A Palin/McCain plane just pulled down the runway. A photographer from
CNN who has been following the McCain camp tells me that it’s Palin’s
plane, but McCain will follow soon.

There was plenty of cheering as the plane pulled by.

Chris Miller has been playing, everything from Janis Joplin to Jack
Johnson. He’s about to wrap…we’ll see what’s next on the agenda.

-jj

Posted under Politics

The building is filling up fast. Everyone is being told to use the restroom (aka port-a-potty) before heading inside – because once you’re in, you won’t be allowed outside. But nobody seems to mind being crowded.

People are already cheering, clapping and holding signs. There’s been a steady stream of country songs playing to hype up the crowd.

-jj

Posted under Politics

After you pass through security, the next stop is the Republican merch tables where you can buy everything from a Linn County Republican t-shirt to an official McCain/Palin button.

There are buttons saying, "Friends don’t let friends vote Democrat." And even one featuring Palin’s high heels.

The best sales pitch? "Buy a t-shirt to keep you warm." It’s still chilly out here, but the sun is shining so I’m sure that won’t last long.

-jj

Posted under Politics

We are sitting outside the gate while the police do a security sweep. Hundreds are already here in yellow and blue McCain/Palin shirts. I just talked to a woman named Joni who said it was a dream come true when she found out McCain would be stopping in Cedar Rapids.

I’ve never seen so many people excited to be awake this early. The excitment is already building even on the outside. And I heard them cuing the music before I left the hanger.

All for now. I’m blogging from my phone and my fingers are getting tired.

-jj

Posted under Politics

Matt and I are packing up the truck and heading to Cedar Rapids – yes – at 4:30 in the morning. AHHH! I am not a morning person. And I can already tell there will need to be a pit stop for coffee on the way.

We have to be lined up outside the airport at 6:00 a.m. to string about 400 feet of cable and set up all the cameras, wires and gadgets we need before the security sweep at 7:00. Then the gates open to the public at 8, and the rally starts at 10.

The good things about an early morning rally – we’re not sitting around talking about what’s going to happen all day. The bad thing – my alarm going off at 2:30 a.m.

But, I’m excited. I have all my usual gear for blogging a live event. Two computers, two cell phones, my digital camera, and a plastic bag full of cords and chargers.

Things will be even more hectic than past events because I’ll also be posting on Twitter this time. This will be especially helpful during the speech. Whether you’re on Twitter or not, you can follow my updates here. They’ll be shorter and more frequent than the blogs.

But for the photos and videos – this is the place to be. Stay tuned.

We’ll also have live reports in the morning show and noon show. And we’ll be streaming part of the rally on our web site if you want to watch. I’ll try to throw up a link later.

-jj

Posted under Politics

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal launched a new online section called Journal Community. Users can create a profile with a picture, career and interests. Then you can connect with other users, similar to a friend request. There are also groups based on financial topics or interests that include discussion boards.

The downside, the Journal Community is only available to WSJ subscribers, with the exception of the blogs and community forums which are open to the public. But, the WSJ plans to open up more features in the future.

Without the financial shake-ups this week, the launch probably would have gone largely unnoticed, but the financial world is once again the topic of casual conversation. But, this move into the world of social networking is not unique. Other major news organizations, including The New York Times, are dabbling in the world of online communities.

In a world where an online reader has thousands of news options, the heavy hitters know there needs to be another reason for users to choose them. And, people no longer like to be told the news, they want to help create and participate in it. That’s why most news sites include commenting and poll questions.

The move will also keep users on the site for longer periods of time. Instead reading a few articles and leaving, they will be more likely to message others, search for groups, and post comments.

I think the new feature will be a hit with the financially savvy. But, even if you’re lost when it comes to the stock market and finances, it may be worth signing up. In the Journal Community there is a "Find Answers" section. You can submit any question from how to use the site to advice on your 401K, then other users can post answers and comments.

