There is good news out there....

In the past week of all sorts of crap happening like a tornado destroying lives in Oklahoma, eerily nearly on same path a tornado ran in 1999 to the debacles of the IRS, drone plane killings, Boston Marathon horror, more confusing and ignored deaths in Syria, Beckham retiring (okay that one doesn’t jive in this mix)… but there is some good news in the world! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Thank you Matt Kemp for displaying a random act(s) of kindness in San Francisco….you made someone’s life much better. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZUXTUrj4WM. You are an All-Star and MVP forever….and perhaps the Dodgers to win a few games please. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Way to go Jason Collins! Yet still mind-boggling bizarre that in 2013, this is headline news. I refuse to use the tripe, cliché phrases of he is “in the conversation” or “part of the narrative.” Oh sh-t, I just did. Damn it! At least I didn’t write “at the end of the day….” Damn it. Did it again. Must think outside of the box… ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And thank you Angelina Jolie for your courage and raising awareness. I don’t understand the flak thrown back at her. She is the one who suffered through a double mastectomy. Yes, she has the money to get that test (she should not be crucified) but hopefully spiked women to do whatever they can from diet to lifestyle to other tests. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We appreciate the Irish artists who recorded “Tiny Dancer” to benefit a sick child. Last week the foundation wrote a check for nearly $150,000 to help her family’s medical expenses. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ And damn, that Rod Stewart finally recorded new and original – original yes – music and it is one of the best records ever. Get it: “Time.” Just debuted at #1 in UK. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Lastly, we love Luci! She began this week in London and already she has elevated our business. She is Luci in the sky with formats! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Off to Maine to on Saturday with my mother (are sedatives allowed on flights?) to Maine for her to visit her ailing brother Forest, then to London for June and most of July. On a parallel line, Colleen drove her mother to Utah to see her brother, and to visit miraculous angel cousin Kyiee who has come out of her coma.

May day and finally home!

Three months around the small world has left my head and body spinning. However, it feels good to be back home with Daniel and Casey, plus getting some additional family time over next two weeks. The best part of the trip was spending a week with Kelli in Seoul, South Korea - and even found some new formats there. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It does seem like decades ago we left for NATPE in Miami. The baseball season hadn't started; Academy Awards were a month away; Boston was calm and cold; Small World was gearing up for the 3 titles to launch globally; I was still Searching for Sugarman; a Fall Out Boy and Elton pairing seemed ludicrous much less become a #1 album; I didn't know a key character dies in Skyfall (thank you lovely wife for that spoiler) and the thought of a professional male athlete coming out was not a blip on a radar screen. But after London, Oslo, Kristiansand, Stockholm, Copenhagen, more time in London bouncing around Marriott hotels (thank you dear niece Becca!), Paris, Munich, London again, Brighton, Bangkok, London, Cannes, Paris, Seoul, Bangkok, Tokyo and finally to LA, logging tons of airmiles and hotel points, along with a myriad of meetings, three key moments remain somewhat clear in my head. One, I shall not wear a tutu again and be upstaged by professional ballerinas. Two, our new Content family definitely knows how to end and celebrate a hectic, yet hugely successful MIP market - I believe I was on my back dancing at one point early in the morning banging a drum with the big guy assisting me. Three, karaokeing with my daughter and wife is a blast. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ From the Small World news department...Miss Country Girl launched in Thailand two weeks ago to very positive results, igniting more interest in the Media Factory format, from Australia to China....The Fan debuted April in Sweden on TV4 as Fantasterna and has been a solid #1 in target audience group (does that mean that should avoid people carrying rifles?)...and The Night Patrol adaptation in Norway has doubled the audience for TV Norge channel. And our Romanian wonderful friends at Media Factory launched a new show One Good Turn on Prima which is a surprise look at the values and ethics and goodwill of people. Maybe we should adapt it for US Congress? We will be based in London from June 1 at our new mini-flat working on our new adaptation of I Love Luci.....stay tuned.. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ A tiny bit of Tim's Tips. DVD and movies: Searching for Sugarman is a terrific film aka documentary...42, 42, 42, 42 is a powerful movie about one of the most important and toughest person to ever walk this earth, Jackie Robinson....some music for the ears, I mentioned the Fall Out Boy-Elton Save Rock and Roll single earlier....in France, I discovered a wonderful group Les Soul Men, comprised of three diverse singers, Vigon, Bamy and Jay. They recorded an album of mostly pop and r & b covers. I never thought I would write that I love the song Feelings...and another French singer, Axelle Red....books, finally finished The President's Club and so darn good. Now reading State of Wonder in old-school paperback as well as Gone Girl (good tip sister Patti dear) on Kindle....and how hilarious was our President at the D.C. Correspondents Dinner last Saturday? Whatever your political persuasion, he was funny, self-deprecating and good pokes at NBC......lastly, whatever team Jason Collins signs with, I will be a fan. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ That's all the news that's fit to print and I promised sister Kimi that I will blog more frequently. So let that be a warning to you. Go forth with peace and progress __________________________