#23: Lordy. He is one more hunkalicious dude!

[FromClaygary]

I'd love to create DVD using Scarlett's wonderful xvid .avi files as they are great quality...but I'm using Sonic My DVD and the message I'm getting is "The software that's used to decode the media is not available on this system. Installing the correct decoders for the files you are working with may help to correct the problem"

Help? Anyone know what I need?

I have Nero pre-installed on my laptop that I use for burning. It has a button that will allow you to go online to the company website and download patches and whatnot, and I think I can also pay for updates. Does Sonic have a similar feature?

Thanks bottlecap, no luck; there is a link and I can search DivX on it, but it doesn't link the DivX information with any of their products in any way I can understand (which isn't saying much). I'll go google...and then probably give it up.

[jmh123]

From artquest at CH:

I thought of Clay when I read this quote from Teddy Roosevelt. I don't think he's quite there yet, but I see him on this path.

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again ... who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly."

[annabear]

I honestly think with every "wrong" move Clay makes, choses, has foisted upon him, or fumbles away due to the stupidity of his team - many feel the window is closing on his opportunity to be a superstar. We want bragging rights, and proof that we were right. Never mind that he still has a career after all these years.

I want the world for Clay..or let me put it this way..whatever he wants for himself, I hope it comes true. However, if his career is to remain at this level right now for the next 25 years I'd be fine with that. Because being able to put out records, go on tour, do TV, interviews, a stint on Broadway is not small potatos. But I think his career will be like most stars - it will have ups and downs. But he's shown his resiliancy and willingess to take risks, try new things, and work hard.

This is me!

[FromClaygary]

From artquest at CH:

I thought of Clay when I read this quote from Teddy Roosevelt. I don't think he's quite there yet, but I see him on this path.

"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again ... who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly."

Ohhh!! LOVE that!

[MyMOAM2]

I'd love to create DVD using Scarlett's wonderful xvid .avi files as they are great quality...but I'm using Sonic My DVD and the message I'm getting is "The software that's used to decode the media is not available on this system. Installing the correct decoders for the files you are working with may help to correct the problem"

Help? Anyone know what I need?

I have Nero pre-installed on my laptop that I use for burning. It has a button that will allow you to go online to the company website and download patches and whatnot, and I think I can also pay for updates. Does Sonic have a similar feature?

Thanks bottlecap, no luck; there is a link and I can search DivX on it, but it doesn't link the DivX information with any of their products in any way I can understand (which isn't saying much). I'll go google...and then probably give it up.

I have used this for several years with great success, and it was recommended to me by my computer geek DS and is also recommended by videohelp. You might just DL and see if it works for you

K-Lite pack

[laljeterfan]

WOOHOO! No more work until Wed! As I followed along with all the talk today, there were so many things that I wanted to respond to, and I'll start with these three, just because I have a very perverse sense of humor and they all really appealed to me:

And Ron The God of Irony is finding it impossible to find enough time to smite all the fame-ho bitches who call other people fame-ho bitches.

and what the heck is Organic narrative...I thought i heard all the buzz words before...

Organic narrative.....I think it's a fancy word for bullshit.

My fortune cookie for the day: Microcriticism yields not happiness and serves no useful purpose.

:F_05BL17blowkiss:

Then there are these:

It's not the fact that someone makes a negative comment that bothers me, and it's certainly not embarrassment as described (although from the reactions on other boards I believe this is true for some). What does get to me is either:

1) a harshly phrased criticism in language I wouldn't use with my own friends or family--just totally rude language (and I think this is done deliberately to incite a reaction, or these are harpies who berate their own loved ones with similar venom, which is a scary thought and adds to my discomfort).

or 2) a pile-on, where on a particular day the tone is consistently negative, and post after post after post is filled with critical statements. When TwoP is more upbeat and complimentary about the skating show than a fan board, that's sad. I think the master narrative of some fan boards has gone far astray from the real Clay Aiken. He's a dorky silly cheesy guy, always has been, and IMO, you shouldn't fall in love with someone and then ask them to become a different person.

There are some who really seem to thrive on this- posting something nasty and then seemingly just sitting back to observe the chaos that ensues. And yeah, perhaps it would be better for those of us with the "Polly Positive" reputations to just not rise to their bait, but sometimes the comments are SO over-the-top and absurd, it is extremely difficult to hold back.

