Hope you are all enjoying your President's Day holiday, whether you spend it hitting the sales or relaxing at home. I'm watching Black Hills Gold; one of my guilty pleasures!

No blog from Anderson so far, but they did post a new Beat 360, guess they didn't get the day off. Sorry guys! Anyway, check it out. It looks like a good one!http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/18/beat-360°-21808/

Also, check out http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/18/have-an-awesome-presidents-day/

Tonight on 360, a new study shows that superdelegates have received almost $1 million in contributions from Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. It's legal, but is it right? We're Keeping Them Honest.Watch 360° tonight 10 ET http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/

Great Danes, Happy Danes!

This evening I did something very out of character for me; I watched 60 Minutes. Of course, it's not the first time. I watch religiously when Anderson has a report airing. Tonight, however, I was at loose ends and decided to turn it on and see if he was on or not. Usually you hear ahead of time when Anderson is on, but I hadn't heard anything and wanted to make sure. So I turn it on and pay very little attention to the first story. It's about some drug that should have been taken off the market. Frankly, I don't know if they ever did take it off. It was just background noise as I checked my email and a couple of blogs.
The second report for some reason captured my attention. It was about Denmark having the happiest people of any other country. Apparently the Swedes on one side are healthier and the Norwegians are richer. However, the Danes are happier, or as the one young man put it, more contented. It seems they don't have high expectations so they aren't disappointed. They do pay more taxes than we do, but the average work week is 37 hours, college is free, and the young man was getting paid to not work. He was on paternity leave. Yes, the Danes are paid to stay home for 6 months and care for their newborn babies. I guess you could say they aren't driven, type A personalities, or workaholics; but they are content and find joy in family and friends and the simple things.
I don't remember the reporter (I know, if it was Anderson I wouldn't have forgotten),anyway, he seemed surprised at Denmark being a great place to live saying it certainly couldn't be because of the weather. I think his words were "the weather is only so-so". It didn't seem too bad to me. People were on the streets wrapped in warm coats with fur collars. It sort of reminded me of the Christmas song "Silver Bells", children laughing, people passing, meeting smile after smile. And above all the bustle ......, well, you get the idea. The shot of people ice skating, laughing and holding hands showed that you don't need warm temperatures and scorching sunshine to enjoy yourself.
In fact, sometimes it's more fun when it's cold. You have a good excuse to get close and stay warm! My reasoning is, when it's cold you can always put more on to get warm, but there is only so much you can take off!

To learn more about the study and the various hypotheses as to why Denmark finds itself on top of the happiness heap, read the full story on http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/14/60minutes/main3833797.shtml

screen cap courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

AC in NOLA

Here is a screencap of AC from his Live 360 broadcast from NOLA. Gosh I wonder if he got tickets to the NBA all-star game since he was in town? Our AC isn't much of a sports fan, but perhaps he was able to attend the game anyhow.

If you did not see it on Thursday evening, you missed a very good editon of 360. Ac did a special on the homeless situation in post-Katrina NOLA as well as a story on the recall of the poisoned FEMA trailers in which so many still live.

I live on the Gulf Coast, and I know what hurricanes can do to a community. Thank goodness that the area I call home was spared the wrath of " Katrina" but we did get hit hard by two other major storms in less than 12 months.

Thanks, AC, for continuing to care about the greater Gulf Coast recovery efforts!

Martian Child

Oh my goodness! This movie was just adorable! The little boy that played the 'martian child' is super cute I just want to take him home with me!! His name is Bobby Coleman by the way.

John Cusack was amazing as always and the entire cast was supurb! I highly recommend this movie to everyone! It's sweet, funny, and has an amazing message! Here is a brief synopsis of the movie, brief being the key word, dont want to include any spoilers :)

A science-fiction writer, recently widowed, considers whether to adopt a hyper-imaginative 6-year-old abandoned and socially rejected boy who says he's really from Mars.

Picture of the Week 2/17/08

screen cap courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!


I'm sorry the picture is a little blurry; the original was clear. I don't know why it transfers to the blog this way. If anyone knows why, clue me in. It's such a gorgeous picture, it's a shame it doesn't show up as clear as the original.

AC in Kevlar!

One of my Myspace friends sent me this pic and I HAD to share with you all. It is nice to know that AC wears his protective vest sometimes. The last time I saw him broadcasting from the Middle East he did not wear his Kevlar vest at all. In my opinion not many reporters can make Kevlar look hott, but Ac can! Comments?

