Karin Park on Eurovision win: “I’ve already started the celebration”

Karin Park has revealed that she's "already started the celebration" for winning the Eurovision Song Contest ahead of the event in Malmö, Sweden tomorrow.

The Swedish dark electro-pop star, who won critical acclaim for her outstanding album Highwire Poetry in 2012 and counts David Bowie and Gary Numan as fans, is the brains behind the Norwegian entry, I Feed You My Love, which will be performed by Margaret Berger in the grand final.

"I've already started the celebration by buying a new leather jacket from Ada Zanditon that I'm gonna wear at the finals," she told GLAMOUR exclusively.

"I've been taught by my dad to always celebrate beforehand. That way it's fine whatever happens. I will go to Leipzig the next day to play at Wave Gotik so there won't be much time to contemplate. But the Champagne will be flowing no matter what."

Park - a Grammy award-winning artist in her own right - originally wrote the song for herself, inspired by having the "strength and courage to do what you want".

Speaking of Berger's interpretation of the track, she said: "I had her in mind for a long time even outside the competition. But I also realise it has something universal about it, so when I was asked to contribute to the Eurovision Song Contest, I thought, 'What the hell, this song could work really well in this competition.'"

She also revealed that she was asked to participate as a contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest, but chose to turn the job down.

"I was asked to enter myself as an artist, but the path I have set out for myself as an artist doesn't include ESC so I'm really happy that Margaret could represent the song as well as she does."

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH KARIN PARK IN FULL BELOW:

GLAMOUR: You're primarily known for writing dark, electronic pop tunes. How did you come about writing a Eurovision entry? What was your original idea for the track?

Karin Park: "I wrote it for me to begin with - it's a song about courage and strength to do what you want."

G: How do you feel about Norwegian contestant Margaret Berger's interpretation of the track?

K: "She does it amazingly well. I had her in mind for a long time even outside the competition. But I also realise it has something universal about it, so when I was asked to contribute to the Eurovision Song Contest, I thought, 'What the hell, this song could work really well in this competition.' I was asked to enter myself as an artist, but the path I have set out for myself as an artist doesn't include ESC so I'm really happy that Margaret could represent the song as well as she does."

G: Are you a fan of Eurovision yourself? Is it something you tune into every year?

K: "If you are Swedish, you have to tune in to it, whether you like it or not. It's on every newspaper's front page for weeks and everyone watches it.  And since it's a mix of total freakshow and real talent, I find it entertaining to watch. But I was always the one muttering away on the side, complaining about the horrible quality... Now I've done something about it. Ha."

G: How do you feel having provided Norway with their entry when you yourself are Swedish?

K: "I have lived in Norway for a long time. It's not your average ESC song this one, so I'm proud that Norway wanted this as the entry. I really love the song."

G: Have you had any backlash from Swedes about it at all?

K: "Everyone I've ever met, known, worked with or gone to school with have contacted me about it and they all love the song."

G: What elements do you think a track needs for it to be a potential Eurovision winner?

K: "It has to have something that everyone can relate to, I think. But still something that feels fresh.  ESC is a weird thing. It's so huge. I didn't realise how big of a show this is until  I got here."

G: If it ends up winning, what will you do to celebrate?

K: "I've already started the celebration by buying a new leather jacket from Ada Zanditon that I'm gonna wear at the finals. I've been taught by my dad to always celebrate before hand. That way it's fine whatever happens. I will go to Leipzig the next day to play at Wave Gotik so there won't be much time to contemplate. But the Champagne will be flowing no matter what."

G: What are you up to at the moment and where can we catch you next?

K: "I'm gonna play festivals in Germany, Russia, Sweden, Slovakia and Poland this summer. We've done western Europe. Now it's time for the east and I can't wait to hook up with my brother David and play. I miss him in all of this. But he is pretty satisfied with just watching me on TV this time. See you soon."

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Equipment shopping, essential items

Hi all, So I move on Sunday and with a new job and location and the cost of starting up again I won't be able to join a gym straight away. I need the gym in life! Thankfully my new place has plenty of room to workout. Now I need to go weight shopping so that can tie me over until I get settled and join a new gym. What would you buy? I want a few pieces nothing too crazy but enough to keep me in shape and items I can use for several exercises. I don't want any little cute pink weights, but I'm not sure what to buy. how did you set up your home gym or what equipment do you have that you would recommend??

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Shaomin Huang, Student

I'm wearing Topshop tights and T-Shirt and American Apparel shorts and headband. The shoes are from Hong Kong and the cardigan is from Urban Outfitters. I love headbands, I have about 20 in a variety of colours and materials. Audrey Hepburn is my style icon and I get outfit inspirations from the Chinese fashion and lifestyle blog Topit.me.

Photographed by Suzanne Middlemass.

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Young Men Less Likely to Survive Melanoma Than Women: Study

White males made up about 40 percent of deadly skin cancer patients, but more than 63 percent of deaths

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, June 26 (HealthDay News) -- White male teens and young adults are more likely to die of melanoma skin cancer than their female counterparts, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at data from more than 26,000 white patients, aged 15 to 39, in the United States who were diagnosed with melanoma between 1989 and 2009 and followed for an average of seven and a half years.

During the follow-up, there were nearly 1,600 melanoma-related deaths. Although males made up about 40 percent of the melanoma patients, they accounted for more than 63 percent of the deaths, according to the study, which was published June 26 in the journal JAMA Dermatology.

After adjusting for various factors, the investigators concluded that males were 55 percent more likely to die of melanoma than females.

Continued public health efforts are needed to raise young men's awareness of the dangers of melanoma, said Dr. Christina Gamba, of the Stanford University Medical Center, and colleagues.

"This alarming difference in the outcome highlights the urgent need for both behavioral interventions to promote early detection strategies in young men and further investigation of the biological basis for the sex disparity in melanoma survival," the study authors concluded.

Melanoma is the third most common type of cancer in American teens and young adults.

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Pippa Middleton on the street in London

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Allergies May Boost Severity of Lung Disease

Study finds hay fever increases frequency of respiratory problems in COPD patients

By Robert Preidt

HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- Hay fever and similar allergies increase the frequency and severity of respiratory problems in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a new study shows.

COPD is a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe.

In this study, researchers looked at more than 1,400 patients with COPD, and found that those with allergies were much more likely than those without allergies to wheeze, to have chronic cough and chronic phlegm, to awake during the night because of cough, and to have a worsening of COPD symptoms that required antibiotics or a visit to the doctor.

The study by the Johns Hopkins University researchers was published online May 10 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The findings suggest that treating allergies or avoiding allergy triggers may help reduce the number and severity of respiratory problems in people with COPD, Dr. Nadia Hansel, an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center in Baltimore, said in a journal news release.

She added that current COPD treatment guidelines do not deal with the management of allergies and said additional research of the link between allergies and COPD is needed.

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Weight loss before school starts?

Is it a reasonable goal to lose 1.7 pounds per week? I am currently 137 pounds and I want to be 120 pounds when school starts.. Which is in 10 weeks. I am 16, 5'4, and 137 pounds (already mentioned). Is this a reasonable goal? Will I be able to keep the weight off? I have a problem where I binge eat when I'm bored or sad but I'm working on it (not sure if that's relevant)

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