The Amazing Race Blog Party - February 19, 2016

Ready to race from your couch? As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll post the major happenings live. Refresh the page to get the latest! However, as it always is ... the real party is in the comments area. Please join in on the fun! (And bring tasty beverages and snacks!) I'm still a bit iffy on the team names, so please bear with me!

The Magnificent Margo (and Mom) have made the random picks for the blog pool and here they are ...
Tyler & Korey-P- Paula Bell, Bruce & Ray, SueGee
Burnie & Ashley- Buzzmaam, Delee
Erin & Joslyn- Brian, Margo, Rbennie
Sheri & Cole- Donna in FL, Merrilee, Becky
Zach & Rachel- Sharon N, Nana in NW
Dana & Matt- Grandi, Nicklepeed
Jessica & Brittany- Donna in AL, Monty924
Marty & Hagan- Jackie, Willie J
Scott & Blair- Meb, Jennasmom
Kurt & Brodie- David, Ed in OH
Cameron & Darius- chrob61, PDXGranny

Amazing Race fans ready? Let's GO!

Teams are flying to Columbia ... a first for the show. Uh-oh. My blog pool pick team is on the last flight.

Roadblock - Who is a hot mess?
Teams must submerge themselves in a mud pool at a volcano site and retrieve a satchel with an emerald. Some of the satchels have other rocks or gems in them. Korey dropped his coming down the volcano and had to go back. Still, the teams on the first flight are all finishing the Roadblock before the last teams get there.

After they finish the Roadblock ...
Detour - Pop-Up has them building a shelter which needs to be approved by locals. Parilla -- cooking and serving a barbecue type meal. Heh. Tyler and Korey beat out alpha male team Kurt and Brodie in building the shelter. They're on the way to the Pit Stop. My poor blog pool gals are getting frantic stuck in last at the Roadblock.

For their Speed Bump, Scott and Blair must help local fishermen pull in a fist net and retrieve the catch.

Okay, Matt and Dana are the first ones to bicker.

Pit Stop --
1. Tyler and Korey - won a trip to St. Thomas
2. Kurt and Brodie
3. Burnie and Ashley

Uh-oh. Cameron and Darius missed finding their clue. They better get it together!

4. Dana and Matt
5. Joslyn and
6. Jessica and Brittany
7. Zach and Rachel
8. Sheri and Cole
9. Scott and Blair

The brothers pass Hagan and Marty who were running because they let their cab go.

10. Cameron and Darius
11. Marty and Hagan, Philiminated in tears.

There goes my blog pool random pick. Now I'm on my own!

Survivor: Kaoh Rong Season Premiere Blog Party and Pool

Survivor fans ready? The new season makes its premiere tonight! As the show airs, I'll update this entry with the major happenings -- refresh the page to get the latest news! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Please join us there. We like snacks.

Before the show gets going, that Lovable Lifeguard Laurie has made the random picks for the pool. I realize a few people asked too late. Lifeguard Laurie has been kind enough to offer to put the three latecomers and first booters into the pool after tonight's boot.

Here's the match-ups:
Chan Loh - Brains
Elizabeth Markham - Donna in FL, Terry is a Texan
Peter Baggenstos - Jackie, Tammy
Neal Gottlieb - Merrilee
Debbie Wanner - meb, Rbennie
Aubry Braco - Jennasmom
Joseph Del Campo - Grandi, Petals

Gondol - Beauty
Tai Trang - Margo
Nick Maiorano - Laurie
Anna Khait - monty924 , SueGee from the Left Coast
Michele Fitzgerals - Brian TCC
Julia Sokolowski - Indiana Jane, Nickelpeed
Caleb Reynolds - Ed in Ohio, Stephanie in Baltimore

To Tang - Brawn
Kyle Jason - Nana in the NW, Sharon N.
Darnell Hamiltonn - JoyzJenn, Paula Bell
Jennifer Lanzetti - David
Alecia Holen - Becky
Scot Pollard - Delee, Pinky
Cydney Gillon - Leo Lionharted, PDX Granny

Let's all have a great season!

All three tribes scramble to snag supplies before abandoning ship. Jeff promises us the most grueling season ever. So far, as we're still going through the start-up welcome stuff, Debbie seems quite bizarre and annoying to me. Brawn all seem to fit in well together, Brains not as much. The Beauty tribe is trying to figure out Tai. He's defensive of trees, y'know.

Okay, Brawn is starting to split a bit. The guys aren't liking "Blondie" -- I think that's Alecia. I'm not good with the names yet. Darnell wants to work with Cydney. She isn't as committing, I don't think.

Over in Beauty, the chickens escape. They get two of them back while Tai impresses the girls with his gentle approach. The girls are also liking Caleb because they know he was solid to his alliance through BB.

In Brains, Debbie seems to have designs on Joe. Poor Joe. Liz and Neal don't care for her. And, unfortunately, they're deciding that Joe and Debbie are the "geriatrics." It's sad that they're already targeting due to age. If they target Debbie due to weird, that's fine by me.

In Beauty, Tai is searching for an idol and ripping up trees to do so. Yikes! The others realize what he's doing and now he's likely to get targeted. He did apologize to the trees.

Now Brains is in a segment on the heat there. Heck, are they going to even have a challenge? The show only has 20 minutes left to go! Aubry is dehydrated. Maybe we'll just have a med-evac. Maybe it's anxiety. We'll see.

Nighttime. Eek. Jennifer has a bug in her ear!

Okay, I've been informed tonight is 90 minutes. They'll have time.

Treemail. But Jennifer's ear is bleeding and the bug is still in it. Aha! The bug crawled out and she's herself once again!

And, it's time for the Immunity Challenge. Swim to a boat, one person dive down for paddles. Eventually they can solve a puzzle or test their dexterity. Reward is a massive fire-making kit. Second tribe to finish gets a flint.

