The Truth Lies Within

Para Mónica

"Lo primero es cumplir con mi trabajo como periodista, no descansar jamás hasta que doy con la información, con la noticia propia, ésa que uno tiene que buscar a pesar de cualquier peligro". Julio Fuentes. 13 de marzo de 2000.

Hi everyone, I’ve been away for awhile, professional, personal things that needed to be addressed.

Sometimes the Universe has an acute sense of timing… and a cruel sense of humor. Since the beginning of the Iraq war I have always been critical (publicly through my professional endeavor) of the role of the US Media in the coverage of the Iraq War. Some called me a cynic, no one dared to call me unpatriotic, because most in real life knows where I stand in that matter. I felt the urgency and the call to clear the media fog and help the public see the facts that the international media was reporting and condemn how blunt the Bush administration was with its propaganda machine. Yesterday, the international journalists associations that constantly called upon the lies from the Bush administration were redeemed.

Back in the late 90s and early 2000 while I was in Spain, I met a wonderful couple: Julio Fuentes and my dear friend and classmate Mónica García Prieto. Both brilliant and fearless journalists with a real commitment for the truth and the people’s right to know without commercial or corporate agendas. The truth at any cost. A commitment lacking at most corporate and US media outlets who bend their editorial lines in favor of their advertisers and political access.

Contrary to the United States where some journalists – particularly TV ones – are treated as celebrities, in Spain being a journalist is a dangerous profession, mostly due to the threat of the terrorist organization ETA. In order to physically enter a newspaper, news agency, TV or radio station, people are screened through metal detectors; back packages, briefcases, purses and shoes are examined through X-Ray machines, just as in an airport. No bored security guards eating and reading a newspaper at the entrances. Spaniards are dead serious about their new constitution (around 27 years old) and their freedom of speech, they don’t yield their information or bend their knees due to government or terrorist’s threats. Journalists are considered messengers. Messengers of truth and the force that fiscalizes public entities and government.

After 9/11, the initial military incursion was Afganistan. Spanish newspaper El Mundo sent their veteran war correspondent to the area Julio (Fuentes) to cover the conflict. Julio among with Arturo Pérez Reverte one of the most experimented War Correspondents in Europe. A career that witnessed the Nicaragua and El Salvador conflicts, the Panama invasion, first Golf War, Croatia, Sarajevo, Chechnya, Kosovo, Russia among other horrors.

November 19, 2001 while traveling in caravan of 8 vehicles and 20 reporters from Jalabad to Kabul, they were ambushed by the militia. El Mundo’s Julio Fuentes, Corriere della Sera’s, Maria Grazia Cutuli, and Reuters’ Australian photojournalist Harry Burton and Afgan photojournalist Azizullah Haidari and their interpreter where killed during the attack.

Two years later, his widow El Mundo war correspondent Mónica García Prieto, was assigned to cover the battle of Baghdad. Traditionally the Palestine Hotel has always been the preferred press quarters for international media in Iraq. From that location, CNN broadcasted their breakthrough “Boys from Baghdad” coverage of the first Golf War. This time around it wouldn’t be different. But now US media would flee the site and only European and ME media would stay. Mónica was the only female.

April 8, 2003, the invasion starts and it would give a glimpse of how the Pentagon would conduct their media manipulations and lies.

From the reporters’ notes:

As the fall of Baghdad approached, some 300 international journalists were based in the Palestine Hotel, on the eastern bank of the Tigris River. They had relocated from the Al-Rashid when CNN left and moved to the Palestine. Most reporters assumed that the presence of CNN would provide a sort of cover, that the US military wouldn’t bomb CNN. José Couso and reporter Jon Sistiaga, reporting the war for Spanish TV channel Tele 5, followed suit.

Early in the morning of April 8, the day before the fall of Baghdad, a tank with the Third Infantry Division’s Fourth Brigade, 64th Armor Regiment standing on the Al-Jumuriya bridge over the Tigris River aims its turret and knocks out a camera on the roof of the offices of Abu-Dhabi Television. From room 1403 in the Palestine across the river, José Couso’s camera captures the tank carefully aiming at the “target,” even though Abu-Dhabi TV had already given the coordinates of its offices to the Pentagon before the war.

Some time later, Al-Jazeera comes under attack. Though in a more conflictive area, they had also alerted the Pentagon to the exact GPS position of their Baghdad bureau. To no avail: a missile takes the life of Tarek Ayyoub, a Jordanian reporter with the network. Al-Jazeera is once again a target for US forces, as its bureau in Kabul had been hit in November 2001.

Later that morning, a lull in the fighting reigns in the district of Baghdad immediately surrounding the Palestine Hotel, where, as the Pentagon knows the international media is based. Throughout the early morning, US tanks and planes have been cleaning up the last scattered remnants of Iraqi forces still putting up some find of fight, almost entirely on the western bank of the Tigris river, where the presidential palaces and ministries are found. A calm seems to take hold, as no shooting occurs for a good while. The Spanish reporter, Carlos Hernández of Antena 3, says that they seemed to have run out of targets. Some reporters go inside and begin to file reports, and many cameras stop shooting. Sistiaga: “I even left the balcony because I saw that a whole half-hour had gone by with a single shot, and it seemed that the battle was at a halt.” But not José Couso, who continues to aim his camera at the tanks on the Al-Jumuriya bridge.

Then, Couso sees and records an Abrams M1A1 tank as it swings its turret round and points toward the Palestine; it pauses, then fires a single round at the hotel, some three quarters of a mile away, striking the 15th floor. This is the third attack on the media of the day, and it’s not yet quite 12 noon. Couso himself and the Ukrainian reporter for Reuters, Tara Protsyuk, are struck by debris and shrapnel. Protsyuk dies almost immediately from his wounds. Severely wounded in the leg, Couso is rushed to the hospital by his partner Jon Sistiaga and Mexican cameraman Jorge Pliego, in scenes shown on Spanish TV. Couso holds on for a couple of hours, but succumbs to a massive state of shock, though doctors have done all they could despite the chaos and sheer number of Iraqi civilians coming in.

