Entertaining Posts: 10/01/11

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Week 1: winners, losers in Michael Jackson trial

LOS ANGELES | Sat Oct 1, 2011 4:38pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The trial of the doctor accused of responsibility for the June 2009 death of pop star Michael Jackson ended its first week, after an emotional start covered on television and making headlines worldwide.

Dr. Conrad Murray denies a charge of involuntary manslaughter against him in the death of the "Thriller" singer through an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and prescription drugs.

Reuters spoke to trial watchers Marcellus McRae, former federal prosecutor; Mark Geragos, Los Angeles defense attorney who once represented Jackson; and Steve Kron, Los Angeles defense attorney, for their views on the early trial winners and losers. Below is a summary of their opinions:

MICHAEL JACKSON - WINNER

The trial has presented conflicting final images of the pop star lying dead, slurring speech in a voicemail, singing his classic hits in rehearsal video, then hooked up to an IV and urine collection device. His public image has long been mixed: famed singing star who was acquitted of child molestation charges. Has his image been damaged?

Geragos: "Michael had become such a caricature, and unfairly so, in the last 10 years, I don't think it harms him."

Kron: "Anyone looking at this rationally would have to say this is a picture of a guy who was on highs and lows and extremes of behavior and, if not addicted, then heavily dependent on drugs."

McRae: "All these idiosyncrasies spell one thing, which is vulnerability. Jackson is taken out of his iconic status and humanized as a person."

DR. CONRAD MURRAY - MIXED

The cardiologist appeared sympathetic at times. He wiped away tears in court. His supporters gathered outside, arrived holding hands with his mother, and was credited by one witness, a former patient, as having saved his life. But the circumstantial evidence against him was damaging. Keep in mind that prosecutors present their case first. Defense is second.

Kron: "The former patient who said Murray was a great doctor and did a terrific job could have been a witness for the defense. Why the prosecution brought that in baffles me."

McRae: "Murray is in a really tough spot. If he shows too much emotion, it may show contrition, and that may suggest culpability. If he shows no emotion what does that say? A failure to acknowledge the human tragedy."

PROSECUTION - WINNER

Prosecutors present their side of the case first, using slick video screen presentations, slides, photos.

Geragos: "The prosecution has come out strong. There have been some great visuals and audio so far."

McRae: "The prosecution is doing an effective job in focusing the case on trust and the duty of care of a doctor."

DEFENSE - LOSER

The defense team, which has not yet presented its case, has only cross-examined witnesses in bid to draw out inconsistencies. On Friday the judge imposed a gag order on attorneys after one defense counselor gave a TV interview. He could be held in contempt.

McRae: "It's been a difficult week for the defense (and their basic argument) that if it is not Murray, then it is Jackson. The defense won't be able to put Jackson's personality, or character, or all of his actions on trial."

Geragos: "The defense opening statement was compelling. Some of the cross examination has been effective."

JACKSON FAMILY - WINNER

Parents Joe and Katherine Jackson, sisters Janet and La Toya, and brother Randy have attended each day in a display of unity among the sometimes fractious Jackson clan. Court watchers heard how Jackson's young children, Paris and Prince, both witnessed their father lifeless in bed -- adding to the emotional tug favoring the family of the King of Pop.

McRae: "You not only have visual of the children mourning the loss of father, but the family in court on a daily basis reinforces that they are still grieving and that (Jackson's death) cries out for some measure of accountability."

Kron: "The jury might be dazzled a little bit by the star power, but after a while the impact they may have will be minimal."

Geragos: "I think it is very important to the jury to see they are there in support of their deceased brother and son."

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Philip Barbara)

Afghans rock at first music festival in three decades

By Martin Petty

KABUL | Sat Oct 1, 2011 2:04pm EDT

KABUL (Reuters) - Live rock returned to Afghanistan after three long decades on Saturday as young men and women cheered and leapt into the air to the sound of heavy bass beats and punk rock.

Bands from Australia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Afghanistan served up a six-hour musical feast of blues, indie, electronica and death metal to hundreds of fans, many of whom had never seen live music before.

Sound Central was something new in a deeply conservative Muslim country where music was banned under the austere Taliban regime. Even now music shops are attacked in some cities and musicians taunted for their clothes or hair.

The festival retained a distinctly Afghan accent, with alcohol banned, kebabs the only snacks and a respect for strong religious values amid the rock and roll.

Bands left the stage and the microphones were turned off twice in the late afternoon to allow the call to prayer to sound out uninterrupted from nearby mosques.

"Where I live, there's nothing like this. I heard about it so I had to come," said Ahmad Shah, dressed in a traditional white shalwar kameez and waistcoat, who traveled from Kandahar, a southern city roiled by insurgent violence.

"I came to escape the cancer of the Taliban and this makes a refreshing change." Violence is at its worst in Afghanistan since U.S.-backed Afghan forces toppled the Taliban in 2001.

Young Afghans lunged toward the stage, jumping and thrusting their arms into the air to the sound of local band White Page, and the handful of security guards were overwhelmed.

The crowd briefly parted when one man in jeans and a tight t-shirt took to the floor for an impromptu burst of back flips and break-dancing.

The festival was held under tight security in a corner of picturesque Babur Gardens, a normally tranquil park surrounding the centuries-old tomb of Babur, the first Mughal emperor.

The date and venue was kept a closely guarded secret until the last moment to ward off the chance of an insurgent attack.

Despite the secrecy, the concert attracted more than 450 paid-up revelers and scores more trickled in from street markets outside. A few elderly men with turbans and long beards appeared taken aback, but not entirely disapproving.

CHANGE THE WORLD

The crowd's enthusiasm persuaded even security staff and police to join in, nodding and moving their legs in time with the beat.

Loud cheers erupted when singer Sabrina Ablyaskina of Uzbek band Tears of the Sun jumped, gyrated and screamed into the microphone: "Kabul, my new friends -- let's rock!"

Tears of the Sun, now recording their sixth album, said they were surprised by the event's success.

"We didn't expect this crowd -- it's amazing, such energy," Ablyaskina told Reuters. "We love Kabul, more and more every day and we'll be coming back again, of course."

Guitarist Nikita Makapenko said: "Rock and roll will change the world, and we hope it will change Afghanistan too. This is historic, and it's just the beginning."

Sound Central was the brainchild of Travis Beard, an Australian photojournalist who joined a band when he moved to Kabul and was inspired by the talent and dedication of local musicians.

In the run-up to the festival, he held workshops to nurture the local talent showcased by Sound Central, and underground concerts to build the buzz and help bands rehearse.

The festival seemed to have served his goal of not just providing a day's entertainment, but kindling a love for modern music among young Afghans.

"We heard about the music festival from the radio, and when my friend asked whether we should go, I said 'Why not?'," said Lauria, a 19-year-old university student dressed in a bright headscarf, jeans and strappy sandals.

"This is great. I hope we can see more of it in Kabul," she said.

(Additional reporting by Zhou Xin; Editing by Emma Graham-Harrison and Robert Woodward)