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But then I thought how could I not say something? I knew and loved many of his singles, and his influence in terms of music, style, dance, and the medium of videos will be felt for generations.

Having been born in 1986, I wasn’t around for much of Jackson’s career (or at least wasn’t very cognizant of it), but he was the kind of superstar whose hits were still (and are) being played, and I soon knew all about his start in the Jackson 5 and his subsequent solo career.

(Side bar fact about me: I loved Billie Jean, and danced to it at an impromptu sock hop dance competition in about grade seven, earning a solid second).

His life for the past 15 years or so had been mired with controversy, from the child molestation allegations, to the bizarre facial reconstruction. But through it all, Michael Jackson remained a phenomenal song-and-dance man who inspired so many to step up to the mic, or get on the dancefloor. He will be missed, but not soon forgotten.

These are my two favourite Michael Jackson songs, which never fail to get me moving.

Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough

However, monthly magazine PDN (Photo District News) has come up with five fairly unconventional choices.

Our list includes a photojournalist-turned-educator, a fine artist, an editorial photographer, a wedding shooter and a multimedia journalist. We spoke to each one about how they climbed these virtual mountains, and what see from the top.

It’s clear that success online doesn’t always translate into jobs. A hit YouTube video won’t make your phone ring, and a Twitter stream alone generates no revenue. There are downsides: Comments from Flickr users can be obnoxious.

However, all of these photographers credit the Internet with leading to some work, and in at least one case, financial success. And it’s hard to overstate the personal satisfaction of having a legion of online fans.

They focused on photographers who are known primarily for their online work, and they found one on Twitter, one on Flickr, one on Facebook, one blogger, and this guy, from Youtube:

Some of them I’d heard of, or seen their work, and others were brand-new to me. An interesting list, but obviously flawed. So, let the discussion ensue!

I was only 8 at the height of Nirvana’s fame in 1994. I don’t even remember knowing about his death when it happened. It wasn’t until a few years later in middle school that I really realized who Nirvana was, and that was only because “Smells like Teen Spirit” would be played at our dances.

When I was in grade 8 or 9 I finally picked up a copy of Nevermind, which I listened to compulsively for a year or so. Wanting to hear more of their music, I picked up their first album Bleach, which I wasn’t a huge fan of; I never really listened to In Utero. For me, it was always Nevermind.

That is why I believe Cobain will always be influential. I didn’t pick up a Nirvana album until 5 or 6 years after his death, and it really directed my musical tastes from then on. Just like people are continually discovering Hendrix or The Doors, people will always discover Nirvana, and learn about the talent and the torture of Kurt Cobain.

I loved the covers Nirvana did for their unplugged album. Here is my favourite:

And another favourite, this time from Nevermind:

The Cobbe portrait as it is called shows Shakespeare in a more attractive light than we’re used to: not so plump or balding; his dress is also more regal, an indication of a higher social status.

Those who believe the painting is in fact of Shakespeare hope it reveals something about his much-debated sexuality, and to whom his sonnets were written for.

Ron Rosenbaum wonders why scholars are so obsessed with sex and Shakespeare.

The “Shakespeare portrait” brochure makes similar claims, asking whether the new, “hotter” Shakespeare tells us anything about the bard’s “sexuality” or “the person to whom the sonnets are addressed,” although it’s unclear how a portrait could do any such thing. (Are all bisexual men handsome? All heteros ugly?)

Rosenbaum makes a compelling point that the culture of celebrity has invaded into the life of Shakespeare, and that rather than look for answers concerning his sexuality, our focus should be on the works themselves. He is also bothered that the way Shakespeare looked might possibly change the way his work is interpreted.

There are also people who aren’t convinced the portrait is even of Shakespeare. Katherine Duncan-Jones, who wrote a piece for the Times Online, is one of those people. She believes that the Cobbe portrait bears a striking resemblance to Sir Thomas Overbury. In the article, the three images are lined up together. I’m not sure of all the nuances of the story, but it’s pretty compelling just by looking at the portraits that the Cobbe portrait is more likely to be of Overbury.

The Cobbe portrait; Sir Thomas Overbury; The Droeshout Shakespeare. From the Times Online.

I think I might love mash-ups because I love the sensation of cognitive dissonance. It’s essential to many forms of humour, and it’s something that truly makes us human.

Aside from the obviousness of children’s show characters being set to gangsta rap, there is a much subtler — and subversive — cognitive dissonance here.

Just think: when was the last time you saw a rap video featuring gay main characters? (I mean, in a positive way.)

Yes, it’s that time of year — the Academy Awards, when really beautiful and well-paid people come together to honour themselves and each other, and to exhort us to keep going to the movies, because didn’t you see? There’s an animated foreign short film who also won an award (it was during the ads) and by not going to see the latest blockbuster, you’re somehow hurting that foreign animated film’s set dresser. Or something.

I just think it’s time for this blog to go out on a limb. To make some predictions. To show of the cojones. Wanna go Oscar to Oscar? Print out an Oscar Prediction Scorecard (pdf) (pilfered from Vanity Fair) and follow along at home.

