Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 4

If you want in on the blog pool, you must sign up on the blog pool post ONLY -- if you ask to join elsewhere, it might be missed. Our aim is to have no stragglers stumbling drunk into the pool after the lights are turned off this season. Can we do it? Entry to the pool closes TUESDAY AT NOON.

Onto the next bunch of castaways ...

Andrea - Game changer or not? About the only game changing she did in her first two seasons was to perfect the art of being blindsided! She is smart to be leery of Tony. But I think just about everyone is going to be leery of Tony. She wants to align with Cirie. However, to me, Cirie is one of those people others need to be leery about. No one should want to go to the end with Cirie. I don't think Andrea is a particularly strong member in this cast made of so many strong players.

JT- Game changer or not? Oh, I'd go game changer for JT. The first season that he played (and won it all), he was a triple threat as far as this competitive reality show goes -- physical, mental and social. He made some mistakes in his second season which are still obviously biting him in the butt. Like Andrea, he's leery of Tony. (Everybody is!) I think he's wisely sizing up Ozzy and Malcolm to not only align with, but roughly use as shields. If he could get to the end with them, his social game rules. If they fall along the way, it's them not him. 

Malcolm - Game changer or not? Well, for someone who hasn't won the show twice already, I think he kind of is a game changer. He's entertaining to watch on the show. But he plays rather unfettered -- he doesn't seem to think ahead. It'a not quite like chess, but you do have to be very observant and think a few moves ahead in order to stay in. Like the others in this post, he's leery of Tony. (Poor Tony.) He's also leery of Cirie and Sandra -- a smart leery on his part. He does have a strong physical game. I don't think his social game is as fantastic as he thinks it is, but we'll see ...

Aubry - Gsme changer or not? I think she is a bit of a game changer. At the beginning of her last season, I almost dismissed her and thought she'd be gone before the merge. She's not someone you'd really expect to go far. I don't know if her proposed read of people is quite up to the level of Tony's skillz, but hey ... she just might do it. I'd say she's an unlikely winner, yet I'm thinking she just might have some there there.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - March 5, 2017

Good morning! Since it's Sunday morning, this is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I took along the way. I will finish posting cast entries for Survivor: Game Changers over the next few days -- you can find any Survivor posts I make at this link right here.

If you want in on the blog's Survivor pool, you must sign up before noon on Tuesday ONLY on the pool sign up post which you can find at this link. If you try to sign up on this post, any other post of the Facebook page, your request might be missed. The two-hour season premiere will be live-blogged here on Wednesday evening (along with a blog party!).

Okay, that's out of the way.

We continue to have whacko weather around here in the NJ/Greater NYC Metropolitan Area. We had those spurts of weather with temperatures in the 60s and 70s to bitter cold with windchills in the single digits. That wind just won't stop blowing! We continue to remain quite snow-free around here. Heavy blinding snow squalls passed through the area on Thursday evening. But the wind ended up blowing away almost all of the snow overnight into Friday morning. The wind was also responsible for spreading some fires throughout the area making the flames go from one building to the next to the next, etc. Thankfully, none of those tragic fires were in the immediate Plainfield area.

My health issues have not improved. That's all I'll say about it at this time. I don't really like public whining. But ... WAH! Woe is me!

Ahem.

Oh! I know a good thing! I finally got a new toilet in my apartment after complaining about my old one for nearly 18 years! It was ancient when I moved in here, never looked good, never functioned really well and its tank decided to crack on its own (probably due to age). I swear I didn't take a hammer to it! Although, in retrospect, a tap from a hammer would have gotten me a new toilet years ago! I know it seems like a little thing. But it's heaven to have a toilet that looks sparking clean -- something the old one never did no matter how much I cleaned it -- and one that doesn't take ten minutes to fill the tank after flushing. The only bad thing about the whole ordeal this week is that I flooded the downstairs neighbor's bathroom. Oops. But, how would I know that the tank would decide to crack overnight?

Onto the photos I took this week. I really didn't feel well and the weather was uncooperative. So, I don't have a heck of a lot. Clicking on an image will open it in a larger gallery window.   

Cold little bird

I think the birds are as confused about the weather as we are. 

Reflections on a train

At night, the reflections in the train windows come to life. In the daytime, not so much.

The Chotola Building is under siege

The birds are taking over the upper floors. It's obviously part of their nefarious plot to take over the world.

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

Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 3

Who's ready for the two-hour premiere Wednesday night? Be there or be square! 

If you want in on the blog pool, you must sign up on the blog pool post ONLY -- if you ask to join elsewhere, it might be missed. Our aim is to have no stragglers stumbling drunk into the pool after the lights are turned off this season. Can we do it?

Ciera - Game changer or not? Hmm. If memory serves, she's the one who voted her own mother out in Blood vs. Water. Now, that was something a bit game changing. This is her third time trying for a win. Y'know, if all the people who say they're going to ride a bit under the radar at the start (or, as Ciera says, stay in the middle), the first half of the season will be a snooze-fest as everybody gathers together to oust Sandra or Cirie! Sorry, can't see her winning this season. The competition is too varied and tough, both strategically and physically.

Brad - Game changer or not? Commonly referred to by Jeff as "Culpepper," I think Brad is someone to watch this season. I notice in the video, he's definitely leaning more towards working with the women than the men. Interesting. He obviously has no love lost and seems bitter about dear little Cierra. And, he's right in thinking he needs to be more attuned to how is own alliance is feeling towards him. Then again, we all do love a good blindside! He might be a contender this season.

Ozzy - Game changer or not? Well, for a three time loser at the game, he actually has been a game changer. Just his ability to climb trees more adeptly than a howler monkey in search of food is amazing. I believe his plan to get to know people and build friendships is spot on. However, I worry that others might target him merely for his threat in physical competitions. There are others like Malcolm who might give him a run for the money in that arena, though. Ozzy just might have a chance to be the sole Survivor.

Sarah - Game changer or not? Gosh, I have to say not. I hope she does indeed show us why she was asked to play again. Otherwise, I will have to think it's because they needed another body. I barely remember her from her original season. That said, she does have a lot of good points made in the video. But I doubt very much that she'll be changing this game this season.

Anyone have any thoughts on this group?

Survivor: Game Changers - The Blog Pool OPENS!

Survivor fans ready? The wonderful Lifeguard Laurie will be running the blog pool once again. Have I ever mentioned how much she rocks?
 
The two-hour season premiere is next Wednesday, March 8 at 8pm ET/PT.

Join the fun with friends at the blog party as the show airs on East Coast time on premiere night! I live blog each episode throughout the party.

Okay, here's how the blog pool works:

• Names are matched up randomly with the castaways.
• You get to cheer on your chosen castaway until they're kicked off the island or named the sole Survivor.
• If your chosen castaway is creepy or cries a lot, we won't hold that against you personally.
• Not much, anyway.
• Heehee
• There is no wagering of monies.
• The winner(s) of the blog pool retain bragging rights until the premiere of the next season while we all bow to them and lament on what could have been.

How do you get involved? Sign up right here on this post! If you're posting anonymously, you need a sign off name on your comments. We don't care if you're a boy named Sue, we have to know something other than anonymous. The cut-off for entering is this Tuesday, March 7, NOON ET/3pm PT. 

REMEMBER - YOU NEED TO SIGN UP ON THIS VERY POST YOU'RE READING! If you sign up on another post or the Facebook page, your request might be missed.

Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 2

In just one week, we'll be settling into a new season of Survivor! Woot! Woot! While I don't necessarily love the idea of people playing on the show multiple times, it looks like this cast is going to make it all worthwhile.

Hali - Game changer or not? I'm thinking not for her. I don't know. She might have a trick or two up her sleeve. But being pretty, playing under the radar ... those seem to be standards we see in a few every season. I barely remember her from her original season. Yeah, she made some decent alliances. Yeah, she won a few challenges. I think this season I'm more interested in seeing her and Sierra maybe get into a cat fight. Meow.

Zeke - Game changer or not? I believe he indeed can be a game changer. Although he got weaselly last season, often times Survivor calls for weasels ... and rats and snakes. He's definitely a thinking strategical player who can sometimes really throw himself into the comps. I like his thinking in this intro video. Might he win it all? In the words of Rudy, "Don't know."

Tai - Game changer or not? Darn-tootin' right he's a game changer! This guy named the chicken and made it into a camp pet! He weighs less than most prepubescent children, yet can climb trees and give his all in challenges. He's entertaining. And, think about it ... he will be reunited with Caleb! "Reunited and it feels so good ..." He is so not the typical Survivor castaway that he's the perfect Survivor castaway. I do hope he works on that social game and remembers the jury can be bitter.

Jeff - Game changer or not? Hmm. In my opinion, he was certainly not a game changer in his previous two seasons. I liked him in Season 2, not so much in Cambodia. So, he has this new game strategy -- he's going to be everybody's best friend! Ohhh! While he definitely needs a better social approach because he tends to make enemies on rapid order, we'll see how that works for him.

Debbie - Game changer or not? Oh my. The female version of Coach is returning to share her delusions of grandeur and tall tales once again. Hmm. She thinks she would like to work with Culpepper and Tony? I'm not sure they would be that willing to work with her! Perhaps we should take wagers on whether she'll get Aubrey out before Aubrey gets her out. I don't really want her to win. Her game changing claim to fame might be that the show sometimes attracts the lunatic fringe.

Anybody have any thoughts on these five castaways?

Stay tuned for the blog pool sign-up post. It's coming soon!