San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum has an agreement with a prosecutor in his home state of Washington that could settle his misdemeanor marijuana charge, The Columbian reported Friday. The Vancouver, Wash., newspaper said Clark County prosecutors have reached a deal with a lawyer for the 2008 Cy Young Award winner that would result in a $250 fine for possessing a marijuana pipe.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges following a traffic stop in his home state. Washington State Patrol spokesman Steve Schatzel said Thursday that the 2008 Cy Young Award winner and former University of Washington star was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 5 in the town of Hazel Dell, about four miles north of the Oregon border, on Oct.
Filed under: News, Celeb Updates
To further expand the advancement of his media empire, Steve Harvey is teaming up with insurance giant State Farm for a series of 48 digital comedy shorts. Each short will cover various topics appealing strictly to the interest of car and home insurance consumers. And what better time to embark on his new campaign than during this week’s National Teen Driver Safety Week. Harvey takes a humorous approach at his teen’s desire for purchasing a new Cadillac Escalade.
steve harvey“The campaign’s basic idea was to extend the Steve Harvey and State Farm brands in an unexpected yet wanted manner,” said Bob Wingo, CEO of Sanders/Wingo, the African-American advertising agency of record, which created and produced the campaign. “Everyone wants to be in social media and utilizing digital content, but to be successful as we believe this will be, it needs to be relevant.”
“These bits are strictly entertaining,” said State Farm marketing chief Pam El. “Though they address insurance and financial services related topics, to broaden Stat Farm’s brand voice in an unexpected way, they are delivered with Steve’s unique perspective and humor.”
You can check out Steve Harvey’s first digital comedy short here.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
"Captain Jack" is no more. Disgruntled Golden State star Stephen Jackson asked to relinquish his captain title during a meeting Tuesday with Warriors coach Don Nelson and general manager Larry Riley. "Don't try to dig into it, that's just how I feel," Jackson said. "I don't want to be a role model.
Anthony Morrow scored 30 points off the bench and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-101 in an outdoor exhibition game on Saturday night at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. The game, hosted by the Suns, was played in calm conditions and with temperatures in the 70s. Last year's inaugural outdoor game in the tennis facility was hampered by winds that impacted shooting and…
The Golden State Warriors suspended Stephen Jackson for two exhibition games Saturday after the unhappy captain left the bench during an exhibition contest in Los Angeles. The veteran swingman picked up five fouls and a technical in less than 10 minutes Friday night while playing against the Lakers at the Forum.
Educating young minds for some 30 years is no small feat. But it was a love for children that inspired Larry and Brenda Breland to become schoolteachers. While educators don’t always get paid their true worth, these native Mississippians managed to retire from the public school system in 2002 with $180,000 combined from their state retirement plans. The couple also owns several rental properties valued at nearly $1 million, which provides about $3,000 in monthly rental income.
Filed under: Personal Finance, Dr. Boyce Money
This video below answers an important question that many of us may end up confronting at some point in our lives: If you are engaged to be married and the engagement doesn’t work out, do you have to give the ring back? The answer is “yes” and “no,” depending on the state in which you live.
There are other questions about nuptials that make you say “hmmmm?”
1) If you give a gift to someone who has gotten married, do they get to keep the gift if they either cancel the wedding or get divorced shortly thereafter?
2) Is it tacky to specify that your gift is conditional, meaning that you’re going to take it back if the wedding doesn’t happen or the marriage ends too quickly?
3) What if you spend a wad of cash attending someone’s wedding, only to find that the bride and groom get cold feet? Do they owe you a refund?
4) Does possession of the ring depend upon who called off the wedding? For example, if the prospective groom calls off the wedding, should he then be obligated to give up the ring too?
Christopher Chestnut, a prominent attorney out of Florida, states that ” Marital law is state specific, thus law governing marriage and divorce differ depending upon the state. However, in many states an engagement ring is considered a gift, consequently, a legal claim for return of a ring is likely to be unsuccessful.”
I’d love to hear your stories and take on this issue, but here is a quick run down on my own thoughts:
-Yes, it is tacky to specify a wedding gift as being conditional upon going through with the ceremony. If you are worried about losing your money, then don’t buy an expensive gift.
– A gentleman would not ask for his ring back if the engagement is called off, but a true lady would not try to keep the ring either. Think carefully about the integrity of the person you choose to marry. If you are the one who calls off the engagement, then you are effectively the one who is in breach of the contract, which then specifies that you should arguably be the person who takes the loss. To share a personal experience, I was once engaged to an amazing and beautiful woman, and when the engagement was mutually called off, the loss of our love far outweighed the value of any simple piece of jewelry. She gave me the ring back, but I didn’t even think to ask for it. This was a reflection of her character.
