Geo Safari

 I can't tell you how many hours we spent playing this thing. Before tablets....you had one of these in the early 90's and we played the heck out of this simple electronic quiz game. 

I'll be honest, I would spend hours memorizing all the answers to different ones so that I would be unstoppable if anyone ever played me. Some we harder than others, but if you played them enough...you'd know. 

They were very educational, which we didn't care about. We only wanted to win! And if imporving our minds was the only way to do that, then so be it!

Ha! I miss these things. Would love to find one hidden away at my parents house, but I've been through the attic and every closet I know and couldn't find it, so I assume its gone. 

Good times!

Death to Smoochy scene that still cracks me up today. (start at 3:05)

Best Survivor of Australia

 This may be the greatest player ever to enter the game. 

I sung his praises last week during my review of All Stars but I truly believe he is one of the best to ever play the game. 

Only once during All Stars did the votes surprise him. Everything else went exactly the way he wanted it to go. 

He was awesome to watch, I hope they bring him back again some day. I'm interested into what he'd try next.  

Best Survivor of South Africa!

 I'm still on a Survivor high so I wanted to talk about who I think are some of the best in the game outside of the US. 

Since the UK has only early seasons, no one really stands out so I'm skipping them for now. But for South Africa it was easy to choose. Rob B.

He had EVERYONE in the tribe during the merge (at least the Top 7) convinced they were his #1 alliance. Even though all the players knew he'd made the same promise to all of them, ALL of them trusted Rob without question. 

And not just the top 7 but all the way throughout the game. People were blindsided EVERY time Rob voted them out. I've never seen someone command so much trust in the game. And I don't think I ever will again. 

Australian Survivor All-Stars (recap)

 Just finished it earlier this week and....WOW. This DELIVERED on a huge scale!

At this point I can safely say that I'd rather watch this version over the American one. It's THAT good. 

Here we go!

David (one of the greatest ever to play the game) decides to team up against the leader of the rival alliance on his team to pull off one of the most epic blindsides I've ever seen in Survivor history!!

It was so epic, that no one knew who the "mole" was until David admitted it at the very last tribal. EPIC. The look of complete despair and shock on Daisy's face when the votes were cast will forever be burned in my mind. 

One tribal featured both team going at the same time, with the loser facing off in a fire challenge and returning to their team. 

They had something called "Pandora's Box" on this season that had a lock with 2 hidden keys. Forcing whoever found the key first not to wait too long or someone else could win the prize. Brilliant. The second person to find a key barely missed out on the prize because she was too busy celebrating and telling her alliance that she allowed the other guy to get the advantage first. 

But David (the winner) was the shining star of the show. He blindsided Phobe in a brutal way. At tribal, she thought he was her #1 guy she could trust. But unknowingly, David was gunning for her ever since she betrayed him in the council previously. But it's how things went down that was unbelievable. 

Phoebe, shared a clue to an immunity idol with David, he found it but never told her. The night she was voted out, he revealed he had the idol and starred her down as the votes were read. BRUTAL! In the post credits a tearful phoebe couldn't find the words to speak and just sat there shaking her head declining to be interviewed as the credits rolled. 

My mouth was on the floor the whole time. 

The was one advantage found that would allow tribal to stop and no one be voted off. It was never used but would have been interesting to see.  

The dumbest thing in the season was when the producers were obviously scared of losing one of their favorite players and made up this ridiculous new rule that 6 people were to voted out and then have to fight their way back into the game with only one being voted off. The new this girl was a challenge beast and would be let back in the game. It was an obvious ploy to keep the girl around because she was dead in the water during the vote and had no chance of moving further in the game. A crock! But thankfully she was eventually voted out after she barely lost a challenge. Dumb gimmick. Sad such a great show made such a terrible decision. 

In the end David won and it was one of the best seasons I've ever seen of any Survivor. 

Already halfway through the next series. I'll review it by next week. 

Young Indiana Jones (review)

 I finished this series about a month ago and wanted to give a little review of it here. 

Because the new movie was coming out I wanted to re-watch the series again. I remember watching it as a kid when it originally came out and then once again when I bought them on DVD years ago. 

The 9 episodes where he's a 9-10 year old are....rough. There's only one episode I really enjoyed from that era.  