The explanations were murky and contradictory. Clearly underwhelmed by the need to explain what would be a minor incident in the victorious conquest of Baghdad, media general Vincent Brooks in Qatar lied, using the all-purpose “responding to enemy fire” defense. Radio communications up and down the chain of command, as overheard by embedded reporters, and a personal appeal to journalists from brigade commander Col. David Perkins suggested that there had been an attempt to prevent the Palestine from being targeted, but somehow it did not succeed, if in earnest (See report by the Committee to Protect Journalists: (www.cpj.org/Briefings/2003/palestine_hotel/palestine_hotel.html).

The Bush administration and the military always stated that the attack was unintentional. But as time develops their lies starts to crumble. I’m surprised by the lack of attention and in depth analysis of the Jessica Lynch and Pat Tilman stories. Probably the media don’t want to address their involvement in the propaganda machine? Most likely. But in the web of distraction, the Fog of War, I wouldn’t be surprised that the government filtered the Alec Baldwin message (they listen and record everything thanks to the Patriot Act ) in order to fuel America’s ADD and love affair with distraction and irrelevant news. (P.D. IRONY)

Next week I will be hosting a lecture from Giuliana Sgrena. She is an Italian journalist that was kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents in February 4, 2005. The Italian secret service coordinated and executed a rescue mission. Although her rescue was successful, her convoy was attacked by the US military’s “friendly fire” on their way to the airport. The mission commander Nicola Calipari was killed and Giuliana seriously injured. This situation brought distress within the Berlusconi and Bush administration.

By the time of her kidnap, Giuliana was working on a story of how the US forces used chemical weapons (phosphorus and napalm) at the battle of Falluja in their operation Phantom Fury. For an administration obsessed with shielding the truth that sounds like a good reason for the “friendly treatment”.

This Mortal Coil

When I was in high school, my history teacher knew of my interest (okay, obsession) with all things JFK. When we got to the Kennedy administration and assassination, he even let me "teach" class a little.

My teacher had a bookcase in the back of the classroom filled with books he thought every history student should read. One of them, a book called The Best and the Brightest, he let me borrow during second semester. It was an intense read, and a great glimpse into the inner power structures of the government at that time.

I thought of that book today while watching the news. Its author, David Halberstam, was killed in a car accident Monday morning in San Francisco.

At just thirty, Halberstam won the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Vietnam War. Halberstam originally supported the war but later disagreed with U.S. policies.

Also today, the Kremlin reported that Boris Yeltsin died at the age of 76. He was the first democratically elected President of of Russia, and served 1991-1999, when he resigned.

Former Soviet President Gorbachev said Monday: "I express my deep condolences to the family of the departed. He did a lot for this country, even though he committed serious errors. A tragic fate."

Indeed.

Olbermann vs. Cooper, Round Two

Keith Olbermann apparently has a problem with Anderson Cooper.

In a recent interview with New York Magazine, Olbermann said:

"Don’t tell me you don’t want to talk about personal life when you wrote a book about your father’s death and your brother’s death. You can’t move this big mass of personal stuff out for public display, then people ask questions and you say, ‘Oh, no, I didn’t say there was going to be any questions.’ It’s the same thing as the Bush administration saying, ‘We’re going to war, but you really aren’t allowed to know why."

and

"Don’t tell me you can’t talk about your personal life and then, when they send you overseas and you do a report that consists of your voice-over and pictures of you in a custom-made, blue-to-match-your-eyes bulletproof vest, looking somberly at these scenes of human devastation—like a tourist—and that’s your report. Your shtick is your personal life."

Is this jealousy over the "$50 million over the next five years" deal Cooper is about to sign with CNN?

(Please bear in mind that I'm not trying to start an argument over Cooper's sexuality. Thank you.)

A Freaking Bunny Gift

Hello everyone and HAPPY EASTER!

Today as an easter gift I'm sharing with all of you some unpublished images from a photo shoot Anderson Cooper did some time ago and that a good friend sent me. Sorry for the nasty watermarks ... click the image to enlage...

P.S. ... may we call it another exclusive?

And Now it is official, The O'Brians out

I seriously hate this! Soledad is probably one of the best reporters CNN US has. I hope they don't shove her. We all know the SIU are just recycled specials. CNN have officially become a follower not a trailblazer. Let's see what else Klein gets out of his butt... at least he didn't put Kiran to co-anchor Anderson Cooper 360.

the press release from CNN

CNN Names Kiran Chetry, John Roberts as Anchors of American Morning

Soledad O’Brien, Miles O’Brien Remain with Network as Special Correspondents

Kiran Chetry and John Roberts will debut as the new co-anchors of CNN's flagship morning program American Morning on Monday, April 16, it was announced today by Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. Soledad O’Brien and Miles O’Brien will remain at the network as featured special correspondents. American Morning airs on CNN/U.S. each weekday from 6 a.m. to 9 am (ET).

An award-winning veteran journalist, Roberts joined CNN in February 2006 after 14 years with CBS News as chief White House correspondent, chief medical correspondent and anchor of the Sunday edition of the CBS Evening News. Roberts has been serving as CNN's senior national correspondent, reporting extensively for CNN on politics as well as from the front lines in Iraq and last summer’s Middle East conflict, for which he recently won a prestigious National Headliner award.

Roberts reported from Baghdad and anchored the acclaimed CNN: Special Investigations Unit documentary, “Death Squads,” which examined the sectarian violence plaguing Iraq. Roberts anchors CNN’s This Week at War, the only weekly program focusing on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and America’s confrontations around the globe. He is also a main substitute on CNN programs including American Morning, Anderson Cooper 360º and Paula Zahn Now.

Chetry joined CNN in February and immediately began anchoring various CNN programs including American Morning, Anderson Cooper 360º, Paula Zahn Now and CNN Newsroom. Previously, Chetry was the anchor of Fox & Friends First and Fox & Friends Weekend for the Fox News Channel. She has covered major breaking news stories including reports from the field during the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Columbia Space Shuttle disaster, the invasion of Baghdad and Hurricane Katrina.

