It's a holiday weekend here in the States. Thursday was "Thanksgiving." It's a holiday where many families gather for a feast at home to give thanks for good fortune. The next day some celebrate the traditional start of the winter shopping season: "Black Friday." A holiday where many gather at the mall to spend all those fortunes.

One person you won't see at the mall is "News To Me" host Eric Lanford... because he's busy hosting our holiday special tonight! So make yourself a plate of leftovers (try my Thanksgiving leftover sandwich recipe below), plop down on the sofa, crack open the laptop and join him for a fast-paced, jam-packed half hour of the best of the best from "News To Me!"

Here's the list of links to everything you saw in tonight's show:

CLOSE CALLS:
Backdraft -
- Full "News To Me" report
- Raw video on YouTube

Icy Rescue -
- Full "News To Me" report (in our "old school" red style)

Family Outruns Fire -
- Full "News To Me" report

VBS.tv:
Inside North Korea -
- Eric's full interview with VBS.tv reporter Shane Smith
- Shane's full series "The Vice Guide to North Korea" on VBS.tv

Garbage Island -
- Eric's full interview with VBS.tv reporter Thomas Morton
- Thomas' full series "Garbage Island" on VBS.tv

Coming soon -
- Eric's interview with VBS.tv reporter Ben Anderson about his series "Inside Afghanistan with Ben Anderson"

CAUGHT ON CAMERA:
- Trailer vs. bank
- Van vs trains
- Man rescued from burning car
- Experimental plane crash
- B2 bomber crash

TALES FROM THE DEEP:
Exploding whale -
- Eric and Nichole Lapin get the real story behind the exploding whale

Shark diving without a cage -
- Eric's full interview with shark videographer Tom Campbell

EXTREME SH*T:
Big wave specialist Garrett McNamara -
- Where in the world is Extreme Surfing World Champion G-Mac?
- visit Garrett's website: garrettmcnamara.com

Blue suit skaters -
- Meet the skaters and the filmmakers who took high fashion to high speed
- Watch the full video on designer Adam Kimmel's Web site: adamkimmel.com

Mt. Hood ski-base jump -
- Watch the full "News To Me" report on Mattias Geriuas and his death defying jump off Mt. Hood

WEBHITS:
- Take a walk up El Camino del Rey
- Skydiving without a parachute
- This video has now been viewed over 63 million times on YouTube: Charlie bit me!
- Kid caught in vending machine
- Amazing viral travel ad
- "Clouds" of birds create the black sun phenomenon in Denmark

From everybody at "News To Me" we hope you enjoyed this look back at the best of the best! We're back next weekend with a new show!

Oh and for my ultimate Thanksgiving leftover sandwich: keep reading »

Really cool show for you this weekend on "News To Me." Not only did we shoot it on the very exclusive and swank outdoor patio at the very exclusive and swank club SHOUT in Midtown Atlanta. We also shot at night which always makes the show look fantastic! PLUS... this is our HOLIDAY SHOW. The best parts from the best stories we featured on "News To Me" in 2008.

We've put your name on the waiting list, so slip into your finest winter duds and come up past the velvet rope to the patio for a look behind the scenes at "News To Me."

It was chilly, so while we blocked shots, Eric kept his beanie on. Look close in the show, you may see some shots where it's on, and others where we were all just too cold to remind him to take it off!

I've been on the "News To Me" crew for just about a year now, and in all that time, this was the first occasion Teague felt worthy of using a jib. In fact, I didn't even know he had one! Teague's jib is a small version of the crane-like camera arms used for those long sweeping shots through the studio you see on "Morning Express" and "Prime News" on Headline News. No expense spared for the holiday show!

(above) Eric thought this angle would make him look taller (that's Teague with the camera down below).

Big thanks to Dora (on the left) who provided the crew with delicious food, drinks and even recruited her friend Sarah (on the right) to be an extra in some of the shots! There is one shot in particular where Sarah's hand was the star. See if you can spot it and catch the best of the best of "News To Me" this weekend on CNN Headline News!

“There is one day that is ours. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American.”
- O. Henry

Hi everybody, Eric here!

Happy Thanksgiving! Yes, that O. Henry quote sums it up for me… we have a lot to be thankful for this year, and I wanted to take a minute to personally tell you and all the "News To Me" viewers thanks for making a guy’s dream come true by watching and supporting the show.

I want to list a few people and things I am specifically thankful for (in no order), and you feel free to join in with your comments at the end of this blog…

1. My friends
2. Soldiers serving and those who have served…take a moment and thank them this week.
3. My co-workers…yes, they need to be thanked, they try hard to make me look good.
4. J.B. – the man who made me…. thanks Josh.
5. Dana Carvey and Garth Brooks…. thanks.
6. Nicole Lapin, a talented person.
7. Mike, Aaron, Charles, Grayson, Corey.
8. Thanks Teague.
9. Thanks DH.
10. Our President, like him or not, a tough job.
11. Facebook, I recently discovered it, wow… we all have gotten older.
12. Trout, because I love to catch em…
13. Baldness being accepted.
14. R.E.M.
15. My friend, Dave Aguar… R.I.P. I miss you daily man… hope you are making God smile.
16. Being single.
17. Robert Redford, good advice, thanks.
18. The ability to walk, and run…
19. My health.
20. Wine.
21. My bike.
22. Humor, I guess I got this instead of looks… but man I am still thankful to be able to make people laugh.
23. Golf courses, because I love to play the game.
24. Non-profits, good work you are doing…
25. Al Gore, for the Internet - it keeps me out of the malls.
26. Believe it or not, the stock market, kept my wallet full this year, thanks…

And last but not least:
27. My family. Thanksgiving has had some wonderful memories, but also some very weird, weird times in the Lanford household… mostly involving me and my brother and the law… (please don’t hold this against me, just keeping it real)… no need for details… suffice it to say that my poor parents… they did raise us right, we just put ourselves in some weird situations. This year… let’s hope no jail time for us… just good times and great company.

Now, you have a great one tomorrow and whatever you are thankful for, make it known.

Eric

You think your commute is tough!? Musician Amy Sanchez had the drive of her life en route to a concert recently. We featured Amy and her drive through the flames that scorched Southern California on "News To Me" last weekend. She not only made it through the fire, but...

You know, I should really let Amy tell her story... it's a good one, which is why we asked her to be this week's "News To Me" guest blogger!

Not just another gig...

As a freelance musician in Los Angeles, traffic and distracted, multi-tasking drivers are a common hazard in driving from gig to gig. It's just part of the job. And sometimes having to allow 3 hours between the last lesson you're teaching and the concert that evening, even though it should only be a 1 hour drive... that's just part of the job, too. You never know "in traffic". What's not part of the job, however, is carpooling with friends to a concert and literally driving into a wall of flames on the freeway!

Click above to watch the story featuring Amy and several other citizen journalists who faced the flames.

The recent fires throughout Southern California were devastating to many families. I'm sure anyone who found themselves near the fire quickly realized they were powerless in it's path. I was lucky, in that I just passed through the fire – it wasn't threatening my home or family. In light of my good fortune, the whole experience was amazing to witness, and surreal at the same time. I don't envy those who lost their homes and now have to rebuild their whole lives – for them, a surreal situation has become very real.

