"Mighty Michelle" - "a welcome dash of class"

[babylonsister]

http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-04-01-voa31.cfm

Michelle Obama Dazzles Spectators During Visit to British Cancer Center
By VOA News
01 April 2009


U.S. first lady Michelle Obama talks with staff and patients at Maggie's Cancer Care Center in west London, 01 Apr 2009


U.S. first lady Michelle Obama visited a cancer care facility in London Wednesday, where she joined the wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown in celebrating the first anniversary of the center.

The first lady received a warm greeting at Maggie's Cancer Care Center, where she visited with patients as crowds outside the facility chanted "Obama! Obama!"

Mrs. Obama's G20 summit itinerary includes a meeting with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and another with "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling. The author and the lawyer will sit next to each other at a pre-summit dinner of world leaders Wednesday evening.

British media heaped praise on Mrs. Obama on the eve of the summit. One outlet, London's Evening Standard newspaper, is said to have referred to her as the "mighty Michelle," and a "welcome dash of class" in the British capital.

French journalist Agnes Poirier described the U.S. first couple as "very alluring and very sophisticated." She told U.S. television, CBS News, "that plays well with the French."

[Cha]

1. Mighty Michelle, indeed!

and Brawny Barack:P

[Arugula Latte]

3. Much, much better than Dumbass Dubya!

:hi:

[Cha]

5. Dumbell

dubya:silly:

:hi:

[janx]

2. "alluring and sophisticated" plays well with me, too, especially

compared to what we've had to endure for the last eight years! Anything would seem alluring and sophisticated compared to that.

My guess is that it's not so much allure and sophistication as it is education and character. I'm very proud of them!

[MarjorieG]

4. Probably could add substantively there with her background. Wonder if opportunity.

[dipsydoodle]

6. I've just seen something on our BBC TV News which just blew me away

First of all you need to undertand that the Queen only ever shakes hands. Well now - on TV we saw the Queen with Michelle to her, right with the camera behind them both ,while they spoke to Princess Anne and knock me down with a feather HRH Queen Elizabeth 2nd put her arm around Michelle's waist and hugged her !

[babylonsister]

8. Wow! I guess our Michelle charmed her! Thanks for sharing!

:fistbump:

[SeattleGirl]

11. That's very cool!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[janx]

13. You should post a thread about this! n/t

[WePurrsevere]

23. Wow...that's wonderful and quite the mental image. It would be cool..

if there's a clip or picture of this available. I'd love to see it and show it to a few folks I know who would truly appreciate her gesture. If someone runs across it I'd appreciate it if they'd share. :)

ETA: NM.. I see it was already posted HERE on DU. B-)

[dipsydoodle]

25. I noticed today

that someone had managed to get a screen shot.

Trust me - that has never been seen before to my knowledge and I can even remember the Queens Coronation. She's usually looks hesitant to even shake hands.

They do say that your impression of someone is more or less fixed with 30 seconds of meeting them for the first time so top marks to Michelle.

[Pacifist Patriot]

24. Wow, yes I do think many Americans would not fully understand the significance of that.

Very cool! And two women I'd both love to throw my arms around.

[AnnieBW]

7. The Queen or JKR

Who would impress me more?

[Hekate]

21. Just imagine telling Sasha and Malia about that visit! LOL. nt

[biopowertoday]

9. An article about her visiting a cancer center and no talk of how it is funded.

I am glad to see the Brits enjoying the visit from our First Lady but would have liked some substantive discussion of health care funding. The dumbing down of consumers by the media once again. nothing new.

[babylonsister]

12. Quit your bellyaching. It's called Maggies Cancer Center. Look it up. nt

[biopowertoday]

14. What is your point in being so rude?

[babylonsister]

15. What is your point in coming into a thread and not

even addressing what the thread is about? Why do I never see you enjoying or appreciating anything on this board, only complaining?

[biopowertoday]

17. I thought it would be a grand oportunity for the media

to address some health related issues. But they didn't. and you decided to be rude because I made a comment. I am done with this thread. bye.

[dipsydoodle]

16. Here's the BBC link

The OP is about Michelle visiting a department of a Maggie's Cancer Care Centre a charity which opertates with in conjunction with our National Health Hospitals by being in close proximity to an appropriate one of them.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7977432.stm

The exact way in which our NHS functions is beyond the scope of this post. Suffice it say we've had "free" healthcare since the late 1940's. As to whether its "free" is a matter of conjecture - its funded by a form of income tax and some of the funds are pissed away on the invasion of countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

[biopowertoday]

19. Thanks for the link, Much appreciated. It does

say it is free (i realize nothing is free when it comes to these type services).


http://www.maggiescentres.org/maggies/maggiescentres/home/newspublications/news/michelle-obama-visits-maggies-london.html


............“Bringing Michelle to the London centre was a great opportunity to demonstrate the role that Maggie’s plays in the community, inspiring wellbeing through their design and providing the emotional support required to live with a critical illness such as cancer. They were originally inspired by American influences in the provision of cancer support which has now taken root all over the UK” said Sarah Brown

Marking one of just a select few activities chosen for Michelle Obama’s first visit to the UK in her official capacity, she and Sarah Brown were shown around Maggie’s London Centre by Charles Jencks, who co-founded Maggie’s with his wife Maggie Keswick Jencks; Laura Lee, Maggie’s Chief Executive; the architect Richard Rogers of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners and garden and landscape designer Dan Pearson.

......................

April marks a highly successful first year for Maggie’s London. Within weeks of opening the doors the Centre was already receiving a similar number of visits a day as the most established Centres, and by the end of 2008 had received 12,000. There are currently 5 Maggie’s Centres in Scotland, this being the first in England, and there are plans to build five more across England and Wales by 2012. Maggie’s ultimately hopes to provide a Cancer Caring Centre for every NHS Cancer Hospital throughout the UK, so as to provide the widest range of unique services for anyone who wants to access them.


.......................

All of the existing Centres are situated beside an NHS Cancer Hospital and has been designed to be as non-institutional as possible, through creative uses of light, design and colour, and with a kitchen at the heart of every one. Anyone can visit a Maggie’s Centre; it’s a free service and there is no need for an appointment. All the centres are run by professional, specialist staff that are always at hand to talk about any aspect of cancer. A Maggie’s Centre gives people choices. They can join a support group, take part in weekly sessions such as relaxation and stress management, or learn about nutrition and health. Or they can simply come in and sit at our kitchen table, have a cup of tea and a biscuit and start to breathe again.

[dipsydoodle]

20. That really is free - Maggie's I mean

I was refering to our NHS in general - Universal is a better way of describing that.

[glitch]

10. That welcome dash of class? We all feel it, like fresh spring air! nt

[BeyondGeography]

18. I love this

and I knew it would happen. She's some of the best we have to offer in this country.

[sarge43]

22. They shoot. They score. The crowd goes wild.

Thank you, President and Mrs Obama.