Positive websites and videos that celebrate MJ

[MJJLaugh]

MJ's Autographs and Art - Part I

Text on the card reads: I'm speechless. Your gifts were soooo Thoughful. I loved the pictures of the children, they are Truly wonderful little Beings. I love you So Much For your loyalty and love. Thanx, Love, Michael Jackson

Text on the paper: I love you more than words can say. Thank you for your Loyalty. Love, Michael Jackson

Text on the photo: To Travis. Remember the sky is the limit, climb every mountain, Pioneer, inovate(sp). Believe in your Ideals because you are Godsent. Thanx Love Michael Jackson

Text on paper: Greg thanks for a Magic Moment in my life,I hope it was the same for you, please come to visit me at Neverland. Let's hope this is the beginning of a long friendship and never lose your Boyish Spirit it's imortal(sp). Love always, M. Jackson
A note written to Greg Hildebrandt who spent time with Michael giving him drawing lessons and doing art work for him.

Text: Let's Heal the World Together This is my dream. Love Michael Jackson

Text: To each and everyone of you, I'm so proud to be back in Hamburg. You make me so Happy, I love you Michael Jackson


Source:


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...3654865220.93482.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[MJJLaugh]

MJ's Autographs and Art - Part II

Text: Our eyes are the windows to the world

Party Girl

The Power of Thought

Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...1703654865220.93482.1053438493&type=1&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

MJ's Autographs and Art - Part III


As you can see from these sketches Michael also loved to draw caricatures of people. Unfortunately it is unclear if he depicted someone he knew or just a face that stood out in a crowd. Imagine being Michael and seeing the world and people from his perspective. People yelling and screaming his name, fainting, very shy, the adoration. What is clear is that Michael was very versatile and multi-talented. Uniquely so!!
I used to love to draw too, drawings hung on all my walls, until I grew older and decided that I didn't have any talent at drawing whatsoever. Yeah, copying other drawings slightly bigger or smaller but that is not the real thing is it ? Nowadays I only paint walls and furniture, but I love that, gets me into the "flow".

I was happy for Michael that he had an escape during his trials and tribulations, by going incognito to a hangar somewhere where he could paint and draw to forget the harsh, cold world outside that hangar. A safe haven with an artist friend to paint and create magic on paper!! Enjoy Michael's artwork!
~ MJJLaugh

Source:


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...3654865220.93482.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[MJJLaugh]

MJ's Autographs and Art - Part III

Michael felt a kinship to Charlie Chaplin, because Charlie Chaplin too first performed at the tender age of 6, like Michael did, so Charlie Chaplin didn't have much of a childhood either.
When the Jackson 5 visited London in 1979 the photographer Tony Prime showed them the street in South London where Charlie Chaplin lived. He took photo's of Michael there, dressed up as Charlie Chaplin.

Here are some of the pictures Michael made of Charlie Chaplin:

Michael did this Chaplin charcoal when he was just 9 years old.

Chaplin done in 1991 by MJ

Another Chaplin drawing

One of his favorite art subjects Chaplin

Chaplin done in mirror image

A Chaplin done at a young age



Michael Jackson & Charlie Chaplin Messages Of A Better World



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkIk6qBulvY



Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...3654865220.93482.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[MJJLaugh]

MJ's Autographs and Art - Part IV


If you say 'pillow-talk' to any Michael Jackson, he or she will smile and nod in understanding. Michael had a very special bond with all of his fans. While on tour he expressed his love for all the fans by writing on the hotel pillow and showing it to the fans chanting below, or it would be thrown down to the fans.
Of course, he did so much more than writing message of love on pillow-cases. Michael would also have his security guards bring blankets to the fans who camped outside to catch a glimpse of him. And he would order food, pizzas by the dozen, for the fans who withstood the cold and yelled to Michael how much they loved him, and he loved us more! :heart:
I know that one of these images wasn't written on a pillowcase, but it is too good to miss out on.
~ MJJLaugh

I love you all so so much. I'm very lonely without you, you are my life always, please love me always "Burn" all tabloids. Love, Michael Jackson

Love you so much, please love me too, Love Michael Jackson

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 you, 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.

I must sleep now, I truly love you all forever I promise. Love Michael Jackson

I love Paris. I'm going to sleep Goodnight Love Michael Jackson

You Make me sooo Happy I can feel your energy through the walls. The sky is the limit Higher contiousness always working hard, as always, music film, performance I Love you"

Lets burn all tabloids mountains of them worldwide MJ

I want to heal the world, Help our children and they hate me for it. they want to destroy anyone right----- I adore all of you, Love, Michael Jackson

 

[MJJLaugh]

MJ's Autographs and Art


All over the walls of my room are pictures of Peter Pan. I've read everything that Barrie wrote. I totally identify with Peter Pan, the lost boy from Never Neverland.
_ Michael Jackson


“The Wizard Of Oz" has secrets that are just too much. Or "Peter Pan" – the whole 'lost boys' thing is just incredible. They’re not childlike at all, they’re really, really deep; you can rule your life by them. Or say 'child-like', because children are the most brilliant people of all, that’s why they relate to those stories so well. Fairy-tales are wonderful.”
― Michael Jackson

“In their innocence, very young children know themselves to be light and love. If we will allow them, they can teach us to see ourselves the same way. ”
― Michael Jackson


“They say that parenting is like dancing. You take one step, your child takes another.”
― Michael Jackson


“And that's what innocence is. It's simple and trusting like a child, not judgmental and committed to one narrow point of view. If you are locked into a pattern of thinking and responding, your creativity gets blocked. You miss the freshness and magic of the moment. Learn to be innocent again, and that freshness never fades.”
― Michael Jackson


“Children show me in their playful smiles the divine in everyone.”
― Michael Jackson

I have learned that it is what you put in your mind mentally, what you think and do, that makes your person. And you can put any mental object in this mind and it will bring it into reality. So this means, we can program ourselves to be the people we want to be, whatever the subject matter is, live in it by a mental physical program, a system of learning and doing. Studying all the greats in that field and becoming greater. My program will consist of,

Michael had a fascination with the number 7. He even had it on some of his clothing.
• Michael Jackson signed his will on 7/7/02.
• Michael Jackson's memorial was on 7/7/09 ... exactly 7 years after the will was signed.
• Michael Jackson's two biggest hits -- "Black & White" and "Billie Jean" — were each #1 for 7 weeks.
• Michael Jackson's three biggest albums — "Thriller," "Bad" and "Dangerous" — each produced 7 top 40 hits.
• Michael Jackson was the 7th of 9 children.
• Michael Jackson was born in 1958 ... 19 + 58 = 77.
• Michael Jackson died on the 25th ... 2 + 5 = 7.
• Michael Jackson has 7 letters in his first and last name.
Michaels 2005 Trial ended after 7 days of Jury deliberation.

And then someone made this work of art:
(If you know who made it, could you please let me know ? )

Done by Michael as a young boy. He was concerned about the state of humanity even then.
What song does this drawing remind you of ? And the pose ? This has 'Earth Song' written all over it! 'Earth Song' and the images for the short film and live performance gestated all those years!



Source:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/1354250.Michael_Jackson

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...3654865220.93482.1053438493&type=1&permPage=1

 

[dewey]

:girl_love: This is my new favorite thread. It just reinforces why I'm completely in love with him.

 

[MJJLaugh]

Michael Jackson - Song of the Blue Lotus



Looking back on Michael's life, with the hardships, torments (by the media and very greedy families), but also the immense success, the limelight, the love he spoke of, the love he felt, the compassion that drove him to aid sick and dying children, underprivileged children, all of that makes it not so very odd that one of my Facebook friends laid a link between Michael and a lotus flower. After all, a lotus starts with its roots deeply anchored in mud, but strives upwards, through murky and cold waters, guided by Love and Light, into warmer and clearer waters until her head is above the water, and she can unfold her petals to shine like she was meant to shine. Michael rose from humble beginnings into superstardom but despite the 'murky waters' that surrounded him, he stood firm and tall and pure, not to be distracted from his highest goal, which was much more about being Jesus-like, helping others and making a change, than it was about selling records. He used his fame for the benefit of mankind, to show us the way to pure love, believing in yourself, never giving up and spreading joy and happiness around him.

So, when I read the words of my friend, which are not meant to be shared here, I felt an instant recognition and a deep connection in the linking of Michael to a lotus flower and more specifically what it represents in a spiritual manner. Within an hour I had made the following video, I think I never made a video that fast and found the perfect song so quickly. Some of the lyrics are movingly applicable to Michael:

"Love has many tongues, she speaks through songs and flowers,
there are portals all around, in the sky and underground" and also:

"A cosmic essence so refined, a distllation of the heart Divine
This flower speaks of higher things, this flower loves you when she sings"

Michael Jackson - Song of the Bue Lotus




You can link to the video on Youtube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8yabOKoYsU

(The music is by Asher Quinn, you can check out his website, read lyrics, listen to complete songs here. Put the sound on for the samples!)



The lotus flower, a type of water lily, is held sacred among many of the world's religions and cultures. With its roots in the mud, the lotus rises through the murky water to blossom clean and bright, symbolizing to the Buddhist purity, resurrection and the enlightened being who emerges undefiled from the chaos and illusion of the world. The eight-petalled lotus that is used in Buddhist mandalas symbolizes cosmic harmony, and the thousand-petalled lotus represents spiritual illumination.

The Hindus of India noted that the ungerminated seeds of the lotus contain perfectly formed leaves, a blueprint for the future plant. Thus to the Hindu, the lotus represents divine ideation passing from abstract into concrete form.

The lotus is featured prominently in Egyptian art and architecture, especially in connection with Egypt's temples. In Egyptian mythology, the lotus was associated with the sun, because it blooms by day and closes by night. The lotus also symbolized rebirth, since one Egyptian creation myth tells of the newborn sun god rising out of a floating lotus. The blue lotus was sacred to the ancient Egyptians, who valued it not only for its rich perfume but also for its narcotic ability to produce heightened awareness and tranquillity.

To Native Americans, who found all parts of the American lotus edible, the flower symbolized the sun's power to transform energy into food. The seeds were once an especially important part of the Native American diet; in fact, the genus name Nelumbo means "sacred bean."

The lotus is also highly esteemed by Taoists. Among the Eight Immortals of Taoism is Ho Hsien Ku, her symbol the open lotus blossom, signifying openness and wisdom. A feature of the lotus plant that has found its way into Chinese poetry is its stalk, which is easy to bend but difficult to break because of its many strong fibres. Poets liken this quality to the bonds between lovers or family members. The lotus flower is a favorite of Taoist artists, who paint it to remind us of the miracle of beauty, light and life, and to communicate an understanding of the Tao and of our place in the world.

 

[MJJLaugh]

James DeBarge - How Michael Jackson Saved My Life

James DeBarge, the drug addicted ex-husband of Janet Jackson, appeared on ‘Dr. Drew’s Lifechangers’ alongside two of his troubled siblings, Bunny and Randy, seeking some life changing therapy to help deal with their drug addiction and family issues.

James recounts how he was once suicidal and reveals that Janet’s big brother Michael Jackson talked him down from a roof…

I was going to jump and everyone was losing it… He [Michael] was the only one not freaking out!

He seemed to be familiar with my pain… He knew I needed someone to talk to, so he was that ear. We just talked all night and I forgot that I was even on the roof and that I was going to jump.”

The musical family is no stranger to problems. El DeBarge (the most successful of the group) just recently returned to the music scene after abruptly leaving his comeback tour to check into rehab.








Source:

http://straightfromthea.com/2011/09...el-jackson-saved-my-life-video/#ixzz1n3OcCnO5

 

[MJJLaugh]

Was Michael Jackson Black Enough?
Posted by Willa and Joie


"I don't hire color, I hire compentence."
~ Michael Jackson

Willa: This week Joie and I wanted to dance with one of those elephants in the room and address the recurring criticism that Michael Jackson wasn’t “Black enough.” We’re not talking about skin color. We’re talking about the criticism that began way back in the 1970s and 80s, when critics would look at his penny loafers and his public persona and say he wasn’t doing enough to embrace his Black heritage.

Joie: OK, this is a hard one for me. Not because I don’t know where I stand on this issue but, because this question makes me a little angry for a couple of reasons. One of them is that it’s a question that has been leveled at me on more than one occasion. I had a very middle-class upbringing and the schools I went to in the 1970s and ’80s were a pretty good mix of Black and White. But because I chose not to strictly hang out with only the other Black kids and instead had many friends who were White, suddenly I was trying to be a White girl. And this criticism came not just from other Black kids, but from one of my own siblings as well. Never mind the fact that I had more in common with the kids I chose to hang out with than I did the kids who looked like me. That, apparently wasn’t the point. But here’s the thing… I’m still not really sure what the point is and I don’t believe anyone else knows either.

My nephew, whom I adore, recently graduated from Morehouse College. It’s an all Black, all male campus (its female counterpart, Spelman, is just across the road). I asked him what he thought of this “Black enough” question and I have to admit I was a little saddened by his response. Saddened because he said that even on an all Black campus, there were guys who had to endure this same criticism – either because of the way they dressed (like fitted clothes instead of baggy or relaxed hair instead of natural) or who they dated (White girlfriends instead of Black). Well, by that standard, there are any number of Black people out there – both male and female (myself included) who are just not Black enough anymore! Why, oh why didn’t someone tell me that by relaxing my hair and entering into an interracial marriage that I was selling out my race! Oh the shame!! Guess it’s a good thing I’m a firm believer that we all come from the same race – the Human one!

Willa: Joie, that sentence, “I’m still not really sure what the point is and I don’t believe anyone else knows either,” really caught my attention. Because what exactly is the underlying issue here? I do understand the fear that a group’s cultural heritage will be lost. I really do get that. My grandfather’s grandmother was Potawatomi, but except for a few quilt squares they made together when he was a child and an old sepia-toned photograph, I have no access to my great-great-grandmother or to that culture. That’s all completely lost to me. If I’m filling out a form and have to check a box to identify myself, I check White. Even if I’m allowed to check more than one box, I still only check White. Genetically I’m a little bit Potawatomi, but culturally I’m not, and it would feel presumptuous to me to claim a connection to a heritage I know nothing about. I really regret that that heritage has been lost to me, but at this point it has.

At the same time, I find it very troubling when commentators, especially White commentators, criticize Michael Jackson or President Obama or any Black public figure for allegedly not embracing a more-traditional Black identity. For one thing, it assumes there’s only one definition of Black and that everyone who is Black should conform to it. I know if I were shopping at the grocery store in jeans and a t-shirt and a man came up to me and told me I needed to embrace my femininity, I’d be pretty taken aback by it – and a little offended, frankly. What right does he have to impose his ideas about what’s feminine onto me? I get to decide for myself what’s feminine and what isn’t, or whether or not I even want to be feminine, whatever that means, and I think most people would agree with me.

Yet somehow it’s OK for White commentators to impose their definition of what’s Black onto Michael Jackson. And generally when they say that, it doesn’t feel like it’s expressing concern for Black culture. It feels like a put-down, of a really manipulative and insidious kind.

Joie: That’s because it is a put-down. But here’s what really bothers me about this issue, Willa, and it’s something that you just touched on. And I would like for all of those doing the criticizing to really pay attention and understand this: what is a “traditional Black identity?” Because the truth is that whatever your response is to that question will undoubtedly be a stereotype. There is NO SUCH THING as a “traditional Black identity.” There are as many different “kinds” of Black people as there are shades of Black. We come from all walks of life, from all social and economic backgrounds – contrary to what the media would have you believe! And why is it that if I’m listening to Rap music and talking in slang, that’s OK but, if I’m listening to Heavy Metal and speaking articulately, then I have lost touch with my heritage? In my nephew’s words…. why are we allowing pop culture to be the measuring stick by which we decide who’s “Black enough?” In order to really be Black you have to wear certain clothes and listen to/sing certain music and date certain people and speak a certain way? That’s just plain silly. And that line of thinking that insists all Black people must conform to a certain stereotype is, in a way, its own weird form of internal, self-imposed racism. I don’t understand that thinking at all. I mean, if all Black people went through life taking this view to heart, how much beauty and wonder would the world be deprived of because of it? Would there even be a Michael Jackson for us to discuss then?

So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, YES! Michael Jackson was plenty Black enough. And so are Darius Rucker and Charlie Pride, for that matter! Whoever said that music has to be color-coded? Who said that our Black public figures had to fit into some imaginary stereotypical pigeon hole in order to be seen as valid? Why can’t we simply take pride in the fact that Michael Jackson – a proud Black man – became the greatest, most celebrated entertainer of all time, beloved by millions the world over? Why can’t we take pride in the knowledge that Michael Jackson – a proud Black man – became the most influential musical innovator in the world; he never followed the trends, he set them! Why can’t we just celebrate the fact that Michael Jackson – a proud Black man – is responsible for the biggest-selling album in history? He will forever be known as the one and only King of Pop. A Black man did that! A proud, beautiful, strong, hard-working Black man did all that and so much more! Why can’t we just celebrate him instead of accusing him of not being “Black enough?”

I guess the real reason this question upsets me is because I find it extremely insulting that it is never asked of anyone else. No one ever asks is Jackie Chan Chinese enough or is Robin Thicke White enough? I mean really, let’s just look at that for a minute. Robin Thicke is a very talented singer with a really wonderful voice. But he sings R&B and he kind of talks Black and he is married to a beautiful Black woman so, I don’t know…. I think maybe he’s sold out his White heritage. Is anybody worried about that?

Willa: That’s a really interesting point, and one I’d never thought about before. I’ve never once in my life questioned if I was White enough, and I’ve never felt I had to rein myself in or second guess myself or limit myself in any way to conform with my racial identification. I can wear my hair straight or permed or even in dreadlocks, I can have French toast for breakfast and sushi for lunch and fish tacos for supper, I can fall under the spell of a book by Toni Morrison or Leslie Marmon Silko or Maxine Hong Kingston, and it’s simply not an issue. Because I’m White and belong to the “dominant” culture, I can explore other cultures as much as I want and it doesn’t threaten my identity in any way. And no one ever questions that. I could be accused of appropriating someone else’s culture, which is a whole other issue. But I’ve never had to deal with the kinds of external criticisms or internal self-doubts you’re talking about.

Maybe that’s what Michael Jackson was referring to in the rap section of “Black or White” when he wrote, “I’m not going to spend my life being a color.” I believe Michael Jackson resisted anything that led us to limit ourselves, including our age, gender, nationality, sexuality, or racial identification. As you said, he “was plenty Black enough” – he was a direct heir of James Brown and Jackie Wilson and Sammy Davis, Jr., and was very proud of that – but he reserved the right to define for himself what it means to be Black.

Ideally, everyone should have that right of self-definition, of defining for ourselves who we are and who we want to be. Artists tend to experiment with that right of self-definition more than most people – and no one pushed that right of self-definition further than Michael Jackson did. He absolutely refused to be boxed in by other people’s expectations of him. If he wanted to wear red lipstick, he did. However, that resistance to cultural expectations has a long history as well. Josephine Baker and James Baldwin severely challenged the cultural roles laid out for them, but that doesn’t in any way suggest that they didn’t respect their Black heritage. Instead, they were extending it, and creating a new chapter in the history of Black culture. And as you described so well, Michael Jackson boldly created a whole new chapter all his own.

I think Michael Jackson was a transformative cultural figure who profoundly influenced how we as a people perceive and experience the differences that segment and divide us – differences of race, gender, age, religion, nationality, sexuality – and I believe he was the most important artist of our time. Not the most important Black artist. The most important artist, period. No artist since Warhol has challenged and changed us the way Michael Jackson did. And ironically, he accomplished that, in part, by defying the very constraints he’s accused of transgressing.

Joie: Wow. I love the way you put that: “…by defying the very constraints he’s accused of transgressing.” You’re so right. And I really believe it was his goal to unite the world – all races, all colors, all nationalities – through his gift of music. He once told reporter Sylvia Chase:

“When they’re all holding hands, and everybody’s rockin’ and all colors of people are there, all races… it’s the most wonderful thing. Politicians can’t even do that!”

The awe in his voice as he said those words to her is so real and so reverent, you just know that he truly is moved by the sight of it. You can feel it in his voice and I believe that he really felt what he sang in “Black or White”: “If you’re thinkin’ of being my brother / it don’t matter if you’re Black or White.” I believe those lyrics really spoke to him and were important to him. I think on the surface, it was seen by most people as a sweet,”can’t-we-all-just-get-along,” yeah unity type of song but, really it was a very serious message that he was trying to get across to us all. It really doesn’t matter if you’re Black or White, and all of the judging and the labeling is only serving to keep us all down. Is someone Black enough? White enough? Chinese enough? Puerto Rican enough? That’s not even a valid question. Certainly not one that anybody – of any race – should ever be asking of anyone else because only the individual can answer that question. Only I have the right to ask if I’m Black enough just like only you, Willa, have the right to ask if you’re White enough. And only Michael Jackson had the right to question whether or not he was Black enough. And I think he answered that question for us over and over again both in his art and in the causes he chose to support, like the United Negro College Fund and the Equality For Blacks in the Music World conference.

Source:


http://dancingwiththeelephant.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/was-michael-jackson-black-enough/

 

[Miche]

''A summary of the words spoken by eminent professors,thinkers, social critics and historians Dr. Michael Eric Dyson & Dr. Cornel West asessing the legacy, the cultural impact , social and musical influence, and the capacity of an icon to break all barriers possible.
A must listen.! This is so eloquent, sober, accurate, interesting, passionate, respectful, vivid, emotional, heartfelt..best I've heard lately.''

 

[MJ TinkerBell]

:clapping::heart::clapping:ray:

''A summary of the words spoken by eminent professors,thinkers, social critics and historians Dr. Michael Eric Dyson & Dr. Cornel West asessing the legacy, the cultural impact , social and musical influence, and the capacity of an icon to break all barriers possible.
A must listen.! This is so eloquent, sober, accurate, interesting, passionate, respectful, vivid, emotional, heartfelt..best I've heard lately.''

 

[MJJLaugh]

The song 'HIStory'


HIStory is a great song because it is an anthem as well as a history overview of important steps forward, for humanity and for Blacks. Plus the song is about leaving your own mark of destiny, about inspiring and motivating others, about ending violence and the struggles and an appeal to follow the right path:

"How many victims must there be
Slaughtered in vain across the land
And how many struggles must there be
Before we choose to live the prophet's plan"
.......

"Don't let no one get you down
Keep movin' on higher ground
Keep flying until
You are the king of the hill
No force of nature can break
Your will to self motivate
She say this face that you see
Is destined for history"

It was also a call for peace and harmony around the world:

"All nations sing
Let's harmonize all around the world"

This was visually shown on stage by many nation's flags that were carried together on stage. The song is an appeal not to let division rule the world, but to let love and 'the prophet's plan' join the world, to harmonize around the world.

"HIStory" was originally written and composed by Michael Jackson, James Harris III and Terry Lewis in 1995. It was the thirteenth track on the studio album HIStory, but was not released as a single. The song sampled multiple musical compositions and historical audio quotes, all of which were dispersed throughout the track. Early in the track, one even included quotes from an interview with a young Michael Jackson from 1970. Musical compositions sampled include "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" and "Pictures at an Exhibition". Audio quotes sampled were the "Charles Lindbergh Report" by Lowell Thomas, a report on Hank Aaron, "Robert Kennedy Eulogy" by Edward Kennedy, "Farewell to Baseball" by Lou Gehrig, "Greetings to the Children of England" by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, a quote from Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream". ( Source: Wikipedia)

And, did you know that a sample of a classical masterpiece was used in the song 'HIStory'

Listen to 'The Great Gate of Kiev' by Mussorgsky:

sample appears at 0:00



Here's the complete speech 'I have a dream' by Martin Luther King, it is really worth listening to!

sample appears at 1:07 and 12:27

http://ia700402.us.archive.org/29/items/MLKDream/MLKDream_64kb.mp3

( If you have difficulty understanding English, you can read or google/translate the text here

And there's of course the words spoken by Neil Armstrong, who walked on the moon (1969), but Michael is the Moonwalker!

sample appears at 0:05



Malcolm X - By any means necessary (1964)''

Sample appears at 4:30




And a sample was taken from the 'Robert Kennedy Eulogy' by Edward Kennedy:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/mp3clips/speeches/tedkennedyonrfk45565656564.mp3

Sources:

http://mj.vivomi.com/history-michael-jackson.php

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIStory/Ghosts

 

[MJJLaugh]

Dedication to Benjamin "Benny" Hermansen on the Invincible Album


Now you may scratch behind your ears and think to yourself how on earth a dedication on a pop-album to a young Ghanese murdered boy can be positive and thus befitting to this thread ? Remember my friends that bad things do happen all around us, every day. It is what we do with those bad things that can make the difference! Do we harden ourselves to protect against the pain of suffering and risk becoming indifferent ? Do we march in protest or in silent candle vigil for those slain in brutal racist attack ? Do we despair and bow our heads in defeat, with heavy hearts, unable to comprehend these senseless acts of violence and rage ? Or do we stand still for a moment, in silent prayer for victim and perpetrator to see what life is really all about ? It is not the color of our skin, the money in our pockets or the beauty of our faces, the size of our cars and houses, but the size of the human heart to care deeply about the condition of the planet and humanity, to do what is within our power: if you are teacher you can educate the young! If you are a speaker you can let your voice be heard for the voiceless, if you are a composer you can write the music that speaks of freedom and equality, if you are a philosopher you can create an allegory that leads from form, the outside with all the diffences, to the essence, the inside with the surprising amount of commonalities, if you are a parent be the person you want your children to become.
Do not ever think that you are small or insignificant and therefore cannot make a difference. We all speak the language of love, and we all can make a difference, each in his or her own way. Michael chose to dedicate his album 'Invincible' to "Benny" Hermansen.
~ MJJLaugh

Pop singer Michael Jackson dedicated his 2001 album Invincible to Benjamin Hermansen (and also to his own parents and grandmother). The reason for this has partly to do with the fact that the Holmlia boy Omer Bhatti and Jackson were close friends, and Bhatti was at the same time a good friend of Benjamin Hermansen. On the album cover, next to the image of a rose, it reads:[3][4]

Michael Jackson gives "special thanks": «This album is dedicated to Benjamin ‘Benny’ Hermansen. May we continue to remember not to judge man by the color of his skin, but the content of his Character. Benjamin … we love you … may you rest in peace.»


Benjamin Hermansen (May 29, 1985 – January 26, 2001) was a Norwegian-Ghanaian boy whose father was born in Ghana, his mother was Norwegian. He was stabbed to death at Holmlia in Oslo, Norway, just before midnight on January 26, 2001 by people from the Neo-Nazi group BootBoys. Joe Erling Jahr and Ole Nicolai Kvisler were convicted of the murder and sentenced to 18 and 17 years in prison respectively. A third defendant, Veronica Andreassen, was convicted on a lesser charge of abetting bodily harm causing death and sentenced to three years in prison.

Since the murder was motivated by racism, it mobilised large parts of the Norwegian population. Throughout the entire country, marches were organised to protest against the murder, with nearly 40,000 people participating in Oslo.

Hermansen was buried on February 6, 2001. "Song to Benjamin", written by several of his friends for the service, was presented at his funeral.The song was later recorded in studio by artists including Noora Noor and Briskeby.


Benjamin Hermansen


<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lHjg4EO7Lh0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Benjamin_Hermansen

 

[MJJLaugh]

Martin Luther King Jr. - Someone Michael Admired



If you are a regular visitor and reader of this thread, you will remember the posts some time ago about Michael's favorite books in his extensive library. Some of these books I knew well myself, others I ordered later and started to read them myself.

In this post I want to share with you some writings and parts of speeches by Martin Luther King's hand. I am inspired by his words and maybe you will be too!
~ MJJLaugh

A sketch of Martin Luther King by Michael Jackson


The Three Dimensions of a Complete Life

"The Length of Life, as we shall use it, is not its duration, not its longivity. It is rather the push of a life forward to its personal ends and ambitions. It si the inward concern for one's personal welfare. The Breath of Life is the outward concern for the welfare of others. The Height of Life is the upward reach toward God. These are the three dimensions of life, and, without the due development of all, no life becomes complete. Life at its best is a great triangle. At one angle stands the individual person, at the other angle stands other persons, and at the tip top stands God. Unless these three are concatenated, working harmoniously together in a single life, that life is incomplete."
- From sermon delivered at Dexter, January 24, 1954.



Looking Beyond Your Circumstances

"The Negro who experiences bitter and agonizing circumstances as a result of some ungodly white person is tempted to look upon all white persons as evil, if he fails to look beyond his circumstances. But the minute he looks beyond his circumstances and sees the whole of the situation, he discovers that some of the most implacable and vehement advocates of racial equality are consecrated white persons. We must never forget that such a noble organization as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was organized by whites, and even to this day gains a great deal of support from Nothern and Southern white persons."
- Sermon delivered at Dexter, 1955



Nonviolent Resistance


"Nonviolent resistance had emerged as the technique of the movement, while love stood as the regulating ideal. In other words, Christ furnished the spirit and motivation while Gandhi furnished the method."
- page 67 of the book

"...We argued this point at some length with the groups of African students who were studying in India. They felt that nonviolent resistance could only work in a situation where the resisters has a potential ally in the conscience of the opponent. We soon discovered that they, like many others, tended to confuse passive resistance with nonresistance. This is completely wrong. True nonviolent resistance is not unrealistic submission to evil power. It is rather a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love, in the faith that it is better to be the recipient of violence than the inflicter of it, since the latter only multiplies the existence of violence and bitterness in the universe, while the former may develop a sense of shame in the opponent, and thereby bring about a transformation and change of heart."
- page 130 of the book



The Purpose of Education

"To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction."
Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education

"The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society."
Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education

"Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education."
Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education


Martin Luther King and Michael Jackson- Greatest demonstration for freedom





Sources:

http://www.mlkonline.net/the-purpose-of-education.html

Book called "The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr" see also http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography...HX26/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330380438&sr=8-1

 

[MJJLaugh]

You Can Help To Save This Boy's Life

We all know that Michael helped children in whatever way he could: through donations to the UNCF he enabled talented and intelligent young people to get a college education. He made sure, searching the entire world for a liver, that helped then 5 year old Hungarian Bela Farkas to continue living. He visited countless children in hospitals and orphanages, bringing gifts with him, blankets, medical supplies and so on to regions where (civil) war had raged, famine had plagued the young and innocent. There is a Jewish proverb that says: If you save one man, you save the entire world. I am pretty sure the same will apply to children who are our future!

Today, while at work, I listened for the first time to the Immortal CD via headphones. At that very moment I found a website with a n article that I want to share here. I believe that Michael's spirit led me to this website, in a time when my posts deal with race and/or racism and how Michael dealt with all that he encountered. It is no coincidence then that this little boy has extra difficulty in finding the right donor, because he is biracial; half caucasian and half chinese. He can be half of any two races, we need to be 100% love and help this little boy to keep on living! :heart:
~ MJJLaugh

PS. Please copy and paste and share the story and link on your social media, to garner attention for this! Thank you so much! It's all for L.O.V.E.

Four Year Old Boy Needs Marrow Match. Be The One To Save A Life


San Francisco, CA &#8211; Kyle Crawford, 4, was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, on December 7, 2011. He is in urgent need of a marrow transplant, this is his only hope for long term survival. Kyle is Chinese and Caucasian and lives in San Mateo.

It&#8217;s difficult to watch a loved one with a long-term illness linger, when with more resources their pain might be eliminated and they might have a new lease on life. Those who are not Caucasians are more likely to die of leukemia or of other blood cancers. This is because there is a shortage of multi-ethnic donors on the national Be the Match® registry.

What&#8217;s the solution? Encouraging more people of multi-ethnic heritage to join the Be The Match® registry and potentially save a life. Each of us can &#8220;Be The One to Save a Life!&#8221; For Kyle, as no family members are a match, it is likely that someone of Asian or bi-racial heritage will be a marrow/stem cell match for him. A marrow transplant can extend and/or save Kyle&#8217;s life. Aplastic anemia is a disease of the bone marrow that occurs when your body stops producing enough new blood cells and platelets. Aplastic anemia leaves you feeling fatigued and at higher risk of infections and uncontrolled bleeding.

&#8220;We need everyone of Asian, multi-ethnic and ethnic minority ancestry to step forward and join the marrow registry,&#8221; says Carol Gillespie, executive director of the Asian American Donor Program (http://www.aadp.org). &#8220;There is a shortage of non-Caucasians on the Be The Match® national registry. This means that patients have to wait longer than is ideal to find a match.&#8221; AADP staff continues to provide education about the need and how relatively easy it is to register and to donate if needed. If you are found to be a match, the donation procedure will either be marrow collection or Peripheral Blood Stem Cell collection (PBSC). In Kyle&#8217;s case, marrow donation will probably be requested.

How You Can Help

&#8226; Go to one of the upcoming drives and do a cheek swab to join the &#8220;Be the Match&#8221; national registry. To find a registration drive, visit http://www.aadp.org, go to the &#8220;Register&#8221; tab and scroll down to &#8220;Where to Register.&#8221; If there are no drives in your area, request a home test kit. You can do this by going to the &#8220;Register&#8221; tab and scrolling to &#8220;Request a Home Kit&#8221;. A kit will be mailed to you the next day.

&#8226; Contact friends and family and encourage them to go to a registration drive near them or request a home kit.

&#8226; Set up a drive in your area by calling AADP at 1-800-593-6667

&#8226; Volunteer to help at registration drives or in the AADP office.

More about Kyle Crawford

Kyle&#8217;s favorite things in the whole world are fish and sharks and whales. One day he would like to swim next to a great white shark. His favorite game is Angry Birds, and he is really good at it. He loves super heroes, too. And, he loves his baby sister, who is only eleven months old. His parents always tell him that his birthday is a really lucky day because he was born on 7/7/07.

Shortage of Multi-Ethnic Donors&#8212;What&#8217;s the solution?
The Be The Match® registry recruits hundreds of thousands of donors each year through an extensive network of more than 100 local and regional recruitment organizations. All of these organizations recruit for the national Be The Match® registry and each person only needs to join once.

A marrow/stem cell transplant may be the only chance for patients with leukemia or other blood cancers to survive. Those who are not Caucasians are more likely to die of these illnesses. This is because there is a shortage of multi-ethnic donors on the Be The Match Registry, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP). Only 30% of the time can a searching patient find a match from one of his or her siblings.

Finding a Needle in a Hay Stack

&#8220;Finding a marrow/stem cell match can be like finding a needle in a haystack,&#8221; says Carol Gillespie, AADP executive director. &#8220;Patients need a marrow/stem cell transplant as soon as possible. Saving lives is what we&#8217;re about. People of all ethnicities are encouraged to join the Be The Match registry. You could potentially match anyone in the world, this is truly a global effort.&#8221;

When a donor that is a close enough match cannot be found, a patient&#8217;s health can decline. That waiting period can make things harder, because a weakened immune system is more likely to reject a transplant once a donor is found.

Marrow/stem cell matches are very different than blood type matches. Just as we inherit our eyes, hair and skin color, we inherit our marrow and stem cell tissue type.

&#8220;Those whose marrow/stem cells are not a match for a patient in need now may be a match for someone else down the road,&#8221; Gillespie says. &#8220;Registering to be a marrow/stem cell donor is simple.&#8221;

Donors must be in good general health and between the ages of 18 and 60. A tissue sample from the inside of your cheek is collected on Q-Tip like swabs for HLA testing. Each participant is asked to give their consent to have their tissue type listed on the Be The Match Registry, which searches for patients in need.

About AADP

AADP, a 22-year-old community non-profit organization, serves multi-ethnic communities. They conduct community education, outreach and donor registration drives in the Asian, Pacific Islander, Multi-racial communities, and the entire ethnic minority community. AADP staff conducts public education and hosts drives for ethnic communities at fairs, festivals, faith-based organizations, work places, colleges and more. AADP is in full gear scheduling drives to increase the numbers of ethnic minorities and multi-racial individuals on the national Be the Match® registry.

AADP conducts about 360 marrow/stem cell drives yearly, where individuals of all ethnicities are registered. AADP works to increase the availability of potential stem cell donors for patients with life threatening diseases curable with a marrow/stem cell transplant. AADP was the first recruitment group in the country to conduct community focused marrow/stem cell drives. It is affiliated with Be The Match®, NMDP. For more information about AADP and upcoming marrow drives, call 1-800-593-6667 or visit www.aadp.org/


<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZyCbvY2xFi4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Source:

http://www.asianweek.com/2012/02/21/four-year-old-boy-needs-marrow-match-be-the-one-to-save-a-life/

http://www.aadp.org/kyle/

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story Behind the Photo - Mikhail Baryshnikov

by UK loves MJ on Facebook

Michael with Russian ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov.


Tribute: Mikhail Baryshnikov [Russian Ballet Dancer]
[Michael] got to know him through Elizabeth Taylor, who would "drag him to see me dance," Baryshnikov said, when he was at American Ballet Theatre and later when performing in the White Oak Dance Project, his modern-dance company. They would talk about ballet -- Jackson had a lot of questions, he recalled, "like a 12-year-old" -- and he would a...sk about working with choreographers.
He told Baryshnikov that choreographers would suggest ideas to him, but that he created his own dances.

What Baryshnikov remembers most about Jackson, he said, was "not even his turns or his grabbing his crotch. Just his simple, bouncy walk across the stage, that was what was most beautiful and arresting, swinging his hips, kicking his heel forward. That's to me what he is: that superior confidence in his body as a dancer. You wanted to say, 'Wow, this guy, what a cat; he can really move in his own way.'
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/26/AR2009062604257.html

"I don't know who you could really put next to him," said ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov,
"To imitate somebody like Michael Jackson is impossible. Why bother? You just relax and admire."

Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Mikhail Baryshnikov

January 12 2012 at 11:22pm.
Matt Coker remembers Michael attending Mikhail's show in 1993.


Edited from article..Pic not related to story
As Michael Jackson's death was confirmed, my thoughts turned to the one and only time I ever saw the "King of Pop," right here in Orange County. He wasn't on stage solo or with the Jacksons (Five or otherwise), nor was he attending ...the opening of Captain EO at Disneyland. He was just out for a night of ballet in Costa Mesa.

Actually, his entrance into the Performing Arts Center's Segerstrom Hall threatened to overshadow legendary dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov's first appearance on an Orange County stage on Aug. 5, 1993. All the blue, dyed-black and assorted other hairs turned their heads to face Jackson, in his usual royal coat with shoulder epaulets, as he slowly moved to a seat near the orchestra, just to the left of the middle of the stage. He had a blonde on one side and a middle-aged man on the other. It was later revealed they were his dermatologist and nurse--and years later the same nurse would bear one of his children.
The commotion lasted for a few minutes before the lights dimmed and the performance began. Baryshnikov, the former Kirov Ballet principal dancer and ex-artistic director of American Ballet Theatre, owned the crowd's attention thereafter.
The audience ate it up. So did Jackson, or at least he appeared to be enjoying it from what I and everyone else could make out in the dark. He stood with the rest of us for the standing O. Then he was gone. I believe he returned to OCPAC again with Elizabeth Taylor for a function that raised money to battle AIDS/HIV, or at least that's my memory.

Matt Coker http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/a-clockwork-orange/post-8/


Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...34700607.59847.116222408446161&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story Behind the Photo - George Atwell and Michael

By UK Loves MJ

Michael and George Atwell staff producer at Bee Jay Recording studios in Orlando when Michael called for help to record some demo's. George tells us of the fans bribing the bodyguards, I asked him why he didn’t learn to read music and he replied: God had given him this gift and he was afraid that learning too much about the intellectual side of music would mess it up. and the little Thriller tiger biting the heck out of him [Michael].

[Edited from article] George says that Jackson impressed him with his professionalism, his ability to perform musically with precision, his kindness and his childlike enthusiasm. If there was a dark, odd side, to his personality, Atwell says, Jackson never displayed it. Atwell did some of the work on the jackson tracks (which have never been released to his knowledge) at jackson's private suite at Disney's Royal Plaza.

After “Thriller” was released and had become so hugely popular, Michael Jackson came to Orlando on vacation and through mutual musician friends in LA and Orlando, he asked us to help him do 4 demos of songs that were in his head. I was staff producer at Bee Jay Recording studios in
Orlando at the time, and we gathered up keyboards, Linn Drum machine, guitar, and bass and the 4 of us met him at the Royal Plaza hotel (on the 13thfloor).

He was extremely nice, polite, and concerned that we were OK…..not too tired, do you want any food, etc. He was endorsing Pepsi at the time and the first thing we saw in the sink were 3 large Pepsi bottles…..a true endorsee! Since Michael didn’t read music, he took each of us one by one, into a work/music room and went over each part until he got what he wanted to hear. He would sing the part and we’d play it back and then modify it, change voicings, chord structures, etc. until he’d say: “yes, that’s it! Incidentally there was a guard seated outside his room and while we were working into the wee hours, we could hear the elevator ring all night as fans tried to come up and get a glimpse of Michael. They would try to bribe the guard with anything (use your imagination!) to let them in, but he, of course wouldn’t.

In this way we worked out the tunes at the hotel; then took everything to the recording studio, where we laid down all the tracks and he would then sing over them. The thing I remember most about those sessions, was the fact that vocally, he never missed! The only time they had to roll the tape back was if the engineer was late on a punch in or something technical went wrong.

He sang the lead vocals and all 3 background vocal parts, stacking them 3 times each and never missed. He didn’t go to the piano and work out the vocal backgrounds (as is usually done), but simply pulled the parts out of the air! The incredible “feel” and sense of rhythm of his “finger snaps” while he was doing the “guide tracks” for us to work from is forever indelible in my brain. There was a very precise “groove spot’ in relation to the beat that only he seemed to know how to find. At the studio we all sat in the TV lounge and watched the premier of “Thriller” on MTV. He was just like a little kid….couldn’t believe this video was playing on MTV, couldn’t believe “Thriller” the album, was #1 on the charts….and this after his many #1 hits in his career up until that time (he was 24).

I asked him why he didn’t learn to read music and he replied: God had given him this gift and he was afraid that learning too much about the intellectual side of music would mess it up.” He had a traveling companion, an elderly gentleman that he said had been with him for 16 years, and loved to tease him and play jokes on him if he fell asleep, etc. He received daily edits of the Thriller video from LA and we watched them together. The first time, he had us all gather around the TV, got popcorn, and snacks, drinks, etc. ready and when he played the tape he found to his horror that a house guest had taped the 11:00 news over the video! He was so embarrassed and kept saying how sorry he was, and he couldn’t see how this could happen, etc., so he invited all back to see it the next night. He thought the world of John Landis and Quincy Jones, though he did say he and Quincy got into it because Quincy didn’t want “Billie Jean” on the album…didn’t think the tune was strong enough or something. Well, we all know who prevailed on that issue!

We have very fond memories of that time when Michael was unaffected by riches and fame, was a truly caring and wonderful person to be around. My son, Michael (who played and programmed the Linn Drum machine) was 14 at the time and this was his very first paying recording session……..what a way to start your resume! We have great pictures with him and of course an autographed copy of “Thriller.” He pointed out to us the tendons bulging in his arm from having to hold the baby tiger so tight because it was biting the heck out of him!

Good-bye Michael……..you will be missed, but for those who had the privilege of working and knowing you, your “presence” will never be forgotten.
~George Atwell

Edited from article at http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/en...recorded-with-michael-jackson-in-orlando.html
[Posted Jan 16 2012]


Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...34700607.59847.116222408446161&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story Behind the Photo - Michael Meets Peppi & Kokki


By UK Loves MJ

HOLLAND: Michael meets Dutch comedy duo Kokki and Peppi and the identity of the young boy is not known until Michael's Memorial is shown in 2009.

Michael met Kokki and Peppi, who was a fan of their slapstick comedy, backstage after the duo had been interviewed by TV presenter Sonja Barend in Feb 1979 . The Jackson 5 had performed at the opening of the De Mirandabad, a new Wave Pool ,and a young... boy in a cowboy hat can be seen in a photo front of stage.

This photo lay in Tony Mazel's [Jackson photographers] archives for many years and when several years later was found, an advert was place in the Dutch TV guide asking for information on the young boy in the cowboy hat. No one came forward.

In June 2009 during the broadcast of the funeral of Michael the photo was shown and the presenter Joost Karhof asked more than two million Dutch viewers if they knew who the boy was....... Hans van Weelden immediately recognized his then five year old son Francois van Weelden. They met in June 1977. Michael had left his passport in their souvenir shop (Monza)on the Prinsengracht, Amsterdam. When Michael and the Jacksons later picked the passport up Van Weeldon offered them a ride on a canal boat. To thank them the family was invited to the Jackson 5 concert in Carré where they again met backstage and accompanied them on other visits. They later visited Michael in Los Angeles and stayed in contact several times.

Francois now lives in Ohio. On a showcase in his house is another picture of Michael in a boat with Francois on his knee.
[The full story with pictures later printed in a Dutch Review I have been unable to find.]

Edited and translated from http://www.parool.nl/parool/nl/23/M...evu-vindt-jongetje-op-foto-mj-en-peppi-kokki/
Posted 30.1.2012
Like · · Share

 

[Chamife]

Pictures from that same visit. All taken 2 february 1979. Michael was 20 years old.

Pictures of the opening of the 'Mirandabad' in Amsterdam, live in the Dutch 'Sonja Barend show':

http://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/on...uid/rivierenbuurt/mirandabad/michael_jackson/

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story behind the Picture - MJ's Greatest Bites

By UK Loves MJ

'MJ Bites' and a story from Akasha and Mani who worked with Michael for 14 yrs also during the Victory, Bad and History Tours remember Michael's favorite dishes. See also next photo.

This Friday, June 29 marks the one-year anniversary of pop star Michael Jackson’s death. To celebrate his life, Akasha Richmond and Mani Niall, the founder of Mani’s Bakery and executive chef of Just Desserts in San Francisco, will be ...serving up MJ’s favorite dishes at Akasha in Culver City.
How would they know what the man liked to eat? Both served as his personal chefs for his Victory, Bad and History world tours. MJ first came across the chefs when they worked at Golden Temple, a once popular vegetarian restaurant, in L.A. back during the Thriller days and liked what they were doing so much that he hired them.
“Cooking for Michael was one of the greatest times of my life,” says Akasha, “and since Mani and I wanted to be together on the anniversary of his passing, we felt there was no better way to remember him than to cook up some of his favorite dishes.”
Even though MJ was known for being a fan of comfort food and KFC he was also a healthy eater, staying away from red meat and preferring organic vegetables and Mexican food, and that’s reflected in the menu.
In addition to featuring his favorite bites from 5:30pm to close, in addition to the usual Akasha menu, the restaurant will play Michael Jackson’s greatest hits all night long.
• Golden Temple Wild Mushroom and Tofu Salad ($12) with Napa cabbage, carrots, snow peas, toasted cashews, ginger-miso dressing
• Spicy Cajun Shrimp ($12) with skillet cornbread toast
• New Mexican Red Chile and Cheese Enchiladas ($18) with rice, black beans and guacamole
• Sweet Potato Pie with pecan “ookie” crust ($8)
• Banana Cream Pie ($8)

Akasha Restaurant, Bar & Bakery
9543 Culver Boulevard
Culver City, California 90232
(310) 845-1700
http://www.carolineoncrack.com/2010/06/23/michael-jacksons-greatest-bites-at-akasha/


<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pxiQe_XWoxI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://youtu.be/pxiQe_XWoxI

Michael's chef Mani Niall and Akasha at the Michael celebration evening at Akasha's. Mani talks of cooking and going to the studio with food for Michael. This looked like a great evening. See them cooking Michael's favorite New Mexican Red Chiile and Cheese Enchilados. Candles for Michael, loads of photos of Michael, some with Mani, also Mani at 4:00 tells how Michael 'pays back' some CBS representatives with Muscles and ends up howling.

Photo: Michael's Dining room at Neverland


Cooking for Michael: Chef Akasha who worked for Michael and honoured Michael by cooking his favourite dishes at Akasha's Restaurant [see previous post] tells her fondest memory: See also previous photo.
AKASHA: "When your 23 yrs old and working in a restaurant and MJ asks you to cook you say yeah! I was Michael's chef for 14 yrs on and off I did all the tours with him. MJ is one of the greatest people I have ever known, ...so much fun so charismatic going all over the world with him that was a great experience"
“My fondest memory would be living in NYC with him (1995) while he made the HIStory album, especially the night he played the piano for me and sang while I cooked him dinner. I met Michael for the first time at the Golden Temple when I was the chef there. We were both shy. He came in everyday. What I'll miss most is the laugh, the love and fun that I have never seen since.”

Michael Jackson discovered Akasha and Mani at the Golden Temple restaurant in Los Angeles while recording Thriller and became a daily customer. Michael hired Mani as his first private chef for the Victory Tour and Akasha followed suit, after asking Akasha to do catering Parties and dinners, touring the world on the Bad and History Tours and working for Michael from coast to coast. Cooking and traveling for the King of Pop shaped and inspired both Mani’s and Akasha’s culinary palette. "
MANI: “I can truly say that working with Akasha was the first inspirational experience I had in the kitchen-and then Michael? He believed in me, treated me with respect and was really a fun person. When I went to work for him I was a cook and by the time I finished I was a chef.”


Edited from sources incl: http://mylastbite.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/mjs-greatest-bites/
http://newamericamedia.org/2010/06/remembering-michael-jackson.php



Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...34700607.59847.116222408446161&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story Behind the Picture - Singing with Santa in the Studio

By UK Loves MJ

Caryn Elefante who sang on Michael's single Childhood remembers Michael, a studio in July decorated like Christmas, a gift and Michael telling them is was " A pleasure to meet us?? "

From the time I was five years old I have been singing in studios all over NYC for commercials, demos and even music albums. One day, my mother got a call from our contractor booking us for a recording at the Hit Factory. We weren&#8217;t allowed to know for whom we were singing and we were only allowed one parent per child. Our interest was peaked. We spent the next few days trying to figure out who this mystery recording could be for. We decided to bring three CD covers with us- Frank Sinatra (he was still alive at the time), Madonna and Michael Jackson.

We went to the studio and some guy told us we were going to be singing one word&#8230; &#8220;Childhood&#8221;. He sang it for us once or twice then began recording. All we heard in the cans (headphones) were tracks with no lead vocal. We still couldn&#8217;t figure out what or whom this was for. After singing the one word a few times, I saw a man behind the glass in the recording studio step forward out of the darkness with a black hat, a red shirt and a black curl in front of his face. On the talkback we heard, &#8220;Can you sing it a little more like this&#8230; Childhood&#8221; As soon as I heard the voice I grabbed my sister&#8217;s hand and spoke without moving my lips &#8220;It&#8217;s MICHAEL JACKSON!!!!&#8221;

I cooly sang &#8220;Childhood&#8221; about a dozen more times and the engineer thanked us and said we were done. We went back to the green room where our parents were waiting and I grabbed the Bad album cover from my mom and brought it to Michael&#8217;s assistant. I asked her if she could please bring it to Michael and have him sign it. The other kids who sang with us began ripping little pieces of paper for him to sign. They were no where near as prepared as my family!!

The assistant said &#8220;Let me see what I can do&#8221;, and she disappeared for about five minutes. She came back and said, &#8220;Can I have all of the kids follow me?&#8221; We followed her to a door in the Hit Factory that had a star on it and said &#8220;Jackson&#8221;. We went into the room and there he was, greeting us at the door with a hand shake and a smile and telling us that it was a pleasure to meet us. Can you imagine? A pleasure to meet us?? His room was filled with some pretty strange things: life-size cut-outs of the Power Rangers, a train set, and a giant globe that rotated. He had pictures of children that he had helped attached to the country they were from.

Michael had many questions for us like if any of us went to camp for the summer. He said that he always asked his parents if he could go to summer camp because it looked like so much fun and of course they told him no!! This was right around the time when the media was questioning whether or not he had married Lisa Marie Presley. I noticed a ring on his hand and I said, &#8220;so does that ring mean you are married to Lisa Marie?&#8221; He nodded his head yes and said &#8220;shhhhhh&#8221;. We chatted for a while, he signed our album cover and we went home having what I thought was the greatest day of my life.

A week or two later my mother got another call from our contractor. This time she said Michael wanted to have us back to the studio to record a Christmas song. It was July but when we got to the studio, it was decorated for the holidays. There was snow all over the ground, a tree, Santa who gave us all presents (we each got a Gameboy&#8230; tells you how long ago this was!!) and reindeer. Michael came walking right into the studio this time and didn&#8217;t hide behind the glass. I guess he felt more comfortable with us this time. He taught us the song himself and stayed with us in the sound booth as we were singing it. After we recorded the song he invited our parents into the studio and had the whole thing catered. We sat around the piano as he played the piano and we all sang Christmas songs. It&#8217;s just like Christmas Eve at the Elefante&#8217;s (my in-laws)!!!
So on June 25th, when the whole world was in shock of Michael Jackson&#8217;s death, these were the memories that all came flooding back for me.

http://elefantemusic.blogspot.com/

~ I am not sure what the Christmas song was! One of Michael's Engineers Rob Hoffman says "We recorded a Christmas song during the summer of '94 that needed a children's choir. Michael insisted that the entire studio be decorated with xmas lights, tree, fake snow and a sled for their recording. And he bought presents for everyone.

Posted 18.1.2012


Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...34700607.59847.116222408446161&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story Behind the Picture - Travelling with Mr. Jackson

By UK Loves MJ

Aileen Medz (former private tutor of Michael's children) seen in the pic behind Michael, on her experiences of being with Michael throughout her stay with him.

In November 2006, we flew to England for the World Music Awards .
We checked in a luxury 5-star hotel in London. Since it was a huge event people knew that Mr. Jackson will be in town. To my surprise, they arrived... at the hotel before we did. Fans stayed outside the hotel screaming, singing and yelling “ We love you Michael.” They sang and danced to his songs. It was like watching a production number for free.And they did successfully caught his attention. In fact , not only his but the entire staff and guests at the hotel as well.

Needless to say Mr. Jackson loved his supporters so much. He appreciated all the love and devotion . He knew his fans would always be there for him in good and in bad times. Each night Mr. Jackson asked our security people to hand food and drinks to his loving fans that stayed outside 24/7. I’m not exaggerating. They stayed there day and night.

The fans went wild when he waved and opened his hotel room window.When I witnessed how the fans screamed at the top of their lungs and how they chased our vehicle every time we left , I realized how privileged I was to be with him most of the time and be able to talk to him casually.

Honestly, there were times in the past when I would forget that my boss was the most famous human being in the world, the one and only Mr. Michael Jackson. Please don’t get me wrong. It was because I saw him every single day. I saw him when he was just wearing his pajamas, sometimes in his Donald Duck shirt and bumped into him at the pantry every now and then.

When school was over for the day he would at times call me on my cell phone and ask about school stuff or something else. There were times when I missed his calls and he would leave a voice message: “Hi Ms. Aileen, this is Mr. Jackson. Please call me as soon as you can. Thank you.”

Moreover, he NEVER acted like a “superstar” around us even though he really was a true "SUPERSTAR" in the real sense of the word because of the obvious reasons we are all aware about.

He was naturally kind and a delight to be with. One of the most humble men that I have the pleasure to meet in this lifetime. Albeit the rubbish rumors written on the tabloids, no one and nothing could ever take away my admiration for the one and only King of Pop.

http://www.travelswithmichaeljackson.com/blogs.html
Credit for Link to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Jackson-Filipino-Fans-Club-Worldwide/241995572492058


Source:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...34700607.59847.116222408446161&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story Behind the Picture - Hot Air Balloon Flight

Michael ready for a Hot Air Balloon Flight.
'Michael Jackson never toured in Central Florida as a solo artist. But Central Florida did get one look at Thriller-era Jackson.
Jackson took a trip to Orlando in October of 1984, and decided he wanted to tour the area in a hot-air balloon. So he hired a crew of local balloon pilots, including Clearwater artist and balloonist Roger Bansemer, to take him up in the air.
"It all had to be very hush-hush," Bansemer recalled Friday from his studio in North Carolina. "We were sworn to secrecy that we wouldn&#8218;t tell anybody we were going to Orlando to fly Michael Jackson. I don&#8218;t think any of us did. In fact, we were very hesitant to even take pictures.
"You could tell he had no privacy in his life. If he got out, somebody&#8218; would see him, and before you know it, there'd be a crowd there. That was the sense I got."
But it wasn't just Jackson. The singer also brought Emmanuel "Webster" Lewis, not to mention his entourage, including a manager, cook and bodyguard. In all, some seven balloons were part of the caravan.
At one point, they flew above water park Wet 'n' Wild, and Bansemer pointed it out to Jackson's manager. He replied that Jackson had rented the entire park the night before, just so he could have some fun in private.
Jackson and Lewis were riding in a balloon adjacent to Bansemer and the manager, but the Jackson's voice was clear as a bell.

"We were flying fairly low," Bansemer said, "and we flew over what looked like an elementary school with children playing in the playground, and he started to sing to them, and of course they had no idea who that was. Who would think, Hey thats Michael Jackson? We were high enough that he wasn't highly recognizable."

Nice video from Joe Kittinger Michael's hot air Balloon pilot. Click on the link below. I tried to embed the video but it doesn't work for some reason, but it's a nice watch!
http://growingbolder.com/gbinsider/vol-98-up-and-away-355905.html

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/soundcheck/2009/06/ballooning-with-michael-jackson-we-were-sworn-to-

1962 Col Joe Kittinger was the first man in space and he wasn't there long. He jumped out of a high altitude balloon at 102,800 ft to become the first human to break the speed of sound without a vehicle. In 1984 he became the first person to cross the Atlantic in a hot air balloon. But a chapter left out of his legendary ballooning career as he was sworn to secrecy was for several years he was Michael Jackson's private hot air balloon pilot.


