Hard to believe, but 50 years ago on April 7th, 1976, “The Bad News Bears” was released in theaters. I can remember seeing it in the theater, and the 10-year-old me has been a fan ever since. The Bad News Bears and its sequel, “The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training,” are among the best films about baseball ever made. With its great characters and great dialogue (especially the original, unedited version), the film takes me on an emotional rollercoaster every time I watch it.
I remember a classmate of mine in 6th grade telling me that they knew somebody who knew Chris Barnes (Tanner Boyle), and they could introduce me to him. I was so excited, but alas it never happened (and I never found out if this was even true), but its still a memory I hold to)
I have posted in the past about looking for any contact information for him, as I would love to get his autograph, as he was not one of the 6 autographs in the Panini set
To celebrate the 50th Anniversary, it would be great if the team could reunite for a tour, or convention, like Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, and Wil Wheaton are doing for ‘Stand By Me”
Lehigh Basketball fell to Prairie View A&M University 55-67 in the NCAA Play-In game, ending an exciting season. Congratulations to Coach Reed for winning the Patriot League Tournament and getting an automatic NCAA bid. Did see that junior guard and star player Nasir Whitlock has entered the NCAA Transfer portal. The days of players playing multiple years at the same school are over, as players bounce around to find better deals.
Sad to see that Jennifer Runyon, who had a brief role in the original Ghostbusters, passed away at 65. Besides Ghostbusters, I remember her filling in for Eve Plum and playing Cindy Brady in A Very Brady Christmas.
Action Hero Chuck Norris also passed away. Between his movies, TV shows, and Infomercials, he has a long and rewarding career. For some reason, I remember winning free tickets on the radio to the 1980 film “The Octagon.” I think I still have an invite somewhere and will post it if I can find it.
Only ays until the 84th Philly Non-Sports Card Show, held at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA – Hall D. I have been attending the show for well over 20 years and always look forward to seeing friends and fellow card collectors. Here are some of the Free Philly Show Promos that are given out at each show. I have most of them, and a lot I got signed while at the shows. A big thanks to the Toser Family (Roxanne, Marlon, and Harris) for helping me out in finding some of the older promos, as well as hooking me up with blanks to get signed
Now for my thoughts on Survivor 50 as we hit the Jury stage. It’s been an interesting but uninspiring season so far. I think they missed the boat on “In the Hand of the Fans”, as there has really been nothing special that can be attributed to the fan vote held last year. Honestly, I forgot the things that I voted for. When Jeff stated that the latest Immunity Idol was what the fans voted for, my first thought was, “Was that one of the things we voted on, and is it the one I chose?” As far as the number of immunity idols, I couldn’t tell you if there were more or fewer than in the past.
Looks like I am in the minority on the Zac Brown visit. I enjoyed it and thought it was a fun watch. I agree there may have been a little too much time devoted to him, but it was entertaining. Also, who cares what the Imunity Idol is called? Calling it the Billy Ilesh Boomarang Immunity Idol is fun and doesn’t really change anything. I heard that Mr. Beast will be on an upcoming episode. I actually liked the Survivor Episode on Beast Games, and am looking forward to seeing what they have planned.
I think my issue is that I really don’t feel any real connections to a lot of the season’s players. They just are not that interesting or charismatic. It makes it worse that these are returning players, who I didn’t really care for in their earlier seasons. Players like Kamila, Joe, and Charlie did nothing for me the 1st time they played, and did nothing to change my opinion of them.
The season also seems to be a bit to relient on luck. I have no problem mixing things up now and then, and sending people on journeys, but there doesn’t seem to be any real purpose for some things. Will be interesting to see the reaction of Ozzy and R-I-Z-Z-GOD when they return to find out 3 people were voted out while they were gone.
There were some rummblings about the season being a bit to male oriented, and I can see that. Players like Christian, Ozzy, Charlie, and Joe have received more airtime and confessionals than all the women combined. At one point, they showed Tiffinay, and I was like, “She’s on this season?” Chrissy (Shout out to Hunterdon County, NJ) was barely seen or heard from until recently. Looks like the producers got stuck on how to cover 24 players, which is the most of any season.