My picks after the jump:

Best Actor

• Richard Jenkins, The Visitor
• Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
• Sean Penn, Milk
• Brad Pitt, Benjamin Button
• Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke, in a walk, for this one. Everyone’s calling it, and the Academy is as susceptible to herd mentality as anyone. Any of the others would be a shocker. Plus, I hear that he’s actually pretty damn amazing.

Best Supporting Actor

• Josh Brolin, Milk
• Robert Downey Jr., Tropic Thunder
• Philip Seymour Hoffman, Doubt
• Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight
• Michael Shannon, Revolutionary Road

Does anyone think that Heath Ledger won’t get this? No-brainer.

Best Actress

• Anne Hathaway, Rachel Getting Married
• Angelina Jolie, Changeling
• Melissa Leo, Frozen River
• Meryl Streep, Doubt
• Kate Winslet, Revolutionary Road

There’s all kinds of chatter about Meryl Streep on this one, but I think this will be one of the upsets. The Academy loves Nazis and I think Kate Winslet will get this one. Angelina’s not a long-shot, either — her hubby’s getting mighty unlucky with Benjamin Button, and she might benefit from some sympathy votes. But mark me down for Winslet here.

Best Supporting Actress

• Amy Adams, Doubt
• Penelope Cruz, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
• Viola Davis, Doubt
• Taraji P. Henson, Benjamin Button
• Marisa Tomei, The Wrestler

Amy Adams gets. I can’t resist an Amy, why should the Academy?

Best Picture

• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Frost/Nixon
• Milk
• The Reader
• Slumdog Millionaire

In hindsight, a decade from now, historians will look back at the movies of last year and say that Frost/Nixon was the best. But the prize will go this year to Slumdog Millionaire. It’s got the mo’

Best Director

• David Fincher, Benjamin Button
• Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon
• Gus Van Sant, Milk
• Stephen Daldry, The Reader
• Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

Hmmm, a toughie. But I’m going to predict Ron Howard ekes out a win here, for Front/Nixon.

Best Foreign Film

• Baader Meinhof Complex
• The Class
• Departures
• Revanche
• Waltz with Bashir

I have no clue, but the title of Waltz with Bashir intrigues me. Let’s go with that.

Best Animated Film

• Bolt
• Kung Fu Panda
• WALL-E

WALL-E in a walk. No debate. The others pander ponderously where WALL-E floats through its message with delicacy and grace. Pixar’s touch is golden.

Achievement in Art Direction

• Changeling
• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• The Duchess
• Revolutionary Road

Presumably there are Academy members who really consider their choices in each and every category, making special point to carefully watch each nominated film, keeping track of the art direction, say. These are probably art directors. Unfortunately, they are wildly outnumbered by the Academy members who, like me, simply check off a movie that they think looked good, probably based on YouTube trailers. Benjamin Button, come on down!

Achievement in Cinematography

• Changeling
• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• The Reader
• Slumdog Millionaire

This one goes to The Dark Night, just so their Heath Ledger award doesn’t look like a complete charity nod.

Achievement in Costume Design

• Australia
• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Duchess
• Milk
• Revolutionary Road

I think Australia’s going to get this one, but I’m mostly playing a hunch.

Best Documentary

• The Betrayal
• Encounters at the End of the World
• The Garden
• Man on Wire
• Trouble the Water

Man on Wire is the only one I’ve seen, but it’s stunningly good. An easy pick.

Best Documentary Short

• The Conscience of Nhem En
• The Final Inch
• Smile Pinki
• The Witness

Um, if I had a four-sided coin, I’d flip it here. Let’s go with The Conscience of Nhem En.

Achievement in Film Editing

• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Frost/Nixon
• Milk
• Slumdog Millionaire

No one in Hollywood wants to look anti-gay — particularly in the wake of Prop. 8. So I think Milk needs at least one win so everyone can feel good about themselves. Milk grabs the statuette.

Achievement in Makeup

• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Heath Ledger will get the Best Supporting Actor award because his performance transcended the makeup, so it won’t be The Dark Night. Hellboy II has Guillermo del Toro behind it, but with 13 nominations, you can’t count out the Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I think Brad Pitt’s aging in reverse thing will win out over the fantastical world of the Golden Army.

Best Original Score

• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Defiance
• Milk
• Slumdog Millionaire
• WALL-E

Yeesh! I have no clue. From the hat, blindfolded, comes my pick … Slumdog Millionaire? Sure. Plus, they’ve got two individual songs nominated.

Best Original Song

• Down to Earth, WALL-E
• Jai Ho, Slumdog Millionaire
• O Saya, Slumdog Millionaire

A classic split, with WALL-E coming up the middle between the two Slumdog Millionaire tunes. Plus WALL-E gets all the Slumdog hater votes and the backlash votes.

Best Animated Short

• La Maison en Petits Cubes
• Lavatory – Lovestory
• Oktapodi
• Presto
• This Way Up

Again, I have no inside information, nor do I know any of these nominated films at all. But I can’t resist the possibilities inherent in Lavatory-Lovestory. Neither will the Academy.

