Big Brother 17: Get Yer Gossip on the Hamsters!

Before getting started here, I want to remind you if you wish to be in the blog pool, you need to sign up on this linked post. The cut-off is Tuesday at noon.

Okay, let's get to it!

The hamster whose Jeff interview wasn't showing, dentist John McGuire, actually did have the interview and, for some reason, it was only available if you went in through the live feeds link itself. So, I did. He's loud. I'm not sure how well he's going to get along with the others. He's another big fan of the show and not like Clay's discovering the show four months ago! But, more surprising, he does this:



Now, that I like! But, of course, he won't be allowed a guitar in the house.

Then come the mugshots ...

We know that BB17 thoroughly investigates the backgrounds of the hamsters, at least ever since BB2 Justin held the knife to Krista's neck. So, they know when incoming hamsters have arrests in their pasts. We've discovered that, even with no arrests in the past, some hamsters just go whacked in the house. 

First, let's talk Audrey Middleton. She's the new hamster with the big transgender news. My first impression of her was bad because she was chewing gum in the interview and seemed too confident. Now, had she been smoking pot prior to the interview, she might have been a bit more mellow.

Audrey - busted for pot

Then there's good ol' country hillbilly Asian dude, James. He had some contempt of court family court issues. Oy.

James' mugshot. Eek!

Lastly (as far as I know), we have Jace picked up on a disorderly conduct charge.

Chin up, Jace!

Back to good news ...

Remember I liked Austin much more than I thought I would? I like his dedication to the show even more since watching this long video from a few years back. He was the guest on this YouTube show discussing events in the BB15 house.




Your thoughts?

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - June 21, 2015

Good morning! It's Sunday, the first day of summer and Father's Day all wrapped in one! Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! I'd say Happy Summer, but it's not my favorite season of the year -- I'm more into less extreme weather. Give me spring or autumn weather all year 'round and I'd be thrilled. Since it's also Sunday, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

If you're looking for Big Brother television show content, check out this link right here for the latest. If you want to sign up to be in the blog pool for the show, you need to sign up only on this linked post. (Otherwise we might miss your request!) Later on today, I plan to post some hot gossip on some of the new house hamsters. Yikes. I said "hot gossip." I feel like a tabloid.

I really don't have much to report on from this past week. Here are some random bits and pieces:

• I managed to catch one of the illnesses going around my workplace this week -- yet another monster cold combined with allergies I've already been suffering. Wah. 
• The weather this past week has been hot, humid and rainy. I don't like that. Make it stop.
• The new guy next door, even when his adult children (maybe in their forties) came with a child about seven carrying a big ball ... hasn't moved my floorboards with thumping, nor can I hear much at all from over there. I still haven't met him. The couple was bearing groceries and I'd guess the child is a grandchild. Oh, and I should add, the boy was CARRYING the ball in the hallway, not bouncing it. 
• We're under a flood watch today. I'm staying in. But it can still stop, please.
• I'm shocked and saddened by the Charleston, SC, massacre this past week. Those folks took him in to pray with them. It speaks volumes about the goodness in their hearts and the hate in his. This world is so messed up. 

Anyway ... onto the photos. Clicking on an image will bring up a larger version.

Mug shot profile

Have you seen this bird? Heh. This is one of the adolescent pigeons born this spring at the Bridgewater Train Station. Similar to how one of the parent pigeons posed for me one day with curiosity about the camera, as did this one and its sibling this past week.

Peapod in da 'hood

I spotted the bright green Peapod grocery delivery truck down the street from me one day. Grocery delivery is really catching on. For the longest time I thought I was the only one around here getting Peapod. Nowadays, at least two other people in my building use the service in addition to this stop down the street and the times I've seen the truck pull in at apartments across the street.

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

Big Brother 17: The Blog Pool is OPEN!

Yep, the blog pool for BB17 is now open, thanks to that rockin' ORKMommy who will randomly match us up with house hamsters!

How it works:

• You need to sign up on THIS post and not in any other place on the blog! It's not that we're being cruel or picky ... it's just that if you sign up elsewhere, we might miss the request!
• The deadline for signing up is Tuesday (June 23) at NOON ET. Be there or be square. Or something like that.
• The pool match-ups will be posted prior to the season premiere on June 24.

What do you have to do?

• All you need to do is cheer on your blog pool pick (even if they could very well be someone you really don't enjoy).

What do you win?

• Because we're just such a large budget operation here, you win ... BRAGGING RIGHTS! Yes, you heard me. From now until the zombie apocalypse, you can brag about winning this pool. This will surely be a life-changing experience!

Please sign up in the comments section and let's have a fun season here on the blog!

Big Brother 17: House Tour, 16 Place Settings and Weekly Twists

Now things seem to be getting a bit complicated. Fourteen new hamsters have been introduced, yet there are 16 settings at the table. Check out the house tour video below ...

I actually kind of prefer this year's design over last year. But then there's the pesky count of seats at the kitchen table ...

And now we have a bit of an announcement regarding the expected, er ... expect the unexpected, twist(s) for the season. Hmm. From the announcement: "Each week a surprise guest will appear on the show to announce a new and different twist into the game." Um. Okay. It doesn't explain the extra two place settings.

What do you think it's all about?

Big Brother 17 New Hamsters: Part Three

This is my third and final(?) installment looking at the new cast we're going to live with all summer. Why the question mark? Well, there's only 14 houseguests listed on the CBS website yet 16 places at the table. I expect we'll have a few more coming in the house -- my guess would be previous hamsters. I just hope it's not Frankie. My other hope would be that it's two people over 40 years old or of color. This cast is very young (33 is the oldest) and quite milquetoast bland.

My previous two posts on the cast are Part One and Part Two. ALL of my Big Brother posts can be found at this link right here. Check 'em out!

Jace Agolli

My first impressions from the Jeff Schroeder interview: Skater Boi. Personal trainer. Thinks he's super-personable. Claims to be a big fan of the show. It's all about the gameplay more than the money. Fast talker for a guy originally from the south and now living in California. Adrenalin junkie. Very confident, but not all that off-putting. He could very well have game.

Jace is 23, I assume single, originally from Dunwoody, Georgia, now residing in Venice Beach, California. His bio doesn't offer up much more than I saw in the video. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. He might be a smaller version of Frank without Boogie.

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Da'vonne Rogers

My first impressions from the Jeff Schroeder interview: Finally, a woman of color -- the only one in this bland cast! Her name is pronounced DAY-vonne. Ha! A professional poker dealer who's not going to reveal her job! Maybe she'll recognize what's-her-name, the pro-poker player! Another "huge fan" of the show from the start. Although she's older than some, I'm still having problems thinking children are sitting around watching the show. She would have been 12 during season one. She does seem to know the show, though. She wants to win it to give her daughter a better life than she has had. I worry a bit because she's outspoken and that can make for enemies in the house. She definitely has the right attitude going in.

Da'Vonne is a 27 year old single mom originally from Inglewood, California, now residing in Los Angeles, California. Well, this is interesting -- she watched the show all the time with her grandmother, the one who convinced her to apply. She loved and hated Rachel -- loved her in comps, hated the emo agenda. (I can understand that although, for me, the emo bit was over the top and diminished the super comp competitor side.) She's the rebel from a family deep into religion. She should be interesting to watch!

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Shelli Poole

My first impressions from the Jeff Schroeder interview: Oh, geez ... another perky blonde gal. She plans on laying low in the beginning and observe. Her strategy is to continuously adapt as you never know what's coming. Even she thinks she's "older" at 33 and has an edge in playing the game.

Shelli is 33 (the OLDEST member of the cast, sigh), single, an interior designer originally from Marietta, Georgia and now living in Atlanta. She has an etsy.com site for selling her custom designed jewelry. She got married when she was 28 and divorced a year later. I don't know. She's very perky and blonde. I'm not sure I can take all this perkiness.

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John McGuire

This guy is still the hold-out on the Jeff Schroeder interviews at cbs.com. That's why the funky photo of him. I had to take it from his online show bio.

John is a 27 year old dentist originally from Scranton, Pennsylvania who now lives in Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania. He doesn't like the "nerdy know-it-alls" on past seasons (like Ian, Derrick, Nicole) because they let their knowledge of the game turn into hero worship. He says he's loud, obnoxious and energetic.

Hmm ... maybe he said something evil to Jeff? I don't know why no interview. I'm probably not going to like him, but I'll hold my judgment ... for now.