Big Brother 17: Live Feeds into Sunday Evening - August 16

Meg goes for a new alliance

Sundays are usually the most uneventful day of the week in Hamster House. This one was no exception. Here are today's happenings from inside that Big Brother House of Froot Loop Dinguses:

• Since the yard opened again last night, Steve did his stay up until dawn bit, talking to himself and us. His latest kick is to figure a way to improve his relationship with Meg. He thinks he's in with just about everyone except her. He even has more than a few final two deals.
• Oy. Not so good, Stevie. If it comes about through the grapevine about final two deals, you're going to have final nine deals in the jury house.
• Live feeders voted to give the hamsters cinnamon rolls.
• The Have Nots Could Not partake.
• Tons and tons of small talk.
• Vanessa and John ended up being the only ones out on the couches in the morning.
• No fisticuffs.
• No bullying.
• Although Johnny Mac did seem amused that Vanessa (and some others we found out yesterday and Friday) didn't realize OTEV is Veto spelled backwards.
• Silly recruited hamsters.
• Liz thinks that Johnny Mac should win the next HoH so he can get Vanessa out.
• More than a couple of them commented on how boring the house is right now.
• Well, yeah. It's the doldrums. It won't really perk up until Thursday. We all know that Becky is all but guaranteed out this week even though the PoV meeting hasn't gone down.
• Hey ... unless there's a BROUHAHA! 
• That could liven things up!
• Julia lectured Liz about her hickey from Austin being inappropriate.
• She's right, it is. I didn't think anyone over 14 did that anymore/
• Ew.
• They had photo booth day. Whoopie.
• Becky thinks she's a pawn. She's been told that. But I don't think she really believes it. She shouldn't.
• Vanessa told Liz she threw the HoH comp.
• Liz noted to herself (and shared with Julia and Austin) that Vanessa threw it while Johnny Mac was still in it! 
• The Austwins gathered more information from Vanessa that made them even more wanting her gone.
• They think that Vanessa will try to brainwash Steve and that she really will target Austin.
• Probably right on both counts.
• Vanessa did her tears and anxiety act once again ... even though she's not on the block and really has no reason to worry this week.
• Steve begged Johnny Mac not to leave him alone with Vanessa.
• I don't blame him.
• And the beat goes on ...

Too hot for 'The Hat'

Steve isn't a comfortable Have Not

Why are there still twins in the house?

Johnny Mac contemplates his foot

I don't think I'd want Austin cooking

What if she comes back?

Big Brother 17: Second HoH (non-live), Nominations Show Blog Party - August 16

Good evening! Ready for a blog party? While many of us already know the results of the PoV comp, tonight's episode will focus on the second HoH comp and nominations not shown (not done at the time) on Thursday. It's kind of like experiencing jet lag!

Tonight's show is running about a half-hour late here due to golf. But, when it starts, I'll update this entry with the major happenings as it airs here on the East Coast. Refresh the page to get the latest. As always, the real party is in the comments area. I hope to see you there!

Finally, 8:32pm, it starts with the recap. 

Meg cries. People are confused. James thinks someone was in Steve's ear. Steve regrets winning HoH. And, yes, Vanessa was in his ear.  

Steve cries. Julia tells us that they have to keep him safe because he kept them safe. Steve cries more. Meg cries.

I do not cry. 

He tells the camera "about 50% acting." Hmm. 

Becky, Meg and James think they're alone. Then Johnny Mac joins them. They think they need to get Steve on their side. Steve talks to them and it's evident that Vanessa is the one who told him Jackie was talking about evicting him. They offer to work with him.

The HoH comp has the backyard done up in emojis and a giant keyboard. Mixed Emoji. Done in rounds. 

James against Meg - Meg wins, James out
John against Austin - John wins, Austin out
Vanessa against Julia - Julia wins, Vanessa out
Becky against Liz - Liz wins, Becky out 

Meg against John - John wins, Meg out
Julia against Liz - Liz wins because Julia got wrong answer

Steve is doing a great job hosting!

John against Liz - (Commercial break) Lis wins and is the new HoH

Becky is worried, as she should be. She is sure that Vanessa will push for her to go home. 

Sure enough, Vanessa's first words after their happy dance is that they need to get Becky out. 

The twins, Austin and Vanessa discuss who to put up. The target is Becky. Liz doesn't want to send John home. They think of putting up John and Meg, replacing one with Becky after PoV. Then, John and Becky. But what if Becky wins PoV? 

Becky spills the Vanessa beans over the Austin backdoor plan from Vanessa to the Austwins. Will that save her? 

Vanessa tries to put the past argument with Johnny Mac behind her and wants to work with him. Heh. He calls her a bully and says he doesn't like it when she cries and yells at people.

She runs to Austwins and says Johnny Mac shouldn't be just a pawn this week. And she fusses about him. Johnny runs up to HoH and interrupts them claiming he's worried. 

Nominations today! Liz tells us her nominees will be based on previous loyalties and who she considers a threat to her and her sister in the game.

She nominates Becky and Johnny Mac. JM - Veto superstar. Becky - undercover superwoman, great at everything. Best of luck in veto comp.

