Looking for Hala Gorani

girl, interrupted from her fanaticism

2010-11-08T10:14:00.004Z

No, I haven't abandoned this blog (yet). It's just that with the advent of Hala's activity on social networks (on Facebook and Twitter), the fun, speculative point of this blog (what the hell she could be thinking, why she disappears from programming) is pretty much a moot point. And since she's the dedicated anchor to the International Desk (airs daily, 1900CET), it's no longer a matter of looking for her, as it used to be when she was just one of the many anchors for the weekend news. The fun part, the guessing part, has been taken away.

Plus I think CNN's building her up to be one of their more important (read: visible) anchors, so... yeah.

So, yes, unless something dire happens, or Hala and Richard exchange outstandingly quippy comments with each other, I probably won't be updating. I won't delete the blog, though, because you never know.

In the meantime, there's always Linking to Hala and the fan forum.

on the bright side, we got to see her iPhone

2010-04-15T15:08:00.003Z

First of all, I suppose if you read this, then you've already come across this. Congratulations, I guess?

Moving on.

I am a fan of the internet (clearly). I like the anonymity of it (i.e., that I can type this, and people still think my name is Tiff), I like the vastness of it, I like that I can watch the Care Bears movie in its entirety in so many parts on YouTube.

Then, of course, there is the fallout of said anonymity, which is that people can spew vitriol and be mean and not reveal anything about themselves.

This reaction stems from Hala's directive on her Twitter feed to "read the comments" on an interview she conducted.

Here's the interview:

Now, before you go and read the comments on the link Hala provided, trust me: When Hala says "Wow", she frakking means it.

(But that headline: "Atheist calls for Pope's Arrest" is not helping. At all. It's a tad too sensationalist to be in good taste.)

Someone once said that an important element of journalism is that you can't be good at it unless you're willing to take criticism. I suppose that's generally true, but it's generally easier to accept criticism from people you respect, people who are in the position to have an opinion.

Yes, I have my opinions on how the people on CNN (and yes, Hala) present the news, and it's not always positive. But I keep those opinions to myself because, haha, what do I know about broadcasting and journalism? Trust me, this shallow discourse is better for all of us.

And, yes, I know Hala has to hone some more her interview skills, because this is not the first time that her interviewing has spawned this kind of commentary. Yes, I admit I've often found funny how she's handled some interviews in the past, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who's seen how some interviews she's conducted seem to end abruptly.

Besides, being an interviewer is hard. You have to control the conversation, but still ensure that the interviewee keeps on talking to get to the answers you know you need. Plus the trouble of ensuring that the answer you want to get to is the core of what the interviewee is really saying, and not what you as the interviewer want to hear.

But I understand what she was trying to accomplish here, which is a tried and true interviewing tactic: if the answers seem vague, or there seems to be a bigger picture, ask and re-ask, to try to get to the core of the thesis statement. The problem with the news cycle is that everyone is relegated to trying to get a soundbite, and in a 3-5 minute interview, that's just asking for trouble.

Richard and Hala together. I've missed you.

2009-12-19T00:24:00.003Z

Okay, Christmas... gods, spirits, whatever. I haven't been in a very seasonal mood lately, and it hasn't quite been my year, but I must say, it's too late for Thanksgiving, but thank you.

Did anyone else see Hala and Richard at CNN London? So, thank you Boeing 787, and thank you, BA unions, because that meant the developing stories were both related in detail by our dearest Quest.

(Sorry, BA passengers. Hope those negotiations go well for your sake.)

No, I don't have screencaps yet, but Thot has video, and I leave you with this little gem that reminds me why I loved BizNews so much:

(on the Boeing 787 test flights)
Hala: I was told we have 90 seconds left, that was a minute ago.
Richard: Try not to get too excited.
Hala: I can't help it, Richard. It's a plane taking off.

It's not quite "there is a world outside the Richard Quest universe", but it'll do. I've missed Hala's dry wit.

... She's hosting the first Inside The Middle East for 2010, so don't miss that.

more clothes talk

2009-09-22T10:51:00.001Z

Yes, some people really do pay attention to the anchor's clothes.

we interrupt this senseless blog for a message from the blogger

2009-09-22T10:31:00.002Z

People who are leaving comments for Hala, or those who are asking me for Hala's personal contact information: this site has no official affiliation with Ms. Gorani. I am a fan. That is all.

Now, if you were really a fan, you would take all the "get in touch with us" information Hala tells all us viewers at the end of each and every episode of International Desk and use it.

That is all.

(Alright, maybe you're totally inept, or your DVR totally ends five minutes before the end of the program) So:

Blog: CNN.com/IDesk
Twitter: HalaGorani
Email: IDesk@CNN.com
Facebook: CNN I-Desk

because context is boring.

2009-09-22T10:18:00.000Z

Remember the old days, when anything Hala said regarding the Middle East was considered propaganda by some paranoid viewers?

In the spirit of things-Hala-says-that-get-taken-out-of-context, I bring you The CNN twofour54 hoopla:

It all started with an interview.

Then came an announcement.

Then came the confusion.

Oh, Hala. I doubt this kind of chaos can surround, say, Fionnuala. Or even Becky.

But that is why I think you are fantastic, and think not so much so of them.

I miss Zain.

2009-02-19T03:15:00.000Z

I'm sorry, and it's really weird that my first entry for 2009 would not be about Ms. Gorani, but I have to share: Zain makes a hilarious error.

tiger print? really?

2008-12-20T07:44:00.002Z

I don't care if it's not quite what one would consider as proper clothing for a news anchor, but what the hell: I think I kind of want that top.

No, I think I really want it. Sure, it could be tacky, it could be interpreted in so many ways, but I think it's kind of awesome.

And it certainly distracts from that new set.

did you see that?

2008-10-28T13:55:00.003Z

It's a tad (a lot) late after the fact, but Hala and Richard talking/exchanging viewpoints/arguing about business! *Squee!*

Good times, good times.

Screencap, as usual, courtesy of Thot.

time to bail

2008-10-08T10:08:00.004Z

Unfortunately, this isn't about Hala.

Because I'm sick and taken the day off work, I'm home to see Richard Quest throw down with Monita Rajpal and Max Foster on the UK bailout. I've missed them all, and I miss how much more expressive the people in London are about their opinions and analysis on the news they report. Sigh. Maybe it's just Monita, but I am loving her refusal to just accept the report she's delivering. Of course, everyone does so, but has anyone else noticed that the London people are less likely to just drop a subject than they are in Atlanta?

But since I've already mentioned Hala, I must query: this is the second straight month she hasn't hosted Inside the Middle East. This makes me :-(
But as of the last time I saw Hala, her neckline seems to have returned to basic cable levels. Thanks, Hala, for looking all professional again.

I've missed Monita's necklaces and Max's atrocious color matching. I miss watching these two.

Hey, Matthew Chance. Hello there. And, haha, good call, Russia, suspending stock market trading in light of such volatile global markets.

anchorwear

2008-08-03T00:29:00.002Z

I love Hala, I do, but I must draw the line on what I feel is appropriate clothes for news anchors.

Because low necklines, I think, should be different for regular people, people who have the rights to wear low necklines, people on TV, and people on TV who should be taken seriously.

As one online writer noted, and even singled out Ms.Gorani as an example, of how even news anchors have been lowering their necklines.

I know I whined when Hala showed up in this:

and I recall asking if it can be deemed proper "anchor wear", with at least two people agreeing that it's too casual. And I realize that it's harder to be a female TV personality because you can't just go with the suit-and-tie ensemble that men can get away with, but she's pulled off being a fashionable-yet-discreet anchor for some time now. But I found her charming back when she was taking herself seriously (even if it's possible that she was just acting as a counterpoint to Richard Quest), and wore that awful awful checkered beige top (please don't make me look for it. It should be on some forum archives). And her clothes since moving to Atlanta have been pretty cool.

Which is why I take pause on her new, lowering neckline: She doesn't have to. I understand if she feels confident enough to wear it at that level, but, seriously; she's not on TV as a sex object. She doesn't need to play up the Pretty card to get people to watch. Or, more accurately, she shouldn't have to. She's a journalist, and despite the many detractors on her continued sometimes-partial take on middle eastern politics, she has been a pretty solid one, in my opinion. The fact that she's a pretty face just helps in taking in the chaos that is the world news.

But maybe it's just me.

What do you think?

(today's pix borrowed from the forums.)

a little redundant, don't you think?

2008-06-10T13:27:00.003Z

I loved the forum, as Hala seems to have evolved quite well as a moderator. Some of the earliest forums she had moderated have been lacking, but this time she seemed to be in her element, at ease, confident and all kinds of awesome.

And I do believe that was Schams in the audience. Beside a rather striking woman (shall we say, of a certain age?) who, upon first sighting, my mind immediately went to: "Hala's Mom?" Not sure, and unless someone confirms it, I'll settle for the Schams sighting. (screencap can be found on the dotorg.)

And if I got the opportunity to do a forum in such an excellent location, I might have tried harder in my debate classes.

But I do have one beef with the whole thing, and I think this would annoy anyone: It's a forum on France. Yes. We get it. They have French names, they're at the French Senate, the forum is part of a feature called Eye on France. So why, oh dear CNN producers, did you have to put in, ad nauseam, the panelists' profession to be "French (blank)"? Why not just cite, "director", "tennis player", etc? WHY must it be "French director"? Seriously, why? If the pronunciation of their very French names (well, except for Marie Drucker) didn't tip viewers off, surely the accent would have. I mean, really. This would be understandable if you were airing this randomly, but we all knew what we were watching, and Hala didn't mind reminding us: the forum caps off the week, a week featuring France. And, gosh, didn't every other question posed (if not all of them) have the word "France" or "French" in it?

We get it.

Oh, and another thing? Why did Hala keep on calling some panelists (Amelie Mauresmo the most obvious) by their whole names? But this is minor beef, unlike the Kobe beef just mentioned.

Although, you know I couldn't turn away, because, well, Hala speaking in her French accent. What can I say?

au revoir, Eye On France.

2008-06-07T19:14:00.003Z

photo courtesy of Thot from CNNfan.org

Why, Miss Gorani, I do believe you were flirting with that young man (Raphael). The body language, certainly, implied some subtle flirting.

Also? Hot damn, Miss Gorani, that's quite some leg you're showing off there.

I've mentioned before, and I don't hesitate to mention again, that I love Hala when she speaks French. And this week has been bliss in that respect. It was also nice to have Hala seem so relaxed, so at ease with the on-location reporting, and she seemed to generally get along with the people she interviewed.

photo courtesy of Thot from CNNfan.org

And, really, how (stereotypical) Parisian can that black top be?