There are now seven men and 7 women left. For me, take away Joe (Not a fan) and Tiff (Haven’t seen enough), and the remaining 12 players do look like a pretty solid group.
Here are some updated thoughts on the players who are left
Contestant
Thoughts through 4 episodes
Rank (out of 10)
Angelina Keeley
Voted Out #5
N/A
Aubry Bracco
Actually, I always liked Aubry
7
Benjamin “Coach” Wade
Maybe now we will see more of him
9
Charlie Davis
Voted Out #6
N/A
Chrissy Hofbeck
Starting to become relevent
8
Christian Hubicki
Seeing a bit too much of him
8
Cirie Fields
Got to give it up for Cirie. She’s doing something right
7
Colby Donaldson
Voted Out #9
N/A
Dee Valladares
Starting to grow on me as a former winner
5
Emily Flippen
Something about her makes me want to see her keep going
9
Genevieve Mushaluk
Voted Out #8
N/A
Jenna Lewis-Dougherty
Voted Out #1
N/A
Joe Hunter
No
2
Jonathan Young
It will be interesting to see what side he ends up on
5
Kamilla Karthigesu
Voted Out #7
N/A
Kyle Fraser
Medically Eliminated #2
N/A
Mike White
Voted Out #4
N/A
Ozzy Lusth
Cant help but root for him
8
Q Burdette
Voted Out #3
N/A
Rick Devens
He needs to make a big move
6
Rizo Velovic
RizzGod – Something interesting about him
7
Savannah Louie
Voted Out #2
N/A
Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick
Do like her, but still cannot vote for her to win
3
Tiffany Ervin
Yawn, is she still here?
2
One last thing. Went for a walk yesterday on the Columbia Trail. First time I have walked along the trail in a while. Hate to blame it on the weather, but we did get a lot of snow, and it has been bitterly cold for most of the winter.
I decided to mix things up a bit and listen to a podcast. Looks and saw that there was a relatively new season of “Rob Tells Tales,” which I had not listened to. If you are looking for a quick escape, take a listen. Each episode is around 10 minutes long, and I find a lot of them fascinating. Between the way Rob talks and the subjects he talks about, it is a great listen
Took a trip to St. Petersburg, FL, last week to see some friends. We went to an NHL Game (Florida Lightning), as well as an MLB Spring Training game (Pittsburgh / Baltimore). But the highlight of the trip was finding a sports bar and watching the Lehigh Mountain Hawks men’s basketball team beat Boston University in the Patriot League final to secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
As for the NCAA draw, Lehigh received a 16 seed and will take on Prairie View A&M University in the 16/16 Play-In game in Dayton, OH, on Wednesday Night (3/18/2026). The winner will face the #1 seed Florida in the South Region on Friday. Let’s Go Mountain Hawks.
As for Survivor, I stayed off social media enough to watch the latest episode once I returned without knowing the outcome. I don’t like knowing anything before watching, as it ruins some of the drama. I don’t even like seeing the scenes for the following episode.
To me, it’s been a good, but a bit uneven season so far. I didn’t have any connections/thoughts on many of the returning contestants, and none of them has done anything to change my mind. Another thing is that with 24 contestants, the producers needed to edit it in a way that most people get at least some airtime. This has made for some choppy and hard-to-follow story lines.
Contestant
Thoughts through 4 episodes
Rank (out of 10)
Angelina Keeley
She is growing on me
7
Aubry Bracco
She hasn’t done much so far
7
Benjamin “Coach” Wade
Need to see a bit more from him
9
Charlie Davis
Bland and boring
4
Chrissy Hofbeck
Still rooting for her, but she needs to get her act together
8
Christian Hubicki
What an interesting dude.
9
Cirie Fields
Can’t no like Cerie
6
Colby Donaldson
Wish we would see more of him.