Um. Okay.

Johnny vows to us if he makes it through, he's going after Vanessa.

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 16, 2015

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way! This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. Stay tuned.

We started this past week with heavy rains and ended up starting a long heat wave which is expected to be around for most of the upcoming week. Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike heat and humidity? I got a Nixle alert on my cell phone yesterday telling me the cooling center will be open at the YMCA. I expect, if it does last and gets nasty, they'll open the one at the Senior Center closer to where I live in town.

But I won't go. I have air conditioning and fans in my apartment. As long as I can pay for the electricity (one of the reasons I work for a living), I can have my AC. I prefer the winters bill-wise -- my heat, hot water and cooking gas are included in my rent. It's just the summers that I have to pay more for air conditioning. The bills haven't been so bad this season so far. That old refrigerator I had was sucking up power. I've seen significant decreases in my power usage since I bought the new one. My new refrigerator is now almost a year old, but it will be new to me until it's old!

Life has been going as usual for me, nothing overly exciting, nor horrible has happened this past week. The new-ish neighbor remains quiet although I actually heard a television playing from there one night when I had my windows open. That's certainly not a problem. I'm just loving the change from the noisy screaming thumping family who used to reside there.

I didn't take a gazillion photos this week. First, it rained for a few days. Then it was hot and I just didn't feel too inspired with what I was seeing. I really have to head to the park. Maybe I'll do that on my next day off if it's not too too hot.

Clicking on an image will open it larger ...

The pigeon overlord

Master of his domain, King of the Chotola (apartment building), Ruler of North Avenue in Plainfield. What if ... he's actually a government spy? Perhaps he's a camera with audio disguised as a pigeon!?!?!

Okay, he's just a bird. However, he's majestic in his own way.

Cool, man

I messed a bit with the colors of this way close up shot of a red hibiscus bloom.

Sad wet hibiscus

The rain came down on the passed bloom, making it even sadder.

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

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds into Sunday - August 16

Late night hot tub

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Future Psychiatric Ward Residents:

• As mentioned in my previous brief update, Liz won the Power of Veto.
• It was the OTEV comp. John was out the first round, unknown if he really threw it as he had promised Becky.
• Becky tried valiantly to win, but fell short.
• Heh. In the comp, Jace's song clue had the line "They erased my face from the Memory Wall." 
• Now, the comp is blocked to the live feeds. So we didn't see it. We're just listening to them talking about it.
• Liz told Vanessa that she plans to keep the nominations the same.
• Vanessa had a heart attack, figuring for sure she would be backdoored.
• Okay, I made up that last one.
• Meanwhile, Julia and James have declared war against each other.
• No fear. It's a pranking war. They've been trying to scare each other for a few weeks now and now it's war.
• Heck, it's better than watching Austin maul Liz.
• Steve and Vanessa talked. She tried to pry information about what Johnny Mac might have said about her. He tried to get her to tell him her targets.
• Neither were successful.
• BB gave them booze. As usual, not a heck of a lot of it.
• Becky once again told her train tale.
• She is handling the loss of OTEV well although she realizes she will probably be out the door Thursday.
• After Becky's train story, James told about the time he was swallowed by a great white shark and had to cut his way out.
• Ah, yet another Sharknado fan, eh?
• Liz is rather modest about her OTEV win -- said she had no strategy and just really got lucky. 
• It's nice not to see gloating for a change.
• But she sure is happy that she won it!
• Becky's frustration did come out when she talked to her buddy, Johnny Mac.
• He lamented that they deliberately didn't hang out together in the house trying to avoid being put on the block together.
• Most of Becky's venom was about Vanessa, not Liz (the one who most likely will get her out).
• Maybe they're holding onto the thought that just maybe Liz will use the veto and backdoor Vanessa?
• Nah. They know she won't.
• Liz and Austin talked about getting rid of Vanessa.
• But they ain't gonna do it!
• Liz continued to lead Austin on a bit, then cut him off. She really doesn't want to "make out" with him no matter how much he wants to do it.
• And, she's rather blatant. He just can't take a hint.
• They said that Becky would go out unless she spilled some major information on Johnny Mac.
• Hmm.
• Lots of small talk in the wee hours of the night, reminiscing about the first day or two in the house, other hamsters, etc. James mentions that he lives on $20,000 to $26,000 a year.
• He obviously doesn't (couldn't) live in this area on that!
• As it stands, it looks like the noms will remain the same and Becky will go out the door on Thursday.
• I wonder if BB will mark the event with a train whistle.

Some couples just can't be unseen

Julia is really not that keen on Austin

Scheming

Any hope for this one?

Fun with nominated llama and company

Watch out! Train! Er ... MILK!

Vanessa, no hat

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Power of Veto Bulletin

Didn't win, but not sad

I didn't post an update earlier because it was the same revolving discussion.

The PoV players were Liz, Johnny Mac, Becky, Austin, Steve and Meg.

It sounds like it was the OTEV comp. Apparently, at one point, Becky knocked Austin down. Perhaps she thought he was a train.

LIZ won the Power of Veto. Becky better start packing, I guess.

Put it down, Austin. LIZ won it.