Randy Pausch, the computer science professor who rose to fame after giving a quirky last lecture about celebrating life in the face of his terminal cancer, died Friday.

The 47-year-old died at his home in Chesapeake, Va., according to Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow, who helped launch Pausch to fame after writing about the speech — which also garnered widespread attention when it was posted on video sharing site YouTube.

When Pausch was offered a deal to write a book expanding on his lecture, Zaslow co-authored the non-fiction title. The Last Lecture became a bestseller.

“It was the most fun 53 days of my life because it was like a performance,” Zaslow said. “It was like getting 53 extra lectures.”

A pioneer in the field of virtual reality who became a professor at his alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University, Pausch also co-founded the school's Entertainment Technology Center and developed programs to make teaching computer science and animation more fun for high school and post-secondary students.

He also helped develop the Alice 3D-animation software and had stints at Walt Disney and Electronic Arts.

He was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006.

A year later, Pausch took part in a lecture series at the university that saw professors give hypothetical final talks and speak about what mattered most to them.

The popular and flamboyant Pausch drew a packed crowd for his light-hearted session, dedicated to his children.

He joked about his realized and unrealized childhood dreams and urged people to have more fun and live life to the fullest.

Aside from the book deal and internet interest, he was invited to visit The Oprah Winfrey Show and make other TV appearances. He also maintained a blog that delivered updates on his life.

Pausch is survived by his wife, three children, his mother and his sister.

You can watch The Last Lecture here:

PartyDigest.com announces its list of Top Ten World Safari Experiences as determined by our team of world travel experts.

1. Kruger National Park, South Africa
This is the place to see the Big Five – elephant, white rhino, buffalo, lion and leopard. It is one of the most spectacular and diverse conservation areas on the planet with over 147 different species of mammals, 500 species of birds, 100 species of reptiles, 49 species of African indigenous fish, 34 types of amphibians and 300 different species of trees. Now that's wildlife.

2. Mountain gorillas, Uganda
There are only about 650 wild mountain gorillas left in the world and the place to see and do your Dian Fossey best is in Uganda. You can actually go gorilla tracking in two national parks on the border of Rwanda at Virunga Range or in Bwindi, a thick rainforest.

3. Wildebeest migration, Serengeti
You simply can't miss this if you're coming to Africa. This annual wildlife migration of over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa's great predators, is a photographers and naturalists dream.

4. Emperor Penguins, Snow Hill Island
Rug up to make 4000 bow tied friends on this remote island. Emperor Penguins are some of the hardest birds in the world to see. They breed in winter and the single egg is incubated by the male when night lasts for months and temperatures reach minus 60 degrees Celsius.

5. Giant Grizzlies, Knight Fjord, British Colombia
The giant grizzly is king here and can be seen all year round. In spring they hang out by the water's edge, in summer they mate and spar on the beach and in autumn they feed on salmon in the Glendale River.

6. Sailing safari, Greenland
Sail into the superb fjords of East Greenland to see the aurora borealis and the wildlife. Polar bears, eight species of whales, two million seals, reindeer, musk oxen, Arctic hares and Arctic wolves are just some of the species living here.

7. Musk-Ox Safari, Greenland
Take a husky team or snowmobile from the town of Kangerlussuaq, located at the head of the country's third longest fjord. Cut through this beautiful region to look for the noble musk ox and with a bit of luck some reindeer and Arctic foxes too. It's extremely cold here but a good place to see the northern lights.

8. Kakadu National Park
Don't take any inspiration from Steve Irwin; never smile at a crocodile, particularly these saltwater menaces in the superb wilderness of Kakadu. Take a boat safari and marvel at the bird life and wetlands from the safety outside the water.

9. Panda safaris, China
This protected species live in Sichuan Province and just over the boundary line in Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces. In the reserves of Foping and Changqing you can track and view wild pandas in their natural habitat and enjoy the high altitude primary forest.

10. Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal
The steamy Inner Terai of central Nepal was once one of the most famous big game hunting areas in Asia. Fortunately the lead shooting has finished and it now provides protection to the one-horned rhinoceros, tiger, leopard, sloth bear and the gaur (wild bison) and over 400 species of birds.

Some senior citizens come to a point in their life when they realize they may need help walking. Assistance can be due to old injuries flaring up, arthritis, hip problems, Parkinson disease, multiple sclerosis and many other. Some hate to use them because it makes them feel old, but here are the many benefits that wheelchairs provide to senior citizens.

• Mobility, wheelchairs provide you freedom to move around as you wish. Most designed to fit into small and tight spaces.
• Independence, It will give back your independence and free spirit to move around your home and outdoors as you wish.
• Comfort, They will help support your back and will have a comfortable seating that will encourage your posture.
• increase you socialization, as you will feel more safe and comfortable to enjoy life, visiting friends and going out to more social activities and not be isolated in your home without moving.
• Enjoy activities, you can go shopping, dine to restaurants, have fun with your family, and you will have a more active lifestyle so you will feel more happier and healthier.

They are highly beneficial to senior citizens to help them continue with their life and provide them comfort and mobility, even if they are with a home care assistance service, at a special community or in a friends house. For example you can read up here on our caregiver services to check if your health care package has the benefit of having a wheelchair before you buy one at a really expensive price, with most Home Care Assistance systems you will get help with it. Wheelchair repair services see to it that it is properly maintained; in-home repairs are available as well.

Jet Powered Wheelchair Debuts at AllegroMedical.com for $387,568
Allegro recognizes National Wheelchair Beautification Month with their Jet Chair – a jet propelled concept design wheelchair illustrating that the sky is the limit when it comes to personalization. The wheelchair is unreal…meaning…um…not real. But it’s getting a lot of attention!

Mesa, Ariz. (PRWEB) July 24, 2008 — Internet superstore Allegro Medical today unveiled a $387,568 jet powered wheelchair to show customers just how far they can go to make their chairs “beautiful”. Probably not exactly what National Wheelchair Beautification Month founder Horace Knowles had in mind when he invented the July holiday, but Allegro considers its ‘Jet Chair’ beautiful nonetheless.

The image of the supercharged wheelchair, complete with jet engine, fat run-flat high pressure tires, a rear airfoil, windsock and curb feelers (for easy parking) is part of an advertising campaign to encourage savvy wheelchair users to “Pimp Their Ride”. The wheelchair is advertised for $387,568 — marked down from $755,000 — and is reported to go 0-300 mph in 4.2 seconds. A safety helmet and fire-retardant underwear are recommended.

The Jet Chair is getting a lot of laughs and attention, and one customer actually added it to his shopping cart and tried to buy it. A few people have called to ask if it is real. It’s not, by the way.
“It looks like it belongs in a Batman movie. This tricked out wheelchair fit our concept so perfectly that we decided it would be fun to advertise it in our electronic catalog and on our website,” says Sean Cramer, Allegro’s Vice President of Marketing. “The Jet Chair is getting a lot of laughs and attention, and one customer actually added it to his shopping cart and tried to buy it. A few people have called to ask if it is real. It’s not, by the way.”

Billed as a practical, general-purpose sub-sonic everyday wheelchair, perfectly at home in the Bonneville Salt Flats doing 400 mph or cruising to the market, it still may not be for everyone. If a wheelchair with a jet pack isn’t your idea of a beautiful wheelchair, Allegro Medical has plenty of wheelchair alternatives and accessories. Most people start with a nice cup holder and work their way up. In addition to showcasing more than 115 different wheelchairs, the Allegro website offers 400+ wheelchair accessories, all designed to enhance the functionality, safety and overall look of an existing manual wheelchair or power chair. Anyone shopping at http://www.allegromedical.com can order online and have specialty products like beverage holders, colorful wheel casters, spinning spokes, backpacks, pouches and trays delivered directly to their home. The sky is the limit.

About Allegro Medical
Allegro Medical is a division of Allegro Enterprises, Inc., a privately-owned company based in Mesa, Arizona. Founded in 1996, and serving more than 1 million consumer and business customers, the Company is one of the largest and most technologically advanced independently owned suppliers of life enhancing products in the U.S.

Since launching the first ecommerce site in the medical equipment and home health care supplies industry in 1998, Allegro has expanded into Health & Fitness, Nutritional Dietary Supplements, Sexual Well-Being, Pain Relief, Emergency Preparation and Maternity/Baby. Visitors to http://www.allegromedical.com are offered a broad selection of thousands of brand name products searchable by Keyword, Category, Brand and Medical Condition.

Plain old mascaraä Tweezers and Eye lash curlersä Pshaw—pretty soon all of that might be about as old-school as a Walkman. With beauty products doing everything from vibrating to slimming and plumping, you’ll never be able to claim you’re bored with your daily beauty regimen again—just keep that ionic hair dryer away from the bathtub. — Try the New Revlon gentle heat lash curler. This easy to use temperature controlled lash curler gently lifts and curls lashes for a beautiful, smooth curl – without any pinching or crimping. For best results, use after applying mascara. — Also, In stores now is the New Vision Tweezer. Curved, elongated handle is designed to provide an unobstructed view while tweezing. The innovative tip effortlessly grips small, fine hairs. Perfect for tweezing while wearing glasses. For details visit: www.Revlon.com or call 1-800-4-REVLON today.