Published: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Well-grounded physicist led quiet, inventive life
by "Science from the sidelines" columnist Dave Brooks

Patents about better chemistry for superconductors and faster hand-drying in bathrooms, about secure time stamps for computer files and remote lighting of appliances, about magnetic heat pumps and disposable paper cups.

That's a lot of intellectual ground for one man to cover.

"When you have an active mind, a busy brain – you can do more!" said Urszula Hed, of Nashua, speaking of her late husband, Zeev, a physicist who turned the joy of invention into a profession. "I lived with him so long I didn't think it was unusual."

Hed died earlier this month at age 69 after a short illness, stilling what had been a very active mind, indeed. He was involved in at least 45 U.S. patents, including those cited above, plus an equal number of international ones. For decades he slew corporations' intellectual dragons as part of an unusual inventor-for-hire company in Massachusetts.

"He was really a generalist," said longtime business partner Richard Pavelle, one of four men who made up the firm Invent Resources. "He had expertise in chemistry, biology, medical instrumentation, medicine, music history . . . and a degree in physics. He and I would be on the phone with experts at various companies, and the remarkable thing was that after a couple of minutes in these meetings, it was clear to everybody there that he knew more than the experts."

His motto as an inventor, as I was told by everybody I talked to about him, was simple: "I am too stupid to know it cannot be done." If it wasn't perpetual motion or other violation of the laws of nature, he was willing to take a shot.

He and his family lived in Nashua for a quarter-century, since he first came up from the New York area to take a corporate job he quickly ditched. All four of their children were raised here.

So why haven't you ever heard of him? More importantly, why haven't I?

My first inkling of this amazing man, I must admit, came last week when anonymous e-mails landed at The Telegraph, asking about his death. It turns out they were from fans at an online personal finance forum where Hed had posted free advice for years.

"I have been corresponding with him for nearly 15 years, both publicly and privately. The world has lost a true champion and a humble, giving soul," wrote one of these people in response to my query. "I would write more but tears are dripping into my keyboard again."

Urszula Hed said the family wasn't known here because they were more oriented south of the border, for business and personal reasons (the kids all went to private schools).

And Zeev Hed didn't go public, as many would have, about his astonishing life.

His father was born in Cologne, Germany, and his mother in Lodz, Poland – not great places to be in the early years of the 20th century if you were Jewish. His siblings were born in Germany, but by the time he came along, his parents had gone to Belgium to avoid the Nazis.

It didn't work, unfortunately; both his parents were killed as part of the resistance, and Hed ended up as one of a group of children who fled the Nazis during World War II, moving from location to location until they were finally rescued by Allied forces.

"He learned to read by drawing letters in the sand," said his wife.

Hed was taken to Israel, where he grew up on a kibbutz. Eventually he got a doctorate in solid-state physics and made it, like so many bright, post-war children, to the United States.

He worked for companies and on his own, before hooking up with three other, like-minded engineer scientists to create Invent Resources. Companies came to them with problems they needed solving.

"There are many Fortune 500 companies that have virtually no technical ability in house," said Pavelle.

So the quartet got to do the enjoyable part of R&D – that is, the R. What happened afterward wasn't their problem.

"We did the fun work," said Pavelle. "Clearly, in any product development, the most difficult part is the marketing . . . It's not uncommon for a company to spend 20-30 million (dollars) on a new product that never sees the light of day for whatever reason."

This unusual career allowed Hed to work mostly at home, cranking out patents and helping companies from the huge to the startup.

There are a surprising number of very clever but overlooked people like Hed around, doing amazing stuff with no recognition. I'm sorry I didn't know about him while he was still alive; but perhaps that's the way he liked it.

His wife told me about a job interview in which the not-particularly lofty Hed said he should be hired "because I'm the tallest man you've ever met."

The reason for that odd boast?

"He told them, 'I have my feet on the ground and my head in the clouds,' " Urszula Hed said. "That's what he was like."

I believe she had to give the idol up.

I thought he was clueless IF he played the idol as it was evident by his statement that he was going to play it so no one would then waste their vote on him.

I so enjoyed the arrogant one getting voted off first.

Colton will take control if they don't force him to play the idol

Here's something we didn't know:

Oscar Lusth
FOURSOME (2006)
Playboy TV's reality dating show features two girls and two guys spending 24 hours in a mansion where anything goes. In Ozzy's case, ''anything'' includes having sex...with both women! (No discriminating here.) He also offers up an early glimpse as to his current domination of Survivor water-based challenges by dexterously hooking up in a hot tub.


http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1548429,00.html


sounds like he hasn't figured out what he will do with his life:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/cast/16/ozzy/

I'm willing to bet they just told us who the winner of this Survivor is.............

My wife said that Boston Rob told Matt they were all voting for Steve, so it was Matt's vote for Steve.

As somebody said, poor kid, but he deserved to go back, very poor play.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me........

the Packers currently favored by 2 ½ points over the Steelers and an over-under on total points scored in the game at 45. I like the Steelers and the under, and I mention this so you'll know to take the Packers and the over because I'm typically wrong.


Money in the bank if you listened to his advice. to do the opposite!

He wants back his idol (what is the rule on that anyway? It's hanging right there! Grab the sucker and bury it!) Sash says nope.


Everything else goes on this show.........why not?

He would then have 2 options for staying in the game until he gets the numbers on his side, the idol and individual immunity.

Curious as to whether anyone was hurt..........the back of that truck looks like it did some sort of damage.

Oh it's a visual thing. He has his clipboard with a stack of supposed neighbor's checks clipped to the top.

Possibly, they have to show they are needed, wouldn't surprise me either.

I forgot to add, the guy who came by my house, it was 2 years ago.
He came by again this summer, I said, you don't remember me, do you?
He said he was calling on people who had requested a call back.
I laughed out loud, saying that sure as hell wasn't me. I told you last year I'm not giving you guys another penny.

My wife says we will probably be just like the guy in your original story, they'll watch as our house burns............I told her, we would sue for a hell of a lot...........

You would think firefighters would be just like doctors, allow no harm...........this boils my blood. Over a fee?

Yes, our "service" comes out of our real estate taxes also, but that doesn't stop them from calling on the phone demanding more and going door to door demanding more......The guy from the local dept rang my doorbell on a Saturday morning, I explained I already give a substantial amount in my real estate taxes, his response was, "that's not enough for us"
I replied, "It's NEVER enough, you all just keep buying and buying more "toys", you have to have the latest and greatest.
And then the "overkill" when they respond:
A little girl got her hand stuck in a swimming pool drain, 2 feet of water, no danger of drowning, I counted over 12 rescue vehicles.........one would have been enough. How much in tax dollars were spent on that one call? There are 3 firehouses within a 2-3 mile radius of my house, They all show up every time it seems.

Wish IHUB had a "recommend" button like SI.

There are a lot of great kids in the world. Too often all we hear about are drugged out or alcoholic celebrities.

Thanks for posting.


Regards,

Bob

53.158904109

yes...........true.

It was a fun year watching them.........Russell has dropped a few notches in my book for not seeing the "weakness" in his game.
He talks too much............liked to brag when he found another idol without a clue.......

He does a good job...........I have also enjoyed reading it.


Unfortunately, one day I was reading the comments section and it was revealed by someone back in early April that Sandra was the winner, Pavarti was second and Russell was third ......they even posted the order of each person leaving in the final 8........it was all correct you want to stop reading and not find out..........it was like the proverbial car wreck.......


I never warmed up to Sandra, did not like her at all and wondered why they never would vote her out. I do respect her game now, she knew when to talk and when to shut up.

Pavarti definitely deserved to win...........the double idol move was one of the best moves ever, will never forget the looks on the other tribes faces when she pulled out that second idol.

Jeff Probst blogs the Survivor finale:



As I type this I am on the plane flying back to Los Angeles less than 12 hours after Sandra became first two-time Survivor winner. So bear in mind I’m a bit fuzzy headed and therefore may say things I later regret or later realize aren’t funny or even interesting.

I’m not going to argue whether Sandra should have won or not. I’ve learned from last season that it’s a bit pointless. The jury is in charge and the jury made their decision.

Having said that… I will go on record and say that I would have voted for Parvati. No question.

Not taking anything away from Sandra. Sandra is a very good player and she does one thing very well – she avoids the vote. Two times played, two times won, two times never voted out. Hard to argue against that record.

Had I been given a vote, I would have voted for Parvati because she played her ass off. She zigged and zagged her away through the Samoan jungle like nobody’s business. I was truly impressed. She handled Russell in a way nobody else could have. The double idol play was bold. The subtle social game she played was spot on. I think she played an overall better game than Sandra.

However, I do believe the jury lumped her in with Russell and if that’s the case, then Parvati misread the vibe of the group and it cost her the money. Then again, I’m just the host and as a contestant recently reminded me at a tribal council, I don’t have a vote, so I don’t count. Truer words never spoken. I don’t have a vote. I don’t count. So let’s move on…

Russell was too hyped up last night at the live Reunion show for me to get much of anything out of him. I’m sorry I didn’t do a better job because he had a lot of very interesting things to say about the game and the wear and tear it took on him. All I could do last night was to try to keep him seated in his chair long enough for us to get a shot of him on-camera. In fact the entire night it felt a bit like a fight might break out at anytime. In case you’re wondering what I would have done…? I would have just let it happen. I wouldn’t have gone to commercial but instead would have launched right into good ole fashioned Survivor play-by-play. But it didn’t. Instead these guys did what they were put on the show to do, they did their best to entertain.

I feel for Russell. I do not believe he is aware of how out of balance his life is right now. He is still stuck in “the game” and it was uncomfortable for me to watch him squirm so much last night and scream so loudly for respect. He doesn’t need to ask for respect. He has won the Sprint Player of the Game two times. He has also proven to be extremely good at getting to the end by being a great strategist and intimidator. There is no question that Russell is an excellent player of Survivor.

But my opinion of Russell changed when he admitted to Boston Rob that he did not play to win. You can’t be the best if you’re not playing to win. He can hoop and holler all he wants about “America choosing” but that’s not this game. This game is about convincing a jury of your peers that you are the most deserving person. He didn’t do that. But my problem is not that he didn’t accomplish that goal, it’s that it wasn’t his goal in the first place.

Boston Rob plays to win. The fact that he hasn’t won doesn’t change the fact that he plays to win. It’s a philosophical approach to the game and if Russell truly doesn’t play to win then he has no claim to greatest player.

Here’s the rub… I am not convinced Russell truly feels that way. Stay with me. I think Russell did play to win. 100%. I think he just misjudged and didn’t fully understand the game well enough to achieve his goal. So now he is changing history. I believe that last night he was scrambling to make sense, scrambling to defend, scrambling to justify another loss, so he decided that all he ever wanted to do was get to the end.

That’s what I mean about “out of balance.” The man needs a break. He needs a retreat somewhere far away where he is not allowed to talk about Survivor, not allowed to talk at all. He needs a rest. I don’t imagine he’ll take one. I imagine he’ll let the anger stir inside him and it will haunt him for a long time to come.

Russell, if you’re reading this and I know you are – I hope, I truly hope you will give yourself a break and let the game go… at least for a while. Come back and revisit it with a fresh mind and see if you can find ways to improve your game. Otherwise you are doomed to be frustrated by this game and continue to make silly suggestions like “let America vote.”

Onto other thoughts:

I was happy to hear that Coach has gained some personal insight into how he is perceived as a result of his time on Survivor. As most of you know, I like Coach and his stories don’t bother me but I love anytime someone changes for the better as a result of their time on our show. Side note: Coach really wanted to play trumpet with the band during the Reunion show. He sent me a clip and he’s pretty damn good, but we just didn’t have any extra time and couldn’t work it out.

I was very surprised at the Sprint Player of the Game vote. I thought Boston Rob was a shoo-in but evidently he was just gone too long. I also never thought Rupert would be one of the two top vote getters, not only that but it was really close. Less than 2,000 votes separated the two.

Candice never looked more beautiful than she did last night. I think it’s the ring on her finger. That girl is in love and so proud. This may surprise those of you who read this blog, but the truth is I really like Candice quite a bit and I’m so happy for her happiness.

Man, I don’t exactly know what is going on with Colby but he still seemed mad last night.

I’m not sure what was going on with James either but word on the street is that he was on some pain medication for his knee and as a result was a bit out of it.

Boston Rob and Amber – who knew they’d make such a cute baby. I saw Amber before the show and she looks great. All smiles. She seems very happy being a mom and Rob is about as proud of his family as you can be without being corny and Boston Rob is rarely corny.

Ethan Zohn also stopped by last night to say hi before the show. I had recently hosted Larry King and he was on as a guest to talk about his cancer being in remission. It was so good to see him in person, give him a hug and tell him how happy I am that he is healthy again. I’d love to see Ethan back on the beach playing Survivor again one day. What an inspiration.

Okay the plane is about to land and I’ll be honest, like I always am… I am ready to put this season to bed.

Heroes v Villains will go down as one of the greatest seasons ever and that’s thanks to the 20 people who played.

It is so easy to sit at my desk in my office with my patio doors open and make fun of these guys all season, just like they could make fun of me if they had a blog. But most of them don’t. So in fairness, after a season full of lippy blogs, I think a bit of redemption is in order.

The 20 people who came out and played Survivor again this year did their very best every damn day they were out there. Survivor is unlike any other game on television. No other show kicks your ass the way this one does. No other show taxes you mentally the way this one does. And no other show puts you in situations that challenge you to be your best but often result in highlighting your worst qualities under the most unflattering conditions.

I tip my hat to the group of heroes and the villains for not only giving us 13 weeks of amazing television but also for everything they put at stake: reputations, family time, personal plans and careers to name a few. They put all this at risk while exposing themselves to the ridicule of lippy bloggers, like myself and Dalton Ross. They knew that was part of the game coming in but it doesn’t make it any easier. This was not an easy season for any of them. Every single player endured some kind of pain and/or hardship. I hope you are all reading this and I hope that at some point in the very near future you raise a glass and toast yourself. Well done.

FINAL WORDS

Writing this blog and getting your feedback was, for the most part, an enjoyable experience. I won’t lie, there are days I am not in the mood to write it but then I remember that for those who do read it, you look forward to it and that always compels me to finish.

I am happy to be back for two more seasons of Survivor and we start shooting very soon. I hope you will come back and stay with us even though we have a lot to live up to following Heroes v. Villains.

To all the people I met in NY this weekend on the streets, in restaurants, at the hotel, at the airport – thanks for the loyal support all these years. I’m sorry we couldn’t accommodate more people at the live show. Maybe CBS should open it up to a bigger venue again as they have in the past.

To those of you still applying who have yet to get on the show – I hope you keep applying. We miss good people all the time, don’t give up the dream.

To those of you who think I suck as a host or as a blogger… kiss it.

Nicaragua.. here we come!



http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/05/18/jeff-probst-survivor-heroes-villains-finale/

last sentence of Jeff's blog.......

Next week is a biggee. Two immunity challenges. Two tribal councils. Two people gone.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/30/jeff-probst-blog-survivor-heroes-vs-villains-ep-11/



Apr 30 2010 09:17 AM

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 11
by Jeff Probst

THE FALLOUT FROM LAST WEEK

Last week, Parvati played not one but two idols. Russell had no idea she had the second idol or he never would have given her his idol in the first place! You knew the fallout was going to come and the anticipation of it reminded me of my youth, growing up in the wheat fields of Kansas.

In Kansas, tornadoes are common and they often cause major damage. But just before the tornado strikes, there is an eerie calm. The wind doesn’t rustle, the rain doesn’t fall. It’s just calm. You see neighbors rounding up the bicycles or putting away the lawn mower, cause they know the storm is a comin’ and it’s gonna be bad.

Russell is like a tornado. A tornado that is lingering just outside of town, slowly swirling, building momentum and gearing up to do some major damage. You could feel his anger growing, you could feel the emotions beginning to gather steam as they worked their way through his body.

Swirling. Faster and faster…

If Russell is a tornado, Parvati is the tornado chaser. She loves being in the eye of the storm because she doesn’t fear a tornado but is in fact is drawn to its ferocity.

It’s a bit like a Spielberg movie, right? The world’s greatest and sexiest tornado chaser taking on the world’s biggest and most destructive tornado… in 3D!

Although Russell’s tornado turned out to be a false warning, it doesn’t mean it has gone away. The anger inside him is still swirling. He is still lurking just outside of town and Parvati knows it. Russell will not soon forget, check that, Russell will never forget that Parvati betrayed him and since Danielle was a part of that betrayal she better put her bicycle away too, cause this is only the first act and Spielberg always finishes with a bang.

THE REWARD A.K.A. – THE THREESOME

Warning: For those of you who find my “adult themed” comments offensive, please skip down to the section titled “BACK TO PG.” Otherwise, read on at your own risk.

Colby, Danielle, Amanda. Could you have put together a more perfect group to sleep together on one bed? Colby -The rugged heroic cowboy. Amanda, the pretty and often shy cheerleader. Danielle, the sexy tomboy who despises cheerleaders. All together in one room with one bed for one night. Toss in a bowl of popcorn, a movie and a clue to the hidden idol and you have yourself the makings of a very interesting night. It feels, looks and sounds like Showtime, but it’s just another great moment in a season of great moments on Survivor.

THE CAT FIGHT

Wow. Wouldn’t you like to see the left over footage from that scene? Let’s set the stage. Amanda dressed in bikini bottoms with a hoodie on top is surveying the room, looking for the clue. Danielle, dressed much the same way, is on the bed eating popcorn and also wondering where the clue might be. Colby is the only one actually watching the damn movie and he downs a handful of popcorn.

Danielle finds the clue in the bowl of popcorn. She carefully removes it and then tries to hide it from the others by dropping it on the floor next to her. As Amanda continues her hunt for the clue she spots it on the floor.

Amanda grabs it. Danielle tries to grab it back. The cat fight is on.

Two women, dressed only in bikini’s who haven’t showered in weeks fighting over a small piece of parchment in a hotel room while the seemingly oblivious cowboy from Texas continues to watch a movie on the television. (Take a moment, and let that sink in. Go ahead and read it again if you want, because that is exactly what happened.)

Amanda has it. Danielle wants it back. So now we have an interesting situation. Who does the note belong to? I am not there to referee or make a decision so this is left to them to figure out. Does it belong to Danielle because she found it? Does it belong to Amanda because she found it after Danielle dropped it on the floor? Should they have to share it? Or does it go to the winner of The cat fight? Of course I would opt for the last scenario – let them fight it out and the winner gets it, cause let’s be honest, that would be fun to watch.

INSIGHT: From a rules point of view, there is no rule that covers something this unique. Neither Danielle nor Amanda had a clear-cut case of possession, so it was up in the air.

My call would have been to have them “work it out” which probably would have resulted in all three of them sharing it together. That’s definitely what I would have said if I had been Amanda or Colby, “Let’s work it out together.” I would never have let Danielle walk away with it by herself. Never.

But then the most amazing thing happened. The seemingly oblivious cowboy from Texas suddenly wakes up and turns into a pretty decent game show host and without asking permission declares himself the arbiter of the dispute. Colby then states with an amazing sense of authority that the clue belongs to… Danielle. Well executed. Nicely done, dude. You should host your own show. Bravo.

And then… even more jaw dropping… Amanda, acting like a 5 year old whose daddy just told her to give the toy back to her sister, hands over the clue to Danielle! She gave it to her! Are you kidding?

It was one of the most fascinating moments this season. Human dynamics at play in the oddest context imaginable.

Amanda gave the clue back because she wasn’t strong enough to stand up for herself. It continues to be Amanda’s Achilles heel in life. Standing up for her self. I know she is watching this at home and frustrated once again because she could easily still be in this game if she had only stood up for her self and said, “I’m not giving it back. I have it. I’m not letting go. You were foolish enough to set it aside and I grabbed it. Now back off before I do one of my favorite high schools cheers and toss you over my back and down the stairs.” But instead she was intimidated and obediently did as instructed by Colby.

That is what Survivor is all about. No rules. Work it out. The person who makes the most compelling argument often wins. In this case it was Colby, a guy who didn’t even have a stake in the issue.

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM TO COLBY: You did a very nice job of handling the moment. You took charge and you were clear. You only made one mistake. When you fell into the host role, you forgot you were also one of the contestants as well. You should have made a decision that included you getting to see the clue. At the very least you should have let Amanda see it. She’s on your tribe!!! Giving it to Danielle was a mistake.

What do you guys think? What should have happened? What would you have done?

RUSSELL FINDS A THIRD IDOL

“I am the king of hidden immunity idols.” I’d have to agree. Over the last two seasons Russell has proven that he has an uncanny ability to find the idols. In fact, he’s so good at it that he’s forever changed how we will handle idols in future seasons.

INSIGHT: Next season it will take more than just looking under a rock to find a hidden idol. I won’t give away what we’re doing, but in planning our creative for next season we coined a phrase, “The Russell Factor” and it influenced how we will play the hidden idol next season.

SANDRA MAKING HER MOVE

She’s a slick one. She knows when to listen and when to talk. Sandra is smart. Who else could tell Russell to walk away and get away with it.

I also appreciate Sandra’s ability to know when to give up the fight and go with the flow.

This is why Sandra is so good… her last question to Candice: “Tell me who you want out, please.”

Sandra is smart enough to know when she is fighting an uphill battle. Asking that question was her way of giving in without giving up. She was offering her vote to the majority to ensure she stays in the game at least one more day. If you’re in the game you have a chance.

CANDICE

Candice is getting herself into a sticky situation. When you don’t pull the trigger, people start to doubt you. When they start to doubt you, they stop telling you things. When they stop telling you things, you’re in trouble. Candice needs to make a bold move and soon.

RUSSELL IS TALKING TOO MUCH

I think the wear and tear of Russell playing back to back seasons may be taking it’s toll. Far be it from me to criticize how he’s playing, but I think he’s talking too much.

RUPERT IS TOO FOCUSED ON RUSSELL

Again, I’m not playing so it’s easy to back seat drive but Rupert’s grudge with Russell seems personal. Let it go. Stay focused on staying in the game. Keep your eyes on the prize.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
I love these types of challenges. Taking a basic idea like “House Of Cards” and turning it into a challenge is what our challenge department does best. It’s a great challenge because anybody can win and it’s also fun for kids watching the show because this is the kind of challenge you can easily replicate for a Survivor themed birthday party.

By the way – Congrats to Jerri for her first individual immunity challenge victory!

THE ONE THING I DIDNT NEED TO HEAR

Russell’s quote about Amanda is something I could have lived my entire life and been okay not hearing:

Russell: She’s kinda like Boston Rob in a girl’s body. It’s a quote I don’t need to hear, an image I don’t need in my mind. But it lingers. It’s like when you hear an annoying song by Air Supply as you’re just waking up and the song stays in your head all day. Now all I’m imagining is Amanda in a white tank-top with a Red Sox cap on—- … hang on a second. Maybe this isn’t such a bad image after all.

PLAYING CARDS IN THE SHELTER

I wish we had more moments like this because they remind me of the reality of what the Survivors lives are really like. They have hours upon hours of idle time where life is absolutely boring. The fire is stoked, the water is boiled, they’re taking a break from strategy and they’re just hanging out. This is why, when all is said and done, that so many former Survivors become friends. It’s a bonding experience that few of us in life will ever get the chance to experience. I miss these moments in the show. I wish we had more, but the show is about strategy these days and so that’s where most of the stories lead.

TRIBAL COUNCIL

I have to admit and I’m surprised to be saying this… but I found myself a little bummed that Amanda is gone. As frustrating as she can be at times, she’s a tremendous player. One of the best. She only lacks one thing from being an absolute dynamo and that’s the killer instinct. As stated earlier, it’s the confidence to stand up for her self and claim what is rightfully hers. Had she done that with Danielle in the hotel room she’d probably still be in this game.

PS. Sorry I forgot to remind you we were back to the PG rating.

Next week is a biggee. Two immunity challenges. Two tribal councils. Two people gone.

See ya then.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/23/jeff-probst-blog-ep-10/#more-66439
Apr 23 2010 10:21 AM ET


Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains' episode 10
by Jeff Probst


First off, let me just say that I share your “speechlessness” regarding tonight’s episode. By the way, I love creating new words. Would someone please add “speechlessness” to the Survivor dictionary or at least Wikipedia. Because after tonight, I feel like all Survivor fans have just shared a bit of Survivor church. I am still in shock at how good this season is and I was out there shooting it!! Name another reality show having a better season than Survivor. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Okay, onto the blog…

THIS IS WHEN THE GAME GETS CRAZY

Well for once this season, Rupert was actually right. Not only about the game getting “crazy…” but also his gut about whom to trust.. Sandra or JT? He was spot on in choosing to believe Sandra. Then again, it was more of a lucky guess than anything else.

Imagine having to make that choice. Russell or Sandra.

It’s very easy to know the right choice when you’re sitting at home with that big bag of Doritos in your lap, your fingers orange from the artificial flavoring. But imagine having to choose between trusting Russell or Sandra without any outside help.

What a choice. They are two of the craftiest players in the game, both of whom are capable of lying with absolute conviction. I can see why Rupert believed Sandra and I can see why JT did not.

FIRST INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE

Once again Colby drops out of another challenge. I think he has been one of the biggest surprises and many would probably say one of the biggest disappointments of this season. But the truth is it just shows you how unpredictable this game can be and how big of a factor luck can play in how long you last. The challenges this season have not played to Colby’s strengths so he has struggled. The alliance he chose didn’t last, so he has struggled. Because he has struggled, his attitude has waned from wanting to quit to fightin to stay alive. Survivor is not an easy game to play.

This challenge certainly favored women as we witnessed with Danielle, Parvati and Candice battling in the end. I do not understand why Candice stepped out of the challenge. Even after questioning her at the challenge it still makes no sense. Immunity is everything in this game. She had a very good chance of winning. I do not understand why you would step down at this point in the game. I really think Candice is in a good position to go deep in the game right now but her logic in this situation really baffles me.

Not only did she give up personal immunity for herself, but in stepping down she gave immunity to someone from the Villain tribe which gave the Heroes one less person to vote for at Tribal Council. Add in the two immunity idols that Parvati had and the Heroes really had no chance at Tribal.

RUPERT IS ON A ROLL

Once again Rupert’s observation was spot on. Noticing how easily Parvati, a true competitor, agreed to bow out of the challenge raised a big red flag to Rupert. She must have immunity otherwise she would never step down.

He was right. Parvati had immunity. Here’s another question I have – and maybe my logic doesn’t make sense as I am literally thinking about it only while I’m sitting in my home office – but since the Heroes knew that Parvati had an idol, why didn’t their thinking continue to the point of realizing that Russell was also lying. He had said that Parvati played an idol, right? Maybe I’m missing something obvious, but seems to me Russell may have dodged another bullet tonight. He was a sitting duck.

REALLY PERSONAL INSIGHT

In case you’re wondering, my office is pretty small. It’s not connected to my house either. It has hardwood floors that I had to replace about three years ago after a particularly wet winter. I have a poster from a movie I wrote and directed, “Finder’s Fee.” I have a poster from a show I created and hosted, “Live For The Moment” that nobody watched so it’s off the air. I have two very old paintings from one of my grandpa’s. I have a flat screen that my brother mounted on the wall that I never watch and wish wasn’t there. I have an old grandfather clock, a few photos from Survivor, some photos of friends and a few trinkets from my travels. Now you know.

PARVATI AND AMANDA – THE FACE OFF

You knew it was coming. It was only a matter of time. Two former allies come together again with one major question on everybody’s mind. Will they partner or will they battle. I’m so happy they didn’t partner last night. It’s time they battled. I hope it continues. I will admit that I loved that Amanda betrayed Parvati. She just scored points in my book. Not because I’m rooting against Parvati, simply because I like seeing Amanda really step up. It’s about damn time. Parvati didn’t buy it and that’s why Parvati is neck and neck with Amanda in terms of days played in this game. Amanda’s tell is when she starts feigning “the weight of the world” on her shoulders. “I’m so confused. My head hurts.” Ah, she was doing so well until she gave it away. Make no mistake, Amanda is a big part of the reason tonight’s vote went down the way it did.

RUSSELL DOES IT AGAIN

Now let’s get to the good stuff! Russell is a great player who is making potentially disastrous mistakes because of good ole hormones. Say what you want, tell me I’m wrong, I remain convinced that he is doing this because of Parvati’s flirtatious ways.

He would not give that idol to Sandra, even if Sandra was in his alliance. He wouldn’t give it to Danielle who IS in his alliance. He wouldn’t give it to anybody else, but for a second time… he gave it to Parvati…with no idea she already had one of her own.

Parvati is ballsy, right? Wow. She is knowingly double-crossing the one guy everybody else fears. You know what that tells me? She’s not afraid. Parvati is extremely confident. She smelled Amanda’s bullsh*t and she doesn’t fear Russell’s. Could Parvati win this game again? Maybe. Or maybe by me suggesting it, it means she won’t. Or maybe I just gave away that she did. Could Sandra win this game? Jerri? What about Rupert? Danielle? Amanda? Candice? Colby? JT? (Oops, sorry JT). Did I miss anybody?

TRIBAL COUNCIL

It was an excellent tribal council because we have amazing players left in the game. The many layers of strategy that played out last night was fascinating. But the highlight of the night and one of the stand out highlights in a season filled with them came at the hands of Parvati.

It was one of the biggest moves ever and certainly the biggest of this season thus far.

The reactions as she passed out the first… and then the second idol were as good as it gets on Survivor. This is how you play Survivor. Full tilt boogie. Parvati just made it into the Survivor Hall of Fame.

THE AFTERMATH

Oh, there will be a big aftermath with Russell and Parvati. You saw him mouth to her at Tribal, “You got some explaining to do.” Russell does not suffer fools lightly, especially when he is his own fool. He’s mad. Burn your house down mad. This will be their first lovers quarrel. Yes, I know they’re not technically lovers, but in the game of Survivor, they’re more than lovers, they’re married and this will result in a major spat.

The question is will it destroy their alliance or will Parvati be able to salvage it. Any bets?

EVEN THOUGH HE’S GONE I STILL LOVE J.T.

I respect JT for one simple reason. The handshake with Russell. It was classy. He got played and he knew it. Instead of pouting he acknowledged the move and with his head held high, left the game. JT went out with a bang for sure. Many will say he made the dumbest move in the history of Survivor, but in my book it’s how you finish and JT finished strong.

FINALLY

I have a great job.

See ya next week.

I don't think we can underestimate how pissed off Russell is about being "betrayed" by Parvati...............betrayed is probably too strong a word to us, but I'm betting Russell feels it was absolute betrayal. Her opportunity to tell him was when he was giving her the idol and she chose not to........I have to believe that Russell now sees he was not in control and I'm betting he may target Parvati.

Parvati could have told Russell that she had an idol, could have told him about discussions with Amanda and they could have figured out that Jerri was the target, could have saved an idol in reserve............


The previews for next week show Sandra saying she is after Russell, I see that as editing to make us believe he is in trouble..........I'm thinking Sandra is next...........

No, there are no idols left.........until of course the producers put one back in play.........

Did you check out the deleted scene with Russell? Brought the machete back so the girls could take care of themselves...........too funny.

Jeff Probst Blog:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/04/16/jeff-probst-blogs-survivor-heroes-vs-villains-episode-9/?xid=rss-feed-todayslatest-Jeff+Probst%27s+%27Survivor%27+blog


HEROES V. VILLAINS – IT JUST KEEPS GETTIN’ BETTER
Man oh man. Episode eight and this season has not slowed down one bit.

I know I use a lot of hyperbole in my blogs, it’s in part just so I can read your comments criticizing me for doing so, but sometimes the hype is justified. That’s certainly the case with what I’m about to write….

JT made perhaps the biggest and boldest move in the history of our show last night. It will go down as one of the most controversial decisions ever made by a player. Some will call him flat out dumb, while others… like myself …see the wisdom in what he was attempting to pull off.

More on that later…

REWARD CHALLENGE
I have loved this challenge every time we’ve done it in the past, but this time we added a great twist. We made it a tribe challenge pitting opposite tribe members against each other and the twist yielded great results. It was no longer a challenge based simply on strength and will-power, now it mattered who you matched up against. That changed everything.

It’s very clear that Rupert truly believes he is the strongest person left in this game. I love you Pirate Man, but on this note you’re delusional. Maybe you were one of the strongest players back in the Pearl Islands, but not this year. You’re not the strongest. You’re not even top three. In a head to head match up in most challenges I’d take Amanda, Candace, Parvati, Jerri & Danielle over you, and I’m just starting. Most every player left in this game is strong (both physically and strategically) and that’s why it’s going to be an exciting finish.

I think this challenge was won in large part because of the people that had hurt the Villains in earlier challenges. Sandra and Courtney were shoo-ins to win their match up. Courtney’s small stature made this an easy one for her to dominate, in fact she won a similar type of challenge in China. As for Sandra, these challenges play right into her wheel-house because they rely on pure will-power and nothing else. Sandra has an endless supply of will power. Like she said during the challenge, “two kids and not so much as an asprin!” That gave the villains 2 guaranteed points right off the bat.
When I saw the match-ups, I didn’t think the heroes had much chance at all.

100 DAYS OF SURVIVOR
Amanda and Parvati have both reached 100 days in the game of Survivor. You have to tip your hat to that amazing feat. Both of these women are fantastic players. You do not last that long in this game three times in a row without doing a lot of things very well. There are many things you could find to criticize about both of them, but it will never outweigh the fact that they’ve lasted longer than anybody else who has ever played. Now the question becomes who will have the most days played when the game is over? Will it still be a tie? And will either one of them have a million dollars as a result?

THE HIDDEN–HIDDEN IDOL
The way Parvati handled the finding of the clue and the idol is just one of the reasons Parvati has been so successful in this game. Parvati is playing to win. Her instant decision to hide the idol note from everybody except Danielle speaks to her prowess in this game.

Parvati: “We’ll fill Russell in on a need to know basis. Right now he doesn’t need to know.” If she chooses to keep this a secret from Russell and then surprises him with it, there will be repercussions, unless of course she uses it to vote him out.

I’ve said it many times this season because I believe it. Parvati has found a weakness in Russell and it’s a weakness that haunts most men – our ego when it comes to the opposite sex. I know some of you don’t like to talk about sex or the relationship between men and women, but there is no denying it plays a part in Survivor and in our daily lives. Parvati is a good flirt and there is zero doubt in my mind that she senses that she has just a slight edge over Russell so long as she can keep him dancing.

Parvati isn’t kidding when she says she wants to see Russell squirm a bit, she wants it to be very clear to Russell that she’s in charge. It’s a bold move and I respect it, but whoa girl, watch out if and when Russell finds out what you’ve been doing. You better use that idol to vote him out or use it to save him in a way that you can sell as an “alliance” move later in the game. Otherwise this could get really ugly and all the flirting in the world will not save you.

JT’S INCREDIBLY RISKY AND AMAZINGLY EXCITING PLAN
Okay, let’s get down to it.

JT…wants… to… give… a hidden immunity idol… to Russell. What?!

JT wants to give Russell an idol. He wants to hand him a get out of jail free card and along with it the power to change the vote at Tribal and decide who goes home. No amount of hyperbole could over sell this decision. This is JT. The guy who won this game in Brazil now wants to give away the single most powerful weapon in the game to the single most untrustworthy person left in the game?

It boggles the mind. It’s one of the most jaw-dropping decisions I’ve heard in the last 769 days of Survivor. (My math may be a day or two off, but I think that’s how many days the game has been played.)

It’s jaw-dropping but was it really crazy? That’s up for debate. What I like about the move is that it’s a big move and typically (not always) big moves are required if you’re going to have a shot at winning the game.

It’s easy to say it’s a silly idea when you’re watching from home and you know what everybody else is saying and doing. All JT had to go on was the mistaken belief that Russell was in trouble was probably going to be voted out. JT reasoned that if they merged then the female alliance would take over the game. But, if he could save Russell then Russell would be free to join the heroes and they would have the numbers at the merge and JT and his alliance would be in good shape. Based on the information JT had, it was actually a pretty inventive idea. If JT was right, it could have swung the game 180 degrees.

And if indeed there was an alliance, it didn’t matter that Russell wasn’t trustworthy because as far as JT knew, Russell had no other option so that made Russell need the heroes as much as the heroes needed Russell.

INSIGHT – RUSSELL – THE UNKNOWN FACTOR
There’s been a lot of debate about whether Russell had an advantage or a disadvantage since nobody knew anything about him coming into this season. My take is that he had neither. We told everybody at the start of the show that they should read a lot into the fact that while they hadn’t seen Russell play, Russell was selected as one of the 5 most notorious male villains of all time. These are seasoned players, they knew this meant that Russell was a bad dude. On the flip side, when we asked Russell to join the H v V cast, we told him there is a very good chance you’ll be voted out early because nobody knows you, nobody has played with you and therefore nobody can trust you. Russell knew that was a risk going in. So both sides had fair warning. They were just as likely to vote him out in episode one for fear of the unknown as they were to keep him. Once Russell survived a couple of votes and showed what kind of player he is – intimidating, calculating, cunning – all bets were off.

THE LETTER
JT’s hand-written letter to Russell is the kind of moment that reality producers dream about. You just can’t believe it’s really happening and you hold your breath that he won’t change his mind. (By the way, you’re no doubt wondering where they got pen and paper? It was part of Amanda’s luxury item that they won in an earlier episode.)

When the hand-off of the idol and the note finally happened the entire producing team popped a bottle of champagne. Okay that’s a lie, we don’t drink while shooting the show. But when we got back to basecamp. Whoooeee, it was party time! Actually, that’s another lie. When we get back to basecamp, most of us fall asleep at catering. Okay, fine… that too is a lie, a lot of us avoid catering because it’s not the kind of catering you’re imagining. It’s more like Army catering. Hold your plate out and take what’s given to you. So there wasn’t really any formal celebration. But inside, we were really jazzed.

At the end of the day, hindsight is once again, 20-20. Turns out there isn’t a female alliance and as a result JT and the heroes just made a huge mistake. A monumental mistake.

Once again the credit for this goes to the Villain tribe with “special recognition” to Russell for a Golden Globe worthy performance.

THE WORLDS GREATEST ADVENTURE CREW
Hopefully you were so enraptured that you didn’t even notice the amazing camera and audio coverage during the challenge in which all of the idol drama played out. So let me pat our team on the back. We were all over it. First, our crew captured Colby telling Russell the plan as the two stood out on the platform during the challenge. Then, our producers and editors found a beautiful way of letting the moment play within the challenge by fading the audio of the challenge and bringing you right into the moment of their conversation out in the middle of the water.

Then, we got a little love from Mother Nature when she brought us a heavy rain which added to the drama… and you know how much I love me some rain during Survivor.

Finally, our camera crew captured JT giving Russell the idol when they hugged after the challenge. All of this was done without giving anything away to any of the other players. It appeared to be just another challenge.

For all of my lippy comments and for all the times I take credit for things that I have nothing to do with – here’s the real truth… It’s humbling to be a part of this team. Ten years ago I got the greatest break of my career when I stumbled onto this show.

If I may… Survivor: Heroes v Villains is as good as it gets when it comes to storytelling in the reality world and even a lot of the scripted world for that matter. We’re twenty seasons in and the show is as strong as ever.

I hold no hope for any love from the Emmy’s but I would be lying if I said I didn’t think the show deserved to be recognized again for outstanding achievement. Am I biased? Sure. Do I believe it? Absolutely.

INSIGHT – MY ROLE AT TRIBAL COUNCIL
I’m sure most of you have noticed that I’ve been more vocal and more aggressive at Tribal Council this season. The reason is pretty simple – these 20 players are very experienced and as a result very good. To get anything out of them you have to be more direct and more relentless.

I hope you all understand that I never bring up anything at Tribal Council that hasn’t already been discussed or isn’t already known. I would never betray or reveal secret information. When you hear them fighting back with me, that’s just part of the game and often, the words they are saying to me, are actually intended to send a signal to someone else.

It’s a very elaborate game of cat and mouse and the reason this season is so good is because we started with 20 fantastic players who continue to deliver week after week. I bust their chops on this blog every week because that’s the fun part of writing a blog, but since I’m feeling very “confessional” today – the truth is we painstakingly hand selected every person this season and we’re really pleased with the results. Every single player gave us something, even Sugar. Every single player left in the game has a legitimate shot at winning. Even Candace. Ah, I love to kid Candace.

COURTNEY IS GONE
You may find this hard to believe but I miss her. I really dig Courtney. One of the reasons I enjoy her is her laser sharp wit. She could talk me under the table (as you saw at many a tribal council) but I still like taking my swings. I think Courtney enjoyed herself out there more than she likes to admit. I look forward to seeing her on the jury. I expect interesting wardrobe choices and lots of dramatic facial expressions during Tribal.

While we’re on it…

COACH COMES STRONG AT TC
I would be remiss if I did not comment on Coach’s wardrobe as the first jury member. Love him or hate him, the man owns his “personae” and I dig it.

Until next week.

Again, we have the benefit thru watching to see all, so this is kind of along the same lines..........can't they see how evil Sandra is and why do they keep her around?............No, they can't see........

I watched that clip with Courtney at the Ponderosa........she has the ability to poison Coach's vote by telling him a lie there ...........she did tell him that Russell did not vote for him........

and the woman will have nothing to say about any of this!......NOT!

I was watching with my wife last night and said to her, Parvati could blindside Russell here and vote him off..........it would have been brilliant...........Russell is damn good at this game, but Parvati has the means to boot him.........she will flip in a heartbeat

your first fatal error, he doesn't know anything about Russell, the show was filmed right after the other ended.

I agree on your second, he assumed............and was wrong.....but I see that as JT looking ahead.............although if I'm one of the heroes, I see JT promising Russell final 3 and I have to wonder what is truth and what is lies.............

I would say that might be a little Monday morning quarterbacking there.........we have the knowledge that there is no girl alliance on the villain side.........the hero's see what they think is that alliance......JT's plan, without that knowledge, is not a bad plan......he's sees 5 women maybe coming to the merge.
C'mon, think for a second if in fact there was an alliance......Russell pulls that idol, survives, merges and then heroes start picking the women off one by one....



I see Parvati turning on Russell in a heartbeat.....

****SPOILER ALERT*****





I thought coach would be true to Rob............seriously thought Russell was going............all I can say, Russell earned a huge amount of respect from the others that vote with him now for his play last week.


Rob could not let go of his ego....he can not play the game like Russell. Sitting on the beach in front of Sandra & Courtney, Russell says right in front of them, either one of these two have to go..........Rob should have listened.........


Next week's preview......too funny............Sandra listing all the people she can't stand...........the one's who will now vote her off....

"success"?........well I did not realize she had won before....I still say she brings nothing to the show..........


This is all opinion and it has been discussed here at length, I still say Russell "should" have won the last one as the best player.......but........he didn't........

100% agreement on Sandra........shouldn't even be there.......

I think he is saying that in a "loving" way..he knows Russell is a millionaire..........it's his look...............others have referred to him as a little hobbit character.........

The writer is the host of the show, Jeff Probst........why is the fact that he is a millionaire, relevant?

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/03/25/jeff-probst-blogs-survivor-heroes-vs-villains-episode-6/


The Boston Rob vs. Russell showdown continues!

Russell: He’s threatening Russell Hantz. When do you that, you go.
Rob: He’s not playing with the amateurs anymore. Playing with the big boys now.

Rob: I’m just telling you watch your back.
Russell: Same thing for you man, watch your back.

Russell: Boston Rob says it’s better to play with me than against me. Oh, really? I believe I’m gonna get him to eat those words.

And last night, I think Rob was served an appetizer.
More on that later.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Physically, Boston Rob continues to dominate this game. I don’t think there is anybody left that can beat him at any of the challenges. Like him or hate him, you cannot deny that if you’re in a fox hole, B-Rob would not be a bad guy to have in there with you. Part McGuyver, part Pete Rose — in my book, he’s money.
And for all of you who are saying “Nah nah nah nah nah nah! Look at how well James did, he did better than Colby in the challenge! The Heroes were right to keep him in the game!!” Well, you’re right. He did beat Colby, and so did Rupert, and in response, James had some funny comments that I’m sure were tough for Colby to hear:
At camp…
James: You, the great Colby. So if you turn it on and start winning, we’ll be alright. But if it’s the old sleepy ass Colby that gets beat by a fat man and a cripple. That ain’t right.
Then in interview…
James: Colby doesn’t want to be here. There’s no way that’s the Colby of old, one of the baddest competitors ever. He has not done anything. He has almost brought me to tears. It’s like my Superman sucks. All his muscles are gone so it’s very disappointing to see a grown man give up like that.
Then at tribal council…
James: You got slammed by the Dragon Slayer. …[You] got beat by a cripple and a fat dude on the obstacle course. It’s like finding out Superman was in a big girdle. You seem them muscles and you get up close and it’s nothing but a fat suit.

To his credit, Colby accepted it as a valid criticism. He’s not having a great season.

THE GREATEST CHALLENGE OF THE SEASON – THE HERO OLYMPICS!
Who needs a challenge department? Who needs a host? The Hero tribe provided more drama and more humor than any challenge we’ve done thus far this season when they created their own Survivor Challenge: The Hero Olympics.
James taking on J.T.? Get out. That’s good television. The only person missing was my niece! She would have taken second for sure!

It was one of the craziest things I’d ever seen. James trying to out run J.T. with a splint on his leg. Remember, I do not stay out on the beach, so the first time I saw this footage was watching an early cut of this episode. It was awesome.
I have to give James major credit. That guy does not back down from any challenge. Going up against J.T. with a bum leg was ballsy. And I’ll admit, I was surprised how fast James was, given his bad leg. Maybe I was wrong, maybe my niece wouldn’t have beat him. But let’s be clear… I would have.

It also made me respect the Heroes just a little bit, something that has been hard for me to do of late. It gave me hope that maybe, just maybe they’re starting to get a clue.

The entire speech about banana etiquette from Amanda to James was yet another in a season filled with scenes that you would swear are scripted. I think Survivor should be nominated for an Emmy for Best Writing, and the award should go to the Heroes vs. Villains cast. If you could write this kind of a show every week, you would have a big house in the Hollywood Hills with a pool, a few really cool cars, a man servant, a full-time maid, a well-stocked wine bar, a movie theatre in your basement, and an incredible view of the city. In short, you’d be living like Ryan Seacrest.

Fortunately, we don’t have to write anything, our group of Survivors do it for us.
Okay, back to the showdown. This was one of the greatest Pre-Tribal and Tribal Councils we’ve had in the history of our show. So much was going on, so much was at stake. This was truly a royal battle.

BOSTON ROB IS SMARTER THAN RUSSELL
Going into tribal council, Boston Rob laid out a strategy for his alliance that was 100 percent fool proof. 100 percent. B-Rob is a very smart and strategic player. He was absolutely right. Even if nobody played the idol, so long as everybody voted as laid out by Rob, (three votes Parvati, three votes Russell) then their alliance would stay intact — at worst Russell, Parvati, and Tyson would be tied with 3 votes each. They would re-vote, Rob’s alliance would most likely target Russell, he would have been voted out.

But Rob was also prepared for an idol to be played, and if so, then Parvati’s votes would not count, and Russell and Tyson would have been tied at three votes each. We’d re-vote and Russell would be voted out. He had it wired. Russell was going home. Russell should have gone home.

But this is Survivor and that means anything can happen. And what happened last night was…

RUSSELL DID IT AGAIN
The short, stubby, tooth-missin’ garden gnome did it again! Unbelievable. UN-B-LEEVE-ABLE. I still cannot believe he pulled it off. There were two HUGE elements at play:
1. It was a very inspired move to try to convince Tyson that he was safe at the vote because Russell was turning on Parvati — therefore Tyson didn’t need to worry about voting for Russell. He could just change his vote to Parvati since his vote didn’t really matter. The thing is Tyson didn’t have to change his vote. He could have gotten the same result and still kept himself safe by voting for Russell. The smarter move would have been to say, “Fine Russell, I dig that you’re ready to vote out Parvati. I’m gonna keep with my plan to vote for you just so I don’t alert anybody but I’m with you, and Parvati is going home.” Tyson could have gotten the same result without risking anything. Tyson simply lost his mind and forgot what he was doing… because Russell put that damn Russell seed in his head!
2. Russell giving the idol to Parvati was the biggest risk he’s taken in either of his two seasons. He went for broke and it worked.

You can write all the comments you want about how much you hate Russell. I don’t care. I won’t respond. That dude just made a major game-changing, momentum-switching move — and it worked. That’s what legends are made from – big bold moves.

TYSON ENTERS THE SURVIVOR HALL OF FAME
Tyson now joins James and Eric in the small section in the back of the Survivor Hall of Fame reserved for DUMBEST MOVES EVER. Tyson! We passed up Shane to bring you back… we had such high hopes for you. What were you thinking?! It’s one thing to be voted out with two immunity idols in your pocket like James did in China. It’s another thing to give up an immunity idol at tribal council like Eric did in Fans vs. Favorites. But Tyson, you changed your vote when there was nothing to be gained and in doing so you voted yourself out! We’ll take a poll, but I think that might be him at the top of the list. Remember, he gained nothing by changing his vote. It was just a tragic, game-ending muck up.

THE SHOWDOWN CONTINUES… BUT RUSSELL IS NOW ON TOP
It’s one of the greatest showdowns we’ve ever had and one of the most interesting stories of the season. Russell and Boston Rob. Two heavyweights duking it out on the beaches of Samoa.

Tonight, Russell took the upper hand. I loved how happy he was with himself, on the beach slapping his thighs with joy. And Rob’s face of confusion as he heard the votes being read was something we’re not used to seeing. I wonder how long it took him to figure out what happened.
And Russell is absolutely smitten with Parvati. The handing over of the idol from Russell to Parvati was the Survivor version of foreplay. I even got a bit turned on watching it, over and over and over. Think I’m crazy? Go back and take a look again. It’s foreplay. As she takes the idol, Parvati gives him a look that says, “You will most definitely get some tonight.” Of course we all know he won’t, but I think he thinks he will. That’s what I mean when I say Parvati is deadly. Even when you’re not into her, she turns on that charm and next thing you know you’re giving her your… idol.

These are our best players and they are giving us a tremendous season. The strategy is as intense as it has ever been — and we’re still just getting started.

Oh yes, the Heroes finally made a good move and voted out James.

See ya next week! We’re back on Thursdays again – from here till the end! Our finale is in NYC on May 16. Mark it down.

hasher & Jim:

Agreed............Tyson was dumb..........or just not thinking it through......Rob had it figured out, and Pavarti or Russell would be gone.....Russell's ability to "sell" Tyson on his keeping the idol to save his neck, was just brilliant.

I would bet with 100% certainty...there will be another idol in play for next week.

The numbers still are hugely in favor of Rob's alliance......Russell will need the idol or immunity or villains win the challenge next week, otherwise he "could" be gone..........can't bring myself to say he "will" be gone as he will find a way to stick around.

I am rooting for him to make it to the merge........

Is there really any further discussion or argument necessary?.....Hands down.................Russell is THE BEST to ever play this game.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/03/12/jeff-probst-blogs-survivor-heroes-vs-villains-epidode-5/

Jeff Probst blogs 'Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains': episode 5
by Jeff Probst
Categories: Survivor, TV Recap, Television

survivor-jeff-probstImage Credit: Monty Brinton/CBSLet’s call this one THE DUMBEST DECISION YET.

But before we get to Survivor… for all of those concerned, my cushions… are dry. Hallelujah. Such a big relief. You really don’t know how good you have it until you undergo a major crisis such as wet outdoor patio cushions. I didn’t even share that when I called Pottery Barn – I mean when my assistant, actually my free intern, called Pottery Barn – they said those cushions were not being made anymore. Say what?!!

I truly thought for a moment, “What am I gonna do?” But then like a gift from the Universe, the sun came out. That beautiful ball of heat, the most important part of our incredible solar system revealed itself to Southern California and those cushions… that were once so wet…miraculously dried. I still marvel at the power of nature.

Okay onto Survivor…and THE DUMBEST DECISION YET.

RUSSELL: “HERE IT GOES AGAIN”

Admit it. Go on, admit it! You smiled when he found it. You turned to whomever you were watching with and said, “I don’t believe it. He found another idol!” I know I did. How can you not? It’s not Survivor if Russell isn’t looking, finding, or playing an idol. Now that he has it, this season is officially on, and things are about to change dramatically. How can they not, ‘ole Russell is now back in charge.

REWARD CHALLENGE – A TASTE OF CHOCOLATE

Ah, so much to talk about at what started out as a simple little Reward Challenge.

First, the chocolate tease. Occasionally when we really want to whet their appetite, we’ll tease the tribes with a small taste of the reward. So, I handed each tribe a plate with some very tiny pieces of chocolate. Enough for one bite for each tribe member. They were very small, but when you haven’t had much of anything to eat in a long time, even a tiny sliver of chocolate looks pretty good to most people.

But not Colby, or any of the Heroes for that matter. They wanted nothing to do with that damn chocolate. I get what the Hero tribe was doing. They were trying to psyche themselves up by staying focused. Fair enough. They were also trying to intimidate the villains a bit, which clearly was wasted energy. The villains are on a roll, they’re dominating the game and they’re not intimidated by anything at this point.

But the part that I’m sure a lot of you are talking about was my interaction with Colby when he instructed me, in no uncertain terms, to get the challenge started.

To which I replied:

Probst: “I got the message brother, and we’ll go when I’m ready.”

Don’t go reading too much into it. I was merely holding my ground as host, nothing more. I would have had the same response to anybody who attempted to tell me what to do. Because like it or not… “We WILL go… when I’M ready.” That’s what 20 seasons and the title of host gets you. The ability to go when you’re damn good and ready and not a moment before.

SIDE NOTE:

Oh, and one more bit of housekeeping from last week’s blog. I read many of your comments implying that I was hard on “America’s Favorite Survivor” Rupert because I was trying to save my buddy, Colby.

Let me be really clear about a few things:

1. The first time I had seen Colby in several years was at the start of Heroes v Villains. I have no more loyalty to Colby than anybody else.

2. If I wanted to, do you really think I could influence a vote by asking a simple and legit question? You think these players are so easily influenced?

3. If I could indeed influence the game, do you think I would risk losing a job that allows me to buy beautiful outdoor patio cushions by doing so?

Get a clue. Buy a vowel. Phone a friend. Whatever it takes, but pull your head out.

I was hard on Rupert because his logic made no sense. He was clearly voting with an alliance and trying to convince me he was voting based on keeping the tribe strong. Every Survivor knows I ask tough questions. That’s my job. He could have answered any number of other ways and got me off his back. He didn’t. Rupert dug his own hole, all I did was offer him the shovel.

REWARD CHALLENGE – SCHMERGENBRAWL

This is a challenge that was created by our grip department. These are the guys who build the scaffolding that makes it possible for us to shoot out in the water or put cameras high in the air. These guys are hard working and keep us all safe.

During a day off they created a simple game they named Schmergenbrawl. It evolved into a major day-long tournament where our crew divided into teams. They had T-shirts made and some even had their own mascots. It was full-on. The game was so popular with our crew that our challenge department stole the idea and with a few modifications turned it into a Survivor challenge that we premiered in Survivor: Samoa.

You may remember it as the challenge that resulted in me tossing somebody (Ben) out of the challenge for unsportsmanlike behavior and also resulted in the evacuation of Mike Borassi due to dehydration. We should have known that it was too rough, even for Survivor.

But instead, we brought it back again this season. Once again it was physical and once again it resulted in a major injury as James was removed from the challenge after wrecking his knee.

This challenge will NEVER be played again. It was officially retired after last night’s challenge and those of you who love justice being served will be happy to know that the grip that created the challenge was fired.

He wasn’t really fired. He was sacrificed. It turns out the Samoans have an ancient ritual that saved our season from becoming a disaster. We gave him over to the Samoan gods to do with him as they must and in exchange they were able to bless us and insure us a very good finish to our 20th season. A small price to pay if you ask me.

One grip in exchange for a really good season of Survivor. We’ll make that deal every year. Plus, one of the younger guys in the grip department got to move up and take his spot. That’s what you call a “win-win.”

I think my favorite part of the challenge was when Rupert threw Jerri up against the side of the course: “Like I meant to do that!” And Jerri responded by draining the winning bucket for the Villains. You think it was the chocolate that made the difference?

RUSSELL FINDS THE IDOL

I loved the exchange between Russell and Parvati:

Russell: Just grab onto my coattails.

Parvati: I don’t ride coattails, baby.

Russell: You’ll ride these.

Russell is very good at using the idol. I’d say he’s as good at using it as anybody. He really understands how to leverage its power and he completely changed the game by securing Parvati in his alliance and then bringing over Coach.

IS PARVATI RUSSELL’S ACHILLES’ HEEL?

Do you think Russell made a wise move? Or is he falling prey to one of the most deadly flirts in Survivor history? Both Russell and Parvati pulled out their big guns and told the other everything they need to know. Russell believes Parvati will ride his coattails. Parvati told him very clearly she does not ride anybody’s coattails. It may be the showdown of the season thus far, even more so than Russell vs Rob.

Parvati and Russell have both proven they can play this game very well. It’s a deadly duo if they stay teamed up but there is no way this relationship ends peacefully.

JAMES’ TRIUMPHANT RETURN

I was blown away by how emotional Amanda was regarding James and his injury. I guess I just assumed that after playing together three times that maybe she could handle it a bit better. Amanda’s affection for James is endearing but speaks to how complicated this game can get. Showing her loyalty and concern for James is a big, bold move and can’t help but separate her from the rest of the group, at least a little bit, no matter what is said or not said.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE

I love blindfolds. Yes. Read into that anything and everything you want. They just make life… and Survivor challenges… more interesting. Once again the challenge comes down to a puzzle, once again the heroes blow a huge lead and once again… the villains, led by Boston Rob, come from behind and win another challenge.

TRIBAL COUNCIL
Okay, straight up – as the Heroes headed into Tribal Council, how many of you thought James would be going home? Me too. It seemed like a no-brainer. NO-BRAINER.

But then I reminded myself, “oh yeah, this is the Hero tribe. They’ve made more silly decisions than Tiger Woods.” The consistently lousy decisions made by the Heroes have been one of the biggest surprises of this season.

But the biggest surprise of the entire season (for me anyway) has been James and his newfound social game.

Set aside his lousy and increasingly agitated attitude –the gravedigger has learned to play the social game. How else could he still be in the game? He has influenced more than a few votes by talking to other people and manipulating them with his arguments. You have to give him credit. I was really impressed that he was able to convince the majority to keep him in the game over Tom. Yes, I know it had to do with alliances as much as anything but when you consider how many challenges the Heroes have lost – to keep a guy with a bum leg was a really crazy move and you have to give James some of the credit.

Once again, Rupert tried to sell his vote based on keeping his tribe strong.

Rupert: (referring to James’ bad leg). “He’s still stronger than Tom.”

Rupert, if you really believe that James, with his bad leg, is still stronger than Tom, then you need to stop drinking that pirate grog because you’ve lost your friggin mind.

Ah, but that isn’t what Rupert believes. Rupert is doing what he needs to do to keep his alliance strong. Once again, let me, “Mr. Back Seat Driver,” point out why this makes no sense. Your own personal alliance may be intact, but your tribe is dwindling and if and when there is a merge, you are putting yourself in a very weak position because you will have fewer members than the Villains.

You know how I feel. James has been a problem from day one. First it was his attitude and now it’s his physical limitations.

And no, I’m not friends with Tom, nor am I enemies with James. I’m just sharing what I feel and I’m guessing what the audience feels as well.

FINAL WORDS

For the record, my niece most definitely could have beat James in a foot race. I just didn’t want to push the point for fear of him hobbling across tribal council with that bad attitude and messed-up knee, and thoroughly kicking my ass. Cause that’s something James could definitely do, even with two bad legs.

NEXT WEEK

Due to the NCAA college basketball tournament, SURVIVOR WILL NOT BE ON NEXT WEEK! I know, we hate it too.

THE FOLLOWING WEEK

Survivor will be on for a special Wednesday night episode: WEDNESDAY MARCH 24TH

BACK TO NORMAL

On April 1st we return to our regular Thursday night time slot.

Spread the word.

lol.....IHUB needs recommend feature like SI...........

Pity just her?.......there's gots to be sumthin' growing in that beard.....<gg>