Iran sees conspiracy in box office success of Ben Affleck's 'Argo' (+video)

Based on true events surrounding the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran, 'Argo' opened this weekend at No. 2 and rose to the top spot on Monday. Iranians are less enthused.

By Roshanak Taghavi,?Correspondent / October 17, 2012

This film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Bryan Cranston (l.) as Jack O?Donnell and Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez in 'Argo,' a rescue thriller about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis.

Claire Folger/Warner Bros./AP

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American moviegoers flocked to theaters this weekend to see Ben Affleck's long-anticipated thriller Argo, which has been generating headlines since it was first screened at the Toronto Film Festival last month.?

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Based on a true story about how the CIA smuggled six American diplomats out of Iran after the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy, the film opened on Oct. 12 and came in at No. 2 in box office sales over the weekend, after "Taken 2" (an action film starring Liam Neeson). By Oct. 15, Argo held the top spot.?

But inside?Iran, where the decision by a group of Iranian students to storm the US Embassy and hold Americans hostage for 444 days is still controversial and vibrantly debated, the press has paid Argo scant attention. The few comments the film has received are generally negative ? Iran's state-run IRNA news agency called Argo "Hollywood?s latest failed attempt to confront the Islamic Revolution" ? and?replete with complaints that the movie portrays all Iranians as stereotypically aggressive and unrefined and fails to give viewers enough historical context.?(Pirated copies of American films typically become available in Iran a few months before the films open in the US, and are easily accessed by the public.)

?Argo makes the people of Iran look like they have no self-determination, and indisputably support violence,? writes Meysam Karimi in a lengthy review?for the popular Iran-based film magazine website, Moviemag.???For me, as an Iranian ? this makes [the storyline behind] Argo much less believable.?

Iran?s semi-official Fars News Agency?labels Argo ?anti-Iranian" and painted the film as a flop. Citing unidentified "news agencies," it asserted that Argo only?managed to reach second place in the US and Canada because the filmmakers artificially boosted sales by purchasing tickets ?en masse? and giving them away for free to random people. ?

Argo??was unable to become a box office hit in spite of considerable advertisement," Fars wrote.??The filmmakers tried very hard and used a variety of methods to increase ticket sales, but they were unsuccessful. ? Even though ?Taken 2? was in its second week, Argo still couldn?t beat it to first place in the box office ? due to a lack of interest among its own [North American] audience.?

Moviemag, the privately owned online film magazine, is more sober in its assessment of the film, acknowledging Ben Affleck?s strong directorial skill and the film?s attention-grabbing story line and?giving the film a four out of five star rating.

"If I were to set aside issues [with how Iran is portrayed], I must admit that Argo is one of this year?s best movies, and expect it to be awarded an Oscar for Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Alan Arkin?s role," he writes.?

?Without a doubt, a non-Iranian viewer will highly enjoy seeing Argo because the story is strong and keeps the viewer?s attention through to the end,? he adds. ?But for an Iranian who counts this subject as part of our country?s history, the view may be a bit different.?

Almost all coverage of Argo also noted that the film?s Toronto Film Festival debut, Sept. 7, is the same day Canada closed its embassy this year in Tehran and announced the expulsion of Iran?s diplomats from Ottawa. ? ?

?Perhaps it was a coincidence,? writes Mr. Karimi for Moviemag. ?But for [the embassy closure] to take place during the Toronto Film Festival, right when this film was being screened, somewhat undermines the theory that this happened by accident.?

Follow Roshanak Taghavi on Twitter at?@RoshanakT.

(This article was updated after first posting to correct the spelling of the capital of Canada.)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/lCJ_WmylCwQ/Iran-sees-conspiracy-in-box-office-success-of-Ben-Affleck-s-Argo-video

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Free Pets to Good Home ? Blog Archive ? Horse Riding: Helpful - First

Horse riding is a great hobby for all ages and it is never too late to learn. Engaging with horses and ponies makes this sport special and unique. It is the perfect hobby for getting out in the fresh air and experiencing something new. If you?re a real novice though, it can be difficult to know where to start. The following 7 tips are aimed to help anyone who is new to riding:

1. Many beginners don?t realise that they need to approach their horse with care. Go to the side of the horse and make contact with it on its shoulder. Avoid reaching out to its head. This means you will always be in full view of the horse and it won?t feel threatened.

2. When riding, good posture should be maintained by sitting up straight and making sure your shoulders are back. Feet should be placed a third of the way through the stirrup so that your weight is on the balls of your feet and your heels are kept down. Good posture will help you to remain seated at all times.