I was on my way to perform with the Riverside County Philharmonic (I play the French Horn) , carpooling with 3 other musicians from Long Beach. We had been following the fires on the news all morning, knowing that the Yorba Linda fire wasn't far from the 91 Freeway we were planning to take to Riverside. The winds were very strong, gusting up to 80mph, and were blowing embers all over, which in turn, started new fires. We allowed extra time to travel in case we ran into road closures and had to find a route around the fires, but the Eastbound lanes of the 91 remained open. As we headed closer to the fires, the smoke blocked out the sun and colored the sky in menacing reds and oranges. That's when I pulled out my camera, which I try to keep with me – you never know what you're going to want to remember... The thick black smoke at the center of the fires looked like a war-zone, and we were headed straight for it... but traffic was still moving, right? And you don't stop in traffic. Until, all of a sudden, the cars in front of us did stop and it seemed no one knew what to do. At this point, we clearly saw spot fires on the opposite side of the freeway and realized that the fire was crossing the road ahead of us. Drivers at the edge of the fire must have stopped when flames and smoke whipped across the road directly in front of them. Deciding it a better option to get past the fire than sit directly in front of it, trapped on a freeway, these cars started darting through the smoke to get out of danger. So traffic was moving again, and it was our turn. All cars were squeezing into lanes as far away from the fire as possible, and as we drove through the black smoke, bits of flames and embers hit the car and can be seen flicking up the windshield. The fire in the Anaheim Hills Apartments had just started on the opposite side of the freeway. Aside from our amazement at what we had just experienced, the rest of the drive was uneventful – and we even made it to the performance on time. Traffic is never an excuse to be late to a gig...

Life as a freelance musician can be interesting, as almost everyday is different, and your "office" is rarely in the same place! It may not be the most stable line of work, but for me, it is worth it to do what I love. I've had the opportunity to perform throughout the United States and across the world, with different ensembles and in varying genres of music. And often, these types of crazy situations present themselves – whether it be climbing Mt. Fuji in the middle of the night in Japan, traveling to the West Bank in Israel, floating in the Dead Sea, or almost being hit by another vehicle while packed in an auto-rickshaw in India! I've performed with a touring Broadway production throughout the US, Canada and Japan, recorded for a Bollywood film in India, played an opera in Israel, toured with a wind ensemble in India and Ireland, and had tons of random gigs in Los Angeles. I've played with everything from rock bands to church choirs to jazz bands, done studio recording for film and television, and even played in the orchestra for "The Hour of Power" at the Crystal Cathedral. Not to mention the countless orchestral concerts... So, yes, I'd have to say I enjoy life as a freelance musician. I've begun to document my travels and experiences on my website, and I've included music that I've written and performed. I'm constantly looking for the next opportunity, so if you've ever wanted to collaborate with a horn player, check it out – you can contact me from the site. And you can be sure I won't be late for the gig... flames or not.

I would like to thank Eric and "News To Me" for including my video in their fire coverage. ["News To Me" Coordinating Producer] Mike Kane was especially helpful and fun to work with on my part of the segment. It has been a crazy week full of unanticipated media attention for something I had originally just planned to show to family and friends, so you can imagine my excitement at being part of a CNN [Headline] News production! Guess I'll chalk this one up to just another day in the life of a freelance musician...

-Amy Sanchez
www.amysanchezmusic.com

Welcome to the newly streamlined "News To Me" Hotlinks page! 'Tis the season to start being overwhelmed with shopping, cooking, planning, traveling, decorating, and all the other "ing's" that come along with the holidays. Not to mention the paying for all of the above... so in an effort to give your mind a break we've stripped away all the lords-a-leaping, maids-a-milking, swans-a-swimming and left just a nice simple list of everything you saw on this weekend's "News To Me". Just the 5 Golden Rings, if you will. Even if there are more than 5.

iReporters and Citizen Journalists were on the front lines of the recent rash of wildfires in California:
- Carol Menke had to evacuate
- Danny Padron uploaded some great shots taken by his roommate Josh Grier of him hosing down the roof of their house
- Michael Hanzich drove into burning neighborhoods to get some heart breaking shots
- Bob Blackwell caught some beautiful yet haunting shots of the flames from his apartment
- French Horn player Amy Sanchez had to drive through the blaze to perform at a concert with the Riverside County Philharmonic

Kate's Circus Life

Wingsuit base jump crash

Inebriated high jumper

Dozens flee van rollover

Colorado tornado

Shopping carts fall out of semi trailer bumped. Airdate TBD.