Chetry began her journalism career at News 21 in Rockville, Md., in 1995 before moving to WICU-TV in Erie, Penn., to become an anchor and health reporter. She then served as a morning anchor and reporter for KXTV in Sacramento, Calif., before joining Fox News in 2001. Chetry received her bachelor of arts in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland.

“I’ve admired John’s journalistic chops since we worked together at CBS more than a decade ago, and it’s not surprising that he’s now recognized as one of the premier broadcasters in the business,” Klein said. “As for Kiran, we’ve watched her light up the screen for years, and we are thrilled that she was able to join our team. She’s a breath of fresh air and a delight to work with, and it’s no wonder she’s already been embraced by CNN viewers.”

Soledad O'Brien will become anchor and special correspondent for CNN: Special Investigations Unit, reporting hour-long documentaries throughout the year and filing in-depth series on the most important ongoing and breaking news stories for all major CNN programs.

O’Brien has co-anchored CNN’s flagship morning program, American Morning, since she joined the network in July 2003 and distinguished herself by reporting from the scene on the transformational stories that broke on her watch. Her efforts following Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Phuket, Thailand, have earned her numerous awards and critical acclaim, further establishing her as a television journalist of the first rank. Earlier this year, the NAACP honored her with its President’s Award in recognition of her humanitarian efforts and journalistic excellence.

In recent months, O’Brien served as CNN’s point person for President George W. Bush’s visit to Mexico, delivering a series of eye-opening reports on conditions south of the border that fuel illegal immigration to the United States. She also anchored and reported a highly acclaimed CNN: Special Investigations Unit documentary featuring a never-before-seen look at Martin Luther King Jr.’s private writings, notes and teachings, which represent the foundation of King’s life’s work as a preacher and human rights activist; and her ongoing initiative entitled “Children of the Storm,” which provides video cameras to young Hurricane Katrina survivors so that they can tell their stories of trial and triumph in their own words and images.

“We are thrilled to be able to match Soledad’s passion and reporting instincts with our desire to create more long-form, investigative journalism,” Klein said. “She is the perfect person to lead our national coverage of major news stories and provide in-depth investigative reports that are the hallmark of CNN.”

Miles O’Brien becomes CNN’s chief technology and environment correspondent. O’Brien began anchoring American Morning in June 2005 and has served as the network’s space and aviation correspondent. Previously, he co-anchored the weekday newscast Live From with Kyra Phillips and anchored various other newscasts for CNN and Headline News.

Most notably, Miles has covered the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina with live reports across the region and in February 2003, O'Brien led CNN's coverage of the Columbia Space Shuttle tragedy, offering viewers exclusive information and uniquely insightful context based on his years of professional experience with and study of NASA and space exploration.

“As viewers’ concern about the environment and fascination with technology grows, there is no better guide than Miles O’Brien to separate fact from fantasy,” Klein said. “He lives and breathes this stuff and is able to explain these pressing subjects in a way that captivates and informs Americans at a critical moment in our history.”

American Morning, providing the most news in the morning on television, broadcasts weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. (ET) on CNN/U.S. Ed Litvak is the show’s executive producer.

Blabbing about Anderson Cooper's Apartment, Life in New York and the Power of the Media

Hi everyone! and a huge welcome to all the newbies, and thanks for all the links to the blog!

In your responses to our last post and your emails many of you have asked about the images of Anderson Cooper's apartment, mainly if they are drawings or photos, as we stated in the post the first one is a computer generated image called architectural rendering, the others are actual photos after the construction work was finished. They are legal and done with the consent of Anderson Cooper. He knew by whom and for what the photos were taken. And for those "with big imagination" no, we didn't passed ourselves as maids to enter the property and snatch the photos, it was done by a professional photographer. What I meant with the phrase "highly expected and imagined images" was that there have always been wild speculation about Anderson's properties ( someone speculating about Anderson? r you kidding?) many buzzed (like Curbed) about why he haven't moved to his new apartment and was renting (as he said at Regis and Kelly), obviously the place went through a massive construction phase and those of you who have gone through home renovations know how difficult it is, so that is why I used the phrase expected and imagined, many of us expected to see the results of the renovations and many others imagined how it would be and even went to great lengths stating how it was done . And at the end it is up to each of you to believe if it is the apartment or not, I am not here to convince anyone, to give further proof would then cross the line of public and private information.

Today we are having a guess blogger, the energy tornado that is Sharla Jones, I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did. And if you are interested in publishing here you might send your work at out main email, and of course we reserve the right of posting it!

###

New York, March 2007

One of the few things in time that will make me philosophical and prone to sitting around pondering the meaning of life is being wide awake for more than thirty hours.

I went to Manhattan again yesterday. I love New York City; the city itself seems to live and breathe. I’ve heard it called "the Big Apple", however, I liken it more as an onion.

Onions are pretty and round, shiny and smooth. So you put it there and you admire it, but after a few days the skin starts to wrinkle, peel, and slough off like so much the rot that it is. Then the stinging, sour, and bitter insides start to show and make your eyes water.

The meaning of life is NOT 42.

Whilst watching the sunrise during my train ride back to New Jersey, I was being rocked like a boat under a gentle breeze. The drunk yuppies were obnoxious. The stoner that sat in front of me and tried to strike up a conversation eventually fell over and passed out to my great relief. Don’t get me wrong, I fear NO man. This is not to say I am fearless, which I think implies recklessness and idiotic behavior. But I’m not afraid of anyone. Actually I’d be more afraid FOR the stupid individual that attempted to mug me, I’ll tell you that. But because I do not fear those around me, I watch them instead.

Like the true natured writer that I am, I of course have a notebook in my bag. On my train ride home I wrote this:

* * *

Observations of human nature....

It is never more painfully obvious to me, the hatred man has for himself and his fellow man, than to sit in Penn Station New York at four in the morning because I missed the one a.m. train.

Gone is the compassion and caring people may have for one another during the times of daylight. It’s as if when darkness comes, the evil and ugly side of New York comes to life from its dormant time of daytime slumber.

