RIP JACKO!

Just thought i'd start the topic, someone would have sooner or later.

http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_35630.aspx

RIP

So, this isn't the report of the decaying body of the "real Michael Jackson" someone claimed to have found hidden at the Neverland Ranch, he's really dead?

Well, what do you say at the passing of a man like Jackson?... Well?... I got nothing that isn't an insult of a punch line.

No, this is the real thing. heart attack. I say I hope he gets more press than jade did, for the world's sake.

Its funny watching all the status battles about him on FB, entertainment at its best.

I was never a fan of his music... In fact I hate most of it, but I got to admit I've always found his life to be "interesting". Some of the stuff he did was just strangeness to the tenth power... I can hardly wait for all the full life biographies that will no doubt soon be coming our way.

His was the first new album I ever bought - Thriller, in 1982, with my allowance. Big vinyl.

While he did some *odd* stuff, he will surely be missed by me. He was our Elvis.

Strangely, I thought he would out-live us. I grew up hearing of him and Donnie Osmond (both about my age, although I have never met either). While Donnie has had some problems (like us all), Micheal seemed to create his own problems. He plowed on with continued successes however (Donnie keeps plugging away, but without half the fanfare).

Will I miss him? Not really. I liked his work with this brothers (the Jackson Five), but the only independent song I liked was "Ben." I however have grown up expecting to hear about Micheal doing something, so I probably will find myself missing him.

What do you say about a man like Michael Jackson.

He was the epitome of the eccentric artist, that much I will give him. He was famous, rich, and strange in every way a man could be. He invented dance moves, images and all in all he seemed to escape any attachment of race, or even profession, beyond the title "The King of Pop", like he was just...for lack of a better way to put this, Michael Jackson, an entity in his own right.

Like anyone famous he had his critics, who not surprisingly even on the day of his death, feel a need a kick the man. However we all know that as long as he remains an icon of our society, and name we will remember he will have his critics. His death will not change that.

But let us learn a lesson from this. When the day comes, if we attract fame and fortune to our name and selves, we will invariable attract critics, and no matter what we may or may not do with our lives they will be an incessant buzzing that we won't be able to silence, at every angle, every chance and every turn they will be there to try and rip us down, even to our dying day and beyond.

But let us learn from Michal Jackson that fame does not promise life, neither does anonymity, so let us live, enjoy our days in spite of what the critic's might say.

One thing I have learned from Michael Jackson is that no matter what you do, someone will say it is wrong, so do not strive to please the masses, be yourself, even if others think it is strange, let them gossip and whine, life is too short to abide the pandering of modern day 'old wives' and 'widow' gossip.

Write and Live fearlessly.