This afternoon, Sarah Palin announced that she will retire as the Governor of Alaska at the end of July. The current Lt. Governor Sean Parnell will officially take over at Alaska’s Governor’s Picnic on July 26. During the press conference, in front of her home in Wasilla, Sarah Palin said since she isn’t running for re-election, she has no interest in ‘lame duck’ politics and would find another way to make positive changes for the people of Alaska.

“I am determined to take the right path for Alaska even though it is not the easiest path,” Palin said. “Once I decided not to run for re-election, I also felt that to embrace the conventional ‘Lame Duck’ status in this particular climate would just be another dose of ‘politics as usual,’ something I campaigned against and will always oppose.”

“It is my duty to always protect our great state. With that in mind, my family and I determined that it is best to make a difference this summer, and I am willing to change things, so that this administration, with its positive agenda, its accomplishments, and its successful road to an incredible future, can continue without interruption and with great administrative and legislative success.”

Don’t cry a river, Palin fanatics. This won’t be the last you/we hear from her. Although not stated, you think she’ll make a run in the 2012 presidential election? You betcha!

Like Usher, Chris Brown was also a no show at the BET Awards. Oh, he was ready to put on a fantastic Michael Jackson tribute, but at the last minute, Chris was axed from the show. Rumors have it that both Al Sharpton and Jay-Z weren’t happy with Chris Brown being part of the show. It’s said that Jay-Z told BET execs that he and Beyonce would not perform if Chris Brown was on the stage. And Al Sharpton made such a ruckus to BET executives that they gave in, telling Chris to.. beat it.

Chris Brown is “furious” telling friends that he was confirmed for the awards and was told something else just before show time. However BET and Chris Brown’s publicists are saying he was never confirmed. No surprise Chris Brown’s people would take BET’s side. If he’s going to make any kind of comeback in the future he will need BET’s help. Let me add, women seem incredibly upset that Jay-Z would do this. I suspect they are the same women who defended Chris Brown, even as Rihanna’s lumped up mug stared them in the face.

Did you really think Chris Brown was going to be freely bouncing around stages and mingling with folks in the industry like nothing ever happened? This is the first time, with many more to come.

On Friday, BET President Debra Lee announced that Usher and Justin Timberlake would be last minute additions to the BET Awards/Michael Jackson tribute. Obviously that didn’t happen. Justin Timberlake didn’t give an explanation, but Usher issued a statement explaining that he was overseas and couldn’t make it to the awards in time.

“It is with regret that I was unable to participate in the BET Awards Tribute to Michael Jackson on June 28. When the BET Awards producers and organizers reached out to me to participate in the tribute, I was extremely flattered and humbled by the opportunity to pay tribute to the world’s greatest musical icon. Unfortunately I am currently overseas and would not make it back in time to the Awards show.”

Usher plans to work on a tribute to Michael Jackson when he returns home.

The 2009 BET Awards airing this Sunday was already going to be a big show: Jay-Z, Beyonce, Kanye West, Ne-Yo, Maxwell, and The-Dream are all set to take the stage. Michael Jackson’s passing will definitely take the energy to another level. As we speak, Jay-Z and Beyonce are preparing a Michael Jackson tribute. In fact, it’ll be an all out Michael Jackson festival. Expect—the unexpected, as all the big names in music clamor to join the celebration. Jamie Foxx is hosting the show. Yesterday at a BET press session, Jamie Foxx stopped to talk with Sam Sylk about the plans for the show: lots of MJ remixes, dancing, just a positive send off to honor the legendary, influential King of the game.

I’m sure someone is going to break into a moonwalk during one of the tributes; been there, seen it..

Someone needs to get on this robot.

Poplock for extra credit.

Michelle Obama was happy during Barack Obama’s run for president. When they weren’t together on the campaign trail, Michelle would occasionally speak at another event in the state; holding it down and promoting the cause for Change. Now that Barack Obama is the Commander in Chief, The Washington Post is reporting that Michelle Obama is wondering what exactly she’s supposed to do with this First Lady thing ..

“Although Obama’s job-approval ratings have soared, the first lady—a Harvard-educated lawyer—wasn’t satisfied with coasting. For weeks, Michelle Obama had been telling her staff and closest confidantes that she wasn’t having the impact she wanted. She is a woman of substance, with a background in law, public policy and management, who found herself relegated to role model in chief. The West Wing of the White House—the fulcrum of power and policy—had not fully integrated her into its agenda. She wanted more.”

She got rid of her Chief of Staff, hired someone tuned to her wavelength and is getting to work on issues of ‘importance.’..

“She is hiring a full-time speechwriter and has instructed her staff to think “strategically” so that every event has a purpose and a message. She doesn’t want to simply go to events and hug struggling military families, she said; she wants to show progress.”

“Her desire is to step out more and have deliverables,” said communications chief Camille Johnston. “It’s about things that are coming up that we want to be a part of: child nutrition reauthorization act, prevention and wellness for health-care reform.”

Can you blame her? Four years of ‘doing nothing’ would be insufferable.

- “A First Lady Who Demands Substance”

The wave of reflections about Michael Jackson’s passing is likely to shut down the internet: Google news stories in the upper thousands; Twitter admins on server alert. Lenny Kravitz broke Twitter’s 140 character limit to reflect on Michael Jackson’s legacy in this very thoughtful multi-part Tweet I recombine for your reading pleasure..

~ Lenny

Where were you when you heard that Michael Jackson died? I was at NYC’s J&R Music World, deciding if The International was worth a Blu-Ray package and overheard a conversation between two women.. “Michael Jackson died!” “No he didn’t, he’s in a coma.” “They said he died. It’s on the news.” One of them looks at me, because I’ve got the who, what are y’all talking about look on my face. I was fresh off the 9 - 5 and hadn’t heard anything about Michael Jackson. Google and Twitter were out of sight, out of mind, which means no info.

Some guy walked up and confirmed the first woman’s remark. He’s dead. Check. It’s on TV. Check, check. Five minutes later he put $150 on a credit card for a Michael Jackson video singles box set. *denied* “Uh, hold it for me I’ll go get cash.” While he bolted up the stairs a clerk was filling the shelves with Michael Jackson DVDs and another clerk was replenishing the racks. Somewhere there was a store manager who did his R.I.P. thing and thought, now’s the chance to get rid of all of those Michael Jackson discs in the basement. Economics in action. And they were/are selling briskly..

Outside I did a quick *Tweet* and hopped on the subway. It seemed like everyone on the street and in the station had Micheal Jackson on their brain and lips. Once the train pulled into the hood, Michael Jackson songs were blaring from cars and, on block after block, from speakers in the windows of houses. A “Butterfly” here, a “Smooth Criminal” there, “Remember the Time.” It was a spontaneous celebration/send off to the King of Pop all in one. And it felt right.

We all know the troubles and problems this man had. We can (try to) count how many comedians lived for years and years off Michael Jackson jokes. Hey, we probably told a few, pro bono, ourselves. But Michael Jackon’s talent, his music, and the impact that music had on people’s lives is something that no one can touch.

Michael Jackson “Got to Be There”

Coincidently, last Saturday I was listening to XM radio and in the mix was Michael Jackson’s “Got To Be There.” That’s the kind of early Jackson 5/afro puff material that not only would shine in any respectably diverse Ipod playlist, it reminds you how thick his song catalog is: “Billie Jean,” “She’s Out of My Life,” “Wanna Be Starting Something,” “Rock With You,” and of course, “Thriller,” with its groundbreaking, zombie, freak fest video.

That “Thriller” video has a special memory for me. It was one of two videotapes my Pops bought us the day we got our first VCR. Rewind all day, baby.

You know, that ‘people go in three’ thing really validated itself this week: Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and now, Michael Joseph Jackson. Best believe, he’s resting in peace.

As great as the 2009 NBA season was, next season it’s going to be even better. The sportswire is smoldering with news that The Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns have agreed to play their part in my prediction by agreeing to trade Shaquille O’Neal to the Cavaliers for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic. Short story: Shaq will be highly motivated to provide yet another young guard with a piece of NBA jewelry. Last season, Shaq proved that when healthy, he can still pull down a few 20-10’s. In fact, he had one 45 point explosion.

That kind of work won’t be necessary, though. Much like his run with Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat, Shaq will run interference down low, leaving Lebron James to dominate the game. Best part: he won’t have to ask for the ball. Lebron will be more than willing to put it in his hands when he’s triple teamed.

Lebron James will be more focused too. Don’t think he didn’t notice the way his puppet roommate put it on during the playoffs. Think, game face. Imagine this final mixer: Cavs vs. Lakers with a Kobe/Shaq who’s gonna get that 5th ring side story thrown in. Classic sports story in the making.

*Yeah, that’s Kobe listening in up there*