Over a year and a half after Michael Jackson's death was ruled a homicide, and nearly a year after his personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges for his role in the King of Pop's death, we may finally be inching toward a trial. TMZ reports that 30 witnesses, ranging from LAPD detectives to medical experts to those present in Michael's Los Angeles mansion at the time of his death will testify for the prosecution in a preliminary hearing for Murray's manslaughter trial.

The preliminary hearing, which does not yet have a start date, is expected to last two weeks, and only then will the judge decide how to proceed with Murray's actual trial. Prosecutors will attempt to prove that Murray acted recklessly when administering the powerful sedative Propofol, usually reserved for in-hospital use, to Jackson to help the singer fall asleep. The Propofol and a cocktail of other sedatives and medications are cited as the reason Jackson went into

Did Usher's chart-topping hit "OMG" steal a melody from "The Simpsons"? Of course not, but the above video does point out a few coincidental similarities between the two songs. As the clip shows (via Vulture), one of "OMG" 's hooks (and one of the song's more ridiculous lyrics) does sound a lot like Homer Simpson's 2003 holiday ode "Christmas in December." Again, it's unlikely that Usher sought songwriting assistance from a yellow, four-fingered cartoon icon, but it is awesome to hear Usher and Homer duet.

If this incident does somehow become a plagiarism case, "Simpsons" lawyers will likely provide evidence that the song's writer and featured guest, Will.i.am, has been accused of lifting melodies and samples (most recently, by George Clinton) numerous times over his Black Eyed Peas career. We don't think Usher would intentionally steal from "The Simpsons," but Will.i.am has traveled to a sort of cartoon dimension in the past.

Here's the funny thing about one of The Amplifier's Best New Artists of 2010: Her album didn't make our list of the Top 10 Albums of 2010. Nicki Minaj's "Pink Friday" isn't a bust, but the Queens MC seems most inspired when she's stealing the spotlight on other people's songs. Here's a look at 10 better tracks she graced in the past 12 months:

Kanye West featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver - "Monster" (Minaj at 3:36)
"You could be the king, but watch the queen conquer"

Usher featuring Nicki Minaj - "Lil Freak" (Minaj at 3:30)
"Usher, buzz me in/Everybody loves Raymond"

Mariah Carey featuring Nicki Minaj - "Up Out My Face" (Minaj at :24 and 2:35)
"I get the thumbs up, like I'm hailin' a yellow cab/My flow nuts like M&Ms in the yellow bag"

Robin Thicke featuring Nicki Minaj - "Shakin' It for Daddy" (Minaj at :25 and 2:12)
"You were sleepin' on me thinking it was slumber time/Now I'm a trending topic, little mama number sign"

Lloyd featuring J. Holiday and Nicki Minaj

Happy holidays from Trent Reznor: Hope you're not prone to seizures! Nine Inch Nails posted impeccably shot (and soundboard-recorded) high-def footage from the band's last-ever run of shows, the Wave Goodbye tour, on their official site over the weekend (thanks to TwentyFourBit for staying vigilant). The below clip of set opener "Somewhat Damaged" was recorded at New York's intimate Bowery Ballroom on the tour's first date, August 22nd, 2009. The gig's 27-song set list included singles like "Hurt," "The Downward Spiral," and "Head Like a Hole," as well as fan favorites and the band's cover of Joy Division's "Dead Souls," so keep an eye on the NIN site -- more epic footage could be in your future.

In the meantime, enjoy the first clip, which starts off with some interesting shots of Reznor prepping to step out onstage. If you're sensitive to bright flashing lights, beware of the 1:35 point, where it kind of looks like your retina has exploded. (Feel free to come back at 3:15, but be