Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 20, 2014

Happy Sunday morning to y'all! This is my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're looking for the latest Big Brother live feeds or show posts, they're right here at this link.

Onto stuff ...!
Despite the dire warnings that if I refused the bug bombing of my apartment, I'd be overrun with critters ... ha. None. Well, I did have a tiny moth in here that apparently came in somehow through the screens. To be honest, I think most of the people in the building refused the fogging. I doubt that, with the exception of a very few apartments, the building has any sort of infestation of roaches or whatever. I really think the new exterminator is milking the cash cow landlord. I'm just glad I could refuse the treatment without issue.

Random stuff ...!

• If you're going to break up with your girl, don't do it loudly on your cell phone on the train.
• If you stand in front of a marked automatic out door wondering why it doesn't open for you, those people trying to exit know the door won't open for them because some fool is blocking it!
• Heard as I walked by a couple on the street -- "You know that fire wasn't an accident. This is between us." Oh my.
• My good quiet upstairs neighbor moved out. I happened to share the elevator with the super and a couple there to look at the apartment. I innocently mentioned how much I missed the guy upstairs because he was so quiet. The super then said I was very quiet myself. Then we both talked about the building being quiet. I hope the couple got the hint if they take the apartment.
• Cool. Mr. Ed is on one of the cable stations way early Sunday mornings. A horse is a horse of course, of course.
• I cringe every time I see a skateboarder on the street itself.
• But I really wish Plainfield would enforce the NO BICYCLES on the sidewalks ordinance. Law? Whatever. Now a bunch of them have bells. This is a case where I stand my ground. I make them slow down and go around me!

Onto the photos ... clicking on an image will open it in a larger Photobucket page and you can make it larger twice using the magnifying glass at the bottom of the image there. Just close out the Photobucket window and you're back here!

Cicada Killer Wasp heading at me!

Last year at the Bridgewater Train Station, I saw garden snails for the first time. Well, at the station, that is, not the first in my lifetime. Earlier this spring, garter snakes. Now Cicada Killer Wasps. This is a male guarding his territory (and looking for a mate). Although they can get as large as two inches long, the males can't sting at all. The most he can do is bump into me and beat me with his wings. The females can sting, but generally don't. They do, however, sting cicadas, then lug them back to their underground nest to feed their brood.

A mother's job is never done

Even though her babies born some weeks ago look bigger than her, they still follow her around jumping up and down and fluttering their wings for food. They remind me of spoiled toddlers. Plainfield Train Station.

Yellow jacket wasp

Now, these wasps I have a very healthy fear of! I also have a fear of ending a sentence in a preposition, but there ya go. I'm allergic and these can be very aggressive. That said, they're usually more aggressive as the summer wears on. Right now they're way too busy building their nests. This one is guarding what's evidently a huge nest inside the base for a light pole at the Bridgewater Train Station.

This week's flower slideshow and more photos after the jump!

**CLICK THE 'READ MORE' LINK TO CONTINUE!**

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds Saturday night into Sunday - July 20

A goal of 2400 goals in 24 hours

Mind you, I took that particular screen cap above hours ago. Here's the latest news from inside that Big Brother House of Teenage Angst:

• Despite my screen cap above, Brittany kicked 1000 soccer goals in six hours. She's complaining her leg and groin hurt. They probably do.
• Cody's punishment from the veto is a butt-kicking machine (screen cap below). He stands with his back to it, pulls a rope and it kicks him. He only has to do it when called by BB.
• (When I last posted, they were still on indoor lockdown and I wasn't sure of the punishments.)
• Caleb, who won $5,000, offered to take Amber on a nice cruise.
• She should have said, "Sure! But not with you!"
• He then told her that he had told himself that his next relationship would be one God put in front of him.
• And, there was Amber.
• What is WRONG with that boy?
• Oh, but he's been saying he no longer cares about her for two days now!
• Brittany isn't allowed to go back into the house until she finishes the 2400 goals.
• Well, with the exception that the soccer net broke and they had to all go on indoor lockdown while BB dudes (maybe dudettes) fixed it.
• Cody feels bad that Brittany is up on the block and is the target to go home. He didn't want that blood on his hands.
• Cody is also ticked that Zach is being nasty to Brittany. No need for that.
• Cody is right.
• But, in watching Zach for a few weeks now, I think he's the kind of guy who goes around joking and poking fun without boundary. He's not very cognizant of other people's feelings.
• Apparently, in the veto comp Nicole took the veto away from Brittany. But then someone took it from her and she ended up with the Germa-tard.
• Brittany says Nicole deserves the Germa-tard and she's thankful she won't be walking out of the house Thursday in it.
• Heh. Cody is indeed a soccer player, was on the college team and such. He said that when he mentioned it, Caleb couldn't think of what to say. Cody thinks the delay was that Caleb was trying to figure what to say to bring himself into the situation.
• Yep, it's all about Caleb.
• And, Caleb is still all about Amber!
• Derrick and Frankie talked about how Brittany is manipulative and that she's probably much better off than she says. She's mentioned being at the Playboy mansion, having a BMW and other not "poor single mother of three" things.
• They also think that the person who wins should be who played the game best, not who "needs" the money.
• I've always said that myself.
• Don't get me on that soapbox.
• Donny is most likely going to be the pawn when Victoria takes herself off the block.
• Sigh. They want him up because they don't think he has any chance of being voted out.
• But, still ...!
• Meanwhile, Amber is trying to rally girls to save Brittany.
• Now, I'm all in favor of a group of women in the BB house actually coming together to kick butt against the men.
• But this group certainly can't hold together. They've already proven that.
• And I don't want Donny gone due to a false start in an alliance which will never work.
• BB gave them alcohol, stingy as usual. But it's been a while since they last had any.
• Ohh! Six beers and two bottles of wine for the whole group!
• I don't think Derrick drinks, though. Not that it makes a difference when there are still so many people in the house.
• Cody found out that Frankie told Amber that he (Cody) had a hand in her nomination.
• Frankie needs to watch his loose lips!
• Caleb keeps bragging about his money winnings. You'd think that five grand was five million the way he talks.
• Of course, this is a guy who thinks the show ends with red carpet walks and tuxedos.
• Frankie and Derrick definitely want Donny to stay. They want Team America to go as far as it can. They haven't heard if their nomination target of Amber qualifies even though the house has all said she's a threat.
• But, in the end, they're loyal to The Detonators -- Frankie, Derrick, Cody, Zach and Christine.
• But, then again, Derrick says he would love to be in a final three as Team America.
• Hmm.
• There are some worries about Donny slipping up as he's already referred to America in front of others and made a brief unexplained mention of ten thousand dollars.
• Frankie said the rules are that if you out the other TA members, you disqualify them all from the winnings. If you just out yourself, it's just you losing your winnings.
• That's pretty much where we are right now.

The 'do's make them look like mannequins

Driving Cody bonkers!

Cody's butt-kicking machine

Nicole's Germa-tard

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds Saturday daytime/Power of Veto - July 19

Caleb has his orange PoV socks on

Yikes! Busy day and I'm playing catch up here! Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Too Much Going on in Two Days:

• The additional players for PoV drawn were : Zach, Nicole and Caleb.
• Brittany drew Houseguest's Choice and asked for a volunteer. Caleb was the one. Hmm.
• Oh geez ... we didn't see this coming -- VICTORIA won Power of Veto!
• Victoria who?
• Oh. She's in the house this year?
• It looks like it was a Germany/soccer related comp. 
• It was the one where they win things, then can swap with previous winners.
• Zach won a trip for two to Germany.
• Nicole has to wear a "Germa-tard."
• Victoria apologized to Brittany for winning.
• Um. Well. Victoria who?
• Brittany has to score soccer goals in the backyard for 24 hours ... or something to that effect. Cody too has to kick soccer balls. I'm not sure of the rules on either of them.
• Caleb won five grand.
• A segment of the house want Caleb or Zach to be put up as a replacement.
• They doubt that Cody would put up Zach as they're so close.
• Then the discussion turned to it being Caleb or Donny.
• Sigh.
• They NEED to stop putting Donny on the block!
• Derrick would prefer Donny to go up as he's sure Donny would have the votes to stay over Brittany. He fears if Zach or Caleb go on the block, either one of them might be voted out instead of Brittany.
• Cody is ticked off that he's probably going to put Donny up even though he's sure Brittany will be voted out.
• Lots of talking going on.
• Brittany is sure she's going home.
• I hope so.
• Unless Caleb goes on the block, that is.
• Then he can go.

Donny makes a sandwich

The fish seem to still be all alive

Zach in his green veto comp clothes

Brittany isn't a happy camper

I won this. What do I do with it?

Who woulda thunk it?

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds Friday evening/BotB results - July 18

Smiling through the tears

You're never going to believe what I did ... and I blame Big Brother for it. You know I've mentioned before that I hate them running the Jeff interviews or house highlights during comps instead of the trivia with the theme music. Y'see, with the latter, I could nap and, when the feeds came back live with voices talking, that would wake me up. If it's all talk, I can't nap. I work full-time in addition to trying to cover the show and feeds each season. I run on empty for the three months or so of the show. I'm not whining here, just explaining.

So, when they went into the BotB comp earlier, I decided to take a nap. Since it was voices not music on the feeds, I shut it down and set my alarm clock for 45 minutes. I woke up nearly SEVEN hours later! Gah! But now I've flashbacked on the feeds, caught up on what I missed and here I am ... here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Ants Marching:

• Victoria thinks the house is "too high school."
• Well, duh. It always is! The others think she acts like she thinks she's better than them.
• High school all the way.
• Amber and Jocasta won the BotB, so Frankie is dethroned. Cody remains HoH and on the block we have Brittany and Victoria.
• Christine told the guys that Amber was trying to rally up the girls to go against the guys.
• I realize that Christine says she's a superfan and, while I don't care much for recruits to the show and would prefer seeing fans on the show, I'm beginning to get increasingly irked by her.
• My irkitude (yeah, I made up a word, but better than PaoPao's!) started when I heard Christine call the live feeds watchers "creeps."
• Zach told Brittany he would vote to keep her. Yeah, he said the same to Devin. But he MEANS it with her! Or, so he tells her.
• Brittany is the main target of the two on the block.
• But I think we're in a situation this week, unlike last week, that the tides can change either way.
• While they have their eye on Brittany to go, Victoria might just implode and make them want her out more.
• Caleb told Amber there's some negative buzz about her going around. He said she only went on the block because she said she didn't mind going up as a pawn if needed.
• Amber told him it's obvious that the guys are all working together.
• Well, duh.
• Caleb, for once using his noggin, told Amber he thinks Frankie goes around stirring up stuff in the house.
• BINGO! Add in Christine and you have an Andy!
• Brittany is shocked that Cody put her up because she trusted him.
• Hey, it's BB. Trust no one.
• Victoria, in a huge crying jag after being called to the Diary Room, told Zach, "You'll never guess why they called me into ..."
• Cut to fish cam.
• I tried flashing back to see what she might have done, but I don't know. She acted like it was very traumatic.
• Caleb and Amber talked forever. In the talk, Caleb told her practically everything he knows about what's going on with whom.
• Oh my, silly boy. She can use all that to better her own game.
• Brittany thinks she's in the game to win (and create a better life for her family) while she pointed out to Victoria that most think she's (Victoria) is just there.
• Victoria bristled and said just because she doesn't go around telling everyone her life's story, doesn't mean she doesn't want or need to win.
• Caleb went and reported to Frankie, amongst other things, that Amber thinks he (Frankie) is working both sides.
• @@ Just when I thought the boy might have a brain.
• Nicole and Zach talked about Amber being a snake. That's true. But so is Nicole's buddy Christine!
• Victoria thinks that everyone is attacking her on a personal level.
• Hey, that happens in the house!
• Zach pigged out on cookies again.
• Donny thinks his sister might be watching the live feeds 'cuz she has the internets.
• Victoria said that Zach is pushing Brittany to throw her (Vic) under the bus.
• Amber insisted to the boys that she hasn't been repeating talks she has with the guys to the girls.
• Follow that?
• She's basically being honest about that.
• It's more Frankie and Christine playing both sides. Amber, while she tries to be in with the girls and talks to them, hasn't betrayed any confidences with the guys.
• Not that I've seen, anyway.
• Of course, that doesn't mean that she always agrees with them. She might be filing away the little tidbits of info to better her own game.
• There's getting to be unrest through much of the house.
• Good. I like it that way.

Off the block

Dreaming of Amber, stardom and fame

Not all the way in with the in crowd

Undercover lovers? No.

"People don't have my back."

Sock puppet body language says it all

Big Brother 16: Live Feeds - Nominations revealed, BotB underway - July 18

Nominations

After a long feeds block earlier, they came back on with Nominations wall all lighted up. As expected -- Frankie nominated Amber and Jocasta, Cody nominated Brittany and Victoria.

As I post this, the Battle of the Block is underway. When I know, you'll know!