Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 25, 2011

My new friend Ralph, the ghost crab

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. As an on television topic reminder -- don't forget ... the new season of The Amazing Race begins tonight 8 PM ET/PT! C'mon by the blog party!

Okay, most of you know I'm on a trip. Mind you, my neighbor (who has machetes and is far more likely to use them than I) is watching my apartment. So, no funny business.

Getting to the Norfolk airport was a nightmare on Friday. The weather caused all kinds of airline delays and cancellations. My own planned route -- Newark, Detroit, Norfolk -- got discombobulated. The flight out of Newark was running so late I'd miss the last Detroit to Norfolk plane. So I was re-routed through Atlanta instead. They promised me my checked bag would be rerouted too.

They lied. My checked bag went to Detroit and missed the last plane of the night to Norfolk. Grr. I couldn't wait for that plane to come in Saturday afternoon, so they did deliver the bag to the house here (with its TSA approved lock and the nifty yellow zipper pulls ripped off).

But all is cool -- met up with Laurie, Margo, Marge, Ann, Ruth, Elaine and Delee. Despite the rainy day here, we ate well and goofed off well! I roamed the beach despite the rain. My photos aren't that great because, while I made sure to keep my camera lens away from the raindrops, my eyeglasses didn't fare as well. Haf the time I couldn't see what I was shooting! But the rain stopped during the evening and I KNOW I'll have plenty to shoot during the week.

Here ya go ...

EWR

Nuff said.

Gate Gourmet

At EWR

Rain, fog and plane

The fog was so heavy that the airplanes taking off soon vanished from sight. Once I was flying and saw the sunset above the clouds, that was striking -- a deep shade of red over the floor pillows of clouds. No photos as I didn't have a window seat because I was on a plane going to Atlanta instead of my original flight.

Virginia cool 'shrooms

Laurie pointed these out to me by the parking lot of the hotel we stayed at Friday night.

From the same area

'Shrooms from the side

Note Santa runs the locksmith

The sign adjacent to this decrepit business said something about super security. Maybe the Claus ... I don't know. This is in Virginia. I think. Maybe North Carolina.

Corolla NC 'shrooms

I suppose it's okay if you carry it in the open.

Wet bird

Wazzat?

Why ... it's a herd of pelicans!

Don't tell me it's a pod. I don't want to hear it. I like herd.

Vincent at his Best Friends

Whenever I bring him there, the big monitor flips to photos they've taken of him. Sniffle. I miss him! But they do treat him well there.

Survivor South Pacific 9/21 Episode Blog Party

Survivors ready? It's almost time for the show to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll be updating this post with major events. But the real fun and active discussion can be found in the blog party comments. Stop on in and share your thoughts on the show!

Semhar is miserable on Redemption Island. Too bad, so sad.

Ozzy found the hidden idol without a clue. He says he won't tell anyone. We'll see about that.

Brandon told Coach he's Russell's nephew. So they now pray together. @@

Christine found the clue to the idol, but hasn't a clue.

Immunity is mainly physical. Reward is blankets, pillows, a hammock. Savaii wins!

Brandon wants the strongest woman, Mikayla, voted out because she "tempts" him. That Hantz kid is whacked in an entirely different way than his uncle. Great Tribal Council!

The tally:
Sophie
Edna
Christine
Stacy
Christine
Stacy
Christine
Stacy
Christine

Christine was voted out.

The Amazing Race 19 - Meet the Cast!

Our Emmy-winning favorite whirlwind trip around the world returns this coming Sunday for its 19th season. As we always do, we'll have blog parties here all season as the show airs East Coast time.

That great gal Margo is running the blog pool for the show. If you want in, please respond to this post. If you're an anon, you'll have to give some sort of name to participate. It's all in fun with no real wagering -- teams are picked randomly for each pool participant so we can cheer them on all season. The folks with the winning team earn bragging rights!

Racers ready?


The cast (left to right): Top row -- Ron and Bill, Kaylani and Lisa, Amani and Marcus, Jeremy and Sandy, Bill and Cathi, Andy and Tommy. Bottom row -- Liz and Marie, Justin and Jennifer, Ethan and Jenna, Laurence and Zac, Ernie and Cindy. [Clicking on the image will open it larger in a new window, then hit the back button on your browser to return to the blog entry.]



