ÿþ<html> <head> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>OnlineColumnist®.com: Duke's Damage Control</title> <meta name="generator" content="Adobe GoLive 4"> <style type="text/css"> .style2 { font-size: x-large; } .style3 { text-align: left; } .style4 { font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline; } .style6 { font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold; } </style> </head> <body bgcolor="white" vlink="black"> <center> <table cool width="624" height="2719" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" gridx="16" showgridx gridy="16" showgridy> <tr height="79"> <td width="116" height="118" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="110" width="62" src="images/discobolos.logo.transp.gif" border="0"></a></td> <td width="24" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="465" height="79" colspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="140"><img height="75" width="450" src="images/banner.GIF"></td> <td width="18" height="118" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="79"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="79"></td> </tr> <tr height="39"> <td width="182" height="39"></td> <td width="283" height="39" valign="top" align="left" xpos="322"><a href="aboutdiscobolos.html"><img height="14" width="267" src="images/divisionofNEW.GIF" border="0"></a></td> <td width="1" height="39"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="39"></td> </tr> <tr height="26"> <td width="624" height="26" colspan="6" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="black" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td> <table border="0" width="100%" bgcolor="#99ffcc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="4"> <tr> <td align="center"> <div align="left"> <a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> HOME</strong></font></a><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> &#8226; <a href="articlesindex.html">ARTICLES</a> &#8226; <a href="books.html">BOOKS</a> &#8226; <a href="teflon.html"> THE </a><a href="teflon.html">TEFLON</a><a href="teflon.html"> REPORT</a> &#8226; <a href="mailto:letters@onlinecolumnist.com"> REACTIONS</a> &#8226; <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">ABOUT DISCOBOLOS</a></strong></font></div> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <tr height="1"> <td width="116" height="2574" rowspan="2" valign="top" align="left" xpos="0"><img height="172" width="111" src="images/johninframe3.jpg"></td> <td width="489" height="1" colspan="3"></td> <td width="18" height="2574" rowspan="2"></td> <td width="1" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> <tr height="2573"> <td width="489" height="2573" colspan="3" align="left" xpos="116" content valign="top" csheight="2573"> <font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="5"><b> <br /> Michael&#39;s End</b></font><p><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><b> by John M. Curtis<br> (310) 204-8700</b><br> </font></p> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular"><i>Copyright June 25, 2009<br> All Rights Reserved.</i></font></p> <p><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="style2">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span><span class="style6">S</span>hocking the entertainment world, 50-year-old  King of Pop music legend Michael Jackson died at 12:21 p.m. of  cardiac arrest most likely at his posh Westside Holmby Hills rented mansion before Los Angeles County paramedics attempted emergency resuscitation en route to UCLA-Ronald Reagan Medical Center.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Initial reports indicate he was non-responsive both in the ambulance and in the ER where a team of cardiologists and emergency medicine specialists futilely attempted revival.  It is believed he suffered a cardiac arrest in his home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>However, the cause of his death is unknown until results of the autopsy are known, said his brother Jermaine in a prepared statement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Los Angeles Police indicated they were investigating, red flags popped up, prompting speculation that something other than  heart attack caused his death, possibly a drug overdose. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Calling his death  cardiac arrest should have alerted suspicious minds that something else caused his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>His non-responsiveness to CPR points toward a drug overdose, analogous to the fate of supermodel Anna Nicole Smith who died suddenly in the Bahamas Feb. 8, 2007 of an  inadvertent overdose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> 50 year-old male not breathing at all, read the paramedic dispatch, hinting why Michael was non-responsive to CPR and  heroic measures by paramedics and emergency medical personnel who would have (a) injected his heart with adrenalin and (b) inserted a breathing tube.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>An unidentified UCLA source revealed that Jackson s aides told paramedics he collapsed after taking an injection of Demerol, a synthetic form of the powerful narcotic painkiller morphine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> Shortly after taking the Demerol, he started to experience shallow breathing, said the unnamed source.