- Never allow your family drama to affect your business…or
the competent governance of an entire nation. If that isn't written into the
unofficial rules of business and government, it should be. Then, the powers
that be in the tiny island nation known as the Maldives would not be locked in
a bitter family dispute that has resulted in the country’s foreign minister
resigning amid reports of a bitter dispute between the president, who is her
uncle, and her father, who previously ruled the country for 30 years. Dunya
Maumoon announced that she had submitted her resignation but won't immediately
discuss the reasons, but the timing of her resignation tells the story well
enough because it came down amid differences between President Yameen Abdul
Gayoom and his half-brother, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the leader of the ruling
Progressive Party of the Maldives. The family battle became public last week when
Maumoon openly opposed a law to lease out islands and lagoons for tourism
projects without competitive bidding. The country already has a tenuous
political scene and this dispute could cause even more waves as Maumoon moves to
strengthen his hold on the party. One has to imagine that Maldives residents
are absolutely thrilled that their country became a multiparty democracy in
2008 because in less than a decade, that multiparty system has pushed them to
the brink of a debacle that could set their developing nation back even further
than it already lags as compared to the rest of the world………
- Considering the amount of money Captain America has
already banked for Marvel, it’s not really that big a deal that the studio has commissioned
a 13-foot tall bronze statue of the superhero to be made and erected in
Brooklyn. Having a Captain America statue set up in a New York park is a great
promotional tool for Marvel with the slew of superhero movies it has in the
works. The statue will reside in Prospect Park and will also bear the “Captain
America: The First Avenger” quote, "I'm just a kid from Brooklyn." The
most recent Captain-starring film, “Captain America: Civil War” made a nice
chunk of change earlier this year and will soon be available on Blu-ray and DVD
along with 60 minutes of bonus footage which includes deleted scenes, the
making of and an exploration of the evolution of Iron Man and Captain America. Mix
in a gag reel of outtakes and a behind-the-scenes sneak peak of the forthcoming
Doctor Strange movie and it sounds like a worthwhile DVD to own, one that
Marvel can promote quite well by setting up a massive statue of a fictional
character with zero basis in reality in the middle of one of the most densely
populated cities in the world. But hey, Marvel is probably only putting this
statue up because of the incredible appreciation the studio has for art and
contributing to the advancement of American culture………
- Some lucky kid in Madison, Tennessee is going to have
himself a hell of a “What I did this summer” essay when school starts back up
this fall. This unidentified teenager will be able to boldly tell the tale of
how he rode up on a bicycle to the drive-through window of a McDonald's in
Madison and robbed the fast food joint at gunpoint. The robbery happened on
South Gallatin Pike around 3 a.m., which raises a lot of questions about why
McDonald’s is even open at that time - Taco Bell is, after all, the go-to fast
food joint for those trying to sop up the excess alcohol in their bodies with
quasi-food - and what this kid’s parent(s) are up to, but either way, the
robber was able to get away with an undisclosed amount of cash. There were
police officers in the area, but somehow the robber managed to get away clean
and there are presently no leads on his identity or whereabouts. Employees
described the robber as a black male between 16 and 17 years old, wearing a red
shirt and had something blue covering his face. At this point, the only hope
authorities have for determining who this bold minor is would be security
footage from the restaurant, but that seems like a long shot because if his
face was covered - and assuming this dude doesn’t rock a bike with license
plates on it - then there is very little chance of accurately identifying him.
Unless, of course, that essay shows up when the first week of school rolls
around………
- Bank on this being one of the many syrupy sweet puff
pieces running during the Olympics next month. When you have an Army reservist
who wins his event at the U.S. track and field trials record jump and qualifies
for the Games on the Fourth of July, it’s tailor-made for a deep-voiced
narrator talking in bold tones over footage of this proud American holding the
flag or soaring over the bar in victory. Sam Kendricks is that
sure-to-be-lionized Olympian, a second lieutenant who captured the pole vault
crown at the track and field trials, then proudly waved his red, white and blue
flag in the air. "I love to have the colors [of the flag] in my
hands," Kendricks said. "I'm lucky and I'm very thankful for the
grace to befall on me that I get to do this and compete for my country. My
commitment to my country comes first and foremost." He was one of several
service members to perform well in the event, as U.S. Air Force star Cale
Simmons took second. Two other Air Force members were also in the field: Dylan
Bell and Joey Uhle, who had a mishap with his pole when it snapped in the
middle of one of his jumps. Uhle didn't clear a height. "All great jumpers
and serving their country on two fronts," Kendricks said. He cleared 19
feet, 4 3/4 inches to break the trials record set by Tim Mack in 2004 and Mack
was on the sideline encouraging Kendricks to top his mark. Mack also had the
chance to place the gold medal around Kendricks' neck. "The meet record
was a byproduct of a lot of great jumping," Kendricks said. "I was
lucky enough to have a coach who had a plan." And now, NBC executives have
a plan to add his tale to their Olympics coverage……..
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