The "News To Me" crew had a ball (literally) under the Friday Night Lights on Karl Bostick Field at Parkview High School in Lilburn, GA. We were on the field while the Parkview Panthers walked away with a win over the Mill Creek Hawks, 30 to 10. Big thanks to the folks at Parkview High School who really made us feel right at home. They even let Eric go inside a snack shack to help boosters make the specialty of the stadium, Frito Pie!

Get the recipe and see more shots from the shoot on the next page: keep reading »

Unlike a certain Presidential candidate, "News To Me" is not going to make you wait for a text message at 3 o'clock in the morning for the information you want. Plus, there's too much in the show to send in a single text! Here's a list of links to all the people, places and World Wide Web sites we featured on "News To Me" this weekend:

Backdraft!
Ken Wible sleeps with a police and fire scanner next to his bed... you can bet he's got some good video on his YouTube channel.

Floating the flood:
Where are Bill and Max and the Evangeline now? Hit their site at bigrivershow.com to find out.

Lazy Fay:
iReporters ridin' the storm out! iReport.com

Burlesque!
iReporter David Kronmiller takes us to a theater in L.A. were the cast is dressing down in order to bring underprivledged kids up! See his full iReport here: Stripping for the Arts. You can also head over to Theatre Yawp's site for more info: Theatre Yawp. Tell 'em Eric sent you!

The naked chase:
See Ray Richard's full iReport here: iReport.com.

Kitty Caper:
It's one of the most popular stories on CNN.com. Check out the full story here: CNN.com.

Chasing Big Waves:
See our interview again in our archives: The Big Kahuna. Visit Garrett McNamara's official site here: garettmcnamara.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.

Escalator Spin Girl:
It took some digging but we found her. Bekah Jane, the girl who took escalator spinning to a whole 'nutha level! Go behind the scenes and see a web-only clip of what happens when the "spin" goes wrong here.

It's been an eye opening day at "News To Me" HQ. It started out normal enough... we arranged for the location to shoot Eric's parts of the show this weekend (think "Friday Night Lights") for our show airing over Labor Day weekend. Eric did some voice overs for our story about one very green iReporter who crashed the British Auto Show (he hates SUV's) and some ladies who are stripping for charity. Scripts were re-written, rough edits were started... all in all a typical day... until...

Eric saw on CNN.com that the "bigfoot hunters" who claimed to have found hard evidence that Sasquatch does in fact exist are now being hunted themselves... by normal sized footed creatures known as police.

Everyone has an opinion on the existence of the man-ape: "Yes, I believe." "No, don't be stupid." "It's just my Uncle Abe before they invented manscaping." But leave it to a "News To Me'er" to come up with a strangely plausible Bigfoot theory that not only explains "Harry and the Hendersons," but also covers "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," "Somewhere in Time," and "Poltergiest."

"News To Me" Producer/Editor/Camera-artist Teague took off his tinfoil hat long enough and let us in on his hypothesis that all these phenomenon are merely echos from the past or future that are finding their way through holes or flaws in what we call "time." According to his theory (which he explained with a sarcastic grin), UFO's exist but they aren't from Alpha Centauri... they're us... from the future and we see them when one of these holes or tears in space and time open near us.

Bigfoot? Probably some "missing link" between humans and apes from the past visible to us only when one of them and one of us happen to be exposed to a ripple in time simultaneously. These flaws in space and time (which some say are the same thing) are rare, and so our sightings are too.

Ghosts are real people or other living things from the past or the future that appear to us (or partially appear) when we and they move through or near a skip or error in time.

So there you have it... Bigfoot, UFO's and Ghosts are ALL REAL. It's your perception of time and space that might be a hoax!

Huge explosions, a dinosaur on the loose in L.A. and an unbelievable car crash! This weekend's "News To Me" has all the elements of the next Michael Bay blockbuster including a couple of critics to review it! We've got the links to all that and more on the next page, but first...

Have you ever wondered where these critics get off telling you what and what not to see at the movies? Seriously, what gives them the right to say what's good and what's schlock? What movies has Mr. Moviefone produced or written?

This weekend we're bringing you a new option for movie criticism. Two people who know the movie biz from the INSIDE... they're not just cranky fans or opinionated disk jockeys, they are filmmakers... but that's not their only qualification. They're old enough to be George Lucas' parents!

Marcia Nasatir and Lorenzo Semple Jr. are also known as "The Reel Geezers." Their "gimmick" is that they are in their 80's and reviewing movies like "Sex and the City" (Lorenzo: "Maybe the most detestable movie I've ever seen") and "Pineapple Express" (Marcia: I liked it. I had a very, very good time."). If their age is what gets you to check them out, their insights will be what keep you coming back!

Get your netflix account ready, you may find a few titles to add to your cue in the next couple paragraphs.

Marcia is a Former Vice President at United Artists who was there when the studio cranked out some of its biggest hits like "Rocky" and "One Flew Over the Cockcoo's Nest." Later she would go on to produce "The Big Chill," "Ironweed," and "Hamburger Hill."

