claytonic

N.I.C.E. Clay's gonna win the world over one person at a time "and that's fine by me"... tm CHA Thanks for bringing that over, Liney23 ...I love it! I think Parker is a very lucky little boy. Well, the autism thing is pretty close, but I do think the BAF is a little more inclusive than that. Hee. Actually even I forget that BAF isn't just about autism, even though I do KNOW that it is about broader inclusion. I was telling someone (with an autistic son) about BAF and I am pretty sure I failed to mention it started out as a result of Clay's work with a young autistic boy but amongst other things, it is about providing camps for all children, including typical children. Gosh how tall is Jerome, he looks like a giant beside Clay who is pretty tall himself. Is Clay the only former Idol who has had a constant body guard all these years? Thanks to everyone who was happy for me regarding the lottery windfall. It was very exciting to talk to a lottery representative! Well now ... do you think if I tell Clay I can make a quick trip to the USA, that he will drop everything he is doing and organize a tour?

Besides, better late than DEAD on time!! Scarlett, all jokes aside, the friend (that you remind me of) broke her neck in a car accident and it was a miracle she made it out alive. I remember getting the phone call and it was just that feeling... of " I KNEW it". And every single person who had ever been a passenger in her car said pretty much the same thing. Thanks to everyone for bringing over all the goodies. What a treat, and I didn't even have to leave home for it! ETA: :nature-smiley-014: :medium-smiley-075: :7: :04: :nana: The Lottery Office told me an hour or so ago that I've won just over $6500.00. I buy these tickets at random and never check them, but the ticket was registered to my name. Niiiiiiiiice, huh? :medium-smiley-075: :nana: :nana:

O.M.G. I used to know someone who drove exactly like Scarlett, I mean, EXACTLY... and I am having heart palpitations at the mere memory of it... heck I was desperate enough to repeatedly say my Hail Marys ... now that's saying something! I strongly urge the eHP to not allow her near the driving seat. Stick her in the back where she can't reach the steering wheel and then gag her so that she can't even be a back-seat driver!!!

I hope the parents of children - who didn't ask to be born - take note of what Clay had to say. You know, even if Clay were to lose his ability to sing, I would still "follow him around" because I'd know in advance that pretty much any time he had something to say, it was worth listening to.

OMG every time Michael Crawford's name comes up I recall the "shock" I got when I first learned that he was the very SAME Michael Crawford in "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em"! A Touch of Class-was that with George Segal and Glenda Jackson? I loved that movie, haven't thought about it for years. Yes, that's the one and it was just brilliantly cast! A couple of old movies that come to mind fondly are: - Cabaret - Paper Moon and special mention has to go to... - An Officer and a Gentleman (I don't normally like men in uniform simply because of the military/war connection but Richard Gere kinda changed that, I was gobsmacked by the way he looked, walked and sounded in that movie and the last scene is unforgettable!) Television: I love series ... and Roots was the first unforgettable. However, two others that I simply loved were: Documentary series: 7-UP . The first (I think, not sure) 'reality' show of its type. 14 English kids from various social backgrounds are revisited every 7 years ... based on the premise "give me the boy until he is 7 and I will give you the man". Wikipedia has it sorta in a nutshell. I loved this series, and you can see some of it on YouTube . It is a fascinating study. (See, I don't watch many movies but I'd spend hours watching this kind of thing, and then talking about it to anyone who will listen... ) The Oswald Trial. Mock trial but with actual witnesses. The prosecuting attorney was Vincent Bugliosi (famous for nailing Charles Manson and his book Helter Skelter) and the defence attorney was Gerry Spence, best known (to me) for winning 10 million for Karen Silkwood's family. It was broadcast simultanerously around the world, and the biggest water-cooler discussion I've ever been involved in at work. I recently found my video recordings of it and a friend is currently transferring it to DVD for me but I see that it can be bought from Amazon. The whole thing runs for several hours and is totally gripping. I've had a couple of marathon viewings with friends watching it and not going home until the wee hours because we kept stopping the tape to discuss what had just been revealed. Surprisingly, I have spoken to people over the years who claim to be JFK-obsessed yet they didn't know about this mock-trial. OMG the look on the face of the Swedish Pawler is a hoot! ETA: This is it. Exceptionally talented kids fascinate me because I think they could possibly be old souls. He's getting a lot of media here alongside Susan B. Britains Got Talent 2009 Episode 2 Shaheen Jafargholi 12 Year Old Singer Is the bolded word a secret code for the eHP or can we all know what it means....

There is a study out somewhere that says dogs can smell/sense a DNA string. It is not just that they can recognize their family members, they can recognize yours, too. I find it something that is easy to believe because I have seen it in action. Our dog Sam was old and crotchety. He would have nothing to do with strangers and would just as soon eat them alive as look at them. Luckily he was a miniature dog. My husband's brother and his family came out from back east to visit. When the family walked into the house I braced myself for a barking frenzy. What I saw instead was Sam calmly rise from his bed sniff a few times and then walk over to greet everyone with a wagging tail. Years later when we adopted Nigel we had a family Christmas celebration with lots of adults and kids. Again, a sniff or two and Nigel was his happy rambunctious self. I have a photo of him standing guard over the latest baby in the family. That baby is now fifteen and until his last days Nigel had a special bond with her. Love these two posts! I took Jess to see her former family a few months after leaving them. She remembered them. I left her with them to spend some private time as they had two kids, and I thought they'd love that and I didn't want them to be concerned about having to 'accommodate' me since they didn't know me at all. I went shopping and asked them to call me if they wanted to extend the time, otherwise I would be back to collect her at the appointed time. They didn't call... and when I got there, the mom told me that after a while they went inside and she (Jess) wasn't impressed as she wasn't allowed indoors. I couldn't believe that in the short time they had her visiting (at THEIR request), that they couldn't even spend the entire time with her. Jess is allowed anywhere, anytime, at her home now. I have to just tell this story about her... what she loves above ALL, is to run off-lead (leash) at a park. But she hates rain so much that even if she feels the tiniest speck of rain, she rushes to the car for shelter. Such a princess! Regarding the posts about going to POTO if Clay were to be in it on Broadway, I can't help but wonder how many fans, if not for Clay, would have seen Spamalot or even known anything about it. Because I have never been able to "get" Monty Python, it's not something I would have had the slightest interest in. However, despite having NOT gone to Spamalot (haha LONG walk!!) I know quite a bit about it simply from clack and reading recaps, it is just bizarre to me that I can recognize or even recite lines from Spam!

I agree with everything I've bolded. What's NOT bolded,...well, I'm such a compassionate person that rather than look down on them and kick them to the kerb, I realise that when :dumb_people: like that, I should feel sorry for them that they are so lacking in good judgment. If they allow me to patronise them, I go hell-for-leather and bombard them with clack. If they want me to stop mentioning Clay, I obey. No pressure. Opera.... there's opera and then there's opera. I like soft-opera. Hard-core-opera is too hard for me in terms of a theater experience. However, I love love LOVE some arias and, Fear, I also like Maria Callas, well, some of her stuff. Have you read her fascinating biography? The mingling of opera singers and styles with popular music and singers has really won over a lot of people. My view is that all music is good if it lifts your spirit and makes you feel. I had a friend a couple of decades ago who was an opera and classical music purist, and I really have no time for snobs who don't have the capacity to accept pop music just because it is popular music. ETA: Movies I don't like action movies at all. Don't know a thing about the Harry Potter books and movies except for what I have seen in the news and entertainment programs. . I love romantic comedies (my fav is A Touch of Class) and I also love getting lost in stories that are gut-wrenching - Secrets and Lies. EATA: Does anyone know who is the fourth person in this pic, with Paris Hilton, Charice and Michael Buble? Someone who has been putting together an amazing site for Charice can't figure it out and nor can I. EYATA: Never mind, my first guess, based merely on ONE YT video I saw of her with David and Charice, was correct .... but I wasn't sure. I thought it was the GF of Parker Aiken's famous uncle and that's who it is, although I didn't know her name was Yolanda Hadid.

At first I posted the link with an extract snip. The extract became too long, so I figured it was better to post the whole thing in. I felt the article was more than just about Susan Boyle, this is really what stood out for me Do people really go to threads? I thought I was one of the few who checked for new posts.... ETA: I've edited to reduce the font to the smallest possible (if it can be smaller still, please let me know, I tried but couldn't do it). If anyone wants to read the article, they can use the link OR increase the text size by holding down CTRL and scrolling the mouse wheel....

And I bet it's WHITE tissues... you know how they say it's bad to eat white bread, white rice, white flour... Ah all this food discussion ... I love it! Too many posts to quote so I will comment generally... Keeping fresh produce fresh: I hate wasting food, and it isn't just about the money, I feel it is fundamentally wrong. So I only buy large quantities if I intend to cook in bulk and freeze meal portions, this also means the fresh produce is cooked and frozen when it is at its freshest. However, with organic fruit and vegetables, if they are not going to be cooked or eaten within 24 hours, I put them in something called "Fresh 'n' Crisp", These bags ABSOLUTELY work and are inexpensive, I paid approx A$0.35 each, bought in a pack of 10. One of my favorite fruits is the Fuji Persimmon, and they are expensive so I only buy 2 or 3 at a time. However, occasionally I see them discounted and so I buy as many as possible and I keep one third out of the fridge for immediate consumption and two-thirds in these green bags, and they last 'forever'. I've rarely met a fruit or vegetable I didn't like so it works well for me. With meat, I am not keen on red meat or pork, so chicken is the main meat in my house. When I buy whole fresh chickens (preferably organic), I cut it up when i bring it home and remove all the skin and as much fat as possible. Then I cut it up, the wings and neck (fat removed too) are for the dog, and I chop up the rest of the meat and place into small freezer bags or containers for use in stir-fries. (You can make very thin slices of meat by slicing from a frozen block of meat). I then make stock/broth from the bones to freeze. All this sounds like a lot of work but it isn't really, it is therapeutic and can be fun if you have music in the background or even watching a video that doesn't need your undivided attention. For me, anything that concerns food and nutrition is worth the time and effort. The doctor who treated me for Epstein Barr virus practices nutritional medicine and I can tell you that it absolutely works. I have a friend who eats only convenience foods, drinks only soda-pop (usually Coke) and then blames her bad health and loss of all her teeth on bad luck and swallows a fist-full of medication to temporarily resolve issues and denies that Type2 diabetes is due to lifestyle. She's only 40 and I swear I am NOT exaggerating although I wouldn't have believed it myself if didn't know her personally. It upsets me because she is a good friend but I can't count on her friendship when I don't expect her to live for long. Every time I see her I become more careful about what I eat. I'm no foodie-saint... I love dark chocolate, marzipan, croissants, Lamingtons, vanilla slices, Tim Tams, baguettes, anything cooked in coconut milk, creme caramel, anything made with choux pastry**, and a host of other decadent yummies but they represent treats, not meals, and like all treats, they are 'sweetest' when they are infrequent. I don't restrict any fruit though, some of which are way yummier than my list of 'naughty' treats! choux pastry**...if you are looking for a special occasion cake, try Croquenbouche. It's traditionally a French wedding cake and you cut it with a pair of scissors. Imagine it lit-up with candles or lights for someone's 40th or 50th (keep going... lol) birthday! Anyway, what I wanted to say was to try those green bags, they truly work. Oh and my dog's food is also cooked in bulk and frozen in meal portions... mince chicken with mixed green vegetables and oatmeal. That is her main meal but it is supplemented with bits of food I eat so that she gets a variety. I really enjoyed reading everyone's food tips, it's the best OT ever!! ETA: How could I leave out THIS O/T!!

I had the same problem with my laptop using Wyzo browser. So I tried pasting the url to Google Chrome and it worked and continues to work while Wyzo continues to reject all YouTube links.

That is such a hoot, the best skit I have seen those two do! Re ignoring recommendations for books, videos clips. new talent etc etc etc. I sure do understand that, I know enough about myself to know that I don't like Sci-fi and I don't mind being among the relatively few who will go to their grave having never watched the Star Wars trilogy despite many gushing about it. I also don't think I will die regretting having rarely seen movies about war and pure violence for the sake of war and pure violence as a form of entertainment. I also know that if a (reasonably) reliable source recommends something, I will take a look because, for example, I have a friend who sends me recommendations and 7-8 out of 10 times, would have not wanted to miss what she recommended. The same goes for recommendations of new ideas relating to food and possible health benefits and tips that I may otherwise never have come across on my own. It's about making a small effort to share a feel-good experience or information that can change someone's life. It's about giving freely, and everyone can freely choose what they want to take, and what they want to pass on... OR ... pass on (no, the repeat isn't an error !!! ) Having said that, those who have the slightest interest in Charice will be impressed with her official website http://www.charicepempengco.com/. This is a true Cinderella story of a young girl who was initially shunned by a singing competition but was brought back into the Wild Card (there's something about those Wild Cards!!) but was beaten by two boys. She was told she wasn't good enough, not pretty enough. And look at her now, her mentor is David Foster, and her supporters/fans read like a Who'sWho list. Yes, this story is the entire opposite of, say, Kelly Osbourne who got into singing and recording because of her parents' connections when she would never have gotten past a primary audition in a level-playing field. If you are a Jennifer Holliday and/or Fantasia fan and have been wondering what the hinted surprises are regarding Jennifer Hudson's tour, you'd be in for a treat. See the Random YouTube Thread http://findingclayaiken.invisionzone.com/i...40&start=40

Jennifer Hudson & Fantasia (VERY RARE) "I'm His Only Woman" LIVE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQgANp4grAM...player_embedded Jennifer Hudson & Jennifer Holliday Duet (RARE) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtDFHXjJ7SU...feature=related

Oh, I thought it was compulsory to piss-someone-off, otherwise you can't play...

You mean she didn't get it from singing in church? (She's a devout Catholic) ETA: Susan Boyle is the Catholic Church’s new internet sensation http://bluepanjeet.net/2009/04/18/4469/sus...rnet-sensation/ I can't stand Amanda Holden, she is totally plastic!!

Heyyyy... I love the whole Susan Boyle phenomenon ... I love human-interest stories and the entertainment industry plays a very important part during troubled times because people need to be distracted from the realities of their daily life. I think that's partly why the media has jumped on it but the Susan Boyle situation is also a reflection of how powerful the internet has become. Can you imagine if American Idol Season #2 was happening right now instead of back in 2003? YT was 'relatively' unknown back then. Today, clips from YouTube are played on our news programs daily. Almost daily I receive YT clips of something or other. I never clicked on a YT link in 2003 and AI#3 wasn't shown here. I don't get UK Xfactor or Britain's Got Talent yet I have been watching both shows on YouTube. Clay's story in today's 'climate' would have made a lot of waves internationally, especially with his transformation, and let's not forget THE VOICE! Anyway, I hope Susan wins but heck, it's only early days in BGT and who knows what's around the corner in terms of another act sweeping everyone off their feet!

This is very true with a few exceptions, and I cite Bulgarian Idol and the lady singing "Ken Lee", even rolling her R's. I have a friend who is Hong Kong Chinese, and he has a very thick HKC accent, mixing his R's and L's and many people find it hard to understand him. However, if you were to close your eyes when he sings or laughs, you would NOT hear an accent. The irony is that despite his challenge with verbal English, his written English is miles better than the average 'native' English speaking/ educated person. Here is the first audition for UK Pop Idol contestant ....Gareth Gates... 0) but the judges are patient with him and are rewarded with a beautiful audition. He went on to be the runner-up to Will Young. So... if there is no accent when we sing and laugh, perhaps we should all just stop talking and just sing and laugh....?

Thanks for that YT link, what a magical voice! In case you haven't seen this link: Singing sensation Susan Boyle makes US debut http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/8...-makes-us-debut

:cry4: Can anyone tell me why ALL my photobucket pics now show "this image has been deleted or move". While I did have problems uploading recently, I thought all my pics that were already uploaded were safe. This photobucket account holds ALL my Clay pics and i am really upset about this as I thought they would always be safe !!

If Clay is on the poll list, I am always a poll-ho. I have to say in this instance that I also wanted to vote for Fantasia, her Summertime was breathtaking but the choice is always easy when Clay is on the list. Just brilliant, thank you! Thanks for the update, I have been thinking about you but somehow I felt very positive that the news would be good. In the case of my Jess, who was a rescue dog, the accident was the strongest glue and bonded her tightly to me. Everyone who meets her for the first time comments on how much she loves me. I found her easier to train after the accident because she became so eager to please me. Sometimes when bad things happen, good things come out of it and I am sure you will become even more special to Jack because you are clearly the kind of puppy-parent who doesn't think in terms of "it's just a dog". (I walk away from people like that). FearofH2O, that sounds just awful, I know what it's like to be 'assaulted' in the garden - I love being in the garden and my dog loves me being there even more - but I am seriously allergic to wasps! My favorite quip of the week (via Hollywood) has to be Madonna is hoping Malawi will show her a little Mercy....

ETA: Liney or annabear Do you have a brand name for that raw almond butter? I am trying to find it here, but so far the only one I can find is a lightly roasted version, and I want the raw one....

Funny you should mention that, I was thinking of Susan's audio clip and the applause in the background adds to the magic BUT the comments from Ant and Dec (the equivalent of Seacrest and the other guy in Idol Season #1) really annoy me. Simon thinks those two guys are superbly talented and there was a rumor at one time that Simon wanted them to take over American Idol, nothing more than a rumor but I almost had a fit. I'd rather Seacrest any day. ETA: <SNIP> It is really MORE THAN 2 million views if you add up the numbers from the numerous clips of that one performance. I haven't added it up but someone else did.

Thanks for the clip, everyone is talking about her, it made the news here on several TV news-type programs. Added before posting: Just as I was about to send THIS post, a friend (I had sent the YT clip to - that ncgurrl posted) just sent me a text message thanking me for it and saying that 3 of her friends saw the clip on TV and mentioned it to her. (My friend is a singer herself). ETA: You can access ncgurrl's post here, http://findingclayaiken.invisionzone.com/i...40&start=40 it includes a link that gives Susan's background... which is extraordinary in a sad but inspiring way. One of her YT clips has had over a million views, and if you add the views of all the other clips of the same performance, it would total more than 2 million in 3 days. I am so sorry this has happened to Jack. It happened to my Jess when I first got her because she was always trying to get out. I saw the accident and screamed so loud the whole street heard. I will never forget the elation at being told by the vet that she was going to heal and be fine. The silver lining from that horrible experience was that she never forgot it, and never tried to get out of the gate after that without me, even if it is wide open. I am sending lots of positive light Jack's way, I just know how you are feeling right now.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/14/us/14spector.html?hp Phil Spector finally found guilty. I think justice has been served.

I absolutely agree ... and believe that Mike Nichols and Diane Sawyer first saw the extent of Clay's talent and potential when Clay himself was still quite oblivious to it. Clay was then still relatively new to the business but Mike Nichols certainly wasn't, and I think his little wife was a Claymate long before I was.... Gees that's almost as weird to me as that guy, whatshisname, who doesn't like avocado... I had a look at that link, beryl. I grew up Roman Catholic but also grew up sharing the roof over my head - periodically - with people who were Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists ... so the only one missing from the big 5 is Judaism, which I find fascinating as a rich culture. Of the religions I am familiar with (to varying degrees), there are common threads which run through them. The principles of Buddhism make the most sense to me but usually, I think I am a shameless heathen. 'Shameless' because I sometimes feel I should not hide it, even though I've been vilified by fanatics who know nothing about me except that I "don't believe". My view is that I don't know how some people who believe in unprovoked/proactive military action, complete freedom to own guns and use them at will and hardened bigots can turn around and tell me I am going to hell because I haven't accepted the lord Jesus as my personal savior. :8: BTW, beryl, those are just my mumblings, they aren't directed at anyone and most certainly NOT at you, I just quoted your post because it was convenient .. and I am hoping all the fanatics who were intolerant about Clay being gay and Christian have left the fandom... so that means no one will condemn me for having my own belief, or lack thereof. Oh, and just because it's Easter, it doesn't mean you can be complacent about identity theft. Here's proof:

Oh that's easy-peasy, go for the exotic meal!!! (What was it, by the way...)