Monday, March 17, 2008

Media-Whore D'Oevres



"Heather Mills this afternoon announced that she has accepted a ($25 million) divorce deal before launching an attack on Sir Paul McCartney, his lawyers and the legal system. Ms Mills, 40, speaking on the steps of the High Court, said she was hitting out after the judge in the case ruled that details of the divorce should be made public. It emerged that she had sought nearly ($126 million) and that McCartney had offered her ($17 million) ... Ms Mills said she was 'very, very happy' with the settlement and a summary of the judgment was published today. But the former model will appeal against Mr Justice Bennett's plans to release it in full at a further hearing tomorrow. Launching a non-stop stream of criticism, Ms Mills raged against Sir Paul, the judge and McCartney's lawyer Fiona Shackleton. She said: 'Fiona Shackleton has very sadly handled this case in the worst manner you could ever imagine. She has called me many, many names before meeting me when I was in a wheelchair.'" (Thisislondon)

"Commercial urban art houses are often so filled up with studio specialty division releases that truly independent films have a tough time getting in. But a vibrant and varied alternative scene is growing to get these endangered small movies seen - and maybe even to make a little money. It involves cinematheques, non-profit film centers with niche-oriented programming, film clubs, museums, microcinemas and cafes, universities, and more." (Indiewire)

"Hoping to avoid a systemic meltdown in financial markets, the Federal Reserve on Sunday approved a $30 billion credit line to engineer the takeover of Bear Stearns and announced an open-ended lending program for the biggest investment firms on Wall Street.In a third move aimed at helping banks and thrifts, the Fed also lowered the rate for borrowing from its so-called discount window by a quarter of a percentage point, to 3.25 percent." (NYTimes)

"Barack Obama probably hasn't given much thought to Philadelphia's railroad system. It could be his map to holding back Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, the next big prize in the Democratic presidential race. Built in the 1880s, the 'Main Line' railroad to the west of Philadelphia relocated the city's political and business elite, creating some of the nation's most affluent suburbs. Today, towns like Ardmore and Haverford remain upscale enclaves. They are also trending Democratic. These politically progressive suburbs distinguish Pennsylvania from Ohio and could give Obama a chance to do better than the drubbing he took in the Buckeye state's contest March 4. Upper-income Democrats are among the Illinois senator's strongest supporters, so if he doesn't do well on the Main Line and adjoining Bucks County in the April 22 primary, New York Senator Clinton is likely to replicate her Ohio triumph." (Bloomberg)

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