My thoughts on Survivor episodes 9, 10 and 11

Hey guys,

I missed survivor episode 9 and now they’ve done episodes 10 and 11. I thought I instead of reviewing all three of them, I would give my more of a commentary. So far this season has been emotionally draining, physically tough and very fast paced.

Episode 9, “Witches Coven”

Abi, Ciera and Kelley are super happy to have idoled out Savage. Kimmi dubs them the “Three Witches.” The Alpha alliance has been broken and now Jeremy and Stephen appear to be the only close players. During the Reward challenge “Styx,” the purple team, Tasha, Spencer, Stephen, Ciera and Joe ,smoke the other team. The Purple team are rewarded with a trip to the survivor spa. Here Ciera targets Wiggleswort, Joe’s close  ally. This reward was awkward as all the parties involved want to get rid of each other. Stephen wants to get rid of Joe, Joe wants to get rid of Stephen, and everyone wants to get rid of Ciera.

Later, the castaways play, “Bermuda Triangles” where everyone has to stay on a platform and the one that stays the longest wins. Of course, as time progresses the challenge gets harder since the castaways have to stand on a higher set of slants that are harder to balance. Probst introduces a twist where anyone who jumps off platform and gets to a buoy first, will win an advantage in the game. Fishbach surprisingly wins the advantage beating Spencer. Here we could see the Stephen versus Spencer tension building up. Back at the challenge, Joe beats Abi to win individual immunity. At tribal council, the majority Bayon alliance—Kimmi, Keith, Joe, Wigglesworth and Tasha—target the Witches, while Stephen convinces Jeremy and Spencer to flip voting out Wigglesworth. This episode was solid, not as strong as episode 8m since no idols were in play. However, we got to see Stephen create an upset on the majority alliance. As he tells Spencer, “We are at the bottom.”

Episode 10, “Like Selling your Soul to the Devil”

Stephen does some damage control with Tasha, after not telling her about the Kelley vote. Later this episode gets brutal, not since the early survivor seasons have I seen such a terrible weather with horrible rain. The castaways are all wet covered in water suffering as their shelter has holes in it. Stephen gets hit the worst as he has stomach pain. To make it even more difficult the reward challenge is “Basket Brawl” where two teams compete in a basketball-like game. This challenge reminded them me of Micronesia’s, “Beach Bash” were all the castaways duke it out in the rain. This reward challenge has been my favorite so far. The amazing trio—Ciera, Joe and Spencer—plus Tasha and Abi end up winning.

The winning castaways went to a Cambodia circus. Here Ciera shared a sweet moment where seeing all the children reminded her of son. This was a pause in the game and the castaways were happy to be away from the rain. At the immunity challenge, “Ballin A Jack” Probst offers the castaways the opportunity to give up immunity in exchange of an improved shelter. Everyone but Joe and Keith steps down. Joe ends up beating Keith at “Ballin A Jack.” The game consisted on the castaways standing on block while stabilizing a ball against an overhanging piece of wood.[1]Back at the beach, Spencer wants to get rid of Stephen as he has an advantage and is an strategic threat. While Jeremy is the only one who wants to keep him around. Spencer rallies the numbers and everyone but Kimmi and Jeremy end up voting for Stephen.[2] However, Jeremy heroically defends his friend and plays the hidden immunity idol on Stephen sending Ciera home. One of my favorite players of all time went home. However, the game was getting harder and harder and I see how she player all her cards. I am proud of you Ciera.

Episode 11, “My Wheels are Spinning” 

Back at camp, Stephen thanks Jeremy for saving him and promises his loyalty. While Jeremy tries to damage control Spencer, reassuring him he would do the same thing for him. In all honesty even if Stephen is a great strategist I thought he was mentally checkout from the game. He thought he was safe as well as he didn’t know what was going on.[3]The next day at night the castaways play the reward challenge, “Folklore.” This amazing challenge consists on Probst reads a story to the castaways. Afterwards, the castaways would have to run to different stations to answer questions about the story. Answering correctly would allow them to collect an item. Whoever collects five items would win. Again, Stephen manages to edge out Spencer.  Stephen wins a trip to a local resort and decides to take Jeremy and Tasha with him.[4] Stephen thinks he needs to damage control Tasha, while he should be more worried about Spencer.

