David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Thanksgiving marks the busiest travel period of the year as people take planes, trains, and automobiles to visit loved ones on every corner of this nation.

Others take the shuttle…the space shuttle that is.

I present to you Thanksgiving 2008 – From Outer Space:

We have a seasonal medley of Smoked Turkey, green beans and mushrooms, candied yams, corn bread stuffing, a spot of tea, and cran-apple dish for desert! (that's the stuff on the right)

For astronauts aboard the space shuttle ‘Endeavour’ this is the meal they will sit down to this evening… OK, well, they won’t be sitting – no fancy place-settings or designated seats here. Just a bunch of floating guests with trays VELCRO'ed to their clothing (I never liked assigned seats anyway).

It’s not every space-mission where you can experience Thanksgiving 220 miles above Earth. The last time this happened was six years ago!

I have to imagine there’s nothing like celebrating 'Turkey Day' eating Turkey while looking at Turkey… the country… all of it… from your window.

The seven astronauts and three crew members from the International Space Station will take a page from the very first Thanksgiving– sharing all that they have with each other… They’ll have to – Seems NASA only launched 6 Thanksgiving meals up into space this year…. So as the Indians first shared their feast with the Pilgrims – We hope our astronauts slice that freeze-dried turkey a little more thinly for that lonely Russian cosmonaut on board.

Speaking of freeze-dried turkey…

Feel bloated after Thanksgiving dinner? Have that urge to loosen the belt, unbutton your pants? No problem when there’s no gravity! Plus, if you’re counting calories tonight…compared to your family’s meal, its not too bad. Let’s break it down for you:

According to NASA the average Thanksgiving meal racks up 3,000 calories while their ‘out of this world’ meal only costs you 700 calories!

Reporters were privies to a taste test of the holiday dinner. One AP reporter noted:

“The smoked turkey was slightly stiffer than deli meat, like after it has been left in the refrigerator a week past its expiration date. The candied yams had a syrupy sweetness outside that dissolved into blandness in the middle. The green beans with mushrooms tasted like they have been frozen and then microwaved to an inch of their life.”

Despite the not-so-rave-review, I think our space crew has a lot to be thankful for up there (hello?!? No in-laws!). Astronauts aboard the Mercury program missions ate food-paste out of a tube for dinner!

So before you take issue with how Aunt Sally prepared the white-meat this year… Think of the meal happening miles and miles over your head…. Let you never complain the Turkey was too dry again…

Watch the crowd in Grant Park, Chicago react to CNN's Projection for President of the United States.

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Wanted to share something cool with you.

Election night at CNN was one of the busiest nights of the year... as producers, reporters, and control room staff scrambled to get viewers the latest projections as polls closed in states across the country.

But it seems for those of you watching us, it was a whole different story.

Who knew crowds were counting down with CNN's 'poll closings' as if it was New Year's in Time Square!?!

One countdown in particular brought an instant double-reaction from many crowds;

Flash back to Nov 4 – The time is 11:00pm ET – Polls are closing in 10 seconds in California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Hawaii...

Crowds begin count down: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 .... Ready to cheer when our countdown clock hits '1' (as they did six other times that night)... except this time it's different.

CNN calls the race...

One pro-Obama website that clearly couldn't get enough of the victory has pulled together the best clips from across the country, and around the world of that moment; Showing people's instant reaction to CNN's projection of Barack Obama's presidential win. (For the record, there aren't many videos of that moment at McCain parties.... though they were cheering for their candidate all night long as well)

What I find amazing is that you can literally hear the moment it registers with them... The applause for the countdown switches mid-cheer to that of total surprise.

Take a look (and a listen)

 
David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

7 years after 9/11 many experts al Qaeda has regrouped, re-organized. The video tapes and audio tapes keep coming... promising more attacks. But those who know al Qaeda best say the only chance we have to defeat it, is to understand its past, see where its strengths lie today, and know where it wants to go in the future.

