Michael Jackson's Birthday Burial?

Joe Jackson claims family will finally lay King of Pop to rest at Forest Lawn Cemetery on Aug. 29, which would have been the singer's 51st birthday

Weird? A little. Cyclical? Definitely. Appropriately mythology-building? As if you would expect anything less from the Jacksons.

Unofficial (and often unsought) family spokesman Joe Jackson claims that the family has finally set a burial date for his son, with Michael Jackson due to be interred in nearly two weeks' time, on what would have been his 51st birthday.

Papa Joe revealed to the New York Daily News—in exchange, it seems, for some column inches on the latest signing to his ever pimped-out record label—that the King of Pop will be laid to rest in Los Angeles' Forest Lawn Cemetery on Aug. 29 at 10 a.m., more than two months after his June 25 death.

(Guess this means we can kiss goodbye any plans for an unmarked grave—announcing the exact date, time and location of his burial more or less renders any privacy moot.)

During the revelation, Jackson, who has already retaken to his life in Las Vegas, also managed to squeeze in a plug for the Palms Casino, announcing that he will return to Sin City after the Saturday burial to accept a star from the hotel in his son's honor.

A grieving, publicity-hungry father's work is never done.

Meanwhile, not to be outscooped, the New York Post reported over the weekend that Jackson is currently chilling out in the freezer at Forest Lawn.

As for Jackson, he also spoke out, somewhat surprisingly, in support of Dr. Conrad Murray, for whom things continue to look, well, not good.

Jackson said he supports the Los Angeles Police Department's cross-state investigation into his son's death, but worries that Murray may turn into "the fall guy for a whole lot of people."

As for Katherine Jackson, whom Joe told the NYDN was taking her son's death hard and frequently bursts into tears over the loss of Michael, her attorneys will be back in court this morning, hashing out more plans for his estate.

The judge is expected to rule today on merchandising that could potentially be generated by the estate, and may sign off on several pending million-dollar deals to license and merchandise products connected to the King of Pop.