Big Brother 14: Live Feeds Special Bulletin: Dan's Funeral at the Game - Aug. 26

What did I do?

Now we know Dan's Plan. He asked for a house meeting after they ate dinner. He said it was his funeral as a gameplayer and that he just wanted to enjoy his last few days in the house. He said he wouldn't have time to address everyone Thursday, so wants to do it tonight.

Oh my.

He went through each houseguest, saying great things about them. He saved Danielle for last. Everyone was teary. Danielle looked with anticipation ...

He said he was looking for someone to have his back like Memphis. She's no Memphis. She's dead to him in the game.

Oh my.

He told Frank he wanted to discuss something privately with him. Danielle is a quivering crying fool right now. Jenn thinks Dan planned it all to hurt Danielle's game.

In the HoH room, Dan is explaining that Ian was in with them. He told him how tight Ian and Britney are. He's obviously working on Frank to get Danielle out and stay. Then get Ian out. If he can turn Frank his way ... which might be possible now that he knows the Ian connection and he might just stay. Apparently what she did was throw the veto comp.

He's telling Frank they would make a good final two.

Hey, Dan may still have the magic in him.

Eek! Now their plan is to have Jenn use the veto, get Britney out and for Dan to explain/apologize to Danielle.

NOOOO!!! Get Danielle out, I beg of you!

Now Dan is telling Danielle it was all a scheme to get them both (Danielle and him) to the finals.

Big Brother 14: Live Feeds Into Sunday Evening - Aug. 26

He thinks he's a cool carrot, eh?

What's been happening today inside that Big Brother House of Carrots and Captives? Read on ...

• Frank had to continue taking chum baths whenever the signal blew. He lost most of his audience as they headed to bed.
• Dan was still bombarded with techno music and flashing lights in his solitary confinement.
• He seemed to actually sleep now and then.
• Frank thinks his only chance to win in a final two is with Shane.
• His "perfect" final five is himself, Shane, Danielle, Joe and Jenn.
• He wants Ian out next.
• Oh noes!
• Meanwhile, Dan kept ignoring people at his door.
• Jenn and Ian told each other they wouldn't use their vetos to save Dan.
• In the Have Not room Dan told us he's not a quitter and plans to take them out one by one.
• Um. Okay. I'm not really seeing a way out here for Dan. But, let him go for it.
• After a round of trivia, the feeds returned to Dan released and Britney and Danielle unshackled.
• They're on indoor lockdown (extended) due to music which can be heard in the yard.
• What's Dan the Man's plan?
• Play psycho. He mumbled, said his head was wrong, laid down with a washcloth over his face.
• Meanwhile, he went into the storage room, smiled at the cameras, gestured that he's fine and gave us a thumbs up.
• From under the washcloth on his face, he grinned and winked at us.
• But he's playing it all up well -- seeing spots, having to go to the Diary Room, possibly seeking professional help.
• I'm really not sure what this will do for the vote, if anything.
• Danielle thinks it's all her fault.
• It is always all about her, y'know.
• Everybody said the Have Not room smelled of vomit.
• Dan said he doesn't remember vomiting.
• I don't remember seeing him sick. But, then again, I couldn't watch long when he was in there because the music drove me crazy.
• Everybody is worried about Dan.
• But I still don't see where the act is going to better his chances of staying Thursday.
• Frank is upset because once the yard opens up, the chum baths will play out as planned.
• Joe made slop cookies for Jenn and Dan.
• I don't think the veto will be used (either one) tomorrow.
• But nothing is written in stone. 

Dan suffering

Dan released and smiling at us

Dan winking at us

Big Brother 14: Second HoH, Nominations and More Show Blog Party - Aug. 26

In the amazing news front ... the show is starting on time here in the NYC viewing area! Woohoo! As it airs, I'll update this post with the major events. So, please refresh the page to see the latest.

However, the real fun (as always) is in the comments area. Come watch the show with us and join the party!

Finally, the recap is done at 8:12pm. Sure, a bit of new footage -- the last minute scheming before the second nominations, Frank blowing up afterwards. But, sheesh.