Lorenzo is an award winning writer who's had a hand in films like "Three Days of the Condor," "The Parallax View," "Papillon" and "Never Say Never Again." He also developed and wrote the pilot for "Batman" the 60's TV series on ABC starring Adam West.

On the next page we'll direct you to their YouTube Channel and get you the links to everything else you saw on this weekend's "News To Me."

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Howdy. Time for a peek into the “News To Me” faux crystal ball to see what’s in store this fall:

Marathon football-watching sessions on the couch with beer and salty nuts. Wait – sorry, wrong crystal ball.

Web-lebrities! (is that a word?)
Some savvy stars are taking their latest projects online and finding a new audience. Like…

Tom Green
We’ll talk “Web-o-Vision” with Tom Green who hosts a groundbreaking live, web-based talk show from the comfort of his living room. Eric's going to sit down with the legendary funnyman to find about his latest venture, "Tom Green's House Tonight."

Speaking of celebrity cribs…

Daryl Hall
Yes, THAT Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates fame has launched a genre-bending, no rules, Web-only series recorded live from his home studio. We’re going to catch him right before showtime for an exclusive interview.

Adventures on the Edge:

Lost at Sea
A small, rusty sailboat is discovered by fishermen on the coast of Ireland. Inside the cabin – a video camera with a perfectly preserved tape of what appears to be the last, tearful moments of a sailor lost at sea. The video is authentic and impossible to turn away from. Now, the mystery has been solved and we can’t wait to bring you this story.

Running Man
He’s basically sprinting up and down mountains, over fields and through the woods… from the northern tip of Maine all the way to the deep south… in pursuit of an impossible world-record. Thanks to a helmet cam and live blog updates, lazy slobs like me can follow along and feel like we’re getting exercise.

And coming up THIS WEEKEND:

The Reel Geezers
Two filmmakers in their 80's who have written and produced some of the silver screen's best movies are taking on the Hollywood hype machine by putting their smart, blunt stamp of approval or dissapproval on the latest flicks. Watch them bicker their way through reviews of "The Dark Knight," "Sex and the City," and even "Pineapple Express." They're hysterical... find out how they would review "News To Me" on the show this weekend!

Tree 3 – Cars 0

Every day, we sift through the throngs of submissions from iReport.com, always looking for the best pictures, videos, and stories... you know the deal.

Well this week one such iReport happened to hit - and when I say hit, I mean HIT - a little too close to home!

Let me explain...

We're in a drought here in Georgia, but you would never know it from the constant pounding we've been getting from thunderstorms every week.

So it was about 1:00 in the AM when I was stirred by lightning so bright it blinded me, even though my head was buried beneath not 1 but 2 pillows (it's a womb thing, don't ask.) And as if if that wasn't bad enough, it was followed by the clap of thunder that shook the bed violently!

Okay, so lightning I'm used to... the thunder that's sure to follow, yeah I've heard that before... but the subsequent "cracking" and "crunch" - umm... not so much!

I ran to the window and looked outside and couldn't believe my eyes. My girlfriend's truck had a tree in the bed and as I recall, we weren't hauling trees that day. Of course being a guy, my main concern was my car.

I had to get a closer look and video evidence for our insurance company, just to prove that a storm DID actually occur and COULD actually can cause this kind of damage.

I ran outside and started rolling, then like the little girl that I am, I just as quickly turned around when a lightning bolt hit not more than 20-yards away!

As I get back inside to report my findings to the girlfriend, I instead choose to do the "Balki Bartokomous dance of joy" because my car was unscathed... and then morning came.

In the daylight I could see that I’d have to retract my “dance of joy” and instead do my "smug jerk who thought his car didn't get hit by a tree branch while laughing at his girlfriend's misfortune" dance of misfortune.

But back to that "iReport" I mentioned at the beginning. Let's just say, my "close call" has nothing on what nearly DID happen to a young lady in upstate New York. I don't want to give away the story, but let's just say it involves another falling tree and another totaled car!

It's an amazing story and just goes to show how in one second or in a matter of mere inches, how close we can all be to meeting our demise.

Long story short... keep doing what you do iReporters, because I HATE being the story!

Saturday night while you were watching "News To Me" we were out taping this coming weekend’s show at Atlantic Station... one of Atlanta’s cool spots to see and be seen. It was only the second time I've been on a night shoot since I started working on "News To Me" and it was a GREAT relief to be recording Eric's "on-camera" stuff after the sun had set. It's been HOT in the ATL lately! Plus, I love the way "News To Me" looks at night. Sleek and sharp.

Taping in a busy location like Atlantic Station means there are PUH-lenty of people who want to know why the bald guy has a camera crew following him. "What are you filming?" was how almost everyone said "Hello" to us. That question always cracks me up because we really aren't filming anything. TV news crews haven't used film in a very long time... we use video tape... so technically we are taping. In some cases crews aren't even using tape anymore! I guess they are just recording. In the "News To Me" vernacular we usually just call taping or recording "shooting" but that can sometimes be misconstrued as something all together different.

