Gotta Love the Weather

Posted on February 18, 2014 by AverageAndy

Seems like its been cold and snowy forever here in the North East.    Every time it seems the weather is getting a little better, BAM, another snow storm.      Been trying my best to get out and at least take some nice long walks.   Hopefully it warms up this week and melts some of the giant snow piles that are making driving tricky.   Also RIP to my mailbox that got plowed over last week.   Once I can get to it, I will see if if can be salvaged.

The Amazing Race returns this Sunday with an All-Star Edition.   As I have said in the past, I am not a big fan of the All-Stars shows.  Not just for Amazing Race, or Survivor, but all reality type shows.  Never liked Celebrity Apprentice,  or the Celebrities on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.   Just feel it cheapens things.   It is also on lest season where Average Andy cannot be a contestant.

Also  Survivor starts up again next Wednesday.  Will be nice to have some new stuff to watch.  While I am enjoying this season of American Idol, not sure how much I will be watching now that the top 30 have been announced.  Can get a bit overwhelming with shows 3 nights a week.

Baseball is just around the corner.   Not sure what the Met’s will bring to the table this year.  Like the Granderson signing, but not a big fan of them bring in Colon.   Enough with these old guys.   Give the young and upcoming guys a shot.   The biggest question mark is will Ike Davis remain on the team.  If he does, it doesn’t matter what he does this spring.  He could hit 20 HR and bat .500, but if he goes  0 – 4 with 3 KS on opening day, his season (and time with the Met’s) is over.  No way he will ever recover.   And nobody, and I mean nobody has any faith in Reuban Tajada at SS.    The Met’s must see this, and do anything possible to get him off the team.  And finally RIP Ralph Kiner.   He was a big part of my childhood growing up (Ralph, Bob Murphy and Lindsey Nelson).  All are missed.

Got a few things planned in the upcoming months, and will try to keep all you out there updated when I can

Later.

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Why such negativity about the Olympics

Posted on February 6, 2014 by AverageAndy

Cant believe how much negativity I am hearing about the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Russia.   I can almost guarantee that everybody complaining about how unprepared Russia is, or how bad the accommodations are have never been to Russia, and probably never even out of the United States.    This kind of reminds me of all the people who constantly complain about The Howard Stern show on the radio, but when asked have never actually heard the show.  They just “Know its bad”

The few people I know who have been to Russia say its a very nice place and the people are very friendly.   Also remember when the contestants on “The Amazing Race” were in Russia, and they seemed to enjoy it.

If I had the opportunity,  I would be on the next plane to Sochi 

I leave you with the classic scene from the John Cusak movie “Say Anything” that kind of sums up my feeling about complainers.

Enjoy the Olympics

AA

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Friday Update

Posted on January 31, 2014 by AverageAndy

Been busy with work the past few weeks.  Sorry for not writing sooner

Hard to beleive its the last day of January already.    It is getting lighter when I leave work, making me think about spring, which is a good thing

Just started the new Dean Koontz book ‘Innocence’ Been a while since I have read one of his books and am really enjoying it.    He has written some great books over the years including “Watchers”, The Odd Thomas series, and one of my all time favorites “Strangers”.    Here is a link to all of his books;    http://www.deankoontz.com/all-books/
Check him out next time you are looking for interesting story with a supernatural twist

Have a few more books I am looking forward to by some of my favorite authors like Clive Cussler and John Grisham that should keep me going for a while.    Also going to  read Let the Devil Sleep, Book 3 of David Gurney by John Verdon.  Really liked the 1st 2 books

As far as music, the new Transatlantic album ‘Kaleidoscope” has just been released.  Going to pick it up soon, and also try to see them in concert in february in Philadelphia or NYC.   the band features Pete Trewavas of Marillion on base, and is a mix of prog-rock and pop.

Enjoying the new Boston album that was released late last year.   Looking forward to seeing them on tour this summer.   Always a great show.

Also getting closer to the Paul Simon / Sting concert at MSG in early March.   bought tickets a while ago, and looking forward to this show.    Might be a bit dated for some, but both these guys are all time great musicians, so should be an awesome show

On the new music front, I must admit that I don’t mind One Direction, and actually like a few of there songs, including their latest “The Story of My Life”.   I also enjoyed watching the Grammys this year and though the highlight was Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder doing “Get Lucky”

Amazes me some time when people will only listen to one style of music (i.e. Classic Rock) and think everything else is just noise.  Not saying you need to like everything (Don’t get Beyonce / Jay Z / Drake) but sometimes its refreshing to hear something outside of your comfort zone.

Lastly, been really enjoying watching speaches at www.ted.com  Wtched some really intersting ones on work, memory, education, and one about a guy who decided to make a video of 1 second a day, evey day, for the rest of his life.

Thats it for now.  Will write nxt week on my take on the Superbowl, and maybe get into a little preview of Mets baseball 2014.

AA

PS – watched “The Family Man” with Nicolas Cage and Tea Leoni the other night.  One of my all time favorite movies and highly recommended.

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1st Post of 2014

Posted on January 17, 2014 by AverageAndy

Welcome to 2014.

Woke up this morning and realized i have not written a blog entry in a while.   When I logged on I was even more shocked to see how long it has been.  Where does the time go

On the sports side of things.   Getting ready for the SuperBowl.   Living in NJ, its hard to go a few hours without hearing about the big game.   I have tried to tune out all the talk and discussions the best I can.   Without the Giants, don’t really care who plays or who wins.  And nobody has any control over the weather, so if its cold, its cold.  The game will be played and people will watch.

Lehigh hoops is having a tough year.  Lots of close losses has put them at 8 – 10.   With the Patriot League expanding this year with the additions of teams like Boston University and Loyola, not sure if they are good enough to make a run at an automatic bid.  But you never know, so best of luck going forward

Rally have no feeling on the NY Mets this year.  Like the addition of Curtis Granderson, but it will really come down to getting of to a good start, and having pitchers like Wheeler and Gee having a good season.     Im still not that sure that Terry Collins is the right manager for this team, but we shall see

In the world of TV,  have to say that CSI is still a great show.  All these other shows come and go, but CSI constantly delivers every week.   From William Peterson to Laurence Fishburne, to Ted Danson, it just feels like a real transition.

Was surprised about “Almost Human”.   Started a bit slow, but has some good elements and will continue to give it a shot.   I am also enjoying the Black List.

Watched the 1st episode of intelligence and that was enough for me.  Jury is still out on Helix.

And surprisingly, I enjoyed the return of American Idol.  Not sure if its much watch like in years past, but will definitely keep and eye on it.

Premier dates for the next seasons of The Amazing Race and Survivor have been announced.   Already find myself getting psyched.

I check the cbs.com website regularry for info on applying and for open casting calls.  Nothing new listed for the NY area as of now, but when there is, Average Andy will once again give it a try.   Gotta keep dreaming

As for movies, watched “The Way” with Martin Sheen the other night.   What a great movie.   Gotta give credit to Emilio Estevez for an excellent job of both directing and writing.  Always been a big fan going back to “The Breakfast Club” and his great performance in “St Elmos Fire”.

Also watched “Flight” with Denzel Washington and really enjoyed it.  Not what I was expecting.

Thats if for now.  Will try to write soon on topics such as Books and Music in the next week or so

Stay Strong and Carry On

Average Andy

 

 

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Quick update – Will updated again before the end of the year

Posted on December 19, 2013 by AverageAndy

Happy with the results of Both Survivor and The Amazing Race.    Both had another great season.

Big thanks to Marillion (and the Web UK) for another great holiday DVD.   Great to see that the video for “Carol of the Bells” was so well received that it was released as a single

http://www.progrockmag.com/video/video-marillion-carol-of-the-bells/

Also enjoying the new Boston album

Lastly, here is a video my buddy sent me.   Thanks and really enjoyed it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=IbcifaK-YOQ

Average Andy

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Happy Halloween

Posted on October 30, 2013 by AverageAndy
20131030-101431.jpg

So spooky

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1st Friday in October

Posted on October 4, 2013 by AverageAndy

Lots of new and exciting stuff to write about today

The Baseball Playoffs are underway.   Hopefully we can get some exiting games going forward (Even I have to admit, the 1st week has been pretty lackluster, other than the crowds and atmosphere in Pittsburgh and Cleveland).   Wonder what the record fo rthe longest stretch of play-off games without a save situation is.  Im rooting for a Pittsburg / Red Sox World Series.