The men who slept on the sidewalk come awake and stagger through the halls, shaking their fists and shuffling their feet. The drunk bastards stumble from the bars and start fights in front of... anywhere. One will scream racial slurs, the others, homophobic hate.

The bowels of New York City at night reek of the stench of the disgust God must feel when He looks upon his creation and sees the muck they wallow and play in. The other smell comes from the morons I passed on the street- smoking pot on the street in front of cops and country. No one cares.

But as I sat in Penn Station next to the musician from Ireland, and his every other word was "fuck", I suddenly felt very tired, very unhappy, and very alone.

* * *

No one think I hate New York, please. I LOVE New York. I drink mochachino at Teany, I wander around Chelsea and Central Park, they’ve got some fantastic museums, and great food (Cuban is my favorite). But I felt as if I’d lost my way a bit, as last night I stood outside a place and talked to the person nearest to me. Something he said woke me from my daze.

He asked me about my shoes. I know that sounds odd, but it was because yesterday I bought a new pair of running shoes and I was standing there holding a giant Saucony box. That question was answered with my explanation of how I’m into long distance running, and I got the usual response of "Holy Cow you run HOW far every day?"

Of course, with me, a.k.a. the Energizer Bunny of talk, conversation ensued. After half an hour we were discussing physical training, proper exercise, diet, and all that sort of good stuff that is my manna to live and the reason I strive to become a Doctor. And then, he said one more thing that stopped me dead in my tracks.

"I don’t know what to do to be healthy. The only information I get is off my TV," he said. And I realized that’s true for a lot of people.

So I stood in the middle of New York City in the dark of the night under the glowing neon, holding a bag with very expensive running shoes, talking to some kid I didn’t even know, and I suddenly was thinking about the impact media has had on our lives.

I could go on and on about the history of media but I digress. The media is the most incredibly powerful medium I can think of. If you think about it, the power of the written word goes back to... the first written word. And how much of that information is completely wrong, misguided, or even harmful? How much of it is hateful, full of lies, and misleading? Things that make me go, "hmmm."

Let me just say that next time I go to New York City, I’m coming back after dinner. At least that way I won’t miss AC360.......

Sharla Jones

Inside Anderson Coopér's New Penthouse, A FreakSpeakers Exclusive!

PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK FOR UPDATED INFO
HERE

I know I haven't been around for awhile, but to make it up to you all and to welcome back Courtney I'm bringing you the highly expected and imagined images of Anderson Cooper's new penthouse, AND WHAT A PENTHOUSE! From a single loft it ended up as a triplex, his own oasis to disconnect from it all. I wouldn't need to go anywhere if I lived there... even little Molly has her green pad... no more dog walking! So enjoy and have a great weekend!

This is the architectural rendering of the construction addition. The terraces are to die for and must have a view to kill! Unfortunately the photos are not very good and I won't post them, but this give you a good idea of his very own heaven.

The Media Room, Anderson is not over with his sharks obsession... He must have the exact time code from that frame, because it is the same from the old photo spread. I just LOVE the wall treatment... and I could bet those units are Roche Bobois... that plasma is huge, I wouldn't want to watch Tiara Girls on that!

Master Bedroom View A, a William Wegman original photograph presides the main wall. Notice the sexy glass wall that divides the shower from the sleeping area.

The Master Bedroom View B, notice Wyatt Cooper's portrait and the Wood Bench and NO TV! Love the gas fireplace.

The kitchen, Italian design with an ash wood finish.

This is the guest room, very sterile and hotel like... in order for them to not overstay? Even the Mac is white... it needs a splash of color!

This Crap We Call the News

They must be reading FreakSpeakers over at JibJab.com:

What We Call the News | Send To Friends | Funny Animations at JibJab

Did you see Anderson? Me too.

ANS Overload; Adams and Paisley Meet in Belfast

This evening I was reminded why I quit watching CNN as often as before.

"News as Entertainment"--or is it "Entertainment as News?"-- is a disturbing trend. It's becoming clear, at least in my mind, that the news shows believe the average American has only a few marbles rolling around upstairs and could really care less about the actual news, so garbage stories about Anna Nicole Smith's autopsy results (and the pending paternity test results of her daughter Danielynn) are repeated ad nauseum.

As John Stossell says so eloquently, "Give me a break!"

Is this really all Americans care about? I have more faith in my fellow countrymen than that.

For our international readers, please comment about your own news services. Unlike Chris, I'm no journalism expert and don't know how these things work. Does CNN Inernational focus on more news or entertainment? I know the BBC is pretty reliable, but don't know about other countries. I'm curious, so please, fill me in.

Makes me wonder why the American news is this way. If you're at all conspiracy-minded, you'll turn to Operation Mockingbird for answers. But if you find such information hard to swallow, you'll perhaps shrug it off, finish your beer, and happily return to the umpteenth Anna Nicole Smith story being regurgitated on TV tonight.

Please tell me I'm not the only person thinking this way...
*****

On a happier note (at least, in my opinion), something cool went down in Belfast today. Two enemies sat down together at a table and hammered out a deal.

Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, and Ian Paisley, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, worked out an agreement to share government powers. This is an historic moment because the two men had never met before in person and they represent two opposing factions: Sinn Fein is notorious for being the political arm of the Irish Republican Army (calling for the withdrawal of the UK from the six counties of Northern Ireland), and the Democratic Unionist Party does not want Northern Ireland to leave the UK. To put it mildly, they've been at each other for years.

And now it looks as though they're going to leave the past behind and work on a sustainable government...together. Here's hoping it works.

In case you're interested on more of this story, here are a few links:

Sinn Fein's official website

Democratic Unionist Party's website

History of the Troubles in Ireland

The BBC's website on the Troubles

As with anything of this magnitude, there are no easy answers, but today's meeting appears to be a step in the right direction.

Welcome Back Blogger; Gonzales to Resign?

Well, I never thought I'd say so on this blog, but...

I'm back.

I'd hung up my blogging hat and moved on back in December, or so I thought, due to assorted issues with the blog and my realisation that writing for this blog was becoming a job instead of being fun. I was spending far too much time on the computer discussing CNN, far too much time watching CNN, and far too little time involved in my "real life."

