Berlin is a fascinating place: it is steeped in history which still resonates deeply throughout the city, from its wide boulevards around the Brandenburg Gate to its seamier quarters to the east of the wall.  The best way to orientate yourself and begin to experience the richness of the city is through one of the brilliant free walking tours.  I did one with New Berlin Tours and it was great; the guide, Mike, was funny and extremely knowledgeable, and the atmosphere was really friendly.

The majestic Brandenburg Gate

You meet close to the imposing Brandeburg Gate and spend the next three hours or so visiting all of the main attractions in the city as listed on the link above.  The new Holocaust Memorial, in the news recently after Easyjet ran fashion photographs taken there in its in-flight magazine, is a sombre and moving site, and the impact is probably sharpened by its proximity to the location of Hitler’s former bunker (which, unsurprisingly, is barely commemorated).

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

The museum is a terrifying reminder of the Third Reich, and is a difficult but truly worthwhile experience.  The personal stories which are told are evocative and harrowing, and a visit leaves you very contemplative for the rest of the day and a long while afterwards.

On a happier note, the memorial is next to a strip of truly dreadful cafeterias serving up second-rate reheated drudge to budget travellers such as myself.  I had the misfortune to eat a spaghetti bolognaise served up by a guy who looked like he was from the Village People, before being chased out of the bathroom by a very small woman wielding a can of air freshener and shouting at me in German.

I spent a lot of time in Berlin running away from toilet attendants who would attempt to extort half a euro every time as I so much thought about paying a visit to the loo.  I actually sprinted out of Dunkin’ Donuts near Zoologischer Garten station one day to escape from a particularly angry man who was brandishing a tip tray at me and making vivid gestures towards the toilet.

The Hotel Adlon

Opposite the Brandenburg Gate is the Hotel Adlon, where the late great Michael Jackson famously dangled one of his children out of the window.  The Presidential Suite on the top floor costs $12,000-a-night and has bulletproof glass in the windows among its many very cool features.  If I win the lottery…

The Reichstag is the home of the German Parliament, and its roof alone makes it worth a visit.  You can look down into the chamber when parliament is in session: “a reminder to the politicians that we are always looking in on them and that they are accountable to us,” an ageing Berliner told me.  Get there early to beat the crowds, and be prepared for a very thorough (in my case, patently illegal) level of frisking.  All I will say is avoid the security guard with the handlebar moustache.

The Reichstag roof

The Berlin Wall, which collapsed 20 years ago, is an integral part of the visit, though very few parts of it remain intact and those that do are protected by fencing.  As with many parts of the city’s history, there’s a residual feeling of shame and embarrassment about it amongst the city’s residents, who you feel would rather live without the permanent reminders of their country’s past.

Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie is very artificial and one of the few attractions in the city which is a little underwhelming.  But you can take your disappointment away by heading into the unbelievably decadent Fassbender & Rausch chocolate shop which has models of things such as the Reichstag and the Titanic, all made out of chocolate.  The only thing stopping me from plunging my face straight in was concern about how long they had been there.

The Reichstag - made of chocolate

My face upon being told not to eat the Brandenburg Gate

Pergamon Museum entrance

The TV Tower - all 368 metres of it

A penguin doing his best Marilyn Manson impression

The sign marking the death march

As with the Holocaust memorial in the city, it is a very graphic realisation of the horrors of what went on there less than a century ago.  The tour around is well-constructed and allows plenty of time for personal exploration and reflection.  Imposing, thought-provoking, and with a huge underlying unease, it in many ways replicates the city itself.

'Freedom through work'

Here’s a bit of dance trivia for you: the moonwalk was originated by tap dancers.

I would venture a guess that most people are not aware of the connection between the moonwalk and America’s only indigenous dance form-tap dance. It’s true, though. While Michael Jackson was the one who made the moonwalk memorable for today’s generation, scads of tap dancers had already been doing the move for years originating with the popularity of a movement in the dance form called “legomania”. Don’t believe me? Well, luckily this guy made a compilation of all these tappers doing some version of what we would eventually call “The Moonwalk”.

