BBOTT: America's Nom, Veto Comp - into Tuesday, November 15

Jason gets the PoV results

Between the convoluted mirrors and lasers HoH comp and this PoV comp ... it's enough to make a hamster scream and run for the hills!

• First off, they got the news of America's nomination.
• Hmm.
• Morgan? 
• I'm kind of surprised it wasn't Kryssie.
• Then PoV was ON.
• They had to race around, answering questions with dominoes.
• It was one of those one-at-a-time things with the others sequestered in separate rooms.
• I personally think that has to be torture -- more torture for those who are last to play.
• When it was all said and done ... for once, Kryssie actually beat some people.
• Her time beat Danielle and Morgan's times.
• Danielle really screwed it up and had to start again. That's what happened to her time.
• Justin came in second to Shelby with Jason just seconds behind him.
• Not that his time score was anywhere near hers, mind you.
• So, Shelby has won the Power of Veto.
• She can save Morgan!
• As Morgan is America's nominee, if taken off the block, she won't be replaced.
• It would be Jason and Danielle.
• Of those two, I think that Justin and Kryssie would more likely vote for Danielle to go. I'm not as sure about Morgan's vote.
• Of those two, I'd rather Danielle go. 

He wasn't the worst for once

The pressure!

Very convoluted

Look! Copyrighted tattoos!

The final tally

BBOTT: Shelby's Nominations - into Monday, November 14

Is it morning? Gah.

The big action yesterday (Sunday) was something we all expected and it was no surprise to the hamsters either.

• They got the HoH camera (and fun was had by all).
• Well, except maybe Kryssie. Now, she got safety the night before, yet is fussing about how Shelby and Morgan do nothing. Oh geez, they didn't help put the awnings up for the day! Horrors!
• Danielle is still on her anti-Justin kick.
• She thinks he doesn't really play the game, throws comps and has made a deal with Shelby/Morgan.
• Huh.
• We all know that Danielle/Justin tried to make a deal with Shelby/Morgan.
• Danielle listed a whole bunch of reasons that she shouldn't be evicted. I assume that would be for the America's vote benefit.
• Hmm.
• Shelby and Morgan recognize the need to emphasize to Justin that he must act "normal" -- as normal as Justin can get -- around Jason so that Jason won't realize the deal this week with them is a final four deal.
• Yep -- final four deal as in Morgan, Shelby, Justin and Kryssie.
• During the very brief safety ceremony, Morgan was saved by Shelby.
• Well, duh.
• Since Kryssie and Justin were saved the night before, Danielle and Jason knew what was coming. They're on the block.
• Shelby's speech to them was just as short -- "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
• That was a reference to Jason going back on deals with them before.
• Danielle's been running around building the pity reasons for her to stay.
• Kryssie has been telling Justin that Danielle's gunning for him.
• Jason says no way does he want to go out before Danielle.
• Of course, America's final nomination today may change the whole scenario.
• But I do think more will target Danielle than Jason. 

We never have ANYTHING to eat!

Quad cam - as they wait on Shelby

Make your final safety pick

Ah, yes, I knew it was coming.

Fearing America's nomination

Will this be her last hurrah?

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - November 13

Good afternoon! Since it's 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. This is a regular Sunday part of this blog in addition to the television posts. Right now I'm covering Big Brother: Over the Top daily -- you can find those posts at this link. I'm also live blogging Survivor episodes as they air on Wednesday evenings. Come join the blog parties!

My apologies for getting this up so late. I'm still fighting the super-cold that's gone rampant through my workplace and the general public. And, it's just not been a great week on the whole for me on a personal level.

The amount of hate and unrest in the world is getting to me. I voted my conscience on Tuesday. Now I see the hatemongers who posted so many racially charged memes of President Obama over the years continuing to post hateful things, I'm dismayed with humanity. 

My upstairs neighbor decided that since Friday was a holiday for him, the world needed to hear his subwoofer stereo late into the night on Thursday. The police responded over a half hour after called and talked to him. But, by then he had turned it off. The landlord will get yet another complaint tomorrow about that. And, mind you, Friday was NOT a holiday at my workplace. 

For the first time ever at the Plainfield Library Photo Contest, not a one of my five photos was deemed worthy of even an Honorable Mention. I don't really like to sound like a sore loser or sour grapes, but obviously the judging criteria has changed with a different person judging the photos. I really feel like I had two photos that were strong contenders and they got zilch even though one of them had all kinds of people gathered around it saying how wonderful it was. I guess I'll rethink what I do next year. 

So, for me ... it's been a week of dismay, disappointment and disturbing. I won't even go into a few deaths of people who touched my life.

Onto the photos, for what they're worth ...    

Reflections on the library.

The Plainfield Public Library's windows reflecting the nearby street scenes.