The only interesting episodes were the ones dealing with Indy's time during WWI which I mostly enjoyed. Sean Patrick Flannery plays a great Young Jones and there's even an episode that ties into Temple of Doom, though I didn't realize it until watching the film later on. 

The diamond featured at the beginning of the movie was the same one he and his friend Renny were searching for in an episode of the series. 

Harrison Ford makes a cameo in one episode....but it's probably one of the worst of the series. He's the only redeeming part of that episode. 

Overall....its skippable. And I may never watch the series again. I know it's streaming on Disney+ right now but can't honestly recommend anyone spending time watching it. Very boring in some parts and not enough redeemable quality to enjoy outright. 

Ride On (Review)

 I really should stop watching Jackie Chan movies. 

This one's not bad, but Jackie's getting older. He does a few tricks but mainly leaves the action up to his co-stars. 

I get it. He's pushing 70 at this point. He can't do the things he used to do 20-25 years ago. I love the man, but I think I'll stick to watching his older movies instead. 

As for this one....skip it unless you're a die hard fan.  

What ever happened to the pencil box?

 I remember getting a pencil box for school was always fun. But these days its really a thing of the past now. 

But MAN! Does anyone else remember stocking your box with cool erasers as well? I mean that's what it was all about!

I get that this really isn't a thing anymore, but I do miss the old days. Everyone remembers Trapper Keepers (which were cool) but the pencil box was a forgotten classic people never talk about anymore. 

Bang's big comeback?

 Looks like Monster bought them. Does that mean they're coming back on shelves and be more readily available or will they slowly phase out the brand completely?

Who knows? But I hope its the former. I'm still able to get it at discount stores for about 80 cents a can, but only certain flavors. 

Candy Apple, Lemon Drop and Swirly Pop, I'd love to get again, but the only way seems to be by paying top dollar online. 

Guess we'll see what happens.

MLB Breakdown NL West

 Dodgers are my 3rd most hated team in baseball. I hope they fall hard this season. 

Giants aren't threatening to make the playoffs at the moment but if they do, history tells us how dangerous they can become in the post season. 

I love the Diamondbacks but they'll never make the playoffs for the next decade. 

Padres and Rockies always have their time to shine every other season of so. I like both of these teams but 2023 has not been either's year. 

Ok. That's all. Wanted to talk baseball but there's no one around here to do it with so I thought I'd just post on here tonight. 

MLB Breakdown NL Central

 I like the Brewers. Small town team with a lot of heart. They're least likely to win it all in the post season but this is the team I'll be cheering for until they're eliminated early. 

Blech! Cubs!

The Reds are interesting this year. Horrible this season, then came alive once they called up a few rookies who lit the team on fire and are closing in on going to the post season. The team has broken records for the lowest and highest attendance ever this year which is incredible to me! 

The Pirates will always be bad. No way they ever climb up from the cellar unless a miracle team is formed. I don't see that happening in the next 15 years. 

And the Cards have had their time in the spotlight in the past so to see them at the bottom while other teams flourish is fine with me. 

MLB Breakdown NL East

 I don't want to talk about the Mets anymore this season. But at least we're beating the Nationals....for now. 

That we're losing to the Marlins is an insult in itself. The Phillies I hate but don't deny they're a solid team.

Which leaves the Braves. My family are Braves fans and annoying ones at that. So I won't be cheering for them in the playoffs unless they go up against a horrible team in the AL (and there's plenty of them at that) But right now, there's no denying this team looks prime to clinch another ring at the end of the season. 

MLB Breakdown AL West

 I love the Rangers. I hope they go far this year. I'm cheering for them to win it all actually. 

I hate the Astros. 2nd most hated team in baseball for me (under the Yankees of course) I pray they fall apart in the final month of the season. 

Mariners I've always had a soft spot for. Fun ball club. They could make the Wild Card but knowing the M's, they won't last past the first round.

And now we get to the mess. Angels are STUPID for not trading Shohei. They stubbornly held on to him and tried to make it to the playoffs....and failed MAJORLY. Now Shohei will look to greener pastures this year and I'm just hoping the Mets offer up the biggest contract MLB has ever seen. Why people believe in the Angels is a mystery to me. 

Finally we have the A's. A team that makes Marlin owners look like friendly people. The absolute disaster of a team has been a spectacle to see. It's like looking for victims while passing a wreck on the highway. You're afraid of what you'll see but you can't help yourself for looking.  

