Yo Joe!

Hello. Jen here. Remember me? That chick who co-hosts Anomaly with the really funny girl? :) Sorry I haven't posted here in a while...I dropped the ball. I didn't even post the show notes for our last episode. I've been pretty busy working, costuming, working on a forum for our podcast as well as writing scripts for a side project and doing NaNoWrimo...oh, and I recorded another episode of Anomaly with Angela a few days ago. I will edit that this weekend. Should be up next week. The main topic will be the Texas Renaissance Festival, which has been an annual episode. Visit our gallery for the Renfest 09 photos. See image on the left for an example...Angela's the beer wench. I'm the elf and our friend Mark (from the Big Fraking BSG Finale episode of Anomaly) is the man on the left in his awesome pirate costume. Please note that the gallery has a controller to pause the images and a drop down menu to navigate through our host of photo albums. Look for Renfest 09 for the latest images.


But that's not the reason for my blog post today. I'm posting today to introduce the first dude to join our staff of writers. Joe has been an Anomaly listener from day one and has consistently entertained Angela and I with his funny feedback, after almost every cast. You may remember that I read his comments regarding our Of The Rings episode, on our most recent installment

Joe is witty and smart and I think he has a lot to offer our little community. Please welcome him by adding comments to his first post (it will follow this one).

That's all for now. I will announce the forum in the next episode of Anomaly. I hope you all will join the community there as well.

Oh, I almost forgot, I also added an Anomaly Google voice line. Please call and leave your feedback. (432) 363-4742 We'd love to hear you...get it? Hear? Never mind.

If you haven't rated our show on iTunes please take some time to leave us a comment and rating there. We haven't had one of those in a while. Thank you to those who have already given us ratings (did you know you could write more than once?). We're excited to let you know that we h been a "featured podcast" under the Television and Film category in the podcast sesction of the iTunes store because of you all! Thanks so much, and thank you for subscribing to our blog and our show. We do this for fun, but talking with you and getting your thoughts on our topics makes all the hard work worth while.

Peace out!
Jen
Anomaly Co-host
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The Anomaly of.....Joe

My name is Joe and I have been asked to be the first male blogger for an all female podcast site and I AM an Anomaly….or a glutton for punishment. You can tell me which by the end of this blog.

So I get an e-mail from Jen yesterday asking if I would be interested in blogging here and there for the Anomaly website. Well, the more I thought about it, the more some ideas for an introductory blog began clanking around in the normally vapid gap between my ears. WARNING: Everyone is familiar (hopefully) with Shakespeare’s quote “Brevity is the soul of wit”? I am too. I just typically ignore it, so buckle up.

I’m Joe, but for the purposes of this and future blogs, you can call me….well….Joe, it is my name after all. I live in Eastern Washington (State…yes there’s a state…you’d be surprised) in an area of the Northwest, along with several other small towns and cities around here known collectively as The Inland EMPIRE (cue John Williams)….seriously…I know…cool, right? I am a civil engineering designer by trade as well as a nerd, geek, anomaly, rabid sports fan, metalhead and all around general wiseass. All of that rolled up into one big, svelte 6’-2” well muscled, blond haired, blue eyed frame. OK, OK, OK, so I’m really 6 feet tall, somewhat overweight and have hair and eyes that are a shade that can only be described as UPS brown. But hey, this is the internet, a kid can dream right (WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE?!) I have been a geek since childhood. I waited in line for The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, when they first came out. I cried in the theater when Spock died in The Wrath of Khan. I love cartoons (especially those from the 1980’s), some gaming, MOST Sci-Fi in general (I mean c’mon…Solaris? Really? That was the Best 2 hours sleep I have EVER had) especially Star Trek and Star Wars, all 6 of them (That’s right, I said ALL SIX) and I think that Firefly, BSG, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 is some of the greatest Sci-Fi ever to grace the small screen.

