Whitney Houston and her mother Cissy shared an unbreakable bond, and the legendary star attributed her passion for singing to her mother, the acclaimed Gospel star.
Though Cissy Houston has remained private about her grieving, she penned an open letter to her daughter Whitney that was placed in the program of her home-going service, according to TMZ.
Whitney Houston and her mother Cissy shared an unbreakable bond, and the legendary star attributed her passion for singing to her mother
“Dearest Whitney:
The presence of God blessed our home with life, love, joy and peace. You and your brothers were the center of divine love attracting God’s richest blessings. You were a child of God. We had so much love in our home that was truly from on high.
You always gave without expecting anything in return and our love was the force that multiplied these blessings higher and higher. I never told you that when you were born the Holy Spirit told me that you would not be with me long and I thank God for the beautiful flower he allowed me to raise and cherish for 48 years.
God said it’s time Nippy; your work is done. The other day on February 11th He came for you. But not without warning. For two months now I have been depressed, crying, lonesome and sad not knowing why.
On Saturday, before I found out about your transition, my doorbell rang. I went to answer it but there was no one there. It rang again and again, no one was there so I called the concierge to tell him someone was ringing my doorbell. He checked the cameras and told me that no one was there. You promised me you were coming to spend time with me after the Grammys. I believe the spirits allowed you to come after all.
How I love you Nippy and how I miss you, your beautiful smile, your special little things you used to say to me and sometimes you’d call just to say “hi Mommie, I love you so much,” I loved you so much more.
I love you,
I’ll miss you,
Thank you for being such a wonderful daughter.
Rest my baby girl in Peace, you’re now in the arms of Jesus.
Cissy Houston is determined to help turn granddaughter Bobbi Kristina’s life around as she enters the most difficult period in her life.
According to New York Daily New, Cissy Houston, 78, mother of Whitney Houston and grandmother to Bobbi Kristina declared: “I’ll be damned if I’m burying my grandbaby.”
A source told NY Daily News: “In the aftermath of Whitney’s death, she’s running the show.”
Cissy Houston “couldn’t do nothing with Whitney and the hangers-on, moochers and enablers that sucked the life out of her,” a second source continued. But “she has the reins of this now.”
Cissy Houston is determined to help turn granddaughter Bobbi Kristina’s life around as she enters the most difficult period in her life
It was previously reported that Bobbi Kristina was found doing drugs after her mother’s funeral, but that’s not the case. Now that Cissy Houston has stepped in, you can bet things are going to be different.
“She was with the family the whole time,” Darlene Love tells Access Hollywood.
“We all went to a restaurant we call after a funeral or home celebration, a repast, where everybody goes and sits and talks and eats. She was there, she was there yesterday, she’s been with the family these last couple of days.”
Whitney Houston treated her daughter more like a friend, since she was “absent” through most of Bobbi Kristina’s childhood years.
“Whitney felt bad that she wasn’t present as a mother” in Bobbi Kristina’s life, the source told NY Daily News, “so she treated her like a friend. That was her way to be close to her.”
Mother and daughter were extremely close, seen partying just a few days before Whitney Houston’s death.
The Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, where Whitney Houston was laid to rest in a private ceremony Sunday was closed to fans on Monday amid a crush of visitors eager to catch a glimpse of the fallen superstar’s grave.
As news helicopters idled overhead, more than 100 vehicles clogged Fairview Cemetery’s narrow lanes, the traffic spilling from the entrances to the streets outside.
“Someway, somehow, word got out that the cemetery was open to the public,” Westfield police Capt. Cliff Auchter said.
“And in the early afternoon, there was a tremendous increase in visitors that created tremendous traffic problems.”
Early in the day, cemetery personnel and police allowed small groups of visitors to approach the grave site, its bare earth heaped with flowers. Two officers stood watch nearby, ensuring nothing was taken.
But as morning blended into afternoon, the number of visitors grew, causing gridlock on the unmarked paths and on roads outside the cemetery.
In addition, according to a Westfield police officer at the scene, members of the singer’s family arrived to pay their respects and were troubled by the crowds. The relatives requested that access to the site be restricted, said the officer, who declined to give his name.
A day after Whitney Houston was buried at Fairview Cemetery in New Jersey her grave appeared covered by flower
Police closed the cemetery gates shortly after 2:00 p.m., allowing passage only to those with loved ones inside. Whitney Houston, who died on February 11 at age 48, is buried near her father, John Russell Houston, Jr.
Monday’s spectacle brought some substance to the fears voiced by Westfield residents leading up to the burial. They said they worried Fairview would become a tourist attraction, transforming a place of reverence into a carnival.
Ted Simpson, a resident of neighboring Garwood, posted a hand-made sign across the street from the cemetery, urging the public to stay away.
“Please let Whitney rest in peace,” the sign read.
“If you want to show your love, buy her music.”
Whitney Houston’s family has struggled to maintain its privacy, no small task given the public interest in the death of one of the world’s top-selling female vocalists and the scores of celebrities who attended her funeral in Newark Saturday.
Cliff Auchter, the Westfield police captain, said that until further notice, the cemetery will be open only to those with family buried there.
“I don’t know how long this is going to go on for,” he said.
“People will always be trying to pull a fast one to get in. We have to be attuned.”
A day after Whitney Houston was buried at Fairview Cemetery in New Jersey her grave appeared covered by flower.
Following a very public farewell to Whitney Houston at a funeral attended by thousands yesterday, the late singer was laid to rest surrounded by just a select few in New Jersey on Sunday.
Whitney Houston was buried in a private ceremony at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey, where her father, John Russell Houston Jr., was interred in 2003.
A day after Whitney Houston was buried at Fairview Cemetery in New Jersey her grave appeared covered by flower
An eyewitness has claimed that Bobbi Kristina Brown’s eyes were “glassy” and she appeared to be “wasted” during Whitney Houston’s burial.
According to RadarOnline.com, Bobbi Kristina Brown almost didn’t make it to the cemetery on Sunday.
“Bobbi Kristina didn’t want to be at the burial, and she looked wasted,” a source close to the situation told RadarOnline.com.
“Krissy’s eyes were glassy, and she seemed to be very disconnected from the service. Krissy hasn’t been eating or sleeping and just can’t stand to be around her family right now. Krissy’s group of friends appear to be much older, and don’t seem to have her best interests at heart.”
Bobbi Kristina was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center before and after her mother was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel on February 11.
“Krissy has taken her mother’s death really hard, not surprisingly, and Bobby is terrified she’s going to do something stupid. He wants her in a treatment center, getting professional help to get her through the grieving process without falling back on alcohol or drugs to mask her pain,” an insider told Radar Online.
“The true cause for concern is that the Houstons feel absolutely powerless to do anything about Krissy because she is an adult and they are afraid to push her too hard for fear of driving her away.”
“Krissy’s Aunt Pat [Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law], who spoke at the service on Saturday, is truly frightened of the toll all of this is going to take on Cissy, who is also taking her daughter’s death extremely hard.
“Pat seems to be the only one who isn’t afraid to get in Krissy’s face and physically haul her to rehab, but they know if they take her unwillingly, she will bolt.”
An eyewitness has claimed that Bobbi Kristina Brown's eyes were “glassy” and she appeared to be “wasted” during Whitney Houston’s burial
The Daily Beast originally reported that Bobbi Kristina Brown had vanished following the four-hour service in Newark, New Jersey. A report on Sunday claimed the mourning teenager was later found “getting high” by concerned family members.
It also claimed there were conflicts between family members on whether Bobbi Kristina should be taken to rehab straight away or left to mourn with them. Darlene Love, Whitney Houston’s godmother, told Access Hollywood that Bobbi Kristina was with the family the whole time and they are keeping a close-eye on her.
“She was with us and she was with the family the whole time… She’s been with the family these last couple of days. We all know where she is, she’s not missing.”
Darlene Love’s denial appears to contradict a family statement on Sunday, conceding the teen had some time out.
A family spokesperson told The Daily Beast: “There was some confusion about Bobbi Kristina’s whereabouts last night for a short time, but she’s OK. She needed some time alone.”
The Houston family rep denied that Bobbi Kristina was on drugs and said that she was just going through a “very hard time as you can expect”.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was admitted to a psychiatric ward in 2008 after she tried to stab her mother during an argument before turning the blade on herself and trying to slit her wrists. She had apparently grown up seeing her mother doing drugs and her family is concerned that she may follow in the singer’s footsteps in the more negative aspects of her life.
In 2011, Bobbi Kristina ‘s ex-boyfriend of more than two years was so concerned he spoke to Radar Online about her growing cocaine addiction that he says is due, in part, to her parents enabling her habits.
“I’ve tried to stop her, but all she said was, <<I’m just like my mother!>>” he said.
“It was difficult to stop her from buying alcohol and drugs because her mother gave her $1,000 a week. I saw Krissi do an eight ball – an eighth of an ounce – of cocaine in just two days with friends. One time Whitney bought a case of beer for Krissi and her friends to drink in front of her. I couldn’t believe it!”
Last March, Bobbi Kristina Brown took to Twitter to deny claims she had checked into rehab after The National Enquirer published pictures that allegedly showed her snorting lines of cocaine.
Bobbi Kristina Tweeted: “Excuse me, but I’d like to say that I am NOT going to rehab? I’m perfectly healthy and I am not addicted to anything but life.”
Long-time family friend BeBe Winans said he wasn’t aware of any alleged drug problems Bobbi Kristina was facing. He told Access Hollywood:
“I don’t know anything about rehab. I can tell you from being around her, pretty much all her life, and at the same time being around her in this dark valley, she’s doing wonderful. She’s doing wonderful.”
When asked about what part her father Bobby Brown would play in her life, Darlene Love added: “That’s really going to have to be her choice whether she wants him in her life… and I don’t think nobody is going to give her any information or try to move her one way or the other.
“That’s one decision she’s definitely going to have to make on her own.”
Although there are no custody issues because Bobbi Kristina is 18, her grandmother Cissy Houston is determined to keep a close eye on the teen.
Whitney Houston was pictured just five days before her tragic death dancing to Madonna’s Super Bowl half-time performance.
Whitney Houston watched the game at a bar in the Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel in Los Angeles with close family and friends.
TMZ reports Whitney Houston did not touch a drop of alcohol during the screening.
The website reports Whitney Houston sang along as Madonna, 53, performed her famous Vogue track as part of a medley of songs.
Source revealed Whitney Houston was a huge fan of Madonna’s performance and went on to reminisce about the days when they used to compete in the charts.
Whitney Houston was laid to rest on Sunday in her homeland of Newark, New Jersey, following her funeral the day before.
Stars including Mariah Carey, Oprah Winfrey and her co-star from The Bodyguard Kevin Costner attended the service at the New Hope Baptist Church.
Whitney Houston was pictured just five days before her tragic death dancing to Madonna's Super Bowl half-time performance
Kevin Costner was among the speakers and paid a moving tribute to the singer.
Whitney Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton hotel in LA on February 11, the eve of the Grammy Awards.
The cause of death is yet to be confirmed, pending toxicology reports, although today, Radar reported Whitney Houston had a deadly mixture of Valium, Xanax and alcohol in her system when she was found at the Beverly Hilton.
“Whitney had taken Valium, Xanax, and alcohol, which led to her death,” a source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com. The coroner is waiting on final toxicology results to determine which one of the three was the major contributing factor of her demise.
“The coroner will be closely examining Whitney’s blood alcohol content at the time she died as well. The sedatives and alcohol will almost certainly be the cause of death, and not drowning.
“Her heart stopped beating because her respiratory system was suppressed because of the anti-anxiety meds, and combined with the booze it probably happened very quickly before she was found partially submerged in the bathtub,” they said.
The final toxicology results for Whitney Houston should be released in the next several weeks.
Earlier reports claimed that Elton John was to attend his friend Whitney Houston’s funeral and, when he cancelled his Friday and Saturday concerts at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, many fans thought that’s where he was.
But Sir Elton John has responded to the reports, saying the shows were cut because he was sick with food poisoning, not because he was bidding farewell to the troubled star.
A statement on Elton John’s official website said: “Elton’s management would like to apologize to all the ticket buyers who were disappointed over this unavoidable cancellation.
“Also, they would like to respond to various online rumors that Elton attended the funeral of Whitney Houston on Saturday.
“This is completely untrue. The only reason Elton did not play his concerts over the weekend is because he was too ill.”
Elton John said his shows in Las Vegas were cut because he was sick with food poisoning, not because he was attending Whitney Houston’s funeral
Elton John had been due to perform as part of his residency at the Caesar’s Palace.
The statement also promised full refunds to fans.
A spokesperson for Elton John told website TMZ he is feeling “much better now” and will be ready for his next concert later this week, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Elton John was performing in Las Vegas on the previous Saturday when he heard about Whitney Houston’s death.
The singer dedicated his track Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me to Whitney Houston.
Addressing the crowd that night Elton John said: “This is a sad day today, most of you must know by now the news of Whitney Houston passing away.
“About six years ago I was here in Vegas with some friends and we spent the whole afternoon on YouTube looking at Whitney’s work from a long time ago, and you forget – with all the troubles she went through – how brilliant, she was.
“So, my dearest, gorgeous, lovely angel, we want to do this song for you. Thank you for giving us your talent and one of the most beautiful voices I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Astronomers using Hubble Space Telescope have confirmed the existence of a new class of planet: a waterworld with a thick, steamy atmosphere.
The exoplanet GJ 1214b is a so-called “Super Earth” – bigger than our planet, but smaller than gas giants such as Jupiter.
Observations using the Hubble telescope now seem to confirm that a large fraction of its mass is water.
The planet’s high temperatures suggest exotic materials might exist there.
“GJ 1214b is like no planet we know of,” said lead author Zachory Berta, from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
The planet was discovered in 2009 by ground-based telescopes. It is about 2.7 times the Earth’s diameter, but weighs almost seven times as much. It orbits its red-dwarf star at a distance of just two million km, meaning temperatures on GJ 1214b probably reach above 200C.
In 2010, astronomers released measurements of its atmosphere. These suggested that GJ 1214b’s atmosphere was probably made up of water, but there was another possibility – that the planet was covered in a haze, of the type that envelopes Saturn’s moon Titan.
Exoplanet GJ 1214b, so-called "Super Earth”, is bigger than our planet, but smaller than gas giants such as Jupiter
Zachory Berta and his colleagues used the Hubble Space Telescope’s wide-field camera to study the planet as it crossed in front of its star – a transit. During these transits, the star’s light is filtered through the planet’s atmosphere, giving clues to the mixture of gases present.
The researchers said their results are more consistent with a dense atmosphere of water vapor, than one with a haze.
Calculations of the planet’s density also suggest that GJ 1214b has more water than Earth. This means the internal structure of this world would be very different to that of our own.
“The high temperatures and pressures would form exotic materials like <<hot ice>> or <<superfluid water>>, substances that are completely alien to our everyday experience,” said Dr. Zachory Berta.
The planet’s short distance from Earth makes it a likely candidate for follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope, which may launch by the end of this decade.
The study has been accepted for publication by the Astrophysical Journal.
Jennifer Lopez and boyfriend Casper Smart spent a holiday in Brazil surrounded by the frenzy of the Rio de Janeiro carnival.
After a day surrounded by loud music and dancing, the couple enjoyed some quiet time as they relaxed at their hotel before catching an evening flight back to the U.S.
As they watched the sunset over Rio’s coastline, dancer Casper Smart, 24, planted a tender kiss on Jennifer Lopez, 42, as she relaxed on a chair.
A few hours earlier, Casper Smart was spotted working on his tan at the rooftop bar of the exclusive Fasano Hotel in Ipanema, while J.Lo enjoyed the privacy of her suite’s ocean view balcony.
Earlier on Monday, they were joined by the American Idol judge’s entourage as they enjoyed a cruise.
Jennifer Lopez and Casper Smart checked into a deluxe suite at the Fasano boutique hotel on Saturday, where they spent two nights before flying out of the city on Monday night.
Their deluxe suite includes a king-sized bed with 300-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, a bathroom including marble bath and ocean-view shower and a walk-in wardrobe.
Jennifer Lopez and boyfriend Casper Smart in the Brahma VIP box at the Sambadrome during the carnival on Sunday
Last night, Jennifer Lopez stopped her bodyguard from blocking a 12-year-old girl from trying to get an autograph from the singer.
On Sunday, Jennifer Lopez was the special guest of the Brahma beer company at their private VIP box in the Sambadrome for the annual Rio carnival.
She wore a red Brahma T-shirt as she danced along to the music and watched the spectacle.
Jennifer Lopez was invited by the Brazilian beer firm after appearing in the recent advertising campaign.
She filmed the Brahma beer ad in Los Angeles last month, she sees the Wedding Planner star turn down invitations for European dignitaries in favor of one to the carnival.
Brahma is the latest company to feature Jennifer Lopez in their advertising – she’s also one of the faces of L’Oreal and Fiat 500.
Danielle Maudsley, a 20-year-old woman has been left brain dead – after she was Tasered by police and smacked her head on the ground.
Danielle Maudsley had been taken to a Florida Highway Patrol Station after being arrested for a suspected hit-and-run in September. Handcuffed, she ran out of the door.
But as footage from a police cruiser dashboard camera reveals, Trooper Daniel Cole, who this week was cleared of any wrongdoing, fired a Taser’s electric probes into her back.
Danielle Maudsley spun, fell backwards and hit her head on the ground. Bleeding and crying she tried to get up. She then blacked out and has remained unconscious ever since.
Doctors say Danielle Maudsley, who was found to have cocaine and oxycodone in her system at the time, is unlikely to ever wake up.
Danielle Maudsley has been left brain dead after she was Tasered by police and smacked her head on the ground
Her mother Cheryl Maudsleyhas slammed the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and Florida Department of Law Enforcement for its reports that both cleared Cole.
Cheryl Maudsley told the Tampa Bay Times she was suing FHP, and added: “Tell me that’s not excessive force. I’m not saying she was an angel, but she didn’t deserve that.
“He couldn’t reach out and grab her? He was an arm’s length away. My daughter is dead because of this. She won’t come back.”
Danielle Maudsley, who had a suspended driving license, was arrested earlier that day for allegedly leaving the scene of two traffic accidents.
At the station, the woman tried to escape. Daniel Cole, worried she would be hit by a car as she ran towards the direction of U.S. 19, gave chase.
Daniel Cole said that because of the immediacy of the situation, and the fact he feared one or both of them would be injured if he tackled her, he went for his Taser.
When asked if he would have done anything differently, Daniel Cole said: “No, I would not have.”
Experts have now questioned the use of the Taser.
Greg Connor, professor at the University of Illinois Police Training Institute who specialises in use of force, said: “It just doesn’t make any sense. I don’t see where it’s going to be that hard to apprehend her.”
And nationally known use-of-force expert Dave Klinger, a retired Los Angeles police officer and professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said it was an “inappropriate” police tactic.
But Sgt Steve Gaskins said: “The Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted an independent review. FDLE’s investigation found the trooper’s actions were legal and within the scope of his duties.”
CEO’s participants at CBS’ show “Undercover Boss” are supposed to stay “undercover” as they work in the trenches of their own companies with their identities hidden from their employees.
However, in a recent edition of the show, Rick Silva, the head of Checkers & Rally’s drive-in hamburger restaurants, was so horrified at the abusive tone of one of his managers in Homestead, Florida, that he broke character and revealed himself in the middle of the episode.
And then Rick Silva shut down the restaurant for the night, stunning the employees and shocking the manager, known only in show as “Stevens”.
Rick Silva’s undercover name was Alex Garcia, and he posed as a failed pharmacy owner from Philadelphia.
While working alongside an employee named Todd at the fry station of the restaurant, Todd is in the middle of telling Rick Silva about his ambitions to be a chef, when Stevens yells at him to stop talking and cook the meat.
At one point, Stevens threatened Todd outside and beat him for not working hard enough.
When Rick Silva questioned the employee about why he allowed himself to be treated so badly, Todd replied that he had to keep his job so he could support his mother and he worried that if he stood up for himself, he would be fired.
In response to Steven’s abusive behavior and barking orders at his employees, Rick Silva responds by asking Stevens to speak with him outside.
Rick Silva, Checkers&Rally’s CEO, takes manager Stevens outside to talk about his behavior
When Rick Silva asked why Stevens yelled at his employees, the manager explains: “If I don’t scream at them, they don’t listen to me.”
Gaining confidence, the manager added: “I’m not going to let you continue telling me I’m disrespecting my crew. Have you been in the fast food business before?”
After initially attempting to not answer the question directly, Rick Silva, who manages one of the largest fast food chains in the country with more than 800 stores in 28 states, shot back:
“I have been in the restaurant business for over 20 years. And I’ve been in the fast food business for over 20 years. I’m CEO for this company.”
Stevens’ face shows that he is clearly stunned and he opens his mouth in disbelief, looking away.
“Right here, right now, we’re going to shut the restaurant down,” Rick Silva says.
When Rick Silva calls the employees out to inform them of the news, they are afraid the closing will be permanent and their jobs are lost.
Rick Silva, the CEO of the Rally's&Checkers hamburger restaurants chain
However, Rick Silva reopened the store with a new general manager the next morning and sent the offending manager in for more training.
“I came to the conclusion that he wasn’t prepared to run that shift and wasn’t convinced that when I walked away the restaurant would provide the level of service we need,” Rick Silva told the trade magazine Nation’s Restaurant News later.
Rick Silva also accepted responsibility for the manager’s poor behavior, saying it was his own fault as CEO that the company didn’t have the proper training procedures in place.
As for Todd, at the end of the show, Rick Silva awarded him with $15,000 to take care of his mother and money to finish culinary school.
A rapid thaw caused a real chaos on the River Danube in the Serbian capital Belgrade, where ice damaged boats, pontoons and floating restaurants.
The thick ice covered one of Europe’s busiest waterways during the recent freeze, but began to break up on Sunday as temperatures rose.
In Belgrade, boats crashed into each other but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
One boat owner said the ice had moved so fast, boats could not be saved.
“The damage will be hundreds of thousands of Euros for sure,” Dragan Jovanovic was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
Another boat owner, Mihailo Svilaric, told Reuters only a “handful” of boats remained intact out of about 100 moored in the Serbian capital’s Kapetanija marina.
A rapid thaw caused a real chaos on the River Danube in the Serbian capital Belgrade
Debris was scattered among the breaking ice for hundreds of metres along the river, and several floating restaurants, barges and boats were beached on river banks after the ice snapped anchor lines.
Local media reported that Belgrade emergency services said there was no ice risk to bridges and other infrastructure in the city, and there was no threat of flooding.
The Danube flows 2,860km (1,777 miles) through nine countries and is vital for transport, power and industry.
It has been almost entirely frozen from Austria to the Black Sea, in Romania, the Associated Press news agency reports.
Ice more than 30cm (11in) thick in places broke up over the weekend as temperatures rose.
Belgrade river officials advised boat owners to constantly monitor their property but not to try to recover it from the water as of Monday morning.
Belgrade resident Miroslav Jagas told AP he believed that complacency had aggravated the problems caused by the freezing weather.
“We have not seen weather like this in a long time,” he said.
“People were relaxed, the boats stayed there, the icebreakers did not remove the ice on time.”
At least 20 people have died from the cold in Serbia in recent weeks and economists say damage from the cold snap may cost Serbia as much as 500 million Euros ($660 million).
Some 3,300 people remain stranded by snow and ice in rural areas, where they can only be reached by helicopter.
Five-year-old Zachery Jack Avery’s wardrobe contains a purple tutu, a silky mauve blouse and a floral patterned skirt.
Zachery Jack Avery is one of the youngest known children to be backed by the NHS in UK after being diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID).
The boy has a long fair hair done up in bunches as he has been insisting on living as a member of the opposite sex.
The extraordinary conclusion that he is a girl trapped inside a boy’s body is being backed by medical experts and supported by his school, which has made a lavatory block “gender neutral” to accommodate his needs.
Until shortly before his fourth birthday in December 2010, Zachy, as his mother Theresa calls him, was “a normal little boy”. He loved to play with his Thomas the Tank Engine train set alongside his brother Alex.
Suddenly, however, Zachery Avery became obsessed with the children’s TV cartoon character Dora the Explorer, and started to dress in girls’ clothes.
Theresa Avery, who has two other children, said: “He just turned round to me one day and said, <<Mummy, I’m a girl>>. I assumed he was just going through a phase and left it at that. But then it got serious and he would become upset if anyone referred to him as a boy. He used to cry and try to cut off his willy out of frustration.”
Theresa Avery, 32, and husband Darren, 41, became increasingly worried by their son’s behavior and took him to a doctor, then to a child psychologist.
Zachery Jack Avery is one of the youngest known children to be backed by the NHS in UK after being diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder
At the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust in London, which specializes in the disorder, Zachery Avery was diagnosed as having GID.
His mother said: “They told us that although he had a male body, his brain was telling him he was a girl.”
At home in Purfleet, Essex, a first-floor flat in a block on a 1980’s estate, Darren and Theresa Avery continued to allow Zach to dress in girls’ clothes and play with his sister’s dolls.
Zachery Avery pictured shortly before his fourth birthday in December 2010, when he was a normal little boy
Meanwhile at the boy’s school, Purfleet Primary, they have applied themselves to what Theresa Avery calls “the bathroom issue” and are hoping Zach can use the staff toilets when he gets older.
About the other pupils, she said: “We explained to the other kids that Zach’s body was that of a boy but in his brain he was a girl. We said Zach was just happier being a girl than a boy. They haven’t batted an eyelid. They’ve accepted Zach as Zach and there’s been no problems at the school with bullying. The school has been brilliant and really, really supportive.”
Purfleet Primary, which has 350 pupils up to age 11, was given the lowest “inadequate” rating in December after an Ofsted inspection. Teachers allow Zachery Avery to wear a girl’s trouser uniform and black boots with pink trim, which his mother says is female but still neutral.
Theresa Avery admits she misses her little boy, but she adds: “He just wants to be like a little girl. He’s very happy with his long hair, pink-and-red bedroom and a wardrobe full of girls’ clothes.
“He likes playing with his sister’s old toys but he still loves Doctor Who and playing with his brother. And we still put some neutral clothes in his wardrobe if he ever decides he wants to wear them. We leave it up to him to decide what he wants to do – if he changes his mind and wants to be a boy again then he does, but if he doesn’t, he doesn’t.”
The mother added: “I would love to have my son back, but I want him to be happy. If this is the route he wants to take – if this is what makes him happy – then so be it. I would rather him have my full support. People need to be aware of this condition because it’s very common but even many family-support workers have never heard of cases in children. There are people out there but they don’t want to talk about it.”
On his Facebook page, Darren Avery describes himself as an artist and “dad of four starting my own business drawing pictures from photos’. Sketches he has uploaded include a reclining nude woman wearing a necklace with a large, heart-shaped pendant, based on Kate Winslet in Titanic. Others include a blonde girl striking a provocative pose in a figure-hugging top, and a faceless female wearing only a Mickey Mouse T-shirt.
Zachery Avery (right) with his mother Theresa, father Darren and brother Alex
Yesterday Darren and Theresa Avery were negotiating with a tabloid newspaper to sell Zachery’s story for a five-figure sum.
Figures from the Tavistock and Patman clinic – the national body for GID – revealed that 165 children have been diagnosed with the condition this year.
A spokesman said they were unable to comment on individual cases, but only seven children under five were diagnosed last year – making Zach one of the youngest.
“Tavistock Clinic had 97 referrals in 2009/2010; 139 in 2010/2011 and 165 thus far this year.
“The trend in referrals has been up over the years – this may reflect greater awareness.
“We see children and young people up to the age of 18, from across the UK, who are experiencing difficulties in the development of their gender identity.
“This includes children who are unhappy with their biological sex. Some may be boys who prefer activities and roles associated with the opposite sex, some may also identify as the opposite sex and vice versa for girls. In general when younger children are referred it is in relation to cross-gender preferences in play, playmates and activities. It is more unusual for children of this age to express cross-gender identification – that is the wish or belief that they belong to the opposite sex.
“The diagnosis of GID is made by the key workers working with the young person. We will also assess their general well-being. We remain in contact with young people often for many years.
“Our aim is not to predict or direct the outcome, but rather to support the young person in their general development as well as develop a trusting collaborative therapeutic relationship in which it is possible to openly explore their feelings about their gender.”
British scientists at University of Cambridge say they may have found a more efficient treatment of pancreatic cancer after promising early trial results of an experimental drug combination.
Giving the chemotherapy agent gemcitabine with an experimental drug called MRK003 sets off a chain of events that ultimately kills cancer cells, studies in mice show.
Patients are now testing the treatment to see if it will work for them.
The Cancer Research UK-funded trials are being carried out in Cambridge.
Father-of-two Richard Griffiths, 41, from Coventry, has been on the trial since being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May 2011.
“After six cycles of treatment, a scan showed the tumours had reduced and so I have continued with the treatment,” Richard Griffiths said.
“The trial gives you hope – I really feel I can do this with the science behind me.”
Cancer Research UK says it is prioritizing research into pancreatic cancer because the survival rate still remains dismally low.
Survival rates in pancreatic cancer are very low in relation to other cancers, and the length of time between diagnosis and death is typically short, usually less than six months.
The most recent data for UK show that about 16% of patients survive the disease beyond 12 months after diagnosis – prompting the need for new treatments.
Professor Duncan Jodrell, who is leading the trials at the University of Cambridge, said: “We’re delighted that the results of this important research are now being evaluated in a clinical trial, to test whether this might be a new treatment approach for patients with pancreatic cancer, although it will be some time before we’re able to say how successful this will be in patients.”
In total, about 60 patients with advanced pancreatic cancer will be recruited for the first Phase I/II clinical trial.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z made their first public appearance together since their daughter Blue Ivy was born at a basketball game yesterday.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z enjoyed cheering on the New Jersey Nets, a team that Jay-Z co-owns, from their courtside seats and looked extremely loved up as they cuddled together.
The R&B star whispered into his wife’s ear and kissed her cheek while keeping an arm protectively around her as they watched the game.
Beyoncé wore an eye-catching yellow blazer over a simple white top and proved just how quickly she has regained her fantastic figure as she slipped on some skinny jeans.
The singer also wore a pair of sky high patterned platform heels by Christian Louboutin, large gold hoop earrings and had a black bag with a chain slung over her shoulder.
She was sporting blue nail varnish, which she has been seen showing off since the birth of her baby girl, seemingly in honor of her daughter Blue Ivy.
Jay-Z wore a grey jumper over a white T-shirt, khaki trousers and brown boots.
The couple was sat next to actress and fashion designer Chloe Sevigny as they cheered on their team, and was also seen applauding the dancers who warmed up the match.
Beyoncé and Jay-Z made their first public appearance together since their daughter Blue Ivy was born at a basketball game
Beyoncé and Jay-Z surprised fans earlier this month when they decided to forgo any magazine deals and released the first images of Blue Ivy to the world via Beyoncé’s website.
A series of intimate family snaps showing the youngster and her parents was accompanied by the message: “We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives. The Carter Family.”
Beyoncé stepped out twice in as many nights earlier this month and in her form-fitting outfits, it was almost unbelievable to think she gave birth a few weeks earlier on January 7.
It wasn’t just her figure she was showing off as Beyoncé was also seen sporting a chunky piece of bling which she was given as a “push present”.
Jay-Z is believed to have bought the blue ring, in honor of their daughter’s name, in a tradition that sees new fathers reward the mother after she gives birth to their child.
Beyoncé’s first “stepping out” was last Monday night as she showcased her post-baby curves in a red Alice Temperley cocktail dress, which was undeniably striking.
It was a wise move as she looked picture perfect for the first night of Jay-Z’s two-legged occupation of NYC’s Carnegie Hall.
Meanwhile Jay Z made his first debut two weeks after little Blue Ivy’s birth when he attended the reopening of his nightclub 40/40 in New York.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF boss, is being questioned by French police as a suspect in a prostitution ring inquiry, a prosecutor announced today.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn, once a front-runner for the French presidency, is being held in custody at a police station in Lille, northern France.
Police have questioned a number of prostitutes who have admitted having sex with Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
DSK insists he did not know that the women were prostitutes.
DSK is being held in custody at a police station in Lille as a suspect in a prostitution ring inquiry
“I challenge you to distinguish a naked prostitute from any other naked woman,” dominique Strauss-Kahn’s lawyer Henri Leclerc has told French television.
DSK resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in May 2011 after he was charged in New York with the attempted rape of a hotel maid. The case was later dropped.
In this separate inquiry, French police have already arrested eight men on suspicion of organizing a prostitution ring and misusing corporate funds to pay for sex in a scandal known as the “Carlton affair” because of a Lille hotel where clients were allegedly supplied with call-girls.
Three of the suspects were said to have been close to DSK, who is said to have taken part in sex parties in Paris and Washington in late 2010 and early 2011.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn could be held by police for up to 48 hours, French media say.
Although consorting with prostitutes is legal in France, supplying them to others and misusing company funds to pay for them are not.
Darlene Love, Whitney Houston’s godmother, has hit out at reports the late singer’s daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown went “missing” following the funeral and allegedly was “doing drugs”.
Bobbi Kristina Brown, 18, was reported to have vanished following the four-hour service in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday.
A report on Sunday claimed Bobbi Kristina was later found “getting high” by concerned family members.
However, Darlene Love, 70, insisted Bobbi Kristina was with the family the whole time and they are keeping a close-eye on her.
Darlene Love told U.S. TV show Access Hollywood last night: “Not true. Not true.
“She was with us and she was with the family the whole time… She’s been with the family these last couple of days. We all know where she is, she’s not missing.”
The Sixties singer’s denial comes after The Daily Beast website claimed Bobbi Kristina Brown failed to join the family at a Newark restaurant following the funeral at the New Hope Baptist Church.
“Everyone was freaking out and calling Bobbi Kristina’s cell,” a family friend told The Daily Beast.
“It was so much commotion and activity after the funeral that Bobbi Kristina just slipped away. [Her grandmother] Ms. Cissy [Houston] was beside herself.”
Darlene Love, Whitney Houston's godmother, has hit out at reports Bobbi Kristina Brown went “missing” following the funeral
Bobbi Kristina Brown was understandably left devastated when her 48-year-old mother was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel on February 11.
The teenager was also apparently found “getting high” after she received the news her mother had passed away and there were conflicts between family members on whether she should be taken to rehab straight away or left to mourn with them.
Darlene Love’s denial appear to contradict a family statement on Sunday, conceding the teen had some time out.
A Houston family spokesperson told The Daily Beast: “There was some confusion about Bobbi Kristina’s whereabouts last night for a short time, but she’s OK. She needed some time alone.”
The Houston family rep denied that Bobbi Kristina Brown was on drugs and said that she was just going through a “very hard time as you can expect”.
Long-time family friend BeBe Winans said he wasn’t aware of any alleged drug problems Bobbi Kristina was facing.
BeBe Winans told Access Hollywood: “I don’t know anything about rehab. I can tell you from being around her, pretty much all her life, and at the same time being around her in this dark valley, she’s doing wonderful. She’s doing wonderful.”
When asked about what part her father Bobby Brown would play in her life, Darlene Love added: “That’s really going to have to be her choice whether she wants him in her life… and I don’t think nobody is going to give her any information or try to move her one way or the other.
“That’s one decision she’s definitely going to have to make on her own.”
Bobbi Kristina is said to be upset following her parents’ divorce in 2007 and how quickly Bobby Brown moved on.
Bobby Brown, 43, has become engaged and has a two-year-old son Cassius with fiancée Alicia Etheredge.
A coalition of experts named Helsinki Group say dolphins are so intelligent that they should be thought of as “non-human persons” and given their own bill of rights.
Helsinki Group includes scientists, philosophers and animal welfare groups have come up with a declaration of dolphin rights which they hope will one day be enshrined in law.
This would stop them being kept in zoos and waterparks, and being attacked by fishermen.
Whales would also be elevated above other animals by the list of rules, leading to whalers being classed as murderers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference heard in Vancouver.
Whale watching trips would be subject to regulations which would respect the creatures’ privacy, and developers and oil companies would have to give huge consideration to the effect their projects would have on the animals’ life and culture.
Philosopher Thomas White said: “Scientific evidence is now strong enough to support the claim that dolphins are, like humans, self-aware, intelligent beings with emotions and personalities.
“Accordingly, dolphins should be regarded as <<non-human persons>> and valued as individuals. From an ethical perspective, the injury, deaths and captivity of dolphins are wrong.”
Those who drew up the bill of rights are known as the Helsinki Group and include UK members of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
Helsinki Group say dolphins are so intelligent that they should be thought of as “non-human persons” and given their own bill of rights
Helsinki Group say that thanks to advances in science, it is clear that dolphins are extremely intelligent, complex and sensitive mammals.
The bill of rights states that every individual member of the cetacean order – whales, dolphins and porpoises – has a right to life.
It also says that no one has the right to own the creatures or to do anything that undermines their rights, freedoms or norms.
Its authors are using the Vancouver conference to try to get more scientists and members of the public on their side. They believe this is a step towards eventually persuading governments to enshrine the principles in law.
When brain weight is compared with body weight, the dolphin has the second-largest brain on the planet after humans.
The conference heard that dolphins are self-aware – they can recognize themselves in the mirror.
There are also examples of them grieving for lost calves, feeding ailing pod mates and co-operating with fishermen when there is a meal in it for them.
In Laguna, Brazil, when a shoal of fish enters the lagoon, the dolphins herd it towards the fishermen. Any fish that escape their nets provide an easy meal.
At Dingle, south-west Ireland, a bottlenose nicknamed Fungi regularly entertains sightseers in boats.
Perhaps the most striking example of dolphin intelligence involves Kelly, a member of a pod at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Mississippi which were rewarded with fish for clearing up litter from their pool.
Each piece of litter equated to one fish. To raise her intake of fish, Kelly tore the litter into pieces and presented them one by one.
One day, she caught a gull and was given a large haul of fish for her efforts.
She then started to use the fish she won for litter picking to lure gulls into her jaws.
She also taught the tactic to her calf, which passed it on to other youngsters in the pod.
Given the opportunity, dolphins will watch TV and follow instructions delivered on the screen. Chimps do this only after months of training.
Dolphins can be taught to understand human words, sentences and demands.
Like humans, dolphins are altruistic and there are examples of them going to the aid of swimmers and surfers attacked by sharks.
They use body language. The “side-flop”, jumping clear of the water and landing on their side, is thought to mean: “I want to go now.”
They have regional accents, with the whistles made by those off Wales different to those living off the Irish coast.
They have a form of adult onset diabetes but are able to turn it on and off. Learning how they do this could lead to new treatments for the human form of the condition.
Males woo females by presenting them with gifts from bouquets of weed to sticks and lumps of marine debris.
Actress Jackée Harry takes the credit of bringing Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown together and revealed how she did it Sunday on Bravo‘s late night talk show “Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen.
Apparently, there was an after party for the 1989 film “Harlem Nights” and Jackée Harry and Whitney Houston were hanging out at the celebrity-filled shindig. Whitney Houston zeroed-in on the former New Edition member and pleaded with Jackée Harry to introduce her to Bobby Brown who had a highly celebrated solo career at the time. Bobby Brown was still riding high off his 1988 multi-platinum breakthrough album “Don’t be Cruel.”
Bobby Brown at the time was a notorious womanizer and was never without a bevy of females around him.
Actress Jackée Harry takes the credit of bringing Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown
Jackée Harry, who referred to herself as “the only known hoe in the group,” not only introduced Whitney Houston to her future husband that night but to comedian Eddie Murphy as well, who also attended the party and starred in the film.
Although Whitney Houston had been romantically linked to Eddie Murphy, she actually went on to marry Bobby Brown in July 1992 after a three year courtship. The couple produced one child Bobbi Kristina.
Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown had a tumultuous relationship which resulted in alleged physical abuse, drug and alcohol binges.
Bobby Brown had several run-ins with the law that included jail time. After years of public battles and turmoil, the pair went their separate ways in September 2006 and Whitney Houston filed for divorce a month later. The divorce was finalized in April 2007 and Whitney Houston was granted custody of Bobbi Kristina.
Jackée Harry not only introduced Whitney Houston to her future husband that night but to comedian Eddie Murphy as well
When Andy Cohen asked Jackée Harry, who is best known for her roles on the sitcoms “227″ and “Sister to Sister,” if she blamed Bobby Brown for Whitney Houston’s drug use, the Emmy-winner replied that she did not.
Jackée Harry also talked about the strong similarities between herself and Whitney Houston, how they both came from the ghetto and how their lives had been “accelerated” and when they tried to go back to where they came from, they no longer fit in. There was an inference that perhaps that was a problem with Whitney Houston.
Whitney Houston was found dead on February 11 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel after a member of her entourage discovered her body in the bathtub. It is believed that the legendary singer died as the result of alcohol mixed with prescription drugs.
Russian scientists have grown plants from fruit stored away in permafrost by squirrels over 30,000 years ago.
The fruit was found in the banks of the Kolmya River in Siberia, a top site for people looking for mammoth bones.
The Institute of Cell Biophysics team raised plants of Silene stenophylla – of the campion family – from the fruit.
Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they note this is the oldest plant material by far to have been brought to life.
Prior to this, the record lay with date palm seeds stored for 2,000 years at Masada in Israel.
Professor David Gilichinsky, the leader of the research team, died a few days before his paper was published.
In the workpaper, Professor David Gilichinsky and his colleagues describe finding about 70 squirrel hibernation burrows in the river bank.
“All burrows were found at depths of 20-40m from the present day surface and located in layers containing bones of large mammals such as mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, bison, horse, deer, and other representatives of fauna from the age of mammoths, as well as plant remains,” they write.
“The presence of vertical ice wedges demonstrates that it has been continuously frozen and never thawed.
“Accordingly, the fossil burrows and their content have never been defrosted since burial and simultaneous freezing.”
Russian scientists have grown plants from fruit stored away in permafrost by squirrels over 30,000 years ago
The squirrels appear to have stashed their store in the coldest part of their burrow, which subsequently froze permanently, presumably due to a cooling of the local climate.
Back in the lab, near Moscow, the team’s attempts to germinate mature seeds failed.
Eventually they found success using elements of the fruit itself, which they refer to as “placental tissue” and propagated in laboratory dishes.
The Russian team’s theory is that the tissue cells are full of sucrose that would have formed food for the growing plants.
Sugars are preservatives; they are even being researched as a way of keeping vaccines fresh in the hot climates of Africa without the need for refrigeration.
So it may be that the sugar-rich cells were able to survive in a potentially viable state for so long.
Silene stenophylla still grows on the Siberian tundra; and when the researchers compared modern-day plants against their resurrected cousins, they found subtle differences in the shape of petals and the sex of flowers, for reasons that are not evident.
The scientists suggest in their PNAS paper that research of this kind can help in studies of evolution, and shed light on environmental conditions in past millennia.
But perhaps the most enticing suggestion is that it might be possible, using the same techniques, to raise plants that are now extinct – provided that Arctic ground squirrels or some other creatures secreted away the fruit and seeds.
General John R. Allen, the US commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan, has apologized over reports that foreign troops had “improperly disposed” of copies of the Koran.
In a statement General John R. Allen ordered a full investigation.
“When we learned of these actions, we immediately intervened and stopped them,” he said.
Reports of the alleged Koran burning have led to a large protest outside the Bagram air base.
In his statement, General John R. Allen said that the investigation would examine whether troops at Bagram air base “improperly disposed of a large number of Islamic religious materials which included Korans”.
“The materials recovered will be properly handled by appropriate religious authorities,” the statement said.
“We are thoroughly investigating the incident and we are taking steps to ensure this does not ever happen again. I assure you… I promise you … this was not intentional in any way.”
General John R. Allen went to and offer his “sincere apologies for any offence this may have caused”, including to the president of Afghanistan, the Afghan government and “the noble people of Afghanistan”.
In April last year at least one person was killed and 18 injured in successive days of protests in Afghanistan over the burning of a Koran in the US.
A message from one of our readers. Whitney we miss you!
Dear Friends of Whitney Elizabeth Houston,
I am writing this letter to you today in an effort to reach out and touch those in our lives for which we admire and respect because of the GOD given talents they are blessed with and who have sacrificed and devoted their lives to entertain all us. With all their access to fame and fortune, easy availability of unlimited drugs and alcohol prominent within this industry and the sudden death of young talented and legendary artist such as; Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, Mikey Welsh, it has come to my attention as one of their fans and a Disc Jockey for many years exhibiting their music that something more concretely needed to be done. We must bring to light the causes of their early deaths and take actions to protect them from themselves and the sometime irrational decisions they make that bring theirs lives to early demise. To ensure Whitney Elizabeth Houston’s life causes and her death would not be in vane, I proposed that every artist within the entertainment community take the following Entertainers Standards of Conduct Oath and to become the “Wingman” for someone they admire, respect, love and care for. Let your voice be heard and demonstrate through your works and deeds that you loved Whitney as much as she loved each of you. I pray it will help each of you and all of us who could use a little intervention from time-to-time as we struggle with the demons in our lives.
Sincerely,
Brian Wayman Layton, Utah 2 /19/2012
In Memory of Whitney “Elizabeth” Houston’s
Entertainers Standards of Conduct Oath
Because you love me and because I love myself, I _______________________________ , hereby solemnly swear before my GOD, my family, my closest friends and the professions for which I am beholden, to uphold the following standards of conduct as a condition of my employment throughout my contractual obligations. Because you love me and because I love myself, I will maintain the highest levels of personal and professional integrity by setting the example through righteous living both in the publics view and in my private life. I will not bring shame to my GOD, my family, my friends and employer by indulging in the abusive, dangerous and unhealthy pleasures of evil, lawlessness and reckless behavior and will cease that behavior immediately. I will not abuse or consume harmful and additive drugs and chemicals substances legal or illegal into my body nor will I offer them to those around me. I will only surround myself with those who truly love me and I will separate myself from those who would harm and enable me to self destruct. If I am in trouble, I will seek the recommendations and accept the professional help that I need without repercussions because you love me and I love myself so help me GOD.
Written by: Brian H. Wayman Layton, Utah 2/19/2012
Take the pledge today and get on the path to recovery
Scientists discovered that ant colonies – one of nature’s most ancient and efficient societies – are able to form a “collective memory” of their enemies.
When one ant fights with an intruder from another colony it retains that enemy’s odor: passing it on to the rest of the colony.
This enables any of its nest-mates to identify an ant from the offending colony.
The findings are reported in the journal Naturwissenschaften.
For many ant species, chemicals are key to functioning as a society. Insects identify their nest-mates by the specific “chemical signature” that coats the body of every member of that nest.
The insects are also able to sniff out any intruder that might be attempting to invade.
Scientists discovered that ant colonies are able to form a "collective memory" of their enemies
This study, carried out by a team from the University of Melbourne in Australia, set out to discover if ants were able to retain memories of the odors they encounter.
The scientists studied the tropical weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina), which builds is home in trees; one nest can contain up to 500,000 workers.
The team set up a “familiarization test” to allow ants from one nest to encounter intruders from another.
Over a series of trials, they placed an ant from a “focal nest” into a tiny observation arena with an ant from another nest.
After 15 of these familiarizing face-offs, the team set up a fake ant invasion.
They placed 20 worker ants from the now “familiar” nest on or near the focal nest.
“These intruders were typically attacked by the resident workers,” the researchers reported in their paper.
The ants defending their colony reacted much more aggressively towards intruders from a nest that a few of their workers had been familiarized with.
The team explained that “this increased aggression was… specifically targeted toward the <<familiar>> colony, and persisted for at least 6 days” after the familiarization trials.
Lead researcher Prof. Mark Elgar explained that all of the ants in the colony were able to draw on the experience of one worker.
Prof. Mark Elgar described this as collective or “corporate wisdom”.
In human terms, Prof. Mark Elgar explained: “[imagine] you have had an unsavory experience with a particular group of people with a distinguishing feature – perhaps they all wear the same colored scarf of their football team.
“And you warned your colleagues to look out for people wearing that colored scarf.
“One of the colleagues that heard you might subsequently tell another colleague who wasn’t in the room when you made your comment.
“That colleague has acquired the information indirectly from the collective memory of you and your work colleagues.
“Change colleagues to ants, and scarf color to odor and you’ve got our story.”
Whitney Houston’s most prized possessions are set to go up for an auction next month, it has emerged today, two days after the singer’s funeral.
Whitney Houston’s items up for sale include a pair of earrings, a brown satin waistcoat and a black velvet dress she wore in the 1992 movie The Bodyguard.
Darren Julien, Julien’s Auctions boss, has defended the decision to hold the sale – which will take place at the Hollywood Legends auction on March 31 – so shortly after Whitney Houston’s death.
Darren Julien told the Associated Press: “It proves a point that these items, they’re an investment. You buy items just like a stock. Buy at the right time and sell at the right time, and they just increase in value.”
He went on to say the auction would be a celebration of Whitney Houston, who was found dead in the bathtub of her Beverly Hilton hotel suite a week ago.
Whitney Houston’s black velvet dress worn by singer in The Bodyguard is one of the items set to go on auction next month
Darren Julien said: “It’s a celebration of her life. If you hide these things in fear that you’re going to offend someone – her life is to be celebrated.
“These items are historic now that she passed. They become a part of history. They should be in museums. She’s lived a life and had a career that nobody else has ever had.
“For people who are fans of Whitney Houston and never would have had a chance to meet her and never got to talk to her, these are items that literally touched a part of her life.
“They are a way to relate to her or be a part of her life without having known her.”
Meanwhile, Whitney Houston’s family has ensured the Beverly Hilton hotel room she died in has been meticulously stripped of any memorabilia to prevent anyone selling the items to profit out of her death.
TMZ reports that everything has been removed from room 434, including bed sheets, towels and rubbish.
Whitney Houston, 48, was laid to rest yesterday next to the body of her father John Russell Houston Jr. – who died in 2003 – at the Fairview Cemetery in New Jersey.
Only close family – including cousin Dionne Warwick – attended the private burial – which took place on Sunday after her funeral – with fans lining the route to the cemetery.
To keep onlookers out a huge tent was erected over the site where Whitney Houston’s silver coffin was lowered into the ground.
Stars including Oprah Winfrey, Mariah Carey, Clive Davis and Kevin Costner – Whitney’s co-star in movie “The Bodyguard” – were among the mourners at her “going home service” on Saturday.
Kevin Costner paid tribute to Whitney Houston in a moving eulogy at the funeral, telling her fans to remember “the sweet miracle” of the singer.
Losing weight just got twice as hard because of a new way of calculating the effects of dieting.
Conventional guidelines fail to take into account changes in metabolism, says U.S. expert Dr. Kevin Hall.
As a result, dieting is always going to be a struggle, Dr. Kevin Hall argues. Cutting calories leads to a slowing of metabolism which means it takes longer to lose weight.
At a rate of 100 calories lost per day, it would take the average person a year to shed 5 lbs of body weight.
Under the “old” guidelines, based on the idea that each pound is equivalent to 3,500 calories, the same degree of weight loss should be possible in roughly half that time.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Vancouver, Canada, Dr. Kevin Hall said: “People have used this rule of thumb to predict how much weight people should lose for decades now, but it turns out to be incredibly wrong.
“The reason it’s wrong is because it doesn’t account for the metabolic changes that take place when people change their diet.
“We know that if you cut the calories in somebody’s diet their metabolism starts to slow down, and it slows down more and more the more weight that is lost. So eventually you’ll reach a plateau.
“Some of my work has been to develop realistic mathematical models about what happens to metabolism when people start changing their diets and can we come up with some better rules and better predictions.”
Cutting calories leads to a slowing of metabolism which means it takes longer to lose weight
Because of the way metabolism slows weight loss, dieting away 100 calories daily would lead to the loss of just 10 lbs in three years, said Dr. Kevin Hall, from the Laboratory of Biological Modelling in Maryland.
Five pounds of that weight loss would go in the first year.
Dr. Kevin Hall has developed an online slimming aid that explains what level of dieting is needed to achieve a weight loss target. It takes numerous factors into account including metabolism.
The website (bwsimulator.niddk.nih.gov) is designed to assist researchers rather than members of the public, though anyone can access it.
Dr. Kevin Hall said: “Instead of using that old rule of thumb that we now know is incorrect, people can plug in what their goal weight might be in a specific time period.
“What the model will do is simulate what changes in diet and exercise that person will have to do to achieve that goal weight and even more importantly what they have to do permanently to maintain that weight loss.”