I've been around on the boards since the end of AI- and if I posted a rebuttal to everything that I found rude, offensive or otherwise nasty, I'd be a post-ho extraordinaire! In actuality, if I have a grand total of 1000 posts all together on every board I have ever frequented- that would be a stretch. So believe me, there is a lot of restraint that is being used.

I'm pretty easy when it comes to Clay. I think his talent is so beyond most of what is out there that any criticism I have is minute compared to the enjoyment of what he does. Add his humanitarian efforts and I'm toast. I also love his humor and ability to laugh at himself.

When people are continually critical of him I have to wonder what it is inside of themselves that they don't like. There are a few people, who shall remain nameless, who think they know better than Clay and his professional advisors. It's as if they could fix him and make him be what they want him to be if only they could get on his team and I do believe some aspire to that even if they know it is unrealistic. Whatever happened to "let Clay be Clay"?

So true. I often wonder if the ones who continually criticize- and BLAME- which is one of my pet peeves-are as unhappy in their real lives as thay are in their Clay-worlds. I'm thinking- and quite often wishing -that they would find another "hobby"

The thing is, we fans don't really have access to the details of his professional life. We don't know all the options that have been presented to him. We haven't seen his spreadsheets, read his contracts, or sat in his management meetings. There really is a lot we don't know. And yet fans feel free to declare with absolute authority what he should and should not have done? Boggles the mind.

Yeah, Clay isn't perfect. But how does one define "perfect" anyway? It's not as if we could all even agree on what what the "ideal" might be.

One reason I don't like to focus on the things about him that don't thrill me is because to me, they're pretty trivial. So he looked a little puffy at one time? So his voice might have been slightly scratchy in a particular song? As Clay has pointed out, thousands have suffered from disasters in Mexico, Indonesia, and elsewhere. I like to save my angst for the issues that really matter.

And I can't help but think that his experiences may have given him a certain perspective. He may think his "problems" (lack of airplay, tabloids, etc.) are fairly minor compared to the devastation faced by so many others in the world. And one really looks at the things he has--a Broadway role, steady concert bookings, voice-over work for a nationally syndicated show, a network special, not to mention good friends, a supportive family, and fans who will do anything for him--it's hard to see him as the perpetual victim some do.

AMEN! His travels with Unicef have certainly given him a broader perspective on what is important in life- although I do believe that he had that knowledge even before his fame hit. He said in his book that he was glad that he got to experience time in the classroom- both as a student and as a teacher- before AI. He felt that it helped to ground him, so that when he suddenly became a household word, he was able to see all of the hoopla and glitter as something that could be very fleeting-and not very substantive, in the bigger picture. I think that's why he takes such pains to balance all of the craziness with "real" people- friends he's known for years, people who aren't in "the business", but who spend their time on charitable and educational endeavors. I think he wants- and needs -those kinds of connections.

And to stop being so serious for a moment-

While I was wrestling with my epic post, FromClaygary posted a gem. LOVE IT!!!

[muskifest]

Love that Teddy Roosevelt quote...and I love this one, too:

First they ignore you, then they laugh at

you, then they fight you, then you win.

--- Mohandas Gandhi

hee.....

[jmh123]

Speaking of this page is missing something.

[Ansamcw]

I'd love to create DVD using Scarlett's wonderful xvid .avi files as they are great quality...but I'm using Sonic My DVD and the message I'm getting is "The software that's used to decode the media is not available on this system. Installing the correct decoders for the files you are working with may help to correct the problem"

Help? Anyone know what I need?

TIA!!

do you have Vista? xvid avi files usually need a codec. Just google xvid codec. If you have vista you need to find codec for vista. Just dl these then install.

The thing is, we fans don't really have access to the details of his professional life. We don't know all the options that have been presented to him. We haven't seen his spreadsheets, read his contracts, or sat in his management meetings. There really is a lot we don't know. And yet fans feel free to declare with absolute authority what he should and should not have done? Boggles the mind.

WORD...and not just that...we also do not know what Clay's goals are for each project or whats his long term plan is. I remember arguing with someone in my old board who seem to take for granted that ATDW promo and marketing failed....before one can say a plan failed you should be able to compare the outcome to the goal. We do not know what TC and Clay wanted to accomplish...it seems that all they wanted to do was to market this CD to the fans. We also don;t know how well the bottom line of this project looked. It sold gold with relatively small radio budget...maybe RCA was happy with the profit they had. Just because the fans want Clay to be the next biggest rockstah with every project ...does not mean that is Clay's career strategy.

Yeah, Clay isn't perfect. But how does one define "perfect" anyway? It's not as if we could all even agree on what what the "ideal" might be.

Well Clay is perfectly imperfect to me.

I have to admit that I was concerned about Clay for a while because he was so silent for so long but after he went on LKL and said he was done and taking back his life, and when he announced to the world that he was on Paxil for his anxiety, I knew he was a tough cookie and no one was going to destroy him. It is a sign of deep strength for someone to go on national TV and talk about needing Paxil or any other medication to deal with anxiety. Basically Clay set some clear boundaries and has since followed through and is not looking back. I love his strength and his wisdom and everything else too! He's one yummy man from any angle I look at him. The dude really does have an inner strength that I seldom see.

WORD. although I wasn;t worried about the silence cos I thought it was part of a strategy to deal with the unsavory character looking for attention. I really loved how he has been setting boundaries to the fans as well through the blogs and the m&g....I think this is what pisses off some fans and I love it when he does that. as someone else said...Clay is not our friend!!! He is also not our puppet or our employee or our pet project....

Quick...before she gets home... one of us had a nice salad and water...someone else had salad, and pasta, a brownie, and clam chowder and pizza. No names. hee

love your point about perpetual victim Jenna. Some sort of compromise is involved in every job I've had..there are even aspects of some of jobs that I haven't liked...and even though I've liked all my bosses..they're still bosses. And I'm not a victim. It's just life. This weak put upon Clay being carried along in the wind is not attractive. And no matter how much it is denied, I wonder how much of this characterization was born in the back channels of Clay Nation - after all they were hearing all these horrible things from "real' Clay.

No it isn't attractive, couchie. Clay is no victim. He has choices in his career. I bet a lot of the victim stuff came from backchannel insiders.

Well I think this is why a lot of people believed this back channel inside info...they like the image of perpetual victim Clay. They like to think that he needs his savvy smart fans to run his life and career... but it ain't true folks...the guy is a strong 29 year old MAN that knows what he wants, how to get it and the means to surround himself with people that are truly qualified to help him reach his goals. The man has been in this business since 2003 and has experiences we can only dream about. The guy is way out of any fans league and the thought that these fans have any expertise to tell him how to take care of his voice, run his business or "market" himself is just laughable.

So happy to see all these newbies posting. I also kinda like the slow but steady way we grew...it helps to get to know the members better.

OMG...love...love the ET piece and all the screencaps...I wish I was as industrious as cha cha in updating FCA...but Christmas break is no break at all with two teens and a 7 year old...hopefully they will be up in the slopes tomorrow snowboarding and I can finally have a quiet day....

eta: oh darn...by the time I posted this there are tons of new posts that are really good and I want to quote...sigh. Now I need to catch up again.

[spikesmom]

I want the world for Clay..or let me put it this way..whatever he wants for himself, I hope it comes true. However, if his career is to remain at this level right now for the next 25 years I'd be fine with that. Because being able to put out records, go on tour, do TV, interviews, a stint on Broadway is not small potatos. But I think his career will be like most stars - it will have ups and downs. But he's shown his resiliancy and willingess to take risks, try new things, and work hard.

Couchie - this is me too... I don't understand the thought process that says this is bad or not enough... I don't know if I really wish "superstardom" for him anyway... I think there are quite a few reasons superstardom would suck quite frankly...

[Gibby]

I think some people want to see Clay as a victim because they are man-hating bitches who want Clay to remain their little boy forever.

(Snort.)

BWAH!!

Wanda, I have a question for you. I love your short, pithy and irreverant posts. Are you able to post like this anywhere else without getting edited up the yinyang? I'm sure glad you can post here, 'cuz you entertain me!

I was REALLY tempted to use one of these as my avi, but I decided to keep mine for now. Anybody interested in having Mr. Hawt Sexy Ambassador Man for an avi? These are all from pixieglitter at CV:

The bigger sizes are purty, too:

[merryclay]

I honestly think with every "wrong" move Clay makes, choses, has foisted upon him, or fumbles away due to the stupidity of his team - many feel the window is closing on his opportunity to be a superstar. We want bragging rights, and proof that we were right. Never mind that he still has a career after all these years.

I want the world for Clay..or let me put it this way..whatever he wants for himself, I hope it comes true. However, if his career is to remain at this level right now for the next 25 years I'd be fine with that. Because being able to put out records, go on tour, do TV, interviews, a stint on Broadway is not small potatos. But I think his career will be like most stars - it will have ups and downs. But he's shown his resiliancy and willingess to take risks, try new things, and work hard.

This is me!

Me, too!!!

[skybar22]

I honestly think with every "wrong" move Clay makes, choses, has foisted upon him, or fumbles away due to the stupidity of his team - many feel the window is closing on his opportunity to be a superstar. We want bragging rights, and proof that we were right. Never mind that he still has a career after all these years.

I want the world for Clay..or let me put it this way..whatever he wants for himself, I hope it comes true. However, if his career is to remain at this level right now for the next 25 years I'd be fine with that. Because being able to put out records, go on tour, do TV, interviews, a stint on Broadway is not small potatos. But I think his career will be like most stars - it will have ups and downs. But he's shown his resiliancy and willingess to take risks, try new things, and work hard.

I have read many bios and autobios of celebrities and most stars with longevity have had major ups and downs throughout their careers. The key ingredient for all seems to be undeniable talent and Clay has that in spades. It is so encouraging to see people like Sedaka, David Foster and now Mike Nichols embrace Clay. Foster and Nichols are major players so I think Clay will have a long and prosperous career for as long as he wants it. I do believe Spamalot is a very big deal especially because of Nichols. He can open many new doors for Clay and Clay seems to be open to all sorts of possibilites. The past 5 years have been about building a solid foundation, IMO. Clay has really accomplished a great deal.

[PermaSwooned]

Wow!! Where did all these pages come from??

I've fallen behind because I finally got cleared to go back to work yesterday. AND, yesterday was my anniversary. That wasn't good planning on my part, was it? I should have had the doctor add one more day to my leave.

Still, my DH and I got to go out for a super-yummy dinner last night in which I broke almost all of my dietary rules except two. I didn't have red meat and I didn't have caffeine. All the rest went right out the window. If anyone is ever visiting the South Bay Beach Cities and wants a super restaurant recommendation (a little pricey but worth it), let me know. Yumm-o.

So I'm back and see that skybar22 has meandered over here.

Welcome!! Now there is someone here newer than me!! And such a thoughtful and warm person to boot. Please stay around!!

So basically, I surmise that the main topic around the boards is still the skating show. Are there factions stating that it's the death knell of his career yet?? No??? Maybe by next week. For the life of me, I just can't see the appeal in making oneself miserable over every.single.tiny.little thing that Clay does, says, sings, wears or is. Life is tough enough without having your HOBBY put you in despair. Maybe they need to find something less stress-inducing and controllable. Origami can be fun. Plus, you can be 100% correct when deciding "It's a fold".

I think I need to go home. I'm getting dingy after only 2 days of work.

Thanks to all who noted they enjoyed my rant yesterday. Since it's still a hot topic, I pared my 16 or so paragraphs down to one at CV yesterday so I'm reposting that here since I still feel the same.

Skating show?? I LOVED it. I'm thrilled that Clay got the opportunity. I'm thrilled that they made him sound like the biggest star that ever starred. I'm thrilled that they made him out to be Mr. Christmas and that no Christmas season would be complete without his music. I loved that they talked about him STARRING in Spamalot. I loved that they talked about his philanthropic endeavors and really gave the impression that this is something he gives his heart and a lot of time to. LOVED the Unicef pictures. I loved that they got great sound quality that made him sound like someone with a really awesome voice. I loved that he got to sing EIGHT songs in two hours; the most of any time he's been on TV including his own Christmas Special. I loved that he sang live and we can't even find enough cracks/rough spots/whatever to count on the fingers of one hand. I love that he looked mature and handsome. I LOVED it.

And on the next topic....I have no idea why the need to make Clay out to be such a victim. Do people think that Clay can just decide on his own what shows he wants to appear on, what concert venues he wants to headline, what songs he can have on a CD, decide exactly when that CD will come out, change record labels at will, star in his own hot rock/LIVE/PBS special then wave his magic wand (heh) and it will all come to pass just like that?? Geez....Constantine would be the biggest star in the world if were that easy!! Sorry to any Constantine fans. Maybe Clay should try to adopt Danni-Lynn (sp). Then he'd be on TV every.single.night.

I am sloooooooowwwwlllly editing my CITH pictures. I was hoping to have a wide specturm that included all incarnations of Clay (glasses, no glasses, bangs, no bangs, auburn, red, strawberry blond and blond), but alas since I didn't make it to Minneapolis, my series is woefully incomplete. However, I think he looked wonderful in all those looks. Here's a couple more pictures from the Perma camera.police/cellist.in.the.way tour.

He's also very pretty close up:

I missed all the favorites, but I can never pick anyway. I do have to say that I will always, always have a very soft spot in my heart for the JNT06. After that really difficult year, he came out there and let us all know that he had not knuckled under. He had not been crushed or defeated or diminished in any way. He came out singing. He came out snarking. He helped us all find our laughter and joy again. And at the Long Island concert he showed more professionalism, grit and determination than I have ever before seen in a performer, and I don't expect to see it's like again.

Finally, (hey! I can hear y'all sighing in relief!) I am hopelessly enamoured of UNICEF Clay. He looks happy and relaxed and content and gorgeous with those kids. I think that this feeds his soul, and I'm thrilled he's getting recognition in the media for it this time around. Go UNICEF thermometer!!!

OK. That was tiring. I need to go lie down.

[jmh123]

I really loved how he has been setting boundaries to the fans as well through the blogs and the m&g....I think this is what pisses off some fans and I love it when he does that. as someone else said...Clay is not our friend!!! He is also not our puppet or our employee or our pet project....

<snip>

Well I think this is why a lot of people believed this back channel inside info...they like the image of perpetual victim Clay. They like to think that he needs his savvy smart fans to run his life and career... but it ain't true folks...the guy is a strong 29 year old MAN that knows what he wants, how to get it and the means to surround himself with people that are truly qualified to help him reach his goals. The man has been in this business since 2003 and has experiences we can only dream about. The guy is way out of any fans league and the thought that these fans have any expertise to tell him how to take care of his voice, run his business or "market" himself is just laughable.

Ansa writes so purdy.

I don't know if I really wish "superstardom" for him anyway... I think there are quite a few reasons superstardom would suck quite frankly...

Me too, and I think he made a conscious decision not only to not seek superstardom, but also to discourage it. He moved back to Raleigh, he avoided the paparazzi, he stayed away from the red carpets and the club scene, he refused to be "cool" or sing "cool" songs. As much as he seems able to command media attention, I'm sure if he'd pulled a Paris or a Brittney, he could've been on the entertainment shows and in the magazines constantly, but it wouldn't have been an image he wanted to project. Instead, he's worked tirelessly for UNICEF, and it's a lot more of a struggle to get media attention for his cause, but it's work he can be proud of. I Clay Aiken.

[skybar22]

Thanks for those kind words, PermaSwooned. I was happy to see you here too!

[KAndre]

It is very difficult to keep from licking PermaSwooned and her pictures.

What?

Finally catching up with the Skating Special. Am watching some Cousins dude. I like his skating much better than the squat girl. Like squat girl's music much better though.

And the skaters sing much worse than Clay pretended to skate.

[Gibby]

Perma, I'm so glad you're feeling better! And that pic is gorgeous.

Here's a screencap from Capitol One, with the offensive backflap flapping and bringing attention to Clay's booty. Ya know what this pic makes me wanna do? Ah, well, I don't care whether you want to know or what. Seeing that cute booty makes me wanna go squeeze the livin' daylights out of it. Yes, indeed. And I'm getting whiplash because he looks so different in the animations I just posted - but he's still the same sexy, wonderful guy!

[Ansamcw]

It is more than that though, I would think a lot of people come from farmland. Although I consider myself raised in teh suburbs and not to far from Newark, we hada dairy farm in the neighborhood and we picked berries from by the railroad tracks for dinner. I don't think many would be doingthat today as apartments filled in the open land and the dairy farm became a subdivision. I laugh when people describe Clay as country, you have to be pretty far off the beaten path to be country to me, especially in our internet connected area, where all our local farms have websites listing their in season crops.

I think this whole Clay has gained weight thing has something to do with him looking like a boy. I thought when he was heavier, he looked older and more manly, in the sense that he looked like his age and filled out and more CEO like. The loss of weight took years off his looks which was kind of sad for me, it made him look more boy again.

I really think that for some fans Clay is their way to recapture their youth. They want to keep Clay a boy so they can feel like a teen again going after a teen idol I also think that they want Clay to be a rockstah so they can feel cool and in the same demographic as their kids...Is all about how their fandom makes them look...but Clay ain't cooperating...

I have been reading around ever since the HOI special was on. I do not understand the constant criticism. I knew before it aired about the ruffness in his voice on DSIAFCD. So what! Everyone who watched anything prior to this knew. Why go over and over it after it was aired. I had to really listen closely to pick it up, and doubt anyone who just watched it for the entertainment factor picked it up at all. Clay did look a little heavier, we knew that to. He has lost weight in the last seven weeks since this was filmed. I look at him when he was really thin, and hope he never goes back there. He looks great now. Those pictures from Mexico are great. I find the constant reminding people that they were not happy with his looks, sound, or the flap very unnecessary. I guess I am easy, as I like about 99% of what he does.

This is what I can;t understand too....we all have seen the fan videos, we know how he sang and how he looked...the only question was...how was the editing gogin to look. As far as I know...it was very pro Clay. I also thought the audio for TV made Clay sound so much better than the fan videos. its so sad that so many fans were not able to appreciate what a gift that whole special was.

I honestly think with every "wrong" move Clay makes, choses, has foisted upon him, or fumbles away due to the stupidity of his team - many feel the window is closing on his opportunity to be a superstar. We want bragging rights, and proof that we were right. Never mind that he still has a career after all these years.

Bingo.

The other thing that makes me laugh is when fans say he is keeping it safe and not taking risks....I think he is one of the bravest artist out there, who dares to stay true to himself and not give himself up to the image makers of the labels. I think it was a great risk to do Christmas shows instead of keeping himself open to prmote himself to death. I think its a great risk for him to keep following his heart and spending time with UNICEF and BAF

There are so many artist out there that ends up losing themselves because they want to make it to the top....I admire Clay for wanting to do it his way and is ready to risk his career to keep true to himself.

[annabear]

Looooovely pics, PermaSwooned! They look like paintings. :12:

[ldyjocelyn]

*admires new avatar lovingly*

Thanks Gibby!

Life is tough enough without having your HOBBY put you in despair. Maybe they need to find something less stress-inducing and controllable. Origami can be fun. Plus, you can be 100% correct when deciding "It's a fold".

BWAH!!!!!

He's also very pretty close up:

Gurgle.

And happy belated anniversary Perma! Hope you feel better soon!

Me too, and I think he made a conscious decision not only to not seek superstardom, but also to discourage it. He moved back to Raleigh, he avoided the paparazzi, he stayed away from the red carpets and the club scene, he refused to be "cool" or sing "cool" songs. As much as he seems able to command media attention, I'm sure if he'd pulled a Paris or a Brittney, he could've been on the entertainment shows and in the magazines constantly, but it wouldn't have been an image he wanted to project. Instead, he's worked tirelessly for UNICEF, and it's a lot more of a struggle to get media attention for his cause, but it's work he can be proud of. I Clay Aiken.

I personally think that jmh writes awfully purdy....

OMG, Clay ACTUALLY HAS A BUTT! And people are complaining about it, because of some flap? Dear Lord.

...and now I'm woozy because I'm at the top of the damn page! HELP!!!!

[wandacleo]

Wanda, I have a question for you. I love your short, pithy and irreverant posts. Are you able to post like this anywhere else without getting edited up the yinyang? I'm sure glad you can post here, 'cuz you entertain me!

I am the queen of green ink.

[Gibby]

Looks like annabear and ldyj have the same purty avi!

Here's another option for an avi that's slightly different:

Heee, wanda, I can imagine that green ink follows you around!

[Ansamcw]

Oh I forgot to give all those under the weather a big hug....

(((to all that need it))))

Its actually amazing that I am feeling ok this season...I usually end up with a flu sot I hope I don't jinx myself. Right now...there seem to be several kids with mono in my girls schools....we are hoping we do not get affected but I just found out that my eldest girl often share water bottles with friends...eeeewwwww

love the pictures perma...you are so good with those filters...its like art.

ok...haven;t ventured out of FCA but is the back flap really a big deal or are you guys just being funny...cos that is really one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard!!!

[KAndre]

Green ink? Sounds pretty.

OK, I'm up to Clay and some named Todd (y'all might guess, I am seriously not into skating) - but they KICKED ASS on AIW.