MJ

This may seem like the obligatory post on Michael Jackson that everyone and their mother is posting but I don't care. When my husband called me last night, waking me from a much needed hungover induced nap, and told me he was coming home late oh, and Michael Jackson is dead, I thought my phone connection was being weird.

I realized after he said it the second time that it was the truth and that sometimes truth can feel like a liquid lead weight that settles first in your throat before slipping down into your gut.

So, I turned on the computer and the news and the media didn't fail me.

I loved Michael Jackson as a kid. I learned to dance and appreciate pop music by listening and watching Michael Jackson do his thing. As a kid, I didn't realize what he was doing was influential, I merely took advantage of the fact that his awesomeness made me shimmy my little butt and made me want to run away in horror when the Thriller video came on.

Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Kenny Loggins and probably a few others I can't remember (or choose not to) were a staple of my audio diet from ages 1-5. Michael, Janet and Rod carried through in my own pantheon of music tastes and staples.

My favorite Michael Jackson song is "Smooth Criminal". The song itself doesn't really make a whole lot of sense because who knows if Annie is really okay and why would you assume she was if there were bloodstains on her carpet? It boggles the mind. But! The beat was amazing, the lyrics were catchy and I spent hours - on the floor - practicing the Michael Jackson lean.

I still can't do the moonwalk but I can still lift my leg up and grab my crotch. I can't spin as fast as I used to but I can still stomp my heel.

Michael Jackson, despite his personal demons and eccentricities was still an amazing performer, artist and innovator of music.

There will never be another like him. He was an Elvis for my generation.

Recently at my wedding, I played two MJ songs and when Billie Jean came on a friend of mine danced the whole entire song MJ style (he was amazing). That's what Michael Jackson does to our generation. His music finds a way into our lives and roots itself in to our pop music psychology.

So, enough with my personal experiences with Michael Jackson music and just let me get to the meat here.

Thank you Michael and I hope you finally find some peace. You will be remembered and played at many a wedding :)

Stuck on Repeat

This will be quick. I would just like to announce that I have finally settled down to write a new manuscript. This one is about zombies.

Yeah. I know. Trust me, it's not what you think. It straddles the line between horror and romance. I know - weird.

sigh.

Trust me. I think it'll be good.