On and on we go. Where we stop, nobody knows

Posted on October 31, 2025 by AverageAndy

Here are some updates since the last time I wrote

Happy Halloween. Hope everybody has fun and enjoys dressing up and collecting candy

Every year on Halloween, I take some time to listen to the following two songs.

Good stuff — Helloween are still going strong and are currently out on their 40th Anniversary Tour. Meatloaf passed away in January of 2022 and is dearly missed.

Take some time to listen to either of these songs, or other songs by these artists, or any other songs in general that reminds you of Halloween.

One last thing – I heard this being discussed on the WFAN Morning Show with Boomer and Gio.

People are giving out Potatoes for Halloween instead of candy. They were saying that this can’t be a good idea, as people will end up throwing the potatoes at each other or through a window.

I was happy to see that “The Rainmaker” on USA has been renewed for a 2nd season. Not sure if the 2nd season will be based on anything from John Grisham but looking forward to seeing where things go.

After a bye week, Lehigh University Football continued its winning ways with a 27 – 6 victory over Fordham. Next up is a home game against Georgetown on Saturday. Let’s see if they can keep things up and move to 9-0 on the season. But despite their record, it looks like the Patriot League title will still come down to the winner of the 160th Lehigh / Lafayette game on November 22nd, 2025

The NY Football Giants got a shot of reality last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. All the momentum they had from beating the Eagles a few weeks back is now gone. Add to that the loss of Cam Skattebo for the rest of the year due to a dislocated ankle, and the rest of the season is not looking great. Maybe a win at home on Sunday against a beat-up San Francisco Team will keep things at least watchable for a while. A loss, and it’s time to start thinking about college basketball (Lehigh actually opens their 2025 – 2026 season Monday, November 3rd against 2nd-ranked Houston) and counting the days until Spring Training (approximately 112 days)

Crazy that tomorrow is November 1st, and on Sunday, we set the clocks back an hour. Not looking forward to it getting dark around 5 PM. I am somebody who is affected by the time change in that it makes me feel a bit off.

I did attend the 83rd Philly Non-Sports Show last weekend. It was a good time as always, and I was able to pick up some new promo cards, as well as a few Strange Things cards to add to my collection

Here are some scans of some of the promo cards I picked up. Thanks to Rittenhouse Archives, Cryptozoic, and Ted Dastic Jr for producing these cards and giving them out to attendees. Also want to give a big thanks to The Tosers for putting on another great show

Star Trek Connections
Cryptozoic – Peanuts
Rittenhouse Archives – Preview
Rittenhouse Promos
Ted Dastic Jr. – 2025 Promos

Time to grab a bite to eat and then head home. Looking forward to watching Game 6 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays are up 3 – 2 and can end things tonight at the Rogers Center. It’s been an entertaining World Series so far (including an 18-inning affair that ended around 3:00 AM on Monday night), and yes, I did watch all the way to the end

My next post will be a dive into the current season of Survivor, who I am voting for and against, and who I think has the best chance of winning. We have reached the merge (I think), and after that, things go quickly to the end.

AverageAndy Out

#Survivor49
#Survivor50
#Survivor51
#CBS

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum
#SurvivorCasting
#ApplyNow

#PEACE

Posted in 101.9 WFAN, Baseball, Books, Card Collecting, Drew Basile, Football, Fun and Games, Helloween, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Grisham, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Meat Loaf, Music, Non-Sports Cards, NY Giants, Philly Non Sports Card Show, Radio, Reality Shows, Sports, Star Trek, Star Wars, Survivor, Television, The Rainmaker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wednesday Update

Posted on October 22, 2025 by AverageAndy

I wanted to write yesterday, but fell asleep while reading “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” and when I woke up, I was a bit discombobulated. Got some things done this morning (still looking for a new IT Job), and now have some time to write

I will be attending the 83rd Philly Non-Sports Card Show this weekend (Sunday). The show is held twice a year, and I have not missed attending at least one day in well over 15 years. The show is a great place for non-sports card collectors to gather and browse/discuss, and purchase all types of non-sports cards. I started collecting Star Wars cards by Topps back in 1977 and have continued collecting ever since.

Eventually, I discovered Non-Sports Update (the magazine and specifically for Non-Sport Card Collectors), and its chat room, CardTalk.

Besides Topps Star Wars Cards, I also got into collecting Rittenhouse Archives Star Trek Cards, as well as promo cards (Given out by manufacturers to promote their card sets). I have collected over 1000 promo cards and am looking forward to picking up some more this weekend. Pictures to follow

After taking some time to process the Giants’ loss to Denver on Sunday, I came away with a few thoughts.