Here are my quick takes on the cast accompanied by a bit of information and the links to their CBS bios:

Ethan Zohn and Jenna Morasca -- Oh, I HAVE to do them first! Everybody knows I'm not a huge advocate of folks returning or crossing over on reality shows. That's because most of the time, it's folks who are "notorious." So, each of them are previous million dollar winners of Survivor. Why am I happy they're on TAR? Because I admire both of them so much! Ethan fought off cancer and is such a great guy, too. Jenna is intelligent and so not devious. They're dating and, even though they've both had their big reality payday, I wouldn't mind at all if they won this season. I like 'em that much! He's 37, she's 30 and they both live in NYC.

Amani and Marcus Pollard -- They're a married couple. He's 39, she's 36. He's on Phil's competitor list in the video above because he's a retired NFL player/coach. Their hometown is Pine Mountain, GA. They have four children. Hmm ... I'm not getting any real vibes off of them. I'm not a football fan, so I have no clue who he is. One thing in their favor is that they seem to have a solid marriage and will probably work well together as a team.

Andy Finch and Tommy Czeschin -- Yet another one of the "competitor" teams, Andy is 30, Tommy is 32. They're both from smaller towns in California. And, they're both professional ex-Olympics snowboarders. Now, I don't expect snowboarding to take place on the show this season even though they often visit colder climes. But I think these two bear watching. I know from my skiing days that snowboarders are a special breed -- they're definite risk takers. Something like that is going to work in their favor on the show. I hope they're really likable because I'm going to bet they have a strong chance at the win.

Bill and Cathi Alden -- These two are my sentimental favorite for the win right off the bat ... but they probably won't. He's 63, she's 62. While they seem to be in great shape, we all know those years work against them. They're married and live in Albany, Oregon. He's a retired teacher, presently a rancher. She's a retired high school principal and presently an online professor. They have three children. (Most likely grown children, I'd hazard to guess.) I like them. But the race is grueling on teams decades younger. We'll see.

Ernie Halvorsen and Cindy Chiang -- This engaged couple -- he's 29, she's 30 -- hail from Chicago. He's a project manager while she's a brand manager. Um. Okay. That's better than mixologists, I guess! (The bios do explain the positions a bit more.) I see a possible foods stumbling block as she's gluten-free, not a bad thing in the normal course of life, but it might have inherent problems running the race. I'm not getting either winning or losing vibes from their bios.

Jeremy Cline and Sandy Draghi -- A dating couple, he's 35 and she's 33. He hails from Alamo, CA while she's from Dublin, CA. He's a commercial real estate broker while she's a nurse practitioner. They have no experience working together under stress. Uh-oh, they better watch out! She says he reminds her of George Clooney. I'm just not seeing that. They want to build a stronger relationship together on the race. Well, I hope they don't bicker or call each other "babe" a lot.

Justin and Jennifer Young -- This brother/sister team hails from Stone Mountain, GA. He's 31, she's 26. He's a doctor and she's a special education teacher. Man, their parents did something right with them, huh? They both seem like nice people, but their bios make it evident that they might have some sibling rivalry issues. I usually enjoy sibling teams, but if he does indeed always treat her like a kid sister, that might not be too cool on the race. They'll have to work as a team or they won't make that finish line.

Kaylani Paliotta and Lisa Tilley -- My gosh, haven't we had enough VIP cocktail waitresses out of Las Vegas on reality TV shows? Kaylani is 33, Lisa is 32. They're friends. I'm just not overly enthusiastic about them. Not only is there the Vegas girls thing, but I know I'm not going to be able to tell which one is whom. Maybe they'll surprise me and do well. Hopefully they won't have annoying laughs.

Laurence and Zac Sunderland -- This father (48) and son (19) team is from Thousand Oaks, CA. They're on Phils competitor list because the son was the youngest person to sail around the world alone back when he was 16. The father is a yacht manager. So now we know where the kid got his boat! Oh my gosh, there are eight kids in the family! Zac could have gone off sailing and not be missed! These two could possibly be a strong team. I'm getting little clue about their personalities, so I'll chalk them up as a "we'll see" team.

Liz and Marie Canavan -- Oh, great. I already have one female team I fear I won't be able to tell apart and what does the show do? They give me twin sisters! Both girls are 24 and from Deerfield, IL. Liz is a marketing assistant while Marie is "soul searching" as she goes through her quarter-life crisis. @@ They seem to fight a lot. Yeah, we all love that so much with teams on the show, right? I'm not too enthused about these two.

Ron Zeitz and Bill Smith -- Domestic partners living in Laguna Niguel, CA, they're both flight attendants. Ron is 44, Bill is 49. Neither have a fear of traveling (a good thing considering their careers) and they might have an edge in airport travel. But how will they do at the rest of the racing? Hmmm ...

What are your thoughts on the teams? And, don't forget ... speak up in comments here if you want to be in the blog pool!

