keepingfaith

That old saying, "Clothes make the man" ------------------ I never bought it.

And here I've been thinking these past few months that this was sign language for Yeah Yeah!! Clayzor, first, the cherry cordial kisses are seasonal -- this is the second or third season that I've bought them, so buy enough to last. And goodness woman, you must have a raging sweet tooth, because the Honeycrisp apples are sweet, sweet, sweet to me. When I was at the grocer a few days ago there must have been ten or twelve varieties of apples available, including red delicious, gold delicious, granny smith, fuji, gala, honeycrisp, pink lady, ambrosia --- on and on. I've never seen so many apples in my LIFE! Oh, and just to post an opinion because I can and for no other reason ... I prefer a short coat to the grandpa's longcoat look. There's a certain elegance with the long coats, I admit, but it just looks so damned old fashioned on Clay. Anyway, it's just a very small, insignificant preference on my part. He looks ultrafine, clothes or no clothes. I can't complain about things Clay says in the M&G's because I'm glad he opens up and answers questions to a random selection of fans. It seems ecumenical and efficient. I wouldn't want him to think that doing this is counterproductive, because it a huge treat to get to hear his from the cuff comments, even through the recollections of others. That they are filtered through the recollections of fans in an Aiken fog has to be considered, but from I have seen and heard from the M&G's since July, nothing that "filtered" out was wrong. I've seen recaps from different fans at the same M&G and some have more details than others, but I don't recall any major discrepancies in the telling. I think it's fantastic. I do not expect to agree with everything Clay says and does, because somewhere down the line he may do or say something that rubs me the wrong way, but I doubt it because I can't for the life of me imagine Clay doing any kind of rubbing the wrong way. ETA: And whether Clay would be angry, embarrassed, pissed, furious, irate, or in a snit ... it's pretty clear that he don't want no stickin' clack on Broadway!

Here's my gut reaction to the clack flap today: When I heard about Clay going into Spamalot, my first thought was ... NO CLACK. My understanding is that Broadway has a zero tolerance for cameras of any kind in the theatre. In a Clay concert an usher or security person may give a warning, or even take the camera til the end of the show, but at a Broadway show a photographer in the audience would stand a good chance of being marched out of the theatre. I think it would be embarrassing for Clay if a number of his fans had to be removed from the theatre, creating a distraction for the main audience. I get it. As we should all be aware with the most recent stagehands strike, pretty much every facet of the New York theatre scene is unionized and the rules are strictly enforced. Protection of and compensation for intellectual property is a biggie. In fact, it's a big part of the TV writers strike going on. And then the obvious ... this isn't Clay's show, it's Mike Nichols' and Eric Idle's show. I'm sure Clay doesn't want to do anything to piss off Mike Nichols (and Diane Sawyer). Mike Nichols can do exceedinly more than Spamalot for Clay's career. Like movies. Soundtracks for movies. Koo-koo-ka-choo Mrs. Robinson. Also, I don't think Clay wants to blog about his clack policy because to specifically discuss Spamalot, in writing, would give tacet approval to clack gathering otherwise. Just because Clay has a "look the other way" policy about clack and really doesn't mind it at his own shows, he certainly doesn't want to give it an explicit green light because of potential conflicts of interest with other musicians on stage, union restrictions, venue policies, etc. To my knowledge, he has never guaranteed the right to clack. Now, what I feel is really weird are the opinions that "Clay can't tell me what to do." He can't tell me what to eat for dinner, no, just as he can't force me to buy his records, attend his concerts, or watch him on TV. But as a fan, I buy his records, attend concerts when possible, and watch him on TV at every opportunity, so why in the world would I object to respecting his wishes about things that affect him personally and have an impact on his career? My thought during a fleeting visit to OFC this morning ...... I see spoiled people.

For some reason that picture always makes me want a cigarette. Oh yeah, I think it's the old Lucky Strike commercial .... so round so firm so fully packed.

From CDD, a scan of the Sunday NYTimes ad:

I was over at iTunes Store and All Is Well is at #38 on the Top 100 Albums. It's so fine to see the album icon with that gorgeous face in Top Albums!

Finally home and in my jammies after another great night at merrieeee's, who should more accurately have a few more eeee's added on! :F_05BL17blowkiss: And now for Mr. Sweet Lips in the Dark: Yes, all is well, Darlin' ... and Smooth as Silk: GAWD! Who is he looking AT! --- His Hot Lips singing about winter and snow: Time for me to pass out ... But just for the record, I'll take him with glasses, and without glasses. No problem either way: merrieeeeeeeeeeeee dearly wants to see those glasses come off ...... in her presence, of course! KAndre, when I started the car what did I hear but the Police singing you know what. And sweet Scarlett, pretty in pink, as ever. Why are my eyes still open?

After OOlsee posted about Target selling MCWL in the Christmas department, I had to check it out when I was in a Target yesterday. There it was on an aisle display with other Christmas albums set up to play samples. So I sampled some of the Christmas albums I had not heard, like Buble and Yamin and a couple of others. Nothing satisfied. But when I pushed the Clay button, his voice pushed all of mine. Oh my, hearing OHN and MDYK after the others ..... was a bona fide No Contest. And, yeah, I bought another copy of MCWL. Did I dream that Clay said at M&G that he's thinking about reworking MCWL?

What are the two endings to the wild card? After I got into the online fandom in Summer 2006, I spent untold hours reliving AI2 for the first time since the live shows, interspersed with downloaded JBT clack, and the AI5 finale Xvid clack from Scarlett (about 25 times a day on a slow day). It changed my life. I love the news stuff, too. I was ecstatic last year when Clay was on the morning TV show in LA between Kimmel and LKL. All the things we'd never ever see without a capture and release.

Re Clack ... I think the clack goddesses should be their own censors and not put up unflattering videos, or ones where his voice cracks. I'm sure most of them already do this, but a few will put up any and everything, even if its unflattering. I don't see any reason for that at all. Clay has a cavalier attitude in public about clack probably because there is little or nothing that can be done about it. Check out just about any artist you can think of, and they have videos all over YouTube. It's pretty universal, and goes back for years now. It's a genie out of the bottle, IMO, and best to work with it and try to control the quality as much as possible. Re Attendance at Christmas Concerts ... Times aren't easy for the 98 percenters, which includes me, and with the Christmas dollar being stretched even tighter with the high price of food and gasoline (milk, bread, eggs, etc. have gone through the roof lately), and then presents and decorations, et al., Christmas concerts have to be a tough sell. That Clay draws the numbers he does is pretty impressive. A lot of touring artists without the foundation of a huge fanbase are floundering big time, and most wouldn't attempt a Christmas tour.

I have heard very little about last night in Wilkes-Barre ... got home too late for a cellcert and didn't see much written about it. But .. I'm reminded of the concert there last year, at least I think it was in Wilkes-Barre when Clay was doing his "I'm just not classy" banter that a woman shouted out, "You're HOT, though!" And that made me think ... Last Christmas the banter was "I'm just not classy" and this year a formal concert and very classy Clay. Extrapolating .... extrapolating ... is it too much to hope for that since Clay spent the summer doing "I'm just not cool" banter, that Clay's next pop tour will be master cool?

Awwwww, Jammie Clay can watch his TIVOed Jericho episodes this winter and spring after the Spamalot shows ... "The sweet music of new episodes is about to stop as the TV writers’ strike rolls on, and that means TV networks are scrambling to fill their schedules as they try to avoid hurling reruns at viewers’ eyes. And that’s good news for “Jericho” fans. “Jericho,” the little CBS drama that could, escaped from the jaws of TV death last season after being canceled and was revived after a huge outpouring of support from fans. It returns with its shortened second season at 10 p.m. (Eastern/Pacific) on Feb. 12. “Jericho” will likely be the first major network show to complete its full 2007-08 season because all the others have been hijacked by the strike. Seven “Jericho” episodes are filmed, edited and ready for air, so it will air without interruption." OOPS! Forgot a picture ....

Yeah, I agree. I know it can be a little disheartening to read about some who seem to have been to multiple meet and greets, but I think it's often because a) they go to a lot of concerts, and thus increase their chances to win, and they've paid for Stub Hub M&G's. However, as cindilu2 pointed out, there are also many first-timers including quite a few who never really post. We just tend to hear from the ones who post quite often. I never thought posting had anything to do with the picking of M&G winners (other than to eliminate some people), but I just figured newbies wouldn't be picked. They can see how long somebody's been at OFC and I thought they would consider that. I can see how they might be more interested in non-posters or low posters of longstanding, thinking they may be less inclined to be OTT. I assumed that a lot of non-posters join OFC exclusively for the M&G and pre-sale opportunities. Like me. I don't know how I got hooked on the damned message board!!!! Oh yeah, like hell I don't!

And now for some real Ak-Shon:

I just had this funny feeling that something is missing here .... oh yeah, ***SNAP ***

I didn't get the email either, LdyJ. Obviously that's why nothing of mine ever gets picked! You know I thought my ATD poem was a serious candidate to win for Valentines Day -- and when I heard the winning poem, I definitely thought mine was better. I never had any hopes for the Christmas story this year ... don't know why, but I just felt like it wasn't what he was looking for from the get-go. M&G's? I've never even applied. I assumed from the beginning that TC doesn't like surprises for M&Gs and that only fans with some history are chosen. I could be wrong, but it seems to me that the original hands on deck are the ones picked. I need to sit back and take it easy for a few more years. No expectations make me happy.

Clay blogs to go to iTunes and buy AIW and then the iStore fucking burns to the ground. Now that's what I'm talking about.

I can't get into the iTunes store at all. "The store may be busy. Try again later."

So it's not okay to look like you're logged in 24/7? Sometimes I've been gone for two days and come home to find myself logged into FCA! The rule of thumb is that if I'm not posting, I'm not here. I'm chatty like that!

Babs Fur ... I think that gal could draw a sizeable crowd on name only! MsKA, that big blingy thang can hang off of, or sit on, just about any body part. It started out as a freaking eyeball. Again, you don't really want it. Think Marie Antoinette. I get a kick out of reading the "is it the vox" or "is it Waldo the man" discussions. If Waldo sang it would all be over but the moaning.

Only have time for a drive by after taking an hour to catch up ..... KAndre, shift your gaze and back away from the Hope diamond! As your minion I must remind you that the reason it's in the Smithsonian is because it's so cursed nobody wants to wear the blasted thing! Just be thankful that ring is not in your possession and you don't have to bear such a burden. I want to go to Diva's sleepover, I have my Clay Aiken nightshirt with the AIW folded arms dreamy picture of him on the front that says Another Night with Clay Aiken / Sweet Dreams, so I'm fixed up. And .... I know the words to all the Beatles songs*hee* KAndre singing She Loves You? I would have paid!! Okay, so my porn name would be Princess Cherrybrook, which sounds more like a playmate for Hiawatha. And muski, who's Morticia? And how could you ever forget Elvira. I know I never will. I think she kept us all alive .... somehow. After reading all day about the secret and the revelation thereof, a high-five to Couch Tomato who asked early in the day something like did people actually think he wouldn't be using a British accent? Everyone in the cast speaks with a British accent so why wouldn't it just be assumed that Clay would do the same? As secrets go, that one is piss poor.

So are some people thinking he could have narrated this season of Rewind, and filmed his on-camera updates, without talking to anyone at 19? That would be quite a nifty trick!

kareneh! Thanks for checking in ... now I don't feel like I'm in complete exile here tonight. That picture above is no less than sublime. Clay standing in that light at what must be the big ending of AIW is fabulous stuff. I'm so happy you captured that moment. playbiller, I haven't ventured over there in a few days. Clay's a victim again? Who did him in this time ... Archvillain Clive-ly Whiplash???

I love the face he makes when he sings " but I'm all grown up now" on his birthday -- it's endearing to the max.