keepingfaith

What's the matter with me? I knew better. But I went looking anyway against my better judgment, because it's been a while and I was curious -- for about two minutes and then the stupidity and herd mentality wouldn't let me go on. Jesus Christ, that freaked me out. There's dementia out there!!! This should be it until tomorrow: LW TW artist / album label power index -- 1 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE ATLANTIC 48,371 NARROW STAIRS 6 2 LEONA LEWIS J RECORDS/RMG 41,881 SPIRIT -- 3 FRANK SINATRA REPRISE/RHINO 41,858 NOTHING BUT THE BEST 4 4 MARIAH CAREY ISLAND/IDJMG 32,756 E=MC2 2 5 TOBY KEITH UME/SHOW DOG 30,127 35 BIGGEST HITS -- 6 JASON MRAZ ATLANTIC 29,417 WE SING WE DANCE WE STEAL THINGS -- 7 DUFFY MERCURY 25,778 ROCKFERRY 5 8 MADONNA WARNER BROS. 23,542 HARD CANDY -- 9 KEITH SWEAT RHINO 22,375 JUST ME 11 10 TAYLOR SWIFT BIG MACHINE 20,994 TAYLOR SWIFT 1 11 NEIL DIAMOND COLUMBIA 20,502 HOME BEFORE DARK 12 12 NOW 27 SBMG/COMMERICAL MUSIC GRP 17,640 VARIOUS ARTISTS -- 13 10 YEARS UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 16,137 DIVISION 25 14 ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS RAZOR & TIE 12,415 SOUNDTRACK 21 15 JAMES OTTO WARNER BROS. NASHVILLE 11,897 SUNSET MAN 15 16 GEORGE STRAIT MCA NASHVILLE 11,789 TROUBADOUR 19 17 COLBIE CAILLAT UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 11,736 COCO 9 18 DIERKS BENTLEY CAPITOL NASHVILLE 11,720 GREATEST HITS 2003-2006 42 19 KID ROCK ATLANTIC 10,817 ROCK N ROLL JESUS 18 20 JORDIN SPARKS 19/JIVE/ZLG 10,776 JORDIN SPARKS 3 21 CLAY AIKEN RCA/RMG 10,503 ON MY WAY HERE 29 22 HANNAH MONTANA WALT DISNEY RECORDS 10,113 BEST OF BOTH WORLDS CONCERT 7 23 GAVIN DEGRAW J RECORDS/RMG 9,419 GAVIN DEGRAW 26 24 DAUGHTRY RCA/RMG 9,415 DAUGHTRY 14 25 JACK JOHNSON BRUSHFIRE/UNIV REPUBLIC 9,337 SLEEP THROUGH THE STATIC -- 26 KENNY CHESNEY BNA/SBMG NASHVILLE 9,053 JUST WHO I AM: POETS & PIRATES 27 27 ALAN JACKSON ARISTA NASHVILLE 8,639 GOOD TIME 23 28 ALICIA KEYS J RECORDS/RMG 8,327 AS I AM 17 29 JUNO RHINO 8,215 SOUNDTRACK 46 30 KEYSHIA COLE GEFFEN 8,176 JUST LIKE YOU 13 31 LYFE JENNINGS COLUMBIA 8,167 LYFE CHANGE 40 32 GARTH BROOKS PEARL RECORDS 8,058 ULTIMATE HITS -- 33 SUGARLAND MERCURY NASHVILLE 7,907 ENJOY THE RIDE -- 34 CARRIE UNDERWOOD 19/ARISTA/RMG 7,865 SOME HEARTS 38 35 MARY J. BLIGE GEFFEN 7,726 GROWING PAINS -- 36 CHRIS BROWN JIVE/ZLG 7,658 EXCLUSIVE 8 37 JOSH GROBAN REPRISE 7,589 AWAKE LIVE 33 38 NATASHA BEDINGFIELD EPIC 7,089 POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE 28 39 DEF LEPPARD ISLAND/IDJMG 6,933 SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE -- 40 RASCAL FLATTS LYRIC STREET 6,719 STILL FEELS GOOD 49 41 DANITY KANE BAD BOY/ATLANTIC 6,684 WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE 30 42 RICK ROSS DEF JAM/IDJMG 6,377 TRILLA -- 43 RIHANNA DEF JAM/IDJMG 6,371 GOOD GIRL GONE BAD 47 44 JONAS BROTHERS HOLLYWOOD 6,299 JONAS BROTHERS 10 45 LUIS MIGUEL WARNER MUSIC LATINA 6,245 COMPLICES 16 46 TYE TRIBBETTE COLUMBIA 6,174 STAND OUT -- 47 BRAD PAISLEY ARISTA NASHVILLE 5,933 5TH GEAR -- 48 CHERISH CAPITOL 5,880 TRUTH -- 49 HANNAH MONTANA 2 - MEET MILEY WALT DISNEY RECORDS 5,865 SOUNDTRACK 31 50 FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS SUB POP 5,272

Ah! Sweet Oblivion.

Can I have a source for Hillary sseeking support from Mellon. Yes he is supporting her, but we have to look to what FDR said when his opponent accused him of having communists support him. He said anyone was free to support him, it idid not mean he supported them. Much likethe Clay fandom, stuff has been thrown around under the radar on this campaign and has emerged as fact when it is only fake Hillary. I would have Fear reply on this except she is packing for a trip where she won't have internet access. Edited to be more polite. Must have a sense of humor.. That comparison would only be viable if FDR had made a trip to the offices of the American Communist Party and submitted himself to a battery of questions, including questioning by the head of the American Communist Party himself, in a concerted effort to win their endorsement. And if under those circumstances an endorsement was given and accepted with much fanfare, it wouldn't exactly be an unsought and unwelcomed endorsement, would it? From the AP in April: Clinton met with the Tribune-Review's editorial board, including Scaife, last month. Afterward, Scaife wrote an editorial titled "Hillary, Reassessed," declaring how impressed he had been by the former first lady. "Her meeting and her remarks during it changed my mind about her," Scaife wrote. Scaife spent $2.3 million to fund a series of articles by The American Spectator magazine that dug into Bill Clinton's behavior as governor of Arkansas. Bill Clinton and Scaife made nice with each other last year and I couldn't figure it out then. I'm sure that Scaife and the Clintons are working their own angles and I don't pretend to understand the underlying depths of the games being played here ... but I do recall the old adage that when you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas. What jumps out at me when I see her meeting with Scaife in person to seek his endorsement after he spent several years and many millions branding her a murderer is that she's willing to do just about anything. http://www.slate.com/id/2187547/ It's very, very strange for me because I defended the Clintons for years in a place where I was the lone defender against the lies and manipulations and conspiracies of one Richard Mellon Scaife. Call it political expediency or whatever you want to call it, but if the power is so enticing that she's willing to do absolutely anything, including kissing up to RMS, then I'm suspicious. Couple that with Rupert Murdoch holding a fundraiser for her, and both eyebrows go up. Did something happen to the Clintons on their way to becoming mega-millionaires? These aren't the same two people I remember from the '90s.

My heart was with John Edwards in this campaign and not just because he didn't have to overcome hurdles, but because he was the most passionate and I agreed with him on more things than I did the other candidates ... and because I love Elizabeth Edwards. But, Play, I've been a serious conspiracy theorist since 1964, and I actually have more substantial hope than I've had since Watergate days that the population is finally wising up to what's been going on. If that's overly optimistic, at least it's clear to me that the country will be voting for change in a big way in November. Hillary wasn't on top of the game. I have my ear to the ground and Hillary started leaking support by the bucketfuls late last year and she made no adjustments. When she sought and received the support of Richard Mellon Scaife -- that was anathema. The holding hands with Rupert Murdoch and blowing kisses to John McCain may have seemed smart at the time, but no Democrat that's been paying attention for the past 20 years could have been comforted by that. Americans increasingly don't trust the government, or corporations, or the media, or just about any other institution in this society because corruption is open and rampant. Everything seems fixed. Sure, it's been fixed for a long time, but now it's so blatant that it's in our faces, and supreme arrogance always leads to downfall. I've never, ever seen young people so energized and involved as they are this time. They're pissed too -- about the war, about education costs, about the lack of energy alternatives, about the condition of the planet. I hear them every day. There will be change.

