claytonic

Don't miss this >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U OK, if that didn't grab you, then never mind. But if you were gob-smacked and/or your jaw hit the ground, then go here and download the full TRUE STORY in 10 parts. CLICK HERE ENJOY!

Borrowing from Fear & liney and adding on! Beautiful bracelets, Claygary. Love your T-Rex, Scarlett! Have to borrow this also!!! Love the bracelets and the T-Rex!! I am not sure where today went but all of a sudden it's Monday already, and I haven't gotten any of the stuff done I was going to do over the weekend! I am hopelessly behind. ___ DITTO DITTO DITTO to all the birthday ladies! And DITTO also to "I am hoplessly behind"!

I was AMAZED to discover that if you call someone in the USA on their cell phone, THEY also have to pay the charges. I would never have believed it if more than one person hadn't confirmed it for me. I mean, what if someone doesn't like you and keeps calling you ... YOU have to pay the charges for THEIR call? It just doesn't seem right! Here in Oz, I now have a pre-paid cell phone, and as long as I purchase a minimum of $30 credits at least every 6 months, I can have any credit roll-over to the next 6 month period. This suits me because I only use it for emergencies. We don't really know about the risks of electro-magnetic pollution - remember how long it took for smoking to be confirmed as a serious health-risk?. Amazingly, we, in Oz (population 20 million), have the highest, per capita, usage of cell phones in the world. I have two identical phones, the secondary phone (with its own number) acts as a back-up battery.

You won't believe your eyes! Even if you've seen Swan Lake a thousand times, you haven't seen a Swan Lake like THIS before! The frogs at the beginning are cool, and the classic dance is reimagined in a breathtaking form BUT there is a jaw-dropping moment at the 3 minute mark, and it gets more and more amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqxSaW05p4 Want more? Check out the The Chinese Ballet > Pas de Deux P.s. Australian Idol is about to start, and I've been told there's a possible "Clay Aiken" in the mix.... this teaser has been running non-stop : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkrPc_FZHbA

You won't believe your eyes! Even if you've seen Swan Lake a thousand times, you haven't seen a Swan Lake like THIS before! The frogs at the beginning are cool, and the classic dance is reimagined in a breathtaking form BUT there is a jaw-dropping moment at the 3 minute mark, and it gets more and more amazing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOqxSaW05p4 Want more? Check out the The Chinese Ballet > Pas de Deux

I am a huge fan of Angelina Jolie, even though I've never seen any of her movies. I think that everything she does regarding the kids is carefully thought out. She went to incredible lengths to have her biological daughter born in the same country as her adopted daughter, so that they would have that connection as sisters. Now her biological son's name ends with X, just like her two adopted sons, so that they have something special to connect them as brothers. She is an amazing woman, and I feel certain that her love and devotion to her children (and indeed the underprivileged children of the world - like Clay) is what Brad Pitt finds attractive about her; her physical beauty is a bonus. She obviously thinks deeply about making sure her kids all feel special, especially the adopted ones who need extra care and attention so that they feel secure about their position in a family of blood-related siblings. I have greater admiration for Brad Pitt since he hooked up with AJ. I know it hurt his ex Jennifer A. but sometimes things happen for a reason that is not immediately obvious.

It's a friend's landmark birthday today (annabear, thanks for the Clay pic with balloons!) and I googled her DOB to see who else shared her birthday and was flabbergasted to find that Linda Ronstadt turns 62 today. SIXTY-TWO!! Clay wasn't even born when she was older he is now She had a great hit with one of my favourite Smokey Robinson songs - Tracks of my Tears. Fabulous voice. Time sure flies. I miss Karen Carpenter too - she and Doris Day had such perfect diction, you could understand every word they sang. Am I rambling? Ok, I'll stop! LOL ETA: dyjocelyn sending you lots of white healing light for your surgery.

You're absolutely right, people need to KNOW that their donations are making a difference; that there ARE solutions. We're all in this together. ETA Just came across this, maybe some of you haven't seen it... (Clay UNICEF)

Oh I have a few stories as well. But the one that angers me the most is when someone borrows something without asking, and invades my privacy in the process. I found out that a neighbor had been frequently entering my property and borrowing my things, using them and then returning them before I got home from work. Other neighbors who saw him assumed he had my permission, since he did it so often. Finally, another neighbor mentioned it to me as this neighbor saw it for the first time and as she knew I was not fond of that person, she was surprised he simply walked in and out at will. I won't repeat what I had to say to him when I took him to task on it. Everyone who knows me knows I am happy to share anything I have with anyone because I really am not attached to material possession, but I want to be asked first. He could have called me at work, or he could have left a note in my mail box asking permission. He never even informed me that he had been to my place, borrowed an item. It was all sneakily done and his excuse when I finally confronted him was that I said I didn't mind lending my things. He seemed totally oblivious to the fact that I considered it an invasion of privacy. I now lock everything. Wanna borrow something? ASK FIRST.

Kimiye, :00003653: for yesterday! jmh123, :00003653: for TODAY! My puppy dog, happy 8th birthday for TODAY! and for anyone living in that country that didn't waste billions attacking Iraq but, instead, used their funds to provide free health care to their citizens (as well as free university education - according to Michael Moore), may you have a happy and festive Bastille Day!

I agree with the first two you listed BECAUSE: 1) CLEAN WATER: people can survive without food or even proper shelter for a little bit, but clean drinking water is absolutely essential. 2) EDUCATION: It's the foundation for everything. An educated person has a greater chance of becoming resourceful in a meaningful way, and may ultimately make a difference in their own environment as a teacher, doctor, nurse, business consultant, etc etc. (The project should always be about giving a hand-up rather than a hand-out, because the latter simply perpetuates the existing issues rather than give them the tools to create their own power)

Well done Perma! I am in awe of not just your ideas but of your talent!

Does UNICEF have an "unwrapped" type of program, like Oxfam does? I haven't donated to UNICEF although in the past, I supported them through buying and sending their greeting cards. However, these days, my favorite charity is OXFAM, and I wonder if UNICEF has a similar program like theirs, http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com.au/ . Oxfam Unwrapped is a brilliant concept. I personally do not like receiving gifts because most of the time, I receive something that I don't want or don't need. I can buy whatever I need for myself. I now make it known that the best gift anyone can give me is from the list of gift suggestions from the Oxfam site. The gift is then emailed to your recipient, or Oxfam will send you a card for you to write in and snail mail to your recipient. In an effort to reduce paper, I have only ever used the email option. I have looked but cannot find a similar program for UNICEF. Is there one? If so, it would be a brilliant way to acknowledge a loved-one's birthday or special occasion as not only does the money go to a wonderful cause, but you are promoting that very cause at the same time with a meaningful gift that suits whatever budget you are on. (I know someone who gets kick out of giving people a pig for their birthday...!!!) I hope no one minds that I have mentioned Oxfam in a UNICEF thread, but the intention was to raise awareness to these kinds of gifts. I searched for a UNICEF equivalent but could not find it.

Well, is someone gonna post a link to that particular MOAM so I can go to bed???

Ok, not really 'lost' his pure tone... his voice is different, or at least he sings differently. He's gained a more mature tone, at least according to my ears. But I don't love his voice any less, that is for SURE! (I just happen to be totally besotted with his Idol voice, especially songs like Solitaire, Unchained Melody, Bridge Over Troubled Water.... oh heck, all of them!) I guess I am still stuck on his Idol relationships; I loved the friendship between him and Ruben, loved their duets. I was kinda hoping he'd sing at Ruben's wedding but coordinating schedules when several busy people are involved is not a breeze. (I really only watched the whole of Series 2 in recent months so I haven't really moved on as much as the rest of you)

Well, I've been searching and I can't find this performance on YouTube. If anyone else can find it, please post it!!! Thanks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mDUqS5CWPs Is this the one you are referring to? I don't think I've seen this video before, so thanks! I totally agree (see my bold/underlined). Although I absolutely love his rich tones now, I am so grateful for the Idol recordings that we can play over and over. They are still my favorite versions of many of his covers, my only "complaint" is that they represent just a fraction of the actual song. SYTYCD: Your 2008 season will premiere here in Oz next week. Looks like I will have to watch it so I can finally understand what y'all have been talking about!!!! (The only turn-off is Nigel - I just don't like him ) Hey hey Happy Birfday Claygasm!!!! :nature-smiley-014: ETA: More importantly, what about his friendship with Ruben? I guess he couldn't make it to the wedding... surely he was invited!

That reminds me….I know someone who was in the Military during the Vietnam years, working in Communications. They told the media what they wanted the public to know, and it was always a far cry from the facts. I also know someone who was a child during Hitler’s Germany, and he said they really didn’t have a clue. Do we know how Clay feels about Iraq? How I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he's talking freely to people he trusts, about how he really feels about the atrocities heaped on innocent people, all in the name of power begetting more power. I hope a lot of people read his reports, and read between the lines.

Is that really Clay's body? Looks like a fake pic to me. But how would I know? :cryingwlaughter:

hey, I know it is not a joke, but I would gladly pay that amount if I could have this: healthcare in Australia I just watched "Sicko", Michael Moore's film about the health care crisis in the USA. I just CANNOT believe what I was watching.... people being treated like trash, tossed out of the hospital just because they could not pay the astronomical medical bill. And people who actually HAVE insurance but the insurance company finds every loophole to NOT pay, so these people end up living their old age in sickness and poverty, having sold home to meet medical bills.. What a contrast to France, where no one is turned away and college education is free!. I guess they have the money since they didn't spend it on war.... (sorry guys, I just couldn't help that swipe.....) (I know this doesn't belong in this thread but somehow I remembered the conversation with djs111 which started from the gas price situation months ago.)

Couchie, do you use negative calorie foods? I know people who swear by this method of weight loss. If you Google "Negative Calorie Foods", you will find lists of foods to include in your diet. I personally haven't paid a lot of attention to it because I've never really had a weight problem, but I must say that the listed foods have always been a regular part of my diet simply because I like them anyway. I thought I'd mention it because, in the absence of food allergy and sensitivity, I can't see any harm in eating these foods since they are mainly fruits and vegetables that I am sure you are already including in your diet. Perhaps you may be interested in increasing your intake of these particular foods.

I was sent this interesting poem via email. Although it does not have anything to do with my spiritual beliefs (especially since I am not sure what they are!!), I feel it's still a good one to ponder when we may feel someone else is not the person we thought they were....

clayzedover - absolutely agree... phew, I am glad I don't have to feel guilty that I don't have any angst moments about Clay stepping outside mainstream boundaries for the choices he has made for his own life, i.e. that he’s not the “perfect” little guy who followed all the rules so he could please everyone and therefore sell more albums. Actually, I admire the man even more for not fitting into those Ticky Tacky Boxes. (Anyone remember Little Boxes by Pete Seeger? >> ) Re the Eagles/Desperado ... I think I have finally recovered from Camile Valasco absolutely murdering this classic in American Idol #3.

I don't feel it has mattered for quite a while now whether the parents are married or not, it only matters that they are good parents. I feel that Nicole Ritchie has very different priorities now that she is a mother. For similar reasons, it doesn't make any difference in my mind whether or not Clay's child's parents are married. I know too many dysfunctional people whose parents followed social traditions to the book. Sometimes sarcasm is not my friend. The lines I bolded are my point. The previous lines were to intended to set up my point. Thanks for the clarification; my apologies for not only missing your point but for getting it so wrong because I got stuck on the previous lines that were intended to set up your point. I should know better since I am someone who is very aware of how a damaging misunderstanding can result from something that is not viewed in its proper context. I guess I am poised to attack/defend anything that might be even a subtle hint of judgment of Clay's impending fatherhood, regardless of IIT or IINT.

liney23 and clayzedover, thanks for explaining what happened re Sewell. This is the first I have heard about it; I love how Clay always maintains an immediate dignified silence when a direct response would simply fuel the media fire. Clay could even have an additional career - presenting at seminars for young, rising stars of the future, especially the ones who experience overnight fame as a result of massive exposure from talent shows on television.