Uh-oh. On the first dive for paddles, Darnell lost the dive mask and that's setting them behind from the start. Beauty is the first tribe with all the paddles. Beauty and Brains are now competing with Brawn as the first two tribes have trouble getting their boat in the cradle. They're putting on their wheels. Beauty is now in trouble.

Brains goes for the puzzle and is in the lead. Brawn chooses puzzle. Beauty is struggling to move their boat on the track. They also go for puzzle.

Brains Tribe wins Immunity and Reward! Beauty wins the second place! Brawn will go to Tribal Council tonight.

It looks like they're going to target Darnell. Now, Alecia might have blown it by hinting she might have an idol. Stupid girl. Cydney also wants to keep Darnell because she knows he's in her corner.

Tribal Council time. Darnell admits losing the goggles, but claims he will bring it. Alecia thinks she's a mental giant. Oh my. Darnell goes to tears. His heartbreak tale might save his butt.

The tally:
Alecia, Darnell, Alecia, Darnell, Alecia, Darnell.
It's a tie.

They have to revote -- Alecia and Darnell can't vote and the others can only vote for them.

Darnell, Darnell, Darnell. He's the one out tonight.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - February 14, 2016

Happy Valentine's Day! Let's celebrate that massacre! Heehee. It's also Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Random words and thoughts:

• While the blog pool for The Amazing Race is closed, you have until tomorrow to sign up for the Survivor: Kaoh Rong blog pool at this post. I hope to see you there -- the season premiere is Wednesday night!
• Yay! New episodes of The Walking Dead return tonight! Whoopie!
• For not being about television, this blog entry is so far talking television.
• I need to stop that.
• We need to be proud of ourselves in this area -- we broke a 100-year record for cold temperatures. Yay, us!
• Brrr.
• I went out to grab my Sunday paper from outside the front door of my apartment building. That's it for me going out today.
• Thankfully, my apartment heat is doing well (and included in my rent).
• I don't think I've ever seen the downtown streets in Plainfield as deserted as they were last night when I arrived home from work. Even our city's hardcore homeless seem to have taken cover.
• I was just glad I didn't get frostbitten waiting for train/bus and walking in the bitter brutal evil cold. I did wear layers. But I still have red patches on my upper cheeks under my eyes this morning. Maybe that is a touch of frostbite. I don't know. I'm pretty sure it's not the glow of good health.
• I've had horrible lower back pain since I got up on Thursday morning. I don't know what I did to it. I imagine, since it came on overnight, I might have pulled something in my sleep or something. It needs to go away.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will bring up a larger version in a gallery window.

Still there

The burned-out two houses from last year's fire on East Second Street remain standing ... sort of. More of the roof has collapsed on this one. If I lived next door -- the home to the left is fine although it still has some melted siding, but people live there -- I'd be demanding it be torn down before it falls down. More parts of the roof have fallen. You can stand in the street and see through the building to East Third Street. I think a good kick could bring it down. The burned building on the right of this isn't AS bad, but also needs to be torn down. They're saved for eternity (or the life of Google maps and the internet) if you do a street view of 642 (or so) East Second Street, Plainfield, NJ. Well, it does make good photo fodder if I'm bored. I'll give it that. But I definitely would be complaining to the city about it if I lived next door to it!

The NJ Transit 59 bus

When the weather is bad and the bus schedule is doable with the train schedule, I take the bus to the train station rather than walk the half-mile or so. Yeah, I'm lazy like that. But this bus is a five minute walk for me -- probably less than that for younger people without knee replacements! And, it's free for me with my monthly train pass.

The projects come down

I took this shot from the train window. After sitting vacated for a long, long time now, Plainfield's Elmwood Gardens west end projects are being demolished. Watching the demolition daily from the train reminds me of when the projects in The Wire came down. While these buildings were a hotbed of drug and gang activity, they also were the homes of families for years. The good people who lived there are probably better off in their new residences away from the concentration of crime. And, unfortunately, the bad are spread all over town. 

Oh, there must be a bad fire somewhere

When I saw (and smelled) this, along with seeing news helicopters all over, I knew something big was burning. This was on Thursday afternoon, a few hours after a warehouse complex in Hillsborough went up in flames. I took this shot at the Bridgewater Train Station which is at least six or seven (or more) miles from the actual fire. It was very windy and bitter cold. (Not as bitter cold as it is right now, mind you.) The fire was basically out by Saturday with just a few hot spots remaining. A few firefighters had minor injuries and, at its height, it went to six alarms.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

The Amazing Race Season Premiere Blog Party and Pool

Well, this season surely sneaked up on us! On ME, anyway. As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll post the major happenings live. Refresh the page to get the latest! However, as it always is ... the real party is in the comments area. Please join in on the fun! (And bring tasty beverages and snacks!)

The Magnificent Margo (and Mom) have made the random picks for the blog pool and here they are ...
Tyler & Korey-P- Paula Bell, Bruce & Ray, SueGee
Burnie & Ashley- Buzzmaam, Delee
Erin & Joslyn- Brian, Margo, Rbennie
Sheri & Cole- Donna in FL, Merrilee, Becky
Zach & Rachel- Sharon N, Nana in NW
Dana & Matt- Grandi, Nicklepeed
Jessica & Brittany- Donna in AL, Monty924
Marty & Hagan- Jackie, Willie J
Scott & Blair- Meb, Jennasmom
Kurt & Brodie- David, Ed in OH
Cameron & Darius- chrob61, PDXGranny

Amazing Race fans ready? Let's GO!

Teams get texts telling them to meet in Mexico City. I still have no clue who these social media influential people are! They're all leaving from their homes across the country to the nearest airports. That's different. It was a spur of the moment text. Obviously, they knew they were to be on the show, but had no idea how it will start.

Since they're all in the same fields such as YouTube and Vine, they're all recognizing each other.

I'm still dazed and confused.

They immediately run into a Detour -- Mariachi Madness, they have to find a musician faking it. Great Balls of Fire has them making a fireworks fake bull thingee. Heh. Most, if not all, teams are getting lost trying to get to the Detour sites. There are hundreds of mariachi players. It's one of those needles in a haystack challenges.

