The corporation is set to festoon one billion cans of Pepsi around the world – that's one billion cans – with the singer's unmistakable silhouette. It's a bold move for a company whose most famous association with Jackson is that back in 1984, his hair caught fire filming a commercial for them. Jackson's estate orchestrated his sponsorship resurrection, and a family spokesperson confirmed to the Wall Street Journal Thursday that "more such marketing agreements are planned." Did anyone else just feel that collective shudder of revulsion?

Even dead, Jackson is a massive draw. He's currently the subject of a global Cirque du Soleil tour with the horror movie title "Immortal."  And Pepsi knows that overseas – especially in markets like Asia -- his brand is as ubiquitous and American as well, cola.

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Just hours after the news of the singer's death, Bennett was at a Grammys event in the Beverly Hills Hilton – where Houston died just a few floors above – and said, "First it was Michael Jackson, then there was Amy Winehouse, and now the magnificent Whitney Houston. I’d like to have every gentleman and lady in this room commit themselves to get on government to legalize drugs ... Let's legalize drugs like they did in Amsterdam. No one's hiding or sneaking around corners to get it. They go to a doctor to get it."

Bennett knows plenty about drugs -- and the ravages of addiction. He's been upfront in the past about his own experience with drug abuse and his near fatal 1979 overdose on cocaine. In his 1998 memoir, "The Good Life," he wrote of passing out in a bathtub, an eerie foreshadowing of the discovery of Houston's body in her hotel tub. And on Sunday, he shared a Grammy win with the late Amy Winehouse for a duet on "Body and Soul."

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You got the feeling the whole thing was built around a product endorsement, in this case “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour,” which was mentioned twice and just happens to open in the U.S. right around the time next week’s “Glee” rolls around.

Part of the problem was the lily-white cast. This might be central Ohio, but can we believe there are no African-American males at William McKinley High School? Even when the singing group from the competing private school is on-screen, the only black male face is in the background.

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Right now, Dr. Conrad Murray sits in jail because he couldn't say no to Michael Jackson when Propofol came up in conversation between them. But even doctors who aren't tempted by an enormous monthly retainer and access to one of the world’s biggest celebrities are challenged by the word "no."

American medicine is a business -- but a weird one.  In any other sector of our economy, businesses are determined to give their customers what they want, however they want it. But in medicine, the “have it your way” mind-set doesn’t always jive. First, physicians have a duty to avoid doing harm.  The choice of a drug or test based solely on a patient’s request can undermine that.  Second, as everybody knows, we spend a big slice of our GDP on healthcare. Since the person who has control over expensive tests and the prescription pad is your doctor, there's ever-increasing scrutiny to be responsible stewards of healthcare dollars.

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I live for those times when an album explodes throughout American society as more than a product -- but as a piece of art that speaks to our deepest longings and desires and anxieties. In these Moments, an album becomes so ubiquitous it seems to blast through the windows, to chase you down until it's impossible to ignore it. But you don't want to ignore it, because the songs are holding up a mirror and telling you who we are at that moment in history.

These sorts of Moments can't be denied. They leave an indelible imprint on the collective memory; when we look back at the year or the decade or the generation, there's no arguing that the album had a huge impact on us. It's pop music not just as private joy, but as a unifier, giving us something to share and bond over.

Actually, I should say I loved Massive Music Moments. They don't really happen anymore.

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Michael Jackson speaking out for kids' rights struck his American audiences as a little odd, since it had been less than a decade since the King of Pop settled out of court with the family of a child who accused him of molestation. But he hadn't completely fallen from grace yet: It would still be another year till Michael put his own child's life in danger by dangling him out of a window. It would be the year after that, in 2003, that Michael would be hit with his second child abuse scandal.

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The ruling in the case against Houston cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray came after a six-day preliminary hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor.

Prosecutors concluded their case with testimony from two doctors who said Murray acted outside the standard of medical care when he administered the propofol then failed to provide proper care.

Both witnesses said that even if Jackson had self-administered the final dose of the drug, his death would be a homicide because of Murray's actions.

Murray, 57, has pleaded not guilty, and his attorneys have said he did not give Jackson anything that should have killed him. Murray could face up to four years in prison if tried and convicted.

During the hearing, prosecutors built a timeline of Jackson's final hours and Murray's actions, suggesting the singer died because of Murray's gross negligence.

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Christopher Rogers, chief of forensic medicine for the Los Angeles County coroner, was questioned Tuesday by a lawyer for Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged with causing Jackson's death.

Attorney J. Michael Flanagan suggested Jackson could have swallowed the drug, which is meant to be administered intravenously. While Rogers said that seemed unlikely, he said it would not have made a difference in his finding of homicide because of inadequate care by Murray.

Flanagan's inquiry was the first disclosure of how the defense plans to counter an involuntary manslaughter charge against Murray. The lawyer has suggested Jackson could have injected himself intravenously while Murray was out of the room.

The testimony came during an ongoing preliminary hearing.

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Paramedic Martin Blount testified Thursday he was surprised to see the bottles because Dr. Conrad Murray had told paramedics he hadn't given Jackson any drugs.

He says Murray also produced a hypodermic needle at one point and wanted to use it on the singer. Blount says he and fellow paramedics refused.

He described Murray as frantic and sweating profusely.

The medic is the seventh witness called at a multi-day preliminary hearing after which a judge will determine whether there is enough evidence for Murray to stand trial for involuntary manslaughter.

The Houston-based cardiologist has pleaded not guilty.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The career paramedic dashed into Michael Jackson's bedroom, looked around and listened to a doctor's explanation for why the singer was ostensibly lifeless and came to the conclusion that things didn't add up.

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Joseph Jackson originally filed the suit in federal court, but a judge declined to hear the case and said it should be handled in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The case accuses Dr. Conrad Murray of negligence in administering the anesthetic propofol to Jackson.

It also names Applied Pharmacy Services in Las Vegas, which court records show sold the drug to Murray nearly a month before the singer's death in June 2009. Authorities have said the sale was legal.

Authorities blamed propofol for the 50-year-old pop superstar's death. Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

A phone message for a spokeswoman for Murray's attorney, Miranda Sevcik, was not immediately returned. Applied Pharmacy Services declined comment through a receptionist who would not give her name.

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Jackson children Paris and Prince deny the new album, titled simply "Michael," is the real Jackson. Sony Music insists the vocals are genuine. Perez Hilton reports the company also accuses the kids of being manipulated by their grandmother, Katherine Jackson, who doesn't want the album released.

Which leads one to ask, Why deny the world of some M.J. love? Well, think of it this way. Would you rather listen to the Beatles album "Revolver" or the "Revolver" outtakes included on the Beatles Anthology? Sure, it's fun to listen to the first take of "Tomorrow Never Knows" ... once. There's a reason artists release the songs or versions of songs that they release.

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The show, a $57-million production covering at least 27 North American cities, is being mounted with the Jackson estate under the banner "The legend lives on." It's an extravagant undertaking, more than double the cost of what Cirque du Soleil usually lays out for its already lavish touring productions. There are also plans under way for a permanent Vegas version of the Jackson legend. And it's that legend, in contrast to the real thing, that has been a tidy moneymaker for the Jackson empire of late. At the time of his demise in June of 2009, he was up to what was left of his nose in roughly $400 million of debt. One year later, his estate had generated close to one billion dollars in revenue.

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Entertainment company SEE Virtual Worlds announced today that it will publish "Planet Michael," a video game devoted to the life, music and philanthropic efforts of the King of Pop.

The game will be a massively multiplayer online game (an MMO for those in the know) similar to "Everquest," "Starcraft" and the wildly popular "World of Warcraft," immersing players in a unique and fully interactive environment. A virtual Neverland, "Planet Michael" will be inspired by the scenes of MJ's most beloved music videos, including, rumor has it, an altruistic area based on "Heal the World" and possibly a darker, leather-clad "Bad" land.

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The eBay.com auction of the fantastical 50-by-40-inch painting by Australian artist Brett-Livingstone Strong will launch Wednesday evening, the portrait's owner said Tuesday.

Titled "The Book," the colorful work is reportedly the only painting for which the King of Pop ever posed. It depicts Jackson, clad in a Renaissance-era red velvet jacket, seated amid a sweeping checkerboard floor underneath a magically translucent curtain at his Neverland Ranch.

"I've had it an awful long time," said toy inventor Marty Abrams, who acquired the painting with partner John Gentilly in 1992 from Japanese businessman Hiromichi Saeki as payment on a debt owed to them. "With the positive response to his music and the movie about him after his death, we thought it was a good time to sell it and for the world to see it."

For over 17 years, Abrams kept the painting in storage in a New Jersey warehouse. It was briefly on display at the Dancy-Power Automotive showroom in Harlem after Jackson's death last June. The painting, which also features the fairy character Tinkerbell hovering in the background, is hanging inside Abrams' home in Kings Point, N.Y.

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The King of Pop's estate has signed the biggest recording deal in history: a $200 million guaranteed contract with Sony Music Entertainment for 10 projects over seven years, according to a person familiar with the deal.

The record-breaking contract through 2017 could be worth up to $250 million if certain conditions are met. One of the albums will be of never-before-released Jackson recordings that will come out in November, the person said.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the official announcement is expected later Tuesday.

Future projects may also include a video game, a DVD compilation of videos and a rerelease of "Off the Wall," Jackson's fifth studio album, which first came out in 1979, accompanied by some unreleased material. Before his sudden death in June at age 50, the pop star had wanted to reissue the album, people familiar with the deal said.

One of the projects already counted in the contract was the two-disc album that accompanied "This Is It," the film based on footage of concert rehearsals for what was to have been Jackson's comeback at London's O2 arena.

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Darren Julien of Julien's Auctions says a gilded red velvet sofa that seats nine, a leopard-print chair trimmed with ostrich feathers and a pair of velvet armchairs embroidered with gold eagles are among the offerings.

Jackson intended to use the furnishings during his "This Is It" comeback concert run in London.

Fans can visit a re-creation of the home at Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood casino from June 14 to June 25 before the items are sold at auction.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit two charities: MusiCares, which provides health care and other services for struggling musicians, and Joshua's Heart, which aims to end world hunger.

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On the Net:

http://www.juliensauctions.com/

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The amount includes $10,000 in damages for Rowe's emotional distress that she says she suffered after the interview aired on the television show "Extra."

Rowe sued Rebecca White of Key West, Fla. in July. The suit said the woman falsely claimed in interviews that Rowe was only interested in getting money from the singer's family and wasn't interested in gaining custody of her two children with Jackson.

White never answered the complaint. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge entered a default judgment against her Wednesday.

At one point, Rowe sought a nearly $500,000 judgment but later lowered the figure.

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Dr. Conrad Murray, who practices in Houston, arrived in Los Angeles last weekend and one of his lawyers, Edward Chernoff, plans to join him, spokeswoman Miranda Sevcik said.

"Dr. Murray is in Los Angeles for a dual purpose -- on family business and to be available for law enforcement," Sevcik said. "We're trying to be as cooperative as we can."

There is no official word on when an announcement about any charges might come. David Walgren, the deputy Los Angeles County district attorney handling the case, declined to comment Tuesday.

The district attorney's office has for weeks been working closely with Los Angeles Police Department investigators to build a case against Murray. Two law enforcement officials have told the AP that Murray is likely to be charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's June 25 death from an anesthetic overdose.

The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the case.

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This dark art of handling the talent and dealing with deification is the tie that binds this week's Double Bill, which would be today's release of "This Is It," and its doppelgänger, the 1970 documentary "Elvis: That's the Way It Is."  Obviously, it does not take any particular genius to point out connections between Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. Haunted relationship with parent, incomprehensible musical genius, pet chimps, oh yeah, Lisa Marie, to count off just four of the easiest ones.

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