Indy Andy Lambert

In the spirit of Halloween, I just had to re-post this pic Lori created last year with Anderson as Indiana Jones. As much as he works out now he could probably be a pretty convincing Indy Andy for his Halloween costume this year.

The pic below is not Anderson dressing as Adam Lambert for Halloween. It is one of nine things Fancast.com's suggests to help boost CNN's ratings.


The article says:

Anderson, You Look Mahvelous

Let’s talk about Anderson Cooper’s hair, shall we? Yes, the Silver Fox has gotten a lot of mileage out of his sleek gray ‘do. But when times are tough, you’ve got to adapt. He could switch to a platinum blonde dye job, or maybe grow it out into an Adam Lambert-like cut. Viewers could even vote on what look they want Cooper to rock next. We’ll tell you this much: If “Carrot Top-style red afro” ever comes up as an option, we’re voting early and often.

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CNN must be thinking hiring some fresh blood may help ratings. I found two different job postings for AC360 - a head booker and producer.

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Earlier today I was watching a snippet of Jon Stweart's show where is talks about the feud between the White House and Fox News. He brings up some excellent points but the most interesting thing was that Fox News itself has proclaimed that the news shows are on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. on weekdays. So that means Greta's show (along with a slew of others) is not a "news" show. . If it isn't a "news" show should AC360 ratings be compared against Greta's? Just a thought. Here is the clip from The Daily Show.




If your little corner of the world recognizes Daylight Savings Time have you set your clocks back one hour?

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things Anderson and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.
All Things Anderson is a blog dedicated to CNN's AC360 and its host Anderson Cooper.

It's finally Friday ...

Well, it's finally Friday and John King was in again for Anderson. The first story of the night was on H1N1. Sanjay Gupta joined him to talk about the death toll among kids, the amount of vaccine, and to answer some questions.

Next up was the economy. A report was released today by the White House saying that the stimulus created or saved nearly 650,000 jobs. Rep Mike Pence was with John King to talk about about the economy as well as giving H1N1 vaccines to Guantanamo detainees and health care.

Erica Hill had the bulletin: 9 people are missing after a coast guard plane collided with a Marine helicopter, San Francisco Mayor Newsom is pulling out of the CA governor race, President Obama is lifting a travel ban against people with HIV, the FDIC took over 9 more banks, and daylight savings time ends on Sunday.

David Gergen, Michael Ware and Dan Senor joined John to talk about Afghanistan.

Randi Kaye had the Crime and Punishment report on Heather Ellis who could be sentenced to 15 years in prison for assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace after officers confronted her at a Walmart in Missouri. The police say they were called in after Ellis cut in line and began yelling while at the register. Ellis however has a very different version of the story which is being told by the ACLU and believes that the charges are racially based.

Lisa Bloom and Sunny Hostin discussed the case further and talked about how the case might play out in court.

Jodi Kantor was next and discussed an interview she conducted with the President and First Lady regarding their marriage. They talked about some of the rocky points in their marriage and some of the pro's and cons of being in the White House. Candy Crowley also joined them and talked about Michelle Obama's impact on the campaign and her role going forward.

Erica was back with the second bulletin: another teenager is under arrest for the gang rape of a 15 year old girl on a high school campus, Howard K Stern and two doctors are on trial for providing prescriptions to Anna Nicole Smith, the woman accidentally given a $29,000 tip will have to return half the money, and the motorized lazy boy of a man who was arrested while driving it drunk is now on ebay.

The shot for tonight was Halloween masks from newsweek.com.

There were some great new pictures of Anderson in NOLA uploaded to Flickr by lisaamulvey. Here's just a few:

Have a great week everyone!

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things Anderson and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

All Things Anderson is a blog dedicated to CNN's AC360 and its host Anderson Cooper.

Mr. President, I don't need to see your nipples!

Ah, a nice catchy title for tonight's post. Tedi B. here, and I'm sitting in for Julie tonight. I'll give you the, not so detailed, run down of tonight's show. It was okay but lacked that certain something....that certain something being in India, apparently (see the end of the post!).

Also, before we begin I'd like to thank Wonz for the caps tonight. Let's all give her a bow!





-John King was in again for AC and began the program with a story of an American contractor, Chris Turner, who helped save others by fighting the Taliban in an attack they executed in a U.N. safe house. Michael Ware talked about the story and interview the American, Chris Turner.



-Are you sick of hearing about getting sick? Seems, as Randi Kaye reports, there's a lot of misinformation about H1N1 floating around the net. That's probably because people listen to the hype about things instead of researching it for themselves. I suppose it's up to each of us to make an informed decision about getting the vaccine. The important word in that sentence being "informed". Dr. Gupta came on again to answer a few more questions about the H1N1 and gave us the startling info that potentially over 1/2 the country may be infected with the swine flu this season!



-The Economy is getting better! John talked with Christina Romer about the growth. We've seen a 3.5% increase in the economy but leave it to the Republicans to look on the not so sunny side of that fact. As, Wanda Sykes noted it's nice that Obama has given the country CPR. Man, I can't believe that he hasn't done more yet! He hasn't saved the world? Gotten rid of nuclear weapons? Solved the poverty Issue? Gotten rid of bigotry? Boy, Obama is slacking. Get with it, Barack!



-More on Sarah Palin. (Can you tell I'm thrilled?). Apparently, she is campaigning against the Republican candidate in a New York race and backing the conservative party candidate. Is that really weird? She' more conservative than a black suit at board meeting. Puleese! Anyway, John spoke with Paul Begala and David Frum about it.



-Finally up was an interview with Wanda Sykes. Her speech at this year's correspondent's dinner left some speechless but I enjoyed it! How many people can talk about the President's nipples and get away with it?



-We didn't clip the shot tonight because it really wasn't that funny but it did show some animals with pumpkins. 'Tis the Season for gourds!








Some pictures from Phebe :

I'm sure most of you received multiple alerts today about where Anderson is spending at least part of his vacation. From the NY Post's Page Six to OneIndia.com the big news of the day is Cooper is staying at the Rambagh Palace Jaipur near Rajasthan, India. Here are a few pictures of the property.

Here's my personal wish for you all....

*~HAPPY HALLOWEEN~*

Tedi B.

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things Anderson and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

All Things Anderson is a blog dedicated to CNN's AC360 and its host Anderson Cooper.

What is it About Wednesdays?

John King back in the AC360 anchor chair on Wednesday night. When JK did the rundown of the program's content I was more than a little disappointed. After watching the broadcast the only thing that saved the night for me was the discussion with Michael Ware and David Gergen on Afghanistan. What is it about Wednesdays' AC360? I've had three stinkers in a row. Joe John's opened the program with news that the POTUS did fundraisers and gave supporters access and special treatment. I am shocked I tell you......shocked. I had no idea that those types of things happened in Washington, DC. Paul Begala and Ed Rollins did the follow-up.
This was a ridiculous waste of air time and I agree with Begala, if it was a quid pro quo then it would be news, it's not and so it isn't.Part II of the CSU investigation into the aftermath of the tsunami in American Samoa. Three weeks after the tsunami the local government officials were almost invisible and there was no evidence of the US aid money working to save and rebuild the island.Another follow-up in the next segment, this time on the gang rape of the student in Northern CA. Five suspects are in custody and four could spend the rest of their lives in prison. Jeffery Toobin and Lisa Bloom talked with King about the legalities of the case.Finally we get to some International news about the deadly attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan today, both resulting in deaths. 5 UN workers who were were killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban to send a message against the run off election that will be held in 10 days.
Also in Middle East news was the story about the CIA paying Ahmed Karzai, the drug lord brother of the Afghan President. Joining JK to discuss was Michael Ware, David Gergen and Bob Baer (Intelligence Analyst, Time.com).All three panelists agreed that this payoff should come as no surprise. As Michael Ware said 'I'd be surprised if you (US gov't) weren't paying Karzai's brother'. Gergen added that it's been a standard American tactic to try and buy our way out of a problem rather than fight our way out of a problem. This was a fascinating discussion and if you missed it you should be kicking yourself. Why it was buried at the end of the program is beyond me.Back to politics with Candy Crowley talking about Sarah Palin and Levi Johnson. The only thing this report had going for it was CC. Thank God we didn't have to listen to a follow-up.

I posted Jon Klein's pep talk at ATC today too and we got an anonymous comment that summed things up pretty well. I wanted to share it with all of you:
Moving on Julie found a real treat for us today, and thanks to BA for uploading it too. This video is from Janette Barber's website. From the excitement of the two ladies that spotted Anderson biking I'm guessing they are fans. (This video was posted back in August, it is not from this vacation week.) Take a look:

It's been an odd week here at ATA and happily my weekend has arrived. My DH and the boys are heading out in a few hours for their annual trip to commune with nature. This pilgrimage signals to the women folk of the family that it is time for unbridled shopping and eating out. So I'll be back with you on Monday....many dollars poorer and a few pounds heavier. Have a great weekend everyone. ~Phebe


All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things Anderson and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

All Things Anderson is a blog dedicated to CNN's AC360 and its host Anderson Cooper.

The King is Back

John King was back in the anchor chair for the Tuesday edition of AC360. I'm loving that we haven't heard a word about the Willingham case in Texas for two nights, but I sort of missing balloon boy and the Hennes.
What I also missed was a segment on Afghanistan. October has been the most deadly month of the war in that country and it should have been the lead story, not buried in the bulletins. The first story of the evening was a "Keeping Them Honest" look at American Samoa and why 34 people had to die after a tsunami hit with no warning. Drew Griffin reported on 13 million US taxpayer's dollars that were spent for a tsunami warning system that never was built on the island.Next Tuesday New Jersey and Virginia will elect new Governors. Is it a referendum on the national government, probably not. But since President Obama has invested heavily in these races he does have something to lose. James Carville and Kevin Madden took a look at the 'Raw Politics' of these elections.Dr. Gupta again joined John King to talk about H1N1. The focus tonight was on children who have been hit hard by the virus and what the red flags are. Gupta said flatly that it is not smart to skip the shot for your children and also mentioned that Tamiflu is helpful if your child does contract the illness.A horrible, horrible story about the girl who was gang raped after a homecoming dance at her high school in Northern California. Dan Simon had the 'Crime & Punishment' report on how a gang rape could happen on school grounds and continue for 2 1/2 hours , while as many as 15 people watched. The follow up was with Steve Perry (CNN education consultant) and Mary Koss (University of AZ Professor).The family of one of the victims of the Sedona sweat lodge tragedy spoke out and are demanding answers from the group's leader. Gary Tuchman reported that the children of the victims want James Ray charged in their mother's murder. Dr. Gupta joined JK for a follow up discussion as to how time in the sweat lodge could have caused the deaths.

It wouldn't be John King in the NYC studio without rolling out the magic maps. The second screengrab is about the Governor's race next week and got me thinking (dreading) that I might have to blog a full night of politics. Can't blame CNN if they pull out all the stops since that seems to be the only way they can get any kind of ratings.

Speaking of ratings I couldn't help but borrow this little gem that TVNewser posted this afternoon. Jon Klein spoke to CNN employees about their dismal ratings. Here is a segment of his pep talk:
Yes, our ratings in prime were down in October. Remember - we are a 24hr network - not a 3hr network. We are also just one network in a group that attracts hundreds of millions of viewers a month. Media writers might not understand that. Our competitors don't either. Despite the bad press we don't lose sight of OUR business. We, CNN/U.S., still attracts millions and millions of viewers a month, more than our closest competitors. Writers don't talk about our users -- we are on air and on line, globally -- rather they break it down to one part of the day.
Excellent journalism is what we are focused on. We refuse to do the things that might get us a quick number or cater to the extremes that would alienate our core viewers. It's important to work at it every day - it's our mission. It's the key to our growth. If we are outstanding ALL the time (and we are getting better and better at it) we will have an impact over time.

