In the last week or so, thousands of birds have suddenly died in huge quantities in different parts of the country leading the more imaginative/paranoid segment of the population to fear that the occurrences are a sign of a Biblical apocalypse or “End of Days”. Last night, on Anderson 360, actor Kirk Cameron (who we may remember as a child star on Growing Pains but now devotes his life to extreme religious teachings and has starred in Biblical “End of Days” films) chimed in and offer his $0.02 on the matter of all these dead birds. Thank goodness Anderson managed to find an expert!

Celebrities and real life heroes convened at the Shrine Auditorium here in Los Angeles, CA last night to attend the taping of CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute which honors the people who have gone above and beyond to help those in need … our everyday heroes. The ceremony, which will air on CNN on Thanksgiving night this Thursday, was attended by Hollywood A-listers as well as real life heroes who have made an impact this year … including the 33 Chilean miners who survived a 69 day ordeal underground and were just rescued last month. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals last night and some deets about the show itself:

A woman whose group has rescued more than 12,000 women and girls from sex slavery has been named the 2010 CNN Hero of the Year. Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll that ran for eight weeks on CNN.com. CNN’s Anderson Cooper revealed the result at the conclusion of the fourth annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.” “Human trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity,” Koirala said earlier in the evening after being introduced as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. “I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughters.” Koirala was introduced by actress Demi Moore, who along with her husband, Ashton Kutcher, created DNA, The Demi and Ashton Foundation, which aims to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide … “Since 1993, she has helped rescue more than 12,000 women and girls. Through her organization Maiti Nepal, she has provided more than a shelter for these girls and young women, she has created a home. It is a place for them to heal, go to school, learn a skill, and for some who are infected with HIV/AIDS, it is the place where they can spend their days surrounded by love.” Koirala will receive $100,000 to continue her work with Maiti Nepal, in addition to the $25,000 awarded to each of the top 10 Heroes honored Saturday night … The show opened with a salute to the 33 Chilean miners and five of the people who rescued them last month after the miners spent 69 days underground. “For 69 days we were amazed by these 33 brave miners,” Cooper said in welcoming the miners onto the Shrine stage. “Their ordeal was unthinkable; their rescue, unbelievable. No one has ever been trapped underground so deep for so long and survived. “They endured a nightmare, experienced a miracle, and in the end became each others’ brothers and heroes. On behalf of CNN Heroes, we salute all 33 Chilean miners.” After the miners sang the Chilean national anthem, two of them — speaking through a translator and holding the Chilean flag — expressed their appreciation. “We want to thank the world, and we want to thank God for your prayers,” Luis Urzua told the audience in Spanish. “Our families suffered. Our children suffered, too. But thanks to the prayers of the whole world, we could come out of this difficulty,” Mario Sepulveda added. “Some of our rescuers are here with us tonight,” Urzua said. “Thank you for bringing us home. You are our heroes.”

John Legend, Bon Jovi and Sugarland were among the musicians who performed on the show last night and celebrities including Halle Berry, Kid Rock, LL Cool J, Aaron Eckhart and the folks pictured above were on hand to present awards. I’m always so impressed and SO inspired by the real life heroes who are honored by CNN every year. There are so many unsung heroes who work tirelessly on a daily basis to help others and they do so happily and without any desire to be recognized for their efforts. It is very cool that this annual tribute seeks out those people and honors them, not necessarily for their personal glory but because those people shine as a beacon of human kindness and selfless inspiration. I’ll be tuning in this Thursday night to see these amazing people honored and I will surely be giving thanks for all the amazing work they do.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Yesterday we got to see a couple photos of rumored partners Anderson Cooper and Benjamin Maisani making their exit from the David Barton Gym in NYC, NY Friday afternoon and today we get to see a couple more photos of the pair shortly after they finished their gym date. Andy and Ben hopped on a pair of matching mountain bikes and peddled their way home thru the West Village together … behold:

Whether these two are an actual couple or merely a couple of friends, they make a really great pair … don’tcha think? It’s very obvious that both Anderson and Benjamin have been working considerably hard on pumping up their arm muscles becuase … MMM … look at those bulging biceps. While I am still not on board with the jorts that Ben is rockin’, I suppose I can forgive him the style faux pas this time around. HMMM … I wonder where these two biked off to together. Even better, I wonder what they got up to once they reached their destination. Any guesses?

