Below is the boy that won the 3K dollars skelewu dance competition. He is known as Kiddy.
Davido with Kiddy the winner of Skelewu dance competition showing his prize money
Davido promised to change his life.
Congrats Kiddy!!!
Watch the video:
Thursday, October 17, 2013
The winner of skelewu dance competition
Below is the boy that won the 3K dollars skelewu dance competition. He is known as Kiddy.
Davido with Kiddy the winner of Skelewu dance competition showing his prize money
Davido promised to change his life.
Congrats Kiddy!!!
Watch the video:
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Man with knife arrested at Buckingham Palace
A man who allegedly tried to break into Buckingham Palace carrying a knife has been charged.
David Belmar, 44, was arrested after he attempted to enter the Queen's London home at around 11.30am.
Tonight he was charged with trespass on a protected site and possession of a bladed article and will appear in court on Tuesday.
Officers chased the suspect as he ran through the palace's north gate, which is open for vehicles, and dragged him to the ground. When he was searched they found a weapon.
Royal incident: Police outside Buckingham Palace today after a 44-year-old tried to get in with a knife
Arrest: The intruder sprinted in via its north gate (pictured guarded by police), which is open for cars, at around 11.30am
Relief: Queen Elizabeth, pictured last week, was not at home today when they security alert happened, Palace officials said
Buckingham Palace officials said that the Queen was not in the building when Belmar, from Haringey in North London, tried to get in.
'
The man was searched and found to be in possession of a knife, which was seized,' a Met spokesman said.
Held: Victor Miller, 37, who was arrested for allegedly breaking in to Buckingham Palace last month
'He was arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a protected site and possession of an offensive weapon'.
Belmar is now in custody at a London police station awaiting trial at West London Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.
There were no injuries.
Onlookers said the man had been behaving erratically when he suddenly ran at the north centre gate, the main vehicle access for VIPs known as the Privy Gate.
The incident came just a month after a suspected burglar was arrested after being discovered in a royal state room at Buckingham Palace.
DJ Victor Miller, 37, was found 'in an area currently open to the public during the day' after scaling a 12ft fence to get into the palace.
Miller, from Bow, East London, was arrested for burglary, trespass and criminal damage and was held in a mental health unit for 28 days for assessment.
The following day Prince Andrew reacted with fury at gun-wielding officers who mistook him for an intruder at Buckingham Palace and asked him to 'verify his identity'.
Two heavily-armed policemen confronted him as he walked in broad daylight through the grounds.
The fifth-in-line to the throne stood his ground asking the officers 'Don't you know who I am?' and was said to have ‘made his thoughts plain’ during the highly charged confrontation that followed.
A royal source said: ‘He was incredibly, incredibly angry. It was very much a case of guns being pointed at him and “halt who goes there”.’
Police issued a humiliating apology to the Duke of York over the extraordinary error.
Interest: Tourists crowd the area and take photographs where the armed 44-year-old was wrestled to the floor this morning
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Maheeda talks about marriage & family in recent interview
How has married life been?
Married life is like another school. I am learning how to love, how to forgive; how to share, how to care for and make love to someone who is imperfect, knowing fully well that you are not perfect yourself. I’m learning a lot. I’m also learning self control, forgiveness and faithfulness. It’s a big learning time for me. I just want to say that I thank God for my husband. He is my superman.
Since you got married last year, you’ve moved to Holland with your family. How has it been living there and what do you miss most about Nigeria?
Life in Holland is great. Apart from marrying a millionaire, the government has really made life easy for us here. So, honestly, I can say that I miss nothing about living back in Nigeria.
Man bags three-year imprisonment for stealing motorcycle
A
Mararaba Upper Area Court in Nasarawa State on Wednesday sentenced a
19-year-old youth, Lucky Gabriel, to three years imprisonment for
conspiracy and theft.
The Presiding Officer, Mr. Vincent Gwehemba, sentenced Gabriel, who pleaded guilty to stealing a brand of Bajaj motorcycle.
Gwehemba refused to give the convict an
option of fine, saying that the punishment would serve as a deterrent to
youths, “who have chosen the life of crime, instead of facing their
studies.”
He also ordered that one Cornelius
Ishaku, 25, who pleaded not guilty to the same offence, be remanded in
prison custody. Gwehemba adjourned hearing in the case to October 28,
2013.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Corporal Samuel
Okoro, had told the court that Ishaku and Gabriel committed the
offences on October 7, 2013 at Aso “C” Mararaba in Nasarawa State.
Okoro said that the two broke into the
house of Mr. Abuh Isaac and stole a motorcycle valued at N110, 000 but
were later arrested with the said motorcycle.
Peter Okoye, Lola Omotayo pick wedding date
Barely few months after he proposed to his baby mama,Lola Omotayo, Peter Okoye, one of the singing sensational duo, Psquare has taken a step further by picking a date for their traditional marriage.
