claytonic

So.. 2006 should read: 2006: NACT = Not a Christmas Tour 06 2006: JNT06 - Christmas Symphony Tour 06 Is that correct? My list does not currently have the NaCT 06 listed.

I am a bit confused. Just now, when I was searching for new Clay uploads on YouTube, I stumbled across this Clay Aiken - Best of the NACT Banter 2006 http://au.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=EE86D17B13CAE392 NACT = Not a Christmas Tour ... right? I checked the Tour list on the glossary, and have listed for : 2006: JNT06 - Christmas Symphony Tour 06 Were there two tours that year? That would make sense since 2006 is the only year with only one tour (excluding 2008). Could someone please check this list and tell me if it is correct?

OMG that is outrageous. So that's 14 kids? You know the saying "if you can't feed 'em, don't breed 'em". I don't mind being judgmental in this instance either. It's not fair to any of the kids. ETA: Actually, such a birth in Australia would pay them $5K per child, and the $40K is paid to them over a 13 week period. (It used to be a $5K lump sum bonus, for each newborn, but it was recently changed to the 13 weekly payments.) It's so hot eggs are frying on the ground in Australia... while at least 20 are killed by ice storms in America

I left out something that was at the back of my mind, regarding Parker. Every baby is precious, but you know, when someone goes to the lengths they did to have him, and then discover he had a serious medical condition (which was corrected), I think that they could be forgiven IF they are overly protective, that's not meant as a criticism, rather, it's a justification and it's just my speculation. I don't think Jaymes thought she'd ever be a mother, given her age, and with Clay knowing he was gay, he probably thought he wouldn't be a parent either. I saw Jaymes quoted as "Parker means everything to us". I know people who have gone to great lengths to have children (including adoption) and their babies/kids are the centre of their universe. I also know people who lost their parents when they were still minors, and they ache for the time their parents didn't spend with them, e.g. they came home from school and the mother was still at work; or their parents had a busy adult social life, which excluded them. I think we all base our values on direct or indirect personal experiences, there probably isn't any right or wrong way because no one knows what's going to happen tomorrow, or next year, and what works for one family isn't necessarily appropriate for another. My personal view is that the child always has to come first, they are children for such a short time, and you can't buy back those early years once they are gone. I can't help thinking about John Travolta, at least he knows that his son always knew how much he was loved. Again, just my humble opinion. ETA: Liney, apparently, Clay is a hands-on Dad! He really does a lot of the "crappy" work involved in tending to a young baby. Jaymes said that Clay was an exceptional carer, she didn't use the word "exceptional", that's my word because I can't remember hers, which was much better. Another reason I am uncomfortable about Reed is because Clay has made it clear that his private life is his business. I honestly want Clay to find true love, but I want him to be able to not be gawked at. I find the interest in the love-life of celebrities totally over-the-top. I have never touched a gun, (yep never put my finger on one in my life) but if I were a celebrity and had those cameras in my face like the Britneys of this world, I would FIND a gun and aim at that camera lens! It's just beyond my comprehension!

This is how I feel, and I don't expect anyone to agree with me because it's just my opinion. Until Clay came out and told us he was gay, I never assumed he was gay. Now that he has told us, I know he is gay. Until Clay comes out and tells us that a certain person is someone he is in a special relationship with, I won't really give that person any special regard. Sure I was curious to see what Reed looked like because he is being mentioned so much but beyond that, I don't have an interest in Reed. For me, Clay's greatest moment of happiness was when he first talked about Parker. Wanting children is something he first mentioned shortly after Idol, IIRC. I consider Jaymes to be way more important than Reed because her well-being will impact on Parker's. This is just my opinion and I respect everyone else's.

I guess for me, the flight from Oz to Europe, USA etc is a very, VERY long time on the plane. I tend to forget that it's not such an ordeal to fly from the US to Europe for a day or two. Heck, when money is no object, it is no big deal to fly from NY to Paris for dinner, and then home again. ETA: I can't agree about the "rating" on relationships though. For me, there is definitely a rating, and kids always are at the top of the priority list when they are so tiny. The way I see it, his relationship with Reed may not last forever. His relationship with Parker is a life-time commitment.

Couchie, I used to belong to another invision board a few years ago. The owner was a guy who made it a habit to read the member PMs ... and then all hell broke loose when he found out what the members were saying about him! I don't like PMs much, I prefer to email from my OWN email account. You know, I can't imagine that Reed is more important to Clay than Parker. So I can't imagine that Clay would leave Parker unless they ALL go (Parker, Jaymes etc). But if Jaymes is in the process of having another baby or even planning for it, it just wouldn't be feasible.

