Hope all is well

Posted on March 4, 2025 by AverageAndy

It’s been almost a week since Survivor 48 premiered, and I am finally getting around to jotting down a few thoughts and observations. I enjoyed the first episode, although I felt a little blah as there was really no contestant I connected with. Nobody stood out as somebody I really wanted to root for, as well as nobody I really disliked. Usually, there is somebody who stands out to me after the first episode. Things do change as the season goes on, and I end up liking and disliking different contestants before gravitating towards a few favorites. But this season, everybody was just the same.

I still enjoyed the show and think it is a great microcosm of society, but I think casting has gone a little too far to trying to cast people who are more interested in the experience and making friends, than in playing Survivor as a game and wanting to win the $1,000,000.00 grand prize. The last few seasons have seen too many players who don’t seem to mind getting voted off. If I was a contestant, I hope I would be upset getting voted off.

Hopefully, players start to settle in, and their true feelings and ideas start to come out and the game gets a little more serious.

During the episode, the first of the Survivor 50 Fan Votes were announced with the fans getting to vote on different aspects of the Survivor 50 Season

Here are my votes:

Tribe Colors: Doest really matter to me (choose whatever you want)

Rice of No Rice: I voted for Rice. Hoping it will make it a bit easier on the contestants so that there is more gameplay

Final Four Firemaking: I voted No. Never liked it since it was introduced and cost Chrissy Hofbeck the game. It almost gives some players a get-out-of-jail card at the end when they should be voted off

Vote reveal in Los Angeles of Fiji. For Season 50, the reveal should be in Los Angeles in front of a live studio audience. Other seasons are fine having the reveal in Fiji

Here are some other thoughts for the past week

I watched the Academy Awards on Sunday. I do not care at all about the Pre-Oscar Red Carpet stuff, so tuned in at 7:00 PM EST just as the show started. I liked the montage at the beginning of LA Films, and wish they showed a lot more movie clips (of both the nominated films and just popular films in general). As a kid, I remember there being many more movie clips usually tied into a tribute to a movie/actor/director who was being honored. Other than the opening, the only other montage of clips from the James Bond films. ** This was for no reason, and they cut the clips short to have singers and dancers do a few Bond themes that were not necessary **

I did think they did a good job with the In Memoriam segment, just showing the people we lost while the music played in the background. No singers or dancers that add nothing and are just a distraction

Overall, I thought Conan O’Brien did a good job. Here kept things movie (almost to fast) as the show ended around 10:45 PM EST (I Hope they didn’t cut things short just so ABC could promote itself and show a preview of American Idol which premiers this Sunday. Seems they could have shaved 15 minutes of non-move stuff, and along with the 15 minutes at the end, had a good 30 minutes of time to show more movie clips.

And finally, I have written a lot without even mentioning any of the movies/actors/directors that were nominated and won the Academy Awards. Could be that none of the movies (other than Wicked) have really caught on with the average moviegoer. Congratulations to Anora for winning Best Picture.

Here is a list of all the 2025 Winners

2025 Acadamy Award Winners

My suggestion would be to have two Best Picture Categories (Big Budget Block Busters, and Low Budget Artistic). This would allow all movies to be recognized and not just ones that are loved by critics, but also movies loved by the moviegoing audience

Catching up on some good TV Shows

Severance (Apple TV): Second Season is a bit strange, but really enjoyable
Paradise (HULU): Very well done, and keeps you on edge
Reacher (Amazon): Season 3 is a bit over the top, but still entertaining
DOC (Fox): Cant go wrong with Scott Wolf.
The Hunting Party: Im a sucker for these NBC Serials (The BlackList, Manifest)

Also been getting back into Jeopardy lately, and enjoying the Invitational Tournament. Rooting for Matt Amodio to take home the win

Spring Traing is in full swing, and I need to find some time to get my Roto Baseball Rosters set up and ready to go. I do feel a bit old going through some things. There are far more players that I have never heard of than the players I have. Makes things tough to start out, as I am basically guessing on a lot of players.|

