Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - July 11, 2010

I realize I have an influx of Big Brother 12 fans aboard this week. Just to let you know, every Sunday morning I reflect on the week gone by in words and photos I've taken. I will be posting the latest live feeds news from the house a bit later. But, for now, I'm off topic.

This week was one of the hottest ones I can recall in my lifetime. The high on Tuesday was 105. Even when the heat wave broke late in the week, it was 89 with very high humidity. I actually like the winter better than what I went through this week. I'm SO dreading my electricity bill because I kept my AC on so much! We need rain, too. I surely thought I sweated enough to take care of that, but apparently not.

The west side of town and its shootings seemed to have calmed down some. Perhaps the heat kept people indoors more. I guess if folks can afford handguns, they can afford air conditioners.

Beside the heat, the big event of the week was the season premiere and kick-off of Big Brother 12 on Thursday night. For me, it marks the start of a rather grueling three months or so of reporting live feed happenings and reviewing show episodes three times a week for TV Squad. Don't get me wrong, I anticipate the challenge each season! How long can Jackie survive on little to no sleep? ;-)

We tested the elevator at my apartment building. One day this week, the rather large man who lives directly above me, a woman who regularly visits someone in the building, Steve and his bicycle from upstairs and I all got in at the same time. It got us to our destinations! However, I noticed the door doesn't always go all the way into its groove once it opens on the second floor. Today I came home with groceries and ended up running upstairs to push the door into place so it would know to close, then downstairs to load my groceries in once it arrived. I'll have to let the people running the place know.

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window ...

As high as an elephant's eye ...

The sunflowers on East Front Street (Plainfield) are way taller than I am. That top peak one has to be over 8 feet high! Alas, due to the lack of rain, I'm seeing a lot of browning and dying leaves at the bottom. The plants themselves aren't as fat as in previous years, either.

Up against the tree, squirrel! Hands up!

Resting on the base of an oak tree at the Plainfield Train Station.

You'll never catch me, copper!

Blue damselfly on a poison ivy vine

These damselflies really need to stay still longer! It's hard to get a shot of them.

Blue fly on a stinkhorn mushroom

Oh my. He seems to be eating the stuff that supposedly smells like carrion off of the mushroom. The stinkhorns have been making rapid appearances and shriveling away within a day lately. No. No sexual innuendo there. Really!

Sign(s) of the times

Open windows and air conditioners. I'm not sure how folks do without screens. I know that I get the occasional outside bug in here and I have screens. Don't birds fly in? North Avenue, Plainfield.

In which I risk my life once again for the shot

This is a yellow jacket, a member of the wasp family. I am allergic. Yet I'm strangely drawn to photograph stuff. And, there he was. I edited the shot to make the background black and white (really, gray) and leave the yellow jacket in color. Do you know that they're one of the most likely to sting and they can sting multiple times? Bridgewater, NJ.

Could he be the culprit?

I'm seeing a lot of beetle-type damage to the poison ivy and other plants at the Bridgewater Train Station -- obviously not so much on the leaves pictured here. I haven't seen the usual suspects, Japanese beetles, around. Yet this tiny kind of iridescent blue beetles are there. By the way, not only the leaves of three, but the "hairy" vines are indicative of poison ivy.

The yellow jackets have appropriated some real estate

This is where I'm getting the yellow jacket photos from. I think they're building a nest or something in there. The two on the right side are dead. Almost like a whale beaching, they nudged themselves into that crevice and got stuck. I wasn't about to rescue them! There are about ten honor boxes in a row there. Only this one has yellow jackets in it. No one has tried to fill it lately. I wonder why?

Just a weed

But if you look closely, there's a small bee and a large ant on it!

Trouble ahead, trouble behind

"And you know that notion just crossed my mind." - 'Casey Jones' by The Grateful Dead. Nah, nothing to do with drug troubles. I'm talking heat problems. I never realized that intense heat will swell railroad tracks and slow down the trains. Plus, the new engines running these double-deckers automatically shut down (and stop the train) when they reach 140 degrees. The railroad lines with electric engines had more trouble than mine with diesel. But we were still late a lot. Plainfield Train Station in the early morning haze.

Yay, sunflower in bloom!

Can you find the honeybee in the shot? I saw chocolate-covered sunflower seeds in a store. Now, had they been dark chocolate-covered, I would have had to give them a go. East Front Street.

In which I mess with the colors

East Second Street in Plainfield.

Dog Day Afternoon

The black chihuahua is my downstairs neighbor. He has a friend staying with him. Yes, I hear yaps and yips. I could send Vincent down to put them in their place! Notice how brown the grass is. We're not under any water restrictions here (that I know of), but many places in New Jersey are. "Man, it's a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun ..." - 'Smooth' by Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas

More sunflower action

These are really great! I love me some sunflowers.

No, I'm not going inside!

I played a bit with the editing of this shot. I liked the sun and shadows on the building and its letters. I've never been inside. I'm sure my knee would set off the metal detectors. Watchung Avenue.

Hot town, summer in the city

"Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty, been down, isn't it a pity, doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city ..." - 'Summer in the City' by The Lovin' Spoonful. I messed a bit with this one, too. Watchung Avenue and Court Place, Plainfield.

Gravity-defying moth

He's just hanging around.

There he is, right-side up!

Some kind of wasp ritual?

The Real Estate yellow jackets are forming a new society, I guess.

Quiet morning

I worked on Monday, a holiday for many people. The streets of Plainfield were deserted. Watchung Avenue. And, yes, I edited it just to leave the railroad bridge in color.

Johnny on the Spot

Thankfully these only remained up three days after the parade. One year one sat on the lawn at my building for almost two weeks! East Front and Richmond.

What? You say it's hot outside?

Vincent remains comfortable during this horrid weather. If you recall he was a stray picked up in Riverside Park in Manhattan. I adopted him from New York City Animal Care and Control, the shelter system which covers all of the boroughs. Well, some creep is beating up women in the park now. I'm so glad Vincent isn't wandering the streets of NYC these days. He probably is, too.

How was your week?

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Saturday Evening, July 10

Kristen eats

Now, doesn't Annie have a Lily Tomlin thing going on?

Great housekeepers, eh?

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends -- the Big Brother 12 live feeds! Here are the happenings into Saturday evening ...

• I don't believe I mentioned it before, but the Have Nots are Rachel, Matt, Ragan, and Kathy.
• Annie talks way too much about herself and they all come across as "woe is me" kind of stories.
• The Saboteur appeared on the screen again telling the hamsters that "two people in the house are lifelong friends or have a previous BB alliance."
• The speculation started. Of course, it's the saboteur, so it might be just a spool of lies.
• Some think that Kathy and Britney are mother and daughter. Both are from Arkansas. Others think Andrew and Brendon are related.
• Annie told Ragan that Britney is turning everyone against her. There's no need for Britney to do that. Annie does that well enough on her own!
• Britney is worried about being put on the block.
• The target to replace Brendon (when he saves himself) still seems to be Annie with the vote going her way, thus keeping the Blinded By Science Duo intact.
• Brendon can cook and likes to do so.
• Lane isn't as dumb as he seemed at first. He is quiet, though. I think he's taking everything in.
• Brendon told Hayden that if he and Rachel stay in the house, he won't be going after him (Hayden).
• Brendon also told Hayden that he can't trust Britney as she's sure to flip.
• Hayden is irked that Monet never cleans house. Most of them don't -- the dishes were way piled up and every room except the HOH is a disaster zone. I know they're going to scramble to clean for the live show. Don't the hamsters ever realize we see their messy rooms?
• That's why I don't have a webcam.
• Hayden and Kristen have an alliance with Andrew as a shaky third. He's too spontaneous and misbehaving to trust him with much information. I should note that Kristen is also kind of close to Brendon.
• But not as close as Rachel is to him.
  

Brendon cooking. He looks good in that blue shirt.

Kathy from Arkansas

Britney from Arkansas. Related? Hmmm ...

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Through Saturday Morning, July 10

Brendon will be responsible for the next worldwide toothpaste shortage. I mean ... is this necessary?


Lane has a tattoo that, unlike Matt's, doesn't need to be covered up with a bandage for the duration.

Pale people sunning. Ow.

Yep, I'm here with the latest. But first (as Julie Chen says), I need to fuss and whine. First off, I kept getting errors whenever I'd try to post a photo or save a post on Blogger. That was all morning. Argh.


Then there's the new format for the live feeds. Real.com went web-based this season and eliminated the RealPlayer. There are tons of glitches in the new format, most of which they should have solved BEFORE they went live to the paying audience.

• We're talking no audio on the quad cam. They claim because it's "too confusing" with all four cams. Um, they still tend to show us only two rooms at the most at one time, albeit from different views. So, it's two conversations, not four.
• They finally put a sound control on the window overnight. Before, I had to adjust the sound on my computer itself and it was always way too soft or suddenly loud as they changed cams.
• The little feed image from cam 4 has vanished, yet if you click on it, the cam itself is active.
• There's some kind of odd jerk in the action, almost a stuttering, as I watch the feeds. Way annoying.
• I can't resize the window and full screen isn't.
• With the web-based, BBReloader went out of business. I can no longer run four separate windows with four separate feeds going. I figured a way to record feeds, but it's very time-consuming and thus far, nothing worth the effort.

Oh, well ... onto those Happenin' Hamster Hijinks ...

• I finally realized who Annie reminds me of (in looks) -- Lily Tomlin! She has those same thin lips and the eyes are similar, too. I like Lily Tomlin much better. Annie isn't really that funny at all.
• Lane thinks Enzo reminds him of Russell and will need to be eventually backdoored. He doesn't remind me of Russell. Yeah, he's a bit overbearing. But the guy can be way entertaining in a houseful of dolts. Meow.
• After her long heart-to-heart talk with Hayden, Annie ran to Britney and spilled all. Of course, Hayden heard about it. She's solidifying being the first hamster out, methinks.
• Enzo and Brendon want Andrew out next week. But, when they're with other people, that can change.
• Kristen thinks the house is already divided into two sides -- Hayden's and Brendon's. Um, that should be good for the week until there's a new HOH.
• Kristen told Hayden he needs to trust Enzo and Andrew. Hmm ...
• Enzo entertained a group with a Meow Meow story. Meow!
  
• They do have fish in the house again. Once again, at least one fish has died.
• I believe the life expectancy with critters in the house was better the year with the tarantulas.
• Kathy told Brendon that she won't compromise her dignity for the half-million. She also told him she has no alliances. That's pretty much the truth. She gets along with just about everyone. She really needs to up her performance in comps, though. I expected much more from an active law enforcement officer. She's done poorly and gotten injured (not seriously) in both the HOH comp and the Have/Have Not comp.
• Brendon told Rachel she needn't worry because he's the POV holder and has control in the house -- the others will do what he wants them to do.
• Yeah, right.
• Unfortunately (as I want Rachel out due to her Irks Jackie Factor), he might be right. It still looks like Annie will be put up and out this week.
• Annie is annoying in her own way, but at least she doesn't stick her boobs and butt out everywhere.
• I expect today to be rather non-eventful as the POV meeting is probably slated for tomorrow. I'll post later this evening.
• Meow.
  

Rachel

Ragan

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Late Friday Night, July 9

When I last left you, the POV comp was done and over. Brendon, who's on the block with Rachel and is the main target for eviction, won and squashed the plans of everyone. So now they're all scrambling to decide who to put up on the block. Here are the latest happenings of those Merry Little Hamsters in Nevernever Land:

• A core group of the guys -- Hayden, Enzo, Matt, and Lane seem to pretty much be running things. Meow Mafia? Not so sure on that as Enzo isn't really leading them. They don't seem to have a leader. In some ways they're coming across as confused boys to me. They're not sure where to turn next and are all over the place.
• Ragan, albeit fairly popular when he's around, is almost invisible. He hangs out with the women more than the men.
• Andrew's antics around the house have probably ruined any game he had. If he weren't safe this week, he'd definitely go out unanimously.
• After the POV, at least Hayden and Annie got new clothes, supposedly picked by family members but Annie is dubious of that. Her sister would NEVER shop at The Gap! BB apparently wants them to be "colorful." Enzo wore his plain old "Meow Meow" t-shirt through the evening.
• I want a Meow Meow t-shirt. It's nothing to do with Enzo.
• Brendon, Matt and Annie think that Monet should go on the block.
• Annie, of course, has her secret alliance with Brendon.
• What they don't know is that Hayden promised Monet he wouldn't put her on the block.
• Enzo told Monet that he would talk Hayden into putting Annie on the block.
• Annie is really not Ms. Popular. They know she's been talking a lot to Brendon and no one (except Rachel) seems to trust Brendon at all.
• They all think Brendon is a strong and dangerous player.
• Enzo thinks Annie is the saboteur.
• I haven't seen anything definitive on the feeds with the saboteur. I'm hanging onto my Matt theory.
• The general feeling of the house is that Annie should go on the block and go home.
• Ragan, Kristen and Hayden think it's too early to form alliances. Um, looks like Hayden might be lying.
• Brendon spilled the beans to Matt about both his own and Rachel's education levels.
• Maybe Rachel blinded him with science (science!), I don't know.
• Hayden told Matt he wants to put Kathy up as a pawn and vote Rachel out.
• Kathy doesn't want to be a pawn.
• Hayden then wants to put Annie up but is worried that she might not go home and will be miserable and vindictive about it.
• Most of the girls are getting very leery of Annie as she works her way through hanging out with the guys.
• Annie also went to Hayden for a long talk, claiming she was just getting to know people and it's apparently the wrong thing to do in the house as everyone is now thinking she's up to something.
• Well, she is.
• Andrew tried to smooth things over with Hayden. He just doesn't understand why all the girls hate him. Well, the pulling off of blankets and yelling "Gyno exam!" just might have something to do with that.
• Hayden told Andrew that he should apologize to the girls and that he doesn't think he (Andrew) is the saboteur.
• I don't think it's Andrew either.
• Rachel approached Hayden. He told her there were two others he could choose to go against her who would be voted out instead of her. They made a deal lasting until week seven. Hmm.
• Rachel thinks Monet is one of those two. She thinks that if she was on the block with Monet, she (Rachel) would be evicted.
• I think she's right.
• Andrew seems to have redeemed himself with Enzo, Hayden and Rachel from what I can see. He can be fine when he's not being a clown.
• Annie talks way too much. She would be in better straits if she'd just stop talking for a while.
• BB gave them alcohol at midnight their time. Which is 3 AM here!
• That's about it. It looks like Brendon will save himself and Hayden is likely to put Annie on the block with Annie voted out.
• If that's the case, her own mouth did her in. Woe is her. But it would leave the Blinded By Science Duo in the house. As an observer, I don't think that's a good thing. Not only that, but Rachel irks me to no end.
  

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Report - Into Early Evening, July 9

Gosh, I hate missing out on whatever happens the first five days in the house before the feeds go live for us. As I mentioned in my last report, Hayden put Brendon and Rachel on the block. His target is Brendon and, for some odd reason, the house seems to want to vote Brendon out although they're sure it's Andrew who's the saboteur. Andrew is safe this week as he volunteered to be a wiener. Meanwhile, Brendon and Rachel refuse to campaign against each other because they're too busy having a sucking face showmance. Are you with me so far?

They had the POV comp today ... Brendon won, thus throwing the others into a tizzy. Here's what's happened thus far today --

• Andrew went to Hayden trying to make a deal for next week, claiming he isn't the saboteur. He knows the house thinks he is and he's in danger once he's no longer safe.
  
