(Disclaimer: This is longer than I usually post, so bear with me. This also doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of CaliLive and Rhymestyle. This is all K1ng Eljay, so feel free to direct the hate towards me if you have a problem with this.)

Recently, Lupe Fiasco released his highly-anticipated mixtape “Enemy of the State: A Love Story”. Through all of its apparent flaws (mostly snippets, the mixtape topping out at over 22 minutes) it was still worth listening to, especially with the promise of a new mixtape to finish it supposedly coming out on December 25^th. As the time got nearer, people started to talk about it more, and the buzz actually spread thanks to the last mixtape and the Santa vs. Blitzen commercials.

Yes, that’s Lupe as Blitzen and KRS-One as Santa. A Black Santa. Score one for hip-hop.

Then he cancelled it. Which is weird to me, because at the time Lupe would always say he was in the studio recording via Twitter, and etc, etc. so I don’t think he cancelled it because it wasn’t done. Unless Lupe lies in his tweets, he should have well over enough stuff to release a mixtape.

Then I remembered the whole “Mountain Climbing for Charity” thing and I figured that might have something to do with it, and then I let it go. I’m not a huge Lupe fan to begin with (although for the most part, he releases dope music, except that Twilight: New Moon crap), but I figured the one thing that Lupe has over a majority of other artists is intelligence. If he cancelled it, there has to be a good reason for it.

Then I began to read the comments on his blog. I read both sides of the argument. I understand both sides of the argument. On one hand, yes he promised the mixtape and cancelled. Yes, he’s cancelled stuff like this before. On the other hand, he’s climbing a mountain and needs to train. I can understand that.

That’s not where my problem is with this.

For some people, music is just music. For others...

So people begin to voice their complaints, one particular user goes harder than the others. Although he’s cursing up a storm, he’s making good points too. Enough to summon Lupe away from his “super-busy schedule of training” to post this:

“Oh please…stop whining…n-ggaz catching feelings over this? :/ mixtapes are easy…climbing a giant mountain is hard… just hope you don’t have to pay for the next one…if there is a next one… Thanx for the love..”

For some reason, that didn’t sit right with me. Someone that’s super intelligent suddenly surprised that he has such a high demand for his music?

For someone who I hold high as far as intelligence…that was a stupid comment.

So let me recap for a moment… Lupe’s smart. Lupe calculates all of his moves, and Lupe’s mixtape was DONE (allegedly). Sure the mountain is important, but he supposedly knew about it way ahead of time. He promised his fans something and didn’t deliver, although according to him, making a mixtape is EASY. Recurring issues like this takes away credibility as an artist… even if it’s not the artist’s fault.

Lupe’s in a position of power right now lyrically, more or less. And I’m not even a die-hard Lupe fan. I’m completely unbiased. Seriously, I didn’t buy the first album, but I bought two copies of “The Cool”, and then bought the singles from “Food and Liquor” on iTunes. He was riding a nice buzz from his first mixtape, and people were (more or less) ready and interested to see what part two was about. And he cancels.

(SIDENOTE: Record companies have more input into the release of “free music” than you might think…Just throwing that out there to let you know I am aware of that factor)

Now… Because fans think that he should honor his word and stop being so shifty as far as keeping it, he wants to say people catch feelings? Over music?

I want to say so bad that I agree with him. I want to say, “It’s just music” and be done with it… But I can’t. If it was any other artist, I honestly could say it. I’d be lying to myself, because music is an integral part of my life, but I could get the face up to lie about it. Because of recent history… I can’t for two reasons.

Reason One: I have absolute faith that Lupe could’ve budgeted his time to keep his promise (or at least delay it) because he’s an intelligent dude. Besides, according to him…mixtapes are easy…

Reason Two…and I debated even putting this up here, but…

FNF Black Jedi Swag!

Recently, one of my friends told me they wanted to commit suicide. They said they were tired of life, and tired of living, and they felt as if they’d be better off dead somewhere. He had even calculated how his death would reduce bills. He was serious. He lived in Texas, and I lived in Alabama, so I didn’t know anyone around him. I didn’t know his family or his friends there, so I couldn’t exactly call his parents and tell them, so I just had to pray for him.

That morning I woke up to a text message from him: “Intruder Alert.” I ask him what that meant, and he responded almost instantly: “I can relate to that. It made me stop…” And the rest of the day, we texted back and forth, and thanks to that Lupe song, my friend’s still alive, as far as I know. I haven’t talked to him in a few months, but I hear he’s married now.

