Suri: Cruising With Cash?
She must be taking a cue from mommy’s movie Mad Money, because for Suri Cruise, it’s all about the Benjamins!
Or is it?
When we initially came across this photo, we were rather impressed that the 2-year-old tyke had traded her red shoe in for a nice $100 greenback.
But upon further review, we couldn’t help but notice that while it reads 100, it includes a picture of Andrew Jackson, who actually appears on $20 bills.
While it certainly wouldn’t have surprised us if it had been the real McCoy (given that Suri’s folks aren’t hurting for moola), it’s nice to know they’re still showing some fiscal restraint when it comes to their kid.
That, or TomKat’s simply using her cuteness as a decoy to pawn off bogus bills.
Big Brother 9: PoV Competition #9
(S09E27) “I stirred the pot for no reason.” - Adam
Nah, Adam. I like it that you shook things up a bit. Adam’s latest nominations in the Big Brother 9 house alienated his alliance. We’re talking about a house which puts James on the block week after week. Then he wins veto week after week and saves himself. Well, there was that time that the houseguests all voted him back in after they had evicted him. If they all want James out of the house so badly, their approach just isn’t working, is it?
Read on past the jump for the full review of tonight’s show.
I think we all could have predicted Sheila’s reaction not only to being nominated, but to be nominated for eviction by Adam. They all know that James had promised not to use the power of veto to save Sharon if he won it. And, out of Sharon and Sheila, as much as I personally would love the target to be Sheila, it’s not. If the two women remain on the block, the votes from Ryan and Natalie would be for Sheila to stay while James might vote for Sharon.
But what is Sheila without drama and forcing that spotlight to shine on her and her alone? We hardly saw Sharon’s reaction to being nominated for eviction yet again. I’ve lost count how many times Sharon’s been on the block. She was even evicted with Jacob first two out this season. Sure, every other nomination has had her on the block as a pawn, but she knows that the votes aren’t there for her this time.
It’s all about Sheila, though. How could Adam do that to her? She would never ever put him on the block. He’s betrayed her! He’s backstabbed her! How dare he? She can’t trust him. She thought she could, but it’s all out the window. How could he do this? She later said she understands why he put her on the block — he was forcing her to win something. Mind you, Sheila has done the worst at almost every competition this whole season. But dang it, she’s going to win that veto and take herself off the block!
Ryan gave Adam the cold shoulder and I think we saw more of his reaction to Sheila being nominated than we saw of Sharon’s reaction to her own nomination. Even though Natalie lectured Adam some, she told us she’d play both sides so she wasn’t all that mad at him. Sharon told us in a Diary Room segment that she thinks Adam put a huge target on his own back with the nominations and she’ll just continue to lay low.
Poor Adam’s facial expressions went the gamut from goofy to dopey to concerned to scared as he was tag-teamed by his entire alliance. Then Sheila ranted her same rant (see above and expand it by five minutes) to Ryan. Why did he do it? She’d never put him on the block!
Ryan is sure that James won’t keep his word and, if he wins the veto he’ll save Sharon. That would mean that Adam would put up him (Ryan) or Natalie as the POV winner cannot be put on the block. Natalie thinks Adam’s nominations were the “dumbest frickin’ move in the game.”
Since his own alliance were browbeating him, Adam went to Sharon to get some sort of affirmation that he didn’t make a horrible decision with the nominations. He didn’t get anything positive out of her. She told him she didn’t know if he was right or wrong. It would all have to play out before anyone could really tell.
Returning to a slightly more calm Sheila, Adam told her he felt horrible. He had stirred the pot for no reason. He doesn’t know why he did it. Now, this is something I don’t care for about Adam. He made a decision and he so wants to fit in that he becomes some sort of little puppy dog looking for forgiveness for an accident on the rug. Sheila told him she knows why he did it She understands the reasoning, but it was a very risky move for her and for him. He could only chew his thumb and look frightened.
In a Diary Room segment Natalie told us she’s going to become the “Warrior Princess Nattie” and win the veto. I guess Warrior Princess Natalie is Naughty Nasty Natalia’s first cousin or something. I thought Natalie’s DR session looked almost a bit forced as she said “I’m not ready to forgive him because he put me at risk.” To me, it looked almost like she was reading it off of cue cards.
James tells all of them again he will be keeping his word to Adam. If he wins the PoV, he will not use it. Sharon will not be saved by him and the nominations would remain the same. Natalie goes on about how she can’t trust him. But James is making a big point with the trust issue this time around. Where he screwed up his own game and became the super huge house target was due to putting Matt on the block. He knows that if he wins PoV this time, he must keep his word to Adam.
