures in their proper places. This book is an awesome take on the battle of good vs evil. It also contains several interesting inventions and really keeps you guessing. Amongst other things it expresses the need to stay close to God. This book is a great read, and I encourage you to check it out.

Down With faio

2011-08-09T00:18:00.004-05:00

I realize this was a heated debate a while back, and it's become even more so now on the ToO. If you're not aware what I am talking about faio is a free site that has Odyssey episodes up for anyone to listen to. Although it may technically not be illegal, it still costs Focus money. Isn't there a proverb like "There is no such thing as a free cookie"? Or something like that, the point being, even though it may be free for those listening, it is costly for FOTF. And even though they encourage people not to download the episodes on the site, it doesn't mean people can't. It also provides links to episodes that are illegally downloaded on sites like youtube and grooveshark. What is my purpose of saying all this? Well, some users of ToO have decided to try to take a step in moving against them with a petition to take down the site. Not sure what will really become of this petition, but I encourage you to sign it. You don't have to use your real name, nor do you have to be a member of the ToO. Here is a link to the petition. Thanks in advance. This is Freddy Jay saying " Please help the cause."

Album 54 (Clanging Cymbals and the Meaning of God's Love) summaries (The Real Ones)

2011-08-04T22:33:00.001-05:00

The previous post was written in part because of hearing so many complaints about post-50 episodes most of which coming from the ToO.... I encourage you to read my perspective which is below. But this post is exciting because it has the episode summaries for album 54 Clanging Cymbals and the Meaning of God's Love. (I got them from Aio Wiki)

Wooton Knows Best
Olivia and Matthew Parker compete for a chance to be Wooton Bassett's camp assistant.

A Penny Saved
Penny Wise deals with the aftermath of her role in the Green Ring Conspiracy and plans for the future.

The Amazing Loser
When Whit's End sponsors a band camp, Matthew, Jay, and Barrett compete in a musical scavenger hunt.

Anger Mismanagement
Frustration abounds as David suggests Grandma Lucia try a test run of her salon business in his living room, and Olivia discovers Valarie stealing the media spotlight for a big parade

Forgiveness More... Or Less
After hearing a story from Red Hollard, Camilla Parker decides to make a forgiveness list.

You're two Kind
Ryan decides to partner with Brad for a school project, but has second thoughts when he overhears Brad making fun of him. Meanwhile, Connie gives Eugene a series of bejeweled gifts and he struggles to tell her the truth--he hates them.

A Penny Earned
Penny Wise searches for her future in a job and as Connie Kendall's roommate.

Never For Nothing
Grandma Lucia recounts to Olivia her story of a childhood friend, an event that taught her that love is "never for nothing."

Emily, the Genius
Emily is overwhelmed when a school test shows that she is a genius.

How to Sink a Sub
When Katrina becomes their substitute teacher, Jay and Valerie rouse the class to revolt, even persuading Olivia to help with a plan to get Katrina fired.

Unbecoming Jay
Jay schemes a way to ditch his cousin Cindy by leaving her with Barrett, but Priscilla grows jealous of the new friendship.

Childish Things
Before a gallery exhibit of her work, Penny tries a variety of methods to decide whom she can trust in life.

If you'd like to see info on who wrote the episdoes, check it out on aiowiki.

Odyssey In Review

2011-08-04T17:38:00.001-05:00

As a show grows things are bound to change. Odyssey has had many changes and phases over the years even before the ones we're seeing now. If you look back at album 1, you'll find shows such as Recollections, Connie Comes to Town, Madge and Guy, and others that are the foundation of Odyssey's history. Although classics, these episodes are more of spring boards, the ones where the main characters are just starting on their roles. It isn't until later that they get more comfortable and adapt to their character. In this album each episode pretty much centered around a different kid. Although an interesting angle, it didn't give the listening audience a chance to attach to any of the kids. In albums 2-15 we get characters like the Barclays, (a favorite family for most fans), and Lawrence, amongst others. We find out more about Whit's past in episodes like Thank You, God, Rescue from Manatugo Point, and Operation Digout. As we start to get the feel for main characters and really get attached to them, that's when things start stirring. In albums 16-26 all sorts of things happen. In The Mortal Coil we almost lose our beloved John Whittaker, In album 17 George loses his job, (And later they move from Odyssey) In 25 Odyssey is hit with the conclusion of the Blackgaard saga with Darkness Before Dawn and it's still popular among fans today.

Odyssey went into a short slump with albums 33 and 34 where some of the episodes were two 15 minute ones. After those, Odyssey was hit by the Novacom saga. This saga is popular amongst fans and for good reason. It's packed with action and intrigue. But the thing is it lost a lot of its reality at this point. Main characters Whit, Eugene, Connie, Alex, Jason, Tom and some new characters such as fan favorite Mitch, battle try to put a stop to a company that is trying to take over the world with mind control using technology that coverts radio waves to brain waves. The thing that makes Odyssey so different from TV show and regular entertainment is the way it relates to reality and can connect with the listeners lives with lessons and morals that are important. Novacom still has the lessons and morals, but it loses the relation to the listeners that older episodes has.

As Novacom passed, we began to see more of those down to earth episodes. Including the conclusion to the Mitch-Connie story-line. Then we get eugene back in Odyssey and more brain-wave whatcha hoosey... But after Eugene comes back and gets his memory, we hear a saga that isn't wildly out there; The Search for Eugene's father who was lost on an archeolgical expedition years ago, and Eugene found out that he was still alive while on a mission trip to the same Ashanti village Leonard had once been to. This story line is a favorite of mine, because it's not way out there like Novacom, and someone isn't trying to take over the world or Odyssey. This saga covers episodes in albums 45-49. In album 50 we hear episodes with a wide variety f characters, and at times it seems that they just wanted to bring as many back as possible for the 50th album.

Albums post 50 are ones that seem to hit the fans hard. After two years of nothing, when it finally gets more new episodes it returned with all sorts of changes that didn't seem to go over to well with some fans. For one thing, Paul Herlinger retired as Whit and a new actor Andre Stojka was hired. Some think that Andre sounds younger than Paul, while others think he sounds older. In 51 Andre didn't seem quite in the role of Whit yet, but that's to be expected with any part. The fans also were introduced to new families and characters namely The jones and Parker families, Red, Jay and Wally. And the style of the art has also changed quite a bit too. Not to mention the fact that key roles such as Bernard, Tom, The Rathbones, Washingtons, McKays, and a few others have seemed to slip into the background of Odyssey. Some seem to think that the writers have taken a step back in quality. But is that the case? In some ways maybe the writers are trying to bring the focus back a little, make things simpler for the younger viewers while bringing in complaints from the older ones.

In album 51 we visited shows focusing on the Parkers and Jones' families mostly. Most of which were hard to swallow for many. Inspiration Station, Clutter and Game for a Mystery were it's four opening shows which gave a pretty weak start. They're not bad persay, but it's where the target age is obvious. Under age 12 kids are more likely to like them compared to 16+. Whereas with older episodes, they seemed more timeless and anybody could enjoy them. Target of the week was one of the best in the season. It was added to the short list of baseball episodes and gave Wooton opportunities to be well himself. Many have said that post-reboot Wooton is too goofy and never seems to be serious. Perhaps this is true. He used to be more of a neutral character that had quirks, but also could teach kids lessons if given the chance. After this one were For the Birds, When You're right You're Right, Grandma's Visit and Finish What you. For the Birds seemed unrealistic by some, but that begs the question. If that is a main issue, why was Novacom so popular for the fans when mind control is pretty out there too? The four mentioned again seemed more aimed for the youngers. The quality wasn't bad at all, just not what fans wanted nor expected. The Season Ended with a great three parter The Jubilee Singers, that almost everyone agrees is a great episode.

After Album 51, 52 was a good improvement. Part of the deal with 51 was that so many characters were just getting into their roles. Andre as Whit, the new families etc. In 52, we see more of a balance between story lines. Not every story revolves around the Parker and Jones' families. The season starts with a great two parter, The Mystery of the Clock Tower where we get to go along with the characters as they solve a mystery surrounded by love and heartbreak that really turns out to be a diversion so the bank can be robbed! Following this was Wooton's Broken Pencil Show. This episode was a wacky take on the theme that entertainment should have a point by not having a point. (Slightly confusing I know...) Then came Stage Fright, fast as I can, and The Owlnapping. Stage fright was a weak episode as was Game for a Mystery and The Malted Milkball Falcon. The Emily Jones detective agency episodes while they may appeal to kids, they seem rather difficult for the listener to try to solve the case with the characters. They point fingers one way, then another, and then finally the real solution is found. Fast as I Can presented an episode on fasting in a way that pointed out that there are multiple ways to fast other than just food, and sometimes different people get different things from them. The Owlnapping along with Fast as I Can, A Thankstaking Story and The Mystery of the clock Tower were highlights of the album. The Owlnapping brought us a basketball episode centered around an owl that went missing. Although simplistic, the theme not to put trust into petty things is a good one to remember. the rest of the album includes Square One, A Thankstaking Story, An Agreeable Nanny, The Malted Milkball Falcon, and Grandma's Christmas Visit. Square One was a decent episode, but of these, A Thankstaking Story is the best of them. It presents a new Thanksgiving Story as a parallel to The Grinch That stole Christmas similar to what they did with a Thanksgiving Carol. Odyssey always seems to try to come what with creative ways to keep the listeners interested and to bring their point across, whether it be with BT-V, Kids radio, one of Whit's inventions, or a thought or game by Whit. They usually try to bring in unique ways that will bring in the listeners and post 50 episodes we don't see that quite as much. The rest of the episodes mentioned seem to be a theme from chaos. A good approach to reach kids to get humor from chaotic events, hence An Agreeable Nanny, and Grandma's Christmas Visit. The season started off well, and then sputtered here and there in the perspective of an older listener.

