What is this thing called . . improv?

Our Host bounces almost all-the-way-back from throat surgery, thanks to the fearless intervention of the Amazing Betty . Then he unwittingly learns about something called "hyper-local" news with a representative of Patch.com.

Next we tackle the whole "improb" conspiracy, with writer/director and sometime improviser Patrick Flynn . After introducing a new marketing campaign for a major bovine charity known as "the Heffer ", we kick our reporter to the curb outside Baltimore's ultra-cool Atomic Books , to talk publishing with store manager Ben Ray (who is played in this sketch by his understudy) .

Special Guests:

Nathan Sterner (of WYPR ) as Mr. Fribble Patch Patrick Flynn (of UnknownPenguin.com ) discusses the topic of Improvisation Benn Ray of Atomic Books (as played by William Patrick Tandy , of Smile, Hon, You're in Baltimore ) The Amazing Betty of the Inverse Delirium Potcrust
Show graphic shamelessly adapted from this Stock Photo Flourish Frame webpage.

We'd like to assure you that your performance appraisal will be fair and balanced. Mostly.

Join us as we explore efforts to get a new addiction off the ground, and chortle to the sound of a 6-year-old comedian . We present a recording of an actual job appraisal , and report on a bit of so-called "news ". Finally, we present a clip from an upcoming science-fiction mepic movie, because we were too busy to watch it ourselves.

Special Guests:
Comedian Marshall Chiles (from Atlanta's Laughing Skull Lounge ) as our addiction inventor Aaron Henkin of WYPR 's The Signal conducting our job performance appraisal The Amazing Betty (who co-wrote the Performance Appraisal sketch) appears as Popular Blond Actress #7, Kelly Brilliant, and Computer
This show is dedicated to Ben Truslow and Ian Hesford.

Our show graphic comes from this Buzzle article . Bonus for iPhone and Droid apps: Mr. Delirium Appears at the Stoop Storytelling Series .

Who knew this day would ever come to pasture? 

The team puts together an anniversary event unlike any other in podcasting history! (we think) Our Second Anniversary show celebrates the homespun charm of Baltimore's Govans neighborhood with a parade , and you won't believe the many gratuitous name-drops of Baltimore fixtures like: the Music Workshop , the Senator Theater , the Adam & Eve Hair Salon ,  WYPR , and the Wendy's at Bellona/York.

With our special guests:
Tim Young as an announcer WomanTalk Live 's Ann Quasman  as herself The Amazing Betty as herself Marc Avon Evans (the famous singer) as him-or-her-self Nancy Graham as Drone Blondell WYPR 's Lisa Morgan and Nathan Sterner as themselves
Huzzah!! Hope you enjoyed this special Anniversary Show as much as we hope you did!

Graphic from this blog . Thanks, this blog !

What do relationships, game shows, and superheroes have in common? Webisode 41!

With more guest stars than ever before!
Jimmy Wilson as a rogue announcer Amazing Betty announcing a seminar Marc Avon Evans as our game show host MosNo and Dustin Pruitt as contestants Kathy Carson as the Woman and the Damsel-in-Distress Missy Smith as the Thug and the Cop Betsy Boyd as the Producer
We don't even have to say "y'all come" cuz everybody DID!

Our courageous podcast ventures into new territory when our first-ever guest star drops by for a visit. Then we listen in on a meeting about an "upgrade" to Smokey the Bear . In a final segment, we reminisce about Baltimore's jazz history with a local music legend, trumpeter Jimmy Wilson .

Special guests:
Novella Kourouma as Novella MosNo Al-Moseeki as Trevor Betsy Boyd as Cheryl The Amazing Betty as Alan Jimmy Wilson as Jimmy Wilson
Featuring excerpts from "The Loss" and "Trogz" from Jimmy Wilson's 1997 album Identity . Show graphic adapted from a typography dude's "Phylum " font.

We get right into the mix with news, a discussion about accepting compliments, and a segment on another spork sport we're not familiar with called "hockey". Then we take you behind our scenes, and then behind some other, highly-competetive scenes for a high-stakes voice-over audition!

Our special guests:
Comedian and writer Tim Young as Professor Tim Young Sports expert Milton Kent as Professor Milton Kent Kathy Carson , improv'er and comedian, in our Background Noise  The Amazing Betty and Rhys Welchman as the Auditioners
And special thanks to our extra-special over-the-moon (in june) guest star:  comedian, actor, and podcaster Kevin Pollak , who appears in our Audition sketch. Many thanks, K-Po!

Kevin Pollak will be appearing at Magooby's in Timonium, MD, March 8-10.

To coin a phrase: Yum!

We delve into the world of foodstuffs with a show that's delectable and delicioso! Learn about the importance of food with our rented expert, and about a young food bloggist with the young-food-bloggist in question. We also take a visit to a local chain restaurant: Ruby Red Evans. And thrill to the arrival of Nathan Lane 's one-ham show: Work wit'Me Heeah!

Special guests: Jimmy Wilson as our rented expert; Kathy Carson as Melvin Twiddle; the Amazing Betty making announcements, and in our Restaurant sketch, Missy Smith, Betsy Boyd, and Pam Spence. 

Show graphic from this lady 's tumblr account. Bonus (Apps only): Show script and original mix of Kid Blogger sketch.

Back from the very BINK of extunction, the mighty Inverse Delirium podcast rears back and prepares to mess with your head. And so say all of us!

In this, our first webisode of 2012, we take aim at the Occupied movement, with an exclusive secret recording from the executive boardroom of None of Your Business, Ltd. We also learn more about the topic from Washington insider, Kenneth Knott. And in a surprise interview, we meet the great state of Alabama.

Guest stars: standup comedian Alabama; WYPR's Nathan Sterner as Ken Knott; and in our 1% sketch were Milton Kent , Missy Smith, Erin McElvaney, Marc Evans, and MosNo. Egads!

Show graphic borrowed from this lib-com website .

