YOU'VE GOT YOGMAIL!!

Wow, this is issue #50.

As I sat at my desk working on an essay, I had the TV on for background
noise--tuned to ESPN there was some skating show on. Well lo and behold,
what was the first song someone skated to? None other than Jesus to a Child.
The sheer artistry Viktor Petrenko's (sp) routine truly brought a tear to my
eye. I'm sure George would have loved it. I know I'll be watching the video
I taped it on a few more times...

AND AWAY WE GO...
*******************************
mylasher-at-gorilla.net (Robert) writes:
--
I simply do not understand all the upset about George's "new" information.
We've all always heard the rumors that he was gay or whatever. The fact
that he may have a relationship with a man does not change the quality of his
voice, writing, production, or direction abilities. His talent (in that
area) does not begin in the bedroom. None of us (that I know of) have ever
been invited into George's bed (or even his life), so what business is it of
ours who he chooses to invite, or who has been there?

(A young lass' teenage dreams Robert, that's all it boils down to. It's just
an initial shock we'll all get over soon, right ladies? AG)

A good friend of mine once said "your heart doesn't know genitals." I've
rejected, pretty much, religion because it seems (to me) to be the root of a
lot of prejudice (Holy Wars...). Why can't everyone just live their life
happily as long as they hurt no one? It's the heart of the bible--without
man's interpretation; that's what all religions are based on. Is he happy?
Are his partners? Very well then.

(Wow, we've rejected religion for the same reason. But like I said, the
sexuality reaction is just a carryover from my teenybopper years. Beside, I
always said that given the choice, I'd have my way with Andrew. So Keren, BE
WARNED! AG)

When we're young, we have no experiences and no points of reference. We feel
everything very acutely. A toothache is the end of the universe as we know
it. As we age, we gain all the experiences and pain that come as we all know
they do--and they build, and build... George wrote Careless Whisper when he
was 17. He was so moved by something that probably wouldn't evoke a nodded
head from him now. Careless Whisper is among the finest songs of the decade
(generation?). It's hard to top. Maybe George felt that he HAD to top
himself...the press is damn tough. Maybe, in a moment of weakness, he turned
to something that helped at the right time and found confidence. Maybe it
really helped heighten the emotions... I've never tried any drug, I'm not
quite sure. On the rare occasion that I have a headache, AN aspirin will
usually knock me for a nap.

Personally, I believe that anyone who needs ANY outside influence to ease
anything is weak. I should be able to control my emotions and pains with my
mind. Concentrate and it will happen. Not everyone believes that way. Of
all the "evils" in the world, canibus is one of the least. Alcohol is much
more aggressive and violent than that--it should be immoral, but it's use is
social--sad. Mass produced cigarettes are much more harmful. Canibus and
tobacco, in their natural state, do not cause cancer. It's all the bleaches,
dyes, glues, plastics, chemicals, and, in menthols, fiberglass (and whatever
else is laced into the stuff) that do the damage, and starts and keeps the
addictions. I don't agree with it's use, but I don't disagree more than I do
alcohol or whatever else.

The founding fathers grew it, (sorry, I'm an american, educated in our
system). Native Americans used it in their PEACE pipes. It's been around
for just as long. Most all of my friends have tried pot and the like. Some
even have an occasional drink (one drink a week(?)), but I still object to
their use. I hate it, but I don't think it's our right to "damn" George. I
challenge he (she, sorry Amanda) that could name a poet, or writer, who
didn't use some kind of outside influence. From Shelley (and her whole
"crew") to Morrison, to...George.

(Gee, then I guess my unwillingness to even have a beer before writing an
essay or setting to work on my little novel, means I'm not cut out to be
"great". AG)

Maybe that's why I'm still not published...but the price is too high for ME.

Amanda, even if you choose not to add this, I hope it might help to ease your
opinion. You had such a love for George and everything associated before
that I hope it isn't tainted by something so, really, trivial. That kind of
dedication is hard to find. Cherish it. George hasn't killed, raped,
battered, or assaulted...he hasn't even called someone a bad name.

