Desertrose

Richard Lacayo (Time Magazine) - When people were getting tired of hearing about racism or the poor or the decay of American cities, he kept talking. When liberalism was flickering, there was Kennedy, holding the torch, insisting that "we can light those beacon fires again."

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.

I totally agree with everything you say. Yes, the man had flaws, and he made a bad decision at Chappaquiddick, but I feel that he devoted the rest of his life to promote the general welfare of all US citizens, not just the rich and powerful. Also, the way he took over being a father figure for all the children in the Kennedy family is something to admire. Yes, a GREAT man and a GREAT Senator has passed.

That is what I call "Splendor In the Grass." No. 1 for me. I see nothing gay about it, but then I still don't see anything gay about Clay. He says he is, so I just have to take his word for it. I was watching the EIDN video from the Gala last year, and all I see is a hot sexy man, who definitely knows how to turn on all the women in the room.

Thank you for the photos bottlecap and FromClaygary. I wonder if this man is an agent or PR person.

It is good to see Clay looking well and happy. I am pleased for Clay that he has had his jaw problem corrected.

I love this man and his voice but....I got imprinted with a different face and I look at him now and really, it is taking me a long time to get used to this new face.

Despite all the changes brought by maturity, hair style and weight loss or gain, the basic structure of his face didn't change, now his face has a different structure and I just hope that soon, please soon, I will look at a photo of the new Clay and consider it as beautiful as the pre surgery photos that have been posted in the FCA Photo Tourney.

Call me shallow if you will but if I can't share these thoughts here, where can I?

Lotus... you are only shallow if his looks are all that attract you to him. Since that is not the case, what we have here is a preference. I think a lot of people associate early Clay with all the excitement that was going on then. I love pictures of him since his coming out, cause I project onto him the happiness I imagine he is feeling to be free of the charade.

Some of his earlier pictures were breathtakingly beautiful, as are some of his more recent pictures... just in a different way.

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.

keeping... bolding above is absolutely true!!! S.W.O.O.N.

TTPax... THANK YOU! I love that cropped pic of Clay. It is my screensaver as we speak!

I still see the same Clay, just a more mature Clay, no longer the thin younger Clay. I do not think that many of us looked the same in our thirties that we did in our twenties. I look at my grandsons, when just a couple of months have gone by, and I am amazed at how different they look from the last time I saw them. And none of these boys have had their jaws fixed or any lipo. It is just that they are maturing. They actually get better looking. Just like Clay, they start to fill out and look more manly.

Clay just gets hotter every year.

Hard choice for me. I do see the same face even with the surgery, lipo and whatnot. He just looks more mature to me. Hard as it is, I go with #1.

I truly want to thank you all for the compliments on the photo tourney. It's been a blast watching everyone's reaction, especially for pictures that people have never seen, or haven't seen in ages.

Yesterday was a clear winner...

Here is today's photo tourney poll. I find this one a toughie...

Ldyjocelyn,

Allow me to add to the accolades for the photo contest. I have thoroughly enjoyed participating. This was such a good idea to fill in the "Clay Drought." I actually go first thing in the morning to my Gmail to check out the days photos so that I can vote. Its fun!

Whilst waiting for boyfriend to re-emerge I have become obsessed with enamored of consumed by interested in the Showtime series Queer As Folk (Showtime 2000-2005). Dunno if anybody else watched it but it really was (is) a fantastic show and I fell in love with the central couple of the series, Brian and Justin. I got a wild hair to make a montage this weekend, and

if anybody is interested. *warning*, it's NOT a Clay montage, it's graphic (and probably won't make much sense if you're not a fan, lol).

Two off topic posts in a week - Clay, COME BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!

I also watched this show and really liked it. I know that I will enjoy your montage.

While #1 is so appealing and while this photo of Clay made my heart flutter when I first saw it 3 years ago, I have to go with #2.

The image in #1 is of a man child, a young one with whom I fell into a, at first confusing, stew of maternal and lustful feelings.

Now he has matured, he is a man who has gone through many physical changes and will never have that delicate almost frail look again. Also I love the almost ecstatic look on his face in #2.

As for the nose hair...the man is hairy...we love his stubble, what is one little nose hair?

Lotus,

Did you get the numbers mixed up? It sounds to me like you are describing No 1 as being mature with the ecstatic look.

Good job with your trimmer Cotton. One thing I worry about getting older, is who is going to "groom" me when I can not do it my self. Will I have to look like a gorilla? At that age, will I even care? I notice a lot of older men could braid their nose and ear hair. UGH I also see some older women with hair on their face. Off topic, but questions to ponder, unless one does not grow hair., or maybe one gets to the point that it does not matter and is comfortable looking like a gorilla?

No 1 is the one for me., single nose hair or not. We all know that Clay is one hairy man. The dreamy, sexy, heavenly expression on his face makes up for the nose hair for me. I love #2 also, but I still pick #1.

No.1 for me.

Hard choice, but #2 is incredibly gorgeous. No. 2 for me!

Singing Clay always gets me. #2 for me.

I enjoy listening to ATDW, but I have to admit that my favorites are the Clay originals. I really like ATD. I still listen to Measure of A Man and like it better that ATDW because only Clay comes to mind when I listen to it. "Without You" has been done so many times that I always think of the other artists when I hear Clay sing it. I tend to identify music with the original artist automatically. With "Solitaire," I only think of Clay and not of Neil Sedaka. It is totally Clay's song.

Maybe it is just me, but even though I tend to agree that most older songs are better than what is classified as music today, I still would like to hear Clay sing music that is just his. OMWH album just dropped at a bad time IMO. Clay was involved in Spamalot, and it appears was already leaving RCA, so there was not enough time to promote it. It is a shame because it is a beautiful album. IMO if the single had been a different one, it might have done a lot better. I would have liked EIDN to have been the first single.

When the announcement from Decca was made, I believe it said to expect "new" music in 2010. I really hope that they meant new music that is suited to Clay's singing style that will do well in today's music market. I am hoping for no "Covers." If it turns out to be covers, I am still going to buy the Cd because of Clay's voice.

This one was really hard. I had to go with #1 because it is a closeup, and the profile is perfection.

No. 1 for me. Good looking guy in No.2 though.

Aaaaahhh - I have to give an entirely-O/T-squeeee. Donny Osmond and the Chairman (from Iron Chef America) on DWTS this season. Shit. I'm gonna have to watch it now.

Shit. I'm gonna have to NOT watch it now, because Fucking Hot-Tub Tom DeLay is on there. That evil lying thief doesn't get to stay on my TV screen longer than it takes to hit the remote control. So somebody please let me know when his sorry ass is voted off so I can start watching it this season.

What a bummer, man. It was one of the few network shows I watched anymore.

ETA: With his gerrymandering shenanigans of a few years ago, for which he was indicted, he was my congressman for a while -- until he quit after being indicted for a laundry list of things.

Guess who my congressman is now ......... Ron Paul, better known in these parts as "The Congressman From Dow Chemical."

Should I just freaking MOVE???? I mean, how many nutjobs can one constituent take. At least one that READS!!!!!

I feel your pain since I live in the same district. Since we are probably in the minority, we are probably stuck with these nut jobs forever. The congressman that replaced him when he was under indictment was a good guy, so of course with the thinking in our area, he did not have a chance of staying. I will be watching DWTS and hoping that De Lay gets kicked off first. I think he is doing the show to improve his image. Like that is ever going to happen. The man is a crook.

No contest for me, definitely #1.

This one is too cruel. How mean can anyone be? I have very reluctantly voted. This could easily be an "I abstain one."

I have always loved the picture of Clay with the baby, but I have to go with #1. This one was tough for me.

Verra hard choice, but I had to go with dream man #1. The Tyra look is my favorite all time.

I luvs #1. How many times do we get to see Clay wearing round toe shoes? He looks so happy interacting with the little boy. I wonder what was in his fists that the little boy would get if he picked the right hand? Does anyone know?

That whole set of pics from the #2 sighting were slurpilicious IMO. Had to give #2 all my love. Easy decision for a change! There is just something about #1 has always seemed a little "off" to me.

#1 just looks weird.

ETA: I just went back and read the "creeps me out comment". I think that for some reason it looks fake or plastic or something. It just doesn't look like HIM somehow. IDK.

That is just not a good picture of Clay. I do not like it. I usually love his smile but it looks forced in this picture. JMO and I am ducking the rotten tomatoes.

Only sign I can really agree with is the last one about pissing off the religious protesters being priceless!

This one was easy! #1 for me. This is one of my most favorite Clay pictures. What a hunk!

I guess I am now going through my #2 phase. I love his smile. It always puts a smile on my face because it is such a genuine honest to goodness smile. It never looks forced like most people's when they are waiting for their picture to be taken.