He was alive long enough to find him someone who understands him and could keep him sane, thanks to a random song he had forgot he had on his iPod…by this guy here who says people are catching feelings over music.

My bottom line is this: for some people, it’s just music. For others, it’s their life. And for a few…it’s their LIFELINE. So do some people catch feelings over music? Should they? Seriously, Lupe? I honestly can’t believe that’s a legitimate question…

I don’t know how else to say it. Eminem states it pretty well too:

“That’s why we sing for these kids, who don’t have a thing
Except for a dream, and a f—in’ rap magazine
Who post pin-up pictures on their walls all day long
Idolize they favorite rappers and know all their songs
Or for anyone who’s ever been through s–t in their lives
Till they sit and they cry at night wishin’ they’d die
Till they throw on a rap record and they sit, and they vibe
We’re nothin’ to you but we’re the f—-n’ s–t in their eyes
That’s why we seize the moment try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and
hold it
Cause we consider these minutes golden…”

Eminem – “Sing For The Moment”

That’s maybe some of the realest lyrics an artist could say. Hopefully that would hit home with him one day.

Good luck on your training, Lupe. All disappointment aside. Seriously.

K1ng Eljay

(Disclaimer: This is longer than I usually post, so bear with me. This also doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of CaliLive and Rhymestyle. This is all K1ng Eljay, so feel free to direct the hate towards me if you have a problem with this.)

Recently, Lupe Fiasco released his highly-anticipated mixtape “Enemy of the State: A Love Story”. Through all of its apparent flaws (mostly snippets, the mixtape topping out at over 22 minutes) it was still worth listening to, especially with the promise of a new mixtape to finish it supposedly coming out on December 25^th. As the time got nearer, people started to talk about it more, and the buzz actually spread thanks to the last mixtape and the Santa vs. Blitzen commercials.

Yes, that’s Lupe as Blitzen and KRS-One as Santa. A Black Santa. Score one for hip-hop.

Then he cancelled it. Which is weird to me, because at the time Lupe would always say he was in the studio recording via Twitter, and etc, etc. so I don’t think he cancelled it because it wasn’t done. Unless Lupe lies in his tweets, he should have well over enough stuff to release a mixtape.

Then I remembered the whole “Mountain Climbing for Charity” thing and I figured that might have something to do with it, and then I let it go. I’m not a huge Lupe fan to begin with (although for the most part, he releases dope music, except that Twilight: New Moon crap), but I figured the one thing that Lupe has over a majority of other artists is intelligence. If he cancelled it, there has to be a good reason for it.

Then I began to read the comments on his blog. I read both sides of the argument. I understand both sides of the argument. On one hand, yes he promised the mixtape and cancelled. Yes, he’s cancelled stuff like this before. On the other hand, he’s climbing a mountain and needs to train. I can understand that.

That’s not where my problem is with this.

For some people, music is just music. For others...

So people begin to voice their complaints, one particular user goes harder than the others. Although he’s cursing up a storm, he’s making good points too. Enough to summon Lupe away from his “super-busy schedule of training” to post this:

“Oh please…stop whining…n-ggaz catching feelings over this?  :/ mixtapes are easy…climbing a giant mountain is hard… just hope you don’t have to pay for the next one…if there is a next one… Thanx for the love..”

For some reason, that didn’t sit right with me. Someone that’s super intelligent suddenly surprised that he has such a high demand for his music?

For someone who I hold high as far as intelligence…that was a stupid comment.

So let me recap for a moment… Lupe’s smart. Lupe calculates all of his moves, and Lupe’s mixtape was DONE (allegedly). Sure the mountain is important, but he supposedly knew about it way ahead of time. He promised his fans something and didn’t deliver, although according to him, making a mixtape is EASY. Recurring issues like this takes away credibility as an artist… even if it’s not the artist’s fault.

Lupe’s in a position of power right now lyrically, more or less.  And I’m not even a die-hard Lupe fan. I’m completely unbiased. Seriously, I didn’t buy the first album, but I bought two copies of “The Cool”, and then bought the singles from “Food and Liquor” on iTunes. He was riding a nice buzz from his first mixtape, and people were (more or less) ready and interested to see what part two was about. And he cancels.

