#44: We think we'll keep him!!!!

[cindilu2]

I know it's a little early... but Happy Thanksgiving to all my American peeps.

[ldyjocelyn]

Woohoo! Thanks for the new banner cindi!

For the most part, I agree with cindi's assessment of the Google alerts, although I try to never say "never," because I do still get these alerts. I've learned to separate the wheat from the chaff -- this is my way to keep up with CarolinaClay's blog, roseviolet's (aka pandarose) blog, and heck, isn't that a way "we" found Clazycoffin? As I said, just use some critical thinking skills when skimming, and I'm usually fine.

As for Clay's sexuality being the only thing that gets mentioned -- I've been thinking about this. A lot. I certainly do think of a lot of it is fear. There's still too much of this society today that thinks of anything different as something to be fearful of. And so, his being gay is some people's way of saying we should not pay attention to Clay. But at the same time -- I truly do have hope that his being gay will also signal the fact that Clay Aiken, deep down in his heart, is a good and talented man, and that some people, who never had much experience with gay people, will see that they can be good and talented and friendly and charming, and may change their minds about gay people. Am I making myself clear?

This next section is going to sound like "telling people how to post," but bear with me here. Frankly, when I see something in print, or hear something on TV that is less than flattering of Clay, what do I do? I rant and rave on paper, to myself, and then throw the damn paper away. Or, I will email a friend or two and give them an earful. It helps me to let it go. What I DON'T do is post it on a message board. In my mind, it gives the comment way too much power by publicizing it...which, IMO, then feeds a frenzy of protectiveness, and sometimes too much anger. JMO, of course.

Everyone have a great day. Work should be quiet -- no students, so hopefully...I can be lazy. *g*

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

1 Day until Clay is Talking Turkey!

4 Days until Clay's Golden Birthday!

39 Days until The Closing Night of Spamalot!

61 Days until Golfing For Inclusion!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[luckiest1]

No matter how big or small a part Clay plays in Rosie's special, I think it's a big deal that he's being included. Therefore, I wouldn't miss it for the world (plus, I like Rosie)! Bones will repeat, Bones I can download from Torrents, no doubt Bones I can find somewhere to stream after the fact. Even though I know my TV doesn't count for Neilson ratings, I woudn't miss tonight for the world. It's been a while since we got to watch "live" Clay on our TVs. The only Clay appearance that I don't bother to watch live is anything to do with the "entertainment" shows (ET, Extra, etc). I just can't stomach them anymore. Then, I just wait for clack.

Google alerts? Haven't done those since the beginning of 2006. Don't miss them either.

As for Clay's sexuality being the only thing that gets mentioned -- I've been thinking about this. A lot. I certainly do think of a lot of it is fear. There's still too much of this society today that thinks of anything different as something to be fearful of. And so, his being gay is some people's way of saying we should not pay attention to Clay. But at the same time -- I truly do have hope that his being gay will also signal the fact that Clay Aiken, deep down in his heart, is a good and talented man, and that some people, who never had much experience with gay people, will see that they can be good and talented and friendly and charming, and may change their minds about gay people. Am I making myself clear?

Hee, sure, but I just have to laugh. I wonder how many people realize that between 10% and 30% of the general population is gay or bisexual (depending which study you believe)? You (in the general sense, not pointing fingers) may think you haven't had much experience with gay people, but I'll guarantee you probably have had more than you imagine.

As for that Lance Bass mention last night on DWTS that I've read about, big whoop. They're both out as gay men. I didn't think it was necessary to bring it up in the context that it was used, so I doubt I would have found it very funny, but since I don't watch DWTS, I guess I'll never know. Or care.

[ldyjocelyn]

Hee, sure, but I just have to laugh. I wonder how many people realize that between 10% and 30% of the general population is gay or bisexual (depending which study you believe)? You (in the general sense, not pointing fingers) may think you haven't had much experience with gay people, but I'll guarantee you probably have had more than you imagine.

Oh yeah...and that's kind of what I was trying to say, you (luckiest1) just said it better! There's just so many people who truly believe they've never known, or known of, someone who is gay -- and then Clay Aiken comes along and blows their theory out of the water. I'm hopeful that to these people, they will learn some tolerance because of Clay, rather than having it feed their hatred and fear.

I have to stay hopeful. It scares me to death if the other alternative continues to come to fruition.

[FromClaygary]

Absolutely beautiful banner, Cindilu! Does that mean I can do Thanksgiving all over again??

I'm another one that wouldn't DREAM of watching anything else if Clay is on my teevee! I'll be in front of that sucker with bells on...and I'm not a TV watcher....EXCEPT well, you know. I've been looking forward to this 20 seconds tonight ever since we knew.

Cindilu, the "story of Koko" sounds intriguing....any hints as to where I might find it? I'm assuming I probably can google "Koko" but I'm a leeeetle afraid of what might come back.

ETA: I agree with luckiest1, for me there's nothing like "live" for Clay. I know it's a space issue in the vaults, but I always wish there was at least one clack gatherer that could provide the whole event when Clay is on something. I like to see it in context, and often cut-up bits just doesn't do it, for me. Not that I don't save the clack, you understand.

[luckiest1]

I'm assuming the koko story could be found over on CB somewhere.

Oooooooh, luuuurve the new banner! (even though Thanksgiving seems so yesterday here in the great white north! Another 5 - 10 cm snow predicted today)

[FearofH2O]

Thanks cindylu for the great banner.

I am loving Clay's hair this way. I think it makes him even more handsome. He does have gorgeous features. Sorry muski.

I've already set the dvr for Rosie and the Thanksgiving day parade but I'm sure I'll watch them on another tv also. Since we are on digital it should count twice for the ratings.

Rainlover found Clay's shirt at Paul Smith. Candy striped shirt

Mr. Fear and I will probably do Thanksgiving alone tomorrrow, although I did invite a friend, who was not sure. My son and his family never come over but I like turkey and dressing so much that I will make a big meal anyhow. My neighbor gave me a great recipe for sweet potato pie that I'll be making today also.

Which brings me back to the new gym. I was told yesterday that I should lose 22 lbs of fat even though I only have 15 lbs of weight to lose. I'll be working on that one really hard. I guess my weight lifting routine will get even more strenuous. lol I have a one hour training session next Monday.

[FromClaygary]

I'm assuming the koko story could be found over on CB somewhere.

Oooooooh, luuuurve the new banner! (even though Thanksgiving seems so yesterday here in the great white north! Another 5 - 10 cm snow predicted today)

Yup...it's snowing so hard up here I can't even see across the street. Is it April yet??? Thank goodness, I can work from home today.

...and yes, I figured likely she was a CB'er, but I don't go into that mess... s'OK.

OH!! I knew there was something else! I'm getting sidetracked by that gorgeous banner

Claytonic, I'm glad you've had no problems with what you're doing marking your cards etc. But, as someone involved daily with fraud and loss prevention, I URGE you to rethink that process. Glasses are one thing~they won't get someone into your home or car or bank account~but credit cards, cellphones and keys are something else entirely. Please, everyone, DO NOT mark items like this with any additional personal identification. You'd be amazed what professional identify people can do with a cellphone number added to what is already on the card.

A credit card can be easily replaced by your bank; if it can't, you need to deal with another bank. Your bank account~not so much.

[merrieeee]

$300 for a shirt! Our man is quite fashion forward. He always seems to buy European clothes and the styles are just gorgeous on him. IMO of course

[Claymatron]

Good morning, good people!

I need some help. I am making a compilation Christmas CD of Clay's music for some of the people I work with and am stuck.

I would like the best audios for the following songs from concerts so that the quality is on par with the rest of the CD.

Celebrate Me Home (right now I have audio from the Vancouver show, is there a better one?)

Good News (I have no idea where to start with this one.)

Welcome to Our World (have the Kalamazoo show on this one, but there might be a better one)

goldarngirl and luckiest. I have finally invested in an external harddrive. (YAY ME!). It's a My Book from Western Digital (500 gb). Haven't tried to install it yet, but will be doing that today. Wish me luck! (I'm down to 2.20 gb on my computer, and with Clack tonight and tomorrow, that ain't enough!)

Any help, or suggestions with the CD would be greatly appreciated.

[luckiest1]

Good morning, good people!

I need some help. I am making a compilation Christmas CD of Clay's music for some of the people I work with and am stuck.

I would like the best audios for the following songs from concerts so that the quality is on par with the rest of the CD.

Celebrate Me Home (right now I have audio from the Vancouver show, is there a better one?)

Good News (I have no idea where to start with this one.)

Welcome to Our World (have the Kalamazoo show on this one, but there might be a better one)

goldarngirl and luckiest. I have finally invested in an external harddrive. (YAY ME!). It's a My Book from Western Digital (500 gb). Haven't tried to install it yet, but will be doing that today. Wish me luck! (I'm down to 2.20 gb on my computer, and with Clack tonight and tomorrow, that ain't enough!)

Any help, or suggestions with the CD would be greatly appreciated.

This is what I have on my iPod as the best of the best:

Celebrate Me Home: LA 11/09 or Scarlett's from Vancouver (right click and save as)

Good News: CT (JNT04) (I have this one on my machine at home, no idea where from!)

Good News: San Diego (JNT05) (right click and save as)

WTOW: Merrillville (right click and save as)

I will be back with links if I can find these vaulted.

According to the FCA Media site:

Good News (JNT04): Melbourne (right click and save as)

Good News (JNT05): Raleigh by deborah760 is mentioned (right click and save as)

Celebrate Me Home: Clearwater by mime_fan is mentioned although it may have dialogue, not sure (right click and save as)

Celebrate Me Home: Raleigh by deborah760 is also mentioned (right click and save as)

Unfortunately, we didn't do a "best of" for the JNT05 and our CITH recommendations are not yet complete.

Woo hoo on the external hard drive! I also recently bought a My Book from Western Digital (640 gb) and it's working out great so far! They are pretty much plug and play, no installation necessary, just hook it up and it's good to go.

[Claymatron]

Thanks, luckiest! :thbighug-1: Will see if I can find an audio for WTOW from Merrillville! What you've given me is plenty of help and I have a CV vault key so I'll just see what they have.

Love the banner, cindilu! That is one yummy looking man and affords us another opportunity to be thankful that we have him in our lives.

[claytonic]

Claytonic

, I'm glad you've had no problems with what you're doing marking your cards etc. But, as someone involved daily with fraud and loss prevention, I URGE you to rethink that process. Glasses are one thing~they won't get someone into your home or car or bank account~but credit cards, cellphones and keys are something else entirely. Please, everyone, DO NOT mark items like this with any additional personal identification. You'd be amazed what professional identify people can do with a cellphone number added to what is already on the card.

A credit card can be easily replaced by your bank; if it can't, you need to deal with another bank.

Your bank account~not so much.

OK, let me be a little clearer - I am not as dumb as I look. (Maybe dumber at times... I'll admit)!!

The cell phone number is not registered to the same name as my bank account, and not registered to my home address. If the person who finds my card is dishonest, there is no information on my tag that would give them information to where I live.

My car keys don't have my car registration number on it, nor does it have even my first name. All it has is a request to call a cell number, the same cell number that isn't registered in my name or my home address.

Another fraud-safety measure I have used for the last 10 years is to have 2 credit cards, one with a smaller credit limit which I use online and anywhere that might be risky. If anyone wants to get up to mischief with my credit card, they won't get far because I keep that card close to the limit and transfer funds as I need them. I've since had a number of people copy this, and then I read this "TIP" in a computer magazine. To me it was common sense.

I am very careful because when I was working in Sydney at a new job, on pay-day, someone came to my handbag while I was away from my desk for like 15 minutes (which is why I am sure I was watched), and they took my regular wallet and passport wallet, plus my chequebook, two credit cards, driver's licence and a bunch of other stuff. By the time I realized my bag was rather lightweight, they had been to the bank and cashed my cheque, used my credit card to get a large cash advance, and then used both credit cards to go shopping in numerous places. The bank refunded the lost funds because I had been with the bank for so long and they knew my spending pattern. I still remember with amazement at the fraudulent signature on the cheque, it was so much like mine - they copied it from my credit card signature.

FromClaygary you are right in what you say, I had forgotten that I had taken extra measures. Some people I know think I am TOO "paranoid" about fraud but then they have never been a victim of fraud, like i have.

[Clayzy]

Augh!

*dies*

Glut of new Clay pictures... *pant pant* I don't care if he's twelve years older than me and gay. Hot... stuff.. too hot to *thunk*

Wha-? I'm good! I'm OK. Just a little over whelmed by the new banner and the new pictures and the interview!

:bigemo_harabe_net-24:

ETA: I don't get it, is the problem with the Lance/Clay joke b/c it was only made b/c both are gay or over the joke itself? I thought the joke itself was pretty harmless...

And I showed up on Google Alerts?

[bottlecap]

Clay's on my TeeVee tonight and tomorrow I get turkey!

I feel happy!

[liney23]

Good morning, good people!

I need some help. I am making a compilation Christmas CD of Clay's music for some of the people I work with and am stuck.

I would like the best audios for the following songs from concerts so that the quality is on par with the rest of the CD.

Celebrate Me Home (right now I have audio from the Vancouver show, is there a better one?)

Good News (I have no idea where to start with this one.)

Welcome to Our World (have the Kalamazoo show on this one, but there might be a better one)

goldarngirl and luckiest. I have finally invested in an external harddrive. (YAY ME!). It's a My Book from Western Digital (500 gb). Haven't tried to install it yet, but will be doing that today. Wish me luck! (I'm down to 2.20 gb on my computer, and with Clack tonight and tomorrow, that ain't enough!)

Any help, or suggestions with the CD would be greatly appreciated.

Claymatron... I'd have to look at my complilation at home, but I know for sure that my Good News is San Diego 2005 by Spotlighlover. I like that one, not only cause I was in the 4 row center, but because Jacob was still there and I really like this one with the male background voice.

I LOVE the Welcome To My World where he sorta whispers the words in part, but don't remember which it was... like I said, my file is at home and I'm not. LOL

[ldyjocelyn]

I'm technically at work at the moment. But when there is no one around...YouTube can be your friend. So, I'm posting some good reminders of days gone by...

Invisible NAT 2004, a first kiss (and that cool, funky, Herb Tarlick jacket)

Clay and Brianna

And Clay Aiken is cute, cute, cute in each one of these....

ETA:

Clay's on my TeeVee tonight and tomorrow I get turkey!

I feel happy!

But does that mean you can dance and you can sing? Or do the highland fling?

But ITA, Clay on TV is a good thing!

[muskifest]

ldyjocelyn....DAMN you, woman! I followed your youtube links and got lost in there for about 35 minutes! You just can't get enough Clay Aiken, you know?

Got the eyeglasses website and ordered a pair for my mom...thanks to those who pm'd with info!

Took today off from work to add to the two office holidays this week---3 days off! Woo Hoo! Couchie, a hundred dollar bill? I can't remember the last time I saw one of those. (glad you got it back, though...yikes!)

My hubby cannot stand Rosie O'Donnell, and we both love watching Bones, so...... We don't have TIVO or anything, so I guess I'll just have to wait for the CLACK!

[Claymatron]

Liney, thanks...

Thanks to you too, luckiest1 for the help today on finding the lovely Christmas audio downloads. However, I have a problem. Before I set up my external harddrive today, I tried accessing my CD burner to add all the new songs to my existing compliation and got the following error message....

"Easy CD creator engine has failed: (Could not load CDR4)"

I thought maybe it was because I was so low on space, so after I installed the external harddrive and transferred some files, I tried again, but it still isn't working. Anyone have any ideas what I might have done wrong? I burned a CD successfully the other day, but today, nada! (my burner is a Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 Basic)

Any experts out there?

(The My Book external harddrive is functioning very well, incidently, and because the problem occurred before I installed it, I don't think this had anything to do with the CD situation.)

[jmh123]

I'm not an expert, Claymatron, but I do know one thing to check. You want to make sure that your CD burner drive is working (unless the external drive is also your CD burner drive). First, let me say that Roxio is your burning software, the term burner is usually used for the hardware that does the burning. Is a MyBook a Mac? If so, I know nothing. (But what you want is something that lists your drives.) If you have a PC, go to My Computer and see what drives you have listed. Normally the CD burner drive is D: and it should have something to the left of it describing the burner. (Mine says DVD-RW Drive.) If that's there, then it's probably a software problem. If that's the case, one possibility is to reinstall that software. See if there's a disk that came with your computer that is just for the Roxio. If there is, reinstall it. If you don't have a separate Roxio disc, then you might have to call the people who sold you the laptop and see if they can help. Or wait for someone who knows more than I do.

[Claymatron]

I'm not an expert, Claymatron, but I do know one thing to check. You want to make sure that your CD burner drive is working (unless the external drive is also your CD burner drive). First, let me say that Roxio is your burning software, the term burner is usually used for the hardware that does the burning. Is a MyBook a Mac? If so, I know nothing. (But what you want is something that lists your drives.) If you have a PC, go to My Computer and see what drives you have listed. Normally the CD burner drive is D: and it should have something to the left of it describing the burner. (Mine says DVD-RW Drive.) If that's there, then it's probably a software problem. If that's the case, one possibility is to reinstall that software. See if there's a disk that came with your computer that is just for the Roxio. If there is, reinstall it. If you don't have a separate Roxio disc, then you might have to call the people who sold you the laptop and see if they can help. Or wait for someone who knows more than I do.

Thanks! My CD-RW drive is Drive E and the My Book is Drive F (and not a Mac). My computer is pretty old actually, so I'm not sure I still have the installing disc for the Roxio, but I will look.

Can you tell I'm not a techie?

[aikim]

Clay on TV tonight! ! Anyone else nervous...I always get a little nervous before an appearance.

There was a matinee of Spamalot today, but so far no reports.

So tonight I will be making pies; pumpkin and mincemeat...I am the only one who likes mincemeat, but it just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it. My Dad loved mincemeat and always made the pies in our house...he would always add a jigger of whiskey to the pie...gave it an interesting flavor...I however, have not kept up that tradition.

We are just staying home tomorrow, so I will get to see Clay on T.V....usually we go to my in-laws but it is such a long day...2 hour drive...3 hours to visit and then 2 hours home so my hubby can get in a nap before he has to go to work. He just was not up to this year and it will be nice not to have to rush around in the morning to get out the door.

Okay, have a confession to make...don't laugh...I feel silly enough already...I sent Clay a Birthday Card and I....blushes furiously...wrote him a fan letter! The first time I ever wrote a fan letter to any celebrity...but since I figure the chances of me every getting a chance to talk to him in person are slim to nil...why not? I was very good, didn't get overly fangirly...just wanted to let him know he is being thought of.

Kim

[luckiest1]

Claymatron, my advice would be to reinstall Roxio. I don't know why, but oftentimes those types of programs just fail, and need to be reinstalled. It would not have had anything to do with your new external drive, I don't think.

So, I got out of an office dinner tonight because my son had guitar lessons. Whew. Tomorrow they want me to go out for lunch to eat turducken. Eeeep. I think I'd rather eat tofurkey.

Neeeed more Spam recaps! Need to see the Rosie special! Is it time yet?

[annabear]

Okay, have a confession to make...don't laugh...I feel silly enough already...I sent Clay a Birthday Card and I....blushes furiously...wrote him a fan letter! The first time I ever wrote a fan letter to any celebrity...but since I figure the chances of me every getting a chance to talk to him in person are slim to nil...why not? I was very good, didn't get overly fangirly...just wanted to let him know he is being thought of.

Kim

No laughing here. I think that's sweet!

Ok, I've always heard of mincemeat, but I have no idea what it is exactly.... I know Google is my friend, but anyone here care to enlighten me?