Gryffindor

I know I've done this before, but seeing Stephen Colbert join the fray just meant too much to me:

Bad, CNN. Bad.

Well, CNN, lovely new promo. Too bad the whole point went moot when you blurred out everything on Hala's passport.

Oh, Hala. It's not like everyone who paid attention to the ad weren't already rabid fans who just wanted to know your birthday. We all know where you're born, and the citizenship you hold. Okay, we didn't know some things that the promo revealed, but, well, you didn't know you had such rabid, rabid fans.

Pity Alessio Vinci if he were to be given a similar promo.


What else did I want to talk about... oh, yes. The, as Vic put it, "forum exodus". Can you blame the founders of the lovely cnnfan.org? I'm sure they would never create the following threads:

Seriously.

Markus, I'm sure you're a nice guy, and you are owed much for even creating cnnfan.com. But complaining that your site's "too popular"?
Funniest thing, as I was browsing, the same user currently online showed up on both the .org and .com forums.
If only for going back and streamlining the A&R forums (mixing the shallow and the not-so-shallow aspects of our dearests), much kudos to the .org founders.
But simply out of gratitude for starting the thing, I'm keeping the .com on the links.

ho hum.

August 7. (Or the weekend of August 7, because some people get it before we in Asia do.)

trespass

Okay, I'll come right out and say it: I tune Hala out sometimes.
Yesterday (the other day to other time zones), I switched to CNN, saw Hala, tried to pay attention, got bored (!!), and switched the DVD player on.
Last night I was too damn tired to even stay up for YWT to see if Hala would be on. The chances were good, but I was too exhausted to care.
Yes, I have trespassed against Miss Gorani.
I'll make up for it inevitably. Maybe later.


Now, to a lighter note:

"Yes, honey. Yes. No, I'm at work. You don't have the right to be complaining when you're so busy updating that Hala Gorani blog of yours. I work at CNN too, you know."

Yes, I'm insane.
And, *tear* All Things Cooper has disappeared from the face of the earth.
Oh, and Andy, I'm sorry about Jon Stewart's joke about your almost being cut into 180. I'm sorry I found it funny.


Today's picture courtesy of rissa_bravo from the Andy Cooper thread at the forum. Used without permission. Hehe.

Guillermo, I'm onto you

Mr. Weatherman (formerly Guillermo Arduino) is flirting with Hala. I can tell. I can smell it.

- Hala.
- Anderson Cooper.
- Andy Cooper sporting the wet look. By the way, someone's earning his CNN keep. First London, then Florida?
- Andy's dive as his crew warns him to get out of the way as a sign starts to tear away nearby, debris going right past Andy and the gang. I love a man in hurricanes.
- Hala and Guillermo discussing the tornado in Atlanta. (And Hala's car!)
- Hala and Lola Martinez discussing the tornado in Atlanta. (And the nice secure concrete walls of the CNN Center.)
- Hala and Andy addressing each other.


- Jim Clancy.

Live from London

Where to start with the London attacks. Well, my sympathies and support, I guess, to start with.

Moving on to more shallow matters.

Nice to see Zain on the not-so-twilight hour of HKT, but what the heck was the deal with her makeup? I love Zain, I do, but that was pretty bad makeup/studio lighting combination.

Lovely way to wake up: Anderson Cooper 360 on CNNi. Honey. :)

But, seriously, and I agree with Spitfire on this one: if you're going to use Atlanta-based anchors to talk about London, wouldn't it be wise to use an anchor who used to be based in London? Yes, I'm talking about Hala (duh).
And where's Questy?

Seeing Christiane, I recall what used to be on Vic's signature at the forum: "Amanpour is coming? Are we in trouble?"

Hopefully Hala will be on at her regular shift later.

blast from the past

I'm suffering a headache right now, so I'm totally procrastinating on work. I came upon the "The First Time" thread on the forum, and it got me thinking.

The first time I took note of Hala was... holy crap, a long time ago. It was still BizNews, Paris St. German was on top of the French first division league... that would be, what, six, seven years ago?

Anyway. Last night I was so bored I went through my video collection to watch the French Open final between Steffi Graf and Martina Hingis. (Because it's the damn best final ever, if only for the emotional breakdown of the Swiss Miss.) Anyway, a part of that tape has Saxon Baines.

I can't find a good enough picture that justifies Saxon Baines, so you'll have to take my word for it.

This was at a time that I followed Formula One, the NHL, tennis, and Man United. So for someone pretty to be hosting World Sport, Saxon Baines owned what to me then could be my dream job (she interviewed Goran and Steffi and Boris in the same week!!! damn her!!!). This was, of course, the era of Pedro Pinto, Graeme Joffe and some other people who are by no means worthy to be described as "pretty".

Why am I discussing this on this blog?
Because when Saxon left/disappeared, I had latched on to the next pretty too-smart-for-her-own-good and too-witty-to-be-grave blonde (cosmetic as that hair may be), which, of course, was Hala.


the end.
*bow*

Hala's taste in music

Edith Piaf, I understand.

@Spitfire: Okay, granted, she may have been being ironic/sarcastic/wry when she said she liked Def Leppard (see Vic's comment, which was my initial reaction). But, Abba? When she announced that to the world, I wanted to be Tony Campion and stare at her in absolute wonder, because, really, why?

Somebody should send Hala one of those annoying teenybopper questionnaires that ask for favorite color, favorite movie, favorite music, book, blahblahblah...

The Anchor's New Clothes

I've noted this a lot in recent posts, but Hala's clothes of choice have gotten remarkably lighter in color and hue in recent days. I'm not complaining, because at least this way she seems a little more relaxed, even casual, and she's finally given that blazer of hers some down time.

But, wow. Yesterday's cream-and-white combo then this morning's baby blue? Hmmn.


"They got married in the Carribean, lalala, bring out the violins..."
-Hala, abusing sarcasm on World News (03 July 2005),
re: the Ben Affleck-Jennifer Garner nuptials


quickedit: On the official Anchors&Reporters forum, Hala's thread is on the third page.

And Hala's a Def Leppard fan? Really?

Live 8

Oh, Hala. Where do I begin to discuss how I enjoyed your shift yesterday (or, to be local time about it, this morning)?

Was it your clothes, which made you look casual, relaxed, but in a professional way? I love the lightened hues of your recent outfits, by the way.

Was it the fact that you were mostly talking to people from CNN London, a throwback to your days in Europe?

Was it Richard Quest, reporting from Philly, so near to Atlanta? (*hoping for a reunion...*)

Was it the fact that you were on air, introducing you own program (ItME, of course)?

Was it your skepticism (and lack of impression) over some of the acts lined up?

Was it the fact that some of the music playing in London whenever you checked in were Annie Lennox, The Killers, and Velvet Revolver?

On a related note, my own opinion over Question of the Day: What do (you) think of celebrities backing causes?
My two cents' worth is that it's nice, and everything, in terms of raising awareness. But in terms of policy change? We all know how effective that is (*insert eye-rolling here*). For example, when Mike D. of the Beastie Boys, who campaigns heavily for Tibet, says jump, does China really say "How high?"

Oh, and I love how Hala, probably smarting over that publicity-hungry Turkish TV host, chose not to air any part of their interview on Inside the Middle East. Ha!

maggie lake's hair

I wasn't even going to comment on Hala taking over for Tumi, because CNN's (finally) wised up and put Hala on a permanent post with a co-anchor. We've always known she's --somebodystopmei'mabouttogush-- wonderful with a copresenter.

But, yay, more Hala.

On the other hand, does this mean the end of her weekend shifts? Hmmmn...


Anyway, last night's broadcast amused me so. Why?

- Guillermo is stalking Hala, I can feel it.
- Michael and Hala. The two have a good flow going on, a relief from the gravity of Jim Clancy (I had to do it. Mr.Talking Head did not amuse me last night.).
- The lighting of the studio's gotten better.
- Michael's mockery of Jonathan Mann's makeup.
- Guillermo's mockery of Michael's makeup.
- Hala.
- The remarkable lightness of Hala's clothing choices recently.
- Hey, is that a new blazer/suit jacket?
- Michael's tie. We know you're colorful, Holmes, but...
- The seaturtles of Oman story.
- Hey, Vic, how much do you love the CIA and Italian intelligence in their they said/we said fight over the missing Egyptian cleric?
- The prettiness that is Guy Raz. I'm sorry, but in my book he's less handsome, more pretty.
- Maggie Lake's hair.

Why, you ask. What was wrong with Maggie Lake's hair?
Try it looked like she just came from a very windy location. Maybe it's my imagination. But I saw her and I thought, um, do you need a comb?

Anyhoo, I love the Michael-Hala tandem. Not as much as the Hala-Questy pairing, but at least this pair don't aggravate each other on purpose.
**rofl, remembering Richard and Hala**


"I'm still Hala Gorani, last time I checked."
- Hala, after Michael starts signing off without referring to her.
(06-30-2005)


Oh, post note: Local TV showed the Conan O'Brien interview with Anderson Cooper last night. My dear spiritual boyfriend. Neither Michael Holmes nor Guy Raz can compare to you.

One last thing: The Hala thread on the forum has become (much) less active since the new rules. See? I told you, our (us Hala fans') obsession is so thorough that there is a very thin line between serious and light topics we'd discuss about my (our) favorite anchor.