And all this brings us to the most recent album The Green Ring Conspiracy. In the GRC we find old faces returning, several new faces, as well as familiar faces from 51 & 52. It takes us on a wild chase to conquer evil. One of the story lines includes Wooton and new character Penny Wise having a sort of "romantic chemistry". In the episodes Wooton is in it seems he's there for more comic relief than anything else. The greatest twist of the whole story was that The Stiletto turned out to really be Jason Whittaker. This album definitely seemed like the "Old Odyssey", like Darkness Before Dawn and Novacom. Some fans still seem to complain, but many more like it.

The main problem that some fans have is comparing the new episodes to the old and saying this is a rip off of this and things like that. If you take the episodes and look at them for what they are without comparing them, they aren't really all that bad. Some of them may seem lacking luster as if more aimed for kids, but good quality all the same. In fact, the writers should get more credit for what they are doing than some give them. They're keeping a timeless show going even through actor, character and family replacements. So are post-50 albums really that bad? It all just depends on how you look at it.

Wow...I think this is my longest post ever!... And I'm sorry for that.

Awards and New player

2011-07-28T12:51:00.003-05:00

The Official WE site has released the Avery Awards. In a new and entertaining fashion. Be sure to check it out.
Also featured on the blog page are interviews with Brock done by the Odyssey scoop, and interview with Paul McKusker done by the official WE Podcast.

In other news, aiowiki has a new audio player up. So if you're looking for all the latest episodes that have aired on the radio, and podcasts, and all the free ones. That is the place to go. Be sure to check it out.

I won!

2011-07-14T21:34:00.003-05:00

As Christian A. mentioned in my comments, I won the GRC dollar contest in the 18+ category. My dollar is shown above. I missed the call because I was on vacation, but it was really exciting when I came home to the message on the answering machine. Brendon from the Whit's End Podcast, wanted to do a brief podcast with me about my dollar. If you want to check it out... (My voice is a little on the deep side because of lack of sleep from things...) Anyway if you'd like to check it out, go here. A big thank you to all those who voted for my dollar. I've been really busy with different things and haven't been home much... I think that's all for now. This is Freddy Jay, signing off.

Album 54 Episode Titles

2011-06-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

I relize I'm a little behind in posting this... But here are all the titles for 54. Along with summaries written by me.

691: Wooton Knows Best

Wooton takes on a call in radio show to answer a variety questions about, well anything.

692: A Penny Saved

Wooton and Penny plan to go skydiving, but first have to stop at the bank. While there, the bank is held up.
Wooton tries to show the robber love by trying to convince him that doing something crazy like this could ruin his life forever. When asked if he is a christian, he must decide whether to put his life on the line and say yes, or say no to stay safe.

693: The Amazing Loser

Nelson decides that he wants to try and expand his talents because frankly not very many people like him for his brains. But after trying and not succeeding at much of anything, Whit convinces him that as christians it isn't important to get worldly approval and that we should be "losers" for christ in the since that He gave everything for us, so we should give everything over to Him.

694: Anger Mismanagement

A TV station puts Barrett, Olivia, Connie and Eugene on a new show called Anger Mismanagement. But when everything isn't going right for them, how will they handle their anger?

695: Forgiving, More or Less

Priscilla has done it this time, and there''s absolutely no way on Earth that Olivia is ever going to forgive her. When Whit sees this, he comes up with an object lesson to teach her the value of forgiveness.

696: You're Two Kind

Barett signs up for boy scouts and right away works on being helpful and kind. Though Jay sees no point in being kind to people. Olivia tries to change his mind, while Barrett tries to help someone that doesn't want his help.

697: A Penny Earned

Right as the robber was about to pull the trigger the police show up. To get out they use Penny as a hostage. The police along with Whit, Eugene and Wooton do their best to pull their resources together to find her.

698: Never for Nothing

Whit does a Sunday School lesson on always doing our best in everything we do. So Barrett does just that when he's looking for people to help. But when he's asked to clean the school's bathroom, how will he react?

699: Emily, the Genius

Matthew and Emily find an old set of walkie talkies that fit in your ear at Wally's Junkyard. So they decide to host a fun little event at her house called "Stump the Genious", with Emily as the spokesperson and Matthew as the brains. But when everyone finds out that it was all a hoax, she must get the courage to apologize, admit that she was wrong, and ask for forgiveness.

700: How to Sink a Sub

Kids radio presents 101 ways to sink a Sub by Jay and his cousin, though Whit and Eugene can't figure out how they managed to hijack the signal!

