Weekend America

Away for the Holidays

Youth Radio's Phil Herrick brings us the story of three kids and their father who were in Fairfield, California, living near Travis Air Force Base. Their mother, Shannon, was deployed and their dad was on active duty, so there was a chance both parents would have to be gone at the same time. Life without mom was not easy, but Lauren, Steven, and Zachary did their best to cope.

Stargazing on the Sidewalk

Last May was the first ever International Sidewalk Astronomy Night. Hundreds of amateur astronomers took their scopes to the streets, and shared. Sidewalk stargazers were stationed in cities all over the country, and all over the world. Weekend America's Krissy Clark went out with two of them in Monrovia, California, to take a peek.

Weekend Soundtrack

Weekend Soundtrack: "I Am the Movie"

We've been asking what's on your CD player or MP3 player or even tape deck on Saturday and Sunday. What songs say to you, it's the weekend? We hear from listener Sophie Hess from Phoenix, Md. She tells us why a song by Motion City Soundtrack has special meaning for her.

Faux Bono

This weekend promises a groovy pre-inaugural concert. Crossing the stage in front of the Lincoln Memorial will be performers including Beyonce, Garth Brooks, Herbie Hancock, and, yes, Bono. But not the not-Bono. Did you know Bono has a doppelganger? He can be found not at the Lincoln Memorial, but in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago.

Children of Metal

A lot of kids grow up listening to pop music like Kelly Clarkson, the Killers, and Beyonce. But in John Moe's home, the tunes you'll hear are heavy — heavy metal. His kids have found an affinity for bands like Wolfmother and Iron Maiden. John explored his family's musical taste for head-banging rock and tried to answer a question: should he be supportive of his children's appetite for metal?

Charlie Schroeder Learns to Dunk

It's safe to say that Charlie Schroeder won't be suiting up for a professional basketball game anytime soon. In fact, earlier this year he made a big fuss about getting in shape on this very show. Well, we here at Weekend America were disappointed to find out Charlie is no longer shaking his booty. AND he's in terrible shape again. But he still thinks of himself as an exceptional athlete, so this time we sent him to Dunk Dreams. It's a class where students spend up to three hours a day learning how to jump higher.

No More Friday Nights at the Mall?

The Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee, Wis., imposed a weekend curfew on teenagers last April. If they want to be in the mall after 2 in the afternoon on Friday or Saturday, they must bring a parent. The St. Louis Galleria followed suit soon after. All in all, around 40 malls across the country put similar policies in place. Some of us wondered how teenagers could go on being teenagers without the mall. Weekend America's Michael May visited Milwaukee, where the kids are fighting back.

Migrant Graduates

Graduation season is a time for reflection on accomplishments and a look to the future. For recent graduates Rafael Garcilazo, Erica Vela, and Silvia Mata it was a time to celebrate. The three students were part of the College Assistance Migrant Program that helps children of migrant workers transition from high school to college. Weekend America talks with them about their unique college experience.

My Bar Mitzvah Year

Erez Mirer had his bar mitzvah. Now that he's thirteen, the bar mitzvah means that according to tradition he's becoming a man with all the rights and responsibilities of Jewish adulthood. But what about his parents? How did they cope with the year long preparations to the big day? Jesse Green is an author and journalist and has been documenting the months leading up to his son's big day. While he and his partner, Andy Mirer wrangle over the menu, music and their son's predilection for velvet suits, larger questions about their own faith came up. Sure, this was Erez's big day, but the real rite of passage belonged to the parents.

Krappy Kameras Take Good Pictures

Most photographers are obsessed with their gear, but Martin Gee has a special thing for crappy cameras -- the plastic kind, like the Holga or Diana. Last March, one of his photographs was in a New York City exhibit, the Krappy Kamera Show, devoted to the art of making pictures with not-so-fancy equipment. Weekend America Host Bill Radke took a walk around Los Angeles with Gee and his camera to see what they could find.

1001 Uses for a Tin Can

Artist Bobby Hansson has worked in photography and in television, but now, he works exclusively in the tin can medium. Hansson creates music and art from tin cans and even wrote a book about it. Independent producers Ann Heppermann and Kara Oehler spoke with Hansson on his farm in Rising Sun, Md., about the allure of tin cans his life as an artist.

Wanted: New Family

Jenna MacFarlane might disprove the old adage, you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family. She found new parents at the age of 45. Weekend America's Sean Cole brought us this story of loss and then discovery.

Song & Memory

Song and Memory: "96 Tears"

Rebel Chef Anthony Bourdain is best known for his raucous ways in the world of the professional kitchen, which he details in his book "Kitchen Confidential." We asked him to put away his pans and think back to when he was a kid -- is there a song from childhood that brings it all back? Bourdain can pinpoint his desire for a rebellious drug- and sex- drenched youth to one song: "96 Tears" by ? and the Mysterians. Weekend America asks him what he loved about that song.