sat’day riddymz

sat’day riddymz

WOW!! It’s hard to fathom that it’s been 2 years ago today already that MJ died. I for one have come to appreciate his music more and more.

The Poured Out Life of Michael Jackson

In the days since Michael Jackson passed, I have been thinking alot about his genius. He was a fantastic dancer and had an unmistakable and beautiful singing voice. I have enjoyed his talent since the beginning. I’m an old school fan having listened to “ABC” and the rest. He was also the greatest performer alive. He put so much of himself into all that he did on the stage, and the world loved him for it.

He was also great on the “stage” in productions like “The Wiz” and in all of his videos, which were all fantastic productions in themselves. It was easy for us to see just how much he loved his craft and how much he loved us and loved performing for us. He has said that he felt more at ease on the stage for his fans than anywhere.

In my thoughts about Michael, I think of being “poured out” like a drink offering that’s spoken of by the Apostle Paul. As far as I know, Michael was a Jehovah’s Witness, but when I look at how he poured all of himself into performing with the gifts that God gave him, I can only conclude that he lived his life fully and did what he was sent to do. None of us is perfect and can never be. We all have sin in our lives–Jesus told us so, and He came to redeem us from sin.

Michael had a lot of self inflicted torments, and many more that were inflicted on him by evil, self-absorbed people, and we all were able to see the manifestation of all his troubles in more ways than one in his life. His pain was very visible to us. Yet if one asks if his talent was God’s gift to the world, we have to say yes, because the world loves him. And if we ask if he used the gifts that God gave him, then we again must say yes!

To me, Michael is a great example of the sacrificed life to the glory of God! He blessed many people in the assignment God gave to him to do. That is what we are all supposed to do with the gift/assignment that God gives us. I believe God is well pleased with Michael.
Amen.
First published on July 1, 2009 at wrestlegod.blogspot.com

New Years Resolution

The decade that was…

In comparison with the span of time, ten years really isn’t that long, however a lot can happen in that time. The last ten years have brought lots of significant changes to my life. I got a new job, moved twice to different cities, got divorced and remarried, had a son and met through blogging some amazing people from various parts of the Diaspora. Through it all I have come to appreciate and enjoy my life more and more.

On this, the last day of the decade, I will highlight year by year, a couple significant events which at least changed my world.

2000: The largest non-event that happened to begin the new decade: Y2K! We were told to expect the apocalypse when the clocks hit “0-0-0”. Computers would crash, planes and satellites would then fall from the sky, traffic lights would go haywire causing multiple accidents, we would be without electricity, heat and water. There was to be worldwide panic followed by widespread lootings and killings. We were encouraged to hoard food, water, batteries and get rid of our condoms… so we could immediately begin to repopulate the planet. I was assigned to a uniform detail and sat in a basement with a riot team ready to be deployed to protect life, property and restore order. I ended up playing Euchre ’til 6 in the morning, while my family and friends partied like it’s 1999!

2001: 9/11 happened and changed the world as we know it. It lead to a new assignment and a couple relocations for me. Selfishly, it also made it more of a hassle for me (and all of us I suspect) to travel by plane than increase my (our) confidence in the safety of air travel.

2002: I moved from Toronto to Windsor.
           U.S. and other allied forces invasion of Afghanistan begins on 01 March.   

2003: Tampa Bay Buccaneers whip the Oakland Raiders 48-12 in SuperBowl XXXVII on 26 January. The Raiders haven’t recovered since.  
           The U.S. and the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” invades Iraq on 20 March.

2004: The Madrid Spain, train bombings on 11 March.
            Re-election of George W. Bush.   

2005: London, England subway and bus terrorist bombings on 07 July.
           Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans and the Gulf Coastal region causing death and mayhem.     

2006: On 31 January my father died.
           On Friday 05 May, my partner was murdered.
           On 28 July I got married.
           In October, I move to our nation’s capital, Ottawa.

2007: The birth of my son.
           The genesis of the AfroSpear.

2008: Election of 1st African-American president of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

2009: H1N1 global pan(ic)demic. 
           Death of Michael Jackson.
           Nigerian terrorist attempts to blow up plane, now justifying even more racial profiling of Black people travelling by air. I’m done travelling by plane for a while! 

2010: We made it! Happy New Decade!

Online Guest Book for Michael Jackson

Share your memories, thoughts and condolences along with fans from all over the world. Click on image below.   

sat’day riddymz #13

Michael Jackson: the day the music died

I remember as a child, I first became aware of Michael Jackson with his song “Ben”. I was around 10 years old at the time and I remember thinking this is the sweetest song I’d ever heard about friendship. 

I remember when Off the Wall came out. I was 18 years old, full of “piss and vinegar” and was just getting started into my clubbing days. I had a lot of good times during that period and Michael’s music was the soundtrack to that part of my life. 

I remember when I first heard “Billie Jean” from the albumn Thriller. It was “off the wall”!!! At the time I thought it was the best dance song I’d ever heard. I sweated at the clubs (and at home) to hit after hit from that albumn: “Beat it”, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin”, “P.Y.T.” Then came the video to the song “Thriller”! I remember the first time I saw it and I just sat there on the couch, stunned for a while… and then thinking: “This is the most amazing thing I’d ever seen in my life!” 

I remember Michael’s signature dance moves. When he first performed his “moonwalk” on the Motown special, I was floored! I will never forget the dance sequence at the end of the original video for the song “Black or White”. His complex dance moves, including the tap sequence, which seemed to be driven by a foreboding sexually charged energy and then all released through violent, destructive and explosive behaviour… though controversial… was something I had never seen before and has never been nor will never be duplicated.  

Just like with Bob Marley, the passing of Michael Jackson is a significant event in my life. The man and his music represented a time and place in pop culture that influenced and shaped the lives of not only those of my generation, but also those before, after and to come.     

Rest in peace King of Pop.  

“And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.”
From “American Pie” by Don McLean