The fact is, Michael Jackson referenced dance forms and choreographers in everything he did.
From Bob Fosse…

…and Fred Astraire…

…to Jerome Robbins…

…Jackson was constantly nodding to the people before him while breaking ground ahead of him. I think this is the reason why all dancers have a special love for him. He was a dancer to be loved and a lover of dance himself.

But I digress…more about the influence of tap dance to come. In the meantime, see why the tap community is so fired up right now.

Michael Jackson

This year I spent my Halloween – aside from watching Game 3 of the World Series – seeing Michael Jackson’s This Is It.

Somehow Jackson’s death bred more ignorance than ever before – or at least I heard it more often. I truly believe to the depths of my soul that the allegations of child molestation are as true as President George W. Bush being intelligent.

Here was a man who had no childhood whatsoever, and was constantly abused by – and afraid of – his own father. He had no idea what it was like to sit at home and watch TV, or go outside and play with his friends; his freedom was taken away before it even began, and as an adult, all he wanted to do was regain some part of it. His genuine innocence and immaturity in the social areas of his life were clearly noticeable, as if he were still a child. So when he had children over all the time, and let them sleep in his bed with him, to him it was just a slumber party, and nothing more. He, himself, felt like a child, so he spent time with many of them, and made sure that their childhoods flourished and were fully enjoyable, unlike his own.

The portion of his life that was full of maturity and confidence, was linked simultaneously with his music. This Is Is showcases his perfectionism and attention to detail in making music, and performing it. He truly intended on giving his audiences what they paid for, and more, with detailed videos filmed in front of green screens, lights, fire, a cherry picker, and cinema-style costumes, just to name a few amazing aspects of the would-be performances. Nothing went without fine-tuning and perfecting, from dance steps, to melody, to tempo, to video and lights [someone very closed to me once worked with Jackson and said that he actually stopped rehearsal and had a light moved before continuing - he understood and paid attention to it all]. The show was not to go on with anything or anyone out of place. This documentary was an appropriate look into what lent a hand in keeping Jackson going, and the only facet of his life that contributed to any sanity, safety, and happiness that he may have held on to. It shows his character, credibility, talent, as well as his kindness and honesty toward those he worked with and loved, and the true dedication and love for the music he made. It was wonderful to see a glimpse of what would have become of those rehearsals. I’m deeply saddened that those shows did not come to fruition.

Michael Jackson was not a child molester. He was a man who loved children, as a friend and as a father. He was a man who loved our planet, and those who showed love, kindness, and respect for him as he did for them; a visibly gentle, creative, and empathetic soul, who will never cease to be missed on so many levels. The tears of appreciation alone, from the dancers in the beginning of This Is It, who flew from as far as Australia to audition for the dates in London, say it all. The impact Jackson had on people of all walks of life, is a huge part of his legacy, and always will be.

“I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. Divinity brought our souls together on The Wiz and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the ’80s. To this day, the music we created together on Off The Wall, Thriller and Bad is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all…talent, grace, professionalism and dedication. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.” — Quincy Jones

- Olivia Taubner

DanceNOWChicago: Second Dance
Song: Thriller/Michael Jackson
City: Chicago, IL
Location: 3035 N Hoyne Ave/Hamlin Park Basketball Courts


If this looks like fun (which of course it was!) then get up and join us next time! Be among the first to hear about new guerrilla dance party missions by joining our email list and following us on Twitter.

MJ was definitely the greatest entertainer of our time.  Hell, he was one of the greatest entertainers ever.

As disappointed as I am that I will never have the opportunity to see him to perform live, I am in no hurry to see Michael Jackson’s This Is It.   In case you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, This Is It, directed by Kenny Ortega (the same guy who brought us all of the High School Musicals – um, yeah, he may get his own blog entry for that money grossing atrocity), is a compilation of behind the scenes footage from MJ’s rehearsals for the This Is It concert series, which was scheduled to take place in London.

I like celebrity gossip as much as the next person.  But, I have limits.  For instance, I stopped watching Jon & Kate once the divorce transitioned from being “the most likely long-term scenario” into being “the present reality.”  Some suffering is to remain personal and private.

For me, Michael Jackson’s This Is It comes too soon.  It feels a lot like a profiteering attempt.  MJ suffered in life from our constant need for his attention and his privacy.  I feel like the best way to honor him in death is to not watch the rehearsal footage that he had no intentions of us seeing in the first place.

THE COUNTDOWN IS OVER!!! We can’t wait to see you dancing, Chicago. Here’s a quick debriefing of the plan.

Before you get there: Get your zombie on, get Thriller on your iPod (or anything with headphones really) and make sure you know where you’re going. (For more details, go here.)

When you get there: Look for other zombies and get your iPod cued up.

Right at 7:30pm: Hit play and dance your heart out.

When the song is over: Walk away.

It’s Tuesday….today’s tip is simple: Get. The. Tunes.

<<OR>>

DANCE WITH US THIS THURSDAY!

Only four days until our guerrilla dance party to Thriller and we’re here to help you be the best guerrilla dancing zombie you can be. Each day this week we will feature a different tip to help you get ready for the big dance.

Today’s feature: Getting your zombie on.

Sure a zombie costume can be as simple as ripping up an old t-shirt and slapping a little fake blood on your face, but we here at DanceNOWChicago appreciate a little creativity. Try coming up with a little backstory. Here are some ideas to get you started:

The zombie prom queen, offed by a jealous cheerleader, the zombie prom queen is revived and walks the earth protecting her crown from that bitch.





What you’ll need: 1 tacky prom dress, 1 plastic crown, 1 skewed sense of priorities


The zombie farmer, pecked to death one day when his hens had had enough, he walks the earth hoping to befriend a werewolf who’s into retaliation.





What you’ll need: 1 pair of overalls, 1 handful of hay to throw in your hair, 1 hour to draw all the peck marks on your face


The zombie stock trader….it’s 2009….do we really need an explanation on this one?





What you’ll need: 1 old suit and tie, 1 pair of scissors to rip them up, 1 failed portfolio


The zombie hipster, run over when riding a fixie for critical mass for the first time.





What you’ll need: 1 pair of skinny jeans, 1 obscure band t-shirt, enough bus fair to get you to Hamlin Park from Pilsen


The zombie cubs fan, died waiting to win a world series. Came back only to continue to be disappointed.





What you’ll need: 1 cubs hat, 1 cubs jersey, 2 fingers to stick in your ears while singing “Lalalalala I’m not listening!”

After Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” made its debut online at the official Michael Jackson website, it was revealed that Paul Anka had helped to co-write the song almost thirty years ago. Not only has Anka received the proper songwriting credit, but he will also receive 50% of the song’s profits.

Originally, “This Is It” was titled “I Never Heard,” and it was co-written by Michael Jackson and Paul Anka back in 1983. The song, under the title “I Never Heard,” was recorded in the early 1990s by a singer named Sa-Fire.

“This Is It” is featured on the soundtrack of the upcoming Michael Jackson documentary with the same name/

We have a very special guerrilla dance party coming up this month.  Why so special, you ask?  Because it’s to THRILLER!  For HALLOWEEN!  Come on….AWESOME, right?!

So now that you’re sold on making a scene in the spirit of Thriller, here’s how:

1. Download Thriller by Michael Jackson (as if you don’t already own it.)  You can find it here on iTunes or on Amazon.

2. Map the location: Hamlin Park Basketball Courts

3. Show up on OCTOBER 29, 2009 @ 7:30pm (in zombie gear/your Halloween costume if you like) with the song in tow (on something with headphones) and DANCE!

It’s that easy.  Halloween only comes once a year so this will be the ONLY dress-up, guerrilla dance party to Michael Jackson’s Thriller on the Basketball court of Hamlin Pa….well…you get the picture.

Just be there, kids.