7
Dee Valladares
Nothing new to see
4
Emily Flippen
Love Emily Flippen
9
Genevieve Mushaluk
She is still OK but beginning to grow on me
6
Jenna Lewis-Dougherty
Voted Out #1
N/A
Joe Hunter
Still don’t really like him
4
Jonathan Young
Need to see more
5
Kamilla Karthigesu
Bland / Bland / Bland
5
Kyle Fraser
Medically Eliminated #2
N/A
Mike White
Easy to root for. Lets Go Mike
8
Ozzy Lusth
Still find him very likable
8
Q Burdette
Voted Out #4
N/A
Rick Devens
Interesting to see how his gameplay will work out
7
Rizo Velovic
RizzGod – Something interesting about him
7
Savannah Louie
Voted Out #3
N/A
Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick
Do like her, but still cannot vote for her to win
3
Tiffany Ervin
Is she still here?
2
Lots of 3’s, 4’s, and 5’s.
Will be interesting to see how things start to play out. They will need to do some double evictions at some point, as there are still too many players left. Once things thin out, hopefully, we will see some of the remaining new school players make some moves. If not, it will be a long season with a very predictable (Colby, Cirie, Ozzy, Coach) final 4
Besides starring in all-time classics like “The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, he had a good run of movies throughout his career. One of my favorites was his role as Captain Spurgeon “Fish” Tanner in Deep Impact (The better of the 2 Astoride Movies of the late 1990s). He starred in many other classics, including winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, for Tender Mercies (1983)
When it came to 1980 comedies, 1984’s Revenge of the Nerds is up there with the likes of Airplane and Porky’s. Movies that shaped a generation and are still considered classics today. Robert Carradine played Nerd Lewis Skolnick, part of a group of socially awkward students who form their own fraternity to counter ongoing harassment from the dominant Alpha Beta fraternity and its sister sorority, Pi Delta Pi. Many of the cast members have gone on to have very solid careers in both TV and Movies. Rover Carradine teamed up with fellow Nerd Curtis Armstrong to host the TV Show King of the Nerds , which was inspired by the Revenge of the Nerds films.
Another all-time great, and he will also be missed
******
Survivor 50 Premiere
I enjoyed the Survivor 50 Premier and am looking forward to seeing how the season plays out. Even trying to avoid any kind of spoilers, I found out the cast before the episode premiered, and while there are a lot of former players I would like to have seen, I’m OK with who they chose. I would have liked a few more winners, players from earlier seasons, before the new ERA. Also, some of the most recent players, while they played a good game, I was not left thinking they were among the all-time greats.
Really liked the opening montage of all the seasons leading up to Season 50. Thought there could even have been some more old clips. Its facinating to see how things (players, locations, and strategies) have evolved over the past 25 years
Here is a list of the 24 players, and my initial impression of who I am rooting for, who I like to see do well, and who I am impartial about
Contestant
Opening Thoughts
Rank (out of 10)
Angelina Keeley
Vaguely remember her
5
Aubry Bracco
Like her, but she can be a bit annoying
7
Benjamin “Coach” Wade
Coach is the Man
10
Charlie Davis
Kind of bland
5
Chrissy Hofbeck
Was robbed the 1st time she played
8
Christian Hubicki
Very interesting character
9
Cirie Fields
Like here, but she’s been on a lot
5
Colby Donaldson
One of the Ogs
7
Dee Valladares
Take her or leave her
4
Emily Flippen
She has lots of spink
9
Genevieve Mushaluk
She’s OK I guess
6
Jenna Lewis-Dougherty
Voted Out #1
N/A
Joe Hunter
No, never really liked him
4
Jonathan Young
Need to wait and see
5
Kamilla Karthigesu
Kind of bland
5
Kyle Fraser
Medically Eliminated #2
N/A
Mike White
Cool Interesting character
8
Ozzy Lusth
Always liked Ozzy and rooting for him
8
Q Burdette
Hoping he does well
7
Rick Devens
Average Guy like me – bonus points
7
Rizo Velovic
RizzGod – Let’s see what he’s got this time
7
Savannah Louie
A bit too cocky for me
5
Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick
I like her, but can not root for her
3
Tiffany Ervin
Another one who is kind of bland
4
Finally, I received a late Christmas gift from my daughter. Way back in November 2026, she had ordered Jeff Probst’s Survivor 50 book as a Christmas gift. Well, it was finally published and shipped at the end of February, and I received my autograph copy. It’s a really cool book, mostly pictures, and gives you a real feel of Survivor from all points of view. Going to spend some time going through it and really absorb all the pictures
More to come after Wednesday’s episode of Survivor
Took the trip down to Asbury Park last Saturday as part of the Survivor 50 Idol Hunt. Location was given as the following clue on the official Survivor50challenge website.
Solving the riddle pointed to the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey
From my place to the Stone Pony is about a 1 1/2 hour drive, so I got up bright and early and drove to the location, getting there around 7:45 AM. At that point, I was around 50th in line. People were also gathering at the Asbury Park Convention Center since that was the building pictured in the clue. Everybody was a bit confused, but the Survivor Staff were nice and friendly and told us we were in the right spot. While waiting, the staff kept things fun by filming and interviewing people online,
Around 9:30 AM, former Survivor Contestants Mike Turner (Runner-up, Season 42) and Teeny Chirichillo (4th place, Survivor 47) arrived and could not have been nicer. They walked along the line, signing autographs and taking selfies with all of us while we waited
Mike Turner (Season 42)Teeny Chirichillo (Survivor 47)
At 9:30 AM, the Survivor Staff put up our next clue and wished us good luck. The clue told us to make our way to the Asbury Park Convention Center, where we would find the idol. After a short walk along the Jersey Shore boardwalk, we ended up in another line until it was time to go in. When it was time, we entered the Convention Center and were led to the Survivor display, and got our pictures taken standing with the Idol display. Before leaving, I was also able to take a closeup phote of the idol itself.
Lastly, we needed to scan the QR Code that gave everybody an entry into a drawing for the New Jersey grand prize. a trip to the Survivor 50 Live Finally later this year.
There were other Survivor Legends around. Two-Time winner Tony Vlachos, and Five-Time Player Cirie Fields. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to see them as I was on my way home when they showed up. On a positive note, I did get to take a selfie with Survivor 42 contestant Lindsay Dolashewich (who is from Asbury Park)
I found the NJ Idol Lindsay Dolashewich (Survivor 42)
I think the folks at Survivor did a fantastic job with this challenge. By the number of people I have seen on the Survivor 50 Idol Search – Clues & Updates Public group, along with groups for each state, it looks like this was a great success.
I personally had a great time, and I look forward to more of these types of events in the future
Only 8 days left until the premiere of Survivor 50 (Wednesday, February 25th, on CBS)
Looking forward to seeing some all-time players, and some fan favorites outwit, outlast, and outplay each other for the utimate tilte of Sole Survivor Champion
Been a crazy few weeks, so this is all for now. Wanted to at least get this done
In preparation for the February 25th premiere of Survivor 50, CBS/Survivor has set up a contest where everybody has a chance to go on a treasure hunt and find a hidden immunity idol.
They have hidden an idol in each of the 50 US States, and will be releasing clues on the website that will lead you to the idol. You need to complete the challenge at the time and date listed, and once completed, you get to take a picture with the idol and scan a QR code to be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a trip to the Survivor 50 Live Reunion Show. Each state will have its own contest, so there will be 50 winners. (Technically 51, as there is an option to enter online without having to physically go idol hunting)
So far, 6 states have been completed, with the rest being released in the coming weeks
I will be heading to the New Jersey location (clue drops on 02/12/26), and possibly the Delaware location (clue drops on 02/14/26) (depending on the exact time and date). So far in the states that went live, it looks like people have been having a great time, meeting up with other Survivor fans and competing in some fun-looking challenges.
