Over the weekend I have truly enjoyed catching up on some long-forgotten music from The Jackson Five, The Jacksons, and of course Michael Jackson alone. I think for those of us of a certain age, his music (and Madonna’s) has been the popular soundtrack to our lives. From Facebook messages to phone calls to conversations, everyone was talking and exchanging stories of how they remember his many songs – where they were when they heard it, how it always makes them smile. So, despite the later-day nightmare Michael Jackson became at the end, it is indeed fortunate that what we remember is the music.

This weekend I was driving with one of my best friends, listening to an MJ tribute channel, and we talked about how no matter how awful and lifeless a party may be, if “Beat It” or “Billie Jean” come on the stereo, everyone gets up to dance. I defy anyone to try to avoid succumbing to those timeless grooves! As we continued to chat and listen, we exchanged stories. I realized that the moments in time when I first heard certain Michael Jackson songs are preserved in crystal clear memory for me…

The first time I heard “Beat It” I was quite young, probably in first grade. We were living in our old house and our babysitter Juliet was taking care of us during the day one Saturday (which was rare.) We were in the kitchen and Juliet changed the station on my Mom’s radio (which was strictly reserved for the news,) to a music station and instantly started to dance. Suspicious, I asked her what the song was…she said “It’s Michael Jackson – it’s called “Beat It”…” and then began to dance throughout our kitchen.

I remember being so intrigued by the sparkling uniforms he wore, the glove, which was totally incongruous and odd, and the dancing was completely thrilling. The “moonwalk” became a part of our vocabulary overnight, and even though we were young, we knew exactly how cool it was.

When the video for “Thriller” came out, my sister saw it at a sleepover birthday party with some friends. It was to be a double-feature with Stand by Me, which had also recently come out, and starred our then crush-royale, River Phoenix. We didn’t have MTV or cable at our house, so we hadn’t seen any videos let alone this one. This was right when VCRs had just been released onto the market, and we are all still tickled pink at the novelty of watching this type of thing at home. I didn’t see the video, but I remember how my sister had to sleep with the light on for weeks after watching it, she was convinced the zombies were going to come and get her.

In seventh grade I did community service with my classmates at a child care center in the Mission District of San Francisco. The kids were little, maybe kindergarten-age, and lot of the kids didn’t speak English, but at recess time, all they wanted to do way play and sing “Bad”. Every single kid knew the words, the dances, and sang them all with gusto. “I’m bad! I’m bad! You know…c’mon…” they’d shout it all over the place and laugh.

In college some of my friends formed a band. It was a great college band that has since gone on to become a band based in Oakland, CA called Audio Out Send. They may hate that I tell you this, but back in the day (when they were first called Dr. Teeth and then Lazybones,) when they played a lot of covers, their version of “Billie Jean” was fantastic.

When I started to train for triathlons a few years ago, I started to go to spin class quite a bit. I was very new at the sport, so I was glad that spin allowed for fun music to be played – it really helped to get through the class. One of the best songs for finishing a long spin session? “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” – it always made me smile even when the class was greuling.

Even now, gatherings with friends always get a little brighter when songs from Thriller or Off the Wall come on the player – everyone wants another glass of something to keep the party going on.

On Friday afternoon I went over to Trader Joe’s. They were playing The Jackson Five at a pretty high volume, even for Trader Joe’s. Throughout the entire store, staff and customers alike were singing along and kind of laughing at themselves because of it.

It was like everyone was giddy – the music is pure magic.

Courtesy : www.poeticandchic.com

© Bryan Borland
Courtesy : http://poeticgrin.com

Tight Rope Walking ain’t That Hard
After Slamming Back A Few
You’re Laughing Now But It ain’t That Funny
When we get through with you
Tell me we’re all about failing and being wrong
Tell me I’ll never let go of you, I will never give or take you for a ride

And I can’t hear myself scream (If I Never Loved You, I Wouldn’t Cry)
And I can’t hear myself dream (If Loving Meant Living, Then I Wouldn’t Die)
And I can’t let myself go, waiting for you, waiting for you
And I can’t feel myself crying

Standing closer ain’t that bad
With your hands upon your face
You look too far I looked much harder
And they lost all sense of trace
Me and draw up colour me lost and found
Tear me down lift me up you make me feel so god damn colder than you’re bleeding eyes

And I can’t hear myself scream (If I Never Loved You, I Wouldn’t Cry)
And I can’t hear myself dream (If Loving Meant Living, Then I Wouldn’t Die)
And I can’t let myself go, waiting for you, waiting for you
And I can’t feel myself crying

If I Never Knew You
I’d Never Love You
If I Never Loved You
Then I Wouldn’t Cry
If I Never Hold You
Then I’ll never know you
If Loving Meant Living
Then I Wouldn’t Die

And I can’t hear myself scream (If I Never Loved You, I Wouldn’t Cry)
And I can’t hear myself dream (If Loving Meant Living, Then I Wouldn’t Die)
And I can’t let myself go, waiting for you, waiting for you
And I can’t feel myself crying

And I can’t hear myself scream (If I Never Loved You, I Wouldn’t Cry)
And I can’t hear myself dream (If Loving Meant Living, Then I Wouldn’t Die)
And I can’t hear myself scream (If I Never Loved You, I Wouldn’t Cry)
And I can’t hear myself dream (If Loving Meant Living, Then I Wouldn’t Die)

The United States on Wednesday praised the steps Taiwan has taken under President Ma Ying-jeou to reduce decades-old hostilities with China.

Raymond Burghardt, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), outlined Washington’s views as he met Ma on his first visit to the island since the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

The AIT was authorised by the US government to handle civil exchanges with Taiwan after Washington switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

“The Obama administration, like the Bush administration before, has a very positive view of the progress that has been made since last May in restoring dialogue and the many steps toward the improvement of the cross-Strait relationship,” said Burghardt, who is effectively the top US envoy dealing with Taiwan.

China and Taiwan have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949, but Beijing considers the island a part of Chinese territory and is determined to get it back — by force if necessary.

However, relations have improved dramatically since Ma’s Kuomintang party took office last May promising to boost cross-Strait trade and tourism.

Since then, the two sides have launched daily flights and direct shipping links while Taiwan also plans to phase out its decades-old military conscription policy over the next five years.

For its part, Beijing reportedly is considering cutting the number of missiles deployed against the island, which Taiwan estimates at more than 1,300.

Burghardt dismissed speculation by some newspapers that Washington was unhappy because its strategic interest had been undermined by Ma’s policy towards China.

“I just want to show you that all these analyses and theories have somehow misunderstood the US position… we really and truly are enthusiastic about the stability we now see.”

Burghardt, however, also renewed Washington’s commitment to supply sufficient weapons to Taiwan so that the island can defend itself and have more confidence in negotiating with Beijing.

The United States has remained the leading arms supplier to Taiwan despite Beijing’s objections.

THE sun is warm, the sky is clear,
The waves are dancing fast and bright,
Blue isles and snowy mountains wear
The purple noon’s transparent might:
The breath of the moist earth is light           5
Around its unexpanded buds;
Like many a voice of one delight—
The winds’, the birds’, the ocean-floods’—
The city’s voice itself is soft like solitude’s.

I see the deep’s untrampled floor                  10
With green and purple seaweeds strown;
I see the waves upon the shore
Like light dissolved in star-showers thrown.
I sit upon the sands alone;
The lightning of the noontide ocean              15
Is flashing round me, and a tone
Arises from its measured motion—
How sweet, did any heart now share in my emotion!

Alas! I have nor hope nor health,
Nor peace within nor calm around;             20
Nor that content, surpassing wealth,
The sage in meditation found,
And walk’d with inward glory crown’d;
Nor fame, nor power, nor love, nor leisure.
Others I see whom these surround—             25
Smiling they live, and call life pleasure:
To me that cup has been dealt in another measure.

Yet now despair itself is mild,
Even as the winds and waters are;
I could lie down like a tired child,                    30
And weep away the life of care
Which I have borne, and yet must bear,—
Till death like sleep might steal on me,
And I might feel in the warm air
My cheek grow cold, and hear the sea            35
Breathe o’er my dying brain its last monotony.

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