ivy

One tiny insignificant little point is that no one knows how many comments that blogger received or the content of most of them. Yet it threw this fandom into a tizzy. And once again we're off to the races with name calling and lofty sounding posts to put down the great unwashed. Sigh.

The last couple of Broadway-related write ups have been fantastic. Love them.

This year it has been odd. We'll get 3 - 5 flies at once. We get rid of them and then it repeats a few weeks later. Last year I had new windows put in and I wonder if there were dormant fly eggs on one of the windows. I've been meaning to do some research. I generally keep the food covered anyway (old habit) but am even more careful now about not setting the table too early even in between episodes. There was an interesting online article about swatting flies the other day. Essentially they instinctively fly the opposite direction of danger and they are fast. That is the reason they are difficult to swat. So you have to move in the opposite direction at the last second to catch them. It does look like Clay is leaning back in that picture with Hannah. Maybe he is sitting on a counter in her dressing room. Aside from Clay, I like Hannah a lot. She is talented with a friendly, sweet personality. I'm so bored by our slick, manufactured talent these days. I watch old movies and the people are so much more interesting because of the variety. I would love to see more quirky, different people in the movies and on TV.

There was so much said here today that I agree with that it is impossible to quote it all. So a huge WORD to all the posts from this morning until now. I don't think I disagreed with one of them.

Some had Clay on a pedestal, some are missing the excitement of new things, some are just bitchy, some got into negative environments and were gradually influenced and I think others like to stir the pot - because they can. Sounds like a lot but I think we tend to notice these types of posts more. I'm a lot happier staying away from them and sticking to the newer boards like this one. It is hard to say how many have left but if you are on one of the negative boards, then it may seem like a lot of people are gone because posts are way down. Maybe a few left but I think it is difficult to assess. I know that I almost left the boards a couple of times myself but would still be a fan of Clay's. Well that's all I want to dwell on that topic. Off to look a Carolina Clay's new blog.

I wonder if they have any year-by-year comparison for the idol tours where they did some adjustment to allow for the number of shows, which varied, and the ticket prices.

Aw cotton, those emoticons are so cute. I won't go to the hater's or gossip's sites even if I am dying to see a picture or video. Once it's ripped though, I'll watch.

My reaction is probably most similar to K'Andre's. Even when my grown children make decisions that are different than what I would have made, I have never said anything negative to them about their choices. On the contrary, I have told them that they have different backgrounds and experiences and should not look to me to either validate their choices or to condemn them. I am happy to talk pros and cons about their choices but do not even try to hint that their choices are wrong. If asked, I state what my choice would be. It is their lives they are living, not mine. I think DH and I continually surprise our oldest by not sharing confidences with other members of the family. For example, they are expecting a baby. We did not tell anyone, thinking they would like the pleasure of that themselves. So long after they told us, they were surprised to find that my parents, sisters, brother and other family members had not yet been told. I would not have taken away their joy in telling others themselves for any reason. Does it upset me that people express disappointment in Clay's decision. No, not at all if it is done with respect. But the extreme negative posts that are dismissive, disrespectful, give religious reasons for being upset, and infringe on Clay's and Jayme's right to make their own decisions do bother me. After these people are done with Clay, will they come after me and mine next? Possibly.

I hear you aikim. After I read you post, I started thinking about family members and friends who are true Christians. They live their beliefs. It is doubtful that I would see any of them writing horrible posts condemning others on the internet. My conclusion is that they are not Christians in the true sense of the word. Maybe they go to church but they don't really buy into the precepts of their religion. You may be right about why this is happening. I can't figure it out. Harsh words take a toll and are hard to overcome. As OTT as some of the posts were, I can't see these people admitting they were wrong. I noticed that OMWH is back on AOL. Somehow I missed that they were back but my job is intense right now so I can't read as much as I used to on the boards. I didn't try to play them yet but they were listed again with the length of play time.

I agree with the posts saying that it isn't the disagreements that are so hard to take, it is the insult nature of them and outright rudeness. What seems to be forgotten is that many of us or our family members live lifestyles today very different from those expected in the 1950s. This is especially true of our children and their friends. It is a different world. I actually personally live a very conservative life but know many people who live differently today. I could tell you many stories about people with whom my husband or I worked, friends of my kids, and so on. I can't imagine that I'm the only one seeing a new society and one that is quite different from when I was young, although I now believe there were things hidden in that old society. I have to say the few extremist posts I have seen don't insult only Clay but many fans as well.

I'm going to have to check out some of those videos. The other night I stayed up playing Clay's songs on YouTube and it was way past my bedtime before I stopped.

Thanks for the tips djs111. I bet the problem is dust. The side of the computer was open for a long time and the inside of the computer is dusty. I don't care for those last photoshop pictures at all. I find them offensive because they are not of Clay and remind me about the false tabloid stories from two years ago. I'm looking forward to hearing something about Clay's next project and hope we hear something soon.

My husband and I went for a long walk. We were supposed to go canoeing but put it off until next week. I'm trying to be patient but it would be nice to hear something soon about Clay's next project. What does it mean when your PC starts to sound a little like a buzz saw? The sound is very low but different. It just started not 5 seconds ago.

I've never been much of a fan of anyone before but there are some songs that I love by Elvis. I thought the 50s & Elvis sections of JBT were brilliant.

My favorite look for Clay may be from when he went to Afghanistan. After that, perhaps the JBT look. What a contrast! My computer isn't keeping up with the boards lately. It can be slow when there are a lot of pictures. I guess it's time to think about buying a new one.