Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/237030386?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Tuesday, July 3, 2012
92% Safety Not Guaranteed
2012 is looking like the year of Mark Duplass, both in terms of quantity and quality. As writer and director with his brother, he started off the year delivering yet another one of his notoriously lightweight and only mildly entertaining dramadies, 'Jeff Who Lives At Home' before deciding to step out into the actors' circle, with two leading roles and two supporting roles all in the same summer. Its odd to see someone come out of nowhere in such a short span of time, and I'll admit I was skeptical of his acting potential after seeing him in the trailer for 'Your Sister's Sister.' But if the movies he stars in are as charming and enjoyable as 'Safety Not Guaranteed,' then I guess I really shouldn't complain. But it's kind of true: Duplass isn't the best actor. He acts and sounds a lot like he's imitating Jason Segel, which might explain why he cast Segel in March's 'Jeff Who Lives At Home.' As the core of which everything this film revolves around, a not-so-major actor like Duplass was a risk, and while I wouldn't say he gives a particularly noteworthy performance, he at least holds his own. Aubrey Plaza, on the other hand, gives a performance so good that she may have put to rest her typecasting as the 'attitude girl' for good. At the beginning of the film, she remains as sarcastic and jaded as she is in her past roles, but by the end, you'll believe that she can be a star, and that her emotional range is far better than you may have guessed. It's also perhaps worth noting that she looks better than ever before as well, with her big, emotion-filled eyes working perfectly to her advantage.Since all I knew about 'Safety Not Guaranteed' was that it has to do with time travel, I was definitely surprised in all the best ways. The direction itself isn't anything special, though truly beautiful shots appear here and there. What's more remarkable about the technical craft of the movie is its soundtrack, a great collection of music that is consistent in its tone throughout. But the real draw is the fantastic story it tells. There are a couple of subplots revolving around each of the characters, and while each are simple, they all tie in to the greater theme of nostalgia and regret that the main narrative tackles physically rather than emotionally. Its beautiful how well everything comes together in the end, and while a few plot elements feel half-baked, generally the story is exactly how it should be: simple on the outside with layers of depth peering through. Props also must be given for the most awesome self-aware line I've heard in a movie in a long, long time.Yet the script's greatest accomplishment is how it plays with the audience. Needless to say, don't read too much about the plot if you think you might see it. Expectations are a big part of what makes the ending of the film so profound and awesome; its one of those rare movies where you don't realize how brilliant it is until the finale, after spending the entire time trying to figure out what the story was actually about in the first place.
July 1, 2012Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/safety_not_guaranteed/
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Monday, July 2, 2012
Recreation calendar | savannahnow.com
To list events, contact sports@savannah
now.com or call 912-652-0356.
ARMSTRONG ATLANTIC STATE
? Armstrong Atlantic State University summer camps. Info: Jeremy Luther, Jeremy.Luther@armstrong.edu or 912-344-2992 (boys basketball); Matt Schmidt, 912-344-3110 (girls basketball); Eric Faulconer, 912-344-3095 or eric.faulconer@armstrong.edu (soccer)
BENEDICTINE: VARIOUS SPORTS
? BC Cheer Camp, July 23-27, 9 a.m.-noon. Fee: $100, includes T-shirt, more. Deadline: July 13. Info: Jennifer Duclos (no phone number given).
CHEERLEADING
? City of Savannah, Recreation Services Department, 2012 Summer Cheerleading Sports Camp for ages 5-15 at the Alee Temple Arena. Three 4-day sessions Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-noon: July 9-12, July 16-19. Cost: $45 per child for session 1, 3, 4; session 2 $50 and will have Georgia Games emphasis. Lunch included. Register: Paulson Softball Complex, 7171 Skidaway Road, 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Info: Betty Burns 912-351-3852.
GOLF
? The First Tee of Savannah?s Healthy Greens Summer Camp for ages 6-17, July 2-27 (beginners) and July 30-Aug. 10 (advanced), 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Cost: $100 per week. Military families are free. Info: Brittni Katro, program coordinator, 912-238-7108, bkatro@thefirstteesavannah.org.
POOLER: VARIOUS SPORTS
? Pooler Recreation Department Youth Summer Basketball League, through July 27. Ages: 6-13 boys and girls. Fee: $45 residents, $90 nonresidents.
? Pooler Karate and Self-Defense Camp at Pooler Recreation Department, July 23-27, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Ages: 5 and up. Fee: $100 per camper; $10 off additional sibling campers.
