keepingfaith

JMO, but I think somebody used a flatiron on Clay when he was on The View and when he was on the Mike & Juliet thing. It looked like a "Chi" was involved in that hairstyle.

I can't relate to snow day. It was gorgeously fine here. Talked to my cousin today in East Texas and they had snow. There's something to say for SOUTH Texas, uh-huh. I just watched some clack. It was the WRAL In the Studio with Clay, Kipper and Quiana. Love that stuff. Coming up next the WRAL interview. I can't help it, I'm so excited.

Thanks Liney! No doubt! You know the main thing I remember about the AI2 finale, other than being freaking pissed that Clay didn't win, was knowing Clay had a recording contract, that he was getting not just a shot but a bit push, and also that he made that crack something like 'I'll see you on the charts' to Ruben-- and then it was on to the news that night and the late night shows and the next morning and Larry King and so on, and so on, and here we are.

I have favorite clack that I watch from "before my time" and that I love to distraction such as Motown stuff and God Forbid the Clack Skip Around, but just as you guys are going back to your early days of Clay concerts, this is all about MY relationship to the clack. Of course, I must pay homage to the best two minutes on TV ever -- the Clack of Clack -- the AI2 *correction* AI5 Finale -- specifically and exclusively Scarlett's XviD version. I have to watch it a lot and I'm always amazed. It's important to me, okay? The first time I heard Clay's voice and saw his face on the Fourth of July 2007 is unforgettable forever and preserved in this piece of clack. http://www.clackunlimited.com/clack/Concert_Clack/Soft_Rock_Hard_Place_Tour_2007/Frisco/spotlightlover/ Whenever I watch it I still feel IT. I can see myself there in the audience right up front, anticipating and hearing Clay for the first time, with peeking merrieeee giving herself up ha. But more importantly, it was a mesmerizing experience. He was right there. He was gorgeous. He sounded beautiful. His expressions I have to talk about. Clay has about a dozen or so expressions from Idol that just slay me and I'd watch the YouTubes over and over and isolate those unique and adorable faces and stare at the cuteness of Clay. So the first time he actually sang a song for me, yea, that early evening on the plains of North Texas in a soccer arena, he showed me all those faces I love, with that voice and that smile and those eyes and everything. And he was a HUNK! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I still don't know how to articulate it. He looked at MEEEEEE. Lover All Alone in Houston. And this one will be with me forever. I was basking in good fortune again that night sitting front row right at my first official Exclusively Clay Aiken Sit-Down Concert, being so close my knees were against the stage. ***How do I love you Scarlett, let me count the ways*** I had never been a true fan of LAA and that night when he sang it the way he did, and then made that body turn so I got a full facial frontal up close and personal, and the emotion in every fiber of his voice and being when he sang it, well, it was like Clay asking "Soooo, whaddya think about it now?" and me babbling, "Yes, master." It was intoxicating. Okay, that's two official selections. Nah, forget it, I have to put Scarlett's AI5 Finale video in there. It still takes my breath away. I'm done. http://www.clackunlimited.com/clack/Americ...24_Finale/XviD/

There's Carmine's on 44th if you like Italian. Carmine's is probably best for large groups since they serve the entrees family style and three entrees are probably good for at least 8 people. I hear they have a great bar. http://www.carminesnyc.com/

One of the jocks on the new DWTS wears a size 14 shoe -- let's see how well he does. (This is my post for this page, LdyJ)

LdyJ, you are welcome to take it if you want it as I remain in your debt -- long, long time. I'm sure I can find another picture JUST AS CUTE! He has a tendency to photograph CUTE !!! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Thanks CG! My sister is going on the 25th so she'll miss Chris. Oh well, alas and alack! FYI, I added that OFC picture to my last post.

Does anyone know when is Chris's last night in the show? And here's the source of my new avi ... could he be any CUTER ???

Playbill, if you have any of these still available, I'd love to purchase. Maybe in April when I'm in NY? I bought beaucoup copies of ATDW: ordered several from Amazon, ordered one from Sony (and it was the one I received three days before release day!!!), downloaded from iTunes, bought several from Target, Best Buy and Walmart. I have one left that it's in my CD changer, and one pristine unopened copy. All the others went to family and friends. I have two copies of MOAM -- the original with TITN and then the reissue with Solitaire. I bought a lot of MCWL for stocking stuffers and "singing" Christmas cards. Same for AIW.

