Failed Journalism

Anyah Pilot

 

This installment takes a few minutes with Anyah Pilot, daughter of podcast great Mike Pilot.

 

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JW: You just started Kindergarten and are surely the coolest kid there. What makes you so awesome compared to those other garbage kids in your class? What's your favorite part of Kindergarten?

 AP: Well, I do stuff pretty and the other kids do their stuff messy. They just scribble and don't know how to use the pencils right. There is this other kid that was born special and he just bangs the crayon into the desk. He's nice so it's OK. My favorite part of Kindergarten is recess. We get two every day, but on our last day of school before vacation we had three and that was fun. I really like playing after working hard on schoolwork. Rules of the playground: no pushing, no fighting, wait your turn and have fun. So, kids don't listen and they get into trouble and put on time out. I listen and play the whole time.

JW: You've been rocking the Princess Leah hair-do lately. Are you a big Star Wars fan? Which movie is your favorite in the series?

 AP: I don't like Star Wars, I LOVE IT! I like it because it has a woman in it. Princess Leah is in it; she is the boss. I actually like sitting down and watching it with daddy; we have lots of fun and he teaches me a lot about it. I like the one where Darth Vader says ‘I'm your father.’ That's crazy talk. How can he be his father? He's bad and the boy is good. I was shocked when we watched that. Later, in another movie, Princess Leah meets Ewoks and they blow up the Death Star being built. Darth Vader’s son helped him out, but then burned him after he died.

JW: You are involved in all sorts of extracurricular activities. Tell me a little about your dance and piano lessons. Do you like one more than the other?

AP: They are pretty good. I do hip-hop, ballet and tap. And with piano, you have to practice every night. Daddy told me that it would all be hard, but, if you like it, it's worth it. I like hip-hop and ballerina classes the best; they are just really fun. Piano is fun, but really hard work and too much practice.

JW: What do you want to be when you grow up? Do you think you'll follow in your dad's podcasting footsteps?

AP: Well, I'm on his Mediocre Show and OO already. A while ago I decided I wanted to be just like Lady Gaga. Daddy told me if I work really hard and practice every day for like 20 years, I can be better than Lady Gaga. I can be Lady Anyah. I believe daddy. Mommy helps me practice really hard. She's so good at it.

JW: Finally, what makes your dad so much cooler than most garbage people out there? Anybody in the Nation or Obviously Oblivious world you'd like to say hi to?

AP: He is really the coolest daddy. We love Star Wars together, and he's the famous Mediocre Show host, and he does Obviously Oblivious, too. He takes really good care of me and mommy. He makes us laugh and cooks us yummy food. He always plays video games with me and teaches me about science and space stuff. He is always there, I love my daddy. I wanna say hi to Big Stephen, Little Joe and Pauly, too. And Cat, I guess. Definitely hi to Eric and Hope and the baby. I love all the friends who listen and treat daddy and me good. They are still garbage though.

South Philly Paul

 

I think it's rare in this day and age that you meet really genuine people who are passionate about the things in their lives. I think it's even rarer to meet these people in major U.S. cities that are known for so much and are constantly hustling and bustling. It's easy to get mixed up in all of the bullshit, but then you meet those people who take all of those hectic surroundings and turn it into something that we can all laugh at.

South Philly Paul is one of the few people that knows how to put up with the crap that makes everyone else rub their temples in frustration and turn around and make you laugh instead. Having personally met this great podcaster and budding comedian, I can assure you that he never fails to put a smile on your face and is genuinely interested in what you have to offer as a person. It's not all "look at me," and I am pleased to be able to feature Paul on this installment of Failed Journalism.

 

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JW: On your latest episode ("40-StandupSchool"), you talk comedy and stand up with comedian Mike Schmidt. During your conversation, you discuss your early presence on the Mediocre Show and the drops you created for them. I was curious, how did you stumble upon the show and what got you into listening to podcasts in the first place? What finally made you decide to take a shot at your own podcast?

 SPP: I was a long-time listener of Howard Stern since the late 1980's. Also a big fan of talk radio in general. Public radio shows like This American Life and Fresh Air are among the programs that filled my ear holes prior to discovering podcasts. When Stern made his jump to satellite radio I did not follow right away, leaving a void in my morning listening ritual. No one that was available to me on local radio at that time could compare to what the Stern machine can deliver. So I ventured out to find some sort of comedy talk fix.

I don’t remember exactly how I found out about podcasts, but I somehow knew they were available on iTunes. Sometime during 2006, while searching for content, I typed in Howard Stern thinking I’d maybe find something similar. The Mediocre Show was one of the choices that popped up. I read in the introduction that the show was based out of Philly and Portland, which sparked my interest. I started with the most recent episode at the time which was 40- something. Then I began listening to the earlier ones. I was drawn to the rawness of their conversations and freedom of language. It wasn’t this polished piece of “PAY ATTENTION TO ME,” and I connected with that. It was just two dudes telling stories about whatever, and you could either hang with it or not. I decided to stick around.

I discovered and honed my comedic voice through the Mediocre Show and I’m very grateful. Eric, Hope, Taylor, Matt, Mike and, of course, the Nation have been such big supporters of my talents. The South Philly Paulcast exists strongly due to their appreciation for my humor. I would have to say that what influenced me the most to start my own show would have to be the passion I felt to express myself honestly in a funny way. Besides being extremely influenced by the Mediocre Show, I was also inspired by the Never Not Funny podcast with host/comedian Jimmy Pardo. Also, it was the first time I got to hear Mike Schmidt. I’m still in awe of their ability to make any conversation amusing and engaging even if they’re shitting on how mundane they think it is.

My first attempt at podcasting came in the form of a very short-lived show called The Gig Guys.

It was modeled after (in my mind, anyway) Never Not Funny. Only it was musician friends telling stories about gigs. I was very happy with how it came out, but the other guys involved were not interested in a long-term thing. They are two of the funniest, most interesting friends that I have. So since they were not on board, I didn’t want to try to recreate what we had and settle. So I abandoned that idea. Having tasted the sweet nectar of Internets recognition, I still had that craving for recording something and posting it for the world, but I didn’t want it to be just another puddle of consciousness, hit or miss fest.

I finally decided on a joke/music/joke formula that made me laugh, and I thought would be funny to other listeners. Eric and Matt at the time were so cool to actually feature my entire first episode on the Mediocre Show in February of 2008, which still means so much to me. The challenge of writing and performing structured comedy has been quite fulfilling. It’s satisfying that I took a chance at making a whole bunch of people laugh and got a pretty good response.

 

JW: In the early episodes of the South Philly Paulcast you played a lot of your original music. I was curious as to whether or not you were still involved in music. What was the inspiration behind a lot of the early stuff? Who are some of your all-time favorite musicians? What is your most memorable musical/concert-going experience?

 SPP: Currently, I’m not writing or recording songs. I think about a year or so ago I came to the conclusion that I’m kind of done with creating music. I still pick up my acoustic and will bang out a few songs now and then for my own amusement, but I really haven’t been inspired to write anything for some time. The last song that I wrote was for Eric and Hope’s wedding. It meant a lot to me to be able to contribute to the compilation CD that featured well wishes from family, friends and listeners. I’m not totally ruling out the idea of writing or maybe even collaborating in the future, but I just don’t have that burning desire anymore. I’d like to maybe play live music again, but it would have to be stuff that I really want to play. I might have an opportunity to play a few acoustic gigs. I just have to wrap my head around the idea and make it a reality. I started making music thirty years ago. I think I’ve said all there is for me to say musically.

I was greatly inspired to create music by artists like Brian Setzer, Nick Lowe, The Cars, Elvis Costello, The Romantics, Chris Isaak and a bunch of early Rockabilly acts like Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly and the Johnny Burnette Trio to name a few. Setzer is hands down my favorite musician. He can play guitar like it’s a part of his body. I don’t necessarily just mean his musicianship. I’m referring to his ability to evoke such emotion with his playing. Plus the fact that he’s singing and riffing through Rockabilly completes the package for me. Sinatra would have to be one of my all-time favorite singers. There are special combinations of voice and song that are the closest thing we have to real magic; the way these combinations can transport your mind and body to certain times in your life or imprint new memories. Sinatra has done this for me, and I think for millions, time and time again.

I find it odd when I come across a music lover ambivalent about The Beatles. I won’t be as narrow minded to say they are the greatest band ever, but for many years to follow every generation will discover them. A few more faves would be Cake, Murder City Devils, The Ramones, Squeeze and The Clash.

One of the most memorable concerts I attended wasn’t really a concert, but a musical based on the life of Buddy Holly. It was the closest I would ever get to seeing him play live and that thought just made the whole experience awesome.

If listeners are desperate enough to want to hear my music they can find a bunch of songs at soundclick.com/sppmusic. 

 

JW: I recently played some Blur on XBOX Live with a buddy of yours named Keith. It was brought to my attention that he helps out with the podcast. How did you meet Keith and how does he help out on the show? Has Keith always been a big supporter of your comedy/podcast?

 SPP: I met Keith in the throes of a circle jerk in Miami — he’s left-handed and fucked up the whole vibe….no wait….he was living out of a UPS drop-off box in my building and asked to borrow flushable wipes……hold it…..he was dating my cat’s sex therapist at the time……

Keith and I played together in bands throughout the 90’s in original and cover situations. I believe we met by answering our now long-time friend Mitch’s ad looking for other band members. He’s a great friend and talented musician. He has been very involved in most of what I’ve recorded musically as a guitarist, co-producer and engineer. We work well together and I’m proud of all we’ve produced over the years. We started recording my music in 2000 and have put down at least fifty songs together.