The HoH game, "Pull Some Strings." It's the upright board with ball holes using strings to raise balls. Dan out first. Jenn out. Britney out. Danielle out. Joe out. Shane out. Frank beat them all in individual rounds. He won HoH.

The new HoH gets to choose one person to be a Have Not. He chose Dan ... someone who's never been on slop in any season.

Frank finds Pandora's Box in the HoH room. He can win up to ten grand. He gets to choose three $ cubes. 1.05, 7.11 and then 3333.33. Now he's trapped while the others go wild. They get a clue that a second veto is somewhere. They need to find 50 cents (to play the game in the arcade room). Dan is bullying and lying through the comp. Oh my. Ian got the golden veto ball.

Britney thinks if he puts up Dan and Danielle up and one of the Quack Pack wins the second veto, they can take them both down. She told Ian if he uses the veto, Frank will put her up instead. She doesn't want to go on the block.

Nominations key order -- Jenn, Ian, Joe, Britney, Shane. Dan and Danielle on the block.

Big Brother 14: Live Feeds Overnight Into Sunday - Aug. 25-26

It looks like Dan's days are numbered

It's crunch time for the hamsters. They know it. Yesterday's reward/punishment comp results are in full bloom. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of You Wanted to be a Hamster:

• Previously on Jackie's TV Blog ...
• Jenn won PoV, but has to be on slop for the remainder of her time in the house. She also had to burn the skirt she's been wearing all season.
• Frank got disqualified (thus allowing Jenn to win), supposedly for some sort of cheating. He said he was sorry and shouldn't have said anything to her. (?) He has to wear a carrot costume for a week and take chum baths at BB request for 24 hours. He also can't compete for HoH this week or next. This week as he's outgoing, next week due to the comp.
• Britney has to be shackled to Danielle for 24 hours. She could choose the hamster and they're leg shackles with perhaps three feet between them.
• Danielle got "painted" and, of course, is shackled to Britney.
• Dan is in solitary confinement with industrial/techno disco beats and music pumping. He has cake, matzo and water. The music stops now and again, but the disco lights keep going.
• Shane apparently did absolutely nothing in the comp. He has no punishments, he won no veto.
• There. That's your recap. Onto the newest happenings ...
• In between music blasts and through the door, Dan apologized to Britney for letting her down in the comp. Danielle thinks he's mad at her. Huh. He didn't even respond to her, so maybe he is.
• He also said the Diary Room called him "emotional." That's not like Dan.
• Loud, animated, perhaps. Emotional, rarely if ever.
• The ONLY reward in the comp was the veto. No prizes for anyone. It worked on a point system for what they agreed to do.
• Frank told Danielle and Britney that Jenn won't be using the veto.
• He also told them he wants Joe and Dan out.
• Meanwhile, both Joe and Jenn are not surprisingly floating to Frank.
• Whichever way the wind blows for those two, eh?
• Through the door, Dan told Joe that he was okay with how things went down. He didn't think Frank should have been disqualified and wouldn't have felt right winning it that way.
• Joe told Frank he has his support through his two weeks of no HoH comp playing.
• Frank and Joe had a long talk about Ian. Frank is already pondering "when to cut him loose" and Joe likes Ian just about as much as Ian likes Joe.
• One thing which bothers me when Frank talks game with others -- he always projects himself as the winner. Others just talk final two and don't go there.
• He says that no one should be able to win against him in the final two.
• Joe encouraged that and said he'd be happy with the 50 grand.
• Joe confronted Ian about all the "cuss words" he said on the live show.
• Now, that's the pot calling the kettle black.
• The only ones WITHOUT potty mouths in the house are Britney, Danielle, Dan and Shane. I'm talking current hamsters.
• Frank and Ian, it's about every other word.
• Not cool, I say. I realize it's a habit, but they need to drop that bad habit like a hot potato.
• Speaking of speech patterns, it annoys me every time Frank calls another guy "son." He called Boogie that and Boogie is older than him. I find it condescending. You might call a small boy son, but not your co-workers or fellow hamsters. Knock it off, Frank.
• There's no time pattern I can discern with Frank's chum baths, unlike Brendon's hourly ones last year.
• This year the chum is red smelly goop.
• Joe's been hoarding his beers thinking he could use them as a bribe to stay off the block or for a vote.
• He was the one who wanted to trade his vote to JoJo for cigarettes.
• Dan started ignoring people at the door. I feel sad for him.
• Ian needs to calm his ego down, go back to rocking on the hammock. He's attracting too much gaming attention.
• Frank thinks that once Dan is gone, the target will be off him.
• Um. No. Everyone will want him out because if he does make it to the final two after the game he's been through, he'd probably unanimously win.
• At one point, Britney and Danielle were unshackled at the table. Danielle said something about having to go back to the Diary Room to be reshackled before the live feeders blow up.
• Hmm.
• Joe seems to think he's getting buff. Yet he doesn't work out with the boys.
• Nor does Ian, per se. He walks with the girls.
• Britney told Danielle she doesn't think Frank could win in the final two.
• True, if they're not voting for who played the game best, he couldn't. 
• Although I'm not really a Frank fan, I'd say if he made it to the final two, he'd deserve to win. The guy has really been up against all kinds of odds and beat them all.
• But if BB had not interfered and let him stay when he was voted out the week of the coaches into the game, he wouldn't be here today.
• Aha, now Britney is agreeing with me -- he'd be the most deserving.
• I feel redeemed.
• Joe thinks he's safe this week. I'm not as sure about that as he is.
• Joe told Frank he's worried about Ian winning another HoH. "The boy's got Hitler in him. The boy's got the devil in him."
• Frank went through nearly five hours without the chum signal. But then it got fairly rapid.
• He begged BB to let him rest an hour without it going off.
• He should have slept during the first rest, eh?
• Unbelievably, Dan looks like he's actually sleeping with that music and the lights.
• Not well, but at least napping.
• There ya go ... 

Shackle Mates

In many primate species, grooming is done for fleas

Time for a chum bath!

Yes, Jenn is still in the house

The comp turned Danielle into a cute little doggie

Cruel and unusual punishment, for sure!

Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 26, 2012

Good Sunday morning to you! Since it's Sunday morning, it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. If you're looking for the latest on Big Brother, you can see all of those posts using this link. I'll be writing up the overnight events soon. If you want to stick around, feel free to do so. If you're not interested, I totally understand.

The weather has been what summer should be instead of tropical. But we really can't forget (in this area) that we're coming up on the anniversary of the Hurricane Irene hit. Last year I was recovering from my knee surgery and, other than being without power for a few days, the hurricane didn't personally affect me so much after the waters on my street receded. I hope this hurricane season goes easy on everyone. 

A side thought -- who was the genius who planned the Republican Convention in Florida at what's usually the height of the hurricane season? Duh!

Although we've had little rain this past week, the mosquitos are out and about. I haven't been bit by one for a good ten years locally (in the Outer Banks last year, I was their daily meal), then a bite on the wrist a few weeks back. Now, in one evening, I have a bite below the elbow and one on my butt. Yes, you read that right! I seem to be having really bad reactions to the bites as far as inflammation and swelling go. Not cool. It's like I have a second elbow! And ...

"Does this mosquito bite make my butt look big?"

Couple that with the fact that I saw a dead bird on the sidewalk by the Union County College Campus, I'm leery of the mosquitos. Supposedly, dead birds can be indicative of West Nile Virus. This bird didn't look like it suffered any trauma from an automobile or hawk. I was on my way to the train station and hope that, since it's a college, they had it tested. Since there has been nothing in the news, I'm guessing they just threw it away or did have it tested and it tested negative. No, I'm not feeling ill. I'm fine. I just have a second elbow on my right arm and a big butt.

Other than that, it's been life as usual -- work, BB live feeds reports, sleep very little, eat (probably more than I should), rinse and repeat. For some reason, most of my photos are bugs this week. They gave me the best fodder. I met two different butterflies in the same spot two days in a row, thus I have two butterfly series in this post. 

Eastern Swallowtail

I met this male Eastern Swallowtail butterfly yesterday on my way to work. I know it's a male as it has very little blue on the wings. Yes, I Googled them. Bridgewater, NJ.

Monarch

The day before (Friday), I met a Monarch butterfly in just about the same spot on the same bush. 

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