claytonic

You said it, KAndre, I was trying to be, erm, polite! Truth is, I hate the hair! Hope that's not what he is going to look like in his official 30th birthday portrait!!!!

Clay Aiken at Thanksgiving Day Parade WOW it took me a few minutes to get used to his appearance!! It's a wee bit extreme pour moi! But he was so upbeat and happy, and that makes me feel good!

Clay Aiken On Rosie Live <<(link to You Tube) HAHA that was fun!! I didn't know Rosie had a son called Parker.... so that's what she and Clay have in common?!?! ChaCha, those are AMAZING cookies.... how long did it take you to do those? And people are really going to DESTROY your work of art with their teeth? If I'd made those, no one would be allowed to touch them... p.s. did you know Barbara Walters' dog is called ChaCha, or was it ChaChaCha like the dance? ETA: Kimberley Locke: ‘Clay & I Aren’t Really Friends Anymore’ I wonder why she feels the need to say that, why not just say they haven't seen each other for a long time. Why make it sound 'controversial' when they were such close friends during a life-changing time in their lives. I am sad to hear that because clearly Kim proved that she is a loyal and trustworthy friend, i.e. Clay said she was the only one he told about being gay, and she respected his privacy all this time.

OK, let me be a little clearer - I am not as dumb as I look. (Maybe dumber at times... I'll admit)!! The cell phone number is not registered to the same name as my bank account, and not registered to my home address. If the person who finds my card is dishonest, there is no information on my tag that would give them information to where I live. My car keys don't have my car registration number on it, nor does it have even my first name. All it has is a request to call a cell number, the same cell number that isn't registered in my name or my home address. Another fraud-safety measure I have used for the last 10 years is to have 2 credit cards, one with a smaller credit limit which I use online and anywhere that might be risky. If anyone wants to get up to mischief with my credit card, they won't get far because I keep that card close to the limit and transfer funds as I need them. I've since had a number of people copy this, and then I read this "TIP" in a computer magazine. To me it was common sense. I am very careful because when I was working in Sydney at a new job, on pay-day, someone came to my handbag while I was away from my desk for like 15 minutes (which is why I am sure I was watched), and they took my regular wallet and passport wallet, plus my chequebook, two credit cards, driver's licence and a bunch of other stuff. By the time I realized my bag was rather lightweight, they had been to the bank and cashed my cheque, used my credit card to get a large cash advance, and then used both credit cards to go shopping in numerous places. The bank refunded the lost funds because I had been with the bank for so long and they knew my spending pattern. I still remember with amazement at the fraudulent signature on the cheque, it was so much like mine - they copied it from my credit card signature. FromClaygary you are right in what you say, I had forgotten that I had taken extra measures. Some people I know think I am TOO "paranoid" about fraud but then they have never been a victim of fraud, like i have. I also want to add that for the last 20+ years, I have paid for a private PO Box address for ALL mail. I don't receive any mail at my home address. This was immensely useful when I moved 18 years ago and didn't have to give out my new address to anyone except to people who had reason to know it. It also means that when I travel, I don't need to ask anyone to collect my mail as an overflowing residential address is a dead give-away that the occupants are away. The mail box address is one of the best investments I make every year. When I take my dog for a walk, I always see residential mail boxes overflowing with mail, anyone can just pull it out and see credit card statements, giving them an idea how much credit is available. And what about when the bank sends you your NEW credit card and someone takes it out of your mail box and signs it, and then goes shopping with it? The most bizarre thing I have ever seen was a heavy bunch of keys clearly tagged with the owner's name, address and phone number, sitting on the desk of my co-worker. Believe it or not, he was the company's accountant. In some ways, I think being a victim of fraud all those years ago has made me very conscious of personal security. If something goes wrong for me, I would consider it bad luck rather than bad management because as my insurance company says, you have to do the best you can to make it harder for someone to compromise your security but if someone really wants to to break into your house, they will find a way. When my two wallets were stolen at my new job (large company that was expanding and had zillions of people coming in and out of the building), the only thing I could done to prevent it was to hide my handbag. I just never expected it to happen at work. It was a tough lesson to learn. So FromClaygary, so I pass your security-safe test?

OK, let me be a little clearer - I am not as dumb as I look. (Maybe dumber at times... I'll admit)!! The cell phone number is not registered to the same name as my bank account, and not registered to my home address. If the person who finds my card is dishonest, there is no information on my tag that would give them information to where I live. My car keys don't have my car registration number on it, nor does it have even my first name. All it has is a request to call a cell number, the same cell number that isn't registered in my name or my home address. Another fraud-safety measure I have used for the last 10 years is to have 2 credit cards, one with a smaller credit limit which I use online and anywhere that might be risky. If anyone wants to get up to mischief with my credit card, they won't get far because I keep that card close to the limit and transfer funds as I need them. I've since had a number of people copy this, and then I read this "TIP" in a computer magazine. To me it was common sense. I am very careful because when I was working in Sydney at a new job, on pay-day, someone came to my handbag while I was away from my desk for like 15 minutes (which is why I am sure I was watched), and they took my regular wallet and passport wallet, plus my chequebook, two credit cards, driver's licence and a bunch of other stuff. By the time I realized my bag was rather lightweight, they had been to the bank and cashed my cheque, used my credit card to get a large cash advance, and then used both credit cards to go shopping in numerous places. The bank refunded the lost funds because I had been with the bank for so long and they knew my spending pattern. I still remember with amazement at the fraudulent signature on the cheque, it was so much like mine - they copied it from my credit card signature. FromClaygary you are right in what you say, I had forgotten that I had taken extra measures. Some people I know think I am TOO "paranoid" about fraud but then they have never been a victim of fraud, like i have.

I still click on the Clay Aiken GoogleAlerts and I am starting to wonder why I bother. Is anyone else sick of seeing Lance Bass' name automatically linked to Clay Aiken, everytime Lance is mentioned? Frankly, I have no idea who Lance Bass is, and if I fell over him on the street I wouldn't know it was him. I am getting tired of this constant linking up with Clay over the sexual orientation matter, as if it is the only thing that defines him. There are so many amazing aspects about Clay. It is annoying to click on a yet another Google Alert to find that the only reason the alert was sent was because (it was actually about Lance Bass) Clay's name is linked, hence the alert. (whine for today....)

I have one of those Label Makers as well. The reason I mentioned the fabric labels that can be sewn on is because they last longer than the ones that stick on if the surface is not entirely flat, i.e. the on the 'arm' of the glasses. The fabric labels can be attached to clothing, washed etc. The stick-on label you mention is great for plastic card (credit cards etc) but before I got the labeller, I typed out my contact details and highlighted them in yellow (black text), and copied pasted numerous times. Then printed out my contact details and cut them up, and stuck them on the cards with clear tape. The time and effort involved in just getting it done is a worth-while 'investment' when you consider the fact that if you lose something outside of your home (or the home of a significant friend or relative), the chances of you getting back your lost item if it is not tagged with your contact details, is pretty much zero. It's not just the fact that you will save money by tagging items that notoriously get lost, but rather the inconvenience involved when you have lost a critical item like driver's licence, glasses, credit card, keys etc. What truly floors me, though, is pet owners who think that if they have their pet microchipped, they don't need to put a collar on their cat/dog. I mean, if I find a lost animal and it has a tag with contact details, that pet owner won't be waiting long to get back their precious cat or dog. Microchipping is better than nothing but it involves having to get to the vet to CHECK whether or not the animal is microchipped. And if it is after-hours or a weekend, it could be a long wait for that poor animal.

Muski, find a way to put a sticker on the glasses, with a message like "If found, please urgently call XXX-XXX-XXXX" It would mean a good chance that those glasses will be returned, especially since they are of NO USE to anyone else. Those label makers have fabric labels you can sew on the "arm" of the glasses, or on a cord attached to the glasses that she can put around her neck. I have two cell phones, and I have stickers with my email address and phone number on both of them, plus stickers on all my credit cards, library card, and anything else that can get lost. It is one of the best ideas I have ever had because I had on occasion rushed off and left behind my credit card on the counter and not realize it is missing until too late. Now, if I leave a card behind, I receive a phone call before I get to my car. Another time, I was standing in a queue at the Post Office and my cell phone rang. I answered it and a woman - just 3 feet away from me holding a cell phone - tapped me on the shoulder and handed me my car keys, which had my cell phone number on it. I had dropped it without realizing. I have lost count the number of times the person processing my payment has looked at my card and said "oh that's a good idea, we often have people leave their cards behind and we return them to the bank". (Even if they are good enough to return it to the bank, that may take some time, and the bank usually cancels the card. You are faced with delays and having to wait to receive a new card.)

WOW :clap: Congratulations to all concerned! It is wonderful to see so many behind something that makes a difference in the lives of those that have so much to teach us about compassion and unconditional acceptance.

:cryingwlaughter: Those kind of pics of snow covered car and trees etc always remind me of one of the funniest stories I ever received via email probably about 7 years ago. I am CERTAIN everyone has already seen this story but in case there is just ONE person who has NOT yet seen it, it is worth repeating for them....

Cotton Here's Clay singing happy birthday - to you!

I received the contents of this link (as an email, i.e. NOT a link) in Sept 2001, shortly after the attacks on the Trade Center. The subject heading was "September 11, 2001. WHY?" It remains the single, most mind-blowing email I have ever received. I have now dug it up to send to someone (an old, ex-military, xenophobic extremist) who keeps sending anti-Obama, anti-Muslim emails to his contact list. Right now he is spreading the word (and a petition) that Obama (supposedly) wasn't born in the USA and therefore should be disqualified from being President. He says Obama is a closet Muslim and, trust me, his hatred for Muslims knows no bounds. He is also sending YT videos showing Democrat voters being asked a bunch of "obscure"political questions they obviously cannot answer; hence the implication is that idiots are responsible for electing Obama. Predictably, the vids don't show Republican voters or, indeed, Palin herself being asked those same questions. I doubt she could have answered any of them either. Oh I know I could unsubscribe to his emails but that would mean becoming ignorant to an under-current that could ultimately affect America and her allies. I want to be in a position to counteract his utter nonsense because no doubt, some people he reaches won't even think about researching the facts. In September 2001, I was speechless after reading what Larry Mosqueda had to say in response to Sept 11. I wasn't naive, but I had NO IDEA the extent of it. It's the main reason why I was so opposed to the Iraq war, the consequences were glaringly obvious to me. Why wasn't it obvious to GW Bush and his cronies? Please don't click on this link if you don't want to be shocked and disturbed, I mean, it's in this thread so really only those who are interested in politics would see this. (I can certainly understand why some people can't stomach this stuff) http://www.globalissues.org/article/257/sh...d-and-horrified

This just ain't rite; Obama gotta quit makin' it hard for ya poor ole Americans, espesh yer moose shootin' Alaskins... Obama Controversy

I agree about Rosie. I can understand why some people don't like her but I can also see why so many others love her. I personally love her values, her intelligence and her enormous heart. Oh and her humour, of course! Sometimes she speaks without thinking but she always seems to mean well. That's what I know of her from the little experience I have had because by the time The View started screening Down Under, she had left the show. So I only know of her from YouTube and I know she loves Clay; that's good enough for me!.. .

annabear Thinking of you and mamabear, sending lots of white light up her way.

Once upon a time in a village, a man appeared and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for £10 each. The villagers, seeing that there were many monkeys around, went out to the forest, and started catching them. The man bought thousands at £10 and as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort. He then announced that he would now buy at £20. This renewed the efforts of the villagers and they started catching monkeys again. Soon the supply diminished even further and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to £25 each and the supply of monkeys became so little that it was an effort to even see a monkey, let alone catch it! The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at £50. However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would now buy on behalf of him. In the absence of the man, the assistant told the villagers "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that the man has collected. I will sell them to you at £35 and when the man returns from the city, you can sell them to him for £50 each." The villagers hurried round with their savings and bought all the monkeys. Then they never saw the man nor his assistant again, only bloody monkeys everywhere! Now you have a better understanding of how the stock market works.

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=yRp-BxUE7Rs Here's Charice with David Foster on GMA. She does 3 songs but the last one (I Will Survive) really shows how much confidence she has gained; I keep thinking that if she did that performance on Idol, it would make Simon sit up!. They are promoting his HitMan CD. Wish Clay was part of that collection CD. Maybe another time. I've been watching the news and seeing those fires in California. Yet, here where I am, we are having some dreadful storms, and a couple of lives have been lost in the floods. In some areas, it looks like a hurricane has hit, house after house completely ripped apart, massive trees uprooted. Lives totally turned upside down.

Someone sent me this Snow Angel. However, since it is summer at my end of the world and it doesn't snow even in winter, I have decided to pass him along to anyone who needs him in North America. ETA: Oh look what photobucket didn't like... http://claytonic2007.googlepages.com/snowfairy

Rose Radio? Apparently an online radio station...I can't get it to play for me. Rose Radio Top 30 Chart - 11/18/08 Impressive that Clay has 3 songs in the Top 5, including the #1 position. They are old covers though... I wonder why nothing from OMWH made it to the list.

annabear and gibby I just noticed that you are buried under a lot of "stuff". Just a reminder that if you have a bunch of stuff that someone else can use, even bits and pieces you think no one will want, just post your advert (free) to your local Freecycle community and so people can come over and pick up what they want. This is particularly useful if you don't have time for a garage sale, but even if you DO have a garage sale, use Freeccycle to get rid of whatever clutter you have left over. It will save you the trouble and expense of getting rid of them but most of all, it reduces land-fill, which is the primary purpose of Freecycle. So it's a win/win/win (you/someone else/the environment) situation. Here's the link where you can find your local Freecycle community.

There are videos of Wanda Sykes stand up comedy on YouTube. I'd never heard of Wanda Sykes either so I checked on YouTube and she is hysterically funny! Her interview on Ellen is hilarious.... especially the part where she was explaining her difficulty in choosing between Obama and Hillary for the Democrat nomination. ETA: I stumbled across this video which was posted just 3 months ago, but it is a compilation of a bunch of old clips; interesting to be reminded of Clay at his skinniest and at his heaviest. The only thing that was new to me was at 4:06 Clay doing a Cher impression??? http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=7uvtOY14bSQ

Why you should avoid going to the doctor A woman goes to the doctor for her yearly physical. The nurse starts with certain basic items. 'How much do you weigh?' she asks. '62kg,' she says. The nurse puts her on the scale. It turns out her weight is 70kg. The nurse asks, 'Your height?' '5 foot 8,' she says. The nurse checks and sees that she only measures 5' 4'. She then takes her blood pressure and tells the woman it is very high. 'Of course it's high!' she screams, 'When I came in here I was tall and slender! Now I'm short and fat!'

WOW that IS cool ... and gigaAWESOME!! I just LOVE it!!!

Just for you -plus I love this video! It is kind of fuzzy, the original is much sharper and in focus. Madonna Vogue Thanks for that Madonna classic... I just didn't make the connection because I've just never heard it used as a verb before despite knowing this Madonna song VERY well! Ah, I am so backward