1. Along with the terrible loss to Dallas earlier in the season, I must admit that the Giants are at least fun to watch for the first time in years

2. The defense gave up a 32-yard pass on 3rd and 11 with just over 2 minutes left. I stop there, and the game is over. The great drive by Jaxson Dart to take the lead, and the awful prevent defense to allow Denver to win, should never have happened

3. Releasing the kicker doesn’t do much – kickers are like MLB relief pitchers. Good one day, and bad the next. All you are looking for is some sort of consistency. The more I think about it, the accomplishment of Mariano Rivera for the New York Yankees is one of the greatest streaks in professional sports. The guy was consistently good for 15+ years in a profession where if you are good for 2 or 3 years, you are considered great. (Sorry for the tangent, just came to my mind)

4. A win against the Eagles this weekend would show me that the team is closer to being a winning team than the perpetual losers they have been

——

I finished watching TASK on HBO, and though it was one of the best shows in a while. I always liked Mark Ruffalo and thought he did an excellent job, along with the rest of the cast. I enjoyed HBOS’s style, where episodes are released each week, better than the streaming services like Netflix and Amazon, where all episodes are released at the same time. For a good show, the anticipation for each week’s episode grows rather than going from the end of one episode to the beginning of the next so quickly sometimes is to much. I do like Apple TV’s style, where they release the first few episodes all at once and then switch to a weekly schedule. That way, you can get a genuine feel for a show before making a full commitment.

———

I attended a No Kings rally this weekend (Note: I did not get paid, I attended on my own volition). It was refreshing to see so many people gathering to show their distrust of the current administration. People did have some creative signs, and there were some good speakers. While I am not the biggest Rah Rah person, and if you asked me the true meaning of No Kings, I probably could not tell you. But to me, the point of the rally (and all the rallies across the country) was to get the word out that people are not happy and want things to change. Hopefully, with all the press the rallies received, along with some famous people and celebrities showing up and marching, people will feel less threatened to show their feelings at future rallies and maybe force some changes as politicians, organizations, and companies realize they should distance themselves from the current administration and listen more to the people.

——————————-

AverageAndy

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum

#Marrillion
#ABetterWayOfLife

#PEACE

Andy Out



Posted in Dalton Ross, Football, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, NY Giants, Reality Shows, Sports, Star Trek, Star Wars, Survivor, TASK, TOPPS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time keeps on ticking, into the future

Posted on October 20, 2025 by AverageAndy

Can’t believe it’s been almost 2 weeks since I last wrote anything. I keep thinking I will write, and then get sidetracked, or my mind wanders, and next thing you know, days and weeks have gone by

To catch up, I am going to try to remember things and quickly jot them down. Following this, I promise to dig a bit deeper into certain things listed

1. Crazy loss by the NY Giants to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Coming off last Sunday’s huge win against the Philadelphia Eagles, for the first time in years, there was juice about this team. They actually looked like a team that can at least compete each week. Then they went out and dominated the Broncos for 3 quarters. But, alas, good things with the Giants don’t seem to last, and they found a way to eliminate all the momentum and goodwill they had built up, and remind us that they still have a way to go. If they had won, they would have been 3 – 4 going into this week’s rematch against the Eagles, with a legitimate chance to declare to the league that they are for real. But now at 2 – 5 with some tough games coming up, the fans are back to being skeptical and checking out again. What could have been.

2. Lehigh Football had a bye week after a good win against Columbia to get to 7 – 0 on the season. They start the final stretch of Patriot League games this week against Fordham as they look to continue their undefeated season and increase their chances of a Patriot League Championship. Let’s Go Mountain Hawks

3. Ace Frehley, the legendary lead guitar player for Kiss, passed away last week after suffering a head injury after a fall. While I was not a Kiss super fan or member of the Kiss Army, I do like most of their music and give them all the credit for what they have accomplished. Sad that he died a few weeks before Kiss was scheduled to receive the Kennedy Center award, and also that there will never be a classic Kiss reunion. RIP Ace Frehley

Kiss
Ace Frehley
Kiss UnMasked

Finnish watching “The Rainmaker” on USA. Really enjoyed the series (based on the book by John Grisham). I have read most of John Grisham’s books, and he never disappoints.

Planning on watching the last episode of “TASK” on HBO later this evening. It’s one of the best series I have watched in a long time, and I am really enjoying it. Very well done, it keeps you engaged with both the story and the characters. Hopefully, it ends on a high note. Next week, “Welcome to Derry” premieres on HBO in the 9:00 PM EST time slot. Looks like it will be scary.

I also plan on watching “Sinners” (streaming) and “Weapons” (HBO) soon.

I did watch “28 Years Later”, the 3rd movie in the series after “28 Days Later”, and “28 Months Later”. All three movies were very well done, and I am looking forward to the 4th movie next year

Other shows I am watching /or tried to watch

9-1-1 (Original) (ABC) — New season is off to a good start

9-1-1 (Nashville) (ABC) — Watched the 1st episode and that is it. To contrived and over the top

Shifting Gears (ABC) — I really just need to watch a comedy now and then, and this is pretty funny

DMV (CBS) — Another 1/2 comedy that is a perfect way to just laugh a bit.

