Every year on Christmas eve I make tamales for my family and neighbors. It has become a holiday tradition and labor of love and my girlfriends join me with their own recipes in my kitchen. We cook our tamales and socialize and drink and it’s all very festive. In the event you’d like to start a tamale tradition of your own, here’s a great recipe. … Continue reading Start a Holiday Tradition: Christmas Tamales
When an adult took standardized tests forced on kids By Valerie Strauss This was written by Marion Brady, veteran teacher, administrator, curriculum designer and author. By Marion Brady A longtime friend on the school board of one of the largest school systems in America did something that few public servants are willing to do. He took versions of his state’s high-stakes standardized math and reading … Continue reading What’s Wrong With Standardized Tests
Very early on the morning on May 5, 2007 I got a call from NBC News to hurry from Denver to Greensburg, Kansas. There had been a huge tornado and the town was devastated. Go! Go! When I pulled into the town six hours later I was stunned to see wreckage so complete that even the bark had been pulled off the trees. These skeleton … Continue reading The Greening of Greensburg
K’NAAN is one of my favorite musicians. He inspired people around the globe with his rousing “Wavin’ Flag” during the World Cup in South Africa and now he has written a powerful op-ed piece for the New York Times about a journey he took home to his native Somalia. It’s an urgent call to action in case we are forgetting the famine already. A Son … Continue reading A Son Returns to the Agony of Somalia By K’NAAN
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 television. 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 9/11 Ten Years Later
My mother always had her head in her art. One of my earliest recollections growing up was her gluing tiny glass stones into mosaics of colorful peacocks. Then she shifted to ceramics and for years our cars could not park in the garage because of her kiln and workshop. When I sang in a choir called Na Kani Pela we needed to raise money so … Continue reading Going Back to Paniolo Country
My friend, Niza Knoll, has an art gallery in the Santa Fe Arts District in Denver. Knoll Gallery is a fantastic array of creativity and is emerging as one of the best galleries in Denver (in my humble opinion.) Each year Niza does a juried exhibit featuring art on dogs. Gone to the Dogs 3 opens this Friday, August 19, and runs through September 17. … Continue reading Gone to the Dogs
JonBenet Ramsey would have been 21 years old today. I covered this story for years for NBC News. For a time the world could not get enough of this murder mystery. Was riding a train in Italy one day and mentioned to my seat mates that I was from Colorado. All they wanted to know is “Who killed JonBenet?” Fifteen years later we still don’t … Continue reading Happy Birthday, JonBenet Ramsey
The Sunday New York Times had a feature in its Travel Section today on how to spend 36 hours in Honolulu. It singled out some of my favorite places like Kapiolani Park, Chinatown and the drive from Hanauma Bay to Waimanalo with stops at Sandy Beach and Makapuu. With no disrespect to the author, Jocelyn Fujii, I would like to suggest my own itinerary based … Continue reading Facetime Instead of Facebook: 36 Hours in Honolulu
We’ve all heard you shouldn’t send off an email when you’re angry or drunk, but the new host of NBC’s Today Show, Ann Curry, reminds us it’s not too smart to Google when you’re drunk either. This article was the back of the book from the latest “Newsweek.” All about what Ann has learned about making mistakes and laughing about them later. http://www.newsweek.com/2011/06/05/ann-curry-on-googling-drunk.html Continue reading Don’t Google Drunk
Vicky Collins Online 