And Then a Hero Comes Along Mom shares a favorite song which inspires: "Hero," by Mariah Carey.

Random Fandom of the Week Amos Lee: We share our love of his music and discuss our trip to Austin, Texas to see him in concert.

Links: Official Website for Amos Lee, Fan Site and Blog for Amos Lee, Watch "Night Train" and "Seen it all Before" performed live at La Zona Rosa, Podcast by Amos Lee

Give A Little Bit Philabundance: Amos Lee performed at "The Tin Angel" on December 26, 2006 to benefit this Philadelphia Charity.

Livin' the Life in South Texas This year, we celebrated Christmas with a BBQ, prepared by the men of our family. Thanks, guys!

From PenPals to Podcasts Europa, PenPal Homepage: Search for penpals by language, location and interest.

In the News Joanna mentions Time's Person of the Year: You.

What's on the (You)Tube? Jon Stewart discusses Time Magazine's Person of the Year for 2006: You.

Have You Heard? We talk about a mysterious phenomenon: Armadillos Marching North to Illinois.

Funky Food Texas Recipe: Armadillo in Mustard Cream Sauce.

Holiday WrapUp We wish all of our listeners the Happiest New Year ever! We also share a Texas tradition, to serve Black-Eyed Peas and Rice for good luck on New Year's Day. Recipe: Hearty Black-eyed Peas and Rice Edible Bean Traditions: accounts from all over the USA about serving "Hoppin' John" on New Year's Day.

Random Fandom Feedback Thanks to everyone who contacted us this week!

Contact Us email: randomfandompodcastATgmail.com (replace AT with @) You can either email us, or leave a comment on the blog @ randomfandompodcast.com

Artist of the Week Artist: John Caspi Song Title: Spin Links: John Caspi's Official Website, MySpace Page, John Caspi at the Podsafe Music Network Thanks to John Caspi for generously allowing us to play his music on Random Fandom.

Subscribe to Random Fandom To subscribe to the Random Fandom podcast, add the following address to your RSS aggregator or podcatcher: http://feeds.feedburner.com/randomfandompodcast.

Or you may subscribe in iTunes by clicking here.

Labels: amos lee, Jon Stewart

A Holiday Message From Joanna One of my very favorite things is music, so, I wanted to share my thoughts and some holiday music with you all! Think of this as an audio holiday card from me to you! Wishing each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest holiday season ever! - Joanna

Two of My Favorite Holiday Songs Watch Jose' Feliciano perform "Feliz Navidad."

Watch Josh Groban perform "Believe."

Random Fandom Feedback Thanks to everyone who contacted us this week! Your thoughts and comments are most appreciated!

Contact Us email: randomfandompodcastATgmail.com (replace AT with @) You can either email us, or leave a comment on the blog @ randomfandompodcast.com.

Music Credits "A Fistful of We Three Kings," by The High Balls "Damnit, I'm Vixen," by Brian Beathard "I Saw Three Ships," by Dusty Hughes "Away In a Manger," by Mario Ajero "Do You hear what I Hear?," by Jill Parr "Grammy's House," by Jimmie Bratcher "Latke Clan," by The LeeVees "Robo Santas Commercial," by Peeper Radio Theatre "Here We Come A Caroling," by Doug Boldt "If Everyday Were Christmas," by Podsafe for Peace "The First Noel," by Mario Ajero "Fruitcake," by Cookie Cutter Girl "Doo'lit'Saa'Da (Another Silent Night)," by Douglas Spotted Eagle w/The Dine' Children's Choir

Thanks to each of these artists for generously allowing me to play their music on Random Fandom!

Subscribe to Random Fandom To subscribe to the Random Fandom podcast, add the following address to your RSS aggregator or podcatcher: http://feeds.feedburner.com/randomfandompodcast.

Or you may subscribe in iTunes by clicking here.

Labels: josh groban

The Journey: From Minnesota to Texas We discuss moving from Minnesota to Texas in 1987. Mom talks about her favorite Minnesota memories and Joanna chimes in with a few Texas tidbits.

Minnesota Links: Explore Minnesota, MnSpeak Entertainment Blog, Twin City Pages, How to Talk Minnesotan, KOZY Radio in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, USA Today:Get Hip to Minneapolis Slideshow.

Texas Links: Texas, It's Like a Whole Other Country, Visit Rockport, Corpus Christi Photo Tour and Video, Texas Through the Eyes of an Alaskan, Beautiful Texas Hill Country Photos, Charlie Robison, of Bandera, Discusses His Favorite Places and Things in Texas, Texas English: Lone Star Language, Listen to the "Texas Twang", Paolo Nutini's LoneStar Inspired Tattoo, Shiner's Bocktoberfest.

Give A Little Bit Mercy Ships: Bringing Hope and Healing.

Livin' the Life in South Texas The Coastal Bend is a Popular Destination for Winter Texans.

From PenPals to Podcasts Joanna talks about John Hodgman and his blog. Video: Hilarious commercial, with Jonathan Coulton, for Hodgman's book, "Areas of My Expertise."

Have You Heard? Joanna shares her love of Jonathan Coulton's music; and plays "Code Monkey." Links: Witty Tunes Are Jonathan Coulton's 'Thing', The Sound of Young America's Jesse Thorne Interviews Hodgman and Coulton, Listen to Jonathan Coulton Sing John Hodgman's List of Hobo Names

What's on the (You)Tube? Watch Bowling for Soup's video for "Ohio (Come Back to Texas)."

Word Play We talk about an interesting survey, which maps American's use of the pop vs soda in regional dialects. Joanna shares a related story from her short stint working in the fast food industry.

Funky Food We laugh about the Regrettable Food Gallery and recommend that you check out the photos and hilarious descriptions of the featured dishes.

Odd Jobs Mom describes a job she held for a short time in Minneapolis, cooking at a Boarding House.

Upcoming Shows Next week, Joanna will present a musical holiday show.

On December 20, we'll be attending Amos Lee's concert at La Zona Rosa in Austin, Texas. We'll share our experiences from the concert on the "Amos Lee" show in two weeks.

Random Fandom Feedback Thanks to everyone who left a comment or sent an email to us this week! All ya'll Rock! :)

Artist of the Week Artist: Brother Love Song Title: Summertime Links: Brother Love's Official Website, MySpace Page, Brother Love at the Podsafe Music Network Thanks to Brother Love for generously allowing us to play his music on Random Fandom.

Contact Us email: randomfandompodcastATgmail.com (replace AT with @)

Subscribe to Random Fandom To subscribe to the Random Fandom podcast, add the following address to your RSS aggregator or podcatcher: http://feeds.feedburner.com/randomfandompodcast.

Or you may subscribe in iTunes by clicking here.

Labels: John Hodgman, Jonathan Coulton

Light Your Candle B.B. Mama shares one of her favorite inspirations, a song by Twila Paris: Go Light Your Candle.

Adlai Stevenson says, in tribute to Eleanor Roosevelt: She would rather light candles than curse the darkness, and her glow has warmed the world.

Random Fandom of the Week Singer/Songwriter, Yusuf: Mom gives the latest updates on Yusuf and reviews his new album, "An Other Cup." Links: "An Other Cup" Official Website, Yusuf FAQ Page at Mountain of Light website, CBS Video Interview: Yusuf Islam talks to Mark Phillips , Transcript of the CBS Interview with Yusuf

Give A Little Bit We talk about the "Banker to the Poor," Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank.

The AudioPhile Reviews Joanna reviews one of her favorite podcasts, the Delta Park Project.

Two Shes in a Pod: News and Commentary on Podcasting Mom recommends a great resource for daily Podcasting News.

From PenPals to Podcasts: Communication in Many Forms Joanna talks about Jame's Blunts Official Blog.

Have You Heard? We laugh about a new study: Women talk three times as much as men.

Livin' the Life in South Texas We relate our experience and enjoyment of "cold fronts" blowing through South Texas. They are a welcome relief from our normal sauna-like weather conditions!

Nut of the Week Mom reads an article by Vanessa Santos-Garza: Naughty shoppers - Santa sees you, too.

What's on the (You)Tube? We talk about the song, "Little Red Ridin' Hood ," by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs. We also mention Sam Samudio's current website.

More videos: "Little Red Ridin' Hood" cover by Bowling for Soup, Monty Python's "Little Red Riding Hood.

ROTFLMAO Weird Al: White, nerdy, and here to stay. Links: Weird Al's MySpace Page, "White and Nerdy" Video, "Polkarama" Video, "Smells like Nirvana" Video.

In the News Doritos junkies hit jackpot as beached cargo container spills the goods.

Funky Food Cardullo's Gourmet Shoppe - Bugs: Crickets, Scorpions, Larvets & Ants: Someone bugging you? Bug them back with our Edible Bugs!!! Yes, they are real. Yes, they are edible. All animals are organically grown on a farm in California. You'll give people something new to say about California besides that it's a state of fruit and nuts!

Artist of the Week Artist: Piefinger Song Title: Keep Breathing Artist Websites: Piefinger's Official Website, Piefinger's MySpace Page, Piefinger at the PodSafe Music Network Thanks to Piefinger for generously allowing us to play their music on Random Fandom.

Contact Us email: randomfandompodcastATgmail.com (replace AT with @)

We love to hear from our listeners! Write to us and let us know of your random fandoms, who or what can you not get enough of, and why? Every week we'll include your fandoms on our show. Also, send any questions you have about us, and we'll answer them on the show. You can either email us, or leave a comment on the blog @ randomfandompodcast.com.

Subscribe to Random Fandom To subscribe to the Random Fandom podcast, add the following address to your RSS aggregator or podcatcher: http://feeds.feedburner.com/randomfandompodcast.

Labels: Cat Stevens, James Blunt, Weird Al, Yusuf

Tea and Coffee Chat This week, we take a break from our normal format to talk about our favorite hot beverages. Joanna reveals that Random Fandom is fueled by Chai Tea and Coffee.

We also chat about our some of our favorite herbal teas: peppermint, spearmint and chamomile.

To buy loose leaf herb teas by the pound, click here.

Livin' the Life in South Texas To celebrate Thanksgiving this year, we enjoyed a catered meal from one of our favorite restaurants, Bill Miller's BBQ. Check out their Holiday Food Menu and their Regular BBQ menu.

We also enthuse about Ben's cooking and hospitality. As promised, here are two of his favorite recipes: Green Bean Casserole and King Ranch Chicken.

What's on the (You)Tube? On Thanksgiving day, Joanna and her dad visited some of their favorite places on the Corpus Christi bayfront: Click here to download the video or click here to watch the video on YouTube.

From PenPals to Podcasts: Communication in Many Forms Joanna recommends a very cool podcast she just discovered, the ColganCast.

The AudioPhile Reviews B.B.Mama reviews NPR Song of the Day. Links: 'Heaven/Where True Love Goes' by Yusuf Islam, 'Night Train' by Amos Lee

Give A Little Bit Joanna promotes the Fisher House charity. Learn how this charity is helping a wounded soldier and his family in San Antonio.

Two Shes in a Pod: News and Commentary on Podcasting We discuss a new feature at the PodcastPickle, PodcasterTree. Click here to view the Random Fandom podcaster tree.

Odd Jobs B.B. Mama describes one of the many jobs she held in her youth, shearing Christmas trees in Oregon.

Have You Heard? We highlight Fast Food Nation, a new movie based on the book by the same title.

Funky Food B.B. Mama was intrigued to find a new recipe,Turkey Stuffing From White Castle.

Random Fandom Feedback At this Thanksgiving Season, we are very grateful to our listeners for your support and encouragement. Every one of you is special to us!

Artist of the Week Artist: Eoghan Colgan Song Title: Sunny Days Artist Websites: Eoghan Colgan's Official Website, Eoghan Colgan's MySpace Page, Eoghan Colgan at the PodSafe Music Network Thanks to Eoghan Colgan for generously allowing us to play his music on Random Fandom.

Contact Us email: randomfandompodcastATgmail.com (replace AT with @)

We love to hear from our listeners! Write to us and let us know of your random fandoms, who or what can you not get enough of, and why? Every week we'll include your fandoms on our show. Also, send any questions you have about us, and we'll answer them on the show. You can either email us, or leave a comment on the blog @ randomfandompodcast.com.

Subscribe to Random Fandom To subscribe to the Random Fandom podcast, add the following address to your RSS aggregator or podcatcher: http://feeds.feedburner.com/randomfandompodcast.

Labels: Eoghan Colgan