Back at camp, Spencer sees the writing on the wall. Spencer knows the core of the alliance is Jeremy, Tasha and Stephen. Therefore, he sees that aligning with them will at best get since fourth place. He convinces everyone to vote out Stephen once and for all at the next tribal council. At the immunity challenge, “The Game is Afoot” the castaways have to untie a rope, to release their block pieces and build a three foot tower. Once they have built the tower they have to put a flag in the middle. All with their feet! Spencer starts slow but miraculously beats Joe for the first time. Spencer wins individual immunity and plans to vote out Stephen. On the other hand, Stephen finally seeing Joe vulnerable plans on taking his shot. Stephen still trusts Spencer and tells him about his extra vote. This extra vote allows him to nullify someone’s vote and vote on his behalf. Stephen foolishly splits the vote believing Joe might have an idol.[5] Spencer, with this new information, flips and votes for Stephen sending him home.

What an amazing episode, I would say this three episodes have build up momentum each on getting better and better. We have the emergence of a new Spencer a more villainous one. At the same time, it’s a smart move for Spencer to have gotten rid of Fishbach given that Stephen was his greatest competition. If I was Spencer I would be targeting Stephen as he’s a strategic threat and Joe as he makes it harder for me to win challenges. We can infer that Spencer plans on taking Stephen’s place as Jeremy’s number one. He must also feel confident that he can beat Joe in another immunity challenge. Meanwhile, I give credit to Joe for not stirring up the pot, other commentators think he had a Brenda Lowe approach of not scrambling. However, its likely Joe saw that the vote was going to Stephen, therefore, it was smarter to remain calm and trust the relationships he had made.[6]

---

[1] Thank’s to survivor wiki for this explanation.

[2] Ciera and Wentworth for Kimmi to split the vote.

[3] As Tyson said this is not a good sign.

[4] Jeremy and Tasha are playing the role of JT and Taj.

[5] Should Jeremy told Stephen he had an idol?

[6] Let’s not forget that Cristy Smith got herself voted out for not going along with the plan. Joe seeing the writing on the wall let the plan take its course and it worked!

Dragon Ball Super Review: Episodes 18 and 19

Episode 18

Hey guys,

 I thought I’d do a double episode review, since I was unable to watch episode 18 two weeks ago. We start this episode 18 with Frieza in hell. As Sartre would say, “hell is other people.” In Freezer’s case hell would be colorful and cheerful anthropomorphic creatures. The story then switches to Frieza Force’s space ship. Here we see Sorbet, Tagoma and Shisami hatch a plan to revive their fallen leader. Sorbet and Tagoma decide to head to earth, where they will use the Dragon Balls to revive Frieza. Meanwhile at Beerus’ Planet, Goku and Vegeta are training under Whiz.  Whiz easily outmatches then. He then advises Goku not to be overconfident and Vegeta to relax.

Back on earth, Sobert and Tagoma force Pilaf and friends, Shu and Mai, to hand him the Dragon Balls to revive Frieza, to which the Pilaf gang complies. Sobert summons Shenron whose able to bring Frieza back in pieces.[1]Sorbert tries to revive Frieza’s father—King Cold—but his abruptly interrupted by Mai and Shu who wish for money and ice cream. Back at the ship, Sorbet and Tagoma are able bring Frieza back to life by using the regeneration machine. Any way all around a solid episode, its mainly sets up what will be the Revival of Frieza saga.

He's back 

Episode 19

On Frieza’s ship, he’s finally revived. Frieza’s remembers his time in hell and vows to take vengeance on the saiyajins who defeat him. Frieza tells his army he will train for the first time to enact his revenge. Afterwards, Frieza criticizes Sorbert for taking too long to revive him and punishes Tagoma for fearing the saiyajins. Back at Beerus’ planet, Whiz is impresses by Goku’s and Vegeta’s progress; He reveals to us that Beerus personally chose them.[2] Beerus then appears and shares a funny scene with all of them. Meanwhile, on Earth Jaco, the galactic space patrolman!, asks Goten and Trunks to speak with Bulma. [3] Jaco tells Bulma that Frieza has been revived four months ago—time skip—and is coming to earth to destroy everyone. Bulma hurries and contacts the Z wariors: Gohan, Krillin, Piccolo, Tenshinhan and Master Roshi.

 I liked this episode as in the movie, Ressurection of F, was more action packed while in individual episodes we get more exposition, funny and characterization. For instance, when Krillin asks Gohan if he’s fine with fighting Frieza given that Gohan’s daughter—Pan—was just born, or the shenanigans between Goten and Trunks. I also really liked Jaco. He makes DBS more realistic as he appears as a normal policeman who thinks most of these people—saiyajins, Frieza and Beerus—are myths. Jaco gives us the perspective of a space a unique perspective. A space alien who thinks that even for him this warrior so powerful they are surreal. For instance, Beerus sneeze destroys a moon. I enjoyed this episode and thought it was all around solid. I would give episodes an 8/10. 

---

[1] Future Trunks cut Frieza’s bodies into small pieces.

[2] I am guessing for Champa’s tournament. Its great to see Vegata on equal footing with Goku!

[3] Bulma looks youger and hot in jeans. I wasn’t a fan of hers when she wore a skirt. She looked a bit too slutty.

Reappropriating Art: From Pretentious to Plain

Back in college, I had a professor who I would clash a lot with. I thought my professor was a nice guy, however, I felt his approach towards criticism and literature was very pretentious. He reminded me of William and Jimmy, my high school classmates who would have very fixed ideas of what counted as good art and what didn’t.

I feel that while these people are well intentioned they are turning art into an specialist subject and alienating the common people from it. They are not seeing art as a way of educating others but rather as a way they and their friends can have a common interest. Art stops being for the people and becomes an specialist discipline for close-minded people. 

Its time to reclaim art to serve as an educational tool for the masses. A lot of hipsters and literary critics complain that the masses are dumping down their culture. How the masses prefer: Jersey Shore, 16 and pregnant, and the Real World  over Austen, Fitzgerald or Salinger. However, what are you doing to change this? Absolutely nothing. You only interact with close-minded individuals  who condemn and stereotype anyone who disagrees.

I strongly believe that the common people dislike all the pretentious nonsense that the left champions, because its inherently elitist. Common people gravitate towards forms of education—reality television—were they feel respected. They want to have the opportunity to learn, however, if you are a snob looking down on them they will gravitate towards other forms of learning.

In our society today, there’s a bridge between the specialist and the layman; One that’s currently unbridgeable.  My aim, therefore, is to make culture—high or low—accessible to everyone. In order to do this, I plan on using plain English and strive for clarity in my argument as opposed to flowery language. We need to reappropriate art, from a circle jerk by the self-declared connoisseurs to a source of education for all of us.

Music Review: Jens Lekman, “Nights Over Kortedala”

Swedish singer/songwriter Jens Lekman, released his album ‘Night Over Kortedala’ back in 2007. Lekman mostly talks about girls and feeling alone. The sequencing of the album perfect, “And I remember every kiss” feels like a slow version of “Sipping on Sweet nectar.” Therefore, playing them first and second, sipping feels like playing every “kiss” speed up. I find the orchestral arrangements precise and tense. Sipping, on the other hand, is the one of the best songs I’ve heard all year. It echoes the base line from the Tough Alliance,”Koka Kola veins.” However, it is more bombastic as it features heavy instrumental orchestra. There’s a tight rhythm section as it feels that all the elements are working together. I really enjoyed on 1.57 Lekman plays three notes in a descending order each one getting more acute. “So I called back Lisa cause she’s my only friend.” This lyric by Lekman feels the most powerful. It seems like Lekman’s album is about optimism in the face as loneliness. Lisa tells him “you gotta start.”

Obviously, “A Postcard to Nina’ is one of the standouts of the album, the constant use of xylophones makes the song really appealing, the slow bass reminds me of Pet Sounds. The story is amazing, an honest reflection of real life. It captures the intricacies of real life, so what if a catholic man had a lesbian daughter? People don’t really think about those complex relationships that might organically arise in the diverse world we live in. However, Lekman keeps himself supportive “I can be your boyfriend so you can stay with your girlfriend.” All these “What if” scenarios make the real world what it is; a complicated place where there are no perfect families. Complicated situations can arise anytime as Lekman tells Nina, “your father is a sweet old man but its hard for him to understand.” Nina’s dad has the best intentions for her daughter to get married to man. However, because of her sexual orientation, that path is not possible.  Lekman’s decisiveness has an effect on me, as he says “If it puts an end to all these nonsense.” Moral issues should be solve with this same decisiveness. Lekman strongly believes in principles of equality and acceptance.

The other fascinating song on the album is, “I am leaving you because I don’t love you anymore.” Lekman opens with an intro straight out of Elliot’s Smith “Figure 8.” He plays a bouncy piano that mainly sounds high pitch. There’s also an ambulance sound that gives me images of NYC in the disco era. Or like opening and old jingle tunes box and letting it play. This song feels very danceable but also sad. Sadness or melancholy is the overall theme of the album. My own personal interpretation is that the human world is a sad reality. However, Lekman responds to this sadness with conviction, “Don’t let anyone stand in your way.”