(This is part of an ongoing series, links to which will be posted in the comments below)
The Nationalists of the “Mouvement Authenticité de la Révolution” (MAR)
Who is Mobutu Sese Seko? Just another warlord who got a lucky break? A champion of the nation willing to do what is necessary for unity and freedom? A traitor to the people who was happy to crack congolese heads until his pay got cut? A revolutionary Father-Marshal or a reactionary kleptocrat? No one can say for sure, but when the Congo war begins in 1966 it will become clear what he wishes himself to be: the great liberator, unifyer, and undisputed master of the great Congo nation. And with Japanese help he may just pull it off. But no man is born great, and even the Fuhrer does not rule alone. So let us discover how Mobutu came to be, and what his victory will mean for the Congo and Africa at large.
For the Japanese, who will become his greatest supporters and headaches, he is the African Oda Nobunaga: a martial and cruel man whose vision for unity and glory far outweighs whatever sins he may have committed. Always one for the cameras and adept at winning over an audience, Mobutu will successfully win over the Japanese public by playing the role of the justly tyrannical “Great Man”, even while he personally prefers western delicacies.
Joseph-Désiré Mobutu lived an unremarkable life before being thrust into greatness. He was only 16 when the Congo was violently transferred from Belgian to German hands, and like many rebellious students he joined in the 1949 protests against the construction of the Congo dam, stowing away from boarding school to do so. In the aftermath of the MNC repression Mobutu was assigned to the still technically Belgian controlled Force Publique as punishment. Unlike many of his fellows however Mobutu immediately took to military life, embracing the strength, discipline and martial values it provided. In part because of this he served without noticeable disobedience, and was even bribed to be an informant on clandestine communist cells within the force, ratting out a few of his “comrades”. From the point of view of the Belgians he was a model soldier. But this was an act: in truth Mobutu never ceased holding resentment for his arrogant Belgian commanders or the priests who had “educated” him. Behind their back he was a contributor to the native underground press, writing under assumed names and attacking the Belgian presence. It came as quite a shock then when in 1955, as his mandated time in the force was drawing to a close, Mobutu did not accept demobilization quietly but instead went into revolt. It is still a matter of debate about what pushed him into this. He claims that this had been the plan all along, while cynics say the impending annexation of the belgian Congo by Zentralafrika forced him into it. Some think that his double life was about to be exposed, while the more conspiratorial leftists say that he never went into rebellion at all, and that his “revolt” was ordered by the Belgians as a way to counter the APL insurgency. But whatever the case it was here that the public figure was born.
After killing several belgian officers and stealing as many weapons and valuables as they could Mobutu and his co-conspirators quickly fled east. This was not entirely unusual: the sudden annexation of the colony led to many sporadic demonstrations and revolts. But it immediately became clear that Mobutu had larger ambitions than these local disturbances. His strategy at this time was one of survival: he would only accept those who could move fast and hit hard, with his armed band always staying on the move as they fled to the east. But unlike other petty warlords he understood the importance of a political and social message for his long term survival, as well as local alliances. For this he essentially copied the platform of the now underground MNC while adhering to none of its tenants in reality: he would tell the people whatever they wanted to hear so long as it got him what he wanted. More practically he made tight alliances with local eastern notables as well as Tutsi refugees which had fled reprisals to the east. In this he was successful, forging for himself a loose alliance in the north east which permitted him to slip the noose where so many others were eventually caught.
One of his most important lieutenants in these early days was Victor Nendaka Bika, his de facto “foreign minister” and torturer who would make initial contact with those Mobutu saw the need to coerce or charm. Unlike many warlords Mobutu never gave into the temptation to rule by fear alone, instead seeking to co-opt useful men into his own organization. But he was just as happy to let loose his jackal to show the consequences of disloyalty.
These early years from 1956-1962 were defined at first by mere survival: banditry, illegal trade and bribery were the only ways to stay alive. But slowly, with plenty of self promotion to help it, Mobutu’s reputation as a survivor and a winner grew locally, and then regionally. As the remnants of failed rebels and warlords drifted into his growing camp Mobutu was able to step beyond being a bandit king and into becoming a local powerbroker. He had already made himself the allied protector of the Tutsi refugees, and soon after the APL’s protracted people's war in the north began he sought to become the patron of his own native Ngbandi people as well. Where he had the most power in the eastern fringes the pan-Africanist APL held the north, with the Ngbandi in the middle still “up for grabs” between the APL, Mobutu and the German administration. It is here that he first developed his own separate political platform: unwilling or unable to come to an agreement with either of the other two factions Mobutu began developing his own ideology of an “authentic” congolese nationalism which was opposed to both pan-african and communist radicalism, “self defeating” regionalism and demanded the full liberation of the congo from european imperialism. But most importantly to those who heard his call was for unity under Mobutu: if the African people remained divided and timid they would be slaves forever, and only a great leader like Mobutu could bring them true liberty. As one may expect, this call for subordination won him very few new friends.
The see-saw of influence in the Congo north and east is set to be radically upended in 1962, as kommissar Krogmann finally thinks he has enough stability in the west to launch a pacification campaign. In this he will be superficially successful: all anti-German factions will be forced to retreat and large swaths of land will be returned to German control. But it will not accomplish its primary objective of capturing and killing the leadership: Mobutu will once again avoid the hangman and will return when the Zentralafrika army goes marching south to the SAW. And when he does it will be with a new purpose. Much of his army was scattered or deserted by the German offensive, with many of the local allies he thought were in his hands all but begging to come to terms with the Germans after he was forced out. He had survived yes, but only by the skin of his teeth: this time he would do things differently. Taking lessons from the APL he will return in 1964 as a popular revolutionary rather than as a mere warlord with a printing press. Though still not fully developed it is here that “Joseph-Désiré” would become “Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga” or “The all-powerful warrior who, because of his endurance and inflexible will to win, goes from conquest to conquest, leaving fire in his wake”. A new ideology of “Authentic” nationalism came with this new name, seeking to truly win over the hearts of the people as well as the loyalty of their leaders. It was a threat and a promise, as he would go about tearing down symbols of westernism in his wake and giving personal “gifts” to people or organizations which he wished to win over. He also sought to portray himself as an avenging angel, throwing “bad actors” such as denounced priests and hated collaborators against the wall.
This new ideology, disseminated through the “Manifesto of Goma” is long in emotion and short in concrete policy. As such it was quickly denounced by the intellectuals of the Pan-Africanists and Liberals as not a “real” ideology and merely a cheap populism. But it is taken deadly seriously by the newly declared Mouvement Authenticité de la Révolution: for its supporters it promises a true rebirth of the congolese people from within rather than without. The Congo would be purged of malignant western influence by remaking the congolese individual in body, mind and spirit. This was the way to true freedom and dignity, far more than mere “material conditions” or to ape their constitutions.
