Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Sunday Evening - August 22

Lane's pool duckie just needs a slight beard.

I think Britney's regretting winning HOH.

Here are today's happenings from inside that Big Brother House of Suspicious Minds:

• Britney and Brendon weren't handcuffed for 24 hours.
• They were set free at about 1 PM their time and Brendon's chum baths ended.
• Enzo wants to trademark "Meow Meow."
• My cat Vincent might fight that in court.
• Recall Ragan holding up his hand when Kathy asked someone to watch the fish?
• Well, one's already dead.
• Hayden told Enzo and Lane that he's the one who took both the money and the Hawaiian vacation in the POV comp.
• So Matt is innocent (at least this time).
• And Hayden's a bit of a sneaky pants.
• Brendon thinks he, Enzo and Hayden all need to be on the same page and tell her Matt has to go up on the block.
• Enzo would be on board with that -- chances are that if he and Matt are on the block, Matt will go home.
• Enzo wanted to paint "Meow Meow" on his penguin suit, but BB told him "Stop that!"
• Ragan made an abacus out of candy to work on dates.
• Lane came in and thought an abacus was an advocate.
• I like the boy but sometimes question his mind.
• Matt finally cornered Britney. He told her that if he stays this week, he will target Brendon, not her. If he (Matt) goes up against Enzo, he (Matt) will be going home and she will lose someone who could further her own game as Brendon will target him (Matt) before he goes after her.
• He made some good points.
• I've been kind of taken with Enzo on an entertainment level, but the dude hasn't won any comps. He's all talk and swagger. At least everyone else is trying to play the game.
• Oh, wait. Hayden and Lane are doing just about the same thing. Hayden won the first comp by a team effort and has done nothing since.
• Ragan is sure that this week will be a double eviction week.
• He was sure last week and the week before, too.
• This time he's right.
• Ragan, all full of conspiracy theories, thinks the PoV comp was just a bit too convenient -- from who won to who she was cuffed to to who received punishments.
• Britney told Ragan that "everyone" is telling her that Matt won all the prizes.
• Apparently when all of Enzo's clothing went off to charity in the POV, their pool tournament bowl went with it.
• What a shame. I'm sure we'll be seeing it on eBay.
• The more Britney talks to people, the more it seems like she's getting sold on keeping Matt.
• If she puts Enzo and Hayden up, that's probably not a good thing -- although that's her thought at the moment.
• True, Enzo's useless and to some extent expendable.
• But if she's in a final three with say ... Ragan and Matt -- no good. Both could outlast her in the endurance. Plus Matt does have his sick wife lie and gameplay which might garner votes even if they all think he's a sneaky snake.
• And, if Enzo and Hayden are on the block and Hayden goes home ... oy! He's also dangerous at the end game as he's universally liked, but everyone would be mad at her.
• Enzo's ticked. He wants to go against Matt and Matt goes home. He says the costume is cursed. Everyone who wears it goes home.
• They kept blocking the feeds throughout the evening, sometimes for pretty extended times. I don't know what's up with that.
  

PlayDoh Hayden and Lane

Big Brother 12 - Nominations Episode Blog Party - August 22

Welcome back my friends
To the show that never ends
I'm glad you could attend,
Step inside, step inside ...

-- Emerson, Lake and Palmer from the "Brain Salad Surgery" album

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll post important updates in this entry. But the real fun is in the comments section. Everyone is invited to join in with your thoughts! Later tonight (or, worst case scenario, early in the morning), my full show review will be posted over on TV Squad.

Enzo, Brendon and Hayden are the Have Nots.

After much thinking, she put Brendon and Enzo on the block.

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Sunday Morning - August 22

Britney and Brendon are chums ... in more than one way.

Another round of the chum bell.

Ew!

So, what's that all about? Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Handcuffed Chum Bell Hijinks:

• After Britney's release from her nightmarish Jesse workout in Pandora's Box, the house got a bit boring once again.
• Hayden and Lane went on and on (and on again) about snowboards and snowboarding.
• Nothing against snowboarding, but sheesh!
• Then it was time for Britney and Brendon's 24 hours of being handcuffed together.
• They actually have a lot of leeway between the cuffs and little furry cuffs which won't hurt as much as being really handcuffed.
• Brendon is certainly paying for his POV win -- not only is he bald, not only is he handcuffed to Britney for 24 hours, but he also has to make a "chum bath" every hour when the bell rings.
• There are chums as in friends and then chum as in fish bait.
• Guess which one is in the chum bath?
• I guess instead of fish guts and stuff, it's instead an "old beer and yeasty" tub o' stuff.
  
• Meanwhile, Ragan is so upset about the Brendon win that he even asked his bromance Matt to leave him alone.
• Matt, of course, thinks everything was rigged for a Brendon win.
• Had Matt won, Brendon would have thought everything was rigged for a little people Matt win.
• You just can't win for losing!
• Enzo is still lamenting on his penguin persona.
• I think he's a hoot in a penguin suit!
• Ragan pouted all alone, Enzo humorously fussed about his own penguin predicament, and the rest talked small talk.
• Actually, this 24 hour handcuff bit with Brendon and Britney might end up being a good thing.
• They're getting along and talking.
• Britney's in a bad spot, on the fringes of the Brigade alliance, yet not a part of it.
• While she alienated Brendon even more by going back on her word, they're kind of bonding more now.
• Every time the bell rings, Brendon has to dunk underwater in the chum tub, then he showers off the ick.
• Britney told Brendon that she's mad that she made the nominations according to the house and no one (except him) tried to win POV. She was trying for the POV while the others went for prizes.
• No one is owning up to winning the money or trip yet.
• I don't blame them. I'd keep that a secret, too.
• Matt suspects that Britney is going to put him up as the replacement nominee. She's been avoiding him since the comp.
• Of course, now she has a constant companion.
• I'm talking avoiding him before the handcuffs went down.
• Ragan lightened up for a moment dancing in Enzo's penguin suit while Enzo was in the hot tub with a borrowed bathing suit.
• All of Enzo's clothes are gone. Can we expect commando?
• Enzo thinks Brendon looks like Bull the bailiff from the old show Night Court.
• I'm surprised any of them are old enough to remember that show!
• Britney went on again about how mean Jesse was to her in Pandora's Box. He told her it was obvious she didn't work out and she needs to lose weight.
• She weighs 100 pounds.
• Probably a strong wind could take her away.
• Britney and Brendon talked game and how neither trusts Matt.
• Everyone thinks that Matt won the big prize(s) as he acted all happy after the POV comp and has no punishments.
• Heck, it could be Hayden. He claims he tried and didn't get prizes. Yet he has no punishments.
• Lane admits to the phone call from home prize. But he has no punishments either.
• The two on the block and Have Nots also got the worst punishments.
• Although Brendon's punishments are nothing when he considers he has the POV and will remain in the game.
• The sentiment in the house remains Bat That Matt and is growing stronger.
• If he doesn't go up and out this week, I'll be shocked.
• Let's see how the diabolical super genius handles this twist of fate.
  

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - August 22, 2010

Ah, yes. It's Sunday morning, time to relax and reflect on the week gone by. If you're looking for the latest Big Brother live feeds report, check out the post previous to this one. I'll be posting more on that a bit later. Right now it's time for me to sip my coffee and take a look back on the past week in words and photos I've taken.

It's still a very hot summer here in New Jersey. We saw some of the humidity levels drop which was nice. But hot is hot. I don't care if it's a "dry" heat. It's overcast with light rain showers as a write this, with heavier rains expected throughout the day. We really need the rain and I find it refreshing. Plus, I have no real outdoor plans today.

Let's see ... what happened this week? Well, to show what a small world it is or what a long reach this blog has, I received an email from blog reader Gayle last week. She's been a regular reader and commenter since BB6. It turns out that she and her husband are visiting from Trinidad and Tobago and staying with her aunt in Plainfield. Oh my -- she was staying right down the street from me!

On Wednesday, Gayle and her husband met me for lunch downtown at Blackberry's. Such delightful people! I had such a nice time and we talked and talked. I didn't realize that their cable television carries networks like CBS to them in decent time -- just whatever the time difference is. I learned a lot about Trinidad and Tobago and had a fine afternoon. It's amazing the people this blog brings together.

Um ... that was my highlight of the week. In "waiting for the bus" news, I met a woman who was carrying a paper grocery bag and wearing no shoe laces. She showed me a release paper from the Plainfield Police Department (right across the street). "They told me the bus driver won't need money if I show her this. Are they right?" Well, gee. I really don't know. After telling me that she had been locked up for two days, I asked her what she did. "I punched a police officer by mistake when I was trying to punch my sister." That will do it! She didn't seem dangerous. I was a bit surprised that they give them two frozen meals upon release. What if they're homeless and have no oven or microwave?

I shouted back and forth to fellow blogger Dan Damon as he sat at the red light. Dan covers Plainfield news and also runs the CLIPS blog which lists links of local interest daily. I also got a chance to see the people who gather to be bused to the violence-ridden area of town. Once there, they pass out fliers. I don't know if that's the best approach to gang violence in the west end of town.

It reminds me of a big embezzlement at my workplace (in which I was a suspect due to access) and the first step the local police did was to questionnaire us. Eventually they worked their way up to lie detectors with the state police. But the questionnaires were laughable ... pretty much as I see this flier effort. By the way, at work they caught the person. It wasn't me. But I knew that.

Here are this week's photos -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window --

What I always wanted!

Pet crabs? I guess not as this is attached to the outside of Pete's Fish Market on East Second Street in Plainfield. Just thinking about a live bushel of crabs makes me think of all of the barrels of eels and live frogs on the streets of Chinatown. Shouldn't it be "Bushel of live crabs" instead of a live bushel?

Plainfield Train Station

It was overcast as I returned home from work last night. That made it seem darker. But the days are indeed getting shorter. Good. I want autumn!

It's like he's looking back at me!

This moth was kind enough to pose for me in Bridgewater near the train station. I have no clue what kind of moth it is, but I find it way cool. He wasn't really large -- perhaps 3 inches across with his wings extended. A friend told me the wings reminded him of the skull butterfly in The Silence of the Lambs. EEK! Wait, no skull. Phew!

Waning sunflowers

The sunflowers on East Front Street in Plainfield are looking mighty different these days. The ones with the huge centers and shorter petals have given way to these. Still very pretty, but not anywhere near as magnificent as the dinner plate sized ones.

Used Stuff

I always enjoy looking over used stuff. However, in this case, the used stuff was mostly industrial kitchen stuff. My teensy kitchen is big enough for a table of two to accompany the appliances, counters, etc. This shot was edited (naturally) to keep the sign in color. I took it as I peeked into an open overhead door at E&A Hotel and Restaurant Supplies on East Fifth Street in Plainfield.

Ch-ch-changes

Once again, the graffiti wall in back of the Plainfield YMCA building has changed. Although not quite as artsy as the original comic characters, this is better than simple tagging and a world away from gang graffiti. Perhaps it's my inner wild child, but I actually like street art done well and not offensive or vulgar. I guess this person hearts PattyBoo.

Don't eat the berries!

I have no clue what they are, but they're growing mixed in with the poison ivy on the fence in Bridgewater, NJ. If they're not poisonous, they've mingled amongst the poison. But they sat still for my camera. That's all I wanted.

A grasshopper poses

This little guy was on a wall. Prime victim of my camera! I told him that his name alone implies he should be in grass, not on concrete. Did he listen? No.

"We're here for you!"

Don't do this, don't do that ... can't you read the sign? *Thank you to the Five Man Electrical Band for the song "Signs." I understand that they might not want these things going on at this Babies R Us location in Bridgewater. But this glaring sign is a bit off-putting, isn't it? No photos? Hey, I had to practice civil disobedience and take a shot of the sign.

The YMCA owl

I spotted an owl I never noticed before in the window of the Plainfield YMCA. It's there to keep pigeons away. This owl is accompanied by spikes. Oh yes, it's a fake owl. I forgot to mention that. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

So, how's that working out?

Well, the pigeon just goes to the next window!

The stuff of nightmares

This is detail from City Hall on Watchung Avenue. While it's definitely cool, who comes up with these things? Body of a monkey ... large cat ... I don't know what, head of an eagle. They're a bit like the flying monkeys gone avian.

Dental Care

Oh, probably not. It looks abandoned to me. The back of a building on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield.

A man and his guitar

This doesn't really look too comfortable, does it? I guess a wailing song and a good guitar exhausted him. Cleveland Avenue, Plainfield.

Upside-down Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

See! I know what this one is! One of his "tails" has gone missing, though. Bridgewater, NJ.

Right side up

A new career idea!

I could drive a "courtesy car" golf cart around selling hot dogs! Y'think? E&E Restaurant Supplies, East 5th Street, Plainfield.

You're going to work again?

No, Vincent. I have the day off just to spend it with you.

Big Brother 12 - Saturday Live Feeds Including POV - August 21

Brendon lost his hair, but won the Power of Veto.

Enzo kept what hair he has, but lost all of his clothes
and is now dressed like a penguin.

Here's today's news from inside the Big Brother House of Flip This House:

• It seems like our hapless hamster just got up (late) when they were thrust into the POV comp.
• We're talking over four and a half hours of blocked feeds.
• When they returned, Brendon's head is shaved but he's the winner of the POV.
• The hair will grow back.
• Lane won a phone call from home.
• Enzo is a penguin.
• But some of us suspected that all along.
• Enzo, still male bonding with his friend Brendon (or is it bird/man bonding?) wants to go up against Matt on the block.
• He's not a happy penguin.
  
• Apparently they took all of his clothes, too.
• Lane, Brendon and Hayden were offering him clothes to wear under his penguin suit.
• Brendon and Britney have to be handcuffed together for 24 hours. That hasn't started yet.
  
• Other than the POV and "bad" prizes like the shaved head and penguin suit, they have no clue what each other won.
• Supposedly there was an Hawaiian trip and a $5,000 cash prize.
• No one is owning up to them.
• Britney's upset because she did what everyone wants and now she's screwed herself in the game.
• She thinks she now has no chance of winning or getting jury votes.
• Lane tried to convince her that they still have her back.
• The plan remains to put Matt up.
• Matt and Ragan know they're both at risk of going on the block.
• Enzo thinks the game is fixed.
• Then we had another long period (over an hour) of blocked feeds.
• Ohhh ... Britney had opened Pandora's Box.
• She got stuck with Jessie and working out.
• She says he's full of himself and a "douche."
• At least she's a bit happier now.
• And she has confirmed that Jessie is a jerk.
• He kept talking about how great he is.
• @@
• While she was in Pandora's Box with Jessie, the others had a Hawaiian luau.
  

Poor Britney