I'm being deliberately obtuse, to be sure, but I can't help but wonder who is responsible for Michael Jackson being thrust back into the charts with such vigour. I mean, surely his fans already have the records and don't need to buy them again. Or are there a whole bunch of people who will only buy an album if the star is dead? 

I suppose you could argue that this proves that all publicity is good publicity, although I suspect that would be of limited comfort if you happen to be the one generating the publicity through your death. I'll end on a warning, though. We're seen the dramatic rise in record sales and heard Michael Jackson being played everywhere since he passed on. Prepare yourself now for the oncoming aural rape that will occur when someone like Cliff Richard pops his clogs... 

Brown on Jackson

Another celebrity death, another chance for Gordon Brown to show his razor sharp focus on the economy by issuing a statement about that death. Jumping on the bandwagon, some might say. But it has to be said that this is a particularly moving statement, ripe with emotional intelligence and deep sympathy:

"This is very sad news for the millions of Michael Jackson fans in Britain and around the world," a spokesman said.

How very true. To the point of almost stating the bleedin' obvious. Still, Jackson fans throughout the world must be taking great comfort from the fact that, in their hour of need, a broken, old and horrifically unpopular Prime Minister on his way out of power stands with them. Or at least acknowledges that the fans have recently had "very sad news."