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How did your life collide with the headlines in 2007?
Iraq, the subprime crisis, Facebook, immigration, oil prices - 2007 had no shortage of hefty headlines. We'd like to hear about how these and other major news events of the past year affected you. Where did your life collide with the news in 2007?

What's your holiday performance story?
The office talent show, the neighborhood caroling posse, the school pageant ... At holiday time we often sing, dance, and dress as shepherds. Did you bloom in the warmth of your audience's adulation, or freeze up like the snowman you'd rather be building? Did your holiday performance change your life or that of someone close to you?

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Broadcast Date: June 24, 2006
A Soldier's Worst Nightmare
The communities of Madras, Oregon and Brownsville, Texas are mourning the loss of Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker and Pfc. Kristian Menchaca. These are the two soldiers who disappeared in Iraq during an insurgent attack and were brutally tortured and killed. Their bodies were shipped to the U.S. this week for identification, and they are expected home within a few days. The threat of kidnap and torture is something soldiers have to deal with in Iraq. Bill Radke talks with Sergeant Patrick Campbell, an Army Medic and National Guardsman, who spent a year in Iraq and was involved in some of the toughest fighting there. Sergeant Campbell talks about how soldiers cope with this kind of fear.
Online resources:
» See more of Patrick Campbell's pictures from Iraq

Music Bridge: Ripples in the Water - Artist: I'm Not a Gun
CD: We Think as Instruments (City Centre)
A Song for the Troops
Jim Keyes started his teaching career last year at age 50. Inspired to do something for the troops in Iraq, Jim enlisted his elementary school students to craft a musical message. Barbara and Bill listen in on the unique CD they created.

Music Bridge: An Ear Out - Artist: Bright
CD: Bells Break Their Towers (Strange Attractors Audio House)
Stop Tripping
When you listen to the psychedelic band "The Thirteenth Floor Elevators" you can almost hear drugs. That's because Roky Erickson, the front man for the influential psychedelic band, was no stranger to hallucinogens. Along with the drug habit, Roky battled mental health issues for decades. This weekend, Erickson is performing at the Intonation Music Festival in Chicago. The concert will mark the first time he has performed outside of his native Austin, Texas in 30 years. Independent producer Adam Allington profiles Roky and describes his influence on the music world.
Online resources:
» "You're Gonna Miss Me," a Documentary About Roky Erickson
» Intonation Music Festival
» RokyErickson.net

Music Picks
World Music Pick: Salif Keita
Barbara Bogaev sits down with music critic Anastasia Tsioulcas to listen to Salif Keita. Keita is a popular musician from Mali, who combines Malian guitar techniques with jazz, European pop and R&B.
Heard:
» A new album by Salif Keita, "M'Bemba" (Label: Decca)

Solomon Squad
Should I tell my kid that I did drugs? This is the question that our anonymous guest is struggling with. He's wondering if he should tell his 12-year-old son that he experimented with drugs when he was younger. Bill Radke puts the question to our Solomon Squad: Paul Romer, an economist who teaches at the business school at Stanford, and Nina Utne, editor-at-large for the Utne Reader.
This week's squad:
» Paul Romer of Stanford University
» Nina Utne of Utne Magazine
Online resources:
» "Do You Puff, Daddy?" by Larry Smith,
» Parents, the Anti Drug
» The Safety First Project
» D.A.R.E.

Music Bridge: Kites Are Fun (Mellow Mix) - Artist: The Free Design
CD: The Now Sound Redesign (Light in the Attic)
Weekend Weather
Weekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe takes a look at the weather and Saturday happenings all across the country.

» Event information

Music Bridge: Beat Connection (Disco Dub Version) - Artist: lcd soundsystem
CD: DFA compilation #2 (DFA)
The Meaning of "I Do"
The month of June is popular for weddings. Weekend America correspondent Alex Cohen has been spending some time this month looking into how the concept of marriage has evolved over time and what that means for couples today.
Online Resources:
» "Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage," by Stephanie Coontz
» "Living Together: A Legal Guide for Unmarried Couples," by Ralph Warner
» Marriage 101 - A Beginner's Guide
» A History of Marriage
» The Bridal Extravaganza in Austin, Texas

Summer Vacation, Sort Of
Summertime is a time to kick back by the pool, hang with your friends and relax, right? Not exactly for Judy London and Martin Chenevert's kids, Ely and Daniel. Like many parents, Judy and Martin both work and they need to schedule activities during the summer for their kids. But they're also trying to strike a balance between scheduling their kids an activity-packed summer and letting them just hang out. Are the days of lazy summer long gone? Barbara Bogaev and Bill Radke talk with the family about summertime, and the ideal summer.

Music Bridge: Carpet Sweeper - Artist: Swimingpool
CD: Good Old Music (Combination Records)
A Caregiver's Struggle
Bill Hattick fell for Maria instantly. He was in the army in Germany when he met her. Within a few months he proposed. This year marks their 50th wedding anniversary. It's a great love story and continues to be, even as Maria struggles to care for her husband, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Since the diagnosis, Maria has devoted her life to taking care of her ailing husband. But giving so much can sometimes make you sick too. Weekend America's Krissy Clark has the story.
Online resources:
» "With Alzheimer's, the Caregiver Is a Patient, Too"
» Alzheimer's Association
» The Family Caregiver Alliance

Music Bridge: Older Summers - Artist: Portastatic
CD: Who Loves the Sun (Merge)
Not Khan
What's more shocking than finding out that you are related to one of the world's most feared warlords? Finding out you're not related to that warlord after all. Tom Robinson, an accounting professor in Miami, thought he was a direct descendent of Genghis Kahn until a couple of weeks ago. As it turns out, he's not the heir to Mongol royalty.
Online resources:
» Tom Robinson's Blog
» Family Tree DNA Testing
» Oxford Ancestors
» The National Archives

Music Bridge: Araki's Dream - Artist: Takashi Wada
CD: Araki (Onitor)
Artist as Witness
In a continuation of our Artist as Witness series, Weekend America meets two filmmakers who have quite different ideas about how to make the most credible documentaries. Barbara Bogaev speaks with Elizabeth Barret and Marco Williams. Barret lives and works in Whitesburg, Kentucky and her films document her regional community. Marco Williams is based in New York and his films document the African-American experience. For both filmmakers, creating an authentic documentary means filming their own communities and capturing a realistic portrait.
Online Resources:
» "Stranger with a Camera," by Elizabeth Barret
» "Two Towns of Jasper," by Marco Williams and Whitney Dow
» Appalshop in Appalachia

Music Bridge: Knives Out - Artist: Brad Mehldau
CD: Day is Done (Nonesuch)
Weekend Weather
Weekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe takes a look at the weather and Saturday happenings all across the country.

» Event information

Music Bridge: Beat Connection (Disco Dub Version) - Artist: lcd soundsystem
CD: DFA compilation #2 (DFA)
Boogie's Camp
Every Sunday, a kid in Shawsville, Virginia named Tabitha watches her dad get beat up, body slammed and bitten. But it's ok, because Tabitha's dad is following his dream. Her dad, Jason, goes to "Boogie's Camp," which is a pro wrestling training operation. Independent producer Martha Woodroof recently visited the camp, where she met a new friend and came away thinking about her own father.

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As Mentioned on Weekend America
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As Mentioned on Weekend America
... on our December 15 broadcast:

» Weekend America
iPodEnhanced Podcast:
Skip back and forth through stories, see images on iTunes and on your iPod, all with better sound quality.
» The Huckabee Mystique: See video of Mike Huckabee and Chuck Norris.
» Another Great Moment in Small Talk: Read how Charlie Schroeder became an unpopular "tool" because of Borat.
» Listener Letters: Renewable Christmas Trees: Read listeners' alternate endings to "Puff the Magic Dragon."
» Sign Up for the Weekend America weekly newsletter: Find out what's on the upcoming show, and listen to the most popular previous segments.
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Weekend Weather

From the July 5 broadcast