Flash helmets

THESE helmet designs will give bikers food for thought, with one of a melon and another a BRAIN.

Chrome dome ... take no prisoners with a hardman helmet

The wacky range also includes a globe, a bald head and a pool ball.

Simply ace ... just the thing for zipping around SW19

They were created by a Kazakhstan marketing firm, which is now looking at turning them into real-life skid lids.

Bum's rush ... for cheeky bikers who love life in the fast lane

Designer Renat Abdrakhmanov said: "We tried to do something just for fun.

Side pocket rocket ... brilliant eight ball helmet

"But so far we've had proposals requesting rights for production in the US and Japan."

Helmet hair ... a new do could mean a new you

Smashing ... you'll never run out of juice with a melon lid

It’s Brad news for George Clooney

THE air will be frosty at the breakfast table round George Clooney's gaff this morning.

The actor's new girlfriend has well and truly put her foot in it - by announcing she's got a crush on his best pal.
Now George might want to think twice before inviting Brad Pitt round to introduce him to the missus, WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler.
She gave an interview to Playboy magazine where she revealed that Brad was her ideal man.
She said: "I think that Brad Pitt is definitely a hottie and his acting is so great that it makes him even more sexy.
"At the same time, I'm not really starstruck.
"A regular guy with the same look, who works just as hard at what he loves, would do it for me too."
Or even another famous actor with millions in the bank

Kanye give us a lift?

IT'S no wonder Kanye West and Jay-Z look like they're having so much fun in their video for new track Otis.

The rappers got to drive a rather incredible converted Maybach motor with models sat in the back.
And they had the sense to get genius director Spike Jonze behind the cameras.

Good cause ... converted Maybach will be auctioned to raise funds for the East African drought disaster

The pair, who have just released their joint album Watch The Throne, have also announced that they will auction the unique car to raise cash for the East African drought disaster.
There will be plenty of millionaire footballers ready to bid for it.

New video ... Kanye West and Jay-Z perform 'Otis'

Dinner is served

CHERYL and Ashley Cole are planning a "clear-the-air dinner" for their families, The Sun can reveal.

The ex-husband and wife, who are planning a future together, hope relatives will give them their blessing at the meal.
A pal said: "Cheryl and Ashley are a sealed deal - but they need this dinner to clear the air between the families. There's still bad feeling, particularly on Cheryl's side."
Chezza's mum Joan and brother Garry will dine with Ashley's mother Sue and brother Matthew in Essex.
Geordie singer Cheryl, 28, has bought footie ace Ashley, 30, a pendant symbolising "love, strength, togetherness and eternity".
He has bought a 7ft air ice hockey table while refurnishing their old home in Godalming, Surrey - and her clothes have been secretly moved in.

Jay-Z tops Forbes hip hop top earners list

American rapper Jay-Z has topped the list of highest earning hip-hop artists for the fourth year running.
Shawn Carter, known as Jay-Z to his fans, racked up more than $37million (£22.8million) in earnings according to the Forbes Hip-Hop Top Earners list 2011. 

Jigga man: Jay-Z performing at the T in the Park music festival in Balado, Kinross-shire, Scotland.

He was closely followed by Diddy (real name Sean Combs) who came second with $35million (£21.5million).
This week Jay-Z hit the headlines when he released his latest album, ‘Watch the Throne’ a collaboration with Kayne West, who was placed in a respectable third place with his $16million (£9.8million) income.
His mega earnings are thanks to his recent tour, a 10-year $150million (£92.2million) deal with music performance firm, Live Nation and earnings from his club chain and ad firm.
The rest of the top ten was filled out by Lil Wayne and Birdman who tied in fourth place both earning $15million (£9.2million), closely followed by Eminem, Dr Dre and Snopp Dogg, with $14million each (£8.6million).
Coming in at eighth place was Akon followed by Ludacris, with $13million (£8million) and $12million (£7.4) respectively. 

Forbes Hip-Hop Top Earners list 2011

Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter - $37million
Hip-hop’s reigning Cash King continues to reap the benefits of a 10-year $150 million Live Nation deal, as well as stakes in the New Jersey Nets, the 40/40 Club chain, ad firm Translation and others. This year marked the first time he out-earned wife Beyonce since their marriage in 2008.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs - $35 million
Music now accounts for less than 20 per cent of earnings for the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, thanks to big stakes in clothing lines Sean John and Enyce, record label Bad Boy and marketing firm Blue Flame. But it's his Ciroc vodka deal that led Forbes to estimate his net worth at $475 million this winter.

Roc-a-fella: Jay-Z performs at the 1st Mariner Arena on October 27, 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Bad boy for life: Sean 'Diddy' Combs is in 2007

Kanye West - $16 million
The self-proclaimed Louis Vuitton Don returns to the top three for the first time since 2009. His new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, hit stores in November, earned critical raves and quickly went platinum. His follow-up, Jay-Z collaboration Watch the Throne, debuted on August 8.

Dwayne 'Lil Wayne' Carter - $15 million
The lyricist reportedly wrote his first song at age 8 and signed a record deal with Cash Money a year later. Today he's one of rap's richest, despite serving eight months in jail last year. His latest release, I Am Not A Human Being, made him the first artist since Tupac Shakur to have a No. 1 album while incarcerated.

College dropout: Kanye West performs on stage during the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards

Lollipop: Rapper Lil Wayne performs during the 7th Annual BMI Urban Awards in 2007.

Bryan 'Birdman' Williams - $15 million
The Cash Money chief continues to rake in cash from the label he cofounded, home to fellow Cash Kings Lil Wayne, Drake and Nicki Minaj. Excluded from previous lists because we deemed him more executive than rapper, Birdman was included this year because most of his peers now have a similar job description.

Marshall 'Eminem' Mathers - $14 million
Eminem doesn't tour as much as many rappers and his outside business interests are limited, but music alone was enough to blast him back into the upper reaches of the list this year. His album Recovery sold 5.7 million copies worldwide and earned 10 Gramm nominations. Normally non-commercial, he added to his coffers with Super Bowl spots for Lipton and Chrysler.

Slim shady: Rapper Eminem performs onstage at the Grammy's earlier this year.

Still D.R.E: Producer Dr. Dre attends the Pussycat Dolls by Robin Antin Fall in 2008.

Andre 'Dr. Dre' Young - $14 million
The man who launched the careers of fellow Cash Kings including Snoop Dogg, Eminem and 50 Cent keeps bringing in cash - namely from producer fees and Beats by Dre, his lucrative headphone venture with Interscope chief Jimmy Iovine.
Calvin 'Snoop Dogg' Broadus - $14 million
The ageless wonder of the West Coast turned in another strong year, boosted by new album Doggumentary, heavy touring and endorsements with companies from Metro PCS to Pepsi Max. Icing on the proverbial cake: A verse on Katy Perry’s smash hit 'California Gurls.'

Sipping on gin and juice: Snoop Dogg appears on stage during MTV's 'Total Request Live' show at the MTV Times Square Studios in New York.

So lonely: Rap artist Akon performs after an NBA basketball game in 2006.

Aliuane 'Akon' Thiam - $13 million
The Senegalese-American singer-songwriter-producer extraordinaire caked up on a string of international concerts from Australia to Zimbabwe, a lucrative World Cup spot with Pepsi and a host of business ventures to boot.

Christopher 'Ludacris' Bridges - $12 million
The self-proclaimed Mouth of the South makes money from much more than just music. This year, he earned big on movie roles including Fast Five, No Strings Attached and New Year’s Eve, as well as endorsements with Tag body spray and Trojan condoms.

Read more: http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/celebritymoney/article-2025301/Richest-Rappers-Jay-Z-tops-Forbes-hip-hop-earners-list.html#ixzz1UrRorGlZ

Off their heads!

It was a photography craze which went viral almost a century before internet trends were born.
And with the swift death of 'planking' and 'owling', it was only a matter of time before 'horsemaning' had its moment once more.
Spurred by historical pictures of people cleverly posing as if they had been beheaded, internet users have flooded sites with their own takes on the concept.

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Drinking through it: Te head takes a swig, aided by the arm of the lifeless body

In one shot, above, a man lies back behind the arm of a sofa, while hiding all but his face from the camera.

 

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A flailing arm then lifts a beer bottle to the friend's mouth, making it appear as if he continues to drink after being brutally decapitated.
Sofas seem a popular prop, with many using them to create the bizarre illusion.

The original: Horsemaning was a huge photography craze almost a century ago

Other pictures involve women's heads screaming as their bodies lie over walls and around lining room furniture.
In one shot a man lies beneath a car, while a head perches on top of the bonnet, creating the illusion of a brutal car crash.

Scream: The head shouts as the body cups her chin

Tragic? The way these men have posed makes it look as if a man has been in a horrific car accident - while managing to keep his hat on

Bewildered: By leaning back, one person creates the effect of being beheaded, while another exposes just their head

Sunbathing: The head hides behind sunglasses, as the body lies supine

The trend follows on from the popular crazes of 'planking' and 'owling'.
'Owling' consists of people sitting like the nocturnal bird in unusual positions, while ‘planking’ involves people taking pictures of themselves lying face down in strange locations.

Smiley: In this photograph, the head looks pleased with herself

Handy: The shape of this couch makes it easier for the body to look headless

In recent months, however, the crazes have become increasingly mainstream - and thus less popular with trend-conscious internet users.
In June, the celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay posted pictures of himself planking - a development that prompted trend-watchers to declare the craze ‘officially dead’.

What a plank: Gordon Ramsay tweeted a picture of him planking, putting a swift end to the previously trendy online craze

 

City bad boy Balotelli

Just days after declaring that his relationship with his team-mates was the only thing that kept him sane in Manchester, Mario Balotelli was involved in a training ground bust-up with Aleksandar Kolarov.

Bust up: Mario Balotelli (left) confronts Aleksandar Kolarov

The controversial Manchester City striker squared up to Kolarov at Carrington on Thursday in yet another unsavoury scene in what has been a troubled 12 months.

Bad boy: Balotelli is no stranger to controversy

The precociously talented 20-year-old Italian revealed only this week: ‘I’m not happy in Manchester, I don’t like the city. With the boss and the rest of the team I’m OK but the city is not up to my taste.’

Unhappy: Balotelli declared this week that he does not like Manchester

In an interview with Italian TV in Dublin he added: ‘I miss my family, my friends. I’m looking at this experience as part of growing up on a personal level. Will I remain with City until the end of my contract? I don’t know, I’m here for the time being then we’ll see.’

Missing home: Balotelli stands alone at Carrington

Images of the bust-up will bring back memories for City fans of a similar incident with Jerome Boateng in December 2010.

Deja vu: Balotelli fights with Jerome Boateng (right) in December 2010

The German defender has now left for Bayern Munich after an unhappy season in Manchester which was compounded by Balotelli's aggression towards him back in May.

Strained relationship: Roberto Mancini (left) has struggled to keep Balotelli's behaviour in check

City boss Roberto Mancini has regularly expressed his frustration at Balotelli's attitude and the latest incident will do little to temper that frustration.

Confrontation: Mancini (left) substituted Balotelli after his attempted back heel against LA Galaxy

Only last month Balotelli faced Mancini's wrath when he spurned a goalscoring opportunity in a friendly against LA Galaxy by attempting an audacious back heel when all he had to do was tap in.

You winker: Rio Ferdinand retaliates to Balotelli's antics at Wembley in May

In a turbulent first season in England, Balotelli also angered Manchester United's Rio Fredinand after City's FA Cup semi-final triumph over their neighbours at Wembley in May.

Lonely figure: Craig Bellamy watches on in training

Meanwhile, Craig Bellamy cut a forlorn figure at Carrington on Thursday.
The 31-year-old is not wanted by Mancini and as of yet he as been unable to find a suitable club for the Wales international striker.

Not wanted: Mancini is trying to sell Bellamy

Bellamy is instead faced with the mounting possibility of remaining in City's reserves.