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Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Wolverine is a really campy movie?and it's only worth a Netflix

We wished the new superhero movie The Wolverine?full of ninjas and samurais?to be an outstanding movie but alas, it's a bad one. As Charlie Jane Anders tells in her io9 review, it's not much better than the first Wolverine, which was really bad. Mr. Jackman, life needs more cheerful musicals, less raging fury.

Latin Chamber networking golf tournament -- 07/27/13 at Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort

Golfers will play 18 holes on Nevada?s longest course. Sponsorship opportunities are available, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. Visit LVLCC.com for information.

When: Saturday, July 27, 6:30 a.m.

Where: Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort

Cost: $190 - $700

Age limit: Not available

Categories: Meeting

Tools:

Event posted July 19, 2013
Last updated July 19, 2013

Source: http://www.lasvegassun.com/events/2013/jul/27/31745/

Rosalind Franklin

Israel to vote on freeing Palestinian prisoners

In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo, Issa Masoud, 75, father of Omar, 40, who was arrested in May 1993 for killing an Israeli lawyer, listens during an interview at his family house at Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. Israel's Cabinet is to decide Sunday whether to release dozens of long-term Palestinian prisoners as part of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks after five years of diplomatic paralysis. Sitting next to Masoud is his 3-year-old grandson Mahmoud. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo, Tamam Masoud, 70, mother of Omar, 40, who was arrested in May 1993 for killing an Israeli lawyer, laughs during an interview as she sits with her son Abdalrahman, 28, and grandson Yousef, 3, at her family house at Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. Israel's Cabinet is to decide Sunday whether to release dozens of long-term Palestinian prisoners as part of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks after five years of diplomatic paralysis. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

In this Friday, July 26, 2013, Issa Masoud, 75, center, father of Omar, 40, who was arrested in May 1993 for killing an Israeli lawyer, reacts during an interview at his family house at Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. Israel's Cabinet is to decide Sunday whether to release dozens of long-term Palestinian prisoners as part of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks after five years of diplomatic paralysis. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

In this Friday, July 26, 2013, photo, Issa Masoud, 75, left, helps his sons put up a banner of his jailed son at Shati Refugee Camp in Gaza City. His son Omar, 40, was arrested in May 1993 for killing an Israeli lawyer. Israel's Cabinet is to decide Sunday whether to release dozens of long-term Palestinian prisoners as part of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks after five years of diplomatic paralysis. The Arabic on the banner reads, "On the 20th anniversary of his arrest, PFLP (the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) salute comrade prisoner Omar Masoud, Freedom for prisoners." (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) ? In April 1993, Omar Masoud and three accomplices broke into a European aid office in Gaza City, grabbed a young Israeli lawyer working there and stabbed him to death.

Israel arrested Masoud a month later and sentenced him to life, meaning he was doomed to die in prison one day for killing the lawyer in the name of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small PLO faction.

Now Masoud, along with dozens of other long-term Palestinian prisoners, is up for release as part of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's attempt to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks after five years of diplomatic paralysis.

Israel's Cabinet is being asked to approve a prisoner release in principle on Sunday, as part of a Kerry-brokered deal to get the two sides back to the table.

The Cabinet vote would pave the way for a preliminary meeting of Israeli and Palestinian negotiators in Washington on Tuesday, followed by up to nine months of talks in the region on setting up a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Such a deal has eluded Israelis and Palestinians for two decades and they have low expectations.

The fate of those held in Israeli jails is an emotionally wrought issue for Palestinians, who view the prisoners as heroes who made personal sacrifices in the struggle for statehood.

A prisoner release ? particularly of lifers with "blood their hands" ? would go a long way toward giving Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a popular mandate to give talks another shot, even if many Palestinians believe Israel's hardline prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is not serious about a deal.

Israelis tend to view the prisoners as cold-blooded terrorists, and early releases of security prisoners in previous swaps elicited vociferous objections from the public, including Supreme Court appeals.

For Israel's government, approving the release of prisoners it refused to free in the past ? even if in stages and linked to progress in talks ? poses the most difficult test so far of its professed willingness to reach a peace deal.

In a statement late Saturday, Netanyahu said that a decision to release prisoners is "painful to the bereaved families, painful to the people of Israel and very painful for me."

Yet, he said, prime ministers "are required from time to time to take decisions that are against public opinion - if it is important to the state," signaling he is pushing for Cabinet approval of the release.

