MICHAEL JACKSON

When I was a little boy, one of the first albums I remember being absolutely hypnotized by was the ABC album. Five kids on the cover and three gigantic letters and that album would become a cornerstone in my learning to read. My sister would play the album for me and I clearly remember asking her to replay ABC over and over again and she would tell me about other songs on the album and for a long time I would listen to her and smile…I only wanted to hear ABC.


The first time I played an album on our record player without adult supervision was a Jackson 5 album. I tried to be certain to pick the needle up on our Zenith carefully so I didn’t scratch the LP but I was scared to touch it anymore than I had already and I was forced to listen to an entire side of that great album. Now understand that was before my life would change completely and totally and Michael and the brothers were friends of mine…at least in my mind. We had adventures together and they provided the soundtrack. I didn’t know anything about love but I knew that Michael was letting some young lady know that the love you save may be your own…their music remains so important to me that I am honored to have been around when they were fresh and unfettered.


When I was in high school in the ‘80’s, I was caught in the middle of Michael Jackson fever. It was CRAZY! Imagine that every day on TV, Michael’s face or song or dance move or glove was being imprinted on the world. Please make no mistake – Michael Jackson set this planet musically on fire. No human being will duplicate what he did in the music industry simply because they don’t make LP’s anymore…he was paramount in revolutionizing the “music video”. He was on the verge of being the most recognized human being on the planet but we loved him too much. We got upset when we felt he failed us. We turned our back on him and made him the centerpiece of our jokes and now we are reflecting on how he played a role in our lives. We are all guilty of it whether we want to admit it or not.


This is one of those “do you remember where you were when” days like 9/11, when Reagan was shot, when you first saw Thriller – see what I mean?! Michael Joseph Jackson has made his transition and even though in coming days his life will be relinquished to the public and pundits to scrutinize and analyze and dissect…I want to remember the great comfort I took as a little boy in the ‘70’s and as a teenager in the ‘80’s…as a grown up now, I want my sense of recall to continue to be amazed that I saw it. I saw Michael and his brothers literally change the attitudes of the world during difficult times and prosperity.
I am probably going to write more about my feelings. I’ll certainly write a poem or two...I will certainly make it my business to listen to my MJ downloads since we naturally continue to move forward and rely on our sense of recall… rest in peace brother and know that you changed the world for a little while. We hope to live long enough to see the likes of you again.


Peace Michael Joseph Jackson – rest.

HOW MUCH IS A CITY'S SOUL WORTH?

Get ready Chicago...the Olympic smack down is coming. Whether the actual Olympiad makes it to Chicago is out of the United States Olympic Committee's hands but don't tell Mayor Daley that. In what is quickly becoming the beginning of the end for the once unbeatable albeit unchallengeable Mayor Daley, the Olympic pursuit and the slush fund known as the Parking Meter Fiasco/Olympic Fund may prove to be too much for Hizzoner II.

In a magnificent blog written by Greg Hinz for Crain's Chicago Business, he makes the case that what the Mayor did in Switzerland is being questioned by the Alderman and other members of the city and state government. Well that's special considering that when and as all of this was building, no one cared. Support the bid or face the Mayor's wrath. Mention any problems with the CTA or the Chicago Public Schools or the spike in the city's violence and you could miss out on the Olympic cash cow when it gets here.

And in a stunningly stupid move, Mayor Daley goes to Switzerland and sells the future of this city for two weeks of cha-ching. By guaranteeing over $1Billion in "taxpayer free funds" and this came after he said that it wouldn’t cost the city more than $500 Million, and after he stomped his feet and proclaimed that he would NOT sign the International Olympic Committee’s standard host city contract, he all but sealed every citizen in Chicago's fate. The future is up for sale and if 20 or 30 years from now we still aren’t paying for it, I would be surprised.

Property taxes, city sales tax, whatever tax that can be devised will propagate this huge financial mess. Potentially we (Chicagoans) lose from the jump and don't believe the hype and the hot-air coming from the City Council. Those are the same folks who decided that they didn't care about those parking meters and the Mayor selling the rights to them for the next 75 years and underselling just to get that cha-ching! They began to care once they started getting tickets on their cars.

Well here is the truth - fuck the Olympics (and in this age of social network background checks, I'll probably never be invited to work for this great city in ANY capacity), this is about the gentrifying of communities and the ability to make money. In the short term those folks who live along the King Drive corridor and near the old Michael Reese Hospital and the rest of the "urban" areas affected by this wet dream of a two week international sporting event will lose. They gotta go baby! We got kiosks to build and fresh new faces to replace the historically overlooked people who live in the way of progress.

Mayor Daley wants the Olympics - BAD and you do too let him tell it. The money that the Mayor is asking - oops guaranteeing could be used to restore the Chicago Transportation Authority, repair the HORRID educational system and assure that years from now the citizens aren't still paying for the Mayor's fantasy. Chicago isn’t Japan or South America or Spain. They are COUNTRIES not a city like Chicago…the United States isn't financially "backing the bid" - FUCK NO! In insuring that the city’s liability won’t exceed $500 Million, who pays for that guarantee?

Mayor Richard Michael Daley is going to make us pay and go down in history as the man who bankrupted Chicago.

CAN'T SAY WE DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING

The murder of Dr. George Tiller and the shooting at the Holocaust Museum today should NOT surprise ANYBODY. The spike in gun sales after the election of President Obama shouldn't surprise ANYBODY. The ugly head of racism has never stuck its head in the sand and the games have just begun. The excuses that we may hear over time will range from the election of a black president (he's black when it's something diabolical like this and multi-racial when its Disneyesque), the horrid economy which was destroyed by the Bush Administration, or just good old 'oh shit here comes good old rooted in the fabric of the nation' RACISM. Or maybe its just hatred or stupidity or lack of history?

There is a novel thought...lack of history. Knowing the history of the US, the REAL history of the United States would flip anyone's wig and apparently it has. The alleged shooter in the case of Dr. Tiller and the Holocaust Museum share a common bond, they contribute to hate groups. Listen I don't care what your belief system is, killing someone because you don't get down with the way a person or people think is wack. It makes you, if you think that way-mildly retarded and furthermore you need a tune-up. Your chakras aren't aligned properly.

The latest in a long line of elderly wackjob white supremacists is this man - James W. Von Brunn a real zippity doodah American. He doesn't like me or you for reading this. If you ever watched a basketball game or listened to a Motown record he doesn't like you, ever had inter-racial "relations"? DON"T LIKE YOU. Got mixed race children or like sweet potatoes - you can hang it up. Think thats something, he has been calling for the death of humans for most of his 89 years on Earth. 89!!!

He waltzed into the Holocaust Museum in Washington DC determined to carry out his dream of killing people and was shot by police but not after killing two people AND HE STILL LIVES! Carrying the banner of JESUS and telling anyone who will listen that GOD hates you, Mr. Von Brunn will live to be a million because his blood is deliciously tainted with history. He knows the real history of this country. It's fueled by racism and hate and confusion and misinformed white folks/black folks and soon to be added to the list eager Latinos who have been watching the powers that be spin everything from water hoses and lynchings to Mr. Von Brunn.

No surprises however from me. I've lived here my whole life and my voice though small carries...I see you Christian right and no I ain't comin' to church on Sunday...you kill people in the name of GOD. My God does not roll like that.

OPEN LETTER TO THE CITIZENS OF CHICAGO

                                                                                                          6/04/2009

 

Peace.

 

My name is Mario Smith. I am a 3rd generation Chicagoan and what I am seeing is frightening. In this great city there are too many families, friends and acquaintances who are suffering because their loved ones have been victimized by the horrid and needless to say utterly senseless violence that has gripped our city. Chicago is a town that has always been associated with violent reactions to challenging conditions. The time has come to look within ourselves and ask why. Really ask yourselves as I am doing – why?

 

We monitor our “wealth” by our children's happiness. Their smiles have been replaced with blank stares and mischievous smirks. Some of them have lost the will to continue and we aren't talking about hardcore grownups - these are indeed children. Their happiness has been co-opted in exchange for sexual promiscuity, open air marketing and disrespectful behavior. The latter coming from disrespectful parents.  Alarming numbers of Chicago Public School kids murdered.  That must come to an end. Within the past week in a 24 hour period 7 lives were lost to violence. This is unacceptable. Lives being turned upside down for what? The citizens turning on the police making an already difficult situation heighten to an unfathomable end.

 

This letter is for those of us regardless of ethnicity, financial standing or level of competency, this moment in our city's history is very telling. What must be done to improve the conditions of our citizenry so that we can see these numbers dwindle? This isn't a time for quibbling over who started what but a time to examine how it will be stopped.

 

Chicago, Illinois is the center of the universe right now. All eyes are on the men, women and children who reside here. Our inability to speak is getting people killed and at some point before this gets much worse the people in this town must do something. If you are reading this then you have the ability to promote peace. There is no middle ground in this venture. 

 

The foundation of our existence is grounded in a peaceful way of life for everyone who desires it. Peace cannot be co-opted nor can it be attained by ruthless means. It can be demanded however and I as a citizen of the city I love more than anyone can imagine will use my pen and my voice in that call: the demanding of peace on the streets of Chicago.

 

I am glad that I can say that violence hasn't played a major role in my life...unfortunately there is a city full of people who can't say the same. If for no other reason this is why we must demand an end to the ridiculous violence that is making life in my city tough for everybody.

 

M