There is no one all that famous today so I am making today’s Dead Famous Michael Jackson.

Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.


In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of “Beat It“, “Billie Jean“, and “Thriller“, were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as “Black or White” and “Scream” made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, pop, contemporary R&B, and rock artists.

Jackson’s 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world’s best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock ‘n’ roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the “Artist of the Century”); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artist in the history of popular music.


Aspects of Jackson’s personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, have generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury found him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series entitled This Is It, Jackson died of acute propofol intoxication on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. The Los Angeles County Coroner ruled his death a homicide, and his personal physician was convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson’s death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a $250 million deal with Jackson’s estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.

Thank you

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."

It is easy to find friends, but very difficult to maintain their friendship for a long time. Some people are blessed to have friends, who stick to each other through the thick and thin of their lives and never ever break the relation, even with geographical distance or time. Others take time to open up with people, while there are many others, who do not feel confident about themselves to have friends for their lifetime. Long lasting friendship does not happen in a day. It takes years to develop understanding and higher levels of trust, if you want to boast of having old friends. It needs equal efforts from both sides to make the relation work.

Some childhood friendships actually develop into long lasting friendship, since it is a result of mutual understanding and undeterred trust. People swear by the power of old friendship. The fact that there is always a trusted friend to fall back upon in times of need is very re-assuring. In fact, very few are blessed with long lasting friendships. Friends who have been with each other through the highs and lows; those who have seen each other fail and rise again, would definitely be true to each other. Those pals who have seen each other laugh and cry and yet stood by each other, accepting the good and the bad points, are true friends and they can maintain long lasting friendship.

The bond between the old friends is formed is so strong that even long distance cannot deter it. One can find a sparkle in the eyes of the people, when they tell about having old friends and boast of the longevity of their friendship. Childhood friendship is usually formed, when young kids get to know their immediate classmates and neighbors. Although they fight and cry at first, just like normal kids, with time, they get to develop a good level of understanding. The secret to long lasting friendships is not giving up on each other. It is inevitable that they grow up, form their opinions, have different temperaments and attitudes and possibly have different lifestyles. Yet, they hold onto each other and respect each other's opinions and attitudes.

Finding a true friend, who stays around forever, is something that life offers to very few. Often, life is compared to a train journey - you come across many people, enjoy the moment to the fullest and bid good bye to them. Similarly, you might come across many friends in your life, but it would be hard to find that person, who emerges as your true friend. Yet, some people are saluted for their great friendships that they have developed in their lifetime. It is astonishing to find them maintaining their friendship right from their school time until their old age. When asked how, with a spark in their eyes, they would boast of the level of understanding and trust that they have developed, over the years. Perhaps this is the reason why many friendships are old, but as pure as gold.

Short Story On Friendship
Long time ago in ancient Greece, there live a man named Socrates, who was highly knowledgeable and an esteemed philosopher. One fine day, a fellow approached him. That person told Socrates that he has some information to tell him about his friend. Before he could even start talking about his friend, Socrates told him to take a test known as the 'Triple Filter Test'. 

The first test of the 'Triple Filer Test' was the filter of truth. Socrates asked him if the information he had was the truth. The person said that he had just heard it on the way and was not sure if it was the absolute truth. The second filter was that of goodness. He asked if the information was regarding anything good about his friend. The man said it was actually the opposite. The third filter was that of usefulness. Socrates asked if the information was useful to him in any way. The man replied in the negative. 

Socrates then replied that when the information regarding a friend is not true, good or useful, then why it should be conveyed at all. The moral of the story is that you may always participate in loose gossip, but when it comes to your friends ,it is just not worth it. You know your friends better than others. Therefore, you must avoid talking behind the back of your dearest friends. It only leads to strained relations and shows that you are not reliable or trustworthy as a friend

My Special List

I have a list of folks I know...

all written in a book,

And every now and then..

I go and take a look.

That is when I realize

these names... they are a part,

not of the book they're written in...

but taken from the heart.

For each Name stands for someone...

who has crossed my path sometime,

and in that meeting they have become...

the reason and the rhyme.

Although it sounds fantastic...

for me to make this claim,

I really am composed...

of each remembered name.

Although you're not aware...

of any special link,

just knowing you, has shaped my life...

more than you could think.

So please don't think my greeting...

as just a mere routine,

your name was not...

forgotten in between.

For when I send a greeting...

that is addressed to you,

it is because you're on the list...

of folks I'm indebted to.

So whether I have known you...

for many days or few,

in some ways you have a part...

in shaping things I do.

I am but a total...

of many folks I've met,

you are a friend I would prefer...

never to forget.

Thank you for being my friend!

Thank you for believing in me when I found it difficult to believe in myself...

for saying what I've needed to hear sometimes, instead of what I've wanted to hear....

for siding with me....

and for giving me another side to consider.

Thank you for opening yourself up to me....

for trusting me with your thoughts and disappointments and dreams....

for knowing you can depend on me and for asking my help when you've needed it.

Thank you for putting so much thought and care and imagination into our friendship...

for sharing so many nice times and making so many special memories with me.

Thank you for always being honest with me...

being kind to me...

being there for me.

Thank you for being a friend to me in so many meaningful ways.

Hakunamatata!!!!!!

The Worlds 10 Most Expensive Dog Breeds

The most popular dog breeds are not the worlds most expensive dog breeds,  but the luxury dogs rate high in the top of the list. Popular dog breeds change from year to year and from country to country; and so do the most expensive dogs in the world.

What Makes a Dog Expensive?

There are a variety of factors which make dogs expensive. Purity of breed or their rarity can make dogs extremely expensive. When they are offspring from prize winning dogs the prices can skyrocket too, but the biggest factor is the C-factor. As soon as a dog is spotted or photographed in possession of a celebrity, the dog’s price will shoot beyond the moon. It has happened in the past, and it will happen in the future.

The most expensive dog ever sold

The most expensive dog ever sold was recently in March 2011, a red “Tibetan mastiff” called Big Splash, or “Hong Dong” in Chinese.  This most expensive dog ever is already 11 months-old and already stands nearly three-feet-high at the shoulder and weighs more than 180lbs, says his breeder, Lu Liang.   He was purchased by a chinese multi-millionaire coal baron.

‘Big Splash’ sold for an amazing 10 million Yuan which is about 1.5 million US Dollars and beats the earlier record set by another Tibetan Mastiff Tibetan mastiff” called Yangtze River Number Two which was sold to a chinese woman in 2009 for a whopping 4 million Yuan (About $609,000).   But this still doesn’t make the Tibetan Mastiff generally the most expensive dog breed.

Top Ten of Expensive Dogs

Roaming along the internet, in a variety of countries here is a countdown of the top ten most expensive dog breeds our editors found.

10 – Akita

Ok so in at No.10 for the most expensive dog breeds is the Japanese Akita which can sell for between $1,500 – $4,500

9 – Bearded Collie

At No.9 in our list of the worlds most expensive dogs is bearded Collie which can be sold for between $1,000 and $5,000

8 – Pharaoh Hound

In at No.8 of the most expensive dog breed is the Pharaoh hound which can fetch between $2,500 – $6,500

7 – Tibetan Mastiff

At No.7  in our list is the Tibetan Mastiff which can usually go for around $2,200 – $7,000.  Now although one of these was sold for a whopping $1.5 million  it still doesn’t make it as generally the most expensive dog breed.

6 – Rottweiler

The Rottweiler makes it to number 6 in our most expensive dogs list at between $2,000 – $8,000

5 – Chow Chow

At No.5 of our list is the Chow-Chow a chinese breed which can fetch between $3,000 – $8,500

4 – English Bulldog

The good Ole English Bulldog or ‘British Bulldog’ as it’s know in the UK is at no.4 of our most expensive dogs breeds at between $2,500 – $9,000..  And now wait for it, the top 3 most expensive dog breeds…  drumroll please….!!!

3 – Samoyed

The Samoyed which originates from Siberia is our No.3 selection which can be bought for between $4,000 – $11,000

2 – Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

And 2nd in our ‘Top Dog’ list is the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from England which can sell for a princely sum of between $1,000 – $14,000 and the No.1 most expensive dog breed is…………………

1 –  German Shepherd  (Alsation)

In at No.1 as the most expensive dog breed in the world has to be the very versatile Alsation which can fetch anything between $3,000 – $24,000..

So there it is.  An exciting list of dog breeds, and unfortunately some very popular dogs did not make it to the top ten.

What happened to the Golden Retriever, Komondor, Malteser Terrier, Bichon Frise, Norfolk Terrier, Staffordshire Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier and the Australian Shepherd? All popular dogs but they did not make it into the top ten of most expensive dogs 2011.

Worlds Most Expensive Dog Breed

The winner is the German Shepherd, a trustworthy dog which has proven it’s capacity to be trained beyond the scope of many other dogs. The German Shepherd can be trained as a rescue dog, drug sniffer and as guidance dog for the visual impaired. Not a wonder that he/she claims the top of the list of the most expensive dogs in the world. A dog training institute in Germany sells their German Shepherds for a cool $24,000, they claim to train the best rescue dogs in the world.

More is not always better. The price of the dog is not important, it is all about the love it gives to you and the love you can give back to the animal.

Top 10 Most Intelligent Dog Breeds

People want dogs for different reasons. Some want companionship, some want little cuddly lap dogs, and some people want a dog which can easily be trained. Some dog breeds are naturally more intelligent than others and will pick up instructions much more quickly. Therefore we have compiled a useful resource of what we think are the top 10 most intelligent dog breeds.  You will also find out what we found to be the most intelligent dog.

The following most intelligent dog breeds list may be open to interpretation as all dogs have their own personalities.

The first listing in our top 10 most intelligent dog breeds is for the Border Collie which is widely regarded as the most intelligent dog. These dogs have been used for hundreds of years for sheep herding due to their ability to understand and follow instructions. They are extremely focused animals

A German Shepherd’s intelligence combined with its size means that it can be trained to be a very effective guard dog. They are very loyal dogs and are always aware of their surroundings. For this reason they have been used by police and military forces around the world.

Next up is another large dog, the Golden Retriever. Unlike the German Shepherd however, these dogs are naturally friendly and placid. They are therefore better suited for tasks such as, as the name suggests, retrieving.

Dobermans, however, make the perfect guard dog. They are large dogs and territorially aggressive. They are very alert animals, and can be trained to be very good protectors of people and property. Their high intelligence means that they will understand and be very effective in their role as guardian.

Just like Border Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs have been used for herding purposes due to their extremely high intelligence. The fact that they are so bright and alert also makes them very good watchdogs.

Next we have the Labrador Retriever, which is a popular family dog due to its friendly nature. These dogs make very good companions due to their loyalty and affectionate natures, and have been used for hunting and retrieving.

The Papillon is a very small dog. Their inclusion on this list is because of their easiness to train and obedience, which highlights their intelligence. They are very affectionate and loyal little dogs.

The Rottweiler is another large breed which makes an excellent guard dog, although they have also been used for police work and for search and rescue. They have a reputation for being naturally aggressive, although this usually comes from protecting their territory.

Finally we have the Australian Cattle Dog, which is another of the most intelligent dogs. This is another dog bred for herding due to its high intelligence. They are extremely obedient and hard working animals.

So that completes the list of the top 10 most intelligent dog breeds. In terms of what is the world’s most intelligent dog, there have been many contenders from Hollywood such as Lassie and Rin Tin Tin. It must be remembered that several different dogs actually filled these roles, although they were all highly intelligent to be able to be trained so effectively.  The world’s most intelligent dog ever might in fact be ‘Rico’  a border collie from Leipzig in Germany, who in 2004 was trained to understand over two hundred different words.