701: Unbecoming Jay

Jay's brother has always wanted to be just like his big brother. So Olivia decides that in order to change him, she'll have to start with Jay.

702: Childish Things

When Wooton is asked why he is so childish all the time, he suddenly decides to attempt being normal. Though later, he decides that it's just who he is. And his provoker accepts him for who he is.

Again, these aren't official, just my made up summaries for them.
I hope to start the DBD vs GRC comparison sometime this week. So keep looking for that. I think that's all for now. So catch ya later.

News

2011-06-16T10:54:00.001-05:00

Sorry bout lack of postage lately... Summer is Usually pretty hectic. But i thiught I'd do a little post to say: I'm a finalist in the AIO art contest. (Finalist #3 in the 18+ category) Congrats to the other finalists. Can't wait to find out who wins.

http://whitsendblog.org/. ---there's the link.

Odyssey Wallpaper

2011-05-17T23:36:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd try my hand at making a wallpaper. Here it is.

To use it, click on thumbnail, and then right click and select set as background and there you go.

I may do more later.

The Green Ring Conspiracy is getting closer to the end. How do you think it will end? Feel free to discuss in the comments.

Dollar contest!

2011-05-07T12:40:00.001-05:00

The official site is doing a contest with the prize being album 54, and finalists get a poster. Check it out!

I'm entering for sure, in fact I just got my entry done and am getting it ready to mail.

Album 55 Teaser

2011-05-03T15:52:00.000-05:00

This was just posted by Brock due to 100 likes.

"The clue I promised, but can you decipher it? Look closely. What might be happening in #55?"-Brock

News and change of plans...

2011-05-02T18:00:00.001-05:00

Alrighty, to start with there is a video on face book that contains sketches of 5 cover repacks.
Below are screen shots, but you can check out the video here.

I'm oober excited to see these, and especially the one with Rodney falling through the skylight because we get to see Gary's version of Jack. Also in that one and 29 we get to see more pics of Jason! Yes! Also be sure to like this video if you have a facebook because brock said. "We need 100 people to like this and I'll post all of the sketches and artwork for the 5 revealed covers!"And right now it's at 31...

Also, I saw this on aiowiki yesterday, but can't seem to pull anything up there right now...
"There was originally supposed to be no mention of the events of 53 in this album, but as of April 25, 2011, there was a last-minute change and now three new episodes will be recorded in May that will pick up where Album 53 left off. "
Which is really interesting news, can't wait to hear that album.

I think I have decided to change the comparison dealy a little bit. Seeing how I am so far behind I may do one big post and break down both albums into different categories and then an over all winner. It's harder and sorta time consuming the way I was doing it..... Anyway, I hope to do that soon as well as a separate review of 53 as a whole.
That's all I got for now. What'd ya think of the latest spin on the GRC? When I first heard it I gasped in disbelief and then did a dance of joy. Such an epic episode! It's so good to hear him back. But time will only tell how things will play out.
This is Freddy Jay, Over and out.

Big News!

2011-04-16T11:19:00.002-05:00

We have official covers for the Blackgaard chronicles and Album 54. As Seen below.

I like the Blackgaard cover, both Whit and Blackgaard have this intense rivalry look aboust them and it goes well with the album. And the fact that the chess pieces are in the shape of Connie, Eugene, Tom, Whit's End, the imagination Station (white) and Bart or Mr. Glossman, a computer, and either the electric palace or Blackgaard's Castle is a nice touch. Very creative touch on that album cover, and it goes well with the collection.
I like the red on album 54. And in this cover we get to see Priscilla, Jay, and Barrett. (Nice additions to aiowiki once someone, perhaps me... Cuts them out.)The red and oink fills it nicely too.

I Apologize for getting behind in my 53vs 25 comparison, and hope to start the catch up today/this week. Got any comments on the new arts? Go ahead and comment.
And that's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying, "Catch ya later."

News on Album 54!

2011-03-23T17:30:00.001-05:00

The album art for 54 is out, and the characters are from left to right Priscilla, Jay, and Barrett. I'm not convinced that this is the final however because some spots look more like a rough draft. But this is exciting because all three of these characters we haven't seen drawn before.

This was posted on the album 54 page:

"Twelve all-new entertaining and character-building episodes based on 1 Corinthians 13. The album will teach kids what authentic agape love is and how to express that love to others. Featuring secret word/code access to new content on WhitsEnd.org and a fold-out Whit’s End map."

Odyssey Connection: Lately I've been loading myself with a lot. Keeping this blog going, frequent visits to Campbell County and Town of Odyssey, experimenting with different techniques in Gimp, keeping up with Senior stuff, and the list seems to go on. One thing I have trouble with is making sure I have time for the things I have to do, and squeezing in time for the things I want to do. Today I was reminded of the NO factor, a purposeful reference to the episode The No Factor. Sometimes it's better to say no than to try to pile yourself with a lot. So much I like to do, so little hours to do it. I need to work on prioritizing my time and get the stuff I have to do done first. I haven't been posting as much lately due to this. But senior project is about over. Yes! So I may have a teensey bit more time than I do at the moment.

