Michael Jackson

In some aspects, I understand why the Jackson family decided to have a public memorial for Michael Jackson; despite all his shortcomings the man was a musical genius. However, a lot of signs indicate that the service to be held tomorrow 07/06/09 at the Staples Center has a high probability of degenerating into utter chaos.

I won’t deny it, I applied for tickets to the service and luckily I didn’t win. Out of 1.6 million applicants, 8750 “lucky” winners have been selected to attend the memorial service. There are actually tickets on Ebay listed for between $15,000 - $20,000! Forgive me Michael, did really love you at some point but I’ll pass. Even Quincy Jones had this to say about the situation “… being there with 10 million people is not my idea of a tribute to somebody you were so close to”. The service which will be broadcast tomorrow features tributes by Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Justin Timberlake.

Despite pleas by the LAPD for Michael’s fans to watch the service at home, it is expected that there will be at least a million onlookers on the streets of downtown LA. I feel sorry for all the professionals and residents of downtown LA who have no choice but to endure tomorrow’s mayhem. What makes it even scarier is the fact that the LAPD also thinks they might be overwhelmed by the masses tomorrow. Sounds like a recipe for disaster if you ask me.