Gatherings reported in Rome, Paris, Hollywood, elsewhere.

Neverland Ranch

He quite literally lived in a fantasy world � the sprawling compound he named Neverland after the mythical home of his fairytale favorite, Peter Pan. His pal, Elizabeth Taylor, staged her last walk down the wedding aisle there, and Marlon Brando spent many of his last days as a guest in a cottage on its lush grounds. The ranch was replete with amusement park rides, including replicas of exotic pets, including a boa constrictor named Muscles and a chimpanzee named Bubbles; and a movie theater with its own abundantly-stocked snack stand.

�I never had the chance to do the fun things kids do,� the man who grew up in recording studios and on concert stages once explained. �There was no Christmas, no holiday celebrating. So now you try to compensate for that loss.


A judge has granted Michael Jackson''s mother, Katherine, temporary guardianship of his three children.
The guardianship papers were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday. A hearing has been set for Aug 3.
Jackson left behind three children: Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., known as Prince Michael, 12; Paris Michael Katherine Jackson, 11; and Prince Michael II, 7. The youngest son was born to a surrogate mother.
The filings show that Katherine Jackson is also petitioning to take over the children''s estate. Its value is listed as "unknown" in the filing.
The filing lists the children as living at the Jacksons'' family compound in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of Los Angeles

Sunday, June 28, 2009; 7:59 PM
LOS ANGELES -- Three of the brothers who sang and danced beside Michael Jackson in the Jackson 5 made a private visit to the pop star''s Neverland Ranch, where they walked the manicured grounds and reminisced about his life.
Jackie, Jermaine and Tito Jackson were joined for lunch Saturday at the estate by billionaire investor Thomas Barrack, who previously set up a joint venture with Michael Jackson that took control of the ranch after the singer nearly lost it to foreclosure last year.
It''s not known what will become of the 2,500-acre, Santa Barbara County ranch, a major piece of the singer''s debt-strapped financial empire. There have been unconfirmed reports that it could become a memorial or museum honoring Jackson''s legacy in the mold of Elvis Presley''s Graceland.
It''s "premature to talk about the future of the property," said Owen Blicksilver, a spokesman for Colony Capital LLC, the Los Angeles-based firm where Barrack is chairman and CEO.
Barrack "feels very close to the family and wants to hear their thoughts about how best to honor Michael''s memory," Blicksilver said.
The ranch in the rolling hills of central California wine country was set to be sold in March 2008 because of missed payments on a $24.5 million loan, but Jackson managed to cut an 11th-hour deal to keep it off the auction block.
He was 29 and at the height of his popularity when he bought the ranch, naming it after the mythical land of Peter Pan, where boys never grow up.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2009386484_jackson26.html

http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=227424
Rancho Neverland - Casa de Campo de Michael Jackson�

Michael Jackson Funeral - Live

Michael Jackson, called the King of Pop, has died suddenly in Los Angeles at the age of 50. The singer was rushed to hospital Thursday, where doctors pronounced him dead. There are reports ... Michael Jackson may have died after getting a Demerol injection.

The call went out to paramedics shortly after noon that Jackson had suffered apparent cardiac arrest. Lieutenant Gregg Strenk of the Los Angeles Police Department said the singer was pronounced dead about two hours later at the University of California, Los Angeles medical center. "Currently, the LA County coroner''s office is taking possession of Jackson''s body. They will handle any other inquiries into the type of death or anything that relates to that," he said.

As news leaked out, hundreds of fans converged on the medical center. Others gathered on Hollywood Boulevard at the singer''s star on the Walk of Fame.

Michael Jackson was born in 1958, the seventh of nine children, and he first found fame as a singer and dancer in the family pop group The Jackson 5. He outshone his siblings and by age eight, was the star of the group, thrilling audiences with favorites like ABC. In his later solo career, Jackson became a superstar. His 1982 album "Thriller," with its blockbuster hits "Beat It" and ''''Billie Jean" was the biggest-selling album of all time. That year, he first performed his trademark moonwalk dance, gliding backwards while appearing to walk forward. The singer pioneered the music video genre, and arguably became the world''s top musical performer.