A few teams have made through the mariachis, so that might be easier than building the bull fireworks thingee.

The clue leads them to a place with staggered starting times ten minutes apart. It's a Roadblock - "Who's ready to pick up the pieces?" They have to search through an archaeologic dig site down in a cave, find 13 mask pieces and assemble a mask.

Dana and Matt are the first ones heading off to the Pit Stop. Tyler and Korey are on their tails. The doctor father guy is way lost. He came above ground and lost his pieces.

Pit Stop:
1. Dana and Matt
2. Tyler and Korey
3. Zach and Rachel
4. Cameron and Darius
5. Brodie and Kurt
6. Burnie and Ashley
7. Brittany and Jessica
8. Marty and Hagan
9. Sheri and Cole
10. Erin and Joslyn
11. Scott and Blair -- NON-PHILIMINATION LEG!

All teams are still in it!

The Amazing Race: Meet the Cast

Due to my silly misconception of the season premiere's date (it's actually THIS FRIDAY and I thought it was NEXT Friday), I don't really have time to go in depth on the teams. I have looked through their videos on the CBS website. For such big social media influencers, the only one whose YouTube channel is vaguely familiar to me is the dancing tutorial one. And, it's vaguely, real vaguely familiar -- I looked up how to shuffle some time back. Don't ask me to shuffle.

While several of these teams look strong, they all look young. Only one person on the race looks over 40 and he doesn't seem to be involved in social media; his daughter is the "star." I'm not saying I won't like the teams. I often like young teams. I'm not saying I won't like the season. I probably will enjoy it. I just prefer to watch a bit more diversity in age and backgrounds.

Here's the cast introduction from Phil:

Don't forget the cut-off for the blog pool is tomorrow (Thursday)! Please don't sign up on this here post. Use the blog pool opening post linked here to join in on the fun!

Also, the Survivor blog pool is open and you can go to that sign up post to join there. The deadline for that one is Monday.

Survivor: Kaoh Rong Blog Pool OPENS!

Come one, come all! Survivor is coming! That Lovable Lifeguard Laurie has once again volunteered to watch the pool for us. If I've never mentioned it before, she rocks. Right?

If you want in on the blog pool for this season, please leave your name in the comments on this post only! If you comment elsewhere, it could very well be missed.

The season premiere is Wednesday, February 17 at 8pm ET/PT. The deadline for signing up for the pool will be Monday (February 15) at 6pm ET.

How it all works:

• Lifeguard Laurie makes random picks for us.
• We cheer on our random pick until their torch gets snuffed or they go on to be the sole Survivor.
• There is no wagering nor passing of monies in this blog pool! 
• The winner(s) reserve the bragging rights for eternity ... or, at least until the next season starts.
• If you're posting anonymously, you do need to come up with a sign-off name for your comments. 

So ... who wants to jump in the pool? The water's fine -- no rats or snakes yet!

The Amazing Race Pool OPENS!

Oh my goodness -- for some bizarre reason deep within my own whacko mind, I was under the impression that The Amazing Race was making its season premiere next Friday, after Survivor's Wednesday premiere. Oh noes! It's THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12 sat 8pm ET/PT! My apologies for not getting the cast posts and pool posted before. Over the next few days I'll post on the cast. But, let's get this pool in motion!

For those interested, the Survivor: Kaoh Rong pool opening post will go up Wednesday, February 10 -- please come back to sign up for that pool on its own post.

The Magnificent Margo is once again in charge of the blog pool! We all know how much she rocks!

Here's how the blog pool works --

• Blog readers are randomly matched with a team
• They can cheer on that team until the team gets Philiminated or win the million!
• There is no wagering! We're playing for the bigger stuff of life here -- bragging rights!
• If you wish to be in on the pool, please sign up in comments in THIS POST ONLY. If you ask on another post, it could be inadvertently missed.
• The cut-off for getting in on the pool will be Thursday, February 11 by 6pm ET.

Survivor: Kaoh Rong - Meet the Cast Part Four

I've already taken a look at the Brains and Beauty tribes we'll be seeing on the new season of Survivor -- premiering February 17 at 8pm ET/PT on CBS. On Wednesday I'll be posting the sign-up entry for the blog pool. Please stop back to sign up for the pool. Please sign up ONLY on that post because if you sign up elsewhere, your request might be missed!

Onto the Brawn ...

Scot Pollard is 40 years old and resides in Carmel, IN. He's an ex-NBA champion. I don't really follow basketball, so I'm not familiar with him. He does have some sort of championship ring. I guess he was good. But, what will he bring to Survivor? Let's see ... hmm ... in his bio, he's reminding me of Bruce Springsteen's 'Glory Days' -- he's very hung up on his NBA career, but doesn't speak of what he's all about lately other than his family. He claims he's in it for the money more than anything else. Oh my. I hope he invested well during his big money years. I predict we'll see tears from him if he's still in the game by the time it's the loved ones visit. He claims to be loud. I might not like that.

Cydney Gillon is 23, a bodybuilder hailing from Douglasville, GA. Although bodybuilding is her passion, it does seem like she has higher goals in mind. She mentions that she would like to win the money to pay off college and medical school loans. So, she's not just all about the brawn. She talks of wishing she could bring tweezers because her eyebrows go all crazy. We'll have to watch for that! She thinks she's most like previous winner Tony in that she will build some solid relationships and concentrate on playing the game all during the game. I kind of like her chances. I'm worried about the fact that she claims to be very opinionated yet tact will be a huge part of her win. Huh. It's hard to be tactfully opinionated. Does she realize that?

Kyle Jason is a 31 year-old bounty hunter currently residing in Detroit, MI. He's ex-Army. I wonder if we'll see some sort of Patriotic Pact if both he and Caleb Reynolds make it past the merge? Oooh ... he doesn't like "one-uppers"! I already posted that I didn't care for one new castaway claiming a hobby is "one upmanship." Fight! Fight! Ahem. Uh-oh. He thinks he'll be most like Russell Hantz in his gameplay. I hope his social game is better or he'll be securing a loss. He's right about Russell actually playing the game, though. He's in this for the money for his family which includes an autistic child and lots of medical bills. Since he "lies for a living," he thinks he'll do well. He's also watched the show since the first season. I'll have to see what he's like in action. I do kind of like him. I don't know why -- maybe because he just seems to be an Average Joe Working Dude.

Jennifer Lanzetti is 38, a contractor currently living in Salt Lake City, UT. She's gone through endometriosis, cancer and drug addiction. She also has an engineering degree and her own construction technology company. She might have more brains than some of the Brains! Heh. She enjoys riding motorcycles and eating good food. I doubt she'll see much of that on the show! She thinks she's "blunt, not fragile and a bad-ass chick." Hmm. It's good that she's not fragile, but the other two traits might cause her some issues in the game. She'd like the money so (at least in part) she can adopt children and start a family. Her chances for surviving might be good as long as she can harness her bluntness and "tough girl" attitude so that she doesn't alienate her fellow castaways.

Darnell Hamilton is 27, a postal worker from Chicago, IL. Coming from a rather impoverished background, he worked his way through college graduating with a respectable 3.47 grade average. Since he lists wishing he could bring a pack of cigarettes, we might see some withdrawal pangs. Uh-oh. He seems to feel he has a lot to prove and that winning the game and being the ultimate Survivor might be more important to him than the money. He's determined to overcome his past. I don't know. Does he not realize that his past has made him the man he is today and that winning Survivor, while very cool, won't change the man he is? I think he's going to try very hard for the win. But I'm not so sure of his overall chances. My personal thoughts on him from reading his bio is that he should be proud of who he is and that he doesn't need a steenkin' reality show to prove it.

Alecia Holden is 24, a real estate agent currently residing in Dallas, TX. Well, that's surely a brawny-related career, huh? I guess her brawn rating comes from her adventurous streak -- bungee jumping, swimming with sharks, hang-gliding, sky diving, hanging out with uncaged tigers and such. I'm not too sure risk-taking and adventurism spell out BRAWN. But I don't make these casting decisions. She's a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie. Now, that could be good on the show for the most part. Unfortunately, she likens herself to previous castaway Kass. Yikes. I certainly hope her social game is better! She seems to live by the motto "No Guts, No Glory" and definitely has the ambition to win it all. With her, I think all will hinge on her social game rather than her abilities to play the physical game. The latter should be no problem.

Survivor fans ready?

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - February 7, 2016

Good morning! It's Sunday. You know what that means -- it's time for my weekly reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. This past week I was on a staycation and I really did that. I stayed inside my apartment most of the time, just taking some walks to the local bodega and around my neighborhood. I really needed the rest and cocoon time. Between the weather issues (winter) and a rather slim budget, I didn't really want to go anywhere anyhow. So, it was all for the best. I'm relaxed, rested and ready to face the work week tomorrow. Um, well. I'm relaxed and rested, anyway.

A few random notes:

• I got my downstairs neighbor to oil his horrific screeching, squealing and moaning door hinges. I don't know. If my door was making noises like his was (for months), I would have fixed it long before someone complained to me about it. He doesn't work, yet comes and goes all day long into the night. Every time he opened and closed his door, I'd get the horrible sound and my floor near my door would actually vibrate. Heck, when my own deadbolt made noise due to humidity at one time, I took care of it figuring it would bother others. A little consideration is a good thing.
• My across the hall neighbor Joe, taken away by ambulance in the middle of the blizzard, is back at home. I'm glad he's well enough to be at home once again. I'm sure he is, too. A hospital is no place for sick people! 
• The weatherman says there is a chance of snow for four out of the five workdays ahead. Gah. I'm over it.
• They demolished my favorite store, Trader Joe's in Westfield, due to its roof collapse in the blizzard a few weeks ago. They say they will rebuild in the same location. That can't come soon enough.
• I didn't get all the things I hoped to get done this week. Hopefully, I'll live long enough to retire and really have time. I basically goofed off all week.
• One thing I did do was start on posting for the upcoming season of Survivor. You can find those posts at this link. I'll be posting the sign up link for the blog pool later this week and should finish the casting posts tonight. That is, unless I goof off more. 
• I'll also be posting the cast posts for the new season of The Amazing Race this week.

Onto the photos I took this week. There aren't a ton as I really goofed off! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

After Friday's snow

The sun came out and made everything look like a Currier and Ives winter scene. I took this shot on East Front Street, looking through the side lot of a church to the homes over on East Second Street. That fenced area used to hold a playground for a school based in the church. That was very annoying when they let all the kids out to scream play in the playground daily. All of the playground equipment was removed and now it's much more peaceful in the 'hood. However, the church across the street has some sort of pre-school and playground. I don't hear them from here, though.

Snow fog in the rain?

On Wednesday we had rain and temperatures near sixty degrees. The combination of those and all the snow brought about a phenomenon called sublimation. I didn't know the term, but local blogger Bernice took photos of the same thing and researched it in her blog entry. She likened it to sea smoke, albeit snow smoke. I think I prefer the latter term myself. For a while I thought there was something awry with my vision as the haze covered the ground. This shot was taken on East Front Street in Plainfield.

Trees in the snow

I took this shot looking out the window more towards the back of the yard next door as snow fell. It's a freakin' winter wonderland woodsy scene.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Michael Skupin - What is Wrong With People?

I feel let down. If I feel let down, the producers and those whose livelihoods depend on Survivor must feel horrified. The news that Michael Skupin, a two-time castaway on the show, has been arrested on ELEVEN felony charges. It's bad and crooked enough that it all started with him running a Ponzi pyramid scheme. Anyone in his right mind would know that those things come crashing down no matter how much money is made at the start.

But, allegedly I might add, when the police investigated his computers during the pyramid scam, they found child pornography. I don't know what to say. We've seen numerous reality television people arrested for drugs, DWI and other things over the years. But, to me, this is horrific.

Skupin claimed that he earns a living motivational speaking and even has a self-help book out on the market. He has seven children. I can't imagine what his family is going through. I don't know what's wrong with some people. Apparently, there's a lot going wrong with Skupin.

I'm incredibly disappointed.

A few links to news articles about the arrest:
From people.com
From WDIV Detroit
From TMZ.com

If you do a search, there are several articles online about his arrest. Horrible press as the new season is set to start. However, I certainly don't blame the show or its staff. I blame Skupin. What a jerk.

Survivor: Kaoh Rong - Meeting the Cast Part Three

LET'S MEET THE BEAUTY!

In my last post, I explored the Brains tribe. In this one, I check out all those shiny happy beautiful people.

Ahem.

We have a 19 year-old? Huh? Julia Sokolowski is a college student currently residing in Boston, MA. Interesting. I wonder how she got on as most of the castaways are 21 or older. Hmm. For her age, she seems to have had more adventures than many older folks have had in a lifetime. She has hiking skills, worked for Habitat for Humanity (which will come in handy a bit with making a shelter), has had worldwide travel experiences and believes she has excellent social skills. I liked her bio. I can see possibilities here. But, then again, I could be dead wrong.

Nick Maiorano is 30. a personal trainer and lives in Redondo Beach, CA. It seems to me that a lot of personal trainers end up on reality television. Apparently, like bartenders (er, mixologists), they can take time off from their work. Of course, folks claiming to be personal trainers are usually in good shape and Nick seems to fit that bill. His bio indicates he's tried out for the show before as he said, "I didn't have a hero the last time I applied and still don't." He likens himself to Courtney Yates or Jonathan Penner, though claiming to be more "socially intelligent" than either of them. I'm not sure how much I'll like this guy. It could very well go the other way with me. We'll see.

Michele Fitzgerald is 24, a bartender from Freehold, NJ. (What did I just say about bartenders?) So, she's a Jersey Girl living in a place famous for horse racing and Bruce Springsteen. Yep, that's Freehold for you. Her inspiration in life is um ... well, er ... Harry Potter. Okaaaay. Whatever floats her boat, I guess. Did she understand the question? On the plus side, she thinks she's most like Parvati Shallow and has watched every season of the show. She also enjoys rock-climbing which can be physically challenging. Has she a chance of being the sole Survivor? Nah, I don't think so.

Tai Trang is 51 years old, a gardener living in San Francisco, CA. Well, he's a bit different. He's so thin that I wonder if he stays the 39 days, will he be a walking skeleton? He has an interesting backstory -- hailing from Vietnam when the war was on, becoming a refugee, one of eleven children and it sounds like all the trials and tribulations have enriched his life rather than take away from it. In general, he seems to want to be a "nice guy" finishing last in the game. Now, the show isn't always geared to the nice guys. It's very rare that they win. But, if his stamina is as good as he thinks it is, it seems like he has lots of good traits which might secure, if not a win, a place after the merge ... especially if he comes across as no physical threat yet does okay on challenges.

Anna Khait is a 26 year-old professional poker player from Brooklyn, NY. Now, I can't think of any poker casinos in Brooklyn, NY. Hmm. (She better not be another Vanessa BB16 type.) She also plays handball. She claims that Princess Diana is her inspiration. Admirable, but how many years has it been since Diana has been gone? Nearly twenty years? I find her an odd inspiration for someone who was a small child when she died. Of course, it's more laudable than saying Harry Potter is her inspiration! She too thinks she's like Parvati. They can only wish, I say! She does seem to have some gumption and says she's "studied" the show. My jury is out with her.

Last, but certainly not least, we have dear Caleb Reynolds. All Big Brother fans know him, perhaps a bit too well. Let's just hope he doesn't fall in unrequited love during the season. I don't think I could take the stalking and pining again. Caleb is 28 and lives in Hopkinsville, KY. His bio lists his occupation as "Army veteran." Before he went on BB, he was working at Lowe's and, although he did serve in the Army for one hitch, there was a lot of controversy regarding his service, where and what he actually did. Of course, he's playing his service card full tilt. I know he originally applied for Survivor and ended up on Big Brother. It's possible he might do okay. It's also possible he'll go Beast Mode Cowboy and alienate the others. If nothing else, I'm sure he'll give us something to talk about!

Next up will be the Brawn. Stay tuned!

Survivor: Kaoh Rong - Meeting the Cast Part Two

LET'S MEET THE 'BRAINS'

That term might be made a bit loosely, mind you. With some, it's evident ... like the MIT grad. Others, like the ice cream dude, might just be industrious. Some look on the brawny side. I guess we'll just have to see how it all plays out.

I think I might end up having a love/hate relationship with Debbie Wanner. She's 49 years old, a chemist residing in Reading, PA. In her bio at the CBS website, I felt she came across as having a bit of a chip on her shoulder. The previous castaway she thinks she's most like is Coach. That might be frightening. She goes on about getting out of poverty. Hmm. She must not be an esteemed chemist. She does have a military background and seems quite fit for her age. My jury is out on what might be an annoying factor about her.

Peter Baggenstos is 34 years old and an emergency room physician from Minneapolis, MN. Now, I thought Debbie had a chip on her shoulder; Peter has a hunk on his. He thinks he's the "most capable." Um. Okay. I do like his dislikes listed in his bio: "Bombastic people, "bros" and know-it-alls." I can see how he might be a bit ruthless and willing to be friends, then go for the ultimate backstab. But he's coming off as arrogant to me. And, from my own experience, arrogant people will indeed turn on others ... but often people realize they're arrogant before they get the opportunity. Physically and mentally, he should be fine. Socially he might have a tougher time than he thinks.

Aubry Bracco is 29, a social media marketer (huh? wazzat?) from Cambrige, MA. I believe she wants to embrace her own quirkiness. Will Survivor be a good place to do that? We've seen it before. It sometimes backfires. That said, I do like some of the things I read in her bio. I like that she convinced her professors at Brown that she should write a childrens book about a manatee rather than a fifty-page thesis. I like that one of her pet peeves is using scents to cover bad smells. She must ride public transit! Heh. But, overall, I think she'll probably be a whirling dervish, just whirling her way towards the snuffing of her torch. She needs to prove me wrong.

Elisabeth Markham is 27 and currently residing in New York City, NY. She's a quantitative strategist, which I'm glad she explained -- it's writing computer programs which forecast stocks and buy them automatically. Well, that sounds like a thrill a minute, eh? Unlike the chemist I first listed, this woman seems to have an inside track to being able to make money. So, yeah ... maybe her occupation IS a thrill a minute! She's a gambler (for profit), likes the outdoors and is into strategic board games. I kind of like her. She seems to be adventurous enough, not a big physical threat but will probably be okay. I think she just might do okay. Will she win? I don't know.

Neal Gottlieb, age 36, is an ice cream entrepreneur currently living in Sausalito, CA. While his claim to genius, er ... fame is ice cream, I've never heard of his company despite the fact it's supposed to be a huge thing. Three Twins Ice Cream? Anyone know this company? He wrote way too much in his bio. I find that a bit off-putting. He lists "one-upmanship" as a hobby. Oh my. That sounds a tad obnoxious. He doesn't like whiny people and hypocritical bible-thumpers. Um. Dude. You're going on Survivor. You've seen the show, right? After reading his too-lengthy bio, I don't think I want him to win. I don't want him to have bragging rights. Make him stop.

Joseph Del Campo, age 72, is a former FBI agent currently residing in Vero Beach, FL. Yes, you heard me. He's 72. He just might be interesting. He seems in great shape for his age and he has the skills in dealing with people. One thing that caught my interest in his bio's "if I could bring" section was that he mentioned the book The Art of War. That was nagging at me a bit. I know I've heard that title with Survivor before. I must Google it! Aha! The show gave the tribes that book for Survivor: China. I hope his age doesn't alienate the other castaways. I'd like to see him play the game for a while. I hate it when the tribes become divided and plots thicken due to age differences.



So, there are your 'Brains.' I'd personally like to see them require a doctorate. But that might just be me.

Survivor: Kaoh Rong - Meeting the Cast Part One

The latest season of Survivor will be here with us soon! Although filmed before the season we saw this past autumn, it's not set to debut until Wednesday, February 17 at 8pm ET/PT. My gosh, that's a long time for the castaways to not know the winner or to change minds, isn't it? Heck, it's been a year or so by now!

We have another Brains, Brawn and Beauty scheme ahead although it doesn't look like the lines are all that clear to me. Caleb Reynolds is on the Beauty tribe? I wonder what that does to his ego. He's sure to believe he's knock-dead gorgeous (just ask him), but he also thinks he's a physical powerhouse.  Some of the Brains tribe seem a bit brawny to me, too. I guess we'll see how it all plays out.

In the days ahead, I'll be looking at each tribe's castaways and telling you my thoughts on them and/or their possibilities in the game. Please check back for the posts! Yeah, I'll be talking television once again! I'll also be breaking down the new teams for the upcoming season of The Amazing Race during the week ahead.

For now, I'll leave you with a few videos from the CBS official website:

Oh my. It looks like we might have a very interesting season ahead! Lifeguard Laurie has volunteered to run the pool once again this season. (She rocks!) I'll be putting up a separate post just for signing up for the pool this week. I want it to be closer to the season premiere than we are at this time. I ask that you wait and watch for that sign-up post and only sign up for the pool on that one. Otherwise, your request might be missed. And, we wouldn't want that!

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - January 31, 2016

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. If you're a television fan, keep tuned for my Survivor cast posts starting later today! Yes, I'll be posting television once again! Woohoo!

As you might recall, we had a bit of a snowstorm last week. With the temperatures going above freezing and lots of sunshine, we've lost a lot of the snow cover. Instead of the nearly thirty inches of snow we had, we're probably down to a foot. Naturally, there are still huge snow drifts and piles. And, in the mornings after the temperatures go below freezing overnight, we have plenty of slippery spots and black ice. However, it's been an easier recovery from a nearly record-breaking storm than we could have expected. Yay, us.

That said, it's enough snow for the winter. We don't need any more. Thank you.

Random stuff and junk:

• They've announced that they will rebuild Trader Joe's at its Westfield location. Good. I like that location -- it's very convenient for me either by two bus lines or train. They say the building, roof collapsed in the snow and walls buckling, will have to be torn down. Despite the folks fussing about the parking lot (or lack thereof), the Westfield location comes with a liquor license and they're hard to get. I think the liquor license, as well as how busy the location is, will keep it there. It's just a matter of waiting for the tear down and rebuild.
• Wah.
• A friend said to me that I'll have to go to Whole Foods now. No, I won't. I went to Trader Joe's because it's TRADER JOE'S. I have no desire to go to Whole Foods. I use Peapod grocery delivery for my normal groceries, plus there's a Supremo Supermarket a few blocks down the street. You don't go to Trader Joe's for regular groceries. You go because it's Trader Joe's and it has all kinds of cool stuff!
• I'm on staycation this week. Yay.
• The temperatures are supposed to peak up near sixty midweek! Super yay!
• I plan on binge watching The Walking Dead episodes I recorded during its marathon a few weeks back. That will be returning on Valentine's Day. What a romantic thought!
• Money is a bit tight at the moment, so I don't really have any plans for trips. I'll probably get an early start at spring cleaning right here at home. I have books and other diversions. I might go over to Westfield to check out the ruined Trader Joe's or the park. Maybe I'll finally pull the hard drives on my old computers and retrieve some of my lost (but not really lost) photos, music and writing from them.

That's it for now. It's onto the photos! Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version in a gallery.

No Parking when road is snow covered

You don't say. Why do we even bother having the signs on East Front Street in Plainfield? Every big snowstorm, some cars become snowbirds sitting there until the snowcap melts. Others are dug out but leave little private snow alcoves in which to park. Plows have to leave a bit of clearance so they don't hit the parked cars. The cars and snow extend further into the street than a normal parked cars in the summertime. Thus, with a storm of this magnitude, the street itself gets down to a tricky one-way plus rather than a free and easy two-way. And, it's a major drag in town. During the beginning of the week, traffic ended up just sitting there a lot. Even now as I write this up, if two large vehicles try to pass in opposite directions, one ends up pulling over as much as it can so the other can pass by.

Smiling no matter what

This guy is a regular on my morning trains. He's always smiling and pleasant. While a language barrier between us makes any extended conversations futile, I always get an enthusiastic greeting from him and it makes my day start off on a good note. Once I found a five-dollar bill on the bench near where he had been sitting. When I asked him if he may have lost it, he misunderstood and opened his wallet to give me money! Of course, I didn't take it. And, I ended up keeping the fiver for myself. He's a good guy indeed. By the way, despite the snow, it wasn't all that cold out when I took this shot. He's not woefully underdressed for the weather. He has on layers. Someone in Florida or Southern California might call it cold, but it wasn't bad at all for here in January.

The aftermath

Although a plow had traveled down the street, due to parked cars things were down to one snowy lane as some people started to dig their cars out. Of course, they didn't want to MOVE their cars. They didn't want anyone else to steal the space they cleared! Some people just left their cars there for nature (or the city) to do its work.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - January 24, 2016

Good morning! For my fellow East Coast and Mid-Atlantic Jonas veterans ... we made it and lived to tell the tale! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. Next weekend I'll be starting cast posts on both The Amazing Race and Survivor as both shows make their season debuts in about three weeks. Stay tuned for that.

Some random musings from the week:

• That storm was ridiculous! The predictions for snowfall amounts just kept going up. We ended up getting maybe an inch or two less than 30 inches from what I've read. It's hard to tell because there was so much blowing and drifting.
• I'm seriously crushed that my favorite store -- Trader Joe's in Westfield -- is, at the moment, no longer. The roof collapsed under the weight of the snow and major walls are buckling. It sounds like the entire building is a goner. I hope they repair or rebuild in the same location. Thankfully, when the roof went down at 2pm, they were closed due to the storm and nobody was inside the store.
• I want to go rummage through the ruins for some Bacon Ganache bars.
• Wah.
• I was set for storm groceries because I got in a Peapod grocery delivery order on Wednesday.
• But it's not the same as Trader Joe's. WAH!
• Our high temperatures this week are predicted to be above freezing every day. Good. Make that snow go away. It was cool yesterday and it's nice to have something other than barren trees to photograph, but I want those streets and sidewalks cleared!
• I watched a bit of the Kojak marathon on Decades TV -- oh my. That show is seriously outdated. I don't remember why I liked it in its original run.
• On the other hand, I found Lost in Space on ME TV late last night. I still get a kick out of that one!

That's about it. Onto the photos for the week -- clicking on an image will open it in a larger gallery version. Who loves ya, baby?

That lizard hit us good!

I went out for five minutes or so yesterday in outright blizzard, at times whiteout conditions, weather. I couldn't take photos in the other direction because the snow was coming sideways from there -- I didn't want to get my lens wet. This is my street. Someone had shoveled a diagonal path to that SUV from the front door. While it was filled in by several inches of snow, it was the best way for me to go. My street, a major one in town, was down to one lane and was filling in once again with snow.

Those cars actually shouldn't be there as there are signs that it's a snow emergency route and they'll be towed. I've never seen them tow the parked cars after a storm. Many will sit there snowbound until it melts while moving vehicles vie for space on the narrowed street. More storm photos after the jump!

Aw, a deer

A small deer came within five feet of me at the Bridgewater Train Station. The photos I took aren't the best. But the deer took the flash in stride. She only frightened when a bunch of rowdy NJ Devils (hockey) fans came up to catch the train. More deer encounter photos after the jump!

Chotola chilly birds

It was very frigid early in the weeks. When it's cold and sunny like that, pigeons gather on the facade of the Chotola Apartments building across from the Plainfield Train Station on North Avenue. I guess, with the sun shining on it, the bricks heat up a bit. On this day, starlings joined the pigeons. On the lower right, where it looks like starlings are atop a pigeon's back, that's a bit deceiving. There's some sort of plant growing from the cracks there and they're on that.

Yay! It isn't generic!

They have Watchung Avenue near the Plainfield Train Station closed down as they put the end-pieces (bookends?) on the new bridge. I fussed that the same work on the Park Avenue bridge was generic and just pointed to the train station. The Watchung Avenue one has "Plainfield" and "The Queen City" on it much like the original. It's so blocked off with cranes and construction stuff that I didn't notice if the city seal was on it or not.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - January 17, 2016

Good morning! Yes, it's Sunday morning -- time for my weekly off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. I swear I'll get back to posting about television soon! I promise!

Here are some random observations from this past week:

• I was saddened to hear on Monday morning that David Bowie had passed away on Sunday last week. I had just quoted one of his songs in last week's photo post not knowing he was even in ill health. A true innovator and such a talent ... he will be missed.
• My upstairs neighbor now seems to have a new girlfriend living up there and a new stereo as well. Lots of thumping around, arguments and loud music. One night as they were fighting late into the night and I contemplated calling the police, someone beat me to it and the police came. It's so much better (and quieter) when people live alone! Sigh.
• Our winter weather here remains very weird. We've only had snow flurries and it's past mid-January now. We'll have record-setting warm temperatures followed by cold snaps. Even the cold hasn't been as cold as it could be! All the precipitation has been coming during the warm periods, so we've had plenty of rain. Mind you, I'm not complaining. I could do without ice and snow for a season. Small children will have the opportunity to see snow in their lifetimes. My wish isn't to deprive them permanently of such. Just one winter. That's all I want.
• That said, it does limit my photo fodder when most of the trees are barren and there are no flowers nor bugs to shoot.
• I've a few short weeks (four days, not five) ahead at work. Yay! This coming week I'm taking a paid day off mid-week and next week I have a vacation day to start off my staycation the following week. Yay! It's not as good as retirement because I won the Powerball, but I'll take it.
• Yes, I played the Powerball. I lost four dollars doing it. But, when I bought the tickets I didn't spend any more than I minded losing. Heck, I could have gone higher. However, I'm rarely lucky at winning stuff. I'm not much of a gambler at all. I probably spend a whole ten dollars a year on lottery. I was never into casinos or betting. At least, by working I'm guaranteed a paycheck! My 401K is the most "gambling" I do and I let other people do that for me.

Onto this week's photos. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger gallery version.

Y'know ... we need new bulbs

NJ Transit's haphazard maintenance at the Plainfield Train Station is ruining the possibility of symmetry and balance if I want to take shots of the rows of lamps on the platforms. Yet the ne'er-do-wells and denizens of the streets have found access to power outlets enabling them to loiter more at the station. 

Saturday night's moon

Yep, I shot the moon. It's been mostly overcast as of late when I've been out in the dark. At least clear skies give me the challenge of moon shot with my carry around point and shoot digital camera.

Every step you take, every move you make ...

... I'll be watching you. I got out of work in the daylight for the first time in ages. As I got to the top of the stairs at the Bridgewater Train Station I had that uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching me. Sure enough, I looked at the fence and there were three deer, two of them intent on watching me.

I believe they're the same ones I've photographed before. They're quite curious about either me or the camera, not sure which. They don't seem to have fear of humans as much as they have curiosity about us. They're in the "field of geese" -- a fenced-in field at the Superfund toxic waste site adjacent to the train station. There is no hunting, nor trespassing, allowed in that area. They don't have much to fear from humans at all. They hopefully have a healthy fear of fireworks, cars and trains. Oh ... and geese. I've seen the geese charge at them. More deer shots (and closer ones) after the jump.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS** 

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - January 10, 2016

Good morning! It's Sunday morning once again -- time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. I really don't have all that much for you this week.

It's the after-holidays doldrums. We haven't any snow as of yet. So I don't have a heck of a lot of photo fodder. It's dark when I get out of work. We actually had a few days of bitter cold this week after record warmth bookends. (Today is a record setting day with the high expected to be 60 degrees or more, but pouring rain most of the day.) I'd rather not have snow just because life is easier without it. But, photo-wise, snow would give me some inspiration.

Okay, it can snow for me to take photos. But then it must go away overnight. How's that?

Thankfully many television shows are back to first-run episodes this past week. I've been watching the start of American Idol which I'll stop following once Survivor arrives. New episodes of Blue Bloods, Elementary, The Big Bang Theory and more kept me occupied this week. Plus, I got in some books ordered from amazon.com -- Stephen King's Bazaar of Bad Dreams and Brooklyn Noir short story anthologies. So, hey ... I'm set to be snowed in if need be!

Then the snow can go away.

Heh.

Oh ... I've also been watching some OLD shows. Antenna TV on cable now has The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson original episodes airing at 11pm weekdays. Way cool time warp going on with that! Now, I just wish they'd pick up the old Letterman NBC shows from the 80s when he was in his wild and crazy late night guy days.

Hmm. I do have plenty of soup here, lots of stuff to read and watch, bubble baths and bath salts (not the drug kind, the BATH kind!). Y'know, I wouldn't mind being snowed in for a few days. But then it would need to go away. I hate walking (or riding or driving) on ice and snow. My next staycation is at the end of the month. I guess I'll just look forward to that. I don't really WANT winter. I just like being stuck at home, I guess.

I've rambled on enough. Onto the photos (or lack thereof) for the week. Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger gallery version. I hope you all have a good week!

What if the Hokey-Pokey is what it's all about?

Fashion

"We are the goon squad and we're coming to town. Beep-beep." - David Bowie, 'Fashion' -- as seen on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - January 3, 2016

Good morning! I hope 2016 brings everyone happy and prosperous days ahead! Of course, I also hope it brings us some entertaining television seasons. Since today is Sunday, this is my weekly (except last week) off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way.

My apologies for the lack of posts lately and for even missing the photo post last week. The holidays aren't a great time for me on a personal level, my workplace gets overwhelming and I've been running on empty. It all ends up with a lack of inspiration to do much other than sleep in what little free time I have on hand.

Well, this week I did end up watching the huge The Walking Dead marathon instead of sleeping during my off work hours. It lasted for days! Eek. I really should have slept instead! What do the kids say? Oh, I'll sleep when I'm undead. Heh.

Although we're in for a chilly week ahead, we had the warmest December on record. I have no real complaints about that. Even this week's chill isn't deep freeze surrounded by ice and snow. I don't really mind the cold weather; it's the dangerous walking and driving on icy/snowy streets and sidewalks. My heat for my apartment is included in the rent. My electricity is not included. Thus, the air conditioning season brings about higher bills for me than the heating season.

That's about all I have for you. You'll probably note the lack of real inspiring photo fodder in the photos below. But, hey ... I showed up this week!

Clicking on an image will bring it up in a larger version.

Looks almost like buds on the tree

But things haven't gotten quite that crazy. It's actually grey clouds and fog lifting and the angle of the morning sun. Photo taken in my 'hood. But that's not my castle. It's not a castle at all. It's a church.

Plainfield Train Station

My last train ride home in 2015. 

Winter dandelion

This weather's been unbelievable. Despite a dip in temperatures, dandelions continue to grow.

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has a happy and prosperous New Year!

May 2016 give us some great television watching times!