keepingfaith

I got Paul McCartney's "Good Evening New York City" combo CD and DVD for $13 a few months ago. It blew my mind at the time, but I've noticed the prices have been dropping on CD/DVD combos. There was a time not so long ago when the CD would have been $17 retail and the DVD about $19.99.

Me too. If people see the PBS special with Ruben as a special guest, and they like what they see and hear, it could sell tickets to a Clay and Ruben concert in the following weeks. I don't so much see Quiana as a special guest.

*sob* kf reads my posts (because I'm so glad you finally saw "Crazy Heart" and totally agree with you on Jeff Bridges), and yet she doesn't. I posted the link about Phineas and Ferb yesterday in THIS POST RIGHT HERE! You know, I've been thinking (which can sometimes be dangerous, I know). Actually, this is something that I've thought of many times before...and that I admire Clay, the man who likes to have a varied career. I mean, really -- some television acting. Some voice over work. Lots of singing. There's still that possibility of the talk show. We might find out about a movie role or two some day. I just love that he's willing to push his boundaries from time to time...and yet, also knows what simply WORKS for him. He's such a cool boyfriend. Ha! I think the problem is I'm falling behind on reading the past couple of days because we've had the 7-year big-deal ABA inspection going on and it's no time for messageboards, or lunch, or leaving for home before dark .. and then the budget and finance committee today, and next week the building & technology, audit and executive committees. The mania ends on the 12th. If it would end on the 11th, I'd be going to Raleigh for the first time in my life next week. I've been to NC several times, but to Asheville and Winston-Salem. Unless this thing with Ruben is a one-time deal, I'm going to wait for travel to places I've never been before. The Biltmore is someplace I've toured (loved the winery). The classic Peter Sellers movie "Being There" with Shirley MacLaine and Melvyn Douglas was filmed at The Biltmore Estate. Peter Sellers died just days after the end of filming. He told Shirley MacLaine that he had returned to his body from a near-fatal heart attack with foreknowledge that he was coming back to make one final movie, which was "Being There." (At least, that's what Shirley said.)

I've never heard of Phineas and Ferb, which isn't surprising because I'm ususally the last to know about any pop culture or TV phenomena. So I asked the 9 year old in this household and she sat me down and gave me a complete rundown on the boy inventors, the sister on their case, and a pet platypus. It sounds like a lot of fun. Where did this information come from about Clay voicing on this show? I've seen a quote or two, but no links. Is this something he's doing now for a summer showing, or something he's doing in the summer? LadyJ, I finally saw "Crazy Heart" and Jeff Bridges has to be a lock for Best Actor. That was an amazing performance. I forgot he was Jeff, because he was so amazingly good at being Bad. Christopher Waltz will go down in film lore for the Col. Landa role in "Inglorious Basterds," which is probably my favorite film of last year. And, one of these days I need to see "A Serious Man" because I'm a serious fan of Colin Firth.

It wasn't mannerisms, for my son it was a rich young famous guy with no girlfriends, which didn't say he was gay, but it did say he wasn't much interested in being seen out and about with eligible women. According to the conventional wisdom of the fans, or so I was told, he was all but a roaring whore-dog in college and this inside info was from a group of his female friends who dished with the fans early on and seemed to cement the certainty of his straightness. So was that just a load that was spread around with no basis in fact? Looks that way to me. Anyway, I'm not a person who reads mannerisms because I know people across the spectrum of mannerisms, and stereotypes sometimes do and often don't pan out in reality, so they're basically worthless. I think Clay was open with people he worked with in the business, open in that he was only in the closet with people he didn't know, and Grandma too. Apparently a lot of people did know for sure, and Clay even said as much in an interview. Do I care one way or the other? Hell, no. But do I think that everyone that ever insinuated that he was gay before he came out had evil intentions for Clay? Hell, no, again. To me, that kind of thinking is basically stigmatizing people. And that kind of thinking was pretty prevalent among Clay's fans, but I don't give people who think that way much thought - I'm not the evangelist type.

Both guys are undeniably cute, but not enough hair on the heads of either, IMO. As to the question of why Clay didn't come out earlier to the "Claymates" ... that's probably valid in that Clay's fans were the ones who cared so much about it, to be honest. Clay came out in September 2008, and the only people I know who acted like it was news were among the fans. When I first mentioned it to my youngest son the day the story broke on the net, he said, "Mom, I think you may have been the last to know. When people are asked if they are gay and they challenge the question and refuse to answer, they're gay." I'm not necessarily standing by that comment because I have an open mind and I presume there could be underlying reasons for people to say just about anything, but most of the reactions I heard outside of the fandom were like, ... "Duh! Who didn't know THAT?" I do remember scratching my head during his LKL interview in 2006 when Larry told him that he should just come out and then the air would go out of the controversy and nobody would care, and Clay said, "I don't agree with that" - which did say something actually. I'm just glad that everybody is on the same wavelength these days. And I'm especially happy for Clay to be living an open life. About his speech, I have one comment -- if he's going to discuss Parker in speeches and interviews, and declare his son's brilliance and superiority to the equality of the masses, he needs to produce this wonder child for us to see. Really, all I need is an updated photo to see if Parker still looks as much like his daddy as he did in the high-chair pictures. I know this toddler is adorable, and he's a Little Leo which means he's predisposed to being precocious and thriving on attention. I don't want to see him paraded around like Suri Cruise in high heels, but a picture or two would be loverly. And it's NEXT WEEK now!!! (ETA: Well I WISH it were next week now. But I guess I should just say, NEXT WEEK!!!)

As to Clay, there aren't any voices like his, and I've never expected to hear anything on AI or anywhere else approaching what he has, because it's so rare. Carrie, however, leaves me cold. She has a voice, in that she hits notes, but I don't think she's anywhere near Jennifer Hudson territory. For what it's worth, I wasn't much of a Ruben or K-Lo fan, and thought the Season 2 finals would come down to Clay and Trenyce, with Clay the winner. As for guys, there has not been another singer take the AI stage who remotely challenged Clay. I think that became officially accepted fact the night of the AI5 finals when Clay came out for 2 minutes and wiped the stage with every other singer, and the buzz completely overshadowed the announcement of the winner. I think it was all finally established once and for all.

If you want to hear a brilliant discussion of same-sex marriage as a fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution, I highly recommend this video of last night's "Bill Moyers' Journal" on PBS with his guests, Bush v. Gore adversaries, Ted Olsen and David Boies, who are on the same side in challenging the constitutionality of Prop 8 in California. http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/02262010/watch.html

That could have something to do with it, but from what I saw last night it was Casey and a group of bad singers, so he sure looked like a likely winner to me. I didn't think anything about his looks until he started to sing, but I liked the way singing made him light up, and he knows how to handle that guitar. I haven't heard any of the girls yet. My sister liked the girl who played the harmonica. As to the quote, there's no doubt about it. Season 2 put Idol on the map for a reason - it was exciting to watch the inevitable every week. The judges on Idol focus on tone and who sounds like who, and rip them in comparison, and the same with style and performance as to who they may be trying to channel, or mimic. Nothing like that was ever mentioned with Clay. He was unique in tone, style, performance, versatility and personality. He owned the stage, derivative of no one. And there's been no one like him since. He had so many things going for him simultaneously that it was stunning.

YAY! The countdown to the Tried & True Concert is just outside of two weeks. I'm so excited about it all. Clay is such an all around good guy to go with that spectacular voice and humanitarian spirit. I think it's all about to happen for him on a new level. He's a trail-blazer. I watched part of AI last night, about 7 or 8 of the top 12 guys. Haven't seen any of the girls. I'm ready to predict that Simon's AI experience that began with a Texas girl Kelly Clarkson will probably end with Texas guy Casey James. Even without seeing it all, is there really any competition for a guy that good-looking, with such a great smile, sexy hair, hot body, and a singing presence that's somewhere in the world of Eddie Vedder and Cat Stevens? Is it even possible this guy could lose? I thought the Kara love was excessive, but if he sang "Heaven" to me like that I'd probably be excessive too. Just my opinion, but AI will be essentially over without Simon Cowell. He's the ultimate star of the show, love him or hate him, and he'll take his audience to X-Factor and Idol will suffer terribly. While I haven't been more than an intermittent, or spot watcher of Idol for several years - because it's been boring - Casey James will bring me back this season, if last night was any indication of what he'll be doing, and how he'll be looking!

My favorite T-Bone is T-Bone doing his own stuff as in this You Tube (I have relatives in Palestine, Texas (actually pronounced Pales-teen in Texas, and I love that T-Bone intentionally called it Pales-tine in the song)). It nails the local culture. T-Bone Burnett - Palestine, Texas

All I recall about George Lopez and Clay is that Lopez was on Kimmel with Clay and talked about his wife being there that night because she was a total Claymate. I think that was the ATDW night. The Dude Abides! I love Jeff Bridges, but don't have a problem believing he's 60 (for obvious reasons)! In fact, I may fix myself a White Russian today in his honor and head off to see Crazy Heart. Ringo Starr is turning 70 - now that stuns me. ETA: As to the late-night comedians, the whole idea of the monologues is to rip people, and in an exaggerated and completely off-base way. And the hosts don't write these jokes for the most part. I don't watch Leno, but someone told me the reason his new show flopped was because he didn't have the writers he had at the Tonight Show. I'm jaded about comedy, and figure if they could make jokes night after night, and year after year about the penis of the President of the United States and in the most horrid and debasing way, what do they consider a joke too far? There were pedophile jokes about Bill Clinton for God's sake! What's too far? For instance, I watched Kimmel two nights ago and he had doctored video with Tiger Woods groping his mother's ass, and worse. I'm sure Tiger Woods fans were upset over that, but the audience loved it. Me, I'm a Craig Ferguson fan --he makes me laugh out loud.

I've been mulling over songs that may have been included in Tried & True -- because what else am I going to do in my free time? I've gone through my iTunes files, and my books of CDs and the stacks of vinyl and considered every great song from the 60's that I think would fit Clay, and songs that haven't been done to death, etc. There are about 40 from that era that I'd love to hear Clay record, if not now then sometime in his recording future. But, there was that one song that when I listened to it I heard Clay singing it as clear as a bell and I'll never stop hoping to hear him sing it, if not record it. And my winner is ..... Jimmy Ruffin's What Becomes of the Brokenhearted. Can't you hear Clay singing that? I sure can. And when a song stays in my favorites for 44 years, that's definitely tried and true. If there's no R&B/Soul on this LP, then I'll wait for the day he records an LP dedicated completely to this motherlode of treasures.

Yeah, yeah, and you never come down from that first hit! (or so they say ..... ) But KA, I want to hold it a long time!! (I know, I know, but what about the ticket?)

Have a GREAT BIG WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY, LUCKIEST1!! :04: :04: :04: :04: :04: :04:

Congratulations all you new ticketholders. If you got a so-so ticket, remember there's still a chance for rows A-E, even though you'd have to watch him without binoculars. And there's less than four weeks to wait. After I bought my first Clay Aiken ticket, I had to wait four months to see him. I've fully accepted that I can't go, there's no wiggle room at all, and yet I feel so naked without a ticket. I almost want to buy one just to hold it in my hand. How pitiful is that? merrieeee, you bought a new house over the weekend and you've already sold your house after being on the market one day? Wow, girl, that's getting it done -- and I'm so happy for you. Although I'm not surprised your house was scooped up in a day as it's such a lovely place. No doubt the new one will also exhibit your charm and magic touches as well. A March 12th closing is some kind of synchronized c-r-a-z-y timing. Breathe deep. Again. Once more. All right!

Since I'm not free to go to the Big Event, I'm not stressing. However, what am I missing with so much stress going on? I've only been to five Clay concerts, but bought those tickets in fan club presales from the venue itself to ticket agencies, and I've used my code, got tickets, and that was that. A few times I ended up sitting in different seats than the ones I bought because I upgraded or was gifted at the very last minute before the show. The one time I threw back tickets I screwed myself so unless it's an undesirable seat altogether, I'd probably be taking the seat offered and see what happens on Game Day! Anyway, to all you knee-knocking stressers out there, just let me say, Congratulations! You're going to BE THERE! WIsh I were you today! Enjoy every second of this, even the privilege of nervously buying a ticket. I'm already bumming hard and would give just about anything, except my job, to be there. I love Clay so much and want to be in that audience of fans so badly, but when it's not to be, it's not to be. To those for whom it is to be, I'll be living vicariously. And I don't want to see ANY preemptive clack and hope it never exists for this night -- I most certainly can wait patiently for that long desired DVD with ace production values -- but I don't think I could wait 10 minutes after the show is over for a set list. That's all I think I'll need. That, and a hair/clothes report. Okay, a set list, a style report, and information on the band/orchestra. Wait a minute, this all I want: a set list, a style report, information on the band/orchestra, and also I think I'll need to know who were the special guests. So, I think, maybe, that's all I'm going to need.

I don't think you're over-thinking, Kim. I think we all may be over-acronyming. I like reading "TRIED AND TRUE" because it rolls off the tongue and tells the story. No acronym can do justice to the messages embedded in "Tried and True." I'm sticking with The Full Monty Moniker.

Thinking about the Full Monty ......................................... what was that Hot Chocolate song they danced to in the movie? I may as well go on home. I'm done for the day now.

There's no description of the event on Ticketmaster, just that there's a Clay Aiken something or other on March 12. And ... since there's a run of The Full Monty at that venue preceding the 12th ... I'll just imagine Clay's taking the lead role that night. Hey, screw my job. I'd be on the way to Raleigh for that.

OOlsee I miss YOU!!! This is somewhat diversionary, but I heard it on the radio this morning and it absolutely blissed me out and I want to share. (Not to mention that I'm a great admirer of Oscar Wilde.) Following is a part of Garrison Keillor's Writer's Almanac transcript this morning: http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/ Now THAT's a love letter!

Great news, Couchie! Sometimes I think if we had national healthcare I'd just quit my job, but being diabetic I must hang in for the health insurance. I don't know how you've done it. I really really hope we cross paths again on the Clay Trail, whenever that is later this year. I fondly recall our time at the restaurant in NY enjoying good times and I want a repeat, or threepeat. Hopefully, a tour will be scheduled for summer to accommodate summer break at the law school. The PBS thing didn't accommodate my schedule at all, since Friday, March 12, is one of three impossible days of the year for me workwise, and the following week is .... Spring Break. Yeah, one day's difference between 'no go' and 'free to go' for me. It's a bummer, man, because there are so many fans I look forward to meeting for the first time. So many of you right here at FCA I've never met ... but one day I tell you, one day! HUGS, LadyJ. Do y'all use Scantron?

The Human Rights Campaign has listed the worst companies in the country for LGBT employees. It's something to keep in mind.

Being from Texas, I've heard my fair share of country music, and then some. But there's just not enough real emotion in what is called country music today. My mother came from a small town in East Texas where everybody had a Woody Guthrie in the Depression sounding voice - especially the lady who led the singing at the Baptist Church. There's a specific tone in the voices that I love for some reason. I can admit that I have been known to appreciate a good down-and-out version of Faded Love, with a mournful fiddle just a little out of tune, and a singer with a highly resonant voice. My dad was a Dallas guy and loved the big bands and popular swing and jazz singers of his generation. My mother's taste went toward Tony Martin or Perry Como. Neither of them cared much about country music, probably because they'd been hearing it all their lives and it sounded like hard times, I guess. My dad's exception was Marty Robbins, my mother's was Eddie Arnold. My mother did not like Ernie Ford because I remember how much she hated that song Sixteen Tons, she would rail about it. Mother mostly entertained herself singing The Old Rugged Cross, In the Garden, How Great Thou Art and Shall We Gather At the River. But ---- speaking of country, I heard a local radio program this morning, on my way to get breakfast, called Lone Star Jukebox that played these heartfelt country tunes, "Even If You Didn't Love Me, At Least You Cared Enough to Lie" -- followed by "I've Lost My Girl to Some Guy Named Jesus" - about this dude whose girlfriend screamed out the name Jesus! while they were making love. That was as much as I could take on an empty stomach.

I'm not going to have a favorite song yet. I'm going to wait until the album comes out and buy it and play it over and over and over and over and over and change my mind about which one is my favorite depending on the day and my mood. I'm going to play it in my car and at home I'll listen on the headphones and I'll be generally obsessed. And I'm going to buy copies for members of my family who have now come to expect that I'm their Clay supplier. I'm going to be damned impatient until this all happens. I feel proud reading comments about what people's mothers did and didn't like and how that affects their feelings about certain songs. I have three kids and every one of them want my stamp of approval on the music they like. To them I'm the grand poobah of popular/rock/blues music, up to and including today. It's important to all three that I appreciate their musical discoveries, and I'm just now realizing how special that is since so many people are cringing at mother's music. I'm not terribly critical even when I'm so-so about something they are into, because IT'S MUSIC!! And it's about what hums in your ears and thumps in your bones. (And, they make it easy for me by not being country music fans.) Two of my kids are musicians and when I give them tips on changing a chord or a rhythm, they love it. I be lucky. None of them are exactly crazy about Clay, but each of them has said to me at one time or another that he's a great singer and that since I love him so much they realize there must be something really special about Clay. How about that for some cred from the kids! (I have one son who really should be more into Clay because he won't listen to anyone who gets played on the radio.) I'm with you merrieeee about 2/8 ... there are no bigger days at the office for me this year than March 12th, and a day in September and one in November. But I'm excited to get the official word about whatever it all is. And I hope against hope that there's a tour coming this way later in the year.