Welcome to the Oas-ice

Gorgeous fan art tweeted by Zoe Cheng to offer this thrilling reminder: We're now about 100 days out from Johnny's first Grand Prix event! Cannot. Wait.
(Hence the countdown clocks in the sidebar
and also here....)

Kayso between dragging myself through the hottest July on record in Chicago...

...and gasping for actualfax coverage of the Summer Olympics...

(coverage that's not ever so slightly
You have read this article David Ingogly / I love that for so many people he IS the Winter Olympics / Johnny Weir / London 2012 / OMG only 100 days / please visit the gift fund site and tell him how excite you are for the Grand Prix / Sochi 2014 with the title July 2012. You can bookmark this page URL https://celebrityunitedking.blogspot.com/2012/07/welcome-to-oas-ice.html. Thanks!

The Art of Rap mixed with The Craft of Education!

Jason R. Levine's Educational Rap for English Learning!
Fluency MC (a.k.a. Jason R. Levine)

With a unique, dynamic, educational platform known as ColloTunes, Jason R. Levine is rapping his way into Language Learning Infamy! This considerably knowledgeable educational specialist and writer for Oxford, has created a high impact learner experience with ColloTunes.  As you sit back and enjoy this positive, engaging interview at Celebrity English, you will feel a SPARK as the 3Rs come to life!

Interview

Alex Graham - Question: Where are you from?  Can you give us a bit about your background?

Jason R. Levine - Answer: I was born in Boston. Most of my relatives are originally from there or from in or around New York City. When was eight years-old, we moved to St. Louis, Missouri, which I consider my hometown. Growing up, I was really into music, especially hip hop, and became a DJ in college.

After graduating with a BA in psychology, I earned an MA in TESOL from Hunter College and taught at several schools before co-founding a TOEFL prep and English conversation school for international students in Manhattan. In 2004, I began developing an approach to ELT based on songs that I write and perform as Fluency MC. These songs, called ColloTunes, promote the acquisition and use of collocations to improve proficiency in English. They focus on areas of grammar and vocabulary learning that teachers typically find difficult or boring to teach. I make videos of my songs and various supplementary materials. I post the videos on YouTube and promote them on Facebook, where I am an active administrator of a number of ELT/ELL groups and pages.

I am currently academic director of CAMPUS Education, a group of privately-owned English language schools based in New York City. This year, I wrote the chants for the upcoming edition of the Oxford English Picture Dictionary for Kids. I am currently writing the chants for a new Oxford series for adults as well as chants for elementary school students for a publisher in Turkey. I am chair-elect of the TESOL interest group Video and Digital Media and work periodically as an English Specialist for the U.S. Department of State.


Alex: What is Collo?

Jason: Collo is short for collocation. Collocations are pairs or small groups of words that occur together frequently in spoken and written language. A Collo “just sounds right” because we hear and see it over and over again. Examples of verb-noun Collos are do laundry, make a mistake, and get a cold. In English, have a party sounds right, but make a party sounds wrong. Have a party is considered correct because it is “what we say.” However, in many languages, such as Spanish, make a party is the natural Collo.

ColloTunes are songs I create and perform as Fluency MC (a.k.a. Jason R. Levine) to teach English to children and adults. Students listen, speak, and rap while following along with lyric sheets. ColloTunes are rich in the high-frequency vocabulary and grammar structures we need to use English naturally.


Alex: Please highlight some of the ‘Collo’ methodology, philosophy, and design.

Jason: ColloTunes songs and videos

·    provide practice for students in and out the classroom.
·    are available for multiple levels, ages, and learning
     styles.
·    include conversation and writing activities, students  
     worksheets and lesson plans.
·    complement any syllabus or curriculum.
·    are used by teachers in the U.S. and dozens of 
     countries worldwide.
·    Have been viewed over 1,350,000 times on YouTube.

Teachers can preview and purchase my PDF Book + MP3 Tunes Package through my website: colloandspark.com

Adult learners are generally made to feel that learning through songs is only for children; but as adults, we typically enjoy and appreciate music even more than we did as kids. Also, we need to overcome the barriers raised by our higher cognitive abilities, namely our tendency to analyze grammar and vocabulary too much and to be overly concerned with making mistakes, not being good enough in the language, etc. Music makes this possible! But it has to be music people of ALL ages can relate to.


Alex: Why does Collo work?

Jason: It’s all about the 3Rs: Relax, Repeat, Remember

When we’re relaxed, having fun, and exposed to multiple repetitions of meaningful material, we naturally chunk the material into Collos, which we can easily store and retrieve. ColloTunes use Collos to build SPARK!: Super Powered Automatic Recall of Knowledge.

To develop critical thinking skills we need SPARK as our knowledge base. Otherwise, we struggle to understand and apply what we learn.

The most natural way to build knowledge is through repetitive exposure to collocations; without this exposure, superficial understanding leads to poor performance at higher levels. We become frustrated and overwhelmed. This destroys our confidence. We lose steam before we even get going.

The more easily we can recall information, the more confident and curious we are. When repetitive practice is relaxing and enjoyable, we want to do it. We are motivated to learn and ready to take it to the next level.


Alex: What are some of the results that students can expect?

Jason: Through ColloTunes songs and videos, students can expect to

·    Build skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
·    Accelerate vocabulary acquisition.
·    Find it easier to learn difficult grammar structures.
·    Feel more confident and motivated as speakers of 
     English.
·    Have more fun while their learning!


Alex: If an educator isn’t musically inclined, are they able to recreate 'Collo' lessons like you do in the videos?

Jason: Absolutely! Indeed, this was one my chief motivators for creating this material in the first place. ColloTunes are designed so that teachers don’t have to chant or rap in class. Their primary role is to follow and monitor student progress. But if they are musically inclined (or even if they’re not) they are of course encouraged to join in!

Alex: Who are some of your musical influences?

Jason: This is always a tough question for me because there are so many. My short list would include Run DMC, Eric B and Rakim, the Clash, The Rolling Stones, Lupe Fiasco, Immortal Technique, Curtis Mayfield, Brian Eno, DJ Premier, and Mos Def and Talib Kweli.

Alex: Thank you for sharing your time, knowledge, and exceptional educational resources with Celebrity EnglishJason R. Levine - you are a true, genuine educational poet.  

Jason R. Levine English Educational Rap
www.colloandspark.com
           Wanting more?  Feeling the SPARK?
           Connect with Fluency MC (a.k.a. Jason R. Levine) 




LUCKY,NEW OFFER for AUGUST 18th!
TRY OUT A FREE online class with Jason!  Click on the Link below to find out more!
ELT through Rhythm and Rhyme: Collocation, Critical Thinking and 3 Rs




         Check Out this video to see Fluency MC in Action!

       

 See you next week and remember!

                        “Fluency is all about the 3Rs: 
                            Relax, Repeat,Remember” 

Celebrity Language and Culture!
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Three great new Christian songs I wasn’t aware of until this year

OK I’m probably going to demonstrate how out of touch I am with contemporary Christian music with this post but here are three songs written I think in 2008 and 2009 which I was not previously aware of and first heard at ICMDA events this year.

I’ve just got back from the first ICMDA Pan-Africa Congress in Lagos, Nigeria with 1,700 Christian doctors and medical students from over ten countries.

It was wonderful - great teaching, worship and fellowship – and one of the highlights was the ‘Africa Night’ where everyone (with the exception of we Europeans!) turned up in full traditional African dress. Three hours of singing and dancing ensued led by various national groups and almost all of very high quality.

Two songs that featured – one African and one ‘European’ – stuck out for me.

Father’s Love Letter (‘Come see’) by Michael Smith was performed alongside a moving stage drama featuring people in desperate situations being touched and transformed by God’s grace. The words and chord progressions are simple and measured but they paint a beautiful picture of redemptive love and forgiveness.

There are several versions on the internet but this version uses Scripture very effectively and this one too is well crafted. It is amazing they have had so few views but my kids hadn't heard the song either so maybe it is just not that well known. (Lyrics and chords)

Tambira Jehovah ('Come and dance to the Lord') is a popular Zimbabwean song. There are two versions on the internet but this is the one we sang (which is think is by far the better one). We only did the basic chorus in the original language and English, the part up to 1m 45s in the video (over and over again!).

It comes with easy actions which you can pick up from the dancers (longer version of lyrics here). You will have to work out the chords for yourself - those on the net all seem to be for the other version - but it should not be difficult.

Tambira Jehovah (x 8)
Iyelele Iyelele
Tambira Jehovah (x 2)

Come and dance to the lord (x 8)
Iyelele Iyelele
Come and dance to the Lord (x 2)


Finally is ‘You’re beautiful’ by Phil Wickham, which I’m not sure how I missed. I first heard it at the ICMDA Eurasia leaders’ conference in Denmark this May and again at my son’s best friend’s wedding in Cardiff this month.

Here are the video, lyrics and chords.

If you like these songs as much as I do and your church doesn’t currently sing them then maybe you could bring them to the attention of your worship leader!

Enjoy and pass it on.
You have read this article Jesus Christ / Praise / Worship with the title July 2012. You can bookmark this page URL https://celebrityunitedking.blogspot.com/2012/07/three-great-new-christian-songs-i-wasnt.html. Thanks!

The Best $10 I Ever Spent



dress - H & M, shoes - Target, purse - c/o J. Crew, ring - H & M

Happy Monday! (As happy as a Monday can be, right?) I hope you all had a nice weekend! Mine was pretty good but of course went by waaaaay too fast. Thank goodness we have a long weekend coming up. On Saturday night I slipped into this fun, floral dress I bought months ago for $10 on sale at H & M (yes, ten bucks!!) but had never worn up until this past weekend when I went to dinner with my family. We went to Chop Steakhouse to celebrate my Grandma's 90th Birthday. I've mentioned before that I'm a vegetarian so you might be wondering, "What the heck does a vegetarian eat at a steakhouse??" Well, I'll tell you!

I started off with spicy cashew snap peas...

For my main dish I had a chicken apple salad with toasted pecans  (minus the chicken) and I finished off with a....wait for it, wait for it..

...delicious baked apple pie with vanilla ice cream that I shared with my sister-in-law. It was amazing! We all walked out of the restaurant with food babies in our tummies. D. had twins, he could hardly move.

My nephew Kayden and my grandma after she blew out her candles. She looks great for ninety years old, hey???

Have a great week! And don't forget to enter my So Pretty Jewelry international giveaway for a chance to win a $100 gift card! 


You have read this article family / food / Outfit Posts with the title July 2012. You can bookmark this page URL https://celebrityunitedking.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-best-10-i-ever-spent.html. Thanks!

Families of children with significant disabilities indicate that their lives are enriched

Alex Schadenberg has this last week reported on a new study on children with trisomy 13 and 18 (Patau's and Edwards' syndrome respectively) which is well worth reading. I have reproduced it here. I have myself previously blogged about trisomy conditions including a wonderful testimony.


A research study that was published in the current edition of the Journal Pediatrics found that parents of children with Trisomy 13/18, conditions whereby the child has an extra 13 or 18 chromosome, indicated that the parents considered the child to be happy and found that their lives were enriched by the child.

The findings are very different than that attitude of many pediatricians towards these conditions. The Canadian Press reported:
Medical textbooks are grim and bleak about babies born with genetic codes considered "incompatible with life." But the study says parents who have these children speak of the joy found in what is almost inevitably a short lifespan. These children, they say, can enrich a family rather than destroy it.
Recently I came across the story of Lilliana Dennis (pictured), a child who is living with Trisomy 18. After reading the heartfelt story about Lilliana and the Dennis family I responded by writing an article titled: Trisomy 18 is not a death sentence.

The research study was carried out by Dr. Annie Janvier - specialist in Pediatrics and Ethics at the University of Montreal and Sainte Justine Hospital in Montreal, Barbara Farlow B Eng MBA - patient safety Canada, and Dr. Benjamin Wilfond - Center for Pediatric Bioethics, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington.

The research team invited 503 parents of children who had a Trisomy 13/18 child to participate in the study. 87% of the parents responded and 332 parents (67%) of 272 children completed the questionnaire.

The parents indicated that their physicians stated to them that:
* 87% their child's condition was incompatible with life,
* 57% their child would live a life of suffering,
* 50% their child would be a vegetable,
* 23% their child would ruin their family.
On the positive side, 60% were told by their medical provider that their child would have a short, but meaningful life.
* 30% of the parents had requested a plan of treatment based on "full intervention."
* 79% of the children who received "full intervention" were alive at the time the questionnaire was sent. Those children were a median age of four years old.
* The survival rates for children with "full Trisomy" 13/18 was 40% lived for at least 1 year while 21% lived to at least age 5.
Half of the parents reported that caring for a child with a disability was harder than they thought it would be and yet 97% of the parents described their child as a happy child and most of the parents indicated that caring for their child had enriched their lives.

The article in the Canadian Press interviewed Barbara Farlow, one of the authors of the study. Farlow, the mother of a child who had Trisomy 13 stated:
"We didn't want our daughter to live on life support or to suffer. But if she had a chance to live comfortably and be happy . . . then we were willing and able to care for her, despite her limitations,"

Annie lived for 80 days. When an illness brought her back into hospital and she stopped breathing, the staff was slow to try to resuscitate her, despite her parents' wishes. Later, Farlow and her husband discovered Annie's medical file had a DNR — do not resuscitate — order on it, even though they hadn't authorized it.
Dr Annie Janvier stated to the Canadian Press that:
"What we predicted as doctors happening to all these families didn't happen," says Janvier, who admits the findings are receiving a lukewarm response in some quarters.

"I just want to show that these kids mean something to their parents, ... And they seem like they have a quality of life that's acceptable. Doctors are not torturing them. We're not giving them undue pain. And they should be treated as unique children."
Dr. Benjamin Wilfond, the lead research author in the study, told Reuters news that:
"There is a broader range of survival and experiences than providers know. The parents may be getting this information online and clinicians may need to rethink what they say to parents, I think the point of our paper is to say these are quite serious conditions, but saying it's hopeless is inconsistent with reality."
I have known Barb Farlow and her family for several years. I have learned, through Barb, much about the lives of children with Trisomy conditions. It is my hope that society will break-through the negative bias towards children with profound disabilities, such as Trisomy 13/18. Everyone is a unique human being and people with disabilities offer other people the opportunity to accept and understand the true meaning of dignity. Hopefully this study will create new opportunities for families and the children with disabilities.

More information can be found at: http://www.trisomy.org/
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**CONTEST CLOSED** International Giveaway! Win a $100 Gift Card to So Pretty Jewelry!



To say I'm excited for today's giveaway would be an understatement! I have been a huge, HUGE fan of Cara Cotter's So Pretty Jewelry line ever since I laid my eyes on her gorgeous pieces at Coup Boutique almost two years ago. Her contemporary, unique, timeless, and absolutely stunning jewelry landed her a recent feature in FASHION magazine. And lucky for us, after eight years of building her Edmonton-based business, Cara has launched a brand new website + e-commerce store plus four new lines! To celebrate, she has teamed up with Marie a la Mode to offer my readers a chance to win a $100 gift card to be used to purchase anything on her site. And since So Pretty Jewelry ships anywhere in the world, this contest is open internationally!

To enter the giveaway:

*Mandatory Entry*: Visit So Pretty Jewelry online here and tell me what piece of jewelry you would spend the gift card on if you won in the comment section below this post. Make sure to leave your email address in your comment so I know how to contact you if you win. (1 entry.)

For extra entries:
  • Follow So Pretty Jewelry on Twitter here (+1 extra entry)
  • 'Like' So Pretty Jewelry on Facebook here (+1 extra entry)
  • Tweet about this giveaway saying 'Enter to win a $100 Gift Card to @SoPrettyJewelry  on @marielamode http://mariealamode.blogspot.com/2012/07/international-giveaway-100-gift-card-to.html  *please make sure you include the link to this post (+2 extra entries)
  • Follow me on Twitter here (+1 extra entry)
  • 'Like' me on Facebook here (+1 extra entry)
  • Follow me on Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin' (+1 extra entry)
***Please make sure you let me know how many entries you qualify for.

Contest will be open for two weeks. Good Luck!


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Inspiration: Lauren Hutton













photos via tumblr, style rows, harper's bazaar, vogue, one style at a time

Lauren Hutton proves women can be beautiful at any age. And not just on the outside. Model, actress, entrepreneur, activist and adventurer, Lauren Hutton's spirit, style, grace and the way she lives her life truly inspires me. And I love how the Olsen twins chose her as the face of their clothing line The Row a few years back. Such a perfect choice! Who inspires you?

 

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Random Wednesday Roundup

Johnny at the Ice House last Thursday,
greeting fans and signing autographs. Photo tweeted by @D_Galano21: "Just met professional figure skater Johnny Weir. Sweeeeeet."

OK! Here's a quick roundup of a bunch of stuff you've probably already seen that happened while I was busy having a life—

—such as it is, being mostly made up of things like drowning in deadlines at the same time that my
You have read this article Cup of Russia / Johnny Weir / prayers thoughts and good vibes to you Victor we are all pulling for you / Rostelecom Cup / Show of Champions / so incredibly excited for Johnny's return / Victor Weir-Voronov with the title July 2012. You can bookmark this page URL https://celebrityunitedking.blogspot.com/2012/07/random-wednesday-roundup.html. Thanks!

Is there a DOCtor in the House?




maxi dress - H & M, booties - c/o Dr. Martens West Edmonton Mall, hat - Roots, purse - Christopher Kon(Winners), 
gold cuff - Banana Republic, gold + black bracelet - H & M, ring - The Bay

A couple of weeks ago I attended the grand opening of the new Dr. Martens store in West Edmonton Mall on Europa Boulevard - the first stand-alone store in Western Canada - and was gifted with these beautiful, chic, black Kimora laced-up booties, which are surprisingly comfortable! No really, they are. I adore these shoes and I know I'll be getting lots of use out of them all year round. So thank you to the very friendly and extremely helpful staff at Doc Martens! And thanks for the tour of the store and for putting on a great party ; ).

Here are a few pics I snapped that night:

Fall 2012 preview: gold, metallic and silver ankle boots

Fun, eclectic prints from the Liberty of London Collection

Women's beautifully-crafted heels
Retro shoes. (Loved these.)

Flirty florals

Brelyn Shannon (Operations Manager), Louise Dirks (Owner), and Douglas Segal (head of Dr. Marten USA)

I hope you all had a great weekend. And now it's back to the grind!



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Euthanasia - All the latest updates from Care Not Killing


Just six weeks to go: First European Symposium: Euthanasia in Europe, Edinburgh, 7-8 September

Please spread the news and come to this exciting and exclusive residential conference where academics, medics, campaigners and activists will be meeting for the First European Symposium on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. Day tickets are also available from £40 per day. Sign up here

No Private Member’s Bills

The good news on 20 June was that neither Richard Ottaway MP nor Gavin Barwell MP, both members of the All-party Parliamentary Group on Choice at the End of Life, tabled bills that were anything to do with assisted suicide or euthanasia.


Majority medical opinion remains opposed to assisted suicide and this vote was a victory for continuing caring and not killing. We hope that the BMA will now continue its valuable work in campaigning for high quality compassionate care for patients at the end of life. The BMA corrected Lord Falconer’s misrepresentation of its position in an article. See CNK statement here.


Lord Falconer has published a new draft bill calling for doctors to have the power to help mentally competent adults with less than one year to live to kill themselves. This follows on from his discredited‘Commission on Assisted Dying.’ CNK will not be responding to his ‘unofficial’ consultation which closes on 20 November.


The Lancet has published an article claiming that euthanasia rates have not increased in the Netherlands since legalisation in 2002. It appears that Dutch doctors have kept the euthanasia figures low simply bychoosing to end patients’ lives in ways other than administering paralysing drugs (muscle relaxants) or barbiturates. Alex Schadenberg, Chair of the International Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, has published a full analysis of the Lancet review of euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands.


There is an editorial in the BMJ by Raanan Gillon who reviews the case of M, a woman in minimally conscious state, who was the subject of a Court of Protection ruling last year. CNK believes people who are severely brain-damaged or suffering from dementia, but not imminently dying, should be given nutrition, hydration, symptom relief and warm human interaction until the day that they die peacefully and naturally.


Pro-euthanasia activists always assert that their proposals are modest and have ‘robust safeguards’. Yet their proposals would only be the beginning.


The euthanasia lobby has become more and more modest in their language yet at the same time they are so divided in agendas we do not know what they actually want.

A review of the sometimes controversial Liverpool Care Pathway. How should it be used and how is it being misused?


David Fieldsend from Care for Europe comments on the history of euthanasia in Europe.


The Canadian federal government will appeal a British Columbia Supreme Court ruling which struck down Canada’s ban on assisted suicide, Justice Minister Rob Nicholson has said.


Amy Hasbrouck comments on the recent court ruling in British Columbia to declare Canada's law against assisted suicide unconstitutional.
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Fitness & Health Jennifer Aniston Style

Jennifer Aniston Fitness & Health
Jennifer Aniston


Interview

Interviewer:  You look fabulous!  What do you do to keep in shape?

Jennifer Aniston:  I work out 5-7 days a week, doing at least 40 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, elliptical, or spin machine. I compliment my cardio heavy routine with one day of Pilates and three days of Yoga. Every night before bed I stretch and do sit-ups. As for my diet I usually eat fish, green vegetables, and quinoa.


Creating Conversation & New Friendships
Talking about fitness & health is quite common in casual conversation.  If you are a fitness and health-oriented person, this is a great topic.  It is also a great way to strike up a conversation to meet new people. 

Like the interviewer, start with a compliment and then ask the fitness question.  Most people will respond positively and tell you about their health and fitness efforts.  If you have similar interests, ask to work out with them.  I personally find working out with people a great way to get to know someone.  You often have lots of talking time during, before, and/or after the fitness activity. Moreover, the heath benefits are great! 

 Try it out!
This is what a fitness & health conversation might sound like:

Example Speaking Style
(A) You look __________!  What do you do to keep in shape?
(B) I work out _____ days a week, doing at least _____ minutes of cardio on the __________. I compliment my cardio routine with__________. As for my diet I usually eat __________.
(A) Wow, that’s great! Do you mind if I join you for __________?
(B) Not at all. I will call you next week to set up a time.
(A) Ok, I will talk to you then.
(B)See you.

Answer Ideas 

Idea One
(A) You look sensational!  What do you do to keep in shape?
(B) I work out 4 days a week, doing at least 30minutes of cardio on the treadmill. I compliment my cardio routine with Yoga. As for my diet I usually eat lots of fruits and vegetables and avoid meat.
(A) Wow, that’s great! Do you mind if I join you for some cardio on the treadmill?
(B) Not at all. I will call you next week to set up a time.
(A) Ok, I will talk to you then.
(B) See you.

Idea Two
(A) You look amazing!  What do you do to keep in shape?
(B) I work out 6 days a week, doing at least 50minutes of cardio on the stair master and stationary bike. I compliment my cardio routine with weightlifting. As for my diet I usually eat a high protein diet.
(A) Wow, that’s great! Do you mind if I join you for some weightlifting?
(B) Not at all. I will call you next week to set up a time.
(A) Ok, I will talk to you then.
(B) See you.

Enjoy creating new conversations with new fitness friends and staying in shape! 

Stay Healthy and See you Next Week!
  Celebrity Language and Culture!
 ALEX

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Why should we trust the pro-euthanasia lobby if they can’t even agree amongst themselves about what they want?

When euthanasia became a dirty word the Voluntary Euthanasia Society changed its name to ‘Dignity in Dying’ in January 2006.

In 2008 Conservative MP for Reigate Crispin Blunt (pictured) claimed responsibility for the move.

‘I claim responsibility for encouraging the Voluntary Euthanasia Society to change its name’ he exclaimed in a in a Westminster Hall Adjournment Debate on 11 November 2008.

A Daily Telegraph editorial titled ‘Euthanasia’s euphemism’ remarked at the time of the name-change that it was ‘hard to shake off the suspicion that euthanasiasts are shy of spelling out what they are really about, viz killing people’.

Then when assisted suicide became a dirty term ‘Dignity in Dying’ began talking about ‘assisted dying’ instead.

But whilst appearing to become more and more modest in their language at the same time they now so divided in their agendas such that we don’t actually know what they want.

When Lord Falconer published his sham assisted dying commission report in January this year (he has now published a new draft bill based on its recommendations) it was clear that the pro-euthanasia lobby had messed up their coordinated choreography.

Falconer said that it would only be for people who were mentally competent and mentally ill. ‘Stringent safeguards’ would be put in place to protect those who may not have the mental capacity to make the choice, anyone suffering from depression or those who feel under pressure from friends and family. In addition, the patient would have to take the medicine themselves, as a sign that the decision was voluntary.

But DID patron, and fantasy novelist, Terry Pratchett, who funded Falconer's 'inquiry' told Sky News that the report did not go far enough.

‘From my point of view, no (the report does not go far enough), but I am aware that my point of view is not the only one that matters.’

Right to die campaigner Debbie Purdy agreed. She was reported in the Evening Standard as claiming that thousands of other patients with chronic and painful health conditions should also get help to die if they asked for it.

‘We need to find a way so that the non-terminally ill can also end their lives. Some people will want to fight on to the end but for others who are suffering unbearable pain it can be torture’, she said.

And Margo Macdonald, Scottish MSP said in the Scotsman that while she welcomed Falconer’s report, her new bill in Scotland would go further.

‘In the process of pursuing patient autonomy and the rights of the patient to determine when to end a life that has become intolerable to him or her as a result of their irreversible condition, I think our proposal may be slightly ahead of Lord Falconer’s work so far.’

It was no surprise then that Falconer himself told the Daily Mail that his plan that would allow doctors to help the terminally ill kill themselves was not ‘watertight’.

He admitted that no such system could ever be ‘completely watertight’ – undermining his own claim that his plan contains ‘stringent safeguards’.

Quite! Which is exactly why we should not be going down this road at all.

Australian campaigner Philip Nitschke said at the annual conference of right to die societies in Zurich earlier this year that the movement had now split into two opposing camps. His view is that 'any rational adult (over a certain age), can peacefully and reliably end their life themselves at a time of their choosing'.

If the pro-euthanasia lobby can’t agree themselves about what they want you can be certain that if the law ever does change at least some of them will not be satisfied and will soon be pushing for more.

Best not to go there at all. Too dangerous! Legalising assisted suicide for anyone at all will inevitably lead to incremental extension.





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The Look For Less

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you may have seen me posting/gloating about my beautiful new LEAB bag I bought from Aldo (on the right) for $55.00. This morning on my coffee break while perusing People magazine online I came across a photo of actress Sofia Vergara carrying what looked to be the same bag. But I was mistaken. After doing a little research, aka googling, I found out the one she's carrying in the photo above is a Chanel bag (of course! she's a celebrity after all and can buy whatever she wants) and it retails between $2500 and $3000.00. But if you, like me, can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on a handbag - and if you can I hate you (but not really) -, this Aldo purse is a great dupe! In addition to beigy-pink, it also comes in black, fuschia and peach. Click here to buy.



You have read this article Celebrities and Entertainment / Handbags / Look For Less with the title July 2012. You can bookmark this page URL https://celebrityunitedking.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-look-for-less.html. Thanks!

"I’m Doing What I Want to Do, and Nothing Else"

Johnny in Russia, December 2011. All photos © Tatiana Edrenkina.

Johnny Weir: “At Heart, I’m an Old Russian Woman"Interview in Sport Express 
posted 06-06-2012
by Slava Malamud
translated by Tatiana Edrenkina
(Parts 1 and 2 available here;
Parts 3 and 4 here.)
Part 5: How Did This Guy Get the Russian Sorrow?
(Note from Tatiana: This subhead is an allusion to a line from the song “Grenada” — “How
You have read this article a mighty dream / I would love to see him change his sport I think he already has but there’s so much more he can still bring / Johnny Weir / light and sparkly and it smells good / love this interview with the title July 2012. You can bookmark this page URL https://celebrityunitedking.blogspot.com/2012/07/doing-what-i-want-to-do-and-nothing-else.html. Thanks!

Clearly Contacts Giveaway Winner Announced!


Before I announce the winner of the pair of Derek Cardigan 7004 Birch sunglasses from Clearly Contacts I'd like to thank all of those who entered and of course Clearly Contacts who sponsored this giveaway. Thank you! The lucky winner of the gorgeous shades is..................Kira from Northern Style Exposure. Congratulations! I will be in touch with you shortly! Stay tuned for another giveaway coming up soon on Marie a la Mode!



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