Monday, June 25, 2007

Just a few days...

I know I shocked a lot of people this week with everything I wrote. To some, It was wrong of me, to others it was a bold step, to me it was what I wanted to do...maybe it makes me a good or bad person, insecure or courageous, stupid or wise, maybe I did it out of love or out of revenge...whatever it was, I did it my way and that's the most important thing.

I know for sure that it has helped me be a better person...I've learnt so much in just a week

I'm wiser and stronger now and I hope sharing my experience has helped alot of women out there...

Last week happened but I've decided to let all that go...no more talk of sad things...

I'm going to take some days off blogging. I need to go regroup

When I come back this blog will be bigger, bolder and better..

See y'all when I get back.

Kisses and much love!

Linda Ikeji

Sunday, June 17, 2007

World's Most Expensive Hotel

Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai.



The hotel at night



This hotel, Burj Al Arab Hotel meaning Tower of the Arabs, is the only 7 star hotel in the world and plays hosts to 5, 000 tourists a day.



Royal suite



Burj Al Arab is an architectural masterpiece built on water. It's built to resemble a billowing sail and is the world's tallest hotel standing at 321 metres, built on his own man made Island.


The hotel has been described as the world's most luxurious, finest and most expensive hotel. The cheapest room goes for Dhr 7, 500 (N300, 000) a night.


Three bedroom suite

Deluxe Suite


Table tennis Court

It has a luxury spa, fitness centre, world class shopping malls, golf courses, luxury chartered yacht cruises, helicopter tours...the perfect place for a holiday honeymoon.


To go to this hotel, you need a prior booking via email at http://www.burj-al-arab.com/


I'm already saving towards visiting this hotel for my first holiday from work...anyone interested in visiting Dubai and the hotel as a tourist, please get in touch with me via email...we can go as a group, or meet over there...what's life without a little fun and adventure right?

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Ben's story

This is the story that has been making headlines in the last two weeks in Naija. It's a story of a US based car dealer, Ben, who recently came home to drop some cars for sale...

Read what happened to him...

For residents of the popular Akerele Street in Surulere, Lagos, a recent event will linger in their memories for a long time. It was the day armed robbers unleashed terror on the neighbourhood, leaving in their trail, sorrow, tears and blood. The unfortunate event happened right in front of the popular Olaiye Canteen on Akerele.

Ben, who just returned to Nigeria from his US base, went to Olaiya canteen with some friends, late Sunday evening. They had driven there in a mint-clean American Spec Seqouia Jeep. Unknown to them, they were apparently being trailed by ramed robbers.

Eye witnesses say immediately Ben and his friends got into the car, the robbers ordered everybody out while Ben who was driving was pushed out of the vehicle. That was perhaps the turning point of the whole tragic drama as fate played a cruel one on the recently married Edo-born car dealer.

Try as the armed robbers would to drive the jeep away, they failed simply because they did not realise the jeep had a neck gear as most American Specs do. The robbers tried unsuccessfully to move the car for about 3 minutes and when they realised they couldn't, they thought it was Ben who had demobilised the vehicle.

They quickly raised after Ben, who eye witnesses say ran towards the olaiya Restaurant. All this while, most of the shops including Olaiya had hurriedly locked up. 30 something year old Ben was caught and shot right in front of the restaurant where he had eaten a few minutes ago...he died on the spot...

US based Ben, who got married three months ago is in the morgue, waiting to be buried...died for nothing!

The most painful part of it was that Ben was due to leave Nigeria back to his US base three days before he was killed...he already booked his flight...

Ben is survived by his wife and parents who live with him in the US. Tell me, what is his new wife supposed to do now?

The way at which armed robbers have been operating in Nigeria in the last few months is alarming and painful...they've become bolder, robbing in daylight...holding up traffic and robbing vehicles...they've been visiting banks, hotels and even Night Clubs...they seem to have multiplied and also seem fearless...a few individuals have lost their lives...there was a case of an American producer killed right inside his hotel room on the Island... I haven't heard of any arrests...what is the Nigerian police doing?

There was a time when one would hardly hear stories of armed robbery, but now this guys are back, bolder and more dangerous

I know saying all this does not reflect well on Nigeria, but that's the reality. People are advised not to be caught in a traffic on the bridge anytime from 8pm, don't drive late at night...at least until the Nigerian police starting doing something about this situation...

It's sad! Hopefully this new administration will tackle most of the problems that make Nigeria a volatile society...

World Entertainment News.

NBA sensation, Lebron James and his long time girlfriend, Savannah Brinson recently welcomed a second son aleady named Bryce Maximus James...some women are lucky. See the hotness called LeBron...

Controversial singer Akon has just released a new song that has everything to do with the incident involving the 14 year girl he bumped and grinded at a concert some months ago...

The lyric goes thus...Daddy should have never let her out that young...how was I supposed to know she was underage in a 21-and-over club?...the song is already out...go check out the crappy lyrics at youtube.

The mess called Britney Spears. Thank God she covered up this time...



It just came to my notice that wearing 'saggy pants' is now an offence in Louisiana. Offenders will be fined $500...where's freedom of expression...freedom of fashion sense? The mayor of Louisiana said wearing of saggy pants have gotten out of hand, not just within the black community, the white community have also joined the trend. Well, what they say about strange laws...


The headline says it all. Lindsay will be 21 on July 2 2007 and she is currently in rehab...still finding time to party...the few friends she has are betraying her. Her former bodyguard is writing a book on his time with her... and American's will buy it? God bless ... and every place else.

Is that Ankara Fabric Sienna Miller has on?


I also hear that P.Diddy has dropped Cassie from Bad Boy Records...true?



There are rumours that Nicole Richie is pregnant for boyfriend, Joel Madden. She looks pregnant but I have my doubts.


Ex's Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz looked cozy together recently at the European tour of Shrek 3 which they both co-starred...I wonder what Jessica Biel thinks of this...


Rare public display of affection between Jigga and his lady love, Beyonce.


The hotness called Beyonce


Rumour has it that former rapper Foxy Brown is pregnant. Is she really?


Amazon River longer than River Nile?
Scientists in Brazil are claiming to have established as a scientific fact that the Amazon is the longest river in the world.

Amazon is recognised as the world's largest river by volume, but has generally been regarded as second in length to the River Nile in Egypt.


The claim follows an expedition to Peru that is said to have established a new starting point further south.
It puts the Amazon at 6,800km (4,250 miles) compared to the Nile's 6,695km.

Got anything to say?

Friday, June 15, 2007

Naija Gists and News

Genevieve Magazine wins award

One of Nigeria's foremost lifestyle Magazines, Genevieve magazine recently won the award of 'Most Preferred ADVAN Partner in the Magazine category' for the year 2006 at an event organised by the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN). A well deserved award!

Miss Charming Pageant
Another pageant...Miss Charming. What the hell does this mean? Miss Charming? Who's she charming? Anyway for those interested here's the info you need...

Miss Charming Afrique
Attractions: A trip for all contestants to Ghana.
A visit to the Boti Falls and Osekan Resort
Star Prizes include: Official Car, Cash prize, 2 international pageants, DVD, ipods, 29 LG TV set.
Form: N5, 000
Powered by Route Media
for partication call: 08057455081, 08023539027.



23 year old Soul E set to wed 35 year old divorcee, Ure Okezie, a top manager at First Inland Bank...

I won't tell the story, hear it from the horses mouths

Soul E Quote

Aren't you too young to be marrying at 23?
"I believe everybody in this world has a goal. Before I got my deal, I told myself that btw 18 and 23 I'll be a household name which I have achieved. I also told myself that I'll be married before I'm 25, and I am fulfilled to be getting married to a woman pf class"

The age difference?
"She maybe 35 but I see her as 18"

Is he marrying her because she is rich?
"When a guy is dating an older woman people assume because you want something. I am successful. My wife is successful. There is nothing like gigolo or juju. People should watch, wait and see the success of our marriage"

Why did he move in with her?
"Moving in with her was my decision at least I was living in Lekki before now. We are just staying here for a while and we are working on our mansion"

His fiancee, Ure Okezie, speaks

You were once married, what happened?
"Well, we broke up"

What makes Soul E special?
"He's bold, courageous, ambitious, honest"

Didn't your family complain about the age difference?
"As long as I am happy, my family is happy"

Did you buy him the jeep he's currently driving?
"We have jeeps. Whatever belongs to me belongs to him and whatever is his, is mine"

What can I say? I think Soul E is too young to be getting married...and what's with older women marrying all our young, sexy men? We young girls are slacking no be small...lol! It's not funny though.



An evening of fashion and style with Grace Egbagbe
Date: Sunday, 24th June, 2007
Venue: Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi
Time: 2. 00pm
Colour code: Torquoise
Dress code: Glamorous
Enquiries: 08055001795
Strictly by invitation

Also, she'll be having her party this evening at Villa Medici, for her retirement from NTA. The party is tagged 'A celebration of a successful career'. She recently retired as the marketing manager of NTA after 28 years of service.



Top society lady, Nkiru Anumudu will be celebrating her birthday this weekend with a bash to be held at her Ikoyi residence, which people who know the amiable woman, say it will be a night of good food, wine and much fun. Her husband, Chief Willie Anumudu, the chairman of Globe Motors, is leaving no stone unturned to give his wife a great birthday party. Already, text messages and IV's have been spreading amongst the happening crowd in Lagos...

Naija News
The regime of Governor Andy Uba of Anambra State came to an abrupt end on Thursday June 14th when the Supreme Court ordered him to immediately vacate office and hand over the reins of power to his predecessor, Governor Peter Obi to complete his four year term.

President Umaru Yar‘Adua has directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, and the Solicitor-General of the Federation, Prof. Ignatius Ayua (san), to enforce the Supreme Court judgment on the governorship position in Anambra State

THE Nigerian Bar Association has commended the verdict of the Supreme Court that directed the immediate reinstatement of Mr. Peter Obi as the Anambra State Governor.
NBA President, Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN)
Speaking through its President, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), the association said the protem Governor, Dr. Andy Uba, must vacate the Government House immediately to pave way for the rightful owner.

The battle by the detained leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Alhaji Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, to regain his freedom was won on Thursday June 14th with the bail granted him by an Abuja Federal High Court.

Oil marketers begin strike today ahead of planned nationwide strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday in protest of the recent hike in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, from N65 to N75 per litre

The Federal Capital Territory Administration, on Thursday, demolished three buildings belonging to the Africa Independent Television at its Gbaduma Hill location in Asokoro District of Abuja.
The buildings included a digital amphitheatre, the theatre‘s service building and an engineering building also serving as an annex of the theatre.
The buildings were sited at the middle of the hill, at the lower part of the main building which is located on the top of the hill.

The police investigating team which investigated the alleged involvement of former Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, in illegal withdrawal of police fund running into several millions of naira has submitted a preliminary investigation report to President Umaru Musa Yar‘Adua. The preliminary report according to sources indicted the former police boss.
The report also recommended that Ehindero be charged with conspiracy and stealing.
He was said to have made, confessional statement to the investigating team.
In the mean, the former police boss‘s movement had been restricted with strict orders to monitor his movement.
The report also recommended that the Commissioner of Police in charge of budget at the time the alleged fraud was committed, Mr. John Obaniyi has been recommended for suspension.
I don't know much about this Idol Blogsville competition but I heard it's already started? Goodluck to the contestants...
That's all for now folks...I'm needed someplace else...go to go...good night and take care of you and yours!

Top Ten Weirdest Deaths

We all know we are all going to die someday. We can only hope when our time comes it's peaceful, quick and dignified. However, for some ill-fated individuals, this simply isn't going to happen. Take a look at the weirdest ways some people have left this earth.


Magic bullet
Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee, was shot and killed by a prop .44 Magnum while filming the 1993 movie 'The Crow'. The scene involved the firing of a full-powder blank (full charge of gunpowder, but no bullet) at Brandon's character. However, unknown to the film crew/firearms technician, a bullet was already lodged in the barrel.



Grand slam
Owen Hart, WWF wrestler, died in 1999 when he fell 78 feet while being lowered into the ring by a cable from the stadium rafters before an upcoming match. He had been scheduled to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship that night.



Part of the act?
Tommy Cooper, British magician, died from a massive heart attack on stage in 1984 during a live television performance. Most of the studio audience and millions watching on TV thought it was part of the act and carried on laughing, until it became apparent the comic was seriously ill.


Bite me!
In 2001, Bernd-Jurgen Brandes posted an ad on an internet chatroom stating that he was looking for someone to eat him. Armin Meiwes eagerly replied to this ad, and the two sick-puppies hooked up. Meiwes murdered Brandes by stabbing him repeatedly in the neck, and then ate his body.



Death by video games
Korean Lee Seung Seop, 28, died of dehydration and heart failure after a mammoth 50-hour 'World of Warcraft' session. Throughout this time, he drank very little water and ate virtually nothing, and eventually collapsed from exhaustion. He died with the joypad still in his hand moments later


Elvis Presley died while seating on the toilet seat.

Fatal hilarity
Chrysippus was a Greek philosopher with a wicked sense of humour. One night, the giggling goon thought it would be great fun to get his donkey drunk on red wine. Seeing the drunken beast stagger around was so hilarious to Chrysippus, that he literally laughed himself to death. Now that's what you call a killer punch line.

Blood poisoning
Despite creating one of the finest known drinks to man, Jack Daniels was an unsavoury character whose greed finally got the better of him. In 1911, Jack forgot the combination of his safe and in a drunken rage decided to boot the safe to high heaven. Jack developed a rather juicy toe injury for his troubles, and died of blood poisoning days later.

Death at the races
Frank Hayes was a jockey who in 1923 suffered a fatal heart attack in the midst of a race. His horse, Sweet Kiss, finished and won the race with his lifeless body still atop, making him the first, and thus far only, jockey to win a race post-mortem.

Death from above
In 1989, a Belgian teenager was killed by a crashing soviet MiG-23 fighter jet, which escaped from Poland on autopilot after the crew ejected following a false engine failure alarm.
A few years ago I saw a man dance for hours on a main road. When I passed there late in the evening, he was lying on the road, dead! Weird!
Know anyone who died in a weird way? Share your story!

World's strangest laws

I came across this and decided to share with everyone. Some of the laws listed here are baffling...Don't know whether to believe it or not...Prepare to be amazed at the strangest laws from around the world.
...see for yourself and tell me what you think...

USA
First is America, home of the wackiest laws of them all. Here's just a handfull of nutty laws that regulate the world's biggest superpower.
Michigan: A woman isn't allowed to cut her own hair without her husband's permission. Indiana: It is illegal to attend the theatre within four hours of eating garlic.
North Dakota: It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.
Oklahoma: People who make ugly faces at dogs may be fined and/or jailed.
Wisconsin: Women are not allowed to wear anything red in public.
Arkansas: A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month....this I find especially baffling. Those who live in this state, how true is this?
California: It is illegal for a secretary to be alone in a room with her boss...this also find hard to believe. In such a civilised society?...tell me this isn't so...

Lebanon
Under Lebanese law, men are legally allowed to have sex with animals, but the animals must be female. Having sexual relations with a male animal is strictly forbidden.
For want of a better word, I'm baffled at this law!


Germany
In Germany, women who refuse to work as prostitutes risk having their benefits stopped. Prostitution was legalised in Germany in 2003, and is now regarded as a normal occupation.
huh?



Colombia
In Columbia, a woman may only have sex with her husband, and the first time this happens her mother must be in the room to witness the act.
They used to do this in some part of Africa...but Colombia?


Indonesia
The penalty for masturbation in Indonesia is decapitation.
I hope they are wrong about this...


France
Between the hours of 8AM and 8PM, 70% of the music on the radio must be by French musicians. It is also illegal in France to sell 'E.T' dolls or name a pig Napoleon.
ok...!

Australia
Australia is one country you don't want to break the law in. The current life sentence is 200 years. It is illegal to read someone's tarot, or give them a psychic reading as these are forms of witchcraft. Bizarrely, it also illegal to dress up like Batman down under.
Ok that's weird!

Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, a betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. The husband's lover may be killed in any manner desired.
Do I like this law? Yes, because I don't know how the hell a woman will kill a man with her bare hands...we need a weapon. I guess the joke is on the women...


Italy
Pinching a passing girl's bottom is perfectly legal in Italy. However, if an Italian man is caught wearing a skirt, he'll be thrown in jail faster than you can say Pavarotti.
I support the skirt wearing, but pinching a girl's bottom is legal? Give me a break!

UK
Did you know that in London it is illegal to have sex on a parked motorcycle? Or that showing a naked mannequin to a boy under 10 in Liverpool could see you behind bars? Is this true. Please someone investigate for us.

Can anyone tell the rest of us what the strangest law in Nigeria is?

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

My new employees

I actually have plenty, better Naija gists for all of una, but time no permit me. This week has been especially busy for me. I just employed a guy called Jackson and every time I sit in front of the computer, he comes into my office with one thing or the other, telling me what am supposed to be doing at that particular moment. He drew up a schedule for me...This guy is actually bossing me around. I can't take a break without him breathing down my neck to start working again.

I had to lock myself inside my office to use the laptop now. He's an employee and his giving me a hard time, imagine if he was my boss...I don finish! I gave him an office close to the reception, but today, he moved to the office close to mine...to have easy access to me and remind me of why I cleared my bank account to get a five bedroom office space. I guess what am trying to say is that I just got someone who is extremely ready to work. He comes to work before anyone else and leaves last...I thank God for him.

Also, yesterday, two guys called to see me, they came to the office today and they offered to work for me for two months on probation without any salaries...both of them in their late 20's. After speaking to them for an hour, I was convinced these guys believed in my dream and wanted to be part of the success of my company...so I decided to give them the probation they asked for and offered them a percentage from any money they make for my company...

So now I have one more room to go...if there's anyone out there who is interested in working for a growing company, with specialty in events, entertainment, fashion, modeling, writing...send me an email...as long as you don't expect a salary immediately. Ours is pay as you go for now until we can afford a salary...

Also if you're interested in modeling, pls call 08033595004...we are looking for the best models out there...

Did I also mention I'll soon be on TV? Oh yes, I'm starting a TV programme soon. The best part is that I already got an executive producer...life is beautiful!

Those who want to know more about Eko Tourist Beach Resort, I'll get more details and their contact for you. It's a really great place to be!

@ My 2 cents, Rosemary Ingbi is married to model/presenter Peter Onaniwu. Saw their wedding pictures with their my two korokoro eys...sorry o! Love is love!

...he's knocking on my door again...got to go...

Please keep your comments coming, I'll respond this weekend when Jackson won't be around...

So take care all of you and put me in your prayers like I do of all of you!

Kisses! linda

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Naija Gists.

Let's see what news I can give y'all today...


Jim Ovia, Femi Otedola, Aliko Dangote set to float another Boat Club
President of Zenon Petroleum and Gas, Femi Otedola, MD of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia and business mogul, Aliko Dangote are said to be getting set to float another boat club and it will be exclusively for top corporate players in Nigeria and will attract N10 million as membership fee.
This new boat club was thought about after the old one Aquamarine, has been infiltrated. The new boat club is allegedly going to be located around Walter Carrington Crescent Victoria Island, Victoria Island. N10 million for membership? oh well, like they say, all fingers are not equal.


Friends of the sleek present
All 4 Steve Kadiri
(An initiative concert to raise fund for his treatment in UK)
Featuring Dbanj, Sunny Neji, 2face, Weird MC, Ruggedman, Tony Tetuila, Sammie Okposo and several others.
Date Friday 22nd June o7.
Gate:N2, 000, V.I.P N5, 000
Venue: The Vault, Idowu Martins, V/I, Lagos.
For ticket delivery call, 08023250738
Please support Steve Kadiri by purchasing a ticket for the concert. He needs a kidney transplant.



Soul E set to wed
24 year old new music sensation, Soul E, is said to be getting ready to marry. Hear him...
"By the grace of God my wedding will take place very soon. I am engaged to the woman that I love and our traditional wedding will take place next month."




Ejike Asiegbu's wife delivers their 4th child
Star actor, and Actor's Guild of Nigeria's president, Ejike Asiegbu's wife, few weeks ago gave birth to the couple's 4th child, a boy, in South Africa. Mother and son are doing great.


Wanted! (drop dead gorgeous and beautiful)

Face Of Unveil

Reward: A chance to win N500, 000 cash prize,
Weekend trip to Obudu Cattle Ranch
Opportunity to work with world-class designers
Free Makeup classes for 20 contestants worth N50, 000, plus lots of other consolation prizes.
If you're interested, obtain your entry form (N3, 500) at any branch of Oceanic Bank, ETB and SKYE Bank.
for enquiries, call 018994220, 014318508



Obafemi martins buys Benz Jeep

Footballer, Obafemi Martins who people is gradually becoming a car freak, just acquired a Mercedes Benz jeep. People who have seen the wonder on wheel say it's the latest edition of the Benz jeep...being a footballer really pays.


Gloria Ibru takes over Nasir Ado Ibrahim's Club Towers

Anthentic gists have it that billionaire Olorogun Michael Ibru's daughter and the mother of Sammy Okposo's first daughter, Gloria Ibru, has taken over Club Towers, formerly owned by Prince Nasir Ado Ibrahim. We are all waiting to see what she'll do with the place. Renovations are currently taking place there. And news reaching me say there will be a grand opening of the place in July...the new name is still unknown.




