EdwardKnoxII

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5387858?GT1=4244 Ex-Enron CEO is indicted Kenneth Lay will surrender to authorities, but insists charges are 'not justified' Kenneth Lay, the former chief executive of Enron, has consistently denied any role in the fall of the once high flying energy trader. HOUSTON - Former Enron Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Kenneth Lay, who grew the company into an energy trading giant that became the ultimate symbol of corporate wrongdoing and greed, was indicted Wednesday and said he would surrender to authorities. Lay said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon he had been indicted and would surrender Thursday morning. Sources earlier said a federal grand jury returned a sealed indictment with undisclosed criminal charges for Lay’s actions before the company fell into bankruptcy in December 2001. On Thursday, Lay is to follow a well-worn path for former Enron executives: surrender to the FBI and then make his initial appearance before a federal magistrate judge. “I have been advised that I have been indicted. I will surrender in the morning,” Lay said. “I have done nothing wrong, and the indictment is not justified.” Houston-based Enron was the nation’s seventh-largest publicly owned firm when it unraveled in the final months of 2001 amid disclosures that it had used off-the-books deals to hide billions in debt and falsely inflate profits. Lay, 62, has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing. Andrew Weissmann, the director of the Justice Department’s Enron Task Force, did not return a call seeking comment. Separately, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission plans to file civil fraud charges against Lay in Houston on Thursday morning, a source familiar with the matter said. A powerful man Lay, once a leading U.S. industrialist and close friend of President Bush -- who called him “Kenny Boy” -- now faces felony charges stemming from the Enron debacle. Bush, at an appearance in Waterford, Mich., was asked by reporters about the indictment but walked away without answering. The charges come 2 1/2 years after the U.S. Justice Department began an investigation which has slowly climbed the corporate ladder to bring criminal charges against 22 former Enron employees. Former chief financial officer Andrew Fastow pleaded guilty in January and is cooperating with prosecutors who were aiming higher up the corporate ladder. He helped prosecutors bring charges against Lay’s hand-picked successor, Jeff Skilling, who unexpectedly quit in August 2001, six months after becoming CEO. He and former chief accountant Rick Causey were charged together and have both pleaded not guilty to more than three dozen counts of insider trading, fraud and lying on Enron financial statements. Observers have speculated Lay could face similar charges. The fall of Enron touched off investigations that uncovered widespread financial fraud in corporate America and was followed by scandals that brought down giants such as accountancy Arthur Andersen, telecom giants WorldCom Corp., now MCI, and GlobalCrossing and HealthSouth Corp. Those bankruptcies and charges of criminal behavior in the boardroom eroded consumer confidence and helped send world stock markets into a year-long tailspin. In the wake of the scandals, strict new federal laws on corporate governance were enacted. Pointing fingers In a recent interview with The New York Times, Lay accepted responsibility for Enron’s demise, but said he had committed no crimes. He said Fastow, the architect of Enron’s financial house of cards, was largely to blame for the company’s troubles. “At our core, regrettably, we had a chief financial officer and a few other people who, in fact, mismanaged the company’s balance sheet and finances and enriched themselves in a way that once we got into a stressful environment in the marketplace, the company collapsed,” Lay told the Times. Legal experts said that defense may not win over a jury, especially in Houston, where thousands of people were affected by the company’s collapse. “When you’re talking about transactions of tens of millions of dollars, you’d expect the CEO to know about it,” said Chris Caldwell, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice in Los Angeles. Fastow, who is accused of enriching himself by siphoning off millions from the off-the-books partnerships, has pleaded guilty to fraud and is cooperating with prosecutors in exchange for a 10-year prison sentence that is yet to begin. His wife Lea, a former assistant treasurer at Enron, has pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return and is slated to start a one-year jail sentence next week. Skilling and Causey have pleaded not guilty and currently are free on bail. Lay, as head of then Houston Natural Gas, led a 1985 merger that formed the modern Enron. He became an aggressive political player who lobbied lawmakers such as Bush and his father, former President Bush, to deregulate natural gas markets. Generous campaign donations -- at one time he was the current President Bush’s top contributor -- helped gain access to the halls of power. Enron used deregulation to become a dominant force in electricity trading in the 1990s and served as a role model for dozens of other firms that mimicked its no-holds-barred trading practices. But the burgeoning merchant power industry imploded after Enron’s collapse and the California power crisis of 2000-2001. Lay was Enron’s chief executive for most of the company’s history, but handed the post to Skilling in February 2001. Skilling suddenly resigned in August 2001. Lay resumed as CEO until he quit in January 2002. Lay told the Times his personal fortune once stood at $400 million, but had dropped below $20 million because most of his holdings were in now worthless Enron stock. Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

Yeah it was one of the belts that Ult. Dragon had when he had about 8 belts when he first came to WCW. Hell I think even Liger and Owen Hart held the belt over in Japan.

