S26.E07: Back in Business / S26.E08 Moment of Truth (Namibia)

[Guest]

Yes, and I imagine antelope is a bit gamey smelling even if not beginning to rot in the sun. I eat all sorts of meat, but have a problem with the smell of raw and the early stages of cooking red meat.

I was wondering what was with the bandanas? Have they worn those before and I haven't noticed? All of a sudden they all had them in Namibia. It crossed my mind that if we, as Americans and/or white people can't tell apart the teams after all this time that the bushmen wouldn't have a prayer, so the bandanas were for their benefit. Or maybe they explained it and I didn't catch the reason?

I wondered what was the bandanas, too.  It seemed to be for the racers, though.  They all seemed to be in fitness gear (spandex), too, for some reason.  

 

I pretty much spent the entire first ep trying to understand why the teams all had matching bandannas. I don't remember it being explained at all. Does anyone know what that was about? And they didn't have them in the second ep, which made the whole thing even weirder to me.

 

I kept waiting for there to be some 'shave your head' task because in one of Blair/Hayley's confessionals he had on a hat and had shaved his beard. But then he still had the beard all throughout both episodes. 

 

These eps were obviously very boring to me!

I noticed Blair shaved, too.  I was bummed.  The scruffier he got, the hotter!  To me, this is the season of the hot, calm men and the hothead women.  

 

I think they said something about why they feed the dogs but I missed it, too.  It was odd too that they had to avoid bone.  Maybe that was more to keep the bucket filling part fair than for the dogs.  I'm pretty sure when those dogs feed themselves, it's not on boneless wildebeest filets.  

[peachmangosteen]

I noticed Blair shaved, too.  I was bummed.  The scruffier he got, the hotter! 

 

I agree. Blair looks 10 times better with the scruff. I'm super bummed he apparently shaved. I don't understand it!

[Vicky8675309]

Before I forget: it's not fair that Mike & Rochelle got to feed the dogs after the other two teams were told they couldn't feed the dogs. The other two teams should have been able to wait to feed the dogs rather than be forced to do the "track" task--or--Mike and Rochelle should have been forced to do the track task.

Off to read the comments

[Vicky8675309]

Well, this is something you don't see often - the pretty side of Africa.

Namibia actually looks like a pretty decent place, a real change of pace from how African countries are usually shown on the news and movies and some TV series.

Plus, the terrain is absolutely gorgeous. Even the barren desert had a beauty to it.

So, good job, show, for showing a bit of country from a continent most write off as an absolute hellhole.

I'm out of likes but I wanted to say "Agree". I love how they show the beauty of Namibia.

OT: why is there a limit on "likes"

[cooksdelight]

Yes, and I imagine antelope is a bit gamey smelling even if not beginning to rot in the sun. I eat all sorts of meat, but have a problem with the smell of raw and the early stages of cooking red meat.

I'm fairly certain it was wildebeast, and not an antelope.

OT answer: I've asked, I'll let y'all know. :)

 

ETA: Each member has 100 "likes" per 24-hour period. Which should be sufficient. :)

[dankesean]

I'm fairly certain it was wildebeast, and not an antelope.

 

It was wildebeest meat, yes. But wildebeest are a genus of antelope, so you're both correct. :-)

[etagloh]

Aly was obviously KF-ed up on this double-leg, but she was right to be fussed about Steve's driving: if you're not used to being on the opposite side of the road, your road positioning is off and you instinctively drift off towards the edge. We've seen flats before on regular roads when teams have driven on the left, as a result of rubbing against the kerb, and the dirt roads in Namibia were clearly much less forgiving.

 

 

I like Tyler and Laura but it seems everyone else doesn't. What am I missing?

 

There's a bit of ongoing-commentary-snark that can be less than engaging about them. They're a strong team, but they're also in the habit of standing back and passing judgement on other teams.

 

Namibia's a good destination, because it's spectacular and sufficiently sparsely populated (and basically safe) to allow self-navigation over long distances. I liked the planning of the second leg, and there was clearly enough leeway for a last-place team to recover if they didn't flake out. The Detour rationing in the first leg, though, was bullshit.

[Vicky8675309]

I'm fairly certain it was wildebeast, and not an antelope.

OT answer: I've asked, I'll let y'all know. :)

ETA: Each member has 100 "likes" per 24-hour period. Which should be sufficient. :)

Thanks! I'd click like but can't. I don't understand the need for limits of likes. I guess I am too loose with my likes;-)

I wonder if Mike & Rochelle would have gone home if they didn't get to do the pack task.

I bet Hayley wouldn't have been happy if Blair was talking about a hot female pilot.

I don't have a favorite team yet and usually by this point of the race I am cheering for a team.

[Wings]

I like Tyler and Laura, too.  I don't mind their critiques/judgments.  We all do it in our real lives and certainly on this board!! . 

[green]

How Green can't tell Rochelle and Hayley apart is beyond my comprehension

 

I said I could tell two teams.  One of which is the truck stop guy & roller derby woman.  I think Rochelle is the roller derby woman so yes I can tell her apart.

 

I pretty much spent the entire first ep trying to understand why the teams all had matching bandannas. I don't remember it being explained at all. Does anyone know what that was about? And they didn't have them in the second ep, which made the whole thing even weirder to me.

 

Every season since almost forever teams are given colored bandanas to match the "color" each team is assigned.  I think it started maybe in Season 3 or 4 as a way to help viewers tell teams apart.  Then they mostly tied it on their backpacks.  And always after the opening leg most (though not all) teams ignore their "color coding" clothing and happily misplaced their bandanas.

 

*rant*  The most annoying aspect was each season the "pink" team were always the young, "hot" girl team cause ALL girls luuuuv pink since society's "tradition" tells us they cannot like blue instead that being reserved for boys only.   Conversely, no man dare wear anything pink.   Sorry, hate stereotypes like that.  * end rant *

 

Anyway I assume these teams also stuffed their official TAR bandanas away early but Nambia being 90% sand according to WikiPhil, those bandanas come in way handy there.  Desert sand can be very fine and gets especially into your nose and down your throat easily so there is a reason mankind invented bandanas to start with and it didn't have anything to do with TAR color coordination.

[Guiaoshi]

Apart from the unbalanced detour between feeding the wild dogs and find the elephants, I think we had some two well designed legs, even the NEL that usually seems pointless. I´m not mad at Aly, she seems nice but shes human, she had her moment of fatigue and when Steve lost his focus making some of the mistakes that probably sent their home (the flat tire in particular killed them) and she assumes that it comes from her competitive nature. Props to Steve tho to keep his calm all the way.

And while I like them Matt and Ashley probably made a mistake that can cost them the race by wasting the U-Turn on revenge knowing that the other team would still be safe and that they still have another U-turn comming.

[mauras]

I had just decided last week that I was rooting for Aly and Steve because there was nothing to dislike about them and they were excellent racers, so it's probably my fault that they were eliminated. Oh well, guess I'm rooting for Hayley and Blair now, because in some weird way, I love them as a couple(and okay, I think Blair is hot).

Aly really did tell Steve he was driving too far to the left at least twice before the flat, so I did have some sympathy for her there. Too bad she just spiraled into more negativity from there, but I think they were doomed anyway, between the flat and the U-turn--another reason to dislike Tyler and Laura, as if I needed any.

I was almost sort of beginning to be okay with Matt and Ashley, even though I am inexplicably creeped out by Matt. But then he got all weird and obsessive about U-turning Jelani and Jenny, and I stopped liking them again.

Loved seeing Jelani rock the not-skydiving task and Aly and Steve zoom up the sand dune. And the incredible scenery at every turn made up for the various bits of pissiness throughout.

Edited April 18, 2015 by mauras

[henripootel]

It crossed my mind that if we, as Americans and/or white people can't tell apart the teams after all this time that the bushmen wouldn't have a prayer

Not to burst any bubbles, but these were undoubtedly 'professional bushmen'.  For one thing, they were far from home, in a fenced-in game ranch.  Some of the old guys might remember living in grass huts but pretty much nobody does anymore, and they pretend to sometimes because they're paid to.  Go to windhoek and you'll probably meet a couple of bushman folks working in stores and whatnot.  The situation in the traditional bushman areas is ... not so much pretty.  They'll get out the beads and pose for pictures when tourists roll up, but their life isn't like that anymore.  This is as much the Namibian government's doing as anything else, but they've undoubtedly met plenty of white folks, and likely speak a bit of english and/or Afrikaans.  There are bits of old africa lingering in Namibia but not that far south.

[sinycalone]

I can understand Aly being upset about the flat tire...but state your complaint...then move on.  Harping on it while he was trying to change tires solved nothing.  Steve was far calmer about her tirades that I would have been.

[greyhorse]

One day, when life and circumstances fall in place, I hope mrs. greyhorse and I can make it to Namibia and an African safari.  It was so breathtakingly beautiful.

 

I really felt bad for Aly.  Yes, she was a bit annoying, but she even admitted she knew she was annoying and that shows great self-recognition.  If it weren't for Steve's laissez-faire attitude and if he had listened to her directions to drive in the middle of the road (I think having the steering wheel on the right side probably altered his sense of the width of the truck), they wouldn't have gotten the flat tire that was the downfall of their team.  No flat tire, no last place, no speed bump, no u-turn.  I felt for her when she said they weren't in it for the money but the life experience, and that as Olympians they're not really in it for the money because there is no money involved (unless your name is Lindsey Vonn, Bode Miller, etc.).  I hope they get another shot.

 

Jenny and Hayley are two peas in a pod.  I can't stand Hayley's harpy voice, but I can't stand Jenny's ultra type A personality more.  I feel the truck stop workers are some of the dumbest racers that have ever been on the show, but the guy made a spot on assessment about Jenny and then I laughed at his "Poor Jelani" comment.

 

I've got a mini crush on Laura.  I wonder how she and Tyler are getting along in the relationship department, there doesn't seem to be much talk about it even though they've had a couple date nights.  She did call him "Baby" as they were leaving I think the first pit stop.  Wonder if that's just a general "Let's go!" encouragement as in "Yeah baby!", or if it is a term of endearment.

[90PercentGravity]

So about the wild dogs:  What's the deal with feeding them?  They looked like it's something that they're used to having happen, but regular feeding seems like a strange thing.  Are they endangered?  Is it a tourist thing? Anyone know?

 

 

Yeah, I always thought feeding wild animals was a bad idea, as it made them dependent on humans and not afraid to approach them. Wild dogs raised to expect humans to feed them might be more likely to attack a child, thinking it's a meal.

The whole thing seemed weird to me.

My thinking on this is that the dogs will go onto people's land and kill their farm animals, which is why they are threatened. So the solution is to feed them regularly to stop them from hunting.

[Thog]

I didn't think Matt and Ashley U-turned Jenny and Jelani just for revenge, and I also don't think they necessarily wasted it. They mentioned a couple times that everyone knew J&J had the Express Pass. So no, U-turning probably wouldn't get them eliminated, but it would keep them from going directly to the pit stop and coming in first. Slowing them down on that leg was in everyone's best interest. (I'm sure the revenge part was pretty nice too, though).

[shura]

Yeah, I always thought feeding wild animals was a bad idea, as it made them dependent on humans and not afraid to approach them. Wild dogs raised to expect humans to feed them might be more likely to attack a child, thinking it's a meal.

 

The wild dogs are endangered, so I think those particular dogs were in a protected reserve.

 

And by "protected reserve", do you mean there's people on the perimeter ready to shoot the dogs when they decide to go off and attack a child ;)? Seriously though, I loved those dogs. Beautiful animals.

 

My thinking on this is that the dogs will go onto people's land and kill their farm animals, which is why they are threatened. So the solution is to feed them regularly to stop them from hunting.

 

Hey, I think North Korea has a similar deal!

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Namibia, and Dave the Camel FTW.

 

Can someone confirm whether J&J had to use the express pass this leg, or would next week's leg have been a use it or lose it situation? If it was next week, then I totally understand Matt and Ashley wanting to get their personal "revenge" and force them to burn it when they did. Because if they hadn't then basically (barring something wildly unforeseen happening in the next leg) J&J could have cake-walked into the top 4 and Matt and Ashley would have a 1 in 4 chance to be eliminated.

 

I think it was unlikely that even if Tyler and Laura had chosen not to use the other U-turn.....Aly and Steve would have made up enough ground on Mike and Rachel. More likely J&J or Mike and Rachel would have used the u-turn just to guarantee their safety anyway. Wow though, Aly had one of the more brutal bouts w/ KF in TAR history...I get being frustrated about doing a building challenge in the heat of Africa (I'm pretty spatially challenged so that hut would have been daunting for me too)....but if you've honestly just traded roadblocks each leg and it was your turn and the clue basically said something about being "grassy" why are you immediately losing it on Steve as if it was his fault that his ESP didn't kick in and alert him to what specific task the roadblock was going to require?

 

Mike and Rachel lucked out that they were far enough back in the pack that the other teams had finished the dog feeding and they got to do a 2nd round of it.....and I'm not totally sure that Blair and Haley and Aly and Steve didn't have a lot of human error trying to find the Elephant, the tasks may have been more evenly matched (at least in theory) than what they ended up being in practice...

 

This has to be one of the few seasons where they've gone Europe-Africa-Europe.....I can only remember that happening 1, maybe 2 other times.

Edited April 18, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Wings]

The dogs are fed because they are the 5th most endangered species.   They are trying to build their numbers. 

 

http://stories.namibiatourism.com.na/blog/bid/334031/The-Wild-Dogs-of-Namibia

[Guiaoshi]

Namibia, and Dave the Camel FTW.

 

Can someone confirm whether J&J had to use the express pass this leg, or would next week's leg have been a use it or lose it situation? If it was next week, then I totally understand Matt and Ashley wanting to get their personal "revenge" and force them to burn it when they did. Because if they hadn't then basically (barring something wildly unforeseen happening in the next leg) J&J could have cake-walked into the top 4 and Matt and Ashley would have a 1 in 4 chance to be eliminated.

 

I think I heard Jelani mentioning that this was the last leg they could use the express pass so they would use it anyway...

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Then in that case, I'd flip it around and almost fault J&J for not using it the first opportunity they could have at the hut detour during the leg before. They wouldn't have known it at the time but they might have built up a lead that they may have been able to hold on to (no bunches) all the way through the following leg. Ultimately I think the flat tire on their way to the Skyboxing roadblock forced their hand...or they might have gambled there....thinking they could pass the other teams on the way to the Skiing/Tires detour. It still worked out for them in that it cancelled out a u-turn, but I think their should have been a way to maximize it's value even more...

Edited April 18, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Guiaoshi]

Then in that case, I'd flip it around and almost fault J&J for not using it the first opportunity they could have at the hut detour during the leg before. They wouldn't have known it at the time but they might have built up a lead that they may have been able to hold on to (no bunches) all the way through the following leg. Ultimately I think the flat tire on their way to the Skyboxing roadblock forced their hand...or they might have gambled there....thinking they could pass the other teams on the way to the Skiing/Tires detour. It still worked out for them in that it cancelled out a u-turn, but I think their should have been a way to maximize it's value even more...

 

I think they decided to save it to the last moment.. They really run a risk to go home with the express pass a couple times tho, like at that crazy leg in Monaco. Actually I forgot they had the express pass until last night (got used to those teams rubbing the express pass on people faces).

Edited April 18, 2015 by Guiaoshi

[Camera One]

Matt was being so bitchy about that non-incident several legs ago.  Jenny and Jelani had a right to choose other transportation to get to the Mat first.  Such a total overreaction.

 

I didn't like how Jenny kept telling Jelani to hurry up at the hut building.  He did an awesome job on all the tasks this week.  I think their Express Pass strategy was fine.  There was no guarantee they could have gotten to the board even if they had skipped an earlier task.  I'm glad they're still in it, but Jenny needs to learn to appreciate Jelani more.

 

What a difference editing makes.  Aly was unpleasant to Steve on so many occasions this leg.  He is so patient, even moreso than Blair.  They were the physically strongest team (and up until now, they were pretty decent with everything else), so I can see why Tyler and Laura U-Turned them.  It makes the race for the Final 3 much easier for them.

 

I thought the Meat task required them to wait until every piece of meat was eaten.  Maybe that would have evened out the difficulty with the tracking-elephant task.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Camera One

[BarneySays]

So this makes at least six legs in which the last place team had no chance to catch up.  It's either a really unfortunate coincidence or they need to really rethink the leg designs.  Both of the speed bumps this season also seemed fairly time consuming, which is a mixed bag.  It would not be a good thing if the speed bump seriously prevented a team from catching up.  The other problem with these speed bumps is that they were not TV-friendly.  It was impossible to get a good sense of how long it took to complete or where they were in the process at any given time.  But those kids were adorable, so perhaps it's a wash.

 

I have really grown to like Laura.  Her brassiness is very entertaining.  I don't like Tyler, though, and can't quite explain why.  He gives me the creeps. 

 

I was disappointed the Olympians went out.  As someone else mentioned, I too had come to pick them as my preferred winners because of their affability and general effectiveness at completing challenges.  Boy did that go to pot this week.  People mentioned Ali's KF, but Steve seemed more affected than she.  His poor driving and wandering in the opposite direction for the briefcase, He seemed slightly out of it. 

 

I have been amused by Hayley and Blair from the start and they just keep getting more interesting.  Blair actually does seem a bit hapless.  And the whole thing with the pilot was really funny.  They come off as awkward high school kids to me.  I wonder if the editing will turn the tables on this pair- as they get closer the finish line we start to see Blair being the actual cause of Hayley's frustration.  I'm rooting for them to win because they seem to have really found an understanding, which is nice to see as a viewer. 

 

Poor Jelani indeed!  Jenni lost me when she accused him of losing her map. I don't like people who are quick to falsely blame others.The truckers should be next to go. 

[henripootel]

So this makes at least six legs in which the last place team had no chance to catch up.

If I had a substantial criticism about this season, I think this would be it.  Some of the tasks have been pretty cool but truth be told, they've mostly had very little standard deviation in time it takes to do them.  That's fine but it doesn't make for scintillating action.

 

If I had another, it's still that the u-turn, if it does anything, often punishes the shit out of teams already in distress.  Might as well just say 'pick a team you want to eliminate', as it seems pretty much a death sentence.  Out of curiosity, has there ever been a double elimination where neither of the two teams u-turned were last?

One day, when life and circumstances fall in place, I hope mrs. greyhorse and I can make it to Namibia and an African safari.  It was so breathtakingly beautiful.

Highly recommended, Greyhorse.  South Africa is nice but you can't beat Namibia for safari, and it's about as cheap as you'll ever get, especially just now as the rand is just crazy (like 12:1 to the dollar).  Some unsolicited advice: rent a truck and drive yourself.  They drive on the left but it'll take all of an hour to become an expert.  Keep an eye on your camera in town but once you get out and about, it's pretty safe, much safer than say DC or New York.  Also surprisingly honest - never had a cop even hint that he wanted a bribe or anything, and you'll never have a problem finding someone who speaks english, so easy-peasy traveling.

Edited April 19, 2015 by henripootel

[justawatcher]

I just have this gut feeling that Hayley got laid during the filming of the last two episodes. Might have been Jeff, might have been a sound guy or a local, but she has that look and lack of stress found on a recently satisfied woman. And then she started to harp and bitch again.

[vousviou]

But something is really wrong with the first leg's design when teams 4 and 5 can't do the really easy meat detour but the team in dead last can do it because they are so far behind that trucks opened up, and then dead last team completes the meat detour before teams 4 and 5 finish theirs.

.

 

I wonder if the difficulty with the tracking detour came because (here's my theory) when they planned it, the elephant was in a fairly accessible place, but they didn't anticipate the possibility that it could roam to a much more remote and difficult to find place.  The dogs clearly were used to being fed in the same place, so that was a sure thing, but as it turned out the elephant was a needle in a completely different haystack.

 

I think they could have fixed it by having the radio beacon in a set place which would have taken a fairly predictable amount of time to find, but that obviously would have been a lot less photogenic.

[Camera One]

I wonder if the difficulty with the tracking detour came because (here's my theory) when they planned it, the elephant was in a fairly accessible place, but they didn't anticipate the possibility that it could roam to a much more remote and difficult to find place.

In that case, they could have changed the starting point of the tracking detour.

[rozen]

Oh my gosh, everything was so beautiful this episode, filled with jealousy. 

 

Nothing throws me off than meat that is texturally similar to something I'm used to, but smells different/gamey. It makes my brain completely shut down and insist that we're gonna die, I would have been dry heaving too. I was kind of wondering if the darker-haired one was pregnant, being recently engaged and all. 

 

Aly and Steve felt like a functional version of Haley and Blair this episode. I see couples like that all the time, where one is super placid and "calm" resulting in the other feeling like they need to hyper-react to get the other person's attention. Steve was like molasses this episode, he just kept going and going and going with what he was doing and Aly was freaking out more and more. There's a point where emphasizing calm is less important than actually correcting the problem. In a season where everyone is comfortable acting like Jenni and Hayley are shrew hellbeasts, I can see why Aly would go the PA route as to not fall into that trap. 

 

Blair's face during the clue drop when he said he was "trying to make her happy" was sitcom-level quality. I had to pause to crack up. 

[Tunia]

Still chuckling at the sight of the teams setting up for the tire drag task.  Almost all commented about how heavy the tires were as they were attempting to drag them into position for chaining.  What is there about the concept they didn't seem to understand that tires, um...ya' know...roll when placed on end?

Edited April 19, 2015 by Tunia

[Netfoot]

Well, it wasn't long before Hayley was back to her old tricks.  Rocking the bando, Jelani!  Do you think Aly knows what she was digging holes with?  Some of the meat looked really good!  I could eat a wildebeest steak now.  Or two!  Baked potato and slaw on the side!

What's wrong with these people?!??  Making a big deal out of touching red meat?  I know what it is.  Some of these precious little darlings have never been hungry in their entire lives!  You have to live your entire life living on the fat of the land before you can become a non-GMO Vegan!

 

I wonder why the dogs couldn't have bones?

 

People, I think you need vertical polarization.  You're holding the antenna like a gangsta with a gun!   No, Hayley, the gemsbok is not an elephant.  You are still allowed to enjoy looking at it, though...,

 

Well, instead of bitching and moaning, how about you change the frigging wheel?!??  It should only take 2-3 minutes....   Ok, but slacken the wheel nuts before you jack it off the ground.   NEL -- no surprise.

 

 

Eighteen minutes between the last two teams.  Edited to look much closer and more dramatic, of course.  I know at the time I thought it would come back to bite them, but a U-Turn plan for Jenny/Jelani over the tuk-tuk seems really petty.  Does Hayley ever carry her own pack?  Or her own weight?

 

Newspaper guy looks like a plant!  Jenny wants to leave the nail in the tyre.  Presumably, she doesn't want to change the wheel.  So, let's see if that patch holds.  (Never seen that done.)

Aly can't read directions.  Can she read at all?

 

"I'm pretty sure you don't have room in your bag!" from the man who has to carry said bag.  Hayley is beginning to channel the harpy again.  And the Roaming Gnome is channeling Simon the Likeable.  Heh!  The gemsbok had padding on it's horns.  Nora got spirit!  (I thought things were going a little too easy there!)  Phil especially enthusiastic about NZ prize, and rightly so.

 

"Jenny could be very mean!"  And Mike can be very perceptive, although I don't think it requires a great deal of empathy to pick up on Jenny's vibe.  Yep, people pick the cool zebra, but zebras aren't all that easy-going, by the look of things.  Ow!  Uh, good think Mike isn't taller, eh?  :-/  And Jenny promises to play her U-Turn out of spite instead of for strategy.

 

Aly really didn't want to go, but Steve has been a bit laid-back all episode, so I guess their time had come.

 

Good show, with lots of Phil, so great show!

[Rancide]

Well, this is something you don't see often - the pretty side of Africa.

 

Namibia actually looks like a pretty decent place, a real change of pace from how African countries are usually shown on the news and movies and some TV series.

 

Plus, the terrain is absolutely gorgeous.  Even the barren desert had a beauty to it.

 

So, good job, show, for showing a bit of country from a continent most write off as an absolute hellhole.

 

I agree with you about the beautiful terrain but otherwise had pretty much the opposite reaction to the rest of it.  I kept being struck by how many white people we were being shown.  White people are a tiny minority of Namibia's population (less than 10%), but due to the legacy of colonization--including land theft and outright genocide of black populations--whites continue to own substantially more than 50% of the country's usable land.  Namibia is in the top 5 in the world for income inequality, largely due to the presence a tiny minority of rich, sometimes extremely rich, mostly white people, who occupy a position of enormous privilege by comparison to very, very poor black people who make up the vast majority of the country.  

 

I understand why it's easier for the show to work with the whiter communities in the country--they disproportionately speak English, disproportionately have the infrastructure necessary to support the logistics of the race, disproportionately have access to cool/fun things that TV viewers like to watch (e.g., sand skiing).  But my overall reaction was less happiness that the show was showing a bit of Africa that wasn't a hellhole than vague discomfort at celebrating how nice a pretty tiny group of mostly European-descended people have it in a country where their ancestors stole all the land from indigenous populations and where the majority of black people continue to face the kind of problems more typically shown when "Africa" is on TV, including HIV prevalence of over 10%, lack of access to proper sanitation, etc.  So I guess I don't really agree with the characterization of what we saw--aside from the landscape--as "the pretty side of Africa."  I think of it more as the very, very ugly side of Africa.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Rancide

[Tunia]

I wonder why the dogs couldn't have bones?

 

My thinking is that there might be a fear that the bones would be splinted as they were cutting off the meat, and that the splinters would be too sharp and dangerous for the dogs.

[GinevradiBenci]

This was a beautiful episode, and fun to watch despite knowing that the Olympians were done for pretty early on. But mostly, what tickled me was the fact that Blair and Haley have built a really great brother-sister relationship, and are now at the point where they can jibe at each other and not take it too personally. They still get on each other's nerves but it's more like two kids swatting at each other in the back of a station wagon than anything else. Blair's glee at Haley's crush on the pilot was really cute.

[henripootel]

So, let's see if that patch holds.  (Never seen that done.)

Works like a charm - I've seen tires in Namibia with a dozen such plugs poking out.  There's glue on them and if it's a nice clean puncture (like a nail), bob's your uncle.  Never seen anyone do it with the tire still on the car, but it should work okay.  

Namibia in the top 5 in the world for income inequality, largely due to the presence a tiny minority of rich, sometimes extremely rich, mostly white people, who occupy a position of enormous privilege by comparison to very, very poor black people who make up the vast majority of the country.

Yes and no.  They've only been independent for a bit over 20 years, so the redistribution of wealth is taking time to sink in.  And wealth isn't everything - political power is firmly in the hands of SWAPO, who were the rebels who won independence from South Africa and who're mostly Ovambo guys.  Give them credit for not simply confiscating the white farms and handing them over to black farmers who don't know what they're doing.  They did that in Zimbabwe and it was a total disaster, not to mention hugely unfair to the Zim citizens who happen to be white.  

 

Namibia is taking it slow, if also a bit unfairly - white farm owners can't hand down their farms to their sons, they have to sell them to the government for redistribution.  Could be worse, and at least this hasn't collapsed the economy.  Takes time to move a largely uneducated underclass into middle class prosperity, but it is happening in Namibia, it's just gonna take a generation or two.

Edited April 19, 2015 by henripootel

[waving feather]

I don't know how it happened (because I was irked by him in the first episode) but Blair has become my favorite person in the race. He is actually the best catch among all the blind date guys. Even-keeled, capable and a gentleman to Hayley. He's not too calm like Steve, which might be annoying in certain situations. He may be a bit of a control freak in which he prefer doing most of the tasks but hey, if you are capable, I certainly won't mind if it gets me the million dollar.

I hope Hayley and Blair win just for his tolerance and goodnaturedness towards everything.

Edited April 19, 2015 by waving feather

[Netfoot]

(Never seen that done.)

 

Never seen anyone do it with the tire still on the car, but it should work okay.

 

That's what I meant.  We patch tubeless tyres all the time, but usually they take the tyre off the rim and apply the plug from the inside.  Never seen one patched with that needle thingy.  But it looks to work fine, so maybe I'd better make me one!

[henripootel]

That's what I meant.  We patch tubeless tyres all the time, but usually they take the tyre off the rim and apply the plug from the inside.  Never seen one patched with that needle thingy.  But it looks to work fine, so maybe I'd better make me one!

You should be able to buy them here although I must admit I've never looked for them in this country.  They're best for off-road tires as they tend to have thick treads and aren't meant for high speeds.  I wouldn't suggest putting them in a high-performance tire as you might need to re-balance it.  

[mauras]

My thinking is that there might be a fear that the bones would be splinted as they were cutting off the meat, and that the splinters would be too sharp and dangerous for the dogs.

Uncooked bones don't splinter. You should never feed a dog (or cat) cooked bones, but raw ones are fine and stay intact unless you really saw at them with a very sharp, heavy knife or cleaver. (I know this from making raw food for my pets.) My guess is either that the wild dog folks were concerned about dulling the knives, or that the dogs' teeth were too worn down to handle the bones. Or maybe even just that the dogs would fight over them.

[Wings]

I don't know how it happened (because I was irked by him in the first episode) but Blair has become my favorite person in the race. He is actually the best catch among all the blind date guys. Even-keeled, capable and a gentleman to Hayley. He's not too calm like Steve, which might be annoying in certain situations. He may be a bit of a control freak in which he prefer doing most of the tasks but hey, if you are capable, I certainly won't mind if it gets me the million dollar.

I hope Hayley and Blair win just for his tolerance and goodnaturedness towards everything.

 

I love Blair and have from day one.  Below is my first post this season.

 

"I love the blind date aspect!  And I like how they are all getting along except for that poor doctor.  I really like him and very disappointed that he did not get a good one.  He will even feel worse when he sees how well the others are working together.  He even stated he was looking for love in his bio clip."

 

Now we see that he and Haley are getting along better than Jelanie and Jenny, but that is saying much!  

Edited April 19, 2015 by wings707

[Rancide]

Yes and no.  They've only been independent for a bit over 20 years, so the redistribution of wealth is taking time to sink in.  And wealth isn't everything - political power is firmly in the hands of SWAPO, who were the rebels who won independence from South Africa and who're mostly Ovambo guys.  Give them credit for not simply confiscating the white farms and handing them over to black farmers who don't know what they're doing.  They did that in Zimbabwe and it was a total disaster, not to mention hugely unfair to the Zim citizens who happen to be white.  

 

Namibia is taking it slow, if also a bit unfairly - white farm owners can't hand down their farms to their sons, they have to sell them to the government for redistribution.  Could be worse, and at least this hasn't collapsed the economy.  Takes time to move a largely uneducated underclass into middle class prosperity, but it is happening in Namibia, it's just gonna take a generation or two.

 

I realize there's no quick fix for genocide, land theft, and 100+ years of race-based oppression.  And I would agree that the way Zimbabwe tried to handle the situation didn't work and should not be replicated, though we can agree to disagree about the abstract fairness of re-appropriating land from people whose grandparents appropriated it in the first place, in many cases by slaughtering the original inhabitants.  My objection to that plan is more that it doesn't work than that it's somehow unjust.  

 

I guess we can meet back in the generation or two you mention to see how the advancement of the (black) "underclass" is working out, but our history here in the US with our own indigenous populations over the last 100+ years hasn't stirred in me great feelings of hope.   And no, I don't have a solution.  But that doesn't mean I won't cringe at being presented with the manifestly unfair status quo.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Rancide

[Vantraveller]

Did anyone see the look on Blair's face when Hayley told him hadn't been the best driver? He was like WTF?? Nice comment from someone who can't even drive  shift!

[waving feather]

Did anyone see the look on Blair's face when Hayley told him hadn't been the best driver? He was like WTF?? Nice comment from someone who can't even drive  shift!

 

Yeah, it's one thing to backseat drive like Aly did for the good of the team, but the way Hayley did it was... I swear she was just saying and doing all these things to get on Blair's nerves. She loves to try to rail him up, push his buttons and enjoying every minute of it. Sorry, but I would have told her to STFU if I were him.

[Thog]

I felt awful for Aly's meltdown. She was clearly in that zone where you're tired and irritated and know you're acting badly, but can't get out of it. At one point she even said she was annoying herself, and that kind of self-awareness always gets my sympathy. I've been there. Hope she doesn't feel bad now for how she came across on her last day of the show.

[truthaboutluv]

Did anyone see the look on Blair's face when Hayley told him hadn't been the best driver? He was like WTF?? Nice comment from someone who can't even drive  shift!

 

 

Not to mention good navigation and driving has twice pushed them ahead of others after finishing at the bottom of the pack with the tasks. So that seemed really strange but Hayley just can't help being annoying, I've concluded. First it was her asking Blair if he could handle the radio, he says yes, she asks again if he's sure and he says yes, then she asks again and when he naturally gives a snarky response, she's all "don't snap at me, I'm just asking." It's gotten to the point where I am this close to watching the show on mute because Hayley's voice is literally painful for me.

[henripootel]

I guess we can meet back in the generation or two you mention to see how the advancement of the (black) "underclass" is working out, but our history here in the US with our own indigenous populations over the last 100+ years hasn't stirred in me great feelings of hope.

Yeah, but imagine how things might be if we took our indigenous population and basically handed the country over to them, which is kinda what happened there.  For what it's worth, according to the locals there (black and white) what they have now was simply unimaginable 25 years ago.  As you might expect, there's hard feelings on both sides but as the old guard dies out and kids grow up who never experienced the 'bad old days', that era is rapidly receeding.  It's not perfect but, IMO, way better in many ways than the 100+ years it took us in the US to ensure equality under the law.  They skipped right past that part, and there really does seem to be genuine opportunity for most folks.  

 

Well, most Ovambo folks, but that's another issue.  SWAPO might do what they can to stack the deck in elections, but they do have elections.  Can't take that for granted, not in Africa.

[TheOriginalDonald]

Having watched Shawn Johnson's interview on #HighlyQuestionable I have to wonder......was Aly having her moondays on this leg of the race?

[etagloh]

Newspaper guy looks like a plant!

Oh, surely a plant, but it was interesting to see which teams asked him to translate, as opposed to seeking out white (German-looking?) people either within the bookshop itself or a nearby hotel.

[scrb]

Blair should have just turned the radio on and turn up the volume when Hayley started yakking.