Investigation into Mississippi woman's burning death leads to arrests of 17 suspected gang members

The hunt for the killer of a 19-year-old Mississippi woman who was burned alive last year has resulted in the arrests of 17 suspected gang members, authorities said this week, though none have been directly linked to the woman's death.

FBI officials announced the arrests Tuesday of suspected members of the Black Gangster Disciples, Vice Lords, and Sipp Mob street gangs, according to The Clarion-Ledger newspaper.

Officials told the paper the investigation, dubbed "Operation Bite Back", was focused on Panola County, in the northwest of the state, and was a byproduct of the investigation into the death of Jessica Chambers.

On the night of Dec. 6, 2014, Chambers was doused with gasoline and set on fire in her car on a road in Courtland. She was found on the road with burns over most of her body and later died at a hospital in Memphis.

Panola County Sheriff Dennis Darby told The Clarion-Ledger authorities have interviewed more than 150 people and sorted through 20,000 phone records in an effort to catch Chambers' killer. Darby said the information that led to Tuesday's arrests was gathered as a result of those interviews.

The Clarion-Ledger reported that authorities have had difficulty finding a suspect or suspects in Chambers' murder due to a lack of street chatter about the crime.

The 17 suspects charged are between 18 and 40 years of age. They are charged with crimes ranging from child endangerment and selling narcotics to possession of stolen firearms and possession of counterfeit currency.

"It's taken eight or nine months, if not a little longer, to get to this point," Panola County District Attorney John Champion said. "And this is not over by any stretch of the imagination."

Ronda Rousey could be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe

For those that don't know, Captain Marvel is the upcoming female-centric entry to the Marvel Universe and one that's been the subject of huge speculation for quite some time.

Charlize Theron, Natalie Dormer, Emily Blunt and a number of actresses have been linked to the role, however because the film isn't due for release until 2018, it's likely that there won't be any casting news for quite some time.

The character, whose real name is Carol Danvers, received superhuman strength, the ability to fly and lots more when she was caught up in an explosion of an alien artefact. In the wake of the explosion, she became Ms. Marvel before she adopted Captain Marvel as her moniker. The character's been around for quite some time, but for whatever reason, she's been left out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rousey said that she wants the role and, to be honest, we can't think of a better fit. It's all a question of her acting abilities, of course, and whether she wants to continue with the whole UFC thing. She did have a minor role in Fast & Furious 7 and she's due to star in a biopic based on her own life. Not only that, Rousey has serious nerd credentials. She's a huge Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z fan, not to mention she's posting fan-art that has her in Captain Marvel garb all weekend.

Judge finds Meek Mill guilty of probation violation

A judge appears likely to send rapper Meek Mill back behind bars early next year for a steady stream of probation violations, most involving his failure to keep the court aware of his erratic travels.

Mill offered emotional testimony Thursday about his rudderless childhood in gritty North Philadelphia, while girlfriend Nicki Minaj and various managers pledged to keep him on track.

But Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley, who had spared him state prison in a 2009 drug and gun case, had heard it all before.

"How many times am I supposed to give him a second chance?" she asked, concluding that probation may no longer be "appropriate." She ordered him not to work or perform before the Feb. 5 sentencing.

A jail term would presumably stall his career following a year in which the Roc Nation-signed talent has performed with Minaj, Jay-Z and other industry A-listers, and issued his second studio album, "Dreams Worth More than Money."

Mill served short stints in jail and home confinement following his conviction, when he could have gotten five to 10 years in prison.

"The chance you gave me definitely changed my life and changed my family's life," Mill testified Thursday, explaining that he supports his mother, extended family and 4-year-old son. "If you didn't give me a chance, I probably wouldn't be at this place I'm at now."

Mill, born Robert Williams, lost his father to violence when he was 5 and left school in the tenth grade. The 28-year-old now dates one of the most famous women in entertainment.

"He doesn't have a lot of structure. He can be irresponsible," Minaj, 33, testified last week. "Since I've come in his life, I think I've been working on that a little bit. ... He's just getting accustomed to being an adult."

He said he has dropped old friends from his entourage to focus on his family and girlfriend. His lawyer said he and Nicki Minaj were seriously discussing marriage.

The lawyer blamed the problems on the chaos of the music industry. The latest rules required Mill to get travel vouchers before he leaves town and meet with his probation officer in Philadelphia every 60 days.

"He's not a person who knows how to keep schedules. He's not an accountant. He's an artist," argued his latest lawyer, Frank DeSimone. "And those people are notoriously slipshod (at organization)."

The violations include Meek Mill's performances at a New York benefit concert last month and, according to prosecutors, efforts to meet up in various cities with Minaj. Brinkley also raised questions about a suspicious sample during a drug test. Mill denied trying to thwart the test or taking any drugs. He also dissed the case prosecutor in a rap song, a decision he now calls "immature."

Mill told the judge he was so concerned about the rules that he missed being at his mother's bedside after a recent surgery in New Jersey. The state, Brinkley explained, was keeping supervised felons out that day amid heightened security for the Miss America pageant.

"This court has done nothing but try to help the defendant," she said.

How Disney gave the 'Star Wars' brand the Marvel treatment

Since Disney's $4 billion acquisition of "Star Wars" in 2012 the blockbuster franchise has been on the receiving end of the Marvel treatment, as the media giant looks to build a narrative around the release of "The Force Awakens" across many mediums.

Marketers at the media giant are about to feel the force of the blockbuster franchise with its latest entry tipped to make $500 million in merchandising revenues alone in 12 months after its debut. Box-office projections for the latest film are so dizzyingly high that even if it were a critical failure, it would most certainly not be a commercial one — as the widely abhorred prequels prove.

Its status as a cash cow is a testament to the power of the brand but also to the ruthlessly efficient way Disney pulled the "Star Wars" franchise together with one coherent content plan that's miles apart from the schism it had become under Lucasfilm. To date, five movies are scheduled to be released in the next four years.

Disney has taken what it learned from the Marvel franchise and upped the ante. Upon its initial $4 billion investment in 2009, Disney has built the Marvel Cinematic Universe, connecting each Marvel movie giving viewers a sense of familiarity with characters and allowing substantial tie-ins like that of "The Avengers."

The bold move has proved greatly profitable. In the first half of 2015, Disney generated over $8 billion from Marvel-related movies and TV shows alone, excluding merchandising and partnerships. Similarly, it has leveraged the power of "Star Wars" to build a great degree of hype with subtle trailers and a cast and director passionate about the series.

Jacques de Cock, a faculty member at London School of Marketing, told The Drum that Disney's so-called Marvel treatment of "Star Wars" will see "content delivered across a diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games, and theme parks."

He said the wider utilization of the movies means that them, "their characters, objects, and events are based on overall appeal not simply on story and film requirements."

"If that makes for good movies or not is unclear, but now the film is both the object of, and also part of, the marketing plan. This is the genius of Disney."

Disney's experience in product marketing will give it a foot up on Lucasfilm's previous marketing efforts he argued claiming its extensive "in house" force helps it "keep more of the revenue through its own toys, shops, theme parks and more."

The commercial partnerships are too numerous to fully document, but here's a taster of just some of the brands on board: Fiat Chrysler, General Mills, Campbell's Soup, Kraft, Walmart, HP, Toys R Us, Duracell, Sphero, Lego, Unicef, Air Hogs, Monopoly, Coffee-Mate, Duck Tape, Subway, Verizon, Google, Target, EA Games, NBA, PS4, ESPN, and Waze.

The force flows through products in almost every imaginable sector as Disney looks to bombard the public with its newly launched franchise. De Cock argues that the extensive bond with top brands actually "enhances the 'Star Wars' brand" as it is "tightly controlled."

Chris Hassell, founder of Ralph, however, disagrees with De Cock to an extent. He says Disney has "gone pretty crazy" with the sheer number of partnerships it has established.

"'Star Wars' practically invented film merchandising, and this is where Lucas really made his cash. 'The Force Awakens' has obviously got all the merchandising across all types of products, some good, some rubbish.

