claytonic

Benjy Said, April 22nd, 2009 @8:55 pm Great speech from Clay. Now that he’s come out publicly, I’ve been reading a lot more about him & have been very impressed with all of his humanitarian accomplishments & have noticed his tendency to give everyone else the credit in his career & charity work. Usually celebs are all about ego & refreshingly, he seems to have none, or at least a healthy, humble one.

My brother used to work with Jaymes Foster-Levy & he said that if she chose Clay to father her child, then Clay must be an exceptional person, because Jaymes would accept nothing less.

Thanks for all the good work you do, FEC! As the fathers of 2 toddlers upstate who are hoping to adopt more in the future, my partner & I appreciate the recognition of our family as a normal family unit with all the rights, privileges & respect of anyone else’s household.

N.I.C.E. Clay's gonna win the world over one person at a time "and that's fine by me"... tm CHA

"One of the most popular idols in the show's history, Clay Aiken's freshman album sold 613,000 copies in its first week. Since then he has released three more albums and become a pop culture phenomenon. But his most important work came with his co-founding of the Bubel/Aiken Foundation which deals with children with autism."

Well, the autism thing is pretty close, but I do think the BAF is a little more inclusive than that. Hee.

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?

KF... I hear you about people being perpetually in a hurry. And how often do you catch up with them at the next light.

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!!!

He looked adorable. He talked about how his life changed once he had a kid -- "

that before I had a kid, I didn't care what happened after I died!" The announcers also then said that he bought a "green" car as a partial way to protect his child's future.

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.

oh.my.God!!!!

I would DIE and GO TO HEAVEN if Clay would do Phantom of the Opera!! See, I floved it--

I love Michael Crawford!!

and I think I'd lose it to hear Clay sing "Music Of The Night".

I guess I'm in the minority here...as a Phantom Phan...

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"!

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

.

A Touch of Class-was that with George Segal and Glenda Jackson? I loved that movie, haven't thought about it for years.

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

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.

Enough about Susan Boyle! Here's one of the acts from Swedens Got Talent.

OMG the look on the face of the Swedish Pawler is a hoot!

ETA:

I read that there is a kid who sings like Stevie Wonder who wowed everybody this week on Britain's Got Talent - evidently he started with a meh song, Simon stopped him and asked what else he could do, and he then proceeded to sing like Stevie. Simon stopping him and asking for another song sounds kinda set-up, but talent is talent.

And okay, I can see the point in not clicking on SB - I am predisposed to liking Broadway songs and standards, but I don't especially care for child acts. I honestly don't think I would click on some cute kid standing on carpet samples at Sears and singing.

Heeee....I do like children!

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

Okay -- here's a

physological

profile of sort -- my favorite movies of all time in no particular order 'cause it depends on my mood and the time of day ...

Is the bolded word a secret code for the eHP or can we all know what it means....

Completely O/T: I took my puppy to visit her previous owner on the weekend, because she and I have been corresponding by email and I thought it would be fun. Piper was hesitant when we first got there, as though she didn't remember, but once inside the house, she took off as she recognized her previous sisters, and they had a blast! It was so cute, she'd go to her previous master for some pets and praise, then look over at me and run over for more pets and praise.....when it came time to leave, she happily let me put her leash on and take her to the car. No confusion at all, and her previous owner thanked me profusely for bringing her. She said she knew she'd made the right decision in choosing us as her family, which is pretty cool, I think.

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.

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 don't think there's any real moral value in preferences--that is, cowboy songs are probably as enjoyable and worthy as opera and hokey movies are probably as enjoyable and worthy as arthouse movies. Tastes are so subjective and based on each person's personal experience and exposure. I generally hate unhappy endings and hate slapstick. There's probably some deep hidden meaning there, but I just tend to go with what I like.

Other than fringe stuff--porn, snuff-films, etc.--I can pretty much accept that most of the world likes what I don't (and vice versa).

I draw the line at people not liking Clay.

Batshit assholes.

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.

Claytonic, can you post links rather than long articles on main for people who aren't Clay.. ok to highlight part of it and talk about it and start a thread for her.

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

authenticity. It is the only communication that works

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....

I've heard that models eat tissue. Good fiber but not much nutritional value. :clay:

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!!

Published Date: 20 April 2009

By Stephen McGinty

ALASTAIR Campbell has announced that politicians can learn a valuable lesson from Susan Boyle, the middle-aged Scottish spinster whose unruly appearance but sensational singing on Britain's Got Talent has attracted global media attention.

While Tony Blair's former spokesman did not go so far as to suggest politicians serenade the electorate with a rendition of I Dreamed A Dream, from Les Miserables, as Ms Boyle has done to the delight of millions of viewers on television and via YouTube, he

did advise them to recognise her "authenticity"

.

In a post on his blog, Mr Campbell said: "If politicians tend to read the Sunday papers with a mix of horror and trepidation, one person who must read them week after week with a sense of his own skills in shaping the popular culture agenda is Simon Cowell.

"The overnight sensation that is Susan Boyle and her 25 million YouTube hits is the latest chapter in Cowell's story.

"If there is a lesson from her success for politicians, it is

authenticity. It is the only communication that works

."

As of last night her performance had been viewed more than 50 million times on YouTube.

And yesterday

Ms Boyle's singing teacher revealed that she was a serial talent show failure who had previously auditioned without success in the late 1990s for My Kind of People and abandoned the auditions for The X Factor when she realised people were being chosen for their looks. Fred O'Neil said that Ms Boyle's audition for Britain's Got Talent was her final throw of the dice.

He said: "I remember a phone call late last year when she said she was too old and that it was a young person's game."

Mr O'Neil urged her to reconsider and attend the auditions in Glasgow.

This weekend

Elaine Paige sent a message of support to Britain's latest and possibly most unlikely singing sensation.

Ms Boyle, 47, told the talent show she had dreamt of becoming as successful as Paige, who starred as the original Evita in London in 1978.

The veteran singer said there had been a huge reaction to Ms Boyle's performance from listeners to her Radio 2 show.

In a message posted on her website, she wrote: "Ever since Susan's appearance on Britain's Got Talent my Radio 2 inbox has been flooded with e-mails. It seems her performance has really captured the hearts of everyone who saw it, me included ... it looks like I have competition. Perhaps we should record a duet?"

Paige is not the only celebrity backing the unemployed church volunteer from Blackburn in West Lothian. Hollywood actress Demi Moore last week said she was reduced to tears by the performance.

Ms Boyle, complete with her distinctive curly locks, won over a sceptical audience to become a global phenomenon following her appearance on Britain's Got Talent. Her performance was also watched by millions online.

She has been catapulted into the limelight in America, where her story has been featured on US morning television shows and news programmes.

She was interviewed by satellite from Scotland for the talk show Larry King Live. The show which will be broadcast on CNN International today.

Alex Salmond, the First Minister, has also sent a letter of support to the singer, who hails from the same area of West Lothian as the SNP leader.

The First Minister's letter offered his "warmest congratulations" for what he describes as a "stunning performance".

Source:

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/Alastair-Campb...spin.5184440.jp

And when I finally went to check out the youtube, i can't access you tube for some reason now on my laptop. Something about my Javascript being turned off or not having the flash player. Up until two weeks ago, I have always been able to access youtubes, not sure what happened. If anyone has an idea, can you share what I might be able to do?

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.

And now for something completely different. A laugh or two for those of you who have computer problems every so often.

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

YT Channel's comments: I went to the Jennifer Hudson/Robin Thicke show twice in one week and 2 Duets occured during the second sold out show 04-16-09 (was the original show) in ATL. This is an amazing collaboration of DIVAS!!! This performance occured half way through set (Tuesday's performance didn't include this song) - and Fantasia KILLS it!!! Later, Jennifer Holliday shuts the show DOWN with a duet of "And I'm Telling You I'm not Going." JHUD rcoks! Jennifer Hudson's concert was KILLER!!! Surely, this show jumps to my Top Concerts EVER list. JHUD was so gracious with her stage...sharing the Spotlight with such class. But that's JHUD 4 Ya! Class ACT!!!!!

Jennifer Hudson & Jennifer Holliday Duet (RARE)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtDFHXjJ7SU...feature=related

YT Channel's comments: JHUD & Robin Thicke Concert in ATL on 04-16-09 was AMAZING! Naturally, as Jennifer Hudson's biggest fan, I went to the show twice in one week and thank God I did. Jennifer personally promised surprises and LAWD - JHUD did not lie! This performance is ULTIMATE! "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" has never sounded better. Both of these DIVAS SHUT IT DOWN like no other duet! HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!! That's a wrap! GOOD NIGHT!!!!

referring to the thing I sent about Clay and Ellen resembling each other,

I ONLY MEANT

that that's ridiculous, maybe the blonde hair for the minute he was blond, but the laugh was a scoffing laugh, like rolling my eyes and laughing...I guess that's hard to convey in a text...I don't think it was mean, I just sent it because I thought, "RIIIIIIGHT!!"Yeah, sure!!

I hope noone got pissed off that I sent it. Man, one sure needs to be careful what one says. I forget this.

Can I still play here?

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

Anyway, here is the youtube link, it is interesting, is all! She is so artless and simply direct. And she never loses her composure.

She does/did sing in pubs for a while, I think that is where she got her composure.

susan boyle

And a bit of it is that somehow she makes it seem like good things are still possible no matter how old or not fashionable you are!!!!

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/

it is very entertaining to see Amanda Holden's facial expression trying to fight through what seems to be a lot of Botox

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!

As far as the accent thing goes, I had read before that singing is not the same as speaking, brain-wise, which is why the Beatles did not sing with an accent.

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.

this is from answers.com:

Vocal production for singing and vocal production for speaking come from different parts of the brain. for singers of the American/British background, the sounds which are created are often closer in proximity to each other, like if a Spanish singer were singing Portuguese, or vice versa...

People who stutter are often able to sing without issue due to this. And singers with other languages can overcome accents by using the international phonetic alphabet (IPA) for singing in English...and vis versa...

So... if there is no accent when we sing and laugh, perhaps we should all just stop talking and just sing and laugh....?

ETA:

Susan Boyle

a capella from CBS's The Early Show.

Also, as linked at the CH:

.

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 !!

I'm SO not a polls person, but this a new poll up on the AI home page. Question "Which is your favorite past movie week performance?" Choices are Ruben, Clay and Fantasia. Nice to see Clay there.

http://www.americanidol.com/

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.

Anyway -- Buble, Martina, and Mariah versions notwithstanding -- I still adore the original. And I was glad to find this YouTube of Stevie singing it -- and a great audio and visual version it is!

Just brilliant, thank you!

Thank you all so very much for the comforting words last night about my little dog, Jack. X-rays reveal a broken

ischium

, (labeled "Is") which is a non-weight-supporting bone of his pelvis. To learn more than you ever wanted to know about dog hips, click

here

. LOL He has a couple of other small fractures elsewhere in his pelvic region, but the vet advised against surgery, simply because this type of injury 'typically' heals on its own over the course of a couple of months. No other broken bones, no internal injuries, minor scrapes (poor doggie)...So, bottom line is, I got him a comfy floor-level doggie bed (he normally sleeps in a somewhat elevated basket) that I hope will be a good fit for him while he recuperates. Could have been much worse. Hopefully, he will heal quickly, as he is definitely the wiggle-worm of my pair of dogs.

Jack is the small one

, for the curious.

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....

Sugar, fructose and weight gain

* Reporter: Helen Wellings

* Broadcast Date: March 27, 2009

A mountain of research has convinced reformed 'foodaholic' David Gillespie that it is the fructose in sugar that is making us fat.

David Gillespie calls himself a recovering lawyer and reformed 'foodaholic.'

Six years ago - with 40 extra kilos on his waistline and getting more obese each year - he vowed to discover why he couldn't stop eating and constantly put on weight despite going on diets.

A mountain of scientific research convinced him it's not fat that makes us fat, but the fructose in sugar. Once in the bloodstream, it instantly converts into fat. Gillespie's book calls it 'Sweet Poison.'

Are vitamins teaching our kids bad habits?

"When we eat fat protein and carbohydrates we feel full. There is no such control for fructose, you can eat as much sugar as you can get into your mouth and it will never fill you up," Gillespie said.

The more we sugar eat, the more we crave - not only sugar but other foods too.

"If you eat foods with sugar in them, you are going to get fat, but it is the much more insidious thing that is much more dangerous - it makes you immediately a candidate for Type 2 Diabetes, for heart disease and for a range of cancers that have been directly linked to sugar," Gillespie said.

Pie in the sky: takeaway myths tested

In the 19th Century, our diet included about 1 kilo of sugar a year - in fruit, when it was in season. Now, with supermarket shelves laden with sugared foods and drinks, we consume on average 50 kilograms a year of sugar.

Our calorie intake has increased 30% since the 1980s.

Fruit juice is a sugar shocker, full of fructose. A glass of apple juice equals 4 apples; orange juice, 4 oranges.

"It contains exactly the same amount of sugar as a soft drink, as coke - that's eleven teaspoons of sugar - eleven in apple juice. As soon as you finish the glass of apple juice you have in the morning, the first mouthful has already been converted into fat in your bloodstream," Gillespie said.

Healthy child called 'fat and obese'

David and his 6 children each have a couple of pieces of fruit a day and drink plain water, not juice.

"It is much better to have the whole fruit rather than the juice of the fruit. When you juice a fruit, you throw away the fibre and keep the sugar so you are keeping the worst aspect of the thing and throwing away the best."

Low fat foods are usually high in sugars and salt.

"Most BBQ sauces, 55% sugar; plain tomato sauce 21% sugar; tomato paste 11% sugar; chilli capsicum spread 12% sugar; mayonnaise 20 - 25% sugar; ice-teas, this container has 10 teaspoons of sugar alone; sesame poppy crackers for your cheese almost 10% sugar; and most jams 60 - 70% sugar," Gillespie said.

"A lot of people say you shouldn't eat Coco pops because they're full of sugar but they are about the same sugar as supposedly healthy cereals. And All Bran actually contains 13% sugar. Muesli? They have plenty of dried fruit in them which has fructose in it as well, so that will put on weight," Gillespie said.

Consumption of artificial sweeteners is soaring. David Gillespie used them to unhook him from sugar addiction, then stopped using them, as he wasn't convinced of the long-term effects.

The world's first low GI sugar, an Australian innovation, has just been launched. Called LoGiCane and manufactured by CSR, it's touted as a healthier alternative to normal table sugar.

"Low GI sugar is a naturally occurring table sugar that has been processed less, that has a lower GI of 50 compared with ordinary table sugar which has a GI of 65," Dr. Barclay, Chief Scientific Officer of the Glycemic Index Foundation said.

Low Glycemic Index foods are slowly converted to glucose in the body thereby, helping weight control.

Dr Alan Barclay says all sugars should be eaten in moderation, but low GI sugar "�is a better sugar."

David says less processed or not, sugar is bad for us.

"It doesn't matter if it's plain white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar or castor sugar, they are all exactly the same - all fructose."

So what's OK for sweetness?

"Have a really dark chocolate 70% - 80% cocoa has a lot less sugar. If you are going to eat cereal, have Weetbix, very low in sugar. Most alcohols are fine, It's the mixes put with the alcohol that are the problem. Beer is fine," Gillespie said.

David's simple message for losing weight and staying healthy?

"No diet .. avoid sugar," he said.

And David Gillespie says trying to reduce sugar dependency is similar to reducing or giving up smoking or drugs - extremely difficult to achieve and to stick to.

http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/5...ose-weight-gain

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....

Do any of you know how to get background noise out of a audio file.

A friend taped himself giving a workshop, but didn't know his microphone was tapping against his necklace until he listened. He's devastated and so is everyone who was hopeing for a copy, as it was a terrific workshop. If you know of someone who might know how, could you pass the request on and then the answer back, please. Thanks!!!

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>

VIRGIN Susan Boyle’s BGT audition has been viewed 1.3MILLION times on YouTube — and now she’s getting offers from America.

Simon Cowell will give her a record deal whether she wins the show or not.

Source:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showb...icle2375255.ece

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.

For those who were inspired by Susan Boyle yesterday, I clipped an mp3 of her song to download

here

, if anyone would like to have it. How lovely that this story made Yahoo's front page today! And my mom called a little while ago and in the course of the conversation asked me if I had seen the video. Someone had forwarded it to her. LOL

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.

Oh, any good thoughts you guys can spare for my littlest dog, Jack, would be appreciated. He got out of the yard by unknown means and he was hit by a car. We'll know the full extent of his injuries tomorrow. Thank goodness he was wearing his name tag with my cell phone number, so I was able to get him to the vet very quickly. Nerve-wracking day for us.

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 can see why he appreciates Clay. Clay is so expressive, his face is fantastic. And the quick wit, the intelligence. I can see why Clay, Diane, and Mike Nichols have had this long relationship, at whatever level it exists.

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....

I love all kinds of food- from every country..but

I just do not like curry at all. I know it's more than that but there are a lot of Indian dishes that I have to skip

.

Gees that's almost as weird to me as that guy, whatshisname, who doesn't like avocado...

Happy Resurrection Sunday to all!

For those who missed out on any spiritual Holy Week celebration and are 'heathens' like me, why not try desiringGod.org? That's where I go when I need to consider other views on various topics.

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:

Ok, how does one decide between turkey and all the trimmings, and left over most-delicious-Indian-meal-ever???

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