Saturday, October 18, 2008

Madonna & Guy Ritchie reach divorce settlement

from msnbc.com via Access Hollywood

LONDON - Guy Ritchie and Madonna have settled their divorce, according to the British newspaper The Sun.

The "RocknRolla" director will reportedly walk away with assets totaling around $60 million, including a 1,200-acre country estate, a London pub, and a cash settlement.

Madonna will hold on to her New York and Los Angeles homes and most of her considerable fortune, The Sun reported.

"The negotiations were relatively painless," The Sun quoted a source as saying. "Guy knew what he wanted and Madonna knew what she was keen to keep. There was a spell when Guy was in a mood to dig his heels in, but he decided this arrangement seemed reasonable and a long battle over money would make life unbearable."

Madonna is being represented by divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton, who formerly represented Paul McCartney in his divorce from Heather Mills. Shackleton reportedly negotiated Madonna's divorce terms during a day of phone calls with Guy's lawyers.

The former couple reportedly expects to reach a compromise over their three kids — Lourdes, 12, who is the daughter of Madonna and ex Carlos Leon, and sons Rocco, 8, and David, 3.

With the divorce all but out of the way, Guy, who's in London filming "Sherlock Holmes" with Robert Downey Jr., is reportedly ready to move on romantically as well.

"Guy has always been very popular with women," the source said. "They have thrown themselves at him throughout his marriage but he has always been utterly faithful. Now it's all over, he plans to have a little fun — something that has been missing from his life for far too long."

Friday, October 17, 2008

Photos of the 2010 Toyota Prius 'Leaked' Online

from foxnews.com

Whether it was a leak or one of those clever viral marketing campaigns, we'll likely never know, but photos of the 2010 Toyota Prius have shown up online months before its planned unveiling at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in January.

First posted on Priuschat.com, a Web community for enthusiasts of the high mileage hybrid, the images have since been confirmed by Toyota to be the real deal.

The design of the new Prius appears to be an evolution of the current model. It maintains the same basic shape, but trades some of its characteristic slab-sided and slope-nosed look for details that resemble other cars in the Toyota lineup like the Matrix and Corolla.

Toyota says the new car will be roomier and even better gas mileage than the one it replaces, but is keeping the exact specifications to itself until the official debut, or the next "leak." It is widely believed to be getting a more powerful gasoline engine and electric motor to go with the increase in fuel efficiency. A plug-in hybrid version is expected to be added in later years.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Lawsuit against God tossed over lack of address

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A judge has thrown out a Nebraska legislator's lawsuit against God, saying the Almighty wasn't properly served, because of his unlisted home address. State Sen. Ernie Chambers filed the lawsuit last year seeking a permanent injunction against God.

He said God has made terroristic threats against the senator and his constituents in Omaha, inspired fear and caused "widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth's inhabitants."

Chambers has said he filed the lawsuit to make the point that everyone should have access to the courts regardless of whether they are rich or poor.

On Tuesday, however, Douglas County District Court Judge Marlon Polk ruled that under state law a plaintiff must have access to the defendant for a lawsuit to move forward.

"Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice," Polk wrote.

Hole in the judge's ruling?

Chambers, who graduated from law school but never took the bar exam, thinks he's found a hole in the judge's ruling.

"The court itself acknowledges the existence of God," Chambers said Wednesday. "A consequence of that acknowledgment is a recognition of God's omniscience."

Therefore, Chambers said, "Since God knows everything, God has notice of this lawsuit."

Chambers has 30 days to decide whether to appeal. He said he hasn't decided yet.

Chambers, who has served a record 38 years in the Nebraska Legislature, is not returning next year because of term limits. He skips morning prayers during the legislative session and often criticizes Christians.