We bring the year that was 2011 to a close with a look at the year that wasn't 2010.
Thrill as we recall global and local events Gasp as we remember the Year in InveDel Asphyxiate as we consider our future
All this and a couple of newsbreaks (one featuring our special guest Megan Wills) and lots of gratuitous namedrops!!

We thank you for your kind attention and participation. No, really, we do! Graphic from this payroll website.

The year approaches a close, as we crack open Webisode 35 and thrill to its charms!
A quick word about the GooGoo-GaGa tour An interview with Caleb Watchdog, a collector of noise A look at "booox" with our new English sister-podcast A brief commentary about the Grand Prix (Fixe) A wine-tasting A radio play by Poison Dart Playhouse: Taamar, Master of the Obvious!
Guest stars: Alabama as Caleb Watchdog, Marc Unger as Taamar, with Megan Wills and Brad Grachowski looking for answers to life's persistent questions.

Bonus gratuitous name-drops: Andrew Johnstone, Keith Richards, Lady GaGa, the GooGoo Dolls. Show graphic from this blog .

Let us now give thanks for the things we hold dear, as well as the things we hold, dear.

Our Thanksgiving show is a pip! After a brief look at a scandal in public radio, we learn more about that noble bird, the turkey, with our favorite SuperBirder, Karen Morley . Once she and her jetpack fly off into the night, we while away some time with WYPR 's Milton Kent , who tries to explain the pastime known as "foo-ta-baru". Then, with a brief look at a new crime wave, we settle on a chat with editor/publisher William P. Tandy (of Smile Hon, You're in Baltimore ).

Need we say more? Of course we needn't!

Graphic from this blog . And a merry Tanksgibbing to ye all!

Webisode 33 features an in-depth-charge report on something called the Charm City Roller . . . something. (our fax machine shut down halfway through a press release) So we devote all our considerable resources to the story, and get more than we bargained for!

Guest stars include: Alex & Dan of the comedy team Chucklestorm as our PC Improv'ers, and Amy Dugan and the Amazing Betty as our skaters.

Graphic from this design blog .

Just in time for Halloween, we take stock of the sad state of Monsters in our modern world. Where have all the proud cryptozoological-slash-mythical creatures gone? For good measure, we dive into the frigid waters of the Loch Raven  Reservoir  in search of  a fearsome beastie, and get less than we bargained for.

Also, an interview with Russian comedian Ray Romanov , and a new Catch Phrase  of the Week. And in a final flourish, we look at Clams .

Guests stars include: Marvelous Marc Unger  and the Amazing Betty .

And a Happy  Spooky  All Hallow's Eve  to all!

Hold on to your Diversity badge as we take a look at race, racier, and raciest. We're shooting for a Peabody with this one!

Our Host discovers that Baltimore is a majority Black city , and our reporter talks with a graduate of Morgan State University. Also, we obtain a recording of a phone conversation between the head of Pixar Studios and the actor Samuel L. Jackson.

Special guests: Marc Unger as an alternate-reality dweller; Marc Evans as our Morgan State samaratin, and Brooks Long as Samuel L. Jackson.

Webisode 30 has arrived.*

So let's take a look at a reclusive musical hit-maker, and spy on corporate America by hiding our handy digital recorder behind the scenes  in a random conference room. Then, let's listen in on a Crime in the Drive-thru Lane . And THEN, let us hear about a new album by a rising comedian, Jack Colby .

Guest stars: Dawyne Mozell as our elusive chart-topper, Pam Spence in the Drive-Thru Lane, and Michael J. Moran as Colby Jack.

Special guest star: Philip Proctor , an original member of the Firesign Theatre, as our Corporate Talking Head. (Mr. Proctor also contributed punch-up to the sketch)

Graphic from this webpage .

* Actually, numerically, Webisode 30 arrived a few shows ago, due to a printing error that we decided not to correct (because we were having too much fun).

What's not to love about Webisode 29? We take a look at human sexuality with Special Correspondant David Attenbollow , and hear about erotic movies for the Religious Right. Then we rip the lid off Podcast Squared by visiting its host (and his brother) in his palatial Bethesda estates. Finally, we run into singer/songwriter Sahffi at a local cafe, and hear about her new album.

Guest stars: Dawn Gillings as Kiri Laysum, the Amazing Betty (who helped with the David Attenbollow piece), podcasters Andrew Johnstone (of Podcast Squared) and Michael Johnstone (of No Call No Show), Donna A. Lewis (of the Reply Comic), and Sahffi.

The earth may quake and the winds may howl, but no force shall impede the emergence of the 28th webisode of our proud potcrust!

We take an ear-opening look at Scandal , as we stumble into a series of confessional press conferences , eavesdrop on some online daters , and stroll through Patterson Park with our reporter.

Guest stars: Marc Evans , Michael Johnstone , and Andrew Johnstone as our Politicians; Sahffi as the Mid-life Crisis lady; Michael J. Moran and Kathy Carson as Online Daters.

Show graphic comes from this blog . App Extras: Bonus sketch ("Novocaine") and show script.

We don't mean to get litigious, but here's Webisode 27: Legal Humor! Listen as we explore funny barrister subculture! Thrill to the sound of a microwave worst-case scenario! And gasp in amazement as our brave Host sits down for a tattoo!

Guest stars : Betsy Boyd (Baltimore Fishbowl ); the Amazing Betty ; Marc Evans ; Michael J. Moran ; Donna A. Lewis (Reply All comic strip )

Legal humor sites mentioned : Constance Camus' Divorce Jokes ,  The Billable Hour (law-related novelty gifts), LawHaHa.com , and Kevin Underhill 's Lowering the Bar .

Baltimore landmarks mentioned: National Aquarium ; Baltimore Brew ; Read Street Tattoo .

Show graphic is a combination of images from here and here .

Our efforts are slowly being recognized, and this show will, no doubt, hasten the rising acclaim!

In this show, our fearless Host consults the Manager of Poison Dart Studios on a matter of great personal import. Then our fearless Studio Manager interviews a hip, edgy, film-critique duo. You want more? How about an exclusive interview with friend-of-InveDel, singer/songwriter MosNo !

