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Talk show legend dies after lengthy health battle

<p>US talk show host Phil Donahue has died aged 88 after a long illness. </p> <p>His family announced his death in a statement to People and <em>NBC News.</em> </p> <p>“Donahue died at his home surrounded by his family, including his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie,” they said.</p> <p>Donahue was dubbed  "the king of daytime talk" for being the first to include audiences as part of the talk show, paving the way for other talk show hosts like Oprah Winfrey and Ellen Degeneres. </p> <p>He was the host of <em>The Phil Donahue Show</em> for nearly three decades, from 1967 to 1996.</p> <p>The show tackled controversial issues and topics like equal rights for women in front of a live audience.</p> <p>In May, he and 18 other honourees received the Medal of Freedom from US President Joe Biden, the nation's highest civilian honour. </p> <p>Oprah Winfrey has led tributes to the talk show legend, with a post on social media. </p> <p>"There wouldn't have been an Oprah Show without Phil Donahue being the first to prove that daytime talk and women watching should be taken seriously," she shared, with a photo of a pair embracing during one of their meetings. </p> <p>"He was a pioneer. I'm glad I got to thank him for it. Rest in peace Phil."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-2tOpNuz1N/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-2tOpNuz1N/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Oprah (@oprah)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Former talk show host Ricki Lake also paid tribute to Donahue on social media, saying: "Raising a glass in honor of the great #phildonohue. Phil was an absolute legend and a pioneer in the talk show space.</p> <p>"So honoured to stand beside him at Oprah's show celebrating talk show icons in 2010. Such a warm, super supportive and brilliant man. Grateful for the path he paved and the legacy he has left behind. May he rest in peace."</p> <p>Montell Williams, fellow TV host also described him as "a true pioneer" saying, "Phil Donahue, the godfather of talk shows, forever changed the landscapes of television. My thoughts and prayers are with Marlo and his family. Rest in peace, Phil"</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is a very sad day. I admired Phil Donahue for so many reasons, and he was one of the finest broadcasters in American television. If there wasn't a Phil, there would have never been a Sally. My thoughts & prayers go out to Marlo and their family. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Legend?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Legend</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/talkshows?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#talkshows</a> <a href="https://t.co/knqPeAO6TJ">pic.twitter.com/knqPeAO6TJ</a></p> <p>— Sally Jessy Raphael (@SJRaphael) <a href="https://twitter.com/SJRaphael/status/1825545392953647162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>His wife Marlo Thomas, also paid tribute to her husband, with a throwback photo of the pair on holiday. </p> <p>"I'm sure by now you've heard the very sad news that I lost my sweetheart last night, so I know you understand that I'll be stepping away from this page for a while to take care of myself and the many people who took care of Phil, and held him close to their hearts," she shared.</p> <p>"But I didn't want to disappear without saying thank you for the beautiful messages of love and support that have been coming in all day, and for the wonderful and generous way that you've let Phil and me share our life adventure with you over the years."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-3PXINo43s/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-3PXINo43s/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Marlo Thomas (@marlothomas)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"As a man who spent his career loving his audiences, Phil got such a kick out of our cozy little community here, and I know he would be very touched by the heartwarming thoughts and memories you've been sharing," she continued. </p> <p>"Until I return, I wish you good health and happy days in the company of family and friends, and I hope that you will continue to hold close those you cherish most, just as I was blessed to do with my beloved Phillip."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ X</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Location, Location, Location host loses both parents in tragic accident

<p>In heart-wrenching news has shaken the world of television, beloved <em>Location, Location, Location </em>host Phil Spencer has spoken out about the devastating loss of his parents in a tragic accident on their family farm.</p> <p>Spencer paid a somber tribute to his father Richard, known affectionately as David, aged 89, and his mother Anne, 82, who were both tragically lost.</p> <p>In a poignant display of love, Phil, now 53, shared an image of the couple and wrote: "Very sadly both of my amazing parents died on Friday.</p> <p>"As a family we are all trying to hold onto the fact Mum and Dad went together and that neither will ever have to mourn the loss of the other one. Which is a blessing in itself."</p> <p>Spencer went on to disclose the harrowing details surrounding the accident, giving a glimpse into the tragic events that unfolded on that fateful day: "The car, going very slowly, toppled over a bridge on the farm drive, upside down into the river. There were no physical injuries and I very much doubt they would have even fought it - they would have held hands under the water and quietly slipped away.</p> <p>Spencer acknowledged the heroic efforts of his brother, who valiantly attempted to save their parents in the aftermath of the crash.</p> <p>"As many farmers do - my brother had a penknife and so was able to cut the seat belts - he pulled them out of the river but they never regained consciousness.</p> <p>"Although desperately sad and shocked beyond all belief - all family are clear that if there can ever be such a thing as having a 'good end' - this was it."</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Spencer also recalled a poignant conversation he had with his mother, a conversation now weighed down by the melancholy of hindsight: "Although they were both on extremely good form in the days before (hence the sudden idea to go out to lunch), Mums Parkinson's and Dads Dementia had been worsening and the long term future was set to be a challenge.</span></p> <p>"So much so that Mum said to me only a week ago that she had resigned to thinking 'now it looks like we will probably go together'. And so they did."</p> <p>As he concluded his heartfelt statement, Spencer mused on the overwhelming nature of their passing, acknowledging the future comfort that might come from the knowledge that they departed from a place they held dear.</p> <p>"It feels horrendous right now, but after almost 60 years of marriage - to die together on the farm they so loved will, I know, be a comfort in the future.</p> <p>"Mum Dad are together which is precisely where they would have wanted to be. ❤️"</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwKpOWJr4Wj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CwKpOWJr4Wj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Phil Spencer (@philspencertv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Kirstie Allsopp, Phil's co-host on <em>Location, Location, Location</em>, a dear friend, was among the first to respond, her words echoing the collective grief felt by many: "Such a brave and loving statement and so typical of you & your lovely family. So many people have you all in their thoughts and prayers. xxx"</p> <p>Tragically, David and Anne were en route to a local pub for lunch when their car veered off the access road, plunging into a shallow river on their estate.</p> <p>Emergency services, fire brigade and police attended the scene, and an air ambulance landing nearby at the Littlebourne farm in Kent.</p> <p>Despite efforts to save them, Richard succumbed at the hospital, with Anne following suit shortly thereafter.</p> <p>Kirstie reflected: “I’ve spoken to Phil and it’s tragic for the Spencer family, but his parents were together and that’s something that is a great source of solace to them all.</p> <p>“The family is very loving and close. There are four children, Phil, Robert, Caryn and Helen, and they had eight grandchildren.</p> <p>“This is awful for all of the family, but they were together at the end and they were lovely people."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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When each pandemic day feels the same, Phil the Weatherman in “Groundhog Day” can offer a lesson in embracing life mindfully

<p>Many of us will recall the comic film “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/">Groundhog Day</a>.”</p> <p>Originally released in 1993, it stars the incomparable Bill Murray as Phil Conners, an insufferable Pittsburgh weatherman. A minor local celebrity who believes himself destined for much better things, he resents his piddling assignment to report on the Groundhog Day celebration in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.</p> <p><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381172/original/file-20210128-19-1q2x4lm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;rect=26%2C3%2C2493%2C1560&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day" /> <span class="caption">Punxsutawney Phil after emerging from his burrow on Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/GroundhogDay/bd8d5370e7854bfea728a485b9c16bbf/photo?Query=groundhog&amp;mediaType=photo&amp;sortBy=&amp;dateRange=Anytime&amp;totalCount=603&amp;currentItemNo=11" class="source">AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar</a></span></p> <p>The plan is to return to Pittsburgh after the festivities. But when a blizzard shuts down the highway, Phil finds himself trapped in Punxsutawney. He wakes up the next day, only to discover that it’s not the next day at all. It’s Groundhog Day all over again.</p> <p>For some reason he’s trapped in Feb. 2, forced to relive the same day over and over again.</p> <p>“What if there is no tomorrow?” he asks at one point, adding: “There wasn’t one today.”</p> <p>It is a question that will resonate with millions forced to stay indoors as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads and people wake up every morning wondering if the day ahead will be any different from the 24 hours they have just endured.</p> <p>But I have a more positive spin. As a <a href="https://cas.la.psu.edu/people/jde13">scholar of communication and ethics</a>, I argue that the lesson at the heart of the movie is that because we can never count on tomorrow, life must be lived fully in the present, not just for oneself, but also for others. Ultimately, “Groundhog Day” gives us a lesson in mindfulness.</p> <h2>Metaphor for mindlessness?</h2> <p>Phil was trapped in Groundhog Day, perhaps for hundreds of years. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/movies/groundhog-day.html">The original script said 10,000 years, though the director reportedly said it was 10</a>. Either way, that’s a long time to wake up to the same song every morning.</p> <p>Finally, Phil awakens, and it’s Feb. 3, that is, the next day.</p> <p>I believe what brings about tomorrow for Phil is that he learns to practice mindfulness.</p> <p>Phil’s repetitive existence can stand for a metaphor for mindlessness, for how we all get stuck in cycles of reactivity, addiction and habit. Locked in our routines, life can lose its luster.</p> <p>It can quickly seem like nothing we do matters all that much. “What would you do if you were stuck in one place, and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?” Phil asks two local guys at the bowling alley. “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DazUImBLEhM">That about sums it up for me</a>,” one of them responds.</p> <p><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DazUImBLEhM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>Contemporary practices of mindfulness can trace their roots back to <a href="https://plumvillage.org/books/the-heart-of-the-buddhas-teaching/">Buddhism</a>. For Buddhists, the concept of reincarnation or <a href="https://www.lionsroar.com/just-more-of-the-same/">rebirth</a> is important. Many Buddhists believe that all living beings go through many births until they achieve salvation.</p> <p>As a scholar, I believe the idea of rebirth is more complex than is often understood in popular culture.</p> <p>Pali is the ancient sacred language of Theravada Buddhism. Scholar of Buddhism <a href="https://www.stephenbatchelor.org/index.php/en/stephen">Stephen Batchelor</a> notes that the ancient Pali language word “punabbhava,” often translated as “rebirth,” literally means “<a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300205183/after-buddhism">again-becoming</a>,” or what we might think of as “repetitive existence.”</p> <p>That’s Phil’s life, stuck in Groundhog Day. That’s what Phil is trying to escape, and what we are all trying to escape in COVID times – repetitive existence, a life stuck in one gear, frozen by habits and patterns that make every day feel the same, as though nothing matters.</p> <h2>Taking a moment – to respond, mindfully</h2> <p>If Phil’s stuckness is a metaphor for mindlessness, Phil’s awakening, I argue, is a metaphor for mindfulness. <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/204352/the-miracle-of-mindfulness-by-thich-nhat-hanh/">Mindfulness</a> is the practice of experiencing life as it is happening, squarely in the now, without immediately reacting to it or being carried away by it.</p> <p>Mindfulness is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nwwKbM_vJc">a practice</a> of getting to know ourselves and our conditioning a little better. Conditioning is an automatic pattern of reacting to the world. By stepping out of autopilot, pausing, and noticing, many of us can find that we <a href="https://www.parallax.org/product/the-mindfulness-survival-kit-five-essential-practices/">are no longer captive </a> to our conditioning. Consequently, we gain the space to make choices about how we want to respond to life.</p> <p>That is what Phil does in the movie – he escapes repetitive existence by overcoming his initial conditioned, obnoxious, egotistical reactions to the world. At the beginning of the film, he calls himself the “talent” and berates the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFgpsHrGvWY">hicks</a>” who live in the small town. He is too good for Groundhog Day. He wants to escape Punxsutawney as fast as possible.</p> <p>As the film continues, Phil accepts his situation and turns repetition into an opportunity for growth. He begins to find meaning in the place where he is trapped. He embraces life, fully, which also means that he notices his own suffering and the suffering of those around him.</p> <p>Phil addresses his own suffering by pursuing his passions and developing his skills. He learns to play the piano and becomes an accomplished ice sculptor.</p> <p>Initially, Phil felt nothing for those around him. People were objects to him, if he noticed them at all. By the end of the film, he feels compassion, which, according to the mindfulness teacher <a href="https://www.rhondavmagee.com/about-mindfulness-trainer/">Rhonda Magee</a>, means “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/565790/the-inner-work-of-racial-justice-by-rhonda-v-magee-foreword-by-jon-kabat-zinn/">the will to act to alleviate the suffering of others</a>.” Mindfulness is a practice that draws us into the world, into service. <a href="https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/compassion-and-human-development-current-approaches-and-future-di">Compassion</a> is at the heart of a mindfulness practice.</p> <h2>Mindfulness in pandemic times</h2> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381175/original/file-20210128-21-kdi02x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/381175/original/file-20210128-21-kdi02x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="Mediation in times of Covid." /></a> <span class="caption">Compassion is at the heart of meditation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/woman-wearing-a-scary-face-mask-clasps-her-hands-in-news-photo/1228160036?adppopup=true" class="source">Mark Makela/Getty Images</a></span></p> <p>Mindfulness does not mean turning away from <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/rhonda_magee_the_inner_work_of_racial_justice?language=en">difficulty</a>. It is a practice of meeting difficulty with <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/covid">compassion</a>. Though Phil finally accepts that there might not be a tomorrow, nevertheless he acts to ensure that if tomorrow comes for himself and those around him, it will be better than today.</p> <p>For example, Phil saves the lives of at least two people: a young boy who, before Phil’s intervention, falls out of a tree onto a hard sidewalk, and the town’s mayor, who, before Phil bursts in to give him the Heimlich, chokes on his lunch.</p> <p>Phil’s mindful awareness of what is happening in the moment allows him to act for tomorrow without losing track of today. Phil’s mindfulness, and his compassion, drive the film’s central love story between Phil and Rita. At the beginning of the film, he was capable of loving only himself. By the end of the film, Phil has learned to love mindfully.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://theconversation.com/thich-nhat-hanh-who-worked-for-decades-to-teach-mindfulness-approached-death-in-that-same-spirit-175495">Thich Nhat Hanh</a>, who died recently, <a href="https://www.shambhala.com/true-love-1594.html">loving mindfully</a> means that “you must love in such a way that the person you love feels free.” Phil has learned that love is not about manipulation or possession but about collaboration in making a shared life together.</p> <p>To the best of his ability, Phil dedicates himself to alleviating the suffering of others in a present that is real and for a future that might not come. He does this in small acts of compassion like fixing a flat tire and more momentous acts like saving a life. This mindful dedication to the future in the face of uncertainty is, I argue, what allows him to wake up to a new day.</p> <p>This is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-buddhist-teachings-that-can-help-you-deal-with-coronavirus-anxiety-134320">good lesson</a> for us all, stuck, as we are, in a perpetual pandemic Groundhog Day, and dreaming, as we are, of tomorrow.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/153605/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jeremy-david-engels-222106">Jeremy David Engels</a>, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/penn-state-1258">Penn State</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-each-pandemic-day-feels-the-same-phil-the-weatherman-in-groundhog-day-can-offer-a-lesson-in-embracing-life-mindfully-153605">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bill-murray-and-andie-macdowell-in-a-scene-from-the-film-news-photo/163063765?adppopup=true" class="source">Columbia Pictures/Getty Images</a></span></em></p>

Movies

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"Why Phil Tippett will never do another film like ‘Mad God’

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Phil Tippett, the man behind physical special effects seen in the likes of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Star Wars</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jurassic Park</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Robocop</em> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">has spoken about his latest project, </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.madgodmovie.com/madgod-home" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad God</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and why he could never do it again.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The independent stop-motion film, funded partly through online platform Kickstarter, took the iconic animator 30 years to make, and premiered at the annual cult cinema festival, Monster Fest, in Melbourne this year.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846211/tippett3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/49414a0037f44b4d9eb0c8ee60851f41" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Phil Tippett’s most memorable monster creations include the wooly Tauntauns which appeared in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. Image: @tippettstudio (Instagram) </span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tippett’s latest feature is a wordless, nightmarish film that follows a figure in a gas mask known as the Assassin, as they make their way through a landscape filled with monsters, zombies, disturbing science experiments, and other grotesque forms.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking to </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.smh.com.au/culture/movies/inside-the-nightmares-of-hollywood-s-mad-god-monster-maker-20211129-p59d29.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Sydney Morning Herald</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Tippett said his work comes “entirely from the unconscious”, which saw him experience a “psychic breakdown” while making </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad God</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You can only know your own mind. So my mind is a cage, and that’s where I am unconsciously trapped,” he said. “But within is an entire universe. And you never know what path you’re gonna go down.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846210/tippett1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8a0d0c80699746d49efe33cfadc5ee60" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grotesque figures and monsters fill Phil Tippett’s latest film. Images: Mad God Movie</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad God</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> led to a psychic breakdown for me, and then I had to go to the psych ward for a little while, and then it took me six weeks to recover.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tippett went on to say finishing </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad God</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> came both as a personal triumph and a relief, as something he would not repeat.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I will never do another </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad God</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, ever. It’s impossible. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal,” he explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, he said he already has an outline and “about 800 storyboards” made up for </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Pequin’s Pendequin</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a sequel that’s intentionally more commercial and influenced by classic Warner Brothers and Popeye cartoons.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6ZZ1yDVo0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ6ZZ1yDVo0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Phil Tippett (@madphilg)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite its clear change in direction, Tippett conceded that it will still contain elements of his style.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“As the canary sings one song, it’ll get my flavour in it somehow,” he added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There’s a certain amount of darkness to it. But it’s a lot more humorous, with very vibrant colours, and … happy.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See the trailer for <em>Mad God </em>below.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pbW5ns_pIZo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Tippett Studio / Getty Images</span></em></p>

Movies

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Gabby Petito's father slam's her fiancé

<p>Gabby Petito's father has appeared on Dr. Phil to urge her fiancé Brian Laundrie to come forward with information on what took place on their road trip. </p> <p>Joseph Petito appeared in the special episode shortly before it was confirmed that his daughter has died by homicide, as he slammed Brian and his family for refusing to cooperate in the investigation over her disappearance. </p> <p>Brian Laundrie has been identified as a person of interest in the case, and has recently disappeared from his home in Florida after refusing to help the police. </p> <p><span>“We called every [Laundrie] number we could find and no phone calls were picked up, no text messages were returned,” Joseph told Dr. Phil. </span></p> <p><span>“You’d think when someone says ‘we’re about to call the police’ to find your missing kid, you’d return a phone call." </span></p> <p><span>"I mean, that’s just what logic would dictate for normal people. You don’t get any response, that just makes it more and more concerning.”</span></p> <p><span>Mr Petito slammed his daughter's fiancé for leaving Gabby on the road trip alone and driving back to Florida </span>without her. </p> <p>“It’s not even his van!” he said. “You came home without her, you had her van in your driveway for 10 days.”</p> <p>He added, “You think it’s okay to leave a young 22-year-old in the middle of nowhere?”</p> <p>Joseph went on to quote a statement released by the Laundrie family, as he ripped their words apart. </p> <p><span>After reciting their statement, in which they wrote that it’s “really hard on the Laundrie family and the Petito family,” Mr. Petito says in response, “Well, my child is nowhere to be found and I’m not getting any answers on where to even start."</span></p> <p><span>“So don’t sit there and tell me how difficult it is for you because you’ve got reporters on your block.”</span></p> <p><span>The statement </span>also claims that the family "want the search to be successful", to which Joseph fired back saying, "<span>Well, I don’t know about you, but if I want something to be successful, I will assist in making it successful. Not sit in the background.”</span></p> <p><span>Becoming emotional, Joseph took his opportunity to address Brian </span>directly and tried to appeal to his daughter's fiancé. </p> <p><span>“If you love this person and she’s your fiancé, you should turn around and lead the damn charge. You should be number one, and I should be number two,” he said.</span></p> <p><span>Dr. Phil then asks Joseph what he would say to his daughter if she was listening, and if she was still alive. </span></p> <p><span>Mr Petito said, “Gabby, let me come and get you. I will bring you to my home and I will shelter you from all of this crap until you’re ready.” </span></p> <p><span>“I don’t care about anything else but my daughter’s wellbeing.”</span></p> <p><span>In the days following the interview, FBI officials and the Teton County Coroner ruled Petito’s death as a homicide, however the cause of death is yet to be determined, pending final autopsy results.</span></p> <p><span>Watch the full interview below:</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t5_m-6VAmLM" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credit: Dr. Phil / Instagram @gabspetito</em></p>

News

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Phil Collins sparks serious health concerns

<p>Phil Collins has sparked concerns about his health after an interview on BBC Breakfast. </p> <p>Appearing with his Genesis band members to promote the group's reunion tour, the 70-year-old musician said his son, Nic Collins would be drumming for the band going forward. </p> <p>When asked why he wouldn't be drumming, Collins said, <span>"I'd love to but you know, I mean, I can barely hold a stick with this hand. So there are certain physical things that get in the way."</span></p> <p>Collins will still be singing with that band, but admitted he will miss drumming live. </p> <p>He said, <span>"I'm kind of physically challenged a bit which is very frustrating because I'd love to be playing up there with my son." </span></p> <p>He isn't sure he will be touring much longer after the reunion shows, which have already been postponed due to the pandemic. </p> <p><span>"We're all men of our age, and I think to some extent, I think it probably is putting it to bed," he said. </span></p> <p><span>"I think yeah, I think just generally for me, I don't know if I want to go out on the road anymore."</span></p> <p><span>Fans were upset about the news of his declining health, and took to Twitter to wish him well. </span></p> <p><span>One fan wrote, “Shocked and sad to see #PhilCollins physical health and wish I could see #Genesis ‘Put to Bed’ U.K. tour. First fell in love with Genesis in the mid 80s as a teen, progressing to Phil Collin’s unique multi-gifted musical genius as a solo artist."</span></p> <p>Another posted, “Aww just seen Phil Collins on BBC Breakfast. He doesn’t look at all well.”</p> <p>A third said, “Wow. Watching Phil Collins speak, again, what a reminder to live life to the full and awareness of our time on earth.”</p> <p><span>Collins has had health issues for many years, including a series of broken bones and had major back surgery in 2015 which left him with lasting nerve damage. </span></p> <p><span>He also suffered from a fall in 2017, which left him relying on a cane to assist with walking. </span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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Dr Phil: Prince Harry married someone just like his mother Princess Diana

<p>When Prince Harry made the announcement that he was marrying Meghan Markle, the world didn’t know how to react.</p> <p>An American-born actress with a successful TV career and social media presence is not the type of woman people thought the Prince would go for.</p> <p>But one person who wasn’t surprised in the slightest was TV psychologist, Dr Phil McGraw.</p> <p>The US talk-show host told TMZ’s royal special<span> </span><em>Harry &amp; Meghan: The Royals in Crisis</em>, that Meghan is very similar to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana in many ways.</p> <p>“I mean, let’s look at who Harry’s mother was and who Harry married,” said Dr Phil.</p> <p>“His mother was sassy, beautiful, independent and here he comes and marries this woman that is sassy, beautiful and independent.</p> <p>“She was not going to be a member of the flock and just follow along like a sheep.”</p> <p>And Dr Phil wasn’t the only one to make comparisons between Meghan and Diana.</p> <p>Controversial figure Piers Morgan has been vocal about his dislike of the Duchess, as he criticised the former actress in the TV special.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EaGS_Jpb9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7EaGS_Jpb9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">“After many months of reflection and internal discussions, we have chosen to make a transition this year in starting to carve out a progressive new role within this institution. We intend to step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity. We look forward to sharing the full details of this exciting next step in due course, as we continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties. Until then, please accept our deepest thanks for your continued support.” - The Duke and Duchess of Sussex For more information, please visit sussexroyal.com (link in bio) Image © PA</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/sussexroyal/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> The Duke and Duchess of Sussex</a> (@sussexroyal) on Jan 8, 2020 at 10:33am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“If Meghan Markle thinks she is going to emerge from this as some kind of Princess Diana figure, she needs to think again,” said Morgan.</p> <p>“She’s going to end up like a mini royal Kim Kardashian with all the ignominy that goes with that title.</p> <p>“Already you are seeing a big backlash in Britain and the rest of the world really sees what it is, which is a power grab by two ego-mad, self-obsessed, virtue signaling ‘progressive’ young people who basically stamped their feet and the Queen rolled over.”</p> <p>The couple released a statement, revealing one of the reasons they chose to step down from their royal duties was the scrutiny they faced in the media and online since their wedding.</p> <p>Dr Phil weighed in on Harry and Meghan’s comments about this in their ITV documentary filmed during their tour of Africa, where they addressed the trolling the Duchess dealt with during her pregnancy.</p> <p>“At this point she had kind of said ‘you don’t care about how this is affecting me, so I’m not gonna care about how I’m affecting you’,” he hypothesised.</p>

Relationships

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House of horrors: Dr. Phil's Beverly Hills mansion hits the market

<p>If there has ever been a house to cause such a wave of disbelief and shock, it is the Beverly Hills mansion of Dr. Phil McGraw which just hit the market for AUD $8.3 million.</p> <p>The star of the Dr. Phil Show has put his house up for sale and it quickly went viral for its quirky, and quite frankly strange, features.</p> <p>From the bejewelled bear and rabbit figurines beneath a wall of guns, to a purple egg chair draping from the ceiling directly across from a massive piece of artwork that reads “f*ck” on it, this home has every eccentric momentum that you could squeeze into a five bedroom, six bathroom house.</p> <p>The images of inside the uniquely designed mansion quickly spread quickly once a Los<em> Angeles Times</em> writer tweeted a collection of interior shots of the house in question.</p> <p>The interesting décor choices and eccentric, out-of-the-box quirks got the attention of over 26,000 people who liked the post.</p> <p>Records show Dr. Phil purchased the home in 2007 however it appears the TV star has never actually lived there.</p> <p>The insane décor choices seem to be the choice of his son, Jordan, who currently calls the place home.</p> <p>He went on to clarify the wall of guns is actually “an anti-gun art installation”.</p> <p>The mansion features five bedrooms and six bathrooms, and the master suite has a private balcony. In true Californian style, there also includes also a dining gazebo, outdoor fireplace, swimming pool, and jacuzzi.</p> <p>On top of that there is a dedicated billiards room and wine cellar. </p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the inside of the home up close.</p>

Home & Garden

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Ukrainian dwarf abandoned by adoptive parents denies claims she’s a “sociopath”

<p>The Ukranian dwarf orphan who was<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/she-tried-to-kill-us-mother-who-adopted-9-year-old-girl-claims-her-new-daughter-is-really-a-22-year-old-sociopath" target="_blank">abandoned by her American adoptive parents</a><span> </span>who accused the dwarf of being an adult pretending to be a child has broken her silence in her first televised interview.</p> <p>Six years ago, in 2013, adoptive parents Kristine and Michael Barnett left Indiana for Canada with their other children and left Natalia Grace Barnett behind, which at the time, Natalia says she was nine.</p> <p>The Barnett family had adopted Natalia three years earlier in 2010 hastily as they were under the impression that she was a six-year-old orphan.</p> <p>However, Natalia’s former adoptive parents became convinced that after adopting her, she was actually 22 and was a sociopathic adult who tried to kill members of their family.</p> <p>“Natalia would do things like place clear thumb tacks on the stairs face up so that when we would walk up the stairs, we would be stepping on thumb tacks to pain and injure ourselves,” Kristine said.</p> <p>However, Natalia has refuted the claims and has spoken to Dr Phil about the accusations, maintaining that she is a child.</p> <p>“It's not true at all. I just want people to hear my side,” Natalia said.</p> <p>Natalia is joined by her new adoptive mother known as Cynthia Mans, who insists that a bone scan that Natalia underwent after she was abandoned proves she is the age she says she is.</p> <p>However, when the Barnett family ordered a bone scan for Natalia, the scans suggested that she had been born in 1989.</p> <p>Cynthia says that despite the first allegations from the Barnett family, herself and her husband did not worry about bringing Natalia into their home.</p> <p>“We're supposed to help. Me and my husband adopted these kids,” she said to Dr Phil.</p> <p>“It's like, who would do it if you don't?”</p> <p>The Barnett family has said that the allegations against them for child neglect have been “devastating”.</p> <p><em>Photo credit: <a rel="noopener" href="https://people.com/crime/ukrainian-adoptee-allegedly-abandoned-by-indiana-couple-opens-up-to-dr-phil/?utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag&amp;utm_campaign=peoplemagazine" target="_blank">People</a>  </em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Intolerable”: Leigh Sales speaks up about unwanted onstage kiss

<p><span>ABC journalist Leigh Sales has spoken up after receiving an unwanted kiss on the lips from a retired businessman in front of a charity dinner crowd.</span></p> <p><span>According to <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/02/leigh-sales-angered-unwanted-kiss-crowd-charity-dinner?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other&amp;utm_content=buffer58594&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter.com&amp;utm_campaign=buffer">The Guardian Australia</a></em>, Sales was about to host the black tie dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney on Saturday when she was introduced by Phil Newman, a retired businessman and a board director for the multiple sclerosis charity The Trish Foundation.</span></p> <p><span>Newman offered his cheek for Sales to peck but turned his head to connect his lips with Sales’ mouth. The <em>7.30 </em>host reportedly screamed in shock and said “hashtag me too” on the microphone before continuing to host the dinner. </span></p> <p><span>An audible gasp could be heard in the room, where the 200 guests included the former Liberal minister Brendan Nelson and the former premier of New South Wales Barry O’Farrell as the foundation’s joint patrons.</span></p> <p><span>“I was offended and angered by the incident on Saturday night,” Sales told <em>The Guardian Australia</em>. </span></p> <p><span>“I had strong words to the man involved, he apologised and I accepted that apology. That should be the end of it as far as I’m concerned.</span></p> <p><span>“The only reason I am commenting publicly is that given how many people witnessed the incident, I feel it would be gutless not to stand up and say that kind of behaviour is intolerable and the time for women being subject to it or having to tolerate it is long gone.”</span></p> <p><span>Newman said the kiss was “an attempt at humour and light entertainment” to start the event. </span></p> <p><span>“I apologised on the night profusely and she accepted,” he said. “I am upset my judgment wasn’t better. I am embarrassed I brought any disrespect on the foundation and on Leigh.”</span></p> <p><span>The chair of the Trish Foundation, Carol Langsford also apologised to Sales. “We are incredibly honoured that Leigh gives her valuable time and great professional skills to the Trish MS Research Foundation year after year,” Langsford said.</span></p> <p><span>“We are terribly upset that Leigh was embarrassed by one of our volunteers and of course, our volunteer and the Trish Foundation apologise sincerely and unreservedly.”</span></p>

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Can you recognise who this famous TV star is?

<p>A well known Hollywood star who is usually instantly recognisable by his facial hair has decided to shave it off.</p> <p>Dr Phil is an American television personality and psychologist on the show Dr Phil – made famous by his good friend Oprah Winfrey. The expert is well known for the facial hair he sports during his show and after 36 years, he decided to shave his moustache off.</p> <p>He shared a photo on Instagram with his 602K followers, with the caption saying, “Well, I did it.”</p> <p>There is also a video posted of him putting shaving cream on his moustache, with the next snap showing Dr Phil holding a razor very close to his face.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvuJaa-BHs_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BvuJaa-BHs_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">Well... I did it.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/drphil/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Dr. Phil</a> (@drphil) on Apr 1, 2019 at 10:19am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Naturally, fans of the daytime TV star were attached to his moustache and went into meltdown.</p> <p>One fan commented: “No! I refuse to believe it. The world is ending!”</p> <p>Another fan was much more succinct, asking, “Whyyyyy”?</p> <p>The post quickly gained 7.5K comments in less than 12 hours.</p> <p>Luckily for fans of the star, it was all a prank. As the photo was posted on April Fool’s Day, or April 1st, some fans had cottoned on but others took the post at face value.</p> <p>It was only until Dr Phil posted another Instagram post saying “APRIL PHILS!” that fans had realised it was a joke.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvu3VEABZAP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvu3VEABZAP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">APRIL PHILS! 😏😂</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/drphil/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank"> Dr. Phil</a> (@drphil) on Apr 1, 2019 at 5:05pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In the video, Dr Phil explains that he would never shave off his moustache.</p> <p>“April Fools! You didn’t really think I would do it, right? I’d look like an aardvark if I took this off.”</p> <p>Did you believe that Dr Phil had shaved off his moustache in the photo above? Let us know in the comments.</p>

TV

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JonBenet Ramsey’s brother breaks silence about that night

<p>Burke Ramsey, brother of the six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey who was found dead in her family’s basement, has broken his silence on the night.</p> <p>The interview, which is scheduled to be broadcast on Dr. Phil next week, is set to shine a new light on the tragic case that happened almost 20 years ago.</p> <p>Public suspicion immediately turned on the girl’s parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, however Burke and the family have long maintained their innocence.</p> <p>In an excerpt from the interview, Dr Phil askes the now-29-year-old Burke, “Has it ever occurred to you that your parents actually thought you did this and didn't ask you because they didn't want to know?”</p> <p>Burke replies, “I know people think I did it; that my parents did it. I know that we were suspects.'</p> <p> It’s been twenty years since the fateful night, and Burke says he wants to mark the anniversary of his sister’s death by telling people what he knows.</p> <p>“I want to honour her memory by doing this interview. I don't want anyone to forget.”</p> <p>What’s your take on the case? Will you watch the interview?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Video credit: Dailymail / Dr Phil </em></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/05/crucial-quality-in-a-life-partner-you-might-be-forgetting-about/"><em>The crucial quality to look for in a life partner</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/04/beliefs-that-invite-true-love/">5 beliefs that invite true love</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2016/07/8-big-relationship-dos-and-donts/"><em>8 big relationship dos and don’ts</em></a></strong></span></p>

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