coming soon (hopefully): new layout.

I've been working on my design skills over the past couple of months, and suffice to say, I have improved greatly since I made this crap layout. I'm in the middle of designing a brand new one. I had one fleshed out and almost ready to go...but then I realized I really hated it, so I'm starting over.

Here's a taste of what's to come (this weekend maybe??):




So keep your eyes peeled.

And as for Episode 6? Well, Ellie, Nan and I have been so busy with school, it's not even funny. So...we're thinking sometime later on in October. Maybe a special Halloween release? A Halloween Photoshoot (because we're that bored)? TRICK OR TREATING AT DAVID B'S?! There is a ton in store, so stay tuned. :D

Thanks for your support!

Episode 5 up!

Yup, that's right - Episode 5 is up. A little late than expected, but nevertheless, released. We hope you all enjoy - we had a lot of fun making it!

Thanks for your support!

EDIT: If you're experiencing any sound quality issues (aside from that god-awful cheap mic-induced screechy noise that sometimes occurs), please comment here or email us!

the day you've all been waiting for...

...is almost here! Tomorrow at around 12:00 midnight EST (so I suppose for us, it's technically Saturday...) a brand-new episode of cool, refreshing zima will be released. So get psyched, people. Thank you for your support and patience!

paypal

A certain fan named Kim emailed us encouraging us to make a paypal account. I had this epiphany - why did I not think of this before?! It's pure genius.

In any case, we now have a paypal account through which we can receive generous donations from people just like you! All proceeds will go to enhancing the quality of the podcast/site.

So what are you waiting for? Donate today!

some news + new poll

Hey guys, sorry we've been so scarce this summer. You have no idea how much we've wanted to get together and do Episode 5. But alack. We've each been busy with our own respective craps, and it seems like whenever two of us are free, one is away.

We're all hoping that sometime soon after August 22nd we'll have time to record Episode 5 before school starts up again. I'm fairly certain this will happen, so I hope you guys can hang on until then. :D

Also, new poll. Check it out and vote away! We're all interested in what you guys think. And to further your knowledge pre-voting, here is a sample of something I whipped up a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if Nan, Ellie and I have really agreed on what we're doing yet - this is merely speculation at this point. We haven't really had a good sit-down talk about it.



As I said, this is just preliminary. But I thought maybe a little mock-up would help with the voting.

Anyway, thanks for your support, and look forward to the next podcast within the next couple of weeks!

CRZ worldwide!

This is just for reference and, it is rather interesting. This is a list of countries I've seen access the feed (I can see live hits via feedburner). If you're a fan, and from a country not on this list, please comment here and I'll add you. <3

Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
China
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary
Ireland
Israel
Luxembourg
Mexico
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
Turkey
United Kingdom
United States
Uzbekistan

a couple of randomesque notes

Hola amigos. First of all, thanks so much for your feedback! We've been getting more emails recently after the release of Episode 4, and that's been really nice - we love hearing from you guys. We also, obviously appreciate the comments and voting, so thanks a lot.

Speaking of voting...well...let's just say I'm not an idiot. Now, I'm not going to name names (or in this case, places), but I check all of the IP addresses that come in, and check for multiples. You know, like poll spammin'. And I'm not just talking about voting "holy crap you suck beyond all considerable belief" 8000 times. Even if you vote "I shall evermore bow in your holy name" 8000 times I'll be forced to take action. So let's just say for the record that henceforth all poll spammers will be sentenced to a nice IP blocking curtosy of yours truly. So there is your warning, people. You know who you are. Heed it.

In other news (or perhaps lack thereof) The status of Episode 5 at the moment is currently unknown. Nan is off being all film-y at the moment. For a month. So as it's looking now the next episode will probably created and subsequently released sometime in mid to late August, at best. In any case, Ellie and I will try to keep you all entertained for the next month and a half - we have a few plans up our proverbial sleeves, so stay tuned!

P.S. A awesometacular "thanks" to whomever put us on Whedonesque.com again - that was vair nice of you, and I believe it also contributed to a small surge in the mail of the E variety.

Episode 4 is up! Finally!

