Survivor / The Amazing Race recaps plus random thoughts on a Rainy Friday

Both “Survivor” and “The Amazing Race” ended there latest seasons last week and both did not disappoint, While the Amazing Race took a while to gain its footing (thanks to it being pushed back an hour for failed experiment of “The Real Loveboat”), I ended up really enjoying the places and challenges the players saw and completed during their race around the world. I did enjoy most of the teams and was happy with the final 3 teams that got to finish the entire race.

I though it was funny that in countries where they don’t speak English, the contestants would always default to trying Spanish. And then when they were in Spain, they defaulted to trying English. Also the more I watch The Amazing Race, the more I realize how little is taught in American Schools about foreign countries. Its cool seeing most people around the world speak at least a little English and being hospitable to the contestants. I can only imagine what would it be like if a bunch of people from a different country were running around American cities asking for help in their native language?

Congratulations to the winners Clair and Derek for running a great race, playing hard but keeping it fun along the way. Was well deserved. Looking forward to next season. While I have applied religiously to be on Survivor (sending in applications each year, I have sent some applications in for The Amazing Race as well – Both with my sister (who lives down south and we don’t get to see each other as much as we should), and my daughter who recently graduated from college and it would be nice to spend some time with here before she goes on with her own life). Hopefully we will get chosen one day as I feel either of them would make a great team.

As a sat down to watch a season finale of Survivor for the 43rd time, I again realized how much I love the show and how it has now been part of my life for over 20 years. I can remember times coming back from vacation when the finale was on a Sunday night, and then watching the 3 hour finale till early in the morning to make sure I saw it. I can truly say that I have never missed an episode in all 43 seasons (although there have been times when I had to watch it on a VHS recording, my DVR, and On-Demand, but don’t think I was ever more than 1 week behind at any point.

I will admit that this season was a bit strange with a lot of the players sometimes coming across as too friendly and not as scheming and upset I would be if I was a contestant. But I seem to say that a lot of seasons. I guess I will really never know how I would feel or react until I am chosen as a contestant and experience the game for myself. When Jesse mentioned ‘imposter syndrome’, I could relate as sometimes I also have a hard time believing in myself and abilities. But I also feel truly motivated every time contestants say they didn’t know how much they were truly capable of and did things they never thought they could do. This keeps me dreaming of becoming a contestant and pushing myself past what I have been able to do in my 55 years. Its a scary though and doubt does penetrate into my mind, but watching Survivor year after year keeps pushing the doubt out and the excitement and motivation it. And for this I am truly appreciative

As far as this season, I was glad to see Gabler take home the grand prize. I will admit it made me happy to see an older person Outwit, Outlast, and Outplay contestants half his age. It was also interesting to see how the jury seemed to respect his honesty and thoughtfulness towards each and every one of them, with out sounding manipulative or degrading. Simply repeating personal information back to players and hoping it makes then like you more only works if its genuine and heartfelt, and not robotic. Gabler made the jury feel appreciated and important. One of the only other people who I saw this was Dr. Will on Big Brother. He was able to vote off people while at the same time having them truly like and respect him.

Big game for the NY Giants this Sunday night against the Washington Commanders. The winner will have a great shot at making the play-offs. Looking forward to the game and to see if Daniel Jones can finally come up big in a big spot. And the fact that I need to root for the Jets this weekend against the Detroit Lions and in 2 weeks against the Seattle Seahawks is what makes football exciting but mentally draining at the same time

One 10 days till Christmas. Should be pretty slow at work, so should have some time to get things that I have been procrastinating about done. Should also be able to listen to music (including the latest Marillion Web UK Christmas CD (received mine the other day and been getting one from the band every year since 1999).

Both Topps Bunt and Topps StarWars Card Trader will again be doing there 12 days of Christmas, giving away special digital cards free each day until Christmas. I really enjoy these apps and the special giveaways and promotions they do through out the year. Will try to post some pictures of the cards I receive.