Oh, but then things turn again! Natalie, Ryan, and James start talking. James started giving them reasons they should vote to evict Sharon over him (if he goes on the block). Natalie told him he couldn’t whine anymore and they promised each other that if they win HOH, they won’t nominate each other. She says she still has trust issues with him. Is he going to fall for that?
In typical BB9 fashion, James tells Sharon about the deal with Natalie and Ryan. She admonishes him and tells him Natalie can’t be trusted, she’s only saying she’ll work with him so he won’t play hard for the power of veto. She can’t believe that James is even thinking of trusting Natalie. However, if you think about it, her whole speech to him was a bit self-serving. James is one of her main allies in the house since Joshuah left, but she herself would stand a better chance to stay in the house if James is put on the block.
Sharon and James went on to have a teary emotional talk from their separate beds after lights out. They both feel targeted. They both miss their families. All you have in this world is friends. James is all alone in the game. Sharon misses Joshuah so much. James hates the good versus evil game — he’s not evil. Sharon said Jacob felt like he failed her. And on and on. James thinks she’s amazing and they make a vow to support each other.
After a brief bit about Sheila being the only one to ever clean anything in the house, it was time for the veto competition. The backyard was full of palm trees, fake lizards (real water monitors would have added some excitement), slabs to kneel on, rocks, and a huge stone god face oh so cleverly named OTEV. Well, I should admit right here and now that it took about three times of them saying the name before I realized it was “veto” spelled backwards. D’oh!
All of the houseguests participated because the numbers are down. How the game worked was that there is a drought and the Big Brother lake has gone dry. The Great and Powerful rhyming rain god OTEV would ask when (by day number) a certain event in the house occurred. The hamsters would then run off to find two rocks with the right numbers on them and rush to their slabs, kneel, and make an offer of the answer to the god. If all answer right, the last one to kneel would be eliminated. If more than one answers wrong, the one furthest from the answer is eliminated. If one answers wrong, obviously out.
In a Diary Room segment Natalie bragged about how the competition was just made for her because she’s always counting things. Heh, she was out on the first question. While she counts things in the house, I haven’t seen her do much with the days of events. On the other hand, Sheila tells us she will do horribly at it — she isn’t even sure what month it is!
- For maximum precipitation, remember the day of Chelsia’s elimination. The correct answer was 49. Natalie, James and Sheila were wrong, but Natalie was the furthest away from 49 so she was eliminated.
- The lake will fill if you bring me the day Amanda fell ill. The correct answer is 16. They were all wrong, but Sheila and James both had the answer furthest from correct (32). James had hit his slab first, so Sheila was eliminated.
- I promise you the rain won’t quit if you tell me the day the couples split. The correct answer is 28. James blew it with a 24 and all cheered when he was eliminated.
- To make the ground below you slick, bring me the day you saw Evel Dick. The correct answer is 44. Sheila was the only one wrong with 43. She’s out.
- Get ready for the water to soak your socks if you give me the day of the mystery box. The correct answer is 35. Ryan, knowing that Adam might not want to be in the position of using the veto due to the James situation, told him to get the same number as him, but let him kneel first. Adam agreed. Ryan told him 35 in passing, but Adam got 34 for some reason. No big deal, he was going to win it either way.
Once Ryan won the veto, it was bouncing and dancing for Ryan and Natalie. Perhaps she bounced a bit more than he did. I almost thought he was going to give her one of those manly chest butts guys do. Natalie credits bible reading for the win. That certainly doesn’t explain why she did so poorly at it! Natalie can’t stop giggling … Matt will get his birthday gift, James in sequester. Sheila’s happy because she thinks Ryan will save her and she doesn’t think she could have trusted Adam if he had won it.
Ah, but then it’s seed planting time as James makes a last ditch effort to get some kind of support in the house. He tells Ryan that Natalie has approached him for deals, that it’s not the other way around with him approaching her. Ryan doesn’t agree to not use the veto, but it gives him something to be concerned about … is Natalie trustworthy? Meanwhile, Sharon is talking to Sheila and telling her practically the same thing. She said that James told her he was working with Natalie. So Sheila also has reason to question of Natalie can be trusted.
But in the end, it didn’t matter. Ryan used the PoV to save Sheila and Adam put James on the block in her place. It would have been interesting had he put Natalie up but we all know he’s too scared to do it. Sheila was relieved, albeit still ticked at Adam. James knows he’s has to pull a rabbit out of his hat to get out of this, but claims he will fight to stay. He told Ryan to remember that those close allies he’s surrounded himself with are the same ones who voted him out. Sharon said she’ll continue keeping her mouth shut. She thinks that being under the radar and losing everything is the best strategy. Actually, in the beginning it may be. But this is the time to step up to the plate and hit a home run.
Big Brother 9: PoV Competition #8
(S09E24) “James is the target this week. The whole house wants him gone.” - Joshuah
So, it’s James and Joshuah on the block with a veto competition looming ahead. I don’t know how you feel, but I think the only one safe in the house is Natalie because she’s the head of household. With the record James has and his determination, no one should feel smug or secure. If Natalie wasn’t the HOH, I don’t think divine intervention would help her either. James is a force to be reckoned with. He knows he’ll go home if he doesn’t win the power of veto.
How does it all pan out? Read on past the jump for the full review!
Although I don’t think tonight’s episode will go down in the history books, there were definitely some very good bits and pieces about it. I enjoy watching Big Brother because it’s sort of a character study. As long as there are houseguests willing to display all their virtues and flaws, I’m willing to watch. I don’t even like any of them all that much this season. But it’s definitely interesting to watch them rise and fall flat, too. And, it’s much better that it’s them and not me!
Ryan and Natalie are worried that James will win POV. Joshuah is worried a bit. James feels alienated from the rest of the house. They already evicted him. He came back. They keep putting him on the block and he’s certainly the target, not the pawn. He keeps winning POV and living for another week. Between his youth, determination, and a pretty astute ability in comps, they should be more worried than they are about him winning yet another power of veto.
James is hurting since Chelsia was voted out. Even though last week he said she had to go and he didn’t even give her a sympathy vote, he now realizes that she was his only real friend in the house, his only confidant. He tells us he’s like an island, all alone. I hummed a bit of “I am a Rock” by Simon and Garfunkel as he said it for solidarity purposes. Well, maybe I exaggerate just a bit. But I thought of the song!
Watching what happened next showed a side of James we don’t see too often, as well as a part of Sheila I think we’ve seen way too much of this season. Seeing how upset and alone he was, Sheila went to him. She gave him a pep talk about how she was sure he’d win POV and stay in the house. She told him she had a gut feeling he’d stay, what a wonderful player he is and blah-blah-blah. I could tell watching his face that he fell hook, line, and sinker for it. Why, he’s not alone! He has a friend who cares about him! He won’t give up! He’ll win POV and thank her for being his friend and giving him the will to go on!
But, mind you, this was Sheila saying it to him. She’s constantly lying. Sheila doesn’t care about James. She cares about Sheila and often seems to think the world show bow at her feet. After all, she’s old enough to be the mother of the house! She lies to them roughly using the same sort of approach Matt used — tell them what they want to hear. But, unlike Matt, no one has really called her out on it. Wait, it was James who called Matt out, right?
Well, he called Sheila out on this lie. He blatantly caught her telling everyone in the kitchen he has to be voted out this week. She wants him gone, everyone wants him gone. He had been napping on the sofabed and heard every word. So, itsy-bitsy black bikini briefs and all, he confronted her. “You lying sack of BLEEP!” She told him she was glad he heard her. He got more upset. He was shaking all over and turning about the color of his pink mohawk as he lit into her.
I’m not big on shouting fights, but this is one Sheila needed to receive. She’s been doing that to others all along. James really isn’t much more than a kid. She took his feelings of loneliness and offered him a false friendship when she knew he was vulnerable. Did she do that to help him? Nope, she did it so she would sit better with his vote from the jury, that’s all. No one came to her rescue. Then again, it’s hard to be real scary wearing a teeny black bikini brief just big enough to contain your stuff while shaking, spitting, and turning neon pink.
James moved on to Natalie, but only to rant about what Sheila did to him with her lie. Now, Natalie herself lies at times. She’s even put him on the block and made it known that she wanted him out of the house. But she hasn’t lied to take advantage of him when he was down like that. James was even losing his voice as he went on at Natalie. She didn’t lie to him and tell him that people didn’t want him to go. In his Diary Room segment, he cried and told us that it’s the first time he’s cried since his father died. Maybe he put himself in the situation in the beginning, but he is more alienated than anyone else in the house. He’s the only one who will have to fight each and every week to stay.
Joshuah sympathized with James and reminded him that Sheila always lies to people. Joshuah has told Sheila before that she has to stop playing everyone in the house, but not to the extent James did tonight. Heck, even James has told us that Sheila plays everyone. She got him in a moment when he was really vulnerable and boy did she play him. But I don’t think she’ll do it again … not to James anyway.
When it came time to choose veto players, the worst case scenario would be if James picked Sheila. But that didn’t happen. Natalie got the houseguest’s choice and chose Ryan. Joshuah picked Sheila out of the hat and James ended up picking Sharon’s name. There was a cute bit when they were looking for a host for the comp. Since everyone except one person in the house get to play this time, Adam was alone on the couch. After looking around the room, he was chosen to host it.
The comp itself was a bit unusual. I’m not quite understanding why it was called Big Brother Boardwalk, but I guess there are guessing games and games of chance on boardwalks. It’s still weird. There were sample items/containers and then larger ones. For example, there was a small cage filled with the alphabet blocks we’ve seen in the guinea pig cage, then a huge one filled with blocks. The houseguests were told that the little one had 100 blocks. How many are in the big one? The closest answer wins a point. However, if they don’t have confidence in their answers, they can fold and be able to go on to the next question. If they answer wrong, they’re out. It’s all about decent guessing and confidence. The first player with three points would win the power of veto.
There were tubs of lard, popcorn, veto symbols made with push pins, rubber balls in a gumball machine, and links in a chain. Joshuah and Sharon were out in the first round. Sheila kept guessing outlandish answers but folding so she hung in for a while. Natalie ended up with the first point, but then was flushed out. James had said prior to going in that he was getting into his mental warrior zone and definitely did. He watched the others and decided it was a lot like poker. You had to bluff and be confident appearing. Sure enough, he had Ryan folding when Ryan was actually coming closest to the correct numbers! In the end, it was between James, Sheila, and Ryan. Sheila was way off again and folded. Ryan didn’t fold, but James had the closest number and it was his third point. James, the comeback kid, has once again won the power of veto!
Joshuah immediately decided he was dead. He walked away. He cried, “The funeral is over and I just need to be put in the ground.” He figures that Natalie won’t put someone from her side on the block, so it will be Sharon and himself on the block — the saint and the sinner. And, he’s the latter. While James is doing a happy dance, thankfully not in an itsy-bitsy black bikini brief, Joshuah is crushed. Sharon tried to console him, but he wanted to be left alone.
Natalie told Sharon she’d have to put her on the block. Sharon decided she’s the ultimate pawn. In past seasons the pawn is often voted off, but Sharon is one who keeps being put up there because they don’t want to vote her off. They truly want the other nominee to go. But it has to be a strain on her anyway. She cries.
You would think that Natalie would be super upset that James won the veto. Oh, she’s not happy. But she smiles anyway. I think she’s amazed that he won again. In talking with Ryan, they both seemed almost awed by the fact that he won even though it blows their plan to get rid of him this week.
Joshuah told Sharon and Sheila that he won’t go around pressuring people to vote for him. He feels it’s the worst case scenario — he’s on the block with his partner in the house and he truly likes her as a friend. In tears, Joshuah asks Sheila to take care of Sharon. Of course, he said that because he’s sure he’s a goner. He goes to the storage room to cry alone.
Oh, my! We get the toilet cam! I don’t think we’ve seen that since Shannon used Hardy’s toothbrush to clean the toilet! That’s where Sharon went to cry alone. But could she be alone? Nope, her best new friend Sheila came in to console her. Sharon cried about Joshuah being so good to her and how much she thought of him. Par for the course, Sheila went with the flow telling her that he was indeed special.
But by then, Joshuah has had an epiphany! Who says he needs to go and Sharon should stay? He went to the HOH to talk deals with Ryan and Natalie. He promised them two weeks of safety and it’s a done deal. Ryan will vote for him to stay and thinks James will, too. Natalie will vote for Joshuah to stay in the case of a tie. Joshuah ran off to secure James’ vote and got the promise. Shh … don’t tell Sheila and Adam!
James prepared quite the speech for the veto meeting. As is tradition, Joshuah had to say something to try to get the veto used on him. I respect what he had to say. He said he had a philosophy that if you wanted to win the game, you have to win the comps. He didn’t do that and didn’t deserve the veto. Oh, amazingly humble for Joshuah, but he nailed it. He also knows that James would have to save himself, so might as well look good humble, right?
But it was James’ speech was was the surprising one. While it was self-serving and gloating at times, it was impressive. He talked of being alone in the house in which everyone wanted him out. He talked of having to fight each week to win competitions to stay alive in the house. But then he turned almost evangelical telling everyone (while looking at Sheila) that they have the power and they too can win competitions in the house. Sheila beamed. Later they hugged. But, if you ask me, it was almost as self-serving but a lot more polished than Sheila’s lies. He told us in a Diary Room segment that he wanted to be both confrontational, yet inspirational. He pulled it off. But I think the inspirational part was also to further his own game. Well done, though.
As was totally expected, Natalie nominated Sharon to replace James on the block. She gave her reason as she couldn’t put anyone from her own side up for eviction. True, true. Hugs and tears all around.
The contrast between the reactions of Sharon and Joshuah from the Diary Room was like night and day. Sinner James is already scheming to get Sharon out of the house. Sharon is tormented because she thinks so much of Joshuah, she wants to mother him and take care of him … but she’s up on the block with him. More tears. Oh, no tears from me. I think I might shed tears of joy once Sheila is put on the block and is off of my television and computer!
Big Brother 9: Live feeds report - March 31
Pssst … can you keep a secret? You see, I have the goods on tomorrow night’s Big Brother 9 episode. I know who won the power of veto. I even know whether it was used to save someone on the block or not.
Nah, I didn’t get this from word on the street sources. And, trust me, you don’t need to pay me to tell you all about it. My source is the 24/7 live feeds in the house and all it will cost you is a few minutes of your time. Do we have a deal?
Read on past the jump for show spoilers!
The show is so far behind the real-time feeds that I sometimes confuse myself while writing these reports and some of the show reviews. Now, you saw the nominations and food comp last night, so the real important news is the power of veto. James, the Never Say Die Kid, won the veto once again. In the veto ceremony, he indeed saved himself. In his place, Natalie put Sharon on the block with Joshuah.
Sharon was originally really intended as a pawn, a sure way to get Joshuah out of the house. Then it all went kerflooey. We can forget about the alliance between Sharon and Joshuah. With them pitted against each other, they have nothing to ally about.
Joshuah has an outright deal with Ryan. Natalie has been being bombarded by suggestions from everyone. She has Ryan campaigning for Joshuah to stay. She has the newly formed Girls Alliance (Sharon, Natalie, Sheila) wanting Sharon to stay. She has Joshuah and Sharon both making promises to her to keep her safe. She has James campaigning for Joshuah.
With four people voting, any tie would have to be broken by Natalie. At this time, she’s told both Sharon and Joshuah that she would vote to save them. I personally get the idea she’s praying to God that it’s a 3-1 vote and she doesn’t have to deal with it at all! While there have been severe problems between Natalie and Joshuah in the past, they’re getting along right now.
But with all the lying and various odd alliances and deals, it’s hard to keep track without a scorecard. Depending on to whom they’re talking, it’s often lies. For example, Natalie and the girls (and Adam) are in on the Sharon save. But if they talk to James, Ryan, or Joshuah … they hint at saving Joshuah. Well, except for Natalie. Right now the vote is still up in the air. I think it might indeed come down to a tie — Adam and Sheila for Sharon to stay, Ryan and James voting to keep Joshuah. I believe if she’s put in that spot, Natalie will vote to keep Sharon.
I’ve chosen my favorite in the game after a lot of deliberation. He should win the big bucks. I know he’s deserving and would spend the money wisely. Investing some, giving some to his favorite charities. Oh, yeah, I’m sure we’ll see a new fancy cage and a state of the art running wheel. But he deserves it. My vote goes to GP K-Fed for the win.
In house crumbs:
- James still roams the night alone. Maybe he’s a vampire. Now, that would be good TV!
- Sheila is still going on about getting no respect. The pranks have stopped, for the time being anyway.
- Sheila cried because she remembered Matt told her that she had more integrity than James.
- Giving us a bit more insight, Natalie said that when she was a child she’d talk to God all the time. “God, I have no friends,” she’d tell him. Her teachers were concerned for her because she was such a loner and would spend do much time drawing and painting. So, this isn’t anything new or different in her behavior.
- How quickly they forget … Natalie was wondering what her next boyfriend would be like. But … but … what about her soulmate and future husband Mattie?
- Adam continued to occasionally scream “rode hard” at Sheila.
- All of Adam in the buff showed for a minute on the live feeds. My eyes! My eyes!
- Natlaie thinks God was very creative to make oranges. Um, okay.
- Joshuah got into a hysterical crying fit because he wants to eat. He’s looked into eating and getting a penalty nom since he’s already on the block. But it would work out the same way as proposed for Jen last season. He’d get an extra vote and that might boot him.
- Joshuah said it was a number of things which caused the crying fit — the lack of real food, the Diary Room telling him he has to campaign to stay, the pressure, he can’t sleep well, and he doesn’t want to campaign against he partner in the game.
- Natalie told Adam she doesn’t care how he and Ryan vote as long as they vote together. She doesn’t want to break a tie.
Of course, if Adam and Ryan do vote together, I think it would be for Joshuah to stay as Ryan has a longstanding deal with him. If that happens, it could be Sharon walking out as, even though he won’t commit right now, I’m pretty sure James will vote out Sharon.
But then again, all could change in the blink of an eye.