Been a strange couple of weeks. Not good and not bad, just there. After 5 months of looking for a new job, the days and weeks start to blend into each other, and everything just starts to feel monotonous. But I do have some things to look forward to that should cheer me up. Heading to Florida for a few days to catch up with long-time friends, and to catch one of the last spring training games of the spring, before the MLB Season begins one week from today (3/27/2025) (*** I know there were two games in Japan between the Dodgers and Cubs ***).
The NY Mets open in Houston against the Astros and hopefully get off to a decent start. The MLB Season is a grind, and there are plenty of teams that started slow but came on later to have a decent seasons. But after last year’s 0-5 start, the signing of Juan Soto and Pete Alonso, and Francisco Lindor coming off an MVP year, the Mets at least need to play decent ball the first month of the season.
Had one of my Roto Drafts last weekend and have my big Roto Draft next Saturday. In person with the same 10 guys for something like 30 years. Even though its been rough going for my team (Red Dogs) the past couple of years, it is always fun to get together and catch up.
Also had a couple of interviews and am waiting to hear back about the position. Was good to talk to somebody about a job, and it looks like things are opening up a bit so hopefully good things are on the horizon.
As for the crazy times we are living in, it is really sad the steps the government is taking to try and re-write history. Going through and removing old records and photos from historical databases will never remove what actually happened. Let us never forget those who risked their lives and careers to help make the United States a leader of freedom and human rights.
Jackie RobinsonEnola GayArlington National CemetaryArlington National Cemetary
Lots going on in Survivor 48. It’s been an interesting season so far, and I’m still not sure who I want to win. Will need to set aside some time to write an in-depth post about my feelings. There is a bit to many challenges / Journeys involving losing or stealing votes. Hopefully the fan vote for Season 50 will reduce the amount of advantages a bit (I choose “Strategic Power”
Enough for now
Off to watch some NCAA Basketball and see how my picks do. Nothing worse than having a team you pick for the final 4 lose on day one. Hoping this is not the case for me this year and I still have some interest after the first weekend of games
Back in the summer of 2009, while on vacation in Dewey Beach, DE, I was looking for a new book to read. There was a local bookstore in town promoting summer books to read. Looking at the list of recommendations, I was drawn to the book “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wroblewski. Its not the type of book I normally read (Clive Cussler, Dean Koontz, John Grisham) but Something about the cover made me pick it up and try it. It was a great book, I was glad i picked it up. As the years went by, it always stuck in my head and I was pleasantly surprised when after 15 years, David Wroblewski published a new novel (Familiaris) about the Sawtelle family and how they came to be. This was another fantastic book telling the story of Edgar’s Grandparents, how they met, how they ended up on the family farm, and the history of the Sawtelle dogs.
It was really interesting reading about the late1800s and early 1900s and how people lived during those times. Wroblewski writes with great detail and while your reading you can picture the characters and the environment and feel like you were right there with them. With lots of highs and lows it was a great read and I highly recommend reading it.
I took a break from the TV shows I have been watching and decided to watch a few movies over the weekend. There is lots of junk out there, and nothing really caught my eye, so decided to check out a movie called “Delicious” that I saw mentioned online. While it did keep me interested, its was not that good, the characters were not that believable, and the subject matter was a little creepy. I did read a review afterwards, and while it pointed out the meaning of things, I still can’t recommend this. #1Bag
Deciding that I just wanted escape for a bit I just wanted to watch a good romantic comedy. After scrolling through Netflix (Nothing new that looked any good), I ended up watching “Picture This” on Amazon. The cover photo (or whatever you call the pictures you scroll through on each service) looked promising and the movie started off alright and while a bit stupid at parts, it was pretty good.
Like most romantic comedies, you can pretty much figure out how it ends halfway through. Boy and girl are together, they break up, and then at the end, they realize they are perfect for each other and live happily ever after. The problem with this movie, for me, was there was really no chemistry between the lead women and man. For the 2nd half of the movie, I kept hoping somebody else would come along who was at least believable. But no, they got together, and the movie ended just as I figured. Seeing 2 people who to me would never end together took away any feelings I had toward them and the move. Another movie I cannot recommend #1Bag
The chemistry issue happens all the time with the Hallmark and Netflix original romantic comedies. Sometimes I can just go with the flow since my expectations are low to start with, Every once and a while you do get some chemistry and I am happily surprised. But most of the time I walk away thinking one, or both of the main characters are whacked and would never choose each other in the real world
When they work for me (movies like “While You Were Sleeping” and “She’s Out of My League“), they make me feel good afterward. I believe the characters and the choices they make at the end.
Here is Roger Eberts reviw of the movie “Speed” . He is spot on about the chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. You believe both of them and are rooting for them throughout the movie.
Compare that to the Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney movie “Anyone But You”. Zero chemistry between them and nothing to make you care about either one of them. The movie did well at the box office because it stars two of the hot actors of the day, but it faded away just as quick and will end up being forgotten. Take a movie like “Ticket to Paradise” starring George Clooney and Julie Roberts. Starring two of the best actors of our time, it ended up being a disappointment because there was absolutely no chemistry between them. Noting was believable and by the end, you just didn’t care what happened to them
The moral of the story — Movie Chemistry is hard and should be given more thought than just putting two people together (regardless if they are superstars or actors just looking for work) and hoping people care.
Feel free to reach out to me and leave a comment. Also if anybody has any connections with anybody associated with “Survivor” or “The Amazing Race”, be sure to point them my way and let them know your helping them find the next great contestant
Starbucks, The Seattle-based coffeehouse chain recently announced that some of its “less popular” beverages, including nine Frappuccino blended beverages, will be retired from its menus starting Tues, March 4.
New CEO Brian Niccol has rolled out changes he says will not only boost sales and prioritize customers, but will also help Starbucks get “back to Starbucks.”
One of the less popular drinks being retired is the Java Chip Frappuccino. This was one of my go-to drinks at Starbucks, especially in the summer. While there are still some Frappuccino drinks remaining on the menu, none of them can take the place of the JAVA Chip.
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.
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.
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)
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
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
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
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.
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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
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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
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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.
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
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
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
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
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
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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
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.
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
AverageAndy 