Archive for December, 2009

New Year’s Resolutions

Posted: December 28, 2009 in Books & Authors, Community Service, Economy, Homelessness, Human Rights, Inspiration, Media, News, News and Views, Philanthropy, Politics, Poverty, Random Thoughts, Religion, United States of America, Violence
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Each year I vow to do things differently.  Lose weight, cut down on the wine and Starbucks, stop worrying so much.  But this year I resolve to look inward.  Oliver Thomas suggests that’s the way to go in his column for “The Forum” in USA Today.  A trifecta of resolutions that seem much wiser and [...]

Die 2009 Die

Posted: December 24, 2009 in Books & Authors, Business, Economy, Facebook, Inspiration, Media, News, News and Views, Politics, Poverty, Random Thoughts, Television, United States of America
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My Facebook friends and people I talk to are SO ready for 2009 to be gone so they can usher in a more promising 2010.  I hope all of us can count many blessings even in difficult times, but it’s true, the economy, layoffs, politics, war weariness, etc. all took a toll on us this year.  For many 2009 [...]

Slum Tourism

Posted: December 23, 2009 in Books & Authors, Community Service, Global Poverty, Homelessness, Human Rights, Inspiration, News, News and Views, Philanthropy, Photography, Politics, Poverty, South America, Travel
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My story on slum tourism or “poorism” has been chosen by Ode Magazine as one of its top 10 positive stories of 2009.  It ran in the April travel issue.  This is my first magazine article and it came as a result of stories I introduced on my blog.  http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/62/slum-tours/ http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/13599/ode_s_top_10_positive_stories_from_2009 For more information about [...]

Burka Barbie

Posted: December 10, 2009 in Africa, Arts and Culture, Children, Human Rights, Inspiration, Media, Middle East, News, News and Views, Parenting, Philanthropy, Politics, Random Thoughts, Religion, Travel, United States of America, Women
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To celebrate Barbie’s 50th anniversary a line of Muslim Barbie dolls have been released to help Arabic children connect.  There’s a love/hate relationship with Burka Barbie.  They wear hijab and brightly colored burkas.  What do you think of this diversity doll?     http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/12/arab-world-burka-barbie-iconic-doll-gets-an-islamic-makeover-for-50th-anniversary.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BabylonBeyond+%28Babylon+%26+Beyond+Blog%29 For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com.

Hawaii’s Big Waves

Posted: December 9, 2009 in Children, Hawaii, News, Random Thoughts, Sports, Travel, United States of America, Weather
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Hawaii is seeing the biggest waves in 40 years.  We were at this exact spot on the North Shore of Oahu at the end of October.  Waimea Bay was calm and my son, Blair, jumped off the rocks that these people are videotaping from.  To give perspective Da Big Rock, as it is called, is about 75 [...]

Meeting Aron Ralston

Posted: December 8, 2009 in Books & Authors, Children, Colorado, Inspiration, Media, Movies, News, News and Views, Parenting, Random Thoughts, Television, Travel, United States of America
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It’s hard to wrap your head around what Aron Ralston had to do in a slot canyon in Utah in 2003.  While hiking he dislodged a boulder and his arm was pinned beneath the huge rock for six days.  To escape certain death he amputated his own arm then rappelled down a 65 foot wall [...]