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["Fully Charged!]

This just made my life

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@STAPLESCenterLA

STAPLESCenterLA
The Circus is coming back to STAPLES Center and this time it's "Fully Charged!" Check for dates and more info here: http://bit.ly/kkYvCf

http://www.staplescenter.com/wide.php?page=event_detail&event_id=2472

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus - Fully Charged

July 20, 2011 7:30 PM
Don't miss Fully Charged(SM), the all-new surge of circus entertainment from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® where megawatts of thrills explode off of the arena floor with breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-before-seen performances that energize Children of All Ages!
Seating/Ticket Prices
Show Schedule - 11 Performances!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011; 7:30 PM *
Thursday, July 21, 2011; 12:00 PM
Thursday, July 21, 2011; 7:30 PM
Friday, July 22, 2011; 12:00 PM
Friday, July 22, 2011; 7:30 PM
Saturday, July 23, 2011; 11:30 AM
Saturday, July 23, 2011; 3:30 PM
Saturday, July 23, 2011; 7:30 PM
Sunday, July 24, 2011; 11:30 AM
Sunday, July 24, 2011; 3:30 PM
Sunday, July 24, 2011; 7:30PM
* Opening Night Special: Wednesday, July 20, seats in the $15, $20 and $25 sections are priced at only $12!
Public On-sale

Tickets will be available beginning Sunday, June 19, 2011 at 10am at all Ticketmaster outlets, Charge-by-Phone (800) 745-3000, and online at Ticketmaster.com. STAPLES Center Box Office will begin selling tickets on Monday, June 20.

Sony just had a rant on twitter,no specific fan base was named but since the @TheMikeOfficial said yesterday about fans being abusive and so on,I think maybe this has lead on from tweets from MJ fan's to/@ Sony
Why it's take so long I don't know,been going on for years LOL

@SonyMusicGlobal
Now seems like a good time to mention that we love all our artists & we love our fans but abusive & vicious attacks highlight the ugliness of those that make them more than anyone else.Perhaps consider whether you'd want your fave artist to hear/see you being nasty & abusive before you attack. #foodforthought

I don't think any other Sony artist right now has any problems with the label..I might be wrong but I haven't heard of any??
Would it be safe to say this is coming from Sony directed at Michael Jackson fans?
The only thing that makes it questionable is the fact they say 'would you want your fave artist to HEAR/SEE you being nasty and abusive'
You can't hear or see when you're dead....or so I'm told. :geek:

Thought he needed his own thread since he is in a lot of hot water right now and there is an increasing number of articles popping up about him and his involvement with the Jacksons/Michael/HWT etc
Anything you find on him can now go in here

How Howard Mann got involved..
http://www.thespec.com/feature/article/307454--challenging-the-jackson-estate

Debunking Howard Mann's Lies and Half Truths
Update: April 12th 2011

"... the more often you hear a lie, I mean, you begin to believe it."Michael Jackson
It's been a little over two weeks since we last debunked Howard Mann's series of lies.  Little did we know, we would have to revive that piece, mere weeks later.  But it is always good to remind MJ fans of what he once said: "Lies run sprints, but the truth runs marathons."   And Howard Mann's lies have had some major legs now.

True...He's been repeating the same rhetorics for almost a year now...but  his medium has changed.  You might have noticed, in the last 2 weeks, Mann had ramped up his efforts to slander Michael Jackson's estate, by recruiting disgruntled "fans" to push his agenda.  Maybe, I am running ahead of myself by using the word "fan"...because his soldiers are newly converts to the Michael Jackson's "doctrine".  Like Mann, they discovered Michael Jackson after June 25th. 2009. While some have referred to them as "bandwagonners", I'd rather call them "opportunists".

Michael Jackson's death has created opportunities for many to fill their own pockets (Melissa Johnson & Howard Mann are great examples) and they are doing so, by breaking rules and stepping on the estate's rights & trademarks. That is why it is imperative for the Michael Jackson's estate to take all necessary steps to protect what is rightfully Michael's children'.

So today, as predicted by several fans over the weekend, documents relating to the Non-MJ Heal the World foundation lawsuit were conveniently leaked to the tabloids.   A desperate move, by desperate individuals like Mann & Johnson.  Fans who are closely following the lawsuits against Mann & Melissa Johnson, have witnessed the desperation in the last few weeks, from accusing Michael Jackson of copying the "smooth criminal lean" to referring to the singer as "Jacko" in a press release.

From reading today's leaked document that bears Katherine Jackson's signature, one can't help but notice how similar the rhetorics attributed to Mrs Jackson are, to Howard Mann's last communication with MJ fans (See http://home.mjnewsalerts.com/2011/03/26 ... cutors-of-'stealing'-the-estate/ ) .

We can't help but wonder, who prepared that document for Katherine Jackson...?  Mrs Jackson has a reputable estate lawyer in M. Adam Streisand, was he consulted and did he review the document she was asked to sign?

We hold little hope that M. Adam Streisand was involved in any capacity in this latest coup. Being such a reputable lawyer,  I am certain he would have taken the time to explain to his client that while in probate, the estate's assets cannot be distributed to the beneficiaries north  charities. The 20% Michael Jackson had allocated to children' Charities, will be paid out after a JUDGE has declared the estate out of probate. Until then, a judge will have the final say on who gets what and how much.
We, as a longtime fans, stand by Michael Jackson's last wishes and will continue to support those HE chose to oversee his empire & legacy until his kids come of age.

We respectfully ask that others do the same. #RESPECTMJWISHES
"A man is never more truthful than when he acknowledges himself a liar" – Mark Twain

http://www.tmz.com/2011/04/12/katherine-jackson-michael-estate-executors-declaration-john-branca-mcclain-signatures-forged-fake-signed-fraud-heal-the-world-foundation-lawsuit/

Katherine Jackson: The Declaration is a FRAUD!

4/12/2011 5:05 PM PDT by TMZ Staff
Katherine Jackson is furious about a declaration filed with the court -- purportedly signed by her -- in which she attacks the Executors of the Michael Jackson Estate.  TMZ has learned ... Katherine insists she never signed that declaration.
TMZ reported this morning ... a declaration filed in the Estate's lawsuit against the Heal the World Foundation makes shocking allegations against John Branca, calling him a thief.
But Katherine's lawyer, Adam Streisand, tells TMZ, "Mrs. Jackson categorically denies signing any statement to the court that makes accusations against the executors of any wrongdoing with respect to her son or his estate."
Streisand adds, "She did not and would not make any such statements about the executors."  And Streisand says, Katherine told him, "These are not my words."

Check out the signature on the declaration in question, dated April 6, 2011, and compare it to Katherine's signature from a legal doc on February 3, 2010.

0412_k_jackson_signatures
As for the Heal the World Foundation lawyer -- Edgar Pease -- who filed the declaration in question, he tells TMZ someone from the Foundation faxed Katherine's manager the final copy of the document and it was then sent on to Pease with the signature in question.
Pease says if the signature is a fraud, "Heads will roll."
UPDATE:  Pease just called us back to say Trent Jackson -- Joe Jackson's nephew and Katherine's caregiver -- told him he personally saw Katherine sign the declaration.  But sources connected with the Estate say the declaration is suspicious, because the last page ONLY contains the signature, without any accompanying text.  In other words, someone could have inserted the signature into a declaration Katherine never saw or approved.

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/94i36l
MJ Estate files a supplement complaint against Melissa Johnson and fake Heal the World. Details follow:
June 2010, she gave an interview to local ABC channel saying that HTWF is the same as MJ 91 HTWF and that they act with MJ's authorization and the estate is vicious and hostile. They post this interview video in youtube and their website. They later remove the videos after a phone call from Estate lawyers.

June , July 2010 she posts 2 videos "Hijacking The Estate" documentary which has unsupported claims of a cover up and conspiracy by the estate executors.

Johnson get in contact with people who are openly against the estate and executors (with false attacks) and through this people they get Joe and Katherine to "board of directors" and "elect" MJ's kids to "Youth board of advisors". (Estate learns this in December 2010)

Katherine and Joe was never board of director at MJ 91 HTWF. MJ 91 HTWF rules says that in the case of MJ's death his representatives get in charge – which means Branca and McClain.

September 2010, Johnson holds a board of director meeting to "reorganize and elect board of directors for MJ 91 HTWF according to MJ's wishes in 2005" (see below for MJ's supposed 2005 wishes)

In SEPTEMBER 2010, Brian Oxman sends a letter to Melissa Johnson saying that "This letter will confirm that in February, 2005, Mr. Michael Jackson instructed me to inform you that he approved of your proposals regarding Heal the World Foundation and requested that you act on behalf of the Foundation to preserve and protect it and its trademarks. Mr. Jackson instructed me to inform you to keep the Foundation active, work on behalf of the Foundation to promote its purposes and goals, run the Foundation's operations, and revive its corporate status"

Estate tries to call Oxman for a deposition but he doesn't show or arrange a meeting time. Currently estate is seeking a court order for deposition of Oxman or removal of his testimony from the trial.

Estate also claims that Oxman wasn't MJ's lawyer (he the lawyer of Joe that's against the estate), argues that letter is self-serving, it's best hearsay and they didn't authorize Oxman to speak on their behalf. Plus they say that letter is legally insufficient to give any rights to Melissa Johnson.

In this September 2010 meeting Melissa claims she's authorized by MJ, she's working as interim director and decide to revive the MJ 91 HTWF and shorten the name from "heal the world foundation" to "HTWF". (Note : Johnson was never a part of MJ 91 HTWF)

Next day they file "Certificate of Amendment of Articles of Incorporation" with California Secretary of State to change the name to HTWF.

Still in September 2010, Johnson contact IRS (Internal Revenue Service) and falsely representing that she's a representative of MJ 91 HTWF asks for MJ 91 HTWF tax records.

In Fall 2010, Johnson again falsely representing her relationship files with Franchise Tax Board that they want to revive MJ 91 HTWF which is suspended.

On November 1, 2010 Mann enters into a license agreement with Melissa Johnson HTWF because he plans to use the MJ trademarks (heal the world, gone to soon, king of pop, Michael Jackson etc) she owns in the sale of some products.

Mann agrees to pay Melisa Johnson's debt of $92,578 plus $38,000 of legal fees to a total of $130,642.

Melissa Johnson in her deposition says that Joe and Katherine's manager Lowell Henry is the got them hooked up with Howard Mann after July 2010.

November 2010, Johnson has another board of directors meeting in which they agree to merge MJ 91 HTWF with their 2008 HTWF.

December 2010, Mann holds "Unveiling of the Jackson Secret Vault Lithographic event" and Johnson who is a partner of Mann gets a part of the sales.

December 2010 Franchise Tax Board which is fooled by Melissa Johnson's misrepresentation as MJ's representative revives MJ 91 HTWF.

With this Johnson files plan of merger with Secretary of State.

As a result of this all the current public information falsely shows that MJ 91 HTWF is revived and surviving (2008 HTWF is merged into it) and that Melissa Johnson is an officer and director of MJ 91 HTWF.

Estate claims that this is intentional fraudulent activity to fool general public and support their claims in the lawsuit (deception of government agencies as well) that their 2008 HTWF is a part of MJ 91 HTWF.

Estate learns about this fraudulent unlawful scheme in January 2011.

January 2011 Johnson speaks to X17online saying that her charity is supported by Jacksons.

February 2011 Johnson and Mann appears on GMA gives a check to charity from HTWF. Estate says with the help of Mann she enlisted the help of Katherine and MJ's kids in her effort to deceive public.

All of the above still continues to confuse the public even more so recently that the charity is related to MJ.

MJ Estate is now also asking for the correction of the false public records (California Secreatry of State, California Franchise Tax Board, California Attorney General's Office and International Revenue Service).

Note: Estate tried to come to a settlement with her but they couldn't succeed.

Note2: Melissa Johnson says that her communication with MJ about the charity was done through Oxman during 2004-2005 and Van Alexander (part of Bain Associates) through 2006 -2009.

She says Oxman authorized her to
- Do whatever to preserve HTWF
- Use MJ's name and picture on the HTWF websites
- Sell MJ related merchandise
- Acquire charitable intellectual property

She says Van Alexander said her that
- MJ never planned to be involved in day to day actions of the charity
- There's a turmoil in Jackson camp and it wouldn't be best for the charity in MJ's name. She's told to do whatever she can do on her own.
- MJ would endorse the charity even though it was in her name.

I KNOW these were posted in 2009 so they MAY be up on here already,I will look again but I thought it was worth listening to what DG had to say about Sony and Michael's 'relationship' with them..how much income he has coming in from owning half of the company and that it might show (more than likely) the real reason this is all happening in MJ land.
No harm in a refresher course ;)

[youtube:365qqw8n]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip_-Dhljn2Q&feature=fvwrel[/youtube:365qqw8n]
[youtube:365qqw8n]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X69uRLr8Lag[/youtube:365qqw8n] (Assuming this is part 2?)
[youtube:365qqw8n]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-l5U1g4Bz4&feature=related[/youtube:365qqw8n]

If they already exist on the forum,they are buried way way back in 2009 so until I find them,I won't lock this.
What are everyone's views on what he has to say?Ignoring the fact that he is talking about him in the 'dead' sense.

These were uploaded yesterday and the day before

Part 1 [youtube:nswf495r]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqRgi_nZyOo[/youtube:nswf495r]
Part 2 [youtube:nswf495r]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwZNP9uV2iY[/youtube:nswf495r]
Part 3 [youtube:nswf495r]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAFpykwy1Z0[/youtube:nswf495r]

[youtube:nswf495r]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwN7K_Kj0-U&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL[/youtube:nswf495r]

[youtube:nswf495r]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Ik53VV5jc&feature=related[/youtube:nswf495r]

So,I just had a quick/random chat with someone who actually APPEARS to be on the 'other side' but is really on this side of the fence-wonder how many more of those there are?
This is part of what she said in a reply to my answer about my thoughts on Taaj becoming so close with the Jackson family and being accepted even though she has blasted them on numerous occassions,announced Paris needed a make over at 12.Oh and that she is actually on watch by the LAPD for fraud and has a court restraint against her for attacking the J4MJ owner.LOL...anyway...

"RE:Taaj...spoke with J4MJ yesterday and they were saying that they have/are loosing confidence with the Family since they have been made fully aware of Taaj - Erin apparently had contacts within and has been feeding them all of Taaj's info,lies and slander against them and the family.However, especially with her latest vid (which you can view on the Jackson Vault site) where she goes after John Branca and The Estate, they appear to be totally overlooking all of this. She was at the Prelim, next to Randy at one point and as long as her vid is on the 'Vault' site, which is run by Howard Mann with Katherine it is signalling their acceptance of her.
Needless to say,J4MJ are extremley pissed since they do so much work in fighting for justice for Michael and are not getting a look in or ANY support from the Jacksons for their efforts"

[/b]

Just thought it was a story to keep a hoax eye on....weirdest friendship ever?
A fan/stalker/liar/thief/J4MJ attacker/USA/Obama hater being friends with Michael's nearest and dearest after she has blasted each of them INC KJ and his children.

This was posted 18hrs ago on twitter by J4MJ

Mrs J and her camp are aware of Taaj Malik and her "ways" and doing everything to separate themselves from her. Just a matter of time...

Which sounds nothing like what I have just been told...

[Please read the link as there are charts and more info I can't move over to here I have only put the text up in this post]

These are great,everyone should follow them on twitter.
http://www.twitter.com/B_Fair_Project
They just posted this and I thought i'd share.

http://www.b-fair.net/?p=825

http://www.progressiveliving.org/mass_media_and_politics.htm

Please read the link as there are charts and more info I can't move over to here I have only put the text up in this post.

"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"
—The Wizard
The Wizard of Oz

"Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one."
—A.J. Liebling

". . . to take apart the system of illusions and deception which functions to prevent understanding of contemporary reality [is] not a task that requires extraordinary skill or understanding. It requires the kind of normal skepticism and willingness to apply one's analytical skills that almost all people have and that they can exercise."
—Noam Chomsky
The Chomsky Reader

All of the American broadcast media, and most of the print media as well, are owned primarily by wealthy individuals. Direct ties to the biggest of big businesses are almost unbelievably extensive (see our analysis below), and, we believe, these ties cannot help but seriously bias and compromise news coverage. Moreover, the media empires are, first and foremost, profit-making corporations that conduct themselves like other corporations when it comes to corrupting American politics. That is, the parent corporations of many make so-called "campaign contributions" and also act against the public interest in other ways. As big winners in the corruption game, they show no signs of serious interest in political reform. (As large corporations themselves, the mass media want the same preferential treatment, and have the same desire to grow without bounds, as all other corporations.)

Allegations of political bias in the media are common, although there is considerable controversy concerning the nature of this bias: neither liberals or conservatives are pleased. Conservatives allege that the media exhibit a liberal bias. On the other hand, liberals allege that the media exhibit a pro-corporate, plutocratic bias. However, we believe such charges rely on a faulty and simplistic analysis of the American political and economic spectrum (for a better understanding of that spectrum, see the linked diagrams, politics and economics). The truth is that the apparent liberalism of some of the mass media is primarily cultural, and rarely economic. In effect, and like most other American institutions, the mass media advance the economic interests of the wealthy few at the cost of the interests, and values, of the majority; and the self-indulgent, empire-building interests of the wealthy few are not those of either liberals or cultural conservatives.

At the heart of media pseudoliberalism is a shallow but highly serviceable relativistic ethic. We say "serviceable" because the fundamental corporate ethical premise, "if it's profitable it's good," is fully compatible. In some ways, the personification of this "liberalism" is Howard Stern, who represents nothing in the end but cynical profiteering. The similarly corrupt music industry thinks nothing of merchandising utterly debased music to children. This form of "liberalism" nicely advances the corporate profit agenda. No matter how low the least common denominator, executives need feel no moral qualms. The media is being entirely consistent when it also manifests pro-corporate, economic "conservatism." Though the names and the products are different, the underlying ethos is not: the corporate culture that brings us, say, Eminem also brings us Enron, offshore tax havens, media corporations that bribe politicians—and the nightly "news."

Against this, some have objected that the media often attack corporations. It's true, certainly, that this or that individual corporation may be subjected to media criticism, sometimes even harsh criticism—but it strikes us as significant that the sort of stringent and fundamental reforms needed to bring about real change are virtually never mentioned, let alone advocated. For example, how often are severe penalties for white collar crime advocated? How often is the revocation of corporate charters mentioned?  And public financing of elections, arguably the single most urgently needed reform in America today, has made less headway than it should despite overwhelming public support, in part because the mass media profit enormously from paid political advertisements.

Unfortunately, even public radio and television, which is supposed to provide programming in the public interest, is currently headed by former Voice of America executives. (Voice of America is the official American propaganda network of radio stations overseas, a relic from the Cold War.) Moreover, an ever accelerating commercialism has been evident in public radio and television for some time. While its news coverage is generally far less misleading than that of the corporate media, when NPR is used as a conduit to bring Americans the message that "globalization is inevitable", any pretense that it truly provides journalism in the public interest stands revealed as a sham.

To illustrate how pervasive the corporate influence is throughout the major media, the table that follows identifies the interconnections between the six largest or most influential broadcasting companies and other major corporations.

In that table, corporations color coded in red are those that have connections with more than one broadcaster. Corporations coded in green also have connections to the top 28 most interconnected companies. (In addition, a few of the connections through social clubs for the wealthy and/or powerful are listed.) Thus, companies coded in red or green are in a position to exercise significant media influence; and companies coded both red and green, such as Chase Manhattan, are super offenders. We would also single out the former Citicorp (now merged with Travelers to form Citigroup) as a corporation deeply immeshed in secret FTAA negotiations, and which also has an exceptionally bad environmental record.

Unsurprisingly, and again consistent with a pro-corporate bias, all of the major broadcast and print media have been either directly involved in secret FTAA negotiations (which even Congress was kept ignorant of) or else had an interlocking directorate with a company that was, except for Viacom and Fox. As international trade and globalization are among the most important and newsworthy topics today, the failure to adequately inform the American people of their own role and interest in these matters is a severe rupture of journalistic integrity. Of course, corporations owning media corporations have no business whatsoever making "campaign contributions" (bribes) to presidential candidates.  (Note:  all analysis of bribes below refers to the first Bush campaign.)

In addition to the influence exercised by the corporations listed above, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) exercises tremendous political influence, and has virtually always acted against the best interests of consumers and American citizens in media-related issues. (For a brief account, see Ralph Nader's Cutting Corporate Welfare.)

For a glimpse into the media and Bohemian Grove, an all-male, private club for the immensely wealthy, with ties to prominent political figures, including every Republican president of the 20th century as well as the present Bush administration and cabinet, see this link:
http://www.fair.org/extra/best-of-extra/bohemian-grove.html

For a summary of trenchant media critic Noam Chomsky's views (which we believe are supported in large measure by the analysis above) follow this link:
http://the-tech.mit.edu/V109/N25/media.25n.html

For Chomsky himself, see this link:
http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/articles/z9710-mainstream-media.html

Those seeking criticism of Chomsky's views might read the reviews of his books at http://www.amazon.com to get the flavor of both critics and proponents.

And for other resources critical of the media see:
http://www.journalismnet.com/media/criticism.htm

If you don't have access to at least a few of these alternative sources of information, you literally don't—and can't—know what's going on in America today, nor can you hope to understand what the events of the day imply for the average person.

As I said please follow the link because there is more info than I can put on here.
All the lists of who owns what etc are there.

Nelly_Mo Nelly_Mo
Wait a min!is it possible charlie sheen is jus bullshiting!think 4 a second as a actor what role would be bigger than fooling the world?
5 minutes ago

Faking your death,and directing the greatest show on earth ;)

[Important Message From Michael Jackson's Estate Regarding Facebook Fans]

http://www.mj-upbeat.com/ImportantMessageFromMichaelJacksonsEstateRegardingFacebookFans.htm

Important Message From Michael Jackson's Estate Regarding Facebook Fans

In the spirit of the mutual respect that we have built over the past months, we wanted to make you aware of something.  In the best interests of furthering Michael's legacy and ensuring that EVERYONE  (not just the fantastic fans who already know true from false) receives accurate information from the Estate and those that help protect and enhance Michael's legacy, the Estate is going to authorize Facebook to remove all non Estate-related Michael Jackson profiles on their social network.

Facebook has made us aware that many of these false (and/or "non-official") pages violate Facebook's TOS ("terms of service") agreements. The problem we're having is that while many of the fan-created Michael pages are wonderful, respectful, and informative, many are not, and this can be very confusing and/or misleading for MJ fans around the world, both old and especially new.

We know that none of you are confused by profiles misrepresenting themselves as official Michael pages, but the general public is not as MJ-savvy as you are, and we want to ensure that everyone has the best and most accurate Facebook experience regarding Michael. From this point forward, there will be only one Facebook page for Michael, and the Estate will be watching over it carefully, creating a lot of new, interesting content, and in general, becoming much more involved on an ongoing basis. Of course, we will be looking to you over the coming months to help us, to provide ideas, and to really be a part of the experience! After all, who knows Michael and his fans better than you, the real fans, do?

Just to be clear, Facebook is not intending to remove all pages with any Michael Jackson content. They will be looking at pages which are misleading by pretending to be – or appear to the average eye to be - "official" pages, or pages purporting to be an official MJ page authorized by the Estate or one of its licensees like Sony, Ubisoft or Cirque du Soleil. Obviously, this is a judgment call, and we will make every effort to ensure that fan pages, fan groups, etc. are untouched, there is a human element to all of this, so in the beginning, some judgment calls will undoubtedly have to be made. We expect this action to commence in the very near future, perhaps as soon as later this week or next. Thus, if you have a Michael Jackson page which contains any content on Facebook that you think may be questionable to someone else, and you want to protect or keep your content, we're giving you advance notice so that you can take action now to do whatever you think is proper before Facebook starts removing any "questionable" pages.

Source: MJOnline, The Official Online Team of the Michael Jackson Estate® / MJ-Upbeat.com

[Michael Jackson: The Experience PS3]

Gaming - News - Preview: 'Michael Jackson: The Experience' - Digital Spy
http://t.co/hj9kSo8

Preview: 'Michael Jackson: The Experience'
Monday, March 7 2011
By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

Michael Jackson: The Experience PS3
With the fall of Guitar Hero and its fleet of plastic instruments comes the next big musical thing. You could argue it's already here; Ubisoft's many dance games have dominated the Wii's software sales for some time, with recent effort Just Dance 2 celebrating an impressive 20 weeks on top of the platform chart. The long-awaited arrival of motion controllers on high-definition consoles provides the opportunity for a new audience to get in on the act, and what better way to make them feel welcome with one of the most successful and globally-recognised music icons of all time?

Originally intended for release alongside the Wii version last November, the King of Pop's belated arrival on other platforms has given Ubisoft time to fine-tune Michael Jackson: The Experience for the PlayStation Move and Kinect, controllers which are still in their infancy. While both versions are tailor-made for their respective motion devices, the former models itself heavily on the Wii release, adopting the same straightforward remote-swinging gameplay, boxed-screen layout adorned with scrolling commands and bright, abstracted dancers placed in the centre. By and large the choreography remains unchanged between versions, and while the visual style shines better thanks to full HD visuals and an additional sprinkling of particle effects, at its core it's the same experience.

There are, however, a number of new additions. The most notable is that of microphone support, allowing you to unpack your trusty (and possibly dusty) SingStar microphone to display lyrics on-screen to score points. With a few Move controllers and mics synced to the console, the game can assign each player a random device to get the ball rolling, or you can manually choose who does what before playing. As well as creating an all-singing-and-dancing troupe in your living room, you can ditch the motion controllers and play with just microphones only, essentially making it the first karaoke title with Jackson's esteemed back catalogue.

The PlayStation Eye also catalogues your performance with snapshots and video footage as you play. Finishing a song presents you with five screens and a short clip from pivotal moments of the song, ready to upload to Facebook at the press of a button. Although direct YouTube posting isn't possible (for copyright reasons), the video file can be saved to the hard drive in a friendly format to be later transferred to a computer. It also comes with various PlayStation Network features, such as online score leaderboards and Trophies, that trigger bonus content to be unlocked when awarded.

While the PlayStation 3 version sticks to the familiar and throws in a few bells and whistles for good measure, the Kinect version is uncharted territory. Touted as as the first hands-free full performance experience, it allows players to dance and sing without holding any kind of device, with the camera tracking the user's movements and its built-in microphone picking up voice. It will be the second game to use Ubisoft's Player Projection technology - the first was Your Shape: Fitness Evolved - which places the player on-screen in real time, albeit shrouded in a colourful glow, alongside moving sets and a reactive crowd.

Of course, removing the controller entirely requires original choreography created specifically for the game, which comes in two flavours to suit the player. 'Performance' is closer to the Wii and PS3 versions, with simple, repetitive moves that are easier to observe and repeat, stuck on a set difficulty to ensure it's straightforward to access for quick play sessions and newcomers. 'Master', however, features more advanced moves inspired by the music videos, and while the same series of scrolling commands and backing dancers assist in showing the player what to do, good old-fashioned practise is the only practical way to see results.

Jumping in for the first time and there's a noticeable degree of lag, not necessary through the technology (on-screen delay has been reduced from Your Shape, we've been told) but because we're naturally new to the routine. In the same way that Ubisoft's launch title helped players observe posture during exercises, here it's immediately obvious when your knees aren't bent enough or your movement is too stiff. It's admittedly a little discouraging to see how poor you can dance at first, but the gradual steps on the 'Performance' mode ensures that it's simple to grasp and enjoyable to play, and when watching a person who knows the routine and when exactly the next move is coming up, then the results are impressive on screen and off.
To the developer's admission, there are a few constraints to the technology. As with all Kinect games there's a fixed zone to abide to in front of the device - however, due to Player Projection, that area can only support one player at a time. A neat workaround is that multiplayer has other dancers waiting in the wings, all assigned a number that is called to indicate their turn with the next portion of the song. It happens at a moment's notice, with a mad scramble as players swap over, and that combined with the limited zone of play means you have to be fast and precise to maintain a seamless performance. It's tricky but fun - however, it should be noted that this Party Mode requires an especially large amount of room to play, especially with three other people.

As with the PS3 version, players can opt for either singing or dancing, choosing defined roles in which they step into the camera's view at certain points. As well as the built-in microphone, the Lips mic and even the default Xbox 360 headset is compatible for some Britney Spears-inspired action. Interestingly, not all songs on the disc support dancing; slower tracks such as 'Heal The World' and 'Earth Song' are strictly voice-only affairs, with the developer saying that strutting your stuff to these slower, more gentle tracks wouldn't be a fitting gameplay experience. While it's uncertain whether the same approach has been taken with the PS3 version, we did witness two players clutching Move controllers and adorably holding each other as part of 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You's gentle routine.
With the different technology in mind, the Xbox 360 version's presentation has been rebuilt from the ground up to revolve around the player's on-screen presence. Elaborate, fully-rendered stages have been created based on Jackson's videos; 'Bad' is populated with subway columns and scrawled graffiti, 'Remember The Time' is adorned with gold slabs and burning torches, while 'Thriller' is set in front of a cemetery with a glowing full moon. When singing during these songs, the camera will pull away from the stage and sweep along the crowd, displaying the original music video on projected screens above. Elsewhere, Your Shape's clean interface that wraps around to the user's body is present throughout the game's menus, while loading screens feature the signature lit floor panels of 'Billie Jean' if you choose to walk around the play area.

Both versions have also taken note of the Wii version's shortcomings. There'll be more bonus material to discover, including high-definition images, clips and a selection of short facts to unlock as you play. The Dancing School will also return, featuring a suite of live-action videos that teach players how to perform real dance moves. The cameras supplied with each peripheral provide a picture-in-picture view so you can examine your timing and positioning as the video plays out, something which automatically makes it a far more valid prospect than the Wii's attempt. The tracklisting will also feature extra tracks to the Wii outing - such as 'Blood On The Dance Floor' - plus there's the prospect of downloadable content, which has been confirmed for day-one on PS3 and will be discussed shortly on Xbox 360.

It's reassuring that Ubisoft has taken the time to create experiences suited to each specific controller. The PS3 release is the most feature-rich and multiplayer friendly, while the Xbox 360 version is very much tailored around Kinect, from the interface to the solo-only dances, and its on-screen feedback will make it the more serious dancing companion out of the two. But true to Ubisoft's past bestsellers, both are effortlessly easy to jump into, more so thanks to a killer tracklisting that's both irresistible and universally appealing, making this headlining act for Ubisoft's dance invasion a seriously tempting prospect come April.

Michael Jackson: The Experience will be available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in April. The Wii version is out now.

[This twitter account is winding me up]

This twitter account is winding me up

Trust me,I refrained all weekend from putting this up because I don't want to give them attention or increase whatever mystery or 'fame' they think they have but I have reached my patience limit with it/them flooding my timeline with absolute BS.
Whoever it is,changed their name and picture in the past week or so,I honestly wish I could recall what their name was before but I deleted my email with the notification.
Does anyone know who this is/was?
Joined Jan 28th 2011.

I am ALL for twitter accounts that promote believing in the hoax/Michael and TGSOE but when they are being used to mislead and fool people then it stops being ok.
They remind me of the other account -Bethsabee7Mikal who have similar posts,appauling English skills,Grammar and who I had to unfollow because I just can't deal with people pretending they are someone they clearly are NOT

Apparently they are the only person on the earth who has a copy of the 'new' Michael Jackson album which isn't due for release until the end of 2011.AMAZING.
I would my $$ on it that even Michael himself doesn't have a copy of that album since it doesn't exist...or it does but not in any sort of release format.
A few of the tracks which are due to appear on it where already leaked in 2010-slave to the rhythm,Blue Gangster etc.

My concern is,recently I have had a chance to study and work with some of Michael's fan base for a project I am working on and one thing I realised-Some of these fans and believers are REALLY young,I mean..they are still in school doing creative writing essays-young.It is not right that these people are
1.using Michael's name to get attention/followers
2.leading people on with incorrect information
3.Generally lying to the world and know Jackshit about anything.

Believe_2011 WhiteRabbit
It's really normal to be curious about MJ's up coming album. And Yes I have it. That's all what you need to know ;)
30 minutes ago

Believe_2011 WhiteRabbit
@luciajackson1 After MICHAEL-Album, there is coming this new one soon...in this Year.Just wait.

Believe_2011 WhiteRabbit
Because this CD is not on Store yet, I can't share any details about it... But I'm sure this will BLOW YOUR MIND!!! ;D
18 hours ago
Believe_2011 WhiteRabbit
MJ's up coming New Album is mind blowing! WoHoo! This CD rocks ;)

Believe_2011 WhiteRabbit
@kingofpopart You did the right way to deleted that photo with your mystery friend. Thank you! :)

What.ever.
I wouldn't suggest you bother following them unless you enjoy your feed being spammed with nonsense.

[After the Show: The Many Faces of the Performer]

I actually read this because of the title and what I do for work and people I know to see if it told me something I didn't already know about creative people/performers being 'difficult' to work with(and myself included lol) but low and behold...look who gets a mention,frequently actually..

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/scott-barry-kaufman/creative-people_b_829563.html

After the Show: The Many Faces of the Performer
Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D.
Cognitive Psychologist; Author
Posted: March 6, 2011 11:49 AM

"Do I contradict myself? / Very well then I contradict myself, / (I am large, I contain multitudes.)" - Walt Whitman

Recounting his recording sessions with the young Michael Jackson, famed record producer Quincy Jones remembers that "Michael was so shy, he'd sit down and sing behind the couch with his back to me while I sat with my hands over my eyes -- and the lights off." What a contrast from his onstage extroverted, charismatic and bold performance!
In the CNN.com article "The confusing legacy of Michael Jackson," Todd Leopold discusses the perplexing combination of seemingly contradictory traits displayed by Michael Jackson. In explaining his many sides, Jackson biographer J. Randy Taraborelli essentially throws his hands up in the air in exasperation as he tries to make sense of the apparent contradictions:

I think that when you're talking about Michael Jackson and you try to analyze him, it's like analyzing electricity, you know? It exists, but you don't have a clue as to how it works.

Creativity researchers aren't so confused. They have long-ago accepted the fact that creative people are complex. Almost by definition, creativity is complex. Creative thinking is influenced by many traits, behaviors, and sociocultural factors that come together in one person. It would be surprising if all of these factors didn't sometimes, or even most of the time, appear to contradict one another.
As creativity researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi notes in his 1996 article for Psychology Today entitled "The Creative Personality," creative people "show tendencies of thought and action that in most people are segregated. They contain contradictory extremes; instead of being an "individual," each of them is a "multitude."
To me, some of the most fascinating contrasts are those found in creative performers -- those who are constantly on stage and in the public eye. Out of Csikszentmihaly's list of 10 complex personality traits of creative people, which were based on interviews with a wide variety of creative people, I think these three are the most relevant to creative performers:

Creative people have a great deal of physical energy, but they're also often quiet and at rest. They work long hours, with great concentration, while projecting an aura of freshness and enthusiasm...This does not mean that creative people are hyperactive, always "on." In fact, they rest often and sleep a lot. The important thing is that they control their energy; it's not ruled by the calendar, the dock, an external schedule. When necessary, they can focus it like a laser beam; when not, creative types immediately recharge their batteries. They consider the rhythm of activity followed by idleness or reflection very important for the success of their work.
Creative people tend to be both extroverted and introverted. We're usually one or the other, either preferring to be in the thick of crowds or sitting on the sidelines and observing the passing show. In fact, in psychological research, extroversion and introversion are considered the most stable personality traits that differentiate people from each other and that can be reliability measured. Creative individuals, on the other hand, seem to exhibit both traits simultaneously.

Creative people's openness and sensitivity often exposes them to suffering and pain, yet also to a great deal of enjoyment... Being alone at the forefront of a discipline also leaves you exposed and vulnerable.
These three seeming contradictions -- energy/rest, extroversion/introversion, and openness/sensitivity -- are not separate phenomenon but are intimately related to one another and along with other traits form the core of the creative performer's personality.
All three are also linked to what Elaine Aron refers to as a highly sensitive personality (HSP). HSP's make up 15-20 percent of the general population and tend to be more aware than others of subtleties, get more easily overwhelmed when things get too intense or there is too much sensory input, are easily affected by other's moods, and are deeply creative and moved by arts and music. Some of the most creative people have very high levels of sensitivity.

A recent study illustrates this point. Psychologist Jennifer O. Grimes went to three major summer metal rock tours, including one of the largest heavy metal/hard rock festivals in the world -- "Ozzfest." Talk about extroverted performers! Grimes interviewed 21 musicians associated with signed touring acts in an isolated room backstage for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Behind the curtain, how did these hard rock musicians describe themselves? Below are some of Jennifer's impressions (for a fuller summary, see here).

Introversion / Extroversion
All participants showed interest in physical activities but also reported requiring "alone time."
Most participants reported "overthinking everything" and being hypercritical, exhibiting critical attention to detail and a careful method of planning everything.
Those familiar only with the subjects' stage persona believed the subjects to be friendly, bold and approachable. The acquaintances who were able to respond to Grimes' interview questionnaire reported that the subjects were not approachable or appeared to hold a condescending view of others until one became better acquainted with the individual. Those closer to the musicians thought they were warm, friendly, calm and pleasant.

The introverts in her sample seemed adept at using introversion and extroversion in various facades to manipulate their appearances to the various circles of friends, acquaintances and others. As Grimes puts it, musicians were adept at "juggling multiple faces" (I really like this way of phrasing it!).
Many of Grimes's participants felt as though they were often misunderstood or perceived in a negative light, sometimes due to shyness.

Openness / Sensitivity
The musicians in Grimes's sample reported being in the zone onstage, and being able to "tune out" external stimuli unrelated to the task. At the same time, Grimes found a lot of the musicians reported a heightened sensitivity to their surroundings and their experience of sound, lighting, scents, etc.
All of the musicians reported some degree of unusual perceptions, especially relating to high sensory sensitivity.

All participants described music as a means of self-expression, relating to others, and finding fulfillment. Subjects reported that listening to or creating music allowed them to recharge when overstimulated.

Musicians reported that any amount of inhibition hindered creative production. Apparently, this was a conscious decision: artists explained how they learned to work with the process so that they did not unintentionally inhibit their creativity by blocking their own flow.
Many of Grimes's subjects showed an appreciation of fantasy; daydreaming was commonly reported.
Grimes concludes that it is her hope that the stereotyping about introversion will cease to pervade introversion literature without unbiased support for those claims.

So that's heavy metal rockers. Are they the only performers who show these seeming contradictions? Perhaps other extroverted performers, such as stand-up comedians, show similar complexities.
Psychologists Gil Greengross and Geoffrey Miller compared the personality traits of 31 professional stand-up comedians and nine amateur comedians against the personality traits of 10 humor writers and 400 college students. They found that the comedians (both professional and amateur) scored on average the lowest in self-reported extroversion, even lower than comedy writers!

According to the researchers:
The public perceives comedians as ostentatious and flashy. Their persona on stage is often mistakenly seen interchangeably with their real personality, and the jokes they tell about their lives are considered by many to have a grain of truth in them. However, the results of this study suggest that the opposite is true. Perhaps comedians use their performance to disguise who they are in their daily life. Comedians may portray someone they want to be, or perhaps their act is a way to defy the constraints imposed on their everyday events and interactions with others.

The evidence is clear: for a large majority of performers, in some of the most extroverted forms of performance, there is a great ability to juggle multiple faces and a need for downtime and reflection. New psychological research is showing just how intertwined and prevalent Openness to Experience, flow, abnormal perceptual experiences, and extroversion/introversion contradictions really are in creative people, especially artists. Hopefully by combining methods, such as self-reported experiences, peer reports, and more objective tests, we can shed more light on the many complexities and seeming contradictions found in creative people of many different flavors, and by so doing counter common black-and-white stereotypes about people in general.

Note: For insightful articles on the link between sensitivity and creativity, I highly recommend the Talent Development website. I also strongly recommend Susan Biali's Psychology Today article "Was Michael Jackson a Highly Sensitive Person(HSP)? Are You?".
Author's Note: Thanks to Jennifer O. Grimes for kindly sharing the summary of her musician interviews with me.

I also find the title interesting 'AFTER THE SHOW:the many faces of the performer' when Behindthemask.MichaelJackson.com launches tomorrow and this is infact the greatest SHOW on earth.The mention of 'alone time and behind the curtain' and use of word 'performer' not artist or singer seems like quite a blatent shout out to Michael's current production.
I get from this an attempt to reach people about how 'different' performers and creative people are-from Michael Jackson to Ozzfest rockstars.They all have the same traits,are impossible to fathom and have an interest in 'fantasy and can be both introvert and extrovert at the same time.
Basically,it's kinda trying to explain why Michael is the way he is and that he isn't as 'weird' as people/the media make him out to be.
The use of the words show/faces/maks/behind the curtain/fantasy/alone time are not to be ignored imo.
Not saying it's hoax related at all,i'm just pointing out the obvious.

Happy reading

S xo

Thought I would do a thread on this as it is from the same event that Mr Kingofpopart Nelson De La Nuez has recently been tweeting about.

It has been talked about before early earlier in the hoax/late 2009 but I think it is time for another look at it 18+months on.
These pictures were taken May 2009 at an art exhibition (5weeks before his 'death')
For starters it is an odd shot anyway because it's taken from behind them,Paris has her head down,Prince is looking away,Michael is totally unaware of it and Blanket is just loving life so it's hardly a 'money shot' and it is the only one.It has no point to it....or does it?
We know they wear baseball caps often because 1.they need to protect their faces from the media and 2.because they live in LA and it gets pretty hot most days....and burnt scalps/faces/squinting from the sun when you're a kid for hours is no fun!!
Most parents make their kids wear a cap with a peak to protect them from that happening,but these are no ordinary children and that is no ordinary cap that Blanket has on.

[center:215barfy][/center:215barfy]
Full picture

Nelson's tweeted picture
http://twitpic.com/45hktx

Others taken that day
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/16500000/MJ-and-Kids-Art-festival-Rare-2009-michael-jackson-16598253-460-646.jpg
http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/16500000/MJ-and-Kids-Art-festival-Rare-2009-michael-jackson-16598249-1600-1183.jpg

The top picture showing Blanket with his cap on backwards (I know Paris and Prince have theirs like that too but they are plain and have no relevence to my story lol)is in question because clearly it's sunny-Michael has his umbrella up,so you would think he would have it on the correct way to again protect his face from the media along with the mask and to stop him squinting,they are at an outdoor art exhibition with no shade after all...totally exposed but nope!
Had he of had his cap on the correct way it would have just been the average black baseball cap and another picture of Michael out with his kids,but the fact it is on backwards,has Chris Angel's BeLIEve logo across it and someone caught it on camera...I don't think is a coinsidence.

Here is another picture of a similar day out/event but it's taken from the front.The kids have caps and masks on-the usual way the world saw them when they were out and about with their dad pre 2009.

Also a point to look at is that Michael in this one has his own face uncovered-and there are A LOT more people surrounding them,so to cover up would make more sense whereas from around late 2008 and most of 2009 up until June 25th most of the time he was seen 'around' LA covered up head to toe.I say 'around' because he was not seen going in or out of Carolwood,going to any rehearsals either at staples or the other locations and when he was spotted it was usually only around medical centers or shopping.
I think the 02 conference was the only time the world got to see him in all those months and it wasn't even him haha...anyway,not to get into that here but it's true.
It was like he was stopping the world from seeing him before he vanished and was either hoping everyone would forget what he looked like or stopping people from seeing him and realising it wasn't actually him at the 02.
Michael-if you look back now had been slowly hiding himself away more and more before all this happened which leads to him now being revealed piece by piece again.
Just my thoughts,but either way...very strange,very clever and very Michael.

What are everyone's thoughts on the above?Do you believe that Chris Angel logo was captured for a reason or did Blanket just decide to wear it and show it off to the camera man behind him?
You don't have to agree,it just ties in with Nelson and current 'activities'

[Behind the project:Radical Media]

Website: http://behindthemask.michaeljackson.com

Behind the project:Radical Media

http://www.radicalmedia.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/radicalmedia
(They have had this account since October 1st 2008-first tweet was March 1st 2011-Conviniently set up and waiting...)

ABOUT: radical media is a global transmedia company that creates some of the world's most innovative content across all forms of media.
The company develops, produces and distributes award-winning projects in a variety of media including television, digital, feature films, music programming, commercials, graphic and interactive design, exhibitions, events, and original photography, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Sydney and Shanghai. The company's global network has given it a foundation for identifying and incubating in-house and new talent, while offering their client base a worldwide platform for the production, development and distribution of content.

The company has been honored with an Academy Award®, Emmys®, a Golden Globe®, Grammys®, Webbys, The Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Communication Design, two Palme d'Ors at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, and just about every other accolade and trophy associated with the advertising, marketing, and programming businesses.

Music Videos:MUSIC VIDEOS INHERENTLY allow for great freedom of creative expression, and we have been privileged to develop, direct and produce many of them. Our experience with a number of talented and demanding clients has continually opened the door to more expansive opportunities, including documentaries, concert films and actual concerts. Due to their vision and commitment to innovation, our directors have been repeatedly rewarded with a list of both Grammys® and MTV Video Music Awards.

Behind The Camera:Dennis Liu
http://www.radicalmedia.com/Commercials/Dennis-Liu/Commercials/
http://www.radicalmedia.com/Commercials/Dennis-Liu/Music-Videos

Dennis Liu
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dennis-liu/5/122/5a2
http://www.dennisaliu.com/
http://www.boardsmag.com/articles/magazine/20090901/dennisliu.html
Director at @radical.media
23yrs old
Greater New York City Area | Broadcast Media
Current:
Director at @radical.media
Past:
Assistant Producer at BBDO, Assistant Producer at Saatchi & Saatchi
Education:
New York University
Summary:
I'm a commercial and music video director hoping one day to direct feature studio films.

The Behind The Mask Project-Launch 7.3.2011
Help create a unique, groundbreaking music video!!

The Official Press release for BTM from MJ.COM/Sony

In the spirit of Michael Jackson's pioneering videos that pushed the creative boundaries in capturing the look, feel and emotions of music, the Estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music will provide everyone who likes music an opportunity to help create online a unique groundbreaking music video for the single "Behind the Mask". Using the web in a truly innovative way, people from around the world on March 7 will come together to create an imaginative piece of Michael Jackson history in The Behind the Mask Project.
Led by the creative team at Radical Media and director Dennis Liu, participants will visit the website http://behindthemask.michaeljackson.com which will be loaded with simple tools that define the different roles one can play in this landmark project. First, users select a move, a lyric, or a crowd reaction; performers can even demonstrate their own moonwalk, the anti-gravity lean or the toe stand. Then, using the site's split-screen template, contributors can shoot their move right on the website with their web cam (or their video camera) and upload their clip at the precise time it occurs in the video.
After the worldwide community has come together and done their part, the director will select the top clips and weave them into this historical work of Michael Jackson video art. The final results of The Behind the Mask Project will be unveiled during the first week in April.
Participate starting March 7, 2011

http://home.mjnewsalerts.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/BTM2.jpg

How fast has that gone!!? Scary!
I thought I would do a thread in honour of this historical and memorable event/day and really to generally chat about how much has happened in 24months,how we got here, and anything and everything really.
Will we all be here in another 12months?What do you think...?

It's quite amazing how fast time flies when you are so busy with life.
L.O.V.E to you all

First few tweets since it was set up about 14hrs ago.

Off to bed, it's really late here. Hope to get in contact with some friends and supporters. Love you all from the bottom.
13 hours ago

By the way let me put this to rest; I am not dead or dying from a life threatening disease.
13 hours ago

Please let people know I am on Twitter and that this is my official acct. I'd like to keep in contact with my friends and supporters.
14 hours ago

I will soon be uploading some new footage of my past performances soon to YouTube.
14 hours ago

With the love guys.
14 hours ago

Really tired of people getting on the internet and pretending to be me, so I finally made an official Twitter.
14 hours ago

Hey guys, this is my one and only official Twitter.
14 hours ago

http://twitter.com/#!/TheOfficialECas

[Michael Jackson's 50 dates at London's O2 arena sell out]

This is a collection of articles from 2009 about the 02 conference,tickets,rehearsals,his appearance,health,concerns and generally everything surrounding that period of time.
I am aware some of them may already be on the forum in seperate threads but I am posting this as a collection to discuss the conflicting stories/reports and images.
There is also one about how he believed he was better off dead which I will leave as it talks a lot about the 02.

I'll keep adding to this when I have time/find articles.

It's also in relation to the current thread about Michael/not Michael at the 02.
http://www.michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=17429

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/12/entertainment/et-jackson12

Michael Jackson rehearses near Burbank airport
The King of Pop has a lot riding on his upcoming 50 sold-out shows at London's O2 Arena.
May 12, 2009

Four mornings a week, an SUV with darkened windows bears Michael Jackson through the gates outside a nondescript building near the Burbank airport. He spends the next six hours on a soundstage in the company of 10 dancers and pop music's best-known choreographer.
The details of rehearsals for Jackson's upcoming concerts in London are closely held secrets, but what's at stake for him is not. The ambitious schedule of 50 sold-out shows could turn out to be the final, sad chapter of Jackson's storied career -- or one of pop music's all-time greatest comeback stories.

For The Record
Michael Jackson: An article in Tuesday's Calendar about Michael Jackson's upcoming London concerts said choreographer Todd Sams was collaborating on the shows. The promoter of the shows, AEG Live, says Sams has no role in the concerts.
When -- or if, in the view of many industry skeptics -- Jackson takes the stage at the O2 Arena July 8, it will be his first extended concert run in 12 years. Doubters cite his long hiatus from performing, health problems, a onetime prescription pill addiction, age -- he is 50 -- and his reputation for flaking out on performances and business deals.
But the concert promoter, Los Angeles-based AEG Live, insists that Jackson is prepared mentally and physically and that the show, called "This Is It," will break new ground in both artistry and sheer cost. The production budget is "north of $20 million," a price tag that will include as many as 22 different sets, said Randy Phillips, the company's chief executive.
"It's going to be the biggest, most technologically advanced arena show -- and the most expensive -- ever mounted," Phillips said.
On Monday, the company announced that choreographer and director Kenny Ortega, the force behind the movie "Dirty Dancing" and the "High School Musical" series, as well as Jackson's Dangerous and HIStory tours, has signed on to direct and design the shows. Ortega agreed to work around his schedule as director of the planned remake of the 1984 movie "Footloose" to take on Jackson's shows, according to AEG.
In a statement, Ortega called Jackson "the greatest entertainer of our generation" and said he was eager to collaborate with him again. "My answer without a beat was nothing could keep me away," he said.
In Ortega, Jackson chose someone who has achieved what he could not -- continuous cultural relevance after great success in the 1980s. He tapped as the show's choreographer and associate director Travis Payne, who worked with Jackson in the mid-1990s. Payne's recent work includes routines for Beyonce and Madonna, as well as a "Dancing With the Stars" tribute to Jackson.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/13/michael-jackson-o2-arena-residency-sells-out

Michael Jackson's 50 dates at London's O2 arena sell out

The King of Pop's residency has completely sold out in just a few hours with fans snapping up more than a million tickets
Fans of the 'King of Pop' queue overnight as first concert tickets are made available ... and sell out immediately Link to this video
Tickets for Michael Jackson's 50 live dates at London's O2 arena have sold out, meaning that a staggering one million tickets to see the singer have been bought in a matter of hours.
Dates for the summer residency, beginning on 8 July, had been extended to 50 nights – one for each year of Jackson's life. The singer is said to be "thrilled" by the response, though no doubt his promoters are even happier. "Not only are these concerts unparalleled, these records have never been broken," said Randy Phillips, of promoters AEG Live. "We knew this was show business history, but this is a cultural phenomenon".

Tickets only went on sale on Friday 13 March, with pre-sale allocation available yesterday, and Ticketmaster described the demand as "unprecedented". Fans queued overnight outside the O2 arena in Greenwich, south-east London, in the hope of avoiding jammed phonelines. However, those not lucky enough to secure a ticket can head to eBay to buy them second hand, providing they are prepared to pay between £170 and £10,000.
Jackson confirmed details of his O2 arena residency last week with the words: "When I say this is it, I mean this is it," prompting many to question whether this will be his farewell tour.
Those who managed to buy tickets for the singer's first full concert in 12 years can expect to hear "the songs my fans want". Tabloid speculation this week claimed these would include classics such as Billie Jean and The Way You Make Me Feel. And with the This Is It dates now stretching into 2010, Jackson has plenty of opportunity to perfect them.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Michael-Jackson-s-Summer-Tour-Breaks-All-Known-Records-106882.shtml

Michael Jackson's Summer Tour Breaks All Known Records
March 16th, 2009

Michael Jackson speaking to fans and announcing the "This Is It" final tour in London
Enlarge picture
The greatest comeback in the history of music is upon us come summer 2009, as also is one of the most-anticipated and highly-mediated music events of the decade. Michael Jackson's "This Is It" summer tour – his last series of gigs in the UK, as the singer himself said – has managed to sell out for all 50 dates in a matter of just a couple of hours, thus breaking all known musical records, a BBC report informs.

While for regular people it is more than enough to simply state that Michael's 50 shows have sold out within hours, BBC has added up all the numbers and has come with several pretty impressive figures.
Aside from the speculation that the singer stands to make between $50 and 70 million off the entire tour, BBC informs that more than a million fans will have seen the King of Pop on stage by the time the 50th show ends. If this is not convincing enough, it also reports that all tickets have sold at a rate of 11 per second – faster than those for any other concert ever held.
Michael Jackson is reportedly "thrilled" by the fans' wonderful response to his announcement, but organizers AEG Live are positively through the roof with joy. In fact, they have been so surprised by the magnitude of the event, that they've already asked the singer to add more dates to the show, a proposition Michael has not been completely opposed to, as a spokesperson confirms for the same media outlet.

"That wasn't anticipated." Randy Phillips of promoters AEG Live told BBC Radio 1 about the fans' response. "We never thought '50 shows' and frankly based on the queues on Ticketmaster, plus the 300,000 registrants we still haven't issued codes to, we could spend two years here [at London's O2 Arena]. Mike asked me how long he would be in the United Kingdom for and I told him, probably long enough to get a British passport. Michael's already pretty much put together a list of the dancers he wants. Michael's very engaged now." Phillips added.
Ticketmaster was equally surprised by the heavy demand from fans looking to see the King of Pop on stage, as Director Chris Edmonds also shared for BBC. "We often talk about unprecedented demand, but this week we have witnessed a live entertainment phenomenon. This was undoubtedly the busiest demand for tickets for an event which we have ever experienced." Edmonds explained.
As of now, the only tickets still available for Michael Jackson's "This Is It" series of shows can be found on sites like eBay, retailing for anything between £170 and £10,000. Initial prices were up to £75.

http://uk.eonline.com/uberblog/b102884_michael_jackson_announces_final_curtain.html

Michael Jackson Announces "Final Curtain Call"
Thu., Mar. 5, 2009

It's the news fans have been waiting for. Michael Jackson is looking to mount a thriller of a comeback, nearly four years since he was acquitted of child-molestation charges.
The erstwhile King of Pop is aiming to reclaim his throne, announcing today at a press conference plans to play 10 concerts in London's O2 Arena, his first string of shows in more than a decade.
"I love you very much," a fit-looking Jackson told thousands of screaming devotees. "This is it.
"I just want to say that these will be my final show performances in London. This will be it. When I say this is it, it really means this is it," Jackson added. "I'll be performing the songs my fans want to hear...this is the final curtain call. I'll see you in July."

The megastar was stuck in traffic and late to his own press conference. But when he did finally show up, fans were treated to a short film on his storied career and past live performances.
"I love you. I really do so much. From the bottom of my heart. This is it. See you in July," said the 50-year-old Moonwalker.
He then raised his fist in the air, struck a series of poses, and left the stage.

News of Jackson's long-awaited return was the topic of conversation earlier this morning, when the show's promoters, AEG Live, addressed questions at the Billboard Music & Money Symposium in New York City.
"The man is very sane, the man is very focused, the man is very healthy," AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke told Billboard. "I think he has been dragged through the mud."
Various reports had initially claimed Jackson might play up to 30 shows.

He is expected to kick off the run on July 8.
Leiweke said he was awed by Jackson's production budget and dispelled any doubts that the 50-year-old singer might be in too fragile of health to make good on his commitment.

"Despite everything you read about him, he was fine," commented the executive. "The man took a physical for us to go do these concerts."
Negotiations weren't so easy however and took two years and three rejected offers before they could finally get Jackson to agree to terms, Leiweke said.
Jackson's last concert was 2001's solo 20th anniversary show at Madison Square Garden. Before that, he hadn't hit the road since his 1996-97 HIStory World Tour.
It's not known how much the Gloved One will earn for the performances, but insiders say it could be close to $1 million a show.
No doubt, the O2 gigs will go a long way toward easing Jackson's financial woes, including hefty a legal tab stemming from an endless string of lawsuits filed against him.
Tickets go on sale March 13. Check http://www.michaeljackson.com for details.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196009/Im-better-dead-Im-How-Michael-Jackson-predicted-death-months-ago.html

'I'm better off dead. I'm done': Michael Jackson's fateful prediction just a week before his death
29th June 2009

Genetic condition had ruined his lungs and left him unable to sing
He became so skeletal, doctors believed he was anorexic
He had nightmares about being murdered – and wanted to die
He used swine flu as an excuse to avoid coming to England
He thought he was agreeing to 10 concerts – it was 50

Whatever  the final autopsy results reveal, it was greed that killed Michael Jackson. Had he not been driven – by a cabal of bankers, agents, doctors and advisers – to commit to the gruelling 50 concerts in London's O2 Arena, I believe he would still be alive today.

During the last weeks and months of his life, Jackson made desperate attempts to prepare for the concert series scheduled for next month – a series that would have earned millions for the singer and his entourage, but which he could never have completed, not mentally, and not physically.
michael jackson with face mask

Ailing: Michael Jackson may have worn a mask in public to protect his diseased lungs

Michael knew it and his advisers knew it. Anyone who caught even a fleeting glimpse of the frail old man hiding beneath the costumes and cosmetics would have understood that the London tour was madness. For Michael Jackson, it was fatal.
I had more than a glimpse of the real Michael; as an award-winning freelance journalist and film-maker, I spent more than five years inside his 'camp'.
Many in his entourage spoke frankly to me – and that made it possible for me to write authoritatively last December that Michael had six months to live, a claim that, at the time, his official spokesman, Dr Tohme Tohme, called a 'complete fabrication'. The singer, he told the world, was in 'fine health'. Six months and one day later, Jackson was dead.

Some liked to snigger at his public image, and it is true that flamboyant clothes and bizarre make-up made for a comic grotesque; yet without them, his appearance was distressing; with skin blemishes, thinning hair and discoloured fingernails.

I had established beyond doubt, for example, that Jackson relied on an extensive collection of wigs to hide his greying hair. Shorn of their luxuriance, the Peter Pan of Neverland cut a skeletal figure.

24hr 'sober coach' was hired for Michael Jackson as desperate family brought in controversial 'Doc Hollywood' to save star
Doctor: I saved Jackson from morphine overdose after TV interview in US
Michael Jackson was due to move into 32-bed Kent manor house this weekend

It was clear that he was in no condition to do a single concert, let alone 50. He could no longer sing, for a start. On some days he could barely talk. He could no longer dance. Disaster was looming in London and, in the opinion of his closest confidantes, he was feeling suicidal.

To understand why a singer of Jackson's fragility would even think about travelling to London, we need to go back to June 13, 2005, when my involvement in his story began.

As a breaking news alert flashed on CNN announcing that the jury had reached a verdict in Jackson's trial for allegedly molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo at his Neverland Ranch in California, I knew that history had been made but that Michael Jackson had been broken – irrevocably so, as it proved.

Nor was it the first time that Michael had been accused of impropriety with young boys. Little more than a decade earlier, another 13-year-old, Jordan Chandler, made similar accusations in a case that was eventually settled before trial – but not before the damage had been done to Jackson's reputation.
Michael Jackson is pushed in a wheelchair
Michael had not helped his case. Appearing in a documentary with British broadcaster Martin Bashir, he not only admitted that he liked to share a bed with teenagers, mainly boys, in pyjamas, but showed no sign of understanding why anyone might be legitimately concerned.

I had started my investigation convinced that Jackson was guilty. By the end, I no longer believed that.

I could not find a single shred of evidence suggesting that Jackson had molested a child. But I found significant evidence demonstrating that most, if not all, of his accusers lacked credibility and were motivated primarily by money.

Jackson also deserved much of the blame, of course. Continuing to share a bed with children even after the suspicions surfaced bordered on criminal stupidity.

He was also playing a truly dangerous game. It is clear to me that Michael was homosexual and that his taste was for young men, albeit not as young as Jordan Chandler or Gavin Arvizo.

In the course of my investigations, I spoke to two of his gay lovers, one a Hollywood waiter, the other an aspiring actor. The waiter had remained friends, perhaps more, with the singer until his death last week. He had served Jackson at a restaurant, Jackson made his interest plain and the two slept together the following night. According to the waiter, Jackson fell in love.

The actor, who has been given solid but uninspiring film parts, saw Jackson in the middle of 2007. He told me they had spent nearly every night together during their affair – an easy claim to make, you might think. But this lover produced corroboration in the form of photographs of the two of them together, and a witness.

Other witnesses speak of strings of young men visiting his house at all hours, even in the period of his decline. Some stayed overnight.
When Jackson lived in Las Vegas, one of his closest aides told how he would sneak off to a 'grungy, rat-infested' motel – often dressed as a woman to disguise his identity – to meet a male construction worker he had fallen in love with.
Jackson was acquitted in the Arvizo case, dramatically so, but the effect on his mental state was ruinous. Sources close to him suggest he was close to complete nervous breakdown.
The ordeal had left him physically shattered, too. One of my sources suggested that he might already have had a genetic condition I had never previously come across, called Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency – the lack of a protein that can help protect the lungs.

Although up to 100,000 Americans are severely affected by it, it is an under-recognised condition. Michael was receiving regular injections of Alpha-1 antitrypsin derived from human plasma. The treatment is said to be remarkably effective and can enable the sufferer to lead a normal life.
But the disease can cause respiratory problems and, in severe cases, emphysema. Could this be why Jackson had for years been wearing a surgical mask in public, to protect his lungs from the ravages of the disease? Or why, from time to time, he resorted to a wheelchair? When I returned to my source inside the Jackson camp for confirmation, he said: 'Yeah, that's what he's got. He's in bad shape. They're worried that he might need a lung transplant but he may be too weak.

'Some days he can hardly see and he's having a lot of trouble walking.'
Even Michael Jackson's legendary wealth was in sharp decline. Just a few days before he announced his 50-concert comeback at the O2 Arena, one of my sources told me Jackson had been offered £1.8million to perform at a party for a Russian billionaire on the Black Sea.
'Is he up to it?' I had asked.
'He has no choice. He needs the money. His people are pushing him hard,' said the source.

Could he even stand on a stage for an hour concert?

'He can stand. The treatments have been successful. He can even dance once he gets in better shape. He just can't sing,' said the aide, adding that Jackson would have to lip-synch to get through the performance. 'Nobody will care, as long as he shows up and moonwalks.'
He also revealed Jackson had been offered well over £60million to play Las Vegas for six months.  'He said no, but his people are trying to force it on him. He's that close to losing everything,' said the source.
michael jackson this is it tour
Forced: Michael Jackson thought he was agreeing to 10 concerts at London's O2 Arena not 50
Indeed, by all accounts Jackson's finances were in a shambles. The Arvizo trial itself was a relative bargain, costing a little more than £18million in legal bills.

But the damage to his career, already in trouble before the charges, was incalculable. After the Arvizo trial, a Bahraini sheikh allowed Jackson to stay in his palace, underwriting his lavish lifestyle. But a few years later, the prince sued his former guest, demanding repayment for his hospitality. Jackson claimed he thought it had been a gift.

Roger Friedman, a TV journalist, said: 'For one year, the prince underwrote Jackson's life in Bahrain – everything including accommodation, guests, security and transportation. And what did Jackson do? He left for Japan and then Ireland. He took the money and moonwalked right out the door. This is the real Michael Jackson. He has never returned a phone call from the prince since he left Bahrain.'

Although Jackson settled with the sheikh on the eve of the trial that would have aired his financial dirty laundry, the settlement only put him that much deeper into the hole. A hole that kept getting bigger, but that was guaranteed by Jackson's half ownership of the copyrights to The Beatles catalogue. He owned them in a joint venture with record company Sony, which have kept him from bankruptcy.

'Jackson is in hock to Sony for hundreds of millions,' a source told me a couple of months ago. 'No bank will give him any money so Sony have been paying his bills.

'The trouble is that he hasn't been meeting his obligations. Sony have been in a position for more than a year where it can repossess Michael's share of the [Beatles] catalogue. That's always been Sony's dream scenario, full ownership.

'But they don't want to do it as they're afraid of a backlash from his fans. Their nightmare is an organised 'boycott Sony' movement worldwide, which could prove hugely costly. It is the only thing standing between Michael and bankruptcy.'
Pop star Michael Jackson (centre) holds the hands of his two children Paris Michael, four, and son Prince Michael, five, with their faces covered during a visit to Berlin Zoo.

Legacy: Michael Jackson wanted to ensure the future of his children by leaving them 200 unpublished songs

The source aid at the time that the scheduled London concerts wouldn't clear Jackson's debts – estimated at almost £242million – but they would allow him to get them under control and get him out of default with Sony.

According to two sources in Jackson's camp, the singer put in place a contingency plan to ensure his children would be well taken care of in the event of bankruptcy.

'He has as many as 200 unpublished songs that he is planning to leave behind for his children when he dies. They can't be touched by the creditors, but they could be worth as much as £60million that will ensure his kids a comfortable existence no matter what happens,' one of his collaborators revealed.

But for the circle of handlers who surrounded Jackson during his final years, their golden goose could not be allowed to run dry. Bankruptcy was not an option.

These, after all, were not the handlers who had seen him through the aftermath of the Arvizo trial and who had been protecting his fragile emotional health to the best of their ability. They were gone, and a new set of advisers was in place.

The clearout had apparently been engineered by his children's nanny, Grace Rwaramba, who was gaining considerable influence over Jackson and his affairs and has been described as the 'queen bee' by those around Jackson.

Rwaramba had ties to the black militant organisation, the Nation of Islam, and its controversial leader, Louis Farrakhan, whom she enlisted for help in running Jackson's affairs.

Before long, the Nation was supplying Jackson's security detail and Farrakhan's son-in-law, Leonard Muhammad, was appointed as Jackson's business manager, though his role has lessened significantly in recent years.

In late 2008, a shadowy figure who called himself Dr Tohme Tohme suddenly emerged as Jackson's 'official spokesman'.

Tohme has been alternately described as a Saudi Arabian billionaire and an orthopaedic surgeon, but he is actually a Lebanese businessman who does not have a medical licence. At one point, Tohme claimed he was an ambassador at large for Senegal, but the Senegalese embassy said they had never heard of him.
MICHAEL JACKSON AND CANCER SUFFERER GAVIN ARVIZO

Misguided: Michael Jackson showed no sign of understanding why anyone might be legitimately concerned about him sharing a bed with young boys

Tohme's own ties to the Nation of Islam came to light in March 2009, when New York auctioneer Darren Julien was conducting an auction of Michael Jackson memorabilia.

Julien filed an affidavit in Los Angeles Superior Court that month in which he described a meeting he had with Tohme's business partner, James R. Weller. According to Julien's account, 'Weller said if we refused to postpone [the auction], we would be in danger from 'Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam; those people are very protective of Michael'.

He told us that Dr Tohme and Michael Jackson wanted to give the message to us that 'our lives are at stake and there will be bloodshed'.'
A month after these alleged threats, Tohme accompanied Jackson to a meeting at a Las Vegas hotel with Randy Phillips, chief executive of the AEG Group, to finalise plans for Jackson's return to the concert stage.

Jackson's handlers had twice before said no to Phillips. This time, with Tohme acting as his confidant, Jackson left the room agreeing to perform ten concerts at the O2.
Before long, however, ten concerts had turned into 50 and the potential revenues had skyrocketed. 'The vultures who were pulling his strings somehow managed to put this concert extravaganza together behind his back, then presented it to him as a fait accompli,' said one aide.
'The money was just unbelievable and all his financial people were telling him he was facing bankruptcy. But Michael still resisted. He didn't think he could pull it off.'

Eventually, they wore him down, the aide explained, but not with the money argument.
'They told him that this would be the greatest comeback the world had ever known. That's what convinced him. He thought if he could emerge triumphantly from the success of these concerts, he could be the King again.'
The financial details of the O2 concerts are still murky, though various sources have revealed that Jackson was paid as much as £10million in advance, most of which went to the middlemen. But Jackson could have received as much as £100million had the concerts gone ahead.

It is worth noting that the O2 Arena has the most sophisticated lip synching technology in the world – a particular attraction for a singer who can no longer sing. Had, by some miracle, the concerts gone ahead, Jackson's personal contribution could have been limited to just 13 minutes for each performance. The rest was to have been choreography and lights.
'We knew it was a disaster waiting to happen,' said one aide. 'I don't think anybody predicted it would actually kill him but nobody believed he would end up performing.'
Their doubts were underscored when Jackson collapsed during only his second rehearsal.

Hidden life: It was 'clear Michael Jackson was gay' but he married twice, firstly to Lisa Marie Presley, above
'Collapse might be overstating it,' said the aide. 'He needed medical attention and couldn't go on. I'm not sure what caused it.'
Meanwhile, everybody around him noticed that Jackson had lost an astonishing amount of weight in recent months. His medical team even believed he was anorexic.
'He goes days at a time hardly eating a thing and at one point his doctor was asking people if he had been throwing up after meals,' one staff member told me in May.
'He suspected bulimia but when we said he hardly eats any meals, the doc thought it was probably anorexia. He seemed alarmed and at one point said, 'People die from that all the time. You've got to get him to eat.''

Indeed, one known consequence of anorexia is cardiac arrest.
After spotting him leave one rehearsal, Fox News reported that 'Michael Jackson's skeletal physique is so bad that he might not be able to moonwalk any more'.

So er,was he of premier leauge football player build then or not?

On May 20 this year, AEG suddenly announced that the first London shows had been delayed for five days while the remainder had been pushed back until March 2010. At the time, they denied that the postponements were health-related, explaining that they needed more time to mount the technically complex production, though scepticism immediately erupted. It was well placed.
Behind the scenes, Jackson was in rapid decline. According to a member of his staff, he was 'terrified' at the prospect of the London concerts.
'He wasn't eating, he wasn't sleeping and, when he did sleep, he had nightmares that he was going to be murdered. He was deeply worried that he was going to disappoint his fans. He even said something that made me briefly think he was suicidal. He said he thought he'd die before doing the London concerts.

'He said he was worried that he was going to end up like Elvis. He was always comparing himself to Elvis, but there was something in his tone that made me think that he wanted to die, he was tired of life. He gave up. His voice and dance moves weren't there any more. I think maybe he wanted to die rather than embarrass himself on stage.'

The most obvious comparison between the King of Pop and the King of Rock 'n' Roll was their prescription drug habits, which in Jackson's case had significantly intensified in his final months.
'He is surrounded by enablers,' said one aide. 'We should be stopping him before he kills himself, but we just sit by and watch him medicate himself into oblivion.'
Jackson could count on an array of doctors to write him prescriptions without asking too many questions if he complained of 'pain'. He was particularly fond of OxyContin, nicknamed 'Hillbilly heroin', which gave an instant high, although he did not take it on a daily basis.

According to the aide, painkillers are not the only drugs Jackson took.
michael jackson
Performer: Michael Jackson was unable to dance and sing like he once could due to his illnesses
'He pops Demerol and morphine, sure, apparently going back to the time in 1984 when he burned himself during the Pepsi commercial, but there's also some kind of psychiatric medication. One of his brothers once told me he was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was younger, so it may be to treat that.'
His aides weren't the only ones who recognised that a 50-concert run was foolhardy. In May, Jackson himself reportedly addressed fans as he left his Burbank rehearsal studio.
'Thank you for your love and support,' he told them. 'I want you guys to know I love you very much.
'I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater. I need to put some weight on. I'm really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do ten.'

One of his former employees was particularly struck by Jackson's wording that day. 'The way he was talking, it's like he's not in control over his own life any more,' she told me earlier this month. 'It sounds like somebody else is pulling his strings and telling him what to do. Someone wants him dead.
'They keep feeding him pills like candy. They are trying to push him over the edge. He needs serious help. The people around him will kill him.'
As the London concerts approached, something was clearly wrong. Jackson had vowed to travel to England at least eight weeks before his first shows, but he kept putting it off.
'To be honest, I never thought Michael would set foot on a concert stage ever again,' said one aide, choking back tears on the evening of his death.

'This was not only predictable, this was inevitable.'

On June 21, Jackson told my contact that he wanted to die. He said that he didn't have what it would take to perform any more because he had lost his voice and dance moves.
'It's not working out,' Jackson said. 'I'm better off dead. I don't have anywhere left to turn. I'm done.'
Michael's closest confidante told me just two hours after he died that 'Michael was tired of living. He was a complete wreck for years and now he can finally be in a better place. People around him fed him drugs to keep him on their side. They should be held accountable.'
Michael Jackson was undoubtedly a deeply troubled and lonely man. Throughout my investigation, I was torn between compassion and anger, sorrow and empathy.

Even his legacy is problematic. As I have already revealed, he has bequeathed up to 200 original songs to his three children, Prince Michael, aged 12, Paris Katherine, 11, and Prince Michael II (also known as Blanket), seven. It is a wonderful gift.

Yet I can reveal that his will, not as yet made public, demands that the three of them remain with Jackson's 79-year-old mother Katherine in California. It promises an ugly row.
Ex-wife Deborah Rowe, the mother of the eldest two, has already made it clear to her legal team that she wants her children in her custody, immediately.
The mother of the third child has never been identified. I fully expect that it will emerge that the children had a 'test tube' conception, a claim already made by Deborah Rowe.
Michael Jackson may very well have been the most talented performer of his generation, but for 15 years that fact has been lost to a generation who may remember him only as a grotesque caricature who liked to share his bed with little boys. Now that he's gone, maybe it's time to shelve the suspicions and appreciate the music.

http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/michael-jackson/news/123273-michael-jackson-tour-unhappy-02-cancel

Michael Jackson Unhappy With 50 Date Tour
Jacko is 'angry' about O2 run...
Tuesday, 2 June 2009

Michael Jackson has finally spoken up about his phenomenal 50 date tour in London.
It's that time of day again where Jackson's health is doubted with regards to his 'This Is It' show.
According to 'The Sun' Jackson has openly admitted that he does not feel physically fit enough to carry out all dates of his show.
"I don't know how I'm going to do 50 shows. I'm not a big eater - I need to put some weight on."

Signing up for 50 dates is something that has been heavily questioned and the 'Invincible' star blames the O2 Arena for booking him for so many shows.
"I'm really angry with them booking me up to do 50 shows. I only wanted to do ten, and take the tour around the world to other cities, not 50 in one place."
The tour, which is set to start in July, has already had some of its dates postponed but will be resuming from July 13th.
Jacko - please  'Don't Stop 'Til (We) Get Enough'!

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Michael-Jackson-s-Summer-Tour-Completely-Sells-Out-106789.shtml

Michael Jackson's Summer Tour Completely Sells Out
March 14th, 2009, 10:55 GMT| By Elena Gorgan

When the media said that this summer's comeback, that of the King of the Pop himself, would mark an unprecedented musical event, the media obviously knew what it was talking about. With tickets for Michael's "This Is It" farewell tour going on sale on Friday, all 50 dates are already sold out – and it happened in just a matter of a couple of hours, the Telegraph is informing.
As we reported yesterday, fans came to London from all corners of the world to queue outside O2 Arena to get their hands on tickets for the shows, preferably for the first dates if possible. With this in mind, it's probably not that surprising that over 1 million tickets disappeared just like that in a couple of hours, the aforementioned source says. Michael, in his turn, is said to be "thrilled" by the fans' reaction (and quick response), but the concert organizers are no doubt doubly thrilled.
"Not only are these concerts unparalleled, these records have never been broken. We knew this was show business history, but this is a cultural phenomenon." Randy Phillips of promoters AEG Live told the British publication regarding the almost unbelievable quick way in which all tickets were moved. Of course, fans who did not get the chance to get their entry to what will certainly be one of the hottest shows this summer can always turn to sites like eBay – if they're willing to pay from £170 up to £10,000 for just one ticket.

Even if the prices at intermediaries are considerably bigger than the official one, there will be fans who will certainly pay as much as they're asked to. "This Is It" is not only Michael Jackson's first series of live shows in many, many years and his comeback on the music scene, but it's also his final tour, as he himself said during a press statement made the other week in London. Quite understandably, the hype about it will only increase in time.
Yet, skeptics still refuse to believe that Michael will be able to do all 50 shows as scheduled. "I'm immensely excited. I did not know I would get front row tickets and it's a surprise for my fiancé and my mum and dad. I don't think he will do all 50 shows – I think he can dance but I don't think he can sing as well. I knew the earlier I got down here the better the seats would be and we could get opening night, which is gonna be the best." one fan was telling the British media yesterday. Many others echo the sentiment but, the truth is, only time will tell who is in the right with this one.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/03/05/michael-jacksons-face-dur_n_172242.html

Michael Jackson held a press conference in London on Thursday to announce that he will once again perform live in a concert series this summer.
Jackson's appearance gave the press its first opportunity to photograph the reclusive "King of Pop" in years.
He has been spotted by paparazzi on occasion at book stores and in Las Vegas, and even reportedly dressed as a woman in Bahrain, but there have been few public appearances in years.
Below are photos and zooms of photos of Jackson on Wednesday. Despite wearing black sunglasses and what appears to be a thick wig, there was still plenty to look at.

Under the first photo in the slide show this is written

Michael Jackson at a press conference in London on Thursday to announce he would perform live this summer

Not WILL perform live this summer but would...
Could easily lead on to say 'he would perform live this summer but he is not going to be around'

I know it's a trashy tabloid article but that is really BAD English/Grammar if it wasn't intentional *wink...
Some of the photos









oh hello,I no longer have discoloured fingernails,magically,although I had them last week,and will do again after this conference.


still waiting for an explanation as to what the brown and black stuff is on his hands.Brown i'm gonna go with fake tan/make up Black...unknown.

http://www.michaeljacksonlive.com/ Love how this still exists yet all the info,posts on the official website from Oct 08 to around July/Aug 09 has been removed and all trace of the 02/tour/death announcements have gone with it...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/mar/06/michael-jackson-concerts-02

Wanna be stoppin' somethin'? This is it - Jackson announces 'final' tour
The Guardian, Friday 6 March 2009

If, at the height of his powers, Michael Jackson had invited everyone in the world to a press conference, the stampede would have made the Harrods sale look like a village fete.
But when the 50-year-old curiosity issued an open invitation to join him in the foyer of the former Millennium Dome in London yesterday for a Very Special Announcement, anyone who fancied it could have got close enough to see the whites of his eyes - had he not been wearing sunglasses, of course.
When Jackson finally arrived, complete with police escort 90 minutes after the scheduled showtime, there was no Beatles-at-the-airport moment.
Sure, there was cheering when he announced: "This is it," and said he would play his final London shows in July. A few fans sobbed into their souvenir scarves. But the hysteria was nothing compared with the day Primark opened its doors on Oxford Street two years ago.

And though Jackson kept having to stop his telecasted speech to wait for the whoops to die down, he didn't get interrupted by adoring applause nearly as often as Gordon Brown did when addressing Congress on Wednesday.

For the brief minutes he was on stage, Jackson - dressed in a silky black military style jacket with glittery epaulets and using a voice pitched well below his usual dog whistle frequency - said little. "I just want to say that these [long pause], these will be my final show performances in London. This is it," he began. "When I say this I, I really mean that this is it." He went on, saying he would be "playing the songs my fans wanna hear". Fingers crossed then: no Earth Song.
He then got a little emotional. "I love you," he yelled. "I really do. I hope you know that. I love you so much from the bottom of my heart."
It quickly became apparent that this is not Jackson's farewell tour. He will play 10 shows at the O2 from 8 July and promises to never sing another note on our small island ever again. AEG, the promoters, assured the Guardian afterwards of this and added that Jackson would not play any other shows anywhere THIS YEAR.

But he is leaving the option open to play every other corner of the world at any other time. Presumably if all 20,000 tickets sell out every night in London, he'll be repeating the trick all over the globe before long.
And sell out they surely will. Despite rumours that the London shows would net Jackson £50m, the ticket prices are refreshingly modest. The most expensive seats are £75, and there are others for £65 and £50. This is small change compared with the outrageous starting price of £160 for Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour last autumn.

It's all the more remarkable given that Jackson hasn't toured properly for 12 years. AEG also promises "an explosive return with a band of the highest calibre, state-of-the-art stage show and incredible surprise support acts".
The fans - a surprising number of whom, all things considered, had brought their children along - were delighted. Donna Williams, 24, from Shrewsbury, had brought her three offspring along to witness the historic occasion.
"I was up all night thinking about Michael. I couldn't sleep," she said. "So at 6am I said 'right, that's it. We're going to see Michael'. So we got in the car, drove down the motorway and here we are."
Asked whether the two oldest children, Jaden, five, and Tyler, six, oughtn't really be in school, she said "obviously they are very, very sick - and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity". Which is true. Unless this isn't really "it", of course.

http://www.livetourdates.org/news/2009/03/Michael+Jackson+This+is+it
This shows it was 50 straight away it was 10, 30,40 then 50

12.03.2009
Michael Jackson
I actually didn't expect I would ever be in the situation to add 'tour dates' for Michael Jackson to livetourdates.org - but it seems, that I can now finally add - and keep adding even more shows. Although compared to other artists' farewell tours Michael Jackson's 'tour schedule' looks a bit dull: all the gigs listed announced so far will be held in London's O2 arena.
After first announcing only ten shows - and selling out pretty quickly, the schedule now features more than 30 nearly 40 shows - and even more shows are promised.. please feel free to check for tickets and dates yourself on   http://www.michaeljackson.com - and of course there you can also watch Michaels legendary press conference once again..
Ah - and here's the current list of confirmed shows at London's O2 arena:To be continued....

http://www.popcrunch.com/michael-jackson-this-is-it-concerts-o2-arena-rehearsal-video-photos/

The King of Pop and his arsenal of dancers are tucked away in secret California location putting together the choreography on this summer's This Is It Concert Series. Michael, 50, is putting his team through their paces for a 50-date run at the 02 Arena in London.
Here are the first pictures of MJ getting into the swing of things. Over 5,000 dancers applied for the chance to perform as part of Mike's big comeback. The concert, Michael's first in over a decade, will kick off July 7, featuring the performance of 18-22 songs by the star.

[Michael Jackson case: Prosecutor says defense isn't sharing information, asks for delay of doctor's trial]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/02/michael-jackson-conrad-murray-trial.html

Michael Jackson case: Prosecutor says defense isn't sharing information, asks for delay of doctor's trial

A prosecutor asked Thursday that the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor be delayed because of what she said was the failure of the defense to share information about its planned case, including the findings of its star forensic witness.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor left the scheduled March 24 start of Dr. Conrad Murray's trial in place, but said he shared the prosecution's frustration and reminded defense attorneys that they could be fined or barred from calling witnesses if they did not comply with legal obligations to turn over the materials.

"Dr. Murray is entitled to have a speedy trial, but it's not trial by lack of information," Pastor said.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Deborah Brazil complained that with only a month before trial, Murray's lawyers have not handed over a report or notes about the expected testimony of Dr. Paul White.
The defense acknowledged in court that White, a Dallas anesthesiologist with an expertise in propofol -- the drug that killed Jackson -- is its most important witness. But defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan insisted the expert had not prepared a report and had communicated his findings verbally. Those findings, Flanagan said, included the opinion that Jackson was addicted to Demerol and that Murray did not cause Jackson's death.
Pastor urged Murray's lawyers to provide more information about White's testimony to the prosecution.

"I'm just finding it very difficult to believe that a renowned forensic expert in any subject is going to take the stand without having documentation in front of him," the judge said.
Murray, 57, is accused of involuntary manslaughter in the June 2009 death of the pop icon. His lawyers have suggested that Jackson self-administered the fatal dose of propofol

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http://www.michaeljacksonhoaxforum.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=12942