Winning it all

Today's title comes from The Outfield. I believe it was their only hit.

After reviewing the suggestions for the one-way blog exchange, I asked Yes Dear if she'd like to write an entry. She said something about internet addiction and me not paying attention to her, I don't remember exactly what she said because I wasn't paying attention to her.

So with that option out of contention, it was either write about my experiences in a foreign country, my strategy if I were a contestant on Big Brother or life without my Playstation2.

I quickly eliminated the Playstation2 idea (the thought of losing that machine sent spiraling out of control that Yes Dear found me rocking back and forth in the corner of the guest room muttering "from my cold, dead hands, they'll only get it from me from my cold, dead hands.") Writing about my trip to Mexico seemed like a good idea, but one in which I could pull from at a later date if (when) I run out of ideas again.

So the winning entry is what would my strategy be if I were in Big Brother.

Big Brother Background: For the uninitiated (shame on you), Big Brother is a reality show in which 14-18 people are put in a house and removed from the outside world. No cell phones (I actually don't have one), no Internet (admit it, you'd find other blogs to replace the time you spend at mine), no Cubs updates (gasp!), no contact of any kind. The 14-18 strangers in the house are the only people you'll get to talk to until you're evicted.

Ahh, eviction, how does that happen? I'm glad you asked. Each week, one of the houseguests wins Head of Household in which they get a bedroom of his/her own, goodies from home, letters from family and friends (alright, so there's minimal contact from the outside world, but no interaction). But with all the glory comes all the responsibility as you're responsible for nominating two people for eviction. Pick the wrong people, and you become a target next week. Anyway, before voting a person out, there's the Golden Power of Veto which allows the winner of the competition to veto one of the nominations. If it's used, (again, using it could make you a target), the Head of Household (or HOH) has to make a replacement pick.

Big Brother Strategy: Now that you know the basics, here's how I'd play the game. First of all, the house is going to break into two factions, usually around the same number of people. Two people will emerge as the leader of the groups. You don't want to be this person. Being to outspoken or being the "brains" behind either of the groups only draws people's attention to you. You don't want that because there's a chance your group won't win the HOH for the week and if that happens, there's a good chance you're going to be nominated for eviction. This is obviously not good as the objective of the game is much like the NCAA Tournament . . . "Survive and advance."

Instead, you want to be far behind the scenes and cause as little controversy as possible. Let the Alpha dogs from each group pick themselves off, eliminating the stronger players in the game during the early stages. For example, this year, a graphic designer named Kayser and a firefighter named Eric were the two leaders of the groups. Eric was evicted in the third week and Kayser in the fourth (due to a "twist" in the game, Kayser was voted back on by viewers, but some dumb moves on his part has him most likely going home one week after he was voted back on.)

By aligning yourself with a group (and hopefully the one that does well in the early going, which is often luck of the draw in the first few weeks) but not doing anything to anger either your side or the other side, you should be able to hide out for several weeks and continue in the game.

No one has done this better this year, in my opinion, than Beau. He's on the team that currently holds a slight advantage numbers-wise, but hasn't done anything to show he's a threat to anyone in the game. In some cases, this may involve throwing a few competitions (losing on purpose) so that the others think you'll be easy to beat in the end and, therefore, more likely to keep you around.

If things go according to plan, eventually your team will hold most, if not all, the cards. This is a pivotal point in the game as the team will again split into factions. At this point, you need to begin trying to win HOH because there will be so few players left (typically 6-8) that if you or your team doesn't win HOH, there's a chance you'll be nominated for eviction (where anything can happen).

Battling emotions: One of the reasons people draw attention to themselves is because they can't keep their emotions in check. Remember, you're going to be in a house and backyard with these people for up to three months. You're not going to like everyone, but you need to get along with everyone. Find common ground, especially with people in your group. However, don't alienate the other group as you'll make enemies, which as you've read, is not a good idea. Fatigue will set in at some point in some of the contests. That's why it's important to have made your decision well ahead of time and not in the heat of the moment. Have a plan and stick to it.

And that, my friends is Luke's recipe for success in the Big Brother house.

Cubs Update: Perhaps I'd written the Cubs off to soon after their eight-game losing streak, they've since won five of seven and climbed back in to playoff contention. My heart can't take much more of this.

Link of the Week: For you U.S. readers who think the presidency needs more cowbell. Sadly, he's not going to run, but I can hope, can't I?

Work Update: Beginning Friday and until the end of high school football season, I'll be working every Friday night. Like Wendy's, I'll be working until midnight or later. Not good times. Even worse times when I've got to cover something the next day.

On Deck: The older I get, the better I was.
Next Update: Friday (I'll be posting from work)

Thanks for reading and, as always, take care of yourself and each other.