The Grapes of Wrath: The Next Generation

Even with 500 TV channels at our fingertips my 12 year old son, Blair, and I could not come up with a movie to watch.  He manned the remote flipping from title to title while I played God saying “next” and “pass” until we had gone from A to Z.  He grew impatient and started lobbying for “Family Guy” instead.  I was undeterred.  We would … Continue reading The Grapes of Wrath: The Next Generation

Remembering Uncle Ted

I had a hunch as soon as I sat down by Scott on the flight to Anchorage that he was on his way to the funeral of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens.  He was in a suit with a Lockheed Martin pin and was busily cranking away on his Blackberry.  Once we were airborne we started to talk and he regaled me with stories of his … Continue reading Remembering Uncle Ted

The Woman on the Cover

The cover of this week’s Time Magazine is incredibly powerful. I saw it at the airport and couldn’t get it out of my mind. A woman with her nose cut off by the Taliban as the poster child for the carnage and cruelty in that war torn land. Not sure if it posed a question or just an answer with its title: What Happens If … Continue reading The Woman on the Cover

Miss Iowa to the Big Leagues

Never underestimate a beauty queen. Washington Nationals pitcher Miguel Batista found that out when he didn’t choose his words well.  The two meet on the mound tonight. http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_770612c6-9b8c-11df-a2fb-001cc4c002e0.html For more information on Vicky Collins visit http://teletrendstv.com Continue reading Miss Iowa to the Big Leagues

Oil Spill: The Ripple Effect

I finally got to the Gulf coast to work on a story about the oil spill for the PBS Newshour. I didn’t see any oil but what I saw was a a boat load of fear. Correspondent Tom Bearden and I visited Bayou La Batre, Alabama to attend a town hall meeting with Ken Feinberg, the Massachusetts lawyer who must decide how to allocate BP’s … Continue reading Oil Spill: The Ripple Effect

Politics and Plagiarism

Middle school and high school students are taught to never plagiarize.  When you turn your paper in it better be your work.  My then tweenage son forgot the rules and got a big fat zero once.  Apparently Colorado GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis missed class that day.  Or maybe he thinks politicians should be held to a lesser standard.  He is being accused of virtually … Continue reading Politics and Plagiarism

We are the World (Cup)

Sad to see the United States go down to Ghana in the 2010 FIFA World Cup but also glad to see Africa still in the game. The energy in the streets of Kampala was amazing while we were there. People would crowd outside of bars and stare through the windows of stores to watch the tiny televisions tuned in to the games. I’m sure they’re … Continue reading We are the World (Cup)

Favorite Friends I’ve Never Met

Several of my friends and even my family think social networking is a waste of time.  They won’t Facebook, Twitter or read blogs and can’t really understand what I get from it.  I’ve found the most vehement opposition from my tango dancing mother and my friends who are cyclists.  These are not ladies who exercise casually, but rather women who compete on the dance floor, do … Continue reading Favorite Friends I’ve Never Met

Budget Cuts and the Bus

So often when officials slash budgets they are just crunching numbers rather than considering stories of loss.  This article by N.C. Maisak from the New York Times tells how a group of Queens, New York bus riders who have become friends, practically family, over their years while riding the QM22 route, are losing their community on wheels because of cuts by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.  Just a poignant little reminder of the … Continue reading Budget Cuts and the Bus

Denver Public Schools Takes a Stand

My husband, Darrell, was beside himself.  What’s up with this?  We have a son about to enter the Denver Public Schools and here they are banning employees from travelling to Arizona because of opposition to the new immigration law.  He was fuming.  Don’t they have more important things to worry about (like higher graduation rates?)  He even called KHOW’s Caplis and Silverman radio show to vent.  I tried to rationalize the … Continue reading Denver Public Schools Takes a Stand