With all that is going on you would think we would have more important things to do rather than just sitting in front of the TV (sound down, of course) and watching Big Brother but how could we resist. Life has to go on!

There was definite evidence that the show had been affected. It seems not long after midnight last night Kat (The Cookie Monster) was briefly taken out of the house as she had banged her knee on something while jumping up and down and had to go to the hospital for an X-Ray. She returned a few hours later.

I guess that was when she got infected.

They were all in the garden when she attacked. The housemates were playing around the pool when suddenly Kat leaped onto Rex's back and started to eat his neck! It was of course a major panic and the rest of the housemates ran into the house (There is a glass front between the garden and house.)

For over an hour they argued among themselves at to whether this was a TASK or not. Big Brother was of course not answering any calls. I guess they have either left or been infected and the housemates had no other contact with the outside world.

Kat continued to chow down on Rex while they argued. Alex was the most annoying she had ever been shouting and saying how she 'knew it was a task' and how bad the special effects were (this from a woman who was so sure an engagement ring was a cheap fake, even though the diamond was really almost a caret and really worth £2000!) Eventually Mario snapped and shouted at her that if she was so sure she should go and speak with Kat. Another age of arguing broke out and finally, and a little reluctantly Alex went outside.

And was quickly dispatched not only by Kat but the now reanimated Rex!!

The housemates watched her being eaten for about half an hour before they started to talk (a bit more civilly now) about what they should do.

It seems they have decided that, if they hear nothing from Big Brother by Midnight they are going to use one of the emergency exits to leave. I'm sure they will have changed their mind by then. Or been eaten.

As for us well we seem to be okay for now. Robin has already done his bit by coming in with a bird! I think he is helping with the food stock. :)

I'm not expecting a good night's sleep tonight if at all. Viv has been monitoring the situation via bliteotw but I am determined we won't just tire ourselves out. The house is locked down. I will, as always, be sleeping with my katana by my side, and tomorrow I may see if I can get any more information about what the hell is going on! So far all we have heard is a Army truck going down the road with a loud speaker telling everyone to stay inside and to put a sheet over the door so they will know who is alive and a sheet with a cross on the door if you have anyone injured or infected inside.

Anyway, hopefully the power will stay on and the Internet stay up.

I made it home.

And the journey was surprisingly easy. All along the main road I saw cars and lorries that seemed to have been smashed out of the way by some massive force. My guess is the Military has been along and used one of their tanks or something to clear a path to the barracks.

Sadly one of the smashed lorries I passed was the one from work. I guess they didn't make it very far.

Viv had done a great job of blacking out all the windows and doors. I heard quite a lot of banging from other houses. I think a lot of the people around here have barricaded themselves in. But I have a feeling a lot already have infected members and so we now have a street full of zombies locked in houses. Will need a bit of cleaning up once this is over.

After many hugs with Viv and the cats I went about making sure all our preparations were done. The generator was fully fuelled and tested in case the power went off. So far it hasn't. Plenty of stored water and food and of course I now have my trusty katana sword with me. I felt much safer now.

Most of the TV is off, but we are still getting intermittent Internet connection, and strangely the one feed that seems to be working fine is the one to the Big Brother house! I guess they have extra bandwidth reserved for the eviction tonight, which I am assuming will not be going ahead.

So now it is just a matter of sitting it out for the next three or four days if need be. That should be enough time for whatever is happening to have settled to a level where we can start to look further into the future. Assuming the human race has one that is.

09:29: Well I have finished all my ‘normal duties’ for a Monday morning at work, so now I shall try and do an LJ Update

Weekend was very relaxing, but missed Viv.

Basically I did nothing apart from Watch telly, eat and sleep.

Well, actually I did trim the bush outside the front. I did a little of the back two. But stopped when I discovered that a giant sized black and white cat (By the name of Robin) has the ability to blend in perfectly to green grass! I still haven’t quite worked out how yet. But me with a battery powered Hedge Trimmer (I cannot be trusted with a mains powered one!) and invisible cats is far to much risk. So I abandoned my gardening. (Yay)

I also mowed my head.

Missed Viv at night but made up for it by not going to bed until I was falling asleep.

Watched a movie called Forest of the Damned that was.. okay in a ‘this is rubbish’ kind of way. Also was interesting to see a cameo by Shaun Hutson (Being eaten to death by naked female fallen angels. As you do.)

Apart from that I was mostly watching Most Evil

And of course Big Brother .

BB this year? Well. No twins, so not as good as last year. But definitely some ‘interesting’ characters this year. It is rather scary to think that these are ‘the best of the best’ after a rigorous auditions. Very scary.

I am in two minds about Big Brother. Part of me loves to watch it, to see the interaction between these people (I use the word loosely) in a enclosed micro environment. It really can be quite fascinating. And it is obvious that BB choose these people not on their merits as people, but on their ‘freak’ value.

Yes. Freak. I know that may sound unfair, especially considering two on the housemates have what some would call physical disabilities, as well as several with obvious mental ones.

Is it right to put these people on show like some Victorian freak show?

My first thought would be no. It’s a terrible and demeaning thing to do, not humane or civilised.

But…

The most important difference between Big Brother and some seedy freak show is that all the ‘housemates’ are volunteers. And not just volunteers not knowing what to expect. But knowing full well that are going into the BB house to be ridiculed and laughed At and not necessarily with. Some of them may be brave individuals willing to take that risk and Some may be wanting fame so badly they are willing to do anything. The ones I worry about are those who seem to have mental problems.

To me, watching Big Brother is like having a room full or 4 to 12 year olds and watching them interact (Without the obvious Pword connotations) Playing Guess the mental age of the housemate can be fun.

Hopefully BB have done their job right and not put anyone who is at risk in there.

Anyway. BB rant over.

Watched Doctor Who after Viv came back.

Wow.

Major Wow.

Read Padfoot_uk for a perfect review.

It was a very ‘Transhumanist’ story, complete with Cyber Heaven.

Is it me, or does the world seem to be heading for a Seldon Crisis?

The three main Sciences (Biological, Physics and Technological) are all on the threshold of world changes discoveries.

And the Oil is apparently running out.

The big question is: Will the singularity (in whatever form it could be) occur before civilisation collapses in on itself?

Time will tell.

It’s 11:55 now and I’ll send this update to Viv to post.

10:40

Watched Big Brother 9 last night.

Well, what an interesting lot of humans.

At least.. I think they are human?

I am constantly surprised that C4 is able to find such ‘strange’ people. I cannot image how some of them can exist in the ‘real’ world without medication or being sectioned!

Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. I don't really know any of these people first.

But I do think one of the first signs of insanity must be wanting to be on Big Brother!

I mean these people must realise that people watching are not going to be laughing with them, but at them! But perhaps that is the point.

It’s like a Victorian Freak Show. But with the ‘freaks’ being of a mental rather than physical side, and most importantly volunteering to be watched and laughed at.

One of the housemates is from Coventry!

When she came on Viv asked what sort of accent she had as we could hardly understand her! THEN we found out she was from Coventry.

Can I change my place of birth please?

The new chap at work is very into BB, so we will have some interesting conversations I am sure.

Anyway. In other news.

It was very warm last night. I could not sleep until I opened the window. Had a good night after that.

Viv is going away to a Conference this afternoon until Sunday afternoon. We’ll miss each other terribly of course, but I do hope she has a lovely time.

I plan to do mostly nothing at all this weekend apart from eat pizza and watch TV.

I did the £50 Lotto Draw at work, and didn’t win. Our Lottery at work is between 6 and 12 lines (Depending on who is involved – or bothers to pay!) And yet it’s taken about 5 months for us to win £50. That means it’s cost us between £300 and £600 pounds to get 5 £10 wins.

Not a good percentage I think. But still. A one on infinity chance of winning millions?

We have also started a new draw, to win £49 a time. You put £1 and pick a number from 1 to 49. When all 49 numbers are taken we use the bonus ball from the next Main Lottery and whoever wins gets all £49.

I’m not sure if it will work. But we will see.

More updates later I hope. :)

(posted by Viv)