Sorry, I just had to!

Miss Ginger has been remarkably quiet on the whole Michael Jackson thing because, honestly, she just doesn't give a shit. It was inevitable. And it's not like she knew him personally.

But, she read a story on AOL today upon which she feels compelled to chime in.

Remember Bubbles, the chimp that Jackson "adopted" back in the 80's and hauled everywhere with him? This article asks, "where is Bubbles now?" and plays it off simply that he is "retired" in a "sanctuary"

Michael Jackson's Chimp Bubbles and Other Animal Pals
by Paul Ciampanelli Jun 30th 2009 4:00PM

Michael Jackson's death last week has left fans with questions regarding all aspects of the singer's life. Pet lovers in particular may wonder about the fate of Jackson's menagerie of exotic animals, especially the most famous of them all: Bubbles the chimp.Bubbles, of all of Jackson's pets, was probably the closest to Jackson. His 1985 adoption of the chimp from a Texas research facility, and the subsequent bond between man and ape became a key part of the singer's eccentric persona. Bubbles often was seen at Jackson's side as a member of Jackson's entourage during the peak of the entertainer's fame in the 1980s. He attended concerts, album recording sessions, and tea parties at Elizabeth Taylor's house. That is, when he wasn't kicking it in high style at Jackson's Neverland ranch, practicing his moonwalk.Now in his mid-twenties, Bubbles still lives a stylish life, although much less in the blinding spotlight of his glitzy early years. As he matured, Bubbles became too aggressive for domestic life with the Jackson family and was given to a California-based animal trainer who later entrusted the chimp's care to the Center for Great Apes, a sanctuary for "retired" apes in Wauchula, Florida, where he resides today.

Sort of an "old folks home" for retired chimps, right? Like they are sitting around playing canasta and bocci ball!

Not so much. Ya see, a few years back Miss Ginger had the bright idea that, with no family and no children, a monkey would be a great pet. She did a bit of a research and determined that, no, they do no make good pets at all. She learned that, while extremely intelligent, these animals are also extremely emotional, and are very easily stressed by unnatural situations. Caring for a primate is a 24 hour a day, 7 day a week job that requires a staff of zooligists, biologists, and veterenarians to be done safely and humanely. Without access to such resources, Miss Ginger made the responsible decision to stick with housecats. (The cats do not seemed to be stressed by this decision!)

She also learned that there are literally thousands of primates in this country, brought here(sometimes illegally) by irresponsible, selfish humans like Michael Jackson. Once Bubbles no longer had a place in Jackson's selfish, ridiculous lifestyle, Jacko was sent away to a "rescue sanctuary" created by caring professionals who have made it their life's mission to try to provide these animals with a life that is as normal and stress free as possible. These monkeys would never survive being returned to the wild, and zoos typically can't use them due to their condition and a lack of information about their breeding and background. Bubbles now lives with other "orphaned" primates who were abandoned or became too much to manage for the selfish individuals who imported them. Many are sick or injured, and some have literally gone "insane" from stressfull situations they have endured.

Oh, and guess who pays for the care of these animals? Care that wouldn't be required if they had been left in the wild where they belong? That's right, folks, you and me! These noble sanctuaries are all private charities, and most of their funding comes from private donations. There may be some federal and state grants, but most of the funding comes from animal loving, compassionate citizens like you and I! Google "primate sanctuary". There are tons of them. You may be surprised to learn there is one near you. (Texas has one near San Antonio.) Most are in need of donations, and most are set up where you can "adopt a chimp", Sally Struthers style, and help pay for it's care.

I wonder if Jacko will remember Bubbles in his will? Something tell me "no." What a shame!