CNN iReport

Hi everyone and welcome to tonight’s monthly roundtable. We don’t have anything on the agenda for tonight, so we’ll answer as many questions as we can.

We will have to wrap this up right at 8 p.m. because of President Obama’s news conference.

I hope everyone will watch it and then come back to iReport, and tell us what you thought.

Good evening, all!

Alun, London

Hi Alun,

How are things in London?

What are you working on Alun? Been on any interesting journeys.

Splendid, thank you - great weather this month - I "played tourist" last weekend in London - first time for ages!

London's a beautiful city when the sun shines ... and it's full of London Marathon runners and their families

Film of squirrels in London park went on iReport today - and I'll have film from inside Madame Tussauds on iReport tomorrow.

Alun

I know I said we don't have an agenda for tonight's meeting, but I just had an idea.

I'd love for everybody to let us know if you're working on any cool iReport projects.

hey guys!

The site announcement just went up, so hopefully we'll start getting some folks in.

I probably didn't publicize this as well as I should have.

Hello good evening everyone..

question: I have this strange orange face in my address window at top of page only on ireport..is this something new?? what is it??

Just had to turn down a planned trip to Sri Lanka, sadly, for safety purposes. It included a trip to the baby elephant orphanage - which I've always wanted to film, sob, sob!

I tend to do less international travel during our summer, so expect quirky films from the UK - and with the spread of H1N1, I expect that many trips will be cancelled anyway - France is asking that all flights to/ from Europe to Mexico be cancelled from tomorrow, for example .... ho hum!

Alun

@gilldreams -- Hi, I just saw your email about that but haven't had a chance to reply. I'm not sure what that is.

I'll see what I can find out.

Good evening, LadysHoodJnl at the table.

Heya everybody!

@LadysHoodJnl -- Welcome, it's good to see you.

I couldn't make last week, but there was an interesting point made - "there's 7 (?) CNN channels in total".

Could you list them, please - I couldn't work them all out!

Alun

I have no issue; only ideas to report.

@LadysHoodJnl -- Cool, can't wait to hear your ideas

@davidw,

Good to see you too Capt'n.

Hello everyone. I'm a student at Alpharetta High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and I enjoy reading iReports. Here's an idea for a topic for tonight's discussion:

As of April 29, 10 states have already confirmed over 100 illnesses from H1N1 virus, one of which already resulted in a death. Swine flu is spreading like wildfire, and now is the time to act if we wish to limit the virus’s spread. Although concerns about the short-term economy prevent much political action, the most effective and ultimately least economically damaging action would be to close borders and quarantine all people, ill or healthy, to their homes for seven days. Because the incubation period for the virus is generally no longer than five days, a week-long quarantine would reveal symptoms for all currently infected people, who would then be able to receive treatment without spreading the virus further. A national hotline could be set up for all potentially ill people to call if they develop symptoms and doctors would then be dispatched to homes to test for and treat H1N1 virus. Halting the virus now through a massive quarantine will temporarily restrain the economy, but if the virus is allowed to expand to a full pandemic the consequences of millions of dead and hospitalized people unable to work will damage the economy more severely in the long run.

Ultimately, it seems that now is the time for America to ask itself what is more important: money or human lives? What do you think?

@AlunHill According to CNN.com, we have the following: CNN, HLN, CNN International, CNNMoney, CNN Airport Network, CNN en Espanol, CNN Radio, and CNN en Espanol Radio

David due to the concerns regarding the swine flu I have been trying to update the daily information from WHO and CDC where possible. I find there is this mass hysteria appearing all over the place and people just are not being realistic. There have been some fantastic facutal posts on the subject though and I wonder if there could be a temporary page for these posts..People who work in the medical community give rational and facts about this virus and it is very calming to say the least to read these posts..

@AlunHill -- There's CNN, CNNI, HLN, CNN Espanol, CNN.com, CNN.com live, CNN Radio for starters. There's actually a few more than that, but I can't think of them all.

@Davidw,

Ever since kroger, sr software engineer FIXED my tags.. I've been smooth saiing over here.

Hi zdan - and do say a belated happy birthday to nsaidi for me, please!

I'm working on doing:

World's smallest cinema

Bog snorkelling

Worm charming

Must see sights of London - known and not so well known

What to write in the headline and body of an iReport to get noticed

Alun

@LadysHoodJnl -- Glad to hear that. Kyle's awesome.

@zdan,

Just what do you do here?

Thanks David appreciate that very much..it's like this orange face is looking at the page....very odd LOL

@MIzmaylov -- Sounds like you've got the start of a good iReport there. I would encourage you to get out a web cam, if you have one, and post it on the site.

