Big Brother 11 Nominations Show Blog Party 8/09

The show has started here on the East Coast. This post will be updated as it airs, but the real fun is in the comments section. Everyone is welcome, bring your own snacks and beverages! Later tonight my show review will be posted on TV Squad. Sometime tonight this blog should hit 2 million unique visits (about twice that in page views). I might miss it, but I hope to catch the rough location of the 2,000,000th visitor in my Sitemeter (bottom of the blog). All it tells is sometimes location in the country and through what ISP ... nothing really personal.

I want to thank those special people who made a tremendously generous offer for Wednesday. Hopefully I'll know more tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest.

Later tonight I'll post the live feeds happenings for the day. It hasn't been really eventful. On with the show ...

Whoa ... they're doing the bath tub rapist story/Chima from WEEKS ago as filler. I wonder if the old margarita party is next.

Jeremy Piven is in the house and a luxury comp is starting. The winning team sees his new movie and one member wins a large prize. The team of Jessie, Natalie, Russell, and Jordan won. Russell won $10,000.

Nominations - key order:
Natalie, Jessie, Kevin, Michele, Jordan, Jeff.

Russell and Lydia are on the block.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was 8/09

Another week done and over with. I guess I should be happy that I have the rather all-encompassing Big Brother live feeds and the blog to concentrate on. I've been having extreme troubles sleeping -- I'll sleep three or four hours tops a day, then crash for eight on about the third day. I'm ending up a bit fuzzy-minded at work (which isn't a good thing) and definitely much too "emo." Well, that's what the kids call it.

Things may be changing. I met a cat, a cat who needs a home, a cat who really seemed to take to me. I can't replace Scherzo, but I know that each cat is special in his own way. I stopped in at PetSmart during my lunch hour from work yesterday. Each week they have a volunteer group -- Second Chance for Animals -- doing pet adoptions for the Franklin (Somerset) Animal Shelter. I got there just as they were packing up the cats. There were mostly kittens, but one cat attracted my attention.

If I hadn't been at work without a cat carrier and such, I think I would have snagged him right then and there. They've named him Dudley (which might end up being a middle name as I don't want to call a cat "Dud"). He's actually on the Petfinder.com website, so you can check him out. He's two years old, neutered, microchipped, has all his shots, and is feline leukemia/aids negative. He licked my hand and purred as I petted him. The volunteer there said he didn't do that for anyone else all day. He's very sweet.

I'll be calling the shelter on Tuesday when they're next open. If I can get a ride there on Wednesday, I'll pick him up then. If I can't get there Wednesday on my day off (they're open for two hours a day Tuesday-Friday), I'm going to have them bring him back to PetSmart on Saturday. I'll bring my small carrier and if he has to ride the train home with me, so be it. The trains do allow pets in carriers. I honestly think I'll be a whole lot better with a friend in my apartment again.

Then there's my weekly photography. It was an odd week there, too. I think my best shot was a huge unidentified black bug. I seemed to be having a bee week rather than a bird week, too. Clicking on any of the images will open them larger in a new window.

My, what big alien eyes you have

Yep, this is my shot of the week. Albeit a very scary huge bug (insect?), it has the coolest alien eyes I've ever seen. This guy was sitting on a bridge overpass. At first I thought he was dead, but he started moving as I shot him and eventually flew away. I'd say he measures an inch and a half to near two inches long ... the size of a mouse. I've never seen a bug like this before. I'm not even sure what classification it is. But, dang, way cool eyes. You NEED to click on this one to get a good look at the eyes.

UPDATE: Ding, ding, ding -- we have a winner! Delee identified this as a horse fly. It was bigger than any horse fly I've ever seen, but it is indeed a black horse fly - Tabanus atratus - the largest of the species. Ohh ... they slash the hides of animals and then drink the blood. But they still have cool eyes.

Sign of the times, Plainfield, New Jersey

Commercial reprographics? Whatever it is, I like this weathered sign.

Eek. A wasp.

Or, maybe it's a hornet ... a yellow-jacket or a mud-dauber. I only know that I'm deathly allergic and would probably go into anaphalactic shock if stung. Ah, putting my life on the line for the sake of one good shot. To be honest, he wasn't interested in me at all.

In which I continue to risk my life.

I believe this is a carpenter bee rather than a bumble bee. Its abdomen didn't seem to be hairy. Of course, I didn't tickle his tummy to explore the matter. These bees are out in full force this week, but most of my shots are fuzzy because they just don't stay still.

Frolicking in the graveyard

The quality isn't too good as this was a one-shot deal. The squirrel jumped down from the headstone right after this was taken. But I liked the image anyway. This is at the old Friends Quaker Cemetary in Plainfield, NJ -- taken through the fence.

Used tire for sale

I guess they keep a single used tire in stock at all times. Plainfield, NJ.

Do I have a death wish?

I continue to bug the bees with my camera.

I don't think I want an Aztec car, thank you.

Parked in front of Custom Underground in Plainfield, NJ.

We're talking classic car now.

I found this gem parked in front of the Plainfield Police Department/Municipal Court. I used layers to make the background black and white while keeping the car its brilliant blue. Like my bug shot, I have no clue what kind of car it is. But it is indeed on my Cool Meter.

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into Sunday Dawn 8/09

I spent a part of last night in anticipation of a house falling on Natalie. Those ARE the wicked witch's socks, right? Of course, Natalie being Natalie, the ruby slippers were more along the lines of huge quasi-fuzzy slip-on slippers which looked utterly ridiculous. Top the foot attire with baggy yellow gym shorts of one shade, an ASU sweatshirt of another yellow hue with the hood up ... and you have the Natalie fashion statement. I'm sure the look will take off all over the country.

Here's what's been going down in that Big Brother House of Unconditional Love and Respect:

• Chima is still leading her boot Russell movement. She says she wouldn't have taken the $10,000 prize because she knew the others would be mad at her.
• Chima also thinks they should have a maid. Um ... um ... aren't there several healthy young people with nothing to do most of time who are perfectly capable of cleaning up after themselves?
• Jessie is very worried that Jeff might have the power. He's not being calm, cool, and collected about it all, either.
• Jeff thinks Natalie is going around bullying people to not use the power.
• Well, we know Natalie is one of the ones who won the movie because she's already making special candy and wine requests.
• Chima, Natalie, and Jessie want to make sure that Lydia knows she's not going home this week and Kevin needn't use the PoV to save her.
• Jessie is still going on about Russell picking Jeff to play for PoV instead of him. I guess it's one of those ultimate disrespect things.
• While most think Jeff has the power, Kevin thinks it's Michele.
• Russell, despite being told not to worry by Jeff, is planning his exit speech. He says it will be more explosive than any Chima tirade.
• Lydia told Russell that Kevin won't be using the veto on her. (He told Chima he won't because they guaranteed that Lydia was safe this week.)
• Chima had told everyone not to tell Russell or Jeff or Jordan that the veto won't be used.
• But Lydia will be Lydia. Although they told her she's safe, she still would love to not be on the block at all. And, her best bud Kevin has the power.
• Chima said Southerners can barely speak English. Oh my.
• Jessie tried to convince Jeff that he and Natalie have their best interests at heart.
• Yep, anyone want to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?
• Jeff is upset that Jordan didn't tell him that Russell said he stood a better chance on the block against Jeff. Jordan doesn't remember Russell saying that. (Neither do I, but I might have missed it.)
• Who told Jeff that? Why, Jessie did.
• Jessie told Jordan he's never lied to her while Russell is constantly lying.
• Lydia fussed more with Kevin about not using the veto to save her. He says that not using it ensures that she'll stay.
• Huh. I'd say using it would do that!
• Russell told Jessie that he got Lydia and Kevin to fight over the veto and that if they (Natalie, Jessie, Jeff, and Jordan) stick to the plan, they have the votes.
• Say what? Could it all be a scheme? Or is it alcohol and wishful thinking? Jessie's not a big drinker and he was imbibing.
  
• In passing time, Jeff said he'd love to see Jessie on the block with Natalie.
• Of course, he could make that happen.
• Jessie said he thinks he's going home on Thursday.
• Of course, that could happen.
• In his drunken state, Jessie said someone will ride in on a unicorn Thursday to evict him.
• Of course, I doubt that could happen.
  
• And we thought Michele is the quirky one.
• Jessie and Kevin rode bikes around the house. BB Voice: "I said, STOP THAT! DON'T DO IT AGAIN!"
• They're all asleep as I get this posted.
  

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Through Saturday Daytime (POV) 8/08

At this time, a normal person would be asking herself, "Where am I? And, what am I doing in this handbasket?" But the people who go in the Big Brother house know the job is dangerous when they take it. They're not normal. Even if they seem normal, they're not.

Here's the latest scuttlebutt from that Big Brother House of Wayward Girls and Boys:

• Late last night Michele once again put her foot in her mouth. She needs to understand her jokes, perhaps made to say something/anything, alienate her.
• In the newly formed (will probably implode) girls alliance, Michele is the iffy one who doesn't quite fit in.
• What else is new?
• Michele told Jordan that Jeff is treating her differently now and she blames Russell.
• She says Jeff is calling her crazy. To be honest, I think at one time or another, all have been called crazy by someone.
• Including me. They're all nutjobs, I tell ya!
• Jeff, Natalie, and Kevin were chosen to play for the veto with Chima, Lydia, and Russell.
• Lydia and Kevin think that Jeff has the wizard power as he's been very quiet and hasn't been talking about said wizard power.
• Lots of sleeping going on today. Maybe if they slept at night, they wouldn't feel the need to take power naps so much.
• After an extensive feeds block for the PoV, the feeds returned ... and Kevin won the PoV.
  
• Lydia and Kevin did a happy dance together. Aww, sunshine and lollipops for all.
• Kevin told Lydia he wants to check with Chima to see if it's okay to save her.
• Huh? What's up with that? Lydia reminds him that Chima can't play for HOH next week and can't put him on the block if she's mad.
• Kevin told Chima he wants to respect her nominations, but needs to make sure Natalie and Jessie will vote to evict Russell.
• Chima said that if Jeff has the wizard power, she'd end up having to put Natalie and Jessie on the block and she doesn't want to do that.
• Chima insists that Lydia is the pawn and reminded them that Russell won $10,000 yesterday in the Have Have Not comp.
• Kevin agreed not to use the PoV.
  
• Jessie and Russell had a bit of a spat. Jessie pretty much told Russell he screwed him over twice before and he can't trust him not to do it again. Russell actually picked Jeff to play PoV when he could have chosen Jessie.
  
• Russell is way worried about leaving.
• Back to power naps...
  

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into Saturday Dawn 8/08

Jessie wanders the house alone in the wee hours of the morning. This screen cap I took shows how much muscle mass he's lost. To be honest, I never like the overly-muscled look except perhaps in those ads in the back of comic books which help out your basic 98-pound weaklings. I think men look silly with huge muscles bursting out all over the place. Toned, normal limits muscular ... that's fine. Incredible Hulk muscular = silly.


The Have Not room looks eerily like a crypt. I expect the non-dead to get up and roam the night with Jessie.

Here's the latest from that Big Brother House of Flibbertigibbets and Foolish Boys:

• Chima told Jeff that she wants him to vote Russell out this week.
  
• Now Jessie and Chima think Jeff has the "wizard power." Before, they were figuring Jordan.
  
• Jessie's sure that he's gone this week if Jeff has the power while Natalie and Chima doubt he'll use it.
• Heh. It would be a hoot if Lydia had it, but we know that's not the case.
• The more Natalie tried to convince Jessie he'll be okay this week, the more paranoid Jessie became.
  
• Chima said she's going to freak out during the live show if the power takes away her power as HOH. She will outshout Julie Chen over it! She will have a conniption!
  
• Well, that could be entertaining to watch, eh?
• With Jeff on slop, they're probably losing their best chef this week. Natalie is sad. She likes to eat.
• When Russell asked Jeff if he had the power, Jeff told him he didn't but then added on "don't worry."
• Jeff better be careful.
• After being silent for a long time, Lydia said the Diary Room told her to start talking. Once again, I question whether the girl should have ever gone into the house.
• Once she went non-mute, the rumors started swirling once again. Jessie, Natalie, Michele, and Chima - he said, she said, they all said.
  
• It's a spool of lies, folks. That's all it is.
• Russell and Michele had another blow-up. Earlier he told Jordan and Natalie that he felt all of his friends in the house have deserted him.
• Chima thinks Jessie is furthering the Michele controversies in the house and blowing things out of proportion.
• Russell now says everything Ronnie said about Michele is true. I personally don't know if she's truly socially inept or whether she's playing some sort of master game. I do know that I don't like Michele as much as I did before I got to know her on the feeds. She may be local (Iselin, NJ), but she's um ... socially inept and odd.
• Jeff remains in the middle of it all just observing for the most part.
• Chima wants to push for a girls alliance.
• Natalie nixes the girls alliance because she doesn't trust/like Lydia.
• Jordan told Jeff he really shouldn't trust Russell.
• Jeff thinks that Michele is bipolar.
  
• Michele meanwhile claims that Jeff is shady.
• Of course, neither of them said these things to each other, just about each other.
• Michele told Natalie, Kevin, and Chima of her Russell final two deal and the odd Russell vote for Casey.
• Michele denied that she was gunning for Jeff. Again, she's a woman of bizarre social interactions.
• Kevin and Michele think that Jeff has some sort of "dark background" in Chicago. Or that he's led a troubled life.
• I don't quite get that vibe from Jeff.
• Michele thinks Russell is manipulating Jeff.
• Chima once again promised a freak-out on live national television if her nominations are changed. She wants Russell out!
• Heck, the more she threatens a freak-out, the more I want Jeff to save Russell.
  
• What will Jeff do on Thursday? I honestly don't know. Although he has a deal with Russell,if Russell goes through no actual fault of Jeff's -- he has an ally on the jury.If Russell stays and one of the Jessie Mob goes, he has an enemy on the jury plus Chima all up his case over changing his nominations.
• At least Jeff has the power, not Jordan. She'd be a basket case wondering whether to use it or not.
• They're all asleep as I get this posted.