Thoughts on Michael Jackson

The single most important image that I saw after the death of Michael Jackson didn't occurr at his funeral.  It wasn't the faces of his friends and family.  It wasn't the terrific performance by his peers.

 

The image I saw that means the most to me was the day after Jackson's death when Janet, his sister, drove herself away from his rented home in the Holmby Hills.  Simply put, at the end of the day, Michael Jackson was just like everyone else.  Did he have issues?  Yes.  Was he supremely talented, yes.  But he passed away, like all of us will someday, and his family, those he left behind, had to do what all of our family friends will have to do.

 

They had to get together and discuss who was going to do what.  Michael's family had to get together after his death and decide who would take care of the things he had at his home, pack them up, bring them back to the family in Encino.  Who was going to make funeral arrrangements.  Who was going to decide where and how he was buried.

 

These are things that all families go through after the death of a loved one, and to me, it was no more obvious that the Jackson's are a family then when I saw Janet driving herself away from Michael's home.

 

An icon?  Absolutely.  The greatest entertainer the world has ever seen?  Probably.  But Michael was also a brother, a son and a father.  That's what I believe is most important to remember about Michael Jackson.

 

 

Remembering Steve McNair

Steve McNair's tragic death due to multiple gun shot wounds, in what I believe will prove to be a murder-suicide, no doubt will personally impact a number of NFL fans.

 

It's difficult to describe what McNair's impact was on the NFL to folks who do not follow professional football.  McNair was the ultimate underdog coming out of college.  He had been given the moniker "Air", as in Steve "Air " McNair, while throwing the ball for Division 1-AA Alcorn State.  Making it in the NFL from a Division 1-AA school is difficult to do.  Making it as a quarterback is virtually impossible.  Making it as a black quarterback, in a time when a stigma still surrounded the black quarterback, although nothing was being said, was supposed to be impossible.

 

Yet, McNair did it.  How difficult is it to make it in the NFL as a quarterback in general?  Although the American public may not know the following names, NFL fans surely do.

 

Jeff George, Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, Cade McNown, Todd Marinovich and Ryan Leaf all were drafted in the 1st round by NFL teams to play quarterback and all, arguably, had a better chance at success than Steve McNair.

 

But "Air McNair proved them wrong and in doing so he, along with Warren Moon and Donovan McNabb, further opened the door for the black quarterback.  That's an important note for a league run by mostly rich white men.

 

Rest in peace, Steve.  You will be missed.

 

 

Happy 4th From North Korea

North Korea fired off 7 missiles today in order to send a message to the United States.  And we thought Iran was an issue?  The truth is that North Korea probably isn't anywhere close to being able to hit the U.S. mainland with their missiles, but Hawaii...okay, that could be another story.

 

The reason I bring this up is because nobody knows really, truly, what goes on in the secretive regime.  Regime change is so far from the minds of the North Korean people that the U.S.  is in a very difficult position. An egomaniac, like Kim Jong, can turn on a dime, to quote a very famous cliche.  One day, he might want to keep the regime going.  The next day he might just rush into Seoul and take down the South Koreans.

 

Either way, the U.S. is in a pickle in regards to this.  Who's to blame?  Two countries.  Ourselves, of course, and the South Koreans who have taken their cue from traditional American capitalism without trying first to instill a bit of their past culture.  By doing so, North and South Korea are literally two separate countries that are increasingly becoming more and more separate.  There's nothign between the two countries that look the same, no ties that bind so to speak.

 

Shame on South Korea for doing that.  And, shame on the U.S. for wiping the asses of the South Koreans for so long.  Am I too harsh?  Maybe.  But when a serious threat like North Korea continues to give my nation the "finger" in the form of ballistic missiles, I begin to worry.  These are my friends, my family, my wife and child that could be in danger.

 

So, step it up U.S. and get the South Koreans to take charge of their issue.  Get China even more invovled and hand over the DMZ.  This ridiculous hand holding has been going on long enough.  Most Americans are just plain sick of it.

 

Our "friends" the South Koreans have been taking advantage of our good graces for way, way too long. 

 

Happy 4th.

 

 

Tiger vs. Anthony Battle at AT&T National Figures to Go Into the Weekend

Tiger Woods finished up his second round at AT&T National on Friday by shooting a 4 under par to take a 1 stroke lead over Anthony Kim into the clubhouse.  Of course, Kim has a lot of golf to play and no doubt could be leading Tiger going into Saturday's third round.

 

For both Woods and Kim, the AT&T National has been an exceptional tournament so far.  Woods needed something positive after failing at Bethpage roughly two weeks ago in the U.S. Open and Anthony Kim hasn't been very good this year.  Woods's bounce back at AT&T signals that he is still the best in the world.  Kim's bounce back signals that the potential he showed last year might be turning into something else - - actual talent.

 

 

Arizona Approves Bill Allowing Guns in Bars

I really shouldn't feel the need to blog about this.  I mean, do I have to spell it out?  Does anyone have to spell it out?  The wild, wild, west that is the stat of Airzona has done it again.  Making inmates live in tents under the hot Arizona sun was bad.

 

But, this?  Allowing individuals to carry guns into bars?  Are you serious?  You...yes, you, 'Zona!

 

I hear the gun lobby saying now, "You have to get a permit in order to carry a gun!  If you go through the trouble to get the permit, why not be able to carry it into a bar?"  Right. 

 

Unbelievable.  The best part is that critics of the bill felt it necessary to say that they believe that "alcohol and guns are a dangerous combination."  Hmm...I hadn't thought of that one.

 

Guns in bars...wow.  That's all I can blog.  Wow.

 

 

 

 

Jim Brown Knocks Tiger Woods For Not Being an Individual for Social Change

Jim Brown knocks Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan for not being individuals for social change in a segment on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.  Brown says, regarding Tiger Woods, "This cat is a mamajama; he is a killer. He'll run over you, he'll kick your ass. But as an individual for social change, or any of that kind of ----? Terrible. Terrible."

 

I get Brown's point regarding both Tiger and MJ, but I'm not exactly sure I agree with the very notion that Woods or Jordan should be individual's for social change.  The truth of the matter is that both Woods and Jordan, I believe, Woods for sure, have foundations and give money to charity.  Beyond that, what are rich people expected to do in this country?  And, if Tiger and MJ are anything, beyond being black, it's taht they are super, super, rich.

 

Again, this isn't saying that Brown's wrong, it's just saying that Tiger and MJ, most Americans, me included, and hopefully, Jim Brown, are doing what we are expected to do.  That is take care of our personal "tribes", our families - - spouses, parents, children, nieces and nephews and grandparents - - before taking care of anyone else.

 

Isn't that the goal of any individual anywhere in the world?  Besides, social change has always come about due to huge movements directed by groups of human beings, not by any one individual.  When Muhammed Ali said that he had "no quarrel with them Viet Cong", he meant it.  He didn't think that he was taking a political stand.  It was a personal stand.  It led to a political stand.

 

We take care of our "tribes", our families, first.  Then, we do what we feel is right for everyone else afterwards.  Maybe, Jim Brown should think about that before hitting another woman.

 

I know, I know, I didn't have to go there, but it is sort of ridiculous that Brown is proselytizing, don't you think?

 

 

 

 

 

FDA Says No More Vicodin and Percocet

The FDA has said, in the words of Amy Winehouse, "No, no, no!" when it comes to the alarmingly addictive drugs, Vicodin and Percocet.  Sounds good to me.  I started out my career as a communicator by working for Cigna Healtchare, in their call center, way back in the mid 1990's.  I took a call one day from an individual claiming to be a big time radio personality in the Valley of the Sun, that's Phoenix, AZ., begging me to call his primary care physician or pharmacist to release Percocet to him.  I was 23 at the time. 

 

You can imagine what I was thinking.  The truth is that I had no idea what Percocet was, but after talking to a couple of older individuals on my team, I quickly found out that the stuff was worse thatn drug I had heard of growing up.  So, I told the poor fella no and went on with my day.

 

Good job, FDA.  Too bad it's happening so late.