mom_jeans

yeah monkeyman, he had lupus (an autoimmune disease) which caused the skin cancers, whitening of skin, lung disease, chronic back pain etc. The anorexia wouldn't have helped.

Sorry LoadmyRig, but this week, theres a good excuse.

Well his ''laywer'' (ie golddigger) is on the hunt for ''enablers'' (ie people who illegally prescribed heaps of painkillers to jackson for a long time in order to get thousands of dollars from him each week.

He was found with needle marks all over his body (which some say were the result of adrenaline shots during CPR). He was bald (peachfuzz with a wig). Anorexic. He only had a half dissolved bunch of tablets in his tummy when they found him. He has bruises and scratch marks on his back and knees (which could be explained by dance rehearsals 2 days earlier).

Theres also theories that it was a suicide (he said ''I have no more to give, I cant sing or dance. I'm better off dead.'') weeks before the event.

In other news, there was a frontpage headline stating ''Jackson has 6 months to live'' exactly 6 months before he died. (Suggesting maybe he was terminally ill and maybe booked the 50 concerts in a last ditch fuck you to his promoters).

No one wants to believe that he was a drug addict. Unfortunately, he was. He was addicted to pain medication of morphine-varieties.

The rest will be revealed when the BRAIN IS BACK!

LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson's death certificate has been released without a listed cause of death and a coroner said investigators are still testing the singer's brain.

Public health officials issued the death certificate on Tuesday, the same day public and private memorials were held in Los Angeles. The cause of death is listed as ''deferred.''

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Jackson's brain, or at least part of it, was still being held by investigators and would be returned to the family for interment once neuropathology tests were completed.

''As soon as we are done with the brain, we will return it,'' Winter said. ''There is a whole series of tests that will be done.''

It is not uncommon for the coroner to hold on to a brain or samples from it. Winter said families sometimes delay burying a loved one until after the brain has been returned, but he had received no word from the Jackson family about their intentions.

''The last I heard, they are not burying the body yet,'' Winter said.

Police and coroner's officials continue to probe what killed the 50-year-old singer on June 25.

On the certificate, Jackson's occupation is listed as a musician. He is described as a high school graduate and divorced. The information provided for the document was given by Jackson's sister, La Toya, one of several family members who rushed to the hospital where Jackson was pronounced dead.

The document doesn't state where Jackson will be buried.

hint of sarcasm block?

Link to the aforementioned Britney/Michael duet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0dOdHG2wfg

look, his stuff wasn't everyone's kit. But what he did do was ingenious.

have a look at this clip - duet - britney at the top of her career and michael way past the peak of his.

I think you'II see who has the talent.

And it makes you realise how showmanship has dropped dramatically in the past 20 years. People want ''real'' now. The glitter is considered kitsch. But i really think that clip with britney proves that he was far more than just an over-inflated popstar.

He could have easily become a fat rich teenager and no one would have cared. But he didnt. He kept moving forward, kept inventing. And actually gave more to a crowd than any modern performer even knows how to begin to.

For a man to quote both Fred Astaire and Jackie Wilson as equal influence, he is hardly replaceable in any generation.

I dont think she did (but she did a version of Ave Maria for him at the BET awards last week). I'd love to see a big tribute concert with Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Madonna, Usher, Slash etc etc all blasting out his big hits with their own interpretation (which would have been a bit tasteless at the funeral, but is begging to be done in the next twelve months).

I was impressed by Lionel Richie's song last night - was really fittingly delivered. And loved the Maya Angelou poem about Michael that Queen Latifah read out.

Was a relief that Marlon spoke at the end of about his little brother being followed, ridiculed, criticised, persecuted. (things that others seemed to gloss over)

''I hope they leave you alone now, Michael.''

And Janets face was so sharply defiant when he said that. Gave you a glimpse of how it would have been for the family to watch their little brother being raped by his own talent.

Ultimately, I feel like Michael (though a complete outsider in so many ways) was loved by his family. And in that way wasnt such a solitary figure. It was nice to see them all standing in solemn respect as a group. They seem so gentle in nature, all of them (apart from the archetypal villian dad joe). And you could see they genuinely cared for their little bro.

The Reverend: *''He outsang his cynics. He outdanced his doubters. He outperformed the pessimists. Every time he got knocked down, he got back up. Every time you counted him out, he came back in.'' *

I could watch afro american gospel forever. They have such a strong sense of ceremony and public declaration. Even the member of congress sent shivers up my spine when she said ''In America, you are innocent until proven guilty'' (and jackson never was proven guilty). She also seemed to pay respect to Michael's mum being a Jehovah's witness, but not leaning too heavily on one religion. Which reminds me. I wonder if the 3 jackson children - raised Islam, will now convert to Jehovah's Witness (like grandma jackson) or Christian (like deb rowe?) or find their own way. I hope they're given choice.

I think john mayer did the instrumental version as a nod to michael's love of guitar pop. I was secretly hoping Beyonce would crawl out and sing the lyrics to Human Nature with him but no dice. Was it just me or did Mariah Carey seem to struggle as the first performer singing in front of the coffin? At any rate, you got the sense that this was a funeral, a memorial, not a tacky concert. These people genuinely loved Michael and seemed to feel protective of him. Another notable absentee was Liza Minnelli. But Quincy Jones. I dont understand why he wasnt there. And has anyone heard anything on Oprah's response to his death yet? So far theres been none I can see.

I thought the service was really tasteful, really moving and sincere and showed a showbiz family in mourning who were clearly helping each other (and michael's children) try and come to terms with not only his death but also his life.

joe is obviously a strange man, but having produced such beautiful children, you can't help but wonder if he's just misguided.

I thought it nice that janet took a back seat and let jermaine and marlon say their pieces.

The afro/asian girl at the end who sang we are the world/heal the world was absolutely beautiful.

And Martin Luther King's children and Smokey Robinson said some really touching words. But I loved Magic Johnson's eulogy about Michael's chef serving a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken the best.

I wonder why John Mayer didnt sing?

And I'm still bewildered as to why Oprah hasnt made a public statement, why Quincy Jones wasnt at the funeral, nor Lisa Marie Presley nor Diana Ross.

I know Liz Taylor sent her apologies and Im sure she watched from a plasma screen at home, siamese cat on her lap and lipstick tilted upright in memory.

Seeing the whole story of Michael Jackson from child to immortal manchild lends so much weight to his story.

I thought the Will You Be There cover by the American Idol winner Jennifer Hudson and ''Whos Loving You'' cover by the UK kid just highlighted how unique michael's voice actually was and how no one elses comes close (save for perhaps the beautiful afro/asian gal at the end)

Was great to see an Aussie getting a mention - the blonde guitarist from Sydney who was one of the last people to play with him and rehearse for the tour. Her vocal contribution to We Are The World was really sweet.

Paris Jackson and her brothers chewed gum throughout. At first I thought it was tasteless, but then realised Michael did that all the time through his career and maybe it was a little homage to him. Blanket - the youngest looks So much like her dad. The other two, whether genetic children of his or adopted via insemination, still are his babies and always will be. Very beautiful kids who will always be surrounded by the loving, softly spoken, complicated Jackson clan who will go down in history as sweet soul motown kids who gave love before rap and hiphop took it away.

In the words of the Reverend... ''Yo Daddy Was Not Weird, Always Remember Dat.'' (standing ovation)