New Year, No More Silence

Ok, I have had it with holding my tongue about alot of things, and I am not going to hold my tongue about them anymore... I am fed up with people acting like they can walk all over me, because they hold a bit more authority than I hold. Starting in 2010 I am NO LONGER holding my tongue, if I feel that you are either disrespecting, using, or taking advantage of me in anyway, YOU WILL hear about it. I used to hold my tongue for the sake of others, at this point, I could care less.  One person that is going to hear it first is my mom... she has been in charge of my money for a few months now, and things went well at first, but now I realize that she is just taking advantage of me. It is high time that I start trusting my money to NOONE but myself... She is trying to act like i am not entitled to take all of my money with me out to california next month, and then she doesn't even want to give me my money when I ask for it... I have to wait on her sorry ass to bring it to me, most of the time when I ask for money all I get is this: "Oh I'm sorry I can't bring you your money because I am busy right now." Most of the time when she says she is busy she is actually out somewhere in town, and she can't stop over to give me my money... How Pathetic...

Ever had one of those days?

You know, the kind of day that NOTHING seems to go right? I bought a copy of windows 7 ultimate, and it just doesn't want to install for the life of it... i am guessing that it might have something to do with my bios not wanting to recognize my DVD-RW drive... windows recognizes it just fine... *sigh* when will this computer figure itself out o.O

New Year = Faster Computer

I can't wait until January, I am going to be upgrading the computer that I am using at the moment :D Right now it doesn't have the greatest specs... I have succeeded in over clocking the processor, I have taken it from the "stock" 2.0GHZ to 2.2GHZ which isn't that bad... well at the moment the specs on this computer are as follows: 150GB IDE HD, 2.2GHZ AMD Athelon 64, 1GB DDR RAM, Windows XP Home SP3... When I upgrade the computer the specs will be as follows: 1GB DDR2 Nvidia GeForce 9400GT, 4GB DDR2 RAM, 3.1GHZ AMD Athelon 64 X 2 (dual core) 500GB Sata HD, Windows 7 Home Premium. I so can't wait, this will be a fun build, and it will be fairly easy on the wallet as well... the entire build, after shipping and taxes, will set me back about $421, there will be a few parts that i will have to wait untill feburary to buy, such as the hard drive and windows 7 home premium. but the build in jan, will set me back $266... and the total for the build in feb will be $155. It will be worth it.

Merry Christmas!!

Hey guys, just stopping in to have a quick update, hoping that you all are having a great holiday season, and also to wish you all a merry christmas, a happy honaka, a happy quanza... etc :D well... hope your holiday season is turning out well,... I am planning on fixing a computer within the next 24 hours or so... wish me luck :)
till the next update, peace

Frustration

How many of you have been frustrated at someone before? Probably many of you.. today I am frustrated at a guy I know.. He kept calling me last night in 15 - 15 minute intervals, and I just could not sleep... I don't know about you guys, but if I don't get enough sleep I can get pretty mean... Oiy... there are times that I would like to reach through the phone and slap a person... but... what can you do?

Recording

The hardest part about recording an album is trying not to be so critical of yourself while recording... This album for me has to be "perfect" this is going to take enough time to do... because I keep finding flaws in everything... but oh well, it will come out just fine... I hope... When I am done with it, be sure to look for it on itunes... well till the next update, peace

New Album

I am working on recording an album at the moment... it will take a few more weeks to get everything finalized and ready for it to sell... It is called "Between Dusk and Dawn" It is just me reading my poetry... but still.
Everything on it so far sounds very rough, there is soo much work that needs to be done on it... but it will be finished soon. Look for it on itunes soon.

Popstation

Ok so there is a new site on the net out there, it is called Popstation it is a fairly good site so far, nothing to critique yet... Alright it is a simple concept, really... there is a link to the site at the bottom of my blog.. it says "I'm the next best thing..." anyway, you record a few songs, other people vote on them, and if you reach the top of the charts on that site, you have a chance to win an all-expense paid trip to nyc to record an album... Every singers dream, right? Anyway... I am going to be researching this site as much as possible, hopefully I won't find any hints of a scam... however, the site is too new to be able to tell... but from what I have witnessed over the past few weeks of being a member (it is all free btw...) it iss going to be a good site to go to, and be fairly legit.

Well, until next time, this is the Demon Lion signing out
Peace

I am back

Throw a party now, I have a computer once again, and I will be posting more stuff as the days progress.
Still looking forwards to going to california in january

Goodbye for now...

Well guys... the time has come (it has been long overdue) for me to tell the rent-to-own company to take this laptop back, and i am pretty much going to tell them to shove it... tired of this bull >.<
So far I have paid $1,200.88 on a $689 laptop... that is an utter POS... so I am going to cancel the agreement to pay $150.11 on this laptop, in the end I would wind up paying well over $2400 for this laptop, and I am done with it.
I have had nothing but issues with this company... and I have just simply had enough.

So... I am not sure when I will post again, or be on the internet... But I will be back, just not sure when tho...

Run Away

I want to run away, run from all that i know.
I want to find a place, crawl in there and hide
While the world falls apart, run away and be myself
No worries, no cares

And I feel so alone, its like I'm hiding the pain, while growing more scars
Can you feel the war that was my life?
Can you walk a mile in my place without breaking a sweat?

Could I run so far away that no one hears me
Escape from myself for just a while longer

Tear me apart, rip me to shreds
This life hasn't been the best

And if I left you all alone
Would you still remember
All the times we laughed?
All the times we cried?

Can you run away from all that you know?
Could you hide under the tree?
Or go in the fort like back in yesteryear?

Hide the shame, hide the pain
Hide the gleam, in your eyes

Hide the pain that i see in your eyes
There is no more shame here,
Only regret, remorse for the time that we lost

And I hear your funeral pyre is going
Where you planning on leaving?
Or just a motto,
A memoir from a time long ago?

The one that showed someone was there
Someone that helped,
Someone to lean on
But, alas to no avail... nothing to do

Sit and relax...
Take up a chair
I shall tell you the motto
From a time that was long ago
It gave hope to the hopeless
And the motto said:

Amidst the blue skies
A link from past to future
The sheltering wings, of the protector

It used to give us hope
Made us realize that there was more to this life
Gave us hope that we would get out of this

But alas, we return
Back underground
to rest for another thousand years

Untill the ground quakes
and we are released
Released from our pain...
Untill then,
We shall suffer here in out tombs
for a thousand years more

Death Came Swiftly Knocking

Here is a preview of a novel that is in the works, from your friendly twisted soul, the demon lion
Let me know if it is worth continuing, or if I should stop writing, or where it could use improvements.

A word of caution, this preview contains mild language.



1 violent attack

I look around; I've been walking this deserted road for miles. This is an unusual occurrence. Usually when I walk, this road is always full of cars going past, going god knows where. Ah, but it is such a peaceful night, perhaps being alone isn't such a bad thing, after all, we all need to be alone at times, am I right?

And then I see it, the glint of headlights in the distance, urgh, this means I'll have to get over to the side of the road, dammit. Well would they survive if I stayed in the road? I wonder to myself as I clutch my scythe and hold on to it for dear life. Damn they're quick, they're about 100 feet away now. Guess it's all or nothing.

I hold my ground and as the gleam of headlights approaches, my eyes light up and I jump on top of the van, holding tight I make my way to the front, I glance into the windshield and I see a whole family in there. Then they notice me, as their faces light up with fright I see the driver start to veer of the road. Ah well, this one was easy enough…

2 Its in the news

“Hey brad, did you see the paper?” that's Jeff, my best friend since we were kids.

“No, I'm afraid I haven't.”

“Well it says a family was on their way home after a long vacation, and some creature jumped on top of their car and scared the bejesus outta the driver, he says it was some kind of demon.”

“Did they all get out ok?”

“It says here that they were all shook up and are spending a good amount of time healing in the hospital.”

“Where did this happen?”

“Just outside of town on old route 34.”

“Sounds like we have some kind of a psycho on the loose.”

“Seems true.”

“Do the police have any leads on who the psycho could be?”

“It doesn't say.”

“Well, I'm gonna go grab some lunch, you wanna come?”

“Na, I have some shit I gotta finish here first.”

