I don't count that title as a spoiler since I don't say who "she" is AND it's Wednesday. Surely you've seen the episode by now! Okay, here was this week's episode:
1. Row to a yacht
J would've kicked ace on rowing a boat. And I hope we would've been smart enough to figure out the clue for the briefcase combination. I guess it depends on how sleep-deprived I was at the time. I felt bad for the Globetrotters that they were stumped on that. I like those guys.
I have to mention here that even at this point, J and I were marveling that Mika would even agree to do the race, considering she's afraid of heights AND water...and sex. But I guess the sex part is not actually relevant, so just forget I said that .
2. Detour: Gold or Glass
J and I thought the gold challenge sounded incredibly easy. Figure out the exchange rate. Measure the gold. If the rate changes by the time you measure, just add or remove whatever is needed to meet the new amount. Right? I really do not understand why so many teams had trouble with this. And I'm a math moron, people.
Glass certainly seemed doable, but more complicated than gold. J said there's no way he could've tolerated Meghan and the beauty queen's frustration - not the fact of it, but the way they just kept yammering instead of just shutting up for five seconds and *thinking* about how to fix the problem. Repeating, "I just don't know" in varying levels of anxiety does NOT get you closer to a solution.
3. Water slide
How awesome was it that the slide went under a shark tank? I'm actually not great with heights, so I get why Mika freaked out about the slide (for her, it would be a double-whammy of two fears), but seriously, man, for a million dollars, I could power through my fear. We've seen this in previous seasons - people with a crippling fear that almost or does cost them the race. I have to assume the producers look for at least a few contestants like that to ramp up the drama.
Canaan had choice words for Big Easy when he heckled Mika, but I have to admit, I laughed. I thought what Big Easy said was really funny, and even if I'm too nice to actually say that to someone who is scared, it's pretty smart strategy. And it's not cheating. It's not like anything Big Easy said really made the difference. She'd had plenty of time before they got there to slide down, and she was on the verge of hysterics, so seriously Canaan, put the blame where it belongs.
I didn't dislike Mika and Canaan, so I'm not psyched that they're out. But clearly she didn't want that million dollars, so it's just as well. A million dollars could've gotten Mika a lot of therapy for her phobias...just sayin'. ;)
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Amazing Race - cutoff!
Okay, so the NFL and MLB people are just going to have to start wrapping things up sooner on Sundays. J set our DVR to account for an extra hour of tape time for The Amazing Race since it's always getting bumped because of football and baseball running late. This week, that still wasn't enough and the last bit of the show was cut off! Arrrgh! But I did catch most of it, so here's my commentary for this week.
1. Fly to Dubai. I was impressed that Miss America Erica knew that the tallest building in the world was in Dubai. I sure as heck didn't know that off the top of my head! I laughed out loud, though, when The Brothers asked for a flight "to the Persian Gulf" at the ticket counter. What maroons.
As usual, all the teams ended up on the same flight. That's become standard now, so maybe they should just take the race to the airport and the scramble at the ticket counters out of the scripts. It's not suspenseful anymore since everyone knows now that the show is going to pull strings and make sure everyone is evened up by the flights.
Dubai was the picture of a modern city, but I wasn't terribly impressed with the fountain they led the teams to considering you can see the same thing in Las Vegas at the Bellagio - and with music. It also looked to be very steamy from the way everyone was sweating. And was that humidity or smog hanging over the horizon?
2. Top of the World, Ma!
I, like Mika, would not have enjoyed the idea of going to the top of that building. Old Suzy ain't too good with heights, and her fear that they might make the teams rappel down the side wasn't exactly unreasonable.
3. Fast Forward
J would have *loved* getting to race around the track, so if we'd be in the first group up to the clue, I'm sure we would've tried for that.
4. Head to the Desert/Roadblock
I laughed with joy at Lance not being able to find the cars in the parking garage and then getting lost at every turn. That guy is such a TOOL!
I'm not sure which of us would have done the water thing, but I guess probably J. He's got the stamina of a Bedouin when it comes to heat, and all the other teams had the guy doing it, so we probably would've followed suit. Alot of teams helped out other teams in the Dubai leg of the race. I'll be interested to see if that breeds some good karma or if bad teams end up not reciprocating in the end. I wouldn't have waited for the Poker Girls after they trashed their cars. You know the producers will give them another one, so why stick around? Not a smart way to run the race, Brothers.