No Reservations

Well folks, I didn't really know what to expect from this movie. I will say that Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart did a great job! It was a sweet movie, every cast member was great, and it was definately a movie to get under the covers and just relax (plus the thunder and rain here helped alot lol) I would definately recommend this movie to all of you! However, I will warn you not to watch this movie if you're hungry, because the food looks delicious in this film! :)

Speaking of No Reservations....does anyone here like to watch Anthony Bourdain's tv show on the Travel Channel?! Well I sure do! I think he's amazing! He really tells you how it is, and I think he can be down right hilarious! I was scanning through his book today and work and it looks like a great read. So if you haven't checked out his show, look it up on the net or your local channel guide and give him a chance! Let me know what you all think :)

Dreading Fridays

I hope you all had a good Friday. It may sound strange, but I am starting to dread Fridays. For three consecutive weeks now, something upsetting, bad, or annoying has happened. The first day you may remember since I blogged about it that night; my mom's cousin fell and broke her hip. Last week, I smacked my car's passenger side mirror into the side of the garage and shattered the glass. I know, I'm a total idiot. I certainly felt like one anyway. Now this week, my Friday disaster involves the garage door once again. Today when I got home, I clicked the remote as usual, but nothing happened. With a driveway full of snow and ice, I had to get out of the car and go investigate. Usually when this happens, you can stand by the door and pull up on it after clicking the opener button and it will open. Not today. After going through the house and further investigation from inside the garage, I discovered that the cable jumped the track. So my poor baby car is stuck outside overnight tonight until I can get a hold of a garage door opener repair man. My poor baby has never spent a night out in the cold!

I see a pattern here, maybe next Friday I'll stay in bed until it's time for AC360 to come on. Speaking of AC360, since the blog is quiet today I've spent the last few hours spending money shopping on the Q. Yeah, you heard me right, I'm blaming it on them. A girl has got to have some fun and blame it on somebody! I look at it this way, the dollar is sinking in value like a lead balloon. Buying jewelry is an investment. It lasts forever. That's a convincing argument, isn't it?

Now, in case you didn't get enough sweets for Valentine's Day, here are some sweets for your eyes to feast on.

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Erica Hill?

I have not yet seen AC and Erica co-ancor 360. Any thoughts or comments?

( I have been away from home and missed Erica's debut last evening on 360)

Since I have not seen it yet with Erica co-anchoring, I have no opinion of her as co-anchor at this time.

Disclaimer:

I just wanted to add a little post to say that all images have either been sent to me, or found on various websites such as photobucket. We here at Andernation claim no ownership to any material. We thank all of you who return to this blog to appreciate Mr. Cooper's work and all around greatness!

Happy Valentine's Day

Special: The Next Four Years

The 360 special that will be aired at 11:00PM Monday night was also shown last week. It was aired at 11 PM the night John King stood in for Anderson. The discussion between Anderson, David Gergen, and Fareed Zakaria outlined the problems our next president will inherit and how they might be handled.


The discussion on global warming, like the entire report was quite interesting. Anderson mentioned that "what some scientists are talking about is a major societal shift in terms of shutting down all coal plants: not only in the United States but also in China. That doesn't seem realistic."

David Gergen agreed, saying, "That's not going to happen." It surprised me that solar energy never came up in the discussion. Not only was it not discussed here, but I don't remember hearing it mentioned by any candidates. It doesn't appear that it is discussed as a possible solution, or at least a helpful step in solving or improving our energy crisis.


The few occasions where I've heard it talked about, it sounds like a sound solution. I don't think we're going to run out anytime soon. If it did, it probably wouldn't matter because we probably wouldn't survive without it. In an interview with a homeowner in California who had solar panels on his home, he stated that the panels produced more electricity than he could use. I don't remember how they settled on the excess: either the electric company paid him for it or they used it without compensating him for it. The one drawback was that it was expensive to install the solar panels. However, coal isn't exactly cheap and the cost of carbon dioxide emissions can't be ignored either. Maybe if it was used more, the cost of the panels would decrease.

The other instance I recall is a manufacturer of vitamins in Henderson, Nevada, ProCaps Labs. Its roof and adjacent parking structure house one of the largest private solar energy installations in the world. This natural source of energy is used to produce all ProCaps products; ProCaps is the only vitamin manufacturing facility in the world to do this. Just the energy produced from the parking structure runs one of the 250,000-square-foot vitamin manufacturing facilities. www.procapslabs.com (to learn more,go to the bottom right corner of the home page.

Even if those of us in the eastern part of the US, who don't have an abundance of sunlight this time of year can't produce similar results, doesn't every bit count? Wouldn't the sunny states of Nevada and California be able to run entirely on solar power? After all, no matter how many pristine places we trash with oil wells or even if the Mideast gave us all the oil they have, it is a finite resource. It's not going to last forever no matter what. And who knows, maybe we'll have enough oil left so our great grandchildren and beyond won't have this problem to contend with.