Keem Belo-Osagie, Adrian Wood float new GSM company

Former United Bank for Africa (UBA) chairman, Hakeem Belo-Osagie and former CEO of MTN in Nigerian, Australian Adrian Wood, are said to be working on floating a GSM company in Nigeria. Reports say the recently licensed GSM operator MUBADALA, which is reportedly owned by the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dabri, won the license because of the role played by Belo-Osagie and Adrian Wood who is being touted as the CEO of the new company. I know for sure that Nigeria needs more GSM companies, the higher the competition, the cheaper the prices...Let's wait and see.




Ex-Super Eagles footballer, Godwin Okpara jailed 13 years in France
Former Super Eagles defender, Godwin Okpara was on Friday June 1st sentenced to 13 years in prison by a French court for raping his adopted daughter, Tina.
His wife Linda, also received 15 years for her connivance and torture of the victim while Linda's mother bagged 5 years for failing to come to the aid of the young Tina.
The 34 year footballer who once played for PSG denied raping the girl, claiming that the sex with his adopted daughter was mutual.

Tina accused her adopted father of raping her consistently since she left Nigeria and joined the couple in France at the age of 13 in 2001. She said she was forced into sex with Godwin and was subjected to battery whenever she declined.
Other sources claim that Linda shaved Tina's head, stubbed a cigarette on her cheek and forced her to perform cruel sexual acts.
Their defence lawyer said there is a likelihood of an appeal.

I don't know the whole story, but all I'll say is this. May God reward Godwin Okpara for having consensual sex with a 13 year old.


Fola Adeola buys AIB building for N1 billion
It's being reported that former MD/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank, Fola Adeola is the new owner of the defunct Africa International Bank (AIB) building. And there are claims that he bought the edifice for N1 billion. The building is sitauted on Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. The property is said to have been sold to Fola by the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC). He is said to have bought the building to shelter all his business concerns...good for him!


Also producer/actress Rosemary Ingbi wed her longtime partner and father of children, Peter Onaniwu, last week at Ikoyi Registry.
Sundey Oliseh's younger brother also got married to his sweetheart, Egutu Tselika on June 2nd 2007 at the chapel of light church.
Congrats to the newly married couples.
Ok that's all I can dish out for now, got to get back to business. I'll give you more gists later. Enjoy!

Monday, June 11, 2007

Busy Day

I had a crazy, busy day. I came home a few minutes ago and instead of going to bed like any exhausted person would do, I'm here trying to do amebo lol.

Before the amebo, I'd like to tell y'all that my events company will now be staging a monthly show called Style Night. Style Night is a fashion, modeling, music and comedy show. It will features designers, mostly upcoming, hot models, musicians, comedians, dancers and a lot of fun.

I have actually done three editions of Style Night. Twice at Fantasy Land Ikoyi in 2005 and once at former 11.45 Night Club also at Ikoyi. But I stopped it after it became too hectic getting sponsors. But now I'm doing it in conjunction with Moods Bar on Ogunlana Drive, Surulere. Don't need any sponsors for this as it is in collaboration. So guys in Surulere, expect a lot of fun and excitement from the stable of Blackdove Events.

I just got out of a meeting with everyone involved in the show. Massive publicity will start next week...the first show is for next month, July. I'll tell y'all more about it later.


To the gossip. Peter of Psquare was slapped by the police around the Ojodu area of Lagos last week Tuesday. They said his driver was driving an unregistered vehicle, they were stopped by the police, the driver misbehaved, peter was forced out of the car, as he was about to make a call, his phone was seized, then he was slapped. Reports say there was a mob at the scene as everyone recognised the superstar. Later, his twin brother, Paul and some other celebs showed up and Paul was said to have almost engaged the police in a fisticuff...they were taking to the police station where the matter was settled amicably. Let me say here that Peter denies being slapped. He said the policeman brushed his cheek as he forced the phone from his hand. I believe him. That's the end of my Amebo.

To other news...
An Evening with Timi!
Timi's Fan Club is hosting him at Planet 44, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos from 7:00 pm. All fans should be seated by 7:00 pm. Timi will sing for his fans!
This event is strictly by invitation.
I'll let you all know the date of the show...
More Naija Gists tomorrow....I'll find time to post it.
Got to go. Goodnight and hold on to that special someone in your life...love is beautiful!
Kisses!

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Aids In Africa...In Pictures

The pictures you are about to view might are not pleasant...we warned!









Aids exist in Africa. Please believe that!
You can contribute to aids in Africa by visiting Netaid.org. They'll tell you what you can do to help.

Chimanda Adichie Wins Book Award.

I'm extremely proud to tell y'all that our very own Naija sister, 30 year old writer, Chimanda Adichie was last week named winner of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction. The Abia State born Masters degree holder in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University in the US beat five other contenders for the £30,000 women-only award


Adichie's novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, is her second work and set during the Biafran War of the 1960s.


Half of a Yellow Sun tells the story of people caught up in the unfolding political turmoil in west Africa, whose loyalties are acutely tested when troops advance on the dusty university town they inhabit.

The novel examines ethnic allegiances, moral responsibility, class and race.

The award ceremony took place at the newly-refurbished Royal Festival Hall on London's South Bank, and the judging panel included broadcaster Muriel Grey and best-selling writer Marian Keyes.
Adichie's first novel, Purple Hibiscus, was also shortlisted for the award - formerly known as the Orange Prize for Fiction - in 2004.
This is achieveing greatness at such a young age. She is an inspiration. Kudos to Adichie!

My Lovely Weekend + Lost + Relationship Question

Sorry I've been missing in action since Thursday. I went for a weekend gate away with a couple of friends. They took me to Eko Tourist Beach Resort, Akodo, Lagos. I actually went with a friend whose friend manages the Resort, so imagine the special treatment. I had a great time there.

I hadn't been planning on going anywhere this weekend, but I can be easily talked into having fun and experiencing new thhings, so I went along.

Eko Tourist Beach Resort is actually located along the Lagos-Epe Express, about 40 minute drive from the centre of Lagos.

Knowing me, I enquired about the place and this is what I can tell you about it.

It's an Ultra modern holiday resort with 150 self-contained chalets, at the border of the Atlantic Ocean. It has a multi-purpose hall and restaurant. Great place to visit with family and friends.

I took my laptop along but unfortunately, there was no reception there, which was a good thing 'cos if there had been reception, I would have sat in front of the latptop instead of having all the fun I had.

The only but about the place was the mosquitoes. You can actually hear them electing a new president while others were planning a coup lol. With all the noise they were making, that could only have been what they were doing. But I didn't let that disturb my fun...


I brought along this TV series called LOST, and since I couldn't use the Internet, I watched it's season 1 and 2 on my laptop. Now if you haven't seen this series, you really have to go check it out. It's the best series since HOUSE.

Lost

Lost is an American television series that follows the lives of plane crash survivors on a tropical island, somewhere in the South Pacific. The show is filmed primarily on location in Oahu, Hawaii.

The show is produced by ABC Studios, Bad Robot Productions and Grass Skirt Productions and airs on the ABC Network in the United States.

Because of its large ensemble cast and the cost of filming in Hawaii, the series is one of the most expensive on television.

A critical and popular success, Lost garnered an average of 15.5 million viewers per episode on ABC during its first year, and won numerous industry awards including the Emmy Award for outstanding drama series in 2005 and best American import at the British Academy Television Awards also in 2005

The cast

Naveen Andrews portrayed former Iraqi Republican Guard Sayid Jarrah. Emilie de Ravin played the pregnant Australian Claire Littleton. Matthew Fox acted as the troubled surgeon and lead role Jack Shephard. Jorge Garcia portrayed Hugo "Hurley" Reyes, an unlucky lotto winner. Maggie Grace played Shannon Rutherford, a former dance teacher. Josh Holloway acted as con man James "Sawyer" Ford. Yunjin Kim played Sun-Hwa Kwon, the daughter of a powerful Korean businessman and mobster, with Daniel Dae Kim as her husband Jin-Soo Kwon. Evangeline Lilly portrayed fugitive Kate Austen. Dominic Monaghan acted as an ex-rock star drug addict Charlie Pace. Terry O'Quinn played the mysterious John Locke. Harold Perrineau portrayed construction worker Michael Dawson, while child actor Malcolm David Kelley acted as his young son, Walt Lloyd. Ian Somerhalder played Boone Carlyle. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Nigerian Catholic priest and former criminal Eko, Michelle Rodriguez as airport security guard and former police officer Ana Lucia Cortez, and Cynthia Watros portraying the purported clinical psychologist Libby.

Ok now I officially have a crush on Wale Agbaje. He played a role as Mr Eko and what you see him wearing above was how he was dressed through out the series until he was killed off.

He was the strongest man of all them survivors and played an incredible role as a soft spoken, intelligent, religious man who was also a cocaine dealer before crashing on the Island.

The best part of LOST was how Wale Agbaje used his influence to promote Nigeria, our culture and our Naira. I couldn't believe I was staring at our Naija 500 hundred naira notes. The cast (Mostly whites) kept mentioning Nigeria, Naira, Naija names...and I also saw a few Nigerian cast in that series to compliment Wale's role, he did well!

Meanwhile, I was on New Dawn with Funmi Iyanda on Thursday. I was a guest alongside top designer Frank Osodi and designer, make up artist Bayo Adegbe aka Modela. The topic was 'Modeling in Nigeria'. We only did a recording, I think they'll be showing the interview this Wednesday.

I hate being on Television. I hate being on TV. I hate being on Television.

I'm relatively a good speaker of English but when I'm sitting in front of a camera, crew, lights, microphone and the spotlight is on me, I forget words, I forget how to speak English, I don't hear myself speak, I' m too nervous, too self conscious. Kudos to those who live in front of a camera. It's not the easiest thing to do.

Anyway, for those who are interested in watching me talk on TV, watch Funmi's New Dawn on Wednesday...I think!


Also I got an email from a certain reader of this blog. Read and see if you can help out...

Linda, I have been reading your blog for a while now but have never commented. I guess I'm not very good at expressing what I feel inside. Your topic 'The right age for marriage' has given me a voice and I have decided to share my dilemma with you and the readers of this blog who I think are extremely intelligent and mature.

My problem is, I have been dating this guy for over five years, I am 29years old and I work at an Insurance company here in Lagos and My boyfriend is 37 years old and works as a stock broker. He lives in a four bedroom apartment and recently acquired a jeep. My boyfriend is very comfortable just like I am, our families are known to each other and we have many mutual friends, all of whom are married.

My problem is that for five good years, he has never mentioned marriage, not once. Like I said earlier he's 37, very comfortable and we've been together for so long. Why is he not talking marriage with me? He's been to see my family often but has never asked for my hand in marriage. Every time I mention it, he acts like he did not hear me. I'm 29 years old and sometimes I feel I'm wasting my time with him. What should I do? I overheard him telling his friend last week that he would get married when he finds a wife, does this mean I am not the wife? Pls post this question to your readers, I need all the advise I can get.

Yours
Worried 29year old

I'm not good at giving advice on relationships 'cos I'm new to it myself but here's what I can say. You've been in his life for 5 years, that should mean something to him. Personally I use all my options before giving up on something, so use all your options.

My advice is, Propose to him. Tell him you love him and want to spend the rest of your life with him. Tell him you want nothing more than to be his wife and the mother of his children. Tell him you want to take care of him and make him happy. Tell him your life will be incomplete without him in it...Tell him you want marriage.

If he says No...Then move on with your life
If he says he needs time....Give him time
If he says ok...problem solve

Love is the best gift u can give yourself. So don't give up on something until there's absolutely nothing to hold on to...

But like I said earlier, I'm not good at giving advice, so let's see what others have to say about this situation.

So please send in your thoughts.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

The right age for marriage

What's the right age for marriage?

I'm asking this question because I had a conversation with a guy yesterday who said if he was the president of this country, he would establish a law mandating women to wait till they are at least 30 years old before getting married. I asked him why he felt that way and he said people need to be clear about where they want to go in life before making a commitment as critical and as all-encompassing as marriage. And most girls in their 20's haven't figured out where they want to go in life. So when they get married, in ignorance, take their husbands and their marriages for granted.

He said girls in their 20's don't take marriage seriously, they feel they are still young so can afford to still play around and are always of the opinion that they can easily find someone else if the marriage doesn't work out, so don't put much of an effort in making it work.

He said he has found that women who marry young are seldom prepared for marital roles. These young girls don't know the first thing about taking care of a home and most times aren't ready to learn, thus most men married to them aren't happy. Because they give more than they get from their wives....

He also said most girls who marry in their 20's always marry for the wrong reasons. Either under the illusion of being inlove (when they don't know the first thing about love), or to show off to their friends or just for material gains/security.

But according to him, a woman in her thirties isn't looking to show off, show off to who when all her mates are married. And they always get married for the right reasons (whatever they are). He said if we observe carefully, most of the rich men getting married nowadays are marrying very young girls. If you check the husbands of women who got married in their 30's, they are usually average guys because these women have gone past caring about wealth, all they want now is to be a wife and a mother...they feel time is longer on their side.

He said a woman makes a marriage and the chances for a stable marriage increase when the woman has reached the age of 30. He said women over 30 are more mature and ready to shoulder the responsibilities that come with marriage. Their maturity make the marriage bearable.

He also said a woman who has waited till in her thirties without finding a man, and feels time is running out for her will be humble and submissive to her husband when she eventually finds one, because she knows how long it took to search and find so would appreciate what she has and will do everything to make it work.

I don't know if I agree with this school of thought, but when you really think about it, maybe this guy has a point?

For me, I think the right time for marriage is after taking seriously into consideration the need to wait until you have personally developed yourself and life goals. After you have established this, your selection of a life partner and readiness for marriage will be based on the grown up you. Now you are mature, educated, earning a living etc...

If you have reached this level at 25, 26, 27 years of age, then you are ready for marriage. Some people are over 30 and are still lost, immature, selfish and not ready for marriage. So I don't think it's about age, it's about the maturity of the mind, experiences, defined goals and needs, independence, discovering yourself and willingness to learn...Marriage is not about age, it's about the mind!

So what do you guys think? When is the right age for a woman to marry?

By the way, my younger sis thinks the right age for a woman to marry is the age when she finds a man who wants to marry her...lol. she's been slapped, dont worry...

Send me your thoughts.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Relationship Question!

How do you get over a heartbreak? How do you move on?

Share your thoughts.

A blessing or a curse?

I've always wanted to have big boobs...lol. But since coming across this pictures, God please keep breasts away from me...

One question. Is this a blessing or a curse?





Once more, God please keep breastises away from me lol. Not funny! What do you think?

Naija Gists

Girl Power Unleashed donate to Girls Remand Home
The makers of Tetmosol, Jagal Pharma, makers of Tetmosol Medicated Soap and sponsors of Girl Power Unleashed made a donation of N400, 000 to the girls remand home on Ojerinde Street, Idi Araba, Lagos. The GPU members were on hand to present the cash and perform for the girls. This followed the Girl Power Unleashed cheque presentation at the Little Saints Orphanage a few weeks ago.


Weird MC's new single

Weird MC's follow up single in her yet-to-be titled third album, 'Ri Ran Wo' (What does this mean?) is set to hit radio stations on July 9th 2007 which happens to be Weird's birthday and also the day her record label, 0907, is named. All you Weird MC fans, expect that in a few days...


Top Juju singer, Yinka Ayefele releases fourth album

Yinka Ayefele, one of the few artistes in Nigeria trying hard to keep Juju music alive, just released his fourth album titled 'Celebration'. The 12 track album was launched on Sunday 27th of May in Lagos. So all you juju fans...here's an album for you. It's now in stores in Nigeria.


Former Kush member, TY Bello, set to release a solo album
Toyin TY Bello, former group member of the girl group that rocked Nigeria some years ago, is set to release her much awaited solo album titled 'Greenland'. The album has tracks like 'Supernatural Funnies', 'Ride with me', and 'Atoned'. TY is also a portrait photographer. I wish her all the best in her endeavours


DJ Jimmy Jatt speaks
"I have a programme called Jimmy's Jump Off which is syndicated on MBI, STV, and NTA which is a DJ video mix show. It has been rated highly just in the first quarter. It's a basically going to be on old school raves, club parties like a mobile station. Then also I have to finish my album and proove to the world that I'm never going to retire from this job. I wanna own my own club, own my own private radio station, I want to start a record label. I don't want to limit myself"

Nollywood convention holds in the US

The Nollywood foundation, an incorporated non-profit organisation will be holding a seminar convention this year from June 15th to 17th at the Omni Hotel Los Angeles. The theme of the workshop is 'Emerging talent and technologies' with Mr. Danny Glover, a top Hollywood actor as special guest of honour. This year's workshop will feature creative, practical, intelligent and fun workshops and panels with personalities from Hollywood, Bollywood and Nollywood who will be speaking on issues such as technology, pre and post production, directing, financing, distributing, sound, photography, fashion and beauty and screenwriting.




Gulder Ultimate Search to hold in Jos

The city of Jos is getting ready to play host to the next edition of the Gulder Ultimate Searc, the reality show sponsored by Nigerian Breweries Plc. The previous editions of the ultimate search were held at Snake Island in Lagos, Obudu Cattle Ranch in Calabar and Nifor in Benin. Jos as picked this year based on the need to move the reality show across the lenght and breadth of Nigeria. Jos has some of the best sceneries in Nigeria.



Aki and Pawpaw Foundation

Some of you might not know this but the duo of Aki and Paw Paw (Chinedu Ikedieze and Osita Iheme) have a foundation. Their foundation will focus on the needy and the less priviledged, targeting the orphans. They are set to put up a series of concerts to raise money for their foundation...commendable!

Pat Utomi's niece Awele Okwudihu launches book.
Pat Utomi's niece, Awele, recently launched her first book 'Comforting Arms'. She also had the inauguration of her not-for-profit organisation, Likemind Zone (LMZ). Awele, who is also a motivational speaker, is currently running a campaign to promote reading culture amongst young people. She also has a programme called Cradle Treasure. Awele is apparently heading for the top and she has the support of her uncle to depend on...

Also, history was made yesterday in Nigeria as a woman emerged the first female speaker of the House Of Representative...Patricia Olubunmi Etteh from Osun State, ...this gladdens my heart...

Former Governor and Senator, David Mark, is the new Senate President...

Also, gist merchant, Stella-dimokokorkus.blogspot.com, has deleted her blog...sad huh? I guess blogging is not easy...but she's promised to come back, bigger and better....later!

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Developing a thick skin.

My younger sister got back from a salon this evening and told me something she found odd, but I found amusing. Apparently, the girls in the salon were talking about a certain Linda, at first she didn't know they were talking about her big sis, until someone mentioned my surname...she said she heard stuff that stunned her. It got to a point where she was wondering if they were actually talking about me or another Linda.

She eventually did ask them which linda they were talking about and they described me, my career and even talked about my blog and modeling agency. Then my sis asked them if they have ever met me and they replied no! She let them say and listened carefully but as she was leaving the salon, she turned to the girls and said that was my sister you were talking about but I'm not angry because you are talking out of ignorance, if you know her, you would not have said any of the things you said...

I used to care so much about what people think and say about me, until I came across the word 'Bias', and realised that people will think and say whatever they want, regardless of what you say and who you really are.

The first time I was written about as a model was in 1999 by my late publicist, Kayode fayemi, and after that first write up, I became one of the first celebrated models in Nigeria. In those days no journalist was interested in interviewing models, if you weren't an actress, musician, socialite, nobody wanted to hear what you had to say...models weren't celebrities.

But with time, we started getting recognition. We started getting Magazine front covers, headlines, interviews on TV etc. People started asking for autographs...it was cool until some people started believing that reading about you was enough for them to tell the KIND of person you are. They now think they KNOW you.

I've heard all kinds of things said behind my back and some to my face...I've heard people say I'm an 'aristo' babe, heard that I slept my way to the top, heard that I have men giving me money because I have a mag and run my own business...sad story!

Because you are a model, they think you are wayward...it doesn't matter what you say, they will believe what makes them happy. When they don't see you around town with men, they conclude that you are doing your thing underground, they'll believe anything but the truth that you are just a decent girl doing decent things.

I remember reading several articles about Genevieve Nnaji. Alot of people speculated she was dating a top politician who was spoiling her with money. All these rumour started after she bought a jeep and moved to the Lekki area of Lagos. No one cared to remember she was a top actress, making alot of money and also got paid millions of naira for her Lux advert. If you are successful, have your own business, they automatically think there's an alhaji bankrolling you. Once again, Sad!

Whenever I heard those hurtful things, I used to always try to explain myself to anyone who cared to listen, hoping to convince someone that I'm not that 'kind' of girl. But then I realised that when you allow people's opinion matter so much to you, especially if they have nothing good to say about you, you're only making life more difficult for yourself.

I also realised that people like to think negative of others because it makes them feel good about themselves, especially if they think they have failed in their own lives...if they haven't achieved anything at all, and they feel that you have, they try to make themselves feel better by believing that you did something unholy to achieve success, so why bother with what these people think or say? Especially if you know they are wrong. Especially if you are proud of the person you are, especially if your family and close friends are proud of you, but most especially if you know God in heaven is proud of you...he knows and sees everything we do, his opinion is the one that matters most.

People will say, it doesn't matter how good you are, they will say! Some people derive joy from badmouthing others...these are people who don't like themselves. If they don't like themselves, how the hell do you expect them to like you? Some people have made up their minds about the kind of person they think you are and nothing can convince them otherwise, nothing!

I've developed a thick skin...the only people who's opinion I care about now are of those who know me well...how can you judge me from afar? Some people have never even met you, they've never spoken to you, but they will tell what they think is your life story like they are family.

If you don't know me, don't talk about me, don't condemn me, don't spread false, hateful rumours, don't judge me, don't say what you don't know. On a second thought, you can say...but it means nothing to me...why should it? You don't matter...

Get to know someone first before making up your mind about who you think they are. And don't judge, who are you to judge? Who died and made you king?

Only a small minded person will judge another based on hear-say or what they read in the papers...that's not enough for you to think you know...

Live and let live people, no one is perfect, not even you!

What people say shouldn't bother you, it doesn't bother me...not anymore.

Tuface, Timi, Omawunmi and Nana Abrewa quotes


Tuface quote
On women and fame
Tuface " I like to take things naturally. Apart from being an artiste, I see myself like anybody else. I just take things naturally. No airs, I'm just myself all the time. On women, they come definitely, but I take it easy". You take it easy and already have two kids from two different women? Tuface, you are a champion!

On when he's getting married
"I don't know yet"

On the story that four girls are pregnant for him
"Up till now, I don't even know. Make we wait, we still dey count". This is supposed to be a joke?

On the millions of naira given to him by MTV
"We dey try, we dey wise up these days. You have the opportunity of watching TV and see them sell shares, see people buy houses, we are learning because investment is the in-thing now". Sensible!



Timi Quote

Did he think he would win?

"I just had a dream that one day something great will happen to me, it's been a long way, but I'm really happy it did happen"

On what got him this far

"I will say God first. And then hard work, and I had a praying grandmother."

His focus on projecting the image of Africa

"It is to uplift that image. They think Africans do a certain type of music in the whole world, they place Africans on a certain level in music. I think I stand a chance to proove the rest of the world wrong.

On the ten thousand dollars he won

"First of all, I will rush to the church and pay my tithe. I will make sure I do all in my power, that what we didn't have when I was growing up, we sure will have now". I wish he had won more cash!

Omawunmi quote

Was she disappointed when Timi won?

"No never! If you watched the top 24, it was Timi and I who scaled through. Even during the auditioning in calabar, Timi and I auditioned together. That was where I fell inlove with Timi's humility. Timi is a great person and a brother indeed, he deserved to win"


Idol West Africa Nana Abrewa quote

On her personal life

"My boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend. You watch movies that tell these stories and you imagine they can never happen in real life. When I confronted him, he said it was the devil that made him do it. When I confronted her, she said it was not her fault. So was I to blame" No sister, you just had a cheating boyfriend and nasty girlfriend!

On her music

"I was the first female Ghanaian to come out with a hip hop album, before that, all the women were singing either gospel or traditional music."

The problem with Ghanaians

"The problem with Ghanaians is that we are attached to our old ways of life. When we get used to one thing, it is very difficult for us to switch to another. If you try to groove to music from the western world, my people will think you are not being real". She said alot but let's stop here...

Got anything to say?

10 most bizarre people on earth.

1. Ngoc: Three decades without sleep.
Sixty-four-year-old Thai Ngoc, known as Hai Ngoc, said he could not sleep at night after getting a fever in 1973, and has counted infinite numbers of sheep during more than 11,700 consecutive sleepless nights. "I don't know whether the insomnia has impacted my health or not. But I'm still healthy and can farm normally like others," Ngoc said. Proving his health, the elderly resident of Que Trung commune, Que Son district said he can carry two 50kg bags of fertilizer down 4km of road to return home every day. His wife said, "My husband used to sleep well, but these days, even liquor cannot put him down." She said when Ngoc went to Da Nang for a medical examination, doctors gave him a clean bill of health, except a minor decline in liver function. Ngoc currently lives on his 5ha farm at the foot of a mountain busy with farming and taking care of pigs and chickens all day. His six children live at their house in Que Trung. Ngoc often does extra farm work or guards his farm at night to prevent theft, saying he used three months of sleepless nights to dig two large ponds to raise fish.

2. Bhagat: had his twin brother on his stomach Sanju Bhagat's stomach was once so swollen he looked nine months pregnant and could barely breathe. living in the city of Nagpur, India, Bhagat said he'd felt self-conscious his whole life about his big belly. But one night in June 1999, his problem erupted into something much larger than cosmetic worry. Mehta said that he can usually spot a tumor just after he begins an operation. But while operating on Bhagat, Mehta saw something he had never encountered. As he cut deeper into Bhagat's stomach, gallons of fluid spilled out — and then something extraordinary happened. "First, one limb came out, then another limb came out. Then some part of genitalia, then some part of hair, some limbs, jaws, limbs, hair." At first glance, it may look as if Bhagat had given birth. Actually, Mehta had removed the mutated body of Bhagat's twin brother from his stomach. Bhagat, they discovered, had one of the world's most bizarre medical conditions — fetus in fetu. It is an extremely rare abnormality that occurs when a fetus gets trapped inside its twin. The trapped fetus can survive as a parasite even past birth by forming an umbilical cordlike structure that leaches its twin's blood supply until it grows so large that it starts to harm the host, at which point doctors usually intervene.

3. Yokoi: Spent 28 years hidden after WWII
Shoichi Yokoi was a soldier, conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1941 and sent to Guam shortly thereafter. In 1944, as American forces reconquered the island, Yokoi went into hiding. On January 24, 1972, Yokoi was discovered in a remote section of Guam by two of the island's inhabitants. For 28 years he had been hiding in an underground jungle cave, fearing to come out of hiding even after finding leaflets declaring that World War II had ended. "It is with much embarrassment that I have returned alive," he said upon his return to Japan, carrying his rusted rifle at his side.

4. Mehran: Lives at the Airport since 1988
Mehran Karimi Nasseri, also known as Sir, Alfred Mehran, is an Iranian refugee who has been living in the departure lounge of Terminal One in Charles de Gaulle Airport since August 8, 1988. After he was later imprisoned, tortured and expelled from his country, he applied for asylum in many European countries without luck. When he decided to go to the United Kingdom, he claimed that he was mugged, and his shoulder bag stolen while waiting at the RER platform to go to Charles de Gaulle Airport to take a flight to Heathrow. Nasseri managed to board the plane, but when he arrived at Heathrow without the necessary documentation, Heathrow officials sent him back to Charles de Gaulle. Nasseri was unable to prove his identity or his refugee status to the French officials and so he was moved to the Zone d'attente (waiting zone), a holding area for travellers without papers. Nasseri was reportedly the inspiration behind the 2004 movie The Terminal. Unlike Tom Hanks' character in the movie, and since at least 1994, Nasseri does not live in the duty-free transit area but simply in the departure hall, in the circular boutiques and restaurants passage on the lowest floor. He can at least theoretically leave the terminal at any moment, although, since everyone knows him, his departure might not remain unnoticed. He does not seem to speak with anyone normally. With his cart and bags, he almost looks like a traveler, so people either do not notice him or ignore him as if he were a homeless person.

5. Mitsuo: A japanese Jesus Christ
Matayoshi Mitsuo is an eccentric Japanese politician with the conviction that he is the God and Christ. According to his program, he will do the Last Judgement as the Christ but the way to do this is totally within the current political system and its legitimacy. His first step as the Savior is to be appointed the prime minister of Japan. Then he will reform Japanese society and then the United Nations should offer him the honor of its General Secretary. Then Matayoshi Jesus will reign over the whole world with two legitimate authorities, not only religious but also political. He has presented himself in many elections but he has not won yet. He has become well-known for his eccentric campaigns where he urges opponents to commit suicide by hara-kiri.

6. Bihari: Most officially dead person
Lal Bihari (born 1961) is a farmer from Uttar Pradesh, India who was officially dead from 1976 to 1994. He founded Mritak Sangh or the Association of the Dead in Uttar Pradesh, India. He fought Indian government bureaucracy for 18 years to prove that he is alive. When Lal Bihari tried to apply for a bank loan in 1976, he found out that he was officially dead. His uncle had bribed a government official to register him as dead so he would get the ownership of Bihari's land. Bihari discovered at least 100 other people in a similar situation, being officially dead. He formed Mritak Sangh in the Azamgarh district. He and many other members were in danger of being killed by those who had appropriated their property. Nowadays the association has over 20,000 members all over India. By 2004 they had managed to declare four of their members alive. In 2004 he ran for a seat in the parliament of Lal Ganj.

7. Icke: Salvation from Reptilian Humanoids
David Icke, is a former professional football player, BBC television sports presenter, and British Green Party national spokesperson. Since 1990, he has been what he calls a "full-time investigator into who and what is really controlling the world.": reptilians. He dresses only in turquoise and sustains that the world was ruled by a secret group called "The Elite": a race of reptilian humanoids, known in ancient times as the Babylonian Brotherhood, and that many prominent people are descended from them, including George W. Bush, Queen Elizabeth II, and Kris Kristofferson. He believes that descendants of the reptiles engage in child molestation and Satanism. He is the author of 15 books explaining his views. After a five-hour speech to students, he received a standing ovation at the University of Toronto in 1999.

8. Bawden: The self-elected Pope Michael I, from Kansas
Avid Allen Bawden (born 1959), is an American citizen who was elected "Pope Michael I" by a group of six Conclavist or post-Sedevacantist Catholics, arguing that the elections of the last 6 popes were invalid because they are all modernists. Sedevacantists argue that if the College of Cardinals will not or cannot elect a valid pope, ordinary Catholics can do so, under the principle of "Epikeia" (Equity). Acting on the basis of this, David Bawden was elected Pope by six people on 1990 (including himself and his parents). He is still on the job to this day.

9. Nakamatsu: Photographed and analyzed every meal for 34 years
Yoshiro Nakamatsu (born June 26, 1928), a.k.a. Dr. NakaMats, is the Japanese inventor claiming to hold the world record for number of inventions with over 3,000, including the floppy disk and "PyonPyon" spring shoes. He has being photographing and retrospectively analyzing every meal he has consumed during a period of 34 years (and counting). The goal of Nakamatsu is to live over 140 years old.

10. Lotito: Mister eat-it-all
Michel Lotito (born June 15, 1950) is a French entertainer. Lotito, who was born in Grenoble, is famous as the consumer of undigestables, and is known as Monsieur Mangetout (Mister Eat-it-all). Lotito's performances are the consumption of metal, glass, rubber and so on in items such as bicycles, televisions, a Cessna 150, and smaller items which are disassembled, cut-up and swallowed. The aircraft took roughly two years to be 'eaten' from 1978 to 1980. He began eating unusual material while a child and has been performing publicly since 1966. Lotito does not often suffer from ill-effects due to his diet, even after the consumption of materials usually considered poisonous. When performing he consumes around a kilogram of material daily, preceding it with mineral oil and drinking considerable quantities of water during the 'meal'. He apparently possesses a stomach and intestine with walls of twice the expected thickness, and his digestive acids are, allegedly, unusually powerful, allowing him to digest a certain portion of his metallic meals.

I'm sitting at home, waiting for my office to get fixed, so I'm just sitting in front of the computer loading up stuff...hope you like some of them.

Dating two guys at the same time.

On my Friday night outing, I saw someone I hadn't seen in a while. She was at Fashion Cafe with a guy whom she later introduced to me as her boyfriend. For some weird reason, every time I see a man and a woman together, especially if they seem intimate or something seems 'off' about them, I look at their fingers to see if I'll spot a wedding ring. This guy was wearing a ring quite alright, but the girl isn't married.

I have met a few girls who have introduced married men to me as their boyfriends. Maybe it's me but I find it very odd.

I don't condone but I understand the need for some girls to date married men...for money. What I don't understand is being in a serious relationship with a man who has a wife and kids. Especially when you've reached marriageable age yourself. Why would any woman in her right thinking mind be in a very serious relationship with a married man who has no intention of taking another wife?

This girl is at least 2 years older than me and I just couldn't understand why she was at a night club, kissing and introducing the guy as the love of her life...it still puzzles me sha!

If he's married, why take him serious? Why not something casual, get what you want and leave as fast as you can, instead of being in a 2/3/4 year relationship with a man whose wife has had two kids for him since you came into his life...I don't understand how some women can let themselves be used that way...

Anyway, that's really not what I want to talk about, just thought to chip that in. What I want to talk about is dating two guys at the same time. During my brief talk with this girl, I asked after a guy I used to know her with, to my surprise, she told me she was still dating the guy but is also dating the married man. She has TWO boyfriends.

I know alot of women who are dating two men at the same time. When you ask them why, their reasons range from, I love him but he can't take care of my needs, so I got myself an aristo. Some say you can't put all your eggs in one basket. Another set of women say they don't believe that God made one woman for one man. Others just like the variety, while some need more than one person to satisfy them completely.

Whatever their reasons, I'm thinking it must be very stressful keeping two men...and being serious with both. It's hard enough having sex with one man, how do you do two? How do you explain your whereabouts to one while with the other guy? All the lies you have to tell, the excuses you have to make, the cover ups.

I know alot of men keep more than one woman in Naija. You'll hardly find a married man who doesn't have a girlfriend, sad story! I guess it's easier for a man to keep more than one woman, just like lawyers, they know how to tell lies...and they almost always get away with it...

But women aren't built that way. God gave us more compassion, honesty, loyalty and made us more monogamous...imagine if all married women conducted themselves in the same manner with their husbands, marriage will cease to make sense.

Contrary to many beliefs, I don't think that many married women cheat. It's just something some men want to belief to justify their own infidelities. God didn't build women like that, that's why it puzzles me when a woman has more than one man in her life...I just don't understand how a girl can handle it. What if she gets pregnant? ok maybe that's lame but what about sharing your emotions, heart, body, mind and soul with two or more men, isn't that a hard life to put yourself in?

I so much believe in one at a time, maybe because I've never been heartbroken, so don't understand the need to cheat or 'not put all my eggs in one basket'.

I'm totally for one woman/one man. If it doesn't work out with the guy, move on and find someone else, or maybe it's just not that easy? Some women have been through hell in the hands of men and have vowed never to give themselves to only one man, in case of disappointment, they have someone else to fall back on...

I don't think you can have peace by dating two people. What about birthdays, Valentine, public outings, mutual friends, how do you deal with those?
Well, I guess it's every man for himself. Whatever brings you happiness and peace of mind is what you should do. If dating two guys or MORE does that, then do it!
I just think that's a difficult life to live.
Anyone has anything to contribute, please feel free.

Remembering Anne Frank.

I came across this name some weeks ago and I promised myself to find out more about this little girl whose story and writings made a difference in the lives of troubled and rebellious teenagers in the 'Freedom Writers' story. They read her book, which she wrote in form of a diary as a teenager in the Holocaust years in Germany and were inspired to change their lives for the better. Those of you who have seen the movie 'Freedom Writers' know what I'm talking about.
Read her story...

Anne Frank

Anne was was a Jewish girl who wrote a diary while in hiding with her family and four friends in Amsterdam during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II.

Anne Frank was born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt am Main, Weimar Germany, the second daughter of Otto Heinrich Frank (May 12, 1889 – August 19, 1980) and Edith Holländer (January 16, 1900–January 6, 1945). Margot Frank (February 16, 1926 – March, 1945) was her sister. Her given name was Annelies Marie, but to her family and friends, she was simply "Anne"

For her thirteenth birthday on June 12, 1942, Anne received a book which she had pointed out to her father in a shop window a few days earlier. She began writing in it almost immediately, describing herself, her family and friends, her school life, boys she flirted with and the places she liked to visit in her neighborhood. She also refers to changes that had taken place since the German occupation. In some entries Anne provides more detail of the oppression that was steadily increasing. For instance, she wrote about the yellow star which all Jews were forced to wear in public, and she listed some of the restrictions and persecutions that had encroached into the lives of Amsterdam's Jewish population.


In July 1942, Margot Frank received a call-up notice from the Central Office for Jewish Emigration) ordering her to report for relocation to a work camp. Anne was then told of a plan that Otto had formulated with his most trusted employees, and which Edith and Margot had been aware of for a short time. The family was to go into hiding in rooms above and behind the company's premises on a street along one of Amsterdam's canals.

In addition to providing a narrative of events as they occurred, she also wrote about her feelings, beliefs and ambitions, subjects she felt she could not discuss with anyone. As her confidence in her writing grew, and as she began to mature, she wrote of more abstract subjects such as her belief in God, and how she defined human nature. She continued writing regularly until her final entry of August 1, 1944.



On the morning of August 4, 1944, Anne and her family's hiding place was stormed by the German Security Police following a tip-off from an informer who was never identified. the group included at least three members of the Security Police. The occupants were loaded into trucks and taken for interrogation. The members of the household were taken to the Gestapo headquarters where they were interrogated and held overnight.

On August 5, they were transferred to the House of Detention, an overcrowded prison on the Weteringschans. Two days later the eight Jewish prisoners were transported to Westerbork, The Netherlands. Having been arrested in hiding, they were considered criminals and were sent to the Punishment Barracks for hard labor.

On September 3, the group was deported on what would be the last transport from Westerbork to the Auschwitz concentration camp. They arrived after a three days' journey, and were separated by gender, with the men and women never to see each other again. Of the 1019 passengers, 549 people-–including all children under the age of fifteen years-–were selected and sent directly to the gas chambers where they were killed. Anne had turned fifteen three months earlier and was spared, and although everyone from the Achterhuis survived this selection, Anne believed her father had been killed.

Anne with her Family

With the other females not selected for immediate death, Anne was forced to strip naked to be disinfected, had her head shaved and was tattooed with an identifying number on her arm. By day, the women were used as slave labour; by night, they were crowded into freezing barracks. Disease was rampant and before long Anne's skin became badly infected by scabies.


On October 28, selections began for women to be relocated to Bergen-Belsen. More than 8,000 women, including Anne and Margot Frank and Auguste van Pels, were transported, but Edith Frank was left behind. Tents were erected to accommodate the influx of prisoners, Anne and Margot among them, and as the population rose, the death toll due to disease increased rapidly.

Anne was briefly reunited with two friends, Hanneli Goslar (nicknamed "Lies" in the diary) and Nanette Blitz, both of whom survived the war. Blitz described her as bald, emaciated and shivering. Goslar said that although Anne was ill herself, she told her that she was more concerned about Margot, whose illness seemed to be more severe and who remained in her bunk, too weak to walk


In March 1945, a typhus epidemic spread through the camp killing an estimated 17,000 prisoners. Witnesses later testified that Margot fell from her bunk in her weakened state and was killed by the shock, and that a few days later Anne was dead too. They estimated that this occurred a few weeks before the camp was liberated by British troops on April 15, 1945, although the exact dates were not recorded.

The camp, after liberation, had to be burned due to the epidemic, and Anne and Margot were buried in a mass grave, the exact whereabouts of which are unknown.

Statue of Anne Frank, by Mari Andriessen, outside the Westerkerk in Amsterdam.


Anne's father, Otto, the only survivor of the group, returned to Amsterdam after the war ended, to find that her diary had been saved. He had it published in Dutch under the title Het Achterhuis: Dagboekbrieven van 12 Juni 1942 – 1 Augustus 1944 (The Backhouse: Diary notes from 12 June 1942 – 1 August 1944).

It was published as The Diary of a Young Girl and eventually translated from its original Dutch into many languages and became one of the world's most widely read books. There have also been several films, television, theatrical productions, and even an opera based on the diary.

Described as the work of a mature and insightful mind, it provides an intimate examination of daily life under Nazi occupation and in hiding; through her writing, Frank has become one of the most renowned and discussed of Holocaust victims.

Memorial for Anne and Margot Frank at the former Bergen-Belsen site, along with floral and pictorial tributes


Over the years the popularity of the diary grew, and in many schools, particularly in the United States, it was included as part of the curriculum, introducing Anne Frank to new generations of readers.

I'm inspired by this young girl who wrote down her thoughts and experiences despite being faced with the most unfortunate things to happen to man, war and death. Such courage give me strenght.

May her memory live forever.

Monday, June 4, 2007

My New Office

I told y'all a few days ago that I got a new office. Well I did! And I'm so excited about it.

I used to have an office on Oweh Street, Jibowu, Yaba. It was a three bedroom office space with a reception area. But then my rent expired and instead of renewing it, I decided to get me a bigger office space, so I can I can employ more people and expand my business.

So now I have five rooms and a big reception area, in the heart of Surulere, a stone throw from my house. The best part of my new office is the location, it's just at the bus stop, can be easily located.

I'm still trying to figure out how I can expand my business, what other areas I can delve into, because for now I'm restricting myself to modeling, fashion, events.

Mostly, I want to now concentrate on my Mag, been neglecting it. It's just that it costs a lot of money to put out a Magazine on a monthly basis, it costs 1.2 million to print just three thousand copies, can't afford that every month. But I'm talking to investors and banks...this country is just not very encouraging. But I'm too determined not to let my dream die. It won't!

Anyway, back to my office, I've been home for the last one week, trying to fix the place up...it's costing me an arm and a leg, painting, electrical work, changing keys, buying new furniture etc, but thank God I have a man who cares...he's making life so easy for me...maybe I'll marry him after all lol. Marriage scares the shit out of me...

I'm throwing a small opening party next week Monday, if you wanna come, send me an email and I'll send you the address...

kisses! Linda

Introducing Nigeria's hottest softsell magazine. Encomium Magazine

Encomium Magazine is one of the most read softsell mags in Nigeria. They do fashion, style, beauty, politics, news, gossip etc. This is one mag I buy every week, some of my Naija gists and gossip come from the mag. I guess you can call it the 'Hello' of Nigeria. They recently celebrated their Ten years in Business...
They have a variety of the Mag...the Encomium Weekly, Encomium Special, Encomium Annual, Encomium Lifestyle. Check out some of their mag covers...

































To read more entertainment news and gossip, fashion and style, health and fitness and events happenings in Naija, visit www.encomiummagazine.com.

Miss Galaxy West Africa Pageant in Pictures



















For more pix from the pageant, go to purefoto.com.

Riddles, True or False, Did you know, Facts on Sports + Man chops off his genitals

I haven't done some of this stuff before on my blog, thought it might be kind of fun. Below are some riddles, see if you can answer any of them.
Riddles
1. John is standing behind Mary, and Mary is standing behind John. How is this possible?

2. How would you rearrange the letters in the words "New Door" to make one word?

3. What runs all around the yard without moving?

4. What is it that someone else has to take before you can get it?

5. When asked how old she was, Suzie replied, "In two years I will be twice as old as I was five years ago."How old is she now?

6. How would you rearrange the letters in the words "New Door" to make one word?

7. There is a town where a quarter of all the people living have unlisted phone numbers. If you select 100 names at random from the town's phone book, on average how many of these people would have unlisted phone numbers?

8. Where is the only place that yesterday always follow today?

9. The maker doesn't want it, the buyer doesn't use it and the user doesn't see it. What is it?

10. What do you throw out when you want to use it, but take in when you don't want to use it?

11. What is broken when you name it?

12. What is one thing that all wise men, regardless of their politics or religion, agree is between heaven and earth?

13. What is often returned but never borrowed?

14. What keys can't you put in a lock?

15. If you were to put a coin into an empty bottle and then insert a cork into the neck, how could you remove the coin without taking out the cork or breaking the bottle?

Were you able to answer any? Send your answer as a comment. I'll post the answers to the riddles in a couple of days...

...Below also are some true or false questions. See if you can do justice to any of them...goodluck...

True or False?
1. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and can kill them.
a)True
b)False

2. The worm in a bottle of Mexican tequila is an aphrodisiac or hallucinogen.
a) True
b) False

3. If you sit too close to the TV, you will ruin your eyes.
a) True
b) False

4. Eating turkey makes you sleepy.
a) True
b) False

5. The Chevy Nova did not sell well in Mexico because its name translates as "doesn't go" in Spanish.
a) True
b) False

6. Eating poppy seeds can cause you to fail a drug test.
a) True
b) False)

7. The phrase "son of a gun" originated during the Civil War when a woman was struck by a bullet that had passed through the scrotum of a soldier. The sperm on the bullet penetrated her ovaries and impregnated her.
a) True
b) False

8. Drinking alcohol — brandy, for example — will warm you up when out in cold weather.
a) True
b) False

9. A computer keyboard harbors more germs than a toilet seat.
a) True
b) False

10. The modern-day image of Santa Claus — a chubby, bearded man in a red-and-white suit — was created by the Coca-Cola Company.
a) True
b) False

Answers also coming later...

...Some interesting stories you might never have heard...


Did you know?

The origin of April Fool

It is widely proclaimed that April Fool's day originated in France in 1562, or thereabouts, when Pope Gregory replaced the Julian calender with the Gregorian calender in the Julian calender month of April. The day of introduction of the Gregorian calender was made the first day of January. Some people hadn't heard about the change in the date, so they continued to celebrate the New Year's Day, but it being 1st April. So, others called them "April fools." The fact is that Pope Gregory XIII ordered Thursday 4 October 1582 to be the last day of the Julian calendar. The next day was Friday 15 October. April Fool's Day is an April Fool's tale. The April Fool's Day tradition in France includes poisson d'avril ("April's fish"), attempting to attach a paper fish to the victim's back without being noticed.


Absolutely nothing happened between 3 and 13 September 1752
In September 1752 the Julian calendar was replaced with the Gregorian calendar in Great Britain and its American colonies. The Julian calendar was 11 days behind the Gregorian calendar, so 14 September got to follow 2 September on the day of the change. The result was that between 3 and 13 September, absolutely nothing happened!
The calendar switch also influenced the way George Washington's birthday is celebrated. He was born on 11 February 1731, but the anniversary of his birth is on 22 February because of the 11 days eliminated from the calendar switch. At the same time, New Year's Day was changed from 25 March to 1 January, thus according to the new calendar, Washington was born in 1732.

One of the seven wonders of the world still exists

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World that still survives.
The other six are:
1) The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were built on the banks of the Euphrates river by King Nebuchadnezzar II.
2) The gigantic gold statue of Zeus was built by the sculptor Pheidias at Olympia.
3) The temple of Artemis was erected in the Asia Minor city of Ephesus in honour of the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature.
4) The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a huge tomb constructed for King Maussollos, Persian satrap of Caria.
5) The Colossus of Rhodes was a massive statue erected by the Greeks in honour of Helios the sun-god.
6) The Lighthouse of Alexandria was built by the Ptolemies on the island of Pharos.


The Great Pyramid of Giza was built near the ancient city of Memphis for Pharaoh Khufu in the period of the Fourth Dynasty, between 2613 and 2494BC. The Greeks refered to it as the Pyramid of Cheops. It covers a ground area of 13.1 acres (32,4 hectares), composed of some 2.3 million limestone blocks average two-and-a-half tonnes each, enough stone to build a wall of foot-square cubes two-thirds around the globe at the equator, a distance of 16,600 miles (26 500km).

Also...Facts on Sports

Fishing is the biggest participant sports in the world.


Football (soccer) is the most attended or watched sport in the world.


Boxing became a legal sport in 1901.


More than 100 million people hold hunting licences.


Jean Genevieve Garnerin was the first female parachutists, jumping from a hot air balloon in 1799.


In 1975 Junko Tabei from Japan became the first woman to reach the top of Everest.


The record for the most Olympic medals ever won is held by Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina. Competing in three Olympics, between 1956 and 1964, she won 18 medals.


The record for the most major league baseball career innings is held by Cy Young, with 7,356 innings.


The first instance of global electronic communications took place in 1871 when news of the Derby winner was telegraphed from London to Calcutta in under 5 minutes.


In 1898, one of the first programmes to be broadcasted on radio was a yacht race that took place in British waters.


Sports command the biggest television audiences, led by the summer Olympics, World Cup Football and Formula One racing.


Gymnasiums were introduced in 900BC and Greek athletes practised in the nude to the accompaniment of music. They also performed naked at the Olympic Games.


The very first Olympic race, held in 776 BC, was won by Corubus, a chef.


The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece in 1896. There were 311 male but no female competitors.


In his time, Michael Schumacher was the highest paid sportsman, ahead of Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer. (Not including sponsorship endorsements.)


The high jump method of jumping head first and landing on the back is called the Fosbury Flop.


Korfball is the only sport played with mixed teams, consisting of 4 men and 4 women.


The Major League Baseball teams use about 850,000 balls per season.


About 42,000 tennis balls are used in the plus-minus 650 matches in the Wimbledon Championship.


A baseball ball has exactly 108 stitches, a cricket ball has between 65 and 70 stiches.


A soccer ball is made up of 32 leather panels, held together by 642 stitches.
Basketball and rugby balls are made from synthetic material. Earlier, pigs' bladders were used as rugby balls.


The baseball home plate is 17 inches wide.


Golf the only sport played on the moon - on 6 February 1971 Alan Shepard hit a golf ball.


The oldest continuous trophy in sports is the America's Cup. It started in 1851, with Americans winning for a straight 132 years until Australia took the Cup in 1983.


Volleyball was invented by William George Morgan of Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1895.


A badminton shuttle easily travels 180 km/h (112 mph).
Ferenc Szisz from Romania, driving a Renault, won the first Formula One Grand Prix held at Le Mans, France in 1906.



It's a bizarre world we live in. Read the story of how a man cut off his genitals...

Man cuts off his genitals


A POLISH MAN burst into a busy central London restaurant and chopped off his own penis with a knife in front of horrified diners, police have reported.The man, a 35-year-old Polish national, ran into Zizzi, in the Strand, and promptly committed the surprising act."This guy came running in then charged into the kitchen, got a massive knife and started waving it about," a diner who was eating at the restaurant with his girlfriend said. Apparently, the man was dissatisfied that since he came to England he was unable to get a Polish girlfriend, who all seem to be going with black men."Everyone was screaming and running out as he jumped on a table, dropped his trousers and popped out his penis," the diner said. "Then he cut it off. I couldn't believe it." A Scotland Yard spokesperson said that a man aged between 30 and 40 was the only person hurt in the incident, and that his injuries were selfinflicted.He was taken to hospital, where his condition was described as stable, after police had subdued him using CS gas, and recovered his severed penis, which surgeons have attempted to reattach.It was not known whether the operation has been a success.

Send in your answers..Let's see the smartest of the pack...

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Tyra Banks dolls

My friends at cartoondollemporium.com sent me this gorgeous new Tyra Banks dress Doll that was just released into the market...

Below is a semi-naked Tyra Banks doll, below it are tops, bottoms, dresses, accessories and shoes to cover her up with.

When you go to their website, you choose from their variety of clothing and dress the Tyra doll to your taste. I wish it can be done on my blog, but it can't. It's such a fun thing to do.

I loaded a few of her clothing here...check it out


Tyra Banks Doll

TBD Tops




TBD Bottoms







TBD Dresses




TBD Shoes



TBD Accessories




for the real thing, go to www.cartoondollemporium.com/tyrabanksdoll.html. Also you'll find Mariah Carey, Oprah Winfey and Tiger Woods dolls on this site too. Enjoy!

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Nollywood Actors speak

Top actor/comedian Victor Osuagwu speaks


Where do you get your inspiration from?

"I’m a trained Theatre artist, and my role as an artist is to interpret a particular work the way it should be. It must be in the agreement with what my director wants.If they ask me to play a mad man now, I have to do a research on a mad man, going to the streets to learn something striking about a particular one. So it’s for meto pick the character of the one that I’ve noticed something striking about. I can even go very close and watch this particular character and the way he behaves and then transfer that particular character to myself but in all the inspiration comes from God."

What distinguishes you from the other comedians in the industry?

"Everybody has their own attitude. So, I think I have a particular characteristic that distinguishes me from others. As a comedian, you must have outstanding features. And this helps in selling yourself to your audience. Every comedianhas identifiable features that they are being appreciated for."
Is this what you have always wanted to do when you were coming into the system?

"To be candid with you, I didn’t want to be known as a funny character because there is this thing that goes along with the industry: comedians can easily be stigmatised, so at the initial stage, I didn’t want to be a comedian. But youknow, even your friends would tell you "Victor, man, you are a talented comedian". Being a comedian does not mean I can’t play other roles, but the truth is that everybody has their own time. My brother, it’s really paying off and that is why I keep doing it."


Why Ini Edo was banned - Emeka Duru, the guy who petitioned Actors' Guild on Nigeria, AGN, on Ini Edo




Can you give an account of what led to Ini Edo’s ban?

"Ini Edo was on a movie location that I managed. The movie is entitled ‘The Most Wanted Bachelor’ produced by Get Rich Productions. On the first day of the movie production when we were supposed to be on set but Ini told me she would be coming late because she had a police case. I gave her a whole day off. I told her to resume at the movie location by 9.00am the next day. But she did not showup until mid day. There was another instance when I called her that she is expected to be on set in Surulere. She promised to come but Ini switched off her phones and she did notcome to the location that day. She came the next day and I told her for delaying production she has to pay us a fine of twenty thousand naira. Her reply was that she would not talk to me because I am a bloody production man. She said she can only talk to the executive producer. Though I made sure the matter ended like that and we kept shooting.On the last day of the shoot we had worked for about twelve days. We were supposed to shoot an office scene. On that location we artistes like Mike Ezurunoye, Uche Jombo, Uche Elendu, Monalisa Chinda, Justus Esiri and other artistes. I had to plan the shooting in such a way that non of the artistes wouldfeel bad that he or she is not being attended to. I made sure we shot the scenes at random. Initially we had planned to shoot overnight to make sure we endedthe production. I pleaded with her to report to the location by 6.00pm. she came and we started shooting.She had two scenes left and she was to do a voice over. she shot a scene and I told her to go and change but to my surprise to executive producer called myattention that Ini was leaving the location. I looked through the window and I saw her driving off. The executive producer and I followed her with his bus but we couldn’t catch up with her. We both called her at different times and her phones were switched off. I later called Uche Jombo who told me they were at RockView Hotel in Festac Town. We drove down to the hotel claiming we were guests but I think Ini had instructed that we should not be allowed into the hotel. While atgate the Executive Producer called my attention to her car which had been covered by a tarpaulin. I immediately created a scene and the manager of the hotel came and confirmed that Ini Edo was a guest in the hotel but she is not expecting any visitor. He advised that we call her on her mobile phones. I made the man to understand that her phones were switched off. We returned to location that day but we all felt embarrassed and insulted by Ini’s action. The next day the movie director, Afam Okerere called Uche Jombo to inform Ini to go to Surulere to do the voice over but she did not call or come to the movielocation.I reported the case to the national president of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) who told me to make a formal presentation of complaint. I wrote a petition to that effect. She was summoned to a panel on 16th of April by 12 noon. She did not come until 2.25pm. The chairman of the committee, who also doubles as the nation secretary of AGN gave her a grace of one hour thirty minutes. By 2.25pm the committee took an action to ban her."


Aside being indicipline were there other reasons for her being banned?

"No. But there were insinuations that she was drinking and smoking on set? I don’t have any business with what anyone takes. What I am concerned with is movie production as long it does not affect movie production. But I will frown at any artiste who does not take his or her job serious. Ini’s disposition to her job as become an attitude of sort. I have only acted who is professional about his job."


Joke Silva talks about why she's on low cut



Why low cut?

"Well, I think it is because I got to a point where my hair wasn’t as healthy as it used to be, and I really got so tired of perming, or braiding. I just chopped it off. This is how I started my career anyway. I was hoping that if I chopped it off, it would still look nice."

Dressing.
"Anything that makes me comfortable. At times I wear trousers; at times, it is boubou; at other times, I wear keftan– even the way I dress now."

Most prized possession.
"Maybe it will be my phone. I have become so attached to my phone, really.

What turns you on in people?
"It is a combination of intelligence and integrity.
What turns you off?
"Nastiness. Those who go out of their way to be nasty put me off."

Why would anyone want to be nasty to Joke Silva? She's such a talented, sweet woman.


I body Scrub every two weeks - Top Nollywood actress, Clarion Chukwura Abiola


Beauty routine
"I don’t have a standard. The only thing that is routine is that every two weeks, I do body scrubbing with massage. Every Thursday, I give myself a facial. Every alternative Saturday, I body-scrub. I am a very hygienic person, I don’t use soap for my intimate hygene, I use the same fresh range for intimate hygiene. I use Dudu Osun every night and Lux soap every morning.


Turns–ons in people

"Laughter, communication. I have to be able to communicate with you, I have to be with one who can talk, someone who is knowledgeable about so various issues, not one who talks about people.Turns–offs Lousiness, gossip and unnecessary arrogance and snobbishness."

Nollywood Actress Oby Edozien speaks on why she dated her friend's ex-boyfriend

Attention from men
"I cope with it, I talk to them nicely. I don’t chase them away but when they get the message they go away. I don’t just go into relationship for going sake. I will settle down very soon by God’s grace, God will bring me my husband; every woman’s dream is to get married"

Sacrifices
"The sacrifice I made was to trek to long locations because there was no GSM, people also take advantage of my kindness and goodness, and I’ve leant to manage it. Some people said Oby is arrogant and rude but others have different notions about me, I carry myself very well I know some people are known for such notorious attitude. People see actresses as wayward and loose person, but that didn’t distract me. I don’t think I’ve got to the height because I’m thinking of Hollywood."

Regret
"Yes I took a decision to romance my friend’s ex-boyfriend she stops dating for three years without telling her. That caused a lot of troubles, lies, rumours and misunderstanding between us. Wao! I didn’t know I would be blackmailed to such extent. I could have just told my friend that I’m dating her ex-boyfriend. That is why I don’t have any best friend in the industry but I only have colleagues that are friends, my mother and sisters are my best friends."


Top Nigerian actress Chiege Alisigwe speaks on why her marriage lasted three months


"I was once married and I have a baby girl. The marriage crashed. The marriage did not work out. The marriage was consummated in 2002. For me, it is past tense and I won’t talk much about it. We were incompatible and it didn’t work.

Was her husband the wrong choice?

"I won’t say I made a wrong choice of a husband. May be I was naive when the affair was contracted. May be it was a wrong choice. I won’t call it a mistake but I call it experience which I have learnt from. The marriage, lasted for only three months you won’t believe it. I had concieved the baby in my womb before we fell apart, three months later so I had the baby and have taken care of her all by myself since she was born. When I am working, she stays with my sister and as soon as I am back from location, I take her. She lives with me and I love her so much. In fact, she is my jewel.

On being a single mum

"It is not easy but I cope. My baby is my jewel and I am very happy I have her. It’s a blessing and not a stress as people want to say. Her name is Munachimsoaga.

Will she marry again?

"Yes, if the time is right and the guy is right. Why not? I am young and can’t live my entire life alone without a man. But the time and the guy have to be right. I can’t afford to make the mistake I made earlier so I am watchful and very careful the way I fall this time around." I say goodluck to Chiege

All stories Thanks to my friends at Nigerianfilms.

Please feel free to comment.

My Friday Night Outing.

I'm still in a daze. Had a crazy Friday night. I'm not a night club person, don't particularly enjoy the loud music, alcohol, cigarettes etc but I love to dance, so once in a while, I like to go someplace where I can unwind.

I'd been planning a quiet, stay in Friday night until top designer, Frank Osodi, called me at about 8pm inviting me to a place called Fashion Cafe. It's a new bar/restaurant/night club off Awolowo Road. For some reason I never say no to Frank. I always go where he invites me to...he gave me a modeling career, he's my mentor...besides that, HE was up for some partying, cos the last time we went to a club was in February. So we set out at 10pm.

We met Frank Osodi, Sunny Neji, Emeka Ossai, Remi Lagos, and so many others at Fashion Cafe. It was fun for a little while until Remi Lagos decided it was time for us to go check out another club. In a convoy, we went to a new Jazz joint called Jazz Session, a really classy, clean place with great ambience.

That was where I saw Funmi Iyanda. I couldn't get enough of hugging her. She's like the nicest woman ever. She went on and on about how much she loved my blog, using some ecouraging words. That was the high point of the night for me. Funmi is such a friendly, down to earth person who has no airs about her...no 'I'm a celebrity' attitude. She's so cool! And she was looking so hot hot hot! Most people around couldn't take their eyes off her. She's such an inspiration...

We hung out at Jazz Session for a little while until some people in our group decided it was time to check out another spot. So we left Jazz Session and went to Tiffany Amber's hubby's night club Lacasa on Ozumba Mbadiwe, but we couldn't get in 'cos they said Friday Nights were members only night! Yawn!

Anyway, we left there and headed to club towers on Idowu Taylor...same luck...Club Towers was closed. We decided to go check out one last spot before calling it a night...we went to Da Grotto on Etim Inyang...that was our last bus stop and it was quite fun as I had the opportunity to finally dance. It was fun.

Got home at about 4 am really tired...those who club every weekend I wonder how they do it...I'm still trying to recover from last night's trip...

That is the end of my story, and the moral of my story is...you decide lol. I feel like I'm just blabbing...just wanted to share my fun night with y'all...

Something else I want to talk about that's bothering some members of my family and HIM. I'm getting slimmer and slimmer by the day. I eat, I don't know why I can't seem to add weight. HE took me to a pharmacy this afternoon and bought me all kinds of vitamins, appetite stimulants, blood tonics etc etc. He's threatened to dump me if I don't add weight lol....my younger sister too has become almost a pain in the neck, she's always bugging me about my slimness, even went as far as reporting me to my mum. So I seriously need to add weight. Anyone know what I can do? Do tell me abeg o.

Meanwhile I just got myself a new office space. Five rooms and a big reception area...I'm so excited about it, I'll tell y'all about it later...

Wienna where are you? Get in touch babes. Miss you already!

Goodnight everyone. Kisses!

 

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