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Anderson Cooper and his rumored boyfriend Benjamin Maisani were spotted making their exit together from David Barton Gym in NYC, NY yesterday which is just the latest sighting to fan the flames of their rumored romance. Here are a couple photos of the guys leaving the gym together … do they look coupley to you?

Now, just because a couple of dudes are spotted at the gym together doesn’t necessarily mean that they are together together … but the gym is widely held as the “gay church” and, well, I suppose it can be viewed as suspect that Andy and Ben are together together. In the end, it really doesn’t matter if the guys are involved or not … but it would be really fantastic if Anderson Cooper were to come out (should he have anything to come out about). As you may recall, The National Enquirer reported earlier this year that Anderson and Benjamin were planning to adopt a Haitian baby together. Of course that story was merely a fabrication but, again, I would really love it if it were true. I’m not sure I love the cutoff shorts that Benjamin is wearing in these photos … perhaps it’s a nod to the Twilight werewolves? If that were the case then I think it would be very safe to assume that the rumors about these guys are true ;) Whatever is really going on between these two … let’s say, friends … they sure do look like a hot couple, wouldn’t you say?

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Anderson Cooper, the brave CNN anchor who recently put himself in harm’s way to rescue a small boy in Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake they suffered back in January, is featured on the cover and in the pages of the new issue of Outside magazine. Here is our first look at the silver fox’s Outside coverphoto and some excerpts from his coverstory interview:

On overcoming fear: “I don’t believe you should be ruled by fear in anything in life. I don’t like anything that scares me, I prefer to face it head-on and get over it. Anyone who says they’re not scared is a fool or a liar or both. I just don’t want that fear in my stomach to be a part of my life, so I work to eliminate it.”

On skydiving being senseless: “I have no interest in jumping out of an airplane, or any of the things people do for thrills to push the limit and all that. To me, that seems foolish. There’s no point. If people are suffering in a place, to me, it’s not a question of whether I’m going to go or not. It’s a question of how fast can I get there.”

On springing into action while in Haiti: “You suddenly find yourself in a situation where, you say … what do you do? There are some journalism purists who say that you do nothing, that you just watch and report, and I certainly understand that. But in the case of a little boy who got hit in the head with a cement block, no one was helping him. He couldn’t get up. … Blood was pouring from his head. It was a split second decision to take him out of the situation.”

How much do I love Anderson Cooper? He is THE best. I 100% agree with him on the senselessness of skydiving. I was coerced into jumping my dumb ass out of a plane a few years ago and it was the single most terrifying thing I’ve ever done. I will never, ever do it again nor would I ever encourage anyone else to do so. I love that Anderson has got my back on this :) Some of you Cooper aficionados may recall that he previously graced the cover of Outside magazine back in March 2008 … so clearly, he’s a fan of the publication. I’m pretty sure there are a few Coop fans out there who might enjoy this issue of Outside … I know I will :)

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The National Enquirer is reporting in its latest issue that CNN star and real-life superhero Anderson Cooper is planning to adopt a Haitian orphan … but the big news is that the magazine casually states that Cooper is adopting this baby with boyfriend Benjamin Maisani. Now, there have been rumors going around for ages that Anderson Cooper is gay and has been secretly dating Maisani for some time now … but the Enquirer is the first publication to put it out there that the couple are not only together, but are ready to settle down and make a family for themselves:

Hard-charging CNN anchorman Anderson Cooper was so moved by the suffering from the earthquake in Haiti, he’s decided to adopt a Haitian orphan, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively. The silver-haired journalist and his hunky boyfriend, Ben Maisani, plan to raise the child together in their recently purchased home, a former firehouse they’re renovating in New York’s West Village, pals say. “The death and destruction in Haiti made Anderson realize what’s really important. He and Ben have decided to become dads,” a longtime friend told The ENQUIRER. “Ben has been the best thing that’s ever happened to Anderson. They both feel they’re ready for a baby.” Anderson, 42, flew to the devastated country shortly after the quake struck on Jan. 12. Meanwhile, back in New York, 37-year-old club owner Ben has been overseeing renovations on the historic firehouse Anderson recently bought, the friend said. And Anderson has been so affected by the devastation in Haiti that he’s begun arrangements to adopt one of the country’s orphans. Although fatherhood may curtail some of Anderson’s globe-trotting, he’s not planning to give up his work anytime soon. “It just means once they get their son, he won’t jump on a plane for every story,” said the friend. “Plus Ben is totally capable of keeping things under control when Anderson is away.”

As with all reports by the National Enquirer, this should all be taken with a huge grain of salt. BUT, it should also be noted that the mag does tend to get some stories very right … they were the ones who broke the story of the John Edwards love child, could they be 100% right about Anderson and Ben‘s plan to start a family? In case you’re not aware of what Ben looks like, check out a photo of Coop and Ben hanging out together on one of their rare public outings together in NYC last Summer — after the jump …

Anderson Cooper, who is currently in Haiti reporting for CNN, got himself caught in a situation where he felt compelled to save the life of a young boy whose life was endangered by a looting situation nearby. Here are a few graphic photos of Anderson bravely saving this young boy’s life and some deets from Cooper himself on what went down:

We were covering another story when we heard shots being fired. We ran toward the sound and found a store being looted. Two Haitian police officers were occasionally firing into the air to try to keep order, but that only worked for a few moments, then the looting would begin again. They were stealing boxes of candles. An American businessman named Tony who owns two stores nearby barricaded one street to keep looters away. He had armed the two Haitian police with automatic weapons, and they were assisting him, but they were not able to control anything beyond their barricade. It quickly became a free-for-all. Young men began fighting one another for the stolen items. A number of young men had knives, and planks of wood, screwdrivers and rocks. They were using their improvised weapons to threaten and injure others who had stolen items from the store. The robbers were now being robbed. One group of looters whipped another man with a leather belt. They punched him as well, and they stole the sack of goods he’d just stolen. I was in the midst of the melee with Charlie Moore, my producer, Neil Hallsworth my cameraman, Vlad Duthiers, my translator, and there was a still photographer from Getty Images with us, photojournalist Jonathan Torgovnik. As things got really out of control, I saw a looter on the roof of the store they’d broken into throw what I think was part of a concrete block into the crowd. It hit a small boy in the head. I saw him collapse. More chunks of concrete were being thrown at the looters on the roof. The injured boy couldn’t get up. He’d try and then collapse again. Blood was pouring from his head. He was conscious but had no control over his body. I was afraid someone on the roof would see him lying there and throw another cinder block piece onto him. I was afraid he’d get killed. No one seemed to be helping him. I ran to where he was struggling, and picked him up off the ground. I brought him to a spot about a hundred feet away. I could feel his warm blood on my arms. I stood him up, but he was clearly unable to walk. He wiped his bloody face, and I tried to reassure him. He had no idea where he was, and he clearly couldn’t walk, so I picked him up again and handed him over to someone behind that makeshift barricade. Tony, the American businessman, gave the boy a wet towel. He was then taken away by someone else. We don’t know what happened to him. I hope he’s ok.

Wow. I have no words. These photos are the least of the graphic images that have been posted by CNN HERE. If you are interested, there is video of this incident which contains some very graphic imagery as well. Check it out after the jump — but be warned, as I said, it’s kinda tough to watch …

Celebs of varying degree of fame made their way out to the Kodak Theater last night for the taping of the 2009 CNN Heroes television special that will air on CNN on Thanksgiving and will honor “ordinary people” selected for their “extraordinary impact” this past year. Here are a few photos from the red carpet arrivals of some of the celebs who attended last night and some deets from the taping:

Kate Hudson, Pierce Brosnan, Neil Patrick Harris and other stars who are used to getting applause were giving it gladly at a ceremony honoring people who make a difference in the lives of others. “I’ve cried twice and we’re on hero three,” Harris said backstage after introducing one of the 10 “CNN Heroes” celebrated Saturday by the TV news network for their efforts to fight poverty, disease and other problems. “There are so many awards shows every year for the Hollywood community that participating in something as effective as this makes those others feel inconsequential” and provides perspective, said Harris, star of CBS’ “How I Met Your Mother” and recent Emmy Awards host. The top CNN Hero of the Year and a grant of $100,000 went to a young man who embraced education for himself and other Filipinos as an escape from poverty. He and the other honorees received $25,000 each. As a child, Efren Penaflorida picked school over gang life in Cavite City and vowed to create a way for other children to make the same choice. He created a program that brings books to children in slums and on the streets, and the 10,000 members of his Dynamic Teen Co. have brought reading, writing and hygiene to 1,500 youngsters. “My message to children of all races, please, to embrace learning and love it for it will embrace and love you back and enable you to change your world,” said Penaflorida, now a 21-year-old college graduate. “Each person has a hidden hero within, just have to look inside you and search it in your heart and be the hero the next one in need,” he said in accepting the top honor. Brosnan, honoring a woman who started an anti-breast cancer project, created one of the evening’s most emotional moments as he recalled his late wife’s failed battle against the disease. She was a “magnificent mother, a wonderful actor,” he said of Cassandra Harris, who died of ovarian cancer in 1991. “There are too many of us who have lost someone to this brutal disease called cancer, and we are all sick and tired of cancer winning,” he said in introducing breast cancer survivor Andrea Ivory, who runs a mobile mammography project in Miami that provides free screenings. The pair posed backstage for photos, Ivory glamorous in a gown with an oversized pink bow — symbolic of the ribbons that mark the breast cancer battle. “Stunning,” Brosnan said, smiling broadly as cameras focused on her. “You make me nervous,” Ivory replied, but Brosnan would have none of it. “You’re the star,” he said. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper hosted the Kodak Theatre ceremony that was attended by about 4,000 people and will air on CNN at 9 p.m. EST Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, and on CNN International and CNN en Espanol. Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood and Maxwell performed, and other presenters included Nicole Kidman and George Lopez.

This is such a great event, I’m so glad that so many celebs are interested in participating in honoring everyday folk who give so generously of their time, energy and money to help others in need. I also love how classy this event is … black tie looks good on so many people. Love and congrats goes out to CNN‘s honorees this year … make sure you tune in on Thanksgiving night to see who was honored this year.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]

Anderson Cooper is featured on the cover of the new issue of The Advocate as the spokesmodel for the magazine’s coverstory on so-called “Silver Foxes”. The article talks about how a touch of grey (or an entire head of grey, as in Anderson‘s case) makes some older men the “objects of lust”. Here is The Coop‘s cover shot:

I have to say, I’m not normally a fan of the grey hair … that being said, I don’t really look at Anderson Cooper as a man with grey hair. Because it’s entirely silver, it just looks like a different hair color and not merely like grey hair. I think a touch of grey can add a bit of distinction to some men but not in every case. Whether or not such matters are worthy of an entire magazine coverstory is beside the point … I suppose the “age of the Silver Fox” needed to be discussed at some point. Who else but Anderson Cooper would be chosen as the spokesmodel? After all, wasn’t the term Silver Fox named after him?

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