Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - September 24, 2017

Good morning! Since it's a Sunday morning, it's time for my off television topic reflection of the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. If you're not interested in either, please feel free to check out my previous and newer posts I will put up after this -- they will be television related!

If you want to be in on the blog pool for the upcoming Survivor season, you need to head to this linked post and sign up only there by Tuesday! Every season we get folks trying to sign up after the cut-off, including some of the very regular blog commenters. PLEASE! C'mon, you know the show is coming. If you want in on the blog pool, PLEASE sign up on time! Laurie is kind enough to be running the pool and really does have the right to say no to stragglers after the cut-off!

I'm so thankful the latest season of Big Brother is over. Several of the long standing BB fan communities have given up -- even Hamsterwatch is about ready to throw in the towel. I don't think she will, but you never know. She certainly earns more money off the show than I do. I don't have the capability to sell CBS Access with a cut for myself. There was a time when, with the paying writing gig, BB paid my rent all summer. Not so these days and this season was more headache than fun for me. Because of the issues this summer, I will be implementing a few ground rules for posting comments on future show posts.

In other stuff, my week back to work from vacation was about what I expected -- chaos, disorganization and more. For decades I had planned to retire on my most recent birthday. I just don't dare do it due to the cost of health insurance. While I would have my pension, my 401K, Social Security and a great discount on life insurance from my company ... the group health insurance would vanish and Medicare wouldn't kick in for three years. It all feels so defeating.

Sigh.

Oh, well. Onto the photos I took this past week -- at least I didn't accidentally delete them from my memory card like I did last week. 

I met a praying mantis

Oh, well. Maybe it's a preying mantis. Either way, it was HUGE -- longer than my entire hand. While I fear its days may be numbered, it was alert enough to follow my camera and my movements with its eyes. This was on the fence netting by the TD Ball Park in Bridgewater adjacent to the train station. When I walked through after work, it was gone.

Hanging in there

While there were dozens of flower of an hour blossoms a month ago, only a few still blossom today.

Let there be lights

One morning at the Plainfield Train Station, I saw all the lamps lighted on the eastbound platform. An NJ Transit dude was (finally) replacing the burnt out bulbs. I used to be enthralled taking photos of the lamps. But, the neglect in replacing knocked-down poles and bulbs over the last several years, plus the influx of ne'er-do-wells hanging out at the station, have inhibited my photos of the station.

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

Survivor: Heroes-Healers-Hustlers Blog Pool OPENS!

Come one, come all! The blog pool is OPEN for Survivor 35! I'll be looking more into the cast between now and the show's season premiere next Wednesday night. 

Yet the POOL IS NOW OPEN!

The Lovely Lifeguard Laurie has once again graciously offered to run the blog pool for the show. She, but of course, rocks!

I want in! What do I do?

If you want in to the blog pool, you need to sign up in the comments of this post and this post only! Please don't try signing up on any other posts -- we might miss your comment.

Is there money involved in this?

Of course not! You needn't pay anything to get into the pool. You don't need to buy a pool pass or anything! Mind you, you don't win any money either. What you do win is bragging rights until the next season and the smugness that goes with it.

How does it work?

Lifeguard Laurie makes random picks for the castaways and the blog folks. You cheer on that castaway all season until they either win or get their torch snuffed along the way.

When is the cut-off for entering?

All pool requests must be in comments to this here post and submitted by Tuesday, September 26, 3pm ET. Be there or be square.

BB19: Season Finale Blog Party - September 20

As the show airs here, I'll be live-blogging and constantly updating this entry -- refresh the page to get the latest! As always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join in on the fun! 

It's a relief to finally be at the end of this season. While it's apparently been great ratings for the show, not so much fun for at the online fan community. 

The remaining blog pool peeps --

Christmas Abbott - Willie J, Rich from Buffalo, Glenn, QuixoticElf
Josh Martinez - Petals, Stormy, Kelsey in NY, Dr_Celine
Paul Abrahamian - Indiana Jane, Jackie, Brian, Marlo L


JURY: 
Cody Nickson
Elena Davies
Mark Jansen
Matthew Clines
Jason Dent
Raven Walton
Alex Ow 
Kevin Schlehuber

Hamster watchers ready? Let's have a longer recap than usual ... 

Magical unicorn wonderland? I dunno. It looks to me like the unicorns have serious digestive issues. The final three are hanging onto the tails for dear life. 

And, now Josh is having second thoughts about a final two with Christmas.

Of course, they all have their reasons for wanting to win this final HoH, part one. 

Josh is down first at 40 minutes in. Christmas was up around 54 minutes. Paul wins. He's loud. Of course. 

HoH Part Two has all the previous hamster faces dressed in medieval garb, they have to attack and knock down those with whom they're not aligned as per a scroll. Josh and Christmas go for the win to compete against Paul in the live part three. They have three different weapons to knock down the targets.

I think we saw too much of this comp.  1 hour 39 minutes for Christmas, 1 hour 32 minutes for Josh. It feels like we spent that amount of time watching them. Josh will go up against Paul in Part Three.

Paul thinks he has the best chance of winning at the end with Josh. Christmas is crestfallen, going on about playing with the broken foot in the Diary Room.

Eek. Dr. Will has grey in his hair! He's leading the round table for the jury. Matt and Raven still think they're puppetmasters in the game. Mark argues with them. Kevin finally gets to speak.

Most of the jury think that Josh was poorly behaved, no respect, Cody and Mark admit that Josh took action and Paul didn't. When asked why Christmas deserved to win, they all seem to think it's all because of her broken foot. Then Will asks about Paul -- manipulation, outsmarting, everybody else did his dirty work. Elena is a self-admitted bitter jury member. It looks like they all think Paul played the best game but no one likes the way he did it. 

Finally, we're getting to the final part of the HoH comp -- Josh versus Paul. It's the typical Scales of Just Us comps with how well they know the jury. 

1. Paul scores, not Josh
2. Josh scores, not Paul
3. Both right
4. Josh scores, not Paul
5. Both wrong
6. Both wrong
7. Josh right, Paul wrong.

JOSH wins the final HoH Part Three! He both cries and screams.

It's time for Josh to decide who goes with him to the final two.
Paul - Worked with you, had your back, etc.
Christmas - My meatball, love both of you, amazing summer. (Obviously conceding to Paul.)

As we know from the live feeds, he chooses to take Paul to the final two. Silly boy. 

Christmas's Julie interview is all teary. She thinks Josh stands a better chance to win against Paul than against her.

I personally disagree. 

The jury comes out. They think Christmas will join them. And, yes, she does. 

Three questions for each.

Elena - Paul, orchestrated and participated in bully tactics. He denies it. 
Matt - Josh, no strategy? Biggest game move. Says he's a superfan since age of six, social game, aligned himself with so many. Got rid of Alex.
Alex - Paul, last season friendship, this year destroyed it. Paul denies, got people as far as he could, but had to play for himself.
Cody - Josh, played Paul's game, not his own. Josh says he played his own game.
Jason - Paul -- moves made to avoid jury issues. Paul denies that reasoning, again blames house.
Mark - Josh -- Altercations, crying and apologetic, then happens again. Josh expose people's games. 
Christmas - A joke question.

Josh was a lot more articulate than I expected. And Paul seemed to try to shift the blame for everything on others. Hmm.

Speech time:
Paul - His rehearsed all week speech. Set house targets, put himself in with others, pretty much voicing his strategy for the season (sans bullying). Wins he made. Never on the block. Played the hell out of BB.

Josh - Expose people's shady games, aligned myself strategically, put my targets on the block, played fearlessly ... loses his train of thought ... gave it everything he got, no friendship bracelet, made sure I was underestimated. 

Voting:
Cody - stay true to my word
Elena - no jury management
Mark - Congrats both
Matt - More in all aspects of game
Jason - Both aligned with me
Raven - Best game
Alex - Just a game, person who stabbed in front, not back
Kevin - Congrats
Christmas - Love you both, game move. 

A bit of time for the evicted prior to jury hamsters. Jess tells them Paul played them all and they all let him. Into Diary Room Paul clips. Jess says she would have voted Paul to win if she was in jury.  Heh -- they show Josh blowing up Paul's game in his goodbye messages.

The votes are revealed:
Christmas - Paul
Kevin - Paul
Alex - Josh
Raven - Paul
Jason - Josh
Matt - Paul
Mark - Josh
Elena - Josh
Cody - Josh

JOSH WINS THE SEASON! Paul loses by one vote again.

AFP -- Top three were Kevin, Cody and Jason.

Cody wins. When asked if he had anything to say, he said, "It doesn't make sense." It does. America can be a bitter jury as well as the BB jury can.

BB19: Live Feeds into Tuesday - September 19

Josh dressed the stuffed owls

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of I Feel the Earth Move Under My Feet:

• The stuffed owls, Theodore and Orwell, were dressed up by Josh to watch them play cards.
• Nobody else wants to watch them play cards.
• There was a minor earthquake which got Josh all excited.
• Nothing serious, mind you.
• But it doesn't take much to excite Josh.
• Other than that, nothing has changed -- it will still be Josh and Paul as the final two and they believe Christmas will win America's Favorite Player.
• Thank goodness this train wreck of a season ends tomorrow. 

After the earthquake

BB19: Live Feeds into Monday - September 18

May his 15 minutes be up soon

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Prolonging My Agony:

• Boring.
• Boring.
• More boring.
• They've sat around trashing other hamsters.
• Christmas has given up her game, conceding that Paul and Josh will be the final two with her blessings.
• Ack.
• Remember, Paul won Part 1; Josh won Part 2. The final live round of the HoH comp will be Paul versus Josh. The winner will pick who goes with him to the final two.
• Paul has been practicing his speech.
• They actually think Christmas will probably be voted America's Favorite Player.
• Bwahaha! 
• I doubt she's even in the running. Well, she is in the running as she's a hamster, but she's a least likely.
• I think people would be more likely to vote for her scooter to win.
• In order for them to have a BBAD show, they answered questions submitted by BBAD viewers.
• Um, okay.
• What fun will come next?
• Oh.
• None.
• And on it goes ... 

Who woulda thunk it?

Has thrown her game away