Finished reading “Heat 2″ and really enjoyed it. Liked how the authors were able to intertwine the book with the original movie ‘Heat” that made sense and kept the feeling of the movie. Good job and I would recommend the book to fans Michael Mann and the movie.

I started reading “We Are The Night” by Matthew Quick. I actually won a free copy of the book on GoodReads a month ago and am finally giving it a go. Will let you know how it goes

As far as the NY Mets go. I am glad that Steve Cohen is open to spending money, but a little torn on the amount, as I was always hard on the Yankees, Dodgers and other times for simply spending as much as needed to ‘buy’ a championship. I always was more of a team fan and liked it when players were here for a ling time. Will be interesting to see if this spending spree works, or if in a few years it will be the same thing over again.

More to come

Remember to smile, think happy thoughts (even when things are tough) and listen to at least 3 songs a day.

Average Andy

Posted in Amazing Race, Baseball, Big Brother, Books, BUNT, Football, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Marillion, Mark Burnett, Matthew Quick - We Are the Light, Michael Mann - Heat2, Music, NY Giants, NY Mets, Phil Keoghan, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, TOPPS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

They don’t make movies like this anymore

Growing up in the 70s / 80s, they used to make big budget disaster movies, with a cast of all-stars. Movies like “Airport”, “The Towering Inferno”, and the “Poseidon Adventure” did great in the box-office, and then became staples of the 4:30 Movie. I must have seen these movies multiple times and still enjoyed them every time. But once special effect started to take off with movies like “Star Wars” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, the era and allurer of the campy disaster movie faded away. Sure they continue to make big budget disaster movies to this day, with movies such as “2012”, “Twister” and “Independence Day”, and while they are entertaining, they lack the spirit and authenticity of the older movies

I call this the “Planet of the Apes” or “Star Trek: The Original Series” syndrome. When you watch the original classic “Planet of the Apes”, its obvious that the apes are actors with makeup, but you don’t really care. The planets that Kirk and company beam down to on Star Trek are obviously set pieces, but again you don’t really care. You get sucked into the story and your imagination takes over. In contrast, with the remakes of the “Planet of the Apes” and the reboot of “Star Trek” they look cool but the special effects tend to make things feel less real, and in turn you get a total different feeling. I believe that is why the older movies hold up so well, and you really care about the characters, while the later movies with tons of characters and special effects to me just feel cold and disconnected at times.

Looking back, in both the “Poseidon Adventure”, and “The Towering Inferno”, when somebody dies, you really feel it and remember it. Who did not get emotional with Shelly Winters died after swimming through the wreckage. Or when Richard Chamberlain kicks people off the cable car and then dies himself when the cable breaks. Yes its campy but it feels real and I will take that over newer special effects.

Here is a article about the 50th Anniversary of “The Poseidon Adventure” which gave me the thought to write this post.

The Towering Inferno The Poseidon Adventure

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Kirstie Alley (1951 – 2022)

Very sad to see the passing of Kirstie Alley yesterday. Besides taking over for Shelly Long on “Cheers” for 6 years, she also had a part in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn as Saavik and had the following interaction with Kirk, McCoy, and David Marcus – One of the best scenes in all of the Star Trek Movies

Saavik : Admiral, may I ask you a question?
Kirk : What’s on your mind, Lieutenant?
Saavik : The Kobayashi Maru, sir.
Kirk : Are you asking me if we’re playing out that scenario now?
Saavik : On the test, sir… will you tell me what you did? I would really like to know.
McCoy : Lieutenant, you are looking at the only Starfleet cadet who ever beat the no-win scenario.
Saavik : How?
Kirk : I reprogrammed the simulation so it was possible to rescue the ship.
Saavik : What?
David Marcus : He cheated.
Kirk :I changed the conditions of the test; got a commendation for original thinking. I don’t like to lose.
Saavik : Then you never faced that situation… faced death.
Kirk : I don’t believe in the no-win scenario.