——————————————

Survivor 49 (CBS)

This deserves a deeper dive. After a slow start (due more to the repetitive setup of the past few seasons, rather than the contestants), the last episode did have some juice. Splitting the tribes up into groups of 2 instead of the stale groups of 3 made the immunity challenge more compelling. While the random reshuffling kind of backfired on how the tribes were divided (4-person majority on each team of 7), it still was a breath of fresh air. I like to see how people handle being forced to change their strategy after going from being the same to being one of the targets. I always wonder how I would handle that. Would I try to make waves and a big move since I knew I was on the bottom? Would I try to sit back and just kind of blend in and not be seen as a threat? Or would I offer myself up as a vote going forward and hope the majority takes me seriously? This is just another reason why I would love to be a contestant on a future season.

I am also wondering if having everybody on a tribe share in searching for an idol or an advantage is a good strategy. Seems like it would be good for the person who ends up with the advantage, but does it help or hurt the others? Guess we will need to wait and see

Did see this post on Entertainment Weekly about the posibility of a Golden Survivor Season. While this would hoepfully give me a better chance of getting casted, I/m not sure it would be fun or even good television. Part of the alure of Survivor is that its a subset of normal people put together, and seeing who can adapt with prople of differen ages and backgrounds. I do think they should look into casting a few more older people insted of 1 or 2 each season, who are imediatly at a disadvantage.

Time to wrap things up for the day. More to come tomorrow

Thanks for reading

Andy (AverageAndy)

#Survivor
#Survivor49
#Survivor50
#Survivor51

#SurvivorCBS
#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenebaum

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

Note — Attended ProgStock2025 last weekend and saw h Natural (Steve Hogarth of Marillion). Was an awsome show. More to come

#MARILLION
#ABetterWayOfLife
#ThisTrainIsMyLife

#PEACE

Posted in 9-1-1, Adam Klein, Benjamin "Coach" Wade, Boston Rob, Christian Hubicki, Christine Hofbeck, Cirie Fields, Concerts, Dalton Ross, Drew Basile, Football, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Job Searching, John Cochran, John Grisham, Jonny Fairplay, Kellyn Bechtold, Lehigh, Marillion, Mark Burnett, NY Giants, Parvati Shallow, ProgStock 2025, Reality Shows, Richard Hatch, Rob Cesternino, Sports, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Steve Hogarth, Survivor, TASK, The Rainmaker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Short Update

Posted on October 7, 2025 by AverageAndy

Going to return my rental car and pick up my car from the show this afternoon. It took 2 weeks to replace the undercarriage (wires were all chewed up by a rodent that had made a nest in my car). Thank God I had Rodent Insurance through State Farm. It covered everything (~$8,000.oo) other than a $100.00 deductable — One less thing on my plate

Still waiting to hear back for a job (had 3 separate interviews that went well). Hopefully, they will decide soon

The NY Giants came back to earth after beating the L.A. Chargers and lost to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. They play the Philadelphia Eagles this Thursday, and I would not be surprised if they make a coaching change if they lose. You cannot continue to roll out the same awful product week after week and tell us that it is a work in progress. Nothing ever changes or gets better.

The NY Yankees are down 2 – 0 to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 3 0f 5 NLDS after getting hammered in the Rogers Center over the weekend. You can never count the Yankees out, but this year feels a bit different, and I would not be shocked if Toronto takes the series tonight in Game 3 or tomorrow in Game 4.

Last episode of TASK on HBO was excellent (intense and suspenseful). Really enjoying this series

Same with The Rain Maker on USA Network. Only a few episodes left. Good Stuff

Enjoyed the show and the ending of The Black Rabbit on Netflix. Not exactly what I was expecting, and they did a really good job of resolving things. Much better than leaving things open and then having to wait to see if there is a second season,

Going to try and go to ProgStock 2025 this weekend and see Steve Hogarth perform his h natural show for the 1st time ever in the United States. Will give you my review if things work out as planned.

Only 2 more weeks until the 83rd Philly Non-Sports Card Show, The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA – Hall E. Especially looking forward to seeing one of the featured artists (Ted Dastick Jr.). A really talented sketch card artist who has done cards for many different sets.

And last, LET’S GO MOUNTAIN HAWKS. Lehigh defeated Yale on Saturday to move to 6 – 0 and are ranked 7th in the latest FCS Poll. Next up is Columbia before finishing the season against the Patriot League opponents.

That’s it for now. More to come soon

AverageAndy

#PEACE
#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

PS – As always, if anybody has any connections with Survivor or CBS that could help to at least get my name in front of the casting team, it would be appreciated

Posted in Black Rabbit, Card Collecting, Dalton Ross, Fun and Games, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Non-Sports Cards, NY Giants, Philly Non Sports Card Show, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, TASK, The Rainmaker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Survivor and other updates

Posted on September 30, 2025 by AverageAndy

Took my car to the dealer last week due to a message on the dashboard (Hybrid System Malfunction). Turns out that a rodent made a nest under my car and ate through all the wires. The entire undercarriage will need to be replaced at a cost of around $8000.00. I ended up calling my insurance company (State Farm) and was surprised that I have “rodent damage” coverage. Was told that insurance will cover the repairs minus a $100.00 deductible. The whole thing is a pain, but at least it was not a financial disaster.