RUNNING
? Tunnel to Towers Run Savannah, 8 a.m. Sept. 15, 5K race starting and finishing at Orleans Square next to the Savannah Civic Center. The Tunnel to Towers Run was created to honor Stephen Siller, one of 343 New York City firefighters who sacrificed their lives on 9/11. All proceeds will be used to build Smart Homes for two severely wounded veterans in Georgia: U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Mike Schlitz of Columbus and U.S. Marine Cpl. Todd Love of Atlanta. Register at t2trun.org or at Fleet Feet Sports Savannah, 3405 Waters Ave. Info: Jane Grismer at 912-313-4806 or t2tsav@gmail.com
?SAVANNAH STATE
? Savannah State University summer camps. Go to ssuathletics.com for info or call Ahmad Tinker, 706-412-3556 (football); Jay Gibbons, 912-358-3447 (boys basketball); Sonya Wilson, 912-358-3444 (girls basketball); Kellie Fletcher, 912-358-4355 (cheerleading); or Carlton Hardy, 912-358-3082 (baseball).
?SOFTBALL
? New Hampstead High School softball team. Girls attending the school next fall who are interested in playing need to contact Brandi Mills at brandi.mills@sccpss.com or 912-667-8380. Summer practices are now taking place.
SUMMER CAMP
? Savannah Sankofa Youth Organization for Boys? Summer Camp Program for Behaviorally Challenged Boys, ages 6-16, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 18-Aug. 17. Cost: $25 registration fee (nonrefundable), $42 weekly fee. Info: 912-541-5312.
ULTIMATE FRISBEE
? Ultimate Frisbee Tournament and Summer League, Pooler Sports Complex on Pooler Parkway. League play every Tuesday, 6:30-9:30 p.m., in July. For men and women, ages 13 and up. Info: 912-412-3472 or go to http://coastalfca.org/FCAULTIMATE.lsp.
VOLLEYBALL
? alvation Army Youth Volleyball League for sixth-12th-grade boys and girls. Practice begins in June, league starts July 7. Info: Martha Jenkins, recreation coordinator, 912-352-8366, 3000 Bee Road.
? Savannah Arts Academy current and prospective volleyball players for 2012-13 can go to Armstrong volleyball camp July 25-27. Cost: $125. Info: Coach Olson 665-1521.
? Armstrong Atlantic State volleyball camps for 12 and under (8-12), and for middle school (grades 6-8), July 16-18, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost: $115. Info: Will Condon 912-344-3239 or william.condon@armstrong.edu
WEIGHTLIFTING
? Performance Initiatives Inc. summer camp, 2012 Tennessee Ave., AUMC Family Life Center. Sessions: June 25-29, July 2-6, July 9-13, July 16-20, July 23-27. Times: 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Limited to 25 participants. Fees: $35 per week includes T-shirt, lunch, Bible; $200 for six weeks. Info: 912-507-7106 or PIFitness.org.
Source: http://savannahnow.com/sports/2012-06-30/recreation-calendar
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Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Euro market lockdown feeds bank dependence on ECB
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MLB suspends Byrd 50 games for failing PED test
FILE - In this May 30, 2012, file photo, Boston Red Sox center fielder Marlon Byrd dives to catch a fly ball by Detroit Tigers' Gerald Laird during a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. Byrd has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Major League Baseball announced the suspension Monday, June 25, 2012, and said Byrd tested positive for Tamoxifen. Byrd is currently a free agent, and will be placed on the restricted list for the duration of his suspension, which began immediately. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
FILE - In this May 30, 2012, file photo, Boston Red Sox center fielder Marlon Byrd dives to catch a fly ball by Detroit Tigers' Gerald Laird during a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. Byrd has been suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Major League Baseball announced the suspension Monday, June 25, 2012, and said Byrd tested positive for Tamoxifen. Byrd is currently a free agent, and will be placed on the restricted list for the duration of his suspension, which began immediately. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
NEW YORK (AP) ? Outfielder Marlon Byrd was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball on Monday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
Major League Baseball said the 34-year-old Byrd tested positive for Tamoxifen, which can reduce side effects of steroid use and increase testosterone. It is often used to treat breast cancer patients.