I will keep you updated
Super Bowl LX is set, and we will be watching on NBC, where the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots on Sunday, February 8th. If I had to choose, I would like to see the Seahawks win, but just hoping it’s an entertaining game. Besides the Super Bowl, NBC will also air the Winter Olympics for two weeks, starting with the opening ceremony on Friday, February 6th. I enjoy watching the Olympics, and will definitely be checking things out during the broadcast.
Some of my favorites are the Bobsled, the Luge, Ski Jumping, and short-track speed skating
Heading off on a tangent, the Olympics remind me of this video by Jia Jiang, which was followed by a hugely successful TED Talk, and really helped me mentally and emotionally when I saw it. His blog , book, and videos still motivate me today
Getting sick and annoyed at these new AI-generated videos that show a person interacting with various actors and actresses from famous movies and television sets, as well as the ones where they show cast members from the past and then morph them into the present day (and cringingly add angel wings to those who are deceased). There really is no purpose to these other than showing how close we are to having AI ruin films and TV shows.
And now I am seeing AI-generated scenes from old movies, showing what happened between the actual shots. Saw a Star Wars scene that showed the time between when Han Solo, Princes Lea, Chewbaca and, R2D2, and C3PO escape from the Empire and head to the Cloud City, and eventually meet up with Lando Calrissian, who turns them over to Darth Vader. The AI-generated scene shows Darth Vader and his battalion, along with Boba Fett and other bounty hunters, showing up and taking over Cloud City. Then we see Vader talking to Lando about how we will need to turn over Han Solo and friends to him. The AI was OK (You could definitely tell it was all AI), but the acting and voices were not very good, and the whole thing seemed fake.
There is another one that shows how Uncle Owen and Aunt Baru were killed on Tatooine while Luke was learning about the Force with Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is not something we were missing from the movie. Part of filmmaking is not showing every single detail of everything that goes on. You need to leave things up to people’s own imagination
We will see, but as time goes by, the novelty of these AI Clips will wear off as something new comes along, and we get more things to discuss.
NY Giants to sign John Harbaugh as new coach – OK with this (as long as PPP Trump is not involved)
MY Mets are looking to sign Kyle Tucker – Good player, but doesn’t do much for me as far as a fan (and $50,000 / year) is a bit steep even if it is only for 3 years)
Stephen King’s 11.22.1963 – Great book. Mini series now streaming on Netflix – OK (6 out of 10)
Play-Off Fantasy Football League – Not a good showing for my team (56/57) after the first week – Ooph
Survivor50 – Bringing back the Live Reunion Show — Good that they are going back to this.
Survivor50 Idol Hunt – Registered and ready to go – Starts on January 30th
Culture Club / Boy George – Released 2 new songs, excellent
Job Searching – Very Frustrating, but fighting through, and hopefully something happens soon
Politics – All I have to say is “I’m not crazy – They are.”
New Book – Dan Brown “The Secrets of Secrets”. – I’m a fan of the Robert Langston stories
Beast Games (Strong vs Smart) on Netflix – Watched Episode 1 and enjoyed it. Episode 2 tonight
Marillion – Listened for a while yesterday on Apple Music (One of the better mix of songs) – Great Stuff
AI – Going to destroy the world in ways not expected. When you can’t trust anyone or anything you see or hear, we become less social and more prone to paranoia. Not a good way to live.
#Marillion (A Better Way of Life) #IronMaiden (Up the Irons)
#Starbucks
Remember — “We are all just Sugar Mice in the Rain.” – Fish
And finally just want to wish everybody a great day
AverageAndy
#PEACE
Probst then concluded by giving some remarks and words of warning to prospective players. “If you imagined how you would deal with Bhanu–Q tried to coach him, Kenzie tried to comfort him, Tiff offered to teach him a good move from a bad move–then you probably have the skills to play this game, and you’ll probably be pretty good. But if you found yourself only critiquing Bhanu, and making fun of his emotional outbursts and his desire to win a million hearts when there’s a million dollars on the line, and you found yourself asking, ‘How did this guy get on the show when I can’t get on the show?’ Well, you have your answer. You’re just not self-aware enough to see it.”
