Folks, a little post from a cell in the library. I am working on a paper due later this week and was distracted by the beauty of a perfectly blended mash-up. I listen to a lot of dj mash-up tracks and am sharing a few of my favorites.
There are two elements to a successful mash-up track in my book. The first being the ability of the two tracks to sync together and keep the flow of each individual song while creating a new sound that still works. The second factor being the recognition of the two (or more) individual songs. It is never good listen to a mash-up where neither song is recognized. All of these mash-ups fit both factors for me. I have faith in your music knowledge and hope the second factor is met for everyone. If not, I suggest listening to the song you don’t know and re-listen to the mash-up. For me this usually brings more appreciation for the mash-up. Anyways, I think remixes and mash-ups are a lot of fun to listen to. Familiarity with a twist. enjoy
Xaphoon Jones – I Wanna Know Now (Bob Marley vs. MGMT)
Chambaland – Downtight (Stevie Wonder vs. Jay Sean)
Sugamotor – Smile Like You’re Bulletproof (La Roux vs. The Killers)
Mashup-Germany – Heyail to the Soul Sister (Train vs. Beatsticks)
VIKING and CJ Milli – You Are Not Alone (Michael Jackson vs. Bag Raiders)
I heard a mashup song of Lady Gaga’s Just Dance and Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams. It sounds really good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YcZbiU4EK4
So I started to make one of Lady Gaga’s Poker Face and Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. Its a preview of the fist part only because it was harder that it looked when I started to mix the songs. Beat matching and editing is the hardest as I am not a professional sound mixer. So here is the preview of the first part of the songs. Tell me what you think.
Smooth Criminal mix Poker Face preview
The song is a work in progress and I will post it up when I am done.
(Technical Notice: I wanted to post an HTML 5 Player here but I don’t know of any. Give suggestions too please.
The Gloved One is among a very select group of artists who posthumously remain major wage earners. Nine months after his death, Sony Music Entertainment is paying the the estate of Michael Jackson between $200 and $250 million to release 10 recordings over the next seven years- reportedly the largest ever paid for such a deal.
Adding to his estate’s wealth, 22 items of furniture that were hand-picked for Michael Jackson’s home in Kent, London, accompanying his “This is It” concert series, are going up for auction in Las Vegas, as well as his iconic jeweled gloves.
Some of the items on the auction block include a nine-seat gilt sofa in carved solid wood with red velvet cushions, a 17th century writing desk inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a pair of sunglasses, a military jacket that he wore when he married wife Debbie Rowe in 1996, and Jackson’s white Swarovski Crystal Glove, estimated to go for at least $30,000.
The auction is at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas starting on June 25, and lasts three days, and will also feature other items for sale from other iconic figures in the music industry. Some of the proceeds will go to benefit MusiCares charity and Joshua’s Heart, both charities.
Michael Jackson Estate made history this week when signing a contract with Sony Music Entertainment worth up to £170 million.The agreement will see ten projects released over the space of seven years as it’s reported that Jackson recorded three albums worth of new material.This deal propels Jackson’s estate to the top of the list of most expensive record deals ever, but who did he knock off the top spot? And who else has hit the jackpot with mega deals?1. Irish rock band U2 previously boasted the biggest earnings from a single deal when they agreed to a deal with Polydor Records for a massive £130 million.2. The acclaimed Queen of Pop Madonna was paid a sum of £120 million for producing just three albums by Live Nation Inc.3. In 2002, Robbie Williams became ‘rich beyond his wildest dreams’, after striking a £80 million deal with EMI Records to make a four albums
Even after his passing, the King of Pop continues to make history. Sony Music Entertainment will pay the Michael Jackson Estate over $250 million dollars to release 10 Michael Jackson projects over the next seven years. This is the LARGEST record deal in history. It doesn’t surprise me that it is credited to the King of Pop. New projects will include, DVD’s of music videos, unreleased music, and more.
Sony , in reaction to Micheal Jackson having sold more than 31 million of his albums globally since his death in June,has struck a deal with the estate of Michael Jackson for an unprecedented, never before seen royal sum of over $250 million dollars!!!!(SOURCE)
What a difference 31 million records sold will do for a relationship!!! Back in 2001, MJ and Sony were in a feud, that led to michael delivering this caustic speech,publicly against his label,Sony….(VIDEO)
…I can’t be mad at them..I am just happy that both entities can move forward and continue to deliver to the public quality Michael Jackson entertainment!@!
The record-breaking contract runs through 2017 and there are plans for a DVD compilation of videos and a re-release of “Off the Wall,” Jackson’s
fifth studio album, which first came out in 1979, accompanied by some unreleased material. Before his sudden death in June at age 50, the King of Pop had wanted to re-issue the album, sources familiar with the deal said.
TMZ.com is reporting that…one album will debut in November, which contains never-before released recordings. We’re told Jackson left enough material for at least three albums of fresh material.(SOURCE)
The Wall Street Journal is reporting…the deal was made without the estate executors John Branca and John McClain — a 40-year confidant of the entertainer who produced part of Jackson’s 2001 album “Invincible” – is spearheading the selection of an album of previously unreleased material that could hit shelves late this year.
In an interview, Rob Stringer, chairman of Sony Music Entertainment’s Columbia/Epic Label Group, said that his company was confident it would more than recoup its hefty investment, which he characterized as more than just a record deal.
“We see it as a partnership,” Mr. Stringer said.(SOURCE)
This is a worthy amount for a spectacular artist, who has created a new generation of fans,beyond his grave.
In a time when record labels are suffering due to the changing music purchasing habits of the culture due to internet downloads,new artist are getting cut, but classic,legacy artist like Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley continue to increase their audiences every year, as well as sell hundreds of thousands of compilations and re-mastered albums.