"I made an inexcusable mistake," Byrd said in a statement released by the players' association. "Several years ago, I had surgery for a condition that was private and unrelated to baseball. Last winter, I suffered a recurrence of that condition and I was provided with a medication that resulted in my positive test. Although that medication is on the banned list, I absolutely did not use it for performance enhancement reasons."
Byrd is currently a free agent, and will be placed on the restricted list for the duration of his suspension, which began immediately. He started the season with the Cubs and was dealt to the Red Sox on April 21. He was designated for assignment by Boston on June 9 and released four days later.
"I am mortified by my carelessness and I apologize to everyone who loves this game as I do," Byrd said. "I will serve my suspension, continue to work hard and hope that I am given an opportunity to help a Club win later this season."
In 2009, Byrd said he was using supplements provided by SNAC System, a company founded by Victor Conte, who also was the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.
BALCO was at the center of a wide-ranging scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs that enveloped several top-level athletes, including Marion Jones, Tim Montgomery and Barry Bonds. Conte pleaded guilty to steroid distribution in July 2005 and served four months in jail.
Byrd said the supplements were all OK to use under MLB rules. He had never before been suspended for failing an PED test.
"Any nutritional supplements I ever provided to Marlon Byrd were legal products that contained no banned substances," Conte wrote on Twitter. "I provided Marlon Byrd with nutritional and training advice which had nothing whatsoever to do with any type of prohibited substances."
In an email to The Associated Press, Conte said he still supports Byrd.
"Marlon Byrd is a terrific person and did not use a drug to cheat," Conte said in his email. "Look at his numbers this season, the worst of his career. Traded and then cut. I was not aware of his medical condition. Marlon is my friend and I will always have his back."
Byrd hit .210 in 47 games with the two teams, though he hit .270 with a homer and seven RBIs in 34 games with Boston. The Red Sox picked him up when they had a shortage in the outfield after a rash of injuries.
"He played here and he played well," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said. "I had no indication or I don't think anyone did."
The 34-year-old Byrd has played for five teams in 11 major league seasons and is a career .278 hitter.
Byrd finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 with the Phillies and was a National League All-Star with the Cubs in 2010.
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Turkey jet crisis unlikely to pull NATO into Syria
BRUSSELS (AP) ? Syria's downing of a Turkish military jet has the feel of a turning point that could drag Western powers into a conflict that is spiraling out of control.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has vowed to hold Syria to account, while Britain's foreign minister said Damascus won't be allowed to act with impunity.
But for all the hard talk, the prospect of Western military intervention in Syria remains remote, at best.
For one thing, military action is unlikely to get the support of either the U.N. Security Council or the Arab League, and outside intervention without the blessing of both of those bodies is all but unthinkable. And there is little appetite among the 28 NATO countries ? of which the U.S. is the largest ? for another war in the Middle East.
Libya was hard enough, and for a many nervous months it looked as if that conflict might end in an embarrassing stalemate for the West. And Syria would be tougher than Libya. Syrian President Bashar Assad's army is better equipped, better trained, better paid and far more loyal than was that of late Libyan leader Moammar Gaddhafi.
So for the moment, despite the increasing violence and the staggering number of deaths, action by the international community seems to be limited to sanctions and strong words.
And so it was on Monday, when foreign ministers from the 27 European Union countries condemned Syria's downing Friday of a Turkish jet, but said the bloc would not support military action in the troubled country.
"What happened is to be considered very seriously," said Dutch Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal. Having gotten his denunciation out of the way, he let the other shoe drop: "We do not go for any interventions."
Turkish officials have said the jet mistakenly strayed into Syrian airspace, but was warned to leave by Turkish authorities and was a mile (1.6 kilometers) inside international airspace when Syria shot it down. The Turkish pilots are still missing.
Turkey immediately called a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, NATO's governing body, on Tuesday to discuss the incident. Any NATO member can request such consultations if their territorial integrity has been threatened.
An alliance diplomat said ambassadors will discuss Turkey's concerns ? and would likely condemn the downing.
"But there won't be anything more specific than that," said the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of standing rules.
Turkey, too, appeared to be attempting to moderate the situation, trying to balance a response that would assuage domestic outrage over the shooting, while avoiding a conflict. Turkey has been one of the fiercest critics of Assad's crackdown. But at this point, it has no wish to inflame already-heightened tensions.
A Turkish government official said the government was trying to ratchet up diplomatic pressure on Syria, where activists say more than 14,000 people have been killed in the 15-month uprising. He said the country was still working out what steps to take ? though they would not include military intervention.
