Be a part of Earth Hour 2011!

Earth Hour 2011: It's time to go beyond the hour

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

日本の皆さん、勇気を持って頑張って下さい

Be a part of this global movement!

More info:

http://www.earthhour.org/

http://www.worldwildlife.org/

Make sure your engagement goes beyond the hour. Go and get inspired and inspire others:
http://www.beyondthehour.org/

Prepare yourself for Earth Hour 2011 with the "Lights Off" Twitter-application. http://eh2011.com #earthhour


Michael Jackson - Planet Earth



Planet Earth, my home, my place
A capricious anomaly in the sea of space
Planet Earth are you just
Floating by, a cloud of dust
A minor globe, about to bust
A piece of metal bound to rust
A speck of matter in a mindless void
A lonely spaceship, a large asteroid

Cold as a rock without a hue
Held together with a bit of glue
Something tells me this isn't true
You are my sweetheart soft and blue
Do you care, have you a part
In the deepest emotions of my own heart
Tender with breezes caressing and whole
Alive with music, haunting my soul.

In my veins I've felt the mystery
Of corridors of time, books of history
Life songs of ages throbbing in my blood
Have danced the rhythm of the tide and flood
Your misty clouds, your electric storm
Were turbulent tempests in my own form
I've licked the salt, the bitter, the sweet
Of every encounter, of passion, of heat
Your riotous color, your fragrance, your taste
Have thrilled my senses beyond all haste
In your beauty, I've known the how
Of timeless bliss, this moment of now

Planet Earth are you just
Floating by, a cloud of dust
A minor globe, about to bust
A piece of metal bound to rust
A speck of matter in a mindless void
A lonely spaceship, a large asteroid
Cold as a rock without a hue
Held together with a bit of glue
Something tells me this isn't true
You are my sweetheart gentle and blue
Do you care, have you a part
In the deepest emotions of my own heart
Tender with breezes caressing and whole
Alive with music, haunting my soul.

Planet Earth, gentle and blue
With all my heart, I love you.

----

Addition March 27, 2011:

Thank you everyone who participated in this global movement!!!

This video sums it all up. Enjoy watching:

Earth Hour 2011 Official video

Kids Take Action to Save Sharks

Every second, 3 sharks die at human hands. Many are "finned" so that their fins can be used for shark fin soup. Sharks are becoming extinct and it is affecting all ocean life.

Executive Producer/Director Gary Rose and fledgling group KISS (Kids Involved in Saving Sharks) have teamed up to create a PSA campaign aimed at halting the slaughter of sharks and preserving the ocean's ecosystem.







MJ Fam, please help those kids and spread their message to help the endangered species of sharks that are essential to our eco system!

Why?

Sharks have been around for nearly 400 million years: that makes them older than dinosaurs! There are about 375 different types of shark in the world.

The sea monster myth

Sharks rarely attack people. In fact, the chance of being attacked by a shark is less than the chance of being struck by lightning. The real dangers for people in the ocean are drowning, exposure and being struck by a boat. So no, sharks are not the sea monsters we hear about in stories.

Threat to survival

While sharks are not a threat to people, people are a very real threat to sharks. Each year, over 100 million sharks are killed, most of them for their fins. In fact, there are now 20 types of sharks that are in danger of disappearing because of overfishing.

One of the reasons the shark population is decreasing rapidly is that it takes a long time for sharks to become adults. When a young shark is caught they do not have the chance to grow up and produce baby sharks (pups).

When it comes to reproducing, sharks are more similar to mammals such as whales, dolphins and humans than to other fish. While most fish reach maturity in only a few years and produce thousands or millions of eggs per year, sharks take many years to reach maturity, with some species not reproducing until they are over 15 years old. So when sharks are overfished it may take them many years to recover and in some cases they may never recover.

Why care?

Sharks are crucial parts to the ocean ecosystem. They are at the top of the ocean food chain. They control populations in a beneficial way by eliminating diseased and genetically defective animals. Sharks are an important part of the Earth’s biodiversity.

YOU can help endangered sharks!

1. Educate yourself and others about their importance to our world.

2. Send letters to politicians and other influential people. Let others know how you feel about endangered sharks and how crucial they are to the environment.

3. Sign a petition or start a petition against shark finning and send it to representatives of China.

4. Avoid purchasing products made from sharks.

5. Organise a fundraising activity at your school or in your community and donate to a shark conservation program or organisation.

Together we can make a difference! Tell us how you’ve helped the sharks and inspire other to do the same.

(credits: Save the sharks! on www.ecokids.ca/blog/)

For more information on sharks, please check out and support these websites:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/theglobalsharkinitiative

http://www.stopsharkfinning.net/

http://www.facebook.com/#!/StopSharkFinning

http://www.sharksavers.org

http://www.sharkwater.com

http://www.sharks.org

http://www.sharkalliance.org

MAKE THAT CHANGE!!!

Random experience at the MJ memorial, Munich

This afternoon in between two appointments I managed to pass by the MJ memorial, which is a rare experience on weekdays for me.

When I came nobody was there and I lit up some candles. Then a group (around six) of older ladies came by (all way beyond 60, more beyond 70!) and they were soooo full of AWEs and talking about Michael and the memorial, showing each other those pictures attached, pointing at them like: "Look at him on this, when he was a kid. Oh, on this he was older. Oh, that is a nice one." etc.

So lovely! Then they asked me, if I was taking care of the memorial and I responded that I'm just lighting up a few candles this time and the place is something many people contribute to every day...

One of them said: "There is so much vandalism around these days, so it's even more amazing it's still there and so beautiful!"

I told them they have been hater-attacks but we wouldn't let them destroy the love and the more beautiful it is, less people are trying to destroy... "Aaaah, yes, right. Thank you."

Then they were all taking pictures of the memorial and group pictures in front of it.

It made me smile for the rest of the day...


Everytime I see people there that are a bit outside of Michael's regular "core target / fan group" (I know he reached so many different people but still I haven't met those ladies on the concerts!) it makes me even more proud and happy because I feel Michael's legacy is being restored amongst the "regular people".

I feel that bit by bit... "the truth unfurls"! All of those articles / media attacks / madness / accusations, etc. are somehow fading in history and the L.O.V.E. more and more comes shining through!

For further generations Michael will be remembered for what he was and on a side note it will be said that he was facing a lot of opposition for it.

We all, as the global MJ fam, contribute to this process everyday and more than anything I thank all of you for it and I am proud and happy to do my part.

Let L.O.V.E. rule!


---
Addition:

Watch this beautiful video from MJ Memorial in Munich. May 14, 2010 (three days before this post)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7-3Q_x4Q5M

MJ Art - Michael Travel Into Light

click to enlarge
created from and inspired by
"HIStory - Live in Munich, 1997"
(recorded July 4 & 6th 1997, Munich, Olympic Stadium)

The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait

After the news that Michael Jackson passed away countless tributes - either songs, newspapers and magazines articles and special issues, fans gatherings, vigils and so on - came to confirm what tabloid media tried to cover up. Michael's message of love and his lifetime work have reached and inspired tens of millions around the world.

A friend of mine told me that the pain and sorrow I feel is proportional to the joy I experienced. The joy and energy Michael shared with the world.

The Michael Jackson fan community has long become a family. A world wide family bond by a strong positive message of making a change, taking action so that this world will become a better place for all mankind.

We are also bond by our will to honor and preserve Michael's artistic legacy, acknowledge and continue his life long efforts to help and bring relief to children around the world.

Having said that, the love blog team would like to present to you a tribute project.

The Michael Jackson Tribute Portrait offers the opportunity for millions of fans to come together and help create the largest Michael Jackson tribute in the world 

http://www.michaeljacksontributeportrait.com/home.php

Behind each dot you see in the portrait below, there is a real person – a fan –somewhere in the world who came here, like you, to be part of Michael's legacy.

A dot is not drawn on the canvas by Artist David Ilan until someone signs up for it.

The drawing represents multiple moments in Michael's life, from his younger years to more recent times. There will be more than one image of Michael in this drawing.

VIP dots 

http://www.michaeljacksontributeportrait.com/articles.php?s=title&articlecat_id=1

'They're killing a dance.'

Enough For Today

Dance rehearsals can go on past midnight, but this time I stopped at ten. "I hope you don't mind," I said, looking up into space, "but that's enough for today." A voice from the control room spoke. "You okay?"

"A little tired, I guess," I said.

I slipped on a windbreaker and headed down the hall. Running footsteps came up behind me. I was pretty sure who they belonged to. "I know you too well," she said, catching up with me. "What's really wrong?"

I hesitated. "Well, I don't know how this sounds, but I saw a picture today in the papers. A dolphin had drowned in a fishing net. From the way its body was tangled in the lines, you could read so much agony. Its eyes were vacant, yet there was still that smile, the one dolphins never lose, even when they die..." My voice trailed off.

She put her hand lightly in mine. "I know, I know."

"No, you don't know all of it yet. It's not just that I felt sad, or had to face the fact that an innocent being had died. Dolphins love to dance -- of all the creatures in the sea, that's their mark. Asking nothing from us, they cavort in the waves while we marvel. They race ahead of ships, not to get there first but to tell us, 'It's all meant to be play. Keep to your course, but dance while you do it.' "So there I was, in the middle of rehearsal, and I thought, 'They're killing a dance.' And then it seemed only right to stop. I can't keep the dance from being killed, but at least I can pause in memory, as one dancer to another. Does that make any sense?"

Her eyes were tender. "Sure, in its way. Probably we'll wait years before everyone agrees on how to solve this thing. So many interests are involved. But it's too frustrating waiting for improvements tomorrow. Your heart wanted to have its say now."

"Yes," I said, pushing the door open for her. "I just had this feeling, and that's enough for today."


Excerpt from "Dancing the Dream - Poems and Reflections" © 1992 by Michael Jackson
-----

As we all know Michael Jackson very much cared about the planet and all the animals that God created for it.

Be it coincidence or not this year when MJ was honored at the Oscar awards, a movie was winning "Best Feature Documentary" award that we all should acknowledge.

It is called "The Cove" and is about the killing of dolphins in a cove in Japan. I haven't yet seen the movie myself and it will take a lot of energy for me to do so as seeing pictures like these make me feel like watching someone killing a family member.

But nevertheless this cause is to be supported and on the movie website you can read how to take action. Please do!

http://www.thecovemovie.com/
http://www.takepart.com/thecove
http://www.facebook.com/TheCove

Please sign the petition "Stop the Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan" http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter/

"They who?? It starts with us. It's US! Or else it'll never be done... Let's take care of the planet!"

- Michael Jackson



-------

Addition 2010/04/01:

Please sign petion against killing of whales and dolphins here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-lethal-research-in-the-southern-oceans

Join FB group "I bet we can find 1,000,000 people who want Japan to stop killing whales" here:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=291599004314&ref=ts
_______

Addition 2010/09/05

Please sign the petition "Stop the Dolphin Slaughter in Taiji, Japan" http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-the-dolphin-slaughter/

Follow "The Cove" on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/TheCoveTaiji
http://twitter.com/thecovenews
http://twitter.com/TheCoveMovie
http://twitter.com/RichardOBarry

More information:

http://www.savejapandolphins.org/
http://www.oceanicdefense.org/campaigns/taiji/index.html


___

You Don't Know What You've Got Til It's Gone... SONY!

Music Company Signs $250 Million Album Deal With Jackson Estate

Read more on Wall Street Journal today:

Sony Places Big Bet on a Fallen 'King'
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704588404575124023860735864.html

All I can say is that Janet's song lyrics come to my mind reading this...

Do you all remember his fight for getting his stuff promoted? INVINCIBLE was actually dropped from being promoted at all after one single:



Please also re-read Christopher Hamilton's great article from January of 2006 in that respect:

"Is It Because He's Black? What They Don't Want to know about Michael Jackson"
http://its-all-for-love.blogspot.com/2010/01/is-it-because-hes-black-what-they-dont.html

Herta Mueller and Ai Weiwei - make a change.

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei and his fight for the "Lost Children" was introduced on this blog earlier here: Remembering the Lost Children in the fatal earthquake of Sichuan 2008

On Thursday he and Nobel prize winner Herta Mueller (Romanian-German) were discussing politics and their background growing up / living in a totalitarian system and telling the audience about their personal experience and what they their motivation is for resistance.

The event was part of "Lit.Cologne" a large annual literature event with readings and events all over the city of Cologne, Germany.

The discussion reflects so much of Michael's message and I can see a reflection in the constitution of our blog team here -> Romania, China, Germany.

It shows how much impact artists have in their constant fight for their message of changing the world for the better or of "making that change" as Michael would say.

No matter what the background or the kind of Art may be it helps to raise people's awareness and hope. And strongly but surely a change is gonna come. The political dimension of Art that has a meaning is very strong. I am glad there are people like Herta and Ai out there and noticed all over the world.

We learned so much from Michael, let's learn from them as well!

Here's a more detailed article about the event:

Chinese artist and Nobel laureate share views on totalitarianism (click to open)

I especially loved this part:

"Asked if there could be any hope at all, he assured his listeners he lived in daily hope that new technologies, especially the Internet, would change the situation and bring democracy to China.

Herta Mueller saw Romania’s brutal regime fall. Ai Weiwei hopes he too will see China's one-party system fall."


We have to speak out for it in the name of Michael, the children, the world.

WE ARE THE WORLD!!!!!!


------

Addition March 14:

The L.O.V.E. blog team would like to thank Ai Weiwei for retweeting the link to this post on his Twitter account.

Unity of the MJ fam in the fight for Justice for MJ!

The fan made event on Twitter today and the ENORMOUS response to it to be able to make "#Justice4MJ" a #1 worldwide trending topic and stay on trending topics for almost 24hrs was another impressive sign for me to see the global power of Michael Jackson and his LOVE message!

Twitter being the most powerful medium of today and the fastest one we have shown the world that we understood Michael's message and are using it in his support. A peaceful, loving and ongoing fight for the truth, for his children, his blood family and his fan family... Loud and proud!!!

I would like to thank every single one of you that contributed to the event on Twitter or else shows their support in the continuous fight for the truth.

I am so proud to be a part of it! "You're just another part of me"!

Almost 10 months after Michael's passing the MJ Fam "stands together as one" and shows that "there is nothing that can't be done if we raise our voice as one"!!!

I really believe all this global power is really "making that change" in so many ways and we will "let the truth unfurl"!

One L.O.V.E.!


They've got to hear it from me,
They've got to hear it from you,
They've got to hear it from US!

We can't take it
We've already had enough

Deep in my soul baby

RIP Notorious BIG!!!

Today we especially remember Christopher George Latore Wallace aka The Notorious BIG aka Biggie Smalls (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997).

On March 9, 1997, Wallace was killed by an unknown assailant in a drive-by shooting in Los Angeles, age 24.

REST IN PEACE BIGGIE!!! You are missed...

Recognizing his incredible talent Michael Jackson worked with BIG on two of his songs.

"This Time Around" from the HIStory album in 1995:



"Unbreakable" from the Invincible album in 2001 as a post-humous tribute:




In 1995 Notorious BIG presented the MTV award for "Best Dance" video "Scream" to Michael and Janet Jackson:

This Is It - The Final Curtain Call

Today on March 5th, 2009 Michael Jackson announced his "This Is It" concert series scheduled for the O2 Arene at a highly anticipated press conference in London.

"This Is It. This is really it. This is the final... this is the final curtain call."

Those words are piercing through our souls.

Everything has changed since then.

"I love you. I really do. You have to know that. I love you so much. Really. You have to know that."

Yes, we do Michael. I hope you know we do love you more.

Now until infinity. See you then Mike.

Michael Jackson - Think Different

This amazing tribute video was made by youtube user RobLives4Love and deserves our attention.

The audio is from the "Think Different" ads from Apple in the late 90s. It fits more than perfectly to Michael Jackson. The writer is unknown, but rumored to be Steve Jobs himself. Speaker is Richard Dreyfuss.

Here's the transcript:

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.

They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo.

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.

Because they change things. They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Video contents:

Royal Brunei performance

Beat It

Remember The Time

Billie Jean

Jam

Scream

Leave Me Alone

Billie Jean (Motown 25)

Smooth Criminal

Ghosts

Seven months...

...have gone since you left us Michael...


Seven months... of grief

Seven months... of questions

Seven months... of joy

Seven months... of hope

Seven months... of tears

Seven months... of loneliness

Seven months... of L.O.V.E.

Seven months... of magic

Seven months... of despair

Seven months... of MUSIC

Seven months... of astonishment

Seven months... of change

Seven months... of friends

Seven months... of chills

Seven months... of disbelief

Seven months... of experience

Seven months... of learning

Seven months... of challenge

Seven months... of smile

Seven months... of heartbreak

Seven months... of gratitude

Seven months... of emotions

Seven months... of rollercoaster

Seven months... of faith

Seven months... of education

Seven months... of MISSING YOU MICHAEL!!!

~Its A MJ Thing

~Its A MJ Thing

• Saying "Shamone" multiple times in your conversations
• Yep I love everybody here u know? =)
• Makin' ya grandpa scream with his "I Heart MJ" shirt on and then making him faint
• Driving on a bus for more than 14 hrs to get to his show!
• I’m proud to say I’m a MJ junkie!!
• Losing friends because they don't support my feelings for Michael
• Having to move because your MJ stuff doesn't fit your apartment anymore!!!
• Having thousands of fans tattoo MJ their skins
• Having a huge Internet family that loves you :)
• Fans who will always be there no matter what
  

Michael Monday ~ Its a MJ Thing

Last week, MJ Fam started what was intended to be a trending topic on Twitter, "Its a MJ Thing." It didn't make a trending topic, but it created a long list of inspirational, funny, and at times, quirky bits of insights on Michael Jackson. In the first installment of "Its a MJ Thing" to celebrate Michael Monday, here are just a few "MJ Things:"

• You and your family being a part of our lives and memories before we could talk, crawl or walk



• Loving and caring for children



• Donating all the profits of "The Dangerous Tour" to Heal the World Foundation



• Making grown men cry



• Writing songs that will forever be up to date, beautiful, heart shaker and never enough.



• Nice to dance, feel & learn from



• Making music videos EPIC events



• Making me quiver when he sings "Lady in My Life" or " I Can't Help It"



• Singing Hee-Hee



• Making my heart melt to "Human Nature" or '’Butterflies"



• Sings like an angel and moves like a gazelle