# Amazing race 10/3/2010



## omnibus (Sep 25, 2001)

Worst episode ever.....filmed in Ghana.

Between the cab drivers purposefully locking the car door to prevent thieves and beggars from getting in to the hassle the contestants had to go through to sell sunglasses in the market including one guy who got jacked.

The only thing that made this ep bearable was the strangely beautiful coffin woodcarvings that needed to transported from shop to coffin showroom.


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## Neenahboy (Apr 8, 2004)

Yeah, it was definitely the most lifeless episode in recent memory. Honestly, I wish they'd avoid most of Africa and India altogether; I probably sound like the stereotypical d-bag American for saying this, but after a while it all starts to look the same. 

The language difficulties just aren't funny any more, and IMO they've hindered the producers' ability to structure more engaging challenges (particularly over the last couple years as they've greatly increased their presence in those two areas).


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

Is it just me or does it seem like none of the teams have created, or seemed interested in creating alliances.

Yeah there was that little bit in the beginning to get directions to Heathrow, but are the teams really this independent or have some of the social aspect been edited out? I guess filing 12 teams is a lot for a 1 hour show.


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## TIVOSciolist (Oct 13, 2003)

omnibus said:


> Worst episode ever.....filmed in Ghana.


A lot of countries want TAR to film there because of the possible tourism boost. However, Ghana didn't look at all appealing here. I've been to a lot of crazy places in the world but I've never had beggars spitting on me.

In the past, when bad things have happened in Africa (e.g., one team being stopped and questioned by the police, resulting in them being eliminated), we have always seen these as being isolated events. When contestants said bad things about Africa, they came across as being ignorant Americans or, worse, possible racists.

Maybe we're finally getting a more honest edit about what happens on the African parts of the race.



Neenahboy said:


> The language difficulties just aren't funny any more, and IMO they've hindered the producers' ability to structure more engaging challenges (particularly over the last couple years as they've greatly increased their presence in those two areas).


China was bad but I recall that one of the worst past experiences the contestants had with language was in Korea.

At least in most of the former British colonies (e.g., Ghana, much of Eastern Africa, and India), English remains an official language.


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## Maui (Apr 22, 2000)

I'm kind of bummed. I did not not want to see Mom and Daughter eliminated yet.


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## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

On the TV antenna challenge how could you get as far as aiming the antenna and have to give up? I guess cable has been around long enough that some people have no conception how a TV antenna works.  The easiest thing to do is to look at the other houses and see what direction any other antennas are pointed.

I noticed in one shot of the TV screen there were big letters "AV" in the corner. Hmm, not using the tuner for an antenna input? I think they might have been faking it for that shot.


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## SeanC (Dec 30, 2003)

loubob57 said:


> I noticed in one shot of the TV screen there were big letters "AV" in the corner. Hmm, not using the tuner for an antenna input? I think they might have been faking it for that shot.


I noticed that as well.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

I noticed that. But was the AV signifying the input, or was it a channel bug? I was not playing enough attention.


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## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

eddyj said:


> I noticed that. But was the AV signifying the input, or was it a channel bug? I was not playing enough attention.


Pretty sure it was the input. Big green letters in the upper right corner.


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## Byteofram (Oct 29, 2004)

omnibus said:


> Worst episode ever.....filmed in Ghana.
> 
> Between the cab drivers purposefully locking the car door to prevent thieves and beggars from getting in to the hassle the contestants had to go through to sell sunglasses in the market including one guy who got jacked.
> 
> The only thing that made this ep bearable was the strangely beautiful coffin woodcarvings that needed to transported from shop to coffin showroom.


I agree it was a pretty bad episode, just wanted to point out that the guy didn't get jacked...that woman came back and he got enough to move on. I think she was playing it up for the camera...I noticed in one shot a policeman or something standing in the background.


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## Byteofram (Oct 29, 2004)

loubob57 said:


> Pretty sure it was the input. Big green letters in the upper right corner.


But they weren't using a coax connection it didn't appear...looked like the one guy pushed it in like they had added an RCA connection to the end and was plugging it into the AV port. Just what it looked like to me, but they diff didn't twist on a coax connection.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

Byteofram said:


> But they weren't using a coax connection it didn't appear...looked like the one guy pushed it in like they had added an RCA connection to the end and was plugging it into the AV port. Just what it looked like to me, but they diff didn't twist on a coax connection.


You can get coax cable that just pushes in like that. Not as secure, but it works fine. I have (or had) some patch cables like that.


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## Byteofram (Oct 29, 2004)

eddyj said:


> You can get coax cable that just pushes in like that. Not as secure, but it works fine. I have (or had) some patch cables like that.


Yeah, I've seen those, but it didn't look like that. The end looked more like a RCA jack. I didn't rewind it, so I could be imagining it, but who knows what they have in Ghana. LOL! It isn't a place I want to visit, that's for sure.


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## Regina (Mar 30, 2003)

They showed Mom & Daughter giving some change to a beggar, saying that maybe it would give them good karma...so much for that...


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## TiVo'Brien (Feb 8, 2002)

At first Mom & Daughter were my sentimental favorite to stay in it, but after a while the weird vibe I got from them and their relationship changed that. Their (understandable) awkwardness toward each other on camera was really uncomfortable to watch.


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

Maybe they can work on their relationship during their exile to elimination-land. They have like 5 weeks there, don't they?


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

pdhenry said:


> Maybe they can work on their relationship during their exile to elimination-land. They have like 5 weeks there, don't they?


Well, the interesting Eli Manning interview on the elimination station web site doesn't give any insight. (WTF)


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## loubob57 (Mar 19, 2001)

Byteofram said:


> But they weren't using a coax connection it didn't appear...looked like the one guy pushed it in like they had added an RCA connection to the end and was plugging it into the AV port. Just what it looked like to me, but they diff didn't twist on a coax connection.


It did look like one of them was straightening the center conductor in the connector. So I assumed it was a push-on F connector. They don't look too much different than an RCA connector.


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## gossamer88 (Jul 27, 2005)

Neenahboy said:


> Yeah, it was definitely the most lifeless episode in recent memory. Honestly, I wish they'd avoid most of Africa and India altogether; I probably sound like the stereotypical d-bag American for saying this, *but after a while it all starts to look the same*.


My wife said the same thing.

When TAR begins, too many people to follow make it hard to...um...follow. For me it gets better when they're down to 6-8 teams.


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## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)

I was impressed with the Home Shopping gals, they hustled and earned their win this week.

Them, along with the volleyball girls and the doctor gals make for the strongest set of all-girl teams I've ever seen on TAR. I would love for any one of those 3 teams to win this season.


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

I kinda like when TAR goes to poor, third world countries. it would be boring if all they ever went to were civilized places like Europe and (parts of) Asia.

The average family goes on vacation to Europe. Hello... boooring... If I wanted to see a bunch of American tourists in Europe I'd turn to the travel channel.

Rather, contestants in a reality show go to camp out with the bush men in botswana or deal with street hustlers in Ghana... Now THAT is entertaining reality TV. They get to deal with their challenges and deal with the challenges of the third world too.

Since they went to Ghana, it reminded me of this:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/15/AR2009071503693.html


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

loubob57 said:


> It did look like one of them was straightening the center conductor in the connector. So I assumed it was a push-on F connector. They don't look too much different than an RCA connector.


Ghana uses PAL so they were most likely using a Belling Lee connector. It loks like an RCA jack but it is not. In fact it's not even 75 ohms. It is lossy and inefficient. I don't even know why it's still in use when the F and BNC connectors are far superior.


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## wendiness1 (Jul 29, 2005)

Visiting impoverished nations isn't just boring, I find it uncomfortable. Whenever there is such a stop, I end up feeling badly about the poverty.

I'd have no problem if they spent more time in Europe. Surely there are activities there that the average American tourist would never get to experience.

I will miss mom and daughter but in a way I feel this is probably better for them in the longrun. Continuing the race may have led to frustration and angry flareups that could negatively affect their new-found relationship - one that they hope will be lifelong. This leaves them with pleasant memories and, as has been pointed out already, five weeks to spend time together in a resort somewhere. THAT is the greater prize for them.


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## TiVo'Brien (Feb 8, 2002)

Disappointed they didn't spend more time in England. IIRC, that's the first time the race has ever gone to England and that's all they do is visit one castle?


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## Magnolia88 (Jul 1, 2005)

TiVo'Brien said:


> Disappointed they didn't spend more time in England. IIRC, that's the first time the race has ever gone to England and that's all they do is visit one castle?


They have definitely visited England before. I remember the London Eye.


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

Yes, they were in England last season, and I think the season before.

If not the third world, then maybe some time in the Australian bush or maybe the more rural parts of the former USSR or maybe China would be nice.

It's not really the "third worldness" that makes it interesting, as it is the fact that it is off the beaten path. Everyone knows where Paris and London is, but fewer people know about Botswana, Ghana or rural China. Navigating without familiarity lends challenge to the race.


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## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

omnibus said:


> Worst episode ever.....filmed in Ghana.
> 
> Between the cab drivers purposefully locking the car door to prevent thieves and beggars from getting in to the hassle the contestants had to go through to sell sunglasses in the market including one guy who got jacked.




I don't understand? Cabbies lock the doors, big deal. They do that in Mexico, NYC and plenty of other places in the world. When you are trying to protect your passengers, you do that. There are people begging in every country in the world, that's nothing unusual.

"Jacked"?!? One lady was being silly and playful and dancing and saying she wouldn't give them back. I'm guessing she did. "Jacked" is hardly accurate.


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## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

heySkippy said:


> I was impressed with the Home Shopping gals, they hustled and earned their win this week.
> 
> Them, along with the volleyball girls and the doctor gals make for the strongest set of all-girl teams I've ever seen on TAR. I would love for any one of those 3 teams to win this season.


The doctors recovered well from being in last during the selling challenge. I didn't think they'd get out of last place, but their cabbie sure helped with that.


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## vman (Feb 9, 2001)

uncdrew said:


> The doctors recovered well from being in last during the selling challenge. I didn't think they'd get out of last place, but their cabbie sure helped with that.


Those two cabbies (for the docs and the a capalla singers) were crazy! My favorite line of the night was "I'm so proud of myself for not soiling myself."


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

Now you know where cabbies here get their driving skills from.


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

Raj said:


> The average family goes on vacation to Europe.


They do?

The average family in the USA?

Z


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

zordude said:


> They do?
> 
> The average family in the USA?
> 
> Z


I don't think the average family takes overseas vacations very often. I know I didn't go overseas till I was in my 30's.


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## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)

zordude said:


> They do?
> 
> The average family in the USA?
> 
> Z


Pretty much everyone I know has been to Europe, so I'd say yes.


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## zordude (Sep 23, 2003)

heySkippy said:


> Pretty much everyone I know has been to Europe, so I'd say yes.


I don't know anyone that has been to Europe (other than my wife, for business) 

Z


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## KyleLC (Feb 6, 2002)

IJustLikeTivo said:


> I don't think the average family takes overseas vacations very often. I know I didn't go overseas till I was in my 30's.


I'm thinking he meant "the average family who takes overseas vacations." In other words, if a US family takes an overseas vacation, most likely it's to Europe.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

robojerk said:


> Is it just me or does it seem like none of the teams have created, or seemed interested in creating alliances.
> 
> Yeah there was that little bit in the beginning to get directions to Heathrow, but are the teams really this independent or have some of the social aspect been edited out? I guess filing 12 teams is a lot for a 1 hour show.


Alliances really don't make much difference on TAR, so we rarely see them. The teams have to do their challenges by themselves and travel independently of the other teams, so it's kind of pointless.


TiVo'Brien said:


> Disappointed they didn't spend more time in England. IIRC, that's the first time the race has ever gone to England and that's all they do is visit one castle?


They've definitely been to London several times before. In addition to the London Eye challenge, there was one several seasons ago where they had to find the address of the fictional home of Sherlock Holmes. I remember this because it was one of the best examples of the show giving a real clue and requiring the racers to figure it out rather than simply giving instructions about where to go next.

My biggest problem with this episode was the idea of American tourists being followed by camera crews essentially begging for money from poor people in a third-world country. The show wisely got rid of the begging aspect from several seasons ago when they would take teams' money away after non-elimination legs, but this almost felt like they went right back to it. It's just unsavory to watch wealthy Americans try to coax an extra dollar (or Cedi) out of impoverished people.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

I don't know if I could back up that claim, but I would argue that compared to other continents outside of N.A., Europe see's a lot more U.S. travelers than the others, also because the countries in Europe are more modern, and do a lot of business with the US of A I bet the chances of people knowing English is really high.

Part of the drama/excitement/draw of the show is seeing how the teams act in situations that are completely out of their control, and would make anyone stressful. I don't hate the fact the show goes to European or British colonized countries where English is an official language or might as well be, especially in the first few legs of the season. I see it as a way to weed out the extremely weak teams that would have no chance in the Asian countries where the chances of finding an English speaking cab driver are very slim. That is where the show does become more challenging and I can already guess which teams will have issues in these countries.

So far I'm liking the season, but either the editing has been done so that they're not showing the teams attempting to make alliances and back stab each other, or these teams just have little interest to interact with each other, yet. The social part of the show is probably just as important as watching them stress out having to deal with the locals/tasks. It could be just as simple as in order to show all 12 teams arrive, execute, and finish each task the may have had to remove all of the interactions.

This show always seems to get really good after 4 to 5 episodes. We're still in the phase of learning the contestants, finding out who the jerks are, who the good guys are, and picking our ponies to win it all.


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## JLucPicard (Jul 8, 2004)

I had to laugh when I not only saw a MN Vikings jersey, but a Timberwolves (Garnett) jersey as well. That must be one of the destinations for team gear that doesn't sell!


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

JLucPicard said:


> I had to laugh when I not only saw a MN Vikings jersey, but a Timberwolves (Garnett) jersey as well. That must be one of the destinations for team gear that doesn't sell!


I didn't notice the Vikings jersey, but did notice the Garnett T-Wolves jersey and had the same thought (that's where they send the stuff that can't be sold anymore).


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## ElJay (Apr 6, 2005)

I was fairly fascinated by seeing the market and the roads. The TV antenna challenge cracked me up (I too noticed the "AV" on the TV footage they inserted.) The only thing missing was some cramped, stinky train ride.


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## smak (Feb 11, 2000)

DevdogAZ said:


> I didn't notice the Vikings jersey, but did notice the Garnett T-Wolves jersey and had the same thought (that's where they send the stuff that can't be sold anymore).


Did you miss the 2009/2010 World Champion Celtics T-shirts? I hear they're everywhere there. 

-smak-


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## brianric (Aug 29, 2002)

heySkippy said:


> Pretty much everyone I know has been to Europe, so I'd say yes.


The only ones that I knew that went to Europe were wearing a uniform, including yours truly, US Navy.


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## Ment (Mar 27, 2008)

vman said:


> Those two cabbies (for the docs and the a capalla singers) were crazy! My favorite line of the night was "I'm so proud of myself for not soiling myself."


TAR needed to mount a camera on the front bumper of one those cabbies. That was some crazy driving. Thought for sure we'd have scraping of side mirrors and such. For the cabbies you have to wonder about the risk/reward. Getting into an accident would put you out of work probably never mind if you were injured.

Home Shopping Girls are go getters. If the blond would shut up, what an annoying voice.


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

zordude said:


> They do?
> 
> The average family in the USA?
> 
> Z


The average people I know.

Or rather, it is in easy reach for them.

A typical American vacation outside of North America (includes US, Canada, Mexico) will typically be to the Caribbean or Europe.


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## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

KyleLC said:


> I'm thinking he meant "the average family who takes overseas vacations." In other words, if a US family takes an overseas vacation, most likely it's to Europe.


Yeah, that's more like it.

The average American family piles into a car and drives to grandma's house. That's their vacation.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Raj said:


> The average people I know.
> 
> Or rather, it is in easy reach for them.
> 
> A typical American vacation outside of North America (includes US, Canada, Mexico) will typically be to the Caribbean or Europe.


Let's not forget that there's a whole bunch of Americans that don't live on the eastern seaboard and for whom Europe is not really within easy reach. For people out west, the flight to NY or Boston or DC or Chicago is often just as expensive as the flight across the Atlantic, making a trip to Europe twice as expensive as it is for those on the East Coast.


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## laria (Sep 7, 2000)

I think Raj must know a lot of wealthy people.  I don't know anyone for whom a trip to Europe is in easy reach, and all of my friends are computer professionals. The only people I know who have been to Europe are my SO (work trip to Germany) and a pair of my friends who went to England for their honeymoon.


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

laria said:


> I think Raj must know a lot of wealthy people.  I don't know anyone for whom a trip to Europe is in easy reach, and all of my friends are computer professionals. The only people I know who have been to Europe are my SO (work trip to Germany) and a pair of my friends who went to England for their honeymoon.


OK let's put it another way.

People on TV go to Europe all the time.

Hence, TAR contestants going to Europe is like every other show on TV. Fair enough?


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

DevdogAZ said:


> Let's not forget that there's a whole bunch of Americans that don't live on the eastern seaboard and for whom Europe is not really within easy reach. For people out west, the flight to NY or Boston or DC or Chicago is often just as expensive as the flight across the Atlantic, making a trip to Europe twice as expensive as it is for those on the East Coast.


I live on the west coast, I know A LOT of people who have never been to Europe. My parents went to Europe for the first time only a couple of years ago. I know a lot of people that have been to Hawaii though for vacations.


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> Let's not forget that there's a whole bunch of Americans that don't live on the eastern seaboard and for whom Europe is not really within easy reach. For people out west, the flight to NY or Boston or DC or Chicago is often just as expensive as the flight across the Atlantic, making a trip to Europe twice as expensive as it is for those on the East Coast.


Given that most of the population of the US lives East of the Mississippi I'd say that it is easier for most Americans to go to Europe (outside of NA) or the Caribbean than it is to go to Africa or Asia.

Nevertheless, the point is that TAR in Europe or some other more developed place isn't as entertaining as seeing TAR contestants in a poor country or in a rural area.

I thought that season 7 with the teams going all across rural South America was simply awesome, and the safari and tasks with the bushmen in Botswana was pretty entertaining. They really had to rough it and deal with real challenges like eating exotic local food or doing traditional tasks with the bushmen. While they do similar things in Europe, eating sauerkraut isn't the same as eating cow tongue or fried insects or taking public transport to a tourist attraction isn't the same as driving through the bush driving a manual transmission land rover.

About the poverty, its the reality that they face unfortunately. I think it's a good thing to be aware of it but not to let it detract from the entertainment.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

I thought it was an entertaining episode. I don't quite get why many of you didn't like it.

Didn't one of the contestants point out them being sad about the poverty?


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## 4inziksych (Mar 1, 2003)

I think the 3rd world countries are interesting. However, my first thought was how weird it would be to be trying to get such poor people to part with their money for the sake of a game. I was heartened when that one girl with the jerky boyfriend tried to find a good pair of glasses so the guy would get his money's worth.

Yeah that mother and daughter, kind of strange. At that one point when the mother gave the money to the beggar kid and started saying, I have kids of my own, I was a little weirded out for the girl. She didn't seem to mind at all though. I know the mother didn't mean anything, just could have been awkward. I thought it was nice how the mother thanked her adoptive family at the end though, maybe they were feeling worried back home with all this going on.


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## TIVOSciolist (Oct 13, 2003)

Raj said:


> Given that most of the population of the US lives East of the Mississippi I'd say that it is easier for most Americans to go to Europe (outside of NA) or the Caribbean than it is to go to Africa or Asia.


I admit that I often get envious when I see the advertisements in the New York Times for long weekend trips to Paris.


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## VegasVic (Nov 22, 2002)

A lot of sports stuff gets shipping to countries like that. Super Bowl, World Series, etc... have tons of stuff printed up for both teams as world champions and the loser's stuff gets shipped out.


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## Inundated (Sep 10, 2003)

loubob57 said:


> Pretty sure it was the input. Big green letters in the upper right corner.


This is something I would have gone for, given my general TV/tech aptitude, but I'm embarrassed to say I didn't notice the "AV". I probably would have noticed where the TV tower "antenna farm" is in Accra, so I'd know where to point the antenna.

And speaking of my future TAR partner...



wendiness1 said:


> Visiting impoverished nations isn't just boring, I find it uncomfortable. Whenever there is such a stop, I end up feeling badly about the poverty.


I felt bad about it when the teams were pleading for help selling the sunglasses...wondering how the people felt watching this with a TV camera operator just a couple of feet away. How can you say you need a (relatively) poor person's help to buy something when there's a few thousand dollars worth of electronics equipment on your friend's shoulder?

Oh, well, at least it isn't the literal begging for money teams had to do after escaping Philimination.



wendiness1 said:


> I will miss mom and daughter but in a way I feel this is probably better for them in the longrun. Continuing the race may have led to frustration and angry flareups that could negatively affect their new-found relationship - one that they hope will be lifelong.


I was thinking the same thing...wondering if being in such a situation the very first time they spend any significant time together was healthy for them. Now, it's just their Shared Experience, and they get to know each other in a more sane way.

BTW, do you and I already figure we'll go for the Express Pass to pass up the eating challenges, or do we pull a Rob-n-Ambuh? 



heySkippy said:


> Pretty much everyone I know has been to Europe, so I'd say yes.


I know very few people who've been to Europe, well, aside from my future TAR partner here 

I do have one former co-worker, an intern/part-timer, who actually lived in France for a while. But his parents are LOADED.


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

4inziksych said:


> I think the 3rd world countries are interesting. However, my first thought was how weird it would be to be trying to get such poor people to part with their money for the sake of a game.


I don't like those sorts of tasks either... but I do like the tasks where they are helping people - putting up the antenna, helping paint their house, delivering food etc.

But there is a lot we don't see. Since the people who buy don't have their faces blurred out, maybe they are paid something by the production company in exchange for signing a release form?


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## danplaysbass (Jul 19, 2004)

I wonder how the game would change if each team was given a smart phone to race with. Not only would it be about racing fast and smart, it would be about knowing how to use the device to give you the best advantage.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Raj said:


> I kinda like when TAR goes to poor, third world countries. it would be boring if all they ever went to were civilized places like Europe and (parts of) Asia.
> 
> The average family goes on vacation to Europe. Hello... boooring... If I wanted to see a bunch of American tourists in Europe I'd turn to the travel channel.
> 
> ...


Sounds like we are in the minority, but I have to agree. I think it's a whole lot more interesting going to places like that, that the average tourist doesn't see. Going to London or Paris or even Beijing, these are places where most of us want to go on vacation. Going to a place like Ghana, to get a feel for how others live and what the culture is like is a lot more fun to see. In fact, I think Accra is kind of an interesting place from what I could see. There's definitely some modernization there and a surprising amount of cars for a third world country. But at least they were fair and showed some of the seedier side of living in a country like that. I liked it.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

I also think that without going to these places, you might as well rename it The Amazing Vacation.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

Raj said:


> OK let's put it another way.
> 
> People on TV go to Europe all the time.
> 
> Hence, TAR contestants going to Europe is like every other show on TV. Fair enough?


This I agree with. On TV, Movies and so forth you see many of these European countries so Americans have some familiarity with them. As a fan of travel shows and history, I find it more interesting when they visit a place I have never "seen" before. Part of the fun with TAR is seeing these places.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

danplaysbass said:


> I wonder how the game would change if each team was given a smart phone to race with. Not only would it be about racing fast and smart, it would be about knowing how to use the device to give you the best advantage.


I wonder if a smartphone would even work in a place like Ghana. Wasn't there a show a few years back where teams got their clues on a smartphone?


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## danplaysbass (Jul 19, 2004)

Steveknj said:


> I wonder if a smartphone would even work in a place like Ghana. Wasn't there a show a few years back where teams got their clues on a smartphone?


Well obviously there would be that kind of challenge. I guess you could use sat phones. The thing is, they could make clues much more vague. Instead of saying "Go to Theo's used auto shop" they could say "Go the the auto shop who was recognized for top customer satisfaction by the BBB" or something like that.

So many times the contestants are at the mercy of their cab drivers. This would give them a little personal involvement in their own fate.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

Steveknj said:


> I wonder if a smartphone would even work in a place like Ghana. Wasn't there a show a few years back where teams got their clues on a smartphone?


Two things. First, cell phone signal availability is actually often better in countries like this than in parts of the US, since they do not have the infrastructure to have landlines everywhere, so cell phones have taken that place. Second, Ghana is not all like what we saw on the show.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

eddyj said:


> Two things. First, cell phone signal availability is actually often better in countries like this than in parts of the US, since they do not have the infrastructure to have landlines everywhere, so cell phones have taken that place. Second, Ghana is not all like what we saw on the show.


Perhaps, and probably in the capital it would work. From what I understand about Ghana, it is one of the more advanced of the African countries. Still very poor though.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

Steveknj said:


> Perhaps, and probably in the capital it would work. From what I understand about Ghana, it is one of the more advanced of the African countries. Still very poor though.


As with so many other countries, a lot of poor, but also a lot of rich people (and not that much in the middle) is my impression. My brother's roommate in college (Yale) was from there. Highly educated (his dad taught at the university), and quite wealthy (he did not know how to drive, since he never had to learn, having a driver).


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## IJustLikeTivo (Oct 3, 2001)

Steveknj said:


> Sounds like we are in the minority, but I have to agree. I think it's a whole lot more interesting going to places like that, that the average tourist doesn't see. Going to London or Paris or even Beijing, these are places where most of us want to go on vacation. Going to a place like Ghana, to get a feel for how others live and what the culture is like is a lot more fun to see. In fact, I think Accra is kind of an interesting place from what I could see. There's definitely some modernization there and a surprising amount of cars for a third world country. But at least they were fair and showed some of the seedier side of living in a country like that. I liked it.


Some African places seem to be moving backwards.

We just got back from Egypt and it's a mess. My parents visited 43 years ago and it was beautiful. Now it's just an overpopulated disaster. At least in Cairo. The population has migrated north from the upper nile valley to the lower nile by Egypt and the city planners have lost control. Building are build without permit or sewerage and the electrical power ( if any ) is stolen from nearby power lines. Just as with the electical system in Ghana, it's chaotic at best and a disaster waiting to happen.

Still, it's always interesting to see how different their reality is to ours and you learn from that, even if you think you don't.


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## uncdrew (Aug 6, 2002)

VegasVic said:


> A lot of sports stuff gets shipping to countries like that. Super Bowl, World Series, etc... have tons of stuff printed up for both teams as world champions and the loser's stuff gets shipped out.


Someone in those countries could make some good money eBaying the stuff back to Americans.

I'd love a SAN DIEGO CHARGERS Superbowl Champs T-shirt when they never won it.


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

eddyj said:


> As with so many other countries, a lot of poor, but also a lot of rich people (and not that much in the middle) is my impression. My brother's roommate in college (Yale) was from there. Highly educated (his dad taught at the university), and quite wealthy (he did not know how to drive, since he never had to learn, having a driver).


The problem with many poor countries is that there is a huge gap between the rich and the poor. They often don't have a middle class who can afford luxuries such as two or more cars or even hot water, air conditioning and cable/satellite TV.

Often the rich are also involved in crime or corruption (or both).


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## Sapphire (Sep 10, 2002)

eddyj said:


> I also think that without going to these places, you might as well rename it The Amazing Vacation.


That's exactly what the family edition was... US only, driving around a big SUV, free gasoline and no hard tasks to do.


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## kettledrum (Nov 17, 2003)

I don't mind TAR destinations in Europe at all. It's interesting to see places I'm not familiar with. Unlike the "average family", I have never been to Europe, and probably won't for many years. It's all entertaining to me, but I'm easy to please.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Let's be clear - I have no problem with TAR going to third-world countries. I much prefer getting a good cross section of first-world and third-world countries during the season, with some more standard destinations and some hidden gems or out of the way places.

My only problem with this episode was Americans essentially begging for money from impoverished people in a third-world country. Can't they come up with a better challenge that showcases the city without asking the racers to sell stuff to people that don't need it and are only participating out of a sense of fascination at being on TV?


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> My only problem with this episode was Americans essentially begging for money from impoverished people in a third-world country. Can't they come up with a better challenge that showcases the city without asking the racers to sell stuff to people that don't need it and are only participating out of a sense of fascination at being on TV?


They were selling sunglasses, from a vendor that sells sunglasses. And the money went back to the vendor. I don't see a problem.

I hated the begging after having to give up all your money penalties. That really bugged me.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

eddyj said:


> They were selling sunglasses, from a vendor that sells sunglasses. And the money went back to the vendor. I don't see a problem.


But the point is that instead of it just being a benign vendor in a market filled with vendors, they're now actively approaching people and asking them to buy something, and then haggling with them over the cost. It's just unbecoming of this show to stoop to that level. Do a challenge like this in London or Munich or Tokyo and then in the poorer countries do other challenges that don't require separating locals from their money.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> But the point is that instead of it just being a benign vendor in a market filled with vendors, *they're now actively approaching people and asking them to buy something, and then haggling with them over the cost*. It's just unbecoming of this show to stoop to that level. Do a challenge like this in London or Munich or Tokyo and then in the poorer countries do other challenges that don't require separating locals from their money.


And you don't think this is exactly what the normal vendors do? You need to get out more!


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

eddyj said:


> And you don't think this is exactly what the normal vendors do? You need to get out more!


The normal vendors aren't rich Americans being followed around by $2,000 video cameras.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> The normal vendors aren't rich Americans being followed around by $2,000 video cameras.


Yeah, but it's not like they were exploiting the locals, as you made it sound. They were doing what the locals do. Unless you think being rich and having a camera somehow coerces people to buy from you?


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

eddyj said:


> Yeah, but it's not like they were exploiting the locals, as you made it sound. They were doing what the locals do. Unless you think being rich and having a camera somehow coerces people to buy from you?


No, I simply think it's unsavory for rich Americans being followed by film crews to go into poor countries and basically beg the impoverished locals for money. Even if the money isn't going to the racers, and even if the actions of the racers are something that locals do all the time, it's just different when it's rich Americans with film crews doing it. I just think it makes Americans look bad to the rest of the world.


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## cmgal (Oct 2, 2003)

I wonder if the producers gave the locals money to purchase the sunglasses. The buyers got to keep the glasses and the vendors got the money.


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## MrLatte (Oct 11, 2000)

DevdogAZ said:


> The normal vendors aren't rich Americans being followed around by $2,000 video cameras.


And those aren't even HD cameras!


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

DevdogAZ said:


> No, I simply think it's unsavory for rich Americans being followed by film crews to go into poor countries and basically beg the impoverished locals for money. Even if the money isn't going to the racers, and even if the actions of the racers are something that locals do all the time, it's just different when it's rich Americans with film crews doing it. I just think it makes Americans look bad to the rest of the world.


They were not begging. They were selling a popular product. Nobody was coerced to buy, nobody paid more than they thought they should (they just did not buy).


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

eddyj said:


> They were not begging. They were selling a popular product. Nobody was coerced to buy, nobody paid more than they thought they should (they just did not buy).


The one thought I had, was that they were possibly taking away business from the real vendors. The ones who had to actually feed their families. So I wonder if the producers made a big "donation" to those in the market who's business might have been lost.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

eddyj said:


> They were not begging. They were selling a popular product. Nobody was coerced to buy, nobody paid more than they thought they should (they just did not buy).


Once again, my problem is with the appearance of Americans trying to get money (whether by begging or haggling or selling or any other method) from poor Africans. It just looks bad and the show should realize this and knock it off. Nobody was specifically "coerced" into giving money to the racers, but people might have been caught up in the fact that there were Americans and a TV crew there and they might have made an impulsive purchase that they'll later regret. If we're talking about $10 from a European who makes $30,000 a year, that's no big deal. But when we're talking about $2 (the exchange rate of 3 Cedi) on an average annual income of $1,500, that's a pretty significant amount. According to the United Nations, 53% of Ghanaians live below a poverty line of $2 per day.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> The one thought I had, was that they were possibly taking away business from the real vendors. The ones who had to actually feed their families. So I wonder if the producers made a big "donation" to those in the market who's business might have been lost.


I'm sure the racers didn't get to keep the money. They took product from the vendors and then surely gave the money to the vendors. And I'm sure the production team compensated the vendors and perhaps even the purchasers. But that doesn't change the fact that it simply looks bad. If you don't inform viewers that you're compensating the participants, then it looks like ugly Americans taking advantage of poor Africans. If you do inform the viewers that the participants have been compensated, then it's even worse, because it highlights the fact that the producers realize how bad it looks. Either way, it's just unseemly.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

I think you're being too sensitive about it, it is just a television show. They had to work with a vendor, the vendor they worked with kept the money, I'm sure he has kids to feed as well.

Not every task needs to have some humanitarian feel to it.


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## martinp13 (Mar 19, 2001)

It's possible there were plants in the crowd that were given 3 Cedi with the express task of buying a pair of sunglasses from the racers. The buyer gets free glasses, and the task gets completed faster.

Personally, I didn't like the task either, from a show perspective. And Mr Tattoo is a rotten seller.


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## Steveknj (Mar 10, 2003)

DevdogAZ said:


> I'm sure the racers didn't get to keep the money. They took product from the vendors and then surely gave the money to the vendors. And I'm sure the production team compensated the vendors and perhaps even the purchasers. But that doesn't change the fact that it simply looks bad. If you don't inform viewers that you're compensating the participants, then it looks like ugly Americans taking advantage of poor Africans. If you do inform the viewers that the participants have been compensated, then it's even worse, because it highlights the fact that the producers realize how bad it looks. Either way, it's just unseemly.


The thing is, most Americans viewing this couldn't care less (or it didn't even occur to them). I agree with you, it looks bad, but I think you're overstating the importance of this to the people actually watching the show from the comfort of their living room sofa. I don't think it would have been a bad thing though to frame the task around "helping" the Ghanans to sell the glasses as opposed to doing it in front of them. To be fair, they DID say that because of the sun, buying sunglasses was popular in Ghana.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

Steveknj said:


> The thing is, most Americans viewing this couldn't care less (or it didn't even occur to them). I agree with you, it looks bad, but I think you're overstating the importance of this to the people actually watching the show from the comfort of their living room sofa. I don't think it would have been a bad thing though to frame the task around "helping" the Ghanans to sell the glasses as opposed to doing it in front of them. To be fair, they DID say that because of the sun, buying sunglasses was popular in Ghana.


I'm not worried about how it looks to the "people actually watching the show from the comfort of their living room sofa." As I've said several times already, I'm saying that tasks like this make Americans look bad to the rest of the world, especially those standing around in this marketplace while Americans being filmed for TV try to talk Ghanians out of an extra Cedi here or an extra 2 Cedi there.


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## gschrock (Dec 28, 2001)

Ok, my notes from the thread 

First, I'd tend to agree with the statement that the average american who takes an overseas vacation is going to tend to go to europe (or maybe the caribbean), but I definitely don't think the average *american* takes a european vacation. I'd guess that I've traveled more than the average american, and I've been to europe once. In another year and a half or so I'll have visited south america more often than europe. My parents just made it to europe themselves last year. Keep in mind that only about 22&#37; of americans even have a passport. (Of course, you can do a lot more travel in the US than you can do in a lot of european countries without leaving the country, and there's a lot to see in this country even if you don't leave it.) There's also the whole vacation culture difference, americans just don't tend to get as much time off work for this type of thing.

On the selling sunglasses: I tend to agree with those that weren't a big fan of this task. Heck, I don't even know if the price being asked for is a reasonable price. But I agree with those that think it's not a real good impression for the relatively wealthy americans to be doing this in a relatively poor looking area. Then there's also the part of me that gets annoyed when I visit some of these countries with the overly aggressive vendors, and here it's the americans being the annoying vendors .

On the AV thing on the tv: Part of me kinda wondered if maybe something we didn't see was some sort of tuner box that was between the antenna and the tv. That'd explain the AV part, and also would explain why the connector did look like an rca connector. It's amazing just how pervasive tv is in even in poor areas though. I've been through areas where the houses would have dirt floors, and looked like barely held together leaning pieces of metal, but there'd be an antenna sticking up to get a tv signal (which also means of course that they had power).


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

And the Americans looked horrible during the melon launch task, wasting all that perfectly good food! From now on, only politically correct, humanitarian tasks will be considered.


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## sburnside1 (Jan 28, 2009)

They were selling sunglasses for dirt cheap in a country where sunglasses are a commodity. 3 cedi is about 2 dollars. the only thing we dont know is what the vendors normally charge. What if the street vendors sell the glasses for 5 or 10 cedi? That's a nice discount.

As for the sales methods, they are in the middle of a market. In the markets I have been to (Mexican and Chinese) you cannot move 15 feet without someone either shoving a product in your face or trying to drag you to their shop. I highly doubt that they were offended that the sales person was American rather than African. With as many people laughing and teasing the contestants, I bet they enjoyed the attention they were receiving. They were going to be seen on the other side of the world by millions of people, how exciting is that.

When I was in china, you would be surprised how many locals got excited to see a 6'2 American and wanted their picture taken with me to show their friends. I am not famous or handsome, except maybe to my wife. Its because it was something that was a rare find to them that made it exciting.


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## Inundated (Sep 10, 2003)

I don't have a problem with the sunglasses per se - and the show has done something similar ("sell this popular product in the city's crowded market") many seasons past.

I mostly had a problem with the teams that begged people to "help us", that's all. The locals seemed to ignore that sort of plea in this case.


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## wendiness1 (Jul 29, 2005)

Inundated said:


> BTW, do you and I already figure we'll go for the Express Pass to pass up the eating challenges, or do we pull a Rob-n-Ambuh?


Eliminate the food challenge any way we can!


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## kettledrum (Nov 17, 2003)

sburnside1 said:


> They were selling sunglasses for dirt cheap in a country where sunglasses are a commodity. 3 cedi is about 2 dollars. the only thing we dont know is what the vendors normally charge. What if the street vendors sell the glasses for 5 or 10 cedi? That's a nice discount.


I had wondered if this was the case when they showed that one guy who wanted to buy the entire board of sunglasses the racer had. If the normal street price is higher, and he could buy the whole board for 3 Cedi a piece, why not?


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## vman (Feb 9, 2001)

I wasn't a big fan of this challenge either (it just leads to people showboating for the cameras, as we saw with that one woman). The other thing I thought was funny was Phil saying how popular sunglasses are, and in that huge market shot practically no one actually had sunglasses!


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## marksman (Mar 4, 2002)

Neenahboy said:


> The language difficulties just aren't funny any more, and IMO they've hindered the producers' ability to structure more engaging challenges (particularly over the last couple years as they've greatly increased their presence in those two areas).


It seemed English was a primary language in Ghana. All the signs I saw were in English, and it seems like everybody there spoke english.

I didn't have a big problem with the episode. I am just glad we are done with this horrible story line of the reunited mother and daughter. I don't think I could have taken it much longer.

Now all I need is for the tattoo team to leave and I will be happy.


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## marksman (Mar 4, 2002)

JLucPicard said:


> I had to laugh when I not only saw a MN Vikings jersey, but a Timberwolves (Garnett) jersey as well. That must be one of the destinations for team gear that doesn't sell!


I wanted to know about the guy with the Honolulu jersey who seemed to be the neighborhood busybody. He was in the first house to get an antenna, but then he showed up in almost every other house too interjecting himself.


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## marksman (Mar 4, 2002)

danplaysbass said:


> I wonder how the game would change if each team was given a smart phone to race with. Not only would it be about racing fast and smart, it would be about knowing how to use the device to give you the best advantage.


Team blackberry would lose.


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## TIVOSciolist (Oct 13, 2003)

eddyj said:


> I also think that without going to these places, you might as well rename it The Amazing Vacation.


One of the winners of TAR 1 described the entire show as being the world's most expensive vacation home movie.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Just watched this tonight... We laughed at the "doctors" saying they were anesthesiologists. So, not really doctors, then, eh?


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

sushikitten said:


> Just watched this tonight... We laughed at the "doctors" saying they were anesthesiologists. So, not really doctors, then, eh?


Given that they hold your life in their hands every time you go under, I'd have to disagree! A bad anesthesiologist can kill you faster than almost any other doctor.


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

The anesthesiologist I know graduated from Doctor school...


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Yeah yeah. 

But I think if you tell the general public you're a doctor, you paint a certain picture. Then saying you're really an anesthesiologist changes that picture slightly.


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## eddyj (Jun 20, 2002)

sushikitten said:


> Yeah yeah.
> 
> But I think if you tell the general public you're a doctor, you paint a certain picture. Then saying you're really an anesthesiologist changes that picture slightly.


Radiologist or Dermatologist, maybe it would. But not Anesthesiologist (for me).


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## heySkippy (Jul 2, 2001)

Isn't the anesthesiologist usually the most highly paid person in the operating room?


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## pdhenry (Feb 28, 2005)

Now, if they had been _chiropractors_...


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## David Platt (Dec 13, 2001)

sushikitten said:


> Just watched this tonight... We laughed at the "doctors" saying they were anesthesiologists. So, not really doctors, then, eh?


Huh? Anesthesiology is a specialty just like any other-- OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Oncology, etc. What makes an anesthesiologist any less of a doctor?


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## jradosh (Jul 31, 2001)

20 highest paying jobs... #1 is Anesthesiology


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## KyleLC (Feb 6, 2002)

They apparently make a lot of money, too. The husband of one of my coworkers is an anesthesiologist, and they have an awesome house in a very upscale neighborhood.

ETA: jradosh posted while I was still typing.


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## robojerk (Jun 13, 2006)

jradosh said:


> 20 highest paying jobs... #1 is Anesthesiology


Anesthesiologists pay HUGE premiums on practice insurance. Chances are if you die during a surgery, it's the anesthesiologist who gets sued because of some issues with the drugs they're giving you. That's why they charge and get paid so much.

Besides that they don't do much. I work for a hospital as an IT person, and actually had to go into an OR once during a surgery. That was an experience I will never forget, the surgeon was wrist deep in someone's abdomen, there was a little mountain of bloody towels on a table next to him. The anesthesiologists on the other hand was using the patients head as an arm rest while he and the surgeon were chatting it up. My purpose of going in there was because the anesthesiologist lost his wifi connection and wasn't able to surf the internet during the surgery.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

sushikitten said:


> Yeah yeah.
> 
> But I think if you tell the general public you're a doctor, you paint a certain picture. Then saying you're really an anesthesiologist changes that picture slightly.


How so? Anesthesiologists have to go to medical school and do internships and residency just like every other M.D. They then have extra training to learn their specialty. Perhaps their diagnostic skills might be a bit rusty if they've done nothing but administer drugs for several years, but it doesn't make them any less of a doctor.


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Well, gee, I certainly didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest here.

But honestly, I never would have ever thought of them as doctors. Really. And obviously hubby felt the same because we both commented on it. I can't imagine we're the only two people in the universe who would think that...though apparently we're the only two on this board who do.


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## DevdogAZ (Apr 16, 2003)

sushikitten said:


> Well, gee, I certainly didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest here.
> 
> But honestly, I never would have ever thought of them as doctors. Really. And obviously hubby felt the same because we both commented on it. I can't imagine we're the only two people in the universe who would think that...though apparently we're the only two on this board who do.


But all you're saying is that you and the Capt. are underedcuated or misinformed about anesthesiologists. If there are other people in the world that have the same misinformation, that still doesn't make it inaccurate.

Perhaps you're confusing an anesthesiologist: 


> In the United States, anesthesiologists are physicians (MD or DO) who have chosen to specialize in anesthesiology. Anesthesiologists in the United States must have completed an undergraduate college degree, including pre-medical requirements. Like other physicians, anesthesiologists complete four years of medical school. Physician training programs in the United States, without exception, require four years of residency training for board certification eligibility in the specialty of anesthesiology. An anesthesiology residency requires a one year medical or surgical internship followed by three years of anesthesiology training.
> 
> Anesthesiology residency training in the U.S. encompasses the full scope of perioperative medicine, including pre-operative medical evaluation, management of pre-existing disease in the surgical patient, intraoperative life support, intraoperative pain control, post-operative recovery, intensive care medicine, and chronic and acute pain management. After residency, many anesthesiologists complete an additional fellowship year of subspecialty training in areas such as pain management, cardiac anesthesiology, pediatric anesthesiology, neuro anesthesiology, obstetric anesthesiology or critical care medicine.
> 
> The majority of Anesthesiologists in the United States are board-certified by a specialty medical board; either the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) or the American Osteopathic Board of Anesthesiology (AOBA). The ABA is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties, while the AOBA falls under the auspices of the American Osteopathic Association. Both Boards are recognized by the major insurance underwriters in the U.S. as well as by all branches of the U.S. Uniformed Services. Board certification by the ABA involves both a written and an oral examination. AOBA certification requires the same, in addition to a practical examination with examining physicians observing the applicant actually administering anesthetics in the O.R.


with a nurse anesthetist: 


> Nurse anesthetists must first complete a bachelor's degree in a science related field or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. They must be a licensed registered nurse. In addition, candidates are required to have a minimum of one year of full-time nursing experience in an acute care setting, such as medical intensive care unit or surgical intensive care unit.[16] Following this year of experience, applicants apply to a Council on Accreditation (COA) accredited program of anesthesia education and study for 24 to 36 months, equivalent to 6 to 9 contiguous semesters (only 2 out of the existing 107 programs are 2 years).[16]. Many programs require entrance prerequisites similar to medical schools (pre-med courses) and up to 2 years of acute care experience.


But that would be like comparing any other specialty of doctor with a nurse that specializes in the same field.


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## Magnolia88 (Jul 1, 2005)

I'm in the "anesthesiologists are doctors" camp. 

I've never thought of them as "lesser" doctors in any way. They go to medical school like all other doctors. They have to be on-call and all that jazz. They aren't performing the actual surgery, but they still have to be there and participate in it and their role is important. 

Now dermatologists, otoh . . .  Ok, they are doctors too, but they do seem a little less like doctors. Is there really a dermatology emergency? (I think that's a quote from Seinfeld, where he was mocking the dermatologist -- "all they do is say 'put some aloe on that.")


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## sushikitten (Jan 28, 2005)

Okay, consider us edumacated now.


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## 4inziksych (Mar 1, 2003)

Ooops, never mind.


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