The (TV) Show Must Go On...

Friday, August 27, 2010

Big Brother 12 - Into Friday, August 27

Lane did his first win of the season in a big way.

Well, things almost may as well be set in stone now. It's only a matter of which one of the Brigade Boys will take it all home. Here's what happened after the live show in that Big Brother House of Bodacious Boys and Brit:

Lane's win practically guarantees a final three for the Brigade.
It's sure that Britney and Ragan will go on the block with Ragan as the first target.
If veto is used, Britney will go home.
The remaining outsider will have to win HOH to stay in.
Lane was so excited about his win that he was ready to move into the HOH before BB had it ready.
Enzo can eat again, but the penguin suit was for a week. I think, if memory serves, he put it on last Saturday. Or was it Sunday?
Lane figured out they should have the morph comp this week.
The HoH comp was indeed the catapult ball into segmented doohickey.
Ragan told them some of Matt's secrets, but not the big ones.
He told them his real age (33, not 30) and the fact that he was supposed to be on last season but didn't because of his wedding.
They got their "libations."
They did the HOH room reveal and it's obvious that Lane is close to his family.
Everyone is happy.
Ragan should know his days are numbered, as are Britney's.
Lane's music was Eminem.
Lane and Hayden plan on being the final two.
It's likely Enzo will go on the block with either Britney or Ragan, probably Ragan.

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Bulletin - HOH

Lane is the new HOH.

More later.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Big Brother 12 - Live Double Eviction Episode Blog Party - August 26

It will be interesting to see if the show editing will attempt any hope at Matt staying. His guitar is already waiting for him in the jury house. A whole lot of nothing happened in the house today and all of the sleeping areas are still a mess.

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll post important updates in this entry. But the real fun is in the comments section. Everyone is invited to join in with your thoughts! Later tonight (or, worst case scenario, early in the morning), my full show review will be posted over on TV Squad.

Double eviction announced. First vote:

Brendon --> Matt
Hayden --> Matt
Ragan --> Matt
Lane --> Matt

Bye, Matt.

Hayden won HOH!

Nominations - Brendon and Ragan

Ragan won POV. Britney is on the block with Brendon.

Live vote:
Enzo --> Brendon
Ragan -- > Brendon
Lane --> Brendon

Bye-bye, Brendon

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Thursday Dawn, August 26

Ragan thinks the competition is geared towards Hayden and Lane.

Here's the skinny from inside that Big Brother House of a Defeated Diabolical Super Genius and His Little Buddy:

In the beginning, they took turns practicing for the comp.
Then Brendon and Enzo got ticked because they thought Britney was hogging the practice time.
Lane told Enzo that Britney told him that Brendon is trying to get himself (Brendon), Ragan and Britney to work together.
If they did work together, they could smash the non-comp-winning group.
They have an ant infestation throughout the house.
I guess that's better than bedbugs.
Britney thinks it might not be a double eviction and that the catapult ball into segmented wooden doohickey is the trial set-up for HOH.
She's wrong. Well, it could be HOH, but it's certainly a double eviction.
Britney told Ragan that she believes Lane when he says that the only prize he took in the POV was the phone call.
Britney tried to convince the Brigade Boys Minus One that they need to go after Brendon, not Ragan, next.
Enzo wants to give a funny speech.
Ragan stayed up way late practicing with Matt retrieving balls for him.
He can't believe his fate comes down to a water-filled ball on a teeter-totter.
Towards the time he gave up, Hayden came out.
Hayden landed the ball wherever he said he would.
Ragan feels defeated.
Matt is still trying to pep talk his little buddy.
Matt is resigned to going home.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Through Tuesday, August 25

Britney, ace HOH camera photographer.