With his newfound identity and strategy Mobutu will of course be a prime target for Huttig’s retribution, but as is always the case too few men and not enough supplies will stop Huttig from ever putting him down for good. Plus Mobutu had found a new friend: the Japanese. In the immediate aftermath of Huttig’s takeover the Japanese will support the APL, but will quickly grow disenchanted: the naked radicalism and distrustful nature of the APL will lead to the Japanese looking for a more reliable partner, and Mobutu will aggressively angle to become just that. After having been rejected by the Americans in favor of the MNC Mobutu is the only big game left in the Congo for Japan to back, and was always a master at co-option and personal magnetism. He will charm the Japanese mission to sing his praises in Tokyo, even if there is little they can do for him at the moment. This will change when Huttig dies: taking a gamble Mobutu will strike at Stanleyville, successfully forcing the retreating garrison to leave behind most of their weapons and capturing an airport through which he will finally have solid connections with the outside world. The bad blood between him and the MNC and APL will mean that there is no choice but to fight it out as the Congo war begins in 1966, this time with Japan backing him to the hilt.
Mobutu now seeks to become a legend. Already having gained a personal mythos after having been declared dead by the Germans several times, his wartime strategy will be to force the mass mobilization of the population. Under his personal name and with the backing of Japan he will force every man who comes under his control into his army, seeking to form a tidal wave of men which will overwhelm his enemies and make up for his lack of supply. If an enemy cannot be rooted out with simple force of numbers, it will be the job of his all Ngbandi “Leopard Division” or even better of Japanese “volunteers” to root them out. The success of this strategy is heavily dependent on momentum, and will rely on Japanese backing to arm itself. But if it is successful Zentralafrika will be no more, and neither will the Congo: The Republic of Zaire will rise as the newest power in Africa under the leadership of the nation's great guide: Mobutu Sese Seko. After a partial demobilization and a reconfirming of his alliance with “internal allies” such as the Tutsi under François Rukeba and the Bakongo under Holden Roberto he will initiate a grand campaign of national revolution and self aggrandizement: Zairianization.
Asian inspired architecture of the newly built Presidential Palace. Among those celebrating the creation of Zaire will be the Japanese. All sides have poured a great deal of resources into the conflict, and the victory of Mobutu will doubtless be a strategic boon for Japanese influence on the continent. Mobutu for his part recognizes the usefulness of his new “friends”, but neither side is blinded by the propaganda: the dangers and opportunities of Nationalism are all too familiar.
As mentioned in my previous post there are several common issues which any native unifyer must account for. The first among these is The Looming Famine: in the aftermath of years of war and mismanagement the supply of food to urban areas is critically unstable. And it is in this issue that the weaknesses of Mobutu’s regime will first be seen. Mobutu’s agricultural reform centers mostly on seizing land owned by the whites and his political enemies, and then redistributing it to himself, his political allies, and occasionally to the people. As everything with the Zairean revolution the purpose is twofold: to meet the needs of the people and to entrench Mobutu's personal political power. But often the second goal far outstrips the first: many of the people who gain this land do not know how to use the land productively, or if they do, are more interested in producing cash crops than they are in food staples. This is certainly the case for the massive amounts of land brought under Mobutu’s personal ownership, which will most often continue to grow the same way as the colonial plantations they were before. This reckless reorganization and focus on exports ensure that hunger will be an early and acute crisis for Zaire. The issue will be solved slowly, as roads are repaired and the rhythm of agricultural life is no longer disrupted by war, but the people need food now and more than anything else it is cassava and rice which the people demand from their leaders.
It is by meeting this need that Japanese influence first becomes a powerful thing. Though motivated in part by genuine charity from well off Asians, the provision of food and aid is also cynically used by the Japanese state to buy the support of the people and the local power brokers away from Mobutu, and towards themselves. This aid, plus the government's own subsidies of food imports, plus the natural healing from war, will lead to the crisis fading away but leaving all sides on notice that the future of Zaire is still being made, and that the Japanese are a major player in it.
The Mutilated Independence: The inability of Mobutu to take Leopoldville during the independence war is a blow to Mobutu’s prestige, not to mention Zaire as a whole. However he is pragmatic enough and has enough friends in Japan to hash out a deal with Nigeria and Gabon: the loss of the major port will not strangle Congolese exports or imports, only make them more expensive. But for both political and economic reasons the retaking of Leopoldville and the Kabinda port remain absolutely vital to the continued reign of Mobutu. To this end Mobutu’s solution to retaking Leopoldville is direct conquest, not because he can think of no other option but because it will give him the greatest personal prestige as a great conqueror. As such along with his policy of “Zairianization” and economic consolidation he will also invest a great deal into the army.
This army will see its strength tested as Mobutu tries to expand his influence beyond the Zaireian borders. Gabon may be protected by America, but unleashing blitz style attacks on Angola and Rwanda is fair game. In Angola he will seek to set up Holden Roberto as a fellow autocratic “Authenticité” leader by supporting his meager army against the warring angolan factions in an attempted knockout blow. In Rwanda he will need to be somewhat more cautious (unless something very bad happens) but ultimately seeks to return Kigeli V to the throne on the backs of his long time exile allies. In this way he will both expand his influence as well as surround Leopoldville with friendly regimes. When the oil crisis hits Mobutu will leap at the opportunity to crush the Germans by launching an all out assault on “Festung Leopoldville”, and if successful will greatly increase his prestige, as well as rehabilitate his image in the eyes of other revolutionary leaders as a “true revolutionary”. If he fails in these wars however he will decline, and need to lean ever more heavily on Japan to prop himself up. This is somewhat awkward for Japan itself: having previously backed leftist movements as their best options they must now choose between their old allies and the new anti-leftist gambles taken by Mobutu. But despite the heartburn Zaire is simply too valuable in the african chaos for Japan to not continue supporting it, and so the rising sun shall backstab their allies in the name of pragmatism to the benefit of Mobutu. And besides, these new factions typically promess a better deal than the socialists did.
Mobutu walks a fine line in African politics: though he has denounced the APL’s brand of pan-africanism he also wishes to be seen as a great revolutionary. Surrounded as he is by pan-african or otherwise revolutionary movements it is only good sense to say you are one of them. And to many Mobutu is just that: a liberating revolutionary who both freed and united great swaths of africa from pernicious white influence. But for the wider Marxist inspired world of African liberation his clear anti-communist is difficult to accept, no matter how well he speaks the language of pan-african pride.
Lingering Regionalism: In this question Mobutu is the most radical, and his policy is what you may know him for OTL. While all revolutionaries desire to establish a united identity, and some of them will do so by autocratic centralization, Mobutu makes the establishment of a “true” Zaireian nation a core part of his rule. As established in the Manifesto of Goma Mobutu promesses a national revolution in which regionalism will be swept away by a new, authentic program of nation building which will decolonize the Congolese mind as well as their hands. In practical terms this means the creation of a totalitarian state which will regulate and make “african” all aspects of life. Western influence will be attacked via the banning of christian names and nationalizing catholic church property. A citizen dress code will be implemented as well as a “traditional” family code which will favor male-dominated polygamy and property laws. Though his own praetorian guard of the leopard division is tribally biased the army as a whole will have a new organization forbidding any unit to be more than 20% uniform in tribal origin. This campaign is carried out with special zeal against the influence of Catholicism. Seeing it as both a challenge to his own power and as a malignant foreign influence Mobutu will make a great show of putting priests on trial and instructing his followers to declare that Mubutu is like Jesus and the MAR like the church. Schools, previously run almost exclusively by religious organizations, will be nationalized and their curriculum no longer permitted to teach Christianity but instead to teach “Mobutuism”. Though he will not have the strength needed to wipe out the church entirely during the 60s or early 70s Mobutu will be able to effectively cow this institution and dare any priest to say “sacrilege”.
This campaign will provide a degree of unity, pride and self confidence to the shattered nation beyond what any other program could do, but it is all provided through the image of Mobutu as the great sun king of the new nation. Mobutu will seek to become the center of a pseudo-religious cult of personality with mass public celebrations of his figure following him wherever he goes and an entourage singing songs in his praise.
A consequence of the personalism in this campaign is than any embarrassing failures will not only reflect poorly on the nation but on Mobutu himself. As such he will often get worked up by seemingly trivial matters: if the football team should be lucky enough to participate in the world cup they will do so under the threat that if they do not perform well enough it will see retribution on them at home.
But as part of building this cult he must never let any other person, even his own children, get a moment in the spotlight. Below him is transient chaos, while above him is none: he alone is the rock on which Zaire can be built. This policy is most clearly seen in his handling of the Warlord Plague. Here Mobutu has a two sided policy: All those military figures which he believes could pose a threat to his rule will at first be executed publicly and brutally. In the opening months of his reign he will institute a mini reign of terror to make an example of many warlords and political enemies. However, once the example has been made he will move on to a policy of co-opting these same men. Often through direct bribery, or through positions of prestige and other perks, local strongmen who will accept his rule are brought into the state machine by promising the opportunity to profit in exchange for loyalty. This opportunity is often revoked without notice or reason and personal rivalry at the top is encouraged: in this way no other individual is able to form a stable powerbase. But at the same time individuals previously kicked out of power may be rehabilitated just as quickly, rising once again to wealth and prestige on the auspices of Mobutu’s favor. In this way no elite is a permanent outsider, and the best move for many will seem to be “wait and see”. This of course makes the internal administration of the nation hell, but it does keep Mobutu in undisputed power without even the glimmer of a rival.
This policy of personal co-option extends even to The Belgian Question. The Europeans remaining property will be nationalized and they will be deported, but it will not come with the punitive brutality of the pan-africanists. Mobutu has no love for the Belgians, and will not tolerate their continued dominance, but he also has no special hatred for them, seeing them mostly as political liabilities and rivals rather than ideology defining enemies: that distinction goes to the Germans. But after this show of nationalistic force the door will be left open to their return: many of the nationalized properties are redistributed to those without the knowledge, skill or desire to maintain their productivity. As such when those same Europeans are offered the chance to buy back their property or even return to the Congo Mobutu will not get in their way: so long as they avoid getting lynched along the way by Mobutu’s notoriously brutal and poorly disciplined soldiers he will let them have their piece too so long as they accept that it is by his grace alone that they keep it.
Part of this leniency is out of a calculated mercy to Europeans: Mobutu is smart enough to know that making himself solely reliant on Japan is a poor strategy, and will seek to make connections with America, Italy and Brazil. Having mercy on the Belgians and keeping the door open to cooperation with the Euros is an easy way to mollify western opinion and thus maintain his own independence on the world stage. Of course even this policy has limits: Germany and those under her will see the door slammed shut.
Which brings us neatly into the great struggle which defines the early Mobutu regime: addressing the Economic Devastation. In keeping with his Authenticité program Mobutu wishes to nationalize all previously foreign owned industry, which is the vast majority of all industry, under the one-party state. These national corporations, modeled off of the Japanese Zaibatsu and Italian corporatism, will be either controlled directly by Mobutu, by his close political allies, or (to his own displeasure) by East Asians, most often the Japanese. Mobutu’s Japanese backers are willing to prop up his regime, to allow whatever social and political organization he wishes, but they have come to the Congo for a reason. That reason is money and resources, and with Authenticité pushing for the cartelization of all money in the Congo the Japanese demand to be let in. Mobutu cannot simply dismiss them: it is Japanese credit and weapons which ensure he stays secure and on top. But he is also unwilling to simply roll over for them: he is a nationalist and a deeply ambitious man, and will not be satisfied with anything less than personal ownership of the Zaire economy. As such the 60s and early 70s will be a contest between true Mobutu loyalists and pro-Japanese opportunists for who will gain a majority share of the new nation's economic resources. Japan offers cash, guns, food, technical advisors and diplomatic support (all of which Zaire really needs) in return for shares in the national corporations and local extractions. They will also play dirty by employing bribes, intimidation tactics, organized crime and even clandestine support of anti-mobutu civil resistance to put pressure on the regime to open up more space for the Japanese. To counter this Mobutu has all the tools of the state at his disposal, as well as the mobilization of his own hard core group of supporters for intimidation or political pressure on local leaders.
“Kazi ndjo baba, ndjo mama” (work, it is my father, it is my mother), is a common phrase in Katanga which alludes to the paternalist role played by large companies such as the Union Minière, which would provide housing, education, and sometimes even wives to their workers in exchange for productive loyalty. Even after the full German takeover “company work” maintained a facade of this relationship. Japan is well positioned to take up the old Union Minière paternalism tactics, offering workers higher and more regular pay than what native organizations sometimes can, while also reinforcing a culture of dependency which Mobutu is trying to break (or bend to his own ends).
It is this contest for the hard cash and rare metals provided by the Congo which will determine the final form the Authenticité regime takes. If Mobutu is victorious and secures the lion's share of the economy for himself and a large enough share for his allies the Zairean Revolution will be complete with major bonuses to stability and political power, and even more importantly to Mobutu’s personal fortune. Though never giving public access to his personal books Mobutu will be plausibly rumored to be worth billions, with he and his family being some of the foremost african business people in the world and minor celebrities in the co-prosperity sphere. However the economy will suffer greatly from this as all economic efficiency and business skill has been sacrificed in the name of Mobutu’s personal power: though he is the undisputed master of Zaire it will be a deeply dysfunctional country economically, and if commodity prices were to fall he may need to go crawling back to the outside world to bail him out. On the other hand if Japan wins Zaire will become a neo-colonial strip, with its most lucrative industries owned in part or in full by the Japanese and the state unable to do anything about it without critically undermining its own elite support. This will make Mobutu into only a multi-millionaire rather than a billionaire, as well as undermine his public image of all powerful invincibility. With the Japanese ambassador keeping a hawkish eye on him and his party Mobutu will be left to stew in his unhappy lot knowing that if he ceases to play the part assigned to him the Japanese can always find someone else. This will also be the end of the Authentice campaign as even uneducated workers can see that their bread comes not from “Father Marshal” but from their places of work, owned by foreigners once again. But it is arguably better economically, as the extractive industries are at least run competently and its workers will be paid in full and on time more often. In all cases Zaire will be a sphere observer, but in this case it will be a part of the Japanese economic sphere as well. The later 70s and 80s will be difficult times for either end as prices crash and the cumulative effects of bad government and foreign domination come to the fore. But that is a story for another day.
Japan or Mobutu, success or failure, unity or farce, one thing remains constant: the Zairean military officers are the new nobility of the new nation. Corruption is an endemic and potentially crippling issue in Zaire, and this is seen most clearly in the military, where officers will steal wages and army units will act close to bandits in the more remote regions, creating an atmosphere of fear. But the best position is that of an Air Force officer, with prominent families often paying through the nose for their sons to be educated in Japanese military academies to earn their wings.

1950 - Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana. She is the first child born to Joe & Katherine Jackson
1956 - La Toya Yvonne Jackson is born in Gary, Indiana. She is the 5th child & the middle daughter
1971 - The Jackson 5 play at the Indiana Fairgrounds Coliseum (now Indiana Farmers Coliseum) in Indianapolis, Indiana
1988 - Michael Jackson performs in concert to an audience of 53,600 at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, Italy on his BAD World Tour
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1997 - Michael arrives in Bremen, Germany with Tarak Ben Ammar, on the HIStory World Tour. He meets the mayor of the city, Henning Scherf
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Three month old Prince Michael Jr is taken to a Paris hotel suite where he is taken care of by his nannies Grace Rwaramba & Pia Bhatti. Michael joins him after each concert of the European tour. Debbie Rowe also flies every weekend to spend time with Michael & their son.
2006 - While still in Tokyo, Michael has business meetings in his hotel suite and then goes out shopping
2009 - Michael invites some fans into CenterStaging, where This Is It rehearsals are taking place. According to them he seemed worried, upset and his voice crackled as if he was on the verge of tears as he revealed that he had "gone to bed thinking it was 10 concerts and woke up finding out it was 50".
Michael’s curly hair is back!
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Later Michael goes for the second time in 10 days to a sound design studio on Magnolia Boulevard.
2013 - Jackson v AEG Trial Day 19
Katherine and Rebbie Jackson are at court.
Paul Gongaware Testimony
Jackson direct
"My understanding Michael Jackson is a party (to the contract)," Gongaware said about Dr. Murray's contract. Gongaware told jury he's never looked at Conrad Murray's contract to serve as Michael Jackson's tour doctor
Panish: "Why did AEG have to enter into a contract with Dr. Murray?"
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Gongaware: "I don't know about AEG terminating Dr. Murray"