“All right, well I'm not gonna take any calls while I'm out.”

“All right, I'll let your secretary know.”

Now this was very unusual, I wondered to myself as I headed to my car. that's five people claiming to have seen the same thing this month, and it was only the 7th of October. This town was supposed to be a secure town after the outbreak of the war, what with all the security checkpoints set up around our town. Such a curious thing war is even with all the turmoil going on down south people still have time to go on vacation.

3 Explanation of the countries situation

Fort Granite had become a safe haven for those who lived north of Chicago, when the war started, people were leaving the big cities by the train load. Damn anarchists hope they're satisfied now that they have one of the greatest countries thrown into chaos. The war is being fed by those who have what they call a violence fetish, not that having a fetish is wrong, but still.

The war started as a simple dispute between the democrats and the aurocrats who called themselves “Liberators for the people's republic” what a crock of shit that was. It first started down in Florida, when a government official started a brawl with a member of the aurocrat party. The economy was on the brink of collapse anyway, what with gas prices reaching an all time high of $20 a gallon.

The aurocrats had a simple idea, show the auto makers how to make alternative fueled vehicles, that emit no harmful pollutants. A few scientists and researchers got together and found what they called a miracle fuel, they found out how to change fossil fueled engines into vehicles powered only on powdered granite, their first prototype was a success but then they started having trouble with the way the engine converted it into usable energy, which started a fight between the democrats and aurocrats, which eventually led to this miserable war.

All it took was for one loose tempered John Hockley (“vote for me and I'll show you a future without war.” was his campaign slogan) And it was because of him we were in this war. Well that is just my opinion, I'm not much for politics, in fact the last time I voted was back in the year 2000, a fresh millennium, and a fresh president, sure enough I voted for bush, lil' did I know he would lead us into a war.

Anyway lets get back to the present, it is the year, 2021 and the country is at war. Some have called it the second civil war, blasphemy is what I call it. The government, in my opinion, was just looking for a reason to go to war since the end of desert storm II. Ah well who cares about this cruddy war anyway?

Something to thing about

Funny how something as simple as a song can determine the mood that you are in for the rest of the day. To start with, if you listen to a depressing song, the rest of the day you will feel depressed, if you listen to a happy song, you will be in an up-beat mood for the rest of the day, and if you listen to an angry song... well we have all been there, I am sure of that.

Just thought that I would bring this up for todays update. It is something to think about for the rest of the week tho, something as simple as a song. Different songs can inspire one to be productive, or lazy. Some songs inspire hope, others inspire hate and depression. Something to think about...

Well here is yet another poem that has been in the works... let me know what you guys think, comments are welcome, but lets keep them appropriate, shall we? Kids read this blog... simply saying that rude comments will be removed.

It was something small
It stayed in the back of his head
It crawled under his nails
It poisoned his mind
It made him fall behind

Forced him to crave hate,
For hate pulled him out pain
And love dragged him in

That small item eventually led to his demise
Forced him into a dark depression
The best days of his life were behind him

All he craved was for someone to carry him to heavens arms
But the angel never came
So, tired of waiting he runs
to the top of the mountain, looks down and sees the earth below
He looks up and sees heaven above

With a running start,
takes a leap... but misses
So he falls now
Happy that the pain will no longer come
Pleased that he will finally have peace

As he nears the bottom,
He hits the ground
Not as a broken man
But as a man who had found peace

And he walks into the gates,
Only to be met with disappointment
For it isn't his time to go

He falls again, but this time towards earth
He reunites with his body
And cries out in pain
For now he will take the time to heal
To cover old scars
And push out the venom

Hollywood

So.. here's what I have been pondering over for the last week... In my opinion it seems like Hollywood is running out of ideas for movies... it just seems that way, because they have created every movie imaginable, they have made just about every superhero movie, just about every alien visit imaginable, pretty much every horror movie out there, and it just seems that Hollywood is running on empty.

I might be wrong about this, but you never know... it seems like every "new" horror movie has the same plot, and tons of gore, with little to no story line behind it.  They are also running out of ideas for christmas movies as well, as they seem to be remaking the same movies, A christmas story has been remade so many times, it was even made into a romance movie, called: "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past." Maybe Hollywood needs some fresh writers who have fresh ideas. Suspense, thrillers, comedy's, and action flicks are also running on empty.

On the other hand, they have been working on some very good and fairly interesting TV shows, which are starting to be on the rise, plenty of ideas for them to work with, and with the conclusion of the much anticipated "CSI Trilogy" it brought CSI to the top of the ratings. There are quite a good amount of fairly interesting TV shows that are always brimming with ideas. Take the "new" series "V" this is promising to be an interesting series, with the premier of Their pilot show, it made being visited by aliens that much more interesting. The plot line of the series was revealed early on in the show... and by the end had me begging for more.  To add another note, NCIS is promising to keep getting better, with their new addition to the series, NCIS, LA... it is showing much more promise of being that much more interesting.  A few other TV shows that I feel the need to bring to attention are the new hit show "The Mentalist" and another brand new show, "Blue Collar" they both are showing plenty of promise, and whether these shows will be around in another 5 years is yet to be seen.

In hindsight, maybe we will see the fall of Hollywood, but we will never know, unless they get some fresher writers, we might just see the end of Hollywood in the near future... But that is only my opinion...

So, I daresay in conclusion: While Hollywood movies are on the decline, Hollywood TV shows are on the rise.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed this update, feel free to stay tuned for more updates in the future, including a few new reviews on some of the new movies that are yet to be released.
Until the next update:
Peace.

There is nothing left

As I sit here
I am suffocating
The stench of yesterday breaks me
It leaves me feeling hopeless
I watch as everyone else passes me by
To lead their happy lives
As I am condemned to lie here
And suffer
So I break
But do not bow
There is nothing left of me
Except for a hopeless shell of a man
Broken by the burden of society
No one knows what it is like
To lay your head down every night
A broken soul
To be nothing but a sorry excuse of a man

I crawl forward
Broken on the floor
Watching my shadow laugh
And I pour my soul out into the night
Helpless as the dark ferries my soul away
But there is nothing left

A hopeless shell
A wounded soul
A broken man

Death never comes for those who do not wish to suffer
But I have nothing left to give
I have found the perfect end
And I will stay here, alone until the dawn takes me
Under the ground
So I shall not suffer anymore

Where I come from

Good day to all who are reading this blog.

Some of you who read this blog might be in awe of some of the things that I write, I am not trying to "toot my own horn" so-to-speak, and feel free to correct me if I am wrong... The thing is some of you might not get the chance to talk to me... or get to know the real me, that is fine. So... here goes... I am a 20 year old guy, who struggles throughout my daily life.

"What do you struggle with?" you might ask? Well, I have two learning disabilities, and I live alone... well with a cat... and I feel like I am a kid trapped in an adults body. For those of you who don't know what I mean, the answer is simple... I act more like a kid than an adult. Another thing is that I am completely aware of being an adult, and acting like a child. I mean, it is one thing to be an adult acting like a child, and not even being aware that one does so, and then being completely aware, and be helpless to do anything to change that... it well, sucks...

One thing that really irritates me is when people look at me and yell at me to "Grow-Up" I look at them and say, "I'm trying." It is really hard for someone to go through... There are no books on it, there is nothing on how to seek help... so i pretty much struggle through my day-to-day life, sure I do my best to hide it, but underneath my calm, relaxed, exterior, lies a struggle that is probably going to never end...

So, in closing, the next time you gripe at someone to "Grow-Up" think about what you are saying, and how it could affect that person... especially for someone like me.

This one is for all those who have lost a loved one.

The following is a poem that I wrote in memory of my grandma, she passed away April 5th, 2009 I was living with her, when I woke up, I found that she had passed... so here's to you grandma:

Yesterday I looked at you,

We shared a laugh

Today I find you

But you have gone

Today my life has been flipped

Turned upside down by all these events

Hard to believe that it has been half a year

I still ponder the question,

was there anything I could have done?

I still have questions,

But have found no answers

I look at your picture...