Head to Head 53 vs 25 : 2

2011-03-22T20:05:00.002-05:00

Note: This comparison is from someone who has heard the entire album 53. I will do my best to only refer to info in this specific episode. But remember there is a lot of info packed into these episode and I may mention something you may or may not have caught before.

Overview:

Comments/Thoughts:

Winner:

Score

They have revealed the cover art for album 54. I sorta like it, but I'm not convinced that it's the final. Some spots on it appear more rough-draft like than final. Hmmm...it's been a long while since I've done an Odyssey connection... Perhaps I'll have one for next time.

Well that's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "Come back to see how this battle turns out."

Head to Head: 53 vs 25 Part 1

2011-03-14T17:36:00.005-05:00

I realize I've gotten behind on the news lately... With being so busy I haven't been able to post. And I'll get back with latest news as it comes. Don't forget to listen to Part 1 of the Green Ring Conspiracy. Since Album 53 is a continuous story line like 25, I thought I'd do something interesting and do a head to head type of thingy/review, Each Saturday.

Album 25 Opener:
A Little Credit Please:

Album 53 Opener:

GRC, Part 1:

This episode has an interesting feel to it's beginning. The fact or urban legend game that Matthew attempts to play with Emily is a great way to start out the whole mess to come. The fact that a duck's quack does echo is very interesting and has been debated. (Also, a ducks quack does indeed echo. Snopes and mythbusters proves it.) Although Emily's slightly rudeness toward Matthew seems a little harsh, it's understandable considering she doesn't like being left out of the Square One Club. I like that they kept the Tinkerers group, and that they gave it such a fitting name. Jay's entrance saves this scene immensely. His style is funny in a Rodney Rathbone sort of way, yet he has his own uniqueness to it. The mention of a plane crash is perfect for this type of sequence, not only that. But a backpack full of money too? It seemed kinda odd to me that Emily would shout "It's full of money!" in the middle of the woods. Connie's going to college for art classes seems very fitting. And it connects with her Dreams by Constance endeavor. With the plane crash, someone saying Whit's name just adds to the intrigue. Who would say him by name? My first thought was Jason, or maybe Richard Maxwell, or maybe even Mitch... My favorite quote from this episode is "Loudly exclaimed euphemisms escape me!" I most certainly will use that phrase sometime. The little section with Dirk on the phone is intriguing. Who exactly is he talking to? Then it goes to Jay at the scene of the plane crash. Detective Polehaus is an interesting sort. Although, he seems to be the type to judge a whole family for who their related to. Why was Wally in prison? Dirk then proceeds to Haggler's Junkshop. Second best line of the episode: "You come into my shop and pull a gun on me? Where'd you learn your manners?" The scene with Nelson seems so... eh. I do like his comment that suddenly the world seems so fragile when a plane can just fall out of the sky. Matthew seems so practical while Nelson seems so jumpy about everything outdoors. Love the name of the smart phone: appleberry. I can say there are a lot of minor things in this album that if missed will throw you later on. Just warning you now. Eugene is smart. Loads of money in a bag? Not likely someone would just carry that much around. Bank robbery is a good place to start. What a way to end this episode. The mystery victim from the plane is Monty? Gasp! What a twist! Very clever too.

Theme: 4/5
Humor: 5/5
Music: 5/5
Interest level: 5/5
"Like" rating: 5/5
Total rating: 4.8/5 = 5/5

Winner:

Score:

And so begins the epic tale of the Green Ring Conspiracy and the battle between GRC and DBD. Who will win? What answers will we get to those hard hitting question? Be sure to listen to Green Ring Conspiracy, Part 2 this Saturday.

P.S. I have heard all of album 53, but am doing best to give my first impressions of the episodes. Also for another head to head 51vs01, watch my sub blog, Day in Odyssey.

Album 53 back cover

2011-02-09T19:35:00.001-06:00

That's right, as the title impies the back cover has been released, I first saw it on Odyssey scoop, and now on Odyssey way and Voice of Odyssey, but here it is again.

Also the Official Podcast 114 is up with the results of the Avery awards, and there is a new scoop video cast as well. Both worth seeing.

Happy Birthday CC Connection.

2011-02-03T22:19:00.000-06:00

I almost forgot to post this post... It's been a whole year since I started this blog. A big thank you to all my viewers out there. It's been a busy year what with album 51 and 52 airing, and Album 53 being released for download. New blogs, character blogs, being accused by Agent 3XQ for being part of a major scheme to control the world with flying rabid mutant squirrels.

I had something that I was gonna do...but lost it. Perhaps I can redo it tomorrow....

