Neverland Again!

Rainlotus

From my own point of view,I hate media always talking about Neverland``` What I'm interesting is---new songs!!!!NEW SONGS!!!!! For now, Neverland out of Jackson's life By Vincent J. Schodolski Tribune national correspondent Published March 23, 2006 LOS OLIVOS, Calif. -- Neverland never more? It certainly looks that way from the gate to Michael Jackson's storied ranch--where, for more than a decade, he played host to the rich and famous, as well as to hundreds of children. No longer are there people dishing out ice cream at the huge brown gates to the ranch. The amusement rides are still, and the menagerie of animals that at times included elephants and a giraffe are under the care of a local veterinarian. And Michael Jackson is thousands of miles away living with his children on the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Just last week Jackson settled an outstanding payroll bill for $306,000. That was the amount he owed his Neverland staff of 46, because he had not paid the employees since December 19. He made the payment after the California Department of Industrial Relations forced the issue upon learning of the workers' plight. The faded pop star faced penalties of $100,000 had he not paid the workers. He still owes the state $70,000 for allowing his workers' compensation insurance to lapse in January. So what will happen to the ranch? "It is public knowledge that Mr. Jackson currently resides in the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain," said Jackson spokeswoman Raymone Bain. "He therefore decided to close his house and reduce his work force." She left open the possibility that Jackson might return. "Reports indicating that Neverland has been closed, or shut down for good, are inaccurate," Bain said in a statement. The only people left behind the gates are Jackson family members, and state investigators have confirmed that nobody left on the ranch works for Jackson. A man who answered an intercom outside the gate said only that he was a Jackson relative. He refused to give his name. This is a far cry from the glory days of Neverland, when it played host to events that included fundraisers for charity groups and even the 1991 wedding of Elizabeth Taylor to her eighth husband, Larry Fortensky. The couple divorced in 1996. But what drew the most attention--and two accusations of child abuse--were the elaborate parties Jackson held for young children and the sleepovers where Jackson admitted he often shared a bed with his minor visitors. Santa Barbara County prosecutors twice sought to convict Jackson. The second attempt went to trial in January 2005 and ended in June with Jackson's acquittal on all charges of child molestation, lewd conduct with a minor and an accusation that he gave wine to a young cancer patient at the ranch. Although Jackson owns the rights to all songs written and performed by the Beatles, many believe his days as a pop icon are over. And, with his legal bills and the cost of keeping up Neverland, he is thought to be in difficult financial straits. Jackson has repeatedly said that his early career with the Jackson Five--he was just 7 when the group formed--deprived him of a normal childhood and that his lifestyle was compensation for that. Surrounded by toys and life-size mannequins dressed as super heroes, Jackson appeared to some to be an overgrown child. "People say I'm not OK 'cause I love such elementary things," he sang in the song "Childhood." "It's been my fate to compensate for the childhood I've never known." He once said in an interview that he did not identify with Peter Pan, but added, "I am Peter Pan." One of the last bashes held at Neverland came during his molestation trial. In January 2004--on the same day he clambered atop his SUV in front of the courthouse in Santa Maria and danced for the throng of fans--he threw open the gates to Neverland for all comers. But that was the end. He was acquitted 17 months later and moved to Bahrain. source Michael Jackson Closes Part Of His Neverland Ranch Michael Jackson has closed down part of his Neverland ranch and fired many of his workers. The troubled singer was recently forced to pay employees at the Californian ranch $306,000 in outstanding wages after they worked unpaid for three months. However, according to a statement from his spokesperson Raymone Bain, the star has now decided to close the house of the ranch and "reduce his work force." A long-term staffer told website FoxNews.com: "It's unbelievable. We got nothing for the pain of what just happened and nothing to see us through. Some of the people here are close to retirement age and they have nothing to retire on." Sources close to Jackson insist Neverland's demise is not linked to his much rumoured financial problems. Bain claims the house has only been closed because Jackson has moved to Bahrain. She said: "This is a common practice when a residence is vacant for an extended period of time."

小猪怒了

这是WHAT？？ 看不懂！~ I CAN NOT SPEAK ENGLISH！~~

Rainlotus

Here is English Zone and some news will have Chinese Edition in General Discusion Zone. And try your best speak English here~ If you speak Chinese here, perhaps some HK fans can not understand.