Gongaware said he didn't believe they could do it, because he was Michael's doctor. Gongaware said it was fair to say he didn't know why AEG would enter into a contract with a doctor for Michael Jackson. Panish asked Gongaware if Michael negotiated the price/contract with Dr. Murray.

"I believe he did through me, he instructed me what to offer"

Gongaware said he didn't know for sure whether Karen Faye was an independent contractor or not.
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"Dr. Murray would've been 100% charged to Michael Jackson," Gongaware testified.

Gongaware said he didn't know what the $300k budgeted for medical management was for.
Panish tried 'impeaching' Gongaware, which is the process of calling into question the credibility of an individual who's testifying. Yesterday and today the plaintiffs' attorney would ask a question then play parts of the deposition to catch Gongaware in contradiction.
At one point, a portion of Gongaware's deposition was played in which he discussed a meeting at Michael's house with Conrad Murray. In his deposition, Paul Gongaware said the meeting "was about Dr. Murray and engaging him"; Gongaware later changed testimony to state "him" meant MJ. That change was read to the jury, leading attorney Brian Panish to question Gongaware about what he meant by the word "engage". "Here I think we were talking about making sure Michael Jackson was engaged and focused", Gongaware said. He told the jury he was concerned about getting Michael involved and focused, engaged mentally. "I believe that was Kenny's concern, that he wanted him to be focused," Gongaware explained. "Michael had gone before without rehearsing", Gongaware recalled. "When he got to London, he was going to be sensational." Gongaware said he thought at the meeting they discussed Jackson's nutrition, not his health (i.e. sleep issues.)
Panish asked Gongaware about another meeting at Jackson's house in which Michael showed up late after a visit to Dr. Arnold Klein. "I didn't know what he was under the influence of, but he was a little bit off", Gongaware said of the meeting adding that he didn't know what kind of drugs Dr. Klein was giving Michael
Panish then asked Gongaware whether he was involved in getting Jackson a nutritionist. Lots of back-and-forth on this issue. Panish showed emails in which Gongaware emailed others at AEG telling them Jackson needed a nutritionist and physical therapist. "Obviously I was looking for a nutritionist for him, but I wasn't involved in his nutrition," Gongaware said. Panish played Gongaware's deposition where he said he was not involved in finding a nutritional person. Gongaware explained he believes nutritional person and nutritionist were not necessarily the same.
On June 15, 2009, Gongaware sent an email to Ortega in response to request for nutritionist and physical therapist for Michael . Email:
We're on it. AEG owns major sports teams in this market so we think we can find the right people quickly. Kenny responded: Super.Not a minute too soon. Let's turn this guy around!
Panish then asked Gongaware about a friend of AEG CEO Randy Phillips who was going to work with Jackson. Gongaware said he didn't know whether this friend of Phillips was a nutrition specialist. He told Panish he'd have to ask Randy Phillips. Gongaware testified he remembers someone named David Laughner working with Michael. Panish pointed out Laughner is Randy Phillips' friend. "I don't know if he was a nutritionist, it was someone in charge of making Michael eat," Gongaware explained.

Gongaware: "He's a guy who's dealt with artists quite a bit"
Panish: "Artists in trouble?"
Gongaware: "Artists in general"

Gongaware said he doesn't know what Laughner did, but he's seen him working with JLo and Enrique Iglesias.
Gongaware didn't know why MJ would need a nutritionist when he had a doctor hired. "Kenny asked for it," Gongaware explained. Gongaware said he told Dr. Murray he wanted him to have everything he needed. He said Michael Jackson had always been thin
Gongaware said he didn't attend rehearsals frequently.

"I was at the rehearsal facility at all the times but I wasn't in the arena much."

"We were always concerned about Michael's health and well being," Gongaware explained, saying he was responding to Kenny Ortega's requests. Gongaware said Kenny Ortega was responsible for keeping an eye on everything, including Michael and his health. Gongaware was then asked whether there was anyone responsible for handling AEG's interests at rehearsals. Gongaware responded "Yes, that was Kenny Ortega"

Panish: "Do you think Ortega was overreacting?"
Gongaware: "Perhaps. I was never concerned about Michael Jackson. I knew when the houselights went off, he would be there and on."
Panish: "You think Ortega was overreacting when raised concerns about Michael's health?" Gongaware: "I think I wasn't concerned as he was"

Talking about the email Gongaware wrote saying he wanted to remind him (Dr. Murray) that it's AEG, not Michael, who's paying his salary. In his deposition, Gongaware said he didn't know what he meant to say in the email. Gongaware testified he spent some of the time himself looking at this email, putting it in context with the rest of the material he had.

Panish: "After meeting with your lawyers and talking about an hour or two about this email, did you refresh your memory of what you meant?"
"I did come to conclusions a lot on my own, then I discussed it with my attorneys," Gongaware explained
Panish: "You didn't have psychotherapy to refresh your recollection?"
Gongaware: "No, I still don't recall writing it"

Panish played for jurors a section of Gongaware's deposition, recorded in December, in which Jackson lawyer Kevin Boyle questioned him about what he meant when he wrote to Ortega:

"We want to remind him that it is AEG, not Michael, who is paying his salary."

​

Boyle: "Based on the assumptions that AEG is your company and Michael is Michael Jackson, do you have an understanding of what that means?"
Gongaware: "No, I don't understand it, because we weren't paying his salary"
Boyle: "So why would you write that?"
Gongaware: "I have no idea"
Boyle: "Now, let's go on to the next sentence. When you say 'his salary,' who are you talking about?"
Gongaware: "I don't know."
Boyle: "Oh, but how do you know you weren't paying his salary if you don't know who we're talking about?"
Gongaware: "I don't remember this e-mail"
Boyle: "Didn't you just testify that 'we weren't paying his salary'?"
Gongaware: "AEG?"
Boyle: "Yes.You just testified 'we weren't paying his salary.' You just testified to that a few seconds ago, right?"
Gongaware: "I guess"
Boyle: "Well, whose salary were you referring to? Dr. Murray?"
Gongaware: "Yes."

After Gongaware began recalling in court what he meant in the e-mail, Panish suggested it may be a case of "repressed memories" where "someone doesn't remember something for three or four years."

"You didn't have any psychotherapy to remember what you wrote here?" Panish asked. "You didn't like get put to sleep? (Judge Yvette Palazuelos injected: "Hypnotized?") to see if you remembered this?
"No," Gongaware answered

Panish went through every word of the email, which was to Kenny Ortega and Frank DiLeo:

Frank and I have discussed it already and have requested a face-to-face meeting with the doctor, hopefully Monday. We want to remind him that it is AEG, not Michael, who's paying his salary. We want him to understand what's expected of him. He's been dodging Frank so far

​

Panish: "You're referring to Dr. Murray and what's expected of Dr. Murray, right?"
Gongaware: "Yes, we did talk about Dr. Murray's salary, but a deal was never consummated. His responsibility was to take care of his patient"

Panish asked if he thought Dr. Murray knew what his responsibility was, so why the need to remind him what was expected of him?

