AIKEN NEWS NETWORK SEPT 4

[Pamela]

Good morning everyone!    

Clay appeared on the CNN Larry King Live special last night called "How You Can Help."  Here is a transcript courtesy of Pink Armchair from the CH:

Larry: Joining me from Raleigh, North Carolina is my buddy Clay Aiken. Clay, of course, the multi-platinum recording artist, the 2003 American Idol runner-up. He was raised in North Carolina, and you work with UNICEF a lot. UNICEF doesn’t work internally, do they?

 Clay: Uh, no..actually, UNICEF, Larry, is an organization that has a mandate to work outside of the U.S. They work with govenments in developing nations, and they do work on projects with developed nations as well, when they’re asked by the govenment. So they’re not necessarily focused in the United States.

 Larry: So what are you doing with regard to this tragedy?

 Clay: Well, you know, I think what’s interesting..obviously, like most Americans, I’ve been glued to the television for the last few days taking a look at the damage, and really feeling somewhat helpless because I’m not able to be there and help out and be involved in the cleanup and the rescue process. But one of the things that’s really struck me while I’ve been watching TV is the similarities -- and it’s hard to draw a comparison, obviously, between this and the tsunami -- but I was in Banda Aceh and Indonesia in March of this year, and it’s amazing to look at some of the images on TV this week and see some very similar sights that I saw in Indonesia. But I guess the thing that has struck me the most -- or did strike me the most in March when I was in Indonesia -- was the amount of hope and resilience and just the attitude of recovery and rebuilding that was in Indonesia in March, and I think that the thing that really is resonating with me is the possibility of that here, because the American people were without a doubt the most generous they’ve ever been when it came to the tsumani and it’s amazing--the American spirit is really amazing and knowing that type of help from the American people helped rebuild areas like Indonesia and Sri Lanka and Thailand and is going to be able to do that here, as long as people step up and support in whatever way they can, obviously monetarily is the most important right now.

 Larry: Are you giving personally?

 Clay: Absolutely. You know, I think it’s something that--I wish I had the time to do--but monetarily really is the way that people--that’s needed right now. Obviously, you have to trust those organizations like the Red Cross. OXFAM is an organization that works outside of the U.S. similar to UNICEF but it’s working inside the--is mandated to work inside America as well. OXFAMAmerica.org you can go to for that. But those organizations are the ones that we really have to trust to be able to do the work. I’ve seen the work that UNICEF does elsewhere, and I know that other organizations that work in the United States are able to do that same type of amazing work that UNICEF does, yet do it here, and so I think the best thing to do, instead of sending, you know, non-perishable food and clothes right now, we have to be able to trust these people with our money, and donate to that cause that way.

 Larry: Thank you, Clay Aiken, as always.

 Clay: Thank you very much, Larry.

 Larry: [Talks about Larry King Cardiac Foundation, Kobe Bryant, Jenny Craig] And as we go to break, here’s a little song by Clay Aiken. We’ll be right back.[/quote]

They then proceeded to play "I Will Carry You" over a montage of scenes from the hurricane's aftermath as well as contact information for the American Red Cross.

He was also mentioned on Raleigh's WRAL news last night and a brief clip from Larry King Live was shown.


I hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend, and that you are able to spend it with family, friends or just doing things that are important to you or make you feel good.

If you see any news today, please post it here! Have a great day everyone!   

[Pamela]

Clapton, Connick on King 'help' show
CNN special an effort to link viewers, missing, relief efforts

Sunday, September 4, 2005; Posted: 1:05 a.m. EDT (05:05 GMT)

(CNN) -- Before the end of his first stanza, Eric Clapton plied melody into the horror that victims of Hurricane Katrina faced.

See the water lie on the ground, from where the heavens opened...

From his stool on the set of "Larry King Live," Clapton lent his talent Saturday night to King's celebrity-chocked fundraiser for people who survived the wrath of the Category 4 storm that strafed southern Florida and ravaged the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Clapton, actor John Goodman, country-crooner LeAnn Rimes, Clay Aiken of American Idol fame and entertainer Bill Cosby participated in the first part of the 3-hour "How You Can Help" special.

Holding a child's doll, Cosby begged urgently for aid.

"We need your money now," he said. "Please don't wait. We need it now."

Celine Dion appeared via satellite on the show after pledging $1 million. Diminishing her gift, Dion said fresh drinking water is more meaningful than her cash and issued stinging criticism of the federal response.

"There's people still there waiting to be rescued. To me that is not acceptable," she yelled. "I know they have reasons for it. But I don't want to hear those reasons. ... How can it be so easy to send planes in another country to kill everybody in a second and destroy lives. We need to serve our country."

Thousands still wait for evacuation from flooded, filthy New Orleans, while residents in the remote towns between there and Mobile, Alabama, hope the death in the metropolis won't dwarf their devastation.

Lord, how will you get through this night with your dreams departed? And who alone will comfort you?

Sela Ward, Magic Johnson, Terri Hatcher and Richard Simmons are among those committed to put their fame and time behind King's cause.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley and charity organization officials are participating to give guidance on relief efforts.

Other guests included: Marty Evans, Red Cross CEO and president; Nick MacDonald, senior program officer of Mercy Corps; Jonathan Reckford, pastoral leader for Habitat for Humanity; Maj. George Hood, national community relations secretary of the Salvation Army; Bob Forney, president and CEO of America's Second Harvest; John Hill of the National Next of Kin Registry; Nancy Aossey, president and CEO of the International Medical Corp.; and Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard.

International compassion prompted the cable network to prepare the special, its president said.

"People here and around the globe have been overwhelmed by Katrina's destructive wake, and they want to know how they can help," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S.

The program provided viewers with phone numbers, Web sites and other contacts for organizations assisting in the relief effort.

And former President Bill Clinton called the show to express his faith in the country's generosity.

"They are always there when you need them," Clinton said. "They're always there. The rich are, the poor are, the middle-class are. We're coming forward."

When the wind blows down this hard, many a bond is broken....

Authorities said that they have evacuated some 42,000 people from New Orleans proper by bus, air and Amtrak trains. They also said that three Carnival cruise ships were on their way to the area to serve as temporary housing. Most of the evacuees have been moved to shelters in Texas.

King's special included refugees who are seeking kin they lost.

Among them was Sanika Whitley who was looking for her dad, who decided to stay in New Orleans. During 2004, the family had evacuated for storms that never brought harm. He thought leaving again would be wasted time, Whitley said.

"We tried to tell him that we felt in our heart that this was going to be the big one," but he ignored their intuition she said.

Connick urged viewers to remember the need for houses and to donate to Habitat for Humanity to provide victims with a place to live.

And who alone will enter there, only the broken hearted ...

©CNN.COM
 

[Pamela]

From an article about alternative ways of buying music in the Houston Chronicle.

(snip)

Through the '90s, CD prices climbed and peaked a few cents shy of $19. A Rolling Stone story from October 2004 put the actual manufacturing and packaging cost at 80 cents. The industry justified its massive markup by citing the massive costs of breaking an artist -- the expense of recording, touring and promotions (which, presumably, also include deejay payola of the sort recently investigated by New York's state attorney general).

But $19 is a lot of money -- especially for an album with only one good song, which, too often, was the case. The industry has shown almost no interest in selling singles since the late '80s, when the 45 rpm platter went the way of the iguanodon. But even now, when consumers are offered a chance to buy singles, they do: American Idol stars Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard sold hundreds of thousands of CD singles before the release of their full-length albums.

(snip)

©HOUSTON CHRONICLE

[Pamela]

From San Francisco Chronicle photographer Michael Maloney's website --
Click on "Chronicle," then "Recent Work" then scroll down to "Clay Aiken and a thousand screaming teeny-boppers."  Click on the thumbnail to see more.

Singer Clay Aiken from the American Idol tv show performed to a sea of screaming young teenage girls. My hearing is just now coming back (I hope).

©MICHAEL MALONEY PHOTOGRAPHY

[paclayfan]

Check here for new Clay pins coming out. Also scroll down to see all the pins that have been created.  It's quite an impressive collection!

http://www.findingclayaiken.com/FCA2/pins/allpins.htm

Deanna in PA

By the way, is there a place for fan reviews of the Borgata? I read a lot on the Main Discussion board. (Great pictures cjrmax!!)  I was there , too. I'd love to meet some of you. It sounds like you had a great time!  I took my sister and her friend, as her birthday present. She really doesn't watch TV and doesn't know too much about Clay or AI.  Her comment was something like... it was a really good show by someone with a good soul.  Her friend was waving her cellphone during the glowstick part!! They both said the show was a real treat. 

[lorraine]

GOOD MORNING PAMELA AND FRIENDS.

THANKS FOR GIVING US SOME NEWS ON OUR HONEY.  IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO SEE HIM LAST NIGHT ON CNN.  WHAT A SMART MAN HE IS.  NOT ONLY IS HE A FANTASTIC PERFORMER BUT ALSO A GREAT HUMANITARIAN.

PAM - I AM ON MY WAY DOWN TO YOUR HOUSE TO HANG OUT.  SINCE CLAY IS IN RALEIGH I NEED TO BE CLOSE TO HIM. ONLY KIDDING.  I AM SO HAPPY HE IS BACK AND CLOSE TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS.  YOU CAN JUST FEEL IT THROUGH HIS SONGS.  IT SURE HAS A GOOD EFFECT ON HIM.

HUGS
RAINEY