Rant #3,793: Only the Strong Survive

Another very busy week ahead of me.

My son has two evaluations to continue with, he has work, I have work--I have a meeting to attend on Thursday--my wife has work, and the Yankees go into the playoffs.

No doctors appointments, at least right now.

I almost can't catch my breath.

But things are looking up--

More about that later this week.

I managed to square away two hours on Sunday morning so I could watch the first episode of season 49 of "Survivor."

I must be a masochist or an addict, but I still watch the show, even though it has lost a lot of its spark from its heyday in the early 2000s.

Last season was actually the best season they had in many years, and while it is hard to tell if this season will continue the resurgence, I still tune in each week to find out what's happening.

It is pretty much the same old, same old with the show, a different cast, but basically the same show over and over and over and over again.

It continues to take place in Fiji, so as to maximize the ogling aspect of the show--both male and female--and Jeff Probst remains the exuberant host.

They have tried to make the challenges more interesting, made the ins and outs more interesting, expanded the show from an hour to 90 minutes, but the cast still runs the show.

Last season, the cast was among the most interesting they had in years, including an autistic woman who was one of the finalists.

Yes, there was the usual bunch of participants, but it just worked better last season than it had in years.

And the politics were downplayed, which made the show even better.

"Survivor" had been drowning in politics for several seasons, but while I am sure it did come up last season, the editing of the show didn't allow it to be shown very much.

And that is another thing--

"Survivor" remains the best edited and most beautifully shot shot show on television, through the good seasons and the bad ones.

I know there are people who participate in 'Survivor" pools, putting money on who they think will win, but I have never done this.

I just watch it for fun.

And in my mind, while it isn't what it used to be, "Survivor" remains one of television' all-tine-great successes, and there is still lots to like about it.

I know plenty of you have bailed out on the show over the years, but maybe, it might be time to revisit it.

"Outwit. Outplay. Outlast."

Sounds like how my own life has gone the past couple of years.