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Train cars in New Castle, Indiana:
Check out the videos that inspired our story on YouTube »
Watch our story on CNN.com »

The Redneck Mommy:
Watch Eric's whole interview from the archives here. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be captivated by Tanis: The Redneck Mommy.

Halftime "Water Cell" escape scare:
See the raw footage on YouTube: Houdini Water Torture Cell Gone Bad. Then surf over to RidgewayandJohnson.com for a look at what this amazing stunt looks like when everything goes right!
See the "News To Me" story again on CNN.com »

Toothpics in a beard:
Check out the full video on YouTube »

This is why you're fat:
Did we make you hungry? Visit the site that started it all: ThisIsWhyYoureFat.com »
Watch our story on CNN.com »

Mac Vs. PC - for reals!
Filmmaker Nick Greenlee's epic battle between good vs. evil (we'll let YOU choose which is which) is racking up the views on YouTube. To get a look at how he did it and what else Nick has up his sleeve, check out our video on CNN.com »

Thank you (again)!!! For the third time in 4 weeks YOU have put "News To Me" at the top of the CNN.com/video "Most Popular" list!

You chose to watch Eric's interview with Debbie Fletcher about her search beneath the surface of Lake Jocassee for the building that holds her childhood memories, more than any other video on CNN.com yesterday… and that means a lot to us! Thank you!

If you were intrigued, inspired or merely just interested in that story you'll definitely want to make time for what is coming up NEXT on "News To Me". This weekend (2/28 & 3/1) you'll meet a man named Ed Port whose disease may help you put some of your problems in perspective. iReporter Michael Murphy introduced us to Ed and his story. You'll hear from Ed himself and learn the surprising connection between him and President Barack Obama.

Hope we'll see you this weekend.

Here are the links to everything on "News To Me" this weekend:

Living in an airstream trailer:
See the iReport that started it all: From Beverly Hills to Hillbillies »
Visit Leah's blog: leahthebird.blogspot.com

Saudi dust storm:
iReporter Lutz Arnhold took amazing shots of the storm from the top of Al Faisaliah Tower »

Eco-warrior at London auto show:
iReporter Chris Smith takes on the Hummer and it's fans in London. Check out his full iReport here »

Oakland's diagonal crosswalk:
Most of us had never seen anything like this! Thanks to iReporter Dr Derrick Norbert Morris for uploading his report about the intersection of Webster and Franklyn in Oakland, CA »

Augmented reality:
You need a printer and a webcam to get the full experience from GE's entertaining website plugintothesmartgrid.com.
Eric's demonstration: WATCH »

Teacher draws a perfect circle:
Check out the raw video on YouTube »

Dalmatian rides a bike:
Thank you wacky Japanese game show for this video of a spotted dog riding a bicycle. Watch »

Ideas by Chuck:
His name is Chuck, he has ideas. ideasbychuck.com »

Thanks for watching! See you next weekend.

There are a lot of reasons why we don’t shoot "News To Me" in a studio.

For one: Eric is allergic to teleprompters. It’s a rare allergy, but it can be quite debilitating. Especially for someone who makes their living as a TV presenter.

Two: Inside a TV studio there are a lot more of US than there are of YOU, and the "News To Me" motto is, "YOU shoot it, we show it." So we steer clear of the climate controlled sound stages and get out into the elements, where YOU are.

For this weekend's show we blurred those lines just a little. We shot Eric’s "on camera" stuff all around CNN Center here in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Some of us refer to CNN Center as "The Mothership" because it’s home to CNN (of course), CNN International, CNN en Espanol, CNN Radio, CNN.com, the Airport Network, the Inside CNN Studio Tour and HLN - the home of "News To Me."

The Inside CNN Studio Tour is a behind the scenes tour of the Global Headquarters of CNN and it is VERY popular. In the shot above you see Eric with Kat who brought her parents (visiting from England) to take the tour that also includes a look at the newsroom and studios of HLN. Little did Kat (or her parents) know that before the day was over she would actually end up ON HLN!

It’s not hard to find a bridge in Atlanta… a lot of the city is actually built a few stories above the ground in order to leave passages open for the freight trains that rumble through all day long.

Cameraman/writer/editor/Activia-eater Teague is a master at making something as mundane as this concrete bridge belly interesting … see if you can spot the shot he’s shooting above in the show tomorrow!

What's going on here? Three little words: I dare you.

OK… Eric didn't really lick that graffiti-covered support pillar in the parking deck. Or did he? Find out if he's immune to the Norwalk virus this weekend on "News To Me!"

Back in December, iReporters provided "News To Me" with an almost TOO-close view of the devastation caused when a military jet crashed into a suburban San Diego neighborhood. The pilot ejected and survived, but, on the ground, one man’s entire family was killed.

I know I will never forget how I felt watching Dong Yun Yoon talking to the media the next day. It had only been hours since learning that he’d lost his wife, daughters and mother-in-law to the crash. With emotions still so raw, he came out and eulogized his wife and daughters… and then, he asked us to pray for the pilot as well. His press conference was one of the most touching and “real” things I have ever seen on TV.

"Horrible thing to happen" watch »

The Marines have been investigating what went wrong that day… and have determined a number of things, including deferred maintenance and faulty decisions by the pilot, contributed to the accident. Four people have been fired… and nine others have been relieved of duty.

Full Story »

We're very happy to have Debbie Fletcher as our "guest blogger" today. Debbie is at the heart of the story "News To Me" brought you last weekend: The mystery surrounding the fate of the Attakulla Lodge that was submerged under 300 feet of water when the Jocassee Valley in South Carolina was flooded as part of a dam project. The Attakulla belonged to her family and holds too many childhood memories to count. Click the pic below to watch Eric's interview with Debbie.

Now, keep reading as Debbie picks up where our story left off and sheds some light on the lives of the men who were among the first to dive to the bottom of the lake:

Debbie Fletcher poses with "Team Attakulla."

As I watched the Jocassee story this weekend on "News To Me," many emotions surfaced once again. Some were happy memories of a carefree childhood; others were sad, realizing again that the valley is lost forever under what I used to refer to as a death shroud. It’s natural to want your family and friends around you to share your memories. That’s part of life: laughing and crying, living and dying. During the show, my husband Dave got up out of his chair and knelt down beside me as we watched together. He held my hand as I cried (and just between you and me, he was crying a little, too). My husband is a great source of strength for me, but he knows that as much as I love him, I have three other wonderful men in my life. I lovingly refer to these unassuming men as "my heroes." They are the divers who brought Jocassee back to me: Bill Routh, Charles Johnson, and Jackie Smith.

Bill Routh is the one with the vision – the one who contacted me about beginning our search for Attakulla Lodge which I thought was gone forever. If not for Bill, this new chapter in my story would never have taken place. Bill is also my dive instructor who had the patience of a saint during my dive lessons. Diving, shall we say, did not come naturally or easily for me.

Diver Charles Johnson

Another is Charles Johnson. I met Charles on August 4, 2004, a beautiful Saturday morning at Jocassee. He and his dive partner Jackie would be the first two divers to brave the deep, dark, cold waters of Lake Jocassee in hopes of locating my family homestead. Charles and I just "clicked" the first minute we met. He had a keen sense of the importance of this to me, and he was grateful to be a part. Charles is the diver who, when bottom time was running out, was intently searching for some token of the Lodge to bring me. On his way back to the line to begin his ascent, he saw a long, architectural item sticking out of an upstairs window. He pulled it out and managed to loop it on his arm and began his 1.5-hour trip back to the surface. What Charles had found was the sidelight that was part of the Lodge’s front door. It is now proudly displayed in my house and is my Jocassee treasure.

The third "other" man in my life is Jackie Smith. Jackie was known around the world for being a "gorilla diver" – the term given to divers who routinely do hard-core diving, well beyond the recreational and even technical limits of diving.

Diver Jackie Smith

Jackie had previously dived to a depth of approximately 450 feet. To say that Jackie was quiet and unassuming is an understatement. He was not a man to draw attention to himself but was more comfortable in letting others have the limelight. It was a sad day in early 2006 that I received a phone call from Charles saying that Jackie was dead. Team Attakulla had lost one of its finest men. He was so proud to have been a part of finding the Lodge, and he looked forward to many years of exploration – years that he would not have. I invite you to visit the memorial to Jackie that is on my website at JocasseeRemembered.com. Just click on the red and white dive flag on the home page. I believe you will then understand what a treasured friend he was to many.

Each time they dive on the Lodge, Jocassee emotions flood my mind, stirred as easily as the silt on the bottom of the lake. A mere flick, and poof! they swirl around like a powdery cloud, taking its time to settle once again. I thought that locating Attakulla Lodge and placing my book on the front porch would signify the end of this chapter in my life. I’m just now beginning to see that it will never end, and I don’t want it to. There is so much more to explore – so many questions yet to be answered. Attakulla Lodge is inviting us in . . . this adventure is really just beginning.

Debbie Fletcher

Here are the links to everything on "News To Me" Saturday, March 3rd and Sunday, March 8th:

Alaskan food and fuel crisis:
Continuing coverage on CNN.com and alaskareports.com.

Man hit by truck AND train:
See the raw video on CNN.com

50 people, 1 question:
To see the full version of the video we excerpted on "News To Me" check out iReporter Austin Chu's page at iReport.com.
For more on the movement: fiftypeopleonequestion.com
Follow Austin and his brother Brian on: therecessends.com

Best of CNN.com:
- Burglary victim steals robbers' van
- Bugs found in candy bars?
- Pole dancing robots
- Very ugly cat adopted by vet

4200 miles on foot for Obama:
iReporter Ashley Porter turned us on to a guy named BJ Hill who walked across the country collecting messages for President Obama.
You can retrace BJ's steps and see videos he shot all along his journey on his blog: walkamerica2008.com.

Play Barack Paper Scissors!
Level 10 of this crazy twist on Rock Paper Scissors just went live! Now that you've met the guys behind the game, try challenging them to a match at youtube.com/barackpaperscissors!

Devolve Yourself:
You've spent millions (billions?) of years evolving into the human you've become… upload a photo of your present day self and see what your pre-historic self might have looked like WAY back in the day: open.ac.uk/darwin/devolve-me.php

You can own a British Soccer team…
…or part of one anyway. Kick the tires of Ebbsfleet United at myfootballclub.co.uk.

Just in case you missed them… check out some behind the scenes pics we snapped while we shot this weekend's show around HLN headquarters at CNN Center: Eric at the "mothership" »

Today's blog entry is by the "News To Me" winter intern Brandon. He's been with us for a few weeks but he hasn't had much time to introduce himself because Mike has been keeping him VERY busy transcribing interviews. In fact did you see Eric's interview with Debbie Fletcher about her long lost childhood playground which is now under 300 feet of water? Brandon was on the front lines of that one, writing down every word of that conversation so Will (the writer/editor) could turn it into TV. Since then he's done the same for three MORE interviews you'll see on upcoming shows!

So without further ado… please say hi to Brandon!

My First Day…

Brandon takes a break from logging interviews long enough to pose for a quick pic.

Do you remember the first day of your internship? How did it go? Was it what you expected? Were you impressed? Were you nervous? Were you disappointed? These are just a few questions that come to mind when people ask others about their first day experiences. While some might feel unaffected by the “first day jitters,” others like me need some reassuring and self-coaching before the first day of a new internship.

Dressed in khaki pants, a white button down shirt, and a blue blazer, I thought that my first day was a great one. What a privilege and a blessing it was to be accepted for an internship at HLN. I would be interning for "News To Me," and I was utterly excited. After going through CNN Center’s elaborate security checkpoint, Mike Kane, my new supervisor and Coordinating Producer of the show, came down to greet me. Before taking me to the place I would be working, located on the upper level of the HLN Loft, and telling me my responsibilities, Mike decided to take me on what I had been dying to see all along, a tour of the HLN/CNN headquarters. It was all happening so fast, and it was truly a dream come true. Walking through the hustle and bustle of the newsroom, seeing Tony Harris talk about the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life at the news desk, admiring the director’s immediate action and responsiveness to new stories in the control room, were all wishes I had seen fulfilled. This was some place I knew I wanted to work at someday. By the time we got back to "the loft," it was well over time for me to go, but I could hardly wait to return for work again the next day. Not only was I thrilled to be working at CNN Center, but I had met some of nicest people, including my new supervisor, Mike Kane, and Associate Producers Aaron Rustom and Grayson Thagard. This was truly a first day I’ll never forget.

While there might be many different tips that people have for making a first day experience a great one, here is my recipe to a successful first day:

ADD A BOOST OF CONFIDENCE:
It is definitely ok to be a little nervous, but confidence is everything. It sets the first impression. Remember that you already have the job, so there was obviously something special about you.

DON’T FORGET TO SMILE:
First day’s can be a little overwhelming, but a smile can set a great tone. It helps to show your excitement for the new job.

REMEMBER EYE CONTACT:
This not only shows that you have great self-confidence, but also lets others know that you are interested in what they are saying.

MAKE THE HAND SHAKES FIRM.

PUT THE IMPRESS IN YOUR DRESS:
Make sure you find out from your new supervisor the suitable attire required for the job. It is important to come appropriately dressed for the new job, because this can create a negative or positive first impression.

A LITTLE PREPARATION IS KEY:
Before you start your first day, make sure you find out what will be needed for you to bring on the job. Come ready to work, and always have some kind of note pad and pen, so that you can write down any notes that will be helpful in the future.

*MIKE'S NOTE:
Great advice for future NTM interns! Thanks Brandon… and let's hope you still have that smile when you leave here.

This weekend we're exceptionally proud of the first story you'll see at 7:30pm and 9:30pm EST. It's the story of a very brave man named Ed who needs some help, and his friend who turned a missed deadline into an iReport that touched and inspired all of us. Eric will introduce you to both these guys on this weekend's episode of "News To Me" and, like Ed, you may see the world a little differently after wards.

As compelling as Ed’s story is, his isn’t the only story in the show this weekend. There’s a lot more to see on "News To Me," so without further ado… here are the links to all the raw video that made up this episode:

Ed Port:
- Donations to raise the funds for an operation that could help Ed see and hear clearly again can be made at any Chase Bank. There is a non-profit account set up there called "Ed Needs A Miracle." You can also make donations via his website: edneedsamiracle.com.
- The full video submitted by Ed's friend Michael Murphy is on iReport.com.
- To learn more about Ed's condition visit the Children's Tumor Research Foundation.

Cars sliding down an icy hill:
- Visit iReporter Bob Cronk's iReporter profile page for links to the complete video and a wintery tour of his hometown!

Elephant plays a harmonica:
- The full video is streaming right now on iReport.com.

Rent-a-Gent:
- It's been one of CNN.com's most popular videos… CNN affilliate KTXA finds a guy who has come up with an interesting way to make ends meet. He's for rent, but not like THAT! Watch Rent-A-Gent »

Bankok nightclub fire:
- This raw iReport may contain images that some viewers may find distrubing. That being said, you can see the full clip right now on iReport.com.

Get Mortified:
- Find all YOUR old unsent love letters and tear stained journal entries from Jr. High and then find a "mortified" event near you!
getmortified.com

Eric explores CES:
- To get a feel for what it was like during our week in Vegas for the 2009 Consumer Electronics show, check out all our blog entries about the event or check out a behind the scenes video of the CNN/HLN/CNN.com workspace: Behind the scenes at CES »

CES Gadgets Eric featured on "News To Me:"
- Inada Sogno massage chair
- fuji enviromax batteries
- Tri-Specs bluetooth sunglasses
- Electric bike from ELV Motors
- LED jacket by Nyx Illuminated Clothing Company
- Underwater digital camera scuba mask
- Hitachi Gesture Control TV Interface prototype
- Faithful Friends host Electra Mustaine
- Mattel Mind Flex mind control game (due out in the fall)

Let us know what you thought of the show, and what you'd like to see in upcoming episodes! Thanks for watching and we'll see you next week!

Click play button to watch Eric demonstrate Augmented Reality.

Howdy gang. Reading this blog is finally going to pay off for you! Click the play button above to watch Eric demonstrate one of the coolest things we've seen in a long time. Definitely something you'll be showing off to your friends and family. WATCH »

Cool right? OK… to do it yourself, you need a printer and a web cam… then click over to plugintothesmartgrid.com and have at it! Let 'em know "News To Me" on HLN sent you!

Have fun with that. We'll see you this weekend with even more coolness from the web on "News To Me."