Erica Returns

Since Erica left AC360 there has been something missing from the program. Yes, Candy Crowley and Jessica Yellin do a good job, but it isn't the same and Erica is missed. Last night, Jessica had a surprise for Anderson and lo and behold, Erica appeared. Unfortunately, she came back to mock Anderson over his Jeopardy non-win. It was great to see her again and hear the good old andererica banter. I also liked the walk down memory lane with Jessica over the 80's song "Don't You Want Me Baby?" and other goodies. It looks like Anderson may be hitting the road again. During his interview with Sean Penn he mentioned returning to Haiti. It breaks your heart hearing all those people are going through. I wonder how long until we learn to help these people in a more timely manner.

Speaking of heartbreak, didn't you feel for that couple who had he police pounding on their door 50 times over a period of years. An elderly couple in their eighties shouldn't have to put up with stuff like that. Anderson displayed a very appropriate response to their predicament.

Well, it's 3:00 A.M. and I should attempt getting to bed at a decent hour. My mom and I always went upstairs together whether or not I went to sleep. It's hard now going upstairs to bed. It's a stark reminder that she isn't here with me and I'm alone. So ladies and gents, give your sweetie an extra big hug and don't forget to appreciate that you have them and you're not alone. Maybe marriage isn't a bowl of cherries and everything isn't perfect, but at least when things go wrong you have a shoulder to cry on and someone to console you. That's more important than you may think. If you're single and living with your parent, treasure every moment. You can't imagine how it will hurt when they are gone. On an episode of the television show "Crossing Jordan" there was a quote that went something like this: hold on dear to your parents for it is a scary and confusing world without them." I always thought it was a sweet sentiment, but I never grasped the meaning completely until now. It is very true my friends.

Anderson's Shark Dive

You can view the short video clip HERE on the CNN website.

Enjoy :)

Jealous of Anderson?

Yes, I'm jealous of Anderson. So I'm sitting here watching Shark Week when I get the heads up that The Shot of the Day is about Anderson and his latest PIP segment with sharks.

So why is Rita jealous? I've always talked about wanting to dive off the coast of South Africa in a shark cage and witness the majesty and beauty of the Great White Shark; and where does Anderson happen to be...South Africa...in what...a shark cage filming Great White Sharks....

most of you will probably be jealous of the shark getting that close to the cage with Anderson in his wet suit...and all you need to head to the naughty chair! ;)

Anywho...just thought I'd check in. I think I'll start working on some Anderson graphics; so leave your suggestions here or send me a message via my feedback form :)

yes I have been a bad blogger

I am sorta pissed off a Google.

Anyhow, KUDOS to Anderson for a job well-done last night with the ( good) breaking news about the freed hostages. The broadcast was his best" breaking news" coverage in a long time. He showed compassion and sincerity when talking with the families of the former hostages. It was amazing. I had tears in my eyes during the entire broadcast.

In other news: AC 360 has, for the second economic quarter in a row......beaten Greta's ratings over on Fox News. Coop blogged about the ratings, and thanked us viewers for our faithful viewing.

And, here is some Ander eye-candy for all of you. His piece on the Congo gorillas shall re-play this Sunday on 60 Minutes.

lunch time recap

The 360 headlines were once again dominated by politics. I barely got througfh the hour, Clinton and Obama's attempts to pull the wool over supporters' eyes was sickening, but at the same time good for a laugh. I don't think these two are capable of doing what is good for our country, and it scares me how many people in this country have drank the Obama Kool-Aid. Do we REALLY think that Clinton and Obama will work together? I agree with the commentator who said that this " unity" is all just politics as usual.

However, I did enjoy Christiane Amanpour's report from North Korea. It made sitting through all the political shop talk bearable.

not politics as usual

Of course there were politics on last night's 360 but this timeut the story had an interesting twist. The had a panel on analysing Barack Obama's comments and the comments made by Dr James Dobson. I am NOT a fam of Al Sharpton at all, but I must say that he, Roland Martin and Tony Perkins all had some decent, respectful dialogue last night. Often when the topic is politics and religionand one has three very diverse views on the air together fireworks errupt . But this did not happen on the show last night. Kudos to the men involved for not turing that 360 segment into a screaming match. It was also noted that AC was used as a rhetotical example during this dialogue. I am not sure how Coop felt about having his stake in the hereafter discussed on international television, but he handled it well.