Dancing With the Stars Blog Discussion Fall 2011

Yep, it's here again! Dancing With the Stars makes its premiere with a whole new cast of dancing fools! Who will win? Has Chaz a chanze? How will Ricki Lake do?

Here's your place to discuss the show with friends! I won't be blogging weekly about it, but I am interested in what you think. This post is listed in the sidebar or you can access it by searching for "Dancing With the Stars" on the blog. Have fun, but remember ... no drunken dancing!

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 18, 2011

My apologies for getting this up late today -- first Blogger didn't want to let me post photos, then I ended up making breakfast and watching Sunday Morning on CBS. Well, at least it's still Sunday morning and now it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken.

I do need to touch a moment on television, though. The recently ended (yay!) season of Big Brother will go down in my records as the worst or, even giving it some credit because I enjoy watching Jeff and Jordan, perhaps a tie with BB9 as worst. I watched the after finale interviews. Ho-hum. Keith wants everyone to know he's single and looking. Adam is still delusional that he's some great game player. Jeff and Jordan will be moving in together -- they're just not sure where or when. Rachel and Brendon are supposedly getting married this weekend as per TMZ. Y'know ... I don't really care. I'm just glad the season has been put out of its misery despite the fact that they're claiming higher ratings.

My week was, for the most part, uneventful. I'm trying to get ready for my trip to the Outer Banks next week. I bought new travel-sized stuff to put in my good old quart bag to get through TSA checkpoints at the airports. I know from my last trip that the knee(s) are going to set off alarms, so I'm expecting extra scanning or pat downs.

I "graduated" physical therapy this past Friday. No, not because the knee is all healed. It's more because I ran out of the allowed visits per calendar year on my insurance. Since the kneecap dislocated and attention has had to be paid to that, I didn't do half the things I did in PT with the previous knee. I'll probably be returning to use the exercise equipment in October. I didn't have the knee replacement only to be dependent on a cane or wear a brace.

On Tuesday I have another follow-up visit at the orthopedic surgeon's office. Those have been coming every two weeks since the dislocation, too. I suppose I should be worried about the knee while in the Outer Banks, but I'm not planning on stressing it a lot. I won't even attempt to climb up to the top of the lighthouses. I am tossing around the idea of renting a bike down there for the week. The rental bikes are sturdy and may let me go off exploring more with my camera. I'm mainly thinking heated pool, hot tub, hammock on the deck, and relaxing. Oh. And FOOD.

I didn't really get a lot of great photos this week, but here are some:

Ban the scan!

I can only think they mean the TSA scan at the airport. Newark is supposed to change from the scan which puts out "naked" images to one which shows gingerbread men cut-out type images. But I don't know whether the latter will be in place when I go through security. Last year the scanners weren't so prevalent and I ended up going through a pat-down each time.

Nature's beauty

These shrubs/small trees bear off-white blooms well into the summer, then turn to this in the early autumn.

Scotch Plains 9-11 Memorial Flag

Benches dedicated to the three lives lost in Scotch Plains on 9-11

Unveiled

The memorial

Won't be around much longer

Replacing the H

Interesting -- I never thought about the neon tubing having to be specifically made for the signs. John's Meat Market, Scotch Plains.

Flower in the park

I took this from inside the gazebo at the little park in Scotch Plains

Cat nap

o
Vincent at rest after a big meal.

Big Brother 13 Season Finale Blog Party

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll update this entry with major events. It's been a long odd season and the final three going into the finale aren't what I would have liked from the beginning. But, I guess since they're there, they're deserving. I guess.

The real fun is in the comments and I hope you all join in! Partay!

Back to part one of the final HoH ... surprise, surprise ... Adam is the first out early in the mixer bowl. Rachel is in the zone, for sure. 46.10 minutes and Porsche is out. Rachel wins the first round!

Second round - Porsche vs. Adam. Underwater maze, matching HoH faces to correct spot. One at time, Porsche first. Although he's a smoker, Adam can definitely hold his breath longer. But he screws up discarding then retrieving his goggles. 6 1/2 minutes for him and 3 min. 50 sec for Porsche. So he sucked again!

Kalia joins the jury, then Jordan. Awkward!

3rd round of HoH -- Rachel vs. Porsche -- how well do they know the jury? They both did poorly, but Rachel is the new HoH!

Porsche and Adam can plea their case to stay. Rachel votes to evict ... Adam. She's keeping her deal with Porsche.

Time for the jury interrogation.

Now they each can plea their case to stay. Rachel is repeating herself again, but she does make a solid case. Porsche, hmm ...