Here are a few other great quotes from the movie

As far as Cheers, it was a staple on Thursday nights. A great TV show with a memorable cast, it was a big part of my youth from High School through College. In those days (before DVDs, DVRs, and On-Demand) shows became an event. You needed to watch them so that you could talk about them the following day with friends and colleagues. And to this day, (30 years after the show premiered on NBC) all of the characters are still remembered and part of great memories.

Kirstie Alley also had some other memorable TV and Movie roles will be missed

AverageAndy

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Better Late than Never

Still having trouble motivating myself to write, but will continue to push myself to take some time and jot down things that caught my attention, or updates on the Television, Movies, Books, and Sports shows and events that interest me.

Hope everybody had a Happy / Healthy / Relaxing Thanksgiving. We traveled down to Delaware for a family Thanksgiving with my family, my parents, my sister, and my nieces. We have been going to my parents for Thanksgiving every year since they retired and having a traditional New England Thanksgiving Meal. During the break we got to watch the Giants / Cowboys game (tough loss for the Giants), the USA / England World Cup Soccer game (a 0-0 tie that kept them in the hunt), and a few movies (spent a lot of time debating on what to watch, and ended up with “Significant Others”, a weird but interesting to me horror / sci-fi film that others did not enjoy, and then “LoveHard” an much better and enjoyable Christmas movie and I would highly recommend it.

We also went to Schellville, a very cool Christmas Village / Marketplace sponsored by Shell Brothers. Was much cooler than what we were expecting (Food / Drinks / Shops / Roller Rink / Tubing Slide). Highly recommended if you happen to be near Rehoboth Beach DE, and want to get into or enhance your Christmas spirit. Tickets are free and recommended to keep the crowed under control.

Headed back home for another full week of work, before the Christmas Holiday starts to really kick in, and things slow down at the office, as project are put on hold, and people scramble to use up their vacation days. Will be taking a few days off myself to get things done around the house before Christmas. Unlike Thanksgiving, we head to my mother-in-laws house (5 miles away) for Christmas, to spend time with my wife’s side of the family.

Here are a few observations over the past few weeks

Enjoyed the finale of “The Walking Dead”. Looking forward to the return of “Fear the Walking Dead” and the numerous spin-off series that are coming. The Walking Dead Universe lives on

Really enjoyed the first season of Andor. Was a really interesting take on the Star Wars universe, and they did a good job with it. Looking forward to Season 2 down the road. First we have Season 3 of the Mandalorian in the spring.

Also looking forward the the “National Treasure” series coming up on Disney+. Really enjoyed the two Nicolas Cage movies and hope they can keep the story going.

Its been a tough few weeks for the NY Football Giants. First a bad home loss to the surging Detroit Lions, followed by a tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Hopefully they can get things going again this weekend at home against the Washington Commanders. Would be a good win, and get them closer to a play-off spot.

Congratulations to the USA Mens Soccer Team for making it out of the group stage and into the knock-out round with a 1-0 win over Iran. Was a very exciting game and was glad they were able to hang on. Next up is a 10:00 AM EST game on Saturday against the Netherlands. Lets hope they can keep the magic going.

Very sad to see the passing of Christine McVie of Fleetwood Mac. She was a big part of the band and had a lot of the writing credits on the album Rumors, which is widely considered on of the best albums of all time. Its going to be tough going forward as most of the older classic rock band musicians are getting up in age (Christine was 79), and who knows ho much longer they can go.

Lehigh came up short against Laffayette (11-14) in the 158th game played between the 2 rivalries. It wasnt the most exciting game, but Lehigh did rally late and had a few chances to pull out a win

Finally – There are only 2 Episodes of Survivor 43 left. Its down to the final 6 and should be interesting to see who makes a move to stand out. Everybody has been pretty mellow this season, with nobody playing the role of the villain. I did see Jeff Probst again asking people to apply during a commercial break. Hopefully that means they are still casting and somebody will see come across my audition video and think “This guy would make a great contestant” I’m waiting for the call.

Hope everybody has a great weekend, and is getting into the Christmas and Holiday Spirit.

Remember to take time some time for your self (Listen to Music, Read a book) and to talk to family / friends / others in person instead of through texts

AverageAndy

Posted in Books, Football, Friends, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Mark Burnett, Movies, Music, NY Giants, Radio, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, Television, The Walking Dead | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Power Through

Having a tough time getting myself motivated to update my blog. Not that I don’t have a lot of interesting stuff to write about, its just that it has seemed like a daunting task to actually take some time and sit down an write. Not sure why, as things are going good

Its been an interesting season on Survivor. On one hand, I am enjoying the show like always as a study of human psychology. After 42+ seasons, I still find the concept fascinating and enjoy seeing how the contestants handle all the different scenarios that are thrown at them. I find it motivating to see people push themselves past what they though they were capable of. Its one of the main reasons I want to be a contestant, to be put in a tough situation and see if I could dig deep and power through.

On the other hand, this season seems a bit to calm and relaxed. There is no real stand out player (At this point, I’m rooting for Gabler) and as mentioned earlier, a lot of the players seem to be content with just being there. Its hard to tell if there are moves being made, and players discussing strategies simply based on what is on TV. Also I miss the Ponderosa Videos that used to give a great insight into the contestants once they were voted off. I know there are the exit interviews with Dalton Ross, and it looks like there are some TicTock Videos of players, but that’s just not my thing.

As far as the rest of the season, with a lot of Idols still in play, and a few players looking to make some moves, it should liven up a bit as we only have a few more episodes left before the finale.

The NY Football Giants continue to win games that in the past few seasons they would have defiantly lost. They should be able to beat Detroit this Sunday, before heading to Dallas to face the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Should be an exiting game to watch after our family feast.

I am going to try and catch some of the Lehigh / Lafayette game tomorrow at a watch party. There is a brewery that is owned by a Lehigh Alum on the Jersey shore that is televising the game, and I’m hoping to meet up with some friends and catch up over a few beers

As far as TV, I am almost caught up with Andor – I am really enjoying it. They have done a great job of creating a story within the Star Wars Universe that feels real and emotional.

I have also been enjoying CSI: Las Vegas – Was a super fan of the Original CSI, and like how they have continued the show after some time away. Would love some more of the earlier cast (George Eads, Eric Szmanda, Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson, and Elizabeth Shue) come back for a few episodes. I think they could do so really cool things.

Am also watching Manifest on NetFlix after it was cancelled by NBC. Been watching from the beginning and for the most part am enjoying the show. Like most of NBCs SCI Fi drams (Heroes, Revolution, ..) they are kind of sappy and never really give you and answer. But I do enjoy it for what it is and will watch till the end

And finally, after 11 Seasons, The Walking Dead ends it run on Sunday night. I have been watching since the beginning and am really looking forward to how things wrap up. There is still “Fear The Walking Dead” as well as several new spin-off, so the Walking Dead Universe will live on. Like Star Trek, the Walking Dead would have its ups and downs, but the ups were really good making it worth the few downs. I am a big fan and it will be missed.

Going to try and jot down things that interest me the next few days and take some time to write one more post before Thanksgiving next Thursday.

AverageAndy

Posted in CSI:VEGAS, Fear the Walking Dead, Football, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Lehigh, Manifest, Mark Burnett, NY Giants, Ponderosa, Reality Shows, Star Wars, Star Wars, Survivor, Tales of the Walking Dead, Television, The Walking Dead | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RIP Gallagher

Sad to see that comedian Gallagher has passed away at the age of 76

Remember watching his specials on Showtime HBO back in the 80s

Born Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr., the mononymous comedian became a household name in 1980 with “An Uncensored Evening,” the first standup comedy special to ever air on Showtime. Gallagher would go on to create 12 more hourlong specials for the network, as well as several popular programs for HBO.

Sad day in the world of comedy. He was unique and will be missed

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Where did the time go

Looking and seeing that the last time I wrote anything was over 2 weeks ago. It doesn’t seem possible that that much time had passed but here we are, a week into November, with the Holiday season coming up fast; Holiday decorations are starting to show up in stores, and pop up on peoples houses. Starbucks has switched to its Holiday themed drinks and cups. Pumpkin Spice which was all the rage is no so yesterday.