AC360° sat down with Lawrence Wright, Pulitzer prize winning author of "The Looming Tower: al Qaeda and The Road To 9/11" and CNN Terrorism analyst Peter Bergen, one of the few journalists to have met Osama bin Laden, and author of 'The Osama Bin Laden I Know: An Oral History."

Some of you might be familiar with this special when it first broadcast earlier this year, others may have seen it streamed live on CNN.COM on the 7th anniversary of 9/11.

The feedback from both broadcasts was tremendous so we decided to place all parts of the program online for you to view:

In part one we investigate the underpinnings of al Qaeda & the man whose trip to America inspired bin Laden's jihad
___________________________________________________

In part two we investigate bin Laden's descent into the shadows of radical Islam and a war that made him an underground legend.
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In part two we look at how and why bin Laden turned his sights on America.
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In part four we investigate how the terrorist group decimated after the U.S. response to 9/11 could rise again.
___________________________________________________

In part five we investigate how the U.S. and the world can defeat this new type of enemy.
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David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

One of the most powerful images to come out of Hurricane Ike was from the town of Gilchrist, Texas. This was the town whose near total destruction could be summed up in this now iconic image... showing one house left standing in row after row of wasteland. (See Gilchrist,TX before and After Ike)

But of all the stories we heard during the storm, and all the images we have seen, there was one tale that I heard which I could not believe until I saw proof.

Today we have proof.

Meet Shackle, an 11-year-old African lioness as she lays on the altar at the First Baptist Church in Crystal Beach, Texas. The lion and her owner (who collects exotic animals) waded through Hurricane Ike flood waters to the church after they were unable to make it off Bolivar Peninsula prior to Ike's landfall.

Chuck Jones, who led a task force that landed on the peninsula east of Galveston put it best when he said "We're not going in there... We know where he [the lion] is on the food chain."

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

I came across a series of photos from photographer David J. Phillip, showing the devastation to Gilchrist, Texas from a helicopter tour.

From the air, you can really see the impact; with the Gulf of Mexico seen at right, one beachfront home stands among the debris. Ike was the first major storm to directly hit a major U.S. metro area since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

I decided to find that home using Google Earth. Take a look at what the region looked like before Hurricane Ike struck, and what we now see today…

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

So yesterday I told you about the formation of Tropical Storm Ike. Looks like it's not going to calm down for a while.

A new tropical storm has formed in the eastern Atlantic to make a total of four named storms currently at large. Tropical Storm Josephine

The National Hurricane Center says Josephine is the 10th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.

Josephine has top sustained winds near 40 mph and is moving west at 15 mph. It could be near hurricane strength on Wednesday or Thursday. Right when we'll be dealing with Hanna, and possibly Ike.

Take a look at the projections. Still very early, but wanted to share:

Now this isn't the first time Tropical Storm Josephine has appeared. Back in October of 1996 there was another storm named Josephine, responsible $130 million dollars in damage (around $180 million in todays dollars). Let's hope we don't see Josephine make a second visit.

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Looks like there is another tropical storm out there… no I’m not talking about Hanna (that’s now a Hurricane). I’m talking about Ike. Currently located in the Mid-Atlantic, this tropical storm’s path appears to be headed toward the Caribbean, towards Puerto Rico, The Dominican Republic/Haiti and the Bahamas.

It’s still too soon to know exactly where it will go, or if it will amount to anything, but with two storms spinning out there… one already making landfall, and one more approaching the U.S. coast by the middle of this week… I just wanted to alert you.

