Big Brother 15: How We Do What We Do

Anybody excited about the season starting tonight? Yep, it's our guilty summer obsession, for sure. If you're checking in on the blog for the first time, I'd like to explain a bit of what we do here. I realize that I'm an "I" and not a "we." But, while I do the writing and posting here, it's the "we" part who makes this place great!

What I do:

• Two or three times a day, I'll be posting live feeds reports from the activity inside the house. These are often SPOILERS, so beware. Spoilers are a big part of what this blog will be about all summer.  These reports won't be on every breath the houseguests take as I'm only one person. I try to snag the important happenings or events which catch my fancy.
• Screencaps from the live feeds events will be posted in each report.
• On show nights, I host blog parties posted at the start of the show East Coast time. These are posts updated with the major show events in real time as the episodes air on the East Coast. The party is in the comments!
• Unless life circumstance or blacked-out feeds dictate otherwise, I provide live coverage updates and screencaps of endurance competitions which generally don't air until the next aired television episode.
• If I post something as a rumor, it's just that -- a rumor. If I verify that something happened, you can bet your bippy that it's the truth!

What WE do:

• We have a blog pool! The esteemed ORKMommy is the lifeguard for this particular pool. Right now, we're a bit delayed and the pool is STILL OPEN for those who want to come aboard. Until Friday, 6pm ET, you can sign up at the pool blog post. Please sign up there rather than here on this post as we don't want to miss anyone. We'll be announcing the random match-ups before the Sunday episode.
• We have the BEST community aboard in the comments area! Things I might miss on the live feeds (as I do work a full-time job on top of this obsession) are discussed by community members with the live feeds, the blog parties rock, the cyberdrinks flow. What more could you ask for?
• Lively discussion, good friends and fantastic show fans. Be there or be square.

There are a few ground rules:

• For the most part, dissing the hamsters is fair game. They chose to be on the show and (often) humiliate themselves in front of the world.
• That said, there are a few lines which, if crossed, might get comments deleted -- the really nasty comments about weight, looks, racial stuff, slurs, etc. It's better the comments focus on what the hamsters DO in the house, how they interact with others and such.
• I'm not too personally keen on nicknames for the hamsters. Sometimes it's hard to know whom you're talking about when you call someone outside of their name. They're often confusing enough, especially right in the beginning!
• Your fellow commenters in the community are NOT the topic of the blog! Folks are allowed to like or dislike any house hamster without being harassed about their choices! If you disagree with another about a hamster, state your case for (or against) the hamster without resorting to insulting the other commenter.
• Not to be done example: "You're an idiot if you like Julie Chen! How stupid can you be?" Instead, a comment saying why YOU don't like Julie would stay aboard, not one being nasty to the other commenter.
• Any trolling posts, especially from those who don't like reality shows and really have no business wasting their time here, will be removed. It's a show WE like and WE follow. It's OUR home.
• Any spam will either not post to begin with or will be removed. I will be checking out any links posted and, if they're not related to the show or are suspicious, they will be removed.
• I do ask folks to be leery about clicking on links not posted by me as sometimes it might be a few hours before I can check them out. I want everyone to be aware that viruses are out there!
• If you want to be a part of the community here and you're posting as "anonymous," please come up with a sign-off name at the end of your comments. Otherwise, you'll be lost in a sea of anonymous posters and we won't "know" you by your comments.

Wow. That seems like a lot of rules, doesn't it? But, folks who have been aboard for years here will definitely understand why I'm posting them. We have a basically friendly and welcoming community here -- nasty to others in the community isn't a welcome thing. There are other sites to troll if that's your goal!

Hamster watchers ready?

Big Brother 15: Blog Pool Sign Up is ON!

Due to pool cleaning after the recent storms, we're a bit late in getting the blog pool sign-up going. Well, to be honest, things just kind of sneaked up on me ... my profuse apologies!

As a result of my lackadaisical ways (yikes!), the sign-ups begin NOW. The cut-off for signing up to be in the pool will be Friday evening, June 28, 6PM ET. The pool match-ups will be announced here on the blog Sunday evening, June 30, before the show.

The rockin' ORKMommy once again will be your lifeguard for the season. She'll randomly match up pool participants with house hamsters. You get to cheer on your blog pool hamster throughout the season until evicted, sequestered or sole Survivor ... hamster in the house. If your hamster wins it all, you get bragging rights until the next season! It's all in fun, no wagering, please!  I have no desire to take part in anyone's gambling addiction problems!

If you're posting as "anonymous," please sign off your comments with a name, some name, any name each time you post. You need to at least have a sign off name to be a part of the pool. Better yet, sign in with your Google account or Blogger account!

Hamster watchers ready? Dive in the pool NOW!

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 23, 2013

Good Sunday morning to you! Me? I overslept today. It felt good, so I'm not too upset about it. However, it makes this post a bit later than usual. What's this post? Well, it's my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

For the television fans -- make sure you check out my hamster introduction post. I plan on checking out the videos today and will probably post more on the upcoming Big Brother 15.

I spent the early part of the week getting caught in downpours on my way home from work. Yes, just as I was leaving, we'd get thunderstorms and torrential rain. Grr. One day, one of my co-workers was kind enough to tell me -- "Oh, they've put up a tornado watch. There's rotation in the cloud." Thanks, like I needed that news as I was heading out into it! No, there was no tornado. I just got soaked despite my umbrella.

Thankfully, by midweek, we actually got in some days with no rain whatsoever. That's been very rare the last month or so. I just know that come August we'll be worried about drought and the lack of rain! That's how things seem to go. I'll put up with it as long as I don't have to deal with another storm like Sandy again. I just ask that the timing be a tad better -- for four days in a row, it started to storm right as I was leaving work. Y'know, Mother Nature, overnight rain would work out much better for me. Thank you in advance!

There isn't much else to report on this week. I worked. I ate. I slept some. I got stuck under a cat for long periods of time. So, we may as well go onto the photos for the week ...

Tiger Lily

Last week I saw these had bloomed just a half-mile away from my 'hood, but hadn't come to life here yet. This week, they're going wild and I love it! Berckman Street, Plainfield.

Weed or nature being creative?

Even in its most common efforts, I find nature so intricate and stunning!

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO SEE THE REST OF THE PHOTOS**

Big Brother 15: New Hamsters Revealed

Perhaps just speaking for myself for a moment here, I'm a bit disappointed with the lack of diversity in this cast. One 37-year old, one 31, one 32 ... the rest in their 20s. Two of the women are married, the rest of the cast is single. Gah! Not only is there a lack of age diversity, but it's a mighty white cast as well. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't watch. However, I'd really like to see a better mix of real people on the show, not star or starlet wannabes. But it is what it is and here's a brief look at the upcoming hamsters; the link on their first names leads you to their bios on the CBS website --

Aaryn Gries

Aaryn: 22, college student, single, originally from San Angelo, TX, now living in San Marco, TX. I think she might be a bit naive for this game. According to her, she's afraid of "People with evil or absent minds that hurt or deceive others." Um. What show is she competing on again? Oh, yeah. Big Brother.

Amanda Zuckerman

Amanda: 28, real estate agent, single, originally from Long Island, NY, currently living in Boynton Beach, FL. She thinks Britney is hilarious and didn't like Jen (BB8), so that's in her favor for me. She's afraid of sharks. Well, that's just common sense. BB has a lot of landsharks, though! I think she's more apt for the show than Aaryn.

Andy Herren

Andy: 26, professor, single, originally from Aurora, IL, currently lives in Chicago, IL. Dang, his bio on the CBS site is extremely loquacious. He seems to have a plan for the win. But if he talks as much as he writes, he'll drive 'em all crazy. He claims to be afraid of "I am slightly afraid of heights, but it is not crippling or anything. I am terrified of bees, though. And people who enjoy Tyler Perry movies." So we have a clown in the house.

Candice Stewart

Candice: 29, pediatric speech therapist, single, originally from New Orleans, now living in Houston, TX. She really liked Ian, really dislikes Boogie. So far, I'm feelin' the vibe. In addition to drop roller coasters, bugs and rodents, she says "I guess I am more afraid of more serious life issues like health and the well-being of my family." Hmm. I believe I like this one!

David Girton

David: 25, lifeguard, single, from San Diego, CA. Oh my. He has quasi-Hayden hair! He hopes his good looks will take him to the end. Sigh. He likes Jeff because he's a "cool cat" and got a great "babe." So, blog buddies ... is he going to be the hook-up king of the house? And, can you say "shallow?" Yep, I thought you could.

Elissa Slater

Elissa: Rachel Reilly's sister (SIGH, knock that off, Alison Grodner!), 27, nutritionist, married, originally from Concord, NC, currently living in Kannapolis, NC. Her favorite previous hamster was Rachel (of course), least favorite, Monet. She's afraid of heights and planes. I'm afraid of her sister reappearing on the show. NEXT ...

GinaMarie Zimmerman

GinaMarie: 32, pageant coordinator, single, originally from Brooklyn, NY, now living in Staten Island, NY. So far, this would be my local hamster. Let's see if I approve of her. (After all, it's all about ME!) Uh-oh, not thrilled, I say! When it came to the "afraid of" question, she said, "I would be afraid of aliens, if they ever exist, and if I ever see one I would probably s**t my pants. Those movies scare me." That's just weird. Way too into pageants for my taste, too!

Helen Kim

Helen: The OLD hamster at 37, political consultant, married, originally from Falls Church, WV, now living in Chicago, IL. She has a strategy in which she'll throw HoH, then let the stronger players get the boot first. (Yeah, that always works SO well!) She likes Jeff and calls Rachel a "drama queen." Y'think? She's afraid of blood and bugs. That's fine; she's not on Survivor, after all. I think I just might like this one, too.   

Howard Overby

Howard: 31, youth counselor, single, from Hattiesburg, MS. He's a longtime watcher -- he names Jason of BB2 as a like, Lisa of BB3 as a dislike. He's afraid of "spiders and big birds." He loves loves loves board games. (Have I mentioned how much I hate the chess game being in the house?)  He seems intelligent, seems to know his strategy. But I'm wondering if, since he mentions being intelligent often in his bio, he might be a bit off-putting. We'll see.

Jeremy McGuire

Jeremy: 23, boat shop associate, single, from Katy, TX. He's going to miss his Mom. As a matter of fact, she's the one who told him to try out for the show -- she's the BB fan; he's never watched it. He's afraid of "poisonous animals." I guess it's good that he's never watched and doesn't know what Elissa being Rachel's sister means! Will Momma's boy have a chance? 

Jessie Kowalski

Jessie: Thankfully, not THAT Jessie, phew! 25, unemployed, single, originally from Beaumont, TX, now living in San Antonio, TX. Well, the stipend vs. being unemployed will make her feel like a rich woman. She has a dog she loves. She liked Danielle (not Daniele) and didn't like Evel Dick. That's kind of understandable. She's afraid of flying and overpasses. I don't know. She seems a bit perky.

Judd Daughtery

Judd: 26, property appraiser, single, originally from Englewood, TN, now lives in Etowah, TN. He frog gigs. Yessirree, Bob, we gots a country boy here! He plans a very social and strategic game. He might find that his plan to find an older person to align with near impossible, though. He likes many previous hamsters, dislikes Cowboy and Ronnie. Afraid of heights and spiders. He gigs frogs, but is skeered of spiders?!? Sheesh!

Kaitlin Barnaby

Kaitlin: 23, bartender, single, originally from Vadnais Heights, MN, currently residing in Minneapolis, MN. What? She's not a mixologist? She's afraid of spiders, the dark and dying alone. Um. Well, hopefully she won't have to worry about the latter for decades. She's a kid! She claims to be a "very closed-off person" and that she'll keep to herself. Yeah, right. If she's the first bimbo in bed, I'm going to call her on that!

McCrae Olson

McCrae: 23, pizza delivery boy, single, from Oak Grove, MN. Huh. I wonder why his photo is the only one that's not an outright head shot? An ambitious lad, for sure, he likes "typical boy stuff." Why do I get the feeling that, if he doesn't win the show, his parents are going to have him at home until he's well into his 30s? He likes Will Kirby. That's good. He's afraid of "Mice and ventriloquist dummies." He might be okay. My personal jury is out on him.

Nick Uhas

Nick: 28, an entrepreneur, single, originally from Hilliard, NY, now lives in NYC, NY. An entrepreneur, eh? Is that a synonym for "unemployed?" He does have a strategy to be in an alliance through thick and thin. That's a good plan. He claims to have no fears because of his mind control abilities, brags about his grades at Yale and touts his physical excellence in various sports. He likes Boogie. Oh my.

Spencer Clawson

Spencer: 31, railroad conductor, single, from Conway, AR. Little diversity, but two red-headed dudes! He says he's polarizing -- people either really like him or they don't. He also says he's opinionated and "chill." I would think that's a bit of an oxymoron, wouldn't you? He then says people are drawn to him. He likes James (Rhine) and Enzo the best, Chima the least. I guess I'll either like him or not. I might be drawn to him like a moth to a flame. I don't know.



So, that's our summer hamsters. Do you have any early favorites?

Big Brother 15 - New Twists Revealed

Most valuable player, eh? Julie Chen goes into the twist more here, but here are a few excerpts --

• The first twist is a series’ first: instead of two Houseguests being nominated each week for eviction, as in past seasons, contestants will nominate three in this summer’s edition.
• The second twist will allow BIG BROTHER viewers to play a crucial role in the game by casting votes for the Houseguest they feel is playing the best game.  The Houseguest who receives the most votes will be anointed that week’s, “Big Brother MVP.”  The full scope of the MVP’s secret power will be revealed during the season premiere.
• “The Big Brother MVP will force the houseguests to rethink their strategies.  With America rewarding good game play, it doesn't pay to be a floater this summer,” said Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan, Executive Producers of BIG BROTHER. 

Hmm. Not sure how it will all work out. But I'm thinking I'm liking it a bit more than some of the other twists we've seen over the years. At least it doesn't look like the hamsters will be family (except the maybe Rachel sister) or know each other!

The cast reveal should be tomorrow ... probably while I'm at work. But I'll post on it as soon as I can!