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 affiliate 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!

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.

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:

Keep reading »

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

We have a HUGE viral star on "News To Me" this weekend... DAVID AFTER DENTIST! David's Dad talks to Eric about why he uploaded the video and whether he has any regrets. Plus, David himself talks about what it's like to become internet famous when you are only 7 years old!

The link to David's YouTube video PLUS the links to EVERYTHING else you saw in this weekend's episode of "News To Me" are all below... happy clicking!

Town Underwater:
Visit the website Jocasseeremembered.com » to see all the raw video from the dive 300 feet below the surface of Lake Jocasssee in South Carolina. More photos from the dives are at fletcherimages.com » and offthewalldiving.com ».

David after dentist:
You and over 11 million of your closest friends have watched the YouTube smash "David after dentist" ». We were thrilled to have been able to speak with David's dad this weekend on "News To Me!"

Bowling ball mortar:
What happens when you mix a Johnny Depp impersonator, a guy who makes his own medieval weapons, a huge unoccupied piece of land in Texas and a bowling ball? Check out this explosive iReport to find out: Bowling Ball Mortar »

Costa Rica flood:
Increcidible video of how mother nature can turn a peaceful stream into a raging river in seconds! Check it out on LiveLeak » (caution... some adult language).

Stuff White People Like:
See Christian Lander's full list at stuffwhitepeoplelike.com » and get a better appreciation of this satirical masterwork.

Are you watching "News To Me" right now? Eric probably is too. Take a peek ».

Thanks for watching! Please let us know what you thought of the show, and tell us if there's anything you'd like to see on upcoming shows! Just click ADD A COMMENT below!

Some may say that Mr. Eric Lanford, host of "News To Me" on HLN already has the best job in the world. Cushy office, flexible hours, star of an international TV show, free high speed internet access, screaming fans everywhere he goes... kind of like Seacrest but without the hair products.

It would have to be a pretty special job to lure him away from all that, right? I mean, it would have to be like, the BEST JOB IN THE WORLD!

You may remember our story about Tourism Queensland's search for an island caretaker who would live rent free in a villa, take part in all the adventures and excitement Hamilton Island near Australia's Great Barrier Reef has to offer, keep a blog AND get paid 100 grand? Well Eric's made and submitted an application, which has been accepted and is up NOW on their website!

As much as we'd hate to have to relocate the entire show to a gorgeous island paradise for 6 months if Eric were chosen, it's a sacrifice we are willing to make for his happiness. So whaddaya say? Show the guy some love... click the pic above, give Eric 5 stars and maybe we'll be coming to you from deown undah next summer!

Happy Valentine's Day and President's Day! If you are a lover of U.S. Presidents, this is a big weekend for you! It's a big three day weekend for some of us, I hope it is for you! But I digress...

Thanks for spending part of your weekend with Eric and "News To Me!" Since you're here you must be looking for the links to everything in this weekend's show. Here you go:

IReporters on the scene of the Buffalo, NY plane crash:
iReport.com

Anthony Powell's life in Antarctica:
Learn more about photographer Anthony Powell from his blog frozensouth.com and see MORE of his incredible photography on his photography site antarcticimages.com.

Killer Whale on the beach:
Watch the full clip on YouTube

Beijing "towering inferno"
See ALL the incredible pictures and videos on iReport.com

Worlds largest pencil:
It's now on display at the City Museum in Kansas City, MO. If you'd like to see it in person check out their website for hours and directions:
citymuseum.org.

If YOU have a giant pencil you need lifted through a 3rd story window, check out Missouri Crane's profile on iReport.com. There you'll find more pics of the actual lifting of the pencil and a link to their website.

Homemade luge run:
One of the most popular videos on CNN.com – Huge ice luge

Are you a lonely farmer?
Post your profile at farmersonly.com.

Webhits:
- Please check my blog song
- Worker stacks bricks on his head (is this REAL?)
- Selma Blair is a witch?

