What I really wanted to do was write a blistering rant about how Michael Jackson is getting away with manipulating the judicial system. His ridiculous see-through theatrics are wearing very thin, and I'm just hearing about it on the news. So how  are the judge and jury putting up with his nonsense? Beats me. I'd be ready to rescind his bail and toss his sorry multi-colored ass in jail for the duration of the trial if not eternity.

Michael Jackson has made a name for himself not only as a performer, but also as someone who has been flipping the bird at the world whenever and wherever he chooses. He has been straining credibility to the limit, only this time he finally got caught in a real-live grown up world. If anyone else ran around proclaiming to be Peter Pan and nuzzling children on his lap in public, that person would have, at the very least, got thrown in the loony bin. Instead, Jackson comes up with some gibberish about never having had a childhood and never wanting to grow up. Incredibly, that gets him off the hook for any and all outrageous behavior.

I don't know whether Wacko Jacko did what he's accused of doing or not. I don't believe this case against him is based on race or envy or someone's get-rich-quick scheme. He either did it or he didn't, and in my realistic corner of the world when smoke becomes a rip roaring blaze, you got yourself a fire. Jackson has been playing in flames since before he made his Pepsi commercial.

I've been wondering and waiting to see at what point someone was going to make Michael Jackson grow up and take responsibility for himself. I thought this trial was going to be the place where he couldn't get away with more childish and self-indulgent maneuvers. And then he danced on the roof of his limo. And he was late for his court appearance. And then he was late again. He had a back injury. He couldn't walk. It was an old injury that put him into excrutiating pain. Funny, when he leaped up onto the roof of that limo his back looked fine. Must have been an off day for the excrutiating pain. And no matter what level of pain he suffered, he always managed to wave to his fans. Funny how pain doesn't interfere with waving and answering reporters' shouted questions. And THEN he was late for court again.

Okay. THIS time, I stupidly thought, they've got him. It doesn't matter how many doctors in scrubs he drags with him or how many tears he sheds in court, he's manipulating this whole trial. Someone has got to stop him and make him be a grown up. Hah! Goes to show what I know.

But then I got to thinking about the old give 'em enough rope to hang themselves tenet, and it occurred to  me that maybe it's best to let this stupid clown have his way until he self-destructs. Given how things have been going so far, it is pretty likely that, given enough time, self-destruction is inevitable. And patience IS a virtue.... or so they tell me.

One of the members of the Jackson Camp (my one big goal in life is to have a Punditz Camp) appeared on a talk show and said that this trial is really difficult for Michael. He's simply not accustomed to getting up every day and having to be at a certain place at a certain time. He's accustomed to doing what he wants. And he sure doesn't want to do this.

The answer is, to my way of thinking, to revoke his bail and put him in jail. There's no better way to make sure he'll be on time for the trial than that. And maybe that's what the judge told the attorneys behind those closed doors. Maybe this WAS Jacko's LAST CHANCE. I'll believe it when I see it, but as Judy Tenuda always says, "It could happen."  I just hope the court system survives Michael Jackson intact and with some dignity.

Now I've got to go see how one goes about getting a Camp. I like the sound of that Punditz Camp thing. Anyone want to be in it?