A source close to the couple disclosed that their traditional marriage is billed to hold on Sunday, November 17, at Arc Events Center on the Lagos island. The date for the white wedding is yet to be fixed.
File: Peter and Lola shortly after he proposed
Confirming the development, Psquare publicist, Bayo Adetu said, “It’s true, Peter Okoye and Lola Omotayo will be having their traditional marriage ceremony on the 17th of November, 2013.”
However, with this development, Peter has joined the long list of celebrities who wedded this year. Meanwhile, arrangements are on top gear as Peter is leaving no stone unturned to make the day a memorable one.
It would be recalled that Peter Okye proposed to his girlfriend, Lola in a grand style, presenting her with a brand new Range Rover Evoque, bouquet of flowers, a hand written sign and a stunning diamond ring. He later got a deserving ‘Yes’ from Lola who already had two children for him, Cameron and Aliona.
I would like to have Genevieve as my woman -D'banj
Dapo Oyebanji (popularly known as D’banj) has taken his music beyond the shores of Africa where he has become a reckoning force within his 10 years in the industry. In this interview with TUNDE AYANDA, the entertainer shares his dream for music and how he wants to celebrate his 10 years as an artiste.
How do you feel headlining the 2013 Hennessey Artistry?
A lot of things have happened in the last two years, and next year, 2014 will be the 10th year of my first official song, Tongolo. I did the song in 2004. So, next, year it’s going to be D’banj’s 10th year on stage. For me to have been a decade in the industry means a lot. I have been watching what Hennessey has been doing with the entertainment industry and I can say I was humbled when they called me. I won’t be the first artiste they have used. They have been doing Hennessey Artistry for the past four years now. They have been doing it every year where they pick two or three artistes together to do a song, shoot a video and then they showcase what they have in a way to reach out to their core fans and customers. When they called me for this year, everybody knows that when it comes to D’banj, I enjoy what I do and put all my heart inside and dive into it. I told them this year would be different; that I would do it more like a lifestyle. I will do it the way it should be done, and I think that’s what we’ve been doing since we started. And when a lot of my fans see me now, they say they now drink Hennessy just because of me. They even said they didn’t know of the Hennessy Artistry before; so this one is more pronounced and I tell them it’s by God’s grace. I feel very honoured. A lot of people love it; maybe they will even use me for next year again. Who knows?
You travelled to France where Hennessey is made. Has that in any way changed your perception of the brand?
Going there, for me – and I say this with all humility on behalf of everybody and myself – a lot of Nigerians and our friends that were here don’t know the difference between cognac and brandy. Hennessey is not a brandy but cognac. My going to France was an experience, as I found out that the Hennessey we drink is made from grape. It feels real in me because nobody would ever believe it’s made from a fruit like grape. I was expecting a mixture of a substance but I was showed the preview of how it’s made and how it has been maintained. I took pictures of some barrels that have the Hennessey content of 1901. It’s a life cell. I pray that God should let me build my brand to that stage like Hennessey. The drink is the name of a man called Richard Hennessey. He was the one who discovered the place and established himself there. Today, he is widely known all over the world, because everywhere in the word they drink Hennessey. I too would also like to do a drink that can be called Bangali drink or something in the future. Hennessey has really opened my eyes and, like the bible says, that ‘a man that’s diligent with what God has blessed him with would sit before king and not men’. It’s not as if they are doing anything extraordinary, but they keep the simple tradition that has been set from the onset, and till date, nothing has changed in the process and only five or six families were allowed to produce Hennessey. I was also allowed to produce my own Hennessey, starting from the grape, to the beam, to the mixing and I did my own drink. I was asked when I would want to start and I said in 10 years time from now. You know I’m 10 years in the industry now and in another 10 years, we can now sit and open it.
You’ve been 10 years in the industry. Did you ever think you would come this far?
Oh yes, my career is just 10 years, but with the success I feel like three to four decades now. We are all doing the best we can do, but I believe with my 10 years as a musician, I have the biggest song in Africa right now and the best song of all time and most viewed videos of all time. I would just say that I’m humbled and we are getting ready for the world.
With Oliver Twist, have you achieved all you want as a musician?
I can never stop doing Oliver Twist; that is why I’m ‘Oliver Twist’. I’m just starting and I can’t be satisfied. It was the only song that ever got to the top ten chart in UK, Europe and other top places. I believe that Fela’s song only played in Europe but officially, we have accomplished a lot with Oliver Twist. So I want to continue with that momentum. I want two or three singles on the top chart and I want a video that would top the chart. I want to release an album that would compete with the albums on the international market and I will not rest until they see all of us as one; so they will not see us as Nigerian artistes or African musicians. I want them to hear a song around the world and identify that the song is from Nigeria, and that the singer is an international artiste. Nobody ever asks Jennifer Lopez where she comes from; everybody knows she is from America. Nobody ever asks Shakira where she comes from; nobody asks Wyclef if he was from Haiti. Until that is done in my own industry, I don’t think I will be satisfied. Like Kanye West always says that people have forgotten about racism; they are now on classism of colours, and I thank God because God is changing everything finally.
Starting from Tongolo to your latest song, Finally, how has it been?
I am very grateful to God. I’m not perfect but I’m happy and I’m satisfied to an extent that I always see myself as a person. Just before I did Tongolo, I had to force myself and everybody around me to believe in me. Don Jazzy never believed in me in the first place; I had to force him to believe in me. It’s not that I’m perfect or different from what I saw in Wande Cole in 2007 in UNILAG. I was about to go to a show, he sang for me and I told Don Jazzy we must sign him. But Don Jazzy asked me why. We signed him and everybody that was signed on Mo’Hits Records was brought in by me. But no one ever brought me into any record label; I started from the bottom. I started from nothing, then I was the only one who would play the mouth organ because we already had a singer here and there. Then we had singers and rappers, and when I had the mouth organ, I played it with passion and today, I’m on top of the world. So, if you ask me in a short time from Tongolo till now how life has treated me, I would say life has treated me very well and I’m on top of the world.
As big as your name is now, will you think of doing a movie story about yourself?
I would start by saying that I have never called myself a musician. I am an entertainer. Likewise some of my friends say if I carry a microphone, I can be a good stand-up comedian. But if you look at my videos, you will notice I spend a lot of money and time on the making of my music video. If you check the song Top of the World, you will see what I mean. It’s not ordinary. Every other video is like a movie, starting from Ogbona-Felifeli and Fall in Love where I had to go far to bring Genevieve in to make it a real movie. So, nobody should come and ask me if D’banj is still going into acting because they should already know that I’m an actor. By the time I’m getting into the movie industry, I believe it is going to be a replica of the same way. Who knows if in my first movie I’ll act like 50 Cent in his movie titled Get Rich or Die Trying, or maybe I’m going to do I’m D’banj in 2014, which is my 10th year on the stage – which I’m sure is not going to be a bad idea, or even with Genevieve.
The Fall in Love video still gets tongues wagging. Who really is Genevieve to you?
She is a friend of mine and she is also a very strong part of one of my most successful songs titled Fall in Love, and there is no way you are going to talk about Genevieve – even if you Google me, you will definitely find Genevieve attached to your search result.
Would you like to have her as your woman, and not just a friend?
Yes, I believe she is great and I don’t know what could happen to us in the future. I met her as a friend and I believe that anybody that has her as a wife, just like the Bible says that anybody that finds a woman has found himself a great treasure in life.
Do you miss your friend, Don Jazzy?
If I say anywhere that I don’t miss him, then I’m lying, because I’ll be 10 years old on stage by next year, and I spent eight and a half of those 10 years with him. I’m just married to him in a way that I miss everything. I miss the family, I miss his movement, I miss his jokes and argument in the studio and I miss him a lot. We can always do music with Don Jazzy. Now the song Top of the World was produced by a Grammy award-winning producer, while the song Finally and Don’t Tell Me Nonsense was produced by my producer, and Oliver Twist was produced by Don Jazzy; so why won’t I want Don Jazzy on my 10th anniversary album?
Tell us about your song Finally
For me, Finally is not just music; it’s like our story. I see us living in a jungle, where we are coming from as in Africa; where we are being ruled, and then now we are the ones that they want to look out for in the entertainment sector – not only in the oil and gas or the other sectors of the economy.
A lot of things have happened in the last two years, and next year, 2014 will be the 10th year of my first official song, Tongolo. I did the song in 2004. So, next, year it’s going to be D’banj’s 10th year on stage. For me to have been a decade in the industry means a lot. I have been watching what Hennessey has been doing with the entertainment industry and I can say I was humbled when they called me. I won’t be the first artiste they have used. They have been doing Hennessey Artistry for the past four years now. They have been doing it every year where they pick two or three artistes together to do a song, shoot a video and then they showcase what they have in a way to reach out to their core fans and customers. When they called me for this year, everybody knows that when it comes to D’banj, I enjoy what I do and put all my heart inside and dive into it. I told them this year would be different; that I would do it more like a lifestyle. I will do it the way it should be done, and I think that’s what we’ve been doing since we started. And when a lot of my fans see me now, they say they now drink Hennessy just because of me. They even said they didn’t know of the Hennessy Artistry before; so this one is more pronounced and I tell them it’s by God’s grace. I feel very honoured. A lot of people love it; maybe they will even use me for next year again. Who knows?
You travelled to France where Hennessey is made. Has that in any way changed your perception of the brand?
Going there, for me – and I say this with all humility on behalf of everybody and myself – a lot of Nigerians and our friends that were here don’t know the difference between cognac and brandy. Hennessey is not a brandy but cognac. My going to France was an experience, as I found out that the Hennessey we drink is made from grape. It feels real in me because nobody would ever believe it’s made from a fruit like grape. I was expecting a mixture of a substance but I was showed the preview of how it’s made and how it has been maintained. I took pictures of some barrels that have the Hennessey content of 1901. It’s a life cell. I pray that God should let me build my brand to that stage like Hennessey. The drink is the name of a man called Richard Hennessey. He was the one who discovered the place and established himself there. Today, he is widely known all over the world, because everywhere in the word they drink Hennessey. I too would also like to do a drink that can be called Bangali drink or something in the future. Hennessey has really opened my eyes and, like the bible says, that ‘a man that’s diligent with what God has blessed him with would sit before king and not men’. It’s not as if they are doing anything extraordinary, but they keep the simple tradition that has been set from the onset, and till date, nothing has changed in the process and only five or six families were allowed to produce Hennessey. I was also allowed to produce my own Hennessey, starting from the grape, to the beam, to the mixing and I did my own drink. I was asked when I would want to start and I said in 10 years time from now. You know I’m 10 years in the industry now and in another 10 years, we can now sit and open it.
You’ve been 10 years in the industry. Did you ever think you would come this far?
Oh yes, my career is just 10 years, but with the success I feel like three to four decades now. We are all doing the best we can do, but I believe with my 10 years as a musician, I have the biggest song in Africa right now and the best song of all time and most viewed videos of all time. I would just say that I’m humbled and we are getting ready for the world.
With Oliver Twist, have you achieved all you want as a musician?
I can never stop doing Oliver Twist; that is why I’m ‘Oliver Twist’. I’m just starting and I can’t be satisfied. It was the only song that ever got to the top ten chart in UK, Europe and other top places. I believe that Fela’s song only played in Europe but officially, we have accomplished a lot with Oliver Twist. So I want to continue with that momentum. I want two or three singles on the top chart and I want a video that would top the chart. I want to release an album that would compete with the albums on the international market and I will not rest until they see all of us as one; so they will not see us as Nigerian artistes or African musicians. I want them to hear a song around the world and identify that the song is from Nigeria, and that the singer is an international artiste. Nobody ever asks Jennifer Lopez where she comes from; everybody knows she is from America. Nobody ever asks Shakira where she comes from; nobody asks Wyclef if he was from Haiti. Until that is done in my own industry, I don’t think I will be satisfied. Like Kanye West always says that people have forgotten about racism; they are now on classism of colours, and I thank God because God is changing everything finally.
Starting from Tongolo to your latest song, Finally, how has it been?
I am very grateful to God. I’m not perfect but I’m happy and I’m satisfied to an extent that I always see myself as a person. Just before I did Tongolo, I had to force myself and everybody around me to believe in me. Don Jazzy never believed in me in the first place; I had to force him to believe in me. It’s not that I’m perfect or different from what I saw in Wande Cole in 2007 in UNILAG. I was about to go to a show, he sang for me and I told Don Jazzy we must sign him. But Don Jazzy asked me why. We signed him and everybody that was signed on Mo’Hits Records was brought in by me. But no one ever brought me into any record label; I started from the bottom. I started from nothing, then I was the only one who would play the mouth organ because we already had a singer here and there. Then we had singers and rappers, and when I had the mouth organ, I played it with passion and today, I’m on top of the world. So, if you ask me in a short time from Tongolo till now how life has treated me, I would say life has treated me very well and I’m on top of the world.
As big as your name is now, will you think of doing a movie story about yourself?
I would start by saying that I have never called myself a musician. I am an entertainer. Likewise some of my friends say if I carry a microphone, I can be a good stand-up comedian. But if you look at my videos, you will notice I spend a lot of money and time on the making of my music video. If you check the song Top of the World, you will see what I mean. It’s not ordinary. Every other video is like a movie, starting from Ogbona-Felifeli and Fall in Love where I had to go far to bring Genevieve in to make it a real movie. So, nobody should come and ask me if D’banj is still going into acting because they should already know that I’m an actor. By the time I’m getting into the movie industry, I believe it is going to be a replica of the same way. Who knows if in my first movie I’ll act like 50 Cent in his movie titled Get Rich or Die Trying, or maybe I’m going to do I’m D’banj in 2014, which is my 10th year on the stage – which I’m sure is not going to be a bad idea, or even with Genevieve.
The Fall in Love video still gets tongues wagging. Who really is Genevieve to you?
She is a friend of mine and she is also a very strong part of one of my most successful songs titled Fall in Love, and there is no way you are going to talk about Genevieve – even if you Google me, you will definitely find Genevieve attached to your search result.
Would you like to have her as your woman, and not just a friend?
Yes, I believe she is great and I don’t know what could happen to us in the future. I met her as a friend and I believe that anybody that has her as a wife, just like the Bible says that anybody that finds a woman has found himself a great treasure in life.
Do you miss your friend, Don Jazzy?
If I say anywhere that I don’t miss him, then I’m lying, because I’ll be 10 years old on stage by next year, and I spent eight and a half of those 10 years with him. I’m just married to him in a way that I miss everything. I miss the family, I miss his movement, I miss his jokes and argument in the studio and I miss him a lot. We can always do music with Don Jazzy. Now the song Top of the World was produced by a Grammy award-winning producer, while the song Finally and Don’t Tell Me Nonsense was produced by my producer, and Oliver Twist was produced by Don Jazzy; so why won’t I want Don Jazzy on my 10th anniversary album?
Tell us about your song Finally
For me, Finally is not just music; it’s like our story. I see us living in a jungle, where we are coming from as in Africa; where we are being ruled, and then now we are the ones that they want to look out for in the entertainment sector – not only in the oil and gas or the other sectors of the economy.
Man eats daughter’s flesh, drinks her blood
A Papua New Guinea man described as a vampire has been arrested after allegedly murdering his young daughter by biting her neck, eating her flesh and drinking her blood, a report said Friday.
Police called the grisly incident that occurred on Wednesday at a settlement near Lae “an act of cannibalism”.
The PNG Post Courier cited local councillor John Kenny, who was one of the first on the scene, as saying the three-year-old child and her mother were visiting the father when he grabbed the girl and ran off into nearby bushes.
Kenny said the man allegedly held the toddler close to him, bit deep into her neck, ate the flesh and sucked her blood.
Two boys who were climbing a coconut tree nearby saw him and ran quickly to raise the alarm.
“He was just laughing at the boys and continued eating the flesh and sucking the blood,” Kenny told the newspaper.
“The boys were scared and ran quickly to alert the people.”
When people arrived to investigate the man reportedly dumped the body in the bushes and ran away before being caught and turned over to police.
PNG is a sprawling nation where black magic, sorcery and cannibalism sometimes occur.
Last year police arrested dozens of people linked to an alleged cannibal cult accused of killing at least seven people, eating their brains raw and making soup from their penises.
There have been several other recent cases linked to cults, witchcraft and cannibalism, with a man in 2011 reportedly found eating his screaming, newborn son during a sorcery initiation ceremony.
Source: Vanguard
How Alakija’s wealth grew from $3.3bn to $7.3bn to become world’s richest black woman
Seyi Gesinde takes a look at the story surrounding the lastet announcement of Mrs Folorunso Alakija as the world’s richest black woman by a pan-African magazine, Ventures Africa.
Nigerian oil tycoon, Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, is now said to be the richest black woman in the world with an estimated fortune of $7.3 billion.
The latest ranking by a pan-African magazine, Ventures Africa, rated Alakija above an American TV queen, Oprah Winfrey, who, according to Forbes magazine ranking was earlier said to be the world’s richest black woman with a networth of $2.9.
In the latest edition of Ventures Africa, the magazine said the African continent boasts of 55 billionaires, worth $143.88 billion in total.
Alakija, a 62-year-old mother-of-four, apart from being a business woman, also has a charity called the Rose of Sharon foundation that helps widows and orphans by empowering them through scholarships and business grants.
In 1993, her company, Famfa Oil, was awarded an oil prospecting license, which later became OML 127, one of the country’s most prolific oil blocks, by then-president Ibrahim Babangida.
The company owned a 60 per cent stake in the block until 2000, when the government acquired a 50 per cent interest without compensating Alakija or Famda Oil.
In May 2012, Alakija, challenged the acquisition and the Nigerian Supreme Court reinstated the 50 per cent stake to her company.
Ventures Africa narates how Alakija grew her networth from $3.3bn to $7.3bn: “In November last year when Ventures Africa published a story outing Nigerian fashion designer and oil magnate Folorunsho Alakija as the richest black woman in the world, we pegged her net worth at $3.3 billion and explained the rationale for our valuation in detail.
“But in our inaugural ranking of Africa’s richest people, which we published on Monday, we place Alakija as the fourth richest person in Africa with a fortune we estimate at $7.3 billion.
“Here’s our rationale: In March this year, Petrobas, a Brazilian oil company that owns an 8 percent working interest in OML 127 in which Alakija owns 60 per cent, announced that it was actively looking to dispose of its stake for a figure in the region of $1.5 – $2.5 billion. According to sources at Petrobas, there are a number of interested suitors for the stake.
“Since we prefer to be as conservative as possible, we take the low-end and assume that they will fetch $1billion for the stake. If their 8 per cent fetches them $1 billion, then Alakija’s 60 per cent is worth over $7.3 billion. Alakija also owns a Bombardier Jet as well as a large collection of prime real estate in Nigeria and London.
“Alakija, born into a wealthy, polygamous Nigerian family, started out her professional career in the mid 70s as a secretary at the International Merchant Bank of Nigeria and in the early 80s, quit her job to study Fashion design in England.
“She returned to Nigeria shortly afterwards to start Supreme Stitches, a premium Nigerian fashion label that catered exclusively to upscale clientele, including Maryam Babangida, the wife of Nigeria’s former military President Ibrahim Babangida. Leveraging on this proximity to power, she acquired an oil prospecting license, the basis of her enormous fortune today.
Source: Nigerian Tribune
Friday, October 11, 2013
Artist photographs his MOTHER having sex with young men as part of controversial exhibition
Most young men would be haunted for
life by the sight of their mother having sex - the last thing they would
want is a picture of it.
But for Leigh Ledare that image was such an inspiration that he decided to capture it on camera for the world to see in a series of photographs that Sigmund Freud himself could only have dreamed of.
The American artist has now sent shock waves through the art world after his collection explicit images of his mother, Tina, cavorting naked with an array of younger men was showcased as part of a new exhibition in London.
The New York-based photographer, 36, is showcasing the controversial series, many of which are too graphic to publish on this website, in a bid to redefine the perceived boundaries between mother and son.
In one, the middle-aged woman stares confidently into the camera as she removes her underwear, her legs spread wide in a pose that leaves little to the imagination.
Another shows her laughing in bed as she cavorts naked with a younger lover to whom she appears to have tied herself with a belt.
Meanwhile, others need little explanation beyond their titles, such as the provocatively-named 'Mom Spread with Lamp' and 'Mom F***ing in Mirror'.
Asked by The Guardian if he ever gets turned on when taking such pictures of his mother, the artist replied ambiguously: 'I don't know what to say.'
'I think already in the background there were some foggy boundary issues. What people talk about as being Oedipal – there's a flirtation with that, but the boundaries were never actually crossed,' he said.
He says he gained inspiration for the series after returning home for Christmas one year to be greeted by his mother in a most unusual manner.
'I arrived home not having seen her for a year and a half,' he recalls. 'She knew I was coming and opened the door naked.'
He said when he then entered the house and caught a glimpse into her bedroom, 'a young man, almost exactly my age, was sprawled out naked. He rolled over to see me, saying hello, before rolling back over and returning to sleep.'
'I had a camera and began making photos of her then,' he added. 'She was the catalyst.'
The exhibition also includes extracts from his own adolescent diary entries; ads Tina placed in the Seattle Weekly for 'a generous, wealthy husband (not someone else's) who wants his own private dancer'; as well as descriptions of her fraught relationship with her sons and former husband.
As a teenager, Tina was a ballet prodigy, who danced for the New York City Ballet Company, but turned to stripping when her career ended prematurely.
For seven years, Ledare has been photographing her in her most intimate acts and attitudes, exploiting her need for recognition and her boundless and exhibitionist attitude.
The pictures will be showcased in an exhibition The Home Truths: Photography, Motherhood and Identity – at the Photographers' Gallery in London
But for Leigh Ledare that image was such an inspiration that he decided to capture it on camera for the world to see in a series of photographs that Sigmund Freud himself could only have dreamed of.
The American artist has now sent shock waves through the art world after his collection explicit images of his mother, Tina, cavorting naked with an array of younger men was showcased as part of a new exhibition in London.
The New York-based photographer, 36, is showcasing the controversial series, many of which are too graphic to publish on this website, in a bid to redefine the perceived boundaries between mother and son.
In one, the middle-aged woman stares confidently into the camera as she removes her underwear, her legs spread wide in a pose that leaves little to the imagination.
Another shows her laughing in bed as she cavorts naked with a younger lover to whom she appears to have tied herself with a belt.
Meanwhile, others need little explanation beyond their titles, such as the provocatively-named 'Mom Spread with Lamp' and 'Mom F***ing in Mirror'.
Asked by The Guardian if he ever gets turned on when taking such pictures of his mother, the artist replied ambiguously: 'I don't know what to say.'
'I think already in the background there were some foggy boundary issues. What people talk about as being Oedipal – there's a flirtation with that, but the boundaries were never actually crossed,' he said.
He says he gained inspiration for the series after returning home for Christmas one year to be greeted by his mother in a most unusual manner.
'I arrived home not having seen her for a year and a half,' he recalls. 'She knew I was coming and opened the door naked.'
He said when he then entered the house and caught a glimpse into her bedroom, 'a young man, almost exactly my age, was sprawled out naked. He rolled over to see me, saying hello, before rolling back over and returning to sleep.'
'I had a camera and began making photos of her then,' he added. 'She was the catalyst.'
The exhibition also includes extracts from his own adolescent diary entries; ads Tina placed in the Seattle Weekly for 'a generous, wealthy husband (not someone else's) who wants his own private dancer'; as well as descriptions of her fraught relationship with her sons and former husband.
As a teenager, Tina was a ballet prodigy, who danced for the New York City Ballet Company, but turned to stripping when her career ended prematurely.
For seven years, Ledare has been photographing her in her most intimate acts and attitudes, exploiting her need for recognition and her boundless and exhibitionist attitude.
The pictures will be showcased in an exhibition The Home Truths: Photography, Motherhood and Identity – at the Photographers' Gallery in London
Red Lobster Waitress Gets $10K Tip After Racist Receipt
A Red Lobster waitress, who said a customer left her a receipt with a racist slur, has received the tip of a lifetime, thanks to a fundraising from online supporters.
Toni Christina Jenkins of Franklin, Tenn., said she was shocked when she saw a receipt on the table with “none” on the “Tip” line and the N-word on the “Total” line.
“I was just stunned that it happened,” Jenkins, 19, said. “It’s not something that you think in our generation would actually take place, so I was just blown away by it.”
After posting a picture of the receipt to Facebook Sept. 10, her story sparked outrage online, prompting a California man to take action. Matthew Hanson, founder of AddictingInfo.org, heard Jenkins’ story and started an online fundraiser called “Tips for Toni” that collected $10,749 in place of Jenkins’ non-tip on the bill for $44.53.
“It was about sending a message to racists that Americans aren’t going to tolerate that,” Hanson said. “We raised $10,000 within seventy-two hours. It was really amazing.”
Hanson presented the check Sept 30 to Jenkins, who was unaware of the fundraiser.
“I literally screamed. I was so confused,” Jenkins said. “I was just so thankful. I felt so blessed and so honored that so many people came together on my behalf to give this to me.”
Citing a company policy that prohibits employees from posting a guest receipt online, Red Lobster suspended Jenkins with pay after the story went public, but she has now resumed work.
“We are disgusted by the language used on this guest check and it has no place in our restaurant or anywhere else,” a Red Lobster representative said in a statement to ABC News.
“We were in constant communication with [our server] throughout this situation and have extended her a high degree of respect and caring for what happened. No one should have to endure what our employee went through.”
Some online commenters have called the authenticity of the receipt into question, but Jenkins stands by her story.
“I was just trying to create awareness that racism is still taking place in this generation,” Jenkins said. “For people who think it’s fake, my heart goes out to them and I wish them the best.”
A rash of receipts left with racist remarks have made headlines recently, from a Papa John’s employee who identified a customer as “lady chinky eyes” to a CVS employee referring to an Asian woman as “Ching Chong Lee” on her receipt.
Wayne Rooney is refusing to open talks on a new Manchester United contract.
The England striker's current deal expires at the end of next season and his camp have recently rebuffed efforts from the Premier League champions to tie him down.
Despite describing himself this week as “happy” and “settled” at Old Trafford, the striker still wants to explore the possibility of leaving the club.
It is understood that Rooney’s camp have rejected a recent approach from United chiefs to start talks on extending his contract, which expires at the end of next season.
The forward, who turns 28 later in October, has begun the new season in outstanding form but is ready to renew his attempts to leave the Premier League champions, possibly even as early as January.
Rooney is believed to be keen to seek a fresh challenge at an established Champions League club, where his status as the team’s principal centre-forward would be unquestioned.
His disillusionment at occasionally being played out of position by Sir Alex Ferguson last season has only partly been rectified by being consistently handed the No.10 role under new manager David Moyes.
Speaking on Wednesday, ahead of England’s World Cup qualifier against Montenegro at Wembley on Friday night, Rooney offered only a flicker of public encouragement to United that he would sign a new deal.
Asked directly if he would like to stay at United, Rooney said: "You can see I'm playing and I'm happy in my football. I'll have more discussions with the club and we'll see what happens from there."
Privately, Rooney has provided no assurances to his employers and there is a sense among senior United officials that the forward’s agent, Paul Stretford, will use the uncertainty as leverage to engineer a transfer.
Chelsea made two bids for Rooney in the summer after being told that the 27-year-old wanted to move to Stamford Bridge, and there was also strong interest from Arsenal up until the final week of the window.
United refused to sell Rooney to Chelsea, a club they regard as a principal title rival, but the league champions could be hemmed into a corner if the player pushes hard for a transfer either in January or next summer while refusing to extend his £250,000-a-week contract.
Speaking in July, new United chief executive Ed Woodward claimed there were no immediate plans to hold fresh contract talks with any United player, adding that there was “no trigger day” for discussions with Rooney about a new deal. Six weeks later, Nani signed a new, five-year contract.
Rooney spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday about his reasons for wanting to leave United, blaming his disillusionment on Ferguson playing him out of position following the signing of Robin van Persie.
He said: "Everyone at the club knew where I wanted to play and I think that's why I was disappointed. I got told to play in midfield and I didn't want to. I just think there had to come a point when, for my own career, I had to be a bit selfish really."
Rooney claimed he was happy with his role in the team under Moyes, which has yielded five goals in eight United matches this seasons.
"David Moyes has come in, he's playing me up front and I'm enjoying it," explained the striker. “I've scored a few goals and I'm playing every week. I feel as fit as I ever have done.
"I had a couple of injuries pre-season but I feel great and in good shape. It's a mixture of things, but I am happy and I am enjoying my football."
Victoria Beckham's fashion empire boosts Brand Beckham earnings by £100,000 a DAY
She emerged from the shadow of the
Spice Girls to become one of the world’s most sought after fashion
designers, and her increasing popularity has seen Victoria Beckham
eclipse husband David’s immense earning power.
Brand Beckham’s annual earnings rose to £35.1 million in 2012 thanks, in part, to a string of endorsements, sponsorship deals and David’s sizeable salary with former club Los Angeles Galaxy.
But it is Victoria’s growing empire that is thought to be behind the surge in profits having made a £2m profit over the course of the year, boosting their daily earnings by £100,000.
Her catwalk shows in London, Paris and New York are amongst the most eagerly anticipated during Fashion Week, while celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and Beyonce lead a growing list of celebrity fans.
While David was widely regarding as the main breadwinner, Victoria is understood to have earned £50m in her own right since finding fame with The Spice Girls and is planning to open her first boutique.
Ironically, the Beckham’s ability to create a wide profit margin has been bolstered by David’s decision to retire from football at the end of last season.
Having walked away from the game, Beckham – sponsored by sportswear giant adidas throughout his career – will now have more time for endorsements and advertising campaigns.
The most recent of these saw him parade across a London rooftop in his briefs while he filmed an ad for his new H&M underwear range – one of a string he’s filmed for the Swedish high-street chain.
Beckham has earned a comfortable £14.1 million from his image rights company, while separate ambassadorial roles with Sky and the Chinese Super League will earn him £20m and £50m respectively.
The family recently sold their sprawling Hertfordshire mansion, dubbed Beckingham Palace – a move that netted them a healthy £10m profit.
They are now thought to be looking for a home in London – with one West End property, worth £45m, already catching their eye.
Despite their immense wealth, David recently admitted it’s the simple pleasures, such as spending time with children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, that give him the most satisfaction.
‘What I have enjoyed is being there for the kids more,’ he said. ‘I take the kids to school every single morning instead of every other morning.’
Brand Beckham’s annual earnings rose to £35.1 million in 2012 thanks, in part, to a string of endorsements, sponsorship deals and David’s sizeable salary with former club Los Angeles Galaxy.
But it is Victoria’s growing empire that is thought to be behind the surge in profits having made a £2m profit over the course of the year, boosting their daily earnings by £100,000.
Hand over fist: The Beckham's earning power has
risen over the last twelve months, with Victoria's growing fashion
empire thought to be the primary reason
Her catwalk shows in London, Paris and New York are amongst the most eagerly anticipated during Fashion Week, while celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts and Beyonce lead a growing list of celebrity fans.
While David was widely regarding as the main breadwinner, Victoria is understood to have earned £50m in her own right since finding fame with The Spice Girls and is planning to open her first boutique.
Ironically, the Beckham’s ability to create a wide profit margin has been bolstered by David’s decision to retire from football at the end of last season.
High end: Victoria's runway shows, such as this
one at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, are amongst the most eagerly
anticipated on the fashion calender
The former England
captain hung up his boots after quitting Los Angeles Galaxy for one last
European hurrah with French club Paris Saint Germain.
Having walked away from the game, Beckham – sponsored by sportswear giant adidas throughout his career – will now have more time for endorsements and advertising campaigns.
The most recent of these saw him parade across a London rooftop in his briefs while he filmed an ad for his new H&M underwear range – one of a string he’s filmed for the Swedish high-street chain.
Beckham has earned a comfortable £14.1 million from his image rights company, while separate ambassadorial roles with Sky and the Chinese Super League will earn him £20m and £50m respectively.
Emotional: David Beckham retires from football at the end of the 2012/13 season, but the move will help boost his earning power
The family recently sold their sprawling Hertfordshire mansion, dubbed Beckingham Palace – a move that netted them a healthy £10m profit.
They are now thought to be looking for a home in London – with one West End property, worth £45m, already catching their eye.
Despite their immense wealth, David recently admitted it’s the simple pleasures, such as spending time with children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, that give him the most satisfaction.
‘What I have enjoyed is being there for the kids more,’ he said. ‘I take the kids to school every single morning instead of every other morning.’
Moving: The Beckham's are currently house
hunting in London, with one West End property, worth a reported £45m,
catching their eye
Sold: David and Victoria's sprawling
Hertfordshire mansion, worth £18m, has been sold. The move reportedly
netted the couple a healthy £10m profit
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