Judge Approves Lawsuit Against Madonna Related to Noise Complaints

On one hand, having a celebrity of Madonna's status as a neighbor might be fun and interesting. After all, she's one of the most recognized and accomplished entertainers in the world - and for the most part she seems like a nice person. Of course, if Madonna is using her adjoining apartment as a dance and music studio with blaring music and constant stomping on the floor - as a recent lawsuit contends - then things might not be so rosy. That seems to be what is transpiring in Madonna's New York apartment complex.

A judge ruled yesterday that the lawsuit filed against Madonna and the co-op where her apartment resides will be allowed to move forward based on the evidence provided. Madonna and the building owners claim that Madonna never violated existing noise ordinances, but that may not be the deciding factor if terms of the various leases dictate otherwise.

While it may not be illegal for Madonna to make noise in her apartment during certain hours of the day, there may be a clause in the lease of her offended neighbor that entitles him or her to quiet enjoyment of their own premises. If said quiet enjoyment is infringed upon by Madonna's activities, then she has a valid complaint. Of course, the complaint may not ultimately be Madonna's to rectify - and it's likely that she will not face anything other than a potential order stating that she can't use her apartment as a studio - or placing restrictions on the noise level and hours of the day she might use the space as such.

Ultimately, it might be much easier for Madonna and her neighbor if the star decided to use one of the many studios in the area for her needs. Everyone loves to work from home - sometimes - but overall it can be a drag.

First countries enter Oscar foreign-language race

The Academy's often controversial and always interesting foreign-language race is picking up a little steam, with Romania, Morocco and Venezuela submitting their entries to join Greece and Poland this year.

We won't know for months if Greece has found another surprise nominee like last year's "Dogtooth," or if Romania will once again be overlooked for a strong, tough film the way it was with "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days."

But at this point we can start to discern countries' strategies for dealing with the Academy's Best Foreign-Language Film process. Greece, for instance, seems to have reacted to "Dogtooth" with an attitude of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," while Romania may be going for something marginally friendlier than its usual grim submissions.

Under Academy rules, each country is allowed to submit a single film; a lengthy screening process narrows the field from several dozen (65 last year) to nine, and then two hand-picked committees choose the final five nominees.

So far, these are the entries. Many more to come before the Academy's September 30 deadline:

Greece: "Attenberg"

Director: Anthin Rachel Tsangari

Last year Greece got the Oscar race's strangest and most controversial nomination with "Dogtooth," and the country appears to have gone back to the same well with a film produced by "Dogtooth" director Yorgos Lanthimos and directed by "Dogtooth" producer Tsangari. Guy Lodge, who has seen the film, calls it "'Dogtooth'-lite: in addition to common themes of sexual discover and youth alienation, the films share a similar brooding, deadpan humor."

Morocco: "Omar Killed Me" ("Omar m'a tuer")

Director: Roschdy Zem

The true story of Moroccan immigrant imprisoned for murder near Cannes, "Omar Killed Me" examines a penal system in which French police and prosecutors were eager to pin the crime on a convenient target. Director Zem is currently receiving raves for the limited stateside release of "Point Blank."

Poland: "In Darkness"

Director: Agnieszka Holland

Director Holland has been Oscar-nominated for "Olivier, Olivier" and has worked in the United States on TV series like "The Wire," "The Killing" and "Treme," and her film has already been picked up by Sony Classics, the company with an impressive record of picking winners and nominees in this category. Besides which, the plot looks like ideal Oscar-bait: it's based on the true story of a Polish criminal who helped hide Jewish refugees during World War II.

Romania: "Morgen"

Director: Marian Crisan

Reportedly less grim than the Romanian fare that has been controversially overlooked by the Academy in recent years, "Morgen" looks at the friendship between a Romanian-Hungarian security guard and an illegal immigrant.

Venezuela: "The Rumble of the Stones" ("El rumor de las piedras")

Director: Alejandro Bellame Palacios

The least-known of this year's entries, Palacios' film deals with a woman in Caracas trying to rebuild a life for herself, her mother and her two sons in the wake of floods that destroyed their home.

Common Causes and Reasons for Divorce

The Romans had an interesting view towards marriage – ‘matrimonia debent esse libera’ or ‘marriages ought to be free’. This meant that either spouse could opt out of the marriage if things weren’t working out for them. Centuries later, Victorian England had a vastly different view. People got married and stayed together for better or for worse. Society frowned on divorce and divorced people were likely to find themselves social pariahs.



In the present century, both these views prevail. It depends on which part of the planet you live in and in what kind of culture. Divorce rates are higher in European or American countries, where individual freedom is given higher stress, than in, say, Asian or African ones, where familial and social opinions cause higher stress. With globalization, of course, the ‘backward’ countries are catching up. Women, especially, with access to higher education and higher salaries, are less willing to put up with traditional roles and expectations. Social and cultural are having a field day, predicting, like always, dire consequences for the ‘social fabric’. In my personal opinion, the social fabric can go stitch itself. No, divorce isn’t joy-inducing, but then neither is a corrosive marriage. In such a case, splitting up is preferable to staying together ‘for the children’ or to keep up social appearances. Anyway, it all really depends upon the kind of relationship you have. Some relationships are worth working on, some aren’t.



There are many different and complex causes and reasons for divorce, each of them specific to that particular couple’s marital relationship, their individual experiences and personal problems. None of them may seem ‘common’ to the people going through a divorce, of course, but many of the reasons recur enough to warrant the term.



Here are some frequently cited reasons for causing divorce:

• Lack of commitment to the marriage
• Lack of communication between spouses
• Infidelity
• Abandonment
• Alcohol Addiction
• Substance Abuse
• Physical Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Emotional Abuse
• Inability to manage or resolve conflict
• Personality Differences or ‘irreconcilable differences’
• Differences in personal and career goals
• Financial problems
• Different expectations about household tasks
• Different expectations about having or rearing children
• Interference from parents or in-laws
• Lack of maturity
• Intellectual Incompatibility
• Sexual Incompatibility
• Insistence of sticking to traditional roles and not allowing room for personal growth
• Falling out of love
• Religious conversion or religious beliefs
• Cultural and lifestyle differences
• Inability to deal with each other’s petty idiosyncrasies
• Mental Instability or Mental Illness
• Criminal behavior and incarceration for crime