Sine I last wrote, the NY Football Giants lost to Seattle and the had their by week. The pick things up again this Sunday, home against the Houston Texans and should be able to win and get to 7 – 2. While things are looking up for the Giants, the same can not be said about the Lehigh Mountain Hawks. Its been a tough year with some tough losses. Hopefully they will find some magic an beat Lafayette in the 158th game between the two teams which is college footballs most played rivalry

Once the Mets were eliminated from the play-offs, I kind of tuned out the rest of the way. Besides the Mets losing, other teams that I follow like the Red Sox, Twins, and Pirates didn’t even make the play-offs). I was happy for several friends and relatives who are big Phillies fans who got to experience the World Series even though they ran out of steam and got beat by the Houston Astros. Not were into the off-season and will wait and see what the Mets do to try to better their team for 2023. As a side note, I had one of my worst Rotisserie Baseball seasons in years finishing last and now having to supply lunch for everybody at our 2023 draft.

Me and a friend finally decided it was time, and purchased tickets to the 2023 Marillion Weekend in L’Olympia Montreal. Marillion have been doing fan weekends since 2002 (Most of them in Europe, with a few in Montreal). The timing is right so we will be heading north in May for 3 nights of Marillion music. This will be the 1st Weekend I have attended and it should be a lot of fun.

Its Wednesday, which means it time for Survivor. I have really enjoyed this season as far a the production. Lots of cool challenges and twists. As I noted after Dalton Ross’s las EW Update, it seems that a lot of this seasons contestants are to happy with being votes off. They seem to be treating this as a cool vacation. I mentioned this as being a bit strange, since all of the things I have read and heard about applying is that they are looking for people who will play hard and try to win. Survivor casting director Jesse Tannenbaum even said in one of his Instagram videos, that if you you are just looking to get out of the house or take a break from work / life, and Survivor seems like it would be a fun thing to do while you try and figure things out, your not what were looking for and you might as well just go camping. I would love to be a contestant on Survivor for may reasons, from being able to push myself physically and mentality, to the fascination of the group and individual dynamics. It would be much more than just a free vacation to me.

While I am still waiting for the call from the producers (I submitted my application back in September), I am already thinking of ideas for my next application. I have joined a few Zoom calls with past contestants like Parvati Shallow and Adam Klein and may need to reach back out to them for some tricks and tips. I also am grateful for the encouragement and support I have receive from Chrissy Hofbeck on LinkedIn who has given me the confidence to continue applying and chasing my dream.

More to come

AverageAndy

Posted in Adam Klein, Baseball, Christine Hofbeck, Concerts, Football, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Lehigh University, Marillion, Music, NY Giants, NY Mets, Parvati Shallow, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Philly Non-Sports Show – Fall 2022

Had a great time at the Philly Non-Sports Show last weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks. The show is the east coasts premier event for non-sport and entertainment trading card collectors. Its always, a fun time, I was able to catch up with fellow collectors and dealers, and pick a bunch of free promos, as well as a few autograph cards to fill in some gaps in my collections

I big shout out to Marlin, Roxanne, and Harris Toser for keeping the show running year after year (Believe this was the 77th show, at at least 5 different locations), I have attended at least 1 day of every show (2 times per year) going back at least 20 years. One of the highlights for me is the red border show exclusive promo cards that are given out each show as part of an entrance promo pack. Starting with card #1 ( Frank & Phyllis Reighter Co-Sponsors), the set is now up to card #117 (Ted Dastik Jr). There are also a few error cards (misspellings, misprints) and a few dealer exclusives (Need to send a SESE). Besides all the ones I have got by attending the shows, I have been able to track down all the earlier cards and have a near complete set (I have heard there is a un-numbered card that was before card #1). Also something I have been doing is getting the cards signed (if possible) by the dealers, artists, and collectors during the show. I’m guessing I have around 75 auto graphed cards. I am currently going through everything to get an official count.

Jeff Allenders House of Checklists – Philly Non-Sports Show Promos

Here are a few of the other promos / cards / autographs that I picked up at the show.

Lots of other stuff happened during the last week (Survivor, Amazing Race, Giants Football, Baseball Playoffs. Will be back later to post my observations and thoughts on these and other things on my mind

Happy Monday – Hope everybody had a great weekend and wishing you all a great week ahead. Take some time to talk to family and friends, listen to music, read a book, or enjoying your favorite pastime / hobby.

Keep Smiling

AverageAndy

Posted in Amazing Race, Baseball, Books, Football, Friends, Jeff Probst, Mark Burnett, Music, Non-Sports Cards, NY Giants, Phil Keoghan, Philly Non Sports Card Show, Reality Shows, Sports, Star Trek, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Commodores + Bruce Springsteen – Pure Gold

Saw that Bruce Springsteen had a new album of classic Motown covers coming out. The first single is a cover of the Commodores classic “Nigh Shift”. I always loved this tune and must admit, the Springsteen version (and the video) are simply awesome

Sit back, relax, and give it a listen. I guarantee it will put you in a great mood

Well Done.

Posted in Bruce Springsteen, Lionel Richie, Music, The Commodores | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Thoughts for a Friday

All caught up with Survivor and The Amazing Race. Both shows have been great this season.

With Survivor, its interesting watching how things have changed the past few seasons. Seems to be more emphasis on bonding and relationships, and less on strategy. Players seem to be making moves based on feelings rather than what would be best for there game. Also players seem to be thinking to much (Like last week when Carla originally decided to not take the ‘beware advantage’, or this week where Lindsay became so convinced that she was the target, that she failed to see that she was in a good position going forward). Everybody seems to be playing to have a good time, and not playing to win. While I don’t think everything you do on the show should only about getting to the end and winning, or that you should play the game likes its a vacation and what ever happens, happens, there has to be a mix. Jeff is constantly telling people they need to make bold moves to gain respect but it seems most people recently look at bold moves as simply putting a bigger target on themselves.

This us just another reason I would love to be a contestant on Survivor. Sometimes it seems easy from home and while I believe its very difficult, I would love to see how I would play the game in reality. I’m hoping I would not get myself so paranoid and stressed out, that I fail to see the big picture and make the big move. Only way to know is to be a contestant and find out

As for the Amazing Race, its interesting to see how much more stressed out team are knowing there is no ‘non-elimination’ legs. Never noticed it much before, but maybe teams were a bit more relaxed, figuring that they always had a backup of it being a non-elimination leg. Like the new format and how its really pushing the teams. Was glad to see Sharik Atkinson decide to keep on racing and not quit and head home. Again, I’m sure that the Amazing Race is tough and can wear on you both physically and mentally, but I would hope that I could fight through all that and enjoy the opportunity to travel the world and experience all the places and challenges the Amazing Race has to offer

Big weekend coming up – Meeting some good friends for dinner, and then heading to the Philly Non-Sports Card Show. After heading home (an listening the start of the Giants game on the radio), should be home for the end of the game, before possibly be meeting other friends for a beer and wine paring dinner that look interesting. With the Mets being eliminated and no longer taking up my time (But believe me, I wish they were still playing), I should be able to find some time for a walk and meditation between all my plans

Will be back next week to update on how things went, with pictures of any promo and insert cards that I was able to collect at the Philly Show.

Its hard to believe we are already half-way through October already and the the Holiday Season will be upon us soon

Wishing the best to everybody. Remember to find some time to relax, to hang with friends and family, and to listen to your favorite music. Life is good

Average Andy

Posted in Amazing Race, Baseball, Card Collecting, Football, Fun and Games, Jeff Probst, Mark Burnett, Music, Non-Sports Cards, NY Giants, NY Mets, Phil Keoghan, Philly Non Sports Card Show, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment