Positive websites and videos that celebrate MJ

[Zhao]

Re: Michael Jackson and THEY are poles apart

Thank you for sharing

 

[Lucilla]

Re: Michael Jackson and THEY are poles apart

thanks, I'm gonna read it.

 

[MJJLaugh]

Former Michael Jackson Video Model Tatiana Yvonne: 'King of My Heart'

Tatiana Yvonne has written a new book titled "King of My Heart" about her time and experience with the late great, Michael Jackson. Tatiana was a Julliard
trained ballerina and a successful cover girl model in Japan long before her “overnight success” as Michael Jackson's leading lady in the video “The Way You
Make Me Feel.”

But it was the video that made her an instantly recognizable figure and inducted her into Hollywood's inner-circle. Rumors of a blossoming romance seemed substantiated by an ongoing association between the two, even after the video as Michael invited her on The Bad Tour. Then in the next instant it all seemed to come crashing down.

The origin, it would seem, was “the kiss that was seen around the world.” A unscripted, public kiss during the Bad Tour, denoting the chemistry that had began to spark between them. Though Michael did not appear to disapprove, Tatiana's accounts, it was believed Michael's handlers felt it was bad for his image.

Even though Tatiana's story does not contain salacious details of a torrid affair s in spite of the fact the she has numerous pictures that insinuates an obvious chemistry, Tatiana's credibility has been challenged and she has been stigmatized from day one.

Perhaps this says less about Tatiana and more about the media and public at large with regard to Michael. Even after Lisa Marie's emotional open letter and appearance on Oprah after his death professing how profound her love was for him, or P. Diddy's comical story about how Michael crashed his party in pursuit of Beyonce, there are still those naysayers who refuse to allow Michael to be viewed as a genuine human being capable of love and being loved. Tatiana's is one of many stories told after the passing of the King of Pop that gives insight to the man, adding a building block to the reconstruction of his image.

AllHipHop.com: You were sought after by Hollywood Royalty like Eddie Murphy, Prince and De Niro. What makes Michael the king of your heart?

Tatiana: Michael was my childhood. The very first time I laid eyes on Michael I was about 3 years old and at that moment I thought he's the one and I held on to that love and that dream of meeting him since I was a little girl.

AllHipHop.com: What was the purpose of writing a second book?

Tatiana: This second book goes more in depth with my story. Some of the same stories were in my last memoir but this one, I guess you can say, takes it home. And of course with his passing it kind of like took me full circle from the very first time I laid eyes on him and fell in love with him up until his passing....the world lost him. That made it bittersweet...full circle.

AllHipHop.com: How did you handle that?

Tatiana: Honestly...with God”s Love. I am constantly keeping my faith with God. It's still hard. Everyday I wake up I am reminded the world is not the same as I knew it. To me there is something missing. Someone I always felt in my heart of hearts was my soul mate. So it's not easy because sometimes I feel like I am half of something that's no longer here.

AllHipHop.com: I'm sure you would agree that Michael dealt with a lot of persecution and alienation when he was alive but then a lot of repressed love came to the surface after he died and people suddenly embraced him or at least that was my
perception....

Tatiana: You're perception was absolutely correct. I saw a lot of people who we're not Michael Jackson fans suddenly become Michael Jackson fans who had this new found idolization and admiration that he didn't have while he was here. What I realized is people don't always know what they have 'til it's gone. And that's heavy and it's sad but it's true. I have also seen people suddenly latch on to pieces of Michael out of new found respect and admiration. Even I felt it. I have new fans who have appreciated me more because of that. Because they learned
that very same lesson.

AllHipHop.com: That's a good way to put it, a lesson.

Tatiana: Yeah and it's not a bad thing. I've always thought that's what life's about, learning lessons, sometimes the hard way. A person can only tell you so much or teach you so much. That's what life's about, living and learning.

AllHipHop.com: How did meeting Michael change your life?

Tatiana: (Hesitates)...Wow!....That's a really good question; the fact that I always believed that anything is possible with hard work and diligence. It taught me that dreams do truly come true. Even though I believed that, that was actual proof. With all my hard work and training in ballet and believing I would meet him someday...

AllHipHop.com: Anywhere in your thoughts did you ever think he would be interested
or fall for you?

Tatiana: No, I actually never thought that way even though I had a friend who sort of predicted that. Remember I said in the book my friend, whom I didn't mention by name, said you should move to New York and try to meet Michael Jackson? He'd love you. (laughs) Although I didn't think that way. My whole thing was just wanting to meet him but I never entertained the idea of us falling for one another. When I did meet him and work with him it all happened very naturally. The chemistry just happened It's not something I foresaw or tried to make happen. It was just God. But it was the happiest time of my life; meeting him and working with him. I have never known happiness since then. Not that kind of happiness.

AllHipHop.com: I would imagine that would be a tough act to follow be it professionally or emotionally.

Tatiana: Also take away from that the fact that he was the greatest entertainer who ever lived. He was a guy. When we we're falling for one another it was about two people. It wasn't about his status or this larger than life image. It was at first but after we broke the ice and got to know each other he was just Michael, the guy.

AllHipHop.com: The way people view Michael has always been very polarized. They are are either viewing him as subhuman and being dehumanizing or deifying him.
Either way people don't humanize him enough to believe a beautiful woman such as yourself could fall for him. Since his death there have been many stories of him being flirtatious. Would you say his behavior qualified as flirtatious?

Tatiana: Oh completely. You tell me. The scene where we run through the car my heel had gotten stuck in the car's upholstery and Michael grabbed my leg trying to help me pull my foot out of the upholstery. I was so taken aback and so in awe that he touched my leg in such an intimate way that I pulled away and ended up falling outside on my butt. The next thing I know Michael had grabbed me up and was wiping my butt off with is hand not in a derogatory way but in a flirtatious way. When I looked back he had a devilish grin. He was a normal red-blooded male.

AllHipHop.com: I saw an interview with Vicki Lawrence around the time of the video and you we're talking about you and Michael and she joking, cutting you off and was being very rude. It's seemed like a wasted opportunity to hear about your relationship.

Tatiana: What she was doing was squandering my opportunity to grow so the public took me as a joke and didn't take me seriously but just saw me as some video vixen struttin' her stuff. She even snapped “Those dance lessons sure didn't pay off” Michael didn't think so. He thought my walk was sexy. He said my “walk was my dance!” It taught me a lesson about how really the industry treated Michael. I was under his umbrella. So it was a reflection of how they always kind of dogged him and would always play him off like he was a weirdo and now they we're making fun of me because I was growing out of that camp. It's like Firpo Carr (MJ associate) said, “Being a Michael Jackson associate is not for the faint of heart or weak of the knees."

For more information on King of My Heart, click here.

Source:

 

[MJJLaugh]

Eternal One,

For my life
The senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch
Enriching my life
So very much
The ability to walk and talk and think and reason
To laugh … and yes, even, to cry
With heartbroken sobs
As I try
To understand why
I thank you.

For Planet Earth
Her rivers and valleys
Snow-capped peaks
And green forests
Her sandy beaches
And rock formations
Millions of years in the making
Her quiet glens
And crashing tides
The waves that crush
And waves we ride
I thank you.

For giant whales
And ants so small
Elephants
And giraffes so tall
For graceful horses
And awkward,
Flightless birds
Roaring tigers
And thunderous herds
I thank you.

For music
That fills our hearts
Moves our feet
Tickles our bones
‘til we can’t keep our seats
Wakes us with the dawning day
And hoots us to sleep
When we’ve lost our way
Moves our emotions
Transports us in time
Brings us comfort
Tho the words don’t rhyme
I thank you.

For stars
Lighting the night sky
And suns
Helping us tell time
Galaxies that spin and twirl
Nebulae of multi-colored hues
Supernovas exploding
Far away from our world
Planets that orbit endlessly in space
And gravity that holds them all in place
I thank you.

For Angels
Who hold our dreams in their hands
Travel our world
Every city, every land
Performing quiet miracles
Wherever they go
Disguised as rock stars
Ready to show
A better way
A brighter day
I thank you.

For allowing me
To be here
To witness what to me
Is so very clear
To be filled with love
Naked, exposed
To this lightning bolt
On toes posed
For piercing my heart
With joy
And with pain
I wouldn’t have had it
Any other way

Written by Jan Carlson

Thank you Jan for allowing me to post your expressive, sensitive and loving poem about Michael and your everlasting profound love for him!

 

[TheChosenOne]

I have spent the day in this beautiful thread.

I have cried, laughed and reminisced. Thank you for all that you do here, MJJLaugh. It is a great comfort and is a reminder of why we love this man. Sometimes I get all caught up in all the stuff that surrounds Michael but this thread brings me back to what is truly important. Bless you!

 

[4veryoung]

Michael Jackson was a hell of a singer.

I only say this because to the casual music fan, it might not be apparent. Whether it was because so much about him — his dance moves, his style, his swagger — was so dynamic, or because he rarely spoke above a whisper, or even because he frequently peppered his verses with vocal ticks (like those oft-imitated “Hee-hee’s&#8221, Jackson remains one of the most underrated vocal artists in music history.

And that’s a shame, because his voice was a wondrous thing, capable of reaching both towering heights (the final verse of “Rock With You&#8221 and depths (“Childhood&#8221. It was technical, but it was also decidedly human,too, full of pump-priming rage (“Man in the Mirror&#8221 one minute, tethered tenderness the next (“She’s Out of My Life&#8221. It was a finely tuned instrument that, when unfurled, revealed all the pain and frustration and joy of Jackson’s life … a window inside the man’s soul. It could stop you in your tracks and raise the hair on the back of your neck. It was something to behold.

But don’t take my word for it. Just listen to “This Is It,” the title track to Jackson’s posthumous concert-film/double album that premiered at midnight on Monday (October 12). Because if anything, it’s reinforcement of my original point: Jackson was a powerhouse vocalist.

The origins of the song may remain cloudy — it was reportedly written in 1980, in the fertile period between Jackson’s Off the Wall and Thrilleralbums, and recorded in the mid-to-late ’80s, in between the Bad andDangerous albums — but really, none of that really matters: “This Is It” is a prime showcase for Jackson’s prodigious pipes, which means that the best way to experience it — indeed, the best way to pay tribute to the man and his music — is to turn the volume up, sit back, and just listen.

Ignore the trilling strings, and the soft-jazz/light-funk backing track (which sort of make the song sound like Off the Wall’s ”I Can’t Help It.&#8221 Block out the hype surrounding the song’s release and the drama surrounding Jackson’s death. Focus on those vocals — the way Jackson counts it in with a boyish “one, two, three, four,” the way he glides from verse to verse with breathless, effortless phrasing, the lean-yet-heavy falsetto, the hint of gravel (and gravitas) is the verses, the soaring choruses — it’s all there, untarnished by time or tabloids. And it’s all wonderful.

In a lot of ways, “This Is It” might be the perfect Michael Jackson tune. And by that I mean, while it’s by no means his best, or his most memorable, it might be his most representative. It’s a mixture of his yearning early years and his messianic later period, and it shines a light on the best aspects of both: His voice.

Because, just in case you weren’t aware, Michael Jackson was a hell of a singer.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1623610/michael-jacksons-this-it-past-present-perfect-mj-tune.jhtml

 

[billyworld99]

The Magic of Michael's Message Radio Talk show

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/a-place-in-your-heart/2011/06/07/the-magic-of-michaels-message

this really touch my heart, this encourage to do my best to make a difference and change for the better as a person

 

[MJJLaugh]

Memories of Michael Jackson


Robin Gibb, singer with the Bee Gees

He was a great friend, a very sensitive, gentle, gifted man. My brothers and I first met him in about 1972 when he was in the Jackson 5. We were in the same studio, the Hit Factory, in Los Angeles. Every time he was in Miami he would stay over, particularly with Barry. He often showed up out of the blue: he used to leave Bubbles with someone and come on his own. We hung out, had jam sessions.

I last saw him a few weeks ago in LA at a party. He looked well but he wasn’t well — he was worn down. He was very, very wary about going back into the limelight, and I sympathised with that. It wasn’t the London dates so much that bothered him, it was the way the critics might evaluate him after those dates. I told him he should say, “So what!” instead of “What if?”

The fact was that he wasn’t afforded the respect that he deserved — here was a guy who was acquitted in his trial last year but in, America particularly, he was very troubled. He was very frightened of doing live stage shows after the trial because he was worried about the attacks that might occur. I think it really got to him. The problem is he was very fragile — the nature of artists is that they are sensitive and soft. But that doesn’t detract from their intelligence and their talent.

His death wasn’t a huge surprise — I just wish people wouldn’t have hounded him so much. He was a very lonely man and misunderstood. He had to do it on his own. He underwent a lot in the last two years and I don’t think many people could have stood up to as much as he did.

We had a shared camaraderie. He will be sorely missed because this didn’t have to happen. He was young, like my brother, who died in 2003 — of course, Michael came to Maurice’s funeral. It’s so sad that we can’t praise people while they’re here in the world. When they’re gone it’s too late. The people who were down on him last year are praying to the altar of Michael Jackson today.

Robin Gibb was speaking to Ed Potta

Michael Jackson and Barry Gibb

Michael Jackson and Barry Gibb


<iframe width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ruo8JetOex8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
A snippet of an unreleased song called "All in Your Name". Can't wait to hear the whole song. I''ve listened to this on repeat for days!


Ben Okri, writer

Every now and again a meteor streaks across our collective consciousness bringing unexpected blessings. And this little child from a steel town in the United States, who appeared in our world with a piercing voice and who achieved an almost blasphemous level of fame, might prove to be more than just a meteor. Michael Jackson managed the rare feat of being not only a child prodigy of popular music but also becoming a modern master.

To achieve classical stature is rare in any genre. He made some of the most distinctive, memorable and feet-intoxicating music of our times. As an entertainer he was a genius, marrying innovation in dance, brilliance in presentation and an extraordinary feel for the pulse of the time. He was also a genius in the art of fame. For he managed to make his voice and his face so much part of our popular culture and so much part of the parallel of our lives that he is as intimate to us as someone we have known for as long as we can remember.

But in the midst of all of this it is possible to miss the peculiar sweetness of his spirit. He came across as one of the gentlest, most sensitive and fragile of performers, and it is a testimony to the profound sweetness of him that he endured such monumental calumny and the persistent monstrosities of fame and still managed to radiate an essential kindness. He came across as someone almost cursed by too much good fortune. And there was often an air about him of an intolerable paradoxical loneliness.

His effect on people was almost unnatural. The Beatles at their best could sway huge crowds with great emotion but there were four of them. Michael Jackson could send a deep gasp, a frisson through a crowd of tens of thousands with just a discernible movement of his shoulder. His public appearances created hysteria. When he descended on cities, it had the effect of that strange power attributed to Pan in the mountains, a mixture of panic and ecstasy seizing the multitudes.

here were times when that fame bordered on the numinous. Was it a combination of his music, which had entered into almost every soul, with the increasing demonisation of his appearance by the mass media, combined with a kind of elfin beauty that radiated from him in almost inhuman confidence. We live in a world of uncertainties. We struggle with our anonymity. We are beset by fears and problems and we secretly long for something that would hint at some shining indestructible glory within.

Maybe that is what the rare superstars do. They are absorbent of our desire for a living image of immortality. Elvis Presley did that. And not even his death diminished that magnetism. Michael Jackson, magically transcending race and colour and nationality, did that. And in an odd way his death came at a fortunate cusp. He left in the midst of intense expectation. Reborn again in the hopes of his big comeback, not long after his redemption by being acquitted of all the charges against him, he leaves in a space of abundant potential. Maybe the most difficult thing is to achieve that monumental glory a second time. On the whole it is not given to mortals.

To achieve it once as he did with the world conquest of Thriller is astonishing by the highest standards of his industry. Only death at the right time can balance out the turbulent books of all the strange repercussions of such success. Allen Ginsberg said of the Beatles that they were angels sent down to cheer the world up with music. Michael Jackson was also one such angel. Now he will join the fixed stars in the firmament of popular culture. Now we can appreciate his beauty and his song.

© Ben Okri, 2009

Source:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co...rticle6586845.ece?token=null&offset=12&page=2

 

[Ashtanga]

^^

*big sigh*

 

[MJJLaugh]

Andrew Lloyd Webber: 'Michael Jackson wanted to appear in Phantom of the Opera'


Michael Jackson was interested in starring in a film version of the Phantom stage musical, says Lord Lloyd Webber

Gerard Butler, right, played the lead part in Joel Schumacher's 2004 film adaptation


The first person to call me to say Michael Jackson had died was my 17-year-old son. I had an awful feeling that one should almost have seen it coming. After the sadness came the disappointment that I was never going to see him again.

I first met Michael when he came to see Phantom of the Opera in New York when we'd just opened in 1988. He was clearly interested in the piece. He saw it several times and used to come backstage, often without the entourage that followed him around in later life.

The story got to him. I think he had a connection with the lonely, tortured musician. He found the idea of somebody working through music and having a girl as a muse very intriguing – and he loved that there was illusion in the show.

Michael became interested in playing The Phantom himself, in a movie version of the show. We talked about it a lot, but we'd only just opened and, at the time, I felt that it was too early for it to become a film. I felt his interest in Phantom was because he was interested in doing something theatrical himself.

He was a highly theatrical animal. I remember him saying to me that he'd seen Cats and how happy he was that dance was making a comeback in the theatre. He certainly talked about theatre a lot, and when he was last in London, he went to see Oliver!. Of course, he was a great showman himself, but he found the whole stagecraft of musicals extraordinary.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robotsluvme/841177644/" title="Michael Jackson vs the Phantom of the Opera by robotsluvme, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1407/841177644_36d1d0d327.jpg" width="409" height="290" alt="Michael Jackson vs the Phantom of the Opera"></a>

According to media reports, Jackson was so moved by the stage musical, that he saw the Broadway production several times after it opened in 1988, often visiting backstage with the cast, and had numerous discussions with Lloyd Webber, saying “I want this movie role”.

These photos were taken on March 9, 1988 when Michael and Liza Minelli attended the performance of "Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway, at the Majestic Theatre in New York City, NY.


<iframe width="640" height="510" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NPCfvuTxARI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>





Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/...wanted-to-appear-in-Phantom-of-the-Opera.html

http://www.whatsonstage.com/index.php?pg=207&story=E8831246359179

 

[Ashtanga]

Andrew Lloyd Webber: 'Michael Jackson wanted to appear in Phantom of the Opera'




:wild:


And it would be so wonderful.... :heart:

 

[MJJLaugh]

For the Children

His light…
It’s still here
It’s a part of every heart
Which seeks the truth
It lives in the Love
Gathers its strength from above
Its power is in you and in me
He left it here
In the music from his heart
So that we would hear it
Speaking to our souls
Teaching, guiding, leading the way
To a better world
And a brighter day

For the children

He is immortal
He lives through us
We must carry the torch
Lift it high for all to see
His light endures
And will be the force
That redeems this world
Heals the wounds
Inflicted by a misguided humanity

Through him we have a new clarity of vision
The truth has been revealed
As never before
We see things as they really are
And we understand
His legacy is in our hands
It’s up to us
We must LIVE his message
Of Love and Peace
Sharing the feast of his Gift
Reminding others that now because of him
In a world filled with sorrow
There is promise for a better tomorrow

For the children

04/15/2011
Copyright © 2011 by Charlene Burgess

This poem appears in the June, 2011 issue
of Dot to Dot online magazine
published by
Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait
which is available at the following link:

http://mjtpmagazine.presspublisher.us/issue/a-powerful-truth/article/expressions-of-love6

Source:

http://mjreflecdtionsheart2heart.blogspot.com/

 

[claudiadoina]

What is Michael doing?

It is charming and heartwarming to think of Michael as having no restrictions now. Of being able to fly like Peter Plan. Freely moving about the Universe, able to be in more than one place at a time. Changing locations in the blink of an eye by simply thinking it so. Moonwalking on the real surface of his favorite nighttime fantasy.

To whoosh now and instantly visit fans and loyal supporters everywhere in the world. To watch their loving ministrations to the world in your name and on your behalf. To quietly thank them knowing some will hear you, some will feel you and some will just know how grateful you are.

To slip in and out of their dreams leaving quietly before morning. To touch their cheek or their neck or brush their eyelids and place your hand in theirs while appreciating their real beauty. To stare at their shimmering soul in all its color and splendor. To know that you thought them lovely before but see them as stunningly beautiful from this new space.

To be able to still feel their love for you only amplified because there is no barrier to love, no boundary it cannot cross and no heart that is closed to it from here.

To find yourself with a lofty freedom: no restrictions, no limitations, no need for a mask or security guards, no cameras snapping pictures without permission. In fact, you can hardly remember it. To look in the mirror of boundless love and clearly and really see yourself through them, through those who loved you on earth. And to feel intensely how they loved you.

To touch your mother's love and your father's pride, and yes, his love too, and the tender longings of your siblings to go back to earlier times. To tap their shoulders once in awhile if only to remind them of the silly games of youth.

To hear the color of the wind and see the music in the water, to feel the land and clutch the fire. To walk the landscape that takes your breath away if you needed breath. Or sleep. There is no need for sleep now unless you choose it. And sometimes you, do knowing there are no more anguished nights of not being able to rest a body weary of the demands of a life lived nakedly and in service to all. To never again feel emotional stings from having to walk ahead to pick up the tabloid magazines and turn their faces to the wall so the children won't see. You can protect them now with a different kind of magic, so you do.

To stand beside your precious children and hear their tears and prayers for you knowing that there really is no distance, not when you love. To sing softly in their sleep and dance through their dreams while the moonlight plays on their faces.

To know that you lived well and loved well, that you gave all for all and that you were only here for God. And to rest in the peace of knowing you are, and always have been a favorite son.

That is how I like to think of Michael.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Do you think it's possible?

Well, some really unusual things have been reported to me. Some interesting stories. And I am collecting them.

People from everywhere write to tell me they have experienced Michael and an awakening since Michael's death. Some interesting things have happened: From him, about him, with him.

Some have be hypnotically drawn to his music, his videos, his books with some spending hours on You Tube and online looking at his work, interviews, memorials and all things Michael. "Michaeling."

Some have seen Michael as a misty figure or glimpsed a flash of him; some are meeting him in dreams; some have felt his presence; to some he appears in their journals and some feel his energy inside themselves and have found that they move and dance like never before.

They ask why and what is happening and ask for explanation. No one can definitively say what happens after death because the research would have to be conducted there and from what I understand, once you have crossed into that world, there is no return to this one.

There are as many theories and beliefs as there are teachings and doctrines Thanatology is a vast study. Many cultures, many traditions. Much history.

The variety of beliefs and rituals is as diverse as the peoples of Earth. Science and empirical studies do tend to prove the existence of consciousness after the experience called death. I tend to believe it because of my own explorations and experiences.

What I can say with authority is that Michael Jackson's presence has been encountered by many, many people around this globe.It is so widespread a happening that I have to conclude there is something to it and something about his passing in particular, that is unusual.

It is said in some traditions that devotion during a lifetime creates some unusual abilities. I think it's entirely possible that he is using those unusual abilities now. Why would he be any less talented now than he was in life?

His devotion while living was constant. The energy that came through Michael and allowed him to create is as vibrant and forceful as it ever was. Universal law says energy cannot be created or destroyed, just transformed.

Some religious traditions might counter the idea of Michael's presence remaining on the planet. some might consider it heresy and others would call it "Miracle." But something very unusual is happening. There are far too many people in far to distant places to constitute mass hysteria or hypnotic trance about Michael. And certainly there is no charismatic or cult leader to suggest the experience to followers who will drink any Koolaid being passed out.

I have a kind of unusual position. Being a confidential listener and a clearinghouse of sorts, I can say there are far too many stories and they are far too similar to dismiss them as wishful fantasy. In fact there are enough stories and they are similar enough to constitute a phenomenon. What is happening is far too real to be simply dismissed as delusional imaginings.

So it appears that This Is Not It and Michael is not finished with us yet.

Blessings and Peace,
Rev. B
"One Wordsmith" at Inner Michael

http://www.innermichael.com/

 

[MIST]

Letter from Michael to a camera man

I very seldom write letters. But in this moving occasion I couldn't help myself.
I want to thank you for putting the effort forward to capture the magic and excitement of the people of the world. What you do is a very personal and powerful medium to me.
It is the art of stopping time, to preserve a moment that the naked eye cannot hold, to capture truth spontaneous truth the depths of excitement in human spirit.
All else will be forgotten but not the films. Generations from now will experience the excitement you've captured, it truly is a time capsule. I will not be totally satisfied until I know you're at the right angle at the right time, to capture a crescendo of emotion that happens so quickly, so spontaneously.
What you have done was good, but I want the best, the whole picture, cause and effect.
I want crowd reaction wide lense shots, depths of emotion, timing. I know we can do it.
It is my dream and goal to capture truth. We should dedicate ourselves to this. The person who makes a success of living, is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication. There is no other way to perfection than dedication perseverance. Just tell us what you need to make it happen. Take the leadership to direct the other camera men. I enjoy working with you that is why I asked you to come, you have a gentle spirit that's very likable. Maybe I look at the world through rose colored glasses but I love people all over the world. That is why stories of racism realy disturb me.
You hurt my heart and soul when you told me of your boyhood in Texas. Because in truth I believe ALL men are created equal, I was taught that and will always believe it.
I just can't conceive of how a person could hate another because of skin color. I love every race on the planet earth. Prejudice is the child of ignorance.
Naked we come into the world and naked we shall go out. And a very good thing too,
for it reminds me that I am naked under my shirt, whatever it's color.
I'm sorry to bring up such past issues, but in the car I was hurt by what you said.
I'm so happy though that you managed to overcome your childhood past. Thank God that you've graduated from such beliefs of ignorance. I'm glad I've never experienced such things. Teach your kids to love all people equally. I know you will.
I speak from my heart saying I love you and all people especially the children,
I'm glad God chose me and you. Love M.J.

 

[claudiadoina]

Letter from Michael to a camera man
.......................
I'm glad God chose me and you. Love M.J.

Do you have a link to this?I want to share it with my nonfans friends.

Thank you.

 

[MIST]

Do you have a link to this?I want to share it with my nonfans friends.

Thank you.

I don´t have it but it might be a link in the old thread it was posted in.
I´m not allowed to read the thread anymore, maybe you can
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75402
The letter was handwritten and was sold on an auction

In Bad in japan Michael calls Petty(or something like that) where are you?
That´s the cameraman Michael wrote the letter to and they worked together on Moonwalker

 

[claudiadoina]

I don´t have it but it might be a link in the old thread it was posted in.
I´m not allowed to read the thread anymore, maybe you can
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75402
The letter was handwritten and was sold on an auction

In Bad in japan Michael calls Petty(or something like that) where are you?
That´s the cameraman Michael wrote the letter to and they worked together on Moonwalker

Thank you, I can acces the link.

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael Jackson's Unparalleled Influence

Michael Jackson was the most influential artist of the 20th century. That might sound shocking to sophisticated ears. Jackson, after all, was only a pop star. What about the century's great writers like Fitzgerald and Faulkner? What about visual artists, like Picasso and Dali, or the masters of cinema from Chaplin to Kubrick? Even among influential musicians, did Michael really matter more than the Beatles? What about Louis Armstrong, who invented jazz, or Frank Sinatra, who reinvented it for white people? Or Elvis Presley, who did the same with blues and gospel, founding rock in the process? Michael Jackson is bigger than Elvis? By a country mile.

First, there is no question that musicians in the 20th century had far more cultural impact than any other sort of artist. There is no such thing, for instance, as a 20th-century painter that is more famous than an entertainer like Sinatra. There are no filmmakers or movie stars that had more cultural sway than The Beatles, and no 20th-century writers who touched more lives than Elvis. Consider that thousands of human beings, from Bangkok to Brazil, make their living by pretending to be Elvis Presley. When was the last time you saw a good impression of Picasso? Even Elvis, though, is overshadowed by Jackson's career.

First, with the possible exception of Prince and Sammy Davis Jr., Michael Jackson simply had more raw talent as a performer than any of his peers. But the King of Pop reigns as the century's signature artist not just because of his exceptional talent, but because he was able to package that talent in a whole new way. In both form and content, Jackson simply did what no one had done before.

Louis Armstrong, for instance, learned music as a live performer and adapted his art for records and radio. Sinatra and Elvis were also basically live acts who made records, ultimately expanding that on-stage persona into other media through sheer force of charisma. The Beatles were a hybrid; a once-great live band made popular by radio and TV, forced by their own fame to become rock's first great studio artists.

Jackson, though, was something else entirely. Something new. Obviously he made great records, usually with the help of Quincy Jones. Jackson's musical influence on subsequent artists is simply unavoidable, from his immediate followers like Madonna and Bobby Brown, to later stars like Usher and Justin Timberlake.

Certainly, Jackson could also electrify a live audience. His true canvas, though, was always the video screen. Above all, he was the first great televisual entertainer. From his Jackson 5 childhood, to his adult crossover on the Motown 25th anniversary special, to the last sad tabloid fodder, Jackson lived and died for on TV. He was born in 1958, part of the first generation of Americans who never knew a world without TV. And Jackson didn't just grow up with TV. He grew up on it. Child stardom, the great blessing and curse of his life, let him to internalize the medium's conventions and see its potential in a way that no earlier performer possibly could.