OMG, we were separated at birth!!! AHHHHH, I am not familiar with bodybuilding terms!! But the first explanation reminds me of a question someone at work once asked me: "What do you call that useless piece of skin at the end of a penis?"

Well, I still love that CANN site,. just listened to the audio of Mandy again. I vaguely remember that some don't like it but I love that song, and love Clay singing it. I don't know IIT but years ago, I read something about Mandy being a dog Barry Manilow was singing about. Trivia, you know... It may not be true! Dare I ask...can someone please explain to me what "cut" means, in the context that Muski was using?

Did this horrific story make the news in the US? Melbourne bridge death girl, Darcey Freeman, 'was heading for first day at school' An Australian girl on the way to her first day at school died after her father allegedly threw her off a bridge in front of her young brothers and scores of motorists. Witnesses said that Arthur Phillip Freeman, 35, stopped his white Land Cruiser and with Darcey Iris, 4, in his arms, walked to the side of the West Gate Bridge in Melbourne, just after 9am. He was reported to have dropped her over the railing into the shallow murky water 190ft below, before getting back into his vehicle and driving away. Motorists called the emergency services as others ran to look for the girl. Some witnesses said that Darcey looked limp in her father’s arms before the plunge. She survived the fall and was pulled from the water by police within ten minutes. Paramedics spent 50 minutes trying to resuscitate her on the bank of the Yarra River. She was airlifted to the nearby Royal Children’s Hospital and treated for four hours. The tragedy gripped the country as it unfolded on national television, with footage of frantic efforts to save the girl. Mr Freeman, an IT consultant, was arrested by police an hour after the incident when he was spotted, accompanied by his sons Benjamin, 7, and Jack, 2, in a “visibly distressed” state outside the Commonwealth Law Courts across town in central Melbourne. The family had been in the middle of a custody battle. According to The Australian, the incident came a day after Mr Freeman and his wife, Peta, 39, reached a compromise that guaranteed him access. Security staff at the court said that Mr Freeman was shaking and wild-eyed when they saw him and alerted police. Initially unaware that he had been involved in the bridge incident, officers said that they took him into custody peacefully. As he was being led away he begged court staff to “take care of my kids”. “He was pretty down and he had the two other children with him and he tried to enter the court. He couldn’t talk to anyone, he was just a mess,” Vince Mascia, a witness, told the Nine Network. Darcey died in hospital from internal injuries as Mr Freeman was being questioned by police. He was charged with murder and remanded in custody to appear in court on May 21. Psychiatrists judged that he was a suicide risk. According to the Herald Sun, the Melbourne newspaper, Mr Freeman, described by his lawyers as a “loving, devoted father”, had been separated from his wife since March 2007. The two other children are now in the care of their mother. Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle5612286.ece

Big HUGE frigging WORD. Have I mentioned that I just want to celebrate Clay??? I guess I just haven't been part of the fandom for long enough to know there's been a furore over Clay inaccuracies. I am a member of less than 5 clay boards but I very, very rarely go to them to read since anything worthwhile is brought over here. (THANK YOU to the members here who do that for the rest of us). I can't remember ever posting at another Clay board. If I did, it wouldn't have been more than once or twice. Therefore, am totally ignorant about stuff that has happened over 5 or 6 years. I am not really about protecting Clay as far as his work goes, his accomplishments speak for themselves and I can't complain about any of his songs because I only care that it's his voice singing. The only time I feel protective is when he is attacked in a personal way, like the recent trash I read in a blog over the Reed relationship. I won't be doing that again. I do think it is human nature to be protective about the people or issues we feel passionate about. I hope I never become indifferent to important issues and I am grateful to the people who inspired me and instilled the values I hold today. I must admit I like accuracy in a general sense. I hate being given the wrong information about anything because while it's not important when it's to do with trivia, I have made some important decisions based on inaccurate information provided, with dire consequences. Before the internet, it used to be a big deal to see something in the print media (excluding tabloids and related magazines, etc) that was obviously inaccurate. The internet, where every other person seems to be a pseudo journalist, everything is questionable.

Some are suspicious...but, I could be naive...but I agree! I think it's great, and will appreciate it when I'm travelling and can't access the boards. I may eat my words later but sometimes I think we've gotten TOO wary. OK, I love the site BUT reading this.... His wildcard performance was Elton John's DLTSGDOM. Hm, interesting, especially since the site also says this:

Whoever's behind the claynewsnetwork.com site truly ought to be congratulated. :clap:

I actually thought that she would try to get pregnant as soon as possible because of her age and the added risks with the passing of time. Also, the advantage of having the kids close together is that they have a playmate. That is just my thinking. If they have a nanny or two (maybe one for each child), it would allow her to catch up on sleep and attend evening events with or without Clay. However, I do get your point... a woman of 50+ really doesn't have the energy of a woman in her mid-20s. Also,while nannies would solve the problem, I suspect both Clay and Jaymes want to be the hands-on primary carers to their own children, which is the way it should be. I guess we have to wait and see. I am dying to see some pics of Parker now that he is close to 6 months old. It will be exciting to see if he inherits the musical talent from both sides.

Well cha cha trusty, you'd think after Paul McCartney's short and disastrous marriage to What'sHerName, that he'd swear off women for a minute or two but nope, seems (according to the media) that he can't exist without a missus and already has his sights on someone ...(I am paraphrasing, OK?) Now, if you can get a quickie divorce and hire Sarah Palin to intimate the new woman with her gun collection, perhaps you have an even chance at being the new Mrs Mac?!?!? The SOH is an amazing building. The Concert Hall (from memory ...approx 2400 capacity) is my all-time favorite venue. Backstage is like a maze and it used to be a running joke that there are still a couple of carpenters trying to find their way out! Sydney Harbour is just stunning. ncgurrl mentioned The Rocks, which is walking distance to the SOH. When I lived in Sydney and had to play tourist guide, The Rocks was always compulsory. I loved those shops.

I am impressed by the number of you who have been to Australia, and impressed in particular by the person who knew about the "stolen generation". However, I can't seem to find that post and I can't remember who it was who mentioned it!!!! In an earlier post, I mentioned an old friend, one of our best-known Aboriginal actresses. She was one of the stolen children. She was removed from her mother when she was about 10 and put into a convent school by the government of the day. Her mother searched for her, on foot, for years. They were reunited many years later, but the damage was done. Justine was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her services to the performing arts and Aboriginal Theatre. It was a huge honor. However, she, like thousands of other Aborigines, needed to hear an apology from the government for the years of the stolen generation, as the experience had ripped her mother's heart to shreds. When there was no sign of the apology ever being made, in fury, she returned the OA medal. Ironically, she died in 2007, and a matter of months later we elected a new Prime Minister. On 13 February 2008, just 10 months after Justine passed away, the new Prime Minister stood up and officially acknowledged the pain and suffering caused to the Aborigines, and officially apologised. It was a historic moment, and how terribly sad that Justine wasn't around to hear it; it had meant so much to her. BTW, Justine Saunders was an extraordinary actress. She had also studied Shakespeare at NIDA, Australia's most prestigious acting academy, and spoke beautifully; yet she was forever stereotyped. It drove her nuts. Of all her work, my favourite was the series "Women of the Sun", I saw a preview of it with the cast before it was aired on television. I highly recommend it. There's a lot more to Australia than Kangaroos and Koalas. If you are interested, you can watch that historic moment, a huge step forward for our country. Australia says sorry to the Stolen Generation p.s. A number of you have mentioned Ayers Rock/Uluru. It used to be known mainly as Ayers Rock, but the Aboriginal name, Uluru, is now more commonly used. It was the scene of the baby Azaria tragedy, recounted in the movie A Cry in the Dark, starring Meryl Streep as the mother of the baby that was taken by a dingo. That was such a sad story. I always knew she was innocent because an old Aboriginal tracker who saw the track marks, confirmed a dingo took the baby. Yet she was convicted and went to jail. djs111: You mentioned the 'friendly' dingo at Uluru. That was the part of the problem, tourists would feed them and they would therefore wander into the camps. But they remained wild animals and there have always been incidents of dingo attacks.

Hot guys? Well, the ones you already know about.... - Hugh Jackman - SexiestManAlive. And he's ours! - Mel Gibson, not a true Aussie... born in the USA and spent his formative years there. You can have him back if you want. - Russell Crowe - born in New Zealand but now calls Australia home. He's an Aussie when he wins Oscars. He's a Kiwi when he throws things around in American hotels. - Heath Ledger. Yesterday, today and forever an Aussie. We have many other hawt men that you haven't heard of. However, beware that some are notorious for having priorities in this order: - beer, football, SHEilas. Also, consider yourself warned that Sydney is the San Francisco of the southern hemisphere, and I'm not talking about the hilly terrain. The hottest thing about Australia is the climate. Right now, Melbourne (one of our major cities, known usually for having 4 seasons in one day) is enduring consecutive days of 40 degrees Celsius. Right now it is 43 C, and still climbing. That's 109.4F and still climbing...

True Confessions The only thing I know about the Superbowl is: - that it involves a lot of men running around chasing after a ball - that it's an event so sacred that some Americans (read: grown-men) will avoid being out of the USA when it was on.* - that those who HAD to be away from the USA would be sure that the game was recorded and dispatched to them in the quickest and safest way possible. No expense is spared to execute this task* Oh yes, and then there was something about wardrobe malfunctions... that's what I remember very clearly.... * I am referring to the olden days when the internet wasn't part of our vocabularly and there was no such thing as cable (in Australia.) I know, I am a disgrace to my sports-mad country Down Under. I've tried to change but it's just hopeless.

Well just a warning about coming to Australia ..... be careful if you are travelling with someone called Randy. If you point to him and say "he's randy", he or you or both of you could be arrested at the airport for indecency. georgiesmybaby Last I heard, Sydney has the biggest population of gays in the world, after San Francisco. tribeca, when I first joined this board and came across a classic muskifest post for the first time, I was shocked to my bootstraps. I thought, what is this ... Then I started to LOOK for them because they were like sweet medicine at the end of a bad day. When Clay announced he was gay, one of the first things I thought of was, oh NO, what will muski do, what will WE do without the muski dose of sweet, sweet medicine? I tellya, not only did she not bat an eyelid, she's lifted her game. It's an addiction. And there's no known cure.

When I first started reading fandom posts, I was surprised to discover that ATDW had been a disappointment for some because it's a covers album. Clay's version has often become my favorite version. I would never have thought in a million years that my favorite version of BOTW could possibly be anyone's other than Art Garfunkel, but it happened. Same with Solitaire, despite the fact that I truly love the original version by Neil Sedaka.

luckiest, if that is a serious question, if you are given a horse and you check its teeth to see how old and healthy it is, it's not a good thing to do ... at least not until the giver is out of sight!

This is the Clay look that I love! WOW that is impressive, a green and gold pav! You're very creative to come up with that! I have a couple of Aboriginal friends who are very sensitive about their situation and I hate seeing them upset about issues that mean so much to them. I also used to be good friends with one of Australia's best-known Aboriginal actresses and she taught me a lot about Australia from their perspective. She gave me her own copy of the book "Black Like Me", which means so much, especially now that cancer has robbed her of her life. There's been much progress since then but we still need to do a LOT more. My biggest problem with Australia is that we still pledge allegiance to the Queen and after what happened with PM Gough Whitlam, the day we cut loose from those apron-strings and have our own unique flag is the day I will wave the Aussie flag and truly celebrate my grown-up country. However, having said that, I agree with you... this is one of the best places in the world to live and I feel very fortunate to be here. ETA: Vote on the online poll. Should the date of Australia Day be changed? http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24961907-421,00.html I forgot to include this link which one of my Aboriginal friends sent me. Ausdon, please vote! I am putting this here rather than sending to you privately in case anyone else is interested to read about it. Australian politics isn't important enough for the super-powers but I know there will always be a few humanitarians who care about the plight of our Aborigines. The YES vote is dismal at this stage; it's sad that so few care that we are celebrating a historical date considered to be a day mourning for the Aborigines. They don't get it, they don't understand the power of symbolism. A change of date won't change history, but it will be a powerful symbol for reconciliation. We need a date that is INCLUSIVE of ALL Australians. (Love that word "inclusive", since it means everyone counts....) aikim/liney, re our conversation about accountability and personal responsibility. The Aborigines are accused of being lazy, 'bludgers' and drunks and told by white Australia to take personal responsibility and be accountable. The thing is, the ancestors of white Australia invaded their land in 1788 and tried to exterminate them. As recently as the late 1960s, they were considered to be part of flora and fauna, i.e. not counted as human inhabitants in the census. Basically, they've been "chopped off at the knees" and then expected to "pull up their socks" just because they've been handed a few "special privileges". Their life expectancy is drastically lower than the average non-Aboriginal Australian. It's not that simple to recover from generations of abuse and discrimination, particularly when the reminders are always there. This is basically what I mean about situations where the cycle is repeated because they don't know any other way. Education is really the only light at the end of the tunnel. EATA: I can't access any of those video links, but I've been checking constantly on YouTube and finally found a couple posted by mariedrummond1. The piano IS a bit loud but the voice shines through. How I would LOVE a whole album of Clay singing a capella. His voice is the only instrument that matters.

I hope they served extra-long noodles at the GFI dinner.

Couchie, if you are planning to give it away, try Freecycle. Someone might need it and come and collect it from you.

Bad luck muski, Clay's a horse hm, Clay's a stallion... not so bad luck Muski