Chain surfing Is this real?

Shrimp on a treadmill...
...with the Benny Hill music
...with the Chariots of Fire music
...OK Go mashup

Live from Daryl's House

Bridgeday celebration

Lingerie football

Da Funky Fraulien

Go behind the scenes of this episode of "News To Me"

Click 'em up and let 'em know "News To Me" sent you!

Thanks for watching, and have a great weekend!

Coordinating Producer Mike

Inside Kate's circus train compartment.

Our feature story this week started with an unremarkable photo uploaded to iReport.com about “living in small spaces”. Kate Meinhardt sent in a picture of her tiny, cramped room aboard a circus railway car. It wasn’t the photo that caught my attention so much as it was the idea of living in a glorified shoebox while riding the rails with a circus. A few more mouse clicks and I stumbled on Kate’s big top blog. I dialed her up and got the rest of the story.

Fresh out of college and frustrated with a fruitless job, Kate threw caution to the wind and ran off with the Ringling Brothers. Yes, it was a once in a lifetime adventure, but Kate had her eyes on a bigger prize: career advancement. Her gig with the circus opened the door to her current job as a Zookeeper. However, that success came at a price. Kate suffered a terrible, life-changing injury during her circus stint; but it ultimately made her a stronger person and her attitude and optimism amazed us all.

We were lucky to stumble across Kate’s story, and it serves as a good reminder that every person you meet, every stranger you see in the street, on the subway, at the store, in church, has a story worth telling. What’s yours? We’d love to hear it.

Associate Producer Charles behind the shades

What Up NTM World? Associate Producer Charles here. Every Thursday a different "News To Me" staffer is going to suggest three things on the web he or she thinks is something you might get a kick out of. This week, I’m on deck with my Thursday Three.

I think I need to mention that I am the youngest guy on this show. I’m only 25. That being said, I watch a ton of TV. Like you know you watch too much TV when you Tivo 2 things and then go into another room to watch something else at the same time. And while I can’t watch TV at work, I do take time out of my busy schedule to watch some of my favorite Web shows. So here are three shows that are in my “Web tivo” queue:

Up Stairs Girls
Two Words… “Working” Girl. Don’t worry, it’s all PG, but it’s damn funny.

Down Stairs Guys
These guys remind me of my roommates and my frat brothers when I was in college. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

Hooking Up
Facebook, college life, and some of my favorite vloggers all in one place. It’s like having a huge bowl of jambalaya… just a bunch of good stuff all thrown together.

So now you know what’s in my Web show queue. Tell me what’s in yours. Have a site you think we should be considering? Leave it in the comments and we’ll check it out!

When it comes to temperature... everything is relative. 30 degrees might be merely "brisk", "chilly" or just "cool" to you. Maybe you're from Wasilla, Alaska, or that town in Canada where the Ice Road Truckers start out from. Well, here in HOTLANTA, 30 degrees is about 30 degrees lower than what we consider "cool".

It was not quite 30 (thanks to a stiff breeze) when we started shooting this coming weekend's edition of "News To Me" on the Historic Marietta Square north of Atlanta. Eric (above) came dressed for the weather... as did associate producer Charles...

keep reading »

Today's entry was written by Allison Lodish, the creator of womenagainstfantasysports.com. Eric talked to Allison about her site and fantasy sports addiction last weekend on "News To Me".

Allison Lodish on "News To Me". Click to play.

I Thought I Was Your Fantasy!

Everyone has fantasies. Is yours winning the lottery [or] quitting your job (if you still have one) and traveling around the world? What does ‘fantasy’ mean to me? Well, it used to evoke daydreams of chocolate, champagne and Daniel Craig and I in our private cabana in St. Barts. Alas, that word now represents something far more pathetic – Fantasy Sports.