Best Live Action Short

• Auf der Strecke (On the Line)
• Manon on the Asphalt
• New Boy
• The Pig
• Spielzeugland (Toyland)

It is going to be awesome to see some poor actor or actress mangling the word Spielzeugland. Luckily, they’ll have a second opportunity to get it right, when they open the envelope.

Achievement in Sound Editing

• The Dark Knight
• Iron Man
• Slumdog Millionaire
• WALL-E
• Wanted

Iron Man’s nominated? Wanted? Sound editing seems to be where all the high-octane action films get recognized for their ability to deliver bone-shaking thrills through the judicious use of volume. I think in terms of Angelina vehicles, she has her best chances with Changeling in other categories. Iron Man get it, in this case. RDJ FTW.

Achievement in Sound Mixing

• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Slumdog Millionaire
• WALL-E
• Wanted

Is there really that much of a substantive difference between Sound Editing and Sound Mixing? To the Academy, there is! The Dark Night will pick up a lesser Oscar here, again to make it look less like Heath Ledger’s win was out of charity.

Best Visual Effects

• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• The Dark Knight
• Iron Man

Thirteen nominations isn’t all for naught — Benjamin Button will take this award home. Remember, it doesn’t just span a man’s life, but also most of the time periods he lives through, and the film’s look does a good job at capturing the feel of different eras.

Best Adapted Screenplay

• Curious Case of Benjamin Button
• Doubt
• Frost/Nixon
• The Reader
• Slumdog Millionaire

In a case of name recognition versus name recognition, this category will come down to Benjamin Button versus Frost/Nixon. I’m torn on this one — I’d like to see the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story get recognized, but the retro feel of Frost/Nixon might make it a winner. Frost/Nixon, by a jowl.

Best Original Screenplay

• Frozen
• Happy-Go-Lucky
• In Bruges
• Milk
• WALL-E

Will WALL-E’s audacious silent first half be rewarded? I think it will, in what will be a bit of a breakthrough for an animated film.

Come back Monday to see how I did — or taunt me in the comments.

Little Old Lady: Oh, hello, there. Are you two heading for Las Vegas?
Beavis: Yeah. We’re gonna score.
Little Old Lady: Oh, well, I hope to score big there, myself. I’m mostly gonna be doing the slots.
Beavis: Yeah, yeah. I’m hoping to do some sluts, too. Yeah. Do they have a lot of sluts in Las Vegas?
Little Old Lady: Oh, there are so many slots, you won’t know where to begin.
Beavis: Whoa. Hey, Butt-Head, this chick is pretty cool. She says there’s gonna be tons of sluts in Las Vegas.
Butt-head: Cool.
Little Old Lady: It’s so nice to meet young men who are so well-mannered.
Beavis: Yeah. I’m gonna have money and a big screen TV and there’s gonna be sluts everywhere. It’s gonna rule.
Little Old Lady: Well, that’s nice.

Oh, Beavis and Butthead and your Doing of America. Great movie. I love “Love Rollercoaster.”

And there exists no greater summation of the sluts/slots dichotomy that is Las Vegas than the exchange above. Pure Mike Judge gold.

Well, there perhaps existed no greater summation until I read about a list that features the “Top 50 most requested prostitutes in Las Vegas.”

Oh, it’s a police list? Weird.  (Note: linked news story includes mug shots. Warning: no lookers in the bunch.)

Photo courtesy www.norock.com.br.

I wasn’t familiar with the 20 year old Brazilian model Mariana Bridi until I came across her sad tale a few days ago.  Due to an infection due to an infection from a rare sort of bacteria, Bridi had her hands and feet amputated, had part of her stomach and both kidneys removed in an attempt to save her life.  Nonetheless, she lapsed into a coma and according to BBC passed away early this morning.

I’m not exactly sure why, with the many thousands of people dying everday, that the death of this one young lady of whom I’d never heard bothers me so much.

A few years ago, I was at a conference where one of the presenters was author and actress Carrie Fisher.  Having been a fan for decades, I took the opportunity to introduce myself to her.  As luck would have it, as I was making pitiful fan-boy small talk with her (of the type I’m sure she has heard millions of times) a friend of hers arrived and interrupted our brief conversation.  They made plans to go for a drink and, I assume, on impluse or due to some sudden pang of guilt for the interruption, Ms Fisher invited me along.

In hindsight, it was probably a courtesy that I was expected to decline, but I’m not well versed in such manners and accepted.  Eventually, there were several of us – perhaps a dozen – drinking heavily in a private room.  I won’t go into details, but eventually intoxication on both my part and that of Ms Fisher led us into a situation…  and let’s leave it at that.

Somehow this story made its way to a celebrity blogger who tracked me down and offered me a substantial amount of money to write a guest post about the encounter.  To my eternal shame, I accepted.  In fact, I even allowed a compromising photo to be posted.

With my guilty conscience purged, I invite you to read the post of which I write.   This post, I’m afraid, was not prize-winning.