As far as all the podcasting business goes, Keith was on board from the beginning with recording, figuring out RSS feeds and server space. Mostly everything I’ve recorded for the Mediocre Show was done at his home studio. When I first decided to do the Paulcast, I asked Keith if he’d help me piece it together. After that initial session, I would record my parts and e-mail them to Keith with instructions on how to edit the episode. Eventually, I became more proficient with recording and mixing on my own, but Keith still makes himself available to post and record. Reluctantly, Keith has performed on a few episodes, but in my opinion they turned out to be two of the funniest ones. He is a behind-the-scenes dude that is very much responsible for the success of getting the podcast out there to your brains, listeners.

 

JW: Speaking about XBOX, what have you been playing lately? What's been your favorite game since jumping into the XBOX era? Do you enjoy playing games with fans of your show or does it get a little awkward at times when they start geeking out over the fact they are playing with South Philly Paul? That might be a little forward of me though; do people often geek out if they haven't played with you before?

 SPP: I recently completed Mafia II. I loved the classic cars and vintage rock n’ roll blaring from your radio while driving. It’s a decent shooter. It’s pretty much GTA meets Max Payne. I started Aliens v Predators a few times, but put it aside for now. I thought I was going to really get into this one, but not feeling it yet. I tried starting Fallout: New Vegas. I’m just not a big fan of RPGs. I want a story to keep me interested, but I also want to be blasting away most of the time. I finished Halo Reach not too long ago, and I’m currently playing Halo:ODST with Dead Space 2 waiting in the wings.

My all-time favorite game to date is still the Half-Life 2 series. It’s sci-fi gaming at its best. Giant bugs to take down like the ones in Starship Troopers; the gravity gun that can throw enemies around like rag dolls; Alex, the hot, bi-racial chick that randomly winks at you while driving and can kick some major alien ass if need be. To be honest, I haven’t played much XBOX online. I’m not against it, but I haven’t made much of an effort to do so either.

I don’t think the fanboy portion of this question is forward. A forward question would be if you axed me if I’ve ever steered a controller with my erection. In the limited amount of times I’ve played online, everyone behaved like dudes playing XBOX Live. No geekiness occurred.

 

JW: Back to comedy, who are some of the comedians you look up to these days and why? What is your process like for coming up with stand-up routines? Do you just jot down a humorous topic and think on it later, or do you immediately come up with something and work on it until it's polished?

 SPP: Louis C.K. would have to be my current comedy crush. His humor touches on situations that tap into our frustrations of life and give us a glimpse into how funny we are from the outside looking in.

Andrew Dice Clay is just one of those comics that will always have a place in my heart. I still laugh at all his bits years later. George Carlin is a true comedy genius who is one of the few that honestly deserve that title. Robert Schimmel transformed so much of his personal tragedy into comedy for us. His HBO special is still one of the funniest stand-ups I’ve ever seen. Some others I discovered through podcasts would be Marc Maron, Eddie Pepitone and Todd Glass.

Writing material for standup is so new to me. Until this year, all of my comedy has been presented pre-recorded. I think with a combination of adequate “what’s funny” instincts and observing comic technique, I’m beginning to find a stand-up voice. My process is for the most part what you suggested. I take a premise I find funny and try to build on it by writing jokes referencing different aspects of that premise. I also attempt to put some kind of twist or odd interpretation on it to make it as fresh as possible with my limited experience.

 

 JW: You just came off your second stand-up routine at the Live Show #3 at World Café Live in Philadelphia. How did this experience stack up compared to the Salt Lake City appearance? Are you more pleased with your recent material than past material, or do you like it all?

 SPP: SLC was such a great experience. I was happy for the most part with following through with what I wanted to get across. I know I could have performed better and had stronger material. I tried being as entertaining as I could considering my lack of stand up miles. I felt proud and happy that I was actually able to make an audience laugh. Thanks, SLC, for helping me bust my comic cherry with such class.

I was more pleased with my most recent attempt at stand up. I felt confident in the latest material. It was tweaked a bunch more than the previous bits. It was better structured and just plain funnier. My main concern this go around was the performance aspect of it. Over all, it wasn’t perfect, but I was quite content with how things panned out. I thought I still sounded a little too nervous, and I forgot a few lines I felt were important. I must admit though I’m tempted to venture out from the comfort zone of the podcast crowd and try a few open mics.

 

 JW: You're a permanent member of Obviously Oblivious now. I was wondering, what is like to do a podcast with Tha Mike and Evil Cheshire Cat every couple of weeks? Do you pull a lot of inspiration from your collaborative work with both of them?

 SPP: I honestly appreciate the opportunity to record with Mike and Cat. They certainly don’t need me to make the show interesting or entertaining, and yet they invited me to attend their bi-weekly party of nonsense and science. I’ve known Mike for a few years now and he is family to me, but I still feel a tinge of intimidation when we record. He’s such a great broadcaster. By the way, the same goes for Mr. Tomorrow of the aforementioned Mediocre Show. So just imagine how wet my man panties get when I’m in a room with both of them. After all, I’m a listener who happens to have a podcast. I’ve mentioned a few times in the past that during earlier episodes I would kind of zone out, thinking I was listening to a download then realize I’m actually on the podcast, and think to myself, I should probably say something at some point.

Cat and I are still in the honeymoon phase of our podcasting affair. I still think she’s sweet, smart, sexy and an awesome person. To be honest I don’t understand the strong appeal of giving Cat such a hard time. Listeners eat it up. I get why Mike does it. They’re friends and he gets off on being a rent-a-bully while recording. I’m certainly guilty of teasing Cat in the moment, but why are listeners so invested in hearing her being taken down a few notches? Is it some latent, pretty girl rejection revenge? Are they living vicariously through Mike’s verbal flaming bags of shit? I don’t expect the dynamic to change. I’m just expressing my curiosity.

You asked me about inspiration concerning Mike and Cat. I’m inspired by Mike every time he approaches a mic and begins to share with us his take on things. Whether silly or informative, I’m listening. I’m inspired by Cat’s enthusiasm for science and podcasting. Also, by both of their appreciations for whatever it is they think I bring to Double O.

 

 JW: It's obvious from your moniker (and accent) that you are born and raised in south Philadelphia. What was it like growing up in a city like Philadelphia? What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the city and the culture of the city?

 SPP: I can’t imagine anyone being interested in me enough to want a run down on how I grew up, but for the sake of not being inconsiderate to your question I’ll give the flash card version:

 

• I was raised as a single child by my mom and grandmother
• My parents divorced when I was two
• I knew my dad growing up, but drifted out of his life by my twenties
• I wasn’t much of a troublemaker, although I had plenty of opportunity
• I was into being creative through acting and music
• I attended a performing arts high school for two years, but eventually dropped out
• I acted in at least two productions as a budding thespian
• I started playing guitar when I was 17 and began studying bass at 19 with the only mentor I’ve ever had — a musician’s musician named Nick
• I started writing songs during my late teens and expressed my passion for music through bands and recording

Philly can be such a great town for almost anything you desire. It offers a variety of food, entertainment, education and vocations. So much pivotal national history took place here, as well. I love the fact that many films have been and are currently being shot here.

My least favorite things are challenges most big cities have to deal with: crime and violence. We have large portions of generations and cultures totally fine with vandalism, territorialism and just plan racism.

I don’t want to end this answer on a sour note, so I’ll conclude it by saying that I have it pretty good here and I’m fortunate enough to be able to appreciate and partake in the positive aspects of what Philly has available.

 

 JW: Where do you see the South Philly Paulcast and Obviously Oblivious podcasts going in the next year or so? Are there any creative ideas you have that you would like to implement to either entity? Are the shows something you plan on contributing to for a long time to come?

SPP: There’s a running gag with the Paulcast that I started at episode 100 and I’m counting down. To make things even more absurd, I now proclaim that I’m still counting down just not in order anymore, assigning random numbers to episodes that sometimes are relevant. This bit is still kind of a motivator for me to continue to episode 1. I do have outlines of ideas I’d like to [implement] and will explore further. Nothing I want to spill at the moment due to the fact I’d rather keep the element of surprise on my side.

I’m also going through a kind of recharging period right now. Double O is Mike and Cat’s mentally-challenged podcraft child that I come to visit like a big brother. I think I definitely have their ears when it comes to what direction the show might take in the future, but I’m just more than happy to be hanging out with them churning out interwebary fodder. Podcasting is in my blood (my only tattoo) and will be part of how I express myself for as long as it will have me.

 

 

Paul can be reached at southphillypaulcast@yahoo.com or on Facebook at The South Philly Paulcast page. Paul can also be reached by e-mailing orgasm@obviouslyoblivious.com.

 

All of the aforementioned podcasts can be downloaded from iTunes for free.

Evil Cheshire Cat

 

 

For the third interview at Failed Journalism, I spend a little time chatting with Evil Cheshire Cat from the Obviously Oblivious podcast. While Cat may catch a lot of ribbing from her studly co-hosts Tha Mike and South Philly Paul, Cat is quite the character herself. With her love for science and all things nerdy coming in second to none, Cat is one of those interviews where you learn so much about not only the person answering but the things that make them who they are.

Whether you are familiar with her through her years with Mike on the Awful Show or her intoxicating laugh on Obviously Oblivious every time something strikes her fancy, do yourself a favor and check out this interview. You're bound to learn something....even if that something is how to be a bug-hunting dweeb from North Carolina :)

 

 

JW: First off, happy belated 27th birthday. Did you do anything special for your birthday? How did this birthday stack up against the others in your long life of 27?

 

EC: Hey, thanks! Ya know, most of my birthdays are not great. Too much pressure, too much drinking…so this one was only mildly annoying in comparison to some I’ve had. Now, that is not to knock my wonderful husband, Steven, who always pulls together amazing birthday surprises every year. What he does always surprises me and makes me feel special. Just either myself or other people have to mess it up. From friends making out with guys I knowingly like at my own party (high school, of course), to no one showing up to a dance party I completely redid a room in my house for, to someone giving me a book on lesbianism wrapped in toilet paper sealed with a piece of chewing gum…nah, this one was pretty good. Actually, I had a really great surprise the day after my birthday when we recorded the latest Obviously Oblivious. Mike (Pilot) had apparently asked all of the listeners to send in happy birthday wishes and they responded so well that we were able to fill an entire show with their voicemails. I’d like to thank Mike, Paul and all of our listeners for really making my birthday this year. I was incredibly moved and I’m so thankful for our listeners.

 

JW: How did you get involved in the world of podcasting and what eventually led you to discuss the possibility of a show with Mike? Is podcasting something that you just stumbled upon or was it an interest that you jumped head first into?

 

EC: I’ll be honest, podcasting was never really something I immediately wanted to do myself. I was very much a listener at first. While doing tedious, repetitive work on the job, I found that listening to music just didn’t help take my brain away from what I was doing so I felt every minute of it. Audiobooks and talk-radio on the other hand engaged my brain and really helped the time fly by. I started on iTunes listening to talk radio stations. One day, I stumbled upon something called a podcast and experimented for a while trying to find something engaging. I was about to give up when I saw a smiley face icon for a podcast called The Awful Show. I thought at least, if it sucked like all the others I had tried, it didn’t advertise being anything great. This was my last try to find something interesting before going back to my talk-radio. Instant addiction. I was laughing and dropping sensitive scientific material left and right and loving it!

Then I stumbled upon other shows like Vomitus Prime, Mediocre Show, and a few podcast novels like J.C. Huchins’ “7th Son” and Phil Rossi’s “Cresent.” After The Awful Show brought me in, I just loved the medium. I guess it was because I grew up listening to audiobooks and old radio dramas like Suspense that I’ve really been into the amazing things that you could experience just listening to people talk plus a few sound effects. I think that is why The Awful Show stuck more than any other podcast. It had a lot of brilliant skits and commercials that highlighted what I loved about the audio format. That and it was horribly, horribly funny and dirty. I lived a bit of a sheltered life and so I’m very much a proponent of not just being raunchy for raunchy’s sake but being raunchy because that’s what happens to be on your mind, and, well, the show was four guys so you can imagine. Freedom to talk about whatever occurs to you despite what social etiquette dictates is something that podcasting really provides (that being said you can take me to a fancy dinner party and I’ll behave myself). I think that from hearing the creativity that was behind The Awful Show skits and being somewhat creative myself, I found myself daydreaming about all kinds of weird ideas in my head for skits. About the same time, I had struck up a dialogue with Tha Mike, co-host of The Awful Show at the time, telling him I was a fan, and we started exchanging e-mails.

I was part of a growing female fan base so, soon after, they decided to hold a creative contest of sorts for the title of Miss Awful Show 2008. We would get a weekly prompt and have to create a skit or song based on the prompt. I had a blast writing skits and it was really thrilling to craft something of my own in the audio format I had loved for so long. Of course there was also a lot of frustration, too, as I tried to navigate the editing know-how to bring my creations to life. Through the contest, I made a lot of friends and gained the respect of the podcaster whom I myself respected the most: Tha Mike. After the contest, Mike and I kept creating things (I was not the winner, in case you were wondering – but I’m OK with that). I was happy to help with skits or songs for their main show, and, in addition, they set aside a small segment called an “Awful Snack” for myself and the rest of the ladies from the competition to shoot the shit on…let’s face it, they really only wanted to hear us talk about lady parts. Essentially, it was my first mini-podcast. I really didn’t know what to do with myself. I’m used to just talking and people either listening or not, but having a podcast is asking people to take the time to listen to what you have to say. It is still hard for me to figure out how to handle that. Do I think I’m interesting? To myself, of course I am! To others, enough to download something I talk on? Who knows? I try not to think about it. But what it took for me to go from a little mini-show to my current and happy podcast home, Obviously Oblivious, was Mike. He always pushed me to be creative and to demonstrate what I can do. He brought me on his own Awful Snack and webantered really well. So, when I was losing steam with the ladies’ snack, he was also leaving the show, and it just sort of naturally became, ‘Hey, let’s try one out together.’ We never planned on it being as big as it is now. It was mostly just a way for us to keep talking and being creative together since we wouldn’t have the other show anymore. I still don’t recall who came up with the idea to do Obviously Oblivious first, but I know he still swears it was me.

 

JW: Often times, the dynamic of OO is the brother/sister-like relationship that you and Mike display (small arguments, quips, etc.). How did you come to meet Mike and why do you think you two have such good podcasting chemistry? Also, the same question applies for your relationship with South Philly Paul.

 

EC: Oh Mike, Mike, Mike. It’s the same old story. Boy meets girl and talks to her because he thinks she’s cute; girl annoys the shit out of boy; boy annoys the shit out of girl; sometime in between, they make each other laugh. (Laughs.) I’ve never had a relationship with anyone quite like I have with Mike. I actually think I get along with my real brother better. (Laughs.) We’re so alike in what we find hilarious…I mean, that was how we came to meet anyway, because I was such a fan of what he was doing with The Awful Show. And then he brought me on because he thought I was kind of clever, too. Creatively, and with our science nerdiness, we’re more like twins.

And then there’s everything else. I’m from the south and can’t bear direct criticism or the harsher play-teasing Mike’s a pro at. He’s a laid-back jokester that can’t deal with my intense pragmatism, taking him so seriously, and this-is-how-the-world-should-be-or-I’m-gonna-make-it-that-way-damnit attitude. We’re both pretty emotionally volatile, too. So, when we butt heads, we really hate each other for a bit. Then we cool off, make each other laugh and go through it all again. I’m not quite sure how it works but it does and, thankfully, the listeners find it entertaining.

Obviously Oblivious is absolutely a representation of our friendship and how we talk all the time. There have been many moments where I thought, ‘Man, I wish we were recording,’ on our phone conversations. We make each other laugh a lot. I think that’s our chemistry in a nutshell. We just make each other laugh and we feed off of each other that way. Not necessarily at the same time either…like if I’m being a grumpy bitch, it fuels Mike, and when he’s being utterly ridiculous, I feed off of him. It just works and I don’t question why. One day I’m going to strangle him though…if he doesn’t beat me to it, of course.

Paul and I aren’t as close personally, but I’m getting to know him better since his debut on Obviously Oblivious. I’ve been aware of Paul and his brilliance ever since I heard a voicemail of his on Vomitus Prime. With that ridiculous accent and the brilliant way he crafts his sentences to maximize hilarity — plus his intentional awkwardness — I think Paul is a master of his craft. Later on, they played one of his shows on The Awful Show and it was hysterical. I don’t know much about Paul as a guy other than he’s really fucking sweet and kind to everyone. He’s still sort of a mystery to me, but he plays sort of the comedic ninja role on the show. When Mike and I are bickering, he can take anything out of that dialogue and make it into a weapon of comedy. He’s great at fine tuning what each of us is saying and is quick to call us out when we’re full of it. I love having him as a permanent (hopefully) host on the show. I think he is the whipped cream and cherry on the top of our comedy sundae, and I’m excited to see how our dynamic continues to develop.

 

JW: If you could, maybe explain a little bit about yourself, where you're from and what you currently do as a profession. What got you so interested in science when you were younger? Was there ever anything else you wanted to be before you approached science as a serious career?

 

EC: From the very start of my life, I’ve always been prone to ways of thinking and investigating suited to science…long before I knew anything about what science entails. My mom says that when I popped out, I cried really quick and then immediately stopped and looked around as if I were already trying to scientifically analyze the world. She says I was very much an observer. As a kid I was infinitely more fascinated with the world and the how and why of things than socializing with other kids. My mom was a big influence because she always bought me science books to read and taught me to read pretty early, but I never knew if it was my scientific leanings that made her buy the books or if the books she bought gave me scientific leanings. I’m pretty sure she wanted me to grow up to be a doctor. I had encyclopedias, books on every topic, and, of course, there was a good bit of the fabulous Bill Nye later on, too. (Laughs.) On top of reading a ton, I was always collecting samples from outside and messing around with plants and animals. I remember one time trying to fill a bottle – which I loved to collect for this purpose – with honeysuckle juice...you can imagine how many honeysuckle flowers I went through. Even as a kid I had the patience to do really tedious tasks it seems. I would get in trouble sometimes for trying to see what would happen when I mixed certain chemicals found under our bathroom sink. I envisioned myself a mad scientist on the hunt for a new elixir. Hurricane Hugo ripped through Mint Hill, N.C. (a small little piece of Charlotte in the far backwoods where I lived until I was 10 years old) and uprooted many trees in my yard. Old trees. Huge trees. One of my favorite things to do was to take a stick and a rock and delicately chisel away the red clay in the roots of the upturned trees…looking for dinosaur fossils and petrified plants. That was the first job I remember dreaming of doing someday…archaeology. Just because the mystery and the excitement of discovering things old and hidden was far too alluring even in those clay dirt clumps. I also briefly thought about becoming an astronaut but every time I got on a tire swing, I’d puke my guts out from motion sickness and decided that wasn’t the job for me (still breaks my heart though). One time I helped a crippled butterfly by taking him from flower to flower and letting him feed because he had a broken wing. I followed bugs around the yard to watch what they’d do. Eventually, I figured the only logical profession for me was a veterinarian. ‘I love animals’ equals ‘veterinarian’ in a child’s brain.