The NY Mets, on the other hand, found a way to miss the 2025 MLB Play-Offs despite their signing of Juan Soto to a mega contract and bringing back Pete Alonso. They started off well, but injuries to some of their starting pitchers (who were carrying them) and a lack of continuity among the players took its toll as they slowly slipped down the standings, and eventually ended up losing out to the Cincinnati Reds base on a tiebreaker. Losing 2 out of 3 to the Miami Marlins ended the season and now the owner, GM, and players will need to do some self-reflection and see what needs to be done going forward. Not sure what I would do (I do like that they came out right away and said Manager Carlos Mendoza will be back). Will need to take some time to think about this.

The NY Football Giants made a QB change and then actually won a game on Sunday to move to 1 – 3. I have written numerous times about not being a fan of the head coach. I am going to hold off for a few weeks as we see how Jaxson Dart and the team perform after their emotional win in front of a home crowd that was starving for a win. They have a tough stretch coming up (@NO, PHI, @DEN, @PHI), and it will be telling to see how they handle things.

The season of Big Brother 27 came to an end on Sunday, with Ashley Hollis defeating Vince Panaro by a vote of 6 – 1. The fans then voted for Keanu Soto as their favorite player. It was an interesting session. Liked a design of the house, and some of the challenges. Didn’t really understand all the stuff with the “Mastermind”, ending with the Mastermind being a trio of past players (Jessie Godderz, Frankie Grande, and Eric Stein)

It was not one of my favorite seasons, as I didn’t really connect or care about the majority of the cast. There were some interesting people, but nobody who stood out as a talented player (Based on just watching the weekly episodes on CBS – Never watched any of the live feeds). Still addicting, and I will most likely continue to watch next year.

Currently watching

TASK (HBO Max) — Really good and worth the watch

Black Rabbit (Netflix) — Also very good.

The Rainmaker (USA) — Very enjoyable

Currently reading

Decided to try something different, and started reading “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain. I don’t think I ever read it, and decided to give it a go. It’s kind of tough to read, since it was written over 100 years ago, and words and context have changed. But so far so good, and I will update things as I get further along

As for Survivor 49

While I am still a huge fan and continue my quest to become a contestant, I have to admit that the first episode was a bit slow. The Challenges seemed a bit too familiar, and while I like the journeys, they need to change things up a bit. Maybe send somebody from all 3 tribes, with the player from the winning tribe simply being an observer. It would be interesting to see how the winner and loser would explain what happened back at camp, knowing the 3rd person has all the info as well

As for the players, it always takes me a few episodes to feel them out, and come up with who I will be rooting for. It’s been a while for me to really think a contestant is among the all-time greats. Between the way the game is now played, where people seem to be afraid of rocking the boat, or making any kind of big move for fear of putting a target on their back, and the way alliances are formed, nobody this season (and the past few new era seasons) has really grabbed me.

Would like to see the producers bring back some of the older challenges where you had to vote or break a tile or pot among all the contestants, with the goal to eliminate players. This forced people to make tough decisions and show their hand. Need more of this so that players can’t simply form an alliance and run the table to the final 4

I mentioned previously that I enjoyed watching “The Snake” on FOX. I liked the format of the show and thought it was one of the better reality shows out there. But then they decided to “Jump the Shark” and decide who would be one of the finalists based on the roll of the dice. Of the last 5 players, the 1st person to roll Snake Eyes would be one of the finalists, and the last person to roll Snake Eyes would immediately be eliminated. I thought they will need to roll a lot of times for 5 of 6 people to roll a Snake Eyes. As they played things out, it only took 6 rounds and 24 rolls for 5 people to roll Snake Eyes. I thought to myself, there is no way. The odds don’t add up. It should have taken much longer

This really bothered me, so I wrote to one of the smartest people I could think of – Matt Parker of StandUpMaths and asked him if this made sense. I figured he might find it interesting. Not only did he find it interesting, he created a full video on his YouTube Channel about it.

He did mention that he got a lot of emails from people about this, which made me feel great, realizing that I am not alone out there and there are others who question things that don’t make sense.

Thanks to Matt, and here is the YouTube Video

More to come in the next few days

AverageAndy

#CBSSurvivor
#Survivor49
#Survivor50
#Survivor51

#NeverTooOldForSurvivoir
#GiveMeAChance

#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum

Posted in Baseball, Big Brother, Black Rabbit, Football, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Julie Chen Moonves, Mark Twain - The Adventured of Tom Sawyer, NY Giants, NY Mets, Rachel Reily, Sports, Stand Up Maths, Survivor, TASK, The Rainmaker, The Snake | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

List of things from the past few weeks

Posted on September 22, 2025 by AverageAndy

Not sure why, but I have had a hard time thinking of things to write about. A lot is going on in the world, and usually, I come across something that makes me want to jump on the site and write about it. I guess this is what writer’s block feels like because I keep putting off logging on and writing. Sorry if this feels a bit forced, but I am just going to start listing things.

