Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - July 8, 2012

What? It's Sunday? I guess it must be time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

But, first ... (as says the ChenBot), I do have to touch on all of the Big Brother 14 news just a bit. If you haven't noticed, I've started posting about the cast. I plan on posting more a bit later today about our new hamsters. They actually entered the house last night, but the live feeds don't start until after the premiere airs. I posted cast interviews over on my Big Brother Facebook Page for this blog. Please feel free to like the page -- I link all my BB blog articles there, as well as some additional content.

On more personal non-television matters, I received word from the new landlord that Vincent can indeed stay despite the new "no pets" lease. YAY! I really didn't want to move. But if they said he had to go, we would find another place to live. I did make it clear to them that I would be moving if they didn't allow him. I know this area isn't the easiest to find good tenants and, apparently, so do they.

As for my knees mishap last week, they seem to be okay. I couldn't make an appointment due to the holiday week, but really need to call back this week. The left (older) knee swelled up for about three days and is still sporting all kinds of beautiful colors. The right (new) knee has a scrape and a small bruise in addition to some residual pain around the kneecap. Both seem to be stable enough. I'm not going to have them redone no matter what! At least not for the next twenty or thirty years, I hope.

My latest staycation started yesterday. Supposedly the latest heat wave should end tonight and I might be able to enjoy roaming about with the camera or take a run into the city. I'd go to the beach but too many people go there this time of year!

Onto the photos I've taken this week -- I had some extra photo fodder because the Plainfield 4th of July Parade was held yesterday, on the 7th. Don't ask. I watched the parade because it goes right by my apartment building. But I didn't partake in any of the other events of the day because it was just too darn HOT. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger, then close that window to return here. 

Horse in the 'hood!

I edited this to leave only the horse and rider in color. Obviously, this is from the parade. We rarely have horses just roaming around here in the 'hood.

Early morning Presbyterian

I like the way the early morning sun played out on the local Presbyterian Church. East Front Street, Plainfield

I see the bee's knees!

The bees are still busy in Bridgewater!

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

Big Brother 14: Meet the Cast

My personal jury is still out. I will need to know more before I can draw conclusions other than young and can spend three months away from life as they know it. But I wanted to get the photos and basics up for you. More as I delve into them to see what makes 'em tick. Four "mentors" would bring the cast to 16.

Top Row: Danielle, Frank, Shane, Ian, Willie, Jenn /Middle Row: Joe, Kara, Jodi /Bottom: Jojo, Wil, Ashley

Jenn Arroyo, 37

From: Brooklyn, NY

Current City: Brooklyn, NY

Musician - former bass player for the female metal group “Kittie”

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Joe Arvin, 41

From: Lexington, KY

Current City: Schererville, Ind.

Chef

---

Frank Eudy, 28

From: Marion, AR

Current City: Naples, FL

Unemployed

---

Jodi Rollins, 42

From: Englewood, CO

Current City: Calipatria, CA

Restaurant server

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Willie Hantz, 34

From: Vinton, LA

Current City: Dayton, TX

Tankerman

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Wil Heuser, 24

From: Louisville, KY

Current City: Louisville, KY

Marketing consultant

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Ashley Iocco, 26

From: Pittsburgh, PA

Current City: West Hollywood, CA

Owner of a mobile spray tanning company

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Shane Meaney, 26

From: Bennington, VT

Current City: Bennington, VT

House flipper

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Kara Monaco, 29

From: Orlando, FL

Current City: Los Angeles, CA

Model

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Danielle Murphree, 23

From: Grant, AL

Current City: Tuscaloosa, AL

Nurse

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JoJo Spatafora, 26

From: Staten Island, NY

Current City: Staten Island, NY

Bartender

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Ian Terry, 21

From: Pittsburgh, PA

Current City: New Orleans, LA

Engineering student

Big Brother 14: Hamster News

We've already gotten a glimpse of the new Habitrail and now, despite the fact that the official cast reveal is supposed to be tomorrow ... we see some of the hamsters.

It is looking like it's going to be a season of new hamsters mixed with returning rodents as mentors. Whether the returning rodents will be eligible to win, I don't know. Folks who know me know that I'm not too keen on returning houseguests. Rumors are still persisting that the returning hamsters are Mike Boogie, Janelle, Dan (BB9) and now ... Rachel (WAH). And one of the rumored new houseguests even bears a familiar name. 

Here's what I've gathered for y'all on the new hamsters:

A new commercial:



 Another new commercial:



Here's the familiar name, alas, Russell Hantz's brother. Sigh. That said, I don't think he's going to be either like Russell or that silly weird nephew.
 


 Kara is Playboy's Playmate of the Year 2006. @@




One of the new hamsters, Wil Heuser, has his own YouTube channel and, supposedly, a fan following.

Your thoughts on these hamster glimpses and the new "twist"? 

Happy 4th of July!

I hope everyone has a fantastic Fourth! Tomorrow I expect the big cast reveal for BB14!

Big Brother 14: Press Day Stuff!

Okay, I'm not such a happy camper with the rumors I'm hearing. You've all seen the commercials hinting at the largest number of houseguests ever. Well, rumor has it that there will be sixteen new hamsters and four "mentors." The mentors would be returning players. Sigh. It had better not have the couple we see in this Press Day video (keep in mind, these are not the real hamsters, they're press people -- maybe one day I'll get an invite!) --

 

Other new house decor photos can be seen here and here.

The new hamsters should be in sequester now. We should be seeing commercials by the end of the week featuring them, I believe.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - July 1, 2012

It's once again Sunday morning. You know what that means. It's time for my weekly off television topic post reviewing the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way.

Briefly visiting the actual topic of this blog -- television, really -- I expect there to be announcements perhaps as early as tomorrow regarding the cast of the new season of Big Brother. They should be in sequester at this time filming teasers for commercials and avoiding the outside world. My personal educated guess is that they will enter the house next weekend (July 7, 8) although the live feeds won't start until after the season premiere. When I know news, I'll get it posted.

In other TV news, I'm now on individual waitlists for every single America's Got Talent live show in Newark through August. I really hope to snag tickets to go with friends to at least one show! In looking at the times of the shows which vary from 5:30pm to 6:30pm, I'd have no trouble getting to Newark on time on the train after working. It's only a two block walk from Newark Penn Station to the Prudential Hall where the shows will be filmed. And, it's FREE. The only real problem is actually getting the tickets!

In other news, it's just been one of those icky weeks for me. The weather was either stormy or heat wave. I hate the heat and humidity. I don't like to sweat while just walking. I wrote the letter pleading that Vincent be grandfathered with the new landlord, but haven't heard back yet. I didn't take ANY photos this week that excited me. But, then the week got worse.

I fell. I fell due to an idiot putting a dark duffel bag on the floor of a dimly lit corner store directly in the only path one has to approach the register area. I already get irked by the people who just mill around in that store on Saturday mornings buying bus tickets to Atlantic City or spending their government issued monies on scratch off tickets and Lotto. Now I will regard them all with distrust and venom in my eyes.

I fell directly on both knees (replacements). The pain was unreal. I yelled at the woman who had no reason on earth to leave that bag on the floor! It wasn't even near her. It was five feet away next to the Drake's Cakes rack. I went ahead to work as I was nearby the train station already.The left (older) knee immediately swelled up. The right (new) knee had a scrape on it, but didn't swell. I worked a shortened day, did what I had to get done, then headed home to elevate and ice.

That was yesterday. Today both knees seem to be stable enough, but the left one is still quite swollen, the right one a bit swollen. Both still hurt. There's no sense in going to the Emergency Room as, while they might take x-rays, there's nothing they could do about knee replacement damage other than to give me painkillers. I don't need painkillers bad enough to pay the deductible for an ER visit. I have needed to set up my yearly follow-up on both knees with my orthopedic surgeon. He takes x-rays then. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get in during the holiday week, hopefully next week. I'll live with the pain ... as long as the knees seem to be stable. Hopefully I did no damage to the mechanisms. Sigh.

In better news, I only work three days this week. It should be four days due to the holiday, but I also added a personal day in for Saturday. Then I'm on my last staycation before my paid time off hours switch over on September 1st (anniversary with the company). I get several weeks vacation and a number of personal days yearly. If I don't take those hours, I lose them come my anniversary date. On the other hand, my sick hours can accrue up to six weeks, then they add up no more. If I leave the company, I can collect any vacation or personal days due, but not the sick time. The sick time just vanishes. I think I might be sick a lot the year I retire. :-)

Onto my rather lackluster photos of the week. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger. Just close out that window to plunk you right back here on the blog. 

Hey, everybody, have you heard?

He's going to buy me a mockingbird. If that mockingbird don't sing, he's going to buy me a diamond ring. This mockingbird I spotted at the Bridgewater Train Station was surely going through an array of songs ... in between dive-bombing any other bird in sight. What a violent little bird!

We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave

One morning, it was already really warm and sticky as I headed to the train station a bit after six in the morning. The sun just hung in a haze. Yet, in the other direction, storm clouds darkened the skies. I took this shot at the fence for the Union Community College parking lot on Church Street in Plainfield.

Bees don't care

With the exception of torrential downpours, bees don't care about the weather. They have stuff they have to do! If these bees sit still enough, they're great photo fodder. They're not aggressive at all. But I did see some yellow jackets this week. I'm leery about them. I am allergic to bee stings, so I have to be careful with more aggressive bees.

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

The Great Escape - Series Premiere Tonight on TNT

TNT is stepping up its original programming with its first foray into the world of reality competition series. They're doing it in a rather big way, too. I mean ... we're talking Ron Howard involvement. We're talking the producers of The Amazing Race involvement. 

As with Falling Skies, I was given promotional episodes to screen, write up or not, like or not, etc. While I must disclose they give me these screeners, I'm really under no obligation to them other than to not give out spoilers or do sneaky stuff with them. I have the first two episodes of this series and have already watched the one which will air tonight.

What I like about the show:

• I like the idea of three different teams each week. No trying to memorize 11 couples or such. With fewer teams, you get to "know" them better.
• The series premiere's setting is Alcatraz (not a spoiler). Very interesting indeed. I believe the escape sites are going to continue to be fascinating in their own way.
• At the end of each episode, the winning team wins $100,000. That may not be the million from Survivor, but the teams each only do one escape, win or lose. Then it's on to a new set of three teams trying to escape from a different location.
• You can get involved in the show. In the premiere episode, I cringed each time the various teams were caught by the guards and sent back to the beginning.

What I'm ambivalent about:

• The host. He's in a role too much akin to Phil Keoghan yet doesn't seem to have the personality of Phil, nor is he the eye candy. Said host is Rich Eisen of NFL Network -- like I would know who that is. But I can deal with it unless he tries to raise an eyebrow. 

An observation:

• You can tell there's some involvement by producers of The Amazing Race. Not only are Rich's hosting tasks extremely similar to Phil Keoghan's, but the music throughout is similar, as well.

Would this show fly on network TV? I'm really not sure. It's not flashy or even sexy. The contestants in the first episode wore clothes which were reminiscent of the crew of the Enterprise on the original Star Trek series. We're not talking skin, for sure! However, with the lead in being Falling Skies on Sunday night, I can see me watching weekly. In a few weeks, my Sunday nights should be Big Brother, Falling Skies and The Great Escape. I can live with that!

Will you be watching? Or, if you're reading this after the fact ... what did you think? 

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - June 24, 2012

Yep, yep, yep. It's once again Sunday morning. That means it's time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. 

First, I do want to discuss the television topic for a moment. Remember, Falling Skies is on tonight! I've already seen this episode in screeners and recommend it. Second, I want to mention Glass House. I accidentally napped the evening it was on and only caught the last twenty minutes or so of the show. I wasn't impressed. There was some obnoxious dude deliberately being obnoxious to the others and it all came across as staged to me. The feeds have only been available select hours and days when I'm at work. While I plan to catch a bit more, I just can't see myself getting too involved in the show. Big Brother will keep me more than busy enough through the summer.

The season premiere of Big Brother is Thursday, July 12, That would put the hamsters in the house the weekend before. So, it's not all that far away! With the live feeds from BB, I can watch any time day or night. If I want to see something that happened while I was at work, I can use their rewind function. While the Glass House feeds are free, they're really limited.

Okay, let's get back to off topic! 

After a week like this past one, I'd love to rescind my adulthood. The beginning of the week was a bit chilly and the end of the week was a heat wave with temperatures in the high 90s and high humidity levels. As I get older, I really don't tolerate that kind of weather well. I actually like winter temps better -- I can always bundle up! The heat? Well, I can't take off all my clothes and walk to the train station. Even if I did (and didn't get arrested, only mocked), I'd STILL get all sweaty!

Then, on the work front, everyone and his brother were off for one reason or another. I had to take on lots of responsibilities that I don't normally do. While I don't mind helping out, I don't like to impromptu deal with computer programs that I'm very iffy on yet I need to have accurate results. Oh, the pressure!

Then the kicker was on the home front. The new landlord mailed me a new lease to sign and return. It's about twenty pages long! I actually haven't signed a lease here since the first landlord a dozen years ago. But, the bad part of this new lease is that not once, but twice, they mention "No pets." Ack. I plan to write them a letter pleading Vincent's cause. I believe I could very well have a case -- their people have been in here and know that Vincent only uses the litter box and has done no damage. Plus, I know I'm the kind of tenant they would or should want here. I'm quiet, never pay my rent late, not destructive, get along well with the neighbors, responsible, low maintenance and more. My original lease here said "No pets" and the landlord at the time okayed my two cats (at the time). We'll see.

If they won't allow Vincent, I will move. I need to sign the lease or tell them before the end of July for a September 1 lease end. So I have time. I already poked around a bit online and see some places cheaper than what I'm paying here. There's one (which will surely be gone by the time I really look if I need to look) only a two-minute walk to the train station, two bedrooms instead of the one I have here and almost $200 less a month!

Also on the home front, two brothers have been charged with that murder back in May. Yes!

Onto this week's photos -- clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will give you a larger image. Closing out the Photobucket window will zap you right back here to the blog. Huh. That's almost like time travel! 

Peeping Lily

Day lilies are growing like crazy all over the place these days. They're so magnificent that I always want to shoot them. But, after a while, the shots all look alike. So I went for a different angle with this shot. Berckman Street, Plainfield.

Monday Morning blues

The heat didn't hit until Wednesday. Plus, some folks with longer commutes tend to be a bit more bundled up due to the air conditioning on the trains. Me? I wear short sleeves! NJ Transit Raritan Valley Line.

Recognize this?

There I was, near the elevator in my building, when I spotted this. At first, out of the corner of my eye, I thought COCKROACH. Eeek! Nope. Closer inspection revealed it to be a beetle I absolutely adore. It's a lightning bug or firefly (if you prefer). I think these are a magical part of my youth that still put me in some sort of fairyland trance when I see them at night. After taking this little guy's photo I gently picked him up with a piece of paper and put him outside.

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

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - June 17, 2012

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. That said, I want to remind everyone that Falling Skies returns for a two-hour season premiere tonight on TNT. Be there or be square. I've already seen it (and posted about it), but will probably watch it again.

Also on a television note, a few folks have asked me about the NBC series Glass House -- the one that supposedly is a Big Brother rip-off. I believe that makes its debut this Monday, but they've had selected hours of live feeds on their website. Alas, the one weekday I was home, I forgot to check it out. I probably will look into it, but know that I can't do much other than my full time job (need to make a living) and coverage of the Big Brother live feeds/shows throughout the summer. Yet I won't throw stones!

This week has basically been another run-of-the-mill one for me. The landlord's maintenance dude was in once again to fix the water pressure in the kitchen and a leak in the NEW pipe under the bathroom sink. In talking with both my directly upstairs and downstairs neighbors (as each saw me walking on different days this week and offered me rides home), they're also fairly impressed with the new landlord. The upstairs neighbor said they repaired her tiles in their bathroom to stop the leaking. What I've said all along that it had to be! We all agree we like our wing of the building and our neighbors, but the revolving door of riff-raff in the front wing can go at any time.

A few occurrences from this week:

• I saw a fool riding his bike on the sidewalk and texting at the same time. He crashed into a bench and flew into the street. Fool. He's lucky a car didn't hit him.
• I explained to a NJ Transit train conductor whose shift has changed and he deserted our morning train that it's MY train whenever I'm on it. It's only HIS train when I get off. He told me that I needed to go collect all the tickets then.
• If I can hear you talking on your cell phone from a half block away during 5pm traffic, you're talking way too loud. Shhh.
• Just because YOU like Mexican polka music doesn't mean you need to share it so that I can't watch television at a reasonable volume with my windows open a half block away at all hours.
• The Plainfield Police solved my noise complaint re: Mexican polka music within five minutes. They rock!
• I am addicted to POP! Gourmet Popcorn's "Simply Bacon" popcorn, but I'm too scared to buy the Lavender soda to test.
• One of those booming music cars went by me one morning while I walked to the train station. Usually it's some kind of rap or Hispanic music. This one was blasting "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)" by Sly and the Family Stone. The song got stuck in my head all day.

Onto the photos taken this week -- clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger, close that window to return here.
  

Summer is almost here!

Yet another flower from the home at the corner of East Front and Richmond in Plainfield.

Vincent observed Flag Day

I posted this one on my Facebook page on Flag Day, but not everyone who visits here goes there.

I also previously posted this video I took on my Facebook page, but not here. This is the Demon Hello Ice Cream Truck of Plainfield, NJ. I put up with it hours each day as well as the rooster over on East Second Street. I was sitting on a bench in front of the Monarch Building on East Front Street when I took the video.
 

Cool little insect

Isn't he cool? Bridgewater on the poison ivy.

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

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - June 10, 2012

It's Sunday morning, time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photos I've taken along the way. As I write this, it's a bit humid here with the threat of rain. I'm glad I'm not planning on going to the Puerto Rican Day Parade in the city!

I went back to work this week after my very relaxing staycation the previous week. Sigh. Sometimes I think I should never take time off. I'm not keen on drama in my life as I get older. Sure, I like challenges. But ... sheesh ... why do I always seem to come in to major technical glitches, systems down and dealing with the company's Helpless Desk? Both Monday and Tuesday had their share of technical woes. Woe is me.

On the home front, the new landlord is still gung-ho on the place. Tree trimming, replacing boards in the stockade fencing on one side of the property, installing a fortified locked door with a mail slot for us to leave service requests and rent checks and even vacuuming daily (not just when it looks bad). While talking to the office, I found out they're planning on putting in security cameras in various places as well as changing trash removal companies. No more PMUA for here.

Maybe they can catch whomever stole the front page and second section of my newspaper last Sunday -- the first time ever delivered -- if they do it again. Grr. I never had delivery because I figured it would be stolen. And, sure enough ... my paper last week started with the real estate section.

I'm only getting the Sunday paper due to the paywall now in effect for the Courier News. I used to buy it daily and read online. Then, as the price of the paper went up and the paper got so flimsy, I just read online. Now, you can only read ten articles in 30 days without being shut down and asked to subscribe.

As I really like and want to support the reporter (Mark Spivey) who covers this area, I decided I'd go for the subscription. It's $12 for total online access including a mock-up of the physical paper which I couldn't access before. However, it's only $8 a month for all online and Sunday actual paper delivery. Hmm ... four dollars less and you get an actual Sunday paper. Well, duh. Even if it does get stolen (or parts thereof), it makes more sense.

Yeah, I'm cheap.

This week I made sure to get dressed and go down to get the paper by 6:10am. While I'm usually up at that hour, if I'm not going to work, I'm not ready to face the world. Yep, the paper was intact and there. What's weird was that I heard a TV across the hall at Crazy Joe's (and he's retired, not necessarily a morning person) and, upon returning to my apartment with the paper, both neighbors on either side of me were coming out of their apartments. Wow, It must be early bird day!

On another building note, I noticed a package sitting atop the mailboxes the other day. I usually check them out just in case someone is sending me something. If it's a package for someone I know, I'll snag it and deliver it to their apartment. Others do the same for me. Oh my. This one was addressed to Carlos Santana. I didn't know he lived here!

;-)

Onto the photos for this week. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, another click will make it larger and closing that window will land you right back here on the blog.  

 

Colorful weed

These blossoms are quite small and seem very short-lived. But, aren't they cool?

Um. It's New Jersey, what can I say?

Okay ... this trio got off the NJ Transit train in Bound Brook yesterday. I just don't know. It's not Halloween and it's not time for an evening costume party. So I can only assume it's something in the water here.

Bee staredown

The bees here are still very small and tend not to sit still for long. But I got this one close up and personal!

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

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - June 3, 2012

Well, it's Sunday once again -- time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken along the way. I've been off this past week on a staycation. I had a few things I wanted to do and few of them got accomplished. Oops. However, I once again feel relaxed. That was the main thing I wanted to accomplish anyway!

The weather was either muggy and hot or had a chance of rain most of my days off. Thus, I didn't make any trips into the city (NYC). Nothing is worse than a sweaty Manhattan or getting drenched when my intent was to take photos.

So I puttered around home for the most part. I pampered myself with bubble baths, scented salt baths and good food while reading, listening to music, and catching up on some video watching. 

Once again, on Memorial Day, my bathroom ceiling leaked ... ruining the newest ceiling tiles installed. Well, not ruining them per se, but definitely staining them. Grr. On Tuesday afternoon I called the new landlord's maintenance number. Wednesday morning, they showed up. Judging from the amount of time spent up there and the noise they made, it SHOULD be fixed. It hasn't leaked since. However, I often went three months in between leaks although it's been chronic for years.

Here are this week's photos ... clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger. Closing that new window will plop you right back here on the blog.

Day Lily in the sun

I took this on Friday just off Richmond Street near the railroad tracks in Plainfield.

Somerville Train Station

After a rather ill-fated outing with a friend, I ended up driving her home in her car and catching a train out of the new Somerville Train Station to get home. Very nice although I didn't plan to see it this way!

Pretty in purple

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

Falling Skies: Mechs, Skitters and Overlords, oh my!

Yes, the second season of Falling Skies is almost here! The new season kicks off with two hours of action on Sunday, June 17 starting at 9pm ET/PT. Thanks to the good folks at TNT, I received not just the first two episodes that will air for the season premiere, but the first four episodes. Now, I don't have to say anything good about the show just because they sent me the eps. I'm under no obligation to TNT at all.

That said, thank you TNT! 

My one real obligation with the screeners is that I don't divulge spoilers. So, instead of giving you any kind of play-by-play, I'm just going to throw out lots of random thoughts on the show and this upcoming season. Make of it what you will, but I'd like you to join the Resistance with me.

While the premise of the series is certainly nothing that we haven't seen before -- the world as we know it is destroyed, mass lives are lost, small groups of folks try to survive -- it's a fairly tried and true kind of storyline. My favorite Stephen King novel is The Stand. Albeit by different means, society as we know it is tossed to the gutter.

A few of the aspects which truly make this show a fantastic TV series are the involvement of Steven Spielberg (executive producer) and the incredibly fine effects. I'm a person who grew up in the days of Star Trek: The Original Series and Lost in Space. Now 40-something years later, their special effects are laughable. Perhaps they were a bit laughable at the time, but I didn't care.

Well, I care these days. Between actual costumed skitters (the bug-like aliens) and CG skitters, it all comes across as so realistic that it's definitely movie quality action we're seeing. The stomping of the mechs echo in my mind long after they leave the area.

With Spielberg's work we've always had great characterization. He continues the trend here. When Noah Wyle's character Tom Mason stepped into that spaceship during last season's finale, my heart skipped a beat. Dang it, I've gone and gotten attached to the dude! (No, not like a harness attached to my spine ...!) All of the main characters in the show are fleshing out ... and I think we see a bit of them in folks we know. 

So, onto the action. I thought the first hour started a bit slow, but as I continued watching the action picked up. By the time I finished the fourth episode I was wanting more. The only real shame of getting a sneak peek at the first four episodes is that now I've watched a good chunk of the season ahead. Drat it all!

 

If you haven't been watching this series and you like science fiction type of action, definitely check it out. It's not a show for the squeamish, for sure. And, I don't recommend it for the hobbits and wizards crowds, per se. But if you want to watch a well-done series which will keep you on the edge of your seat and perhaps dip into your nightmares, here ya go.

You can find out more about the upcoming season and the show itself at the official TNT Falling Skies website.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - May 27, 2012

Happy Sunday morning, all! I realize, though I dub this post "off topic," I haven't posted anything ON television topic this week! Oops. 

I really haven't been watching too many shows as the May Sweeps period fades away. I've been watching America's Got Talent (and still hoping for tickets to see one of the live shows this summer in Newark) and So You Think You Can Dance started this week. Both shows are still in their audition phases. Letterman went into repeats by Thursday evening with no Jack Hanna appearance during sweeps. I would think that's odd, but I know from Facebook that Jack Hanna had a knee replacement a few weeks ago.

My first day of another staycation started yesterday. Hopefully I'll finish watching some screeners sent to me by TNT and post on them for the lack of any other TV posts. Dependent on the weather, I might run into the city one day. It's Fleet Week there. Maybe I could get some sailor shots! I also have a few places in town I want to shoot (as in take photos of, not as in gunfire). Vincent will also have to go for his check-up and shots this week and i have a few other errands to run as well.

This past week was yet another fairly hectic one for me. I had notice that there would be a "new landlord inspection" Tuesday afternoon. Um. Okay. The state has been in. The city has been in. What could this one be? Cue panic mode. I dusted. I mopped. I waxed. I polished. I cleaned my oven!

All pretty much for naught. It was just a huge Orthodox Jewish man with a meter to check for lead paint. Stepping in the door, he saw Vincent sitting on a chair. "You don't have a dog, do you? I'm scared of dogs. Oh my. That's one big cat!" He then asked me if I heard him screaming this past Thursday. Er, no. He said a dog in the building attacked him. Oh my!

I automatically figured out what dog. "Pit bull with a man in a wheelchair?" "Yes!" Now, I know this dog. Technically, it bit me once. And, yes, someday the dog will be trouble as the man isn't training the dog right. But right now it's a puppy. It gets all happy around people and wants to play. That's how I got bit. The bite didn't break my skin, nor was it any sort of attack. It was playing.

Meanwhile, this lead meter guy jumps every time Vincent makes a sudden move. I'm standing there watching Vincent following him and occasionally carrying Vincent on my shoulder when I see the man tense up. My biggest fear is that Vincent would go for the zizit around the man's waist. After all, you have dangling strings near a playful cat and the cat might just jump up your leg!

The inspection ended with no lead paint found. The meter goes through all the layers of paint slapped on since the building was built in 1960. He told me that he only had about 8 apartments left to do, no lead paint found anywhere so far. Too bad. I was in the mood for fish and CHIPS! (My apologies to those who read my similar joke on Facebook. I felt it too good not to share here, too.)

As a result of my even cleaning the oven in preparation for some unknown aspect inspection, my place is all spic and span as I head into my staycation. Cool. A few Swiffers and keeping up with dirty dishes is all the housework I'll be doing on the staycation! Yesterday was hot and muggy here. I pampered myself taking a long soaking bath with Bomb Cosmetics bath rocks -- a scented fizzly bit of heaven while drinking a cold glass of Schmirnoff Ice bought specially for the occasion and listening to smooth jazz. I had steak, mashed potatoes and asparagus followed by Trader Joe's Ultra Chocolate (used to be Chocolate Blast) ice cream. I lounged about. I read. I listened to music. I napped.

Today, my plans aren't all that much either. Sometime between 7:30 and 9:30 AM, my latest Peapod order will arrive. My big chore of the day will be putting groceries away. By Monday, I should be relaxed enough to walk downtown and watch the Memorial Day tribute to those who have served the country. 

Onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open it in a new page, clicking again will give you a larger image. Closing that new window will bring you back here.  

Squirrel photo shoot

It was raining, so his fur and tail are a bit frazzled. Plainfield Train Station.

Lush from the rains

Although they say we're still short for the year, the abundant rains of the past few weeks have turned everything lush and green. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Small bee on the weed

I don't know what kind of small bee this is, nor the weed. It's a pseudo-dandelion ... way too tall and different leaf structure than a dandelion. Bridgewater Train Station.

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

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - May 20, 2012

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. Well, man ... this has been one busy and rather sucky week for me. Yeah, you heard me. Sucky.

Work has been busy with unexpected auditors popping in. Not through my doing at all, we didn't do all that well. It's one of those "I told you" so kind of scenarios, but of course it's not really politically acceptable to say that. (But I told them so before this went down. I did.) The sad part with some of the latest auditors is that I actually know more than they do about company practices.  That's what happens when you spend half your life in one workplace.

The home front has been a bit hectic, too. First, on Wednesday I received a notice under my door that I have a new landlord. Okay. That wasn't unexpected. The last real landlord went bankrupt (and more, as you'll see) a few years back and the building has been being run by a receivership appointed by the bank. I read last summer that there was a winning bid of 9 million on the building at auction.

No, I didn't buy it.

We recently had our five year state inspection. Then there was another inspection by the city (for the sale?). On Thursday, which was my day off this week due to a switch, there was a knock on my door while I was still in my pajamas. HEY! Day OFF! It was a new superintendent of another building owned by my new landlord. He had a list of repairs including removing the old caulking around my tub and replacing it with new, new bathroom ceiling tiles, fix the low cold water pressure in the kitchen and a few other things. Um. Okay. I told him, as I've told others, that they need to fix whatever is leaking upstairs in regard to the bathroom ceiling.

When will these repairs be done? Today.

Ack.

I made him give me ten minutes to put real clothes on. Then I let unexpected repairmen in to my apartment which had some housecleaning chores scheduled for my day off. Remember, it's my DAY OFF.

I watched a few episodes of the Falling Skies screener TNT sent me while a huge man was closed in my tiny bathroom choking on caulking fumes. Vincent peeked under the door at him either worried for his welfare or concerned that the man would use his litterbox.

That DAY OFF ordeal ended, fast forward to Friday after work. A notice under the door that the new landlord will be doing inspections on Tuesday between 4pm and 6:30pm. Argh! How many inspections can one tenant go through? I feel like Arlo Guthrie at Whitehall Street -- inspected, neglected, dejected, rejected!

Along with that notice, there was a questionnaire to send back to the new landlord. It asked the basics -- name, contact numbers, car info for the parking lot, who else lives there, etc. Along with the questions, it asked how much rent is being paid. Huh? I'm sure the receivership gave them that info. Heck, if David Connolly gave the info to the bank when he went bankrupt, you know the bank's appointed folks told the new landlord. As tempting as it was to try to lower my own rent, I told the truth. Maybe it's a test of my integrity.

But the story doesn't stop there. Saturday in the mail I received what looked like trouble -- a letter from a lawyer's office and a notice of certified mail being held at the post office. Huh? Is someone suing me? Nope. A neighbor in the elevator told me everyone got the same thing. Of course, he was telling me in Spanish, so I wasn't sure if I was understanding him right. I was. It was from the bank saying that the receivership was released of its duties, my security deposit transferred to the new landlord, and much legalese. Um. Okay. Apparently the certified letter is another copy of the same thing. If I get there while the post office is open, fine. If not, fine. The notice from the new landlord on the first day told me that they had my security deposit, what bank it's in and the account number.

Then there's my original landlord (not the original original one, but the last one). What comes around, goes around. He's facing two counts that could each net him twenty years in prison and five million dollars plus in fines. His real estate Ponzi scheme caught up with him. The FBI and Securities Commission went after him for wire fraud, laundering money and a host of other charges. That's what he gets for jacking up my rent each year he had the building and letting the elevator remain broken for months when my knees were bad!

Now that I've bored everyone to death, onto this week's photos. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger and closing that window will lead you right back here.  

Monarch Building reflected

A testament to all the rain we had (again) this week. The Monarch Building (condos) on East Front Street is reflected in puddles in their neighbor's driveway.

Plainfield Train Station irises

If I'm not mistaken, I think local blogger Bernice had a hand in planting these. East Fourth Street, Plainfield.

Westfield planter flowers

I don't know what they are, but they're big and pretty. Elm Street, Westfield. (I had to make a Trader Joe's foray on Friday due to stress!)

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

Survivor: One World Season Finale Blog Party

Happy Mother's Day to all my friends out there! I hope it's been a good one!

This is it! It's the first all women final five in the history of the show! For once in a reality television competition show, the women (kind of, sort of) stuck together. Who woulda thunk it? In the past on Survivor and other shows, the men are much better at actually staying with their bro'liances and the women tend to cat fight and backstab their sisters. Hmmm. I wonder why that is?

Not that this group is all that cohesive, mind you. Everything isn't hunky-dory or lovey-dovey. (I don't get to use those phrases enough in life!) But it's all women at the end and it's just a matter of which woman will win it all.

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with major happenings. The real fun, though, will be in the comments section. Please join in with your thoughts! Beverages, snacks and feasts befitting a Reward will be in ample supply!

Immunity is back up for grabs -- a balance beam maze, rope net, puzzle bags, solve a combination lock. Kim wins immunity!

Tribal Council -- Chelsea, Alicia, Chelsea, Alicia, Alicia. Karma got the gal and Colton's ally is done.

The Ritual Walk to the immunity challenge, remembering fallen castaways.

It's the final Immunity Challenge! They must maneuver bowls through a structure and stack them. Kim wins the final immunity!

Final TC and Christina's not even trying to stay! The tally -- Sabrina, Christina, Christina, Christina. It's fitting. She didn't even try.

It's time for the jury questioning. Like everything else this season, I don't expect it to be real exciting.

Opening statements, Chelsea up first. She spoke of her trust with Kim and how they did all the strategy moves together. Then she made excuses for voting the way they decided and played differently from the time she voted out Jonas.

Kim loves the game and thought she would play as hard as she could. She's proud of her strategic game, but sending each person home took a toll on her. She asks forgiveness from the jury.

Sabrina spoke of balance. She said that stepping down from challenges was a strategy and she played more of a social game by plan. She mentioned that she was laid off before coming to the show. (However, on the local news tonight, she talked about how her students are reacting to her on the show. She must have been rehired or taken on a new teaching position.)

Jonas is up first, lays out ground rules -- joking. He loves them all, talks about how badly Sabrina did in the challenges, but loves her. Chelsea is the hottest chick, asks her what her big game changing move was, answer was taking Kat out. Why Kim didn't take Christina. Thought that she would beat her if all mad about being voted out.

Christina up next. Kim thinks she would have a better chance of winning against Sabrina than Chelsea. "Chelsea, why do you hate people?" Oh my!

Jay up next. No hard feelings, you should be proud. Sabrina, did squat. Strategy? Yes, she thinks she's usually too overbearing, balance. 

Mike -- Kim, define blindside. She does. Did you perfect the art? She claims Mike was the only guy Troy would be willing to send home. 

Tarzan -- Um. Loves to use his extensive vocabulary and rambles about his wife's visit to the island. Um. Okay. Chelsea tears up.

Leif -- Still feels the sting of his exit. Kim says she didn't know if she could trust him. Sabrina admits "punking out."

Alicia -- Kim, we played similar, kingpins. I would have won. 

Troyzan -- Beef with Kim, she played a great game. Moment she made the move to demolish his chances of winning. Answer, taking Jonas out. He says she got it wrong.

Kat -- All three hurt her very badly. Kim, I'm destroyed. She talks of open heart surgeries she's had and another ahead. She doesn't have time to be angry with them, she will vote on the best game. She's making more sense than she did all season ... tells all to vote on best game.

Troy votes Sabrina, Kat true to her own advice votes Kim. Those are the only two votes shown.

Off to New York City for the results. Final tally -- Kim, Sabrina, Kim, Sabrina, Kim, Kim, Kim ... KIM WINS THE SEASON, as it should be.

Kim, Tarzan, Troyzan and Chelsea were the ones in the running for the $100,000 fan award. Kim won that, too.

What kind of hairdo is that on Bill Posey? A mulfro? Combination mullet/afro.

They're headed to the Phillipines with three airlifted out ex-castaways. Ack. I'm sure that will include Colton. Sigh.  

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - May 13, 2012

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. 

First, I'd like to wish all of the mothers out there a happy Mothers Day! May you be pampered, fussed over and fed all day long! Well, all day until the Survivor: One World season finale, that is. Yep, 8pm EDT I expect many of you right here for the big blog party!

Since I touched on television, I might as well run with it for the moment. Guess what? TNT sent me the first four episodes of Falling Skies (season premiere June 17) for review purposes. Woohoo! Now, I just need time to watch them! I'm looking forward to the return of that show. Once I get them watched, I'll post about them. (Yay!)

They also sent me seven hours of the new Dallas series, also premiering in June. Unfortunately, I just cannot watch seven hours of Dallas -- I never got into the original series. I gave them to a friend who's a huge fan of the show. He's going to report back to me.

On the home front, life in my apartment, building, and neighborhood is just fine. I do feel safe here, even at night. I have good neighbors and all is well. That said, just beyond my immediate neighborhood, on a route I walk daily ... there was a murder. It happened at about 4:15am, an hour when I might be up but I'm not walking to the train station! I generally leave a couple of hours later to catch the first westbound train. 

Nonetheless, this latest murder is unsettling. It doesn't seem to be gang or drug related. It was a hard working Hispanic man a few years younger than me just waiting for his ride to work. It appears to have been a robbery from the reports I read. 4:15am is not a time to be on the streets here. There's hardly anyone out and about at that hour. When I go through, there are several folks I see each day. A robbery isn't likely then. I hope someone saw something or knows something and comes forward. 

The police were still arriving to the scene as I passed through that morning. Thankfully, the body was covered and I didn't see any signs of blood, etc. Had there not been all the police around, I might not have even realized there was a body under the covering. As I passed by, I first thought it was a pedestrian struck as the body was adjacent to the crosswalk. I'm so leery of people running lights early in the mornings! But all the NYC news helicopters and the tons of Plainfield and Union County police seemed to indicate more than a hit and run accident. A victim of gunfire. Sigh.

Anyway ... onto this week's photos. Clicking on an image will open it in a new window, clicking again will make it larger. Closing the new window will land you right back here on the blog.    

Squirrel on duty

This squirrel was kind enough to pose for me Saturday morning in the sunshine. It rained and/or was windy for most of the week. East Front Street, Plainfield.

Help me! Help me!

Oh no! The fly (left) is stuck on the azalea! Bridgewater.

Damselfly on poison ivy

I had my first damselfly sighting Friday afternoon on my commute home. Yes, that was when the sun broke through! Like the squirrel, he was kind enough to pose for me. They are so hard to photograph with detail as they're not much larger than a big sewing needle ... in flight, they're impossible.

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

Survivor: One World May 9th Blog Party

So here we are ... it's the penultimate episode of the season. The big finale is Sunday evening, hopefully at 8pm here on the East Coast. The one thing which has made this whole season worthwhile is the community here on the blog. If I were just watching it alone, I might have given up by now. As it is, this whole season gets an "eh" from me in the entertainment rating.

As the show airs here, I'll update this entry with major happenings. But, as usual, the real fun is in the comments! Come join us!

Reward challenge has them spinning around collecting discs (getting dizzy) and decoding a box. The winner is taken by yacht, cocktails, shower, big meal and sleep away overnight on the yacht. Chelsea wins Reward! She chose Sabrina because she hasn't had much food, then Kim, too.

The Immunity Challenge has them using large fish hooks to pick up bags of puzzle pieces, then completing a fish puzzle ... all with one hand tied behind their backs. Alicia won immunity with Kim on her tail.

Tribal Council -- it should be down to a vote between Tarzan or Chelsea. 

The tally -- Chelsea, Tarzan, Tarzan, Tarzan, Tarzan ... let's see if he'll swing from vines on the way out!

The Amazing Race 20 Season Finale Blog Party

Welp, this is it. It's the season finale. And, much to my dismay, Brendon and Rachel are still in it. Sigh. Tonight is a two-hour show ... I wouldn't mind it if the last hour didn't include them! I know. I'm a cruel person. But I'm SO tired of seeing their drama! If I had to cheer on a remaining team, I think I'd go for the Other Rachel and Dave.

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major events. However, the real fun is in the comments area. Come join us! (And bring snacks!)

The teams are headed off to Japan. The teams will bunch up on the same flight. Brenchel missed the bus which the rest of the teams caught. Too bad, so sad. Sigh. They caught up. Now it's Dave and Rachel behind by missing the ferry.

Heh. The Roadblock is a Japanese TV game show!

The Detour has sushi and sumo premises. Sushi bingo, then eat. Or, with the latter, convince locals to pose for photographs with sumo wrestler cut-outs.

Rachel and Dave hit the Pit Stop first, tying the record for the most first place wins. They won a trip to New Zealand.
2. Art and JJ
3. Brenchel

Vanessa and Ralph are Philiminated

Teams are heading to Hawaii. After rappelling up and down a 45 story tower, the Roadblock has them shaving ice. JJ and Art are trailing.

Whoa! Brenchel took a cab when the clue said to go on foot!

Rachel and Dave arrived at the Pit Stop before completing the Roadblock! Eek! JJ and Art are at the Roadblock while Brenchel has yet to reach it. Art is stuck at the Roadblock, Rachel and Dave are on their way back to the Pit Stop.

RACHEL AND DAVE WIN THE AMAZING RACE!

Art and JJ make it second. Brenchel is third.

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - May 6, 2012

Yes indeed. Yes, it is Sunday morning and time for my weekly off television topic reflection on the week gone by in both words and photographs I've taken. On a television note -- remember, tonight is the two-hour season finale of The Amazing Race -- stop by the blog for the big party. (I so want Brenchel to be last!)

Let's see ... what happened this week? Well, it rained quite a bit. They claim that we're still in danger of a drought, though. For some reason, we've been having early morning thunderstorms this past week. Lucky me, I got drenched Friday morning going into work. I had my umbrella, but I should have worn a rubber suit!

Last night was the "super moon." It's a full moon and closest it gets to us in orbit. It sounds like a perfect photo op, but the clouds were obscuring it when I looked. And, once I had my pj's on, that was it. I wasn't going to go out again.

On both the work and home fronts, not much to share. I worked a lot, didn't sleep enough yet ate quite well. I have no drama to report. Nor did I mysteriously or miraculously receive a million dollars. I was hoping for the latter, but it never seems to happen. 

Onto the photos. Since they're on Photobucket, clicking on an image will open a new page, clicking again will open a larger view, then closing that page will land you back here.

Handicapped bird roost?

This one-legged sparrow seems to be fending for himself just fine in Bridgewater, NJ.

Purplish and poufy

Someone told me what these flowers were once, but I've forgotten. In the words of Dan Quayle, "A mind is a terrible thing to lose." Berckman Street, Plainfield.

An explosion of spring!

Here's "purplish and poufy" in their native habitat with pink azaleas.

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

Survivor: One World Blog Party - May 2

Survivor fans ready? If not for parties each week, this might be a season to give up on. Sure, it's great to see the women stomping their way to the final four. But things are SO predictable. Perhaps this will be the week Tarzan steps up to the plate and his real game will finally be afoot! Maybe this week Christina will tromp all the others winning both Reward and Immunity!

Yeah, right.

As the show airs, I'll update this post with the major happenings. However, the real fun is in the comments ... come join the party!

Sprint tree mail, the families time is here. Reward challenge has them getting a brief hug with their loved ones and participating in the challenge. Each castaway and loved one have to go through a rope course with knots while tied together.

The relationship between Kat and her cousin seems a bit much to me. Very unsettling. Kat wins, chooses Kim and Alicia as the ones to spend time with her and loved ones. The girl doesn't think. The others think Tarzan and Christina should have been chosen.

Once again, Immunity is up for grabs. It's endurance. I'm sure Tarzan has a chance at this one! Er ... or not. Sabrina's out, then Tarzan. He did better than I thought he would. Alicia is out, so is Chelsea. Christina is out. Despite her pouting that she wants to win, Kat is out. Kim wins Immunity!

The tally -- Sabrina, Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat.

Buh-bye, Kat! She will probably go down as the one who cried the most at the boot.