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Blog Saturday, May 17, 2008
Next up in the hot seat: Sen. Hillary Clinton »

The huge response from iReporters with questions for Sen. Barack Obama was matched with another very strong turnout for Sen. Hillary Clinton. More than 60 video and photo questions were submitted. Hundreds of comments and additional questions were posted on iReport.com. Discussion touched her candidacy, fuel prices and the economy.

Clinton responded directly to questions from sutton85 and WCNreporter, which were chosen to air on "The Situation Room." The discussion also became a major part of stories on CNN.com, where we also had a chance to feature other outstanding some submissions that weren't aired. Did you get a chance to watch the interview? What answers and comments affected you the most? Any questions you'd like to ask? Share your response as a video commentary.

Posted by nsaidi // 2 days ago
 1 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: election, politics, video, assignmentdesk
Ask Clinton »

We asked iReporters to send in questions for Sen. Barack Obama last week. Now it's time to put Sen. Hillary Clinton in the hot seat.

The Democratic presidential candidate will be in CNN's "The Situation Room" tomorrow. She'll talk about her campaign and what's next for her bid for the White House.

What would you like to ask Clinton? Submit your questions as comments below or, better yet, send in a question on video. You could appear on CNN!

Posted by katie // 3 days ago
 24 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, video
Beautiful day in your neighborhood »



What's the world like just outside your front door? Take a walk down the sidewalk in your suburb or show us your favorite local hangouts. Playgrounds, streets, fire escapes. Just you, friends and family in your native habitat.

You might find inspiration in some of the vignettes we've seen from LadysHoodJnl. Like her, you could document the scene inside a local market, or film a local performer. There's also the old "beasty bar," and the simple sight of people dancing. She's even submitted video from a plumbers and pipefitters union rally and given us a look at a living garden scarecrow. Use your imagination and let your photos and video do the talking.

Posted by nsaidi // 1 week ago
 7 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, shoutouts, fun_on_friday
Putting Obama in the hot seat »

It seems there are plenty of people who'd like to ask Sen. Barack Obama a question. We received a huge response from iReporters, with more than 100 video and photo questions and dozens of comments here on the blog. Topics ranged from rising gas prices to health care to potential vice presidents.

Obama responded directly to two video questions on "The Situation Room," and we featured some other outstanding submissions on CNN.com.

Did you watch the interview? If so, we want to hear from you. What did you think of the iReport questions? What was your favorite answer? What should have been asked? Give us your take in a quick video commentary.

And if you didn't catch the interview on TV, you can watch it here.

Posted by katie // 1 week ago
 18 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, cnn, video
Submit a question for Obama »

Would you like to ask Sen. Barack Obama a question? Well, here's your opportunity.

The Democratic presidential candidate will be in "The Situation Room" on CNN tomorrow to discuss what's next in his campaign in his first interview since his significant win in North Carolina and narrow defeat in Indiana.

So, what question would you like to ask? Submit it as a comment below or send in a question on video.

Posted by katie // 1 week ago
 65 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, video
Fun on Friday: Note to self »

Making little reminders to yourself on paper is a common organizational activity, and you've probably made plenty of to-do lists and impromptu sketches. We want to see your notes and hear your stories about them.

If you keep a notebook with you, show us your favorite page. Make a video about your scribblings, or take a picture of your favorite note and tell us the story behind it.

Share your notes on iReport.com.

Posted by nsaidi // 2 weeks ago
 0 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: fun_on_friday, creative, personal_story, assignmentdesk
Wildfire season begins »


During the summer, dry ground parched by hot winds creates conditions that can unfortunately help wildfires to grow and spread. Sometimes, these fires endanger lives and homes. Several fires have popped up so far in 2008, some of them located just minutes from iReporters' homes. Images from traintalk, defmatnyc and HighlandBear of the Sierra Madre fires in California have helped show how devastating these fires are. We've also seen PeterOjeda's pictures of a brush fire in Texas. Another submitter, ronspics, sent photos of a blaze at Minnewaska State Park in New York.

Have you ever witnessed a wildfire? Check iReport.com to see images already sent and upload your own. Wildfires can become dangerous and unpredictable natural disasters, so follow the guidance from local fire authorities and don't put yourself in danger. You can always see photos and video on your computer screen at iReport.com.

Posted by nsaidi // 2 weeks ago
 0 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: wildfire, assignmentdesk, community
Politics you can groove to »

Political enthusiasts can sure get creative. As the battle for the Democratic nomination rages on, supporters of both candidates have tried some interesting ways of convincing people that their candidate should be the nominee. We've seen Barack Obama depicted in folk art and as a snowman. Hillary Clinton's been imagined as the newest face on Mount Rushmore and as Rosie the Riveter.

Lately, though, we've seen some really spectacular political endorsements set to music. Check out this Obama-backing music video by UPenn students Etan and pal Stephanie McIntyre. Take a look at this hilarious video too, where Hillary Clinton is portrayed as Evita.

How about this one from Wheatus, which gives us a quick lesson in black history while endorsing Obama as the first black president? And, there's nothing like a little 'sunshine' to brighten your day, like in this Clinton campaign highlights video by Delores Williams. Feel inspired? Get creative about your own political views here, or visit our assignment desk for more information.

Posted by kate9 // 2 weeks ago
 17 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, creative, shoutouts
It's a draw! »

http://i.cnn.net/cnn/2008/images/04/23/cartoons.jpg

Are the Democrats coming down with a case of hoof-in-mouth syndrome? The tense battle for the party's presidential nomination has inspired a number of cartoons posted on iReport.com. What do you think? Check out these cartoons and post a comment to share your thoughts, or draw your own conclusion.

Posted by nsaidi // 3 weeks ago
 5 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: cartoon, discussion, assignmentdesk, community, creative
Put a smile on your face »

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/04/24/kitchen.smile.irpt.jpg

So, you're walking into the kitchen and lo and behold, a bunch of bananas looks just like a mouth. Saucepan lids? Perfect eyes. You've got to tell someone about this face you're seeing. Time to send an iReport! MikeMiller did.

Whether you've got a case of cannibal lizards or a cat that sits on eggs, we want to see your offbeat images. We even have an ongoing series of robots and zombies (and presumably robotic zombies) performing for us on a regular basis courtesy of castvee8. These aren't the biggest headlines of the day, but you can't stop looking at them. You probably see plenty of funny things from time to time. Next time, send us a photo or video.

Posted by nsaidi // 3 weeks ago
 0 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, community, creative, offbeat, personal_story
You paid what for lettuce? »

The price of fuel is at record highs, and it's affecting other prices too -- like the cost of food.

There's a great discussion about food prices happening right now on iReport.com. Crankers thinks $1.69 is too much for a head of iceberg lettuce. XMan suggests a heavy diet of dried beans. millerlb says a family of 7 can survive on $25 a day. And GeekyCraig says he has changed everything about the way he shops and eats.

So, how are food prices affecting you? What are food prices like in your local markets? Share your stories and join the conversation.

Posted by tyson // 3 weeks ago
 5 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, community, news, personal_story
Fun on Friday »

Hi gang, your iReports continue to amaze and inspire. Today we're continuing our "Fun on Friday" project, where we ask you to take part in a creative assignment.

This week, we want to see the amazing places you've been. Surely you've traveled some place cool. We want to see it -- just for fun! Share your amazing journeys with iReport.com.

Posted by tyson // 1 month ago
 4 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: fun_on_friday, creative, community, assignmentdesk
What does a man cave look like? »

That's exactly what I wondered when we began asking iReporters for pictures and videos of man caves -- a testosterone-filled space that men can claim as their own. We soon received a big response and I learned that no man cave is alike.

One submission in particular caught my eye. iReporter kmac1967 not only took photos of his man cave, he also gave a guided tour of his tropical oasis. The video captures the viewer's attention and really captures the essence of a true man cave.

So, if you have a man cave, let us see it! Do you have pictures of your man cave in progress? A funny video from the boys' poker night? Be creative and have fun.

Posted by katie // 1 month ago
 1 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, creative
Fun on Fridays »

Thanks for being a founding member of the iReport.com community.

We're always up for trying something new -- and we'd like to start something fun on Fridays.

Every week, we're going to ask you to take part in a creative assignment. We promise to keep it fun and informative.

This week, we want to see your fun with time-lapse photography.

If you've ever captured a sun setting, snow piling up, a flower growing -- whatever -- we hope you'll share your incredible creations on iReport.com.

Go here to share yours.

Posted by tyson // 1 month ago
 7 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk, fun_on_friday, creative
A new assignment »

We tried something new this afternoon -- on the Assignment Desk page, instead of asking for eyewitness video and photos of news events, we tossed out a question about the dispute over Democratic primary delegates in Florida and Michigan. A handful of folks put their thoughts on camera and uploaded a video response, provoking some interesting conversation in the comments. I think the photos and video of the people sounding off add a new dimension to their arguments. What's your take? Should we ask more questions on the news on iReport.com? What would you ask? Drop a comment to let us know.

Posted by lila // 2 months ago
 10 comments // Add a Comment
Posted in: assignmentdesk