'Big Brother 8' - Live-Blogging 7/10 Episode

The show has started here on the East Coast. This entry will be updated as it airs. So, it's going to be a bit rough - typos and missplellings <--- might occur!

So far they've had a recap. Kail, in reference to her reasons for nominations, thinks she's "scotch-free" from blame. Huh. I wonder if she has gin?

Kail is getting insight into Dick. She sees what I've seen. The guy inside doesn't match his exterior.

Now it's to a Nick is so great segment. He's flirting with Amber and professes his affection for Amber as perhaps a "dirty girl." Shomance alert! Jen is shown as looking quite perturbed, and very likely jealous when Nick cuddles with Daniele. To stir the pot, Joe told Nick that Jen was saying he was making out with her. Jen, in her own Jen-World as Joe puts it, has herself believing they made out when it didn't happen.

Jen is confronting Nick in the storage room. It's an odd situation. She's an odd girl. Now all of the houseguests are talking about her. They are "so over" Jen. Heck, so am I! Amber suggested to Kail putting Jen on the block if Carol wins the PoV comp (which we've known about since Friday). Amber prays for divine intervention.

It's time to pick the players for the veto competition, only six will participate. The two nominees and HOH are drawing the others at random. There is a wild card available. Kail got it - Houseguest's Choice - she chose Daniele. Carol chose Nick, Amber chose Jameka. Kail chose Jessica as host, most likely for her stunning voice.

They must all stash vetos somewhere in the house. The last veto found ends up winning for the hider. Daniele is youngest and smallest, but she's determined to win. She put hers in the bucket of slop. The others aren't nearly as imaginative.

Just a note -- now I can see why the house was such a mess and the comp took five hours on the live feeds.

As the comp goes on, the ones not participating are locked in the HOH Room. Dick is going off on Jen. Heh, they let the HOH crowd out to see the disaster. Amber's veto was first found, Nick's was second. Third was Carol's. Jameka's was next. Kail's was found, so it's a victory for Daniele!

It's time for Eric to make up his sob story and tell Kail. Yep, what we saw on the feeds! Kail fell for it hook, line and sinker.

It's to the Drama Mamas... Joe and Dustin. Dustin is being a bit reasonable. Joe accepted an apology. Back to the Jen fussing... or fussing about Jen from the other houseguests and into commercial.

Daniele is taking the veto decision seriously, weighing the pros and cons of her actions. It's time for the veto meeting. Kail doesn't want her nominations changed. Carol says she wants to compete longer, not ready to go home. Amber says she deserves to be taken off the block, mentions the jounrey, and her family. Daniele talks about stirring the house up a bit, dramatically pauses, then keeps the noms the same.

In a DR brief, Jessica said "Bye, Carol. See you at high school reunion in ten years." Aren't these girls about 23 if memory serves? They've been out of high school for a good six years or more. Perhaps she thinks the 17th Year Reunion is a really big gathering?

America's Player vote is up and running at the official show website. Who should Eric vote for to go home? Carol or Amber? Get your say in!

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Report - Tuesday Daytime 7/10

Remember -- tonight's show will air at 9 PM ET/PT. The other nights (Sunday and Thursday) start at 8 PM ET/PT. I figure I'll watch the first hour of America's Got Talent, then switch to Big Brother. I intend on live-blogging the show tonight as long as the thunderstorms stay away. We're expecting a few bad ones tonight here. (Grr.)

So, if you're watching the show here on the East Coast, stop on by to comment during the commercials. If you're another time zone, the happenings are yours for the peeking in!

Here are the daytime happenings from that Big Brother House of Jenisms and Those Who Mock Her:

• Kail, who made the comment about "if my child chose to be gay" during the season premiere, asked Dustin if he's romantically involved with Amber. @@
• Jen apparently could do only one day with real clothes. She's back the the barely-there bikini. (At least she should save that for the Showtime viewers!)
• Dick told Nick that Jen was going around saying that she and Nick are going to go out after the show. Remember, Nick is really sweet on Daniele.
• Carol said that if she stays and happens to get HOH, she'll put Dick on the block because he's the only one in the house she "hates."
• Carol tried to cut a deal with Zach to stay in the house. His terms were only if she votes the way he tells her for two weeks.
• Contrary to the saying, it rained in California today sending the HG back inside for cover.
• Mike told Daniele that the Big Brother Strongman Competition (the thing the guys are setting up) will be tomorrow.
• To show how exciting their chats are -- they miss chewing gum and spearmint is the general favorite. (Mine would be Juicy Fruit or Big Red.)
• Daniele, continuing with her age lie, told Joe that she would be 22 on the same day as Mike's birthday. She also told him that being with Dick in the house is awkward.
• Mike and Zach discussed the possibilities and possible deals to keep Carol in the house.
• Dick mentioned to Kail that he had real problems with Daniele as a teenager. When he asked Kail what she thought of him as a father, it was no comment - "I can't answer that."
• Carol told Dustin that it's hard to talk to Amber now since they're both on the block. She also told him it's just a matter of time before Nick and Daniele "hook up." He agrees.
• Carol told Amber (thought she had trouble talking to her) that she thinks the votes are shifting. (@@ - Now I know why she and Jessica were friends! Why would she mention THAT to AMBER... the one they may be shifting against? Where is her mind?_
• Dustin said he knew he was gay when he was five years old. (When I was five years old I believed in Santa Clause and had no idea whatsoever what gay, straight, or sex itself was all about.)
• One of the girls mentioned that she watched Pirate Master because it was the "worst show ever." I have the feeds minimized, so I'm not sure who said it, but I agree.

That's about where we stand for now. The guys have been talking some CroMagnum (?) man stuff since yesterday, but I'm clueless how to explain it... so I haven't mentioned it before. It's something to do with their Strong Man stuff. They're macho men, y'know.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Late Night Into Overnight - Tues. 7/10

Yes, it's the Jensa Member herself who's still up at this hour. Mike and Jen are talking and talking... and talking. No really interesting strategy, no real insight.

If she worried about her picture on the Memory Wall, she really should think of all the screen caps on all of the websites which may show her in even worse condition. You know that if I can catch her making an odd face or something truly awful... I'll snag it!

Here are the late night shenanigans from the Big Brother House of Bored Baristas:

• In reference to the switch to Amber out this week, Zach told Mike in a whispering conference that it would be in their best interest to keep her in and focus on getting Joe out next week. Mike said he'd talk to Kail, but seems to agree. So it may be back to Carol leaving this week.
• Mike is actually very into housecleaning. (Could he come over here, please?)
• Evil Dick gave the cameras a free peep show from the shower. (My eyes! My eyes!)
• Someone ate Jameka's waffle. You don't mess with Jameka's waffle. The culprit was Dustin. He apologized and apology accepted.
• Joe held his storytime and Dick was noticeably absent -- smoking in the backyard. The cameras focused on Dick instead of the stories. It turns out that Big Brother banned Joe's stories because they're copyrighted material, they aren't of his own imagination.
• Jen told Joe about how she knows Mike Boogie. (See, the ChillTown Ringer!) She has also met previous BB winner Drew. Joe told her he hated Mike Boogie. (Maybe he has some redeeming qualities after all, eh?)
• Everyone is still talking about how annoying Jen is, but the latest thinking is a Joe eviction next week, not Jen.
• Dustin and Joe talked while on the hammock, but it became Drama Mamas again.
• Eric hurt his foot wrestling with Jen. "She's a powerhouse!"
• Jen fussed more about her Memory Wall photo.
• Jameka has applied to be on the show before and made it to the finals.
• Joe told Dick that if he got HOH he'd put Jen up on the block. Dick agreed that she must go before sequester because she's so annoying.
• Daniele and Nick got all touchy-feely under covers.
• Dick told Jen that she had her wild workout today just to garner attention. He went to be at a reasonable hour... 3 AM (their time).
• Jen and Mike stayed up talking in the kitchen until a few minutes ago. When she went to bed, she went to the HOH Room.
• All hamsters snoring in their cages as I post this.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Report - Into the Evening - Mon. 7/09

Liven up, houseguests! This ain't no party, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fooling around! (Credit to Talking Heads)

First off, on the whole, they're getting along too well. For the most part, those who don't get along with each other tend to avoid each other. While that may work for their interests in the house, it doesn't make for really intriguing live feeds.

Yeah, they pick on Jen and her behavior brings it on, but that can get old rather quickly.

The houseguests had no competitions today and really had little to do with themselves. The food restriction was lifted last night, so eating was a big event as was exercise.

Since I last posted, these are the earth-shattering events from that Big Brother House of Frats, Sororities, and a Hapless Hipster:

• Jessica told Eric that Carol was lying about what producers said to her about staying, food and more.
• Eric realizes he he probably blew a phone call home prize because he put a friend down instead of a family member.
• They also talked about Kail being a big threat because she gets along with folks and will probably last a long time.
• Zach warned Dustin that Joe was trying to get together a movement to throw the HOH so he (Joe) would win. If Joe wins, his plan is to put Jen and Dustin on the block with Dustin being the target. Dustin was already aware of the Throw HOH movement, but didn't think of the angle that they could get rid of Jen at any time. Zach promised him he wouldn't throw the comp. He didn't promise him he wouldn't put him up.
• Eric first applied for Big Brother in season two. He was out of the country for the callbacks. He's a huge fan. (An antsy angry rabbit one, too.)
• Jen wore her Jenth Degree shirt.
• The guys are going to have a World's Strongest Man competition for fun.
• Jen mentioned that the latest ending date for the show would be September 24. I'm assuming that date was in the contract, but the show generally ends just past mid-September. CBS hasn't announced the final show date as of yet.
• Nick and Daniele are still a shomance. He gave her the key to his heart today. Aw.
• When Dustin told Amber about Zach's conversation with him, she played it down.
• Jen went into such a frenzy working out in the gym room trying to work off 1200 calories that the others were concerned that she'd pass out. They think they picked on her too much.
• Zach and Mike don't trust Jessica.
• Eric thinks they should make 9 to midnight party time for those watching on ShoToo. Hey, what about me?
• Kail met with Mike and told him they need to switch the vote - the target will be Amber, not Carol. Mike passed it on to Nick. So, it looks like we should see Mike, Nick, and Kail votes to oust Amber this week. The tides may be turning.

Lots of small talk going on, Carol doing some sort of cheerleading practice, hot tub sitting... and that's it!

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 6

Why did Ramsay keep Melissa last week? It's not like the men are so great on their own, but I knew she would surely make them worse.

The challenge saw a win for the Red Team, but I can't help but wonder if this one was just a tad tainted.

After all, the prize was a photo shoot with Ramsay. It seems that the women always seem to win that prize. I wonder if they could have gotten by with serving a walking live lobster. Rock didn't take too well to their rather suspicious win either. Ah, but he had to see the girls in their glory and had to go through their trash as punishment.

When it came to the dinner service, the guys crumbled while the girls got the job done. With the exception of Bonnie not knowing what to do with a kitchen fire in a pan -- don't walk around with the pan -- and Julie letting the pressure getting to her and crying, the Red Team did a fairly remarkable job throughout the service.

Then there was the Blue Team, the Men Plus Melissa. They were horrible. Everything Melissa touches, she curses. Josh and Brad had their worst services to date and Rock just watched it all happen. He didn't do poorly, but he couldn't save the sinking ship.

In the end, after six dinners from the Blue Team were sent back, Ramsay shut the kitchen down and ordered the Blue Team to come up with two nominees. Melissa knew she would be one on the block no matter what (deservedly so). Then it was between Josh and Brad. Brad said it was his personal worst night while Josh has continued to not perform well on the whole.

Ramsay didn't give them a chance to even tell who they nominated. He called Melissa up, took her jacket, then had her whisked away. Then, in a move to make us think he was getting rid of both Josh and Brad, he reamed them... and sent them back to line with Rock.

So this leaves us with Julia, Bonnie, and Jen on the Red Team. I still hold my grudge against Jen for trying to use pasta from the trash can, but she's most likely the most capable in the long run. While I think a lot of Julia, I'm not sure if she's ready for the responsibilities which come with the win. It's getting to the point where Waffle House might limit her. Bonnie is out of her league and I don't see her lasting much longer.

Of the men left -- Rock, Josh, and Brad -- only Rock has any possibilities. Josh and Brad could go before any of the remaining women and it wouldn't ruffle my feathers.

I think we'll see it down to Rock and Jen as the final two. But I could be wrong. I'm still not impressed with any of the chef wannabes this season.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Update - Monday Daytime - 7/09/07

These houseguests really have to kick things in gear. Perhaps I'm sadistic, but I like watching big time drama. I'm not talking about crying about your photo on the Memory Wall.

I'm talking like the Eric backyard scene with Kaysar in Season 6. Or even the Janelle/Beau brouhaha that very same season. While there are little tiffs here and there and no one seems to like Jen (except maybe Kail - at least on the surface), there aren't any huge showdowns. Not yet, anyway.

Here are the events of the daytime hours so far in the Big Brother House of Go Blue... like, 'cuz we're the Blue Team:

• Dick thinks that Nick will target him because it would make his romance (shomance?) with Daniele less awkward.
• Dick seems to be in this to win it. He told Amber that he studied Dr. Will's performance on the show and took notes.
• Dick also said that Eric was an "angry Jew rabbit." He then mentioned that his grandfather was a Russian Jew. (Hmmm... qualifiers don't always cover comments which focus on religion, culture, etc. My personal jury is out on that comment. Angry rabbit defines Eric.)
• While he was alone before heading to be, Dick stopped at the Memory Wall. He told us that he wants Jameka to go home and that Jen must go before sequester.
• Dick finally headed to bed when it was almost 6 AM their time. (A few folks asked if he ever sleeps -- he does, but definitely not enough and in small chunks of time.)
• Jen, Mike, and Kail studied for the next HOH in case it's a question-based comp.
• Jen wore her "Jenerous" shirt today. (I'm sure we'll see Jentastic, Jenlicious, and more as time goes on.)
• Jen and Zach clash. (Jen clashes with most of the folks.) She decided to paint her toenails red to annoy him because he hates red. Then she walked around asking how much he had to yell at her to get a penalty nomination. @@
• Still with Jen - she wants BB to contact her orthodontist because she lost retainer on, like, Day 2. It cost a fortune, y'know. (So, why has she waited until, like, Day 10 to bring it up?)
• I'm not sure if this is the result of the America's Player vote or not, but Eric went to Kail sniffling, fussing, mumbling, bringing up Daniele's possible eating disorder, and a personal friend of his with an eating disorder. This could be the big sad sob story and to whom he must tell it. I believe it is. Good acting, but it's annoying.
• Now I feel old. Carol and Jessica were 13 when Big Brother had its first season. Feh.
• Nick was on MTV Spring Break in 2002.
• That's the deal, Internet Fans! Dick is still out of the picture and must be sleeping, so he's had a good day's sleep. Maybe he's a vampire.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Overnight Right - Into Mon. 7/09

As I prepare to send this in Dick is still awake. This time he has Eric and Amber. Big Brother should enforce an earlier bedtime!

Here are the late Sunday night happenings from that Big Brother House of Pirates and Damsels in Distress:

• Jameka thinks others will throw the HOH challenge. No one really wants it due to the pressure.
• Joe held his storytelling time again. He needs a campfire and better stories.
• Dick and Dustin believe Carol is going home this week, Jen next week.
• Dick explained the concept of backdooring to Amber and they wonder if that's the best way to send Jen home. He likes everyone in the house except Jen -- he says she's an idiot.
• The others headed off to bed leaving Eric, Dick, and Amber talking in the yard.
• They discussed who would put up whom if they got HOH. They discussed past seasons and the year of the X-Factor (which they think is comparable to this season). It's surprising me that Dick is very aware of past seasons. I expected it from Eric. Amber is the least knowledgeable about the show.

Eric headed off to bed, so it's just Dick and Amber small talking in the yard as I post this.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Report - Into Sunday Evening - 07/08/07

Joe smokes like Greta Garbo. He poses with his cigarette as much as he smokes it.

Isn't it amazing the differences made between the live feeds and the show during the editing process? Things I've noted are:

The namedropping. I didn't see Dick do that prior to the tonight's show, so I must assume it's from the first five days before the feeds went live. Joe, on the other hand, has dropped plenty of names.

Carol took the nomination news fine on the show, yet we know she's been fussing, whining, snapping about the cameras. They're playing her up to be a keeper.

If you were only watching the show, you'd think Eric was just darn wonderful and you'd want your beloved daughter to marry him. On the feeds, he's an antsy pottymouth who goes quasi-berserk at times.

What the show captured right is the relationship between Daniele and Dick. Oh, they also nailed the bimbo-in-training qualities of Jessica. No, she still needs training to become a full-fledged bimbo, y'see. Instead of "Go, Blue!" because, after all, she's on the Blue team -- once she gets her Bimboship, there will be no end to the cheering. The show was right on with Jen and the way her houseguests feel about her.

Onto the latest events from that Big Brother House of Altered Editing:

• As mentioned in a prior report, the Power of Veto Ceremony was held and Daniele didn't change the nominations. Carol and Amber remain on the block.
• Amber must not be all that into the show. While talking to Jameka, she wondered if the Internet had audio or just video. @@ (Now, that would be really boring... more than these houseguests are now!)
• Jessica and Daniele think Jen will go home next week. (I wouldn't mind that.)
• Jen continues her streak of unpopularity with the other houseguests. Eric and Dick were laughing about her being a "fun nanny." Kail and Zach think she lies and she's untrustworthy.
• Joe is trying to campaign to keep Carol. He told Zach that she would owe them if they saved her while Amber just expects they will save her. Joe is worried that Amber's alliance will come after him if the vote is close but she stays. Zach told him he'd go with the crowd.
• Joe went to Jessica in his Save Carol campaign. She wasn't overly receptive. (I thought Allison Grodner said Joe was smart. Yeah, go to her enemy on the show to plea for a vote. @@)
• Zach thinks that Carol must go because of the possibility of the Alliance of Six -- the six with enemies in the house. He feels they must make a dent in it.
• When the houseguests were talking about how staged the Diary Room sessions are -- BB leading them into saying things -- we got BB trivia and theme music.
• Dustin, Amber, and Dick had an interesting conversation about our America's Player, Eric. Dustin asked if he was a Looney Toon. Dick said he was a bit better today and he likes him, so that's good. Amber said he could never be put on the block even as a pawn because he'd freak out too much. They all said he was funny.
• Carol and Jessica have been talking. Not strategy, no way an alliance, but getting along well enough.
• Amber and Daniele whispered a lot. Amber thinks Dick is great, but she doesn't trust Zach, Kail, or Mike. Neither girl trusts Eric. Amber told Daniele that she should talk to Dustin more because he's cool.
• Kail has applied to be on the show since 2005.
• Eric said that Jen was a finalist to be on Survivor but got the Big Brother slot through CBS connections. (Yeah, ChillTown ringer!)
• Eric and Dustin were trying to figure if they're on anyone's radar. They don't think they're targets... at least not in the next few weeks.
• Now, Dustin watches the show. When Amber told him that Dick never washes his hands, Dustin mentioned Season 3 (Gerry).
• Jessica said she had glitter all over her and didn't know where it came from. (Probably fell from that empty space between her ears. As a matter of fact, I can see that head filled with glitter. It's fitting, isn't it?)
• Okay, Dick namedropped in a conversation to Kail. So, he does do it. It was evident on his MySpace page, but I didn't see him do it before.
• Carol and Mike have a "date" tonight. It ended up being small talk about family and such. Pleasant, but boring.
• Jameka straightened Amber's hair.
• Nick and Zach talked more about Jen's documented lies.
• Zach said if he wins, he'll put up one of the Six again. But he and Nick think that if Dustin wins, Joe's an automatic on the block. They both would like to see Joe leave. (So would I. He brings nothing to the house.)
• Then Zach changed his tune to Nick. He said if he won, he'd put up Jameka and Joe with the hopes Jameka would go. He calls her a "sleeper." I think that means she's flying under the radar.
• Zach told Nick he'd give him money if he were to make it to the Final Two with him and win. Against all their rules, we ended up getting blocked.
• Nothing really exciting going on as I get this posted...

'Big Brother 8' - Live-Blogging Episode 2 - 7/08/07

This post will be updated throughout the show as it airs here on the East Coast. Forgive any typos or misspellings... please! Refresh this page to check in on the latest. And, as always, feel free to comment.

We've gone through the recap and they're still in the past with Daniele crying about her father's presence in the house.

Dick is talking to Daniele, she tells them of the age lie. He's concerned with her weight. He's being really sweet, but she's a bit resistant. He wants the Final Two with her. He won't betray her in the house.

Onto Joe and Dustin... Joe is being nasty. Joe thinks Dustin's presence keeps him from being "the Joe I want to be." He talks more of the STD. Dustin isn't too happy. Dustin and Daniele are talking. Dustin told her that her relationship with her father is different. Joe's just an ex-boyfriend, Dick's family to her.

Jessica and Carol aren't having as many problems as the other two enemy couples, but they don't trust each other.

HOH Room viewing going on. Golly gee, wowsers. She has pictures of her husband and children. Daniele thinks if she gets HOH her pictures will be of her dog and grandmother.

Now Jen is crying about her Memory Wall picture. She can't be consoled. Sheesh. Talk about overeacting! She's going on and on about it. Haven't they got any more fodder for the show? (Now I don't like her even more.)

Returning from commercial, we're getting sound and sight bites of houseguests. Dick likes Jerry Manthey (Survivor) and namedrops a lot. He hasn't met Jon Bon Jovi only because he's from New Jersey.

Dustin likes getting Amber's story, but he doesn't see her crying in the Diary Room like I'm seeing now. The rough life bit to the max.

Mike proposed an alliance to Kail. You can tell it's Mike because Zach wears a Z necklace. Mike doesn't trust Daniele because they see her on the spy screen talking to Dick. Now Zach is in the room and Kail presents the alliance idea. They want to try for Nick into the alliance. Kail is talking to him in the storage room, he says he's in.

It's the food comp we didn't see on the feeds. Blue and Red teams to play. Huge popcorn boxes and butter spouts. Jessica is a bit... um, simplistic when she talks. They have to pump as much butter from the pumps all over their bodies and transport it to their box. Most butter transported wins, losing team on slop for the week. For the sex angle, only their teammates can wipe the butter off their bodies. Jen doesn't want Dick touching her. @@

Mike thinks the butter-covered girls are sexy while Jameka said how unattractive butter-covered folks are. Amber is using her hair as a secret weapon to carry melted butter.

Blue team got 37 pounds, Red got 77 pounds! Jameka, Joe, Daniele, Eric, Joe, Jessica, Nick are slopeating.

Joe and Dustin are talking/arguing. Oh, the drama mamas arise. Enough already, move along. I don't see fences being mended here and they both remind me of someone I know. Make them stop!

TV ad for Housecalls!

Back to the show. Dick is trying to talk to Daniele again. She's still giving him the cold shoulder. She told him that she thinks he's coming on too strong to people. She's actually talking to him.He's talking strategy. To us, he says, "I'd die for my daughter. I'd do anything for her." Daniele tells us in the game, she'll play with him.

Kail is contemplating the nominations. Mike advises her to go for the people who didn't perform well in the competitions.

They're pushing Eric as such good clean fun as America's Player. Now it's time... Eric is working for you... time for Eric to make up a sob story about his past, to whom should he tell it? Huh? That can't be all there is to it! He makes up a sad story and pours his heart out to someone? Of course, they haven't shown the noms yet and POV won't be shown until Tuesday. So maybe that's the only choice tonight.

"Nominations Today." Dick's concerned Daniele will be put on the block. Kail is taking the task seriously. Her Harum o' Boys is confident. It's time for the Nominations Ceremony. Dustin, Evel Dick, and Jessica given keys in the beginning and are safe.

Keys oulled in this order: Eric, Joe, Zach, Daniele, Jen, Mike, Jameka, Nick. "I nominated Amber and Carol for eviction." Based on work performance. First ones out of HOH comp, fairness.

Amber is crying in the DR still. She feels betrayed by another mother. In her own DR session, Kail tells us there are other reasons for the eviction in addition to what she said at the table. She says the other reasons are only for her to know. Carol took the news well, but we know from the feeds that changed.

Okay... who should Eric tell his sob story to? I'm thinking Dick...!

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Update - POV Ceremony 7/08/07

After a long blockage of the feeds, they returned. Then I had to wait even longer for the news...

The Power of Veto Ceremony has been held. Daniele didn't change the nominations. Amber and Carol are still on the block. It sounds like the general concensus has Carol leaving this week.

We Interrupt This Blog...

I've been playing with Movie Maker while the houseguests sleep. Now if I could only get Movie Maker to realize my name is Jackie, not Jacki. These are photos I've taken around NYC and NJ. And, yes... this is my own YouTube video. Yeah, I'm a bit weird. ;-)

Where's Your Pants? - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - July 9-13, 2007

Apparently CBS doesn't know where their pants are! As I write this, the entire guest list for the week at the official Late Show website is entirely blank... just an empty box. Grr. I'll have to peruse AOL TV Listings for my info, huh? It seems that CBS and the Late Show could hire someone who would actually keep their site in a timely fashion.

• Monday, July 9: Don Cheadle, a summer toys demonstration, musical guests The Smashing Pumpkins. This one sounds like a keeper to me. I love when Dave does toys!
• Tuesday, July 10: Sienna Miller, Michael era, musical guest Interpol. Um, okay. I guess.
• Wednesday, July 11: Actress Emma Watson, musical guest Spoon. I'm not really excited.
• Thursday, July 12: Actress Vera Farmiga is the only guest listed. I'm sure there's more to the show than that!
• Friday, July 13: Queen Latifah, author Alan Zweibel, and The Smashing Pumpkins. That can't be right... Smashing Pumpkins on both Monday and Friday? I doubt it!

Anyhow, there are the discombobulated guests for the week. CBS should get their site updated!

'Big Brother 8' - Saturday Evening Into Sunday Morning - 7/08/07

<-- In what seems like it's going to be the custom throughout the summer, Dick has stayed up most of the night. He's washing dishes and cleaning the kitchen. If he keeps this up, we'll have to call him Domestic Dick instead of Evel Dick. (Note: That's his spelling of evil, not mine!)

We're not into the really heavy drama point with these hamsters yet. But each day, we learn more about them.

Here's the lowdown from Saturday evening and the overnight hours in that Big Brother House of Loquacious Loonies:

• Carol thinks that Amber and Jessica have teamed up to campaign against her. She thinks Amber is using her family for sympathy. Meanwhile, Amber told Eric that she's just making sure everyone knows how much she wants to remain in the house.
• Jen actually wore clothes all day instead of her barely there bikini. Of couse, they were Jentastic clothes, but...!
• Jameka calls Dick "E.D." because she refuses to call him "Evel."
• Zach has lost almost 30 pounds this year before going into the house.
• Many of the houseguests are concerned about Daniele's weight. She's one of the ones on BB Slop and a thin woman losing more weight. Dick is very worried.
• I don't watch Joe a lot on the feeds. But when I do, I find him annoying. He likes to be the center of attention and is into impressing others by namedropping. "Oh, I know Susan Sarandon!" Um, I don't care.
• Joe has also memorized all of Finding Nemo. (And I think I'm a time-waster, eh?)
• There was a bit of strategy talk between Jameka and Daniele. It sounds like they want Jen out next week but they're worried about her relationship with Mike.
• Daniele thinks that Kail, Mike, Jen, and Eric have formed some sort of alliance or pact.
• Dustin spilled the beans -- both he and Jessica were recruited for the show, they didn't apply. So that means that of the enemies, it was Joe and Carol who wanted to be on the show in the first place.
• Dustin and Amber are getting closer every day. I can see them working together on strategies. Between them, they think they have Nick, Dick, and Zach in their corner.
• Dustin has a crush on Nick.
• Amber had a "date" with Mike -- which she endured because she wants him to be in her corner. Dustin had a "yoga date" with Nick.
• There's a bat who calls the backyard his home. At least that will mean fewer bugs under the lights at night.
• Carol thinks that Amber is trying to "steal" her votes by doing things like giving Zach a backrub. (Okay, girl... I liked you in the beginning, but you're annoying me now.)
• Nick told Kail that Joe offered to be in a secret alliance with him. "How do you back out without telling him you're already in a secret alliance?"
• Kail and Zach now think Carol's not a threat and they should really get rid of Amber this week. These are two to watch -- they're already heavy into strategy early in the game.
• Amber thinks that Joe harasses Dustin.
• Carol said that the producers told her she should try harder to stay and that she was in the Top 3 on the viewers website poll.
• The food restriction for the BB Slop folks went off at midnight, so they feasted.
• Carol thinks the tides have turned and she now has the majority vote to stay in the house. We'll see.
• Dick and Dustin think that Mike and Kail have a strong alliance to each other and that Mike "spies" on others reporting back to Kail. Neither trust Kail; both think she's a very strong player.
• Jen had a brouhaha with Nick. We got Blue Liquid Tunnel.
• Daniele thinks Eric is crazy. "He flipped out on me twice today."
• Dick has a "date" with Kail tonight. (What a couple!)
• Again, Dick stayed up longer than everyone else, talking to the cameras and housecleaning.

Okay... my thoughts on a few things now...

Eric is not a good choice for America's Player. He's too antsy and anxious. Why oh why couldn't they have chosen Jameka? I think that girl is going to fly under the radar until the end. Eric is too flakey and full of nervous energy. Plus, they'll have to bleep every other word out of his mouth for national network television.

I think Kail is a bit Maggie-like. She's gathering the flock and is quietly in charge.

Are Nick and Daniele merely a showmance or are they going to be an item? I don't know.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Report - Through the Day - 07/07/07

It's the Double Ds! Dustin and Dick laze about outside in the yard.

To address a few things in the comments --

I said "Keith Richard stand-in" for Dick because he actually was exactly that in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies (the most recent, I believe). Yes, he bears a resemblance to Tommy Lee, too. Give him a few more years and I bet he'll look more like Keith.

Some entries back, a reader questioned why I said Canadians are technically Americans. I reply: On what continent is Canada found? Oh? North America, eh? It's similar to someone from France being both French and European.

These are live feeds reports, so beware... there will be spoilers!

Here are the events from today in that Big Brother House of Silly Sycophants:

• Just a note - I think this is the first season that a good percentage of the men wear shirts.
• Big Brother woke the houseguests up not long after 8 AM their time. The lights must remain on in the bedrooms. They fussed, but they're right. It's a fairly early wake up call for a quiet day.
• Carol thinks Dick snores too much and said she only likes Starbucks coffee -- nothing else will do. She also hates the cameras. (Well, duh... that's the idea behind the show! @@)
• Nick and Zach are agog at Daniele's beauty.
• Jameka thinks Jen doesn't even know her name. (But I bet she knows Mike Boogie's name!)
• Jen's latest Jen shirt is "Jensa Member." @@!
• Eric clipped his mic to one of his nipples. He's our player? Eep. Big Brother finally told him to move the mic higher.
• For a change, not all of the talk in the house is about Hollywood and such. Dick tends to get into talks of art, museums, race, religion and more with others.
• Aha... Daniele and Dick are indeed strategically working together. They're worried that Zach may have some suspicions about them doing do.
• In addition to that huge $5 debt, Carol also had problems with Jessica's mother. She said she's a pageant mom and put too much pressure on her.
• We got a brief audio blurb of a Diary Room discussion with Zach. They were asking him about the Veto comp and staying the HOH during it.
• Nick is still smitten with Daniele.
• They must have entered the house last Saturday as they said it was their one-week anniversary inside.
• Jameka got a bit offended by Dick during a talk about religion, but it's not a huge deal.

That's about it for the day so far. We still don't know if Daniele will use the Veto to save either Carol or Amber. In the beginning before I watched this group much, I really wanted Carol to stay. But the more I see her, the more she grates on me a bit. However, if Daniele used the Veto to save Carol, Kail might put Jen in her place. Amber would certainly stay over Jen. That would be fine with me. Get it done, Ladies.

But... you know, I think we almost always lose a woman first on the show. I'd have to research back to be sure, but the count of Women First Gone has to beat the men.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Update - Into the Morning - 7/07/07

At least I like the colors of the house "screensaver" more this season than last. It's a blue whirly liquid tunnel, perhaps tying in with the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland. It would be almost relaxing if it didn't move so quickly and wasn't accompanied by the overly loud theme music once again.

But I like blue liquid tunnels much more than angry red clouds (or fire). If we must endure this whenever the show doesn't want us to see what's happening, at least I can sit and say, "Hey, pretty colors."

Some folks wonder why we see it, right? Every time a houseguest sings, we get this clip because it's considered broadcasting and the show hasn't paid royalties to air the song. If the houseguests talk about someone who hasn't signed a release, we get the clip because they don't want lawsuits. Then there's when the show doesn't want us to see various competitions or houseguest talk about the show's staff. Although we often get the clip until well after a competition, eventually the houseguests talk about what happened when we were liquid blues.

Before I go into the actual events of the night, I'm going to call my early season favorites... I like Dustin and Jameka. Both get along well with others and seem to be going with the flow in the house. I enjoy watching Dick more than I thought I would and Daniele a bit less. He seems a bit lost, a bit bereft. She won't give him the time of the day. Eric is probably going to work out okay as America's Player, but the guy has issues. He's very antsy and will end up getting bleeped on the show more than Dick, the Keith Richards stand-in. Now, if Dustin didn't have the Joe Nightmare on his back, I think he would have been better as America's Player. But, of course, he might not even be on the show without the connection.

Onto the late night into the dawn events from that Big Brother House of Hapless Hipsters:

• Carol, who could very be evicted this week, wants Big Brother to change her picture on the Memory Wall. No, not to black and white. She thinks she looks snaggle-toothed in it. She noted that only she and Jameka seem to be dressed in the women's photos.
• Jen seems to be the one on the outs with almost everyone in the house. Although Kail said that she had no problem with Jen, almost everyone else has mentioned that she annoys them. Unless she can win competitions, I don't foresee a long stay for her.
• If it means anything this early in the game, Nick's key was the last to be revealed in Kail's Nominations Ceremony.
• Is Nick smitten with Daniele? Possibly. There's been a lot of flirting and he had a long talk with her about how his first impressions were totally off-base. He thought she was a hot dumb blonde, but told her that instead, she's a very smart hot blonde. @@
• Unlike previous seasons, these houseguests are into fake "dates." In a way, it's interesting as they get to know each other. But all they really do is dress up and prepare for the date, then sit around and talk.
• Joe decided he would tell scary stories accompanied by a flashlight. The stories weren't scary, but the flashlight worked.
• Dick, Jen, and Mike had a discussion about how boring Kail is. No, Kail wasn't there to give her opinion.
• Dick has an issue with all of the knives in the house being plastic. He obviously didn't watch Season Two.
• Mike and Dick were the Stay Up Late Dudes, still up as I type this at 5:30-ish in the morning their time. Joe woke Eric up, so now he's out there with them ticked off at Joe.
• The boys are talking about making the teacup in the yard the new Jack Shack (no, I won't explain) by covering it with quilts. Eww.

I'm going to go ahead and get this posted. Why am I actually liking Evel Dick? That's just not right!

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feeds Report - Into the Evening, July 7

<--- Mike and Jen seem to be getting close on a hammock, eh?

I'm still trying to get the feel of these folks in the house this season. So, until I choose anyone I like, I'm not getting really excited. Oh, I know that they'll grow on me. But they ain't there yet!

Here are the afternoon into evening happenings from that Big Brother House of Mad Hatters:

• The details of the Veto Comp grew more clear -- each player had to hide a Veto and each had to find hidden Vetos. Daniele won. (The spelling of her name drives me crazy! It should be double "L.")
• The houseguests aren't too clear on the timeline for events. They think the eviction will be Sunday. Silly hamsters, it's Thursday!
• Daniele and Amber talked about how annoying Jen is. I mention this because I agree with them.
• Amber told Daniele that Dick told her he'd never put her (Daniele) on the block.
• Carol is really down. She's still sure she'll be the one to go home. Unfortunately, her attitude won't help her case, methinks. She started trying to campaign a bit.
• The HG had to do a lot of cleaning to put the house back in order after the wild Veto search competition.
• The houseguests got into the hot tub just in time for the After Dark show. @@
• Amber told Dustin that she'd put up Joe and Jen if she gets HOH. (Hmmm... I want to like Carol for the stay, but Amber has her points!)
• Joe is one of the HG on slop. He ate a piece of pineapple and got all the slop bunch yelled at by a female Big Brother voice.
• A lot of the HG think that Dick is a nice guy and Daniele's being cruel to him by ignoring him and being nasty.
• Carol called the cameras the Evil Eye of Satan. ("Pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name...)

They're talking about the Veto Comp, its rounds and the timing of the rounds. It was actually hidden items and one POV from what I gathered before they cut the feed to hide the details.

So, right now things aren't a thrill a minute, but I'm positive it will improve. I hope so, anyway.

Just a note: Please don't use the comments section to advertise or spam personal sites. Those posts will be removed. Blog links posted by anonymous commenters are unwelcome spam.

I recommend JokersUpdates, Hamsterwatch, Morty'sTV, SurvivorSucks, and TV Clubhouse (amongst others) for extensive BB coverage!

'Big Brother 8' Live Feeds Notes, Friday 7/06 Daytime

My apologies for being a bit late with this. It was one of those days in which my issues became a magazine.

But, no fear... you really haven't missed much going on in that Big Brother House of Friends and Foes:

• Dick finally went to bed at almost 7:30 their time.
• Big Brother gave them all a wake-up call at a bit past 8:30. Heh.
• At about 8:45, Big Brother told the houseguests the veto competition would begin in 90 minutes. It actually began (feeds blocked with trivia) at about 10:30, so they're a bit more timely so far.
• Amber wants Dick to win the Veto for her.
• Joe mocked the Chenbot's robotly ways.
• When the feeds came back about a half-hour after the blockage, Amber seemed upset.
• Then we realized the comp hadn't even taken place yet. All they had done is pick the players. Forget me calling them timely! @@
• Amber thinks God wants her to keep the nominations the same if she wins. Can we get a mass eyeroll going here? One word... Marcellas.
• Then the feeds were blocked for almost five hours...! Argh.
• When they came back on, only those houseguests who didn't play for Veto were trapped in the HOH Room.
• Now they're all back together talking about wearing headphones, listening to music, talking about missing clothes, messy rooms, time elements to look for something, tornado spins... I have no clue what the comp was or if we have a winner. I'll post more when I get something concrete. They had to hide something and others had to find it. It's very confusing!
• But Big Brother gave them pizza.

'Big Brother 8' - Live Feed Notes - Overnight Into July 6, 2007

Who woulda thunk it? One houseguest is up washing dishes and cleaning in the kitchen as I write this. Are you thinking Kail? Nope, it's Dick. It's past 3:00 AM their time as I write this. He is indeed a character... and he talks to himself. A lot.

Remember, we already knew from my last post that Carol and Amber are nominated for eviction. The Power of Veto will be played out sometime today. They have been in the house for six days.

Here's the latest skinny:

• There must have been a food competition more than a few days ago. Some of the houseguests are on Big Brother slop. Daniele and Dustin, for sure, are slop eaters.
• They don't have playing cards. (Good, because watching them play cards is boring!)
• Eric is a play-flirter with all of the girls. Alas, he has a potty-mouth. But our America's Player does seem to fit in well with the others. Dick has some problems with him -- something about him lying to him about something. But, on the whole, he gets along decently.
• It seems the concensus among the houseguests is a vote off of Carol, at least partly because she said she didn't want to be there when she was nominated.
• If POV is used, Zach may be the next on the block.
• Nick is shy with the girls? His father thought he could be gay until he was around 21.
• Big Brother gave them body paint. The slop eaters wanted to eat it because it's flavored.
• The HOH Room is very futuristic-looking. For some reason, Kail didn't seem to spend much time up there, but Jen did. Jen checked out all of the spy screen views.
• There seems to be a bit of difference in opinion regarding the vote, but it always seems to fall back to Amber staying unless the POV is used to save Carol.
• Dick coughs a lot. It might be good for him to run out of cigarettes this summer.

'Big Brother 8' - First Feeds Screencap and Live Feeds Spoilers

It's ON!

Right at midnight, they came on. Well, not until after I had to uninstall and reinstall RealPlayer. But...!

Okay, the skinny I've caught so far...

Carol and Amber are up for eviction. POV will be played for tomorrow. Carol apparently gave the others the idea she wanted to leave when nominated.

She's telling Dustin how much she's given up to be there. He told her that unless something changes, his vote has to be for Amber to stay. Joe wants to build a Six Alliance, but Carol thinks that Daniele and Dick have a one-alliance pact?

According to Dustin, Zach wants to run things.

Amber and Carol get along well. Carol hates being up against her for eviction. Neither will campaign.

It's Day 6 for them. They don't know if the Three (Dustin, Dick, Jessica) can vote for eviction or not (since they're safe this week).

Ah, well, gonna switch feeds and take more notes.

'Big Brother 8' - Season Premiere and East Coast Spoilers

Although I'm not so keen on such a young cast, I think we have a lot of promise here.

I'm still getting the names straight, but here's a brief lowdown on the happenings...

Only eleven people entered the house first. Carol, Joe, Mike, and Amber went in as the first group to choose beds. Then it was Nick, Daniele, and Jameka. Then Kail, Jen, Eric, and Zach.

Notably missing were Dick, Dustin, and Jessica. Now we knew Daniele is Dick'c estranged daughter. I had guessed it right that Dustin and Joe are a "pair." They're ex-boyfriends with a horrible break-up in their past. Jessica and Carol are high school friends turned rivals.

The three were hidden away upstairs, able to watch the eleven's every move from the HOH room. They were brought down after the HOH competition, but Julie told the larger group about them with no specifics. All three are safe from eviction this week.

Once Julie told them about the "unfinished business, enemies, rivals, the last person you want to be with" bit, Joe immediately guessed Dustin and blamed him for a bout with an STD. Meanwhile Dustin was upstairs denying it was true to Dick and Jessica. A few who don't have the "enemy" in the house were imagining enemies. Daniele told the Diary Room she thought it would be her father, but didn't tell the Eleven. Carol couldn't think of anyone since junior high or high school.

The beds are too short, too tall, and simply not enough. Some will have to share beds.

The HOH comp was neat -- the Eleven had to pair up, leaving Nick unable to take part in the competition. One had to kneel on a spinning mushroom while the other answered questions about the houseguests. The questions were ones posed to them before entering the house, things like "would you give up your bus seat to a pregnant woman?" They only give True or False to a number of how many said they wouldn't, not specifically who may or may not. Every wrong answer made the mushroom spin faster and muck would spurt on on them occasionally.

In the end, Kail and Eric won. Julie let the three upstairs decide which of the two would be HOH. They chose Kail as she was the one to endure the spinning and muck. Eric didn't want to win the first HOH anyway, so he was very happy. He wanted to throw the comp but kept accidentally answering the questions right.

When the three were brought down to the eleven... Joe went from good-going to miserable and nasty. Daniele went to the bathroom and cried. Carol and Jessica seemed to just stare at each other.

Eric is our America's Player. Starting Sunday, we can be the puppetmasters! I knew it couldn't be anyone tied to another in the house and I think he's a good choice. He's a big fan of the show and seems to fit in fine... for now.

I have to see what's wrong with my RealPlayer feeds... today of all days, they've gone awry. The feeds start tonight!

Your impression of the season premiere?

Happy Independence Day!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! I decided to take it a bit easy today writing-wise because I foresee three months with little sleep.

The NJ city in which I live had their 84th Annual July 4th Parade which happens to go right by my apartment. So I watched that, played with videos I made of it (more to go) and experimented a bit with YouTube since I'm hoping to upload some feeds videos this season.

Right now as I type this, I have the Boston fireworks on in the background. I've done the Charles River and Boston Pops scene a few times in the past, as I have the Philadelphia and New York City celebrations. Tonight, though, it's raining here. I can hear that the local fireworks event went on as scheduled. But it was a good night to stay indoors.

I've been watching the Boston fireworks wondering if Craig Ferguson, the host of the show, will say anything about receiving his US citizenship today. According to one of the NYC WCBS news folks, he was slated to be sworn in (or whatever they do) today.

Sleep well tonight... tomorrow is the start of Big Brother 8!

More 'Big Brother 8' News - Exec. Producer Allison Grodner Talks to GlobalTV (Can)

Although Big Brother 8 executive producer Allison Grodner doesn't seem to realize that Canadians technically are also Americans, there are some juicy tidbits coming out of her interview with the GlobalTV folks.

While I suggest reading the entire interview, I want to bring up some excerpts I thought of particular interest.

The first has to do with America's Player:

While two of the weekly polls will be strategic in nature -- asking viewers who the 'America's Player' should target for a nomination and whom they should vote to evict -- the third poll on Sunday's show will be for fun. For that poll, viewers might be asked who 'America's Player' should start a showmance with or who they should have a meaningful conversation with. If the player makes it to the final seven, the viewers will also have a vote on the 'Big Brother 8' jury.

"The viewers will have a vote every week so that's a big deal. It is the most interactive we have ever been," commented Grodner.

For every five tasks the 'America's Player' completes, they will get a cash bonus. While the other HouseGuests won't know about the 'America's Player' twist until that person is voted out or wins the game, their identity will be revealed to the audience on the debut of 'Big Brother 8' this Thursday night.

"We are really happy with whom this is. We think this person will do a terrific job," said Grodner.

Oh, a possible jury vote for the viewers! I think that when the viewers hold the power entirely they tend to remove the most controversial folks first. It's often those very folks who make the show more interesting. One jury vote if the America's Player makes it through to the jury might be just enough to feel involved. After all, America kept Sanjaya on American Idol way too long. The viewers don't always vote wisely.

Onto the "ememies" twist, there's this excerpt:

In speaking to GlobalTV.com, Grodner was quick to clear up another misconception: Not everyone in the house will be a part of the "rival or enemy" twist. The twist of having to deal with a real life foe in the house will only apply to some of the players.

"There are past relationships that will surprise some of them on opening night. Not all of them will have a past relationship but some of them will and nobody knows any of this when they walk into the house. We will see how this plays out as this is like the 'X Factor' from four years ago," she explained. "You know the old saying...Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Well, let's see how that plays out this summer. "Expect the Unexpected" doesn't just go for the audience, it goes for us, the producers, too."

I've been comparing the concept to the X-Factor season in my mind and hope it's not quite the same. That wasn't my favorite season. I still have Holly and Cowboy night terrors.

Again in this interview, Allison seems very high on Joe. I can't help but thinking that he could very well be America's Player. But, mind you, that's my personal opinion from seeing how enthralled she is with him.

'Big Brother 8' - ET House Tour and the Latest News

If you missed the house tour on Entertainment Tonight, have no fear... I have it for you here. I kind of like it. I think it certainly presents the opportunity for some unusual happenings, don't you?




In other new show news...

The Early Bird special for the live feeds will be expiring soon. If you're going to spring for them, the time to act is now! I suggest that you get them through a link on your favorite Big Brother website as the sites providing them receive some income from them. No, that wouldn't be me. But Hamsterwatch, Jokers, and more sites have the deals. If you go to RealNetworks, they should be offering the two-week free trial, too. But I think (I could be wrong here) the feeds themselves after the free trial are a bit more than the Early Bird costs.

The official CBS Big Brother 8 website, at the time I'm posting this, has nothing new to offer us. Bah on them so far this year.

Janelle has been quoted on various sites saying than this year's Jen is a ChillTown ringer. Jen has some ties to both Mike Boogie and the Evil Doctor Will. Supposedly Mike is going around saying that if she wins they can claim a third victory for ChillTown. Of course, Jen was the one who turned me off with her "Jenius" t-shirt on The Early Show cast introductions.

The TV Guide House Tour, not as good as the video above, can be found here.

There is still a lot of speculation on various couplings as far as the "enemies" and "unfinished business" twists go. Dick and Daniele, father and estranged daughter, are the most obvious. Carol and Jessica, both hailing from the same town in Kansas, are a strong possibility. Joe and Dustin are both living in Chicago and gay. But the vision clouds when you consider Dustin is from Minnesota and so is Nick.

Executive Producer Allison Grodner told WeLoveBigBrother.com that Samantha, the 15th houseguest seen on the TV Guide interview, is merely an alternative who won't be on the show. I still think that was a rather odd mistake to make, don't you? In regard to America's Player, she had this to say: "We chose someone who we felt could pull this off," she explained. "This is a daunting challenge because it's a secret to the rest of the houseguests and yet this person will have to balance their own sort of strategy and stay in the house as long as they can while possibly making some erratic moves that the viewers have him or her make."

I'm expecting the traditional "slip" on the live feeds sometime tomorrow. I tried to check them a few minutes ago, but they just kept loading to no fruition for me. Up until that I had a message that the feeds would be coming soon and bizarre music. I prefer the trunk monkeys a few weeks ago - an ad for some car dealer.

So there's your Big Brother fix for the morning. As I hear or see news, I'll get it posted for you!

'Hell's Kitchen' - A Quick Take on Episode 5

My goodness, each week it seems like someone on the show becomes the demon seed of Gordon Ramsay.

But, the problem is... Gordon Ramsay can get away with it and the chef-wannabe can't.

Tonight it was Melissa. She's been a bit in the background for the last few episodes, so it was her turn to shine. Well, perhaps not shine, but go nuclear.

We knew from the promos for this episode that some fools... er, a bride and groom, chose Hell's Kitchen to serve their reception. I find something inherently wrong with the concept, but they never ask for my opinion.

The challenge had the Red Team (women) and Blue Team (men) shopping for ingredients for an appetizer, meat, and fish entree. They had $100 to spend. The women got off to a good start coming in at $97.50 while the men overspent and had to lose ingredients they needed to knock off nearly forty bucks. Remind me not to send them shopping with my grocery budget money.

In the kitchen, it started -- Melissa decided she was the only one who knows anything and started bullying and bossing the other women. And, mind you... she was totally wrong in her direction! Julia tried to speak up. She had taken the duck out of the stove so the other dishes could catch up and it wouldn't be overcooked. Melissa slammed it back in the oven. The men weren't doing great, but they didn't have a misguided maniac bullying them.

The bride and groom to be were the ones to judge the challenge. Melissa, much to Ramsay's spitting rage, tried to block the duck dish from being served. There it was. The men won their first challenge. The women got the nod for their crab appetizer, but the men won for both the meat and the fish. The men were off to a spa for some pampering while the women had to decorate the restaurant (with the help of an overly stereotypically gay decorator) for the reception.

The men relaxed and rebuilt their spirit while the women started bickering over the decoration task. Oh, it was actually Melissa trying to boss the others and the others not wanting to be bossed by her. It wasn't quite a brouhaha. Where the Bonnie, Julie, and Jen made their mistake was by not mutinying on the spot. It could have saved them.

As the teams cooked for the actual reception, Melissa not only kept up her dictating and nasty ways, but she was making costly mistakes. The men finished serving three minutes ahead of the women. For the first time, the teams served the entire dinner to all of the patrons.

The men won for both the time factor and better teamwork. Ramsay chose Jen to decide which two from her team would be nominated for elimination. She's soft on Bonnie. We knew that. But she also respects Julia. It was pretty much a given that Melissa should be nominated -- it was just the second person up on the chopping block which created her dilemma.

In the end, she chose Melissa for the night's performance and lack of being able to work with others. Then, to Bonnie's shock, she chose her. Later Jen told Bonnie that she loved her and thought that given the choice between the two, Ramsay would definitely choose to send Melissa home.

But it wasn't meant to be. Nope. He sent her to the Blue Team and Bonnie back to the Red Team. No one went home.

Next week should be interesting as Rock and Melissa had a dust-up during the wedding service tonight. She botched her potatoes after he explained to her several times how to do them, then tried to say he mislead her. I want a brouhaha!

'Big Brother 8' - A 15th Houseguest?

Thanks to the rockin' Dreamer, this video from the TV Guide channel was posted over at Jokers.

I missed the TV Guide segment, but the video seems to nail it. The hosts talk to all of the houseguests we've already seen... but there's one more. Samantha.

Say what? Is it an error? Is she an alternate? Has CBS tipped us to yet another twist? I couldn't get the video to embed properly in this entry, but head on over to the Jokers link above to check it out.

Curiouser and curiouser...

But here's a guy we won't see on the show. We won't see his "hideous cat" either.

The Latest 'Big Brother 8' Cast News - Sunday, July 1, 2007

Graphic artist Zoetawny has made me yet another tag for the show. She rocks, right?

To bring up all of the show posts on this blog, simply use the 'Big Brother 8' label tag you find on the bottom of any show post. I've posted lots o' news already and I'm still scouting for more as the premiere looms on the horizon.

Before I tell you the latest, I want to give a shout-out to the folks at JokersUpdates, Hamsterwatch, and the other fine sites covering the show. I haven't had any "inside connections" to the show since my producer buddy Jym Buss left after season 6, but through the wonders of the Internet, I always have news to share!

Here's the latest buzz from the Internet Fans:

• A poster over at Jokers found an article about houseguest Jessica Hughbanks. It turns out she's a dancer for Wichita Thunder (hockey) and, if you're a fan of So You Think You Can Dance, you know her dancing idol -- Shane Sparks. There's not a heck of a lot of insight, but it's certainly worth a peek. She doesn't like rude people, huh? What's she doing going into the Big Brother house?
• Rumors are all over the web about the America's Player person being male. I think it all stems from Julie and Allison Grodner always referring to the person as "he." That could be just semantics, but I don't think we'll know for sure until next Sunday night.
• Jokers also has a Wichita Eagle blurb about houseguest Carol Journey. She had to forego her first season as a Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader to be on Big Brother.
• You can't get enough show news? The best link sites are Reality TV Links and SirLinksAlot, both set for their Big Brother links. Oh, and is that this blog listed on them both? :-)
• The Entertainment Tonight house tour is scheduled for Monday, July 2. Check your local listings for times in your area.
• Not new season related, but interesting nonetheless -- BB Lane has a recent interview with Season 1 winner Eddie McGee. It really makes you stop and think... eight years ago this all started. It's definitely changed my summers! That first year I was a board host on the AOL Message Boards for the show and they were hopping as AOL was a partner in the show. Big Brother 1 had input from the boards featured on the show each week and the live feeds were through AOL, too. Ah, the memories of the Chicken Coop cam... and the one which was behind the walls with the crew! That would be cool if they brought that camera back!
• An Oregon online newspaper, the Register-Guard, has an article about new houseguest Kail Harbick.
• The Kansas City Star has a blurb about new houseguests Carol and Jessica, but no insight.
• It seems to be real, but I can't say... someone claiming to be houseguest Carol's father has posted about her over at Jokers. Now, that can present a dilemma. Right now all is safe, but things can get rough as the season goes on. It may be hard for a parent to read what the Internet thinks of his beloved child. Eep. That said, it sounds like she's a smart one. We'll see how she does!
• The WeLoveBigBrother site has more house photos online.
• I found the YouTube clip of Julie Chen's appearance on Letterman. They've disabled embedding the clip here, but this is the link.
  

That's it for now, but I'll still be looking for more news. If you're having pre-season jitters and want to list your favorites just like the new houseguests, check out this entry on the blog and jump on in!

Phone Your Pants - This Week on 'The Late Show with David Letterman' - July 2-6, 2007

Yes, use your new iPhone to phone those pants! While I won't be getting an iPhone, I'll probably be watching Letterman this week. Heck, I don't have to pay over $600 for him and I can touch the screen if I want to! But the thought is kind of weird and then I'd have fingerprints all over my TV.

If you like Ryan Adams, take a peek at the Late Show website. He appeared on the show last week and sang one song, but they have him singing another in a video on the site. I looked through the clips they have and don't see the Julie Chen appearance. I'm not surprised. There wasn't much to it.

Who will be on the big shoe this week? Well, I'm glad you asked... we're in for another week of reruns.

• Monday, July 2: Kid Scientists, Luke Wilson, Rufus Wainwright and the Top Ten from Homer Simpson. This was a good show -- Luke Wilson was a hoot and the kids are always fun.
• Tuesday, July 3: Nicole Ritchie, Artie Lange, Chrisette Michele. Dave put Nicole on the spot as he talked about Paris.
• Wednesday, July 4: Stupid Pet Tricks, Rosie Perez, Dr. Dog. We need more CATS on Stupid Pet Tricks!
• Thursday, July 5: Jane Fonda, Tom Ruprecht, Kelly Clarkson.
• Friday, July 6: Teri Hatcher, Jonah Hill, Elvis Costello.

There's your Pants for the week. Wear them well!