So I went away.

And now I'm back. Why?

Well, why not? I miss writing. I've got my own journal but miss the larger audience this blog provides. I miss talking about news and politics.

So here I am. Again.

What's new with all of you? Leave me a comment and let me know how you're doing.
******

Is Alberto Gonzales going to resign? Looks like support within the GOP is dissolving. Over at MSNBC, they've an article that refers to some comments made by Arlen Specter which make it clear the Senate is playing hardball:

"“We have to have an attorney general who is candid, truthful and if we find that he has not been candid and truthful, that’s a very compelling reason for him not to stay on,” Specter said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”"

Dianne Feinstein didn't mince words by calling for Gonzales to resign:

"“I believe he should step down,” said Feinstein, also on the Senate Judiciary Committee. “And I don’t like saying this. This is not my natural personality at all. But I think the nation is not well served by this. I think we need to get at the bottom of why these resignations were made, who ordered them, and what the strategy was.”"

And Senator Chuck Hagel admitted that impeachment charges for President Bush are "an option." Hagel said because President Bush insists on ignoring the will of the American public and the wishes of Congress by sending more troops to Iraq, "there are ways to deal with that."

So, do Hagel's comments have merit?

And will Gonzales resign?

Anderson Cooper and Simon Cowell, the 60 Minutes interview

For all of our international readers, enjoy!



Thanks Ivy!

An Anderson Cooper 360 Planet in Peril Preview

This is what we will most likely to be seeing on the next edition of the Planet in Peril series:

"I like this pussy..."

"Jeff, are you sure it won't jump? I kinda miss the frogs..."

"This one I can eat. BBQ please!"And of course the AWW, CUTE! the money shot!

I only hope they really get their act together this time... Ask. Believe. Receive. Yeah Right!

P.S. Thanks for the pics!

The mysterious Anderson Cooper Blog entry: From snow to Southeast Asia

Maybe it got confused with the Bermuda Triangle and it dissapeared... and
I bet no one checks the right column news tickers or cares... probably I need to get a better use for that column.


Friday, March 16, 2007

From snow to Southeast Asia

New Yorkers awoke this morning to a fresh blanket of snow. It was admittedly somewhat jarring. (Remember when you were a kid and snow was so exciting, at what age does it become annoying?)

I'm heading to Southeast Asia tomorrow morning, so there's always a lot of last minute stuff I have to do, and trudging through the snow just makes it that much harder. I've been getting shots for things I'd never even heard of, who knew you need a vaccine for Japanese Encephalitis? For years I never got shot when I traveled. I figured it wasn't worth the hassle. Considering my cameraman Neil was hospitalized after our recent Brazil trip (he'd been bitten by a spider according to one doctor) and my other cameraman Phil had some bug lay eggs inside him, I've decided to get all the shots I can, and I've promised myself I will actually take my malaria medicine with me this time.

We'll be in Southeast Asia next week broadcasting from a variety of locations. I went to school in Vietnam in the early 1990's but I've only been back to the region once since then. I went for the elections in Cambodia, and I'm looking forward to returning to see how the region has changed. We'll be reporting on environmental issues for our "Planet in Peril" series, but we'll also be looking at sex trafficking, in particular the trafficking of children, which is particularly bad in Cambodia.

We had our morning call earlier today, and there are a number of stories we are following for tonight's broadcast. The morning call is always interesting, folks call in from home or the gym or wherever they are to talk about what's happening today. You can usually hear a couple of kids in the background as producers try to maximize time with their families and get work done at the same time.

Plastered in the middle of our newsroom is this dry-erase board. It's where we lay out the day's show. The words "Ask Believe Receive" are written on the top. I think someone put it up there as a joke when we did a segment on "The Secret." No one's bothered to erase it yet.

Anyway, we were just meeting in front of what we call the "big board." And for now, it's a work in progress. That's okay, it's early. Usually, whatever we put on the board now gets changed later anyway. Still, there are some stories that will definitely make the cut.

One of them is Valerie Plame Wilson. The former CIA operative testified before Congress today and blamed the White House for blowing her cover. But is that true? The Washington Post had put out an editorial several years ago saying, Plame's husband was actually responsible for what happened to her career. I asked him about that a couple of weeks ago and he categorically denied it. We'll look at the facts and find out what exactly she was doing over at the agency.

Jeff Koinange has a fascinating profile about the very strange President of Gambia. This guy has no formal medical training, but he claims he can cure people of AIDS. Actually he claims he can only do it on certain days of the week. He says the treatment came to him in a dream.

From there, things get really bizarre. It's a really interesting story, the kind you won't see anywhere else.

That's it for now. I'm off to take another look at the big board.

Ask. Believe Receive. Sure, why not?

Posted By Anderson Cooper: 2:32 PM ET
0 Comments | Add a Comment

For those of you on a High Protein diet...

... or for those with acute Cranitis Rectitis, this will bring you a smile!

Anderson Cooper is leaving tomorrow and YOU READ IT HERE FIRST!

Anderson Cooper is leaving tomorrow to Asia, The Golden Triangle, the core of the region's illegal drug, human and animal traffic.

I hope they are better prepared this time.... I REALLY HOPE!

Anderson Cooper at Live with Regis and Kelly, March 13

We almost didn't make it!wwff
First I want to thank Ivy for recording the show and sending me the clips, that's why it is edited in so many small segments ( oh! the perils of emails!)... and the Technical Support People of YouTube for helping us accessing our account.

For all of our readers, particularly those overseas, here it is:
Anderson Cooper Hosting Live! with Regis and Kelly, Tuesday March, 13.

Have fun!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Anderson Cooper on his way to Asia, have a safe trip!

Ivy gave me the heads up!

From Loyola University's newsletter:

"His speaking agent said he had to fly out to Asia either this Friday or Saturday morning and wouldn't return until the day after his scheduled appearance," said Jake Parvino, vice president of the University Programming Board and management"

Be safe Anderson, and if you are going to Iraq, say hello to Michael and Nic!