1. The best thing about cancelling my Disney+ / Hulu / ESPN+ subscription over the Jimmy Kimmel firing was the text I got from my daughter to me and my wife, thanking us for being “cool” parents

2. The Lehigh Mountain Hawks beat Bucknell on Saturday and are now 4 – 0. Glad at least one of the teams I root for is actually doing well

3. The NY Mets are going to make me sweat the final 6 games as they battle the Cincinnati Reds for the final NL Wild Card. Im going to stay positive and believe they will find a way

4. The NY Football Giants have beaten me down. For the 1st time in a long, long time, if ever, I don’t have the passion or energy to really enjoy them. I will continue to watch and root for them to win, but no longer feel angry when they lose. At 0 – 3, the 2025 / 2026 Season is basically over

5. Very sad to see that Robert Redford passed away last week at the age of 89. Was an icon as I was growing up and starred in some of the best (and my favorite movies. “The Sting” and “Sneakers” come to mind as two of my all-time classics that I could watch over and over.

6. Enjoying “The Rainmaker” TV series based on the John Grisham book. I know I read the book but it was a while ago, so I don’t remember everything

7. Watched the 1st two episodes of “Black Rabbit” on Netflix. They got me interested in what’s going to happen next, so I will keep on watching

8. Getting down to the end of Big Brother 27. Been kind of a weird season, with nobody really sticking out as memorable, other than Vince, who I liked at the beginning, but now can’t stand his whining

9. Attended my 40th High School reunion this past Saturday. Had a great time, and it was fun to see and catch up with everybody. Went in thinking I was going to concentrate on my listening, but ended up having a few too many Blue Moons and ended up talking more than I should. Something to work on for the 45th Reunion in 2030.

10. Don’t want to write much on politics. Let’s just say it has been a crazy two weeks, and it will be interesting to see where things go and what is remembered in years to come

11. Still looking for a new job (Been close to a year since I was let go from SHI). Have some things in the works, but don’t want to get too excited, since I have had things fall through at the end a bunch of times already. I also dealt with a scam. I was contacted through Microsoft Teams and offered a job the next day after answering some basic questions about my background. But then I was told I needed to buy an iPhone and iPad with my own money, and they would pay me back once “funds” were approved. When I told them I wouldn’t do that, the team’s meeting closed, and that’s the last I heard from them. Be careful out there

12 Finished reading Broken Lines (EMP Survival in a Powerless World #1 by James Hunt. Found it on Amazon Kindle Unlimited and thought it would be another one of these series of books that seem to be pumped out quickly. I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. The author surprised me by going places that most books dumb down and imply without going into detail.

13. Need to get running and take my car in for service — I have a Prius Prime Plug-In Hybrid and got a message that the Hybrid System has malfunctioned. Luckily I have enough gas to get me to the Dealer

And finally, Survivor 49 premieres this Wednesday, September 24th, on CBS. Really looking forward to Survivor’s return (And Dalton Ross’s Survivor Recaps). Will try to write more about the show and the contestants going forward, considering Survivor is why this blog got started in the first place. I did watch the YouTube video of Influencers spending one night in Fiji on the Island doing the entire Survivor Experience. Was cool to see

Be back soon

#Survivor
#Survivor49
#Survivor50
#Survivor51
#Jeff Probst

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

# PEACE

Posted in Amazing Race, Baseball, Big Brother, Black Rabbit, Football, Friends, James Hunt - Broken Lines, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Julie Chen Moonves, Lehigh, Lehigh University, NY Giants, NY Mets, Rachel Reily, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, The Rainmaker | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Take some time to write Thank You notes

Posted on September 11, 2025 by AverageAndy

While watching a Sudoku solve on the Cracking the Cryptic, Simon Anthony mentioned that while recently traveling, he read an article in the NY Times by Glenn Kramon about the benefits of writing Thank You Notes. Not just for gifts, but write a Thank You note to somebody who made an impact on your life. Thank a friend or teacher for something they did for you. Thank a colleague for helping with an issue. Studies show that it helps both you and the recipient in many ways

After reading the article, I remembered that back April of 2019, I wrote a week of Thank You Notes on this blog.

Here is a link: Thank You Notes (April 2019)

NY Times Article (Paywall) – Why You Should Send Thank-You Notes, Even Years Later

Below is the Cracking the Cryptic Video

——–

Lots of craziness is going on, and I’m not sure of the best way to write about it without things getting missed or not getting the right amount of time.

Today is the 24th Anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center Towers. One of the few events from the past that I (and people around my age) will always remember. Here is a story I saw last night on the CBS Evening News about trying to make sure kids are taught about the events of that day in school – September 11 Teachers Students Lessons History.

While having dinner at a friend’s last weekend, we got into a discussion of where we each were on September 11th, 2001. These were close friends who had known each other before that day, but had never really talked about how they were each affected. It was interesting to hear things where everybody was, and I learned things that I never knew (or had forgotten, even from my wife).