This is most importantly good news for the children of Michael Jackson, who will continue to need his financial support, so they can live.
Michael Jackson continues to be a great dad to Prince, Paris, and “Blanket”(I hope we get to know his actual name!!!), who are his living legacy.
This deal will guarantee that the world will continue to receive the message of LOVE that Michael Jackson forwarded throughout his life,in his music…
Read the full story here…
Michael Jackson A Bigger Recording Star THAN EVER-E Online
At the end of 2009, I rated The Fame Monster at #18 on my year-end album chart. Although I do stand by that chart and I don’t think I would really change any of the albums that are on there, in hindsight Lady GaGa would actually be somewhere in the Top 10 (possibly quite high up). I didn’t think so at the time, but the funny thing about The Fame Monster is that it has hidden depths and its songs are actually really enduring. What’s more, unlike The Fame, the songs are actually about deep topics such as domestic violence (“Dance In The Dark”), intoxication (“So Happy I Could Die”) and poisonous relationships (“Bad Romance”). I find it ironic that I’ve lambasted Lady GaGa for pandering to radio too much with her repetitive nonsense hooks (“p-p-p-poker face / papa-paparazzi / eh eh / ooh la la ga ga ro ma ma” and so on), but now I find myself appreciating her songwriting craft and finding her songs becoming more solid (although The Fame Monster is streets ahead of The Fame, so in a way I’m just acknowledging her artistic progression). So I apologise somewhat for kinda turning off Lady GaGa and not giving her her due (although her fans / “monsters” are quite off-putting and need to be less militant), although if she could keep off the repetition of nonsensical syllables that would be good. Because she doesn’t need to do that.
And so we come to “Telephone”. The song is about suffocating relationships, and Lady GaGa herself has said that it doesn’t just have to be a romantic situation, but could also symbolise the fact that when her telephone rings, it’s always because she has to get back to work in the studio and she can’t escape that. The song itself is pretty strong, although it’s not as progressive as some of the other songs on The Fame Monster and resorts to the 4/4 beat that has completely oversaturated popular music (and did so about a year and a half ago). Beyoncé’s feature is a rapid-fire verse over double-time beats and keeps the song interesting.
The video for “Telephone” was released on Friday, and it has become something of a Pop Event. The hype the video received even before its premiere was immense, and now it’s being hailed by some as the successor to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Others however are lambasting it for its apparent sexism and overt lesbianism. I read in one place that you will remember exactly where you were when you first saw it, and that much is true (at least for me). I had just returned home from work, it was about 3:30 and after keeping track of the video reviews on Twitter, I decided to give into my curiosity. Upon the first viewing, I was a tiny bit underwhelmed but could still see the video’s bad and good points (of which my view hasn’t really changed). I thought that Beyoncé’s appearance far outclassed Lady GaGa, not just because Beyoncé has had some acting lessons but also because Beyoncé is more of an effortless star (not in reality, but she doesn’t look as if she’s trying so hard). I detested the overt product placement of Virgin Mobile, Chanel & the GaGa earbud headphones – but all the kids are doing it; I just expected Lady GaGa to have more class. But then why should she? It’s money in the bank, and when your video is 9 and a half minutes long, you need some bank to be able to make that video look and feel effective and powerful.
I’ve rewatched the “Telephone” video a few times now, and each time my estimation of it has gone up. While not exactly on iconic level (I think it’s far too soon to be throwing that word around; GaGa has only been around for 2 years), it’s another demonstration that Lady GaGa’s commitment to her artistry is strong, defiant and interesting. The introductory jail scene serves to debunk the rumours of GaGa’s intersex status (duh), allows her to wear a host of outlandish outfits (striped shoulder-padded body suit / yellow police caution tape / super-studded leather jacket and underwear covered in chains) the best of which is undoubtedly the cigarette sunglasses (still smoking!). The fashion continues with the huge black tricorne hat GaGa sports upon being bailed out of prison; the shredded USA flag (subtle!) clothes in which GaGa and Beyoncé dance in the diner scene; the folded geometric telephone hat and telephone receiver hairdo GaGa wears on her head; the leopardprint body suit à la Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much”; the closing lavender and black body sheets… not all of these ideas work (on a couple of occasions both GaGa and Beyoncé look nothing short of horrendous – for some reason, in the USA flag bikini and bright yellow hair, Lady GaGa reminds me somewhat of Ken from Street Fighter and I can’t shake this association!), but they all capture the viewer’s attention, and more importantly they all leave you with something to say after watching the video. That’s possibly “Telephone”’s biggest success – it provokes thought and inspires discussion. We know this because even the broadsheet newspapers are talking about it.
I stand by my statement that GaGa does seem to be trying awfully hard at being controversial and “artistic”. She’s made a couple of great videos now, but in view of the numerous costume changes (see above), storylines and scenes, it doesn’t seem to come easily. For comparison, where better to look than her costar Beyoncé? For the definition of an iconic music video, look no further than “Single Ladies”; everyone and their mama has seen that video and knows the dance. The video is in black and white, has no storyline or costumes (other than a leotard and metallic glove), is done in one take and isn’t even an original idea (see Bob Fosse’s choreography on youtube). Most importantly, Beyoncé did it almost as an afterthought to her video for “If I Were A Boy” (which in my opinion is a truly beautiful, excellent video) without breaking a sweat; and yet this is the video that captured everyone’s attention. Now, of course Beyoncé is not anywhere near as effortless as she appears; but she makes it look easy. GaGa does not make it look easy, and although it’s admirable that she’s so committed to the symbolism and artistic integrity she conveys (and GaGa is clearly an intelligent and talented woman), I’m scared that because the media and the fans are so interested in her image, her look, and what she’s going to be wearing that they forget that Lady GaGa is actually a singer and a musician – the most important thing should be her music. Which, as I said at the top, is actually quite good and shouldn’t get lost in all of the surrounding gloss, however layered and substantial that gloss may be. What happens when Lady GaGa can’t get any crazier? What about when she wants to strip away all the layers and be more vulnerable and natural? Will everyone turn away from her then, because they just wanted the fancy clothes and elaborate videos? Can people not listen to her music, her lyrics without the accompanying visual? I hope I’m wrong, because if not then that’s pretty sad.
The storyline, just as the lyrics of the song itself, can be interpreted in various ways and I’m not going to get into that here; I think that some of the reviews I’ve read have been hilariously in-depth and I think that GaGa is intelligent enough to play along in pretending to have input heavy symbolism into outfits, storylines and lyrics where there is none; people seem to need to have a meaning to every single thing, whereas I often think that GaGa is just having fun and being crazy. Which is great! It’s entertainment. And the “Telephone” video is certainly entertaining; I hated the product placement, and I don’t feel that the use of the Pussy Wagon was necessary (the Tarantino homages are apparent, with elements of Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction included) – but then that’s just because I find the Pussy Wagon unfeasibly garish. Which, in Kill Bill, was the point, and I understand that. I really enjoyed Beyoncé’s homages to the “Paparazzi” video in her poisoning the teacup, Minnie Mouse glasses and hand over her mouth when they censored the swearing. I loved the Japanese cooking-programme style of “Let’s Make A Sandwich”, and the dialogue between Gaga and Beyoncé was intriguingly half-cheesy, half-half-boiled (although Beyoncé can somewhat act, and Lady GaGa really can’t – yet). Tyrese and Beyoncé’s subtitled conversation, spoken with only looks and facial expressions, was genius. The Thelma & Louise-esque ending neatly gave closure to the video, but also made viewers wonder what was in store (that “To Be Continued…”) for next time.
Overall, I thought that the “Telephone” video was excellent, and I’m intrigued to see how the music channels edit it down to song length. It’s a thrilling watch, and while I’m not going to pretend that it is a perfect video, I think that to compare it to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is unfair; “Thriller” is not even Michael Jackson’s best video by a long shot, and Lady GaGa’s video deserves to stand in its own right. ”Telephone” is furiously entertaining, and shows an artist coming into her own, even if at this point the numerous costume changes and persistent homages, product placements and edgy fashion poses betray an artist not quite comfortable enough in her own skin to exude her artistry naturally. Once it becomes a little more effortless (as it has for Beyoncé, Madonna and all the other greats), that’s when Lady GaGa will be iconic and symbolic of a new musical generation. But she’s well on her way, and I hope that the media, fans and public will appreciate that, because I myself am learning to, little by little.
ps. If only my “Bad Romance” video treatment had ended in a jail rather than in a mental institution, it would have led perfectly into the “Telephone” video! Ah well, can’t win ‘em all
When performing your band live – bring a tight skilled band with you, and make sure they are well rehearsed. This made a world of difference in bringing his best to the songs that we all know and loved. Since he had no BV’s (Backing Vocalists) other than the bass player at a couple of parts, a stripped down BV and percussion track was layered underneath the band acting as their metronome and their guide through the songs. So they had to know their stuff.
Class is timeless. I remember vaguely a conversation with my friends back in NZ about 17 years ago, and we were talking about which celebrities dress style we wanted to emulate at the time. I remember names like Boyz 2 Men, Big Daddy Kane Bell Biv Devoe and even MC Hammer were tossed around. I remember telling em that I liked the dress style of Babyface and After 7, because they dressed classy. Everyone thought I was wack and an old head. Though the Hammer pants are reemerging I don’t know if I’d wanna wear what BBD was wearing back then.
Songwriting is where it’s at. The most common comment from concert goers was – I didn’t know he wrote all those songs.
You limited for time in your performance? Medley up the songs from a particular era – leave em wanting more! The medley for me was most definitely the highlight of the whole show. He took us way back through his days with the Deele (and a hilarious R Kelly short spot) before launching into a medley of songs he wrote around the 87-91 days for other artists beginning with “Two Occasions” and then going through a barrage that included “My, my, my”, “Ready or Not”, “Don’t Be Cruel”, “Roni”, “Rock Witchya” and “End of the Road” amongst others. By doing only a verse, chorus and bridge of each, he had the crowd going wild like a good dj and a tightened mix-tape.
Engage your audience Most singer/songwriters lose the audience with lengthy song explanations. Babyface engaged us by going chronologically through his life in presenting his songs.
Take em back and pay tribute to your influences He paid tribute, mentioning Motown artsts, yet covering artists that were only important to him: James Taylor, Eric Clapton (both artists songs featured on works Babyface had done), and of course, Michael Jackson. Each tribute was wonderfully explained in what was happening in his life when he was first influenced by these artists. It also allows for the audience to understand the importance of the influence in their sound.
Push yourself as a musician to be greater We already knew he was a great pianist and singer. But forgive me for not picking up on his guitar playing swag. Dude can play!
Unless your name is Michael Jackson, the best musical performances are where the music takes centre stage! Nothing but good music last night – and all who came were indeed fulfilled by a great performance from one of the biggest songwriters of our generation.
One of the best concerts I’ve been to, and yes I’m glad I went to this instead of Breakestra. Not that it would’ve been wack either, but I knew I needed to be at Babyface, and get inspired to write, and stretch myself as a musician, much like Michael did for him.
Thanks Mr Edmonds for influencing me to get busy writing music…
After all, once an individual uses drugs over a long period they come to understand what to expect from doses.
I’ve worked as a drug counselor or college professor on the topic since 1985.
Corey and Corey
The answer to the overdose question lies mostly in the dynamics of getting high and addiction.
Some commonly used drugs of abuse cause the user to develop physical tolerance. Tolerance means it takes more of the substance to get the same effect. This is a physical dynamic, the body adapts to the substance and it simply takes more and more of it to produce the desired high.
Sometimes the user, depending on the substance, progresses to the point where the dose they are taking has come dangerously close to the fatal dose. One day they take too much and the nervous system slows down or speeds up and breathing stops or a heart attack occurs.
Elvis Presley had gotten to the point of taking a “six-pack” cocktail to go to bed. Most of the drugs in the cocktail caused tolerance. On August 16, 1977, he couldn’t sleep and asked for a second six-pack. That dose probably came too close to the first and Elvis’s heart stopped.
There’s something else.
The dynamic of getting high also leaves the user with always wanting to experience more, better, intensified, bigger highs. Their first use of alcohol led to the desire to try pot which led to a curiousity to try, say, cocaine which turned into a desire for freebasing and on and on. The desire to alter one’s consciousness keeps upping the ante.
John Belushi loved cocaine and one night kept upping the ante with heroin to experience the speedball effect of combining an upper and a downer.
Michael Jackson appears to have been dependent on painkillers but also progressed to anesthesia–which is a wildly significant progression and ridiculously dangerous.
What about suicide?
Sometimes users decide to kill themselves but more often they get sloppy with their use. Sometimes they mix desires and think to themselves that if they get really high and don’t wake up it wouldn’t be so bad.
Sometimes a user gets a new dealer or a dealer gets a new supplier. Street drugs are wildly inconsistent in the amount of the actual mind altering substance contained in them. The same amount of heroin injected on a Monday may look like Tuesday’s dose but it might actually be double. That causes overdose.
Drugs differ in what they do in the body. Some classes of drugs don’t have a physical tolerance. Marijuana, LSD and XTC don’t cause physical tolerance though they certainly can cause the user to develop a psychological tolerance. Medically speaking, cocaine doesn’t have a tolerance or a withdrawal dynamic but if you ask anyone who’s gotten addicted to it they’d argue with you quite a bit.
People don’t die from smoking a lot of marijuana or tripping a lot. Alcohol, narcotic analgesics, barbiturates and benzodiazepines all cause tolerance.
We’ll find out about Corey Haim after toxicology reports come in.
If it shows that drugs caused his death he won’t be alone.
Lindsay Lohan is suing internet stock giant eTrade Financial for a cool $100,000,000. That’s a lot of zeros. But does she have a case? On a personal, yet still unbiased opinion I think she DOES contrary to popular belief. The uproar is about a recent eTrade commercial featuring those talking babies that I thought were funny in the beginning but not anymore. The woman behind the voice states “…and that milkaholic Lindsay wasn’t over?” In baby terms a “Milkaholic” would be that of an “Alcoholic” to adults. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out who they’re referring too. A lot of people are saying she’s a washed up actress, no one likes her yadda-yadda-yadda, but that is irrelevant to this particular issue.
Case in point. If you’re in coversation with somebody and you mention “Paris, Audrina, Miley and yes, Lindsay”, the other person knows who you’re talking about. Although they aren’t Michael Jackson status, they still are part of the first name only club. Case in point part dos. It took me all of about .30 seconds to prove this to myself as well. Google-ing the word “Lindsay” pulls up over 51 MILLION results with you know who as the top spot.
So point proven that the media cannot say it wasn’t about her. Owned. Moving to the money situation. Hell if it was me too I’d want $100M! But lets be serious even she knows she won’t get that. What people fail to realize is that celebs have a team of lawyers working for them and that’s the strategy you’re supposed to aim high then work your way down. I honesty feel she has a valid case with valid points and even if she gets $10k, a win is a win.
I definitely grew up loving Michael Jackson and his music. I was very young when Thriller came out but I knew it was my # 1 favorite song. I loved watching his music videos and his awesome dance moves.
It’s kind of funny how things always come full circle and now that I am writing an All Things Crystal blog, I am realizing how modern and ahead of the curve he really was. Way back when, people including myself thought Michael was a little crazy for wearing all of the crystal sparkle that he did. Especially as a male, it really wasn’t something that you saw other males doing on or off the stage.
Now that he’s gone his legacy still remains of course, but most importantly all of his sparkly attire (which at the time was made with Swarovski Crystals by the way) are now all up for bid and selling for a very large amount of money.
Now you see men everywhere rocking crystal sparkle! Especially with the rise in popularity of clothing lines like Ed Hardy’s menswear with Swarovski Crystal designs, we’re about 20 years too late!
This Driller is not the porn thriller, but a performance by the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Dentistry. Proceeds benefit Oral Health Total Health. March 11 and 12, 2010 at 7.30, join the faculty undergrads in song and dance. Tickets available through U of T. http://www.uofttix.ca/view.php?id=615
Alright, I love music, and lately I’ve been realizing how beautiful some songs are and had the urge to notify everyone.
Of course, I will have a different opinion than a lot of people, and I can’t list every beautiful song.
Warning: very video-heavy because I’ll probably get carried away.
Hallelujah–Jeff Buckley
The Blower’s Daughter–Damien Rice Closer is just as fabulous.
The Funeral–Band of Horses
Imagine–John Lennon
I have to admit, I’ve cried while listening to this song, especially when they performed it on Glee.
Let It Be–The Beatles
Man In The Mirror–Michael Jackson Vincent–Don McLean I grew up listening to this song because of my mom, and I absolutely adore it. Beloved Wife–Natalie Merchant Hands down the most underrated female artist of the past 20 years. My gosh. The Scientist–Coldplay I’m Already There–Lonestar Yeah, I cry every time I hear this one. Hear You Me–Jimmy Eat World Mad World–Gary Jules
Tot ce descopăr de calitate nu mă pot abţine să nu împart şi cu voi! S-au adunat negru cu alb, fată cu băiat, copil cu bătrân, vedetă cu…vedetă! Miley Cyrus, Pink, Nicole Scherzinger, Celine Dion, şi multe alte spectaculoase voci ale lumii. Au preluat într-un fel melodia de la Michael Jackson şi… s-au gândit să o cânte pentru cei din Haiti. Nu ştiu câţi dintre ei au simţit cu adevărat ceea ce au cântat dar… a ieşit o melodie foarte bună! Şi cum şi melodia spune: ”Toţi suntem o mare familie!” Să fiţi iubiţi şi audiţie plăcută!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2009
Contact: Christine Gasparac (916) 324-5500
Brown Announces Arrests of Nursing Home Employees Who Drugged and Killed Patients for Staff’s Convenience
BAKERSFIELD -Attorney General Edmund G. Brown Jr. today announced the arrests of a nurse, physician, and a pharmacist of a nursing home for “forcibly administering” psychotropic medications for their own convenience, rather than for their patients’ therapeutic interests, actions that are alleged to have resulted in the deaths of three residents.
“These people maliciously violated the trust of their patients, by holding them down and forcibly administering psychotropic medications if they dared to question their care,” Attorney General Brown said. “This is appalling behavior, which amounts to assault with a deadly weapon.”
Earlier today, California Department of Justice special agents arrested three individuals:
- Gwen Hughes, the former Director of Nursing at the skilled nursing facility of the Kern Valley Healthcare District in Lake Isabella, Kern County on charges of elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.
- Debbi Hayes, the former pharmacist at the Valley Healthcare District, on charges of elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon.
- Dr. Hoshang Pormir, a staff physician at Kern Valley Healthcare District, who was serving as the medical director of the skilled nursing facility, on charges of elder abuse.
Upon taking over as Director of Nursing in September 2006, Gwen Hughes ordered that Alzheimer’s and other dementia patients be given high doses of psychotropic medications to make them more tranquil and easy to control. She ordered the administration of these medications to patients who argued with her, were noisy, or who were otherwise disruptive. Two patients who resisted were held down and forcibly given injections.
Ms. Hughes is also alleged to have directed Debbi Hayes, the hospital pharmacist, to fill prescriptions for these psychotropic medications. Hayes wrote and filled these prescriptions without first obtaining a doctor’s approval.
Dr. Hoshang Pormir approved these psychotropic medications only some time after they had been administered and without examining the patients first and determining whether these psychotropic medications were medically necessary.
Several of these patients are alleged to have had medical complications as a result of being given these psychotropic medications, including lethargy and the inability to eat or drink properly. It is believed that that three patients died and one patient suffered great bodily injury as a result.
The investigation
Kern Valley Healthcare District operates a small community hospital and skilled nursing facility in Lake Isabella. The case came to the attention of authorities in January 2007, when an ombudsman reported to the Bakersfield office of the California Department of Public Health that a patient in the skilled nursing facility had been held down and given an injection of psychotropic medication by force.
The Department of Public Health immediately sent an investigative team with a doctor, a nurse, and a doctor of pharmacology. They determined that 22 patients, including some who were suffering from Alzheimer’s at the skilled nursing facility, were being given high doses of psychotropic medication not for therapeutic reasons, but to simply control and quiet them for the convenience of the staff.
The Department of Public Health issued a Certificate of Immediate Jeopardy which resulted in the immediate dismissal of the Ms. Hughes. The matter was then turned over to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse.
Special Agents from the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse began a year-long investigation, with the co-operation and assistance of the Department of Public Health and the administration of the Kern Valley Healthcare District.
A search warrant was served on the facility in August 2008, resulting in the seizure of numerous medical files and records.
Criminal charges were filed in Kern County Superior Court. The defendants are being held in Kern County Jail in Bakersfield. They will be arraigned on Friday. If convicted, the defendants could face up to 11 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, with the co-operation and assistance of the Kern County District Attorney’s Office.
To report elder abuse or Medi-Cal fraud, call the Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse’s hotline at (800) 722-0432.
It’s the 60th day of the year! For real!! It’s crazy!!! I hope you are reading this blog with a surgical mask on Michael Jackson style. I have a cold! Thankfully I wasn’t called in, so I actually was able to rest. I think this may be the first time I’ve been able to rest and hopefully flush this bug out of my system. I was great! I did get some odd jobs done around the house, something I’ve been meaning to do in the past forever! I cleaned the lip of my washing machine! Man it was dis- wait for it- gusting! Not to worry, my smile is for being lazy, not cleaning, although it felt so good to do! I got my shows back as well, after the madness of the Olympics, it’s nice to laugh rather than cry with swells of emotions!
I’m a black American, I am proud of my race. I am proud of who I am. I have a lot of pride and dignity.
~ Michael Jackson
February 22 – Julius Winfield( “Dr.J”) Erving, former basketball player, born Roosevelt, NY, Feb 22, 1950. Also on this day DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince win the first rap Grammy for the hit single “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”
February 23 – Baseball catcher Elston Gene Howard was born in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1965, Howard signed a $70,000 contract with the NY Yankees and became the highest paid player in the history of baseball at the time in 1929.
February 24 – Former world heavyweight boxing champion Jimmy Ellis was born James Albert Ellis in Louisville, Kentucky in 1940. Ellis won the World Boxing Association title after beating Jerry Quarry in April 1968.
February 25 – Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston for world heavyweight boxing championship in 1964. Boxer Mike Tyson becomes the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World by defeating challenger Frank Bruno of England in 1989.
February 26 – Theodore “Georgia Deacon” Flowers wins middleweight boxing title in 1926. On this day in 1964., the Kentucky boxer known to all as Cassius Clay, changed his name to Cassius X as he accepted Islam and rejected Christianity. “I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and in peace…I’m not a Christian anymore.” According to two biographies, Muhammad Ali by Anthony O. Edmonds and My View from the Corner by Angelo Dundee, Cassius Clay changed his name to Cassius X on the 26th. Elijah Muhammed, a black Muslim leader, announced Cassius X’s name was being changed to Muhammad Ali.
February 27 – Figure skater Debi Thomas becomes the first African American to win a medal (bronze) at the winter Olympic Games in 1988.
February 28 – In 1932, Richard Spikes invents the automatic gear shift. Also Musician and entertainer Michael Jackson wins eight Grammy Awards. His album, Thriller, broke all sales records to-date, and remains one of the top-grossing albums of all time.
Born in 1985, Australian Orianthi Panagaris has already spiced up her resume. Not only has she cracked the US market, she is also the guitarist in Michael Jackson’s concert movie This Is It. Her debut single “According to You” peaked at No.6 in Australia and is currently sitting at No.20 on the Billboard Hot 100. To be fair, the track has reached No.4 on the Billbord Pop Songs chart.The track is included on the latest WelcheMusic compilation which can be found here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK-rWDaVb8k
As this wasn’t odd enough, the title track of her current hit album Believe is none other than Niels Brinck’s “Believe Again” – Denmark’s entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009. A track that was penned by Boyzone singer Ronan Keating. Watch the original below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqw8rHBzTgc
Swedish song-writer Andreas Carlsson has also submitted songs to the album. “Bad News” was written by Carlsson with the help of Desmond Child and Orianthi herself.
Expect Orianthi to get her breakthrough in Europe as well.
The Norwegian downhill ski team recreated the “Beat It” video on top of a montain! It was filmed back in September, but just became popular…Click MORE to see the video!
The dancers are Aksel Lund Svindal, whos won a gold, silver and bronze so far, Kjetil Jansrud, who has a silver, and Lars Elton Myhre, whose best finish do far is 18th. The fourth guy is their coach.
Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” is not your mama’s old school video.
Perhaps Michael Jackson’s “Earthsong” reflects tastes of the past. Maybe environmentally conscious videos are only from the past!? In Jackson’s video, deforestation of the Amazon, the ecological impact of war, and endangered species are highlighted. Ah Michael, you cared about the earth and the people inhabiting it. Here are some of the lyrics from “Earthsong”:
What about sunrise
What about rain
What about all the things
That you said we were to gain.. .
What about killing fields
Is there a time
What about all the things
That you said was yours and mine…
Did you ever stop to notice
All the blood we’ve shed before
Did you ever stop to notice
The crying Earth the weeping shores?
But back to Rihanna. What’s up with the lion and zebra?
Who is the sexual object? ? Rihanna? The men? The stuffed lion? The stuffed zebra?
Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad?
Somebody call PETA because Rihanna is a rude girl abusing stuffed animals. There ought to be a law.
Well, both videos have zebras . . . I am most assuredly old school.
Joe Jackson in pursuit of his son’s death records wants the judge assigned to the Michael Jackson Estate Case to acknowledge the father’s right to sue media outlets for publishing photos of his dead son.
Jackson’s estate executors expressed outrage, and said access to medical reports would violate Michael’s physician-patient privilege as well as his fundamental privacy rights.
Joe argued MJ’s UCLA Medial Center records aren’t governed by doctor-patient confidentiality since the pop star was brought dead to the hospital. Jackson family lawyer, Brian Oxman, filed legal documents claiming legal precedent allows a family to sue in such a case. Oxman’s filing is also aimed at allowing Joe to file a wrongful death action “against the people who caused his son’s death.”
Executors response to Jackson, who is requesting funds from his son’s estate to finance his investigation into the singer’s death, is that he is attempting to gain access to the records by making his request in a suit which he initially sought to gain a monthly stipend from the estate, that has nothing to do with wrongful death or medical records.
They further stated that Joe Jackson is not listed as a beneficiary of Michael Jackson’s estate and therefore has no right to sue on his son’s behalf; and that he is not entitled to a family allowance and thus cannot be paid an allowance to prosecute a wrongful death action.
The elder Jackson argued that wife, Katherine — who called Dr. Conrad Murray, the man accused of killing their son, a “monster” — and MJ’s children — one of whom offered to testify at Dr. Murray’s trial — are in fact beneficiaries of the estate and support him in his request to the court.
Sister La Toya Jackson seemingly speaking for the family said “Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was a part of a much larger plan. There are other individuals involved and I will not rest, and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served.”
The Judge assigned to the Michael Jackson estate case delayed issuing a ruling on the patriarch’s request for medical records asking for further time to consider the arguments put forward by Joe’s lawyer. He is expected to announce his decision in a matter of days.
http://www.superstarofpop.com
Okay now okay we all know about the earth quakes in Haiti.
So music Artist have been fund raising. but after watching this we are the worl redo, i was highly disgusted. like seriously i know they are trying to help, but how the fuck to do get that many Music artists together and come out with the worst sound i ever heard in my life. okay Miley cirus, justin Bieber you SUCKED!
why would you ad rappers to we are the world????? seriously i really don’t get why they did that, who ever is responsible for doing this shud be fired. the rappers murdered the song (yes is a most horrible way too).
They couldn’t even let go of the Auto-Tune shit for the sake of Haiti. Good grief…then they had to go and continue the shit with garbage rapping. T-Pain and Lil’ Wayne should go skip rocks with their faces across an active volcano.
rappers should had sat the fuck down got some cookie which am sure they were serving and just danced in the background .WTF!!!
i know MJ is prolly like : What a fuck up…I am DISAPPOINTED
although i hope the raised enough money with this piece of shit and helped the Haitian people….Thank you
In the early ’90s, Michael Jackson posed for American mural artist Kent Twitchell. The work was originally slated for feature on the side of the now El Capital Theatre building in California. But the piece was never shown.
Kent Twitchell- a modern Michaelangelo
But Michael Jackson has a way of making a comeback, and the 100 foot tall thriller was revived last year in April at the LOOK Gallery (California).
The sheer enormity of the thing is king. It’s mind boggling to think how much work this took.
Twitchell is known for his larger than life size realist portraits of celebrities, politicians and other infamous figures, most often exhibited in public spaces, giving new life to city scapes.
hello. Today is musical tuesday. well according to youtube and my radio it is . so.. umm… lets see i wanted to post this song that i really likes. its We are the world 25 for haiti.
Now I don’t care what u think but i actually found this very touching. One of my favorite part in this is when P!nk goes: “we aaare the woorld. wee aare the children”. K lol :p i kinda messed that up. ok so here u go
Let me start this post off by saying that with the remake of the We Are the World I hope that a ton of money is raised to aid the folks in Haiti. Now that I’ve got that out of the way, here’s how I feel about the remake: it bloody sucks. Yes, I said it.
So there I was last week with my telly blaring done the hall as I worked on the computer and then I heard the beginning strains of the “new” We Are The World and started thinking … hey, now that not’s so bad. Several seconds later, I regret that thought as I heard streaming from my telly what seemed to be mixed-mash cacophony of chaos passing for music. Seriously mates, it was horrid. It sounded like the bloody song mutated and had a bout of tourette’s. Dear, oh dear.
It is safe to say that it was a case of good intentions. Unfortunately, when folks decided to muck it up by adding their “uniqueness” to it (read: rap), well it sort of bollocksed it all up. The beauty of the original one was that it was smooth, seamless and everyone seemed to sing of one voice despite their musical backgrounds. In the new remake, it seemed like everyone wanted to do their own thing, and instead of We Are the World it came of sound like We Are The Tower of Babel. Sorry, the older version was pristine and masterfully done. I understand that this was done from the heart with good intentions and all that good stuff, but I am afraid that there are somethings under these blue skies that are not meant to be changed. Sorry.
Even though the start of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver are dominating most sports headlines this weekend, the NBA will be wrapping up their All-Star festivities in Dallas, Texas with their annual clash between the best players from the East and the West Conferences. The All-Star game will definitely be entertaining, but I have never really been a fan of it, or any All-Star games for that matter. The fact that these games are glorified exhibition contests (even though the MLB game counts) has never appealed to me. However, during half-time, Usher Raymond is going to give the fans at the New Cowboys Stadium and the rest of us watching at home something worth tuning in for.
Alicia Keys and Shakira will also be performing in Dallas tonight, but they will both be singing some of their most recent songs for the audience; Usher will not only be performing his hit single “More,” (which was used as part of the NBA All-Star game promo), but he will also sing his hit song “Yeah,” from his 2004 album, Confessions. This is just going to be the latest performance by Usher, who has a new album coming out on March 30th, entitled Raymond v. Raymond.
Usher is my favorite artist of all time, so not only am I excited for his newest album to drop in stores next month, but I love just about anything he does. A lot of critics feel that this album will be his best since Confessions because most of the material in his songs will be about his recent divorce from Tameka Fisher. There is no question that Usher is a much better artist when his songs are about heartbreak, rather than his songs about being in love. So, even though I’m sad that his marriage had to end in divorce and his two kids will have to deal with it as well, I’m a little excited to hear his new songs because I know he’s going to capitalize on this sad transgression in his life… just look at Confessions.
Now that Michael Jackson’s time on Earth has ended, people will soon be eager to crown a new King of Pop. Jay-Z was quoted recently saying that Usher is the artist that is most worthy of taking over this title. If that somehow becomes official, I know that will be quite the emotional time for him since Jackson was such a huge influence on both his life and career. I totally agree with Jay-Z and think that this should happen; once Raymond v. Raymond hits the stores and Usher rises to the top of the charts, calling him the King of Pop will only be a matter of time.
Watch the NBA All-Star game tonight at 8p on TNT- not for the exhibition game, but to see one of the best artists of our time perform.
Michael Jackson’s former personal physician Conrad Murray turned himself in at a branch courthouse near Los Angeles International Airport Monday, pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter of Jackson and was released from jail after posting $75,000 bail.
Michael’s father Joe Jackson and mother Katherine appeared in court along with siblings LaToya, Jermaine, Tito, Jackie and Randy.
Joe Jackson and his attorney Brian Oxman spoke to Larry King on “Larry King Live” later that day declaring Murray should be charged with the more severe charge of Murder II, and Murray was apart of a conspiratorial plot to kill the late musician.
“To me, he’s just a fall guy. There’s other people, I think, involved with this whole thing. But I think that [once] he’s interrogated – he would come clean and tell everything he knows,” Joe Jackson told King Monday.
“I was looking for justice, and justice, to me, would be the murder charge.”
“Michael said to himself that he would be killed, and he told his mother that. ‘Cause he’s afraid that ah, he was afraid, to even do all of these shows, because he was afraid that he wouldn’t get a chance to finish all of the show because he couldn’t,” Joe Jackson said referring to the 50-date residency at London’s O2.
“He couldn’t do all those shows back-to-back. Even his kids say that he had told them that he would be murdered.”
Joe blamed “a whole slew of” people along with Murray for Michael’s death including Frank DiLeo and Dr. Tohme Tohme.
LaToya Jackson also issued a statement after the hearing Monday stating that other people were involved in Michael’s death.
“Michael was murdered and although he died at the hands of Dr. Conrad Murray, I believe Dr. Murray was apart of a much larger plan. There are other individuals involved and I will not rest and I will continue to fight until all of the proper individuals are brought forth and justice is served,” LaToya wrote.
Jermaine Jackson told CNN Monday the involuntary manslaughter charge is “not enough.”
A complaint filed by prosecutors claims that Murray “did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson” by acting “without due caution and circumspection required” when administering the prescription drugs in question.
Michael had told people, such as his mother, prior to his murder that he was afraid he would be poisoned.
Also, Michael had stated in several interviews, including with Martin Bashir, that he believed there was a conspiratorial plot against him to slander him, silence him and eventually murder him because he would not go along with the wishes of the conspirators.
Murray is a member of the Freemasons according to Fox News; a centuries-old fraternal order with members including numerous heads of state in the Western World, wealthy business people and local middle-class citizens.
See their report HERE
In July Fox reported Murray’s friends told their news group that since joining this fraternal order three years ago “this new network galvanized his growing side business [his traveling medical concierge business]” and placed him within the network of AEG LIVE executives in-charge of Michael’s forthcoming London concerts who recommended Murray to Michael.
See our article on Murray’s Freemason allegiance HERE
A theory swirling around the world is that the Masonic organization Murray belongs to brought him connections with powerful people within the recording companies and touring agencies that are also members of that organization, and they conspired together to continuously drug Michael, sway him to assign his rights to music copyrights and other income streams over to them while under the influence of drugs.
Under closer examination of numerous current music videos and performances from the musicians employed by the few big American music companies, one can find a blatant recurring theme of allusions to Freemasonry and Illuminati lending credence to the theory.
Michael’s later work, such as the video for “They Don’t Care About Us” included allusions to battling against a sinister cabal, such as the Illuminati.
See our article on Michael’s conspiratorial claims HERE
The Jackson attorney Oxman told Larry King Monday, “I think they intended to take a superstar, a megastar, and have him do what they wanted him to do, and one of the ways to do it was to give him every drug he could possibly ask for.”
If Murray is convicted, he faces up to four years in prison.
http://peoplemagazinedaily.com/?p=4626
Michael Jackson’s Doctor Not Licensed to Prescribe Controlled Drugs in California
I’m sure we’re all aware of the terrible tragedy that occured in poverty stricken country, Haiti. 25 years ago, Quincy Jones gathered artists to create one of the biggest songs written by the Late Michael Jackson, We Are The World. A new version of this song was made after the earthquake struck Haiti, to raise awareness of how devastating this earthquake was to the people of Haiti and in hope that people to lend a helping hand. This song united Divas, legends, Hiphop & R’n'B artists and even the Late Michael Jackson and more!…
Hope you enjoyed the video and the song and find it in your hearts to help Haiti!
A bunch of performers/Celebrities/Artists, which included some big names like Lionel Richie, Barbra Streisand, Jennifer Hudson,The Jonas Brothers, Toni Braxton, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and more (the list is endless) have joined forces for a new version of 1985’s “We Are The World”, which was penned by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie 25 years ago to benefit Africa. The official video for the Haiti relief benefited song has now debuted during the coverage of the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Let me say this. I’m not a football fan. I could give a rat’s a*% who wins. To me the Super Bowl is just another day to yell at the TV, eat a lot of food and drink. Sounds like my typical weekend. However, I always look forward to the commercials and the halftime performances. Here are my top 3 performances from Super Bowl memory lane:
3. I don’t think you can talk about the Super Bowl Halftime Show without talking about the Janet Jackson performance. Now let me say this. Yes, it was the breast seen around the world. Yes, you forgot about every other performance that night. Yes, it was a “WTF” moment in Super Bowl halftime history. But regardless of the malfunction, she put on a great show………period! I hate the fact that Janet took a hard fall to something that really wasn’t a big deal. Plus during the aftermath, Justin Timberlake played the situation like a Maury Povich guest who just got the results from a paternity test (you “are” the baby’s father). Didn’t JT apologize 50 years later about how he handled the situation?!?! What the hell?!? Anyway, despite all that, I still stand on the fact that Janet put on a great show. If it wasn’t for Janet, Britney Spears wouldn’t know who to copy.
2. I just love this performance by Prince. Between his guitar solo behind the sheet and the Marching 100, this was a jaw dropping show. I don’t know if he scheduled the rain with his “Purple Rain” performance but it really works . Plus he’s the only dude with heels and your mama’s headrag who still looks good. I’m serious!!! I mean that with all sincerity and no humorous malice. I love Prince!!!! How does he do that?!? I’m in awe.
1. You can’t have a post about Super Bowl halftime without having the “one” who’s done it better than anyone else!!! That’s the one and only Michael Jackson. This dude stands still for 1 to 2 minutes “letting it simmer” and thousands are screaming like they won a check from Publishing Clearing House. Do you hear me!?!? Who else can do that??? Only Michael!
THIS IS IT listo amigos links nuevos y corriendo disfruten y cualkier problema me reportanE
Ficha Tecnica
Formato: DVD – R (iso) GRABAR CON ALCOHOL 120%
Pesa: 4.35 GB
Norma: NTSC
Audio: Ingles
Subs: Ingles / Español
Extras: SI
Host: MU
Links En Total : 49 de 95 mb y 1 de 18 mb
Dirección: keny ortega
País: Estados Unidos
Año: 2009
Duración: 111 min
Género: documental
Calificación: Apta para todos los públicos
Reparto: michael jackson,kenny ortega, bailarines
Distribuidora: columbia pictures
Música: michael jackson
fifth studio album, which first came out in 1979, accompanied by some unreleased material. Before his sudden death in June at age 50, the King of Pop had wanted to re-issue the album, sources familiar with the deal said.
Rihanna: Good Girl Gone Bad?
. so.. umm… lets see i wanted to post this song that i really likes. its We are the world 25 for haiti. 
listo amigos links nuevos y corriendo disfruten y cualkier problema me reportanE 
