bottlecap

HAPPY HALLOWEEN AND ALMOST JNT05! Yes, Christmas is coming quickly on the heels of Halloween this year, but don't despair. The haunted house atmosphere you spent so much time creating for Halloween can easily be extended into the Christmas season. Just exchange the witch's pointy black hat for a jaunty red Santa's hat, and replace the cider in her cauldron with eggnog. Her black cat will look quite fetching in his lovely red velvet bow. Slap a pair of earmuffs and some skates on Frankenstein, and he's good to go Why not add some shiny holiday ribbons and bows to the mummy's plain white wrappings? The skeleton will be very festive draped with garlands, and if you're feeling particularly whimsical, you can place a couple of ornaments in the eye sockets, and perhaps a sprig of mistletoe between his teeth. A sprinkling of red and green glitter will make the spiders sparkle as they scuttle around in the twinkling lights. Don't forget the bats' roost - toss some tinsel up there! If you have the patience, there's no reason the Wolfman can't be taught to bark along with the classic all-dog rendition of "Jingle Bells". [A word of advice - add some jingle bells to Wolfie's collar; he tends to try to stalk and eat the reindeer.] A few tucks here and there along with the addition of a top hat will transform a ghost into Frosty - he can even hold the witch's broom! Take the time to reassure Dracula that he remains dead sexy, even if he's wearing an elf's pointy hat and jingle bell shoes. If you promise Vlad an extra pint or two of O+, he might let you display your collection of Clay Christmas pins on his waistcoat. Finally, those haunted house sounds can be useful background cover for you while you listen to the cellcert. Any moaning noises can be blamed on the ghouls on the CD.

Ansa, my heart was in my throat there for a moment when I started to read your post about ATCA - I was afraid it was going away like Airplay Central. Instead we get the very happy news about faster access. Awhooo Hoooo! It's was very frustrating to see Clack alerts at the CH, and then have to wait for the clips to be available, sometimes days later, at ATCA. I consider that site to be a huge public service to the Clay Nation, and have been donating regularly. __________________________________ In other news, I am finally the proud owner of my very own "Clay A(sqiggle)", as my Easton Press Learning to Sing was delivered today, complete with a Certificate of Authenticity. The actual signature looks like it was done in blue ballpoint pin. It's not: Bottle Cap Use Your Voice Clay A(squiggle) - like some people received (cough*the admin formerly known as couchtomato*cough), but at least it's also not: Bottle Cap SHUT.UP.ALREADY. Everyone at FCA And, yes, this is the fourth version of the book I have purchased: The hardcover and CD from Amazon, the hardcover from Target because the Amazon order didn't come promptly and I had to have it right away, and now the $84.00 leatherbound version. I won't even pretend I'm hesitating about buying at least one paperback copy when that comes out in November. All those copies, and I've only read and listened to the darn thing once.

There are some lapel pin collections up on eBay - proceeds to the BAF.

One hundred limited edition ornaments? Eight versions? I have been off the boards all afternoon, and I don't know if I want to dive in and see the reaction to this special offer or not. Yikes!!!

Awhooo Hoooo! JNT05 is almost here! I was wondering about the Clack situation for the first few shows, so I took a quick glance at the representin’ list at the Clack House. Another Awhooo Hooo, and a few dancing bananas for the names on that list! Providing there’s no drastic Clackdown in store, there should be some primo videos coming. I guess I need to get serious about getting the hard drive cleaned up this week-end. I am kind of wondering if I will be doing as much downloading this time around, though. If the show has more of a script, will there be all those instances of impromptu banter and such? I suspect there might be less microphone humping and back-up singer grinding, but I guess you never know. Maybe I will need to see every MDYK from every venue. Looking at the schedule of concerts, I also guess I should do some heavy duty house-cleaning this week-end. By the time Christmas rolls around, I may have to pass off the dust bunnies as cotton snowballs and the dust as festive flocking. I bet a little glitter tossed on the spider webs would really brighten up those dark corners.

A link to the 10/27 interview on the KTLA website.

Link to order the edition of Today's Christian with Clay on the cover. Watch the delivery charges though, First Class is cheaper than Ground, but it's still $4.00 on a $2.95 magazine.

A heads up for fans of U2 and Bono: Rolling Stone has an excerpt of a lengthy interview Jann Wenner did with Bono here. It's pretty wide ranging - family, musical influences, religion, etc. The full interview looks like it's in the Nov. 3, 2005 issue. There's also a link to a podcast. Clay Content: One more week until the JNT05! Awhhooo HOOOO! Am I going to get whacked for all these consecutive posts? Where is everybody anyway?

HA HA [tm Mr. UNICEF Ambassador and Trick or Treat spokesman]. I love those hysterical Broads. On a related topic, at the concert this summer, my sister wanted to know what the pin with the purple tie represented. So I'm trying to talk quietly into her ear, as I didn't really want to scream out "Lecherous Broads for Clay Aiken!" She seemed to have a hard time comprehending it. Well, maybe not so much after she saw the concert.

This might get the Stub Hub bidding on the front row seats revved up a bit. buzztechie, this just cries out for a photoshop:

I'm just hoping somebody in the pit will be a pal, and grab me a couple of shirt buttons or a maybe back pocket or something as a souvenir. I am holding tight to my penguin participation fantasies, at least until Vancouver.

buzztechie, I am a little concerned that the typical Christmas concert attendees won't be familiar with the concept of stage diving and crowd surfing and won't be willing to pass Clay back like they should. On the other hand, this fandom is known for its generosity and willingness to share.

I listened to MCWL the other night, but I don't think I'm quite ready yet to make the transition from Hawt Rockin' JBT Clay to JNT05 Crooning Clay. Do you think Clay would have any objection to adding some edgier punk elements to JNT05? Based on the poster picture from last year, we already know that Clay seems to consider a mohawk to be appropriately festive. Clay could combine that hairstyle with the black leather jacket from the JBT and make his big entrance on a Harley, accompanied by his his penguin posse and some hoochy elf chicks. The stage setting could be a bustling street scene, with a line of beautifully decorated shops. Clay, posing as a street performer, could distract the shoppers with his rendition of "Don't Save It All for Christmas Day", while the penguins slip in amongst the crowd and steal their wallets. The "Father Christmas" (by the Kinks) vignette would be all about the elves robbing the street corner Santa of his bell and kettle. West Side Story showed us that you can portray gang violence with music and choreography. I'm visualizing the penguins and the elves mixing it up to "Winter Wonderland", while Jerome is out in the audience committing acts of violence on the blatant camera flashers. I'm betting it could be made very dramatic, with lots of red and white lighting effects simulating blood on the snow. WDC could be modified slightly to be "When Penguins Cry". Clay and Angela already make it look like a mating dance. The next step would be for Angela to actually present Clay with an egg for him to incubate on top of his flippers. The first act could close with a punk electronica mash-up "Whatcha Doin' New Year's Eve, 'Cause I'll Be Watchin' Ya in Yer Room". Clay flashes his Mr. Grinch tattoo and stage-dives into the Orchestra / mosh pit. No? Well, it was just a thought.

Ms. Marmalade from the Clack House posted the Paul Smith UK sock link. They cost 13 British pounds, or about $23.00. Dude, do you know how many pairs of nice black socks you could get at Wal-Mart for that kind of dough? Wonder how long it will take the Clay Nation to burn through all the bandwidth on that poor girl's website. It took the site a long time to load when I first clicked on the link this afternoon. I have never been so anxious to see a sock picture in my life. I'd be worried, but I suspect I'm not the only one....

If I understand you correctly, LuvTugs, you have a mysterious cough and you have been experiencing some penguin lovin'? Umm, did you consider maybe you have that "bird flu" the media is all in a twist about? Holy Crap, it's all part of the Penguins' plan for world domination!! [bottlecap backs cautiously away from LuvTugs, spraying Lysol as she goes. Time to run the anti-virus program. ]

Well, Tsathy has been extremely quiet as of late. Perhaps it's time for a new contender in the fight for world domination to step up to the plate. Resistance is futile!!!! FLIGHTLESS WATERFOWL OF THE WORLD UNITE!!!!!! HERRING WILL BE EVERYWHERE!!!!!!! MMMMWWWWAAAAHHH HHHHAAA HHHAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

diamondjake2001. what a great post! I wonder how many other potential fans are out there, just needing to be hit with the Aiken charm and wit and that hawt rockin' concert persona to be drawn into the fold.

Humm, Vancouver concert reports, starting at 12:30am for me, with work the next day.... I think I'll have to miss out on that live, and catch up on the reports the next day. I highly enjoyed the rush of the JBT opener this year, what with trying to keep up with the reports on three boards and all the constant refreshing. I especially enjoyed opening the Clackhouse the next morning, and getting the wind knocked out of me by snowdrop's gorgeous and unexpected picture of Clay on top of the piano. However, I wonder if the JNT05 will be harder to capture live than the JBT was. I'm not on the cellstream, so I don't know how much commentary normally gets done in the course of the concert. In the case of the Christmas concert, I would think descriptions of the sets and costumes would be pretty important, and those might not be possible until the intermission or after the show. On the other hand, the gist of the vignettes should be apparent fairly quickly. I guess I have a couple of weeks to waver back and forth about my decision. Either way, EEEEEEE! for the possibility of fresh Clack!

bottlecap high fives the Great Pumpkin, and crosses the first request off her list. Now, how about concentrating on those black pants?

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_...elease_id=98426

The Joyful Noise Tour is rapidly approaching, so I think it's time to send another letter to the Great Pumpkin with my requests. Dear Great Pumpkin: Big Guy, I realize Christmas is not really your holiday, but since the Joyful Noise Tour 2005 starts right after Halloween, I thought you might be available to take care of some requests for me. (Let's be honest - we all know you've outsourced most of the candy distribution process to Wal-Mart, so I'm betting you've got some time on your hands right now.) First of all, could you light a fire under Roger W. so that press release gets out there? The Clay Nation is getting more than a little restless for some new information, and we all know that things can get a a tiny bit ugly at times like these. Next, can we talk tour wardrobe? Two words - Black Pants [see JNT2004 and JBT2005 for reference material on this. There may be one or two (cough*million*cough) pictures available, if you need some examples of what I would like to see.] And if a nice, strokable, red velvet Santa Clay suit could be worked in there somehow, I would have no objection. I have, after all, been a very good girl this year and am sure to be on Santa's nice list. Do you have any influence over the animal kingdom? If so, can you make sure the dancing penguins get along okay with the eight tiny reindeer? Now, this is a very important part, so please do your best. CLACK - there needs to be a lot of it, and it needs to be good [Again, see JBT2005 for reference.] While you're making your rounds on Halloween, maybe you could drop some essentials into the trick or treat bags of our tremendous Clack gathers: camera batteries, memory cards, and multi-vitamins. After all, the videographers need make sure that they keep building up that upper body strength. "God forbid the Clack skip around" [TM the in no way elf-like CHA] And because there are those that deserve tricks rather than treats: Unscrupulous Ticket Brokers - I'm thinking an attack by a flock of rabid blood-sucking vampire bats would be deliciously ironic. I'll trust your judgment on that. And how about striking the camera flashers with a bolt of lightening? I think that might be better for them in long run, if the alternative is having the rest of the audience go all "Clay Aiken Fan" on their asses for bringing on another Clackdown. GP, buddy, you're the man, and I'll know you'll come through for me on this. Give my best to Mrs. Pumpkin and all your little squashes, and let Santa Claus know he may be hearing from me soon about the new CD. Regards, bottlecap

Clay just did a very short blog entry to drop off this website: www.guluwalk.com It relates the an effort to raise awareness in North America about the "night commuters" in Uganda.

I am using a bulletin board to display my pins, along with my concert paraphernalia from this summer. The centerpiece is the Clay pennant I got at the concert pre-party, along with my ticket stub, and pictures I downloaded from the concert. The pins are all scattered around randomly around those items, and they are starting to get a little crowded! I haven’t decided what to do with the Holiday pins yet, but I may look for a Christmas bear (or penguin ), that I can display the pins on.

I have read the MOAM anniversary posts with great interest. Thanks for posting your stuff - I missed out on the community experience the first time around, and it's great to be able to pick it up now. It also kind of blows me away that we all have such vivid memories about our individual experiences from TWO YEARS AGO. I couldn't tell you what I was doing two weeks ago at this time [well, surfing would be a good guess]. What is it about the skinny, dorky, red-headed pasty white boy from that TV show that provokes such similar responses from such a diverse group of people? I am doing a little jacket flip and leg kick instead of waving at you all. Shirt tugs and microphone humps all around!

Ms. Tomato, you know I have a Paypal account, and I definitely know how to use it. If you've got some goods, I've got the funds.... [PM me!] LuvTugs, the sight of your screen name in conjunction with a BWAH is strangely satisfying, isn't it? So, I was panicking about not be able to access the Clack House this morning. From a thread at Clayversity, it looks like it's not just me, and that maybe they are having server issues. Darn, I guess that means it's time for me to get up off the couch, change out of my pajamas (No, I'm not normally still wondering around in my pj's at 10:25am. Unlike Clay, I don't consider pajamas to be streetwear.), and go do some housework. By the way, my order from Clique is showing a shipping date of Monday the 17th, which would be a week after I ordered. I'll be interested to see if that's an actual shipping date, or if it's like the mythical August 26th shipping date on my original order.