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Letters
Tuesday, July 7, 2009 12:00 AM

Michael Jackson's sad exit

A huge talent, a racial pioneer and a very sad, strange man gets a surreal celebrity send-off. Why did I watch?

The letters thread is now closed.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2009 06:12 PM

Good column, Joan.

Ain't nothing right about the Michael Jackson situation. Ain't nothing ever going to be exactly right.

My 11 year old daughter said it seemed like Michael died 15 years ago. I think he mostly did.

Watching the buzzards at their work in the aftermath isn't something I felt up to.

Thanks for doing it for me, and summing up the proceedings with brevity and restraint.

Rest in Peace, Michael.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 06:12 PM

Weddings and Funerals

Both are life-celebrations

and often bring people together.

One celebrates the dreams and promises of tomorrow.

The other celebrates a lived life ended;

and a chance to express joy and sorrow.

Making "race" an issue

is divisive, bigoted, nonsense,

and totally unwarranted.

~Perhaps Rev. Sharpton should open The Book

(...read it, and practice what he preaches).

MJJ: R.I.P.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 06:19 PM

To SusieQ2, well said

Pretty much every great artist or performer has had a quirky eccentric personality.

Michael Jackson was just one of the few who got to enjoy his success while he was alive, and wasn't dropped in an unmarked pauper's grave - like Mozart was - when he died.

I don't care what people said about Michael Jackson, I just know I loved his music and millions - possibly billions - of other people in world did as well.

My favorite song of MJ's was one of his later one's; Man in the Mirror:

I'm Gonna Make A Change,

For Once In My Life

It's Gonna Feel Real Good,

Gonna Make A Difference

Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My

Favourite Winter Coat

This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind

I See The Kids In The Street,

With Not Enough To Eat

Who Am I, To Be Blind?

Pretending Not To See

Their Needs

A Summer's Disregard,

A Broken Bottle Top

And A One Man's Soul

They Follow Each Other On

The Wind Ya' Know

'Cause They Got Nowhere

To Go

That's Why I Want You To

Know

I'm Starting With The Man In

The Mirror

I'm Asking Him To Change

His Ways

And No Message Could Have

Been Any Clearer

If You Wanna Make The World

A Better Place

(If You Wanna Make The

World A Better Place)

Take A Look At Yourself, And

Then Make A Change

(Take A Look At Yourself, And

Then Make A Change)

(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,

Na Nah)

I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish

Kind Of Love

It's Time That I Realize

That There Are Some With No

Home, Not A Nickel To Loan

Could It Be Really Me,

Pretending That They're Not

Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,

Somebody's Broken Heart

And A Washed-Out Dream

(Washed-Out Dream)

They Follow The Pattern Of

The Wind, Ya' See

Cause They Got No Place

To Be

That's Why I'm Starting With

Me

(Starting With Me!)

I'm Starting With The Man In

The Mirror

(Ooh!)

I'm Asking Him To Change

His Ways

(Ooh!)

And No Message Could Have

Been Any Clearer

If You Wanna Make The World

A Better Place

(If You Wanna Make The

World A Better Place)

Take A Look At Yourself And

Then Make A Change

(Take A Look At Yourself And

Then Make A Change)

I'm Starting With The Man In

The Mirror

(Ooh!)

I'm Asking Him To Change His

Ways

(Change His Ways-Ooh!)

And No Message Could've

Been Any Clearer

If You Wanna Make The World

A Better Place

(If You Wanna Make The

World A Better Place)

Take A Look At Yourself And

Then Make That . . .

(Take A Look At Yourself And

Then Make That . . .)

Change!

I'm Starting With The Man In

The Mirror,

(Man In The Mirror-Oh

Yeah!)

I'm Asking Him To Change

His Ways

(Better Change!)

No Message Could Have

Been Any Clearer

(If You Wanna Make The

World A Better Place)

(Take A Look At Yourself And

Then Make The Change)

(You Gotta Get It Right, While

You Got The Time)

('Cause When You Close Your

Heart)

You Can't Close Your . . .Your

Mind!

(Then You Close Your . . .

Mind!)

That Man, That Man, That

Man, That Man

With That Man In The Mirror

(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)

That Man, That Man, That Man

I'm Asking Him To Change

His Ways

(Better Change!)

You Know . . .That Man

No Message Could Have

Been Any Clearer

If You Wanna Make The World

A Better Place

(If You Wanna Make The

World A Better Place)

Take A Look At Yourself And

Then Make A Change

(Take A Look At Yourself And

Then Make A Change)

Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!

Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,

Na Nah

(Oh Yeah!)

Gonna Feel Real Good Now!

Yeah Yeah! Yeah Yeah!

Yeah Yeah!

Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na,

Na Nah

(Ooooh . . .)

Oh No, No No . . .

I'm Gonna Make A Change

It's Gonna Feel Real Good!

Come On!

(Change . . .)

Just Lift Yourself

You Know

You've Got To Stop It.

Yourself!

(Yeah!-Make That Change!)

I've Got To Make That Change,

Today!

Hoo!

(Man In The Mirror)

You Got To

You Got To Not Let Yourself . . .

Brother . . .

Hoo!

(Yeah!-Make That Change!)

You Know-I've Got To Get

That Man, That Man . . .

(Man In The Mirror)

You've Got To

You've Got To Move! Come

On! Come On!

You Got To . . .

Stand Up! Stand Up!

Stand Up!

(Yeah-Make That Change)

Stand Up And Lift

Yourself, Now!

(Man In The Mirror)

Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!

Aaow!

(Yeah-Make That Change)

Gonna Make That Change . . .

Come On!

(Man In The Mirror)

You Know It!

You Know It!

You Know It!

You Know . . .

(Change . . .)

Make That Change.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 06:24 PM

final departure

I grew up with Michael Jackson, his talent was simply extraordinary, and I was terribly saddened by his long decline and sudden death. Yet, I did not watch the farewell ceremony. It is simply too much coverage (plus there are plenty of important news in the background) and the worst thing is that the Michael Jackson show will go on and on and on for the foreseeable future.

Oddly, I suspect Michael would've liked it that way.

May he rest in peace.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 06:27 PM

No idea why you watched

I didn't.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 06:32 PM

"The community"

There has been a rash of people speaking

on behalf of Michael Jackson.

~Jamie Foxx & Rev. Al Sharpton (just to name two)

should

really

listen

to the words

of some of Michal's songs.

~They are promoting

(and continuing)

the very thing

he sang against.

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