Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Survivor: South Pacific, Ep. 1 - Bananas!

While this season's Survivor pays homage to the legendary musical, South Pacific, the first episode actually reminded me of the 1971 film, Bananas - where Woody Allen is mistaken for a Latin American dictator. In this season of Survivor, Cochran will play the Woody Allen role, and see if he can be mistaken for a Survivor contestant.  

Cochran's mannerisms, vocabulary, and speaking style are so Allen-esque, I simply can not take any of his dilemmas seriously. It's too comedic. But, that doesn't mean it can't be entertaining, so I'm glad he's still around.

Brandon is not Russell. Brandon can never be Russell. And the producers can't convince me otherwise. I don't care about his "Hantz" tattoo, and I don't care what anyone's reaction will be when they discover the tattoo. Sorry, producers: no sale. It is not a compelling storyline.

Ozzie beat Coach in the first challenge because he's a better listener, and was getting better advice (mostly from Keith, who wasn't shown much in the first episode, but is someone to watch).

For a second, I though Ozzie was really going to make a stand for Semhar, but Jim shot down ALL of his arguments, and Ozzie went with the group. He had to do it, and they made the correct decision.

As for Jim rolling his eyes behind Semhar's back, I don't blame her for being annoyed. This guy was a poker player? Jim, keep the cartoon faces to yourself.

Christine makes me wish I was born without ears. After the chopping stage of the immunity challenge, she said to Rick, "You went through that like but-tah!" Uggggghhhh! Where are my earmuffs? Jersey accents, Brooklyn accents, Staten Island accents - I can tolerate those. But, Long Island accents make me lunge for the mute button.

Overall, this looks like a weak cast. I think only half the people can win. I'll speak more about that in later re-caps. Let's see it play out for a bit first.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Obamanomics

"The true engine of economic growth will always be companies like Solyndra." - Barack Obama, May 26, 2010

"Solyndra files for bankruptcy, lays off 1,100 workers." - headline, ABC News, KGO-TV San Francisco, CA, August 31, 2011 

This is after the U.S. government made over $500 million worth of loan guarantees. The government should not be picking winners and losers.