Weather, Amazon From The Sky, Pentagon Stupidity, And A Frog Fear Freakout! (Tuesday's Second Hour)

Hi all. Happy Valentine's Day. So today I got a press release from CNN about this whole "Planet in Peril" series. The funny part is that they included an Anderson screencap from last night. Oh CNN marketing, how you amuse me. Anyway, we kick off the night with more weather stuff, including a new piece from Susan Roesgen on that tornado that hit New Orleans. Apparently it touched down several places and the woman who died had her FEMA trailer blown to bits. Horrible. A state of emergency has been declared and they're sending in National Guard troops for security. It never ends for those poor people.

Next up we're back with Anderson and Jeff Corwin and we learn that to get where they are now they had to take a four hour helicopter ride. This intros us into an Anderson piece where we get a bird's eye view of the destruction that is currently happening in the rainforest. Every year an area of the forest the size of New Jersey is cut and burned, which is pretty mind boggling. We see several fires and Anderson points out a bulldozer in motion. Oh that's not cool. Hey, stop that! We learn that over the last 40 years a whopping 20% of the rainforest has been destroyed and Anderson tells us this is due to "loggers, farmers, cattle ranchers, miners, all looking to reap a profit from the rainforest." It's always about the money, isn't it? Jeff points out that the chemicals used in the mining process are even further devastating the area. After the piece Anderson tells us that Jeff is out wandering around in the rainforest. Oh man. Next time send a camera crew too!

Transitioning now to Michael Ware live again and he basically covers everything again from last hour. Then we're onto a Jamie McIntyre piece. Hey, remember how there was that big briefing that journalists couldn't record, but evidence was revealed that Iran was providing weapons to Iraq? Yeah, well, turns out Robert Gates and other top brass can't tell us much about that. It seems the head of the Pentagon has been left out of the loop. Uh huh. Or maybe they're realizing that they don't want to be part of Iraq II: on to Iran. Also in the piece we get to see Ed Henry kick some major press conference butt. Tony Snow tries to pull the standard redefine the question manuever and Ed ain't having it. "I'm trying to tell you what -- I know what my question is. And basically, he's saying that he doesn't see evidence that the Iranian government is clearly behind it. That's my -- I asked that three or four times. You haven't answered that." Get on with your bad self, Ed! You keep that up and I might just have to name you as one of my news boyfriends. He's like a David Gregory in training.

Next up we've got David Gergen and Michael Ware joining John Roberts for some discussion about all this. John asks Michael if he's surprised by this Pentagon craziness and Michael is not. He says the military's public affairs section has been a disaster. The Gerg also agrees the whole thing was botched. You think? He also wonders if maybe the weapons announcement got the war drums beating a little too loudly for Gates' liking and now he's trying to dial it back. Michael says The Gerg might be onto something there. John wonders if the administration is looking for a boogeyman. Well, of course they are! They've been governing by fear since 9-11. If it's not terrorists, it's the gays and their evil agenda, and if it's not the gays, it's illegal immigrants who are going to have us all speaking Spanish. Be afraid! Be afraid! David tells us that both sides (Iran and US) seem to be ratcheting things up and he notes the US has just sent a third carrier to the region. Oh God. This isn't happening. John points out that the more ships we send there the better chance something will happen. Exactly. I think they're counting on it.

Moving back now to Anderson and Jeff and Jeff is joining us covered in mud and ants and dorkily wearing a light on his head. So someone's been having some fun. Jeff tells us he found a crocodile, but seeing as though it was six feet long, it got away. The croc declined to comment. So instead, Jeff has something else for us that he's holding in his professional animal catcher, otherwise known as a pillow case. The hotel will be invoicing them very soon he tells us. Jeff then struggles to get a frog out of the case and it's putting up quite a fight. Suddenly it makes a big movement and Anderson jumps back like a...well, like a little girl actually. Sorry Anderson. Tis true. That was hilarious. "Relax," Jeff says. Seriously dude, it's not a bomb. Although actually if it was a bomb he'd probably be fine. Shoot a rocket at the guy and he's cool as a cucumber, but oh my God frog!!

"Did I mention I don't like frogs?" Anderson tells Jeff. No, but I'm guessing he gathered that by your amazing leap there. Jeff tells him, "This is going to be the longest six months of your life." Oh, this is going to be an awesome six months. So Anderson's got frog fear. Interesting. We have found Anderson's kryptonite and it's...frogs? I'm counting on the crew to use this information for their own amusement and hilarity. So Jeff's still struggling with the frog and we can see it sort of poking at the pillow case. "Is that a frog in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" asks Anderson. Gasp! There are children watching, mister. Jeff then finally gets the frog out and honestly it looks pretty average to me, but I'm not a frog expert. After some frog facts Anderson talks us out of the segment and as he does so, Jeff acts like he's going to hand him the frog. This makes Anderson jump back again and though he keeps talking, his voice slides towards freakout. I have to say that my Jeff love has just soared tremendously because I so would have done that. Back in the studio John comments that, "we've got to fire a couple of rockets at you because you don't jump when those come your way. " Great segment. After this there's some Anna Nicole stuff, but I'm too busy still laughing to even notice.

Screencaps by sherynroyce.