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Jeff's Autographs and Thoughts

I moved to the Rio Grande Valley 4 years ago this past May. I had collected autographs on and off since I was 7 years old, and with the lack of social life I have here; I've picked it back up again and made many great online friends and picked up quite a few new 'graphs in the process. This blog is meant to both share my successes/failures and if its important, what's on my mind.

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Location: Tucson, Arizona, United States

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Autograph collectiong 101


I've collected autographs from a very young age, and unfortunately many celebrities have stopped signing for fans in fear that their signed photo will end up on ebay or for sale somewhere else, which has made it harder and harder for us true collectors to get authentic signatures from their favorite stars. "Grease" is one of those movies I could watch over and over again, and Barry Pearl who played "Doody" came up with a great way to accommodate fans and reduce the chances of his autographs ending up on ebay. He has you sign a contract stating basically that you will not sell his autograph after he sends it to you. I think this is great, much better than having to pay for an autograph of someone whose career you've supported or having to go through auctions and buy autographs from people you have no chance of ever encountering in person. I often think that the opposite would hold true though regarding in the mail autographs; the easier it would be for true fans to get an autograph from their favorite stars, the less value they would have for those that sell them....just my opinion, but Barry's way is definitely a good one and appreciated!

Great bluff, too early


For Misty Giles, being the first Panama contestant to end up on Exile Island, she did a decent job of leaving doubt as to whether she found the hidden immunity idol, but obviously not good enough as her tribemates didn't fall for it. I would have liked to seen her go further in the game, and I admire how hard she fought not getting the boot. She's one character I'd love to see get a second chance, and is a young lady with a LOT of potential to go far in life!

Underdog


I really enjoy Lisa Loeb's style and originality. Like her song "Underdog", that's how I've felt most of my life about a lot of things. I don't think I'm the "most" anything, but can be good at a lot of things out of will power and sheer determination. Then again, that's worked for me as well. I've found the things in life that are harder to achieve are the ones that mean more when you carry them through. She's also a big "Hello Kitty" fan, which in vain I tried to get my friend Rodolfo to get on his new bowling ball...I thought it would have been a hoot. Dare to be different!

Smoked with Love


Being a Survivor buff, I'm pretty good at remembering catch phrases that the Survivors were known for. Silas Gaither of Survivor Africa inscribed my photo "Smoked w/Love" and I'm trying to debate whether or not that was in reference to something on the show or just a general saying for him. I was able to relate to Silas in that often times my confidence can border on cockiness, and he was one of the victims of the old tribe switcharoo, leading to the common life addage "never burn your bridges". If he hadn't have burned the bridges with Frank and T-Bird, he may have not been such a guaranteed target at the tribal shuffle; something I need to definitely keep in mind if I ever get on the show.

Autograph collecting and cast photos


Besides the entire Survivor cast, cast photos from TV shows I liked (mainly the older ones from when I was a kid) are another joyful collection for me. The hard part with cast photos is that often times (sadly more often than not) I get a few signatures then never see the photo again, so I've decided to go for smaller cast photos with less likely chances of them disappearing. Today I got John Schneider's signature on a Dukes of Hazzard photo, that's of him and Tom Wopat (much easier than trying to get the rest of the cast as well...I hope).

Monday, July 17, 2006

I got a friend named Jesus


"Spirit In The Sky" came out well before Austin Carty of Survivor Panama was ever even a thought, but for some reason the song makes me think of him. He had some of the best lines in Guatemala, left the game with integrity, and did a pretty smart move, by trying to make himself appear weaker than the other guys on his tribe in the first individual immunity challenge. Unfortunately, he blabbed it at Tribal Council and got the boot the very next time, but at least it got him one step further. He's definitely one of the classier guys to join the cast.

Granola, Granola, Granola


It interesting how often smuggling or inappropriately eating food has come up on Survivor. First there was Kel and the beef jerky; then Janet and the granola bar (I don't think she did it!). She was a classy woman and had no trouble admitting she was out of her element but kept her dignity and grace through the whole thing. She mentioned in her note to me that she didn't sneak it in, so Janet, if you're reading...I believe you! :) It really bites in life when we get accused of things we didn't do, especially when there are negative consequences, but as the old addage goes...Life is not fair...that pretty much holds true a lot of the time, so what can we do other than make the best of it!

From my hometown


I never realized that so many celebrities hailed from my hometown of Buffalo, NY. I've been a fan of Wendie Malick for many years and it wasn't until recently that I found out she's from my old stomping grounds. Maybe we soaked down a beer or two at some time. She is awesome at her comedic timing, her sarcastic wit, and an amazing voice. I'm glad to see her enjoying so much success in life.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Rocket Man


Of any Survivor exits in the history of the show, I don't think there's been as an emotional tribal council of that of "Rocket Man" Dan Barry. He's a man of integrity and has a huge list of accomplishments in his life, that it was really hard for his tribe to vote him off, but he took it with class. I think its real cool that Dan is creating robots as a side venture. I need to get him to send me one that cleans house, especially now that I'm in transit to moving to a new venture in Arizona.

Undeserving? Who's to say...


One thing that's bothered me on "Survivor" is those players who get put in the role of "undeserving" by their tribemates. Keith Famie in Australia was one of them. But after all, he's the one who went and saved their camp after the flood. He had the sense to get Tina to give in in the first individual immunity challenge and proposed to his fiancee via video chat. So how he got deemed undeserving for the Final 2 is beyond me. Well, he got the woman he loved, has a successful cooking career and a lot of successes throughout life, so seems pretty deserving to me.

La Femme Nikita


OK, this is going to be one of those boring posts. I should be doing some packing and painting to ready myself for my August 10th departure to my new life in Tucson, but I figured I'd catch the blog up before I go. Peta Wilson was well known for her role as "La Femme Nikita" and I'm glad to have her autograph in my collection.

Risky Moves


The thing about doing risky moves in life (or on Survivor) is that they can really pay off, or they can backfire in your face. In Survivor Pearl Islands, Trish made a risky move by trying to get rid of Rupert early on in the game, knowing he'd be a big threat post merge, but Trish went out on a limb to get him voted off and it backfired in her face. I give her credit for making an effort though. I'm sure its paid off for her in many aspects of her life. Heck, being brave and gutsy got her on the show. She let the producers know they were missing out on a good thing on her first application, and it paid off for her getting her on the show. You win, some you lose some.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Stomach Ailments


Ramona Gray from the Original Survivor was plagued with illness early on in the game. Its ironic that her autographed collage came back at a time in my life when stomach ailments have been prevalent for me. Whether stress induced or otherwise, they're surely no fun, and often times there are consequences that come with him. I've learned to not let the maladies associated with life deter my progress in what I want to achieve, but have also learned that when a great portion of life's activities are bringing undue stress, its definitely time for a change!

Pride Cometh Before the Fall


In Survivor Amazon, Roger Sexton thought he had it all figured out. At the merge he thought he had his troops together and was in no jeopardy of being booted. Of course, he was wrong. Funny, how in life, when we let pride take over, and think we are in a position of power, things can change, and we end up with the results that were the exact opposite. This has been a very common theme on Survivor but never so clearly demonstrated as the episode of Roger's demise. Roger obviously has a quite successful life outside the show, and is a constant reminder to me to not let pride get carried away.

For the Love of a Son


Tina Scheer from Survivor Panama probably had the most air time of any first boot in Survivor history. And I can understand why. Tina has a strong character and the story of her and her love for her son that she lost in a car accident was one of the most touching stories on the show to date. I give her a lot of credit for forging forward, and I think she made a good example of making sure we tell those that we love that we do at every possible chance. Tina's a character I'd love to see get on the show again.

Because You Loved Me


Almost every time I hear a love song that touches that soft place within my heart, it usually ends up being written by the amazingly talented Diane Warren. With all the awards that are on her mantle, and the deep romantic sentiment of her songs, Diane has put thoughts of love and most likely brought a tear at one time or another to the eyes of many, including myself.

Saturday, July 01, 2006

A Penny for Your Thoughts


Where did that phrase come from I wonder? Hopefully, my thoughts are worth more than a penny! In Survivor Thailand, when it looked like the Sook Jai tribe was on the road to victory, things changed and their fate as a whole was in jeopardy. I did think however that Penny Ramsey may pull through and end up winning the show, but even though it didn't happen she stays in my mind as one of the best Survivor players out there. That's one of the flukes of Survivor, the best don't always win.

You Can Count On Me


When I think of Mark Ruffalo, even though "You Can Count On Me" wasn't one of his better known movies, its a title that sticks with me. I remember being younger and having very many of those friends that the movie title would be quite accurate about, but either the older I get or as times change, I've found there are fewer and fewer people in my life I could really count on. Thanks mom for bringing me up right. I do think to some extent we're facing a time where selfishness is king. Regarding Mark, he's one of those actors you can pretty much count on for great movies.