Off Topic: The Week It Was 9/13/09

It's Sunday and time to take a look back at the week gone by in images I've taken and words. This week is very image heavy, my apologies. If you're looking for Big Brother content, my most recent news can be found using my BB blog tag. Otherwise, settle in and make yourself comfy.

The week started out on a relatively routine note -- work and life as usual. Of course, the end of the week marked the 8th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. In this area, the attacks had a big impact. We will never forget and we are forever changed.

My week end had its own delightful twist. Come along for my journeys -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window. All photos were taken by me. I'm not proud.

Double take

A man in red does a double take at two Plainfield (NJ) narcotics officers walking up the street. Not as clear as I would have liked it, using layers to make the background black and white while leaving the Stop hand and people in color.

I hear the train a'coming ...

It's coming 'round the bend
I ain't seen the sunshine
In I don't know when
-- "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash

It rained for a good portion of the week. No one can smoke cigars on NJ Transit trains anymore. I remember Metro North used to have a bar car. We have no such thing. Plainfield Train Station

North Street in black and white

A portion of Plainfield's North Street near the train station. Why was one building allowed to deteriorate so much while the others were obviously rehabbed at some point?

Who needs to go to Spanish Harlem?

Well, I do (keep reading). But we have a huge international touch right here in Plainfield.

Danny's Bakery

I love their croissants, but they're so often sold out of them that I don't stop by as often as I once did. Plainfield, NJ

Abandoned

Someone has been creeping in, I say. Plainfield, NJ.

Say what?

Oh, if I can't wear my Head Rag, I'm not going! Er ... I've never been in there anyway. Bar rules on Richmond Street in Plainfield, NJ

Wait. This isn't Plainfield, is it?

Er, no. I said I had to go to Spanish Harlem, otherwise known as El Barrio or East Harlem. But this isn't there either. It's 8th Avenue near the Port Authority Terminal yesterday. Who says all the sleaze is gone from Times Square? This is just a few blocks from there and something folks getting off buses see.

Waiting for the light in sepia

Um, self-explanatory. Midtown Manhattan yesterday.

A long walk underground

NYC subway tunnel. I'm actually heading to the 7 train to go east, then the 6 to go north.

Yes, it's the subway.

I think I just like to take train pictures.

Under NYC

I liked the lights.

Ohh ... empty car!

So I had to take a shot at it.

Spanish Harlem aren't just pretty words to say

Yes, I've emerged from the underground and I'm up on the streets in El Barrio. Lyrics in the caption from "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" by Elton John.

In which I stop in the middle

Well, I wanted to get the shot! (I had the light.)

This just creeps me out

A doorway on 110th Street. I think the mouse is leading us into the gates of hell ... or something.

I knew it!

Yes! That mouse led us right into Hell Gate! Um, okay it's just the local post office.

No, thank you

I'd rather not have any ice from there, thank you very much. El Barrio, Manhattan

Someone did some editing

Now it's PG enough for the blog. No, I didn't do the editing. El Barrio street art memorial.

El Barrio means history

Gee, I always thought it meant something along the lines of "the neighborhood." Silly me.

And here I am at my destination.

No, not the van ... the building. NYC Animal Care and Control. I'm here on a mission. Interesting things which happened while I was there:

• Two NYPD officers stood around and waited for a raccoon to be removed from their patrol car.
• I saw several people bring in donations of food, blankets, and such.
• A rottweiler being brought in bit one of the workers.
• Two early-twenties jerks asked a worker how to turn over their dog. Worker, "What's wrong with the dog?" Jerk 1, "I don't need it anymore." Worker repeats, "What's wrong with the dog?" Jerk 2 repeats, "We don't need the dog anymore." Worker and I both make eye contact and shake our heads in disgust. For me, pets are family.
  

Mission completed ... meet Vincent

"My muñequita, my Spanish Harlem Mona Lisa" ... (lyrics from "Smooth" by Carlos Santana). Uh ... I guess it would have to be my "muñequito" as he's male. I'm not so keen on the Mona Lisa reference, but he is neutered. "Muñequita" in Spanish means "little doll." Let's try another song -- "There is a rose cat in Spanish Harlem ..."

Although I picked him up and took him home from El Barrio, he was actually a stray caught on the streets in or near Riverside Park (Manhattan). They estimate him at about five years old. He was assigned a number (A828344), a name (Sal), dewormed and given his basic shots on September 4. He was already neutered when they picked him up. They gave him his rabies shot and microchipped him yesterday before I could take him home.

He's a love. I didn't like the name Sal and since that was just something assigned to him, I renamed him Vincent Riverside.

Cat on a train!

It's not quite like snakes on a plane.

Cat on a different train!

He gets around, doesn't he? He didn't make a peep other than to purr whenever I reached in the carrier to pet him.

Vincent settles in to a new life

He loves his new toy, his cat mat, his window, and my lap.

Fun with Vincent

So far, he's adjusting fantastically well to his new home. He's probably relieved to be away from all the barking dogs, noise and commotion at NYC AC&C. I probably saved a life -- they're the main shelter system for New York City and they have to euthanize perfectly good companions all the time because there aren't homes for every pet.

Judging from his behavior, he had to have been a loved pet at one time. He's affectionate, doesn't get on the kitchen counter, doesn't destroy things (although he walked on top of my PlayStation and turned it on), and uses his litter box. He seems taken with me and I'm taken with him.

Special thanks go out to Sydney, RBennie, Margo, Delee, PDX Granny, Auntie Leigh, Laurie, Donna in AL, Terry in CA, Meb, Sizzie, Becky, Nana, and Laurie. You know why ... especially Sydney.

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into the Dawn Sunday 9/13

At least they're happy.

If she doesn't stop playing with that twist-tie, it's going to break.

Well, it's not as bad as two in the house, but it's not that much more interesting. They slept into the afternoon and as I type this at around 6:30 AM ET, they're still up talking. And talking.

It was so boring in the house ... (how boring was it?) ...

• It was so boring that Kevin and Natalie went on a cleaning spree throughout the house. They are so not the cleaning type.
• It was so boring that the big excitement was that they couldn't drive wickets into the ground to play croquet.
• It was so boring that the big intellectual debate was Kevin and Natalie trying to figure out the meaning of cornmeal.
• It was so boring that the deepest observation of the day was Kevin saying that Chima should have never called Russell a terrorist. He said she had the upper hand in the Russell/Chima dispute and she blew it by calling him that.
• It was so boring that decorating plates became an educational event as Natalie taught Jordan to properly spell "GUCCI." Jordan thought there was an "e" on the end. Hmm ... whatever did happen to Dan Quayle?

They're just droning now, and so am I.

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into Saturday Dawn 9/12

No, I didn't forget you. I decided to take last night off, have Chinese food delivered after a hectic day at work, hide from the elements (yesterday was rainy and windy all day), watch the A&E Friday night marathon of Criminal Minds, and peek in on the live feeds throughout the evening. Alas, they gave me so little fodder for posting that I decided to gather everything and post this morning.

Here's the scoop from inside that Big Brother House of Suspended Disbelief:

• Someone from BB was doing some sort of construction work upstairs in the house -- hammering and sawing.
• Kevin thought they were dismantling the HOH room. I believe he could be right.
• Kevin tried to tell Natalie that Ronnie was more evil than Michele. Natalie has a bug in her bonnet about Michele and sees her as the root of all evil.
• Kevin still doesn't seem to believe Natalie's proposal story.
• I say, that's what happens when you lie so much over things you don't need to lie about.
• Natalie still adores Ronnie.
• Ew.
• BB gave them some games to play -- the dollar store variety.
• They talked about 9/11.
• Natalie made dinner and was proud of herself because she never cooks at home. I'll admit she really got into it, but she's no Jeff in the kitchen.
• Natalie fussed about Julie Chen cutting her off on the live show.
• Man, that was the third best moment of the entire show! The first was Jordan winning the comp, the second was the look on Natalie's face when Julie announced Jordan's score of 9 versus Natalie's 5. It still makes me smile to think about it.
• Natalie said they never cut Jordan off. Kevin told her it sounded like she was going to relive the comp step by step.
• Kevin told Natalie he doesn't believe she's 18 but has no idea why she would lie about it.
• Natalie didn't admit her real age.
• I'm 29, you know.
• That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
• Kevin is worried that the show will portray him as "an angry gay person." He thinks most of America hates gays. Both Natalie and Jordan don't seem to have much life experience around gays. They obviously don't live around here! Gays are kind of mainstream and as much of the scene as convenience stores.
  
• Kevin thinks that Adam Lambert didn't win American Idol because he's gay and that the winner can't sing.
• Obviously, Kevin has forgotten that the very first winner of Survivor was Richard Hatch, a gay man who really defined scheming and alliances for all of reality television. Hatch had his faults, but he never came across as a weak player. True, America didn't vote on Survivor, but America only has one vote on the jury (for the first time) on BB. If it's Kevin up with Natalie, you know we're going to vote Kevin!
• Kevin and Natalie talked about religion. I want to say the blind leading the blind. Both have their own beliefs (or non-beliefs) and never the twain shall meet.
• Natalie kept trying to work Jordan against Kevin whenever they were alone.
• Meanwhile, Jordan has been telling both Kevin and Natalie what each other was saying. She's playing them both brilliantly or just through dumb luck and innocence.
• Kevin would love to do Survivor while Natalie thinks it would give her a panic attack. Good. I don't want to see Natalie besmirch another show I enjoy.
• They talked about what they'd wear for the finale show and went through all the clothes they have.
• Kevin finally noticed that Natalie has a big butt. I'm just curious how tall she is. After watching them on the log, I never realized she was that much shorter than Jordan. I don't think Jordan is really tall ... so Natalie might top out at not much over five feet, I think.
• And, there you go.
  

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Into the Dawn Friday 9/11

The next few days are going to be very predictable. But, martyr that I am, I'll report on the happenings inside that Big Brother House of Nat Got Got.

• The feeds were on an extended block for a feast. I guess we weren't invited. That's okay -- one less time I see Natalie chomp food with her mouth open.
• They unpacked.
• They talked about houseguests long gone.
• Natalie thinks from her diary room sessions that it's clear that America loves Jeff and Jordan.
• I wonder if it's clear that Natalie irks us to no end? Most of us, anyway.
• Kevin told Jordan he's 100% taking her to the final two if he wins the last part of the HOH comp.
• Kevin told Jordan that the diary room was not happy when he said he was going to take out Jeff.
• They all talked about past events in the house. This sounds like the typical reflection they get out of the final two each year for footage. Yawn.
• Kevin and Natalie are proud of their LML -- last minute lie. You know, the one which was actually kind of truthful but they didn't know it about Russell planning to take Jeff out.
• They talked about sex.
• Now they're all asleep.
  

Big Brother 11 Live Feeds Since the Show Thursday 9/10

Enough said?

After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

The feeds have been blocked with trivia for some time now. I believe it's so they can unwind with dinner. You readers without the live feeds could probably write up this brief report as well as I can:

• Natalie pouted about losing and went over the comp over and over again.
• Natalie told Kevin her life depends on him and he better keep his word.
• Natalie and Kevin talked about their final two deal.
• Natalie and Jordan talked about their final two deal.
• Kevin and Jordan talked about their final two deal.
• They were called to the diary room one by one.
• I think Miss Jordan might have gone all sneaky on us when we weren't looking. She's playing both Kevin and Natalie pretty well right now.
• I can only hope Kevin is playing Natalie and not Jordan.
• And then ... feeds block.