From the National Hurricane Center:

SATELLITE IMAGES THAT THE CLOUD PATTERN ASSOCIATED WITH THE
DEPRESSION HAS CONTINUED TO BECOME BETTER ORGANIZED. THE CONVECTION
HAS INCREASED...CURVED BANDS ARE BECOMING MORE DISTINCT
AND THE OUTFLOW IS FAIR IN ALL QUADRANTS. DVORAK T-NUMBERS FROM
TAFB AND SAB HAVE INCREASED TO 3.0 ON THE DVORAK SCALE. ON THIS
BASIS...THE SYSTEM HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO TROPICAL STORM IKE WITH AN
INITIAL INTENSITY OF 45 KNOTS. GIVEN THE WARM OCEAN ALONG ITS PATH
AND THE LOW SHEAR...IKE IS FORECAST TO REACH HURRICANE STATUS IN
ABOUT 36 HOURS. THE RATE OF STRENGTHENING IS CONSISTENT WITH THE
SHIPS MODEL GUIDANCE BUT MUCH LOWER THAN THE GFDL AND SIGNIFICANTLY
LOWER THAN THE HWRF. THE LATTER MAKES IKE AN INTENSE HURRICANE
NORTH OF HISPANIOLA.

IKE IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST OR 275 DEGREES AT 14 KNOTS. THE STORM
IS ALREADY LOCATED SOUTH OF A STRONG SUBTROPICAL RIDGE WHICH IS
BUILDING AND EXPANDING WESTWARD ACCORDING TO MOST OF THE GLOBAL
MODELS. THIS PATTERN CALLS FOR A GENERAL WEST TO WEST-NORTHWEST
TRACK FOR THE NEXT 2 TO 3 DAYS. THEREAFTER...AS THE HIGH BUILDS
FARTHER WESTWARD...THE CYCLONE COULD TURN MORE TO THE WEST OR EVEN
WEST-SOUTHWEST . THE OFFICIAL FORECAST IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE
PREVIOUS ONE AND FOLLOWS THE MODEL CONSENSUS. SINCE THE TRACK
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO BE RATHER TIGHT...THE FORECAST CONFIDENCE
REMAINS RELATIVELY HIGH.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

As Hurricane Gustav pounds Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal has stood strong, holding press conferences every day since the threat increased in the warm Gulf waters.

He is stationed at the command center in Louisiana’s capitol, Baton Rouge.

Up until a few days ago he was on the short list for a potential promotion to the nation’s capitol as Sen. McCain’s “second in command.”

Widely considered a rising star in his party, speculation on Jindal as McCain’s V.P. choice increased this summer when he was one of a handful of politicians McCain invited to his home in Arizona.

The nation’s youngest governor is a staunch social conservative who could have possibly offset any reservations Republicans had about McCain’s conservative credentials.

Jindal will spend this week protecting his citizens, and the nation will become more familiar with the face behind a name.

Although Jindal is in the hot seat, he is also in the spotlight; it’s a spotlight that was supposed to be focused on another young Republican governor.

We all now know that Alaska’s Sarah Palin was McCain’s surprise pick as a running mate. This was the week where she was to introduce herself to the nation on the convention floor in St. Paul, as the young Washington outsider ready to take on the nation's tough challenges.

But first we're seeing the governor of Louisiana lead his state through the challenge posed by Gustav.

So far we’ve seen Gov. Jindal address the nation more than the Republican presidential candidate; we have already seen him briefing President Bush, working closely with FEMA, and planning a strategy with Department of Homeland Security’s Michael Chertoff.

If Jindal succeeds it will show the nation that a Republican governor with little experience in Washington can help manage a disaster, and rally a nation.

...just the thing McCain was looking for.

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Three years ago, it was the failed levee system that inflicted the most damage to New Orleans.
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said his concerns for New Orleans related to areas of potential weakness in the levee system.

There were over 50 levee breaches 3 years ago. Rebuilding the levees is still a work in progress.
In fact, New Orleans’ levee infrastructure is not expected to be complete until 2011.

When you hear the term ‘levee breach,’ what does that mean exactly? A levee breach can come from any number of scenarios. I put together a slideshow to show you all the different ways a levee can fail. Take a look:

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Their 2008 convention has hardly given Democrats time to relax and enjoy the festivities. The Obama campaign has spent two days swatting off attack ads, making nice with the Clintons and their delegates… and, oh yeah, retooling the party’s message with all eyes on Denver.

It’s been a mixed success. Barack Obama's choice of Sen. Joseph Biden for vice president has not given him any bump in national polls. In fact, a Gallup poll this week shows McCain now leading over Obama 46 to 44 percent, marking the first time since June that Obama has trailed. And the McCain camp is not holding back.

McCain has been trying to knock Obama and the Democrats off message during commercial breaks with a new ad using Hillary Clinton’s own words (and her 3am ad) against Obama. You can bet we’ll see the same with Biden’s critiques of Obama earlier this year.

Clinton’s speech last night was the biggest firecracker in the Democrats' box so far. She aimed to calm the nerves of a divided party and deflate McCain attempts to crash the party.

Obama has a lot of "healthy pressure," as David Gergen put it, to perform in the wake of her speech. Even if Obama’s "closing curtain" speech, as James Carville put it, ignites the party, the McCain camp has the water bucket ready to try dowsing the Democrats' fire, planning his own VP announcement Friday morning…and the Republican National Convention next week.

So it just might pay to go last this time…

But life isn't so simple. On Friday, all eyes might turn to McCain and the Republican convention. OR... they might turn to Hurricane Gustav.

Last night, as Hillary hit the message of unity, Hurricane Gustav hit Haiti. The storm is expected to strengthen as it enters the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. And then we might very well have a storm that could hit the New Orleans region on the 3rd anniversary of Katrina, just as the GOP convention gets started.

With oil prices already sky high, and worries that Gustav could threaten oil refineries in the Gulf, not to mention broadcast coverage of the convention, the last thing a Republican candidate needs is a 3rd anniversary reminder of how the current Republican administration botched its handling of such a disaster. Heaven forbid we see it happen again.

Maybe it won’t pay to go last after all…

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Nearly three years after Hurricane Katrina devastated their city, President Bush spoke to people in New Orleans today. Among his guests at the ceremony was Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré, known best for serving as commander of ‘Joint Task Force Katrina.’ He was responsible for coordinating military relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina-affected areas across the Gulf Coast. Now retired, he spends much of his time in the region, and works to prepare families for future natural disasters.

I caught up with the general as he was traveling from his Georgia home to the ceremony this morning. Our conversation covered as much ground as the general did, and we will share with you parts of that conversation over the next several days, leading up to the 3rd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. We started by talking about today’s event:

So where will the President be commemorating the 3rd anniversary of Katrina?

We're headed to ‘Jackson Barracks’, home of the Louisiana National Guard. Their equipment was stored there prior to Katrina, and unbeknownst to them, when the levees burst, it flooded the equipment. So the equipment the National Guard was depending on to help rescue people in New Orleans ended up 12 feet underwater.

Would this be your first time back to Jackson Barracks since Katrina?I was in Jackson barracks about 3 months ago. I went through for a tour. Many of the buildings were about 80% complete. So I imagine all those buildings are complete now, but it has taken that long, 3 years, with full resources. That’s how long it can take even when you are fully resourced to do a significant project. So when folks say ‘well, we don’t have all the schools back online or we have fire stations that are not completed...’ its going to take time to get a lot of this stuff done.

What are looking to hear from the President today?

The president is coming to make a visit and to tell folks that federal money is still coming, and to highlight some of the success of what has happened as a result of those federal funds, in terms of refurbishing schools, levees, repair and reinforcement as well as help putting clinics back at critical locations.

But there is much to be done in the city of New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast. That too is the focus of his Gulf Coast visit. The actual anniversary will happen right smack in the middle of a Democratic Convention. So I think it is a good thing that we are having this visit from president now – where he can speak to the nation and give them an assessment to the people of the Gulf coast, of where he thinks we've come, and what’s left to be done.

What will you say to the president today, almost 3 years later?

Normally what I get to say to him: 'hello Mr. President, thanks for inviting me."

Its’ good that he’s back. Some will say, ‘why didn’t he come on the anniversary?’... Well it doesn’t always work out that way. There are a lot of things going on in the world as we speak and I’m happy he could find it in his time to stop in during this period at the height of hurricane season.

When you look back to 3 years ago – when your boots first hit the ground – what images stay with you to this day?

All those people standing around the Superdome. When you are looking into the eyes of the poor… people with expectations that you're going to get them out… people demonstrating enormous patience in some pretty horrific conditions; bad sanitation, intense heat. They were traumatized.

I will always remember those faces...

On fifth anniversary of blackout, the nation is still vulnerable. CNN's Jeanne Meserve reports

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Five years ago today, at this very moment – we were in the dark.

I had only been with CNN for a short time, and had been working the 6a-2p shift. It was a busy morning and I had just made the commute back home to Brooklyn.

I threw my bag on the floor, flipped on the AC – and was probably asleep before I hit the pillow. Then I got call from my mom, frantic. She was in Atlantic City... and asked if I had seen the news.

Sleepy-eyed, I reached for the remote... no power. The AC was off too. As I got up to open a window I thought 'great, a brown-out hit Williamsburg.'

What I saw next shook all the sleep out of my eyes;
billowing smoke pluming out of the 14th street electrical substation, across the river. The smoke was perfectly lined up with the Empire State building and for a moment I thought the worst had happened, again. (Turns out it is a normal event for the machine to belch out black smoke as it automatically shuts down, but that was enough to get me running out the door back to work)

I picked up my bag, hopped down the stairs, and began the eight-mile walk to work. Crossing the Williamsburg Bridge, everything became surreal. It seemed like I was the only person going INTO the city. Like a salmon swimming upstream I worked my way around businessmen, tourists, families, children...

By the time I made it back to the CNN NY Bureau, walking the entire width of the island, it hit me. We were on the 22nd floor. Quite the walk up...

I immediately jumped into work mode, helping to gather whatever information we could on the situation with reporters and producers in the bureau. With daylight retreating, evening set in across the city... and as the sun began to set, we braced for the worst.

Blackouts in NY have not brought out the best in people.

In the New York City blackout of '68 the city saw crime, looting and destruction. During one robbery in Brooklyn, a police sergeant responding to a store alarm was shot by the burglar. He died a few days later. A decorated war veteran turned cop... killed by a burglar... changing my Aunt Gerri's entire life forever... a widow to this day.

Fortunately NY remained calm this time. That night proved to be one of the most surreal of my life. I spent it driving around with our photographers. Most people treated the blackout as a novelty in NY; Gawking at streetlights and snarling traffic, calling family members on their cell phones – draining what ever power they had.

I remember seeing people sleeping on the floors of Grand Central, on the steps of Farley Post Office, across the street from Penn Station. Cabbies were charging $400 a trip – and picking up as many people as they could, in between fighting with customers over the fare. Bars were selling beers for $1 and food was 1/2 off... Everyone trying to make a quick buck before the refrigerated food, and a city's patience, spoiled.

But the most amazing moment of the whole experience involved a visit to Times Square, normally one of the brightest and noisiest spots in all of New York City... dark and silent.

The street signs, billboards, floodlights, neon-signs, and traffic... were all dark.

It was one of the few times in the history of the city where you could stand in the middle of Time Square, look up, and see every star in the sky.

The only light came from the moon, directly overhead, blanketing everything in a pale white glow.

The rest of the night remains a blur, we were able to work at the NY1 News station, using their signal (and backup generator) to share the story with the rest of the world not affected.

I remember falling asleep under a vending machine in their break room at around 2am, ready to see what daylight would bring.

What about you? Where were you when the blackout hit 5 years ago today?

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

One year ago today the nation saw one of the worst bridge collapses in a generation.
The Interstate 35W bridge collapse killed 13 people and injured more than 100...

Just this week, the National Transportation Safety Board released new evidence in the collapse investigation. One of its findings revealed that a plate connecting the support beams under the bridge had fractured along a section that was corroded. This was a concern that state officials had in fact realized... 15 years ago... but did not see as 'critical' to repair.

The board did not draw any conclusions about what exactly caused last summer's collapse... But as people plan memorials today for the victims, where are we one year later in Minneapolis? Today a skeleton of the new bridge spans the river where the old one once stood… You can see the progress that has been made in one year in these ‘Then & Now” photos I put together.

But where are we one year later in America? Days after the collapse calls came from every town, city, and state official for ‘immediate repairs’ to other bridges… and still, two out of three of the busiest bridges in the United States. ... with known problems… have had no work done beyond regular maintenance …

Program Note: CNN’s Campbell Brown investigates the nation's crumbling infrastructure in a special report, "Roads to Ruin: Why America is Falling Apart." Special guests include California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell. Friday, 8 p.m. ET

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Held hostage for more than 5 years, three Americans are now free. They were among the 15 hostages held by Colombian rebels rescued today. Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt has also been rescued, held for almost 6 years.

Known as FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the rebel group is known to hold at least 750 hostages in the jungles of South America.

So who are the FARC? and what do they want?

Take a look at this recent piece by CNN’s Karl Penhaul (posted before the recent news of the release, and the recent death of leader Manuel Marulanda) to better understand today’s new developments:

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

So I wanted to be the first to wish you a Happy Independence Day! So what are you going to do tonight to celebrate? Yes, that’s right… you heard me… Tonight

On July 2nd 1776 the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. On the table, a resolution brought before the congress by Richard Henry Lee of Virginia:

Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.

That it is expedient forthwith to take the most effectual measures for forming foreign Alliances.

That a plan of confederation be prepared and transmitted to the respective Colonies for their consideration and approbation.

…And on that day, July 2nd 1776, they approved the Resolution Of Independence… A free nation was proclaimed and the United States of America was formed. No fireworks, no cheering crowds, just a handful of men in Philadelphia knew what had happened.

John Adam’s, the nation’s future first vice president, wrote to his wife overjoyed with the momentous occasion:

The second day of July 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward.

Sorry John, it didn’t exactly pan out like that. While the founding fathers made the bold move to break with England on the 2nd, the document which would actually do so needed to be cleaned up and re-worked before being unveiled to the public… Which occurred… you guessed it… July the 4th, 1776.

To top it off, John Hancock was the only one to sign that day (maybe that’s the other reason he signed so prominently, as to fill up the empty space). The other 55 delegates signed the document on August 2nd – I’ll remind you to celebrate then too – don’t worry.

Oh, and the British didn’t receive the declaration until January 1777…no blogs back then to post instantly.

So I guess with all these benchmarks in a nation’s break with England – we can split the difference and remember the moment on July 4th…

…But tonight, for John Adams sake, go outside, make your self a hot dog, grab a sparkler and wish your neighbor a Happy 2nd of July.

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

The candidates have been tackling election issues Americans care about… But there’s something else the candidates appear to care about: Location, location, location.

Seems the candidates are ‘taking issue’ with town names, and the issues they bring up…

Last week Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton traveled to Unity, New Hampshire to show a sign of … well… Unity. And Monday Sen. Obama stressed patriotism on his visit to Independence, Missouri…

Coincidences? Not a chance… So that got me thinking – I should put together a week-long itinerary for the candidates … to locations around the United States that would put their issues right on the map.

Let’s begin, shall we?

DAY 1: Getting the ‘Photo –Op’
First, you MUST start the day off in Hot Coffee, Mississippi followed by a quick trip to Hasty, Colorado, maybe give a short speech in Shorter, Alabama, before a stop in Do Stop, Kentucky. Of course have lunch in Sandwich, Illinois. Then off to smile for the cameras in Hygiene, Colorado. Finish the day with Cookietown, Oklahoma before heading off to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.

DAY 2: Improving your Image
Head out to Normal, Illinois, Ordinary, Virginia and Plain City, Utah to show voters you are an ‘everyday American’… Next, give a rousing speech in Boring, Maryland and let the public know you’ll champion their causes while in Good Intent, New Jersey… Since you can’t be everywhere at once, might be best to send a surrogate to campaign for you in Decoy, Kentucky. (I would say they should head out to Enigma, Georgia… but who knows how to get there…)

DAY 3: Tackling the issues
Head out across the country to talk about issues directly affecting voters.

• The pain at the pump is issue#1 so be sure to head to Gas, Kansas and give a speech on the soaring cost of oil… Outline your solutions for alternative fuel sources in Energy, Illinois while you’re at it…
• Speaking of the economy, why not talk unemployment in Job, Kentucky and job solutions in Opportunity, Montana.
• On the issue of Iraq, give a speech in Bagdad, Arizona. Talk ‘homeland security’ in Protection, Kansas and ‘defending the nation’ in Security, Colorado. Talk terrorism in War, West Virginia and the hopes for a stable Middle East in Peace, Alabama.
• Best to bring up the environment issue in Badwater, California, and save the talk on anti-drug laws in Weed, California .
• Last, if you want to talk about the importance of space exploration, why not fly to (the) Moon, Pennsylvania.

DAY 4: Showing voters your vision:
- What better place to talk about ‘your vision for America’ than Ideal, Georgia? Lay your promise for a better tomorrow in Inspiration, Arizona. (Some may say ‘Why, Arizona’? I say, ‘Whynot, North Carolina?’)

- Sen. Barack Obama can tell the crowd ‘yes we can’ in Cando, North Dakota – but might want to skip Bushland, Texas…

- Sen. John McCain can talk about his knowledge of politics in Rough and Ready, California – but might want to avoid talking about his years of service in Dinosaur, Colorado.

- Nothing shows vision more than the people you chose to bring to Washington... So may I suggest you announce your Vice Presidential running mate and the whole Presidential cabinet in Alliance, California.

DAY 5: Country-wide blitz
Crisscrossing the country is hard… and expensive – might I suggest these 2-for-1 trips:

8a         New York, Kentucky
10a       Kentucky, Michigan
12:30p Michigan, Vermont
2p         Vermont, Indiana
4:30p    Indiana, Pennsylvania
6p         Pennsylvania, Alabama
9p         Alabama, New York

DAY 6: Challenge your opponent
It’s a common practice on the campaign trail, showcase your top qualities and point out your candidates flaws. You can level with the American people with your ‘line-in-the-sand issues’ in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico… why not point out an issue your competition ‘flip-flopped’ on in Paradox, Colorado. Settle things once and for all with a debate in Competition, Missouri… Where success could be decided right down the road in… well… Success, Missouri.

DAY 7: Go for the independent vote
This election it’s all about the ‘undecided vote.’ Meet independent voters in Uncertain, Texas and promise reform on issues close to their heart in Relief, California. Last but not least, I suggest you glad-hand, go door-to-door, and kiss babies before it comes time to vote in Last Chance, California.

---------–

So candidates, good luck with this 7-day strategy – it’s a lot of places to cover – but it’s sure worth it… For on November 5th only one can head to Celebration, Florida… Maybe even Yeehaw Junction, Florida if they want to gloat about it…

…Oh, and the other? He should head out to Disappointment, Kentucky… followed by a long stay in Solitude, Indiana.

David M. Reisner
360° Digital Producer

It appears the captain has illuminated the ‘Beat 360°’ sign...

Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption. Our staff will get in on the action too.

Tune in every night at 10p ET to see if you are our favorite! Can you Beat 360°?

Here is the ‘Beat 360°’ pic of the day: Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton talk on board Obama's campaign plane June 27, 2008 en route to Manchester, New Hampshire.

Have fun with it.

Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
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Good luck to all!

UPDATE: Check out our Beat360° winners

David M. Reisner
360° Digital Producer

Bear with me here ok?! It’s time for ‘Beat 360°!’

Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption. Our staff will get in on the action too.