Guest stars: Shishir Sharma and Mohit Gupta as our film reviewers; Afram Al-Moseeki as MosNo the Magnificent, and Pam Spence as the elusive audio engineer, Connie .

Additional local name-drops: The Red Canoe bookstore cafe. Show graphic comes from a CNET review of headsets.

Our look at Comedy includes our first-ever long-distance interview with our first-ever nationally known quantity, comedian Jackie Kashian , as well as visits to the Maryland Historical Society to check the lyric sheet on our National Anthem.

Guest stars: Jackie Kashian of the Dork Forest podcast (who did a bit of punch-up on the Interview sketch), Sean Finn and Brad Grachowski (from the Indie Bookman Show ), and Dustin Pruitt .

Our graphic comes from a Hollywood memorabilia site called, amazingly enough, HollywoodMemorabilia.com .

Tragedy tomorrow, COMEDY tonite! Or Today, if you're going to get all bent out of shape about it. And please note that Jackie Kashian does NOT think men aren't funny in real life.

The podcast laureate of Baltimore returns from its computer-related troubles with a show chock-a-block full of guest stars! Hear us delve into the latest crop of Summer Mov ie Blockbusters, and listen in on a conversation between two house cats! And in our final segment, we delve deep into the  Kebob issue.

Guest stars: Daniel Bedell , host of the Baltimore Bedell podcast ; Samina Tariq , owner of Maiwand Kebob ; Bruce Goldfarb , journalist and grand poobah of the Welcome to Baltimore Hon! blogsite, and Megan Wills of the Baltimore Improv Group as the cat Ginger .

The show graphic is the flag of Afghanistan.

More fun and merriment as we investigate the state of the local outpost of the Red Menace!!!! (It's called Red Emma's , it's really nice!) Also, a fascinating interview with French "film star" Jean Reno , and Arts Reporter Anthony Lame intervews theater critic and author John Lahr about the Spiderman Musical debacle on old Broadway . PLUS: learn guitarist Tom Morello's guitar effects secrets!

Guest Stars: Sean Finn as the Guitar Ad Announcer and Amy Dugan as Wilhemina Tell.

Show graphic comes from a Flickr page with caricatures, although I found a really cool sketch of Jean Reno at the Deep Crispy Fried blog.

So nice to be back! We start off the new season of our slightly twisted podcast with a hard-hitting look at the state of Teeth in our fair(ly humble) city, Baltimore . Then we ride along with two of the city's finest , and at long last, reveal the True Identity of the Fifth Beatle!! Hold on to your teeth!

Guest stars: Sean Finn as Mr. Introductionist, and the comedy team known as Chucklestorm target='_blank' rel='nofollow' ( Alex Braslavsky and Dan Friedman) . (And in the Oversight Dept., Brad Grachowski also briefly appears!)

The show graphic comes from the uRefer blog .

Join us in celebrating our first Anniversary with a special show featuring music by The Little Big Band as our gift to you. Thank you so much for listening!!

We also learn about the Messenger orbiter that NASA sent to check out Mercury , the HOTTEST planet, hear varying definitions of "Outsider Art ", and catch up on a new Catch Phrase of the Week .

Featuring Marc Avon Evans , Kevin Jackson , and Chuck "the Madd Ox" Maddox performing two of their numbers live in Poison Dart Studios. Also starring Dustin Pruitt.

 You can find the Inverse Delirium APP for the iPhone and Droid . Show graphic comes from the JudyJudyJudy blog. Bonus content (apps only): New Hupdate sketch.

It's Horn-Tooting time for an achievement that was barely conceivable a year ago . . . just shy of our April 30th anniversary, the Inverse Delirium podcast hit 3000 total downloads. Not only that, but now there are TWO shows that have surpassed 200 downloads each: #6 (Jobs) and #9 (Celebrity).

Thank you! Merci! Buenos Dias! Varsågod! Wo ist die Bahnhof!?! Dos Vedanya! 放して!

Next stop . . . glory !

The graphic comes from the CRW Flag company based in fashionable Glen Burnie, Maryland.

Was thinking about the Host's voice , previously described as being partly modelled on Bob Edwards .

But soft, what voice through yonder mem'ry breaks!

There was another, more influential voice in NPR 's galaxy of stars: the redoubtable Noah Adams .

Whatta Voice! Adams , who sounds like he wears tweed jackets with elbow patches to bed, was the co-host of All Things Considered during the 80s, when I often heard him politely dispensing news or politely interviewing newsmakers. My parents were big NPR listeners and, thanks to WGBH picking up English shows like Upstairs Downstairs and I, Claudius (as well as a sketch-comedy show called Monty Python), big PBS fans as well.

Adams was part of a curious mis-fire during the 1980s, a radio variety show called Good Evening that replaced Prarie Home Companion (when the Keil' quit to become a full-time writer). I remember being baffled, hearing Adams interviewing some performer in the midst of this show. His quiet friendly manner, so calm and reasssuring on ATC, was 100% wrong in this new setting...like your grandad trying to "get down" with your high school friends.

Show graphic comes from a classical music blog called The Well-Tempered Ear .

Meet Daniel Bedell , a podcaster based here in Baltimore . His dayjob is professional photographer (for outlets such as Baltimore Magazine ), and during his photography sessions he greatly enjoys the conversations he has with his various 'subjects'. When he realized that others might enjoy them too, he set to work on his podcast, which debuted earlier this year: BmoreBedell .

Daniel keeps up an incredible pace: he's posted 13 podcasts already! He posts at least weekly, and so far he's interviewed a former TV guide writer, a comedian, a theater director, an actor . . people with interesting stories who aren't necessarily 'celebriteez'. His interviewing style is low-key and affable, and his postings often include terrific photographs as well!

Here we see Amy Dugan and Dustin Pruitt ! 
Amy played Chan Smoker (#21) and Chellenia Foghorn (#22)
Dustin gave us his best Barry White (#22) and will also appear in an upcoming episode
Incidentally, Amy is the Amazing Betty's eldest daughter (youngest daughter Anne appeared in #12)....clearly, talent runs in the family!

To help celebrate our Anniversary Month , we've prepared a true record-breaking show that tips the scales at just under twenty minutes!! (our usual is around 14 these days)

Prepare to feel your sixth sense throb as we delve into the shadowy world of Parasailing Paranormal Phenomena in this, our 22nd webisode of the Inverse Delirium podcast!

We take a critical look at Electronic Voice Phenomena (or EVP), send our reporter to a ghost-restaurant, and take a fond look back at the life and times of blues giant Anthony "Chipper" Goldthwaite .

Guest stars: Amy Dugan as Chellenia Foghorn, Kevin Jackson as Kevin Peg-Leg Jackson, and Dustin Pruitt giving us his best Barry White (he also helped write that sketch).

Show graphic comes from the State of Affairs blog. Where they got it, I have no idear.

 

Yes, friends, it was nearly ONE YEAR AGO that Inve Del crawled up out of the proverbial ooze onto the muddy banks of the Intertubes, and you know as well as I do what that means . . . 

 . . you do know what that means, don't you?

It means Hooray!! and Way to Go!! and other encouraging declarations! And it means TWO celebratory editions of the Inverse Delirium podcast!
This week, an even-more-super-sized-than-the-last-super-sized webisode, on a topic that's sure to rake in the downloads: Number 22, Ghosts !
  Then, towards the end of the month, we'll post our Anniversary Show : Everybody Rhumba , which will feature exclusive musical performances by one of our favorite Baltimore ensembles....just wait!
Thanks to every single one of you ...we're looking forward to all manner of firsts in the year to come!

The graphic is a birthday throw pillow from Cafe Press !

Here we see the legal team of Maddox, Evans & Evans:
Chuck Maddox (who plays Whiskers in Webisode #20: The Woman!) Tyler Evans (who plays the Real Estate Guy in #20) Marc Avon Evans (the taller Evans, who plays Ginger in Webisode #20)
Keep in mind, you'll be hearing more from Chuck and Marc in upcoming shows!

The Inverse Delirium takes the sage advice of Ann Quasman and bows to the inevitable ...

..find us on Twitter: @InverseDelirium .

Please Follow us into the void! And feel free to comment as you do so! ...And other exclamations!

An unforseen mishap   throws the staff of Poison Dart Studios into a full-fledged snit . Or tizzy , if you prefer. 

Luckily, our friends at the IndieBookman Show  come to the rescue. When that's over, our Host delves deep into the slush pile for some filler, and finds a Tour of Our Fair (ly humble) City , Baltimore ! All manner of local landmarks are mentioned in passing! Much hilarity ensues!

With special emphasis on the National Aquarium . What fun!

Guest star s: Brad Grachowski and Sean Finn of the IndieBookman podcast . Show graphic comes from ScoliosisJournal.com , an online journal about scoliosis.

 

 

Our thanks to Ann Quasman , host of WomanTalk Live for being a wonderful sport and appearing on InveDel (in #20: The Woman!).

A former business tycoon, Ann is a Quality Life and & Wellness coach . WomanTalk Live airs every Saturday from 6-7pm ET on WCBM Talkradio AM 680, and introduces the listening audience and the show’s online community to a wide variety of women-focused topics and world-class guests. The shows are also posted on the show's website as podcasts.

In recent weeks, we've been delighted to strike up a friendship with Brad Grachowski and Sean Finn of the IndieBookMan Show , an entertaining podcast that covers the world of independent publishing .....also right here in Baltimore !

So it was only a matter of time before we decided to collaborate:
This week, you can hear a brief sketch that Mr. Delirium contributed to the newest IndieBookMan Show ("Your Website ") Next week, Brad and Sean perform with GW in a sketch in the upcoming InveDel podcast, #21 ("Outage")
There's even an extra sketch floating around that may end up in a further different IndieBookman Show. All this crossing over even led to discussion of a Baltimore Podcast Network .......who knows?

We hope you'll check out our other friendly neighborhood podcasts and blogs in their respected rolls.

We pay tribute to the Fairer Sex in this, our 20th webisode!  

1st , we speak with Ann Quasman of the WomanTalk Live podcast about important issues; 2nd , we speak with a real estate broker about the dangers facing women in the housing market (can you trust YOUR realtor?!? ), 3rd , we listen in on a Day in the Life of Two Housecats , 4th , we quote a quoteable quote from quot'stress Tea Obrecht , 5th , we get the lowdown on a lowdown condition: CCS (Compulsive Correction Syndrome).

Plus, after the outro, a brand new Sound Sculpture that weaves together sound effects from our show's history, in stunning MontageOsound!

Guest stars: the law firm of Maddox, Evans and Evans (Chuck , Marc  and his boy Tyler ), and AMY Dugan as Chan Smoker.

All this brought to you by Ye Olde Baye Aftershave , sold exclusively at the Stubborn Thumbe Traditional English Pub.

DISCLAIMER: The Amazing Betty wrote the Olde Baye Disclaimer bit!!

In addition to fending off dental emergencies with the help of an oral surgeon, our fervent Host has recently had an altercation with Streptococcus Pyogenes , the kind of microbe no one wants to run into in a dark alley. It has resulted in the regrettable production delay of our upcoming websiode.

As the infestation is subsiding, however, and the prospect of relatively pain-free voice recording looms, we look forward to posting an all-new Inverse Delirium podcast within days.

Say you'll wait?

(graphic comes from an eMedicine article on sore throats)

Thanks to Adam Bednar at the North Baltimore Patch news portal, our first press clipping !

As we survey the Intertubes, we're surprised to see a distinct lack of like-minded local podcasts. Ok, "like-minded" might be tough to find in any context, but still . .

...so we were thrilled to recently discover two podcasts that are produced right here in Bal'mer!

The IndieBookman Show is an offshoot of Brad Grochowski 's IndieBookman blog, which follows the Indie Publishing Revolution. In interviews and audio essays, Brad & Tech Guru Sean Finn explore all things of interest to self publshers, indie presses, guerrilla book marketers, and other soldiers of the revolution.

