Marty Thompson’s QuickHits Buzzblog

Sir Paul is urging all his fans to go meatless every Monday.

Longtime vegetarian and animal rights campaigner Sir Paul McCartney is requesting his native Brits to give up meat for at least one day of the week.

The former Beatles legend alleges United Nations official have declared that eating less meat actually helps to slow climate change. Contactmusic.com reports that McCartney is using this claim to promote vegetarianism and save the world.

He said: “A meat-free Monday is like going to the gym - with the advantage of protecting the planet.”

Neil Diamond will mentor finalists on an upcoming Tuesday episode of American Idol, which airs at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. He’ll also give a performance the following evening, although those exact dates have yet to be announced. In other Diamond developments, the singer has reunited with producer Rick Rubin for a new studio album, Home Before Dark, which is set for a May 6 release. A world concert tour is expected to follow.

The Jackson family may be weathering some tough times. According to the “New York Post,” most of them are barely scraping by after dealing with decades of bad financial decisions and promises allegedly reneged on by Jacko himself. From landing six-figure deals for one night performances, to stocking groceries and changing tires, the brothers of the infamous Jackson Five appear to have been hit the hardest in the family’s misfortunes. The paper says Michael Jackson made numerous promises to his siblings and even signed them to his record label, MJJ, but refused to release any of their music.

Here is a breakdown of the Jackson family and their individual status, according to “The New York Post.”

Father Joseph Jackson, 79 and mother Katherine Jackson, 77

Joseph reportedly manages various girl groups in Las Vegas, and Katherine is a housewife and the only family member in contact with Michael. Both have previously filed for bankruptcy

Janet Jackson, 41

Currently the most successful of the family. She is promoting hew new album, “Discipline.”

Randy Jackson, 46

Allegedly performs odd jobs like changing tires to support himself. He was Michael’s business manager during the 2005 molestation trial. He reportedly persuaded three friends to take out lines of credits against their homes to help Michael pay his attorney fees, and Michael reportedly stiffed them.

Michael Jackson, 49

Recently fought foreclosure on his Neverland ranch as well as the family’s Encino home. He allegedly makes repeated promises to his brothers while sabotaging any attempts by them to ply their musical trade.

Marlon Jackson, 51

Lives in San Diego, where he reportedly works stocking groceries at a Vons supermarket. Three years ago when he was forced to leave his foreclosed home and move into an Extended Stay America hotel with his wife, Carol.

La Toya Jackson, 52

Declared Michael guilty in 1993 during his molestation case. Works mostly in Europe and in the UAE judging beauty and singing contests. She lives in Beverly Hills with her wealthy boyfriend.

Jermaine Jackson, 54

Lives in his parents’ Hayvenhurst mansion as well as with his girlfriend in the San Fernando Valley. He reportedly does not have a regular income, and has more than five-million-dollars in federal, state and other liens against him, as well as a 1995 bankruptcy filing.

Tito Jackson, 55

Formed a blues band and plays at small venues for 500-dollars to 15-hundred dollars a gig.

Jackie Jackson, 56

The oldest son who started an Internet clothing business and is trying to produce records by his sons. Nothing has panned out.

Rebbie Jackson, 57

Married to successful businessman Nathaniel Brown. She is the oldest sibling of the family.

Sad news for BEATLES fans. THE BEATLES original groundbreaking engineer and PINK FLOYD producer NORMAN SMITH passed away last night.

Smith was the engineer on all of the recordings by THE BEATLES up until 1965 when EMI promoted him from engineer to producer. The last BEATLES album he recorded was “Rubber Soul.” SMITH engineered the sound for approximately 180 Beatles songs in all.

In 1972, SMITH, using his recording artist pseudonym of “HURRICANE SMITH,” had a transatlantic hit with “Oh Babe What Would You Say?.”

Mike Smith, lead singer of the Dave Clark Five, is dead. He died of pneumonia yesterday at age 64. The British Invasion band will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a week from Monday. Mike’s agent said he was admitted to the intensive care unit of a London area hospital on Wednesday with a chest infection.

We brought Mike to Vegas for what would be his final concert performance— It was an incredible show. He had a blast performing. It was upon his return to Spain after the show that he had his accident and has been in aand out of the hospital since.

Mike Smith— you will be missed.

Ronald Isley will have to do time in federal prison after all. A three-judge panel upheld his 37-month sentence for tax evasion. Ronald Isley, who is 66-years-old, tried to make the argument that since he’s old and in poor health, the federal prison system would not be able to provide him with decent health care. That argument didn’t work. In 2006, Ronald Isley was convicted on five counts of tax evasion and one count of willful failure to file a tax return.

For the first time ever, NASA will beam a song — The Beatles’ “Across the Universe” — directly into deep space at 7 p.m. EST tonight.

here are the freakish details 

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0802/02beatles/

A car, once owned by singer SIR ELTON JOHN, is up for sale on the Internet for $50,000 (GBP25,000). The Bentley, which was used by the star in his music video for the 1985 hit Nikita, is up for sale on auction website E-bay

Hey!

Today is carpet day at the house. We should be ready to move into our new studios in the next 2 weeks. We will have a webcam from the studios when we are “live”. I am pretty much updating the blog from a cardboard box under a freeway bridge right now– sorry updates are slow…

not Beatle– Beetle. Thanks to Bobby Leach for the offbeat news of the day: