'The Butler' battle: Weinstein appeal goes before MPAA Friday

By Todd Cunningham

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - The Motion Picture Assn. of America on Friday morning will hear an appeal by the Weinstein Co. over the title to its Civil War drama, "The Butler."

The appeal of the MPAA's arbitration ruling earlier this month, comes less than a month before the prestige movie's scheduled August 16 opening, and its marketing campaign in a holding pattern.

On July 2, the MPAA's Title Registration Bureau prohibited the Weinstein Co. from using "The Butler" as the title for its movie because a 1916 short in the Warner Bros. library shares the same name.

TWC argued that "The Butler" short has been out of circulation for years and that Warner Bros has no reason to stand in its way of using the title. Warner Bros. maintains it might use the title in the future, and that as an MPAA signatory, TWC is bound to abide by the arbitrator's ruling.

Lee Daniels directed "The Butler," in which Forrest Whitaker portrays Cecil Gaines, who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler from 1952 to 1986. The starry ensemble cast includes Liev Schreiber, Alex Pettyfer, John Cusack, Robin Williams, Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda and Lenny Kravitz.

In the wake of the decision the Weinstein Co. hired high-powered attorney David Boies, who is handling the appeal. But in the meantime, the ruling has precluded it from using "The Butler" in any promotions or marketing under penalty of a $25,000 per-day fine. The web site and Facebook page for the film have been taken down, and commercials and print ads have been curtailed - which could have a negative effect at the box office.

"The timing could hardly be worse," BoxOffice.com editor-in-chief Phil Contrino told TheWrap. "The web site and the social media campaign were just starting to gain traction." The Facebook page for the movie was at 680,000 "likes" before going inactive.

The film, which has a $25 million production budget, doesn't necessarily have blockbuster potential at the box office, but it is very much in the awards race discussion.

TWC chief executive Harvey Weinstein has a rich history of stirring controversy before his films' releases, and the high-profile arguments over the title have kept "The Butler" in the headlines and on the morning TV news shows in the week following the ruling. But Contrino said that press coverage only goes so far.

"The controversy makes some headlines, but that's not nearly the same as having a Facebook page and the web site, and they've lost a lot of marketing momentum," he said.

There's room for a compromise. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. said it would have no problem if the film were titled "Lee Daniels' The Butler." So that's an option, depending on how the MPAA rules in the TWC's appeal Friday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/butler-battle-weinstein-appeal-goes-mpaa-friday-000905489.html

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Gaur Yamuna City Noida at Yamuna Expressway By Gaursons ...

It would not be wrong, if I say that the real estate industry has single handedly led India?s economy and taken it to the new heights. There was time when this beautiful nation had nothing to show on the global map, but now it has Formula One Racing Track, World Trade Center, International standard highways and a number of other state-of-the-art architectural marvels. Cities that have played most important part in uplifting India?s real estate market are Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, Ghaziabad, Faridabad etc. Close connectivity with Delhi has made it easy for these cities to get location advantage and high priority from the side of investors as well as developers. Amongst these prominent cities, Noida is preferred by the developers for constructing residential and commercial buildings because of its eco-friendly atmosphere and pleasant surroundings. This exotic city also has metro connectivity which makes commuting so easy. Moreover, Delhi Noida Delhi (DND) Highway, National Highway No ? 8 and National Highway No ? 24 connects all major destinations of Delhi, such as Connaught Place, South Extension, Indira Gandhi National Highway, Apollo Hospital etc, to this city.

Gaursons India Limited, a Ghaziabad based real estate developer, has studied all these features of Noida before securing its deal with Jaypee Greens on acquiring 300 acres land. This organization has paid a massive amount of Rs 1500 crore for the deal which shows it concerns over the real estate development of Noida. Gaur Yamuna City is the name of project that will be developed by Gaursons amidst enchanting surrounding of Yamuna Expressway. This modern age residential project has been designed exclusively for today?s home buyers who are in search of international standard housing society. Be it architectural style of the building or structure of the apartment, everything is of world class and promises to create a benchmark in the real estate development of Noida city. Moreover, the entire housing society is duly covered by natural elegance which ensures to provide aesthetic ambience.