On more of a chatty note, WomanTalk Live is a podcast version of Ann Quasman 's lively Saturday talk-radio show, which includes a wide variety of women-focused topics and world-class guests.

Listen for both Ann Q and Brad G (and friends) in upcoming InveDel shows! And we'll keep scanning for worthwhile podcasts and/or blogs. Watch our Pod/Blog-roll in the right column!

 

It only just occurred to us that some of you might not be checking our Facebook fanpage, so you wouldn't have seen any of these!

Here's a little gallery of our galaxy of guest stars from various shows: Eric & Jan from #19, Marc, Betty, and Ad-Lib from Various, and Mosno & Sahffi from #11. Plus the original walrus pic!

The slightly twisted podcast brings you an experiment in numberolology , an interview with hot movie star Michael Sera , and a visit to a children's bookstore: Kiddy Litterature . Also, we finally touch on the whole "Hun " controversy.

Guest stars: the Amazing Betty , Jan Pumphrey , Eric Willison of Umbrella Radio , and returning champeen Scott Wallace Brown of Video Americain .

Show graphic comes from Hungaria.org .

And we now have APPs for the Droid and/or the iPhone!!

1) "The weirdest podcast I ever heard. "

2) "Like NPR meets Monty Python "

3) "That actually made me laugh! "

4) "Hysterical. Riveting."

5) "Brilliant editing! "

6) "Truly weird"

1=Anonymous.  2=Betty's best friend Jeanne. 
3=A fellow on LinkedIn who heard #6 (Jobs). 
4=A friend of Kymm's.  5=Coworker .  6=Sister.

Our podcast returns to its regularly scheduled format with reports on Gender'nalysis, the Administrative Assistant Olympic Trials on-the-sports team covers Proofreading, and we debut our new soap opera, The Boredom of Reality . Also, a look at Marc Maroon's podcast, WTH (eck).

Guest stars the Amazing Betty (who also helped with our soap opera), and Ad-Lib , with special thanks to Henry Lowengard for his participation in our Hammer Your Instrument piece.

All Hail Strunk & White !

Back from the bink of extinction, the Inverse Delirium welcomes you with loving arms akimbo.

To celebrate our first podcast of the new year, we're doing something almost completely different: presenting a one-act play, complete with a real Off-Broadway Actress (and long-time blogger): the mighty Kymm Zuckert .

Yes, the Poison Dart Players present their 357 magnum opus: an original one-act play called Survey Pro . Plus, traffic.

Thanks to the website of Evolutionary Biologist Reza Zahiri for the show graphic.

The final Inversally Delirious webisode of 2010 squeaks in! Tra-la, tra-lo!

Lots to celebrate here: an interview with Scott Wallace Brown , Manager of Video Americaine , and a sneak-listen to the Texas Board of Education as they scan a technical manual for "offensive" language. All this, and BedBugs !

Thanks to the South Dakota Health Department for the show graphic!

Reflecting on the brief history of our stately podcast, The Inverse Delirium , which made its debut on the 30th of April, 2010, and has racked up nearly 2000 downloads in all, I'm happiest about two things:

Discovering automation

Opening the door

Automation is a software feature that lets me pre-set mixing levels for essential effects like cross-fades—the major reason recent shows have smoother transitions and better mixes. My son showed me this feature, bless him.

As for Opening the Door , that changed the podcast from a me-centered extravaganza--my own Goon Show--to something that lets me pull friends and friendly strangers into my own weird delirium.

I opened the door a crack in #6 (Jobs!), when I wrote a sketch based on real resume-writing techniques that (resume-writing expert) Susan Ireland provided for me, and then recorded both 'sides' of the 'interview' myself. I liked that mix of comedy, characters, and real information.

A few shows later, the task of doing all the voices myself started to seem like a handicap, especially in the area of female voices. So I started to ask friends and colleagues to 'act' for me, giving them lines to read and recording them.

Why not? I thought. New voices help the show.

And with that, I made a deliberate turn away from all-me-all-the-time goonery to something that reached out into the real world (of Baltimore) and dragged real people into the Delirium. And it's so fun!

Thus, in a podcast originally intended as a vehicle for me to show off my voice-over skills, I love the fact that Karen Morley , the President of the Baltimore Bird Club, agreed to play a birder superhero(ine) in #15! She'd never met me, but graciously agreed to take part (once I'd explained the idea a few times).

My wonderful guests for this year's shows include friends like Novella Kourouma, Shishir Sharma, Mohit Gupta, Dawn Gillings, Armando Perea, and the lovely and talented Amazing Betty and her daughter Anne Dugan.

And there were local musician friends like Karyn Oliver, Ken Gutberlet, MosNo, Sahffi, and the sublime Marc Avon Evans.

And finally, reputable Baltimoreans like: Craig Boarman of the Ottobar; Karen Morley of the Baltimore Bird Club; Josh Davidson of BeMore Films; Scott Wallace Brown of Video Americaine, and Spoken word performer Ad-Lib

There was also valuable help and support from Eric Willison, Ty Ford, Susan Ireland, Betty Witzman Dugan, Charlie Barton, Steve Kanaras, and Lisa Welchman.

And I had helpful exchanges with Jen Bloomer at the National Aquarium, Jackie Bonomo at the Audubon Society, and Jerry King at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum. I hope to include them in the fun next year.

To all my guests, a deeply appreciative Thank You. And to everyone who listened, Thank YOU !

I intend to continue in this vein of genuine fakery, exploring sights and sounds both real and imagined, with characters and  "real" “people” playing "versions" of "themselves."

Finally, since the shows have gotten longer (from 8 minutes to almost 14) and more complex, with friends/voice actors to schedule and record, the official frequency of the podcast is:  two to three weeks or so, with occasional break s .

Season's Gribblings to all. gw

PS. I'm going to TRY to get one more show in before the new year!

 

Our podcast leads off with a touch of magic , then offers a hard-hitting investigative report on the origins of the "Otto " in Baltimore 's celebrated rock venue The Ottobar , before catching up on the Catch Phrase situation. Finally, a perch-down interview with the Maryland State Bird, with help from birder superheroine Karen Morley .

Guest-star: spoken-word performer Ad-Lib as Ron Ventricle .

Special thanks to: Craig Boarman (co-owner of the Ottobar ) and Karen Morley , President of the Baltimore Bird Club , both of whom risked grave professional repercussions by appearing.

Finally, our show graffic comes from the website of nature photographer Christopher Taylor .

We report on Manatee sightings in Baltimore's Inner Harbor (reported by the Baltimore Brew newsblog), observe gloff superstar Ocelot Forest 's game at the Master & Johnson Open, and interview singer-songwriter Marc Avon Evans on his experiences in the recording studio.

Also, we come late to the tea-party with an interview with Winifred Kubikle , freshman Representative of the great state of Minnissippi .

Guest stars : the Amazing Betty , Dawn Gillings , and Marc Evans . Our thanks to Jen Bloomer at the National Aquarium in Baltimore .

Special thanks to Jay Sherman-Godfrey for agreeing to further humiliation. His song "Delray " plays under the  Outro .

Finally, our show graphic comes from Sailblog ! Thappy Hanksgiving!

In Lucky Webisode 13 :
Our reporter snags an exclusive interview with Voter Apathy Josh Davisdon of Be-More Films talks about his upcoming film, Dead iSland Panel discussion--Clothes : What Are They?
Also, we present Time Magazine 's Top 10 Terrible Epidemics . This one's a keeper!

Guest Stars: the Amazing Betty, and Armando Perea as Mr. Apathy. Thanks to the Ten Thousand Days blog for the show graphic.

Marc Maron 's WTF & Kevin Pollak 's Chat Show  . . .  both have well-respected comedians interviewing other well-respected  comedians (or comic actors, or writers) in a one-on-one format. For comedy nerds , they're an embarrassment of riches. (That means they're f--kin' great!)

Kevin Pollak's is a bit more showbizzy, more old-school, like a funnier Charlie Rose show, a bit more...genteel, perhaps?....while Marc Maron's no-holds-barred-angst can be rivetting or draining in turn, or drainingly rivetting.

Can't recommend them enoof!

Reality takes a hit in Webisode 12 , as we ponder the fragile fabric of our precious time-space while discussing the Large Hardon Atom-Smashing Collider ....and more! Our Host visits his charmingly eccentric shrinkatrist, Dr. Alucard , and we provide an update on the Bee Situation .

Guests stars: the Amazing Betty and Anne Dugan (in the Back-2-School piece), and Dawn Gillings (in our game show)

Special thanks: an amusing blog called The Skeptical Teacher , whence came the show graphic.

And welcome to the humorous website Polite Company Magazine !

Our Local Arts Edition features appearances by:
Ken Gutberlet , president of the BS...? The Amazing Mosno & Psychic Sahffi The actual Karyn Oliver discusses her
new album, Red Dress
Appreciation to local heroes : Baltimore Symphony Orchestra & Marin Alsop , Baltimore Songwriter's Association .

Local color : Evergreen Cafe , Meyerhoff Symphony Hall , Teavolve Cafe , Timonium's An Poitin Stil , and the Peabody Institute .

Music breaks : "Live for Now " (T3n ), various loops, plus Live In-Studio performance of "October Sky" by Karyn Oliver !

Special thanks: Adobe Audition , Logic Pro for music loops!

And we're back . . . with a fascinating journey inside our Host's brain ! Also, a trip to the Walters Art Museum with Arts Reporter Anthony Lame , and our Catch Phrase of the Week.

Guest stars: Shishir Sharma and Mohit Gupta , as the Left and Right hemispheres.

Special thanks to local artist Charlie Barton , a flat sculpture artist (this webisode's graphic is one of his creations!)  whose name I borrowed for the Art Gallery piece. Check out his fantastic art works at his website: ArtByBarton.com

Please help spread the word about the Inverse Delirium !

Please excuse a short delay in broadcast . . certain pressing issues have delayed production.

These issues are soft . .  and spongey , with opulent leather accessories and a bushel of hand-made spoons at the ready. Fast with their feet , they lay claim to the finest pudding mines this side of Namibia!  

I digress . . . these issues, hereafter referred to as "life ", have delayed production temporarily. 

However, in the Good News dept., as we pause before Webisode 10 , we're pleased to note that the total number of downloads for the Inverse Delirium is approaching 1,000 , which seemed a fool's dream back in May!

Thanks to you!

Now our crack team of writers have produced a script ("Brain Man!!") that some in the media have called "dislytavating ", and have already begun double-blind studies to determine the toxicity of the material. We'll be back soon!

Webisode 9 has two firsts:
Our first-ever guest star: Novella Kourouma Our first podcast over ten minutes
We examine a debilitating condition known as "Celebrity ," with hard-hitting reports from a Celebrinar , an interview with 80s sitcom icon Suzette Bloomers , and Celebrity Letters. We also look back over the career of film actor Gareth Wolfsbane .

We celebrate the life and works of writer James Baldwin .

Special thanks to famed Baltimore novelist Anne Tyler for her musical demonstration. Shout-outs to the Baltimore Songwriter's Association (BSA), and the Teavolve Cafe . 

And thanks for listening! Feel free to join our Facebook fan page.

The Host ( GW) —an aging radio veteran who is happy to be working, and who believes he is thoughtful, clever, and witty. Well-intentioned, but afraid he really is just another pretty voice. Opens every show by saying “Welcome” in a different language—he thinks this makes the show multi-cultural . (voice based on my own, channeling Bob Edwards)

Charles Paintakingsley —an interpid reporter who doesn’t always understand what he’s reporting on, but is very earnest. Son of an English diplomat whose parents ditched him while visiting the Baltimore Zoo, where he now runs a Snowball stand. Would like to get into a real radio job. Also, has never met the Host. 