The Mets continue to go down the wrong path.    Giving Terry Collins a 2 years contract extension means 2 more years of ho-hum and lackluster baseball in NY.    While other teams seem to have a plan, the Mets seem to think that they can just snap their fingers and somehow become a contender.    They had one of the word home records in the league (and have been simply horrible at home since moving to CITI field).    This is an attitude that need to change before things get better.   Keeping Collins, and focusing on David (the most overrated mediocre player in the league) Wright spells doom again next year

Happy to see that Bud Selig is finally stepping down as commissioner.   His time has passed.   Much like the Mets owners, he is to old, and out of touch with the real world.    Im sure he is a nice man, and wish him all the best, the Baseball, and the NY Mets need somebody young and relevant in the present time and not somebody who is stuck in the past.   Admitting you don’t use e-mail or other social media in this day and age just makes you look like a fool.    Baseball is still the best sport, and could thrive with the right person or people in charge (Mark Cuban would be a great choice for commissioner)

Attended the last to Lehigh Football games (both come from behind wins).  The Engineers / Mountain Hawks are 4 -0 this season, but it really doesnt matter.   They need to win the Patriot League in order to qualify for the FCS play-offs.    The team does have some spunk this year, so hopefully they can continue to roll and possibly host a play-off game for the 1st time

My NY Giants need to pick things up starting this week against the Philadelphia Eagles at home.   A win will calm everybody down and make them realize there are plenty of game left to right the ship.   I have confidence in Eli and the rest of the team

Switching directions, both Survivor and The Amazing Race have returned for the fall.   Really enjoying the Blood vs Water twist this season.    Interesting to watch how the loved ones are so over thinking things.   Over the years, it seems that the people who over analyze things, and get all involved in what ifs never seem to do well.  Sometimes you just need to follow the flow of the game where it takes you.   And I loved it when Jeff Probst  called out that fool Colton.   “Some people should not be here, and  should just stay at home on the couch”.    Although it did make me a little mad, as he has now been on twice and really doesn’t want to be there, while folk like me would LOVE the opportunity just once.  Come on Jeff,  Lynn, Mark (and all others involve in Survivor), give AverageAndy a shot and I promise not to quit, and guarantee you I will make one of the best contestants ever).

The Amazing Race is again off to a good start.   Still once of the best shows, and should be celebrated more for showing us here in the USA some great views and cultures  of the rest of the world.    Fun to have some contestants from AverageAndys home state of NJ (although casting a couple who suppository hates each other seems sort of a gimmick).    AverageAndy and his sister would make a great team  and represent the kind of team they are looking for.

Will report back later with thoughts of some of the new shows and returning shows.

Just want to give a thumbs up to How I Met Your Mother.   Have watched since the beginning, and looking forward to how the season plays out with Ted finally meeting his wife.  Thanks for the ride

Have had a chance to listen to the new Fish Album.    Its one of his best efforts in a while.  Still waiting for the deluxe version to arrive (was some production issues with the art work for the booklet).   Will post a full review (and possibly a video) in a few weeks once it is in hand

Will be going to see Gravity this weekend in  IMAX 3D.   Hopefully it can live up to the hype it has been receiving.

That’s it for now, but with WordPress installed in my new Iphone 5c, I should be able to post more often (and add some pictures as well).

Hope everybody is doing well, and getting ready for fall here on the East Coast

Keep smiling

AA

 

Posted in Amazing Race, Announcement, Boston Red Sox, Everyday, Fish, Lehigh, Music, NY Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quick update

Posted on October 3, 2013 by AverageAndy

Sorry for not writing for a while. Going forward, I should be able to write more often.

Got a new smartphone so look for some pictures as I should now be able to post them easier than in the past

Lots of stuff going on so look for a longer post tomorrow

Hope all is well with everybody and thanks for reading

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Thoughts for the day

Posted on August 27, 2013 by AverageAndy

Though I would update the blog with a few thoughts

Don’t know why I’m not super upset with the news about Matt Harvey.  Maybe because the Mets have been so irrelevant  for the past few years that it really doesn’t matter.   If they had been in the pennant race, I would have cared much more.

As far as looking forward, I heard a few announcers say how outclassed the Mets were this weekend against the Tigers.  I know things can change relatively quickly, but what makes everybody think that the Mets with Matt Harvey were all of a sudden going to be a great team next years.  It takes a few years of improving (See the Pirate’s or the A’s who have been getting better for the last few years) to become a contending team.  The Mets have just been squandering around.   If it were up to me, I would get rid of Terry Collins now, and try to trade David Write in the offseason.   Get rid of any attachment to the past few years that have been no basically a waste of time

Not much on the TV or Movie front.  Its been kind of a blah summer.  No movies really hit me (The ones I saw were OK, nothing more), and other than the Food Network, no summer shows kept my attention (Although  I did enjoy Falling Skies, if that is considered a summer show).    Looking forward to the start of the fall season.

