Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home

The powerful sedative Diprivan was found in Michael Jackson's home, a law enforcement official said Friday as the city planned for a massive crowd at the singer's memorial service.

Diprivan is an anesthetic widely used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. Also known as Propofol, it's given intravenously and is very unusual to have in a private home.

The law enforcement official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak about the matter.

A Los Angeles Police spokesman, Lt. John Romero, declined to discuss the case. "It's an ongoing investigation," he said.

The cause of Jackson's death has not been determined. Autopsy results are not expected for several weeks.

At the downtown Staples Center, where Jackson's memorial will be held Tuesday morning, Assistant Police Chief Earl Paysinger said anywhere from 250,000 to 700,000 people could try to reach the arena, even though only 17,500 tickets will be available.

City Councilwoman Jan Perry urged people to stay home and watch the memorial on TV. There will not be a funeral procession through the city.

Tickets to Jackson's memorial service will be free. They can be obtained by registering at Staplescenter.com. There will be 11,000 tickets for seats inside Staples Center and 6,500 for seats in the adjacent Nokia Theatre, where fans can watch a simulcast. On Saturday night, 8,750 names will be randomly selected to receive two tickets each.

No details about the memorial service itself were released.

Jackson was known to have suffered from severe insomnia. In the weeks before his death, Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse who was working with the singer, said Jackson pleaded for Diprivan amid the stress of preparing for a massive series of comeback concerts.

Lee said she repeatedly rejected his demands because the drug was unsafe.

Told Friday that Diprivan had been found at Jackson's house, she said, "I did everything I could to warn him against it."

Jackson had trouble sleeping as far back as 1989, said one of his former publicists, Rob Goldstone, who spent a month on the road with Jackson during the "Bad" tour.

"He had very bad nightmares, he found it very difficult to sleep," Goldstone said.

Diprivan, which has a milky appearance, is sometimes nicknamed "milk of amnesia." Last fall, doctors from the Mayo Clinic warned at a conference that in rare cases, Diprivan can trigger an irreversible chain of events leading to heart dysfunction and death.

They said three patients receiving Diprivan to treat severe seizures had suffered cardiac arrest, and two died. The doctors said the clinic stopped using Diprivan to treat such patients because of the danger.

The drug's manufacturer, AstraZeneca PLC, warns that patients using Diprivan should be continuously monitored, and in a tiny number of cases patients using it have suffered cardiac arrest, although it was not clear the drug was to blame.

Authorities are investigating allegations that the 50-year-old Jackson had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. Any criminal charges would depend on whether Jackson had been overly prescribed medications, given drugs inappropriate for his needs, or if doctors knowingly prescribed Jackson medications under an assumed name.

Edward Chernoff, an attorney for Jackson's doctor, Dr. Conrad Murray, said Friday through a spokeswoman that he had agreed with investigators not to comment until information is released through official channels. Murray was in Jackson's rented mansion when the singer went into cardiac arrest in his bedroom on June 25.

Murray has spoken to police and authorities say he is not a suspect. In an earlier interview, Chernoff said Murray never gave or prescribed Jackson the painkillers Demerol or OxyContin, and denied reports suggesting that the doctor gave the pop star drugs that contributed to his death.

Chernoff would not discuss what drugs the doctor administered to Jackson, but said they would have been prescribed in response to a specific complaint.

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AP Entertainment Writer Lynn Elber and AP Music Writer Nekesa Moody contributed to this report.

Happy 4th Of July

Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July. Pray for the soldiers.

Sarah Palin Resigning

Sarah Palin is resigning as Governor of Alaska at the end of the month. And she didn't even give the people of the state an explanation. She did give the usual family time as an excuse of sorts though:

"This decision has been in the works for a while. This decision comes after much consideration, prayer and consideration," she said. "Finally, I polled the most important people in my life, my kids, where the count was unanimous. Well, in response to asking, 'Hey, you want me to make a positive difference and fight for all our children's future from outside the governor's office?' It was four yeses and one 'Hell, yeah!" And the hell, yeah sealed it."

But if she isn't holding some kind of office, what are her chances as a candidate in 2010?

"She's looking forward to serving the public outside the governor's chair," he said.

"It's absolutely bizarre, and I think it eliminates her from serious consideration for the presidency in 2012," political analyst Larry Sabato said. I would dare to say that she was never seriously in the running. There are just too many skeletons in that closet. Everyone would wonder how she could run the country when she couldn't even run her own family.

I bet you anything that she is just ditching the state because she has a better offer to do television. Expect Sarah Palin the talking head within the next few weeks. She will probably make the run, but the Republicans will choose somebody else in the end.

Simplicity Crib Recall

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall on baby floats and Simplicity baby cribs.

The chairman of the CPSC told the Today Show that floats are a danger ,"...Parents need to be aware, if you have a plastic float, that the child's weight really cannot be handled by just this little simple plastic part (holding the child above the water)."

She added if the child weighs more than the float can handle, the child "is going to go through."

"I think parents just need to never leave a child unsupervised," she said, "and be very, very careful with any kind of float with children."