(I'm fine with it now, but I'm no longer in total awe of his talent as I once

was. Mortality sucks doesn't it? AG)

Reading back through I sound like some sort of old Sage or something...I'm in
my early 20s, but I've learned to be very accepting, and take life as is
comes because someday it won't come at all.
*******************************
lisamark-at-mobis.com (Mark and Lisa) writes:

Hi Amanda,

Your hard work is soooo appreciated...

(Thanks! BTW, you bought me lunch the other day... AG)

Concerning TBI, I think it is hard for most of us YOG fans to know what the
pressures of stardom actually do to a person. I know George said he always
wanted to be a pop star, but then turns around and says he doesn't like the
heat. I believe him when he says he wants to write the best music he can and
he seems to put an incredible amount of pressure on himself. Having read all
that, I have to believe that the last 5 or 6 years have been a lot harder for
him to deal with...

You made mention of his creative abilities during the Wham! days and how he
didn't need grass then, but can those days really be compared to the past 5
or 6 years or George's life? Just think of what he's gone through....I know
it seems as sort of a cop out, but depression can be a hard thing to
overcome...

I just hope he finds the optimism in his heart that can provide him and us
with songs of happier days...

Maybe he'll "get roughly what he gives"... : )

(I sure hope so. AG)

Love ya,

Mark
*******************************
stw97-at-hotmail.com (Brent Pearson) writes:
-
Hello this is something kind of different after all the talk about GM and how
shocked or not shocked people were this week on the Big Issue interview I
thought I would try to lighten things up a bit. Ok there is a service on the
web called Hotmail and it allows you to set up your own free e-mail account.
No software needed to install no fees all you need is a way to get onto the
web anywhere in the world and go to this address: www.hotmail.com and you can
get your very own free e-mail account and it is totally free and you can send
and receive to anyone just thought I would mention it because maybe some of
you want a way to send and receive e-mail at work or somewhere where you have
access to the internet and no way to send within your own companies e-mail
system. Hope this helps someone.

Cheers! Brent (Amanda dont send YM to this address just to my regular account
this account is just a free account dont know if I will keep it or not but
hey its free)

(Brent is making it a habit of collecting e mail addresses...I've gotten
notes from 4 or 5 of his addresses... My fave? georgemichael-at-hotmail.com
AG)

Get Your *Web-Based* Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

*******************************
mylasher-at-gorilla.net (Robert) writes:

Is it me or has anyone else noticed that the show--MTV Euro Awards--may have
been a lipsync? There are a couple of times when a George-like note was
coming when his mouth was nowhere near the mic (the back-up singers?), but at
other times, a word was a little delayed so he could get the mic to his
mouth...

(From what I've read on the AOL Bulletin Board, it was indeed a lip sync.
And George is not really good at those... AG
*******************************
Ann.C.Philippon-at-Dartmouth.EDU (Ann C. Philippon)


hi amanda!

this isn't necessarily a post,

(It is now... AG)

but i just finished watching the mtv europe awards & had a few
comments/questions. at first i was pretty psyched b/ george looked really
enthusiastic & it was great to finally see him on stage again (yay!). but
then it seemed to me that he was lip-synching?? was i imagining things? or
maybe it was just a time delay or something? if that's true, how lame of
him! i don't remember seeing him lip-synch at events like this before, or
do i just have a selective memory?

(The general concensus is that it was a lip sync. But in retrospect, my 1st
Euro tape shows a little error or two also... AG)

also, maybe that big, distressingly revealing interview just made me
paranoid, but while accepting his award, george seemed to have that
nose-twitch common in users of harder drugs than pot, if you catch my drift.
please, say it isn't so george!! as you said yourself, "i am NOT
impressed."

(I sure hope you were just looking too hard. I do recall him saying that he
had done coke in the past, but didn't much care for it, and besides, he liked
the shape of his nose too much to continue on... AG)

well, nonetheless, i guess the music still rocks in my book...

thanks for all your juggling--i'm consistently amazed by how you keep up w/

it all!! more power to you woman!!

(Thanks! AG)

Ann : )
*******************************
dck9-at-cornell.edu (Dana) writes:
--
I must say, I am not very impressed with the Euro MTV Awards. I mean,
nothing wrong with George, but the show altogether is... lacking? Anyhoo,
I'm a bit upset that he was lip-syncing to "Star People." Ah well. I
suppose it's better to see him lip sync than not see him at all. And I love
his cute little "Fast Love dance move" he sticks in there.

(Look, I don't have the tape yet, so don't be getting me all hyper just yet
OK? AG)

And, well, George must have been high tonight, because when he just went up
to receive the best male vocalist award? Those sunglasses were just a bit
too dark to be wearing inside this late at night. Don't get me wrong. He
still looked hot.

(George does love his sunglasses. He wears them all the time, so this is
nothing new really. Maybe he forgot to put his contacts in, and left his
glasses on the dresser, so he had to leave his shades on. I myself have done
this once or twice... AG)

Keep on doin what you do, AG.

%%% Dana %%%
% The artist formally known as Priscilla %
"Sitting in clover looking for the fifth leaf,
something soon will come my way..."
*******************************
ackoh-at-arbld.unimelb.edu.au writes:
--
I think George is getting more and more confused as he gets older. I just
can't see why he has to take the cannabis just to write a song. If this is
the case, then maybe he shouldn't expect people to respect him so much for
his songwriting ability anymore. Or has the past few years really been cruel
to him mentally that he has to depend on the stuff just to write a few songs
or to get out of the depression state. You might not agree with me, but i
think he's someone who's stealing from himself of his health, success etc. I
keep having the impression that he's got a lot of negative thoughts in his
mind till he needs help to write his songs. No wonder the Older album gets so
down in spirit. So what if jesus To A Child or Fastlove were big hits? it;s
not really him anymore. It's that stuff.He's one of the few who's got what it
takes to write hit dance tunes, but he shelved LWP vol 2. and those dance
songs would've been hits are now on B sides. I just don't get it.

(Yes, I agree with you. And he shelved LWP II so he wouldn't have to deal
with a second flop album. At least Older's only flopping in North America.
AG)

pardon me.

(No need. AG)
*******************************
Acropora-at-msn.com (Ted) writes:
-
Hi everyone! Hi Amanda! First of all, I just want to say that I can't
believe a lot of you guys rejected him for what he did (I'm refering to the
drug thing)!!!

(It's not rejection, don't put words into our mouths. AG)

I can totally relate to how he must feel cuz I've been in the same situation
before where you have everything and yet there's something missing and you
just can't concentrate and would try any alternative (including drugs) to get
back on track. It's a very depressing situation and yes ALL my friends
rejected me back then and I had to start all over again and I'd really hate
to see that happening on George.

(Sorry Ted, but I don't have the luxury of wallowing in "what's missing"! I
have to deal with it, say "F*ck it then", and move on. That's how we deal
with problems in the real world. AG)

I know it's not the smartest thing to do but then again I never really
considered George to be smart (how can someone who dropped out of school at
the age of 16 be smart???).

(How old are you? I would have to beg to differ. A lot of things George
says are based on the classical philosophers. In my mind, it doesn't matter
when you stop going to school, it's when you stop learning--this coming from
a university student facing another 5 1/2 years of school. AG)

Just talented. He owes all his talents to himself and I don't think smoking
weed is going to make him less talented (maybe shorten his lifetime but it's
his life not ours).

(Listen to Older again really objectively, and forget it's George, then get
back to me. The lyrics are good, but musically, it's a little out of whack.
AG)

Anyways... did everyone see the MTV thing? That was really cool!!!! I
noticed that most of the people from the Fastlove video were there. And the
car looks neat too!! Well that's all I have to say. BYE!

(Were they? AG)
*******************************
ACS3HANCOSM-at-ntu.ac.uk (SM Hancock) writes:
--
Perform ??

He didn't sing it - most disappointing when at that level you disappoint the
MTV audience by lip myming.

(That's why I used perform and not sing. And as for MTV and lip syching,

they have no problem with that. Recall the 1989(?) Club MTV Tour? AG)

Don't you think that there is something a little odd about someone who
where's sunglasses all the time - regardless of darkness or being inside ?? -
aside from anything else, it makes you look about six years old with a new
toy.

(Look, George wrote Star People as a joke, he can say "I do not count myself
among" you until the cows come home, I think it's pretty obvious, he's right
up there. Everyone needs their image, George has always relied on his
shades, would you prefer he wore bustiers--a la Madonna? Cuban heels--a la
0}+> --or surgical masks--a la Jackson? AG)
*******************************
p.a.a.w.vanderheijden-at-ato.dlo.nl (Pieter van der Heijden) writes:

--
Hello

I know that there is a Laserdisc (and probably a VHS video) from the GM album
Listen without Prejudice. Could you tell me what the tracklisting of this
Video is?

(Maybe someone else can, I've never heard of it. AG)

Thanks
*******************************
vcufalo-at-mathsoft.co.uk (Enza) writes:
-
Hi Amanda

Having read the big issue story myself now (not the SUN version) GM
is not revealing that he has doubts about his sexuality - he's saying
that he will NEVER confirm it either way!

The big neon question mark is not his own, its everyone elses...

(That much I figured. AG)

You'll see it when you read it!

(And as I promised, I personally will enter the whole article in to a YM
during my XMas break. Comment free so you can print it out. AG)

PS He was great on the MTV awards.....
******************************
Anita.Patel-at-bowne.com (Anita Patel) writes:
--
Hello.

Does have a copy of the MTV EUROPE awards from two years ago in Berlin
that I could get a copy of, I will pay for the dupe, video cassette
and shipping charges...as well as the STW video and the recent MTV
interview. Thanks!

(All I have is George performing Freedom at the Berlin awards. I wouldn't
mind seeing last year's either. I have STW, and the recent MTV interview was
a few sound bites of the forthcoming full interview. AG)

Please e-mail me at anita.patel-at-bowne.com.
*******************************
stefank-at-hildesheim.sgh-net.de (Stefan Kirchfeld) writes:

-
HI AG,

Did they show the EMA4s on MTV US? If not you4ve missed something

(They did, but we don't get MTV US here in Canada, so I'm awaiting a dub from
someone in the US. AG)

George WON for BEST MALE and PERFORMED "Star People" live !!!! The
performance and his whole appearance on stage was kinda cool but he appeared
a little arrogant !!!
But i likes his joke about Nick Cave

(George is notoriously arrogant at awards shows. Watch any tape. He likes
to bask in utter and complete glory on occasion, and hey, don't we all? AG)

Anyway, here are some dates for further GM related TV shows ( for MTV Europe)
:

- Saturday 16th, 4:30 pm , CET : Premiere of the whole MTV Interview

- Saturday 16th, 11:30 pm, CET : Unplugged with one EMA winner; since GM won
one award it is possible that this is the great GM-Unplugged so check it out
!!!!

- Sunday 17th : GM X-Celerator : An interview(probably the same) and lots of
videos !! ( I don4t know the exact time when it will be on yet but i will
know tomorrow so i can send it to you then )

I really look forward to the unplugged now because i think this is really
gonna be great. I mean the EMA4s were not bad but not such a big thing ; but
an Unplugged will be really cool !

(Why I'm running this now I don't know...the Europe gang has already read it,
but why not. AG)

That4s all for now
Take Care
Stefan
snailmail: Stefan Kirchfeld, Burgstrasse 42, 31134 Hildesheim, Germany
Tel.: +49 5121 132726
E-mail: stefank-at-hildesheim.sgh-net.de
*******************************
To Wrap it Up:

Listen without prejudice...

 

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