I would hope 360 will do some reporting on this subject and get the candidates to join in the discussion.

Stay tuned after AC 360 and catch this report. It is definitely worth watching. To watch a clip, click here http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Picture of the Week

This week's picture is from Anderson's 60 Minutes report "Awakenings". There are a few really gorgeous images from this report but they are too big to fit here.
Enjoy!

screen cap courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Movie Review: Across the Universe

WOW...what can I say about this movie!! It's amazing! Definately one of the best musicals out there! After finishing this movie I was speechless! The cast is spectacular! And the music is amazing...I mean let's be honest you can't go wrong with music by the Beatles!!

The film is very creative and done in a very well artistic way! The music and film convey a message in sync with one another in a fun, imaginative way that one will definately enjoy! The chemistry between each cast member is strong and definately shows throughout each and every frame.

I highly recommend this film to everyone, and also recommend the soundtrack in which I actually jam out to in the car and around the house (along with Sweeney Todd and Hairspray hehe)

Specials & Live Blogging

On Monday Anderson will host a special" The Next Four Years" immediately following the regular 360 broadcast. Check it out! I am sure there will be some good dialog between AC and his guests.


So have y'alll been live-blogging? I cannot, as my PC is in another room. But Ac wrote in last night's live blog that he is enjoying this live-blogging experiment. Haha, the first night the system crashed( apparently) and there were some crackpots pretending to be the Coop.

AC also is planning to broadcast AC 360 live from NOLA later next week. Check your local listings.

So how did you like the live blogging last night? Pretty much everyone seemed really excited about it.

Anderson hasn't blogged today, but there is an entry from Erica. I don't envy her all that packing. Here is the link if you want to check out what she's up to: http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/07/what-if-its-still-a-race-when-its-convention-time-2/#comments

Okay, so that's my punishment for only reading Anderson's blog post. I just heard that John King informed us at the end of his blog post that he will be filling in for Anderson tonight. I hope Anderson is home resting and taking care of his cold. We all noticed he was a bit hoarse, but No Anderson, it was not annoying listening to you!" I think we all comment on it because we want him to know we notice and that we care about him. Here's hoping we gets well quickly and very soon we'll have these dimples and sweet smile back to make our day.





screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

For One Brief Shining Moment

During this primary season which seems to be going on forever, the presidency and presidents are on our minds. Usually when you think of a president, issues and leadership are at the top of the list. Romance? Not so much. However, watching the Q at 5:00 AM the other night,(yeah, yeah, I'm a night owl) surprisingly romance entered into it. Now I'm not talking about falling in love with a candidate like Anderson blogged about a while back. I'm talking about a president being romantic.

Now for those of you who don't know, the Q is a shopping channel; QVC to be exact. They were showing a line of jewelry called "Jacqueline Kennedy Reproductions". Obviously, they are copies of her jewelry. Even if you don't buy anything *snickers*, the show is interesting because of the history. A gentleman named Philip Katz, a Kennedy historian, gives the background story on each piece. This is where the romance comes in. Many of the original pieces that they've chosen to reproduce were gifts to Jackie from her husband, President Kennedy.

One thing I've learned from watching is that the man was a keeper. He seemed to remember the importance of special occasions and celebrated them with a gift of jewelry. Yes, the man knows the how to warm a woman's heart, well, one way. Anyway, one gift in particular was a gift he gave her whe she gave birth to John Jr. You remember him? handsome, sexy hunk? People magazine's sexiest man alive? more than once I believe; yeah, him. The president gave Jackie a brooch to commemorate the event. It was two strawberries, one a bit larger to represent her firstborn, daughter Caroline. The second, slightly smaller, represented her newborn son. Awww, that is so sweet! There are many more charming anecdotes like this, each one quite sentimental in my opinion.

The one anecdote that made me admire John F. Kennedy more than ever, was the one where Mr Katz mentioned that President Kennedy never took a salary while in office. As the story goes, Jackie saw some jewelry from an estate sale in a Madison Avenue Boutique. She fell in love with it and decided she had to have it. When she told her husband about it he said there was no way they could afford it. After all, he wasn't receiving a salary. Jackie was adamant that she had to have it and asked him if he couldn't take a salary for just a month or two to pay for the jewelry. He said of course he couldn't; naturally! You can't say you aren't going to take a salary and then not go through with it. He meant to stick to it.