Lehigh Football starts with a home game against Central Connecticut State on September 7th.   Hopefully the team can get off to a good start, with a goal of getting back to the play-offs.    And speaking of Lehigh Football, congratulations to Ryan Spadola who may make the NY Jets.   Would be a great boost to the program.   We might even have a day where both Spadola and CJ McCullum play in professional games on the same day.

Will try to write about Survivor once it starts again in a few weeks.  Been purposely avoiding reading anything about this year as I want to go in with a clean slate.  Also looking forward to the Amazing Race.    Still two of the best shows on TV

Getting ready for the next Philly Non-Sports Card Show in September.  Should be a lot of fun.

http://phillynon-sportscardshow.com/

Also enjoying the new Topps Allen and Ginter set.

http://www.cardboardconnection.com/2013-topps-allen-ginter-baseball-cards

Found out that each year there is contest in the form of a hidden code in the cards with a grand prize of all autograph cards.   Read about the past few years, and find it fascinating.  Always enjoyed codes and puzzles like this (remember “The Secret of the Gold Horse” from year ago).   Will be following along to see who solves the code, and how they did it.

Thats it for now

In the words of the great Casey Kasem

“Keep your feet on the ground, and reach for the stars”

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Halfway through August

Posted on August 15, 2013 by AverageAndy

Hard to believe its already halfway through August (and over 3 weeks since my last post). Lots has happened since then

I did head down to Atlantic City for the Survivor Open Casting Call.    Stood in line for over 4 hours to get my few minutes in front of the camera to let them know why Average Andy should be a contestant.   It was a lot of fun, and I met some very nice people online.  Was a little flustered and not sure I came across as passionate and confident as I would have liked.  But it was a great learning experience, and looking forward to doing it again sometime in the future (if I don’t get called for this one, still hoping every time my cell phone rings)

Took some time off of work for a fantastic vacation on Oak Island in North Carolina.  Friends rented a house for a week and invited us down with them.   It was very generous of them and was truly appreciated.  Had great weather all week and enjoyed the beach and ocean every day.   Took some time to go for some runs and walks and really decompress.

Was able to stop by my sisters place in VA, and my parents in DE on the way home.  Was great to see everybody and looking forward to next time.  All is all it was a awesome time

Some thought from the past few weeks

As far as baseball and the steroid / PED stuff.    I think everybody looks bad.  The players for consistently stating they are clean, and then getting proven wrong, and the owners, who claim they want to clean up the game, but continue to give out big contracts to players they know are using the steroids  (Watch Nelson Cruz and Jonny Pheralta cash in next year with huge multi-year deals).   If you really want to clean things up (which I wonder if anybody really does), the owners need to be penalized for signing these guys.   Do you think the owner of the Kansas City Royals or Houston Astros really cares about  cleaning up the came when they offer Nelson Cruz a 5 year 100 million contract next year

As far a MLB, its time for them to admit that there testing is a failure.  Not the policy (Good for them for suspending these players).   But the testing obviously is not working.  Say I am clearly drunk, stumble out of a bar, hop in my car, and smash into a tree.   The police arrive and give me a breathalyzer test, but it comes back clean.   Can I claim I wasn’t drunk since I didn’t fail the test?   If this kept happening, and people keep driving drunk, wouldn’t the town go back to the company and say,  ‘find me a test that works since the one we are giving is not working.   MLB should hire the best doctors (why not out pay the players since they have the money) to come up with tests that can’t be beat. If not, then simply show us all the other evidence they have on the players and make them look bad in the publics eye.  Let them sue it they want.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, still really enjoying Big Brother this season.   Caught up on all episodes and am looking forward to the rest of the season.

Enjoyed the season finally of “Falling Skies”.   Sad that I have to wait until next summer for it to return.   One of the better shows out there.

Some other shows I am enjoying are “Perception” on TNT, although Rachael Leigh Cook is awful, and “Unforgettable” on CBS (still get it on Comcast).

Also enjoyed watching “The Next Food Network Star” with my daughter.   Didn’t really care who won, (don’t think the next big star will be coming from this season), but had fun watching.

Getting ready for the fall premiere of Survivor and the Amazing Race, as well as the return on “Big Bang Theory”, and the “Walking Dead”

Also getting ready for the NFL Football (NY Giants will be the 1st team to play is a Super Bowl in their home stadium), and College Football (Looking for another big year from the Lehigh Mountain Hawks)

Thats all for now.   Hope to write again soon

Until then,

Keep Smileing

AA

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