luckiest1

Hee, yeah, I don't ship them at all. I can't imagine him introducing her as his cousin on stage (Word of the Day in Merrillville) if they are involved. Heck, I'm adopted, so no one in my family is blood related to me, but the thought of a romantic relationship with any of my "cousins" is just.......wrong. I'm so happy that he's out and about and doing things, like the award the other night, and now this. As much as I like seeing the pics, sometimes I wish people would just let him fly under the radar, though.

Where the hell is muski? I can't believe she hasn't touched that smut. I went over and checked it out, and was tempted to jump into the conversation, WORD you, and put in my own $0.02 but I restrained myself. It's pretty pointless to argue the respect issue with someone who has publicly stated that they don't respect "Aiken"..... I guess, since it looks to be another slow day on the boards, that I should get my butt in gear and go out and cut my back lawn. Hey, at least the sun is shining for a change! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

OMG, me too. BWAH HA HA! They say laughter is the best medicine, right? Because I sure needed some today!

I am so proud of him! What an honour. And yeah, how many of us were saying "we just don't know what's going on behind the scenes" in relation to the IGB show and whether or not he was invited or would appear or had prior commitments. Yesterday was such a great day in the fandom! Pfffffft to the people who are complaining that we weren't given advance notice. Sometimes, it's nice to be surprised. And given the fact that Clay was very diligent in downplaying any questions about his musical career, and kept both the NPR and Today Show interviews on topic, about the needs and challenges of the Afghani people, I doubt he needed a bunch of screaming, enthusiastic fans following him around NYC. Congrats to everyone who was successful in yesterday's presales, and good luck to everyone trying today! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Cary/Raleigh....in my experience they really are one and the same....at least they run into each other. We took a taxi from the airport to the place we were staying in Cary. Wasn't all that bad, but it's been a few years, so I don't really remember how much. I finally got a chance to watch the Today show clack. Wheeeeeee! Love the bangs! And having just finished reading Three Cups Of Tea, I was sooooo thrilled to hear Clay talk about the importance of keeping the kids out of the madrassas, and getting them into real educational facilities. God I love that man.

Very well said, and I believe, quite true. I loved the NPR interview (listened to it live on streaming) and I'm excited to watch the cap of the Today show when I get home tonight. I had ok ticket karma this morning - 10th row centre for Knoxville, 12th & 13th row on the side for Sterling Heights. I can't BELIEVE the whining and snivelling that's going on at the OFC in the Tour forums, though. It's almost as though people are attending completely different pre-sales than I am! I've done 3 now, and have come up with decent seats each time. Of course, I guess everyone's definition of "decent" is different, but I just see red when people are crying that they got "SQUAT" when there are clearly tickets in rows 16 - 20 still available. Sure, we all want front row, but logically, can we all get it? How is Clay supposed to sell venues out when no one wants to sit even 16 rows from the stage? Some people just need to grow the fuck up. :angry22: Disclaimer: Purely my own opinion and not directed at anyone here, just at some whiny OFCers. Hee, I know what you mean. I have been walking 30 minutes, every lunch hour. Today it was overcast but not raining, so I grabbed the umbrella as a safety measure and set out. I got across the train tracks and did a lap around the block, and sure enough, didn't the skies open up and a big old freight train come rolling down the tracks? Got stuck walking around on the other side. Needless to say, everything except my head is drenched. But I feel good.

Yep, I agree with this assessment. My kids and I had figured out that they weren't going to kick anyone off, but I thought it was definitely a cruel thing to do to Jordin. I didn't enjoy many of the performances, but that's par for the course for me....that's one reason I rarely watch Idol anymore! I did think Carrie's song and video with the kids was touching...and I laughed at Jack Black and the Stayin' Alive video and the Simpson's.....and I was quite impressed with Randy Jackson. The rest of the zero trio and Ryan....bleh....same old same old. But I think the show in general raised a lot of awareness for some very important causes, and lots of $$, so that's all good in my book. The one WTF moment for me (other than the suggestion that people could go to iTunes and download the Celine/Elvis duet...um, why not just watch the original '68 comeback special footage?) was the Annie Lennox BOTW. I mean, come on....there was an orchestra, there was a children's choir, it could have been perfect .....it was impossible for me to watch and enjoy, because nothing can compare to the Aiken version. YAY for NPR today! I am seriously not going to be getting any work done today, what with two freaking presales and a radio show to steam.....

Watch out for the precioussssssssssssssss ticketssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!! I found two unmarked envelopes in my mail yesterday, with pretties in side. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I watched IGB last night. I rolled my eyes a bit at Simon's reactions in Africa (he seemed more concerned for his own discomfort) and in America (duh, there are starving people here too) but overall, I didn't have a problem with the show in general. Ryan (who I normally dislike intensely) seemed fairly sincere. The contestants were pretty BLAH as usual, IMO. I am interested to see how they do with tonight's big special. I love Elvis so I hope they don't do something really tacky with his image. And I will be doing the happy dance the minute it ends, so we (and I use that in a very general way, not just this board but all boards) can MOVE ON and get back to Clay related topics. Because unless there is some sort of Clay mention tonight (and I'm still not ruling it out, but neither am I holding my breath waiting for it), I'm not really seeing the Clay relevance. I mean, we are in the midst of tour planning and ticket buying, but you wouldn't know it by doing a quick scan of most of the major boards....it's IGB, IGB, and more IGB. Ugh. Enough already. I wanna celebrate! :Tour3: :Tour3: :Tour3:

Who's in? I am! :Tour3:

*raises hand* Me, me me!!!!! I can't believe I'm doing two 3fers on this tour. Someone stop me. *crickets* Ooooooookay then. Enablers, all of you! Oooh, and WORD to the wise couchie above me. I just keep reading and shaking my head and trying not to comment, because when I do I get myself in hot water.

Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Knoxville TN?????? The day after Asheville, and right on our way home along I-75. Hard to pass up. :Tour3: :Tour3: :Tour3:

Yeah, that's how I feel, too. I don't care who watches or doesn't watch or donates or doesn't donate. I really don't think the aim is at "us" anyways.....I think the aim is for people who don't already give to maybe make their first donation. I think many of "us" (Clay fans) already give to causes that are near and dear to our hearts. I still hope the show brings in mucho $$$ though and I plan to watch, just out of curiosity. AI outfits? That's hard to choose! I watched Clay's AI performances *twice* this weekend, just for fun. I would probably have to go with the Solitaire shirt (I think it was just plain black) because that was my "moment" on AI2. You know......the one that sent me over the edge. I hope we hear a final total from the Afghanistan appeal today. And maybe....just maybe....Clay might blog about it? please, please, please I was also wondering if anyone remembers just how long before the start of the Jukebox Tour we found out about the theme? I know I've read elsewhere that the press release didn't go out until about 2-3 weeks prior to the start, but I remember Clay giving an interview and talking about "Americana" long before that. Anyone know? ETA: I found the first reference to "Americana" was on March 24th, but it was a mention by Linda Loveland. By April we seemed to know about the Jukebox theme. So I'm wondering if Clay might maybe give an interview in which he mentions the tour with more specifics, soon.....once all the focus is off of the Unicef drive and IGB, of course.

No... Nope. Haven't done it yet this year, but I'll get there.

Clay memorbilia that I can't part with? The framed mosaic I won at a ATDW CD release party. My framed copy of the Rolling Stone cover (even though it isn't signed). All my concert programs and keychains. All my concert t-shirts (especially the red one from the NaT that says Raleigh NC on it). My concert tickets. My BAF programs and all my magazines, especially the ones where he is on the cover. My posters. Hee, I have a very large clack keeper under my bed. It's all precious to me. That is just the perfect depiction for many poddies, who post the same convoluted theories over and over and over again, even when logic defies them. Thanks!

As much as I plan to watch IGB, I won't be voting (live in Canada but I probably wouldn't anyways) and I doubt I'll be giving. I have other charities that I donate to, when I can. BAF & Unicef, obviously, but I have also discovered another charity that I consider extremely worthy and tangentially related to Clay's Afghanistan mission. It all started when I read this post: I picked up the book because I was curious, and I haven't been able to put it down since. Thanks, so much for the recommendation, muski!!! I wonder if Clay's read it.....if not, I bet he'd really find it enlightening. I finally finished it this morning, and went straight from the book to the computer to look up the website that has been created for the author's foundation, Central Asia Institute (CAI). I wrote a blog about it last week, but I updated it a bit this morning, if anyone is interested [hint]comments would be appreciated![/hint]

WORD! (bolding mine) I am so sick and tired of reading about how some people are pissed that he wasn't asked, when.....we don't have any idea what's gone on behind the scenes! I am not watching Idol this season but I plan to watch IGB this week, because it's for a good cause, and I'm interested to see how they portray it. I haven't given up on Clay being involved in some capacity. We had gorgeous, sunny weather yesterday! I was stuck inside for most of the day, cleaning out rooms to try and make room for my DD and her puppy who will be staying with us for a while. I did manage to grab the iPod and the pup and head out for a walk, though. Hope we get more of the same today (although I'm targetting the basement rec room this time). :F_05BL17blowkiss: to all.

Like, welcome, Totally! I was out all evening, but it's soooo great to come home to new video and screencaps and pictures and more video.......GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Love the coverage that ET gave him. Love the thank you video he recorded in Afghanistan. I don't for one second believe that he recorded it until he actually knew that we'd exceeded the goal, though. So I think that maybe he stayed in the country longer than we thought he did. And he talked about being there still when the VA Tech shootings happened, too. I hear that there was some different coverage on later versions of ET. I hope we get all the different versions!

WAAAAAAAAAAH! I can't get the video to play here at work. But it sounds great! Can't wait to see it tonight! ETA: I finally got it to work! Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! So great to see him and hear him again. He looks fantastic! God I miss him, and it's only been a few weeks. Is it summer yet? :Tour3: I don't necessarily mourn the beard. I did love the look, though. I am thrilled that I got to see it in person. I just love the way he can change his appearance on a dime. Who knows what we'll get this summer?

I'm not holding my breath, but the way she mentioned Clay at the end of yesterday's show, it sounded like he would be in the studio. If so, I'm more anxious (in a good way - EXCITED!!!1!!!11!) about his appearance (beard? clean shaven? hair?) than about what he's going to talk about.

Haven't seen this posted yet: Aiken show causes buzz at SSO Wheeee! for Syracuse! Can't wait as this will be my first concert. On the topic of the Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX: You know.....as much as I can understand the reservations about attending an outdoor concert in Texas in July (especially for those with health problems).....I keep seeing people angsting about the soccer game and the fireworks and how a symphony concert won't fit in with that crowd. To me, the organizers obviously know that it's a symphony concert, so they wouldn't have booked it unless they had some pretty good reasons to think it would fly. They're out to make money, after all! And the fact that it's the FIRST concert should be a draw all unto itself! I'd give my eye teeth to attend a first concert on any tour. So I'm confuzzled about people not wanting to attend....

This is cool. I also hope that they are going to do the M&G contests again this year through the OFC, for those of us who don't have (and frankly never will have) the kind of money to bid on these expensive auctions.

Well I'm glad they finally sorted it out, so people can start making their plans. Wait....maybe I shouldnt' be so hasty. I'd probably wait until I had my tickets in hand if I were planning to book a flight or anything.... I do think the Pizza Hut Park concert on the 4th will be a "real" concert. I hope that it attracts a lot of local people, because I'm not seeing too many fans talking about going. Wonder if there'll be clack, considering it's opening night and all....I sure hope so! They also put the Sterling Heights concert up on the Tour page. Yay! Considering the venue is telling people that the OFC presale is next Thursday. :Tour3:

Wow, front row?!?!? That's awesome! I have great seats for both shows (and of course Chatauqua is general admission). I can't believe the good ticket karma that I've seen around for this tour. It's amazing! :Tour3:

Wheeeee, I love it! Can't wait! couchie, thanks for the blog link. Great job! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Now that I officially have tickets to all 3 of these shows, I just wondered if anyone else here was also doing one or all? From what I've read around other boards, there are going to be a LOT of Canadians in attendance! July 19th - Syracuse July 20th - Rochester July 21st - Chatauqua :Tour3: