Big Brother: This season's Brigade Alliance & POV Ceremony

Well, well, well...let's catch up...Rachel & Brendon have already started the Showmance of the season..Enzo, Hayden, Matt & Lane have formed a Brigade Alliance and they quickly decided that the Showmance pairing must end. Hayden nominated Rachel & Brendon. We caught up? Great...here goes POV night.

In dealing with the fall out of both Brendon & Rachel ending up on the block, Annie follows them into the bedroom to talk about how shocked she is. Lane follows to listen and make sure that no one realizes about the Brigade. He quickly tells his Alliance that Annie is in an Alliance with Rachel & Brendon and therefore cannot be trusted. All four guys agree that they need to watch what they say around Annie now.

And we break for a quick little make-out session in the hammock between Brendon & Rachel while the rest of the house watches from the kitchen. Of course, remember that the first on-camera sex involved Amanda and David during Season four's "Ex Factor" twist.

Time to pick players for the POV competition. The two nominees & the HoH each draw the other three players. The competitors are HoH Hayden, who draws Enzo, Brendon, who draws Andrew, & Rachel, who draws Monet. Of course, she's not happy at her pick as she wanted Annie & rolls her eyes. This does not go unnoticed by Monet who states she would love to deck her for it.

Before the competition, the Brigade Alliance meets up in the HoH room to discuss the best way to handle things if either Brendon or Rachel win POV. They feel that since Annie is in an alliance with Brendon and Rachel that backdooring Annie will be the best bet. Brendon goes up to the HoH room to make an offer to Hayden to play the game for the long term, not just for the week and to pull Brendon off the block. Brendon tells him that if they strike a deal then Brendon will not put Hayden up when he's HoH. If Hayden won't make the deal, and Brendon pulls himself off the block, then Hayden is the next one up. Hayden doesn't make the deal and Brendon declares that he has made a very dangerous enemy.

During the POV competition, the houseguests walk out to the backyard to find pinatas filled with rotten mayonnaise. The players have to smash the pinatas to find letters to spell a word. Whoever locks in the longest word within 10 minutes will win POV. The six players quickly begin smashing the pinatas splashing rotten mayo all over the place. Of course, Andrew states that mayo is kosher so it's okay if some splashes in his mouth. (Take two shots if you're playing the Big Brother drinking game!)

Hayden spells POSSIBLE (8 letters), Enzo spells FACTORY (7 letters), Rachel spells CHEMISTRY (9 letters), Monet spells CHEATERS (8 letters), Brendon spells UNDERSTANDING (13 letters) and Andrew spells PASTUERIZED but he spells it wrong, leaving Brendon with the longest word and the POV. Of course, he is going to take himself off of the block.

Hayden knows he has to put up a replacement and he's also worried that Brendon is going to be gunning for him.

Matt and Enzo are up in the HoH room discussing who would be better to take out: Rachel or Annie? They decide now is the time to backdoor Annie and pass on the information to Hayden.

Enzo, Hayden & Matt bring Britney upstairs to ask what will happen if Annie goes up. She quickly agrees that Annie needs to go.

Britney and Annie talk up in the HoH room. Britney tells Annie that Hayden asked about Annie's alliance with Rachel and Brendon. Annie immediately went downstairs to talk to Hayden. Is the drama starting? Why I believe so!!

Annie tells Hayden that Britney told her that the boys thought that Annie was in an alliance. She tells Hayden that it's not true and that Britney is just stirring up trouble.

Lane and Hayden are talking in the pantry. Lane thinks that they could control Annie a bit more for future votes and that they should put up Kathy instead to keep drama to a minimum.

The Saboteur pops back up on the tv screen. He/she tells the group that two people are actually life long friends and that if they really think about it, it's really easy to figure out who it is. Brendon says it might be a trick but Britney says there's no way that it's a lie. Immediately, the houseguests begin throwing out suspicions about who the real friends are. Andrew swears that no one in the house could be his friend because nobody knows anything about Judaism. (Take another shot people!)

The POV meeting...Brendon takes himself off the block and Hayden nominates Annie. Annie immediately gets pissed and blames Britney. Tomorrow is the live eviction ceremony!!

I thought Annie would have been smarter than this. I thought she understood how to play the game. Instead, she is drawing attention to herself and showing herself to be a drama queen. I'll be very surprised if she does not go home.

Also...who is the Saboteur? Do you think that they are just trying to stir up drama with the whole "two of you already are friends" announcement? We shall see!!!

Big Brother 12: The new season has begun!

Big Brother 12

Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday at 8:00PM on CBS

It's summer...and that means that the House Guests are once again taking up residence in the colorful Big Brother House. This season we are treated again to the usual cast of characters. There's the jock, the small town girl, the college student, the tough girl, the southern boy, the brain, the bitch, the chick with the boobs and, last but not least, the gay guy. This year, just to change it up, they've added an orthodox Jew, a bisexual woman, a Jersey boy, and a cop. Throw in the Big Brother summer twist of the "Saboteur" and it's possible we could have 90 days of "what the hell just happened" on our hands.

This years twist of having a House Guest in the game not to win but to sabotage everyone else is definitely new. We've had identical twins who switched places, siblings who knew nothing about each other, the Ex Factor, America's Player, and other "twists" that either ended up being the great story or fizzled before they could really get going. Having a player deliberately trying to wreck the other player's chances sounds interesting enough to keep watching and cheering that person on. Stealing a line from the America's Player theme, apparently we will have the opportunity to help them out with ideas. Will this help keep America watching? Or will the predictability of this cast of characters lead to another summer of "Eh..."

Meet the House Guests

Andrew Gordon
Miami Beach, FL
Podiatrist

Andrew is definitely a first for the BB house. He is an Orthodox Jew. In fact, he has packed his own cook pots in an effort to keep kosher. Right off the bat, he has drawn suspicion on him by quickly volunteering to sit out of the first HoH competition and deciding to mess with the house guests during the Saboteur's black out. That and he is now safe from eviction. Either a conniving plan or a very stupid move. I think that Enzo will lead the charge to get Andrew out quickly. I don't believe he's the Saboteur but I think that suspicion will stay on him for a while. He could go further in the game but I really don't see him lasting beyond the midpoint. It's possible he could be this season's Ronnie.

Monet Stunson
Glen Carbon, IL
Model

I do not like Monet. I've never been a fan of women who think that because they are pretty and can dress that they are somehow superior to the rest of us commoners. Of course, it could just be my jealousy of her suspected shoe collection that is bringing these feelings out in me. She went straight for the $10,000 in the HoH competition before thinking about how this would put her in an awkward spot with the rest of the house guests. I think that if her pre-house interview attitude comes out too strong, she will get voted out quickly. Of course, the build up to this could equal some very cool drama.









Enzo Palumbo
Bayonne, NJ
Insurance Adjuster

Enzo, Enzo, Enzo....you are just adding to the Jersey stereotype aren't you? He will be loud, obnoxious, and be oh so obvious in his ploy to rule the house. He is extremely paranoid about who is the Saboteur and is ready to throw Andrew under the bus. Could it be he doth protest much and it is Enzo who is out to wreck this house? That might explain the over playing of the Jersey boy...or he is a representation of what The Situation will be in a few years. Enzo could go to the final four if he doesn't rub everyone the wrong way. More than likely, his mouth and actions will get him in trouble and he ends up experiencing the same fate as Russell from season 11.

P.S. If you don't know who The Situation is, please tell me what rock you have been living under so I can join you there.

Kathy Hillis
Texarkana, AR
Deputy Sheriff

Kathy strikes me as an honest person. She is a survivor of ovarian cancer and didn't appear to try to use it right off the bat. You have to respect that, as opposed to Andrew who came up with a fake story to gain sympathy. Really too soon to tell how far she will go. If she stays honest and continues to fly under the radar, she could be a surprise winner.










Ragan Fox
West Hollywood, CA
College Professor

I know that Matt Smith can pull off the "bow ties are cool" look on Doctor Who but I just want to say to Ragan "sir, you are no Matt Smith". Another character hiding his true profession in the house. He says that his strategy is to not rock the boat until he has to but he is also looking to form a secret alliance two weeks into the game. As we know from past seasons, secret alliances almost always rock the boat. Hard to say about his prospects in the game. He won't be the first evicted but I'll be surprised if he makes it to the midway point.

Annie Whittington
Tampa, FL
Bartender

Annie seems to be a player who has really watched Big Brother and knows how the game is played. She is bi-sexual but doesn't want to make a big deal out of it until she finds out the mood of the other players towards the subject. She is another likely candidate for the Saboteur role, in my opinion anyway. Annie could be in the final four. If she is a true BB fan, she will know the best ways to work the system, lie low & play her hand when it's time.











Hayden Moss
Tempe, AZ
College Student

Meet the first HoH! Hayden appears to be very laid back and also very willing to form alliances to pull his way through the game. By winning the first HoH competition, he has both secured his place for the week and painted a large target on his back. I don't know if he will be able to pull through without a strong alliance as he doesn't seem to have a solid game plan in mind so we'll see if he chooses wisely. We've seen many "pretty boy" house guests voted off quickly because they expected to be able to stay in based on looks alone. We'll see if Hayden can break that tradition.

Britney Haynes
Huntington, AR
Hotel Sales Manager

Britney seems to be trying to play the "I'm a small town girl trying to get myself to the big city" role and that role can get old quickly. She did fall and hurt her knee during the HoH competition but that could have been a well played ruse as the Saboteur. She would be a likely candidate but then again, that might make her the all to obvious choice. I think that there are a number of people who feel that she was probably faking. If it comes out that she was, she might be out on her ear.










Matt Hoffman
Elgin, IL
Web Designer

Matt could possibly be the smartest player in BB history, at least on paper. I've checked and I couldn't find anyone else who boasted of being a member of Mensa. For the time being, he's keeping that tidbit of info from the other house guests. He reminded me a bit of Dan from season 10. I think he may play the nice guy, try to come across as the reasonable one during confrontations and could very well slide his way into the winning seat.

Kristen Bitting
Philadelphia, PA
Boutique Manager

Kristen appears to be different. She really didn't say much during the first episode so she could be playing it smart and just sitting back, taking it all in and waiting to make her move. She claims to have been on her own since she was 18 which could give her a bit of insight into humanity...or give her a touch of arrogance that could be her undoing. Don't assume that this blond will go quietly.









Lane Elenburg
Decatur, TX
Oil Rig Salesman

Lane's another one who was hard to read. He seems to be fitting the BB role of the Good Ol' Southern Boy. Other than that, most of what the public knows of Lane comes from his BB profile. What I found most odd is that his fear is electric fences. I can only imagine where that fear originated. I'm thinking a dark country road and a lot of liquid were involved.

Rachel Reilly
Las Vegas, NV
Chemistry Grad Student/VIP Cocktail Waitress

Finally, we come to Rachel. Yes folks, this is the chick with the boobs. That she is Chemistry Grad Student proves that she does have brains...but I'm afraid she's going to resort to using her massive chest size to get her through the game. I suspect that she might be the saboteur. She is just too much of a contradiction to be real. I think that she may be seen as a threat by the women in the game and taken out early so if she is the saboteur, that will make for a short twist.









Brendon Villegas
Riverside, CA
High School Swim Coach

Three words come to mind: Big Dumb Jock. I don't think he would disagree with this assessment as one of the adjectives he uses to describe himself is unintelligible. He seems the most likely to try to hook up with Rachel. I don't see him going far on his own. To make it to the half way point, he's going to have to hook up with a strong alliance and hope they don't turn on him.

So, that is it my friends. The new season of Big Brother.

Oh, if you want to play a fun drinking game, try this:

1 shot every time Julie Chen says the word "Saboteur".
2 shots every time Andrew asks if something is kosher.
3 shots when Rachel shoves her boobs into the center of attention.

I'd have more but by the time you go through these shots, you'll be passed out on the floor.

And that may be the best way to watch Big Brother 12.

Iron Man 2 Mostly Lives Up to the Hype

Iron Man 2

Starring: Robert Downey Jr; Gwyneth Paltrow; Mickey Rourke; Don Cheadle; Scarlett Johansson; Sam Rockwell; Samuel L. Jackson

Director: Jon Favreau

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) is back and once again proves that bad ass boys have bad ass toys. Picking up where Iron Man left off, Tony Stark has confirmed publicly that he is Iron Man. This does not sit well with Senator Stern (Garry Shandling) who demands that Stark turn over the suit to the US Government. Stark refuses and the Senator turns to Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) to duplicate the suit as a weapon.

Meanwhile, Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke) is in Russia plotting his revenge against Tony Stark for wrongs Ivan perceives were committed against his father by the senior Stark years before.

Unfortunately, Tony Stark is dying. Ironically, the palladium in his arc reactor that was designed to save his life is poisoning him and his continued use of the Iron Man suit is only making the problem worse. Determined to make the most of his remaining days, he becomes reckless and begins taking chances both in business and his personal life. During the Monaco Grand Prix, Stark is attacked by Vanko. Though Stark survives the attack and Vanko is captured, Vanko has attracted the attention of Hammer, who realizes that he needs serious help to recreate any of the Stark technology.

The remainder of the movie is filled with spectacular special effects, an amazing fight scene between Tony Stark and his friend, Lt. Colonel James Rhodes (Don Cheadle), and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury who is once again trying to recruit Stark for S.H.I.E.L.D. Paltrow is excellent as Pepper Potts, playing straight man for Downey Jr’s Stark. They have an excellent chemistry and it’s actually a shame that they don’t get more time together on screen.

Rourke’s portrayal of Vanko aka Whiplash is authentic and played with the same intensity he throws into any role. Cheadle’s Rhodes is much looser played than Terrence Howard’s version in the first Iron Man but the role was not a stand out role as was Rourke’s. While I understand that Justin Hammer is supposed to be an obnoxious, egocentric ass, Rockwell took his portrayal over the top and down into a pit. He was the single most obnoxious character on the screen. I did find the character familiar before realizing that Rockwell must have watched Tropic Thunder prior to the start of filming and was channeling Tom Cruise’s Les Grossman.

Overall, Iron Man 2 delivers as a great action flick and super live action depiction of the Marvel Comic. Nothing really new under the sun but it is worth it to watch on the big screen to fully appreciate the effects and sound. This is one movie that should be seen at least once on the big screen. Oh, and be sure to stick around for a preview after the credits. That little teaser was enough to make me jump for joy.

The New Nightmare on Elm St does the original justice...and then some

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)

I can remember when the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street" came out. I wasn't allowed to see it when it came out because it wasn't a movie you would usually allow a seven year old to see. However, it was only a few years later that I got to watch it at a slumber party. It scared me pretty bad but, again I was only 9 or 10. However, thanks to my brother, I was already a bit of a horror movie aficionado so I watched the other movies as they came out. I've actually grown to love Freddy as the villain, mostly because of the amazing way Robert Englund portrayed him. Having said that, when I heard there would be a remake, my first thought was "Why mess up a good thing?" I had very low expectations, especially after seeing the preview ("been there, watched that, got the t-shirt" was my thought) but I was curious when I saw there would be a little Freddy backstory. That aside, I was not expecting much out of this movie other than to be bored stiff.

I was wrong....


***Caution: Spoiler Alerts!***

One, two, Freddy's coming for you...

First off, we are transported into Freddy's world. The first intended victim is Dean, played by Kellan Lutz. Sitting in a diner, he struggles to stay awake to keep from dreaming. He tries to explain his fears to his friend, Kris (Katie Cassidy), but is unable to fully explain before Freddy quickly takes him out. (Sorry Twilighters...maybe Emmet Cullen could have killed Freddy but then it would have been a five minute movie...ten if the fight scene had gone on long enough.)

Three, four, better lock your door...

One by one, the Elm Street teens begin to realize that they are dreaming about the same man. They realize that they knew each other as very young children and that their parents are covering something up. Been done before? Yes. But then there is Freddy and he is proof that everything old is new again.

Five, six, grab your crucifix...

Jackie Earle Haley leaves the pop culture humor out of Kruger and leaves him with the sick and perverted comments of a true serial killer and child molester. As we learn more about his story, we find that the children were all students at a pre-school where Kruger was a gardener. The kids told their parents that Freddy molested them, the parents hunted him down and burned him alive as he screamed out, proclaiming his innocence. This leads to the big question: did the parents murder an innocent man on the basis of the confused imaginations of small children and he is now seeking revenge on the children for said lies? Or is this a killer and child rapist looking to finish tormenting his now grown victims with no limitations?

Seven, eight better stay up late...

"Nightmare" has many jump out of your skin moments. You will find yourself looking over your shoulder as you leave the theater. You will find yourself looking at your bed with apprehension, wondering if this new, creepier & not-so-funny Freddy will pay a visit to your dream land. You may even wonder if your mind is playing tricks on you as you daydream...

Nine, ten never sleep again...

This is a Nightmare for the next generation. If there are to be sequels, I truly hope that they spawn from this new storyline as opposed to dredging up and rewriting the past. The writers of this movie pay homage to Wes Craven by taking an idea and making it their own without trashing the concept. Of course, not being a big fan of sequels, my hope is that this franchise is now over and Freddy in the new incarnation is dead...

...or is he?

American Idol: The march of the serial killers & hopeless nuts

Last night was the first night of American Idol. Coming to us from the city of Boston...and confirming why I am perfectly happy on the west coast.



First up was Miss Muffin Top...a woman who was convinced that because she could win the AI video game that it meant she was to be the next American Idol.



There was the typical blond hippie guy who couldn't sing but would keep "singing as his passion" despite getting told by the judges to stop.



The animai girl...whose own mother rolled her eyes at the thought of her daughter doing well on the show...(then why encourage her you stupid woman)



But the stand out bad performance has to be the guy in the thick glasses and the brown shirt...police should search his apartment for bodies immediately. That guy has "serial killer" written all over his body. He sang "House of the Rising Sun" and even that song came out sounding like a threat. I could picture him drilling the knees of someone strapped to a table while singing it while his previous victims dissolved in vats of acid in his basement.



Were there good singers? Yes. The Jim Morrison guy who broke both his wrists falling out of a tree had a good voice. Also a 16 year old girl who had soulful voice I didn't think it was possible to belong to a white girl. All in all...a very mixed bunch. Tonight they are heading south. Let's see how things go downhill...ahem...I mean improve...from Boston.



Oh Victoria Beckham? Make-up covered stick insect. 'Nuff said.

I'm so addicted to email, Facebook and Twitter, I have to hide it from my wife - Telegraph

I'm so addicted to email, Facebook and Twitter, I have to hide it from my wife - Telegraph

As I write this, someone is sending a sheep my way via Farm Town on Facebook, I have been invited to join two Mafia's and someone I don't know in Australia is asking to be my friend so I can join her Sorority.

Hold on...be right back...

Sorry, thought I had a response to my tweet but it was just my Blackberry notifying me I had email from some Nigerian prince's nephew.

I love Twitter. I used to love Facebook because I was able to talk to a bunch of people from high school. Now I am inundated with Mafia, Pirates, Farm Town and hug requests that I can't bear to log in there anymore. I am still addicted to Twitter and don't see that passion fading anytime soon at least until the Mafia bots swarm there too.

I have been yelled at by my seven year old daughter because I tweet at the dinner table. When on vacation, I used the time at rest stops to catch up with the hundred or so postings of people I follow and posted a few new ones of my own.

Wait just a moment....

Sorry, @ThatKevinSmith & @cyborgturkey are too funny to not read and my honey, @EthanRayne just got home...

Where was I? Oh yeah...my Twitter addiction...

Of course, it's not just Twitter. I also check my email compulsively. I got a Blackberry just so I could check my email compulsively. I rarely use it as a phone. In fact when it does ring, I stare at it blankly wondering what the hell is going on.

I need to cut back on my Twitter, just as I need to cut back on my World of Warcraft game time. Without Twitter though, there are a host of people I never would have met. I wouldn't have met the man of my dreams, wouldn't have met my adopted Twitter brother or met the host of other people I now consider friends, though we have not met in person.

I have local friends of course. I have my Rollerderby sisters, my co-workers and my other friends that I probably don't talk to half as much as I should because life has just gotten too damn busy. I love my Twitter family and am happy to be a part of that community. I just need to learn when to NOT check my messages or tweet...

Like now...

~M~

My name is Michele and I am a recovering Twilight fan

Yes, I got hooked on Twilight. I was suckered into reading the whole bloody series by someone who said "Hey you like books? You'll love this one!" I too was drawn into the series as a vampire fanatic & Buffy devotee (hence why I have found the Buffy vs Edward clip so therapeutic) which is my explanation for my devotion for this series.

Was Twilight a good book? Yes. Were New Moon & Eclipse good follow ups? Yes. Did Breaking Dawn jump the shark? Oh dear lord, absolutely! I watched the Twilight movie about two dozen times and debated with my co-workers as to who was cooler, Edward or Jacob. I even got other people to read the series like a good drug dealer. (C'mon, try it. You'll like it and you can quit anytime!)

Then, I inoculated myself with REAL vampires. I watched every episode of Buffy and Angel (that's another obsession but one I am not ready to let go of) and fawned over Spike and Angel...OK, mostly Spike...and began to see Twilight for what it really is. Bella is the weakest female heroine I have run across in a long time, Edward is an obsessive stalker and Jacob is an egotistical prick. And for some reason, there is this whole sub-plot involving no sex outside of marriage...

Of course, Spike and Angel were both with stalker tendencies and not entirely stable (Angel got all nasty when he did the nasty; Spike had sex with a robot he had built to look like Buffy) but Buffy didn't immediately fawn over either of them. She also didn't surrender all of her life and power to them. She was, in her words, cookie dough and both Spike and Angel would have to wait until she was done baking. Bella immediately turned over everything to Edward. She was prepared to give up her humanity, her life, her friends and family to be with this guy who was very dangerous, wanted to kill her and snuck into her room every night to watch her sleep.

If this is how young girls are seeing relationships, this is dangerous ground. Edward may have had some romantic qualities and who wouldn't want to spend all of eternity with their one true love but overall, he's creepy and dangerous. Girls shouldn't look to him as the epitome of a real man, they should see him as what they don't want in a boyfriend and life long companion.

In the meantime, I may watch New Moon if only for the effects. I will probably watch Eclipse and Breaking Dawn as well. Then I will head home and pop in a Buffy episode and see how a strong woman really behaves.