We all know that Don Imus is a bigot.

Gary T is still wearing wader pants in the Midwest.

Erica is back and she tried imitating the models on the " Price is Right" using the new beat 360 t shirts.

Enjoy the screen cap!

Lions and Tigers and Imus O MY

Don Imus needs to keep his trap shut. I am not surprised at his blatently racist comments, but I am disgusted by them.

Ok, enough of the story on the teen pregnancy pact. We get the drift. Some girls in Massachusetts wanted babies and apparently did anything to ensure this fate. Move on with the next scandal, shall we? Please!

More politics, but after all this is an election year and the fat cats at CNN think that this is important. Yes the future of our nation is important, but I do not think we viewers need to know every misstep that McCain and Obama make from here on to the general election.

I am not gonna survive until the convetions. let alone all the way until November. I overdosed on politics back in March.

Win a t shirt!

Yes the flooding goes on unchained in the American midwest. Gary T is still up to his nipples in brackish water and its Presidential politics as usual on CNN. But at least the silly season politics is no longer the lead story on 360. Sadly, it take a natural disaser of this magnitude for the 360 bigwigs to forgo politics as usual on the show. Obama of course shall say that the Republicans will pull the race card in the general election. But is he not doing the same? I agree with the Republican strategist Anderson had on the show( but her name eludes me right now) . Barack Obama is one of the biggest racists in public service!

The story on the pregnant teens in Massachusetts set of a fire storm of comments on the live blog. Go read it for yourself, there is actually a worthwhile discussion on there. I do not live blog, but do peruse the comments every day. Usually it is a bunch of baloney, but every now and again there is a good discussion on the live blog.

Tom Foreman, filling in for Erica, made a good first-time appearence on the live blog. I think he added to and kept the conversation there on-topic and fruitful.

Also, starting Monday there will be more incentive to play along with the " Beat 360" game. Winners shall now recieve a ( very cool) " I beat 360" t-shirt! Of course the color is Cooper-eye blue. My hope is that other folks not just the folks who are ALWAYS on the live blog and get posted, will get an opportunity to win these shirts! One of the reasons why I do not participate in the live blogging is that the same peeps hang out there every night and usually dominate the conversation.

He is Baaaaack!

It was a great show last night, in spite of all the politics!

Cooper was in Africa when I was away on vacation. Now that we are both back I shall return to my 360 analyses.

Oh gosh, I am so sick of Obamamania! And CNN's Roland Martin has for sure drunk the Kool-Aid. So has Dave Gergen.

My heart goes out to all the folks affected by the flooding. Kudos to reporters Gary and Dan, I hope they stay safe.

When Gary T brought those trophies to that young woman in Iowa, I teared up. There is an example of a reporter going above the call of duty. Dan Simon also had a good " front lines" report.

Randi Kaye's piece last night was excellent, and I am NOT an Obama fan at all. I think Randi is one of CNN's up-and-coming younger journalists. I'd actually like to see CNN useher more often. She does such good work for 360.

Its Obama

Well, Anderson was on the CNN political coverage last night, so I watched it. But I cannot say that I am happy with the results of Obama .I think that the " cult of personality" is what brought Obama to the nomination. Although I am NOT A HRC fan, I feel strongly that Obama's political campaign is all rhetoric and no substance. But I do agree with Jeff Toobin, HRC needs to bow out. For better or worse the race for the Dems is over. I thought that Obama's speech was all about style and no substance.

Will he pick HRC as his running mate? Will a " dream ticket" help the Dems in their bid for the White House? John Roberts was at the famous " magic wall" showing viewers what an alleged dream ticket might do for the Dems.

There has been talk of HRC taking this nomination fight all the way to the convention. I hope not, as I know I am not the only American who is sick and tired of endless politics on 360 and other cable news shows.

By the way, our AC clearly does not know what it means to be someone's " boo"! Did you all catch the giggles from the pundit table last night! It was worth watching just to hear that famous giggle and see that smile that Cooper graces viewers with every now and again.

And speaking of Cooper smile, I posted yet another pic of AC and some lucky muppets! Isn't this adorable?

fun with an Anderphoto!

Here is an Ander-image from last night's show. I used Imagechef to add the graphics. Go to http://www.imagechef.com/. I added the graphics and the text to the image.

So , why is the famous Mr Cooper still wearing the silver ties? Note that again he wore a tie that matches his hair.

Last night's 360 was pretty good, in spite of the lead story being one of more Billary Clinton antics. " Is there a "conspiracy theory" against the fair Clintons? Hmm, I will risk showing my age to say that this is a familiar Clinton refrain. It seems to me that when the stuff is hitting the floor for Billary, they cry " CONSPIRACY THEORY!"Sorry, Billary, I don't buy that drivel.

It seems that the Republican nominee-in-waiting has a pastor problem all his own. However, I do not think that McCain's ties to Hagee are nowhere near as damaging as Barack Obama's ties to J. Wright. Obama still has the pastoral albatross hanging around his head. McCain's association with Hagee is one of a political notion. McCain pointed out that he was and is NOT a member of the church where Hagee preaches.

My thoughts and prayers are for those who were affected by the horrible storms in the Midwest. Wow.

lunchtime treat & review

Here is something YUMMY for all Cooper fans. I pulled it from another Cooper fan group to which I belong. I have tried, but I can NEVER Get good screencaps of anything. The best screencap I've taken of Cooper happened to be with my phone's camera.

What is it with him and his silver tie(s) lately? Not that I am complaining, but his ties seem to be following a monochromatic theme lately. Haha.

The screencap was from his stint on yesterday's " The View" Since I do not watch hat show, I missed his segment. I'd never watch that show anyway, as Barbara Walters and Joy Behar annoy me. Joy Behar's voice reminds me of chalk( yes I am that old, m'kay) on a blackboard. " "The View" is horribly skewed to the left, even with Elisabeth Hassleback's presence on the show.

The rare look into the FLDS school was interesting. Is it just me or is every FLDS member go by the last name Jessop? And the fact that they are so loyal to that wacko Warren Jeffs, their so-called " prophet" is scary. I feel sorry for those people, as they are truly brainwashed.

Moving along to another topic: the live blog. It annoys the crap out of me. Some of the posters stay on topic and post intelligent comments relating to the stories on 360 but others just post stupid, meaningless drivel which I am surprised the moderators let by. Ugh. If you wanna know of which I speak, go to cnn.com/360 and check out last night's " Live Blog from the Anchor Desk". It seems to me that most of the " regulars" have nothing relevent to say at all.

Topic number three: not ALL politics. FINALLY! Last night's show was pretty well-blanced. Of course they led off with political stuff but then we got a nice balance of other material.

I miss the " What were they Thinking" segments. Whatever happened to those, they were some of the best moments on the show.

Friday's night's show

Friday's show was excellent. It was not total politics and it also showed updates from that horrible earthquake in China. I feel so sorry for those poor people.

The sparring between John McCain and Obama was interesting, much more so than the usual Democratic blubbering( sorry) we've seen on the news lately. Now maybe the candidates can focus on ISSUES rather than petty personalities?

The update on Warren Jeffs and the FDLS sect was also insightful. Is it just me or is Jeffs uber-creepy?

I also loved how John King was part of " The Shot"I guess no one is safe when Erica and Anderson co-conspire! hahaha. It was wonderful.

Today is my birthday and I just HAD to share a great birthday card from my Myspace pal, Cathrin. Danke! I love it and hope you all do as well.

A Great 360

I'm looking forward to AC360 even more than usual. Apparently, there is a big brouhaha over some comments made by Pres. Bush in Israel against Barach Obama. I didn't leave it on long enough to find out what was going on. I'll wait until Anderson covers it.

So, did you all like last night's AC360 as much as I did? Being a Hillary supporter, I obviously enjoyed the segment airing her interview with Wolf Blitzer. The part where Wolf asked her about Chelsea was especially moving. She clearly loves her daughter deeply and vice versa. I totally forgot how long Wolf Blitzer has known the Clintons. I believe he was White House correspondent during the Clinton administration. He has literally watched her grow up. Perhaps that is why he got the interview as opposed to Anderson or anyone else at CNN.

The images from China's earthquake were very disturbing. In particular, the one with the little girl who had just been rescued. You could see in the photo that she was crying and reading her lips, she was calling out for her 'mama". It broke my heart! What made it even more emotional is the fact that after thinking about it, you realize her mama may be gone. Her whole family could have been killed in the quake. How many more will die in the aftermath? Elderly men and women who need to take medication on a daily basis will succumb to their heart conditions or diabetes. Lack of clean water will also contribute to the worsening situation. They need our prayers and the aid organizations need our money. For a list of organizations, follow the link: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/china.myanmar.html

Finally, the scorn Anderson felt for the guy who was selling the Obama 08 T-shirts was palpable. The look on his face told it all. I'm not posting his name because honestly, I just don't remember it.

A few yummy screen caps from days gone by. May 1 to be exact. I couldn't decide which I liked better, so I posted both. Have a great evening.

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup

All Together Now, Sorry!!

Happy Friday all. Well, at least it started out that way. I was in a good mood after last night's AC360. Anderson's ay-yi-yi! was good for a giggle and a few smiles. Beat 360 was good, although I do miss his sound effects after reading the staff's caption. There is a grinch at CNN who insists on depleting the show of all the fun stuff! Who says a newscast has to be all serious? Sometimes the lighthearted stuff makes the sad and horrific stuff a little easier to swallow. You know, a spoonful of sugar and all that!

Well, a spoonful of sugar wouldn't be enough today. Try a whole truckload to make Carolyn Jessop's blog entry this afternoon easier to swallow. Anderson was shocked at that a pregnant woman would drink and use drugs. Maybe you can overlook that a little, being that maybe the baby doesn't feel real to her yet. I know that's reaching, but in Carolyn's story the baby is very real and it's heartbreaking to realize that someone could be that cruel to a baby. If you've got a strong stomach and want to read the whole entry, just follow the link: http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/05/02/children-of-polygamy-broken-bones-broken-spirits/
Beware warned; it is very, very disturbing to read. It's even worse than watching the babies being dropped onto the sheet!

It's amazing when you see the extremes of human behavior. I think Anderson said once that great adversity brings out the best in some people and the worst in others. Carolyn Jessop is an example of what is best; strength, courage, and love. I don't know how she was able to survive the conditions she was raised under or where she found the will and courage to escape. I suppose much of it comes with motherhood; there is no sacrifice too great or task too difficult when it comes to protecting your children. I hope someday I can find the same strength and love within myself to be a good mother to babies of my own.

Finally, I hope everyone who bad mouthed Anderson for being off, not doing the stories they wanted from NOLA, and everything else they were critical of, have apologized to him. He said last night at the beginning of the live blog that he was ill the day before. We all hope he is feeling better and will stay happy and healthy. Oh yeah, to the CNN make up people, stop putting that toxic stage make-up on his face! Yes, we watched Planet in Peril and we paid attention. We'll be looking for confirmation on Monday!

For a preview of tonight's AC360, check here: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/

Some screen caps from New Orleans and a big thank you for Anderson for taking the time to bring us the show from down there.

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Buster is Back!

Thanks for the nice comments on the blog yesterday. To be honest, I'm much more comfortable just posting screen caps than writing. I imagine Anderson reading the blog and then thinking to himself "idiot!" He is so intelligent that it makes you feel a bit inadequate and inferior. I appreciate the nice words though. It makes you feel good when you get compliments. Gosh, Anderson must feel ecstatic on a regular basis with all the compliments he gets. Deservedly so.

I really enjoyed AC360 last night. Do you find you appreciate the show so much more after he's been gone? Now that doesn't mean I want him to go away oftener. Anyway, it was good to see Buster again. I don't care if he's 101, 94, or 84, he's doing pretty darn good. I couldn't run a marathon and I'm no where near his age. My mom is in her 80's and she has trouble just walking. So God bless Buster no matter his age. I also get a kick out of the fact that he's smoking right before running and he still drinks beer. All the things that are supposed to be bad for you but he's still going strong in his senior years. Gotta luv him!

Speaking of age, with all due respect to Gary Tuchman, didn't your mom teach you it's not polite to ask a lady her age? I was chastising him throught the television for asking the polygamists women how old they were. I'm not surprised that they aren't being straightforward with the media. They are probably afraid of being chastised by the church leaders or even just their husbands if they spoke out. They'd probaby get beaten for talking or kicked out of the compound. That might not be a bad thing except, they wouldn't be able to take their children with them. I still think they should've taken the mothers as well as the children.

Enough yammering, here's the screen caps from last night. Enjoy!
screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Polygamy

It's starting out to be a good week. Anderson is back and the show was, as usual, remarkable. The polygamy story just pulls you in; the more you learn the more interesting it becomes. I started reading Carolyn Jessop's book last night. "Escape" is to say the least, a great read. It is hard to imagine living the way they did. It isn't just sexual abuse they have to put up with. Emotional and physical abuse were a way of life. She said her mother spanked her every day. She figured out that a morning spanking wasn't as bad as those given in the afternoon. So every morning she would do something to get a spanking; get it over with. Her sisters caught on and did the same thing. Now people don't approve of spanking at all, even on rare occasions. Can you imagine knowing you'll get one every day?

Did you catch Anderson's interview with Katherine? His skill was obvious. He knows how to ask the probing questions and still be respectful. I realized it is hard to believe someone is being upfront and honest when they refuse to look at you, or into the camera. It almost seemed like she was reading a teleprompter. At the very least she was very well aware that someone had their eye on her to make sure she stuck to the script. I guess you can't blame them for not being totally honest. I don't think they can speak freely without repercussions. The young mom, Monica, just broke your heart. It's hard to imagine how difficult it must be for them to see their children "interviewed" like they are. To see them emerge from the interview crying and upset is enough to break any mother's heart. I wonder if in attempting to save many children, many more children will be hurt. It is certainly a compelling and complicated situation.

Follow the link to check out today's Beat 360! It's a good one. Don't ya just love snowmen? http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/15/beat-360-41508/ I vote for Ed Freisthler's comment, the one about the icicles. hehehe!

Here are some caps from last night's show.
screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup

Anderson Blogged!!

It was a nice surprise yesterday to see a new blog from Anderson. I'm one of the few people left on the planet who still has a 19th century computer so I can't do the web cam thingy. It's probably better that way; the minute I'd see him talking to some pretty girl I would turn green with jealousy, get grumpy and sad, start to cry, and miss the rest of the program. How are the rest of you liking it?

I loved the pictures from the Genesis awards. I even like the ones where he isn't smiling; just standing there looking sexy. He looks to me like he's about to do something really naughty. It's another of those "come hither" looks.

Now on tonight's 360;
After battling cancer, 71-year-old John Mccain says he's healthy and ready to be commander in chief. Sanjay Gupta takes a closer look at Mccain's diagnosis of skin cancer and how he has been declared cancer free. Watch tonight at 10 ET.

I'm not sure I like this subject coming up so soon after Anderson's surgery. Just when I was convinced there was nothing to worry about! May have to start shipping him monthly supplies of anti-oxidants and spf moisturizer. To check out the blog if you missed it and all things 360, here's the link: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/

Be sure to check out today's Beat 360; there are some great captions! I especially got a kick out of the one girl from Canterbury; she wouldn't comment because "the tower of London is a bit too close"! I love the British ones 'cause we may get a lil bit of English accent from our Anderson. Love, love love!
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/01/beat-360°-4108/

AC360

This turned out to be a late blog today, had lots to do before AC360. I didn't even get to check the various blog postings today. Usually I read them all; so if I duplicate what someone else has said, forgive me. First off, I loved the program last night. Anderson was in a good mood and back to kidding around with Erica. He was so serious Tuesday night I was wondering if something was wrong. Sure the news is serious business, but not that night. The lights went out in Florida, and though it was probably a mighty annoying experience for Floridians, it's not like a plane crashed or anything. Needless to say, I'm glad things were a little more lighthearted last night. The Beat 360 was priceless; too bad AC didn't want to show off his biceps for us. But that's okay, we've already seen them. My theory is he's heard about all the fuss that's been made over the photo from New Orleans and he's probably making fun of us. Not ever had anyone make a fuss over my physique, I say "enjoy it Anderson, it's much better to have people praising your looks than making fun of them or making derogatory remarks about them. I've had that experience and I tell you, "it ain't fun!"

I really like that CNN brought Erica to New York; I wonder how Anderson likes having her in the studio with him. It may make the hour go much faster having someone there that you have a good rapport with, someone you're comfortable with. It's nice for the viewer as well, even if the news is depressing, the comments they make back and forth with each other make it seem more .... intimate? Not sure that's the right word but I think you get my drift. The remark about his haircut cracked me up. Personally, I like when he lets it grow. Sure maybe it's easier to take care of; but how would guys like if we girls sported buzz cuts so we wouldn't have to get out of bed an hour and half earlier to do our hair? Preferences aside, he looks seduisant no matter what length his hair or what he's wearing. Thanks Erica, you get a chance to say things the rest of us don't have the opportunity to say.

Now that the sartorial portion of the blog is a fait accompli, we get to the rest of the program. Politics is not my favorite subject. It might be okay if you don't have an opinion and have not chosen a candidate. However, once you've made your choice, it's discouraging listening to everyone knock your fave and discuss how soon they would pull out of the race. The talk of Hillary quitting if she doesn't win Texas or Ohio is really annoying. What about the remaining states you haven't had their primaries yet? Don't they count? Shouldn't they have the opportunity to speak and cast their ballots for the candidate of their choice? Hey, you guys have to pick someone different, the rest of us didn't like that one! Doesn't sound very democratic to me!

I don't know if Anderson would mention this story or not, but it broke my heart when I read it. A woman in India prematurely gave birth on a train. She passed out and the baby fell through the toilet and on to the railroad tracks. The newborn was found a few hours later and died in the hospital. As if I haven't cried enough this week, this event brought a new flood of tears. This poor woman's grief must be almost unbearable. May God bless her and help her through her pain.

Tonight we get treated to another 360 audition. Don't miss it! At least if you're tired of the political bickering, you'll have something else to look forward to in the program. My Mom always used to say, never discuss religion or politics. Now I know why, you're not going to change anyone's mind and it always ends up with someone yelling.

Have a great night!

PS Let me know what you think of the screen caps....too big? too many? not enough? I'll post them whenever I can get them.

Michael Ware is Back

Raw Politics - McCain's Must
John McCain says he will win or lose this election based on Iraq... He needs to convince voters there has been progress in Iraq. Can he do it? Tom Foreman gives us a progress report... and Michael Ware is live from Baghdad. Tonight, 10 ET.

I must say I loved the show last night, lots of smiles and giggles and that little 4 year old singing "Hey Jude" was the cutest little thing. It makes you want to go out and have a dozen kids. If he really knows 40 Beatles' tunes, he must have been listening to their music in utero.

The piece about the solar panels and the redwoods (sounds like a children's book), was puzzling to me. If the trees grew enough to shade the neighbor's house, wouldn't the shade keep the house cooler and therefore, he wouldn't need as much power to cool the house? I need someone to explain that to me. As usual with local laws, they follow them to the letter and all common sense goes out the window. One good thing, at least we're starting to hear a little about solar power.

Since I didn't have a chance to blog yesterday, I will put up some screen caps from Anderson's report on 60 Minutes. Check back later tonight. Sorry for the delay, but it will be worth the wait I'm sure.

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup