Thursday, November 30, 2006

Strength, Beauty, Power: Happy Birthday Clay!

In Chinese astrology, Clay was born in the year of the horse. Well, of course he was. Strength, beauty, power.

Today, on Clay's birthday, I thought it would be fun to look to the stars to see what may lie ahead in Clay's journey. Just for kicks.

Disclaimer: While there are several learned stargazers in the Clay Nation, I am not one of them. I bow to their prowess in all things astronomical and astrological, but this, again, is just for fun.

In Chinese astrology, Clay's birth year designates him as an "Earth Horse."

"Horse people have a balance of the best kind of qualities. Have you ever seen a wild horse on the beach, with flying mane and flaring nostrils, every muscle bursting with life and je ne sais quois? Without a doubt, the Horse is the standard for grace, strength, rhythm and nobility. They have an amazing capacity for hard work. As a result, they know great success and financial security in their lifetimes.

With head held high, the mighty Earth Horse never has to apologize, never has the pangs of a guilty conscience gnawing away the very soul. The life of the Earth Horse passes all scrutiny. Earth Horses are elegant, spirited, and adventurous creatures. Poetry in motion! Earth Horses are among the most generous and caring of friends, tolerant of their friends' shortcomings, never judging, never showing cynicism. They blend the right balance of sympathy and empathy. As faithful and unwavering as the Horses are in their devotion to friends, it is important to tell you that they are never weaklings or martyrs. Their inherent dignity and pride demand honor and admiration. Earth Horses appreciate the good things of life and because of their dedication to their careers, have the financial resources to keep life on a steady keel. When it comes to Love & Relationships, life for the Earth Horse is exceedingly sad and dreary without love. The Earth Horse will go the extra length to please their partners. They love wild and romantic weekends and traditional whisperings of sweet nothings. They pass a happy life, their blood coursing with life bursting cadence."
Famous Horse People: Walt Disney, Billy Graham, Steven Spielberg, Joseph Haydn, Barbra Streisand, Nelson Mandela, Anwar Sadat, Neil Armstrong
©Tuvy

Earth Horse people are powerful, spiritual, adventurous, and musical. This suits Clay. He may disagree with the "poetry in motion" part. But truly, when he sings, every song becomes a love song, every movement of his hands becomes a lover's touch, and every note becomes a gift - wrapped in a passionate caress. That's poetic.

In traditional astrology, Sagittarius is one of the Fire signs, ruled by the planet Jupiter.

Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac, ruled by the planet Jupiter, one of the Fire signs, symbolized by an archer. Most astrologers characterize Sagittarians as "fun-loving, friendly, passionate, intellectual and straightforward." Eternally optimistic, often going through life naively believing everything will always turn out just fine, in spite of life's obstacles. In other words, they have faith. And sure enough, good luck seemingly follows them, and since life's grand rewards often seem to come effortlessly, they tend to be generous, kind and thoughtful with those rewards. Sagittarians value honesty, and their comments are often forthright.

Sagittarians respect tradition, but thrive on freedom of thought and new ideas. One thing I found very intriguing is that those born under the sign of Sagittarius often seek meaning in their lives through their own experiences, rather than through book learning or study. Thusly, they don't back down from conflict, or controversy. They are strong in faith, in heart and in constitution. Some tend to be idealists, drawing on an inborn faith in the future, always looking ahead, never limiting themselves to any one path.

And just for balance, and because I believe it's our flaws that make us fascinating and real, Sagittarians are often accused of being self-righteous, cruel in their brutal honesty, and sometimes, irresponsible and lazy.

Finally, this. The ruling planet of Sagittarius is Jupiter. In mythology, Jupiter was the protector of the state, the master educator in the ways of justice and truth. This is the origin of the nature of many Sagittarians to be connected to religion, politics, education and social causes.

Fascinating, intriguing and thought provoking. Just like Clay Aiken.

Just for fun, I looked up my Chinese astrological sign. Turns out, I'm a Fire Monkey. It figures.

Happy Birthday Clay! I wish you all the peaceful blessings you so deserve. May the love of your family, friends and fans wrap around your heart today, and every day.

Other information from:
©Encarta
©Explore Astrology

touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at 2 comments:

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Here's Where Clay's Hands Have Been, Honey

No words are necessary. Thank you Clay fan no1tvfan63.



Thanks also to Art for bringing this to my attention.

touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at 3 comments:

Friday, November 24, 2006

The Meaning of Respect

R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means to me.

I said I was done, and I am. I mainly just want to spread the word about this lovely story, and this wonderful man. Read the blog linked below to learn what respect means to Clay.

ClaySpots Blog

Next up....Clay on Tyra! Talk about respect - Tyra knows respect!



touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at No comments:

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

The Meaning of Hypocrisy


Kelly Ripacrite
Photo from ourdailyripa.com

For more evidence of hypocrisy, click on the ConCLAYve link in my blogroll.

Hey, I'm glad someone has a sense of humor about this silly incident!


And finally, is this unprecedented? Clay is the subject of two of AOL's Top 5 TV Moments this morning. I hear that noise again...it's called Buzz!

Vote for Clay & Tori!



With that, I'm done.

touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at 4 comments:

Monday, November 20, 2006

Kelly Ripa Goes Off (The Deep End)

Respect is a two way street.

Clay cohosted with Kelly Ripa on LIVE With Regis and Kelly last Friday. Well, he was supposed to be the cohost. In reality, he was mostly a stage fixture until the very end, not that I'm complaining or anything.

This show is not really on my radar normally, but I have seen it a few times, and always when Clay is on of course.

I read the comments on several message forums about the appearance, and comments about today's show as well, during which Kelly basically called Clay hostile, ill-mannered, and disrespectful. Good thing she was comforted by her good friend Howard Stern, him being such a bastion of integrity when it comes to the treatment of women after all.

Her comments seem to stem from the fact that he put his hand over her mouth on the show Friday, after apparently being frustrated that he couldn't get a word in edgewise. She fired off question after vacuous question to Emmitt and Cheryl, from Dancing With the Stars, hardly taking a breath. It was almost as if Clay weren't even there.

I thought it was funny, a joke. She didn't. He apologized, on the air. They moved on.

Story over, right? Of course not! It's show biz folks.

Kelly RIpa has shown a negative bias against Clay since the first time they met and she went on about how much she liked Ruben. That's fine, I like Ruben too. But I wouldn't get all up in his face about how much better I liked Clay. Isn't that kind of... disrespectful? She also said she was "removing" all the Claymates from the audience and bringing her fans in. Such a respectful way to treat a guest, no? No.

Speaking of disrespectful, I admit I am confused. I seem to recall a time when Kelly dressed up as Clay for Halloween. In fact, she showed this on the show Friday. But only part of it. She didn't show the part where she, as a flaming homosexual Clay, kissed Regis, who was in costume as Bo Bice.

What a respectful way to portray Clay! Except NOT. And this is how he was welcomed at the very beginning of the show.

But that's not all. On Friday's show, with full knowledge that Clay doesn't like cats, in fact, has a phobia of cats, she still waved a cat photo in his face, on the air, on purpose. Even made a threatening statement about it. But I assumed she was kidding. You know, that she was making a joke.

Sort of like when Clay put his hand over her mouth.

I guess humor is often lost on the fanatical.

I am not saying Clay was right in trying to surpress Kelly's interview with Emmitt and Cheryl so as to be able to do the thing he was brought on the show to do, to you know, contribute. But considering he had been insulted by Ripa from the time they first took the stage, I can only imagine how frustrated he must have been.

Kelly Ripa's bias against Clay is well documented, and goes way back. She thought Clay was the person she portrayed that Halloween two years ago. Her lack of knowledge about who Clay really is? That's on her, not him. Her rant this morning made her look petty and small. And most of all, silly.

Kelly Ripa, you lost a fan today.

I'm not saying two wrongs make a right. But I am saying this...

Respect is a two way street. You can't treat people like dirt and then expect them to kiss your ass.

Kelly is supposed to be a professional talk show host. Clay is a singer, who was invited to appear on the show as the cohost. He was then treated disrespectfully himself, from the beginning.

Consider this - the show was LIVE; no taping and editing. He was made fun of with the Halloween video, he had a cat picture waved in his face, he didn't get to interview anyone, and his performance was plagued with poor sound management.

Even with all those factors, he still was able to be funny, to interact with Kelly, even if he wasn't allowed to interact with the guests, and to hopefully have some fun while there.

If you agree with me that Clay did a wonderful job for his very first LIVE cohosting gig, please take a minute and let the Live With Regis & Kelly show know. This is great PR for Clay!

Go to Live With Regis & Kelly, click on "Review this episode," register and tell them how much you enjoyed seeing Clay on the show Friday!

You know, there is no need to bash Kelly for her unprofessional demeanor on the show this morning; in fact, I don't see the need to acknowledge her at all. She really isn't that important in the grand scheme of Clay's life.

What's important is supporting Clay. I respectfully encourage you to do just that.

touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at 11 comments:

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Important Info About Internet Gossip Sites

In regards to certain online gossip sites, and you know who they are, I recently came upon this bit of information.
With so many options and differing traffic estimates, it's hard to say with any certainty just how much [sitedeleted].com rakes in. But Web industry insiders who know the site and have used the same BlogAds system estimate that he's netting a minimum of $20,000 per month from BlogAds alone—likely more when all levels of ad sales are factored in. Henry Copeland, president and founder of BlogAds, considers [sitedeleted].com one of his biggest financial success stories, given that it's a one-man operation with almost no overhead. While refusing to talk specifics, Copeland says [name deleted] "works the same hours as a brain surgeon. But he gets paid better." (For what it's worth, the median income for a neurosurgeon is about $300,000 a year.)

Now, forgive me if I'm wrong, but it's doubtful that I, or you, will ever make that kind of money in a single year. (If your situation is different, then congrats to you!)

However, considering the website(s) in question are successful due to their publishing the most unflattering and downright humiliating photos and information that can be made up in a tiny little mind, and considering the vast majority of the information is outright fabricated lies, and considering that all this money is being made on the back of people who happen to be celebrities, most of whom are just trying to go about the process of living their (sometimes flawed) lives, then I call it blood money.

I realize why so many people love to see our favorite (and not-so-favorite) celebrities get thrashed by airing all their dirty laundry (true or NOT) in public. Who do these celebs think they are, after all? What gives them the right to behave with such implied entitlement and privilege? Who died and made them god, with their bling and their fancy clothes and their holier-than-thou attitudes?

The public, that's who. The American public worships celebrity, and then thrives on seeing it destroyed. We build them up to tear them down. If I wasn't afraid of boring everyone to death, I might say this was also a metaphor for what people with low self esteem do to get them through the day.

You think celebrities have a "god complex?" I think the public has one as well. Woohoo! We rock! We showed that high and mighty celeb they are no better than we are!

I'll bet you a dollar to a doughnut that at least half the people who visit and post on these gossip sites do so because they feel guilty for their own celebrity worship. I wouldn't be surprised if half the people who visit these sites own the albums, have seen the movies, and wear the tshirts with their fave "stars" on the front.

Hypocrisy reigns.

Have you ever read the small print?
[sitedeleted].com is all about gossip and satire. The content that is published contains rumors, speculation, assumptions, opinions, and factual information. Postings may contain erroneous or inaccurate information. The owner of this site does not insure the accurateness of any content presented on [sitedeleted].com.

No kidding.

You may think it's OK to just go look, and not post. Wrong. Every time you click on the link to one of these sites, it is recorded. Ad prices are based on the number of hits the site receives. The more hits, the higher the ad revenue, the more money in the pocket of the gossip monger. Even if everyone just "looked" and no one posted, these bloggers would still be wealthy men.

Now think about certain other rumor mongers on the Net; those with a blog that won't die. Think he has other aspirations in mind? Aspirations that begin with "ka" and end with "ching?" Think about it.

So please, don't look. Don't visit, don't post, don't acknowledge.

Don't go there. Because in doing so, you are putting blood money into the already fat coffers of people who lack the humanity of moral human beings. Be elevated, be enlightened.

May they all become invisible.

Thank you for your consideration.

touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at 5 comments:

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Clay's Blog is Mucho Good-O! (His Term, Not Mine)

"Oh my Lord! Where in the world have I been?"

Those were the first words of Clay's blog this week, his first since the inception of the Year 2 Fan Club site.

I won't quote the blog, due to proprietary restrictions; however, suffice it to say that he made up in verbage for the lost time!

Of course the fan reaction is mixed, as always. Let's see...he didn't write the blog, he did write it!... he divulged no "new" information, he's so funny!... he didn't mention Kimmel, he spelled so many words wrong, he loves us!...

I call it Claymate Whiplash!

After weeks and weeks of fans begging for Clay to blog after the CD dropped, during which time he was out doing his "promotion run" which evidently meant dealing with questions about his sexuality on national TV, twice, being sick, and making or taping several TV appearances, he did apologize for not blogging recently.

Apparently one of the reasons was that he couldn't access the new fan site! He also said he was lazy and irresponsible. Hey, aren't we all sometimes? Sure we are.

He said the "promotion run," just like that, with the quotations, was draining. I guess it was.

How must it feel to know a large segment of the general public disbelieves something about you, regardless of what you say? How exhausting must it be to know so many people have a preconceived belief about you that is contrary to your own self identity, and based entirely on oversimplified, sterotypical notions?

How frustrating must that be? How draining?

He mentioned being on the Megan Mullally Show, and in what seems like a response to some who complained about his hijinks conducting (aka "controlling") the audience in cheering, he thanked the fans in attendance for playing along.

Too bad. He should have just been able to say "Stuff it, you weren't even there," to those complainers. The audience control thing is one of the oldest fan antics in the book. Many people have done it in the past, and no doubt, it will be done many times in the future by people less known than Clay. It's meant to be fun, and those who don't get that need to find a sense of humor, and fast.

His next comment was about how much fun he had taping the Tyra Banks Show. I guess so; I heard she was all over him. I hate you Tyra Banks.

Just kidding! I can't wait to see that one - should be great!

Kristy and Mary get busted next. It seems they are huge Days of Our Lives fans, and we are encouraged to pray they don't abduct all their favorite characters. Now, I don't watch soaps, but I did tune in one day last week just to get a feel for the storyline. I'm still not sure what the story is about, but it's definitely taking place mostly in the character's beds. I may have to rethink this soap thing after all... The episode airs December 22.

Clay then confirmed that he would be co-hosting with Kelly Ripa on Live With Regis & Kelly. Almost like having his own talk show! If you are thinking of being in the audience, I understand you have to apply up to a year in advance for tickets.

Walmart is the exclusive distributor of the upcoming Christmas EP. Clay said the songs, All is Well, My Grown Up Christmas List, Christmas Waltz and O Come Emmanuel are four of his favorites. It's available November 28. Jesse Vargas, who was the musical conductor for Joyful Noise 2004, will serve as musical director for the Clay Aiken Symphonic Christmas shows in December.

Clay loves him some Christmas. Of course, if he had to do all the shopping, cooking, wrapping and decorating, I bet he would change his mind!

And after all that, he made it back to Raleigh in order to vote in the general election today.

The man has priorities. I like that.

touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at No comments:

Friday, November 03, 2006

The Deunification of the Claymates

In union there is strength. -Aesop

Once upon a time, in the not too distant past, I came upon a search engine for blogs. I typed "clay aiken" into the search box. What came back curled my eyelashes.

It was a cacophony of hate speech from rumor mongers and famewhore wannabes; about Clay, the Claymates, Claymaniacs, Claydawgs, etc. - the fans. And in the midst of the mire, there were a few gleaming examples of fine blogging about the adventure that is Clay Aiken.

I was compelled to add my two cents to the fray, because one - most of the blogging was negative in tone and poorly written, and two - I have something to say.

Deciding to delve a little deeper into the fandom than my normal occasional cruising of two or three forums, in order to get up to date with all that was new and exciting in Clay Nation, I began to seek out new blogs and new forums.

Man, that has been an eye opener, to be sure.

I learned a few things. First of all, that Clay is right - there really are some "enthusiastic" fans out there. Second of all, that the Clay Nation remains as diverse as it always was, and finally, that there is a fracture in this fandom.

You know that gossip stuff I mentioned earlier? Most of the fans with which I am acquainted didn't give two hoots about any of that. And neither have I.

However, with the latest CD dropping with what appears to be a fraction of the promotion some fans think it deserves, and the scurrilous gossip still going strong after the better part of a year, it appears there is an undercurrent running throughout Clay Nation that causes some people to recognize all sort of nefarious plots, conspiracies and downright evil schemes to damage Clay's reputation and his career.

Is it real? I don't know. If it is, who are the instigators? I don't know. But I can clearly see the end game, and it could be devastating.

I know how that sounds... paranoid much? However, look at all the things that have recently happened.

We have new, private forums being created which serve as either headquarters for witch hunts or some form of group therapy. Or both. We have groups of vigilante fans seeking "justice," stricter forum membership requirements, fans needing to "step back..."

Some fans have become suspicious of others for not sharing their pessimistic mind set, becoming more intolerant of differing opinions every minute. We have overinvested fans of other artists cyberstalking not just Clay, but Clay's fans as well. There are disparaging comments being flung around about Clay's label, his publicist, his management and even his friends. Previously fun loving fans have become humorless vestiges of their former witty selves. We don't hear Clay on the radio, or see his video on TV.

The Clay Nation is a powerful entity, books about the subject notwithstanding. It remains diverse, and active. But lately, not always productive.

What is in the process of being damaged is the one thread that has always bound the Clay Nation together, made us strong, and made us effective - The Fun!

The excitement of making new friends, traveling the country, learning about technology, becoming empowered, creative, and part of a community; and most of all, experiencing Clay's journey with him as he navigates the adventure that is now his life.

Since the beginning, the diverse groups making up Clay Nation have always coexisted peacefully while maintaining their own identities and continuing to support Clay. Fracturing the fandom by turning fans against each other, removing the element of Fun, and adding the elements of worry, distrust, and frustration, is an effective way of reducing our numbers, diluting our influence and therefore hurting Clay.

In my opinion, right now is the time we should be making every effort to stay united in purpose, tolerant of change and strong in resolve. We need not all share a brain; that would marginalize our identity and, would never happen anyway!

Fans, meaning all those who support and respect Clay, and not the fringe pseudo fans, should try to stand united for him now. It's an important time in Clay's career, and he needs us, now more than ever.

It doesn't matter who the instigators are - the label, the media, the stalkers; we have no control over them. We must engage and utilize the one thing over which we do have control - ourselves, our attitudes, our actions and our support.

Our attitudes - to each other, our actions - to the media and general public, and our support - to Clay.

When you trust someone, you have to accept that there will be things you don't understand.

I don't understand what is happening right now, but I trust Clay.

Always and forever.

touchstone (n) a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated









©touchstone 2006
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)