For parents struggling to communicate with their teenage children I recommend… drum roll please… American Idol (http://www.americanidol.com.) Like many parents I am often at a loss about how to have a meaningful conversation with my 15 year old son, Kyle. He loves sports and is a promising athlete himself so he and his father never run out of things to discuss. Patching up an argument is easy for them too. They just pretend nothing happened and move on to the latest stats or amazing play and they’re back in the game. I on the other hand often get a “mom, don’t talk” or a conversation that consists of me talking and him grunting and rolling his eyes. That is until American Idol comes on. Each Tuesday and Wednesday are date nights for me and Kyle. We sit and we watch and actually have an hour long conversation.
We talk about the singing and the contestants. We dissect the performances. He was apoplectic when Anoop Desai went home. I think Adam Lambert is hot. Kyle thinks he’s emo (whatever that means?.) I like to point out the amazing accomplishments of young Allison (cleverly disguised teaching moment) and we both like Danny Gokey and Kris Allen. Then there is Ryan Seacrest and the judges. Kyle can’t stand Kara DioGuardia. I think she’s terrific. He loves Paula Abdul. I think she dresses weird. We imitate Randy Jackson. Yo Dawg. Check it out. And of course it’s always fun to cheer and boo Simon Cowell. At the end of the show neither of us votes or get involved in trying to save anyone. He goes back to ESPN and I go read a magazine but for one blissful hour two nights a week I am cool to my teenage son and he is my American Idol.
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
During April I’ve had a photo exhibit running in Studio 13 Gallery in Denver’s Santa Fe Arts District. It’s called “How People Live” and is a collection of photographs from the streets and slums around the world that illuminate the diversity of people and the condition of the poor. Photos were taken in Uganda, China, Thailand, India, Brazil, Mexico, and various places in America. Most of the photos were gathered while I was on television production assignments. ”How People Live” was a fundraiser for the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and I want to thank all the people who supported this effort. I’ve posted the photos to Facebook and Flickr and wanted to share them with a broader audience. Hope you find them compelling and enlightening.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1106444740&ref=profile
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vickycollins
For more information about Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
Today as we were driving in my car I was talking to my 11 year old son, Blair, about the various and sundry things that were stressing me out. He listened then told me to be patient. All of his solutions to my issues were so simple and sensible. At one point, after we passed through the toll booth, he started to scribble with a pen on his hand. Ah! He’s taking notes. I asked what he was writing. He told me he was jotting down the name of the band Death Cab For Cuties. Made me wonder if therapists write nonsense on their pads when they are bored. I figured my session was over. Then he shared his secret saying for living a worry free life. “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why its called the present.” Who needs therapy when this kind of wisdom and perspective is available for free out of the mouths of babes!
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
It’s not the Huffington Post but I’m still amazed that there have been 5000 hits to this blog since it kicked off in May 2008. I remember how giddy I was when I got my first comment and again when there were 2000 hits on the 20th of October. Read an article by Brian Stelter in the education supplement of the New York Times this past Sunday. It was about how journalism schools are working to adapt to the new media. The author was saying how blogs are now a necessary part of journalism and how it is important to “invent your own jobs.” This has been a great experiment for me and I’m pleased that I have found a small audience that has given me a vehicle for my voice and another venue for storytelling. It’s very gratifying to watch the blog stats and see my viewers going up every month. Thanks to all for reading my blog. Stay tuned for more.
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
Many of you have read the story I wrote about a courageous acid attack victim from Kampala, Uganda named Juliette on this blog. HDNet’s World Report aired an “in her own words” piece about Juliette that I produced for the show on April 14. It is a very powerful story and Juliette’s ability to forgive her attacker and move on is inspirational. I hope you are as transformed by Juliette’s story as I was and as horrified by this unbelieveable terrorism against women in the developing world. More often than not men go unpunished for this. If we raise up our voices loud enough perhaps we can prevent more women like Juliette from becoming victims of this terrible violence.
http://blip.tv/file/1988082/
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.
Many thanks to PBS producer Patti Parson, Associate Producer Rebecca Jacobson and the folks at The Newshour with Jim Lehrer for the wonderful story they did on BeadforLife (http://beadforlife.org) on Thursday’s program. Every time the NGO gets national exposure of this kind the phones ring off the hook and more and more people join the fight against global poverty. Together we are making a difference and helping families in Africa raise themselves up out of despair. What continues to astonish me is how many different ways there are to tell this story and the way hearts continue to be touched by the women in Uganda. Thank you Patti, Rebecca and The Newshour.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/module.html?mod=0&pkg=skoll&seg=5
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com
My husband is from Iowa. His parents live in a town of about 10,000 called Storm Lake in the Northwest corner of the state. I’ve been going back and forth for many years. The Iowa I used to see was a conservative, set in its ways kind of place that didn’t really welcome change. But my view is shifting dramatically. Iowa voters were prescient with their early support of Barack Obama. I’ve found citizens working hard to co-exist with the new Hispanic populations that are flocking there to work in the meat packing plants. And now the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that denying gay marriage violates constitutional rights to equal protection. More and more Iowa is becoming a bellweather for the nation when it comes to social change and civil rights.
I mentioned how proud I was of Iowa and it’s progressive shift the other night at dinner and the table fell silent. But Maureen Dowd in her New York Times column “Demi in Des Moines” (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/opinion/12dowd.html?ref=opinion) isn’t silent at all. She writes about how California used to be the nation’s trend setter but not anymore. “Once the West Coast glowed with prosperity and was the harbinger of hip new things. Now it’s in the grip of recession and repression. California’s cool has been stolen by, of all places, Iowa. White bread, corn fed, understated Iowa… now it’s flyover country that’s starting high-flying trends.” Maybe this land dominated by reason and common sense is helping America come to its senses.
Of course the fight is not over in the states that allow gay marriage or those that are considering it. There are many galvanizing to oppose even the slightest momentum. But they may not be able to stop the cascade of citizens and courts calling for fairness. In presidential politics it is often said “as Iowa goes, so goes the nation.” Will it hold true on the issue of gay marriage as well? In it’s article “The Meaning of Iowa’s Gay Marriage Decision” (http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1889534-2,00.html) Time Magazine pointed out, “There might even be good news in the Iowa decision for gays in California, where activists are fearfully awaiting the justices’ ruling on Prop 8, which is likely to be issued in coming weeks. The Iowa decision cited the California case eight times and borrowed its reasoning again and again. That kind of homage from a sister court — and one that, like California’s, has a long history of breakthrough civil rights decisions — may strengthen the resolve of the majority in the Golden State and turn aside the narrow vote of the people.”
The tide may not be changing yet on gay marriage but it certainly is a sea change when conservative states like Iowa separate church and state then blow by California and New York in recognizing that the constitution really did intend equal protection for all. Maybe the same citizens that voted for a new world order with Barack Obama are starting to weary of a country marked by divisiveness. Or maybe with so many economic woes people realize there are much bigger things to worry about than same sex marriages by loving couples. It might even be a boost for Iowa’s economy as gay couples move to the state which, along with its New England counterparts, is starting to brim with inclusiveness. The ringing of the bell in little old Iowa is clanging loud and clear across the country. Unanimous. Affirmed: All Justices Concur.
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com. Also look for the report on Hispanic Immigration in Iowa on the page entitled Stories and Links.
My friend, sportscaster Len Berman, got the news this past week that he was being let go from WNBC. Len is one of the most talented personalities I know. He’s been a fixture in New York sports for decades. He is witty and well respected. I actually stop what I’m doing when his “Spanning the World” segment comes on during the Today Show. Len is another casualty in broadcasting’s purge of talent as executives grapple with declining viewership and revenues. It’s time to reinvent the wheel and there’s little room for high priced anchors in this economic reality. So those we’ve come to know, love and trust are being shown the door and the industry is diminished for it. For his part, Len is taking this well. He knows he will have a bright afterlife.
ABC and the Walt Disney Company have also made painful cuts. This past week an announcement was made that 1900 people were being being laid off in the theme parks. This is following cuts of 5% at ABC and here is the headline that I’m burying. CEO Robert Iger made $51.1 million in compensation in 2008. He is one of the top paid CEO’s in America. His cash bonus alone was over $13 million (in his defense he did give up a $2.4 million bonus related to sharholder return.) His compensation from 2007 to 2008 is up 85% even though the net income of his company is down 5%, the total return is down 10% and shares dipped 34% in the fiscal year ending September 2008. From what I calculate he jumped from #81 to #3 on the list of highly compensated executives. There is no doubt Iger is a brilliant businessman and that shareholders believe he is worth every penny and there is a contract but perception is perception.
In February, General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt (GE owns NBC) convinced the board that it was not appropriate for him to earn his hefty bonus for 2008 and his $11.7 million compensation when the company was having so many financial difficulties. He told the Wall Street Journal, “My compensation is never going to be an embarrassment to GE. … It’s going to be responsible; it’s going to be appropriate; it’s going to be transparent; and it’s going to reflect the financial performance of the company.” It doesn’t make it any easier for me to accept the lay off of my friend, Len Berman, but at least I know Immelt is leading by example. Wouldn’t it be amazing if more CEO’s lived by the example of Jeff Immelt or better yet, of Jack Windolf of Bollinger Insurance, who took $500,000 of deferred compensation and gave each of his 434 employees a thousand dollar bonus. He called it a mini economic stimulus package. Largesse not layoffs.
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/04/03/diy-stimulus-ceo-gives-workers-1000-each/?icid=main|htmlws-sb|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailyfinance.com%2F2009%2F04%2F03%2Fdiy-stimulus-ceo-gives-workers-1000-each%2F
For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://www.teletrendstv.com