Anderson Cooper hosting Live with Regis and Kelly!, for those of you who missed it...

For those of you who missed it, or don't have access to ABC network, here it is: Anderson Cooper subbing for Regis!











The 60 minutes promo! Anderson Cooper interviews Simon Cowell

Aló Sr. Presidente!...¿cuándo se va?

Well, the lame duck arrived in Latin America, a region ignored - THANK GOD! we all know how this administration pays attention... Iraq wink wink? - for the last 7 years by the USA. The media is filled by images of anti Bush manifestations within his paths and the planned “exorcisms” that shamans are having after Bush leaves the zone. Bad vibes? No doubt! For many, Bush deserves a seat of honor among the hall of the distinguished hall of assassins and dictators such as CIA's friends Pinochet, Videla, Stroessner, Batista, Noriega, Perez Jiménez, Banzer, Trujillo, Duvalier, Duvalier Jr, Somoza, Castillo Armas, García Meza, Cedrás and Ríos Montt which have flooded the region with blood and torture with the help of trained operatives from the CIA through Operación Cóndor just for the corporate fear of the United States of a socialist revolution.

Under the watch of the USA and its foreign policies, over 2,000,000 have “disappeared” throughout Latin America, a term which translates to killed, tortured, buried in mass graves, thrown to the ocean, raped, burnt, kidnapped children, human trade, slavery, ethnic cleansing through the massacre of Indians in Guatemala as denounced by 1992 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Rigoberta Menchu , among other “creative” human rights violations enforced through the zone. I could bet my life, that History classes within the USA education system never address this characters and their atrocities. Nor you will see any documentary over the History Channel. Why should they? They are just a bunch of Hispanics, massacred, with their human rights violated, they are after all, as Lou Dubbs claims, people who don’t deserve to flee the persecution, the misery and extreme poverty. All for the sake of establishing “freedom” aka MacDonald’s and its likes

Ironically, Bush’s lack of attention to the region was the fertile soil for what they feared the most: socialism.

During the last seven years Latin America has been turning to the left, and in gigantic leaps. US policies such as Helms-Burton and Torricheli focused in strangling the Cuban government, when in reality it only closed the commercial trade between the two countries, allowing European, Canadian, and Mexican entrepreneurs to have exclusive market presence. But other countries saw and learned from the Cuban revolution. They understood the need of administrating their resources and create capital in order to be able to develop their social transformations. Important programs were implanted, and the urge to overturn 500 years of social abuse and differences.

Brazil – Luis Inacio Lula da Silva , a union leader and socialists that won the presidency in 2002 thanks to a left wing coalition with an astonishing 56.7 million votes and recently re-elected with 58.2 million votes.

Under his presidency, Brazil has kept it strengths throughout the international markets. His social reforms are focused in combating famine, access to potable water, fight child labor and Indian slavery – where for the first time since its foundation, Indians were granted constitutional rights.

Unlike how it was presented by Anderson Cooper 360, Brazil is an international leader in renewable and alternative energy and sources. The development of Curitiba is something that should be copied throughout the world.

Bolivia – Evo Morales , a communist indigenous coca leaf farmer and 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Candidate , became President of Bolivia in 2006. Bolivia is one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves, and the profits due to its exploitation used to flee its national economy in the hands of multinational companies. We have to keep in perspective, that Bolivia is one of the poorest countries of the region. In May 1, Labor Day ) 2006, Morales signed a decree that stated the blueprint for the nationalization of the Gas Exploitation Companies and Resources. The profits will fund alphabetization, educational and health projects.

Chile - Michelle Bachelet In a country predominantly conservative Catholic – The Opus Dei is a force to be reckon with there- , the fact that a woman, atheist, single mother, pro divorce, pro choice, socialist and a survivor of torture during the Pinochet regimen gained the presidency is in itself a Miracle.

Venezuela – Hugo Chavez. Oh Hugo! A character out of a Gabriel García Marquez novel. He is taking socialism to the next level. For the first time the “petro dólares” are been used for the development of the impoverish groups in Venezuela. From the development of recycled housings with petroleum by products, free health clinics and adult and children alphabetizing programs, Chavez is spreading the wealth. He is a “rock star” among Venezuelans and other impoverished countries. And the claim that Bush is “El Diablo” has echoed throughout the region in a magic realism way that can only compete with Cien Años de Soledad.

But maybe Chavez, shamans and priests are up to something when they claim a “cleansing ceremony is needed” after Bush leaves the region.

Sins of Our Fathers

My heart goes out to Thomas Roberts and all of those that have been abused by the Church. Unlike other Christian denominations, the Catholic Church has always been sexually repressive, with views that sex is only permissible for reproduction purposes. Priests and Nuns are married to the Church, and are meant to keep a vow of chastity among other.

Priests are supposed to be leaders, counselors, someone to trust as you would trust The Father. They have access, through the rite of confession, to your most inner demons. To take advantage of someone who is seeking solace, not only is predatory, but deep inside shows a rotten instinct that makes you even turn against your vows and promise to God. And if you believe in sins, that for me, would be the worst one.

As guilty as we – Catholics - are raised to feel about our body and sexuality, you add shame, humiliation and confusion it is the perfect mental storm. NO ONE DESERVES THAT!

Someone once told me that being a good Catholic was hard, that its rules and dogmas were the reason why many churches and Christian denominations deserted the Church in order to seek more flexible rules ( like decapitating your wife in order to remarry).

But the truth is, if you are going to become a priest or a nun, you know what you are going into. Their preparation takes years. And if you can’t control your urges, just get out! It is not a matter of sexual preference. It is a matter that this people chose and vowed to not have sex at all. And the respect and the trust that is granted by their order is something to respect, it is basic human decency.

But somehow, I think the Church lost its way. Gone are the times of social justice and renovation of Pope John XXIII and Paul VI. The winds of change were shut down, in came the cult of personality and the return to orthodoxy. I was lucky, my schools were Jesuits and Redentorists, it could have been Mercedarians.

But I’m glad this abuse is been brought to the open, it must be discussed and justice have to be made.