Hope everybody out there had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Hope you had the opportunity to spend some time with family and friends and reflect (good or bad) on 2025. Now it’s time to put 2025 to bed and look forward to 2026 and what it has to offer.
It was a strange year for me. After getting laid off in October 2024, it’s crazy to look back and think I spent the entire 2025 unemployed and looking for a new opportunity. There were highs and lows, ups and downs, good interviews, and scam attempts, but I survived. I am now focusing on what I did right and wrong in 2025 and what I need to improve on going forward. 2026 will be the year of AverageAndy
Before moving forward, here is a list of things I did/completed at the end of 2025
Books – I read the following books during the year
The Sequel (The Book Series, #2): Jean Hanff Korelitz Familiaris” David Wroblewski Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1): Kawaguchi Toshikazu Missing in Flight: Audrey J. Cole Sunrise on the Reaping: Suzanne Collins The Boomerang: Robert Baily The Algorithm: Hilke Schellmann Never Flinch (Holly Gibney, #4): Stephen King Burn this City (Burn this City, #1): Brenda Poppy The 5 Second Rule: Mel Robbins Broken Lines (EMP Survival in a Powerless World, #1): James Hunt The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Mark Twain
Movies / TV – I watched the following movies and TV shows recently
Movies
Bagonia One Battle after Another Threesome Now You See Me, Now You Don’t Bullet Train The Family Stone About My Father Kingsman: Secret Service
Television
Stranger Things Season 5 Down Cemetery Road The Copenhagen Test Ripple Plurabus
Music – New and Interesting music I have listened to lately
Peter Gabrial (I/O) Robert Plant (Saving Grace) Tommy Howell (Dammed Good Man) Marillion (All Albums) Helloween (Giants & Monsters) Guns N’ Roses (New singles – Nothin’, Atlas) Metal Church
The New York Football Giants won their last two games to end the season at 4 – 13. I was torn whether it was better to win than to lose (and possibly end up with a better draft pick). Looking at things, I am actually glad they played hard and won the last two games. Winning always feels better than losing, and beating the Dallas Cowboys at home let everybody end the season on a positive note. Now they need to hire a new head coach who can bring in a new and refreshing attitude (Unlike the horrible Brian Dabol, who just seemed to suck out any energy and positiveness the team had)
Not sure what the New York Mets are thinking. I know they wanted to shake things up after the team did not live up to expectations the past few years. I realize that the owner, Steve Cohen, did spend a lot of money (some good, but most bad), and the Mets players did not play up to their potential, but not sure if getting rid of everybody is the correct way to go. Teams (and companies) that have constant turnover at kep positions, and place the blame on the employees more than on their management, usually don’t end up performing better. They end up in a constant state of mediocrity.
We will see when spring training starts in a few months if the NY Mets can assemble a team that can compete against the best, or if they slip back towards the middle of the pack
Lehigh Basketball is off to a rough start in Patriot League play. Hopefully, they can get it together and go on a much-needed run before the Patriot League Tournament. It would be fun to continue the winning ways of the 2025 Football team
Over the past year or so, I have been posting the individual person voted off each season of Survivor on Twitter (X). It’s been a fun way to go back and relive each season as we get ready for Season 50 in February. Most of the people I do have a memory of, but there are some that I have no recollection of. I try to tag/follow them on X, as well as add the following HashTags to each post
#NeverTooOldForSurvivor #GiveMeAChance #PEACE
I recently typed #NeverTooOldForSurvivor into Google just to see what came up, and was surprised to see that the hashtag is actually associated with me and my quest to get on Survivor. Not sure who looks at hashtags these days, but it can’t hurt.
Would appreciate it if anyone who reads this would give me some love and pass the word around that AverageAndy is the perfect contestant for an upcoming season of Survivor
Congratulations to Savannah Louie for winning Survivor 49 and taking home the $1,000,000.00 grand prize. She played a solid game and was able to sway the jury to vote for her to win. The vote was a slight deviation from the past few results. It seemed that they did value the fact that Savannah won 4 individual immunity challenges (Tying the record for women in a season). Previously, the jury seemed to value game play and the players’ social game over challenge wins. Savannah was even able to win despite having trouble naming any of the jurors’ family members or significant others when answering a tough but telling question asked by Kristina.
Still not a fan of the fire-making challenge at the final 4, as it relies too much on luck, as well as putting the final immunity challenge winner in a tough spot.
Overall, it was an interesting but entertaining season, as the players are becoming smarter at predicting the game. The producers even tried to mix things up more than usual this season by having multiple tribe swaps before the merge, and what seemed like trying to scale back the amount of advantages (This could have just been bad luck, and a result of Rizo holding on to his immunity idol for 9 tribal councils, so no new idols could be introduced). I read, and agree, that the motivation of many contestants have changed over the years, and they now treat the game as more of a fun adventure, over a contest for a million dollars. Too many contestants seem OK with getting voted off, as long as they enjoyed there time and made some friends.
I think about how I would feel if after getting voted off after dreaming of getting on the show for the last 35 years. Hopefully, I would win and never experience getting my torch snuffed, but if it did, I think I would be more upset, mad, and angry than some of the newer contestants. Another reason why the producers need to look at older folks like me, who, as time goes by, get more and more consumed by all aspects of the game, and would make riveting TV.
Got a few months to relax before Survivor 50 premieres in February. Really looking forward to see how things play out. Will do my best to try and avoid seeing or reading as much as I can about the season. As an old timer, I like to be surprised each episode and get upset with people who post spoilers.
*** NOTE ***
Thought it was great when Jeff compared Sophi B. to “The Bad News Bears” during the final tribal. One of my all-time favorite movies growing up, I am a big fan, and as a non-sport card collector, one of my holy grail cards to get is a Jackie Earl Haley (Kelly Leak) autograph card produced by Panini. Here is the card, along with an AI-created card I created of Sophi B. I think it’s pretty funny
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Here is a quick rundown of things as promised
TV Shows I watched and recommend
The Lazarus Project (Netflix) – Very well done, with a great use of time travel. Sad that the 3rd season was cancelled
The Beast In Me (Netflix) – Claire Danes was excellent, and did a great job of showing real emotions
IT: Welcome to Derry (HBOMax) – Great mix of Horror and Humor.
Stranger Things Season 5 Part 2 (Netflix) – Took a little bit to get comfortable with the fact that the kids have aged, but the date the story is in was the same. After that, all good.
Plaurabus (Apple TV) – Always like shows that can make you think and surprise you at the same time.
Books I read/am reading
Finished “The Sequel” by Jean Hanff Korelitz. Great sequel to “The Plot” and did a great job of making you feel for the lead character, even if she was the villain of the story.
Started “What She Saw” by Mary Burton. I haven’t read her stuff before, but so far I am enjoying this one
I did read “There’s Treasure Inside” by Jon Collins-Black a while back. As far as I can tell, the treasure boxes that were hidden by the author have not been found. Been fun following people’s attempts to find a box.
Recommended Music
Decided to take a break from the television on Tuesday, and relax and listen to some music. Put on my headphones and let the songs take me on a ride
Marillion — Listened to a few live tracks from their Christmas albums
The Firm — Listened to songs of the 1st album (really good stuff that has been overlooked)
Robert Plant — Big Log and In the Mood are great songs
Robert Plant — Saving Grace – Didn’t realize he had a new album out in 2025. Its very mellow but very good. Highly recommended
John Denver — “Calypso” – Something in Robert Plant’s songs reminded me of this song (Go figure)
Joan Beaz — “Diamonds and Rust”
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That’s it for now.
Thanks for taking the time to read my rumblings. I hope they are enjoyable
Have a Merry Merry Christmas Holiday and Happy New Year
I’m Off to do some job searching/applying – Hopefully something comes my way soon
AverageAndy 