That idea carried me through to high school, actually. There, I also got involved in theater…being painfully shy (bordering on extreme social anxiety) it happened like everything else happens with me. One day I get a wild hair up my ass and decide I’m going to do something crazy and off I go. I’ve always loved singing and was in chorus in elementary school, but was deathly afraid of anyone hearing me singing solo, so going to my first high school play audition and not only having to do a monologue but sing a few songs…honestly, looking back, I don’t know how I got up the nerve to do it, but it landed me a small part as Mrs. Maudie in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” I went on to do a few more plays – even some musicals – direct my own (a really shitty version of “The Hobbit,” which is one of my obsessions), and win a crap ton of those plastic trophies for my performances. It’s true that once you get the performing bug, you never get rid of it so that’s where a lot of my creativity is rooted: in entertaining and directing; and I’m very much into seeking approval and laughter as I think many performers are. I got an academic scholarship to UNC-Chapel Hill and entered as a chemistry major (where I got to mix chemicals like I dreamed of when I was a kid) along with theater as a second major. [I] did great until I got to organic chemistry – or what I like to call “real-world” chemistry – where you have to predict how atoms will behave when they come in contact with one another (not very mathematical and logical like high school chemistry), and, since there are a lot of different kinds of atoms, it’s more of an intuitive art form that I totally suck at.

So I decided to go back to the idea of becoming a veterinarian and switched to a biology major on a pre-vet track. I used to joke that I’d become some sort of performing veterinarian like Steve Erwin or Jeff Corwin since I was still in theater. Unfortunately, and still a decision that I kind of regret, due to my class load being a biology major, chemistry minor, and on the pre-veterinary track, I was forced to either drop theater or stay on another year that my scholarship wouldn’t cover. I chose to drop theater telling myself I’d get back into performing somehow to make up for it. Meanwhile, I was really enjoying my biology classes and more importantly, I just got it. Thinking that way about structures of ecosystems and evolution just came natural. It made sense. To make my résumé for vet-school look impressive, I took an undergraduate research class studying frogs and it didn’t take long for me to completely toss aside the idea of being a vet. Research was going to be my life. I graduated in 2006 and stayed on working in other research labs doing different projects. I had no idea you could make a career out of doing the same silly shit I used to do as a kid like watching the same bug for hours. So that’s where I am now. I’m kind of hesitant to call myself a true scientist because I only have a bachelor’s degree, but, in my heart, I’m pure scientist in intention and drive. When I finally enter the Ph.D. program in neurobiology in a few years (I’m kind of enjoying the scientific bachelor life now where I get to fuck around with all kinds of different things before I settle down with one special project for my degree), I’ll be on my way to eventually having my dream job: being a professor. There I’ll be able to try to lure young minds into the same level of wonder and fascination I’ve had with the world all my life. Not only that, but I’ll be able to exercise a bit of those creative performing muscles. I kind of hope my classes will be those that you never skip because who knows what entertaining mayhem will happen. We’ll just have to see. Right now my work life is anything but dull. I always wish I could talk about what I do on the show, but I have this horrible fear that one day we won’t get funding or I’ll get fired because someone found out about my foul, dirty brain on Obviously Oblivious and can’t have my mouth vomit tarnish their good name. (Laughs.)

I really do lead a secretive life to do the podcast. My family doesn’t even know I do it (I doubt my super conservative father would approve of a single sentence I say on OO; hell, the guy doesn’t even like what I do because he doesn’t believe in evolution) and it’s a recurring nightmare I have of them finding out. Still, Obviously Oblivious is me being me. So, when that day comes, they’ll just have to get over it.

 

JW: Speaking of scientists, you guys recently had Neil deGrasse Tyson on the show and talked about a variety of things regarding the universe. Is space a favorite area of science for you? If there were one area of science you could work in, regardless of education or finances, what would it be?

 

EC: Space is one of those things that always fascinated me, but that I knew nothing about. I took some physics classes in college and it’s something that I got very well at that level because of my very mathematical brain, but once you start to apply general mathematical concepts like that to things that are much more complicated, like quantum physics and space, I really struggled to grasp it. I tell everyone who asks me about my interests that if I did not have a husband, any friends, any hobbies, or anything else in my life other than academia, I’d become a physicist. Not because I think physicists don’t or can’t have those things, but because I wouldn’t be able to waste any of my available brain power on anything but trying to understand physics. It’s still kind of a dream I have to be able to get my first Ph.D. in neuroscience and then my second in some area of physics — but right now one thing at a time. Space most appeals to me in its philosophical implications: what it says about us to be such a small part of such a large thing. I’m of course fascinated by black holes, the space-time fabric, dark matter…but I don’t hold any hope of really understanding it on a deep, scientific level. It’s like Golden Grahams. I could spend all day trying to figure out how they cram all that graham into them, but I’m mostly likely going to just shove them in my mouth and enjoy their existence. Now granted after the incredible impact that Neil deGrasse Tyson has had on me from the interview on the show, it seems I could understand what I would like to know about space on a non-expert level with the right teacher, without getting into the tricky math and models. He has definitely become my idol and someone I strive to emulate in being a future educator (and even on the podcast really). The good news is, as far as the one area of science I find most fascinating, it’s where I’m at. If it wasn’t, I’m not the kind of person that could just get by with doing something easier that isn’t what my heart yearns for. I consider myself an incredibly driven and ambitious person, not to mention a frugal master of financial manipulation. (Laughs.) If I wanted it, it would be done. Given that I’m not having children, I have all the time in the world to just keep getting degrees and that’s kind of what I would like to do. I mean why not? Physics is definitely top on my list. Quantum physics is the most fascinating to me currently because it encompasses the search for a single unifying theory of everything. See the Nova special “The Elegant Universe” based on physicist Brian Greene’s book of the same name for more about what that means. It’s on Netflix and online. Brian Greene is to me like Neil deGrasse Tyson is to Mike, though I know much less about him. Dr. Greene and Louis C.K. are my two dream interviews.

 

JW: You sometimes take some flack for some of the things you like and hype up on the show. I can think of American McGee's Alice as a really good example. But, I was curious, what did you enjoy so much about the game and what are some of your other favorite games as of late? Have you always been a big gaming enthusiast?

 

EC: The biggest and most important thing about a game to me is its story. I don’t like arcade games usually because I need a reason to be doing the things I’m doing. I need role-playing that puts me in the head of a character in an interesting situation. It’s no secret I’m a little bit twisted. I played Silent Hill a lot, a very dark and traumatic game sometimes, and I read a lot of horror. So when Alice came out — and I was always a fan of the original Alice storyline because it was a little weird and twisted — American McGee took it and made it the biggest mindfuck. It reminded me a lot of the deep, psychological nature of the Silent Hill games; in these games the characters are battling themselves and their tortured history…well, Alice is like that, too. It takes this innocent, imaginative girl and, when her parents die horribly in a fire, she becomes completely insane. Wonderland, which in the Alice stories has resided most likely all in her imagination, becomes a reflection of her shattered mental state. So you’re seeing all the characters from the original story, but they’ve been transformed into horrid versions of themselves. I just love it! Not only that but the music, the atmosphere and the art in the game are phenomenal. It’s an absolute pleasure to play and it sucks you in. Everything has its dark side, including me, and that’s why I took up the persona of the Evil Cheshire Cat from that game. He’s silky in his mannerisms, always lurking in the background, observing, and you never quite know what’s going on in that head of his. That’s me.

I became a “gamer” pretty early on, too. My dad worked in computers and he and his co-worker were always swapping games. The first games I remember playing were Commander Keen: Invasion of the Vorticons and the first few Duke Nukem games…so early 90’s games. I would have been 6 or 7 years old. Then I fell into King’s Quest and Quest for Glory and those sustained my life for a long time. I loved the snarky humor and pop references (actually, there are some mainstream pop trivia that I only know because of those games, and it definitely is my main source of knowledge on folktales and mythology). I am still kind of obsessed with both of those series and have the full collection of both. I think a large fraction of my life has been spent trying to get them to run on the latest Windows every time a new one was released. The early games in those series were all type based. When point-and-click gaming came about I remember thinking ‘Holy SHIT!’ because, up until then, if I wanted to pick up the golden ball hidden under a bridge to give to the frog by the lake who is actually a prince because I need him to get me something of value from the bottom of the lake he’s in (hey, the logic is sound), then I’d need to know how to spell all of those actions. King’s Quest taught me how to type and spell.

These days, the games I really love still have those dark, twisted storylines like Fallout, Bioshock and The Darkness. I love any game it takes forever to play through like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. True to my early game loves, I also appreciate a good, smart-assed, snarky game like The Longest Journey (a fantastic game!) and in-depth, interesting storylines and characters like the Final Fantasy series (again with games that take forever). Deus Ex has to be my all-time favorite game from the last decade, though. I mean, you get to poison dart, taze and slice people in half with a giant fucking plasma sword in hundreds of ways and take multiple paths in the storyline – which itself is a reason to play the game. The new game in the series, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, due to be released August 23^rd (it’s on my Google calendar), looks freaking amazing! I’m super excited about it. I also still haven’t played the Alice sequel, Alice: The Madness Returns, released last month, but I can’t wait. I’ll be on it like white on rice on a paper plate in a snowstorm with a glass of milk as soon as I finish Fallout: New Vegas, which is currently consuming me as only Bethesda games can.

 

 JW: We all know you're an unholy she-devil for never liking Rocky :) What other great pieces of cinema have you abandoned and spit on? What has been your favorite movie you've seen this year?

 

EC: Oh you and that damn Futzer :D Well…fuck Transformers 2. I don’t care that there are battle scenes and robots transforming and blowing shit up. I want a little more substance to my movies damnit! If you’re a movie with all flash and no substance, chances are I probably hate you. That being said, there really aren’t many movies that I really genuinely hate. I pick on Transformers 2 because some people want to argue that it’s a good movie. There are plenty I just thought were just meh, like Lost in Translation (I think I missed something about that movie), but I kind of look at movie viewing as an experience…if it didn’t make me angry at how bad it was or how much it was relying on cheap tricks, then I’m happy to have watched it and gone through that unique experience even if it didn’t impress me.

While I wasn’t inspired as much as I should have been by Rocky, I still enjoyed watching it. That being said, I almost never watch a movie more than once. Once I’ve experienced it, I want something new, even if it sucks. It drives my husband crazy because he has to wait at least a year before he can get me to watch a movie again. I sort of have to forget enough about the movie to be able to gain something by watching it again. I guess I’m a little weird that way.