Sadly, there are limits to my geekiness. I cannot name Star Trek episodes off the top of my head as many of my compadres do. I do not own any costumes or props and I have never been to a Con of any kind. I feel shame…wait no I don’t, cuz if I had the opportunity or the money, I sure as heck would have a full Jedi costume and worn it to a Convention. Plus I don’t need any of that to know I am geek.

First and foremost, however, I am a husband and a father. My wonderful (and patient) wife, Marilyn, whom I will refer to henceforth as Marilyn, is also a geek. She loves all things Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Especially, with regards to LOTR, if that thing is named Orlando Bloom. She is not a huge Trek fan, though she did enjoy the new movie….ah well, nobody is perfect, but she’s as close as they come. My kids…..ahh, my children…where to start. Well, I have four of them…yes 4….girls…ALL of them. The ladies, in no particular order, are, from oldest to youngest: Sammi (16), Katie(10), Miranda(8) and Madeline(3), to whom Daddy usually refers to as Punk, Red, Blondie and Shorty respectively. The youngest three are geeks in training and I couldn’t be more proud. They love watching the Clone Wars, fight (literally) over which one will get to color in the Star Wars coloring book and love watching Ghost Hunters, Ghost Lab and Destination Truth with me. The oldest kinda went the other way…somewhat Goth, loves horror movies and may be the truest geek of us all…in that it would surprise me not a bit if she suddenly came downstairs and bit the head off of a live chicken. Yep, I am surrounded folks. A day to day battle to tread water and dog paddle through life in the Estrogen Sea. Ya know what... I wouldn’t trade it for the world. They are my life…Even the teenager, whom I love very much, although I’m sure she wouldn’t believe it at the moment (can you say GROUNDED).

So now you know a bit more about me (and knowing is half the battle). You now know that being the only guy amongst a bunch of ladies is nothing new for me really. Just another day in the life of the Anomaly known as Joe (sorry, no more third person…Joe promises). If you haven’t fallen asleep by now, I swear my next blog will be shorter and less self centered…well, less self centered anyway. I hope you will come back and check out my next one, whenever that may be and if you don’t and you choose just to ignore it altogether…well, being the only boy in my house, I can’t say that I won’t have been there before either.

Till next time, L8R SK8Rs.

Joe (I’m sorry, were you talking?) R.
Self Proclaimed Emperor of the Inland Empire (and cue The Imperial March yet again)
Anomaly Staff Writer
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So Many Podcasts, So Little Time...

It all started so innocently. I got my first iPod in early 2007. Shortly thereafter, I discovered these things called "podcasts." And now, less than 3 years later, I'm subscribed to 51 podcasts, have over 1100 "new" casts to listen to, and wound up as a guest on one 'cast and a staff writer for the blog of another. ;) I assume that most of you who would be reading this have a similar story. Or, at least, a similar beginning to your story. Anyway, we're all familiar with the 'casts that have been promo'd on Anomaly, but I'd like to share some of my other favorite podcasts with y'all. I have a feeling that this may become a series (if you seem to like it, anyway). This go round, I'm taking an 'artistic' theme: literature, music, and theater.

First, there's Escape Artists Inc., which is the parent organization of three fiction podcast magazines: EscapePod for science fiction, PodCastle for fantasy, and PseudoPod for horror. A new episode (full length story) each is released each week on each 'cast, along with the occasional minicast. EscapePod has been around the longest (episode 222 was released at the end of October), and is my favorite. PseudoPod came along next and is at 166 episodes, PodCastle clocks in at 75. I stumbled across EscapePod when it was an iTunes staff pick, and found PodCastle from there. I'll admit that I haven't [yet] subscribed to PseudoPod, as I'm not all that into horror stories, but the Escape Artists editors will be the first to admit that many of their stories cross genre lines. The stories and voicework on these 'casts are fantastic, and I've been moved to tears and/or left pondering life's great questions by more than one story. Plus, each year, EscapePod will bring you readings of the Hugo nominees. If all of this wasn't enough reason to check out the Escape Artists podcasts, I recently found out that our very own Jen may be doing some voicework for PodCastle in the near future.

