DISNEY TO ACQUIRE MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT
August 31, 2009
Worldwide leader in family entertainment agrees to acquire Marvel and its portfolio of over 5,000 characters
Acquisition highlights Disney's strategic focus on quality branded content, technological innovation and international expansion to build long-term shareholder value
Burbank, CA and New York, NY, August 31, 2009 —Building on its strategy of delivering quality branded content to people around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:MVL) in a stock and cash transaction, the companies announced today.
Rapper behind ‘Roxanne’s Revenge’ gets Warner Music to pay for Ph.D
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS
Updated Sunday, August 23rd 2009, 1:07 PM
Watts/NewsRoxanne Shante was a young rap star. When the music stopped, she didn't miss a beat.Roxanne's revenge was sweet indeed.
Twenty-five years after the first queen of hip-hop was stiffed on her royalty checks, Dr. Roxanne Shante boasts an Ivy League Ph.D. - financed by a forgotten clause in her first record deal.
"This is a story that needs to be told," Shante said. "I'm an example that you can be a teenage mom, come from the projects, and be raised by a single parent, and you can still come out of it a doctor."
Football & The Failure of American Prison System
Dogfighting Laws
Federal, state and local laws against animal fighting have toughened over 30 years, a result of society's heightened sensitivity to animal cruelty:Federal Law
In 1976, Congress outlawed interstate promotion of animal fights and the transportation of animals across state lines for fighting, with penalties of up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. The fine was later increased to $100,000.In May, the punishment rose to three years and a $250,000 fine. Vick is charged under the older law because the accusations cover a period ending in April.
He also is accused of violating a federal law against interstate travel in aid of certain criminal activities. That law, with penalties of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, does not list dogfighting but does include gambling.
Vick has agreed to plead guilty, his attorneys said. Sources said federal guidelines in his case call for a prison term in the 12-to-18-month range.
State Laws
Dogfighting is a felony in 48 states and the District and a misdemeanor in Idaho and Wyoming. Possessing a fighting dog is legal in Georgia, Idaho and Nevada, a misdemeanor in New York, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming, and a felony everywhere else.Being a spectator at a dogfight is legal in Georgia and Idaho, a felony in 22 states and a misdemeanor in 26 states and the District.
Washington Area Laws
Participating in a dogfight:
Maryland: Felony, up to three years, $5,000 fine.
Virginia: Felony, up to five years, $2,500 fine.
District: Felony, up to five years, $25,000 fine.Possessing a fighting dog:
Maryland: Felony, up to three years, $5,000 fine.
Virginia: Felony, up to five years, $2,500 fine.
District: Felony, up to five years, $25,000 fine.Being a spectator at a dogfight:
Maryland: Misdemeanor, up to 90 days, $1,000 fine.
Virginia: Misdemeanor, up to a year, $2,500 fine.
District: Misdemeanor, up to 180 days, $1,000 fine.SOURCE: Humane Society of the United States; Maryland, Virginia and D.C. criminal codes
I wanted to preface my comments with listing what the actual laws are for dog fighting. Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months. 23 months is more than 18 using the math I learned in public schools.
Lil’ Wayne, “Whip It Like A Slave,” and the Crisis of Coonery
By Tolu Olorunda From ALLHIPHOP.COM
“Music is said to soothe the savage beast, but it may also powerfully excite it. … At an emotional level, there is something ‘deeper’ about hearing than seeing; and sometimes about hearing other people which fosters human relationships even more than seeing them.”
—Storr, Anthony. Music and the Mind. New York: Free Press, 1992, p. 26.
That Lil’ Wayne is an embarrassment to the rich legacies of musical excellence which paved the road for his rise to prominence is not a breakthrough. It’s a given. An irrefutable fact. But that he would stoop so low to the level of making a song titled, “Whip It Like A Slave,” boggles the mind of even this writer.
