Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - August 1, 2010

It's Sunday morning ... kind of sort of. It's actually really really late on Saturday night. Anyway, it's time for my weekly off television topic look back at the past week in words and photographs I've taken. If you're looking for the latest Big Brother live feeds update, that will be up later in the morning.

I was on a staycation this week and enjoyed every minute of it. The beginning of the week was super-hot, so I rejoiced in air conditioning. Then, the latter part of the week turned to the kind of summer temperatures I enjoy -- highs in the 80s, low humidity. I'd prefer temps in the 70s, but I suppose that's not really summer.

In addition to watching a lot of the BB live feeds and writing reports on them for the blog, reviewing the show for TV Squad and all that stuff, I caught up on some movies I bought on DVD and did some reading. A certain attention-monger cat got his just due of attention, too.

The biggest thing happening this week is my purchase of a new camera. A real fancy-schmancy SLR is out of my budget, but I took a step up with a new Canon PowerShot SX120 IS. It has a much better zoom and, although I'm familiar with a lot of it as my most recent digital camera was a Canon, lots of nifty settings which I will have to experiment with down the road. Like my other Canon and the Pentax before that, it takes AA batteries. They might make it a bit heavier, but it's so much better than a proprietary battery. If my batteries die, I can pick them up anywhere!

Onto this week's photos (with the new camera!) ... clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window:

Whazzat? A new camera? Paparazzi?

A rare white-breasted squirrel checks out my new technology. Okay. I lied. I think most squirrels have white chests.

Pants on the ground
Pants on the ground
Lookin' like a fool
With your pants
On the ground

Thank you, American Idol! This is at the Plainfield Train Station. I had to stop by to buy my monthly pass. It's either that or get it last minute on the other side of the station ultra-early Monday morning.

Oh, rats.

Somewhere off Park Avenue in Plainfield.

Workman at work

They're finally doing something with the old Miron Furniture Warehouse building on East Second Street in Plainfield. Now, instead of gaping holes in the roof, there is a new roof covering. I won't be able to take photos of pigeons sitting in the window frames anymore as they've finished almost two floors worth of windows. It's being turned into apartments. I'd be curious to see what the apartments will look like.


He looks worried, but he's just watching traffic as he's going to jaywalk. East Second Street by the Miron building.

Bookends

No loitering in this area, eh? They're just having a harmless chat and the building is closed for business (Saturday). I edited the photo to leave the people and sign in color. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

Whoa! Check it out!

You never know what's going to drive by you when you sit on a bench on Park Avenue in Plainfield. I have no clue whether it's a kit car or the real thing. I'm sure the real thing didn't come with the orange wheels!

Mmm ... Blackberry's ... what kind of beverage is that?

So, I went across Watchung Avenue and found it it's their Uptown, a fruity iced tea beverage. I took a free sample. I'm not an iced tea fan, but this was great! While I was out there sipping at my sample, one of the folks I regularly greet on my commute came out of the restaurant. It turns out that he works in the kitchen. He started telling me of all the dishes ... and I hadn't eaten lunch yet, so ...

Soul food, here I come!

I raised my Uptown towards the building and headed inside. Now, you might think I'm pale for soul food. Not so! Soul food, to me, is basically good down home cooking, with an emphasis on Southern dishes. Blackberry's also has foods with a Jamaican influence -- jerk chicken and such.

Why I'm not a food photographer ...

I'm too lazy to get up and I already ate some of the chicken. This was my $4.99 lunch special. Baked chicken, seasoned rice, green beans and a salad. I couldn't have gotten that much at a fast food place for the price. Not only that, but the woman working there (the mother of the owner) was such a dear -- friendly, helpful and just a very pleasant lady. Plus, the food was delicious, like a real home-cooked meal!

Blackberry's interior

Clean and neat with a cool theme of vinyl albums, album covers, 45 RPM records, memorabilia and African art. Some of the records were ones I have in my own collection. Creative and different!

Back out on the street

I didn't strike up a conversation with him. Watchung Avenue

Off to the park!

I stopped by Mindowaskin Park in Westfield on Thursday. I wanted to do a Trader Joe's run and the park is right nearby. I have to say I'm very disappointed with the lack of upkeep in the park on this visit. Algae all but covered the lake and no one seems to be picking up after dogs. It was never in this shape during previous visits. Of course, that didn't stop me from taking photos. This is a dragonfly on a rock at the water's edge.


This is the same dragonfly closer up. Unfortunately, the sun was bright and the shadows kind of obscure the actual wings.


Patterned after Central Park in Manhattan, I find this bridge for the walkway mesmerizing in its potential for photos -- the shape, the reflections in the water, etc.

The goose has no neck!

Maybe someone told him to duck! Alright, he does have a neck, he's just walking around pretending to be short or something.

Did someone say duck?

A mother duck with her ducklings.

Ducklings at rest

The two ducklings settle down for a rest by the water's edge. The algae-covered water's edge ... grr.

Another dragonfly

This one seems to be a blue dasher.

Common whitetail skimmer

He was nice enough to fly back and pose on the walk for me.

No one will notice me if I hide in the grass.

Oh, that bridge!

Ignore the goose butt in the lower left corner.

Did you call me a goose butt?

What's going on over there?

I think it's paparazzi!

Day lily

Can't a goose sleep in peace?

The blue dasher from another angle.

It's classified as a "skimmer" in the dragonfly um ... genus? (I'm forgetting all the science I once learned.)

Whazzat? A new camera?

This is the first photo I took with the new camera. I no sooner loaded the batteries and memory card, turned it on ... and there was Vincent peering into the lens. What a Nosy Parker!

How was your week?

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Saturday Daytime, July 31

Hayden went from this to ...

... solitary confinement with bread and slop.

The majority of today was a snoozefest on the live feeds. That is, until the POV competition (which, of course, we couldn't see):

• BB woke them up early once again -- around 8 AM their time.
• That would be oversleeping for me, but I'm not in the house.
• I miss Evel Dick getting up very early and talking to the Internet. I wish one of this crew did that. I'd like them solely for the effort!
• Right now I'm not really liking anyone in the house all that much. It's weird not to have a favorite to cheer on.
• Rachel told Kathy that if she (Kathy) wins POV and pulls either Kristen or Hayden off, she'll consider it a personal attack.
• But, she's not threatening her. Oh, not much!
• Kathy ran to Kristen to tell her what Rachel said. Kathy went on to say that if she wins, she'll take Kristen off just so American gets to see the look on Rachel's face.
• Now, that could be fun!
• But it's not meant to be.
• Rachel told Brendon that Kathy didn't agree to not use the POV if she should win it. She also said Kathy was never friends with Kristen until this week.
• That's basically true. Kathy usually follows the power. I think she didn't do that this week because Rachel's been acting so off the hook since winning HOH. Cathy knows the rest of the house is against Rachel.
• Britney told Matt and Ragan that she gets free health insurance because she's 1/16th Native American.
• Say what? I ought to collect on that! I have more Native American in me than that! And, I look as Native American as Britney does ...!
• They did the POV pick with the feeds blocked -- Britney, Ragan and Enzo. Brendon is the host. I can see it now ... "Heeeyyy, I pick ... BRENDON! [teeheeteehee]"
  
• Rachel is still ticked that Kristen kept putting her up every time in the HOH comp.
• Rachel thinks that she and Brendon could get Lane into an alliance with them.
• Brendon doesn't trust Lane.
• Enzo thinks the worst case scenario would be if Kristen wins POV and saves herself -- they don't want two Brigade members on the block!
• Matt told Hayden that he thinks America must be voting on something this week (coup d'etat, America's Player, etc.) as we're not voting on what goes with the slop.
• Hmm ... maybe he is a super-genius!
• I don't think I would have made the connection.
• Kathy told Kristen and Hayden she would be willing to be put up as a replacement and go home herself so that they can stay.
• I don't think Rachel would buy that one. She really wants Kristen out.
• Finally, at about 2:40 PM their time, the feeds were cut for the POV comp.
• About 5:15, the feeds return and Britney won the POV.
• About time she won something! I think the girl knows the game very well and I'd like to see her play it better.
• There were prizes in the POV comp, some not so good.
• Enzo won a television, Rachel won $5,000, Ragan won some sort of Veto pass (possibly enables him to compete in a veto comp when not chosen? I'm not sure), Hayden has 24 hour solitary confinement in the Have Not room with bread, water and cold slop, Kristen has to wear a "hippie" unitard.
• Kathy and Kristen are trying to figure a way to have Britney use the veto to save her (Kristen) and then Kathy goes up.
• Ain't gonna work.
• Britney doesn't like Kristen and the move wouldn't really help her in the game.
• There's no guarantee that Rachel would put up Kathy in her place.
• Kristen thinks she's going home.
• I think so, too.
  

Eye centipedes, a scourge worse than bedbugs.

Matt took his duckies and pirate flag with him to keep by his bed.

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Bulletin - POV July 31

The feeds were here briefly, now bubbles again. Kristen did NOT win POV. More as soon as I know ...

Enzo didn't win as he told Britney two people he likes are on the block and he can't do anything about it. Rachel herself doesn't look happy. Will update this post soon. Britney won the POV.

A full report on the day's events will be posted a bit later tonight.

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Saturday Dawn - July 31

Brendon deserves an award for his patience. Either that or a kick in the butt for going all sappy over a woman who definitely has enough issues to have her own magazine. After the nominations, he spent HOURS trying to calm her down and get her to discuss things with him before she does them, tell him what she's planning to say. She doesn't seem to get that he's right -- her game affects his game at this point.

Here's what happened in that Big Brother House of Fool in Love:

• As Brendon and Rachel had their never-ending talk, the mood was lighter elsewhere.
• At one point, Britney balked because Matt and Enzo called her "Casper."
• Enzo claimed it's because she's so friendly, as did Matt.
• Enzo, proving he actually does have a vocabulary, said that she must be thinking of another connotation -- perhaps skin pigmentation.
• Nah, that wasn't it, the guys said. It's friendly ... why, it's even part of Casper's name ... the friendly ghost!
• Maybe you had to be there. But it was better than the Brendon/Rachel soap opera.
• Kristen told Hayden that they need to play up to Rachel and Brendon, then stab 'em in the back. One needs to get off the block, with Kathy going up.
• Rachel, at the request of Brendon, gave Hayden and Kristen a half-hearted apology claiming it wasn't personal.
• Hayden wouldn't even look at her, "Okay. Whatever."
• So that didn't work too well, did it?
• After a lockdown, they went out to the yard to find a giant crudely-built pinball kind of thing sans any lights and buzzers.
• It's apparently so they can practice for PoV.
• It's Matt's 30th birthday today (Saturday).
• They all spent time practicing the game.
• Kathy cleaned the kitchen.
  
• Britney complained about how cold it is there. Where is that hot California weather?
• Obviously, it dispersed to the East Coast.
• Britney is still disappointed that her red team didn't win in the luxury comp.
• Enzo is still looking forward to seeing the movie. They don't know what the movie is yet. I just keep thinking how BB tends towards the Will Ferrell genre of stupidity.
• No offense to Will Ferrell fans, of course. Just sayin'
• Kristen and Hayden talked about being put up on the block for just cuddling and kissing.
• That is about as far as they have seemed to have gone.
• Not as innocent as Jeff and Jordan, yet not as sordid as Brendon and Rachel.
• Brendon thinks Matt is only really loyal to Ragan.
• Surprisingly, the Brigade is still a secret.
• Now, if they could up their performance in comps, they might have something.
• Hayden and Kristen decided to chill their relationship in the house for the good of both of their games.
• Kathy told Hayden and Kristen that she's willing to leave the house because she can't stand being in it with Brendon and Rachel.
• Kathy pulled the Good People Card talking to the Internet about how Rachel deserves nothing because she slept with men on "dates."
• I say Rachel deserves nothing outside of good psychiatric care because she's such a needy-manic so-and-so.
• Rachel and Brendon made out, had sex, whatever. I'm so tired of them hogging the feeds!
• All are asleep as I post this.
  

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Bulletin - Nominations

Brendon is upset that Rachel is challenging people to come after them. He says she's made herself the villain and he feels he's fighting a losing side with her.

Kristen and Hayden are on the block, not unexpected.