5. Ski Dubai
How cool would this place have been - literally? LOL! Ooooooh, I crack myself up. We definitely would've done the sledding and then searched for a snowman. It would've been work, for sure. Those snowmen were tiny! But you get to be inside in the cool air, and it really just takes some perseverence.
At this point, our VCR cut off, so I didn't see any of the footage of the teams trying to build snowmen or any of the teams reaching the Pit Stop (except Meghan and Cheyne since they won early). This is tragic since Lance got booted, which I would've LOVED to have seen. From the recap at CBS, though, he actually handled it pretty well. If so, it was the first time since the race started that he wasn't an ass. Did anyone see it? What did you think?
1. Fly to Dubai. I was impressed that Miss America Erica knew that the tallest building in the world was in Dubai. I sure as heck didn't know that off the top of my head! I laughed out loud, though, when The Brothers asked for a flight "to the Persian Gulf" at the ticket counter. What maroons.
As usual, all the teams ended up on the same flight. That's become standard now, so maybe they should just take the race to the airport and the scramble at the ticket counters out of the scripts. It's not suspenseful anymore since everyone knows now that the show is going to pull strings and make sure everyone is evened up by the flights.
Dubai was the picture of a modern city, but I wasn't terribly impressed with the fountain they led the teams to considering you can see the same thing in Las Vegas at the Bellagio - and with music. It also looked to be very steamy from the way everyone was sweating. And was that humidity or smog hanging over the horizon?
2. Top of the World, Ma!
I, like Mika, would not have enjoyed the idea of going to the top of that building. Old Suzy ain't too good with heights, and her fear that they might make the teams rappel down the side wasn't exactly unreasonable.
3. Fast Forward
J would have *loved* getting to race around the track, so if we'd be in the first group up to the clue, I'm sure we would've tried for that.
4. Head to the Desert/Roadblock
I laughed with joy at Lance not being able to find the cars in the parking garage and then getting lost at every turn. That guy is such a TOOL!
I'm not sure which of us would have done the water thing, but I guess probably J. He's got the stamina of a Bedouin when it comes to heat, and all the other teams had the guy doing it, so we probably would've followed suit. Alot of teams helped out other teams in the Dubai leg of the race. I'll be interested to see if that breeds some good karma or if bad teams end up not reciprocating in the end. I wouldn't have waited for the Poker Girls after they trashed their cars. You know the producers will give them another one, so why stick around? Not a smart way to run the race, Brothers.
5. Ski Dubai
How cool would this place have been - literally? LOL! Ooooooh, I crack myself up. We definitely would've done the sledding and then searched for a snowman. It would've been work, for sure. Those snowmen were tiny! But you get to be inside in the cool air, and it really just takes some perseverence.
At this point, our VCR cut off, so I didn't see any of the footage of the teams trying to build snowmen or any of the teams reaching the Pit Stop (except Meghan and Cheyne since they won early). This is tragic since Lance got booted, which I would've LOVED to have seen. From the recap at CBS, though, he actually handled it pretty well. If so, it was the first time since the race started that he wasn't an ass. Did anyone see it? What did you think?
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The race...she is unkind
This was interesting week on TAR - some shuffling of team rankings and a little bit of tragedy (I'm probably the only person in the world who hears the Bee Gees singing, "Tragedy! When the feelin's gone and you can't go on, it's tragedy!" in my head everytime I see that word...). Let's recap.
1. Fly to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. J and I bounced a number of Sean Penn jokes off each other during this part. We were soon distracted from our jaunty word play, though, by Lance whining about being in a race for last place when he thought he wasn't going to get on the first plane. Who cares if you're not on the first flight as long as you're not the ONLY team on the second one? To keep racing, you only have to beat ONE other team, so quit yer whinin' Lance and just race. As usual, the producers pulled some strings and both teams got on the first plane, so his mewling was for naught anyway.
2. Foreign Correspondent's Club. As is frequently the case, the cabbie made all the difference. By getting a good one, Zev and Justin jetted into first place. I was stunned at how few of the team members knew Jackie Kennedy, though. Truly stunned. Not recognizing Jackie O is like not recognizing Marilyn Monroe. Do you these people not actually live in the U.S.???