3. For beginners especially, mounting and dismounting the horse can cause difficulty. Starting with a mounting block will enable you to get the hang of how to correctly get on and off without distressing it. When dismounting, make sure someone can hold the horse still to aid you. When dismounting, you will need to lower yourself part of the way down then bend your knees to absorb the shock of making contact with the ground.

4. Gaining your balance when riding is the next big hurdle to overcome. This is something you will pick up with practice, it can not be rushed. However, by sitting correctly and not sitting too far forward or back; you?ll find it much easier to balance in the saddle.

5. It sounds silly, but keeping your eyes up is one of the main rules new riders need to follow. You need to look where the horse is going and anticipate what how it may react. Horses have a tendency to spook so if you look ahead and spot any potential hazards you will be prepared and more likely to stay seated if the horse is startled.

6. Getting a grasp of steering and controlling the horse comes with practice but you need to know the basics first. This means making sure you?re holding the reins correctly. You will need to hold the reigns using both hands.? Hands should be clasped with your thumbs facing up.

7. You should always wear the correct apparel when riding for your own comfort and safety. You should wear a helmet at all time, professional riding boost with a small heel, jodhpurs, and a jacket. It is also recommended that you wear riding gloves to help you grip the reigns, even during hot weather. Wearing high visibility clothing when riding on the roads is becoming more and more popular. It helps protect horse and rider from unaware motorists.

Any new rider should take onboard the above tips before trying to progress further. It is best to seek the help of a professional trainer to ensure you get off to the best start and enjoy your new hobby. Safety is of paramount importance for both you and the horse.

If you would like more involvement in the racing industry, either via racehorse ownership or working with horses, you can find out more info on this page.

Source: http://siscer.net/articles/pets/horse-riding-helpful-tips-for-novices/

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Obama attends church, tracks storm developments

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Will County Shamrocks Rugby Undefeated Heading Into Playoffs ...

The County Will Shamrocks Men's Rugby team heads into the playoffs following an undefeated regular season. They qualified as the No. 1 seed for the USA Rugby Midwest Playoffs.

The Shamrocks completed its season with five wins, no losses and one draw.
Members of the Shamrocks hail from all over Will County, including Shorewood, Channahon, Plainfield, New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Orland, Homewood and Joliet. Some players are from as far away Kankakee and Morris.

The Shamrocks will host their first-ever playoff match at home on Saturday. The match kicks off at 1 p.m. at Manhattan's Central Park, according to Coley O'Connell, media coordinator.

In an impressive match October 13, the club defeated the Northwest Indiana Exiles by a score of 26-16. Each player toughed it out to the last whistle, leaving everything they had on the pitch, O'Connell said.?

"This was the best rugby game that I have ever been a part of as either a player or a coach," said Head Coach Ryan Stoddard. "Both teams played hard the entire match."

Kyle Grossheider, a former Lincoln-Way football and rugby star, returned to play for the Shamrocks alongside his brother, Derek. Kyle had been named a USA Rugby Collegiate All-American two times while at Life University in Atlanta.

Another player and Lincoln-Way grad, Pat Sullivan, was also named an All-American this past spring while playing for Arkansas Sate University.

"Rugby has opened so many doors for me in my life," Grossheider said. "It allowed me to go to college and to travel the world. Also, it's great to be able to come back to the Shamrocks and play alongside my brother and try and win a championship."

Shamrocks Rugby is sponsored by the Irish American Society of County Will.

Source: http://frankfort.patch.com/articles/shamrocks-rugby-undefeated-into-playoffs

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Breaking the Patterns of Dysfunction | World of Psychology

Cutting Loose: An Adult?s Guide to Coming to Terms with Your Parents? Howard M. Halpern calls the interactions that develop between the inner child in us and the inner child in our parents ?songs and dances? because, he explains, they have a ?repetitious, almost rhythmic, pattern. The same words, the same music and the same dance steps are performed over and over again.? Writes Halpern:

There is no underestimating the difficulty in modifying the song and dance routines you have developed with your parents, but as you become aware of just what the song and dance is that you and your parents perform so ritualistically, then you can begin to change the tune. Recognizing the nuances of interactions so habitual as to be almost beyond self-observation is no easy matter, but once you see the dance you can begin to change the words, the music, and the steps.

I?m in the process right now of having to choreograph a whole new dance. And with no training as a choreographer, that?s a little tough.

Thankfully I have a team of mentors and caring friends that can help me identify the wrong moves ? the clumsy turns and the ugly transitions ? because my gestures are so ingrained in me that my body doesn?t want to do anything else. Like a kid with sensory-integration issues who has been walking on his tiptoes for the first five years of his life ? his little legs locked in a position, not allowing him go down on his heels without lots of physical therapy ? I?m stuck in an uncomfortable pose, and I don?t know how I got there.

But here?s my progress: I no longer think it looks right. Even as my thoughts follow certain pathways that have been carved over time, I now know there is another way, and that I can be a new beginning. I know now, to quote the words of French feminist Luce Irigaray: ?I have an origin. I am an origin.?

I am an origin. Through lots of discipline, and cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychotherapy, I can begin new patterns of behavior for the generation after me: for David, Katherine, and their families. Granted, their gene pools afford them plenty of challenges, or should we say ?character-building opportunities.? But, with diligent recovery and some help from my higher power, I can teach them a new dance based on integrity, truth, love, respect, and compassion.

Similar to the dance comparison that Halpern makes, my therapist shared with me the analogy of a backpack ? You are carrying around these heavy stones most of your life. Something?um, let?s say a nervous breakdown?makes you assess what, exactly, is in this burdensome bag of yours. You look at the rocks and say, ?Self, Why in God?s name am I carrying this?? So you toss one out. Then you get to mile seven, and ask yourself the same question: ?Self, why in the hell is this in here? It?s not like I can eat it, drink it, or wrap myself in it. What is its purpose anyway?? Each few miles your baggage gets lighter with the right questions and follow through.

I guess this process has something to do with forgiveness. As Beyond Blue reader Frank Hulse shared with me in a recent e-mail, again a backpack analogy:

Forgiveness isn?t easy. It requires a conscious decision to change our minds and wipe the slate clean. But here?s the way to think about forgiveness. Picture yourself shouldering a backpack with a dozen 10-pound bags of potatoes. You make the decision to forgive someone?possibly yourself?but each time you forgive all you can manage is 10 percent forgiveness. You keep trying though and after ten separate attempts you finally achieve success and the person is forgiven. Each time you manage a bit of forgiveness your load drops by 10 pounds until eventually you?re no longer carrying that heavy load. It?s worth it even if you have to forgive someone ten times.

According to Halpern, the reward is worth it, if we can just keep on keeping on, making small revisions and alterations along the way:

Your determination will become stronger as you realize how much is at stake if you fail to make changes. Because what?s at stake is whether or not you will really own yourself, whether you will be self-animated or a puppet jerking to an endless song and dance, whether you will grow up or just grow older, whether you will spend uncounted time and energy hassling with and about your parents or whether you will free those energies for the realization of your own pleasures and potentials. A life is to be gained. New possibilities will emerge as the fear becomes less.

Therese J. Borchard is the author of Beyond Blue: Surviving Depression & Anxiety and Making the Most of Bad Genes and The Pocket Therapist: An Emotional Survival Kit. Write to her at comment@thereseborchard.com or follow her on Twitter @thereseborchard.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Therese J. Borchard (or subscribe to their feed).

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 28 Oct 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Borchard, T. (2012). Breaking the Patterns of Dysfunction. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 28, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/28/breaking-the-patterns-of-dysfunction/

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/10/28/breaking-the-patterns-of-dysfunction/

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Bomb near playground, other attacks kill 18 across Iraq as families mark holiday

BAGHDAD - A bombing near a playground and other insurgent attacks killed 18 people including several children in Iraq on Saturday, challenging government efforts to promote a sense of stability by preventing attacks during a major Muslim holiday.

The strikes underscored the difficulties facing Iraq's leadership as it struggles to keep its citizens safe. Authorities have said they intended to increase security to thwart attackers who might use the four-day Eid al-Adha to strike when people are off work and families gather in public places.

The deadlier of two blasts in Baghdad struck near a playground and a small market in the neighbourhood of Bawiya in eastern Baghdad. Police officials said eight people were killed, including four children. Another 24 people, including children, were wounded, they said.

"Nobody expected this explosion because our neighbourhood has been living in peace, away from the violence hitting the rest of the capital," said Bassem Mohammed, a 35-year-old father of three in the neighbourhood who was startled by the blast.

"We feel sad for the children who thought that they would spend a happy time during Eid, but instead ended up getting killed or hurt."

Authorities have said they planned to increase the number of checkpoints, shut some roads and deploy extra personnel during the holiday period.

Elsewhere, a bomb attached to a bus carrying Iranian Shiite pilgrims killed five people and wounded nine, according to police. The so-called sticky bomb, hidden on the underside of the bus, detonated as the pilgrims were heading to a Shiite shrine in Baghdad to mark Eid, a major Muslim holiday.

In the northern city of Mosul, gunmen broke into the houses of two Shabak families, killing a boy and his parents in one and a mother and daughter in the other, according to police. A bomb exploded near the house of another Shabak family, wounding six family members.

Shabaks are ethnically Turkomen and Shiite by religion. Most Shabaks were driven out of Mosul by Sunni militants during the sectarian fighting a few years ago.

Medics in nearby hospitals confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Eid al-Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice, is a major Muslim holiday that commemorates what Muslims believe was the Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, the Biblical Ishmael, as a test of his faith from God. Christians and Jews believe another of Abraham's sons, Isaac, was the one almost sacrificed.

Eid al-Adha, which began Friday, marks the end of the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Muslims worldwide typically slaughter lambs and other animals to commemorate the holiday, and share some meat with the poor.

Violence has ebbed across Iraq, but insurgents frequently attack security forces and civilians in an attempt to undermine the country's Shiite-led government.

Holidays are a particular time of concern for security forces. A wave of attacks shortly before another Muslim holiday in August, Eid al-Fitr, killed more than 90 people in one of the deadliest days in Iraq this year.

___

Associated Press writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed reporting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-near-playground-other-attacks-kill-18-across-134250224.html

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Lithuania opposition wins vote in austerity backlash

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuanians angry at spending cuts put left-wing opposition parties on the path to power in an election on Sunday that likely spelled the end for a conservative government praised abroad as a model of austerity.

The Social Democratic Party and the Labour Party, which have promised to raise the minimum wage and shift the tax burden to the better off, were headed for a parliamentary majority in combination with their likely partner, the Paksas Party, according to preliminary results from the second-round vote.

The Homeland Union of conservative Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, who slashed the budget deficit at the cost of falling wages and rising unemployment, was set to be the second biggest party in parliament but with little chance of a coalition deal.

Whatever the composition of its next government, Lithuania, which must borrow 7.6 billion litas ($2.85 billion) in 2013, about 7 percent of output, will likely be given little room to loosen austerity by debt markets, analysts say.

"The trend is showing that the results are quite good," said Algirdas Butkevicius, leader of the Social Democrats. The former finance minister is a possible coalition prime minister.

With a 13 percent jobless rate, the Baltic nation is one of the European Union's poorest countries and the population has fallen below 3 million for the first time since the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 as thousands leave to find work.

The government's failure at the ballot box comes despite warm words abroad for a more resolute economic course than those taken by Greece and other euro zone states struggling with debt.

The International Monetary Fund praised the government's "determined policy implementation" in June.

After a collapse in economic output of 15 percent in 2009, the second-biggest decline in the European Union after northern neighbor Latvia, gross domestic product rose 6 percent last year and is expected to increase by about 3 percent this year.

The budget deficit fell to 5.5 percent of GDP in 2011 from 9.4 percent in 2009. The Kubilius government has drafted a 2013 budget with a 2.5 percent fiscal gap.

TENSION AHEAD?

In a sign of possible coalition tension ahead, Labour's leader, Russian-born businessman Victor Uspaskich, has said he may push for a budget deficit above the EU limit of 3 percent of output.[ID:nL5E8LE6ZU] Butkevicius has said he would be fiscally responsible and could seek euro entry in 2015. [ID:nL6E8L2DQJ]

Lithuania has sought ever closer ties with the European Union since becoming independent from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Uspaskich says the country should not rush to adopt the euro while the currency is in crisis and public support is low. The Labour leader is on trial for tax evasion by his party between 2004 and 2006, a charge he denies.

The Social Democratics were set for about 38 seats and the Labour Party 30 in the 141-seat parliament, according to votes from 94 percent of polling stations in Sunday's second-round vote. A first round was held two weeks ago.

The Paksas Party, led by an impeached former president. was heading for about 11 seats, enough for a coalition majority.

Lithuania's politicians were aware pressure from the markets would not allow them to be too generous, said Lars Christensen, chief emerging markets analyst at Danish bank Danske Bank.

"I'm quite happy that this election, no matter the outcome, will not lead to crazy economic policies," Christensen said.

Lithuania takes the EU's rotating presidency in the second half of 2013 and must repay a 1 billion euro bond in March.

"They have their hands tied at the moment," said DNB economist Rokas Bancevicius.

(Writing by Patrick Lannin; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/left-lithuania-eyes-vote-win-austerity-pain-180723135--business.html

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