From Wikipedia:
From a young age Jackson was physically and mentally abused by his father, enduring incessant rehearsals, whippings and name-calling. Jackson's abuse as a child affected him throughout his grown life. In one altercation--later recalled by Marlon Jackson--Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks". Joseph would often trip up, or push the male children into walls. One night while Jackson was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window. Wearing a fright mask, he entered the room screaming and shouting. Joseph said he wanted to teach his children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Jackson suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his bedroom.
Likewise, it's been said MJ was never allowed to play as a child; his father, who called him "Big Nose" would demand that Michael put all of his time into studying and practicing music. Can we really call Michael Jackson an adult? No wonder he didn't know how to get along with the rest of the world, and no wonder he still wanted to play with the "other kids". At the cost of his manhood and maturity, Michael became one of the greatest pop stars the world has known. But oh what a cost that was.
- derumi (del-me)
"It is the farewell kiss, you dog!" - Muntadhar al-Zaidi
"No joke. King of Pop is no more. Wow," Michael Harris, 36, of New York City, read from a text message a friend sent to his telephone. "It's like when Kennedy was assassinated. I will always remember being in Times Square when Michael Jackson died."
Dude. You did not just say that. WTF
Ce n'est pas une pipe. C'est une signature.
I predict florists, candle makers, and teddy bear manufacturers are going to have a great year.
Why does reduced fat Swiss cheese have twice as many holes are regular Swiss cheese?
..I'm with Jonah Goldberg on this one:
Generally speaking, I'm a believer in the rule that we should not speak ill of the dead. Or at least we should wait a decent interval before doing so (if we never spoke ill of the dead, history would be meaningless). But, I must say I find the media's instinctive rush to sanctify Michael Jackson disgusting.
Look, I understand that Michael Jackson was an "icon." I understand that some people loved his work and that many people who never met him believed they loved the man too.
But I didn't, and I'm hardly alone. If Michael Jackson were just another famous person, I'd probably stay silent and let the pro forma celebration of his memory roll by without comment. (For instance, I have no problem whatsoever with the media taking a moment to pay respects to Farah Fawcett)...
...I know that Michael Jackson wasn't convicted of the despicable crimes he was accused of. And that's why he never went to jail. Three cheers for the majesty of the American legal system. But in my own personal view he wasn't exonerated either. Nor was he absolved of his crimes because he could sing, moonwalk or sell 10 million records. (Though many of us suspect the money and fame he made from those things is precisely what kept him out of jail).
And, while I merely think he was a pedophile, I know he was not someone responsible parents should applaud, healthy children emulate nor society celebrate.
And while we're at it, his relatively early death wasn't "tragic." He was one of the richest people in the world. He spent his money on perpetual childhood and he was perpetually with children not his own.
Meanwhile, in the last ten days, we've seen or heard of remarkable people who've given their lives for freedom in Iran. We've heard of innocents killed because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. In the last decade, America has lost thousands of heroes in noble causes and thousands of innocent bystanders who were denied the simple joys of life through no fault of their own. Those deaths are tragic, and we're hard pressed to think of more than a handful of names to put with the long line of the dead.
If anything, Michael Jackson's life, not his death, was tragic...
...I feel sympathy for Jackson's family and friends who understandably mourn him. But I can't bring myself to mourn him any more than I mourn the random dead I read about in the paper everyday. Indeed, I confess to mourning him less.
Ce n'est pas une pipe. C'est une signature.
Ya'll would be proud of me. A Facebook friend of mine commented on the death of MJ...tragedy, blah blah. Her pastor, who is also on FB, responded with tragedy sure, but "they (Farah too) are facing their maker" and he "fears for the them".
It was only out of respect for my friend that I didn't offer this godbotherer a tall frosty glass of STFU.
Fear for them my ass.
Why does reduced fat Swiss cheese have twice as many holes are regular Swiss cheese?
Any bets on how long these entities say it was Obama's fault?
Why does reduced fat Swiss cheese have twice as many holes are regular Swiss cheese?
A father sent his twin sons off to college to study accounting. However, when they came back for Christmas break, they informed him that they were changing their major to Ancient Egyptian Plumbing. The father was livid and threatened to cut off all support. He told them in no uncertain terms would he support his sons if they became Pharaoh Faucet Majors.
Why does reduced fat Swiss cheese have twice as many holes are regular Swiss cheese?
In other news, it turns out a board certified cardiologist in a $2,300 suit doesn't even know how to perform CPR properly.
♫You's a superstar boy, why you still up in the hood?♫
Granted we're in a new week (although if we're starting with McMahon's death on Tuesday, we're still within seven days), but TV pitchman Billy Mays died this morning.
Ce n'est pas une pipe. C'est une signature.
