keepingfaith

I am absolutely unable to type or say that word d-tto.

He's heavenly cute. Whatever he's doing in Montreal, he's lighting things up with that knock-out face.

Hey eHP, any schlitterpix? I'd love a view of my old "stomping grounds." At least that's what it was back in the day, floating on the rapids of the Comal, enjoying the wonderful food at Krause's, or the dining room of the Faust Hotel where we dressed in our finest for dinner, or the New Braunsfels Smokehouse; breakfast at Mama Naegelin's Bakery, the treats at Old Bossie's Creamery, and of course watching the grown-ups dance to Elvis and doo-wop at Schwampkrug's beer garden (kids did get to get out there for the chicken dance and later for the cotton-eyed joe!). And when the young ones were acting up, my uncle the kidder would threaten to take us to Doppenschmidts's (the funeral home in the Square) instead of to Landa Park for miniature golf. Wonderful childhood memories, before I grew up and turned into a Guadalupe River Rat for a few seasons. Sorry for the reminiscing, but I sure do miss making this trip. KAndre, also sorry to say I only listened to my voice mail messages last night and apologize for not calling you back on Friday! Needless to say, I very much regret having to miss this trip. Boo-hoo. And to Ausdon, I hope your birthday was the grooviest!

Uh-OH, I feel a GIF attack coming on.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY GIRL MERRIEEEE So how does OMWH sound in that snazzy new car? And when do I get to find out for myself? (Well, not until the flu gets out of my house.) Oh yes, it wasn't enough to have back pain and sciatica and plumbing problems and parents issues this week -- my son and granddaughter are running high fevers with horrible coughs and congestion. The doctor took nose swabs to test for the flu. My granddaughter is in the 4th grade and out of a class of 22, there were 8 present Wednesday, when she had to go home with fever and left only 7. I wonder if there are ANY kids still healthy in that class. Anyway, I'll be near the computer this weekend, and playing nurse at home since my DIL The Nurse is working. And ... I won't be having fun with my buddies as originally planned and eating barbecue and the best Tex-Mex in the world and splashing around at the Schlitterbahn, but I guess it comes with the territory of being ..... well, I won't say how old. Only Merrieeee knows, Ha!, 'cause I'll be catching up with her next month.

reed could get him to take it off ....

Some outstanding pictures released by the official WH photographer that I found at the link. I laughed to see that the President had Birthday Pies! He does love his pie. And fly fishing, apparently. White House Photographs - August

Just diddling around the internet tonight I googled David Novik and found this at Songwriter's Circle: That got me to You Tube to search for the video blog, and I thought it was fascinating. I'm probably two days late and ten bucks short on this information, but just in case anyone hasn't seen it, here's Part II, and Part I is also available and about his background, which is VERY interesting as well. My favorite quote in the category of "Finally, someone from inside the record industry said it."

Hee! I'm all for the smut - and for any visions of Clay lounging nekkid in the sun (though I'm doubting the pool part - but maybe he's over that, too). But where, exactly, on that photo would you expect to see tan lines? You know I've wondered before from the AI Pool clip if Clay actually doesn't go into water -- or if he just didn't want to expose his body on camera. Maybe he's thinks it's more exposable these days? Wouldn't we all just die with a picture of a buff Clay at the pool or beach!

Of you could have a Grand Finale with the Tourney Winner against The Stallion!

O.M.G. he's jumping off the PAGE!!! I must be tripping.

Holy All-Resistance-is-Futile Batman! Hoo WOW! I prefer the full picture 'cause I don't want to miss a thang! Look at Mr. Hardbody Aiken, would you? .... Thanks, I will, babbling to myself. Gah! I have a feeling there could be a coalescence, a convergence, yea, verily, an absolute consolidation of opinion about Clay's best look ever -- FINALLY! The man I see is good to GO, wherever he wants! If Twitter is the devil, I don't want to consider the consequences .... oh, to hell with the consequences. He done done it now. My God.

Thank you, treenuts, Scarlett, and others who appreciated the compilation. Some cannot get past the Ted Kennedy's early demons and flaws; but I don't know how anyone can argue with the 2500 pieces of legislation advancing the rights of women, minorities, immigrants, gays, and the disabled. Have a great day, all! Caro One of the historians I listened to last night, Michael Beschloss I believe it was, said that Teddy Kennedy and Noah Webster are the greatest senators in American history, and that Webster was fortunate to be in the company of Kennedy. Henry Clay didn't make the cut. As for "flaws and demons," I see it this way: Teddy had two brothers assassinated by bullets to the brain, one was the President of the United States, the other one in the process of becoming President of the United States. His oldest brother, Joe, was blown to the winds with no body to bury when his plane vaporized on a secret bombing mission during WWII. His oldest sister, Kit, was killed in a plane crash in Europe. His learning disabled sister Rosemary was lobotomized by a quack doctor who convinced Joe Kennedy that he could cure her problems. His father was paralyzed by a stroke. Ted nearly died in a plane crash that killed two others and as a result of a broken back he suffered terrible pain his entire life. All of these tragedies in his life happened between the ages of 12 and 36. At 37, he was involved in the terrible accident at Chappaquiddick, no doubt as a result of alcohol, that took the life of a young woman, and he had to live with the responsibility for that for the rest of his life. Massachusetts continued to reelect him because he stood by and for the people, but life didn't get easier. He saw two children through cancer, one had a leg amputated at the age of 12. And then that awful loss of nephew John Jr. As a result of his dedication to public service, there's probably no one alive in this country who hasn't benefited in some or many ways from the tireless and compassionate work of Ted Kennedy. There are too many wealthy, aristocratic politicians who work for the benefit of themselves and their class. Ted Kennedy worked for the least and the neediest among us, and always for the greater good of all, and, as the Constitution says, he promoted the general welfare of the United State of America. A GREAT man has passed.

This repeating this is driving me crazy -- just because I hit "QUOTE" instead of "EDIT" @@!!!

Hey, merr, it's so ironic how we share so much of the EEEEEEEEEEEEEE factor, and yet when it comes to specifics we're seldom on the same page. You think he looks sickly in Snowflake (which I adore), while I think he looks rather wan and weak in AMA 2006 pictures, and I know you go to your knees over those. I do like that shot of him with the reflective sunglasses, however (real or photoshop?). Interesting, I think, that Snowflake and AMA were in the same week, so maybe he was a bit under the weather for both. Or NOT, Ha! I realized not long ago, that just about any look Clay comes up with, including clothes, facial expressions, hairstyles, stubble/clean shaven, glasses/contacts, sexy/silly etc., are capable of delighting or disappointing depending on one's personal vision of Clay .... with the exception of the "Jenna Bush" pictures. Does anyone like those? ETA: And, y'all please stop picking on the pillage. He's not the stereotypical gay dude regarding his casual clothing, but so WHAT? He's gotta be a priss about his pullover shirts? I say you go Clay ... pillage away on your own time.

- NYTimes

Various and sundry beautiful pictures of a gorgeous guy in shaggy bangs and wearing fabulous clothes .... AND the Mandatory Martha a/k/a EF Heaven:

In looking over "that guy's" flicker photos and he has a large number of pictures of him with celebrities, including rock stars, TV stars, everything -- and the location is almost always at the airport -- so he's either a limo driver, or an airline/airport exec who collects pictures of himself with celebrities. I am very used to Clay's "new" face, and I have just the opposite reaction when I look at early photos. In so many of them his face is almost too thin and drawn. He was a cutie then, don't get me wrong ... but the fuller face is symmetrical and classically handsome, and he's still cute. His forehead is proportionate to his entire face now, instead of being exceedingly high. Maturity has been very very good to Clay. And no sign of male pattern baldness -- even with all the dyes, bleaches, highlights ... and hats! He's gonna look hot for decades.

By my calculations, he had just turned 27 in picture 2. What??? the Blue Fairy hadn't turned him into a Real Man yet? Hmmm I think we're looking at a grown-up man in both pictures -- and I like them both, but voted for #1 because I prefer the post-lipo, chiseled chin/neck. Actually, in truth, I prefer looking at him, either way. Even with the "baby" fat!

Thanks, Cotton, that trimmer worked great!

I voted #2, although I generally love the Christmas 2006 look -- however, that pesky nose hair distracts me, and the face is screaming "Shave Me" even though I love stubble and beards and long hair and all that. Just not my favorite picture representative of that time. No. 2 is new to me. I love the sexy, pouty look and the, forgive me, wide stance.

I went into photobucket to look for glasses pictures -- but went down the Jukebox Rabbit Hole and found a picture of Parker's Mommy and Daddy that I hadn't remembered. He's so CUTE!!!!

Funny, a couple of years ago the talk was about a mandate, now it's about a man-date.

LdyJ -- you're trying to hurt me aren't you? This is a hard one -- because I love BOTH the AI5 and the Afghanistan styles. To be picky, the AI5 picture covers up my most favorite tie of all time, and the Unicef may be overly zoomed-in on the beard for me, but that is pure pickiness as it's so hard to make a decision between them. One of my top 5 most favorite pictures of Clay of all time is from AI5 -- the disarmingly wonderful smiley one -- and knowing it may not even be included in the contest, I must vote for it by proxy. Therefore, #1. That said, I probably would be voting for #2 if the shot had less zoom and showed that precious baby Clay was looking at with such compassion and tenderness.

Why do I feel like singing: I can hear the people sing...singing a song of angry men? (from Les Miz) Do you hear the people sing, singing a song of angry men? :nature-smiley-014: What in the sam hill are y'all talking about? Get those freaking angry men outta here. We're singing Right Here Waiting at our barricades -- with happy faces. We don't need no stinkin' angry men!