TGES's Blog

October 30, 2008 -- New York Post

JOSIAH Leming, a homeless singer whose mother is dying of cancer, might be blocked from releasing the album he recorded because he was a contestant last season on "American Idol."

Leming, 19, who didn't make the show's top 24, received an official letter from "Idol" threatening legal action if he puts out his record in January as planned.

"Idol" contestants must sign strict contracts with the show's producer, Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment, promising to record only with the label chosen by "Idol" - Sony/BMG. The 19 Entertainment shop also retains exclusive right of refusal for management and merchandising.

When the smash-hit show began in 2002, only finalists had to sign the contract - but now it's mandatory for all contestants.

A rep for Leming, who grew up in Tennessee as one of eight siblings, said, "Josiah was the only 'Idol' contestant ever to get a record deal who didn't make the top 24, and one of only four contestants to get a deal this year. He has personal reasons for getting his music out, threat or not."

Leming was the young man who was living in his car, performing on the road, when he auditioned earlier this year and was told by Simon Cowell during Hollywood Week, "Of all the auditions this year, this is the one I am going to remember most."

Leming is now "is racing the clock," his rep told us. "His mother has terminal cancer, and nothing is going to stop him from getting his music out while she is alive to share it. His album on Warner Records will be released in late January '09."

Leming's lawyer has shot a letter back to "Idol" producers but hasn't heard back. "We're waiting," the rep said. An "Idol" rep didn't return our calls or e-mails.

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!! (isn't it?).  Let's all boycott AI for being such big bullies...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26783221#26
783221

Extended Stay Hotels has put together a commercial worthy of a spot in "Super Bowl primetime!"

Their main catch - flatulence, or to put it bluntly....farts! 

Extended Stay believes you will be so comfortable at their hotels, that you won't be afraid to "let one rip" no matter if you're in the lobby, the laundry room, or walking by another person's room!

I think I'll pass (gas) on this one!

Last year, I was thrilled when I was able to get a "game-view" pic of a fawn and doe at the feeder.

Well, this year, we've had a much better show.

Photos are courtesy luckycharm62265.  For some other spectacular pics, please visit her photo album....there are some pretty remarkable pics out there (but I'm a little biased!!!)

Anyway, these fawns are a little over 1 month old.  We saw "mama" when she was still dragging in the middle of June.  The twins made their first appearance Sunday.

luckycharm has pics of another doe and her single fawn that came to the feeders last evening.  Hopefully she'll get those added soon.

Enjoy!

Imagine walking into your kitchen, and seeing these eyes peering back at you!

That's what reportedly happened to a family recently in Watonga, Oklahoma.  The photographer's children were playing on the floor near this door, and apparently their activity caught the "kitty's" attention.

Oops, they must have run out of kitty treats prior to this last one!!!

And to think these cats MAY be in Missouri too!!

This little guy (or gal) has been coming in to the feeder for the past couple weeks, and apparently is the only one of its' kind that we've seen.

Are there any birders out in blog land that can help me identify this species.  Thanks.

PS, it's sure a cutie.

After getting snowed in yesterday, luckycharm and I had some time to gets some shots of the many feathered friends who visit our feeding stations.

Here are a couple of my favorites.  Note these are two different blue jays -

Personally, I think they were both "nuts!!!"  (sorry, couldn't resist).

Enjoy!

in light of the fact that we have had more visitors to our backyard feed trough this past winter, it was necessary to add a couple more "stations."  After arriving home yesterday, our regular crew of deer made their way to the feeder with a couple of friends that we haven't seen before.  We know this because we haven't seen any antlered deer the entire winter, and suddenly we have two!

Avid outdoor types know that male deer begin to shed their antlers in January, and this shedding continues through February, depending on weather conditions.

In this photo, a "forkhorn" buck is waiting for the behemouth in the foreground to get his fill.

How do we know the "big guy" is a he?  Take a look at his pic!

Note the spot between the eye & the ear....that's where his antlers were!  This is honestly, one of the biggest deer I've seen in the 4 years we've been critter-watching.

Here is a full profile shot!

Can't wait to see the size of the rack when it grows back.

Anyways, one of the other "luckycharm" specials taken this week, a close-up of a red-bellied woodpecker who frequents the suet cake near our back door.

Enjoy!

. 

I just heard the new duet with Billy Ray & Miley Cyrus and literally got goosebumps.  I think Miley needs to lose the Hannah Montana "synthesized" gig.  Well done dad & daughter!!

Luckycharm62265 had her camera out last week to capture the new "Alpha" male that is asserting control of the feed trough!!!  He's only a button buck, but he sure thinks he owns the place.

Here is a pic of the "king" in action (scaring away a doe and her twin yearlings).

Enjoy!

My wife and my dad both had seen them.  We knew we had two fawns coming up to the feeder with their mama, but it had been several weeks since they had seen them.  After the second sighting, I decided it was time to put the game-view camera back out.  Persistence paid off this weekend, as we finally captured them up at the feeder.

I was hoping they would come back for a visit before their spots faded....and they cooperated.  Enjoy!!

The two raccoons in the foreground are also pups born this year.  They ususally hang out under our front deck, but after one of them got between my wife (with pork chops fresh off the grill), and the front door, feeding them has been reserved to the back yard now!.

We also have an image of a large doe that looks more like a horse!!!  Can't tell if this is s whitetail, or a muley deer, but she's big!!!  Now if I can only persuade the elusive buck to come back and have his picture taken, all will be right with the world!!!

A few years ago, my family got into the local geocaching craze.  This involves locating little treasure "caches" hidden throughout the world, using a GPS and coordinates published on the website geocaching.com.  The game is to take some trinket in the cache, and replace it with something else.  You log your finds on the same website, and you can even hide your own caches.

Are there any other geocachers out there?  Just curious.

After a crazy summer, I thought it was time to put out the game-view to see what critters had been raiding the feed trough.

I can tell you we have a young buck and two "spot" fawns that have been seen feeding, but still no pics.  I've added the most recent  pics of the does and friends (raccoons have been abundant)..Enjoy

Did anyone happen to see this on Sci-Fi channel Wednesday night.

Being somewhat skeptical of anyone not named Grant or Jason attempting to investigate haunted sites, I watched, and doubted many of the apparent occurrences, including all of the EVPs.....BUT I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the brick hurl across the room in the area of the reported "seventh portal to the gates of the Spirit world"...WOW..(I think)...

Anyone else see this special???

Alright, I'm not much into the fashion scene, but in recent photos released covering the Beckham immigration, it appears Tom Cruise is either preparing to play Adolph Hitler in a movie, or he needs to fire his barber (or as they call them in Hollywood, hair designer!!!)

(This is just a little narrative to get my feelings of inadequacy off my chest, and in no way is to reflect on cell phone users, or us neanderthals that still refuse to use them, or make comparisons between the two species...enjoy...if you are, however one of the few remaining humans who refuse to get a cell phone for whatever reason, please feel free to sound off too!!!)

About six months ago, I was walking over to meet my ride when I cut through the Hyatt on a Friday afternoon.  As I casually made my way through the smattering of guests, seminar-attendees, and staff, I noticed this well-dressed man lounging in one of the comfy chairs, who appeared to be carrying on a conversation with himself....

This generally wouldn't surprise me, seeing how I see people of all kinds talking to themselves as they make their way down the busy sidewalks between Truman and Children's Mercy, either making their way to the bus stop, or up the "hill."  It seemed peculiar though, that this gentleman appeared to have his wits about him.  Then I saw what his affliction was.....he had this metallic "device" jammed in his ear, that for a brief moment was almost unnoticeable...."Oh my!"  I thought to myself, "he's a CYBORG!!!"

Now I don't know if this is bragging or not, but to this day, I still refuse, to purchase, carry, and/or use a cell phone.   Admittedly, I am not a very important person...the world would still revolve around the sun, should I be inaccessible for even the briefest of moments.  I also concede that cell phones have found their place in our nano-industialized world we live in. 

I just don't like them.  If the Good Lord had meant for me to be accessible to the general populus 24/7/365 (that's another one of those "head's up" phrases I also despise!), he would have given me telepathic powers...

Here's the problem.....I'm married to "robo-wife," am trying to help raise four "robo-kids" to the best of my ability;  I work for "robo-boss," and think I'm congenial to "robo-neighbors."  If evolutionary trends continue, within 150 years, all homo sapiens in the US will be born with little metallic "thingies" stuck in their ears....they'll be "hard-wired" to take calls from their mothers by the first trimester!

I wanted to share some objective observations I've made while being the stubborn mule I am, and not conforming to the norms of society in getting a cell phone (didn't we used to commit people like that to special "hospitals?)

• When I was living in Vegas, I found it more efficient to ride the bus from one end of town to the other.  In the quality time I had to sit and "people watch" (cuz I didn't have a cell phone to call anyone!!), I once counted 98 cars pass by on Sahara Blvd in 15 minutes time.  Of these, 68 of the drivers were making the world go round by conducting their business on cell phones!  I even saw one woman talking with one hand, holding her cigarette out the window withe the other, and driving with - who knows???  That has to be the epitome of multi-multi tasking.
• After moving to KC, I did the same observation on Holmes (several times...ask my robo-wife)...on average 38 out of 100 drivers were on their phones, and the majority of these were just exiting a nearby parking garage, or pulling out of one of the many parking lots that line Hospital Hill.
• By a 4 to 1 margin, women were on their phones more frequently than men....however, only one driver was ever on two phones at once, and this was a man....so it nullifies the aforementioned ratio...
• My wife handed me her cell phone the other day to take a call, and I honestly could not hear the party on the other end.....when she went to see if this was due to a bad connection, she said she heard the party just fine.....she had to act as an "interpreter" for me since I guess my ear is not tuned into the correct frequency of cyberspace.
• My daughter handed me her cell phone the other day, so i could take a call from my wife....I was afraid to put the thing up to my ear because it appeared to have IV tubing attached to one side...I was afraid it would somehow make it's way into my brain so I could properly communicate with robo-wife!
• I was informed by my 10 year old it is now necessary for 4th graders to have cell phones, and what's wrong with me, because he still doesn't have one (this did not compute, so I had to feed this communication to robo-wife!)

Anyways, I am a dying breed.  I don't know what my malfunction is, but it must be that I'm waiting for the 20 year studies to see if cell phone signals really do cause brain tumors, loss of IQ points, or are considered prosthetic devices payable by Medicare.  As impersonal as our world has become, I just wanted to share some personal feelings before I am re-programmed to roam only when outside certain service areas.

We will all be found in a millenia or two stowed away in some lost cave....and the new archeologists will put our skeletons in the Smithsonian as "anomolies" who were cheated in the evolutionary mix of things....completely wireless in a wired world...or put in a large jar of formaldehyde to be "ooed" and awwed" at by the new generations of humacelleous sprintians.