Jacko's death second biggest Internet story of the Century

Pop singer Michael Jackson's death is officially the second biggest internet news story of the 21st century, according to figures published.

Only Barack Obama's election to the White House eclipsed the King of Pop's dramatic passing away.

According to a news daily, in the 72 hours after his death, Jackson, 50, generated twice as much web news than in the same period after coalition troops entered Iraq.

Other top stories he left standing included last year's Beijing Olympics, Hurricane Katrina, the death of Pope John Paul II and the Indonesian tsunami disaster.

His death has also leapt to the ninth biggest story in global print media since the start of 2000.

The Global Language Monitor, which recorded trends in word usage of the top 5,000 print and electronic media sites carried out the research worldwide.

The analysis tracked news stories within the first 72 hours after the event.

Bill Clinton Praises Michael Jackson

Bill Clinton paused during an aid mission to Haiti on Tuesday to honor Michael Jackson for helping the Democratic Party raise cash at a crucial time.

The former U S president, now a special U.N. envoy to Haiti, recalled Jackson's performance at a 2002 fundraiser at New York's Apollo theater.

"He basically helped save my party from terrible financial distress, so he was very kind to me personally," Clinton said during a stop on his tour of a still-struggling northern Haiti, where floods killed several hundred people last year.

Clinton, his face bright red under a scorching summertime Caribbean sun, spoke fondly of Jackson, recalling that the singer performed at his first inauguration in 1993. He also said Jackson had struggled with the burden of early fame.

"He was an immensely gifted man and I think he basically meant well," Clinton told The Associated Press. "I know about all the trouble he had in his life and I hope he will be remembered for his contribution as an artist. I hope his children turn out well. That would be the greatest tribute you could have."

Kris Allen's 'Idol' win Chalked up to likability

Kris Allen's "American Idol" win over presumed front-runner Adam Lambert was a triumph of quiet likability and not as unexpected as some fans imagined, some pop culture experts said on Thursday.

Lambert, 27, was widely considered the favorite going into this week's two-part finale, in large part because of consistent praise from the show's four judges.

Arkansas student Allen, 23, looked shocked when he was announced the winner on Wednesday after almost 100 million votes were cast for the two finalists.

But Time magazine critic James Poniewozik said in a blog post that the TV singing competition favors contestants who embody a story, and for that reason he expected a win by Allen.

"Over the season, he grew in stage presence and seeming confidence, creating a narrative of a sweet guy next door blossoming before our eyes," Poniewozik wrote.

In a New York Times article titled "'American Idol': The Triumph of Soft Rock," writer Jon Caramanica said Allen's "innocuousness proved to be no liability."

Caramanica said Allen will likely produce an album that could get regular play on cable channel VH1.

"In other words, the new soft rock, a post-Coldplay movement that most tastemakers ignore but remains relevant to broad swaths of the country," he wrote.

With his usual bluntness, "Idol" judge Simon Cowell talked Allen down a notch the day after his win.

"If you allow America to vote, you live with the vote," Cowell said on "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest's Los Angeles morning radio show.

"I wouldn't have said he was the best singer in the competition though. I think he's like a little puppy dog," said Cowell, who had clearly favored the more showy Lambert.

Allen and Lambert have heaped praise on each other since the finale.

"I feel like he deserves this as much as I do," Allen said backstage after his win on Wednesday.

Musical theater actor Lambert told reporters Allen won "because he's a great artist."

While much was made in the media of the possibility that some voters were influenced by Lambert's showy style, stagy performances and pictures circulated online of him kissing a man, Caramanica wrote in the New York Times that the runner-up is "an old fashioned song-and-dance man."

"If Mr. Lambert was hiding something, it wasn't his sexual preference -- it was his conservatism," Caramanica wrote. "If only he'd have let America see the real him."

Bill Clinton with 'The Nanny'

Former President Bill Clinton met Fran Drescher at the Life Ball charity event in Vienna over the past weekend. And he was caught on camera groping the actress! It seems that he likes to keep his fingers on the pulse of the important issues.

Former President Bill Clinton met Fran Drescher at the Life Ball charity event in Vienna over the past weekend.

What happened was an embarrassing brush between the two. The jury is still out, on whether giving a hand in this way can happen accidentally.

Fanny Drescher is an Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominated American film and television actress, comedian, and activist. She especially endeared herself to her audiences in the television series The Nanny.

Clinton is likely to be named UN special envoy on Haiti, so it's perhaps a good time for him to learn to be politically correct!