Michael Jackson is Dead

Michael Jackson died of food poisoning I heard. Upon second autopsy, an eight year old sausage was found in his stomach. A tasteless joke. Sorry.

Michael Jackson, famous child singer from The Jackson Five, is dead at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009. Preliminary results indicate cardiac arrest. All of you probably already know that. Oh well. Michael Jackson's life journey was riddled with stories of his own child abuse, accusations (acquitted) that he abused kids at his Neverland Ranch, a ton of plastic surgery, and songs hitting the charts. The most recent "news" involved the leaking of an autopsy photo (FALSE as of present) and stories about addictions to/use of/abuse of painkillers (YES, there are a variety of reports of addiction).

radical sapphoq says: My initial reaction was, "Good riddance to another pedophile." In doing web searches, I came away with a heightened sympathy for Michael Jackson, even if I don't now understand why he went through all of those plastic surgeries (and judge the results to be f'ugly) and even if yeah, I suspect that he may have been reckless in his behavior toward boys and may have abused them sexually (although the prosecutor did not prove the case and Michael Jackson was acquitted by a jury of his peers). As a survivor of sexual abuse and rape myself, I recognize that true compassion deserves to rest with the victims (if there are any, I truly do not know in spite of my strong suspicions).

As a human being, I feel compassion for Michael Jackson's three kids left behind by his death. As a hardass, I will say that when one person dies, we (individually, collectively, the world) lose one person. When one person dies, that person loses everyone. And regardless of how many people are in the room, each of us dies alone.



Any mistakes are my own. Sources:

Michael Jackson is dead at the age of 50.
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-death-dead-cardiac-arrest/

Michael Jackson was the child star of the Jackson Five.
http://www.classicbands.com/jackson.html

He and sister Janet Jackson grew up to each become stars in their own rights.
A myspace page tribute to Michael Jackson the musician:
http://www.myspace.com/michaeljackson
Lyrics of Michael Jackson songs:
http://www.azlyrics.com/j/jackson.html

Michael of the white glove, the moonwalk, and the song Billie Jean.
Yup, I can do the moonwalk:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Jean

Michael holding a baby-- his-- out a third floor balcony in Berlin.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2494249.stm

Michael and the accusations of molestation of one boy at Neverland Ranch. Talk of prior sexual misconduct with other boys. Acquitted.
http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Gavin-Arvizo
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/13/jackson.trial/

Michael and use of painkillers.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MichaelJackson/story?id=7938918&page=1
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1195626/The-addiction-pills-took-Michael-Jacksons-life--finally-destroyed-him.html
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090629/jackson_painkillers_090629/20090629?hub=Entertainment


Michael becoming almost-white-Michael with a slitted reptilian nose over time. Site has pictures and descriptions:
http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Jackson.html

Jokes are halfway down and not for the easily offended or squeamish.
http://williambader.com/mj.html

Rumors of an autopsy photo being leaked. N.B. The Sun is a Brit tabloid.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1895958/michael_jackson_autopsy_photo_still.html?cat=33

Tiananmen Square, I honor

June 4 was the twentieth anniversary of Tiananmen Square. On June 4, 1989 Chinese students gathered on Tiananmen
Square in Beijing demonstrating for a free-er more democratic China. Chinese tanks came and mowed them down. Many
students died-- even those who had evacuated the square-- and some bystanders as well. Thousands of people died.

On June 4, 2009 the square was closed and a heavy military presence was keeping an uneasy peace. Blogs and social
networking sites were shut down for the day. Wu'er Kaixi, a student who has been exiled, was denied entrance into
Macau where his parents live. Other dissidents were made to leave Beijing or forced to stay indoors. The Chinese
authorities did not want any debate, discussion, or memorials of that day twenty years ago where many died for their
vision of democracy. The government has never taken any responsibility for the bloodshed.

I wasn't there when the tanks came. I wasn't there when shots rang out across the square. I wasn't there for the
massacre. To the Chinese people who were murdered, to their families and friends, to those left behind I want you
to know that one Westerner remembers and honors all of you.

radical sapphoq

Portland Press Herald, Thursday June 4, 2009, page 8. China takes hard-line stand on 'massacre' anniversary.


J. Maarten Troost, Lost on Planet China. New York: Doubleday, 2008. paperback, 382 pps.