As the jury returns today for its first full day of deliberations in the Michael Jackson trial, contrary to what his spokesperson Raymone Bain said on the matter, the King of Pop clearly IS "falling apart."…
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Michael Jackson Trial: Is His Body Trying to Tell Us Something? - Comments Page 2
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26 - Eric Olsen
his bizarre ego and sense of entitlement are not his friends, shall we say
27 - jarboy
he won't be found innocent, eric -- that isn't even an option. guilty or not guilty. but either way, chances are he will have to go through a civil trial, cuz the arviso's aren't going through this without going for a payday.
28 - Eric Berlin
Perhaps Dylan had it a bit wrong:
Everybody must get paid...
29 - james mclafferty
Anybody noticed iv'e been missing the t of mclafferty(doh!)
30 - Eric Olsen
Americans change their names a lot so we don't notice stuff like that
31 - james mclafferty
Eric,any chance of adding the t to the leaderboard please(sorry if i'm a pain)lol!
32 - Eric Olsen
it's all automatic - I dont' think it can be changed by hand
33 - james mclafferty
Allright mate cheers just off out to take the dog no doubt she'll find some damp muddy patch somewhere.As long as i know who ia m hey;-P
34 - Antfreeze
MJ's wearing a fetching shade of lipstick today I must say. You'd think an Earthling would realize that dressing like a freak might add to the jury's feelings about your general freakatude but...the man's a basket case. Eric, where are the links to buy t-shirts, mugs, etc.
35 - mel
I think that if this was not michael jackson, and all of the non-evidence which the prosecutors have, and if Sneddon was not hell-bent on convicting mj, and if the Arvizos clan were not money-hungry scumbags, under normal circumstances, thsi case would never have even gotten past a court door, cos there is just no forensic evidence,and all they have is the word of 2 boys and a leading mother. When u really think about it, the prosecution had up to 100 witness, and in that 100 they have not even been able to prove their case. The defence had 50 something and wrapped up in 3 weeks, and have proved their case. I just hope the jury recognises all of this.
36 - mel
He is just being himself. Mj is not a freak. He may not be your average run of the mill guy, but he is not a freak!
37 - Eric Olsen
then what is a "freak" if he is not?
38 - jarboy
right, eric. if mj is not a freak, there is no such thing as a freak.
39 - Eric Berlin
Yes, I'd love to hear the definition of freak and then determine whether or not MJ suits that category.
I think MJ ventured past the normal characterization of eccentric sometime in mid-July 1984.
40 - Eric Olsen
especially the voluntary aspect - he wasn't born that way
41 - jarboy
jim, i'd like to see london, lots of point of interest, historically and culturally. tho i have a friend from ireland who tells me that new york is like what he always imagined london would be like when he was growing up, but was sorely disappointed when he finally went to london. but then again, he's a bit of a wanker.
42 - jarboy
drpat. dr of what? phd's who insist on calling themselves dr, or worse yet, insist on others calling them dr, are terribly insecure. even the chronicle of higher ed and the ny times only use the title dr for md's. prof, yes; dr, no. no more than you would address someone with a masters as master, or a bachelors as bachelor. the tile should reflect one's occupation, not one's degree.
43 - Josia
Don't forget that we're talking about one of the top dancers in the world - so as frail as he may appear at times - his body is thousands of times fitter than most normal people.
Having said that - I am a former dancer and all-around extreme everything - very fit and healthy - but once when I was under an extremely trying work situation in the business world - I was so freaked out over the situation that my lower back completely gave out on me. And that was just a couple of days. That is the center of our nervous system after all - and when a dancer's weak spots appear they appear in a BIG way.
Five years ago I was heavily into all the new age stuff - my teacher said something that is relevant here - we get hints and messages all the time about our situations - sometimes we ignore them and sometimes they're deep in our subconcious - whatever the case - there are a numer of layers the messages need to get through - I can't remember the order exactly (mental, emotional etc.) but the physical layer is the final frontier - whatever didn't manage to get through to us on all the other levels is impossible to ignore when it hits the physical level.
You don't get where MJ has in life without being extremely strong and of the survivor species. I think his body is definitely issuing a cry for help in a way that he can't voice.
I'm sure this whole experience is causing him to dig deep down inside himself right to the root of his being -and that's always a good thing. It's also a lot more difficult to endure than any punishment or jail sentence - especially if it's forced upon you instead of us choosing to do it willingly.
44 - TDavid
Maybe I'm in the minority here but I'm growing weary of the whole "MJ is frail" garbage. It doesn't seem genuine to me at all. Yeah, sure, he can get some doctor to say he's got a bad back or some other ailment but the sickness he faces, IMO, isn't something medical.
Whatever the outcome of this trial, he's done musically -- at least in the states. Maybe overseas he can go on tour someday. But then if he's so frail sitting in a courtroom, how is he going to handle the pressure and strain of touring?
I have a sneaking suspicion that if he is found guilty of the molestation that he'll never see a day in jail. He'll either take his life first or have some bizarre disappearance that will have us talking about Jacko well past the Thriller's time on earth.
45 - jarboy
josia wrote: I was so freaked out over the situation that my lower back completely gave out on me. And that was just a couple of days. That is the center of our nervous system after all
the lower back is the center of our nervous system? are you a homo sapien?
46 - Josia
No - I'm Israeli (ha ha!!)
Get informed: http://idid.essortment.com/anatomynervous_rmej.htm
47 - Mickey
The announcement of the verdict will be shown live on TV , right ?
48 - Shark
Jackson has lost so much weight that his plastic cheek implants are starting to look like fenders on a 1959 Cadillac.
BTW: Did he try on the glove yet?
Oh wait, wrong trial!
~Nevermind!
====================
PS: If he's acquitted like O.J. Simpson, that will make TWO famous WHITE GUYS who got off scot-free!
49 - Eric Olsen
he's clearly a nervous wreck - maybe he will be better off after a verdict, no matter what the verdict is
50 - Shark
If he's found guilty and goes to prison, look for that *'Cadillac' to get rear-ended BIG TIME.
Ah.
~Justice.
*sorry for takin' a metaphorical image to the extreme; I'm on break -- what can I say...
51 - Eric Olsen
won't he be in seclusion for "his own protection"?
52 - Vicky
CLEARLY if you are falsely accused and facing 20+ years in prison if convicted for something you didn't do, you'd break down.
Especially in Mr. Jackson's unqiue situation. One where all the odds are against you and everyone is watching with a magnifying glass to watch you fry.
Look at Scott Peterson, during his trial he seemed unmoved the whole time. Sure he cleaned up and lost some weight, but none of this. Had I been accused of killing a spouce I loved dearly...at the same time knowing I could be executed for it. I'd crumble.
Stupid blog.
53 - Vicky
TDavid, what are you on about?
Even if Michael Jackson broke his finger and went to the hospital in a very discreet manner, someone would tip off the press, they'd all make their way over there and we'd have all sort of speculation as to why he did it.
That is what happened this past week. There has NEVER been a time throughout his career when he was able to visit the hospital without someone questioning his motives.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but despite his eccentricites, he is a HUMAN BEING that is bound to fall ill, get injured, or need a medical check up at some point.
Most of us can go to the hospital whenever we want and no one will question you as to why, but he can't go without people doubting that he really needs medical attention.
It's apparent that Mr. Jackson is really in physical pain. Had he been going to the hospital when there is nothing wrong with him, no doctor would treat him for a problem he doesn't have.
In this case, he does have a doctor.
It's not garbage, if you don't like it fine. But the only people that make it the be bigger than what it is are media critics like the fool that wrote this article.
I'm sure he'd love to walk into a hospital and not have anyone know about it.
54 - Eric Olsen
Vicky, fortunately for you, you know all there is to know, and you know it with a certainty that defies time and space.
How interesting it must to have been to have actually been there when Jacko was or was not plying minors with alcohol, was or was not molesting Gavin Arviso, wa or was not conspiring against the Arvisos.
Because how else could you know what you know?
55 - MG
During the dark ages, people used fire ordeals and other gruesome methods with the stupid idea that the innocent will bravely encounter the ordeals. See, even lie detector tests, which look at objective conditions, are not allowed by courts. Raising the very question seems to indicate a certain regress towards the dark ages. It also shows blatant disregard of civility: the guy is innocent until proven guilty, and the issue before the jury is whether there is proof of his guilt. Reasonable doubt means that the jury may decide that the guilt has not been proven without room for doubt. It has nothing to the do with the state of the mind of the accused. It depends on what proof there is.
56 - Edith
Question??
If the family got a settlement from JC.Penny. and it is now prov-en that they lied
Is there or could there be any repercussions for the family
57 - dee
I don't know if this guy is guilty or not. I know I am glad I am not on the jury cause I have not seen any 'smoking gun' in this trial. I do think he is weird and I think his life is screwed up no matter what he does as there will always be those who think he did what he is accused of no matter what the jury says. Can he stand life in prison...I don't know but if he did what they say he did, he will find out what his victims felt like once the prsioners get hold of him.
58 - Tan Hoang
I find it amazing how the media thinks this trial has more precedence over more important stories like the ongoing war in Iraq or the upcoming NBA Finals. As heinous child abuse cases are, this trial and its coverage have mocked both the judicial system and the seriousness of the crime.
59 - Eric Berlin
Tan -- That's been the way of our infotainment media for years now. People complain about bias... the real issue should be that the real issues are barely covered!
60 - TDavid
Hi Vicky -
I believe in innocent until proven guilty, but in the court of public opinion, just like OJ, most people think MJ is guilty no matter how this trial plays out.
If these charges were so bogus why did he pay off people 10+ years ago? I'd say the fact that the jury didn't return an early verdict today like they did with OJ does not bode well for Jackson. They probably are hung in there right now on the molestation stuff. The underage drinking charge seems like a slam dunk. Forget the other charge about false imprisonment, they'll throw that out.
Jackson should have fought those earlier cases when he was stronger instead of paying them off.
Jackson is sort of like Mike Tyson in that he could have gone down as the greatest of all time, but now he'll just go down as a tragedy -- however this trial plays out.
Sorry MJ fans, this Thriller is nearling its end.
61 - Tan Hoang
Infotainment - that's clever... but as the media further decides what is really news, then we'll probably just get hours of extended coverage that shows like Extra and Access Hollywood provide now.
62 - Tan Hoang
But with all of the outrage that people have for the way news coverage has been changing to infotainment, I don't see how things could ever change back. There must be people still intrigued by Britney Spears' hairstyles or JLo's massages.
63 - Vicky
Eric Olsen, I didn't say anything pertaining to what you shot back at me with now did I?
How about we respond and stick with what my original point was?
Okay, Thanx. =)
64 - Vicky
'MG' is right on. I wish I could have said all that in a short paragraph.
65 - Vicky
TDavid. Come on.
The jury has had exactly 1 day and about 2 hours to deliberate. There are 10 charges in this case.
Let's just for instance they spend one hour deliberating about each charge. They still wouldn't have had enough time, and one hour is not very long.
I'm not sure how many 4 month trials with so many witnesses and things to go over have juries that return verdicts in 1 day.
Look at Robert Blake his jury took days, and the verdict was not guilty.
Give me a damn break.
Why did he settle? I don't know. But what I do know is that he had more reasons to settle than the family had to take the money.
If you can ask the question 'Why did he settle', I can ask you the question 'Why did the family take the money?'.
Remember, back then it was up to the parents to accept his money. The alleged victim at the time was still a child. So what would possess a PARENT to accept money from the man to so cruelly sexually abused their child, over and over? Why did they seek a civil case and not a criminal one?
Hmmm. Yeah.
I could tell you all the possible reasons Michael Jackson settled, but I'm sure you don't want to read them all. If you do, just tell me and I'll let you know what I think.
The whole 'most people think MJ is guilty' is not a valid reason to presume his guilt. Talk about being a sheep.
You said you believe in innocent until proven guilty. Obviously not.
There was a time when everyone thought the world was flat, if you thought otherwise they'd punish you. Even back then, they had their little 'evidences' that proved the world was flat.
Now we know otherwise.
66 - Nancy
Hopefully, Penney's - or better yet, the DA in the district where the Penneys case occurred - will file a criminal fraud complaint against the Arvisos. I'd like to see every single one of them - including the kid - go to jail for about a decade; preferably put to hard labor doing something altruistic, like building houses for the poor or something. Especially the mother. I am somewhat surprised that Jackson's attorneys never got him to file countercharges, but maybe that will come if the accusers file a civil suit.
67 - Eric Olsen
the state of the media today is a collaboration between the media and the public: if people did not respond, the media would not do what it does. And "the media" as some kind of monolith is a false construction anyway: is Fox News PBS? People can find pretty much anything they want in some corner of the media, so I'm not sure what all the complaining is about
68 - jarboy
a person as rich as mj doesn't ahve to go to the emergency room for back pain or dehydration. a doctor can come to his home to treat him. unless of course he wants to media to focus on how frail he is, rahter than what the jury is deliberating about.
69 - Eric Olsen
exactly - why doesn't he simply have a doctor on retainer? Even Jacko apologist Roger Friedman asked this question
70 - jarboy
curse, eric -- now you've put me in the same boat with roger friedman. don't make em call you a matt drudge clone:-)
71 - Eric Olsen
will strive mightily against it
72 - td
I have a question,
If MJ is such a nice person, then why does he keep hiring such seedy employee's?
Every ex-employee is ready to accuse him of being a child molester for a little money, or 5 min in the spotlight.
My theory, is that MJ hires lowlifes because they are more likely to turn a blind eye to his activities. And he figures that if they ever show up in court against him, their seedy pasts will undermine their testimony.
Seriously, why else did he hire these people year after year?
73 - Eric Olsen
good question
74 - Shark
"...MJ hires lowlifes... why else did he hire these people year after year?"
It's not intentional: it's a numbers game: 95% of bipedal domesticated primates in America are lowlifes.
=====
MG: "...the guy is innocent until proven guilty..."
Dear 'MG'
Beat it.
...And please don't ruin the fun by quoting some archaic ideal from America's past. We love to hate Jackson; he's been on everyone's shit list ever since he paid Bubbles to stay mum over the "jesus banana" incident.
=========
Vicky: "'MG' is right on. I wish I could have said all that in a short paragraph."
So do we, Vicky, so do we.
And don't worry about your little teen pop idol; if he's dies in jail, you can be sure he'll rise on the third day.
======
Next Subject:
"Nancy Grace: Will she take her own life after the MJ trial ends?"
Discuss.
75 - Barb
Yeah! I'd completely fall apart.
The stress over just a speeding ticket makes me insane. Yeah this is his whole life embarrasement nationally broadcase wow.! Think he has held up quite well innocent or guilty!