"We are not talking about war, but we will keep the pressure on Syria and give it no chance to catch its breath," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.
Mustafa Kibaroglu, a professor of international relations at Istanbul's Okan University, said that by calling Tuesday's emergency meeting, Turkey was trying to show Syria that it has the full support of NATO and the European Union.
But he dismissed the possibility the alliance would activate a rule in its founding treaty ? Article 5 ? that declares that an attack against any NATO country shall be considered as an attack against them all.
"Unless there is another ... act of provocation (from Syria), there will be no activation of Article 5," Kibaroglu said.
Syria has said it was unaware that the F-4 Phantom jet belonged to Turkey, and that it was protecting its air space against an unknown intruder. In the past, Israeli warplanes have penetrated Syrian airspace by flying over the Mediterranean coastline.
Syrian foreign ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said the downing was an accident, caused by the "automatic response" of an officer commanding an anti-aircraft gun. The man saw a jet coming at him at high speed and low altitide and opened fire, Makdissi said.
Analysts said that, although the latest incident will likely be contained, the conflict in Syria is now threatening to draw in other nations.
"Syria's apology will probably quell the immediate outrage," said Barak Seener, a Middle East expert at the Royal United Services Institute, a British military think tank.
"But it's increasingly clear that as the conflict escalates there will be a spillover effect with regional consequences," he said. "While NATO will not get involved yet, this illustrates that international actors will increasingly be sucked into the conflict."
Still, there is a sense of war-weariness in NATO, an aversion to any more involvement in the Middle East after last year's conflict over Libya.
The alliance's primary focus remains the costly war in Afghanistan, where the alliance still has about 130,000 troops, a decade after the ouster of the Taliban regime. Although NATO forces enjoy overwhelming superiority in numbers, firepower and mobility, the guerrillas are showing no sign of giving up.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has repeatedly said that the alliance would need a clear international mandate, and regional support, before it embarked on a mission in Syria.
Last year, the alliance launched air attacks on Libyan government targets only after receiving a mandate from the U.N. Security Council, along with backing from the Arab League.
But in Syria's case, the Arab League hasn't been able to agree on the need for military intervention. Even Syria's different opposition groups are riven by divisions over whether outside military intervention would help or hurt. Some in the Syrian opposition argue that it would reduce their country to rubble, leaving them nothing on which to build a new future once Assad was gone.
And Russia and China ? both veto-wielding members of the Security Council ? have consistently shielded Assad's regime from international sanctions over its violent crackdown on protests. Russia also has continued to provide Syria with arms, despite Western calls for a halt in supplies.
Last week, President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the Syrian crisis on the sidelines of a Group of 20 economic conference in Mexico.
The meeting ended without apparent agreement on how to end the violence.
___
Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Elizabeth Kennedy in Beirut, Lebanon, also contributed to this report.
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Islamist Morsi named Egypt's president
CAIRO (AP) ? Islamist Mohammed Morsi was declared the winner Sunday in Egypt's first free presidential election in history, closing the tumultuous first phase of a democratic transition and opening a new struggle with the still-dominant military rulers who recently stripped the presidency of most of its powers.
In Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the uprising that ousted autocratic President Hosni Mubarak, joyous Morsi supporters wept and kneeled on the ground in prayer as soon as they heard the outcome announced live television. They danced, set off fireworks and released doves in the air with Morsi's picture attached in celebrations not seen in the square since Mubarak was forced out on Feb. 11, 2011.
Many are looking now to see whether Morsi will try to take on the military and wrestle back the powers they took from his office just one week ago. Thousands vowed to remain in Tahrir to demand that the ruling generals reverse their decision.
"I pledge to be a president who serves his people and works for them," Morsi said on his official web page. "I will not betray God in defending your rights and the rights of this nation." He was scheduled to address the nation Sunday night in his first speech after being declared president.
The White House congratulated Morsi and urged him to advance national unity as he forms a new government. White House press secretary Jay Carney said Morsi's victory is a milestone in Egypt's transition to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule under Mubarak. The Obama administration had expressed no public preference in the presidential race.
Left on the sidelines of the political drama are the liberal and secular youth groups that drove the uprising against Mubarak, left to wonder whether Egypt has taken a step towards becoming an Islamist state. Some grudgingly supported Morsi in the face of Ahmed Shafiq, who was Mubarak's last prime minister, while others boycotted the vote.
Morsi will now have to reassure them that he represents the whole country, not just Islamists, and will face enormous challenges after security and the economy badly deteriorated in the transition period.
Pro-democracy leader Mohammed ElBaradei urged unity after the results were announced.
"It is time we work all as Egyptians as part of a national consensus to build Egypt that is based on freedom and social justice," he wrote on his Twitter account.
The elections left the nation deeply polarized with one side backing Shafiq, who promised to provide stability and prevent Egypt from becoming a theocracy. Because of his military career, many saw him as the military's preferred candidate.
In the other camp are those eager for democratic change and backers of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood who were persecuted, jailed and banned under Mubarak but now find themselves one of the two most powerful groups in Egypt.
The other power center is the ruling military council that took power after the uprising and is headed by Mubarak's defense minister of 20 years.
Just one week ago, at the moment polls were closing in the presidential runoff, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) issued constitutional amendments that stripped the president's office of most of its major powers. The ruling generals made themselves the final arbiters over the most pressing issues still complicating the transition? such as writing the constitution, legislating, passing the state budget? and granted military police broad powers to detain civilians.
"I am happy the Brotherhood won because now the revolution will continue on the street against both of them, the Brotherhood and the SCAF," said Lobna Darwish, an activist who has boycotted the elections.
Also, a few days before that constitutional declaration, a court dissolved the freely elected parliament, which is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, leaving the military now in charge of legislating.
Brotherhood members and experts said the results were used a bargaining chip between the generals and the Brotherhood over the parameters of what appears to be a new power-sharing agreement. The country's new constitution is not written and the authorities of the president are not clear.
This is the first time modern Egypt will be headed by an Islamist and by a freely elected civilian. The country's last four presidents over the past six decades have all came from the ranks of the military.
"Congratulations because this means the end of the Mubarak state," said Shady el-Ghazali Harb, a prominent activist who was among the leaders of the protests in January and February last year.
The results of the elections were delayed for four days amid accusations of manipulation and foul play by both sides, raising political tensions in Egypt to a fever pitch.
The delay plunged the country into nerve-wrecking anticipation and pushed tensions to a fever pitch. Parallel mass rallies by Shafiq and Morsi supporters were held in different parts of Cairo and cut-throat media attacks by supporters of both swarmed TV shows. In the hours before the announcement of the winner, the fear of new violence was palpable.
Heavy security was deployed around the country, especially outside state institutions, in anticipation of possible violence. Workers were sent home early from jobs, jewelry stores closed for fear of looting and many were stocking up on food and forming long lines at cash machines in case new troubles began.
Morsi, the 60-year old U.S.-trained engineer, narrowly defeated Shafiq with 51.7 percent of the vote versus 48.3, by a margin of only 800,000 votes, the election commission said. Turnout was 51 percent.
Farouk Sultan, the head of the commission, described the elections as "an important phase in the end of building our nascent democratic experience."
Sultan went to pains to explain the more than 400 complaints presented by the two candidates challenging counting procedures and alleging attempts of rigging. It appeared to be an attempt to discredit claims that the election commission was biased in favor of Shafiq, the candidate perceived as backed by the military rulers.
The country is deeply divided between supporters of the Brotherhood, liberals and leftists who also decided to back them as a way to stand up to the military, and other secular forces that fear the domination of the Brotherhood, and grew critical of it in the past year. The small margin of victory for Morsi also sets him for a strong opposition from supporters of Shafiq, viewed as a representative of the old regime.
Naguib Sawiris, a Coptic Christian business tycoon who joined a liberal bloc in voicing opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood a day before the results were announced, said he expects the new president to send a reassuring message to Egypt's Christian minority who represent around 10 percent of the population of 85 million.
"There are fears of imposing an Islamic state ... where Christians don't have same rights," Sawiris told the private TV station CBC. Morsi "is required to prove the opposite. ... We don't want speeches or promises but in the coming period, it is about taking action. ... He was not our choice but we are accepting it is a democratic choice."
Hamdeen Sabahi, a leftist presidential candidate who came in a surprising third place in the first round of elections, asked Morsi to live up to his pledges to form a national coalition government and appoint presidential aides from different groups "that express the largest national consensus."
Khaled Abdel-Hamid, a leading leftist politician, said Morsi must fight to get his powers back or he will lose any popular support he may have garnered.
"If he fights to get his power back, we will support him. But if he doesn't fight back, then he is settling for siding with the military," he said.
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