Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: 12/16/2007 - 12/23/2007

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Friday 21 December 2007

Tree Man + How to celebrate xmas + Funny sleeping habits

I was going to give Naija Entertainment gist today, but...

I have no excuse...

I'll get it to you tomorrow

Meanwhile enjoy...

Tree Man
An Indonesian fisherman who feared that he would be killed by tree-like growths covering his body has been given hope of recovery by an American doctor - and Vitamin A.

Dede, now 35, baffled medical experts when warty "roots" began growing out of his arms and feet after he cut his knee in a teenage accident.



The welts spread across his body unchecked and soon he was left unable to carry out everyday household tasks.

Sacked from his job and deserted by his wife, Dede has been raising his two children - now in their late teens - in poverty, resigned to the fact that local doctors had no cure for his condition.

To make ends meet he even joined a local "freak show", parading in front of a paying audience alongside victims of other peculiar diseases.

Although supported by his extended family, he was often a target of abuse and ridicule in his rural fishing village.

But now an American dermatology expert who flew out to Dede's home village south of the capital Jakarta claims to have identified his condition, and proposed a treatment that could transform his life.

After testing samples of the lesions and Dede's blood, Dr Anthony Gaspari of the University of Maryland concluded that his affliction is caused by the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), a fairly common infection that usually causes small warts to develop on sufferers.


Dede's problem is that he has a rare genetic fault that impedes his immune system, meaning his body is unable to contain the warts.

The virus was therefore able to "hijack the cellular machinery of his skin cells", ordering them to produce massive amounts of the substance that caused the tree-like growths known as "cutaneous horns" on his hands and feet.

Dede's counts of a key type of white blood cell are so low that Dr Gaspari initially suspected he may have the Aids virus.

But tests showed he did not, and it became clear that Dede's immune condition was something far rarer and more mysterious.

Warts aside, he had enjoyed remarkable good health throughout his life - which would not be expected of someone with a suppressed immune system - and neither his parents nor his siblings have shown signs of developing lesions.

"The likelihood of having his deficiency is less than one in a million," Dr Gaspari told the Telegraph.

Dr Gaspari, who became involved in the case through a Discovery Channel documentary, believes that Dede's condition can be largely cleared up by a daily doses of a synthetic form of Vitamin A, which has been shown to arrest the growth of warts in severe cases of HPV.



"He won't have a perfectly normal body but the warts should reduce in size to the point where he could use his hands," Dr Gaspari said.

"Over the course of three to six months the warts should be come smaller and fewer in number. He will be living a more normal life."

The most resilient warts could then be frozen off and the growths on his hands and feet surgically removed.

Dr Gaspari hopes to get the necessary drugs free of charge from pharmaceutical firms. They would then be administered by Indonesian doctors under his supervision.

Still intrigued by the origins of Dede's peculiar immune condition, the doctor would like to fly him to the United States for further examination, but fears the financial and bureaucratic barriers would prove too difficult to overcome.

"I would like to bring him to the US to run tests on where his immune condition has come from, but I would need funding and to get him a visa as well as someone to cover the costs of the tests," he said.

"I've never seen anything like this in my entire career."

How to celebrate xmas
Christmas has become a very commercial holiday. Rushing around to buy presents, people tend to forget the true meaning of Chistmas. Aside from big dinners and expensive gifts,there are other ways to celebrate that reflect the true meaning of the holiday, and give the gifts to the One whose birthday it is!

Steps
*Reflect on the reason for Christmas by doing some research. In the Bible, you can find the Christmas story in the book of Luke, Chapters 1 and 2.

*Choose some activities that you and your friends or family will enjoy which fit with the meaning of Christmas and are also socially enjoyable. Consider preparing some special foods for the poor and needy, as well as giving gifts to people you know. Learn some of the non-commercialized Christmas songs.

*Spend time with others to celebrate.

*Spend time quietly being thankful for the gift of Jesus to the world that we celebrate on Christmas.

*Invite God to come and celebrate the day with you.

Tips
Remember your Christmas may not have white snow-topped trees, or a huge pile of presents, or a wonderful choir singing Christmas carols, but your Christmas celebration and thankfulness is all that is required to properly celebrate. Anything more is a bonus.


Funny sleeping habits















See you guys tommorrow!

Wednesday 19 December 2007

Random Pix + Future Awards Nominees party pictures

Ok ok ok, I will most definitely change the cover of the magazine. They say the voice of the people is the voice of God. If most of you don't like the cover, then it must not be good! I really appreciate your sincerity.

I've always had my reservations but everyone at work seemed to like it.

I have this very Voque-like photo of another top model...I'll let y'all see it soon.

Meanwhile, I was robbed at Eko bridge yesterday morning. Robbed of N200. Please laugh abeg!

I couldn't stop laughing. Who laughs after a robbery? Cheap ass robbers!

I was driving with my windows down (Not very wise), in traffic and these three guys came from nowhere demanding that I 'find them something'. The traffic was almost at a standstill, couldn't move left or right.

Fortunately, I had N200 in my hands. I'd wanted to use the money to a buy a can coke from those street hawkers before the boys came to say hi to me...hahaha.

So I gave them the N200...

But there was a problem. My phone was tucked between my laps and one of the guys had spotted it and made to grab it after I'd given them the money...

Take my Nokia N95? Lailai. I grabbed his hand and started screaming like my life depended on it. My screams must have scared them 'cos they all scampered off.

Despite it all, Nigeria is still a beautiful country.

The Dynamix Awards was yesterday. It was beautiful. A lot of A list Naija celebs were in the house...

Only two things I didn't like about it.
1. They had 5pm on their IV's as start off time, but the show didn't start till 10pm. Not nice!
2. There was a gatefee of 5grand. Which I don't understand, since it was an award ceremony not a concert

Anyway, all in all, it was cool!

Random pix

A pregnant JLO. Still looking stunning!


Britney Spear's 16 year old sister, Lynn Spears, is pregnant. At 16? I don't even know what to say to that!



Is this what happened to Michael Jackson?

“I’m a black man turning white on television and people can see it,” says Thomas, an anchor and entertainment reporter for the local Fox Broadcasting Company affiliate. “If you’ve watched me over the years, you’ve seen my hands completely change from brown to white.”

Thomas has vitiligo, a disorder in which pigment-making cells are destroyed. White patches appear on different parts of the body, tissues in the mouth and nose, and the retina.

“There is no cause. There is no cure, and it’s very random,” Thomas says. “I could turn all the way white or mostly white.” As many as 65 million people worldwide have the disorder, including up to 2 million in the United States.

This is an eye opener!


Michael Jackson at a bookstore. Michael looks...?

P diddy and Kim after the break up, at Kim's son's 16th birthday party

Future Awards Nominees Party Pictures
Fela Duro Toye
TY Bello

Denrele Edun
Ashionye and Gbemi of Cool Fm



The Koko master himself, D Banj
Will get y'all Naija Entertainment gist tomorrow. Cheers!

Monday 17 December 2007

FIFA World Footballer of the Year + Edition3 cover + Top Model Search



Ricardo Kaka is world footballer of the year 2007. He was crowned just last night, Mon 17th Dec. While Christiano Ronaldo came in a close second and Merci, third!

Nice choice you would say hmmm?

Meanwhile here's what the 3rd edition of the mag will kinda look like...


What do you guys think of this cover? It's absolutely not what the end result will look like. This is something we did in the office ourselves. We haven't gotten a professional graphic person to look at it yet.

We just wanted to see what it will kind of look like...

But this is the photo we intend to use (It hasn't been worked on)...and the cover stories!

She and I did the photo session same day...we had her in regular clothes (Clothed by Collectibles boutique), but everyone at work kinda preferred this pic...

Anyone like?

She's one of the wave making models right now in Naija. Hot on the runway. I want to use the magazine to promote modeling and models in Nigeria. So for now, no celeb is gracing the cover...maybe later!

So what do you guys think?


What do you think of this pix of me? Hilarious abi?

People seem to like it. I find it...hilarious! 'Sharia woman' wanna-be! lol!

Meanwhile, here is the flyer we did for Top Model Search

I totally don't like this photograph. But the director picked it 'cos he thinks that's the only pic that has a message. Something like 'From me to you!'

Whatever! lol!

Well, I indulged him but this is definitely not what I'm using for the handbills and posters. We made this into cards to present to potential sponsors.

I'm going all out in the picture for the real campaign.

You know 'The more you look, the less you see' kinda photograph.



What do you think?

When the real pictures and posters are out, I'll let y'all see it!

If there's anyone interested in this idea, get in touch with me.

Meanwhile, the Dynamix award is tomorrow. I'll be there 'cos I'm co-ordinating the Collectibles fashion show at the event. Tried to get out of it, but got boxed in. I'll see if there's any gist I can get from that event...

The Dynamix Award is an Award for students all over Nigeria...I wonder why the organiser, Tunde, wasn't nominated for Future Awards...he sure is a very hard working young man.

Anyway, hope everyone is alright? Life is treating you good? Happy? No break-ups? No heartbreaks? Making plans for a wonderful xmas? Remember to say your prayers?

Disappointed?

It's around this time of the year we start to count our blessings and losses. What did we achieve in 2007 we wonder? We start to compare ourselves to the person next to us...

But that's not necessary, because after all said and done, what matters most of all, is happiness and peace of mind!

So don't worry, if 2007 wasn't so great, 2008 will be beautiful! Life is about to get even better for us all! 2008 is our year! You just watch!

See you all later.

kisses!

Sunday 16 December 2007

Tiffany Amber 10th anniversary fashion show + Lincoln vs Kennedy

America's Next Top Model season 9 winner, Saleisha


She sure looks like a Top Model

This is the biggest movie in the theatres right now.

Will Smith's 'I Am Legend'. Go check it out

I'm sure some of you didn't know that Wesley Snipes dated JLO back in 1995?
Well, he sure did. Long before most of us ever heard her name!

She kinda looks older in this picture than she looks now. Still cute tho


Tiffany Amber 10th Anniversary Fashion Show held at Eko Hotel and suites pool side on the 8th of Dec 2007.

The guests

Tiffany Amber designer, Folaker coker, in the middle












Tiffany Amber 2008 collection












I love her clothes. Happy anniversary to her!

Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy
Is there some connection between Abe Lincoln & Jack Kennedy (apart from the fact that both were assasinated)?

Here are some co-incidences between both Presidents:

1. Both of them were assasinated while in office
2.Abe's killer John Wilkis Booth was 1839 born, Oswald (Kennedy's so-called killer) was born in 1939
3. Abe's successor's last name was Johnson (is it Andrew), born in 1808, Jack's was also Johnson (LBJ), born in 1908
4. Abe's secretary's last name was Kennedy, while Jack's was Lincoln (Evelyn)

5. Abe was killed in a theater,and Booth ran and hid himself in a book dipositry, while Oswald ran from a book diopsitry and was captured from a theater.
6. One week before his assassination, Jack was with Marilyn Monroe, while a week before his assaassination, Abe was in Monroe, Maryland.
7. Lincoln was elected in 1860. Kennedy was elected in 1960.
8. Both of their respective assassins were killed before they were brought to justice.

9. Both presidents had seven letters in their last name.
10. Both men studied law. Both could write well. Kennedy won the Pulitzer Prize and many of Lincoln's written works are considered classics.

11. Both had lazy eye muscles, which would sometimes cause one eye to deviate.

12. Both suffered from genetic diseases. It is suspected that Lincoln had Marfan syndrome, and Kennedy suffered from Addison's disease.
13. Both served in the military. Lincoln was a scout captain in the Black Hawk War, and Kennedy served as a navy lieutenant in World War II. Both were boat captains. Lincoln was a skipper for the Talisman, a Mississippi River boat, and Kennedy was skipper of the PT 109.
14. Both had no fear of their mortality and disdained bodyguards.

15. Both often stated how easy it would be to shoot a President. Lincoln supposedly said, "If somebody wants to take my life, there is nothing I can do to prevent it." Kennedy supposedly said, "If somebody wants to shoot me from a window with a rifle, nobody can stop it."
16. Both received many letters threatening their lives. In the year of his death, Lincoln received over 800 such letters, and in the year of his death, Kennedy received over 80 letters of this type.

17. Both presidents were shot in the head.

18. Both were shot on a Friday. In each case, the Friday was one connected to a holiday. Lincoln was shot on Good Friday, and Kennedy was shot on the Friday before Thanksgiving.
19. Both were seated beside their wives when shot.

20. Neither Mrs. Lincoln nor Mrs. Kennedy were injured.

21. Both presidents were in the company of another married couple when shot. In each case, their male guests were injured, but not fatally. Major Henry Rathbone was slashed by a knife, and Governor John Connally was shot. Both Connally´s and Rathbone´s surnames have eight letters.

22. Lincoln sat in Box 7 at Ford's Theatre. Kennedy rode in car 7 in the Dallas motorcade.

23. Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre. Kennedy was shot in a Ford car; a Lincoln limousine.

24. Both presidents died in a place with the initials P and H. Lincoln died in the Peterson House, whilst Kennedy died at Parkland Hospital.

25. Military personnel performed autopsies on both presidents.

26. Both Lincoln and Kennedy were buried in Mahogany caskets.

27. Both assassins used three names: John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald. (It should be noted that Lee Harvey Oswald was known as just Lee Oswald prior to the assassination.)

28. There are 15 letters in each assassin's name.

29. Both assassins struck when in their mid-twenties.

30. Each assassin lacked a strong father-figure in his life. Booth's father died when he was 13 years old, and Oswald's father died before he was born.

31. Each assassin had two brothers whose careers they envied. Booth's two brothers were more successful actors and Oswald envied his brothers' military lives.

32. Both assassins were Privates in the military. Booth was a Private in the Virginia Militia, and Oswald was a Private in the Marine Corps.

33. Both assassins were shot by religious men; Booth was killed by Boston Corbett, a religious fanatic who castrated himself to "resist sin," and Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby, who, according to some people, took his faith seriously.

34. Both assassins are considered unpatriotic. Booth supported the Confederacy and Oswald was a Marxist.

35. Both Corbett and Ruby had changed their names. Corbett's real first name was Thomas, and Ruby's name was originally Jacob Rubenstein.

36. Both Corbett and Ruby were known as unstable men who were prone to violence.

37. Both assassins were fond of writing down their thoughts. Booth kept a diary and Oswald kept a journal.

38. Both assassins often used aliases. Booth frequently used "J. Wilkes" and Oswald used the name "Alek J. Hidell." Both false surnames have six letters.

39. Both assassins knew of their victims' whereabouts by reading about it in newspapers.

40. The handyman, bill/poster distributor, and part-time concession operator at Ford's Theatre was Joseph "Peanuts John" Burroughs. The concession-stand operator at the Texas Theatre was Butch Burroughs.

41. Booth was aided in his escape from Washington by Oswald (Oswell) Swan and Lewis Paine (also spelled Payne). Oswald got his job at the Schoolbook Depository with the aid of Ruth Paine, his wife´s landlady.

42. Each assassin was detained by an officer named Baker. Lt. Luther B. Baker was leader of the cavalry patrol which trapped Booth inside Garrett's Barn. Officer Marion L. Baker - a Dallas motorcycle patrolman - questioned Oswald on the second floor of the School Book Depository until he learned that he worked there.
43. Both assassins were killed before they could be put on trial.

44. Both assassins were killed with a single shot from a Colt revolver. Note: The manner in which Booth died is still debated. It is unsure whether Booth committed suicide or was shot by Union soldiers.
45. Booth shot Lincoln in a theater and hid in a warehouse/barn, while Oswald shot Kennedy in a warehouse and hid in a theater.

46. Both presidents were named after their Grandfathers.

47. Both were the second-born in their families.

48. Before they were elected to the presidency, both of them lost a sister to whom they were very close. Lincoln's sister Sarah died whilst giving birth in 1828, (aged 20), and Kennedy lost his 28-year-old sister Kathleen in 1948, due to a plane crash.

49. Both married whilst in their thirties. Lincoln married at the age of 33, and Kennedy married at 36.

50. Both married dark-haired women who were 24 years old.

51. Both wives (Mary Todd Lincoln and Jacqueline Kennedy) had been previously engaged to someone else.

52. Both wives were from socially prominent families and both were fluent in French.

53. Both wives died in their sixties. Mary Todd Lincoln died in 1882 aged 63 years and 215 days, and Jackie Kennedy died in 1994 aged 64 years and 295 days.

54. Both wives were known for their exquisite taste in clothes.

55. Both wives were criticized by their husbands for spending money.

56. Both couples had four children, but two died before reaching their teens.

57. Both couples lost a son whilst in the White House. Willie Lincoln died at the age of 12 in 1862, and Kennedy's son (Patrick) died two days after his birth in 1963.

58. Of their four children, only one lived past the age of 40. Robert Todd Lincoln and Caroline Bouvier Kennedy.

59. Lincoln had sons named Robert (Robert Todd Lincoln), and Edward. Kennedy had brothers named Robert (Robert F. Kennedy) and Edward (Edward Kennedy).

60. Both presidents were related to U.S. senators. Lincoln's cousin, General Isaac Barnard of Pennsylvania, was first elected senator in 1827. Kennedy's brother - Edward - was first elected in 1962, from Massachusetts and brother Robert was elected from New York in 1964.
61. Shortly after his father was assassinated, Robert Todd Lincoln (with his mother and brother) moved to 3014 N Street, N.W. in Georgetown. Shortly after his father was assassinated, John F. Kennedy, Jr. (with his mother and sister), moved to 3017 N Street, N.W., in Georgetown.

62. Both presidents were related to Democratic U.S. Attorney Generals who graduated from Harvard University: Levi Lincoln, Sr. (under Thomas Jefferson) and Robert F. Kennedy (under JFK).

63. Both presidents were related to ambassadors to the Court of St. James's (Great Britain): Robert Todd Lincoln served as U.S. ambassador to Britain 1889-93. Kennedy's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. was U.S. ambassador to Britain 1938-40.

64. Both presidents were friends with Illinois Democrats named Adlai E. Stevenson. Lincoln's friend Adlai E. Stevenson became the Vice-President under Grover Cleveland, and Adlai Stevenson III would twice run for the U.S. presidency, in 1952 and 1956.

65. Both knew a doctor named Charles Taft. Lincoln was treated by Dr. Charles Sabin Taft, M.D., who was the half-brother of his son Tad's playmates and who was also chief surgeon at the Judiciary Square Hospital. Kennedy knew a Dr. Charles Phelps Taft, LLD, who was the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, and who was also the son of President William Howard Taft.

66. Legend says Lincoln had a secretary named John Kennedy (or had the first name of David) who told him not to go to the theatre, although no actual record of this person can be found. Kennedy had a secretary named Evelyn Lincoln (whose husband Harold's nickname was Abe), and she warned him not to go to Dallas.

67. Both presidents were elected to the House of Representatives in '46.

68. Both were runners-up for the party's nomination for vice-president in '56.

69. Both were elected to the presidency in '60.
70. Both had the legality of their elections contested.
71. Both were involved in famous political debates with men that were better known. Lincoln debated Stephen Douglas in a series of debates in 1858, and Kennedy debated the then current Vice-President Richard Nixon in presidential election of 1960.

72. Both were concerned with the problems of American blacks and made their view strongly known in '63. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, which became law in 1863. In 1963, Kennedy presented his reports to Congress on Civil Rights, and the same year was the famous March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

73. In 1964, William O. Douglas and Harry Goldin published books entitled Mr. Lincoln and the Negroes, and Mr. Kennedy and the Negroes.

74. Vice-Presidents Southern Democrats named Johnson succeeded both Lincoln and Kennedy -- Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Baines Johnson.

75. Andrew Johnson was born in 1808, and Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908.

76. There are six letters in each Johnson's first name.

77. Both Johnsons were large men.

78. Both Johnsons were the fathers of two daughters.

79. Both Johnsons served in the military. Andrew was a brigadier general in the Civil War and Lyndon was a commander in the U.S. Navy during WWII.

80. Both Johnsons were former southern senators.

81. Both Johnsons entered the presidency in their mid-fifties.

82. Both Johnsons had urethral stones, the only presidents to have them.

83. Both Johnsons faced reelection opponents whose names began with G; Andrew Johnson could have run against Ulysses S. Grant, and Lyndon Johnson faced Barry Goldwater in the election of 1964.

84. Both Johnsons chose not to run for reelection in '68.

85. Investigations for conspiracy were conducted for both presidential assassinations.

86. Autopsies were done on both assassins to clarify identity.

87. Formal investigations were conducted after each presidential death.

88. In each case, after a number of years, the investigation was reported without really resolving who was involved in the conspiracy.
Could all this be pure coincidence or is there more to it?

Freaky right?

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