So sorry about the delay there. Trust me, there was no one who wanted it up more than I did. Please let me know if there are any issues. I sort of went about it differently this time, so hopefully it works.

In any case, please enjoy!

Chat with us (on AIM)!

Hey all! What I'm about to explain will probably seem really confusing, as it's hard to describe. And my brain isn't working. But whatever.

We've (sort of) decided to do this scheduled chat thing where we sign on AIM at a certain time, set up a little chat room dealio, and you guys are all on, and you can ask us questions, or we can just chat. It's going to be on the day we record episode 4 (tentatively scheduled for next Tuesday). We'll announce the time later, as I have to talk with my fellow podcastingmates. Anyway, since it's going to be on the day we record episode 4, who knows? Maybe a question you ask or topic you bring up will end up on the podcast? :O You never know...

In any case, get psyched. And tell your Buffy-loving friends to join us, as it'd be pretty mortifying to sign on and have no one be there, lol!

And by the way, our AIM screen name is NotSoEvilTrio. We (or one of us) may be on at random times (not just the scheduled chat), so keep a look out, eh? :3

EDIT 05/31: By the way, there is a new poll! So go vote, OK?

Common Rotation: The Big Payback.

Hello, all, this is the long-awaited post from your humble slave to the Zima, Trio Member #2 or 3, Ellie! I am writing to give a little outside perspective to Buffy actors, namely the incredibly talented and incredibly attractive Adam Busch. As you know, because you are all faithful and avid Buffy obsessors, Adam has been in the folk-rock (if that describes it) band Common Rotation for about 10 years now.

Common Rotation is comprised of Adam Busch (lead vocals, harmonica, accordion, xylophone...more on this later), Eric Kufs (singer-songwriter, guitarist), and Jordan Katz (trumpeteer, guitarist, and wicked banjo player). They recently toured the USA and the UK by visiting fans' living rooms and playing there. This "Living Room Tour" has been captured on film by Peter Stass, and will be coming out as the documentary "Close to Home" soon. (see later) Their music centers around such themes as social revolution, religion, the government, love, loneliness, taxes, and ice cream. And I'm not joking here. This is truly a great band.

Anyway, all three of the Trio members are immersed in some level of Common Rotation love. I happened to be lucky enough (and obnoxious enough to push the issue a little far) to go to one of Common Rotation's concert. It was actually the first concert of their new tour, the recently-nicknamed "Exxon/Mobil Running on Empty" CoRo spring-thru-fall tour that has been stirring up controversy and fangirl nonsense throughout the coasts of America.

The event took place in the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia......Mississippi....on May 17th, and I live to tell the exciting tale. Well, I won't ramble about it for too much longer before sharing my fabulous pictures, but I would like to say that the band was unbelievable. For three guys who were "pretending we havent just woken up in the van half an hour ago", I was blown away. There were about 12 people there, and I was sitting at a table right next to the stage, so as to properly freak out Adam by staring at him for 2 hours straight. After a bit of Eric Kufs wandering around at the bar and me salivating, the set began with their anti-corporate acoustic number "Clear Channel", in which Adam played a fabulous accordion. Such an underrated instrument. They then performed their satirical anti-anthem, "Indie Rocking", during which Adam kept everyone (or at least me) cracking up. He enjoys backing up about 10 feet from the microphone and then pouncing on it, by the way, which is an awesome thing to witness. Also, in between phrases he would shout things like, "That's a strong accusation, I'd better back it up with something really melodious!". At the chorus he yelled, "Choreography!" and all three members began to hop in unison.

Truly genius.

Then, as Eric tuned the guitar, Adam asked for any requests. Some stupid people shouted out "Fortunate" and "Oklahoma". And then me, being also a stupid person, shouted "Complex", and Eric actually considered that one before saying..."Mmmmmm....hmmmmnnnn....nnno." Eric is an odd man. He's very tan, too, as you will see later. But damn, can he play guitar! Color me impressed.

The rest of the set was out of this world, including numbers such as "Gone Dyin", "True Hollywood Romance", "Afterthoughts", a xylolphonic "Before It Takes", "Everything Under the Sun", an "Offstage Lines" that had the most rocking trumpet solo I've ever witnessed in my existence, "92 Mikes", "How to Lose", a "Given Signs" that literally brought tears to my eyes, "Satan is Real/Satan No", "Union Dues", "Belfast" (of course, I sang, which was awesome - audience participation is a grand thing), great new number "Smile And the Whole World Leaves With You", and a bittersweet closing with "Pawn". [Sorry, I'm doing this from memory...too bad there was no setlist to steal.]

After the set I rushed the table to buy my proud CoRo merchandise from Jordan Katz, who is pretty much an awesome man. I picked up a "Union Maid" shirt and the new Common Rotation song/tablature book (BUY IT TODAY!!) chatted with him about crew and whatnot as he waited for someone to bring me my change. I asked him about the documentary, and he said, "Ask Adam!". And in a few moments Adam Busch meandered over, pulling out a wad of money to pay me back with! Which was very exciting, as this meant that I now owned a five-dollar bill which had once belonged to Adam himself. And as I'm standing there awkwardly, clutching my new possessions and staring at Adam, Jory's like, ask about the documentary! So I say, "Oh, yeah, when's the documentary coming out?!". Adam sort of grinned and said, "Um..it's in editing...soon!". (I thought he said "June", so I was like "June! Yes!" and then Jordan made fun of me.) Then I nudged Jordan - for some reason I'm not as starstruck and terrified of him as I am of Adam and Eric - and asked for a picture. So we all stood there, and I almost got to be next to Adam, but then Eric was all like, yeah, I'll come in the picture in between Ellie and Adam! Damn you...oh well, I love Eric. And then I wrapped my arm around Eric - who is rather muscular - and grinned my silly face off, and I was immortalized as the silly fan girl between Jordan and Eric in what has become my favorite picture of all time.

Anyway, after congratulating them on kicking ass, I departed with a little dance that would have been embarassing if I wasn't simply floating on Cloud 9000000. And there ends the tale of May 17th, the day I met Common Rotation. Of course, they messaged me on MySpace later, which is also totally neat, but they're just splendid people like that.

And here we have pictures! I know you're excited. If you haven't fallen asleep by now.

Adam and Eric performing their first song, "Clear Channel":


Adam and Accordion...a beautiful sight to behold:


Adam indie rockin' with the blurriness of the cam:


Adam Busch and Eric Kufs, ladies and gentlemen:


Common Rotation:


Eric wondering why the hell my flash is on, and Adam happily oblivious on his harmonica:


*sigh*:


"Nowadays xylophones are so high-tech...they just don't make xylophones like they used to..." - Adam


The tablature/song book, which you can purchase here


And the picture you've all been waiting for: Jordan Katz, me, Eric Kufs, and Adam Busch:

Yes, I look really shiny, and pale, and generally strange-looking, but you'll just have to accept that and admire the greatness of the guys.

So that concludes my rave about Common Rotation. If you're interested, because you're a hardcore folk opportunist, you want to commiserate about gas prices and Eminem, or you just love Adam Busch from Buffy, you should visit the website here and see what the band is about. They're returning to the World Cafe Live this Thursday, June 1st, and I encourage everyone to try and make an appearance, unless you live in Germany, as most of our fans seem to be doing nowadays. Common Rotation is worth it. They're smart, they're funny, they make great music, and they want your support. Really, people, Common Rotation may just change your life.

And if not, you're lame.

Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for more updates about when the Not-So-Evil Trio of Slackers will return for Episode 4 of Cool Refreshing Zima. First we have to all fail our exams! Then, back to the real priorities, like rocking the world of podcasting and dominating the world.

Lots of love,
Ellie

just another update

I want to apologize for our absence recently; exams are happening, and all three of us have been uber busy recently.

HOWEVER~

There is good news. We are planning to record Episode 4 right after exams are over and school's out. So expect it to be out around June 8th or 9th.

Thanks, yet again, so much for your feedback! We really appreciate it, and we hope to bring you more Buffy-filled fun as the days go on.

a little teaser

Here is a little teaser for some upcoming (hopefully) CRZ Blog Supplement stuff.

