Off Topic: That Was the Week It Was - August 2, 2015

Good morning! Welcome to my weekly off television topic reflection of the past week in both words and photographs I've taken along the way! This post is a year 'round "feature" on the blog. If you're looking for Big Brother posts, they can all be found at this link right here. If you're not interested in this particular post, please feel free to skip on by it. I'll be posting a Big Brother blog party post coinciding with the East Coast airing of the show and, late this evening, another live feeds post. Stay tuned.

Here in the NJ/Greater NYC Metro Area, we had another hot week with temps hovering around and often going over 90 degrees. While the city itself (NYC) didn't have enough 90 degree days in a row to qualify as a heat wave, we in the inland areas did. The heat never actually broke. But, storms coming through towards the end of the week broke the humidity a bit. By tomorrow, the humidity is expected to return. I am NOT a summer, high heat, high humidity person! I would like autumn weather, please.

I had another rather uneventful week here -- working, working on the blog, not enough sleep, rinse, repeat. I kind of wanted to take my folding chair and head across the street for a free outdoor showing of Selma the city was putting on Friday night (raindated from Thursday). It was right at the Aristacare center where I would have gone for rehab after knee surgery had I been forced to do time in rehab.

But I guess I'm getting too old and crochety or something. I thought of lugging my chair which is wood and heavier than a lawn chair, jaywalking across the street with it, bug bites, the heat and how tired I was after work. I ended up posting a BB live feeds update on the blog, then napping. After napping, I went to bed.  Such is my life these days.

Onto this week's photos! Due to the heat, I didn't take a ton of shots, nor really seek out photography fodder. I went for the easy stuff that was right in front of me. If you click on an image, it will open it up in a larger version.

Posing pigeon

The two young pigeons born this past spring at the Bridgewater Train Station seem to have a real curiosity about my camera. As a result, I often end up with many photos of them.

Help me! Help me!

Oops. I should have posted a human head on his face to be posting "Help me!" with this fly shot. I believe this is a flesh fly, not the kind of housefly you might have to battle with in your home. (Of course, I let Vincent the Cat battle flies that might sneak in here.) They feed off dead animals and such. Ew. But he was kind of cool to photograph.

Eek! A bus!

While it might appear that I'm risking my life for the shot, I'm not. Or, to be more accurate, I wasn't. I took this shot of the 59 bus headed to Newark from the westbound platform of the Plainfield Train Station. It was rounding the corner from Gavett Place to North Avenue. 

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

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Overnight into Sunday - August 2

Becky in her outfit

Well, it hasn't been a big game talk night with all the punishments from the PoV comp going on. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Jousting Knights:

• Heh. James thinks watching the show on television is much easier.
• Of course it is! I prefer to mock them from afar. But I wouldn't be caught dead in that house. Real life is hard enough.
• Another reason the game talk has died some is that James has been adamant that he's keeping the nominations the same.
• I think he will. 
• There's a lot of buzz going around about a double eviction. However, I think that's unlikely this week what with the endurance comp, punishment costumes and actions in the PoV, first solo HoH and all this past week. They have a lot of fodder for the show on Thursday. I'd say the soonest for a double eviction would be next week.
• But I could be wrong.
• Gee, there was some talk about them seeing "older" people in the last stages of pre-season and how they must have been cut by casting.
• Heaven forbid you have someone over 40 years old on the show!
• Becky didn't expect to make it as far as jury.
• I didn't expect her to do so, either. See? I can be wrong.
• Becky who? There's a Becky in there? Oh. That gal who goes on the block.
• As part of the punishment from PoV, Vanessa must buff Jackie's knight armor for 24 hours.
• At least the punishment has Vanessa in a red beret. Someone needs to throw that green knit hat over the fence. Please.
• Shelli's punishment has her doing battles with a sword. She has to walk (or run) around poking her sword into set targets on the lawn, then ring a bell when done.
• As of 4:30am their time she hit her halfway mark of 1200. 
• Unless she falls on her sword, she should make it.
• I bet it's a fake sword. They wouldn't trust her with a sharp long pointy object.
• Would they?
• Sigh. They had a card which said their "friends on the live feeds" want them to play Spin the Bottle.
• No. I don't want that. 
• I'd rather a brouhaha, please. They never ask us to vote on a brouhaha. I'm sure we would ALL vote for that!
• Before she got so involved in her punishment, Clay and Shelli tried to come up with some way for one of them to come off the block.
• I think they realize that resistance is futile.
• And on it goes.

