New U2 Music, and other things

Posted on July 9, 2026 by AverageAndy

Rock Legends U2 just released a new song from their upcoming new album too be released soon

Amazing that they are still going after all these years. Thinking back, it’s incredible all of the albums, songs, and concerts that they have released over the past 45+ years, and how they have interacted with my life

Starting with their 1980 hit track “I Will Follow” from their debut album “Boy” (which was later featured on the soundtrack of the classic (and hugely underrated) 1982 film The Last American Virgin), they have been able to change their style and constantly adapt along with the times

Here are some of the highlights and things I remember

High School – “The Unforgettable Fire” – Multiple shows at the Brendon Byren Arena (Emily S, Paul T. Dave F. Pete L)

Lehigh – “The Joshua Tree” – Mark K., Rattle and Hum Movie – Lars N.

Show #1 Cindy – “Pop” – “Pop Mart Tour” — Giants Stadium

Nantucket – Cindy and friends — “The Best Of, 1980 – 1990”

Show #2 Cindy – “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” – Elevation Tour – Continental Airlines Arena

Playing the Super Bowl XXXVI halftime show in 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome

Lunch at CIT – “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb“

Free on iTunes – “Songs of Innocence” – Madison Square Garden – Paul M.

Show #3 Cindy – The Joshua Tree Tour 2017″ – Met Life Stadium

Good Times, and hopefully there will be more to come

Note(s) Brendan Byrne Arena –> Continental Airlines Arena –> Izod Center
Giants Stadium –> MetLife Stadium

USA’s run in the 2026 FIFA World Cup came to a close with a clunker of a game against Belgium. The USA team looked unprepared and played a sloppy game, and were sent home with a 4 – 1 defeat

It’s crazy to see how fast the World Cup lost its steam and momentum as far as fandom and coverage by the USA media. Walking around, there is literally no talk or mention of the remaining World Cup games other than among the diehard soccer fans. Oh what could have been

TV Update

Silo Season 3 (Apple TV) – Enjoyed the season premiere and looking forward to this season

Love (Netflix) – Finished Season 1, and am a few episodes into Season 2. Very interesting show that has me both liking and disliking the 2 main characters.

Movie Update

The 5th Wave (NetFlix) — Started off strong, and then got a bit too campy. I do like this kind of movie, and this could have been better

Fast Charlie (NetFlix) — Another OK movie. A bit too predictable

Sports Update

The NY Mets have been playing some crazy games, and while they don’t really matter as they have dug themselves too big a to big of a hole as far as the play-offs, they keep sucking me in, which is what baseball can do.

The NY Giants open training camp soon. They had to move their training camp to West Virginia due to the World Cup Finals being played at MetLife Stadium, and FIFA taking over the stadium, parking lot, and the Giants practice facility for all the crew and security required for the finals.

For the 1st time in who knows how long, my Fantasy Baseball Team is not in last place. I am not going to challenge for the crowns, but I am pretty sure I will end up finishing in the middle of the pack. This is great for me, as I think I have come in dead last each of the past 5 years, and end up having to pay for lunch at the draft. I am already thinking how much better the pizza will taste at next year’s draft.

Music Update

Great time for new music from classic artists. Crazy to think that all these artists have been around for 40-plus years

Rolling Stones: Foreign Tongues — Never been the biggest Rolling Stones fan, but the 4 songs released so far are really good

Yes: Aurora – Some really good songs on the album

Paul McCartney: The Boy of Dungeon Lane — The guy is simply amazing and still putting out new music

Also, new music from Asia, Barenaked Ladies, and Steve Hackett & Steve Rothery

And finally, here are a few videos I have come across in the past few weeks

===============

Very sad to see this — I have enjoyed Pete Pardo and his videos for years

Here is the gofundmy link for those who want to help out

Pete Pardo’s Fight against brain cancer – GoFundMe

That’s all for now

Wishing everybody the best and PEACE to all


*** Big Brother 28 premieres tonight on CBS at 8:00 PM EST ***

#Survivor
#CBSSurvivor
#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum
#MarkVanWagenen
#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

#Marillion — A better way of life
#SugarMice

#PEACE
#Yes
#YouCanDoIt
#U28

Average Andy Out

Posted in Asia, Aubry Bracco, Barenaked Ladies, Baseball, Big Brother, Boston Rob, FIFA World Cup 2026, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Cochran, Julie Chen Moonves, Kelley Wentworth, Kellyn Bechtold, Love, Marillion, Mark Burnett, Movies, Music, NY Giants, NY Mets, Paul McCartney, Pete Pardo, Rob Cesternino, Steve Rothery, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“It’s for the PlayStation 2”

Posted on July 1, 2026 by AverageAndy

Best line – “It’s OK, it shows that you care”

Made my day

AverageAndy

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

It’s Because That’s Why

Posted on June 30, 2026 by AverageAndy

Getting a good laugh from watching ItsBobbyFinn reels. They are short videos by comedian Bobby Finn where he comedically over-analyzes English words, spelling challenges, and grammar rules. Take a few minutes to watch a few of his reels. It will brighten up your day

Also been watching reels by JasonKPargin. He covers all sorts of subjects and opinions. Mentions things that make me have to think, which is a good thing.

I did find some time to see the new Stephen Spielberg movie “Disclosure Day”. Did I like it? Yes. Did I hate it? Yes. Is it possible to have a movie that is both Good and Bad? Yes

I remember reading about the making of the 1st Indian Jones movie. George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Larry Kasdan worked together, brainstorming among each other to come up with the story

#1 George was the storyteller

#2 Steven was the movie maker

#3 Larry Kasdan was the one who looked at the script and said yes or no to things and determined if the audience would believe what they were watching

For “Disclosure Day”, someone like Larry Kasdan was sorely missing. There were way too many scenes that took me out of the movie as I thought to myself, “How dumb could somebody be?”, or “These people were supposed to be the best, but are just too stupid to believe”. The movie was also hard to follow at some points, where I basically had no idea what was going on.

The crazy part was that the parts of the movie that were good were very good, and some scenes did take me back to older Speiberg classics like “Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind”, and “E.T.” Then somebody would say something stupid or do something out of context that snapped me out of that feeling.

While I went into this movie not knowing what to expect, I ended up realizing that I miss the feelings that great movies bring, and wishing for more

Finished reading “The Girl In the Lake” by Lauren Oliver, and though it was one of the best books I have read in a while. Really liked the story, and thought the author did a great job of setting up scenes. Had a great mix of drama and suspense, and kept me reading to find out what happens next.

Going to try and fit more time for reading, and looking forward to some new books by authors I like coming out in the fall.

I have also been finding some time to listen to music (both old and new). In the car, or when I go for runs /walks, in these crazy times, I find music much more enjoyable than talk radio or podcasts. To be able to disengage with the world for a short time is very refreshing and much needed.

As far as sports

USA Men’s soccer team plays Bosnia-Herzegovina tomorrow night at 8:00 PM EST in the round of 32, with the winner moving on and the loser heading home. Should be fun to watch

Mets – Next


After lying low for a little bit, going to start thinking of ideas for the next round os Survivor Casting. I did move my Survivor Rewind Posts off of Twitter (X) and am now posting on BlueSky I have been listing all players in order of their eviction, starting on May 13, 2022, with Sonja Christopher who was the 1st person ever voted off of Survivor (Season 1, Borneo).

I am now up to Season 20 (Survivor Hero vs Villains) with the last post from June 30th, 2026, being:

‪AverageAndy‬
‪@averageandy.bsky.social‬
On Day 31 #CandiceWoodcock was the 13th person voted out and the 5th jury member on #SurvivorHVV
@jeffprobstsurvivor.bsky.social #JesseTannenbaum #MarkVanWagenen
@daltonross.bsky.social.thekellynb.bsky.social #KelleyWentworth
#CandiceBergan #CandiceSwanepoel
#GiveMeAChance
#NeverTooOldForSurvivor

Survivor 51 will premiere on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, so I still have a long way to go, but I will eventually get to the end.

Hopefully, I will even have a post about myself being a contestant

More to come

#Survivor
#SurvivorCBS
#Survivor51
#Survivor52
#Survivor53

Marillion – A Better Way of Life — New song “Ribbons and Lace” coming soon

#SugarMice

#U28

AverageAndy Out

Grounds For Sculpture – June 2026
Posted in Author Jason K Pargin, Baseball, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Dalton Ross, Disclosure Day, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, FIFA World Cup 2026, ItsBobbyFinn, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Denver, Kelley Wentworth, Kellyn Bechtold, Lauren Oliver - The Girl in the Lake, Marillion, Music, NY Mets, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, U2 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Howdy Howdy Howdy

Posted on June 23, 2026 by AverageAndy

Another set of random thoughts and videos from the past few weeks.

The FIFA World Cup is being played in the USA / Canada / Mexico and is off to a great start. The Men’s USA Team won its 1st 2 matches and has assured itself a spot in the knockout round of 32. They play their final first-round game against Turkey on Thursday, which is a glorified exhibition game. We will need to wait a few days to see who and where they will be playing after that.

I’m not the biggest soccer fan, but I do enjoy watching the World Cup games. Besides the games, it has been fun reading, hearing, and seeing soccer fans from around the world experience life in the United States as they explore cities, attend games, gather at bars, and watch parties to cheer on their teams. Seems like everything has been positive and friendly.

Don’t know why, but I found the video below funny as a lady from Australia goes to a Walmart in Seattle.

In other World Cup news (and as a long-time John Denver fan), it’s great to see ‘Country Roads’ become the team’s victory song. Each team had to submit a song to FIFA to play after each match, with the USA Men’s team submitting ‘Country Roads’, a song that everybody knows the words to and can sing along with.

During a recent walk, I listened to a bunch of “Fish” songs. He put out a bunch of great albums and songs after leaving Marillion and going solo. Really enjoyed listening to the song “13th Star” off the album with the same title. Give it a listen

Fish (Solo) Discography

Taking a turn in another direction, I recently saw a post about StillersSoda. Touted as the “World’s Refreshing-est Soda”, I figured I would give it a try. Found it at Walmart, with an extra bonus of a cash back rebate if you bought 3 or more cans.

I picked up 4 cans (one of each flavor they had), and will be giving them a try.

My wife and I were lucky enough to get invited to the Mets / Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia on Saturday evening. Even better was that the invite was for seats in a suite which included food and drink.

Even though the Mets got crushed 15 – 3, we did get to see some history, as the Phillies became just the 2nd team in MLB history to have 1 player hit 3 home runs (Kyle Schwarber), while another player hit for the Cycle (single, double, triple, and Home Run) (Bryce Harper)

The only other time was way back in 1933 (Lou Gehrig – 4 HR, Tony Lazzeri – Hit for the Cycle)

For something fun, I made a “Find Me JoseMonkey” video and tagged @josemonkey to see if he can find out where I filmed it.

And finally, I have been watching a lot of short videos by Author Jason K Pargin –  He is an American novelist, humorist, and internet personality who I find very interesting. Check out his reels on Facebook

He is also the author of the “John Dies at the End” books and has a new book available for pre-order. Why not take advantage of Amazon Deal Days and order a copy

“There are No Giant Crabs in this Novel” (A John Dies at the End Novel) (Book 5)

Wishing everybody a great start to your summer

Talk to you soon

AverageAndy


#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#PEACE

#CBS
#CBSSurvivor
#Survivor51
#Survivor52
#Survivor53

Marillion – A Better Way of Life




Posted in Author Jason K Pargin, Baseball, Fish, Marillion, Music, NY Mets, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The story of Darius McCollum

Posted on June 11, 2026 by AverageAndy

Came across this interesting video about a man named Darius McCollum. I found it very interesting, as well as sad in the way things have been handled throughout his life.

It’s well worth the watch

I never really thought about writer’s block (in fact, not even sure if it’s a real thing). But right now I am sitting at Starbucks trying to think of something to write about and my mind is blank. Not blank in that I have no thoughts, but in that I have lots of small thoughts that are coming and going, with nothing really making me think “This is Coool, or This is Stupid” and I need to write about it

The Mets are awful, and I don’t know how much longer I will continue to obsessively watch

The Knicks are the talk of the town, but I truthfully have not watched more than a few highlights of any NBA basketball game in years and have no interest in starting. But there is no way to avoid following their journey here in the New York area, as it’s all they talk about on sports radio

The good thing is that I get to listen to more music in my car as I drive around. Have tried listening to a little politics on SiriusXM, but most of it is just rehashing the same thing over and over, and it’s just tiresome

Part of my mind wandering is also the long and tedious grind of looking for a new job. Scary how fast the rules of job searching change. Don’t add a cover letter (They’re all AI, so recruiters just ignore them). Add all your jobs and college graduation dates (don’t want to give the impression of lying about your age). Customize the summary section of your resume for each job, as that is now the important part)

Add in new technologies and the confusing takes on AI, and it’s just a mess. I realize that hiring a 59-year-old white guy is not the in thing right now, but hopefully someone I know, or something I post, will catch somebody’s attention, and at least consider giving me an opportunity to show what I can bring to the table

See that the filming of Survivor Season 52 was being delayed due to a tsunami watch in Fiji due to an earthquake in the Philippines. Hopefully everybody is safe, and it’s just a short delay

This also means that AverageAndy will have to wait at least another year until 2027 (Seasons 53 and 54, when I will be 60) to be a contestant on the show. Still, I’m a few years younger than Showrunner General Jeff Probst, and as long as he keeps going, so will I

As I have said before, those out there who read this and happen to have an in, or know somebody that has an in with Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, or anybody else involved in the casting of Survivor, I would appreciate you mentioning me and this blog. All I am looking for is a meeting, and I will do the rest to prove to everybody that AverageAndy would make a great contestant on a future season.

———–

AverageAndy

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#PEACE
#Survivor53
#Survivor54

Marillion – A Better Way of Life

U28

#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum
#MattVanWagenen
#SurvivorCasting





Posted in Adam Klein, Baseball, Boston Rob, Dalton Ross, Drew Basile, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Cochran, Jonny Fairplay, Kelley Wentworth, Kellyn Bechtold, Marillion, Mark Burnett, Mike Gabler, Mike Turner, NY Mets, Parvati Shallow, Reality Shows, Richard Hatch, Rob Cesternino, Sports, Starbucks, Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery, Survivor, Tony Vlachos, Treehouse Detective, U2, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Random things

Posted on June 4, 2026 by AverageAndy

Came across this guy’s Reels where he finds people who want to be found

Jose Monkey (I find people who want to be found)

Really interesting. He is a security expert and did a TED Talk about how little information is needed to find somebody

I am going to send him a video and see if he can find me

Got my ticket to see Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. I enjoyed the series on Disney+ and have heard that the movie is like an extended episode. Will check back in with a review

UPDATE:

This post was started on Tuesday, but not actually completed and published on Thursday. I did get to go see Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu (All tickets 1/2 price for any show on Tuesdays). I liked it overall, and think it is amazing what they can do with graphics these days. There were shots that I had no idea how they made it look so seamless. It was a bit over the top, reminding me of some of Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger movies, where they walked into a room and killed everybody without so much as a scratch. And the music was a bit too techno in some parts, which did take me out of the Star Wars Universe. But the story was good, and I liked how they didn’t do too much with Grogu and kept him mysterious. I give it 4 out of 5 bags.

Been a while, but here are a bunch of TV shows that I am currently watching

Widow’s Bay (Apple TV) — Started off a bit slow but am liking the creepiness

The Boroughs (Netflix) — A Duffer Brothers Production. Has an Edward Scissorhands vibe where the people are all a bit strange but don’t seem to notice the weirdness going on

Everyone Is Doing Great (Netflix) – Funny comedy about actors who were in a YA series years ago. Completed Season 1 and am now on Season 2

The Four Seasons (Netfix) – First Season was good and had a crazy twist. Season 2 was just released, and it continues the story.

9-1-1 (ABC) – Saved on my DVR, and am slowly catching up on some older episodes. Been a fan since the beginning (when it was on FOX) and still enjoy the show.

From (AMC+) – Currently on Season 4, Great horror-based show with some really good storylines and lots of twists and turns. Did see a bunch of REELS that explain things, which has helped me better understand what is going on


As far as music, here are some new and old albums that I am enjoying

The Boys of Dungeon Lane (2026) – Sir Paul McCartney. Crazy how good this album is by the 83-year-old legend

Aurora (2026) – Yes. Full album will be released on June 12th. The 2 songs that have been released are really good.

Foreign Tongues (2026) – The Rolling Stones. Full album will be released on June 10th, and like Yes, the songs released so far are really good.

Genesis (1983) – Genesis – Listened to the entire album while driving home from the Survivor Open Casting Call at the Mohegan Sun a few weeks back

Duke (1980) – Genesis – I put it on during a recent walk, and was sucked in and ended up listening to the entire album. Genesis are really, really good.

Anoraknophobia (2001) Marillion. Another album I listened to on my way home. Always amazed on how many awesome albums and songs Marillion has in their catalog

Also listened to a bunch of songs and will see if I can get an archive list

In the NEWS

Crazy what’s going on with CBS and 60 Minutes. I knew there would be changes after all the political and financial rumblings. But still, it’s sad to see things fall apart between the staff and the owners

I realize that things change over time, but there was no real need to gut the 60 Minutes staff. You could have added some younger journalists and dedicated one of the 3 sections to more of an Instagram or TikTok audience. But the News is the News, and you can’t be told you need to slant a story one way or the other to push your personal opinion or the opinion of the right-leaning owners. 60 Minutes always seemed to be fair with their reporting and coverage of stories. It also knew how to add in inspirational and feel-good stories to remind people that there are a lot of good things in the world.

It’s amazing the list of correspondents and other talent that has worked on or been involved with the show. Highly trusted journalists who always brought truth and honesty to the show

And who could forget Andy Rooney. A staple when growing up, I, along with millions of others, would eagerly wait for his ending segment each week. Somebody who looked at things going on and gave his unfiltered take. Wonder what he would have said about this mess. Probably say that he has given up on truth, justice, and the American way, and now is going to watch the NY Knicks in the NBA Finals on TV, because tickets are too expensive to actually go to the game)

Enjoyed a very relaxing day at the beach, and was able to clear my head for a bit. But now it’s time to get back to looking for a new job, while I wait for a call from the CBS Casting Department.

AverageAndy

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#PEACE

Marillion – A Better Way Of Life (Getting psyched for their new album that should be released by the end of the year)

#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum

#MarkBurnett
#CharlieParsons
#JohnKirhoffer
#DavidDryden
#JesseJensen
#ConradRiggs
#MattVanWagenen
#ClarkBernstein
#RobynLane
#RyanBalthazor
#JoeLia

Posted in 60 Minutes, 9-1-1, Dalton Ross, Everyone Is Doing Great, From, Genesis, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Kelley Wentworth, Marillion, Media, Paul McCartney, Star Wars, Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery, Survivor, Television, The Boroughs, The Four Seasons, The Hunting Game, The Mandalorian, Widow's Bay, Yes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Survivor 50 winner is …, plus a little more

Posted on May 22, 2026 by AverageAndy

Aubry Bracco was voted the winner of Survivor 50 on Wednesday night in a live finale in LA (as voted on by the fans). Aubry won with an 8-3- 0 vote over Jonatan and Joe. This was Aubry’s 4th time playing, and she was finally able to outwit, outplay, and outlast all the contestants and was rightfully crowned the Sole Survivor.

A highly anticipated season, it had its moments both high and low. I enjoyed it as always, and was happy to see Aubry win. She played a great game and was able to maneuver her way through all the twists and turns provided by the “In the Hands of the Fans” votes. As I have said previously, most of the fans’ votes were things that had no real impact on the game: the color of the buffs, the design of the immunity necklace. A lot of the tribe switching and multiple tribal councils they were probably going to do anyway, due to having 24 castaways and only 26 days. But give Aubry credit for being able to pivot every time there was a switch or merge and determine who to align with.

Going forward, due to the new age of social media and interaction, and after watching the final tribal council, I realized that anytime there are returning players, there will now be issues with the jury’s biases. both with the players and the way they play the game. Most players now know everything about the game and how they think it should be played. Once they are voted out, will the jury members be able to be open-minded and vote for somebody who deserves it, rather than hold grudges?

Here is my final chart that I was keeping this season — Was not the best, but I tried something new and think it was OK.

ContestantFinal PositionFinal Rank (Out of 10)
Angelina KeeleyVoted Out #56
Aubry BraccoWinner of Survivor 5010
Benjamin “Coach” WadeVoted Out #12 (Jury #3)8
Charlie DavisVoted Out #64
Chrissy HofbeckVoted Out #11 (Jury #2)7
Christian HubickiVoted Out #13 (Jury #4)8
Cirie FieldsVoted Out #18 (Jury #9)8
Colby DonaldsonVoted Out #97
Dee ValladaresVoted Out #10 (Jury #1)7
Emily FlippenVoted Out #15 (Jury #6)8
Genevieve MushalukVoted Out #87
Jenna Lewis-DoughertyVoted Out #16
Joe Hunter3rd Place 2
Jonathan Young2nd Place6
Kamilla KarthigesuVoted Out #75
Kyle FraserMedically Eliminated #2N/A
Mike WhiteVoted Out #46
Ozzy LusthVoted Out #16 (With an Immunity Idol) (Jury #7)7
Q BurdetteVoted Out #36
Rick DevensVoted Out #17 (Jury #8)7
Rizo VelovicLost Firemaking Challenge9
Savannah LouieVoted Out #26
Stephenie LaGrossa KendrickVoted Out #14 (Jury #5)5
Tiffany ErvinVoted Out # 19 (Jury #10)5

In other Survivor news, I was able to make it to the Paley Center for Media in New York City for the Survivor 50th exhibit before it closes on June 7th. It was really cool to see original outfits from host/executive producer Jeff Probst and Survivor castaways, as well as authentic immunity idols and necklaces, a torch snuffer, and other rare game pieces. Lots of cool pictures and notes, as well as a cool Survivor Timeline

The Paley Museum, NYC
Hidden Imunity Idol
Tribe Flag
50 Seasons of Survivor
Survivor Timeline
Immunity Necklace
Celebrating 50 Seasons of Survivor
Survivor Season Logos

Tuesday, May 12th — Survivor Casting Call in Foxwoods Casino

Sunday, May 16th — Survivor 50th Exibit at the Paley Center

Wednesday, May 20th — Survivor 50 Live Finally

Friday, May 22nd — Submitted Application for Survivor 53 and 54


Happy Memorial Day Holiday to everyone. Enjoy the weekend, and hope everybody has a great summer.

The Mets are still relevant (but need to put together a good stretch and get back to .500

The Mandalorian and Grogu opens this weekend. I am hoping to see it next Tuesday (1/2 price tickets)

Been feeling kind of blah the past week. Going to try to get outside and take a walk, meet up with friends, and enjoy the Holiday. Then it will be back to the grind and finally finding myself a job.

PEACE to All

AverageAndy

PS – I switched from Twitter (X) to Bluesky with my Survivor Recaps.

PSS – Stephen Colbert’s last show was last night. Wishing him all the best wherever life takes him

PSSS – RIP to Bob Hulsart – A staple of the Philly Non-Sport Shows going way, way back.

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

Marillion – A Better Way of Life

U28


Posted in Angelina Keeley, Aubry Bracco, Baseball, Benjamin "Coach" Wade, Boston Rob, Charlie Davis, Christian Hubicki, Christine Hofbeck, Cirie Fields, Colby Donaldson, Dalton Ross, Dee Valladares, Emily Flippen, Genevieve Mushaluk, Jeff Probst, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Jesse Tannenbaum, Jonathan Young, Joseph Hunter, Kamilla Karthigesu, Kyle Fraser, Mandalorian and Grogu, Mark Burnett, Mike White, Mr. Beast, Non-Sports Cards, NY Mets, Ozzy Lusth, Philly Non Sports Card Show, Q Burdette, Reality Shows, Richard Hatch, Rick Devens, Rizo Velovic, Savannah Louie, Sports, Star Wars, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Survivor, Tiffany Ervin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Survivor 50 plus, I attended an Open Casting Call

Posted on May 15, 2026 by AverageAndy

We are down to the final 5 on Survivor 50 (In the Hands of the Fans*) after the latest eliminations of fan favorite Rick Devins and All-Time Great Cirie Fields. Of the remaining 5, I’m rooting for either Aubry or RizGood. Jonathan, Joe, and Tiff have not done anything to make a case that they should win Survivor 50.

To have three of the final players left on Survivor 50 (In which the producers and show runners could have brought back a bunch of better-known and better-playing players), be Joe, Jonathan, and Tiff, to me is a kind of letdown.

* As for the season’s big runup, and it being promoted as “In the Hands of the Fans“, I think this fell kind of flat. The things voted on (Color of the Tribes, Rice or No Rice, and whether the live finale should return to LA or remain in Fiji) really made no difference to the game. And while the naming of the idols was cool, and having Zac Brown and Mr. Beast as celebrity guests was fun, it really did not have much to do with celebrating 50 seasons. I would have liked it if they re-ran the 1st ever challenge (The Marooning) to start the season, and threw in more flashbacks to old challenges. Maybe have some Survivor trivia to celebrate the 50 seasons. In the end, unless something pops up in the final episode, while a fun watch, this ended up feeling to me just like an ordinary season.

Best of luck to all 5 of the finalists, and I am looking forward to how things play out and the live reunion on CBS next Wednesday.

Here is an updated chart.

ContestantThoughts through 4 episodesRank (out of 10)
Angelina KeeleyVoted Out #5N/A
Aubry BraccoI hope she gets the win10
Benjamin “Coach” WadeVoted Out #12 (Jury #3)N/A
Charlie DavisVoted Out #6N/A
Chrissy HofbeckVoted Out #11 (Jury #2)N/A
Christian HubickiVoted Out #13 (Jury #4)N/A
Cirie FieldsVoted Out #18 (Jury #9)N/A
Colby DonaldsonVoted Out #9N/A
Dee ValladaresVoted Out #10 (Jury #1)N/A
Emily FlippenVoted Out #15 (Jury #6)N/A
Genevieve MushalukVoted Out #8N/A
Jenna Lewis-DoughertyVoted Out #1N/A
Joe HunterStill No. Boring2
Jonathan YoungKind of Blah5
Kamilla KarthigesuVoted Out #7N/A
Kyle FraserMedically Eliminated #2N/A
Mike WhiteVoted Out #4N/A
Ozzy LusthVoted Out #16 (With an Immunity Idol) (Jury #7)N/A
Q BurdetteVoted Out #3N/A
Rick DevensVoted Out #17 (Jury #8)N/A
Rizo VelovicRizzGod – Hats off to him10
Savannah LouieVoted Out #2N/A
Stephenie LaGrossa KendrickVoted Out #14 (Jury #5)N/A
Tiffany ErvinStill not a fan, but good for her3

While Survivor 50 was airing, and while Survivor 51 just wrapped up filming, the show keeps going, and as part of that, there was an open casting call for future want-to-be contestants (like myself) held on Tuesday, May 12th, at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, CT.

Since I had some free time, I decided to take the 3 1/2 drive to throw my hat into the ring. I had been to an open casting call in the past, almost 14 years ago – Saturday, July 26th, 2014, at the Trump Taj Mahal, in Atlantic City, NJ. I figured, since I have applied numerous times online (going back to the early seasons), why not add another live attempt to my resume?