Here is the list of Rookie Cards in Topps 2025 Series 1 Baseball

  • Tyler Gentry Kansas City Royals RC
  • Luis De Los Santos Toronto Blue Jays RC
  • Carlos Rodriguez Milwaukee Brewers RC
  • Jack Kochanowicz Los Angeles Angels RC
  • Orelvis Martinez Toronto Blue Jays RC
  • Coby Mayo Baltimore Orioles RC
  • Jhonkensy Noel Cleveland Guardians RC
  • Cade Povich Baltimore Orioles RC
  • Angel Martínez Cleveland Guardians RC
  • Pedro León Houston Astros RC
  • Chayce McDermott Baltimore Orioles RC
  • Greg Jones Colorado Rockies RC
  • Jake Bloss Toronto Blue Jays RC
  • Trey Sweeney Detroit Tigers RC
  • Hunter Feduccia Los Angeles Dodgers RC
  • Dylan Crews Washington Nationals RC
  • Jace Jung Detroit Tigers RC
  • Kameron Misner Tampa Bay Rays RC
  • Shay Whitcomb Houston Astros RC
  • Zach Dezenzo Houston Astros RC
  • Nick Sogard Boston Red Sox RC
  • Will Warren New York Yankees RC
  • Spencer Schwellenbach Atlanta Braves RC
  • Yilber Diaz Arizona Diamondbacks RC
  • Carlos Narváez New York Yankees RC
  • Cristian Mena Arizona Diamondbacks RC
  • Dillon Dingler Detroit Tigers RC
  • Connor Norby Miami Marlins RC
  • Bradley Blalock Colorado Rockies RC
  • Andrés Chaparro Washington Nationals RC
  • David Festa Minnesota Twins RC
  • James Wood Washington Nationals RC
  • Adael Amador Colorado Rockies RC
  • Tyler Locklear Seattle Mariners RC
  • Michael McGreevy St. Louis Cardinals RC
  • Aaron Schunk Colorado Rockies RC
  • Justin Wrobleski Los Angeles Dodgers RC
  • Rhett Lowder Cincinnati Reds RC
  • Grant McCray San Francisco Giants RC
  • Rece Hinds Cincinnati Reds RC
  • Nacho Alvarez Jr. Atlanta Braves RC
  • Adrian Del Castillo Arizona Diamondbacks RC
  • Sean Reynolds San Diego Padres RC
  • Brooks Baldwin Chicago White Sox RC
  • Ryan Bliss Seattle Mariners RC
  • Hurston Waldrep Atlanta Braves RC
  • Justyn-Henry Malloy Detroit Tigers RC
  • River Ryan Los Angeles Dodgers RC
  • Blake Dunn Cincinnati Reds RC
  • Niko Kavadas Los Angeles Angels RC
  • Ky Bush Chicago White Sox RC
  • Zebby Matthews Minnesota Twins RC
  • DJ Herz Washington Nationals RC
  • Tyler Phillips Philadelphia Phillies RC
  • Drew Romo Colorado Rockies RC
  • Adam Mazur Miami Marlins RC
  • Jacob Wilson Athletics RC
  • Brooks Lee Minnesota Twins RC
  • Joey Cantillo Cleveland Guardians RC
  • Drew Thorpe Chicago White Sox RC
  • Ben Rice New York Yankees RC
  • Brant Hurter Detroit Tigers RC

If you’re still reading at this point, thank you very much.

Still takes some effort for me to write, so if anybody has any thoughts or topics, they want me to write about, let me know and I will see what I can come up with

More to come

Average Andy

#PEACE
#Marillion
#Survivor
#NeverToOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#ListenToMusic
#ReadABook

Posted in Academy Awards, American Idol, Baseball, Christine Hofbeck, Dalton Ross, Doc, Drew Basile, Jeff Probst, Jeopardy, Jesse Tannenbaum, Job Searching, Kellyn Bechtold, Mark Burnett, Movies, NY Mets, Paradise, Reacher, Reality Shows, Series 1 Baseball, Severance, Sports, Survivor, Television, The Hunting Game, TOPPS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Survivor 48 Premiers tonight

Posted on February 26, 2025 by AverageAndy

Hard to imagine it’s been almost 25 years since Survivor Borneo premiered on May 31, 2000. From the opening note, I was hooked, and I have been fan ever since.

When Survivor Season 48 premieres tonight (Wednesday, February 26, 2025), it will be the 687 Episode of Survivor that I have watched. Almost all were watched live as they premiered (including Borneo Episode 12, which I watched in the hospital on the day my daughter was born)

I have also applied to be a contestant on Survivor numerous times by multiple methods. Originally, you needed to download and fill out a 10-page document by hand. Then you needed to make and send in a VHS Tape along with the filled-out application. At some point, they switched to mailing in DVDs, before finally going to online application. The application was replaced with fewer questions and then that moved online as well

They also did a fan choice online application where you submitted a video that was voted by online fans. I submitted mine for this but was not the winner.

I also traveled to Atlantic City for an Open Casting Call where you got to give a 1-minute speech to the casting people. It was a lot of fun and was crazy to see how many people showed up

Last year I attended a Survivor Watch Party hosted by former contestant and host of RHAP, the great Rob Cesternino

I also participated in some early On-Line Survivor Fantasy Leagues. Needed to choose things like who would win challenges, and who would be eliminated. They also added things like who would read the tree mail and who would be 1st to get water.

Over the past 25 years, Survivor has been a running part of my life. I have joined a few webinars hosted by previous contestants like Pavarti Shallow, Adam Klein, and Kelly Bechtold and watched lots of YouTube Videos from other past contestants on how to make Application Videos.

One of my biggest highlights was running into past contestant Chrissy Hofbeck at one of our high school plays (She lives in the same town as me)

Certain things like volunteering for the Tough Mudder Race, or actually running the City Challenge Obstacle Course were lots of fun and made me feel a bit like a contestant. Small things like untangling my headphone cable become a Survivor knot challenge in my head. I am also always thinking of ways to improve my next application video

As I sit down tonight to watch Season 48, I will be reminded of past winners and players, of all the great challenges, and especially the feeling I get from just watching the best Reality Show on TV

Thanks to Survivor, Jeff Probst, Mark Burnett, all of the contestants and crew that make the show so special. Here’s to 25 more years.

As promised, here is a picture of the Topps 2025 Series 1 NY Mets Cards

Time to go

AverageAndy Out

#PEACE

#Survivor
#Survivor48
#NeverToOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

Posted in Adam Klein, Baseball, Christine Hofbeck, Dalton Ross, Drew Basile, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Jonny Fairplay, Kellyn Bechtold, Mark Burnett, NY Mets, Parvati Shallow, Reality Shows, Rob Cesternino, Series 1 Baseball, Sports, Survivor, TOPPS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

3 Days until Survivor 48 (Wednesday, February 26th)

Posted on February 24, 2025 by AverageAndy

Survivor 48 premieres this Wednesday, February 26th, 2025) at 8:00 PM on CBS.

As a runup to this, the Survivor held a Beach Drop on Saturday in NYC as well as a preview screening of the 1st Episode of Survivor 48 with Jeff Probst himself making an appearance. Just like the 1st NY Beach Bash held last year (in Brooklyn), I was away for the weekend and unable to attend. As a Survivor Super Fan, I was frustrated I could not attend this, but family comes 1st and I did have a great weekend visiting my parents and sister.

There is also a Season 28 Premier Viewing Party in NYC on Wednesday. Not going to make this, as the time and cost of getting from where I live in NJ to NYC would make it an expensive night out, and I am not in the position for that. (Still unemployed and looking for a new position in IT)

Like every premier, (and every episode, and every reunion show), I will curl up on my couch, have a drink, and watch the show. And since I will be at home, I will listen to the “On Fire” podcast before getting some sleep. Finally, I am looking forward to reading Dalton Ross’s Survivor Recap on Thursday morning. As we are of a similar age, (And have been watching the show from the beginning), I love how he throws in pop-culture references that I can relate to. It’s crazy when I realize that some of the contestants are younger than my daughter (Did I mention I am old), and Daltons’ references most likely go right over their heads. But then I think that it is also a blessing and a sign that being an older super fan I would make a great contestant on a future season of Survivor. I’m pretty sure casting is closed for Season 49, and with Season 50 being announced as having all returning players, it looks like I will have to wait a bit more (Season 51 or Season 52 would work for me)

Speaking of Season 50, the Survivor Media Train is starting already with the relase on the official logo, along with the announcement from Jeff that the fans will have a say in aspects of the game

There is also a contest where fans can win a trip to Fiji to watch the filming of Season 50. I will be submitting my video soon (definitely by the end of the week).

Do you have the ultimate Survivor Tribe? We want to hear from you! Record a video explaining what Survivor means to you and how it’s changed your life for a chance to win a trip to Fiji for you and your tribe!

Different than the Application Videos, it’s just a 60-second shot of me talking about what Survivor means to me.

———————

Watched all 6 epesodes of “Zero Day” staring Robert De Niro on Netfix. Thought it was really well done, although how many more times can the power to be get me to watch a political thriller where everybody in the White House (From the President to their entire staff is aligned with the terrorists). Also, I will watch anything that has Lizzy Caplan in it.

Next up if Reacher Season 3

———————

On the way to visit my parents on Saturday, I was able to listen to the 1st inning of the Mets 2025 Spring Traing Opening game on the radio. Crazy that Juan Soto crushed a HR in his 1st ever at-bat as a Met


Hopefully this is a preview of things to come as the Mets get ready for the 2025 Season

———————–

I did join a case break (NY Mets) (Thaks to Fanatics for the $25.00 bonus) and was also able to pick up a box of Topps 2025 Series 1 Baseball Cards. As mentioned earlier, I need to watch my spending, so will not be collecting a lot of cards this season.

Here is a link to the 2025 Series 1 Checklist just for refrence.

Will post some pictures of the Mets 2025 Cards when I get a chance later

———————–

Thats all Folks

AverageAndy

#Survivor51
#Survivor52

#NeverToOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

#PEACE

Posted in Baseball, Card Collecting, Christian Hubicki, Dalton Ross, Fun and Games, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Jonny Fairplay, Kellyn Bechtold, Mark Burnett, NY Mets, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, TOPPS, Zero Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As promised

Posted on February 19, 2025 by AverageAndy

Out and about again, and have a few minutes to jot some things down

Survivor 48 premieres 1 week from today (Wednesday, February 26th, 2025).

In NYC, besides the Survivor Beach Party (See previous post), there is also a watch party scheduled in NYC for the premiere. Undecided about this (does cost to attend) and will see how things play out over the weekend.

As a fan of Survivor since Season One back in 2000, it is crazy (mostly in a good way) to see how Survivor has grown along with social media. I remember when reading old-school message boards was the only way to get any information on upcoming seasons. Then came chat groups, along with on-line forums (Where I used to play Fantasy Survivor for fun). Then Rob Cesternino came along with “Rob Has a PodCast” and away we went. As an older fan (who has been dreaming of being on the show for 25 years, and still applies every season), its getting tougher and tougher for me to keep up with the younger generation. I’m sure I fall under the title of “Super Fan” to some, but there are lots of people out there who would put me to shame.

