This is a hearwarming moment.

This is not.

Dear “Glee” children:

Well, looky here!

I was all set to be all annoyed with “Glee”‘s special Michael Jackson episode, because they have proven not only to do a disappointing theme episode now and then (that Madonna episode was lacking, and the less said about the Christmas episode and its outing to sing depressing guilt-inducing songs about starving Africans to homeless children.) And they seem to have a habit of taking older music and singing it without seeming to be listening, you know, to the words they are singing, and then making a concerted effort to have it make sense in the story. You know, like you should.

So I didn’t hold out much hope. OK…no hope. Negative hope. A hope account with a negative balance and checks bouncing all over the place. Imagine my surprise that “MJ” was not only one of the better episodes of the season, musically speaking, but managed to make at least a minimal effort to tailor the songs being sung to the action of the episode – action that actually compels the season’s biggest stories forward. And they were gorgeously done – Artie and Hot Mike Chang (this is his new name) danced their way through the anime space-time continuum of “Scream,” and the surprise cast face-morphing in “Black and White,” just like Michael did it, was a sweet tribute. Also, Mercedes and Sam’s “Human Nature” was sexy, well-harmonized and romantic.

Just a couple of things – because you knew they were going to be:

- The lyrics of “Smooth Criminal” were creepy enough when Michael was singing them and we weren’t sure what he was saying. Hearing an attractive teenage girl doing a menacing duet about “blood stains on the carpet,” with a guy who’s just blinded one of her friends with a toxic slushie, is a wee unsettling. And creepy. Nice hat, though, Santana.

- No matter how much you frame “Ben” as a sweet song about a true blue friend, and no matter how adorable and accurate the harmonies are, and how cute Darren Criss looks in an eye patch, it’s still a song about a friendship with a rat. A murderous rat leader of a rat gang who will reward your friendship with gentle chewing on your face.

Look it up.

But overall, good effort, kiddies.

Love, and I almost mean it this time,

A (not that bitter) Gen-Xer

P.S. Nice Andrew McCarthy reference.

Janet Jackson performs at the Fillmore Miami Beach. (Howie Grapek / GPO)

The concert: Janet Jackson’s “The No. 1″‘s

Where and when: Miami Beach’s Fillmore, Monday Dec. 5

What happened: There were times during Janet Jackson’s energetic, nostalgic, slow-jamming, booty-shaking cap to her current North American tour where you looked at the young dancers accompanying the singer on involved routines for songs like “Rhythm Nation” and “Together Again” and think:

• Wow! Janet Jackson at 45 moves like she’s 20 years younger! Go Janet!

• The majority of the dancers might not have been born when “What Have You Done For Me Lately” and “Nasty Boys” were released!

• Who knew that “Nasty Boys” would stand the test of time?

Photos: Janet Jackson at the Fillmore

Let’s get this out of the way — Janet is often accused of lip-synching, which a lot of singers who do a lot of dancing sometimes do. Janet has said that she is singing live on this tour, and for most of the show, that seemed evident, particularly in the ballad section. But it’s also clear that she was singing, at least early in the show and during the more kinetic numbers, over a backing track.
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(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, Pool)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The doctor who was convicted in the overdose death of Michael Jackson was sentenced to the maximum four years in prison Tuesday in a finale to the tormented saga of the King of Pop.
Dr. Conrad Murray sat stoically with his hands crossed as Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor repeatedly chastised him for what he called a “horrific violation of trust” while caring for Jackson.

“Dr. Murray created a set of circumstances and became involved in a cycle of horrible medicine,” the judge said. “The practice of propofol for medicine madness, which violated his sworn obligation, for money, fame prestige and whwatever else may have occurred.” Read the full story

The man who drove the doctor convicted of causing Michael Jackson’s death to court each day says a documentary film crew essentially “owned” the physician during his six-week trial.

Louis Perry says he drove producers to an upscale department store at the behest of the documentary’s producer and the physician emerged with new suits. Perry says the producer, Leon Lecash, also took Murray out to expensive, booze-filled dinners to high-end restaurants.

Lecash wrote the Los Angeles Times, which first reported Perry’s comments, that the meals and other items were legitimate production costs.

Perry, who owns Kadima Security Services in Los Angeles, says he refused to allow his likeness to be used in the documentary, which airs Friday night on MSNBC.

Murray remains jailed while he awaits sentencing.

Related articles

• Conrad Murray is ‘surrounded by sharks,’ driver says (latimesblogs.latimes.com)
• British television airs Conrad Murray documentary (pbpulse.com)
• Jackson doctor defends himself in NBC interviews (pbpulse.com)

Jurors will begin deliberations Friday in the involuntary manslaughter case against Michael Jackson’s personal doctor.

It will be the first day that the seven-man, five-woman panel will consider the evidence against Dr. Conrad Murray, who is accused of causing Jackson’s June 2009 death.

The jury heard Thursday from a prosecutor who described Murray as an incompetent, opportunistic doctor who was giving Jackson the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid. A defense attorney countered that Jackson was to blame for his own death and Murray agreed to be his personal physician but was unaware of the singer’s drug dependency issues. Read the full story

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An expert in the powerful anesthetic blamed for Michael Jackson’s death has told jurors there is no way the pop star could have caused his own death by swallowing the anesthetic propofol.

Dr. Steven Shafer is testifying on what is expected to be the final day of the prosecution’s involuntary manslaughter case against Dr. Conrad Murray.

Shafer’s testimony is a direct response to a report prepared by defense expert Dr. Paul White. White surmised that Jackson may have caused how own death by swallowing propofol. Read the full story

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson’s death will resume Wednesday after days of delay, with jurors hearing from a leading expert on the powerful anesthetic that authorities contend killed the King of Pop.

Dr. Steven Shafer’s return to the stand on behalf of the prosecution comes after testimony was halted for three and a half court days. Time off was initially given to accommodate the Columbia University professor’s schedule, but his father died and the delay was extended. Read the full story

Alex Dobuzinskis/Reuters

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Disturbing sounds and images from Michael Jackson’s life and death played a key role on Wednesday in the manslaughter trial of his doctor, with jurors hearing a recording of the self-styled King of Pop speaking in a slurred voice and viewing a photo of his dead body.

Prosecutors also showed pictures of a jug of urine found by Jackson’s bed after his June 25, 2009 death, and a coroner’s investigator testified she found a large collection of sedatives and painkillers in the “Thriller” singer’s room.

A recording of a May 2009 conversation between the singer and his physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, marked one of the most dramatic moments in the doctor’s week-old trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter.
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Michael Jackson’s father is withdrawing his request to receive more than $15,000 a month from his late son’s estate.

A court filing says Joe Jackson is dropping his bid to receive a monthly allowance in favor of pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit over his son’s death.

Joe Jackson filed a lawsuit in federal court on Friday against Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the singer’s death.

The Jackson family patriarch was omitted from his son’s will, but in November sought a stipend to pay his monthly expenses.
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Bidders from around the world bought up Michael Jackson memorabilia worth nearly $1 million at an auction on the anniversary of his death, including $190,000 for the Swarovski-crystal-studded glove he wore on his 1984 Victory Tour.

The bidding that began Friday on more than 200 items was “unlike anything we’ve ever experienced,” said Darren Julien of Julien’s Auctions, which ran the auction at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Some items, like the glove, brought 10 times more than their estimated value, he said.

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