In a 2008 article for Psychology Today magazine, Hara Marano writes about the constant pressure girls face concerning their image. Deprived of an internal compass, girls compete to be "hottest," turning colleges into incubators for eating disorders and numerous unrealistic, self-imposed expectations.

But why?

Marano cites Courtney Martin, author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters. Martin believes ...

My wife, Angie, and I had discussed the idea of adoption for years, both prior to and right after our marriage. But now, when adoption seemed our only recourse [because of our infertility], we made the subject off limits. It felt like an act of surrender rather than a choice. Like a consolation prize. Like second place.

As we balanced the delicate walk between grief and hope, I decided that I had to ...

Comedian Joan Rivers, 72, has had a number of cosmetic surgeries over the years. Since 1965 she's had bags removed from under her eyes, two complete face-lifts, cheek implants, fat injections, brow smoothing, teeth capping, neck tightening, a tummy tuck, and a nose-thinning. Regarding her obsession with her appearance, she said, "When you look better, you are treated differently. …People want to be ...

The HBO miniseries Band of Brothers follows a company of U.S. paratroopers through the preparation and experience of invading Europe on D-Day. Based on real-life interviews of survivors, the series captures both the intensity of war and the heroism of the troops.

In one scene, immediately after the paratroopers hit the ground in France, Lieutenant Winters (Damian Lewis) and Private Hall wander through ...

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Cynics will be surprised that any hint of sex is strictly forbidden. The 16 rules, found at www.cuddleparty.com, are intended to create a safe environment for huggers to get the "touch and affection" missing from everyday life without the threat of unwanted advances. Huggers of all ages are encouraged to bring pajamas ("more comfy than sexy"), stuffed animals, munchies, and the anticipation of ...

The Big Chill is about eight college friends who reunite years later for the funeral of one of their buddies. They reflect on their current lives and how their 1960s ideas and hopes compare with the realities of their 1980s lives.

Sam (Tom Berenger), a successful actor, and Karen (JoBeth Williams), a housewife and mother, are on a pier overlooking a watery marsh. Sam says to Karen that she and her ...

Frank Sinatra's daughter, Tina Sinatra, recalls her father's unceasing drive to succeed and make money, even when his health was at risk:

His health was in tatters and his life mired in financial wrangles, but my father refused to stop giving concerts, "I've just got to earn more money," he said.

His performances, sad to say, were becoming more and more uneven. Uncertain of his memory, he became dependant ...

At the September 15, 2001, satellite broadcast of "America Prays," author Max Lucado read the following prayer that he wrote in response to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on America.

Dear Lord, we're still hoping we'll wake up. We're still hoping we'll open a sleepy eye and think, What a horrible dream.

But we won't, will we, Father? What we saw was not a dream. Planes did gouge towers. Flames ...

TV broadcasters looking for a calming perspective during the indecision of the 2000 presidential election turned to an unusual source for hope: historians.

"They ground us," said Peter Jennings, ABC news anchor. "They take the lightning, and they process it through the national history, resulting in greater confidence for people."

Historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Michael Beschloss had been commentators ...

In his book The Will to Live On, Herman Wouk tells of a meeting he had with modern Israel's first president, David Ben-Gurion, and how Ben-Gurion urged him to move to the newly planted nation of Israel.

"What took you so long?" Ben-Gurion asked me when we first met, during the intermission of a performance in Hebrew of my Caine Mutiny Court-Martial at the Habimah Theatre in Tel Aviv…. My wife and I ...