AIKEN NEWS NETWORK JAN 13

[clayMaine-iac]

Have a Fabulous Friday everyone!! TGIF!!!

Caregiving: How celebrities can help
By ALEX CUKAN
UPI Health Correspondent

There are few role models for caregiving and coping with serious illness, and perhaps that's why columns on Clay Aiken and Dick Clark have touched a nerve in so many readers.

Many, many readers wrote and all made insightful comments and I wish I could share them all. Numerous Aiken fans wrote about how the singer's philosophy of inclusion has changed the way they think and behave around those with physical and mental disabilities.

Marge, a registered nurse for 30 years -- the last 16 years as a psychiatric nurse -- wrote that the paperwork, budget cuts and work politics can get her down sometimes but she tries to remember she makes a difference.

"I am also a Clay Aiken fan and he has helped me be a better nurse by his example," she wrote. "I have adopted the attitude of inclusion, that I can learn just as much from (my patients) as they can from me, if not more. I serve them; they are my customers and have a right to equal partnership in their care. I had known these things but Clay made me look at it differently and challenge how I was applying it."

Cindy wrote that she has attended several fundraisers for Aiken's foundation, the Bubel/Aiken Foundation, and listened to Aiken speak on inclusion, his camps and how important it is that each make a difference in their world.

"For some reason, he touched my soul, and got me to turn off the TV and get involved in my community," wrote Cindy. "Recently, we (several Aiken fans) volunteered at a local therapeutic riding academy to help them raise funds -- to see the joy on the faces of the kids who benefit from the riding is worth every second."

Some fans have children or siblings with disabilities and appreciate Aiken being a role model for inclusion, but many just appreciate the message.

"Some of his fans are involved just because it's for Clay!" said Sue. "But many more of us, especially those of us with healthy children and grandchildren, have discovered 'inclusion' from a whole different perspective and are better for it."

Perhaps Aiken's efforts to remove the stigma of disabilities helped sensitize people when they saw Dick Clark on ABC's "New Year's Rockin' Eve."

Several in the media suggested that Clark stay in the closet following his stroke -- unless he recovered 100 percent. "The intrusion of sickness and physical decline in a public figure always takes a toll on the public," wrote a media columnist for the Buffalo News.

One woman recounted the difficulties encountered by her husband following a neurological disorder brought on by mini-strokes.

"I was one of these caregivers for my husband, who cared for him for six years at home, as he progressively worsened. It's a very lonely life," she said. "We suffer because they suffer ... please continue to bring attention to the needs of the caregiver. We are often forgotten."

Lauren wrote that people fear illness. "You can choose to get drunker than a skunk; you can't choose what illness may befall you," she said. "Fear is always the underlying factor in bad behavior, or so it seems."

The president of the Pediatric Stroke Network, a support group for Childhood Stroke survivors, wrote that her 7-year-old son has speech issues as a result of a stroke and it is not uncommon for adults to brush him aside because it does take him a little bit longer to get his thoughts to words.

"I sat here in shock at the reactions of people from the news media, message boards and even my own support group after they saw Dick Clark," she wrote. "I felt nothing but awe and pride for a great man who wasn't ashamed of his condition and who didn't hide. Yet others felt he should have done just that, hid from the world because he is disabled. It didn't make sense to me! It still doesn't!"

A neurologist wrote that instead of criticizing Clark for choosing to appear on a nationally broadcast TV program, why not commend him for promoting stroke awareness and giving stroke survivors and their families hope for recovery?

Nan summed it up when she wrote: "All of us who are lucky enough will get old. We need to begin right now this very day to treat those who are disabled the way we hope to be treated."

UPI

[clayMaine-iac]

The Farr Side: All set for another season
By David T. Farr
Sturgis Journal

The “American Idol” machine is gearing up for the show’s fifth season, which gets under way at 8 p.m. Tuesday on Fox.

I don’t know about you, but I’m so ready for it to begin. I’m bored with TV right now and “American Idol” is just what I need.

I was thinking the other day just how much “American Idol” has shaken things up since its 2002 debut.

No one really knew of the kind of impact this show would have, including me. I just thought it was very entertaining, and hearing Simon Cowell’s constructive, and sometimes destructive, criticism was funny. Clearly, after 2005, we all know just how big of an effect its role has played on pop culture, particularly the music business. It’s been turned upside down by the influx of the show’s participants.

Take, for instance, Kelly Clarkson. She won the title and prestige of being named the first “American Idol.” The success of her debut album was a given, considering the immense popularity of the talent show.

Clarkson’s real testament came when she released “ Breakaway,” her follow-up album to her platinum-selling debut, “Thankful.”

Released near the end of 2004, “Breakaway” would become the album that most artists dream of recording. Clarkson enjoyed four Top 10 singles in 2005, while the album’s fifth single is expected to chart soon.

I liked Clarkson from the beginning, but it was seeing her perform live last August that I saw her as a major contender. She was sensational and every bit as great as she ever was on the show. She also proved she could sing live and sing well. Clarkson earned two Grammy nominations, including one for Best Pop Album. My fingers will be crossed for her to win the award Feb. 9. She deserves to win.

Also nominated for two Grammys is Fantasia Barrino. Barrino was the winner of “American Idol 3.” Her debut album was recently certified platinum.

But the accolades don’t just stop there. “American Idol” mania is in full bloom everywhere.

Topping Billboard's Country album's chart is “American Idol 4” winner Carrie Underwood.

Underwood’s “Some Hearts” album also features her current hit “Jesus Take The Wheel,” which is No. 1-bound.

It’s amazing to think of the success they enjoyed, but you don’t really have to be named "American Idol” to gain from the show’s exposure.

Several contestants have also found themselves sitting comfortably on the charts, including Clay Aiken, Bo Bice, Josh Gracin, Kimberly Locke, RJ Helton, Tamyra Gray, Latoya London, Jasmine Trias, John Stevens, Justin Guarini, George Huff, Carmen Rasmussen, Jim Verraros and Diana DeGarmo.

Aikens is probably the most successful of the non-winners. He was runner-up to Ruben Studdard whose debut album, “Soulful,” went platinum.

Both of Aikens’ albums have gone multi-platinum.

Diana DeGarmo isn’t resting on her laurels. She’s currently in Iraq performing for the troops.

Seeing the Top 10 finalists from “American Idol 3” week after week made them feel almost like family to me and when I met them, that familiarity is what I felt.

They’re special people.

STURGISJOURNAL

[clayMaine-iac]

Idol Worship
Christine Clarke
Dose

PLAYERS: Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and a cornucopia of tone-deaf hopefuls

PITCH: The new-school Star Search that brought the breakaway talent and surprising staying power of Season 1 winner Kelly Clarkson, the equally impressive debut of the Patty LaBelle-inspired Fantasia Barrino, adult-contemporary darling Clay Aiken and a host of Top 12 finalists whose debuts line Walmart’s $4.99 bin like a limp army, is back with what promises to the most competitive season yet.

PROGNOSIS: Fox can breathe easy for the next five months now that its golden goose, the most watched show of 2005, is back for its fifth round of finding America's next pop sensation.

DOSE

[clayMaine-iac]

PHOTOGRAPHER: MARY ELLEN MATTHEWS

[clayMaine-iac]

Here's an article that reviews American Idol Season 2.  It is fairly long (4 pages) and it won't let me copy. 

But it is worth reading.  I think the author is a big Clay fan.

REALITYTVCALENDAR

[clayMaine-iac]

to gagran for the heads-up on this article:

IBM expert warns of short life span for burned CDs
Burned CDs have a life span of between two to five years, storage expert says
By John Blau, IDG News Service
January 10, 2006

Opinions vary on how to preserve data on digital storage media, such as optical CDs and DVDs. Kurt Gerecke, a physicist and storage expert at IBM (Profile, Products, Articles) Deutschland, has his own view: If you want to avoid having to burn new CDs every few years, use magnetic tapes to store all your pictures, videos and songs for a lifetime. 
 
"Unlike pressed original CDs, burned CDs have a relatively short life span of between two to five years, depending on the quality of the CD," Gerecke said in an interview this week. "There are a few things you can do to extend the life of a burned CD, like keeping the disc in a cool, dark space, but not a whole lot more."

The problem is material degradation. Optical discs commonly used for burning, such as CD-R and CD-RW, have a recording surface consisting of a layer of dye that can be modified by heat to store data. The degradation process can result in the data "shifting" on the surface and thus becoming unreadable to the laser beam.

"Many of the cheap burnable CDs available at discount stores have a life span of around two years," Gerecke said. "Some of the better-quality discs offer a longer life span, of a maximum of five years."

Distinguishing high-quality burnable CDs from low-quality discs is difficult, he said, because few vendors use life span as a selling point.

Hard-drive disks also have their limitations, according to Gerecke. The problem with hard drives, he said, is not so much the disk itself as it is the disk bearing, which has a positioning function similar to a ball bearing. "If the hard drive uses an inexpensive disk bearing, that bearing will wear out faster than a more expensive one," he said. His recommendation: a hard-drive disk with 7,200 revolutions per minute.

To overcome the preservation limitations of burnable CDs, Gerecke suggests using magnetic tapes, which, he claims, can have a life span of 30 years to 100 years, depending on their quality. "Even if magnetic tapes are also subject to degradation, they're still the superior storage media," he said.

But he's quick to point out that no storage medium lasts forever and, consequently, consumers and business alike need to have a migration plan to new storage technologies.

"Companies, in particular, need to be constantly looking at new storage technologies and have an archiving strategy that allows them to automatically migrate to new technologies," he said. "Otherwise, they're going to wind up in a dead-end. And for those sitting on terabytes of crucial data, that could be a colossal problem."

INFOWORLD
This isn't about Clay directly, but it is sad to think that my Clack has such a short life-span.

[GWENN]

DEANNA--THAT ARTICLE IS VERY INTERESTING.  MUCH OF IT I AGREE WITH. 

GWENN

[clayfannj]

I understand that AI  has been sold into syndication. It will be so cool to watch AI2 and Clay's rise all over again!! (Although I've seen those performances 100 times,) the drama and unfolding  of the whole experience is something I look foward to..

[fhmmany2]

I found the article on Clay and Dick Clark very interesting. One night when I could not sleep, I went over to the Official Fan club site (nobody was up here!) and was horrified to see a thread about Dick Clark - most of the people who posted thought that he should not have  been on his New Year's show because he was "old" and had had a stroke! Of course I had to comment of that!  I told them that Clay lives for inclusion, and that any Clay fan could not have written a post wanting to exclude someone with a disability!

We should see a lot of Clay mentions this week as Idol revs up again. I haven't seen anybody talk about the "Best of Idol Seasons 1-4" DVD. I got it for Christmas, but haven't watched it yet  I'm going to do that today, to see how much of Clay is on it. (My husband did not buy the "Worst Of" DVD, because he knows that I think those people should not be allowed on T.V.) I can't figure out if the try out just to get attention, or if they really think they have a chance. 

[fhmmany2]

O.K. - I was gone Christmas week - if this has already been posted, forgive me - On the "Best of American Idol Seasons 1-4" DVD Clay sings: "Always and Forever" from the Atlanta audition, the "Solid As A Rock/Reunited" medley with Ruben and Kimberly, and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters". There are 4 songs from Season 1, 4 from Season 2, 4 from Season 3, and 7 from Season 4. The auditions of each of the winners and runners-up are shown. In addition to a song by each winner and runner-up, Tamyra Gray, La Toya London, Constantine Maroulis, and Vonzell Solomon each sing a song.

[HavinaClayAffair]

Not Clay related and sort of Old News, but some may not know....

"Idol" Man Brings "Duets"

SIMON COWELL, best-known for his frank comments as an American Idol judge, will executive-produce the reality TV talent show Duets for the FOX network. The show will pair professional singers and non-musical celebrities in performances that viewers will vote on. The show is set to debut this summer.

From Rolling Stone Magazine Online-

ROLLINGSTONE

Please fix the link.


Oh Goodie..maybe they will find another Ashley Simpson or Lindsay Lohan...acting? Maybe. Singing..not without lots of backup, loud instruments and technology. (IMO!!! YUK!)

Lora

[ILClaymate]

Good afternoon! 

This was posted by Ilovemycat0851 at CV:

Clay mentioned in this weeks Billboard Magazine.

The Billboard article was about the Holiday Album.

It said that Diane Krall was No. 1 for 6 weeks, but the best-selling Christmas title was Il Divo.  Both surpassed the half-million mark.  Il Divo 544,000, and Diana 530,00. 

Clay Part:


"Both fell about 50% shy of the best-selling holiday set of 2004, Clay Aiken's(their bold) "Merry Chistmas, With Love", which rang 1 million copies during that year's last eight weeks (and another 179,000) during the 2005 season"

"Thanks in part to Aiken, holiday album sales were stronger in 2004, with the year's top 50 Christmas sellers (including are released in earlier years) reaching 8.2 million copies, compared with 7 million for recent holiday crop."

[ILClaymate]

STAR VS. STAR
By RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI and MANDY STADTMILLER
Fri Jan 13, 6:00 AM ET

<snip>
Griffin, a D-list comedian, and Spielberg, the guy who made "Jaws."


Griffin made a crack about  Dakota Fanning, Speilberg's pre-pubescent protegee, entering rehab. Dreamworks demanded an apology and said they were putting her on "a list." Chances are she also would have been thrown in a pit full of deadly asps.


She was out of  Clay Aiken and Ryan Seacrest jokes.


Spielberg. He's the unspoken godfather of Hollywood; Griffin will never work in that town again, if she ever did in the first place.

YAHOO NEWS

[clayMaine-iac]

Please fix the link.

Your wish is my command.


Here is the link to the review of AI Season 1:
REALITYTVCALENDAR

[ILClaymate]

Posted on Fri, Jan. 13, 2006
An almost ‘Idol’ invades columbiatunes.com
By OTIS R. TAYLOR JR.
Staff Writer

Clay Aiken is on columbiatunes.com?
No way.
It is true. Don’t be afraid, though, because you might be a Claymate in the making.
They are everywhere and they might take your body next.

THE STATE

[ILClaymate]

Broadway Cares eBay.com Auction
Playbill from Broadway show in May 2004 w/Heather Headley
Signed by Clay Aiken among others

Check it out here:

EBAY

[lorraine]

BOY AM I LATE TODAY.  COULDN'T GET HERE EARLY THIS MORNING.  THANKS FOR ALL THE NEWS DEANNA AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT GIVES US SOME INFO ON OUR HONEY.

HAVE A GOOD TGIF AND A GOOD WEEKEND ONE AND ALL.

HUGS
RAINEY

[ANGELA]

HELLO EVERYONE,
I ENJOYED READING ALL THE CLAY NEWS TODAY & ALSO LOVE ALL THE COMMENTS & OPINIONS --THANK YOU EVERYONE!!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

ANGELA