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Demerol and morphine carry the dangerous and potentially fatal risk of respiratory arrest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While it s true that the heart eventually stops, it s respiratory arrest that causes death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Michael s inability to respond to life-saving medical procedures suggests that something impeded his response:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>A drug overdose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped, said the source, following the exact pattern of respiratory failure directly related to a narcotics overdose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Suggesting  cardiac arrest or  heart attack in a 50-year-old conditioned dancer who just completed a rigorous workout at the Staples Center the night before doesn t make sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>While a  heart attack is certainly possible, it s not probable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>A coroner s autopsy today will reveal the condition of Michael s coronary arteries and presence, if any, of a blood clot causing a heart failure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;<![endif]><span style="mso-tab-count:1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; </span>Other medical explanations for Sudden Cardiac Death Syndrome include the far less likely ventricular arrhythmia caused by an electrical conduction problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> The call came in because the person was not breathing, said a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Fire Dept., clearly indicating that no heart attack took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Like in the Anna Nicole Smith case, the simple and more plausible explanation of a drug overdose was overlooked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>When Hollywood s glamour queen Marilyn Monroe overdosed and died Aug. 5, 1962, the tabloids went crazy, and still do, with a host of conspiracy theories suggesting the she was murdered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Forget about credible reports by personal friends and medical personnel that indicated the 36-year-old actress abused alcohol and various sleep and anti-anxiety drugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Death comes to those in the fast lane more quickly when they abuse alcohol and drugs.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <![endif]>Michael Jackson s death strikes a painful blow to the global community where he became an icon of creative genius and all that s possible in a world too plagued with poverty and consumed by racial, ethnic, religious and economic strife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Michael bridged the gap and made everyone rich who listened to his music and watched his spectacular performances. Starting out at age 11 in 1969 as leader singer in the Jackson 5, Michael matured into America s most dynamic entertainer, whose musical compositions, choreography and stagecraft took showmanship to new heights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Despite his growing obsession with plastic surgery, Michael broke all music industry records with his 1982 album  Thriller, selling more than 50 million copies, almost single-handedly launching the music-video industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span> His dazzling Feb 1, 1993 halftime performance at Super Bowl XXVII guaranteed his immortality. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <![if !supportEmptyParas]>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <![endif]>Shortly after the fireworks ended for Super Bowl XXVII, Jackson was accused in 1993 of child sexual abuse by the father of 13-year-old Jordan Chandler, eventually settling out of court for an unconfirmed $20 million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Following series of bad marriages, Jackson grew more reclusive, retreating to his Neverland Ranch in Santa Barbara County, where he created a type of Disneyland/San Diego Zoo with amusement park rides and wild animals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Though he continued to tour and launch successful records and music videos in the 1990s, Jackson was again accused by 14 year-old Gavin Arviso and tried on seven counts of child abuse in 2005, eventually acquittal in 2006.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>Since then, he lived in virtual seclusion, hoping recently to re-launch his career in London and reverse an estimated $400 million in debt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </span>One drug too many most likely ended the life of America s greatest showman.</p> <p class="style3"> &nbsp;<span class="style4">About the Author</span></p> <p class="style3"> &nbsp;<b>John M. Curtis</b> writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.&nbsp; He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of <a href="books.html">Dodging The Bullet </a>and <a href="books.htnl">Operation Charisma</a>.</p> </td> <td width="1" height="2573"><spacer type="block" width="1" height="2573"></td> </tr> <tr height="1" cntrlrow> <td width="116" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="116" height="1"></td> <td width="24" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="24" height="1"></td> <td width="182" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="182" height="1"></td> <td width="283" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="283" height="1"></td> <td width="18" height="1"><spacer type="block" width="18" height="1"></td> <td width="1" height="1"></td> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="2" width="597"> <tr> <td><font size="1" face="Arial,Geneva,Helvetica"> <hr noshade size="1"> </font><a href="index.html"><font face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular" size="2"><strong> Homene.net" target="_blank"><img height="30" width="138" src="images/cmelogoANIM.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle"></a></font></p> </div> <p><font size="2" face="Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular">&copy;1999-2002 <a href="aboutdiscobolos.html">Discobolos Consulting Services, Inc.</a><br> (310) 204-8300<br> All Rights Reserved. </font></td> </tr> </table> </center> </body> </html>