Determined to the end, Jackie took the jewelry Joe and Rose Kennedy (JFK's parents) gave her for a wedding present and had copies made. She then took the originals, the real stuff, sold it, and used the proceeds to buy the estate jewelry. Apparently, no one knew about any of this until years later, maybe even not until after her death. It just goes to show, if a woman wants something she will get it.

But darn it all, after remembering this whole remarkable story, do you think I can remember what that jewelry looked like? No! And believe me, the curiosity is killing me now.

The point of all this and what I most admire, is the president not taking his salary. Do you think any of the candidates running now would follow his lead? Do you see President Bush who is from a relatively wealthy family as well would do it? Wouldn't it be nice if some of these enchanting qualities of the family of the Camelot administration would rub off on the leaders of the modern era?

Well, we can dream, can't we?

Speaking of being a keeper -

screen cap courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Anderson Blogs!

Usually I try to post as soon as I see that Anderson has blogged. Unfortunately, today it didn't work out that way. To learn about tonight's AC360, get it straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak. http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/02/04/andersons-view-super-bowl-of-politics/#comments

Since I'm not much of a sports fan anymore, I didn't watch the Super Bowl yesterday. True, at one time I watched. Even though I wasn't a sports fan, to me it was a holiday. Along with New Year's Eve, Wimdbledon, the Kentucky Derby, and the Preakness, it was an event and you were supposed to celebrate. In my house, that meant watching the event with chips and dip or similar munchies. At one point, the pro team nearest my home played in the Super Bowl and I got hooked on football. It lasted a number of years, but eventually the embers of fandom burned out when no sooner I learned the names of the players they were already traded to another team. It just isn't the same anymore. There is no loyalty. However, I still watch the Kentucky Derby; if nothing else, I can enjoy the hats!

By now you're probably asking, "why are we listening to all this yammering and what do we get out of it"? So here's your reward, a couple of yummy Anderpictures from Friday's program. I would've included more, but by the time my computer downloaded them it would be next Friday.

Enjoy!

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Yet another Anderpic

Yeah I am gonna get all fangirly here, but LOOK AT THIS PIC. Haha. He has such a " dennis the Menace" ambiance aboput him in this shot. And I mean that as a complement.

Did you all catch our Ac guest hosting on Regis and Kelly Friday? Whats up with the cooking lesson? Too funny.

Picture of the Week

Hope you all are having a good Sunday and good luck to all of you who are watching your favorite team in the Super Bowl.
Sorry for the late posting of the picture of the week, but I was a bit under the weather last night. I'm sure the sweet smile will make up for it. As they say "better late than never"!

Enjoy!

Picture from Politico.com

Valentine's Day Video

Happy February! So since Valentine's day will be here before we know it, or want it to be, I thought I'd be a little "festive" and made a Valentine's Day Video. Sorry it turned out a little blurry, I dont know why that happened.

There is still time to vote for...

Just a friendly reminder, we have kept the 2007 Ander-pic of the year poll up and running for a couple of more weeks. You can find it HERE

What a Night!!

Warning to all: I'm in a horrid mood tonight. It hasn't been a pleasant evening by any stretch of the imagination. I went out to do some grocery shopping and stop at the library and I came home the back way. I like the back way much better than using the four lane. There's much less traffic, well, none at all really. The road is lined by trees on both sides which I also like. When I get into town I zig zag along the side streets and from the one intersection I pass by where my mom's cousin lives. There's something to be said for driving along side streets and passing by peoples' homes. The lights can be seen through the windows and it seems kind of cozy and warm somehow. Some people have lots of lights on and it's really bright while others are nearly dark, dimly lit by the reflectin of the television screen. My mom's cousin is of the latter group. Very rarely is there a bright light, just the light of the TV. However, tonight the house was totally dark. For some reason it bothered so I picked up my cell phone and called Mom. I asked her to call and make sure everything was okay, since no one answered when I knocked on the front door.

I got home and Mom said she never got an answer. We tried twice more, letting the phone ring so long that the telephone company automatically disconnected us. That's a long time. We were both fighting off fear. If she had decided to go to bed early, the phone ringing that long would have awakened her. Besides, even at 89 years of age she doesn't go to bed at 8:00 PM!

After the unsuccessful attempts to reach her, I decided to be brave and go back to her house armed with a flashlight and try the back door. Did you ever notice flashlights always seem really bright when you test them, but in the dark of night, not so much? Being the chicken little that I am, my heart was in my throat as I walked around the side of the house to the back. I almost turned around and went back home when I reached the back. I flashed the dim light around the yard, hoping I wouldn't see her lying on the lawn somewhere. Luckily, the lawn was bare. I sucked it up and made myself go to the back door. The screen door was unlocked as was the inside door. I wasn't sure if this was good news or bad. I opened the door and repeatedly called her name, hoping to hear her voice come back at me. At the same time, I was hoping I wouldn't scare the daylights out of her!

The house was dark and quiet. I found the light switch and turned the kitchen light on and then worked my way to the living room and the hallway, turning on lights as I went. I called Mom for moral support and to ask what to do. I know, I know, stupid question. I knew what to do, I just didn't want to do it. Holding my breath I checked the downstairs bedroom, empty. *sigh* Then I checked the other bedroom, also empty. Another sigh of relief. I asked Mom if I should check the basement since the door was slightly ajar, or should I call her son. I had found his cell phone number when I was in the living room and checked her phone table. She had a list of phone numbers by the phone. Thankfully, Mom told me what I wanted to hear. Call her son!

As it turns out, there is a happy ending and a sad one to this evening of suspense. The happy ending is that it wasn't as bad as my worst fear. The sad ending, something was wrong after all. She had gone outside (it was sunny after all) and had fallen in the yard. A neighbor heard her calling for help and called an ambulance. We won't know what is broken if anything or what the prognosis is until tomorrow. But that's better than my worst fear.

I know this was a long winded account for "I had a scare tonight!" However, it helped to unload. Hopefully, Anderson won't have Friday night off and he will be on 360 tomorrow night.

Sweet dreams to all and a happy Friday!

Picture of the Month Poll

AnderPicture of the Month
	January 6
	January 13
	January 20
	January 27
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Jan 6



Jan 13


Jan 20


Jan 27

Florida Primary

I know it's late, but I kept putting off blogging in case Anderson decided to blog. I took some time today to go back and read some of the older blog posts, but since they revamped the blog, I couldn't find them. Oh well. I guess if I really, really like one I'll have to save it to my filing cabinet. Has anyone else had trouble navigating the new blog? I was having a heck of a time today, but that's okay. As long as we get a blog every day or so from Anderson I'll be happy.

The Florida primary coverage was okay. I'm not particularly a political junkie so I don't get as excited over these races as some others. One thing I've noticed about politics when scanning the 360 blog, is that you can't please everyone. Some don't like the coverage of Hillary; they feel the contributors (Gloria Borger, Bill Bennett, Amy Holmes etc) are being overly critical of her in favor of Obama. It seems to me Anderson goes out of his way to be fair, but sometimes his guests don't follow the same rules.

I'm surprised more women aren't fighting for Hillary. There are so many instances where women's rights are trod upon. The first situation that comes to mind is health insurance coverage for birth control pills. I don't understand why they can cover Viagra but not the pill. In other words, you can pay to help the man have sex, but not help the woman prevent the pregnancy. No one seems to mention or care that the birth control pill is used for more than just preventing pregnancy and as such, should be covered like any other prescription. I think it would also cut down on the number of abortions. No one likes the idea of aborting and it seems a far better solution to prevent the pregnancy in the first place. I don't think any woman would rather end her pregnancy instead of preventing it. Prevention is less invasive,not as risky, not as expensive, and you are not destroying anything. It is simply preventing a process. You don't need time off from work, you don't have to travel, and you avoid the emotional trauma of an abortion. Maybe a woman president would give more consideration to these types of issues. Funny, no one ever talks about the specifics of this issue. They just argue - pro-choice vs pro-life. Don't even get me started on the labels! Talk about spin!

Now I'll stop my yammering and post some eye candy. To be honest, I never intended to yammer in the first place.

Have a great night

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

This picture is from last night's AC360.

Anderson in LA

Looks like Anderson had a really busy day; up at 5:00AM and on his way to Los Angeles. As soon as I got home from a trip to the UPS to return excess Christmas presents, I immediately signed on to check the blog. Anderson blogged about his trip, the State of the Union tonight, and preparations for the debate on Wednesday. The blog has a new look, although it still won't make coffee! Check it out here: http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/01/28/39/

Have a great night.

Screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup


Doesn't it make you wonder what he's thinking?

Picture of the Week 1/27/08

Screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Reading the blog yesterday gave me quite a few things to think about. Loss is complicated, whether it's a family member, lover, pet, close friend or other. "OTHER"? you're probably thinking. Yes, other. Have you ever watched a movie or tv program and when the character dies you find yourself crying? How about a celebrity? I'm sure there are many out there you are hurting and desperately sad after hearing of Heath Ledger's passing. I know, I know, we're not supposed to think of people we see on television or on the movie screen that way. "You don't have a relationship with them!" Yes, we've heard that one many times before. And yes, we know we don't have a relationship with them, and we know that. Really! We do know that! However, for some strange reason, we feel something. It may not be a relationship, but they are strong feelings nonetheless.

For me, Heath Ledger didn't invoke really strong feelings or a sense of deep loss. However, other people have. When Johnny Carson died, I cried. I felt sad for days and those tears and feelings come back every time I see an infomercial where they are selling his DVD's. Why? Darn if I know. But the feelings are there. Maybe it's the many nights when I should have been sleeping because it was a school night, but I was up watching the Tonight Show and laughing my head off. Even if I couldn't stay up for the entire program, I always made sure I caught the monologue. I would laugh out loud and totally annoy my parents who had gone to bed. You could've taken bets on which parent would barge into the TV room and tell me to turn that things done and be quiet! Then they would close the door to the room and go back to bed. It happened every night. I'm sure my dad was thrilled listening to me cackle when he had to get up at 7:00 to go to work and Mom had to get up at 6:00 AM to get his breakfast ready. Yes, I'm lucky, Mom is one of those old fashioned moms who was the first one up in the morning, got meals for her family, washed Daddy's glasses for him before he left for work, and waited on us all hand and foot. But I digress. Spending every night watching Johnny Carson for years must have carved out a special niche in my heart for him. Now that he's gone, I've noticed I don't laugh as often or as hard.

Characters can do the same thing to us. I always cry during the episode of Charmed when Prue dies and the one where Andy dies. Now don't confuse him with Anderson, don't even think about it. That Andy isn't allowed to...well, you know. Hear that God? Anyway, I've seen those episodes dozens of times, I know what's going to happen from the first scene of the program and the exact moment it's going to happen. But it still makes me sad and the tears always flow. Mom has mentioned to me that I cry more for people on TV that for my own family. I don't know for sure if it's true or not. Maybe it's just easier to cry for TV characters, you don't feel as self-conscious. I didn't grow up crying easily. I wasn't the one who turned on the waterworks to get her way or get attention. So my tears are usually private, 2:30 AM cuddled under my blanket in bed, my face buried in my pillow. Maybe it doesn't matter who we cry for or why. Maybe when we cry for people we don't really know, maybe we are also crying for all the loved ones we've lost and held in the tears. Perhaps what is important is that the emotions are there and crying lets them out. Maybe that's all that matters.

One thing to remember is to always count your blessings. If you happen to have someone to hold you when you cry, then you definitely have some blessings to count and your are indeed a lucky person after all.

Now to leave you on a happy note, here's a screen cap of a very cheerful, happy Anderson. Enjoy!

Wow...so many emotions being stirred back up again...

Well with the tragic news of Heath Ledger's death, alot of old emotions have been stirred up for me personaly. It's times like this that I find myself thinking about my grandparents, my friend, and my beloved dog Domino. As many of you know I've lost all my grandparents, a good friend, and my dog passed away December 9th, 2007.

I do miss them all terribly, but know that they are in a better place. I know what it's like to lose someone extremely close, as well as to have so many questions and not knowing what happened. I just want to extend my condolences to the Ledger family, but also to the multitude of people that have lost someone close to them recently. Death is just another part of life that we all must deal with sooner or later, and I honestly think it does make us stronger.

If it wasn't for my grandparents, at the time of their deaths I wouldn't be in the position I am today and wanting to go into the field of forensics. It is because of them, and going through the rough time that I am able to be strong, and accept death in order to help the survivors of the victim. I can't wait until I'm in the field and am able to relate to the people I will come in contact with in the future. So even after death, our loved ones can still shape us, and teach us valuable life lessons.

Erica Hill Cometh!

Just a quick reminder today about Beat 360 and Erica's blog post, then I'm off to run errands. This will be Erica's last day on Prime News and then she heads to New York to join AC 360. She blogged today about her move. Here's the link: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2008/01/erica-hill-cometh.html

Beat 360 had me doubled over with laughter again today! Okay, I am exxagerating a little. Thank you Anderson for this new feature, I love it! Check it out for yourself and if you're the witty sort, send in your own caption. The picture is priceless and I wanted to put it up here b ut I wasn't sure if it was legal so hope over there and have a look yourself. Beat 360 link: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2008/01/beat-360_25.html

P.S. I just watched the end of Prime News and it was so sweet! Erica had me in tears, not unlike herself. I'm really not a news person so I've never watched Prime News before. I tuned in today out of curiosity, knowing it was her last day. It was touching and moving and I hope she is at home and comfortable at 360 as she was in Atlanta. Bonus, her sweet baby will have some snow to play in, at least once in a while anyway. Oh, and let's not forget grandparents in driving distance. That's always a good thing!

Enjoy the show tonight!

Beat 360

Anderson blogged again today and announced that they won't be covering the death of Heath Ledger until there is something new to report. I think it's a wise decision since there is nothing worse than people speculating so they have something to report.

Here's the link to the blog: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2008/01/andersons-view-heath-ledger-coverage.html

For those of you who are in need of a little chuckle, check out Beat 360. It's always interesting and amusing, but today it's exceptional. It had me laughing my head off. Be sure to check it out as well. http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2008/01/beat-360_24.html
Enjoy the program!

In honor of the snowfall we had today, here's a snowy pic of Anderson.
Screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

Wednesday Blues

Did you ever have one of those days when you just didn't feel like getting out of bed? You just want to curl up un the electric blanket and grandma's quilt and bury your head in your pillow. Well, today was one of those days. There was nothing in particular wrong, at least nothing that I could put my finger on. Then finally I managed to drag myself out of bed; you don't want to know what time it was!!! I turned on the computer hoping to find something that would cheer me up. I checked the 360 blog, no Anderson; I checked my email and naturally no one had written me. Of course, it was probably because I hadn't written to anyone. I finally decided to widen my horizons and stretch my wings and break with tradition, I would read a blog not written by Anderson. Believe me, that's a rarity. BIG MISTAKE!! BIG! HUGE! It made me mad; they criticized one of my favorite people. Considering the fact that the premise of the blog was the same as his report on 360, I should've known I wouldn't like it. So much for branching out. So in conclusion, when you come across a day like this, there's only one thing to do besides shop, you post some pictures and hope it not only brightens your day, but hopefully will also brighten others.

Some lighthearted moments from AC360. Enjoy the stroll down memory lane!

IRATE AT CNN.....

and any other news stations that may have done this as well. I was on the cnn website and noticed under the video footage that they have posted footage of Heath Ledger's body being carried out in a body bag from the NYC apartment!! AGH! I don't even know what to say. As if it wasn't enough for the razzi and gawkers to be stationed outside the apartment flashing cameras at the scene, let's put it on the internet! What purpose does this really hold?! NONE, just another way to allow people to be fascinated with the death of a celebrity; people you have to remember he IS still someone's father, brother, son, and friend, but most of all he was a human being! HAVE SOME RESPECT!

Heath Ledger Tribute part 2

My tribute video for Heath.

Heath Ledger Tribute

Already something of an established actor in his native Australia, Heath Ledger first came to the attention of American audiences in 1999 with his winning turn in the teen comedy 10 Things I Hate About You. Playing the rebellious Patrick Verona in the update of The Taming of the Shrew, Ledger managed to arouse many an adolescent hormone with his thorny, charismatic performance.

Born in Perth, Western Australia on April 4, 1979, Ledger first became interested in acting while attending the all-boys Guilford Grammar School. He began his career performing onstage with the Guildford Theatre Company and was soon appearing in substantial roles on Australian television shows. The 1996 series Sweat featured him as a gay cyclist, while the following year's Roar cast him as a medieval Celtic prince--and also won him the beginnings of a fan base. After moving across the Pacific to Los Angeles, Ledger landed his lead role in 10 Things I Hate About You opposite Julia Stiles in 1999. The movie proved to be a summer hit, and it succeeded in introducing Ledger to a legion of new fans.

That same year, he starred in Two Hands, an Australian action comedy that cast him as a Sydney teenager who finds himself in debt to an underworld kingpin, played by Bryan Brown. The film premiered at that year's Sundance Film Festival. Following a prominant role in Roland Emmerich's The Patriot (2000), Ledger brought Excalibur sensabilities into the new millenium with A Knight's Tale (2001). With its tradition shattering blend of modern slang and music balanced with the classic tale of jousting mayhem, A Knight's Tale served as an exciting star vehicle for the popular young actor. The young actor also garnered a fair amount of praise for his supporting role as a deeply depressed prison employee in the Oscar-winning film Monsters Ball (2001).

Though the film did not fare well critically or otherwise, Ledger nonetheless proved himself a versatile actor in The Four Feathers (2002), in which he starred as a cowardly officer-in-training who resigns from the British Army shortly before being shipped off to Sudan. In the same vein, though The Order (2003) was shunned by critics, Ledger was praised for his intense performance as a tortured, knowledge-seeking priest. Australia's Ned Kelly (2003) features a then 24-year-old Heath in the title role of sixteen-year-old outlaw Ned Kelly, and places him among a skilled cast including Six Feet Under star and fellow Australian Rachel Griffiths, the Oscar-winning Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom, and Naomi Watts. (fandango.com)

Well, all I can say is that I am shocked! I couldn't believe it when I read the headline on the tv! Heath Ledger was such an amazing actor, and had such a great career and definately a bright future! My condolences go out to all of Heath's family and friends, during this time of grief and questions. According to news stations, the scene looks like a possible drug overdose, but nothing can be confirmed at this time. A toxicology report will determine the COD and should clarify any speculation surrounding this sad, tragic, unexpected death.

Erica Hill on 360

Anderson blogged today and it is now official, Erica Hill is coming to AC 360 full time. She will be starting Friday, February 1, based in New York. Here is the official press release, http://www.turnerinfo.com/newsitem.aspx?P=CNN&CID01=11c63a8d-b08d-4a39-8344-98481a6a6886

It sounds like she will be a contributing reporter along with Gary Tuchman, Randi Kaye, David Mattingly, and Tom Foreman. Sorry if I forgot anyone. I wonder if she will still do the news bulletins?

Don't forget to check out the blog and the Beat 360. http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/

wow

Anderson from his MOLE days. All I can say again is WOW.

I wish I got Fox Reality Channel on my Cable.

Anderson Blogged

Be sure to check out Anderson's blog, it's interesting as always, just click on the link below:

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2008/01/andersons-view-working-weekends.html

Happy Monday

First off, thanks for the welcome back. If I get yummy pics like that, I may be tempted to disappear a little more.

For those of you who had the day off for Martin Luther King Day, I hope you enjoyed your day. As for me, I'm getting myself in trouble watching Nolan Miller Jewelry. Thankfully, Anderson will be on soon and watching Anderson is even better than shopping. Less expensive too!

At 8p ET, Joe Johns co-moderates the CNN/Congressional Black Caucus debate with the top three Democratic candidates. Right after, Anderson anchors 360, deconstructing what just happened, with John King, Candy Crowley, Mark Halperin, Carl Jeffers and Erica Hill. Then, at 11p ET, Anderson and Soledad O'Brien anchor a special edition of AC360: Race & Politics: America Votes 2008, with Joe, Candy, Gary Tuchman, Amy Holmes and Roland S. Martin. Randi explores race and gender.

Yay, that sounds like we're back to two hours live! Temporarily at least.

And don't forget to check out the new Beat 360; tonight's version is web only. I love this new segment. After all the sad and serious news of the day, we need something to make us laugh. I'm not talented enough to send in suggestions, but I get a good laugh reading everyone else's. Thanks Anderson for this new feature.



Well, back to shopping. I'll leave you with a little
Andereyecandy.

screen caps courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!

MLK special tomorrow

Just a reminder, watch Anderson and Soldad with their special edition of 360 tomorrow night( Monday) following the Democratic debate.

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back....

Just wanted to welcome Chris back to the blog!! I've definately have missed your posts!!!!

Picture of the Week 1/20/08

Screen cap courtesy of Sahira, merci beaucoup!


After about six months without a computer I am so glad to be back. You think you know how addicted you are to your computer, but you don't really know until you are without one for such a long time. There were times I thought I was over it and didn't miss it at all. Then something would happen that I'd want to share with someone or want to comment on a story or a particularly great moment of 360, and then I'd remember - no computer! Thank goodness that's over.

Forgive the small screen cap. Although I am back online, my computer has only the basics on it. So until I get another copy of screen capture, the caps will be on the small side.

A final note, we were in for a surprise treat this Saturday night. I was channel surfing and caught Anderson covering the Nevada caucus and Republican South Carolina primary. It seems we will have a similar treat next Saturday.

Happy Sunday to all!

Picture of the Week 01/13/2008

Coop to report this Sunday!

He will have another report from Africa on 60 Minutes on Sunday. It is a special on women in Africa.

AC Live from NH

He will be LIVE from New Hampshire tonight, in preparation for tomorrow's primary race. Can he get some honest answers from the candidates? Stay tuned......with 2008 being a Presidential election year I am sure we will see much " Raw Politics" from AC 360.

Picture of the week 01/06/08

FINALLY...SOME NEW ANDERCONS!!!!

MULTI-FANDOM ICONS
Ralph Fiennes (1-4)
Alan Rickman (5-8)
Anderson Cooper (9-20)
Johnny Depp (21-27)
Sweeney Todd (28-34)

Comments are loved, credit is appreciated, blanks are not bases, but most of all hope you enjoy them

1.2.3.

4.5.6.

7.8.9.

101112

131415

161718

192021

222324

252627

282930

313233

34