You can go to the .org and browse the forum to find links and check out the different interviews Hala has been doing in France, and enjoy the Hala-speaking-French of it all. It's really a lot of fun, even if you can barely understand the language. Does anyone else on CNNI get this much media exposure?

A fun fact I didn't know and surprised myself by actually appreciating? Hala is well aware that Becky speaks French. A throwaway comment Hala shared, saying that new music acts are so in tune with their French roots, that they only choose to sing in the language, which Becky knows(!). And the easy banter was also surprising, because while I never caught the ice that some forum peeps mention, I don't recall them being this friendly. And did I mention Becky also speaks French (although the idea of her speaking French doesn't bring me to a warm fuzzy place the way Hala speaking French does... but I digress).

Last stop: France on the Move debate, which Ms. Gorani will be moderating. (air times: june 8 - 2000h, june 9 - 1200, 2100 CET... schedule which you probably already knew. heh.)

...
But, going back to the first picture, can somebody please tell Hala that, yes, we all love and adore her, but can she please button up and lower the hemline a bit? It's becoming rather alarming, and while we all love her (and her fab figure), she's still a news anchor, and the amount of skin is showing is really quite ~~disturbing~~ distracting. Feel free to wear it on your different appearances, just not while on the air interviewing, ok?

And, OMG, you can play Six Degrees from Stephen Colbert to Shihab Rattansi. It's disturbing, it's weird, and I can't believe I care. Oh well.

behind the anchor persona

2008-05-27T15:14:00.003Z

Where can a fan begin when they stumble upon a Hala Gorani interview that reveals the person behind the anchor, and not a profile on an anchor?

How do I love about Hala's interview on Gulfnews? Let me count the ways.
1. Her love of American Idol -

"American Idol is so entertaining and I know I'm not the only one who thinks it. There are other closet fans at CNN but my life wouldn't be worth living if I revealed names."

- I don't like the show myself, but look: signs of personality beyond the news.
2. The text message template she sends regularly to her mother. Awww. (The description of her looking up pleased with herself is an expression I can imagine, and, again, haha. So Hala.)
3. Her admission that contradicts her oft-stated career option if she weren't a journalist of being a teacher:

"Actually maybe not — I don't think I'd cope very well with children having tantrums. I'll stick to journalism for now."

Haha.

And let's not forget, next week CNN is showing Eye On France, where CNN will profile a nation. Hala back in France (I hope)! And Hala pronouncing French words and names! This is a sign of loads of fun.

what is monita wearing?

2008-05-02T14:17:00.003Z

I like Monita. I do. How can I not like a CNN anchor who knows her Star Wars? I like her relaxed disposition, the way she can segue from serious to lighthearted in the time it takes to switch camera angles.

But what is up with her outfit yesterday?

(picture courtesy of Houston on CNNFan.org)

Because when I first saw it, my instinct was: Voltes V?

Then it occurred to me that it's more akin to the costume of old of the beloved X-Man, Nightcrawler:

Oh, Monita. Everything was working: the natural look, the hair (although it shows signs of a possible bad hair day. Was it?) And, okay, in retrospect, it's not THAT bad. But the V shape, the puffed up non-sleeves... never again, OK? Deal?

what would Sleepy say?

2008-04-19T19:36:00.003Z

Oh, Richard. Honey, no.

What the frak were you thinking?

ETA 2 weeks later: the thought process chart. :) Enjoy.

maybe the snowball was Republican

2008-03-02T10:18:00.004Z

Is it wrong to think that Hala Gorani, Middle East Winter Correspondent, makes for a fine visual? Yes, I realize that's her Davos wardrobe, but come on.

And I'm sure we all caught the last few seconds of IME, when someone hit Hala with a snowball. Twice. The first time, when she turned to the innocent bystanders behind her demanding who did it, was a thing of hilarity, because, really, who'd 'fess up to that? I mean, seriously. And we all saw that it came from the 7 o'clock angle, which means it came from the side of the camera. Interesting, I think, for someone to risk that. After all, back in the days of Design 360, Hala has allowed birds to interrupt her, but shown amusement and/or annoyance when people pass in front of her. To toss a snowball at her is just asking for trouble.

Which brings us to the second snowball. That was just... Her expression? And the way she was holding on to the snowball in her hand, you know the person had it coming. (The background music also gives a lovely sense of foreboding.) Although Hala looks like she has bad aim, snowball-wise. Even if she did sink that b-ball shot a few editions back.

I also love that the shortcut to the IME blog is cnn.com/hala. I did not know that, and it is very cool.

and if anyone gives me flak for the entry title, you need to learn irony, humor, and find another blog to read.

i resume posting and all you get is a lousy five sentences.

2008-02-18T15:51:00.003Z

Did anyone else worry for the welfare of a CNN staffer, or have fear strike their hearts when Hala's phone interview was interrupted with her snapping, "stop talking!" in the middle of it?

I must say, Hala and Jonathan Mann seem to be off so far on the fist hour of YWT. Particularly as a tandem: they've been overlapping cues, interrupting reports...

Miss Gorani, hate to go all Go Fug Yourself on you, but that top just makes you look frumpy. Thank goodness everything from the neck up is lovely as ever.

danger, Will Robinson. danger.

2007-12-29T04:57:00.000Z

This worries me. Because as I've previously noted, Hala and Inside the Middle East seems to be polarizing without meaning to be. People react strongly to whatever the program presents, and no matter what they do, nobody seems to be truly happy. Or, shall we say, too few seem to truly "get" it. It's untold stories. Because different strokes and different folks, there will be always contrasting reactions.

So People of the Year? That's fine. That's great. Show the different opinions of the people. But the part where the IME team will share their own? That's worrisome. Because you just know someone's going to react.

And again complain about Hala being "too pro-Middle East".

not yet

2007-11-13T14:27:00.000Z

This is going to be a poor excuse of an entry, but I just want to reassure everyone that I have not yet abandoned my blind worship of Miss Gorani.

But I must say this: reading other blogs that mention Hala, it's funny how polarizing Hala is. Some think she's too pro-Middle East, other too pro-Western World. All this while being a talking head and in interviews not reveal her own opinions to preserve her talking head status.

Does Hala carry a bias? Maybe. But this is blind fanaticism, people. Don't make me think about serious issues. This blog is all about how lovely Hala looks when she's in blue, and not about the subliminal message behind Inside the Middle East's programming.

Unless the subliminal message is Hala's continued maintenance of her weight loss.

she's back

2007-07-31T17:09:00.000Z

Hala returned to Your World Today last week in time for my birthday. Sometimes symmetry, in the realm of pseudo-reality, just makes kick-ass sense that way.

I can't give an accurate number regarding the length of time Hala was in Iraq, but you've got to admit, the woman looks good upon returning to Atlanta. And as I write this, Hala's on (with Jim) and they seem to be having a good time (how can they not, with a shift that includes a report on the lack of use of garlic in some places in Italy). Thank heavens, because Hala worship is a little difficult to do when she's in her Talking Head mode.

I just wish the snarky side of Miss Gorani would make a comeback, because she's tons funnier that way. But, alas, I (with I guess the rest of my fellow Hala-philes) would take whatever dose of Hala I can get.

Did you see her yesterday sharing a laugh with Jim about bottled water? ah, laughter. not the giggle-and-grin thing she usually does, but honest-to-goodness laughter. to something Jim said. It blows the mind because now I'm just being an ass.
It was nice to see her laugh. Can't accuse her of just being a talking head when she shows humanity.

So the question goes, will she even make an appearance in the upcoming episode of Inside the Middle East?

2007-06-07T08:32:00.001Z

Miss Gorani is in Iraq. Why?

dear zain

2007-05-16T06:15:00.000Z

Dear Zain Verjee,

I like you. I really do. I didn't really appreciate you before, and I think your current status as "State Department Correspondent" is akin to The Daily Show, but I really do hope you continue to do well.

But what the frak was up with your look yesterday? Maybe you were feeling a little 28 Weeks Later and overdid the makeup, the hair? I'll be honest, Ms. Verjee, that look frightened me. It worried me. It just wasn't fair to put you alongside Miss Gorani, who looked ready and able to do her anchoring bit. You're working at the top, Zain, and that look was just... It was all kinds of wrong. And as much as I can only imagine what it must be like for you to work in such a stressful environment, I know you can do better. I mean, when you were doing Your World Today every frigging day, you consistently looked professional and well put-together. Yes, the set and lights at the time were for crap, but you rose above it. So I know and trust that you can do it.

So, please. Please invest in a mirror for your reports from the state department.

And we look forward to seeing a better-looking, more polished you.

Quest Me

2007-05-10T02:48:00.000Z

I adore Jon Stewart, so when he forays into CNN International territory (okay, it was Anderson Cooper 360), it makes it all the more special to me.

Just briefly, can I just say that seeing Hala get away from those snakes in the opening spiel of IME? Precious. IT was hilarious how she was fine with one snake, but totally freaked out on getting a second one. Then again, one snake is easier to be frightened of than two.

Back to Jon Stewart and CNN International. We all know how truly and utterly British Richard Quest can be; and how much more British can he get when discussing Her Majesty, the Queen? Well, to illustrate the "proper" response on the Queen's visit to the US, Jon showed clips of Richard at his Quest-iest.

And it made me miss BizNews all over again.

Hala times two

2007-05-04T06:33:00.000Z

Wow. I haven't updated here in a while. Dayum.

Since it's been a while, let's start with the fact that it's Inside the Middle East this weekend. Hooray.

It's also the French elections. Double hooray.

Since I worship Hala blindly, I can only say hooray for the double dose of Hala this weekend. But please, Miss Gorani, please don't ever use that ridiculous top with the ruffles in front ever again. Please.

And please tell me I'm not the only one who loves that Zain Verjee is now "State Department Correspondent"? It's so Daily Show, but so nice to see Zain put to good use and back on CNN International.

Oh, and, I have a personal want ad out for you, dear readers. Since the time difference does not allow me to view Hala when I want (also known as every single time she's on air), I have openings for people who want to hero worship blindly alongside myself. I would need sample writing(s), of course, but I'm probably going to say yes to whomever asks. As long as it's in the hero-worship vein of this.

Inside the Middle East!

quotable Hala

2007-02-08T00:59:00.000Z

As I no longer have the time to watch Your World Today as much as I want to (sleep does get in the way), it's always special for me to watch Hala. Even if it's with Jim.

And last night was special because Jim Clancy had a funny quip: After telling us all about the couple in Verona in a 5000-year embrace, Jim said:

"We don't even know if it's a male and a female..."

Jim! Are you developing a personality before me?

Not to be outdone, Hala had this to say about the same news item:

"If you can stand each other for that long they deserve to be celebrated."

Oh, Hala. I sense cynicism. The (cynical) force is strong with this one.

Then there are these two bits on "news" items:
1. On the bright light sighting in the US and the possibility it's a UFO, after a reporter states that until an alien lands in front of waiting cameras and does an interview with CNN, you will never know:
"I'd like to interview that person and call that person It."
- as I was not really paying attention, if anyone can correct this quote, please do. I love it to pieces.

2. And on the wallaby chase in the US (again):
"You mess with a kangaroo and put boxing gloves on him, you're kind of asking for it."

I loves me some Hala witticisms. :)

it was a good day for offbeat news

2007-02-01T01:13:00.000Z

When Hala Gorani sings a line from The Police, you're glad you stayed up long enough to watch/hear her do it.
And to note that ~~Andy Summers~~ Stewart Copeland (thanks for the correction, Spitfire!) "had to watch footage from 20 years ago to realize they got along."

When Hala has to watch a report on the Kitty Washing Machine, you're glad she broke the talking head persona.

"Roger Fede-roach? That's even better than the report on the cat washing machine."
- Hala, incredulous on the report of a cockroach race champion named after Roger Federer.

I still don't know how to react to Liz George's hair.

Inside the Middle East this weekend.

whoa

2007-01-18T04:43:00.000Z

Isn't it great that Hala has a whole new wardrobe? I love it that she seems to have a whole new closet full of clothes.

And the whole Beckham brouhaha was a throwback to the days of his transfer to Real Madrid. Hala showed more restraint this time 'round than she did then.

Which leads us to...

Despite the blog title, here's why I logged on: It's this screenshot, courtesy of Houston on the dotorg:
That just threw me off in a major way.

yes, i really am this shallow

2006-12-06T03:01:00.000Z

I love the haircut, I do, it's just...

... isn't it a little hard to manage it? I used to have that haircut, and it can get really impossible to keep it presentable. Small gust of wind, and bye-bye, hairstyle.

And, oh-- (presenting my sick humor in the face of world news):

"Let's see... Intro, intro... When do I start to sing?
And when did they replace the prompter with a karaoke machine?"

Cheers.

Pictures borrowed from Spitfire.

forum lurking

2006-11-14T03:01:00.000Z

Credit to Mistress76UK for the caps:

hee. look at that smirk.

Spitfire: do not deign to try and explain women. Seriously. And I hope you meant "somber".
And I agree with Liz/Tina: It's not for lack of interest, it's lack of viewing time. As well as it's very rare that something happens during the broadcast that makes one jump up and decide, wow, I've got to blog about that.

Rock-paper-scissors tournament. I remember Hala playing referee to one that involved Richard and Don.

And, whee, my days as a TechTV (before the dawn of G4) geek collides with my CNN fandom:
They bought their earrings at the same shop? XD *ducks for cover*

the early days

2006-11-09T00:54:00.000Z

Hala's back. Somehow maintaining the weight loss she got in Lebanon. And the woman's messing around with her neckline.

But something's missing with Hala. It's called Richard Quest.

I have been sorting through my old videos of clips and God knows what else, and compared to Hala on last night's broadcast, the old days of Hala in London is so much more... more.

She's funny, sarcastic, and no report is random enough to make her boring. And there used to be a Richard Quest baiting her, teasing her, looking for the sarcastic reply. It was this partnership that gave birth to this ~~obsession~~ fanaticism, and I miss them together. Hala was so different back in the day.

I mean, come on, the woman clearly scared the heck out of Tony Campion. Charles Hodson seemed to develop a personality before my eyes when he hosted alongside Hala.

In Atlanta, it's a little different. Maybe it's the reasonable hour. By broadcast time Hala's had a full night's sleep, she's fully awake, and she's had her coffee (or other tasty beverage of her choice).

Michael Holmes did a decent job of replacing Richard beside Hala, but the speculation that Hala would go there could have ruined that partnership.

Jonathan Mann... is okay. For a moment there they actually had some je ne sais quoi going.

Then there's Jim Clancy. On the forums some time ago, a guest post stated that Hala loved hosting alongside Clancy. Okay, let's give them that. It makes sense, since Hala the journalist strives to be taken seriously and you don't get any more serious than Mr. Clancy.

But Mr. Talking Head means she becomes Ms. Talking Head. She still speaks a mile a minute, looks at the wrong camera all the time and is still so very pretty, but she's just... I don't know. Different. Almost... boring. The quips are rare, the looks of death are almost non existent, the bitchiness kept at a minimum.

Thank God for those diary entries on cnn.com for Inside the Middle East, because at least the ~~inner bitch~~ sarcasm still shines through.

Example:

"Should be okay," Saad tells us with some hesitation before we board. Not too reassuring, I thought, wondering how long it would take me and the crew to swim back to shore if we capsized.

LIZ!!!

2006-09-19T03:47:00.000Z

LIZ!!!!!!!

I never thought I'd be so happy to see a CNN personality, but because I was having a horrific day yesterday, when I saw Liz George late last night, I suddenly realized how much I've missed her. I mean, I know I miss her, and I miss her personality, but when I saw her in MainSail I suddenly realized, damn. I have missed her. A lot.

Between Liz last night, and Hala this morning, I am slowly recovering from yesterday's horrid events (not to go into details, but let's just say it's one of the worst workdays I've had). Of course, just an hour or less ago yesterday took a twisted but still horrific turn, but still.

I saw Liz George.

I've missed you, Liz. And I really hope I'll see you again next month on MainSail. Hey, if you're back on the CNN roster, I think they've made it up to me on the Andrea Sanke thing. Only if you're completely back on the employee list.

It's OK, Liz. Take a deep breath.
- Hala, instructing Liz how to cope with the David Beckham transfer.

the brink of exhaustion?

2006-08-28T04:13:00.000Z

Well. I guess Hala finally gave.

After more than a month in Lebanon, wearing the same set of outfits, seems to have affected Ms. Gorani. Okay, the outfits are probably the last thing in her set of priorities, but still. The weight loss, the endless hours of coverage... I sincerely hope she's getting some much-needed rest.

Then I move on to more shallow ranting.

Questy anchoring in Atlanta and Hala's nowhere in sight. This is not good for one who yearns for the Hala-Richard days of BizNews. Please, CNN, throw some old-school fans a bone and put these two together. One hour, hour and a half, two hours, anything. They miss each other, I know it, and I for one miss them together.

After months of having to work while CNN is broadcast from London, I was confined to bed last week, and it's finally hit me that Andrea Sanke's gone. Gone! It sucks. She was a pretty good anchor, not my favorite (duh), but still a good one. I mean... I don't know. Losing Liz George was at least a gradual departure. Although that's a CNN departure I still haven't quite gotten over.
I take comfort that Robyn Curnow was on MainSail and is just pregnant. Yes, she's not the best anchor CNN's got, but she can make the most random news bit seem worthwhile. As a reporter.

And: so that's where Christiane Amanpour disappeared to a few months ago.

Come on, CNN. Hala-Questy on Your World Today. Come on.

the press can sit this one out

2006-07-31T07:22:00.000Z

Title borrowed from Stephen Colbert. I use not without sarcasm.

Someone's beefing up her CV.

I think that: She wasn't supposed to be part of the entourage, but she was already in the region, and might as well be put to good use.

I have to say, though, while she doesn't exactly look the part of War Correspondent, Hala seems to be fitting in pretty well. Yes, she can never look like she's been sleeping in bunkers or the sort (see the SNL short with Catherine Zeta-Jones for an exaggerated version of this perspective), but Hala is faring well in war coverage. Of course, I'm hoping this conflict doesn't quite reach "war" proportions. Or has it already?

And judging from Hala's reports I'm inclined to think that she's the female CNN international version of Anderson Cooper: telling the personal tales of woe in war time.

But that wasn't exactly the point of why I started this entry. I actually wanted to wax hilarious that Tony Campion is on BBC World. Oh, Tony. I don't think he did too well as victim to Hala's early morning sarcasm. How did someone at the forums put it? Bitchy. Bitchy captures the Hala-Tony relationship very well.
When I saw Tony I was confused, because Campion looks old. Like he's aged a whole decade. Or are BBC anchors supposed to look aged?

Oh well.

Is Inside the Middle East going to be shown this weekend?

allegedly

2006-06-30T06:44:00.000Z

I love this. This is where being a Hala fan for (seemingly) ages comes into play.
Follow closely.
(I do apologize for the low-quality pix, this is screen capture by MS Office.

On the dotorg:
Then:
And then:
Followed by:

What does this have to do with being a longstanding Hala fan?
This:

Okay. I officially have no life.

BTW, Hala, is that proper anchor wear?

Pastels!!!

2006-06-29T01:07:00.000Z

I saw Andrea Sanke yesterday! Just on TV, but I've missed her. I can't wait for a day off or whatnot, just so I can tune in to CNN Today again.

Pressing matters, though (heh. "Pressing") -- Hala's new clothes. In recent weeks I've noticed a growing wardrobe, and in pastels! Pastels!!! I'm all for new clothes, but now I'm thinking, cash bonus? None of those teabags anymore, Hala?

Oh, God. Now I'm thinking if that was Hala that Richard was joking around with about the CNN gifts, including them teabags.

I miss Hala and Richard together.

Oh, and Hala's passion for football and France's chances in the World Cup? So cute.

I should be laughing (laughter) Just kidding! We love the English football team... Except they’re playing against France.
- Hala (24 April 2004)

disclaimer

2006-06-29T00:49:00.000Z

This blog is fun. Fun. Logging in and sharing with people I'll never personally meet my thoughts and opinions regarding a CNN anchor (or other CNN aspects) is fun. Yes, I know my crazy mind makes some of you wonder my mental health, but for me it's projection, not stalking.

Once upon a time, a couple of years ago, Hala was in London and she and Richard caught my attention because that kind of catty behavior between two anchors just wasn't heard of (for me, anyway).

Understand this: if and when I meet the woman? I wouldn't tell her I write this blog. Because that's just creepy. In fact, I probably wouldn't write about it. Probably. Or that'll be the end of the blog, for all I know.

Anyway.

Since the creation of this blog, and especially after the increase in internet traffic, I have received comments that are negative towards Hala. This is particularly amusing, because people can find this in very few ways.
1. Accessed CNNfan.com and in one of very few forums (mostly Hala-related) saw my name, saw the website, and clicked the link.
2. Accessed Liz's website, and checked the links, and did the same.
3. Google'd Hala Gorani, saw the blog.
4. Blog searched "Hala Gorani" and saw this.
5. Checked other Hala fan forums and someone had linked to this site.

See the pattern?
To anonymous commenters posting anti-Hala statements: Dude. That's an awful lot of effort put in for an anchor you claim to dislike. Some of you are even passionate about it, even detailing her speech, and her reporting style. Now, what are you doing reading fan forums about her when you don't like her? Ignore her. That's what I do to Shihab (to Shihab fans: I'm sorry). And Asieh (to Asieh fans: I'm sorry, too).

I've tried ignoring your comments, anti-Hala people, and the only reason I don't delete your comments is because, well, I'm lazy. And it's a free universe.

A friend tried to goad me by being anti-Hala, and boy does she regret it. (You know who you are, and you asked for it.)

Mistress76uk's screencaps

2006-06-09T08:38:00.000Z

Photos courtesy of Mistress76uk on the Newsfans forum.
(Borrowed without permission. -- Thanks for the pic of Hala at the water!)

"Because Liz's got to see the earrings."

"Are you there, Allah? It's me, Hala."

"Don't I have a jacket that looks just like that...?"

"What a lousy time to forget those sunglasses."

"Did I charge up that mp3 player--?"

Cheers.

heavens, no

2006-06-06T01:40:00.000Z

Spitfire said:
are ya suggesting that Hala has been under the knife??? Well I can asure you she hasn't because last year on a WN after a report on cosmetic surgery Hala used the phrase "Non Surgically Enhanced" in relation to herself. Yes my memory is like a steel trap. LOL

Oh, Spitty, no. Heavens, no. I simply meant that Hala's been an advocate against cosmetic surgery. Of any kind.

In fact, come to think of it, Hala's an advocate against unnatural ideas and images of women. Yes, she's had her share of Barbie dolls (heehee), but she's been quite vocal against people who expect all women to be Barbies.

That's one of the things I like most about her (other than that cutting wit).

And we all know what she and Richard had to say about actors undergoing Botox treatment:
"So when you think the actors on screen aren't showing a wide range of emotion, it may not be lack of talent, it could be Botox."

an opinion on indoor plumbing on CNN

2006-06-03T16:53:00.000Z

Love. Love. Lovelovelove the new Inside the Middle East.

CNNI, I totally forgive you for last month's edition.

Because Hala was on. And I don't just mean she was in the broadcast, I mean, Hala was on. She was smart, she was witty, and she was cool. The hair's been sold, and I will use all my avoidance abilities to ignore those earrings. I don't know exactly how story assignments are made, but I have a feeling I know why Hala's not the one who covered the plastic surgery story. Also, if anyone has pictures of Hala on those rocks on the water, that'd be great.

And because Ben's report was brilliant. Was it his daughter maintaining that her passengers were being dramatic with the "tiny bump"? Was it his son chasing after a setup tent? Was it Ben, in the Sahara desert, in that sunlight and heat? In that outfit? Whatever it is, it was brilliant.

"I'm not too sure I could enjoy an entire holiday without indoor plumbing..."
- Hala

So honest, Miss Gorani is. And I really agree with that point of view. Indoor plumbing? It's the best.

I also love that James Earl Jones is back on station ID's.

I love my CNN.

the hair

2006-05-04T01:08:00.000Z

I'm not quite decided on what to make of Hala's hair, but since I'm a Halafan, I'll just go with it's pretty.

...Although that wasn't my reaction when I first saw it.

Couple of things:
1. Saw Monita and Max yesterday, after a really long time.

2. Watching Andrea and Max is like watching CNN Lite. Yes, I'm an Andrea fan, but I can't help but think, those two are trying so hard to be serious anchors. Lighten up, you two.
Did I previously ask Max to call me? I've changed my number.

3. I miss Richard at the desk with a co-anchor.

4. Did anybody else laugh with much hilarity and amusement at the latest Quest? That was so awful I really hope Liz, Becky, Hala, Andrea, Monita and Jenny all saw it. And gave him grief for it.

5. If anyone's got pictures of Robyn Curnow at the dock for that luxury liner report, please send them my way. Particularly those during the CNN Today broadcast. Heh, that woman must be cursing her long hair now.

"It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it."
- Ralitsa, on Robyn's on-deck report

hmmm.

2006-04-26T04:41:00.000Z

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

2006-04-25T00:24:00.000Z

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?

2006-04-12T00:02:00.000Z

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...

2006-04-07T00:51:00.000Z

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).

in blue

2006-03-31T02:08:00.000Z

Hala. In blue. And pinstripes.

Not even those earrings could distract me.

*happy place*

pouvez-vous parler avec un accent français?

2006-03-29T03:11:00.000Z

Wow. It's been a while, hasn't it?

Where to start... oh, right: Hala saying "de Villepin" made my day (or night, with the timezone, and all). For no special reason, I just loved it. I kind of felt bad when Hala didn't recognize the town square in which a rally was being held, but then again, I've never been there, and squares probably all look the same.

Paula Hancocks away from the stock exchange is a pretty good deal. So far she's been to the middle east, and russia, and sri lanka, and... Hey, she speaks French and Italian. So that's what she's doing there. Still, Hala and Paula sharing screen time reminds me of the days in London... (*grows wistful*)

As I haven't been around for CNN Today from Europe, I have no idea what's going on there.

Did I mention Hala saying "de Villepin"? Hee. (OMG, yes, I'm an idiot.)

I am yet to see Ben Wedeman covering the Israel elections. Seen John Vause (Johnny!) and Guy Raz (still pretty), but not Ben. Hmm.
Hey, Ariel Sharon's still alive, right? I remember, when the Hamas won the Palestinian election, and Sharon needed emergency surgery not soon after my friends and I were kidding around that he's not dead yet and already he's rolling in his grave.

My friends and I are such a collective ass, I apologize for that right now.

(you knew this was coming:)

"de Villepin"
- Hala

darn, i should've recorded that.

new ITME on APRIL 8.

and don't blame me for the mucked-up french, blame babelfish.

the new look

2006-02-13T01:03:00.000Z

I love CNN, I do, but...

It looks like BBC. In fact, it looks like the poor man's BBC World.
The headlines in two lines? Why? Especially when you can minimize the font a little and stretch it over one line.
But, whatever. Whatever floats their boat, I guess.

I woke up Saturday morning to Hala at the desk. XD
She couldn't seem to get over the new graphics, making note of it in the middle of World News, the weather, talking to field reporters, and also with World Sport.
Oh, Hala. You clearly were not clued in on what the new graphics would look like. But you didn't need to constantly remind the viewers.
It's new. We get it.
But: I got my first dose of the relaunch with Hala. Yay me.

The names of the anchors and reporters are tiny, though. And there are those cubes freaking everywhere.
Thank heavens the ticker replacement is neat and tiny.

Have I mentioned that I love the new Inside the Middle East promo? (March 4!)
But doesn't it remind you of the Eye on the Middle East promo? ;p

lately

2006-02-08T01:01:00.000Z

Hala's so serious nowadays I find myself tuning her out sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I'm still an obsessed fanatic, I just don't feel compelled to pay attention to every tiny thing lately. I like the funny version of Hala. The wry humor, the dry sarcasm. The talking head version just doesn't warrant obsessive observation.

Huh. I'm defending non-psychotic behavior.

The past week or so Hala's been so serious I haven't paid much (any) attention this week (*ducks for cover*).
Because of this, I missed this quote, brought to us by BobbyBaby from the dotorg:

There was a pic of a pale, freaky looking tree kangaroo and Hala said "[that is] before make-up."

Heehee. Hala's humor. Miss it so. It's on display so rarely since she's been in Atlanta. (OMFG, she's been in Georgia for nearly two years! The London days are that long ago?)

Sigh.

Oh, right: Inside the Middle East. Umm... not spectacular. Sorry, Schams, but this month's edition did nothing for me.

But here's something, which only Vic is likely to understand: Coming from the country that had that horrid stampede of people waiting for a game show, I have this morbid urge to see if any of the international correspondents (CNN or BBC) will broadcast the name of the game show.

Where's Robyn Curnow? And is she still not a staff member of CNNI?
-- quickedit: Robyn was on yesterday for Business International. I don't agree with the outfit, but I thoroughly enjoyed Robyn talking to Robin (Oakley) :P
-- Hala was also in a considerably better mood, but I wasn't really paying attention.

waking up

2006-01-19T01:41:00.000Z

Hala: so pretty.

So here's what happened: I was dead asleep in the middle of the night, a friend sends me an SMS message on my phone, then calls to make sure I read the message.
I'm tired, bitca, but okay. So I rouse myself from sleep, answer the call, and check the time.
Here's the sad part: upon realizing that I was awake in time for YWT, I immediately turn the TV on and tune in to CNN.

Lo and behold: Hala.

I can't remember much of it, I was going in and out of consciousness (yes, during my friend's phone call-- I am a horrible friend at 0300HKT), but I do remember passing judgment on her outfit (acceptable) and the last part, with Jim Bitterman's report on food being turned into musical instruments.
Hala's expression at the end of the report was priceless. I don't know what Jon Mann was saying, but Hala's expression was capped off by her statement:

"I don't think I'd like to eat something that someone has blown into."
- Hala (18jan2006)

i have a theory

2006-01-13T02:40:00.000Z

Okay. Hajj stampede. I should be concerned, right, since Hala's been there and now Schams is delivering the update?

I have a theory. And it's that Hala's not in Mecca anymore. I'm probably wrong, but it's what I'm telling myself to not worry about someone I've never met (and probably never will).

Given how much promotion was done to publicize the Hajj coverage, I really expected more. At least more live updates. Her coverage a few years ago was much better. This time, I can't help the feeling of... I don't know. Like it's an extended Inside the Middle East report stretched out throughout the week.

But I have enjoyed seeing Hala throughout the week. The first report was... I don't want to say 'fun', but I will. It was fun. Then it became less about the Hajj experience and more about its implications, and now the pilgrims have made it about the pilgrimage again. Go pilgrims!

To answer Hala's thought:

I wonder as I look down on the crowds how ambulances would respond to emergencies during Hajj.

Well, not well enough, but what can you expect in a sea of pilgrims.

But, really: to be among thousands of people -- millions, even -- and walk? That takes a lot of religious fervor and faith, and you've got to give it to them for doing it.
Too bad the last part, the stoning of the devil, has not failed to produce stampedes and such tragedy.

Just to illustrate the number of people, and that Hala's not kidding with the "sea of pilgrims" description: (yes, all that white are people)

still photo borrowed from Starman.

"On the way out of the tent city of Arafat, we face crowd chaos of epic proportions."
- Hala (in the CNN diary)

italics are mine, but Hala: such a flair for the dramatic, you.

sand games

2006-01-09T01:02:00.000Z

Finally. Hala sightings.

The main event of the Hajj starts soon, so hooray. Regular Hala check-ins.
I'm a bit in wonder regarding who are covering the Sharon illness. I know Guy Raz is there (poor guy must've been there for hours). But who else?

Haha. One of the reasons I love Hala:

As I squeeze my way past a group of singing Chinese Muslims, a woman in full black hijab, her face completely shrouded by a black face cloth, taps me harshly on the shoulder.

"It's un-Islamic. Un-Islamic!", she screams at me.

"What?" I ask, irritated at having been physically prodded.

The woman points accusingly at my forehead. "Un-Islamic" was what she was calling the strand of hair that had escaped from under my headscarf.

(CNN.com - Masks and Business at Hajj)

"Irritated at having been physically prodded". Sounds like Ms. Gorani, absolutely. And who else loves the "screams at me" part?

Can't Hala have a daily blog for the Hajj? Please, CNN?

Oh, and here's food for thought: each pilgrim at the Hajj has to have a goat slaughtered, and pay 500... um... dollars? Just, 500 bucks. Probably the local currency, I've forgotten my bits of information. Anyway: Each. One. Do the math.

Okay, now down to business. Inside the Middle East this week. I'm no big fan of Ben, but any report that gets the reporter drinking is fine by me. And any opportunity to see Alessio Vinci's surfing attempt is always fun, but to recycle Richard and Hala's Eye on the Middle East reports? That's just... okay, I have no idea who comes up with the show in its entirety, but shouldn't the recycling be done gradually?

Anyway.

Hala in that sand vehicle (whatever it's called) was... Inside the Middle East is a lifestyle program. So I will account Hala's glee of playing in the sand as part of the "lifestyle" programming.

And am I wrong to enjoy Hala's state of breathlessness after her ski run? :)

"We've run out of superlatives..."
- Hala

timon's screencaps

2005-12-20T01:02:00.000Z

Michael: You know your fans hate you in pink, right?
Hala: Hehehehehe. Yes.

(watching clips of the previous pic)
Michael: Wow, Hala, pink's not your best color.
Hala: My fans love me anyway.

Michael: I'm just saying...
Hala: You're questioning me? What? What exactly are you saying?

Off camera person: You're losing the title of prettiest CNN anchor to Andrea.
Hala: Say what?

Michael: Told you.
Hala: Oh, like you're the most popular male anchor. Anderson Cooper, anyone?

Hala: Come on, Mike, tell me how you're cuter than Anderson.
Michael: Um... I'm Aussie?

Hala: I saw Anderson on The Colbert Report and he was pretty funny. Than you'll ever be.
Michael: (to himself) I'm cuter, I'm sure of it.

Off-camera person: Guys, you're on air.
Hala/Michael: Oh, hahahaha. We're kidding. Having some laughs.

Hala: And that, kids, is why you never make fun of me wearing pink.

what she's thinking

2005-12-13T05:12:00.000Z

Hala's black turtleneck, effectively borrowing Steve Jobs' look: "This doesn't need ironing."

Hala with Michael and Mark, delivering the football headline on the Colts' winning streak: "I have no idea what I'm talking about. More importantly, I don't care."

Hala having worked since Thursday and my only making commentary today: "I don't show, she's all whiny. I show up, she takes it for granted. Fan, my..."

Hehe.

A friend of mine noted that for the Chief International Correspondent who's so connected to Middle Eastern affairs, Christiane Amanpour was nowhere to be found during Eye on the MidEast. Huh. Maybe she's finally on vacation.

And, Hala's going to the Hajj again! Who gets the better deal: CNN, who has a pretty face to guarantee viewers, or Hala, who gets to get out of the studio?

I think I'm going to have a new round of Monita envy when she starts that new monthly programme next year. Luxury something.
And what is (was?) Max Foster doing at the New York Stock Exchange?

Eye on Hala, 5

2005-11-27T23:27:00.000Z

It's a bit late, but wasn't Hala fab last Friday, at Petra?

A virtual hug to Liz/Tina for the caps.

I especially loved Schams Elwazer's segment on the technical difficulties of the crew to broadcast from Petra, and to capture the chapel behind my favorite anchor. I would have wanted to see Hala actually sitting/standing on that platform, but Schams all but made up for it with that footage of Hala putting on her makeup. Lol.

And, yerrghs, I actually enjoyed Jim Clancy's reporting.

Must have head checked.

Inside the Middle East was... consequential. It's nice to see Hala, but... I could've lived without seeing that episode.

Totally random, but speaking of Inside the Middle East: I was watching Casablanca early this morning, and I remembered Hala's segment last month. Everyone believes the line in the movie is "Play it again, Sam" (which is never actually said) but Hala... and this is the part that didn't occur to me until I saw the movie, Hala said "Play it, Issam." (Nodding approvingly) Hala knows her classic movies.

Eye on Hala, 4

2005-11-25T00:13:00.000Z

I am... okay, I'm still a little asleep.

But that neckline. Hala, we love you even when you wear a pink turtleneck, so that outfit for Thursday's report? The low cut blouse, the pretty jacket, the necklace... Nice.

I admit I didn't really pay a lot of attention to the show, though. *ducks for cover*
It's just that I think the topic (how the youth population affects different aspects of the culture) has been covered once or twice on Inside the Middle East, and, well, Hala kept on throwing the show back to Jim.

It's odd. Spitfire, Tina and I all have differing opinions on which day has been the best.
But we all loved the doll report, don't we?

Inside the Middle East this weekend.

Eye on Hala, 3

2005-11-24T00:31:00.000Z

Yes, I will use that title throughout the week.

Last night...

Oh. I don't know what was different last night, but Hala's eyes were incredible. So blue. So pretty.
And the shot where she's sitting down, before Nic's report? It's a good example of why I love Hala so: she makes you feel like whatever it is she's saying, you will understand perfectly, and you don't need to be so updated on current affairs. There's an ease about her, that makes me feel like watching CNN, a news channel, is not a strenuous exercise.
Oh, and did I mention how she's pretty? I know I once mentioned that I love her in light-colored clothes, but Hala in basic black? So pretty.

*shaking head at the fangirl sentiment*

This is where it gets impressive, though: it's Thursday here, and we've had three hours of Eye on the MidEast. And Hala's interviewed some really serious officials already. My favorite was yesterday's interview with... I forgot, I think it was Karen Silverberg (Assistant Secretary of State for something -- readers, if you can help me out here, I'd really appreciate it), and Hala once again showed her potential for the big news: when asked about the US's image in the middle east, Ms. Assistant Secretary of State (I was going to use an acronym, but realized it was inappropriate. heh.) tried to paint a sunny picture of it, that it's developing, growing, etcetera, all points beautifully undercut by Hala with tact and fact. And when discussing Karen Hughes, who for all her credentials, is a diplomacy and public affairs ambassador who is working on Middle East-related affairs but doesn't speak Arabic, I had one thing in mind: Hala, they could just hire you. Miss American-by-birth, French-by-culture and Arab-by-family. You've got three major cultures right there, Miss Gorani.

Damn. Where was I?

Anyway, that look of death Hala mastered on BizNews came into play, because while Ms. Assistant Sec of State rambled on, Hala had that expression that showed just how much she was not enjoying the interview, not really getting any substantial answers, and would want to further press the issue but knew better than to do just that, she professionally carried on.

Vic, you must be so happy: two of your three holy trinity reporters did segments. Except for 2.0, that is.

Oh, and Hala and her dolls: (thanks to Timon for the pic)
Sell it, Hala! Sell it!
Hey, no ticker. No CNN logo. No logo at all.

Dude, you're nuts:

Guido 19 Oct 2004, 06:48
Hala Gorani appeared this A.M. on CNN-FN wearing her dramatic ZYL frame, myopia correcting spectacles. She always looks so sweet and cuddly with her eyes framed.

I forgot where it's posted, but it's an eyewear fan forum.

Huh. While looking up Hughes and Silverberg, I learn that my country has no ambassador or director listed at the US State Department's website. Considering America's like our country's puppetmaster, I find that very strange.

Lest I forget: Inside the Middle East will air this weekend as part of this week's special programming. I love CNN.

And: it's horribly screwed up audio, but I've uploaded two mp3 files: one of Liz George bemoaning the David Beckham transfer of two years ago, and Richard and Hala discussing what make men and women happy.

Eye on Hala, 2

2005-11-23T00:39:00.000Z

More Hala viewing. Not wearing pink, thank God.

Although this time, Jim was the more prominent "anchor" for Eye on the Mideast, and, hey, who cares. I saw Hala.

Is it wrong to base one's happiness on seeing a CNN anchor?

Oh, and Vic: I am so very thankful for the Hala-Guy pic on the forum. Good girl.

Eye on Hala Gorani

2005-11-22T00:01:00.000Z

Ahh. Eye on the Middle East. Finally.

Could Hala look any happier to be a part of this special CNN Presentation?
Or is it the being in the Middle East part that's got her so happy?

Okay, I'm so happy right now about the whole thing I'll probably gush like a lunatic, so bear with me.
Just to be clear: I watched the whole hour while doped up on painkillers, I was suffering a ridiculously painful migraine. For some reason I was able to ignore the pain while watching Eye on the Middle East. Hmmn. I wonder why.

Hala wearing pink. Not my favorite color, but I'll live with it. She looks a little tan, though, must be all that outdoorsy sunlight.
Hala and Guy Raz is my mental picture of the day.
Hala's report on the head scarves. Not so much a laughing matter, but when she brought out the local version of the Barbie Doll (I was doped up, okay, forgive me for not remembering the smallest details, like, oh names). Something about Hala holding a doll makes me highly amused.

I cannot wait for Richard's report for this program.

More when I have the time.

And the painkillers (fresh new dose) starts to work.

Heh.

More Hala throughout the week! Yay!

2005-11-11T00:49:00.000Z

Obviously looking for Hala won't be too much of a problem the next couple of days.

And certainly not during the week of November 21.

@Spitfire and Tina: Hee. "High as a kite." Yeah, she wasn't her usual composed self, was she? I maintain the explosions jolted her out of bed.

what is andrea doing at the LSE?

