claytonic

Nick Vujicic - inclusion... at its best Next time you "fall over" and "can't get up", take a look at this: ETA: My favorite movie lines are usually from the early classics: "Fasten your seat-belts, it's going to be a bumpy night" Bette Davis in All About Eve "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you pleased to see me?" Mae West (but can't remember the movie) "When I'm good, I'm very, very good, but when I'm bad I'm better!" Mae West in I'm No Angel

I am always in awe of people who take care of their elderly parents. I know a woman who does it voluntarily for many of the elderly who have no family to care for them. She is just amazing. Muski, I remember the first time I read what you wrote about your mother, I was stunned at what you endured, but now, I see that she must have been a good mother to you, because when you talk about your DH or DDs, the love just shines through. (I remember what you said about emotionally absent father figures, and how when choosing your husband, you were also choosing a father for your children. Not enough women think that way.)

Gibby... happy the BIG Five-OH!!!

It jumped off the page at me too but I gave her the benefit of the doubt because it happens to me as well. See, I KNOW the difference between site and cite, principle and principal, that "i" comes before "e except after "c" (NEARLY always), etc etc but I type 90 wpm, I don't look at the keyboard OR at what I am typing and sometimes my brain gets my fingers to type the WRONG word or they suffer from keyboard dyslexia. I remember helping a friend (mature age student) by typing her thesis and she pointed out a couple of "spelling mistakes". I told her they weren't spelling mistakes, they were TYPING mistakes. (They were clearly typing mistakes, I mean, when you see "msitake", that's a definite typo!! ) LOL That happens....it doesn't mean my spelling is perfect but in most instances, it is a technical error. I could have easily made that mistake Mrs BMG made, but if I had proof-read it, I would have picked it up. I have no idea who she is, I have no reason to defend her except that I would hate to be judged on that kind of error. You’re right, I wasn’t there so I don’t understand the level of sensitivity or defensiveness, for me it’s just something to ponder and put aside and wait for the real news from Clay. I honestly have no emotional angst, the only time I DID was when I found out about the JP fiasco long after it had blown over. I wanted to find the scumbag and slap his face because while I know that life isn’t fair, that level of deliberately inflicted injustice was beyond me. And poor me, I didn’t have anyone in the fandom to share my anger. At least you guys have always had each other. IF there is an active 6 month non-compete ... who knows when the 6 months began running? Maybe it was in September. I can't see any advantage in either believing or not believing such information. Those who know don't tell, and those who tell don't know. Well, I agree, there is no tangible benefit in either believing Mrs BMG or not, but just for the heck of it, the way I would look at it is to take what's typical (6 months) and apply it from when we first heard about the parting of ways and then we have an approximation of when Clay would be free to do as he pleases... that might be enough for those who need to refer to some kind of time frame. You know, too often.. those who know actually do tell, especially if they can do it anonymously like Mrs BMG... the entertainment business is a gossip haven, everyone wants to know what's happening because it is such an insecure profession. I am sure it wasn't a happy 'divorce' on the part of the label, it is common knowledge that business is hurting and those making decisions about spending money are ultimately accountable to investors/share holders. I just have this feeling, where it comes from I dunno since I know less than anyone ... but there's a silver lining and Jayme's "the best is yet to come" is on its way. The fact that Clay is so much more than just a great singer makes him an extremely valuable commodity. I actually find the possibilities exciting, I've even been remembering how Neil Sedaka told Clay he would kill to write and produce for him. What does "Pala" mean? Sorry if someone has explained it and I missed it. ETA: AHHH thanks goldarngirl! Oh, and the reason I mentioned Neil Sedaka is just that to me that would be such a dream... Sedaka's got the writing talent and a life-time of experience, Aiken's got the vocal talent and quite a bit of experience now too; they both like and respect each other. I have always been a huge NS fan... so.... just wishful thinking.....

The way I see it is that just as Scarlett said, there will never be a moment in time EVER that no one is upset with Clay about something. And the same applies in terms of his career, there will be a minority group who considers it their job to angst about it, but it really has nothing to do with Clay, worrying about Clay's career is simply a symptom of their anxiety. It is only natural for fans of an artist to wonder and discuss his career, and the internet has created a phenomenon in terms of discussions between fans spread far and wide. I remember the first series of Australian Idol, I belonged to a discussion group that included professional singers, who didn't give their name but talked about the business and how the contestant we were supporting should approach her career, especially when the contestant made it to the Top 3 and then had to drop out due to her doctor's recommendation (nodules). Everyone expresses their passion in a different way, and there is nothing that those who take the "worry" route can do except to indulge in their concerns. They have no power to change anything one way or the other. Clayzycoffin: You're a champ gurlllll! , I was horrified to discover that Australia is one of the few developed countries that continues to allow electronic waste to be dumped in landfill. I am trying to spread the word that computers harbor toxic chemicals that can leach out into groundwater and that there are options for electronic waste.

The problem with it is, it didn't come off as opinion, it came off as fact. When opinions start being touted as fact (and that's happened a LOT in this fandom), I usually run for the hills. I've used 'opinion' because people tend to digest information and give it out as their opinion, their experience, their interpretation. No one, unless they were a part of that meeting with Clay and have a copy of the contract, would know ALL the facts. No one can possibly know exactly what will happen after 6 months. The thing is, in the history of the Clay Nation, ideas that started out as "opinions" get repeated and repeated and repeated without question until they get accepted as "fact", even if they have no basis in reality. I think the reaction you're seeing here at FCA is due to many posters having lived through that kind of stuff in the past. Because of that, I'm wary of most fan-based pontificaters - maybe even to the point of being too skeptical at times. I understand your point totally, but then shouldn't everyone by now know, EVEN if they THINK something sounds entirely valid, to not take it as gospel until Clay actually makes a statement? You see, with the whole gay thing, that was how I dealt with it despite people sending me YouTube clips of Clay that they considered were "gay". I told them that unless they had personal proof, it made no difference to me. And really, even after he came out, it made no difference about how I felt about him as a person and as an artist. So although I tend to believe what Mrs BMG said, it makes no difference to me because until Clay makes a statement about his plans, nothing matters at all. The only real hint is that we can expect nothing to happen for at least 6 months. ETA: Michael Jackson for X Factor 2009? Gosh, according to this article, Simon considers Britney something special ... in XF 2008, Britney, Mariah and Beyonce were guest stars, and Britney was the only one who lip-synched on a show where everyone else sang live. I don't particularly like Beyonce but at least she delivered a great performance live. Mariah's voice wasn't quite right, but at least she sang. I don't get the Britney 'superstar' thing, her "appearance" drew the largest audience of all and Simon was thrilled to have her on the show. EATA:

Yup! It's very funny, smart comedy. My daughter and I started watching a few months ago and just love it. In TO they air two episodes back to back on Thursday nights (rerun followed by a new ep), so it's easy to keep up with the show. They've had guest stars on that you wouldn't expect to see on TV (Elaine Stritch as Alec Baldwin's mother) and it's been hilarious. I can see Tina Fey writing a terrific role for Clay. Oh please let this be true! I can't wait for Clay to do comedy on TV, he would be brilliant at it, I think he is way funnier than Kimmel.

The problem with it is, it didn't come off as opinion, it came off as fact. When opinions start being touted as fact (and that's happened a LOT in this fandom), I usually run for the hills. I've used 'opinion' because people tend to digest information and give it out as their opinion, their experience, their interpretation. No one, unless they were a part of that meeting with Clay and have a copy of the contract, would know ALL the facts. No one can possibly know exactly what will happen after 6 months. ETA: I am not worried about Clay's career in any way or shape because, to me, one thing about Clay that stands out is his ability to use his head in terms of what's good and right for himself and those around him. The way he conducted himself during those months with AI and the tour and the setting up TBAF is what I am going by. I was very impressed with what has happened in the past in matters where he was in control. I am even impressed with his decision to have Parker and his timing for coming out. (The only time I was concerned was when OMWH was launched and there was no real marketing campaign and no tour to support the album. But there were reasons for why that happened that way).

NNHB? Since CF was here and so rudely ignored you (she has no manners), I'll answer your question. NNHB is hers and Sparky's board and it stands for Nearly No Holds Barred. She has the link in her posts cuz she keeps trying to capture people and make them post over there. That's how she got me. Bunch of heathens over there so be careful. They'll corrupt you. That's what happened to me. HAHA she PM'd me the information! DUH I should have known since I actually joined it shortly after it first opened... just didn't make the connection. Well, I wasn't born in Australia, so when I got that reaction from my BF and then my Aussie friend warned me guys hate being called cute, it was programmed in my brain. I didn't necessarily go for macho guys either, I simply didn't dare risk it again. That was in Perth though, but I didn't hear it much in Sydney either. I think it might have become more acceptable because of TV shows but I personally don't often hear it being used, or perhaps I did but was "switched off". I had no idea there was another meaning to 'spunk', I've heard men AND women described as "spunky". Were you allowed to use the term "bugger"? Because it was used as a "swear word", I decided to look up the meaning and had the same reaction as your Mum. So I never used it again even though I was told it is a well-worn Aussie slang and should not be taken literally when used in the same context as "oh sh*t". Well, it sounds like an informed opinion to me, and yes the "tied up and gagged" for 6 months is entirely appropriate as a parting/separation clause.

YO DAWG, my homeboy! I have only just started watching this on YouTube although a friend told me I could watch it live. The broadcast time is not good for me. My favorites are Adam and Anoop. I think Adam has a great voice and is a seasoned performer. Not sure about Anoop's voice but I just love his personality, his parents are fabulous. Anoop perfectly fits the description of tall, dark and handsome with a personality and intelligence to boot. The girls will go wild for him. But I was a little disappointed with his Michael Jackson song choice and performance. ETA: Someone made this comment on YouTube I thought it was hilarious (of course you'd need to have read the book or seen the movie - Slumdog Millionaire.)

Hear Hear (or is it Here Here?). Whichever...... I couldn't agree more! I've always used "hear hear" as in "I hear you".

That is so very true of anyone with a public profile. I've heard/read comments that claim Hitler was an enlightened saint and that Mother Teresa was satan. (I wish I could ask Mother Teresa if she would have still done the same "life-work" if there was no Jesus and no heaven or hell. There are atheists who have done some incredible humanitarian work. ) Probably, the only thing everyone in the fandom (before Clay came out) still agrees on is that Clay can sing because surely no one suddenly thinks now that he's out, he no longer has a great voice!.

Having seen that performance live and in person, I'll admit that was a question in my mind at the time. Those jeans were ridin' mighty looooooowwwwwwwww by that point in the show. Well, I kept imagining all those pairs of eyes in the audience focussed on his butt, and wondered if the standing ovation was in, fact, for his pants... for managing to NOT fall off! lilyshine, I also had problems with Mozilla/Firefox on my laptop. A friend recommended Wyzo (www.wyzo.com) and I love it. More recently I installed Google Chrome and I like it too. I have both open at the same time, YouTube and Google Page Creator works better with Chrome, but I like the Wyzo set up, which is similar to Firefox, for other stuff. I never use IE unless it is to test a site that doesn't work in the other two. I don't trust IE at all.

Thanks for that, Quiana has a fabulous voice but OMG, I was so worried his pants were gonna fall off Carolina Clay, I have been meaning to tell you that your blog and CANN are my two favorite stop-overs!!

I figured it was an accepted adjective in the US to describe a good looking guy. I just rarely hear it used here in relation to guys but I am sure it happens because if it's heard on American TV programs that are shown here it will be copied by someone. I don't watch enough TV to have heard it being used, at least not in recent memory. I just remember the reaction I got but that was long ago, and I've just never used it again unless I am talking about animal or human babies! Every time I see it used here, which is quite often... I always remember back to that day. It's no big deal, I just can't shake the memory of it though. When I see a hot pic of Clay, my reaction is "what a spunk!" ETA: canfly NNHB?

We did have a good time! It was the rug-hooking guild, so we used acid dyes to dye wool. My right arm may never be the same again as we were dip-dyeing but I got some really cool "swatches" to use for my rug class. I kind of had to laugh~I know you've probably done both~the teacher was firmly in the car that cotton is SO much harder to dye....but from what I saw last night, it's really just that the chemicals are different, any maybe more accessible, for wool. She used Jet Dry (as a wetting agent) and citric acid, but of course you could also use vinegar as the acid. I'll have to get back to it. I haven't tried dyeing anything since I've been here, and the water is so different I'm sure my colors will be completely different! Nice people at the guild! They were very welcoming. Crap, I'll have to get a picture of the rug they are raffling; some of you may be interested. It is the COOLEST "cattitude" rug I've ever seen. 100% wool of course, hand-hooked, about 3 ft x 4 ft, in lots of different colors, so it would go with any decor.So, this means you're The Happy Hooker? (Sorry, couldn't resist .... I read that book way back in the day when it was a naughty book and I didn't want to be the only one who didn't know what it was about. I don't remember anything about it.)

that was hilarious and one of my favorite concert moments too. That was a really weird audience to be a part of IMO and that whole thing seemed to be the great thaw. I think it all depended on where you sat though... on our side of the aisle the ushers worked very hard to keep us in our seats and sitting down. Gosh, I think I could speak for fans who, for whatever reason, didn't get on the Clay train when it first took off in 2003. I'd love to have an account of each special concert, the ones with the special moments as mentioned above, and it could be a combined effort because ONE person may not remember everything. The stories could then be compiled as an e-book, with links to YT clips. Or perhaps even have some hard-copies done, accompanied by DVDs of the clips mentioned. It would one day make a great gift for Parker, perhaps on his 20th birthday, which is the year Clay turns 50. Or (barring copyright breaches) it could become a fund-raising collector's item for BAF. Also, an e-book of press clippings. I can see it being a prized possession for new Clay fans. Like Clayzycoffin, I am still stumbling across stuff I didn't know about or am seeing for the first time. There is just so much of it and my biggest problem is trying to figure out when or where something happened and what it was all about. Watching the concert clips can be very frustrating when you don't understand some background information to something that happened and the audience is laughing and i have no idea what they are laughing about. I know it would be time-consuming but if there is no deadline, it doesn't matter. Also, when you guys discuss these details, it is an opportunity for everyone - founding members and new members, to re-live or simply newly experience the moments that Clay himself may have forgotten.

Religion is all about telling people what to believe(refer Ethel Kennedy) and what they must do, that is why I am not crazy about organized religion. I'm all for spirituality though and some people ARE spiritual within a religious order and not only that, they also think for themselves and feel secure and comfortable about it without a need to ram it down others, e.g. Clay. However, I know too many people who go to church as if it were a ritual within social club. I know people who go to choir practice every week and sing in the church choir for special services and I know they do this because they love to sing, it's their social outlet. I am not saying everyone who goes to church does so for non-spiritual reason but I know too many who do. Ethel Kennedy had 11 children, and I am old enough to remember Vatican II and Ethel not using contraception because the Vatican said NO to the pill; Ethel herself said "until my church tells me ....". That's all very well for the Kennedys who could afford to raise 11 children. I feel that changing attitudes start in the home and then spills out into the community. Some things take longer... but if they are for the common good, I believe they will eventually happen. It doesn't seem that long ago that women were paid considerably less than men for doing the same job. The biggest difference, I feel, is that today's woman stays with a man because she wants to, and not because she has to. I feel as you do, Fear, I don't like being told what I HAVE to believe because I won't be brain-washed. However, I am open to new concepts and philosophies because to coin a cliche, the more I know the more I realize that I know very little.

djs111 I agree... But the physical abuse in terms of extreme corporal punishment was also shocking, particularly in orphanages where those kids had no one else to go to. Sadly, I have come to the conclusion that many, VERY many people who joined the clergy were running away from life for any number of reasons. I do know some who were nuns/priests etc for the right reasons. About 15 years ago, I called a number in the phone book to speak to someone about something in the Bible I wanted to quote to two JWs who had come knocking at my door... and I ended up talking to an elderly nun who told me that she has had to turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the power struggle in the Church. She said she wasn't interested in all that, she just wanted to do the Lord's work and it's the only life she knows. I really respected her stark honestly. Sorry to go OT but what you said brought back memories.

Do guys in England mind being called cute? Just trying to remember .... When I was about 19, I told my BF he was cute and the angry glare I got cured me for life. I told a girl friend about it and she almost yelled "OH NO, they HATE that"... I have never again dared to describe a guy as cute, and I can't even do it on this board although it's almost compulsory to do so when talking about our man....! (Wait, maybe I have once... and I felt strange doing it....) Over here in Oz, cute is what you'd call a puppy or a baby or small child, but NEVER EVER a man. Aussie guys like to have a macho image ... ETA: annabear, you posted while I was typing this post!!!

Well, look what happened to a priest here who dared to go against the "rules".

EYATA: If you like Pavarotti, you'll love this... no he's not singing, he's just being adorably funny!

QUESTION: What's worse than people using acronyms that you can't figure out? ANSWER: When they use an acronym but make a typo...

Just received the WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ by email. (Passing requires 4 correct answers) See how you go... 1) How long did the Hundred Years' War last? 2) Which country makes Panama hats? 3) From which animal do we get cat gut? 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? 6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? 7) What was King George VI's first name? 8) What colour is a purple finch? 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? 10) What is the colour of the black box in a commercial airplane? Remember, you need 4 correct answers to pass. ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ 1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 2) Which country makes Panama hats? 3) >From which animal do we get catgut? 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? 6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? 7) What was King George VI's first name? 8) What colour is a purple finch? 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? 10) What is the colour of the black box in a commercial airplane? Did you pass?

It's a funny thing, some people love them, others hate them. They are great company if you are driving a long distance on your own. Otherwise, the other person/s in the car are gonna be talking to you.. and that doesn't work! Audio books CAN be a bit tricky because the storyline tends to get lost if you are distracted in any way. Generally, what tends to work really well is lectures/ presentations, by the author. For example, periodically, I listen to Wayne Dyer, Deepak Chopra, Carolyn Myss, Edgar Cayce, etc. I'd go through various stages of exploring new-age philosophy. Also love listening to the wit and wisdom of the Dalai Lama, love his giggle!. If I am distracted, it doesn't really matter because I listen to them more than once as very often, something is said that I want to hear again, or take notes. I no longer buy audio books because it is so easy to borrow CDs from the library. What I do is to immediately rip them to my harddrive, then return the CDs to the library. That way, they are quickly available for someone else but the BIG PLUS is they are no longer cluttering up my space and there is no chance of the CDs getting lost.. I then transfer the files to my ipod to listen. The last audio story book I tried to listen to was Wild Swans, but it was soooo long that I never finished it, then lost interest. One of the things I like about audio books is that my eyes can get really tired from the computer screen so it is a way to give my eyes a break. I have to admit I have deleted many audio books from my HD because I lost interest due to distractions. But the shorter books are a good idea because you actually do get to listen to the whole thing, then of course I tell myself damn, that was too short! I bought both versions of the audio LTS. Listened to the Clay voice many times.