This week's episode of Survivor covered a whole range of feelings.
First we had the Sad. Well, at least sad for me. Others will like what happened. The Redemption Island challenge between Stephanie (my favourite) and Matt involved a matching game. They would take turns turning over tiles trying to match the symbols. The first to five would win. Matt got lucky on his first turn and got a match. Stephanie did the same. Then Matt took the lead and kept it until the end beating Stephanie.
It is amazing how much more emotion is involved when the player is eliminated from Redemption Island than being voted out. It is like they had some hope and then their hopes were dashed and the finality of it all sets in. They are out of the game. They burn their buff (and they don't get another one as a souvenir) and they are done.
I will personally miss Stephanie. She was a good player that wanted to compete, but due to circumstances mostly beyond her control she was eliminated. The circumstances I am talking about is the stupid way that Zapatera played the game. Throwing a challenge to get rid of Russell, then picking off his two allies even when David came to his senses and tried to get the tribe to keep Stephanie for the sake of keeping the tribe strong. It's rather surprising that a team that on paper should be the stronger tribe has completely fallen apart.
The Great. It was a great immunity challenge. One that has been done before but that didn't reduce the excitement. They tribes had to go through a series of obstacles, a pile of hay, ropes and brick walls, and after each obstacle unwind a bag of balls from a coiled wire. Once they got through all obstacles and had all the balls they had to get all six balls into a basket. This challenge was tense. Both tribes were neck and neck throughout. Zapatera even had the lead until Ometepe pulled past and got all their balls in the basket. I cheered! Zapatera lost and would go to Tribal Council. Ometepe was off on a fantastic reward.
The Hilarious. Ometepe won an amazing trip by helicopter up onto the edge of an active volcano. They got to enjoy the view as they feasted. Of course somewhere in the reward would be hidden a clue for the immunity idol. I guess the group was so into eating that no one but Rob even thought to look for it. This is even more amazing considering that Grant had found the last two and Phillip knew about it. Oh well, their loss. Rob found the clue in a jar of cookies without anyone seeing.
Then came the best part. Rob sitting on the edge of the volcano talking to the camera. Rob already has the idol so, "Might as well just throw it away" and he tossed the clue without even opening it into the volcano. Awesome! Rob is secure in being one of the greatest players in the history of Survivor.
The Good. Zapatera came somewhat to its senses and voted Sarita out at Tribal Council.
I want to finish by reminding people that Jeff Probst live tweets during the show. You can ask questions and get insight into the game. For instance, did you know that each player is given sunscreen and a medical box with band-aids and condoms. Yes, condoms. But no toothbrush, no toilet paper and no soap.
So follow Jeff on Twitter @JeffProbst
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Earth Hour - What Did You Do?
Earth Hour 2011 has come and gone. Some people probably didn't even notice, but some turned off the lights and had a good time. So what did you do?
I turned off all my lights, my computer, tv and even my heat (I have electric heat). I lit one candle and then sat in the dark listening to music on my ipod.
Actually, my Earth Hour turned into two hours. It was nice to just listen to music without any distractions. I will certainly have to do that more often.
I hope you all enjoyed Earth Hour.
I turned off all my lights, my computer, tv and even my heat (I have electric heat). I lit one candle and then sat in the dark listening to music on my ipod.
Actually, my Earth Hour turned into two hours. It was nice to just listen to music without any distractions. I will certainly have to do that more often.
I hope you all enjoyed Earth Hour.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Earth Hour - Why
March 26th, 2011 at 8:30pm, Earth Hour begins. For one hour people around the world are encouraged to turn off their lights and other non-essential electrical items. It is a symbolic gesture to enlighten people to ways of saving energy.
There will be cynics that will say that the energy saved in that one hour is negligible. It is true that if done for only one hour it is a small saving in energy. The point that they miss is that it shows people how they can continue to save energy throughout the rest of the year. If you can go with no lights, no TV, no computer or no video games for an hour, then you can probably continue to leave less lights on and turn the TV and computer off when you are not actually using them for the rest of the year. That would add up to a good energy savings.
Additionally, it is to re-focus people on the costs of using so much energy. Not just the monetary costs, which are high, but the cost to the environment with pollution and green house gas emissions. These are important issues that many people are aware off but tend to forget about when going about their daily lives.
Finally, it is fun. It is really cool to sit in the dark, perhaps by candle light, on your own or with friends and family. A time when you can actually talk to each other without distractions. A time to look at a city in the dark. A time to see the night as it actually is. (although cities will likely keep street lights on for safety)
For those that remember the great blackout in August 2003, you will remember being able to look up and actually see stars from the city. It was amazing. Perhaps we should do this more often.
I'm looking forward to Earth Hour. I will be turning off my lights. Will you?
There will be cynics that will say that the energy saved in that one hour is negligible. It is true that if done for only one hour it is a small saving in energy. The point that they miss is that it shows people how they can continue to save energy throughout the rest of the year. If you can go with no lights, no TV, no computer or no video games for an hour, then you can probably continue to leave less lights on and turn the TV and computer off when you are not actually using them for the rest of the year. That would add up to a good energy savings.
Additionally, it is to re-focus people on the costs of using so much energy. Not just the monetary costs, which are high, but the cost to the environment with pollution and green house gas emissions. These are important issues that many people are aware off but tend to forget about when going about their daily lives.
Finally, it is fun. It is really cool to sit in the dark, perhaps by candle light, on your own or with friends and family. A time when you can actually talk to each other without distractions. A time to look at a city in the dark. A time to see the night as it actually is. (although cities will likely keep street lights on for safety)
For those that remember the great blackout in August 2003, you will remember being able to look up and actually see stars from the city. It was amazing. Perhaps we should do this more often.
I'm looking forward to Earth Hour. I will be turning off my lights. Will you?
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Night of the Supermoon
Saturday, March 19th 2011 - Night of the Supermoon
I was going to start by saying that the moon tonight was not all that special, but then I realized that every celestial event is special. It is truly amazing to look up in the night sky. People should do it more often. If events like the Supermoon can encourage people to pay attention to the sky more then that is a good thing.
The Supermoon is a full moon when it is at its perigee, that is when it is at its closest approach to the Earth. It appears slightly larger and slightly brighter than a normal full moon. Although, without anything to directly compare it to I don't think you would be able to tell with the naked eye. You would likely just think that the moon is really bright tonight.
But none of that matters. The moon is incredible. It is amazing to look at it and imagine what it would be like to be standing on the moon, what is that mountain ridge like, how flat is that plain or how deep is that crater.
And the really cool thing is, a small group of people have actually been there and done just that. Amazing.
Grab a pair of binoculars or even better a telescope and take a look at the moon close up. It is stunningly beautiful.
I hope everyone will look up every time they go outside at night and enjoy the wonders of our universe.
I was going to start by saying that the moon tonight was not all that special, but then I realized that every celestial event is special. It is truly amazing to look up in the night sky. People should do it more often. If events like the Supermoon can encourage people to pay attention to the sky more then that is a good thing.
The Supermoon is a full moon when it is at its perigee, that is when it is at its closest approach to the Earth. It appears slightly larger and slightly brighter than a normal full moon. Although, without anything to directly compare it to I don't think you would be able to tell with the naked eye. You would likely just think that the moon is really bright tonight.
But none of that matters. The moon is incredible. It is amazing to look at it and imagine what it would be like to be standing on the moon, what is that mountain ridge like, how flat is that plain or how deep is that crater.
And the really cool thing is, a small group of people have actually been there and done just that. Amazing.
Grab a pair of binoculars or even better a telescope and take a look at the moon close up. It is stunningly beautiful.
I hope everyone will look up every time they go outside at night and enjoy the wonders of our universe.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Survivor - Zapatera Zapped
I am loving this season of Survivor. A season like Heroes vs Villains was great because we were watching experienced pros play the game. Regular seasons can be great because of new interesting characters. This season is a combo of both. And the addition of Redemption Island so far has been exciting.
The tension and emotion of the Redemption Island challenges is amazing. This week we watched Matt and Kristina battle to put together what was a really heavy puzzle. The both looked exhausted by the end (make that a few seconds into it). In the end, Matt won. I didn't really like Kristina so I was not sad to see her go, but even so it is remarkable to see the emotion in the players that have to leave. Much more emotion than getting their torch snuffed. They have to burn their buff instead. To me that would hurt. If I were playing, I think I would become attached to my buff or at the very least want it as a souvenir. I asked Jeff Probst about that. He said that it was a last minute decision when they shot the first Redemption Island challenge. They needed something that punctuated the departure like the torch did at Tribal Council. It certainly adds that emotional punch. Kristina didn't want to let hers go. Jeff added that what is good for the show comes before the contestants getting souvenirs. He is right of course.
A few other things of note during the Redemption Island challenge. Matt asked Rob why he voted him out. Rob answered, "It doesn't take one person to vote someone out, Jeff, you know that." This is why Rob is such a great player. Also we had Stephanie pipe up about the situation at Zapatera and how she and Krista would be great allies if they made it to the merge. I am liking Redemption Island.
Back to the rest of the show. Zapatera is fractured and not playing smart. Their first mistake was getting rid of Russell. This put Stephanie and Krista on the outs with the rest of the tribe. The tribe referred to getting rid of Russell as a "personnel" problem. How wrong they are. In my opinion you should never throw a challenge. Julie referred to Stephanie and Krista pawns. Pawns can cause a great deal of hurt if you are not watching what you are doing. Then came the arguing. Sarita and David went at it a little. The cracks are beginning to show.
The challenge was a good one. The tribe blindfolded to collect puzzle pieces, directed by one person and that same person doing the puzzle. It was Stephanie against Rob. Rob was brilliant again even after dropping a puzzle piece. Stephanie did a good job directing her tribe. The only problem I saw was Ralph not knowing his left from his right. Stephanie came up short in the end and Zapatera lost the challenge.
Here is where I am conflicted. I don't like Zapatera as a whole, so I am happy that they lost. I do, however, really like Stephanie and also Krista. That loss put them in a vulnerable position. The tribe complained about Stephanie doing the puzzle. It should have been David. Well, if it should have been David you all should have insisted he do it. Stephanie did a good job despite the loss. I don't think David would have done better.
Back to the victorious Ometepe. They got their reward of coffee and doughnuts which they greedily devoured. Grant noticed a clue in the jar of coffee. Rob noticed Grant noticing. So the two of them snuck off together with the jar. Now here we get another piece of brilliant playing by Rob. He is a master, the Van Gogh or Davinci of Survivor. He took out the clue, sent Grant back with the jar to avoid the group knowing it was missing, then ran off and replaced the second clue with the first really vague clue that he already had, and then met back up with Grant. Grant had know idea. Rob played it like a genius. Great Survivor.
At tribal council sadly it was Krista that was voted out. I really hope Stephanie can do something to keep herself in the game until the merge.
So next week we get to see if Krista can beat Matt at Redemption Island.
The tension and emotion of the Redemption Island challenges is amazing. This week we watched Matt and Kristina battle to put together what was a really heavy puzzle. The both looked exhausted by the end (make that a few seconds into it). In the end, Matt won. I didn't really like Kristina so I was not sad to see her go, but even so it is remarkable to see the emotion in the players that have to leave. Much more emotion than getting their torch snuffed. They have to burn their buff instead. To me that would hurt. If I were playing, I think I would become attached to my buff or at the very least want it as a souvenir. I asked Jeff Probst about that. He said that it was a last minute decision when they shot the first Redemption Island challenge. They needed something that punctuated the departure like the torch did at Tribal Council. It certainly adds that emotional punch. Kristina didn't want to let hers go. Jeff added that what is good for the show comes before the contestants getting souvenirs. He is right of course.
A few other things of note during the Redemption Island challenge. Matt asked Rob why he voted him out. Rob answered, "It doesn't take one person to vote someone out, Jeff, you know that." This is why Rob is such a great player. Also we had Stephanie pipe up about the situation at Zapatera and how she and Krista would be great allies if they made it to the merge. I am liking Redemption Island.
Back to the rest of the show. Zapatera is fractured and not playing smart. Their first mistake was getting rid of Russell. This put Stephanie and Krista on the outs with the rest of the tribe. The tribe referred to getting rid of Russell as a "personnel" problem. How wrong they are. In my opinion you should never throw a challenge. Julie referred to Stephanie and Krista pawns. Pawns can cause a great deal of hurt if you are not watching what you are doing. Then came the arguing. Sarita and David went at it a little. The cracks are beginning to show.
The challenge was a good one. The tribe blindfolded to collect puzzle pieces, directed by one person and that same person doing the puzzle. It was Stephanie against Rob. Rob was brilliant again even after dropping a puzzle piece. Stephanie did a good job directing her tribe. The only problem I saw was Ralph not knowing his left from his right. Stephanie came up short in the end and Zapatera lost the challenge.
Here is where I am conflicted. I don't like Zapatera as a whole, so I am happy that they lost. I do, however, really like Stephanie and also Krista. That loss put them in a vulnerable position. The tribe complained about Stephanie doing the puzzle. It should have been David. Well, if it should have been David you all should have insisted he do it. Stephanie did a good job despite the loss. I don't think David would have done better.
Back to the victorious Ometepe. They got their reward of coffee and doughnuts which they greedily devoured. Grant noticed a clue in the jar of coffee. Rob noticed Grant noticing. So the two of them snuck off together with the jar. Now here we get another piece of brilliant playing by Rob. He is a master, the Van Gogh or Davinci of Survivor. He took out the clue, sent Grant back with the jar to avoid the group knowing it was missing, then ran off and replaced the second clue with the first really vague clue that he already had, and then met back up with Grant. Grant had know idea. Rob played it like a genius. Great Survivor.
At tribal council sadly it was Krista that was voted out. I really hope Stephanie can do something to keep herself in the game until the merge.
So next week we get to see if Krista can beat Matt at Redemption Island.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Supermoon - March 19th 2011
I would say that the moon is super anytime, but on March 19th, 2011 it is officially a Supermoon.
What is a Supermoon?
It is simply a full moon when the moon is at its closest approach to the Earth.
The moon should appear about 15% larger and up to 30% brighter than usual. It will not, as some people believe, cause catastrophic natural disasters on the Earth.
Here are some facts about the moon.
It's orbit is eliptical meaning that the distance from the Earth varies from approximately 363,300km and 405,500km.
It takes the moon 27.3 days to orbit the Earth (sidereal period), but 29.5 days to appear in the same phase due to the Earth moving allong its own orbital path (synodic period).
It is the second brightest object in the sky next to the sun.
The moon's gravity is responsible for tides on Earth.
Only one side of the moon faces the Earth at all times. That is why it always looks the same.
There is really no dark side of the moon. We call it that just because we can't see it, but it does get light from the sun as much as the side that faces us.
One day on the moon is 27.3 Earth days.
The moon is really cool to look at. My opinion and a fact.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Survivor - Redemption Island End of an Era
It is with great sadness that we say good-bye to one of the greatest players in the history of Survivor.
Redemption Island is proving to be one of the most exciting seasons of Survivor. Right from the beginning of each episode we are on the edge of our seat.
This week we were in for probably the most historic (even though it was only the second) Redemption Island battle ever. Survivor pro Russell Hantz fighting to survive against newcomer Matt. A simple challenge. Set up dominoes on a bunch of ramps, knock them down and send a ball rolling. Simple but full of drama. Will they fall too soon? Will they have put enough in place? Will it stop once it starts?
Matt was first to give it a go. His falling dominoes stopped short of the goal. Then it was Russell's turn. His dominoes fell, would they make it all the way... no. Back to the beginning. By now Matt was set up again. He knocked over the first domino. Down they went. All the way to the end and his ball rolled to the goal.
Russell was beaten.
Wow.
Then came even more drama. Russell Hantz, the ultimate villain broke down, sobbing. Now I don't care if you are a cynic, I thought it was touching. Russell had played the game of Survivor full out. Two seasons back to back and then this season. He may have had a high opinion of himself, but he was not totally wrong. He knew how to play the game. It was nice to see the flood of emotions overtake him. Even Sarita seemed to be affected.
Then Russell gained his composure and left the game in only the way Russell Hantz could. He laid bare the plans and alliances of the Zapatera for all to see. He exposed that they threw the challenge in the previous episode. He brought to light that Ralph had an idol. I hope this information comes back to haunt them.
So good-bye Russell and thanks for all the great television you have given us.
One thing to be thankful for is that we still have Rob to watch. And Rob is playing very well indeed. His search for the immunity idol was classic. He said sarcastically about the clue he had, "What a great clue". He had figured it must be on one side of the camp so he made up some lame game for the tribe to play (Phillip and Kristina were off watching the Redemption Island challenge). Then he faked some intestinal problems in order to get away and search for the idol. It took him a while but he found it.
Then came the immunity challenge. I would have liked to see Ometepe win, just to spite Zapatera, however at least by Zapatera winning it kept Stephanie (one of my favourites) safe.
It was great to see Kristina try to stir up trouble by mentioning the idol. Rob played this brilliantly. "So she thinks one of us has it. Or maybe she has it." He did not let anyone know that he had it. That is the way to play with an idol. So he got the tribe to split the vote, even though he knew they didn't need to, and Kristina is off to Redemption Island.
Again, I have to say that I am sad to see Russell go, but this is one exciting season of Survivor.
Redemption Island is proving to be one of the most exciting seasons of Survivor. Right from the beginning of each episode we are on the edge of our seat.
This week we were in for probably the most historic (even though it was only the second) Redemption Island battle ever. Survivor pro Russell Hantz fighting to survive against newcomer Matt. A simple challenge. Set up dominoes on a bunch of ramps, knock them down and send a ball rolling. Simple but full of drama. Will they fall too soon? Will they have put enough in place? Will it stop once it starts?
Matt was first to give it a go. His falling dominoes stopped short of the goal. Then it was Russell's turn. His dominoes fell, would they make it all the way... no. Back to the beginning. By now Matt was set up again. He knocked over the first domino. Down they went. All the way to the end and his ball rolled to the goal.
Russell was beaten.
Wow.
Then came even more drama. Russell Hantz, the ultimate villain broke down, sobbing. Now I don't care if you are a cynic, I thought it was touching. Russell had played the game of Survivor full out. Two seasons back to back and then this season. He may have had a high opinion of himself, but he was not totally wrong. He knew how to play the game. It was nice to see the flood of emotions overtake him. Even Sarita seemed to be affected.
Then Russell gained his composure and left the game in only the way Russell Hantz could. He laid bare the plans and alliances of the Zapatera for all to see. He exposed that they threw the challenge in the previous episode. He brought to light that Ralph had an idol. I hope this information comes back to haunt them.
So good-bye Russell and thanks for all the great television you have given us.
One thing to be thankful for is that we still have Rob to watch. And Rob is playing very well indeed. His search for the immunity idol was classic. He said sarcastically about the clue he had, "What a great clue". He had figured it must be on one side of the camp so he made up some lame game for the tribe to play (Phillip and Kristina were off watching the Redemption Island challenge). Then he faked some intestinal problems in order to get away and search for the idol. It took him a while but he found it.
Then came the immunity challenge. I would have liked to see Ometepe win, just to spite Zapatera, however at least by Zapatera winning it kept Stephanie (one of my favourites) safe.
It was great to see Kristina try to stir up trouble by mentioning the idol. Rob played this brilliantly. "So she thinks one of us has it. Or maybe she has it." He did not let anyone know that he had it. That is the way to play with an idol. So he got the tribe to split the vote, even though he knew they didn't need to, and Kristina is off to Redemption Island.
Again, I have to say that I am sad to see Russell go, but this is one exciting season of Survivor.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Survivor - Zapatera Thows a Challenge
This is one wacky season of Survivor. I am thoroughly enjoying it while at the same time being frustrated by it. Although I think my frustrations come from seeing players I like being eliminated. More on that later.
This week we got to see our first Redemption Island dual. It was rather exciting. Kind of like watching a sudden death overtime period. For a while I really thought Francesca would win and Matt would be gone. Then out of nowhere Matt made a comeback. It was also a great idea to have two members of each tribe sit in to watch and then see what they reported back to the tribes. I think I am liking the whole Redemption Island thing.
Back at the tribes, Rob is continuing to play a good game. He is keeping his alliance strong and an eye on Andrea who is still upset at Matt being voted off. I love how he found the clue to the hidden idol. If it wasn't for Phillips fat ass...
The Immunity Challenge was a repeat of the water wheel challenge from last season. A good challenge with a puzzle at the end which Rob solved to win. What he didn't know was that the alliance of six in Zapatera was throwing the challenge. Russell was quick enough to pick up on it and so he went to work on figuring out a way to stay in the game. He was sure that the six would split the vote 3 x 3 and his three would create a 3 way tie. That would result in a re vote in which he would be the target. Their only chance was to convince Julie to vote with them. It looked like she might but it didn't happen and Russell was voted out.
I'm sure this will make some people happy, but not me. I enjoyed watching the way Russell played. Now he is not gone completely. He has the chance to beat Matt on Redemption Island and keep himself alive at least one more round. I am concerned about the girls in his alliance. They will clearly be the next to go. Stephanie probably first. I like Stephanie. I loved her line at Tribal, "...mouth is still moving." Unfortunately even if Russell survives on Redemption Island he will then have to take on Stephanie, meaning that we will not see the two of them in a final.
I do think that Zapatera made a mistake in throwing the challenge. They have given the momentum to Ometepe. Rob will use that momentum. By the way, even though Zapatera threw the challenge, Rob does not know that.
Another thing... If you are on Twitter and are following Jeff Probst, the past two weeks he has been live tweeting during the episode. Last week he did it on Pacific Time, this week Eastern Time. Either way it is worthwhile and fun to follow. He gives you some cool insights into the game. Below are a couple of examples:
"This tribal probably lasted 45-60 minutes in total. We only show you the 5 minutes that we need to climax the show."
"What is funny is that Rob is watching right now at home and this is the first he has learned of the challenge being thrown."
and
This week we got to see our first Redemption Island dual. It was rather exciting. Kind of like watching a sudden death overtime period. For a while I really thought Francesca would win and Matt would be gone. Then out of nowhere Matt made a comeback. It was also a great idea to have two members of each tribe sit in to watch and then see what they reported back to the tribes. I think I am liking the whole Redemption Island thing.
Back at the tribes, Rob is continuing to play a good game. He is keeping his alliance strong and an eye on Andrea who is still upset at Matt being voted off. I love how he found the clue to the hidden idol. If it wasn't for Phillips fat ass...
The Immunity Challenge was a repeat of the water wheel challenge from last season. A good challenge with a puzzle at the end which Rob solved to win. What he didn't know was that the alliance of six in Zapatera was throwing the challenge. Russell was quick enough to pick up on it and so he went to work on figuring out a way to stay in the game. He was sure that the six would split the vote 3 x 3 and his three would create a 3 way tie. That would result in a re vote in which he would be the target. Their only chance was to convince Julie to vote with them. It looked like she might but it didn't happen and Russell was voted out.
I'm sure this will make some people happy, but not me. I enjoyed watching the way Russell played. Now he is not gone completely. He has the chance to beat Matt on Redemption Island and keep himself alive at least one more round. I am concerned about the girls in his alliance. They will clearly be the next to go. Stephanie probably first. I like Stephanie. I loved her line at Tribal, "...mouth is still moving." Unfortunately even if Russell survives on Redemption Island he will then have to take on Stephanie, meaning that we will not see the two of them in a final.
I do think that Zapatera made a mistake in throwing the challenge. They have given the momentum to Ometepe. Rob will use that momentum. By the way, even though Zapatera threw the challenge, Rob does not know that.
Another thing... If you are on Twitter and are following Jeff Probst, the past two weeks he has been live tweeting during the episode. Last week he did it on Pacific Time, this week Eastern Time. Either way it is worthwhile and fun to follow. He gives you some cool insights into the game. Below are a couple of examples:
"This tribal probably lasted 45-60 minutes in total. We only show you the 5 minutes that we need to climax the show."
"What is funny is that Rob is watching right now at home and this is the first he has learned of the challenge being thrown."
and
"You know that Amber is giving him a hard time right now! "You didn't win baby, they threw it!""
So get on Twitter and follow @JeffProbst
So that is it for this week, looking forward to next week.
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