Survivor: Blog Pool Match-Ups Announced!

I got word from Lifeguard Laurie that the random pool picks are IN. Then I promptly fell asleep on my couch while watching NCIS and didn't wake up until a bit ago. Hey, what can I say? I was tired! I need to rest up for tonight's big season premiere!

From that World Class Lifeguard Laurie:
Here's the pool. First week is free. Whoever loses goes on one of the teams with only one member.

NUKU
Andrea Boehlke - Indiana Jane, ML
Brad Culpepper - Brian, Sharon N
Cirie Fields - Leonia Hart, Terry is a Texan
Debbie Wanner - Glenn, tbc
JT Thomas - Carol C, Petals
Ozzy Lusth - KelseyNY, Margo
Sarah Lacina - Delee, Rbennie
Sierra Thomas - Becky, monty924
Tai Trang - Cheryl in NC, Sharon C
Zeke Smith - Janice from GA,

MANA
Aubry Bracco - Ed in Ohio, meb
Caleb Reynolds - Cheryl, MikesGirl
Ciera Eastin - DonnaNY, PDX Granny
Hali Ford - Buzzmaam, Nana in the NW
Jeff Varner - Donna in FL, Rochelle
Malcolm Freberg - Judi Sweeney, Merrilee
Michaela Bradshaw - David,
Sandra Diaz-Twine - Jennasmom, SueGee
Tony Vlachos - Jackie, Paula Bell
Troyzan Robertson - Donna in Alabama, Lifeguard Laurie

 *****************************************

Ohhh ... I have Tony, eh? Unlike many, I actually like him as a player. Alas, I think he might have the first and largest target on his back from the start, though. See you all at 8pm ET!

Survivor: Game Changers - Casting Part 5

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 TOMORROW, TUESDAY, AT NOON.

Onto the next bunch of castaways ... it seems that CBS may have blocked the intro videos, so you might have to go there to see them.

Sierra - Game changer or not? First off, let's not confuse her with Ciera. Sierra does seem to have a grasp on where she previously went wrong. She is one of the many who's wisely leery of Tony. One of her problems is that she's too nice and that's not what Survivor is all about. She's going to have to change up her own game a heck of a lot to have game against the big boys and gals this season.

Tony - Game changer or not? Oh, he's a game changer for sure. While other show fans cried foul, called him a sneaky snake and all ... he played a dynamite game during his season and won it all. That said, I think he's going to be one of the first targeted by the others this season to go. In the videos, just about everybody mentioned him. If he indeed can make it through to the end, he will definitely deserve the King of Survivor moniker. 

Caleb - Game changer or not? That's kind of hard to tell. He certainly upped his game between Big Brother and Survivor in his last season of the latter. Unfortunately, he upped it enough to be hauled away on a helicopter when he collapsed. I'll admit I want to see more of him on the show and he impressed me on his short stay before. I also enjoy the Tai/Caleb bromance. However, in the end, I don't think he's going to stand up to the smart minds that are surrounding him.

Cirie - Game changer or not? I tend to think she is one. Then again, she's played three times and hasn't won the game. Came close, but ...! Her strength is her people skills because she's a self-proclaimed couch potato. But she's the best darn couch potato to ever compete on the show. She's also a fellow Jersey Girl -- I wouldn't mind her winning at all. Hmm ... if memory serves, both she and Tony are from Jersey City. They're both incredibly good at reading people and scheming. Hmm ...

Sandra - Game changer or not? Well, duh. Game changer for sure. I don't know how she does it but she rocks at the game. While not a physical player, she's more athletic than Cirie. But she's not as nice. You'd think her social game mixed with her physical one would cause her to lose. But, no. She and Tony have the biggest target on them this season. Can she weasel her way through to yet another victory? She might be just a bit too smug, methinks.

Survivor fans ready?

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?