keepingfaith

Scarlett, you may be tiring of this -- but politics and work and family are owning me right now and I missed the initial fun of colorstrology. If you have time to use your super sekret dekoder, I am Orchid Bouquet 15-3412. jmh - our descriptors are very similar, mine are: Communicative, Social, Expressive. Says I have the ability to get the party started. I birthday-partied last weekend and probably won't be partying again until early November (at least that is my fervent prayer ... but since this isn't a political board, I'll back out gently for a while). See y'all later, and keep the faith for CHANGE!!!

See, I think there's a world of difference in a song like Touch and songs like My Girl, Mandy, Rosanna, and Oh Girl (which I'm not aware that he's sung since Hometown Connection). In his professional career, I was aware that he was gender nonspecific in songs about physical love. It's always been something I've noticed. He said he personally changed the "make love to you" line in MOAM to "always love you." He refused to perform Touch -- and of all the songs he's ever sung, to me Touch is the one that is blatantly about hot sex with a woman. Singing a love song and singing a song about s-e-x are two different animals. Fortunately, he doesn't have to be so careful in crafting his musical messages any longer, at least regarding sexuality. It's totally immaterial and just a discussion topic, but it's something I've seen as a factor in song selection. I never thought it indicated gay, just thought it indicated the stubbornness of Clay to keep his sexuality private, regardless of orientation.

My answer to that is, yes, I believe so. I think it was a part of his effort to not make a statement through his music that could be interpreted as "I Am Straight" in even a suble way. He couldn't control the song selections on MOAM, but he could control his set list in concert. That's why I think IYDKMBN wasn't on the ATDW album -- the words indicate a song to a woman. The man was striving to be as honest as possible within the context of nondisclosure. Now I think he could sing those songs without hesitation. One of my favorite Elton John songs is Little Jeannie -- and Elton sang "I want you be my lover" without anyone caring about his orientation. A great song is a great song, unless people are looking to solve unsolved mysteries in them and then they take on an additional symbolic meaning beyond the music and lyrics. I think this totally opens up Clay's future repertoire. From what I've seen of the SD vids in the past week, he's definitely getting more touchy-feely with his female fans. Freedom is a beautiful thing - for all of us.

I'm going back over those SD pictures above. Maybe it's my imagination, but I swear that I see something in Clay's whole demeanor that I haven't seen since he was on Idol. It's like an abandonment to joy or something like that. But God he's beautiful! {{{{Muski}}}} Happy Birthday, Liney! Remember -- Libras never grow old, just cuter!

If you've seen the TV trailer for Oliver Stone's movie "W" and see it as a comedy -- think again. This is gonna be sumpin' sumpin'! And with a soundtrack that includes Zeppelin and Cream? Hold me down, Mama! Actually, this blew my mind a little bit when I watched it -- so there IS a God!!!

That's an interesting perspective, DR. However, I doubt Clay needs an education on fear and loathing. It's probably all too familiar to him -- so much so that he thinks he can take it. It breaks my heart that he, or anyone else, ever has to. Thank you, thank you LdyJ, Cotton and Lilyshine! Wow, there's a lot more to this archival business than I first imagined. I didn't realize this was going to involve science!

I feel like quoting scripture tonight. Indulge me, I promise to never let it happen again. Matthew, Chapter 10: 12 And when ye come into a house, salute it. 13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. ************ The incredible Matthew, Chapter 7: 1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them for this is the law and the prophets. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I've been wallowing in ATDW today and it has been blissful to hear the songs with new ears. Some of the feelings I had about certain songs being meant for the fans, a lover, a family member, have been rearranged. Now, when I listen to Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word -- I hear it sung to the fans. Now when I listen to If You Don't Know Me By Now -- I realize why it wasn't released on the album. Now when I listen to A Thousand Days -- It makes me weak in the knees to hear him sing: And if the angels came I'd fight them back to win your soul And when everything is said and done They'd go back home They ought to know, they ought to know That you're mine all mine I believe that ATDW was the first album that meant something personal to him, and I didn't get the why of it back then, but I'm beginning to now. For me it has ultimately been satisfying to have the truth stated and to hear things as they are, not as I imagined them to be. I wonder if the second album in development was scrapped and this cover album put out because Clay was beginning to turn the corner on being more open to the world, without explaining it beyond the songs, and using cover songs to subtly convey a new message was kind of brilliant, actually.

I think I'm gaining some insight into the fans who cruised the net to post any and everywhere to defend Clay's sexuality. They did it because their love of Clay depended on him being straight. There was such a manic quality to it that it became infamous. So I suppose it's too much to ask that they would once and for all just shut the fuck up.

Can someone please give me a recommendation for quality cellophanes or whatever material is used in good protective sleeves for my magazines? Some of the so-called sheet protectors aren't very good and the print sticks to them. And .... where can I get the good stuff? I know you librarians know!

You speak the truth, Kemosabe. The OT god was vengeful, jealous, and blood-thirsty. In the New Testament, God is Love. The first epistle of John pretty much spells it out. If you don't love your brother, you don't love God.

I know Clay is too empathetic and kind for this ... but if it were ME, a lover of the provocative, at the next tour I'd come down the aisles singing this song .....

That's exactly how I feel. Aside from the fact that those calling Clay an abomination are also aiming this at all his gay fans and gay family members. It should be enough to say that their religious beliefs preclude associating with gays. That's understandable--people have used the same arguments to preclude associating with Jews and ethnic minorities for years. It explains exactly where a person is coming from. However, just because someone can find scripture to support prejudice doesn't mean that those with different beliefs should just accept those beliefs as valid. Hindus used to (and in villages STILL sometime) marry child brides. Do we say that's ok just because it's part of a religion? Genital mutilation is done on girls in huge areas of the world. Do we say that's ok because it's part of their belief system? Fundamentalist Muslims blow themselves up to attain glory (and virgins). Do we say that's ok? I don't think we should draw a line in front of gay bashing and say--OK, that's your belief. It's ok. Nor do I. A group of Baptists in the South splintered into the Southern Baptists in the 19th century over slavery -- they found the scripture to justify it as God's law. Sadistic religious beliefs are worthy of respect? Fuh-king NO! Now, for a change of pace, someone sent me this today and I absolutely love it:

I celebrate the news that there are fans who are struggling and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Hooray for stretching and growing and learning. A friend of mine here at the school stuck her head in the door yesterday and said, "I saw the news about your boy at Walmart last night." I asked her if she'd read the article and she said no, but she'd like to. So I handed her a copy of People that I had in the drawer. She brought it back this morning and said she was so impressed with the article, and with his candor and how he explained things -- that she had learned a lot from what he said and really admires him now. I can admire the OFC helpers, but I was done with that scene when I came here in March 2007. I spent an intense 2006 as a new fan arguing for sanity and common sense at OFC -- and it was losing battle against an armed front of conspiracy theorists with toxic inside (Not!) information. LCV, Clayzorback, lightmyfire were valiant in efforts to be the voice of reason and support Clay without scapegoats and evil-doers and cryptkeepers, but you can only take a finite amount of head-banging against brick walls before it hurts horribly. I'm pain-free now, and plan to stay that way. Maybe purge is the wrong word for what I'd like to see at OFC. Perhaps the surgical removal of a couple of malignant tumors would be more accurate. FYI: What I know about Michael Musto is that he's a middle-aged, too-clever-by-half columnist for the Village Voice, openly gay and cynical to the core. I've seen him a few times on Olbermann. Is he speaking out about Clay? He's been derisive of him in the past.

Can 'em and ban 'em. Defang the pit vipers from hell! ************ The Disney thing vaguely reminds me of the campaign by the Christian Coalition or the Moral Majority or one of those Ralph Reed / Jerry Falwell oufits to have certain scenes removed from Lion King and Aladdin -- the smoke spelling out S-E-X and stuff like that. I don't remember the details, but there were Baptist boycotts and such nonsense over it that I think Disney Corp. finally said, SCREW YOU, we'll have GAY DAY now.

ausdon, your post made me think of something my 29-year old son said to me last week. He asked me how the fans on the board are taking the news about Clay and I told him that the fans are overwhelmingly supportive, with a fringe group of religious zealots trying to wreak havoc. I said that while some of the media portrays Clay's fans as narrow minded and homophobic, that in my experience they are open-minded, intelligent and progressive. He said, "Aren't Clay's fans mostly women? And aren't most women open-minded, intelligent and progressive?"

And now if they would actually fucking LEAVE!! Dear lord - they are the sick ones. I gave up reading it on Saturday morning. I'm just not equipped to be flogged by ignorance. It's a waste of my time. They do have me praying though, praying that Clay will purge the OFC next week.

Modern day Disney just isn't the same as when Walt ran it. Old Uncle Walt, long dead, was as close to Gestapo as one can get without a brown shirt. He was an FBI informer -- a "special" agent so designated by J. Edgar Hoover, who ratted out employees and friends, ruined many innocent lives, and saw a Commie behind every tree. He drew nice cartoons, and apparently that was the only thing nice about him. He was a racist; he was a sexist; he was a sicko. My Not-So-Wild-Guess: Maybe because you've long known that to be the case, Oh Wise One?

Now I can't stop look at those ATDW promo screenshots ...

Couchie, I'm sure you're right, but at that time I was only at OFC, so my experiences weren't multi-boardal. No doubt the sighting got more keystrokes elsewhere, but it had an abupt end where I was reading. I really wonder if the puritans would have been so outraged if Clay had been a straight man out there sinning right and left? Would they have been quoting scripture about his sins of fornication? Also, maybe I'm daft, but I always thought that the reason the church was down on having a baby "out of wedlock" (and I really hate that term) is because the baby would be, according to biblical definition, conceived by fornication. So, why would anyone see it as sinful for Clay and Jaymes to have a baby together with no sexual contact involved in the conception? Certainly the men who wrote the ancient texts and enumerated the do's and don'ts never took into consideration such things as in vitro fertilization. In my heart of hearts, I really think that Clay has been doing alright all along. I'll bet he's broken some hearts. I mean, just look at him!

I must be the only one here who remembers the little Anderson Cooper dust-up from a couple of years ago. Maybe I do because it was early in my on-line fan experience (summer 2006), but I remember it nonetheless. There was a sighting of Clay having dinner at Nobu in NY with Anderson Cooper. The person who witnessed this or had the report of it was optimistic that this meant that Clay would be getting an interview with AC for the ATDW promo. And then there were a couple of posters who thought it wasn't a good idea to mention this sighting so much because AC is rumored to be .... well, you know ... so that little sighting was dropped like a hot potato. Hmmmmm. Clay is a big news junkie. He says he watches CNN religiously. Anderson is a doll. He's a Vanderbilt. I heard him say on CNN back in 2006 about Taylor Hicks ... "He's no Clay Aiken!" In fact, I still have that clip saved. Okay so I'm easily carried away. But dammit I'm sorry, I love shipping.

Hmmm. Some people want Clay to apologize for lying, but if he doesn't think he was lying then his apology would be a lie, wouldn't it? I'm confused. I'll have what the naner is having.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26929179/

Those OTT posters are outing themselves as morons, IMO. The judge not verse won't move them. They think that God has already done the judging and they are in the peanut gallery going Yay, God! You just can't convince people where the chairs and tables are situated when they're sitting in the dark. They have to bump up against the furniture all on their own to believe it's there.

I really like this one because I love his hair in this .... I love it when his hair is darker with highlights ...