But not in a Ginuwine sense of anxiety. As it gets closer to the time when I get these results back from this test I feel like it’s ruling the way that I move. I can’t breath right, it’s like I’m 20,000 leagues under the sea (however far that is, my knowledge base has so many gaps in it). There is so much pressure on me right now and it’s going to feel like it’s either been all lifted or all come down on me and crush me.

I just want it to be over….

So last night me and my special lady went to go see Michael Jackson’s This Is It. To say that it was amazing would be a massive understatement.

It’s such sad irony that the only reason we got to see this spectacle of achievement is that Michael died, as just about everyone in the know agrees that he would have never allowed such footage to be released if he were alive. I think this in and of itself explains his ultimate failing in the public eye.

But I digress I’m not here to really talk about that. Instead I want to lament the poor treatment Michael received during the last 20 years of his life.

Here is a man that the public built up, worshiped, and adored above any other entertainer. In his zenith (the years between Thriller and Bad) he was a world wide star, adored by women from the age of 4 to 84, admired by men and respected by both peer and layman. However, there was always this air of mystery, something he kept hidden and in our curiosity our minds went to the worst thoughts.

In hindsight Michael foreshadowed this all with his songs “Wanna Be Starting Something” (years ahead of time in terms of how the media and paparazzi treat our icons) and “Human Nature” (Michael had already forgiven and more than that UNDERSTOOD WHY the people looked at his behavior so strangely).

The Michael on This Is It was a perfectionist, but in the most loving, mild, and gentle way possible. He got the most out of his performers, not by yelling but through firm instruction. He never belittled any of the dancers or musicians, and yet, he was as demanding as the toughest drill sergeant. He performed at a high level and required it of the others involved in the process, but never became the impetuous, frustrated prima donna that many other performers become.

At one point in the film he says, “Well we got a little taste of it” or something to that extent, in describing a rehearsal of “Black or White”. I laughed and remarked that what he had just done would have been the VERY BEST that an artist like Chris Brown could produce! Other times Michael said he was trying to conserve his voice and energy, and yet he performed “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Human Nature” so beautifully and powerfully that in my opinion it was concert level.

This man Michael Jackson gave his all to show his fans things they had never seen and entertain them in ways they have never been entertained. All he cared about in his life was music and love, the love of others and even love of the planet. What did we reward him with? We made fun of him, we mocked him, we made up stories about him.

This Is It showed me a human being who was so full of love and didn’t care about the TRIVIAL things we care about and was able to even RISE ABOVE all of the hate that was spewed in his direction. I’m thankful for having had the chance in my lifetime to experience the magic that was Michael!

Maybe now we can appreciate the message behind his music….

As I sit here watching season 4 of the Wire, I see so many parallels I feel like I’m in geometry class. I see cities fighting problems with crime and I see lost children, but more than either of those I see an election going predictably to the most unlikely candidate.

We saw how Tommy Carcetti worked out for the denizens of faux Baltimore, but how will Mary Norwood work out for the citizens of a very real Atlanta?

I am torn on the issue, I was born and raised in Atlanta, a son of a “known” if not prominent family, but I also have no plans to ever really return to Atlanta in any capacity other than a visitor. Part of my reasoning is also what I blame most of Atlanta’s current and future problems on, the non-native Atlantan problem.

See these people don’t have a real sense of the city’s history or the things that MADE Atlanta that city they felt compelled to infiltrate. Not when they are on the verge of splitting the vote and allowing a Closeted Republican from Buckhead into the Mayoral Office. What’s the difference they say between a Lisa Borders or a Kasim Reed they say.

From where I sit, it’s pretty clear, unfortunately where I sit is in Nashville without a vote. It’s hard for me to tell people how important it is that a native son regain the reigns and help to bring Atlanta with the rest of the country out of these economic doldrums. Only an Atlanta native would understand the importance of an endorsement from Andrew Young.

I digress though. I’m not here to tell Atlanta voters who to vote for honestly, though you can probably read between the lines and see who it’d be.

More importantly I want them to RALLY behind whoever DOES make it to the eventual run-off (provided the vote hasn’t been split too far already). The Democratic party has already thrown their support behind BOTH Reed and Borders which should tell discerning voters all they need to know!

The Wire was an awesome TV show, but life is seldom as tidy as a television show. No writer can come in and clean up the potential mess if Atlanta voters elect Mary Norwood!