The latest statistics indicate that 28 million people are playing fantasy sports and it is now an $800 million industry. Hmmm… our country’s financial state is in the toilet but the fantasy sports industry is still making money… Is it a coincidence that the stock market crashed near the start of the football season & it's evil twin...fantasy football? I think not!! Millions upon millions of work hours and productivity are lost by people at work (mostly men) who would rather be focusing on their fake fantasies…as if they are the second coming of Bill Parcells – Who are they kidding?!? If that’s what “fantasy” is about…well…maybe it’s time to seek some help.

Since the launch of our website womenagainstfantasysports.com, one of the questions I get all the time is “how is your husband’s team doing?” My response, “which one?” And ready for this? He actually has a team that he created “for me”, except for the fact that he manages it “for me”! The best part of this is, apparently I’m not doing that well – but HIS team, which is in the same league, is doing GREAT!!!

Many people say I should cut him some slack… let him enjoy himself. They tell me I should get a hobby. Well folks, I have news for you… I did! It’s called Women Against Fantasy Sports. Many thanks to Eric and the team here at "News To Me" for the awesome piece! As you have seen, we have created a site for people whose spouses or significant others who have crossed to the ‘dark side’. You can come and read some unbelievable stories (check out: Evacuation Day from Hurricane Gustav – it’s a winner for sure) and share some of your own. You can also purchase WAFS apparel. I like to wear the “#1 Draft Pick” to remind him of who he picked before LaDainian Tomlinson. Of course the underwear that say ‘Closed for the Fantasy Season’ is a good choice as well – remember everything has its consequences!

There are so many of us “Fantasy Widows” out there. It may be football, baseball, basketball, hockey or even fantasy fishing (yes it actually exists), but we can all understand feel the pain… You are not alone…

Coming soon to the site:
- “Top 10 ways to survive the Thanksgiving Fantasy Football Weekend”
- “How to point out how lame fantasy football REALLY is when your ding-dong spouse or significant other is out of the fantasy playoffs”

Stay tuned!
[Allison Lodish]

Associate Producer Grayson

This post is for all of you who watch TV with your computer on your lap. Just like me. I need to be able to quickly see if my favorite "Top Chef" contestant has a Facebook profile. I need to be able to Google image search the unflattering celebrity photograph Chelsea Handler just made fun of during the round-table. I absolutely have to play along with the Morning Express Challenge (even though as an employee I'm not allowed to win... whatta crock). Yes, if you are like me, watching TV and surfing the net are no longer mutually exclusive pursuits.

That's why I write these "Hotlinks" posts... it's where we put the links to the raw video from everything you saw on "News To Me" this weekend. Need to know more about Dom Mee? Look below. Hate your significant other's addiction to fantasy sports? Look below. Want to loose 20 pounds quickly and easily without diet or exercise? Can't help you. But, if you want to check out "The Resident's" internet talk show, look below. Lets go:

Lost At Sea:
To watch the full video found in the wreckage of Dom Mee's abandoned boat and to learn more about his adventures as a maritime explorer, visit his website: DomMee.co.uk.

"The Resident on Wall Street:
Get to the heart of the financial crisis with The Resident.

CNN.com Most Popular:
- Chihuahua's ears make weird noises
- Man punches shark to protect pup
- Bull stampede

Breaking and entering and acting weird:
LiveLeak has the full clip of our curious criminal: Home surveillance camera captures laptop thief.

Women against fantasy sports:
Meet the WAFS and find out how they are trying to come between you and your fake football team: womenagainstfantasysports.com.

Madonna takes a fall on stage:
We led up to Madonna's fall with a few other notable nosedives...
Beyonce: metacafe.com
Miss America: YouTube.com and again the next year: YouTube.com
A member of Destiny's Child: jokeroo.com
And the one you have been waiting for – Madge: YouTube.com

Noel Gallagher bum rushed on stage:
There are a few clips on YouTube from this incident. Start with this one (the hit is at about 1:30) and then check the related clips for other angles.

Exploding windmill:
Snopes.com turned us on to this amazing video.

Thanks for watching! See you next weekend when Eric will introduce you to a girl who found love and lost her thumb in the circus!