Survivor 25.12

The Official Survivor: Philippines Recap Trilogy for week twelve:

Mary Beth’s 2Cents: Tonight was Family Night on Survivor. It was the annual show where the contestant's loved ones come to the island. Denise's hubby showed up. So did Skupin's son – little Skupin. Lisa had her baby brother along for the ride. Carter's mom, who looked like Carter in drag was there. Abi's very confused non-English speaking mom was there too. And Malcolm's brother Miles showed up as well. Oh the hair! Two more wavy headed types I have never seen! All that thick beautiful long hair. Sigh… 

All of the Survivors showed the appropriate amount of emotion except for Lisa and Abi. Lisa almost had a nervous breakdown when she saw her brother. I haven't heard sobbing like that since my dog ate the head off of my Malibu Barbie when I was little. Abi, on the other hand, seemed almost annoyed that her mother showed up. Sheesh!

Right away the loved ones were thrown into the Reward Challenge – the reward being the winner gets to spend the night at camp with their loved one. This challenge was something else. The Survivor was throwing something… What? Cow pies? They honestly looked like cow pies! Their loved ones had to catch them and throw them to knock these little posts down.

I almost felt sorry for Abi's mom. First of all, she was a good 20 years older than anyone else there. Second, she arrived in her best little sundress. Third, she looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there getting pelted with cow pies! I think she actually ducked a couple of times.

Malcolm and his brother won. Probst let Malcolm choose one more Survivor to have their loved one at camp and he chose Lisa. Then Probst gave him one more and he chose Skupin. So they all went back to camp.

I was really touched by Lisa's reaction to seeing her brother. I was “feeling” it, if you know what I mean. But then her little brother did something that instantly put him on my Short List. He reminded Lisa that this was a game of deception and wondered aloud why she wasn't working harder to get rid of Malcolm! How'd you like them apples? Malcolm is the reason she got to spend time with her bratty brother and now he was plotting against my boyfri… Malcolm! GRRRRRRR!!!

At some point in the evening, Malcolm observes Skupin and little Skupin and Lisa and Brat Boy all yukking it up and realizes that maybe he made a mistake by letting them stay. See, Peever? Under all that hair, beneath those twinkly eyes… he does have deep thoughts! So there! Lisa leads the Skupins and Brat  Boy in a prayer that goes something like this:

“Dear Lord, bless Malcolm for choosing us to be together again and please Lord help us get his brawny self voted out. But if that's not what you want, Lord, we're okay with it. But we hope it's what you want. Because it would be really cool if he was gone. Amen.”

Or words to that effect.

I was going to recap the Immunity Challenge but I was having technical difficulties. Technical meaning my cat decided the notebook and pen I was using was extremely interesting so he would not allow me to even attempt to write anything. Anyway, after I wrestled the pen out of his teeth this is pretty much what the challenge was – walk a balance beam in water, retrieve three bags of sticks, swim back to show, make a long pole, and poke a target with it.

Everyone was playing full out with even Lisa making a great effort. Then, suddenly, Abi had some kind of brain fart and just slowed way down. Probst was aghast, I tell ya! Anyway, it didn't matter because – TADAH! - Malcolm won Immunity! Take that Lisa Whelchel you big doo-doo head! YAY Malcolm!!

Before Tribal Council, Abi, who was one of two people who needed to worry about getting voted out, had another brain fart and decided to irritate the crap outta everyone once again. But it was all for naught because, true to Survivor fashion, they never vote out the evil whiners. No, they voted out Carter because he was actually more of a threat.

Carter seemed suitably upset at having been ousted. I could tell this because when he gets upset or tense his mouth gets really, really tiny and by the end of the episode it was about the size of a pea! Abi still thinks she's fooling everyone with her “I have the fourth idol!” ruse but none of the others are buying it. The good news? Malcolm, who DOES have an idol, is guaranteed to be around for the Final Four!! YAY Malcolm!!

Jamie’s Prognosis: Well my friends I did survive my Island Survivor adventure. I am sorry to report that I did not win a million dollars, but I did return home with a nice tan, some seashells and a tee shirt. And I learned a few things. People… people… this is a SOCIAL game!! And there is one Survivor Philippines contestant who just does not get this point. And that is Abi or, as Paul likes to call her; rat girl. With good reason. She really does look like a rat on night cam. Freaky.

So this week was the family reunion show and I felt totally mislead. Last week’s “preview” indicated that Malcolm’s brother was going to be some sort of a dickhead and quite honestly, aside from the obnoxious hairdo, he was just a regular… guy. That was needless false advertising.

SO there was senior Skupin and junior Skupin. Their tender reunion caused heartless Abi to almost feel something. Carter was reunited with his mom who is clearly younger than me which made me feel… old. Denise was reunited with her man and quickly wrapped herself around him pretzel style in a way that I could never do which made me feel… old and unlimber.

Lisa’s SO was her brother Justice, who called her “Sister” and had an overly dramatic bro-sis reunion with her. Lisa is just so over the top for me!! I want to root for her but then she says something silly like “God is bigger than a football team” and I lose the connection.

Abi’s mom showed up on the beach and she was confused because she doesn’t speak English and if you don’t speak zee English everything is just super confusing. And then there was Malcolm and his brother Miles, who aside from his crazy island pattern shorts seemed fairly normal to me. 

The Malcolm brothers won the reward challenge that involved knocking wooden pegs off of round platforms with mud balls. The reward? They got to spend the night with their smelly family members at camp. Some reward. There wasn’t even any basket of food to make their stay welcome.

The Skupins and Whelchels quickly bonded in prayer. Lisa’s brother brought confused, befuddled and foggy Lisa back to reality as in LISA THIS IS REALITY TV QUIT ACTING LIKE A NUN AND PLAY THE FREAKING GAME! She suddenly realized that Mary Beth’s boy toy… I mean Malcolm, should go next.

On to the Immunity Challenge. I will spare you the details except to say it involved water, sunken pieces of wood and the need to build a giant pole to knock a target blah blah blah… Abi just sucked at this challenge. She is a terrible person AND a terrible player.

Malcolm won Immunity. So it looked like it would be between awful Abi and the noble Carter, whom everyone likes. And for a few minutes it looked like nobility would win out over beeotchiness. But this is REALITY TV and so, at Tribal Council, even though Abi continued to be the yucky person that she really is, poor Carter was eliminated. Who knows?  Maybe this icky woman will win the whole thing?

On a positive note, RC was wearing what looked to be a negligee for tonight’s jury appearance, making me think that up on the northside there was one happy man watchin’ TV!

The Booth’s Bits: Tonight’s episode started out with the time-tested favorite, the Loved Ones Reward Challenge. I always find it interesting to see who the castaways’ loved ones are. Here’s what we had for season 25:

Skupin – his oldest son, who turned out to be a bleeder just like dear old dad.
Carter – his mom, who was kind of hot. Hey, I’m 55, okay!?!
Lisa – her younger brother. Yet another reason for her to sob uncontrollably. Like she really needed one.
Denise – “her man”, who appears to have been away from the sun longer than away from his wife.
Scabby – her mom, who couldn’t speak English, making her nicer than her daughter.
Malcolm – his brother, who was, as Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm called him, a knucklehead.

As is the tradition, the winner got to take his loved one back to camp for an over-nighter. Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm and his knuckleheaded brother won the challenge. Probst allowed him to pick another castaway and he chose Lisa and her kid brother.

Out of the blue, Skupin shouted out, “Ask for one more!” So Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm did. And Probst said okay and of course Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm chose Skupin and Skupin Jr.

Upon returning to camp, to show Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm how much they appreciated his kindness, Lisa and Skupin immediately plotted to blindside their benefactor. Okay, maybe it wasn’t immediately. First Lisa cried for a while and the elder Skupin got his son to bleed. Then they schemed.

To their credit, Lisa, Skupin and their loved ones had a prayer session before deciding to go all Judas Iscariot on Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm. Here I thought that WWJD stood for “What Would Jesus Do?” not “What Would Judas Do?” See what you can learn watching Survivor?

Before breaking up their Blindside/Hallelujah meeting, the God Squad did come up with an amusing observation. Skupin said, “If Jesus Christ played Survivor he would look like Malcolm.” Lisa quickly added, “And play like Carter.” Those God Squadders can be kooks!

Unfortunately, Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm had other plans and won the Immunity Challenge. This prompted Lisa to look toward the heavens, shake her fist and cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Well, not really. But she was pissed in a very righteous way.

Back at camp the God Squad had to decide whether to vote out. I think Lisa referred to it as “God’s Plan”. Would it be Scabby, whom everybody has loathed since day one or would it be Carter, who is good-natured, works hard and is quite loveable? What Would Judas Do?

You guessed it, they sent Carter packing. I just wish he would have said dude or gnarly at least once…

I must be brutally honest with you. I was not at all disappointed when the Moral Majority ousted Carter rather than Scabby. While she is despicable, reprehensible, odious and vile, Scabby does look very nice walking down the beach away from the camera. Not as outstanding as RC mind you, but pretty darn good.

Scabby (Abi) Showing Her Maturity

Here are my latest “How I Want Them To Finish” rankings:

1. Malcolm (Mary Beth’s boyfr…)
2. Skupin (Trained his oldest son to be a bleeder)
3. Denise (Dwarf sex therapist with albino husband)
4. Scabby (That derrière is moving her up in the rankings)
5. Lisa (Is she still around just to annoy us?)

Only one Wednesday left. Then it’s time for the big Sunday night finale and the big Reunion Show. I can’t wait for that. Until next time…from the booth.

I Ain’t Gonna Cry Anymore

Regular readers of this blog know that I enjoy sports, television and music. What you might not know is that I cry easily. I cry about happy things, as well as sad things. I’m not really sure why, but it’s always been that way. It is not only things that happen in “real” life either. There are many other ways to get me bawling. Such as…

Movies. There are so many. The best example is “Bang The Drum Slowly”. The first time I saw that film was in 1982. I was 25 years old and watching it with a bunch of male friends and relatives. It didn’t matter. After Bruce Pearson’s funeral, when Henry Wiggen says, “From here on in, I rag nobody”, I lost it. Since then I have seen that movie at least a dozen times and I have cried each time.

Songs. Where do I start? Last Christmas when I heard the song “Boots” by the Killers for the first time, I was blubbering so hard I could barely see. I believe it was, “I can see my mother in the kitchen, my father on the floor watching television, It’s A Wonderful Life” that got the floodgates going.

TV shows. Silly as it might seem, I have even cried watching That ‘70s Show. Usually it is something involving Donna and Eric; however, the most poignant moment was between Eric and Red. As Eric was preparing to leave for Africa to teach, Red handed him his pocketknife from the Korean War and told his son that he loved him. Then they hugged. Then I boo-hooed. I know. I’m a sap.

But not anymore.

Well, at least not when it comes to one TV show.

Undercover Boss is a reality series based on a British series of the same name. The first episode premiered on February 7, 2010 after Super Bowl XLIV. On March 9, CBS announced it had renewed Undercover Boss for a second season. The third season premiered on January 15, 2012. The fourth season kicked off on November 2, 2012.

I have seen a majority of the episodes and yes, I have gotten misty during most of them. I mean come on, look at the premise – the owner or CEO of a huge company goes undercover to check out their business, to look for ways to improve it. Then at the end of the show they give 3 or 4 of the down-on-their-luck employees some cash or a family vacation. That’s heart-tugging stuff!

At least it was in the beginning. When I began doing a little research, I found that some of these charitable companies were worth billions and billions of dollars. With that it mind, it began to take some of the shine off of their generosity.

While $15,000 is quite significant to someone poor schlub working paycheck to paycheck, its pocket change to a company worth $15 million.

A fine example of this occurred in season 2 when Todd Ricketts went undercover representing the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs. Being the youngest sibling, they thought he would be the least recognizable. I thought this would be interesting.

What a joke! The Ricketts family is worth in excess of $1 billion. You figure the “rewards” they handed out to their hardest working employees would be noteworthy, right? Guess again.

The biggest “prize” went to a guy who had worked for the Cubs for 28 years. For his long, loyal servitude, he was made recipient of the first annual Wrigley Field Award, which included $1,000, some box seat tickets and the opportunity to throw out the first pitch at the last game of the season.

Wow.

Yet, I kept watching. And getting bleary eyed.

That was until this season. After the season premier I had a conversation with my cousin Susie and mentioned how emotional the episode was. She promptly poo-pooed my sentimentality and proceeded to tell me why. Her theory was that this show was nothing more than a publicity stunt and, perhaps more importantly, a semi-scripted ego boost for some rich fat cat.

After a little bit of contemplating, I came to the conclusion that she was spot on.

Looking back, most of the owner/CEOs were wealthy and very white. Most were religious and physical well-being was almost always brought up. they were living life the “right way”.

On the flip side, the beneficiaries of their largess are usually black or Hispanic. I do remember one white lady, a single mother working at Checkers. Oh ya, she was a lesbian. Another common ploy is to have the disadvantaged benefactor have a troubled past or have some sort of physical ailment come into play.

The physical ailment ruse was used last night. A poor, Hispanic salon worker had a baby daughter who needed an expensive surgical procedure. The rich guy ponied up for the operation and threw in a $100,000 home for good measure. She cried. I didn’t.

The icing on the cake was when he gathered all of his employees and told them that he was setting up an emergency fund with $1 million of his own money and another $1 million of the companies money. He then held up two fingers and proclaimed, “that’s 2 million dollars!” I guess he figured poor people aren’t good in math.

Too bad this poor guy is.

The bighearted company representative was none other than Stephen J. Cloobeck. He owns Diamond Resorts International and his net worth is somewhere around $100 million. That means his lavish gift represented 1% of his total worth.

Big deal.

To put his gift into proper perspective, it would be like me giving a charity or needy person a couple hundred bucks. It’s like the story in Luke’s gospel where the poor widow put two small copper coins into the temple treasury. I think the moral of the story was that she contributed more than all the others because they gave gifts out of their wealth; but she out of poverty and put in all she had to live on.

Now that could bring me to tears. But not Undercover Boss. Nope. I’m not gonna cry anymore.

Until next time…from the booth.

Survivor 25.11

 The Official Survivor: Philippines Recap Trilogy for week eleven:

Mary Beth’s 2Cents: I'm sort of sitting here in a stunned silence after tonight's episode. The only thing going through my mind right now, and it has been going through my mind all night, is - “ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?” Let me start at the beginning…

So, after last week's Tribal Council ol' Abi-boo-boo is sulking and feels that “they” all ganged up on her. Can she really be so self-unaware that she has absolutely no idea how she appears to other people? ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?

At the Food Auction, a staple feature of any Survivor season, people are bidding willy-nilly on whatever delectable treat Probst happens to present to them. Pancakes and bacon? $500 from Denise. Fried chicken? $100 from Penner. (He took one bite and gave Probst a very uncomfortable lurid look. I think it made Probst shudder a little.) Carter traded a baked potato for rice and beans for the entire tribe and later bought some veal shanks to share with them too.

Skupin? Oh he laid out his entire $500 on some cheese and wine. And he doesn't drink. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? There are two veteran players sitting there with cheese and chicken on their chins! Surely they must have known there is ALWAYS some kind of clue or advantage on the auction block every single time.

No, they sit there looking goofy when the dreaded Abi-monster bids her $500 and gets the advantage. Well played you complete dunderheads! (Sarcasm intended.) Abi's advantage? Oh she gets to skip the first two parts of the Immunity Challenge and goes right to the final round. A huge advantage to have and those other guys should have known better.

Meanwhile, back at camp, Abi-the whiner wants Penner to apologize for being a big meanie to her. ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME? Penner tries to point out, in his best Alan Alda impersonation, that this is the nature of the game.

Abi pouts some more so Penner gives her a half-hearted apology. When he asks for the same she stays true to her usual nasty self and doesn't give him one. They do hug though which makes Abi think that now everyone wants some kind of communication with you. Clearly, from all of the eye rolling from the others, this was not the case.

The next morning, Abi-babby-ding-dong, decides she will pretend the advantage she got was a 4th idol. She attempts to tell Malcolm this. Malcolm, by the way, was showing Abi a wee bit too much sympathy for my taste. I shall have to rethink our relationship if that continues. He does save it by referring to her as “a girlfriend who won't go away after you break up with her”. Abi-the lionhearted refers to herself as “a warrior”. Then they are all off to Immunity Challenge.

The challenge is a rope/obstacle course in three parts. First, Probst asks a question. If they get it wrong they have to carry 5% of their body weight. This immediately puts Denise and Lisa at a disadvantage when they miss the question. Denise is fierce though. I do love her!

The Challenge goes on whittling them down to the final three – Penner, Carter and Abi-warrior whiner. Of course, the absolute unthinkable happens. Abi wins! ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?

Everyone starts scrambling at camp. Malcolm (sigh… he's still a hottie) wisely realizes that since no one can vote out Abi, he can now make a play to get rid of Penner. Denise, Skupin, and Lisa are on board except Lisa loves her some Penner and feels really, really bad for what she is about to do so she just has to tell him about it.

Penner gets all pissy and tries to get some votes to sway either Denise or Malcolm off the island but, alas, Penner pranced his way, whistling, down the walk of shame. Then he came back. Then he left again. Then he popped back again. The look on Probst's face said, “ARE YOU FREAKIN' KIDDING ME?”

Jamie’s Prognosis: Field Research

This week I decided to do something never done before on this blog. I decided to go and do actual research on what it is like to be a Survivor. Since the show was taped months ago I was not able to join our current band of survivors in the Philippines, so I chose a small island in the West Indies. I chose a tribe and we flew to the island, disembarking to an almost uncomfortable 85° with a light breeze. I expected a refreshing rum drink to be waiting for me.

There was none. I knew this was going to be brutal.

For our first reward challenge, the tribe had to board a boat headed for the island of Prickly Pear. Upon arriving in the bay we were to don fins and mask and search for tropical fish in the sea. That seemed easy enough.

I spotted many fish, swam to shore and raced to spell out "piña colada" in shells on the beach. Although I was given odd looks, I am happy to report that I was rewarded with one. Yeah me!!!!


Back at camp there was a lot of drama and arguing about where we would go to eat, who would pick up the tab on the next round, blah blah blah… drama queens. I stayed out of it and did shots with the bartender.

Jeff Probst did not show up, but a concierge named Franco did. He was no Probst. It was time for the Immunity Challenge. Two drinks were placed at opposite ends of the pool. Tribe mates had to swim from end to end taking sips out of each margarita and the first to finish both drinks won.

Being the lazy lot they are, the rest of my tribe all chose to sit the challenge out and watch me struggle with it whilst lounging in hammocks. Fortunately for me I am a good swimmer and drinker. I easily finished the challenge with no problem. Franco looked bored by it all.

Things are looking good for me to win this entire thing, but folks the conditions are very rough out here. I have sand in my bathing suit, mild sunburn and I have not seen a cabana boy for at least an hour. I'm getting parched and weak. What will happen to me? We have another Tribal Council tonight with the disinterested Franco, who mumbled something about crazy Americans last time I wandered past him. I hope to survive… stay tuned next week to see if I did.

The Booth’s Bits: I’m not really sure where to start. The episode started with Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm consoling Scabby, the castaway from hell. I am beginning to wonder about Malcolm. Not just because he was listening to Scabby whine and cry, but lately he has been trying to be all intellectual and act like he’s a real deep thinker.

Quite frankly, it’s just not working for me. Nope. Not when he’s saying stuff like, “I feel bad for Abi. She is very un-self-aware.”  Huh? I’m pretty sure that un-self-aware isn’t even a word. I could be wrong, but I’m thinking Mary Beth’s… oops, Malcolm might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer.

The ubiquitous Survivor Auction took the place of the Reward Challenge. Each castaway had $500. Here’s what everyone won:

Denise - $500 for a Pancakes and Bacon Breakfast
Skupin - $500 for Wine and Cheese
Malcolm - $200 for Iced Coffee and Donuts
Penner - $100 a for Fried Chicken Dinner
Carter - $200 for a Baked Potato, which he promptly traded in for Rice and Beans for the Tribe.
Lisa - $320 for a Humongous Sub Sandwich
Scabby - $500 for a Secret Advantage in the Immunity Challenge
Carter - $200 for some Veal Shanks that he had to share with the Tribe. The twist was that they had only 60 seconds to eat it and had no utensils.

Prior to the Immunity Challenge it was business as usual. Scabby acted like a loathsome little brat. Penner sounded more and more like Alan Alda. Lisa alternately cried and smiled. Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm tried to be concerned and hunky at the same time. Denise continued to make very peculiar faces for no apparent reason. Skupin and Carter were just there not really contributing any entertainment value.

The Immunity Challenge was another rope/maze thingy that  I found rather nondescript. The only drama was that Scabby had the advantage of skipping the first two rounds and advancing directly to the finals. And of course she won. Oh ya, she lied about having another Hidden Immunity Idol. But I think that Mary Beth’s boyfr… oops, Malcolm was the only one listening.

Before Tribal Council it was pretty clear that Penner/Alda/Hawkeye was going to be the one going home. Oh, they tried to make it look as if it  might be facial contortionist Denise, but it was Penner who was sent packing. One other thing, kudos to Jeff Probst for keeping his streak alive for making someone cry. This week it was Lisa. Like that was hard.

Here are my updated “How I Want Them To Finish” rankings:

1. Carter (Spicoli)
2. Malcolm (Mary Beth’s boyfr…)
3. Skupin (Needs to start bleeding again)
4. Denise (Sex Therapist to the Corn)
5. Lisa (Drama Mama)
6. Scabby (Castaway from Hell)

Only one or two Wednesdays left. Then it’s time for the big Sunday night finale and the big Reunion Show. I can’t wait for that. RC cleans up real nice. Until next time…from the booth.

Good Stuff

Yesterday afternoon I was bored waiting for the Packer game, so I decided to start a list of favorite things, preferences, fond memories, things I like, etc. You know, good stuff. Anyways, the Packer game pretty much sucked and I continued adding to the list. When I started at it again today I figured it was probably better to stop and post what I had. So far…

Kenosha Stuff
Kenosha Pizzeria – Pa’s Pizzeria
Kenosha Drive In – The Spot
Kenosha Bread – Cardinali’s
Kenosha Service Station – Aiello’s
Kenosha Restaurant – Timber Ridge
Kenosha Optometrist – Dr. Emer
Kenosha Bakery – Oliver’s
Kenosha Tavern – 400 Club
Kenosha Politician – Bob Wirch

School Stuff
Teacher (Grade School) – Sister Helene
Teacher (Junior High School) – Lorelei Allison
Teacher (High School) – Glen McCullough
Teacher (College) – Peter Pham
Priest – Father Oborny

Edible Stuff
Soft Drink – Diet Coke
Beer – Pabst Blue Ribbon
Eggs – Sunnyside Up (Grandma ‘Noni Style)
Pasta – Rigatoni
Steak – Rare
Homemade Meal – Parone Macaroni
Cheese – Mozzarella
Popsicle – Root Beer
Snack – Beef Jerky from Danny’s
Condiment – Ketchup
Pizza Topping – Sausage
Ice Cream – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Candy Bar – Dark Milky Way
Licorice – Black
Sausage – Italian
Hostess Treat – Suzy Qs
Pie - Peach

Sport Stuff
Baseball Player – Prince Fielder
Football Player – Paul Hornung
Hockey Player – Jaromir Jagr
Pro Wrestler – Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy
Pro Wrestling Tag Team – The Fabulous Freebirds
Pro Wrestling Manager – Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
College Basketball Coach – Al McGuire
Football Coach – Vince Lombardi
Baseball Manager – Harvey Kuenn
Football Team – Green Bay Packers
Baseball Team – Milwaukee Brewers
Soccer Team – Arsenal Gunners
College Football Team – Wisconsin Badgers
College Basketball Team – Marquette Warriors
Basketball Coach – Don Nelson
Softball Complex – Historic Finney’s West

Music Stuff
Band – The Who (Duh…)
Band (Runner-up) – R.E.M.
Band (Runner-up) – Dropkick Murphys
Band (Runner-up) – Queen
Band (Runner-up) - BoDeans
Album – The Who By Numbers
Song – Too Many Who Songs To Chose Just One
Christmas Song – Christmas Canon Rock by Trans Siberian Orchestra

Cinematic Stuff
Movie (Christmas) – We're No Angels
Movie (Sports) – Bang The Drum Slowly
Movie (Drama) – Cool Hand Luke
Movie (Comedy) – Slap Shot

Television Stuff
TV Show (Game) – Match Game
TV Show (Sitcom) – Leave It To Beaver
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – Andy Griffin Show
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – WKRP in Cincinnati
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – News Radio
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – Seinfeld
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – Dick Van Dyke Show
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – Cheers
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – Bob Newhart Show
TV Show (Sitcom Runner-up) – That 70s Show
TV Show (Drama) – The Wire
TV Show (Drama Runner-Up) – The Sopranos
TV Show (Drama Runner-Up) – Northern Exposure
TV Show (Animated Show) – King of the Hill
TV Show (Reality) – Survivor
TV Show (Reality Runner-up) – Hardcore Pawn
TV Show (Reality Runner-up) – American Restoration
TV Show (Variety) – The Gong Show
TV Show (Soap Opera) – Young And The Restless
TV Show (BBC Sitcom) – Are You Being Served?
TV Show (BBC Sitcom Runner-up) – After You’ve Gone
Survivor Castaway (Male) – Russell Hantz
Survivor Castaway (Female) – Roberta “RC” Saint-Amour
Game Show Celebrity (Male) – Charles Nelson Reilly
Game Show Celebrity (Female) – Elaine Joyce
Game Show Host – Bob Eubanks
Game Show Model – Holly Hallstrom
Late Night TV Host – David Letterman
TV News Anchor (Male) – Vince Vitrano
TV News Anchor (Female) – Susan Kim
TV Meteorologist (Male) – Michael Fish
TV Meteorologist (Female) Jesse Ritka
TV News Reporter (Male) – Tom Murray
TV News Reporter (Female) – Melissa McCrady
TV Sports Anchor – Kevin Hunt  

Tuned In Stuff
Radio Personality (Morning Drive) – Bill Lawrence
Radio Personality (Late Night) – Nick Digilio
Radio Personality (Over Night) – Chicago Eddie Schwartz
Radio Personality (Sports) – Bill Johnson
Radio Personality (Friend) – Pat Hegewald
Radio Personality (Friend Runner-up) – Jim Selovich
Radio Personality (Play-by-Play) – Jim Irwin
Radio Show (Sports) – Instant Replay
Radio Show (Political) – Alan Colmes

Miscellaneous Stuff
Rosary Mysteries - Joyful
Wallet – Bifold
Computer – Mac
Job (Adult) – Lida Mfg.
Job (Teen) – Burger King
Vehicle – Dodge Ramcharger
Number – 73
Color - Blue
Season – Autumn
Time of Day – Morning
Day of the Week – Thursday

There you have it, a bunch of good stuff. At least to me it is. Until next time…from the booth.

Rasslin’ Back In The Day

The Crusher and Dick the Bruiser

Last night on Facebook, Bill Lawrence, host of the WLIP Wake Up Call, was posting some old photographs of wrestling stars. Or do you say, rasslin’? The first photo was of Sodbuster Kenny Jay. He followed up with Kenosha’s own Tony Leone and then Yukon Moose Cholak. Finally, he changed his profile photo to legendary rasslin’ promoter Bob Luce. We chatted back and forth briefly, bringing up such notables as Pepper Gomez, Jimmy Valiant and Sgt. Jacques Goulet. All of this reminiscing brought back a fond memory of a great rasslin’ show I attended back in the day.

It was back in the ‘80s, a late winter day. The venue was the venerable Milwaukee Auditorium; it was a bright, sunny Sunday afternoon. The main event featured two classic tag teams – Dick the Bruiser and the Crusher vs. the Fabulous Freebirds.

The Bruiser and the Crusher were as old school as you could get. Growing up, I remember watching the Bruiser Sunday mornings on Bob Luce Wrestling (thanks, Bill) and the Crusher Saturday afternoons at 5:00 on channel 18’s AWA wrestling.

I first saw the Freebirds on WCCW out of Texas. They were easily my favorite tag team ever. I must have witnessed Michael P.S. Hayes, Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy and Buddy Jack Roberts do battle with the Von Erich family at least a hundred times. In my humble opinion, this is by far the greatest rasslin’ feud of all time.

Freebirds Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts

While the Freebirds vs. Von Erichs feud was the granddaddy of them all; the match in Milwaukee was nothing to sneeze at. Gesundheit. Seriously, da Bruiser and da Crusher versus the boys from Badstreet, U.S.A.??? It doesn’t get much better than that.

In attendance with me were my friends, Doug, Glenn and Gary. Doug, while a casual fan at best, definitely enjoyed the live action. Glenn and I were more hardcore fans, but we were nowhere in the league of Gary. He lived and breathed pro wrestling. He was the biggest rasslin’ fan I ever knew.

Being such an avid fan, Gary was overjoyed when he found out that the tickets I had acquired were ringside in the fourth row. Our proximity put us literally within spitting distance of the wrestlers. And sweating distance. And bleeding distance…

Okay, nobody bled on us, but we were definitely introduced to the other bodily fluids of the combatants. In fact, in one of the preliminary bouts, Bob Backlund body slammed Larry Zybysko into our row. It was pretty cool. I think Gary might have had an orgasm. I’m not sure.

After all of the opening matches were complete, it was time for the match we were all waiting for. Since there were three Freebirds, Buddy Jack Roberts was not wrestling and was outside the ring. However, just because he wasn’t officially wrestling, it didn’t mean he wasn’t participating.

Early in the match, Hayes and the Crusher were locked up on the mat near the ropes. Seizing the opportunity, Roberts slipped off one of his cowboy boots and handed to Hayes.

Hayes grabbed the boot, stared at it for a moment as a demented smile came across his face and then began beating Milwaukee’s own, the Crusher with it. The enthusiastic blows caught the Crusher all over the head and upper body. It didn’t look good for the fan favorite.

A side note - For those of you not familiar with the Crusher and the Bruiser, you should be aware that they were a bit past their prime at this time. They were a little long in the tooth. They had to be at least twenty years older than the Freebirds. They were old.

Back to the match. As Hayes continued to pummel him, the veteran Crusher was staggering about the ring, his eyes rolling back in his head. It was at this moment that I felt compelled to stand up and bellow, “Knock his dentures out!” I was loud. Very loud.

Although my friends found this amusing and responded with laughter, the guy seated directly in front of me didn’t see anything humorous in my comment. He slowly turned around and scowled at me. After he finished shooting daggers at me, he turned around to the action in the ring.

Back in the ring, the tide had definitely turned. The Crusher had somehow taken the cowboy boot from Hayes and was now the one delivering the punishment. Before long he had the leader of the Freebirds on rubber-leg street, wobbling around the ring like a drunken sailor.

As the beat down continued, the “gentleman” that I had upset earlier, turned around and shouted at me, “Ha! How do you like it now?” Undaunted, I replied, “Come on, you know this is all fake.” Evidently that was the wrong thing to say.

Remember I said that my friend Gary was the biggest rasslin’ fan I knew? Well, that was until I ran into this guy.

Upon hearing my declaration that rasslin’ was fake, his head started quivering and turned a bright, crimson red. Then, his whole body started shaking as he pointed a trembling finger in my face and forcefully hissed, “F#ck You!”

No longer undaunted, I managed to tell my enraged adversary, okay, okay, never mind. Satisfied that I was no longer disparaging the “sport” he so loved, he steadily and deliberately turned away from me, still noticeably shaking and remaining a bright shade of red.

Fortunately for me he didn’t hear me mumble under my breath, “The next thing you’re gonna tell me is that Roller Derby is real.” I don’t think that would have went over well with him. Call it a hunch.

I’m not sure, but I believe the Bruiser and the Crusher won the match that day, most likely because the Freebirds did something to get disqualified. You know how rasslin’ goes. But real or fake, it doesn’t matter. Rasslin’ back in the day was good stuff.

Until next time…from the booth.

Survivor 25.10

The Official Survivor: Philippines Recap Trilogy for week ten:

Mary Beth’s 2Cents: I didn't take many notes tonight during this episode of Survivor. I'm in the middle of a raging cold, congestion and coughing, so it was better for me just sit quietly under my blanky and watch. Sick or not, I can tell you, my bullshit meter was on high! More about that later…

I found it both funny and odd that Lisa felt the need to “break up” with Abi. She made it official by having a heart to heart that ol' Mrs. Garrett would have approved of. She told her she simply couldn't align with anyone who didn't trust her. Abi pretty much shrugged her shoulders and that was that.

At the Reward Challenge, it was apparent that Abi had no clue on the rules of the game. A race between two people to overturn three large drums before the other person can turn your drums over. Abi ran out and just started hurling drums from both teams giving their opponents the point. I wanted to chalk that up to the fact that Abi has sat out of nearly all the other challenges but then Skupin did the same thing! And his mistake cost his team the win. Yay, Skupin.

After returning from the reward – massages, baths and loads of food – Abi proceeds to swoon over how wonderful it all was as the others eat their daily portion of rice. Just when I thought she couldn't possibly be more self-centered, she started in again talking about how her belly was so full and sticking out! Afterwards, for reasons I'm not sure of, she announces that she will no longer work around camp but will rather “enjoy” the rest of her time out there. Denise said it best. “Whiners are wieners!”

At Immunity Challenge, an obstacle course on land and in water whereby a buoy is run along a rope that is twisted and knotted, the competition got whittled down to Denise, Skupin and Carter. It wasn't a great challenge. Call me jaded, but Survivor has had some great challenges and this wasn't one of them.

Anyway, Carter wins and it's off to Tribal. Abi apparently forgot that Lisa broke up with her because she tried to “tell” Lisa which way to vote and Lisa had to kindly remind her that they were no longer dating. Pete did his best to get Skupin to take his side but Skupin is… well, he's Skupin… and there's no telling what that man might do at any given moment.

Meanwhile at Tribal...

This is where my bullshit meter went ballistic.

As Probst started his usual Q and A with the group, suddenly Abi was the perceived “target” of the hatred of the rest of the group! What?? Probst even suggested, more than once I might add, that it was her cultural difference that was making the others misunderstand her intentions.

Give me a break!

I get that English is her second language, but she knows, and has known all along full well what she's been doing. I live with someone who has English as his second language. He is fully aware of how to pick up social cues and knows how to recognize other people's intentions.

This pity party Probst was throwing for Abi wasn't cutting it with me. She's not a nice person. She's self-centered, paranoid and hateful. And the reason she was suddenly teary eyed and being the victim is because she knows she is the next person gone. Good riddance!

I'm going back under my blanky now. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Jamie’s Prognosis: The tides had turned after Artis was voted off last week, and Abi and Pete were feeling; humbled. Nervous. Ready to make new friends? NOT! Of course Abi was over the top with the abrasive and self-righteous as always. Lisa Whelchel, who I could see as a cat hoarder if she hadn’t gotten a major role on a TV show as a kid, was still trying to make nicey nice with Abi by just telling her straight out that she was leaving her alliance.

I have to give Lisa credit. As annoying as her sugar and spice and everything nice act is, it seems to be working for her so far. She told Abi she would be perfectly happy just to come in 6th, and then she said to the camera with a glow in her eyes that the game had radically changed her life. We shall see Lisa. I read somewhere that you had malaria. That’s a change.