Re Channels - thanks!

I'd forgotten about CNN radio and didn't know of the Airport Network - presume that's "video only" screens in USA airports.

Appreciated!

Alun

@gilldreams -- Most of our swine flu iReports will be on this assignment page. http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=250082

I would also encourage everyone to go to CNN.com/health for the latest news on the flu.

Our Health unit is working overtime to get the latest information.

hey kids...how's everyone?

AlunHill

In terms of tips for getting noticed, here are my two cents. Body: Give us some context. Tell us when and where you shot the video. Was stood out to you about the experience? Give us your impressions. For the headline, I'd suggest using action words to describe the iReport. For example, "Big movies at world's smallest cinema."

@LadysHoodJnl -- zdan is an AP at iReport.com. She's the newest member of our team, but she has done a lot of great work in the months that she's been with us.

@Davidw,

I love the shake down on the board.. it's appears to be more relective of current iReporter activity - rather than abandoned and stagnant - KUDOS.

I am wondering. 3,500 people die on the average each year in the U.S. from the Flu. So why is the Swine Flu putting so much fear into people? There are only 114 confirmed cases of this Flu, not deaths, only 1 death in the U.S. Could it be that there is more media coverage? Just exactly what is it that makes this one so scary? This is not a joke, I really would like to know.

LadysHoodJnl

@everyone -- rachel8 is also an AP at iReport and is also amazing, for those that don't know her.

@davidw,

Re: Zdan.

Thank you for sharing that with us.

@zdan - ahh, thank you for both!

Alun

haha, thanks dave

and cute as a bug in a rug zdan...lol

hello

Haha, thanks for the kind words, Dave.

P.S. I sit next to David.

@zdan,

Nice to meet you.

@saygon1 - I honestly don't know the answer to that question. It's one that I am hearing a lot.

ditto to rachel8 :)

David I went to see the link and notice these reports are all starting from today..are there previous reports on the subject of swine flu in an archives section??

Hello ky42.

@gilldreams -- the newest ones show up on top, but I'm seeing about 25 pages of iReports going back to April 24th.

Wow forgot their was a roundtable tonight..I am voting on CNN on the report card stuff..lot of fun!

thanks lady

Nice to meet you too, LadysHood.

@MelissaF Thanks for voting! Your iReport on the first 100 days was also great

@MelissaF -- Excellent. Here's a link to the National Report Card on CNN.com if anyone's interesting.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/first.100.days/index.html

I meant interested.

Hello all. I am new here. Forgive me if I seem like a tourist. I'm very much interested in what everyone has to say.

Thanks David I will have to check again..because I know from the time this started there have been hundreds of reports on this site put forward...thanks again

@caesar40 -- Welcome. Nice to have you.

Thanks @rachel8...I haven't seen it played on anywhere on tv today..do you know if it played @davidw?

Welcome, caesar040! Glad to have you on board.

thanks for the link david!

ok Tech talk..

I wanna be LadysHoodJnl@ireport.com.  Can anyone on your team make this happen for me Davidw?  I wish to have a direct link to my station..(businesscard purposes)

Hi, this is my first roundtable.  Just wanted to know if the iReport format has any plans to go to 16:9 rather than 4:3.  If I submit in 16:9 it gets squeezed rather than letterbox.  Thanks!

Welcome caesar040 - we were all tourists here only a few weeks ago!

You'll get loads of help here!

Alun

@davidw ...did you see my newest ireport today?  Air Force One Cheap Photo?  http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-251872

I'm trying to build an empire out here and I need your help.

Thank you AlunHill and everyone!

@LadysHoodJnl -- the @ireport email address is currently just for contacting iReport. We may be able to come up with something else that will work.

@davidw are they going to play any of the ireports on the special tonight?

@ tlewis3462 -- I know that our developers are working on a new video player, but I don't know the technical details or have a time frame.

@LadysHoodJnl - Staffers don't even have a @ireport.com account :(

@MelissaF

I just watched this - great!

Also, first use I've seen on iReport of a picture and video together - I never thought of doing that before - could be useful technique to me - thank you!

Alun

@MelissaF -- I don't know if they will be playing them in the special. I know they played some on American Morning today, but I don't know if yours was one of them.

I will look when I get into work tomorrow.

I wanted to vote but can not find the place to vote.  Can anyone tell me how to do this?

Welcome to the roundtable tlewis3462.

@AlunHill...thanks..thought that would get more hits than just my face...lol

@jeanieh here's the link to CNN. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/first.100.days/index.html

You can also upload an iReport to tell us what you think.

@jeanieh Here's the link:

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2009/44.president/first.100.days/index.html

Click on "vote now"

@davidw Thanks, pass on my thanks to everyone at CNN and Turner for all their hard work in helping us have our thoughts heard.

@davidw LOL, jinx

Roger that Davidw.

Thanks @davidw..fyi..the White House saw my Ireport on Obama's 100 days..my hubby's uncle is a close friend to the White House and forward the link to them this morning..got kudos!!

Kudo's to President Obama's first 100 days. Hello from Macombexec in Macomb County. Davidw, any chance on providing the ability to change a picture in a post after it is uploaded?

@everybody -- So is anyone working on anything cool, or got something in the works?

Good evening David and Ireporter,

I am front and center!

Butterfly1

@Davidw,

I'm happy to be without the stampede at the table.

@MelissaF

Giggle!

Alun

MelissaF:

It was an excellent post your provided on Obama's 100 days. The kudo's are well deserved.

i'm working on an ireport of candy we used to get when we were kids, but they don't make anymore...but it's just for us OLD FARTS u know...lol

David how did the  test for video turn out?? When will it be ready and what features will be there? The test was pretty good..all those special effects..great

@davidw..looking for more swine flu stories...did you see how many hits my walmart pixs got?  over 30,000 now..geez..it was just hand sanitizer...lol

Welcome to the house butterfly1.

@macombexec -- I don't know about changing a photo after it's posted, but we are working on an improved set of uploading tools that would give you more say over how the finished project will turn out.

I'm not sure when this will be done.

In the meantime, you can upload the iReport again with a different photo.

I'm working on health information technology.  It's my field, but Obama's healthcare initiatives include electronic medical records.  Got interviews with physicians and technology professionals, but now I'm trying to get to legislators.

@butterfly1 -- welcome

I copy that zdan.

@tlewis3462 -- That will be great to see. That's a really meaty topic, so anything that helps clear things up will be greatly appreciated.

@butterfly1..hugs..did you get your hand sanitizer?..lol

David:

Last Monday, I was the Wake-up call on Morning Express with Robin Meade. I'm working up a post to really show what that meant to my 7 year old son Nicholas to see his picture and hear his name on tv. Thanks to all of CNN who made it possible. On the other hand, if any iReporters were watching they now know what I look like. lol

@tlewis3462 Are your local legislators working on crafting legislation for electronic medical records?

@macombexec -- That's awesome. That is really cool for your family.

Hi David:

I am trying to get the video I made to my computer so I can upload it to iReports.  Can you help me out?  Thanks

Paul

@macombexec..missed it..pacific standard time..post your pix!

@zdan There has been discussion of it in PA, not nothing really as far as being "totslly connected"  PS @davidw My mom plewis3333 says hi

Congrats on your vet butterfly1.. you knocked it out the box!

I have signed in already, but I do not see my post.

DavidW:

Thanks for the tip on updating a picture in the post. Actually, if I got the picture right the first time....lol

@pizzaman -- I'll email you after the roundtable and see if we can sort it out.

Did Nicole Saidi vet all the Obama pieces today?  She vetted me with a lot of questions by email.  What show does she work on?

Are there any medical advisors on ireport site that can answer questions for people who still do not really undertand about this flu?

@MelissaF Nicole's an iReport producer, just like the rest of us. She and Christina (zdan) were the main iReport producers working on the Obama story today, so that's probably why she vetted yours.

@MelissaF -- Nicole is another member of team iReport. She didn't vet all of them, but she did a lot of them. She's one of the original members of Team iReport -- and also amazing.

@gilldreams - Some of the vetted iReport questions were funneled to Dr. Sanjay Gupta yesterday. He was responding to swine flu worries/questions.

Thank you LadysHoodJnl,

I really haven't actually participating in one of this round table discussion on the internet, but I sure I will get the hang of it. Mean while I will be a fly on the wall, if that okay with the other ireporter's?

Thanks Dave

Ooohh..great..thanks!

@gildreams --  We don't have our own medical experts, but we do occasionally get people in the medical profession weighing in.

We will generally leave that to Dr. Sanjay Gupta and the rest of CNN's health unit to handle specific medical information.

They do sit right next to us though, if we need to ask a question about something.

davidw:

Thank you. I can honestly tell you that everyone behind the scenes at CNN that made that brief segment work was world class all the way!

I'm still following up on my story about the dog that could fly. Its a pup that got airborne in 70mph winds and flew for at least 3 quarters of a mile. It has a happy and a very unique ending on the method that was used to find 'Tinkerbell'. That is the real name of the dog. It happened one county over from me.

Greetings folks.. Just wanted to say Hello & Hi ..

hi punnjabi

thank you David..I had just recieved an email from someone who lives in Alaska asking the question..trying to direct them here to the meeting...

@macombexec -- I have not seen the flying dog. This is an oversight i will have to correct immediately. My own dog is flying around like a knucklehead though.

Nichole is supremely fair on her vetting of the iReports.

I've been hammer'd twice for inocuious phrasing with no offense intended that Nichole has ruled on.

Going to watch the President.  See ya later!

here's the direct link. It should work

http://www.ireport.com/blogs/ireport-blog/2009/04/29/ireport-evening-roundtable#cf

@Davidw,

It would bring new life into the community , if we were to do our roundtable via webcams.

Hi

Oh and one question...how can one loose a 'superstar' status? It seems I did..even after all my activity on the site? Anyone?

@PunjabiPower

Hi - love your pieces to camera!

Alun

Going to watch the Pres. Probrably will post a reaction during his speech.

You loose a star from deactivating, no activty for a period of time I thought

Hello DavidW,

I spoke to Nicole briefly this afternoon, she seems very easy to talk to.

@davidw..is there any way that posting comments yourself does not go towards the newsiest?  I see a few in particular that try to manipulate the newsiest by answering every single comment to get the numbers up.

@David,

It would also be pleasing if I could change the design to my homepage  pink... to match my twitter station.

I noticed about the newiest as well.....very old post 4-5 months ago

Thanks Alun. You are quite entertaining as well sir.

long delays tonight on here between posting comment and seeing it even after clicking the refresh ..oh well thanks for the meeting.

Any updates on the rating system and if the newiest board will get "refreshed" more often??

@PunjabiPower -- The Superstar status is supposed to be fluid to sort of reward more active members of the community. We never intended it to be an iReport hall of fame, with people at the top who never posted in months.

That said, I'm surprised your Superstar status went away.

I have know doubt that you'll get it back soon though.

@Dadidw

Are we "usual time and day" next week, please?

Alun

Spontaneous is in the House.

sorry melissa...i don't comment to manipulate...i respond to people who comment on my posts out of COURTESY.

@LadysHoodJnl -- I'm not sure if customizing the pages is going to work, it helps the TV folks if we have a consistant look from page to page.

Hi LadysHoodJnl ;~) and Everyone. I pray no one is affected with the swine flu!

@sintheeesize...not you..someone else..Wink

@davidw - Thank you for the response.

Is it possible to get a draft feature. A lot of times people need more time, better pictures etc and putting the post in draft mode would be awesome.

Greetings Punjabipower.

@AlunHill -- Yes we will have our regular, weekly meeting tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Don't have a firm topic yet. We were thinking about talking about ideas for travel stories, but haven't settled on that yet.

@everyone..bye..please visit my newest ireport b4 you leave the sight and rate and comment...it's funny!  Thanks to everyone for their support..the ireport team is fabulous!!

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-251872

It's time to go and I'm still saying hello. lol

Are we ever going to get "bigger" email boxes (size) and a saved folder??

@Spontaneous - The draft idea sounds great! Not sure if it's in the works, but I'll pass this idea on to our developers.

watching the President now..thanks for this meeting David and ireport team..good night.

@MelissaF -- We're always looking at ways to improve the Newsiness formula.

Cool zdan, thanks!!

david...how realistic is it that the US would close the borders?  i have 2 kids in the states and if i couldn't get to them i think i would crack!

@Davidww & iReport Team;

In closing, I'd like say thank you for creating open dialogue for your iReporters.

Sincerely,

LadysHoodJnl Reporting.

@everyone -- good night everyone. Hope to talk to you at tomorrow's roundtable.

What's wrong with answering every comment on your post? I like to reply to people, it's not to get #'s up

Let's move these doggies out!

@Davidw

Appreciated.

See you all tomorrow (well, later today for me!)

Alun

sorry i am late

I have full confidence in the steps the World Health Organization, President Obama and his staff are taking to maintain and to prevent a huge pandemic from happening to all of us. 

-Graduating Senior at San Diego State University Student

     Arthur

I have a question!

What is management doing to resolve the one star bandit?

Can you explain what management why hasn't anything been done up to now?

I guess this is address to you "DavidW"

Sorry, I thought it was still be held, I was trying to watch the president Obama conference.

Hey, sorry I am way late and it's over, but I was thinking.  iReport should start a chatroom on the site, instead of just posting here, because then we have to refresh and refresh and a lot more might get said and answered.  Just a suggestion.

Thank you for for allowing me to join everyone, it's was interesting. I hope there is more participation on my part next time around.

Good evening everyone!

Drats! Missed it, lol

RATS! Missed it again!

Anyone who arrived late - next is today, Thursday, at 2.30pm ET.

Alun

anyone here?

Thursday, May 28, 2009 

July 4th And: California's New Crystal Night...

Current mood:  annoyed

Category: News and Politics

Blog

Add | Summary

May 28

Talking about Arnold Schwarzenegger - MSN Encarta

From: dmcbmi@live.com

To: usdeptstate@mailnj.custhelp.com

Subject: July 4th California's New Crystal Night

Date: Thu, 28 May 2009 20:15:07 -0700

July 4th: California's New Crystal Night...

by: DMC BMI

Sadly history is slowly being repeated our moral majority slowly dwindles to once again fall upon the deafened ears of the many. While the few the blind; the disadvantaged, and our poor, fall's once again against the dawn slowly fading with no voice that calls or rings out in there defense.

No not today or will it ever be mentioned as this sinking ship being silently set adrift by the same echoes of the past. Once again sailed into the present saying in order to keep our ship afloat is to throw the least of our masses of those who remain over the edge. Not mentioning robbing the defenseless even further those on, Supplemental Social Security  incomes by this States own standard divisive mandates to aid our

Disabled, and Blind, of even the least fundamental means of support in basic income granted by our State of California. Within the level of those disadvantaged

who's by the incomes of a single qualifying disabled persons check is now being decreased again for a second time, from $907.00 to just $850.00 per month and is now being decreased by the State of California. Now deprived of income where even inflation by any standard of the State of California demands otherwise.

It is fact not a conspiracy of our many, and of those whom have no voice or ability to defend themselves or of those: being the poor, or of the disabled, and blind, by the same sacking of there homes by: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in his own threatening statements canceling payments to our poor's welfare programs announced

today and just prior to our Day of Independence within just days of the Forth of 4th of July this 2009.

In the very face of own liberty by proclamation, by defending the weak and defenseless and in the aid of our poor united. Who was it that said; those the lend themselves to forget the past, are bound to repeat the past. Who has now, just as was then in germany on that fateful night to become what is known in our history as (Germany's Crystal Night) now unveiled is his truer beliefs Governor Arnold

Schwarzenegger in his very own statements now recently released are the very unveiling of his truer concepts of nationalism, who was born within the same concepts of Germany there in Austria, fathered by the same principles of the past he claimed to reject. To the demoralizing our poor by his statements claiming is better served to strip lower socioeconomic levels, to save the upper and middle classes. In his own statements he concludes to cut off all income to the welfare programs of those needy, for the survival of the rest of California, and it is the only way this sinking ship of Californian will survive!

By stripping there income in the very same dehumanizing process, as it was then in World War II, in his concepts now reversed of his own moral obligation to our poor, to the needy, to the defenseless, blind, and disabled. By the same concept of the survival of the fittest, is not only a very flawed concept of governing, but a extremely dangerous one. As we must know there is a conclusive moral here that we now overlooked. Is in the very basic morals to this fanatical story, is it may, and could, very well happen to anyone! That one day at any given moment a person should be right as rain, and on top of the world one minute, and then suddenly end up in a wheelchair the next. And just because you may say why should I worry about the poor or disabled or defenseless? Why should I care it certainly does not apply to me today, right?

Dead Wrong! The question you should be asking yourself is what kind of Governor who has now threatened to cut off the income of few, to care for the incomes of the many! Or what is such a big deal when it is only to this date a small deduction of a mere $57.00 of a single on a SSI Check is as equal to going into anyone person home, and removing $57.00 dollars in groceries, or utilities, or rent! For the fittest in his not so old ideals of fascism bringing back the now repeated history of late germany's same flawed concept that was ingrained in those same many falling to deaf ears of

of the needy that then spread to boarding concurred in the loss of what then became victims of millions even still remains as those same deaf ears remind us "we never knew" or "we were never told" that then remained silent and did nothing. In the survival of the fittest! It is we who then came to there aid that stood by our principles to defend the defenseless. And it was certainly not by the words, or deeds, of those as California's Governor Schwarzenegger

By first stripping our poor of there basic rights; and needs, of living, to even the most menial means of support. As it is by these few that above all deserve our aid and protection, the defenseless who are on the bottom. As to in blatancy say; well we are very sorry about your checks, but it is we the people that have now come to believe ( and we now need your money more then you do) for our own survival, and is in effect by the fact really being defined as subhuman, and are now those who are

in a state of becoming expendable.

And tomorrow my good friend is, it could be you!

I am not only calling for the resignation but the

impeachment of: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Donald Clair McQuary

Crestline, California

dmcbmi@live.com

your comments are alway's welcomed

view all my blogs at:

www.myspace.com/dmcbmi