Little Freudian slip there... "pubic service announcements"? Teehee....

I can't speak for everyone here, but I know that I don't look forward to the media circus because this sort of "tribute" is often so inartfully done. I think this article is a thoughtful, honest assessment of the man...and I appreciated reading it. But I don't want to see MJ's last picture over and over (one of paramedics attempting to resuscitate him), which was the first thing I saw when I turned on CNN this evening. Someone else mentioned coverage following his body from the hospital to the coroner (which I did not see). Or rehashing all the scandals. I can appreciate a true tribute to what the man accomplished, to what his music meant to so many, to his legacy and influence on music today. But most of what we will see in the next few days will be sensationalism and commentary from celebrity-whores and hangers-on. Maybe I will be proven wrong...but I plan on avoiding cable news for a little while anyway.

I keep reading over and over, "You should have gone to state school." I hate to tell you guys, but state schools are no longer the great deal that they used to be. In-state undergraduate tuition at the small state school near my home is $8,000/yr. That is not including books and supplies or living expenses. This also does not include other expenses, like the expectation that students work for free at unpaid internships or the fact that many degree programs now take five years to complete.

I am currently studying law at a state school. Tuition and fees at my school are $22,000/yr...not including book and supplies. I got some scholarships, but I can't rely on my parents to help me out for the rest. I have a younger brother and a younger sister and my parents are doing all they can to help them get through undergrad. There is no law school near my hometown, so I have to live on my own and pay my own living expenses. Graduate dorms are almost non-existent and hard to get into if you are not an international student. I live as cheaply as possible, but I will still rack up a lot of debt.

On two counts:

1. You say:

"Very few people in this country will ever be truly wealthy but it is very possible to move out of poverty. Just get a job, any job. Even if you don't make alot of money you will not be poor if you are frugal and manage your expenses. If you find yourself on food stamps then you did something wrong. There is no reason for the average person to need that much help. I could get a job at Starbucks or Walmart and avoid being on food stamps. Why can't you?"

One person can usually get a job and pull themselves out of poverty, provided they are healthy. But it is much more difficult when you have dependents. One person's minimum wage job will probably not keep a family off welfare or food stamps...not with the cost of rent and food these days. And that is assuming the family is generally healthy. If you have a very sick child, it is even more difficult. Sure, you can get health benefits from the government, but that often doesn't provide for childcare or take into account days off from work to care for the child. Furthermore, single parents often get in trouble with jobs when a child gets occasionally sick. If your kid is contagious, you can't take them to a daycare. So you have to stay home...if that happens often enough, you lose your job.

2. You say:

"It may feel like that but I suspect they did not lay off workers just to "make more profits". Very few businesses in very few industries are making profits right now. Most are trying to hang on until the economy turns around."

Actually, many industries that are NOT hurting are using the economic downturn to their benefit. Many companies in the healthcare industry, for example, are doing exactly that. My father's company is laying off workers despite no drop in company profits. They lay off salaried workers and require the remaining workers to pick up the slack. The remaining workers are also salaried and thus, don't get overtime. The company has an excuse to save money and boost profitability.

Teachers see it all. I had a Yurhighness. His sister's name was Miprincess. Seriously. I generally had more issues with students from foreign countries whose names didn't work well in our country...like Bich, Deepender, Fuk, and Dang. I even had one student ask me to give her a different name to go by so she wouldn't have to use her real name. I was baffled...and told her to come up with her own nickname.