To read the feature in full, see the May issue of Marie Claire July - on sale Thursday.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Lesley Evans : The Fourth Bee Gee
She called herself the fourth Bee Gee - but with a difference, only the most devoted fans know she even exists.
Lesley Evans, 67, has stayed in behind the scenes for most of the band's career - apart from one amazing performance standing in for her brother Robin at a sell-out gig in 1969.
As Lesley faces life with her only remaining brother Barry, 65, she has revealed some of her memories growing up in one of the most famous families in the world, and how she once came Robin's rescue, saving his life.
Still deeply grieving for her brother Robin, who died last Sunday, the dog-breeder revealed how she pulled Robin from a river when he was just 18 months old in the Isle Of Man.
She told The Sunday Mirror: 'Robin just fell in. I remember him floating along with his eyes staring up.
'I went in up to my waist and grabbed him under the arms until people came to help us both out of the water.'
And the mother-of-seven smiles as she recalls how a brotherly spat meant Robin refused to go on-stage in 1969 and she was forced to become his replacement.
As a new mother of two young children, she had to rehearse a month before the performance at the Talk of the Town.
Lesley said: 'I secretly became the fourth Bee Gee. It was amazing. I loved it on the night. I know Robin watched it and he said he felt very choked up about it.'
But Lesley was destined to be in showbusiness, instead she met her husband, an Australian salesman Keith Evans, and went on to have her children.
And since Robin's death her mind has been going back to her childhood and memories of her family.
She describes her childhood home as surrounded by music and love.
But Lesley says her brother Robin was far from chilled out.
'We all used to say, "Oh, Robin’s a stuffed shirt", because he was always very pompous. He never called me Lesley. It was always sister. I would not see him for 10 years and I could walk into a room and he would say, "Oh, hello sister. How are you?"'
The last time she saw Robin was in Sydney in 2010, just after he had emergency surgery and thought he looked extremely underweight.
Lesley said in the days before Robin's death Barry rang her and said her brother would not pull through.
And she adds her mother Barbara, 93, is devastated and can't understand how she has lost three sons so young.
Maurice died at 53 while Andy passed away at 30 from heart inflammation.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2150678/The-secret-fourth-Bee-Gee-The-heartache-unknown-Gibbs-sister-turned-fame.html#ixzz1w5OEMLdn
Lesley Evans, 67, has stayed in behind the scenes for most of the band's career - apart from one amazing performance standing in for her brother Robin at a sell-out gig in 1969.
As Lesley faces life with her only remaining brother Barry, 65, she has revealed some of her memories growing up in one of the most famous families in the world, and how she once came Robin's rescue, saving his life.
The Gibbs: Lesley said growing up in her household was 'brilliant', pictured here with Colin Petersen, Maurice Gibb and Barry Gibb
Treasured: Lesley Gibb said her brother was an incredibly 'deep thinker'
She told The Sunday Mirror: 'Robin just fell in. I remember him floating along with his eyes staring up.
'I went in up to my waist and grabbed him under the arms until people came to help us both out of the water.'
Gorgeous Gibb girl: Lesley said she shied away from the limelight
Devastated: Lesley said since her brother's death she has been consumed with memories of their family time together
As a new mother of two young children, she had to rehearse a month before the performance at the Talk of the Town.
Lesley said: 'I secretly became the fourth Bee Gee. It was amazing. I loved it on the night. I know Robin watched it and he said he felt very choked up about it.'
Famous household: Lesley shunned a life of fame to marry and have children, but said all four of the Gibb children had a 'brilliant' childhood
And since Robin's death her mind has been going back to her childhood and memories of her family.
She describes her childhood home as surrounded by music and love.
Superstars: The brothers pictured here in 1958
'We all used to say, "Oh, Robin’s a stuffed shirt", because he was always very pompous. He never called me Lesley. It was always sister. I would not see him for 10 years and I could walk into a room and he would say, "Oh, hello sister. How are you?"'
The last time she saw Robin was in Sydney in 2010, just after he had emergency surgery and thought he looked extremely underweight.
Lesley said in the days before Robin's death Barry rang her and said her brother would not pull through.
And she adds her mother Barbara, 93, is devastated and can't understand how she has lost three sons so young.
Maurice died at 53 while Andy passed away at 30 from heart inflammation.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2150678/The-secret-fourth-Bee-Gee-The-heartache-unknown-Gibbs-sister-turned-fame.html#ixzz1w5OEMLdn
Friday, May 25, 2012
Brian Banks : Wanetta Gibson Admits She Lied About The Rape !
http://seamusoriley.blogspot.com.es/2012/05/accuser-recants-accusation-of-rape.html
This undated image provided by the California Western School of Law shows Brian Banks, who is challenging his 2002 rape conviction during a hearing scheduled for Thursday May 24, 2012, after his accuser, Wanetta Gibson, recently recanted her testimony. (AP/California Western School of Law)
LONG BEACH, Calif. – The kidnap-rape conviction of a once-promising prep football star was dismissed Thursday following a recantation by his accuser.
Brian Banks collapsed in sobs on the counsel table during a court hearing where a prosecutor quickly conceded the decade-old case and moved for the dismissal.
In the summer of 2002, Banks' future looked bright: He was a 17-year-old high school football star being heavily recruited by a number of colleges. But in a single day that changed with the accusations of kidnapping and rape by a female student.
He maintained there was no rape and their sexual contact was consensual, but his lawyer urged him to plead no contest rather than risk a sentence of 41 years to life in prison if convicted. He followed the advice and went to prison for six years, shattering his dreams of gridiron glory.
Lawyers for the California Innocence Project were prepared Thursday to argue he should be exonerated.
In a strange turn of events, the woman who accused him a decade ago friended him on Facebook when he got out of prison. Wanetta Gibson explained she wanted to "let bygones be bygones."
According to documents in the case, she met with Banks and said she had lied; there had been was no kidnap and no rape and she offered to help him clear his record.
But she subsequently refused to repeat the story to prosecutors because she feared she would have to return a $1.5 million payment from a civil suit brought by her mother against Long Beach schools.
She was quoted as telling Banks: "I will go through with helping you but it's like at the same time all that money they gave us, I mean gave me, I don't want to have to pay it back."
Change of pronouns noted. Pronouns do not make mistakes. If this quote is accurate, she did not act alone.
Justin Brooks, a lawyer who heads the innocence project, said that Banks has remained on probation, under electronic monitoring, has had to register as a sex offender and has had trouble getting a job.
He said Banks continues to train for what he hopes will be a future chance at a football career
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/24/onetime-top-football-prospect-seeks-exoneration/#ixzz1vtKy9niz
Procter & Gamble FALSE Cosmetic Claims Lawsuit!
A San Joaquin County woman is suing Procter & Gamble Co. over its Olay Regenerist line of anti-aging products. (Procter & Gamble / May 25, 2012)
http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-olay-suit-20120525,0,3788506.story
Henna Crowns :Helping Cancer Victims Come To Terms With Hair Loss.
A photographer is on a mission to transform the bald heads of women with cancer and genetic alopecia using the ancient art form of henna.
Frances Darwin launched Henna Heals last year, where artists hand-paint intricate designs onto women's scalps with a natural plant-based paste, giving them back their femininity, confidence and power.
Using a hairless head as a canvas, 'the designs are customized and one-off works of art,' Ms Darwin told Today, who wants to empower cancer sufferers to feel beautiful again.
Henna has been used since antiquity in countries such as Pakistan, Morocco, Somalia and India for decorative purposes, to bring the wearer luck, joy and enhanced beauty.
Known as henna crowns, the designs are not tattoos, involving no needles or pain, and last up to two weeks - offering women who suffer hair loss, and the lost sense of self, femininity and confidence it brings, a chance to feel beautifully adorned while at the same time also inviting dialogue about a sensitive subject.
Ms Darwin was inspired to start Henna Heals when she first saw the henna crown's power to transform.
While taking pictures of a breast cancer patient whose head was adorned with a henna crown, the woman told Ms Darwin she had never felt as beautiful, even before she had cancer.
Ms Darwin knew she wanted to continue empowering women to feel beautiful and confident, while at the same time helping to de-stigamatize hair-loss.
Each design take between 60 and 90 minutes for the artist to create, which cost about $100. Ten per cent of profits also go into a fund to assist people who would like a henna crown but are unable to afford it.
Ms Darwin said: 'For cancer patients, the henna crowns really are a healing experience. This is all about them reclaiming a part of themselves that would normally be perceived as ill or damaged or not nice to look at and making it more feminine and beautiful.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2149916/The-stunning-henna-crowns-helping-cancer-victims-come-terms-hair-loss.html#ixzz1vuEIdaKQ
Frances Darwin launched Henna Heals last year, where artists hand-paint intricate designs onto women's scalps with a natural plant-based paste, giving them back their femininity, confidence and power.
Using a hairless head as a canvas, 'the designs are customized and one-off works of art,' Ms Darwin told Today, who wants to empower cancer sufferers to feel beautiful again.
Henna Heals: Tara Schubert, who has Stage 3 breast cancer, models her intricate design by Henna Lounge
Known as henna crowns, the designs are not tattoos, involving no needles or pain, and last up to two weeks - offering women who suffer hair loss, and the lost sense of self, femininity and confidence it brings, a chance to feel beautifully adorned while at the same time also inviting dialogue about a sensitive subject.
Henna crowns: The designs offer women suffering hair loss, and the lost sense of femininity it brings, a chance to feel beautiful - as Sandee Waite discovers with her design by Tarquin Singh
Painted canvas: Kelly, who only gave her first name, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and recently finished her last chemotherapy treatment, believes the Henna crowns are a healing experience
Ms Darwin knew she wanted to continue empowering women to feel beautiful and confident, while at the same time helping to de-stigamatize hair-loss.
Cleverly chic: Tara Schubert models another design by Henna Lounge, promoting positive conversations and interactions during such a challenging time
Healing team: Henna Heals artists and participants (from left to right) Holly Monster, Luma R. Brieuc, Sandee Waite, Frances Darwin, Meg Montgomery, Sunni Rochelle, Nadia Bukhari and Tarquin Singh
Ms Darwin said: 'For cancer patients, the henna crowns really are a healing experience. This is all about them reclaiming a part of themselves that would normally be perceived as ill or damaged or not nice to look at and making it more feminine and beautiful.'
Read more:
- Frances Darwin Photography: Frances Darwin Photography
- HennaHeals.ca | We are a team of artists based in the Greater Toronto Area. We specialize in professional henna-art and photography services for people who are experiencing complete hair loss from Cancer or Alopecia
- TODAY Health: After chemo hair loss, 'henna crowns' help heal
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2149916/The-stunning-henna-crowns-helping-cancer-victims-come-terms-hair-loss.html#ixzz1vuEIdaKQ
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Japanese Face Supporter - Don't Waste Your Money.
Facial Compression Garments are used after neck and facelift surgery. The masks are used to help the skin bond and reshape your face , usually worn for around two weeks day and night. Wearing them for a longer period of time will not strengthen the effect of your face lift. The Japanese face supporter looks fun but do not expect it to tighten and firm up your skin , only surgery will do that.
It may look like piece of protective headgear fashioned for the sportsfield. But the Pin Up! Face Supporter Mask is in fact the latest innovative beauty product from The Japanese Trend shop.
The Tokyo-based lifestyle website first came into the public eye with its wacky range of massaging gadgets that looked more like instruments of torture than relaxation devices.
And now it has unveiled a £70 tight-fitting helmet which claims to firm up your complexion and reduce sagging as you sleep.
A description says users must bind the accessory taut around their head before relaxing for a peaceful night's slumber.
For the waking hours there is also an exercise mask that aims to tighten cheeks.
According to the seller, ten minutes a day of exercising by opening and closing the mouth will work wonders.
An instruction reads: 'The Houreisen Face Exercise Mask is a clever way to tighten up those sagging cheeks without shelling out on expensive surgery.
'Simply fasten the straps behind your ears and give your face a work out! Don't worry, this isn't going to tire you out. Just open and close your mouth for ten minutes each day and you will notice the results.'
Some have noted that the headgear looks uncannily like the protection used by rugby players or Peter Cech, the hero Chelsea keeper who saves a series of penalties to help win the Champions League.
Other amusing plastic surgery alternatives offered by the company include the Hana Tsun nose straightener, which has two silicone prongs that are inserted into the nostrils and the Beauty Lift High Nose, which applies vibrations to help push the nose higher and make it firmer.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2149388/Wacky-Japanese-firm-reveals-70-helmet-claims-ward-signs-ageing-sleep.html#ixzz1vrSnjvMw
It may look like piece of protective headgear fashioned for the sportsfield. But the Pin Up! Face Supporter Mask is in fact the latest innovative beauty product from The Japanese Trend shop.
The Tokyo-based lifestyle website first came into the public eye with its wacky range of massaging gadgets that looked more like instruments of torture than relaxation devices.
And now it has unveiled a £70 tight-fitting helmet which claims to firm up your complexion and reduce sagging as you sleep.
Users must wear the headpiece tight (left) and for the waking hours there is an exercise mask (right)
For the waking hours there is also an exercise mask that aims to tighten cheeks.
According to the seller, ten minutes a day of exercising by opening and closing the mouth will work wonders.
Before and after shots show how the Pin Up! Face Supporter Mask can help your complexion
'Simply fasten the straps behind your ears and give your face a work out! Don't worry, this isn't going to tire you out. Just open and close your mouth for ten minutes each day and you will notice the results.'
Some have noted that the headgear looks uncannily like the protection used by rugby players or Peter Cech, the hero Chelsea keeper who saves a series of penalties to help win the Champions League.
Other amusing plastic surgery alternatives offered by the company include the Hana Tsun nose straightener, which has two silicone prongs that are inserted into the nostrils and the Beauty Lift High Nose, which applies vibrations to help push the nose higher and make it firmer.
OTHER WACKY BEAUTY PRODUCTS FROM THE JAPAN TREND STORE
Roll up: Perk up the skin instantly with the Dual Roller Platinum Body massager for use on the face, neck, arms or legs
Healing hands: This pillow uses a mould of real therapist's hands to 'straighten' the neck vertebrae
Hospital therapy: This model may look like they've broken their legs but in fact this is a relaxing leg massager
Headache: Makers claim this scalp massager will erase tension and get those creative juices flowing
Hook, line and sinker: The Senakanbow Shiatsu Back Massager targets those hard to reach areas
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2149388/Wacky-Japanese-firm-reveals-70-helmet-claims-ward-signs-ageing-sleep.html#ixzz1vrSnjvMw
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Joanne Jackson : FACEBOOK Censorship - Women Are Terrified Of Cancer And Losing A Breast - Brave Joanne Showed The World 'Hey It's Not So Bad - Surviving Is What Counts' - FACEBOOK Has Become A Police State!
Photographs showing the amazing strength and courage of a woman who has beaten cancer have been removed by Facebook for being 'pornography'.
Mother-of-two Joanne Jackson, 40, had a photo session to commemorate winning her battle with the killer disease after having a mastectomy - and posted them on the social networking site.
But Facebook removed some of the images, which revealed her operation scar, for being offensive.
Joanne has been warned that further 'abusive' breaches will result in her account being shut down.
Angry Joanne, a Slimming World consultant of Thornhill, Dewsbury, West Yorks., said: 'There is nothing pornographic or explicit about these pictures. That was not the idea at all.
'I took breast cancer and the mastectomy in my stride and decided it wasn't going to stop me living my life. It wasn't going to define who I was, and it didn't make me any less attractive as a woman.
'My attitude was to just get on with it. I knew I could kick cancer's ass and I did.'
Former council youth worker Joanne was approached by a friend, whose husband Paul Hodgson was a professional photographer, and she jumped at the chance to pose for pictures.
She said: 'I am not one who is shy but these pictures weren't as much about me as about other women who had maybe just been diagnosed with breast cancer.
'It doesn't have to be a death sentence and there is life after a mastectomy.
'The images aren't fluffy, they are real and I am very proud of them.'
Joanne's story is one of great inspiration as she only discovered she had breast cancer after dieting and losing five stones in weight, dropping from a size 22 to a size 10.
She joined Slimming World in April 2009 weighing 15st 4lbs, after putting on weight as a result of suffering years of heartache, including four miscarriages. She now weighs 10st 5lbs.
Thanks to her weight loss, Joanne's bust reduced from a size 40HH to 30C. In May last year she discovered she had a lump in her breast.
Tests revealed she had two types of cancer in her left breast.
Her breast care nurse Debbie Weevel said: 'If Joanne hadn't lost the weight that she did, the lump wouldn't have been spotted until much later and it could have been too late.'
Joanne, who is married to self-employed cobbler Andrew and has two sons Connah, 19, and Evan, five, posted the images that celebrated her survival in her own Facebook album and on pages for various cancer organisations.
She has no idea who reported them but the warning came out of the blue.
The message said: 'Content you shared on Facebook has been removed because it violated Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
'Shares that contain nudity, pornography and graphic sexual content are not permitted on Facebook.
'This serves as a warning. Additional violations may result in the termination of your account.'
The message added that Joanne should 'refrain from posting abusive material in the future.'
Joanne's Facebook friends have also taken up the fight and the images have been re-posted as far afield as Australia, the USA, Canada and Spain.
'It's censorship, pure and simple,' said Joanne, who is now having breast reconstruction. 'And I'm not backing down so Facebook can do their worst.'
Photographer Mr Hodgson, of Huddersfield-based Box of Frogs, said the pictures were 'inspirational, not salacious or erotic' and added: 'This is about showing that a cancer diagnosis does not mean your life has ended.
'These pictures show that you can beat cancer and still be you.'
A Facebook spokesman confirmed that 'several' images had been removed because they breached terms and conditions.
'He said Facebook welcomed mastectomy pictures but said that some images may breach regulations.
Last week Facebook came under fire for deleting a mother's photos of her baby who died hours after being born with a rare birth defect.
Heather Walker's baby Grayson had anencephaly, a condition that meant his skull did not form fully over his brain.
Heather, from Memphis, Tennessee, posted several photos of Grayson on Facebook after his death, one which showed the baby without a hat.
It was this photo that was deemed 'graphic content' by Facebook and deleted.
Heather said: 'They allow people to post almost nude pictures of themselves, profanity, and so many other things but I'm not allowed to share a picture of God's beautiful creation.'
After repeatedly putting the removed picture on her profile, Heather's account was temporarily disabled.
An appeal to Facebook led to the mother's account being reactivated and the picture of her baby which was deemed 'graphic' allowed to remain.
A spokesman for Facebook denied that Heather was ever banned from the site, and said in a statement: 'On rare occasions, a photo reported to us may be too graphic too be permitted on the site. In these cases, the person who posted the photo is contacted, and the photos are removed.
'We strive to fit the needs of a diverse community while respecting everyone's interest in sharing content that is important to them.
'It is important to note that any photos that are removed – whether inappropriately or in accordance with our policies – are only done so after being brought to our attention by other Facebook users who report them as violations, and when such reports are subsequently reviewed by Facebook.'
According to Facebook's community standards page, there are nine types of content that may be deemed offensive and removed: Violence and Threats, Self-Harm, Bullying and Harassment, Hate Speech, Graphic Violence, Nudity and Pornography, Identity and Privacy, Intellectual Property and Phishing and Spam.
Joanne's photos were banned under the Nudity and Pornography clause.
IN THEIR RULES AND REGULATIONS FACEBOOK SAYS:
'We do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it. We need your help to do that, which includes the following commitments:
'You will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.'
'You will not facilitate or encourage any violations of this Statement.'
In their statement regarding Joanne's photographs, a spokesman confirmed 'several' the images were deemed to be in breach of this rule.
He said Facebook welcomed mastectomy pictures but said that some images may breach regulations.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2148029/Cancer-survivors-mastectomy-photos-BANNED-Facebook-pornographic.html#ixzz1vbj1qyMr
Mother-of-two Joanne Jackson, 40, had a photo session to commemorate winning her battle with the killer disease after having a mastectomy - and posted them on the social networking site.
But Facebook removed some of the images, which revealed her operation scar, for being offensive.
Joanne has been warned that further 'abusive' breaches will result in her account being shut down.
BANNED: This is the photograph of Joanne Jackson, 40, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last June and had a mastectomy, that was removed Facebook after being deemed 'pornographic'
'I took breast cancer and the mastectomy in my stride and decided it wasn't going to stop me living my life. It wasn't going to define who I was, and it didn't make me any less attractive as a woman.
'My attitude was to just get on with it. I knew I could kick cancer's ass and I did.'
Former council youth worker Joanne was approached by a friend, whose husband Paul Hodgson was a professional photographer, and she jumped at the chance to pose for pictures.
She said: 'I am not one who is shy but these pictures weren't as much about me as about other women who had maybe just been diagnosed with breast cancer.
'It doesn't have to be a death sentence and there is life after a mastectomy.
'The images aren't fluffy, they are real and I am very proud of them.'
Joanne's story is one of great inspiration as she only discovered she had breast cancer after dieting and losing five stones in weight, dropping from a size 22 to a size 10.
Inspirational: Wishing to help others through her story, Joanne had the series of photos taken to celebrate her survival. She posted them on her own Facebook page and on the pages of several cancer organisations
Offensive? Facebook removed the photos, citing the rule that banned 'pornography and graphic sexual content' from the social networking site. Any further breaches would result in the closure of her account, they said
Thanks to her weight loss, Joanne's bust reduced from a size 40HH to 30C. In May last year she discovered she had a lump in her breast.
Fighting fit: Joanne lost five stone in 2009, and the resulting reduction in her bust size was the reason she was able to spot the tumours in her breast
Her breast care nurse Debbie Weevel said: 'If Joanne hadn't lost the weight that she did, the lump wouldn't have been spotted until much later and it could have been too late.'
Joanne, who is married to self-employed cobbler Andrew and has two sons Connah, 19, and Evan, five, posted the images that celebrated her survival in her own Facebook album and on pages for various cancer organisations.
She has no idea who reported them but the warning came out of the blue.
The message said: 'Content you shared on Facebook has been removed because it violated Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
'Shares that contain nudity, pornography and graphic sexual content are not permitted on Facebook.
'This serves as a warning. Additional violations may result in the termination of your account.'
The message added that Joanne should 'refrain from posting abusive material in the future.'
Joanne's Facebook friends have also taken up the fight and the images have been re-posted as far afield as Australia, the USA, Canada and Spain.
'It's censorship, pure and simple,' said Joanne, who is now having breast reconstruction. 'And I'm not backing down so Facebook can do their worst.'
Photographer Mr Hodgson, of Huddersfield-based Box of Frogs, said the pictures were 'inspirational, not salacious or erotic' and added: 'This is about showing that a cancer diagnosis does not mean your life has ended.
'These pictures show that you can beat cancer and still be you.'
A Facebook spokesman confirmed that 'several' images had been removed because they breached terms and conditions.
'He said Facebook welcomed mastectomy pictures but said that some images may breach regulations.
Last week Facebook came under fire for deleting a mother's photos of her baby who died hours after being born with a rare birth defect.
Heather Walker's baby Grayson had anencephaly, a condition that meant his skull did not form fully over his brain.
Heather, from Memphis, Tennessee, posted several photos of Grayson on Facebook after his death, one which showed the baby without a hat.
It was this photo that was deemed 'graphic content' by Facebook and deleted.
Heather said: 'They allow people to post almost nude pictures of themselves, profanity, and so many other things but I'm not allowed to share a picture of God's beautiful creation.'
Memories: Heather Walker and her husband Patrick had a professional photographer take photos of Grayson, who died after only eight hours. But Facebook deleted some of the photos that showed the baby, born with a rare condition that meant his skull did not form properly over his brain, without his hat
An appeal to Facebook led to the mother's account being reactivated and the picture of her baby which was deemed 'graphic' allowed to remain.
A spokesman for Facebook denied that Heather was ever banned from the site, and said in a statement: 'On rare occasions, a photo reported to us may be too graphic too be permitted on the site. In these cases, the person who posted the photo is contacted, and the photos are removed.
'We strive to fit the needs of a diverse community while respecting everyone's interest in sharing content that is important to them.
'It is important to note that any photos that are removed – whether inappropriately or in accordance with our policies – are only done so after being brought to our attention by other Facebook users who report them as violations, and when such reports are subsequently reviewed by Facebook.'
CENSORSHIP OR SENSIBLE? FACEBOOK'S RULE REGARDING NUDITY
Ban: Joanne took to Twitter to talk about the Facebook ban on her mastectomy photo
Joanne's photos were banned under the Nudity and Pornography clause.
IN THEIR RULES AND REGULATIONS FACEBOOK SAYS:
'We do our best to keep Facebook safe, but we cannot guarantee it. We need your help to do that, which includes the following commitments:
'You will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.'
'You will not facilitate or encourage any violations of this Statement.'
In their statement regarding Joanne's photographs, a spokesman confirmed 'several' the images were deemed to be in breach of this rule.
He said Facebook welcomed mastectomy pictures but said that some images may breach regulations.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2148029/Cancer-survivors-mastectomy-photos-BANNED-Facebook-pornographic.html#ixzz1vbj1qyMr
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Mary Kennedy : "I was Such A Good Girl" A Star Studded Funeral To Say Goddbye To Mary - A Great Pity They Did Not Take The Time To Say Hello To Her When She Was Alive . R.I.P. Mary
Robert F. Kennedy Jr today revealed the moving details of his last conversation with his estranged wife Mary Richardson Kennedy as he paid tribute to her at her funeral.
Earlier Mary's sister-in-law Kerry Kennedy spoke about her best friend, and said Mary was an 'angel' who had been taken to Heaven by her own 'forces of evil'.
Choking with emotion, Mary’s sister-in-law and lifelong friend said that the mother-of-four 'loved her children more than anything else' - but had been unable to stop her inner demons from claiming her.
A galaxy of stars came out to remember Mary, who had battled depression for years and hanged herself on Wednesday in her barn in Bedford, New York at the age of 52.
Glenn Close sang at the funeral at St Patrick's Church in Bedford, New York, comedian Larry David gave a speech in remembrance and Maria Shriver was among the guests paying their respects.
Three of Mary Kennedy's four children, who are aged between 11 and 19, also gave readings from scriptures.
The funeral was held in the church where her children received their first communion, the New York Daily News reported.
The readings included a liturgy from the Book of Job from Conor Kennedy, her eldest, which included the line: 'The souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them...they are in peace'.
However, the rancour between Mary’s family and that of her estranged husband continued to the very last, when they all but boycotted the service.
The only person from her side of the family seen at the service was one of her sisters - but she did not even speak in a service that was all but a 'Kennedy only' affair.
Guests, who were in sombre black suits and appropriate black dresses, began arriving at 8am for the 10am service.
Mary’s children and Bobby Kennedy, 58, arrived shortly after 10am in a black Lincoln whilst her mother-in-law Ethel Kennedy, 84, was in a black SUV behind them.
After being hugged by friends and relatives her three eldest children Kyra, Aiden and Conor helped carry the oak-coloured casket at waist level into the church.
They were assisted by 10 other pallbearers including the housekeeper who found Mrs Kennedy’s body and one of her sisters.
Robert F Kennedy Jr walked ahead of the casket, which did not have any flowers on it, and Mary 's youngest son William, who looked confused and distraught, was lead inside by the hand by a relative.
Caroline Kennedy was also among the mourners, Chevy Chase arrived wearing a dark shirt and jeans, veteran actor Edward James Olmos came too as did John McEnroe.
Other guests included Susan Sarandon, Dan Ackroyd and wife Donna, hotelier Andre Balazs in a dark suit and Joe Kennedy wearing a navy suit ad light blue tie.
In her statement made before the service began Kerry said she was speaking on behalf of the whole family to express their sense of loss.
Dressed in a black dress, tall black shoes and with a silver pendant around her neck she struggled to contain her emotion.
She said: 'I just want to thank everybody for all their prayers, and the support of our family.
'Mary was my very very best friend and the best friend anyone could imagine having.
'She was brilliant and she was beautiful and she cared so very, very deeply about everybody around her. She had friends in every corner of the globe. Really deep rich friendships.
'She just lived her life to the fullest. She did everything she could for her friends and she loved her children more than anything else.
'Conor, her eldest, was her prince. Kyra her little girl, looked exactly like Mary.
'On Tuesday she was talking about where Kyra going to school and what she was going to do this summer and she just loved her children more than anything.
'Mary suffered from depression and it's a disease that so many, many, many Americans suffer from,' she added, fighting back the tears.
'I just think about the story of Michael, the Archangel, who had to battle the forces of evil, had to battle Satan who was trying to enter paradise. And that's what Mary did her whole life. She was battling, battling those demons and keeping them out of the paradise that was Mary.
'I just think that she was really an angel who was brought to us, to live with us here on Earth and I think that God just brought her back up to Heaven and said you don't have to fight for me anymore.
'You can be back where you're supposed to be. With my brothers and her father and her mother and the people who she so loved and we'll miss her.'
The service got underway with a rendition of Amazing Grace sung by - among others - Ms Close, who was wearing a black dress when she arrived.
Conor Kennedy gave his reading then Kyra Kennedy recited Psalm 42 before William Kennedy, who is just 11 years old, also gave a reading from Letter of Paul to Romans.
Family members and Mrs Ackroyd offered prayers and gifts before a rendition of the hymn 'How great thou art' and the Prayer of St Francis.
To wrap things up Larry David gave a remembrance, as did Kerry Kennedy then Bobby Kennedy delivered the final eulogy which mourners described as 'touching' and 'deeply moving'.
According to the New York Post, Mr David fought back tears as he spoke.
He told the audience: 'She was not haunted by darkness. She was the most selfless person I ever met.'
As guests filed out into the brilliant sunshine the church bell tolled across the village.
This time all four of Mary Kennedy's children helped carry her coffin out, as did Bobby Kennedy who brought up the rear.
For a powerful and poignant moment all five stood together wiping away tears in their eyes with their arms around each other as they looked at the coffin sitting in the back of the hearse - as if saying goodbye.
The family then spent half an hour greeting and thanking guests before boarding a coach believed to be taking them to Massachusetts where the body would be buried.
The Rev George Thompson, the pastor of St Patrick's Church said: 'It was a very traditional Mass service with traditional music. They wanted to make sure people knew what they were singing and people did sing along.
'There were around 400 people in the church and we had to put out extra seats.
'There were light hearted moments and lots of stories told about Mary, but there were some sombre moments too.'
Mary Kennedy, neé Richardson, was Bobby Kennedy's second wife. The couple married in April 1994. She had known the Kennedys for years, through her friendship with Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s sister, Kerry, whom she met at boarding school.
She had been Kerry’s maid of honour at her wedding in 1990.
She and Bobby, the son of assassinated U.S. senator and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, separated 16 years later, and whilst he filed for divorce in 2010 it never went through.
The case was pending when she died.
Shortly after the split, her internal struggles became public when she was arrested twice on charges of driving while intoxicated.
Things appear to have got worse in recent years and friends and other documents revealed she was drowning in credit card debt, feared she would lose both her home and her children and was getting destroyed by her husband in the divorce court.
Bobby Kennedy filed multiple restraining orders against his estranged wife in recent months and tried to get full custody of the children by claiming she was an unfit mother.
At the same time he began dating actress Cheryl Hines, who stars with David in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
A close friend told the New York Post: 'He was kicking her while she’s down, all alone in this house that she built. In the end, everything was just too much.'
This lead to ill feeling between the Richardsons and the Kennedys and one of her brothers, Thomas, filed a legal motion in White Plains on Thursday to try take control of the funeral arrangements and take her body back, but a judge ruled against him.
The Richardsons are said to be planning their own private wake on Monday in Manhattan.
Asked if he had met anyone from Mary Kennedy's family, Rev Thompson said that if there were they had not introduced themselves to him
He said: 'I don't recall speaking to anybody from her family, though I don't know them as well as the Kennedys'.
Before the funeral, Bobby Kennedy spoke for the first time about his estranged wife's long and difficult battle with depression, saying he 'does not know how she made it through the day'.
Speaking from the estate he shared with his wife for 16 years yesterday, he told the New York Times: 'A lot of times I don’t know how she made it through the day. She was in a lot of agony for a lot of her life.'
Kerry said Mary - a lifelong friend - had been sober for five months, but was still battling depression.
'She fought with every ounce of her mission to overcome that horrible disease,' she told The New York Times. 'It was not something that she asked for, it was something that she was dealt.
'You know, you sometimes hear things like "I’ve lost my right arm?" I feel like I’ve lost half my body, half my soul.'
Since Mary's death reports have exposed the full extent of the stress she was under when she hanged herself in an out building at her $2million mansion in Bedford.
She and Bobby Kennedy were scheduled to meet in court again on August 10 and a four-day trial was planned for September - which could have resulted in her losing custody of her children.
A close friend of Mary said: 'She faced losing her kids, and his relationship with Cheryl Hines was humiliating.
'At an event last month, he walked the red carpet with Cheryl as a couple and took the kids.
'She loved him. Her family and her home [were] her heart and soul. Even after they separated, she was pretending everything was fine. She’d still call him her husband. It was bizarre and sad.'
Mary Kennedy was also said to be drowning in debt. American Express filed a civil suit against her in Westchester on April 16 and she did not know how she was going to source the money.
Friends said Bobby Kennedy was trying to cut the amount of child support he was giving her and she had no access to the Kennedy trust fund.
'Mary was terrified that Robert was going to take the kids from her,' a source told RadarOnline. 'She was convinced he was building a case against her as an unfit mother and that he would be pursuing full custody.'
Mrs Kennedy's suicide was the latest in a succession of tragedies to strike the glittering and powerful Kennedy clan, known as the 'curse of Camelot'.
Her official cause of death was asphyxiation due to hanging, according to an autopsy report.
Westchester County Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman Donna Greene said that results of toxicology tests would not be ready for several months.
'She was used up and tossed away by Bobby. That was awful. He was going for full custody of the kids, which broke her heart.'
Mrs Kennedy had an on-going battle with drugs and alcohol and on several occasions tried to seek help.
She fell deep into despair, threatening suicide so often that the family staged an intervention, another friend said. She even tried AA meetings, but often relapsed, friends and family said.
'There were times when she had to be taken to the hospital when she would be acting irrationally and threatening to hurt herself,' a source told the Post.
As news of her death spread, friends spoke of her inner torment following her very public divorce from her husband. A close family friend told the New York Post: 'She was deeply troubled, abusing alcohol and prescription meds. She had cause.
'She was used up and tossed away by Bobby. That was awful. He was going for full custody of the kids, which broke her heart. She also had been part of the Kennedy family for 30 years. And now she was being cast aside by them.'
In February 2010, Mrs Kennedy had gone into rehab, friends told the New York Daily News. One neighbour said: 'She always seems lost these days, whenever she came into the village. Lost and alone and sort of out of it.'
There were indications her troubles started even earlier.
In 2007, Robert F. Kennedy Jr drove his wife to a hospital for treatment, but she resisted and ran from the car, according to the Journal News, which cited Mount Kisco police records.
'I remember she was acting kind of out of it, kind of crazy,' a witness, Rae Kesten, told The Journal News in 2007. 'She was running into the street and flailing her arms around. He was trying to restrain her. I didn't know if they were fighting or not, but I was concerned.'
Mary was a crusader for environmental issues and food allergy research, and was known among friends and family as a devoted mother.
With one of her children battling severe allergies, she co-founded the Food Allergy Initiative, billed as the world's largest private source of funding for food allergy research, and appeared with her family at its annual ball at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2146804/Mary-Kennedy-death-Emotional-scenes-funeral-mourners-lay-rest.html#ixzz1vOHFYRxb
He told mourners that he had spoken to her the day before she was found hanged at her home, and that she told him: 'You know me better than anyone in the world.'
He continued: 'She said, "I was such a good girl." I said, "I know you are - and you still are."'
Later on Saturday, Mary was buried at a cemetery in Centerville, Massachusetts, several miles away from the Kennedy seaside compound in Hyannisport.
Grief: Robert Kennedy Jr wiped away tears as he remembered wife Mary, right, at her funeral on Saturday
Resting place: Family members carry Mrs Kennedy's coffin to her grave in St Francis Xavier Cemetery in Centerville, Massachusetts
Prayer: Mr Kennedy and his children kneel to remember Mary at the cemetery on Saturday afternoon
Consolation: The family walks away from Mary's casket as the ceremony comes to a close
Choking with emotion, Mary’s sister-in-law and lifelong friend said that the mother-of-four 'loved her children more than anything else' - but had been unable to stop her inner demons from claiming her.
A galaxy of stars came out to remember Mary, who had battled depression for years and hanged herself on Wednesday in her barn in Bedford, New York at the age of 52.
Glenn Close sang at the funeral at St Patrick's Church in Bedford, New York, comedian Larry David gave a speech in remembrance and Maria Shriver was among the guests paying their respects.
Three of Mary Kennedy's four children, who are aged between 11 and 19, also gave readings from scriptures.
The funeral was held in the church where her children received their first communion, the New York Daily News reported.
The readings included a liturgy from the Book of Job from Conor Kennedy, her eldest, which included the line: 'The souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them...they are in peace'.
However, the rancour between Mary’s family and that of her estranged husband continued to the very last, when they all but boycotted the service.
One less: RFK Jr and his four children gathered outside the church after the funeral service
Comforting hand: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., second right, gathers with his children after carrying the casket of his estranged wife
Condolences: Actress Susan Sarandon, second from left, reaches out to hug a member of the Kennedy family after the funeral
Guests, who were in sombre black suits and appropriate black dresses, began arriving at 8am for the 10am service.
Mary’s children and Bobby Kennedy, 58, arrived shortly after 10am in a black Lincoln whilst her mother-in-law Ethel Kennedy, 84, was in a black SUV behind them.
After being hugged by friends and relatives her three eldest children Kyra, Aiden and Conor helped carry the oak-coloured casket at waist level into the church.
They were assisted by 10 other pallbearers including the housekeeper who found Mrs Kennedy’s body and one of her sisters.
Robert F Kennedy Jr walked ahead of the casket, which did not have any flowers on it, and Mary 's youngest son William, who looked confused and distraught, was lead inside by the hand by a relative.
Caroline Kennedy was also among the mourners, Chevy Chase arrived wearing a dark shirt and jeans, veteran actor Edward James Olmos came too as did John McEnroe.
Other guests included Susan Sarandon, Dan Ackroyd and wife Donna, hotelier Andre Balazs in a dark suit and Joe Kennedy wearing a navy suit ad light blue tie.
Sad procession: Mourners filed out of the church after the service amid bright sunlight
Duty: Pallbearers carried the oak casket carrying the body of Mary Kennedy into the church
Overcome: One attendee covers her face with her hands as the casket is being moved into the small church
Mode of transit: The hearse carrying Mary was followed by a black Town Car, where RFK rode to the church, and a black Cadillac, where Ethel Kennedy, Ted Kennedy's widow, rode
Dressed in a black dress, tall black shoes and with a silver pendant around her neck she struggled to contain her emotion.
She said: 'I just want to thank everybody for all their prayers, and the support of our family.
'Mary was my very very best friend and the best friend anyone could imagine having.
'She was brilliant and she was beautiful and she cared so very, very deeply about everybody around her. She had friends in every corner of the globe. Really deep rich friendships.
'She just lived her life to the fullest. She did everything she could for her friends and she loved her children more than anything else.
'Conor, her eldest, was her prince. Kyra her little girl, looked exactly like Mary.
'On Tuesday she was talking about where Kyra going to school and what she was going to do this summer and she just loved her children more than anything.
'Mary suffered from depression and it's a disease that so many, many, many Americans suffer from,' she added, fighting back the tears.
Paying respects: Former first lady of California Maria Shriver walked the grounds wearing large sunglasses and a cross pendant
High profile: Chevy Chase, right, joined other mourners to pay his respects
Robert Kennedy Jr, joined by family members, entered the church
'I just think that she was really an angel who was brought to us, to live with us here on Earth and I think that God just brought her back up to Heaven and said you don't have to fight for me anymore.
'You can be back where you're supposed to be. With my brothers and her father and her mother and the people who she so loved and we'll miss her.'
'She lived her life to the fullest. She did everything she could for her friends and she loved her children more than anything else.'
-Kerry Kennedy
Conor Kennedy gave his reading then Kyra Kennedy recited Psalm 42 before William Kennedy, who is just 11 years old, also gave a reading from Letter of Paul to Romans.
Family members and Mrs Ackroyd offered prayers and gifts before a rendition of the hymn 'How great thou art' and the Prayer of St Francis.
To wrap things up Larry David gave a remembrance, as did Kerry Kennedy then Bobby Kennedy delivered the final eulogy which mourners described as 'touching' and 'deeply moving'.
According to the New York Post, Mr David fought back tears as he spoke.
He told the audience: 'She was not haunted by darkness. She was the most selfless person I ever met.'
Brave face: Kerry Kennedy addresses the media outside the church before the funeral began
Paying tribute: Members of the Kennedy family, including RFK Jr, centre, arrive for the funeral of Mary Richardson Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Serene setting: The funeral is being held at St. Patrick's Church in Bedford, New York
This time all four of Mary Kennedy's children helped carry her coffin out, as did Bobby Kennedy who brought up the rear.
For a powerful and poignant moment all five stood together wiping away tears in their eyes with their arms around each other as they looked at the coffin sitting in the back of the hearse - as if saying goodbye.
The family then spent half an hour greeting and thanking guests before boarding a coach believed to be taking them to Massachusetts where the body would be buried.
Moving eulogy: Kelly Kennedy, Mary's sister-in-law, delivered a tear-filled remembrance of her friend
'There were around 400 people in the church and we had to put out extra seats.
'There were light hearted moments and lots of stories told about Mary, but there were some sombre moments too.'
Mary Kennedy, neé Richardson, was Bobby Kennedy's second wife. The couple married in April 1994. She had known the Kennedys for years, through her friendship with Bobby Kennedy Jr.'s sister, Kerry, whom she met at boarding school.
She had been Kerry’s maid of honour at her wedding in 1990.
She and Bobby, the son of assassinated U.S. senator and Attorney General Robert Kennedy, separated 16 years later, and whilst he filed for divorce in 2010 it never went through.
The case was pending when she died.
Shortly after the split, her internal struggles became public when she was arrested twice on charges of driving while intoxicated.
Things appear to have got worse in recent years and friends and other documents revealed she was drowning in credit card debt, feared she would lose both her home and her children and was getting destroyed by her husband in the divorce court.
Bobby Kennedy filed multiple restraining orders against his estranged wife in recent months and tried to get full custody of the children by claiming she was an unfit mother.
At the same time he began dating actress Cheryl Hines, who stars with David in Curb Your Enthusiasm.
A close friend told the New York Post: 'He was kicking her while she’s down, all alone in this house that she built. In the end, everything was just too much.'
This lead to ill feeling between the Richardsons and the Kennedys and one of her brothers, Thomas, filed a legal motion in White Plains on Thursday to try take control of the funeral arrangements and take her body back, but a judge ruled against him.
Final journey: Members of Mary Kennedy's family remove her casket as her body was taken into the church
Arrival: The hearse carrying the body of Mary Kennedy arrives at St. Patrick's Church with a police escort
Asked if he had met anyone from Mary Kennedy's family, Rev Thompson said that if there were they had not introduced themselves to him
He said: 'I don't recall speaking to anybody from her family, though I don't know them as well as the Kennedys'.
Before the funeral, Bobby Kennedy spoke for the first time about his estranged wife's long and difficult battle with depression, saying he 'does not know how she made it through the day'.
Speaking from the estate he shared with his wife for 16 years yesterday, he told the New York Times: 'A lot of times I don’t know how she made it through the day. She was in a lot of agony for a lot of her life.'
Kerry said Mary - a lifelong friend - had been sober for five months, but was still battling depression.
'She fought with every ounce of her mission to overcome that horrible disease,' she told The New York Times. 'It was not something that she asked for, it was something that she was dealt.
'You know, you sometimes hear things like "I’ve lost my right arm?" I feel like I’ve lost half my body, half my soul.'
Since Mary's death reports have exposed the full extent of the stress she was under when she hanged herself in an out building at her $2million mansion in Bedford.
Resting place: It is believed Mary Kennedy will be buried next to the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver and Sargent Shriver at the St Francis Xavier Cemetery in Centerville, Massachusetts
A close friend of Mary said: 'She faced losing her kids, and his relationship with Cheryl Hines was humiliating.
'At an event last month, he walked the red carpet with Cheryl as a couple and took the kids.
'She loved him. Her family and her home [were] her heart and soul. Even after they separated, she was pretending everything was fine. She’d still call him her husband. It was bizarre and sad.'
Mary Kennedy was also said to be drowning in debt. American Express filed a civil suit against her in Westchester on April 16 and she did not know how she was going to source the money.
Friends said Bobby Kennedy was trying to cut the amount of child support he was giving her and she had no access to the Kennedy trust fund.
'Mary was terrified that Robert was going to take the kids from her,' a source told RadarOnline. 'She was convinced he was building a case against her as an unfit mother and that he would be pursuing full custody.'
Before the split: The couple appeared together at his uncle Senator Ted Kennedy's funeral in August 2009, just months before divorcing in May 2010
Her official cause of death was asphyxiation due to hanging, according to an autopsy report.
Westchester County Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman Donna Greene said that results of toxicology tests would not be ready for several months.
'She was used up and tossed away by Bobby. That was awful. He was going for full custody of the kids, which broke her heart.'
She fell deep into despair, threatening suicide so often that the family staged an intervention, another friend said. She even tried AA meetings, but often relapsed, friends and family said.
'There were times when she had to be taken to the hospital when she would be acting irrationally and threatening to hurt herself,' a source told the Post.
As news of her death spread, friends spoke of her inner torment following her very public divorce from her husband. A close family friend told the New York Post: 'She was deeply troubled, abusing alcohol and prescription meds. She had cause.
'She was used up and tossed away by Bobby. That was awful. He was going for full custody of the kids, which broke her heart. She also had been part of the Kennedy family for 30 years. And now she was being cast aside by them.'
In February 2010, Mrs Kennedy had gone into rehab, friends told the New York Daily News. One neighbour said: 'She always seems lost these days, whenever she came into the village. Lost and alone and sort of out of it.'
There were indications her troubles started even earlier.
In 2007, Robert F. Kennedy Jr drove his wife to a hospital for treatment, but she resisted and ran from the car, according to the Journal News, which cited Mount Kisco police records.
'I remember she was acting kind of out of it, kind of crazy,' a witness, Rae Kesten, told The Journal News in 2007. 'She was running into the street and flailing her arms around. He was trying to restrain her. I didn't know if they were fighting or not, but I was concerned.'
Mary was a crusader for environmental issues and food allergy research, and was known among friends and family as a devoted mother.
With one of her children battling severe allergies, she co-founded the Food Allergy Initiative, billed as the world's largest private source of funding for food allergy research, and appeared with her family at its annual ball at Manhattan's Waldorf Astoria.
Read more:
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2146804/Mary-Kennedy-death-Emotional-scenes-funeral-mourners-lay-rest.html#ixzz1vOHFYRxb