Abbas, meanwhile, briefed reporters on the terms of the upcoming negotiations, based on what he said were Kerry's assurances to him. He said the American invitation would state that the talks will be about establishing a Palestinian state next to Israel, based on the 1967 borders and with mutually agreed upon land swaps.

The Palestinians want to set up a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem ? lands Israel captured in 1967. In previous negotiations, Abbas offered to trade 1.9 percent of West Bank land for the same amount of Israeli territory, a swap that would enable Israel to keep some of the dozens of Jewish settlements it has built since 1967.

Israeli officials have declined comment on the negotiations. Netanyahu refused in the past to accept the 1967 lines as a starting point, and it's not clear whether his position has changed.

Abbas said the situation would become clearer after Sunday's Cabinet meeting.

A senior Palestinian official said the Palestinians would go to talks without Israel having agreed to a freeze of settlement building in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Nearly 600,000 Jews already live there, and thousands of homes are under construction.

In guidelines for the talks requested by the Palestinians, Kerry stipulated earlier this month that both sides have to refrain from unilateral steps, according to the Palestinian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of a gag order the U.S. secretary of state slapped on the negotiators.

The Palestinians understand this to mean that Israel will slow down settlement construction and refrain from provocative steps, such as announcing new projects, the official said. The Palestinians, in turn, will suspend plans to seek further recognition at the U.N. General Assembly, which last year recognized a state of Palestine in the 1967 borders. Israel fears further international isolation as a result of Palestinian activity at the U.N.

Abbas has argued he would need either a settlement freeze or Israeli recognition of the 1967 lines as a baseline to be able to resume negotiations.

In Sunday's Cabinet meeting, ministers will be asked to vote on a number of fateful issues, an official in Netanyahu's office said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with briefing regulations.

The ministers will be asked to authorize the resumption of talks with the Palestinians and appoint a team ? reportedly the premier and three ministers ? to oversee the negotiations.

They will be asked to approve an amended bill that would require a national referendum on any partition deal with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu's decision to fast-track the referendum bill has prompted contradictory speculation. Some say this shows the lifelong hawk is serious about a deal this time and wants to silence opposition by ultra-nationalists in his Likud party and his coalition from the outset. Others suspect he is trying to create new obstacles to any agreement.

The Cabinet ministers would also have to approve, in principle, a release of Palestinian prisoners who were arrested before the start of the so-called Oslo talks on interim peace deals in the early 1990s.

Abbas gave Kerry a list of 104 names, including that of Omar Masoud who is No. 77, ranked by seniority. The two longest-held at the top of the list are cousins Karim and Maher Younis, imprisoned since 1983 for kidnapping and killing an Israeli soldier, Palestinian officials said.

When Israeli media reported last week that Israel would only release 82 and that Palestinians from Israel and east Jerusalem would not be freed, Abbas asked Kerry for clarifications.

The U.S. diplomat gave Abbas to understand that all 104 would be freed, said a Palestinian official, also speaking anonymously to avoid violating Kerry's call for discretion. The prisoners are to be released in four stages over six months, beginning a month after the resumption of talks, the official said.

As of late June, nearly 5,000 Palestinians were being held by Israel.

Masoud's mother, 70-year-old Tamam, said she is optimistic.

"I hope everything will work out between Jews and Arabs," she said, speaking in her shack in the Shati refugee camp. Abbas "took a good step by talking about releasing prisoners," she said.

Omar Masoud's family was evasive when asked about the killing, portraying it as the rash act of an immature youth. A recent prison photo of him showed a balding middle-aged man who his mother says often cooks for other prisoners because of his work experience as a teenager in an Israeli restaurant.

Despite considerable opposition in Israel to prisoner releases, polls indicate a majority support a resumption of peace talks. Yuval Diskin, former head of Israel's domestic security agency Shin Bet, expressed that ambivalence.

He noted that he opposed a 2011 swap in which Israel agreed to free some 1,000 Palestinians for an Israeli soldier held by Gaza militants, but that the upcoming round of talks may be the last chance for a deal.

"We need to understand that the negotiations cart is stuck in very, very deep mud," he told Israel TV's Channel 10 on Friday. "And there are some very painful things that will need to happen in order to get that cart out of the mud."

___

Associated Press writers Ian Deitch and Aron Heller in Jerusalem contributed reporting.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-07-27-Mideast-Resuming%20Talks/id-8b78b292e8eb432eb78f5672b17489fb

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Sure Sign Of Facebook's Rising Star--Stock Downgrades

Facebook Facebook couldn?t have done much better in its second-quarter earnings reported this week. Thanks to exploding mobile-ad sales, the social network?s profits and revenues blew away Wall Street estimates, leading to a 30% share jump Thursday.

Now comes the hangover: stock downgrades. At least two Wall Street firms backed off from their buy recommendations today.

The reasons, however, have little to do with Facebook?s underlying business and everything to do with valuation. At about $34, Facebook shares not only are approaching many analysts? price targets of $37 but also the $38 a share at which it went public in May 2012. As S&P Capital IQ analyst Scott Kessler put it in a note to clients today in which he downgraded his rating from buy to hold:

We are downgrading FB following significant recent appreciation, and as the stock is approaching our 12-month target price of $37. From a recent low set?June 5?through yesterday, shares rose 50%, notably outperforming the gain in the S&P 500 of 13% and the appreciation of the average Internet stock within our coverage universe of 5%. We note that despite Q2 revenues and EPS that considerably exceeded our forecasts, FB trades at a ?13 P/E of 70X and a ?14 P/E of 53X, based on our forecasts. Essentially, we think a lot of favorable news and expectations are priced into the stock.

Argus Research?joined the party, also downgrading shares to a hold. Wrote Argus analyst Joseph Bonner:

We prefer to exercise discipline by downgrading the shares rather than jumping on the momentum bandwagon. Our rating change is also based on management?s clearly delivered color on the second-quarter call. We think that Facebook is just beginning to reap the returns on its investments in mobile and new and targeted advertising products. Nevertheless, we expect its results to be highly variable in the coming quarters.

So far, those two firms are the only ones I?ve seen making downgrades. Other analysts, who raised their target prices after the quarter?s results, see some room for the shares to run. ?The stock should rightfully see continued follow-through in the coming quarter, given Street revenue estimates should be revised higher for 2014 and 2015,? wrote Anthony DiClemente of Barclays Barclays Research.

The downgrades, or simply profit-taking, may explain why Facebook?s shares fell about 1% today, to $34.01, on a day when the overall market moved just barely into positive territory.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/roberthof/2013/07/26/sure-sign-of-facebooks-rising-star-stock-downgrades/

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5 things to know about the WNBA All-Star game

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) ? Brittney Griner and Elena Delle Donne were poised to make history as the first pair of rookies from the same class to start the WNBA All-Star game.

Now, neither will be playing Saturday as both are sidelined with injuries. Griner has been saddled by a sprained left knee, which has forced her to miss the Phoenix Mercury's last five games. Delle Donne suffered a concussion in the Sky's game on Wednesday and didn't even make the trip to Connecticut. She's home in Delaware.

"Definitely sad that I can't play," Griner said. "There's nothing I can do about that. Day-by-day, that's my motto. I'm not a trainer, so I'd probably be lying anyway. I'm also sad that Elena can't be here."

It's a tough blow for the league, which has been marketing the two budding stars along with Skylar Diggins since they were drafted with the top three picks in April.

Delle Donne was the leading vote-getter, marking the first time a rookie has led the balloting.

"It's unfortunate that I am unable to be a part of All-Star weekend," Delle Donne said. "I was very excited to join the other players for a memorable experience. It's upsetting not only for me but also for the fans who voted for me. The most important thing for me at this time is to rest and recover for the second half of the season."

It's not just the rookies who aren't playing on Saturday afternoon on ABC.

Veterans Sue Bird, Lauren Jackson and Becky Hammon ? perennial All-Stars ? have been sidelined with a variety of injuries. Bird and Hammon have played in every All-Star game since 2003.

___

FOND FAREWELL ? Seattle star Tina Thompson will be playing in her final All-Star game. Thompson previously announced she will retire after the season.

The 17-year veteran has played in a record nine All-Star games and was a last-minute injury replacement for Brittney Griner. She joked on Thursday that she would have "appreciated the break," but was happy to be part of the festivities one last time.

"I'll try not to get sentimental with it, it's definitely an honor to be here," Thompson said. "To have been here since the start and see this league grow is really amazing."

The 38-year old Thompson is the league's all-time leader in points, field goals and minutes. She was the first player selected in the inaugural WNBA college draft and was chosen as one of the league's top 15 players all-time during the WNBA's 15th season.

Thompson addressed the fans after the West practiced and received a standing ovation from the crowd.

"It's special that she's here for the final time," West coach Cheryl Reeve said. "She's been a big part of this league's success."

Diana Taurasi took it a step further, saying "every WNBA arena should retire her jersey."

___

RETURN OF REF CAM ? Official Lamont Simpson became an overnight sensation when he wore the referee cam during a nationally televised game in June.

The veteran official will don it again for the All-Star game on Saturday.

"The emails and texts didn't stop coming until about two weeks after I wore it," Simpson said. "It seems everyone saw it. The players still joke with me about it when I do games now. It really was a great experience and I'm happy to do it again."

Simpson wore the innovative device, which looks like a pair of glasses, when the Indiana Fever played the Phoenix Mercury. The cam not only provided a different vantage point, it also caught Candice Dupree bumping into Simpson, which resulted in a one-game suspension.

"Maybe we should fly in 'Pree' for it," said Taurasi, joking around. "I'm not going near that thing."

Taurasi missed Phoenix's last game because she accumulated her seventh technical foul, which resulted in a one-game suspension.

___

MINNESOTA TAKEOVER ? For the second consecutive All-Star game, the Lynx are fully represented.

West coach Cheryl Reeve has four of her Minnesota players on the roster and her staff on the bench. Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus were elected as starters and Lindsay Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson were chosen as reserves. The same four played in the 2011 All-Star game.

Augustus was excited again to play with her teammates.

"To get to share in that experience with Maya, Whalen and Brunson, just kind of get to enjoy it, it's kind of a Los Lynx family reunion," she said.

Reeve will get all four of them on the court together at some point in the game. Brunson was announced as a starter replacing Griner.

___

FIRST TIMERS ? Surprisingly, Candace Parker is playing in her first All-Star game.

She was selected to the team in 2011, but was unable to play because of a knee injury.

"It's really cool because I haven't been able to play because of injuries," the Los Angeles Sparks star said. "It will be a great time."

If you count Parker, eight players will be making their debuts in the game. Griner and Delle Donne would raise that total to 10 if they were healthy.

Another first-timer, Washington's Ivory Latta, is already making the most of her All-Star experience. She hit a half-court shot in practice Friday worth $100.

While there was some question whether Latta's foot was behind the line, the answer came when an ESPN producer showed Latta video footage that proved it.

"See, I told everyone," Latta said. "It just means that I'll have to buy everyone appetizers for dinner."

___

Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/5-things-know-wnba-star-game-153452604.html

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Saturday, July 27, 2013

7 killed in Florida hostage standoff

From AnneClaire Stapleton, CNN

updated 8:54 AM EDT, Sat July 27, 2013

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

A man barricades himself in an apartment in Hialeah, a Miami suburb
When police arrive at the scene, they find two people dead
They find more bodies after shooting and killing the gunman

(CNN) -- A gunman killed six people overnight at a Florida apartment complex before police shot him dead in a shootout, authorities said early Saturday.

The man barricaded himself in an apartment in Hialeah, a Miami suburb, where he was holding a man and a woman hostage, police spokesman Sgt. Eddie Rodriguez said.

Hialeah police received a call at 6:30 p.m. of a shooting.

When they arrived at the scene, they found two people dead from gunshot wounds and heard additional shots in the area, Rodriguez said.

After negotiations failed, a SWAT team entered the dwelling, rescued the hostages and killed the gunman, who fired on them, police said.

When officers went through the apartment complex, they found several bodies. One was across the street, and Rodriguez said that victim may have died from a stray bullet.

The victims are three women and three men, Rodriguez said.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_latest/~3/UmaOKjxbM3k/index.html

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GSA Junior Golf Championship

Photo By Darren Abate/Darren Abate/Express-News

Mitchell Meissner putts during the GSA Junior Championship, Thursday, July 25, 2013, at Brackenridge

Mitchell Meissner putts during the GSA Junior Championship, Thursday, July 25, 2013, at Brackenridge Park Municipal Golf Course in San Antonio. (Darren Abate/For the Express-News)

Source: http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/other-sports/golf/slideshow/GSA-Junior-Golf-Championship-67062.php

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