Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - July 16, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a SUNDAY morning, this is my weekly off television topic post taking a look at the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. This weekly post is done year in, year out. Big Brother, the main draw for so many of you, only lasts about three months -- although sometimes it seems to be a lifetime. If you're here solely for the BB posts, please feel free to skip this post. You can find my latest BB19 posts by using this link.

Some random notes on this past week:

• Yesterday morning at 6:27am, the dude upstairs turned on his stereo. No, not full blast. But it has to be up pretty loud for me to hear it in my apartment. Well, at least the beat. I hear and feel the bass. Then, at 7:05am, the neighbor's landscapers started making all kinds of blower and mower noise. Now, I was already awake, but it's a Saturday morning. Don't normal people sleep in a bit?
• I'll admit I'm not a normal person, mind you. But I don't make all kinds of racket that can annoy others!
• When I came home from work last night, the cylinder on the front building door lock was sideways. Because of that, the key wouldn't work in the lock, just spinning and spinning. I took my back door key which fits in that lock but won't unlock it and turned the cylinder back to its proper position. I then unlocked the door with the right key and entered. Someone was in the hallway and asked how I got the door open. Okay, landlord, you can pay me what you would have paid the locksmith to come fix it.
• As I expected, I returned to chaos and disaster after my staycation from work. I don't want to talk about it. It's bad mojo, I tell you!
• I'm ready for autumn. I'm tired of being sweaty while just existing. Inside my apartment, I'm fine due to air conditioning, my new tower fan and all. But they make me go out in the world just about daily. Gah.
• It's hard to believe it's been 50 years since the Newark and Detroit riots (1967). I was living in Saratoga County in New York at that time. They made the national news. I didn't know that, within the same time period, there was a Plainfield riot -- that didn't make national news at the time. But it was quite the incident here and still affects the city to this day. But Plainfield has made tremendous strides ahead during the last several years. Let's all keep on working together!

Onto the photos I took this past week. No real masterpieces, but a slice of life here in what they call the Greater NYC Metropolitan Area in New Jersey. Sometimes they call it North Jersey; sometimes Central Jersey. It's all Jersey to me ... 

Clicking on an image will open a larger version.

More utility box art

This one is on East 4th Street at the corner of Watchung Avenue by the police station. I don't think it's finished as the other sides only have the green base paint.  I'll watch it to see if more is added than this side. The adjacent town of North Plainfield has shrink-wrapped art on their boxes. I prefer Plainfield's efforts, using actual artists to paint them. We have a lot of talent here in Plainfield and these are great!

Bunny resting in the sun

More on this bunny a bit later in the post.

The Keyboard Man

Summer sounds at the Plainfield Train Station. While I don't care for the regular bums who hang out at the station day and night, this guy really improves the atmosphere there. I've also seen him there playing a trumpet. Sometimes a few others join him with guitars.  Nah, neither he nor they would ever win a talent contest, but it's always good to see and hear him at the station playing away.

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

BB19: Live Feeds into Saturday Night and a Kerfuffle - July 15

Sleep while you can

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Slithering Snakes:

• Shortly after I posted my last report, at about half-past stupid o'clock in the morning, there was a major kerfuffle.
• It didn't really rise to the level of an outright brouhaha.
• Y'see, Alex backed up with Paul, has been saying that Dominique was the hinky vote to save Cody. (They are aware of Christmas and it's not a big issue.)
• We know Paul knows it was Kevin. Alex thought it might be Kevin, but didn't know. But, hey, blame it on Dominique. After all, the purpose in having Kevin vote that was was to create chaos.
• And, it did.
• Tie in the hinky vote with the Dominique Show interview of Cody which ended up being a platform for Cody to call out and name names, some truths, some fiction.
• Then, you tie in all of the questioning in an interrogation kind of format ... KERFUFFLE AHEAD!  
• Call in everyone!
• Everyone except Jessica, Kevin and Ramses ended up in the room.
• Toss in that Alex (who wanted Dominique out even before she teamed up with Paul on the cause) told Paul that Dominique said there was a snake and a tempter in the house ... implying it was Paul.
• Dominique has "implied" much too much and it blew up on her.
• Dominique thinks because she didn't outright say Paul is the snake and tempter, he has no case.
• It just went back and forth.
• And back and forth.
• There were no fisticuffs.
• She kept saying One Team, One Fight.
• He kept saying infiltrator, snake and tempter. (Things he believes she's either called him or implied about him.)
• Just on and on.
• Forever. 
• In the end, she didn't help her cause any. 
• Elena and Mark denied ever talking about Paul to her.
• Josh said he just came because he doesn't know what's going on.
• Heh.
• And, both Paul and Dominique made a few valid points in the verbal kerfuffle.
• A good part of it is her own fault due to the way she interrogated people yesterday. Her style of questioning, condescending and all, has given a mindset in the others and this whole thing didn't help her.
• As the day wore on, the others kept talking about her ... even worse than yesterday.
• In other news, Alex told Mark that if Jason takes Jessica off the block, she will be putting him up as a pawn, a true pawn. She thinks the vote will be unanimous to evict Dominque.
• He doesn't want to do it, but will for the team if he has to. 
• I think Jason will take Jessica off the block and Mark will go up.
• But I'm almost willing to bet Dominique will go home.
• Oh, Paul will have his day when they turn on him. There have been some rumbles. But it's too early and he's too protected to go up against him this early. 

Giggling at Ramses

Better than she thought ...

But I don't WANT to be a pawn!

What have I created?

"You called me a snake."

"There is a snake and tempter in here."

Dominique's meeting didn't help her

BB19: Live Feeds into Saturday Morning, PoV - July 15

Being questioned by Dominique

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Distrusting Dolts:

• The Power of Veto comp, blocked to the live feeds (and apparently causing BBAD to show an episode rerun), played out last night.
• Surprise, surprise ... we have a new veto winner in the house.
• And, this one will surely do whatever HoH Alex wants him to do -- because it's her close ally, Jason.
• I think Dominique's reaction to being nominated and campaigning method of operation is sure to sink her if she's not already sunk.
• She went from person to person (hamster to hamster) with a line of questions and commentary.
• I really don't know how they feel.
• But, in watching it go down, it comes across as condescending and patronizing.
• If I were in her line of fire, I think I'd want her gone because it's annoying and I'm tired of hearing her.
• While claiming her loyalty, she's planting enough seeds to grow an acre of doubt.
• She might have Jason convinced to use the veto to save her -- telling him that both she and Mark have been targets of Cody's agenda.
• But, then again, he might do whatever Alex wants.
• And she wants Dominique out.
• I don't know. If I were in there, thinking there may be a Battle Back (which they were thinking before it was announced to us), I'd still go for Jessica to go.
• However, Dominique is somewhat sketchy. She tries Paul's manipulation social game but falls short of the mark. 
• Hmm ... 
• Meanwhile, the HoH bunch is talking about taking Jessica down and putting Mark up as a pawn against Dominique.
• He doesn't want to do that. Not at all. 
• I don't blame him.
• This is all just a bit odd. But I'll admit, the more I see Dominique, the more underhanded and sneaky she seems.
• That's probably what's doing her in.
• Hmm ... 
• On a side note -- I find it interesting that Cody, in his Jeff interview, said if he comes back he wants to work with Paul.

Being questioned by Dominique

PoV garb

Being questioned by Dominque

The V-Toad has the Veto

BB19: Live Feeds into Friday Evening, Nominations - July 14

The game is afoot*

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Boisterous Boobs:

• First, to explain the * in the screen cap caption above -- Survivor fans should remember the line coming from Tarzan. It fits the return of Christmas and the state of the house here. 
• Well, well, well ... I left you this morning saying that it would go without saying that Jessica would be on the block and, at the end of the update, I told you Alex told the camera (us) she'd be making a big move and nominating Dominique.
• How did that work out?
• Read on.
• Hmm ... Alex told Jason that she (Alex) went on the block to save their side. She tells him that her target will be Dominque, but will understand if he wants to vote Jessica out.
• Um. Okay.
• Kevin is considered on her side.
• But Josh isn't. They look on him as some sort of buffoon who they can talk into voting their way.
• Alex, Jason and Kevin all trust Paul. That's not to say he's necessarily on that side, but ...!
• Meanwhile, Dominque trash talks about Elena.
• And Elena trash talks about Christmas.
• Paul and Elena talked about how Dominique's show actions put her in the spotlight.
• Dominque really interrogated Ramses. He wasn't expecting the Spanish Inquisition.
• No ONE expects the Spanish Inquisition!*
• * My apologies to Monty Python. I guess I'm full of odd pop culture quotes tonight.
• Now, Ramses isn't really in with Alex. But, then again, he's not all that in with anyone in the house no matter how much he tries. He ends up being treated like the pesky little brother who always wants to tag along.  This coming from a guy who thought he was going in with such a great social game.
• The frog-toads are no more.
• Alex talked to Jessica, telling her that if she goes on the block, she's not the target and other people know it.
• Hmm.
• Jessica guesses the other nom would be Dominque, but Alex won't confirm it.
• In the end, Jessica agreed to trust and work with Alex and Jason if all goes down as planned.
• Jessica then ratted out Raven for stealing Alex's cat ears.
• Alex told Jessica to act upset and surprised at the nominations ceremony.
• Alex told Ramses that she thinks that Dominque is the one spreading rumors about him.
• Tired of the summer heat? Well, it's Christmas time! Yep, she's back.
• With a huge cast, might I add.
• Quite a serious injury this has turned out to be. The doctor told her she'll never have full mobility of her foot and, as with many breaks, it will eventually develop arthritis. She will also need more surgery down the road. She's quite upset about that.
• Well, hopefully CBS has big health care pockets. It sounds like they will have some huge bills to pay.
• All this over tomfoolery.
• Jason feels bad about it, but she told him she doesn't blame him.
• She had to be filled on the Dominque show and all that's gone down in her absence. She says she had no TV, no magazines, no word of anything in the hospital.
• Puppy cam for the nominations.
• Lo and behold, Dominque and Jessica are on the block. 

Frog's legs

No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!

The big and small of things

What happened to targeting showmances?

Kevin and the ex-Frog

BB19: Live Feeds into Friday Morning - July 14

A cat talks to a frog

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Who Rocked the Vote?:

• If you haven't seen it, you need to check out my last post covering the HoH wall comp on the live feeds.
• I'll wait until you come back.
• Hmmm... hmmm
• Okay! Alex is the new HoH, a well-deserved win. 
• The big buzz overnight is about the votes.
• They know they can dismiss one as Jessica's.
• What about the other two?
• Elena is trying to convince Alex it must have been Christmas, maybe Kevin.
• Alex previously said she would aim her target at couples in the house.
• Is that changing?
• It seems that it almost goes without saying that Jessica will go on the block just due to the fact that she's alienated all.
• Jessica was actually quite strong in that comp last night.
• Elena's anti-Christmas thing might just be to protect Mark ... or herself. After all, they're one of the couples.
• Paul is trying the anti-Ramses angle, telling Alex that Ramses was asking people to create chaos.
• Um, no. That didn't happen, Paul. A kid who can't really throw a comp isn't going to tell people to vote to evict him!
• As it stands, it's not clear other than Jessica for the block.
• But, who knows?
• Maybe that's not even clear.
• We'll know tonight! 

 UPDATE: Just before turning in for the night, Alex just told us she is going to make a power move -- Dominque out.
Hmm. 

Still cold

Should Mark worry?