If you don’t have a WSJ subscription, check out my story from last night for a preview.

If you try it out for yourself, let me know what you think.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

After a year of changes and mixed reviews, online auction giant Ebay is hoping to raise awareness about certain products.

Ebay launched a sister site called World of Good, that features socially and environmentally friendly products. The items will be listed in the same way as Ebay, but will be verified by a third-party organization like Rainforest Alliance. The items will also be cross-listed on the main Ebay site.

It ties in nicely to the latest installment of our Down to Earth series. This Friday, I’m reviewing my Top 10 "green" sites. Here’s a sneak preview…

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech

Watching storms hit the coastal states has been difficult for many Iowans. For some it brings back memories of our own recent natural disasters. And for others, there’s concern over family and friends living along the coast.

On Friday I spoke with Katrina survivors living in Iowa. It was the 3 year anniversary of one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit the United States. They moved to the Midwest, leaving friends and family behind who could now be in danger. And after finding refuge in eastern Iowa, some Katrina survivors have an uncertain future themselves, as the recent floods left them homeless again.

Yesteraday I was at the gym, watching the wall-to-wall coverage of Hurricane Gustav on the major networks. I found myself getting emotional. I have family living along the coast, and I began to worry about their safety. It also brought back my personal memories of the Katrina disaster. My dad was working for a disaster relief organization and spent months living in the cab of a semi in Louisiana. I remember when he finally came home, his face was tanned, and he looked so much older. There was a sadness in his eyes for months, and I could tell his thoughts often wandered back to the horrible suffering he had seen.

I made my first trip to New Orleans for the one year anniversary of the hurricane. I was working on a multimedia project with two other reporters from a local newspaper. I was getting some video of construction on one of the levies when an engineer invited me to take a closer look. As I climbed up onto the man-made structure, I was blown away that the failure of concrete and metal resulted in the complete devastation of the entire neighborhood. And on that same street where the levy failed, a former baseball player and pilot, now in his 70′s, invited me into his home as he began to finally pick through his belongings. After a year in a flooded home, there wasn’t much left to salvage, but he asked me to take a memento to remember him and the countless others affected by the storm. His champagne glass still sits on my book shelf, a daily reminder.

I admit it had been some time since I had seriously revisited my memories of Hurricane Katrina. But seeing the evacuation of New Orleans brought it rushing back.

Today, the threat of Gustav is gone. And while there’s serious damage, it is a very different scene from the devastation in 2005. Still, there are more storms on the horizon, and I find myself, like so many others, watching the radar closely.

You can track the storms on KWWL.com. There’s a link to Hurricane info at the bottom of the weather box.

And if you’re wondering about the safety of friends and family, check to see if they have registered on the "Safe and Well" Red Cross site.

-jj

Posted under Weather

So – I’ve jumped on the Twitter train. I signed up last year but never actually used it much. It’s hard to keep things up to date when you are out running around and not sitting at a computer. But, with the new phone, I can update it from almost anywhere.

I’m trying to stay commited and update it throughout the day as my activities change. I think it will be a good way to connect with people and maybe get some good news tips or feedback on our coverage. KWWL also has a Twitter page now, too. Our Internet Director, Jessica Mortvedt, and I will be updating it as much as we can.

I had an interesting chat with Sen. Chuck Grassley about Twitter. He plans to post a lot from the Republican National Convention. I always find it interesting to talk to someone outside my generation about online culture. He says he’s still trying to get all the lingo straight (i.e. tweeting vs. twittering), but says it’s been interesting.

And while Grassley seems to embrace the social connection, others find it pointless. In fact, as I described the Twitter concept to one of our interns, her first questions was, ‘What’s the point?’ And perhaps there isn’t one. It’s just another way to stalk people throughout their day I suppose. But, I’m using it more as a resource than a social pastime.

If you’re on Twitter, feel free to follow along. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, check out Twitter’s company profile courtesy of CrunchBase.

-jj

Posted under Web/Tech