So many changes have happened since my last Big Brother 11 post I thought I'd catch you up on some things.

CBS paid heed to, not only my complaint, but the 1000's of other complaints they received concerning houseguest Chima Simone, and she was expelled from the game late Friday night/early Saturday morning. In the couple hours leading up to her expulsion the HG's had given a putt-putt type golf setup to practice on for the upcoming POV competition. Because Chima was on the nomination block, along with HG Lydia, her alliance-mates were seen urging her to come out and practice. Chima did agree to come practice but refused to put on her microphone. All the HG's are miked 24/7 with a small black mic-pack about the size of a pack of cigarettes with thin cord and a clip on mic. Big Brother was heard asking Chima to put on her microphone several times until finally her alliance-mate Kevin got her microphone and gave it to Gnatalie. As Gnat handed the micpack up to Chima on the golf aparatus, Chima says 'thank you' turns and lobs the mic pack into the nearby HOT TUB! The micpacks are quite expensive, something like $4,000 each. Chima kept refusing to be miked and the refused to go to the Diary Room when summoned. One of the last things Chima says is "I refuse to give 'them' the satisfaction of voting me out of this house".

Soon the producer, Allison Grodner, is heard calling Chima to the diary room over the intercom. After several urgings Chima goes into the diary room, prepares to sit on the couch (which is the same place we see the houseguests vote to evict on the live shows). Someone says 'no need to sit down' and Chima was ushered out the back of the diary room...GOODBYE CHIMA! and good riddance!!!

I don't need to say much more about Chima now that she's gone. She was just as bad as she was portrayed on Tuesday's episode times 100! Chima was a racist terror who felt entitled to whatever she wanted when she wanted it. She threatened production and her housemates. She was a brutal rape survivor who joked that she'd even use that horror to tell production that she was afraid of another houseguest. Chima has no shame. She did NOT want to be voted out of the house and she was NOT going to bear it, eventhough it is always a very real part of the game. Instead of rolling with some of the games' punches, taking being nominated like the 'strong woman' she is supposed to be, fighting for the POV which could have saved her from nomination, Chima chose to have a hissyfit and quit.

Since Chima had left the game BB deemed Michelle's HOH week complete. Within minutes of this announcement the HG's were thrown into a new HOH competition. Because a POV competition was not necessary, BB used the afore-mentioned golf game for this quickie HOH competition. Gloriously and luckily for the Fab Four, Jordan won! She got the HOH room for the remainder of the week (invited Michelle to stay, bring her pictures back, and share the room since her week was cut short..what a sweetheart).

It looks like Jordon's HOH might not turn out like we hoped, i.e. Gnatalie evicted, but we have done all that we can do.

We gave Jeff the Coup d'etat to get even...not even as in revenge, but even as in the numbers. That has been done. Two major players are out of the house as a result.

Unfortunately for Jeff and Jordan, they do not understand the game of Big Brother and they are truly trusting, gentle souls. These are the kind of people that the Big Brother Diary Room machine eats up and spits out.*

Because the 'Tard Trio (Kevin, Gnatalie, Lydiot) needed a miracle...they spent several hours after Jordan won the HOH trying to figure out a plan to break up the Fab Four...in stepped the Diary Room. The DR agreed to not only craft a lie but instill doubt and paranoia into the members of the Fab Four: Jeff, Jordan, Michelle and Russell. The DR agreed to help because, as Lydiot told us, the DR thinks the 'Tard Trio are "fun".

Kevin has been chosen to be the one to carry the small-pox laced blankets to the Fab Four in the form of a lie that goes like this:

[LIE] Kevin was in the storage room on Saturday and heard Russell secure a Final Two deal with Michelle. Also, the two were 'overheard' saying that next week they will put Jeff up if either of them gets HOH.[LIE]

There is not much more that we can do now but watch to see if Jeff confronts Russell about this lie and pray that whatever Russell says gets through to Jeff.

Russell caused Jeff to doubt him, originally, by voting to keep Jessie. Russell was OUT THE DOOR until Jeff pulled him off the block and replaced him with Jessie, with the Coup d'etat. Five minutes later Russell repays Jeff by voting to keep Jessie out of some warped sense of loyalty to Jessie. Loyalty might get you to the final 6 or 7, but then you have to play for YOURSELF.
It's possible it was a play for Jury Vote from Jessie if Russell should find himself in the Final 2.

Good luck to the Fab Four and may they play smart, think before they speak, get a clue and realize they have all been manipulated both inside and out of the Diary Room.


*I don't know about you, but I have already watched the Diary Room evict one of my favorite players, Natalie "Chatty Natty" BB9(another truly trusting, gentle soul). The DR manipulated Baller and Ryan to split their votes leaving Sheila (ungrateful bitch who was only HOH b/c Natalie dropped from the glass house on purpose, handing Sheila the HOH 'because it's her birthday') to break the tie and oust her.

My Complaint to CBS/Big Brother Concerning Cast Member Chima Simone

Below is the letter I sent to CBS/Big Brother's feedback and complaint department this morning. I was moved to these lengths due to what appears to be a continuing favoritism of one house guest over others. I tried to gain understanding and/or get answers to my very specific question concerning Chima's sense of entitlement and her threats to disrupt events if her demands weren't met. This only led to further frustration as her actions were explained away by either stating she was a 'survivor', a 'strong woman', or was 'under undo stress'. Because Chima has not been under ANY STRESS due to gameplay past the first week when she was on the block, I felt the need to reach out to Big Brother 'himself' (lol). I'll keep you updated if I receive any answers.

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Chima Simone should be removed from the show or, at least, publicly and financially penalized due to the following:

1. Her racist, prejudiced and discriminatory comments about fellow house guest, Russell, calling him a 'terrorist'; a 'contestant on America's Next Top Terrorist'; and, then loudly proclaiming that she'll SPIN her racist, and prejudiced, comments in such a way as to slide them by the rules. She said she would just imply her 'terrorist' label means Russell 'terrorizes the house'. She was totally unapologetic and lacked remorse for her comments when Julie interviewed her on the episode Thursday night.

2. Her racist and prejudiced comments towards viewers and, in particular, voters in the coup d'etat contest. Chima stated that IF Jeff won the power it was because the people who vote in such contests are women, gay men, 'Southern people who can barely speak the English language...you know, the RED STATES'.

3. Chima judged several of fellow house guest Braden's comments as racist and prejudiced. In her live eviction speech, Chima called Braden out and insisted that these comments be taken into consideration by the other hg's when voting to evict either Braden or herself. Therefore, for Chima to demand any less severe treatment for her own comments and actions is hypocritical and biased.

4. In almost every season there is an HOH reign that is in some way altered or rendered moot altogether. Chima Simone feels entitled to demand, threaten, and browbeat Big Brother production and fellow hg's to ensure her nominations stay the same, resulting in Russell being evicted. Chima had planned and plotted total chaos if anything happened during the live show that wasn't what she desired. Ultimately, whether Chima made good on her demands or not, the television viewers were robbed of the promised LIVE show and payoff of their dedicated voting for the coup d'etat power holder. Many these viewers are those who purchase the already-less-than-advertised '24/7 live feeds' from CBS and Realplayer Superpass. The live feeders are the life's-blood of this particular reality show and we were totally disrespected yesterday. CBS's solution to Chima's threatened tantrum was to pre-tape the eviction, resulting in shutting down the feeds for 7 hours. Also, we were unable to see the direct aftermath of the live eviction and HOH competition: always a highly anticipated live-feeder pleasure and not one we relinquish willingly.

It has been rumored that in this hour Chima, Natalie, and Lydia threatened to quit the show and were paid to stay.

It boggles the mind that this one house guest should be given all this power. To broadcast Chima's telling of her rape story during her terror of an HOH reign (when actually the conversation took place in the first couple weeks of the show) might have been a ploy to get sympathy for her. It didn't work. Regardless of her 'personal tragedy' Chima's negative attitude is like a cancer in the BB house. Do us all a favor and either evict her or censure her both publicly and financially.

Thank you for your time.

Big Brother 11

I'm so thrilled this morning..but more so, just relieved.

I'm a HUGE Big Brother fan..the reality show not the book character.

Last night one of the most deceitful, hateful, condescending, and dare I say, EVIL people to ever play the game was PUT OUT by the house guests.

Ronnie did nothing but lie the entire time in the house. Ronnie, and even family members of Ronnie's, would like us to believe that he's a truthful, compassionate and gentle person in real life. If that is true, he sure can hide it. I'm not a big online or computer gamer...I play some games on Pogo.com and Yoville, but that's about it. I understand there are these other games that are role-playing, time-consuming, and dangerously addicting games. Ronnie claims to be one of the biggest of those players. But, honestly, Ronnie claims to be a lot of things.

In the house Ronnie was caught saying he was an educator. I'm paraphrasing, but in a character assassination on Casey (Man in a banana suit), Ronnie said "I don't think you need to be a 5th grade teacher, going to bars, cussing, and smoking. As 'educators' both my wife and I are the same at home as we are at work." Well, Ronnie is NOT an educator, he's at most, a student, and possibly a tutor. This is one of the ways that Ronnie went totally, and in my opinion, SLANDEROUS LY, negative. One of the things his wife assured we Twitterers, that her husband would never do.

Ronnie also claimed to be some sort of debate champ, especially persuasive speech title-holder..again, false! I understand, through some other BB blogs and websites, that the actual holder of said title would like to have a few words with Ronnie. I doubt it'll be a debate...lol

Another time Ronnie went completely personal calling Michelle (formerly his Brains Clique mate) crazy, having a pig nose, stupid, and several other just truly condescending and personally negative things. I think Ronnie was mad at Michelle because she didn't vote for her ex-clique mate; but, the cliques had been dissolved a week prior to Ronnie's eviction anyway. In his last plea for votes, Ronnie called Michelle the 'worst person he'd ever met'. Not to speak for Michelle, but I think the feeling is mutual.

Thank you America for voting Jeff the recipient of the Coup d'etat super power. This power allows Jeff to remove one or both of Chima's (newly crowned HOH) nominees this week from the block and replace them with his own...on the live show...2 minutes before the live eviction vote. I fucking love this!!!!

Hopefully Jeff, being a football player, will not only realize and appreciate the defensive aspect of the Coup d'etat, in that if he and his adorable BFF, Jordan, should find themselves on the block, he can remove them. But, also, the offensive nature of the super power, the ability to put up Jessie and Natalie (barring the fact that either of them should win the VETO) and click click BOOM, one of them (hopefully Jessie) is the first person to SEQUESTER!

I appreciate the game of Big Brother and I realize I'm sitting in a seat with a birds-eye view of the action (I have the 24/7 feeds) and none of the risk. There is no money they could pay me to go in a house with 10-12 people and live for 90 days with no outside contact. I'd probably kill someone in their sleep..lol..just kidding! I'd just maim them. But anyway...

Good luck to Jeff and Jordan, my final 2 pick. Russell, please get a clue; Lydia, also get a clue: Jessie is a TOOL; Natalie, please take a bath and admit your a man (lol); Chima, stop laughing at your own jokes; Michelle pick a side; Kevin..lose Lydiot..that girl is too far up Jessie's butt to ever be totally true to you and if you do you might end up in the final 3.

Thanks for reading and I'd love to read your comments on Big Brother 11.

Fibromyalgia Gets Its Own 'Twibbon'

Twitter is so hot right now! It's an instant social network where you can get and receive information on virtually ANY subject that comes to mind. I have been seriously 'twittering' for only a month or so. I have already met several people who are either involved in an interest of mine or stricken with the disease that has made my life such a pain, literally, fibromyalgia.

Today I found out that fibromyalgia has its own 'Twibbon' -- a ribbon, or other related icon, that can be added to or placed over your Twitter avatar.

Below is the link for the Fibromyalgia Twibbon ~ a purple ribbon with 'Fibromygia' on it. Please let me know if you find other twibbons or anything like this related to fibromyalgia. Anything that we can do to keep fibromygia in the forefront of people's minds and in the news can only help to gain awareness of this devastating illness.

Opryland Memories Spring Forth

Below is something I wrote today after seeing a picture and mention of Opryland USA, in another blog. The comments there caused me to defend Opryland as not only a COUNTRY MUSIC mecca, but a unique celebration of ALL types of music.

Opryland USA is gone now...torn down more than a decade ago and replaced with Opry Mills Mall. The Grand Ole Opry House along with the Opryland Hotel complex are still there, of course.

Even today, as I drive across the massive mall parking lot I recognize landmarks. Natural landmarks in the form of trees, wooded areas, the river, or the dike (you'll read about the dike below) that once were a part of Opryland USA. For those of us who played and worked at Opryland, these landmarks spring open a map in our memory. Look through our eyes and catch a glimpse of the place we came to love and ghosts of summers past.

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Good old OpryHOLE! (Inside joke.) Opryland was built right beside the Cumberland River on what turned out to be a slight depression in the land. As I recollect, it existed for several years with no problem...until 1975. During the Spring of '75 it rained and rained and rained. Opryland, set to open in the next few weeks, had stocked all the gift shops...the game walls graced with tons of stuffed animals, and most rides were in final inspection. As the rain continued, the Cumberland River started to rise. It rose over its banks and spilled into the Park, filling it up! There are pictures showing how the water rose so high that the only indication of a shop was the sign hanging from the roof, the water just 6 inches or so below them. EVERYTHING was ruined.

The water was eventually pumped out, the stores repainted and restocked. The opening of the Park was delayed a couple of weeks, and a dike was built...thankfully, Opryland never flooded again. As you might imagine though, the 'Opryhole' jokes lived on.

As for the 'all country music all the time' assumption....not exactly. Opryland celebrated all types of music. The Park was divided into areas such as:

The Mod Area. 50's OLDIES played from hidden speakers as guests strolled into, through and out of the Mod Area. The workers were dressed like 50's car hops. The games were built on the same era, as were the rides. The 'Little Deuce Coupe' was a tilt-a-whirl-type ride and the 'Timber Topper', a roller coaster, shot on a rail through the tree tops.

New Orleans Area. Here the music was the BLUES. Guests had the opportunity to sip mint juleps in a Bourbon Street-type restaurant as a Mardi Gras brass band paraded past. There was a GOSPEL show in this area, too. You could eat fried clams and ride a magnificent Carousel that had some historical significance. (I can't remember the story anymore.)

Hilltop Area. BLUEGRASS and COUNTRY music played on the speakers. There live shows with fiddles and steel guitars were featured. 'The Flume Zoom', a log ride, and the 'Screamin' Delta Demon', both had tracks that wound through the woods before their rides came splashing down at the end. Craftspeople like leatherworkers, glassblowers, and woodcarvers worked on their pieces as guests watched or bought their own unique souvenier.

State Fair Area. A mixture of songs played from the speakers as guests threw baseballs at stuffed cats in the 'Gaucho Gallery', played 'Ring The Coke', or 'Skee Ball' (for a quarter a game). The 'Tennessee Waltz', a swing ride was in this area along with a huge rollercoaster with double-loops, called the 'Wabash Cannonball'.

A real steam-engine train circled the park and allowed passengers to view the beautiful landscape around the park and some buffalo grazing in the fields nearby.

From years 1973 to 1976 I had a season pass. My friends and I would go almost every day. Our parents would drop us at the entrance of the park in the morning and pick us back up in the evening. We loved the shows. 'I Hear America Singing' was a Broadway-type musical covering all eras of music. In a replica of a 1900-era Showboat, contemporary songs were performed.

One day they filmed several scenes for Robert Altman's movie "Nashville" in this setting. Included with the regular performers were Ned Beatty, Scott Glenn, Jeff Goldblum, and Geraldine Chaplin along with Yours Truly and Friends right on the front row. I like to joke that Scott Glenn and I 'did our first movie together'. I can also connect myself to Kevin Bacon in six degrees!

It is not unusual to find a star today who got their start at Opryland USA. Cynthia Rhodes who played "Penny" in "Dirty Dancing" and 'Tina Tech" in Flashdance, got her start singing and dancing on the stages of Opryland.

As you can see, Opryland was built on MUSIC, with the Opry House there on the site. However, there were many more things to do, see, enjoy, eat, and remember fondly.

The summers of 1977 and 1978 will forever be 'the good old days'. Those summers I worked in the State Fair and Mod area games. I came to know Opryland like the back of my hand and love it for the unique gift it was to music lovers everywhere.

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