Who is this Masked Man
{Please note, this was actually written awhile ago, and updated at the bottom}
June 25th, 2009 will be one of those “where were you” days, when,
the world lost not 1, but 2 icons, the internet reportedly ground to a halt,
with so many people trying to log on at the same time, TMZ was providing faster and {as it turns out} more accurate information {for the most part} then CNN. which is where we begin this blog…..
Death, the end, or just the beginning? What happens to ones soul when the body expires? Depends on your religion I suppose, but what abour your legacy? What will people think of or remember about you when you are gone? The cool people say they don’t care, but that’s
b.s., we as humans, tend to put up a bold sheild, but as the angel of death comes closer well, let’s just say or perspectives change. 2 Cases in point:
According to Wikipedia, Farrah Fawcett was an American actress. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the TV series Charlie’s Angels in 1976. Fawcett later appeared off-Broadway to the approval of critics and in highly rated television movies in roles often challenging (The Burning Bed, Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story, Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story, Margaret Bourke-White) and sometimes unsympathetic (Small Sacrifices). Fawcett was also a pop culture figure whose hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women and whose poster sales broke records, making her an international sex symbol in the 1970s and 1980s. While her impact was particularly strong on the teens of the 1970s (Generation Jones), her appeal spreads over multiple generations.She was diagnosed with anal cancer in 2006, and began treatment, including chemotherapy and surgery.[35] Four months later, on her 60th birthday, the Associated Press
wire service reported that Fawcett was, at that point, cancer free.[36]
Less than four months later, in May 2007, Fawcett brought a small digital video camera to document a doctor’s office There, she was told a malignant polyp was found in the area where she had been treated for the initial cancer. Doctors contemplated whether to implant a radiation seeder (which differs from conventional radiation and is used to treat other types of cancer).Fawcett’s U.S. doctors told her that she would require a colostomy. Instead, Fawcett traveled to Germany for treatments described variously in the press as “holistic”, ”aggressive”, and “alternative”. There, Dr. Ursula Jacob prescribed a treatment including surgery to remove the anal tumor, and a course of perfusion and embolization for her liver cancer by Doctors Claus Kiehling and Thomas Vogl in Germany, and chemotherapy back in Fawcett’s home town of Los Angeles. Although initially the
tumors were regressing, their reappearance a few months later necessitated a new course, this time including laser ablation therapy and chemoembolization. Aided by friend Alana Stewart, Fawcett documented the highs and lows of her battle with the disease. In early April 2009, Fawcett, back in the United States, was rushed to a hospital, reportedly unconscious and in critical condition. Subsequent reports, however, indicated that the severity of her condition was not as dire as first reported. On April 6, the Associated Press reported that her cancer had metastasized
to her liver. Fawcett had learned of this development in May 2007 and her subsequent treatments in Germany had targeted this as well. The report denied that she was unconscious, and explained that the reason for Fawcett’s hospitalization was not her cancer but a painful abdominal hematoma that had been the result of a minor procedure, according to the Los Angeles cancer specialist treating Fawcett, Dr. Lawrence Piro. Her spokesperson emphasized she was not “at death’s door”, adding “She remains in good spirits with her usual sense of humor … She’s been
in great shape her whole life and has an incredible resolve and an incredible resilience.” Three days later, on April 9, Fawcett was released from the hospital, picked up by longtime companion O’Neal, and, according to
her doctor, was “walking and in great spirits and looking forward to celebrating Easter at home.” A month later, on May 7, Fawcett was reported as being critically ill, with Ryan O’Neal quoted as saying that she
now spends her days at home, on an IV, often asleep. The Los Angeles Times reported that Fawcett was in the last stages of her cancer and had the chance to see her son Redmond in April 2009, although shackled and under supervision, as he was then incarcerated, Fawcett seemed not to notice. Her 91-year-old father, James Fawcett, flew out to Los Angeles
to visit with Farrah, his only living child (her sole sibling, sister Diane, died in 2001). Her doctor, Lawrence Piro, and Fawcett’s friend and Angels co-star Kate Jackson — a breast cancer survivor — appeared together on The Today Show dispelling tabloid-fueled rumors, including the suggestions that Fawcett had ever been in a coma, had ever reached 86 pounds, and had ever given up her fight against the disease or lost the will to live. Jackson decried such demoralizing fabrications, saying they “really do hurt a human being and a person like Farrah”. Piro recalled when it became necessary for Fawcett to undergo treatments that would cause her to lose her hair,
acknowledging that “Farrah probably has the most famous hair in the world”, but acknowledged that it is not a trivial matter for any cancer patient, whose hair “affects [one's] whole sense of who [they] are”. Of the
documentary, Jackson averred that Fawcett “didn’t do this to show that ’she’ is unique, she did it to show that “we” are all unique … Farrah died at approximately 9:28 a.m, PDT on June 25, 2009, in the intensive care unit of Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, with O’Neal and Stewart by her side. Farrah’s documentory aired on May 15th, 2009, {and subsequently re-aired on MSNBC,Bravo and Oxygen. The 2 hour
documentary filmed by Farrah and long time friend Alana Stewart was seen by more then 9 million and was meant to be her gift to others, to help and inspire them.
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009)was he seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his debut onto the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1969, then began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the “King of Pop”[2] in subsequent years, his 1982 album Thriller remains the world’s best-selling record of all time[3] and four of his other solo studio albums are among the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995). In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV.
The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” and “Thriller”—widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into an art form—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as “Black or White” and “Scream” made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances
and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists across several generations, particularly Generation X, Generation Y, and Jackson’s own generation—Generation Jones. Jackson donated and raised millions of dollars for beneficial causes through his foundations, charity singles, and support of 39 charities. Other aspects of his personal life, including his often changing appearances and eccentric behavior, generated significant controversy which damaged his public image. Though he was accused of child sexual abuse in 1993,
the criminal investigation was closed due to lack of evidence and Jackson was not charged. The singer had experienced health concerns since the early 1990s and conflicting reports regarding the state of his finances since the late 1990s. Jackson married twice and fathered three children, all of which caused further controversy. In 2005, Jackson was tried
and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges. One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for “Most Successful Entertainer of All
Time”—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career, and the sale of 750 million albums worldwide. Michael Jackson died on June 25, 2009, apparently after suffering a cardiac arrest Jackson had intended
to return to live performance. At the time of his death he was in the middle of preparations for This Is It, a series of 50 concerts that would have been held in London. The exact cause of Jackson’s death is still pending, and in death, like his life, many questions, much speculation and rampent inuendo will sadly taint his legacy, {which is already quite littered with much speculation, many questions and rampent inuendos.}
Now let’s go back to the beginning of this column, when our time comes {and no one gets out alive}do you want people
to remember your material accomplishments,{how much wealth you accoumulated in your life}your missteps, your contributions
to society, your compassion, your desires, your family’s legacy and so forth with a sense of appreciation and/or respect or will your legacy be, shall we say, like a work in progress, {one never to be completed} where justifacation or explanation cloud each and every perception of your very exsistence? On June 25th, 2009, 2 very unique people passed from one place to another, Farrah Fawcett’s death was, sadly some what
predicted, In her final days she left behind a documentary hoping to reveal a very ununique individual, suffering thru a terrible decease {anal cancer} like millions, hoping to inspire and possibly raise awareness to their plight. It’s been said Charlie finally has his favorite Angel home in Heaven, and everyone who spoke of Farrah on this date, spoke of sadness of her passing,
compassion for her family, and very fond memories to pass along regarding her. Micheal Jackson was an amazing artist, gifted singer, dancer, musician and entertainer, and possibly much more. Everyone has a favorite Jackson tune, knows the moon walk, and has seen a video or live performnce. All of that aside, so much {good, bad or indifferent} has been written, spoken, posted, published, and every other form of reproduction possible directly from Jackson {or someone representing him, directly or indirectly} that we could engage in discussion forever and still not reach an accurate conclusion of what or who Michael Jackson was, how he lived his life, and more sadly, how he left this place for another. Because in Death, {as in life} rampent inuendo, much speculation, explanation and in the very end, the truth will {more then likely} never be known. Is this the way Micheal would have wanted it? Probably not, but in a weird sense of Hell the very people responsible for his passing will create and present their version of “the truth” and do their best to convince you that it is fact.
And, like it or not, the cynical society we live in, will ridicule his memory, he will make someone more money dead then he ever did alive, be given more respect and admiration now that he’s gone, {that he should have received while still alive.}
UPDATE: It has been over a week since his death, and…..There is a memorial planned for this week, 2 autopsies have been performed, numerous individuals have come forth will countless theories, all saying some what he same thing, what will ultimately happen? Time will tell, Farrah Fawcett was laid to rest quietly this week, plenty of tears, fond memories and dignity intact, while the MJ saga has only just begun….
