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The media’s reaction to Michael Jackson’s death has largely glossed over the past ten to twelve years of his life where his musical output was minimal and his legal troubles redefined him as a man-child living in a fantasy world. All this leads me to an interesting, or at the very least tactless, question: Are we better off with Michael Jackson dead?

For years he’s existed as a punch-line the media occasionally wheels out for the public to judge. Did he sustain our interest because we like to see others fail? Did his immense talent and artistic output keep us hoping that maybe, even after all these years, he had one more hit in him? Or were we witnessing a life so unusual it’s never been seen before and will likely never be seen again?

With his death Jackson enters an unusual arena of celebrity mythology where flaws only enrich your legacy. Never again will he appear in the tabloids the subject of some bizarre scandal that seems too crazy to not be true. We are free to use his legacy for our own selfish ends and spin him into whatever image we desire without worrying what he might do tomorrow.

His death allows the world to remember him as a musical genius and to listen to his music without thinking of the baggage recent years piled upon it. For his friends and family the death will be tragic. His fans will mourn him but when I see the same people holding a vigil after his death who turned out to offer support during his numerous trials I no longer see them as blindly devoted, insane people but as someone like me, mourning the loss of a flawed artist who brought happiness to millions.

There will always be the jokes and no one should forget the later part of his life whether as legal precedent or cautionary tale but this morning I listened to Michael Jackson and without a hint of guilt or irony I thought, “God damn, he was talented.” Now that’s not too bad a legacy.

So are we better off now that Michael Jackson has passed away? Apparently, I am.

Probably not.

And thus concludes one of the most bizarre lives in the modern world. Should be an interesting media reaction.

Check out part two of the latest podcast here or download it from iTunes under The McRib Happy Hour. Please subscribe!

In this segment William and I talk chest hair, gin, educational software, sega, the future of podcasts and spend the final sixteen minutes or so discussing pornography.

It gets a little erotic.

EDIT: The porn starlets name I could not remember is Kayden Kross. If you’re interested in that kind of thing.

Finally, a new podcast!

In part one my friend William and I talk about his recent trip to Europe, beer and Math Magic. Should be up on iTunes or hit up the link above.

This was my first try using Skype and after a few technical issues initially I think it turned out fairly well. My volume level is a little low at first but a few minutes in it gets better so stick it out and you will be rewarded!

I’ll post Part II: William’s Revenge tomorrow. If you want to learn more about the mysterious William Jones hit up his excellent food blog, The Food Spot.

World Series of Beer Pong Satellite Tournaments are taking place this month. See here for details. I am attempting to talk my roommate into driving to Tempe at the end of June but it seems like people who read this might be interested in the Baltimore and Boston ones. I believe they all offer cash prizes and a free entry into the WSOBP V in Vegas New Years Day 2010. Research that yourself though.

Do you really want to live your life without a beer pong championship? What will your children say?

For much of my life I have had a dream. Mythic stories of people and places have worked upon my impressionable mind and left me with a goal, a dream, a need.

At a steak house I want to take on an enormous steak challenge in an eat-for-free situation.

As a young lad growing up in Rhode Island, my Dad returned home from business trips filled with stories of glorious restaurants where the entire table ate for free if one hearty man would fulfill his destiny and eat a heart attack inducing amount of meat. To my young mine this seemed unfathomable as a business operation. Even then I believed I had it in me to make that restaurant regret laying down such a gauntlet. You certainly cannot discount the late John Candy in The Great Outdoors and the impact he made upon my young mind either. For all you crazy people out there, despite all the Mortal Kombat I’ve played at no point has throwing a spear into someone’s chest seemed appealing but eating a 128 oz. steak? Sign me up! The lesson here is you can never know what will inspire a young mind.

As a young boy I would order the entire rack of baby back ribs at The Ground Round. The waiter would always look to my parents for assurance that this minuscule seven year old could tackle a man sized challenge and my parents would assure him, “Oh, yes, bring them all.” The plates would arrive, no typo, plates plural, and I would set to work. Ribs and fries would be devoured with only the parsley and cole slaw left. “Next time leave that shit in the kitchen and bring a few more ribs,” I would remark to the stunned busboy.

Later in high school my talents would surface in a disturbing way yet again. Every Wednesday you could be Dominos for $1 a slice. Sending me off to school with the best intentions my mother would hand me a $5 bill intended for lunch, a drink and a drink after practice for whatever sport was in season. But my debauchery knew no bounds as I would spend that entire Lincoln on half a pizza all for myself.

And now I find myself an adult trying to eat responsibly. Tonight for dinner is a nice lean piece of chicken and a salad. My former greatness seems a distant dream of the past but it still lurks within. I want to take on the ultimate challenge. If I fail at least I’ll know where I stand in the pantheon of eaters. So I am issuing a call to everyone I know, find a restaurant anywhere, if you’re there, I’m there, where such a challenge exists. Ideally, the whole table eats for free if I match the greatness I feel is within me but regardless I will cover the cost of the meal. The more people with us the better as it will only spur me on to earn something for nothing in our capitalistic society. I will fly anywhere, eat with anyone. I just want my chance to destroy a restaurants bottom line for the night.

This past Saturday, after playing baseball all afternoon, I ate a McDonald’s double quarter-pounder, a large fry, over half a frozen pizza and drank two 40’s. With no effort. Your faith will not be misplaced, I will bring my A-game.

I believe I can do this. I know I can do this. I just need a friend to be there with me.

http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P5VtlxUtoqivVjs3ujXk

Become my Netflix friend.

I have close to 300 movies in my queue. You’re sure to find something interesting in what I’ve seen or what I’m about to see. Like D3: The Mighty Ducks.

******SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED THE SEASON FINALE YET******

The season finale left me confused and, well, lost. Until I ignored Juliet detonating the bomb and accepted whatever comes after that for the ‘77 characters is unknowable given the information we’ve been given. Conservative guess Jack, Kate, Sawyer, etc. are heading back to 2007 (the ‘They’ Jacob refers to in “They’re coming.”)

I loved the reveals on resurrected Locke’s true identity but most of all I loved that after weeks of destroying the credibility of every character we were finally given some mysterious answers again along with allusions to extrapolate what the Island is all about.

At one point a character is reading Flannery O’Connor’s “Everything That Rises Must Converge”. This book seems to hold little importance other then as a character device but O’Connor borrowed the title from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin who was a very interesting and controversial figure. Going all the way back to the beginning of the episode with Jacob and The Unnamed Man arguing about the nature of time leads me to believe these two in-some-way-supernatural men are using/guiding humans for an experiment or to solve an argument. Many are reading god vs. satan imagery into this which works just fine but I think misses the whole picture. The fundamental question being asked is whether mankind follows a cyclical path of war and destruction or if free will lead to the eventually emergence of Teilhard’s Omega Point.

According to Teilhard a being achieving the Omega Point would be free from the limitations of time and space. Sounds like Lost and sounds an awful lot like a person who wouldn’t age.

This is starting to get away from me a little bit but interesting to think about in terms of tonight’s revelations.

Brand new and long overdue podcast.

I think the iTunes subscription stuff is working now so if you subscribe it might already be on your computer!

This was very much an impromptu podcast. I listened to some this morning and it’s not as incomprehensible as I feared. We talk about music and mustaches. Hope you enjoy!

I was about to type I would return soon to making better thought out coherent podcasts but then I realized that time never really existed. Instead, I shall continue striving to improve myself!

This weekend may be one of the greatest non-traditionally exciting sports weekends in recent memory.

We all know Super Bowl Weekend will be exciting, two weeks prior with the two conference championship games might be even more exciting, Masters weekend, March Madness, opening week of the NFL and many more sports consuming weekends we plan on but every now and then a time comes along when the stars align for a potentially all-time great sports weekend out of nowhere.

Saturday:
Caps - Pens game one. Ovechkin vs. Sid the Kid. Potentially the most exciting playoff hockey series in over a decade.

Kentucky Derby - when the whole country suddenly remembers we race horses for our own amusement. Let the Triple Crown buzz begin.

Game 7: Celtics - Bulls. The greatest opening round playoff series ever will have to end Saturday night. The possibilities for this game are insane. I’m prepared for a blowout, I’m prepared for six OT’s. I’m prepared for anything short of time traveling aliens.

Pacquiao vs. Hatton - Not much of a boxing fan but should be a helluva fight.

Apparently, there is a HUGE women’s soccer match in Boston. If I knew more I’d write more.

Sunday:

Tiger and Phil in contention.

Heat-Hawks Game 7. Assuming the Heat hold on to win tonight.

This is not even counting the other NBA and NHL playoff games, the couple dozen MLB games or whatever other sporting events are overshadowed this weekend. Something memorable is practically guaranteed to happen this weekend. I actually feel bad for my roommate who’s stuck going to Vegas for a bachelor party. Now that’s one helluva weekend.

Also, the Heat retired Dan Marino’s jersey. How is that acceptable?