I got to the Mohegan Sun around 11:00 AM, and was amazed (but not surprised) at the number of people in line. It snaked all the way around the casino, past a bunch of restaurants and stores. (Big Bonus – There was a Starbucks along the line. Once at the end of the line, the woman standing next to me guessed it would be about a 3-hour wait. She was close, as we stood and talked for 3 1/2 hours before getting my one minute to convince Jesse Tannenbaum, and the rest of the CBS Casting Team that I would make a great contestant on a future season of Survivor.

Then it was over. I think I did really well, telling a story about how a spelling test in 1979 showed that, given the opportunity, I have the motivation and drive to compete and get what I want.

The experience itself was a lot of fun. Reminded me of the times I stayed up all night, waiting online for concert tickets, when you had to physically buy them with cash at a Ticketmaster location. This was also similar to the Idol 50 Hunt I attended at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, where everybody was nice and friendly and enjoyed talking about Survivor and how and when they became fans. I am terrible at assessing people’s ages, but I would guess I was older than most of the people online. Truthfully, I am probably older than most of their parents. But age has never been a deterrent or hindrance to me, and at 59, I still have the drive and desire to become a contestant on Survivor and show how all my years of living and all the knowledge I have gained through friends and family would help.

It was interesting listening to some of the people online reciting all their knowledge of Survivor. I thought to myself, how do they know so much? I have watched every episode of every season, and there are plenty of things I just don’t remember. Then I thought. Ah, OK, most of these people were very young, or not even born when Survivor premiered in May of 2000, so their knowledge of Survivor consists of streaming old seasons or watching them on DVDs. So while I need to try and remember what I watched 25 years ago, they saw recently. This gives them an advantage in recalling a lot of things. But I feel my experience of actually living through the entire run of Survivor live, how it was originally perceived, and what it has grown into over the years, would be to my advantage

Here are a few photos of the Open Casting Call

AverageAndy
Open Casting Call
Line for the Open Casting Call
Where the line started
More of the line

That’s all for now

AverageAndy

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#PEACE

Marillion – A Better Way of Life

Posted in Aubry Bracco, Dalton Ross, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Jonathan Young, Joseph Hunter, Kelley Wentworth, Kellyn Bechtold, Mark Burnett, Reality Shows, Rizo Velovic, Rob Cesternino, Survivor, Survivor 50 Idol Hunt, Tiffany Ervin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Johnny Tiersten, plus Random Videos and Pictures

Posted on May 6, 2026 by AverageAndy

Columbia High School Class of 1983 actor Johnny Tiersten passed away at the age of 60. Best known for his role as Ricky Thomas in the 1983 cult slasher film Sleepaway Camp. He is among a group of famous actors who graduated from Columbia High School, including Roy Scheider (JAWS), Elizabeth Shue (The Karate Kid), Ahmed Best (Star Wars), Zach Braff (Scrubs), and Andrew Shue (Melrose Place). Although I never really knew him, being in a movie made him a big deal at the time. He did go on to form a band and was the director of tennis for the township of Maplewood, New Jersey

RIP Johnny Tiersten, you will be missed

——-

Been a crazy few days, and for some reason, I keep thinking of, or coming across, video clips of random things. Here are a few of them (in no particular order)

“Clarence Beeks”

Steve Austin – The Six Million Dollar Man

How Many Licks ….

Triumph – “Fight the Good Fight” – US Festival, 1983

Veritasium – How crystals we all rely on can disappear forever

Star Trek Trading Cards
Saw this vulture while on a walk
I’m going to snap my Fingers and jump for joy. I got a clean bill of health from Dr. McCoy
1st time seeing a Hawaii license plate in New Jersey
Let’s go, Mountain Hawks

That’s all for now. I will be back tomorrow with a recap of Survivor and some other thoughts

P.S.

New Rolling Stones Album coming soon

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#PEACE

Marillion – A Better Way of Life

AverageAndy Out

Posted in Everyday, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Lehigh University, Music, Non-Sports Cards, NY Mets, Reality Shows, Rolling Stones, Sleep Away Camp, Sports, Star Trek, Survivor, Triumph | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Survivor, Mets, and a little more

Posted on April 30, 2026 by AverageAndy

Getting closer to the end of Survivor 50. Even with the so-called “In the Hands of the Fans” theme of the season being a non-factor (It seems that a lot of things are just not clicking or playing a major role in the game), it’s been a mostly enjoyable season. As I mentioned in the comments on Dalton Ross’s Entertainment Weekly Survivor round-ups, I have no problem with the celebrity visits (Zac Brown, Mr. Beast), or crazy idol names (Bille Ilish Boomerang Idol). I also didn’t mind the Jimmy Fallon Twist. It’s Season 50, and the game has been constantly evolving. Most players are aware that there will be some things that appear to be (or actually are) unfair, and that their game can be affected and even ended by something they could not control. Do I always agree with things? “No”. Do I think sometimes it comes down to luck? “No”. But would I prefer they continued to try things, then just keep things the same, season after season? “No, as well”.