Good for you and your family, laughn. I think I've been a political junkie since age 3, the summer when my dad bought our first TV and we watched the Republican and Democratic conventions gavel to gavel. I actually remember it. The hoopla and celebrating and parading around the convention floor was entertainment enough for me! And the McCarthy hearings, I remember watching those too. I didn't understand what was going on, but the intensity was interesting enough for this little kid. I read Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative when I was eleven, Kennedy's Profiles in Courage at twelve, and Nixon's Six Crises when I was 13. My sense of citizenship was ignited by the assassination of John F. Kennedy when I was 15. I read the Warren Report when I was 16. I've often said that I believed the Warren Report, until I read it. So right off I knew my government was lying to me. And I was curious as to what else they were lying about. I'm still in the process of discovering the answer to that one.

Aikim, I'm for political discussions in the political thread myself, but I have to tell you that my friends are probably equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. And among Democrats fairly equally divided between Barack and Hillary. Most of the time we all agree to the facts and yet come to different conclusions. I live in HOUSTON. Talk about being in a minority, you have NO IDEA!! Yet I know what my principles are and stand up for them and always enjoy a good discussion of the issues. I have seen with my own eyes the political hopscotch that goes on. I've been around long enough to watch Conservative othodoxy and Liberal orthodoxy completely switch sides on some major issues. I don't take political differences personally and hate it when people do, but I'm usually okay as long as no one is being demonized. That I can't handle. I'm all for people being involved and see apathy as the biggest threat to democracy and freedom. I've changed my mind on big issues and I don't walk a party line. My big issue these days is the numbers of people who let the media do their thinking for them by focusing on that with which they already agree and refusing to listen to opposite opinions - there's way too much of this on both sides. I love an honest debate.

keeping... that (see above) is my FAVE of the AI5 appearance and what I kept rewinding my tape to see over and over again until I killed my tape. That look while he is waiting to be noticed just kills me every single time. GUH!!! I know, and it's not just the hair for me, it's the look. If AI5 was my Manchurian Candidate experience, then that one instant was my queen of diamonds trigger. I've watched the video enough to have isolated The MOMENT to that one look in his eyes. It goes on forever. ETA: Just heard on CNN that even counting the Florida and Michigan popular vote, that Hillary doesn't win the national Democratic popular vote without disallowing the popular vote in caucus states. And that's now her position. It's POLITICS, people!

Given that direction, I guess we'd all be voting for THIS guy! The WINNAH! hands down -- or hands wherever ...

Reminds me that there is nothing in the Constitution about political parties of any kind. In fact, the Founding Fathers, and George Washington in particular, declared that the establishment of political parties should be avoided at all costs. Just a few of my favorite Clay pictures ever -- and just so you know it's not ALL about the bangs ... it's also the cheekbones! ....

But the Constitution doesn't speak to party rules. For many years there weren't any presidential primaries -- just smoke-filled rooms. Then for a while all the primaries were winner take all. The Dems changed their rules in, I think, 1972. Some states have primaries, some have caucuses, and some have both -- I'm in a both state. And delegates are apportioned by voting percentages, which is infinitely more fair, but then I'm not a fan of the electoral college either. State parties do their own thing, but they are an extention of the national party and must abide by the national rules. Michigan has a Democratic governor and legislature and they voted to go their own way in spite of the national party rules. The people of Michigan should be unhappy with their state party for screwing them out of a vote. In Florida, the Republicans have the governor and legislature and re-set the primary schedule mostly to mess with the Democrats, therefore it was unfair IMO to penalize the state party in Florida. But, it really doesn't matter at this point. That horse has left the barn because it'll come down to Obama winning the nomination even counting both Michigan and Florida. It's over. But, I can't hold Hillary blameless for this. I had so many family members and friends who were Hillary supporters last year and she completely turned them off talking jingoism and a commission to study social security AGAIN, and not admitting a mistake over Iraq, and a hundred other things. My son who loved the Clintons in the 90's started calling her Republican Lite -- and saying "if I liked Karl Rove tactics I'd be a Republican." Writ large, that's what happened to Hillary.

Clayzor, the Dem party rules may be against the law in your book, but they're not against the law in THE books. Dems and Reps make up their own rules for the presidential primaries -- which is why Reps have a winner take all system, and Dems have delegate apportionment system. The Florida and Michigan "penalties" were established in August 2007 and December 2007, respectively, at times when I doubt anyone at the DNC imagined that the primary season would extend beyond February 5. Had that happened and Hillary had run away with the nomination, as was expected since the 2004 elections, it would have been a non-issue. But, that ain't what happened. Florida and Michigan delegates will be seated at the convention -- something will be worked out. But at this point, I think it's time to accept reality. The fact is, as much as I love Hillary, last year and in the snows of Iowa she made a fundamental mistake by looking past the nominating process to run a centrist general election campaign. It flopped because Democrats are pissed off and have been voting in unheard of numbers to CHANGE. When she finally began campaigning as a change agent and champion of working people and poor people, it started turning around for her ... but too late. Her advisers were completely unaware of the political climate in the country -- but she kept those honchos and continued to listen to them for far too long. Sometimes loyalty doesn't work out. Back to important things here ... like the seminal moments for me: It's pretty silly I suppose to have a discussion over which Clay hairstyle or color or whatever is the cutest or sexiest or whatever ... because it's in the eye of the beholder. And I refuse to prefer any hairstyle because of a perception that it's Clay's favorite, because although it is his hair, I am the beholder, dammit! *g* And Clayze ... you are so right about that tie!!

Clay wearing bangs on his own time: First ... what's wrong with the Sedaka bangs??? Nuttin' to me! And then there are all the other times ....

I don’t know jack about hair dying (because I’m naturally gifted in this one single area – bwahahahaha), but wouldn’t ANY dying at all dry out your hair??? I dunno, despite what I said last night, I am rather passionate about the blond – for whatever reason it made me go from mild lust to total lust. <g> It could simply be because it was timed, somewhat with his return to trim AND his Spamalot run (sorta). For whatever reason…I love it. <g One of the many things I find attractive about him. Actually, I love the AI 5 hair too – I remember vividly seeing him walk out, and I just started screaming. Literally. At first it was in disbelief, but then that SMILE peaked out and I was totally gone. Moreso than before, that is. Did I know you were an AI5er? Did we talk about that?? Dude, we were sisters in many ways. <g> I don’t think boyfriend really likes those bangs though, which is a bit of a shame. <g> I know hair coloring from years of experience. I started coloring my hair at 14 and it's been every shade that Clairol or L'Oreal sells. Going blonde, or bleaching always required stripping and toning, while going same shade or darker is much easier on the hair. I've seen some pictures where Clay's hair is becoming straw-ish, which is definitely a symptom of over-bleaching. Regarding blond vs. brown ... for me it's the difference between devilishly cute and hotter'n hell. Heidi, OMG I thought the whole world was aware that my atomic structure was rearranged by Clay's AI5 appearance. It was my Waterloo moment. I watched Scarlett's xvid at least once a day for better than a year, and would frequently get up in the middle of the night to watch it. What's more I know at least a half a dozen women who hadn't seen Clay since AI2 and who were right there with me in Clay fascination for a few months after AI5, but it was the guy on stage that night they had fallen for and when Clay seemed different to them months later, they fell away. Me, I had swallowed an adult dose of Dr. Feelgood's Magic Potion and I've been on the real magical mystery tour ever since the mind altering experience of AI5. I'm sensitive to medication. *g* There are plenty of times when Clay was out and about and the camera caught him wearing the bangs, so he did elect to have the hair in his face on his own time. I haven't had bangs for about five years now, but I'm thinking about having them cut again because although they are more work, I know they flatter me. Vanity vs. convenience ... eh! Clay has to know that women all over the world were blown away by the AI5 look. That he didn't go with it tells me that being a HotSexGod isn't on his list of things to do. But for my personal enjoyment, I wish it were. It's so him. But I have to ask you, in all seriousness .... you'd turn down looking like Angelina Jolie?

I don't know if this will help with Sunny99.1 in Houston, but CC's Beaumont AC station, KKMY 104.5, is playing OMWH - at least according to Mediabase they are a Starter with 2 overnight spins. This may be a market that the Houston CC stations will watch. I requested it online (and felt entitled since I'm over here in Galveston County), but it may not hurt for as many as possible in the Southeast Texas area to request. http://www.kkmy.com/main.html

I'm perplexed about the GMA appearance in 2006, because although I know Steeve gets credit for his hair that day, there was a picture on OFC of a group picture taken with the GMA staff that day, and Jamie was very definitely in the picture. This was back when I had no idea there even was a Jamie. My problem with the blond right now is threefold: it washes him out, it makes him look older, and it seriously dries out his hair. My vote on hair is that Clay lets the chemically-colored hair grow out while he's on hiatus, and then let's see the real thing! ETA: Everyone does remember, right?, that I was grabbed by the hair -- the AI5 hair -- and therefore always love to talk about it. Clay can wear his hair however he likes, as most everyone does. Clay's hair can change his appearance dramatically, so I guess it depends on whether he wants to look like the kid next door, a college professor, or that hot sexy man down the street -- and I suppose he doesn't mind being all three!

I think it's clear that Ashes will be the second single released -- but not for several months. It's OMWH single time now, and I'm very pleased with the overall responses it's getting. This could be the one. Just watched Kimmel again ... and aha I spotted Solo and Scarlett in the audience!! ETA: Disclaimer: Hair Talk Clay must have had a fresh bleaching because the Rachael Ray hair was more strawberry blond, while Kimmel was blondest blond. I can't deny that I'm ready for highlighted brown with bangs again. Since he's just doing what they tell him, doesn't Jamie know how hot he is with darker hair and long bangs that cover his eyebrows? It's a no-brainer for me. I personally don't know a soul (excepting merrieeee, that is) who doesn't love the sexy hotness of dark haired/bangs Clay. Hey, kareneh ... and :F_05BL17blowkiss: And one more for the road ...

Thanks for the spin info, Clayzor. I think he may do very well indeed on AC this time. I mentioned to two people to watch Kimmel last night and both were excited about seeing him, and this morning I got messages from both, separately, that they fell asleep before he came on -- one went to sleep during Ryan Seacrest and I can understand that, because Ryan was boring, and one fell asleep before the show even came on (but it airs at 1 a.m. in her market so that's not surprising). Did anyone else get the vibe that Ryan Seacrest is far from a Jimmy Kimmel favorite? I certainly did because some of his comments had a bite to them that barely masked contempt, especially regarding the Kardashians and Denise Richards reality shows. Anyway, if Ryan Seacrest didn't put people to sleep, I think the Clay spot was fine, and as a fairly regular watcher of Jimmy Kimmel the Clay Clay bit appeared to be the usual set-up OTT comedy bit that Jimmy does all the time. While on this occasion it may have been completely for real, I think the average viewer would see it as bread 'n butter Kimmel, have a laugh, and that's about it. I thought Guillermo selling lemonade for $8 was funny. And I look forward to Ashes in the Pontiac Garage. I think that Tyra and Rachel Ray had a bigger impact -- because two people out of the blue emailed me Thursday to let me know they had seen Clay on Tyra on Thursday. I guess she repeated the 500th episode show. Both mentioned that Tyra seems to be crazy about Clay and one mentioned the fan that fell down in the street. My former DIL called me yesterday afternoon to ask me if I had seen Clay on Rachel Ray. She said her neighbor called her. I told her I was DVRing but hadn't seen it. She told me that Clay seemed more comfortable than she had ever seen him before. She said her mother called her from Austin and they talked for awhile about how Clay was so relaxed and funny. She doesn't like OMWH any more than she's liked anything else Clay has ever done musically -- pop music, and especially songs about love, are just not her thing -- so not singing on Rachel Ray didn't matter at all to her. I doubt she'll ever purchase a Clay CD, but she makes a point to watch whenever he's on TV and loves his humor. In fact, I know a few people who aren't crazy about Clay's style of music, but adore Clay the man, the humorist, and make a point to see him anytime he's on a talk show. I wonder if many fans have considered that there are a group of people out there who love Clay Aiken only when he's NOT singing! BTW, my granddaughter who went to the Houston show last year -- her favorite song is still A Thousand Days. She's a young teen and nothing on OMWH does it for her like ATD. I accept what Clay wrote in the liner notes for OMWH -- this one's for us. And in the long run I don't see how several songs from the CD can be kept off AC radio. Oh, did I mention my personal reaction to Seacrest last night. I've never had feelings one way or another about him before. But, he totally SUCKED as a person last night, and doesn't he think he's just the bees knees? He's inviting the kind of blowback that makes people want to see this cultural trashmeister brought down a few pegs. He'd better wake up and smell the overexposure.

You ae a lovely person, but you may kind of missed my point. No biggie, I am not the best communicator and constantly offend someone or another. Downloading the album or single multiple times may not count, unless you do it from different sites. All was not lost. I downloaded the single for the first time from Amazon and Real, then I did a little gifting, and tossed some love to The Real Me just because.

Taylor Hicks was considered a failure because he was the first Idol winner not to sell over a million copies of his first, post Idol album. Hicks didn't sell well for his debut, and didn't sell-out his tour. But, although Jordin is only around 700,000+ for her first effort, I think she'll be around longer than Hicks. I think Blake's a goner. I think the RCA Press Release about dominating the Top 10, "led by Clay Aiken", means RCA is more than happy to have that hoss in the stable. I sooo do not worry, because, if the music business goes completely bust tomorrow and all the artists are on their own to record, produce and distribute their own music, whether hard-copies or digitals, Clay would make it better than most. He is an entertainer -- a recording artist, a concert artist, a Broadway star, a comedian .... I'm toying with the idea of being just a "lurky loo" for a while. If the doom and gloom is here -- where fans of Clay come to play -- I can only imagine what it's like "on the outside." OMWH has been out for exactly 10 days. Kimmel is tonight. Rachel and Clay were great today. I can't stand the whining and worry -- not right now anyway. Tolerant as I am, I can't tolerate the overwrought concern and consternation right now, because I LOVE this CD and I wake up every mornng with one of the songs in my head ... and this morning it was The Real Me. He must have been singing to me in my sleep, because I woke up mid-song. Yesterday it was Falling. My head and heart are full and heavy with serious love for how Clay sings these songs -- and the arrangements are fantastic. I'm not much of a David Foster fan from waaaay back -- pre-Clay -- but I love the piano on The Real Me. David did a fantastic job on that accompaniment (but maybe because Kipper was producing?) If I had my preference of (1) Clay puts out a throwaway CD that has catchy pop tunes and sells 2 millions copies the first year and in ten years nobody would be caught dead listening to it (i.e., most of the big multi-million sellers today), or (2) Clay puts out an album that stands the test of time and is a treasure forever but doesn't go platinum for years ... I'd pick (2) anyday. And Play, in your honor I downloaded $10 worth of OMWH today -- and you don't have to send me a thing. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Play, is the Clay part when Simon says, "There is only ONE American Idol?"

It sounds to me that he's got his head on straight regarding so much of his career -- he tries his best, and the pieces fall what may. He's a straight-up guy, and IMO he doesn't care all that much (maybe a little) about some silly bloggers who think his career is over. I love this quote too ldyJ...to me this is his anti-marketing ploy answer. I remember I used to argue with the marketing experts on my other board...I mean yeah there are all kinds of ways that clay can change what he sings, how he looks, how he acts, what he says...to fit the perfect marketing image that would appeal to te desired demographic....BUT he does not want to because to him its about being real and true to himself. Thats why to me I am not stressing about the sales and promo. I think whats important is that he finds the music that truly represent him. That he makes his artistic vision real. If it will connect to people that didn't use to like him great...if it only appeals to his current fanbase...nothing wrong with that either. GIbby....I love it when musicians chime in about the music. I really haven;t had any time recently to posts about ALAWH and Ashes...but I will try to make comments later. Aha, maybe Clay's going after that huge anti-marketing market! GENIUS!

00lsee, those pictures look verra verra familiarrrr -- and I know I've seen that Duane Reade before ... and the Freddy Mercury ... and that knish guy ... and Bryant Park ... and the Library ... and Tom Deckman up close ... and the Sikh parade .... Your pictures are brilliant and captured, for me, all the sights and sounds I experienced right behind you. Gorgeous stuff. You have an eye for picking subjects that trigger memories, even new ones. Great work. Couchie, it's "me too" with a sister who forced me to start watching Idol in Season 2. Little did either of us know. She's funny because she'll start bitching if I talk about Clay too much. But after two days of me not mentioning him, she brings him up and talks about his CD and Leno appearance, and Mo Rocco video for 45 minutes. I have soooo got her number. Fantasia tonight, was .... interesting not in a good way. I don't really know what that was, but it wasn't entertaining for me. I actually had quite the same reaction that Simon had. And it definitely was a "WTF" face. Thinking about it again, I'm still saying "WTF" -- the day-glo red hair and that weird song, Was that even a song? I know why AI doesn't want Clay back on the show. There was never supposed to be an American idol for whom the idolatry lasted more than one season. It was like a Miss America pageant with the confetti, contract, and media blitz packed into a jam packed year of promotion, culminating with the CD release and then the selection of the new Miss Ameri idol. Clay's been the biggest celebrity ever produced by AI, and he's not going to lose that designation. He's forever "Clay" and that means more than we probably realize. The show gave him a platform to make himself famous and then he transcended it. That's more than they were looking for, because Clay's success steps all over the regular idols, even those who sell more CDs and get radio play. Clay doesn't take a back seat to any of the talent on the AI big bus. I'm sure that people in the industry know that Clay is here to stay. That probably galls a lot of them, hence the now-predictable negative tone from certain quarters. If AI ever doubted that Clay would forever upstage the contestants on the show, then what happened during and after Clay's AI5 tour-de-force made it clear to them. Oh, this is theory, only a theory. But where is Taylor Hicks? I know that AI's ratings are down, but people are still watching. I was at a restaurant this afternoon picking up an order for my mother, and there were three men behind me. Grown-ass men in their 40's and one asks the other two who they think is going home tonight. And the second guy said, the girl, Syesha. I turned around and looked. They agreed that Cook should win because although Archuleta could sing, he isn't mature enough to handle the business and he needs another five years before he's ready ... and I was just floored listening to these unlikely-looking Idol watchers openly discussing the show. I loved the GDLA video from this morning. Clay was gorgeous and funny, and I thought it was a very productive interview for him. In fact, I'm going to watch it again. I think when Clay uses "we" he's indicating something that took a village. When it's something that he himself alone did, he says "I" -- but for me it's not a "royal we" at all. It's manners and humility. I personally get off on it. He's aware of the role others play in his career and he's considerate of his team members. And finally, I have no problem with the OMWH Yahoo video. I think the whole POINT of the thing was for it to look like "home movies" -- a real inside the studio, 'you are there' feel, without any slickness to any of it. For me, that was borne out by the shots of Clay being "groomed" for the cameras. For a behind the scenes video, I think it works extremely well. Maybe Jaymes was behind the camera. And let me add my great big GAH! to the chorus of GAHS! over that sexiest-look- ever screenshot. That was the MONEY frame, first time I watched the video. And that one moment in the video was my final conversion to the blond hair. All I needed was for it it fall forward on his face so casually. That done, I'm now fully in with the blond hair. What a gorgeous man.

12 other songs? Please don't tell me you too to don't like my Muppet song!!!! Now dry your eyes. I love "the Muppet Song" too. But I have the Walmart CD in my car and that's what I've been listening to the most. I listen to all 18 tracks from my computer when I go to sleep at night. OMWH has replaced going to sleep with the TV on, and that's unheard of, for me. Note to self: Burn all tracks on a CD for my car. I'll get right on it!

Was there a controversy here today? If so, another one flew right over my head. Not that I see that as a problem! Had lunch with Sis today -- the nitpicker and natural born music critic. She warned me a couple of weeks ago that my anticipation level was too high for OMWH. Then on first listen she really liked the album, all except for Sacrificial Love -- said she was put off by the title. Today we were talking about something completely different and she interjected .. "Clay's album is GREAT. I even love Sacrificial Love now. Every song is GREAT." I knew she'd come around -- she loves that voice, and this time she's hooked on all the songs. We're both in love with Forget I Ever Knew You, and 12 other songs. I'm freaked in a good way by KAndre's post about Sunny99 having an interview with Clay tomorrow. That means they will play OMWH following the interview, doesn't it? At least once? One play, other than Christmas songs, would be a breakthrough for KODA.

The Neil Diamond thing, having his first number one ever, was strange to me until I realized that Rick Rubin produced it. That, in itself, would guarantee a No. 1, more for Rick Rubin's reputation than Neil's. Since Rubin runs the label now, no doubt he flooded the market with Neil Diamond CDs, with regular and extended versions for sale everywhere. He has to make sure that everything he touches is "magic" -- his reputation being what it is. And if he can get a number one for the new Metallica CD he's producing, all doubt will be removed. And Toby Keith? I have no idea. When it comes to country music, I'm lost. I cede that genre to my friend Clayzorback! But .... he's had 35 hits? 35? How old is he?