February 2008

CNN.com clip

There is a new clip on CNN.com, apparently a report Michael filed for International this morning. You can check it out here.

More about the translations

Blog from the Back Row
Posted: 12:24 AM ET
I learned something new tonight in the control room. Two new things actually. I learned the meaning of the Australian words galah and drongo.
These are words that our Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware used on the air at the top of the program while discussing the story of Prince Harry fighting in Afghanistan.  We found the words and Michael’s delivery so interesting and amusing (even though we had no idea what they meant) that we decided to make that :09 soundbite our “Shot of the Day” at the end of the program. And it was my job to make that happen.
Isolating the soundbite and having the tape cut and turned around in 30 minutes was the easy part. Finding out what the words meant was a little trickier.
To do this I called our international assignment desk and had them transfer me to Michael’s field producer in Baghdad, Tommy Evans. No, I wasn’t calling for details on troop levels or the progress of the government on deciding how to divide oil revenue or how locals viewed the upcoming U.S. presidential election. I was calling for clarification on the definition and the correct usage of the words galah and drongo.
Tommy found this all very amusing but dutifully got a precise definition and an acceptable sentence usage from Michael.
  • galah : a type of bird, slang for idiot, as in “you guys are acting like a mob of galahs”
  • drongo: also a bird, also slang for idiot, as in “don’t be such a bloody drongo” 
It’s healthy to have a good laugh every now and again, even if you are working in a war zone. Thanks for being a good sport Tommy.
- Sean Yates, Sr. Producer, AC360 

Radio interview from Australia

Sharon found a radio interview that Michael gave on Monday to ABC Radio in Australia. Just under ten minutes long, he discusses that day's suicide attack on Shia pilgrims and the Turkish incursion into Kurdistan.

360 tonight

Délie noticed that Michael is listed on the AC360 page for tonight:

John Mccain says he will win or lose this election based on Iraq... He needs to convince voters there has been progress in Iraq. Can he do it? Tom Foreman gives us a progress report... and Michael Ware is live from Baghdad. Tonight, 10 ET.

Back in Baghdad

Michael is back at the Baghdad bureau, and CNN International aired a couple of reports from him this morning. Délie was able to grab one of them for me, and it is now up in the Iraq 2008 section.

International coverage of the election

Three CNN/I clips from Délie: the first with Michael at a polling place in Rawalpindi, the second from the roof/balcony where the US clips were done, and the third a wrap-up segment that includes reports from Reza Sayeh and Jennifer Eccleston.

I also added the transcripts for the American Morning reports.

Pakistan votes

The clips from American Morning are up (finally!). Transcripts to come. And also some clips from the International feed, as soon as they convert/upload.

PVV update and Breaking News from yesterday

I have replaced the first section of Pakistan's Vital Vote, so the glitches in the opening are gone. I also added the breaking news piece from yesterday's "World News" (Int) -- a portion of this is available on CNN.com, but the full report is much longer.

Again, thanks to Délie for recording these and sending them along so quickly!

"Pakistan's Vital Vote" now up

The show clips are in the Pakistan section.

First clip from Pakistan

Délie sent me a clip from the International feed of Your World Today... our first news from Michael on special assignment covering the Pakistan election. I have corrected the bad upload from yesterday and added the small version as well.

"Pakistan's Vital Vote"

Délie has sent me the promo currently airing for the hour-long special this weekend, which Michael is hosting, about the Pakistan election. She also received a copy of the press release:

Pakistan's Vital Vote will offer viewers insight into Pakistan's troubled political waters as voters prepare to elect a new parliament and decide who will choose the country's next prime minister.  Hosted by veteran CNN correspondent Michael Ware, this special report will offer some analysis of what these elections might bring to a country shattered by months of political turmoil, weeks under emergency rule, and the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. It will also examine international concern over this crucial vote in a country that is uniquely pivotal in the war on terror.  1 hour. [NOTE: According to the schedule, it is only a 1/2 hour program]

And here is the banner still for it:

Coming soon to a television near you...

Anderson Cooper mentioned on his blog tonight that Michael will be on AC360 next week.

...and the rest of the clips

Here are the rest of the new versions of old clips. Some of these are greatly expanded -- I did not keep the entire conversation when there were multiple guests, but now have included all of them, since it really gives more of a feel for what was happening at the time. Some of the clips are now in the triple-digits, but the small versions are also available for these.

New version of old clips

Over the weekend I had to pull a clip off an old DVD and discovered clean copies of the first 15 CNN clips I made. These are the clips from the end of 2005, beginning of 2006. So I am re-converting them to the new standards and uploading them to the site.

Tonight the 2005 clips are done. Here are the direct links:


I'll convert and upload the nine clips from early 2006 as soon as possible...