“This Is What Freedom Looks Like”

Correspondent Ron Allen of NBC News was standing in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt when the news broke that Hosni Mubarak had stepped down. He was in the thick of it and handed the microphone to men standing near him in the crowd for their reactions. They shouted and screamed in triumph. When he retrieved the mic he said “this is what freedom looks like.” … Continue reading “This Is What Freedom Looks Like”

Deja Vu

My youngest son, Blair, is 13 years old today.  A teenager.  Now I have two of them.  I can’t believe how fast the time has gone. Last night I was in his room, sitting on his bed, leaning against the wall, when I had a powerful deja vu.  Just days after his birth I was in the same place, sitting on a futon, holding him … Continue reading Deja Vu

Goat Tears: Wish I’d Thought of This

If all commercials were this much fun I think I might want to produce them. Kudos to editor Brent Herrington at 3008 in Dallas for a very clever way to sell pain reliever. I won’t forget Mission Pharmaceutical’s Thera-Gesic or the crying goat.  More fun even than the Aflac duck! For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com. Continue reading Goat Tears: Wish I’d Thought of This

Blair’s First Filmmaking Job

My 12 year old son, Blair Ewalt, a budding filmmaker and 7th grade student at Denver School of the Arts, just produced his first professional film.  It is a two and a half minute promotional piece for an exhibit called “The 4000 Year Road Trip: Gathering Sparks” at Denver’s Mizel Museum. The exhibit opens on February 2, 2011.   It took Blair less than two weeks … Continue reading Blair’s First Filmmaking Job

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Crunchy numbers A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2010. That’s about 26 full 747s. In 2010, there were 85 new posts, growing the total archive … Continue reading 2010 in review

2011: Words to Live By

My friend and former colleague at NBC News, Farland Chang, sent this inspiration with his holiday card. The quotes are wonderful food for thought as we welcome the new year. May 2011 bring health, happiness and prosperity to all. The best inheritance a parent can give his children is a few minutes of his time each day. O. A. Battista Always kiss your children goodnight … Continue reading 2011: Words to Live By

Serengeti Highway: Going the Wrong Way

A plan by the government of Tanzania to build a road through the pristine Serengeti is so misguided, especially when there are other options for commerce. To put a busy road through one of the last untouched spaces on earth is a crime. Thank you Richard Engel of NBC for exploring the subject and to NBC’s Today Show for giving him the time to tell … Continue reading Serengeti Highway: Going the Wrong Way

The Joy of Giving

What a beautiful message during this Christmas season! Narayanan Krishnan is a bright light in the impoverished streets of Bangalore, India. His spirit of giving can inspire all of us. He is one of CNN’s Heroes.  When I was in India I often saw desperately poor people squatting down and begging for food. Giving food was a way people would get good karma in their … Continue reading The Joy of Giving

Hard Times in Hollywood

TV producer turned psychologist, Susan Winston, writes in the New York Times about the collateral damage from downsizing in the television and film businesses. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/jobs/12pre.html?_r=1&src=twrhp For more information about Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com. Continue reading Hard Times in Hollywood