Clay Nation Takes Action

On Thursday, July 27, in his capacity as a UNICEF ambassador for the world's children, Clay Aiken posted a message on his official fan club site titled "UNICEF Needs Your Help!" In it, he painted a desperate picture of the need for UNICEF to provide aid and relief to the hundreds of thousands of innocent children who are being harmed or left homeless due to the conflict currently underway in the Middle East.

UNICEF estimates that 350,000 children have been displaced from their homes, just within Lebanon. Emergency supplies have already begun flowing, with the first shipments arriving last weekend.

Items sent to the area include water purification tablets, soap and other hygiene products, as well as medicinal supplies for the injured. UNICEF is a non partisan relief agency, and as it is their policy to focus on children's needs in developing countries, the aid is being directed to the children of Lebanon.

Information is power. As a result of Clay's call to action, his fans contributed over $47,000 by the next day, and more people are continuing to donate as they are made aware of the need.

Rosie O'Donnell has matched that total, stating on her own blog that she will also contribute $47,000 to the cause. At times when children of any nation are in crisis, it's outstanding that so many people find it in their hearts to help make a difference.

If you would like to help, please visit the contribution page at UNICEF.

Charity sees only the need, not the cause. Please help if you are able.

Thank you.

Tall Ships: America's Sail

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to visit the NC coast for the Pepsi America's Sail event, featuring the Tall Ships. More than 150,000 people descended on the small towns of Morehead City and Beaufort NC, whose normal populations together barely total 13,000.

So yeah, it was crowded, and yeah, there was traffic, and man, was it hot! But, it was also a unique experience, and so beautiful to see the majestic tall ships sailing off the coast, their sails to the wind.

With such adventurous names as the Meka, the Compass Rose and the Cisne Branco, the sailors all prayed for wind as they set out early that Saturday morning to race through the channel, down the coast and back.

The Independence Day celebration included a parade that included the local high school marching band, military personnel and sailors from the Brazilian tall ship, the Cisne Branco. There were artists from all over the country, and concerts featuring Delbert Clinton, Train and Anna Nalick.

And, there were pirates! Argh!
It was a wonderful vacation, made even better by the fact that we got to enjoy our dog Scruffy's first trip to the beach. Everywhere we went, we were asked, "what kind of dog is that?!?"



A cute one!

Consider This A Warning

Clay Aiken montage created by Ms Mia.

For more, visit Ms Mia's website, Shades of Clay. Trust me, it's time well spent!

Patience

Fans of Clay Aiken have been mostly patient over the past year, as they have awaited some relevent information about his next CD.

Patience. Some think it's a virtue. It's surely a state of mind, a quality of self awareness.

For the self-actualized human, patience is power; control of will, suffering with fortitude, a state of uncomplaining endurance over evil and insult, over unending time…. Patience is power over eternity.

Patience is an act. An act of forbearance, of waiting, calmly, yet with passion still. Waiting for something due, something expected, something hoped for.

Patience is perseverance. It’s persistence. It is a constancy of attitude that will carry you through the stages of expectance – from eager anticipation, to contented relief upon it’s close.

Patience, resignation. It's a quiet, self possessed spirit of submission to the will of another, or to outside forces, over which you, nor anyone else really, has any control.

But now, we finally have some information. We have a title. We know he is proud of it and that the songs he chose will reflect the intensity of his live performances. We know his executive producer, Jaymes Foster, believes Clay's vocal talents rival some of the great artists of our time. But still, we clamor for more.

Patience. We need it now!

Happy US Independence Day 2006!!

Clay Aiken performs "God Bless the USA" on PBS' "A Capitol Fourth," aired in 2004.

Thanks to papergirl for the video!