The result, as typified by the videos for "Thriller," "Billie Jean," and "Beat It," was more than just great art. It was a new art form. Jackson turned the low-budget, promotional clips record companies would make to promote a hit single into high art, a whole new genre that combined every form of 20th century mass media: the music video. It was cinematic, but not a movie. There were elements of live performance, but it was nothing like a concert. A seamless mix of song and dance that wasn't cheesy like Broadway, it was on TV but wildly different from anything people had ever seen on a screen.

The oft-repeated conventional wisdom—that Jackson's videos made MTV and so "changed the music industry" is only half true. It's more like the music industry ballooned to encompass Jackson's talent and shrunk down again without him. Videos didn't matter before Michael, and they ceased to matter at almost the precise cultural moment he stopped producing great work. His last relevant clip, "Black or White," was essentially the genre's swan song. Led by Nirvana and Pearl Jam, the next wave of pop stars hated making videos, seeing the entire format, and the channel they aired on, as tools of corporate rock.

The greatest impact of the music video wasn't on music, but video. That is, on film and television. The generation that grew up watching '80s videos started making movies and TV shows in the '90s, using MTV's once-daring stylistic elements like quick cuts, vérité-style hand-helds, nonlinear narrative and heavy visual effects and turning them into mainstream TV and film movie conventions.

If Jackson had only been a great musician who also invented music video, he still wouldn't have mattered as much. Madonna, his only worthy heir, was almost as gifted at communicating an aesthetic on-screen. The aesthetic Jackson communicated, however, was much more powerful, liberating and globally resonant than hers. It was more powerful than what Elvis and Sinatra communicated, too. Hence, that whole "Most Influential Artist" thing.

American popular music has always been about challenging stereotypes and breaking down barriers. Throughout the century, be it in Jazz, Rock or Hip-Hop, black and white artists mixed styles, implicitly, and often explicitly, advocating racial equality. Popular music has always challenged sex roles, too. Top 40 artists especially, from Little Richard and proto-feminist Leslie Gore, to David Bowie, Madonna and Lady Gaga have pushed social progress by bending and breaking gender rules.

Jackson was clearly a tragic figure, and his well-documented childhood trauma didn't help. But his fatal flaw, and simultaneously the source of his immense power, was a truly revolutionary Romantic vision. Not Romantic in the sappy way greeting card companies and florists use the word, but in its older, Byronic sense of someone who commits their entire life to pursing a creative ideal in defiance of social order and even natural law. Jackson's Romantic ideal, learned as a child at Motown founder Berry Gordy's feet, was an Age of Aquarius-inspired vision using of pop music to build racial, sexual, generational and religious harmony. His twist, though, was a doozy.

He not only made art promoting pop's egalitarian ethos, but literally tried embody it. When that vision became an obsession, a standard showbiz plastic surgery addiction became something infinitely more ambitious—and infinitely darker. Jackson consciously tried to turn himself into an indeterminate mix of human types, into a sort of ageless arch-person, blending black and white, male and female, adult and child. He was, however, not an arch-person. He was just a regular person, albeit a supremely talented one, and time makes dust of every person, no matter how well they sing. Decades of throwing himself against this irrefutable wall of fact ravaged him, body then soul, and eventually destroyed him.

At his creative peak, though, it almost seemed possible. Michael could be absolutely anything he wanted; Diana Ross one day, Peter Pan and the next. Every breathtaking high note, every impossible dance-step and crazy costume projected the same message. There are no more barriers of race, sex, class or age, he told his audience. You, too, can be and do whatever you want. We are limited only by our power to dream. A performer who can make you believe that, to feel it, even for a moment, comes along once in a lifetime. Maybe. If you're lucky.

As years pass and history sanitizes his memory, Jackson's legend will only grow. One day, in addition to being the most influential artist of the 20th century, he may well topple Elvis become the most-impersonated as well. Jackson, after all, only died a year ago. Elvis has been gone since 1977. Another two or three decades and Michael might have the most impersonators from Bangkok and Brazil. Let's just hope that they don't take it too far.


Source:

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertai...ichael-jacksons-unparalleled-influence/58616/

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Day I Met My Hero by Christine Dowling


I will never forget the 19th of July 1997. I went to see my hero, Michael Jackson, in concert. It was my second MJ concert and I was so excited and happy that he had come back to Dublin.

During Michael’s show, he has his security people find fans to come up on stage for a particular song. I have Morquio syndrome and security were looking for somebody small. My sister pointed me out and said, “You won’t get anybody smaller!” For once in my life I was so thankful to be small! I will be forever grateful to my sister. When the security man picked me my whole body started shaking, not because I was going to be in front of 35,000 screaming fans, but because I was about to come face to face with my all-time hero!

While I was waiting just offstage Michael ran past me, and I let out such a scream that I thought he must have heard me. Thankfully, with all of the noise on stage, he didn’t! The music for "Heal the World” came on and I was wheeled onto the stage. Michael held my hand. Normally I wouldn’t feel anything in my right hand as I had lost feeling in it a few years before, but that night I could actually feel Michael’s hand. He turned to me as we headed off of the stage. He told me that he loved me and I knew that he really meant it!

Being so close to him was amazing. The only way to describe it is like a spiritual experience. I felt so much love on that stage; love and happiness. When I got offstage I burst into tears. My friends’ young children who were also at the concert kept asking if I was I ok, and my mother told them, “She is fine. She’s only crying because she is happy.” The memories of that day will stay with me forever and they help me whenever I am sad or upset.

A few hours after the concert, I could feel a burning sensation up and down my right arm. The next day I had feeling back in my right hand. I truly believe I got my feeling back from simply holding Michael's hand. My Ma said, "With 35,000 people singing such a positive song as “Heal the World,” you were bound to get a miracle.”

I thought I would share this with you, as only true MJ fans would truly understand what happened to me that night. Even though I am in a wheelchair, that night I felt like I was walking on air. I was 18 then, and now thirteen years later I can still honestly say that meeting Michael was the best day of my life, and I am so blessed and thankful that my dream came true.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: When Michael passed on I felt as though I had lost a member of my family; he had been a major part of my entire life. Way before we had met he had been the biggest influence on me for as long as I can remember, getting me through so many bad experiences that I had as a child. I took his death badly and I felt so lost and confused that I needed to do something for him. I took it upon myself to organize a tree planting for him. I felt that wasn’t enough though, so on the 8th of August 2009, alongside the tree planting, I organized a Michael Jackson Memorial / Fun day, with all proceeds going to a children’s hospital that I myself had attended throughout my childhood. I also did the same this June, the day after his first anniversary, and I will continue to do so every single year for as long as I can. It’s my way of giving back and saying “Thank you!” to Michael for all that he has done for me and millions of others worldwide. Michael's tree stands proudly in a park in Dublin, surrounded by a children’s play-area. I think he would have liked it

Christine Dowling, age 31, Dublin, Ireland

Source:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/micha...-my-hero-by-christine-dowling/204448169595424

 

[4veryoung]

Michael Jackson

I happened to be traveling in non-English speaking countries when the news of Michael Jackson&#8217;s death hit the communication grid. It struck me seeing the reaction of people abroad how rare were the gifts of Michael Jackson. I thought as well how easily he compares to the historical geniuses that we have been fortunate to view or read or hear in replay. It is unusual to be acknowledged as exceptional by your contemporaries, yet innately people around the globe saw Michael Jackson&#8217;s ability not as generational but as approximating the frequency of Haley&#8217;s Comet.

History tends to be kinder to the great than what they know in their era, if indeed they are recognized at all by those around them. The world knows much more of Shakespeare&#8217;s work than when he was writing the most beautiful verse in the most insightful plays ever penned. Mozart is performed more now than during his all too brief life. There is respect afforded DaVinci and Michelangelo and Goya that was denied when they walked, ate, slept and created.

It is not unreasonable to place the talent of Michael Jackson in the small roll of the best ever. There are many who would define art as something on a higher plane than popular music, who would keep painting, sculpture, literature, classical music and dance apart and disapprove of any comparison. It is also hard to imagine that critics would recognize any modern writer, composer or artist as being of the scale of Shakespeare, Cervantes, Dante, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Velazquez etc. To suggest that Michael Jackson, pop prodigy, would approach such height may seem heretical.

But Michael Jackson, in his craft, was as uniquely gifted as those masters whose names I listed. For him to be considered historically brilliant, he will have to stand the test of time. I suspect he will. As much as we can be moved by grand works of the past, I doubt that our race will change such that down the long road we won&#8217;t be affected by the sublimity of the world&#8217;s greatest ever entertainer. For clearly that&#8217;s what he was.

He achieved, during a life cut short, what all of those other artistic icons could not &#8211; worldwide recognition for his work. I heard someone on CNN say that one of Jackson&#8217;s inspirations was PT Barnum. Can there be any doubt that Michael Jackson was the greatest show on earth? Yes, his staggering productions were collaborative efforts but Mozart wouldn&#8217;t be as inspiring if you were reading his music instead of listening to it. Television, radio, video and CDs helped make Jackson a universal phenom, a person more prominent than Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan and John Paul II. Nor was he famous just for being famous, the new by-product of more global media than there are good stories to tell.

Though the media spread the gospel of Michael Jackson, they didn&#8217;t create him. Those who can&#8217;t tell good wine from bad or Camembert from Kraft Thins didn&#8217;t need Michael Jackson pointed out to them. He was not an acquired taste or only for the discerning palate. Michael Jackson exploded at you in a way that was immediately obvious as special.

He was not the kind of artist best read alone or viewed in silent reverence or while wearing your finest garments. Michael Jackson danced over racial divides and economic chasms. You&#8217;d have to be a snob of the highest order to try to convince someone or yourself that his music, his presence, did not get into your bones and, at its best, sent shivers through your body. He brought his art to the masses in a way that was easy to appreciate and impossible to ignore

The worldwide outpouring of affection for Michael Jackson is genuine and worthy. Like most, including those who come not to praise but to bury, I didn&#8217;t know the man other than what I observed on stage and learned through the prism of ones who were close to him. Yet, I am confident he was as good a person as he was talented as an artist, if that matters. That didn&#8217;t make him perfect but who among us can make that claim?

I reject the argument that there were two Michael Jacksons as I would reject that same argument about any other person not clinically diagnosed as such. I believe that Michael Jackson contained qualities whose presence or absence goes a long way in defining who we are, empathy and humility. That&#8217;s not to say that people aren&#8217;t different away from prying eyes, most are. Few carry themselves the same way in public as they do in private. Most have a social face and a life reserved for them and those closest to them. But an image does not reveal who a person is in his guts. There are many rotten people who come across better than they are, but that doesn&#8217;t negate the fact they are fetid. Conversely, an empathetic and humble person is not less so because of his persona, be that soft or curmudgeonly. Nor does the commitment of errors diminish a person&#8217;s anima or suggest that he harbors the ubiquitous &#8220;dark side.&#8221;

If any of our lives were studied in full, it is likely that the constancy we like to claim, that we too often demand of others, would be found wanting. But a lack of constancy does not say who we have been over the long term. And people change, some for the better. It is possible to acquire understanding as we age and shed ourselves of prejudice, misconception and willful blindness. Like Ebenezer Scrooge, we may wake up one day and realize that our actions have been hurtful or self-centered. We may take that big step out of our own vast shadows and see the world through other eyes. And we may just remain the miserable, ignorant, selfish pricks that we&#8217;ve always been.

I am convinced that Michael Jackson was empathetic and humble though the world threw itself at his nimble feet and monitored his every move. There is no relevance in debating good Michael and bad Michael. Whatever he was, he was all of it. The Czech poet Rilke said, &#8220;Be careful when you cast out your demons lest your angels take flights as well.&#8221; We should be thankful that he was Michael Jackson, a dancing, singing and entertaining virtuoso and that our brief strut on this mortal coil coincided with his.

In the future, if such a thing were possible. when Michael Jackson is admired for his art, when the inevitable glory seekers, money hounds and insiders finish breaking faith, when the commotion is long forgotten as with the impetuous Mozart, the lover of male youth, DaVinci and the alleged misogynist Picasso, indeed for many of the past&#8217;s most talented and perspired artists, for like them it is his art that will endure not the distraction, when people talk about him in a tone reserved for the truly eminent, many of us would like to be among those fans yet to be and say, &#8220;I was there when he performed at the &#8230;.. For perform he did and surely we will not see his like in our time.

Copyright © 2009 Paul Heno

http://www.flingtheging.com/Articles/michael-jackson.html

 

[BottleOfSmoke]

Moonwalking tribute to Michael, quite funny http://www.eternalmoonwalk.com/
Sorry if it was posted already.

 

[MJJLaugh]

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Michael Jackson

'Say Yes to your Heart' - by Brenda

Michael has taught me the meaning of life. He has given me purpose and joy, taken away my fear of death, and my fear of living life to the fullest. Still, even with the huge impact he has had on my life, when I think of the biggest lesson I have learned from him, there is no doubt what that is. It is the thought that first struck me when he died, the lesson I hope that is conveyed in my book Ever After, and the reason I look forward to each day. The purpose of my life is to share this message with others. The lesson is this: Always say yes to your heart, and be the best you can be at whatever you love to do, no matter what.

Imagine a world where people say yes to their hearts without question, follow their dreams, doing their best and never giving up. This is the world that Michael believed in. This is the way he lived his life. He has shown me that this CAN be the real world. Since I have begun to trust him and follow this in my own life, everything is different, although it may seem the same on the outside.

Is there anyone who has ever followed his heart as unfailingly as Michael did? Is there anyone who has ever persevered against all odds as Michael did? Is there anyone who believed that all things were possible as Michael did?

He did these things because he believed his talents had been given to him by God and he felt his purpose was to express these gifts the best he could, so others might recognize their own gifts. This is true for all of us. We all have a purpose for being here, we have talents, ideas, inspirations just as Michael did. The difference between us and Michael is that he followed through NO MATTER WHAT. He did not just choose to express his gifts when he was inspired, when he was paid enough money, or when he was feeling good, he did it for us, because that is what he knew he was here to do.

He said, "I believe in me, so you'll believe in you." I believe in you Michael, and thanks to you, I also believe in me, and all of us. We are here to express our gifts and in doing so, we help others to be who they are meant to be as well. This is how we change the world. I promise that I will always say yes to my heart, and always do my best, no matter what.
~ Brenda - author of Love is the Answer (blog) and the beautiful picture book Ever After

Source:

http://www.majorloveprayer.org/search/label/Things-Learned-from-MJ


Do you want to buy the poster 'Everything I need to know I learned from Michael Jackson' ? This is possible. My friend Amy Grace has designed this poster, and it is available in three sizes. She also designed other Michael-inspired things, check out her website: http://www.redbubble.com/people/amygrace/collections/55524-michael-jackson

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Fashion of Michael Jackson

In 2009 Harper’s Bazaar featured Michael’s style in a six page spread in their September issue. Three months before the issue came out he passed away, with this issue Harper’s Bazaar created a fitting tribute. The spread shows top model Agyness Deyn in memorable clothing from moments in Michael’s career - from his days on the set of the groundbreaking music video ‘Thriller’ to his time with Bubbles the chimp. The fotoshoot is shot by celebrity photographer Terry Richardson.

Source:

http://www.thefashionofmichaeljackson.com

 

[MJJLaugh]

Empty your hearts of any fear,
I am with you, I am here,
I knew you all before time began,
In primordial stars together we swam,
Never separate, never apart,
I feel your love, I know your heart,
I know your grief, your doubts
and frustration,
I feel your joy, as I'm
drenched by elation,
Magnified to infinity,
You've given me bliss in eternity,
Never feel alone, my dears,
Open your heart and drop your fears,
Let me pour this love into you,
Fill your soul and merge from two,
To make you smile, to make you feel
You're mine, each one. Yes. This is real.

~ June 14, 2011 ?

written by Deborah



Source:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...03309070432.2040351.1461651667&type=1&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

A truly wonderful article: “Michael Jackson: What We See Is What We Look Like”

******”Try living in this world and this society where your LOVE for nature, animals, children, family and friends made you a SUSPECT; where your ABSTINENCE from drugs, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity made you a FREAK; where your COMPASSION for the sick and the suffering, your ASPIRATIONS for world peace and justice made you PATHETIC; where FORGIVING those who manipulated, exploited and wronged you made you DESERVING of being dragged through courts and drugged to keep the money-making machine oiled…in short, made you Michael Jackson.”*****

“There is no end to the commentary concerning the death of Michael Jackson and mine certainly warrants no special attention: nevertheless, I am slightly embarrassed to say how much his death has affected me. I have been a great admirer of his talent since I was a child; as most of us, I grew up listening and watching him evolve as an artist and reach the heights of stardom that I believe will never be surpassed…we no longer have a culture (or an attention span) to allow even the most deserving of talents rise and remain at the top of their fields. Our standards in so many respects have declined to even expect mediocrity: we are relieved to see it, as most of the talent now falls so far below it…

I have taken it upon myself to observe the collection of interviews, appearances, photographs, and other media on Michael Jackson during the course of his forty-five year career. What has struck me most about his personality (if, indeed, it can serve as insight to his character) is the alarming consistency of it. I say alarming only because most of us grow out of our childlike wonder at the world and the idealism in helping those in need, and making the world and its future better and brighter for others as well as ourselves. Mr. Jackson’s interviews as a child serve to show the influence of his family’s religion; as a Jehovah’s Witness, the strict beliefs that denied him holidays, birthdays, and the many forms of amusement such as television and movies and games that most children take for granted as their province. Being fully employed by the age of nine, Mr. Jackson had only his family, a large one, granted, but still a small cramped corner to grow up and cultivate a sense of self from: meanwhile, his exposure to the outside world of other people was distorted by fame, and the outrageous expectations that come with anxious and adoring crowds…how, indeed, does this shape the perspective of a child? I don’t wonder ever of his love for children and animals, undoubtedly the only company that never wanted or expected anything from him. I daresay it gave him a liberty from a repressive religion, suffocating family bond, a grueling work schedule, and a unruly mob of fans that held no end of comfort for him, even into his aging years…

Michael Jackson’s battle with vitiligo and lupus has been confirmed: suffering from gradual de-pigmentation and joint inflammation in front of the world must have taken a great deal of confidence from him as a performer: it made him a public spectacle in a way he never wished to be seen and shown. Why after thirty years of being born and raised into unprecedented stardom as a Black man, Mr. Jackson would decide to “become White,“ has been accused, but never explained. Alas, heavy makeup, ornate dress to completely cover his body took more than a physical toll; it took an emotional one, as his appearance was ridiculed even as he made desperate attempts to prevent it. Mr. Jackson directed our attention to his performance, more singing, dancing, fireworks, all the glitter and glamour and sparkle he could muster until we didn’t believe what we saw, but we loved it…therein lies the real magic of his talent, I believe, he convinced us he was beauty and grace even as his skin spotted and his limbs crippled behind the curtain…

Michael Jackson’s ordeal with accusations of child molestation are sad….I worked as a voluntary on three psych wards and have some indirect experience with pedophiles. He is certainly uncharacteristic of any I have spoken and dealt with outside of his love for children. A pedophile surrounded by children for four decades: two allegations surfaced with a nearly ten-year interval: the illogical sequence in the course of events should have been comical…should have been. The real argument is how many have allegations have not surfaced in the forty years….What will strike you about any repeat offender of such sex-related crimes is cunning: building an amusement park for thousands of children to run and play in; to openly admit you share your bed with them, to spend no less than twenty years of your life expressing how much children motivate and inspire you is no show of cunning, I can tell you. A pedophile would immediately open himself to suspicion under such candor. I believe Michael Jackson’s lack of exposure to our socially accepted hypocrisy failed to learn the rules of the games we play with one another. There is something pathetic about Michael Jackson’s statements and arguments: he seems to be genuinely telling the truth and expecting it to matter…the rest of us in the real world know better.

You are not innocent before proven guilty; if acquitted, it doesn’t mean you cannot be condemned…individuality can only be expressed if it is in accordance to what everybody else would do and be…if you are a man, be “how all men are,” or you will be labeled a homosexual, and you know what that means: a freak of nature, which will open you up to all sorts of allegations and assumptions, particularly when it comes to your relations with children and the paternity of your own.

The biggest star the world was beaten by a windfall of public scorn, a far more powerful weapon than any military force could wield…we pride ourselves on being able to say and do what we want, live and believe how we want: we indulge our delusions, don’t we? Try living in this world and this society where your love for nature, animals, children, family and friends made you a suspect; where your abstinence from drugs, alcohol, and sexual promiscuity made you a freak; where your compassion for the sick and the suffering, your aspirations for world peace and justice made you pathetic; where forgiving those who manipulated, exploited and wronged you made you deserving of being dragged through courts and drugged to keep the money-making machine oiled…in short, made you Michael Jackson.

I don’t pretend to know the truth of this man’s life…I can only seek to know it. I have sought it through his own words and the words of those who knew him. I have sought it in his art, his music and performances. I believe Michael Jackson’s life and death have much to say about what our society has become, clouded in delusions of freedom and liberty, in our aberrations of what it means to be good and decent.

Was Michael Jackson a good and decent man? I don’t know for certain; what I do know is, the qualities he was most ridiculed for are the ones we as a people are supposed to honor and celebrate in a human being, and his battles were something for which we are supposed to show compassion and understanding…

I believe Michael Jackson’s decade-span give a baleful testimony of American society.

We saw Michael Jackson through the years from our own eyes…

What we see is what we look like…

Thank you for taking the time to read.”

~ July 15, 2009 By shondradawson009









Source:

http://www.democraticunderground.co...show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=6075401#6083051

 

[MJJLaugh]

Kahlil Gibran on Buying and Selling


Kahlil Gibran is the author of the book called "The Prophet". In each chapter he touches on a different area of life, for the reader to contemplate. Recently I read the following chapter:

On Buying & Selling
And a merchant said, "Speak to us of Buying and Selling."
And he answered and said:
To you the earth yields her fruit, and you shall not want if you but know how to fill your hands.
It is in exchanging the gifts of the earth that you shall find abundance and be satisfied.
Yet unless the exchange be in love and kindly justice, it will but lead some to greed and others to hunger.
When in the market place you toilers of the sea and fields and vineyards meet the weavers and the potters and the gatherers of spices,
- Invoke then the master spirit of the earth, to come into your midst and sanctify the scales and the reckoning that weighs value against value.
And suffer not the barren-handed to take part in your transactions, who would sell their words for your labour.
To such men you should say,
"Come with us to the field, or go with our brothers to the sea and cast your net; For the land and the sea shall be bountiful to you even as to us."
And if there come the singers and the dancers and the flute players, - buy of their gifts also.
For they too are gatherers of fruit and frankincense, and that which they bring, though fashioned of dreams, is raiment and food for your soul.
And before you leave the marketplace, see that no one has gone his way with empty hands.
For the master spirit of the earth shall not sleep peacefully upon the wind till the needs of the least of you are satisfied.

The highlighted part moved me very much and instantly made me think of Michael. His music is food and garment for our soul for sure!

Just read and ponder these lyrics of "Heal the World"

"Heal the World
Make it a better place
For you and for me
and the entire human race
there are people dying
if you care enough
for the living
Make it a better place
for you and for me.

And the dream we were
conceived in
will reveal a joyful face
and the world we
once believed in
will shine again in grace
then why do we keep
strangling life
wound this earth
crucify its soul
though it's plain to see
this world is heavenly
Be Gods Glow"

and these lyrics of "Another Part of Me"

"We're sending out
a major love
and this is our
Message to you
(Message to you)
the planets are linin' up
we're bringing brighter days
they're all in line
waitin' for you
Can't you see....?
You're just another part of me"


When I read the lyrics of Heal the world with attention in what was really said, it hit me and I heard the beckoning loud and clear, so I wiped away my single tear, smiling at the white butterfly and graceful dragonfly that flew by in my garden, my resolve to make a difference for the better was strengthened once more. While the artist may be gone, the message lives on.
Living my life for the highest good, the well-being of the Earth, nature, the animals and the people inhabiting her, that is us!, I feel blessed and loved and I want to put love back into the world, as the world needs it so badly.
To me that is the best and most honorable way to celebrate Michael's life and legacy! :heart:
~ MJJLaugh


Michael Jackson - A Prayer





Sources:

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jrcole/gibran/prophet/prophet.htm#Buying

Dangerous booket for the songtext of "Heal the World"
Bad booklet for the songtext of "Another Part of Me"

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael's Love of India


The following photos were all taken in 1996 when Michael visited India and performed, as part of the HIStory Tour, in Mumbai, in a packed stadium.

Better than Heaven or Arcadia
I love thee, O my India!
And thy love I shall give
To every brother nation that lives.
God made the Earth;
Man made confining countries
And their fancy-frozen boundaries.
But with unfound boundless love
I behold the borderland of my India
Expanding into the World.
Hail, mother of religions, lotus, scenic beauty,and sages!
Thy wide doors are open,
Welcoming God's true sons through all ages.
Where Ganges, woods, Himalayan caves, and
men dream God -
I am hallowed; my body touched that sod.

- Swami Yogananda Paramhansa

Michael wrote his message to India on the pillow he slept on in his VVIP room in hotel Oberoi, Bombay, India during his visit from Oct 30th - Nov 1st '96

India, all my life I have longed to see your face. I met you and your people and fell in love with you. Now my heart is filled with sorrow and despair for I have to leave, but I promise I shall return to love you and caress you again. Your kindness has overwhelmed me, your spiritual awareness has moved me, and your children have truly touched my heart. They are the face of God. I truly love and adore you India. Forever, continue to love, heal and educate the children, the future shines on them. You are my special love, India. Forever, may God always bless you”

Source:

http://india.gov.in/myindia/poems_new.php

http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.ph....121867041177731.12511.121841604513608&type=1

 

[MJJLaugh]

Why I love Michael Jackson


Maybe Tomorrow, when you call my name, I'll Be There...





Why I love Michael Jackson

I love him because he never stopped doing what he believed he was meant to do. Criticism and judgement from others hurt him but did not make him waver in what he knew to be true about himself and why he was here. He wanted to make a difference and he did. He wanted to be remembered forever and he will be. I admire him because he accomplished his dreams in spite of his shyness, dislike of his appearance, lack of a childhood. He did not use these as excuses to not follow his heart. I love him because of his love of children, his own childlike innocence and love of fun. He inspires me because he was always expanding his thinking about what was possible, eager to learn new things, willing to work hard to make things happen, and not afraid to be different.

I love the messages in his lyrics, the way he sang and danced with passion and the way he connected with his fans. Whatever people think or say about him they can never say that he wasted his 50 years. I do not believe in death and I know he chose the perfect time to leave this world. I am happy that a new generation of the children he wanted to help is now learning about him. I have been inspired by his example to live and enjoy every day, say yes to life and make a difference in whatever way is mine to do.

Brenda Jenkyns
October 17, 2009



Michael Jackson - Talking To The Moon

 

[MJJLaugh]

How Michael Jackson Inspired Me


Bri’Anna - USA

To the one who inspires my heart: When I was 3 years old I heard your music for the first time it was ‘Lady In My Life’ and I thought it was the most beautiful song I had ever heard in my life after the song was over, I asked my mother “who was that?” and was told your name. Ever since that day your name was plastered in my brain. When I turned 5 I finally got to see your face. I saw the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen that’s when I fell in love with music and with you. You are my first love and I never gave up hope that one day I would meet you and tell you how much you mean to me I waited too long. Michael you may be gone ,but the person you are, the man I fell in love with at a young age still inspires my heart I try to live by your teachings and to live a life worthy of your memory. To the one who inspires my heart - My 1st love Michael Jackson!

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Sara Jo Peters - UK

Michael Jackson has been an inspiration to me since all my
life. He has inspired me to contribute to charities and to help
people and children in need, I have made blankets, and I have sent
food to people in Haiti. All my life I have suffered with a lot of
health problems and I been in and out of hospital for most of my
life. When I was a baby, I was told that I’am disabled. I have to use
a wheel chair. But Michael inspired and has helped me to carry on with
my life and not to give up on my life, even when times are difficult
and when I’am in a lot of pain. He is an inspiration to us all. I try
to help people in need, and I’m going to continue to help people. I
would like to say to Michael, thank you Michael for giving me the
strength to carry on with my life and thank you for helping me to
help the people who need help. I wish you peace, love and I give you
my heart, my soul and my mind.

Rest in peace Michael - I love you forever x

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Catalina - Romania

Michael you inspired me and I write you this…

From my love

From my love, I have built a cathedral for you, in which only your
voice heightens odes to Love
From my love, I have laid a dance floor on which only your steps
glide
From my love, I have created a sky, where your eyes are the only
stars.

I love you like only our love should be on the Earth…

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Laura Ann - Canada

Michael has inspired me in so many ways, one way I will tell you is that he inspired me to cut my hair so I did and I donated it to the Angel hair for kids Cancer foundation. Now someone has hair that they can call there own. Hes inspired me and lots of ways, too but he mostly inspired me to believe in anything. And never judge, and Michael will always be in my heart because he taught me to be me. I Love you Michael! I really really do.


Inspiration from Michael Jackson - Quotes and Lyrics


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Source:

http://www.mjworld.net/features/inspired/

 

[earthlyme]

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