"Marketing directors are now the age of true 'Star Wars' fandom so that probably helps get this stuff signed off, but apparently you can get 'Star Wars' oranges in a major supermarket, perhaps a bit too far."

The buzz permeates into cinema ad-roll too with Davina Barker, head of agency sales at Digital Cinema Media telling The Drum that "Star Wars" will represent "DCM's busiest [launch] yet, with a record number of playlists scheduled — nearly 10,000 for the day of release alone."

During launch week in the UK, from Friday, more than 180 campaigns are scheduled, with almost 100,000 playlists across all films.

She concluded: "Several global brand partners already associated with the film have chosen to feature in the 'Star Wars' ad-reel, however there's a whole range of other brands booked into the film, who are looking to engage 'Star Wars' super fans."

The franchise's appeal has snapped up brands in the automotive, financial, retail, and entertainment sectors in addition to bringing "several new advertisers to the big screen."

Will "Star Wars" maintain its magnetic draw to advertisers with an annual movie entry? It's likely, but "The Force Awakens" will have to dodge the pitfalls George Lucas' ill-fated prequels fell into first.

Earlier this month, The Drum editor Stephen Lepitak caught up with Charles Lippincott, the man who originally marketed the original "Star Wars" movie in 1977 in addition to other science-fiction classics such as "Alien," "Judge Dredd," and "Flash Gordon."

Read the original article on The Drum. Copyright 2015.

Sia: Why She Doesn’t Show Her Face

Of course we know Sia as the voice behind many hits like ‘Chandelier’, but the Grammy-nominated artist is incredibly shy when it comes to showing her face at public events — and she has a perfect explanation as to why she chooses to cover up.

Sia, 39, is one of the biggest musical geniuses in Hollywood. The brains behind many hits from Beyonce, Rihanna, and Britney Spears, Sia is a seasoned pro in the industry. She’s modest, too, as one thing is very apparent — the Australian singer/songwriter hates showing her face, even when she’s nominated for huge awards like a Grammy. Here’s why she hides her visage.

Sia’s Face: Why The Singer Chooses To Hide Her Face

The “Elastic Heart” singer wrote an op-ed for Billboard in October 2013 called “My Anti-Fame Manifesto (By Sia Furler)” where she addressed why she hides her face from the spotlight. Yes, it has everything to do with hating fame.

“If anyone besides famous people knew what it was like to be a famous person, they would never want to be famous,” Sia wrote. “Imagine the stereotypical highly opinionated, completely uninformed mother-in-law character and apply it to every teenager with a computer in the entire world. Then add in all bored people, as well as people whose job it is to report on celebrities. Then, picture that creature, that force, criticizing you for an hour straight once a day, every day, day after day.”

Hollywood Life

Sia readdressed the topic after dropping the music video for “Chandelier”, which stars 12-year-old Maddie Ziegler.

“I don’t want to be famous, or recognizable,” she told Chris Connelly on Nightline in June 2014. “I don’t want to be critiqued about the way that I look on the internet. I’ve been writing pop songs for pop stars now for a couple of years and I’ve become friends with them and see what their life is like and that’s not something I want.”

Sia has been on the music scene since the late 90s, but as she continues to grow more famous and co-write hit songs, she continues to cover up. While promoting “Chandelier” she repeatedly used Dance Moms star Maddie during performances, along with other celebs, such as Lena Dunham.

Whether she shows her face or not, Sia’s got incredible talent that definitely does not go unnoticed.

Sia At The 2015 Grammys

The Grammy nominated artist showed up on the red carpet wearing a huge, shaggy platinum wig, which of course covered everything but her nose and mouth.

She performed “Chandelier” live, while standing in a corner facing the wall. Meanwhile, the performance was brought to life with Maddie and a surprise appearance from comedian Kristen Wiig, 41, who shocked all with her incredible, expressive performance.

What do YOU think, HollywoodLifers? Does it bother you that Sia doesn’t show her face? Do you understand her reasoning for not doing so? Let us know your thoughts below!

— Julianne Ishler

JURASSIC WORLD 2’ TO FEATURE 75 MILLION YEARS OLD WEAPONIZED VELOCIRAPTORS?

 ‘Jurassic World 2’ To Feature 75 Million Years Old Weaponized Velociraptors?

It’s not about the mammoth success of this year’s “Jurassic World.” The global fans of all ages have always wanted to see a live demonstration of the dinosaurs that existed millions of year ago on this planet and how the evolution happened. This curiosity was further fueled with the release of “Jurassic Park” in 1993. And now the sci-fi adventure film aficionados are looking for another sequel titled “Jurassic World 2.”

We are over two years away from the release of “Jurassic World 2,” but the upcoming film has already started accumulating rumors at its pool. So far, what we have come to know that the sequel is going to serve as a baseline for future stories, which will probably later evolve in successive sequels. However, the most interesting fact shared by the film director and screenwriter, Colin Trevorrow is that the sequels might bring the peaceful co-existence between human and dinosaurs.

According to Vine Report, “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” actress Bryce Dallas Howard will reprise her role as Claire Dearing in “Jurassic World 2” and her onus this time is going to be much bigger as she may get the opportunity to represent main plotlines.

“Claire is the one who evolves the most over the trilogy, it’s her story that mirrors this changing world,” the mysterious man behind the creation of “Jurassic World,” Trevorrow defined Howard’s character in a sentence.

As “Guardians of the Galaxy” actor Chris Pratt will also reprise his role as Owen Grady in the next sequel, Trevorrow discussed about both saying that the two of them opened Pandora’s Box in “Jurassic World” and both of them will be accountable for representing different elements in various ways.

A recent news published by Parent Herald states that “Safety Not Guaranteed’s” director-cum-producer, Trevorrow will not be directing the second installment of “Jurassic World” but he will continue to create magic by writing the sequel alongside Derek Connolly. Connolly is also known for accompanying Trevorrow in generating the script for the original 2015’s superhit movie.

The website also discussed about the possibility of weaponized velociraptors in the second sequel. This plan was shared by Vic Hoskins to Pratt and Howard earlier, but the rumors suggest that fans may be the taken to the era of velociraptors that lived on this planet somewhat around 75 million years ago.

Based on the official declaration, fans expect the premiere “Jurassic World 2” on June 22, 2018.

Agario is a Free Multiplayer Phenomenon

Agar.io and Agario 3D are two browser games featured on Poki. The concept is quite simple; you start out with a small object known as a “cell”. The aim is to then absorb smaller cells which causes your own cell to grow bigger and bigger. The Bigger you are, the stronger you will become.

The challenge comes in by way of other real life players who will also be growing their cells and becoming stronger, eventually you’ll cross paths and the bigger cell must absorb the smaller, while the smaller cell must try and flee to absorb more smaller cells. If you get absorbed by another player it’s game over and you’ll have to start again. You can eventually unlock a few new tricks like ejecting extra mass and splitting into multiple parts to outplay smaller cells.

After dominating the field you can explore what’s called experimental mode and learn how to take advantage of spawners. For extra hilarity and popularity, you can choose a selection of cell skins such as presidents, flags, or internet memes. To do this you’ll need to input specific names when it prompts you for your name at the start of the game, we have a list below.

You also have control over what type of gamers you’ll be facing. You can pick a favourite region (North America, South America, Europa, Russia, Turkey, East Asia, China or Oceania) to join thousands of other players. If online multiplayer isn’t your thing you also have the choice of personal battles that are only against your friends.

As mentioned earlier, there are two versions of Agario. The original is called simply Agar.io and there is a much slower 3D version called Agario 3D. Both are equally as fun but come with their own unique challenges.

At the end of each game you’re given statistics like your number of cells eaten, time lived and number of players eaten. Your best position in the worldwide rankings are all available to boast with.

Each room also has real time Top 10, where you can see who are the biggest cells at the moment.

Written by Gary A. Swaby on December 9, 2015 at 9:18 am