Yes, I voted

A birds-eye view?

I always liked this building.

Although it could definitely use a bit of tender loving care, this is one fine building. The mosaic tiles are beyond cool. It was obviously built back when art was part of designing buildings. Corner of Park Avenue and East 5th Street in Plainfield.

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

BBOTT: Scheming and Safety - into Sunday, November 13

Waiting for the green glow of safety.

Yep, they've had to start turning on each other. And, it's not a pretty sight, not at all.

• After meetings with all, Shelby played her cards.
• Or, to be more accurate, pushed the picture buttons which deem two people safe from nomination.
• Both Jason and Justin, separately, pleaded their cases to her beforehand.
• The LNJ is a Danielle/Jason and Kryssie/Justin split.
• It was further divided when Shelby made her safety decision.
• She first saved Justin, then Kryssie.
• Kryssie is acting all surprised that she's safe (from Shelby's nom, at least).
• Justin didn't act surprised at all.
• Danielle is being all kinds of bitter and says she'd like to punch Shelby in the face. She quickly took that one back, saying that she's not a violent kind of person. Uh-huh.
• Danielle is so down on Justin that it's ridiculous.
• She's claiming that Shelby is stupid to take Justin into the finals.
• Um.
• In my opinion, she'd be stupid to take Danielle. Danielle is more likely to win comps going into the end than is Justin.
• Jason is taking things well. Well, as well as can be expected. He's been off of cigarettes and on a nicotine patch for two weeks now. He's in trouble in the game. If he loses (again), he will return to being poor and living in his mother's basement once again.
• But he's acting so much better about things than Danielle!
• In the end of the evening, though, there was still a divide with Morgan and Shelby together and the rest in another room.
• If all goes to plan, it will be Danielle going home this week.
• Kryssie, of course, thinks it's all a big scheme to backdoor her.
• Yeah, right.
• If there were two Kryssie's in the house, a strong player would want to bring both of them to a final three to guarantee a win! 

Will Shelby work with the plan?

So close, yet so far.

I have to play this right.

Uh-oh! I'm in trouble this week!

BBOTT: Dealing Dilemmas - into Saturday, November 12

The boy who cried, "Deal!"

Nah, no kerfuffles going on. No brouhahas afoot. But lots of scheming, wheeling and dealing a'happening.

• When I last left you, Shelby got the HoH in a redo with Jason due to technical problems in the original HoH comp.
• So, now it's time to scramble.
• The Jason/Danielle/Justin/Kryssie alliance is in deep doo-doo now.
• They need to turn on each other.
• Danielle and Jason are a duo, not really known so much (but guessed at) by Kryssie and Justin.
• Shelby has been very vocal about her dislike of Justin for weeks now.
• We all know that Shelby will NOT nominate her only remaining ally Morgan.
• That's a given.
• Danielle was a huge target in the beginning of the season, mainly for just being very annoying and not doing a heck of a lot.
• But she changed her ways.
• Nope, she's still annoying!
• It's her game that has changed. She started winning things.
• For a while, after the initial annoying/do nothing factor became evident, she would have been a good choice for anyone to bring to the final three for a win.
• However, since she started winning comps, she's now put the target back on her back. She has now become a threat to possibly win in a final three despite the remaining annoying factor.
• Justin, although a rather horrible competitor in comps and strategy, has always been a threat to win in a final three just due to his entertaining ways.
• Jason, of course, has always had a target on his back due to being a returning hamster. The others know that America voted him in and America might vote him for the win. His image was a bit tarnished due to his behavior and failure to win comps. But, like Danielle, he's stepped up his game some. Since he is indeed a threat to win, no one wants him in the final three.
• Then there's Kryssie. Rather unpopular with America at the start, can't win a comp for the life of her (well, there was one), sore loser, hypercritical of others, emotional. She's a shoo-in for a stronger player to want in the final three.
• Then the scrambling begins.
• Oh, Jason, the boy who cried deal. You've gone back on your deals with others just a time or two too many.
• He proposes an alliance with himself, Danielle, Shelby and Morgan.
• He wants the target to be Justin.
• Not so quick, dude!
• While Shelby doesn't say no to the deal, she's thinking other thoughts.
• (Even though she SO doesn't like Justin.)
• Justin and Kryssie also propose a deal.
• Now, despite her dislike of of Justin, Justin never went back on any sort of deal with her and Kryssie has also dealt honestly with her.
• But Jason JUST recently betrayed her.
• So now the newest target is Danielle, mainly because she's more likely to win a comp than is Jason.
• The beat goes on. 

Safer bet to be with in the final three

Stepped up her game, but now ...

Decisions, decisions

The only one who uses the equipment

Can she keep Shelby safe next week?