Dancing Machine

I've never been a great dancer myself but I LOVE dance as an art form so it's no wonder I love MICHAEL!

This is one of the most creative and stunning MJ dance montages I've seen:

We had him.

This Saturday 25 June is the 2 year anniversary of Michael Jackson's death. It still feels very sad for me and for millions of fans all over the world. You will hear about Michael this week on my blog, & see some cool rare shots of him, words from his friends, and videos about who he was really and that show his amazing ability as a performer as well as his personal life and humanitarianism efforts.

"We had him" by Maya Angelou

Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.

In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell time. No oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and he survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.

Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England

We are missing Michael.

But we do know we had him, and we are the world.

- "We had him" written by Maya Angelou, performed at Michael's memorial 2009 by Queen Latifah.

Become Legendary. Or just, fit.

Like most people, especially women, in this world, I'm trying quite hard to be a gym junkie! I've never been athletic - I was the kid who got out of school sports events with all kinds of phony stunts and forged notes from "Mum". I rathered (and often did) spend my time in the library, or at the theatre, over running around on the school oval trying to compete at something I'm inherently horrible at - group sports. To me, Cross-Country or the swimming carnival were horrors to behold, probably because I was always coming last...

Since school however, I've actually kept much fitter than lots of the sporty kids from school (who tend to balloon once they get out into the world of drinking and partying at university, & those early morning training sessions & the burning desire for the "age champion" become hazy memories through a blur of never ending hangovers and late night McDonalds runs). I've had a gym membership ever since I left school (even in San Francisco where I became quite the porker regardless - all day at the gym wouldn't have burnt those California Calories). My favourite thing to do at the gym is group fitness, but I'm trying hard to get into running with the help of the new Nike APP (Nike + GPS) which is brilliant by-the-way. This is my weekly program at the moment:

Day 1: Body Step (1 hr)
Day 2: Body Step (1 hr)
Day 3: Half hour running (1/2 hour)
Day 4: Body Combat (1 hr)
Day 5: Body Pump (1 hr)
Day 6: N/A
Day 7: Body Pump OR Body Combat  (1 hr)

Before you think to yourself, "wow, what a legend," I'm not actually hitting this target as yet! I'm getting in about 3 of the classes and sometimes the run. So I need to pick up my act. I may have hated sports at school, but I think it had more to do with the peer pressure and competitiveness of it all. I love getting in a routine at the gym - there's nothing better than feeling fit and healthy.

What do you do each week for fitness?

Are you struggling? Here's a bit of run-spiration:

Of course, I prefer this version, speaking of inspiring individuals and shoes:

For cool recipes and tips check out Lee's great blog, "Fit Foodie Finds" - she is all about being fit and healthy, even on a college budget! It's a great blog, and I say it with love when I say trust an American to think putting peanut butter on everything is HEALTHY! But truely she has some great tips and recipes, her posts will motivate you.

He does nothin', the boy does nothin': domestic Gods.

Oh but these boys do. This made me smile. Chances are you thought you'd never see Michael Jackson scrubbing a saucepan, or Paul McCartney swinging off the end of a tea towel, for that matter - you were wrong.
 Enjoy.

Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney - washin' up.

Much too soon

I was listening to this on the train this morning and just had to share it. "Much too Soon" was released last year on the first post-humous album of new Michael Jackson material, "Michael". This song was recorded by Michael way back in the 1982 Thriller sessions. There are mixed reports as to why this song was kept in the vault so long - it didn't make the final cut for Thriller because Michael chose "She's out of my life" instead. According to his official website, "Michael always liked the song and would pull it back out of the vaults for each subsequent album project but never found the right home for it. Here it finds its place as the bittersweet closing to the stellar collection."

This song really stands out to me, because it sounds nothing like any of Michael's other songs, with a beautiful folk feel to it. The melody for "Much too soon" is gorgeous, brought to life by an absoutely stunning vocal delivery and soaring strings. The song isn't over-produced, so the melody and sweetness of it shines. When I listened to it it gave me goosebumps and tears. Have a listen:

"I hope to make a change now for the better,

Never letting fate control my soul,

And I'm hoping that my prayers will see,

The day that you come back to me,

But I guess I learned my lesson much too soon"

© MJJ Productions, Sony Music Entertainment. This song is not mine and I claim no ownership of it. No copyright infringement is intended. "Much too Soon" music and lyrics written by Michael Jackson, performed by Michael Jackson, produced by Michael Jackson & John McClain.