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Mega - I'm trying to remember specific things. When I saw his face on the first episode, I thought to myself "I know this guy, but where from?" So I went through everything in my mind for a couple of days until it hit me. I worked with him at a bar for several months. From what I remember, we held the same position for a little while until I got promoted to bartender. While we worked together, though, I remember he was extremely good at the job. The place we worked at had a list on a wall of everyone's schedule and the order you were placed on the list was considered a "ranking." The top of the barback list, which is what we were, were the people considered for promotion when there was a need. I remember he didn't stay at the bottom of that list for very long. He was extremely ambitious and even more resourceful. Something I remember specifically, though, was the fact that out of the several duties we had, he had two favorites. One was making his way through the bar with a little broom and dustpan thing and basically cleaning up the floor which was something the owner was a stickler about. Since the bar was also a restaurant, it was rather larger than a regular bar, so we had to do it in teams. He always chose the area closest to the actual bar, though. I'll tell you why after this: His other favorite duty was sorting bottles. Another thing the owner was a stickler about was recycling the glass bottles. As a barback, one of our duties was to take all the trashcans out to a giant sorting platform and seperate clear/brown/green beer bottles from the trash and put them in recycling bins. We all hated this. It was pretty dangerous, not to mention disgusting and seemingly not necessary. However, Russell loved to do it. We found out why one night when he let us in on his discovery. Almost every night, Russell would find money while sorting bottles. Sometimes it wasn't much, but he found a money clip and couldn't hold that info in that night. He also told us it was why he liked to sweep next to the bar. Drunk people tend to not hold on to their cash very well while at the bar and Russell had this eagle eye that could spot it before it hit the ground almost. His favorite thing was to compare tips with the other barbacks every night because he'd always have a lot more than we did because of his treasure hunts. It doesn't suprise me at all that he's a millionaire.

Now, everyone loves money, and some people are more adept at finding ways to get it...so that doesn't make you necessarily a prick. There was just something about Russell that you could tell was devious. He was friends with everyone of his coworkers, but behind the backs of a select few, he wasn't. Everyone wondered if he was plotting and scheming against them all the time behind their backs. To this day, I always wondered if we had truly become friends, or he was that way to me and plotting my downfall behind my back. I had been at this job for a while longer, so I was higher on the 'list' than he was. From day one, I'm sure he was trying to figure out the best way to overtake everyone and become a bartender, which was our goal from the start. We did the grunt work, while bartenders got the glory. I do know that I was promoted while Russell was still there so I felt there was no longer a competition between us, therefore the niceties seemed a little more sincere. He loved to come to me at the end of the night and show me how much money he found. Same devious smile that we see every week, too. I quit a few months after that, and I can't remember if Russell left before that, so that's where we parted ways. All in all, I remembered that I liked the guy a lot, but had a hard time trusting him. Several confessionals on Survivor later, I still like the guy and now know that I couldn't trust him farther than I could throw him. :)

Remember, the later in the night it is, the better your chances. Give them time to get sloppy drunk ;)

I'd give my left arm to find out from Russell how he got to where he is today. And not the TV version, or the Autobiography version. The real way.

As I was typing that novella I was trying my best to come up with a time frame. My best guess is 15-16 years ago based on the fact that I was in college at the time I started. I figure that's why it took so long to get back to that period to find out where I recognized him. I guess this is the wrong thread to do it in, but I would like to make the point that you are seeing enough confessionals to make you sick. It is how you've formed an opinion about Russell. What they fail to show is how he wasnt voted out the 2nd or 3rd show. He claims all these people are dumb. They are on Survivor...they obviously know what scheming goes on and who threats are immediately, etc. The whole fireman story, while compelling, was a total lie, as we know. Imagine watching Survivor as if you were in some bleachers on the beach across from the Foa Foa camp. You don't have the benefit of the confessionals. You're opinion of Russell would be 180 degrees from where it is now. His personality is infectious. He is the nicest guy you'd want to meet. He is *extremely* intelligent. I'd say that all the people Russell booted are questioning their own tactics for the reason they got booted and NOT steaming about Russell. They didn't start despising him until the show aired. Some people say that the Presidential race boils down to a popularity contest. If there was no work involved and it paid better, I swear to you...Russell would be President.

To be honest, I am of the opinion that Russell is not only trying to pull a fast one on every single person on that beach, but every single person from Mark Burnett down the line. He either *is* a millionaire who doesnt need the money, or a simpleton like 98% of everyone who goes on this show who could use the $$. Either way, he's the type of person who watches Survivor and thinks to himself "I could win this game easily because I'm smarter than the other people, but even if I didn't, I could provide enough material to have editors scratching their heads on what to leave out to keep the show in the 44 minute time-frame." Imagine Johnny Rotten to the infinite power. He has a body of work to go by. You take the most rotten of the rotten from every season, add some spice, be intelligent enough to know what's good enough to make it to the screen = Russell. He's that smart. Most people here are thinking he's dumb for playing that idol. Fact is, he knows when the jig is up. He was being honest when he said he didn't know what was going to happen that night. What good does it do him when everyone knows he has it? It would be fished out one way or the other. I'm betting he's gambling that it might get rehidden. Any hint that it might be, and he'll find it again, you watch. I'm guessing this week's coming episode, from the preview, is to show some sort of vulnerability...maybe gather some undeserved sympathy...bring him down to Earth. Won't happen. He'll find a way. He'll still be cockier than ever, too.

I don't know any more than the rest of you, but I know how Russell is. If and when he goes, it won't be with a whimper. That's a guarantee.

Sorry Snakey, I should have probably used Fairplay or Dalton... I just typed the first nickname that came to mind. I couldn't ever compare Russell to Mr. Lydon. As far as sweeping by the bar goes, I realize he didn't discover something monumental, it was just easy to see his motivation...even back then.

As usual, I agree with Jude on this. While Galu is discussing Russell's oust, it has to be before the IC, as that's the only way I think he could survive from here on out. I honestly don't think he'll go on a huge IC run. Jaison's quote has to be out of context. I'd say it could be along the lines of Foa Foa discussing how to pull numbers and who should stick their neck out to do it.

Lastly, Jude: I have to say that Russell's edit, to this point, is a ratings ploy. I'd say there are watercoolers around the country overflowing with things like "You have to see this guy on Survivor...most evil player ever!" We watch automatically, but believe it or not, there are people that don't. If the watercooler talk is intriguing enough to attract some new viewership, you have to give them what they came to see. While its repetitive to us, it isn't that way for people tuning in to see who this Russell character is. As far as his articulation, is it forgivable if it stems from the fact he's from Louisiana? Wait...don't answer that. I am, too.