Kent Occluded —the gruff-voiced manager of the cavernous Poison Dart Studios, where InveDel is produced. Down-to-earth. Kent has seem’em come and is looking forward to seeing’em go. He enjoys sailing and cutting coupons. (voice based on a manager I work with)

Shashir Moheet —the systems analyst who co-hosts the Catch Phrase of the Week segment. He is a soft-spoken Sikh from Northern India, and is very smart. Also a devoted father of 18. (named after two guys I work with, Shishir & Mohit, voice inspired by comedian Russell Peters )

Connie —the sound engineer for the podcast. Keeps to herself. Kent knows her last name, but he isn’t telling.

Anthony Lame —sometime commentator who supplies film reviews. From England, we think. Funny voice and haughty, snippy manner. Master of snark. ( voice based on Brits who can't pronounce 'r's, like Michael Palin's fantastic Pontius Pilate in the Life of Brian )

Carvington St. Swithins —head of facilities. Carvington hails from May Pen , Jamaica, and is wild about cricket . . . or rather, crickets --he keeps a terrarium full of them to feed to the fringe-toed basilisk that wanders his apartment. Favorite food: akee & saltfish .

Gojeera —irascible citizen of Japan who happens to be a forty-foot reptilian monster. (no relation to any other large dinosaur-type creatures from Japan.) Feels misunderstood. 

Jingo Sparks —a 20something writer adrift in New York City, writing occasional pieces for magazines, who secretly longs to inherit the Host's chair at This American Life (I attempt a New England accent)

James Robert Tow —an elderly historian and expert on Civil War Reenactments. (I attempt an elderly Southern accent)

Impressions/takeoffs: Nina Totenkamen (after the NPR legal reporter ), Myra Glass (after the host of This American Life ), Sir David Attenbollow (do I really have to say it?).

Our 8th webisode features a fascinating interview with Baltimore HipHop MegaStar Kool Papa Bell , and a story about a group of meteorological thrill-seekers . Along with Catch Phrase of the Week and our Musical Feature, there's a brief discussion of my sideline business: Relaxation Tapes.

Special thanks to:
Megan for inspiration The magnificent Lena Horne And of course, the real Cool Papa Bell
Credit to the NewScientist.com blog for the Eyes Closed picture, and to Ken Nordine for originating the whole echoing voices style I plagiari adapted for the Relaxation bit.

The seventh webisode of the smartest podcast in the room: the Inverse Delirium , created by Geoffrey Welchman .

We present a story about a new fad in the Civil War Let's Pretend community; Anthony Lame reviews the new Jerry Sledgehammer movie ; Catch Phrase of the Week, and our Musical Feature, with guest-star NYC musician Jay Sherman Godfrey (check out Jay's new single, "He Let His Guard Down ").

Thanks to Old Mountain LLC for the skillet pic, and special thanks to SPW, the Freesound.org community, and to you for listening.

Podcasts are supposed to have a little logo or picture that goes with them. For a while I was content with the original Walrus picture (from Show 1 ) serving as a totem image . . . but as I started to list Inve Del on various podcast directories and on iTunes , it became clear that what was needed was a visual brand for the show.

As you can see from the results, I'm no graphic artist. This logo looks like words stamped on a light-blue Post-It Note.

But the font, Alba , has this funky 70s look to it, and reminded me of the Electric Company , the wonderful children's show that I loved as a kid, and then got hooked on all over again as a college student, watching it with my cousin Katy . The show's performers (including Morgan Freeman & Rita Moreno) were such a great ensemble!

Imagine my surprise when I looked on the W ikipedia page just now and saw that the show's logo font looks nothing like mine!!

I guess the general 70s-ness was what made the connection for me. (Turns out the Midnight Special logo is a closer match!)

Our SIXTH webisode tackles the unemployment problem, with an interview about Writing the Perfect Resume . (Special thanks to genuine resume expert Susan Ireland for inspiration.)

We also explore a new offshoot of the obsessive-compulsive wellspring called CCD , a Supremely Silly Court Case, and a new Catch Phrase of the Week. Our musical feature stars Jazz musician Mike Karn in a demonstration of the saxophone .

Special thanks to the Snowy Egret . Join our Facebook Fan page , and feel free to comment!

Creaative Commons is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright.

Creative Commons provides free licenses and other legal tools to mark creative work with the freedom the creator wants it to carry, so others can share, remix, use commercially, or any combination thereof.

Here's the basic, one-page summation for the Inverse Delirium: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial Page

Inverse Delirium , Webisode 5: Zombeez!! 

Our fifth slightly twisted podcast features a commentary by Poison Dart Studios General Manager, Kent Occluded, along with a radio essay that brings new meaning to the word "generic". All this and our Catch Phrase of the Week, your Letters, and our Musical Feature.

Created by Geoffrey Welchman for the greater good. ("the greater good") And for posterity. (Hello, posterity!) Shout-outs to Umbrella Radio , Sir George Romero , and This American Life . Don't forget our Fanpage on Facebook!

I named my home "Studio" after some of my favorite animals, a group of amphibeans collectively known as "Poison Dart " (or "Poison Arrow") frogs , or Dendrobates . These tiny critters produce toxic secretions from mucous glands in their skin, and their name derives from Amerindians (of Central & South America) who would capture the frogs, distill their poisons, and smear them on arrow tips.

As with coral snakes or lion fish, these vivid, colorful patterns warn predators away from bitter (or potentially deadly) prey. The frogs are active during the day, which is pretty unusual for tiny frogs.

It was a visit to the National Aquarium in Baltimore that introduced them to me. I was already fond of the Red-Eyed Tree frog , which carries its young on its back, and when I saw the startlingly adorable Poison Dart frogs, I decided that tiny frogs would be my totem animal.

Many of them are, unfortunately, endangered. As creatures of the tropics, they suffer along with all fauna affected by deforestation, and they have also taken a hit from whatever has been causing the massive drop in frog populations .

In the Funny Coincidence Dept., I happen to be enjoying a book called The Poisoner's Handbook (by Deborah Blum), a surprisingly engaging story of the birth of forensic science in NYC in the roaring 20's. Highly recommended!

In the Only Barely Related Dept., I do not highly recommend the movie Frogs , with Ray Milland and a young Sam Elliot, altho it does have a cool message of eco-revenge by slithery creatures. best, gw

The Inverse Delirium , Webisode 4 : Mastermind !

Featuring an interview with deadly criminal-to-be Houndstooth , a report from the Ms. Uni-Mundo beauty contest in Brazil, our Catch Phrase of the Week, and your Letters. Our Musical Feature is a demonstration of the banjo, coming from the world-famous Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe . Special thanks to Sounddogs.com for incidental music, and to iLearningGlobal for their Mastermind graphic, which we borrowed. (stole, really)

Created by Geoffrey Welchman . Please help spread the word, and join our Facebook Fan page . Comments welcome. And thanks so much for listening!

Geoffrey Welchman , that's who!

GW  grew up in Pomfret, Connecticut, in a house that was full of music and British comedy. He began creating songs and skits in high school, experimenting with a TEAC 4-track recorder. He later attended NYU, where he studied Speech and Voice at Circle in the Square Theater, and frequently recorded bits of comedy and music in tape letters to his sister and friends.

He spent many years as a singer/songwriter, releasing two critically acclaimed albums (Comfort Noise and One Band Man ). He also wrote album reviews and interviews for magazines such as People, the New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and the humorous magazine Might .

His voiceover work took center stage in 2005 , when he recorded narration for online tutorials for the US Army Environmental Command (AEC). He now records narration for web-based training for the high-tech company Ciena , where he works as a Technical Editor.

GW lives in Baltimore , Maryland, with his son. He enjoys long, complicated words and phrases, horror movies, earl grey tea, and chicken quesedillas. He is a member of the Baltimore Songwriter's Association (BSA), and occasionally appears on Umbrella Radio , where he has recorded identity spots.

His inspirations for the Inverse Delirium include:
English side : the Goon Show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, ISIRTA, Mitchell & Webb, Flanders & Swann, AbFab

American side : Firesign Theater, Chappelle's Show, Lily Tomlin, Mr. Show, Ken Nordine's Word Jazz , SNL, Bob & Ray, and Daffy Duck

Stand-ups : Bill Cosby, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Izzard, Patton Oswalt, Dave Chappelle, Maria Bamford, Jim Gaffigan, Russell Peters, Doug Benson, Marc Maron, and Laurie Anderson

And of course , National Public Radio (NPR ) and its galaxy of stars (with honorabubble mention to our local NPR station, WYPR )
For more info, check out the GW website .

I'm a decent mimic . I have a good ear for accents, atho I can only do actual impressions of a few famous people, like David Attenborough. I can also summon an uncanny Scandanavian version of Gordon Lightfoot, which would reduce my sister Jenny to hysterics.

But other impressions are usually second-generation . . . that is, some comedian does the hard work of picking out what's distinctive about a celebrity's voice, and then figures out how to reproduce it, and then I borrow that impression (as near as I can get).

For the characters in the show who aren't based on an actual person, I usually start by choosing an obvious characteristic, like an accent: German for the Professor in the Walrus story, or Indian for Shashir Moheet in the Catch Phrase segments.

Then....I bring in my secret weapon: the Vocal Transformer plug-in within Logic Pro software. It lets me 'filter' the pitch and timbre of that recording.

For instance, Shashir. I record my voice doing the accent, then filter that recording with the Transformer--lower the pitch a bit and added a bit of "warp". (it's not perfect; sometimes you can hear a bit of digital 'noise' in the transformed voice)

Then I take that filtered track and stitch it together with my "unfiltered" Host voice track to make it sound like two people conversing. The final touch is panning the voices slightly (one left, one right).

The Inverse Delirium , Webisode 3 : The Emu Wars , featuring an interview with famed documentarian Sir David Attenbollow, along with your letters, our Catch Phrase of the Week, and our Musical feature. Our title story is reported by our reporter, Charles Paintakingsley. Special shout-out to Umbrella Radio.

P.S. The Emu Wars story is absolutely 170% (satis) factual. Really. You can google it and everything!

Sound effects for the Inverse Delirium come from a variety of great websites, but my two Go-To sites are: Sounddogs.com , a professional site that sells high quality licensed sound effects, and the Freesound Project , a Creative Commons site (they accept donations) that gathers home-made sound effects contributed by site members. 

Other sites I've used include: grsites.com/sounds . . . therecordist.com . . . partnersinrhyme.com . . . acoustica.com and stockmusicsite.com (pay site)

As for music , I do what I can (as in the "country" music commercial, or background music like the classical-sounding intro and the bluesy outro). When I can't do it myself, I hunt in these sound effects libraries for musical instrument samples and certain genres I just can't reproduce--or play!. I couldn't do this without them!

12/9 update:Must admit, I use the SFX sites less and less (altho I still use Sounddogs & Freesound), as I discovered several shows ago that the Logic Pro software actually has a wealth of sound effects in it. I also started making little instrumental 'tunes' from different Apple & Adobe Audition loops to use as break music.

And then it suddenly occurred to me that I had a prime resource for the music breaks I started using....my own albums!

Our scandalously enjoyable podcast, featuring:

an interview with a public radio "celebrity"
an essay about our fair (ly humble) city , Baltimore
your letters
a new feature: catch phrase of the week
our musical feature

Enjoy!!! Feel free to subscribe and comment. Be well, gw 

You can now subscribe to the Inverse Delirium podcast on iTunes . Search for "Inverse Delirium" in "Podcasts" and sign up . . . it's free!

Also, become a fan on Facebook .

The very first webisode of The Inverse Delirium , created in April 2010 by Geoffrey Welchman on a MacBook (thanks to Lisa ) with Logic Pro software, an Apogee One interface, and two microphones (Oktava & Shure).

All material and music c2010, Geoffrey Welchman . Sound Effects either licensed (Sounddogs.com) or fair-use (see Credits category ).

Inspiration from such comedy giants as Monty Python, Mr. Show, NPR, Lily Tomlin, Word Jazz, Daffy Duck, Patton Oswalt, Russell Peters, Maria Bamford, and many more (see Your Host category).

Correction : It's the claves that I'm demonstrating in the musical segment, not the cabasa ! My bad.