3. Detour: Cover or Wrap. I think J could sell anything to anyone, but we probably would've gone with wrap, as most of the teams did. I would've wanted to keep the scarf, though. Pretty... :)
4. Roadblock: Monkey Business. This looked really easy. I'm not sure why so many team members had trouble with it. One thing I noticed is how many contestants kept their socks on. If you're trying to walk on a log, doesn't it seem like it would be easier in bare feet?
5. Pit Stop. I was SO excited when Zev and Justin made it to the Pit Stop first! I love these guys. (I told J that if we did the race and won even one leg and got one free trip, I'd feel like we were winners.) Imagine my frustration when they discovered Zev had lost his passport. Imagine my further chagrine when Justin dumped out his backpack and spread the contents all over the ground. That's not how you look for something, Justin. You've got to be systematic and neat. That kind of thing is how you lose a passport in the first place. But I digress.
I was really sad that the boys not only lost their first place standing but got eliminated all together. I was really rooting for them. And I would've been perfectly happy to see Maria and Tiffany (aka, The Liars) booted. These two have dodged the bullet twice now. Seriously, they should go down in the next round.
1. Fly to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. J and I bounced a number of Sean Penn jokes off each other during this part. We were soon distracted from our jaunty word play, though, by Lance whining about being in a race for last place when he thought he wasn't going to get on the first plane. Who cares if you're not on the first flight as long as you're not the ONLY team on the second one? To keep racing, you only have to beat ONE other team, so quit yer whinin' Lance and just race. As usual, the producers pulled some strings and both teams got on the first plane, so his mewling was for naught anyway.
2. Foreign Correspondent's Club. As is frequently the case, the cabbie made all the difference. By getting a good one, Zev and Justin jetted into first place. I was stunned at how few of the team members knew Jackie Kennedy, though. Truly stunned. Not recognizing Jackie O is like not recognizing Marilyn Monroe. Do you these people not actually live in the U.S.???
3. Detour: Cover or Wrap. I think J could sell anything to anyone, but we probably would've gone with wrap, as most of the teams did. I would've wanted to keep the scarf, though. Pretty... :)
4. Roadblock: Monkey Business. This looked really easy. I'm not sure why so many team members had trouble with it. One thing I noticed is how many contestants kept their socks on. If you're trying to walk on a log, doesn't it seem like it would be easier in bare feet?
5. Pit Stop. I was SO excited when Zev and Justin made it to the Pit Stop first! I love these guys. (I told J that if we did the race and won even one leg and got one free trip, I'd feel like we were winners.) Imagine my frustration when they discovered Zev had lost his passport. Imagine my further chagrine when Justin dumped out his backpack and spread the contents all over the ground. That's not how you look for something, Justin. You've got to be systematic and neat. That kind of thing is how you lose a passport in the first place. But I digress.
I was really sad that the boys not only lost their first place standing but got eliminated all together. I was really rooting for them. And I would've been perfectly happy to see Maria and Tiffany (aka, The Liars) booted. These two have dodged the bullet twice now. Seriously, they should go down in the next round.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Amazing Race recap, beeotches
So, we're fully under way now with TAR. We've met the teams and we're a-racin! Let's talk about this Sunday's episode.
The teams started out by traveling to Ho Chi Minh City. I think they said the name of the city about 50 times, because it became a joke between me and J. Everytime they'd say it, J or I would say, "Where are they going again?"
Puppet Theater - the puppet theater was kinda cool. And I thought it was funny how the contestants would jerk their hands back if the dragon came toward them, because I know I would've done the same thing. You know it's a puppet, but hello - it's a *dragon*! My favorite part of this task, though, was when Lance The Wonder Lawyer couldn't figure out the clue and, as usual, managed to blame Keri for every obstacle they encountered. MAN, that guy is a tool!
Sap City - I'm only going to mention this long enough to say I could've done without the sob stories about Big Easy's dad who died recently and Marcy's dad, the pilot who we all now know (because we heard it like 3 times) was shot down over Vietnam and rescued. Let's skip the heartstrings, people, and just race, MMMkay?
Child's Play v. Word Play - I can't believe Marcy and Ron picked Word Play. That seemed much harder than Child's Play. And sure enough, it was. I would definitely have picked Child's Play and I would've picked the smallest animal figure I could find to navigate around the park with. I don't know what Zev and Justin were thinking with that giraffe.
Roadblock - the VCRs. I think I could've done this one, but in all honesty, J probably could rip through them in half the time. Too bad Lance didn't injure himself ripping them apart with his bare hands.
Pit Stop - I like that the Globetrotters won this leg. I like the guys - their personalities and the way they play. It's too bad about Marcy and Ron, but she was kind of annoying so I won't miss her. As I'm sure you've already guessed, my fervent hope each week now is that Lance will get booted. He's my guy to hate this season.
Okay, that was short and sweet, but if you TAR fans have anything to add, feel free to put it in the comments!
The teams started out by traveling to Ho Chi Minh City. I think they said the name of the city about 50 times, because it became a joke between me and J. Everytime they'd say it, J or I would say, "Where are they going again?"
Puppet Theater - the puppet theater was kinda cool. And I thought it was funny how the contestants would jerk their hands back if the dragon came toward them, because I know I would've done the same thing. You know it's a puppet, but hello - it's a *dragon*! My favorite part of this task, though, was when Lance The Wonder Lawyer couldn't figure out the clue and, as usual, managed to blame Keri for every obstacle they encountered. MAN, that guy is a tool!
Sap City - I'm only going to mention this long enough to say I could've done without the sob stories about Big Easy's dad who died recently and Marcy's dad, the pilot who we all now know (because we heard it like 3 times) was shot down over Vietnam and rescued. Let's skip the heartstrings, people, and just race, MMMkay?
Child's Play v. Word Play - I can't believe Marcy and Ron picked Word Play. That seemed much harder than Child's Play. And sure enough, it was. I would definitely have picked Child's Play and I would've picked the smallest animal figure I could find to navigate around the park with. I don't know what Zev and Justin were thinking with that giraffe.
Roadblock - the VCRs. I think I could've done this one, but in all honesty, J probably could rip through them in half the time. Too bad Lance didn't injure himself ripping them apart with his bare hands.
Pit Stop - I like that the Globetrotters won this leg. I like the guys - their personalities and the way they play. It's too bad about Marcy and Ron, but she was kind of annoying so I won't miss her. As I'm sure you've already guessed, my fervent hope each week now is that Lance will get booted. He's my guy to hate this season.
Okay, that was short and sweet, but if you TAR fans have anything to add, feel free to put it in the comments!
Sunday, October 04, 2009
As Dr. Phil says...
"How's that workin' for ya?"
I have a question. If you love someone, and they find a partner, and maybe you don't like that partner or approve of the relationship (insert your reason here - the universe of reasons why people don't like other people or don't approve of other people's relationships is limitless), but the person you love seems happy, exactly what benefit is there to you of snubbing the partner?
Sure, you've made a point. You've let your feelings be known. You don't approve.
But then what? After you've had your say, why keep "saying" it (sometimes you don't have to speak words to send a message)? What are you accomplishing? Is your snubbing bringing you closer to the person you love? Is it improving your relationship with that person? Is it making them want to be around you? Or is it, perhaps, resulting in the opposite? Do they know how you feel? If they do, is it necessary to keep putting it out there?
Dr. Phil often asks people, "Do you want to be right or be happy?"
I like to be right. But more than that, I want to be happy. And I want the people I love to be happy. What is it that you want?
I have a question. If you love someone, and they find a partner, and maybe you don't like that partner or approve of the relationship (insert your reason here - the universe of reasons why people don't like other people or don't approve of other people's relationships is limitless), but the person you love seems happy, exactly what benefit is there to you of snubbing the partner?
Sure, you've made a point. You've let your feelings be known. You don't approve.
But then what? After you've had your say, why keep "saying" it (sometimes you don't have to speak words to send a message)? What are you accomplishing? Is your snubbing bringing you closer to the person you love? Is it improving your relationship with that person? Is it making them want to be around you? Or is it, perhaps, resulting in the opposite? Do they know how you feel? If they do, is it necessary to keep putting it out there?
Dr. Phil often asks people, "Do you want to be right or be happy?"
I like to be right. But more than that, I want to be happy. And I want the people I love to be happy. What is it that you want?
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