Tune in every night at 10p ET to see if you are our favorite! Can you Beat 360°?

Here is the ‘Beat 360°’ pic of the day: Children from local schools in the Paddington area of London celebrate Paddington Bear's birthday with the bear himself on yesterday in London, England. Paddington Bear's birthday is celebrated on the 50th anniversary of the first of Michael Bond's Paddington Bear books being published.

Here's one to get you started:

Paddington Bear feels the backlash from today’s court ruling; giving citizens of Washington D.C. “the right to ‘bear’ arms.”

Have fun with it.

Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
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But wait!... There's more!

When you win ‘Beat 360°’ not only do you get on-air prime-time name recognition (complete with bragging rights over all your friends, family, and jealous competitors), but you get a “I Won the Beat 360° Challenge” T-shirt!

Read more here....

Good luck to all!

UPDATE: Our staff winner is David with, "In DC today, Ms. Smith’s 2nd grade class misunderstands today’s court ruling; Taking “The right to ‘bear’ arms” a bit too literally". For the viewers, Erin wins with, "Paddington Bear exercises his right to bear hugs and not arms."

Congratulations!

David M. Reisner
360° Digital Producer

It’s time for ‘Beat 360°!’

Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption. Our staff will get in on the action too.

Tune in every night at 10p ET to see if you are our favorite! Can you Beat 360°?

Here is the ‘Beat 360°’ pic of the day: U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Hillary Clinton leave after they spoke to the media yesterday on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Clinton joined the House Democratic leaders to speak to the media after she spoke to a closed House Democratic Caucus meeting.

Have fun with it.

Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
________________________________________________

But wait!... There's more!

When you win ‘Beat 360°’ not only do you get on-air prime-time name recognition (complete with bragging rights over all your friends, family, and jealous competitors), but you get a “I Won the Beat 360° Challenge” T-shirt!

Read more here....

Good luck to all!

UPDATE:Check out our Beat 360° winners

David M. Reisner
AC360° Digital Producer

Hey gang,

In the spirit of giving you more behind the scenes action, I wanted to share with you things that we say around the newsroom... Language we use, for things you watch.

So from time to time we'll bring you a new phrase in our TV vocabulary:

Here is today’s "TV Talk:"

 
So last I left you, we realized we were 'crashing a package...'
So what happens if we don’t have enough time to finish?

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"Get ready for a hotroll!"

Playing a piece of edited material directly from the editing station

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When there is no time to save the material you are editing as one item, it's time for plan B: To literally 'roll' the story 'hot'... in-real time. Not from tape, not from a computer file, but directly from the editing station where you are working.

In TV, this is a phrase you never want to use, and the phone call you never want to make.

The producer calls the control room to let them know the package is going to 'hotroll.'

The director can normally see all completed pieces of video on a screen in the control room, but not if the piece is incomplete – like our hotroll... the director now needs another way to see the story. The control room routes the signal from the edit bay. Now the director can see the piece, to make sure the colors look OK, the sound is good, etc...

At this point the director tells the edit bay when the hotroll will happen, to manually queue the editor to press 'play.'

This is always an awkward and difficult dance.

Think about it from the director's view: The director must take into account the anchor's introduction before the story, the satellite delay, and a whole series of other problems... before calling out 'play.'

Think about it from the editor's view: Imagine you are watching a CNN.com/video clip on your computer... and you were on the phone with the director, who is going to tell you the exact moment to hit play.

• Hit play too early and the world misses your story's introduction...
• Hit play too late and every viewer will see a frozen shot to start.

Even if you hit play at the precise moment needed, you aren't out of the woods yet:

If the computer playing the piece fails... or someone hits pause by accident... or if a piece of video is missing... it will show up on-air... and the control room must be ready at any moment to 'dump out' of the hotroll.

If you are lucky, the piece plays exactly when it needs to, and plays with no audio or visual problems...

The viewer at home won't even know there was a hotroll, and you can wipe the sweat off your brow, and vow never to go through that again.