– When it comes to traveling for another person’s wedding, everyone is taking a risk. The cost is high and you aren’t likely to get your money back. If the person is a good friend, just write off the financial loss as the cost of preserving your friendship.
In the video below, an attorney breaks down the legalities of rings and marriages. Enjoy!
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University and author of “Financial Lovemaking 101: Merging Assets with Your Partner in Ways that Feel Good.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
Coach Don Nelson and the Golden State Warriors will consider trading disgruntled star Stephen Jackson if the team can find the right situation. "If it's good for the team, we'll look at it," Nelson said Friday. "It has nothing to do with Jack or a request. But we'll accommodate him if we can, if it's good for him and it's good for us we'd certainly look at it.
Filed under: Dr. Boyce Money, News
When I read about the predatory lending allegations against Tavis Smiley and Wells Fargo, I wasn’t surprised. Not because I feel that Tavis is some kind of crook, but because economic downturns are usually when everyone’s dirty laundry gets aired out. The high flying 2000s were a decade of extravagance, overspending, easy money and troubled relationships. The party was bound to end. Smiley’s party has ended with Wells Fargo, as the company has been accused of using Tavis Smiley and financial expert Kelvin Boston to convince African Americans to sign on to loans that turned out to be predatory. Neither Boston nor Smiley is willing to disclose the amount they were paid for the service, but I’m sure it wasn’t chump change.
I’ve been open and honest in my critiques of Tavis Smiley in the past, but I give credit where it’s due. I’ve always felt that Tavis Smiley is a man who works out of a sincere respect and appreciation for the black community. He is not out to hoodwink, swindle or hurt us, at least not deliberately. At worst, Smiley is guilty of being caught in a situation that he may not have fully understood.
Although I agree with the black community’s decision to hold Tavis Smiley accountable for his actions, I want us to be cautious of going overboard in our judgments. Here are 5 things I want to say about Tavis Smiley:
1) Don’t throw Tavis under the bus. African Americans can be tough on our public figures. After Smiley’s repeated calls for accountability against President Obama, many failed to appreciate the value of scrutinizing our elected officials. While Tavis’ close relationship with Hillary Clinton undermined the credibility of his challenges to Obama, the truth is that accountability is very important when dealing with any politician. One must respect Tavis for having the willingness to say things that are unpopular, which even Obama himself doesn’t always have the courage to do.
2) Beware of corporate sponsors bearing gifts. One of the greatest barriers to social progress for African Americans has been our inability to properly assess those who sponsor our activities. Any corporation that comes along with a signed check can usually find a place at our table. Would you want your teenage daughter taking money from any boy who offered it to her? Probably not, because you know that the the boy might be expecting “repayment” at the end of the night. The same is true for corporate sponsors, who are paying you to present the kind of image they want the public to see.
3) The revolution will NOT be brought to you by Walmart. Rarely, if ever, can true black activism be achieved via funding provided by companies run by the descendants of our historical oppressors. This is due to the inherent conflict of interest between capitalist entities and the plight of the poor. African Americans are disproportionately poor and working class. Therefore, unfettered capitalism is designed to destroy us (although compassionate capitalism can fuel economic growth). So, while one can certainly understand why Smiley would be happy to take corporate money for his State of the Black Union event every year, the truth of the matter is that the honest activism of such a function can only go so far.
4) A critical line must be drawn between financing and influence. There’s a reason that the New York times doesn’t let it’s advertisers decide which stories are going to appear on the front page. This is because the natural power that comes with financial support must be tempered by a commitment to conscientious objectives. If Wells Fargo needs to be called out for its predatory lending practices, that is not going to happen with the Wells Fargo logo placed behind the speaker’s head. There should be independent oversight of all funding sources for The State of the Black Union, The State of Black America, as well as events held by the NAACP and Urban League every year. Influence is bought behind the scenes all the time, and good black leadership should be as transparent as possible.
5) We should keep supporting Tavis. Tavis Smiley’s annual event, The State of the Black Union, is one of the most celebrated in the black community. With a renewed commitment to conscientious corporate sponsorship, The State of the Black Union can regain its status as a respected and appreciated forum for black education. But in order for this to happen, we must make sure we know where the money is coming from, where it is going and what strings are attached. Without properly vetting the sources of your financial support, you are setting yourself up for corruption.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Finance Professor at Syracuse University, a leading African American speaker and author of the forthcoming book, “Black American Money.” To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
A retired South Carolina state employee who spent two bucks on the lottery was all smiles Tuesday as he claimed a $260 million Powerball jackpot.