All I can do is continue to be myself, follow and learn what I can when I can, and hope the producer (#JeffProbst) and casting director (Looking at you #JesseTannenbaum) see the potential of casting an older (but much wiser) Survivor Super Fan for an upcoming season.

Hey, with Paul McCartney (82 years old), and Paul Simon (83 years old) still having the passion, and can find the time and energy to continue to perform, Andrew Rupprecht (aka AverageAndy) (58 years old) still has plenty of years left in him to make it on the show.

Looks like we got lucky with the latest snow now predicted to miss us here in New Jersey. Still lots of snow and ice on the ground from all the previous storms, but the sun is out today, and hopefully it warms up enough to get rid of the ice before another storm comes through.

Couught the “Becoming Led Zeppelin” Documentary last night in the theater (Reading Cinemas in Manville NJ does 1/2 price Tuesdays). I really enjoyed it. I did not know much about the history of Led Zeppelin so it was interesting to see how they came togethere. The two main things that I got were

1. They seem to be normal guys living a nice life, but never over the top. They just really liked playing music with each other, and that was all they really wanted to do. I’m sure there was more to the story, but in the movie, there were no major scandals or over-the-top partying

2. I never realised that Jimmy Page is a great musician, guitarist, and engineer, and did some amazing things with the guitar, and with the recordings of the albums. 3.5 BAGS

More to come

AverageAndy

#Survivor
#Survivor48
#NeverToOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance
#JeffProbst

#Marillion
#MarillionWeekends2025

#PEACE

#StayGold

Posted in Becoming Led Zeppelin, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Job Searching, Led Zeppelin, Mark Burnett, RHAP, Rob Cesternino, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Eight Days later

Posted on February 18, 2025 by AverageAndy

Been 8 days since I last wrote. Time goes fast when you look back at some things, while time seems to slow to a halt while looking back at other things

Over the last 8 days we have had three snowstorms; I watched the SNL50 Music Concert from Radio City Music Hall, watched the movie “Saturday Night) about the first ever episode of SNL, and then watched the SNL50 Anniversary special; I watched the final two episodes of “The Night Agent Season 2”, as well as 2 Episodes of Severance, 2 Episodes of “Paradise”, and the Apple TV Movie “The Gorge”. I went for numerous walks (even threw in some jogging), and listened to all types of music (Marillion, The Badlees, The Grateful Dead, John Denver, and others). Crazy to look back and see all these things, plus otters like watching the finale of “Beast Games”, baking some Pumpkin Bread, and downloading and playing a video game for the first time in years.

I have also continued looking for a new job, updating and sending out resumes for positions that look interesting

** Note, by taking the time to list all the things I have done, it has made me think and reprioritize things. The rest of this week will be more focused on the job search **

A couple of NY City Notes:

Paul McCartney (In town for the SNL50 Show) played 3 surprise shows last week at the Bowery Ballroom. Tickets were $50.00 each and only available at the box office. After hearing about the 1st show, I thought of heading into the city to try to get tickets for one of the next 2, but just couldnt work things out (Besides the time, the cost to get into the city and park would have been way more than the ticket itself)

Also saw that Survivor will be doing a live event this Saturday, February 22nd.

Unfortunately, I already have plans to visit my parents and see my sister this weekend. Looks like this would be a lot of fun (2nd time they have had one of these is NY and both times the timing just didn’t work) I did go to one of the Rob Has A Podcast screenings, and hopefully, they will have another one this year (Survivor 48 Premiers next Wednesday, February 26th, at 8:00 PM on CBS)

Pitchers and Catchers have reported to Spring Training and the Mets will play their 1st game this Saturday. I used to pay attention to all the news and rumors, but now I just want the games to start. Hopefully, the Mets can get through the exhibition season without any major injuries or issues. They have a pretty solid lineup and should be able to score some runs. As long as the pitching holds its own they should have a great season and be able to make the playoffs

More to come (and sooner than every 8 days

AverageAndy

#StayWell
#PEACE

#Survivor48
#NeverToOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance


#AverageAndyOnSurvivor

Posted in Baseball, Beats Games, Concerts, Dalton Ross, Drew Basile, Greatefull Dead, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Job Searching, John Denver, Jonny Fairplay, Kellyn Bechtold, Mark Burnett, Meat Loaf, Music, NY Mets, Paradise, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, The Gorge, The Night Agenet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

<Here we go again>

Posted on February 10, 2025 by AverageAndy

Out and about on a Monday, looking for a new job, and reflecting on the past week. My mind is a bit scattered, and I am having a tough time focusing and am hoping that writing stuff down on this blog will help get me motivated for the day and week

** Pause while I submit for my unemployment (Forgot this morning) **

** Back **

Like everybody else, I watched the Super Bowl last night. Didn’t really care who won, and even though the game was not the most competitive, I still enjoyed the majority of it. Towards the end, it becomes tough to watch (especially with both Kevin Berkhartd and Tom Brady trying to sound excited. Love the “The Chiefs need to hold the Eagles to a FG here, and keep it a 5 possession game” Doy. I actually don’t mind Tom Brady as an announcer (Not the best. not the worst). On the other hand, I’m not a big fan of Kevin Berkhartd (Sounds very forced). Though it was funny when he started talking about how the Eagles were just going to stop playing and run out the clock with 3 minutes left in the 3rd quarter (I hate when announcers think they know strategy when most are clueless (See below). While he is talking, Jalen Hurts drops back and throws a 46 yard dart to DeVonat Smith and the way Berkhardt reacted was like is was the most shocking thing he has ever seen. Can anybody believe a team would be throwing the ball deep in the 3rd quarter? Drives me crazy how conservative announcers are, and like most head coaches, they play/announce not to lose.

** Note ** – How announcers do not understand game clock and play clock always gets me. They seem shocked when a team takes a knee after the 2-minute warning, and then scramble to figure out if this is the right move, and the game is over.

** Pause while I get out my charger and plug in my Laptop before it runs out of power **

** Back **

Happy that the NY Mets and Pete Alonso were able to come to an agreement on a new contract. Structured to benefit both sides, it is good to now just focus on baseball and not all this behind-the-scenes nonsense. Hope Pete can put this behind him and have a solid year. The Mets lineup is looking good, so as long as the starting pitching is not horrible, and the relief pitching does a decent job of closing out games, the Mets should be in the race to the end. It is important the hitters (including Francisco Lindor) get off to a decent start. I’ve seen too many times, players get off to a slow start and put too much pressure on themselves. Remember players like Ike Davis, or Dom Smith. Both were going to be mainstays at 1st base for years, but after they started so slow, they ended up being platooned and then sent down to the minors.

Mets open their spring training schedule on Saturday, February 22nd against the Astros

“Let’s Go Mets, Let’s Go Mets” (Or how I once thought it was – “Less Gomez”, “Less Gomez”)

Really enjoying “Familiaris” by David Wroblewski. It takes place in the early 1900s and it’s cool reading about these times. Makes wich I know more about history and will look into reading some more about life in the early 1900s.

One of my plans this year is to go to the Marillion Weekend in Berlin (June 20th – 21st). I have my concert tickets, and will be looking into travel and lodging soon. Hopefully, I will have a new job by then and be able to take some vacation days. Thinking positive thoughts (and writing this does help)

Only 2 more episodes of “The Night Agent” Season 2. Been a good season and looking forward to see how things end. Just did a quick Google search, and glad to see that they are already filming Season 3

The Night Agent, Season 3

Cool Beans

Sad to see Survivor Season 45 Star Drew Basile lose in the semi-finals of the JEOPARDY Tournament of Champions last week. I was rooting for him and hoping he would make the finals.

Seeing Drew and thinking of Napoleon Dynomite always still makes me laugh

Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite)
Drew Bassile (Survivor 47)

And finally, very sad to see that Survivor Pearl Islands star Jonny Fairplay’s grandmother actually died, 22 years after he lied about her death on the show. Still one of the greatest moves in Survivor history, and am glad to see everybody ended up OK with things. I am sorry for his loss

#PEACE

AverageAndy

#Survivor
#TheAmazingRace

#NeverToOldForSurvivor
#GiveMeAChance

Marillion – A Better Way of Life

Posted in Amazing Race, Books, David Wroblewski - Familiaris, Drew Basile, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Job Searching, Jonny Fairplay, Marillion, Mark Burnett, Music, Napoleon Dynamite, NY Giants, NY Mets, Phil Keoghan, Reality Shows, Sports, Survivor, The Night Agenet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sad to see the Star-Ledger Go (plus some good things)

Posted on February 3, 2025 by AverageAndy

As of today (Monday, February 3rd, 2025), the Newark Star Ledger is no longer printing a printed version. The paper has moved to a digital online only edition. Even though it had become expensive, (before going all digital, the Sunday paper was up to $5.00 daily, and the daily was $3.00 And even though they had stopped printing a Saturday edition about a year ago, I continued to get it delivered and enjoyed reading it on a daily basis.

I have been reading the Star Leger for over 40 years and have always had it delivered to wherever I was living. If I didn’t get a delivered copy, I could always buy a daily copy for $0.35 at the stationary store, or one of those newspaper boxes that used to be all around the state. Those are long gone, but you could still pick up a copy at QuickChek or WaWa. Now, the only way to read the Star Ledger is to have an online subscription. I know things are moving forward, and changes are always going to happen, but that doesn’t mean I have to be happy or go along with everything. Knowing myself, I have canceled my subscription (for now). I don’t see myself reading the Star Ledger online enough to make it worth the money. I was able to find a site that will e-mail me the daily comics for free (Inbox Comics), and have some books of sudoku puzzles lying around that I can use each day. I will miss reading columns by Paul Mulshine and Karin Price Mueller, and others, and scanning the paper for stories and opinions that I otherwise would never seek out or see. I will miss the Sports Page (loved reading “This Day in Sports”. I will miss the KenKen, Dear Abby, the daily birthdays, and the TV listings.

