Michael Jackson’’s personal doctor has been accused of interrupting CPR and causing delay in calling 911 while he tried to conceal drugs.
Alberto Alvarez, a witness and Jackson’s logistics director, told investigators Dr. Conrad Murray, who is at the centre of involuntary manslaughter over the star’s death, the medic asked him to put rubber-topped drug vials into a brown canvas bag and an IV pouch with a milky fluid in its connector into a separate blue bag.
Alvarez added Murray only asked that paramedics be called after the drugs were stashed, the New York Daily News reported.
Miranda Sevcik, a spokeswoman for the lawyers representing Murray, said: “These leaks scream of insecurity. Prosecutors either want to taint the jury pool or bait us into answering so they can get a peak at our defense. Dr. Murray led investigators to where the propofol was before this statement [by Alvarez]. That has not been a secret.”
Murray previously confessed he waited 20 to 30 minutes before calling the authorities, saying he was unaware of Jackson’’s address and had trouble summoning the singer’’s staff while performing CPR.
The doctor also admitted administering propofol to help Jackson sleep and has denied the manslaughter charge.
Jackson died aged 50 on June 25 last year in Los Angeles. Coroners ruled the case as homicide caused by an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.
Member dari boyband TVXQ yakni U-Know Yunho telah diundang untuk menghadiri konser tribute Michael Jackson di London, membuatnya menjadi satu-satunya orang Asia yang diundang ke acara yang sedianya akan digelar dalam minggu-minggu sebelum peringatan satu tahun kematian sang King of Pop pada 25 Juni.
“Personil kami yang telah melihat informasi tentang U-Know Yunho dan latihannya memuji bahwa dia sangat berbakat… Mereka bilang ia sangat cocok untuk menghadiri tribute tersebut dan merekomendasikannya agar diundang,” kata Mark Bush, seorang staf yang terlibat dalam acara tersebut sebagaimana dikutip oleh agensi U-Know yakni SM Entertainment pada jum’at lalu.
U-Know, yang bernama asli Jung Yunho, telah berada di Vegas minggu lalu untuk berlatih pada acara Michael Jackson “2010 This Is It World Tour” dimana ia telah diseleksi untuk ambil peran pada bulan lalu.
“The Tribute” akan dihelat di Wembley Stadium London pada tanggal 8 Juni, dirancang oleh adik almarhum yang juga mantan member dari Jackson 5 yakni Jermaine.
Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Prince, Santana, Stevie Wonder dan Beyonce ada diantara list artis top yang juga akan menghadiri tribute tersebut.
Sementara itu, U-Know akan tampil pada “Band from MICHAEL JACKSON’s THIS IS IT the Movie with U-Know Yunho” pada tanggal 27 dan 28 Maret di Yongsan War Memorial Plaza.
Sang penyanyi membuat debutnya pada tahun 2004 dalam boyband beranggotakan 5 orang yang sekarang adalah salah satu artis K-pop paling sukses di Asia. Mereka diberitakan memiliki fanbase terbesar di dunia dan telah menikmati kesuksesan besar khususnya di industri musik Jepang.
credit: Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr
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Aduh aku salut banget sama Yunho. Dia gak cuma jago kandang tapi juga mampu membuktikan dirinya sampai ke kancah Internasional dan menjadi performer yang dihormati. Tampan, berbakat, pintar, … Apa yang kurang coba?
Aku BANGGA banget sama Yunho. Aku menjadikannya sebagai panutan.
Semoga kasus DBSK cepet selesai. Supaya Yunho bisa senyum lagi dan nge-dork seperti biasa. Allison kangen ;___;
You never fail. That’s why I adore you, U-Know Yunho ♥
I know this concept sounds weird and before all the mental health professionals start evaluating this post, keep in mind that an attempt has been made to make this scenario happen before.
If you believe the history of the Jesus entity, or Jesus carnation, then you know that along with the story of his birth, that a powerful ruler tried to wipe out his history, before he could do what he was meant to do.
http://www.twopaths.com/story_BirthOfJesus.htm
Many will recall that the wisemen came to visit Herod, telling him that they had been following the star of the King of the Jews, and that he had been born. Harold told them to report back to him when they found him. Find him they did, but instead of reporting back to Herod, God came to them in a dream, if I recall correctly, told them about the evil intentions towards the child, and they went another route.
Herod then decided to cover all his bets, and have all the males under two years old killed. Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt and Jesus was saved to grow up to become the Messiah. For those who believe, it’s a great story, and an amazing history. For this time period I guess we could say that Herod tried to pull a T2 (Terminator part 2) on Jesus. Removing him after he was born.
So this being grew up and went on to predict a future time, where a one world government would come into affect, forcing rich, poor, young, old to get a mark on their right hand and or forehead. Well today we have a society where much of what has been predicted is coming to pass. Family betraying family. (I believe the way he used betrayed referred to the Informant system. I believe this because he uses the same thing to describe what Judas does to him, when he says, “Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?”
Thus a Messiah went on to be born, grew up, and fulfilled a prophecy, at least that is what the majority of Christians believe, and thus part of the basis for the Christian faith.
Now in today’s society would anyone try to do something similar? Well what if they already are? Remember under Cointelpro the goal was to prevent the rise of any future Messiahs. At the time it was quoted as
“Prevent the RISE OF A “MESSIAH” who could unify, and
electrify, the militant black nationalist movement.”
It was aimed primarily at the black community, but Cointelpro’s goals of preventing the rise of future Messiah’s did not stop with this community. It’s now policy for every group. Groups are still infiltrated, sabotaged and die before they can be truly formed.
I should add that many leaders are created, they are not real. Eg. Recently it was discovered that Hal Turner was hired by the FBI to fulfill a leadership role.
The same thing is happening in conspiracy communities, and in other communities as well.
The ghetto informant program started in black communities as a way to turn people into informants, and it heavily infiltrated this community, but ofcourse this did not stop there and now they have people being turned into informants for parking ticket violations.
[quote]In the 1960s and 1970s, the funding allocated for the intelligence informant program was twice that allocated for organized crime informants. At the height of the civil rights era there were more than 7,400 informants in the Ghetto Informant Program alone.[/quote]
[quote]But Hervey said she doesn’t use drugs and, having just moved from Batavia to the tiny village of Attica, doesn’t know anyone in Attica who does.
That didn’t stop her recruitment as a confidential informant.
“He [Graham] said if there was someone I know who sells drugs, I would tell them I would meet them in the Burger King, like I was going to sell them drugs.
“He had me scared,” Hervey said in an interview with The Buffalo News. “He even said if I didn’t sign this paper, I would spend the night in jail.”
She signed the contract, Graham took the handcuffs off her, and she became the newest confidential informant for the countywide drug task force.
That is until she got home and called her father, labor lawyer Richard Furlong, who went ballistic at what she had done.
After chewing out his daughter for failing to pay the traffic tickets and getting her license suspended, Furlong, a combative attorney who represents unions in their negotiations with management, went to see Attica Police Chief William Smith.[/quote]
Most of this is happening via these intelligence agencies. So back to time line manipulation, the CIA for the last 40 years has been playing around with remote viewers, people who claim, they can go and see backwards and forwards in time. Imagine what a creepy agency could do with such a thing, and the psi project they created claims such an ability, so the time line shift thing does seem as strange as it did before does it?
I have been saying that there was mind reading technology, and individuals that have this ability. I have been able to prove the technology exists, and they might soon even be using this at the airports.
I have been telling you that the flat screen monitors in mall and other places might have cameras, and now the article that just came out yesterday, shows that this information has been correct.
That facebook will use you to find your friends and contacts so in-case you disappear, they know your circle of friends to search and track down.
Lastly the intelligence agencies have been working together and sharing information from local, to federal levels and thanks to the EFF (Electronic Freedom Foundation) the proof is out there.
So what seems science fiction today, might well be science fact tomorrow.
I think some changes are in order for me. I’ve been really debating what I should do with myself lately. Guess I’m feeling a little unfulfilled or bored or something. There has got to be more to life than my normal activities, which include debating the merits of Battlestar Galactica and trying to synchronize my orgasms with internet porn, which I’ve affectionately named the “Jerk off Olympics.” (The only difference is the rings in my logo are cock rings…) Of course, the first thing one usually thinks about when they need a life change is a change of occupation. I could see that being possible, but what’s a guy to do? I mean, according to social stereotypes, I only have so many options. Let’s consider them:
Hair Stylist: This is a job I would get fired from…fast. There are way too many gingers in the world, and when they came for a cut I would tell them that their hair is a nuisance and to shave it off. Even the women. Fashion: No. I’ve seen enough of the fashion world, and it doesn’t interest me in the slightest. I’m sure anybody that knows me can tell that I don’t give a shit if my underwear say Calvin Klein or Fruit of the Loom. Why would I invest so much time in something that’s just going to end up on the floors of bedrooms all across the city? Waiter: I’ve tried my hand at this already as well. I told myself that I would never touch another person’s food again. For starters, I’m not keen on the fake niceness that goes along with this job. The only time I’m willing to fake anything Not to mention you’re usually working for chump change, and most people in the restaurant are trying to fuck each other. Add a pole, subtract your clothes and you might as well be a stripper. You’ll make better tips.
Obviously none of those things are going to work. I thought about trying to get famous, but I’m not nearly coordinated enough to teach myself the “Single Ladies” dance, so there goes another idea out the door. But in seriousness, I’ve also been considering the option of volunteer work. I think that I’d like to do something with children, seeing as I usually get along with kids (as long as I can hand them off to someone else eventually.) I think I can mesh well with kids because we’re kind of in the same mindset. I’m like a big kid, so I can level with them. Minus my mouth, because if any child talked like me they’d probably be institutionalized. (Note to self: watch mouth around the little people.) Melissa’s niece said that I was her favorite person in the world because I make funny faces. So apparently kids like me. But it should also be noted that when first asked who her favorite person was, she replied “Michael Jackson.” Just to recap, I come in second to a dead white woman with no nose and a drug problem.
Really? I'm second to this?
Quotes:
“Porn gets me through my relationship.”
“Why do all people with dreadlocks have dogs?”
“You’re like an Irish Fairy.”
“You should never spill anything on a pool table because there shouldn’t be a drink on the pool table.”
Last night was the results show and Lacey Brown did not make the cut… We’ve also got the performances from David Cook, Kesha and Michael Jackson’s Guitarist. Click more to hear all the clips.
Lacey Brown Is Voted Off, And The Judges Don’t Save Her Lacey Brown was voted off of “American Idol,” and the judges voted unanimously not to save her. They can only save once singer per season. (From “American Idol 9″ on Wednesday, March 17, 2010)
David Cook Performs “Jumping Jack Flash” By The Rolling Stones Season seven champ David Cook returned to “American Idol” to perform the Rolling Stones song “Jumping Jack Flash.” (From “American Idol 9″ on Wednesday, March 17, 2010)
Kesha’s Pre-taped Performance Of “Blah Blah Blah” Kesha performed on “American Idol” last night, but it was pre-taped. The show tried to pass it off like it was live, and no one explained why it was pre-recorded. (From “American Idol 9″ on Wednesday, March 17, 2010)
Michael Jackson’s Guitarist, Orianthi, Performs “According To You” Orianthi is the woman who was going to be Michael Jackson’s guitarist on his “This Is It” tour. And last night, she performed her song “According To You” on “American Idol.” (From “American Idol 9″ on Wednesday, March 17, 2010)
LOS ANGELES— Even in death, Michael Jackson is breaking new records: a $200 million guaranteed contract with Sony Music Entertainment for 10 projects over seven years.
The record-breaking contract may be worth more than $250 million if certain conditions are met. One of the albums will feature a never-before-released Jackson track that will come out in November.
Official announcement is expected later Tuesday.
Future projects may also include a video game, a DVD compilation of videos and a re-release of “Off the Wall,” Jackson’s fifth studio album, which first came out in 1979, accompanied by some unreleased material. One of the projects already counted in the contract was the two-disc album that accompanied “This Is It,” the film based on footage of concert rehearsals for what was to have been Jackson’s comeback at London’s O2 arena.
Well, actually the Michael Jackson Estate has landed the biggest recording deal ever. This deal is said to be worth up to 250 Million Dollars! The contract is with Sony Music Entertainment for 10 projects to be released over the next seven years.
One of the projects is for a new Michael Jackson album of “never released” recordings to hit the stores in November. Yes, just in time for the holidays. Future projects may include a video game, Michael videos, and other albums.
Last year’s ”This Is It”, the 2 album set that came out with footage of Michael Jackson’s concert rehearsals, already counts as one of the projects.
Conrad Murray, anesthesiologist for hire, has an upcoming date in Cali to find out the next move in his case. But before that happens, if you believe the charges against Murray are a joke, contact the Cali Attorney General’s office and politely tell him that you think they do not fit the crime. (He’s also planning to run for Governor of the state.)
You may contact Cali AG Edmund G (aka, Jerry) Brown at jerrybrown.org, jerry.brown@doj.ca.gov VM (916) 322-3360 (800) 952-5225 Fax(916) 323-5341
Feb 9, 2010 11:00 am US/Eastern Jackson’s Dr. Murray Out On Bail Until April Trial
Dr. Conrad Murray Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter Over Pop Star’s Death
LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Michael Jackson’s doctor returns to court in April to find out the date for the next major step in the case — a proceeding that will reveal for the first time the evidence the prosecution believes will show his “gross negligence” was the direct cause of the pop star’s death.
Dr. Conrad Murray pleaded not guilty Monday to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and a judge released him on $75,000 bail.
Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz ordered Murray to turn in his passport and said he could travel within the U.S., but not to any foreign country. The prosecutor had suggested he might flee to his native Grenada or to Trinidad where he has a child.
Murray was ordered to return April 5 to have another date set for his preliminary hearing. That proceeding, a virtual minitrial, will disclose the evidence prosecutors maintain will demonstrate Murray’s “gross negligence.”
Murray is accused of giving Jackson a fatal dose of an anesthetic to help him sleep. Jackson died June 25. If convicted, the doctor could face up to four years in prison.
Schwartz told Murray he was restricting his practice of medicine, barring him from using any anesthetic agent, specifically the drug propofol that a coroner’s report found was the cause of Jackson’s death with other drugs as contributing factors.
“I don’t want you sedating people,” the judge said.
Immediately after the hearing, LaToya Jackson issued a statement saying she believed her brother had been murdered and that others besides Murray were involved in his death.
“I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served,” LaToya said. She was in court along with siblings including Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Randy.
Her father, Joe Jackson, expressed the same views Monday night in an interview on “Larry King Live” and claimed that his son believed he was going to be murdered. He did not elaborate.
As he left the courtroom, the family patriarch said, “We need justice.”
Outside the Los Angeles airport area courthouse, about 50 Michael Jackson fans carried large photographs of the superstar and signs urging, “Justice for Michael.” Many were the same fans who had stood vigil during the 2005 trial at which Jackson was acquitted of child molestation. Some shouted “murderer” when Murray was brought to court.
Murray recently reopened his office in Houston after months of waiting to be charged while his bills piled up.
A representative of the state attorney general’s office said the California Medical Board would be filing a motion to revoke Murray’s medical license to practice in California while he awaits trial.
Deputy District Attorney David Walgren tried to persuade the judge to impose a high bail of $300,000. He said in his motion that although Murray has no criminal record, he has violated court orders involving child support payments and “leads an irresponsible and financially unstable life.”
Murray’s lead lawyer, Ed Chernoff, objected that Murray should not be penalized for not having money. The judge said he believed $75,000 — triple the bail in ordinary cases of this nature — would be enough to ensure he does not flee. The bail was posted shortly after the hearing and Murray was released.
Jackson, 50, hired Murray in May to be his personal physician as he prepared for a strenuous series of comeback performances.
The single felony count of involuntary manslaughter alleges that Murray “did unlawfully and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson.”
To prove an involuntary manslaughter charge, prosecutors must either show that Jackson died while Murray was carrying out an unlawful act, or that his standard of care was so bad that it was grossly negligent.
The charge alleges he acted “without due caution and circumspection.”
Known as “milk of amnesia,” propofol is only supposed to be administered by an anesthesia professional in a medical setting because it depresses breathing and heart rate while lowering blood pressure.
At the same time the charge was filed Monday, the coroner’s office released its autopsy report on Jackson. The document, previously obtained by The Associated Press, found the singer was in relatively good health and died from acute propofol intoxication.
Dr. Selma Calmes, an anesthesiologist who reviewed the report at the coroner’s request, said the level of propofol in Jackson’s body was akin to what would be given for major surgery. After such a dose, a patient normally would have a tube inserted in the airway to help with breathing and be ventilated by an anesthesiologist.
“The standard of care for administering propofol was not met,” she wrote.
“He is Korean Justin Timberlake” said Michael Jackson cherishing memory performance side person concerned with a great admiration about TVXQ’s Yunho who will participate as an Asian representative to the performance.
TVXQ Yunho showed a scene to practice for late Michael Jackson performance as an Asian representative with a dance composition team in America at KBS 2TV live broadcasting “Entertainment Weekly” which was broadcasted on the 13th.
His superior dance ability shined so that even American dance composition team was surprised at the dance composition room.
Yunho visited the dance practice room in Las Vegas with singer J who took the position to be Yunho’s local interpreter.
Singer J who took care of Yunho being as a local interpreter to him, said, “His execution was excellent and admirable” and she could not hide her happiness in her expression.
“His energy, liveliness and vigor overflow reminds us of Justin Timberlake” said associates Tanya Jackson and Morris Pleasure when the people concerned with local performance watched a document of Yunho shown. They praised him highly.
In addition, the person concerned with performance added to say, “We are very glad, that Yunho came to participate in late Michael Jackson cherishing memory performance as an Asian representative.”
Always Keep The Faith!
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Oh, check this. It’s MJ’s former Attorney, Tom Mesereau, and former manager, Frank Dileo leaving a popular Los Angeles watering hole called Madeo. “Mezz” makes a nice comment about Michael. (That’s beautiful, “Mezz”.) He seems cool and nonchalant, but Dileo looks startled. He looks like a deer caught in headlights. (Maybe it’s heartburn.) The coolness factor is important in La La Land, but what’s up with the shades at night? And what is Mezz taking out of the trunk of his car?
Mr. Mesereau, sir, this inquiring mind wants to know if are you selling bootleg tapes of This Is It? Now, don’t get upset or think I’m disrespecting you or calling your ethics in to question. I have mad respect for what you did for Michael; but, if you are selling bootlegs copies, I applaud you for taking money from the greedy leeches that have been raking it in since MJ left us. And, if the quality is good, tell me how I can get a copy. I’m not dropping another cent in to their pockets. (And they know who they are)
Wouldn’t you all like to know what that meeting was about, and what’s in that envelope? Did one or both of them purposely want the transaction to be seen, or were they just not concerned about the cameras? It’s strange that they didn’t take that whole thing someplace private.
I’m doing something really nerdy with my iTunes library. Thanks to a tip I found in a comment section on Popdose (by the way, Jeff and Jason, I had a dream the other day in which we all moved in together-WEIRD), I have decided to update every song in my library that charted on the Billboard Hot 100 with it’s chart position. I did not realize that futzing around with my library was going to affect my playlist, thus when I went to the part of iTunes that holds the list I’m referencing to this chart, I was somewhat stunned to see only 68 titles instead of 70. After having a mild panic attack (this isn’t the first time I’ve done something stupid while in the middle of one of these lists), I was able to go to my recycle bin and find the two songs I was missing. All has not been lost. Granted, I probably could have figured that out a little earlier were I not still dealing with the effects from a really powerful joint a bit otherwise impaired, but the point is that I found the songs! The list can continue! Parrrrrrtay!!!
Here’s 80-71 so you can catch up, in the event you’ve missed anything.
70. “Found a Cure” by Ashford and Simpson
Me and two friends have had an ongoing debate about whether Nick Ashford is secretly gay. I mean, there are arguments for (look at that hair! listen to that voice!) and against (he’s been married to Valerie Simpson for 40 years). Something tells me that Val wouldn’t put up with a marriage of convenience for that long, though. She gives off serious Strong Sista vibes.
69. “I’m Ready” by Kano
If I can say anything good about this song, it probably made the guys in Kano some dough.
68. “YMCA” by The Village People
As a goof, I used this as my outgoing answering machine message for a week or two, using my best queeny voice. Little did I know that my mom was gonna call. Oops. (Viewing this video for the first time, I’m almost shocked to discover that the YMCA in the clip is the one I went to during my last year or so in New York. Um, wow…so much I could say here).
67. “Dynamite!” by Stacy Lattisaw
This song makes me wanna roller-skate like a mug. Of course, I have no sense of balance and I’d probably eat cement within the first 30 seconds after tying the skates on…
66. “Disco Inferno” by The Trammps
This was my friend Mikey’s pick for the #1 disco song of all time. I have to respectfully disagree. Not that it’s a bad song, but shit, I’m not even totally sure it’s my favorite song named “Disco Inferno”.
65. “Automatic” by The Pointer Sisters
Who here thinks Ruth Pointer and Barry White should have done a duet?
64. “Off the Wall” by Michael Jackson
63. “Searching” by Change (feat. Luther Vandross)
Am I the only person who thinks Freddie Mercury indulged in a little bit of musical thievery here?
Alright, to begin this tutorial we will first figure out the basic frame of Michael Jackson. I shaped him in the most simplest form in order to draw other features proportionately. Draw a hamburger shape for the head of your pop star. After you’ve done that, draw simple shapes for the torso and the legs. Once you’ve done all of the above, move onward to the next step.
Step 2.
Ok, in this step we will proceed to make the guidelines for the divine features that will make him come to life. First off, draw a simple cross-sided guideline for the facials. After you’ve completed that, draw the arm, legs, and the suit part. This should be an exceptionally easy step to accomplish. Are you ready for the next step?
Step 3.
Sweet, this is the first step to creating the facial features of the chibi Michael Jackson. I gradually added simple facial features that makes the rest easier afterwords. I find drawing from start to finish to be very easy. If you started to draw something from random areas, your guaranteed to fail the drawing. I hope your ready for the next step!
Step 4.
This is a part that is also easy to draw. Drawing the torso will be the building blocks to creating the best part of this pose. You can guess what the awesome part is too. Anyways, sketch out the glove and the shirt of chibi Michael Jackson. Don’t forget to fill in the rest of his hair in the back of his head.
Step 5.
Awesome, you’ve finally made it to the last step. I find this the most interesting part to draw. And if you couldn’t guess, it’s the crotch and legs! While I was drawing this live, I laughed the whole time drawing it. Everyone was laughing along with me. Anyways, saddle up your pencil to sketching out the cute little mouth, the rest of the hat, legs and feet. This should be easy just like the rest of the steps. Once you’ve finished all of this, your ready to clean up your lines.
Step 6.
So this is basically the finished product of the Michael Jackson chibi. I put a lot of love and effort into this cute little tutorial for all you Michael fans. I hope this tutorial was a helpful lesson for all of you. Thanks so much for joining me on how to draw chibi Michael Jackson step by step. Have fun!
Ever since the death of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009, I have felt an urgency to write about a very important subject: THE MOUTH – AND THE THINGS THAT COME OUT OF IT.
Like many people during that time, I found myself mesmorized and astonished by all the hoop-la surrounding the death of the ‘king of pop’. The media circus and frenzy of the the fans were something I’ve never seen before. It was unreal to me how much the world seemed to care about this one individual. It was also quite interesting, to me, how many people weighed in their opinions of a man they’d never even met and laid out suppositions of his behavior as though it were fact.
I, like so many others, was fascinated by the eccentricities that made Michael who he was. The oddities and abnormal behavior so often displayed by him created an illusion of a man who was one card shy of a full deck. His whole life was under a microscope and every move he made was analyzed more than most fingerprints at a crime scene.
Because I am analytical and very much a realist, I do not take what I hear from others, especially the media, lightly and just believe it on a whim. I am a person who likes to dig and research and find out if what I’m hearing is truth or fiction. Everyone has an opinion on everything and I am not interested in opinion that is based on ‘feeling’ or assumption. I want facts. I want to base my beliefs on those facts. So, to try and discern some truth about the man they called the ‘king of pop’, I went straight to the source himself. I watched many an inerview given by Michael over the span of his lifetime – from the beginning of his career, through the child molestation charges, right up until his ‘This Is It’ tour preparations. And the conclusion I’ve come to is this: Michael Jackson was driven by one thing and one thing only…WORDS…..and his life is a perfect example of just how powerful words can be. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue.’ Proverbs 18:21 (NKJ)
Michael admitted that the obsession he had with his nose, an obsession that made him subject himself to painful plastic surgeries time and time again, came from the WORDS his father had spoken to him on an almost daily basis when he was a small child. When Michael and his brothers were practicing for the next big performance, Joe (Michael’s dad), would say to him, “Your nose is huge. I don’t know where you got that from but you didn’t get it from me! It must have come from your mother’s side of the family.” Over and over, as a young child, Michael would hear these words. And, because words are so powerful, those words penetrated his little heart and mind and caused him to believe he was ugly and somewhat deformed. As he grew and matured through adolence, already hurt and maimed by the continual degradation of his father, he would once again find the pain of words penetrating his soul. He talked candidly about an incident in an airport where his brothers were recognized by a group of girls who ran up to them screaming, “It’s the Jacksons, it’s the Jacksons.” As the girls approached the brothers one of girls asked, “Where’s little Michael?” His brother quickly responded, “He’s right here”, pointing at what was no longer a cute little chubby cheeked kid, but a tall, skinny, lanky, adolescent with acne and arms the length of Texas. At forty years of age, still feeling that moment as if it happened yesterday, Michael’s eyes filled with tears as he recalled what happened next: the girl looked at him and insensitively said, “Ew! What happened to you?!” Once again it had been confirmed in his mind just how ugly and weird he was. This deepened his obsession with his looks and caused him to refuse to look into a mirror ever again.
As he morphed into the ‘king of pop’ many words would be hurled at him that would scar him and live with him forever and drive him into obsessions and addictions that would prove to be deadly. Again, with tears in his eyes, he recalled hearing the first time the media dubbed him as ‘Wacko Jacko’ and how much that affected him. He repeated with strong, painful emotion the many criticisms and accusations the world had hurled his way, criticisms and accusations that drove him to further eccentristic behavior which then furthered the criticisms and judgments. Running from the noise and pain of those poisonous darts called words, he found himself heading into a deadly landmine of explosive artillery that would eventually explode on him and destroy him – torturously killing him from the inside out.
No matter what you may think of Michael Jackson, there is no denying that WORDS played a big part in who he became. (I could go on and on with example after example over the years of his life, but I feel it unneccesary to do so at this time.) As a steward personality (or melancholy), he was more deeply troubled by these negativities than others would have been. His deep sesitivities that were part of his natural temperment and personality caused him to be more hurt than someone who, as a strong choleric (or captain), would have been. Some of you reading this can certainly relate. For some of you, words have played a big part in what you’ve become too. Well, I guess all of us have become what we are in large part because of words – positive or negative. Not only words from a parent or guardian, but words from peers and enemies as well. Some of you reading this can relate to the verbal abuse Michael suffered, and although your life may not have taken the same drastic turn his did, you have been impaired in your ability to relate to others properly because of rejection and esteem issues you’ve lived with. Some of you were told you were a mistake, unwanted, ugly, a bother, a handful. Some of you heard the words, “I wish you were never born.” or “If I didn’t have you my life would be easier.” Some of you have grown up under the shadow of death as these powerful words hung in the air over you like a stifling cloud of asphyxiant gas.
Friends, I’m here to tell you today that you are not a bother, an accident, or a mal-formed individual. You are beautiful, created by a Genius God who made you perfect in every way. (Psalm 139) You are here on this earth WITH purpose ON purpose! I pray that the power of negative words will be broken off of your life today and that you will be able to do what God has created you to do!!!!
Now, before I end this note let me remind you what the Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21 I encourage you to watch your own words as well. Be the source of life to someone, not death. Speak positive and encouraging words to others. Don’t tear them down and cause them pain.
UKnow Yunho and Michael Jackson’s Tribute Concert’s producer, Morris Pleasure had met each other in America.
In order to welcome the upcoming Michael Jackson’s Tribute Concert on 27th March & 28th March at Yongsan War Memorial of Korea, Uknow Yunho arrived in America on 5th March (America Time) and started the training.
UKnow Yunho, whom is playing the lead role of the Tribute Concert in Korea, has arrived in Las Vegas. Upon arriving, he immediately engaged in detailed discussions for the performance tracks order and contents with Morris Pleasure, the keyboard player of Michael Jackson’s This Is It Tribute Concert.
In order to have a better interpretation of Uknow Yunho’s performances on ‘Beat It’, ‘THRILLER’, ‘SMOOTH CRIMINAL’, ‘JAM’ and other Michael Jackson’s hit songs, UKnow Yunho have been going through a intensive training with the local band for more than 10 hours everyday.
This Tribute Concert is the world’s first public concert to commemorate Michael Jackson’s commemoration song, ‘This Is It’. Therefore, it has gathered more topics.
On the other hand, the joint collaboration of SBS (Organizer) and S2 Entertainment, Michael Jackson’s Korea Concert: a Tribute “BAND FROM MICHAEL JACKSON’s THIS IS IT movie and UKnow Live” will be held at Yongsan War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on 27th March and 28th March.
source: 车奉君の小脸 @ TVXQbaidubar & 中国U-KNOW允浩房
translation: sicashinki @ OneTVXQ.com
credits: OneTVXQ.com { One World. One Red Ocean. One TVXQ! }
Feel free to repost, but please leave the full credits intact. Thanks!
Michael Jackson’s former bodyguards have revealed that the King of Pop became frustrated during the final years of his life because of financial difficulties.
Bill Whitfield and Mike Garcia, who served as the Jackson’s minders, revealed that he often suffered fits of rage.
“We were asked to leave hotels because the credit card on file was denied,” the New York Post quoted Whitfield as saying on ‘Good Morning America’.
Also, Whitfield added: “We smile about it, but it”’’s really more painful and hurtful.
“He got so frustrated he threw my cell phone out the window, through the window and broke the glass.
“And he looked at me and said, ””Bill, you””re going to need a new phone.”””
The bodyguards also mentioned that he tried to avoid Jackson’s three kids – Prince, Paris and Blanket – from seeing images of their father on magazine covers.
He added: “I””ll be ahead of him, because I know he”’’s coming this way, and I””m looking at magazine racks that may have something about him on them and I””ll turn it around. Sometimes he”’’s seen them, and you would actually see him take it and turn them around so the kids didn””t see them.”
Sadly this probably won’t be Reggie Noble 9 1/2. This is the first time I’ve heard Red go in over a daNk instrumental since Blackout 2. This track is actually dedicated to Michael Jackson; hope he’s on the dance floor in heaven moonwalking to this joint.
How to Read and Use Body Language When Negotiating
When you negotiate, to what ‘authority’ do you succumb? When we negotiate, information is presented to enhance or demur the perception of authority. At times, we are told information being conveyed came from some form of authority. Thus, the projection of that information is supposed to possess validity and impress us. When such information is presented to you, dressed in the trappings of authority, if the information doesn’t appear to be valid, or you have a ‘gut’ feeling that it doesn’t reside well with you, question its validity.
It appears that Michael Jackson, bless his soul, relied upon an authority to address his concerns of well being. In the end, it appears that authority misguided him.
Another problem that occurs with information, coming from the quarters of authority, is the fact that some people will view it as being suspect, when in reality, it’s valid. As an example, had Michael Jackson not passed away, but instead was rushed to the hospital and the public was told he was hospitalized due to some undisclosed illness, or whatever the reason his ‘handlers’ felt would serve Michael’s interest, some people would have sought something more sinister behind the message. They would have questioned the motives of those presenting the information and possibly thought it was a publicity stunt to highlight his pending tour. They might have even thought it was some form of disguise to solicit empathy for Michael. Those possessing such thoughts might have justified their beliefs based on what they may have considered to be, ‘the strange behavior’ that Michael displayed in the past.
The point is, when you’re negotiating, don’t always rely on information to be factual, in the form in which it’s presented, and don’t be too quick to discount its validity. You should always mentally question, the motives of the other negotiator, what it is that he’s attempting to do, and what he seeks as an outcome. By doing so, you’ll get insight into how he wishes you to perceive the information being presented and you’ll be able to reconcile how you’re perceiving the data against that backdrop.
When negotiating, use all of your senses. Observe the manner by which the other negotiator is presenting. Look for signs through his body language that indicates dissimilarities between his words and body gestures. Pay attention to his pitch and tone when he’s speaking. Once you note variations in his speech from that of earlier parts of the conversation, mentally note those differences and follow the lead of his body. The body never lies. It will project the truth much clearer and assuredly than the spoken word. Once you’re able to discern fact from fiction at the negotiation table, you’ll start winning more negotiation sessions. You’ll become a savvy negotiator that will walk away from the negotiation with more of what was on the table … and everything will be right with the world.
The Negotiation Tips Are …
As we negotiate, there are times when we intuitively don’t trust what we hear or see. When that occurs, question why you’re experiencing such feelings. There will be reasons behind such emotions.
In order to become a more experienced negotiator, commit to gaining insight into the subtle nuances of body language. There’s a hidden world of secret information in the gestures of someone’s body maneuvers.
If you are astute and don’t allow your position to be swayed by the misrepresentation of information coming from ‘authority’, you’ll be very well positioned to point the negotiation in an advantageous direction.
To inquire about having The Master Negotiator as a coach or consultant, or to conduct ‘live’ instructional sessions, and/or keynote presentations at your company, group, or organization, please send an e-mail to GregWilliams@TheMasterNegotiator.com and start getting more out of life, when you negotiate. Please include the verbiage, ‘Negotiation Inquiry’ in the subject line.
by Greg Williams – The Master Negotiator. If you’d like more information on how you can become a savvier negotiator, click here to checkout Greg’s new book, “Negotiate: Afraid, ‘Know’ More.”
Please visit The Master Negotiator’s website at http://www.TheMasterNegotiator.com for additional information and negotiation resources for individuals and businesses.
So as we came into the New Year Thrill Me had one thing on our minds…Brains. Well ok two things, brains and taxes. Being 2 new business owners we now had a whole new world of taxes to contend with. Now, if you know Jenna and Shelby at all, you know that they take a very different approach to things. Shelby is business oriented and organized, she saves receipts and keeps track of miles. Jenna on the other hand digs through the body remains on her floor hoping to find that receipt from Applebees from 3 weeks ago. Finally, after a lot of scrounging (on Jenna’s part) and many excel spread sheets (on Shelby’s part) taxes were done! One final meeting with the accountant and Thrill Me LLC will have their first ever tax return done. Now Jenna can spend her time doing more fun things, like attacking innocent bystanders.
So, while Shelby was pulling out her hair over my book-keeping, we have also been continuing with our classes at the Women & Family Life Center in Guilford. Our adult class that we finished last night was amazingly fun! One of our students had the nerve to bring a bottle of wine to class, stating that she felt like she did it better with a little bit of liquid courage in her. We told her otherwise. The class was a fantastic group of women who worked their butts off and now can proudly say that they are “Cardio Thriller” graduates! Congrats to our new “Most Valuable Zombie” Patty and our “Most Improved Zombie” Kari, they both deserved it!
Now, with Taxes and classes under control, we have decided to add one more thing onto our plate and start a website! We are incredibly excited about this and are loving what the crew at Weblux Designs are coming up with for us. You can view a teeny tiny preview at www.thrillmellc.com.
That about covers our recent activity, we have the Annual Womans Health Conference coming up for the WFLC on March 14, classes starting up again at the Jared Andrew Studio next week, which you can view on our calender and of course we are gearing up for the National Haunters Convention in April!
Time to cut this short, getting emails from Shelby about our accountant meeting this afternoon, time to sift through body parts for old receipts
In case you missed it, the Vatican’s official literary organ, L’Osservatore Romano (The Roman Observer) recently published its choices for the ten best albums in pop music history, a self-described “modest guide [that] can point you on the road to good music.” This latest offering continues a string of commentary by the Holy See’s newspaper on such pop culture phenomena as Harry Potter, the Twilight series, James Cameron’s Avatar, and The Simpsons. L’Osservatore Romano’s sudden engagement with contemporary Western culture and its often polemical judgments in these editorials has sparked considerable debate, and while this top ten list seems designed to provoke further controversy – as such lists are prone to do (Rolling Stone’s top 100 guitarists of all time, anyone?) – this compilation of undisputed classics merely treads a safe middle ground. Yet its inclusion does raise interesting questions about the motives of the newspaper’s editors and the values that they endorse.
Staff writers Guiseppe Fiorentino and Gaetano Vallini assembled the list of desert island discs, which they claimed provided an antidote for the “rigors of winter” as well as alternatives to the cloying, formulaic ditties slated for such perennial events as the Sanremo music festival in Liguria, Italy. The approved albums span over thirty years and, in order of release, are as follows:
(1) The Beatles, Revolver (1966)
(2) David Crosby, If Only I Could Remember My Name (1971)
(3) Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
(4) Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (1976)
(5) Donald Fagen, The Nightfly (1982)
(6) Michael Jackson, Thriller (1982)
(7) Paul Simon, Graceland (1986)
(8) U2, Achtung Baby (1991)
(9) Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory (1995)
(10) Carlos Santana, Supernatural (1999)
What message(s) does such a list project, or intend to project, to the public about the reigning Papacy? Are we supposed to envision His Eminence opting to sing along to his trusty iPod instead of diligently practicing his beloved Mozart at the piano? Better still, who will heed the advice of this newspaper – whose relationship to the Vatican has been compared in the past to Pravda of the Soviet-era Kremlin – on which films to watch, books to read, or music to listen to? Judging by the attention that L’Osservatore Romano has been generating, it turns out that quite a few readers are taking notice.
The newspaper’s revised focus in recent years reflects the appointment in October 2007 of church historian Gian Maria Vian as its editor-in-chief. With newspapers quickly becoming an obsolete medium, Vian is determined to revitalize L’Osservatore Romano. Indeed, with over 100 staff members on his payroll, a meager circulation of less than 100,000 copies, and an estimated deficit of 4.5 million Euros, Vian certainly has his work cut out for him. Sensationalist journalism is one such tactic, and judging from the publicity that L’Osservatore Romano has attracted since Vian assumed leadership a few years ago, his approach appears to be working. So too, these editorials seek to overturn public perception of the Vatican as out-of-touch with contemporary culture and society as well as renovate the tarnished image of the Catholic Church, which has absorbed major scandals in recent years. Appealing to a younger readership seems to represent a step in the right direction.
However, such a vested interest in popular currents seems in conflict with the standards set forth by current Pope Benedict XVI Joseph Ratzinger, who in 1996 (then as Cardinal) declared rock music the “instrument of the devil” and contemporary pop culture a morass of depravity. Consider L’Osservatore Romano’s dismissal of Avatar’s pantheism as “sentimental and facile, anti-imperialist and anti-militarist,” while Twilight amounted to a “moral vacuum with a deviant message.” Last year, the newspaper praised Harry Potter for its depiction of the “eternal battle between good and evil,” overturning its decision from a year prior that J. K. Rowling’s writings promoted witchcraft and the occult, and contradicting Ratzinger’s condemnation of the series in 2003 as “subtle seductions [that] deeply distort Christianity in the soul.” Considering Ratzinger’s stance, how did drug-addled soundtracks like Revolver or Dark Side make the cut?
It helps that several albums rank among the best sellers of all time, including Thriller (26 million copies), Rumours (18 million), and Dark Side (15 million). Other selections feature all-star ensembles that arguably symbolize either an artistic communion (Graceland, If Only I Could Remember My Name) or utopian existence (Nightfly), while other acts received more explicit endorsements. In a November 2008 article, Vallini hailed Bono as a “true crusader for Christianity,” while a November 2008 article recognized the White Album’s 40th anniversary by declaring the Fab Four as vastly more creative than the “standardized and stereotyped” bands of today. Santana’s Supernatural proved that the Latin axe-slinger was “the only member of the Woodstock generation still at the top” (I guess Vian missed The Who’s rousing halftime show at this year’s Super Bowl). The Gallagher brothers, those “enfants terribles of the working class,” gave the world a “jewel produced by torment” with Morning Glory, while more than one writer has raised eyebrows at the Vatican’s advocacy of Michael Jackson’s music.
Moreover, L’Osservatore Romano’s staff writers have also developed a knack for creating just enough ambiguity to allow the Pope to retain plausible deniability. After panning Avatar for suggesting that the worship of nature can replace religion, Vatican Radio waffled by deeming the film a “rather harmless” portrayal beleaguered by “sappiness.” Likewise, Fiorentino and Vallini qualified their top ten album list as only a “semi-serious” appraisal that was inevitably “partial.” Robert Mickens, a Vatican correspondent for a Catholic weekly The Tablet, supported this view in his contention that “the topics [discussed in L’Osservatore Romano] hardly ever deal with Catholic doctrinal questions, so it was never considered a high-risk strategy.” It seems as if the risks that Vian and his staff are calculated ones with big payoffs. Then again, maybe the albums on this top ten list are simply guilty pleasures without all of the heavy-handed social commentary. Who’s to say? Any deeper symbolism into this issue I happily leave for Dan Brown to unravel.
MANILA, Philippines – When I was a PR officer at Manila Hotel, I was assigned to head the annual Orphan’s Christmas Party where 300 children from different orphanages around Metro Manila were treated to a day of fun and surprises. It was one of the biggest projects on my plate and it was such a challenge to focus on work the day before the big event, knowing Michael Jackson was billeted in the hotel.
Two nights before, I had been fortunate to be part of his welcome line at the hotel lobby together with the rest of the PR and sales staff but was content enough to see him walk by.
The day before, a guy claiming to be Michael Jackson’s aide from Mamarao Productions came to the office. I couldn’t recall his name but he looked for the “person in charge” and said his boss had read the announcement about the event in the Dear Guest flyers we had circulated to all the rooms a week before. Michael wanted to know how he could help.
His aide went up to the Penthouse and down to the PR office several times after we gave our suggestions.
Michael offered to fill up the 300 loot bags with goodies and toys, candies and chocolates. But after getting close to 50 sponsors, it was actually a problem for us to dispose of everything.
So I thought hard…how can the King of Pop meaningfully join the affair? I couldn’t possibly have him be with the kids in the palayok game or the pabitin as he might end up being mobbed! And since the annual event was really all about giving, I mustered all my courage and told the Mamarao guy that the best thing I could think of was for Michael to literally be present to help distribute the loot bags, sign autographs and pose with the children for photos. “Wow, that may not be easy. You’re talking about handing goodie bags to 300 children and I can just imagine the chaos. We’ll see, Ms. Jacinto. I’ll get back to you,” he said.
Lunch break came and it was the most hurried one I ever took in my entire life. It wasn’t until after 5 p.m. that Michael’s aide came back and said, “Michael is more than happy to do whatever you suggest. How do we go about it tomorrow?”
I wanted to scream. I had to calm myself and regain composure as the Lizzie Maguire in me said, “Get real, get back into focus.”
We agreed that Michael would join after the games, musical program and snacks, and at the last part to give out the loot bags. My colleague Annette Africano and boss Dulce Agnir requested for additional security around the garden and the stage area as this was where we decided to distribute the gifts. We made sure the children would form an orderly line.
Then the moment arrived. It was at the Champagne Gardens on Dec. 7, 1996. I was surprised to see him walking towards us, guided by his aide. Michael came up to me as I had to brief him.
“Hi, how are you? Thanks so much for letting me in, I know I’m early ‘coz I didn’t want to miss the program.”
I said, “Are you kidding? Thanks so much for volunteering! Here’s what Michael, why don’t you just sit here and watch the musical numbers before we get into the gift giving. I will have to tweak the program a bit.”
He replied, “Sure, anything you say… (pausing to look at my name tag) Gwen!”
I was stunned at how incredibly sweet and modest he was. And in my mind it was, “Oh my God, this is really happening!”
Amazing how he patiently sat through the whole program. Carol Banawa, then an Ang TV mainstay couldn’t believe Michael Jackson was watching her perform. She had her red blouse signed by him right after her number. Then followed Stefano Mori’s dance number. Later, his back up singers and dancers came up on stage followed by select kids from different orphanages who danced to the beat of Billie Jean. Oh, the smile on Michael’s face was just amazing.
Then we announced that Michael will be distributing gifts onstage. I explained to him that there’s a loot bag for the younger kids and another for the older ones and he nodded. The thrill and excitement he gave those children was incredibly touching. It was in between the gift bag distribution that I caught a glimpse of Michael Jackson, not as a performer but as a person.
It was one in the afternoon. Santa Claus (David Endriga, a friend of fellow PR officer Francis Capistrano) was with us.
The heat was scourging and I was worried that Michael felt so hot with his black long-sleeved signature attire and hat.
“Are you alright Michael? We can let you take a break,” I asked.
He said, “I’m cool Gwen. Just imagine how Santa feels inside his velvet suit and beard. We’ll be fine.”
I never heard him complain or say a word about how hot it was or how long the line was. He had the most beautiful manners. He didn’t even ask for a drink or a towel to wipe his sweat but one of our banquet staff made sure he got a glass of fresh orange juice.
An hour passed and we were halfway through gift-giving when we noticed that the garden was getting filled up. Suddenly, there were people from media, politicians, officials and hotel guests including those in a wedding reception at the nearby Champagne Room who deserted the newly-weds just to get a glimpse of the King of Pop.
“Oh oh, this isn’t supposed to be, I’m so sorry,” I said. It’s all right, we’ll get through it,” Michael said smiling.
As we finished giving out the last loot bag to an 11-year-old orphan, a new line of more kids and adults formed. Michael’s bodyguard, Wayne, said. “We can leave now.”
Michael replied calmly, “We can’t leave when there are still people in line. It’s Christmas, dude.”
I felt my heart beat faster and the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stood up. He wasn’t just the most electrifying performer, but the most generous person.
One of the most memorable moments was when a lady came up to him for an autograph. Laughing and holding his tummy, he said “Hey Gwen, you’ve gotta check this out. He whispered, “It’s a blank check. The lady is making me sign on a blank check.”
We laughed hard and little did we know that it wasn’t even half of the comedy. He later showed me and Wayne other stuff people would use or pick up on the ground when they couldn’t find paper for him to sign on. One lady made him sign at the back of her elegant, designer Filipiniana gown. One teenager came up to him holding a dead leaf and another one, a popped balloon. Imagine how our laughter ballooned as well.
It was an amazing, genuine experience. At one point he asked if I was going to catch his History concert and I said “tomorrow night.”
“Oh, you’ll have a blast!” Michael told me.
At this point he became concerned about the stage as adults outnumbered the kids. His face had nervousness written all over it but he still didn’t complain. He tapped the wooden floor with his foot several times making sure it was sturdy enough not to fall apart. “I’ve experienced the stage collapse and I just want to make sure we’re all safe here,” he explained.
Half of me wanted the line to finish because we were literally melting and worried about our safety, but half of me didn’t, knowing that once the line ended, Michael will leave.
At some point it did end. I managed to get an autograph for my sisters and me before our general manager, Clem Pablo, requested him to sing Give Love on Christmas Day.
Cesar Sarino, one of the hotel’s officials, addressed his thank you note to the King of Pop. Then I saw his guards and aides whisking Michael off stage.
I said in my mind, “Oh man, I didn’t even have the chance to say goodbye.”
Suddenly, I saw Michael return on stage and say, “Thanks so much to you and your team, Gwen. This really means a lot.”
Then he held me beside him and said, “I’ll see you at the concert.”
As Michael Jackson is laid to rest and returned to pristine condition in the afterlife, these two incredible acts of the King of Pop – volunteering for charity and unselfishly spending time with the less fortunate, will forever be the way I will remember this man.
I think I was 16 or 17 when I bought the single “Looking Through my Eyes” by Bone Thugs ‘N Harmony, back in the day when we still wanted singles. I never bought “Crossroads”, but that is such a lovely song also. Especially the music video. I’ve always liked the ending.
Not so long ago I discovered that Bone Thugs had sampled Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song”. What’s cool is that they did it before he died, and not after. I’m not sure if they intended to have the song on any of their albums, but there’s a video of them playing the song for a live audience.
I liked the song immediately. Lyrics (those I can figure out LOL) are awesome. They blend perfectly with Michael’s voice. (How great is Michael’s voice really? OMG…)
They were supposed to be having a concert in my city before Christmas I think it was, not sure if it happened, but I wanted to go.
There have been many Michael Jackson tribute songs after he passed away. “What Have we Done” were not intended as a tribute song, but it has become one. I think it’s one of the greatest. Especially because they chooses a song and a theme that Michael cared deeply about.
Im Sure by now you have all seen the “We Are The World” video that premiered during the opening ceremony of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Its truely an inspiring video given the recent events in Haiti. Did you know it is a remake of a video made with artists Lionel Riche, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rogers, Billy Joel, Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, etc. Here is the old and new video.
The older version is just as inspiring. You can really tell that these artists knew they were apart of something special.
For those of you who missed the new version with artists Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Keri Hilson, the Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, Miley Cyrus, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Jamie Fox, Pink, Usher, and some of the original Michael Jackson recording
Its unfortunate that this crisis had to come for some of these videos. However some other really great tributes have been made by other artists. I love seeing all these artists join together so quickly to create /re-create these events. Here are some other videos you may not be so familiar with.
International Artists came together to create & record this beautiful song “Everybody Hurts” Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Jon Bon Jovi, Mariah Carey, Michael Buble, James Morrison, and more.
Christian Artists: Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, tobyMac, Nicole Nordeman, Nicole C. Mullen, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Wynonna Judd, Melinda Doolittle, and more. These artists all came together and recorded “Come Together Now”
It’s great to see so many artists contributing to things like this. It’s amazing how much good it does. Obviously the massive explosion of “We Are The World” on iTunes last week has allowed the campaign already to raise over $63 million. The Help For Haiti telethon raised over $57 million. Its amazing the power behind music and when we really focus it can be put to such good use.
Downloading any of these songs gives all profits to the relief effort in Haiti. Here are some other ways to give to Haiti if you haven’t already.
Katie’s ethnic make up will be discussed at a later date, but please check out her face and remember her features and skin tone because she is my poster child for this series. More pictures will be shown later as well.
-Oooh, her daddy must be White or High Yellow!
-Your daughter is beautiful! She looks nothing like you. (Yes, in the same breath.)
-She must look just like her daddy.
-Is that your daughter?
-Is your daughter Mexican?
Over the past eight years the above things have all been said or asked of me because of my daughter. I am a Black woman and I have a child by a White man. These comments used to bother me when my daughter was a baby, but I am used to it now and I respond accordingly with the right amount of venom in my tone.
When I found out I was carrying a baby by a White man I wasn’t happy. There is a long story behind this that will be shared with you in my memoirs one day, but one of the reasons is the fact that I knew I was going to have to deal with all these dumb ass questions and statements. And, the staring…oh gawd people could win staring contests when they see a Black women with a White looking child.
I also worried that I would not know how to or be able to deal with raising a biracial child. May seem ridiculous to you, but I really thought about what type of things I would have to teach her about her background and how to deal with people liking or disliking her because of things like her skin tone and hair. I worried she would be different than me and she would catch hell because of it.
I was right and I was wrong. I’m her mother. She has my DNA. I am raising her and I deal with any issues quite well. If she had come out half of whatever the hell Yoda is from Star Wars I would still love her lil’ brownish-green ass to death.
Ethnicity and color are not issues for me. Never have been. I love everyone and I hate everyone. My feelings are equal opportunity. I won’t love you just because you’re Black and I won’t hate you just because you’re White. Like someone once said – “Just because you’re my color it doesn’t mean you’re my kind.” Truer words have never been spoken.
For some odd and stupid ass reason many of us continue to be color struck. I really think most of us are dumb or at the very least forgetful. Black people who look White is not a new phenomenon. Back in the day Black folks who appeared more White than Black “passed” all the time. Hell, some people are still passing today. There are some people that could pass but don’t like my man, actor Wentworth Miller.
Look at him:
Wentworth Miller
Would you have guessed that he has a Black parent? Well, he does. I first saw Wentworth in the film The Human Stain. It’s about a man who passes for White, but is really Black. If you haven’t seen it check it out. Good flick! Anthony Hopkins plays Wentworth’s role as an older man. We all know Anthony is not Black in any way shape or form, but I’m sure he was cast in the role to make a point.
Back to Wentworth; I fell in love as soon as I saw him on the screen. He is a beautiful man. I saw The Human Stain around the same time Prison Break started on FOX, so I immediately started watching it every week thereafter.
Some of you who know me are laughing and probably saying,”Yea, she likes ‘em light, bright, and damn near White.” True, I do tend to go gaga more for light skinned dudes or mixed dudes. Hey, I like the best of both worlds. Sue me! When Black and White come together it creates something beautiful. That’s not to say that when anyone else comes together that it’s ugly, so don’t go there. I like what I like! There are no self hating reasons for it and I love chocolate brothas too. I like men! Period.
I can’t find one I want to call my boyfriend, but that’s another story.
Again, back to Wentworth. I was sprung after seeing him in The Human Stain, but when I read an interview where he explained that he is Black and just plays a White man for TV, I fell in love. Why? Because he had the nerve to be who he is, when he does not appear to be.
My true inspiration for starting this series are Michael Jackson’s children:
Prince, Paris, and "Blanket"
-Those are not his biological children.
-They look nothing like him or any of the other Jackson kids.
-Those are White kids.
-White never trumps Black. Never!
-Why is he trying to pass these White kids off as his children?
These are just a few of the things I have heard aimed at Michael’s children. These comments piss me off and I take them personally because as you have already read I get some of the same ignorant reactions because of my daughter.
In the next part of the series I will get deeper into Mike’s babies and the issues many people have when Black and White DNA come together to create a child that appears White.
In the meantime, let’s get back to Katie. Answer this poll:
Joe Jackson is entitled to get copies of Michael Jackson’s medical records … according to the judge in the Michael Jackson estate case. According to the judge’s ruling, Joe Jackson is only entitled to records from UCLA made on the day Jackson died. Joe Jackson wants the records for a possible wrongful death case. Howard Weitzman, lawyer for the estate, says “The estate has no problem with the Court’s ruling which substantially limits what Mr. Jackson was asking for.”
-”The BklynBandette.” Mr. Hollywood’s Co-Defendant.
Ever paid for an increase on your insurance rates because of an accident, even if it’s not your fault? In the words of the late and great Michael Jackson, you are not alone.
Keep in mind that “fault” is determined by the authorities. You may feel that you were not at fault in an accident, or that the other driver was insane. But, the authorities make that decision, and the party that is ticketed during the incident is considered to be at fault.
Insurance companies base their premiums on risk-factor. So, even if someone rear-ends you while you’re singing along to your favorite tune, if you’ve had a speeding ticket or other violation prior to this accident, you might be deemed an at-risk driver. Each insurance company has different policies and standards, but they look at your overall tendency towards accidents.
The number of accidents you are in directly affects your premium. You could be in four no-fault accidents, and your company would still raise your rates. They feel that even though the authorities determined these accidents not to be your fault, that you must have something wrong with your driving to be having so many crashes. Are you cursed, or just accident-prone? Insurance fraud also plays a small factor in this equation. Many people “stage” accidents to obtain settlements from insurance companies. A high number of no-fault accidents might raise a red-flag with an insurance company.
We here at CWI Underwriters write auto insurance with eight “A” rated companies, which all have different ways the evaluate accidents and tickets. Give us a call! 888.636.6438
Anyone still reading this? looks like going by the number of hits.
Listed here is an archive of films I’ve seen in theaters. Two of them have been nominated for Academy Awards. The review contains the film’s title, genre, an overview and some trivia.
Movie Reviews
2009-Early 2010
Below are a list of reviews for movies I’ve seen in 2009 and early 2010. The list ranges from films seen in theaters to ones rented on DVD. At the end of each review are few ‘Trivia’ notes. So… read on!
Rating system:
5 stars – A must see
4 stars- Good
3 stars- Rent it on DVD
2 stars- Fair
1 star – Not worth seeing
Michael Jackson’s This Is It
Movie poster(c) Columbia Tri-star
Studio: Columbia Tri-Star Motion Picture, Sony Pictures, The Michael Jackson Company.
Theater release: October 28th 2009.
DVD Release: 1/26/2010
Rating: PG.
Running time: 1 hr. 51 min
Main actor/actress: Michael Jackson
Supporting Cast:
Daniel Celebre
Shanon Holtzapffel
Charles Klapow
Kenny Ortega
And Others
Category: Documentary/Musical/Performing Arts
Info: A look at the final days of one of the greatest entertainers. The documentary features behind-the-scenes footage, rehearsals and interviews with collaborators and close friends of Michael Jackson.
Reviews and ratings: “Nothing at all like I was expecting to see” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times.
Personal rating: **** Good
Opinion: ‘This is It” is an enjoyable film for those who are fans of Michael Jackson. The effects and choreography were done well. There are a few comical moments as well as some that are dramatic and heartwarming.
Trivia: This is It is complied of an estimated 80 hours of behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage for the late entertainer’s sold out 50 shows at London’s O2 Arena. The concert was scheduled to begin in July 2009 before Michael Jacksons’s death in June at the age of 50.
Kenny Ortega directed the documentary as well as Michael Jackson’s other music videos.
All the songs featured in This is It are sung by Michael Jackson.
The documentary is dedicated to Michael’s children, Paris, Prince Michael and Blanket.
Originally scheduled for a two-week theatrical release, news of an extension had been announced.
This is It was nominated for a Critic’s choice award.
Studio: 20th Century Fox/ Lightstorm Entertainment.
Theater release: December 18th 2009.
DVD release: N/A
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 2 hrs 40 min.
Main Actor/Actress: Sam Worthington- Jake Sully and Zöe Saldana- Neytiri
Supporting Cast:
Sigourney Weaver- Dr. Grace Augustine
Stephan Lang- Colonel Miles Quaritch
Michelle Rodriguez- Trudy Chacon
Giovonni Ribsi- Parker Selfridge
Joel David Moore- Norm Spellman
CCH Pounder- Mo’at
Wes Studi- Eytukan
Laz Alonso- Tsu’Tey
Matt Gerald- Corpal Lyle Wainfleet
Dileep Rao- Dr. Max Patel
Peter Mensah- Akwey (aka Horse clan leader)
Sean Anthony Moran- Private Sean Fike
And Others.
Category: Sci-fi/ Action/Adventure/Drama
Info: Avatar tells the story of Jake Sully who is paralyzed from the waist down. Jake travels to Pandora, a moon located in Alpha Centuri. While there, he meets Norm Spellman and few other employees who work for the RDA mining company run by Parker Selfridge. During a walk out in the forest with Grace Augustine and Norm, Jake is chased by one Pandora’s top predators, the panther-like Thanator. After getting separated from Norm and Grace, Jake is now lost and unaware he’s being watched!
That night, Jake encounters a pack of Viperwolves which are similar to hyenas and gray wolves. Though he tries to scare them off, the wolves seem to be giving Jake a run for his money so to speak; until Neytiri steps in. Shortly after, the viperwolves flee; sometime later, Jake meets Neytiri’s parents, Eytukan and Mo’at who are also leaders of the clan. At first, Eytukan isn’t too keen about Jake and neither is Tsu’Tey, another clan member. After Jake explains himself, Mo’at announces Neytiri will be tutoring him. Later on, Jake tells his co-workers about what happened. The head of security, Miles Quaritch, tells Jake to go ahead and learn about the Na’vi. He also gives Jake a three-month deadline to get the clan to move after Parker explains that the village is sitting on a large deposit of a mineral called Unobtainium. If he manages to pull off the job, Miles states he’ll see about helping Jake ‘get his legs back’ via surgery. Although Neytiri was ready to gut Jake like fish when they first met, she gradually befriends him. Over time, Jake also becomes friends with Norm and Trudy, even Grace warms up to him. But later, Jake is caught in a bind to either finish the job or help his new friends.
Reviews and Ratings: “An extraordinary film” – Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times.
Personal rating: **½ -Fair.
Opinion: Though the storyline is interesting, there are some things that weren’t so great. The effects and performances by the cast were done well. Overall, for those who are curious about the film but choose not to see it in theaters; either rent it, catch the movie on TV or just skip it altogether. Although, for this being James Cameron’s first feature film since ‘Titanic’ which was released in 1997; he’s definitely proved he can still put on quite a show.
Trivia notes:
This is the first feature film James Cameron has directed since Titanic.
Avatar won the golden globes for Best Director and Best Picture(Drama).
The film has been nominated for nine Academy Awards and held the #1 spot at the box office for seven weeks straight before it got demoted by the movie, Dear John.
Motion capture was used in the film.
The script was originally written in 1994 and James Cameron had wanted to release it in 1999 but the idea was turned down due to the high budget.
Avatar cost over $300 million to make and $150 million spent on marketing. The film so far has made a total of $ 2 billion dollars at the box office.
The cast spent time in a bonding boot camp in Maui months before filming.
James Horner composed the music for the film; the last time he’s worked with James Cameron was when he did the music for Titanic in 1997.
Two other films Sam Worthington and Zöe Saldana starred in were Terminator Salvation and Guess Who, working alongside Bernie Mac and Ashton Kutcher.
Actress Michelle Rodriguez starred in the Fast and the Furious.
Though James Horner is mostly known for composing scores for kid/family films including: An American Tail, Balto, The Land Before Time and several others.
Avatar sold more tickets during the opening day than Star trek did when it was released in early 2009.
The film was nominated for best original score at the Golden Globes but lost to Disney and Pixar’s Up.
Coincidentally, Avatar, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The squeakquel are all 20th century Fox films.
Info: Based on the book written by Roald Dahl. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a stop motion animated comedy. The film starts out with Mr. Fox and his mate, Felicity stealing poultry from the farms owned by Boggis, Bunce and Bean. The two are later caught in a trap by one of the farmers. After Felicity announces she’s pregnant; she tells her mate to make a promise to stop stealing birds and take up another job if they escape from the trap alive. Although Mr. Fox does keep his promise and now has a job as a journalist, he slowly slips back into his old habit of stealing from the farmers. Sometime later when Boggis, Bunce and Bean discover Mr. Fox’s raids they decide to catch him. As a result Mr. Fox’s family and neighbors are at risk. With the animals trapped underground, Mr. Fox and friends band together against the farmers.
Reviews & Ratings: “This movie deserves to be called groundbreaking”- Peter Travers, Rolling stone.
Personal rating: *****-A must see.
Opinion: Being a stop motion film fan and animal lover this is a film worth seeing. An enjoyable movie from start to finish. Highly recommended.
Trivia notes:
The recording sessions took place both outdoors and indoors.
In the original Fantastic Mr. Fox, he and his mate had four pups (3 males 1 female) whereas in the film, Ash is their only son and Kristofferson is Mr. Fox’s nephew.
Though the film most likely takes place in England, possums like Kylie are typically found in America.
Kristofferson is Ash’s cousin. On his unaccompanied minor I.D. tag his last name is Silverfox. Most likely, Kristofferson is a silver phase red fox.
Another trademark Fox and Badger friendships is featured in the Animals of Farthing wood book series. A cartoon adaptation came out in the 90s and ran for three seasons.
Prior to doing the voice of Coach Skip, Owen Wilson played Lightning McQueen in Disney/Pixar’s Cars.
Wes Anderson worked with the animation crew for Aardman whose work includes Wallace and Gromit, Creature Comforts and Chicken Run.
Beagles are used as guard dogs by the farmers in the film. Though they are originally used to track and catch rabbits and hares, beagles have also ran alongside their larger cousins, the Foxhounds.
Though the film is based on Roald Dahl’s book, some characters have been added or have a more prominent role than they had in the book. One example is the character, Badger who is Mr. Fox’s neighbor, attorney and friend.
Fantastic Mr. Fox was nominated at the Golden Globes in the animation category but lost to the movie Up.
The movie is also an Academy Awards nominee for best animated film.
Well that’s part one of my Movie reviews.Stay tuned for reviews for the following films:
- Quincy Jones
- Lionel Richie
- Pink
- Janet Jackson
- Justin Bieber
- Sugarland
- Celine Dion
- Lil Wayne
- Wyclef Jean
- The Black Eyed Peas
- Josh Groban
- Santana
- Jason Mraz
- Nicole Scherzinger
- Jennifer Hudson
- The Fray
- The Jonas Brothers
- Robin Thicke
- Miley Cyrus
- Tony Bennet
- Mary J. Blige
- Barbra Streisand
- Enrique Iglesias
- Jamie Foxx
- Adam Levine
- BeBe Winans
- Usher
- Orianthi
- Toni Braxton
- Mary Mary
- Isaac Slade
- Akon
- T-Pain
- LL Cool J
- Snoop Dogg
- Busta Rhymes
- Swizz Beats
- Iyaz
- Kanye West
- Patti Austin
- Philip Bailey
- Fonzworth Bentley
- Bizzy Bone
- Ethan Bortnick
- Jeff Bridges
- Zac Brown
- Brandy
- Kristian Bush
- Natalie Cole
- Harry Connick Jr.
- Nikka Costa
- Kid Cudi
- Faith Evans
- Melanie Fiona
- Sean Garrett
- Tyrese Gibson
- Anthony Hamilton
- Keith Harris
- Rick Hendrix
- Keri Hilson
- Julianne Hough
- Nipsey Hussle
- India.Arie
- Randy Jackson
- Taj Jackson
- Taryll Jackson
- TJ Jackson
- Al Jardine
- Jimmy Jean-Louis
- Ralph Johnson
- Rashida Jones
- Gladys Knight
- Benji Madden
- Harlow Madden
- Joel Madden
- Katharine McPhee
- Mya
- Freda Payne
- A.R. Rahman
- RedOne
- Nicole Richie
- Raphael Saadiq
- Trey Songz
- Musiq Soulchild
- Jordin Sparks
- Rob Thomas
- Vince Vaughn
- Verdine White
- Ann Wilson
- Brian Wilson
- Nancy Wilson
- Michael Jackson.
Remember you can buy the song on iTunes with all proceeds going toward Haiti relief!
As I’m sure you know I used to do weekly accapellas on my youtube site. I have started to do acoustic bits instead now BUT I had a lot of requested so I recorded 7 accapella dedications. And since today is V-Day I thought it would be the perfect day to upload and declare my appreciation for the love and support.
Enjoy!
I’ll Be There – Michael Jackson
Everytime We Touch – Cascada
Comfortable – Tulisa from N-Dubz
Baby Baby – Smokey Robinson
Ego – The Saturdays
Beyonce – Hello
Please leave a comment and enjoy!
And please subscribe to my youtube channel – www.youtube.com/niecey738
(You know, you uh, you make me feel so good inside…
I’ve always wanted a girl just like you, such a P.Y.T., Pretty Young Thing – Oooh!)
Where Did You Come From Lady
And Ooh Won’t You Take Me There
Right Away Won’t You Baby
Tender roni You’ve Got To Be
Spark My Nature
Sugar Fly With Me
Don’t You Know Now
Is The Perfect Time
We Can Make It Right
Hit The City Lights
Then Tonight Ease The Lovin’ Pain
Let Me Take You To The Max
[Chorus]
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
And I’ll Take You There
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
I’ll Shake You There
[Background]
Anywhere You Wanna Go
[2nd Verse]
Nothin’ Can Stop This Burnin’
Desire To Be With You
Gotta Get To You Baby
Won’t You Come, It’s Emergency
Cool My Fire Yearnin’
Honey, Come Set Me Free
Don’t You Know Now Is The Perfect Time
We Can Dim The Lights
Just To Make It Right
In The Night
Hit The Lovin’ Spot
I’ll Give You All That I’ve Got
[Chorus]
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
And I’ll Take You There
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
I’ll Take You There
Breakdown
Pretty Young Things, Repeat After Me [Michael] I Said Na Na Na [P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na [Michael] Na Na Na Na [P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na Na [Michael] Na Na Na [P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na [Michael] I Said Na Na Na Na Na [P.Y.T.'S] Na Na Na Na Na [Michael] I’ll Take You There
[Chorus]
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
And I’ll Take You There
I Want To Love You (P.Y.T.)
Pretty Young Thing
You Need Some Lovin’ (T.L.C.)
Tender Lovin’ Care
I’ll Take You There
(Girl I think it’d be real nice, if uh… you and I could, you know…
I’m Not Gonna Spend My Life Being a Colour
by Lorette C. Luzajic
I’m a black American, I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am… When people make up stories that I don’t want to be what I am it hurts me.
-Michael Jackson
Newsweek isn’t supposed to be a gossip magazine, but something about Michael Jackson gave free reign to even the most reputable publications to make up whatever they wanted to. After Jackson’s death, author David Gates puppeted tabloid consensus and reported on the superstar’s “profound loathing of blackness.”
Writers like to use words like “simulacrum” and Gates at last had his chance, calling Michael a “simulacrum of a white man,” something he’d apparently achieved through hatred of kinky hair and bleaching of the skin.
Gates did bring up in passing a supposed “skin condition” but he fails to mention how vitiligo turns a black man into the polka dot door. Vitiligo is not always just skin deep, either: it’s an autoimmune condition.
Gates also fails to mention that those straight sleek bobs, those curly ponytails, those unusual hairstyles, are all wigs. I’d bet everything I have that Jackson much preferred the kink in his hair to nothing at all- he’d been virtually bald for over two decades.
The hushed whispers about Michael’s skin bleaching enigma have been with us for as long as I can remember, some 25 years or more. And the condition had begun to manifest itself around Off the Wall. As with so very many of the things, Michael Jackson told us what was going on. But he was so soft-spoken, it barely registered. Even if we heard, we found reason to distrust his word. Perhaps when he said, so quietly we could barely hear, on the “Oprah” show, that he had “vitiligo,” we could have all done some research. And then, perhaps, we could have considered that maybe the man didn’t WANT to look like a giraffe or use two tons of cocoa coloured makeup every day. And neither do the thousands of other people with the condition.
But we were too busy judging a man for the colour of his skin.
Maybe Michael didn’t want to go bald during his sexual prime, forced to wear all manner of wigs until his death. Maybe he didn’t want his obsessive nose surgery to turn out like that, and maybe it wasn’t obsessive- perhaps the surgeon fucked up badly, and Michael suffered the scalpel in hopes of restoring some normalcy to a nose that ruined his face, or worse, his vocal sound. And hasn’t anyone else noticed that half his family members share a version of this nose? What if you’d gotten a nose job when you were young and foolish and then found your voice was wrong?
Maybe he didn’t want to have third degree burns all over his scalp and face and have scalp and facial reconstructive surgery. Did you know how bad that Pepsi burning accident was? Third degree burns to face and scalp. Maybe the plastic surgery obsession happened because half of his head melted off. Maybe Michael Jackson hated what having vitiligo did to him, and hated what had become of his hair, nose, scalp and face. He did, in fact- he was crushed by how “disgusting” he looked, in his own words, like a “lizard.”
Maybe he dealt with it as gracefully as he could. If our self-esteem is battered by a pimple or a bald spot, what would it be with the same issues if we were at the peak of world stardom as a sex symbol?
Some sleazy tabloids just don’t know any better. They’ve never met Michael, and they’re out to make a dollar, same as anyone else. But Quincy Jones helped make Michael Jackson, and knew him intimately. He has no excuse. After Michael’s death, he said he didn’t believe Michael about vitiligo. “I don’t believe in any of that bullshit, no. No. Never. I’ve been around junkies and stuff all my life. I’ve heard every excuse…but it’s bullshit. You’re justifying something that’s destructive to your existence. It’s crazy. I mean, I came up with Ray Charles, man. You know, nobody gonna pull no wool over my eyes. He did heroin twenty years! Come on… It’s ridiculous, man! Chemical peels and all of it. And I don’t understand it. But he obviously didn’t want to be black…Well, what do you think? You see his kids?”
Well- have you seen Quincy Jones’ kids? Or his wives, for that matter? With all due respect, what a pompous arsehole.
One of the reasons that the black press has largely championed Michael is that they HAVEN”T dwelt on the colour of his skin. As a community icon, his accomplishments as an African American usurp any insecurities he may have had. Many black journalists have done their background, and know vitiligo is real.
I certainly hope Jones is cringing now that everyone’s hauled out their scrap albums, circling incidents of Jackson’s spotting effects. Because there it is, glowing under his makeup. Eventually, makeup became too tedious, too faulty. What is vitiligo? It’s a pigment disorder where skin begins to spot and lose pigment in spots. White people get it too, but it’s not as visible, of course. In some people, a few patches lose pigment slowly over time. In other people, the effect is like marble rye. For others still, eventually they have nearly nothing of their original pigment.
For the record, re-pigmentation is nearly impossible, and the rate your skin loses pigment will far supercede the minute amounts you can change back, some fraction of an inches worth per annum. So depigmentation is the only answer. Did anyone ever consider the considerable pain this would cause Michael Jackson? That the vitiligo was not an effect of his condition of hatred, but that the condition itself would cause him emotional pain and identity crises? Did you ever think that maybe he was thrilled to be a black contributor, and deeply wounded to be unable to wear his colour? Did any of those journalists ‘reporting’ his black shame ever for one second consider that maybe, just maybe, Michael didn’t have surgeries and skin bleaching because of his self-esteem problems, but that his self-esteem was injured because he lost half his head and face and went bald when he was already dealing with unsightly pigment blotching?
I would find it very difficult indeed if suddenly I began developing dark brown spots of pigment on my skin, spots which grew unruly and unpredictably. It would do a number on my self-esteem- not because I’m ashamed of my German-Canadian heritage, not because I don’t like black people. Simply because I don’t want to look like a damn Dalmatian dog. Step away momentarily from your judgement and examine yourself. Chances are, you suffer from depression, addiction, bulimia, feelings of poor worth. So what the hell are you doing judging Michael for his lack of self-esteem?
Of course, members of the black community who didn’t know about his conditions and accidents couldn’t consider how that might affect him psychologically, and they would understandably felt betrayed. They worked hard to be represented and admired, to erode racism, and felt Jackson should have been more outspoken about black pride. But I think he was quite outspoken- in word, and in example, working with, traveling to, helping all cultures. A careful examination of his words, thoughts, actions, and art show clearly he loved black people, and all people. Because of tabloid manipulation, Michael was reclusive and didn’t speak at all for over a decade. This period coincides with the aftermath of the Pepsi burning accident. Even the most reputable writers and thinkers were led astray by the tabloid frenzy.
How could anyone forget the old standby scoop about the oxygen chamber? Guess who uses oxygen chambers? Burn victims, that’s who. Oxygen helps speed healing. Michael Jackson slept in an oxygen chamber the way those who suffer from third degree burns do during medical treatment. He also built a burn unit for other victims.
Still we judged. Michael made the best of it. “I’m not gonna spend my life being a colour,” he blasted us in “Black or White” which was dismissed as too little, too late, by the deaf, dumb and blind.
I can’t see inside Michael’s private neurosis. Did he spend as much time worrying about his nose or his leopard print skin as I spend worrying about my varicose veins?
And sure, it’s possible Jackson chose white children because he hated black children. But then, there’s also that slim chance the kids do have his parentage. I think it’s highly unlikely, just like everyone else does. Our nosy minds will be satisfied eventually. Maybe he picked the rumoured doctors, white, simply because he trusted them as friends and longtime champions, colour be damned.
Or maybe he chose not to parent his own children genetically because he did not want to pass the many vicious health problems on to them. Vitiligo, lupus- serious immune system disorders, lung conditions, highly inheritable. It’s also possible that Michael was conscientious enough of the fact that his sperm would be laden with drugs, which he took off and on since the Pepsi incident, to numb the physical and later, the emotional pain.
It’s not that I naively think Jackson had no inner demons. He was crashing emotionally- who wouldn’t under that pressure- when he went berserk blaming Sony and white or Jewish men for his tarnished image. By that point, he was feeling incredibly victimized- he WAS victimized, but perhaps not by the names he was naming. He couldn’t trust even those he trusted most. He was paranoid, cornered, sick, and frightened. He was ridiculed at every turn. I was ridiculed in high school and the scars ran deep. Thankfully, the whole world doesn’t think I’m a child molester even though I’m not. Jackson had to be pretty tough to get through that without putting a gun to his head. He had an unusual sentimentality about children, and then, they, too, betrayed him. That must have hurt terribly. A child he helped save from cancer sold him out for his trash mother- a task the kid had helped her do before, and helped her do again shortly after, by the way.
It was this unending river of pain that set Jackson on a downward spiral. He lived his whole life in tremendous physical and psychological pain. He lived in exhaustion and fear. He lived with broken bones, lung problems, immune system issues- the man was sick for most of his life.
Is it possible that all this, in conjunction with the usual scars of childhood acne and taunting, and the emotional and physical abuse from his father, caused any esteem issues that he had? That they were not fear of the black man? Let’s visit a few facts:
One of the core subjects of home schooling his extremely well educated children was African-American history.
He said in several separate video interviews “I’m a black American and proud of it.”
He said it on “Oprah.”
His idol was James Brown, a black man.
He had many other black idols and mentors. Yes, he did have white friends. He had relationship with people of many ethnicities.
He told Jesse Jackson that he loved African music. “The rhythms of Africans. Which is the roots of rhythm. That’s my favourite music. That’s my favourite music of the world because all music is defined from that. Africa is music. It is the origin. It is the dawn of existence. You can’t avoid that. It is in everything that is about myself.”
He also told Jesse that he could not take credit for the moonwalk, that it was from black kids. “These black children in the ghettos are, they have the most phenomenal rhythm of anybody on the earth. … I get a lot of ideas from watching these black children. They have perfect rhythm. From just riding through Harlem, I remember in the early, you know, late 70’s early 80’s, I would see these kids dancing on the street and I would see these kids doing these, uh sliding backwards kinda like an illusion dancing I call it. I took a mental picture of it. A mental movie of it. I went into my room upstairs in Encino, and I would just start doing the dance, and create and perfect it. But, it definitely started within the black culture.”
He spoke extensively of his love for Africa and traveled it widely, often with his children.
“In my heart, deepest of heart, I really love Africa and I love the people of Africa. That’s why, whenever I get the chance, the children and I, we jump on the plane and fly to Africa and we vacation there. I spend more of my vacation in Africa than in any other country. And ah, we love the people and we love the environment. Topographically, one of the most beautiful places on the surface of the Earth. They never show the sandy white sugar beaches, and it’s there! And they never show the beautiful, you know the landscaping, never show the buildings, the metropolis and urban – Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kenya, ur, you know the Ivory Coast ur, you know, Rwanda, how beautiful the place is! And it’s really stunningly beautiful! And I want to heighten that awareness with what I’m doing and it’s been my dream for many, many years. And everybody around me knows that, because I go there very much…the world is jealous of Africa for many centuries because it’s natural resources is phenomenal. It really is. And it is the dawn of civilization…”
He said the story of Nelson Mandela and Muhammad Ali, among others, were giving him strength to deal with the trials.
He initiated his own search for his DNA roots, leading him to the Ivory Coast, where he has been Prince Michael since 1992. The Sanwi people in the Krindjabo rainforest honoured Michael as their Prince, later asking Rev. Jesse Jackson to fill his glove. They even had a traditional ceremony for Michael’s funeral, with over 2000 attendees, and two days of ritual dancing, complete with Jackson look-a-likes. Maybe it sounds weird to you. Why? Is it too black? Too African? Why should Michael’s West African fans- his family- not mourn him?
Of course the media vultures made up stuff about “Princess” Michael’s trip. Really bizarre, hateful things like MJ found the African people smelled bad. I mean, how childish can we get here? Turns out eyewitnesses saw differently. “I was impressed with the interaction between Michael and the children. He sat on the bed with children who were deformed and children that were ill… He sat there and talked to them, hugged, cuddled them,” said tour guide Charles Bobbit.
While doing a “concertless” tour of Africa- visiting orphanages, churches, schools, and so on, he received a Medal of Honour from President Omar Bongo of Gabon, a medal that had previously only gone to diplomats and dignitaries like Mandela.
He had a lifelong love of Africa. In 1992, he told Robert E. Johnson of Ebony Magazine about memories of the Jackson Five. “When we came off the plane in [Daka, Senegal] Africa we were greeted by a long line of African dancers. Their drums and sounds filled the air with rhythm. I was going crazy, I was screaming, All right! They got the rhythm… This is it. This is where I come from. The origin.”
In “They Don’t Really Care About Us” he features legions of black and other ethnicity drummers. Musicians, dancers, and hot women in all of his videos span many cultures. (The babes are always skinny- I mean, holy anorexia- but they sure as hell are black.)
In front of millions of people on “Oprah,” Jackson said, “I’m a black American, I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am… When people make up stories that I don’t want to be what I am it hurts me.”
So why didn’t he tell us he had vitiligo?
He did. On that same program, in front of the whole world, he told us. ”I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin; it’s something that I cannot help, OK? But when people make up stories that I don’t want to be what I am it hurts me.”
Does all of this sound like a man who is ashamed of the colour of his skin? Maybe it does. Maybe he was ashamed of the mottled, speckled colour, the white colour. Michael was sick. And he’s been telling us all along. But his soft-spoken voice could not be heard above the cacophony of lies.
He was telling us all along, but no one was listening.
1958-2009
This essay is one of over fifty pieces in Goodbye, Billie Jean: the Meaning of Michael Jackson. Click here to see more.
Last night was the results show and Lacey Brown did not make the cut… We’ve also got the performances from David Cook, Kesha and Michael Jackson’s Guitarist. Click more to hear all the clips.
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Michael Jackson’s former bodyguards have revealed that the King of Pop became frustrated during the final years of his life because of financial difficulties.
Now, with Taxes and classes under control, we have decided to add one more thing onto our plate and start a website! We are incredibly excited about this and are loving what the crew at Weblux Designs are coming up with for us. You can view a teeny tiny preview at www.thrillmellc.com. 
An hour passed and we were halfway through gift-giving when we noticed that the garden was getting filled up. Suddenly, there were people from media, politicians, officials and hotel guests including those in a wedding reception at the nearby Champagne Room who deserted the newly-weds just to get a glimpse of the King of Pop.
