Erik Reichenbach is maybe my favorite Survivor ever. Brooklynne and I got into the show through her parents, who are faithful viewers, and we have enjoyed watching the show since season 7 (the current season is 16). But in the 10 seasons I've been watching there has not been a single Survivor who has been as excited to be on the show as Erik. Yes, he was gullible and naive, and he will go down in the books as having lost on undoubtedly the dumbest play in Survivor history, but there is something nice about whole-hearted (even if unfounded) trust, and he did not show one once of hostility, resentment, or invective in his parting words. He was truly just glad to have been part of the show. I want to be a person like that.

In other news: women are sometimes evil (see above).

Also, this article caught my eye this morning. If I ever get that fat cat professor job where I can teach a class on any topic I want, I'm going to teach a class on the history of technology in sports, and how expectations and perceptions of human performance have changed as technology has developed. More obvious example might be instant replay, performance-enhancing drugs, safety equipment, the different iterations of mass media technology, novel materials, etc. etc. etc.