So we had two significant deaths today. One was long expected, the other was quite unexpected.
Farrah Fawcett died at approximate 9:20am Pacific times this morning. She had been struggling with cancer for several years. This is very sad. I am a member of the generation of young guys who were utterly obsessed with Farrah. Me and all my friends had the famous poster, which is officially the biggest selling poster in the history of the game.
I can confirm that the reports of her popularity are not an exaggeration. She was that popular. Maybe even more than suggested. I was not as enamored of her as were some of my friends, but I was also enamored. Naturally, I am very sorry to hear this news. It is good that her suffering has ended though. May she rest in peace.
The most surprising thing was the type of cancer. It was not colon cancer as some have reported, but a much more rare form of cancer called anal cancer. I personally never heard of this type of cancer and have a difficult time understanding how this can be fatal. Nevertheless, it was fatal.
Second, Michael Jackson died today. Evidently, he was found unconscious and not breathing at 12:21pm. Evidently, he suffered sudden cardiac arrest. The LAFD paramedics were summoned to his rental home in Bel Air California. They arrived by 12:26pm. They performed CPR, but he was non-responsive. Nobody knows how long he was down before he was discovered. He was rushed to my Alma mater, UCLA just 2.5 miles away. He was in a deep coma, and did not respond to treatment. Doctors pronounced him dead.
L.A. Law Enforcement has confirmed his death. The County Coroner's office has confirmed his death. The Jackson's family attorney, stopped short of confirming the death, but he walked right up to the fact and dropped it.
It was apparently not congestive heart failure, but sudden cardiac arrest. Medically, the difference is pretty clear cut. Congestive heart failure describes a process where the veins and arteries of leading to the heart become clogged by cholesterol build up. Eventually the heart cannot function because of congestive blockage. Sudden cardiac arrest is usually a consequence of electrical nervous system failures. Electrical signals from the brain to the heart become erratic, or are cut off entirely.
The Jackson family attorney believes his death is a consequence of abuse of prescription medications. There is another fact that must be considered. We know Michael Jackson was a plastic surgery addict, although he could never admit to this fact. Rumors say that he had more than 40 confirmed plastic surgeries. I would not be surprised to discover that the actual number is higher.
The human body was never intended to be cut upon in this fashion. The first vow of the Hippocratic oath says "Do no harm". You should never cut into a healthy human body for any reason. To be put under anesthesia 40 some times and surgically altered is horrendous to say the least. There must be health consequences stemming from this number of surgeries.
To be perfectly frank with you, I was never a fan. Never liked the guy. I could never see what you guys saw in this guy. As you know from my last blog, I am no fan of pop music. Metal is my thing. I remember being tremendously annoyed by the dominance of Michael Jackson on MTV during my last year in High School. I had (have) a Michael Jackson joke list you probably would not appreciate at this moment. Still, I did not wish the man dead. I regret this news. My condolences.
