Alphonsin

Nice obit in tomorrow's Times. Upstaged, though, by Ron Hedley, head of the Natural History Museum, of whom I couldn't find any mention of on the forum, but however. Kalman A Burnim, theatre historian, also gets a column.

If he lives in Scunthorpe and does sequence dancing (Irish foxtrot, Broadway quickstep etc) then he was fine as of July and, presumably, in good shape since he dances regularly. Of course the Scunthorpe Evening Telegraph may be referring to a different Ken Goodwin. So.... The last mention I can find for certain of the comedian Ken Goodwin is in the Coventry Evening Telegraph. I'll paste the relevant bit, because I doubt it's anywhere normal online. A lot can happen in a year, but you'd guess he's still knocking around if he was performing 11 months ago? TV comic set for midday variety 26 October 2005 STALWART television comedian Ken Goodwin has been lined up to appear in a Midday Variety Show in Bedworth next month. He will be appearing at the town's Civic Hall on Tuesday, November 15, along with fellow comedian Dick Van Winkle and singer Maggie O'Hara.

Indeed. Or perhaps Tom Petty's Free Falling Or Out The Window by Violent Femmes?

Noted. Some of the things I've posted can't be accessed by normal internet channels, though, but yes I'll make a point of linking rather than pasting things like that Sunday Telegraph story in future. Sorry.

Any update on this? I can't find any such site -- just news reports that one would be set up.

Hooray for Brooke.!If she really was being as badly treated as reported before, the change to decent nightwear, good food and her own bed may mean she'll be with us for a good few years yet. Astor family feud - Son stripped of $3m annual salary By JEANNE KING in New York 3 September 2006 Sunday Telegraph THE son of a 104-year-old millionaire New York woman has been cut off from his $A3.02 million salary after allegations he kept his mother in squalid, abusive conditions, newly unsealed court documents show. The ruling came in the public battle over the care of New York dowager Brooke Astor, the grand dame of New York philanthropy, who was said to be a victim of elder abuse at her son's hands, being forced to live in tatters after a life of luxury. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice John Stackhouse ordered JPMorgan Chase Bank to pay the salaries of all staff who work for Brooke Astor except for her son Anthony Marshall and any member of her immediate family, according to the court documents. That means Astor's only child will no longer be able to pay himself with his mother's money for his mother's care. Astor has been at the centre of the dispute among the heirs of John Jacob Astor, who made a fortune in New York fur trade and real estate two centuries ago. Her grandson, Phillip Marshall, has accused his father, the producer Anthony Marshall, of cutting back on everything related to his grandmother's care, from doctor visits to the brand of make-up she used. The grandson also claimed in court papers that his father had ordered the household help to purchase cheaper versions of medicines, made her sleep in torn nightgowns, wouldn't buy her a new outfit for her 104th birthday, wouldn't pay for a beautician or make necessary repairs to her Park Avenue apartment. Anthony Marshall has denied all claims and says he has never mistreated his mother. The judge appointed Astor's close friend, Annette de la Renta, the wife of fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, as her "personal-needs guardian", and he directed the JPMorgan Chase bank to handle her finances. The judge also ordered the hiring of a new cook to make sure Astor has "a healthy, varied and tasty diet". Astor's grandson claimed his grandmother was being forced to eat "oatmeal and pureed carrots, pureed oats and pureed liver, Monday through Friday, for months on end".

I'd say this was more likely: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Balcony-Stories/dp...TF8&s=books Or in his more reflective moments: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jumping-Through-Cl...TF8&s=books

[Apologies if the quote has already been referred to, but...] When the Coroner dies, we'll be able to screech in a unison munchkin voice "he's not only merely dead, he's really most sincerely dead".

Ph.D? I'd be hard pressed to pass the 11+, MPFC

Just spent a while digging around for old predictions. I stopped fairly quickly because I was in too much danger of wetting my trousers, they were so bloody ridiculous. Here are some of Ms Browne's and another person's 1999 predictions. I'm not liable for laundry costs. "Adolf Hitler did not die in his underground bunker. Instead, he worked as an accountant in Austria and passed away at the age of 91." Oops... Hey, Bill, keep an eye on Hillary and Al Psychics issue predictions for 1999 1 January 1999 Charleston Daily Mail Where is the human race headed? Will 1999 be the last year of relative peace before doomsday? And in the meantime, will you finally shed those extra 10 pounds of flab this year? Of course, nobody really knows the answers to these and other pressing questions. Or do they? Psychics Kenny Kingston and Sylvia Browne believe they can see a thing or two about the future. Kingston gained widespread popularity with his long-running infomercials on late-night television. He describes himself as a "well-rounded psychic'' who is well-versed in past lives, soul mates, communicating with spirits, channeling and reading auras. Browne has received nationwide exposure for her psychic abilities as a frequent guest on "The Montel Williams Show.'' She frequently lectures about life after death, reincarnation, UFOs, ghosts and the purpose of life. Here are some of their insights into the new year. Kenny Kingston's predictions for 1999: 1. This is the year to buy property. You should pay cash if possible. 2. Cell-phone use in cars will be restricted. There's a good chance fines will be imposed on drivers who use cell phones for non-emergencies. 3. Doctors will warn Americans against drinking too much water. Excessive water consumption has afflicted some Americans with chronic fatigue. 4. President Clinton will entertain thoughts of suicide, and he should be kept under constant watch. 5. Clinton will become temporarily incapacitated while in office, causing Al Gore to assume the presidency for a short time. 6. Gore and Hillary Clinton will form a "close alliance'' that will not be in the best interest of the president. 7. In spite of the presidential scandal, Clinton will probably only be censured and not ousted from office. 8. Although this may not happen in 1999, the Clintons will eventually separate. Hillary will then seek election as a U.S. senator but will lose. 9. Madonna will realize that her new daughter is actually the reincarnation of Eva Peron. 10. Donald and Ivana Trump will reunite. A few bonus observations from Kingston: - Adolf Hitler did not die in his underground bunker. Instead, he worked as an accountant in Austria and passed away at the age of 91. - "On the other side,'' Sonny Bono is very upset that his wife has taken his congressional seat. - Do not speak the word "earthquake.'' It gives the event more energy, making it more likely to occur. Sylvia Browne's predictions for 1999: 1. The stock market will take a big dip in November. 2. Clinton's impeachment issue goes away. 3. Ken Starr will be investigated for extravagant spending. 4. Monica Lewinsky will try - and fail at - modeling. 5. There will be terrorist attacks in Florida and London. 6. Two embassies will be attacked in Egypt and South Africa in July. 7. California will suffer a drought that will last until 2000. 8. The United States calls for an air attack on Iran in July. 9. The further breakdown of the ozone layer will lead to increased problems with memory loss, hair loss, eyesight problems and other strange illnesses. 10. Be wary of a witch hunt that begins in March involving public officials or celebrities. Most allegations will prove false. This is due to the media seeking big ratings with sordid stories. Bonus observations from Browne: - Aliens will begin to show themselves in 2010. They will not harm us. They will teach us how to use anti-gravity devices, such as they did for building the pyramids. - Atlantis will begin to show itself by 2023 and will be fully visible by 2026. - People will be able to "walk out'' of their bodies upon death.

There's a Harry Price library at the top of Senate House at the University of London, as he left the massive collection of books he'd acquired to the university when he died. Because it's a really great resource of occult literature it attracts a lot of freaks and Senate House Library tries to keep it hush hush. Apparently if you call to make inquiries about it you'll frequently get an answer along the lines of "Harry Price? Don't know what you're talking about..." Anyhow, I used to use the Senate House library and was doing some stuff on magic and 17th/18th century philosophy, and as a result wanted to get access to some of the books in the Harry Price collection. It was a real rigmarole and I had to be interviewed to demonstrate that I wasn't mad etc [haw, haw, yes I did pass]. Hey ho. Below is some stuff on Ms Browne's 2004 predictions from The Skeptical Inquirer: Blundered Predictions in 2004: A Sylvia Browne Review Farha, Bryan 1 March 2005 Sylvia Browne is one of the best-known alleged psychics in the world and has been popularized mostly by television talk-show hosts Larry King and Montel Williams. She has repeatedly avoided taking the Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge-offered by the James Randi Educational Foundation-even though she agreed to do so three times on live television. This is a review of her predictions for 2004, made on The Montel Williams Show, which aired December 31, 2003. Not surprisingly, many of the predictions were vague and difficult to measure. For example, she predicted that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will "come to the forefront" (whatever that means). Others were obvious, such as her prediction that the cruise industry would see a boom in business. Because of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, an expected decline in cruises was seen due to ships becoming likely terrorist targets-in other words, there was nowhere for the industry to go but up. Below is a partial list of Browne's blunders from the December 2003 Montel: * American troops will be pulled out of Iraq by June or July. * Osama bin Laden is "dead as a doornail. " [my own note: of course he's "dead as a doornail" -- still, it's not actually a prediction...] * Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake will not marry. She is actually correct on this one, but by the time the show aired, ABCnews.com had already reported that they were broken up. * Julia Roberts's marriage would end. Not only is Roberts still married to cinematographer Danny Moder-whom she wed in July 2002-but she gave birth to twins on November 28, 2004. Moder is the father. * Britney Spears doesn't find anyone. Spears got married to childhood friend Jason Alien Alexander in Las Vegas on January 3,2004-just three days after the prediction aired. The marriage was annulled the next day, but I'm not inclined to negate the prediction because of this. * Martha Stewart will not go to jail. Stewart reported to a federal prison in West Virginia on October 8, 2004. * North Korea will launch nuclear weapons in 2004. Not as far as we know. * The Pope will die. As 2005 began, Pope John Paul II was alive. But at the Pope's age, I don't think Browne went out on a limb for this one-he was born on May 18, 1920. Browne has a master's degree in English literature. Perhaps she should consider utilizing this degree rather than to purport to have psychic ability. Do you think any talk shows will air her 2004 blunders?

There's a very similar thing in this morning's Sun (too tired and tipsy to find a link) about an ex-para who stabbed his little kid to death before topping himself. I expect this whole malarkey isn't terribly uncommon but that, like when dangerous dogs atrocities were all the rage, once one is reported others are [cf the whole silly stuff about stabbings during the recent knives amnesty...] Should I have posted this in the "drunk and rambling thread"...? Maybe I can come back and edit in a link...? On another note, while I'm rambling -- somebody mentioned somewhere that it wasn't obvious that James Randi would get an obit; he will. And whilst drivelling like this: I was going to start a thread about organ donor matters, my thought being that people on this forum would be more likely to have a sane, pragmatic approach to the issues raised by developments the other day... but I didn't... and this isn't that... Goodnight...

Here he talks about his funeral: 10 June 2001 The Mail on Sunday Holocaust survivor Leon Greenman hopes that, after death, he'll be reunited with his murdered wife and son Before my body is buried, I'd like the area of skin on my arm with my Auschwitz identification number branded on it to be removed and exhibited in a museum. I haven't approached a surgeon about this procedure yet, but I would definitely like it done. I have friends, most of whom are dead, who had their numbers surgically removed. I have never contemplated doing that. I have grown fond of my number - 98288. Above all, it is proof that I was there. I think the man who wrote my birth certificate must have been drunk and made a mistake because I don't feel 91. If someone had told me, during the three years, from 1942 to 1945, that I spent in Auschwitz, that I would still be alive at 91, I would not have believed them. With the exception of my knees, which ache from time to time, I feel fine. I hope I will live for a long time yet, though I am not afraid of death in the way I was at the beginning of the war. During the Holocaust, I saw piles of bodies burned until all that was left of them was a heap of bones. These were ground into ashes and buried deep in the ground. There were no plaques then. The marble memorials came after the war. Seeing hundreds of people being given no funeral of any kind changed the way I looked at death, and particularly the way I thought about my own. I deliberately don't think about it now. All I hope is that I have a gravestone which can be read as a testimony of my life and a plea for peace and an end to racism. I should not have been sent to the camps in the first place because I was a British subject. My wife Esther, our baby, Barney, and I were waiting for a letter that would prove our nationality but it did not arrive in time. We pleaded with the Nazis before boarding the train and tried to explain that a mistake was being made, but we were ignored. Months later, I met a Dutchman at Auschwitz. He had been working in administration at the time we were mistakenly taken away. He told me he would never forget the name 'Greenman'. 'Why?' I asked, puzzled. He said that 15 minutes after the train had taken us off to Auschwitz, a letter was opened by the officials which acknowledged my British nationality and exempted us from being taken away. If the clerk at the station had opened his morning post a little earlier, we would have been saved. Our journey to Auschwitz took 36 hours. That was 36 hours without food or drink. During that time my wife and I took it in turns to hold the baby. I said to her: 'If I should not come back, you should marry again. If you do, marry a man who will be good to our baby.' She asked me to do the same. We were thinking of our little son. When we arrived at Auschwitz, we were forced to leave our blankets behind, although it was snowing. I remember spotting piles of suitcases embedded in the snow. I didn't realise that they had been brought by people who were no more. Women were told to go to the right and men to the left. Some of the young women were taken off separately - at the time, I did not realise why. Of the 700 people who had arrived, 50 men, of whom I was one, were chosen for slave labour. Only two of us returned home. Inside the barracks, we had to empty our pockets. I held out my birth certificate, which proved that I was a British national, but it was torn from my hands. A voice from behind me cried out: 'Where are our wives and children now?' The SS guard pointed wordlessly upwards. Later, we understood that he meant 'through the chimney'. Our wives and children were gassed shortly after they arrived. They were then cremated and their ashes and smoke passed through the chimneys and up to heaven. We teetered on the brink of death for three years in the camps, so there was plenty of time to think about it. Hunger, beatings and 'selection' were our most feared enemies. Every three or four weeks, we were taken into a room and stripped naked. If you appeared physically weak, you were directed to the left: that meant the gas chamber. If you were directed to the right, you were allowed to live. Luckily, my body never gave up - it is still going strong to this day. There were moments when I wanted to die. Some threw themselves at the electric fence, if they got close enough. When the British and Americans began bombing, I hoped that I would be killed. Once, when I saw a man being beaten, I started praying to God. I promised that, if spared, I would tell the world what happened in those camps. I have tried to do this and, in 1998, the Queen awarded me an OBE for my efforts. I am glad to be alive now; there is so much more to do. I would like a religious funeral, held in a synagogue, though I was a much better Jew before the war than I am today. I am not afraid of death any more. If God wants me to die in five minutes' time, or next week, then I am ready. If he wants me to live, then he will have his own idea why. Many people have asked me, 'How can you believe in God after all that has happened to you?', and I have no answer to that question. The war robbed me of my wife and our child, and it stripped me of my trust in others - but I still believe. I am unsure about the existence of an afterlife or what that word might mean. But I do believe that I am being looked after from above, and I feel a certain spirituality. More than anything, I would very much like to believe that I will be reunited with the loved ones I have lost. I once discussed my funeral with my sister-in-law, telling her that I would like to be cremated and have my ashes scattered at Auschwitz, where I last saw my wife and child. She was shocked. She managed to persuade me that Jews should not be cremated, and so I have revised my plan. I think that I would like to be buried beside my synagogue in South Woodford, east London. I have no preference for music, or who shall attend; I only ask that I am not forgotten. 'An Englishman at Auschwitz' by Leon Greenman is published by Vallentine Mitchell on June 28, priced at 11.95.

Carr has published more than one book on how to stop smoking. Given that one of them is called The *Only* Way To Stop Smoking [emphasis mine], what does this say about the man's credibility... ?

We can rule out a car crash. This from the Gloucestershire Echo: Tv Expert Gets Behind The Wheel 31 January 2005 Tv antiques expert Henry Sandon is getting behind the wheel as part of a road safety scheme for older drivers. The porcelain expert, who appears on the Antiques Roadshow, is taking the Safer Driving with Age assessment. He hopes to encourage other older drivers to follow his lead. Every month 17 people are hurt in the county as a result of a crash involving a motorist aged 70 or over. The SAGE initiative aims to ensure elderly drivers are up to scratch. If their performance is not good enough, they are advised to stop driving. Mr Sandon, who is patron of SAGE, will take the test within a fortnight. He said: "I'm a great one for telling people that they get more valuable as they get older, like antiques." Gloucestershire County Council's road safety team leader Garry Handley came up with the idea of SAGE five years ago. Motorists have their eyes tested before their driving is assessed by an instructor. Afterwards they are told what areas need improving. Their doctor could be asked how health issues may affect their performance. Eight out of 10 drivers are fine or are given a few tips. Mr Handley said: "It's easy for the Government and police to point the finger at young drivers causing danger on the roads but evidence shows there's an even greater need to support older drivers. "A woman over 74 is most likely to have a crash, not a young man." Legally, all drivers over 70 do to keep their licence is sign a form saying they are in good health. The SAGE assessment costs £19 and includes free breakdown recovery for a year worth £50. For more information, call Mr Handley on 01452 425557.

This quote is from an interview in The Yorkshire Post, April 2002 [just before she ran the London Marathon]. Strikes me as a slightly weird thing to say. ............... She looks remarkably healthy, and declares: "It upsets people's sensibilities that you don't look grey and ill and their image of somebody who's dying."

I think it must have been a few days ago, as he's been in the hospital unit for a little while now, I think. But maybe not... 1 COURTS Crete, 1705 FATHER ACCUSED OF MURDERING SON TRIES TO KILL HIMSELF<QA1> By Nick Foley, PA<QA1> A British father who is accused of killing his six-year-old son in a fall from a hotel balcony made an unsuccessful attempt to kill himself in prison, his lawyer said today.<QA1> Businessman John Hogan, 32, is accused of killing his son Liam, when they plunged 50ft from the fourth floor during a family holiday on Crete.<QA1> The boy and his sister, Mia, two, were allegedly being held by their father when he jumped from the building on August 15.<QA1> Hogan, 32, from Bradley Stoke, Bristol, cut his wrists in Korydallos Prison in Athens, two days after being charged with Liam’s murder and the attempted murder of Mia.<QA1> His lawyer, Dimitris Xyritakis, told The Press Association: “Mr Hogan is in prison in Korydallos, where he attempted suicide.<QA1> “He tried to cut his arms and had the tool to do it.<QA1> “He is now in the hospital in the prison, but was not successful in his suicide.”<QA1> mfl

This from Newsday: PART II THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH A Shortcut To Heaven By Nathan Jackson. STAFF WRITER 23 January 1992 `EVERYBODY WANTS to go to heaven but nobody wants to die." An old saying and song that rings with truth. But suppose you didn't have to die? Suppose you could live forever just like you are and find heaven right here on earth? Well, according to a small group from Scottsdale, Ariz., known as CBJ, you can. That's right - no dying, no life insurance policies, no messy ectoplasm to adjust to in the next world. Heck, no "next world." Yes, Charles Paul Brown, his wife BernaDene and James Russell Strolle (together, CBJ) say you can live forever. Reincarnation is passe; the cemetery is for suckers. There's just one itsy-bitsy catch: You've got to begin turning our confused, crazy, violent world into heaven. CBJ promises "heaven on earth now," but only if we can find enough love to treat each other humanely. During a 1991 New York trip, CBJ said that we can stop the aging process through an unconditional love and bonding with people who share this ideal. They also asserted that this cessation of the aging process is biological; that the idea of living forever "awakens the immortal cells in our bodies" and that the subsequent transformation is inevitable. Wait a minute. Suppose immortality were possible: Since all of man's principles, ideologies and dreams are influenced, even formed by death - the big sleep, the biggest chill, the eternal vacation - wouldn't eternal life cause infinite chaos? What would happen to " 'til death do us part?" What about procrastinators? Wouldn't immortality change all our values and relationships? To the contrary, CBJ says that physical immortality would free people from the confining, burdensome ideas and ideals that humans now hold as fact because of death. For example, they cite Caracas, Venezuela, which they have visited several times. Upon their return trips, they say, some of the impoverished people there had elevated their conditions - because they accepted their immortality. Who would live in abject poverty forever, they ask. If you knew you were immortal you would have to take responsibility for your conditions and change them, they assert, rather than aquiesce to fate. CBJ also claims to have had a hand in curing drug addicts. CBJ began with Charles' personal transformation back in 1959. He had heard of a Dr. O.L. Jaggers who was working in California and teaching that people can live forever. "I laughed like everyone else," he said. "I knew this guy was off the deep end." But the idea alone "stimulated a cell awakening" in him, he says, and in 1960 he went to hear the doctor speak and met him. "Jaggers was too much into religious symbols for me," he reported. So Charles, a former nightclub entertainer, fashion buyer, and an ordained minister, set out on his own to tell the world that man was living far below his potential and that physical immortality was his birthright. He met BernaDene in 1961 (they married in 1962) and in 1968 they met James, who was already searching for immortality through studies in Yoga (with Sri Aurobindo) and different traditional Christian religions. Together, CBJ have traveled extensively throughout the world, gathering people along the way like pied-pipers. From Germany to Israel to Venezuela and even to Australia people follow. And why not: They're playing a song most people want to hear. Currently, they claim about 4,000 supporters of CBJ and the Eternal Flame Foundation (also in Scottsdale) world-wide. And there seems to be a smattering of internationals trailing them to each of their events. There is no process to endure to become immortal nor is there an enrollment. No special foods, incantations or rites to perform. According to James, "it is simply about looking for people who want to live and are willing to come from a new aliveness in themselves." In the Foundation's book, "Together Forever," CBJ says, "Humankind has always had some innate sense of being eternal. The difference in being physically immortal is that we have the ability to continuously renew, regenerate, restructure and recreate our physical bodies so that we can remain here forever. As immortals, we have the ability to acclimate ourselves to any situation, to prevent ourselves from being subject to aging and death." Diet and exercise do play a part in their immortal process, in that a higher quality of life breeds the desire to take better care of your body. Damaging stress is a thing of the past, as well as life-threatening accidents. Charles said, "We are not accidents waiting to happen." These things, apparently, are not a part of an immortal consciousness. "Together Forever," which has sold a reported 4,000 copies, has been translated into Hebrew and Spanish, and the foundation is preparing a push to sell it in all English-speaking nations this spring. Every year around July the Eternal Flame Foundation has a "convergence" - a gathering of people from all over the world for two weeks to support each other in their "total aliveness." (Information about physical immortality and the convergence is available at 1-800-423-4404, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mountain time). At the convergence, supporters (between seminars) can see experts in nutrition, muscle relaxation, including Rolfing, colonics, accupressure and just go out and have fun at the Grand Canyon and other sites. All of these are designed to support cell regeneration. Are these folks for real? Well, they do seem to be aging - Charles is 54, Bernie 52, James 35 - despite their striking good looks, most notably their strong posture, glowing skin and bright eyes. James admits to seeing some wear on his body but claims the cell regeneration process will eventually make him look better than he does today. There seems to be no scientific data to back the claims of infinite cell regeneration. Dr. Eckard Wimmer, professor and chairman of microbiology at the state university at Stony Brook, L.I., says, "Many cells regenerate. We've put cells in a culture and watched a certain amount of cell division but all cell life has a limit. Life can be extended but cells must die. The only immortal cells are cancer cells and they kill their host." Wimmer adds, "There is and there will never be anybody immortal." Dr. Philip Furmanski, chairman of the biology department at New York University agrees, saying, "One only needs to look at the available evidence - everyone dies." He does point out that "a certain amount of cell regeneration does occur but science is not certain why cells eventually die." In the end - so to speak - CBJ's biggest hurdle is not scientific skepticism but the age-old reality: People always die. And we just won't accept an idea that has never been proven (and would take quite some time to do so). On CNN's "Larry King Live" show at the end of last year, Jerry Falwell, a guest with CBJ, seemed very disturbed by the idea that immortality would eliminate the need for religion to manage their lives. But the aging Falwell did seem tempted by the idea of living at least as long as Methuselah. Newsday Photo by Erica Berger- James Russell Strolle, BernaDene and Charles Paul Brown - together, CBJ - want to alter the reality of mortality.

A certain irony to the death on Wednesday in a motorcyle accident of a chap who campaigned for the right of motorcyclists not to wear a helmet. The reports say a helmet was found at the scene, but that it's not clear whether the guy was wearing it. I like to imagine he was using it for some other purpose, perhaps as a receptacle to keep tools in or to hold a bowling ball. It would be a pity if it was on his head. Motorcyclists' Rights Group Leader Killed In Crash http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/9768375/detail.html [PS: Thank you for the various welcomes after my first post yesterday]

OK, I should probably read up on the difference between DL and DDP. I thought that basically DL requires a UK obit and that DDP doesn't -- just that for the latter you need to argue your own case for the person's worthiness. Allen Carr is going to get a UK obit. So, given that, is there some other reason he "probably isn't a good choice for DL"?

I'd contend that, strictly speaking, a death can never be ironic and that only certain statements can be ironic. But that sort of pedantry aside...: There's a certain irony to the fact that Allen Carr, the how-to-stop smoking guru, was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in July [yes, he used to be a gazillion-a-day smoker and you could argue that, far from ironic, his death is "fitting"]. He was given nine months and should be a definite choice for 2007, I'd say. He will get a UK obituary.

Hello. Have been reading this site for a while, although this is my first post. Anyhow, the following on Ms Rossall from The Sunday Times [apologies if it's already been linked to, but it doesn't appear to have been]: TOTAL ALLERGY OR TOTAL BUNKUM? By Lois Rogers. 13 June 1993 When Sheila Rossall, the former pop singer, announced that she was allergic to the 20th century, many doctors raised their eyebrows. Rossall, who sang for the 1970s band New Pickettywitch, lived in a filtered air bubble and was shuttled across the Atlantic for treatment at the taxpayer's expense. At the height of her illness, she was reported to weigh less than 4st. She ate no solid food for a year, and could not tolerate even the plastic mask giving her oxygen. Doctors who were sceptical about Rossall's condition are unlikely to have changed their minds since the singer's apparent recovery from her illness. Ten years on, she has completely overcome her "total allergy syndrome" but has, it seems, been treated for depression. What is more as doctors at the time pointed out how could someone claim to be allergic to virtually everything, and yet show no antibody activity in her blood? Tests on Rossall revealed none of the antibodies usually produced by the body as a reaction to allergies. But despite the controversy surrounding environmental allergies and Rossall's own return to a more normal way of life, the number of her fellow sufferers appears to be growing, and a band of complementary medical specialists has grown up to treat the condition. Jane Houlton, 39, a former business consultant now living in North Yorkshire, has no doubts about the pernicious effects of allergy. She has been severely incapacitated by more than 80 allergies, and is unable to tolerate everyday objects such as lavatory paper, toothpaste, and even tap water. She has to inject herself five times a day with desensitising agents, and her diet is restricted to a maximum of 20 foods and one brand of bottled water. She is convinced the symptoms were triggered when her firm of City accountants moved to an unfinished office building, heavy with the fumes of new paint, plastics and carpets. She has not been back to London since headaches, vomiting, arthritis and blistering skin finally forced her to give up work. Houlton rejects the total allergy syndrome label, with its undertones of neurosis, preferring to describe the condition as environmental sensitivity. However, like Rossall, she was initially cared for in a hermetically sealed treatment unit, breathing only purified, filtered air, while efforts began to trace her allergens. Five years on, she has to ration her exposure to cars, "air" her toddler's toys in the loft to remove plastic fumes, and stand well clear of the washing-up bowl when she squirts in the detergent. Deodorants and cosmetics are out of the question. "It's true that some days I do get very depressed," she said, "but you have to think in terms of what you can do, and not what you can't. It would be daft to describe myself as being allergic to the 20th century, but I have to be realistic. Although I loved my work, the office had made me ill, and even when I moved back to the old building, the symptoms did not improve. I honestly don't think I would have had these problems if I had never gone to work there. It just seemed to switch on a reaction in me, which has gone on more or less ever since. The only thing which keeps me going is the determination to get better." She has written a comprehensive self-help manual, which as well as dealing with more conventional allergies such as hay fever or asthma, gives advice to people who think they may be allergic to their fitted kitchen, daily newspaper or even fumes from burning bread in the toaster. There may be a psychological element in some cases of multi-allergy, Houlton concedes, but she says: "I would never say it is all in the mind. I get very angry when doctors say there's nothing you can do about it. Some people suffer psychological stress simply by not being believed." Her initial treatment was carried out by Dr Jonathan Maberley, a physician at Airedale General Hospital, who also runs a private allergy centre offering to "dry people out from the environment". To diagnose allergies, he injects minute quantities of potential irritant substances into the outer layers of skin: if a blister forms it denotes allergy. In a non-reactive person the substance would just disperse. In Houlton's case this process revealed more than 80 allergies. The centre has treated 500 patients since 1985, but only about 5% of these cases had intractable problems. "It can be quite difficult to deal with some of these patients because many have been ill for so long without being believed that they have psychological problems on top of the allergy ones," said Dr Maberley. "Of course we see patients who would rather be ill than have treatment, but allergy study has only been recognised as a medical specialty since 1987, and there is still a great deal more research needed." Orthodox medicine still frowns on environmental allergy because there is no physical quantifiable indicator that, for exam ple, someone is allergic to their synthetic-fibre carpet. Dr Tony Frew, an immunology expert based at one of Britain's foremost allergy research centres at Southampton University, said: "Mainstream doctors find it difficult to come to terms with this environmental allergy idea because there have always been people with symptoms of vague malaise, and there is no definitive test to prove it is caused by allergy. There's obviously something there, but it's difficult to separate the mumbo jumbo from things we could learn from." In Sheila Rossall's case, her story was followed slavishly by the media, and became more bizarre by the day. The Bristol MP William Waldegrave supervised the #6,000 conversion of a special council flat when she returned from expensive treatment in California; there were claims that #65,000 raised by a fan to pay her hospital fees had been mis-spent, and reports that police investigating the allegations would have to wear "vinegar-soaked cotton nighties" to interview her. But after she returned to Britain in 1982, she vanished into obscurity. Her brother, Robert Rossall, said: "She just wants to be left in peace now. She feels she has been taken advantage of by the press who have treated her as a freak or a fake." The Allergy Survival Guide, by Jane Houlton, is published by Vermilion, price #10.99.