I feel like I'm watching study groups lately. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Knowing Every Minute of the Season:

Yawn. BB let them sleep in until around noon their time.
Precisely why I didn't bother putting up a report before tonight's episode on the east coast.
I mean, we're talking studying for the comps and small talk.
Along with a bit of fussing about being a penguin.
Britney got the HOH camera and wanted to rush through it so she could write her blog.
She apologized to America for sleeping so much and crying.
She knows how we hate that.
Matt told Brendon he has his vote in the jury.
He probably lies.
After an indoor lockdown, they returned to the yard to find the catapult ball into a segmented huge box doohickey.
I believe my description is apt.
However, I've included screen caps for clarification.
Obviously, it's for one of the comps.
While they've been talking a double eviction for weeks, it has dawned on them that this (or similar) comp was in the Chima double eviction.
So they're practicing.
They also have a theory that the ratings are so good that it will be a two-hour double eviction.
Not so!
Britney thinks she's going to go home with nothing as she's won no prizes.
She had hoped to "start a new life" with at least the $50,000 winnings.
Lane says he's in debt.
I hope they enjoy their $750 a week stipend.
The one they're going to have to watch out for in a house/event knowledge comp is Ragan.
He's just about as determined as Brendon became after Rachel went.
Matt has already given up. He's even asked Kristy (?) if he can have an acoustical guitar in the jury house. She seemed to think it would be fine.

The catapult ball into segmented box doohickey game.

Big Brother 12 - POV Show Blog Party Post - August 25

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Wednesday Dawn - August 25

If all goes to schedule and Matt leaves on Thursday, I will NOT miss "hand down your pants."

Here are the late night and overnight happenings from inside that Big Brother House of Alleged Alliances:

Britney doesn't think Lane is there to win. She believes he's rich because of all he owns.
In almost a psychic moment, Britney wondered what Lindsay Lohan is doing now on the day she was released early from jail.
Ragan again told Matt "those four are working together."
He means Lane, Enzo, Hayden and ... Britney.
Ragan thinks Hayden is "shiesty."
Lots of small talk.
Lots more of going over events and memorizing them.
Brendon, Lane, Enzo and Hayden aren't the scholars of memorizing the house -- Ragan is with Britney a close second.
They all want Enzo to wear his head in photos and on Thursday.
Oh, not his own head ... his penguin head!
He hasn't been wearing it because he can't see in it.
Enzo is the only one who doesn't think it will be a double eviction on Thursday.
As I post this, Hayden and Enzo are quizzing each other on house events as Brendon sleeps in the Have Not room.

BB gave them badminton minus the net.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Tuesday Evening - August 24

He DOES have eyes? Who knew?

Meow Meow Penguin

His feet still aren't quite right.
Mine aren't either.
Thankfully they don't look like that.

I realize I'm a bit late in posting this, but for all the excitement we'll see on Thursday, today was a bit uneventful. The most interesting thing is watching Ragan change to forge on after Matt goes. Here's the news from inside that Big Brother House of Lackadaisical Louts:

Brendon got an official BB voice "thank you" for cleaning the mirrors in the kitchen.
If I wanted to study every event of the season so far, this would have been the day to take my notes. Just about everyone was going over everything over and over ... and over again.
Ragan was reciting comps backwards and forwards in addition to memorizing the counts of everything in the house.
Since he knows Matt will be this week's target and that Matt threw him under the bus, he's changed.
He's not going all drama and emotional.
Apparently he thinks the best revenge (and the only way for him to stay in the house) is to win comps.
He's become a studying machine.
Matt has tried to come up with ways to campaign to stay and got the old Lecturing Ragan.
"No, no, no. You're not listening to me. THEY want you to go. The boys, THEY want you out. It's not Britney or Brendon. THE BOYS want you out."
Matt is resigned, only occasionally trying to work the crowd.
Meanwhile, Ragan has memorized everything which has happened in the house by the day.
An indoor lockdown today was weird -- all the doors within the house were locked.
Most had been outside when the lockdown was announced, but Enzo got trapped napping in the HOH room.
Enzo, Lane and Hayden think that Matt told Ragan about the Brigade.
Matt, trying to deflect, told them he thinks Britney told them because she must have figured it out.
Ragan only has an inkling that there's the big alliance.
Most of the whole ordeal is paranoia that "Ragan knows too much."
Matt told Lane and Hayden he's still loyal to the Brigade.
Well, as loyal as he's ever been. He's mainly loyal to himself, I'd say. But he hasn't outed the Brigade ... yet.
Enzo thinks the Have Not food is killing him. He can't even sleep well on the cot.
He put in a request for more broccoli -- he doesn't like the slop and isn't happy with bean dip.
He wishes he could put cheese on the broccoli.
Hayden and Ragan did funny Brendon impersonations -- not mean, really. Brendon can talk on about his schooling and they both nailed it.
Ragan told Matt that he thinks the "three boys" (Hayden, Lane and Enzo) have an alliance with Britney and that's why he's on the block.
They're bored.
So am I.
And I'm tired of studying.
What happened on day 21?

Lane is full of hot air?

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Tuesday Dawn - August 24

Missing some of their old toys, they have new toys.
Now if the pool table would go missing.

Matt and Ragan share tender moments.

Here are the happenings from the evening and overnight hours in that Big Brother House of Diabolical Demolition:

It's odd how Matt is on the block, but so much is all about Ragan.
Hmmm.
When BB called an outdoor lockdown, Ragan was in the diary room and didn't come out.
Of course, everyone theorized that he "pushed the panic button" to exit as he was so upset that Matt would be gone.
Now, that's just ridiculous even if it is Ragan!
Ragan had been shunning (a favorite word of Enzo's) Matt after his talk with Britney in which he found out that Matt was trying to get him (Ragan) nominated instead of Matt.
Britney said that season 9 wasn't a good season. Y'think? Nine was the cupid one in the winter while the writers strike was on.
She also thinks this season is full of "big characters" and should be popular.
For me, it only turned interesting a few weeks back. I think the showmance with Brendon and Rachel turned me off for a long time. They focused too much on the couple and not on the rest of the house.
Brendon is doing so much better without her in there.
Heck, if she had been in there not in a couple and crashed and burned on her own, it would have been better than the never-ending focus on the showmance.
While in the lockdown, they thought BB might be cleaning out (Kathy's) dead fish.
But, nope. Not even touched although we got a "Back Soon" screen with the mechanical hand moving around coral (below).
It turns out that Ragan was really just in the Diary Room after all.
I pity the DR workers having to listen to him drone, fuss and whine for so long.
Britney told Enzo that Matt said he (Enzo) hasn't been really trying in the game, thus throwing him under the bus.
With Enzo, all you have to do is put the idea in his head that someone is talking against him and it sets him off.
I think Britney knows that.
Once they started talking, Ragan and Matt talked forever ... saying pretty much the same stuff over and over again.
Ragan told Matt that he thinks from the feeling of the house that it's a done deal -- Matt will be going home.
I believe that's definitely the case.
Matt, now faced with the inevitable, has finally quieted down his cockiness.
It's almost sad to see it all crashing down for him, but then I think of all his bragging about how great he is and the lie about his wife.
I'm not saddened. Anyone who thinks they're so great at this deserves to crash.
I know. I'm mean.
Ragan has almost moved on. He's already trying to get his game together to forge ahead without his cuddle buddy.
Although both Brendon and Britney seem to be fitting in with the Brigade Boys, they're not really.
Right now, despite side alliances, it's Lane, Enzo and Hayden remaining loyal to each other and no one else.
They want Britney, Ragan and Brendon out.
As an observer, I'd say if Britney, Brendon and Ragan were to work together, they could easily win the comps over the Brigade Buffoons and take over the game to final three.
But I don't see that happening.
Instead, we might see three guys who have had nothing but an alliance and a social game in the finals instead of the three who actually try to win comps.
Very odd.
Lane also told Matt that he needn't bother trying to campaign to stay when Matt asked.
Matt knows what's ahead for the diabolical super-genius of BB12 -- eviction.
Hayden and Lane really want to be in the final two together.
If that were the case, Hayden would get the votes due to his social game.
But they don't know that. I do.
Matt and Ragan talked more. Sigh.
Matt told Ragan he had a big secret he wanted to tell him, that it wasn't a game-changer (at this point), but big.
Ohhh ... the wife lie?
Ragan says he'll vote for Brendon to win before he'd vote for one of the "three boys."
I question calling each other "kids" and "boys." What's up with that? Aren't they men? Aren't these people supposed to be adults?
Never mind. Those were rhetorical questions.
Britney and Ragan talked about working together. They think if Brendon wins HOH, Ragan is his first target, she's the second.
Little do they know, they don't have much chance with "the boys" either.
Hayden, the one who broke a pool cue a few days back, broke a vase in the yard clowning around.
"Who would have thought Hayden would be the one with anger issues?"
Nah, not anger -- just tomfoolery.
Enzo says he's becoming one with the penguin suit.
Ragan told Matt he thinks Enzo and Hayden are the ultimate floaters in the game.
He left out Lane. Hmmm.
Matt told Ragan that Britney is the sneakiest player who will be left in the game.
Of course, Matt himself was THE sneakiest.
Matt didn't tell Ragan the wife lie ... yet.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Big Brother 12 - Monday Daytime Live Feeds - August 23

What? No silly smirk, diabolical super-genius?

Here's the news from inside that Big Brother House of Penguins and Crushed Cronies:

Matt continued to campaign with both Enzo and Lane to talk Britney into putting Ragan on the block instead of him.
Britney continued stuck between a rock and a hard place. No matter what she does, there will be consequences and her end game isn't looking too great.
Matt cornered Britney and told her he was freaking out.
Yep, he even pulled the wife card. After all he's gone so far in the game and to lose it all ... all he can think of is her.
I so want to see their reactions when this wife lie is exposed!
Britney mentioned that Matt and Ragan are much closer than she and Lane are.
I'd say, as Rachel would say ... they're a pair.
However, we all know that Matt is just using Ragan while Ragan is all star-crossed puppy dog love or something.
Britney said she got nothing but punishments and no prizes in the comp, Brendon had the chum bath, forever slop and handcuffs even though he won POV and Enzo gave up all of his clothes to charity and is wearing a penguin suit.
Matt insisted he didn't win anything.
He didn't. Golden boy Hayden took the money and the trip!
Brendon talked to Britney, too. They're seriously thinking of working together.
She mentioned that if she puts Matt up, which will make enemies for her, it would be half of what he seriously wants out of the house.
They think they'd be evenly matched in gameplay if they were in the final two together.
They would.
The only other person playing the game to any extent is Matt.
But he's such a sneaky snake that he needs to go before they hand him a half-million based on the wife lie.
I said that, not Brendon and Britney.
Brendon told Britney he won't be coming after her and thinks they'd both do better working together.
Then it was time for the POV meeting and the feeds were blocked.
Brendon saved himself, naturally.
And Matt is on the block.
Matt ate slop all alone (pictured above), perhaps punishing himself for his own darn cockiness.
Britney told Ragan about how Matt was telling both Lane and herself that she should put him (Ragan) on the block instead.
She told him not to say SHE said, because he also told Lane and Enzo and probably Hayden the same. But she thinks he should know before he goes wild trying to campaign for him like he did last week.
Enzo's feet are broken.
His penguin feet, not his real feet.
Enzo, Lane and Hayden are thrilled that Britney's doing their dirty work and getting Matt out of the house.
@@
Ragan studied the memory wall so he can do the morph comp better.
They think it could be a double eviction week this week.
Brendon told Britney if he gets HOH, she's safe.
Lane got his phone call from home. His mother said that he has supporters all across the country and that a local restaurant named a burger after him.
You know you've hit the big time when the local diner names a burger after you!
Matt campaigned to Lane for a vote.
I don't think the Brigade boys will vote for him. He's distanced himself too much with his Ragan Bromance.
Enzo has done diddly with the exception of giving his clothes to charity, but he's kept in with Lane and Hayden.

Brendon has smiled more since Rachel left than
he did when she was here. That should be a clue.

Bayonne Bird

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds into Monday Morning - August 23

Britney playing pool in her birthday dress.

Here are the late night into the morning happenings in that Big Brother House of Fools:

Britney and Lane think they'd have a better chance in the final three with Enzo rather than Matt or Ragan due to the endurance comp.
Well, duh.
Britney is afraid if she goes with a Matt nomination (and he goes this week), the others won't be able to get Brendon out.
Brendon grilled up some broccoli and it turned out very well.
I'd probably burn broccoli if I tried to grill it.
They had another pool tournament. Sigh.
Brendon and Enzo trashtalked Ragan's crying.
They're right -- Ragan is an emotional mess this season.
The only other male to cry this season has been Brendon. He did a bit more than his share, too.
Enzo talked to Britney about a final four with her, Lane and Hayden.
He told Britney that Brendon is more worried about getting Matt and Ragan out than he is with her.
Matt, knowing he's in danger, is trying to get his true blue buddy Ragan on the block with Enzo instead of himself.
Ragan will probably cry when he finds out Matt betrayed him.
Kind of like a Judas' kiss, eh?
Hayden is still trying to convince Britney to put Matt on the block.
Either Matt or Ragan would be good choices to eliminate power players in an endurance comp.
The others have all shown little endurance strength.
Matt and Hayden stayed up talking, just going to bed as I get this posted.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Sunday Evening - August 22

Lane's pool duckie just needs a slight beard.

