so michael jackson is dead. and i never thought i would feel this sad about it, because he wasn't to my generation what he was to my parents', but...it's strange. even though i wasn't around for the jackson 5 or the thriller video's premiere or his mtv heyday, i never really noticed how much he still influenced my life. all of our lives, really, because isn't that really what fame is about? the ability to see and be seen and have this huge impact on people just for, well, existing? and he did more than that - he made music, influenced more artists than i can probably name, and had his name slapped onto scandals and bad jokes and tabloid covers. it's late. i'm tired. but i just felt like i had to say this now, before i go to sleep, because i know that when i wake up tomorrow this won't feel as raw as it does now. i hope that, wherever he is, he's in peace.