CC Connection isn't the only blog recognizing it's birthday, Odyssey way is as well. Take a look.

Album 53 The Green Ring Conspiracy!

2011-02-01T13:47:00.000-06:00

The whitsend podcast finnally revealed their big surprise for today! The latest album, The Green Ring Conspiracy is now available for download from the CBD site. But if you can wait long enough to order the CDs instead, you get a little booklet along with it. And you'd have the album cover to sit on your bookshelf. So I haven't made up my mind what I'm gonna do... But it's here, sorta... a whole month before it airs on the radio!....It's really tempting.... Especially since I'm getting tons of snow right now and am stuck home today, and possibly tomorrow..... What are you gonna do? Buy CD, download, or wait for it to air on the radio?

Official Podcast 113

2011-01-26T21:12:00.000-06:00

The official podcast 113 released today is a Q&A with Dave Arnold and Paul McCusker.

"Dave and Paul answer your probing questions, such as “What is the title of album 54?” “Who is the Stilletto?” “What are the appropriate ages for album 53?” “When will Katrina return?” and “Why don’t the episodes in album 53 have titles?” Plus, hear another exciting preview!"

Also if you haven't voted in the Avery Awards and want to you should do so soon. February 1st is the deadline.

The Whits End Podcast released it's 65th podcast and has a special guest appear in this one. It has a new look as well check it out.

One more thing. Recently on Campbell County message boards I posted a topic containing trading cards I made for fun. Here's a couple below. Check out all thirteen here (More may still be coming.)

Podcast you won't want to miss!

2011-01-12T17:37:00.000-06:00

The Official Podcast #112 is up, packed with stuff you won't want to miss.

"In this packed-to-the-gills podcast, first hear from sound designer Todd Busteed, then hear all of the nominations for this season’s Avery Awards. Finally, hear a scene from the first episode of “The Green Ring Conspiracy."

Also, Focus has reduced the cost of the digital download of Promises, Promises to free! You can get the episode here, but get it fast, it won't be around forever.

2010 Season Overlook

2011-01-11T17:06:00.000-06:00

Here's a look back at the spring and fall seasons of 2010 of Adventures in Odyssey.

Album 51: After listening to them again since my reviews, I realized I was a little generous to some of these episodes (including Game for A Mystery). This album is an introduction to the Parker family, so we're still getting used to them, but the Jones and Parker Mysteries never really grew on me. The opener, The Inspiration Station was ok, but a little weak for a season opener. The finale The Jubilee Singers was my favorite of this album.

Album 52: The season opener for the fall season, The Mystery of the Clock Tower, was good and it's one of my favorites in this album. I also liked A Thankstaking Story. The two Jones and Parker mysteries in this album rank with Game For A mystery. They aren't necessarily horrible, but not to my liking. I imagine to the target age group they aren't as bad. But that's one thing I've always liked about Odyssey, even though the target age group is 8-12, the episodes are usually enjoyable for any age.

My Top 5 Favorite episodes of 2010

5. Fast As I Can
4. Target of the Week
3. Mystery of the Clock Tower I, and II
2. Jubilee Singers I, II, and III
1. A Thankstaking Story

My 5 Least favorites

5. Wooton's Broken Pencil Show
4. For the Birds
3. The Milkball Falcon
2. Game For a Mystery
1. Stage Fright

And that wraps up the season for now. After reading and seeing different things on album 53, I really am looking forward to it. I think 53 will get us passed getting to know the new characters and more into the stories. I'm not looking forward to the Jones and Parker agency that seems to play a somewhat huge role, but maybe I'll be surprised.

And that's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "Green Ring Conspiracy get here soon!"

Album 53 Cover art (FINAL)

2011-01-06T15:44:00.000-06:00

The final version of Album 53's cover is here!(Click for a closer look)

One thing I noticed is that there's a ferris wheel in the background which we could make out in one of the teasers. I really like the looks of this one. I can't help but wonder what could be connected to the bag full of money. And is that Matthew's cell phone, or did he find it? If the latter, what sorts of info could be on it?

Also here's the summary.

"Centered in the town of Odyssey, the story starts when a backpack filled with money is found in Gower’s Field. Then a plane crashes outside town and a mysterious survivor is discovered who may be an undercover agent or part of a counterfeit ring—or something else altogether! Enter an underworld errand-boy who has a cell-phone full of secrets. And that’s just the beginning of The Green Ring Conspiracy, a special adventure that puts our favorite Odyssey characters at the center of intrigue, suspense, and a scheme of international proportions. New friends may not be who they seem. Old friends have secrets they must keep. Deception and double-crosses are the order of the day. Trust, loyalty, and faith are all put to the test.
The Green Ring Conspiracy is unlike any collection of stories found in Odyssey, yet still brings together the drama, fun, humor, and life-lessons audiences have come to expect from the show over the years. "

This album should prove to be interesting. But who might the "Old friends" be? How many old friends are coming back? I read one of the comments on Odyssey Scoop, and someone said the "Mysterious stranger who might really be an under cover agent" might be Jason. I hope so. It'd be great to hear him again. This summary is intriguing and hopefully won't be a let down when it comes out. What do you think will happen in Album 53?

Also those that like blogs such as Odyssey Muchacha, Mandy's Blog, and Agent 3XQ's blog might be interested in a recently surfaced blog run by Trent DeWhite.

Random stuff

2011-01-03T12:59:00.003-06:00

The AIOwiki now has it's new logo. It's not one of mine, but I do like how it looks.

I was looking around on the web...and I came across a site with alternatives to the facebook default. (In other words silhouettes of different characters and people like Abe Lincoln, Superman, and Batman etc.) So I got a burst of inspiration. Why not do the same for Odyssey Characters? (I've added these to the OBC picture gallery on Facebook as well.)

Connie Jason

Bernard Camilla

Eugene                                                                                                Jimmy

David                                                                                            Matthew

Olivia                                                                                                       Tom

Mr. Whittaker                                                                                    Eva

Wooton

Grandma's Christmas Visit Review

2011-01-01T13:41:00.000-06:00

The newest season Cause and Effect comes to a close with this last episode Grandma's Christmas Visit. Here's my review.

The first thing that caught my eye was the title. It's interesting to note that in album 51 there was an episode called Grandma's Visit. So maybe their doing something similar to what they did with Issac? (Issac the Pure, Issac the Chivalrous, etc.) Does this mean there could be a Grandma's Weekend Visit? Or Grandma's Chaotic Visit? Hmmmm...

I was surprised to see Abuelita back so soon. And at first I wasn't wanting her back so soon. I thought maybe she'd be a character that was used sparingly, or a one time usage like the Barclay Grandparents. But her character is an interesting sort, and I'm getting to like her more and more. The idea of making Whits End traditional and home-like for the holidays is genius. Grandmas touch to the event was nice. It sorta introduced a different culture's tradition into the show. An interesting concept.

And this episode brings back kids radio again. I think we heard kids radio in album 51 as well. I'm glad they haven't abandoned that. The line "She seems to create chaos wherever she goes" fits grandma very well from what we've seen of her so far. The Las Posadas was a nice touch. The kids lines during the Las Posadas were very funny. Along with Connies lines about the donkey and well any line with Connie yelling makes me chuckle. I think mainly because of the part in Call me if you care, where she yells for Cindy.

The gingerbread house part made me hungry...Which probably has to do with the fact that I'm writing this on a hungry stomach......The hidden gifts in the gingerbred house is a neat idea. Along with the Let's make a white elephant deal gameshow. The fact that priceless heirlooms were hidden in worthless junk as a lesson from Whit was cool. I was wondering when we'd hear a deep felt hidden meaning to something plain.

Rating:
Theme: 5/5 The theme was the true meaning of Christmas. Which is one of the most important lessons. Definitely a great way to show this theme.

Humor: 4.5/5 This episode had me chuckling a good portion of the way through it. It was pretty funny, but not too out of hand.

Music: 4/5

Interest Level: 5/5

"Like" rating: 4/5 Great episode. possibly one of the bests of this year.

Final Rating: 4.5/5

Well this is the last episode of the season. Now we just have to wait for album 53.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T01:02:00.000-06:00

I just want to use this post to wish everyone a Happy New Year! A special New Years tribute to Marvin of AIO Fan's Life, Christian of The Voice of Odyssey, Original Joe of Odyssey Way, Audry of AIO Insanity, Luke of The Odyssey Times, Brendon of The Whits End Podcast, Austin and Tasha of The AIO Blogcast and to all you wonderful readers out there who support me and this little blog. (and to any blogger that I may have missed....It's so hard to keep track of everyone.) May God bless you all with the new year to come.

And speaking of the aio blog, they released a special Odyssey song filled podcast in honor of the new year. And I must say it's one of my favorite podcasts of theirs thus far. Be sure to check it out.

New Official Podcast

2010-12-30T20:39:00.003-06:00

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

2010-12-30T12:44:00.000-06:00

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.

2010-12-27T14:54:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-21T16:07:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-14T19:16:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-08T22:43:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-08T16:50:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-07T20:29:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-04T16:37:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-03T16:12:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-27T22:45:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-12T20:48:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-12T19:27:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-07T17:35:00.002-06:00

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

2010-11-03T20:56:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-26T22:01:00.006-05:00

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

2010-10-26T20:57:00.006-05:00

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!

2010-10-14T16:23:00.001-05:00

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

2010-10-12T23:04:00.002-05:00

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

2010-10-12T17:06:00.010-05:00

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!