The funny thing about him is I LOVED him when he would guest star on Dr. Katz and I found some of his stand up to be ok. But, once he got his own show I found his stuff painfully unfunny.

What's this about Larry Zbyszko's lawsuit against the WWE for the Hall Of Fame. This is the 1st I've heard of them. Knowing Larry Z it's for something dumb. Remember this is the man that sued the WWE cause Jericho was calling himself "The Living Legend". And god knows Larry Z can't have none of that mess.

That was the part that got me. He has a 2 year contract so you know they be doing something with Paul Bearer. And since Morideci (sp?) is getting sent back to OVW I guess they're going to stick Paul with Kane again.

The only prob with that is I think Bob would a) love it. b)whip both their asses. Well then drug his ass before the match. Because after all the shit he's done to them Holly needs to get paid back in kind.

I say before Holly goes he has a match with Matt Morgan and the other TE Matt, can't think of his last name and they stiff the everloving shit out of Holly.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/West/06/29/dog....s.ap/index.html Dogs attacked with fireworks Tuesday, June 29, 2004 Posted: 10:47 PM EDT (0247 GMT) TULSA, Oklahoma (AP) -- Six puppies were killed, apparently by fireworks placed in their mouths, shortly after teenage boys were seen carrying Roman candles in a north Tulsa neighborhood. Animal control officers said they were following leads Tuesday but had no suspects in Sunday night's attacks, during which one person told police they heard a puppy yelp. An older dog, a 41/2-month-old black Labrador mix, suffered burns on her muzzle and hindquarters from apparently being used as a moving target for fireworks. The Tulsa Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was caring for the injured dog and for the puppies' mother, a 11/2-year-old black-and-tan heeler mix that was not harmed. The injured dog had begun to eat and was expected to survive, said Laurie Myers, executive director of the Tulsa SPCA. The SPCA believes the puppies died from fireworks that exploded in their mouths. A woman, Tonya Curry, 27, found all the dogs Monday among the remains of fireworks inside a vacant house and took the two survivors to the SPCA. When an animal control officer arrived later, the dead puppies were gone. "Somebody probably went to clean up their mess so they wouldn't get in trouble," Officer Charity Curtis said. The SPCA has raised about $1,000 and other organizations were undertaking similar efforts to reward people who provide information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible, officials said.

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14424,00.html Good News, Bad News for Lindsay Lohan by Julie Keller Jun 30, 2004, 5:55 PM PT It was supposed to be a good week for Lindsay Lohan. Everyone's favorite teenage drama queen just signed on to pitch a line of high-end purses and, on Friday, she will celebrate her 18th birthday. But thanks to her dad, the celebratory mood has soured. Once again, her paternal unit is in hot water with the cops. On the heels of his arrest in May for a scuffle with his brother-in-law comes word of yet another arrest, this time for skipping out on a hotel bill. Michael Lohan was busted Tuesday in Long Island for ducking out on a $3,800 bill at a posh local hotel last April. Apparently, he booked some suites for guests and refused to pay the bill, despite multiple attempts at collection by the management of the Oheka Castle hotel. Lawyers for the now infamous dad say the arrest boils down to a bad credit card. "As far as I know, Michael arranged to have the bill paid via credit card, and for reasons he was not aware of, the card did not go through," Lohan's attorney Marvin Hirsch told New York Newsday. "No one contacted him, no one let him know the bill didn't get paid, and next thing you know, two cops show up at the courthouse." The elder Lohan was released from jail on $250 bond (let's hope he paid cash) after being charged with misdemeanor for theft of services. Tuesday was a double whammy for him. Daddy dearest was picked up by the cops for the hotel-bill flap following a court appearance for that May family feud. In the latter case, he is facing assault charges for allegedly slapping around his brother-in-law during a first communion bash. He's also facing prosecution next week in Manhattan for losing his temper and punching a sanitation worker in the face for blocking his car into a parking space. Aside from the whole father fiasco, the Freaky Friday star is marking the days until she can vote and legally date That '70s Show's Wilmer Valderrama in high style. Literally. She has just been recruited as the new face of Dooney & Bourke handbags. She will be the pitchwoman in a new ad campaign for a new line of waterproof canvas purses. The handbags, featuring enamel charms spelling out Dooney & Bourke and another line featuring hearts drawn out in crayon colors, will be available starting in August. Meanwhile, Lindsay is keeping busy with her new role as Hollywood's hottest It Girl. She recently hosted the MTV Movie Awards and an episode of Saturday Night Live and starred in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen. Her latest flick, Mean Girls, opened in May to strong reviews and the number-one spot at the box office. And she recently signed on again with Disney, who gave her her first big break in a remake of The Parent Trap, for a remake of the 1968 flick The Love Bug.

