June 30, 2009 by PT Rothschild.

Michael asked for Diprivan says nutritionist IN GUEST ARTICLE

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid. Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said Tuesday that she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug, Diprivan, which is given intravenously. But a frantic phone call she received from Jackson four days before his death made her fear that he somehow (had) obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep, Lee said.


While in Florida on June 21, Lee was contacted by a member of Jackson’s staff. “He called and was very frantic and said, ..Michael needs to see you right away.’ I said, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I could hear Michael in the background (saying)…, ‘One side of my body is hot, it’s hot, and one side of my body is cold. It’s very cold,’” Lee said. “I said, ..Tell him he needs to go the hospital. I don’t know what’s going on, but he needs to go to the hospital … right away.” “At that point, I knew that somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system,” she said, adding, “He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out.” Jackson did not go to the hospital. He died June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest, his family said. Autopsies have been conducted, but an official cause of death is not expected for several weeks. “I don’t know what happened there. The only thing I can say is he was adamant about this drug,” Lee said.

Following Jackson’s death, allegations emerged that the 50-year-old King of Pop had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants… But Lee said she encountered a man tortured by sleep deprivation and one who expressed opposition to recreational drug use. “He wasn’t looking to get high or feel good and (be) sedated from drugs,” she said. “This was a person who was not on drugs. This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest.” Jackson was rehearsing hard for what would have been his big comeback — his “This Is It” tour, a series of performances that would have strained his aging dancer’s body. Also, pain had been a part of his life since 1984, when his scalp was severely burned during a Pepsi commercial shoot.

Several months ago, Jackson had begun badgering Lee about Diprivan, also known as Propofol, Lee said. It is an intravenous anesthetic drug widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness… It is generally given through an IV needle in the hand. “Patients (who are) given Propofol take less time to regain consciousness than those administered certain other drugs, and they report waking up more clear-headed and refreshed”, said University of Chicago psycho pharmacologist James Zacny. “It has also been implicated in drug abuse, with people using it to “chill out” or to commit suicide”, Zacny said. Accidental deaths linked to abuse have been reported. The powerful drug has a very narrow therapeutic window, meaning it doesn’t take doses much larger than the medically recommended amount to stop a person’s breathing. “An overdose that stops breathing can result in a buildup of carbon dioxide, causing the heart to beat erratically and leading to cardiac arrest”, said Dr. John Dombrowski, a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. “Because it is given intravenously and is not the kind of prescription drug typically available from pharmacists, abuse cases have involved anesthesiologists, nurses and other hospital staffers with easy access to the drug”, Zacny said. In recent months, Lee said, Jackson waved away her warnings about it. “I had an IV and when it hit my vein, I was sleeping. That’s what I want,” Lee said Jackson told her. “I said, ‘Michael, the only problem with you taking this medication’ — and I had a chill in my body and tears in my eyes three months ago — ‘the only problem is you’re going to take it and you’re not going to wake up,” she recalled. According to Lee, Jackson said it had been given to him before but he didn’t want to discuss the circumstances or identify the doctor involved.


The singer also drew his own distinctions when it came to ‘drugs’ versus prescription medicine. “He said, ..I don’t like drugs. I don’t want any drugs. My doctor told me this is a safe medicine,’” Lee said. The next day, she said she brought a copy of the Physician’s Desk Reference to show him the section on Diprivan. “He said, ‘No, my doctor said it’s safe. It works quick and it’s safe as long as somebody’s here to monitor me and wake me up. It’s going be OK,’” Lee said. She said he did not give the doctor’s name. Lee said at one point, she spent the night with Jackson to monitor him while he slept. She said she gave him herbal remedies and stayed in a corner chair in his vast bedroom. After he settled in bed, Lee told Jackson to turn down the lights and music — he had classical music playing in the house. “He also had a computer on the bed because he loved Walt Disney,” she said. “He was watching Donald Duck and it was ongoing. I said, ..Maybe if we put on softer music,’ and he said, ..No, this is how I go to sleep.’” Three and a half hours later, Jackson jumped up and looked at Lee, eyes wide open, according to Lee. “This is what happens to me,” she quoted him as saying. “All I want is to be able to sleep. I want to be able to sleep eight hours. I know I’ll feel better the next day.”

 Lee, 56, is licensed as a registered nurse and nurse practitioner in California, according to the state Board of Registered Nursing’s Web site. She attended Los Angeles Southwest College and the Charles Drew University of Medicine and Sciences in Los Angeles. Comedian Dick Gregory, who knows Lee and her work, said he believes Jackson’s insomnia had its roots in the pop star’s 2005 trial on child molestation charges. Jackson’s health had deteriorated so much that his parents called Gregory, a natural foods proponent, for help. Gregory said Jackson wasn’t eating or drinking at the time and, after he was persuaded by Gregory to undergo testing, end(ing) up hospitalized for severe dehydration. But Jackson obviously was healthy enough to withstand the level of medical scrutiny needed to insure him for the upcoming high-stakes London concerts, Gregory said. “That you don’t trick,” he said of the exams.


Lee, who has also worked with Stevie Wonder, Marla Gibbs, Reynaldo Rey and other celebrities, said she was introduced to Jackson by the mother of one of his staff members. Jackson’s three children had minor cold symptoms and their pediatrician was out of town. Lee said she went to the house in January, the first of about 10 visits there through April, and treated the children with vitamins. Michael, intrigued, asked what else she did and took her up on her claim she could boost his energy. After running blood tests, she devised protein shakes for him and gave him an intravenous vitamin and mineral mixture — known as a “Myers cocktail,” after Dr. John Myers — which Lee said she uses routinely in her practice. “It wasn’t that he felt sick,” she said. “He just wanted more energy.” Lee said she decided to speak out to protect Jackson’s reputation from what she considers unfounded allegations of drug abuse or shortcomings as a parent. “I think it’s so wrong for people to say these things about him,” she said. “He was a wonderful, loving father who wanted the best for his children.”

(Sources: AP Writer Lynn Elber, LA; Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner in Chicago and AP Television Writer David Bauder in New York, contributors)

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June 28, 2009 by PT Rothschild.

DORKS A’POPPIN’

Temecula, CA – I have to admit that reading the Ashley Cook and Peter Surowski Valley News pieces about Master Splinter, Tawnie Gadban, and The Shake Ups brought a sly grin to my face as it validates what I’ve felt for years about the world of interesting local new music scene and the people who inhabit it. Here’s the latest, Guys. Cyndi Lauper is doing a new movie called ‘Section B’ and a band who played Madlins, Java Jo’z, and other spots around the towns is doing the music sound track. I think that is, well, you know what kind of awesome. Don’t make me use that ‘word’ on a Sunday, the one that begins with a ‘f’ and ends with a ‘k’? (‘firetruck’), and actually, it isn’t quite the same band, either. But let me tell you in their own words.


“A few cool things band wise- we just landed a role in the feature film Section B with Cyndi Lauper. Our song The Life will be in the movie and on the soundtrack, plus we’re acting as the backing band in the film. We’re stoked about it, Brian gets to produce almost the whole soundtrack including co-produce title track Dream by Cyndi.”

Huge, huge news!!!  H&SR has been selected to contribute music and act in the new feature film, Section B.  Ensemble cast includes Cyndi Lauper, Tippi Hedren, Ace Young, and Queen Emily. The guys (former D.O.R.K., former Animo, now Heart & Soul Radio) will be contributing their own song “The Life” as well as acting as the backing band in the film.  On top of that our own Brian Johannsen will be producing a handful of original songs written for the movie performed by Ace Young, Queen Emily, Jennifer Wilde, and the legendary Cyndi Lauper!  Schuyler and Jimmy are slotted to contribute their musical talents on the tracks as well. Recently the independent film, written and directed by Darla Rae, has sparked quite the controversy around “Britain’s Got Talent” star Susan Boyle.  Rae extended an offer to the overnight sensation to sing a duet with Queen Emily, upsetting “Britain’s Got Talent” creators.  Lauper chimed in with her own two cents at the Tribeca Film Festival saying “I think she’s a kick.  I really like her” and it would be “fantastic” if Boyle accepted the role.


Follow all the hype, twists, and turns at film’s official website and blog: http://www.sectionbmovie.com Filming is expected to start early this Fall and Brian will be in the studio throughout the summer recording the tracks.  The film already has distribution and is releasing on 1,000 screens across North America.  A soundtrack featuring Lauper’s title track “Dream” along our song “The Life” will also be available.  This is going to be an amazing experience for us and we appreciate the opportunity, many thanks to Darla Rae and Jennifer Wilde for thinking of us!Here’s the cast thus far:Cyndi Lauper - Betty (Grammy Award Winner), Tippi Hedren - Helen (I Heart Huckabees, House of Good and Evil, “CSI”), Marla Maples - Martina (For Richer or Poorer, “Sunset Beach”), Tiffany Trump – Megan, Queen Emily - Bonnie (“America’s Got Talent”), Ace Young - Ryan (“American Idol Season 5”, Grease on Broadway), Jennifer Wilde – Delilah, Kirk Montgomery – Spencer, Steven Christopher Parker - Jackson (“ER”, Juno, Little Miss Sunshine), Darla Rae- Barbara (Halloween, Powder), Michael Shaloub - Mr. P (Monk), Laura Dodd – Lily, Jennifer Sciole, Denise Plante, Andrea Frizzi, and Mike Wheaton.

(Source: H&SR, Sean’s Spoon Fed)

Posted in Murrieta, United States of America, Movies, Temecula, Our Favorite Things, Music, Film, News | Print | No Comments »

June 27, 2009 by PT Rothschild.

MY LAST TWO EULOGY COMMENTS ABOUT MICHAEL JACKSON

Temecula, CA – Perhaps caught under the spell of MJ’s death regardless of the cause, and the resulting wave of turmoil, grief, and controversy resounding from it, two more relative memories came to mind. But first, an explanation of the title I borrowed. Years ago when I was using music to carve out my own identity in the high school power clique I ran in, James Brown was HUGE! We went to his yearly concerts when he rolled through my home town. He released his singles in groups of three while every other singer or group did it one at a time. He had that much talent. I bought every JB 45 that came out and still I missed a few. One I did get though was one that bore the above title. I played the song and it grooved in a different way than JB’s usual material. But the title’s meaning always eluded me. It was my Grandfather, I think, that shed some light on it then, and now as I look back at MJ’s life I see the truth in that song title is correct. He said, “Son, all the money in the world won’t change the person you are on the inside, but Father Time will take you on (to Death”).


Years ago before I lost touch with my eldest son, he told me of a time when he had gone to London on a tour when he was in high school. This was before MJ had done any of his plastic surgery and my son had a resemblance to him. He was walking by a club in downtown London with his school group and suddenly a Rolls pulls up to screeched halt. Out pops this well dressed couple with the guy in a top hat; they get out and pose on either side of him; the chauffer takes a picture of all three, then the couple and chauffer jumped back in the car and drove off. He said after that, he and his little bunch of bros got in and sat front row at several night clubs though they were all underage. They never asked for an ID once. He said it was crazy. He was there for a week. I miss my oldest son.

Just a few days ago I saw a band that I like called UhOh! Explosion. I posted a review about the new CD, which I also liked and got a big kick out of. They rock, but you can ‘read all about it’, just check the last story. As I am wont to do, I purchased a couple of band shirts, the new design and the old design. I like the new design, but just having gotten these shirts a few days ago, it was the old design that is interesting and now very topical. I first saw the old design even before I heard the band because there were so many people wearing it in the parking lot where they played that first show. Its message was very cool and funny. I even used the message for the first review that I did for the band: “Uh Oh! Explosion, Cooler Than Vanilla Ice, Hotter Than Michael Jackson”. Now that shirt takes on a special meaning that is yet to be seen.

No matter whether you loved him for his talent, or hated him for his weirdness, there’s no denying that the little boy who never got a chance to grow up, touched us all in one way or another (no pun intended). In the ‘let the one without sin cast the first stone’ mindset, I hope God will judge him on his overwhelming merit and not on his secret sins. None of us is perfect. “Money Won’t Change You”. Michael Jackson never grew up despite having all that money.

