Bling!

Bling! (Roxanne "Roxy" Washington) is a fictional character, a mutant appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She attended the Xavier Institute before its closing and is a member of the X-Men's training squad. Her first appearance was in X-Men, vol. 2 #171.

Fictional character biography

Roxy Washington is the daughter of a celebrity couple Roy "Daddy Libido" Washington and Angel "Sexy Mutha" Depres, who are purportedly both popular hip hop artists in the Marvel Universe. Appearing in her parents' rap videos from a young age, Washington was often targeted by would-be kidnappers and assassins.

Determined not to follow in her parents' footsteps, Washington turns her back on the music industry as a teenager and enrolls as a student at the Xavier Institute under the tutelage of Gambit. At the Institute, Washington carries a strong academic record and responsibility, and is more interested in improving herself and her mutant abilities rather than participating in the social conflict between humans and mutants, of which the X-Men are typically involved.

Bling-bling

Bling (or bling-bling) is a slang term popularized in hip hop culture, referring to flashy, ostentatious, or elaborate jewelry and ornamented accessories that are carried, worn, or installed, such as cell phones or tooth caps. The term was first used in rap by Jay Z and Jermaine Dupri on "Money Ain't a Thing" in 1998, but made popular by Cash Money Millionaires in the song "Bling Bling" in 1999.

Origins and popularization of the term

In linguistics terms, bling is either an ideophone or an onomatopoeia, depending on the definition adhered to. The term is intended to evoke the "sound" of light hitting something shiny, especially valuables like silver, platinum, or diamonds. The form bling-bling is a case of reduplication.

During the mid- to late 1960s, toothpaste maker Ultra Brite ran a series of commercials stating, "Ultrabrite gives your mouth...[ping]...sex appeal!" Before the words "sex appeal", a bell sound was heard as a young man or woman smiled. Comedians such as Martin Lawrence parodied the "Ultrabrite smile" by vocalizing the sound effect as both "bling-bling," and "bling-blauw."

No Place Like BKLYN

No Place Like BKLYN is the first album recorded by the singer Jeannie Ortega, released by Hollywood Records on August 1, 2006. The album includes the singles "It's R Time" and "Crowded".

Track listing

Explicit / Clean

Sam's Town

Sam's Town is the second studio album by American rock band The Killers, released on October 2, 2006 in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States. Regarding the album, vocalist and primary lyricist Brandon Flowers noted that he "wanted to create an album that captured, chronologically, everything important that got me to where I am today". As of April 2011, Sam's Town had sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide.

Background

The album takes its name from Sam's Town Hotel and Gambling Hall, a hotel amd casino in Las Vegas, the band's hometown. It is also a local nickname for Las Vegas. Sam's Town was also a huge sign that was visible by band member Mark Stoermer through his room window when he was young.

Artwork

According to photographer Anton Corbijn, the band initially wanted a "chic, gypsy look," for the album, and that "out of those discussions [for the sleeve] came these elements of faded glory." The album's co-producer, Flood, is dressed as a Native American in the CD booklet. The artwork inside the album booklet is taken from a Downtown Las Vegas mural painted by Suzanne Hackett-Morgan, a local painter. The cover artwork of 'Sam's Town' features model and singer Felice LaZae. Sam's Town, and each of the singles from Sam's Town, use a script typeface for the titles, Archive Roundhand Script from Archive Type, or Gigofonts' Gf Script No 2.

Bling (Pleasure Beach Blackpool)

Bling was an amusement ride located within Pleasure Beach Blackpool in Lancashire, North West England. The "Star Shape" ride was built by German company Zierer in 2004, the second of three to have been built to date (the first and third being on the travelling fair circuit in Germany and the UK respectively). Bling was one of the newest additions to Pleasure Beach Blackpool and was situated at the far end of the park adjacent to Burger King. It was the parks fourth tallest ride after the Pepsi Max Big One, Ice Blast and Infusion.

The ride had a minimum height requirement of 4 ft 0 in (122 cm) and a maximum height requirement of 6 ft 5 in (196 cm). Six 'gondolas' which each seat five people reach a height of 100 ft (30 m) and spin in three different directions at speeds of up to 60 mph (97 km/h).

The ride was sold to The Skyline park in Germany where it currently operates under its new name of Sky Jet. In 2015, Bling was replaced by a Gerstlauer Sky Fly named "Red Arrows Skyforce"