#1 - Ready for your constant state of celebration

[bonniemeadow]

bottlecap - Bwah! OMG, that's so clever.

I especially loved this part:

DS: First of all, she now wants to be known as Ruth Bader; she seems to have dropped the Ginsberg. 

I can't wait for the next part! I love courtroom sagas.

[Ansamcw]

BWAHVO...I love that Bottlecap...specially the cameo by Spot and the butt shot.

Diane S is sure fangirly...can;t wait for the court room scene.

[bottlecap]

Diane S is sure fangirly...

Small voice <Umm, that might be a case of the author projecting her own feelings onto the subject.> end SV

___________________________________________

So I actually watched Clack of the whole first half of the JNT, in order [Jojoct - Portland], instead of just bits and pieces. Again, it leaves me wondering just when my own personal hawt looking guardian angel is going to make an appearance. I bake cookies all the time, and my apron and pans don't mysteriously set themselves out ahead of time. I have to get the box of Christmas ornaments down from the attic myself. I've never danced with a dead guy. [Not that I particularly want to, but still.] I have been known to sing along to the radio, but I've never had an angelic voice join me in a duet. Apparently, my guardian angel is a major slacker.

And another quick observation on the white suit / black suit topic: In the Clack, the boots with the black suit make Clay's feet look especially large to me. They look like flippers, I tell ya! [Although, how can you not love a guy who just happens to carry around a cookie cutter in his breast pocket?]

[Ansamcw]

Oh my...the black or white debate...

I have been checking out the latest clack and they are now mostly in white...then I checked out Portland again...and I realize....the white suit is so much better. Clay really stands out more on it and he glows!!!! BUT black is sexy too...

I have to recommend...for a very different take on GN watch spooky's GN video from LA..I think its first night. Its a closeup of Clay in profile...and his face is in the light and shadow...its incredible just watching that.

[bottlecap]

I have to recommend...for a very different take on GN watch spooky's GN video from LA..I think its first night. Its a closeup of Clay in profile...and his face is in the light and shadow...its incredible just watching that.

The Aiken really does have some astonishing cheekbones, doesn't he?

[Ansamcw]

I wanted to share this beautiful recap of TwirlinJL from the CH:

Okay, I am nervous about my first official attempt at a recap, so please be gentle. I attended both shows in Los Angeles and also San Diego. These reflections are more through the eyes of others although I am sure I will add my own at the end.

Part 1-Los Angeles: twirlin's Mom and Dad get a well-deserved vacation.

I took my parents to these shows. My Mom attended the first night with me while Daddy rested in the hotel. Then all three of us attended the second night together. This was such an important trip for me because my parents needed to get away so badly. My older brother is terminally ill. We just don't know how much time he as left and the past two years has been rough on all of us. They are both huge Clay fans and it didn't take much to convince them to come. I made two predictions about my parents reactions to the concerts. Mom has seen Clay in concert twice before (the IT and last year's JNT). Both times we were seated far away and she has never seen him up close. Our seats for the first show at the Kodak were in row A and my prediction was that she would get all fangirly on me. Then my second prediction was that my Daddy would cry during MDYK. As it turns out, I know my parents very well.

After arriving and checking in, we got ready for the concert. We skipped the pre-concert party and just had dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen. This was selfish on my behalf because I wanted the time alone with them before our concerts began. We got Daddy settled in the hotel room and Mom and I headed to the Kodak. We were staying at the Renaissance, so we didn't have far to go. We found our row A seats and settled in. Mom was very taken by William Joseph. She kept remarking how young he was and was very moved by his performances. Then the show started. We were seated in the right orchestra section just off the center aisle. The first time Clay moved to our side, I glanced at my Mom. She had her hand on her cheek and a huge smile on her face. You all know the look...the swoony one. Just before that song ended, I looked at her again. She hadn't moved at all. She was just mesmerized. All through the show she was smiling. She would cheer and woohoo right along with everyone. When it was over, I asked her what she thought, she had no words. She loved it. All of it. And my heart was bursting. You see, my Mom hasn't been smiling much over the past couple of years because of my brother's illness. She told me later that it was so nice to feel "normal" again by getting dressed up and going out. She was so proud of Clay and continues to tease me by reminding me that she "saw him first on American Idol" before I did.

After the concert, Mom and I went to the lobby and caught up with our hometown boy, Jacob. I have talked with Jacob several times, but Mom had never met him. Even this part was thrilling for her. I took Mom back to the hotel room and headed out to the after party with boo7. It was wonderful meeting up with all the meers there. I made a beeline for my wonderful Central California friend Kathyd52 to hear about her meet and greet. She was gushing and retelling every detail. I was so happy for her. We all had a great time and I had trouble eating my island-sized apple crisp. And several meers had the same problem with the mountain portion of chocolate cake.

As the party was wrapping up, I stepped outside for a cigarette. Little did I know what was about to happen. A conversation that would blow me away. Please be patient, I want to highlight that separately. I will get that story up after I post this.

The next day was busy for me as my parents and I spent the day touring a college that my son has applied to in Santa Monica. My ex-husband brought my son down and we all met with the admissions advisor and began the financial aid process (uggggh!). Then my parents and I headed back to the Renaissance to get ready for the second concert. We attended the pre-concert dinner that California Clayfan did a marvelous job organizing. She is the perfect hostess.

We settled into our seats in the parterre section (thank you Kathyd52 for helping us get out of the balcony with the tickets). This concert was for my Daddy. And true to form he was very emotional. He used to sing in the choir at church while I was growing up and he cries when he hears Clay sing. Sure enough, during MDYK, the tears began to flow and we held hands. He loved the show too. He told me that Clay has never sounded better. My poor Mom was so exhausted from the day at the college that she nodded off during the show. She told me that Clay was singing a lullaby for her and she drifted off.

We all made our way back to the lobby after the show so that my dad could meet Jacob. He was thrilled and was very impressed with "Emmanuel". I made sure that my parents got back to the hotel room and settled in before heading to the after-party at the Hamburger Hamlet. Again...we laughed, drank, and ate desserts. I stayed away from the apple crisp this time and ordered a normal hot fudge sundae. I laughed my ass off at California Clayfan's reaction when she was presented the apple crisp that she ordered. Yep...I know the feeling honey!

So, this was the end of my LA leg of the trip. San Diego was next. I went to sleep that night with my heart full of joy. I kept thinking of how all this happens because of Clay. The magic of it all. What a gift!

More to come....I promise.

Here is my story. I hope I can capture the emotions that I felt afterwards. Here goes:

Part 2: Stunned on Hollywood Blvd

As I said, I stepped outside to have a cigarette while the rest of the meers were lingering and chatting away inside. As I lit my ciggy, I noticed a young man smoking too. He was a waiter who was taking a quick break. I made a snarky comment about being having to smoke outside. He laughed and asked me if I was part of the party going on inside for Clay. I said that I was. He told me that he had received tickets to the show along with a waitress from the restaurant and they attended the show together. I asked him what he thought of it. He got very serious and said, "You know, he has just made a fan out of me". I said, "Really?". He responded by telling me, "He is so humble...to share the stage with the actors, dancers and the back-up singers". I let him know that this is Clay's way. That Clay has always let the back-ups have a spot for a solo in previous tours. He became very animated and passionate, pointed across the street to the where the Kodak was, "He doesn't have to do THAT...with the position that he is in...to share the stage like THAT...how generous of him." I responded by telling him that it is one of the things I admire about Clay along with the gorgeous voice. I asked him what he knew of Clay before. He told me that he had seen him on AI, but not since then. He repeated that he was now a fan.

I honestly thought that this was going to be the extent of our conversation. Our cigarettes were extinguished by now. I told him how happy I was that he enjoyed the show. He then became emotional and a little rambly with his comments. It went something like this, "the show...the story...the message...don't save it all for Christmas Day thing...I needed to hear that". He took a deep breath and tried to collect himself, but it didn't work. The tears started with this, "I lost my father recently and I needed to hear that". I put my hand on his shoulder and told him how sorry I was. Still crying and shaking, he told me, "Thank you for the tickets...you have no idea how much it meant to me to see this". He then reached out for me and we embraced in a huge hug. He was crying and shaking in my arms saying, "Thank you, thank you". While hugging him and patting him on the back I told him that I wasn't the actual person that gave him the tickets, but was part of the wonderful community that did. He then looked me in the eye and pleaded with me, "Please tell them thank you, please." I assured him I would. I honestly can't tell you how many times he said that he needed to hear the message of the show.

After he finally collected himself a bit, I said to him, "Can you understand why we go to see Clay perform more than once?" He said emphatically, "Oh yes. If I could see it again, I would". I told him about the upcoming CD and to look for it. He said, "I definitely will". We then chatted about the fact that we would all be converging again the following night for dinner and an after party. I asked him if he would be working again. He said that he would be. I told him that I would see him then. He hugged me again and emotionally said, "Thank you...please tell them".

As I walked away with Kathyd52, her friend and boo7 (who had come out and only heard bits and pieces of it), I was stunned. I could only say, "My God!". I kept shaking my hands because I was overwhelmed. What struck me was the fact that this young man had focused on Clay, the man and the message of the show. He really was moved by it and I had the privilege of actually feeling it when he was in my arms while we were hugging. I have never felt that before...EVER. It was magical. And I couldn't get control of my emotions. I didn't know what to feel first. I felt like crying, then a split second later it would be pride at being a Clay fan, then it would shift to joy. And so on...and on. Back and forth. The other meers that were walking with me can attest to this fact.

So...on this evening of the first LA show, Clay had made my Mom smile with real joy for the first time in so long. And he moved a non-fan to tears. God! Talk about my heart bursting! It was magical.

[Couch Tomato]

Re: Finding Clay Aiken web site

We're moving servers. Hopefully there won't be an interruption but since I don't know what the hell I'm doing there just might be. Hopefully when everybody wakes up tomorrow they won't notice a thing and everything will be working. If not, we'll get it back as soon as posssible.

[bottlecap]

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Aiken is at an interesting point in his career, with just one solo album and one holiday album under his belt. Both were big successes, which means he has nowhere to go but down - eventually.

"I don't know if I see myself at a crossroads creatively. Who knows if I'll ever be accepted in the mainstream? I just wanna do things that I wanna do," he says.

"With the first album coming out as it did and then the Christmas album, I'm not gonna lie - I'm nervous. We have a good group of people in position to make (the next album) good. We're working on it now. But that's a lot to live up to. The first album did far better than I thought it would, and the Christmas one did far better than I thought it would, too. If this next album comes out and sells 300,000 in its first week, is that a failure? It's pretty good, but it's only half of what the first one did."

So the answer is to try to trust his instincts.

"I don't know that I'm ever gonna be cool. I'm not necessarily trying to be. I'm trying to be me," he says.

And he appreciates what he's learning. A criticism of American Idol is that it promotes singers over musicians, producers, songwriters, etc. Aiken has renewed respect for those people.

"I have nothing but respect for producers. I could never do what producers do. And, Lord, I wish I could play an instrument besides the spoons. I can't even play a tambourine," he says.

"I'm gonna get in so much trouble here, but I'm gonna say what I think. I don't know that the majority of America buys the producer. My very uneducated self didn't buy the producer. I have a lot more respect for what producers do now, now that I listen to music in a different way."

I'd love to hear this conversation live, and whatnot. The guy is just too cute.

[Ansamcw]

I really love it when he speaks his mind. He cannot even play the tambouringe...bwah...

He is so cool in his uncoolness... he will just be himself...

[Ansamcw]

From MsMarmalade form the CH...a summary of Clay's interveiw on Vancouver TV:

Omni Interview recap (Note: The following is paraphrased only......it's not a transcript):

Wow! Talk about Mr. Chatterbox!

I couldn't keep up with my notes.

-Showed bits of the Invisible video.

-Mentioned MOAM double platinum.

-Talked about AI and "losing" and seeing the card.

-Talked about friendship with Ruben.

-Has now passed all expectations.

-Voice captured the hearts of his fans.

-Here in Vancouver for the Joyful Noise Tour (looks like interview is at Jaymes Foster's house).

-Wearing a navy blue hoodie with "Yale" on the front and jeans.

-Opportunities from AI to sing, travel, talk about important subjects and meet so many people he never would have otherwise met.

-Career - doesn't want to limit himself. Doesn't set 5 or 10 year goals. Wants to be open to opportunities.

-Interested in disability inclusion, Unicef, literacy, education. Lots of other causes he'd like to get involved in but he can't constantly ask people to donate money.

-Wants work to be acceptable to kids and parents.......somewhat a role model.

-Who taught this to him? Nobody in particular.....family, friends etc.

-Very lengthy conversation about Uganda and Unicef. Discussed night commuters and the LRA. Talked about how he learned that sometimes politics plays too large a part in these issues and the media in the western world don't cover these stories because they're not juicy enough so nobody knows about the plight of those in Uganda. It's been going on for 18 years.

-Use your voice to affect change.

-Raleigh was there (wow, has she ever gotten fat!) and is his girlfriend right now. She's not as high maintenance.

-MOAM-constantly surprised at the success. Same 5000 people come to concerts and buy albums. Pressure to top previous success. If only 300,000 copies of the next CD sell in the first week would that be considered a failure. For most people that would be great but comparatively who knows? Catch 22.

-Depends on how you define failure.

-If the album represents him in a good and honest way then it's successful.

-If it doesn't sell well then that's God's way of saying to do something different.

-The interviewer quoted his liner notes thanking God. He is very cognizant of who is responsible. Every day is a gift from God......provident direction.

-Type of woman he would like to develop a relationship with - some characteristics like his mom.......strong, independant, supportive. Be passionate about something and have interests. Doesn't have to be the same as his just don't be a "limp noodle."

-Fans that scream and follow him. That would be an example of a dependant relationship. Doesn't see something like that developing into a longterm situation.

-Aside to interviewer....."Do you hear my stomach growling?" Hee!

-Interviewer concluded and thanked him. Mentioned tour and that she loves his heart and he's a "good dude". They mention the most loved reality TV star thing.

Altogether it was about 20 minutes I think. I have it on tape if nobody else gets it.........

He spoke a mile a minute and went on and on and on...........

[ldyjocelyn]

I'm trying to be me

I've always said to myself that if I ever did get a chance to meet Clay, I would tell him "thank you for being you." That, to me, is the highest compliment that I could give him. I'm glad he feels that this is what he can do.

The Rocky Mountain News article is a wonderful example of "priming" -- basically letting the fans know that he'll be OK if he doesn't sell nearly as many CD's the first week for this album as he did for the others. He also knows full well the way the media is going to treat the album if it doesn't sell as well too. He's basically going into a very uncertain time with his eyes open, as best he can.

I can't wait to see this Canadian interview.

[Ansamcw]

Some of the most memorable TV Clack come from Canada. I wonder if the reason he does not usually talk about Uganda is political. He talks about it enough to Cnadaian media but we haven't heard much from the US. Maybe that is why he sounds so frurtrated about the situation..Of course aside from the fact that it si a very twrrible thing to see in person I am sure.

Yeah...Clay being himself is the best thing of all...

[Ansamcw]

Another version of Vancouver interview from Psalm42 at CB:

behold I awoke with Clay being interview already , so while I missed about 5 minutes of it , I will try to encapsulate in a nutshell what was said .

Clothing Attire: Clay was in a navy -hooded sweatshirt and had no rooster hair , but nice and wavy ...no spikes !

Wearing jeans , did not see his socks and of course wearing the most gorgeous smile seen a mile away !!

First Segment: Clay was talking about his UNICEF work and how passionate he was about doing something concerning all the attrocities over there. Said at one point "SEE I CAN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT IT WITHOUT GETTING ANGRY"~! Very matter-of-fact saying it is beyond what he could comprehend or fathom of the rapes of children etc. (This is the part that I missed a lot of )

Second Segment: Was on a more personal level . The woman interviewing Clay sounded VERY MUCH impressed with Clay . They first talked about his CD and she mention about him selling huge amount over 600,000 and commended him , asked if this would be hard to top.

Clay said this is what is concerning him , saying ""I MEAN HOW DO YOU TOP THAT?" He is convinced that it is the same 5,000 people buying his CD

"There will be those that say if I sell any less than the first one , it will not be as good " IT IS A CATCH 22 SITUATION !

The interviewer then asked Clay if he was afraid of 'failure' , of this being all gone tomorrow .

Clay responded by saying ...."IT DEPENDS ON HOW YOU DEFINE FAILURE" "To me failure is not putting out a good product .....not doing the best that I myself can do or not staying true to myself and my values . " I want to be a good role model" and if this does not live up to that standard , then that is failure . "IF IT DOES NOT SELL WELL ....IT IS GOD TELLING ME TO GO BACK TO TEACH

He also said that no matter if the CD sells over 300,000 and he said (that's pretty good isn't it ?) they will say that is not good enough .

The woman then says that Clay is very congnicent of whom he owes his success to . Clay says ..

"RIGHT"...EVERY DAY IS A GIFT FROM GOD " IT IS UP TO YOU WHAT YOU DO WITH IT ! "AGAIN PEOPLE MAY THINK IT SHORT-SIGHTED OF ME , BUT I DONT MAKE 10 YEAR GOALS , I DON'T MAKE 5 YEAR GOALS, I WANT TO BE WHERE GOD WANTS ME TO BE "

The woman then read the notes on the MOAM and read how Clay thanks God the ALPHA and Jesus Christ the OMEGA and admired how he stands so firm on his faith and is not afraid to show it .

Clay then said how he would not be where he is today if it were not for "Provident Direction " . He is not one to say that he will be doing this/that in 5/10 years , but he has learned through the course of his life ...i.e. volunteer to take a special ed class where he meat Dianne Bubel , then when he went on American Idol .

He said he will always be open to where GOD wants him to be and he is ok with that no matter what or where it takes him.

He said he knows teachers that $$$ does not necessarily equate success cus he knows teachers that are successful and they are changing people's lives people are learning from them all the time .............(now get this folks ....) Clay then said ...."PEOPLE DON'T NECESSARILY LEARN FROM WHAT I DO, I DON'T CHANGE PEOPLE'S LIVES "! Clay honey,.....are you kidding me here ??? The womand then responds ....MAYBE YOU DO !!!

Clay replies rather humbly ...."MAYBE SO "

Ok, now the jucy suff : The woman now touches on his romantic life. Shows Raleigh climbing up on couch as the woman saying that she is the constant companion with Clay . Clay says ""THIS IS THE WOMAN IN MY LIFE"........WITH BAD BREATH TOO !!!

Clay then says something to the effect of "AND NOT SO DEMANDING EITHER"!

Interviewer asks Clay what type of woman he wants.

He responds by saying he wants someone who is "INDEPENDENT" and that a lot of Hollywood spouces are too dependent and that is not what he wants. He then goes ""YECH"

He says they have to be passionate about something and does not want no "LIMP NOODLE"

Interviewer asks how he deals with all the temptation , the fans clamering to get at him .

Clay responds ....."SEE THAT'S KINDA MORE DEPENDANT THAN I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN "

Woman then says "THAT'S NOT ATTRACTIVE TO YOU?"

Clay says: "SEE. NOW I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT , IT WOULD MAKE PEOPLE MAD "......"LET'S JUST SAY IT IS NOT A QUALITY THAT I WOULD CONSIDER IN A LIFE-LONG COMPANION "

The interviewer ended by saying

We LOVE having you here in our beautiful city , but most of all "WE LOVE YOUR HEART" ...YOU ARE A GOOD DUDE ...MANY BLESSINGS TO YOU "!

********************************

That is it in a nutshell guys and this was a very good interview and a nice long one too ! The woman interviewing Clay seemed like she truly respected Clay and enjoyed every word coming out of his mouth . Clay was so eloquant , but DANG that dude talks faster than the speed of light sometimes ya know ! He has matured so much , but is still so humble and grounded as to who he is and where he is going and he knows who is in charge of all of it ! WONDERFUL INTERVIEW !!

[bottlecap]

I realize the “same 5,000 fans” shtick is just an easy line for Clay to throw into interviews, and still sound humble. [Apparently the other 6,077 members of the OFC are all ticket brokers.] I do wonder, though, if Clay has kind of a narrow view of his fanbase. Does he think, because he is usually seeing the same faces in the front rows of his shows, the rest of the audience that he can’t see as well are mostly the same from venue to venue, too? When the people he meets at the M & Gs have been to multiple concerts, and some have done extensive traveling, do he think that’s typical? Because only a relatively small number post on the OFC message boards, does that give another skewed view of the entire fanbase? He has to realize that each of the camera lenses he’s see focusing on him are producing images that will be seen and enjoyed by thousands of others. While I think intellectually he knows he has a huge number of non-vocal, non-road tripping, but still intense fans, emotionally it may be easier to focus on the most familiar and obvious. I don’t know….. Just babbling here, I guess.

[Skatejoy]

I think part of what Clay's talking about is the type of fanbase he has. While some figures have a wide, but shallow fan base (everyone knows who they are and might consider picking up the album if they hear a couple of good songs) vs. a narrower, but deep fan base (fewer fans, but buy multiples of albums and merchandise). Clay's right, his fan base is more the latter right now. And if a chunk of those deep fans are teenages, chances are they will move on, so he's got to widen the pool a little and not worry if some of the fans are less "deep", if that makes any sense.

There are professionals who would be able to look at the CD sales, ticket sales, merchandise and online fan base and give a pretty close estimate of the numbers we're really talking about.

Also, underestimating the number makes Clay look a little more "under dog-gy", which is always a good position for him. Many of his fans want to protect him (not necessarily mother him, but show "them" how great Clay is) and these types of statements position him there.

I'll get down off my PR/marketing soapbox now!

[Ansamcw]

I think we are getting nervous Clay that knows he is about to embark on the journey to the next level of his career. The past year he was coasting and simply enjoying the level of success he already received. But right now he is facing the true test to his career. Will he be able to bring out a hit CD...will he be able to break through radio...will he equal the success of MOAM? So i think his greatest fear right now is that all his success is really only due to this small core fanbase he has. He knows he won;t be able to really sustain a creer he wants if he cannot expand his fan base. When this is his major fear...I suspect this is always at the back of his mind...and it eventually comes out in interveiws since he is so candid with them.

[bottlecap]

Skatejoy, your PR/Marketing post made a lot of sense to me. I would like to see a breakdown of the demographics of Clay's fanbase, and since Clique collects the ages, gender, and location of the fanclub members, that information is out there. Hummmm....

Also, I hope you got to check out the Salamanders take on the JNT - I think the last picture is definitely a shout-out to you, Skatejoy!

___________________________

It appears that Clay's will be on the Fox network's "Dear Santa" show for sure. A poster on the OFC (mandersmouse) put up a picture from the show. It is under The Man - Possible Appearance on Fox, page three of the thread. Even if you normally avoid the OFC message board, it is worth checking out this picture!

Show Description:

Amid the Rudolph and Grinch classics and the made-for-TV seasonal movies comes something a little different this year: Dear Santa, an hour-long reality show from Fox airing Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Producers have teamed with the U.S. Postal Service, which delivers more than 1 million letters from kids sent to Santa Claus at the North Pole each year.

"We thought it would be a great idea if we could answer these children's letters and have their dreams come true," says David Garfinkle of Renegade 83, executive producer of the show.

Each of four segments will feature a child who is wishing for something big. For example, one little girl just wants her daddy to come home from Iraq for Christmas. She also likes Clay Aiken. She winds up getting both at a base Christmas party.

Edited November 16, 2005 by bottlecap

[Ansamcw]

Skatejoy, your PR/Marketing post made a lot of sense to me.  I would like to see a breakdown of the demographics of Clay's fanbase, and since Clique collects the ages, gender, and location of the fanclub members, that information is out there.  Hummmm....

Did I miss this post? Skatejoy where is this?

eta: OMG I am blind...blame it on all the uplodaing I was doing yesterday...thanks for posting it again Skatejoy I did miss it last time...

ITA do believe he is talking about a hardcore fanbase that does follow him around.

And also trying to be humble under dog guy...good analysis...

[Skatejoy]

Here's what I posted yesterday (not sure it's good enough to double post!)

I think part of what Clay's talking about is the type of fanbase he has. While some figures have a wide, but shallow fan base (everyone knows who they are and might consider picking up the album if they hear a couple of good songs) vs. a narrower, but deep fan base (fewer fans, but buy multiples of albums and merchandise). Clay's right, his fan base is more the latter right now. And if a chunk of those deep fans are teenages, chances are they will move on, so he's got to widen the pool a little and not worry if some of the fans are less "deep", if that makes any sense.

There are professionals who would be able to look at the CD sales, ticket sales, merchandise and online fan base and give a pretty close estimate of the numbers we're really talking about.

Also, underestimating the number makes Clay look a little more "under dog-gy", which is always a good position for him. Many of his fans want to protect him (not necessarily mother him, but show "them" how great Clay is) and these types of statements position him there.

I'll get down off my PR/marketing soapbox now!

Yeah, the Darth Vader/Jerome thing.... is it hot in here, or is it just me???

[bottlecap]

Yeah, the Darth Vader/Jerome thing.... is it hot in here, or is it just me???

Eh, I'm more intrigued by the dude in the black suit with the big light saber myself.

And I'm still giggling over the thought of Queen Amidala and Chewie being a couple - wonder what that baby looks like!

[bottlecap]

Wow, the Standard interview was great, even though it took forever to download – lots of content. I have to admit, I was a little distracted by trying to figure out who’s reflection I could see in the window behind Clay. It didn’t seem to be one of the camera crew members, since whoever it was seemed to be moving around quite a bit. Hummm.

And Raleigh has certainly learned how to play hard to get, hasn’t she? Looks she won’t come unless you have a treat in your hand. [i have to admit that when Clay made those little clicking sounds, I may have leaned in a little closer to the screen. Apparently, I’m better trained than she is.]

[ldyjocelyn]

I thought the Standard interview was outstanding. His passion and his outrage for the people in Uganda was unbelievable, and his talk about expectations for the next album were truly believable.

Love little Raleigh. (Although I suppose you could say she's not that "little" anymore...she needs to cut out the pretzels, stat!)

[bottlecap]

So with the ET Canada thing today, that's like the 3rd different show Clay has been on up there. That must have been a busy interview day, as he was wearing the same blue hoodie for all three. Ansa, we might have to ship the Aiken up your way more often, eh, if the trips to Canada keep producing these interesting bits of Clack. Ya cain't keep 'em, though!

[Ansamcw]

So with the ET Canada thing today, that's like the 3rd different show Clay has been on up there.  That must have been a busy interview day, as he was wearing the same blue hoodie for all three.  Ansa, we might have to ship the Aiken up your way more often, eh, if the trips to Canada keep producing these interesting bits of Clack.  Ya cain't keep 'em, though! 

This is really getting me so excited about the next stage of this crazy journey we are going through with Clay...the next CD...I bet we will get more lovely Canadian clack as he promotes the 2nd CD...I am also convinced he will be visiting us again next year. I just can;t help but feel that the radio breakthrough will happen and that means he will be all over the place...

[Skatejoy]

So, if anyone has been wondering why bottlecap is so busy and occupied that she won't be making any of the JNT shows, I think I found the answer tonight. Yes, I saw the preview for the movie Happy Feet. Singing and dancing penguins!!! All those comments about penguins having no knees and being hard to train were just to throw us off the scent.

How long did you think you could hide???