Miss Germany 2011 Valeria Bystritskaia (R) and Miss Ireland 2011 Aoife Hannon are welcomed as they arrive at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Argentina 2011 Natalie Rodriguez takes a photograph with a children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Panama 2011 Sheldry Saez prays at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization on the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Universe 2011 contestants listen to priests as they arrive at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Honduras 2011 Keilyn Gomez (L) and Miss New Zealand 2011 Priyani Puketapu arrive at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Bolivia 2011 Olivia Pinheiro (R), Miss Angola 2011 Leila Lopes and Miss British Virgin Islands 2011 Sheroma Hodge (L) pose for a photograph with a children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Mexico 2011 Karin Ontiveros jokes with a boy as she takes a photograph at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Universe 2011 contestants attend a welcoming ceremony as they arrive at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Czech Republic 2011 Jitka Navackova poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization on the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss China 2011Luo Zilin poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.




Miss Montenegro 2011 Nikolina Loncar poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss South Africa 2011 Bokang Montjane poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Universe 2011 contestants buy handmade gifts at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization on the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Poland 2011 Rozalia Mancewicz poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Universe 2011 contestants listen to priests as they arrive at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization on the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Switzerland 2011 Kerstin Cook poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Croatia 2011 Natalija Prica poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Canada 2011 Chelsae Durocher (L) and Miss Denmark 2011 Sandra Amer pose for a photograph at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization on the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Switzerland 2011 Kerstin Cook poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Indonesia Nadine Alexandra poses with children at the Alianca Misericordia non-profit Catholic organisation in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Great Britain 2011 Chloe-Beth Morgan poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss New Zealand 2011 Priyani Pukepatu poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization in the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.



Miss Brazil 2011 Priscila Machado poses with children at Alianca Misericordia non-profit catholic organization on the outskirts of Sao Paulo September 1, 2011. The contestants are in Sao Paulo for the 2011 Miss Universe pageant which will be held September 12.





Miss Universe contestant, Miss Germany Valeria Bystritskaia poses for a picture during a visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Universe contestant, Miss Netherlands Kelly Weekers poses for a picture during a visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Ecuador Claudia Schiess shows a craft she made with a boy at Casa Do Zezinho social project for slum children, in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Miss Universe contestant, Miss Uruguay Fernanda Semino poses for a picture with children during a visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Universe contestant, Miss China Luo Zilin takes a picture during a visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Universe contestant, Miss Bahamas Anastagia Pierre poses for a picture during a visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Universe contestant, Miss Czech Republic Jitka Novackova poses for a picture during a visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Universe contestants listen to a welcome message from the Mercy Alliance coordinator during their visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Universe contestants, Miss Canada Chelsae Durocher, left, and Miss Denmark Sandra Amer pose for a picture during a visit to the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Universe contestant, Miss France Laury Thilleman is moved to tears as she listens how abandoned children are rescued from the streets by the nonprofit Catholic organization, Mercy Alliance, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Thursday Sept. 1, 2011. Sao Paulo is hosting the Miss Universe 2011 pageant and will broadcast the contest on Sept. 12.



Miss Panama Sheldry Saez and Miss Peru Natalie Vertiz pose with a boy at Casa Do Zezinho social project for slum children, in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Miss Nicaragua Adriana Dom hugs a girl after joining dancers in a performance at Meninos do Morumbi social project in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Miss El Salvador Mayra Aldana poses with children at Casa Do Zezinho social project for slum children, in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Miss Guatemala Alejandra Barillas Solis poses with children at Casa Do Zezinho social project for slum children, in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Miss Honduras Keilyn Gomez joins dancers during their performance at Meninos do Morumbi social project in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Miss Tanzania 2011 Nelly Kamwelu (L), Miss Singapore 2011 Valerie Lim Shu Xian (2nd L) and Miss U.S. Virgin Islands 2011 Alexandrya Evans watch a performance during a visit to the Meninos do Morumbi non-governmental organization in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12.



Miss Nicaragua Adriana Dom looks at one of the exhibits at the Soccer Museum in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.




Miss Paraguay Alba Riquelme looks at one of the exhibits at the Soccer Museum in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Miss Nicaragua Adriana Dom tries on a cap from the Sao Paulo FC soccer club, while visiting the Soccer Museum in Sao Paulo August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12. Picture taken August 31.



Sao Paulo State Military Police General Commander Alvaro Batista Camilo (C) poses with candidates for the Miss Universe 2011 competition during a visit to the General Command Headquarters in Sao Paulo, August 31, 2011. The Miss Universe pageant will be held in Sao Paulo on September 12.


source: daylife
photo: AP photo, Reuters pictures

By Liz Thomas


Premiere attraction: Kate shows off her curves on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival


These days, it seems to be customary for any Hollywood actress worth her salt to get through at least three costume changes at a red carpet event.

So perhaps this daring taupe Victoria Beckham-designed dress – with a zip all the way up the back – was Kate Winslet's attempt to make life easier if she opted for a new outfit later on.

At the movies: Kate with actors Christoph Waltz and John C. Reilly


The actress was at the Venice Film Festival yesterday, attending the premiere of her film Carnage, by Roman Polanski, the notorious director who fled America after admitting unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in 1978.

Farewell: Kate waves goodbye to the crows in Venice last night

Showstopping: Kate worked the cameras and smiled at fans as she posed ahead of the screening


It is the 78-year-old's first film since he was freed from house arrest in Switzerland last year, although he is yet to face justice in the U.S.

Yet Miss Winslet yesterday defended her decision to star in the film, saying: 'When Roman Polanski invites you to join him in any project you really don't say no.

'I felt extremely fortunate to be included.'

Supporting spouses: Christoph Waltz was joined by wife Judith Waltz while John C. Reilly walked the red carpet with his wife Alison Dickey

Stars of the show: The cast of Carnage John C. Reilly, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz posed together ahead of the screening


Miss Winslet said: 'We were working with the great Roman Polanski. We are only human beings and we are still perfectly capable of being terrified, whoever we are.'

Carnage is based on Y Reza's award-winning play God of Carnage.

Kate was joined on the red carpet by co-stars Christoph Waltz, who was joined by wife Judith Waltz while John C. Reilly walked the red carpet with his wife Alison Dickey.

Just a few autographs: The actress was happy to sign her signature for the delighted crowds who had gathered outside the screening

Film guests: Bar Refaeli, Manuela Arcuri, Asia Argento and Eli Roth were also in attendance


Other guests included Sports Illustrated model Bar Refaeli, actresses Manuela Arcuri and Asia Argento and filmmaker Eli Roth.

Miss Winslet has spoken of her recent experience with Richard Branson and family on Necker Island.

The tycoon hailed the actress a hero after she rescued his mother eve from a fire in their house.

She said: 'I feel extremely fortunate to have been with the Branson family who coped with it incredibly well, I have never known such a group of extraordinarily stoic people and am very very grateful to be alive and to be here.'



source:dailymail

By Iona Kirby



Single girls club: Lauren Goodger (L) and Lauren Pope wanted a girls' night out at Aura nightclub


After a messy break up with her fiancé Mark Wright last week, a drama-free girls' night out for Lauren Goodger was off the cards.

Her night on the tiles yesterday was ruined after she was apparently asked to leave a nightclub because her ex was also at the venue.

Following an evening at the MOBO Award nominations launch party, 24-year-old Lauren enlisted the company of TOWIE co-star Lauren Pope for a single girls' night at Aura club in Mayfair.


The girls were dressed to the nines with Lauren Goodger donning a long sleeved white Lipsy dress embellished with gold and silver sequins, which she teamed with a metallic clutch bag and nude high heels.

Lauren Pope, 27, wore a sheer sequined Lipsy vest top, black leggings and heels and sparkling chandelier earrings.

But the girls narrowly avoided a showdown as Mark, 24, had chosen the same London club for his boys' night out.

And as soon as he heard his ex, who he has not seen since last week's split, was in the same building, he apparently called on security and demanded she be told to leave.

A spokesperson for Lauren confirmed the incident and told MailOnline: 'Lauren was asked to leave Aura, at Mark's request, after two hours of being there.'

However Lauren, who has moved out of the Essex flat she shared with Mark, seemed to take it in her stride and was giggling with her DJ pal Lauren as they left the West End venue.

I think I better leave right now: Lauren was apparently asked to leave after Mark learned she was there

In her stride: Lauren did not see to mind leaving the West End venue early


Lauren's representative added: 'Lauren is trying to be the bigger person in all of this and found the whole situation very amusing. She is moving on with her life - which includes night out with her friends.'

Mark, on the other hand, left looking worse for wear and appeared to have a mystery girl in tow.

Lauren may have been looking for trouble when she headed out as she chose to attend the weekly night that Mark hosts.

Mark had also tweeted yesterday that he would be at the trendy club with friends later on in the evening.

He posted: 'Aura 2nite 4 my boys night @​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Jermaine_J_Funk guna be good to catch up with the west end crew been 2 long.'

Mystery girl: Mark looked worse for wear when he left the club with a mystery woman

The two Laurens: The TOWIE co-stars were having a girls' night out after attending the MOBO Awards nominations launch


He is likely to be fuming after Lauren told a magazine days before their split that Mark was constantly hassling her to lose weight.

'He makes me feel like I should be obsessed, so that's double pressure,' she said in the interview for Heat magazine.

'He tells me that we'll be a bigger couple because people like to see good-looking slim people.'

Mark, meanwhile, has claimed the break-up was a result of Lauren cheating on him during a night out in Essex while he was holidaying in Marbella - a claim she vehemently denies.

A spokesperson for Wright confirmed he was at Aura last night but had no further comment.


Ahead of the split: Mark and Lauren filmed a trailer for the new series of TOWIE last week


source:dailymail

Upset skin: Louise Redknapp's skin looked a bit distressed as she ran errands in Mayfair yesterday


We're used to seeing Louise Redknapp looking perfectly made-up and immaculate.

But it looks like the TV presenter may have been suffering some ill effects of a beauty treatment when she was spotted in London yesterday.

The mother-of-two was wearing no make-up, with her skin appearing slightly patchy and red as she ran errands in Mayfair.


It was difficult to tell whether she had been recently sunburned or she'd had a reaction to a beauty treatment.

In contrast to her preened red carpet appearance, she looked relaxed with her hair down and not a bit of make-up as she chatted on her mobile phone.

She's already enjoyed a holiday in Sardinia with her footballer pundit husband Jamie and it is likely she had a more recent holiday before her eldest son Charley returned to school this week.

As one of Britain's top WAGs and a former host of the Clothes Show Live, Redknapp has always been open with her fashion and beauty tips.

Smart casual: The former Eternal singer wore a string vest with a pair of skinny jeans as she chatted on the phone


She's previously admitted her skin is sensitive and she struggles to find a fake tan that agrees with her complexion.

She said: 'My skin can be quite temperamental so I don’t like to use anything too rich. I can get a rash or a spot and it can really play up whatever cream I use. I’m even allergic to fake tan.'

While the 36-year-old evidently looks youthful for her age, the former pop star admitted she does think about turning to cosmetic surgery when she gets older.

High gloss: A made-up Redknapp at David Walliams' 40th birthday party in London last month


She explained: 'If ever I want to get anything done I will and I don’t want to be judged for it.

'I know people who’ve had a nose job and they’ve walked out feeling a million dollars and their confidence is tenfold. Good on them!

'Natural beauty comes in all different shapes and sizes but if you think surgery would right something you have a problem with then why shouldn’t you do it?'

Following the end of her judging role on So You Think You Can Dance earlier this year, Redknapp is now presenting Saturday morning show Something For The Weekend alongside Tim Lovejoy.



source:dailymail

By Jacquelyn Mitchard


Troubled: Jackie with her son Rob, aged ten, in 1995. She remembers him being an angry and spiteful boy


Some parents think their children are heroes because they endure life-threatening illnesses with courage. Some people see their children as heroes because they overcome bullying, criticism or cruelty and still hold fast to the things they believe in.

But what if your child has done none of those things? What if you give birth to a son who is the opposite of a hero; a child who ruins everything he touches and squanders every opportunity, shows nothing but spite and throws everything you give him back at you with unbridled anger and resentment? Could you still admire and love your child then?

For more than a decade, that was my awful dilemma, as it slowly became clear that my son was a selfish loser; the sort of child whom other people would cross the street to avoid. And on one sweltering summer's day in 2008, I finally decided I'd had enough.


Rob was 23 when I turned my back on him, throwing him out of our house for good, thinking I may never see him again. It was a decision I know many people will find difficult to understand. Certainly, I never imagined that I was capable of such a thing.

That day, three years ago, I remember Rob slamming the door behind him and never looking back. I ran from window to window, struggling to catch a last glimpse of his brawny form and characteristic lugubrious gait. But I didn't call him back. Quite simply, I could take no more.

How had it come to this? How had I raised such a toxic child? The roots ran deep.

Rob was my first born and we were so close that when I had another son, Danny, three years later, then another, Martin, three years after that, Rob was terribly jealous, prone to sulking and dark moods. He was constantly unpleasant to his little brothers and constantly vile to me.

Then my husband, Dan, died at 44, cancer claiming him with the speed and ferocity of a bushfire, leaving me with three little boys and precious little else. Rob was only nine.

The younger boys clung to me, but Rob withdrew into an ever-darkening cloud of self-absorption.

I was a young widow, working all day as a speechwriter at a university. At the same time, I had an urgent need to try something impossible, consuming, as a way of distracting myself. So at night I was trying to write my first novel.

I admit I was not the mother I should have been or wanted to be. Too often, I was sharp or forgetful, stretched thin with work and worry.

Increasingly, Rob seemed to blame me for everything - from his father's death, to the loss of his best friend, Eric, who suddenly stopped coming to play any more.

What really happened was this: Eric's mother called me and said: 'I hate to say this Jackie, but I don't want Eric playing with Rob any more. Rob is just not being very nice. He's throwing rocks at cars and other kids.'

Perhaps I should have told him the truth and come down hard on his behaviour. But instead of confronting Rob, I tried to protect him. After all, hadn't he been through enough?

Instead, the problems worsened. Like a gathering storm, Rob became darker, more menacing. By the time he was 11, it was impossible to ignore the fact that he'd become the kind of boy who sneered and put people down.

He stole pencils from the school shop and coins from his brother's piggy banks. On the football field, he delighted in playing foul and making younger boys cry.

Because his father had died and I felt constantly guilty for not being able to compensate for his loss, I vacillated between trying to instil discipline and trying just to be there for him.

Sibling rivalry: Jacqueline with Rob, left, and his younger brother Martin and a friend in 1997. Rob was jealous when his brother was born


After giving him ultimatums, I often caved in and resorted to giving him love in return for nothing, not even acknowledgment. But Rob's hostility and apathy grew in direct proportion to his height and strength of will.

Oddly, his schoolwork didn't suffer, even though he did very little work. In fact, his teachers considered him a gifted child.

Four years after Dan died, I remarried. Chris was a father waiting to happen and, though he'd never been married, was undaunted by the prospect of fitting into a fully formed family. The younger boys turned to Chris's gentleness like flowers after a frost. But not Rob.

By then, my eldest son's ugly behaviour wasn't occasional, but daily. He'd stopped doing homework altogether - even at the expensive school for the gifted I sent him to when, against all odds, that first novel became a bestseller.

I explained Rob's utter lack of will to try anything he couldn't master instantly as boredom (after all, his IQ put him in the genius range) and I explained his unkindness as a side-effect of his grief. I was a virtual ticker tape of explanations for my eldest son's malice.

Deep down, I was sick with fear that something was truly wrong with my boy. But whenever he did something awful - like when he lit a fire next to a railway track, or bullied other boys at school - I rushed in to rescue him.

I always did. For this awful teenager was once my beautiful and sweet little boy. And at night, through the wall that separated his room from mine, I would hear him crying.

Refusing to give up on him, I took him to a parade of psychologists. He told them he hated me, that he had no friends because I pushed them all away.

The whirling epicentre of his fury was that as their father approached death, I'd still made the boys go to school, even on the last day of term, truly believing nothing would happen in the half-hour it took the kids to pick up their exam results.

Horrifically, I was wrong, and Dan passed away while they were there.

Despite how little sense it made, Rob would never believe that denying him the chance to say goodbye wasn't deliberate.

Torment: Jacqueline found her son's anger difficult to deal with when he was a teenager and eventually asked him to leave (posed by models)


The toughest and best psychologist said that this sin was only an excuse.

Rob and I were locked in a destructive dance of broken promises and fresh starts - and it was up to me to disengage. She did not believe Rob was suicidal or a budding psychopath.

'This is about your guilt, your need and his power,' she said. Another told me the greatest gift I could give Rob was to let him fail and repeat a year at school. It seemed too unkind. Plus if he failed, I failed, too.

So we muddled onward through adolescence. Whenever a crack appeared in the glacial front, when Rob's lip quivered, I would rush in.

'What hurts?' I would ask, hoping that once, just once, he would betray another emotion besides self-pity.

Invariably, he would answer: 'You. Get out of my life.'

But he wouldn't let me get out of his life. Whenever the world disappointed him, when the first girl he loved dropped him after a month, or he failed to make a team when he refused to try, Rob attacked me with a vengeance that began to terrify me.

Try to imagine loving someone who is actively, cruelly unloving, who towers over you, shrieking vile names and describes your life as a fraud.

Do you know what exquisite agony it is to be able to remember nuzzling that person's little baby feet and hear him gurgle with pure joy? Can you even fathom how painful it is to yearn for just one touch from the miserable, scowling, resentful, hateful hulk that your chuckling blond baby has become?

Two classes before his exams, Rob dropped out of secondary school and got his own flat. He got a job as a technical specialist for a big online music company.

I tried to push it, but he said university was out of the question.

'Concentrate on your other kids,' he sneered, 'the ones who actually need you. I never have and I never will.'

I should have been hardened, after years of put-downs. But those words still took my breath away. Yes, our lives had been hard, even austere, for a long time afterwards.

But as tough as things had been, Rob had always known he was loved. And my other children, brought up in the same environment, were perfect gentlemen.

Of course, they had been younger when their father died, so their loss was not so shattering. But that didn't explain everything. They showed kindness and temperance, ambition and mercy, even though Danny had to overcome learning disabilities and Marty battled chronic asthma. Kids dealt far worse cards somehow thrived.

Instead, Rob seemed determined to build a future in which he strived to be obnoxious, disdainful and deceitful.

Things finally came to a head one blisteringly hot summer's day in 2008 when we were having a family barbecue. Marty, then 18, wanted to leave.

'Your brother just got here,' my husband told him gently. 'All the more reason,' Marty muttered.

Then Rob shoved Marty, who sprang back at him like a terrier. 'You little ****,' said Rob, springing into action and grabbing Marty. 'I'll smash your face in.'

At last, the wall of denial I'd mortared together so carefully over ten years crumbled. A party with Rob was like a picnic with the town bully. We brought the food; he brought belligerence.

'Stop,' I said, coming between them. 'Stop it, Rob. Please leave. Go anywhere, just go away.'

'If I leave,' Rob said, 'it means I'll never have anything to do with this family ever again.'

The younger kids drew a collective breath. They were used to Rob's outbursts, but not this. Not to hearing their older brother say he didn't care about any of us. 'I just really have no feelings for any of you,' he shrugged. 'It's a relief to stop faking it.'

Rare smiles: Mother and son look happy together in 1997 - and remain that way today after reconciling


The awful thing is that I felt that relief, too. But, as the dust settled, after all the years of insults, whining and swearing, after all the oxygen Rob had consumed in our lives, I could finally see the truth: Rob didn't really hate us, he hated himself for his awful behaviour. Unless I stopped forgiving that behaviour, he could never change.

I didn't hate Rob. I still loved him. But that love had become an old refrain.

The freedom to give all my attention to the rest of my family was something to cherish. But there were times I thought I would lose my reason. Over the next four months, I thought my heart would break. I didn't know if Rob was in work or out of it, alive or dead. I must have picked up the phone 200 times to call his mobile. I put it down 200 times.

Chris would never have stopped me calling Rob, but one night he said: 'You know, Rob nearly cost us our marriage.' I knew he was right. The longer Rob was away the farther the levels of conflict and stress dropped - sweet rain after a drought.

Then, that September, Marty was leaving for university and I was cooking spaghetti when, through the open kitchen window, I heard the sound of a car chugging up the hill. It was Rob.

My breath began to come in gasps. What could he want? Surely, he hadn't come to say goodbye to Marty - the sibling he'd abused the most.

Marty answered the door, and Rob apologised to him and held him close. At first Marty flinched, but then accepted his brother's embrace. I watched disbelievingly as Rob came into the house. I could not say, oh, how my eyes have hungered just for the sight of you and he could not say, I was so wrong. Instead, I said 'Would you taste this?', nervously proffering a spoonful of my lasagne. 'I think it needs sugar.'

Tasting it, Rob said: 'It's perfect.'

He stayed for six months.

Sleeping in the spare room, he finished his secondary school qualifications and - terrified - enrolled in university. Two years later, he completed a degree in computer engineering.

So, what changed?

The turning point was the day that his aimless loser of a flatmate upped sticks, leaving Rob with unpaid bills and forcing him to sleep on floors.

Finally, he had to assess what was left. With a dead-end job and nowhere to live, thanks to his flatmate's behaviour he learnt how it felt to be held to account for someone else's failings, just as I had for years with his.

At last, Rob admitted his own role in his downfall. Essentially, he had an addiction, a dependency on anger. Flying into a whining rage was so much easier than taking responsibility. Recognising that was the first big hurdle; the next one was swallowing his pride and retracing his steps back to our house.

Three years later, Rob still has a short fuse. It's as though he has so much love in him now that he doesn't quite know how to cope with it and has to let it off, like steam. He admits that caring feels odd, and frightening.

Now, though, anger lasts a day instead of a month. He's alienated so many people; he does not want to risk more.

He calls his brothers weekly and takes care to remember their birthdays and achievements, and comes round to see us often.

Almost every day, he calls or texts. He signs his notes to me 'Love Rob' and - in a refrain mothers everywhere will recognise - he tells me that someday, when he's made his fortune, he'll make me rich.

But I already am: people who meet Rob consider him one of the most delightful young men they've ever met. And he is.

For more than two decades, I never had the chance to brag about my boy - I could only make dry jokes to cover my alarm and shame. Now, it's as if a clenched muscle in my breast has finally relaxed. Perhaps it is my heart.



source:dailymail

By KIRSTY MCCORMACK

Youthful: Singer turned film director Madonna's complexion looked flawless today at the Venice Film Festival

It is no secret that Madonna invests a lot of time and money in her ever-youtful appearance.

But the 53-year-old showed just how much it has paid off at the Venice Film Festival today.

She arrived at a photocall to promote her new film W.E. and had a complexion that was glowing and despite her advancing years, amazingly line-free.


Demure: The star wore black and white outfit and a cross around her neck at the photocall


The singer turned director is apparently a fan of innovative beauty treatments including human placenta facials.

But despite these extreme measures, she has said she is opposed to the idea of going under the knife.

'I am what I am. And I don’t like the idea of someone putting you to sleep then taking knives to you,' she has said.


Material girl: Madonna invest lots of time and money in her appearance


Instead, the youthful-looking star credits Kabbalah for helping her to focus on inner rather than outer beauty.

She also maintains her lithe figure with a rigorous daily exercise routine, which lasts up to two hours, and a strict macrobiotic diet.

She attended the photocall today at the Palazzo del Cinema to showcase the movie, which she wrote and directed.


Strike a pose!: Madonna is showcasing W.E. which she wrote and directed. James D'Arcy (L) and Oscar Isaac (R) star in the film


She wore a demure black and white outfit with a cross around her neck and several on her bracelet, and was photographed posing on the red carpet with actors James D'Arcy and Oscar Isaac.

Madonna arrived in Venice for the 68th Film Festival last night and managed to cause quite the stir.

She arrived with a huge entourage but her family and young boyfriend were nowhere to be seen.


Mob-handed: Pop singer Madonna arrives at Venice airport to attend the 68th Venice Film Festival where she is promoting her new film W.E


The youthful star, who has taken a second stab at directing, was seen putting on her sunglasses as soon as she saw the waiting photographers and also tried to guard herself with a black umbrella, even though it was clearly night time.

Wearing a pair of black wide-legged trousers and a checked shirt, the Ray Of Light singer was carrying rather large hand luggage, as were those who accompanied her.


source: dailymail

-Maddy Jackson gets chicken fillets to emulate Dolly Parton on stage
-New series of Toddlers and Tiaras shows excesses of pushy parents

By Sadie Whitelocks


Barely out of nappies, four-year-old Maddy Jackson is already on the road to womanhood.

Sporting fake C cup breasts and padding on her bottom, she is the latest shock contestant on Toddlers and Tiaras, the U.S. reality show revealing the surreal world of beauty pageants.

In an attempt to mimic her curvaceous icon, country singer Dolly Parton - who is known for her ample cleavage - the toddler is shown sporting detachable bust and butt enhancements, before performing live on stage.

With the extra padding concealed under her Barbie pink Lycra catsuit, Maddy's tiny frame is transformed into an hourglass silhouette.

Barely able to string a sentence together, many will be shocked by the images of the peroxide blonde trying to emulate the appearance of a woman in her late 20s.

When questioned on NBC's Today show, her mother Lindsay, who entered her first pageant contest when she was nine months old, defends the enhancements used by her daughter, telling presenter Savannah Guthrie:

'To some people, it's over the top, to us it's just what happens... It's just normal. When she wears the fake boobs and the fake butt, it's just like extra bonus.'

But others seems less convinced and Maddy's stylist Michael Booth believes the attire is a step to far.

Interviewed backstage at the competition, where hundreds of young hopefuls battle it out to be crowned beauty queen, Michael said: 'I wasn’t a big fan of the outfit with the boobs in it. She’s very young, but hopefully the judges will perceive it in good taste.'

Other young contestants also seem perturbed by her appearance, as they watch Lindsay rearrange her daughter's fake breasts and one even probes the chicken fillets before Maddy crosses her arms in defense.

Curvaceous: Maddy sporting padding on her bottom, hidden under her Barbie pink catsuit, which her mother, Lindsay (pictured) deems as her 'fake butt'

Confusion: Mother Lindsay readjusts the chicken fillets as a fellow contestant looks on


Lindsay says as she watches her child's confused expression: 'I don't think Maddy knew how to explain and why she had those enhancements on.'

Maddy's grandma, Barbara also defends the beauty pageant world, which is primarily concerned with contestant's external appearance, explaining that the cash prizes can be put towards expensive schooling fees and dozens toys for the children.

The show has caused outcry with many who believe that it could influence youngsters to adopt similar behavior and campaigners have even setup up a Facebook group, 'Take "Toddlers And Tiaras" off the Air!' in a bid take the series off air.

Enthusiastic: Lindsay insists that competing in beauty pageants is a hobby Maddy enjoys


One fan, Teresa Spence Bruce commented: 'I just saw a commercial where they strapped silicone breast to a 4-5 yr old absolutely disgusting.'

Despite criticism Lindsay is happy for her child to be glamourised and states that her daughter thoroughly enjoys it as a hobby and can stop competing at anytime.

She added: 'With anything people are going to think things are over the top but with gymnastics or dance or competitive cheer-leading you wear hair, you wear make up.'


source: dailymail