Source:


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...34700607.59847.116222408446161&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

The Story Behind the Picture - Miss Rose Fine

Miss Rose Fine (tutor) "It was Rose who instilled in me a love of books ,and literature that sustains me today. I read everything I could get my hands on. New cities meant new places to shop. We loved to shop, especially in bookstores and department stores," "She [Miss Rose Fine] taught me the wonderful world of books and reading and I wouldn't be the same person if it wasn't for her." ~ Michael Jackson

Miss Rose Fine who was Michael and his brothers tutor when they were young and on tour. Some of Michaels thoughts on Rose in 2002.
Edited: &#8230; Rose Fine, who was my beloved childhood tutor and who traveled with me and my brothers when we were all in the Jackson Five. MJ: After the show I would run into [Rose Fine&#8217;s] room. We&#8217;d read and have warm milk and I needed that so b......adly. She would always say to me, &#8220;The door&#8217;s open&#8221;, and she would leave her door open.
Q: Rose Fine, although she wasn&#8217;t your biological mother, was able to show you a lot of motherly affection?
MJ: And boy did I need it. I was never with my mother when I was little, very seldom, and I had a wonderful mother. I see her as an angel, and I was always gone, always on tour, doing back-to-back concerts, all over America, overseas, clubs, just always gone. [Rose Fine] was with us all the way from the very first professional tour of the Jackson 5 until I was eighteen.
MJ: Rose died this year, Janet and myself, we paid for her nurse and her hospital care, or if her television broke down or the electricity, or there was anything wrong with the house, we would cover the bills. Now her husband is sick, so I am taking care of him, and because we felt she is our mother and you take care of your mother&#8230; She was more than a tutor and I was so angry at myself that when she died I was far, far away. I couldn&#8217;t get there.

. Michael also tells that when they were touring on the planes, the authorities would ask Rose who she was as she was the only white lady travelling with them and Rose would say she was 'their mum'.

Source:


http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...34700607.59847.116222408446161&type=3&theater

 

[MJJLaugh]

Sharing from my Heart


The real connection between people takes place from heart to heart. Even though I posted something for today in the series "The Story Behind the Picture", I also felt the need to share these musings with you and the video I made today.:


I wanted to find the words that would explain to 'an outsider' the inspiration that Michael is to me. One word comes to mind first of all: recognition. In him I recognized myself and also who I wanted to become, the better me as it were. The pain of losing him was also the greatest gift because my heart opened like a rosebud, my tears providing the nourishment for my soul and the soil fertilizer for that rosebud-essence of pure and unconditional love. But there is more: there is joy as well, unbounded joy that is expressed metaphorically in rainbows, a garden with scented flowers glistening with dew like thousands of tiny diamonds, the sound of children playing and laughing, music that makes the angels dance and fairies sing, and so much more. My heart just runs over with gratitude of finding Michael, loving him, seeing him for who he really is, and letting myself be inspired by him in countless ways. Michael, I love you forever and I am so thankful for all your blessings, for paving a spiritual way, opening my eyes to what is really important, touching my heart and soul, thank you, a very big thank you! :heart:



Michael Jackson - Seasons in the Sun






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=segQHrLVnlA&list=UUMXKefz2BL535auOtlCE5-w&index=1&feature=plcp

 

[Stella10823]

Beautifully expressed in your words as well as in your video.
Thank you so much for this. :give_rose:

 

[MJJLaugh]

Stop Kony 2012



“In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope. In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort. In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream. And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe.”
~ Michael Jackson



“Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons.”
~ Michael Jackson


“We have to heal our wounded world. The chaos, despair, and senseless destruction we see today are a result of the alienation that people feel from each other and their environment.”
~ Michael Jackson


"Look beyond yourself"
~ Michael Jackson



“But I will never stop helping and loving people the way Jesus said to.”
~ Michael Jackson



“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 a better place for you and for me....”
~ Michael Jackson



All of these quotes by Michael, are purposely combined here together today, for a single purpose that is so very important.
If you are lucky, you are a parent with children. Children that bring you endless joy and sometimes keep you awake at night from worry about their safety or maybe their health. But as a parent, you will do anything to keep your (young) children safe from harm. And normally, in a civilized world, be it east or west, north or south, you can keep your little angels from harm mostly.

Imagine, for a moment, a world where this is practically impossible. Where children are abducted, and forced to do horrible things to each other and to kill their own parents, or they are made to watch the killing of their brothers and sisters. Imagine other unspeakable acts that I don't even want to describe here, happening to your children by one dangerous man, who does this, thus far unpunished, to thousands, possibly millions of children. As you are reading this, this is a reality for the children of Uganda.

Jospeh Kony is the man who has committed countless unspeakable crimes against humanity. Did you know that he is the number one most wanted person on the international crime court list ? The International Crime Court is located in The Hague, the Netherlands. Being number one on that list means being more wanted than Gadaffi ( now captured and killed).

You may say to yourself: but isn't this is Positive Websites thread about Michael Jackson ?? HOw is all this positive ? My dear friends and readers, you are right: it isn't positive at all, HOWEVER, if Michael were alive he would support the action being taken against anyone who hurts children in so many awful and unspeakable ways. It is the positive action, from your heart, that is asked for here. That and sharing the video with your friends on social media, to alert the world to this criminal.

PLease take the time to watch this video, it is 30 minutes, but we must do something to save these children....
I will do what the moviemaker asks us to do. Will you help him in his mission ? United, we stand strong, with one goal, one mind, one heart. Together, united, we can make a difference!




<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/37119711?title=0&amp;byline=0&amp;portrait=0&amp;color=d13030" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/37119711">KONY 2012</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/invisible">INVISIBLE CHILDREN</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>


http://vimeo.com/invisible/kony2012


http://www.kony2012.com/

 

[LiLShOrTaY]

THANK YOU!!..

GBU..

:heart:
LiL



.

 

[MJJLaugh]

MICHAEL JACKSON CARDBOARD CUTOUT LIFE SIZE STANDUP


From the most serious world problems to a little more mundane, that's good for balance! It's not my birthday anytime soon but I already know what I want!!! And I can't choose either so I'll tell my friends and family now, so they may start saving up money for my cardboard life size figures of Michael. One for each room, so I can chat to him all day long, and he'll be the perfect man because he's not gonna talk back! And we all know, who is silent, agrees!
I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who is eager for these cardboard figures! Aren't they great ?

Actually, I remember posting a picture a while back, beginning of February, of the friends who did a Michaeling-tour throughout California and Gary, Indiana. There was a picture of a CD and DVD shop that these cardboard cutout figures on their wall. I just happened to stumble upon this cool website where you can order them for your party or other occassion.
Enjoy!!!

Michael Jackson Cardboard Cutout Life Size Standup, Size 40" x 70" Tall. ( 70 inches = 1.78 m)

Michael Jackson Ripped Jeans Cardboard Cutout Life Size Standup 26"X73" tall. ( 73 inches = 1.85 m)

Michael Jackson - Bad Cardboard Cutout Life Size Standup, 22" X 73" Tall. (73 inches = 1.85 m)

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch Gates Life-Size Cardboard Standup Size : 71" x 74" Tall Neverland Valley Ranch (formerly the Sycamore Valley Ranch) is a developed property in Santa Barbara County, California, most famous for being a former home of American entertainer Michael Jackson, during 1988-2005. It is named after Neverland, the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan, who never grows up. The ranch is located about five miles (8 km) north of unincorporated Los Olivos, and about eight miles (13 km) north of the town of Santa Ynez. The property covers an area of over 2,800 acres (11 km2).

Michael Jackson on a Red Car Cardboard Cutout Life Size 39"X75" tall. (75 inches = 1.88 m)

Michael Jackson film cell showing some his most memorable moments on stage and in public.

11" x 13" Film Cell Clips Limited Edition 1000 Framed

The film strip portrayed in the image above is only an example of the film cells you may receive. Please note, the cells may vary from piece to piece.

This item contains clips of film, an image portraying the movie(s), artist(s) or character(s) and a stunning descriptive plaque. These elements have been double mounted and placed within a beautiful black wood frame. Each item comes with a certificate stating its authenticity.

Michael Jackson film cell showing some his most memorable moments on stage and in public.

20.25 x 11 Filmcell Clips Limited Edition 1000 Framed



Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time. His unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a prominent figure in popular culture for four decades. He started a solo career in 1971, having made his debut in 1964 as a member of The Jackson 5. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with four others—Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995)—among the best selling. He popularized several intricate dance moves, such as the robot and the moonwalk. He is widely credited with having transformed the music video from a promotional tool into an art form, with videos for his songs "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Thriller" making him the first African American artist to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. His work broke down cultural, racial and generation barriers, while influencing scores of music artists.



Source:


http://www.incrediblegifts.com/mijacaculisi1.html