Ayer se publicó la posible canción de Macko Jacko, titulada Brand New.
Este extracto de canción (43 segundos) escapó de las rigurosas medidas de seguridad de Sony. No dudo que luego la quitan del youtube. aprovechen!

Gary and I met up with our friends Mike and Daniel for Sushi at Shaba Shabu, a Sushi and Thai restaurant which was pretty good.  First time we had been there, so we got the sushi.

Daniel had to be somewhere after dinner, and Gary had been working all day and had to get to bed, so after they left, Mike and I went to the Lincoln Theatre to see a Michael Jackson tribute band ‘Who’s Bad‘ and they did a really good job.  I checked out some youtube videos and they did so much better last night.  They performed a lot of the popular songs, a song from the Jackson Five time, popular faves, and they were definitely high energy with the singing and dancing.  Even the sax and trumpet players were high energy backup dancing.  The lighting was great for a small venue, including the back-lit songs, and there was even moon walking

Earlier this year, artist (and my great friend) Sarah Dahnke created a project that explored cliches in dance.  The project invited anyone who came across it to submit their interpretation of “dance cliches” and yielded everything from line-dancing to chair dances and of course, the running man.  The following video contain excepts from a live performance of the piece in February.







Chatting regularly during her process, our conversations started by simply having a giggle about all the dance cliches (which we love by the way) and eventually evolved into a really great conversation inspired by a really great blog post.  I still think about this chat and thought I’d share it with you.

me: I liked the point of cliches really just being emotions and things that are so universal, they start to feel played out, and people respond to them in a general rather than specific way
Sarah: yes exactly
me: but artists are often faced with the challenge of rediscovering their complexity
to show us a new way or at least a fresh way of seeing them
reminding us they are real things
Sarah: some of these are thoughts I had before
but didn’t know how to articulate them
me: yeah
Sarah: and others have surfaced as the project has continued
and another battle I’ve been having is “what is so wrong with cliche?”
me: yeah
Sarah: which is better articulated in that post from sarah
me: it’s such a dirty word
Sarah: it is
but that quote from the australia review sums it up
you just have to decide your goals as an artist
is it to evoke emotion?
me: but if communication is founded on universal and empathetic emotion, then cliche is root of what connects us
Sarah: if so, cliche will probably be involved at some point
exactly
it’s cliche for a reason
me: right
Sarah: it’s not cliche because it’s the macarena
I’m sure at some point I had a lot of fun doing the macarena, too

I supposed the fact that this chat came back to my mind most recently is due to my interest in creating this experiment.  I want this project to be as accessible and exciting to as many people as possible thus, I am tapping into some really steadfast cliches.  I’m okay with this.  Partly because, like Sarah, I don’t think cliches are such a bad thing, and partly because everyone really does just love to dress up for Halloween and dance to Thriller.  So, cliche away, Chicago.  Let’s dance.

Read more about Sarah Dahnke and Round Tuit Dance Project: http://sarahdahnke.com/

