Medicare Deadline
This past Wednesday, the Bush administration said that about six million eligible Medicare participants have yet to sign up for prescription drug coverage. Monday is the deadline to enroll, and people who wait until afterwards could have to pay higher premiums. Weekend America visits with seniors to talk about confusion surrounding the process and about the decisions they will making.

Procrastination Nation
The deadline to enroll in the new Medicare prescription drug plan is looming and there's a plethora of reasons why some people haven't signed up just yet. A lot of people haven't done it because they are confused, but some people might just be procrastinating. Weekend America takes a look at the art and science of procrastination with Carolyn Fischer. Fischer has researched the topic at Resources for the Future, a think tank based in Washington, DC, where she's a fellow.

Tattoo You
There's a tattoo festival in Columbus, Ohio this weekend. It's called the "Hell City Tattoo Festival," and it's a time for people to show off their ink. There are awards for things like the best portrait tattoo, the best tribal tattoo and even for the worst tattoo. People get tattoos for all sorts of reasons, Weekend America's Alex Cohen shares the story of one woman whose tattoos helped her close a particularly painful chapter of her life, recovery from breast cancer.

Nurse for a Day
This week was National Nurses Week, and some nurses in Potsdam, New York wanted to make sure that one reporter, Gregory Warner, didn't miss it. Weekend America goes along for the ride.

Emotional Intelligence
What if a game could read your emotions? Sound far-fetched? Not so. Video games that can tell what you're feeling and even alter how the game reacts to you based on your emotional state are on the horizon, says Mike Zyda, who heads up the University of Southern California's video game development program. Weekend America host Barbara Bogaev tries out an early prototype of this emotion-reading technology.

Weekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe takes a look at the weather and Saturday happenings all across the country.

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Hi Brow, Low Brow

Is America high, low or middle brow this week? Each month Weekend America's Bill Radke gathers together a panel to take a look at the latest developments in American culture through its brows. The panelists include: Amy Hungerford, a professor of American Literature at Yale, Dana Gould, co-executive producer of "The Simpsons," and our very own weather guy, John Moe.

Boating Opening Day Update

Last week we featured the Bremerton Yacht Club's Carribbean-themed boat at Seattle's Opening Day Boat Parade. Turns out they took first place in the "Best Decorated to the Theme" category and first place in the overall "Best Yacht Club Entry."

Ethanol Turns a Town Around
Larry Meints has lived on a farm in Steamboat Rock, Iowa his whole life. The town is small, about 300 people live there, and as Larry has gotten older he has watched the population diminish. Larry says, as farms have gotten bigger and bigger there have been fewer local jobs and people have moved away. Weekend America host Barbara Bogaev talks with Larry Meints about his decision to build a local ethanol plant, which opened last year, and how the plant and ethanol have given the town a future.

A Casual Carpool
As gas prices rise, people across the country are increasingly looking for alternatives to driving their cars. And some community members in Berkeley, California may have found just that. It's called "casual carpool" and producer Brendan Newnam takes it to work most mornings.

Mother's Day Muse
"Something seems odd about today..." Hans Anderson, a computer programmer in Corpus Christi, Texas, shares his Mother's Day freak-out with us.

What Really Goes on at the Ports
Ever since 9/11, some places that we rarely used to think about—shipping terminals, our docks and our ports—have been causing tremendous anxiety. First there was the deal where a company from Dubai was going to buy some terminals, and then a few weeks ago the President announced security checks for the 400,000 people who work at the ports.

But what is it like to minister to the people who come and go at our ports? Weekend America's Amanda Aronczyk takes a tour of the NY/NJ Port with Chaplain Marge Lindstrom.

Jazz Pick: John Ellis
Jazz Times Critic Nate Chinen stops by to talk with Bill about the second solo release from sax player John Ellis. Ellis, who most notably played in the Charlie Hunter Band, brings us a disc of funk infused jazz covered in washes of Fender Rhodes and elastic sax solos.

Saying Goodbye to Gregg
Weekend America pays tribute to Gregg Gour, who took his life last Sunday. A few years ago Gregg stopped taking his AIDS medication because he was tired of living with the disease. Gregg wanted to say a final goodbye to all his friends and family, so he sold all his possessions, bought an RV and traveled around the country saying farewell.

Weekend America catches up with some of his friends and family, who are struggling with his recent death. Host Barbara Bogaev then talks with Michelle Boyaner, of Greenie films, who is making a documentary about Gregg's life and death.

Weekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe takes a look at the weather and Saturday happenings all across the country.

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Song and Memory
Is there a song that brings back a strong memory from your childhood? In this installment of our ongoing series, "Song and Memory," we meet Mohammed Naseehu Ali. He's a native of Ghana, the son of the emir, or king, of the Muslims in that African nation. Unlike his brothers and cousins, Ali left Ghana to be educated in the United States. Instead of returning to tribal politics, he became a musician and writer. But he hasn't left behind the memories of a song so important to his childhood in Ghana: "Kyenkyen Bi Adi Mawu" by Alhaki K. Frimpong and his Cubano Fiesta.