I USED TO BE A DISNEY "LOCAL"!

 It's really strange to think back to the days when I was a kid growing up in the Southeast Los Angeles area of Southern California.  Relatives visiting from out of town always meant a trip to Disneyland (and the beach).  It was just something you do.  And it seems to me that my thinking was always - YOU ONLY GO TO DISNEYLAND WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY!  I don't know how I got that way, but that's pretty much the way I thought back then.

 I packed up the family and moved away from Los Angeles to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1988.  And now nearly a quarter century later, it is so strange to read web sites or blog posts that talk about "locals" at Walt Disney World, or Disneyland.  I was "a local" and never even realized it!  I never really thought of it in those terms.  Tourists and Locals ...what a concept!

 I wonder what it would be like now that I'm a "Disney Nut" - to be living just miles from Disneyland and California Adventure?  Would I be dragging my Wife (don't worry - she's a "Disney Nut" too!) with me to DCA and Disneyland every other weekend, and on days off with annual passes in hand?  Hanging out at Downtown Disney?  I mean, I can't imagine what it would be like!

Would it be great?  YES!  But, it's also great to be 1,000 miles away from Disneyland (give or take a few hundred miles), and 2,000 miles away from WDW.  Why?  Because, even though it costs an arm and a leg to fly there once, twice, or even three times a year, It's a big adventure!  I don't think I would be planning trips and doing touring plans etc. like I do, if we lived just 15 miles from the Disneyland Resort's parking garage.  And for me, the planning is half of the fun (OK, maybe 1/3 of the fun, but it's still fun!).

 Would we be DVC members?  Probably NOT.  I mean, how could I ever hope to talk my better half into buying 200 points for WDW trips when Disneyland is just "around the corner"!  I can't imagine a world without trips to The Animal Kingdom Lodge, Bay Lake Tower, Old Key West or any of the other fantastic DVC villas where we stay now.  We could still do "cash trips" to the Value or Moderate resorts at WDW  and that would be great fun, but how would we be able to take friends, and family with us like we've done the last few years?

 I don't know if I would have become such a Disney theme park fan if it weren't for 2 things.  1. Moving Far Away, and 2. The Internet.

 Moving away gave me that feeling of longing for Disneyland, and that feeling of nostalgia for a place that was always fun, and never let me down.  And the Internet gave birth to the great Disney websites, groups, blogs, and podcasts that feed my insatiable thirst for that refreshing water that comes from the deep Disney wells.


It's hard to imagine a world where Disneyland or Walt Disney World are just around the corner.  But I guess if I lived there, it would be hard to imagine living so far away from the place that I love!

It's all "relative".  But now it's not all "relatives".

THE AVATAR EFFECT

   Disney has announced the creation of a new "land" at Disney's Animal Kingdom which will be based on the movie Avatar.  The Disney fan community has gone bonkers trying to figure out what it all means and how it will all work out.  So far, everyone is asking the question - "How will Avatarland affect The Animal Kingdom?".  But my question is... "How will being connected to a Disney theme park affect the next Avatar movie?".

  Could there be a "reverse effect" which helps boost the fan base of the Avatar movie series? (there are 2 more already in the works).  I still have not seen the movie.  Now that they are going to create a whole "land" at Walt Disney World based on this movie, I want to see it!

   I realize that the Disney "Kook Base" isn't that large compared to the overall population of the world (the real world), but I'm wondering if someone, somewhere felt that this move could create an increased interest in the coming sequel.

   As far as the more immediate question being posed by Disney fans - "How will this work out at Walt Disney World?"...  I welcome it.  I don't think I've ever seen many of the movies that the Disney attractions are based on, yet I love the attractions, and I have to admit... I've never watched an entire Star Wars movie, yet I love Star Tours.  I mean, there weren't even movies for Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, or Space Mountain when these attractions were created, yet those are 3 of my 5 favorite rides!  I don't know of an Expedition Everest movie (and there may be one, but if so, I've never seen it) yet EE is one of my favorite attractions EVER!  So my answer to the question is... I don't know, but I look forward to what the Disney imagineers create!
 

 

First Time Experiences

   Ahhhhh... after a refreshing dip in the waters of my fountain of youth (WDW!), I'm enjoying the glorious afterglow of memories.  We enjoyed the company of 2 dear friends that traveled all the way from Idaho to spend a week at WDW with us, and it was their first time.  I came alive at the thought of showing them some of the wonders to be found there.  I hope they will forgive me if I pushed too hard as their tour guide, but I just can't help myself sometimes... I get caught up in all of the color, technology, and fantasy of the Walt Disney World complex.  I always carry a big yellow satchel with the WDW Today logo on it.  And our friends came up with a new motto for our touring days... "Follow the yellow bag!"


   For them, the entire trip was a first time adventure.  But for Dear Disney Wife and I, there were a few first times for us too.  In no particular order, here are a few of them:

1. The American Idol Experience: (Disney Hollywood Studios)
      I'm not really a fan of this show, in fact, I don't think I've ever watched a complete episode of it.  But, I thought it would be a nice way to spend a little time, and when our friends said that they watch the show, then it became a  must and was added to my touring plan sheet.  It was totally enjoyable!  It was fun and the venue was very comfortable.  This is one that we will be adding to future touring plan itinerary sheets.

2. Night of Joy: (Magic Kingdom)
    We tried to do this one during our Sept. 2009 visit.  But I came down with something, and we decided not to do it.  It was being held at the Disney Hollywood Studios then, but now was moved to the Magic Kingdom.  I wasn't sure what it would be like, but we love contemporary Christian music, and a few of our favorites were performing (Jeremy Camp & Francesca Battistelli).  Our friends also enjoy the music, so we all bought our tickets on-line and attended the Friday night event for our big finale of the trip.  It was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  We went in a little early and enjoyed some attractions before lining up for the concert.  We got hit with a huge rain storm, but hid out on the Carousel of Progress until it slowed down and eventually stopped.  From some of the tales told on various Disney group sites, we thought we might be swallowed up by hordes of mischievous teens, but it was not anything like that!  Other than a group of screaming girls on the Haunted Mansion, It was wonderful (even they added to the fun). The rain cooled things down, and the atmosphere was totally relaxed and fun. The rides had short lines, and the concerts were great.  Even the recorded music that was blasting as we walked around Main Street made me want to sing along (of course I tried to do it quietly so as not to ruin the trip for our friends).  You can be sure that our next Sept. trip that is scheduled around the Night of Joy time will include at least 1 night's ticket for the weekend event.

3. Kali River Rapids: (Disney's Animal Kingdom)
    Yup, that's right, we had never done Kali River Rapids at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  It was a warm day, the line was short, and we hopped in.  It was a blast... so much fun we had to do it again and queued up for a second trip.  The queue area is well themed too, much like Expedition Everest.  Our friends loved it, and so did we.  It's really well themed, and kind of exciting since you don't know who's going to get the wettest each ride.  Everybody gets wet, but some folks get DRENCHED... I was one of those folks.  I guess I asked for it, since I WANTED water from "the fountain of youth"!

4. Sum of all Thrills: (Epcot)
      Having heard so much about this new attraction inside of Innoventions East, I put it on our attractions list.  After leading us to the wrong side of Innoventions, we found it and hopped in line.  It looks a little intimidating as you see the giant robot arm swinging people around with their legs and feet flailing around, and our friends weren't sure they wanted to try it.  But after the cast member explained that you can control the intensity of the ride (that you design yourself!), they hopped in line with us.  It was a hoot.  Mrs. Boxing Guru and I designed a pretty mild ride with just a few big drops and curves, no upside down loops.  It turns out that our friends made a very similar bobsled ride too.  We'll do it again, and will probably design a much wilder ride next time.


5. Town Square Exposition Hall: (Magic Kingdom)
    When we entered the Magic Kingdom for the Night of Joy (our final night), I saw that there was only a 10 minute wait at the new Expo Hall to meet Mickey and Minnie, so we hopped in line and were led almost immediately into the room to meet and take pictures with WDW's star couple.  It was so much fun We didn't feel rushed, in fact we felt very welcomed as one of the cast members noticed our shirts (WDW Radio & WDW Today Podcasts) and commented on them.  It turns out that Josh is a regular contributor to both the WDW News Today and Inside the Magic Podcasts

   
6. Behind the Seeds Tour:  (Epcot)
      This was our first tour of any kind, and I think that Behind the Seeds is a great way to start.  It was another highlight of the trip for me.  To be taken back into the Living with the Land attraction really makes you feel like a true "V.I.P."  Our tour guide Britney was outstanding.  You could tell that she really loves what she does, and it was so interesting to be learning about things as ride boats glided by us.  Now, every time we take a ride on the Living with the Land boat ride at Epcot, we'll be remembering our tour Behind the Seeds.

  

A couple of others were not really firsts for us, but were firsts in their new form.  Star Tours - The Adventures Continue (aka- Star Tours 2) was a great ride.  The 3D effects and new and changing story line has spiced up the attraction.  Just as exciting as the original Star Tours, but spiffier. It's a wild ride that we had to do twice.  And The Enchanted Tiki Room has returned in a form much closer to the original that Walt designed.  No more Iago bird screaming at you throughout the show, just those talented singing birds and flowers taking you on a relaxing and colorful experience.  Thank You WDW for bringing them back!

   The beauty of Walt Disney World as a place to vacation, is that there is always something new to experience. We have a long list of things that we plan to do on future visits, but these are a few that were checked off on this last trip.  

   Did our friends get infected by the "Disney Virus"?  That remains to be seen.  But for us it was a great "Booster Shot"!

    

  

THE PEOPLE YOU MEET

   There are lots of reasons for traveling nearly 3000 miles round trip as often as we do, from New Mexico to WDW in Orlando, Florida. The great rides & attractions, the fantastic resort hotels, the parades, nightly fireworks spectaculars, out of this world dining options, and all the rest. But there is one thing that usually happens, and it can't be planned for. The people we meet! It seems that every time we go to Walt Disney World, we make new friends, and meet people who we remember for the rest of our days! I'm not one who likes to break the ice with new people. I'm quiet, and like to keep to myself most of the time. But for some reason, when I get a sip of water from my Disney Fountain of Youth , I become a little friendlier, a little less guarded. Maybe because I'm more relaxed. Maybe it's just the vibe being given off by the other happy people who are full of wonder about what lies ahead on this trip. I don't know exactly what it is, but where as I would hardly make eye contact with strangers back home, here, I am open to meeting new people, and since people come from all over the nation and the world, it can be a fascinating experience each time. We've only become "disney-fied" for a few years now, but we already have a whole list of neat people that made a mark on our disney memory banks. Here are a few of them...

   "Mr. Alfredo":  On our trip in Sept. of 2009, we spent Labor Day at "the town that Disney built" - Celebration, FL. We rented a car from a place in Kissimee, so they sent a shuttle van to pick us up at the Port Orleans Riverside. The driver pulled up and we asked him "are you here for us?" and he said (in a THICK Hispanic accent) "Yes, you are my people, hop in!". On the short drive from WDW to the rental car station, he shared his life story with us! He was originally from Peru, he was a taxi driver in NYC, his kids lived in Chicago, and he loved his job as the shuttle driver for the rental car company. We told him where we were from, and it's like we were life long friends. We talk about "Mr. Alfredo" all the time when something happens that reminds us of him.

   Bruni:  The agent at the rental car center was also very nice, and she was from Germany. Bruni was as friendly as she could be, and we enjoyed talking with her for a while. She gave us directions to Celebration and told us about some of the things in the area that we might enjoy. Such a nice lady. Again, we remember her often.

   The Family from Toronto, Canada:  While waiting for the bus we met a family from Toronto, Canada. They were of Indian or Pakistani decent (I think), and it was their first time at WDW, so they were asking us questions about Walt Disney World. I think that's all the nudge I need from anyone, just ask me about Walt Disney World, and you've stepped in it! I'll open up and share all that I know. When we got off of the bus, we wished them a great trip, and they did the same. A few days later, we were walking by the Rose & Crown in Epcot, and there they were! The parents were resting on a bench while the kids were off exploring. We asked them about their trip, and they said they were having a great time. We didn't even get their names, but we often remember "Our friends from Canada"!

The Wife of the Disney Tech Guy:   In Jan. of 2011, we did a trip with our Daughter, Son-in-Law, and 15 Month old Grand Daughter. We babysat while Mom & Dad went to Downtown Disney. They called and wanted us to meet them there, so we got the baby gear ready and headed out to the bus stop at Kidani Village. While we were waiting for the DTD bus, a lady was waiting with her baby daughter who looked about the same age as our Grandy. We were laughing at the two sleeping babies, and started up a conversation. It turns out that her hubby is some kind of tech specialist with Disney, and while he was working, she got to explore the theme parks and resorts! They are from Seattle (I think), and this was her first time at Walt Disney World. The bus ride to Downtown Disney went by fast as we talked about all things Disney.

   Disney Cast Members can also make a mark on our trips too. Like the woman at the check in desk at Port Orleans Riverside who tried to get through to the rental car company, but just couldn't seem to get through by phone. She told us to go ahead and enjoy our day, and that she would make sure to get through and verify that they were coming to get us (Mr. Alfredo!). When we got back to our room, there was a message on our phone, and she had made contact, and everything was set! She was great. 

  There have been others too. Enthusiastic and cheerful bus drivers, helpful servers at the restaurants, even the luggage handlers while we waited for the Magical Express to come and get us. Really too many to remember. But the people that we meet each trip are a part of the "magic" of our WDW (& Disneyland Resort) visits!

   Of course, not everyone is going to be a positive experience, that's for sure! But, I guarantee, for every one "Grumpy Gus" or "Sour Puss Sally", there's ten wonderful people with cheerful attitudes, and fascinating stories and lives to share! Courteous gestures that can really make your day.
  
  This is what you get when you water your lawn with water from the Disney Fountain of Youth!

My Favorite Disney Websites

Back in April I wrote about my 9 favorite Disney Podcasts.  This time I'd like to share my top 5 Disney Websites.

Some are informational for the Disney commando planners out there, and some are just for fun.  I guess I should do individual blogs for the "Planning" sites, and the "Fun" sites.  Maybe in the future, but since I'm pressed for time... here are my 5 faves right now:

1. DISNEY DISPATCH (http://www.disneydispatch.com/)  
     This is my favorite right now, not because I write a column there (Disney Tale of the Tape), but because it is so unusual from any other disney website I've found.  Editor Bob McLain has a good thing going here, with some great writers, and some actual Disney Legends writing columns here!  Rolly Crump, Tom Nabbe, and Charlie Ridgeway all have columns here, and it's fascinating to hear from the actual imagineers & legends.  There are also other disney insiders including producer/podcaster- Jeff Heimbuch and co-owner of Mouseketrips (Disney only Travel Agency)- Keith Anderson.  There is fascination for everyone here, information, opinion, tips, and so much more.  I'm honored to be among the writers in this group.

2. ALL EARS (http://www.allears.net/)
     When it comes to planning a Disney World or Disneyland trip, nothing beats the seemingly endless information offered by All Ears!  There is information and descriptions of everything in all of the parks.  Rides, Shows, Resorts, Dining, I mean this site has information on everything.  Sometimes I like to do a "virtual WDW trip" by just browsing the pages of Allears.net.  A great asset to all who love disney.

3. TOURING PLANS (http://www.touringplans.com/)
     I would never dream of trying to plan a trip to Walt Disney World without first consulting touringplans.com.  It is the site that works hand in hand with the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (the book), and has all of the planning strategy you will need for a commando raid on Walt Disney World.  Even if you are an experienced veteran who doesn't need the touring plans offered here, the crowd calendar is a valuable weapon in any trip planning arsenal.  It also has some great blogs which offer great tips. Part of the site is free, and for a nominal fee you get "The Whole Enchilada" and believe me... it's worth EVERY PENNY!

4. WALT DISNEY WORLD FOR GROWNUPS (http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/)
     Well, after all, this IS the "Disney Fountain of Youth" blog, so naturally, it's supposed to be aimed at "grownups", so this website is one of my favorites.  It is loaded with tips and articles that adults can really enjoy before heading to The World or in between trips.  Plenty of WDW news that is of interest to all age groups, but especially those of us in the "Fountain of Youth" category!

5. UNOFFICIAL VISITOR'S GUIDE TO PORT ORLEANS RIVERSIDE & FRENCH QUARTER (http://www.portorleans.org/)
     This may seem like kind of a strange choice for #5 of all the WDW & Disneyland websites out there, but for anyone who has ever stayed at either of the Port Orleans resorts, or plans to stay there, this is a wonderful website!  It's filled with information about the entire resort, and has some great forums for fans with questions or who just want to express their opinions about the resorts.  Check it out, and I think you'll agree... you'll probably be wanting to stay there on your next visit!

   Those are just 5 of my favorites.  There are plenty more, and I'll probably go with 6-10 in a future posting.  Check these out and let me know what you think!

   Also check out:  www.disneydispatch.com/content/columns/disney-tale-of-the-tape/
                             The Disney Tale of the Tape for some fun "Matchups" of things Disney!

If I was King of the Imagineers

I guess everyone thinks they would make a great Disney imagineer.  I suppose anyone who has enough creative imagination to appreciate the attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort's theme parks would have some great ideas stored up in their heads that will never be realized.  If sorcerer Mickey would tap me on the head with his wand and give me the power to make changes here are a few things I would try:

1)  A "Dry" version of Kali River Rapids.
   I would install a "Wet" line an "Dry" Line.  Much like Mission Space has the "Orange" and "Green" lines for spinning.  The wet line would be "as is", and you would get SOAKED each time out.  The "Dry" line would feature enclosed ride vehicles which would have a clear top so that you could enjoy the sights and the turbulence of the rapids but the water would just splash on your windows and you would stay dry!

2) A Plussed version of Tomorrowland Speedway.
   The Tomorrowland Speedway would have tunnels which would feature audio animatronic characters.  I just think this would be a great addition.  Drivers would look forward to each tunnel coming up ahead.  The cars would have a spotlight on the passenger side so the passenger could search around in the darkened tunnels.  Bats, Mountain Lions, Vultures would be among the menacing creatures among the rocks in one tunnel, while Fairies, and other characters would appear in other tunnels!

3) A "Chicken" Version of Tower of Terror.
   For people like me, who don't like "drops"... this would be a great addition!  It would take you through the ENTIRE ride with everything except the big drop sequence.  It would probably have very short lines!

Those are just 3 changes I'd make.  I'm sure there will be more to come.  Do you have any ideas?
  

My Disney Podcast Library

There are lots of elements in the water of my Disney fountain of youth. And a big part of the makeup of these nourishing waters is Podcasts. For a guy who was still taking a cassette tape player to work each day with headphones and a box of cassette tapes, being given an iPod nano for my birthday was a little scary, but with the help of my modern Daughter and Son-In-Law, I was able to get it all set up, and start looking for things to load it up with. Of course, some selections from my extensive music library filled a few gigs. The rest is devoted to my favorite Disney podcasts. I look forward to hitting the refresh button at iTunes and seeing the titles of the newest episodes from my line-up of fun and information from these Disney Gurus. I had as many as 16 Disney podcasts lined up for import, but a few shut down, and of those that were still going strong, I found that I just can't listen to them all, so I trimmed my library down to my favorites and that left me with 9 dynamite podcasts. Here's a short review of the 9 podcasts that made the cut:

#9 - WDW FAN BOYS PODCAST:  Tim, Bret and Paul are like a pack of wild disney dogs!  Nothing is sacred with these guys, and anything can happen.  The result is a guaranteed laugh (or at least chuckle) every time out.  This is the podcast that sits in the back of the bus and shoots spit wads at the driver.  These guys get a little out of control every now and then, and that makes me grateful for ear buds (rather than speakers)!

#8 - BETAMOUSE PODCAST: The self proclaimed "Geekiest disney podcast on the planet" is just that.  The technical side of this podcast sometimes goes over this old guys head, but host Henry Work is so cool, and his guest hosts Jeff, Nate, Scott, and Katie add a lot of personality and knowledge to the show.  Even though I don't know what the heck they're talking about 1/3 of the time... it makes me WISH I was a techie!  It's always a fun trip through disney's worlds through the eyes of true techno-geeks.

#7 - THE WDW NEWS TODAY PODCAST:  Tom Corless is the host of this informative podcast and he rules with an iron hand.  His guest hosts better come correct to these proceedings, because "Iron Tom" will call them on anything he doesn't agree with.  It's always fun to hear this group pontificate on the latest agenda.  I see this podcast as "WDW Fan Boys Podcast...all grown up".  All though they get a little rowdy every now and then, it's a lot tamer than the fan boys, but just as much fun and just as informative.

#6 - MAGICAL DEFINITION PODCAST:  Hosts Nathan Rose & Jim Hill really have a good thing going here.  The information contained in this podcast is always fascinating, and Nathan seems to dig down and bring out the knowledge of Jim Hill in a great mix of opinion and info.  It's not just Theme Park & Resort news, but they also hit on the movies as well as the business side of the disney empire.

#5 - WEDWAY RADIO:  These are the "Nice Guys" of the disney podcast universe.  Brothers Nate & Matt Parrish are the main hosts of this down home podcast.  It's what I would call "easy listening" disney podcast style.  Lots of colorful recollections from trips that these guys have made to Walt Disney World.  They often bring on co-hosts Jeff, Lynn, & Reilly who all add lots of Disney World and Disneyland information and stories.  It's a casual and soothing trip down disney lane.  These are the guys that wouldn't make fun of you if you said something dumb on their show.

#4 - INTERCOT INSIDER LIVE: The Levelbest network brings you one of the most professional sounding podcasts around.  John Yaglenski is the lead voice of this group along with panelists Ian, Gary & Melanie.  This is another mellow sounding round table style show which features lots of great opinion and information from all things disney.  Informative, challenging and entertaining are the three components that keep me coming back and have helped this podcast move to the top of my list.

#3 - BE OUR GUEST WDW TRIP PLANNING PODCAST:  Of all of the podcasts I listen to, this one comes the closest to making me feel like I'm on an actual visit to Walt Disney World.  You can feel the excitement and enthusiasm in the voice of host Mike Rahlmann.  His co-hosts Deb, Pam, and Rikki join in and the fun level goes sky high!  Trip Planning, Theme Park info, tips, lots of laughs and more.  This podcast never fails to get me anxious for the next WDW trip.

#2 - THE WDW RADIO SHOW:  Starring "The Lou" Mr. Lou Mongello.  This guy is a one man show.  He's an author, producer of the Disney audio guide series, publisher of Celebrations Magazine, hosts a great youtube channel, and more.  A literal walking encyclopedia of disney knowledge.  This is the most informative show around.  He has lots of great guests and topics, but the best of the best when it comes to special guests is the one and only Jim Korkis - disney historian and author of The Vault of Walt.  When Lou and Jim get together I can't get enough.  There's a new fact or piece of information around every corner of their conversations.  When it comes to disney news, trivia and information, no one person is in the know like "Mr. Lou"!

#1 - WDW TODAY:  These guys are "The A-Team" (I don't know which one of them would be Mr. T) of the disney podcast experience!  I could listen to these guys all day long (and sometimes do).  The perfect balance of wit, sarcasm, playful ribbing, information, opinions, disney news, tips and everything else.  I don't know how it happened, but the perfect team was assembled here.  The leader of the pack is "Mr. Disney Hollywood Studios" Matt Hochberg often playing the role of straight man, and the apparent task master of the bunch.  Len Testa is the technical wizard, and is the co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World touring books.  He's the aparent "go to" guy when questions get tough, and he usually comes through with an answer.  Mike Newell is the man behind Mouseworld Radio, and is the music master (among other things) of the bunch.  "Ol' Man" Scopa (Mike Scopa) is a feature writer for Allears.net and is always good for a laugh or two in every episode.  He's great because he KNOWS what he's talking about... and adds an "R" to the end of everything!  You gotta' love him!  Also featured is "The Fabulous" Annette Owens, who, I don't know why, but is on almost every episode, but isn't listed on the website.  Kinda' like "Shemp" of the Three Stooges... He WAS a "Stooge" but never got the recognition he deserved.   Yeah, kinda' like that!  The 5 of them mix well and make for the most entertaining disney podcast around.  They have a knack for coming up with some very creative and fun topics, and the listener questions episodes can't be beat! I still have trouble telling Mike Scopa and Mike Newell apart by their voices (although I have learned to listen for the "R" at the end of everything from Scopa!) but does it really matter?  These 5 people bring a smile to my face EVERY episode, even if there are only 2 of them on any particular show, it's still quality.  If I could spend a day at WDW with anyone in the disney podcast universe... these would be them!

If you know of any other great WDWor Disneyland podcasts that I may be missing, please let me know.  I need to make it an even 10 on my podcast library list!