Weekend America for SEPTEMBER 16, 2006
Hour 1
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Let There Be Light
Sixty years ago, director John Huston made a documentary about psychoneurotic combat veterans called "Let There Be Light." The military bankrolled the film, but before it could be publicly seen, it was confiscated. The film went unscreened for 35 years. What was it that the military wanted to suppress? Weekend America's Krissy Clark takes a look at how veterans, and the ones who care for them, deal with the stresses of war.
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- Music Bridge:
- Explosions in the Sky
- Artist: Look Into the Air
- CD: How Strange Innocence (Temporary Residence)
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Occupation
Benjamin Busch is a Marine, an actor on the HBO series, "The Wire," and a photographer. Busch has served two combat tours in Iraq, snapping pictures when he was out of harm's way. A collection of his photography, titled "Occupation," is on exhibit at the James W. Palmer Gallery at Vassar College. Barbara talks with Benjamin Busch about the art of photography in wartime.
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Classical Music Pick: Marc Mellits
Critic Steve Smith brings classical music from the trio Real Quiet. It's music composed by Marc Mellits, and it pays homage to pop culture as well as classical icons like Leonard Bernstein. We start with a track called "Exposed Zipper."
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The Old White House
Back in the 1790's, Philadelphia was the nation's capital, while Washington D.C. was being reclaimed from the swamp. This is a common factoid for history books, but it's often downplayed that when Washington was elected president, he brought slaves with him. Philadelphia and the National Parks Service are now planning a "President's House" site, which will draw attention to slavery in the early days of the United States. Barbara talks with Ed Lawler and Michael Coard, the historian and activist behind the project.
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- Music Bridge:
- Nomo
- Artist: Hand and Mouth
- CD: Newtones (Ubiquity)
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A Day in the Life of Rhubarb
At your typical baseball game, the fans are focused on the players on the field. But John Moe has his eyes on the chickens, tigers, parrots, moose and reindeer--the mascots, naturally. John shares a story about a day in the life of Rhubarb the Reindeer, the mascot of a Seattle-area minor league baseball team.
Hour 2
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Sign on the Dotted Line
Howard Davis has a contract with his mother: If she moves in with him, he will take care of her; however, she is obligated to pay for her own room and board. His mother, Dixie, is 70 years old and is in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. This type of contract may sound harsh, but it is emerging as a trend in elder care. Bill talks with Howard about his decision.
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- Music Bridge:
- Kammerflimmer Kollektief
- Artist: noze (Lichterloh Remix)
- CD: noze Lichterloh (staubgold)
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Not so Lonely
Fans of lonelygirl15 had the cyber-wool pulled from their eyes this week when it was revealed that the girl in the popular YouTube video installments, was in fact an actress. Lonelygirl15, aka "Bree," said she was a home-schooled 16-year-old, when in fact she's a 19-year-old with an acting gig. Independent producer Collin Campbell sorts fact from fiction.
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- Music Bridge:
- Arthur Russell
- Artist: Springfield
- CD: Springfield (Audika)
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Electric Avenue
What if you could hear electrical currents pulsing through your city? Sound shockingly impossible? Not so if you go on a walk with artist Christina Kubisch. Kubisch has mapped out electrical hotspots in New York City, places like ATM machines, subway systems and neon signs. She leads people on Electrical Walks and provides special headphones that reveal the normally imperceptible sounds of electrical currents. Think of it as infrared goggles, for your ears, as Weekend America's Amanda Aronczyk takes you on a charged walk through NYC.
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- Music Bridge:
- Luomo
- Artist: Cowgirls
- CD: Paper Tigers (Huume)
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Austin City Limits
The headliners at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this year include Tom Petty and Willie Nelson. But there are some smaller stars as well. In fact, some of the stars are barely four feet tall. The Palm School Choir is made up entirely of elementary students from a local Austin school. And their repertoire is a little different than those show tunes you sang back in school. These kids rock out. Weekend America's Michael May joined them for practice.
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- Music Bridge:
- TV on the Radio
- Artist: Snake And Martyrs
- CD: Return to Cookie Moutain (Interscope)
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Cell
If you don't mind solitude, walking, and can follow instructions, Philadelphia's Headlong Dance Theatre performance, "Cell," is tailor-made for you. Here's the gist: you have to show up with your cell phone at the box office, follow directions to a designated spot, and wait for a call, telling you where to go and what to do. Weekend America's Hillary Frank did as she was told - walked halfway across the Market Street overpass and waited for her phone to ring.