I actually laughed out loud when I read that highlighted sentence. We are the core viewers for CNN that were mentioned and we have been alienated, no doubt about that. Let me list just a few of the ways;
Aaron Brown
Crossfire
Pundits and Panels ad nauseam
Miles O'Brien
Spinning ratings to the extent that even the casual viewer/reader knows you're full of it (example: Total Day? You know that is not an industry standard.)
Fact checking Saturday Night Live and taking seriously The Daily Show
Dead celebrity coverage
Discontinuing CNNi overnight in favor of reruns
Ruining AC360

Oh I know there are more and I trust you our wonderful readers to add their two cents worth in comments. ~Phebe

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things Anderson and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.

All Things Anderson is a blog dedicated to CNN's AC360 and its host Anderson Cooper.

The King is in the House

So much to share with you tonight so we'll keep the recap short and then get to the goodies of the day.• Joe Johns is Keeping Them Honest about the banks that were bailed out and are now overspending. The follow up was with my favorite Representative, Barney Frank (D Mass).• Erica Hill and Dr. Sanjay Gupta joined John King to discuss H1N1. There was not a lot of new information but more talk of the frustration over the slow roll out of the inoculations.• Nothing makes headlines like a juicy sex scandal and the ESPN one has it all. Both Phillips and the production assistant have lost their jobs and Phillips has entered rehab. Lori Brown (Assoc. Professor of Sociology, Meredith College) and Dr. Reef Karim (addiction specialist) did the follow up discussion.• Anderson Cooper interviewed Christina Turner, a sexual abuse survivor, who was dropped by her medical insurance company after she submitted bills for preventative anti-HIV medication. To see more of the interview check out the AC360 website.'Digging Deeper' into the issue of gender discrimination in health care insurance was Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Candy Crowley and Marcia Greenburger (Nat'l Woman's Law Center). All of the participants seemed to recognized that health care reform would go a long way to address these gender discrimination issues. • Erica Hill told us the latest on the 18 year old amnesiac found in NYC and identified by a CNN viewer. Seems there might be more to unfold with this story, lots of loose ends.

•Erica also told John King, and viewers, that Levi Johnson is more than likely to show 'full frontal nudity' in his Playgirl spread. King didn't seem to be interested, nor am I. But it gave me a great idea....maybe Playgirl could do a feature on 'The Men of CNN'? Surely that would get those ratings up......



Speaking of ratings,I'm curious to hear your opinions on the article in Monday's New York Times about CNN finishing dead last in prime time for October. To quote a bit of the article:

"Individually, the CNN shows were beaten resoundingly by all the Fox News programs, but also lost to all of the MSNBC programs, including a repeat of Keith Olbermann's 8 p.m. edition of Countdown,'which beat the 10 p.m. hour of CNN’s signature prime-time program, Anderson Cooper 360.Again that was a first.
Mr. Cooper had 211,000 viewers to 223,000 for Mr. Olbermann’s repeat. That meant Mr. Cooper finished fourth and last in the 10 p.m. hour because, besides being well behind the leader, Greta Van Susteren, who had 538,000 viewers, he was also beaten by a repeat of Nancy Grace’s 8 p.m. show on HLN, which averaged 222,000.
CNN executives emphasized that the network continues to draw more viewers than all its competitors except Fox News when all hours of the day are counted.
CNN released a statement Monday saying, “CNN’s ratings are always going to be more dependent on the news environment, much more so than opinion-based programming especially in prime time.”

•Anderson Cooper will emcee The Elton John AIDS Foundation Annual Benefit on November 16th at the Cipriani Wall Street. Donna Summer will be the events musical guest and President Bill Clinton and actor Sharon Stone will be among the honorees.

•Have you taken the tour with AC of the new and improved CNN.com? Here's the link.
You can also play the interactive quiz game with your favorite CNN anchor. To give it a try just follow this link.



It was wonderful to have John King at the helm of AC360 on Monday night. Great mix of news and interviews and the hour just flew by. If AC has to be away this week at least he left us in very capable hands. ~Phebe

All content, unless otherwise cited, is © All Things Anderson and may not be used without consent of the blog administrator.
All Things Anderson is a blog dedicated to CNN's AC360 and its host Anderson Cooper.