Survivor South Africa: Santa Carolina

 And finally the 3rd season I had missed originally, while watching through the show looks more like the show does now. 

Nico is the host and the contestants this season were South African celebrities' playing for their favorite charities. 

The beginning started off with them carrying boxes written in Portuguese. After dragging it through a desert, some of it turned out to be stuff they needed while other boxes were just junk. 

Lot of quitters in this season. One girl quit the very first day because she missed her child. Another quit because he thought he was dying, even though medical said he was perfectly fine. 

There was a challenge where the winner got to pick between food and a hidden immunity idol (again to be played before votes were cast) and they still had the same weird "touch the coconut after 30 seconds" tiebreaker with those who didn't have previous votes. 

There were a lot of ties this season but they were determined by who'd had the most votes in the past. Which was strategic when it came to voting because people were throwing random votes out everywhere in hopes they'd eventually break tie breakers. 

Hein, from season 2 came back as a "reward" and showed the winning tribe how to survive on the island. 

There was a comedian on the series who was really funny but had a hard time connecting with anyone for some reason and was eventually voted out. 

During the last tribal council, after they voted the last person to the jury, the winners went to eat a dinner that night and came right back for the final tribal which was weird. 

Ashley and the stripper Gigi were the finalist. Ashley played a dominant game, winning 5 back to back challenges in the end and betrayal every single alliance she was in to get to the end. Problem was, she pissed off everyone and they decided to give it to Gigi who never rocked the boat. 

Though not the best winner for South Africa, she's certainly better than the previous 2 winners they had. 

I don't have Season 10 yet but it should be coming out soon. I'll review it when I've watched it. 

Survivor South Africa: Malaysia

 Interesting season. Here's a few of my notes:

They had a viewers choice contestant, who fans got to vote into the game. Oddly enough, she ended up being the winner. 

There's still no exit interviews and 2 tribals are held during the day for no reason. The players aren't given any rice and have to forage for their food which was harsh. 

A tie at tribal was broken by having the contestants silently count to a minute and touch a coconut. Whoever got closer to the exact time won. 

WEIRD!

Instead of a car this season, they gave a player a ski trip to Austria. There was a hidden immunity idol this season but it had to be player BEFORE the votes were cast. 

They also had the 4 player challenge elimination, where the first one out is gone instantly. After that, whoever won got to choose between #2 and #3 on who they wanted to face in the final tribal. 

The winner Lorette was SUPER bland and I wasn't impressed. She was paranoid the entire time and was clueless for the other 2/3 of the game. So once again, not a worthy winner. 

On to season 3!

Survivor South Africa: Panama

 Well what do you know? My buddy was able to recover the first 3 seasons of Survivor South Africa that he couldn't find earlier!

So here I go again reviewing all 3 of these seasons I've never seen before!

It's too bad I couldn't watch these first. Because at this point (2006) the show is fairly new, and not as exciting as future seasons would eventually become. 

That being said...this season did have some good moments. 

There was arguments between tribe members and tempers flaring which surprised me because in Season 4 EVERYONE was very concerned about how they'd look in front of the cameras and were all on good behavior.  

The production was super cheap. Few sets for challenges, with a lot of them being physical. But I knew that, seeing other seasons. It's always been a little less budget spent in South Africa. 

Mark, the Host, is flat. I know he was replaced after Season 2 but I can clearly see why. His delivery is extremely lackluster through the show. 

In South Africa, if someone quits....you still vote. But instead of that person going home, they're given a +1 vote at the next tribal. I thought the rule was weird but they had to repeat that several times since a lot of people talked about quitting during tribal council instead of being voted off. 

The contestants also referred to Tribal Council as TC which I thought was weird. 

One guy got injured and was taken out of the game but in a wild twist, he showed up at tribal, giving his torch to the person who'd just been voted off, sending them to his tribe. I kind of liked that twist. Never seen it before. 

There were NO exit interviews in the season. It started with 14 people and went 29 days. It felt weird because tribes started off smaller then usual. They even held tribal during the day once, which I didn't understand but found unique. 

After the merge, those voted off were sent to another island and given a chance to get back in the game. Nothing new, but bold to implement in the first season of their show. 

During the final four, things got really interesting as there were no more tribals but back to back contests where the first one out was eliminated from the game. Wild!! Don't know how I felt about that but then again, I can appreciate the change in direction away from the normal. 

The final 2 were a HUGE disappointment however. One NEVER had control over the game and the other one threatened to quit the game several times during the show. She was the biggest whiner I've ever seen. When things didn't go her way. 

In the end, the winner was the quitter. Such a letdown.  

Cobweb (Review)

 Saw this last month while at the beach with my family. 

THE WORST!!!

It's one of those movies that looks good in the trailer and on film. But the story is all over the place and makes ZERO sense! Honestly, this was a bunch of "ideas" someone had but couldn't make them into a coherent story but by some unexplained miracle, got the movie made anyway. 

AVOID AT ALL COST. 

I knew after the first 30 min it was a stinker but because I was watching it with the family, I couldn't stop it. TOTAL waste of time. 

Mini Cereal Boxes

 As a kid, I thought these things were the BEST!

I remember my grandmother would buy them for us during our beach vacation and I always loved eating from them. You'd tear the middle of the box open and pour the milk right in. It was great. 

These days when I pass them by the grocery store, I still carry the fond memories though I have no interest in buying them anymore.

Have a good weekend folks!

Babylon 5: The Road Home

 I was doubtful about this TV movie when I first heard about it. I know it was using the original cast to voice the characters but I wasn't sure if the story was warranted. The show (in my opinion) doesn't require a follow up, but I'm such a sucker that I still welcomed one none-the-less.

Well, I saw it. 

It was better than I expected. Usually I roll my eyes at time travel stories but this one was fun and paid homage to actors who have passed away. I thought it was nice. 

Is it something fans should watch? Yes. Is it necessary to the overall story? No. Just a nice add on if you wanted to take another peak inside that world. 

If they do another, I'll watch it. Should they? 

.....no?

Monster and Bang

 A few weeks ago it became official. After suing and bankrupting Bang, Monster went out and bought up the scraps making them the owner. 

I have no idea what that means for the future of this product or even if I'm going to get it anymore. No wonder Dollar Tree has been getting in a lot of new flavors. It's a fire sale right now. 

Will I continue buying them or jump to someone else? I haven't decided yet. If the product becomes more affordable, maybe I'll stay. If not...it may be past time to move on. Only time will tell. 

I'm sure as heck not drinking Monster. That drink sucks!

Corner Office (review)

 Never even heard of this movie until a month ago and got a chance to check it out. It's about a guy played by John Hamm who is slightly crazy and imagines a corner office that only he sees at work. The office makes him feel confident and brings out the very best in him. But none of the other office workers see it. 

It's interesting and kept me entertained the whole time. It's hard for me to watch a movie straight thru but not here. 

Worth your time checking out if you're interested.  

Firefly: Coup de Grace (Review)

 The story is about a one-armed 18 year old girl named Annie who's father is gunned down in the streets in broad daylight. When the Mayor and Sheriff refuse to arrest the man, due to his connections to a local gang, she hires the crew of the Firefly to seek her revenge. 

Inara and Simon are grouped together as they uncover a sinister plot which led to the death of Annie's dad. The same old story of a greedy corporation, taking advantage of a man made drought in order to swindle land from local farmers, only to turn it around for a profit once the planet is terraformed. 

Wash and Kaylee go in search of a part needed for their ship and end up quelling a possible revolution on the planet in the end. 

Book and River hold down the fort at Annie's place and provide the best comedy the book has to offer. 

Mal, Zoe and Jayne go after the bad guys, only to discover our twist! The gang is a bunch of Brown Coats and Annie's dad was for Unification! Putting Mal on the opposite side of a dead war. 

The story falls short for me as all of Annie's story is told 1st person (which I hate) and it really took me out of the story at times. 

The ending was fine yet anti-climatic. It isn't the worst of the series by far but is in the bottom half. 

Though the last few novels haven't shined, I'm still holding out hope that the next one returns the series to their earlier greatness. 

Barbarian (Review)

 I remember hearing about this movie last year but never taking the time to watch it. Last month I did.

........

What did I just see?

This movie is...wild. It subverts your expectations (in a good way) and captivates you the entire time. It's a smart movie that doesn't need to tell you the whole story but gives you enough to put the missing pieces together yourself. 

It's horrifying story is told in a civilized manner that doesn't go full "icky" but leaves it up to your imagination as to what was going on. 

There is some gruesome moments, but if you enjoy horror/thriller/mystery this movie is for you. 

