# 19: Clay Aiken: glorious voice, excellent comic actor, master of character and man in tights!

[lilyshine]

Not to rub it in to you folks with job woes (been there, done that) but I'm

RETIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Took slightly early retirement and although scary, it was the best thing I've ever done. A couple of years of scrimping was well worth it. I love doing nothing and I'm proud of it!

[Clayzorback]

anymore quotables for this little guy... will be putting up a poll in a few days. Thanks Cindilu for pin idea.

I like the idea of having the year on any pins. Great pin design cindi.

My suggestion is to put:

FCA 2007

in the white fur trim of the cap. Maybe in Gold lettering? If room is available. Then put,

Christmas

In The

Heartland

Tour

In the box. Preferably spelled out, if room to. Maybe in Christmas Green color?

[FromClaygary]

So this entire week apart from the pile of research, background work, drafting & editing presentations and the ridiculous hours to find common time with both Singapore and Budapest (eep!), it seemed like everywhere I turned I faced a wall of disbelief. People spent most of our meeting times just trying to find out if I really knew what I was supposed to know, if I was who I claimed to be and whether or not I was really going to provide value to their precious projects.

<snip>Yes, I accept that I should show some patience because I'm sort of breaking ground here; a lot of people still don't expect to meet techie people from the Philippines. At least nowadays, when I walk into a room people usually don't pause to wonder if I'm there to clean it or make a presentation but this week it felt like the last 12 years of solid work got chucked out the window. I guess people do live for the moment after all. (btw, this doesn't bode well for the career model that I and the rest of FCA picture for that guy up there)

<snip>ps. I still have a ton of work and am seriously about to toss Sedaka; will decide by Wednesday morning. If anyone's interested in my ticket PM me before then. Thx!

pps. Luvya, FCA!

Here comes a bigger hug than I could find an emoticon for! Are ya ready?? MMMMMMMMMMM'Mmmmm!

I can SO relate!! In my job, I am an (older) woman in a man's job, in a (fairly) power position. It's interesting how people relate to me. At my company, I generally find that there is no issue; people who've been around for a while know me, so no problem...new people are skeered of me, so they don't cause trouble

Travelling, though....wowie! As I visit remote stores, I am frequently the only female business traveler in the hotel; that means that in a lineup at the checkin desk, I am without fail the last served regardless of my position in line...and the men literally elbow me out of the way at the breakfast bar. I couldn't possibly have someplace important to be...I'm a female!

Internet service is crucially important to me at hotels (no, not just to visit FCA); when there is a problem with it at a hotel, I am invariably patted on the head and dismissed. Honest to God, there was an 18-yr-old whose throat I wanted to rip out in a hotel this summer.

She completely REFUSED to believe I knew how to use my laptop; it HAD to be my fault their hotel had no internet. Reboot? What's that?

Hmmmm...hot button, obviously! Sorry for the second rant!

And BTW, PLEASE do go to Sedaka! Now's exactly the time you need some Clay!

Scarlett, I can relate on many levels, even though not the ethnic one. Being female, being small, doing a job that people don't expect someone who looks like me to be doing, being continually condescended to by people. GRRRRRR. I can only imagine the extra wallop of yet another social barrier to transcend.

Fuck 'em--you're better than any 10 of them put together!!! Sic us Claymates on 'em and there won't be anything left bigger than a toothpick. Heh. We'll be like Aiken's maenads.

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

4 Days until Clay is Live at Lincoln Center!

10 Days until Clay is on AYSTAFG!

15 Days until Clay Tapes The Skating Special!

35 Days until The Christmas Tour Starts!

61 Days until Christmas in Merrillville!

64 Days until The Skating Special Airs!

77 Days until The BAF Golf Outing!

88 Days until Clay is on Broadway! :whoohoo

Everyone have a great day,

Kim

[cindilu2]

Wheee! Doing Clay in the Heartland is baaaack. LOL, Seems like the Christmas Tour got swept away in all the Spamalot excitement. I just keep shaking my head in (joyous) wonderment at all the next few months hold. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Scarlett, I'm sorry about your frustrating week. I, too, can sympathize. I work in the automotive industry and have for (gasp!) almost twenty years now. Men don't get much more condescending than when they are talking to 'the girl' about their phallic symbols cars. Pfffffft. But you know, it's even worse when you're met with skepticism from another woman. Double pfffffffffffft. I hope this week is better. As for Clay's career being on the downslope? Bwah. Bwahaha. HA! Fuck 'em.

I also spent time watching and re-watching Sedaka week on AI2 this weekend. What a glorious two-fer that was for Clay. Inspiring even...

Regular

Widescreen

luckiest1 and goldarngirl, your Best of.. series are simply wonderful. What fun it was to revisit Atlantic City JBT. Good times! Thanks so much for all the work that goes into these.

[playbiller]

The one thing tha I am always amazed at is the acheivements of the woman fans here and on other boards - there has to be some statistical anomoly here.

Scarlett's problem is not only ethnicity or being small, but also that she has a sweet face and is soft spoken. Qualities that are great, but misunderstood in the buisness world and have some people overlooking her intelligence and drive.

I have never had the small problem, but I have spent a lot of time being the target of blonde jokes and, when I gained weight, men gave me advice about how to lose weight. Fun stuff.

[merryclay]

Regarding the Sedaka Tribute, I hope he wears dark colors and looks all smokey hott, than hits it out of the park. I love big voice Clay. I love low voice Clay. Heck, I love all his voices. I hope I love his fake British accent. Yeah, I will. I'm soooo easy.

Roseviolet, Thanks for that Rose radio news.

I watched Clay sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water", this morning, on that Daily Bread blog site, and it almost killed me. It was from theAI2 finale. I love that so.

[KAndre]

Sympathies to all who need it on the job (and intense jealousy directed at the retired)...

I am so tired of being tired...

cindilu, those are excessively pretty!

[liney23]

{{{{{Scarlett}}}}} I'm with FromClaygary... if you can manage it at all, go see Clay... you need it and deserve it!

Send prayers this way, please... SoCal is trying to burn down and my son is fighting the fires in San Diego and the winds aren't expected to stop until Tues/Wed. Visualize/pray for the wind stopping earlier than expected. Thanks!!!

Love those Solitaire purdies, cindilu!!!

[atinal]

Sympathies to all who need it on the job (and intense jealousy directed at the retired)...

I am so tired of being tired...

cindilu, those are excessively pretty!

KAndre, I had an older friend years ago who used to go around saying " I'm sick and tired of waking up sick and tired".

I retired at age 50, and people I worked with told me I wouldn't be able to stand being retired that they bet I'd be bored and looking for a a job within 6 months yeah, right, it's been almost 9 years now.

Cindilu, I agree, those are beautiful wallpapers.

[luckiest1]

Wheeee! Look at that countdown. Isn't it pretty? Thanks, aikim! 88 days till Broadway.

Hugs to all who need them. Everyone in SoCal, stay safe! And thanks for the pretty new wallpapers, cindilu2. :F_05BL17blowkiss:

ETA: Nothing like the Spamalot Original Cast cd to bring a smile to your face on a Monday morning. I highly recommend it! Anyone who is interested in hearing it but doesn't know how to do torrents, pm me and I can help. *g*

[alspazz]

I can sympathize with you also Scarlett. I replaced a MAN who held a notable position in the local agricultural industry for a number of years. Heaven forbid a 20something female try to do the same job! It was interesting for awhile, to say the least. I figured I got paid regardless of whether they chose to follow my recommendations, so it was their loss, not mine.

I'm trying to figure out a way to get to NYC!

[muskifest]

Stop the Presses! Surely it must be against the law for Scarlett to be harrassed and discounted by anyone...as my darling MaMaw used to say, "Tell 'em to go piss up a tree!"... :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Work? Yeah, well...

Speaking of which, gotta go!

ETA: At a friend's house last night, when we were talking about my hubby and I going to NYC to see Spamalot and Clay, etc., one guy asked, "I don't get it...I mean, I don't know, but...is Clay funny? I thought Spamalot was some wildly nutty British humor thing..."

I just looked at him and said, "Funny? Is Clay Aiken funny?"

And it hit me that this friend is just one of the masses---one of the Not Us majority of humanity who really don't KNOW Clay Aiken. They might know OF him and will say something like, "Oh yeah....that skinny kid from American Idol, right?" but they have absolutely NO concept of the talent and...well, you all know all the things I could list here...and then thinking more about that, I just smiled, thinking of all those 'Not Us' people sprinkled in the many audiences of the Spamalot shows who'll have the chance to reacquaint themselves with that CLay Aiken guy.

He won't be delivering the power ballads that many might have come to expect from his days on Idol and he won't be standing there with fluttering eyelashes, submissive posture or cautious looks at an asshat who deemed himself worthy to 'judge' him. Instead, he'll be on the Broadway stage, holding his own (heh) with veteran performers and making it impossible to forget him.

That is all. Now, I really DO have to get to work.

[wandacleo]

Scarlett F$%kem! You're a giant in the Clay Nation (and that's all that counts!)

Couchie Good luck with the job!

[lilyshine]

Women and power is a weird thing. Last year when our local Arts Council was in desperate need of someone to become President, I joked that I would never become President, but I might consider being Dictator. Well a year later (thanks heavens the position is only for a year), I'm still pulling out that Dictator line!

One of the male Board members always calls me "Boss" and another (who is older than I am) has started with "Mother Shine" but using my real last name. It's been a ton of work, but the organization is moving and growing. We've negotiated new FREE workshop space, have recieved a couple of new grants and have a paid part-time employee for the first time in 20 years. A lot of changes for one year. Now that there's more money and prestige involved in the organization, the men are beginning to become more active.

Of course, I keep them firmly in line. :thdom2:

[merryclay]

Scarlett- I'm a small woman, also and I know what you mean. I worked in Mgmt. for 10 years in a "mainly men" corp. It took me a while to rise above all the bullshit, but after a while, I just did my job, laughed a lot and tried my best to encourage others and be a team player, the rest of it, you just have to leave by the wayside. Never let them see you sweat. *g*. In some respects, working with men is easier than working with women because you don't have all that drama. I must say I had a great deal of Co. support and that makes a big difference. It wouldn't have worked without that. Good luck, Scarlett. Injustice is always wrong.

[ldyjocelyn]

Scarlett, I'm sorry to hear about your trials and tribulations in your job. I think it just goes to show that as far as we've come with "enlightenment" in regards toward the workplace and the differences in race, sex, and other things -- how much further we still have to go. It's pretty sad, actually.

As for me retiring? Heh. It MIGHT happen by the time I'm 80. I WANT it to happen a LOT sooner. Like tomorrow.

So that's why I play the lottery on occasion.

muski, I so agree with this:

thinking of all those 'Not Us' people sprinkled in the many audiences of the Spamalot shows who'll have the chance to reacquaint themselves with that CLay Aiken guy.

Yep. There's going to be a BUNCH of people whom I think will be blown away by his sense of humor and his comedic timing. It's one of the reasons, IMO, that I think he gains a lot of fans via his live shows. Sure, he sings fantastic, but it sometimes seems as if the banter is what some remember best. I know I do, but I'm a sucker for his banter. His records never seem to capture his humor, but Spamalot sounds like a good showcase for his comedy skills. And I think a bunch of minds will be changed in the process. Not just a singer -- he's an entertainer, DEMMIT!!!!!

[Bookwhore]

She completely REFUSED to believe I knew how to use my laptop; it HAD to be my fault their hotel had no internet. Reboot? What's that?

Hmmmm...hot button, obviously! Sorry for the second rant!

OMG, this reminded me of my own funny workplace story. I manage a public library and we have 16 public access computers for patrons to use. They're always breaking down for whatever odd reason and I fix what I can and what i can't I have to wait for the systems admin to haul his ass up here from headquarters. Once a couple of years ago a man came in wanting to use a computer. They were all in use except for one that was out of order, so I said we didn't have anything available at the moment and would he like to wait? He said, "What about that one?" - gesturing to the one that had an "Out of Order" sign on it. I said, "That one's not working." He paused a moment, looked me up and down and said, "Are you sure?" Well, I went all Helen Reddy on his ass. I said, "Am I sure? AM I SURE? What do you mean, Am I sure? " I was getting ready to tell him that I had checked with a penis earlier in the day that had assured me the computer wasn't working, but by that time the guy had his hands up in a gesture of surrender and was backing away from me saying, "Ok, ok". He didn't stick around to wait for a computer to become available. I don't know why.

I have a 21 year-old daughter that is so self-sufficient and confident in her abilities...it makes me so proud. Several years ago we were working on a home project together (making a home computer cabinet with doors, swivel keyboard tray, etc.) and I was getting stumped and said, "Let's wait till dad gets home." She said, "No! C'mon mom, we're women! We can do it!" That's my girl!

[ldyjocelyn]

Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? web page

Two new outtakes with Clay -- one with him attempting to sing the theme song, and another about Clay's nut allergies!

He's so freakin' adorable.

[luckiest1]

EEEEEEEE! Can't wait to get home and watch them!

[playbiller]

BWAH- Snickersbars don't grow on trees you know

Oh well, back to stripping mastik. Nice break there

[Ansamcw]

Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader? web page

Two new outtakes with Clay -- one with him attempting to sing the theme song, and another about Clay's nut allergies!

He's so freakin' adorable.

Oh thats too cute!!! The girls voice was good...and so cute with the nut allergy.

[Couch Tomato]

does an outtake mean it didn't make the show?

I'll have to watch when I get home...but yay...I'm so looking forward to this.

[merryclay]

does an outtake mean it didn't make the show?

I'll have to watch when I get home...but yay...I'm so looking forward to this.

I think you're right. I looked it up and it says a clip or cutting not used in a film.

[aikim]

Clay and that little girl were adorable! She was so cute being so fangirly!

Kim