But only see a hole

You meant the world to me

Today I lie on the floor

A broken man

Heart lies tattered on the ground

Though I try to hide it,

I still can't see through the tears

Yesterday we hugged,

Last night we said goodnight

And today you are gone

And I am left with memoirs

My angel lies next to me

My demon strangles me

I am left with no more sorrows

Looked in the mirror today

And thought i caught a glimpse of your face

But when i turned to look, it was gone

Although nothing that I do will bring you back

Your memory is alive and well in my heart

I weep silent tears tonight

I long to hear your voice

I long to sit next to you,

I long to be your shoulder,

One more time

But for now these are only lost hopes

For I saw you in the casket

And I see you in the ground

So whilst writing this,

I weep silently

Whilst my angel hugs me

What i would give to hold you

In my arms one last time

Alas 'tis only a dream

I can only look up and hope that you are looking back

and nothing more

I listen to your song,

And remember the joy that it brought to you

It lulls me to sleep tonight

As I weep into my pillow

To look foward to seeing you in my dreams

But not when I wake

But for now I saw my goodbye

And hope to visit you soon

1300+ Hits O.O

Alright, so for those of you who have been following my blog, I am going to state a formal thank you to those who are active readers of this blog, for those of you who are just joining in, take a few minutes to read through some of the blogposts in the archive, there is quite an interesting array.

I have been trying this new feature on Vista that I have just recently re-discovered.... kinda poor, but I am getting used to the idea of talking to my computer and it doing almost exactly what I told it to do.

I have had a rather interesting week so far, a few "friends" of mine had been staying with me for a little bit, but i had to kick them out this past saturday, for failure to pay rent, and failure to show respect towards me. They have since vandalized my apartment door, and have threatened to beat the crap out of me... over what, me showing them an act of kindness, and this is how they repay me? By carving "FAG" in my apt door? That is just bull... Oh well... sometimes life doesn't always agree with you, so what can you do?

Anyway, Thanks to all who have shown support for my blog throughout the months, and feel free to keep visiting.

Thank you all, and untill the next update:

Peace

Gruesome

This life is guresome,

Or maybe it's just me

Kill me slowly

For this time it's different

Turn on the lights

So you can see what I have become...

I am the one who bears the scars

I am the one so many fear

I am the one for whom the bell tolls

For I am the reaper of souls

No one can begin to understand

The empty shell that I've become

Turn around and look at what I've done

Who cares enough to mourn the lost souls

That I so brutally harvested

Fear me oh mortal soul

For I am the one who shall hear

Your dying breath

And when you meet me, You're blood'll run cold

Do not fear the shadow of death

Or your death shall be utterly Gruesome

Yell at me 'till death do us part

And you will be the next victim

In this brutal game of mine

And I am...

The funeral...

And I am...

The grave...

And I am...

The dead...

And I am...

Coming for you!

Overwhelmed

With graduation ever looming

He sits down upon the high cliff

That everyone he loved flew off

He looks at the rocky shore below

And wonders what it would feel like

What would be his last feeling

Before he let go

Hold me tight

Take my hand

Which will it be?

Do I stay, or do I go?

I feel I'm fading faster, falling faster

Towards the grave

For he's got my number

My time may be up

The above was just a small poem that I have been working on.

In the process of writing another poem at the same time...

By the way, for those who have viewed my blog, thank you for 1200+ hits and counting

Keep watching, there will be further updates in the days to come.

Well, untill the next update,

Peace

How free is america?

Welcome to the Communist country of the United States of America, where our police and military personell decide when you can protest, and any protest is deemed to be a riot, so the riot police go in and trap our countries college students in stairwells and hallways and fire teargas and pepperspray at them. The land of the free? I don't think so. It is time to take a look at our entire US government, and our law enforcement departments and look towards reform.

America is home to countless tales of police brutality, and when a group of people gather to protest, it is deemed to be an "unlawful assembly" a clear violation of our constitutional rights.

Why am I against most officers and military personell of this "free land" ? I'll tell you why, or rather i will show you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZT3O5m0EIs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlD9QKZdPhE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etv8YEqaWgA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj7hye9d5PQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tNk6h2_khA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia0wVU3RHkI the story behind that?

PITTSBURGH – A vociferous but peaceful group of several thousand people marched for miles through downtown Pittsburgh on Friday, united by opposition to the Group of 20 summit but expressing a diversity of mostly liberal causes as an army of stone-faced riot police watched their every move.

Dozens of black-clad anarchists were conspicuous among the demonstrators, but there was no sign of the disturbances that had resulted in arrests and property damage a day earlier.

The main message of the so-called Peoples' March to the G-20 was a demand for solutions to the planet's economic and environmental challenges different than those the world's richest countries are pursuing. But there also was a strong contingent of anti-war protesters and those interested in such diverse issues as African debt relief, rejection of corporate subsidies and more humane child-labor laws.

"We want money for jobs, not war, money to clean up the environment," said Pete Shell, a protest organizer.

President Barack Obama said the protests had been relatively peaceful, adding that previous world summits drew far more protesters than came to Pittsburgh. He described many as opposing capitalism and free markets in general, and said he supported their freedom to express their views but disagreed with them.

There also was a festive spirit in Friday's crowd_ colorful flags, bicyclists, a group of hula hoopers, a large parade puppet in the shape of a dove, a small brass band and a correspondent from Comedy Central's The Daily Show, who drew a mini-crowd of his own.

The march had been issued a city permit and organizers pledged to keep it nonviolent, a goal they stressed to participants, even though some were determined to test police restraint.

At one point, a group of black-clad anarchists, their faces covered, faced a line of police officers and sang, "We all live in a fascist bully state" to the tune of the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine." Anarchists also came nose-to-nose with officers, to little effect.

Leaders of 19 countries and the European Union were meeting downtown, in sight of the Andy Warhol Bridge. When the protesters reached the bridge, they stopped and shouted toward the summit. Some gestured obscenely; one woman on a bullhorn yelled, "Power to the people, not the G-20."

At the park where the three-hour procession ended, volunteers dished beans, rice and salsa on tortillas out of pots and coolers while speakers talked of convicting the G-20 leaders of crimes against humanity.

Joshua Nichols, 24, of Telluride, Colo., drove 24 hours to participate. He described himself as a migrant who shovels snow in winter, cleans houses, works on an organic farm and teaches preschool in the summer.

"I am here because I think the G-20 is in part an organization among others that leads to the subjugation of people all over the world," he said. "We need to stand up and say that we're going to put an end to this or it's going to get ugly."

Ed Cloonan, 62, of Munhall, Pa., handing out signs in favor of a single-payer health care plan, said he wanted an end to what he called the "cancer of the insurance system."

Fifteen-year-old Rosi Lowe, a student from Pittsburgh, was in the crowd with a classmate for a school project on the G-20 and had formed a conclusion: "I feel like it's real exclusive and doesn't represent the entire world."

Friday's march had some marked differences from a Thursday afternoon march that ended with clashes between police and anarchists.

The Thursday march, far smaller, did not have a permit and police declared it illegal almost as soon as it began. Small bands of anarchists responded to officers' overwhelming show of force by rolling huge metal trash bins, throwing rocks and breaking windows. Police fired bean bags and canisters of pepper spray and smoke.

Later that night, hundreds of officers surrounded what was mostly a large gathering of University of Pittsburgh students in the city's Oakland neighborhood. The area was adjacent to where G-20 participants opened the summit, but leaders were long gone by the time police declared the gathering illegal and fired canisters of pepper spray and smoke.

Civil liberties groups decried what they called a heavy-handed and unwarranted police response to the Thursday protests. They complained that riot officers focused on largely peaceful, if unsanctioned, demonstrations when they should have been paying more attention to small groups of vandals that smashed windows of city businesses.

The police response was on the minds of demonstrators on Friday, including anti-war movement leader Cindy Sheehan.

"We need jobs, we need health care, we need education, we need housing," she said at the final rally. "We don't need the united police states of America."

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has praised officers for their work to minimize property damage. No protesters have been seriously injured.

In all, several businesses were damaged Thursday and nearly 70 people were arrested on charges, many for failure to disperse and obstructing traffic.

___

Associated Press writers Michael Rubinkam, Daniel Lovering and Vicki Smith contributed to this report.

You tell me, do we live in a free country, or one controlled by the militia?

Your Friendly Anarchist;

DIxon Demon Lion

PS: forward this blogpost to everyone you know so everyone can know what freedom is really like in nazi america

What is going on?

Alright guys, so today I was hanging out with my uncle, and I got to practice on the mic, i sounded pretty good with what i was doing, so as soon as i get done rehearsing, well i am always going to be rehearsing, untill i get everything perfected, also heard a riff that i have been working on with distortion on my uncles guitar,that sounded awesome :D

anyways look for a new poem i am going to be posting soon.

until the next update,

peace

quick update

just a quick update to let you guys know that i am still around. I have roomies now, but i am not sure how much longer that will last, they keep arguing, and that is not something i want in my home... I like to help people out and everything, but if you are going to be mad quite a bit, then i am sorry, dont come home mad... well that is all for now, look for a longer update soon

Until the next update, peace

Sacreligious

Alright.... so i am getting pretty fed up with people telling me i should go to church... and that i need to be saved.... etc... I don't want to go to church... Yes i was into that scene at one point in time... but i am starting to lean towards being sacreligious... i am starting to lose respect towards all religion, i dont mean any disrespect towards anyone reading this... but it is true... i just can't stand it anymore.

If it is one religion I absolutely cannot stand, it is those Jehovahs witnesses. Point in case: the other day... I had just one of those really exhausting days where you just want to go home and sleep untill the next month, all the sudden i wake up to this sudden pounding on my door, it was like the police were knocking... got really annoying, so I quickly ran down the hall, and made sure one of my few upside down crosses was within the line of site of whoever was pounding on my freaking door, so I immediatly answered the door, and there are two people there, with these "watchtower" magazines.... if you have ever had the occasion where a jehovahs witness knocks on your door, you know what i am talking about, anyway, they start talking to me and everything, I wind up bending over to pick up my cat, they look down my hall and see my upside down cross that is hanging there, and they start telling me all about how the devil is evil... and how i will wind up burning in hell if i don't change my ways, and become a jehovahs witness... I just rolled my eyes and was like... yea, sure, whatever... out of nowhere the song that i was downloading starts to play, it was Godsmack's I Freaking hate you (Good song by the way) and anyway... they start getting creeped out when i told them that i worshipped satan all the time (which i don't by the way) and they start yelling you're going to burn in hell!! I simply told them, at least I will be warm, they left, and I went back to bed and had some of the best sleep i have ever had in awhile.... anyway...

Sacreligious - Having no respect for any religion at all.

I don't belive that I am evil... I am only slightly twisted. I do belive that there is something after death, but who knows... I don't really believe that there is a "Hell" there may or may not be either a "Heaven" or a "Hell" but i believe that there is something other than death after we pass on.

We all only get one life to live, and 100 years goes by fast.

There is so much to see in life, I dont really want to be one of those people who gets stuck in one place for the rest of their life... I want to be one of those people who can travel wherever and whenever, cuz there is so much to see in life, why waste it doing the same routine over and over and over again? You're life shouldn't be a cycle, we were born free, so let us live free.

I also believe that there can be a world peace, will we see it in our lifetime? The answer is probably not.

IF everyone on the planet agreed to disagree, then life would be alot better.

Well, that is a wrap for this weeks update,

Untill next time, Peace

Current Events

Alright guys, so I went out saturday for a rehearsal, and figured somethign out... I am not ready for recording in the studio... I am going to need a bit more time to practise and everything... so, yea... My dad is going to be coming over tomorrow, I am looking fowards to it. I got to talk to my big sister today, for that I am grateful, she has finally gotten her own place, and the unforutnate thing is that a few weeks ago she was excited because she thought she was going to have another baby, I am still getting over the shock of being an uncle for the first time o.O but she had a miscarrage the other day, and I am sad about that... was kinda looking fowards to having another nephew or niece... but anyway.... look foward to more updates soon, there are many more writings in the works... found a nice spot to write songs the other day, so i am going to have alot more inspiration for writing.

Until the next update;

Peace

The Flames of Hatred

The flames of hatred burn today

Burn for all of the wrong reasons

They burn for all the reasons we hate

For all the reasons we are born

For all the reasons we die

For all the reasons we live

Don't give in to temptation

It is far too easy to hate

To spread lies

To promote guilt

To promote racism

To promote sexism

It is so easy in the world nowadays to label, and even judge people just by looking at them... what is wrong with this world? it used to be a nice place to live, a world where no one really had to worry about the other person, and it seems like everyone now, has to judge the other person.

People seem to think that just because someone wants to be a kid, or may act like a kid even tho they are an adult... that there must be something drastically wrong in that respect, the above was a short poem... I think that it is kind of so-so... but i had to write it. There are alot of things write spur of the moment, and to me... when i have to write something i write it... expecially when the mood hits me just right, if i go to sleep, i fear that i would soon forget that which i tried so hard to put together, so when i write it down... it is spur of the moment... might not make a whole lot of sense, but it happens

There are going to be some major changes in my life soon, a friend of my friends wants me to go to his recording studio and get a few things i have written recorded, i am so excited about this, this could be the break that i have been looking for.

Well, till the next update, peace

Maybe a big change

Ok... alot of crazy stuff has happened in my life recently, i now have a few roomates, and so far that is working out. Something big is about to happen in my life soon, it will be a move in the right direction, I hope... a friend of my friends wants me to come over to his recording studio and lay down a few tracks of songs that i have written, and that will be cool, so yea.. look foward to the next update, i will try and update as quick as possible with a few new poems, untill the next update, peace

Red And Blue

Overwhelmed he looks down and sees

The blood washed into his hands

His intent was to show what true fear meant

Rather break the tormenter into nothing

Looking fowards,

A woman cries

Looking backwards,

A little boy dies

While the sound of the ambulance

Rings true in the distance

There he sits

Looking at his cage

'Twas an ambush

When the ol' five-oh caught him

Red handed

as the blood flowed down

Look at what we're doing

Look at all the violence

What have we become?

A species that destroys itself

From the inside

Just what are we teaching the future?

Thoughts

I lay in wonder of what I have become
ah screw it.... don't really feel like writing anything this update... so I will spare everyone the threat of reading another one of my dark writings. Ok so some chaos has overcome my life recently, I was gone from the internet for a day because my laptop had gotten repossessed <- no matter how you spell that word, it never looks right o.O - I forgot to make a payment on it this month, so it got repo'd and I decided rather than have them come to my place to get the laptop, i figured i would take it ack over to them so that it would look good on me, needless to say it worked. When I make a payment on it next month, I shall get my laptop back. I think I may have found a job as well, working at the local movie theater, not a very good job, but a job nonetheless. well it is getting late, so i shall get to bed now.

Vampire's aren't out only at night

Blood fills the room

As I sit in my tomb

Watching as I start to take the blood to my lips

Call me what you will, but a vampire I stick to

Tell me you'll kill me

But just remember one thing:

I NEVER DIE!!

So just let me drink your blood

You won't die

You'll be one with your demons;

I'll kill you silently with but a glare

Tell me your tragedy, and I'll give you the bleedout

The death you've always dreamed about

Watch for me,

I'm in your dreams;

Kill me softly

And you die dreaming

I'm your worst fear

And I'm your best friend

Yeah, Im the one at the bar

who is always having the last drink with you

Demonic Insanity

So what if you want me to stay

You only wish to cause me more misery

the only time I have ever been happy

Was when I was traveling

Found a place of peace

But you made me blow it

I grab you today

You shall bleed

She suffers in silence now

I muted her

I let all of her inner demons out

So that they can devour her soul

And she shall die a painful death

She screams out in agony

but no one hears

there is no one that will hear her screams

The perfect crime

The law is on his side

So she gasps now....

gasps for air...

for release

for peace

but it is all in vain

her tragedy has already unfolded

She watched in silence as she watched her freedom flee

flee out to the hills

the only thing she cares for now is to try to take over his life

To control where he lives...

What he does..

Who his friends are

but it is all in vain

She twists and turns in agony on the table

While gabriel watches with silent amusment

she had this coming for so long

she sees him, and pleads with him to let her go

but it is all to no avail

he just sits there and doesnt even flinch

And his final words to her were:

I know for death is what you pray....

You shall live to die another day

California

Alright... here we go... As most of you know I have taken the time to go on vacation to visit with a friend of mine out in california, very good vacation so far, I am even thinking about moving out to california, because there is much more to do there than there is in any other state, not to mention the fact that there is more job availability out there as opposed to my hometown back in IL. There is so much going thru my head right now... I mean, I am 20 and i have so far seen everything that I want to see out here in the USA it is awesome. Nothing is tying me down to the state that I live in, and my friend offered to let me become his roomate out in california... had to think about it for a little bit, but... what the hell... I am going to do it anyway. I have nothing tying me down... and lets face it I am much happier out in california than I am back home in IL... so by this time next year, I am going to be all settled in out in california, and there are no drawbacks... well almost none. I am going to be heading out to Las Vegas today... Man, am I freaking excited about that... I mean really... it is freaking vegas. When I return home I plan to continue on with my plan to quit smoking... I have so far made the move from cigarettes to cigars... and hopefully soon I am going to be smoke free for the rest of my life.

There is more of a chance for my singing talents to get noticed out in california than there is out in IL... There are alot of positives to being in CA, rather than out in IL... am I excited about this... yea I mean... I am going to be seeing everything that I want to see... and that is a good thing. Everyone has asked me what I do for a living to be able to travel like I plan to... well... I am not going to lie about what I do... I am an unemployed singer who plans on moving foward with his dreams... I am not meant to lie around my house doing nothing but sit there and whine about how there is nothing to do... seriously that gets old after a week.

ILLINOIS

Is a rather boring place... Yes you have the big city of Chicago out there... but other than that there is nothing to do at all out there.

Am I close to my family?

That is a question I was asked by another friend of mine the other day... and it really got me to thinking... My response to that question is this... I am in a neutral position about both sides of my family.. and one side holds much more drama than the other side... But I would like to be close with my dad. My family and I have disagreements from time to time... and a few people on one side hold a grudge against me... long story about that one... but these words that I am writing about right now are the absolute truth...

These words are my true feelings about everything. Yes I know I tend to write rather long posts about everything... but still the opportunities are almost infinite out here in cali... But I am at peace... there is no stress for me at all out here, and I can be myself fully, without hiding anything from anyone because no one cares out in california... I dont understand why people dont like people from california... it just doesn't makes sence at all. There is room for much more advancement out here in cali as opposed to most other places in the country. Am I going to stay a small town midwestern man... HELL NO!!

I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel... and I like what I am seeing. It is truely wonderful. I am glad to have friends who care about me... and when I got the opportunity to go out and see arizona... to see texas... to see missouri... to see new mexico... to see oklahoma.. nebraska... the list goes on. I am more at peace here than at any other place I have lived at. There is much more freedom out here.

So... in closing what I have to say is... I am in love with california... it may just be the place that I spend the rest of my life, and who knows... I may get lucky and catch a record deal while I am living out here... who knows? But the opportunity is there. I have seen it... So there are a few earthquakes and wildfires.... they dont happen as often as everyone thinks that they do.

Well... that is all I have to write about for now... stay tuned for more updates on everything... and soon more writings... I have been inspired greatly... so there are going to be much more songs that are going to be posted on youtube and everything so stay tuned and I will try to keep you guys posted as much as possible.

This is the DemonsLion signing out...

Peace :D

New thoughts

So I have been thinking as of late... I am currently 20 years old, and i have alot to look foward to in this life... but i have been thinking, maybe i am not fulfilling my potential. 10 years ago i was asked the question that we all have been asked: and that question was; "In 10 years what do you see yourself doing?" Good question and I have been pondering about it ever since... i mean what do I see myself doing when I am 30? God... it hurts just to type that O.O but in all seriousness, what do I see myself doing in 10 years? 10 years ago i said that I would be touring the world in a band, but we all know that isnt true, the only thing that I am doing now is surfing the web, on very low income, and trying to get a band formed. I am a singer who is looking to start a band, and start playing shows on the global scale, I am talking about reaching out to the global masses with a new style of music... God wouldnt that be nice? but as far as that goes... it is just a bunch of nice words typed into a computer document, and saved on my hard drive... We all have hopes and dreams, and wouldnt it be nice if that came true? Hell yeah!! But, I am still on vacation right now, it is nice so far... but california is way too hot for me, I need rain every once in a while o.O I want to have something better for my life, for me, and my family, but the family comes first, that is the way the world should turn, if something happens to a family member, we shouldn't have to worry about if we have to take the day off of work, or suddenly take off because of a sudden emergency in the family, the boss should understand that sometimes these things happen, and just brush it off. Take some time to seriously think about the question that I just asked, "What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?" I would seriously like to hear what the different responses to that question are, leave me a comment on my youtube page with your answer to that question; http://www.youtube.com/thegrimreaper2007 I will take the time to read thru the responses and reply to as many as I can, it is an honest question. I see myself traveling the world in ten years, and not having a care in the world, I see my family with financial security, and no more debt for anyone in my fam... I see myself spending time with my nephew, who would be 11 or 12 ten years from now...

Another thing is, we as humans dont take time out to notice the little things, we can spend our whole lives without realizing that we could have done better. We also spend way too much time worrying about what other people say is "going to happen." when in all honesty, most of the time those stories are a bunch of bullocks. Now is the time to get closer to your families, and take the time out to stop and notice the little things, talk to people that you havent talked to in awhile, go out to your great aunts house, or your parents house.... for god sakes go out to your family and spend as much time with your elders as you can, because they are not always going to be around, I had to learn that fact the hard way.

I dont know if all of this is just california talking or what... but my eyes have been opened up to so many things in these past few months, and as of now I am going to spend as much time as I can with my family, because they might not always be around....

Well that is enough of that, remember to ask yourself that question and I hope to hear your response to the question; "What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?"

The Trip

Ok, so i know that i havent updated in a little while, but as most of you know i am on vacation in california at the moment with a friend of mine. California is a nice state, but i wouldn't wanna live here.... i like the fact that my hometowns main street is made up of older buildings, and dont really need to be torn down, to be earthquake proofed, lol. but anyway the trip is going good so far, los angelos is freaking huge... never realized how big it was untill i went there, it is 100 miles across... so yea... anyway look for more updates to follow this one.

This is the demon lion signing out, peace

Travel

Friday, July 3rd 2009
Aright as many of you may or may not be aware, I am on my way to california at the moment to go hang out with a few friends of mine. Everyone in my family is worried sick about me for this trip, as are many of my close personal friends. I was just in Chicago, Il for a “45” minute layover for a transfer over to a different bus, but their system crashed, so we wound up waiting a total of 3.5 hours before we were able to get on another bus so that I could make the transfer from Chicago, to St. Louis Missouri, and from there (I am currently in transit) I am going to be transferring to a bus en route to Amarillo Texas, and so on and so forth until I make the bus that will take me to my final destination out in Bakersfield, CA I so can't wait. Well guys, wish me luck.
Saturday, July 4th 2009
Alright guys it is 0550 hours at the time of me writing this, and I have been thru Champlain, IL ; Decatur IL, and I am still en route to Saint Louis and everything is looking good, last night was wonderful, the sky looked absolutely beautiful which is very good news. I closed my eyes a few times during the trip, the first time was right before we went to eat, and I had a dream about eating.... then the strangest thing happened... I ate what I was dreaming I was eating in the dream... is that messed up or what? Anywho I am going to be like 4 hours behind schedule for the trip, but I have seen quite a bit of nature that you dont really have the chance to stop and appreciate while flying or driving.. but riding on a greyhound bus.... there is just so much more to see, not to mention the roar of the big diesel engine right behind you with the turbo going... it is just something that quite a few of you need to experience at least once in your life. And for my friends and fam ily at home who may be reading this... dont worry about me, I will be just fine... just trust me... I will head home via greyhound on the 28th so...yea... Also i was watching fireworks for the whole trip today.

Sunday, July 5th 2009

So... New Mexico is actually a nice state, and so is Arizona... we had some guy on the bus who smelled to high heaven O.O and he kept taking his shoes off and making the whole bus stink >.> but he got off in Phoenix, AZ and I kept going after I almost missed my bus because they called the wrong boarding number... was the drivers error. Well to make a long story short I rode the bus all the way to california, we stopped to take a break to stretch and everything, and I went to buy one coca-cola out of a machine, and it was having a 3 for 1 sale O.O that was out in San Bernandio, CA and then from there we went to go to Los Angelos.... LA IS HUGE O.O from LA I left on a bus to go to my final destination of Bakersfield... will update again soon

"Get Rich Quick Schemes"

Alright I shall get right to the point....

As many of you may or may not be aware... there are alot of these "Get Rich Quick Schemes" on the net.... most of them are scams and force you to pay alot of money for a program that doesnt work most of the time, and you wind up investing alot of time and money on something that doesnt work. Think about it this way... if a company really wanted you to work from home for them, they would have you sign up for absolutely free, and not have you pay a huge amount, or fee, for something that may or may not work.... I am so freaking sick and tired of these schemes... I get many emails each day for a new scheme.... the latest of which made these huge claims about "if you do this, you could make anywhere from X amount to XXXXX amount in a few short weeks" but they were wanting to charge like $147 for something that probably wont work, and the only one making any money is the person on the other end of the computer.... so.. before you sign up for any work at home opportunity, think about this.....

1. do you have to pay for any services?

2. Do they claim to help you make XXXXX amount of dollars in a short amount of time?

3. Do they have any type of "contact us" link on their site?

4. If they do have you pay, how much is it, and can you afford it?

5. Read the fine print, alot of places that charge you, charge you a monthly fee to be a part of a program that doesnt work.

6. Do the pictures look like they have been circulated around on the net for awhile?

If so... this is not a legit program.

7. Do alot of research, if you are truly interested in working at home, then plan on spending a few hours at a time looking into quite a bit of all the programs out there... It will take time and effort, but in the long run once you find something that works, it will be worth it.

I have been trying to find a legit program that actually works for me to work at home, because let's face it the economy is horrable, the economy is on the brink of collapse, and jobs seem to be a one in a million chance of getting one.... Money is very tight for me, and I dont like living this way... usually once a month I get payed, after bills and groceries, I am usually broke, and I do not like it.

If I could find a legit program where I could work from home, then I would be very happy. I may, or may not get rich from it, but that is not what I am looking for right now, just something on the side where I dont have to commute to and from work, you know... just some added income, that would be amazing :D

But let's face it.... just like with regular jobs, work at home opportunities are a one and a million shot. It is true that you can work from home, but you have to find a legit program first.

Well, hope this helps out...

Until next time, this is the demon lion signing out.

Michael Jackson

Alright, love him or hate him, michael jackson was one of the most influential people in the world, it is sad to see that he has gone. I usually dont update my blog as often as I am right now... but lets face it, everyone is going to be talking about it...

Anyway here is what I have to say about michael jackson:

For better or for worse, michael has been the subject of many headlines over the years, Many were positive, but as his life progressed his genius seemed to increase, the man was an absolute genius.... alright enough of my opinions, let us look at the story of his life:

Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana (an industrial suburb of Chicago, Illinois) to a working-class family on August 29, 1958.^[3] The son of Joseph Walter "Joe" and Katherine Esther (née Scruse),^[3] he was the seventh of nine children. His siblings are Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy and Janet.^[3] Joseph Jackson was a steel mill employee who often performed in an R&B band called The Falcons with his brother Luther.^[3] Jackson was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses by his devout mother.^[3]

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.^[4] 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".^[5] Joseph would often trip up, or push the male children into walls.^[5] 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.^[5]

Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in a 1993 interview with Oprah Winfrey. He said that during his childhood he often cried from loneliness and would sometimes get sick or start to regurgitate upon seeing his father.^[6][7][8][9] In Jackson's other high profile interview, Living with Michael Jackson (2003), the singer covered his face with his hand and began crying when talking about his childhood abuse.^[5] Jackson recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you."^[10]

Jackson showed musical talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates and others during a Christmas recital at the age of five.^[3] In 1964, Jackson and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine, respectively. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.^[3] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968. The band frequently performed at a string of black clubs and venues collectively known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened for stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.^[11]

The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967 and signed with Motown Records in 1968.^[3] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts", noting that Michael "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer" after he began to dance and sing with his brothers.^[12] Though Michael sang with a "child's piping voice, he danced like a grown-up hoofer and sang with the R&B/gospel inflections of Sam Cooke, James Brown, Ray Charles andStevie Wonder".^[12] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on theBillboard Hot 100.^[3] During The Jackson 5's early years, Motown's public relations team claimed that Jackson was nine years old—two years younger than he actually was—to make him appear cuter and more accessible to the mainstream audience.^[13] Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There andBen. These were released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and produced successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben" and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input.^[14] Although the group scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.^[14]

1975–1981: Move to Epic and Off the Wall

The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, joining the Philadelphia International Records division, later Epic Records.^[14] As a result of legal proceedings, the group was renamed The Jacksons.^[15] After the name change, the band continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984. From 1976 to 1984, Michael Jackson was the lead songwriter of the group, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel" and "Can You Feel It".^[11]

In 1978, Jackson starred as Scarecrow in the film musical The Wiz.^[16] The musical scores were arranged by Quincy Jones, who formed a partnership with Jackson during the film's production and agreed to produce the singer's next solo album Off the Wall.^[17] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty surgery was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and other subsequent operations.^[18]

Jones and Jackson jointly produced Off the Wall. Songwriters included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four US top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".^[19] Off the Wall reached number three on the Billboard 200 and has since been certified for 7 million shipments in the US and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.^[20][21] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".^[19] That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance (for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough").^[19] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.^[22] In 1980, Jackson secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37% of wholesale album profit.^[23]

1982–1985: Thriller, Motown 25, We Are the World and business career

In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children.^[24] That year Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller. The album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at the peak position. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".^[25] Thriller was certified for 28 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the US.^[21][26] It is often cited as the best-selling album of all time, with worldwide sales between 47 million and 109 million copies.^[27][28][29]

Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point; approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record breaking profit from compact discs or the sale of The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller; a documentary produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the documentary sold over 350,000 copies in a few months of sale. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, that appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.^[30] Thrillerretains a position in American culture. Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli explains, "At some point, Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple."^[31]

Gil Friesen, president of A&M Records, said "the whole industry has a stake in this success".^[30] Thriller raised the importance of albums, but multiple hits also changed notions about the number of singles to release.^[32] Time magazine explained that "the fallout from Thriller has given the [music] business its best years since the heady days of 1978, when it had an estimated total domestic revenue of $4.1 billion".^[30] Time summed up Thriller's impact as a "restoration of confidence" for an industry bordering on "the ruins of punk and the chic regions of synthesizer pop". The publication described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".^[30] The New York Times called him a "musical phenomenon", saying that "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".^[33] According to the The Washington Post, Thriller paved the way for other acts such as Prince.^[34]

On March 25, 1983, Jackson performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, both with The Jackson 5 and on his own singing "Billie Jean". Debuting his signature dance move—the moonwalk—his performances during the event were seen by 47 million viewers during its initial airing, and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.^[35] The New York Times said, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing".^[36]

Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first ladyNancy Reagan, 1984

Jackson suffered a setback on January 27, 1984. While filming a Pepsi Cola commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, Jackson suffered second degree burns to his scalp after pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire. Happening in front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, the incident was the subject of heavy media scrutiny and elicited an outpouring of sympathy.^[37] PepsiCo settled a lawsuit out of court, and Jackson gave his $1.5 million settlement to the "Michael Jackson Burn Center" which was a piece of new technology to help people with severe burns.^[37] Jackson had his third rhinoplasty shortly afterward and grew self conscious about his appearance.^[18]

On May 14, 1984, Jackson was invited to the White House to receive an award presented by American President Ronald Reagan. The award was given for Jackson's support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.^[38] Jackson won eight awards during the 1984 Grammy Awards. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans.^[39] He donated his $5 million share from the Victory Tour to charity.^[40]

Jackson co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in Africa and the US. He was one of 39 music celebrities who performed on the record. The single became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief.^[41]

While working with Paul McCartney on the two hit singles "The Girl Is Mine" and "Say Say Say", the pair became friendly, occasionally visiting one another. In one discussion, McCartney told Jackson about the millions of dollars he had made from music catalogs; he was earning approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs. Jackson then began a business career buying, selling and distributing publishing rights to music from numerous artists. Shortly afterward, Northern Songs—a music catalog holding thousands of songs, including The Beatles' back catalog—was put up for sale.^[42][43]

Jackson took immediate interest in the catalog but was warned that he would face strong competition. Excited, he skipped around saying, "I don't care. I want those songs. Get me those songs Branca [his attorney]". Branca then contacted the attorney of McCartney, who clarified that his client was not interested in bidding; "It's too pricey". After Jackson had started negotiations, McCartney changed his mind and tried to persuade Yoko Ono to join him in a joint bid, she declined, so he pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million. When McCartney found out he said, "I think it's dodgy to do things like that. To be someone's friend and then buy the rug they're standing on". Reacting to that statement, biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli observed that McCartney made millions of dollars from the music of other people. He had more money than Jackson at that point so could have made a substantial bid for his own music and would not have suffered financial difficulties from Jackson owning the catalog.^[42][44]

1986–1990: Tabloids, appearance, Bad, autobiography and films

See also: Michael Jackson's health and appearance

In 1986, the tabloid press ran a story claiming that Jackson slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to slow the aging process; he was pictured lying down in a glass box. Although the claim was untrue, Jackson disseminated the fabricated story himself. The singer was promoting his upcoming movie Captain EO and wanted to promote a science fiction image of himself.^[45][46]Jackson had a fourth rhinoplasty and, wanting masculine features, had a cleft put in his chin.^[18] Then he starred in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time, and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly 11 years, whileWalt Disney World screened the film in its Epcot theme park from 1986 to 1994.^[47]

Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here the early stages of the disease

Jackson bought and befriended a pet chimpanzee called Bubbles, an act which extended his eccentric persona. In 2003 the singer claimed that Bubbles shared his toilet, and cleaned his bedroom.^[46] Later it was reported that Jackson bought the bones of The Elephant Man. Although untrue, it was a story that Jackson again disseminated to the tabloid press.^[45][46] These stories inspired the pejorative nickname "Wacko Jacko", which Jackson acquired the following year. He would eventually come to despise the nickname. Realizing his mistake, he stopped leaking untruths to the press. However due to the profit being made, the media began making up their own stories.^[46][48]

Jackson's skin was a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the early 1980s, his skin gradually grew paler. This change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that Jackson was bleaching his skin.^[6] In the mid-1980s, Jackson was diagnosed withvitiligo and lupus; the latter was in remission in Jackson's case, and both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he uses for his condition further lighten his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.^[49] The structure of his face changed as well; several surgeons have speculated that Jackson had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips and a cheekbone surgery.^[50] Changes to his face were, in part, due to periods of significant weight loss.^[15] Jackson lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body".^[51] Witnesses reported that Jackson was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem for the singer later in life.^[52] Some medical professionals have publicly stated their belief that the singer had body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the sufferer has no concept of how they are perceived by others.^[49]

"Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, becauseyou're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, 'I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight,' people would say, 'Oh, man, that Michael Jackson isnuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth.'"^[53]

—Michael Jackson

With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.^[54] Bad had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a substantial commercial success. In the US, it spawned seven hit singles, five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, more than any other album.^[55] As of 2008, the album sold 30 million copies worldwide, including eight million shipments in the US.^[56][57]

Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era.

The Bad World Tour began on September 12, 1987, and finished on January 14, 1989.^[58] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.^[59] Jackson broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to a total audience of 4.4 million people, and gained a furtherGuinness World Record when the tour grossed him $125 million. During the trip he invited underprivileged children to watch for free and gave donations to hospitals, orphanages and other charities.^[58]

In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moon Walk, which took four years to complete. Jackson told of his childhood, his experience inThe Jackson 5 and the abuse he suffered as a child.^[60] He also spoke of his plastic surgery, saying he had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin.^[51] In the book, he attributed the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetariandiet, a change in hair style and stage lighting.^[51] Moonwalk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.^[61] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage, music videos, and a feature film that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. Moonwalkerdebuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.^[62]

In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. The 2,700-acre (11 km²) property had Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, the property was valued at approximately $100 million.^[12][63] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.^[64] Shortly afterward, Jackson became the first Westerner to appear in a television advert for Russia.^[62]

Jackson's success resulted in his being dubbed the "King of Pop", a nickname conceived by actress and friend Elizabeth Taylor when she presented Jackson with an "Artist of the Decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul".^[65][66] President George H. W. Bush presented the singer with The White House's special "Artist of the Decade" award in recognition of Jackson's musical influence in the 1980s; Bush commended Jackson for acquiring a "tremendous following" among other achievements.^[67] From 1985 to 1990, Jackson donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.^[68][69]

Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr. 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.^[62]

1991–1993: Dangerous and Super Bowl XXVII

In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million; a record breaking deal at the time.^[63] Jackson released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008,Dangerous has shipped 7 million copies in the US and has sold 32 million copies worldwide; it is the most successful New Jack Swing album of all time.^[56][70][71] In the US, the album's first single "Black or White" was the album's biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.^[72]The album's second single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the top five in the US, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.^[73] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a wheelchair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.^[74] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at two in 1992.^[73]

Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch, to go on theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property after he purchased it. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease. The Dangerous World Tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the "Heal the World Foundation", raising millions of dollars in relief.^[73][75] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.^[76] Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.^[77][78]

In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.^[79] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable reception of more than 100,000 people in "spiritual bedlam", some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael".^[79] In his trip to the Ivory Coast, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.^[79] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.^[79]

One of Jackson's most acclaimed performances came during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. As the performances began, Jackson was catapulted onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvass, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for several minutes while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and began to sing and dance. His routine included four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135 million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.^[6]

Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.^[73]

1993–1994: Sexual abuse accusations and marriage

Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson

Jackson gave a 90-minute interview with Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his first television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied previous tabloid rumors that he bought the bones of the Elephant Man or slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The entertainer went on to dispel suggestions that he bleached his skin, admitting for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by 90 million Americans, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in US history. It also started a public debate on the topic of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition before then. Dangerous re-entered the album chart top 10, more than a year after its original release.^[6][7][73]

Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old child named Jordan Chandler and his father Evan Chandler.^[80] The friendship between Jackson and Evan Chandler broke down. Sometime afterward, Evan Chandler was tape-recorded saying amongst other things, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever...Michael's career will be over".^[81] A year after they had met, under the influence of a controversial sedative, Jordan Chandler told his father that Jackson had touched his penis.^[82] Evan Chandler and Jackson, represented by their legal teams, then engaged in unsuccessful negotiations to resolve the issue in a financial settlement; the negotiations were initiated by Chandler but Jackson did make several counter offers. Jordan Chandler then told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.^[83]

An official investigation began, with Jordan Chandler's mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched; multiple children and family members denied that he was a pedophile.^[83] Jackson's image took a further turn for the worse when his older sister La Toya Jackson accused him of being a pedophile, a statement she later retracted.^[84] Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted at his ranch. The search was required to see if a description provided by Jordan Chandler was accurate. Doctors concluded that there were some strong similarities, but it was not a definitive match.^[84] Jackson made an emotional public statement on the events; he proclaimed his innocence, criticized what he perceived as biased media coverage and told of his strip search.^[80]

Jackson began taking painkillers, Valium, Xanax and Ativan to deal with the stress of the allegations made against him. By the fall of 1993, Jackson was addicted to the drugs.^[85] His health deteriorated to the extent that he canceled the remainder of the Dangerous World Tour and went into drug rehabilitation for a few months.^[86] The stress of the allegations also caused Jackson to stop eating, losing a significant amount of weight.^[87] With his health in decline, Jackson's friends and legal advisers took over his defense and finances; they called on him to settle the allegations out of court, believing that he could not endure a lengthy trial.^[86][87]

Tabloid reaction to the allegations put Jackson in an unfavorable light.^[88] Complaints about the coverage and media included everything from bias against Jackson, accepting stories of alleged criminal activity for money to accepting confidential leaked material from the police investigation in return for money paid.^[89] On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandler family and their legal team out of court, in a civil lawsuit for $22 million. After the settlement Jordan Chandler refused to continue with Police criminal proceedings. Jackson was never charged, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.^[90]

Later that year, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975 during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.^[88] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Lisa Marie for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.^[85] Lisa Marie explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."^[91] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.^[85] Shortly afterward, she tried to persuade Jackson to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover—he subsequently did both.^[85]Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?".^[85] Presley and Jackson married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy; the parties denied they had been married for nearly two months.^[92] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".^[93] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image in light of prior sexual abuse allegations.^[92] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.^[94]

1995–1999: HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood

One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Europe to promote HIStory. The statue illustrates the singer's flamboyant clothing and hair style, influenced by military imagery.

In 1995, Jackson merged his Northern Songs catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.^[43][95] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits — HIStory Vol. I in 2001, the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.^[96] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.^[72][97]HIStory received a Grammy nomination for best album.^[98]

The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, sung and performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".^[98] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[64] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".^[98] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack.^[99] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.^[98]

The HIStory World Tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited 5 continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures; he has not toured the world since.^[58] During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatologist nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe, with whom he fathered a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (also known as "Prince"), and a daughter, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson.^[94][100] The pair first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.^[101] Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.^[102] After the couple divorced in 1999, with Rowe giving full custody rights of the children to Jackson, they remained friends.^[103]

In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it one of the best selling remix albums ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.^[104][105] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.^[56][98] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.^[63]

Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization Warchild, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.^[106] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman,Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.^[107]

2000–2002: Label dispute, Invincible and third child

In 2000, Jackson was listed in the book of Guinness World Records for his support of 39 charities, more than any other entertainer or personality.^[108] At the time, Jackson was waiting for the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert back to him; this allowed him to promote his old material how he liked and prevented Sony from getting a cut of the profit. Jackson expected this to occur early in the new millennium, however, due to the fine print and various clauses in the contract, this revert date is still many years away. Jackson began an investigation, and it emerged that the attorney who represented the singer in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest.^[105] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their music catalog venture. If Jackson's career or financial situation were to deteriorate, he would have to sell his catalog. Thus, Sony had something to gain from Jackson's career failing.^[109] Jackson was able to use these conflicts as leverage to exit his contract early.^[105] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.^[105] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.^[105] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".^[110] Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote Invincible with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the US.^[111]

Six years after his last studio album and after spending much of the late 1990s to early millennium out of the public eye, Jackson released Invincible in October 2001 to much anticipation. To help promote the album, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.^[112] The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, and Slash, among other artists.^[27] In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.^[109]Invincible was a commercial success, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 10 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.^{[56][72][109]} However, the sales for Invincible were notably low compared to his previous releases, due in part to a diminishing pop music industry, the lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute.^[109] The album spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter did not have a music video.

Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (also known as Blanket) was born in 2002.^[113] The mother's identity has not been released by Jackson, but he has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells.^[103] In November of that year, Jackson brought his new born son onto the balcony of his hotel room inBerlin, as fans stood below. Holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face, Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".^[114]

2003–2007: Documentary, trial and business ventures

In 2003, Sony put out a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album peaked at number 13 and was certified platinum by the RIAA, in the UK it was certified for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.^[56][115] In a Granada Television documentary titled Living with Michael Jackson, the singer was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, who would later accuse him of child sexual abuse.^[116] In the same documentary Jackson was observed spending large amounts of money in an apparently frivolous manner, when he spent $6 million in a single store.^[63] Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child sexual abuse and two counts ofadministering an intoxicating agent in order to commit that felony; all charges regarded the same boy, Gavin Arvizo, who was under 14 at the time of the alleged crime.^[116]

Fans showing their support for Jackson after the entertainer is accused of child molestation in 2003

Jackson denied the sexual abuse allegations, saying that the sleepovers were in no way sexual in nature. Jackson's friend Elizabeth Taylordefended him on Larry King Live, saying that she had been there when they "were in the bed, watching television. There was nothing abnormal about it. There was no touchy-feely going on. We laughed like children and we watched a lot of Walt Disney. There was nothing odd about it."^[117]During the investigation, Jackson's profile was examined by mental health professional Dr. Stan Katz; the doctor spent several hours with the accuser too. The assessment made by Katz, was that Jackson had become a regressed 10-year-old and did not fit the profile of a pedophile.^[118]

The People v. Jackson trial began in Santa Maria, California, two years after Jackson was originally charged. During this period the singer became dependent on morphine and Demerol, a dependency which he subsequently overcame. He also suffered from stress-related illnesses and severe weight loss, that would alter his appearance. The trial lasted five months, until the end of May 2005, he was acquitted on all counts.^{[119][120][121]}Jackson then relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.^[122]

Sony BMG released Visionary: The Video Singles to the European market: a series of 20 of his biggest hit singles of the 1980s and 1990s. Each single was issued weekly over a five-month period in DualDisc format (DVD video on one side, CD audio on the other), and the whole group of discs was made available as a boxed set afterward.^[123] The box set was released in the US on November 14, 2006.^[124]

Reports of financial problems for Jackson became frequent in 2006 after the closure of the main house on the Neverland Ranch as a cost-cutting measure.^[125] One prominent financial issue for him concerned a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings. After delayed repayments on the loan, a refinancing package shifted the loans from Bank of America to debt specialists Fortress Investments. A new package proposed by Sony would have had Jackson borrow an additional $300 million and reduce the interest rate payable on the loan, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).^[95] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although details were not made public.^[126] Despite these loans, according to Forbes, Jackson was still making as much as $75 million a year from his publishing partnership with Sony alone.^[127]

One of Jackson's first documented public appearances since his trial was in November 2006, when he visited the London office of the Guinness World Records. He received eight records, among them "First Entertainer to Earn More Than 100 Million Dollars in a Year" and "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time".^[64] Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards.^[72] Following the death of James Brown, Jackson returned to the US to pay his respects. He, along with more than 8,000 people, paid tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006.^[128] In late 2006, Jackson agreed to share joint custody of his first two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe.^[129] Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom in 2007. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.^[130]

I've been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old... As Charles Dickens says, "It's been the best of times, the worst of times." But I would not change my career... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.^[131]

—Michael Jackson

2008–2009: Milestones, real estate, planned return to live performance

Neverland Ranch was Jackson's permanent residency from 1988 to 2005. Pictured is an aerial shot of the theme park area of the property.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Thriller, Jackson issued Thriller 25, comprised of original material from the album, re-mixes, the previously unreleased song "For All Time" and a DVD. Two singles were released to moderate success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008". Thriller 25 was a commercial success, having done particularly well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe. It reached number two in the US, number three in the UK and top 10 on over 30 national charts.^{[132][133][134]} It was ineligible for theBillboard 200 chart as a re-release, but entered atop the Pop Catalog chart, where it stayed for 11 non-consecutive weeks and had the best sales on that chart since December 1996.^{[135][136][137]} In 12 weeks Thriller 25 sold over three million copies worldwide.^[138] As of November 2008, US sales ofThriller 25 stood at 688,000 copies, making it the best-selling catalog album of 2008.^[137]

To celebrate Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a compilation album called King of Pop in various countries. These albums included tracks from Jackson's group and solo career, all voted for by fans. The albums had different tracklists, according to how the fans of each nation voted.^[139][140] Although it was not released in the US, King of Pop did reach the top 10 in the vast majority of countries it was issued in. It also charted in other countries, albeit lower, from imported sales.^[141][142]

Fortress considered a foreclosure sale of Neverland Ranch to service a loan Jackson owed on the property, but ultimately sold the loan to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred the title of Neverland Ranch to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC. Jackson still owns an unknown stake in the property—Sycamore Valley Ranch is a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC—the loan Jackson owed was cleared, he acquired $35 million in the venture.^{[143][144][145]}

Prior to his death, Jackson had been scheduled to perform 50 sold-out concerts to over one million people, at London's O₂ arena, from July 13, 2009 to March 6, 2010. During a publicity press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.^[146] Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live, had stated that the first 10 dates alone would have earned the singer approximately £50 million.^[147]

The above is sourced from wikipedia,

Michael had an intriguing life, he held many sold out concerts, and touched many fans emotionally, with both heartfelt lyrics, and in the way he helped others, from what I understand not only did he lead an interesting lifestyle, he also donated to many charities