Play Your Passion – Lil Black Boy to a Man
In high school I proved I could accomplish anything I wanted to. I was a student leader (I served as the student rep to the mayor), I was an accomplished academic (AP Courses & the Gifted Program) and I was an athlete. I want to talk about the the athlete portion of it.
As a little black boy they put a football and basketball in your hands and say go become a millionaire. To tell a little about me my first sport was baseball. I went the entire first season without a single hit. I honestly was scared of the ball. Something must have happened the next school year. I came back in the spring with a vengeance. I think it had a little to do with my kid brother coming to my league. I became a beast. I was #2 in the league in stolen bases and even hit for the cycle. I loved sports. Then I moved on to the more traditional negro sports. I spent an entire summer in basketball camp. The fact that I was now 5'7 1/2 going into the 7th grade didn't hurt. I played with passion. My role model was Dennis Rodman as a young player. I wanted to play defense & get rebounds. I was a scrapper.
Damn
Let me….
Sing a song of sweet serenades sublimely soothing the soul of you sisters in search of something so small as to satisfy your secrets and smelt the sun’s shine seven times over and strictly swell your secretions to the magnitude to make cities safely come together and say…….
DAMN
Let me………
Wash away the wishes of want wavering wildly within you woman’s wombs waiting for one’s will with what one would wait for in its wickedness and with wolf like wails of……
DAMN
4 Letter Words
Mother always looked out for my best interest. She said stay away from those 4 letter words. As clear as she was I couldn’t stay away. I said SHIT & DAMN instead of SHOOT & DOG. They had 5 & 3 respectfully. If they didn’t have 4, they didn’t entice me. As my life continued I learned to use these words. In time of great degree would these quad literary glories. Today I face the truth. I wish I had I listened to what she had said. I’m a 24 year old man who just met one hell of a group of 4 letter words. Those 2 are PAIN & LOVE. They come in a pair because that is the way of emotions. It’s forever one or another. If PAIN is here then LOVE just departed. And PAIN gets to moving when LOVE shows up on the doorstep. I wish I had just heeded my mother’s words. Now I see all that it is, is another 4 letter word…
LIFE
BET (Barely Even Tangible)
Such a commotion was made over the 2009 BET Awards due to the fact it was filmed in the wake of the death of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop. MJ left us just 3 days before the awards. As an event planner myself I could only imagine the stress one would be under to make the show give MJ his due honor. I will start that saying Jamie Foxx was an excellent host. He is musical, comedic & extemporaneous. His ability to adapt to the situation really shined. I enjoyed him as the host years ago for the ESPY awards.
The award show seemed pretty run of the mill for BET. One interesting thing they decided to do was eliminate the listing of nominees with the announcement of each winner. This was done to make the show go faster however there seemed to be many missed cues. They also did this to fit in more performances. Let's talk about performances.
Kheri Baby did her thing. She impresses me with her ability to actually perform. She is a good singer/dancer. The little freestyle dance portion was "interesting" for lack of better words.
I would like to declare that Ne-Yo should never go san-sombrero. His head is entirely too big. He might want to look at putting a little powder on his head to cut back on the glare from the lights.
You have to love old school & there was a plenty. New Edition did their thing. I honestly went to get a Cuba Libre at this point so I didn't pay much attention.
J Foxx got it going with his "Blame It" performance. T Pain was flossing a chain that said BIG ASS CHAIN on it. Seriously. This would be good if it was a symbol of the idiocracy of the bling culture but he was doing it to be an ass. He thought it would be cool. This song really threw me for a loop when Snoop Dogg came out. The stage was covered in smoke which is where I think he came from but I think it was actually a tie in to "Gin & Juice". But on June 28th this man was wearing a 1992 leather trench coat. He had to be hot as hell on stage. He did 8 bars because he almost suffered from heat stroke & couldn't get the other 8 bars out. The highlight of this performance was Travis Barker. I'm a big fan on Hip Hop & Rock like it was in the beginning.
Check Back Later for Part 2
Fashion Faux Paux
