I’ve spent the last two days in temple celebrating Rosh Hashanah but for some reason this year I’m not feeling it. Perhaps it’s because I only show up for the high holidays and each year it’s the same story of Isaac and Abraham and Hannah and Peninah. My Jewish experience is so limited. Rabbi Mo is at the top of his game with sermons about living … Continue reading The Faith Club
There are some things I never forget. The day President Kennedy was assassinated. The day the Challenger exploded. Columbine. What I was doing on 9/11/2001. My husband called me and said turn on the TV. I got there in time to see the second plane hit the tower. I watched with my hand over my mouth then turned to my little son and said “Kyle, … Continue reading Remembering 9/11
Andrea Jaeger is a former tennis great turned nun who heard a higher calling. She now runs the Silver Lining Foundation which helps terminally ill children. One of the highlights of the experience has been camp for kids battling cancer which has been held during summer and winter months in Aspen, Colorado. She is now trying to sell her ranch to Chabad. The organization will … Continue reading Andrea Jaeger’s Silver Lining
Blessings to Iranian human rights lawyer and Nobel Prize winner, Shirin Ebadi, who has courageously offered to represent the family of Neda, the young woman shot by snipers during a protest on the streets of Tehran. Perhaps she will also represent the parents of Kaveh Alipour who were told they must pay the Iranian government a $3000 bullet fee to retrieve their slain son’s body. I am gratified … Continue reading Fighting for Neda
When I produced the daily talk show, Kaleidoscope, at KAKE TV in Wichita, Kansas, I learned you could discuss just about any issue but abortion. It was too polarizing. People would talk until they were blue in the face, raise their voices and get angry but neither side would budge from their position. No matter how compelling the arguments for or against, those who were pro-life and pro-choice just dug their heels in … Continue reading Wrong Answer to Abortion
The plight of homeless children was the focus of two articles in the 5/18 edition of USA Today. One is about 11 year old Zach Bonner who is walking from Atlanta, Georgia to Washington, D.C. to raise money and awareness for homeless youngsters. He hopes to meet with President Obama when he arrives in July. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-05-17-wagon-boy_N.htm?csp=34 The other is by CBS anchor, Katie Couric, who … Continue reading Homeless Children
Malcolm Gladwell, author of “The Tipping Point,” “Outliers” and “Blink” has an article out this month in The New Yorker. It’s called “How David Beats Goliath” and with his deft storytelling and character development Gladwell makes the case for effort over ability. He tells about Vivek Ranadive and his basketball team of 12 year old girls in Redwood City, California. To overcome a lack of talent they … Continue reading How David Beats Goliath
I wrote a blog on Christmas Day 2008 (after seeing the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”) about how conflicted I was while in Delhi, India over what to do when children begged for handouts. Apparently I’m not the only person who has struggled with how to respond. Check out Sunday’s New York Times column, The Ethicist, by Randy Cohen. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/03/magazine/03wwln-ethicist-t.html For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com Continue reading India Ethics
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 … Continue reading American Idol and the High School Male
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 … Continue reading How People Live
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