I think there are some players who have studied the game too much and get thrown off when things don’t go as they expected. Reminds me of college, where the fraternity house had access to past years’ tests and quizzes. Was great until the professors realized this and would completely switch things up. Was it fair? Yes, and it actually was helpful as it made you study more things to be sure you weren’t completely blindsided.

Here is an update of who is left and a brief description of each. Looking forward to seeing where things go, and if Jeff Probs and Company switch things up with the final 4 fire challenge, or the final tribal (going back to a final 2)

ContestantThoughts through 4 episodesRank (out of 10)
Angelina KeeleyVoted Out #5N/A
Aubry BraccoMoving into my top 38
Benjamin “Coach” WadeVoted Out #12 (Jury #3)N/A
Charlie DavisVoted Out #6N/A
Chrissy HofbeckVoted Out #11 (Jury #2)N/A
Christian HubickiVoted Out #13 (Jury #4)N/A
Cirie FieldsMoving into Boston Rob territory for the way shes controlling things8
Colby DonaldsonVoted Out #9N/A
Dee ValladaresVoted Out #10 (Jury #1)N/A
Emily FlippenTop 39
Genevieve MushalukVoted Out #8N/A
Jenna Lewis-DoughertyVoted Out #1N/A
Joe HunterNo No No, and No2
Jonathan YoungMoving down the list5
Kamilla KarthigesuVoted Out #7N/A
Kyle FraserMedically Eliminated #2N/A
Mike WhiteVoted Out #4N/A
Ozzy LusthLike to see him get to the end8
Q BurdetteVoted Out #3N/A
Rick DevensLike how he is having fun7
Rizo VelovicRizzGod – He’s doing something right.8
Savannah LouieVoted Out #2N/A
Stephenie LaGrossa KendrickVoted Out #14 (Jury #5)N/A
Tiffany ErvinNo No No2

The New York Mets are a mess. From the General Manager, to the Head Coach to the players, they seem like a bunch of individuals with no sense of what’s going on, and no plan going forward. Something needs to change before it’s too late. The Mets seem stuck in the past, thinking you can simply buy your way to the playoffs. Add to that that teams (and fans) in general seem to put too much correlation on what player is paid, and how good they actually are. The more they make, the better they must be. No true. There are plenty of mid-range players who are statistically better than those making the most money, something the Mets GM seems to overlook.

Also, it’s no secret that the Mets GM did not like / value Pete Alonso and did not want him on the team. That’s his right, but to say things like Pete is a below-average fielder, Pete is too old, Pete is not the best in the clubhouse, just to justify your feelings is not the way to go about things. I also think Mets management made a mistake by keeping the manager while firing all of his staff. Either fire everybody, or let the Manager keep his staff that he put together.

The Mets play the Nationals this afternoon, before heading out west for the 3rd time already this season for a 9 game road trip. When they return home to play Detroit, they will have played 40 games (1/4 of the season), and at that point, we will have a good feeling of whether things have improved at all or if Citi Field will be a ghost town for the summer

And one more thing

I would call both the Phillies and the Angels and offer them Juan Soto for Bryce Harper or Mike Trout and some prospects. No denying that Juan Soto is a great player, but sometimes you need to look at things other than statistics and ask yourself if you are better off with Soto for 13 more years or making a drastic change now to try and get this ship back on course

——–


As an older fella, every so often, I like to take a few minutes here or there to reflect on the past, and one of the best ways is to watch videos like this, where the host shows what was on TV (CBS, NBC, ABC) in the late 70s, and early 80s.

Here is a direct link to a Facebook video (Retroblastfromthepast)

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1676294577123705

I am working on how to embed the video, and hopefully, I will be able to find a way since my current subscription level does not allow plug-ins

Later than I thought

Got to run

AverageAndy

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#PEACE

#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum
#Survivor
#SurvivorCBS
#Survivor50

Posted in Aubry Bracco, Baseball, Boston Rob, Cirie Fields, Dalton Ross, Emily Flippen, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Jonathan Young, Joseph Hunter, Mark Burnett, NY Mets, Ozzy Lusth, Reality Shows, Rick Devens, Rizo Velovic, Sports, Survivor, Television, Tiffany Ervin | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment