Chastian Park is the perfect outdoors venue for the Jackson's Unity Tour. Personally, some of my best concert experiences EVER were in Chastain Park. However, I'm not so sure I would buy a ticket to see these guys. At the very least, I would need for them to come with a Pepper's Ghost (often called a hologram) of Michael Jackson. They don't sound too bad though...

Pepper's Ghost/hologram of Tupac

Was the Man in the Mirror blond?

Yesterday a Pew study showed that African-Americans are far more interested in coverage of Michael Jackson's death than white Americans. From what I have observed, people of all races are interested in Michael Jackson for one reason or another. Rest assured, if nobody was watching it, the networks would not run it.

We can leave it to Faux News and the likes of Bill O’Reilly to try and sum up the findings of the Pew study:

Why should Americans (black or otherwise) disengage from Michael Jackson just because his children appear to be white? Even more troubling is O’Reilly’s reference to the color of Michael Jackson’s skin.

Here is the thing – I believed Michael Jackson when he said he had a skin condition called Vitiligo. I have an in-law who has it, she is almost completely white. My mother has small patches of it on her legs and I have little white dots myself. It attracts a lot of attention from people who just don’t get it that your skin is changing and you can’t control it.

Michael Jackson was known to have a long standing relationship with a dermatologist (that is where he met Debbie Rowe). This dermatologist was more than likely treating Michael for vitiligo. Did Michael bleach his skin? He probably did bleach his skin to even out the tone. Some people with vitilago wear heavy makeup for years to try to even out the skin tone or they try to cover up the areas that are changing.

I wish Michael Jackson had talked about his skin condition more, as he may well be the most famous case of vitiligo in history. By the way, vitiligo also affects the hair. Consider this - it is possible that Michael Jackson died with natural blond hair.

_____________________________________

What is Vitilago?
"Vitiligo (vit-ill-EYE-go) is a pigmentation disorder in which melanocytes (the cells that make pigment) in the skin, the mucous membranes (tissues that line the inside of the mouth and nose and genital and rectal areas), and the retina (inner layer of the eyeball) are destroyed. As a result, white patches of skin appear on different parts of the body. The hair that grows in areas affected by vitiligo usually turns white.

About 1 to 2 percent of the world's population, or 40 to 50 million people, have vitiligo. In the United States, 2 to 5 million people have the disorder. Ninety-five percent of people who have vitiligo develop it before their 40th birthday. The disorder affects all races and both sexes equally." National Institutes of Health

The cause of vitiligo is not known, but doctors and researchers have several different theories. One theory is that people develop antibodies that destroy the melanocytes in their own bodies. Another theory is that melanocytes destroy themselves. Finally, some people have reported that a single event such as sunburn or emotional distress triggered vitiligo; however, these events have not been scientifically proven to cause vitiligo.

UPDATE - July 10, 2009

Dr. Arnold Klein, Michael Jackson's dermatalogist, says Jackson relied on him to help in treating the skin condition vitiligo, which destroys pigment-producing cells and can cause patches of uneven tone. "His was bad because he began to get a totally speckled look over his body," said Klein. "[It was] all over his body, but on his face significantly [and] on his hands, which were very difficult to treat."

"You have one choice where you can use certain drugs and ultraviolet light treatments to try to make the white spots turn dark," Klein explained. However, Jackson’s vitiligo "became so severe, that the easier way is to use certain creams" – very likely hydroquinone derivatives, say other industry experts – "that will make the dark spots turn light so you can even out the pigments totally."

The treatment resulted in a uniform – albeit pale – skin tone. "That's ultimately what the decision had to be. He would have to wear heavy, heavy makeup on stage, which would be ridiculous. And he couldn't really go out in public without looking terribly peculiar."

Wanna make the World a better place?

The Man in the Mirror, the Michael Jackson song that filled me with the hope that mankind could and would find the good that exist in us all. He pleaded with us to do one basic thing - take a look at ourselves and do what we can to make the world - our world a better place. So profound, I feel the Church in me (if you know what I mean) every time I hear it.

I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .

As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs

A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself, And Then Make A Change)
(Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na, Na Nah)

I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not Alone?

A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
(Washed-Out Dream)
They Follow The Pattern Of The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With Me
(Starting With Me!)

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
(Ooh!)
And No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change)

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror
(Ooh!)
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
(Change His Ways-Ooh!)
And No Message Could've Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make That . . .
(Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make That . . .)
Change!

I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror,
(Man In The Mirror-Oh Yeah!)
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways
(Better Change!)
No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
(Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make The Change)
(You Gotta Get It Right, While You Got The Time)
('Cause When You Close Your Heart)
You Can't Close Your . . .Your Mind!
(Then You Close Your . . .Mind!)
That Man, That Man, That Man, That Man
With That Man In The Mirror
(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)
That Man, That Man, That Man
I'm Asking Him To Change His Ways (Better Change!)
You Know . . .That Man
No Message Could Have Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make A Change)

Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na, Na Nah
(Oh Yeah!)
Gonna Feel Real Good Now!
Yeah Yeah! Yeah Yeah! Yeah Yeah!
Na Na Na, Na Na Na, Na Na, Na Nah
(Ooooh . . .)
Oh No, No No . . .
I'm Gonna Make A Change
It's Gonna Feel Real Good!
Come On!
(Change . . .)

Just Lift Yourself You Know
You've Got To Stop It.
Yourself!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
I've Got To Make That Change,
Today!
Hoo!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Got To

You Got To Not Let Yourself . . .
Brother . . .
Hoo!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
You Know-I've Got To Get
That Man, That Man . . .
(Man In The Mirror)
You've Got To
You've Got To Move! Come
On! Come On!
You Got To . . .
Stand Up! Stand Up!
Stand Up!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Stand Up And Lift
Yourself, Now!
(Man In The Mirror)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Aaow!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Gonna Make That Change . . .
Come On!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know . . .
(Change . . .)
Make That Change.

Michael Jackson the King of Pop Dead at 50

Michael Jackson was pronounced dead by doctors this afternoon after arriving at the hospital in a deep coma. The Michael Jackson in the picture above is the Michael Jackson I feel in love with as a girl. There was a time when the Jackson 5 were regulars in Peoria. I would sit on my porch many evenings and dream of being discovered by Michael.

Michael Jackson. What will his legacy be? What will become of his children?

Michael Joseph Jackson - one of the greatest dancers of all time has moonwalked his way on out of here. May he find the peace that has eluded him for so long.