I think Britney's regretting winning HOH.

Here are today's happenings from inside that Big Brother House of Suspicious Minds:

Britney and Brendon weren't handcuffed for 24 hours.
They were set free at about 1 PM their time and Brendon's chum baths ended.
Enzo wants to trademark "Meow Meow."
My cat Vincent might fight that in court.
Recall Ragan holding up his hand when Kathy asked someone to watch the fish?
Well, one's already dead.
Hayden told Enzo and Lane that he's the one who took both the money and the Hawaiian vacation in the POV comp.
So Matt is innocent (at least this time).
And Hayden's a bit of a sneaky pants.
Brendon thinks he, Enzo and Hayden all need to be on the same page and tell her Matt has to go up on the block.
Enzo would be on board with that -- chances are that if he and Matt are on the block, Matt will go home.
Enzo wanted to paint "Meow Meow" on his penguin suit, but BB told him "Stop that!"
Ragan made an abacus out of candy to work on dates.
Lane came in and thought an abacus was an advocate.
I like the boy but sometimes question his mind.
Matt finally cornered Britney. He told her that if he stays this week, he will target Brendon, not her. If he (Matt) goes up against Enzo, he (Matt) will be going home and she will lose someone who could further her own game as Brendon will target him (Matt) before he goes after her.
He made some good points.
I've been kind of taken with Enzo on an entertainment level, but the dude hasn't won any comps. He's all talk and swagger. At least everyone else is trying to play the game.
Oh, wait. Hayden and Lane are doing just about the same thing. Hayden won the first comp by a team effort and has done nothing since.
Ragan is sure that this week will be a double eviction week.
He was sure last week and the week before, too.
This time he's right.
Ragan, all full of conspiracy theories, thinks the PoV comp was just a bit too convenient -- from who won to who she was cuffed to to who received punishments.
Britney told Ragan that "everyone" is telling her that Matt won all the prizes.
Apparently when all of Enzo's clothing went off to charity in the POV, their pool tournament bowl went with it.
What a shame. I'm sure we'll be seeing it on eBay.
The more Britney talks to people, the more it seems like she's getting sold on keeping Matt.
If she puts Enzo and Hayden up, that's probably not a good thing -- although that's her thought at the moment.
True, Enzo's useless and to some extent expendable.
But if she's in a final three with say ... Ragan and Matt -- no good. Both could outlast her in the endurance. Plus Matt does have his sick wife lie and gameplay which might garner votes even if they all think he's a sneaky snake.
And, if Enzo and Hayden are on the block and Hayden goes home ... oy! He's also dangerous at the end game as he's universally liked, but everyone would be mad at her.
Enzo's ticked. He wants to go against Matt and Matt goes home. He says the costume is cursed. Everyone who wears it goes home.
They kept blocking the feeds throughout the evening, sometimes for pretty extended times. I don't know what's up with that.

PlayDoh Hayden and Lane

Big Brother 12 - Nominations Episode Blog Party - August 22

Welcome back my friends
To the show that never ends
I'm glad you could attend,
Step inside, step inside ...

-- Emerson, Lake and Palmer from the "Brain Salad Surgery" album

Big Brother 12 - Live Feeds Into Sunday Morning - August 22

Britney and Brendon are chums ... in more than one way.

Another round of the chum bell.

Ew!

So, what's that all about? Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Handcuffed Chum Bell Hijinks:

After Britney's release from her nightmarish Jesse workout in Pandora's Box, the house got a bit boring once again.
Hayden and Lane went on and on (and on again) about snowboards and snowboarding.
Nothing against snowboarding, but sheesh!
Then it was time for Britney and Brendon's 24 hours of being handcuffed together.
They actually have a lot of leeway between the cuffs and little furry cuffs which won't hurt as much as being really handcuffed.
Brendon is certainly paying for his POV win -- not only is he bald, not only is he handcuffed to Britney for 24 hours, but he also has to make a "chum bath" every hour when the bell rings.
There are chums as in friends and then chum as in fish bait.
Guess which one is in the chum bath?
I guess instead of fish guts and stuff, it's instead an "old beer and yeasty" tub o' stuff.
Meanwhile, Ragan is so upset about the Brendon win that he even asked his bromance Matt to leave him alone.
Matt, of course, thinks everything was rigged for a Brendon win.
Had Matt won, Brendon would have thought everything was rigged for a little people Matt win.
You just can't win for losing!
Enzo is still lamenting on his penguin persona.
I think he's a hoot in a penguin suit!
Ragan pouted all alone, Enzo humorously fussed about his own penguin predicament, and the rest talked small talk.
Actually, this 24 hour handcuff bit with Brendon and Britney might end up being a good thing.
They're getting along and talking.
Britney's in a bad spot, on the fringes of the Brigade alliance, yet not a part of it.
While she alienated Brendon even more by going back on her word, they're kind of bonding more now.
Every time the bell rings, Brendon has to dunk underwater in the chum tub, then he showers off the ick.
Britney told Brendon that she's mad that she made the nominations according to the house and no one (except him) tried to win POV. She was trying for the POV while the others went for prizes.
No one is owning up to winning the money or trip yet.
I don't blame them. I'd keep that a secret, too.
Matt suspects that Britney is going to put him up as the replacement nominee. She's been avoiding him since the comp.
Of course, now she has a constant companion.
I'm talking avoiding him before the handcuffs went down.
Ragan lightened up for a moment dancing in Enzo's penguin suit while Enzo was in the hot tub with a borrowed bathing suit.
All of Enzo's clothes are gone. Can we expect commando?
Enzo thinks Brendon looks like Bull the bailiff from the old show Night Court.
I'm surprised any of them are old enough to remember that show!
Britney went on again about how mean Jesse was to her in Pandora's Box. He told her it was obvious she didn't work out and she needs to lose weight.
She weighs 100 pounds.
Probably a strong wind could take her away.
Britney and Brendon talked game and how neither trusts Matt.
Everyone thinks that Matt won the big prize(s) as he acted all happy after the POV comp and has no punishments.
Heck, it could be Hayden. He claims he tried and didn't get prizes. Yet he has no punishments.
Lane admits to the phone call from home prize. But he has no punishments either.
The two on the block and Have Nots also got the worst punishments.
Although Brendon's punishments are nothing when he considers he has the POV and will remain in the game.
The sentiment in the house remains Bat That Matt and is growing stronger.
If he doesn't go up and out this week, I'll be shocked.
Let's see how the diabolical super genius handles this twist of fate.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - August 22, 2010

Ah, yes. It's Sunday morning, time to relax and reflect on the week gone by. If you're looking for the latest Big Brother live feeds report, check out the post previous to this one. I'll be posting more on that a bit later. Right now it's time for me to sip my coffee and take a look back on the past week in words and photos I've taken.

It's still a very hot summer here in New Jersey. We saw some of the humidity levels drop which was nice. But hot is hot. I don't care if it's a "dry" heat. It's overcast with light rain showers as a write this, with heavier rains expected throughout the day. We really need the rain and I find it refreshing. Plus, I have no real outdoor plans today.

Let's see ... what happened this week? Well, to show what a small world it is or what a long reach this blog has, I received an email from blog reader Gayle last week. She's been a regular reader and commenter since BB6. It turns out that she and her husband are visiting from Trinidad and Tobago and staying with her aunt in Plainfield. Oh my -- she was staying right down the street from me!

On Wednesday, Gayle and her husband met me for lunch downtown at Blackberry's. Such delightful people! I had such a nice time and we talked and talked. I didn't realize that their cable television carries networks like CBS to them in decent time -- just whatever the time difference is. I learned a lot about Trinidad and Tobago and had a fine afternoon. It's amazing the people this blog brings together.

Um ... that was my highlight of the week. In "waiting for the bus" news, I met a woman who was carrying a paper grocery bag and wearing no shoe laces. She showed me a release paper from the Plainfield Police Department (right across the street). "They told me the bus driver won't need money if I show her this. Are they right?" Well, gee. I really don't know. After telling me that she had been locked up for two days, I asked her what she did. "I punched a police officer by mistake when I was trying to punch my sister." That will do it! She didn't seem dangerous. I was a bit surprised that they give them two frozen meals upon release. What if they're homeless and have no oven or microwave?

I shouted back and forth to fellow blogger Dan Damon as he sat at the red light. Dan covers Plainfield news and also runs the CLIPS blog which lists links of local interest daily. I also got a chance to see the people who gather to be bused to the violence-ridden area of town. Once there, they pass out fliers. I don't know if that's the best approach to gang violence in the west end of town.

It reminds me of a big embezzlement at my workplace (in which I was a suspect due to access) and the first step the local police did was to questionnaire us. Eventually they worked their way up to lie detectors with the state police. But the questionnaires were laughable ... pretty much as I see this flier effort. By the way, at work they caught the person. It wasn't me. But I knew that.

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

What I always wanted!

Pet crabs? I guess not as this is attached to the outside of Pete's Fish Market on East Second Street in Plainfield. Just thinking about a live bushel of crabs makes me think of all of the barrels of eels and live frogs on the streets of Chinatown. Shouldn't it be "Bushel of live crabs" instead of a live bushel?

Plainfield Train Station

It was overcast as I returned home from work last night. That made it seem darker. But the days are indeed getting shorter. Good. I want autumn!

It's like he's looking back at me!

This moth was kind enough to pose for me in Bridgewater near the train station. I have no clue what kind of moth it is, but I find it way cool. He wasn't really large -- perhaps 3 inches across with his wings extended. A friend told me the wings reminded him of the skull butterfly in The Silence of the Lambs. EEK! Wait, no skull. Phew!

Waning sunflowers

The sunflowers on East Front Street in Plainfield are looking mighty different these days. The ones with the huge centers and shorter petals have given way to these. Still very pretty, but not anywhere near as magnificent as the dinner plate sized ones.

Used Stuff

I always enjoy looking over used stuff. However, in this case, the used stuff was mostly industrial kitchen stuff. My teensy kitchen is big enough for a table of two to accompany the appliances, counters, etc. This shot was edited (naturally) to keep the sign in color. I took it as I peeked into an open overhead door at E&A Hotel and Restaurant Supplies on East Fifth Street in Plainfield.

Ch-ch-changes

Once again, the graffiti wall in back of the Plainfield YMCA building has changed. Although not quite as artsy as the original comic characters, this is better than simple tagging and a world away from gang graffiti. Perhaps it's my inner wild child, but I actually like street art done well and not offensive or vulgar. I guess this person hearts PattyBoo.

Don't eat the berries!

I have no clue what they are, but they're growing mixed in with the poison ivy on the fence in Bridgewater, NJ. If they're not poisonous, they've mingled amongst the poison. But they sat still for my camera. That's all I wanted.

A grasshopper poses

This little guy was on a wall. Prime victim of my camera! I told him that his name alone implies he should be in grass, not on concrete. Did he listen? No.

"We're here for you!"

Don't do this, don't do that ... can't you read the sign? *Thank you to the Five Man Electrical Band for the song "Signs." I understand that they might not want these things going on at this Babies R Us location in Bridgewater. But this glaring sign is a bit off-putting, isn't it? No photos? Hey, I had to practice civil disobedience and take a shot of the sign.

The YMCA owl

I spotted an owl I never noticed before in the window of the Plainfield YMCA. It's there to keep pigeons away. This owl is accompanied by spikes. Oh yes, it's a fake owl. I forgot to mention that. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield.

So, how's that working out?

Well, the pigeon just goes to the next window!

The stuff of nightmares

This is detail from City Hall on Watchung Avenue. While it's definitely cool, who comes up with these things? Body of a monkey ... large cat ... I don't know what, head of an eagle. They're a bit like the flying monkeys gone avian.

Dental Care

Oh, probably not. It looks abandoned to me. The back of a building on Watchung Avenue in Plainfield.

A man and his guitar

This doesn't really look too comfortable, does it? I guess a wailing song and a good guitar exhausted him. Cleveland Avenue, Plainfield.

Upside-down Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

See! I know what this one is! One of his "tails" has gone missing, though. Bridgewater, NJ.

Right side up

A new career idea!

I could drive a "courtesy car" golf cart around selling hot dogs! Y'think? E&E Restaurant Supplies, East 5th Street, Plainfield.

You're going to work again?

No, Vincent. I have the day off just to spend it with you.