Weekend America

On 5th Anniversary of Iraq War, Memories of the Occupation

Next week marks the fifth anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Reporter Krissy Clark talks to some people to learn how how things have changed here at home since the war began.

Standing By Your Cheating Man

Standing by New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer when he resigned in disgrace was is wife Silda. Why does a wife stand by her man, even in the worst of circumstances? We talk to Lyndon B. Johnson biographer Robert Caro as he discusses how Lady Bird handled her husband's public indiscretions.

Carolyn Wonderland: A True Texas Guitar Hero(ine) Gets Her SXSW Due

If there's any center to the South By Southwest musical storm, it's the legendary club Antone's in downtown Austin, Texas -- a stage made famous by guitar giant Stevie Ray Vaughn. Local favorite Carolyn Wonderland takes that same stage to cap the SXSW festival, and maybe add to her own growing reputation as a blues player worthy of Vaughn's legacy.

Letters

Letters: Wild Harvest, Kindergarten Punks

Listeners wrote in to tell us about eating stuff they've harvested in the city they live in, how to handle a kindergartener with a mohawk and the level of humor appropriate for public radio.

The Sound Whisperer

Ann Kroeber has gained a reputation for her amazing recordings of natural animal sounds. She has worked so closely with the various animals she has recorded that she feels she can truly communicate with the them. Kroeber talks about this deep connection and how she is able to "speak" to the animals.

Frozen Dead Guy Days: A Hot Street Party, Cold as Ice

Every year, the small Colorado town of Nederland celebrates Frozen Dead Guy Days. Naturally, the celebrations include coffin races and plunges into vats of freezing water. Eric Mack reports on the macabre beginnings of this the festival. And yes, there is an actual frozen dead guy involved.

The Final Mission of Chicken Starship

Since 1993, Weekend America's senior reporter John Moe has been leading a double life: journalist by day, rock musician by night. But as he gears up to leave his home in Seattle and move to Minnesota, he must leave his rock band behind. But not before one last gig...

An Alternative Spring Break

There is a whole new generation of college students who spend their break doing volunteer work. Weekend America co-host Desiree Cooper talks to Janel Knight, a senior at American University who is in Louisiana building homes for families displaced by hurricane Katrina.

The Fallacy of a 'Gross Happiness Index'

As reports of a slowing economy continue, Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) held a hearing about whether traditional economic measures really capture our national sense of well-being and whether the government should be tracking non-economic indicators. Can happiness be quantified? We talk to Darrin McMahon, author of the book "Happiness: A History."

Good News, Bad News, No News

Prostitutes, Feng Shui and Pink Pooches

Our panel of non-experts reviews the week's news. This week, comedian Dana Gould, "New Yorker" cartoon editor Bob Mankoff and commentator and political consultant Tara Setmayer talk about former Gov. Spitzer's prostitute problem, Geraldine Ferraro's comments about Barack Obama, feng shui at McDonald's and the legality of dyeing your pooch pink.

The Weekend Shift

The Pitbull Princesses

This week we're launching a new series called The Weekend Shift, where we take a look at the people who work while the rest of us relax. Today, we profile a fashion photographer who takes glamour shots of pit bulls.

Memories of the First MP3 Player

Ten years ago this month, the first MP3 player was introduced. For the first time people could carry around digital copies of their music. Wired Magazine tech writer Eliot Van Buskirk reminisces about the first time he saw the MPMan and how it influenced his entire life.

Fishing for River Smelt as Winter Comes to a Close in Maine

Steve Leighton operates 10 fish shacks on a frozen lake in Bowdoinham, Maine, where locals come to hang out, catch up, drink beer -- and sometimes, even catch a fish or two.

Putting 'Danny Boy' to Rest

Alfred O'Neil, Jr. sang "Danny Boy" at his father's funeral. He sang it so well he was asked to sing it again, and again, and again. Today he retires "Danny Boy" with an open-mic tribute.