2010-10-09T23:52:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-10-07T16:51:00.002-05:00

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!

2010-10-04T17:31:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-27T16:45:00.001-05:00

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

2010-09-22T21:45:00.001-05:00

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

2010-09-17T18:24:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-09-16T22:11:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-08-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-05T17:09:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-03T11:34:00.001-05:00

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?

2010-07-17T12:13:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-06-22T20:04:00.004-05:00

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...

2010-06-20T20:20:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-18T15:25:00.000-05:00

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!!!!!

2010-06-16T15:40:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-15T10:20:00.001-05:00

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...

2010-06-13T23:34:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-04T21:33:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-04T00:43:00.001-05:00

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

2010-05-27T23:38:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-25T11:56:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-19T19:40:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-18T22:00:00.001-05:00

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!...

2010-05-16T15:59:00.006-05:00

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

2010-05-07T19:53:00.001-05:00

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)

2010-05-06T16:55:00.005-05:00

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

2010-05-04T21:53:00.001-05:00

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

2010-05-02T19:57:00.003-05:00

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

2010-04-30T18:35:00.006-05:00

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......."

Another new blog.

2010-04-29T22:57:00.001-05:00

Another blog/podcast has spurted up today. It seems our little blogging community is getting bigger. This one, claims that it will over shadow us all. (Not exact words..but somewhat close). So far it's not half bad. (Besides that part...) The blog I'm talking about is The Heart of AIO. They have their first pod...err Heartcast up so go check it out.

Album 52! More info.

2010-04-28T14:08:00.003-05:00

More information on album 52 Cause and Effect has been released. Part of that info includes that the cover that was shown in various areas is not the final version. If you would like to read more about it you should check out AIO Insanity, and The Unofficial AIO Podcast. and AIO Wiki.

Mysteries abound in Odyssey as Eugene tries to figure out why the Odyssey clocktower is counting down to a mysterious deadline and Emily Jones unmasks the phantom of the school play. Meanwhile, the crew at Whit's End tries fasting,—with hilarious results—and Wooton tries his hand at a radio show ... with no script!

Odyssey connection: On Campbell County we have started elections. Which got me thinking about elections in Odyssey. In the early days Curt ran for president (Student council of course) twice in fact. The first time he made all sorts campaign promises he most definitely couldn't keep (By Any Other Name). The second time Curt ran against Lucy. Which ended up with Curt playing the smear your opponent's reputation strategy. (It Takes Integrity). Then there's Bart who ran for mayor twice. The first being against Tom Riley (Tom for Mayor Parts I & Part II) and the second against Margret Faye (The One About Trust, Parts I & Part II). Both failed attempts and run in only the way Bart could do it. Our candidates on CC so far prove to be worthy ones unlike Bart and Curt. It'll be hard to choose when it's time to vote.

That's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying "Elections are so much fun!"

The Sun! Yipee!

2010-04-27T17:23:00.000-05:00

The sun is out today with the nice fluffy clouds. Maybe my mood has a lot to do with the weather....hmmm...

On the Odyssey Scoop there is a new feature called the scoop cast. You can find more info about it and on how to subscribe here.

Grandma's Visit Review

2010-04-24T21:11:00.005-05:00

It's still raining.................and thunder storming and my dog was going crazy earlier....and now for my review of Grandma's Visit

What a surprise. You'd think that someone from the family that was visiting for the wedding would have called to say that they were coming wouldn't you?And then that would spoil the surprise...
I like the Spanish incorporated into this episode.
Great music.
Lot's of humorous lines, and great quotes.
Aunt Rosalita seems like a soap opera character...(Someone on CC said this too.)
I was glad that Eva stood up to her mother.

Conclusion: Overall this is a fantastic episode. It's really, funny. It's up there with my favorite for the album. Course I'll save that for later. Rating: 5/5

This is Freddy Jay saying "It's still raining.......?"

Sigh.....

2010-04-24T09:53:00.004-05:00

The winner for the act like Odyssey contest was revealed in the latest Official Podcast ! And the winner was Broken Window! Which was the one I voted for as well. Congrats to the winners.
The title for album 52 was revealed in the podcast...well sort of...they gave us a clue. What it means I have no idea...but am working on it. What do you think it means???

The episode Grandma's Visit is up. My review will come later today.

Odyssey Connection: Why does it have to be so dreary outside? It kinda goes with my mood yesterday. Gloomy.(Which explains my current background..... Yesterday with it being a half day we had to prepare for testing that is coming next week...We've been preparing for a while now. At least I'm not putting this off till the last moment like Robyn in "A Test for Robyn". Which is somewhat surprising, because I have the dangerous disease called chronic procrastinatitus (Like Isaac in "Isaac the Procrastinator.) But I think I'm on the path of recovery.

That's all for now. This is Freddy Jay saying " I'll get the review done when I get around to it....or later which ever comes first : )"