Its been a fun ride, with lots of memories that will last forever. But time doesnt stop for anyone, or anything, so time to move forward

  • 01/26/2025
  • 01/27/2025
  • 01/28/2025
  • 01/29/2025
  • 01/30/2025
  • 01/31/2025
  • 02/02/2025
  • 01/27/2025
  • 01/28/2025
  • 01/29/2025
  • 01/30/2025
  • 01/31/2025
  • 02/02/2025
  • 02/02/2025

On to the good

I really enjoyed the LAFireAid Concert last Thursday night. I was just going to check it out, but ended up watching to around 2:00 AM EST. Missed a few of the final acts, but got to see a lot and loved the mix of artists they put together. Liked how it was no-frills, with each act coming out, playing 2 to 3 songs (Good mix of current, classics, and covers), and then moving on, I Thought is was cool to see some old-timers (Rod Stewert, Steven Still, Graham Nash, …) on stage, and the appreciating they got from the crowd. Also need to give props to Alanis Morissette, Pink, No Doubt, and Katy Perry, for their performances, as well as Stevie Nicks. And shout out to Black Crows and Slash for their cover of “Going to California” All in all, it reminded me of how music can unite all types of people for a commoin cause. Here is the link to Donate to LA Fire Aid

Here is the set lists from the 2 venues that were part of the concert.

On a similar note, want to give a shout-out and congratulations to former SiriusXM Volume 106 Disk Jockey Nik Carter for going taking over the afternoon drive on Los Angles KLOS. Really enjoyed listening to him on SiriusXM as well as other New York Stations. Best of luck on the West Coast

Still waiting on what Pete Alonso is going to do. Crazy how long this has dragged on. I know baseball is a business, and this is how the system works, but at some point, one side needs to put their foot down and make a decision. Hopefully, Pete will come back.

On the TV Front, I am currently watching and liking the following shows:

DOC (FOX)
The Night Agent (Season 2) (NetFlix)
Paradise (Hulu)
Severance (Season 2) (Apple TV)

All of these shows have managed to keep my interest and want more

If anybody is looking for a way to spark creativity, and enhance your life, you can join the #75EasyChallenge (#AIMLOW) hosted by Kellyn Bechyold, life coach and former Survivor contestant.

We’re doing this thing! Monday mornings can be a little rough for some, and exciting for others. No matter what, we’re all in this week together – even if its just in this small way. That gives me hope and glimmers of happiness.

Today I feel called to let you all know about the main inspirational force behind this #75EasyChallenge. I have to give a portion of the credit of my new lifestyle and career path to Martha Beck. I have followed Martha’s work since the mid 2000’s when I heard about her book Finding Your Own North Star. I’ve followed her over the years, read a few of her books and in 2024, I graduated from her intense, 9 month long Wayfinder Life Coach Training program.

You can reach out for more information  www.kellynbechtold.com @TheKellynB on IG/TikTok/BlueSky 

With Survivor 48 set to premiere on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 8 p.m., I have to be careful when checking my social media accounts. I like to be surprised, so avoid any talk of the new cast, or and rumers and spoilers. Still waiting to hear from casting regarding Survivor 49 (I applied last August, and have submitted a few follow-ups. Sooner or later somebody associated with Survivor will see this blog, or talk to somebody who has read this blog, and they will give me a deeper look and then decide to bring me in for an interview. Once that happens, nothing will stop me from getting on to Survivor

#ThinkPositive #NeverToOldForSurvivor #GiveMeAChance #PEACE

More to come soon

AverageAndy

#SurvivorSuperFan
#GoodbyStarLedger
#75EasyChallenge

#Marillion – A Better Way of Life




Posted in Comics, Dalton Ross, Doc, Drew Basile, Fun and Games, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Cochran, Kellyn Bechtold, Mark Burnett, Mike Gabler, Music, NY Mets, Paradise, Parvati Shallow, Radio, Reality Shows, Severance, Sports, Sudoku, Survivor, Television, The Night Agenet | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Monday Morning Update

Posted on January 27, 2025 by AverageAndy

Kicking off another week of job searching. Hopefully, todays the day, and something comes my way

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you”. Matthew 7:7

First things first, I think I got my Dropbox syncing set up, so here are some recent scans of cards in my collection that I have uploaded to the TCBB

I have some more scans to upload later today. It’s a slow process, but I hope to get images of all my cards uploaded to the site. Also won a cool card I needed from E-Bay which should be delivered today. Will post it and the set it belongs to tomorrow

Super Bowl 59 is set – It will be the Kansas City Chiefs vs the Philadelphia Eagles in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9th. I really have no rooting interest in the game. Should be entertaining as both teams are very good and play exciting football. Also, another halftime show that I really don’t care about (This year’s performer is Kendrick Lamar). Here are the last 10 Half-Time performers. Interesting that there is not one big-time rock artist on this list. But got to a game and they blast rock music between every play. Dont understand what the NFL is thinking (Doest the halftime act actually bring in additional people who otherwise would care less about the Super Bowl). But it must be working for them. Oh Well.

2024 – Rihanna and Jay-Z
2023 – Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J Blige, and Kendrick Lamar
2022 – The Weeknd
2021 – Shakira and Jennifer Lopez
2020 – Maroon 5 with special guests Travis Scott and Big Boi
2019 – Justin Timberlake
2018 – Lady Gaga
2017 – Coldplay with special guests Beyoncé and Bruno Mars
2016 – Katy Perry with special guests Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott
2015 – Bruno Mars with special guest Red Hot Chili Peppers

On my last walk, I listened to some ELP (Really good stuff), so Steely Dan (Aja is such a great album), and some newer Pink Floyd (Happy 81st birthday to Nick Mason). Everybody should find some time during the day to listen to some music (on a walk, in your car, streaming to your headphones). Such great stuff out there for everybody

I’m going to start putting together a daily checklist of things to get done. Need to get some structure into my daily routine, which will be helpful in getting the important things completed. Will try to note some of the things here (kind of like an online journal)

Before I forget, sad to see the passing of David Lynch a week ago. He was a visionary director, both in film and TV. He was the brains behind Twin Peaks, still regarded as one of the best TV series ever made. He was also a big proponent of Transadentiual Meditation (TM) and the David Lynch Foundation does great things to publicize the meditation technique to as may people as possible. I practice myself twice a day, and it has been a big help. RIP David Lynce – You will be missed

That’s it for now

#PEACE

#AverageAndy

Posted in Card Collecting Videos, ELP, Job Searching, Movies, Music, Non-Sports Cards, Philly Non Sports Card Show, Pink Floyd, Star Trek, Star Wars, Steeely Dan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Time flies when your …

Posted on January 24, 2025 by AverageAndy

Some days time feels like it is flying along (usually when you are trying to get lots of things done). Other days it feels like time is crawling along at a snail’s pace (usually when you are in a hurry to get things done). In reality, time moves along at its own pace, and it’s up to us to manage it affectively.

I have been out of work since Friday, October 11th, 2024 (105 Days). Sometimes it feels like I have been off for years, while other times it feels like I was just let go. Some days are long, and some are short, but it’s up to me to manage my time while I continue looking for new opportunities.

*** I started to write this post and was cruising along when I hit some combination of keys on my laptop and everything just disappeared. I don’t know what I hit, and I tried many things to get back what I had typed, but it was just gone. Started again, and now I am nervous and keep hitting “Save Draft” just to make sure. Got to love Technology ***

Take 2

I have submitted 2 additional short Survivor Application Videos. No idea if this is allowed, but it can’t hurt to try. Just letting the Casting Directors know I am still interested. Also trying some different things like pointing them to this website, along with my daughter’s work website, where she promotes her work as a Film Major / Editor. Over the years she has helped me film some of my Application Videos and has even done a few small features on my quest to get on Survivor, as well as my hobby of Non-Sports Card Collecting. Give it a look if you are interested (http://www.katherinerupprecht.com)

As far as card collecting, I have been taking some time to update my collection on the Trading Card Database Site. It’s a great place to track your cards. Currently, I am going through my collection and uploading scans of cards that do not have images. It’s been lots of fun going back through older sets that I haven’t looked through in a while

** Thought that my scans were being uploaded to OneDrive and DropBox, but looks like there may be some issues. I will check when I get home later to make sure things are good, and then post some pictures of some of the recent cards I have scanned ***

Take 3

Will hold back any discussion on the NY Mets and Pete Alonso until things have been completed (either he resigns with the Mets or signs elsewhere)

Lehigh Basketball has fallen on some tough times. After winning their opening Patriot League Game against Bucknell, they have lost their last 6 league games. Hopefully, they can turn things around against rival Lafayette on Saturday. One of the good things about college basketball is the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament to the conference tournament winner. This means there is always something to play for. Hopefully, the Mountain Hawks can find some magic and make a run in the Patriot League Tournament

Really don’t care who wins the 2 NFL Championship Games this weekend. No feeling one way or another for all the team left.

Whatched a few decent movies and TV shows over the past few weeks.

I liked Slingshot sharing Laurence Fishburn and Casey Affleck – 3 Bags

I am enjoying the new Series Doc on FOX (Always liked Scott Wolf going back to Party of Five)

Saw that Season 2 of The Night Agent was coming soon (Believe it premiers this weekend), So I decided to give Season 1 a try — It is really good, and I am enjoying it

Finished Season 2 of Silo. Just like the end of Season 1, they through us a curveball to think about until Season 3 is released. I never read the books the show is based on, so everything is new to me.

Also finished Season 2 of Squid Games (Should technically be called the 1st half of Season 2). It ended in the middle of the action, and hopefully, things will be continued in Season 3. I did enjoy the 2nd Season, and looking forward to Season 3 later this summer

It’s getting harder and harder to figure out the seasons of shows anymore (Not that it really matters). Take a look at Diners, Drive Inns and Dives (S39.E36). It premiered in 2006 and is now on Season 39. Makes no sense

As far as things going on in the world, I will hold judgment for a while and see what the new president tries to get done, what he actually gets done, and how the public reacts.

