Amazing Race: Seriously, You Thought That Was A Good Idea?

Reminiscent of the same episode last season (with the volleyball sisters), one team did something so stupid on last night's episode of Amazing Race that I cannot believe they actually thought it would be a good idea. The team of Flight Time and Big Easy--the Harlem Globetrotters--decided to incur a 4-hours penalty when Big Easy found it difficult to complete the very first task. The task: take five letters attained via voice automation and re-arrange them into a Czech(?) word. Sounds easy enough right? Not so for Big Easy. Granted, there are many possible combinations (five raised to the fifth power) so yes, this could be a time-consuming task but it is Amazing Race so the motto work smarter, not harder applies. If it doesn't sound like it could be a word, it probably isn't. But, Big Easy is not exactly the brains of the pair. After watching the three teams who would move on to the final leg complete the task (including the couple who first had to tackle a speed bump), Big Easy thought it would be wiser to incur a penalty rather than struggle further (keep in mind, another team gave him the first letter so he had a slight advantage). Boy was he wrong! While they waited out their four hours, the other teams completed their two remaining tasks. Note to Big Easy, exercising a little brain matter and trusting in your abilities yields surprising results. And, when you're down to the last leg before the finals on Amazing Race and don't know what's waiting around the corner, you're best bet is to keep racing. Four hours is too much time to sit on the sideline, especially at the start of a leg.

So Far So Good...I Think

First week back to work after being away for six weeks and...it's like I never left. I don't know what I was expecting but I thought that I would at least have to go through a re-adjustment period. Not so much. The work is the same, and thankfully, not as overwhelming as it could have been. Some people noticed I'd been gone and were happy to welcome me back; most didn't. I certainly feel different. Better! But as far as work, it's just another day/week at the office. Happy Thanksgiving!

Things On My Mind

1.) The weather...what's really going on here? It took some time to really warm up and for Summer to make it's presence known. Now that it's officially Fall, Summer is still very much here. Feels like Summer and Fall are two entities battling for dominance and we poor, hapless humans are caught in the middle. I can already feel myself getting sick from the changing temperatures. Making a decision about whether or not to keep the windows open at night is not something I want to do right now.

2.) Steve Harvey's 'Stawberry Letter'. I really love Steve Harvey's radio show mostly because it reinforces my belief that there are a lot of people out there who are much more weird and crazy than I could ever be. I've seen shows where relatives inadvertedly begin sexual relationships but until this morning, I don't remember hearing about anyone who knowingly entered into a incestuous relationship with someone they knew to be their sibling. I know it seems that there is a shortage of good men out there but when are conditions ever right for brother and sister to hook up? I can't even begin to wrap my mind around how anyone could ever... it's just wrong!

Real or Publicity Stunt?

Kanye’s foolish actions during the VMA is still sparking debate days later. Apparently, he’s pulled off the biggest stunt and fooled us all with the fake tears and tired apologies. The President of the United States was even overheard calling him a jacka** (very low of ABC for releasing that by the way). But there is at least one person that he did not fool: my friend G.

G believes that the whole scene where Kanye embarrassed the teenage girl during her big moment was all a stunt to get us all talking and keep him/them relevant. And, she does have pretty good evidence to support her theory but there are some pretty farfetched claims as well. Take G’s email response for instance:

“Kanye's whole image is to be a jerk. That is nothing new. Remember - he only needs like 1,000 fans or some rude comment he made. His new girlfriend throws cigarettes at the paparazzi. Its all cinema, good cinema, but still cinema. You're oversimplifying it, its not about record sales, its about publicity. Now kanye can demand money for interviews. Beyonce comes out looking good. they are on the cover of magazines and no one is paying attention to any one else. Everyone is talking about them. I'm very suspicious. An event that big has lots of cameras. How did they manage to get a camera on beyonce so quick? Even if they didn't stop Kanye from going on stage, the speech was long enough, why didn't they pull him off stage? MTV yanked all the footage from you tube - the only place you can go to see the incident is mtv.com. I understand why you guys are falling for it, its a juicy story, you want to believe it. Coming from someone who watched wrestling for years, I can tell when an event is staged.”

