Let’s get ON with it!!

Today’s Buzz ...
I’m not going to comment too extensively on last night’s program, not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because there’s this little voice screaming in my head “Let’s get ON with it!!”.

So with that said – I always enjoy the discussions with and analysis from Candy Crowley, John King, David Gergen and Gloria Borger. BTW – Gloria is still part of the weekend edition of “The Chris Matthews Show” – if you’d like to see Chris in a less “blustery” frame of mind, this is the show to watch. He has a panel of four rotating journalists as guests and the discussions and analysis are top notch (IMO).





I liked Tom Foreman’s “tour” of some of the actual venues where caucuses will be held tonight. It’s an interesting process, especially on the Democratic side, particularly since it holds such significance in what the overall political ‘landscape’ will look like on Friday morning!!



As for the “Jesus Factor”, I can’t imagine that it won’t have a significant effect tonight – and further down the road. Not in New Hampshire – but when the focus shifts to South Carolina and beyond, Mike Huckabee better have some kind of campaign structure in place if he intends to continue ‘appealing’ to evangelical voters.




Can Mike Huckabee be characterized as somewhat of an enigma yet? He takes time out of a very (very) close race in Iowa to fly to California and appear on the Tonight Show last night. Which created a bit of a ‘dust-up’ in Burbank, as he crossed the WGA picket lines in order to appear. I didn’t remember that apparently, he & Jay go back a few years. And if you watched and that’s all you had ever seen of Mike Huckabee, you’d come away saying “Gee – nice guy”. Which might mean you hadn’t been paying attention to his ‘flubs’ on foreign policy, immigration, etc. Which also makes me cringe at the possibility that someone who only thinks he (or she) is ready to lead this country into unchartered territory, and doesn’t really have anything close to the practical experience that the position so desperately needs, may in fact be sitting in the Oval Office in approximately one year and 17 days. Just a thought (or two).





A bit of video fun from NYE:

"behind-the-scenes" NYE video available at CNN.com:

There's a special 3:00 minute video available that gives a 'behind-the-scenes" look at Times Square in the hour just before midnight - it features Anderson and Erica Hill - a fun view of what's happening on the ground as the broadcast is progressing up on the platform above the crowd!!

NYE at midnight in Times Square:

There’s also a video of the 3:00 minutes surrounding the NYE ball drop (11:59 PM to 12:02 AM), and for some reason, watching the video today suddenly made me realize that Kathy will be working the “I spent New Year’s Eve with Anderson Cooper” line into her act for a very (very) long time to come.

Kathy vs. Anderson:

This video has highlights of the AC / KG ‘exchanges’ during the evening.


And - I just found out that the first 9 episodes of The Mole - Season One - will be repeated on the Fox Reality Network on Sunday, January 20th, beginning at 9:00 AM EST. I don't know about the remaining episodes, as the schedule for January 21st (and beyond) isn't posted yet!

Part 2 of our interview with Gary Tuchman will be posted very shortly – stay tuned!!

HAPPY 2008 (officially)!!!

Today’s Buzz ... Part 1

I’m saying Part 1 because I plan on being back later, after the 360 broadcast, to add more to the ‘flow’ for the first day of the year!! But for now, a (mini) series of items:

Ryan Seacrest got last night's news "scoop":

This particular topic is getting a lot of commentary at the AC360 Yahoo group today!!

Perhaps one reason to not have ANY 'co-host' next year?? If you remember, last year Anderson interviewed Mayor Bloomberg before the ball drop - nice quick discussion – I’m sure he was 'making the rounds' of the news organizations.

Well, this year - while Anderson was being "flustered" (as the columnist below calls it), Ryan Seacrest got the 'scoop' of the night, as he interviewed Bloomberg and got him to definitively and unequivocally state that he was NOT running for President. There's been much speculation (again) about that issue lately. But in the interview, he also made it clear that he still supports exploring the idea of the creation of a third party - possibly for future runs??

I actually saw this during the 'lull' here between the end of the CNN broadcast and the West Coast stroke of midnight, and I wasn't going to post anything about it, but since the story is making the rounds, I'm posting it below. Call me cynical - but if Anderson hadn't been pre-occupied with fending off the usual 'come-ons' from Kathy Griffin, perhaps HE would have had this 'news scoop'?

From the Orlando Sentinel:

"What a loopy way to start a new year! Would you believe that Ryan Seacrest delivered more news than Anderson Cooper in covering the arrival of 2008?

Believe. On ABC, Seacrest helped Dick Clark kick off another glittery celebration in Times Square. But Seacrest also made news by interviewing New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who said definitely that he would not run for president.

Over on CNN, Cooper was saddled with comedian Kathy Griffin, who can be hilarious. She wasn't Monday night. Griffin made tasteless, off-the-wall comments that seemed to fluster Cooper.

I always thought these celebrations should be about joy, hope, unity. But Griffin was like the guest you want to tell to shush."

So any (other) opinions on Kathy Griffin last night? I don't think I've had much of any kind of change of heart from what I said last night at the group – I think that she took up a little too much time that could have been devoted to other correspondents and musical guests. Maybe if the program had been a little longer to allow for more of that, it would have been better (IMO). But it's difficult enough for a host to 'navigate' through everything that needs to get done in such a short amount of time – and Kathy’s chattering was a little distracting, albeit mostly funny, and it seemed that Anderson approved and enjoyed it!

If you happen to be suffering from insomnia early on Thursday morning, you can catch a repeat of Anderson’s appearance on The Tonight Show from this past August. Remember – it’s not the one that comes on right after local news – it’s the “late night/early morning” Tonight Show repeat that many NBC affiliates carry at about 3:00 AM each morning – check your local listing for details!!

Not that I’d ever link Simon Cowell and Country Music Television in the same sentence – with any success – but apparently there is a special called “Simon Cowell Uncut: 60 Minutes Special” on CMT – which will be a half hour version of Anderson’s interview with Mr. Warmth from last year. Not sure if there will be any additional footage, but it may be worth a viewing!! It will be airing on Friday, 1/4/08 at 11:00 PM, Saturday, 1/5/08 at 1:30 PM and 10:30 PM, and Sunday, 1/6/08 at 10:30 AM. All times EST.

A little OT since we’re talking about TV schedules – Bill Maher will be a guest on The Late Show this coming Thursday, 1/3/08. Letterman’s company (Worldwide Pants) has come to terms with the WGA, so Bill won’t be crossing any picket lines. I’m a little surprised that he’s agreed to return to his own show, however, as of January 11, 2008. I imagine that he wants to keep the other staff employed, although I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts out with some kind of ‘solidarity’ statement on the first broadcast!

OK – time for a few more pictures from last night – including “John & the Key West ladies”:












More later ...

HAPPY 2008 (early version)!!!

There are a few advantages to being on the West Coast - we get to celebrate New Year's all over again in a little over an hour!! But I still miss NYE in New York - it's true when they say you can't quite get the "New York" completely out of you, no matter where you go!!

Well, as for the "pairing" this year with Kathy Griffin, I think I'll reserve final judgment until tomorrow, but my initial reaction is that at the very least - her 'air time' seemed to take away from the music acts and the other correspondents. They never even checked in with Sean Callebs in New Orleans - perhaps some technical difficulties, perhaps not ...

Anyway - here are a few quick caps - more tomorrow - but I have party # 2 to "get to" (although that means simply joining the revelers in the living room), so here it is - ENJOY!!!

Anderson in Times Square

Erica Hill in the Times Square crowd

Kiran Chetry reporting on i-Party submissions

Gary Tuchman in Central Park getting ready for the Midnight Run

Anderson & Kathy Griffin in Times Square

Anderson in Times Square


Anderson in Times Square


Arwa Damon in London

John Zarella in Key West

Gary Tuchman in Central Park

Anderson in Times Square

HAPPY 2008!!!

As 2007 comes to a close …

Today's Buzz ...


I was originally going to title this entry “One Hour in Pakistan”, as an homage (yes, I'm kidding) to Friday’s AC360°, but as the day has worn on and I've become more 'sentimental', as many do on New Year's Eve, I won't do a full-fledged "rant". That's not a good way to end the year. With that said, however, I normally try not to criticize too many decisions that CNN makes about its programming, as I consider them to be the experts and I’m the amateur. However, there are certain occasions when something happens that’s so blatantly confusing – from a viewer’s perspective, as well as sheer logic – that I must at least briefly comment.

What was the purpose of sending Anderson Cooper & Company to Pakistan on Thursday? A sixteen hour flight to get there – with most of them sent back after the Friday evening broadcast. And a sixteen hour flight back to NYC. My best guess is that they spent (significantly) more time on the plane than on the ground in Pakistan. After such a ‘build-up” both on-the-air and online about AC360° being "LIVE" in Pakistan – the one hour itself yielded nothing new – no new reporting footage, no really new insights that hadn’t already been discussed earlier in the day. Even if the group didn’t land in time to cover the Bhutto funeral, there is plenty of news to be found in a nuclear-armed Islamic country moving towards the brink of political crisis. I assume that’s why Peter Bergen remained, along with John Vause, Zain Verjee and now joined by Ali Velshi.

Well, I think that’s probably enough of my aggravation over the ‘recall’ of Mr. Cooper – ostensibly to host the NYE celebration in Times Square. As was stated several times at the AC360° Yahoo group on this issue, at the bottom line – ratings rule!!!

A few caps from Friday’s program:









Moving on ... I usually turn a little introspective on NYE, and since this is a “news-oriented” blog, I’m curious about which stories will end up being considered the “top” ones for 2007? The Virginia Tech Massacre? The Minnesota Bridge Collapse? The Crandall Canyon Mine Disaster? The Bhutto Assassination?

I'm also curious about which ones will have impact beyond 2007? Will college campus security measures be increased throughout the entire country? They have been on some campuses, but certainly not all. Will the government pass legislation to provide adequate funding for infrastructure renovation, and ensure accountability for the money that's allocated to various contractors? They haven't done so yet. Will mine safety improve, and if so, how will improvements be monitored? And will Pakistan (and its nuclear arsenal) end up in the hands of al Qaeda - or the Taliban? For the world's sake, let's hope not!

I am looking forward to tonight – it’s always nice to celebrate with friends and to join in the spirit of hope and renewal. And I’m one of those who doesn’t make resolutions, but feel free to share yours if you’d like. I always like to hear what others are planning for – sometimes I’m inspired to ‘break’ my rule and follow suit with the same or similar resolution!

As for what we can look for tonight on CNN:

From CNN.com - AC 360° New Year's Eve LIVE: We Bring the Party to you. Bring in '08 with Anderson and comedian Kathy Griffin will be LIVE in Times Square on New Year's Eve ... it's an unpredictable evening you will not want to miss! Erica Hill and Kiran Chetry will be reporting from the Times Square ‘crowd’, John Zarella will be counting down in Key West once again with the “Sushi Drop”, and Gary Tuchman will be joining the Central Park run at midnight, as he did last year, but be on the lookout for him to (possibly) rollerblade this time – that would be extra fun to watch!

Musical guests include: Earth, Wind & Fire from Las Vegas, Grammy Nominee Miranda Lambert, just nominated in the Female Country Vocal Performance category, and Widespread Panic from Atlanta.

And join in with the i-Party link – send in your videos, photos and best wishes – maybe you’ll get to see your party on TV!!

Here is Anderson’s blog entry for today:

Monday, December 31, 2007
What's Your New Year's Resolution?

Ah, New Year's Eve. Here it is once again. I was trying to remember what my New Year's resolution was last year, but the truth is I can barely remember last week, let alone a whole year ago. This year I've resolved to blog much more often. Everyday, actually. We'll see how long this one lasts. What is your New Year's resolution? Did you keep last year's?

As a kid I was never a big fan of New Year's Eve. There always seemed something slightly menacing about the event. New York City streets are packed, people are drunk, it always kind of freaked me out. Then as an adult, I didn't like it much because there was always so much pressure to have a good time, and you can never find a cab to go home in when you realize the party you're at is lame.

Now I really like New Year's Eve because I'm working and Times Square is actually a really fun place to be. When the ball drops, and the confetti descends I like nothing more than silently watching the explosion of euphoria. Frank Sinatra's voice sings New York, New York. People hug each other and cheer. There really is nothing like it.

This year should be especially fun because Kathy Griffin will be joining me live in Times Square. She'll give us her top ten moments of 2007 and who knows what else. Erica Hill and Kiran Chetry will also be in Times Square helping us ring in the New Year. As those of you who've watched before know, we like to show you how the New Year is celebrated around the world and around America. John Zarrella will once again be in Key West, Florida, for the drag queen drop, Kareen Wynter is in Vegas, and Sean Callebs is in New Orleans.

We'll also hear from Miranda Lambert in Atlanta, Widespread Panic is there as well, and Earth, Wind and Fire will be in Vegas. It looks like it may be a cold night, so break out the bubbly, or the cookies and milk, and snuggle up with us tonight starting at 11p ET.

Also we want to hear from you. Send us your resolutions, your party pictures, whatever you want to cnn.com/iparty. We'll show many of them on the air, maybe yours ....

-- Anderson Cooper
Posted By CNN: 11:26 AM ET

And don't miss the year-end special with Tom Foreman tonight at 10:00 PM EST: All the best ... and worst: AC360° 2007 .... What were the best moves in culture, business, politics, law and entertainment? More important: What were the worst? Tom will wrap them all up with a big red bow in ALL THE BEST, ALL THE WORST; a free-wheeling hour of the sideshow of life ... fistfights in legislatures, stupid
criminals, smart entrepreneurs, clueless celebrities, and hapless courtroom maneuvers. The program will feature all the year's video highlights and low lights, along with interspersed commentary from a panel of surprising observers. It will be fast, funny, and full of shockingly inappropriate assessments.

And last to be posted – but first on my mind – thank you to everyone – and I mean everyone – who has supported this “little effort” in one way or another. From those who read and comment, to those who just read, to those who contact me with comments and suggestions, to those who unknowingly (or maybe knowingly) give the blog (and our companion Yahoo group) the occasional ‘mention’ – please know that it’s all very deeply appreciated.

I don’t know if Anderson will be able to keep his ‘resolution’ to blog every day – I can certainly testify that it’s very difficult, even if it’s (sort of) part of your job! Imagine those of us that are doing it for – allegedly – FUN! But I’ve learned so much and experienced so much in such a short time – I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!

I’ll hopefully post a few NYE screen caps before midnight in the West – we’ll see how the party goes here on the ‘left coast’ – but if not tonight, then first thing tomorrow, with a review, of course!

And yes, for those wondering, we have answers from none other than Gary Tuchman!! BTW – Gary won our little ‘straw poll’ for substitute NYE hosts, if AC hadn’t made it back in time. He won by a landslide, but we don’t want to slight the others who were nominated!! :-) I’m planning on posting the Q&A in two parts on January 2nd & 3rd, so be on the lookout for it!!

Have a fun, fun, fun (and safe) celebration!! See you in 2008!!