Murray loses license

The California Attorney General Jerry Brown has succeeded in his request to have the court suspend Conrad Murray's medical license in his state. The AG's office filed a motion on behalf of the California Medical Board on February 8th calling Murray's conduct during and after Michael's death, "reprehensible" "so egregious as to shock the conscious." The motion also stated that Murray "took the life of his patient" and "showed utter disregard for the care and well-being of his patient" and that his actions "make him a danger to the public." This is what Michael's fans and Murray's medical colleagues have maintained all along. Virtually every doctor and nurse anesthetist practicing in the U.S. today knows that the standard of care was not met in this case; they want to distance themselves from his apparent negligence.

For his part, Murray's attorney, Ed Chernoff, entered a plea of not guilty and denies any wrongdoing on behalf of his client. Chernoff told the AP the filed motion was unnecessary and could have a significant negative impact on Murray's abilityto practice medicine and earn a living. Well good then!

Orianthi performed last night on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

I am so pleased to see Orianthi get the recognition she deserves. Michael saw her talent; now the world has a chance.

The Oscars honored Michael Jackson

The Academy of Motion Pictures just honored Michael during the memoriam segment on the Oscars! I was in tears! I wasn't expecting that at all!!!!! Michael appears at 2:44; they show pictures from Thriller, the Wiz, and the Panther Dance.

Michael Jackson Macros Video 1

The language is a bit colorful, but this macros video almost made me lose my job it's so funny! Thanks to Annie_ok for the heads up.

Joe Jackson granted access to Michael Jackson's medical records

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled that Joe Jackson can receive his son, Michael Jackson’s, medical records from the UCLA Medical Center. Joe Jackson's attorney, Brian Oxman, sought the records as part of an effort to obtain a $15,000 montly stipend for Joe from Michael's estate; Michael provided for his three children and his mother, but excluded his his father from his will. The judge will review the records first before releasing them to Oxman. Beckloff also ruled Jackson can only review records generated on or after the date of Michael's death so as to not violate doctor-patient confidentiality. Anyone granted review of the medical records will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Jackson and Oxman stated they are also considering filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Michael's death.

BAD subway station to be memorialized

The Downtown Brooklyn Partnership has brokered an agreement to immortalize the subway station where Michael Jackson filmed his 1987 short film BAD. The Scorsese-directed story takes place in the Hoyt-Schermerhorn stop of the G-train. The Partnership plans to have an artist-created mural adorn the side of an office building belonging to real estate company Beneson Capital.

"We see this as a great opportunity to potentially establish Hoyt-Schermerhorn’s role in American pop culture and as a tourist destination to attract people to a part of Downtown Brooklyn already rapidly growing," Joe Chan, president of the partnership told The Post.

The planned tribute comes on the heels of a previously-rejected memorial to the King of Pop. Last fall, the MTA rejected City Council member Letitia James’ suggestion to erect a plaque and to rename the station after Michael Jackson.

source

"We Are The World for Haiti" full video--please donate

Please donate to the Haiti relief efforts by downloading this video and song from iTunes and going to world25.org

YouTube's Bee goes in on the "We Are The World" remake

Warning:  lots of cursing, yelling, and lous off-key singing!

Jay-Z wasn't the only one who was not impressed with last week's remake of "We Are The World".  Check out how Bee goes in on the slap dash production, the singing, and the auto-tune.  He is a bit off color, and definitely insulting, but he never puts down the actual intention behind the song...just some of the egos involved.  For the record, I think Jay-Z and Beyonce chose not to participate which says something about them...Why on Earth didn't they have Gladys Knight at the mic?  They let the Jonas Bros. and Miley Cyrus sing solos but Faith Evans and Gladys had to stand in the choir?  Michael wouldn't have had that AT ALL!  Here are the highlights of the video:

"Did y'all see that $hit?...Did y'all see that fuckery?...Mike had $hit on check!...Sheila E...Miley Cyrus...Beyonce...the Computer Love cord"...I can't...OMG...I'm DYING! LOL!  At least they tried y'all.  Enjoy!

Michael Jackson's This Is It #1 in video sales

According to Home Media Magazine, Michael Jackson's This Is It rocketed to the number one position on national home video sales charts in its first week of release selling 1.2 million copies in the U.S. alone. This is a record performance for first week sales of a music film. According to Nielsen VideoScan, the film was also the number 1 seller in the Blu Ray format for the week ending January 31, 2010. Fully 21% of sales of This Is It were on the Blu Ray format, which is also a record for a release of any type.

This Is It chronicles the exhaustive rehearsals leading up to what would have been the largest concert tour ever. The documentary provides a glimpse of the creative genius that was Michael Jackson and offers the viewer the opportunity to meet the dancers, musicians, and crew behind the massive production. This Is It earned over a quarter of a billion dollars in its limited theatrical release worldwide.

Source: Reuters

Spike Lee wrote a letter to Michael

Legendary filmmaker Spike Lee, directed two controversial videos for Michael Jackson as well as the eulogy on film to accompany the posthumous single "This Is It". Jackson and Lee collaborated on both videos for "They Don't Care About Us. The first version was filmed in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro and Salvador da Bahia, Brazil and featured local residents and the cultural music group Olodum. It showcased the both the crushing poverty and resilient spirit of the area. The second video depicted Jackson as a prisoner in a prison filled with discontent inmates. Scenes of Jackson handcuffed and protesting in the mess hall were interspersed with images of police brutality, genocide, execution, and bigotry. This duo of videos remains among Jackson's most powerful in his catalogue.

Lee continued his support of Jackson by staging a community-wide birthday party in honor of Michael in Brooklyn last August 2009. At the beginning of this year, Lee released a touching music video ode to Michael to accompany the single "This Is It." The video featured scenes from Michael's life and his hometown of Gary, Indiana. Now, Lee has penned a letter to his friend for the luxurious coffee table book, Opus: Michael Jackson. The Opus is a massive 26 lb. book containing photos, drawings, letters, and more celebrating Michael. He had considerable input into the work and it is the last official book to gain his approval before his passing.

Read the text of Spike Lee's touching personal letter to Michael below:

October 10, 2009

Dearest Michael,

Last week I made a pilgrimage to your birthplace, Gary, Indiana. I stood
inside your family’s modest three-bedroom home on 2300 Jackson Street. I felt
the magic. It started there, nine kids plus your parents, jam packed, livin’ on
top of each other pursuing The American Dream. For this alone 2300 Jackson
should be declared a National Landmark. One has to go back to the beginning to
clearly see the entire journey. Gary, Steel town, Midwest, blue collar, hard
workin’, hard livin’, great work ethic and simple basic values. It’s there early
where you learned ‘you had to sing and dance like your life depended on it’
which it did. You and your family made the dream a reality. But as we all
finally learn (sooner or later) dreams have costs and costs have consequences. I
truly cherish the short time we worked together, visiting my home in Brooklyn,
huggin’ and kissin’ my newborn daughter Satchel, as if she was your own
daughter, our fantastic journey to Brazil to shoot the video for ‘THEY DON’T
CARE ABOUT US.’ I regret never getting to inform you that our video was directly
responsible for the great film CITY OF GOD being conceived and made. Michael,
your life touched people the world over you will never know. Michael, I’m one
year older than you, we grew up together. I had my Afro just like you. I wanted
to be like you. Wanted the cute girls to fawn over me the way they did you (the
girls were not going for it. They’d rather make goo-goo eyes at your pictures
plastered all over their bedroom.) At that young age I had no notion of what I
wanted to do in my life. You made me see the possibilities even though I could
not sing or dance a lick despite coming from a musical family. You, Jermaine,
Tito, Jackie and Marlon showed us the way. You guys were young Black boys like
us. Upon us was a new day, a new world and it’s on us to make the most of it. In
closing Michael, you checked out of here way, way too soon but while you walked
this earth in your physical form you changed it. You changed the World, changed
the Game forever.

May you rest eternally in Peace.

Love,
Spike Lee

P.S. Brooklyn luvs ya!

Tennessee House Passes Michael Measure

The Tennessee House of Representatives narrowly passed a measure to honor Michael Jackson on Wednesday, February 3, 2010. The resolution, sponsored by Democratic Rep. G. A. Hardaway of Memphis, squeaked by Wednesday on a vote of 51-22 with 16 lawmakers present and abstaining. Measures need at least 50 votes to pass the 99-member chamber.

The measure has drawn considerable heat amongst the conservative constituency of the Southern state. This general disdain is echoed by the lawmakers who opposed the measure. Democratic Rep. Henry Fincher of Cookeville said he voted against it because Jackson was "credibly accused of child molestation." House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada said he objected to money being spent to honor entertainer, however he tendered an "aye" vote. Nevertheless, the state Congress regularly considers such measures; two years ago a measure to honor Tennessee native Justin Timberlake failed to pass.

If you would like to read the full text of the bill, click here. We ask that you take the time to call or e-mail at least five legislators from this list who voted yes and five who voted against the bill. Contact information on all the congresspersons can be found here on the House Member Website.

Dr. Murray expected to surrender to LAPD today

LA prosecutors plan to FINALLY charge Michael Jackson's doctor with manslaughter, lawyers in Los Angeles said last night.

The prosecutors will file a criminal complaint against Dr Conrad Murray in court rather than go through a secret grand jury, sources said.

The complaint would be the prelude to a public hearing in which a judge would consider evidence to decide if there is cause to try Murray on a charge of involuntary manslaughter. He faces up to 4 years in prison if convicted.

The Houston cardiologist, 56 years old, is ready to surrender, according to his lawyer and the all-knowing TMZ gossip site.

Documents related to the singer's death have shown Dr. Murray injected Jackson with propofol shortly before he died on June 25, 2009, prompting a mourning period worldwide like none ever seen before. Dr. Murray is also said to have performed CPR on the singer.

You know Joe Jackson and his ambulance chasing attorneys are already preparing the wrongful death civil suit against the good doctor.

Other Notable Oscar Nominations Include:

Best Actor:  Morgan Freeman for Invictus
Best Director:  James Cameron for Avatar and Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds
Avatar and Inglorious Basterds were nominated in numerous other categories.
Best Animated Feature Film and Best Original Song:  The Princess and the Frog

Michael Jackson's This Is It was notably absent from the nominations.

The Grammys 3-D Earth Song Tribute to Michael Jackson

Hearing Michael's voice in this song sent chills through me. He is so impassioned, especially in the call and response. I thought the tribute was beautifully done; each singer brought something special to the tribute. Michael was always cutting edge, so it is only fitting that Michael be the first artist to bring 3-D to broadcast television.

Michael would have been proud of his children

Both Prince and Paris Jackson were clearly nervous. Heck, I would have been terrified to speak in front of all those people in that room and millions more watching around the world. It was very nice of their cousins 3T to come on stage to support them. All of them looked very polished and grown up. Prince and Paris were very articulate and what they said about Michael was touching.

Interestingly, Randy Jackson tweeted other family members were not even invited to the ceremony and followed that up with something cryptic about "the truth". We are presently trying to get to the bottom of that...

What happens if I make a Jackson Family post? (ducks head/changes ip address)

Michael Jackson's children Paris and Prince Michael are scheduled to appear on the Grammy Awards hopefully without their 8 uncles Sunday night to accept a lifetime achievement award on behalf of their father.

Que from Day 26 covers Michael Jackson's "Human Nature"

VH1 "world premiere" "They Don't Really Care About Us" from Michael Jackson's This Is It

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip

VH1 made a lot of hoopla about its "world premiere" of "They Don't Really Care About Us" from Michael Jackson's This Is It. Fans rushed to turn on their television sets last night at 10pm Eastern...only to see the same exact segment they saw in the theateres. It was the same segment with NO extras. Ah well, for those who have been suffering through withdrawal since the movie left the theater, (Planet has had access to a copy of the movie all along and it's not one of those poor quality pirated copies either) this was a welcome appetizer for the main course that will be released next Tuesday. Play it over and over to your heart's content.

Michael Jackson's furniture is being auctioned off

According to TMZ (not the most reliable source), Michael ordered $700,000 worth of furniture from Italian designer, Colombostile, for his London mansion he was to use during his “This Is It” tour. Since the items were not delivered due to his passing, the company reportedly returned the money to Mrs. Katherine. They have opted instead, to auction off the furniture instead. Everyone is trying to trade on his name. $700,000 is a LOT of furniture! Michael was living large!

Jay-Z and Beyonce top Forbes' list of highest earners

Jay-Z and Beyonce topped Forbes' lastest list of the highest-earning couples in entertainment, bringing in an estimated collective $122 million last year.  It would be nice to hear they donated a lot of that money to charities and non-profits in the style of Michael Jackson and Oprah rather than bragging about buying a $70 ro $80,000 purse.  One can only hope.