Be Back Soon

Double Feature

#PEACE

#NeverToOldForSurvivor

#GiveMeAChance

#AverageAndy

Posted in Bad News Bears, Bad News Bears in Breaking Training, Card Collecting, Card Collecting Videos, Dalton Ross, Doc, Food, Fun and Games, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, Job Searching, John Cochran, Kellyn Bechtold, Lehigh University, Mark Burnett, Mike Gabler, Non-Sports Cards, Reality Shows, Silo, Sports, Squid Games, Survivor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Can things get any worse…

Posted on January 13, 2025 by AverageAndy

Been having some issues with getting myself motivated to write lately and was surprised I haven’t written anything here since January 2nd. Looking back, I was talking about all the bad things that were happening as we started off the new year. Fast forward 2 weeks and some of those things look pretty mild compared to the devastation in California due to the forest fires that have basically destroyed entire towns. The fires have forced people to have to walk away from their homes as the fires spread. A lifetime of memories destroyed in the blink of an eye. It is really hard to comprehend, so instead of watching and pretending to know how it feels, I just want to let everybody who is affected (The Rescue Workers, The Rich, the Poor, the Famous, the Homeless, Business owners, Government officials, ..) that most of Americans are heartbroken and wishing feeling your pain. There are always those who look at strategies as an opportunity to get their point or their thoughts out, claim that they are the victims, and just hate on everybody involved. It is just noise, so do your best to ignore it and remember the good outnumber the bad by a wide margin. PEACE to ALL

Switching directions, job searching has become a game that I really don’t want to play. First, you need to search job boards and company sites for job listings (hoping that they are actually available, and not just posted for corporate compliance reasons) Then you need to create a customized resume for each job you see posted. This is now done by pasting your base resume and the job description into an AI site and having AI quickly add and delete skills and experiences to your resume so it exactly matches what they are looking for. Then you do the same thing with AI to create a customized cover letter explaining why you would be a perfect fit for the job. Then submit your resume and hope that you were one of the lucky people whose AI resume was able to beat all the scanning software companies use, and actually have somebody take 3 – 5 seconds to look it over. Then, if the job is actually available, maybe you get an e-mail or call back. Then you need to make sure you have all your customized resumes, and cover letters available and ready so you know what the job is and be able to answer questions

Add to the fact that I am looking for jobs in IT, and I am at the upper end of the age scale (I am 58), and it gets harder and harder to keep up with all the new software/hardware/technologies that are out there. While there are lots of online training sites, most cost money, so you have to weigh that against the fact of how long I plan to be working (While I am not thinking of retiring, I am also not looking for a 10 – 15 year position. Also, at some point what I did 15 – 20 years ago really has no relevance in today’s world. Past experience with applications and Operating Systems that either no longer exist, or are so old they are past their time, makes it harder and harder.

I will get there but might have to think independently and come up with some unique ideas and thoughts to put myself in a position to find something that is enjoyable to get me through my remaining corporate working years. This was pretty much written from thoughts. I will re-read it and then make some updates and changes and try to be more focused — ** More to Come**

Quicky — Went to the Movies and saw “A Complete Unknown”. Thought it was really good. I have always liked Bob Dylan, and was very interesting to see some aspects of his early life. Was also interesting to see what the world was like back in the early 1960s. While it was probably a simmpiler time, there were still issues that people had to deal with like today. I am also a fan of Timothee Chalamet and like most of everything he has done (Although I am one of the few who really dis not like Dune 2, sorry). I give it 4 Bags

Note: Please check out Mediocre Movie Majors on YouTube – My daughter and her boyfriend are filmmakers and do a movie review podcast. (Here is the latest episode)

I also watched “A Den of Thieves” the other night – I saw a commercial for “A Den of Thieves II” and it looked good, so I figured I would give it a chance. I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. It also looked great and was well-made. Another 4 Bags

Going to put together another short Survivor Application Video. Playing off of my rant on job searching above, I have some outside-of-the-box ideas and going to give them a try. Similar to looking for a job, a big part of submitting an application video is selling oneself. I already know I am not the best at this, but maybe writing about it and thinking about it will get me motivated to try some things

Finally, I tried watching “Deal or No Deal Island” — Even though I am a big reality show fan and enjoy seeing some old Survivor and Big Brother contestants come back and compete, the show was pretty bad. Any reality show where they need to explain the rules, and it still makes no sense, is not going to work for me. Same with “The Traitors” Great concept and fun to see old players, but once they are gone, the show in general is not good enough to hold my interest.

Survivor (#1)
Who Wants to the A Millionaire (#2)
The Amazing Race (#3)
Big Brother (#4)

All other reality shows are below the Big Four

Average Andy Out

#PEACE
#Survivor

#Marillion – A Better Way of Life



Posted in A Complete Unknown, Amazing Race, Big Brother, Dalton Ross, Deal or No Deal Island, Den of Thieves, Dune2, Jeff Probst, Jesse Tannenbaum, John Cochran, Kellyn Bechtold, Mark Burnett, Mediocre Movie Majors, Movies, Reality Shows, Survivor, The Traitors, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, YouTube | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment