Madonna: "I feel like I'm talking to a limousine!"

Okay, so there have been a whole lot of Michael Jackson tributes since Michael Jackson died on June 25th. But I think Madonna's speech at the VMA's (below) was probably the best one.

MTV Shows

What do the following have in common?

Q: What do the following have in common:

• Diazepam (Valium)


• Lorazepam (Ativan)


• Lidocaine (Xylocaine)


• Midazolam (Versed)


• Propofol (Diprivan)

A: These were all drugs Michael Jackson was given by his doctor and used during the three days before his death. They're sedatives, anesthetics, and tranquilizers used in the treatment of insomnia. The coroner's report states that he died due to toxic levels of propofol (brand name: Diprivan).

Sony Pictures to produce Michael Jackson film

Michael Jackson's "This Is It" concert series was being directed by Kenny Ortega, director of "High School Musical". Does anyone else find that weirdly fitting?

And although we will never see the concert series, we will get to see the next best thing. More than 80 hours of rehearsal footage for the "This Is It" tour will be edited into a feature-length film to be released by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Fifteen Years in the Future...

What do we know about the future?

In 1985, Ebony magazine imagined what Michael Jackson would look like in the year 2000, at age 42.

This was their prediction: a vaguely Billy Dee Williams sort of character.

Image courtesy of snopes.com

Worth How Much? (Part 2)

The two men named as the executors of Michael Jackson's will hold the rights to videotape footage of Michael Jackson's rehearsals for the "This Is It" tour. The video could be made into a DVD or film. It is rumored that Sony Pictures Entertainment would pay between $50 million to $60 million for the footage.

Worth How Much?

The final photograph of Michael Jackson may bring over $1 million for National Photo Group, the agency to which it belongs.

The whole staff of National will make money from this photo. Ben Evenstad, one of the co-founders of National, estimates the staff bonuses this year will be "six figures... if not, damn close."

In January this year, the paparazzo who took the photo, Christopher Weiss, had changed from being on commission at National to being on salary.

image: http://www.etonline.com/news/2009/06/75724/index.html

Michael Jackson, Inventor

Thanks to my friend Leigha for pointing this one out.

Michael Jackson was a great entertainer, but did you know he was also an inventor?

US Patent #5,255,452, "Method and Means for Creating Anti-Gravity Illusion," is the design for a specially designed pair of shoes that allow the wearer to lean forward well beyond his or her center of gravity without falling.

Here is a video of the shoes in action... fast forward to 3:43 in the video.

Update on Neverland Ranch Garage Sale

Update:

We previously posted on this blog that more than 2,000 items from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch were going on sale this April. Now Michael Jackson's company, MJJ Productions has sued Julien Auctions, the company which is handling the sale of items from Neverland Ranch, saying that some of the items in the auction were never authorized for sale.

Illustration: Milan Trenc for New York Times, published June 15, 2005

Neverland Ranch Garage Sale this April 22 - 25

More than 2,000 items from Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch will go on sale at an auction being held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

Items range from a 1911 edition of "Peter Pan" ($50 to $100) to the gates of Neverland Ranch itself ($20,000 to $30,000). Surely the most engaging piece being auctioned will be sale of one of Michael Jackson's famous glittery gloves. It's covered in Swarovski crystals and may sell for $10,000 - $15,000.

Neverland Ranch was reported for sale in 2005, after Jackson was acquitted on charges of child molestation, but went through a saga of refinancing before finally being sold. The new owner is a a joint venture entity comprised of Michael Jackson and Colony Capital, Inc.