2005-11-10T00:42:00.000Z

What is Andrea Sanke doing at the london stock exchange?
I know I said I liked Robyn Curnow at the desk, but not at this price!

Jeez. I go to sleep for a few hours and there's breaking news.

Hala and Zain taking part in the Situation Room. Yay.
Hey... If Hala's in Jordan, that means she could be all over CNN for the next few hours.
waitaminute. I sincerely hope Hala wasn't in any of the attacked hotels.

So much for "heightened terror alert in China". Wrong continent.

Is Colleen permanently doing YWT? Do I really want to know?

I miss The Music Room.

If Alessio and Ben are two, who caps off Vic's trinity?

Oh, and I love the use of Google Earth.

edit:
Tina: My theory on Hala's sort-of spacey demeanor: I think she just got out of bed when she started reporting from Jordan. Maybe the explosions woke her up.

Vic: Yes, Shannon. Absolutely.
Hmmn. Alessio, Ben and Nic. We definitely swing on opposite ends of the CNN spectrum.

Play it Again, CNN.

2005-11-07T06:10:00.000Z

And again. And again. CNNI, why do you only play Inside the Middle East during its weekend run, and never again? Here's a tip: we (myself and the few people who read this blog) love Hala. So give us more Hala. Yes?

Did anyone else see the glittery thing masquerading as a ring on Hala's finger during her segment on Inside the Middle East, when she was interviewing the magazine editor?

Anyway.

Inside the Middle East was cool, as it had Hala, Monita, and Ben Wedeman, who for all intents and purposes means nothing to me. So, let's try that again: Inside the Middle East had Hala and Monita. Hala referencing Casablanca, nice. And I guess we all knew Hala wasn't going to do the Racing the Sahara story. That just wasn't going to happen.

Hala did World News this weekend, which I absolutely loved, just because.
Hee. Hala's filing system falls apart yet again. She's so adorable when she gets dorky, yes?
And when Hala tries introducing a story as strange as the Paula Hancocks' ravens report... Hala starts off with "I wouldn't be able to tell a raven if one hit me on the nose" and then tries -- and fails -- to be grave about it, as it's loosely related to the bird flu virus.

By the way, the Bird Flu special? Gross images. "Disturbing" doesn't quite cover the gross-ness of some of those images.

Anyway.

Last Friday Robyn Curnow did Business International, and I was riveted. Something I never imagined would happen. For a moment there, I was thinking, wow. This woman knows how to handle this gig. And her and Max Foster doing CNN Today (Monday last week. Or Tuesday. Something)? Not bad for a fresh pairing.

Oh, another good move by CNNI: Mallika Kapur hosting World Business This Week. I approve, CNNI.

And Spitfire's going to kill me for this, but I can't stand Asieh Namdar.

what's so funny?

2005-10-26T01:03:00.000Z

Sumi (Das) was reporting from Florida the other day. Someone's making her way through the CNN ladder, yes?

Not much, except to share Hala being the clueless female when it came to American baseball: After sharing the baseball headline, to which Michael (Holmes) and Terry (Baddoo) were laughing among themselves, Hala, ever defensive, asked:
"Why are you laughing? What's so funny about that?"

Hala.

Then later asking Michael to repeat his statement on "following (you) up even if you don't care" about the baseball results.

Hala: "What's that?"
Michael: (repeating) "Even if you don't care."

Hala, Hala, Hala. Let it go.

And, to Anonymous: We know she's Arab in origin, and she's gone to the Hajj where only Muslims are allowed, but whether or not she's a devout religious individual, I personally don't know.

Dear CNN International

2005-10-19T01:01:00.000Z

Dear CNN,

Thank you for giving Becky Anderson and Paula Hancocks something else to do. Yes, Becky hosts Global Office, but seeing her in Pakistan confirms that somewhere in her usually-formal demeanor, is a thriving field reporter who can rough it out. And Paula Hancocks, she really likes the color pink, doesn't she?

I like Robyn Curnow. I do. But her move to hosting MainSail only means one thing, and that's Liz George has moved on. I have always adored Liz, she has that great personality that translates well even when she's being a talking head. I'm not a fan of sailing, but I toiled through MainSail for any dose of Liz, because she can brighten anyone's day with her enthusiasm, even for sailing. The fact that she was getting a great tan was another point of amusement for myself. It will take a while, but I'm sure I'll move on and accept Robyn Curnow as MainSail host. After all, sometimes when they do that instant-replacement trick on TV or film, people accept it. So I'll try, and maybe in time that tiny voice will shut up from calling her a Liz George replacement.

Please tell Hala to stop wearing yesterday's outfit. The white buttons, the distracting belt buckle... Please tell Hala she usually a much better dresser. But I still adore her, anyway. And please also tell her to get more frames for her specs, as those bulky ones sometimes gets distracting. Pretty eyes, though.

Oh, and CNN: thank you for not overplaying Christiane Amanpour's interview with Bashar Al-Assad to death.

Now that that's out of the way:
Speaking of Liz and Hala (and please get the segue, or...), Liz has declared on the dotorg that she might be shutting down part of the fansite, the gallery. Which is fine, considering she has her photobucket account anyway. Although... what about all those other pix that aren't on photobucket? But, heck, if it's too tedious and not fun anymore, by all means stop. OR, Liz, you can just stop updating the page, but keep it online anyway. You can just update photobucket as you wish. How's that?

Eye on the Middle East. Hee.

stay with CNN

2005-10-03T01:19:00.000Z

Ohh, Hala. Who knew you had nice feet.

What?

So Inside the Middle East was in Egypt. And, as I have come to expect when Hala is out of the studio, in her blue jeans.

By the way, Hala looks rather comfortable there, speaking with the women of Gaza. Anyway.

Hala on a horse-drawn carriage? awww. Where's your Prince Charming, Hala?

Other random notes:
Robyn Curnow is really earning her CNN keep, isn't she? She was on ITME, a report on Spark, and I didn't watch Design 360, but she was probably on it, too. The rerun of MainSail (get out of there, Robyn, I miss Liz George). By the way, proof of Robyn's over exposure? Her top during her ITME report -- seen it.

And Andrea Sanke on that ecological car featured on Spark? Ahh, cute.

By the way, Kristie Lu Stout should be replaced by Sumi Das on Spark. I doubt Kristie has a clear idea what she's talking about.

And before I forget: the other week I waxed rhapsodic over Richard and Hala sharing screen time.

But Richard was very cool towards the more enthusiastic Atlanta duo. And by Wednesday Hala was ignoring him, too. Say it with me, Hala: "I won't be ignored, Quest."(well, I wish she'd said that.) Anyway. Still cute.

*When Hala tells you to "stay with CNN" and you agree to do so, you know you're losing your mind. When Hala tells you that this is it for Inside the Middle East, and she hopes to see you next month and you promise to do so, you know you have lost your mind.
Yes, I did that. I need a life.

pictures, as usual, from Tina/Liz.

I love you, CNN International

2005-09-20T00:03:00.000Z

Unlike the more technologically-gifted Vic, I actually have to stay up in the wee hours of morning to watch Your World Today.

And I have never been more thankful: no screencaps (because I don't have the tech for it), but near the end of YWT, crossing over to London for WBT and WNE (if you don't know what they stand for, you're not obsessed enough)... screencap heaven: Michael and Hala in Atlanta, sharing screen time with Robyn and Richard. I have never wanted a DVR more in my life. (Okay, except for that time Stephen Colbert wore that sailor uniform. sigh...)

CNNI. I don't know who to thank for that little image, but I will think of it and have it keep me warm and fuzzy inside.

Nothing much of note for Hala (which I haven't said countless times before, like how lovely she is wearing dark hues, etc.), except for her little

"My old buddy Richard."

After Michael noted who were in London.
Come on, Hala, we all know you miss Questy.
And Richard, you know you miss that Arab-American blonde.

But: Robyn Curnow. Earning her CNN keep and reinforcing that tiny voice in my head that insists she's a Liz George replacement. I mean, come on. MainSail? CNN, could you be more obvious? Don't get me wrong, I like Robyn, but really now.

Another note: Zain's makeup when she's in London. That's scary makeup, Zain. You're beautiful, you are, but what goes wrong when you're in London?

"My old buddy Richard." hee. *warm and fuzzy*

Finally: The Quest episode. I loved Gordon Ramsay's verbal abuse of Richard. And how Richard just took it.

By the way: Why is Inside Africa a weekly feature while Inside the Middle East isn't? I mean, Hala's prettier than Femi (and formerly Tumi). I know that's not the basis of programming, but think about it: Global Office, Quest, Business Traveller, and even MainSail has repeats during the week. Why not ITME?
@Liz: After reading your LJ, thought I had to address your fury- we in Asia weren't going to get ITME anyway, so I don't have the same hell-hath-no-fury feeling you do.

nothing quite like having Hala and Richard sharing screen time to spur me into a rant.

warm and fuzzy. :)

Tease.

2005-09-16T00:40:00.000Z

Did I say I love Hala in light-colored clothes and her hair messy? I meant to say I like her in dark clothes and perfect hair, pulled back and looking as much as a professional talking head as she can be.

Then, of course, our cable signal disappeared.

Stupid rain storm.

Who else saw that feature on CNN last Sunday, about the other possible worst-case scenarios the US could face? Woohoo, if I were a terrorist, I'd take that report and present it to terrorist camps: "Possible Terror Plans". Come on, CNN. September 11 happened because the terrorists were thinking outside the freaking box. Now you're just helping them come up with scenarios.

And (the horror!) CNN blasphemy from myself! I watched the BBC airing of the HBO documentary "The Children of Beslan" last Sunday. Sadness. Disturbing portraits of how these kids would grow up. After what they've been through, the Psych graduate in me can't help but predict their own vengeful future.
Why, you ask, was I watching BBC World over CNN International? Because CNNI didn't air Inside the Middle East again. CNNI can be such a tease.

We don't do sarcasm ever! - Hala Gorani

me: *rofl*

Yay, Tina's back. Somebody to share the pain of missing ITME with.

By the way, I love the new look of the dotorg.

the jacket's back!

2005-09-08T02:48:00.000Z

oh, the famous dark jacket with the stitch embroidery is back.

However, I think that's a new top underneath.
And no necklace...

Still photo courtesy of Vic, as posted on the forum.

I have too much free time.

@Spitfire: Fair enough. But I wish for Hala that she never has to cohost with Shihab again.

making it up

2005-09-06T02:13:00.000Z

To make it up to me for not having any Inside the Middle East last weekend, Hala showed up on YWT. With Jim.

Hala, I know I said I love you in lighter shades, but please give that white jacket a break. Or maybe it's just me. I love the diversity in clothing choices recently, though.

Having read the posts by that guest on the forum, especially finding out that Hala prefers working with Jim C. (why?!?!), I've become a little more careful what I let out into the world... *laughter*. I'm kidding. I maintain Hala has minimal chemistry with Jim, and cannot create a spark with Shihab. Hmmn. Might be all that sparring she and Questy got into for so long.

I love that guest who posted what sounds like insider info. The opener-- "I got to see this forum when Hala told me about it in GAZA" -- was a kicker.

Ho hum.

One week without Liz/Tina on the forum. She'll be suffering withdrawal symptoms, I'm sure. I know I'll miss her ravings on the forum.

"And that's how much opinion you can squeeze into so many seconds of airtime."
- Richard Quest

I cry

2005-09-05T00:51:00.000Z

I didn't see Inside the Middle East. After waxing ecstatic over the promo, after surviving the company outing, after waiting and watching Anderson Cooper share tales of woe on the victims of Katrina, CNNi failed to give me my monthly ITME fix.

Why, CNN, why?!?

The weekend started out so well with Anderson Cooper, then as the weekend wore on I realize... waitaminute. I haven't seen Hala.

Arggh.

And locally, there's this annoying little ad for Liveraide that local cable programming has been interrupting my blissful CNN viewing with. Urgh.

They better air that Inside the Middle East episode, darn it. Like, oh... every weekend. :)
I miss Hala's days on Design 360, airing every week, and all.

the promo

2005-08-31T07:46:00.000Z

Of course, if you're a Hala fan, you don't need to read this entry. I just needed to post something to ease my mind about possibly missing Hala on YWT tomorrow night, and maybe even Friday (for details, see my other blog).

Saw the ITME promo. Aww, Hala.

Is that the same shirt that caused a stir on the forum?

Inside the Middle East this weekend! Yay!!!

We'll talk again once we see it, yes?

for-rumble

2005-08-26T05:30:00.000Z

I'm just losing my mind, so if you don't agree, comment away. I also have been having my Hala viewing interrupted by live coverage of interviews, so...

From the dotcom:

cnnfreak wrote:
Was she demoted from top anchor position at CNN's flagship morning news show in London to be an weekend anchor in Atalnta? It looks to me.

To which Liz answered with a post from an old interview. Now, Hala nut that I am, remember that interview fondly, and recall it to have been from her days when she was still in London. The "breather" she was referring to, I believe, was doing more BI than BizNews. I could be wrong (and I often tend to be). I therefore conclude that the move to Atlanta was like a gift from God (or some other higher power, let's not get political here) for her.

Another thread on the dotcom:

The younger daughters, Fionnula, Becky, and the cousins from the ITN family are all well-educated, but apparently at single-sex universities, since their on-screen flirting and sense of humour appear to have developed in a parallel universe.
---------
Fionnula is from RTE so that would explain the lack of personality.

heehee.

On the dotorg:

A guest posted:

I find the Michael Hala team working well now, what do you think?
it's not like with Quest, that's for sure, but they are begining to have a chemistry.

Hala can work with Shihab, for crying out loud. And Michael manages with Colleen McEdwards. But the Hala/Michael interaction can be likened to a sibling relationship, not like the verbal sparring that Hala and Questy got into.

My two cents.

Hala: Some excitement there. Are you going to go see it?
Michael: (scoff) Me? (scoff) No. (inviting absurdity) You?
Hala: (adamant) No!
(hala and michael, ywt, date long forgotten, regarding the Star Wars episode 3 hype)

Sigh.

2005-08-15T01:03:00.000Z

Sigh. Colleen McEdwards doing Hala's weekend shift again. I wonder what this woman does in her free time. Why does she appear at random time slots? Doesn't she have a life?

Whoops. I digress. Where was I?

Last Friday a friend of mine and I were discussing the The Gaza Strip pullout, Ariel Sharon, Yasser Arafat and the whole Middle East political landscape over dessert. The place we were eating at was showing CNN (don't ask me why), and then Hala shows up with her report on souvenirs. Having been aware of this report from the forum(s), I ignore my friend while I watch the report. And then my friend pointed out that if she's in Gaza, it's a major story to cover. A rough transcript of our "debate" follows:
Friend: Hey, that's a big story. That could be her 25 years "story".
Me: Guy Raz is there. John Vause is there. Paula Hancocks is there. And did you see that? Hala was talking about souvenirs.
Friend: Geez. Calm down. (the futile attempt at being comforting is) Maybe she's too pretty to be covering something so heavy.
Me: (evil glare)
Friend: What?

Well, at least Guy Raz is pretty.
Paula Hancocks has finally emerged from the confines of the LSE.

On the BA conundrum: I take it back, Robyn Curnow - you're no longer a Liz George replacement in my book. Love the glasses. *grin*

Hala reporting from the field. How do you fans of non-anchors stand it?
Sigh.

(edit: yup, I changed "West Bank" to "Gaza strip" because Spitfire pointed it out and I figured some people might be using this blog for their current events.)

the good, the bad and the incredibly ugly

2005-08-11T03:17:00.000Z

Ahh. Back on the net. Long story of why I've been away, and will not bother.
Anyway.

The Good:

Hala's outfit on this month's ItME. How nice is that outfit?
Only Hala can pull off something like that and still seem so professional.

As per usual, image courtesy of Liz.

The Bad:
Colleen McEdwards doing YWT with Michael Holmes. Okay, they were good, but I wanted to see Hala.

The Incredibly Ugly:
Certain people posting at the Hala Gorani thread in the original forum.
And this insight :

Okay, one of the things I love about Hala is her ability to maintain composure even in the most offensive of guests (and there have been a handful). Although she sometimes takes on an if-looks-could-kill expression, she still keeps her professionalism. Yes, she sometimes abuses sarcasm, but that's in good fun. She never does it with guests. What is this writer talking about?

Edit: Yes, I've seen this before, too, but recent interviews (that general guy or something, I've repressed the memory a bit) I think have proven this writer wrong. Okay, it was written while Hala was in London, which means she was being sarcastic a lot more often than she does these days.

random

2005-08-05T00:06:00.000Z

Ohhh... Hala in light blue. So pretty. So cute. So absolutely wonderful.

Did I say I like her in dark clothes? I take it back, she's better in light blue. And pinstripes.

@Liz: Great prediction on what Hala'd be wearing. :) And who cares if her blouse under the jacket was messy? The Ice Princess could be wearing a garbage bag and she'd still look good.

Check out the obsessive behavior. This is exactly what misssbev was whining about. Speaking of, why oh why isn't she letting it go? *insert eye-rolling here*

Can I just say that I was impressed with how well Colleen handles sharing a desk? Much better than Shihab...

Oh, for pink-a-demic fans: in Paula Hancocks' report from Gaza and Becky Anderson from the London desk, both were in pink.

And who else saw Guillermo and Femi talking in the background during Insight? *rofl*

the forum

2005-08-04T07:41:00.000Z

Have you seen the Hala Gorani thread on the original forum? The latest bunch of posts (prior to Liz "saving" it at 2:30 am) was... well, disturbing.
I don't know exactly how it all started, but the thing is, it went from the prettiness that is Hala to a really disturbing exchange.
Vic tries to do a good thing, and it's completely misconstrued.
Geez. We were having fun on that forum.

Geez, part two. With such guests on the dotcom, no wonder the dotorg is thriving well.

Anyway. I just wanted to get that out. And why won't I be surprised if someone bites Lizzy's bait about what the exchange has to do with Hala?

"I have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking at here. Liz, explain to me why I'm looking at... a fruit plate?"
- Hala, waxing confused, when a cut to the LSE shows a plate of grapes and some other things.

sigh. I miss Liz George.

waiting for ITME's premiere to happen

2005-08-04T00:19:00.000Z

Hala's back!!! Oh, yay. *does happy Snoopy dance* yay!

And Inside the Middle East this weekend! Yay! *does some more of the happy Snoopy dance*

I am so ecstatic I just don't know what to do with myself.

Heh. Maybe I'll pay more attention to what I should be doing.

Anyway.

Who else enjoys Shihab's new hair? Like a schoolboy who's been ordered to get a haircut. *evil laughter*

Oh: To the moderators/admin of the dot org, please delete Tiff from the members. I don't take advantage of it, anyway. I mean, I haven't posted anything. At all. So delete my membership in the meantime.

Inside the Middle East this weekend!!!

where in the world is Hala Gorani

2005-08-01T04:41:00.000Z

Now I'm annoyed. Where in the bleeding heck is Hala?

It's one thing to not have Hala, another to see Colleen McEdwards during Hala's shift, and yet another to see Suzanne Simons (no, she wasn't on, but her showing up is usually a good indicator that Hala's away).
Okay, Zain taking over Hala's shift was wicked. I liked that.

I continue to hold out my opinion on Asieh Namdar.

Ahh. Zain. Wonderful to see you without Jim. And in good lighting, too. You're so pretty...

I miss Hala.

Now, I think I've mentioned my adoration for Sumi Das in a previous entry. Here's something from James Knine's site, and it's wicked funny. It's from Sumi's days on Tech TV, but what the hey. Click here.

I really, really, really miss Hala.

Gryffindor

2005-07-29T01:17:00.000Z

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

Bad, CNN. Bad.

2005-07-20T05:04:00.000Z

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

2005-07-15T00:46:00.000Z

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

2005-07-11T00:23:00.000Z

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

2005-07-09T09:21:00.000Z

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

2005-07-07T01:51:00.000Z

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

2005-07-07T00:34:00.000Z

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

2005-07-04T00:49:00.000Z

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

2005-07-03T08:47:00.000Z

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

2005-07-01T00:41:00.000Z

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.

warm in the summer...

2005-06-29T02:37:00.000Z

I love this exchange, for several reasons, one of which is that it's Hala. Complaining. Again.

Friday, 24. June 2005

Hala: Alright, time now for a look at the international weather forecast. Guillermo Arduino joins us now from the weather center. And, Guillermo, are we starting with Europe this hour?
Guillermo: Yeah, finally.
Hala: OK. Swinging back, I just, I did e-mail you; swinging back from assignment. It was really hot in Paris. I wonder if it's gotten better.
Guillermo: Hala, let me tell viewers I got an e-mail from you saying, Guillermo it's unbearable the heat here. But Hala...
Hala: Nothing makes Paris unbearable, but this was a close as it can to making it unbearable. It was stifling.
Guillermo: You know what happened after you left?
Hala: Did it get cooler?
Guillermo: Take a look.
Hala: Okay.
Guillermo: We're gonna show you exactly what happened in Paris. Let’s go and show Hala what was going on there and ah it rained (weather forecast.) You jet setter, Hala Gorani. I feel envious of all your travelings around.
Hala: Alright thanks very much Guillermo.
Guillermo: Thank you.
Hala: I’ll try to fly back straight to Atlanta next time.
(thanks to Hala'sbiggestfan for the transcript!)

Did you get that? Hala, who used to complain about the London weather all the time, this time complaining about warm weather in Paris.
I love her love for Paris: "Nothing makes Paris unbearable." Now that's a soundbite for tourism, don't you think?
And Hala sending Guillermo email. Hmmn... *overactive imagination*
I do believe Hala was in Paris on a vacation. A break, a breather. Because if she was supposed to fly back straight to Atlanta, she was deviating from the plan. Bad Hala, bad.
Oh, what I'd do to have the right to complain about Parisian weather...

Saw the ITME promo. Love the hair. *giggle*
¡¡¡ITME this weekend!!!

Shihab's back

2005-06-26T05:49:00.000Z

Friday got me all excited, because I braved the bad rain, and when I got home, I found Hala telling me the day's headlines (okay, World News, but still). Black really offsets her fair features, don't you think? I love how Guillermo spilled the beans on where Hala's been when he noted that she was part of the warm weather in Paris. Heh. Trust the weather anchors to reveal the dirty secrets of our anchors.

Then Saturday came along, and I switch the TV set on to find Mr.Personality. Shihab, you've been on vacation and I can't tell. Did you not have a good time?

Suffering mild insomnia, so got to see Hala for the Saturday shift. Wearing blue! Setting off her lovely eyes. Is it me or was one cheek's blush-on darker than the other?

Hala's back!
sadly, Shihab's back, as well.

so insanely shallow

2005-06-22T00:45:00.000Z

My heart (and bloated, inflated ego) expands at these words, posted by Spitfire in the "shallow" Hala Gorani thread at The Forum:

I feel Marcus (sic) should put the Looking For Hala Gorani blog on the links page. With the self-deprecating humour found there I feels it deserves a place there.

I'm going to go gloat now. :)

Now, back to more important matters: if calculations are correct, Hala should be completing the taping of ITME. That should take a week and a half. So here I am, hoping she'll be back at least by this weekend. Colleen McEdwards at 3AM HKT just doesn't quite work for me. The sooner Hala gets back, the happier I'll be.

My friend's going to kill me for this, but I am still joyous over the absence of Shihab.

Suzanne Simons' hair.

2005-06-20T00:41:00.000Z

With Hala going MIA, I had to settle for two things: Michael Holmes doing World News duties, and Suzanne Simons(!!!).

Suzanne Simons. So pretty. But, Suzanne, what have you done to your hair? It used to be so nice, all dark and shiny of it. Now it's all toned and with those highlights... It's not my favorite thing, I can tell you that.

And, MainSail was on, too. Oh, Liz. I miss you in the studio.
I miss Hala. Bring her back already.

Thorough Shallowness

2005-06-14T05:25:00.000Z

July 3. July 3. July 3.

Hala's got herself a new blazer for Sunday. Wearing those chunky glasses again.

*disgruntlement for the day*
The new rules for the forum. Yes, we border on the shallow, but that's because we love our anchors/reporters so much, the smallest things make us happy.

For example, when Hala is wearing those glasses that don't flatter her, we hurt for her. Or when the blazer is being worn again, it's funny because we recognize it so.

The shallowness of our obsessive behavior is so thorough it almost passes as depth.

Heh. I wonder if that excuse will fly when I post something pointless on the Hala thread.

Three day weekend, so I got to see CNN Today and BI live.
Andrea: still pretty. So dignified, she's making me feel like Hala's move to Atlanta may have been for the best. Especially since Andrea seems to get along well with all her co-anchors (no snappy comments like Hala and Quest).
Aww. Max. So pretty. But you need to take lessons on how to be a proper anchor, my boy.

And who else is happy that Shihab's away? I actually sat through non-Hala World News broadcasts.

Sigh. I'm just sad that Colleen took over the Sunday shift sooner than I would've wanted.

if this CNN thing doesn't work out...

2005-06-09T01:02:00.000Z

I saw this, and couldn't stop myself: If Hala's day job doesn't quite work out, she can be a spokesperson for Nokia phones:

hey, that's Todd Benjamin in the background.

Which, of course, won't happen, because Hala's brilliant at what she does.

Thanks for that pic (as posted on the forum).

I knew it!!! Well, whomever took that still, thanks. To whomever posted it, thanks as well. And thanks to the CNN person who allowed Hala to go through her bag. :)

@Vic: You know what they say: great minds... :) And, yeah, I thought that too the first time I saw it, but I was too lazy at the time to make the remark public.

Mad Lunatic Fan

2005-06-09T00:00:00.000Z

I hate the internet connection at home, so I will gloat about Hala's presence ex post facto.

So pretty. With her hair up like that, the jacket making her seem even more vibrant than usual...

Mr. Anonymous , I think I've figured out why Hala has more female fans than male: Based on my research (read as: bugging all my male friends), it seems that CNN is, quote, "the last place guys will turn to" for a pretty face. Mindless jackanapes. Leaving people like Hala, Andrea, Zain and even Liz for more intellectual individuals like yourself.

And me. And us. And everybody else who belongs to the forum.

Likewise, while some of my friends drool over people like Orlando Bloom and, oh I don't know... (damn. I really don't know who else is being drooled over)
Anyway. We get Anderson Cooper and (for others) Michael Holmes. Questy (whatever floats your boat) and even Shihab (...). For Vic (and some others), it's that nice Italian man (who can't surf). And --Icantbelieveiforgotabouthim-- Max Foster.

Point is, they can have their mainstream idols. We have CNN.

If this post sounds a tad defensive, it's because the guy I just quoted just had to add, "I mean, how desperate do you have to be to watch CNN like a mad lunatic fan? And you rushed home for, what, an anchor?" He was answered with a vicious glare (by phone, but he knows. He can hear me glaring). Obviously he was not aware of this blog. He is now.

notes

2005-06-08T00:16:00.000Z

I'm sick. I'm sleepy, it's raining outside, and is Zain Verjee's blue-and-cream 2-piece suit trying to beat Hala's blazer in the most-used clothing item ever?

Good lord. I sincerely hope Hala's taking a shift later, because that would be nice.

I love Andrea's hair.

Shihab, I don't like you anymore. Smiling seems like such a hurdle for you.

Anderson Cooper, will you be my new spiritual boyfriend?
and, to live up to my rep as a bad girlfriend, I forgot your birthday. (Belated) Happy Birthday.

when in oman

2005-06-06T00:22:00.000Z

Hala with baby sea turtles. So cute.
Except for this shot:

because that's just scary.
And not wearing blue jeans. Must be in the wash.
The heart pendant, the top, the denim jacket... they all look familiar, all she needed was the immortal blazer that she wore on Sunday:

Yes, I know, I'm stealing Liz's pix, but when someone does a much better job at it, why bother trying? ;)

And last Saturday she demonstrated why I latched on to this CNN anchor in the first place: Hala's abuse of sarcasm is greater than mine. She's my sarcasm hero (for more information see Liz's quips, and some of the things she had to say about that Michael Jackson fan).

And I'm guessing she's seen Alessio Vinci's surfing report, because I do believe our girl was on the brink of laughing when she was introducing the report.

Oh, and, Hala: next time check your microphone. Sometimes we can still hear you when you laugh out loud into a break.
What is it with Hala and the end of her shifts? She keeps on breaking down, forgetting what she's saying, messing up names and things... to quote Richard, "you're thrilled to be off, are you?"

about last night...

2005-06-02T00:29:00.000Z

lovely pic, Liz. just lovely.

Last night was a good night to be someone who doesn't have a social life. :)

Getting home from work, I was expecting Andrea to be the one to tell me about the headlines and an update on business news from London, but, instead, it's Questy, and I miss him (and I thought that would be impossible, with the way he's usually all over CNNi).

Then came the best part: HALA!!! Oh, how lovely it would've been if Questy crossed over to Atlanta to ask about the headlines as he signed off... *sigh*

Then there's the Defining Moments broadcast, which I missed the first few minutes off because of the World Report Conference thingy (I wasn't paying attention, obviously. Andy Cooper or not).
Luckily, there was a replay of Defining Moments this AM, which I saw, and, wow. Christiane REALLY deserves to be CHIEF international correspondent. But it must be annoying to be so associated with war crimes and such.
Oh well.

HALA!!!

oh, and what's with all the whining about two ITME promos? More Hala, I say.

CNN 25

2005-06-01T00:01:00.000Z

Because if you read this blog, you too are a CNN junkie:

CNN, the pioneer of 24-hour news, marks its 25th anniversary on June 1 with a special programme offering a front row seat to history while looking back at events that have touched the lives of people around the world over the last quarter century.

“Defining Moments: Stories that Touched Our Lives” is an intimate recounting of the biggest television news events from the past 25 years as told by the newsmakers and journalists who lived through them, from Christiane Amanpour in the Balkans, Brent Sadler in Beirut or Matthew Chance in Beslan.

“Defining Moments: Stories that Touched Our Lives” airs:
Wednesday June 1 at 1500, 2100 and 0200 CET
Saturday June 4 at 1300, 2300 and 0500 CET
Sunday June 5 at 1400 and 1900 CET
CNN Be the first to know

my concern: I haven't done the time zone calculations yet (no, that's not an attack on Hala), but I think some of these airdates will mess with Hala's shift.

edit: So I've gone, and I've checked the schedules, and Hala's shift is clear. Yay.

that jacket

2005-05-29T23:55:00.000Z

How badly does Hala love that blazer of hers? Look up Liz's photobucket account, and I guarantee you that blazer shows up in at least half of them.

Aww. Hala overdose. I would like to thank the French population for voting on the EU referendum, as it gave me an extra hour of Hala today.

Hala: (on the Yoko Ono dress-cutting fundraiser) Good excuse to go shopping.
Richard: You don't need an excuse to go shopping. 'Oh, it's Thursday! Got to go shopping!' 'It's Friday, must go shopping!' What are you talking about, 'a good excuse to go shopping'?"
(i can't remember the date right now. Just, back in the days of Richard-Hala anchoring together)