Shelli hit the halfway mark at about 4:30am

She has a sharp weapon!

A captive audience

Clay in a cape

Vanessa and Jackie

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Saturday Daytime, PoV - August 1

Too bad, so sad

Greetings, hamster watchers! I just want to start this live feeds report by mentioning that I don't post the live feeds moment to moment live as they happen. I'm just me. I work a full-time real job and do this in my "spare time" -- ie: when I should be sleeping or taking care of real life things. During the BB seasons, this is more of a Reader's Digest condensed version of what's gone on since I last posted. There are more than a few sites out there with many people reporting every breath taken on the live feeds. Here, the commenters often pipe in with happenings when I can't post. I will say that I generally live cover every TV episode and endurance comps. But no one single person can be expected to cover every minute of the live feeds.

That said, here's what happened so far today inside that Big Brother House of Love on the Block:

• BB woke them all up very early today. Well, early for them, that is. It was about 8:15am their time.
• Liz, Austin and Julia tried to sleep in in their Have Not room even though it's not all that comfortable.
• It still took them over two hours after wake-up call to hold the meeting to pick veto players.
• In addition to Clay, Shelli and James, we have Austin, Becky and Vanessa. Julia will host the comp.
• We never see the comp. We used to get FOTH (Front of the House), then music and trivia, the last few seasons Jeffish (Jeff Schroeder segments with highlights and interviews).
• We know that Becky doesn't want to win it -- she and Johnny Mac talked about that. James really wants to win it himself so he can retain complete control of the nominees.
• James wants Shelli out.
• Vanessa really doesn't want to win it. It would make her make a decision.
• We know how she hates to make decisions.
• Shelli cried some more.
• The latest cry was that people are treating her differently.
• Go figure.
• Austin told Vanessa (and I agree) that she has to think of what's best for herself in the game if she wins veto.
• He doesn't want to win it, either. He's scared that Liz will go on the block if he wins and saves someone.
• Best to not win it at all in that scenario.
• Shelli continued on with her "nobody wants to talk to me anymore" saga.
• Vanessa continued with her "woe is me, what should I do" saga.
• Steve had been predicting this PoV would be the one with vacations, money give, a unitard/costume, etc.
• He was apparently right.
• The PoV went down and James won it! Now the noms should remain the same -- Shelli and Clay.
• Becky won $5,000. Clay won a trip to Ireland. Shelli got a punishment -- doing 2400 knight routines in 24 hours. Jackie and Vanessa have to be chained together.
• Clay started telling everyone to vote him out and let Shelli stay.
• @@
• Both Johnny Mac and Meg got all teary. Stress? I dunno.
• Vanessa cried.
• Out of them, the only surprise is Johnny Mac. I flashbacked on the feeds and can't see why he cried.
• They both have imbibed some, though.
• Shelli thinks that James will buy into her plan of assuring him jury votes from her and Clay if they can stay.
• I'd have a better chance of selling him the Brooklyn Bridge.
• So, that's that. It's practically guaranteed that either Shelli or Clay will be out the door this week.
• What a darn shame, eh?

Worried about being targeted next week

Not worried about being targeted

Austin makes me want to stab my eyes!

Crying again, she's too naive methinks

Bug Brother 17: Live Feeds into Saturday - August 1

Hula hoop made it indoors

It's always nice to see a power couple grovel in the house. Yeah, that's my mean streak talking. But ... isn't it? Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of For Whom the Bell Tolls:

• As I mentioned in the previous bulletin, James nominated Shelli and Clay for eviction.
• Yes, feel free to take a moment to savor the news.
• The rest of the people in the house are pretty much prepared for any "throw us under the bus" retaliation/scrambling by Chelli.
• While Clay had some kind of outburst before the live feeds returned, it was Shelli on the live feeds telling Vanessa that the 6th Sense was OVER.
• Vanessa tried to reason with her that if all goes to the wayside at this point, she'll definitely blow whatever game she might have left.
• Both Clay and Shelli blame Vanessa, Austin and, of course, James, for being on the block.
• Heck, Shelli even blames production. Why? Because they started the nominations ceremony before she and Clay could talk to James.
• They only had 16 or so hours, y'know.
• James tried to convince them he only did it as a strategy move -- he knows he can beat just about everyone else in the house in comps but them. He thinks everyone else will be easier to deal with via winning comps. They are both a threat.
• Chelli go on about how their word is good as gold as they spew lies to try to save themselves.
• Although, when you think about it, perhaps they're not seeing the lies and betrayals they've done as lies.
• But, when anybody else does it, it's lying.
• Meanwhile, Jackie is working more on Johnny Mac to draw them to their side. He's been straddling the line a bit.
• James's prediction says it all: "It's going to be a tense week."
• Y'think?
• Vanessa knows that the saving of Austin/blindsiding Jason put all of this in motion. But it's Shelli who goes and tells Austin that.
• Does he really care? I'm pretty sure all he cares about is his own game.
• The cracks in the 6th Sense alliance appear to be a bit like Humpty Dumpty -- all the King's men can't put it together again.
• Shelli cried because she doesn't want to go home.
• Shelli cried because she doesn't want Clay to go home.
• Shelli cried because one of them will probably be out before jury.
• "We'll be separated!" Shelli cries.
• Um. I believe that's the point. If she and her boy toy have any sort of real relationship, it surely can wait until the last week of September.
• Of course, with all this crying going on, Vanessa had to get in the act and cry, too.
• After all, she's feeling the wrath.
• Perhaps she should be thankful she's not feeling the sting of nomination?
• Jackie thinks that they (her side) have to win veto. They don't dare let Shelli win because they think she would save Clay with it.
• James would prefer the noms remain the same and Shelli goes.
• Clay says he will take Shelli off if he wins it.
• Aw, true love. How touching. Throw away the chance at a half-million for a month-long fling.
• It goes without saying that if one of them is saved with the veto, they have several options on replacement -- Austin, Vanessa, twins. They don't really have a backdoor target; it's either Clay or Shelli going out, preferably Shelli.
• Meg all of a sudden has taken on the persona of a tough gamer. Huh. Go figure.
• Johnny Mac does not want to win the veto. I think he'd rather play things a bit cooler with both sides and not be in the position to draw a line that cannot be erased at this point.
• Of course, he didn't tell THEM that.
• He told Becky that they both need to NOT win the veto.
• You do know they have a secret alliance of two, right?
• Apparently they do.
• Vanessa hatched a plan with Steve to try to convince James that Becky needs to go on the block as a replacement nomination.
• Does she really think that will work?
• Meanwhile, Johnny Mac and Becky are telling Clay that Vanessa isn't on their side.
• Shelli told Clay that she doesn't know why they chose to be on the "dark side" of the house.
• Shelli cried some more.
• You know, she can't be without him an hour without missing him!
• Steve has difference telling the twins apart.
• Unless they're standing together, so do I.
• I wish they'd wear t-shirts labeled with L and J.
• Austin told Liz that if he wins the veto, he won't use it -- he's afraid Liz would go up on the block if he does.
• Austin is also on trying to get Becky's name in there as a renom.
• It ain't gonna happen, I say.
• Clay suggested Steve as a renom.
• It ain't gonna happen, I say.
• How desperate are they to keep trying to get people who are not in any way targets at the moment in as renoms? At least work with ones you know are on the hit list! Oh, wait. They already tried that shortly after nominations!
• Now, after throwing their 6th Sense peeps under the bus, Shelli thinks they need to keep the alliance together.
• @@
• Vanessa thinks Becky is playing both sides of the house.
• Well, duh. She is.
• They're in an indoor lockdown as the PoV comp set is being built in the yard. PoV should be sometime today.
• We'll see what happens then.
• I think we're in for a tense week (as James put it).
• Good. That's how I like my Big Brother.

Throw up your hands like you just don't care

Look! He's TWINS!

Why keep a beach ball on the counter?

Johnny Mac being Johnny Mac-ish

That's not pretty hair; it's just a lot of hair.

James is the top pop (lollipop)

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Bulletin - Nominations - July 31

Nominated!

James promised just about everyone in the house safety. He had to go back on his word to somebody.

Shelli and Clay on the block.

Kerfuffles abound.

More later tonight!

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Overnight into Friday - July 31

New power in town

If you haven't checked it out yet, take a gander at my post from the HoH comp last night. Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of A Better Regime:

• Oh my! I can't believe they took down Jace's photo from the Memory Wall and replaced it with Julia! That's cold.
• James promised Shelli that she, Clay and Johnny Mac (the last three on the wall besides him) would be safe from both nomination and blindside.
• He's a guy who's proud of his word. Might this be the time to be like everyone else and go back on it?
• Poor Austin is in hot water with Julia for telling Jason her name.
• Heehee.
• Julia does not care for him, not at all. She told Liz he disgusts her and she can't fake being nice to him.
• They all called her the nicer twin before. Now we know she's the smarter one, too.
• I like Julia so much better than I like Liz!
• Julia told Liz she hopes they target Austin.
• Liz tried to do damage control about Austin. But we all know she's just playing him along anyway.
• Vanessa realized that, as much as she's done for Shelli, she was NOT in the deal for safety. Her name never came up and she couldn't play for HoH herself.
• Meg can't stop smiling.
• In other news, Julia was surprised that Johnny Mac noticed her crown. Hey, he is a dentist after all!
• Steve feels bad that he's been the first out in two endurance comps. 
• He should feel bad. If he makes it near the end, there's always a huge endurance comp. He needs to step up his game.
• I don't think he wanted the HoH anyway. But, still ...!
• After she talked to James, Vanessa thinks she's safe.
• Maybe. Maybe not.
• James told Austin and the twinz that they should be safe this week, but need to back him if he makes a big move.
• Hmm. The names being tossed around by him and those in his group are Clay and Austin more than anyone else.
• Shelli is backtracking with Vanessa, saying she never wanted to put Jason on the block.
• To the tapes, I say!
• Or: Liar, liar pants on fire.
• Now she's trying to spin the same tale to James as I write this up.
• James seems to be seriously considering breaking his word and might very well put Clay on the block.
• I guess we'll know later tonight!

Will Steve be safe?

Jace gone missing, Julia in his place

Twinz

Who wants to see my HoH room?

Julia doesn't like him. Heh.

Happy Jackie

Duh.

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds HOH Endurance Comp - July 30

Once the live feeds come back, this post will be updated with the events as they occur (and screen caps, too). Refresh the page to get the latest!

The live feeds haven't returned yet. When we last left the show, stuffed eagles were flying into them.

Feeds up 10:10pm ET. It looks like all still up.

10:10 PM ET

10:15 PM ET - Austin uncomfortable

All still in at 10:17pm ET.
Steady water pelting down as they are tilted forward.
10:22pm ET - Blinding lightning.

Meg at 10:25pm ET - All still in

The wind and feathers blown at them at 10:30pm ET was a fail. All still in. Now the birds are hitting them again. Austin's sandpaper foot tape on the ledge came off.

Steve, then Austin down at 10:36pm ET.

Steve and Austin out in that order.

Liz in trouble at 10:41 PM ET

But she remains up. Now we have Jeffish, feeds blocked. Meg and Liz out at 10:42pm ET. I think it's Liz anyway.

Jackie sturdy at 10:47pm ET

Correction of above -- I think it's Julia out, not Liz. Y'know, they're twins and all. One of them is still up!

A couple of minutes (so far) of fish cam and feeds block at 10:53pm ET. I bet someone else went down. Grr.

Feeds back after gone a few minutes

10:58pm ET - Clay, Shelli, James, John, Jackie, Becky and Liz still in it.
More birds attack.

Bird attack at 11pm ET

11:06pm ET - Rain, lightning and birds.

Johnny Mac hanging in

11:15pm ET - John, James, Jackie, Liz, Becky, Shelli and Clay still in

We've been at a lull for a few minutes. Nothing happening with the wall or effects.

11:20pm ET - the ledges are moving in and out or up and down (or both). The 11:15 list of people all still in.

11:21pm ET - Jackie out.
11:22pm ET - Liz out.

11:26pm ET - James, Clay, Shelli, Becky and Johnny Mac still in it.
Fish going on for a bit.
11:29pm ET - Rain and lightning again.

Quad cam lightning 11:30pm ET

James at 11:35pm ET

11:36pm ET - Becky down. 
James, Clay, Shelli and Johnny Mac remain.

11:37pm ET - Clay down.

11:40pm ET - We have fish cam. Before feeds cut away - James, Shelli and Johnny Mac the only remaining ones.

11:43pm ET quad cam

11:46pm ET - More rain and lightning. The three hanging in.

11:53pm ET - Rain stopped. All three hanging in. Johnny Mac and Shelli look more solid than James.

11:56pm ET - Clay shouts to Johnny Mac that he has no worries. No words of assurance to James.

11:57pm ET - Johnny Mac down. Shelli dealing with James for safety for her, Clay and Johnny Mac. 

11:58pm ET - James is the new HoH. Unfortunately, he's probably going to keep being a man of his word and Shelli and Clay (and Johnny Mac) will be safe, not nominated, not backdoored. I don't mind that Johnny Mac stays safe. The other two? I think you know.

Big Brother 17: Live Eviction, HOH Show Blog Party - July 30

Good evening! Ready for a blog party? Tonight's the big eviction! Either Becky of Jason will be out the door before jury.

Before we get into it, here are the latest blog pool standings:

Austin - Petals, Tammy, marthalight, Dr_Celine

Becky - Glenn, Jackie, Indiana Jane, Brian

Clay - FairieGoddess0714, QuixoticElf, DonnaNY, JonMD1267

James - uncartie, Marlo, Jackie~juju, ML

Jason - Witt, Sharon, WolfpackRed

John - Sasha, lynn1, clover

Liz - Skyriverblue, jo Chapman, monty924

Meg - Sharon S, Merrilee, MikesGirl

Shelli - Delee, Sharon N, chrob

Steve - KelseyNY, Carrie, K

Vanessa - Chacha, Heather Reyes, T-Town Chick

EVICTED:

Jace - Becky in TX, CherylinNC, JOKATS, CaelaXO

Da'Vonne - jessica UNderwood, SueGee, Ed in Ohio, Nickelpeed
Jeff - No pool people due to being announced late in cast
Audrey - David, Chase, Orkmommy, Nicole K 

As the show airs here on the East Coast, I'll update this entry with the major happenings. Refresh the page to get the latest. As always, the real party is in the comments area. I hope to see you there!

Let's get this party started!

Twins will both be in the house and an "epic battle of endurance" ahead. Then into recap. (I will cover any endurance comps live time in a separate post once the live feeds return.)

Julie tells us that Jason wasn't the only one blindsided. We know that. It dawns on Jason that Shelli and Clay seem to have been behind every eviction. Can he use that information? Austin is smug. Clay denies knowing about Jason going up to Meg. When Meg confronts Vanessa, she tells her it was Clay and Shelli.

Shelli lies to Jackie and tells her she never wanted Jason to go. Jackie sees through the lie. She is also onto Clay and Shelli having a hand in deciding every eviction. 

Heh. Shelli is freaking out because she realizes she and Clay are going to be targets. Clay devises a plan to scare Shelli and Clay into thinking the house (and Becky) will target them next.

A segment on Johnny Mac from his practice at home.

To the living room.
Becky - Strong players in room, genuine kind people, hard being next to Jason, friendship means everything.
Jason - Thank you all. Vote for the person who will help your long term game ... me. No regrets.

The votes to evict:
Austin - Jason
Meg - Becky
Liz - Jason
James - Becky
Steve - Jason
Jackie - Jason
Shelli - Jason
Clay - Jason
John - Jason

By a vote of 7 to 2, Jason is evicted.

Julia is about to find out her fate (which she already knew). She can go into the house. Julie puts an end to the speculation of a twin twist. (Like they never figured it out.) Julia enters.

Julia announces the game is resetting and the Battle of the Block is over. Grueling battle of endurance for the first solo HoH of the season ahead.

HoH comp - On the Edge - They're each on a crumbling cliff. Last one remaining wins. Of course, the wall titles. I'm suire they will get pelted by something. Yep, a storm is brewing and rain is coming down.

I will be creating another post with screen caps and updates on the comp. The endurance comp post is up right here.

Big Brother 17: Live Feeds Overnight into Thursday - July 30

Now, if I stay ...

Here's the latest from inside that Big Brother House of Anxiety Acne:

• Jason packed his stuff up and is all but sure he's going to go home.
• Yet, Meg egged him on to keep trying.
• After all, if he goes, she loses her only real friend and confidante in the house.
• Poor Meg.
• Vanessa has applied for TAR and Survivor in addition to BB.
• Lots of childhood, hometown and such talk.
• Austin thinks Jason probably isn't liked all that much by America.
• Hmm. I think Jason is more popular with fans than Austin. Austin blew a lot of his possible game by acting like an idiot with the Liz no-mance. 
• The fact that he doesn't realize it's a no-mance is making many of the fans mock him.
• Including me.
• Liz reaffirmed that she doesn't like Austin, this time to Steve.
• Austin and Jackie had a long talk and mended fences.
• Well, on the surface, the fences are mended. But it's like painting over rusted barbwire.
• It won't be long before the rust and barbs work their way through.
• Jason began his campaign, this time with even more gusto ... even saying he'd go after Jackie.
• Of course, Jackie has told him that she will vote to keep him.
• We'll see.
• I don't think Chelli is buying what he's selling.
• Despite his valiant efforts, I think Jason will be a goner tonight.

I'm telling a story here!

Talk about boredom

Bowling for no dollars

What will happen?

At least I'm safe right now

Imagine if I stay ...