It's kind of like people who call the TV remote "the clicker." Remotes haven't made a clicking sound for decades, but the nickname has stuck. That will probably be the case for TV news crews... we'll always be filming no matter how digital things get.

On the next page we've got pics of the gourmet catering that we get when we are filming on location...

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Big show this weekend! The links to everything you saw on "News To Me" are on the next page... from the cardboard boat race to the suburban bear vs. moose attack to the latest on the search for "These Guys" and everything in between. But first...

We knew having Journey on "News To Me" would get a big response... but we had no idea HOW BIG! As soon as Aaron's post about what it was like to be backstage with the band hit the web our traffic went through the roof. That spike was so huge that the graph showing how many people visit the "News To Me" blog literally had to be made larger in order to accommodate it!

We also got A LOT of comments (which we love... so keep that up), including several like the ones from Metalloid, Jeanne, augustfly, RgeneRa, Ricky & UkiTNayo asking us to mention the online petition to get the NFL to ask Journey to play the halftime show at the Super Bowl™! We heard you loud and clear so on the next page we'll have that link all ready to be clicked!

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Head over to Morning Express showpage, click on Robin Meade Expressed in the "New Podcast" area and download her latest podcast (you don't need a player, you can watch it on your computer if you want too). Why are we promoting someone elses' podcast? 'Cause "News To Me" is on it!

I don't want to blow your mind or anything, but... Robin Meade Expressed is a behind the scenes look at Robin's morning show "Morning Express with Robin Meade," and in this behind the scenes podcast she is going behind the scenes of "News To Me." Now that's pretty deep... but I'm about to rip a hole in your time space continuum when I tell you that, on the next page, you can see behind the scenes pictures of Robin Meade and Eric Lanford shooting the behind the scenes look at "News To Me" on the Morning Express with Robin Meade behind the scenes podcast "Robin Meade Expressed." It's like looking at the reflection of a mirror, reflecting two other mirrors with images from the past and the future reflecting on them. Or maybe it's just pictures of a pretty lady and 6 schlubs in shorts and flip flops. Either way, they're on the next page.

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Citizens Arrest! Citizens Arrest! I am a little upset… and I want to vent to you, the NTM viewers.

Recently, to add a little spice to the broadcast, we incorporated a new way to interview our wonderful guests on the programs. The OUTDOOR STUDIO... basically it is an old antique desk that we throw out in some outdoor environment and conduct interviews… whether it be on the Silver Comet Trail, a empty lot, a church parking lot, corner of a busy intersection, wherever we can be out there with you, the people who keep us in business. That's the desk in the picture above. Well, on Tuesday we had set up an interview with the REEL GEEZERS, two octogenarians in Hollywood who review movies (check out their YouTube Channel and then tune in for the interview in an upcoming "News To Me") it was a great interview, lots of surprises (including some good juicy Hollywood rumors revealed). Anywho, after the interview we rushed out of the 190 degree Georgia heat into Lostman's Creek, our production house, and went to grab some lunch leaving the desk behind outside. We were gone maybe a total of 20 minutes. When we came back, the desk was gone! Stolen! Our FREAKING interview desk has been kidnapped… what the hell? When the host of a nationally televised news program can’t leave an old 1950’s desk in the back lot of his production house unattended for 20 minutes... there is something wrong in America!

Now listen, it is a nice desk, in fact it is "News To Me" Producer Teague’s mom’s childhood desk… but it certainly isn’t Ethan Allen. You aren't going to throw it up on eBay and make a few G’s… So, if you see our desk at a Goodwill, or a pawn shop, please let us know… I miss the old girl… she sat well… this is the same desk where Redneck Mommy, Who are These Guys, and William Bernstein were made famous.

Thanks for keeping an eye open for it.

Also, big thanks to Robin Meade for coming by "The Creek," we appreciate it! We had a good time shooting a segment for her podcast "Robin Meade Expressed" (which you can download from the Morning Express showpage starting tomorrow). She is great to work with. I actually took her next door to meet our neighbors! "Cuts of Diamonds" beauty parlor on the left and Dr. Norris, DDS. on the right. Honestly, I think they would have rather had some "welcome neighbor" brownies than a TV crew in their lobbies but….

AND one more thing, thanks to Journey! We had a great time with them backstage. Hearing those songs took me back in time to my first proms and Homecoming. Funny story... the girl I asked to Homecoming actually said to me, “If (name withheld) doesn’t ask me to go with him, I will go with you." Well, he didn't ask so she went with me. Which was fine because she was BEAUTIFUL so I was more than cool with being her backup. Suck it (name withheld)! The hard part was letting my backup down easy. Sorry Sis.

Don’t Stop Believing!
Eric