ldyjocelyn

Since it's been mentioned in the Primetime TV thread, I'm posting here just to bump this to the top, just to let people know we have this thread. But I also have a question: has anyone heard anything about when TAR is starting again? It's not on the fall schedule that I can see, and I haven't heard anything lately. What's up with that? I miss my TAR....

I'd do him loaded

I'd do him bloated

Now see, I draw the line at this one. When I'm "loaded" (which happens very infrequently, I might add), I usually can't remember a thing. If I'm doing Clay, I want to remember it, damn it. And me bloated would probably not be a good thing for Clay, if you know what I mean.

Ewwwwww....I just squicked myself out....

Anyone think that any of these Seussicals might make a good thread title? And I'm like aikim -- even as a librarian, who is supposed to be all literate and shit, I can't do these things if I had to.

Happy birthday sunburstoflight!

[small voice] I kinda like Rachael Ray. [/sv]

And I really don't think she's any more overexposed now than Emeril was back about 4 or 5 years ago. THAT made me ill.

I never seem to remember to watch Top Chef. But I am a Food Network junkie, and will be watching The Next Iron Chef faithfully. (Besides, my other cute, snarky, Southern boyfriend, Alton Brown, is on that one as well.)

Actually, Marcia Clark has been a "legal correspondent" for Entertainment Tonight for many years -- I think they hired her almost as soon as the first OJ trial was done.

I used to LOVE to watch ET. It was "required" viewing in my household for many years -- it gave me a great idea of what was coming up on TV, in music, and at the movies. I started to lose interest, simply because of time, about the time I met my husband (about 10 years ago). About a week and a half ago, I tuned in. Paris Hilton. Britney. OJ. They supposedly had a little piece on Paul McCartney and his new music video sometime during the show (which I would have liked to have seen), but I just could not stomach all the rest of the stuff they were covering. I had to turn it off.

couchie, once Ted Koppel left, I think Nightline turned pretty tabloidy too.

Claymate. I hated that at first, then just got used to it. I don't mind now - it just seems like part of the territory.

Yeah, that's my take on it too!

I haven't seen this before and it just cracks me up.

What a group -- those two party dogs, Quiana with her "This is not a joke" admonition, and Clay with a classic "I thought we were goin' sightseein'!" Too funny for words.

Too funny....and I'm with playbiller, where are those other two guys NOW? HUH!?!?

I LOVE CLAY AIKEN!

Happy birthday ATDW!!!!

I am one with those who love Gala/UNICEF Clay. He looked so right with that complete look, and it was tres sexy. But just to illustrate the landscape of opinion regarding the best look for Clay, one of my Clay fan friends at work (not online) always has an original opinion and I love to get her response to his videos and pictures because it's usually very different from mine. Gala Clay is her least favorite look because she thinks he looks too Amish -- she says he looks in need of a wide-brimmed hat and a buggy -- and that to pull off that look he needs to be scruffy and leathered up. Not that I couldn't see the hotness of Gala Clay all leathered up, but the three-piece suit was mucho goodo for me. For the three-piece suit look, my friend went apeshit over AMA "English gentleman" Clay.

I'm so easy about Clay -- I loved Gala Clay (facial hair and all). I loved AMA "English gentleman" Clay (long flowing locks and all). I loved Kimmel Clay (in all incarnations....yes, even the dreaded green vest). I guess I do have some that are more favorite than others (although picking between the Gala and AMA's is terribly difficult for me), but for the most part....I simply love him.

But I know exactly for which you speak, kf -- I think every one of us tends to see Clay differently every single time. And there is always going to be someone who says "I hated that look" just as much as someone says "I loved that look." It's gonna happen. Viva le difference!

ehhhh - I'd do him in a buggy, too.

Ha you'd do him anywhere!!!!!

Heh. That was my first thought too!

I love this animation - reminds me of how funny he was that day! He was really hamming it up for the fans with that fake smile.

Oh yes, one of the funniest clips I've seen of him. He's so freakin' adorable.

I don't think outsiders have any way of knowing that to some that's a loaded word. Really, how could they? To them it's just a cute name for us. It's easy. I don't think, despite some efforts, that it's going away any time soon.

That's always been my thought about the word "Claymate" too. Society tends to like "shorthands" for groups of people, and lots of other things as well. I really don't think the general public understands that some do NOT like the word. Me? It's not my favorite, but I can deal with it, and I too believe that it's not going away soon. And, IMO, it's not worth the angst I've seen from some people over the word. *shrug*

Woohoo for CG getting a concert date close to her at a time she can go! YAY!!!!

And :F_05BL17blowkiss: for the pictures -- especially your sacrifice of the Glasses!Clay! picture, another of my favorite Clays!

:F_05BL17blowkiss: to keepingfaith as well -- you're pulling out some MARVELOUS pictures tonight sweetie. I simply LURVE that one from scrypkym...

Heh. First I sleep with couchie the first time I meet her (in New Hampshire), then I sleep with muski in Chicago, and THEN I sleep with keepingfaith AND her sister one night, followed immediately IN A DIFFERENT STATE sleeping with kf, her sister, AND Clayzorback.

God, I'm such a slut. But I'd only do that for Cly Iken.

triplex, I LURVE that picture. What a cutie patootie, that Cly Iken. And your avatar is fantastic!

Sorry, I saw he on some show and she was saying it was a technical award - who knew, I thought amazing race won again.

Amazing Race won for "Reality -- Competition show." KG won for "Reality -- Non-competition." Yes, they break it down that minutely now.

I think they gave her award out at the presentation ceremony for the technical Emmy's....which is also where they give out the awards they aren't planning to give out during the big ceremony. Anyway, that ceremony is held a week before the big shindig.

Thank you all and :F_05BL17blowkiss: for the birthday wishes. It's really not the greatest day -- I'm at work, and actually have to stay late this evening. Fortunately, hubby is cooking a light supper tonight.

Thank you all especially for the smiling/grinning/laughing pictures of Clay. Someone here a few months ago (I think it might have been CG) said that Clay smiles with his whole being, and I dearly agree with that. When he's happy, everyone seems to know it. (muski, gave you a present there....and wait, it's my birthday! I should be getting the presents!). Anyway, I love that smile of his....

A couple of my favorites...

(clickable wallpaper via Betty897X)

Ah muski, that was such a fun 24 hours in Chicago. Laughing, drinking, eating, staring at Clay, sleeping with you....memories are made of these.

Caro, congratulations on the new grandchild! And happy anniversary aikim!

atinal, I just downloaded the best of IT stuff that's in the Clack Unlimited Vault, and will be uploading it to my iPod tonight. Just gotta get the rest of the tours downloaded and then uploaded. (Question: is there any "best of" for the AI tour? And is there a file collected somewhere of the Best of the Christmas 2006 tour? You know, the ones that we worked on earlier this year?) BTW, atinal....I resembled your remark from the other day. Yes, I'm Mrs. Procrastinator....

Airfare Predictions website

This one doesn't really work for me, because I fly out of a small airport that's not listed (and the closest large airport is 2 1/2 hours away). But for those of you, like couchie, flying out of larger airports, this might be a good site to try.

I'm with those that say bring the hat, scarf and gloves first. Those are the kinds of personal items that, IMO, everyone should have just for these kinds of times. IMO, I can forgo a coat if I've got 5 layers of regular clothes on. At the minimum, bring tennis shoes and a bag with your good shoes to take to the show. If you can find boots, so much the better.

And remember, in Minnesota, 50 degrees F. isn't unheard of for December, and is considered a heat wave there. But I know the California types....

I realize this is a departure from the smut, but day-um...there is something joyous about the way the man laughs and smiles...

A woman after my own heart.

*sigh*

psstt...bottle....I don't use "View New Posts" either...

Thank you....for simply being YOU. ldyjocelyn (Illinois)

You know I really have to get out more! I don't see nuttin' in that video!!!

I see "thighs"

incredible "thighs"

moving in incredible "thigh ways"

merrieee, I hope you're feeling OK, because I'm with canuck. I see thighs. Nice jean clad thighs. And they move in mysterious ways [tm U2].

Guh.

What? The animation hasn't been posted on this page, too? For shame!!! Here it is, thanks to XXX:

Yeah, that's the new "needs to be posted on every page" item for this board.

OMG--I was just flipping the channels and came upon a really frightening spectacle on Larry King. (desperately need barf emoticon)

Context is good, please. Any Clay reason why you're mentioning this?

ETA: OK, just checked. Kathy whatsherface. As if I really care. No reason for her to be mentioned really, right?

I was so far behind from the weekend that the Emmy's were the last thing on my mind. However, this morning I wake up and discover that Terry O'Quinn won -- and I'm to the moon! Thanks for posting that picture cindilu, that look is great on him.

Locke rocks!

This thread is designed for people to post problems with their computers. Trouble accessing a website? Post about it here. Can't play one of Scarlett's videos? Hopefully someone can help you out. And so on, and so on, and scooby dooby dooby.

And a post that started it all...

ialreadyam, that was an earnest offer. I wasn't teasing. Also, other people have been able to make DVD's of XviDs, you might want to post a question on a techie thread. I know that the bitrate for these clips are a lot higher than usual so it'll help to have a dual core cpu and at least 2GB RAM.

Thanks for responding. I can't find a techie thread, but you probably solved the dilemma. I have the dual core processor but only 1 gig of memory. Shit Crap! I was hoping to use the XVid files so I could play them on my widescreenTV. Any suggestions? Should I just get the Large WMV instead? *sniff* I'll Pm you about your generous offer.

LadyJ, congratulations on the upcoming birthday and for scoring a brand new iPod! Techno toys are the best, aren't they? So...what color did you get?

I got the blue one. I decided that it was either the blue one or the silver (I didn't like the green, and thought the black would show too many fingerprints). Hubby then "picked" for me. Heh. (BTW, hubby will be getting the green very soon...)

Around here we have stores called Big Lots..they're discount stores, don't know if you have them around there or not. But anyway, Big Lots had accessory kits for iPods a few months ago...it's a car charger, extra headphones, a/c outlet charger, desk speakers and something else (but I forgot what) and the whole kit n' kaboodle was only $25. Best money I ever spent. I especially like the desk speakers, which are battery operated and you just plug the iPod in. I keep them at work. Also really like being able to recharge the iPod in a wall outlet instead of having to plug it into the computer. I love my iPod Can you tell?

Ooooh, yeah, we have BigLots here too. Would have never thought of them for accessories. I'll have to check it out.

One of the problems of being one of the first to get the new redesigned iPod nano is that some of the accessories for the old nano don't work! I want to get one of those exercise armbands, but they don't have them yet (that I know of) for new size. Same with the protective cases. Of course, I haven't looked very hard yet.... I am planning on getting the FM receiver to use the thing in my car, though (if anyone has any feedback on these, PM me please....)

Oh, and I did go out and get one clack video in mp4 format to try loading a video to it. OMG, it's great. Of course, Clay is only 2 inches big (heh), but the picture is really fantastic.

On another note....

I think it funny that I'm reading how many people went to the W-S IT show (third row, non-grindage side for me) -- and yet most of us didn't know each other at that time. I remember vaguely meeting play and Fear and I should have met luckiest1, because they all attended the same pre-show party I did (and I had made the nametags). But now, with the intermingling of boards within this board, I'm sure there are so many of us that had shared shows, but yet, had no clue that some people we would now consider friends were at those shows. Funny, eh?

*pant pant pant*

No, that DOES NOT say "pants," OK? I'm just out of breath from catching up. I really should be working, but had to get the important stuff *coughFCAcough* out of the way! My last time for logging on to FCA was early Friday morning -- I had a work commitment for that entire day. And then, this past weekend was a traditional "away from the boards" weekend. It has to do with an event coming up for me very soon *coughbirthdaywhorecough* -- my husband and I usually spend as much time with each other on one of those weekends. I feel it's good for me to do that -- the boards can be overwhelming from time to time, and it's good to get the RL perspective once in a great while, you know? So, hubby and I ate out a lot (most of this weekend revolves around food....I'm gonna have to check out the weight thread again this week, I know it....), saw the final Bourne movie, watched a bunch of Star Trek episodes, and just chilled.

The big news for me? I now have an iPod!!!! I actually had been wanting one for a while, but with electronic toys like this, if I get one, hubby usually gets one too, and for the longest time he couldn't see the need for wanting one (when our PDA's did a pretty good job of playing music, but only 1 gig or so....). Finally convinced him by taking him on a trip to an Apple store in Minneapolis this summer. He was sold then....so I asked for one for my birthday. Well, lo and behold, the redesign came out last week, and I now have the 8 gig iPod nano. I spent about 2 hours yesterday setting the thing up and loading some CD's on it. I need to go through my audio files for Clay and add a bunch more this week. I'm very glad someone mentioned jmh's list of the "best of" stuff....I'm gonna raid that section this week.

So....to try to catch up here without quoting...

Chocolate: I'm dearly in love with Ghiardelli dark with caramel. For me, the darker the chocolate, the better, and am very glad that manufacturers are finally getting a clue that there are dark chocolate fans out there.

Waldo? Eh. Sometimes, he just presents himself, you know? Hard not to notice, especially when Clay is almost kneeling in front of you (as happened to me at the W-S IT show). But for the most part, I'm more busy just watching the whole being of Clay. And yes, I do actually watch those around him too on the stage. I like watching the other's reactions to Clay as well.

Thank you kf for posting the Leno pictures. If I would have been available, I would have done it.

play, I'm fascinated by the man's feet too, and specifically his shoes. I remember during the JNT 2004 focusing on his shiny shoes -- the way they glittered and sparkled enthralled me.

I have an incredibly hard time comparing tours. I honestly can't do it. I dearly loved the JNT 2004 when I saw it in Atlanta -- I mean, that was the speeding ticket for his friend story, wasn't it? Gosh, now I'm gonna have to look that up. If I remember correctly, that's one of the first times he said "You can never get enough Clay Aiken!" But every show has it's memorable moments, and the same with every tour.

Caro, I'll be thinking about you and grandbaby!

Good Lord, I've gotta start working on my "best of selections" for this tour. I've got the stuff downloaded, now I just need to start listening. Maybe most of those will go on the shiny new iPod this week....

Yes, I have sacrificed going to a Clay show for other committments. The only time I didn't do that was this past year for the JNT -- we got word of it early enough that I told the gentleman that does the Madrigal dinner that I was going to be out of town that night, and wouldn't be able to play. This year, I'm only going to be missing a rehearsal. *g* Still means I can't go to Clay's birthday show though....wah. But I'm way too responsible, and just can't let Clay stuff overwhelm stuff that goes on in RL. That's the practical Midwesterner (with a German background) in me.

Heck, I don't know if that's all I wanted to say or not. But it will have to do. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Blah, blah, blah....sitting in a meeting with a bunch of other librarians...blah, blah, blah....pull out PDA with wireless capabilities...blah, blah, blah....read email from a friend with KLo's response.

Crap.

My first immediate reaction was "Kim, you blew it." My second thought was, "how much do Clay's fans have to do with this?" My third reaction was "and the rollercoaster goes back down again...."

But so many have said so many good things here today, I can't quote them all.

well you're not alone. There are plenty that believe she was unprofessional. I think just because the discussion is calm doesn't mean people are giving her a free pass. I actually have loved the thoughtful reaction here.

Knowing more, I don't know why she held on to the belief that it was going to happen but perhaps she just wanted it badly. I think she knows Clay well enough to know he wasn't going to be blackmailed into anything - life doesn't work that way especially when you don't even really own yourself professionally. But waxing poetic about something she would have liked to seen - whatever, it's still not a big deal to me. The Curb release is more prolematic but eh, I can say she takes some blame their as well. But she's just not a person I will be writing off and putting on my CLay enemy list.

I do think that ripping off that response was not in her best interest and like Jamar says, she should have posted and then hit back space. But I still believe the worst part in all of this is the way Clay Nation did react, continued to react after Clay's blog and will probably react forever at this point. I just have a feeling that part of her reaction was based in part on the crap she took. But like I said earlier, she now has given them even more ammunition and that is squarely on her.

I hope they work it out.

Total WORD on all this.

I think that both Clay and Kim could be right and they could both be wrong.

I have no way of knowing.

Sometimes people just hear what they want to hear and misunderstand.

Sometimes messages don't go through (I can attest to that since the messages on my phone didn't work for about 2 months even though people THOUGHT they left me messages, and half the time I don't get the messages my daughter leaves me on my cell phone).

Sometimes people forget to call or think they have called or just forget about calling.

Sometimes assistants who are supposed to take care of things don't.

Sometimes people are afraid to say no because they don't want to hurt someone's feelings.

Sometimes people suggest the answer is yes when it isn't.

Sometimes people send out clues to an answer but the receiver misses the clues.

Sometimes friends get upset with each other.

I think this should be required reading for every fan.

Personally, I don't think we know enough about the situation from either side to make much of a judgment about Clay's or Kim's motives/thoughts/mistakes. All we have is what has been in "print." Yes, his blog had a tone of exasperation/anger to it. I imagine that might come from being deluged with comments/posts from dozens of whiny children calling themselves his fans. And honestly, when I read it, it just seems like he was trying to be very, very clear so that hopefully no one would find "hidden meanings" in his words. I don't get as much of a "pissy" vibe as other people seem to have gotten.

Kim's words, too, have a tone of frustration and anger. Maybe she's pissed at Clay because he didn't want to do the tour, maybe she interpreted his words to mean that she was wrong to have said anything, maybe he told her she was wrong to say anything. None of us knows that. They could have talked. Doesn't mean he or she would be any less upset in their respective comments.

Was the situation seemingly handled in the most mature of ways? Not really. But God help me if every spat I had with a friend was a matter of public consumption and I had hundreds of relatively uninformed onlookers critiquing my every word/action.

I'm not gonna get into the speculating game about who called whom, when and how often; who didn't return whose calls or practice avoidance; why someone said this or that with those words or these...

In fact, I'm starting to feel very uncomfortable about this whole thing---like I'm a voyeur into their emails or something and well....

They're both 'public' people now, so they have to live with whatever they make public. They DON'T have to let me in to whatever they do privately (demmit).

Thanks for saying that so well. It makes me uncomfortable, too. I don't see why anyone should be required to take sides....it's like when you know a couple who have been dating or married and then they split up....it's ridiculous to think that you know who was in the right and who was in the wrong because you weren't a part of the relationship, just overheard a few arguments....you don't know all that went down. Anyways, it's usually somewhere in the middle....like couchie says, it takes two to tango.

I sure hope that the fans can just let this go. I do not see anything remotely funny about the situation, in fact it is quite sad. It is unfortunate that it had to happen right before the AI Rewind show started, because now I forsee a ton of bitchy comments each week about Kim. Blech, I wanna enjoy it.

All of these quotes are wise as well.

I'd say more, but I'm tired, I've got to call my husband, and I've got to start my meetings again tomorrow morning at oh-dark-thirty.

:F_05BL17blowkiss: CG. And Thankful -- :F_05BL17blowkiss: to you too. Differing opinions are what make the world go around. And IMO, they help us learn more about ourselves -- as long as they are done with respect.

Oh...and jello should be a desert, not a salad. My Mom totally disagrees. I do remember fondly lime jello with cottage cheese though....

I've added a thread for the South Bend, Indiana show on November 28 in the Holiday Tour section.

Good Lord, I need more coffee. Hopefully most of you didn't see what I did....

Places I'd never been before Clay: Boston, New Hampshire, Atlanta, Texas, North Carolina.

Overwhelming situations: arriving at a radio station, in December, at 4:30 a.m., with the temperature at about 10 degrees, just to watch Clay through a plate glass window for 20 minutes. Even getting there at 4:30 a.m., I wasn't at the front of the line. Heh. Also, front row in Boston, with one of Scarlett's many cameras in hand...when it was almost a 100 degrees! (Extreme temperatures!!! Hee)

Most memorable/fun times: taking over the Hard Rock Cafe in St. Louis with a bunch of CHers and Broads, dancing on chairs. Watching my husband shake he head several times as he watched the situation at the Hard Rock unfold. Finding food at 1:00 a.m. in Winston-Salem, and then staying up until 3:30 as I experienced, for the first time, clack gatherers and techies unload all their gear, hook it up, and upload clack. Watching a blue martini fly across the room over a white comforter in Tulsa (you know who you are...). couchie convincing me that going to Boston would be good and she'd room with me. The beginning of a beautiful friendship. Talking to Ansa for the first time on the phone this past summer. Another beautiful friendship.

Heck, all the beautiful friendships I've made in this fandom. Some have waned, some have gotten stronger....but all are special to me!

Venue: Morris Center

General rules for the venue and seating chart available here.

Order tickets here

Information on the Show

American Idol favorite CLAY AIKEN will be celebrating the holidays in style at the Morris with “A Clay Aiken Christmas with Symphony.” Multi platinum recording artist CLAY AIKEN emerged from his 2003 American Idol experience with a recording contract, Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly magazine covers, and legions of loyal fans. Those fans voted him the Fan’s Choice winner at the 2003 American Music Awards as well as TV Guide’s Fan’s Favorite Reality Star that same year. His first single, “This is the Night/Bridge Over Troubled Water” won the Billboard Music Award for best selling single of 2003…and that was just the beginning. CLAY then hit the charts with the popular single “Invisible,” off his debut CD “Measure of a Man,” followed that up with his first Christmas CD – “Merry Christmas with Love,” and the book Learning to Sing: Hearing The Music In Your Life and his latest CD – “A Thousand Different Ways.” This is one very special concert you won't want to miss. Join us for a night of holiday classics!

Event times: 15 Sep 2007 (Sat)

10:00 AM

Ticket Information:

PUBLIC ON SALE DATE: Saturday, September 15, at 10:00 AM

TICKET PRICES:

$ 82.00 - Pit

$ 67.00 - Orchestra, Main, Boxes, Mezzanine & 1st Balcony

$ 52.00 - 2nd & 3rd Balcony

Tickets can be purchased at the Morris Box Office or over the phone at 235-9190 or (800) 537-6415. The Morris Box Office is open regular business hours Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM and Saturday 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Tickets can also be purchased online 24 hours a day at www.MorrisCenter.org.

Additional Information: MORRIS DINNER/SHOW TICKET PACKAGES:

You will be close to your seat at show time when you enjoy dinner before the show at the Morris Bistro Restaurant conveniently located within the Morris Center! The Morris Bistro is open two hours before shows and boasts upscale, reasonably priced dining in an elegant atmosphere. A limited number of Morris Dinner/Show Ticket Packages with preferred seating in the theater are available featuring a themed buffet dinner. Dinner/Show Ticket Packages include buffet dinner with entree, salad, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. A full cash bar including top shelf liquor and specialty wines is also available. Call the Morris Box Office at 235-9190 or toll free at (800) 537-6415 for tickets.

LUNCH AT THE MORRIS BISTRO RESTAURANT:

The Morris Bistro Restaurant is also open for lunch Monday - Friday from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM with the freshest ingredients beautifully displayed and prepared by our own chef! Featuring soups, salads, award-winning chili, deli sandwiches, wraps, grilled paninis, and desserts. Dine in the Morris Bistro Restaurant or pre-order lunch to go. Call 245-6085 for more information.

PARKING:

Convenient parking is available in a lot adjacent to the Morris Center operated by DTSB ($5 per vehicle), at the public garage on the corner of Main and Colfax ($5 per vehicle), and at the Marriott/1st Source Bank Complex ($8 per vehicle). Parking is also available on the streets within walking distance of the Morris and also at the Leighton Center on Washington Street.

Tickets website: BUY TICKETS

More info website: http://www.ClayAiken.com

From the CH via the Clayboard:

nebclayfan wrote:

I just posted this on the street also. I talked to the man at the box office. The tickets range from $25.00 to $125.00. The $125.00 are for pit tickets. The main floor are mainly $90.00 with the balconies being the less expensive ones. The tickets go on sale to symphony members on Sept 10-yes that is Monday!- and to the general public on Sept 14. I would assume that the fan club would be sometime next week prior to Sept 14.

Link to ticket ordering page vie Tickets Omaha

There's still nothing on the OFC about this show, however. *sigh*

Good morning FCA!!!!

The speed of this board at the moment gives me a bit of a headache, because I'm not used to waking up to 4 pages overnight. OTOH, I'm loving it, because the combination of goofy/silly talk about food, beautiful pictures, and just some good discussion makes me happy.

:F_05BL17blowkiss: to all the people who have decided to at least try to put their toe in the water around here. jazzgirl, you don't know how many times reading your post that I was saying "YES!!" And I've got to give a special welcome to booksmart -- I've met her more than a few times, and she really is booksmart (and a sweetheart to boot).

I have to wonder if this fandom developed an insatiable appetite for more and more stuff from Clay because there was just so darn much of it in the beginning - almost constant TV and magazine appearances and touring - so there was something new and exciting going on almost every day. When things settled down to a more normal pace without the constant news being thrown into the gaping maw of the fandom, something had to fill the void. Angst, speculation, impatience, fan "experts", trolls and whatnot became the new normal.

bottlecap, I totally agree with this. I've always said that "clack" was very aptly named -- to me, there was a true addiction to the constant barrage of stuff we got in the early days of this fandom. And for a while, it felt that some needed more and more to keep up their high. Well, now the supplier isn't giving as much, or maybe the quality isn't as good to the people needing their "hit." It's like people are getting the DT's. More than a few of your last sentence came to fill in the gap.

I truly worry about this fandom after the Christmas tour is over. At that point, "we" will probably know very little about what is going on in Clay's life and career. What will happen then? IMO, it's OK for an artist to have some time away from the spotlight -- it re-energizes the artist, but it also gives his devoted fan base time to "miss him" (working on the theory that "absence makes the heart grow fonder"). Yeah, some will get bored and decide to leave because there is nothing, and maybe some will go away permanently -- but I truly think that if word gets out that he's got something in the pipeline, people will come back.

I don't do this whole fan thing for Clay. I do it for me...I am having a ball, I don't want it to stop. I am not buying a piece of Clay! He fascinates me. I love watching him forge a career in his own distinctive way. If he hands over his career, his decisions, to a committee of internet fans, then I'm not seeing Clay, I'm seeing them.

Well, nothing else to add at the moment. I'm leaving in a few hours for an overnight conference, which means no checking FCA until nightfall. I may go through withdrawal symptoms....

Heh. I feel like Leo DiCaprio at the moment....

I leave...and five hours later, we're still on food?

*high five*

couchie, if you ban me for liking brussel sprouts, that just means YOU'LL have to delete all the spambot registrants...

Someone mentioned "mouth feel" in regards to foods. I can identify with that one -- with gum drops/gummy bears and the like. Blech. The other food that I really don't like all that well, with one exception, is chocolate covered fruit. It's weird, because I love chocolate (the darker the better), but the combination of fruit with it turns me off. The exception? Fresh chocolate covered strawberries. Food of the freakin' gods.

{{{{{{ToldForThis}}}}}}

And big old :F_05BL17blowkiss: to xxx4clay, just 'cause.

I hate to be self-congratulatory so much of the time...but gosh, this place makes me feel good, and I keep saying it over and over again.

Durham is such a cute doggie. And I'm a cat lover....so I'm cheating on my animals....

Mush = fried grits. Love that too. THAT takes lots of butter and (cover your ears merrieeee) SYRUP!!!

BTW, love most vegetables fresh (and I agree on whomever complained about store tomatoes). Love most vegetables in the frozen state. Can't STAND canned stuff. Asparagus should only be fresh! HA!