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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: July 30, 2005
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Listen IconFacing the Music
Earlier this year, Sgt. Kevin Benderman refused to return to Iraq after serving there since 2003. In the last few months, Sgt. Benderman waited for a ruling on his request for conscientious objector status. Yesterday, a military court found him guilty of missing troop movement and handed down a sentence. Weekend America recounts his journey and the decision that led him to prison.
Online resources:
» More coverage of Sgt. Kevin Benderman

Music Bridge: One Minute - Artist: Album Leaf
CD: Seal Beach (Acuarela)
Listen IconTaking Over the World
Manipulation. Lies. Betrayal. It's all in the name of fun. The best players stop at nothing to win the board game called Diplomacy. Over 50 years after its creation in the 1950's, the game still has a following. Rumor has it that real diplomats are loyal fans. Producer Blake Eskin talks strategy with two competitors headed for the World Diplomacy Convention in Washington D.C. this weekend.
Online resources:
» WorldDipCon
» Potomac Tea & Knife Society
» North American Diplomacy Federation
» Diplomatic Pouch
» World Domination: the Game (washingtonpost.com)

Music Bridge: Sun Drums And Soil - Artist: Four Tet
CD: Everything Ecstatic (Domino)
Music Picks
Listen IconWorld Music: Nortec Collective
What happens when techno music meets Mexican tradition? A whole new sound from a band called Nortec Collective. World music critic Tom Pryor checks out their new album, Tijuana Sessions Volume III.
Online resources:
» Nortec Collective - Tijuana Makes Me Happy | From the album, Tijuana Sessions, Vol. 3 (Nacional Records)

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Listen IconChina on My Mind
News and images shape our ideas about a country. Mention China and a number of associations come to mind -- manufacturing, trade practices, basketball and more recently, talk of a growing military threat and a corporate takeover attempt on a California oil corporation. But what do average Americans know about China? Weekend America correspondent Jessica Smith finds out. Then, Weekend America host Barbara Bogaev talks with Peter Kwong, a professor of Asian American Studies about what shapes America's view of China.
Learn more about China:
» Jessica Smith's reading list

Music Bridge: Wonderplucks - Artist: Freeform
CD: Outside In (Skam)
Weekend Weather
Listen IconWeekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe is away, but Hank Rosenfeld takes a look at weather patterns and Saturday happenings all across the country.
Online resources:
» Event information

Music Bridge: Beat Connection (Disco Dub Version) - Artist: lcd soundsystem
CD: DFA compilation #2 (DFA)
Listen IconThe Trouble with Echinacea
The results are in. Scientific studies show that Echinacea, a popular herbal remedy, has no effect on the common cold. Weekend America host Bill Radke visits an herbalist to find out how people are taking the news.
Online resources:
» More about Echinacea
» Study Critical of Echinacea Fails to Faze Some Users (NYTimes.com)
» In light of new scientific findings, do you think Echinacea still prevents colds? Let us know...

Music Picks
Listen IconWorld Music: Amadou & Mariam
When musician Manu Chao collaborated with Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia, the result was an eclectic mix of styles from Malian Blues to reggae. World music critic Tom Pryor reviews their award-winning collaboration and plays a cut called La Realite.
Online resources:
» Amadou & Mariam - La Realite | From the album, Dimanche a Bamako (Nonesuch)

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Listen IconSuspicious Minds
A week after the bombings, Londoners are still coming to grips with terrorists living among them. Leaders encourage everyone to stay vigilant and look more closely at those around them. What would it take for someone to report a neighbor to the authorities? Reporter Tanya Koonce found out when she noticed odd behavior from the man next door. Weekend America host Bill Radke talks with her about her personal struggle.

Music Bridge: Overpasses - Artist: Marc Hellner
CD: Marriages (Peacefrog)
Listen IconInnocent Until Profiled
In today's climate of increased vigilance, members of racial and religious groups are under scrutiny. The line between justified questioning and profiling is harder to draw. Weekend America host Bill Radke talks with two Muslim students about how it feels to be the target of suspicion.

Listen IconModern Isolation
While technology connects us to the world, it can also isolate us. Human contact is fast becoming unnecessary if not obsolete. How did this happen? Weekend America correspondent Ian Chillag looks at how we got so out of touch.

Music Picks
Listen IconWorld Music: Konono No. 1
There's a new compilation of music inspired by an art exhibit. World music critic Tom Pryor sorts through the dozens of artists featured on Africa Remix and showcases the work of Konono No. 1.
Online resources:
» Konono No. 1 - Paradiso | From the album, Africa Remix (Milan Records)

Listen IconParting Gifts
When his mother passed away, Mike Luce decided to offer a final tribute that only a carpenter could. He made her casket in his basement workshop and felt lucky to have the privilege. Producer Megan Martin followed his progress.

Music Bridge: Daddycation - Artist: Food
CD: Last Supper (Rune Grammofon)
Listen IconStrong Faith, Strong Men
There are many ways to deliver a spiritual message and a group called The Power Team offers a novel approach -- flexing their muscles. Chaplains at Fort Drum military base in New York invited the team and other evangelists to come and perform. Producer Greg Warner reports on the event.

Music Bridge: Kites Are Fun (Mellow Mix) - Artist: The Free Design
CD: The Now Sound Redesign (Light in the Attic)
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Listen IconMarch of the Penguins
This summer, a new nature documentary about the precarious life cycle of Emperor penguins debuted on movie screens across the country. Reviews are positive but some people are talking about the story long after they leave the theater for reasons one might not expect. Weekend America host Bill Radke talks with Orna Guralnick, a therapist in Manhattan, to find out what her clients are saying about the film.
Online resources:
» Official movie website for March of Penguins
» Weekend America: "Open Letter to a Penguin"

Weekend Weather
Listen IconWeekend Weather
Weekend America's John Moe is away, but Hank Rosenfeld takes a look at weather patterns and Saturday happenings all across the country.
Online resources:
» Event information

Music Bridge: Beat Connection (Disco Dub Version) - Artist: lcd soundsystem
CD: DFA compilation #2 (DFA)
Listen IconPassing the Banjo
Rhiannon Giddens is a 28-year-old classically trained musician who plays the banjo. She recently found out that the instrument she loves has its origins in Africa. One discovery led to another, including a meeting with one of the oldest fiddlers in the square dance tradition, 86-year-old Joe Thompson. He continues to play despite a paralyzing stroke. Producers Jennifer Deer and Shea Shackelford capture the connection between these two African Americans and traces the history of a little-known legacy.
Online resources:
» Info on the Black Banjo Gathering
» Rhiannon Giddens website
» More songs and stories from Joe Thompson

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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

As Mentioned on Weekend America
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This week: Have you exper-
ienced any strange seasonal changes: springtime plants sprouting; squirrels sunbathing?
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