MLB Breakdown AL Central

 This is the division of "Oh, isn't that nice?" ball teams. The Twins usually lead so it's no surprise they're on top again this year. The Twins are a team I cheer for when no other favorites are in the playoffs. 

I can't stand the Guardians. That Cleveland abandoned their long term club name for something as ridiculous as this just turns me off of the entire team going forward. 

Tigers...meh. White Sox are a DUMPSTER FIRE right now and haven't been fun to cheer for since the days of Ozzie Guillen

And the Royals? Hard to believe they were World Series Champions just 8 years ago isn't it? Since it's the Mets they beat, they can stay in the cellar for all I care. 

MLB Breakdown AL East

 If I had my dream order of how this division would go every year, this is almost exactly how I'd put it, with the exception of the O's and Rays. I'd have the Rays 1st. 

But I'm not complaining. Big fan of the underpaid O's. Amazing season for them. I'm happy. The Rays are always a team to cheer for even though no one in Tampa knows they exist.

The Jays I couldn't care about. I hate the Sox and couldn't be happier for the Yanks sitting at the bottom. May this always be the case for the next 30 years. 

How to Succeed (Novel Review)

 Didn't even know this existed until a friend of mine found it by accident in a grab bag he bought at a store. He didn't know what it was and showed me without knowing that I KNEW what it was. 

He ended up sending it to me and I could not have been happier! Like I said, until he showed me by accident I had no idea this existed and if I had, would've bought it myself a long time ago. 

So what did I think? I loved it!

It had me chuckling all the way through and the chapter about business meetings is SPOT ON what happens today!!!

If you're a fan of the show, it's a must. 

Have a good weekend folks!

Australian Survivor All-Stars Cast (thoughts)

 I'm a little more than halfway through the season but wanted to give my thoughts on who was worthy of being on the All-Star season and who wasn't. (no order)

David: Yes. Played a brilliant game in his season and was blindsided in the end. 

Mat: Not really. Thought he was in control and was (for short time) but he was never that in control for long. He shouldn't be here. 

Henry: Yes. Just like David, he controlled his season for the longest until he was blindsided. David belongs here a little more because Henry DID get a tip to play his idol that night but chose not to, which makes him a little less deserving yet still I'm glad to see him there. 

Tarzan: No doubt. The old man made me tear up during his season and I'm happy to see him back. He's an honest player and an all around good guy. 

Brook: Maybe. Yes she was in control of her tribe early on but got blindsided quickly. I don't like her, but I guess she's worthy enough to play. 

Flick: Someone else I hated during her season but sure, she could be considered an all-star.

Nick: No. Complete moron who spent the entire season begging folks to keep him alive in the game. No idea why they picked him in the first place. LOSER.

Shane: The old lady was a winner in season 3 but other than that, has no business being in All-Stars. She wasn't that good during her season but rode the coattails better than the rest, which got her the win. 

Lydia: No. She kept her head down and nodded when taking orders until they blindsided her. Not a player. Just a strong competitor. Doesn't deserve to come back into the game.

AK: Another guy WAY out of his depth the first time around. A bozo, a pretender, who doesn't deserve a second chance in the game.

Jericho: Another winner who won mainly because Luke helped him get to the end. Since he's a winner I'll say "Yes"

Phoebe: Hell no. I laughed when I saw her. She played herself like a fierce competitor but was completely powerless her entire season! Guess they just couldn't find enough good people from the 1st season to bring back into the game. 

Locky: Yes. Fun and strong in challenges. But it got to a point where he had to win them all or was going home. The game wasn't in his hands in the end and he deserves a second shot at the title. 

Zach: Wow. I'm really shocked here. He said horrible things about how weak and stupid women are and yet, they brought him back into the game. The US wouldn't do this....but this is the land down under so I guess they saw some value in bringing him back. 

Shonee: I like her but no. The only thing she did was survive while being outnumbered the entire time. She was finally voted out when there was no where else to hide. Not really a "power player" if you ask me. 

Moana: I have no idea why they brought her back. I hardly remember her because she couldn't even make it to merge. If I remember, she got sick her initial season and left the game early. No idea why they thought they needed her back. 