(SIDENOTE: Record companies have more input into the release of “free music” than you might think…Just throwing that out there to let you know I am aware of that factor)

Now… Because fans think that he should honor his word and stop being so shifty as far as keeping it, he wants to say people catch feelings? Over music?

I want to say so bad that I agree with him. I want to say, “It’s just music” and be done with it… But I can’t. If it was any other artist, I honestly could say it. I’d be lying to myself, because music is an integral part of my life, but I could get the face up to lie about it. Because of recent history… I can’t for two reasons.

Reason One: I have absolute faith that Lupe could’ve budgeted his time to keep his promise (or at least delay it) because he’s an intelligent dude. Besides, according to him…mixtapes are easy…

Reason Two…and I debated even putting this up here, but…

FNF Black Jedi Swag!

Recently, one of my friends told me they wanted to commit suicide. They said they were tired of life, and tired of living, and they felt as if they’d be better off dead somewhere. He had even calculated how his death would reduce bills. He was serious. He lived in Texas, and I lived in Alabama, so I didn’t know anyone around him. I didn’t know his family or his friends there, so I couldn’t exactly call his parents and tell them, so I just had to pray for him.

That morning I woke up to a text message from him: “Intruder Alert.” I ask him what that meant, and he responded almost instantly: “I can relate to that. It made me stop…” And the rest of the day, we texted back and forth, and thanks to that Lupe song, my friend’s still alive, as far as I know. I haven’t talked to him in a few months, but I hear he’s married now.

He was alive long enough to find him someone who understands him and could keep him sane, thanks to a random song he had forgot he had on his iPod…by this guy here who says people are catching feelings over music.

My bottom line is this: for some people, it’s just music. For others, it’s their life. And for a few…it’s their LIFELINE.  So do some people catch feelings over music? Should they? Seriously, Lupe? I honestly can’t believe that’s a legitimate question…

I don’t know how else to say it. Eminem states it pretty well too:

“That’s why we sing for these kids, who don’t have a thing
Except for a dream, and a f—in’ rap magazine
Who post pin-up pictures on their walls all day long
Idolize they favorite rappers and know all their songs
Or for anyone who’s ever been through s–t in their lives
Till they sit and they cry at night wishin’ they’d die
Till they throw on a rap record and they sit, and they vibe
We’re nothin’ to you but we’re the f—-n’ s–t in their eyes
That’s why we seize the moment try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and
hold it
Cause we consider these minutes golden…”

Eminem – “Sing For The Moment”

That’s maybe some of the realest lyrics an artist could say. Hopefully that would hit home with him one day.

Good luck on your training, Lupe. All disappointment aside. Seriously.

K1ng Eljay

…sent to me from friends and family in Milwaukee, and all of them had a Kermit the Frog cancellation mark across the stamp! Pretty cool!

Not sure if that’s a nationwide thing or not, but it’s good to see Kermit’s mug plastered across my mail.

Except my bills. Please keep Kermit’s face off my bills.

Kermit the Bill,

-Shady

Whatever you do, don’t ever order from abesofmaine.com and don’t ever call these Assholes or you will be sorry!!!

I placed an order with Abes of Maine, and I called to cancel the order within 24 hours after I placed it, and  before the Order was shipped. I ordered the item on a Friday and called to cancel it early Saturday. The reason I wanted to cancel the item was because I received an email from a sales guy that wanted to sell me a battery and some other stuff. I agreed to the Battery. I called to ask a couple of questions but kept getting bounced around to various numbers, where no one answered the phone. I then called again to CANCEL the Order. This is where my problems began, and the Order was not even SHIPPED YET!!!!

I wanted to Cancel the Order, because I knew that if I couldn’t get ahold of anyone to inquire about my order before it was shipped, that this was not a Company I wanted to deal with. Imagine the Poor Customer Service I would receive AFTER I received the order? I wanted to avoid this.