Incredible. Yet I wouldn't recommend this to anyone I didn't know that well. 

Have a good weekend folks! 

Survivor Australia: Heroes vs Villains

 

Finally caught up on the show!

This season was WILD.

King George is back again and the biggest idiot...was the smartest player of the season. 

While everyone celebrated a reward of cookies, George went out looking for an idol because he knew everyone was too distracted by the cookies...and he was right. He found one shortly thereafter. 

He knew and anticipated situations before they happened. He knew who would jump ship from his alliance after the merger, knew when people were going to flip and even when he betrayed trust with folks he knew exactly how to rebuild that trust in the same night after tribal. 

Unbelievable. 

People wanted to vote him out at the very first tribal but too many dummies thought they could "use" George as a shield to get to the end...and he almost voted out them all. 

Only at the VERY end was he voted out by the 3 coat tail riders, which made the eventual winner Liz seem pretty lame, since the only move she could claim was voting out George at the end. 

There were clues to immunity idols that looked like the idols themselves and fooled contestants. The funniest thing this season was when Simeon found the clue, thinking it was an idol and quickly....shoved it in his ass before anyone else saw it. 

Yep. 

But it gets better. When he told his friend Jordie about it, the conversation went like this:

Simeon: I found it

Jordie: You found an idol?

S: Yes

J: Can I see it?

S: Not now

J: Where is it?

S: It's in my ass.

J:....it's in your ass?

S: Yeah

J: Can I feel it?

S:......ok

(feels between butt checks)

J: That's amazing

S: I know! So what's the plan?

J: Well first we need to get it out of your ass

S: Yeah. 

NOT MAKING THAT UP!! I laughed so hard and watched it all over again. I may even go back and watch it after I finish this post. Hilarious. 

Other amazing things that happened this season:

- Mimi got voted out while talking down to another player who was about to be voted out. The tribe saw how mean she was and changed their votes on the spot

- Before voting at tribal, the contestants are taken to an impromptu immunity idol challenge  before they vote. 

- Jordie bluffs playing an idol but the tribe calls his bluff and he gets voted out anyway

- They got to vote a council member off before the final tribal 

And the stupidest thing about it was instead of voting someone out the two people with the most votes (basically everyone voted for one person and that person voted for someone else) were put in "Isolation" for 24 hours before the next tribal, to vote again. 

I don't know what the purpose of this was since the tribe could still go up and talk to them, they just weren't allowed to leave their fenced in position until the next day. 

It didn't change anything either the next day so it was completely pointless. 

Even though the ending fell flat, I enjoyed the season and love this version better than the one in the US!

I can't wait to see what's in store next season!

Bird Box: Barcelona

 So excited when I heard this was coming out. So disappointed when I realized it was a poorly made Spanish film, that takes place in the "world" of Bird Box but is 1000 times unimaginative. 

I couldn't even make it through the entire movie I was bored out of my skull. 

Avoid at all cost! It's a complete waste of time. I can't believe Netflix was desperate enough to put this on their platform in the first place. 

Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

 At this point the question is "Why do I even watch this anymore?"

It's terrible. Terrible. 

I should've called it quits a long time ago. I only have myself to blame for letting this happen again. 

Awful movie. 

I can't believe I fell for watching another one. 

I suck. And so does this movie. 

Mayans MC (final review)

 I loved Sons of Anarchy. I WILL watch the entire series again one day. 

The spinoff?

Awful. 

So bad, that Megan (who loves SOA) stopped watching midway through last season. And to be honest, if this hadn't had been the final season, I would've bowed out as well. 

The story was a terrible mess of forgettable characters and story plots. Its sloppy conclusion didn't satisfy at the end. The whole thing ended on a fart though they were trying to make it "epic" every ending for the remaining characters was flat. They went too dark with certain endings, completely off the rails with others and most of them left you disappointed as a whole. 

Terrible spin off. It'll never get a re-watch from me again and I'll never recommend it. Waste of time. 

Santa Bowl Update IX

 

Trying to update the trophy I goofed bigtime and got the wrong size block of wood! 

I thought I measured it out right but as you can see it's not even close. In fact, its SMALLER than the original trophy!

But a friend of mine offered a good solution so I'm working on it now to hopefully have a better update of the new trophy by next month!

3D Energy (review)

 Finally got a chance to try one of these. 