Special thanks to:
The Red Salt Pub: redsaltpub.com, Pastis Restaurant and Bar: roswellpastis.com, and Party Chic! partychic.net. All three of these establishments made our day of filming in Historic Roswell a real pleasure. Thank You!

That is it for this weekend! What did you think? Good stuff right? Honestly if you like photography or even just cool, literally COOL videos you really do need to check out Anthony Powell's sites (above) his time-lapse videos from Antarctica are UH-MAY-ZING! We're really thrilled to have him on "News To Me" this weekend.

Something you want to see on the show NEXT weekend? Click "add a comment" and let us know, just remember our motto: YOU shoot it, WE show it!

One last thing... Happy 1st birthday to iReport.com!

Almost exactly one year ago I was in Beijing on vacation. It is one of the most electric and exciting places I have ever been. I've never been anywhere else in the world where science fiction and ancient history come together like they do in China. That juxtaposition is exactly what led to some of the most spectacular video in "News To Me" this weekend.

During my visit the Chinese were celebrating the beginning of the year of the Rat, and from our high rise hotel room my partner and I could see fireworks going off all over the city. Not "official" displays, just happy Beijingers setting off high powered pyrotechnics on their own, in the streets, in front of their apartment buildings. Explosion after explosion echoed off the concrete and glass walls of the buildings all around us. Beijing's notoriously hazy air seemed to amplify the light so that each explosion lit up the entire city. Underneath it all, the constant crackle of firecrackers. This went on all night. It was joyous and we loved it, but I couldn't help but wonder, "Is this safe?"

"The Chinese INVENTED fireworks and they've been using them to celebrate happy occasions for millennia, they know what they're doing," I reassured myself. "You are just being a typical overcautious American."

One of the highlights of my trip was seeing the massive construction site where the two buildings that will soon house the government run China Central Television Network are being built. The complex includes the gravity defying, Möbius strip of a skyscraper that some have dubbed "The Big Pants" and second structure that they call "The Boot". Together these two Blade Runner-esque towers equal an investment of over $700 million!

Fast forward 12 months...

It's still not completely clear why or how, but earlier this week on the final night of celebrations to ring in the new year of the Ox, some China Central Television employees took advantage of the fact that neither "the big pants" nor "the boot" is occupied yet and set off what are being officially described as "firecrackers" between the two buildings. Those "firecrackers" somehow started a massive blaze that completely engulfed "the boot" in flames. iReporter Fred Rice called it a "Towering Inferno."

Incredibly, given the restricted nature of information coming from inside China, the spirit of citizen journalism filled the crowds who gathered to watch the blaze. Reports of a massive fire in the Central Business District started POURING into iReport.com. Henry Hanks and other iReport producers began to send out emails to HLN and CNN staffers containing links to the incredible pictures and video. I was shocked at how easily information was flowing from a country that is notoriously tight lipped when it comes to disseminating bad news. In fact, as it turns out, iReporters provided coverage of the fire even before some Chinese news outlets did!

Big thanks to ireporters Fred Rice, James Marks, Ant Yeung, Chad Moore, Ray Ally and everyone else who sent in pics and video from the scene.

Catch "News To Me" tonight on HLN to see their work on the air!

During the 5 days leading up to our shoot on location in Historic Roswell, it had been colder than Vladivostok at Christmas here in Georgia!

Happily for us, whatever God, Saint or diabolical secret government project in charge of controlling the weather decided it was time to cut the "News To Me" crew some slack that day. No clouds, no wind, highs in the upper 60's. Gorgeous!

All that sunshine and the springy temperatures coinciding with Valentine's Day clearly had an effect on Eric. Take a look at some of the objects of his affection... on the next page. »

Yesterday, a WHOLE lot of you (I'm not allowed to say exactly how many... more than a ton, but less than a gazillion) watched Eric get to the bottom of how a horse got stuck in a tree.

Thank You!

BTW, if you'd like to get a daily e-mail (just like the one you see here) with links to all the top video from CNN.com all just visit your profile page, sign in, scroll down to the newsletter section and subscribe to the Daily Top 10!