To Cancel the Order, I spent 4 Hours on the Phone, and sent about 10 emails, so I can have a Time Record of Requesting the Cancellation. I did not want this company to Ship the Item and say they never received a request to cancel the order!  The Reps would forward my call to an extension that would have a message to please hold, and then the automated system would hang up on me. This happened 5 times. The Shmuck that transferred me said that I had to Hold on for someone to Answer. I told the Asshole that the Extension was hanging up on me. The only reason I was able to get through to these Aholes, was because the Rep left his direct Extension on one of his Hard sell emails. This Guy transferred me to other No Answer Extensions. I had told this guy to Cancel my order and he said ok, and would send me an email confirming this, as per my request. He never sent the email. I spoke to him numerous times, and he promised he would send the confirm, but again, he never did. After Hours, he forwarded me to a Save the Sale guy. I spoke to him and said I wanted to Cancel the order. He asked why? I explained the Lack of customer Service and that I didn’t have to deal with this Crap, and all this was before the Order was even shipped. Imagine the Piss Poor customer service I would receive After receiving the Order?? He said he would include a picture card, ship the camers Next Day and he apologized for the Hassle I received. I agreed to keep the Order. BIG MISTAKE!!!! (Next Day? The Company is in New Jersy so I would have received the item in a day anyway)

I then found out that I received Misinformation regarding the Battery. The Sales guy said that the battery was OEM but it was not. The Battery was an aftermarket battery, and I found out thru searching the Web that Panasonic did not make a battery for sale separately at that time. I about had it at this point. The Bullshit was too much, Misinformation, Being Forwarded to Extensions that Drop the Call, Being Forwarded to a Manager? after Hours of Lack of Customer Service  (The Asshole rep could have Forwarded me right away to the Manager,) No emails as promised, etc. I emailed the Manager? and the Sales rep again and cancelled the order. The Manager? called my number numerous times to speak with me. I just sent more emails cancelling the Order,as I had Been on the Phone and Computer for Hours with these Assholes!!

I sent numerous emails canceling my Order and called my Credit Card company to let them know the issue I was Having regarding the Company not canceling my order at that time. I finally received an Email confirming my cancellation. HOORAY!!!!

It only took me hours to Cancel my Order!!!!

Abes of Maine is a Company that is so Full of Shit, that they should Can it and sell the Can Of Shit on their Site!!!! Btw, the Company is not located in Maine, it is located in New Jersey. I should have Known better!!! The Bullshit starts with their Name. Wanting people to think the Company is Located in Maine!! As everyone would trust a Company located in Maine.  Wouldn’t you??

I ordered the item from www.butterflyphoto.com and was very happy. But remember, a Company is only as good as their Customer Service. Taking an Order is no Big Deal, it is how the Company Handles the Order if any issues arise.

And btw, don’t order from www.buydig.com either. Another Online Company whose Customer Service has some issues. See my other thread regarding that Company.

A couple of days ago, I made a blog post about CBS’ As the World Turns being cancelled. That TeleNext Media (formerly Procter and Gamble) soap opera will sign off the air effective September 17, 2010. Guiding Light (another CBS-televised soap opera which TeleNext Media also owns) already got pulled on 9/18/2009 after suffering from bad writing for a number of months.

The case I’m arguing is that soap after soap is being kicked out of Daytime TV Land as the years go by, usually at the expense of modernized versions of old game shows or completely new ones; extra talk shows; and oh yeah…something called “reality shows.” Anemic acting and writing are usually among the reasons for the ratings drop and the consequential cancellation of specific soaps, but granted there are still some people that watch soaps during the day. (NOTE: I am not arguing about primetime soaps such as Melrose Place, Falcon Crest, Dallas, Knots Landing, Beverly Hills 90210, Dynasty, and the like because most of those have obviously been more popular…at least in their early years.)

When ATWT leaves the air, CBS will have its two (most popular) soap operas in its schedule as of 2010: The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful.

My Take on the Future of the Remaining Soaps (Excluding Melrose Place and the Like)

CBS’ aforementioned Y&R and B&B probably won’t be axed if their ratings remain popular enough over the next year or two. Y&R debuted in 1973, has won over 100 Emmy Awards, and continues to be one of the most watched daytime soaps in the world. B&B debuted in 1987 after the continued failure of Capitol, and has millions of domestic and international viewers.

NBC’s only soap opera, Days of Our Lives, has plenty of viewership on the Internet, so I don’t think Sony’s going to pull that one anytime soon. Speaking of NBC, they’ve had a case history of programming problems. They cancelled the beloved Another World (ATWT’s sister soap) in 1999, then fit its new soap opera, Passions, into the schedule and look what happened: that soap lasted only eight years, terminating in 2007 after experiencing dreadful ratings through its entire run. (Actually, Passions’ life span ended in 2008 on DirecTV’s 101 Network, to whom NBC sold the program in 2007.)

Ratings worth frowning upon also plagued NBC’s telecasting of Search for Tomorrow, which originally debuted in 1951 on CBS and was a big hit there until the mid-1970s. SFT moved to NBC in 1982 after P&G and CBS couldn’t come to agreement on an appropriate time slot for it; its uninteresting storylines after the NBC takeover – not to mention its failure in the ratings, thanks in large part to its pairing with The Doctors, which was a constant slump, and commercial failures for game shows like Hot Potato – signed it the deathticket in December 1986. The Edge of Night met a similar fate several years earlier, but it moved from CBS to ABC in 1975, and ended its final season on ABC as the lowest-rated soap opera during the 1984 season. And speaking of ABC, let me predict what will happen to its remaining soaps!

ABC has the rather bland All My Children, the better-known One Life to Live, and its most-watched soap, General Hospital, still on the air. It had other soaps in the past, including Ryan’s Hope, the aforementioned Edge of Night, and Loving/The City to name at least three. AMC may be the next soap to be told, “Don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” after ATWT’s last episode (particularly the way its production’s been changing – it’s going to be produced in Hollywood instead of New York City from now on to take full advantage of the newest technology), but I’m not too sure about OLTL and especially GH. Those two soaps will probably remain on the air.

A picture of the opening title card for ABC's 'General Hospital'

Anyway, at the rate at which daytime shows are being cancelled (just like old sitcoms and classic cartoon anthologies were on the local networks and in some cases even on cable/satellite), pretty soon there won’t be anymore viewers during the day; just at night. Primetime shows get the highest ratings. The Internet and cable/satellite will probably be better sources of daytime television, and SoapNet doesn’t even show the wide range of classic soap episodes it once did. Now it concentrates mostly on nightly reruns and weekend marathons of current telecasts of the CBS, NBC, and ABC soaps week-by-week.

I honestly believe there should always be some form of daytime drama – and stuff that isn’t reality-based, for that matter – to keep some of the television audience involved. We’ll just have to wait and see what the future of the remaining soaps will be.

US president’s trip to Oslo to pick up peace prize in danger of being overshadowed by cancellation row

Source:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/dec/09/obama-nobel-peace-prize-snub

'As the World Turns' title card

On December 8 (yesterday), CBS confirmed that As the World Turns, which was the current longest-running soap opera on television, would be cancelled. This cancellation of ATWT came three months after they decided to pull Guiding Light, which spent a record 72 years on the air on radio and television combined. GL was done in by April 2009 thanks to messed-up story handling and bad casting, but that didn’t stop the few fans it had left from staying loyal to the end. ATWT, which debuted in 1956 and enjoyed success in its early years and even during the early 1990s, is being done in thanks to global financial problems that have been faced by its studio, Procter and Gamble Productions (now TeleNext Media). The soap, which featured actors like Marisa Tomei in its life span, has struggled with a shudder-inducing 2.5 rating in contrast to 1993, when 6.5 million people viewed it; it’s scheduled to air its last episode on September 17, 2010 (GL signed off the air on September 18, 2009). TeleNext Media is supposedly searching for a new company to carry ATWT.

“As the World Turns” Cancelled

You betcha’ and it just SUCKS, doesn’t it?  True or not, it certainly feels as if NBC and CBS have been leading the charge to dismantle daytime, one show at a time.  Rather than invest in new blood in the writers’ room and retain beloved onscreen  faves, TPTB have favored daytime writers and EPs with histories of utter failure and disregard for the fans – shifting them from one show to the next.  “Cheaper” (and not necessarily better) on screen talent has been shifted from one show to the next  as well, and fans are stuck with the consequences of a host of bad decisions.  We’ll miss you ATWT.
ATWT’s last airdate is scheduled for Sept. 2010 (GL fans will remember that GL’s last airdate was Sept. 18, 2009).   Read more by clicking HERE.

Update:  RedStateCenterLeft commented with this bit of trivia regarding ATWT, as HuffPo:

ATWT was the program Walter Cronkite broke into to announce that JFK had been shot. Because of that AWTW will be forever linked to a day that changed history. So sad to see that bit of history fall.

A five (5) weeks notice is required for cancellation.

Cancellations that are made more than five (5) weeks prior to the arrival date are subject to a 5% cancellation fee or $50 whichever is greater. Cancellations or changes that result in a shortened stay, or that are made less than five (5) weeks of the arrival date, forfeit the full damage/reservation deposit.

