Alright, I'm sorry. It has been a few days since I've been able to put updates on here because I do not have internet at home and if any of you were following that bill from last week you would have deduced that I'd be pretty busy during the day. I spent almost all of Thursday and Friday on the hill for this...

However, as big as that was, nothing was bigger, to me, than the news of Michael Jackson's death. I was stunned when I found out as I was about to leave work on Thursday. Now, some may think I'm too young to have been part of the craze of Michael, but they would be mistaken. As long as I can remember, Michael Jackson has been an amazing music figure. I would be lying if I said it didn't hit me hard. As some of you saw on my Facebook status, this was yet another blow in the pop culture part of my childhood, after Tupac, Biggie and Aaliyah. All very young. So while it may seem disconcerting that it meant so much to me, music has played a vital role in my life and yes, you do grow to like the artists themselves. So pour one out for the greatest pop artist of all time. Here's to you Michael.

Now, by some unbelievable stroke of coincidence, there was a show for a Michael Jackson tribute band at a local club on Friday night. It went from half full to sold out to them doing a second show in about 12 hours after the news broke. The band is called Who's Bad. Since a few of my co-workers had gotten tickets about a week ago and had an extra one, I went ahead with them. And wow is all I can say. These guys were good. This was what music is supposed to be like. I love hip hop, and it is fun and also often times political. I have so much respect for what good rappers do. Country has these amazing stories and can make you smile. Current pop music is different. It is an attempt to be fun, like pop music once was. But nothing compares to what it once was. Nothing is more fun than Michael, singing his heart out, and the crowd just flat loving it, dancing, singing at the top of their lungs, loving it. That was this show. The guy who did Michael was awesome. He had the voice, the inflection, the moves. Even the band had the choreography. It was amazing. And sad. And when they walked off and a tribute to Michael played through a projector, there were tears in the audience. And when they came back on and sang "Man in the Mirror" after that, even more people lost it. I didn't want to leave. It was like walking out of a part of my life that, despite growing away from so long ago, I never left. I remember when "You Are Not Alone" came out. I listened to his last album, "Unbreakable" about 1,000 times. The guy was a genius. And I'm sorry. I should just go listen to him and talk about him less on here. I think I am struggling at conveying how torn up I am about this. Literally I feel like I've walked out of a part of my life and having just flown away from it too makes this a little harder. I remember my grandmother thinking MTV was unreal and stupid. At the time she was right. But looking back on it, it redefined music in my generation and Michael Jackson was the catalyst. Through all of the other issues and eccentricities of the man, he sang about changing the world starting with yourself. He said to look in the mirror. He said you could make the world a better place. There is some interesting stuff out there about him though.

A NYTimes writer wonders if anyone will ever be quite like Mike...

Another NYTimes link, of an interactive timeline of his life...

A tribute from The Game. It has Chris Brown in it as well as others.

His website with comments in several different languages.

My mom will understand this, and maybe not any of you younger people (sorry mom, but you're the same age as Mike. Be careful, okay?), but Michael's life and death now, remind of the subject of this song.


Back to the big vote. So I spent a large part of Friday on the Hill, in the office of Congressmen. There were stints in all three Congressional office buildings. Then at about three we stepped out in front of the Capitol to have a presence as the Congressmen walked back and forth. They had to know how important this bill was. I was able to slip away and into the House gallery to watch part of the debate, including a passionate speech by Minorty Whip Eric Cantor and another by a Dem I didn't recognize. Then finally around 5 we were expecting a vote. Too bad. Minority Leader John Boehner had other ideas. He decided he would use his courtesy time to read a 300-page amendment to underscore his negative feelings toward cap and trade. So 90 minutes later we continued to stand outside. Finally a Congressman came running out, yelling at his driver that it was time to go. The vote had started and upon its completion many other members would be doing the same, rushing to area airports to catch flights. At about 7:30, after tireless hours in the humidity and heat and dozens of phone calls, the bell sounded. Bill passed 219-212 with three no votes and a resigned Congresswoman. The difference? Eight Republicans voted for it. As the last members walked out of the House chamber, the heavens opened up, and it poured. Like it never does back in Seattle. Someone turned on the waterfall. And the lightning.

And not only had the U.S. made giant strides toward preserving its future, but a country that takes its pulse one pop star at a time paid tribute to quite possibly its most successful black man ever. At least until this year. Big ups Michael. And big ups U.S. House of Representatives.

Love y'all.

Stay Classy. Beat it.
PS: Please send comments or emails. Questions even. It's lonely out here sometimes.

There's A Place In
Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could
Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You'll Find There's No Need
To Cry
In This Place You'll Feel
There's No Hurt Or Sorrow

There Are Ways
To Get There
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

If You Want To Know Why
There's A Love That
Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For
Joyful Giving
If We Try
We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel
Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And
Start Living

Then It Feels That Always
Love's Enough For
Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

And The Dream We Were
Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We
Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep
Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It's Plain To See
This World Is Heavenly
Be God's Glow

We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart
I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With
No Fear
Together We'll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords
Into Plowshares

We Could Really Get There
If You Cared Enough
For The Living
Make A Little Space
To Make A Better Place...

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

Heal The World
Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough
For The Living
Make A Better Place
For You And For Me

You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me
You And For Me