Michael Jackson passes away at the age of 50
June 25, 2009
No, Sahar’s Blog isn’t turning into a celebrity tabloid blog.
And no, this event isn’t as important as the current turmoil in Iran and increasing tensions between North Korea and the rest of the world nor as important as China’s human rights transgressions.
But you know what? Michael Jackson was an icon, and had a massive influence on popular culture around the world.
The impact that this one person had on the world is amazing. May he rest in peace.
Watch BBC cover the aftermath here.
The real drama of Michael Jackson’s passing
July 6, 2009
There are many, many things that bother me about the passing of Michael Jackson.
First and foremost is the loss of an incredible entertainer. But I think I made my point of view on how amazing he was pretty clear already, so enough about that.
Second, that a mere week and a half after his passing, his children are already caught in a terrible, terrible game, used as pawns in the premiere of “Who Gets Michael Jackson’s money”. I wish there was something I could to help those poor kids, who have lost their dad.
Third, that the funeral service has a feel of an amazing ‘show’ that people want to attend rather than a spiritual event. Yes there are many fans who truly want to pay their respects, but there are also many (some we see on television) who, after getting tickets to the funeral service tomorrow, act more like they won tickets to a fun concert rather than a funeral service.
Fourth, that anything surrounding Michael Jackson is going to become a huge frenzy, and most probably, everyone and anyone is going to try to get their money’s worth (or their 15 minutes of fame).
I’m sure everyone reading this has already heard about the Neverland Ranch ‘ghost’ of Michael Jackson. We are now going to be drowned with ‘expert’ analysis within the next couple of days. Now while I love anything related to the paranormal and to Michael Jackson (and, understandably so, I’d be more than exciting to have Michael Jackson’s ghost hanging out at Neverland), this is bordering on ridiculous. Yes, we have lost a great entertainer. Yes, we want to pay our respects. But at what cost? We aren’t allowing the family to say their good-byes; we aren’t giving those poor kids the space they need to grieve; and we are barely paying attention to the coup in Honduras of the still ongoing aftermath of the elections in Iran.
I am again reminded of the words of Andrew Sullivan: this is the culture that we have created, the culture that contributed and fed Michael Jackson’s erratic behaviour, and the culture that sweeps aside the deaths of innocents and the casual dismissal of human rights to focus solely on an entertainer.
No wonder we’re in so much trouble.
The recent elections in Iran and its aftermath have underlied the continuous and often blatant human rights violation that exists in that country. It is most unfortunate that the rest of the world associates this disregard for basic human rights with the Islamic Republic of Iran because Islam, just like any other major religion in the world, is meant to bring people together in peace and harmony.
Unfortunately, peace and harmony seem to be out of reach these days, as unrest continues in Iran. Amidst the general outcry over the less-than-rigorous electoral process, there are those who are taking advantage of what is going on to push forward other negative agendas, such as the Baha’i agenda.
Check it out:
Distribution of an Anti-Baha’i Proclamation (July 3rd, 2009)
The reliable outlet Peyke Iran reported on Friday, July 3, 2009, that certain unknown individuals have widely disseminated a proclamation in Marvdasht, a district in Shiraz, warning people against business dealings with the Baha’is. In this proclamation, they have cited high religious authorities who have issued rulings against such dealings and interactions with the Baha’is. (…)
The first is a letter to Grand Ayatollahs inquiring about the Baha’is and dealing with them:
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful!
Peace be upon the blessed threshold of the sources of emulation of the Islamic world!
Respectfully it is submitted: the wayward sect of the Baha’i has been active in one of the districts in the vicinity of Shiraz and, regrettably, some Muslims, because of being ill-informed, have associated and consort with them on a regular basis. As such, we beseech your distinguished selves to offer an opinion on the following questions so that the public is informed:
We cherish the hope that all enemies of the Sacred Household of Muhammad (Peace be upon them), particularly those harboring enmity towards the Hidden Imam, are uprooted.
1. What is the ruling in regard to wedlock of a Muslim with a Baha’i (namely, for a Baha’i woman with a Muslim man, and for a Muslim woman with a Baha’i man)?
2. What is the ruling about business transactions or dealings with Baha’is?
3. What is the opinion of your distinguished selves regarding shaking hands and kissing Baha’is?
4. What is the ruling about eating food prepared at a Baha’i home or by a Baha’i hand?
5. What is the ruling for eating out of a plate or drinking from a glass used earlier by a Baha’i?
6. What is the ruling for attending celebrations or weddings of Baha’is, or attending commemorative services by Baha’is because they were known to [Muslim] attendees?
7. Working (such as in building construction, etc) by a Baha’i for a Muslim, and for a Muslim to be employed by a Baha’i?
8. Are the Baha’is considered infidels and najis [lit. defiled, in Shi’te jurisprudence it designates unclean or untouchable]?
Read the rest of this article here.
Stevie Wonder tribute to Michael Jackson
July 2, 2009
A wonderful clip of Stevie Wonder singing an adapted version of ‘I just called to say I love you’ dedicated to Michael Jackson. He performed it during a press conference given at the Montreal Jazz Festival on June 30th 2009, during which he received a Spirit Award.
The Montreal Jazz Festival opened on Tuesday night with a free outdoor concert by Stevie Wonder, another Motown Records child prodigy.
He kicked off the over 2 hour long concert with a speech about Michael Jackson who, as we know, was his friend.
He talked about the legacy of Michael Jackson as being his music and his dancing; he talked about the often vicious rumours that have brought Michael Jackson down; he basically reminded us that Michael Jackson was, first and foremost, and human being, and we can each choose the way we interact with him.
Andrew Sullivan is right to be grieving the culture that created Michael Jackson and, ultimately, destroyed him – because it’s doing the same thing to everyone else.
I don’t know how many people actually listened to Stevie Wonder last night and heard the message: we should stop contributing to this mad culture which has already taken a lot from us.
To read more about the concert, go here, here, or here, or here.
Some clips:
And clips from the earlier sound check:
From CNN: “Columnist Andrew Sullivan, on his blog for The Nation magazine, wrote that he grieved for Jackson “but I also grieve for the culture that created and destroyed him.”
“That culture is ours, and it is a lethal and brutal one: With fame and celebrity as its core values, with money as its sole motive, it chewed this child up and spat him out,” Sullivan wrote. “I hope he has the peace now he never had in his life. And I pray that such genius will not be so abused again.” “
Read the original article here.
From www.mydamnchannel.com:
On June 24, Iranian Superstar Andy Madadian went into an LA recording studio with Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and American record producers Don Was and John Shanks to record a musical message of worldwide solidarity with the people of Iran.
This version of the old Ben E. King classic is not for sale – it was not meant to be on the Billboard charts or even manufactured as a CD…..it’s intended to be downloaded and shared by the Iranian people…to give voice to the sentiment that all people of the world stand together….the handwritten Farsi sign in the video translates to “we are one”.
If you know someone in Iran – or someone who knows someone in Iran – please share this link:
http://www.MyDamnChannel.com/DonWas
Check out the video here.
Another tribute to Michael Jackson from CEBU prison
June 27, 2009
Less appreciated Michael Jackson music
June 27, 2009
One good thing I hope Michael Jackson’s passing will result in is that less hardcore fans will rediscover some of his music – not the massive hits that everyone knows, but rather the other songs that didn’t get enough credit.
More specifically, I’m thinking about two songs that were on the ‘Invincible’ album.
The first one is the song ‘Whatever Happens’, which was a song he performed with Carlos Santana.
Then there is this one, a beautiful song that makes me cry almost every single time I listen to it (and obviously it made me cry today). It was written for all the lost children in the world, wishing them home safe and sound. While an official video clip was never produced, someone put together a collage of pictures of missing children, which makes the video all the more poignant. Someone else also created a video putting this song to the video clip of Michael Jackson’s song ‘Childhood’ and I found it beautiful, too… So I put them both up.
Warning: before playing this song, I suggest having a box of Kleenex’ around. Or two.
I was listening to ‘Heal the World’ when I received a great email from the Earth Institute (how apt). It read:
Dear Reader,
How will the world continue to meet its energy needs as the global population swells and economies grow? We will likely need some combination of energy efficiency, low-carbon alternatives like solar, wind and nuclear power, and technologies to make the burning of coal less damaging to our world’s climate.
At the Earth Institute, researchers are investigating strategies like carbon capture and sequestration that are a critical part of a climate-friendly energy future. This update, the first in our new series of redesigned e-newsletters, provides an introduction to our work on this subject.
Klaus Lackner, Director of the Earth Institute’s Lenfest Center for Sustainable Energy
What a great idea! After all, knowledge is a prerequisite to action; without it, there is only a limited amount of things we can do for the environment.
I have to admit that the first webisode is pretty basic and at times a little childish. But it’s highly informative, easy to watch, and very easy to understand. It fulfills a great purpose. By making such a hot topic (pardon the pun) easily accessible to all ages and walks of life, the Earth Institute is empowering everyone and anyone to make the change and make the world a better place.
Great. Not I have ‘Man in the Mirror’ mixing up in my head with ‘Heal the World’. It’s going to be a long night.
Take a look at the first webisode here.
Lisa Marie Presley’s Blog Post about Michael Jackson
June 26, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
He Knew.
Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general.
I can’t recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death.
At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, “I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did.”
I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.
14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears.
A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn’t predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened.
The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy.
All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted.
I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once.
Our relationship was not “a sham” as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a “Normal life” found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much.
I wanted to “save him” I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened.
His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn’t know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then.
At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself.
He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated.
When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad.
Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson’s being or actions.
I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him.
I was in over my head while trying.
I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision.
The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow.
After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret.
Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation.
At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now.
As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted.
Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him.
He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together.
I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now.
He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be.
I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is.
The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right.
I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening.
~LMP
Find the original post here.
 |
He Knew.
Years ago Michael and I were having a deep conversation about life in general. I can’t recall the exact subject matter but he may have been questioning me about the circumstances of my Fathers Death. At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, “I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did.” I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that. 14 years later I am sitting here watching on the news an ambulance leaves the driveway of his home, the big gates, the crowds outside the gates, the coverage, the crowds outside the hospital, the Cause of death and what may have led up to it and the memory of this conversation hit me, as did the unstoppable tears. A predicted ending by him, by loved ones and by me, but what I didn’t predict was how much it was going to hurt when it finally happened. The person I failed to help is being transferred right now to the LA County Coroners office for his Autopsy. All of my indifference and detachment that I worked so hard to achieve over the years has just gone into the bowels of hell and right now I am gutted. I am going to say now what I have never said before because I want the truth out there for once. Our relationship was not “a sham” as is being reported in the press. It was an unusual relationship yes, where two unusual people who did not live or know a “Normal life” found a connection, perhaps with some suspect timing on his part. Nonetheless, I do believe he loved me as much as he could love anyone and I loved him very much. I wanted to “save him” I wanted to save him from the inevitable which is what has just happened. His family and his loved ones also wanted to save him from this as well but didn’t know how and this was 14 years ago. We all worried that this would be the outcome then. At that time, In trying to save him, I almost lost myself. He was an incredibly dynamic force and power that was not to be underestimated. When he used it for something good, It was the best and when he used it for something bad, It was really, REALLY bad. Mediocrity was not a concept that would even for a second enter Michael Jackson’s being or actions. I became very ill and emotionally/ spiritually exhausted in my quest to save him from certain self-destructive behavior and from the awful vampires and leeches he would always manage to magnetize around him. I was in over my head while trying. I had my children to care for, I had to make a decision. The hardest decision I have ever had to make, which was to walk away and let his fate have him, even though I desperately loved him and tried to stop or reverse it somehow. After the Divorce, I spent a few years obsessing about him and what I could have done different, in regret. Then I spent some angry years at the whole situation. At some point, I truly became Indifferent, until now. As I sit here overwhelmed with sadness, reflection and confusion at what was my biggest failure to date, watching on the news almost play by play The exact Scenario I saw happen on August 16th, 1977 happening again right now with Michael (A sight I never wanted to see again) just as he predicted, I am truly, truly gutted. Any ill experience or words I have felt towards him in the past has just died inside of me along with him. He was an amazing person and I am lucky to have gotten as close to him as I did and to have had the many experiences and years that we had together. I desperately hope that he can be relieved from his pain, pressure and turmoil now. He deserves to be free from all of that and I hope he is in a better place or will be. I also hope that anyone else who feels they have failed to help him can be set free because he hopefully finally is. The World is in shock but somehow he knew exactly how his fate would be played out some day more than anyone else knew, and he was right.
I really needed to say this right now, thanks for listening.
~LMP |