Now some of this definitely smacks of conspiracy theory rubbish. I mean does wrestling, which should be the very definition of really bad acting, really prepare anyone to judge the authenticity of someone’s actions? I too watched wrestling into my early teenage years so does that qualify me to recognize what’s real and what’s fake? But then again, I cut that cord much sooner than G did:)

Still, she has some valid point (and I don’t know the validity of all her facts, just going under the assumption that they are true): why did MTV yank all other footage everywhere but on their site? Are they trying to drive traffic to their site by capitalizing on what is their biggest stunt to date? This is something they are known for so it seems plausible. In an earlier email, I opined that if Kanye did what he did in order to boost record sales then he failed in a major way. I stopped buying cds a long time ago but from what I’ve been reading and hearing, he’s not very popular right now. But again, G did state that the ‘jerk’ bit was his approach and she later added that it’s his way of capturing our attention. And it’s true; we’re all talking about him.

To the question about the camera capturing Beyonce’s reaction shot, I answered that it is their job to know where the stars are at all time so it’s not at all suspicious to me that they would find her right away once her name was mentioned. But when I stopped to consider G’s viewpoint, I remembered that I questioned the fact that Beyonce and Taylor were both wearing red dresses (to signify girl power?) later in the show when Beyonce got to display what a gracious diva she is. Coincidence? And when G pointed out that the whole drama was wrapped up by the end of the show, it all seemed a bit too convenient. Suddenly, G doesn’t sound so crazy anymore.

So were we all fooled? Did Kanye pull off the biggest stunt to date? Were Beyonce and Taylor complicit in it? Were the people at MTV just up to their old tricks, trying to spice up an otherwise dull show? I mean, it’s no secret that viewership for award shows in general has been down in recent years. But we are all taking about this one and most likely following the latest tidbits about the surrounding drama. Are we so culpable that we would believe what is presented to us without going beyond the surface? It’s definitely something to think about.

Staycation

I'm starting a mini vacation in less than an hour. A few months ago on my last vacation, I headed all the way across the country to California. This time, I'm staying a little closer to home. There is so much that this city has to offer but I've only shown appreciation for a small part of it, even after living here for a good half of my life. So the goal, go out and explore. Of course, this will be a little tough with all the scheduled events and errands that I've put on hold for these next few days. But I'm sure my TimeOut guide will point me towards something good and I am determined to see as much as I can in the time that I have.

Proud Nevisian

In honor of Labor Day Weekend, I'd like to take a moment to share some memories about my hometown, Nevis W.I. Nevis is a tiny island (36 square miles) located in the Caribbean. Along with a group of other smaller islands, it comprises the Lesser Antilles and is near the southernmost tip of the Caribbean. I fondly remember eating saltfish and dumplings, johnnycakes. Buying a bread and cheese sandwich or a bun and cheese sandwich for lunch from Rose. Or sweets from Ms. Williams' store. Running to catch the bus to get to school. Sneaking into the neighbor's yard with my brother to lounge around in fruit trees and sample the goods. And running for our lives when the groundskeeper discovered us and chased us with a machete. Laying under a branch of a guava tree outside my uncle's home. Soursop. Sugar Apple. Custard Apple. Guinip. Tamarind. Annual trip to the gut to pick mangoes. Making mudcakes underneath our house. Playing cricket. Sports Day. My grandmother. Going to the beach almost every weekend (though I still can't swim). Going to beach after dark one night to see the crabs make their migration. Octopus. Shellfish. My extended family and childhood friends. And so many more memories. Unfortunately, it's been so long since I've visited that I don't think my childish memories will do it justice if I try to tell you about the island itself. So, check out this link and see why I love it.

Whew!

The last week and a half has been super busy at work. I've been alone in the office and have had to cover every research request that comes in. The challenge (and fun) has been in answering multiple request that comes in one after the other--all involving in-depth research and all urgent--without stressing out. Oh yeah, and I still had to perform my usual duties. I think I managed fairly well but I am happy to see my co-worker and hear another voice other than my own.