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August 21, 2009 8:39 PM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Cankles

Since the dawn of time, it seems women have been told that their bodies aren't good enough, their waists should be smaller, their thighs thinner, their arms more buff.

Now, there's a new imperfection to add to the list: cankles.

The term refers to the area where the calf meets the ankle - and apparently it has to be lean. Gold's Gym declared July "Cankles Awareness Month" and plastic surgeons are now performing liposuction on ankles.

The word itself is something of a joke - like muffin top or spare tire - but the concept has really taken off. Hillary Clinton is sometimes teased for having cankles and teen queen Miley Cyrus complains about them in her autobiography. The Wall Street Journal just ran a story about the anti-cankle craze.

It's all a bit much.

As we enjoy the dog days of August, let's hope women throw on their summer dresses and bathing suits, and work harder on loving and accepting their bodies, rather than perfecting them.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

Tags:
cankles ,
women ,
body ,
image ,
self-esteem ,
cyrus ,
ankle ,
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Katie Couric's Notebook
July 14, 2009 7:48 PM

Katie Couric's Notebook: Cursing

There's a saying in the Marine Corps: pain is weakness leaving the body.

Perhaps it takes a strong man or woman to endure physical pain in silence. But a new study says there may be a better way: swearing.

Researchers at Keele University in England asked more than sixty people to submerge their hands in icy water and repeat a favorite curse word. They then stuck the other hand in the water and repeated something more family friendly. When they cussed a blue streak every one of them could endure the cold for longer.

It may have something to do with the fight or flight mechanism in our brains - a rush triggered by the use of those swear words.

So the next time you stub your toe, or burn your finger on a hot pan, provided there are no kids around, maybe it's okay to use those four-letter words.

If you get horrified looks from your friends, tell them a little weakness just left your body.

That's a page from my notebook.

I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.

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Tags:
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notebook ,
curse ,
cursing ,
cuss ,
water ,
marine ,
pain ,
weakness ,
body ,
leaving ,
leave
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Katie Couric's Notebook
July 8, 2009 4:28 PM

Where is Jackson's Body?

(AP)
After spending nearly his entire life in the potlight, the big question right now is where is Michael Jackson’s body?

It left the mortuary Tuesday and was front and center at the Staples Center for Jackson’s memorial, but nobody ever saw it leave the building.

The Jackson family says its location is a secret and they don't want the public to yet know when or where Michael Jackson will be buried.

Of course, this has only increased the conspiracy theories that Jackson’s body wasn't actually in the casket at the Staples Center yesterday or that it is actually frozen so he can be brought back to life at some point.

However, it could just be that the family hasn't decided where to bury him. At first, they indicated they wanted to do it at Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, but they couldn't get a waiver of California Law which prohibits burials on private property. Some reports say Michael’s mother Katherine is opposed to the Neverland plan.

We will likely know soon, because one thing we do know is that there are few details of Michael Jackson's life that remain a secret.
Tags:
cbsjackson ,
michael jackson ,
body ,
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