Next up, IndieFeed. Humans, not robots or computer programs, search out great independent music, and then share what they've found with you. For free. And, in a world of 20-30 second samples, IndieFeed gives you the entire track, along with information about the artist, and where to find more. A 'cast is released every week on each of 6 channels (each is a separate podcast feed): Alt Rock, Indie Pop, Hip Hop, Electronica, Dance, and Blues. There used to also be a Folk channel, and old episodes can be found in the Indie Pop feed. My brother turned me on to IndieFeed, and it's greatly increased my music library, and helped me find some new favorite artists. And with a mission statement that includes "create and equitable promotion model that grants bargaining and financial power to artists, and gives control and meaningful choice to consumers"... well, how can you resist?

And, finally, I point you towards the Reduced Shakespeare Company Podcast. I'd like to hope that most of you are familiar with the RSC, but if you're not, you should be. They are are three-man comedy troupe "known for taking long, serious subjects and reducing them into short, sharp comedies." An example? Okay, how about the Othello Rap:
Here's a story 'bout a brother by the name of Othello
You know, he liked white women and he liked green Jell-O
And a punk named Iago who made himself a menace
'Cause he didn't like Othello, the Moor of Venice.
But, you really don't need to be all that familiar with the RSC stage shows to enjoy the podcast (However, if you get the change to see a stage show - DO IT!). They're not performing for you or putting on any front, but just being themselves. Sharing what it's like to tour, audition, write... and also discussing whatever comes to mind. It's really a great listen, about 20 minutes per week, released on Mondays. Don't believe me? Give them a go - I suggest you start with Episode 66 "Kirk or Picard."

Well, it's time for me to replace yet another pair of earbuds... I go through those things like water. Happy listening!

Sue
Anomaly Staff Writer
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Revenge of the Newb: Our Story Begins...

Many stories begin with "once upon a time." My story begins with a power switch and a start button.

When I was much younger, I was an avid video game player. If I wasn't watching cartoons, I was playing Super Mario World, The Lion King, Mario Kart, or one of the few other games that we had for the Super Nintendo. I didn't realize what a geek was back then, I didn't know that there were sects of geeks separated by interests or gender. I was just a little girl who liked her video games.

I would be envious of my family members who owned a Sega Genesis, and I would play the demo pack or Sonic the Hedgehog whenever the Sega made an appearance. Years later, I received a Playstation for my 12th or 13th birthday. And while I couldn't afford a lot of video games, I played what I could every second that I could. And other members in my family got to enjoy the benefits of the Playstation as well. Let me tell you, there's no memory that more endearing to me than watching my father play the Top Gun video game from the hallway. It was awesome and then some.

There was just one itsy bitsy issue with the video game playing. You see, I got a little bit... what's a good word for this? Oh yes, "angry." I was just a step below my older sister, who was grounded for throwing the Super Nintendo controller sharply onto the floor when she did not win a game. I would never do that, but I did get extremely frustrated. When school became more intense in terms of work, that frustration level also increased. And then one day, my beloved Super Nintendo died. After that, I just stopped playing video games. From afar, I watched the evolution of game systems and the graphics within the game. Nintendo 64's, Playstation 2's and 3's, X-Boxes, Wiis, internet MMOs. Nevertheless, with one lone exception, I didn't touch a game controller, I didn't yell at the player to jump or run away, I didn't do a thing except watch.

Ten years have passed since I last picked up a controller. And I have no doubt in my mind that I not only did I miss out on a lot in terms of learning new techniques, but my own 1990's knowledge of gaming has devolved as well. No matter. I am determined to make up for lost time and pick up the old habit again. Who knows? Maybe I'll transition into a gaming geek after all... it'll just require me to watch my character die multiple times before I reach that point.

Thus begins my quest as a non-gamer into the realm of the gaming geek.

Star Trek got it right... kinda

Hi! I'm Sue. And when I was 13 and put those glow in the dark stars on my ceiling, I used a star chart for reference to make sure I got it right, and I am an Anomaly.

Just a quick minipost, as I'd like to share an observation made by a friend of mine (known as trexphile on teh interwebs), who is currently re-watching season 3 of TNG. She says:

This is how big a nerd I am.

During "Booby Trap," Data states that the Enterprise is moving at 135 meters per second. Riker has already said that the inertial dampeners are in manual mode, whatever that means, which tells me that it's possible that the crew will be subjected to the effects of sudden acceleration -- in other words, becoming "chunky salsa on the walls," as I've heard it said.

So, being a nerd, I wanted to know exactly how fast 135 meters per second is, and being American, I had to convert that 135 meters per second into terms that I could understand. So after visiting a conversion website and doing some rudimentary arithmetic, I concluded that the Enterprise was traveling at 288 miles per hour. Which means that the writers of the episode had probably paid attention to the math and hadn't just thrown an arbitrary number out there.

And I felt this self-satisfied contentment. Until I realized just how nerdy that really was.

Yep, she's an anomaly, too. I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog-reading.

Sue
Anomaly Staff Writer
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A Deconstruction of Dollhouse

Hello! I'm KC, and in the world of emoticons, I'm the colon, capital D. :D And I am an Anomaly.

So a new episode of one of my favorite shows, Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse," airs tomorrow night on Fox. And in honor of the fact that the show is entering its second season, I wanted to write a two posts that kind of sum up what happened in the last season. In a kind of parody style. Because I do that.

Be aware. As funny as this may turn out to be, this post will be a little bit spoilery.

Dollhouse
A Deconstruction, Part I

(FOX NETWORK EXEC and JOSS WHEDON sit at a table.)

FOX: Welcome back to the network, Joss. I hope you still aren't bitter about the whole Firefly thing.

JOSS: Well--

FOX: Excellent. We have to be honest, we weren't expecting to have you back after that whole fiasco. I mean, what a complete and utter failure, huh?

JOSS: But the DVD sales--

FOX: But you know what? We told Eliza she could have her own show, she wanted you, so we figured, "Hey, we can't stop her, right? It *is* in her contract!"

JOSS: Um, awesome. Did you see the Dollhouse pilot we shot?

FOX: Yeeeeeah, about that, we want you to re-write and re-shoot that.

JOSS: Wait, what?

FOX: And this whole arc thing? Not sure that the general audience is going to get it. We need more of a "case of the week" thing.

JOSS: But this is a sci-fi show. It's supposed to be all arc-y.

FOX: Yeah, but no one really knows who you are. I mean, maybe if you wrote a vampire TV series. Those are really popular. Would you be able to write a good vampire love story?

JOSS: ... excuse me?

FOX: Mmmm, I thought not. But I guess we can't all be as original as that Twilight chick. Man, that book was such a groundbreaking piece of literature. Who knew that a romantic story about a vampire and a human girl could be that endearing! Anyway, get back to us when you make a new episode of Valley of the Dolls, or A Doll's House, or whatever you call it.

JOSS: ...
___________________________________________

(Cut to Eliza Dushku as ECHO, clad in yoga gear, shaking a bit in a disturbing yet comfy looking chair. It props up and we see whiz kid TOPHER standing over her and her Watcher, er, I mean Handler BOYD standing next to him.)

ECHO: Did I fall asleep?

TOPHER: For a little while.

ECHO: Shall I go now?

TOPHER: If you like.

(Echo walks out.)

BOYD: Are all of the episodes going to begin like this?

TOPHER: Eh, give or take.

BOYD: Anyway, I'm uncomfortable with the assignments that Echo has been going on.

TOPHER: Listen, I know that you're following this whole formula of the "unrelated paternal figure" that certain writers like to use, but as a genius and egotistical Andrew-Cordelia-Xander hybrid, you really need to cool it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put this personality imprint VHS tape over here where the other ones go.

(Topher picks up the imprint VHS with thumb and forefinger and rushes off. The viewers can hear, "Hot, hot, hot, burning..." Boyd merely looks on.

Downstairs, in a spaceous room that looks like the swankiest day spa you've ever been to, Echo runs into SIERRA, another doll.)

SIERRA: Hello.

ECHO: Hello. Even though we do not have personalities, will you subconsciously be my best friend?

SIERRA: Okay.

(Enter VICTOR, a male doll. He stands next to Sierra.)

VICTOR: Hello.

SIERRA: Hello.

(Pause. The following moment can only be summed up with emoticons.)

VICTOR: <3

SIERRA: <3

(Cut to the office of ADELLE, a sophisticated, stand-offish British woman who runs the semi-underground organization in Los Angeles, CA. She is with AGENT DOMINIC, Dollhouse head of security.)

AGENT DOMINIC: Adelle, the doll Echo freaks me out. We should get rid of her like that other guy doll that developed a consciousness and went ape-crazy.

ADELLE: Well I'm a sophisticated, stand-offish British woman running a semi-underground organization based in Los Angeles, CA, and I say no. We can't afford to lose Echo.

AGENT DOMINIC: Why is she so important?

ADELLE: ... because I'm a sophisticated, stand-offish British woman?...

AGENT DOMINIC: Is that all you got?

ADELLE: Do you know how hard it is to be subtle about it?!

(Cut to FBI headquarters. A random FBI GUY and HELO FROM BATTLESTAR GALACTICA sit across from each other at an office table.)

FBI GUY: Okay Det. Helo... wait, that's not right. What's your name again?

DET. HELO: Detective Paul Ballard, FBI.

FBI GUY: Ermmmm... not digging it. You're Det. Helo.

DET. HELO: But--

FBI GUY: Now listen up, Det. Helo, this whole Dollhouse search is not cool in our book. We get that you're trying to find a bunch of mind-controlled sexy people doing awesome illegal things, which is a disturbing concept but could draw attention from the curious mainstream audience, but the ugly criminals need attention too. And when I mean ugly, I mean as much as television will allow.

DET. HELO: But the Dollhouse is real! It's real, I tell you! REAL!!!

FBI GUY: Prove it.

DET. HELO: ...

FBI GUY: That's what I thought. Now why don't you go home and pout over this at your apartment while you go over your conspiracy theories. Again.

DET. HELO: (through tears) Maybe I will.

(Det. Helo runs off, sobbing.

Cut to Det. Helo arriving at his apartment. The door to the room across from his opens and reveals MELLIE, who is too cute for words.)

MELLIE: Hi!

DET. HELO: Hello?

MELLIE: I'm your adorable next door neighbor who's trying to seem cool and collected even though she obviously has a big crush on you and your six pack abs. Would you like some leftovers?

(Mellie proceeds to hand him an freshly cooked lasagna, garlic bread, chocolate cake, and an unopened bottle of wine.)

DET. HELO: Um... thank you.

MELLIE: I love you too!

DET. HELO: Wait, what?

MELLIE: What?

DET. HELO: Did you say something?

MELLIE: No, that's silly. I'm going to be adorable and sad inside my apartment because I don't think you could ever like me. Goodbye!

(Mellie rushes into her apartment, leaving Det. Helo standing in the middle of the hallway with one-fifth of a hobbit feast.

For the next five episodes we see the following: Echo goes on a task, gets wiped. Topher quips. Boyd shows fatherly concern for Echo. Det. Helo scowls and looks sexy as he investigates the Dollhouse. Adelle shows no emotion and we get occasional looks at creepy-killer-male-doll ALPHA that show him as a threat, but will remain a mystery until the end of season one. Rinse repeat.)

JOSS: Can I have more of an arc now?

FOX: Hmmm... eh, we're probably going to cancel you anyway. Go right ahead.

JOSS: Awesome! Come, Tim Minear, let us away!

(Joss and TIM MINEAR run off faux superhero style. Ad-libbed "whoosh-ing" sounds come from them both.)

To Be Continued...

CBS and Pepsi Introduce Video in Print Advertising

You know, we like to joke about how one day in the future we would be entertained by video embedded magazine and newspaper ads. Well, it looks like that day is getting closer.