This year, I think my favorite movies would have to be Source Code or The Adjustment Bureau (I’m a bit of a romantic). I had to actually look up when they were released because, as people may or may not know, I’m the cheapest woman alive, and so I never go to the theater. Well, that’s not entirely true. As I write this I’m going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 tonight, but it’s a very special occasion. This will be our first movie in theater this year and possibly our last. (Laughs.) We tend to grab up a lot of the movies as they get released on DVD through Netflix. Some…through other means, allegedly :P

It’s rare one movie really stands out to me…there are just a lot I really enjoyed – Paul, X-Men First Class, Rango...hell, even Sucker Punch. I still haven’t seen Thor, Super 8, or Bridesmaids, but I’m guessing I’ll really enjoy those, too. I’m a lover of movies for sure.

 

JW: You started a personal journey a while back to get in better shape and then started an online page so others could join in to track their health trends. How is that endeavor going so far? Will your plans to have all listeners at the listener party swooning over you come to fruition next month?

 

EC: AHAHA! Well I hope no one swoons, but I have to tell you it’s absolutely invigorating being able to look at yourself in the mirror and not be depressed about it. My weight loss goals have all been met thanks to the tracking website and advice blog Sparkpeople.com, where, like you mentioned, one of the listeners, Battery, created a “SparkTeam” due to all the ranting I was doing about the site. Listeners can go there and motivate each other, help meet team goals and generally be part of a supportive community if they are on a mission to get healthier. I highly recommend it.

So I’m now in shape and just working to maintain the healthy habits that I’ve learned through the process. Talking about this is always tricky for me, as anyone who has listened to me talk on the show about it might know, because, on one hand, I’m so much happier, stronger, healthier and more confident now than I’ve ever been in my life; and I want to help others reach this level of euphoria, especially when I see that they’re way on the other side of that spectrum. On the other hand, however, people have to get the want and drive to do that at their own pace and can’t be persuaded into it. So it’s like I found something that makes me so happy, but I can’t talk about it because then others will probably resist it even more. Damnit, I just want people to feel as good as I do! I just want to tell them that it’s hard, but, if you do this, you will feel better. That may be naïve of me, but I really feel that way.

I think the most important message though is that you don’t have to give up the food you love. I just ate a damn candy bar and had gelato from my favorite bakery yesterday. You don’t have to give that up to be healthy. You just have to balance it with healthy eating, too (this does not mean starving yourself the rest of the time). If you eat hamburgers all day, yes, you’ll be a lard ass. But the whole point of tracking your food through Sparkpeople is so you know where to put the splurges so you don’t eat more than you burn and that you eat the right stuff. The thing that amazed me the most through all these months of hard work is that the harder I worked, because I was getting healthier, I had energy to do even more things. So I was working harder, but I picked up three more hobbies along the way and I don’t feel worn out or overworked. I worked out, started getting back into my Japanese lessons and I even started volunteering at a local garden.

The time you have is all relative to how energized you feel. You feel like you’re overwhelmed right now and can’t possibly add in an exercise routine because you don’t have any energy left. But working out gives you more energy to work with after a while.

Oh, Jesus, I said I wasn’t going to type much on this question and there I am preaching again. I hope the listeners forgive me. I really am sorry for being so preachy. I hope at least that they understand why I can’t stop talking about it and forgive me. Unfortunately, someone mentioned that it’s like the “born-again” Christian who wants to fix everyone’s lives by spreading Christianity because it worked for them and made them happier. I’d like to think this is a scientifically proven venture of mine, but, then again, maybe it’s just like that. So, anyway, after pissing off a lot of people, I’ve decided I’m just going to teach by example. When I look all fabulous at the listener party, maybe someone will take me seriously. If not, hey, it’s their loss. Wink!

 

JW: What are some things you'd like to see happen for OO in the next year? Any big plans for the show or any guests we can keep an ear to the ground for?

 

EC: I would love for OO to stay how it is now. Every week is another treat for me to do as I hope it is for the listeners to hear. I will say that, after the Neil deGrasse Tyson interview, I suddenly had the urge to really, honestly educate our listeners a bit during every show. However, I think the best part about OO is that it is all natural. Other than having a few show topics to turn to if the conversation starts to lull, it’s really effortless (says the woman who doesn’t have to edit the show and post it in the feed). If I started trying to fit a school lesson into the show, it would become forced and lose what I love about it. So we’ll just keep on keeping on.

We might have some interviews, we might not. Mike’s always got something up his sleeve in that regard. Also, if somewhere along the way Mike or Paul decides they want more production in the show since they’re both so damn good at it, then we could incorporate skits or songs, but then again, we might not. Obviously Oblivious will always be, first and foremost, just a place where Mike, Paul and I can just hang out and escape. It’s a little like the Room of Requirement. It can easily incorporate anything we need into it, but all we really need is each other. Sorry, I’m really stoked about seeing Harry Potter tonight.

 

JW: The University of North Carolina choked this year in the tournament. Any hope for them this coming season? How big of a sports fan are you? Any favorite teams besides your alma mater (pro or college)?

 

 EC: Oh, boy. Well, y’see, the thing is, I’ve been to one sporting event my entire eight years at UNC…and it was because I won tickets from a blood drive. I am really not that into sports, but really only because I’m never exposed to it. I never lived in a dorm or on campus even, and my friends never dragged me to games. When I go to a game or watch UNC basketball on TV, I do get really fired up and, generally, I like to wave Carolina Blue around because it’s nice to have something to identify yourself with like that. However, I know that my real ties to the school are academic and so, while I really want UNC to win, it doesn’t destroy me when we completely suck ass.

That’s fine. I’ll root for Duke (OH THE HORROR! DID I JUST REALLY SAYTHAT!?!). I’m so full of contradictions though because, when listener Slacker Jedi calls in saying Duke is way better than UNC, I get really defensive of my alma mater. But I’ve applied to jobs at Duke and would totally work there...and at the very same time I rant that they can’t even give the right heart to the right person and that they leave a puddle of pee on the hospital floor for days. There’s some weird web of affiliation and loyalty in my brain about it all.

 

Cat would also like you to check out:

The show at http://www.ObviouslyOblivious.com, and on iTunes under the comedy podcast section. The new iPhone app is here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app​/podcast-box/id419361759?mt=8; the Droid app here: http://market.android.com/det​ails?id=tv.wizzard.android.obv​iouslyoblivious497&feature=sea​rch_result; and come to the Mediocre Show listener party on Aug. 13 at World Café Live in Philadelphia (see Mediocreshow.com or http://tickets.worldcafelive.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=4027 for details).

 

 

Troy Siple

 

A lot of people in the world have something to say. Not all of it is worth listening to, but I don’t think that notion applies when talking about Troy Siple. Troy uses his podcast See You Next Tuesday as a platform to provide unique views on the everyday things that make us laugh, cry and become frustrated, and he does it in his own way. Unforgiving and not modest, Troy tells it how it is.

 

The following interview was extremely interesting to me because Troy’s voice comes across in the way that many of us have to come to know it, but also in a way that remains unique outside of the realm of SYNT. I want to thank Troy for taking the time to share his thoughts with me for the blog. I hope you all enjoy it as well.

 

 JW: What got you into podcasting in the first place? Did you have any experience with podcasting before you started See You Next Tuesday?

TS: I have always had the desire, nay, need to express myself creatively in some way. It is the way I am wired. I sometimes wonder why the hell it is I think people need to hear my voice or some expression of it, but, alas, it is part of the fabric that makes up this fancy little number called Troy Siple.

 

That being said, I'm what you’d call "a musical genius." Like, Van Halen-good. So when the Polka-core outfit The Giant Pygmies approached me at age 12 to fill in on lead guitar for their national headlining tour, I couldn't turn it down. You have probably never heard of The Giant Pygmies because they don't exist and that never happened. However, what did happen was me growing up and consuming all the music and comedy I could get my hands on; a few “lucky” gals here and there, but mostly music and comedy.

 

When I was 12, my parents bought me a Fostex four-track cassette recorder. Did you hear me, kids? C-A-S-S-E-T-T-E. I do so love the warm analog tone of cassette tapes with the faint sprinkling of bias in the background. Anyway, at this time, I dedicated any free moment that I wasn't in school, playing soccer, or hanging out with my boy, Sean, to capturing audio in the basement. I realized I could be an entire band and started to teach myself guitar and bass (I had played drums on my father's kit since I could hold the sticks and taken piano lessons since age 6). I played in numerous bands throughout high school and started producing hip-hop beats when I went to college, but I never quite got 100 percent behind pursuing a career in music.

 

I was admittedly somewhat of a wild child in my late teens and early twenties, the echoes of which can still be heard in my show. I quit my first attempt at college two weeks before final exams of the first semester with a fuzzy head and a sore heart. I didn't know what to do or how to do it, so I floated from job to job, thinking I would return to school in a couple years. When I did return to school in 2008, I quickly grew weary of the doldrums induced by a repetitive job that I loathed and the snarky-ass, 18-year-old white thugs who only showed up at community college to appease their (white, suburban and non-struggling) parents’ expectations. My iPod was my best friend at the time, and it fed me podcasts for most of my waking free time. I got a MacBook Pro that I could finally hook up my Pro Tools recording interface with (yeah, I owned a Pro Tools rig and did not own a computer for years).

 

Living roughly an hour outside of Philadelphia, it was not convenient or cheap to go down to the city a couple nights a week to hang out at comedy clubs to learn the trade and start performing, so I created my own in-road. Many comedians at the time were starting their own podcasts to increase their visibility (a couple of which are currently filming television pilots of their podcasts), and, not having any visibility, I figured it could not hurt. It would also give me some room and time to develop my comedy and find my voice. The first four episodes were recorded in Garageband, because I didn't have the correct Firewire cable to connect my computer with my Pro Tools interface. This involved me sitting in my bedroom and getting my face as close to the internal microphone of my laptop as possible and telling some stupid stories from my experience. It makes me smile to think back on those episodes, what with the hours I spend editing the show now.

