Update 9/10/08: It was announced today that Elizabeth Smart would appear on the Oprah show to talk about her kidnapping experience.

Originally posted on 6/12/08: I was at the grocery store awhile ago, and the current People magazine caught my eye. On the cover was a photo of Elizabeth Smart I don’t buy magazines off the stand very often, but I bought that magazine. Later, as I read the story, I was struck first by how mature and poised she is, and then by how beautiful she is.

Some quotes from Elizabeth Smart:

“I always knew that no matter what, I’d still be part of my family. They could change my name, change the way I look, starve me to death. But they couldn’t change that I am Ed and Lois Smart’s daughter. That was a very powerful thing to me.”

“It’s just not worth holding on to that kind of hate. It can ruin your life. Nine months of my life had been taken from me, and I wasn’t going to give them any more of my time.”

“Before, I was just your average Mormon girl. And since everything I’ve gone through, there’s been a lot of learning and growing. I’ve learned to listen and not jump to conclusions. I’m not sorry this happened to me anymore, because it made me grow up.”

“It is important to remember that just because something bad happens to you, it doesn’t mean you are bad. You are still entitled to every possible happiness in life.”

What impressed me most about Elizabeth Smart is that she has refused to be a “victim.” The first night she was home after her abduction, she insisted on sleeping in her own bed - the bed from which she had been abducted nine months earlier. She proved to others - and herself - that she would still be there in the morning. Many people would let that horrific experience scar them for life. They might move to get away from the bad memories and associations. Instead, Elizabeth has learned from it and resolved to make her life better. She has taken charge of her own life and has refused to let that experience define who she is. She is a brave and impressive young woman.

Sphere: Related Content

An Egyptian woman has given birth to septuplets. That’s SEVEN babies, and the births are being described as a miracle because the 27-year old mother had not taken any fertility drugs. Well, according to one source she didn’t take any “stimulants during ovulation.” According to another source, she did.

The four boys and three girls were delivered via C-section six week before their due date. One report put the babies between 4.4. and 6.6 pounds EACH. Another report put them between 3.2 and 6.17 pounds each. Now just think of that! Regardless of which report is correct, that’s over THIRTY POUNDS of babies - at a minimum.

According to this report, the woman, Ghazala Khamis, used fertility drugs in order to have a boy after already having three girls. I’d say she definitely got her boy - with a few extras of each thrown into the mix.

Whether she or didn’t use fertility drugs, we still wish her and her family the best.

Sphere: Related Content

According to sources, Paul Newman has gone home to die. Read the story and see photos and video below.

Actor Paul Newman’s battle with cancer is coming to and end soon. The Oscar winner left the hospital last week and has chosen to die at home with his family and friends.

From earlier this summer: A friend of Paul Newman’s has confirmed that he has cancer. That makes me sad. Paul Newman has always been one of my favorite actors. “Cool Hand Luke,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” are just two of the wonderful movies that he made.

The Associated Press reports:

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP)Paul Newman, the legendary actor and philanthropist, is battling cancer, his longtime neighbor and business partner said Wednesday. Newman, 83, has recently appeared gaunt in photos, and dropped plans to direct a play in his Connecticut hometown.

Writer A.E. Hotchner, who partnered with Newman to start Newman’s Own salad dressing company in the 1980s, said the actor told him about the disease about 18 months ago. He did not specify what kind of cancer, but said Newman is in active treatment.

“I know that it’s a form of cancer,” Hotchner told The Associated Press. “It’s a form of cancer and he’s dealing with it.”

Newman issued a statement late Tuesday that he’s “doing nicely” but didn’t specifically address questions about cancer. A call was placed to his spokesman Wednesday seeking comment.

Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward have always presented such a wonderful example of a good, solid marriage. They seem to genuinely love and respect each other, and they’ve been together forever. Good luck, Paul. You and Joanne are in my prayers.

Enjoy this video of Paul Newman in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”

Video: Paul Newman in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”

Sphere: Related Content

Kendra Beebe is the woman that Shelley Malil stabbed at least twenty times on Sunday. Malil appeared in the movie “40-Year Old Virgin,” and apparently he and Beebe were in a relationship until recently.

Kendra Beebe and Shelley Malil

Kendra Beebe and Shelley Malil were seen together this past weekend - going to the gym and packing the car for a trip to the beach with Kendra’s two children.

During the attack a neighbor tried to stop Shelley Malil as he chased Beebe inside and outside her house with a knife. Afterwards another neighbor wrapped Kendra in a blanket to help stop the bleeding as they awaited the arrival of the paramedics. Unfortunately Kendra’s two children witnessed the attack.

Shelley Malil is in jail on attempted murder charges. Kendra Beebe is in critical condition but is expected to survive.

Sphere: Related Content

It has been confirmed by Bernie Mac’s family that the 50-year old commedian has died. Read the story, and see photos and video here.

Bernie Mac

Bernie Mac has been in a Chicago hospital battling pneumonia. For the past week there have been rumors of his death. However, it was only this morning that family members confirmed that he had died.

Bernie Mac Biography
Bernie Mac was born in Chicago, IL on October 5, 1957. His full name was Bernard Jeffrey McCollough. Because of his large family and his experiences growing up in Chicago’s South Side, Mac had lot of material for his humor. He performed his first standup routine when he was only 8 years old - performing for the church congregation by impersonating his grandparents at the dinner table.

It was tragedy that made Bernie Mac appreciate the healing power of laughing - he lost his mother and both brother early in life. He worked odd jobs to make enough money to live while working on the side to develop his comedy. He was able to establish his own weekly variety show at Chicago’s Regal Theater and joined the comedy club circuit in 1977.

Bernie Mac is known for edgy comedy that, at first, would seem a bad fit fo television. However when he was able to create a sitcom on his own terms, he came up with the Bernie Mac show in 2001. He based the show on family experiences, and the show had a strong debut on Fox. It ran through 2006 and starred Bernie Mac as the father of three adopted kids. The show won an Emmy and a Peabody award.

Video: Bernie Mac comedy (warning: R-rated content)

Sphere: Related Content

There’s a new word making the rounds: Gastrosexuals. A gastrosexual is simply a man who knows how to cook. Many men are taking cooking classes in order to make themselves more appealing to women. Gastrosexuals use cooking a gourmet meal for a woman as a type of foreplay.

Here’s the report:

They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach but it seems the dining tables have turned as increasing numbers of men are taking up cooking in a bid to seduce women.

Dubbed ‘Gastrosexuals’ this new generation of men consider cooking more a hobby than a household chore and use their kitchen prowess to impress friends and prospective partners.

Men having the ability to cook is also now a key factor in attracting women along with salary, status, personality and appearance, according to new research.

I’ve had men prepare meals for me - and it was always very nice. Working together to make a meal is even more romantic, in my opinion.

Sphere: Related Content

Randy Pausch, the computer science profession whose “final lecture” inspired millions, has died of pancreatic cancer. Read the story and see photos and the video of his “final lecture” here.

Randy Pausch

Dr. Pausch, 47, who turned the lecture into a book, said that no one would have been interested in his words of wisdom were he not a man in his 40s with a terminal illness, leaving behind a wife and three young children.

According to Dr. Pausch’s Web site, a biopsy last week revealed that the cancer had progressed further than expected, based on recent PETscans.

“Since last week, Randy has also taken a step down and is much sicker than he had been,” the Web site said. “He’s now enrolled in hospice. He’s no longer able to post here so I’m a friend posting on his behalf because we know that many folks are watching this space for updates.”

Last fall, Dr. Pausch delivered the lecture at CMU, which still posts it on its Web site. The lecture has attracted more than six million viewers.

In the year preceding the lecture, he had gone through rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, but refused to give in to morbidity or self-pity. Instead of focusing on the cancer, he talked about how to fulfill childhood dreams and the lessons he learned on his life’s journey.

In his 10 years at CMU, he helped found the Entertainment Technology Center, established an annual virtual reality contest and helped start the Alice program, an animation-based curriculum for teaching high school and college students.

After the lecture, he moved to Chesapeake, Va., to spend his remaining time with his wife, children and family.

Randy Pausch with his children

With the help of Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow, Dr. Pausch wrote a book, “The Last Lecture,” which was published earlier this year. He elaborated on his lecture and emphasized the value he placed on hard work and learning from criticism. His words were intended as a legacy for his young children.

In May, Dr. Pausch spoke at the Carnegie Mellon University commencement. He said a friend recently told him he was “beating the [Grim] Reaper” because it’s now been nine months since his doctor told him he would die in six.

“But we don’t beat the Reaper by living longer. We beat the Reaper by living well,” said Dr. Pausch, who urged the graduates to find and pursue their passion. He put an exclamation point at the end of his remarks by kissing his wife, Jai, and carrying her off stage.

Randy Pausch - Final Lecture (Reprise on the Oprah show)

The first video (above) is the short version of the “final lecture.” It’s only a little over 10 minutes long, but the message is important. If you want to watch the original “final lecture” which is an hour and ten minutes long, it is below:

Randy Pausch - Final Lecture (Original full-length version)

Others writing about Randy Pausch today: Michelle Malkin, Bump Shack, Beth’s Blog, Between and Laugh and a Tear

Sphere: Related Content

Getting a pedicure typically involves having the pedicurist use a razor to scrape away dead skin or a stone to file it away. Concerns about how sanitary those razors are led at least one salon owner to try something different - a fish pedicure. There are tiny carp that nibble away at dead skin. They don’t have teeth, and so they can’t bite live skin. Instead, they use their suction-like mouths to remove dead skin only.

The fish are called “garra rufa” but are generally known as “doctor fish.” They have become popular in Turkey and some Asian countries, but they’re just beginning to be used in the United States.

First time customer KaNin Reese, 32, of Washington, described the tingling sensation created by the toothless fish: “It kind of feels like your foot’s asleep,” she said.

The fish don’t do the job alone. After 15 to 30 minutes in the tank, customers get a standard pedicure, made easier by the soft skin the doctor fish leave behind.

Fish Pedicure

With a fish pedicture, the price is based on how much time the client spends with his/her feet in the treatment tank containing the fish. $35 for 15 minutes or $50 for 30 minutes. Typically there are about 100 doctor fish in each individual pedicure tank.

In some Asian countries, doctor fish are used not only for pedicures, but for the rest of the body as well. Some people claim that treatment with doctor fish can help with a wide range of physical ailments.

Doctor Fish

Just watch this video. Amazing!

Fish Pedicure - Video

Sphere: Related Content

Hurricane Dolly doesn’t look like it is going to pose any major problems for the Gulf coast of the USA. This morning, RT and I were watching the weather report on TV, and they were talking about Hurricane Dolly. We made a wager on how many times we’ll hear, “Hello, Dolly!” in reference to the hurricane over the lifespan of the hurricane.

Sphere: Related Content

Scott Peterson is the convicted murderer of his wife and unborn child, and yet he has his own website- his own web page. Although death row inmates don’t have direct computer access, they can use the U.S. mail to send letters out, and apparently others put their stuff on the internet.

Via the mail, inmates can post to a blog, look for penpals, raise money and correspond with the outside world.

Convicted murderer Scott Peterson now has his own webpage.

“This is really offensive and distasteful to people who knew and loved Laci,” said attorney Gloria Allred. Allred called the trend disturbing. She represented Peterson’s girlfriend, and witness, Amber Frey, in the trial that convicted him of murdering his pregnant wife Laci. Allred said she feels as though the Web site is a way to reinforce his claim of innocence.

“Meanwhile victim’s family members see this and know that Scott Peterson appears to be having a good time on his Web page while their loved one is six feet under and will never return,” said Allred.

It rather creepy, really. The man who killed Polly Klaas is using the internet to find penpals. Other killers are selling their artwork and other personal items.

“Inmates are not supposed to be doing business on the Internet…’murderabilia’…other souvenirs,” said Allred.
Many inmates utilize sites in the United States, but there is one nonprofit called the Canadian Coalition Against the Death Penalty. That group creates Web pages for free for dozens of California death row inmates.

Scott Peterson Video

Sphere: Related Content