I prefer the darker hair because I agree that it suits his coloring more than the blond. But more than the color of his hair, my issues are with the styling ... and I do not care for the hair straight back off his forehead. LONG DARK BANGS FOREVER!!!! They are slurpworthy. Think September 2006: GMA, Kimmel, LKL, The View just kill me ... and then there was Martha ... and last year's GALA!!!! ... even the Sedaka Tribute ... THAT WAS SCORCHING! My preference is to see Clay back in black with longish dark hair in his face. I think I'm flashing back to 2006 because I listened to Without You coming into town this morning, and I had to listen again, and then again and louder each time. What a fantastic and memorable turn he gives it. I liked the drama of the song when Nilsson did it lo those many moons again, but grew tired of it quickly because it plodded and was depressing. I missed the Mariah version altogether and when I did listen to it in 2006 I found it to be so full of runs that the melody was completely lost in the hoopdedoo. Clay version was perfect. The voice emotional and pleading and urgent and incredibly strong and beautiful, and the drums gave it movement and passion. I love that song. I do believe that at some point in time it will be resurrected by AC. It's just too good to go unheard and unheralded.

{{{{Couchie and Couchie's Mom}}}} :F_05BL17blowkiss: Perma, you are so very very welcome here, always, with your stories, pictures, opinions, pictures, and then the pictures, of course. And furthermore, we love your pictures. CG, love the Emma Lazarus! Maybe that should be the official poem of the FCA. Do we have an official song (non-Clay)? I nominate .... Somewhere, somehow, somebody must have Kicked you around some Tell me why you wanna lay there, Reveling in your abandon Honey, it don't make no difference to me Everybody has to fight to be free But you don't have to live like a refugee No you don't have to live like a refugee I can relate to that one. Regarding this "mean" board thing, I've seen that referenced here a few times and don't know the origin, but that just floors me. I had to stop sampling other boards because I'd be shuddering at the hand to hand combat going on. I think this is the Tolerant Board (except for KAndre who will not tolerate boring crap, including this post, and merrieeee who will not tolerate the Snowflake pictures.) Liney and Perma, the initiation rites as I know them include glitter, glue guns, slip knots, and Cheez Doodles.

All I know is that after watching AI Rewind every weekend I believe that at least five of the finalists in 2003 were better than anything Season 7 has had to offer. I don't see an "idol" in this bunch. The highlight to me tonight was Brooke. And I somewhat liked the girl who sang the Journey song, Kristy, although she started off with a bang and lost me at the end. The others were forgettable. The Irish singer? Meh. Maybe I cast a doubtful ear to her because the judging is overblown and ridiculous in her case. That girl is not going to set the world on fire. The rocker chick's performances are annoying me. But then I never thought Joan Jett was particularly "authentic" either. The judging is a bit freaky this season. Some of the strangest comments I've ever heard. Paula is cracked. Randy is even more boring and repetitive than ever, Simon seems pissed at all times. I find it odd that Simon is fixated on stage presence and personality. He loved Carrie Underwood, didn't he?

I'm giving Idol another shot tonight, Playbiller. Didn't see a second of it last night because I was doing the Texas Two-Step Caucus Mania. Our precinct had 28 people show up at the 2004 caucus -- and due to the voter increase this year they prepared for twice that many -- 60. So how many turned up at our little precinct in a tiny Lutheran church .... over 600. Needless to say I was late late late getting home. But it was such a blast. Everybody was so blown away by the turnout, and the comedians were out in full force!

My Texan's Thought for the Day: Money can buy you a mighty fine dog, but only love can make him wag his tail. which is a corollary to that famous song that says .... There's only two things that money cain't buy and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes.

What I remember is that after Clay's single broke records and Ruben's, well, didn't, that Simon said people were buying the song more than the artist, and that if Ruben had released Bridge Over Troubled Water and Clay sang Superstar, that Ruben would have been the big seller. Either Simon has no clue whatsoever, or that was a lame attempt at face-saving propapanda in a failed rescue attempt for Simon's humongous ego. Although I'm not a Bible-thumper, I do recall that charity is to be given secretly if there's any spiritual reward involved. In cases of publicly acknowledged giving, the accolades of our fellow man are all the reward we'll get. So said Jesus Christ at the Sermon on the Mount. Okay, that's my preaching for the year.

More Idol "scandal" and this year it's the unlikeliest of candidates -- David Hernandez. Appears he may have been a stripper -- a lap dancer -- in a male strip club for three years. If they kicked off Frenchie for pictures ... can they keep David? Actually, I thought he had one of the best voices this year. If he goes, the pickings are getting slimmer and slimmer. Everytime I hear this refrain "the best year ever" I have to laugh. I think it may be one of, if not THE worst ever. In my opinion, they are a sad lot -- and people I know who have watched Idol every single year like a religious practice, just aren't feeling it this year. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/ce...es/5589744.html

I want to be in this thread officially ... so I'll be attending on: April 25 April 26 April 27 I had lunch with my sister today and she's going to be in NY and plans to see Spamalot on March 25. YAY for her getting to see Spamalot too!!!

As far as I'm concerned the only truly BAD words are those transferring emotions of hate and ignorance, and definitely including epithets hurled at individuals in an attempt to diminish their humanity, whether based on sexism, racism, or intellectual snobbery. Do I cuss? Fucking A, when appropriate for me. Because sometimes nothing else will do and no other words in the English language will suffice. I have a big vocabulary, and a few salty words are definitely among them. Words are only as weak or as powerful as the spirit behind them. Someone can say "fuck" in a way that CMSU, and someone else can use it in a different context and make me cringe, it's all in the usage and the tone. I refuse to live my life in black and white -- a little relativity never hurt anyone. Hell no.

I've had a great couple of Clay days. Didn't bring home any work. Did some cooking (my scratch chicken and dumplings today, rolled out the dough in strips and everything and it was worth it.), did a lot of clack watching, narrowed down my OHN CITH picks to the top three (I think for sure), watched the WRAL videos multiple times, rewatched the Rewind show I watched and DVRed yesterday (Clay was outstanding), checked this board on and off all day and managed to pick up the vibe that there is some general running amok on other boards. I don't mean to sound flippant or for anyone to take this the wrong way, but I've been so converted to FCA that I don't even understand the need to know about that stuff first hand. I'll take your word(s) for it when the stories filter over here. At least when I read about the blood-letting and haranging and demands over here I can do so dispassionately. Whatever it is. I think because I haven't "gone there" that I am not pissed off, nor disappointed, worn out, frazzled or disgusted. I vow only to read other boards when everybody's happy and the conversation is interesting and informational ... and back out like a bandit when things get yucky.

Did someone saY ...... S N O W F L A K E ? ? merrieeee, the devil made me do it. Oops, wait a minute, my mistake, it was my guardian angel! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

What is it about Clay? Damned if I know. What draws you to him. Once past the obvious lures of voice and eyes and lips and smile and cheekbones and priceless expressions, I think that we all find something in Clay's personality and demeanor that causes us to relate to him in a personal way. I think I get him. I'm sure everyone in this devoted fandom feels the same way, even if we're getting different facets of him. We empathize and celebrate and support him because ..... because ... hell, I don't know. It's a mystery. It's a mystery inside a riddle wrapped in an egigma. It's a jigsaw puzzle of beautiful humongous proportions. I did spend a concentrated amount of time in the past trying to isolate and define it all, but no more. It is what it is. I just accept. Have you ever been this involved in another singer's career? No. Nowhere close. And I'm a music fanatic who loves a lot of artists and I own complete catalogues of my favorites' music. But nothing near to how I feel about Clay's career. Is it just the singing? It's Singing Plus. What is the other key trait that makes you get on a message board every day or download some clack. More than one. Charisma, his musical gifts, his magical looks, his intelligence, humor, human kindness, and humility. He's not slick and manufactured but complex with contrasting personal traits, in many ways a walking contradiction. He can be full of chutzpah and have a cheeky, cavalier attitude right on top of that "awwshucks" self- deprecating humor. I'm not going to use the *pissy* word (since I don't like it) but he seems to have a kick-the-can (or coke machine) temper and definite ideas of what's right and wrong for him and he uses his voice in so many ways. And, he has a passion for life and for accomplishing something meaningful with his. He's lovable, adorable, and a hug magnet. He has sweet eyes, and hawt, sexy eyes, and steely determined eyes -- and the eyes are the window to the soul. He smart, he uses the word "impetus" in his interviews. He's a news junkie and he's hip to politics and world affairs and you just know he can accomplish anything he sets out to do. And yet he always surprises. Clay Aiken is like that golden grab bag where you close you eyes, reach in, feel around, and pull out something wonderful -- it may be sweet, it may be cool, it may be controversial, it may be comfy and warm, it may be startling -- but it's wonderful. I come to the message board and download because I need to reach into that golden grab bag every single day. And was it the voting and the nature of Idol that invested you so much? No. I invested during those too brief two minutes on AI5. Can I believe that in May that will be 2 years ago? Unreal. Yes it is because I'm still finding out things and discovering things ... just like I watched that Portland CMH this morning and it was fab-oh ... and the growl in LA took me by surprise. The tip-off didn't do it justice ... that was almost a lion's roar!

Desertrose, did you know ...

Yeah, yeah, I want a new Playbill too ... and a New York thinkie, too. What's the old Queen song? ... I Want It All. merrieeee, I've been too insane to return phone calls for the past couple of days, but THANK YOU for your voicemail with the great synopsis of the WRAL interviews. What would I do without you? I don't want to know! And to answer your question above, YES you do need the 250gb hard drive. GO FOR IT. JUMP! Kareneh ... safe travels and good times to you. :F_05BL17blowkiss: I'm looking forward to your posts from Baku. And the headlines: Kareneh single-handedly brings Clay Aiken to the Caspians and the women go wild!!! heh heh I can't wait for the WELCOME BACK sleepover partay. Whenzat? KAndre, what's the new guy's name? Boris? Igor? Bela? Is he the bossy type? I am now going to download CMH vids ... and from the suggestions, I may have to look at them all. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? Dark suit, white suit, vinagrettes and all!

Did you say pina coladas too? I accept.