Maybe I'm Amazed

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="002285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>www.chapmansfriend.com</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="default.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.chapmansfriend.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Music"><U><B>Music</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Television"><U><B>Television</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Movies"><U><B>Movies</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Traveling Man"><U><B>Traveling Man</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id7.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Game"><U><B>"Our Game"</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id8.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Books"><U><B>Books</B></U></A><B>   </B><A HREF="id9.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="001d2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Television"><U>Television</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Maybe I'm Amazed</B></div> <div> <B>The </B><I><B>Amazing Race 2 </B></I><B>Update Page</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>(NOTE: Doing these updates was fun, but unfortunately superfluous. After the show ended I discovered the source for the definitive </B><I><B>Amazing Race </B></I><B>updates. The link to it is </B><A HREF="http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show.cgi?show=76" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/sho"><U><B>here</B></U></A><B>. I don't think mine were bad, but these covered everything interesting I might have said... and plenty more interesting things too... </B><I><B>and </B></I><B>provided a detailed recap of the action. I just can't compete!)</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="05101010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Adlai Stevenson said that in a democracy, you get the government you deserve.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05201010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> [Feel free to insert punchline of your choosing.]</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05301010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I think the same is true of the internet. Your website gets the content you deserve. If you're quick enough and smart enough to make your move, you can have things like<I> </I>weekly <I>Survivor </I>updates and <I>West Wing </I>updates. I could do those things, but I see others doing them too, so why bother? Anything I write would inevitably be shaped by what I see in other places. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="05401010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> That's why I can put my mark on something less buzzworthy: <I>The Amazing Race 2</I>.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In truth, it's not such a bad thing for me. Truth be told, even though it's sometimes as goofy as all-get-out, I probably like <I>AR </I>as much as any of the reality shows, and it's the only one on which I'd sneakingly like to be a contestant. (Anybody else feel the same? Call me-- we'll start auditioning for <I>AR 3</I>.) </div> <div> <IMG SRC="05601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> So, on with the show...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Concept:</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> If you aren't familiar with the show (not a bad guess considering the ratings), it's a contest between two-person teams to get from a starting point to the finish line in first place. Prize is the standard $1,000,000. The teams are all either family members or best friends or something of that nature. The race goes in stages, and each team has to stop in at checkpoints along the way which either tell them where to go next or tell them to perform a certain task. At some designated checkpoints, the last team to arrive is eliminated.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>This Show's Teams:</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Like any show that's essentially "cast" to appeal to a bunch of demographics (<I>Survivor</I>, for instance), the teams in this edition are familiar if you remember the first time around. There's the married couple, the separated couple, the older folks, the gay guys, the wacky-Gen-X guys, ect. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Sisters (Mary and Peach): </B>One of them appears to be a go-getter athletic type, the other isn't. That could be a problem. <B>OUT- 4/17</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Married Reverends: </B>Call themselves "Team Rev" on the commercials. Could be cutesy/heartwarming, could get really irritating like <I>AR 1</I>'s Team Guido. <B>OUT- 4/3</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Identical Twins: </B>They both remind me of that actor from <I>Go </I>and <I>How Stella Got Her Groove Back</I>. <B>OUT- 3/27</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Brother/ Sister (Blake and Paige): </B>From Texas. He's not gonna wear that cowboy hat all the time, is he? <B>THIRD PLACE</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Ex-Roommates (Gary and Dave): </B>The true successors to Kevin and Drew! Could be good comic relief if they last long enough. <B>OUT- 4/24</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Bouncers (Chris and Alex): </B>Two guys from Boston, both nightclub bouncers. If being able to toss Dennis Rodman from a club comes up as a usable skill, this might be the team to beat! <B>$1,000,000</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Separated Couple (Tara and Wil): </B>They're on the show hoping the experience will help them reconcile. Yeah, a 40,000 mile trip under stressful conditions should be just the trick. <B>SECOND PLACE</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="06201010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Best Friends (Oswald and Danny): </B>Not a couple. One's a travel agent, which might be an asset... but he also hates not being able to travel first class. Tossup. <B>OUT- 5/8</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Grandmas: </B>They don't seem to have as much steam as last race's grandparents, who managed to finish in the middle of the pack. <B>OUT- 3/20</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Mother/ Daughter: </B>Long separated, trying to get to know each other again. Yeah, a 40,000 mile trip under stressful conditions should be just the trick. <B>OUT- 3/11</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>The Married Couple: </B>I have no interesting tidbit on them. Yet. <B>OUT- 3/13</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="06601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 11 (5/15):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> "Wil, you're an idiot!"