Voting time --
The order inserting their keys for the win:
Brendon
Daniele
Jeff
Shelly
Kalia
Jordan
Adam

But first ... the early hamsters return.

The jury votes:
B -- Rachel
D -- Porsche
J -- Rachel
S -- Rachel
K -- Porsche
J -- Rachel
A -- Porsche

RACHEL WINS BB13!

America's favorite houseguest -- Jeff wins!

Survivor South Pacific Season Premiere Blog Party

Yep, it's here -- a new season of Survivor! That way too cool Zoetawny made us a new blog logo for the season and Margo is running the blog pool.

The pool participants are as follows (randomly picked by Margo's Mom) --

Upolu Tribe
Albert - Jennasmom, Margo
Brandon - Zoetawny, Keith
Christine - JOEY, Ed
Edna - Glenn, Monty 924
Mikayla - Rbennie, Becky,
Rick - SueGee, Auntie Leigh
Sophie - Jackie, Delee,
Stacey - meb, Sharon S
Coach - Donna in AL, ML

Savaii Tribe
Dawn - PDXGranny, lynn1
Elyse - Buzzmaam
Jim - Pam, DKNYNC
John - Caraleigh, Nana in NW,
Keith - Terry in PA, Dora M
Mark - Lisanne, Donna in FL
Semhar - Sydney, Laurie
Whitney - Karen in CA, Lorraine
Ozzy - Teri, Petals

As the show airs here, I'll update this post with major events. The real fun is in the comments area -- please join us there!

Survivors ready?

Ozzy is on Savaii, Coach on Upolu chosen by ink colors in random eggs pick.

Redemption Island is going to work just like last season.

Hero challenge -- Ozzy against Coach. It's physical, wanna bet who wins? The reward for the winning tribe is "terra" (sp?) -- like potatoes and flint.

Shocker! Ozzy wins and his tribe was a big help. Coach's tribe just confused him on the puzzle.

Christine already put a target on her back by calling Coach and Ozzy "temporary" and then going off immediately to search for the hidden idol.

Meanwhile, the retired NYPD detective is gay. Interesting!

Immunity challenge coming!

Upolu wins immunity and Semhar probably sealed her fate. Very close.

For his own reasons, Ozzy is pushing for Cochran to go instead of Semhar. We'll see.

Tribal Council time ... time to tally the votes:

Cochran
Semhar
Semhar
Semhar
Semhar
Semhar

YAY! Cochran stays!

Even Ozzy voted her out after pushing for her to stay. The vote was unanimous with the exception of her vote for Cochran. Good.

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Into Finale Day

The end is nigh ... finally. Tonight is the big season finale of Big Brother with the final HoH round between Rachel and Porsche. As usual, it should have ended more than a couple of days ago. Three hamsters in the house is always tedious. These particular three hamsters, even more so. I've had a few people ask why I haven't posted updates the past few days. Well, honestly ... I tend to post updates when something actually happens. After all, how many times can I post:

• The girls have agreed to take each other to the final two.
• Adam keeps pleading his case with each nonetheless.
• Adam begged America to vote him as favorite player.
• They played cards.
• They talked in funny accents.
• Not funny ha-ha, mind you. Funny annoying.
  
• They napped.
• They worked out.
  
• They cooked.
• They ate.
• Then they played more cards.
• They reminisced.
• They tried to figure jury votes.
• They tie-died shirts.
• They ate some more.
• You get the drift.
• Now, had I caught some actual news -- say something like one of the girls said they'd take Adam to the F2 -- I would have broken in with a post.
  
• However, it does look like the girls will definitely take each other.
• I guess we'll see tonight!
  

Stop back tonight for the Survivor premiere party at 8 PM ET followed the Big Brother 13 season finale party at 9:30!

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - September 11, 2011

If you're looking for my latest Big Brother post, this ain't it. It's here.

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

This isn't just any Sunday morning -- it's the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Our lives around here were forever changed on that day. The skyline of my favorite city isn't the same, but the lives lost and the loss of a sense of a secure homeland will be with us forever. The images are ingrained in our minds. We will never forget.

The Scotch Plains (NJ) 9/11 Memorial

This won't be truly unveiled until today, but I took some photos of it Thursday.

The covered piece is part of one of the towers.

Onto the more trivial things of the week gone by. Of course, it rained some more. We needed that, right? On the day I trekked to both my orthopedic surgeon's office in Bound Brook and then to physical therapy in Scotch Plains it was periodic monsoons. I needed that ... right?

The doctor and the PT are pleased with the way my patella subluxation (kneecap dislocation) is coming along. Now, it still has put the knee replacement recovery a bit on hold. My surgeon suggested buying a brace for it. Sigh. I didn't get a knee replacement so I could wear a brace! I'm holding off on a brace for now. I want to build up the quad muscle and pray the kneecap never again dislocates.

Oh well, onto the photos ...

Did another business move in?

The restaurant for rent signs have vanished, but no new signs are in place. I didn't go over there and peek in because I was waiting for a bus ... in the rain. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield. I edited this one to leave just the restaurant in color.

Sad

At least Luigi's is a constant. Watchung Avenue, Plainfield. Why is this happening? The rent is just too damn high!

Underside of a HUGE mushroom

No, I didn't do this. Irene probably did. While I love to take photos of them and I am curious, I won't damage nature ... not even a mushroom. My grandfather told me when I was young that I need to put every rock and stick I moved back as everything in nature is someone's home. Maple Avenue, Bound Brook.

Another mushroom fatality on Maple Avenue

Rainy day flower

The flower garden on Maple Street is no longer in its heyday, but there still are some blooms. It was only raining lightly on my walk from the bus to the surgeon's office. So I could take photos, but no bee shots!

Same flower garden

And again ...

And again ...

One more Maple Avenue flower garden shot!

Torrential rains after my surgeon visit

This is Mountain Avenue near the intersection of West Union Avenue. My un-sheltered bus stop is across that street on the right. Thankfully I waited out the worst of the downpour under the eaves of a church.

Happy Halloween!

Alfonso's Pizza in Scotch Plains has decorated their back door. Yes, it's raining.

Fall flowers are coming in!

A planter on Park Avenue in Scotch Plains ... in SUNSHINE on Friday.

Keep your eyes on the prize, Vincent

Yes, it's catnip ya little feline catnip freak!

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Bulletin - HoH Round Two

It sounds like a rough one -- Porsche and Adam are all beat up, scraped and bleeding. They apparently were underwater bringing up hamster names to solve a puzzle, then filling in the puzzle underwater.

Oh.

And Porsche won.

Adam is telling both of them he'll sacrifice the $500,000 if one of them will take him to the final two. He'll tell the jury to give it to whomever takes him.

Survivor South Pacific - Meet the Cast

Survivor South Pacific premieres this Wednesday night, just before the Big Brother finale. I guess we'll have a busy TV night, eh? It's time to take a gander at the cast through Jeff Probst's eyes --




Of course, he left out the two returning castaways -- Coach and Ozzy. I'm of two minds about this. I do NOT like returning reality folks in the games. I really don't. While I won't necessarily mind watching Ozzy once again as he's a cutie patootie, Coach just outright annoys me. Sigh. We'll see.



Once again, they'll be using the Redemption Island concept, too. Hmm.

Here are my quick takes on the other castaways:

Upolo Tribe:

Albert Destrade, age 26, currently residing in Plantation, FL. He's a baseball and dating coach, not the both at the same time I don't think. I don't know ... in reading his online bio he's coming off as way full of himself. Usually, if that's how they act on the show, I want them gone quickly. He ain't all that!

Brandon Hantz, age 19, currently residing in Katy, Texas. Surprise, surprise. He's Russell Hantz's nephew and he's an oil tanker crewman. He's very young for the game. He seems to want to redeem the Hantz name and let people know it's not a synonym for mean and nasty. Having his last name tattooed in two places on his body isn't going to help his case.

Christine Shields Markoski, age 39, currently residing in Merrick, NY. She's a teacher, a good thing of course. But, in reading her bio, she's coming off a bit too idealistic for me -- sort of like the world is full of sunshine and puppy dogs and winning Survivor isn't a case of deceit and backstabbing. Oh. And she says she "needs" the money. For me, in reality shows, that's a turn off. People who "need" money can't be wasting time being on reality television shows. I know I can't!

Mikayla Wingle, age 22, currently residing in Tampa, FL. She lists her occupation as a lingerie football player. Oh my. I didn't know you could make a living at that! She has also graced the cover of Playboy already at a young age. I'll try to keep an open mind about her until she does herself in with me. Oh. Did I say that?

Rick Nelson, age 51, currently residing in Aurora, Utah. He's a rancher and not to be confused with Ricky Nelson, son of Ozzie and Harriet. He compares himself with JT, but an older and better version. I think his physical game is going to be a good one. But how will he do with the younger folks? He's tried to get on the show 14 times before. Hopefully he won't disappoint me like Adam on BB.

Sophie Clarke, age 22, currently residing in Willsboro, NY. Okay, we're talking a real small town gal. Her graduating class had 28 students? Sheesh, I had more than that in each high school class! She's a smart one and would like the winnings to pay for medical school. (Now, that might be worth the risk of going on a reality TV show!). I kind of like her bio. Let's see how tough yet likable she can be both physically and mentally.

Stacey Powell, age 44, currently residing in Grand Prairie, Texas. She's a mortician. Well, that's different. Now, I want to like her just because she's an over 40 player. I know. I'm biased. But I feel I always have to cheer on those closer to my own age over the kids! What I don't like about her is that she compares herself to Vecepia. Oh geez, another Bible quoter on the show? Nothing against the religious folks, but I feel religion has no place on the show.

Edna Ma, age 36, currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. She's an anesthesiologist. (Score 1 for me for spelling that right the first shot!). Oprah is her inspiration and her pet peeves are idleness, liars and deception. Um. Um. What is she doing on the show?

Savaii Tribe:

Dawn Meehan, age 41, currently residing in South Jordan, Utah. Huh. Two castaways from Utah this year? She's an English professor with six adopted children. Survivor might be easier than raising six kids! Y'know ... I think I like this woman. She's a show fan and seems to understand the ropes.

Elyse Umemoto, age 27, currently residing in Las Vegas where she's a dance team manager. She was once the second runner-up for Miss America, too. Okay, guys ... here's your eye-candy. One of her pet peeves is "pretty girls wearing ugly shoes." Now, that attitude is going to crash and burn on the show!

Jim Rice, age 35, currently residing in Denver, CO. A medical marijuana dispenser? Well, that's new and different! He thinks he's the most unique person to ever apply to be on the show. Yeah, right. I get the impression he's going to think he's the alpha male when he ain't nuthin' but the puppy dog.

John Cochran, age 24, currently residing in Washington, D.C. He's a Harvard Law Student although definitely not to be confused with Johnnie Cochran. "Call me Cochran." Being the geeky sort I tend to be, I'd like to see this kid do well. I bet his confessional segments are going to be good! Can he win it all? I don't know. But I think he's going to be entertaining while he's there.

Keith Tollefson, age 26, currently residing in Edna, Minnesota. He's a water treatment tech. Hey, he could be MY pool boy anyday! Hummahumma! Er, ahem. I got carried away for a moment. Jeff Probst didn't seem too keen on him for the win. I just hope he sticks around for my own personal eye-candy entertainment.

Mark Caruso, age 48, currently residing in Forest Hills, NY. He's a retired NYPD detective. That alone makes me want him to go far -- add in the age and I'd like to see a winner! He seems like he's going to be very likable, but I don't know if being a "morgue detective" for 20 years and being from Forest Hills is going to translate to roughing it on the show.

Semhar Tadesse, age 24, currently residing in Los Angeles, CA. She's a "spoken word artist." @@ She's already reminding me of that past castaway who frittered all about some seasons back. She's an Oprah fanatic who's likely to find out she's no Oprah. I don't think I want to check out her poetry on YouTube. Next!

Whitney Duncan, age 27, currently residing in Nashville, Tennessee. She's a country music singer inspired by Elvis and Jesus. Huh. Did the latter have a record contract? Oh, wait. Elvis inspired her to sing and Jesus saved her. Will he have to save her from the lows in Survivor?

So, there's the cast. Do you have any early favorites going in? What do you think of Ozzy and Coach coming back?

If you want to be in on the blog pool, please reply in comments or email igorsant at aol dot com. Margo is kind enough to be running the pool once again. Let's give her a round of applause!

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Into Saturday 9/10

Final three dinner not what they thought it would be.

Cards, cards and more cards. Here's what's been happening inside that Big Brother House of Dwindling Days:

• They played Disney trivia.
• Hot tub.
• Cards.
• Did laundry. After several washings, they still have paint on the comp clothes from the other night.
  
• Tanned.
• Adam smoked and stood around a lot.
  
• You get the drift. A whole lotta nuthin' going on in the house.
• The BB voice started doing odd announcements such as the tallest building west of the Mississippi has 73 floors.
• I don't think the announcements have anything to do with a comp.
• I believe it's for "amusement."
• Neither of the girls can really figure out who Adam will take if he wins HoH.
• Nor can I.
• They got all dressed up thinking they were going to have the big Final Three dinner with the season recap show.
• Oops. Never mind. BB apparently told them there wouldn't be a show until the finale.
• Too bad, so sad. All dressed up and nowhere to go.
• They had a nice dinner anyway and zinged the past hamsters.
• BB also told them the finale is Wednesday.
• Round Two of the HoH comp is expected later today, probably evening here on the East Coast.
  

All dressed up and nowhere to go.

What? No sweat suit or bikini?

Big Brother 13 HoH Endurance Updates 9/08

10:39 PM -- Feeds are back and Rachel won this first HoH round.

10:35 PM ET - Porsche asks Adam if he'd make sure she doesn't drown, but then says she's scared to let go. Rachel, meanwhile, is solid as a rock. The mixer spun about five times more then to trivia. I think she dropped, but need the feeds to come back before I commit to it. What wusses this bunch are! In previous seasons, this would go on for hours.



10:32 PM -- Rachel and Porsche still up. Porsche is starting to look sick and make groaning noises.



10:24 PM ET -- Feeds back. Adam off. Porsche and Rachel still strong. Back to trivia.

10:17 PM ET -- Rachel and Porsche solid as a rock. Adam whining, swearing and squirming. Then to trivia. Wanna bet he's off when it comes back?


10:10 PM ET - All are still up. The newest updates will be on the top of this post.

Big Brother 13 Live Veto Mtg, Eviction and HoH Start Blog Party

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll update this entry with major events. But the real fun is in the comments and I hope you all join in!

I'm expecting tonight's show to end with an endurance comp for final HoH. I'll be posting a separate entry for that once the feeds are up again.

Nominations -- Rachel is safe. Porsche and Jordan are on the block. He gives them a speech about winning the veto.

Veto comp -- Jukebox Veto. Clues about the hamsters similar to the stairs veto comps of a few years back. Porsche wins the veto!

Live veto meeting -- Porsche saves herself. Rachel goes up with Jordan.

Porsche evicts Jordan ... sniffle.

GAH! Breaking news here -- two terror threats and Bloomberg speaking in a press conference. They CLAIM we won't miss any BB. This, of course, is the NYC area.

HoH comp first round -- Big Brother Mixer -- they are the blades on the mixer. Winner advances to the final round.

I'm setting up a separate post for the live endurance comp updates. See you there!

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Quickie Wednesday Evening 9/07

The feeds returned at midnight (ET). Gee, now they have real playing cards to make things more boring than their tea bag cards! Here's the skinny from inside that Big Brother House of Cards:

• Adam got a stuffed clown in his HoH stuff.
• Porsche joked about cutting off it's foot (shoe) to send with Jordan to give to Jeff.
• Jordan was packing, then called to the Diary Room and is now ironing a dress.
• Rachel said she had to pack but didn't feel like it.
• Rachel, Adam and Porsche are playing cards in the HoH room.
• BB gives them expired goods in the HoH baskets.
• Very little game talk ... because they're playing cards!
• They did have a comp today, must have been the veto comp.
• Alas, looks like Rachel and Jordan are on the block.
• At one point, Adam and Porsche high-fived about being in the house all summer.
• Rachel said, "Nothing like rubbing it in my face."
• She didn't say it really mean or anything.
• Adam said she may or may not be there for the summer.
• Porsche won the veto.
• I'm not sure who originally was on the block -- Adam probably put Porsche and Jordan as he said he would before the feeds cut.
• Doesn't matter, Porsche has all the power. It will be up to her whether Rachel or Jordan is out tomorrow.
• It sounds like she's leaning towards voting Jordan out.
  

Big Brother 13 Sept. 7 Not So Live Eviction Show Blog Party

The show is about to start here on the East Coast. As it airs, I'll update this entry with major events. But the real fun is in the comments and I hope you all join in!

Keep in mind, although the show is being presented as "live," it was taped yesterday. Let's see if the spoilers have been right!

Veto comp -- a giant shark and pies, Otev the Sweet-Toothed Shark. Yep, it's the yearly Otev. They bring pies to him according to his clues. Jordan out first. Rachel is out. Kalia out. Between Adam and Porsche. Adam wins! Kalia needs to stop the tears.

Jury house time! Jeff lit into Shelly. Surprise!

Adam does not use the veto.

Eviction time. Porsche, nice speech, nice words to all. Kalia, Adam play like an All Star, not a fan, Jordan, kept my word to you.

Votes to evict --
Jordan -- Porsche
Adam -- Kalia

Rachel is the tiebreaker -- votes out Kalia.

HoH time -- the fortune teller speaks! Adam wins the T/F statements with Jordan on his tail. Porsche was a poor showing in third. (I could have done better after listening to the fortune teller on the live feeds.)

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Update Tuesday 9/06

Since I last reported, not a heck of a lot went on on the feeds themselves:

• Crystal (the fortune teller) repeated all of the premonitions she already told them, thus keeping them up until around 6 AM their time.
• At around 9 AM their time, BB gave them champagne and crafts ... to put on a rather "fake" show for the Showtime audience tonight.
• It should be an obvious ploy unless they really edit things!
• The feeds have been blocked since this afternoon and should remain blocked through to at the earliest, tomorrow's fake live eviction show.
• However, since it is taped in front of an audience, you know information is going to get out!
• According to quite reliable sources, tonight's eviction had Kalia getting the boot 2-1.
• Jordan voted to keep her, Adam voted her out and Rachel was the tiebreaker.
• Adam won HoH ... not surprising with his intense scary bizarre fixation on the premonitions last night.
• Of course, I didn't SEE this happen, but the sources are reliable.
  
• I'll be taking a rest and won't be posting until tomorrow's blog party post for the not live live eviction!
• See you then ...
  

Big Brother 13 Live Feeds Quick Monday Evening Update

Her name is Crystal

The fortune teller has come to life, this time talking. First she said hello to Porsche by name. Porsche screamed and called in Rachel. They both screamed and got everyone else in there.

The fortune teller told them first that one of them will be the winner of Big Brother. (Well, duh.)

Then she said she had premonitions and they would have to hear all of them to win HoH. She would laugh and they need to come running.

The first clue was about Shelly becoming rich with her 2018 book about how she has the perfect tan and you can too. It will make #3 on the all-time bestseller list.

Okay, she's laughing again ... in 2017, tired of the Miami heat, Porsche will move to Anchorage, Alaska and buy an igloo with an Eskimo named Ernie.

This is probably going to go on for most of the night and I have to get some sleep as I have to go to the doctor, then physical therapy in the morning. But I'll hang in for a while.

She laughed again.

In 2014, Jeff will disappear from society. He will last be seen wandering the Chicago streets muttering two words, "Clown shoe!" Be gone!

Laughing again ...

October 15 3:42 PM, Daniele will reconcile with her father Dick. On October 15, 3:49 PM they will go back to not speaking.

Laughing again ...

In 2014 in a sleep study after sleeping for 19 days straight and making national headlines, Kalia will get her dream job as a mattress and pillow tester.

Laughing again ...

In 2016 Lawon will take NY Fashion Week by storm when he launches his Handsomefied line of hats, ties and jackets.

Laughing again ...

After taking 9 years to earn his PhD, Brendon will shock scholars and physicians alike by finding the cure for an ailment that's been bugging him his whole life after discovering the cure for athlete's foot.

Laughing again ...

In 2020 Adam will file bankruptcy after investing his life savings in a line of bacon-scented heavy metal teddy bears for children.

Laughing again ...

In 2018 Rachel will give birth to a 9 lb 6 oz bouncing baby boy named Buki, Jr. after his proud father.

Laughing again ...

In 2012 Cassi will land a role alongside international mega-superstar David Hasselhoff in a remake of a countrified version of Baywatch, Riverwatch.

Laughing again ...

In 2015 Evel Dick will start a new tradition by bringing Christmas gifts to heavily tattooed orphans changing his name to ... old St. Dick?

Laughing again ...

In 2013 Dominic will grace the cover of Seventeen Magazine with total DOMination, he'll dethrone pop sensation Justin Bieber as America's favorite heart throb.

Laughing again ...

In 2015 Keith will land a job hosting a new dating show called Love Rejection but it will be short-lived after it's revealed that he tried to date all 29 contestants.

She almost went into the next premonition but then the tape stopped and she told them to leave the parlor room. If I'm not mistaken, I think Jordan is the only one left now.

Laughing again ...

In 2011 after the runaway success of the Humilitard, Jordan will launch a line of Humilitard-inspired items including the Humilicar, Humilifier, and the Humilibake oven.

Okay, she went through all the hamsters. I hope it's over. On another note, Rachel just asked Jordan if she would reconsider her vote to keep Kalia. Jordan says it doesn't matter, she can change since she's sure Kalia will go whether she votes for her or not.

I'll be signing off for a while soon unless I hear the fortune teller laugh in next few minutes. Some of my Crystal quotes might not be perfect, but commenter FA has been transcribing them, along with the PT times and Crystal's good-byes for each one in comments. (Thanks, FA!)

MORNING UPDATE: No sleep for the hamsters as the fortune teller kept at it all night, repeating the fortunes already told. Rachel did sleep -- she can't compete in HoH and is strong on the fortunes from the first round. Adam seems the strongest with Jordan confused at times. Porsche and Kalia have a few things outright wrong.