I only know of one person I knew who was killed that day. (RIP Christopher)

Christopher M. Colasanti (1968 – 2001)

****************************

Charlie Kirk, co-founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was shot and killed yesterday while giving a speech at Utah Valley University. The killer has not yet been identified and is still on the loose. While I am not part of the audience that Mr. Kirk speaks to and about (and usually disagree with him on his political views and conservative ideas), nobody deserves to be killed based on their thoughts and beliefs. I did see the video of the incident on X, and it was very surreal. Not sure I have ever seen somebody actually being shot, and the image will stick with me for a long time. Going to try to remove myself from all the posts, information, and political propaganda for the next few days, as each side will try to speculate and twist things to benefit them.

A man was assassinated in broad daylight, and us as a country should be embarrassed and upset that this happened and band together to figure out why and what we can do in the future to prevent things like this from happening again. Easier said than done, and we will probably see more violence, but hopefully, this tragic event moves us closer to peace among all groups and people

Rest In Peace Charlie Kirk

*****************************************

The NY Giants did exactly what I thought they would, which was not score a touchdown in a 21 – 6 opening day defeat to the Washington Commanders. Now they have to go to Dallas to face an 0 – 1 Cowboy team that played well against the Eagles, and will be looking to avoid going 0 – 2.

I am really torn, as I have been a Giants fan forever and always want them to win, but am so disgusted with Brian Dabol and his awful coaching. If they win, it will be despite him, but they will keep him around as the team continues to underachieve with him as the coach. If they lose to Dallas this Sunday, I would not want to be anywhere near MetLife Stadium in two weeks when they have their home opener against the KC Chiefs.

The Mets need to get things straightened out soon if they want to feel good about things going into the MLB playoffs, which start in two weeks. They currently look lost at the plate, and with the pitching struggling and unable to even keep things close, it’s going to be a crazy few weeks. I still think they are good enough to win enough games down the stretch to hold on to a Wild Card spot.

Lets Go Mets, Lets Go Mets, Lets Go Mets

******************************************************************

And finally for today, what a weird week of Big Brother. Having Rachel evicted by a game, and not actually being voted out, was very off-brand. Rachel will be on live tonight with Julie Chen to discuss what happened. I’m sure the contestants are told that the rules could change at any time, and they play off the tag line of “Expect the Unexpected”, but this was a bit much. There has to be something going on, and maybe we will learn something tonight. In the meantime, the game goes on, and Vince continues to be the most confusing contestant. Is he playing a good game? Is he playing a bad game? Does he even understand how things work? I am kind of confused why both Morgan and Lauren continue to support him. Kelley realized that she could not trust him, and smartly distanced herself from him.

It will be interesting to see who wins the B.B.Blockbuster, and based on that, who between Will, Ashley, and Keanu goes home

Here is my latest breakdown

Vince – Still sick of his complaining and winning
Keanu – Like him, and starting to lean towards my choice to win
Lauren – This season’s Veronica – Unforgettable during the season
Ava – Like here quirkiness and would be OK with here making it to the end
Ashley – Hope she’s the next to leave.
Morgan – Like her, but she needs to figure out things with Vince
Will – Hope he stays tonight – Would like to see him in the finals
Kelley – Playing a great game. Hope things pay off for her

*********************************************************

That’s it for now. Have a few leads for a new job, and hopefully things will play out in my favor

#PEACE

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#Survivor
#Survivor49
#Survivor50
#Survivor51 *** Working on an updated video to keep me in the casting teams’ radar ***

Thank You to all who take some time to look and read this blog. Hope that you find something interesting

AverageAndy

Posted in Announcement, Baseball, Big Brother, Cracking The Cryptic, Football, Friends, Job Searching, Julie Chen Moonves, NY Giants, NY Mets, Rachel Reily, Reality Shows, Sports, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here comes Fall

Posted on September 2, 2025 by AverageAndy

Hope everybody enjoyed the Labor Day Holiday. Crazy to realize we are now heading into fall (although many businesses have already forced the fall season on everybody. Walmart, Walgreens, and CVS have all had Halloween candy out for the past few weeks. Starbucks, Dunkin, and others have removed their summer drinks and added pumpkin spice to their menus. At least the weather is not controlled by the corporation, and we usually have some of the best weather. Take some time to get outside and go for a walk or hike, or even take a farewell trip to the beach.

Went to the Mets / Marlins game on Sunday at CITI Field. While the Mets continued to play lackluster baseball and lost the game, it was a fun day at the ballpark with my wife and daughter. Took the 7 Train from Queens to the stadium, which brought back memories of taking the 7 train to the old Shea Stadium with my dad to see the New York Jets play football. Back in the day, the Mets and Jets shared Shea Stadium before the Jets moved to New Jersey and Giants Stadium. Have to admit the food and beer prices were pretty crazy, but the game was a sellout, and it looked like people put the budget aside for the day. A family of 4 could easily drop $300.00 for the day.

As for the Mets, they did rebound after losing 3 out of 4 to the Marlins over the weekend, to take the 1st game against Detroit. Hopefully, they can win at least 1 of the next 2 to take the series before heading to Cincinnati this upcoming weekend for a 3 game set that could determine the final NL wild card position. A Mets sweep and the wild card race would practically be over, but a 3-game sweep by the Reds and all bets are off if the Mets will make the playoffs. It should be a lot of fun to watch

Also this week, the NFL kicks off its season with games on Thursday and Friday night. Then the NY Football Giants open their 2025 season at Washington on Sunday. I’m really torn about this season. As a lifelong fan, I always want the Giants to win every game. But I am not a fan of the head coach, and though the Giants made a mistake in bringing him back for another year. Hopefully, he changes his ways (much like Tom Coughlin did back in the 2000s – 2010s). Only time will tell. Just hope they can find a way to win at least 1 of their first 2 games on the road before the home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

As far as TV, I finished a few shows.

The Snake (FOX) — While I like the show, I felt the ending was kind of a letdown. Thinking about it, I really dont know the best way would have been to crown the winner, the way it was done was not good. Having 1 finalist decided by a random rolling of the dice seemed forced and unfair. And bringing back past contestants, only to have all but one eliminated from voting for the winner, while interesting, again seems unfair. It would be like if at the final tribal council of Survivor, instead of the jury voting, the 2 or 3 finalists were told to choose 1 member of the jury to decide the winner. (2.5 out of 5 bags)

The Institute (MGM+) — I really enjoyed the show, but was bit torn on the ending. I am a bit relieved that there will be a second season, which allows for some things to be left unexplained. There are a lot of ways things can go, and hopefully they don’t go completely overboard. (3.5 out of 5 bags)

Hostage (NetFlix) — Limited Series (5 episodes) — Stephen King said this was like the show 24, and I think that is a good comparison. I liked the show, even though it did follow the standard cliche where almost everybody is secretly a spy or traitor, and nobody notices or questions them when they leave a room or meeting on their phone to tell their handler the top secret plan that is about to happen. Like 24, or Alias, you need to simply suspend your belief and go with the flow, and simply enjoy the ride (3 out of 5 bags)

Have a few new albums I want to give a listen to this week

Gento — Steve Rothery (Marillion) and Thorsten Quaeschning (Tangerine Dream)

Giants and Monsters – Helloween

We are only 3 weeks away from the premiere of Survivor 49 and The Amazing Race 38

We are also closing in on the end of Big Brother 27. As always, Big Brother sucked me in for another season. Don’t know why I enjoy it so much, but in these crazy times, it’s a great escape from the real world for a few hours a week. Of the remaining players, I think I want Kelley to win. I also wouldn’t be upset if Rachel Reiley somehow found her way to the finals.

Vince – Sick of his complaining and winning
Keanue – Like him, but not to win
Lauren – Nothing special
Mickey – Not a big fan, but she is a good player
Ava – Like here quirkiness and would be OK with here making it to the end
Asley – Like Mickey, not a big fan
Morgan – Like her, but she is a bit too wishy washy at times
Will – Good for him in making it this far. Would also not be upset with him in the finals

Thats it for now — Should have some time this week to write some more

AverageAndy

#PEACE

#Survivor
#Survivor51
#SurvivorCBS
#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#JeffProbst
#JesseTannenbaum

#Marillion
#ABetterWayOfLife

Posted in Amazing Race, Big Brother, Helloween, Hostage, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Julie Chen Moonves, Lehigh, Lehigh University, Marillion, Music, NY Giants, NY Mets, Phil Keoghan, Reality Shows, Richard Hatch, Sports, Steve Rothery, Survivor, The Institute, The Snake | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Random Thoughts for a Friday

Posted on August 22, 2025 by AverageAndy

A little late, but sad to see that Terrence Stamp passed away last week. I remember him as General Zod in the original Superman and Superman 2. He also played Chancellor Valorum in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

General Zod
Chancellor Valorum

The Mets are driving me crazy. Sometimes they look great, and other days they don’t show up. You can’t be losing 2 of 3 to a bad Washington Nationals team. Hopefully, they show up this weekend against an equally bad Atlanta Braves team.

Don’t know how to feel about the NY Football Giants. It’s no secret I am not a big fan of coach Brian Dabol. But the team does look different this year, and I like the fact that they scored a lot of points during the pre-season. If they can keep this up, the 1st 2 games of the season (@Washington and @Dallas), it will go a long way to show me that things are treading in the right direction

Lehigh Football opens up next Saturday at home against the Richmond Spiders. Let’s see if 3rd year coach Kevin Cahill can keep things moving forward after last year’s Patriot League championship and playoff win over Richmond.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks 2025 Schedule

I am really enjoying “The Institute” on MGM+. The 1st season finally is this Sunday, and Stephen King just tweeted that it will be back for a second season. Good Stuff

Next week is also the season finale of “The Snake” on FOX. One of the few newer reality shows that kept me watching to the end. The show has simple to follow rules and stuck to them all season. Unlike shows like The Traitors and Deal or No Deal Island, where the rules were confusing, keeping things simple makes the show more enjoyable

See Survivor / Big Brother / The Amazing Race, as well as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, as shows that have simple rules that is enhanced by the players’ gameplay, and do’t feel minipulated and manufactured

Speaking of Survivor, read that 2 contestants were removed from the Survivor 49 cast a day before the show started, and 2 alternates were added at the last minute. Supposingly, they broke the rules by conversing with each other before the game started, which is not allowed.

Also read an article of <a href="http://

Still looking for a new job. Had some interviews, but so far nothing has panned out. Just have to keep on plugging along, and hope something will come along. The Computer / IT field is a mess right now, with companies navigating what can and can’t be done with AI. Saw a story where a CEO decided to go all in with AI, and ended up fireing 80% of the employees because they refused to change their old ways of thninking

Still struggling with if I want to stay in the Computer / IT world, or look into switching things up a bit.

Is anybody out there reading this in a similar situation? Let me know

Hope everybody is doing well, and is getting ready for next week’s Labor Day weekend.

#PEACE

#AverageAndy


PS – Take some time to listen to music. Studies show it’s good for your brain health

Yes, music is good for the brain. Listening to music or playing an instrument can positively impact various cognitive functions, memory, and mood. It can also help reduce stress and pain, and potentially offer benefits for those with neurodegenerative diseases. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Here’s a more detailed look:

Cognitive Benefits:

  • Improved cognitive function: Music can stimulate nearly every part of the brain, leading to enhanced cognitive skills. [1, 3]
  • Enhanced learning and memory: Music can help with spatial reasoning, language processing, and memory formation. [2, 8]
  • Increased focus and attention: Certain types of music, like classical, can help improve focus and attention, especially for spatial tasks. [8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
  • Brain plasticity: Musical training can lead to structural changes in the brain, potentially improving cognitive abilities and potentially offering long-term benefits. [8, 13]
  • Neuroprotection: Music may help protect against cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. [4, 5, 6, 14]

Other Benefits:

  • Mood regulation: Music can evoke emotions, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote feelings of well-being.
  • Pain management: Music can be a valuable tool for pain reduction.
  • Social connection: Music can facilitate social bonding and create a sense of community. [5, 6, 15]

Important Considerations:

  • Individual Differences: The impact of music can vary based on individual preferences, musical background, and the type of music. [1, 16]
  • Context Matters: The impact of music can be influenced by the context in which it is experienced (e.g., listening while studying vs. relaxing). [16, 17, 18]
  • Active Engagement: Playing an instrument or singing can have more significant benefits than simply listening passively. [2, 19, 20, 21, 22]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1] https://scrippsamg.com/how-does-music-benefit-your-brain/

[2] https://news.uchicago.edu/how-your-brain-benefits-music

[3] https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/music-brain

[4] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10765015/

[5] https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/music-and-health-what-you-need-to-know

[6] https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/your-brain-on-music/

[7] https://www.aarp.org/health/healthy-living/music-brain-health/

[8] https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C1053-06&title=the-role-of-music-in-brain-development

[9] https://chambersmusicstudio.com/does-music-help-you-focus/

[10] https://www.additudemag.com/benefits-of-music-adhd/

[11] https://anzmh.asn.au/blog/mental-health/music-for-your-mental-health

[12] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-is-music-good-for-the-brain-2020100721062

[13] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3957486/

[14] https://www.familyresourcehomecare.com/music-prevents-cognitive-decline/

[15] https://www.thetabernaclechoir.org/articles/the-powerful-effect-of-music-on-the-brain.html?lang=eng

[16] https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-music

[17] https://universae.com/en/blog/estudiar-con-musica/

[18] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260204371_Imagination_and_creativity_in_music_listening

[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzwgaCsdATk

[20] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877065717300465

[21] https://nwschoolofmusic.com/music-and-its-effects-on-mental-health/

[22] https://artistworks.com/blog/how-playing-instrument-benefits-your-brain

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Update 2

Posted on August 13, 2025 by AverageAndy

Was sad to see that Danielle Spencer, child star on ‘What’s Happening!!,’ passed away at age 60. She played Dee in the classic sitcom of the late 1970s. It’s funny how hearing certain names just brings you back to a time and place, and hearing that Danielle passed reminded me of hanging out with friends and watching TV after school. Here are a few videos that always make me laugh. Thanks for the memories, Danielle, and RIP

While we wait for Survivor 49 to premiere on Wednesday, September 24th, here is a great article by Survivor expert Dalton Ross. It brought back some early memories and made me realize how long I have been watching. Think it’s crazy that there are now contestants who were born after Survivor premiered in 2000, and they only know some of these contestants by re-watching the old seasons.

Survivor car curse victims reveal what actually happened to their vehicles

#NeverTooOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#Survivor51

Congratulations to the Polar Bear (Pete Alonso) for passing Darryl Strawberry as the New York Mets’ all-time HR Leader. As a long-time Mets fan, I remember watching Darryl hit monstrous home runs during his Mets career. Glad to see Pete be the one to pass him, as both are Mets legends

Here is the Topps Now Card when Pete tied Darryl. Will update with the Topps Card where Pete breaks the record once they release it.

More to come

AverageAndy

#PEACE

Posted in Baseball, Dalton Ross, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, NY Mets, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, Whats Happening | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment