Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was

Although this is the time of year that Big Brother (especially the live feeds) tends to take over the blog, I'm not all about the show. You can check out the latest live feeds report at this link, but this post is more about my week. Clicking on any of the images will open them larger in a new window.

Later today, I'll be writing my Reality Clack column for CliqueClack TV and my episode review of tonight's Big Brother for TV Squad. Of course, I'll be piping in here with BB live feed reports and the show post. Hopefully it will air on time this week.

I found a beautiful blue car that I wouldn't be caught dead in. Plainfield, NJ

I used layers to make the background black and white on this shot I took by the Plainfield (NJ) Train Station. It seems almost ominous -- like if you enter, you will never leave ... or something.

I met a bee. Or a wasp. Or something I'm allergic to.

In the center of this photo is rear of the old condemned theater on North Street in Plainfield. If you stand here at dusk, you can watch the bats emerge. White nose syndrome seems to have escaped them, yay!


But something is all over the poison ivy in Bridgewater, NJ. I'm not sure what it is. I've been photographing the poison ivy for years now and I've never seen this before this year. No, I'm not allergic to poison ivy.

I found a woodpecker on a dead tree. I heard it first.

The woodpecker takes flight. I wish I had a better camera!

I put up this photo earlier in the week, but I liked the dismal Wall Street Journal American dream diary so much that I had to do a repeat. Plainfield, NJ Train Station.

Then there's the loss of my cat. I guess I should be happy that it's Big Brother season and I have a diversion. But my home isn't the same. When you live alone, coming home to an empty apartment without a happy greeting and a forever companion just isn't the same. Seventeen years. Sigh.

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Overnight Into Sunday 7/19

Aw, isn't this so darn special?

With the huge feeds block for the PoV, the big news yesterday was once we finally found out who won. (Jeff.) But what happened into the evening and onto the dawn in that Big Brother House of Misguided Misanthropes?

• As I get this typed up, Jessie and Lydia are the only ones up still talking. This is SO a relationship which could only happen in the BB house and will surely not be a tale of love, marriage, and happily ever after.
• Natalie won a slop pass in yesterday's POV comp. She feels it should be good for any of the Have Not components (cold showers, bed). BB disagrees. Natalie is ticked off.
• As I mentioned before, the comp had something to do with money, especially coins. Lots of quarters were involved.
• Chima now says that Russell is a misogynist and dirty player. Me? I just think he likes to be a bully. I have seen a smarter more pleasant side of him on the feeds at times. But overall, he plays the smart-butt bully card whenever he can.
• Chima tried telling people Russell probably threw the comp because he deals with money every day.
• Ronnie knows that if Laura stays this week, she will target him.
• Lydia told Ronnie, Jeff, Laura, and Casey that she wants Russell gone. (Later, as she and Jessie talked, she said she didn't want him gone due to the power block if he stays.)
• Kevin and Chima want to be the ones responsible for sending Jeff home. (I'd love for Jeff to win HOH and get drama mama Chima out.)
• Jordan, whom I was liking, fell for Ronnie's influence and went to Jeff, telling him that if he takes himself off the block with the veto, Ronnie was going to put her up.
• ARGH! Jordan! Quit that!
• In the HOH room, both Lydia and Ronnie ended up telling Jeff that Jordan won't go on the block -- instead, Russell will be backdoored.
• They don't want Jeff to tell anyone. (Only half the house knows already anyway!)
• Jeff agreed not to nominate either Ronnie or Lydia if he gets HOH.
• The one they say they don't want knowing the plan is Natalie. I'd suggest (if I were a fly on the wall) that they make Natalie think SHE is going on the block. I want to see her totally freak out.
  
• There's a rat in the backyard. They saw him in the pool. They named him Gus. He looks a bit like Ronnie with his little pointed features.
• Ronnie told Chima and Natalie about the plan to backdoor Russell.
• Now, this is where Ronnie screws up. Loose lips sink ships, y'know. He did it with the Braden bit and now with Russell. I don't think he understands the concept that a secret plan isn't one that everyone knows about.
• Jessie wants to keep his ally Russell in the house for obvious reasons. But I think he's secretly happy that it's not himself that's the target.
• He thinks if it's Russell and Laura on the block, Laura would still be the one to go.
• Jessie and others worked the case for Casey going on the block in lieu of Russell.
• Jessie told Ronnie that if Laura stays, she's going after him (Ronnie). He wants a pawn up so Laura definitely goes. But I don't see HIM volunteering to go on the block to ensure Laura leaves!
• Ronnie, Lydia, and Kevin had a meeting with Laura during which they felt out who she'd target if she stayed.
• That doesn't sound like Ronnie plans to put popular Casey up, does it?
• So, things are still up in the air as the hamsters snore.
• It's pretty much a given that Jeff is NOT Marcellas -- he will save himself at the POV ceremony.
• It's extremely likely that Russell will go up on the block in his place.
• Oh ... and Michele is almost a non-entity in the house except when fighting with Chima. I expected more out of her.
  

Big Brother 11: Live Feeds Bulletin POV Winner 7/18

After over four hours, the feeds returned. The POV was done in rounds and had something to do with counting money. I'm still waiting for someone to blatantly mention the winner.

Natalie, Casey, and Russell were the chosen players, Lydia hosted.

It's sounding like Jeff won. I will return here to give you firm confirmation.

Confirmed.
:-)

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into Saturday Dawn 7/18

Jessie and Lydia whisper sweet nothings at each other in the wee hours of the morn. Ew. I'm just not getting that showmance at all. With the exception of "favors" from her, I can't get why they're even friends at all. Talk about people just using people!

In other late night house news:

• The producers won't let Ronnie get his hair done in a Mohawk due to continuity reasons. When has that ever stopped them before? When you watch the show, season after season, you can always catch them using old clips for filler.
• If Ronnie did get a Mohawk, he'd look even more like PeeWee Herman. Or, at the very least, a bad SNL characterization of PeeWee Herman.
• Jeff, although reassured he's safe this week, is intent on winning the PoV to save himself.
• Laura knows she's the target and her only hope to stay is to win the PoV.
• During late night hanging out, the guys all decided to speak with an Irish (?) accent. Bad Irish (?) accents, too.
• As Have Nots, Laura and Jordan can't have any booze. They think Russell shouldn't have any booze.
• Russell, perhaps fueled by booze when he raged at Lydia, seems to be the only one who's really acted up with the alcohol.
• Ronnie told Jordan (who's very worried) that he won't put her on the block.
• They all think Dan (BB10) looks different in person. Lydia said he was a weinie.
  
• Jordan really has issues with thinking she's dumb. As I watch her on the feeds, she might be lacking some formal educational background, but she can be so spot on when reading people.
  
• As it stands now, Laura is the main target of the entire house if the noms remain the same. Jeff should be way safe ... almost to the point of a unanimous vote.
• If one gets saved, it's likely Russell will be put on the block.
• Jessie says he won't vote Russell out. Well, duh. That would be like losing his evil clone brother.
  

Big Brother 11: Live Feeds Into Friday Evening 7/17

Well, the nominations are in. Did Ronnie put up one of the Power Tools? Nope. He put Laura and Jeff on the block. He claims Jeff isn't going home. Jordan's key was pulled first, Russell's last. Here's how things went down:

• Interesting -- before the noms, Chima told Ronnie she wanted him to put Jeff and Laura on the block.
• There was another blow-up between Drama Chima and Michele, this time over a bed. Chima had said that a bed was hers, later Michele came along and said that she didn't see her name on it. Meow.
• In the Have/Have Not comp Natalie won a bathing suit, at least Natalie and Chima won a movie night.
• Chima thinks that she's going to be portrayed as the troublemaker in the house.
• Russell asked Jessie if Ronnie made any deal with him for the final two. Jessie told him no.
• Jordan is concerned with her own safety because Laura is her closest friend in the house. She thinks she's next.
• Laura claims she's going to remain calm. Yeah, right.
• Jordan is really irked with the show's twist this season. She doesn't like the high school clique stuff and thinks it would be a different game had Jessie not come in the house with power.
• She's right.
• Natalie wants to backdoor Russell this week but Jessie isn't too keen on the idea.
• Russell claims that Ronnie has played everyone.
• Russell yelled at Lydia for talking game.
• He is really scary when he screams.
• Lydia is upset. She thinks that Russell is abusive. Natalie, Chima, Kevin, and Lydia have been talking about Russell. They're all a bit scared of him and he's too cocky.
• They all know that Russell has been making deals with everyone for final two.
  
• Ronnie said that Laura is dangerous to their alliance, emotions can't be trusted.
• There are rumblings with Ronnie and others that Russell might be backdoored if Laura comes off the block with the PoV.
  
• He thinks that Jeff might be upset with him, but Jeff will not be going home this week.

So, that's where we stand -- Jeff and Laura on the block. Laura is the target. If Laura comes off the block with the PoV, I think Russell might want to watch his back. His backdoor, that is.