hmmm.

Did Hala change her outfit from Your World Today to Headlines? I can't be sure (and I could've been too sleepy to be remembering this correctly), but I think she was wearing blue on YWT and a cream-colored thing on Headlines.

Can someone please tell me I wasn't hallucinating?


Oh, the many ways I loved the Hala Gorani - Salman Rushdie interview.
I wonder if Hala reads a lot.
Hee: "Satanic Versus" author. Who's typing those lines out? That was hilarious. Disturbingly wrong, but hilarious.

some other blonde on CNN

I'd discuss Hala's earrings, and how I thoroughly enjoy starting my day with Hala on Headlines, but there's something even more important to talk about.

What the hell did Robyn Curnow do to her hair?
Yes, I know, the answer is she grew it out, but...

My officemates now know I'm such a CNN geek, but I don't care.

Yesterday, stuck in a hotel room with officemates (long story), to de-stress I tuned in to CNN. Early on it was Hugh Rimington, so yay, but I was busy so I had to turn the TV off and actually work. The next time I turned the TV on it was World Sport, which I've seen, so again, off.
At noon I had to have my CNN. And I did.

Adrian Fineghan or whatever his name is sucks vacuum cleaners, and can bore the life out of Jim Clancy, and not even Robyn's I-want-to-be-an-anchor vibe can make him lifelike.

But: Robyn.
What did you do to your hair?

I even shrieked it out (okay, not shriek, it was more of a gasp). What the hell did she do to her hair?
I liked the sleek look. Kind of Liz George-ish, but it was nice.
I'm not saying it doesn't look good, I'm just saying it's... new.

Officemate D asked why I was reacting like so, and I was at a loss for words.

Nic Robertson's in London, which I also noted, and at that D was looking like me like I'd gone insane.


On Your World Today's first hour, Shihab and Ralitsa? Okay, I have much respect for Ralitsa, despite Vic's (very true) remark that the hair's been the same since... ever. But the two of them? Together?

And how many times does one have to see that Inside the Middle East promo in a day? I love Hala, I do, but... three times in an hour? Really?

long shift?

Let's go over this:

1. Hala was on YWT, Business International, and delivered the Headlines. (And, oddly enough, I did catch each one of these. I can only imagine how bad my zombie-like appearance and demeanor will be today.)
2. Hala's wardrobe: That's a white T-shirt, I can feel it.
3. Hala's wardrobe: Hee-- Pinstripes.
4. Hala looks thinner. Have I really been spazzing on my stalker duties and not noticed?
5. Hala did Business International!!! I don't care if it's from Atlanta, as has been done in the past. She actually said "I'm Hala Gorani, and this is Business International."
6. All we need now is to haul Hala off to London (or have Richard Quest in Atlanta) and seat them together and see if they still have that wonderful TV chemistry I loved them for.
7. One has to wonder: how interested is Hala, really, on the whole Venus satellite news? The woman barely fakes excitement during launch missions, especially when the news is on the delay of the launch.
8. Holiday (yay!) so possibly more psychotic Hala commentary over the next couple of days.
9. The other day, Hala and Ralitsa were discussing the American Immigration Law/protests, and they were discussing something I actually understood about immigration and Visas. What do you know: I'm actually learning something from work.
10. Fun part: "I'm American, I was born here." -- Yes, Hala, but we love you anyway.


Hey, Vic must be orgasmic about all the Vinci sightings on CNNI.

I think I'm going to hate the Revealed series.

And I think I've not only accepted, but also warmed to, the new look of CNNI.

i know it's not "your" show, but...

For a show I consider to be Hala's, I was shocked (shocked!) to see she didn't have a story of her own.

There was a Casablanca reference in there.

Inside the Middle East. How lovely to see it on a weekday.
A weekday in which I was going to sleep through it because I had to wake up unbelievably early the next day.
But I didn't, because it's Hala. And seeing it on the same day after I read that travel article (Postcard from Cairo), made it so much better.

On the evening in question, my producer Schams Elwazer surprised me with a chocolate cake. My colleagues and a couple of waiters then sang "Happy Birthday" with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Hee. Cake. (huh?)

Back to ITME.

Schams, why did you look so... what's the word I'm looking for... made up?

I wish we'd had more of Yehya Khalil, though. Seemed more interesting than that last feature, although, okay, I get why it's in there.

The May Chidiac story was great, if only for its powerful undercurrent. My mom pointed out that there are very few people in the world with the last name of Chidiac.
I don't know what to do with that information, but, okay.


And, yay, woke up to Hala on Headline News. Wearing a familiar jacket (although not the that jacket again? one).