'Contraband' swipes No. 1 spot at box office

In this film image released by Universal Pictures, Mark Wahlberg, left, and Ben Foster are shown in a scene from "Contraband." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Patti Perret)

In this film image released by Universal Pictures, Mark Wahlberg, left, and Ben Foster are shown in a scene from "Contraband." (AP Photo/Universal Pictures, Patti Perret)

In this film image released by Warner Bros., Queen Latifah, left, and Courtney B. Vance are shown in a scene from "Joyful Noise." (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Van Redin)

Cast member Dolly Parton arrives at the premiere of "Joyful Noise" in Los Angeles, Monday, Jan. 9, 2012. "Joyful Noise" will be released in theaters Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "Contraband" managed to steal the top slot away from competitors at the weekend box office.

The Universal action drama film starring Mark Wahlberg as a reformed smuggler debuted above expectations at No. 1 with $24 million, while Disney's 3-D rerelease of "Beauty and the Beast" waltzed into the No. 2 position with $18.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Both films helped boost Hollywood's business after a sluggish holiday season.

"It's great to have an uptick in the total box office, and Universal is thrilled that 'Contraband' was the driving force behind that," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for the studio. "I think it's combination of a great marketing campaign, audiences love Mark Wahlberg and (producer) Working Title made a terrific movie, particularly for the cost."

"Joyful Noise," the Warner Bros.' musical comedy starring Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton, opened below expectations with $11.3 million in the No. 4 spot behind Paramount's "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," which earned $11.5 million in its fifth week, bringing the total haul of the fourth installment of the Tom Cruise action franchise to $186.7 million.

"The Devil Inside," Paramount's horror film that scared up a massive $33.7 million debut last weekend, experienced a steep 77 percent drop in its second weekend, coming in at No. 6 with $7.9 million. Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian said the film's terrifying plunge didn't matter because the independently produced movie already made a huge profit.

"Horror movies typically drop big, but that is a huge drop," said Dergarabedian. "It doesn't matter because 'Devil Inside' is a profit-making machine. If your budget is low enough, who cares if it drops big and you're making money? It's already one of the most profitable films of the past year, so there's nothing really to complain about there."

Overall domestic revenues totaled $114.5 million, on par with the same weekend last year, when "The Green Hornet" led with $33.5 million and the box office totaled $115 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

___

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "Contraband," $24 million ($1.5 million international).

2. "Beauty and the Beast," $18.5 million.

3. "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," $11.5 million ($16.8 million international).

4. "Joyful Noise," $11.3 million.

5. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $8.4 million ($27.4 million international).

6. "The Devil Inside," $7.9 million.

7. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," $6.8 million ($16.5 million international).

8. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," $5.8 million ($14.4 million international).

9. "War Horse," $5.6 million ($8.5 million international).

10. "The Iron Lady," $5.3 million ($3.4 million international).

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," $27.4 million.

2. "Mission: Impossible ? Ghost Protocol," $16.8 million.

3. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," $16.5 million.

4. "Puss in Boots," $14.6 million.

5. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked," $14.4 million.

6. "The Darkest Hour," $9.6 million.

7. "War Horse," $8.5 million.

8. "J. Edgar," $6.4 million.

9. "The Muppets," $3.5 million.

10. (tie). "The Adventures of Tintin," $3.4 million.

10. (tie). "The Iron Lady," $3.4 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-15-Box%20Office/id-ae2caed452a243528b6d76b2110ea033

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Veteran Spanish politician Fraga dies at age 89 (AP)

MADRID ? Politicians and public figures across Spain on Monday paid tribute to the late Manuel Fraga Iribarne, who founded Spain's ruling conservative party and was the last surviving minister from Gen. Francisco Franco's right-wing regime.

The governing Popular Party issued a statement saying his death Sunday at age 89 "constitutes the loss of one of the fathers of the Spanish Constitution and a key person in the transition to democracy."

"We all regret the death of Manuel Fraga, and in the history of Spain he stands as one of the great figures of the last century and of the one we are in," Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said after visiting the family home in Madrid where a wake was held for Fraga.

King Juan Carlos sent a telegram of condolence to the family highlighting Fraga's "loyalty to Spain" and describing him as "a great servant of the state."

Fraga, who had been seriously ill for some time with respiratory problems, died at his house. His remains are to be taken to his native northwestern region of Galicia for burial Tuesday.

In a career spanning 60 years, Fraga served as Franco's information and tourism minister and as Spain's interior minister after the dictator died in 1975. But the job he coveted most ? being Spain's prime minister ? always eluded him.

Still, his influence on the country remained lasting.

Most Franco ministers quickly faded into obscurity after democracy was restored in 1978, but Fraga soldiered on. He helped write the country's post-Franco, democratic Constitution that was passed in 1978.

Although he repeatedly failed to be elected prime minister, he nudged Franco loyalists toward the political center, founded what is now the Popular Party and groomed Jose Maria Aznar to replace him as leader of the Spanish right in 1989.

In the post-Franco years, he ran his native Galicia region with a tight grip for 15 years and then settled into a seat in the Spanish Senate.

The opposition Socialist party said it wished to express its "profound respect" for Fraga.

"Democrats will always remember gratefully the work he did as a founding father of the Spanish Constitution in 1978," the party said.

To the Spanish left, Fraga was a reviled and outspoken reminder of a right-wing regime that kept Spain isolated from Europe and the rest of the world for decades. In Galicia, critics say, he ruled despotically, manipulating a conservative political culture based on patronage to stay in power.

Veteran Communist Party leader Santiago Carrillo described him as "a man of the right wing, authoritarian and stubborn in his ideas and attitudes." But he praised Fraga's talent in adapting to changing times.

Defenders, however, note that Fraga promulgated a Franco-era law that did away with media censorship ? seen as a hint of change in the hardline regime. As tourism minister, Fraga worked to open up Spain to the outside world and bring in cash-laden visitors. A famous tourism slogan ? "Spain is different" ? which morphed into a popular Spanish saying was coined under Fraga's watch.

He is also credited with transforming Galicia ? traditionally one of Spain's poorest, most backward regions ? by building modern roads, bridges and other infrastructure, much of it paid for with EU funds. He boosted tourism and promoted Galicia's separate language and culture during his reign as president there from 1990 to 2005.

In a 2001 press luncheon, Fraga offered no apologies for his part in Spain's four decades of dictatorship.

"One cannot choose the period of history in which one lives," Fraga said, before quickly changing the subject.

___

Ciaran Giles and Harold Heckle contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obits/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120116/ap_on_re_eu/eu_spain_obit_manuel_fraga

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Tricky transfer awaits tanker inching to Alaska

Coast Guard Forces Valdez personnel train on snow machines in the Nome harbor Jan. 12, 2012. The Forces Valdez personnel are preparing to enforce the safety zone during the fuel transfer from the Russian tanker Renda. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)

Coast Guard Forces Valdez personnel train on snow machines in the Nome harbor Jan. 12, 2012. The Forces Valdez personnel are preparing to enforce the safety zone during the fuel transfer from the Russian tanker Renda. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)

Coast Guard Cmdr. James Houck, the Forward Operating Base Nome Ice Boss, assists Scott O?Shea, with Vitus Marine, outline a safe path across the ice for fuel transfer hose in the Nome harbor Jan. 12, 2012. The path is being prepared for fuel hoses to deliver 1.3 million gallons of petroleum product to the City of Nome. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Charly Hengen)

This image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard from the bridge camera aboard the Ice Breaker Healy taken at 4:01 a.m. EST shows lites on the shore line as the Healy and the tanker approach Nome Alaska Friday Jan. 13, 2012. At the time of this image the Healy was 9.2 miles from Nome. (AP Photo/US Coast Guard)

In this image provided by the U.S. Coast Guard the Russian tanker Renda transits through the Bering Sea with the Coast Guard Cutter Healy?s assistance Jan. 10, 2012. The Renda is carrying 1.3 million gallons of petroleum products for delivery to Nome. Progress was stalled by thick ice and strong ocean currents Tuesday. The vessels made nine miles but drifted with the ice while at rest for a total gain of just six miles, Coast Guard spokesman David Mosley said. Ice conditions remained tough Wednesday. The Coast Guard said the two vessels were in densely concentrated ice about 100 miles from Nome by mid-afternoon. (AP photo/US Coast Guard)

In this photo provided by the US Coast Guard, the cutter Healy, left, breaks ice around the Russian tanker Renda in the Bering Sea Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, 97 miles south of Nome, Alaska. The two vessels departed Dutch Harbor for Nome on Jan. 3, 2012, to deliver more than 1.3 million gallons of petroleum products. (AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard/Petty Officer 1st Class Sara Francis)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? A Russian tanker has muscled its way through hundreds of miles of Bering Sea ice several feet thick to deliver fuel to Nome. Now comes the tricky part: getting more than a million gallons of diesel and gasoline to shore through a mile-long hose without a spill.

The problem is that Nome's harbor is iced-in, preventing the 370-foot (113-meter) tanker from getting to the city dock. It will have to moor offshore to transfer its 1.3-million gallon (4.9-million liter) payload across the ice and to fuel headers that feed a nearby tank farm.

"I think all of the precautions have been addressed," Nome Harbormaster Joy Baker said Friday. "I think everything that should be done has been done."

For days, operations officials have looked at how best to lay the segmented fuel hose across the shore-fast ice for the transfer. The idea is to get the tanker as close to the harbor as possible to reduce the chance of a spill.

There has been a lot of anxious waiting since the ship left Russia in mid-December. It picked up diesel fuel in South Korea before traveling to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where it took on unleaded gasoline.

A Coast Guard icebreaker escorted the tanker through the Bering Sea pack ice, the two vessels at times barely crawling along as officials looked for new techniques to get the tanker free of shifting ice.

Late on Thursday, the Coast Guard Cutter Healy and the Renda stopped six miles (10 kilometers) offshore to wait for daylight and figure out how to get the tanker within about a mile of the harbor so its hose will reach the dock.

Nome Mayor Denise Michels sat in her car Friday morning in record-breaking low temperatures and gazed past the harbor entrance. Her eyes focused on the lights coming from the tanker and the icebreaker just before dawn.

"It is right out there. You can see it," she said. "We are pretty excited."

That's where the ships remained Friday evening, Coast Guard spokesman David Mosley said.

The Coast Guard is evaluating where to place the Renda "where there's enough water around it that the Healy can then break the Renda free once the delivery is done," he said.

The Healy can only get so close to shore because it's shallow near Nome.

"Out of the safety of the vessels, they're taking the time they need to evaluate where to put the Renda so the operation to shore can be done safely, but then so we can break them free and get them on their way afterward," he said.

A lot remains to be done before the fuel transfer can occur, said University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Greg Walker, who is in Nome providing information about ice conditions near the harbor. The tanker needs to get positioned securely in the ice and moored so it won't move during the process. Crews also need to finish removing large boulders of ice in a rubble field and leveling large pressure ridges to create a flat surface for the transfer hose.

Once the tanker gets as close as it safely can to the city dock, the ice will have to be allowed to refreeze to keep the ship stable. Then, the hose's segments will have to be bolted together and inspected before the fuel can begin to flow.

Personnel will walk the entire length of the hose every 30 minutes to check it for leaks. Each segment will have its own spill containment area, and extra absorbent boom will be on hand in case of a spill.

The state is requiring that the fuel transfer be initiated only in daylight hours. The transfer can continue in darkness if there is adequate lighting and other safety considerations, said Betty Schorr, industry preparedness program manager for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.

Nome's northern latitude leaves it mostly hidden from the sun this time of year, meaning that after Friday's 11:39 a.m. sunrise, there would be just 5 hours and 4 minutes of sunlight.

The transfer could be finished within 36 hours if everything goes smoothly, but it could take as long as five days, Schorr said. If successful, it would mark the first time fuel has been delivered by sea to a Western Alaska community in winter.

A fall storm prevented Nome from getting a fuel delivery by barge in November. Without the tanker delivery, supplies of diesel fuel, gasoline and home heating fuel Nome are expected to run out in March and April, well before a barge delivery again in late May or June.

Michels said the weather has been extremely cold this winter. The temperature in Nome dipped to 34 degrees Fahrenheit below zero Friday, breaking the record set for that day in 1973.

In temperatures like this, the fuel really gets gobbled up fast, she said.

___

Online:

Coast Guard webcam, http://bit.ly/wEsemi

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-13-Nome%20Iced%20In/id-955a365127144aa488d11f1a4b59ed85

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Golden Globes Fashion Face-Off: Angelina Jolie vs. Kate Winslet

Angelina Jolie didn't take home any trophies, but she was instantly a winner at the Golden Globes in Los Angeles, thanks to her one-shoulder Atelier Versace gown.

The shoulder-baring piece showcased the mother of six's many tattoos.

Kate Winslet, meanwhile, opted for a satin cream / black contrasting dress by UK designer Jenny Packham. She won the Best Actress in a Made-for-TV Movie / Mini-Series Award for starring in HBO's Mildred Pierce ... but can she best Angie in a style showdown?

Vote below and decide in another THG Fashion Face-Off!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/golden-globes-fashion-face-off-angelina-jolie-vs-kate-winslet/

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....so it begins. (A roleplay partner search.)

I know most of you (or whoever was so kind enough to open this) do not want to read a long description, so I'll try my best to make it simple and short. I've been absent from this site for a while, and I just became active again. I'm having a few problems in trying to find a roleplaying partner, so that being said, let's get on with it!

When I roleplay, I like to be descriptive as possible! I do not like short paragraphs, and I normally write a range from 1200 - 1700, but that all depends on the story. If I'm really feeling the storyline, you'll basically get a novel from me. If you are one of those people who uses five sentences in a paragraph that's equal to one post - this is not for you.

Mature content is a big thing I've faced over the years of being on this website. I can do just about anything when it comes to sexual content, language, violence, drug usage, etc. I'm not afraid nor embarassed to put it onto a storyline, but I can do whatever makes my partner comfortable. If you want to tone the maturity down, I will have no problem with that whatsoever. Just as long as you're happy, I am happy. :)

As always, I'd love to become friends with my partner! I normally use AIM a lot, so it'd be best to contact me there if you'd desire. If you're not willing to talk to me in an IM, then you could always PM me on this website because I am now going to check this website daily.

Speaking of 'days', I will normally give a post about 2-3 times a day, and that's because I don't really do much during the day, so I am pretty active. However, I do have a life, and even though I sometimes may not act like it, I do go and enjoy the outside world every so often.

Now, I'm sure you're wondering what I'm into. I'm a big realistic roleplayer, but I can break some necks whenever it comes to Fantasy/Medieval. (That was also a joke, Y U SO SERIOUS?) I have also done a lot of thrillers and psychological roleplays as well, so I'm pretty experienced with that. One thing is for certain - I absolutely cannot STAND high school roleplays or anything involving with that kind of crap. I do like romance in a roleplay, but I will not tolerate love-at-first-sight. It's just something I've never really liked, and I won't change my ways now.

As for characters, I can double easily. I've had to play many males and females, so I have experience with both. I don't have a preference, but if you do, just let me know, and we'll get to brainstorming.

So, I do believe that is about it. I know I said this was going to be short and simple, but I guess I lied. :S ANYWAY, if you're interested and want to start up a story with me, please do not hesitate to PM me. I do not bite, and I will welcome you with open arms. I am open to any ideas, but I do warn you, I am a blunt person, however, I am not rude when it comes to it. If I don't like your idea, please do not be offended. Hope to hear from some of you very soon! :D

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/iOQg0N1Oqxw/viewtopic.php

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Justice Dept says recent recess appointments legal (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The Justice Department is publicly rebutting Republican criticism of the legality of President Barack Obama's recent recess appointments of a national consumer watchdog and other officials.

The department released a 23-page legal opinion Thursday summarizing the advice it gave the White House before the Jan. 4 appointments. GOP leaders have argued the Senate was not technically in recess when Obama acted so the regular Senate confirmation process should have been followed.

Assistant Attorney General Virginia Seitz wrote that the president has authority to make such appointments because the Senate is on a 20-day recess, even though it has held periodic pro forma sessions in which no business is conducted. Seitz argued the pro forma sessions ? some with as few as one member present ? have not been sufficient for the chamber to exercise its constitutional authority to advise and consent to normal presidential nominations.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has said Obama has endangered the nation's systems of checks and balances, and Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch says the appointments are a very grave decision by an autocratic White House.

Senate Republicans have been using their ability to block or stall Senate confirmation of some regular nominees as a way to curb agencies they believe have taken or are poised to take actions they disagree with.

On Jan. 4, Obama appointed Richard Cordray, a former attorney general of Ohio, to be the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Obama also appointed two Democrats and a Republican to the National Labor Relations Board that day. There was stiff Republican opposition to creating the new consumer agency, which was authorized in the financial regulation law, and Republicans have argued that the labor board has tilted toward unions under Obama's Democratic administration.

The Justice official who wrote the opinion, Seitz, heads the department's Office of Legal Counsel, which is empowered to provide binding legal opinions to the executive branch.

Her new memo cites a Justice Department legal opinion from President George W. Bush's Republican administration in justifying Obama's recent appointments. The Bush administration opinion from 2004 says that a recess during a session of the Senate can meet constitutional requirements for permitting the president to make recess appointments as long as the recess is of sufficient length. Seitz noted that the last five presidents have made recess appointments during recesses of 14 days or less.

In December, the Senate agreed to adjourn until Jan. 23 but to convene pro forma sessions in which no business was to be conducted every Tuesday and Friday.

The Senate pro forma sessions in which no business was conducted, do not "in our opinion" interrupt the recess "in a manner that would preclude the president" from acting, Seitz wrote in her Jan. 6 opinion.

Beginning in late 2007, the Senate has frequently conducted pro forma sessions that typically last only a few seconds and that "apparently require the presence of only one senator," Seitz wrote. Under a legal framework dating back nearly a century, recess appointments have been permitted when the Senate cannot receive communications from the president or participate as a body in confirming nominees.

In an op-ed article in the Washington Post, Edwin Meese, who served as attorney general under Republican President Ronald Reagan, and Todd Gaziano, a former Office of Legal Counsel attorney who is now a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, called Obama's actions "a breathtaking violation of the separation of powers."

The GOP's unsuccessful opposition to creating the consumer watchdog agency has turned into opposition to potential nominees to lead the office. Stiff Republican opposition headed Obama off from even nominating Elizabeth Warren, the interim official who helped set up the office, to be its permanent chief.

There is GOP resistance as well to filling slots on the National Labor Relations Board that Republicans feel has become pro-labor under Obama. If Republicans keep enough slots vacant on the labor board, they can prevent it from acting at all.

The pro forma sessions have been used by both Democratic and Republican senators in an effort to stave off recess appointments.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in 2008 that the pro forma sessions were designed to prevent the president ? at that time Bush ? from exercising his constitutional power to make recess appointments.

Last year with Obama in the White House, some Republican senators urged House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, not to pass any resolution that would allow the Senate to recess or adjourn for more than three days. The Constitution provides that neither the House nor the Senate shall adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other. No concurrent resolution of adjournment has been introduced in either chamber since May of last year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120113/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_justice_recess_appointments

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Polls close in Taiwan's presidential election

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) ? Voting has ended in Taiwan's closely fought presidential election, which pits incumbent Ma Ying-jeou's vision of better China relations against his main challenger's focus on growing income inequality.

Eighteen million Taiwanese were eligible to vote in Saturday's polls. About 80 percent of them were expected to vote. Opinion surveys published a week ago ? the last permitted under Taiwanese law ? showed Ma clinging to a slim 3 to 4 percentage point lead over Tsai Ying-wen of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party.

A third candidate, James Soong, a former heavyweight in Ma's Nationalist Party, has little chance of winning, though political analysts say he could draw voters away from the president.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-14-AS-Taiwan-Presidential-Election/id-f602cc6a228849d098334473b0b07f3f

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