I Hadn't Planned On Being Sad Today But Steve Jobs and Michael Jackson Gave Me No Choice.

I was in a pretty good mood yesterday.

The scent of ocean air still clung to me from a recent trip down south and I was still lost in the memory of sitting beneath the stately spread of the live oaks festooned with Spanish moss and the sweet tea I'd sipped with every meal.

I should never have put on the news.

Still more posthumous recordings of Michael Jackson greeted me. His voice, just weeks from his death was slurred and pathetic. Long gone was the energy of the strutting, prancing boy who entertained me when we both were children.

Long gone, as well, was the hope for his own childhood and a fulfilling life. In its place was a tale of woeful unhappiness and while I never knew what to make of the accusations of perversion as well as the tsunami of hero worship unleashed upon his death, the whole damn thing just made me sad all over again.

And, later in the day, despite my mistrust and rhetorical rejection of technology, I found myself subdued and reflective over the death of Steve Jobs.

An amazing visionary, able to translate his brilliance into tangible little miracles like iPhones and iPods, I shudder to imagine how frustrated he must have been, during his decline, to realize and accept that he still had so much to think about here on earth.

On a purely selfish level, his death also reminds us that neither all the money in the world, nor the privilege to access cutting edge anything-you-want can save your life if you're truly on your way.

He certainly had a nice face, didn't he? To see it fade in illness, as documented in the news footage -- excited and smiling as he introduces new ideas to the public, pinched and strained in his demise --  makes me very sad, indeed.

The only hope for the day is that Sarah Palin, the poster girl for spiritual bankruptcy and pure moral rot, has decided not to toss her silicone implants into the ring and run for president.

She claims she can be more useful on the sidelines. Nah... she's smart enough to realize that she can't explain away the lurid rumors of infidelity, drug use and lousy parenting.

Good riddance, Sarah.

And rest in peace, Mr. Jobs.

As for Michael, I hope they finally allow you to rest soon.

A beautiful, cool autumn day is expected today and I am going to take my cluttered head out into the sunshine. If I had an iPod, I would listen to this....