• Andrew would be a very bad saboteur as he's such a big clown and an annoying one at that.
• Kathy, Annie and Monet think Andrew likes to send them on a guilt trip when they eat his food by accident and he tells them after the fact.
• Hayden told Monet that he won't put her up on the block if the POV is used to save someone.
• Brendon and Annie have an alliance thing going.
• Hayden and Enzo talked about getting Annie in a fake alliance with them, using her of course.
• Hayden suggested it to Annie and they talked about Brendon being a big threat and even a double threat as he's already a couple with Rachel.
• Britney pushed for a Britney, Lane, Hayden, and Monet alliance.
• I do keep typing Money instead of Monet.
• Ack.
• It sounds like the POV had something to do with spelling.
• Kathy, Britney and Kristen are all very worried that one of them will be put on the block if/when Brendon uses the veto.
• Enzo and Matt think Rachel has to go home.
• So do I.
• She's beyond annoying.
• Enzo is disgusted with his own performance in the comp.
• Matt and Enzo notice that Annie is sucking up to Brendon. I guess her "secret" alliance isn't all that secret.
• Brendon says he doesn't want to be in the house without Rachel. Oh, well. Don't let the door hit you on the way out! I was psyched to like him, but don't know that I've seen him in action.
• Brendon and Annie are pushing for a Monet replacement on the block. But I think she's safe with Hayden.

And there ya go. Them's the dirty deeds of the day so far.

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Friday Dawn (July 9)

Enzo rocks the hat and looks better in it than without it.

Ragan is partial to flannel shirts. Who woulda thunk it?

Brendon sans shirt, not that I'm surprised.

Don't even ask me what's going on with Hayden in the do-rag.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the live feeds went live at 11:58 PM ET last night. It's always hard in the beginning as we've lost the five days or more that the hamsters have already been in the house. But here's the skinny I picked up on:

• Andrew has successfully made himself disliked by many. Most think that he's the saboteur as he clowns around a lot. As the feeds went live, he lifted the blanket covering Annie and yelled, "Gyno exam!" That's a great way to impress the women, eh?
• They've already had nominations -- Brendon and Rachel are on the block. Hayden is targeting Brendon. Apparently he thinks Brendon is the saboteur.
  
• I personally would target Rachel. She's beyond annoying.
• Kathy is all bruised up from "both" comps. Hmm. Must have been a food comp.
  
• They have alcohol.
• Monet, Enzo and Andrew were picked to play for veto with Hayden, Brendon and Rachel.
• They're worried that if Andrew wins HOH next, he's a safe saboteur.
• Enzo said that he will respect the HOH selection. If he wins, he won't use the veto. Of course, he's open to discussion.
• Kathy had a long bonding talk with Annie.
• Later, Monet and Kathy talked about how nasty Annie was to Kathy.
  
• Kathy seems to be mingling well with others.
• No one really really wants to talk with Brendon a lot.
• He preached Buddhism by the hot tub.
• Brendon, eye candy that he is, is a bit boring.
• Andrew knows people are shunning him. Andrew said there's a gang against him. When he told Enzo how bad it is to have everyone stop talking when he enters a room, Enzo tried to give him some advice.
• Then Enzo told both Lane and Annie (separately) how Andrew is annoying and has to go, reporting that he came to him.
• Kathy told Andrew that she's on his side. Hmmm. I'm not sure about that!
• Matt, Enzo and Hayden have allied with each other. They plan to keep it a secret and "talk smack" about each other so no one will know.
• I know.
• Kathy is so bad at comps that they predict she'll be on slop all the time she's in the house.
• Oh geez ... no wonder Brendon and Rachel say they won't campaign against each other ... they're making out. @@
• I've lost any respect I had for Brendon. He let flotation devices sway him to the dark side.
• A few are still awake as I post this, but they're nodding off in general.
  

'Big Brother 12' - Talking Live Feeds and Pools

Apparently the live feeds aren't going to go live until after the show airs on the West Coast. As a result, my first live feeds report will be in the wee hours of the morning. For those who are new here, my feeds reporting tends to be sort of a Reader's Digest condensed version of the happenings. Since I'm one person, a blow by blow reporting just isn't possible. I gather what I think is most important or what catches my fancy as I watch, then post about it.

My regular live feeds posting schedule will likely be three reports a day -- early morning, early evening, and late evening (based on East Coast timing). When there's an endurance comp, I'm usually there for the duration posting screen caps from the feeds and reporting the results. But, tonight, once they come on, I really need some time to gather feed report fodder!

Of course, any readers with the live feeds may feel free to post what they're watching in this post until I get up the first feeds report of the season!