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14423,00.html Janet's $500,000 Boob Job? by Josh Grossberg Jun 30, 2004, 5:35 PM PT That's one pricey nipple shield. Janet Jackson's Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction could end up costing CBS and parent company Viacom $550,000. Five months after Boobgate shocked the world--or at least those stuffed shirts in Washington, D.C.--Federal Communications Commission staffers are recommending the agency fine CBS-owned stations for the unwanted halftime entertainment. All told, 20 CBS stations would be fined $27,500 each for broadcasting the funk-pop diva's breast, a source familiar with the report told CNN. Should the recommendation be accepted, it would add up to $550,000 in fines for Viacom, whose MTV produced the halftime show for CBS. However, according to the report, the staff declined to recommend a fine for those CBS affiliates who aired Jackson's errant boob but are not owned by Viacom. An FCC spokesperson could not be reached for comment. A rep for CBS also declined to comment. The five-member commission, led by chairman Michael Powell, is reportedly reviewing the case and are expected to issue a decision within the week. As the entire globe knows by now, Miss Jackson and dance partner Justin Timberlake performed a titillating halftime-ending duet of his hit "Rocky Your Body" that concluded with the 'N Syncer ripping off a patch of her leather bodice to briefly reveal her sun-spangled right breast before some 140 million viewers. The FCC fielded more than 500,00 calls from outraged viewers demanding a crackdown. Viacom immediately issued an apology over the flashdance and has since implemented a brief delay on live broadcasts to prevent any such replay. Meanwhile, Jackson has rebounded nicely since the post-boob backlash, spoofing the controversy on Saturday Night Live and poking fun at her nipple-shielding scheme in a music video. Perhaps in a sign that things are at last returning to normal, Jackson performed live at Tuesday night's BET Awards. She even managed to keep her clothes on.

http://www.newschannel5.com/content/news/5815.asp

Well for a long time JR was in charge of the talent searches and we all know what kind of wrestler he likes.

Some of those pictures links aren't working for me. All I get is red X's.

I think the main problem with JBL is that he hasn't really done anything to be in the spot that he's in. He's been in a tag team for the past 7 years then when that breaks up he becomes JBL. A few weeks later he gets to be the #1 contender not by wrestling a match but, because Angle gave it to him. As a singles wrestler JBL hardly wrestles anyone and when he does it's a squash match. I think ever since he became JBL he wrestle like 4 times total on TV. And as a heel he hasn't really done anything really heelish besides wanting to deport people.

http://www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/tommy81.html

Yeah and they should of had UT say something about Kane losing his mask and not look like someone that should be covered with burnmarks.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/invest...58.asp?GT1=3584 Oil at 2-month low; gas down 23% Improved hopes for steadier exports out of Iraq take U.S. crude down to $36, well off its $42 high. Pump and futures prices for gasoline continue to drop as well. By Toby Reynolds, Reuters Oil prices dropped to their lowest level in more than two months on Tuesday as the handover of power to Iraq's interim government raised hopes for less sabotage and steadier exports, reinforcing indications of healthier world supply. U.S. light crude lost 23 cents to $36.01 a barrel, after bouncing off an intra-day low of $35.65, the lowest price seen since April 21. The contract fell $1.31 on Monday, the day the United States surprised the world by ceding control two days early in Iraq. U.S. light crude has lost more than $6 per barrel from a record high of $42.45 reached June 2, as increased OPEC production helps rebuild U.S. inventories and encourages speculators to bail out of the market. Gasoline futures fall; so do pump prices Monday's earlier-than-expected handover of Iraqi sovereignty strengthened selling. Traders had feared renewed attacks on Iraqi oil facilities ahead of the planned June 30 transfer of power. "The early handover is reducing fears of terrorist disruptions to oil supplies -- fears that had added at least several dollars to prices,'' said David Thurtell, commodity strategist with Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Monday's crude losses were led by gasoline futures, which dropped about 5% to $1.1448 a gallon. A 23% fall in U.S. gasoline futures prices since mid-May has helped pull crude down from the $40 level as fears for summer supply shortages diminish. The weighted national average price for all three grades of gasoline at the pump fell 6.6 cents to $1.98 per gallon Friday after rising more than 59 cents between mid-December and June, said analyst Trilby Lundberg, who publishes a biweekly survey of 8,000 gas stations across the United States. The biggest selling gas, self-serve regular, averaged $1.94 a gallon. Not out of the woods "The fact that fundamentals are softening and prices heading down comes as no surprise,'' said analysts at PFC Energy. Chinese efforts to slow economic growth, reduced fears over the security of Middle Eastern supplies, and higher OPEC output, were driving the price downturn, PFC said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed earlier in June, when New York futures prices were at record highs, to raise its formal output limits by 2 million barrels a day from July 1. It also agreed to lift curbs by another 500,000 barrels from August 1. Prices could quickly go back up again in the event of a major attack on oil facilities, analysts said. "If the situation in Iraq does worsen substantially, exports could be curtailed far more than has occurred to date and prices could spike over $40 again,'' the PFC Energy report said. The latest weekly inventory snapshot from the U.S. government was expected to show tighter gasoline supplies, but a build on crude. A Reuters poll of seven analysts, ahead of the release of the Energy Information Administration data on Wednesday, forecast an average drop of 800,000 barrels in gasoline stocks in the week to June 25. Commercial crude stocks were expected to show a 2 million-barrel build, which would extend an uptrend to 18 of the past 22 weeks.

This is a website that talks about the lawsuit Liefeld had with Marvel over Fighting American and Capt. America. http://members.aol.com/chrisv82/america.htm

- The general feeling backstage among those outside of WWE management was that the PPV last night was horrible. [PWInsider.com] - Triple H did work the RAW brand house show on Sunday afternoon before catching a flight to Norfolk to attend the Great American Bash PPV. Triple H is a key member of WWE's management team now and will likely attend every Smackdown PPV. [PWInsider.com]

Well I was gonna say we saw Al Wilson die but he died later since he seemed to be ok for the weekend shows.. - WWE's own WWEParents.com site states the following policy: "Actions you will not see WWE characters portray are murder, rape or robbery." Of course, The Undertaker was shown killing Paul Bearer last night on the PPV. [1wrestling.com]

Paul Bearer Comments On His Death What does Percy Pringle III have to say about last night's events? The following is from the newly updated "biography" of William A. Moody b.k.a. "Paul Bearer" or "Percy Pringle" -- from the man's Web site: I worked for the Jarrett’s Nashville based NWA-TNA organization during late 2002, and early 2003. Then after a couple of weeks of negotiations and prayer, I signed a new contract with World Wrestling Entertainment on October 3, 2003. Making my first appearance back on WWE television on March 14, 2004 at WRESTLEMANIA-XX. Reuniting with my long-time business associate The Undertaker at Madison Square Garden. I proved that ‘kayfabe’ is still alive and well for 5-months, as my return wasn’t leaked to the ‘dirt sheets’ until 7-days prior to my reappearance. Of course if you asked me, I was in denial until the moment the pay-per-view audience around the world heard that first chilling “gong” in The Undertaker’s entrance music. On Sunday, June 27, 2004, at THE WWE GREAT AMERICN BASH - PPV, at The Scope Coliseum, in Norfolk, Virginia. The Undertaker himself, destroyed The WWE Character Paul Bearer. Paul's body was encased in a glass crypt, filled with concrete for eternity. Thus ended the 13-year relationship between The "Dead Man", and his confidant. It has been said that Paul Bearer, was The Undertaker's only weakness, in the fact that his feelings for him demonstrated what remained of "The Phenom's" mortality. The Web site also has a new graphic paying tribute to Paul Bearer (different than the one reported here last night). Credit: PercyPringle.com

Here's an interesting article about Rob Liefeld, his art, and why he's so hated. http://www.quarterbin.net/talentpo/tp03.html

http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,14395,00.html

Yeah how dare Brock not want to do a program with UT. I mean look how well UT treated Brock last time they wrestle. What with UT beating both him AND Big Show, the World champ and the US champ, three times in a row in one night so they can build up UT for a match with Vince.

Ok the Matt/Kane tag team would only work if they come out to the My Two Dads theme song. You can count on me. No matter what you do. You can count on me. No matter where you go. I’m standing by your side. I’ll be right behind. No one loves you more than I do, Put your hand in mine. I can see a part of me in you. A little something special That comes shining through. I hear it in your laughter, And I feel it when you cry, I will be right there for you, Until the day I die. You can count on me. No matter what you do. You can count on me. No matter where you go. You can count on me. Then later on Kane, Matt, and the baby can have a 3 way tag match against Paul Reiser, Greg Evigan, and the fine piece of ass Staci Keanan.