Pop Goes The "King of Pop"

Hero worship in our culture knows no bounds. What a tragic figure was one Michael Jackson, an American star from a very young age who went through several increasingly bizarre and very public changes. Why does the conduct of a mega-star person in their private life not affect how they are publicly perceived?

Michael Jackson was, by all accounts, a pedophile. For those of you in denial about it, please explain (to yourself) why he had a warning system installed so that he could be made aware of people approaching his bedroom. He acknowledged in an 2003 interview that he liked to share his bed with children. No "normal" (read:not a pedophile) adult male would think it was OK to share their bed with children who were not their own. period. This behavior suggests that this was a compulsion he could not control because anyone other than a pedophile would stop this type of "innocent" behavior after paying $15-23M dollars to settle a lawsuit about child molestation.

Let's recap about Michael:

• Pedophile
• Surgical self-disfigurement
• Self-loathing
• Bizarre narcissism
• Drug addict

Now with all of these qualities, why should the fact that he was an original and gifted musician make these OK?

Michael was so addicted to drugs, he was taking anaesthesia to sleep. What "normal" (read: not a drug-addict) person takes sedatives to sleep? I am sure there are legions of people to make excuses for Michael. In 2007 a pharmacy filed a lawsuit against him for not paying his bill totalling $101,926.66. Jackson was eating one meal a day, his hips, thighs and shoulders were riddled with needle wounds that were likely the result of narcotic painkillers. The only thing in his stomach were partially digested pills.

Michael Jackson was an adult. His handlers don't have any responsibility for keeping him alive. We are responsible for the choices we make, yet Michael won't be in the ground long before his family files a rainbow of lawsuits against a legion of targets. Where was his family when he was swirling the drain? Have they no shame? If he was anything other than a meal ticket to them, perhaps they might feel some responsibility for how Michael ended up.

Nevertheless, Michael Jackson is a perfect example of a tragic life, not a tragic death. He spent his money frivolously, engaged in cosmetic surgery frivolously. His death was not a "tragedy". It was completely predictable. This man had so little regard for his children that he dangled poor "blanket" off a balcony railing for the paparazzi.

This freak of humanity pursued material belongings and earthly pleasures as a way of life. Remember the hyperbaric sleeping chamber and the chimp? The only people surprised by how Michael Jackson ended were the ones deluding themselves about what kind of person he was.

This said, what is wrong with our culture that this kind of person should be celebrated, even worshipped? Soon Michael Jackson will be in the ground, and I can't wait to move on. I am sure that bizarre drug addicted pedophiles die every day somewhere on Earth, but I cannot understand why a bizarre drug-addicted talented pedophile should warrant a parade of mourning. Our culture is sick. I hope that we can heal ourselves, but it starts with being honest with ourselves.

Michael Jackson was dead long ago. He can now only offer humanity a reminder that fame and money mean nothing. Loving our loved ones and giving of ourselves in the form of time or treasure are the only pursuits worth pursuing.

our first affirmative action president

I am genuinely looking forward to finding out about just what kind of change we have ushered in to these United States at this critical juncture. I recently had the chance to sit down with my cousin, a very dear relative of mine who could not wait to pull the lever for now president-elect Obama. The question I posed to her after this revelation to me was this: "What were Obama's professional accomplishments?"

The only restrictions I put on the question were to disclude writing a book or getting elected to office.

She could not identify one. I chose not to kick her in the teeth by pointing out that his one legislation was a global handout in the form of hundreds of billions of dollars and packaged as "global poverty reduction" that did not pass.

I did point out that he voted "present" so many times instead of voting up or down.

She slightly sheepishly admitted that she had heard about that and made it be known to me that while she voted for Obama, she did not have the fervor and fury that some of her cohorts and compadres had for rushing the polling locations with their black panther friends.

To be clear, my cousin is a cognitive individual, and rare amongst the liberals I have known. To be fair, you could not paint her entirely with the "Liberal" brush although she leans that way.

I categorized her as a "intelligent somewhat liberal" at three in the morning after a spirited debate. I made sure she knew I did not mean "somewhat intelligent liberal" which is how most conversations with people I engage from the non-conservative viewpoint.

We went back and forth throughout the night on many issues, but mostly affirmative action. At the end of it all I think I was genuinely able to say that both my cousin and her husband heard my viewpoint and acknowledged that you cannot uphold equality by enforcing inequality. While there was a maintained position of affirmative action as a "necessary evil", I feel as if my point got across to them.

In the process, however, I frustrated her husband by repeatedly cutting him of when he was trying to make his point. Don't get me wrong here, his point was not as informed or well thought out as mine, but I was forced to admit that I have some growth areas to focus on in 2009.

I need to let the liberals make their point entirely and without cutting them off, even when I am excited and passionate and they could not be more wrong. Only after having been given the opportunity to fully and completely speak their peace with perfect freedom to be as wrong as possible should I speak up.

Thank you, cousin for the great time together. Thank you, my cousin's husband for the lesson on manners.

This blog is a dedication to my uncle. His fine conservative mind was a beacon of light for those who knew him. On his behalf I declare this digital creation a watchdog group and beacon for conservative principals and values.

Rest In Peace, uncle.