Veterans’ Day …

Today’s Buzz ...

From The History Channel:

The History of Veterans' Day

Formerly Armistice Day, Veterans Day is a holiday observed annually in the United States in honor of all those, living and dead, who served with the U.S. armed forces in wartime.

Some states observe the holiday on November 11 and others on the fourth Monday of October. Armistice Day, the forerunner of Veterans Day, was proclaimed in 1919 to commemorate the termination (at 11 am on Nov. 11, 1918) of World War I. On the first anniversary of the truce, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation eulogizing fallen Allied soldiers and referring to November 11 as Armistice Day. It became a holiday in the U.S., France, Great Britain and Canada.

The holiday acquired its present name and broadened significance in the U.S. in 1954. In Canada it is known as Remembrance Day, and in Great Britain, as Remembrance Sunday.

There simply aren’t enough words to express the gratitude to those who so bravely and selflessly put their own lives on the line each and every day to protect the rights enjoyed here in America. And to those in positions of power who make the decisions about the lives of these men and women – if you don’t genuinely hold each and every one of them in as high regard and esteem as your own children, then you have no right to be in that position.

Many thanks to Neil Aquino at “Texas Liberal” for the very concise blog entry today that pulls together the topics which I also want to highlight today:

1. Walter Reed scandal:
Let’s make sure this never happens again – ever. Our returning veterans deserve the very best of care – and not subject to partisanship.
2. Veteran Homelessness – Part 1:
Last week, USA Today featured a report about about one in four people homeless people being veterans.
3. Veteran Homelessness – Part 2:
Long before that story was published, Anderson featured a story on 360 about homeless Iraq war veterans.
4. Veteran Homelessness – Part 3:
So let’s DO something about it ~ visit the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans site to find out what you can do to help.

And yes, not that anyone was keeping track, but I will be blogging about the specials “Anvil of God”, “Ambush at the River of Secrets” and “The Looming Terror” (interview).

I’m looking forward to the Democratic Debate on Thursday – to see if the Clinton-bashing continues – and if it does, to see how it’s “spun” … the picture below is from the Democratic YouTube debate back in July, BTW:



Many thanks to "marcia1154" at the AC360 Yahoo group for this “find” – an interview with Anderson about the making of the Planet in Peril documentary – that Amazon is charging $9.95 for - but you now have it for free (minus one picture):

Planet in Peril: a conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper

Date: Oct 15, 2007
Publication: Junior Scholastic

On October 23 and 24, CNN will air Planet in Peril, a two-part documentary that examines unsettling changes taking place in the global environment. Anchor Anderson Cooper, wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin, and CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, report from "hot spots" around the world, focusing on four key issues: climate change, vanishing habitats, disappearing species, and human population growth. The film's intent, Cooper recently told JS, is to "take people to the front lines and show them in a very real way, what is happening." Below are excerpts from our conversation with Cooper:

Q. Of all the hot spots you visited, what caused you the most alarm?

A. I think visually, the deforestation that I saw in the Amazon is probably the most striking example of some of the worst hot spots. When you're flying over the Amazon, you really get to see the curls of black smoke in many different spots in this amazing sea of green trees. You can literally see them bulldozing large plots of land. And it's remarkable. You can actually smell the forest burn from the air.

Q. Could you describe some of the animals you encountered?

A. We went to Phnom Tamao Center in Cambodia, and we saw amazing elephants that had been rescued. One elephant, a baby, had gotten its foot caught in a poacher's snare, and the foot had actually come off. We [also] saw a lot of snakes in Cambodia. In fact, Jeff Corwin and I re-released snakes that had been captured. They had been saved by the police, and we re-released them back into the wild. I'm a little scared of snakes so reaching into this bag of snakes to put them back into the wild was a little bit intimidating, but it was a lot of fun.

Q. What is causing the drain on land and resources around the world?

A. There's a growing population in a lot of places, and they put a strain on resources. People need more land. And so, in a lot of countries, people are expanding into land where there were once pristine habitats, and that's a whole other burden on the ecosystem. As people expand and animals lose their habitat, that has repercussions. That's part of what we're focused on showing, what that strain looks like.

Q. Did you come upon any innovative solutions to the environmental problems we face?

A. There are a lot of different experiments going on, a lot of ways to do sustainable agriculture, for instance, that doesn't destroy the land while it's being farmed. Part of the problem is that [in the Amazon] it's just slash-and-burn deforestation. That not only destroys the forest, but the land is only usable for one or two seasons. So, there are ways to farm that can actually help the land and are more sustainable, and I think those are among the most productive [things] we saw.

Q. What is the current thinking among scientists who are climate-change skeptics?

A. Skeptics argue that this is part of a natural cycle, and that the Earth has entered cycles like this before. Then there's sort of a scientific middle ground that says, yes, this may be part of a natural cycle, but also people are contributing to it and may be speeding up the cycle.


tonight on Anderson Cooper 360°:


Thanks for visiting - updates posted as needed - have a wonderful evening!!

Double Disappointment …

Today’s Buzz ...
Well, I’m certainly glad that I don’t have reason to use that entry title too often, but last night was an exception. The first disappointment was that the segment before the Planet in Peril Roundtable only covered a summary of the OJ preliminary hearing. Although, trying to be positive about it, it was relatively short and there were a couple of instances of welcomed “snark”:

Anderson commenting after AP reporter Linda Deutsch discussed Thomas Riccio’s testimony:

COOPER: Yes, Riccio is certainly a charmer.

And a little more snark as Jeff Toobin discusses Bruce Fromong’s testimony:

JEFFREY TOOBIN, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: You know, I watched (Bruce) Fromong's testimony. And I thought, boy, Simpson showed absolutely horrible judgment in getting involved in this whole ridiculous situation.

COOPER: Wow. Bad judgment, O.J. Simpson?

TOOBIN: I know. It's a bold conclusion on my part, I know.

Other than that, and the opinion from Jeff that there would probably be enough evidence presented for the judge to move for a trial, I didn’t think there was anything else notable reported.




And disappointment # 2 (reluctant as I am to say this) was the Roundtable itself. This discussion was suppose to be held at the conclusion of the second night of the Planet in Peril documentary, but was postponed due to the California Wildfires. My recollection is that it was suppose to be live, and I think that it lost some of the impact by being pre-taped. In addition, there were very few v-mail questions used, and of those that were, I thought they weren’t very, well, compelling. I didn’t particularly care for all the clips once again being shown – I would have rather had more time spent with the “experts” interacting with one another and presenting their evidence about why they do (or don’t) believe that climate change (for example) is occurring at the rate that many other scientists have concluded that it is. Or why we should be concerned about the “non-natural” chemicals being absorbed by our bodies – even though studies do not show harmful effects at current exposure levels. Sanjay made a good point on this topic when he said: “I think it's one of those things that's difficult in medicine, which is the absence of evidence doesn't mean there's no effect. That's an important point. Just because science hasn't caught up yet doesn't mean that we won't find that out.” The specific discussion was about lead and the fact that the ‘initial acceptable level’ of exposure has dramatically decreased over the past 40 years, and we now wish we knew then what we know now!! Isn’t that always the case??









I was quite surprised, though, by the news that Senator James Inhofe seems to believe that Anderson Cooper personally attacked him by calling him names and issuing threats. WHAT??? What has this guy been smoking, because I want to get some too!! (J/K)!! "Crooks and Liars" has labeled him a “serial Global Warming denier” – here’s what he claims:

InHofe: “I’ve been personally attacked by Anderson Cooper. It’s taking place right now, even this week, calling me every kind of name — all kinds of threats. This is what you, you people say ‘why don’t more members of the House and Senate tell the truth about climate change?’ This is the reason. This is what we’re subjected to. I have got a big family at home that has to watch all this.”



Check out this link from Crooks and Liars, referencing these delusional remarks – and also available is the video clip. And yes, if you LIVE in the state of Oklahoma, please vote out this guy next year - he's a danger to ALL of us!!!

So all in all – probably not THE most compelling use of 50 minutes, as there were a lot more options for this presentation that could have been used – for example, maybe even a “town-hall” type of meeting where selected viewers could have questioned the experts “live”, but there was probably the feeling that they wanted to wrap-up PIP, using the 'roundtable', as close to what they originally planned as possible, and last night was the result.

The second hour last night was a repeat of the “Anvil of God” special with Tom Foreman – I think I’ll write about that over the weekend!

tonight on Anderson Cooper 360°:


Thanks for visiting – updates posted as needed – have a terrific day!!

moving into greener territory ...

Today’s Buzz ...
tonight on Anderson Cooper 360°:

Hmmm ... well, if Anderson is in the Congo, working on a report for 60 Minutes, I guess there won’t be any ‘supplemental’ reports shown on 360° this week. For some odd reason, I thought there might be – I know that they’re two different programs on two different networks, but it seems a waste for him to be all the way over there and not send anything back to be shown on 360°. There are just SO many stories that should be heard – there are refugees fleeing to Uganda, floods & landslides, UN Peacekeepers under attack, journalists being beaten and banned, and of course – the recent seizure of mountain gorilla habitat by rebel Congo forces.




I guess we’ll have to wait and see if any additional reports are sent back to the US this week ...

And in spite of the fact that Planet in Peril earned very good ratings for CNN, I’m a little surprised at the amount of ‘backlash’ being published not only from skeptics of the premise (i.e. – the rate at which our planet is changing and what the main causes are), but the unfounded attacks on the presentation itself. Case in point – the Sunday column from Bill Steigerwald in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has already had to be corrected as he referred to “Anderson Cooper’s sloppy journalism” from the Alaska segment – when we know it was Jeff Corwin in Alaska – who, BTW, isn’t a journalist, but I’m sure he could put ole’ Bill to shame in any conversation involving the environment.

On the more positive side, I also wanted to try and “continue” with one of the themes from Planet in Peril, and that is what you can do about lessening your own impact on our changing environment. I’ll post various tips, resources and the like as often as possible – today’s segment focuses on “10 Ways to Greener Computing”:

1. Make sure all of your computer’s “energy saving” options have been maximized – particularly for your monitor.
2. Turn everything off when not in use – not just in “standby” mode.
3. Buy “Energy Star” compliant peripherals.
4. Dispose of laptop batteries properly.
5. Utilize online web conferencing services, such as NetMeeting, to save resources otherwise used on unnecessary travel.
6. Reduce paper consumption – save file copies electronically – explore “paperless office” options.
7. Use recycled paper.
8. Recycle the paper you do use!
9. Recycle older computers when upgraded – donate them to a school or charity.
10. Visit www.greenbiz.com for more ideas!


I also wanted to give another “plug” for the upcoming CNN “Heroes” tribute that will be held on December 6th – and assisting Anderson with hosting duties will be Christiane Amanpour. You can vote now at the Heroes web site – all winners will be chosen from the online votes!



And perhaps this isn’t news to anyone at this point, but in one of last week’s PIP press releases from CNN, there was a link to an online press kit, which contains video trailers (not the outtakes, though), but most important, access to well over 100 high-resolution pictures from Planet in Peril, and I must tell you that they are stunning. If you do post them anywhere but on your own computer, please observe the request listed on the page for giving credit, as this is probably somewhat of an experiment on CNN’s part.

Well, that’s news for today – we’ll see what the 10:00 PM ET hour brings us as far as a substitute anchor goes!

Thanks for visiting – updates posted as needed – have a terrific day!

Planet in Peril - Part 2 ...

Today's Buzz ...

As reported by Anderson Cooper – aka – “Regal Bird” ... and Jeff Corwin – aka – “Running Deer” ... and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, who would also have an “aka” if he had traveled to the Amazon with AC and JC ...

So what did you think of Part 2 last night? The journey took us from Greenland to Alaska to the Carteret Islands to Africa and the Amazon Rainforest, and back again to the US (Houston & Brooklyn, specifically).

Watching the rappelling segment again in Greenland reminded me of the "outtakes" video - which I assume (or hope) will be included on the PIP DVD!



I still feel sorry for the polar bears when they're tranquilized - I can't help it. But I so enjoy Jeff's passion for nature; I don't know how anyone could watch him and not have at least some of his enthusiasm rub off.

In addition to the overall danger being faced on the Carteret Islands due to rising sea levels and dying coral reefs, I felt bad for 'Rose' when she was interviewed by Sanjay - her family has so few options.


And the Amazon Rainforest segment was good - and informative. I'd heard the term 'slash and burn', but seeing it happen makes it much more real. And the search for poachers knows no geographical boundary - so the 'hunt' was on again last night in the Amazon. I'm glad that there was a few minutes devoted to the life - and death - of Sister Dorothy Stang. She had contributed so much to those in that area who were in need, and her murder was a cowardly act of brutality.





I was pleased to see that the program 'took on' the environmental skeptics, and allowed them to have their say. I'm equally as pleased that there was specific mention of Senator Inhofe's 'political contribution ties' to the oil industry. One more hypocrite revealed ...

With regard to the segment about "environmental racism", I know that the evidence shows that minorities bear the majority of the burden of environmental pollution, but I can't help thinking of places (at least historically) like Love Canal in upstate New York. The bottom line is that no one should have to live or work in places where the possibility of serious health problems is so adversely impacted.


I do think that the entire program was tied together very well and that the issues of species loss, overpopulation, deforestation and global warming were presented in an informative and 'non-alarmist' manner. And the visual evidence presented unquestionably shows the detrimental effect that human abuse of limited resources is having, and will continue to have, on this planet.

If you're interested in getting more information, the "Impact Your World" page at CNN.com has a special "PIP" tab that you can click on.

And there is also a special "green report" section at the PIP main site that gives a lot of useful info about conservation at home, at work and when you travel.


And the California wildfires continue ...

Wow – three hours of live coverage last night ...

There were reports again from Rick Sanchez in Spring Valley, Ted Rowlands in Lake Arrowhead, John King in Rancho Bernardo and John Zarella in Santiago Canyon.





The Santiago Canyon fire has been determined to be arson-caused, and a $70,000 reward has been offered for information. There are excellent investigators here, and they have a high rate of success in catching arsonists.

The report from Rick Sanchez about the immigrant who had promised to stay and watch over a house that others had evacuated from made me angry – at those who would take advantage of someone like that.

And I think I wrote something on Tuesday about Anderson needing to bring some masks and goggles with him. His report from the front line of the Harris fire showed you why I ‘suggested’ that. You can always spot a ‘national’ reporter from a ‘local’ reporter in these situations – the ‘locals’ don’t care that they look like aliens when they’re reporting from a fire line – they’re protecting their eyes, nose and lungs, no matter what.



Oh – and just another suggestion – showing a ‘melted’ Mercedes isn’t going to generate much ‘long-distance sympathy’ from those in Des Moines (or elsewhere in the ‘heartland’). There’s already enough of a ‘backlash’ about overbuilding expensive homes with picturesque views ...

But I’m glad that there was coverage about the terrific job being done by firefighters, both the CA crew and others from neighboring states. They deserve all the accolades we can give for such a heroic effort!


And I was also pleased to see the segment about horses being evacuated – they are especially sensitive to smoke and will succumb to breathing problems much more quickly than other animals – that’s why you see owners so desperate to get their horses to safety in these kinds of situations.



Well, that’s going to be it from me – for now. As Chad Myers predicted last night, the wind is shifting and carrying the smoke back onshore, and, not to complain as I am SO lucky, but my four-day old headache is resuming its attack ... :-(

tonight on Anderson Cooper 360°:

Thanks for visiting ... updates posted as needed ... have a terrific day!

“Planet in Peril” – amidst massive wildfires …

Today's Buzz ...

Well, last night was the debut of Part 1 of the much-anticipated “Planet in Peril” documentary. And in summary, I thought it was terrific! I know that there's a bit of it that those of us who watch AC360° most nights have already seen, but to see it all put together was wonderful. The cinematography is spectacular, and the stories are even more compelling once they are weaved together as they were in Part 1.

In two hours, viewers were taken to Thailand, Madagascar, Cambodia, Yellowstone National Park, China, and New York City. The images of an injured tiger and an injured baby elephant due to snares from poachers are heartbreaking. The poaching of endangered species and the animal cruelty being practiced around the world under the guise of “medicinal necessity” is reprehensible and should be punished to the extent that these practices would end – for good.

So far, my favorite segments were about tracking poachers in Cambodia, reintroducing wolves into the Yellowstone ecosystem and Dr. Sanjay Gupta “infiltrating” an iron ore mine in China. Well, not quite that dramatically, but he did walk up to the front door of the facility, walk in, track down the person in charge and question him as to why the mine was continuing to openly pollute the local water supply with lethal chemicals. I almost wanted to stand up and cheer (!!)

This occurred after a segment that was shown about a young Chinese woman whose husband died of cancer. They lived in the village adjacent to the mine and had to drink the contaminated water and eat food that had been irrigated with water from the same source.

There was also a segment where Anderson had his blood tested for the presence of environmental chemicals. Poor AC - he looked surprised to learn that he had DDT and PCB’s in his bloodstream – and that the make-up worn for TV isn’t having a positive effect on his blood chemical profile either!

I'm really looking forward to tonight and Part 2 - with the Amazon Rainforest segment and the Greenland/Alaska segments!











But if you watched the first PIP airing, you saw that during every commercial break, there were ‘updates’ about the California wildfires. Since I’m so close to the situation, it’s difficult for me to say if it was distracting from the documentary, or if it reinforced a certain level of urgency to the program.

Anderson (and company) had a live one-hour broadcast both before and after “Planet in Peril”. AC was stationed at QualComm Stadium in San Diego, talking with evacuees interviewing officials from the San Diego Fire Dept., US Forest Service, CA Dept. of Forestry & Fire Protection (Cal Fire) and DHS. Also located elsewhere in the SD area – and providing live reports – were Rick Sanchez, John King, Ted Rowlands and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Chad Myers gave a weather update – and thankfully, the winds are subsiding a little earlier than first anticipated. And CNN’s “map guru” Tom Foreman demonstrated why the cycle of California wildfires can be (potentially) linked to global warming (i.e. – changing weather patterns promotes increased plant growth in some years, which ends up providing additional “fuel” during a high-fire-prone drought period). BTW – “map guru” is a title bestowed with all due respect, as I find the explanations he gives on a number of different subjects to be very informative!

Anyway – I hope we’ve turned the corner, as they say, with regard to this latest “round” with Mother Nature ... and that many of the evacuees will be able to return to their neighborhoods to find that, if anything, all they’ve sustained is smoke damage to their homes!






tonight on Anderson Cooper 360°:

Thanks for visiting – updates posted as needed – have a terrific day and watch Part 2 of “Planet in Peril” tonight!!