"We talked about psychology, Freud and Jung, Hawthorne, sociology, black history and sociology dealing with race issues. But he was very well read in the classics of psychology and history and literature."
"He loved to read. He had over 10,000 books at his house."
"And there were places that he liked to sit, and you could see the books with his bookmarks in it, with notes and everything in it where he liked to sit and read. And I can tell you from talking to him that he had a very - especially for someone who was self-taught, as it were, and had his own reading list - he was very well-read. And I don't want to say that I'm well-read, but I've certainly read a lot, let's put it that way, and I enjoy philosophy and history and everything myself, and it was very nice to talk to him, because he was very intellectual, and he liked to talk about those things. But he didn't flaunt it, and it was very seldom that he would initiate the conversation like that, but if you got into a conversation like that with him, he was there."
"And few people really had the opportunity the have these intellectual discussions about great thinkers and writers. Freud and Jung - go down the street and try and find five people who can talk about Freud and Jung."
The Bodyguards' testimony of Michael's reading habit
Prince Michael brought over an oversized book on collectable toys, barely able to carry it. He said in the cutest little voice; "Dad, can I have this" Michael lovingly smiled and asked if he was going to read it. He replied, "Yes."
He wanted books on black folk music, books by Roald Dahl (including James and the Giant Peach), and something on Versailles. I would send my troops to look for the books and hand the findings to Jesus. On a previous visit, my dad had helped him, and he picked out books on Howard Hughes, dictionaries and first edition children's books.
..he spent $6,000 in books and allowed anyone in his group to take books. Although the people in his entourage did choose some, they did not seem as excited about shopping for books.
"He was a longtime and valued customer," a store representative of art and architecture bookstore Hennessey + Ingalls said Thursday. "We'll miss him."
"He loved the poetry section," Dave Dutton said as Dirk chimed in that Ralph Waldo Emerson was Jackson's favorite. "I think you would find a great deal of the transcendental, all-accepting philosophy in his lyrics."
"It was Rose who instilled in me a love of books
and literature that sustains me today.
I read everything I could get my hands on.
New cities meant new places to shop.
We loved to shop, especially in bookstores and department stores,"
~ Michael Jackson, Moonwalk
"She [Miss Rose Fine] taught me the wonderful world of books and reading
and I wouldn't be the same person if it wasn't for her."
~ Michael Jackson
MJ: "I watch cartoons. I love cartoons. I play video games. Sometimes I read."
Q: "You mean you read books?"
MJ: "Yeah. I love to read short stories and everything."
Despite all the issues around us, let us all remember the meaning of Christmas, which is Love.. and like Elizabeth said about Michael:
"I can’t see Christmas without Michael and Michael without Christmas." #MikeLike :)
So here it is,
Michael's Christmas messages..
--
In December, 1992,
Michael Jackson sends a videotaped Christmas message to his fans in United Kingdom
“It is a real privilege for me to be able to have this opportunity, to send all my fans a message on what is a very important day.
Today of all days, we focus on loving one another and giving.
Let’s do this, not just one day of the year, but for 365 days.
The Heal The World Foundation is now set up.
Donations are invaluable.
But just as important, let’s love one and other,
let’s forget hatred and turn to those that are suffering. Not just today, but everyday.
Join me in healing the world and make it a better place. Thank you.”
~ Michael Jackson ~
---
In December, 2002: Christmas Message For The Children of Germany
"Good evening, children and Merry Christmas.
When I create music I always hope that my music will give joy to many people.
If that happens I am very happy. Giving joy makes one happy.
Unfortunately there are many children that are not happy.
In Germany and in other countries.
During Christmas, this is especially hard for those children because it is on Christmas when they see what they miss.
For some it may be just a small present,
for some it may be a warm meal,
for some it may be a family,
for some it may be just a little bit of love.
That is why I need you!
I need your help.
Let us work together and help those children.
Let us reach out to those who are alone -
Let us all tell them: "You are not alone".
This year it is I, only I, speaking to you, children in Germany and sending you a few little gifts.
If you help me, then next year, we will do the same but in many more countries.
We will speak together - maybe we will sing together -
and we will give gifts together. Let us think big.
Let us find many people to join our effort.
Here and all over Europe and then all over the world.
We can do it! I know we can do it!
To all of the grown ups I like to say this:
To us, so many things seem important. Sometimes, we think we are important.
We are not important.
Nothing is more important than our children!
They are the future. They can heal the world.
It is our obligation to be there for them.
To advise them. To motivate them. To help them and to love them.
Let us encourage them to go for their dreams.
And let us as parents, friends and relatives help them to have good dreams.
I look forward to the new year,
to working with you children and to create an organization that will help other children.
I promise, I promise you, if you come along,
it will make you feel good and it will be so much fun!
Merry Christmas! I love you from the bottom of my heart!
Thank you so much!"
~ Michael Jackson ~
Michael's LOVE on CHRISTMAS
December, 1992: Relief supplies airlifted to children in Bosnia in association with Operation Christmas Child, consisting of 30,000 "shoebox gifts" of toys, school items, photographs, and letters collected by U.K. schoolchildren.
December 16, 1993: The Heal The World Foundation UK supports “Operation Christmas Child” delivering toys, sweets, gifts and food to children in former Yugoslavia.
January 22, 2000: During Christmas last year a violent storm ravaged the park of the Chateau de Versailles and destroyed 10,000 trees in the park. The estimated cost for rebuilding the park is around $20 million. Some celebrities are supporting the restoration of the park. French officials are reporting that Michael Jackson is one of them. He was one of the first people to donate money to this cause.
From what I've learnt, I could never agree with an album called "Michael" that claims as Michael Jackson's album. NOPE, I think it's NOT Michael Jackson's!!
I've searched his words about creating music and collaborating with others, and I found ONE that justified my own decision:
"A thought, it is an embryo of a thought, of an idea. It is a brief concept.
And then you collaborate with someone. Could be a writer.
I say, I want to do this, I want to do that, and I want to do this.
You tell him to develop it, because you..... I cannot do it right now,
because I got to go on to the next song, the next thing.
So they'll come up with something, working with their ideas
and they'll come with them back to me ...
you go [to see] whether you like it or not.
I mean I have done that with pretty much everything that I have done.
I am usually there for the concept for the writing.
I co-write usually all my pieces that I do."
~ Michael Jackson, 1996 ~
The highlight is when Michael said that
the collaborators come back to him, to see WHETHER he like it or not!
Question #1: One of the song was recorded in 80's, almost 30 years ago, then why Michael never release that song while he was alive? He chose to go to tour instead! He won't let $ony releases his "unreleased" songs!
"Breaking News Real Recording at 16 BIT 44k, JASON MALACHI in 2009"
This video then being support by a statement on a forum that says:
"It's finally come together, guys. I haven't spoken on this too much, but since Tony Kurtis has come forward, now is the time.
Jason Malachi has always been responsive to my messages. He's a cool brother. His wife is funny. They've always been nice to me. I've never met them in person, but they've always been really nice and answered my questions.
I asked Jason in November if he was singing on the Cascio tracks. He said "I can't confirm or deny anything right now." If he wasn't singing on those songs, he would have just denied it. I only shared this information with the team and a few others, because I didn't want to betray Jason's trust. But with his former producer coming out with this info, the time is right to speak up. The top is off the bottle, now. So I have nothing to lose by saying what I know.
Tony Kurtis said that Jason is tone-deaf and could never really nail the vocals. He left many comments under the video he posted. He is against sony releasing this album because those three songs are not Michael. Honestly, with Tony Kurtis coming forward, this thing is about to pop off."
Question #2: Do you still believe that that fake song is Michael's voice?
Next,
3 of those songs are produced by Teddy Riley: Hollywood Tonight, Monster, and Breaking News (???)
You remember Teddy Riley, who tweeted: "I am a reflection of MJ." source Like, SERIOUSLY???!! but he's spreading bias, telling that MJ's is still alive?!!
and... cek this pic: "They tried to make the kids lie"...????
(source: http://twitpic.com/3fqmsy)
Someone should make him STOP!
WATCH THIS VIDEO:
Q: You recently tweeted that Michael Jackson is alive....?
TR: When I speak, I speak from the heart, and I speak from the truth, and.. from my heart, YES, I DO... (bla bla bla bla bla)...
Even with this interview, some fans (if not one), keeps saying that Teddy is lovely and dedicated to MJ? *smh*
From this article, Teddy said: "This album is greater than his best album." - another disrespecting statement by TR! ONLY Michael-HIMSELF that can make the album greater!
Question #4: And... you still believe in Teddy??!!
last but not least..
These FACT-tweets are so TRUE! #THINK
- George Harrison's son finished his father's unfinished work~which was already planned b4 he died~why cant MJ have that same respect? (source via @Justice4MJJ)
- #MJFam, did some1 EVER touched unreleased/unfinished Beatles songs? http://bit.ly/dIBg4f Don't think so! Motive for Michael release is clear! (source via @MJJ777HeTheWo)
----
With those so many questions, remember Michael's own words...
"I'm putting my heart & soul into it [Invincible] because
I'm not sure I'm gonna do another one after this. This will be my LAST ALBUM"
~ Michael Jackson, 1999
"I'll do at least over 100 songs until I come up with about 20-30 that I like, I cipher it down." ~ Michael Jackson, 2001
"The record companies really do conspire against the artists. Especially the black artists.
They LIE, they STEAL, they do EVERYTHING they can."
~ Michael Jackson, 2002
"Somewhere greed got in there, and somebody.. I.. I can't quite say.
But it has to do with money. It's Michael Jackson. Look what we have here.
We can get money out of this. That's EXACTLY what happened."
~ Michael Jackson, 2003
"I have been a vulnerable target for those who want money…"
~ Michael Jackson, 2004
Check out the story when a perfectionist made his BAD album:
"Why did it take so long to make Bad? The answer is that Quincy and I decided that this album should be as close to perfect as humanly possible. A perfectionist has to take his time; he shapes and he moulds and he sculpts that thing until it's perfect. He can't let it go before he's satisfied; he can't.
If it's not right, you throw it away and do it over. You work that thing till it's just right. When it's as perfect as you can make it, you put it out there. Really, you've got to get it to where it's just right; that's the secret. That's the difference between a number thirty record and a number one record that stays number one for weeks. It's got to be good. If it is, it stays up there and the whole world wonders when it's going to come down....
We don't ever try to pander to the fans. We just try to play on the quality of the song. People WILL NOT BUY JUNK."
~ Michael Jackson, Moonwalk ~
Guess that's the reasons why there are so many "unreleased songs" that he kept 'unreleased'
----
Updated: Dec 22nd, 2010
More compelling words from Michael himself, about how he write his music..
[Q: Does your perfectionism slow the process?] =>
MJ: "It did take a while because I'm never happy with the songs. I'll write a bunch of songs, throw them out, write some more. People say, "Are you crazy? That's got to go on the album." But I'll say, "Is it better than this other one?" You only get 75 minutes on a CD, and we push it to the limit." ~ Michael Jackson, 2001
"Every time I do an album, I write, almost, nearly a hundred or over a hundred songs, so we have to sucker them down.." ~ Michael Jackson, 2003
"So... we can't let them get away with what they're trying to do, because now I'm a free agent. I just owe $ony one more album, it's just a box set, really, with two new songs which I've written ages ago. Because for every album that I record, I write like, literally, I'm telling you the truth, I write.... I write at least 120 songs every album I do, so... I can do the box set, just giving them any two songs.", ~ Michael Jackson, 2002
"I'm a perfectionist by nature. I like things to be the best they can be. I want people to hear or watch something I've done and feel that I've given it everything I've got. I feel I owe an audience that courtesy." ~ Michael Jackson, Moonwalk
