Michael Jackson. Honestly.

Okay, it's easy to be cynical about the press coverage around Michael Jackson's death, but all I know is I'm still trying to get my head around those 3 words: 'Michael Jackson's death'. And it's not like I'm crying or sad or that I was a particular fan of his later work. But he was the first pop idol that I remember loving, he practically single-handedly legitimised the music video medium - and by extension, MTV - and he's always just 'been there'. I mean, 50 years old??? At a time when people tout 50 as the new 35? What???

It's funny - I think the reason people go mental when icons like Jackson die suddenly is because they act like background beacons - constantly giving out a signal which we miss when gone. So much so that all the platitudes I'm hearing simply don't convey how much emotion is there just swelling up like grief. I remember feeling that when living in London at the time of Princess Diana's death. The connection (because I see reporters asking people, 'why are you connected to him?') is simple - he was one of those beacons, a signal, always present, just a global pulse beat that people continually checked in on because of who and what he was.

I tell you what: I feel like I've been given a piece of information that my internal programming doesn't quite know how to process. I don't have the words, but felt the need to blog...

Does this make sense?

Leave Your #followFriday Stress Behind!

Another Friday is upon us. Even as I type this, thousands of people are constructing their #followFriday recommendations - indeed, the Antipodeans are already sending theirs out. While I love the 'lurve' coursing through the TwitterVerse, it can be a hectic gig. Especially with some of our more Twitterly Correct Police making suggestions on how best to recommend folks, while well intentioned, that actually only makes it worse because people are anxious not to offend people with their recs. 

Recently my good friend @MisterNoodle decided to discontinue the FollowFriday practice altogether. And truth be told, I can't blame him. I've taken to recommending people often throughout the week with the following hashtags (all have been created by me except where indicated):

#NeoFollowOne

#DeuxFollowTwo

#HeeHeeFollowThree

#CoreFollowFour

#FastFollowFive (@RickBakas/@MisterNoodle)

#SlickFollowSix (@StuBakerComedy)

#HeavenFollowSeven

#GreatFollowEight

#DivineFollowNine

#ZenFollowTen

I'll append a #FF to it if I feel like it, but it's not a mandatory thing.

And to those who would ask 'Why am I recommending them?', I say 'Because I do'. I really think it's a bit rude to ask people to justify recommendations. That I do should be enough, and with these numeric limits per hashtag, it should be easy to just look up bios and determine whether or not you want to follow.

Be advised: this may not be for you if your goal is to drive up follow numbers. Once I realised that I couldn't give the proverbial rat's backside, then it all made sense. The clouds parted, and I released my anguish.

Nowadays, I no longer dread Fridays. They've gone back to being the Death of the Week, as God intended, an event to look forward to - not another WorkDay to fret over.

Try these or make up your own - and register them at Tagalus (http://tagal.us)