Three types of residential offering, such as 2 BHK/2 BHK + Study and 3 BHK will be developed on the respective land area of 1000 sq ft, 1115 sq ft and 1375 sq ft at this plush township that is being developed by real estate conglomerate Gaursons India Limited. Exciting price range that starts from Rs 20.95* and goes to the max of Rs 38.71 lac* has been decided for the abovementioned types of the apartment. This kind of affordable price range provides great ease to the investors as well as home buyers. Unmatched facilities, like 24X7 lift service, security check, high level maintenance, kids play area, swimming pool, community club, uninterrupted supply of water & electricity, convenience store etc, makes Guar Yamuna City Noida is a perfect place to live.

Source: http://www.delhirealestatenews.com/gaur-yamuna-city-noida-yamuna-expressway-gaursons-iindia-limited/

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Israel's Nuke Arsenal Off-Limits

On CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday, host Bob Schieffer devoted more than six minutes of a 10-minute interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the topic of Iran's alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapon, with Netanyahu explicitly threatening to attack Iran if it crossed his personally drawn "red line" on the level of permitted refinement of nuclear fuel.

Nowhere during that interview -- or in the major news articles that I read about it -- was there any reference to Israel's own rogue nuclear arsenal or how destabilizing it is for one religious state possessing nukes to threaten to attack another religious state lacking a single nuke. The imbalance in this nuclear equation is so breathtaking that you might have thought it would be at the center of a testy Q-and-A. Instead it was nowhere.

In other words, it was a typical day in the life of mainstream U.S. journalism, a profession which purports to be "objective" -- meaning it should treat all parties to a dispute equally -- but, of course, isn't. Netanyahu also was allowed to denounce Iran as "apocalyptic" without any question about Netanyahu's own frequent references to Israel facing "existential" threats. Indeed, Israel's attitude toward using nuclear weapons is sometimes called the "Samson Option," recalling the Biblical hero who destroyed himself along with his enemies. So, again, you might have thought Schieffer would pounce on Netanyahu's self-serving remark. But, nah!

An "objective" interview or article would have included at least some reference to Israel's nuclear arsenal and the question of whether Israel has the unilateral right to wage war (or even threaten war) against another country, with the particular irony that Israel is accusing Iran of pursuing a course that Israel has already taken.

But it is expected now that "objective" U.S. journalists will avert their eyes from a reality that Israel would prefer not to mention. In the real world of U.S. journalism, "objectivity" means following the bias of the powers-that-be and framing issues within the conventional wisdom.

In the CBS interview, Netanyahu also was allowed to take a free shot at Iran and its president-elect, Hassan Rouhani, who was disparaged by Netanyahu as a "wolf in sheep's clothing" whose strategy is to "smile and build a bomb."

Netanyahu was given free rein, too, to demand that President Barack Obama demonstrate "by action" that he stands with Israel in its military threat against Iran. Those demands "should be backed up with ratcheted sanctions," Netanyahu said. "They have to know you'll be prepared to take military action; that's the only thing that will get their attention."

(It might be noted here that the United States has lots and lots of nuclear weapons and indeed is the only nation to have actually used them in warfare against other human beings. Meanwhile, Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.)

Netanyahu seemed perturbed that the Obama administration is hoping to reach an accommodation with President-elect Rowhani that would involve Iran accepting new safeguards on its nuclear program in exchange for relaxed economic sanctions.

The New York Times reported that "a senior [Obama] administration official" told reporters on Friday that Rowhani's more moderate tone suggested he was "going in a different direction" from his predecessors and might be interested in reaching a broad settlement with the West.

In the CBS interview, Netanyahu was signaling that any accommodation with Iran -- beyond one that would demand Iran's total capitulation on its right to process uranium at all -- is unacceptable to him. The U.S. press corps then repeated Netanyahu's hard-line remarks without any of that troublesome context regarding Israel's possession of an undeclared nuclear arsenal, considered one of the world's most sophisticated.

That the U.S. press corps routinely fails to provide that sort of context is clear evidence that the principle of "objectivity" is one that is selectively applied, which would seem to negate the very notion of "objectivity."

Source: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Israel-s-Nuke-Arsenal-Off-by-Robert-Parry-130715-212.html

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Petite Recycled 14k Rose Gold Wedding Band - Narrow Thin Skinny Stackable Ring, Made to Order by mcfarlanddesigns

This simple, understated ring is made from 14k rose gold. All of the metal used in the construction of this ring is from recycled sources.

