Was that Whacko Jacko doco full-on creepy, or what? I didn't watch all of it, but I saw enough to make me feel both disturbed by and sorry for the poor prick. I mean, he's known by bloody everyone in the entire world, yet he's completely and utterly alone. Watching him lope dopily around the joint pursued by legions of gawking, prodding fans he reminded me of John Merrick, the "Elephant Man" -- except that Merrick wasn't a mega-deluded, psychosexually twisted friggin' nutbar, of course. (Er, and his nose was in better shape, too.)

And re all them creepy goings on in the Jackson bedroom: Of course the Whackster's stubborn refusal to understand interviewer Martin Bashir's horror was cause for alarm. But what about the complicity of the kids' parents or guardians? Either they're being paid to let their children stay there (a possibility) or they're completely under the spell of his celebrity. Either way that's a bigger worry. I mean, it's sad enough for an abused, lonely, neurotic multi-millionaire to seek refuge from reality in Neverland, but it's worse when lots of "normal" people indulge his bizarre fantasy by offering him their children.

For people interested in the turmoil in Zimbabwe, here's a good collection of articles. It includes a story published in The Oz (it's the fourth one listed) about an interesting doco made by a former resident of Zimbabwe called Chloe Traicos. Not only is Chloe a film-maker, but she's also an actress and playwright. Yet she's only in her mid-twenties! Keep an eye out for her.

Anyone who thinks that the United Nations possesses a moral authority greater than Seppolia's should have a squizz at this great article.

Another fictional character is causing offence. Apparently a bunch of Moscow silks are a tad shat off about the character of Dobby in the latest Harry Potter fillum. They reckon he looks too much like their leader, Vladimir Putin.

Here's Vlad. Here's Dobby. You decide.

Apparently an MTV cartoon called Clone High has caused a ruckus. It's all about a school chockas with the clones of famous people throughout history. Gandhi is presented as an out-of-control horn-dog. Understandably, the people of India aren't too happy about that!

The irony is that the characterization probably isn't too far off. Gandhi was a class-act, of course, but he was still human. And look at the lives of other gurus like Koresh, Jones, and Bagwhan Shree Rajneesh. All of them used their power to extract sexual favours from women (and sometimes children). In fact, I suspect that's why they set off on the "spiritual" path in the first place.

And it's well known that Gandhi loved the company of spunky young babes. He would get them to spend the night with him, starkers, so as to test his ability to resist temptation. He was getting his rocks off, by keeping them on! Don't know about you, but that seems extremely kinky to me.

Dirty bastard!