It's a small, small World Wide Web

I had such a "blast from the past" over the weekend!

Because of the way we put the show together, sometimes it's difficult for all of us who work on it to see the finished product until it actually gets on TV. We see bits and pieces, but usually not the whole enchilada.

Saturday I was watching (and making all of my friends watch) "News To Me" and was surprised to see a familiar name on a piece of video we used from the earthquake in China. Down in the lower left of one of the clips we aired, I saw the name "Mike Weed." I used to know a Mike Weed...

Last time I saw Mike I was watching the series finale of "Twin Peaks" while babysitting him and his sister while their parents were out of town. This was Pullman, Washington, circa 1992.

I was going to Washington State University and Mike's parents, Bill and Susan, were (and are) the owners of the local radio station, HOT 104 KHTR (now called Border 104) where I got my professional start in broadcasting. I started on overnights (and babysitting). Eventually I worked my way up to "wacky sidekick" on the morning show "The Breakfast Flakes."

OK... so back to Mike... Mike Weed is all grown up now and far from his home in Pullman, Washington. He works in China where he teaches English. It was HIS video shot in Chengdu while he and his roommates ran down several flights of steps after the big shaker that made it into our show!

Coincidence? Yes. Still, it just goes to show how interconnected the world has become, and how powerful iReport can be! Next time it might be YOU who submits the next amazing video or picture to iReport. You shoot it, we'll show it!

By the way, I was able to contact Mike by email through iReport and he tells me he's fine. He's in Chongqing trying to work out his next steps.