Life Sherpa: Welcome to the Sherpa chat. I can;t say i will be at my top, top form, considering that I am just getting back from a week off.
But we will attempt to be entertaining and informative, as always. And that means we always "attempt" to be those. And since the first question dealks with Michael Jackson, it may be a minute or two before the first questions appears. I've had so many thoughts running through my head about this situation that, well, my head hurts.
Be with you momentarily.

Jana: I know that Michael Jackson was/is a pop icon, etc. but he was also a freak and that's putting it nicely. Can you explain why his memorial service will be the only news we hear for the next 10 days? After all, his death has been the only story for the last week and a half so it stands to reason that the memorial service will be the same. I was around when Elvis died(if he's really dead!)and can't remember this much hoopla and he had just as much influence, possibly more, than Michael did.
Baffled in Ballwin

Life Sherpa: So many questions, Baffled. let's try to pick off this beast shot by shot.

1. I think the memorial service is an entertainment industry farce, a put-on show that is more about the entertainers and the hangers-on than it is about Jackson. No doubt, there are family and friends who truly mourn his loss. But a lot of it seems to be nothing more than music industry hype concocted to feed the public's growing addiciton to mental pablum. It's about the "event." My God, they were selling tickets to the darn thing! Considering that most celebs were avoiding Jackson like the plague -- and being suspected heavily of child molestation tends to cause that -- it seems a little tasteless that they are coming out of the woodwork now to eulogize him.

2. Speaking of tasteless, many of the events surrounding Jackson's death are tasteless. How about his own father, less than three days after his death, plugging a new rrcoerd label at a press conference. If there was ever any doubt as to the lack of class of this shameless huckster, Father Jackson has topped even himself.

3. As to Elvis, had there been TMZ, E!, CNN and the host of other stations that desperately need to fill their time -- and apparently the growing number of viewers who need to fill their lives -- his deatyh would have been covered in much the same manner.

4. And, oh yeah, there is that whole thing about being a child molester. I guess that the media can overlook those ugly details when they want to throw a big ratings send-off.

evanbenn: Sherps, word on the interwebs is that a Life Sherpa blog is in the pipeline. True? If so, when can we expect its launch?

Life Sherpa: Thanks for asking. And yes -- starting July 20 at STLtoday.com/sherpa -- I will be doing a daily blog.
Even I am not sure what to expect. I plan to comment on the daily events in the news: politics, entertainment, sports, whatever.
And on Fridays, I plan to offer a "Top 10" on various issues. Mostly, it will be about movies, but it will also touch on other timely subjects.
Again, it starts on Monday, July 20. Tella thousand of your closest friends.

marykcanavan: Sherpa, I need your help/opinion. Husband, dog, and I are walking in Creve Coeur park. I carry a water bottle. When we stop to take a drink, I suggest that husband pour water into my cupped hands for the dog. (I'm not totally heartless and I love the dog too.) Instead my husband pours the water into the dog's mouth, and of course the dog licks the water bottle. Yuk! Hubbie says I'm obsessive/crazy because I won't drink after the dog lick. What do you think??? Watergirl

Life Sherpa: I am so on your side, Watergirl. I love dogs and I still miss Rolly, a lab/golden mix that died a few years ago.
But I have owned enough dogs and have seen enough dogs to realize where their mouths have been.
Nuff said.

Life Sherpa: Well, I guess this whole Jackson funeral thing has everyone in a downer mood. Remember, keep reading the Sherpa in the Sunday comics section, and make not that the Life Sherpa daily blog will begin on Monday, July 20. Get there by going to STLtoday.com/sherpa.

ciao, amigos.