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June 26, 2009 by PT Rothschild.

3^RD CD SHOWS A RETURN TO POP PUNK ROOTS AND HUSTLER HUMOR

Temecula, CA – Copping the long awaited third CD from the pop punk band, UhOh! Explosion, I was interested to hear if they had indeed returned to their underage bad boy subjects that make them destined to become a Sunday morning sermon subject someday. From the new Drop Out Records CD lyrics, that day appears to coming sooner rather than later, but only if you take them as dead serious, and that doesn’t appear to be the focus of this CD, ‘For The Win’. Let’s face it folks, the grown-up adult world is scary and gets scarier every day. Seeing a defenseless girl die in the street because she is protesting an alleged fixed election only to have the unelected ‘supreme’ leader call for more bloodshed because he is ‘god’; gasoline again rising in price despite over 660,000 jobs being lost last month (in this country alone); money being printed like wallpaper and funneled into bankers’ pockets; the ‘King of Pop’s probable O.D. because of being shot up with Demerol; and the Jehovah Witness presenting free (no plate passing) services to instruct people about getting through upcoming ‘end times’, not to mention Sony Pictures’ disaster pic to end all disaster flicks,’2012’, what are punk kids suppose to sing about, given the shape of today’s world and the darkness clouding their future?


Using catchy lyrics, upbeat, hard fluffer melodies, bad-ass beats, more female vocal add-ins, and even horns that have a Dixieland jazz riff to them, UO!E has indeed returned to their fun IYF core, expressing what probably most people under 25 are feeling, dgaf! This time out more than just ‘balls in your asshole’ are hit square in the middle. The only thing that isn’t heralded is a blimpkin, the 21^st Century’s ‘pearl necklace’ joke equivalent. Fast hard-driving punk tempos take over after the opening song’s R&B-ish rhythm rhyming with the next song being the band motif of personal dgaf. Next ‘The Original Mack’ sends up ‘doing it like a porn star’ complete with female backup additional vocals which will either make you blush or laugh. Having had three wives, you can guess my reaction. ‘Five Finger Discount’ is about punks coping with high prices/no money, and brought a laugh out loud from a serious hip-hop talent who listened with me to the CD the night I got it. It is also the longest track of the 15 presented, coming in at just over four minutes on a CD filled with radio time-friendly songs, though most of which the FCC would never allow on the airwaves. To paraphrase The Simpsons, ‘they’re singing what we are all thinking’, or were before the weight of the world began to crush our youthful outlook. The next two songs, ‘Big Stick Dynamite’ and ‘Kidz Go Wild’ kind of turn ‘this bitch out’ and could be a beer ponger’s national anthem. ‘Gee Eh Why’ (g-a-y) makes light of homophobia, and ‘Party Retarded’ with its steel drum intro and bridge influences crosses back and forth between punk rocker and hip-hop. ‘DGAF 187’ is the most authentic nod to the rip-hop theme of the Sub Noize genre. But just as you start to wipe the fingerprints off your crowbar used for cracking skulls, along comes the song, ‘5 Inches Of Love’, a slow tongue-in-cheek ballad about having a 3” penis that is sure to get a howl from the Sex Pixi when she hears it. Religion is touched in ‘Be Like The Antichrist’ as the tempo speeds back up to balls to the wall rock ‘n’ roll, including a searing guitar solo. Silicon in your girlfriend is the key to ‘OC Girl’, a song that paints a picture that can only be called true ‘So Cali’. ‘Don’t You Know I Gotta Nut’ could be a theme song for a Hustler video, and even includes a straight piece that explains the whole ‘birds and the bees’ thing in about 20 seconds. Take that health class. ‘I Sold Out’ is a fast romp through materialist realism but ends with love being triumphant over money. Of course, this wouldn’t be a punk record or a punk band without a song about resisting authority (think Iran) and is rightly called, ‘Rise Up’. As Dick Clark would say in rating this CD, ‘I give it a 95 ‘cause it is easy to push-pit to and has a good beat.’ Personally I would throw in a plus for all the self-debasing bawdy humor presented by a band that is both fun and in your face. Being kids, they haven’t lost the sensibility of being rude in pointing out the foibles we ‘grown-ups’ take as solemn adulthood. Carry on, my wayward sons. You can order the new CD by this link or by catching UhOh! Explosion at Warped Tour this summer, coming soon to a city near you.

Posted in Orange County, California, United States of America, Our Favorite Things, Music, Commentary, News | Print | 2 Comments »

June 25, 2009 by PT Rothschild.

GRANNY WAS RIGHT

Temecula, CA – Unless you’re living under a rock or out in the protest demonstrations shrouded from view by the Islamic government of Iran, you know that today, two people who were very famous died. One death was not so shocking and was sort of expected. That was the death of Farrah Fawcett, a television and movie star, who suffered and fought cancer for the last few years of her life. I remember seeing her as one of the original Charlie’s Angels and loosely followed her life as it appeared in the news over the years. She always stood out from the other ‘angels’ due to her big smile and beautiful tresses. She was prettier than a Playboy model to me and I was amazed to learn that she posed for Playboy when she was 50. I was also amazed and gladdened to see her win acclaim for her incredible role in ‘The Burning Bed’, proving once and for all that she wasn’t just another pretty face, she could really act. But it was the text I received earlier this afternoon from my Arizona friend Tank that really made me want to write this column. The text read that TMZ was reporting that Michael Jackson was dead at 50. Straight away I got on the internet and started to get all the available breaking news about it.


Many of my young peeps glower at me when they are talking or wearing T-shirts of bands that were big before they were born and I tell them that I saw that band live, ‘back in the day.’ That statement is also true of Michael Jackson. I saw the Jackson 5, live and onstage in Indianapolis in 71 or 72 at a two day Black Expo event. It’s funny because the woman I was dating, who had four kids, had been talking about the J5 songs. I gave her shit because the music, I judged, was too young for her. It was ‘bubble gum pop’ and was only meant for teenagers and tweens, but she insisted it was more than that and nights after I had gotten over to her house, she would play her J5 albums for me. At first I felt that the music wasn’t serious R&B, but the more I listened the more I started to change my view point, especially when hit after hit started coming from the group’s albums. I told her one afternoon that I had been wrong and that she was right. I made up for my misgivings by taking her to see the J5. That was when I saw what the buzz was all about. The moment the music started and Michael stepped out onstage in frontman fashion, I was hooked. You actually forgot the other brothers were onstage once he began to perform. Even the cartoon series on Saturday mornings had good tunage and the storylines weren’t half bad either. Later when MJ started singing solo I was aware of his impact. ‘Ben’ was a big hit with a number of my friends but I started to like his musicianship and production values when the ‘Off The Wall’ album came out. A friend named Mike first played the album ‘Thriller’ for me and I went right out and bought it, but the height of the MJ craze for me was the accompanying video. I was working in cable then and whenever the video came on a monitor, we would all stop working and take the fifteen minutes to watch it. I used to get the tingles from it. The make-up, the dancers, even the storyline and surprise ending was magical. Since I was studying about the metaphysical side of life at that time, it seemed to fit right in and inspire deep thought about the legends and fables that it was based on. There were other memorable music events of Michael’s that I, along with millions of other people, watched through his long career. His Simpson’s guest spot and writing the video song, ‘Do The Bartman’ still make me laugh when I see the DVD episodes. Later when his life turned more toward the bizarre, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him and the strange prison he seemed destined for himself. Today though, as I talked to a former roommate, a woman from Mexico City who remained a huge and loyal fan up to the end, I consider myself lucky to have seen him and his brothers live, once upon a time, when my mind was closed to anything new and fresh. Michael Jackson, the entertainer, opened up a new day for ‘black’ culture’s R&B and the world to a new level of pop music to be appreciated by people of every country and culture. R.I.P. and Sing In Paradise.  

With the passing of Ed McMahon yesterday, it looks like my Granny was right when she observed to me as a youngster that famous people seem to always die in groups of three. One of these days I will get to say to her, “Granny, once again you were right as rain. No wonder my grandfather married you.”

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