I cannot help but snicker at the manufactureres of these drigs defense of their ads that "Erectile dysfunction is an important issue…It often indicates the presence of other serious conditions such as hypertension and heart disease!". I wish I had a dollar for the cases I’ve seen and heard of where men will not takes their prescribed nitrates for heart disease because it interacts with drugs such as viagra and levitra! Oy,PRIORITIES!

Also, I am EXTREMELY tired of the "male enhancement" ads. "Smiling Bob" makes me wish I had a gun, only to be able to change the channel ala Elvis. Sex has always been used to hawk products from chewing gum to cars, but (I have to admit) the latest marketing of products for ‘sexual enhancement’ have pushed the envelope a bit far.

My relationship with my mother has  been characterized by mixed feelings, on some levels, but it has always been rooted in a deep love.  While I have always seen characteristics in my mother that I do not want to possess myself, I have always been aware of the love that exists between a mother and child. As I  mature, I often marvel at this type of love.

I had to attend the high school where my mother taught English. I vividly remember the first day of my first year at this school. Because I am…ahem..’vertically challenged’ I decided to navigate my way down the hall past her classroom by hiding in the middle of a large crowd of students. As I was shrinking my shoulders down, looking at the ground—all the while hurrying as fast as I could—that familiar voice rang out: "There she is! Melanie…MELANIE!". Immediately after this, I heard the low gruff voices of some older boys say "That’s HER! THERE SHE IS!". With that moment, my hellacious freshman year began. It was miserable because, not only was I bullied because of who I was (and I developed a deep resentment against my mother as well as my tormenters), hearing insults directed at my mother by these people HURT…I loved her, and I had an up-close-and-personal look at the sort of abuse that she as a teacher had to take on a daily basis. It broke my heart. The torrent of emotion stirred up by this hurt, my resentment of my mother for making me go to this school, the terror of the upper classmen’s bullying, along with all the other hormonally-charged issues inherent to being a teenager, made that year the longest of my life. The one thing I remember realizing most is how much I do love my mother (I was the youngest of 4, and mama had gone back to school to get her master’s fairly soon after my arrival; frankly, we had never really been that close). Up to that point, I had always been aware of her faults, as sized up in my juvenile estimation…hearing virtual strangers levelling insults, and unfair cruel judgements made me start to see her in a different light.

Once I got through high school (and boy was I ready to get oout of my parents’ house) I attended Birmingham-Southern college. I had the most enjoyable class of my entire colliagate career my first term; it was called "Ethical Choice". Among the many philosophical topics we disscussed was ‘love’…and the types of love (eros, philos, etc.)…what the definitions of love MEAN. I remember our class had a spirited discussion regarding agape, in particular. After spending a significant amount of time in Sunday school and church, I felt secure in my knowledge of the subject, I duly contribited my opinion on the subject, wrote an eloquent paper, and was rewarded with an "A".

Years later, when I had my first child, I reflected back on that class, and how remedial my knowledge of agape was. When I  had my first ultrsound showing that my baby was indeed implanted in the right place (I had an ectopic pregnancy a few years earlier)…and when I first felt him move inside me…when I was admitted to the hospital and saw his heartbeat decreasing on the fetal monitor and realized I was going to have an emergency c-section a month early….all these things made me feel agape. I felt that selfless love for another person within the marrow of my bones, down to every fiber of my being. The terror I felt that something might happen to him was all-encompassing. Once I had him, and I held his little hand, and when, FINALLY, I could hold him after three days, I thought about this love… primary, primordial, timeless, and the most powerful force on earth. Beyond cold ration, it is the reason we are all here. That selfless love, agape, was no longer a mere textbook definition.

Three years later I was again awestruck  at the birth of my daughter, this poweful love multiplied! There were two little people who I would do anything for and who I love unconditionally. Having my own children changed my relationship with my own parents dramatically. I never fully appreciated them until I became a parent.

So, on this Mother’s day I want to celebrate this wonderous, powerful, and sustaining love that exists between a mother and her children. That which flows between my grandmother (she just turned 102), to my mother, through me, and down to my own teenaged son and daughter. To me, this love provides a window to the past, joy to the present, and intimations of immortality. Happy Mother’s Day to one and all!

The multiple plastic surgeries he has had, his antics with wearing face masks, his holding his tiny son in a VERY precarious manner, in addition to MANY other ‘antics’ which have been well documented in the media demonstrate that Jackson is not playing with a full deck. I am not a coward in saying this, and I will also add that some of the shrill comments which have been made by a few people here seem to indicate more than a little hero WORSHIP. Michael Jackson is a human being (as I said in an earlier reply, I can easily understand why he has some psychological issues…I think MOST people who had the childhood he had would have some problems), with human faults—just like we all have. That level of admiration of another human is a dangerous game: on the one hand, that admirerer might see a flaw in his/her idol that bitterly disappoints; on the other hand, the ardent, unfailing fan may be so blinded by admiration that they fail to see their idol objectively, and ignore unsavory characteristics/actions that the rest of the world clearly sees.

Yes…Time will tell …What I say about him is really not based on personal animosity. He may well have been mobbed as you say, but this does not equal a ‘comeback’. Certainly Sony didn’t think Jackson was a wise investment any longer. Firthermore (if you read my post) I stated that I was NOT suprised that Jackson sold out shows in London. We shall see what the future brings here in the U.S., but I certainly wouldn’t bet any of my hard earned cash on Jackson’s chances on a successful American ‘comeback’ tour. That’s all I am saying.