Michael Jackson, 1958-2009

Michael Jackson Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50. One of the world's most recognizable entertainers, Jackson is best known for the groundbreaking Thriller. His incalculable musical legacy lives on.

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Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgradenewest version

Upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium. Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, rewind, and record TV. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium. Do you use your PC for work, run Windows XP programs, or require enhanced security? Consider Windows 7 Professional.

Windows 7 is designed to make your PC simpler–to be more reliable, more responsive and to make the things you do every day on your PC easier.

Upgrade to Windows 7

All editions of Windows XP and Windows Vista qualify you to upgrade.

1. Choose your edition of Windows 7
Explore key features and choose the edition that’s best for you. Be sure to check the expanded list of extended features in Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, and Windows 7 Ultimate. System requirements vary for each edition of Windows 7 because some features might require special hardware.

2. See if your PC has what it takes to run Windows 7
In general, if your PC can run Windows Vista it can run Windows 7. To make sure, download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to do a quick check. If you want certain features, such as HomeGroup or Windows Media Center, check to see if your PC has the hardware that’s needed.

3. Check which operating system your PC is currently running
How you make the move to Windows 7 depends on your current operating system.

  • Windows Vista
    The transition to Windows 7 should be pretty smooth, although you may need to update your system to the latest service pack first.
  • Windows XP (or any other operating system)
    We recommend that you experience Windows 7 on a new PC. While we don’t recommend it, you can opt to upgrade your current PC from Windows XP or another operating system to Windows 7. We recommend that you get help with this process from your local computer service provider. You’ll need to back up your current files and settings, perform a custom (clean) installation, and then reinstall your files, settings, and programs.

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Corelle Livingware 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4, Hot Dots

Corelle Livingware 16-Piece Dinnerware Set, Service for 4, Hot Dots

Give the kitchen table an urban edge with this bold and playful 16-piece tableware set from Livingware by Corelle. An assortment of brightly colored polka dots decorates the set’s plates and mugs, jumping out from a stark white backdrop. The dishes not only feature modern artistry, but also modern construction for durability through years of heavy use. With service for four, each setting includes a 10-3/4-inch dinner plate, a 6-3/4-inch bread-and-butter plate, an 18-ounce soup or cereal bowl, and an 11-ounce stoneware mug.

To construct Livingware tableware, Corelle thermally compresses three layers of glass, producing a vitrelle glass composition that is lighter than other dishware, but more durable than conventional glass. The tableware resists cracks and chips with great success, while the lamination compression process combats stains, scratches, and fading. The user-friendly plates and bowls are dishwasher- and microwave- safe and warm food in conventional ovens up to 350 degrees F. The mugs, however, find safe use in the microwave only. For the best care, avoid soaking stoneware mugs for prolonged periods of time. Corelle discourages the use of abrasives or scouring on these pieces. Users benefit from the three-year limited warranty against vitrelle breaks and chips. This set weighs 10.9 pounds upon shipping. –Jessica Reuling

What’s In the Box
4 place settings. Each place setting consists of: 10-3/4-inch dinner plate; 6-3/4-inch bread-and-butter plate; 18-ounce soup bowl; 11-ounce mug. 16 pieces total.

Razor A Kick Scooter

Razor A Kick Scooter

The original kick scooter, the Razor A is a handy little ride for kids and teens alike. Though it’ll never replace the internal combustion engine, the scooter will get your child from point A to point B much quicker than on foot alone, and requires just a few scoots of one’s shoes in the process. Plus, it’s a blast to use, as your progeny will likely attest.

The Razor A is built of aircraft-grade aluminum, a sturdy material that holds up to use and abuse through the years. Its T-tube and deck, meanwhile, fold up into a compact footprint, so riders can fit the scooter inside a bag or carry it at their side when riding isn’t appropriate (it weighs around 6 pounds). And thanks to the 98mm inline-style urethane wheels, ABEC 5 bearings, and patented rear fender brake, riders will always feel smooth and in control when kicking along the sidewalk.

Recommended for ages 5 and older, the Razor A will support a rider up to 143 pounds. It’s also backed by a six-month warranty. For the next step up, try the Razor A2 Scooter.

Live Butterfly Garden

Live Butterfly GardenWitness one of nature’s most spectacular transformations up close with this reusable, collapsible habitat. Fine, transparent mesh lets you see butterfly metamorphosis up close. Product includes easy-to-use feeder and complete instructions for habitat. Butterfly larvae with food shipped directly to your home. The habitat collapses for storage when not in use. You can adopt and raise a handful of caterpillars, watch them transform into painted lady butterflies, then lift the garden cover to release your beautiful specimens into the wild. This exciting habitat makes a fabulous introduction to the miracles of nature. The larvae and food available round the year.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

So fun I Bought My Own!, November 13, 2000

I bought one of these last year for my nieces. I also got one for me, and I’m in my 30’s. I waited until the spring time to send in my caterpillar certificate. They came in their own little container with just enough food. So you don’t need to feed them anything. I tried to put some real food such as leaves from the plants they like to eat in the wild, but they preferred the food that came with them. I think I received 6 caterpillars and they all turned into butterflies. I let them go a day or two after they emerged. Kids are completely fascinated by the process from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. One word of caution, it may not be the best thing to get for Christmas since you may have to wait until spring to get your caterpillars. They will send them in the winter, but I didn’t want the butterflies to die on me or freeze to death if I let them go.

Michael Jackson – Video Greatest Hits – HIStory (1995)

Michael Jackson - Video Greatest Hits - HIStoryMost Helpful Customer Reviews

I never liked Michael Jackson’s music, but like most people, I grew up with him and his music anyway. I recognize all of his hits before “HIStory”. And yes, he was an excellent performer. Although the music as such doesn’t move me, his dancing, show performance and general attitude in the music videos sure does. As a kid, I once called him “Jesse Jackson”, and occasionally confused him with Prince! But yes, I soon learned to tell the difference. (They are, of course, obvious.)

There were few commercial pop shows on Swedish television during the 1980’s, probably because the channels were public service and quite simply didn’t like commercial music. Despite this, they did show “Thriller”, the entire video (or short movie)! Not even quasi-socialist Swedish TV could turn down MJ. Today, they definitely can’t say no. Half of the Swedish national news broadcast on June 26 was devoted to Michael Jackson, his career, and his untimely death. A Jacko special was shown later in the evening.

Jackson was known even in Eastern Europe. I remember discussing some of Jacko’s stranger habits with a couple of people from Czechoslovakia. He was supposedly sleeping in a transparent air tank to keep himself perpetually young (probably a PR gimmick). Imagine debating such stuff with people in God-forsaken places! So yes, whatever Michael Jackson might have been besides, he was clearly the King of Pop.

As for the sexual abuse cases, I believe he was innocent. Most people do. Frankly, I feel sorry for the guy. 50 years is not a good time to die.

RIP, Michael Jackson, wherever you are, and thanks for the show…

Farrah Fawcett moments

Farrah Fawcett - Red Swimsuit Poster - 1976 - 20 x 28 Farrah Fawcett (February 2, 1947– June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she first appeared as private investigator Jill Munroe in the TV series Charlie’s Angels in 1976. Fawcett later appeared off-Broadway to the approval of critics and in highly rated television movies in roles often challenging (The Burning Bed, Nazi Hunter: The Beate Klarsfeld Story, Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story, Margaret Bourke-White) and sometimes unsympathetic (Small Sacrifices).

Fawcett was also a pop culture figure whose hairstyle was emulated by millions of young women and whose poster sales broke records, making her an international sex symbol in the 1970s and 1980s. She died of anal cancer on June 25, 2009, at 9:18 A.M. She was 62.

(from wikipedia)

Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Michael Jackson 25th Anniversary of Thriller Most Helpful Customer Reviews

The Citizen Kane of pop, June 25, 2009

I woke up from a nap and there were three text messages on my phone. Nobody ever texts me, so I knew it must have been big news. I thought there was a fire or something. Turned out, Michael Jackson is dead. I was startled, to say the least, because MJ never seemed like the kind of person that could, you know, die. To be honest, he never really registered in my consciousness as being a person; Michael Jackson was the androgynous sexual panic of “Billie Jean,” the breathless seduction of “P.Y.T.,” the thrilling kitsch of “Thriller,” the chattering afro-popisms of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” The idea that he had a human body, one that needed food and air and sleep, never really clicked in my mind. But then again, I guess that’s to be expected. I mean, how can a mere human being really be thought to be capable of creating something as monstrous, as mechanical, as all-encompassing, and as awesome as Thriller? This kid wasn’t the king of pop; he was the whole damn kingdom. And we, the audience, are not his loyal subjects; we’re just reading the travel brochures.

The point is, Thriller is one of the greatest moments in the history of pure pop. Which is to say, it’s plastic, mass-produced, jugular-grabbingly commercial, and completely unconcerned with originality, artistic merit, or honesty. And goshdarnit, I wouldn’t have it any other way! With songs and performances as irresistible and ecstatic as the ones found here, artfulness will only get in the way. Because when you have a song as swooping, as ethereal, as hypnotic, and as unashamedly romantic as “Baby Be Mine,” there’s really no need to question its validity. Just let those labyrinthine keyboards and yearning vocals carry you away to a shiny place. And when “Beat It” comes roaring out of the gates, it does so with such force and brutal eloquence that you completely forget how absurd it is for Michael Jackson to take on the role of a street-smart hoodlum. As a vision of ghetto reality, it’s a nonsensical failure; but the important thing to remember is that, on a purely visceral level, it SOUNDS more convincing and more immediate than its more authentic counterparts.

And then there’s “Billie Jean,” whose lyrics are either shockingly amoral or completely uneventful, but which still manages to be one of the most magical, irresistible, and emotionally charged moments in the history of music. And if we found ourselves getting annoyed by the idea of having to root for a child-abandoning father, then we can just remind ourselves that it’s only a pop album. An stunning pop album, to be precise.

Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection [BOX SET]

Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Great Collection of Hits and Unreleased Songs!!!, November 19, 2004

I bought this the day it came out as I counldn’t wait to hear the unreleased tracks. I was dying to hear Sunset Driver and the P.Y.T. demo. I was NOT dissapointed at all. Sunset Driver is an excellent song. I think it was meant to be put on Off The Wall but the booklet says it was recorded for Thriller. Anyways, I dont know why the song was never put on an album, maybe Michael was just being too picky. Other notable songs on disc one are “You Can’t Win”. I was glad to hear they had the long version with “Can’t Get Outta The Rain” on it. The “Shake Your Body” demo is very similar to the final cut version. Disc two has the demo of “P.Y.T”. I was looking forward to hear. It is mid-tempo, I guess Quincy Jones wanted something faster for the album. I really like this demo a lot. It is very catchy for a demo. As far as the rest of the boxed set, all the hits are there. My only complaints are that “Human Nature” wasn’t put on. And as for unreleased tracks, where is “Hot Street”? Put Hot Street and Sunset Driver on the cd and you got two excellent unreleased dance tracks. “Carousel” is also another track from thriller that is very good but was unreleased. Wish that was on there as well. The dvd concert is good but I would rather see a concert from the “Victory Tour” in 1984 or even the “Bad Tour”. The unreleased material on disc’s 3 and 4 are O-kay. I just feel that MJ’s best music was from Off The Wall and the Thriller era so I just wanted to hear as much from that era than anything else. This boxed set is definitely worth the money.

Bad [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SPECIAL EDITION]

Bad Most Helpful Customer Reviews

A Very Good Album And I Even Like it Better Than “Thriller!”, December 4, 2005

I know some of you are going to say it’s just plain sacrilegious but hey, just because everybody jumps into the lake…. “Thriller” is a great album with great tracks and because of a variety of fortunate reasons e.g. timeliness, MTV etc, has become the biggest selling album of all-time but that doesn’t mean that everything else that MJ comes up with later that doesn’t sell as much is crap.

In fact, this is the album when MJ’s weirdness first became pretty obvious. “Hey! Is that really Michael on the cover?” was my reaction as well but I chose to look beyond the looks and not to judge the book by the cover and just listened to the tunes. Some of my favourite MJ songs ever are on this disc.

“The Way You Make Me Feel” is an MJ classic and clearly among his top 5 ever songs. “Smooth Criminal” was always a great track even before Alien Ant Farm showed us why, “Liberian Girl” and “Man in the Mirror” are also great tracks and the rest of the tracks cannot be called album filler by any stretch of the imagination.

The sound quality of this special edition has also been remastered to near perfection and the bonus interviews and tracks are a real bonus to fans. This album grows on you over time and for me has aged a lot better than “Thriller” has. Maybe I’ve heard “Thriller” too many times but give me a choice between the two if I had to put one of them on the cd player, I’d choose “Bad” any time and if not “Off the Wall” before I’d reach for “Thriller.”

Get over the Wacko Jacko hangup and just judge the cd for the tracks if you can and then you’ll see just how great this album really is. This very well remastered and special edition is very highly recommended.

Off the Wall [EXTRA TRACKS] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [SPECIAL EDITION]

Off the Wall Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Off The Hook!!, October 20, 2001

Michael Jackson’s first solo album as an adult tops many peoples list as his best yet. It’s an incredibly strong and innovative album that set the mold for the greatness to come. This special edition reveals the album as it’s never been heard before.

The clarity of sound presented here is astounding! Especially when you go back and listen to the original release. From the swirling cackles in the title track, to the bass on Burn This Disco Out, to the layered voices in Don’t Stop, the sound enveopes you in it’s crispness and rishness. It’s pure aural candy!

The special edition includes a booklet with 4 new photos (one featuring Paul McCartney), a brick design on the cd itself, and 18 minutes of bonus material including, interviews with Quincy Jones and Rod Temperton and, the best treat, two demo recordings.

Both demo’s run about 4:30 and feature Randy and Janet on rhythm and sound efects. There is a hillarious spat between Randy and Janet at the begenning of the Don’t Stop demo that had me roaring in laughter. These demos really give a sense of the Jackson family as a whole, fun, musically inventive, talented and wanting to help each other out. They also showcase Michael’s strong song writing skills. The rhythms and arrangements are completely fleshed out but the lyrics are barely there. What you can hear of lyrics is very different from the final recordings and seems like MJ made it up as he went along in the song (Is he really singing ‘Keep on with you hot dog’ in Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough?). The demo’s highlight his talent as a rhythm arragner and song builder rather than a lyricist.

On the down side, the interviews aren’t that enlightening and I can’t imagine wanting to listen to them more than once or twice. Also nowhere in the booklet or on the jewel case is the bonus material given track numbers. There are a total of 19 tracks here with an announcer, interviews and demos. A track listing would”ve made it alot easier to find the demo’s later. One final nitpick, I would’ve liked to have seen a picture underneath the cd’s clear tray in the jewel case. Instead all we get is black. Oh well, it hardly detracts from all the great things about this sepcial edition.

If you’re a MJ fan or have an older copy of Off The Wall, then you have to have this for the incredible restoration done, it’s historical value and the insightful demo recordings. For the rest of you, don’t miss out on this strong, innovative, fun and moving album. The sepcial edition is the one to have!

Number Ones (2003)

Number Ones Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Critical review, January 1, 2004

This is going to be the most critical review I will ever do of Michael Jackson. “Number Ones” was Ok, but it could have been so much better.

Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough: A bit better than the video for “Rock With You” but not that great.
*

Rock With You: Basically just Michael singing in front of laser lights.
*

Billie Jean: This is a good one. Michael is being followed by a secret agent, who is trying to prove he slept with “Billie Jean”. Whatever Michael touches lights up. Interesting.
****

Beat It: This is good too, like all the videos (rather, short films) from the album Thriller. Michael is lying on his bed, telling you about these 2 gangs who are out to get him. Then he goes out and unites the 2 gangs, they are all dancing together in the end.
*****

Thriller: This is the original, full-length Thriller. And it’s great, even by today’s standards. Excellent use of all-real special effects (no computers used). Thriller is basically a mock-horror film, lots of zombies and stuff.
*****

Bad: This is not the full-length Bad. I don’t know why, but this DVD shortens/speeds up a lot of Michael’s best short film, and it’s really annoying. Well anyway, even though Bad is short, it’s cool. Great choreography.
***

Michael Jackson – Dangerous: The Short Films (1993)

Michael Jackson - Dangerous: The Short Films Most Helpful Customer Reviews

The best, baby!!!, June 28, 1999

As we all know, Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP! This number-one film was in the Guiness book of World Records as the highest selling music video on ‘94!! Containing never-before-seen footage, behind the scenes action, unreleased videos, and all are full-length. This price is also a bargain. Pick it up even if you’re not a die-hard. It is so worth it!! Dangerous is one of MJ’s greatest albums with some record-breaking fantastic music videos! “The Short Films” contains: The Teaser (you have to see it!!), the controversial full lentgh Black or White (complete with The Simpsons ending and the face morphing and dance sequence), The Superbowl Heal The World performance (excellent), Remember The Time (starring Iman, Eddie Murphy, and Magic Johnson), also has behind the scenes (great dancing!!), Will You Be There, In The Closet (with Naiomi Campbell- the best MJ video ever!!)(with behind the scenes action also,) Gone too Soon, (A tragic remembrance of AIDS victim Ryan White), Jam (a awesome video with Michael Jordan, Kris Kross, and Heavy D.), Heal The World (donate to the foundation! It’s a worthy cause!!), Give In To Me (featuring Slash from Guns n’ Roses), Who Is It (such a great beat!!) and last but not least, concert footage to the Dangerous Tour. This movie is something. You have got to see it. The album is legendary, the beats are ear-piercing and jammin’!! All of these perfect music videos have such a story to tell. Michael Jackson is the KING OF POP!!!!