Countdown to Spamalot II

Beta Alpha "Cooking For Inclusion" Cookbook will Be Reordered If Enough Copies Are Requested

Did you order a Beta Alpha "Cooking For Inclusion" cookbook and now wish you had ordered one for your mom, sister, and best friend? Or did you just not get your order in by the deadline? Apparently there are quite a few others in your shoes right now, and requests have been made for more cookbooks.

Cindy, who along with Carol, put in lots of hard work to put these cookbooks together, has spoken with the publisher about the possibility of reordering, and here is the news she brings to us:

I have many requests for additional cookbooks. I spoke with the publisher, and I would need 200 orders to get a reprint.

I am keeping a waiting list, and if I think we approach that, I will reorder, so if you are interested in ordering and/or have shown it to people and they are interested in ordering, I need to know to track the additional requests. Please email me at cindyskuce@cox.net. We will also correct the few minor errors we came across when we do a reprint.

So, if you are interested in becoming your own version of Rachel Ray or Paula Deen via this wonderful cookbook (I've already checked out the recipes!!), send an email to Cindy and let her know how many you'd like to order. Remember, this is a fundraiser for The Bubel Aiken Foundation. Also, your Beta Alpha Group gets credit for $10 per cookbook if you let Cindy know the name of your group.

Here is some more information about the cookbooks:

"COOKING FOR INCLUSION"
2008 VOICES OF BETA ALPHA COOKBOOK
TO BENEFIT
THE BUBEL/AIKEN FOUNDATION

We need 200 additional cookbooks to reorder
Price: $20.00 (includes shipping)
Cost Breakdown: $10.00 goes to TBAF
$6.25 covers printing expense
$3.75 covers shipping

The cookbook includes 461 recipes from the chapters, Faye Parker, Aron Hall, Kristy Barnes, Jerry Aiken and the rest of the TBAF board and staff. There is also a write-up about each chapter and what inclusion means to them. They make a great gift.

Each Beta Alpha chapter will get credit on their BAF scoreboard for the number of cookbooks ordered under their chapter. If you do not belong to a chapter, you can designate which chapter is to get your credit. To clarify, if you order 5 cookbooks and $50.00 goes to BAF, that $50 goes on your chapter scoreboard.

Tidbits 9/6

• Via cuddles4clay03 at The Clayboard - Clay will be in the September 22 issue of People Magazine. Sarah Palin will be on the cover, and Clay will be in the Mailbag section. Here is the quote from the magazine:

  Congratulations to Clay Aiken. I always believed that he would make a wonderful father. It's just like Clay to march to the beat of his own drum.
  
  Vickie Davie
  Starke, Fla

• Broadway Cares Ebay.com Auction - The Broadway Spamalot Clay Aiken lobby board name slider is being auctioned in this Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS auction. The bid as of this writing is up to $265.00 Here is the description and picture of the item:
  
  

  LOT #9 - With AMERICAN IDOL SENSATION CLAY AIKEN’S name printed in white on a blue background, this authentic Broadway lobby slider let audience members know that Clay (rather than his understudy) would be playing Sir Robin in SPAMALOT, the long-running Broadway sensation now in its fourth year. Taking over a role originally performed on Broadway by David Hyde Pierce, Aiken played Sir Robin form Jan 18 through May 4 of this year, receiving rave reviews. Going, going…

Big New York Times Ad Announces "Clay Is Back"

Hcorbett10 at The Clayboard posted the following Spamalot ad that was in the New York Times. Now, those Spamalot powers-that-be know how to advertise for their show!!

The ad is about a fourth of a page in size. Before the Clayboard, it was posted at Clayversity.



If you want to see a VERY large version of this ad, head over to The Clayboard You won't be sorry you did!!

Countdown to Spamalot II

This is less than 2 weeks! In fact, this time two weeks from now, Clay will be through with his first night back!! Those of you who are to that first show are a lucky bunch of people!!

New Spamalot Pictures of Clay at Hannah Waddingham's Website

Just in time to rain on our drought...new pictures of Clay!!! These came from Hannah Waddingham's website. So for your viewing pleasure.....new Clay pictures!!!


Clay & Hannah...possibly after her last performance in Spamalot...love his dreamy eyes in this one!


Clay and the whole cast of Spamalot....possibly taken on his last day in Spamalot


Part of the cast members posing for a picture

Go to Hannah's website to see more Spamalot pictures with others. You can also leave a note in her guest book.

Lucky Clay Fan is Teaching The Daughter of Spamalot's Composer!

John Du Prez and Eric Idle

Have you ever had something happen to you that you just have to keep pinching yourself to make certain you aren't dreaming? Well, slg111 from The Clayboard has had something just like that happen to her! Read on to find out in slg111's own words what her exciting news is:

OMG, OMG, OMG!!! I cannot believe this happened. I am a fourth grade teacher at a private school in L.A. Today I got a new student from England who just came to the US last week. You WILL NOT believe who her father is.

JOHN DU PREZ, the COMPOSER of SPAMALOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not kidding. You could have knocked me down with a feather. I managed to control myself while speaking to him about Spamalot, but when they left the room, I let out the biggest WHOOOO! you've ever heard. He AUDITIONED Clay!!! Who he said is "quite good." I had no trouble talking about Spamalot obviously, because I think it's the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life, Clay or no Clay. I told him I had seen it seven times. He asked if I knew Clay was coming back, I said of course (at one point he said, "Ah, you're a Claymate!) and I was like, yes sir, I am! Anyway I said I couldn't wait to see him again because I was going to get tickets for over our Xmas break. He instantly said, "Well, just let me know when you're going, I'll get you some tickets, and see if I can get you backstage." I probably turned beet red and managed to say, well, thank you so much!

What do you guys think about that?!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION.... this is like ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION or something!

How exciting for her to be teaching his daughter and also for there to be the possibility to go backstage and see Clay! Hopefully if that happens, we'll get a report from her all about it.

Countdown to Spamalot II

Countdown to Spamalot II

Founders Day Cruise to Alaska Will Benefit The Bubel Aiken Foundation

Have you ever dreamed about going on an Alaskan Cruise? How about an Alaskan Cruise that includes Faye Parker and Diane Bubel, co-founder of the Bubel/Aiken Foundation? Well, Diane Walsh has done it again and will be making the arrangements for all those interested in this fantastic deal. Why not come sailing with us?


The cruise will be on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship Rhapsody of the Seas and will depart from Seattle, Washington on May 22nd 2009, returning to Seattle on May 29th, 2009. You will need to arrive in Seattle on the May 21st 2009 in order to be there in time for the cruise departure. Royal Caribbean will donate a portion of the cabin charge for every cabin booked, and used to the BAF. Other means of benefiting TBAF will be discussed pending approval from the Foundation.


Your ports of call, at this time, will be Juno, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, and Victoria, British Colombia. Pricing upon request, Diane must get your commitments now however, as time and space are limited. Don't forget that there are about 30 excursion trips that may be added to your voyage, including panning for gold, flying over the glaciers, wilderness trips to gaze upon the grizzlies. The excursions are at an extra charge, but they can add to the total cruise experience.

Since space is limited, deposits must be in by September 29th if you want a guaranteed balcony or junior suite. The deposit per cabin would be $500.00 or if you are sharing it would be $250.00 per person based on double occupancy. Inside cabins, if still available, can be deposited on at a later date, but must be arranged at this time. Airfare can be arranged through Royal Caribbean or you may obtain it on your own.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please e-mail Diane if you have any questions at dawalsh2@aol.com.

New Blogger Joins Clay's Daily Double

As you all know, there are changes going on at Clay's Daily Double. Clayisouridol has had to step down as owner of CDD and has turned it over to me. I want to thank everyone for your patience as we have stepped away from giving you daily updates on what's going on in ClayNation. Though I am now back to writing some articles for our blog, I won't feel comfortable in my new position for a little while yet. So your patience will continue to be very much appreciated during this "learning time".

I do want to introduce CDD's newest blog writer to you. Her name is "justclayvn", and her first article, Champions of Change Award, is in today's blog. We will both be "learning the ropes" in our new roles at CDD, but we promise to continue to give you the best possible news blog that we can during this time and down the road.

Thank you for your continued readership, and if we can do anything better, please write us a comment.

Tidbits 9/02

• Heartsaiken4ca at The Clayboard tells us that a Clay mention will be in the September 8 issue of People Magazine. In an article entitled American Idol's New Judge, it says that "it says that new judge Kara DioGuardl...has written songs for former Idols Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken." Various online articles have mentioned this same thing.
• ASCASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) has the song "Lover All Alone" listed in two places on its website.
  #1 ASCAP Site - "Works Written By"-Has Clay's name as "Aiken, Clayton Holmes".
  #2 ASCAP Site - This is listed by "title" of the song.
  
  Also at ASCAP, and found by Rainlover at The Clayboard, is a listing of a song called "Ooh Boy" that says "Performers: Clay Aiken". We need to keep our eye on that one!
  
• From claystheword at The Clayboard: There was a small mention of Clay on Jerry Lewis' telethon. Neil Sedaka was a guest and he sang. Tony Orlando, who was one of the hosts, said "and Clay Aiken reprised Solitaire."

COUNTDOWN TO SPAMALOT II - 9/19/08

Champions of Change Award

A report on the UnionLeader.com website is stating that Dan Habib had a dream to see that children with disabilities be included in a typical classroom. Mr. Habib then made a 58 minute video documenting his dream and it was presented last November at the Concord City Auditorium.

He explained,

"My modest goal was that it would become a tool within New Hampshire to talk about inclusion in a more informed and innovative way. My secret goal was that it would serve that purpose nationally and internationally and would cross over to the mainstream."

The documentary is called "Including Samuel" and it is in fact about Mr. Habib's 8 year old son who has a rare form of cerebral palsy, and four other childrenwith disabilities. Mr. Habib said, "In some ways, it all boils down to something that's very selfish: I want the world to be a better place for Samuel," Habib said. "It's very simple, but it's kind of the heart of everything I'm doing."

Mr. Habib has entered his film in over 50 film festivals around the world and because of its acceptance it has become a training tool for teachers, college students and advocacy groups.

The impact of the film has also been recognized by the Bubel Aiken Foundation, which will honor Habib and McNamara on October 18th 2008 as recipients of its Champions of Change award in Raleigh, N.C.

It is nice to see that others share their dreams so that society can be enriched by the thoughts of Clay Aiken, Dan Habib, and others who believe that inclusion should be the norm, not the exception.

COUNTDOWN TO SPAMALOT II - 9/19/08

Starting today, September 1, we will countdown to the first night of Clay's return to Spamalot! So, here we go!!

Remembering Spamalot I Via YouTube

Here at Clay's Daily Double, we will differentiate between "Spamalots" by calling them Spamalot I and Spamalot II. So, as we wait for Spamalot II to start in 19 days...that's less than 3 weeks everyone...let's think back on Spamalot I. Today we'll do that via a few YouTube videos. Thank goodness for modern technology!!

This first YouTube video is entitled "Clay Aiken Spamalot News Clip" and was posted by marhaven. It includes scenes from Clay's Spamalot debut and interviews with Clay.




Oh, and you're gonna love this one. This is a montage of Spamalot scenes from various news shows and is called "Clay Aiken-Spamalot Silly Montage" by Yollie950. Check out Clay at the end of the video! Funny!




And we can't have a series of Spamalot YouTube videos without having one from The Clay Channel. This one is called "Clay Spamalot Trailer". Oooo, this one has me chomping at the bit for Spamalot II!!




Let's end our memory lane via YouTube with a 3-1/2 minute interview with Clay by CW 11 called "Clay Aiken: In Broadway show 'Spamalot'" posted by wpix.




Hope yall enjoyed that. More Spamalot memories to come!!