The rent will be refund as follow:
- up to 4 weeks before arrival: 90% refund
- between 4 and 3 weeks before arrival: 75% refund
- between 3 and 2 weeks before arrival: 50% refund
- between 2 weeks and 1 week before arrival: 25% refund
- within the week of arrival: 0% refund

Cancellation or early departure does not warrant any refund of rent or deposit.

Poor Megan.  About a week ago she bought an airline ticket to fly to Cusco tomorrow with Shelley.  (Funny story – if you want to buy an airline ticket online, you book the ticket, then get a confirmation number, then take that number to Plaza Vea, give them your confirmation number, pay there, go back home, get an email from the airline confirming your purchase, and then print out your e-ticket.)

The payment went through, and today Shelley got an email asking her to check in online to save time at the airport tomorrow, so she did.  Megan, however, did not get such an email, and when she went online to check in, she was told that her booking didn’t exist, even though she had her e-ticket.  When I heard about this, I was sure it was going to be an excellent addition to my blog, you know, writing about other people’s misery and all that.

Anyways, Ana Maria called the airline, LAN Peru, this morning and asked why the booking didn’t exist, and at LAN they tried to explain that someone went to the LAN office and cancelled the flight.  Now according to Ana Maria, LAN does do refunds for cancellations but it takes usually about a month for you to get your money back, so theoretically, all they had to do was cancel the cancellation, and everyone would win.

But what actually happened was Ana Maria had to call about 5 times today and talked to about nine different people.  Here’s how the conversations went overall.

Call 1:

Ana Maria: So why is her ticket cancelled?
LAN: She must have cancelled it online.
Ana Maria: I’m pretty sure that she didn’t.
LAN: Yup, it says here that she did.
Ana Maria: Well I have the girl right here and she never cancelled the booking.
LAN: Um… let me check.  Call back in an hour.

Call 2:

LAN: Actually, it says here that she went to our office and cancelled the booking.
Ana Maria: She definitely didn’t do that.
LAN: Yes she did.
Ana Maria: No, she definitely didn’t.
LAN: Yes, it says right here.
Ana Maria: She never went to the office.
LAN: I’m pretty sure she did, but let me check.  Call back in an hour.

Call 3:

LAN: She definitely went to the office to cancel it.
Ana Maria: Listen up, you.  This girl is a gringa, she doesn’t know her way around town, I don’t even know where the LAN office is, and she doesn’t speak Spanish.  So how exactly did she go to the LAN office and cancel a flight that she didn’t want to cancel?
LAN: I’m not sure, let me check.  Call back in an hour.

Call 4:

LAN: Okay, maybe she didn’t go to the office.
Ana Maria: Finally!
LAN: We’re really not sure what’s going on here, so it’ll take some time to figure out what happened.  Sorry about that.  Call back in an hour.
Ana Maria: Argh.

Call 5:

LAN: Well apparently she wants to fly to Cusco and we don’t want to give her a refund, so I guess here’s her ticket.
Ana Maria: Ya think?
LAN: Sorry about the trouble.  Enjoy your flight and remember LAN for all your future travel needs!

Well, the squat thing has been going up and down. I spent just under a week there and it has been alright. We got a lot of cleaning down, but still not nearly enough. One room (the one that they had left untouched) is finished, and we have running water and an electricity account. We met some of the neighbors. and got mixed reactions. The younger neighbors had no problems at all, however, THE neighbor, O, who is one of the heads of Universal Records apparently, seemed dubious and kept aking how the landlord would have felt. Then today, lo and behold, there is the landlord banging on the door with the estate agent saying he needs to come in to do ‘evaluations’ Bull-freaking-shit. Anyway, they didn’t let him in, and started upping the security. I wasn’t there, so I can’t give much of an account. It is a shame though because I have grown to love that hotel and miss it when I am gone. It has become like my child. He didn’t care about the place for two years, why should he care now that people who DO want the place to be as great as it once was are living there now? It’s bollocks. Complete and utter bollocks.

I haven’t had any clients since the last ones I mentioned, sadly. Two that I was meant to have Sunday evening and Monday evening both cancelled on me. What a blow to the ego, you know? I’ve starting putting adverts on more sites. I just need an agent who has only me as their client so they can concentrate on just getting me work because I need it in a bad way. I am addicted to this work. So, if any of you are looking to get into the business, just give me a shout!

On another note: university is going horribly. Simply..horribly. I hate British universities. I need an International school again!

http://www.winick.com/email_blast/919_Second_Avenue_cancel/919%202nd%20Avenue%20notice.htm

An Evening of International Delights will be rescheduled shortly. In the interim, please feel free to schedule site tours by contacting:
TATIANA VOEVODINA @ 212.792.2643

NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Lambert’s racy American Music Awards performance cost him a gig on “Good Morning America,” but he will perform live instead on ABC’s morning rivals at CBS.

Lambert was to sing Wednesday on “GMA,” but the network said Tuesday it was canceling the openly gay singer because “we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning.”

While singing his new song, “For Your Entertainment,” at the awards program on Sunday, Lambert kissed a male keyboardist, fondled a dancer and had another dancer briefly stuff his face in Lambert’s crotch. The performance prompted many complaints to ABC, and the network cut out the brief oral sex simulation for its West Coast broadcasts.

“Obviously, I respect their decision — they gotta do what they gotta do,” Lambert said Tuesday in an interview with Ryan Seacrest. “It’s too bad — I think there were a lot of fans who were excited to come see me.

“They probably had a lot of pressure coming at them from certain people who weren’t happy about it,” he said.

ABC News’ top management made the decision to cancel Lambert, spokeswoman Cathie Levine said. She said there was no pressure from the parent Walt Disney Co.

While women have often crossed the threshold regarding sexually provocative appearances on television — think Madonna kissing Britney Spears — Lambert’s performance was perhaps the first time it has been done by an openly gay man. The singer said before Sunday’s show that he was hoping to accomplish just that.

“There are a lot of double standards as far as that goes,” Lambert said backstage, a few days before the awards show. “We’ve seen female pop and rock performers do that for the last 10 years. They’ve been very provocative, owning their power and sexuality. You just don’t see men doing it very often. And I’m hoping to break down that double standard with this number.”

Said Alicia Keys when asked about Lambert’s performance, “I don’t know. You make different choices as a performer. It’s all about opinion. It’s all about what works for the performer.”

ABC said it felt burned because Lambert went further on the air with sexuality than he did in rehearsals — including the kiss. But the man putting his face to Lambert’s crotch was included in a rehearsal, according to an Associated Press reporter who attended the rehearsal. It was that sort of unpredictability that bothered ABC, particularly on a morning show with many young viewers watching.

Shortly after ABC’s cancellation, CBS quickly announced Tuesday that Lambert would appear on “The Early Show” Wednesday morning both to perform and discuss the reaction to Sunday’s appearance. Lambert is also appearing on David Letterman’s “Late Show” Wednesday, which was scheduled weeks ago.

The morning news ratings leader, NBC’s “Today” show, did not consider Lambert because it already has a Bon Jovi concert scheduled for Wednesday, said its executive producer, Jim Bell.

The “Good Morning America” Web site was flooded with comments from viewers about the Lambert cancellation. Some applauded ABC for taking a stand against vulgarity, while others suggested the network was being homophobic.

The glam rocker finished second on “American Idol” this spring. His performances on the reality singing contest were not as provocative, but he was among the show’s most colorful competitors with a voice compared to Queen’s Freddie Mercury. After the competition, he came out publicly as gay.

“For Your Entertainment” is the first single from Lambert’s new album, which went on sale Monday.

The “Good Morning America” cancellation was first reported on TVNewser and Hollywood Life Web sites.

Well, it is Monday and almost 7pm and my Japanese Bondage guy has seemed to have cancelled on me. At least, he has not confirmed anything. Needless to say, I am really disappointed. I was really hoping to get to experience some breast bondage. I wonder what could have happened..Hmph.

Forgot to do this earlier – I said in the podcast that I’d put up a note about whether or not I was doing the lounge show.  Unfortunately, while I’m a lot better, I’m still too sick to do a show.  Next gig of the same type will be Dec. 20.  I will learn Christmas songs.

Until then, go to Ben’s blog and listen to some clips from the show we did last Saturday, at which I most likely caught the pigdogbirdmanalien flu.

I predict that if ABC fails to return Eastwick to the air, their ratings will plummet. The new series ‘V’ will fail, and ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ will face major changes that will end the show.  Beware my wrath ABC/Disney…… I am coming for your Souls!

How dare ABC cancel Eastwick!?

I call upon all of the fans of this fantastic series to write to ABC and DEMAND that they bring it back!!!!!