The Reward challenge involved running around in circles and flipping some drums over. I’m a little unclear on the details because I was making mashed potatoes for our Thanksgiving dinner. But apparently I wasn’t the only one who didn’t understand.

Abi, who rarely participates in challenges, started running the wrong way but I couldn’t legitimately bash her because I didn’t get it either. In spite of her poor performance her team, also consisting of Malcolm, Carter, and Slippery Pete, won. So off the four of them went to have spa treatments and copious amounts of food and drink.

 Now those familiar with the game of Survivor know that when you return to camp with clean hair and a full stomach you downplay it. You make it sound like it wasn’t all that great… ”Yeah it was okay, I guess”.

Not Abi.

She regaled the other four with descriptions of all that they ate, her bloated belly, how beautiful and clean she felt, that she felt like “Cinderella”. Seriously, this girl has no social skills at all and is clearly afflicted by a major personality disorder.

Sensing the irritation of everyone else she decided to do damage control by going on strike from doing any cooking for the others. Nice. Hey Cinderella, now I’m judging: You couldn’t even figure out which way to run in the challenge. No one is LESS deserving of a bath and food than you. Denise said it best, quoting from some of Sigmund Freud’s seminal work I am sure; “whiners are wieners”.

The Immunity Challenge involved pushing a buoy through a bunch of twisted rope. My girl Denise looked awesome. She is just fierce! She almost made it to the end, but Carter pulled away in the end and won.

Of course Pete and Abi were on the chopping block, but Abi has a Hidden Immunity Idol. So the plan would be to split the vote between Pete and Abi with the hope that Abi would play her idol.

Abi, sensing trouble, tried to work over Lisa who, like Abraham Lincoln cannot tell a lie and told her that she couldn’t promise she wouldn’t vote for her. Pete, also sensing trouble, set his sights on Malcolm trying to get Skupin to align with them and get him out. I could feel Mary Beth’s angst (in case you haven’t picked up on it, she digs Malcolm).

At Tribal Council all eyes were on Abi and she began to run her mouth. She tried to summon up some fake tears and then explained that some of her bad behavior is because English is a second language to her.

Really? English as a second language makes people become assholes? I think not.

She tried to act upset, but she is a terrible actress and something is SERIOUSLY wrong with her. No matter though. She played her Immunity Idol as expected and then Pete got voted off, just in time to pick up with the rest of One Direction on their North American tour.

I won’t miss Pete. And I look forward to Abi’s ouster. Soon please!!!

The Booth’s Bits: Since this is Thanksgiving Eve, my portion of the Trilogy will focus on the things that I am thankful for in season 25 of Survivor. Hopefully Mary Beth and Jamie did their usual stellar job of covering the details of tonight’s episode.

I am most thankful for Roberta Saint-Amour, better known as RC. Did you see the striking leopard print skirt she was rocking at Tribal Council tonight? I’m so thankful.

I am also thankful that the lame blindside of Malcolm that Scabby and Pete concocted fell through. I don’t think Mary Beth could have handled her boyfr…, er, Malcolm being voted off. It’s way too late in the season to find someone to fill the leadoff spot of the Trilogy.

Because of the failed blindside, I am thankful that Pete the narcissist was sent home. I almost vomited in my mouth after he had his Reward meal and basically said he was unbeatable. He proclaimed he was both athletic, smart and now he had fuel. I’m surprised he left out his roguish good looks.

I am very thankful to Executive Producer Mark Burnett for, not only casting RC this season, but for those stunning shots of her walking along the beach away from the camera in her leopard bikini. Cinematic gold…

Another thing I am thankful for is Jonathan Penner. Being a huge fan of both M*A*S*H and Russell Hantz, Penner satisfies my appreciation of both. He has not only embodied Alan Alda’s Hawkeye Pierce character, but he has sported a Hantz-like chapeau throughout the season.

After tonight’s Tribal Council, I was reminded to be thankful for Emmy award-winning host Jeff Probst. I have admired Probst’s work since season 1, but tonight could have been his finest moment. His relentless badgering of Scabby was inspired! He refused to let up until he reduced her to tears. It was a thing of beauty. Tomorrow I shall raise my drumstick to Jeff Probst.

I am also thankful for both Facebook and Twitter. These two social networks have provided me with additional methods to follow the jaw-dropping RC. Kudos to both of them for making this supplementary access possible.

Even though Scabby irritates the hell out of me and all the remaining castaways, I am thankful for at least one more week of her. Not only does she provide some necessary drama, she also has a respectable derrière. With RC relegated to the Jury, this aspect of the show was definitely lacking. Denise and Lisa just aren’t capable of filling this void.

Lastly, I am thankful that Survivor is still around for a 25th season. It allows me to be a part of the Official Survivor Recap Trilogy with Mary Beth and Jamie. Hopefully, between the three of us, we can provide some laughs for Fellow Survivor Geeks throughout the world.

Here are my updated “How I Want Them To Finish” rankings:

1. Penner (Hawkeye Pierce)
2. Malcolm (Mary Beth’s boyfr…)
3. Denise (Sex Therapist to the Corn)
4. Carter (Spicoli)
5. Skupin (Needs to start bleeding again)
6. Lisa (Drama Mama)
7. Scabby (Probst’s Biotch)

Happy Thanksgiving! Until next time…from the booth.