In Honor of the Hot Tub Time Machine's release...

I'll tell you...I don't like how there are still people who insinuate that the vitiligo was made up or something that Michael Jackson brought on himself, but I've been in love with the idea of time travel for a long time...(Stephen Hawking's show can do nothing to wreck it, nor can Through the Wormhole...) If I could pic any appearances/concerts of Michael Jackson's that I'd love to have attended, I guess they'd have to be...September 21, 1984@ RFF stadium with a real ticket.
: D ...The Victory Tour...Mark Bego painted such a vivid description, but nothing would beat being there in person... and November 2001 Times Square Virgin Megastore...[ Honorable Mention goes to the Munich part of the History Tour...I think I've got the right place/date...whichever YANA girl that Michael picked up and carried, I wish I'd had a chance to have the same done by him for me.]. ...If there's anything I've learned from my mother's passing, and then Michael's, it's that it's a little too easy to take chances, time, people for granted.

A Year Later...What I've noticed...

I wanted to post a poem, that didn't work out...words never flow out of me as easily as pictures seem too, and even they take time...

Lately, I've been noticing the question what is your favorite MJ era a lot. Or people will favor pics from a certain time. I've got a co-worker that likes nothing beyond Thriller. A lot of people are like that...I'm not arguing what defines a true fan...that would be silly, because it's all subjective. What I can blog about is why I can't seem to pick a favorite look or era...I like something from each...Some fans would be upset with me for picking a "beauty pageant" answer, but I honestly don't have a favorite look or era, because I like a little something from each.

That's what's going to make selecting a picture for this blog post difficult as well.

I'll break it down like this...

The J5 era I associate with my mother. She first got me into Michael Jackson. She had the J5 Christmas album and 1 one the singles (Get It Together/Touch), she had another single, but it got lost. :(

The OTW era...I associate with holiday parties and having fun with relatives, which I miss greatly.

The Thriller era...Who doesn't have a story to put here? My mother bought the album...Our dad and mother got us T-shirts, badges, the dolls...I loved the album it reminds me of better times as well...Or maybe it's just me waxing nostalgic...music helps with that doesn't it? Music soothes, music heals.

Bad...I'll confess, I didn't like this as much as Thriller as a whole, but I did love Liberian Girl. If it wasn't for Moonwalker, I don't think I'd like Speed Demon at all. Smooth Criminal grew on me after I saw the short film (The Gangster era, the lean...I just loved it...My parents got me into loving watching films, both old and new...so I just ate Michael's use of the short film up. It's one of the things that I'll sorely miss now that he's gone...There are people who try to come close, but no one is the same...He was one of a kind.). I also loved I Just Can't Stop Loving You...and then I found out Michael did a Spanish version...Oh Man! What I'm after now (when I can afford it again of course), is the ever elusive French version...To hear him speaking different languages...even watching TII. That does something to a woman...I'm telling you. :D

Dangerous...This is an album I wound up revisting...I love the title cut. If I had to pick a second favorite album, this would be it...And again, the short films helped enhance what was already there in the music...I loved Give In to Me, In the Closet, Remember the Time, Who Is It? [Check out the version of Who Is It? on the Dangerous DVD...I don't know why MTV used the compiled footage one...the David Fincher short film...it just left me wanting more...I love compiled footage, but it didn't fit the song.]

History ...Sadly I never bought, because I thought it was just a greatest hits album, and because of my budget I couldn't afford to keep rehashing certain things...Sometimes that hurts to do as a fan...but everybody isn't rich...I'm not saying it to whine, just stating fact. :) I intend to revisit it first chance I get. I do remember I loved most all the singles off History though (Scream, Earth Song, They Don't Really Care About Us, You Are Not Alone.) . I didn't hear Stranger in Moscow until last year though and when I saw the short film, which I'd also never seen, I wanted to cry.

Blood on the Dance Floor... I love Morphine and the Ghosts soundtrack...I didn't listen to the remixes...as I tend to be something of purist where that's concerned...It has to be a kickass mix to convince me...There are some mixologists/DJ's that can do it...I don't think it's something just anyone can do though and there's too many bad or lame remixes floating around out there for me.

Invincible...My favorite album...I love Butterflies, Break of Dawn, 2000 Watts, Whatever Happens, Don't Walk Away...This, Off the Wall, Thriller, and the This Is It Soundtrack are basically the only CD's I can listen to all the way through and not skip a single song...I can't say that about a lot of artists.

I've got my eye on The Collection and Ultimate Collection now...if someone other than Sony releases some other songs...I'm all for it...I'm trying to be a good girl about that kind of thing...plus, Michael Jackson was such a perfectionist...I know he wouldn't want stuff floating around that wasn't finished...I think the thing that's so tempting, is even with something half-finished, you can see the promise of what could have been and that alone is something to hold on to, especially when you know Michael won't be around to release more...As a lover of music, I can definitely say again that the loss of Michael Jackson is a hard thing to bear.

His looks over the years...as I said when you truly love someone, you love them with all their flaws...Do I think he should've stopped a few surgeries ago with his nose? Yes, but it was Michael's face, you know?

I love you, Michael and I miss you.

VILF's, WILF's, What's up with Twitter Today? etc...

Can't get blending with my Stabilo pencils to work...Would be better of just buying light green and dark green (at least for now). I'm drawing a little tree...by sight...not from a photograph or anything for once...

Fangtastic Books had a True Blood Poster I like...VILF...Alcide may very well turn into my WILF...

Twitter has been overcapacity at least a gazillion times today...I've tried reloading the page...usually that works but not today...What's up?

Facebook won't let me respond to my messages, so I'm ticked about that as well...

It's rainy, windy, and cool here today...I've got to say I like that a hell of a lot better than I like rainy, hot, and muggy. I was talking to this dude in Utah yesterday about how summer weather is basically a coin toss, so you cherish those nice days when they come.

ETA: Didn't see Lady Gaga's Alejandro video yet, but I'm looking forward to it...She does come up with some amazing visuals...I think that's why I'm so captivated by her...The music alone doesn't do it for me.

Just found out about Douglas Kirkland's Thriller book coming out in October...It's got a holographic cover...I'm so jazzed. xD I wonder how many never before seen photos there will be...Accounts we didn't get to hear...I love stuff like that. I was also amazed to find this guy photographed Marilyn Monroe too...I'm something of a film buff, so I wouldn't be surprised to find that's why this dude's name sounded familiar to me. (Photography was one of those pursuits I had to set aside because of cost...maybe at some point I'll pick it back up again...It's something I never lost interest in...)

Michael's flowers...

LMP's post is all over the internet...I never knew Michael liked sunflowers. I don't know where I heard/read it, but I always thought he liked roses... I think I'm going to send him both.

It's funny...Happy was a word I'd always associated with sunflowers...but I just never knew this...in a way it's kind of eerie...

I want to send Michael some flowers in time for June 25, I will probably go in on it with a bunch of other fans...I also want to put some roses and sunflowers out on my balcony.

I miss him so much...I know I never knew him...never even saw him live...I also know he was a human being with wonderful qualities and flaws as well...but there are times when I truly feel like I don't deserve the joy he brought into my life. I never in my wildest dreams imagined losing him would hurt this much...I thought I'd be over it by this time and I'm clearly not.

Thanks again to 7 for teaching me stuff I never knew and helping me remember what I thought I'd forgotten.

Angel Face is what I call Michael in my head sometimes... I miss him.

ETA: The photo layout in this post isn't quite what I wanted, but I'm still learning...For those of you wondering why I didn't select a smiling pre-Vitiligo photo of Michael...there's time for that too [Trust me, there will be more Michael posts in the future.], I even have one in mind if I can find it again...

So much to blog about...

Had a very interesting morning...



I had an inkling yesterday it was going to be interesting...I'm glad I was right. :)



I'm being somewhat secretive, because there's another party involved.



This also proves my point that I do not need the internet to meet good, interesting men.

Nikki's Say in This World...I'm still having trouble on this computer as far as posting comments to anyone at Blogger. Maybe over the next few weekends I'll try to post from somewhere else. I've been loving the posts over the past few days. Never did like Extra, I haven't watched it in years, so for me a boycott is almost too easy.

I've been reading way more than drawing, which I'm extremely embarassed to admit after all the promises I'd made.

Left my salad dressing at home rushing out of the apartment today.

I didn't realize making my status single on facebook would result in a big embarassing pink heart. : /

I want to do some painting, but I need to go to the art supply store and get some turpenoid first.

My number of followers is growing on Twitter...they're mostly literary, but I'm still very pleased. I'd like for my makeup artist friend to follow me, so that I can tweet to him directly...Haven't given up on him yet. : D He's been uber busy anyway. I had a dream somebody loved his work so much they wanted him to relocate...I wouldn't be at all surprised if that actually happened.

Well, guess that's all for now...

Glee

I'm not a Gleek, but I've heard so much about the Madonna themed ep that aired last night, that I can't wait to see it. ( I did have the DVR record it...it's just a matter of making the time to watch.) I'm also curious to see what the reviewer in the Express talked about (people dressed like Madonna in various stages of her career in the background of certain shots...). Am I a Madonna fan?...I don't really get her as a person...I think I stopped really following her music after the Ray of Light album... I blame this partially on just having more expenses and way less leisure time...Something else I noticed in the Express that didn't make me happy...they keep taking potshots at Michael Jackson (I thought his death would stop it, I guess not...Never realized how truly nasty some people are...and the really disgusting part is they get off on being nasty and don't care who knows it...That kind of thing I just don't get and never have...not even when I was a kid...)...I'd rant about that, but a bunch of other bloggers do that way better...among them MJ777.

Thriller Live!

Just found out they're extending this at the Lyric...Maybe I'll get to see it after all. :D I really would love to...

Another Day

I was going to blog about Another Day, but someone else has said what I was going to say way better than I ever could.



Go here:





http://www.allforloveblog.com/





That first entry says it all.

Mr. Reuben Jackson's Michael Jackson lecture

Yesterday evening, I got to attend a lecture at the New Carrollton Public Library, by one of the associate curators @ the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. His name is Reuben Jackson and his presentation was called "Michael Jackson, Balladeer". I was kind of surprised at the turnout last night, considering it was a cold, rainy Wednesday evening, then again I wasn't, considering the [almost magical] effect Michael Jackson has on some people. Reuben Jackson played three selections from Michael. I think if it hadn't been for the fact that the library closed at 9, he would have been able to fit in more. (For those that are curious, he played "Got to Be There", "Can't Help It", and "Butterflies". He skipped playing any selections from Thriller, because it's so well known.) He touched on one of the things that I see mentioned repeatedly @MJFC and on other Michael Jackson fan blogs, how Michael was able to convey such emotion with his voice from such a young age and had continued to do so. Reuben Jackson urged everyone who hadn't done so, to go see This is It (Preaching to the choir here I know). He talked about Michael's being a perfectionist and his showmanship and how TII reminded the viewer of these qualities that most people either took for granted, forgot about, or overlooked completely (Again, preaching to the choir.) He spoke about how Michael was a fan of all types of music and incorporated that in his music. He used quotes from Michael to illustrate different points in his lecture as well. Another thing that excited me about this lecture was what Reuben Jackson said about Michael Jackson's collaborations with Quincy Jones. He said they were like an actor's classic work with a good director...I guess like Scorsese and DeNiro, Capra and Stewart...I'm very into film history too, so I really loved that comparison. Mr. Jackson also touched on some of the gospel elements in Michael's music. Some of the obvious ones like shouts, etc. (Michael Jackson could've sang the alphabet or the phone book and I'd have bought it. He sang that soulfully in my opinion.) Reuben Jackson also touched on the fact that the short films deserved examination too. I asked Mr. Jackson if he would be pursuing that at any point, but he said he wanted to take a break on researching for a bit, because it was so emotional for him...which I could definitely understand (he said when he first did the presentation @ the Smithsonian in August people were actually tearing up in the back of the room and that effected him.). I would definitely go to a lecture on the short films. If he chose to do a book on Michael's music and/or the short films. I would get that as well.

Reuben Jackson also mentioned a YouTube clip of The Jackson 5 performing "Never Can Say Goodbye" on the Flip Wilson show that highlighted some of what he touched on in his lecture. I was jazzed that he mentioned YouTube, no doubt it's definitely a treasure trove (I have my own little archive on there and everything.) I definitely think his lecture had something in it for everybody. I loved how easygoing and accessible Reuben Jackson was too. I was definitely not sorry, I ignored the rain and wind and went.

Ms. Janet Jackson...

I did see the Robin Roberts interview last night. I was a bit too out of it to blog right after the broadcast or go to MJFC...Plus, I like to gather my thoughts before I type/write...

She reminded me of Michael so much, and in turn, both make/made me think of their mom. It's funny, even before his death, she just reminded me so much of him...They were kind of like fraternal twins to me (I know they weren't, but still in my mind...they were that connected...So to hear her say they were that close last night made a lot of sense to me...maybe that's what I was picking up on...)

I also got a kick out hearing that she called Michael "Mike"...I don't know why, but it just gives me the biggest tickle.

That imitation of Latoya...I don't even know her, and I just about died laughing...Janet was spot on.

On the revelation that Joseph Jackson told Janet she could make more money singing and switched her to that...I can't say I'm shocked, but certain things make more sense to me now, after hearing that.


I also want to make clear that although she does remind me of Michael, I never stopped seeing her as an artist in her own right...All those clips they showed last night, I was just giddy, because I remember seeing her on The Jacksons Variety Show, Good Times (Janet's Mae West imitations always tickled me too. That always struck me as so percocious though. She seems to shy to do that imitation now, which seems kind of odd now that she's old enough for the imitation to actually be appropriate. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...the American culture is just bizarre...I'm not knocking all of it, because that would make me a huge hypocrite, but no wonder so many people from foreign countries get here and go WTF???!!!!), Diff'rent Strokes, and Fame when those shows were first being aired. It brought back so many memories.

I'm glad to hear she's going to be pursuing acting more, I always thought she was good with the potential to get better.

I'm excited to hear that she's writing a book...I'd definitely buy it.

I'm not surprised that at certain points in the interview or at certain questions, she seemed to have a difficult time...No, if you've lost someone close to you, especially recently, it's not hard at all to understand...

It made me very sad to hear that she didn't know about the Propofol...That just seems to back up my belief that in all families members don't tell each other each and everything. Sometimes it can be really liberating and sometimes it can be really harmful, as with drug abuse and things of that nature.

I never saw Janet Jackson live either...I think maybe if she decides to tour...I'll add her to my list and go...

This so amazing!

I used to have an Etch-A-Sketch as a kid, but I never got good enough to be able to do this. Wonder how much time this took? A guy named George Vlosich did this.

Very interesting Tonner survey

I'd been hoping they'd do this, but I thought it was a long shot. It's like someone's reading my mind...or I'm putting out vibes or something. Anyhoo, Tonner sent me a survey...(I was a member of the doll club, and I bought a Captain Jack Sparrow from them.) One of the questions on the survey they sent was, who would you like to see a celebrity doll of next? They had Grace Kelly among others on the list. I was surprised to see Michael Jackson's name. I chose him, you don't have to ask why, if you've been reading my blog...Tonner does such beautiful work, I know it's a long shot, but I'd love to see what they do. I also put in the box where they ask you for comments, "Which look form which era, would you be choosing though?" They've definitely got a decision to make there. Would he have different outfits? The possibilities are endless...



I'll be curious to see how the survey goes. I think they're a little too conservative to do it, but we'll see...

The Vienna concert has moved to London and is moved to June 2010 and I'm glad...

For those of you pissed about the post title, please hear me out. I think that time and location would make so much more sense. I think more people will be able to perform and also (selfish as it sounds), I stand a better chance of being in the audience given that much time. I've also always wanted to go to London. I'm on the forums of at least two different MJJ sites. I'm thinking of arranging some type of meet up, but I want to go really slowly, as far as planning something like that out...because I've had horrific experiences on celeb boards/forums before. Cool people and crazies are everywhere though, so I guess I'll just learn from my mistakes and go on from there.

Janet's tribute to Michael at the VMA's

First off, I thought what Madonna had to say was both amusing and beautiful. (I'm sorry, it may sound dumb, but I don't think anyone understands a shy person, like another shy person. He seems like once, you broke him out of his shell, he was a fun person to hang out and talk with. Interesting too...All the places he's been and the unique perspective he'd have on them...You know that question of you could have how ever many people living or dead to be your dinner guest and conversate with them. I have a handful in mind and he's definitely one. My paternal grandmother, My Gran Lee, and my maternal great-grandmother are some of the other ones. I like Alicia Keyes too. She seems like she's cool people and Beyonce too. More men...I'll get back to you on that one...I'm also getting off track. Ahem...)

The second part...I would've put together a different medley. Did they just not want to start with J5 stuff or things from Michael's solo albums on Motown? (I would've included something from them, and had some dancers who were children. Unless labor laws or rehearsal schedules prevented me from doing so.) I can't remember what the other songs were beyond Thriller and Bad. I just felt like the medley should have covered more of a span, but I know how tight the timing is with award shows, so I can only b*@# so much about that aspect of the performance without sounding like I'm nitpicking. The dancer's in different costumes of Michael dancing to Thriller (For some reason, that just gave me the heebie jeebies. The same way Return of the Living Dead Part II will from now on I guess.).

One of the dancer's didn't seem steady when they were doing that anti-gravity illusion from Smooth Criminal. That nagged at me a bit.

Janet Jackson's performance...I thought she did a wonderful job. I was reading what the person covering the VMA's for USA Today said, and they said she seemed almost angry...I don't know if it was anger so much as defiance...Like she was saying, "I'm still here and I'm going to make it through this. " I haven't heard her new single yet, but I plan to. I found out yesterday that Janet Jackson is on Twitter, I didn't know that before. Elizabeth Taylor is also on Twitter, I didn't know that either. I think that's so cool. A lot of older people don't like to fool with new things, so it's nice to find some that do. I got an e-mail from Eartha Kitt once. That blew my mind. : D

Which kind of brings me back to what I was saying in another post/entry, you have to let people know what they mean to you while they're still here.

Twinkle, Twinkle Groovy Cat, How I Wonder Where You're At

I was looking around on eBay the other day and I spotted someone's auction for a hand-painted clock carriage that Michael Jackson once owned. He'd written something on the inside back wall of the clock carriage (I'm sorry, but he's got really distinctive handwriting. If that was a forgery, it was damn good.). Anyway, the verses go like this: I'm keeping his phrasing and everything:

What I've never had

I cannot lose

What I've got

I didn't choose

And what remains

is just the truth

That hides away

from me and you

2-5-99 MJ

The first two lines, obviously are self-explanatory. The second two, I'm not sure whether he means his fame, his illnesses or both...maybe something I'm missing altogether....

The meaning of the last four lines escapes me...It's wild to me that he would write this in silver paint pen in the back of a clock carriage...Is it some type of riddle that has to do with time? I'm probably reading way too much into it...I just keep stumbling across these little mysteries as far as he's concerned. I'd be lying if I said these things didn't make him all the more fascinating to me.

The seller was even wondering about the significance of the lines and date, because even she didn't know...

The title to this post comes from The Simpsons episode "'Round Springfield" (Episode 22, in the 6th season of The Simpsons, this is also the ep where Bleeding Gums Murphy dies and the dude at the record store marks the price up, when Lisa tells him.)

It's kind of funny, if it hadn't been for The Simpsons, I never would have found out who Pablo Neruda was. What is that poem that mentions a puma?...."I Crave Your Mouth"...

Before this starts to dissolve into stream of consciousness, I'll stop.

Cover story on the September 2009 issue of GQ

Judging by what I've seen on the internet (articles, various celeb and nonceleb blogs, etc.), I'm not the only one ticked about this. I'm not just complaining about the title either. (You mean out of all the photos of Michael being Michael this guy couldn't find one where he doesn't look tired and slightly annoyed?) I don't get it...

TMZ polls, the homicide ruling, etc.

I think the TMZ polls are a bit contradictory or two entirely different sets of people visit that site.



I was glad to see that most people think that Dr. should be held at least partially responsible. What pissed me off however, was that people think Michael Jackson is responsible for his own addiction. That makes absolutely no sense to me.



From what I understand these problems with painkillers happened as a result of the burns he got filming one of the Pepsi commercials. Now true no one forced him to do the Pepsi commercial, but did he burn himself?



I'm not sure when he started having trouble sleeping, that I would have to research. I do have insomnia, so I know how difficult it can be. Maybe because people don't see it as a "serious" problem, they think it's an easy thing to take care of. It isn't. I've tried chamomile tea. Warm milk won't make me do anything but :P, so scratch that. For a period of time alcoholic beverages worked, but it got to the point where cocktails wouldn't do anything. I don't like the taste of really strong liquour and I hate feeling hungover. So using alcohol got old pretty quick. I also don't want or need to become an alcoholic, as I have quite enough on my plate. Then I started trying OTC sleeping aids, but after a while, 1 wouldn't work. It got to the point where I was quadrupling pills. I never went past that, because I wanted to wake up in the morning (There's just too much I haven't done yet that I want to do.). Now, I take a prescription sleeping aid, but it's getting to that point where one pill isn't doing it for me anymore.



Now, I'm an everyday person, but add on to that the pressures of celebrity (constantly wanting and needing to top yourself, etc.), illness, second (and third?) degree burns that left you permanently scarred and in pain, I'm not sure about the money problems or the accusations...Add on to that people ridiculing you, that's a lot of stress even for an every day person. And he's responsible for his own addiction? No, I'm sorry, I just don't think that's a fair judgment at all.

David Nordahl and his Michael Jackson art

I guess the first David Nordahl Michael Jackson piece that caught my eye was the Tryptich that was featured on the cover of last week's USA Today Life weekend section. I would love to be able to see some of that artwork in person. I'm one of those people that could wander a museum for hours. I mainly enjoy art/pop culture type museums, but I will visit museums that focus on natural history too. I've heard that there will be an exhibition of Michael Jackson art at some point, but I don't know where or what will be featured.

"Field of Dreams"-I'm going to have to look at that one again, because I missed Janet. Is she adult Janet or child Janet? (That might be how I missed her, because I was looking for another adult.)

The portrait where the cherubs are putting flowers in Michael's hair...-I'm not sure I'm getting what that paintings saying...It's kind of jarring to see a clearly male body and then the face is very androgynous. More so than some of Nordahl's other works.

I like Nordahl's attention to detail. He's got Michael's profile spot on in the detail on the throne.

I enjoyed getting further insight into the kind of person Michael was. (I never knew about the Chevy Blazer. I'd heard about him being a practical joker though. I didn't know about the chicken wings either. That tickles me for some odd reason.)

And to think all this came from Michael wanting this guy to give him art lessons...I think that's wild. I've seen some of Michael's drawings too, he could draw in a couple of different styles. You could see he could have done something with his artwork too...

This I think is another one of those things about Michael Jackson that I guess is always going to fascinate me.

I'm afraid to post pictures with this blog entry, because I'm so not looking to get sued.

First sand, now butter, what's next mashed potatoes?

Please don't let the tone of the title to this post fool you. I'm a beginning artist (I draw and paint...I find sculpting intimidating, so I have an immense respect for people who can do it and do it well.) and I was very impressed with this, which I saw over the weekend. If anyone knows if there are shots of this taken from other angles, please let me know.

Then, yesterday I find this news headline:

http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=88284&catid=48

(Please let me know if the link doesn't work)

I did vote, and I'll be curious to see what the final vote winds up being. From what I can see, there's not a whole lot of middle ground, either people are sick of hearing about Michael Jackson or they love him and don't have a problem with the amount of attention he's been getting in the media so far...

I'm kind of torn...I'm going to do what feels best to me, and that is blog about him off and on until either I get tired of it or I'm done with the grieving process, whichever comes first.

If you don't want to read my posts, you don't have to, and I'll leave it at that.

p.s. The butter sculpture was not to be...Maybe if it had been someplace else besides Iowa. Oh well.

Saw something interesting on Yahoo! this morning...

A congresswoman ( I think her name is Sheila Jackson Lee) is trying to get a house resolution passed that will honor Michael Jackson...I'm not sure if she'll succeed, but I'll definitely be watching. Maybe if she doesn't succeed, someone else will pick it up at a later time...I want them to strike while the iron's hot if they're going to do it...I want so badly to suspend my disbelief...Give people the benefit of the doubt...I can't blame her for trying...

p.s. 7/9/2009 Well, Nancy Pelosi shut that down quickly. Never say never...