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!
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.