Read more from The Urgent Artist Blog: http://urgentartist.blogspot.com/

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson’s official autopsy report indicated that the surgical anesthetic propofol in combination with three other sedatives probably stopped the pop star’s breathing and killed him, said an anesthesiologist who reviewed the document.
In a phone interview on Thursday, the doctor, Zeev Kain, the chairman of the anesthesiology department at the University of California, Irvine, said he reviewed the autopsy report, which has not been publicly released, on behalf of The Associated Press. Officials with the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said that they had not released the report and did not know where the leaked information came from.
Dr. Kain said that Mr. Jackson’s arms were covered in multiple needle marks.
“There was evidence of repeated injections,” he said. Mr. Jackson’s knees also had several puncture marks, signs that he had knee surgery and received shots to reduce joint inflammation, Dr. Kain said.
Mr. Jackson also had reduced lung capacity due to chronic inflammation, Dr. Kain said.
“It’s an unusual finding,” Dr. Kain said. “It looked like from the pathology report that he had this condition for years, but it’s very hard to know what the reason was.”
Mr. Jackson weighed 136 pounds, stood 5-foot-9 and was free of major illnesses or serious organ damage. He suffered from arthritis of the spine and fingers, lacked pigmentation on his chest, and was balding, but otherwise was in relatively good health, Dr. Kain said.
Dr. Kain also said the autopsy report indicated the extent to which Mr. Jackson had gone to stave off old age; there were cosmetic surgery scars behind his ears and nostrils, as well scars on his neck, wrists, arms and stomach. He said Mr. Jackson also had several tattoos: on his scalp to hide his receding hairline, his eyebrows, and a pink tattoo around his lips.
Mr. Jackson died on June 25 after his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, administered propofol and other drugs to help the pop singer’s insomnia. After putting Mr. Jackson under, Dr. Murray went to the bathroom, according to his statements to investigators. By the time Dr. Murray returned, Mr. Jackson had stopped breathing and was never revived. His death was ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.
The Los Angeles Police Department and the California Attorney General’s Office are investigating Dr. Murray and other doctors who allegedly provided Mr. Jackson with illegal prescriptions for various drugs.

This Is it movie poster

Yep this is it, the michael jackson movie that is soon to be coming out. I watched the trailer and it was awesome. It started off with him singing human nature. It was so weird, like I was there or something. but its gonna be a great movie. It comes out 10-28-09, and it will only be shown for 2 weeks! It seems crazy. But the movie is footage taken of the rehearsals for his 50 concerts. That he was going to do. After his death they announced that they were going to put out a movie off all of the footage. UNPRECEDENTED NUMBER OF SELL-OUTS REPORTED WORLDWIDE FOR FIRST SHOWINGS OF “MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT” Is what it says on Michaeljackson.com. This is going to be big, really big,HUGE!!! But any ways this is my blog post check my out here later, holla!

BTW: Heres the link to his website and for if you want some tickets

http://http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/home

http://movietickets.com/

Der Film über den King Of Pop “This Is It!” wird in mehreren Städten gleichzeitig Premiere feiern. Der Kinofilm über Michael Jackson zeigt Jackson u.a. bei seinen letzten Proben zu den geplanten Konzerten in London.
Die Tickets für das Kino werden schnell vergriffen sein und die Filmpremieren ruck zuck ausverkauft sein. Der Kauf von Tickets kann ab dem kommenden Sonntag, 27.09.2009 erfolgen. Zur Zeit wird noch gerätzelt wo es die Tickets zu kaufen gibt.
Aller Wahrscheinlichkeit nach wird es einen Online-Sale geben über eine Website, die Online-Tickets ausstellt. Also sollte man sich schnell Tickets kaufen für den Michael Jackson Film “This Is It!”.
Wir sind gespannt…..!

Thrill The World.

Bailamos ¨Thriller¨ en simultáneo con todo el mundo, con la intensión de crear un record mundial y generar conciencia solidaria.

Un tributo a Michael Jackson.

Thrill The World es un tributo a Michael Jackson impulsado por la canadiense Inés Markelle.

En el marco del aniversario de la primera emisión en radio de su tema ¨Thriller¨ (1982), convoca a bailarines y público en general a ser parte del evento coreográfico más grande del mundo, con la intension de generar un record mundial y crear conciencia solidaria.

De esta manera, más de 300 grupos bailarán en sumultáneo, en distintos puntos estratégicos del mundo, durante la noche del próximo 24 de Octubre.

Argentina se suma a la convocatoria a través de Thrill Argentina con el apoyo de La Doble A (productora de cine, publicidad y contenidos – únicos representantes del evento en el país), impulsando una colecta de alimentos no perecederos en colaboración con los niños de (a confirmar), a cargo de la organizacón (a confirmar) que se ocupará de juntar y distribuir lo recaudado durante los ensayos y la noche del evento.

Para registrarse, aprender la coreografía y estar al tanto de las novedades (programación de ensayos, puntos de recolección de alimentos, lugar donde se desplegará el evento, etc), los participantes deberán bajarse el formulario de inscripción publicado en la Web de Thrill Argentina, completarlo y enviarlo por mail a thrillargentina@gmail.com. Así mismo, el día de la convocatoria, deberán llevar el formulario impreso y firmado, y un alimento no perecedero para poder participar oficialmente de la coreografía.

El lugar de la convocatoria no será revelado hasta unos días antes de la noche del sábado 24 de Octubre.

]]> http://emagz88.wordpress.com/2009/09/06/253/ Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:47:47 +0000 emagz88 http://emagz88.wordpress.com/2009/09/06/253/

Michael Jackson was died… But,  the memoriam of MJ willn`t never end.. I want to share about Michael Jackson Biography. Where, you can get for free…  The King of Pop Never Died in their Fans Memoriam.

Download Here

I’m kind of disheartened this morning. The houseplant, the philodendron, I’ve had for more years than I can remember, looks like it finally bit the dust. That in itself isn’t the sad part. The sad part is that it was a shoot from the original that Grandma B had from before she moved to NJ back in 1950-something. It was looking a little bit unhealthy and I tended to it as best I could and it finally started coming around. I was even going to post periodic pictures of it as it continued to flourish. But this morning, all that’s left is a leafless vine. I’ll keep at it, and maybe, like what happened with Grandma’s, that it stopped growing and she threw it outside and there it began to grow and she had it ever since, it’ll start coming back for me.

This is a recent finer moment.

So, switching gears for a sec, I’m wishing today was the 5^th. It’s Be Late For Something Day, instead of it being Skyscraper Day today. And it’s Charlie Sheen’s birthday (1965), Alan Ladd (1913-1964) and Kitty Carlisle (1910-2007).

Today’s also the day Michael Jackson will finally be interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, CA. That’s where such luminaries as Clark Gable, Jimmy Stewart, the aforementioned Alan Ladd, and L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz have been laid to rest. It’s been determined that the Jackson estate is liquid enough that it can pick up the undisclosed “extraordinary” tab for the funeral, unlike the cost for that life celebration thing back in…whenever it was…the city of Los Angeles took up a collection for to pay for all the police and craft services and whatnot.

I’m also just less than two hours away from my weekend beginning, thanks to having worked last Saturday. I won’t be blogging until Tuesday and that will be, of course, part 4 in the “Florida Story” and the newest installment of McGinty Chronicles will be up and running.

Have a great holiday weekend!

Pasei um final de semana encantador, vendo o Justin falar sobre a influência que Michael Jackson teve em sua carreira. Influência? Acho que está mais para Influenza, já que ele não fez nada que o Rei não tivesse feito.

Estaria Michael ainda vivo?

Bem, segundo o TV Fama, sim! E fazendo ligações se passando por um tal de Donald.

Na verdade a pergunta é outra: Esteve Michael algum dia vivo?

 Desde muito pequeno o cara era uma superestrela, virou um cantor de sucesso antes dos 10 anos. Ainda nem havia entrado na fase adulta quando inventou a Pop music e se tornou seu Rei.

Será que há vida depois de se tornar um mito?

Como todos os gênios ele era criticado, incompreendido, admirado e ovacionado.

Gênios tiram de sua loucura a genialidade, que nós mortais jamais imaginamos.

Michael Jackson talvez nunca tenha vivido. Não fora de sua Neverland.

New Jersey-born Artist Kaws was invited recently by Interview Magazine to work atop an image of Michael Jackson for an editorial piece on the late pop sensation. The final image is typical of Kaws’ unique style and features a ‘Bendy’ (a worm-like character who often appears in Kaws’ work) wrapped around Jackson which is reminiscent of previous work, most obviously the iconic reworking of Supreme’s Kate Moss tee.

This very nice, with the hands and the red band comming across Michael’s face, very detailed and a great commemoration toward the Greatest Entertainer of all time’s death. TRAGIC.

R.I.P The King of Pop (Michael Jackon)

See you there?