It's close to mi-i-i-idnight...

So, I've been at school for over twelve hours because of open evening, hence the need for a relatively uncomplicated post here as I'm fairly knackered. The death of Michael Jackson is something that I haven't mentioned here since it happened a little over three months ago, although I've come close to doing an entry about Jackson on more than one occasion. I was a Jackson fan (not one of the huge devotees, but I have a genuine appreciation of his music and own several of his albums) and admit to feeling somewhat strange upon hearing the news one morning in late June this year. I was sad, but not entirely surprised. The man left the world in the fashion in which he'd lived in for a large part of his life - amidst spectacle, speculation and a mixture of devotion and hate from the public. To my mind, he clearly had serious problems for the last few years of his life (at least). But his music was consistently of a high quality. Even Invincible, his last studio album, which received a lukewarm reception, contained examples of R'n'B, hip hop and pop superior to those in the charts at the time. Jackson's influence is undeniable, and not just because that's what all the tribute shows and tabloid articles have told us is the case. It is evident throughout pop culture. Jackson seems to have been remembered for his music rather than the controversy and media circus that surrounded his life during the 21st Century, and for that I am glad.

So, with MJ in mind, here's some of the bollocks that has swept the internet since his passing. First of all, The Telegraph handily rounds up some of the most outlandish conspiracy theories to come about surrounding Jackson's death, with my favourite being that he was assassinated by Ahmadinejad to deflect attention away from the Iranian election.

Of course there are those who believe the King of Pop is still with us as a ghost at the Neverland Ranch. This claim is backed up even further by Jackson's appearance at Neverland again behind his brother during an interview. But hold on. How can Jackson be at Neverland when he's clearly moved to Stafford to enjoy his afterlife?

And just to finish off, my favourite of Weird Al's Michael Jackson parodies, complete with video that pays remarkable attention to detail. Hee hee.