Also, Lisanne has graciously volunteered to run the blog pool this season. If you've already signed up on the show party post, she should have you on the list. If not, speak up here.

I've written my TV Squad season premiere review, but it hasn't gone live yet. I'm not sure when an editor will get it scheduled, but it should show up on either the TV Squad Big Brother link or my writer link there once it goes live.

11:58 PM ET - Feeds are live!

It sounds like Hayden put Brendon on the block, not sure who else. Woohoo! Rachel (Boobs Galore) is on the block with him! Kathy and Annie are talking -- they say that Brendon says he won't campaign against Rachel. Oh, geez. Why not? They do NOT like Andrew! Right when the feeds went live, he ran to Annie, pulled up the blanket she had covering her and yelled, "Gyno exam!"

First screen cap of the season ...


My review of the premiere is up on TV Squad.

Big Brother 12 - Season Premiere Blog Party Post

Yes! It's finally here -- a new season of Big Brother! As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with major happenings. My full review of the show will be posted over on TV Squad at a later time. The real fun of this all is the comments area. Everyone is invited to jump in with your thoughts as the show airs or afterward. Remember, it's okay to trash the hamsters on the show, but please treat others here in the community with respect. Not everyone is going to have the same favorites or see the same things on the show. That's part of the entertainment!

The community here is second to none. I haven't heard yet from Margo on a blog pool. Unfortunately, I'm going to have a lot on my plate for the next few months and don't dare extend myself. But if someone wants to take it on, it's relatively simple. Blog commenters ask to be in the pool, their names are shuffled and hamsters are drawn, and they cheer on that hamster as long as they're in the house. As the hamsters are eliminated, the pool results are posted with the show entry. We don't really offer any prizes, but there are those bragging rights!

The show's about to start here on the East Coast. Get your snacks and drinks and let's watch us some new hamsters!

Whoa ... over 15 minutes before the first commercial break. So far, we had intros and they're in the house. Julie told them there's a saboteur. Hmmm ... I don't know. Lane is quietly suspicious, but I think he's quiet and perhaps not all that bright anyway. I know. That was mean, but he said he's not smart first!

HOH has them riding slippery huge hot dogs across a giant grill. If they fall, do over, teams of two. Britney hurt her knee, commercial.

Hayden won HOH, Money won MoneY - 10 grand.

The saboteur turned off the lights, then locked the storage room so everyone has to eat slop.

Countdown to Big Brother 12

It's a new season and the esteemed (and talented) Zoetawny has made a new blog logo for us! I want to welcome back BB friends and give a nod to those who stay year 'round, as well as extend an invitation to new folks who might stop by. This blog is a great place to be for the summer season and I thank everyone for joining in on the community that's grown here!

I've been poking around my SuperPass, checking out the cast interviews and tonight's Happy Hour with Chelsia (BB9) and Missy (no BB). Basically I'm coming away with the thoughts of "meow meow Mafia" in my mind. I'm not so sure that's a good thing.

It looks like the feeds themselves (which start tomorrow night after the premiere) are actually going to be better quality this season. They're using FlashPlayer instead of the RealPlayer itself. That seems to have knocked out the BBReloader, something I've used in past years to record the video. There are ways to record FlashPlayer videos, but I'm not going to invest big bucks when it's likely YouTube will take any longer videos down.

Here's some of the skinny and my observations:

• According to one interview I saw with Julie Chen, the saboteur twist is only set to last for five weeks. If the player lasts the five weeks, he/she wins the 50 grand. What is up in the air is whether that player will leave the game at that time or stay in the house.
• Chelsia didn't care much at all for Monet -- she said she's empty upstairs and, after the interview, she just went off to sit in a corner not talking. I actually had a better impression after watching interviews with her, now I'm wondering again.
• Jeff and Jordan are still together. I knew you wanted to know.
• There originally was a 14th houseguest, but she got cold feet and dropped out.
• Janelle and Jordan will be hosting their own shows on SuperPass this season. That's in addition to the Happy Hour thing.
• They're having the Have/Have Nots again.
• Oh my. Julie announces to them they have a saboteur! So, it's not going to be a secret for them. I just saw a clip on Entertainment Tonight.
  

I will be doing live feeds content here. Right now, it's still a bit up in the air for TV Squad. There have been site changes there as of late and, while they're very into the show, I'm not sure of the logistics involved for getting out information really timely. We're looking into various avenues for feeds content there and I'll keep you updated.

As for the shows, I'll be posting an entry each night when the show starts here on the East Coast. I'll update with any big news, comps won, etc., as the show airs. However, the best thing about those posts will be the community in the comments area. Everyone is welcome to chime in as the show airs or afterward with your thoughts. My full episode reviews will be posted over on TV Squad.


Right now the feeds are playing the theme music and the "be right back" screen. Above is what the new player looks like in SuperPass. You really don't need to hear the music.

Tomorrow night, 8 PM EDT ... be there here or be square. Are you ready?

Big Brother 12 - Hamster Videos Finale

Okay, it's time for me to finish up my take on the hamster videos over on CBS.com. I'm not quite sure the questions are ones I would ask. But, since I didn't submit any, I can't fuss.

Britney is up first ...



Hmmm ... now, she's another one I like better in this Q&A video session better than in her bio and previously released clip. She's apparently very hooked on the show and that will certainly help her game. She also came across as fairly level-headed. Oh my. Now I'm confused!

Brendon is next ...



I keep wanting to spell his name with an "a" instead of an "o." I know I'm going to slip during the season. I like him. I understand his reasoning behind not telling the others of his PhD pursuit. But I don't think it will work all that well with him. He's obviously very fit. However, he also speaks intelligently. He definitely can't play dumb!

Annie's up ...



Let's hold her to her word about her vote at the end (if she's on the jury and doesn't win). To be honest, that's the kind of player I want to see! I'm tired of the namby-pamby voting on these reality shows. The games are often about backstabbing, backdooring, and betrayal ... not about your BBF in the house! I think she might be making a bit too much about the bisexual bit when you think of this group. But she didn't know who will be in the house when this video was made. She didn't know that it's all young'uns.

Last up is Andrew ...



Andrew is the second oldest hamster in the house at 39. (@@) I don't know. He's so smug about how smart and how physically fit he is. I think Brendon has him beat, albeit without the doctor degree (Andrew is a podiatrist -- a foot doctor.) If he comes off as cocky in the house as in his video, coupled with his restrictions due to religion ... he might not even make the jury.

Your thoughts?

Big Brother 12 - Continuing on With the Videos

I already covered five of the houseguests in this post, so I'm moving onto the next group.

Let's start off with Kristen ...



"I've always enjoyed the premises of the show." Um, okay. She must like the house and yard, right? It kind of bugged me watching her in this video. I'm hoping it was just nerves or something. She spoke with a lot of "ums" and pauses. She wiggled way too much and seemed to be sticking her chest out. I'm not all that impressed with her, not at all.

Next up is Kathy ...



Kathy's not only the oldest hamster, she's a cop. She's someone I'm hoping to enjoy on the show. Already I like her answers and demeanor more than I liked Kristen's. I'm worried about her fitting in, though. I believe the others are going to be a bit suspicious of her from the start. I find it interesting that she's an Evel Dick fan, perhaps one of the most edgy winners ever.

Hayden's up to bat ...



Well, he's not coming across as "nice" as was my first impression of him. Perhaps he won't be the next Nick. That's actually a good thing. Nice people can get eaten alive in this game of betrayals and backstabbing. Gullible blows the win. His interview also showed why the ages skew young -- "I have the summer off, no job, no relationship ..." He'll be okay to watch in the house, but I don't think he's going to necessarily be as strong a player as he thinks he will be.

Enzo is next ...



Meow, meow? Oh my. I feel like I'm hanging out in Jersey City or Bayonne on the waterfront surrounded by the "Guido" stereotype. I actually think, if he lasts for a while, Enzo might be very entertaining to watch. I really don't believe he'll mesh all that well with others except on that "man's man" kind of basis. I keep thinking in the back of my mind that he's either a fan or friend of Justin Sebik from Season 2. That's a bit scary.

I'll post the final group tomorrow evening. Your thoughts on this bunch?