"This thing was shorthand between me, Kenny and Frank. I was going through hundreds of emails a day. If I knew lawyers four years later were picking everything apart, I may have been more careful choosing my words", Gongaware testified.

He claimed he was referring to Kenny's email regarding nutritionist, physical therapist.

"I certainly feel Dr. Murray should be competent to do that (be a nutritionist). He's a doctor!" Gongaware testified.

Panish asked why Gongaware thought they needed a nutritionist when they had a doctor hired.

"Kenny asked for one," he responded

​

"If Michael signed the contract and if Michael would've instructed us to pay him, we would've pay him," Gongaware said about Dr. Murray

​

"Frank and I have discussed it already and have requested a face-to-face meeting with the doctor, hopefully Monday

AEG Live co-CEO Paul Gongaware wrote on June 14, 2009, 11 days before Murray administered a fatal dose propofol
​
"Michael didn't like to rehearse, it didn't surprise me," Gongaware expressed, saying it was known that Michael didn't go to rehearsals. But when the lights went up, Jackson was "on," he stated.
Email on 5/5/09 from Gongaware to Carla Garcia:

Pray for me. This is a nightmare. Not coincidentally, I have them now every night. Cold sweats too. Life used to be so much fun...

It was not an admission that he was concerned about Jackson's ability to do the show, he said. "It was just playing around, joking," with AEG President Tim Leiweke's assistant, Carla Garcia, he testified.
​

"Carla is an absolute babe and I was just chatting her up. I don't have cold sweats, I don't have nightmares, I sleep great!" Gongaware said.

​

Panish asked him if he was lying in the email, "white lie?"
Gongaware: "Let's just say I was joking"
Panish: "You ask people to pray for you joking?"
Gongaware: "I did there"

​
Response from Phillips on Jun 20:

Bugzee, I know because I just got Kenny's message on my voicemail.What did he do when he got there and what happened between him and KO? I have a meeting with Michael tomorrow morning

From Hougdahl (Bugzee)to Phillips, cc'd Gongaware:

MJ came out and watched all the pyro demonstrations and endorsed the all the effects then went into his room and asked Kenny "you aren't going to kill the artist, are you?" We assumed this was reference to pyro, but Kenny said he was shaking and couldn't hold his knife and fork. Kenny had to cut his food for him before he could eat, and then had to use his fingers. I don't know how much embellishment there is to this, but (Kenny) said repeatedly that Michael was in no shape to go on stage. He kept going on and on how no one was taking responsibility for "getting him ready". We might be getting beyond ... damage control, here

"I didn't worry about, it sounded like he was sick and they were going to talk about it next morning," Gongaware explained
Phillips replied:

Tim and I are going to see him tomorrow, however, I am not sure what the problem is. Chemical or physiological?

Gongaware said he was at a family wedding and wasn't really paying attention to this. This was 1st time he heard something was wrong with Michael
Gongaware responds:

Take the doctor with you. Why wasn't he there last night?

"Yes, if he (MJ) was sick, why wasn't he (the doctor) there?" Gongaware said he meant in the email
Phillips responded and added Tim Leiweke in the chain:

He is not a psychiatrist so I'm not sure how effective he can be at this point. Obviously, getting him there is not the issue. It is much deeper.

"I think Randy is stating his opinion," Gongaware said.
Panish asked if Gongaware inquired what Phillips meant by "the issue... It's much deeper."

Gongaware: "Well, there was going to be a meeting that day to discuss it"
Panish: "Were you concerned?"
Gongaware: "Not necessarily"
Panish: "Nobody told you anything where Dr. Murray was?"
Gongaware: "No"
Panish:"And never sought to find out?"
Gongaware: "No"

Response from Hougdahl to Phillips, about needing trainetherapist:

I've watched him deteriorate in front of my eyes over the last 8 weeks. He was able to do multiple 360 spins back in April. He'd fall on his ass if he tried it now

"There was a meeting on June 20th. I wasn't there, I was back East," Gongaware recalled.
Email from Phillips (6/20/09):

Unfortunately, we are running out of time. That's my biggest fear

"He was afraid of that, I wasn't," Gongaware said. Gongaware said he didn't agree with Phillips' assessment, "He may have said that, but I didn't agree with that"
Panish questioned Gongaware about whether the company put too much emphasis on the showbiz maxim, "The show must go on." Gongaware denied that was the case. He told the jury that he was concerned about Jackson's health, but that he thought This Is It tour director Kenny Ortega may have been overstating concerns about the singer's wellbeing. Gongaware agreed that in this business, the show must go on
Gongaware testified he didn't know when Dr. Murray's contract was to begin. "That contract was for London and the shows for London, I believe," Gongaware said.
Email on 6/20/09 from Phillips to LeiwekeComm and "Kazoodi"(private email address that belongs to Gongaware):

This guy is really starting to concern me. Read his email and my response. Dr. Murray and I are meeting with Michael at 4pm today at The Forum.

Gongaware testified that he wasn't sure who Phillips was referring to, and his boss may have been expressing concerns about Jackson or Murray.
The artist's health is paramount. Without the artist, there's no show. The artist is the most important thing," Gongaware testified
Email on 6/19/09 from Phillips to Leiweke:

We have a real problem here

There was a meeting that was going to happen the next day, Gongaware said, and he waited to see what would come out of it
Email on 6/19/09 from Leiweke to Phillips:

Let's set up a time for you and I to meet with him. I want Kenny in the meeting as well

Ortega wrote back:

I will do whatever I can to be of help with this situation. My concern is now that we've brought the Doctor into the fold played the tough love .He appeared quite weak and fatigued this evening. He had a terrible case of the chills, was trembling, rambling and obsessing. Everything in me says he should be psychologically evaluated. If we have any chance at all to get him back in the light it's going to take a strong therapist to help him through this as well as immediate physical nurturing. I was told by our choreographer during the artists costume fitting w/ his designer tonight they noticed he's lost more weight.: As far as I can tell, there's no 1 taking responsibility (caring) for him on a daily basis. Where was his assistant tonight? Tonight I was feeding him wrapping him in blankets to warm his chill, massaging his feet to calm him and calling his doctor. There were four security guards outside his door, but no one offering him a cup of hot tea. Finally, it's important for everyone to know I believe he really wants this. It would shatter him break his heart if we pulled plug. He's terribly frightened it's all going to go away. He asked me repeatedly tonight if i was going to leave him. He was practically begging for my confidence. It broke my heart. He was like a lost boy. There still may be a chance he can rise to the occasion if we get him the help he needs.

Phillips responded:

Kenny: I will call you when I figure this out,we have a person like that, Brigitte, who's in London advancing his stay. We will bring her back asap and Frank, too, however, I'm stymied on who to bring in as a therapist and how they can get through to him in such a short time

Gongaware said Brigitte is a lawyer who was in charge of accommodations for MJ in London
​

Gongaware: "He was obviously concerned"
Panish: "Seriously concerned, right sir?"
Gongaware: "Seemed to be"

"This all happened prior to the meeting, and I was waiting to understand what the situation was," Gongaware explained
"I think they are special," Gongaware said about artists.
Email response from Philips to Kenny urging him, and everyone else, not to become amateur psychiatrists or physicians on 6/20/09:

You cannot imagine the harm and ramifications of stopping this show now

​

Panish: "Can you name a single person at AEG who checked Dr. Murray out?"
Gongaware: "I don't know if anyone did. I didn't know anything about him. Some people work for reasons other than money," Gongaware opined, but said he didn't know whether Dr. Murray was in that category. "I believe every doctor is unbiased and ethical," Gongaware said. "I think it's a natural assumption on my part."

Gongaware: "I never checked any doctor that I used. I just go by recommendation, never checked anyone's financial situation"
Gongaware said everyone thought Michael had all the money in the world, and it was not unusual for him to see people asking for a lot of money. Gongaware said he never heard before today anything about Dr. Murray's financial conditions
​

Panish: "He knew Michael's health was declining based on what the doctor told him, right?"
Gongaware: "Based on what his doctor told him, yes"
"I did talk to him and he said the meeting went well," Gongaware recalled

Email on 6/22/09 from Hougdahl (Production Manager, known as Bugzee) to Gongaware:

Further to the earlier email Let's keep our two docu people out of here today, unless they stay in the dressing room area only. Tomorrow is another story...

​

Panish: "Sir, Michael was sick this time, wasn't he?"
Gongaware: "I don't know, he showed up the next day and was great!"
Panish: "But you were not at the rehearsal, sir?" Gongaware: "I saw reports"

Panish then asked Gongaware about his attendance at Jackson's rehearsals. Gongaware said he didn't attend many. He watched Jackson perform "Thriller" two days before he died, but that was the only time he spent at that rehearsal.

"He appeared to me to be fully engaged. I recall seeing "Thriller" because it was the first time they were rehearsing with the costume and I wanted to see it," Gongaware said

Court Transcript
2017 - Lifetime original movie, Michael Jackson: Searching For Neverland is featured in TV Weekly magazine, with Navi on the cover
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https://preview.redd.it/xr20szbwhl2b1.jpg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca89f816ca5d8ca75a97e23528767b4036711be3

This is an era of frequent disasters, but also an era of heroes. At the scene of emergencies such as earthquakes, fires, and floods, there are always respectable firefighters who are desperate to save lives. Various equipment enters the rescue scene with firefighters, among which communication equipment is the most important. The harsh environment of the rescue site is a huge challenge for firefighters to communicate.
To solve this problem, people have equipped firefighters with a new communication artifact — tactical Bluetooth bone conduction headsets to help firefighters listen to clear instructions in noisy and harsh environments, so that they can accurately and quickly reply to information. Tactical Bluetooth bone conduction headsets relatively bulky. Based on the same principle of sound transmission, engineers have developed this type of headphones for ordinary users. In the past two years, they have become a phenomenon-level earphone product and are very popular among young people.

What are Bluetooth bone conduction headsets?

Bone conduction earphones are earphones that “attach the sounding unit to the temple and other parts, convert the sound into mechanical vibration by the sounding unit, cause the bone to vibrate through the mechanical vibration, and conduct the sound to the auditory nerve from the bone”. Simply put, Bluetooth bone conduction headsets are headphones that use human bones as the sound transmission medium.

Bluetooth bone conduction headsets are a new application of mature technology. Its technology is widely used in the military, fire protection, hearing aids, and other fields. Daily listening to music is a newly expanded application field of bone conduction earphones. However, it is foreseeable that the field of listening to music will make Bluetooth bone conduction headsets more popular.
However, some people are worried that bone conduction headsets will damage hearing

Can Bluetooth bone conduction headsets damage hearing?

Bluetooth bone conduction headsets are usually less harmful to the ears, but if used for a long time and at excessive volume, hearing damage can occur.

Since Bluetooth bone conduction headsets do not need to be plugged into the ear canal when worn, they will not cause damage to the ear due to wearing them. They transmit sound without passing through the ear canal and eardrum, which avoids eardrum damage caused by vibrating the eardrum.
When the Bluetooth bone conduction headsets are used, the ear canal is kept open, which is important for the hygiene of the ear. And they will not cause the ear canal to be wet and stuffy to breed bacteria due to sweat depositing caused by long-term exercise, thereby avoiding the damage to the ear by diseases such as otitis media.
In addition to small damage to the ear canal and eardrum, Bluetooth bone conduction headsets also have very little damage to the inner ear. Due to the relatively gentle and stable vibrating waves of the headphones, they have little damage to the cochlea. Moreover, the electromagnetic waves of them are very small, and their impact on the auditory nerve and brain nerve is also very small.
Therefore, Bluetooth bone conduction headsets will not damage hearing, they protect hearing completely, from the ear canal, eardrum, cochlea to auditory nerves, etc..They are the healthiest kind of headphones.
For hearing protection, when using Bluetooth bone conduction headsets, remember not to use high volumes for a long time, which can cause damage to hearing. In fact, no matter what kind of headphones you wear, long-term use at high volume will definitely cause damage to hearing. It is generally recommended that after using headphones for 2–3 hours, you should rest for 10–15 minutes.
In addition to very little damage to the ears, Bluetooth bone conduction headsets are also very safe. They allow you to listen to music when you can also hear the surrounding environment sounds, which avoids outdoor sports encounters danger. And they are also very comfortable to wear. These advantages are determined by their working methods

How does Bluetooth bone conduction headsets work?

Bluetooth bone conduction headsets are a new application of proven technology, but bone conduction has a long history, with its first applications dating back to the 18th century.

It is rumored that Beethoven, who was deaf, rubbed one end of a long rod into the piano. He put the other end in his mouth and kept it as close to the ear as possible. When playing, the long rod transmitted the sound to the jawbone and the cochlea of the inner ear, so that Beethoven could hear the sound of the piano. This was so important for Beethoven cause he regained his sense of hearing again and he can continue his music composition. This may be the earliest documented application of bone conduction technology.

When the bone conduction headphone works, it converts the sound signal into mechanical vibration by the sound unit and drives the skull to vibrate at the same frequency, allowing the sound to reach the cochlea of the middle ear and inner ear. Finally, we can hear the sound. In the process of sound transmission, they directly bypass the ear canal and eardrum to reach the inner ear, taking a shortcut. Just because it takes a shortcut, it reduces the damage to the ear canal and eardrum, making it the healthiest headphone.
Most of us have been exposed to bone conduction in our daily life. Put your ears close to the ground, and you can hear the footsteps of “tap, tap, tap” through vibration; cover your ears, and you can still hear yourself mumbling, which is a natural phenomenon of bone conduction.
Bone conduction headphones are becoming more and more popular among young people,and more and more brands join this field.So, which brand is the best?In my opinion, those brands that have accumulated technology in this field are trustworthy.Below, I have sorted out some good Bluetooth bone conduction headphones brands, and recommend them to you. I hope they can help.

1. Wissonly Hi Runner Bluetooth bone conduction headsets

Recommended reason
Wissonly bone conduction vibration unit optimization technology is one of the best technical solutions in the industry, because their team has accumulated in the field of bone conduction for 10 years, which is highly respected by people in the industry in terms of product quality and hearing protection.
Once, there was a saying that the sound quality of Bluetooth bone conduction headsets was average. However, Wissonly Hi Runner refreshes this knowledge. It is excellent in sound quality. It uses a 360-degree bone conduction vibration unit, which can increase the vibration area by 35% compared with traditional Bluetooth bone conduction headsets. Moreover, its loss of bone conduction sound transmission is lower, making the sound more shocking and powerful.
Wissonly Hi Runner has added a number of innovative features to make Bluetooth bone conduction headsets better integrated into many scenes in life. It supports IPX8 diving waterproof, which is very good for me who loves swimming. What’s crazy is that it can still work normally under 20 meters of water! It also has 32GB of memory, so it can play music even if it is not connected to a mobile phone. I basically use it as an MP3 player, and I don’t take my mobile phone for running at night. It uses the Bluetooth 5.0 chip, and outdoor activities can make the connection more stable.
In terms of appearance, Wissonly Hi Runner adopts classic black color, and its simple appearance involves matching whatever clothes you wear in any scene.

2.Philips 7607 Bluetooth bone conduction headsets

Recommended reason
Its sounding unit adopt a large-size vibrator of 17mm, which makes it have the effect of high, medium and low triple-frequency balance in sound quality performance. The low-frequency dive is sufficient, the medium and high frequencies are clear and not harsh, but there will be some missing sounds. It is also equipped with an intimate LED night run lamp at the rear end of the body, which can turn on the LED by turning on the key three times in a row. It also has three modes, which is suitable for wearing at night, so that people around it can perceive their own position and ensure their own safety factor to a certain extent.Its IPX6 waterproof rating is not afraid of sweat in daily wear.

3.AfterShokz OPENRUN PRO Bluetooth bone conduction headsets

Recommended reason
Openrun PRO also pays great attention to comfort in wearing, and its body is made of skin-friendly silicone which makes it more comfortable, and it can be better enjoyed. In order to reduce the weight, titanium alloy is selected in its connection material, which is not easy to bend and deform, ensuring the service life. The Bluetooth bone conduction headsets are also equipped with Qualcomm QCC3024 chip and Bluetooth 5.0, and have stable connection and no disconnection in daily use.

4.earsopen PEACE Bone Conduction Headset

Recommended reason
Earsopen was born in Tokyo, Japan, and is a brand of Bluetooth bone conduction headsets owned by BoCo Co., Ltd. Earsopen PEACE TW-1 is the first Bluetooth headphones with left-right separation among bone conduction products. Because the sounding unit is small and closer to the ear canal, the sound leakage is also very small. The main body of the headphone is T-shaped, and the ear clip is adopted. Comfort is not as high as the first two models, but this way of wearing is really the only one. If you must choose TWS’s one, it’s good.

5. vidonn F3 Bluetooth bone conduction headsets

Recommended reason
The weight of this bone conduction headphone is only 29g, and there is comfortable when it is used, whether it is hanging on the neck or hanging on the ear for a long time. The charging port of F3 headphones is a universal standard MICRO-USB interface. The charging port is waterproof with a soft rubber plug, which is not connected to the body, so there is a risk of loss. The disadvantage is that the sound quality is average, and the sound leakage is serious.
Among the several bone conduction headsets recommended above, Wissonly and Aftershokz are the two products with the best overall performance, both in terms of sound quality, safety, comfort and sound leakage reduction.Considering the cost performance ratio, Wissonly will be better and worth recommending.

Backstory: my long distance boyfriend (M25) and I (F20) met through a ex-friend while playing Destiny 2. We hit it off very well and I’ve never been happier to play or to talk to a person I’ve never met before. I talked to him about my previous relationship and he helped me to end it. We talked for months and couldn’t ignore our feelings for each other any longer. He came to IL from NY with his little brother (M22) and made my 20th birthday one to remember. Though it’s been a week since they came i miss them both so much everyday. He plans to break the distance for good this upcoming fall. ❤️