 

JW: Why did you choose See You Next Tuesday as the title to the show?

TS: If you listen to those aforementioned early episodes, you'll note that the show was named the "Chitty Chitty Bang Show." That title was simply an afterthought. I was too busy trying to figure out how to make a listenable show and how RSS feeds work to be bothered with coming up with a stupid name, so that's what it became: a stupid name. I wanted to choose a name that would grab attention based on its own merit, but I did not want it to be shocking for the sake of shock. I think ‘See You Next Tuesday' perfectly embodies those intentions. Oddly enough, the idea of the show actually being released on Tuesdays (they still rarely are) had never crossed my mind. That (completely logical) concept came from the listeners. But alas, I am ever the artist, and my ideas and creativity rarely work on a Tuesday-to-Tuesday schedule. And yes, the author just started sentences with 'but', and 'and.' Handle it.

JW: As of late, you have taken the show in a more of a Q and A/interview style. Any reason for the shift to this style?

TS: There are a number of reasons I've decided to do interview shows. The main impetus is that I actually like talking to comedians. I want to learn from them, and I want to be friends with them. I have a lot of funny friends, but I don't have comedian friends I can relate to, so I've been reaching out to those who I like personally. I'm in this strange limbo right now, where I'm nobody, but I'm starting to network and have a rapport with some successful people. I just did an interview with Hannibal Buress, a hilarious comic who has written for Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. The guy had just done Jimmy Kimmel the night before, and yet, for some reason, he agreed to do a phone interview on a free podcast he had never heard of. Maybe he thought I was a cool guy, or, maybe, he's just terribly amicable. That’s the type of entertainer that I want to talk to, and that’s the type of entertainer I want to be. Unfortunately, that was only a 13-minute interview, but the disappointing part is that I was the one with the time constraints; he was just hanging out in his hotel before a show and could have talked for longer. The interview shows also allow me to continue to release content, even when I don't have a one-man show recorded for that week. One of the major lessons I've learned in the past year and a half of podcasting is that, no matter what, every time I go a week without releasing any content, the downloads for the proceeding show will inevitably be lower than what they would have been. People have a short attention span, and, as more podcasts flood the market, you have to be constantly releasing content to keep people on board. As an artist, I also thoroughly enjoy talking to other artists about their processes, experiences and views on the world. The idea of the show was never to just be all Troy all the time, but that’s all I had at my disposal for a while.

JW: You have also been interviewing some pretty big names in the radio and comedy industry (Graham Elwood and Kidd Chris). How do you go about getting in contact with these guys, and why did you choose these guys over others in the industry?

TS: Not having the financial or networking support from a media outlet (i.e., television or radio station) can have pros and cons. The cons are probably obvious to most readers. Louis C.K. and Steven Wright aren't on my Rolodex. However, I get to talk to people who I like, respect and have been following for years, and I can ask them the questions I want without a producer or network executive giving me asinine notes or suggestions. Everyone I've interviewed thus far has been directly contacted. I try to follow the path of least resistance. I haven't had to mess with anyone's publicist or representation (thank gaaaawd). I usually send an e-mail or a message via (insert your favorite social networking site here) to the person. It’s usually a business proposal disguised as a fan letter. I tell them what I like about them and why I like it, and then reference some specifics (so they know you're not just an opportunist) from their career. Then at the closing, I politely ask if they would be interested in doing a short (say short, even if you want a long one) interview. I must say this has worked more times than not. No one has ever told me, "no." The "no’s" I get come in the form of non-responses. It doesn't upset me in the least if they do not respond, because they're most likely exerting their energy on trying to get others to like them and want to interview them for their shitty podcast. It's all love, homey.

JW: There is always a lot of interesting music in your shows’ openings/closings; some of it written by yourself. Who are some of your favorite artists today?

TS: Yes, music has always been an integral part of my existence. My father was a drummer and taught me what he could as soon as I could understand. I started piano lessons at 6 and drum lessons at 11. I taught myself guitar when I discovered vaginas. I taught myself MIDI production in my late teens between bong hits. I have music to thank for taking away my stage fright at an early age due to countless band and orchestra performances. I still get nervous before a performance, but, once I'm on that stage, it feels like home. If I had more time, I would produce all of the music for the show, but, with having to work full-time outside of the career I am pursuing, this is just not feasible.

As for my favorite artists, I constantly vacillate. I have an extremely eclectic taste, due in part to my attention deficit disorder. I could write an entire tome on this, but I'll name a few of my favorites. On the hip-hop side, I like Biggie, Nas, The Roots, Blackstar, Reflection Eternal, A Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian, RA the Rugged Man, Masta Ace, Grand Agent, DJ Premier, DJ Hi-Tek and the Alchemist. On the metal side, I like Between the Buried and Me, Darkest Hour, Mastodon, Meshuggah, Sky Eats Airplane, Pantera, Sepultura, Motorhead, Within The Ruins, As I Lay Dying, and, of course, my boy's band, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder. I also listen to a ton of 70's funk, electro-funk, jazz, classical, 80's new wave and electronic music. I DO NOT, HOWEVER, LISTEN TO MUSIC ON COMMERCIAL RADIO. TURN THAT SHIT OFF.

JW: From listening to your show, it's clear which side of the political spectrum you sit on. I was wondering what you feel are some of the country's biggest political problems right now, whether they be caused by Democrats or Republicans? In that same instance, do you follow politics pretty closely or is more of a fascination with the common ridiculousness of it all?

TS: PFFFFFFFT…. our biggest political problem today is the nature of politics itself. From watching the 24-hour news networks, you would think that the debt ceiling and unemployment are America's greatest ills. The only reason this view is disseminated is because our elected officials say it is so. I'm sorry Congress, but the debt ceiling isn't exactly the hot topic for water- cooler chats in my realm. This is still the most powerful country in the world. We won't be in bread lines any time soon. The state of things may not be the greatest (I'm referring only to the economy in this instance), but we still enjoy a better quality of life than most of our 7 billion cousins. Putting the responsibility of creating jobs on any elected official, or blaming them for the loss of jobs for that matter, is just plain ignorant and small-minded. When was the last time you asked Obama for a reference?

 

Another issue that drives me up a wall (I am literally, emotionally upset while formulating this response) is that the common person, the average, hard-working American, does not have a voice in our government. Don't believe me? Name one middle-class congressman. The amount of money it now takes to run a successful campaign automatically precludes middle class people who know what it is to be struggling in America. The people that are able to run are wealthy by proxy and only speak on the stump about jobs and struggle because they need the votes of the people with the real problems.

 

I could rant about the state of the modern media as it relates to politics, but you asked about politics itself, so I'll save you the digression. Go to YouTube and watch Jon Stewart on Chris Wallace's ‘Fox News Sunday,’ and let him tell you everything I would have said.

JW:  As far as politics and the law go, I know you have some choice opinions on marijuana laws. As a proponent of marijuana, do you find that marijuana serves as a legitimate, creative medium when you create your content?

TS: Marijuana absolutely affects my creativity, but let's be clear about one thing: it improves my creativity, it does not manifest it. I hate the whole weed culture thing, where it’s sort of worshipped and glorified. Of course I like it, it makes me feel content, but I frankly don't give a shit about how hard your gravity bong hits, Brobraham. To me, it’s just a plant that makes me feel groovy. I don't have conversations with other coffee drinkers about how much coffee they drank yesterday, and where or how it was grown or where I can find some late at night. We do need to talk about the American prohibition of the plant, however. Getting high aside, can we at least agree that the billions spent on this invisible ‘War On Drugs’ have been for naught, and the ban has been the root cause for powergrabs by drug cartels and countless loss of lives? It is easier for a 15-year-old to get an eighth of Blue Dream than a fifth of Jack Daniels. Oh yeah, and we could create some of those fangled jobs everyone is talking about by legalizing it. Tax it and we could even help our economy a bit.

JW: You demoed your stand-up in Salt Lake City, Utah for the Mediocre Nation and it went over really well. Have you been working on a lot of new material for the live show in August? Do you look to anywhere in particular for a basis for your jokes? Does anything necessarily inspire you?

TS: Yes, I've been biting my cuticles a lot and writing a little. Twenty minutes is an eternity for a young comedian. I am amazingly confident that whatever happens, it will assuredly be a grand ol' time. I love working with Eric, Hope and Mike from the Mediocre Show, as well as South Philly Paul. They've not only given me friendship and a lot of much appreciated promotion, but yet another avenue to work on and express my comedy. Then, of course, is their fan base, the Mediocre Nation. I will never have a bad show in front of these people; it’s just not in the cards. I love that Eric Tomorrow was smart enough to make the listener the fourth co-host of the show. The nature of my show does not really allow for that, but I think the connections, relationships and generosity that have been spurned from that show are quite enviable.

As for inspirations, that’s a great question. The man who bottles up inspiration won't be broke for very long. I could say that everything inspires me, but that’s a bit too broad for my taste. Sometimes it is the little things that annoy me or that I observe in my daily life. Other times, some greater piece of social commentary will become apparent to me, and I have to write about it. It really varies. Whatever I write about, I try to express it with a unique voice, and make a positive out of a negative. Let us never forget that everyone loves a good dick joke, too. If I can fuse all those things together, I'm a happy guy. Too bad I'm never a happy guy.

JW: Can we expect some more celebrity guests on your show in the coming months? Are there any other major plans you have for the show?

TS: I mostly do the interviews as they come up, so I don't have any set up very far into the future. I do have a project in the works that I'll be able to dedicate some time to after the August live show. I'm going to write and publish a book to go along with the podcast, called SYNT: The Faithful Companion's Companion Guide to Guiding Companions. I want it to be funny, insightful and entertaining enough for you to pick it back up six months after you've read it. We'll see if it turns out to be any of those things. I'll also have t-shirts for the show very, very soon, and I'm thinking of doing a small run of limited edition shirts to be sold only at the live show, so bring your ass to World Cafe Live on August 13^th.

JW: When I talked to you in Philadelphia last August, you told me a story about Bam Margera at a liquor store in your area. Any other run-ins with any of those Jackass guys personally?

TS: I was living in West Chester, Pa., after I dropped out of college (the first time…). I was drinking heavily at the time, as college-aged kids do in a college town. I was going to West Goshen to cop an $11 handle of vodka. Obviously, I'm the poster boy for discriminating taste. I parked my car and as I was walking into the liquor store. I noticed a purple Lamborghini parked in the fire lane of the strip mall; a bit difficult not to notice. Inside, Bam Margera was at the register arguing with the clerk. She was saying, ‘Sir, I apologize, but I can't sell you alcohol without your I.D.’ I couldn't believe it, but my man actually used one of the most cliché celebrity phrases of all time: ‘Don't you know who I am?’ The row continued during my brief errand, with Bam at one point exclaiming, ‘Yo, I could call the head of MTV and he'll tell you who I am.’ I muttered, ‘Well while you have him on the phone, you should ask him to bring you your I.D.’ He didn't hear that. I may be sarcastic, but I'm too much of a pussy to be sarcastic and loud. Now, I'm not saying the dude is an asshole, but that was one experience that I had where he acted like one. I ran into him another time at a now closed rock and roll bar in West Chester called Rex's. I offered to buy him a drink, and he graciously declined (he drank for free anyway). I said something that he laughed really hard at. In this instance, he was not an asshole. So there, one time he was a dick, another time he was nice. Just like everybody else. Just to dovetail that in light of recent events, Ryan Dunn was a really nice guy. Whatever people's problem with Bam is, Ryan didn't have that problem. I've talked to Dunn many a time smoking cigarettes outside The Note, a club in West Chester. He was a sweet guy who never acted like he was entitled and never let the trappings of fame overtake him. His passenger was a year younger than my sister in our school, so that whole ordeal really struck a chord with me.

JW: What advice can you give to those who might be thinking about starting their own podcast? Are there some simple rules one can follow to make the process a little easier in the upstart?

TS: Don't listen to too many podcasts all the time. The host's thoughts will inevitably influence your own if you are constantly inside that host's head. Don't think your show has to sound like any morning radio show, or any other show for that matter. If you have something worth hearing, you should strive to present it in the most unique way possible; this will set you apart from the endless stream of low rent, stupid ass podcasts. Never hold back and say what you think. The people who are offended can turn it off if they wish. I'm a huge fan of vulgarity, believe me (to quote Louis C.K.: ‘You don't have to be smart to laugh at farts, but you have to be stupid not to.’). However, there is something to be said for avoiding the easy joke for some originality points…yes, podcasters, we have heard ‘that’s what she said,’ or whatever little sexual innuendo you're recycling this week. And like I said before, skipping weeks inevitably leads to less downloads.

 

See You Next Tuesday can be found on iTunes and podomatic.com. Troy can be contacted on Twitter at @seeyounexttroy; on Facebook at Troy Siple and See You Next Tuesday; and through e-mail at seeyounexttroysday@gmail.com. Keep your powder dry.

 

MP: As a kid, I always dreamed of being a broadcaster. My career started after I made a comment to a friend who was dating a guy named Bobby D on a "Top 40" station (WQXA-FM) in York, Pa. I told her I wanted to be on the radio. She had him call me and he said I could come in and do an "Air Check" and that he'd give it to the program director named Scott McFadden.

Scott called me the next day and offered me [an opportunity] to be board op (pretty much mindless work) during Phillies games on the AM station. I did that for about a week, and, after two games, I turned off the broadcast and started doing the play by play myself.

It was a tiny AM station; maybe 100 people listened to it. The next week the station changed over to an Alternative Station, 105.7 The Edge (later the X), and all the DJ's quit. The new program director, John Machida, moved me over to board op the FM station while they searched for new DJ's. After a few weeks of phantomly going on the air, he realized it was futile to stop me and gave me the go ahead to just be a normal talking DJ. From the start I was horrible. Forever messing up, laughing at myself on the air and people loved it for some reason.

After a few years at the station I was in a bad car wreck coming home after a shift and flipped my car. I injured my back terribly and, in the end, the ride from Reading to the station (now in Elizabethtown, Pa.) was too far for my back to handle. The program director moved out to run the X in Pittsburgh and I decided that it was best if I stopped. With all that being said, years went by and I missed broadcasting terribly. I would do my own silly shows on a reel-to-reel machine and eventually tried to talk some friends from the early days of the internet into what I called at the time a "Pirate Internet Station."

That never panned out and, one day talking to my friend Nerraux (the Awful Show) over AIM while we were at work, he brought back up the Internet radio idea again. I pounced on it. This was what I was waiting for. I put together a pretty low class studio in my basement that night and we tried to record a show. It didn't pan out so well. The mixer blew up and the recorder shredded the tape so I went back to the drawing board. Over the course of the next week I put together a few old laptops for playing audio and recording and bought a new mixer and mics. That night we recorded the very first episode of the Awful Show. The date was Saturday, June 24, 2006. Wow, five years this week I have been podcasting.

In the beginning, there was a lot of trial and error: What kind of show we'd have; working on bits and trying to get interviews; how to get listed on iTunes and actually get some listeners, etc. We learned the hard way. These days you can podcast with a USB mic and a program will do every little bit pretty much for you, but we had to really start from scratch and see what worked. Eventually we brought two more co-hosts on, Keyz and Joel, and never looked back.

Later that year I met Eric Tomorrow from the Mediocre Show, another pioneer of podcasting/internet radio and it was nice to be able to share ideas and talk shop with someone who really understood what we had to go through. I ran the Awful Show out of that basement studio until I ended my run on the show on Friday, May 15, 2009, after almost three years and hundreds of thousands of downloads. I had some incredible times on that show. We invented game shows, grew a wonderfully rabid fan base and interviewed many celebrities. I now have some of my greatest friends in my life due to that show. By the end, that pathetic basement studio turned into a top 10 comedy podcast in iTunes and included thousands of dollars I spent on six different computers to run, record, Skype and broadcast the show and countless other gadgets to help the show be a success.

Shortly thereafter, I was guest hosting on the Mediocre Show on June 4, 2009, since Matt Kittensparks had to stop doing the show. By this time, Eric and I became great friends, and he blew my mind and asked me to be the next co-host of the show. I was honored. I accepted with the terms that Hope (the Lady Tomorrow) also be given a mic, and we have only skyrocketed from there.

A great deal of the listeners from the Awful Show who didn't listen to the Mediocre Show already followed me over and the Mediocre Nation only grew to be a bigger family. Around this same time, my great friend, and past listener of the Awful Show, Evil Cheshire Cat suggested we do a small, bi-weekly show and, having done shows with her in the past, I thought it was a fun idea. From there Obviously Oblivious was born on June 12, 2009.

MP: Yes, absolutely. In the beginning, and through the Awful Show run, it was such a challenge figuring everything out, but, after almost three years, I started feeling like I was just going through the motions. It was a ton of work. I was spending 40 hours a week on just show stuff. It became a job. It was no longer just shooting the shit and having fun. I already had a full-time job and a family; it got to be too much. In the end, some unfortunate things happened that caused me to take stock in my involvement on the show and, being the family man I am first and foremost, I thought the best decision would be to retire from the show.

Doing the Mediocre show is effortless. I help Eric out with day-to-day stuff and do my part, but the bulk of the work is done by him. All I really gotta do is drive the 60 (miles) there to do the show. I spend way more time with my family now, I love doing the show with Eric and Hope; it's a blast. I only wish we had the means to do it daily. With OO it's more of my pet project. It's me at my best, or worst, depending on how you look at it. I have great co-hosts, but the show, being a jerk to Cat, giving South Philly Paul a hard time, acting cocky and just being my everyday self in good spirits or bad, is my guilty pleasure. Since I started doing these two shows, it's just fun again. I can't see stopping anytime soon. I'm much better at this than I am bowling or painting or any other kind of lame-ass hobby people have. It's a perfect situation for me: Broadcasting with my best friends.

JW: Podcasting alongside so many talented people (Eric, Hope, Paul, Troy, Cat, Fatboy Roberts [of Cort and Fatboy], etc.), what part about the shows/skits you help to develop and produce do you enjoy the most? Is there any one experience you enjoy doing more than the other?

MP: First and foremost, I just get a kick out of doing the actual shows. I think that my biggest asset is my brain, thinking on the fly, the silly things that pop into my head during a show. It's like in real life, like if you're hanging out with me or playing games with me on XBOX Live. It's just who I am. Sure, a good deal of what I say bombs, but when that instant happens and an on-the-spot joke or comment works out, there is no greater feeling. I am surrounded by so many talented and funny people, this includes the listeners, too. It just makes broadcasting the shows so easy. It's my favorite thing to do. Be me, be quick, invent words and make people laugh at my ridiculousness. Doing our live show out in Salt Lake City this past March has to be the thing I enjoyed the absolute most. Meeting the listeners, hanging out with them and my close friends, watching the Geekshow live and us getting up there and watching everyone in the theater laughing so hard and giving us an instantaneous reaction. Man, it was out of this world. I will never forget it!

MP: A good deal of the many people who attended the listener parties I have already interacted with on Facebook, Twitter, XBOX Live, (through) e-mail or in real life. There weren't too many uncomfortable experiences, maybe some uncomfortably long hugs. Don't get me wrong, I'm a hugger, I hug every listener when I meet them in person, but sometimes a long hug with another man and his junk touching me is a bit weird. I may come off as a really social guy, but, in my everyday life, I pretty much keep to myself. I don't go out much or enjoy big crowds of people. I'm kind of socially retarded. However, at the listener parties, it's not just being somewhere with a bunch of people you don't know. It's like a family reunion. There is lots of love and respect all around and something switches in my brain and I'm not uncomfortable at all. It's a really strange feeling when I actually think about it. In the end I'm just so happy and thankful to be around people with the same interest, people that support what we do and treat us so incredibly well. Coming out of my shell and making them feel welcome and appreciated is the very least I could do.

MP: I'm into so much music, man. I put my iPhone on shuffle and can go days without hearing something on repeat. I listen to a lot of popular bands, but (namely) the people who deserve it the most; the ones giving out their music for free or all but free. People who are more talented than most mainstream artists and way more talented than I'll ever be. What you'll hear on my booming system in my GTI if we went for a ride would be anyone on Scrub Club Records (scrubclubrecords.com). I love what those guys are doing over there. MadHatter runs, in my opinion, the best non-profit music label in the world. Kabuto the Python is one of my absolute favorites. ZeaLous1 is like a brother to me; Doctor Awkward, Madhatter, Powerlifter...there are so many awesome acts out there, man, I wish I could say them all.

Doc Awk and ZeaLous1 have a band together called the Boss Fights (thebossfights.com)  and they sent me their album that is coming out on June 21st early. I've really been digging that. It's kind of hard metal with bad ass raps and some great singing. I recommend you check it out right away. I also enjoy listening to Tech N9ne and Krizz Kalico. Those dudes can rip it up.

This past Saturday night (June 18, 2011) I attended the Declaration of Independents Tour in Philly and got to see some of these guys live. I was blown away. For being indie artists, they rocked it like pros! Doc Awk and Madhatter were seriously bad ass. The show ended with Powerlifter, and I have to tell you, their show is undescribable. So much energy, great music, it just forces you to jump around and act like a fool. You can't help it, it's almost intoxicating. I'm 36 years old this July and felt like I was in my early 20's again. This was without a doubt one of the best shows I've ever seen and I've seen many. The fact that these guys, people who I am a fanatic of, came up to me and treated me like royalty and mentioned me and the Mediocre show many times on stage, I was truly humbled. I could never thank them enough for what they have given me over the years. Please support these guys, get the word out about them to your friends. Just because they aren't what the industry wants you to listen to doesn't mean that they aren't better than what is out there. I'll forever stand by that.

When I really want to rock out to some heavy music, my band of choice is Top Dead Celebrity. The music more than kicks ass and Jeff Anderson (known by the Nation more commonly as MosJef) is a lyrical genius and a hell of a guy. It was like a dream come true to see them play live after the SLC Mediocre Show listener party.

MP: Not too long ago, in 1980, I saw a little movie called The Empire Strikes Back. What an amazing movie! [Laughs]. OK, yes, I love Star Wars, but I'll come up with something more recent. There are so many movies I love, I could sit here all day talking about them. Over the weekend, my lovely wife took me out to see Super 8 for Father's Day. I gotta tell you, we really enjoyed it. I love the feel of the movie, takes you back to those movies made in the early 80's. Felt like Close Encounters of the Third Kind meets The Goonies or The Explorers, before that movie took a turn and got crappy. There was really nobody cast in the movie, but I enjoyed the kids; made me feel like when I was that age. It was shot really well, wasn't cheesy at all and we just overall enjoyed it.

As for games, well, now that the Rock Band and Guitar Hero franchises are sadly all but dead, I'm looking forward to a game called Rocksmith by UbiSoft coming out in September. You don't have to buy a guitar for it. You can use the real guitar you already have sitting at home. It teaches you how to play and automatically gets harder as you improve. I really am anxious to get my hands on it. I've invested so much money into them that I'll be playing the guitar games until I'm too arthritic to push the buttons.

I love Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but Call of Duty: Black Ops really jaded me. I hate the kids on it and the multiplayer gameplay is humdrum at best. I have said I'm done with that franchise, but, after seeing the Modern Warfare 3 gameplay trailers, I will be partaking in that action. I don't find much annoying about gaming nerds. They have a passion for something, and, having passions myself, who am I to judge? Everyone's allowed their own opinions. I won't argue games with people. It's just silly, even if you win you're still a loser. My biggest annoyance is these kids being overly disrespectful on XBOX Live. Don't get me wrong, I'm a shit talker with the best of them when I'm gaming, but that's for fun and to make things more competitive. The racial and gay slurs on XBOX Live are uncalled for. It's something none of these kids would do in real life, and, since they are protected by anonymity, they just act classless. I've played with 6-year-olds doing this kinda shit. Like really, where the hell are your parents? I guess it's easy to let the kid play a video game than it is to raise them. These parents are doing a huge disservice to their children. They won't be prepared at all for real life. Just goes to show you anyone can have a kid, but not many are actually raising them. It's sad.

MP: Anyah's always asking to go up to "What It Do" studios and record something. She can't help herself to not come in while I'm recording a show. It's second nature to her and she legitimately enjoys it. I listen to her around the house doing her own shows: 'This is Anyah on Obviously Mediocre Show.' It's really fucking cute. Some parents force their kids to do stuff for other people, but I really try not to do that. If she walks in on a show, or wants me to record her singing, I'm all for it. I act like it bothers me sometimes, but that's just to be funny. She'll be six years old this year and I could really see her doing something along the lines of entertainment down the road. I think it will be something more musical though. She loves to sing and is getting really good on the piano. I call her Lady An-Yah. She is far more talented than her daddy, I assure you that much. I'll support her in anything she chooses to do and I won't force her to do what she doesn't want to do. She'll be great at whatever she chooses. That kid is my life, my legacy. I'm so blessed to have her. I thought about it the other day, the greatest thing to come out of my podcasting is she has over 400 shows and thousands of hours of me talking to listen to when she grows up. God forbid something ever happened to me, she can listen to all these shows and really get to know her father in a way most kids wouldn't be able to. In a way, it makes me feel good that I'll forever be there for her and she'll hear about herself growing up and how much I loved her.

MP: It took many months, and countless trips, but the car seems to be back in tip-top shape. I love my GTI, but what a headache this has all been. The dealership wasn't doing what they should have been doing and I got Volkswagen of America involved. Once that happened, things changed quickly. That company has its act together and, despite all the problems, I stand by VW and their GTI. After all the time and trips to the dealership, the car now has a brand new transmission, turbo and cold air intake, professionally detailed it inside and out to make it look new, replaced my front axle, replaced the bushings and even fixed the sway bar that I probably damaged myself driving like an idiot. In total they probably did over $10,000 worth of work for free. They more than made up for my headaches. I hope it stays this way. They plan to work with me without question if it doesn't.

MP: Be prepared...to have a blast! Everyone raves about the listener parties. It's not just a few hours of hanging out and a show. It's basically a whole weekend of everyone getting together and spending time with each other. Like I said before, it's like a family reunion. Except it's family you want to actually be around. No one ever feels like an outcast and everyone makes you feel more than welcome there. As the hosts, we try really hard to show everyone our appreciation and love, but I have to credit the awesomeness that is the listener parties to the listeners. They are really the ones that make it what it is. If not for them, we'd be partying by ourselves, but they are the ones that really reach out and make everyone feel at home. Besides my wedding day and the birth of my daughter, I honestly have to say the listener parties are the best days of my life.

MP: We actually have a lot of plans for the next year, I can't reveal any of them, but a lot of planning and thought has gone into the changes/additions. It's some big time stuff and I can only say stay tuned for more information. As always, please listen to the Mediocre Show live on Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. EST on AreciboRadio.com or download it through iTunes along with Obviously Oblivious. If anyone needs any print or web design work done check out MikePilotDesign.com or OneEastPrinting.com for all your screen printing needs. I'm still using my Fumo (fumo.biz) electric cigarette, it's been nine months since I touched tobacco and I recommend it to anyone still using that poison called tobacco.

If you are a fan of science, you must check out Obviously Oblivious 0049 that will be recorded tomorrow. We are having overall awesome guy and world-renowned astrophysisist Neil deGrasse Tyson on for an interview, and I am shocked and thrilled he said he'd be happy to come on the show. I can't wait. It will be one of the benchmarks of my broadcasting career.

Additionally, I'd like to thank Eric Tomorrow for all his hard work for the Mediocre Show. The man is a beast and kills himself for the Nation. He is my closest friend and his work ethic is paramount. I'd like to congratulate Eric and Hope on their new addition that will be dropping in December. Their baby, not their Christmas album. I'd like to thank my bestest buddy, Evil Cheshire Cat, for putting up with my abuse on Obviously Oblivious. She's a great sport and so smart, talented and funny. Also, I have to say I'm really happy South Philly Paul from the South Philly Paulcast joined OO. The show has gotten even better since he joined.

I send my most heartfelt thank you's out to the Mediocre Nation, the people who followed me over from the Awful Show and the listeners of OO. If not for you guys, I would feel like the most pathetic person in the world talking to a wall every week. You inspire me to do my very best every time the mics turn on, and I never want to let you down because you never let us down. Thank you so much for the love and support.

Check out my good friend, Jeff Michael Vice, on MSN's Parallel Universe and MSN Movies (paralleluniverse.msn.com) and the Big Movie Mouth-Off (Utah Xfinity, www.facebook.com/bigmoviemouthoff). 

Last and certainly not least, I must thank my wonderful wife, Ariana. She has supported me since day one and has been my proverbial rock. She encourages me to do everything I do and supports me 100 percent. Sometimes people forget Ariana and Anyah donate a good chunk of their time with me to share me with the world. They are amazing. Ariana, if not for you, none of this would be possible. Thank you, I love you.

More on Mike, his podcasts and his services can be found at:

www.thamike.com
www.mediocreshow.com
www.obviouslyoblivious.com