A great big Motley Fool salute and our Spirit of Labor Day award goes to Keegan Reilly, who, according to the Associated Press, is well on his way to the 12,385-foot peak of Mount Fuji.

Not impressed? Did we mention that seven years ago the 22-year-old Oregon native lost the use of his legs in an auto accident and is making the trek by arm power "using a custom-made device resembling a low-slung mountain bike?"

The mission, at least in part, is to foster an awareness of "extreme climbing for disabled people." Good thing: A nervous safety ranger nearly refused to let Reilly leave the base camp. And pundits say this market is resilient!

In today's Motley Fool Take:

Vivendi Set on NBC

After Vivendi's second board meeting in a week, Vivendi Universal(NYSE: V) and General Electric(NYSE: GE) today announced exclusive negotiations for the merger of Vivendi's Universal Pictures studio, U.S. TV businesses, and its five theme parks with GE's NBC. Last week, Vivendi's board of directors narrowed its choice of suitors to two.

According to a company press release, the merger would create an entertainment megalith with $13 billion in annual revenue, "industry-leading annual EBITDA of $3 billion, and the highest operating margins of any major television media company in the United States." The deal would leave Vivendi with 20% ownership of the merged entity, $1.6 billion in reduced debt, and $3.8 billion in cash considerations from a GE commitment to issue GE stock. That's key, as Vivendi looks to pay down its $14 billion in debt.

In addition to #1 ranked NBC, the combined entity would have a complementary portfolio of cable brands, including USA, SciFi Channel, and CNBC. The company has synergistic possibilities, as it could take advantage of Universal's library of movies -- including such blockbusters as The Fast and the Furious and 2 Fast 2 Furious -- by airing them on NBC's networks. Another possibility is "the broadcasting of NBC events on-site at theme parks around the world," much the same way that ESPN and ABC utilize Disney World.

Everybody has a chance to win here. GE gets content; Vivendi gets a lifeline. Vivendi is up almost 8% to $18.21 in early afternoon trading.

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A Dell Assault on BlackBerry?

Barron's, ever the publication to take shots at high-flying stocks, this past weekend passed judgment on Research In Motion(Nasdaq: RIMM), saying its stock price has reached "dangerous heights." Chances are, they're right.

In case you haven't heard, Research In Motion (RIM) is the company behind the popular BlackBerry handheld wireless email device. At last count, the company had 615,000 addicted users tapping away with their thumbs, making a mockery of those who use their downtime for mere daydreaming. BlackBerry users are the very picture of chic productivity.

RIM's stock price has taken a near-5% hit on the downbeat Barron's story. Even so, the stock is still up nearly 169% in the past year. At a share price of around $27, RIM carries a market cap of about $2.1 billion. This for a company with $340 million in trailing annual sales, a growth rate of only 19% in the latest quarter, and still burning cash.

Yes, RIM is expected to turn profitable over the next two quarters. But no sooner will it achieve this feat than will arrive competition from the likes of Dell(Nasdaq: DELL). Currently, RIM's devices sell upwards of $400. By early next year, however, Dell -- rapidly becoming the Wal-Mart(NYSE: WMT) of the technology world -- is expected to unveil its own handheld wireless email devices closer to the $200 price point, according to Barron's sources.

Last we checked, email is email -- and there's nothing different, special, or better that RIM stands to offer that Dell can't match. Research In Motion investors, consider yourselves forewarned.

Quote of Note

"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right." -- Henry Ford

McDonald's Global Pitch

Fans who know Pulp Fiction know what McDonald's(NYSE: MCD) calls its Big Mac in France. Hint: A Quarter Pounder with Cheese fails in translation because France is on the metric system. Next, Fiction front men Jules and Vincent tackle Mickey D's signature sandwich.

"A Big Mac's a Big Mac," Vincent explains, "But they call it Le Big Mac."

The menu may resonate overseas, but consumer marketing at McDonald's was never inclusive. Until now, that is. This month, the world's largest restaurant chain takes its "I'm Lovin' It" ad campaign global. For the first time in the company's 50-year history, a theme will carry over into all of its international outlets. Sure, the spoken segments will be translated and customer shots will be changed to reflect local diners, but why would McDonald's do this?

When a family of four can't agree on something as basic as pickles or no pickles on a sandwich, maybe trying to coat the world with one ad campaign is a marketing stretch.

If you ask us, for all the strides CEO Jim Cantalupo has made in turning around the company's domestic operations, this "one size fits all" ad approach likely won't ease McDonald's international woes. Imagine all the ad money that will be squandered in regions where cultural tastes are pickier than palates.

Moreover, for other fast-food chains with worldwide interests like Wendy's(NYSE: WEN), Yum Brands(NYSE: YUM), and Burger King, this might be the ideal opportunity to embrace individualized marketing and invest in more localized advertising.

Yes, McDonald's is making this a global affair. It even went with a German subsidiary of Omnicom(NYSE: OMC) to handle the campaign. That's fine. But if it thinks that marketing is something that can be ported seamlessly from country to country, we're thinking of another word that translates the same in France as it does stateside: fiasco.

Discussion Board of the Day: McDonald's

With McDonald's kicking off its new ad campaign in Munich this week, is the company biting off more than it can chew with its global approach? Won't this backfire? Will rivals take advantage of the cookie-cutter marketing? All this and more -- in the McDonald's discussion board. Only on Fool.com.

And Finally...

You wouldn't want to say them with a missing front tooth, but you definitely do want to check out our Summer Movies Successes and September Silly Market Song. Don't want to choose, Sophie? Take heart: When it comes to income and appreciation, maybe -- just maybe -- we can work something out. Tom Jacobs has the details in Dividends Plus Growth. And finally (ahem), check out Selena Maranjian's Confessions of a Telemarketer. It's off the hook.

Contributors:
Bob Bobala, Robert Brokamp, Paul Elliott, Mathew Emmert, Jeff Fischer, Tom Jacobs, Jeff Hwang, LouAnn Lofton, Bill Mann, Selena Maranjian, Rex Moore, Rick Munarriz, Matt Richey, Reggie Santiago, Dayana Yochim