#2 - Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

[bottlecap]

Well, I was having a pretty good Mother's Day until I signed into my e-mail this afternoon and got the message from Amazon that the Clay Aiken Calender was not going to be available after all. I don't know what's up with that - you'd think it would be a no-brainer, snap some pics, and printed it dealie. I'm a little weary about being jerked around by Team Clay (or whomever) over something that should be so simple.

[Ansamcw]

Well, I was having a pretty good Mother's Day until I signed into my e-mail this afternoon and got the message from Amazon that the Clay Aiken Calender was not going to be available after all.    I don't know what's up with that - you'd think it would be a no-brainer, snap some pics, and printed it dealie.  I'm a little weary about being jerked around by Team Clay (or whomever) over something that should be so simple. 

I have a feeling it has something to do with the whole image and marketing of the next cd. Maybe they are not quite sure of what the right image for Clay would be and since the CD is not quite set yet they decided to put a hold on it. I suspect we will get it sometime and maybe it will be offered as new item for the fanclub.

[playbiller]

Well, this person who generally does not care is starting to feel a "leetle" piqued.

I guess I will go play with my dog again for a while to get perspective.

[bottlecap]

Well, since we're starting the last two weeks of AI hype, I suppose that precludes Roger W. from issuing any kind of substantive press release about another client. It sure would be nice, though, to have word of a fabulous new CD from Clay available to include in the inevitable mentions he gets. When I think of how often Clay's name came up on the articles on Chris Daughtery, it seems like it was a missed opportunity. Oh, well, what do I know.....

[playbiller]

Heh, I don't do "marketing". There are enough amateurs doing that already, they don't need me chiming in.

[bottlecap]

Well, yeah. I don't run a record label either, but I have internet access and an opinion, so I feel like I'm entitled to spout off from time to time. I figure AI in general and Clay in particular are my "Team", and if sports fans are allowed to armchair quarterback, yell at the refs, and give unsolicted and uneducated advice to the coachs, I should be able to also. I find always sitting on the sidelines and cheerleading to be a little too limiting right now. YMMV, and all that. It's all good.

Hee. You can only talk about hair and pants for so long without needing some new material...

[Ansamcw]

For sure...well, you need to be cheering about something to be able to cheer in the sidelines .

I think the ideal situation would have Clay making an appearance in one of these final AI result shows. That is why I think the hold up is on Clay's end, on the creative side of the CD not on the label side. I guess that is why even if I am really missing him and getting very impatient for something, I am not getting peeved at TC or RCA. IF the product is not ready, then they can;t promote it. I think they thought with a lot of covers it would be easy to finish. I just think that now...Clay is getting more picky about it so that the product is really good. To me...this is the only acceptable reason for this long delay.

However...at this time, I would rather see a fall release. Release a single over the summer...have Clay do a few shows where he preveiws the material...not to full fledge tour yet...Let him make appearances that today or GMA concert series...do some radio concerts...then release in Mid September.

If they plan any seummer releases, then they should start making some noise this week. This will keep Clay from getting overlooked by the AI news Since the big buzz will be next week...If we don;t hear anything this week...then I hope they wait until all the AI hoopla is over so that brings us to news around early June.

[playbiller]

Ahem - I was talking about ME, not Bottlecap, not Ansamcw, but Me-ee-ee!.

Sheesh.

So is anyone downloading the links I put up for Idol extra?

[Ansamcw]

So is anyone downloading the links I put up for Idol extra?

I do want to see the idol extra but unfortunately my HD is groaning...not enough space. sniff...I am reserving my HD for clack and Audio books...

Can this show be seen in Canada?

[playbiller]

Nope, the idol extra is not in canada.

You can always do what I do - download and delete. I have a junk directory and download all the stuff I don't want to keep into there. When I need space - I delete the entire directory. whoosh!

[playbiller]

FYI - here is a link for appleselling Clay.

[bottlecap]

Well, that was a very nice little blog there, Clay. Now knock it off, log off, and get back to work, ya big goof.

[Ansamcw]

CLAY BLOGGED

No CD news though...but he answers the question about his least favorite food...

oh and he talks about his visit to the school in CT that won the UNICEF trick or treat drive. There will be more pictures of that later ...

still cute as always...I love how natural he is in these blogs. No PR person is writing these blogs for sure.

[bottlecap]

Geez, he looks so young and positively "Teacherly" in those new pictures. What might have been, huh?

Now, Clay, dude, did that little trip remind you of what a thrill it is to hold an enthusiastic crowd in the the palm of your big white hand? Hmmm? Now just replace the faces of those kids with the sight of your ticket-buying fans who are just dying to fling their money at you and scream their freakin' heads off. Remember them?

[muskifest]

Geez, he looks so young and positively "Teacherly" in those new pictures.  What might have been, huh?

Now, Clay, dude, did that little trip remind you of what a thrill it is to hold an enthusiastic crowd in the the palm of your big white hand?  Hmmm?  Now just replace the faces of those kids with the sight of your ticket-buying fans who are just dying to fling their money at you and scream their freakin' heads off.  Remember them? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Exactly! And since he made a reference to 'that dude needs to shave' at the end of his blog... I started my response post with

"That dude doesn't need to shave. That dude needs to get his cute lil' butt back on tour!"

I have to schedule my life, you know. :glare:

[Ansamcw]

I know this is not TAR...but YAAAAAAAY when I saw the task I knew they will win it.

yipeeeee!!!!!!

[playbiller]

Hee, me too, me too/ But sionce people know who we cheer for, Eep! Just gave it awAY.

Where is the third couple?

[playbiller]

for the people (us) who did not watch AI yesterday, Gerwhisp of CB capped Clive's speech and I put it in my file area - link

This link can be copied and brought to other sites.

Edited May 18, 2006 by playbiller

[bottlecap]

What a great article for a change (google searches have been a tad tiresome lately...)

Darien Times

‘Idol’ surprises Middlesex

By Susan Shultz

Who was it?

Last Wednesday, Middlesex Middle School was getting ready for a big event. The students just didn’t know how big. They knew that Unicef representatives were coming to be formally presented a check for more than $14,000 from the school — the No. 1 fundraiser in the country. The kids knew there would be a special guest star. But who was it?

Stephanie Ko, 14, said that all day, there was a buzz of guesses.

“We thought maybe Shakira, and some of the teachers were guessing Ricky Martin,” she said.

Principal Debi Boccanfuso participated in the guessing, which was not easy, since she had known for two months that the guest would be “American Idol” contestant and pop singing star Clay Aiken, who is the U.S. ambassador for Unicef.

“That was the fun part, keeping it a secret,” she said.

Heath Cockrell, 13, said that Boccanfuso had been impressive at concealing the star upon his arrival.

“You were really good at hiding Clay Aiken once he got here, where was he?” she asked.

Boccanfuso said Aiken had only arrived a half hour before the ceremony which helped conceal his identity.

Heath said the students really had no idea who to expect.

“We didn’t know if it was going to be a celebrity or maybe a head person at Unicef,” Patrick McDonald, 12, said.

The ceremony started at 2 o’clock, which he said gave the students almost the whole day to guess.

By the time students were settled into the ceremony, the excitement was at an overflow level, Stephanie said.

“When he walked in, people went crazy!” she said.

Patrick said it sounded like a rock concert.

“There were hundreds of high pitched screams,” he said.

Students who had guessed Aiken was a possibility had made signs, Heath said.

“They had signs that said ‘Aching for Aiken’.”

The students said they were also impressed with Aiken’s bodyguard, who was “always nice but very tall.”

Aiken gave the students some math problems to solve, which illustrated the many uses of the funding raised by Middlesex students.

“It was about what we could do with the money,” Stephanie said.

Greg Kelly, 14, said that examples included school supplies, vaccinations, and dehydration packets.

“Also it could pay for water purification tablets and tents,” Patrick said.

Unicef, which was founded in 1946, helps save, protect and improve the lives of children in 155 countries and territories by providing immunization, education, health, health care, nutrition, clean water, and sanitation.

Boccanfuso said that some of the problems were pretty tough.

“There were four of us doing thve same math problem, we got it eventually,” Stephanie said.

The students said they were all impressed with how “nice” Aiken was.

“He was so down to earth and normal,” Heath said.

Aiken did not sing at the event, which Boccanfuso said was because he wanted to make the event about the kids.

“It’s about you guys,” he said to the students.

“He was there just to spread the message,” Stephanie said.

The students raised the money by taking Unicef boxes during their Halloween trick or treating, collecting in homerooms, as well as having three days of bake sales.

“The fund-raising was fun, low key, no pressure,” Heath said.

Stephanie said the low pressure aspect of the fundraising was what made it so successful.

The Unicef fundraising is a school tradition at Middlesex — and it always places in the top one or two schools in the country — but this was the first year a formal ceremony took place. In support of the fund-raising efforts, Proctor & Gamble also donated $150,000 to Unicef.

The students hope to continue their tradition at Middlesex next year, except for Stephanie and Greg, who will be heading to high school in the fall.

“Maybe we’ll start a Unicef collection there,” Stephanie said.

Boccanfuso seemed as thrilled as the students when talking about meeting Clay Aiken.

“He gave me two kisses and three hugs!” she said.

Katie Scolari Borden, manager of Trick or Treat for Unicef, praised Middlesex students for their consistent hard work raising funds for Unicef.

“Middlesex Middle School has been a tremendous supporter of Unicef for many years. Their dedication and compassion toward the world’s less fortunate children are a shining example of what kids can do,” she said.

It's not often (or ever) that I've been jealous of a grade school principal....

[Ansamcw]

Yup...good to be a school pricipal...I think she may be a claymate.

[bottlecap]

Another day and still waiting for real news.....

Anyway, promosquad was giving me weird stuff this afternoon: A Howard Jones tune from the 80s, a Luther Vandross song, and a Todd Rundgren song from the 70's, I think. What's up with that? The Howard Jones one I could maybe understand, because I think he is touring again and might have a new album coming out, but the others were kind of "Huh?". [And I might possibly have shaved a few years *coughtwentycough* off my age when I signed up, so I hesitate to let on that I'm pretty familar with the older stuff.] Also, I'm not digging the change in the Fame Gauge from racking up points to being entered in drawings instead. Good thing I had just cashed in the 5,000 points I had accrued.

Clay content: I sure would like to see a new TV or Live appearance soon. I don't think we have ever gone so long without a public appearance of some kind - it's been a long time since Dec. 30th.

[Ansamcw]

Hey Bottlecap...someone from the OFC just mentioned hearing those older songs too on promosquad...I guess she is wondering if it is connected in any way to Clay's CD...

I know we are grasping at straws here!!!!

I was hoping Clay woudl be kind enough to release some real news this week since I am home alone for the whole week...I have lots of time to just speculate on all kids of things on Clay. Unfortunately...all we have is Paula and LK talking about Clay on LKL...and of course the upcoming AI finale...but they are not as exciting as Clay news...

[bottlecap]

As much as I like to think it's true, not all roads lead to Clay....

I wonder if they put older stuff on for the benefit of the oldies / classics radio stations formulating their playlists. I can't come up with any other logical reason for rating the really old stuff - unless it's just filler for the promosquad jukebox. I'm just grateful not to have a bunch of rap crap to rate. I feel like I'm making more productive use of my surfing time if I can multitask, so I guess I'll keep rating. [Arrghh - Nickelback again - hate the lead singer's gravelly voice and the testosterone-driven lyrics.]

I keep forgetting to sign up for the preferred listener dealie for the local hot AC station that I normally listen to at work. That might actually prove to be useful when the CD finally drops, as I think they have songs to rate from time to time. I'd like to tell them how I turn my radio off whenever they play that annoying James Blunt song, or anything by JSimp.

Paula - whatever. :trink3: :704:

AI finale - the only former Idol I've seen announced for Wednesday is Carrie Underwear. Honestly, I think it would benefit Ruben to appear, and remind people that he still exists. (Unless they stick him with hosting Taylor's party in Birmingham.) I enjoyed last year's final results show where the contestants got to perform with real groups and musicians, but I haven't seen too much about what they have in store for this year. What I'll really miss is getting online to watch it with y'all. Maybe we'll need to sync up our AI2 DVDs and discuss them instead....

[Ansamcw]

OMG yes...I should revive the AI2 threads...maybe tomorrow.

But I will be free to watch lost and AI unless since they are on the same network in Canada...I doubt they will forego showing AI results like last week.

[playbiller]

Bo had to cancel a concert to appear on the finale

Edited May 21, 2006 by playbiller