Tribute To Michael Jackson

The 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson passed today. Our dear Michael is today dancing with the angels, free of the shackles of human life, and divinely blessed by the millions upon millions of people whose lives he enriched through music, dance and joyous self-offering. Do you think his Soul is shining? Do you think he's getting a hero's welcome in Heaven? I can feel it.

Here's a moving tribute by Deepak Chopra.

"...when the shock subsides and a thousand public voices recount Michael's brilliant, joyous, embattled, enigmatic, bizarre trajectory, I hope the word "joyous" is the one that will rise from the ashes and shine as he once did."

Andy Ostroy wrote: "Now that he's gone, the appreciation of his gigantic talent, and the tremendous impact it's had on pop culture, inspiring everyone from Justin Timberlake and Usher to Chris Brown and Madonna, has really hit home."

Jon Pareles' appraisal of Michael's life in the NY TIMES is worth a read..

And finally to Michael..."We are the World" - a landmark humanitarian effort from the mid-80s!

"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change." - Michael Jackson

Iran Revealed

My takeaway from the Iranian election:

The theocratic regime in Iran is ugly, indeed. The idea that an unelected religious goon can steal an election and run his a Nation through brutal force has a short life. It's very likely that the current Iranian leadership will, over time, be ousted and imprisoned. Obama has it right: "No iron fist is strong enough to shut off the world from bearing witness to peaceful protests of justice. Those who stand up for justice are always on the right side of history."

And if anyone thought the current Iranian government can be trusted to pursue a peaceful nuclear program or be honest partners, they just blew their covers big time.

The people of Iran, on the other hand, appear to have conducted themselves with incredible dignity. From peaceful protests to individuals who intervened to save the lives of police who happened to get caught up in the throng of protesters, to innocent people shot down because they were in the streets expressing their right to dissent, the Iranian people deserve their rightful voice in governance, and an honest election. Why the Supreme Leader ran a sham election we will never know.

While the force of Iranian police and Basij will increasingly curtail public dissent, this is an on-going story. A new government will eventually emerge through the rubble of the current, decaying Iranian leadership. Stay tuned.