Enjoy! :D

CRZ Irregular-Intervally Poll

Hey all! As you may have noticed we now have CRZ Poll. Since we don't know how long we should leave it up for, we decided our polls will be updated with new questions at RANDOM TIMES~ *gasp*

So, please vote! :D

Prospects of Potential

So I'm sidetracking from Buffy for a moment to discuss a recent rumour that FOX acquired the rights to the anime/manga/franchise Sailormoon, and that they (FOX people I suppose), want Lindsay Lohan to star as Sailormoon (excuse me as I vomit on my keyboard), and Joss Whedon to write/direct (excuse me as I worship his holy name).

Now, let me just begin this with the fact that minus the whole Lindsay Lohan thing, this could have some serious potential. I've been a Sailormoon fan for 8 years now. I've read all of the manga (in English, and some in Japanese), seen all of the anime in English and Japanese, and I've seen the live action TV series shown in Japan back in 2003 (Pretty Guardian Sailormoon). Suffice to say, I feel I sort of have the creds to analyze the good, the bad, and the ugly of what this could turn into. If they look at past mistakes (DiC, Cloverway, Saban...the list goes on) and learn from these mistakes, they could avoid this turning into a giant Flop Beyond All Reason. Sailormoon has millions of fans across the world. Joss has millions of fans across the world. This can be a success - they just have to do it right. And I have faith in Joss. I really do. But he can't do it alone, and unwanted influence and ultimatums from the Probably - Severely - Lacking - Knowledge - in - the -Anime - Department People (a.k.a. FOX), could damage things. So, I've gathered some ideas out of the soup pot that is my head on what and what not to do, just to get it out there. And who knows? Maybe people out there can spread the word and perhaps the Powers That Be can see for themselves what the fans think (here's to Nonexistant Hope!).

Firstly, Joss Whedon must write and direct this film. No questions asked. I have an enormous amount of respect for this man, and seeing what he's done with Buffy (turning it from a flop movie to the greatest TV show ever created) and Firefly/Serenity (turning it from an amazing TV show on a crap network that didn't know what it was doing to an amazing and slightly more successful film), he can totally pull this off. So yeah. Joss all the way.

I mentioned this before, but no Lindsay Lohan. She's too...slutty and she has a bad image. And she's really just not right for this role. I feel that they should steer clear from huge stars and go to slightly lesser known people or complete unknowns. Maybe they could recruit someone good and famous for the villian (whomever that may be), but for the Senshi at least, no huge teen idols.

In order to make this movie a success you can't make it be a kiddie movie, like Spykids or something. Naoko Takeuchi did not intend Sailormoon to be like that. DiC tried the whole "making it kid friendly" thing back in the 90's and then look what happened. Males became females, episodes were cut and mutilated, meaning and plot was lost - the list goes on. Then, Cloverway came along, had no choice but to continue with DiC's original setup (for continuity), and made Haruka and Michiru "cousins." Gag me. Plus they didn't even dub the last season, leaving fans disappointed and a sense of incompleteness. And why did they not dub the last season? Well, Stars was a dark and somewhat controversial season, and they dug themselves into too deep of a hole to get out.
PG-13. That's what it should be. It should be comedic, because Sailormoon is a funny anime, but it should also be very dramatic, a bit angsty, and a little dark.

Now I'm not saying they should make it identical to the anime or manga or what have you. Each version of Sailormoon has its differences, and I like it that way. Plus it's a movie and thus the plotline has to be shorter than that of a season of television. However, it's important that they stay true to the characters and their personalities. If they include Zoicite, he is MALE. If they have Haruka and Michiru they are GAY. THEY ARE NOT COUSINS. In any case, there are endless ways to interpret the story of Sailormoon. PGSM, for instance, took it to a whole new level (Minako as an idol already, the conflict between Rei and Minako and the present life versus the past life, Dark Mercury, Sailormoon destroying the world, Kuroki Mio, etc.). That was good. PGSM was a really cool adaptation of Sailormoon. In addition, it prooves that you can do Sailormoon live action. This movie should be something new and fresh like that.

So they have two options here: film it in Tokyo and keep it more to its Japanese roots, or completely Americanize it and film it in New York. Now, I'm all in favor of interesting interpretations as I said before, but it's important to recognize that Sailormoon takes place in Japan. The characters are Japanese. There are some important culture things in there that the typical American wouldn't really "get," per se. That's my argument for filming it in Tokyo - to keep it to its roots. On the other hand, this is an American adaptation, so if they decide to go really radical, I think they should at least film it in a city similar to Tokyo, or the American equivalent to Tokyo. Thus, New York City.

They should not use the whole Magical School Girl thing to lure male viewers. Sure there is innuendo and that fun stuff, and sure the fuku should be cute, but SERIOUSLY PEOPLE. This isn't Japanese Fetish Porn or what have you. It's an American movie. Don't stray down the path of the Japanese business man.

As for some cool ideas, I'm thinking they should have some people from the Jossverse come in for a few major roles or at least for some cameos. Alyson Hannigan, for instance, could make a good Ami. Music-wise, I think Yoko Kanno (with Maaya Sakamoto) would be a great choice. She composes great music, and although she did not do the music for the Sailormoon anime or live action, she has a great track record, and depending on what the mood of the film is, I think she could do a great job. It would also go back to the film's roots as Japanese.

Overall, I think the prospect of having a Joss Whedon Sailormoon movie is pretty cool. If they listen to their gut, look at the past and learn from it, and do it right, then I'm all for it. I hope they go through with it.

CRZ plugged on Whedonesque

Thanks to Anna from Los Angeles for giving us the heads up in a wonderful "lovemail" that we were plugged on Whedonesque.com back on April 15th. For those who are interested, click here to check it out. And go comment people! Spread the word! :D

It's also good to note that we now have fans from not only the US and Canada, but also Germany and Australia. Isn't podcasting amazing? :P

We have a few new ideas in the works for our next podcast. I'm also hoping to add a blog-only supplement. More on what that will be in a later update. But for now, keep spreadin' the word! Thanks for your support!

vote for us please!

Hey all. While we are sort of preparing for our next episode, we are also working on moving up in the ranks among our friendly yet sadly not as good competitors (i.e. we want to be more popular. And yes that last part was supposed to be a joke).

Anyway, we are listed on many of the major podcast listing things online. As you know. Already. With the exception of the iTunes Music Store, we lack in votes/reviews (i.e. have no votes/reviews at all) on other sites that offer those aforementioned dealios such as Podcastalley.com, etc.

So vote for us please! And submit reviews to other sites you see along the way. See a site we aren't listed on? Please comment here or email us about it and we'll submit our stuff right away. :D

Thanks for your support!

we just keep going up!

I felt this was in need of some sort of update, so here is a graph detailing the feed and it's growing number of subscribers on a day-to-day basis. Or at least that's what I think it means.



In addition, we are preparing a new (and geniusly innovative) idea for the next podcast, so stay tuned. We hope to get that recorded and out within the next 2 weeks, although due to some unfortunate circumstances that involve bad math grades, the removal of my computers and a slightly unrealistic ultimatum, it is unsure whether this will come to pass or not.

Anyways, more updates to come, so stay tuned. Thanks for your support! :D

New Microphone!

Hey guys!

Today I finally got a new microphone, so hopefully this will solve our sound quality issues. Or at least some of them. I'm a little wary of this thing as it was rather cheap...a good 8 bucks with tax. I wanted a more expensive and professional-y one, but my father was like, "No, this will do!" Heh. So here's to crossing of the fingers.

It's pretty much definite that we're getting together on Thursday, so hopefully I'll be able to get the finalized mp3 to my friends to upload that day, since I'm leaving for Colorado the next day.

Thanks for your support!

the big 100!

Yesterday we reached 100 subscriptions!



Thanks so much for your support, and we're working hard on getting Episode 3 released before Spring Break (march 24). :D

production notice

Unfortunately due to conflicting schedules, the production of the 3rd episode has been pushed to next weekend. We are all pretty sad about it, but hopefully in the more time we have, we will be able to work on our notes to make it even better.

Sorry, and thanks for your support and patience!

-Erin