Sharn: YIKES!!! She was duped more times in this game than I can count! Though she did "outlast" others, she was outplayed and outwitted more than once her initial season. Why they bring her back is to embarrass her more I suppose?

Jacqui: Another head scratcher here. She had NO POWER in her season and was voted out the moment a mix happened....and she had the majority!! She was an unlikely witch. Again, I can only guess they were hurting on choices here to let her in. 

Lee: Yes. All day. He dominated the game but got zero votes in the end due to sour grapes by the jury. 

Michelle: No. Only because I have no memories of her and she played the game only 2 seasons earlier. Obviously nothing that was that noticeable or worth remembering. 

Abby: Nope. A follower through and through. Someone on the survivor staff must be living out a crush because I can't think of any reason to bring her back on the show. 

Daisy: BIGGEST DOOFUS IN THE GAME. Completely clueless during her season. Amazing they wanted to bring her back. I can only guess she was sleeping with a producer on the show to get an invite to play again. 

Harry: No. Some reason as Daisy. He just doesn't belong. Complete idiot who thought he was in control but had NO major moves his entire season until getting voted off by his closest ally in the end. 

John: Yes. Good guy. Victim of several played idols at one time and he was sent home as a result. 

I'll give my thoughts on the season as a whole later. I will say, the first reward was for a camp and shelter to be pre-built, which was huge! On a regular season, I wouldn't agree to that but it being All-Star's I think it was perfect. 

Australian Survivor Season 6 (review)

 Finished this one over the weekend and am ready to break it down!

1) LUKE from season 2 is back!! And he did not disappoint. He made it all the way to final four until Pia (an actress who ended up winning) betrayed him and voted him out, even though Luke had saved her 4 times from going home in multiple tribals. INSANE!

To make it worse, she knew about Luke's autistics kids and didn't care! She made plenty of money acting but got greedy and voted him out to ensure she won it all. (which she did in a clean sweep at the final vote)

2) The season held a twist I've never seen before. Both team had hidden immunity idols at their camps, that expired before the merge OR if they switched idols between tribes they'd have one that was good even into the merge. 

I found this very interesting! There was also a risk of being a part of a tribe swap and having your idol rendered useless already! I really liked this idea. It got even better when David (one of the best players in the season) swapped a fake idol for a real one. Good stuff!

3) Speaking of David, he was insanely good at this game. He teamed up with Luke and went far before being blindsided. Andy (who was on the opposing tribe) thought he was a "master" at this game and the viewers probably thought so too until tribe swap when Luke and David entered his camp outnumbered 2 to 6....and turned the ENTIRE camp against Andy. 

Andy was a complete fool for the rest of the time he was there, having no clue how bad David was making him look. How embarrassing. 

  4) The was another tribal where the winning tribe got to attend and instead of watching someone get voted off, they were allowed to bring someone over to their tribe!! I did think this was a little unfair but enjoyed seeing something completely new in the game. (seriously, this show beats modern day Survivor right now) 

5) Another tribal shocked everyone, when the host told them they were going now and only had time to scramble for votes on the way there. Again, don't know if that's something I'd like to see done in the US but it surely was a suprise!

6) Daisey- I don't know what is it about this show but they love making dumb female players appear smart. She was praised by everyone for being "dangerous" yet not once was in control of the votes (except maybe once) Other than that, she took orders or was blind-sided badly. She found and played 2 idols on herself when she wasn't even the target. MORON. Yet she made it back for the All-Star season the next year. 

Overall, I enjoyed the season. Hated who ended up in the final 3 but then again, this game doesn't favor those who play it best. Only those who ride coattails the best win. 

I'm already halfway through the All-Star season. Since I know all the players I've been binging the season pretty fast! 

I'll talk more about it tomorrow.  

What puts games on my "dump" list?

 I love me some board games. But after a huge purge I did earlier this year, I thought I'd discuss the top reasons why I get rid of some of my games:

1) Can't get it to the table enough

Usually this is the case when no one likes the game but me. It happens more times than I like, that's for sure. But it's hard to get others interested if they don't care for the game. And though there's still a few of these in my collection, I'm holding on to hope that they eventually catch on. 

2) Broken mechanism

If I don't find this early I'm sure to find it when I play the game with my nephews who love nothing better than to break a game. They try hard and have succeeded several times. All it takes is one game to find the flaw and expose it. If I find it's a legit broken mechanism, it's instantly out. 

3) Lost its luster

This happens occasionally, but only when I've had the game for several years. Pandemic and Niagara come to mind. There's no different experiences to have when playing the game so I eventually let it go. Give it, this is the least of my reasons, but it's still one none the less. 

The was my jam in 1990

This songs stuck in my head today

Legends Con

 A Con about the Star Wars Expanded Universe. I never thought it could happen but it is. 

And I don't know if I'm going. 

Pros

- Lots of authors I'd love to meet, talk to and get autographs from

- Lots of YouTubers will be there and I'd love to meet them face to face. 

- Twin Suns Foundation will be there and I'd love to spend time with Brian and Dylan once again

Cons

- Paying for a plane ticket when our savings have barely recovered from purchasing 2 AC units isn't the wisest idea on how to spend money. I'm hesitant to be so selfish with my savings. 

- Megan would have a hard time taking care of all 4 kids on her own. I'm honestly not sure she could handle it. 

- I'm already planning something the weekend before where I'll be at home but with a buddy of mine hosting a board game weekend. Megan will have to watch the kids on her own with occasional help from me around dinner and bedtime. Making it harder to justify being gone the next weekend!

Either way, if I don't get to go I'm at peace with it. It's not a top priority for me, just something I know I'd enjoy if given the opportunity. 

I haven't made up my mind yet but at the moment, it's an 80% chance I'm not going I'd say. 

If anything changes....you'll hear it here first!

Gen Don't care

 For the first time since I can remember, I wasn't excited about ANYTHING at GenCon. No big news, must have games....promos, NADA!

What a flop! 

I'm not saying I wouldn't like to go back but all the same, I think this was the most lack luster one they've had since I've been in the hobby!

Will next year be as bad? Geez! I hope not!

When will I be going back? 

4 years? 3? Depends on how well behaved the children will be by then. But I for sure want to return someday. 

Time will tell. 

Santa Bowl Update VIII

 Well....I really wanted to set up field goals again like we had the very last time we played the game. Problem is, we have no way of doing it. 

The PVC pipes we got last time are long gone now and to replace them would cost 4 times the amount these days which simply isn't possible. So I've had to abandon the idea completely at this point. 

Oh well...hopefully next month's update will be something BIG! : ) 

Garbage

 The most expensive team in baseball is done for the season and I've known that for a long time. They outright suck. 

The fire sale that went out last week was a disaster but there's really nothing I disagree with. We got some prospects, we're done for the next 3 seasons, but really...what else can you do? I blame management. They've wasted Steve Cohn's money by over-signing over-aged players who aren't worth what we've been giving them. 

I wish Cohn would clean house and get in smarter people who know how to spend money wisely. 

Such a waste. But then again....that's the Mets.

Coke Ultimate (review)

Finally got around to trying this one out last month. 

It taste like Coke...with more caramel flavoring? 

Megan thinks it taste like melted coke slushie. Which is saying it just has more syrup in it than normal. 

Worth trying? Meh. Not really. But if you love Coke, you'll probably enjoy the richer taste. 
 

Venom Energy Drink (review)

 Finally got around to trying it and it's not so bad! In fact, I heard Mango was the best, so I gave it a try and really enjoyed it!

I know these can also be found at Dollar Tree, so it's worth checking out if you're interested. 

For now, I'll probably stick to Bang since it's still for sale (cheap) at Ollies. But I would get this one again. 

Survivor Australia: Champions vs Contenders

 An interesting season. 

American Survivor Legend Russell Hanz was in this season but didn't last long because the whole tribe didn't want him on their team. 

Russell had even found an idol, but like a moron, kept it instead of playing it and went home. Because of this embarrassing performance Russell HATES this season and has been very vocal against it. But in reality, he got outplayed early and a lot of air was let out of the show from the very beginning. 

Though not as good as the past 2 seasons I've seen, this one did have it's highlights.

- An injured Jenna, tearfully begs the tribe to keep her in the game, when she knows they have to vote her out because her injury makes her a liability in challenges. 

- Benji, the secret millionaire, played a great game and when an idol was played for someone he planned to vote out, he got the girl to change her mind and play it for herself. Thereby insuring the person he wanted out was going home that night. He was so smart, but the next tribal made a dumb move by lying to someone, stating the opposition had approached him to vote Brian off. Brian had just won immunity and asked "But why would she think she could vote me out? I won immunity?" That's when Benji realized he'd been busted in a lie and was voted out that night. On top of that boneheaded move, he didn't play his immunity idol even though he KNEW his name was getting voted that night. Dumb.

- The theme of this survivor was to get voted out with an idol in your pocket evidently. 4 people had that happen to them during the game. 

- One tribal came with a twist. The opposing tribal was there to watch and when the final vote was cast, the other tribal got to vote on whether they wanted to keep the person on their tribe instead or let them go. The tribe voted to let her go. The girls name was Teagan and it seems the producers tried everything to keep her in the game. This was the second twist that kept players in the game after being voted out and both times it happened when Teagan was voted out. The producers look at all the footage so they know who's getting voted out too. I don't know why they liked her so much, but it was pretty evident they were trying to protect her and allow her to go further in the show. 

- They had a "Dead Man Walking" twist this season, in which the tribe voted for someone to lose their next 2 votes in tribal. Don't know what the purpose was, but they ended up voting for the same person in back to back tribals to ensure this person would go home. So the "twist" fell flat. 

Did the pick the right champion? It's debatable. Shane won. She was a 61 year old Olympic champion who I'm glad got it, but played a TERRIBLE game never had control over the game. Sharn (the runner up) was the dominant one but so insufferable with her "honor" code that she was unlikely in the end. 

The jury pointed out her hypocrisy when they revealed she'd lied to her alliance and it let to a 4-3 vote with her barely missing out on the prize. 

During the after show, she called the jury's decision, "bitter" and accused them of making the vote "personal" which I was shocked to hear. 

Overall, it wasn't bad but again, not the best. 

I'm already on Season 6!

Yedo: Unpleasant Surprise (mini-review)

 Yedo is one of my favorite games. When I found out there was a mini-expansion for it, I had to grab a copy. 

Sadly, it was only available in Poland (where the publisher resides) so shipping wasn't kind but I got it anyway. 

It's....interesting. 

First off you have new mission cards which instead of giving you conditions for a bonus reward, they have either Immediate events, or ones that take place during a phase or a whole round! Very interesting. Not sure how many people would want to do it, but it's an interesting take on missions. 

In fact there's a few cards that encourage teaming up with other players to complete and splitting the rewards. I kind of like that.

The 2nd part of the expansion deals with set collection. Each player starts with a random card and has the option to purchase additional ones at the Harbor for $3 or the Front Gate for $2. They can also exchange them in trades. 

Not sure if a trade would ever happen within my gaming group but it'll be interesting to see what impact this'll make for future games. 

Should you get it?

No. Not at what you pay for shipping. It's just not worth the price point. Unless you're a super fan of Yedo, getting the base (or deluxe version of the) game, that's really all you need. 

DVD's Done??

 The last time I used a DVD has been almost 2 years ago. (in November) I never even unpacked the DVD player when we moved because I haven't used it since. 

These days, I just stream everything I want to watch. I don't buy DVD's anymore and don't know of a time I'd watch one moving forward?

If the Books a Million here still buys DVD's, I plan on selling as much of my collection as I can before these things become truly DEAD.

Overrated

 I've had this in Dallas before and thought it was ok, but when opened up earlier this year around the corner from us I decided to try it again to see if it was better than I remembered. 

It's not. 

Overrated, completely. Steak N Shake is MUCH better. 

Won't be going back. 

We also have a Checkers here but when I went to one 20 years ago, I remember it not being that good and since NO ONE in town has said anything good about it I'm avoiding that one too. 

Also, we got a BoJangles, but when I tried it 8 years ago, I wasn't impressed. And now whenever I pass by the place NEVER has anyone there, so I guess not many other people were impressed either!

Tenpenny Parks: Fast Pass (Mini-Expansion Review)

 Just played the game with this expansion last month. EXCELLENT!!!

Will NEVER play without it again. 

You mix the 4 tokens up and place one each on tracks 2-5. Once you hit a round, that area of the board gets a super power for that round only. 

It forces players to move to areas to take advantage of the one time ability for that round or loss out. 

I love it. Excellent expansion. Great stuff. 

Worth getting. In the BGG Store. Grab one!