The cribs are an even greater problem, this recall affects up to 400,000 cribs and at least 10 children have been killed."In all," she said, "we have recalled two million of these in the past few years because the company would change the hardware, but it never worked," she said.

Simplicity went out of business but the cribs are still out there, but should not be used under any circumstances.

Information from the CPSC is below.

Inflatable baby floats
Company: Aqua-Leisure Industries, of Avon, Mass.

Hazard: The leg straps in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to unexpectedly fall into or under the water, posing a risk of drowning.
Incidents/Injuries: There have been 31 reports
of float seats tearing, causing children to fall into or under the water. No injuries have been reported.

Description: The recalled inflatable baby floats were sold in a variety of styles and colors. The names and model numbers are located on the packaging. A date between 08/02 and 07/08 is molded on the valves of recalled products. Products not included in the recall can be identified with the lettering "NP" molded on the valve. The following names and model numbers are included in this recall:

Sold at: Juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide, including Target, Toys "R" Us, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and Bed, Bath & Beyond from December 2002 through June 2009 for between $8 and $15.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled inflatable baby floats and contact Aqua-Leisure for a full refund.



Simplicity Drop Side Cribs
Company: Simplicity Inc. and SFCA Inc. of Reading, Pa. (The firms appear to no longer conduct day to day operations.)

Hazard: The crib's plastic hardware can break or deform, causing the drop side to detach. When the drop side detaches, it creates space between the drop side and the crib mattress. Infants and toddlers can roll into this space and become entrapped which can lead to suffocation.

Incidents/Injuries: CPSC is aware of one death involving an 8-month-old child from Houston, Texas who became entrapped and suffocated between the drop side and the crib mattress when a plastic connector on the drop side broke. The child's death was previously reported by CPSC. CPSC also is aware of an additional 25 incidents involving the drop side detaching from the crib. In six of these incidents, the drop side detached because the plastic flexible tab deformed or broke. In four of the drop side detachment incidents, other plastic parts, including connectors or tracks, deformed or broke. In two of the incidents, two children became entrapped between the drop side and the crib mattress. There were no reported injuries.

Description: This recall involves all drop side cribs with a different or "newer" style of plastic hardware from those cribs recalled in September 2007. This newer style of Simplicity hardware can be identified by a flexible plastic tab at the top of the lower tracks. The recalled model numbers include but may not be limited to: 8050, 8325, 8620, 8745, 8748, 8755, 8756, 8765, 8778, 8810, and 8994, 8995, 8996.

Sold at: Department stores, children's stores, and mass merchandisers nationwide from January 2005 through June 2009 for between $150 and $300.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled cribs and find an alternative, safe sleeping environment for their baby. Consumers should immediately return the crib to the place of purchase for a full refund, replacement or store credit.

Snake Kills Baby

Update: The cage was secured with a blanket and some rope. He will probably be charged with child endangerment because that is an accident just waiting to happen. But this isn't Darnell's first lost of a child, his own daughter died five years ago of spinal meningitis. It is a tragic story.

Usually you just have to worry about your boyfriend shaking your baby to death, now you have to worry about the pets they keep. Shaiunna Hare,2 was in her bed sleeping when the 8 1/2ft long pet python of her mother's (Jaren Hare,19) boyfriend, escaped it's cage, wrapped itself around the girl, and squeezed until the little girl was dead. Charles Darnell,32 woke up the next morning to find the snake missing and started searching for it.

Lt. Bobby Caruthers of Sumter County Sheriff's Department made the following statement:

"Wednesday morning he wakes up and discovers the snake missing from its container," said Caruthers. "He went straight to the infant's room and he described it as seeing the snake on the baby. He also described a bite mark on her forehead. He started stabbing the snake and removed the child from the room."

Despite this tragedy, the fact that an exotic snake killed a baby, means a criminal investigation is underway for owning and keeping such a dangerous pet in the home with the baby girl. "We're going to be interviewing (Darnell) and the mother further at the Sheriff's Office," Caruthers says. "They were very upset at the scene and that's all we got out of them."

In my opinion he either knew it was dangerous to keep a snake that size in the house with a baby, or there is something fishy with the story. Why else would he immediately start searching for the snake in the baby's room.

Florida Fish & Game is also investigating because Darnell didn't have a permit for the snake. Pythons are classified Reptiles of Concern because they escape or are released into the wild where they displace local wildlife.

Missed Connections

Sophie Blackall has beautifully illustrated Craigslist's Missed Connections. It is one of my favorite new blogs.

Bloom's Alma Crib

Not everyone has the space for a full-sized crib. Or they need to have a crib for a second location. Bloom has come up with a stylish option. The Alma crib measures just 37x20x33", so it even can be used in a converted walk-in closet. It also can be folded and stored away when not in use. Bloom also has spared parents the trouble of assembly, no tools are needed. And despite its small footprint, it can be used until the child is 2years-old. So skip the bassinet and spend your money on this mini crib.

Available in green or white, the Bloom Alma is $400.