They're ok. Not the worst, or the best. I'd try one again if I wanted something different but wouldn't be my "go to" energy drink over anything else I drink already. 

Glad I tried it though. I'm trying to drink more new brands to see what else is out there because you never know!

Ok folks, that's it for now. Have a good weekend!

Walking into spider webs

 I don't know how it is possible but I am CONSTANTLY walking into spider webs wherever I go. Even in places where it appears impossible to even spin a web. (the middle of my parking lot that has NO TREES around it!)

I swear, it's like a super power how I continue to find these things everywhere ANYWHERE I go! 

Annoying too. 

Just my thoughts for the day...

Australian Survivor: Blood vs Water

 Wow. 

This season BROUGHT IT. It brings back previous players who were AWFUL in the game prior. 

Andy, the self proclaimed "Survivor" genius, is voted out first. It proves how worthless he is in the game. 

The QUEEN Sandra comes into the season playing with her daughter but is voted out once again on Day 16 (like she was the last 2 times she's played) and even more shocking, by her own daughter!

This season had sister vote off sister (to protect her own game) Nina (sandra's daughter) get pulled for a broke ankle (but she was promised an invitation to the next season) and two other returning players Sam and Mark. 

Sam and Mark were LOSERS who got fooled by Luke and voted out before merge during their first game. Unfortunately here they went long, with Mark eventually winning it all. (BOO!)

His wife Sam was SO ANNOYING though. She pouted when she felt she didn't have control of the game, gloated when she did and pulled the dirtiest double cross by stealing an idol from another player and voting him out the same night. (not sure how it was legal) Mark had ZERO control of the game but his social skills allowed him the victory. These tools couldn't hack it against experienced players but against newbies they faired well and won out. 

Not the best season, but enjoyable all the same. I've finished the latest season and will give me thoughts on it later. 

Bodies (Drowning Pool) - Kids' Edition

Happy Labor Day

 If everything goes according to plan today, it'll be a day full of board games and fun times!

Hope everyone has a good day off as well!

Survivor Australia Brains vs Braun

 Finished this one a while back. But here we go on my final thoughts!

This was at the start of the pandemic and they had to stay in the Outback for this season but I applaud them for keeping the show running instead of folding like the US one did during the pandemic. 

US COULD have had a season in the country but wimped out and hid at home while the rest of the world played on. In fact, NO mention of masks or testing was given and my hats off to them for keeping things as normal as they could. 

Now for the season...

George is the biggest idiot/luckiest Survivor I've ever seen play the game, period. His follies go through the whole season and this guy never got voted off. He lost in a landslide (because he was a moron) but had some incredible moves along the way. 

He was the first to find an advantage, that let him drag 6 people from tribal and leave the remaining members to vote among themselves. This could have been HUGE....in someone else's hands. George had ZERO alliances, used it too early, had no friends on the tribe and painted a target on his back for the entire game because of it. 

He saved Wei from being voted out and in return...she tried voting him out at the next tribal. Even SHE didn't like George even though he kept helping her in challenges. That's how bad this guys social game was. 

When he was voted out (and onto the other tribe) his biggest ally Cara goes with him...and flops in the first merged tribal because she forgot who to vote for. George's closest friend was the 2nd biggest idiot on the tribe. In fact, when George votes her off (in the final four) he fails to realize that she is the ONLY player he has a chance to beat in the end. But in George's mind, he's the best EVER to play the game. 

Honestly, its an outstanding season to witness this idiot fall on the right side of the numbers over and over again, only to think he's in complete control of the game. 

The first merge reward challenge was interesting because in order of how they finished let them pick the food plate at the table. With last place getting milk, rice or a banana. I liked that idea. 

George did one or two impressive moves moves in the game. He pulled off a double cross and later, played a "secret idol" that you placed in the urn without anyone knowing and wrote down the name of the person you wanted to protect. Pretty cool idea. 

One girl who got to the final 3 was surfer girl Flex. Her mom died DURING filming the season but her family convinced her to stay. Amazing she did. 

The winner was Haley. Another true idiot of the game who played a better social game and ended up winning it at. She was voted out earlier but in a producer twist, she was brought back in a "death match" with another recent cast away. The whole hook felt forced but at least her social game was good enough to throw the target off her back. 

Overall, an enjoyable season. I've already finished the next one and will talk about it next week. 

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!