Tuesday, November 28, 2006

All is Well....maybe

I thought it was time to put a period to Handgate. After all, it seems that Clay moved on and so should we. That is, until I found this on YouTube. The first 35 or so seconds are about Kid Rock and Pam Anderson...let it run through that, then listen to this guy's take on the entire incident.





It just warms the cold cockles of my itty, bitty heart to have some stranger see what we saw during that show.


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Friday, November 24, 2006

Kelly Ripa....you're a foolish, foolish woman

Kelly Ripa, you're a foolish, foolish woman. Let me tell you about the man you ranted over for two days.

This is from Clayzedover, who attended the Regis and Kelly Show. I was there also, and I regret that we didn't get to meet her that day.



I attended the Clay/Kelly show today with my brother who uses a motorized wheelchair, and wish I could tell you more about what went on. They sat him in a corner of the studio in front of the regular seats, and next to a corridor where people congregated and communicated during the show. We were surrounded by camera and craft persons. The large floor camera in front of us, hand held cameras to the side of us, technicians laying and removing cables, as well as by various office-types associated with the show.

All of this was compounded by the need to place stage props, like the high desk, in front of us as well to accommodate the dancers. Am not complaining here, really, just want to give you a "feel" for the atmosphere inside the TV studio. Tickets are free, we got in, and life is good.

I do want people to know about what I witnessed. Clay passed by my brother as he entered that corridor to talk with someone, and again as he came back to the stage. He had to wait for a cue from the director during the dance routines. Not making any kind of deal about it, he quickly knelt down on one knee, waiting for his cue. The first time, I thought it strange because nobody else took that position. They just stood and congregated behind him in front of us, blocking the view. A few minutes later, it happened again. But the second time, others took his lead and knelt down so those behind them could see.

Editing to add this disclaimer from Clayzedover:

I want to clarify that it was a zoo in the studio that day. The crew was only doing their job; they accommodated us as best they could, placing him in what is apparently the designated wheelchair area. That day, there was only so much space to work with, especially because of the dancers. It was the outsiders that seemed to disregard the person in the wheelchair, but it was Clay who took the initiative, kneeling next to the floor camera so that the person could see. It was a simple act by a very compex man who teaches respect by quiet example.



Ms. Ripa, here is a shining example of the kind of man that Clay Aiken is. He quietly goes around thinking of others. He doesn't shout it from the rooftops, he doesn't toot his own horn, he respectfully and gently leads by example. Your show chose to put a person who happens to be in a wheelchair in a spot with an obstructed view. Your show then proceeded to obstruct the view of the person in the wheelchair with people, go-fers, and equipment. Your show didn't think enough of that person to provide him with a decent place to sit so he could enjoy the entire show the way the rest of the audience did.

Clay Aiken saw that man and knelt down when he was in front of him so the audience member could see the show. Clay Aiken is the one who instinctively knew what to do and by example, the staff of the R&K show followed suit.

You said Clay was rude. You said Clay was disrespectful. You said Clay was hostile. All I have to do is read about Clay kneeling down instead of standing in front of a man in a wheelchair. That tells me all I need to know about how Clay respects others. It also tells me all I need to know about how the Regis and Kelly Show respects the members of their audience....ALL members of their audience, not just the able-bodied ones.

I'll take Clay Aiken's brand of respect over yours any day of the week.

Oh, and you're still not off the hook. Hypocrite.







If you'd rather have Simon Cowell's hand over your mouth than Clay Aiken's hand, I question your sanity. Oh, wait...I already do.





Let's see where Clay's hands have been, Ms. Ripa





Where have YOUR hands been?

Thank you to Clayzedover for sharing her story.

This blog is soley the OPINION of the writer.


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Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Kelly Ripa...a coward by any other name

From the sublime to the ridiculous................

You know what pisses me off? When someone doesn't have the balls to stand behind their convictions and takes the cowardly way out. Case in point - Kelly Ripa and her unprofessional rant about how Clay Aiken treated her on Friday's show.

I was in the audience on Friday. I witnessed the entire show up close and personal from the very first moment Clay and Kelly entered the sound stage to the very last moment when the audience coordinators ushered us out of the studio.

The first twenty minutes was a snark-fest from BOTH Kelly and Clay. She ripped on him, he ripped right back. Hummmmm....maybe that's why she's so pissed, because Clay Aiken gave back just as much as he took. Come to think of it, he gave back more! That is one freaking funny guy. Kelly zinged Clay and Clay zinged right back. He was funnier than she was. He was quicker than she was, and he was way more entertaining than she was.

I'm starting to see a plot here. Could it be that Kelly felt upstaged? I guess that would be enough to get your dander up when the guest host is funnier than the host. The first twenty minutes had me rolling in the aisles and clutching my sides from laughter. Watch it again:




Clay did what he was hired to do, play host and make the show entertaining. And he did a better job than Ripa. To the studio audience, they were having a blast together. So, what happened?

Kelly and Clay sat down to interview Emmitt Smith and Cheryl Burke. Both of them had small cue cards in their hands with the questions they were supposed to ask Emmitt and Cheryl. Kelly asked her question, then another, then another, then another until Clay started to feel uncomfortable. Maybe uncomfortable isn't the correct word. How about we use 'third wheel' instead? So he tried to get his questions in. How? By putting his hand over Kelly's mouth in a joking manner. Obviously Kelly didn't like it and made it known in no uncertain terms. Immediately, when Clay realized that Kelly didn't like that, he immediately stopped and was contrite, while still trying to make a light moment out of the incident. They both moved on to the interviews and the dancing and then it ended.




The audience loved the show. There were Clay fans there, Kelly fans, Dancing with the Stars fans, Emmitt fans, Mario fans, all sorts of fans in attendance and we were ALL entertained and we ALL had a good time.

So what happened? Why did Kelly Ripa go ballistic on Clay's ass? What possessed her to be so unprofessional as to air this publicly? When Clay couldn't defend himself?

Coward.

Kelly Ripa is such a coward that she didn't or wouldn't say to his face what she used her TV show for...a bully pulpit. She deliberately used a forum where Aiken couldn't fight back. Where he had no opportunity to explain what happened.

Coward.

And then to turn it around and say that Clay disrespected her through out the entire show? What the fuck has she been smoking? Maybe she'd better eat a sandwich or something because, seriously, the lack of calories is affecting what little gray matter she has in that freakishly large head of hers.

Coward.

To compound her bullying, she called in to The View today and when Rosie called her homophobic, Ripa back-peddled so hard she left skid marks on the floor. Tried to turn it into a 'I don't want to get the flu or germs' rant. Bullshit, Ripa. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. So, not only is she a coward, she's a liar, too.

Liar.

Coward.

Kelly Ripa acted unprofessional, catty, unclassy, and crass. If she really thought that Clay Aiken crossed a line, she should have had the fortitude, the guts, and the balls to call him on it in private, to not air her dirty laundry in public, to not make a fool and a spectacle of herself. That she didn't, speaks volumes to me.

When someone has a guest in their home, their job is to make that guest feel comfortable. If the guest puts his foot in his mouth, or if the guest makes a fax paux, the job of the host or hostess is to put the guest at ease, to make that guest feel welcome. Ripa displayed manners that belong more in a barn than on TV.

Clay made a mistake, but Ripa compounded it with her disgraceful behavior. She ought to be ashamed. At the very least, she owes him a public apology


Coward.

Liar.

Hypocrite.







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Sunday, November 19, 2006

Clay Aiken: Of jewels, and stars, and snowflakes....and other precious things

Sometimes, something that a fan writes on a message board or in a private blog so clearly defines a sentiment about Clay that it's impossible to not think about what that poster expressed. When something is that good, it makes one think, it makes one feel, and it makes one feel very lucky that Clay Aiken has come into our lives.

This is one of those posts......by Rockysmom

Of jewels, and stars, and snowflakes....and other precious things




Tiffany's...ah yes Tiffanys. The mothership for those of us who enjoy drooling over the best life has to offer. Only things of the finest quality are connected with that little pale blue box tied with white ribbon. Solid platinum, pure gold, diamonds without flaw-sparkling in their brilliance, shooting off sparks of multi-colored light.

How appropriate then, that they were the retailer associated with the UNICEF Snowflake lighting ceremony in NYC Saturday night.

Platinum - check
Pure gold - check
Flawless, sparkling brilliance - check again

And UNICEF...an organization dedicated to helping children world-wide, whose mission is to nurture and protect the littlest among us...decided to join with Tiffanys and light an enormous snowflake made of thousands upon thousands of the purest and most expensive Baccarat crystal to start the holiday season of love and hope and joy and giving.

A snowflake....each one is different, each one is special, each one is unique...every one is something this world will never see the likes of again.

So UNICEF asked one of their ambassadors to join them in a little ceremony to light this snowflake. A young man whose eyes have not only seen the devastation from a tsunami in Indonesia and witnessed the unspeakable horrors of a nation torn by decades of civil war ...but who has also seen his only brother leave not once, but twice for military duty in possibly the most dangerous spot on this planet. And his eyes have also been forced to look upon the most vindictive, despicable lies spewed out of nothing but pure hatred and selfish greed.

A young man who--like that pure, sparkling crystal in the air above him--has been subjected to the fires....and emerged from them as a thing of unspeakable beauty.


In NYC tonight....

There is the light of a brilliant star
One made of many facets of the purest shining crystal
One that is meant to be a symbol of hope for all the world's children
One that is beautiful and precious beyond compare

It's not the one made of Baccarat and suspended high above the streets
it's the one we know and love and hold dearly in our hearts

You're beautiful, Clay...inside and out....and the world is just beginning to see what we've known all along



Many thanks to Getty Images for providing the beautiful picture of Clay.

Many thanks to the Clack Gatherers who provide the candid pictures of Clay.

Many thanks to Rockysmom for writing this beautiful tribute to a beautiful man. I'm proud to call you friend.



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Friday, November 10, 2006

How I purchased MCWL and avoided a heart attack

Two years ago, next week, Clay released his Christmas CD, Merry Christmas, with Love, and his book, Learning to Sing. This is my account of purchasing the new and beautimongeous clack. I did not pull any punches with my language. In other words, I did not clean it up. Heh. Enjoy the trip down memory lane...........


Don't people realize that by getting in between me and new Clack that they are manifesting a death wish??? Huh? HUH?

I leave work about 10 minutes later than I planned. Get in the car and make my way through rush-hour traffic towards the thruway. I note, as I pass over the highway, that the cars are barely moving, I see flashing lights up the road. Idiots. Daring to get in an accident when fresh Clack is near???

I desperately maneuver my car into the left lane to detour through the rich, high-class neighborhood situated on a two lane, macadam road. Past kids and school buses. Get off the road!!!! Clack is here! Like a hyena smelling a scent, I took off down the road, listening to the Demo CD, awash in the glory of The VOX. Get to the first light and sit. And sit. And sit. I sat through 4 freaking light changes. Meantime, my desperation is growing, I need my fix. Like a two-bit junkie, I start to hyper-ventilate, my groans turn to screams as the words, "Why the hell aren't you moving" escape from my mouth at a decibel previously unknown to mankind, a look of terror on my face as visions of a clackless store dance in my head.

The light turns green and as I step on the gas, the car in front of me starts to brake. For no reason. There is no light, there is no traffic. There are no cars in front of her. La-di-da, for a lark, this freaking car brakes on and off, for no reason, for the next.two.miles. Almost went all Clay Aiken fan all over her ass.

Finally I get to the third leg of the journey. Turn left and tear-ass down the road towards Wal-Mart. Pull into the parking lot and by the divine providence of the Gods, a car pulls out and I whip my Ford Escort into the vacated spot, just two spaces from the front door.

I turn the engine off and just sit for a minute or two, taking deep breaths, trying to compose my racing heart. Trying not to leap out of the car and run into the store jumping and screaming and yelling, "I love Clay freaking Aiken". Nope, wasn't gonna go there.

I get out of the car, walk to the doors and grab a cart. Freaking cart wouldn't come out of the cart conga-line. I ripped that sucker out with a look of desperation on my face, start to push it in the store and realized the wheels were all fucked up and out of alignment. I slammed that cart back into the conga-line like a woman possessed and grabbed another one. Luckily for the cart, this one worked alright.

I walk to the electronics department, trying not to skip for joy and look for THE CD. It's not there! My eyes dart left and right, my head whips around faster than Linda Blair's while spewing green pea soup. I see the 'new release' bin and I'm there faster than a duck on a June bug. Search for boyfriend and finally, after my long-ass wait, spy him in a primo location, the two left upper bins. A sigh of relief escapes my lips as I gaze upon the most gorgeous sight of all.....new Clack. Wonderful Clack. Glorious Clack. I pull two of those babies off the shelf and reverently put them in my cart. I look at the other CD's and notice that Destiny's Child is not selling, Live is selling, and boyfriend has one bin half empty.

Furtively glancing around to see who's staring at me, I casually re-arrange the display to boyfriend's advantage. Bought a CD cleaner disk and some blank tapes so I can listen to Clack my CD-less car.

Off to find the book, I head towards the books and magazine section. Wait. It's not there. The area is filled with Rubbermaid, freaking Rubbermaid. Storage bins, trash cans, dish drainers, laundry baskets, but no freaking Clack. Aarrgghh!

Frantically, I dart up one aisle and down the other, looking, looking, looking, and I spy the paperbacks. I was there faster than Clay Aiken talks, faster than a starving penquin on a french fry, faster than a Claymate spying Jerome at the bus.

My eyes dart spastically around the rows of books, left and right, up and down, until I see it! THE book in all it's glory. Boyfriend staring back at me with bedroom eyes, inviting me into his world. I come. Into his world, I mean. Yeah. I come. Alas, no audio book.

As the checker is ringing me up, she remarks, "Oh, I didn't know he had a book out". I told her today was the release date and after educating her in all things Aiken, I happily leave the store, my precious cargo in hand.

Get back in my car to go to B&N for the audio because there's nothing like Clay whispering in your ear as you come. Into his world, I mean. Yeah.

I drive down the brand new highway and get off at the B&N exit and slam on my brakes. Ahead of me are thousands of cars, waiting for the light to turn green. So I brake to a stop and wait. And wait. And wait. I wait at least 10 minutes because apparently the fucking designers of the brand new freaking highway don't have the foresight to plan for traffic around a brand new Mall at the holiday gift-giving season.

As I wait, I think of this morning's news story about automobile head rests and how they don't really protect you from whiplash. As I wait. And wait. And wait...I test my headrest, while watching the cars screech to a stop behind me on the rapidly backing-up exit ramp. Yeah, in an accident, I'm fucked. I'll have the worse case of whiplash ever.

As I pull in the parking lot at B&N, again, by Clack design, a car pulls out and I pop in the space, just two spaces away from the front door. I casually saunter in and look around. I don't see the book. It's not up front. It's not in the second section. It's not with the best sellers. I start to panic. My heart beats faster. The sweat pops out on my brow. Don't they realize that boyfriend deserves to be front and center? I walk towards the middle where the cash registers are and spy a table where a lot of books are lying down. I see a familiar cover. Bedroom eyes, inviting me, tantalizing me, wanting me. I walk over and serependitiously pick one up, open it and place it so it's standing up. The only book on the table that's standing up. I do it to another, and another, and soon, there are quite a few Clay Aikens staring at me, all with those bedroom eyes. Life is good.

I had to reserve one of the two audio books they have on order. Don't know when boyfriend will be speaking to me, but when he does, when he invites me into his world with those bedroom eyes staring at me, I'm going to come. Into his world, I mean. Yeah.

Let's listen to Clay sing Christmas like nobody else on the planet can. The first and last song are from his Christmas CD and the second song is a very special tribute video'ed in Raleigh, NC at the Christmas show. Clay sang it for his grandfather (Papa) who has Alzheimer's, a disease that afflicts many of our senior citizens, my father included.

Don't Save it All for Christmas Day by Spotlightlover





Oh, Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, Clay's tribute to his Papa by Aflack





Winter Wonderland





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Thursday, November 02, 2006

Clay Aiken...good to see you after so long

Well, I've been very busy since my last update but I should be able to get here more often now.

I was at GMA on September 19th to see Clay. They let us in the studio around 7:30 - 8:00 and then moved us all around. First we stood here, then we stood there, then we were moved back again, then again. I finally ended up on Clay's left side, against the wall. It was a good spot.



The audience coordinator asked us to cheer for Patrick Dempsey, Dr. McDreamy. Well, cheer we did and he came in and was better looking in person than he is on TV. Gah! If Clay and Patrick spent time together in the green room, there was w-a-y too much pretty in that room. Patrick came up to me and shook my hand and looked into my eyes. I didn't see the clip until this past Saturday and I realized one thing.....ain't no talent scout gonna call me to be a TV Star. Oh, man, I looked AWFUL on TV, just AWFUL. The lights were so bright and of course, I didn't have TV make-up on so the 'hills and valleys' of my face stood in stark relief to each other, making me look ghoulish. Clay is very lucky that he's so photogenic.

Anyway, he was cute and funny and charming and you know, he sings real good *g* Watch both performances again.


Without You:





And 'A Thousand Days' videographed by the ever taltented and lovely SecretlyovesClay:





It was so good seeing Clay again. I hadn't seen him since December 10th, 2005 at the Tweeter Center in Camden. That was nine months too long.

I freaking love Clay Aiken.







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