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06801010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> "Tara, you're an idiot!"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Ah, memories of this edition of <I>The Amazing Race</I>...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I'm tempted to boil this two-hour finale down to the essentials-- each team coming into the last locale dead even, with an equal chance to win-- but there was some pretty bizarre stuff going on before they hit San Francisco.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Most of this stuff, I have to say, involved Wil being an idiot. Just from what we saw of him in the finale alone, Wil is the biggest loser since Mike Dukakis. Maybe that's unfair, but what other conclusions could you draw when:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="06e01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Wil was the first into the water in Hawaii, with the task of opening a chest containing the next clue... and was still futilely trying to do this long after the other two teams had come in and finished:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="07101010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Wil <B>lost the clue</B> to the first stop in Alaska. Once again, he <B>lost the clue</B>. Until Tara somehow figured how to recover the information, They were in danger of going to Alaska with no idea of where to go next.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="07201010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>      This resulted in the amusing spectacle of both remaining teams refusing to give Wil their information... which actually brings up an interesting question. Even if Wil had not been such an irritating jerk, <I>should </I>anybody have shared the clue information, even though it meant they might lose a million dollars?</div> <div> <IMG SRC="07301010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>       I say no, sportsmanship notwithstanding. Wil being Wil just made the decision easier.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="07601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Finally, in a move similar to the diving incident, Wil took forever to chop through a block of ice in Alaska. As it ends up, none of this was crucial in the final outcome, but I think Tara and Wil were lucky it didn't.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Okay, back to the final leg in San Francisco... or actually, back to a stroke of luck for Chris and Alex in Alaska. They made a potentially horrible decision to go to the Fairbanks airport instead of the Anchorage airport, reasoning that it was about the same distance to each. Yes, Fairbanks was closer, but there are <I>many </I>more flights going out of Anchorage, and as it turned out, they had to fly from Fairbanks to Anchorage anyway. If their initial decision had resulted in missing the crucial flight to Oakland (and why Oakland, since they had to get to San Francisco anyway?), it would have been a million-dollar decision for Chris and Alex.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Landing in Oakland, everybody raced for a taxi to get across the Bay Bridge. And it was here that you really, truly <I>knew </I>they were back in the States. No more being able to rely on a friendly local to grab a cab. No, get in line at the cab stand and wait like everybody else! I don't care if you win the race or not! I'm a civil servant, dammit! "We're trying to win a million dollars," Wil and Tara told the guy monitoring the line. "I don't care," he said. "I'm not getting any of it."</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Going out of the airport, Blake and Paige were in the lead, but unfamiliarity with the city allowed Chris and Alex to pass them, and they ended up at the first route marker about even with Wil and Tara. From then on it was a slow fade for them, and it was a two-team race between Wil/Tara and Chris/Alex. Wil was more or less a San Francisco native (see Curse of Familiarity below), which allowed him him to make up a lot of ground coming in to the city. It also helped in knowing exactly which pier to go to for the next stop, but Chris and Alex were on their heels.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In order to get to the finish line, the teams had to hail one last cab. By sheer luck, Chris and Alex grabbed one first, followed closely by Wil and Tara... but once again, either it was Wil's familiarity with the city or a good cabbie, because before long they were just ahead of the rival cab. The final destination was Fort Baker, on the northern end of the Golden Gate... and then occurred a truly strange interlude in which Wil decided he was going to try to deke Chris and Alex into thinking that the fort's location was in the wrong area. Predictably, the only people hurt by this were Wil and Tara themselves, because Chris and Alex didn't fall for it, and in fact were back on the streets while Wil was still on foot desperately trying to sell the decoy.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Everybody, in unison with Tara-- <B>"Wil, you're an idiot."</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Somehow, <I>somehow</I>, this didn't kill them, as even with this disadvantage their taxi edged ahead on the route to Fort Baker. But Tara was the first to say it-- "We're never going to beat them in a footrace." Unless The Bickersons had a <I>big </I>lead on the final foot approach to the starting line, Chris and Alex were going to take Tara easily-- and their cab was right on Wil and Tara's heels.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Out of the taxis to the finish line, things went predictably. Wil was far ahead of a tiring Tara... and then Chris and Alex entered the picture, passed Tara easily, and even passed Wil by the time they both reached the finish line, with Phil the Host and all of the vanquished teams waiting, even that mother and daughter who went out in the first episode and whom I can barely remember. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I have been pretty hard on Wil, but I don't think his attempted deke cost him and Tara the race. It was <I>strange </I>if nothing else, but even if Wil hadn't tried it, it would have only resulted in exactly what ended up happening-- Wil and Tara with a slight lead, but not enough to overcome Chris and Alex on foot. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="06601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The ending was both more dramatic and less dramatic than the ending of the first <I>Race</I>. It was more dramatic in that the lead changed hands within sight of the finish... but I still don't think it tops the situation in which Frank and Margherita entered the home stretch <I>believing</I> they had won, only to see Rob and Brennan waiting for them.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The final results, along with the first race results, might seem to indicate there is an inherent advantage to two-man teams as opposed to coed teams. Certainly there was a physical advantage on that last dash... but any advantage might be equalized by the fact that to Wil and Tara, San Francisco was "their city". Watching the last half hour, I had been convinced that this advantage would be enough to win them the race (discounting the Curse of Familiarity which has stung Team Guido, Frank and Margherita, and now Wil and Tara). So what you had were dueling unfair advantages, really. You could argue that either outcome was the result of inherent advantage, and I don't think there's any way to get rid of this, unless coed teamings are mandated and each contestant undergoes an investigation to ensure that they are completely unfamiliar with any location where the race might take place.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Yes, my "smart" money was on Blake and Paige, but then I also predicted Kathy to win <I>Survivor</I>... </div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> So, now it's on to <I>Amazing Race 3 </I>in the fall. I am still waiting for somebody to volunteer to be my teammate...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 10 (5/8):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="08401010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> And so it ends for Oswald and Danny, Team Cha-Cha-Cha. Losing out in the final elimination leg by a hair to the boys from Boston. I was pulling for them to at least make the final round, but with them out of the race, we are left with three teams that have all grated, at one point or another.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In retrospect, the key moments were when Tara and Wil successfully used their fast-forward to ensure themselves a place in the final three, and when Chris and Alex were able to pass Oswald and Danny in the last detour before the dash to the pit stop... up until that point it was very close for the final spot. Actually, it was amazing (no pun intended!) that it was that close, since Team Cha-Cha-Cha needed to overcome a defecit of several hours because they missed a ferry that the other three teams were on-- only missing the departure time by minutes.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The locales themselves stayed within New Zealand, only shifting from the South Island to the North, but for the two-hour finale the destinations will be Hawaii (which I predicted last week) and Alaska (which I didn't... it seems too much like the penultimate leg of the original race, which also went to Alaska before heading to the finish).</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> It's now down to the last two legs, combined into a two-hour finale. The three remaining teams (Blake and Paige, Tara and Wil, and Chris and Alex) are all fairly close together as far as their arrival times... maybe a slight advantage for Tara and Wil because they had the time advantage on the fast-forward. However, I doubt it will be enough to avoid being bunched up again when the time comes for air travel. Besides, if that happened, CBS would lose the drama of last edition's dash to the finish line-- not that there's any <I>Survivor</I>-style-let's-tweak-the-rules-in-the-middle-of-the-game-to-make-better-TV chicanery going on :)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> If this were an individual contest instead of a team contest, I would favor Tara hands down. She's obviously the sharpest one left, very good at strategy and keeps up on the physical tasks (remember when she beat one of the Bouncers at the construction-area detour?). Unfortunately for her, she's saddled with Wil, who not only is lousy at most things he tries, he thinks he's <I>good </I>at them. So I think the combination will sink them. Chris and Alex, pardon my opinion, I don't think are up to the challenge as far as the strategic elements, although I could be wrong-- they've obviously gotten this far. However, I think the smart money is on Blake and Paige. They don't do outstandingly well at anything, but they also don't seem to make mistakes... and I think that will be enough to make them the winners.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Get your bets down, everybody!</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 9 (5/1):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Another non-elimination leg. Yawn... although it was fun to see Tara get exasperated enough with Wil to scream out of their car window, "Can I get a new partner?!"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The locales stretched from the outback of Australia to a sheep farm in New Zealand, which I realized only as the episode went on is Phil the Host's native land-- must have been a favor to him to get the route through there this time.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> As non-eventful as last week was, this week's show ought to be dramatic, since this is the show where we get down to the final group of three, who will finish up the last two legs. As of now, the rankings are fairly close, with Team Cha-Cha-Cha in the last slot. The way things turn around so quickly in the race that may not mean anything, but it's still something to consider-- whoever finishes last in the next episode might as well have finished last in the first leg, like the mother/daughter team I barely remember. One team which might have an advantage is Tara and Wil, who are the only team left who has <B>not </B>used their fast forward option. Strategically, this could be the right time to go for it, so as to ensure making it into the final group... or should it be saved for one of the last two legs, to maximize the chances of winning? That will be one of the things to watch for tonight.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Yes, I admit it, I usually am so lazy I only post my updates for the previous show on the afternoon before the next show. Put me in internet jail :)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I'm also wondering what locations could be in store for the last three legs. If the first race is any guide, they will probably wind up near their original start point-- Las Vegas seems like a logical spot. Before they get there, though, I'm guessing that after a few more locations in New Zealand, the route will either go on to somewhere in South America before trending northward, or onward to someplace like Japan or Hawaii before heading back to the States. The locations have been interesting, but it's a shame that post 9/11 security worries kept the route out of Europe, which was the site of several stops in <I>AR 1</I>. Maybe for the next installment, we will get to places like Berlin or St. Petersburg...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 8 (4/24):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tonight's airing was a two-hour show, but that's misleading because the first hour was one of those dreaded "non-elimination" legs. Still, it was hilarious to see a classic series of blunders by not one but <I>two </I>teams in the first hour. Faced with the task of collecting a a successive set of clues along the street in Sydney, both Wil/ Tara and Blake/ Paige screwed it up by not following directions, so they had to go do them all over again. Priceless dialogue; Paige: "I can't believe this happened." Tara: "I can, knowing Wil."</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The other fascinating thing about the first hour is the way in which Oswald and Danny have <I>completely </I>messed with the heads of every other team by being completely unorthodox. Case in point: After getting the instructions to go from Hong Kong to Sydney, every other team flocked to the airport to grab whatever they could, as quickly as possible. Oswald and Danny took their time, went to a travel agent in the city, got a flight that connected through Singapore instead of Bangkok (which everybody else used), left Hong Kong about 2 hours later than the others and <I>still </I>got to Sydney first. The remaining teams are convinced that "Team Cha-Cha-Cha" has some serious mojo working for them...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="09301010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In the second "real" hour, everybody set out from Sydney to go into the outback. The Boston Bouncers took the fast-forward option (risky!), which again seemed too easy-- just go to a food stand and eat some meat pies? The others had to negotiate a route which included a charter flight, digging for jewels and/or playing golf on a godforsaken desert course, and throwing a boomerang. I say and/or because Gary and Dave started out digging at the mine... gave up... then went to play golf, which they were really bad at. Whether that had anything to do with the fact that they were eliminated, I can't say, but it's just as likely that their smug arrogance finally caught up with them. At the beginning I had thought they would be as goofy and essentially likable as the first race's Drew and Kevin, but they were a huge disappointment. Instead, they turned into this race's equivalent of Team Guido-- the ones you love to hate. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Well, I still don't like most of the remaining teams either... Wil is truly irritating, the Bouncers are pretty thickheaded, and Blake and Paige are just a little too gee-whiz-look-at-that for me to take. Honestly, of the four teams left, I'm rooting for Team Cha-Cha-Cha.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> One last funny thing about digging for jewels at the mine. When the teams found what they thought was the right jewel, they had to take it for inspection by a "prospector" sitting by a broken-down pickup truck.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I swear this guy was in an old Men At Work video...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="09701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 7 (4/17):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="09801010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In this week's episode, Mary and Peach (The Sisters) were eliminated, and I'm fascinated by it because it's the closest I've seen a team come to quitting outright. Basically, they just gave up after a certain point-- a decision helped along by the fact that they made some spectacularly bad mistakes earlier in the show. They kicked away crucial time by trying to find Center Plaza in Hong Kong... not <I>Center Plaza</I>, which all of the other teams were able to locate without difficulty. But what really seemed to seal the deal was the herbal tea they had to drink to get to the next stage... Peach barfed it right up (fortunately not directly on camera), causing her to say, in effect, "that's it". Oh well.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> For the teams still playing... more sexual tension between Tara and either Chris or Alex (I swear I can't distinguish one from the other), and Gary and Dave took a shot and used their fast forward. That could be risky, seeing as how any advantage it gets you can be largely wasted in the next stage.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This week, it looks like they are headed to Australia from Hong Kong...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="09b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 6 (4/10):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sometimes I don't post an update for a while because I'm just too lazy.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="08401010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> And then sometimes I don't do it because there's just no point.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="08401010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Like in the case of this episode.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="08401010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> You see, this episode ended with a "non-elimination" rest stop. May I ask, what's the point?</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> There are two reasons, essentially, to watch <I>The Amazing Race</I>. One is the chance to see exotic locales. The other is to see dopey Americans traveling through exotic locales knowing that they will get kicked off the show if they finish last in the episode.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="09301010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Early on in the show, if you were watching closely, you <I>knew </I>that nobody was going to get eliminated, since the host didn't specifically say that while mentioning the process of making their way to a pit stop.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Without the spectacle of an imminent elimination, we were only left with the exotic locales. And I can see that on the Travel Channel 24/7.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sure, you could argue that until the very end, none of the teams themselves knew that nobody was in danger of elimination, so it was almost as exciting to watch them struggling for position. No, sorry, that still doesn't do it for me.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> So, to summarize:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0a701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Nobody's overall ranking changed much.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0aa01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Everybody got to see more of Thailand.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0ad01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Gary and Dave trashed every other team in a one-on-one with the camera.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0b001010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Tara and either Chris or Alex (can't remember which one) are still forming an unofficial "alliance."</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> That's about it. Memo to CBS: If you absolutely have to have a fixed number of shows to air, to avoid episodes where no one loses, <I>ADD A FEW MORE TEAMS!</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Thank you.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 5 (4/3):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> This week's episode took us all the way from Namibia to Thailand, and once again air travel was the great equalizer. <I>Everybody </I>got on the same plane to Bangkok, so it wasn't too surprising that there was turnover in the team rankings.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0b501010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Tensions continue to abound. Wil (of the Separated Couple) and Blake (The Brother) butt heads like a couple of alpha males, accusing each other of getting in their faces. When the destination of Bangkok was revealed, Tara and Wil were gleeful. "We know Bangkok.... We go there on business three times a year!"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0b601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> When I heard that, I knew what would happen. Remember Team Guido in <I>AR 1</I>, who lived in Paris for two years and <I>still </I>lost ground to other teams when the race went there? Or Frank and Margherita, who <I>lived </I>in Queens where the race ended, and still lost a straight-out sprint from Newark to Queens and lost the million dollars? Hubris has a way of being punished in this game.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0b701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sure enough, Tara and Wil took a taxi which left them off at the wrong location, and they had to get another cab. It didn't really hurt their overall standings, but it was still fun to see.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Other teams had their problems too, as when not one but two teams went to a marketplace to get an item to burn as a sacrifice, and then went to the <I>wrong place</I> to burn them-- making them go back and buy another item... and I think somebody even did it wrong the second time. Incidentally, this scene was the location for the first real Ugly Americanism of the trip. Blake and Paige were told they had to pray before making their ritual sacrifice, so they prayed for <I>the natives</I>, for worshipping idols.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Not exactly in the spirit of "It's A Small World", is it?</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The main cringeworthy part of the show was the trip to the caves... or as they might have labeled it, "To The Batcave, Robin!"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Hundreds of bats flying around is this year's successor to last year's Temple of Rats.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The race to the pit stop resulted in a first-to-sixth shift (Oswald and Danny) and a last-to-first shift (Chris and Alex), so it's still in flux. If I had to bet, I'd guess that Oswald and Danny would be the next eliminated, just because one of them has a bad foot. If so, it's too bad, because they are probably coming across as the least abrasive team.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The last team at the pit stop was the Pastors, so they're out. I have mixed feelings about them. They seemed pleasant enough but had an annoying habit of referring to God to explain why they had a chance to win.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> As if to say, forget about the whole Middle East thing, God's most concerned with making sure that these two win a million bucks.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Episode 4 (3/27):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Note to the IOC. Here's the event you should add for the Athens Olympics.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Sand luge. Actually, I guess it's technically "sand skeleton." It's a simple concept-- ride a piece of cardboard down a huge sand dune-- but it looks like a total rush. I'll volunteer to be the next Jim Shea instant-hero in "sand skeleton."</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Why does this come up in this feature? Well, one of the things all of the teams had to do this week was ride the cardboard down a Namibian sand dune called the "Matterhorn" at speeds of 50 MPH. Did I mention that it looked way cool?</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Wrapped around the X-Games feature was the usual frantic activity and scheming. The teams started out in South Africa, with instructions to fly to Namibia. There was only space for 4 teams on each of two flights, which is becoming a pattern and evidence that the producers have learned from the first show, when no matter how much of a time advantage anybody built up, nearly everybody made the same flight. Whether by design or not, there's now a first division/ second division split being enforced by space limitations on flights, ferries, ect.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Best Friends ran into a problem when one of them came up with a sore foot, so they decided to go for the Fast Forward, which would get them out of doing everything else. I thought that in theory, the Fast Forward was supposed to be something <I>difficult</I>, something that would really earn the advantage.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> What did the guys have to do? They were told to go to a hotel, they walked into the pool area, they saw the marker, and they got it from the middle of a shallow pool.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> That was <I>it</I>? Seems pretty lame to me. Hey, the last team to earn a Fast Forward had to score 10 points against Brazilian pro volleyball players!</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06801010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Everybody else's route involved going through the deserts, sand skeletoning, and eventually getting to a game preserve. Midway through the show, it seemed almost certain that the Bouncers were doomed to elimination, due to some incredibly poor decisionmaking (going into the airport to call for a taxi, while the other three teams on their flight remained outside just as three taxis pulled up to the entrance). But in the end, it was the Identical Twins who were bounced, as they lost their way, couldn't find the right route, and even ended up with their van stuck in a sanddrift. I thought they looked like they would be one of the contending teams, but as luck would have it, they were one of the first teams out.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> By the way, the actor they reminded me of? Taye Diggs.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In this week's show, some trends continued. The Husband from the Separated Couple continues to piss people off, as at one point one of the Ex-Roommates shouted at him WWF-style "You're going down!" Meanwhile, his wife continues to get kinda cozy with one of the Bouncers. "We're 'strategizing'," they said when the cameras found them in a secluded location.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06201010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> "Alliance-building" has never been so interesting.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Episode 3 (3/20):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Things we learned in tonight's episode:</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> It's really, really hard to get from Brazil to South Africa. Without going through Europe.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The big "scandal" hinted at in last week's previews turned out to be a red herring, as the Grandmas slept through their original departure time, and nobody woke them up... but it didn't end up making more than 20 minute's difference.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The real drama this week was just getting flights to South Africa. After leaving the departure point, the teams went to the Sao Paulo airport, where all flights to Cape Town were booked, leading to a wild illustration of the accumulation of frequent flyer miles. Everybody went from South America through <I>at least </I>one, and <I>sometimes </I>more than one, of the following cities: New York, London, Milan, Lisbon, and Frankfurt. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> It reminded me of <I>Sports Night</I>'s Jeremy explaining how anonymous e-mail was routed through various worldwide servers so your mail couldn't be traced to a porn site.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The effect was the opposite of what usually happens with air travel. Instead of equalizing the time differences between teams, it exaggerated them and threw the order all out of whack, depending on what kind of crazy-quilt connection you had been able to get.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> After finally getting to Cape Town, the route led from Mandela's prison cell to the dockside to acquiring ingredients for a horrible-sounding drink in the townships to the pit stop at what looked like an old colonial plantation. At least a few people on the teams recognized the irony of being directed to a truly historic site-- the place where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years in prison-- and not being able to fully appreciate its significance because, you know, "we've gotta get to the next route marker!"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Nearly everybody elected to sing and dance traditional-South-African-style-as-popularized-by-Paul-Simon in order to make enough tip money to complete their task... leading to the best line of the night, by one of the Best Friends, who said it was like "Riverdance on crack!"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> (By the way, from this point the Best Friends (Gay) are going to be simply the Best Friends. It's too complicated to go through the extra qualifier with the other set of Best Friends, who are labeled on the broadcast as Lifelong Friends. I think I'll call 'em The Bouncers anyway.)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The concoction brewed up in the townships involved the boiling of a sheep's head. Enough said.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06801010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The last teams to arrive at the pit stop were the Bouncers and the Pastors. Wouldn't that be a great band name? </div> <div> <IMG SRC="06801010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Who got offed this week? Well, it was no real surprise, as the inevitable fate finally caught up with the 60-ish Grandmas. As long as it took for everyone else to make connections through to South Africa, they got caught even longer in airport waits, and if we believe the editing, they were still at Heathrow in London when everybody else had arrived at the pit stop. Mercifully, after going to Mandela's cell they were diverted directly to the pit stop to be told the news.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06801010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> With all due respect, I'm not sure seeing them gumboot dancing would have been "must-see-TV".</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0d901010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Next week: Sand Luge!</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0da01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>EpIsode 2 (3/13):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="0db01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> For this week, the Identical Twins (seeded #3) are up against the Ex-Roommates (#6), with the winners moving on to face the #2 seeded Best Friends (Straight)...</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> No wait, a minute-- I'm watching too much basketball lately.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0b601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In this week's show, the teams wound their way from the boat in the middle of the harbor to a jungle nature retreat 900 miles away. You'd guess that the Grandmas would be behind the 8-ball, and for most of the episode, once again, they announced clearly to everyone that they weren't competitive. And yet, like Rasputin, they survive.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0de01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The visual highlight of this show was the hang-gliding (well, either that or the salsa dancers...), where nearly every team took a flying leap off a mountain to the beach below. But the hang-gliding was also the occasion for what could be a major strategic blunder by the Brother/ Sister team. Instead of waiting in the first-come-first-served line for the ride, they crashed on the beach and showed up the next morning, way back in the pack. This wouldn't make that much difference except that it put them on later buses to get to the pit stop... and they finished 9th, putting them on the bubble, along with that gutty Butler University team... sorry, basketball seeping in again.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0df01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Strategically, another questionable move might have been the Identical Twins using their Fast Forward option so soon. The Fast Forward involves getting some assignment done, and in return, you get to bypass all the rest of the duties for the leg and go straight to the pit stop. But you can only use it once during the contest... so you ought to save it for later in the race, when it could really mean something, unless you are in danger of elimination, which I don't think the Twins were.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06601010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Well, they would have been eliminated if Bud Selig had his way. Anyway, this could put them at a strategic disadvantage later on.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0e101010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The Husband of the Separated Couple is still getting on people's nerves, this time the Best Friends from Boston. Interestingly, one of the Boston guys was heard in a voice-over saying how much he and The Wife from the Separated Couple were getting along, even though he was having conflict with The Husband.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I went to see <I>The Amazing Race</I>, and <I>Temptation Island </I>broke out.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="06201010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In the end, the last team to get to the jungle resort and face elimination was the Married Couple. I only wish I could remember something interesting about them. Or even their names.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Line of the week: One of the Ex-Roommates joked after meeting a salsa dancer-- "A few more minutes and I would have gotten her number!" I think she probably had his number the minute he walked into the club.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> According to the previews, next week ugliness erupts as The Brother and Sister let the Grandmas sleep through their wake-up call! <I>Ooohhh!</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Episode 1 (3/11):</B></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Before knowing anything about the personalities of the teams, and with 11 teams to try to focus on, much of the first episode looked like 22 people I didn't know scrambling around without a clear idea of what they were doing.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Which, by the way, could also describe any given play in the "NFL Europe" league.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The teams started from a desert location somewhere near Las Vegas. In my opinion, this didn't make for as good an opening as in the first edition, when they began in the midst of Central Park. Millions of people have been to Central Park, and even more know some of the landmarks from seeing it in movies and on TV, so that made it immediately relatable. A lot fewer have reference points for barren desert. If they were going to make them go to Vegas anyway, why not start the race in front of Circus-Circus on the Strip?</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The second edition of <I>AR </I>has learned from the product placement of <I>Survivor</I>, where reward feasts feature The Good Taste Of Mountain Dew and spending sprees are courtesy of Visa. On being told to start, the teams were told to hop in their "Ford Explorers" to get to the airport in Vegas... and later on, the first to arrive at the first leg checkpoint won a trip to Hawaii "courtesy of American Airlines", which coincidentally was the only carrier offering flights out of Vegas to... Rio, the first location destination. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 7 teams made it on to the first flight, with the other four following a few hours later. As long as you don't finish last and get eliminated, there's very little incentive to really bust your butt in the early stages, because as we saw the first time around, the necessity to rely on transportation schedules tends to equalize the teams. If you gain two hours on the next team, but you both have to wait for a train or a flight that's 5 hours away, your advantage vanishes.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Once the teams got to Rio, they proceeded to the huge statue of Jesus that overlooks the city to get their next instructions. I wonder how many of the teams really bothered to soak up the experience... I mean, here's one of the most spectacular sights on the planet, and I'll bet most were so focused on finding their next set of instructions that they barely noticed it.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> From the statue, the route consisted of getting ferry tickets, kissing a tree (?), and then either repelling down a mountain face or taking a less direct but easier path to the finish of the first leg, a ship in the middle of the harbor. The only real ugliness surfaced at the ticket booth for the ferry, when The Brother and the husband of the Separated Couple looked like they might throw down. Depending on whom you believed, The Brother either cut in line to get a ride on an earlier ferry, or The Husband walked away from the booth without saving his place.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> People, it was a difference of 45 minutes we were talking about. There's a long way to go. Neither of you were in danger of finishing last. In the words of Rodney King, "Can't we all get along?"</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> The only real suspense was who was going to finish last and be eliminated. Just about the whole way, the Grandmas had a firm hold on 11th (last), and they seemed to as much expect going home. "We can't compete," one of them said. But near the end, The Mother/Daughter team hit a snag when The Mother took way too much time repelling down the cliff. Meanwhile, bypassing the rock climbing, the Grandmas took the long way around, which consisted of going down to the beach, finding the original Girl from Impanema, and getting directions to the first leg destination point. </div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> They were the only team to choose this option, and frankly I would have felt a little sorry for the original Girl from Impanema if nobody had wanted to find her. After seeing her as she looked in the 60's and seeing her on the beach now, I think we have one more general critique of the 60's.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Not enough emphasis on sunblock.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Anyway, in a stunning reversal, the Grandmas sneaked into 10th place. The Mother/ Daughter team was eliminated, amid much shedding of tears.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="00701010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> I think it would be much worse to be knocked out early on in <I>The Amazing Race </I>than it would be to be voted out on <I>Survivor</I>. In the latter case, you could always spin it by implying that they <I>wanted </I>you off-- you were <I>too strong a competitor</I> for them to leave you in the tribe.</div> <div> <IMG SRC="05b01010.gif" border=0 width="1" height="1" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> No such excuses in <I>The Amazing Race</I>. You just finished last, dude.</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>