I only hope they might heal.

Tourists Attractions

Soledad O’Brian is in Mexico, and the promos for American Morning shows her inside one of the tunnels in the Mexico-USA border. When I first saw it, my first thought was Anderson Cooper already did that story, but her key phrase was they are Tourists Attractions… WTF?

Some people have claimed that AC360 is staging the stories, like the Afganistan Base attack, Lebanon and Planet in Peril “jungle”, was the immigration piece also “staged”? I don’t know and I hope not.

Which goes back again to my constant bickering: the lack of production and research! Last Friday they ran a re-run of Anderson Cooper’s Hollenbeck Gangs story. It was a literal before and after. He was incisive, he seemed involved, it was well researched and documented. It was Anderson Cooper at his best. Would it be too much to ask them to go back to basics? It’s Anderson Cooper’s credibility at stake. And they are playing with it. As a producer you protect your talent and your stories. And CNN is failing miserably with both.

Just a little fresh air....

Some Anderson Cooper photos to fresh up your day...

I love this one from Beirut.

Vanity Fair

Friends in Deed

NYU University

Streets of Manhattan

When ignorance is bliss, innocence is butchered by arrogance and ego fueled by ignorance itself… a tale not to be forgotten!

First of all, for my regular readers and friends: please forgive my absence. I really appreciate those of you who were worried. And of course I owe you an explanation of my last post that I think was misunderstood. My most sincere apologies.

My offline activities have taken over my regular schedule, a friend visiting from Madrid, a lot of work – which is always good - , editorial meetings, etc. That forced me to stay away from the blog and posting. Just as Courtney and Jade (¡BESITOS!), sometimes you have to set your priorities, and we blogged for fun, it was never intended to become our life reason nor our life validation forum and real life does get complicated.

As for me, I like to blog mostly to practice my English (I know it sucks! But I bet your Spanish is not that better ;) ) and be silly – some say sadistically cynic - . I deal with enough serious matters on a daily basis at work to take blogging and the blogosphere THAT serious. Oh the blogosphere! A place that behaves more like a school yard sand box than a gathering place. But it is worth the exercise, both in the sociological and creative ways, and we had had our great moments and I hope there will be more to come!

I also have to thank this weird space for some great people I have met on and offline. Starting with the former moderators Courtney and Jade, both extraordinary brilliant women, both with very busy and committed paths in life, the staple of Freaks: Ivy and Marie, such different forces of their own! And all of our regular unique visitors (commenter, readers, lurkers and even trolls – with your own (the trolls) brand of stupidity that just cracks me up! -).

Going back to my last post, March 1:

“.... and I'm still trying to recover. It was a very sad epiphany. Suddenly many things were crystal clear. I'm trying to regain hope within a hopeless equation. Looking back in time, makes me wonder if a career of almost 20 years was just garbage in a recycle bin. It really broke my heart, and not even the cynic in me can see a funny or positive side... I chatted about it with some colleagues and their jaw dropped further down than the stock market...

where are we headed to?

... more to come. I hope.”

It is not a state secret that I am related to the media. Some might believe it, some might not. I honestly think it is better if you don’t believe it; I like the privacy that online nicks provide. That post was a gut reaction of one account about Anderson Cooper’s interview with Walter Cronkite at the Judaism University in Los Angeles, California. It was such a heat breaking reading: (“ I really am not interested in Walter, so I just stared at Anderson and watched how he reacted to him and stuff.”), the images just flew over my head. Not interested in Walter Cronkite ? A living legend, journalism pioneer, historical figure and the person for whom the word Anchor (as in journalism) was coined? All the world turning events this man has witnessed first hand, and not be interested? MY HEART SHRUNK. And as I said: it was a sad epiphany. If someone like Cronkite won’t get the deserved recognition after 50 years of a spectacular career, what can someone like me expect? The reality of the industry is that the 300K+ daily copies my newspaper prints will end in a garbage can or a recycle bin and the 1.8 million daily hits the online version gets, will get lost within the ocean of bits of ceros and ones that comprises the internet. I try to put myself at Anderson Cooper’s position and no wonder he is a pessimistic as he said at in the Po Bronson interview .

A journalist job is to inform. We are the medium (hence the name media) through issues, information are presented to the masses (public). A journalist is NOT the story. Which brings me to the eternal critic we have had at this blog and shared by CNN’s founder Ted Turner of how they are marketing the network and the transition from information business to the cult of personality .

How can serious issues be address and decided upon if the information provided is sugar coated? Tailored just for aesthetics. That in itself is the tragedy that the USA media is facing. People don’t care of the life threatening situations journalists go through just to gather information, and all people care is about how cute they look? Recently Jeff Koinange was mobbed while in company of his family just after his Nigerian report. Bob Woodroff cheated death covering Iraq, and just think of all the journalists recently killed for bringing YOU the news. Fuck the ties!

Are we Anti Anderson?

There is the second point I want to share with you. A reader recently sent me an email with a copy of some comments made in a forum that claimed this blog was Anti Anderson Cooper. I can’t recall a single post at this blog that would be offensive towards Mr. Cooper. One thing is Mr. Anderson Cooper, other the show that bears his name, other Time Warner and CNN. If people can’t understand the difference it’s really THEIR problem, not ours. Are we entitled to criticize Anderson Cooper 360 and CNN? Of course. We pay for it. Or you will be happy if a restaurant serves you rotten meat?

The editorial position of The Freakspeakers have always been to be respectful towards Mr. Cooper and his private life. If you think talking about Mr. Cooper’s ass as if he were a piece of meat is respectful, or emasculating him, that is your problem. People lose perspective that CNN, agents and even family members constantly lurk around blogs and forums – and those of you with blogs with site meters have to agree -. And it is downright offensive for Cooper and his family. That, for me, is being Anti Anderson.

Due to past experiences at other boards and blogs, we decided to allow commentators to be free. People are held responsible of their comments and images. Personally I am guilty of not even checking them on a daily basis and really can’t spend my entire day checking who is trolling, who is being naughty or who is being nice. The best I could do was to have them forwarded to an email account. And only few times we have decided to delete a comment.