But Jackson was plagued by controversy as the years went by. He had multiple plastic surgeries and critics raised questions about his close friendships with children. Accused of molesting a 13-year-old cancer survivor in 2003, he was acquitted of charges two years later. His reputation in tatters, he struggled with financial problems.

He was scheduled to begin a series of 50 comeback concerts in London. The first was set for July 13th, and they were to continue until next March. Tickets for the shows, offered in March, sold out in minutes.

Jackson was married twice. In 1993, he married Lisa Marie Presley, the only daughter of the late pop star Elvis Presley. The couple divorced in 1996. That year, he married Debbie Rowe and they divorced three years later. Jackson had three children, two born to Debbie Rowe and one to a surrogate mother

Speculation is building that Michael Jackson was targeted by members of the mafia in Los Angeles in what was believed an attempt by various disgruntled creditors to recover millions of dollars of money owed on failed business ventures.

Sources in Los Angeles believe various "high-ranking" members of the underworld had been given orders to approach Michael Jackson in an attempt to recover money given the stars apparent rise in fortunes.

The star is believed in an act of desperation may have overdosed on sleeping pills in a desperate last ditch attempt to avoid a grueling 50 date tour in London and confrontations with the underworld.

An autopsy of Michael Jackson is likely to take place in the next few days, with funeral arrangement yet to be confirmed.



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Michael Jackson''s health has long been the subject of speculation. During his trial on charges of molestation in 2005, proceedings had to be postponed several times when he had to go to hospital. On one occasion he arrived straight from casualty in his pyjamas.
Jackson''s poor health at the time was said to be related to the stress of the court appearances and hostile publicity over his relationships with young boys. But the strain of his lifestyle has always been apparent in his gaunt appearance as well as the rumours of addiction to prescription drugs.

The singer died of a cardiac arrest. He had been under pressure to get fit for a gruelling run of 50 shows at London''s O2 Arena beginning next month.

We will know more about the causes of his death after a postmortem examination is carried out later today. There is speculation that his use of painkillers may have caused his death and there are unconfimed reports suggesting he may have collapsed after an injection of Demerol, a powerful painkiller similar to morphine that can in certain circumstances increase the risk of cardiac arrest.

A cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly stops beating. It occurs without warning, sometimes with no apparent reason, and is not the same as a heart attack.

It can be caused by a heart attack � usually precipitated by heart disease � but also by anything from drowning to an overdose of drugs or electrocution. All of these can disturb the heart rhythm, causing it to overwork and then stop.

Serious damage takes place quickly. "If you don''t start the heart within eight minutes, the chances of survival are rare," said Ellen Mason, a cardiac nurse with the British Heart Foundation.

Reports say that Jackson had a physician with him at the time � so it is assumed he had prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)� where somebody presses the patient''s chest and breathes in to their mouth. CPR is unlikely to cause the heart to start beating again, but its purpose is to maintain the flow of blood to the brain and heart, delaying tissue death. It doubles the chances of the patient surviving.

The heart can only be restarted using a defibrillator, which administers an electric shock. If paramedics reach the victim within eight minutes they can usually get the heart beating again. But in some cases of cardiac arrest, not even a defibrillator works.

It''s not a big stretch to say Michael Jackson had a hand in New England''s three Super Bowl titles.

Without Adam Vinateri, the New England Patriots wouldn''t have won three Super Bowl titles. Without Tom Brady(notes), Adam Vinatieri(notes) wouldn''t have been in a position to give the Patriots those titles. Without Bill Belichick, Tom Brady''s quarterbacking wouldn''t have set-up Adam Vinateri to hit the kicks to win those titles. And without Robert Kraft, Bill Belichick wouldn''t have been in New England to help both Brady and Vinateiri win those titles. And without Michael Jackson (yes, that Michael Jackson), Bob Kraft wouldn''t have bought the New England Patriots and the dynasty that was may never have been.

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/michael-jacksons-fans-visit-his-home-june-28-2009/500059848/?icid=VIDURVHOV04 - Michael Jackson�s Fans Visit His Rental Home on June 28 2009 in Holmby Hills, CA.

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Micharl''s Friends and June 2009 Pressa