This listing is for one ring - approximately 1.5mm wide and 1.5mm thick, comfort-fit, with a polished finish. I can also make this ring in a matte finish or a hand-textured finish for the same price.

Please let me know what size you need when you place your order, and allow about three weeks for fabrication of your custom ring.

Due to the value of this piece, shipping costs have been adjusted to include insurance within the United States. I do offer international shipping; if you live outside the US, please contact me for a quote specific to your location. Due to the lack of availability of insurance through the US postal service for international packages, I use FedEx when shipping overseas; this is a more expensive but far safer option. International buyers, please be aware that you are solely responsible for any duties/taxes that your country may charge on imported goods.

As is all my jewelry, this piece is vegan, meaning no animal products (pearls, silk, leather, etc.) were used in its construction.

I accept PayPal, money orders, checks, and credit cards (please call me at 707-633-6340 if you would like to initiate a credit card payment outside of Paypal).

Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/110974515/petite-recycled-14k-rose-gold-wedding

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Montana man sentenced in fake cancer drug scheme

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- A Montana man will not serve time in prison for his role distributing unapproved, misbranded and counterfeit cancer drugs to U.S. physicians after surrendering an estimated $4.5 million in cash and property purchased from the sale of illegal pharmaceuticals.

U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen on Friday sentenced Paul Daniel Bottomley, 48, to six months of house arrest and five years' probation after he pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony, meaning he failed to report a felony crime to authorities.

Federal prosecutors said Bottomley imported mislabeled and unapproved drugs for years, and was a contact for physicians who bought a fake version of the Roche cancer drug Avastin last year.

Prosecutors had asked for a one-year prison sentence for Bottomley, saying they wanted an example to deter others who might circumvent U.S. pharmaceutical regulations and put at risk patients who are looking for cheap drugs.

"Those like Bottomley, who ignore the law and circumvent the regulatory framework, are playing Russian roulette with the health of the American public," U.S. Attorney for Montana Mike Cotter said in a news conference after the sentencing in Missoula.

The judge sided with Bottomley's attorneys, who had asked for a probation sentence. Christensen cited Bottomley's cooperation with authorities in handing down the sentence.

FDA Office of Criminal Investigations director John Roth said all the fake Avastin has been accounted for and Bottomley's conviction is one of the final cases in an investigation into an underground distribution network of illegal pharmaceuticals.

Bottomley founded Montana Health Care Solutions in 2008 and illegally imported misbranded and unapproved cancer drugs, selling them to doctors in the United States for lower prices, an FDA investigation found.

Bottomley sold his company in 2010 to Rockley Ventures, a division of the Internet pharmaceutical company Canada Drugs Ltd. for $5 million, but he remained as an adviser who was paid $10,000 a month. He made sales calls for the company and worked on shipping matters with a mail-order pharmaceutical shipping company in Gainesboro, Tenn., called Volunteer Distribution.

Under Canada Drugs, Montana Health Care Solutions continued illegal drug imports, Cotter said. Last year, it distributed the counterfeit version of Avastin, prosecutors said.

The Food and Drug Administration issued warnings that the fake chemotherapy drug was sold to U.S. cancer clinics and hospitals, and it is unknown how much was administered to patients.

In January 2012, United Kingdom regulators informed U.S. officials that a shipment of fake Avastin was shipped to Volunteer Distribution. U.S. officials tested the drug, and found it did not contain the active ingredient in the legitimate drug and was little more than saline solution.

Thirty-six packs of the fake drug were distributed in the U.S., while five other packets were returned to the wholesaler in the United Kingdom.

FDA investigators interviewed customers that received the drugs, and most said Bottomley was their main contact. Others said the drugs they received from Volunteer Distribution were from orders placed with Montana Health Care Systems, prosecutors said.

Montana Health Care Systems sold the drug for $1,700 per vial, compared to the normal cost of nearly $2,300 per vial.

Even though Bottomley was only a "cog in the wheel" of Canada Drugs at that point, he should have notified the authorities when he became aware that the company was breaking the law, Cotter said.

"This really is a case about greed, the greed of the individuals like Bottomley, the greed of the physicians who purchased discounted, foreign drugs for distribution to their patients suffering from cancer and other serious ailments," Cotter said.

Calls to Canada Drugs were referred to the company's attorney, Curtis Unfried, who said he could not comment on the case because an investigation is underway.

Cotter declined to discuss whether Canada Drugs or the physicians who purchased the drugs would be charged.

Bottomley wrote Christensen a letter prior to the sentencing hearing, saying that he is a religious man with a wife and two teenage daughters whom he would not be able to support if imprisoned.

"We have surrendered everything we have to the Federal Government except our home and are now in a position of considerable debt," he wrote.

Bottomley forfeited an estimated $4.5 million, which included $1 million in cash, 10 parcels of land valued at $3 million and a 2011 Aston Martin sports car that was sold at auction for $110,000.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/montana-man-sentenced-fake-cancer-194847628.html

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Facebook 5.0 for Windows Phone 8 now live, out of beta

Facebook's now out of beta and ready for primetime on Windows Phone 8, Microsoft announced today. It's known as Facebook 5.0 and, aside from exiting beta, the latest version of Facebook for Windows Phone adds a revamped UI, as well as, "improved navigation, support for high-res pictures, post sharing, Facebook Timeline view, and more." Should you wish to continue living just ahead of the rest of Facebook's Windows Phone 8 userbase, a beta version of Facebook will remain in the Windows Phone store -- it promises a look at "pre-release software." We also wouldn't be too surprised if this is a good look into what that upcoming Windows 8 app will look like.

As you might expect, Facebook 5.0 for Windows Phone 8 is free and available right here.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Internet, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Facebook

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Source: Windows Store, Microsoft, Windows Store (Facebook beta)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/07/01/facebook-5-for-windows-phone-8/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Saudi says 'cannot be silent' at Iran, Hezbollah role in Syria

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia regards the involvement of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria's civil war as dangerous and believes the rebels must be offered military aid to defend themselves, the kingdom's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference with U.S. Secretary John Kerry in Jeddah, Prince Saud al-Faisal added that Saudi Arabia "cannot be silent" about Iranian intervention and called for a resolution to ban arms flows to the Syrian government.

"The kingdom calls for issuing an unequivocal international resolution to halt the provision of arms to the Syrian regime and states the illegitimacy of the regime," Prince Saud said.

Kerry has returned to the Middle East after a two-day visit to India, and will continue efforts to strengthen the Syrian opposition and revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

In Jeddah, Kerry is holding discussions with Prince Saud and Saudi Arabian intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan, who coordinates the kingdom's efforts to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The discussions include Washington's plans for providing direct military support to General Salim Idriss of the Supreme Military Council, the military wing of Syria's main civilian opposition group.

Prince Saud said the world's top oil exporter "cannot be silent" at the intervention of Iran and Hezbollah in the Syrian conflict and renewed calls to arm the opposition and bar weapons sales to President Bashar al-Assad.

"The most dangerous development is the foreign participation, represented by Hezbollah and other militias supported by the forces of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard," said.

"There is no logic that allows Russia to publicly arm the Syrian regime and the foreign forces that support it," he added.

U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will arm the rebels but has not disclosed what type of assistance he will provide. Kerry is trying to ensure that the aid to the rebels is properly coordinated among the allies, in part out of concern that weapons could end up in the hands of extremist groups.

A meeting between Kerry and European and Arab counterparts in Doha last week agreed to increase support for Syria's rebels although there was no consensus among the foreign ministers over providing arms, with Germany and Italy strongly opposed to the move.

More than 93,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict, which began as a popular protest movement against President Bashar al-Assad but has descended into a civil war with sectarian overtones.

Nearly 1.7 million refugees have fled into neighboring countries, including Lebanon, where clashes between armed groups supporting opposing sides in Syria have fuelled fears of a lapse back into sectarian civil war.

Saudi Arabia has become more actively involved in the Syrian crisis in recent months, expanding the flow of weapons to the rebels to include anti-aircraft missiles.

(Reporting By Mahmoud Habboush and Lesley Wroughton, Editing by Angus McDowall and William Maclean)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-says-cannot-silent-iran-hezbollah-involvement-syria-131701686.html

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