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FRIDAY AFTERNOON:

We’re reporting live from Myrtle Beach (although there’s not much beach to report from). The driving surf has covered much of the sand with warm, shallow water as Tropical Storm Hanna approaches. Click on the video to watch.

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FRIDAY MORNING:

We woke up to gray skies and moderately strong surf — a far cry from the calm, sunny weather that greeted our arrival in Myrtle Beach, SC yesterday.

We begin our live reports at 10:30 AM Eastern Time. As we set up our equipment on the beach, employees at nearby hotels are bringing in pool furniture in anticipation of heavy winds tonight.

While people here are taking basic precautions, their major concern does not seem to be Tropical Storm Hanna. All the talk is about Hurricane Ike — a much stronger storm in the Atlantic that may affect the U.S. next week.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON:

After returning from Gustav, we spent a day in Atlanta — just time enough to wash our clothes and dry out our equipment for the next storm.

Now, I’m blogging from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport as FOX field producer Brooks Blanton, freelance producer Kip Grosenick and I are waiting to board a flight to Myrtle Beach, SC to cover Hanna.

My home video camera, which absorbed too much moisture while shooting my last post (despite my best efforts to seal it in a plastic sandwich bag), has dried out and started working again. So, I plan to post new videos shortly after our arrival on the Carolina coast.

Most people who go to strip clubs would rather not advertise the fact. They don’t want to be on TV, they don’t want to publicly rally for club causes, they just want to quietly slip in and slip out and go on about their business.

I say this because we just finished a shoot on a proposed “pole” tax in Pennsylvania. We managed to interview a club owner and club attorney and the state representative behind the legislation, but finding any patrons to discuss their support or opposition to paying an extra $5 to get in…? Not happening.

For some reason, the guys enjoying the midday and early evening shows in Allentown and Quakertown and Harrisburg, Penn. didn’t seem interested or motivated in talking to me, Maryam or Hollywood when we walked in. There was none of the aggressive “Hey, put ME on TV!” that we usually get when we show up anywhere with our camera and lights and microphone. Instead we got nervous glances and hunched shoulders and “what are THEY doing in here?” looks.

No worries. The compelling arguments from both sides — and the PICTURES — will tell the story quite well.

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In the last 6 months the U.S. Coast Guard along with the U.S. Navy have found 42 submersibles headed north towards the United States and off the coast of Central America. That is double the number found in the previous 5 years combined. These subs can carry as much as 10 tons of drugs or even weapons and some of the latest models can move 15 knots. This is obviously troubling and makes our war on the cartels that much more difficult. We are currently at Coast Guard Island in Alameda California, where the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sherman is located. The ship has recently returned from operations off of Central America, where finding these subs is proving difficult. They are primitive but effective and built similar to the subs used in the civil war. Usually about 6 inches or so sticks above the water, which is almost impossible to spot. During the day the subs sit, preserving their cover for movement at night. Here is some great raw video provided by the U.S. Coast Guard.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING UPDATE

There is some concern within our national security forces that these subs could eventually, of not already, carry weapons and/or terrorists north without detection. Also, if the drug runners sink the sub, or burn it and the evidence is lost, then the Coast Guard is required to rescue the drug runners and then safely release them on shore. They USCG is working with the DHS and DOJ to get the law changed. More video after the link.

Keep Reading …

We are nestled in the mountains of inland north San Diego County. A light breeze has drifted through the orchard next to our satellite truck most of the day. I can picture myself sitting in a hammock strun between two trees with a book in hand. While the normalities of everyday life may not be available (Internet access, restaurants), a spring day in the clean air and amongst the agricultural is truly delightful. We have already reported live for FOX News, FOX Radio and FOX Business eight times, with more to come.

Our story should concern every American, from sea to shining sea, mountain range to orchard, because as California farmers run out of water and these trees run out of time, the sounds of saws now echo through once serene groves of hass avocados. As owner Jerome Stehly said to me “You want your food grown close to home. You don’t want all of your food grown offshore or being put on ships and being shipped for weeks. Fresh produce needs to come fresh.” more on the the story after the video and link

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Keep Reading …

So, this is the weekly column where I post a cool, affordable gadget that you can find in stores or online. At the same time, you can ask questions about gadgets, camera’s, computers, etc… and I will do my best to answer those questions and find out any information. You can also suggest products to review in the coming weeks. This time I have decided to focus on the product SPOT Satellite Messenger. SPOT stands for ‘Satellite Personal Tracker’. According to the website, since it utilizes 100% satellite technology, SPOT works around the world - even where cell phones don’t, delivering messages using GPS coordinates and two satellites. I got the chance to play around with one, but haven’t yet used it in the field or on the road. The unit costs about $169 and does not include a small satellite subscription fee. After the video click on the link for specs on this unit. Here is an interview and explanation I got during my recent trip to CES.

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Keep Reading …

So I stopped into the DC Bureau and people are obviously busy with Pope coverage. I did have a chance to meet up with the Fox News Edge folks, who we work with all over the globe on breaking news. Here’s a little video I threw together.

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I have been promising this for a bit, so here it is. We actually got the idea from your partially absent Baghdad blogger. Yep, Shaffer suggested that when we swung through Belfast, we make sure to see the Europa. It was a fantastic time for me, since I heard and studied the unrest in Northern Ireland as a kid. I can still remember my school teachers mentioning the story from time to time. Of course in fourth grade, it’s tough to get a handle on the story. Belfast is booming and while the tension hasn’t left, prosperity is winning. Nice to see.

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