That been said, for those of you pointing fingers at us, at least read the posts before you make your claims. And if you decide that you still hate us, at least credit us for the image of your Avatar, we appreciate the free promotion. Wink, Wink.

Offline, but not under a rock… the interngate!

When I thought things couldn’t get worse, along came the interngate. A lot of people have their opinion on this issue, it even made it to mainstream online zines like Huffington Post and Radar, and obviously back to CNN. Some comments were so outrageous that they even blame me of the incident. Truth is, I don’t even know who she is. I am not a member of “the private, password protected community for which you have be referred and take a test in order to be admitted”, I understand that in such a close environment the paranoia must be reigning free. And they always have to blame someone. But it wasn’t me.

I’m a true believer of internships, particularly within the media industry. I got my professionalfirst break thanks to an internship as a freshman on a local TV station. I was asked to stay and never looked back. A lot of doors opened for me. When I graduated, I had a hefty résumé. My then professor always drilled us about how in this industry there is not much space for mistakes, you close a door once and it is virtually impossible to open it again. When I became a professor, I was a maniac trying to place my students in different media outlets. And I “burst with pride” whenever I see them over the airwaves – some even from Atlanta and NY -.

I feel so bad for this girl Rachel, and even that I don’t know her, I feel embarrassed of how this situation was handled and the repercussions it will have in her real life. And it is something people don’t even seem to care. There are two kinds of spinning, Trump like or Hill and Knowlton like. She chose to fight like Trump. Bad call.

Internships, are above all, a privilege. It is very competitive to access places like CNN, and for those who are accepted in the program, the future looks golden, just as it looking for Emily Rotberg When you are asked to leave an internship within a corporation it automatically shuts all its doors towards you. It’s Time Warner for heaven sake! One of the largest contents conglomerates in the world. When you messes things up at that level, there is a saying, calladita te ves más bonita! or you look cuter with your mouth shut in English. You try to keep your name clean. In this circumstances silence is the best counselor and the ego your worst enemy.

But as I stated earlier, she pulled a Trump. I bet Eliza and her blog had the best of intentions – although I’m sure Eliza’s self righteous ego got the best of her – and decided to take on the giant. Jumped in to accuse – something I have to admit she has a flair for - a company of violating an individual’s constitutional rights, what she stated as the “ethical behavior” the intern had as for not going public, she single handily crushed. Some outlets picked on the story, and obviously so did CNN. But unfortunately for this woman, not all attention is positive. Something that was meant to be a good bye for the CNN crew (couldn’t she just sent them an email, a registered letter or a phone call to say thanks?) brought scavengers over her. Thanks to Eliza’s post, her privacy was violated all over the internet and her possible real name disclosed. Was there any real need to bring this attention to this girl? No. Not only Time Warner has red flagged her, but probably other media outlets and corporations.

And I bet that exchanging information with Rachel Sklar, won’t help her either. Sklar was the mediabistro blogger that entered CNN during the night shift and took photos inside the premises without their consent and against the company’s policies, for which the employee that gave her access was fired.

Security breach is and will always be a big concern for networks and corporations. In Anderson Cooper’s case, the man is hounded. It was really sad to see the paparazzi photos of him leaving a supermarket at Time Warner Center. Being under siege affects your private life, and it seems that his only refuge is his work, and for those who has worked on TV news knows it is a cut throat environment and inside teams know were their loyalty have to stand if they want to keep their jobs. Information leaks are intolerable, and I believe that he deserves to at least be able to trust those around him at CNN.

At the comments section of my March 1, a controversy raised regarding Eliza’s charges against this blog. To be completely honest with my readers, this is something I was willing to keep away from public exposure, (remember the saying calladita te ves más bonita?), but she brought it up in the worse way possible forcing me to address the issue.

Last year I received an email of a friend that is very active within the Anderson Cooper Communities giving me a heads up about Eliza’s intentions and mean spirited comments about the blog. I barely knew Eliza, and truly gave her the benefit of the doubt. I have always though she went through great lengths basically blogging over AC360’s run down and I visit the blog once in while, although I am not an active participant, then again, I barely participate IN MY BLOG!

Then at the beginning of this year, a friend contacted me and stated that Eliza had concrete plans to threat the blog. I waited, with disbelief, until I received the email. It made me laugh! It was a threat veiled with concern. Since when anyone has to excuse their blogging. Blogger.com is clear in its rules, they only interfere with Child Porn and Hate Speech and they don’t attend issues regarding “blog wars”. And if something I have learn is that you don’t react to that kind of threat. It is worthless. Its only intention is to intimidate (call it cyber mobbing or harassment ) and usually people already have their mind set, so there is no actual use to get into a controversy.

Things started to unfold. While I didn’t answer the email, we started receiving trolls (one of them recently appointed a mod at AC360review) . People who never participated nor visited (upon the sitecounter’s registered data) started to state the same charges than Eliza, and funny enough most had a similar traffic pattern. Eliza endorsed a friend to be a member of the “the private, password protected community for which you have be referred and take a test in order to be admitted” and she was turned down because she participates in this blog and is considered close to me… WTF?!, then, while I was recuperating of the Cronkite shock, she emailed a frequent reader luring her to join her in trashing the blog. If I hadn’t read the emails, I wouldn’t have believed it.

I understand the circle the “ander communities” have. And trashing, trolling and blaming comes with the territory. But at least no one can say I go around posing as a white sheep, when in reality its a wolf…

So there you have it. My moment of Zen.

few things keep me mute...

.... and I'm still trying to recover. It was a very sad epiphany. Suddenly many things were crystal clear. I'm trying to regain hope within a hopeless equation. Looking back in time, makes me wonder if a career of almost 20 years was just garbage in a recycle bin. It really broke my heart, and not even the cynic in me can see a funny or positive side... I chatted about it with some colleagues and their jaw dropped further down than the stock market...

where are we headed to?

... more to come. I hope.

Anderson Cooper at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Maybe Craig wants some hints for his new Bond movie...






these images courtesy of Charbonneau from WireImages