Move over Generation X, Y and Z. Make room for the Alphaboomers, the 55 to 64 year old demographic that has been largely ignored by advertisers when it comes to broadcast television buys (except during the evening news which relies heavily on prescription drug advertising and Beano.) Now NBCU is calling out for this demo age group to get respect and be recognized as a … Continue reading Alphaboomers
One of the most interesting things I read in the newspaper while in Delhi was the matrimonials in the Sunday Times of India. The section consisted of page after page of personal classifieds by families unapologetically seeking the perfect made to order husband or wife for children whose time has come to make a love connection. Some of the ads were very specific. They spelled … Continue reading A Westerner Ponders Arranged Marriage
Andres from Switzerland, his girlfriend, Paola from Brazil and I were riding on camels in the Thar Desert outside of the western Indian town of Jaisalmer. We were in a spot as remote as I’ve ever been, 21 hours by train from Delhi, just 60 kilometers from the border with Pakistan. It’s a flat, arid locale, punctuated by sand dunes and populated by only villagers, … Continue reading The Camel and the Cell Phone
My friend, Duncan, and I had wrapped up dinner at a restaurant in Varanasi, India and more than half the food was uneaten. We asked for a carry out bag, knowing in the back of our mind that we would probably never eat the food. While walking down towards the Ganges, we started to pass beggars, beaten down to the ground by years of poverty, … Continue reading Varanasi: Karma and Contradiction
The other night my colleagues and I ordered pizza to be delivered to our workplace at the International Broadcast Centre during our shift at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. There have been tons of issues with the catering here so we had food brought in. At the end of the evening there were still four untouched boxes of pizza that were cold and had … Continue reading Waste Not, Want Not
Thanks Bazi Kanani of Denver’s 9News for doing this wonderful story about the income generating project, BeadforLife. If you would like to host a bead party visit http://beadforlife.org. The organization is on its way to booking 100 parties in 100 days. It’s time and money very well spent and the women of Uganda will rain blessings down on you for helping their families rise up … Continue reading BeadforLife on 9News
When I came to Delhi in 2008 I remember the palpable culture shock. It was overwhelming even for a rather intrepid traveler. I had been in Beijing and Uganda earlier in the year so I thought I would be prepared for anything, but nothing I had ever experienced set me up for India. On the roadway from the airport cows roamed the street. The traffic … Continue reading Delhi’s Commonwealth Games Face
As a journalist I’m used to working long days. Adrenaline keeps you in the game for 16 to 20 hours during breaking news and disaster coverage. You sleep for three hours then you’re back at it. But nothing prepared me for how exhausted I would be after just a couple of hours of listening to the painful testimonies of young Ugandan men and women who … Continue reading Uganda’s Child Soldiers: In Their Own Words
NOTE: THE ACID ATTACK IN OREGON TURNED OUT TO BE A SELF-INFLICTED HOAX. In recent days there have been two brutal acid attacks against women in the United States, one in Oregon and one in Arizona. Many of you have read the story I wrote about a courageous acid attack victim from Kampala, Uganda named Juliette on this blog. HDNet’s World Report aired an “in her own … Continue reading Acid Attacks Hit Home
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
Vicky Collins Online 