Word of Mouth Past Shows

In honor of our nation's veterans, Word of Mouth is stepping away from the microphone to bring you part three of the Boots On The Ground: Stories From The War In Iraq series from the Peabody-Award winning public radio program To the Best of Our Knowledge. Philip Gourevitch talks about the Errol Morris' film Standard Operating Procedure about the American soldiers at Abu Ghraib. Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq from June 2003 to June 2004, General Ricardo Sanchez discusses his experiences at Abu Ghraib. Mike Hoyt, executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review talks about his work on Reporting Iraq: An Oral History of the War by the Journalists Who Covered It. Brian Palmer was embedded for CNN three times with the 1st Battalion/Second Marines between 2004 and 2006. And Deborah Scranton, director of The War Tapes talks about giving New Hampshire National Guard soldiers the chance to record their experiences in combat in Iraq for one year.

(Photo courtesy The U.S. Army via Flickr/CreativeCommons)

Today on Word of Mouth, Sesame Street counts all the way to 40 years! Back in 1969, kids got their first glimpse of Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and a diverse group of humans and muppets. We talk with Gary Knell, CEO of the Sesame Workshop, and hear from listeners about how they got to Sesame Street. Plus, since the war in Iraq began, a group of senior citizens have traveled to the airport in Bangor, Maine at all hours of the night to greet soldiers returning home. We’ll hear about three of these on-call greeters, who overcome their own battles of loneliness and aging by doing service for others. And, experimental British playwright Tim Crouch talks about the process of drawing audiences in to his upcoming production at Dartmouth.

Today on Word of Mouth, the day the wall of Communism crumbled. Twenty years ago today, the wall that divided east and west Germany fell to the ground. The Berlin Wall separated hundreds of German couples, like modern Romeos and Juliets. We’ll find out how they’re faring two decades after reuniting. And, today’s Berlin, a haven for working artists and now a world art capital. Plus, from the mixtape to the answering machine, what gets lost when technology and traditions become obsolete.

(Photo by GothPhil via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, climate change refugees. Scientists predict that rising sea levels and erratic weather patterns will send millions of people packing from their homes in a humanitarian nightmare. Plus, the end of the sale. We’ll look at new retail strategies for the coming holiday season. Sales are out. Permanent markdowns are in. So are pop-up stores and inconspicuous consumption. We’ll also look at how the indie music blogosphere can instantly annoint fame, and then quickly deliver the backlash. And we hear from English composer Richard Wileman, who records gothic classical music with a progressive rock twist. Plus, should you feel guilty if your kid loves math but hates to read? A local writer and mom joins us with her parenting woes.

(Photo by Plane Stupid via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, two sides of American education. With innovative curricula and public-private partnerships, a groups of educators try to address the gap between what kids learn in school and the skills required in 21st-century workplaces. And on the other side of the tracks, an investigative reporter follows three New York City kids who graduate high school without learning to read, and now the system is paying big money in compensation. We’ll also hear from a punk band taking to the road on its "Ditch the Van" tour, performing shows and seeing the East coast by bicycle. And, medical robots aren’t just performing surgeries anymore. Next generation "socially assistive" robots are helping stroke victims and patients with Alzheimer’s or autism connect with the outside world.

(Photo by adecker31 via Flickr/Creative Commons)

Today on Word of Mouth, research shows that smart phone apps pitched at toddlers can aid learning. And scientists studying the effects of neuroenhancing drugs discover that brain-boosted mice can wind their way through complicated mazes, but lose the ability to cope with simple problems over time. And, the making of a candidate: a profile of the transgendered leader of the San Francisco Police Commission, now launching a campaign for city supervisor. Plus, immigrant teenagers in Lowell, Mass., are leaving gang life behind to grow flowers for a local CSA. And Navajo country transitions from coal slurry to renewable energy.

(Photo by Ella Phillips via Flickr/Creative Commons)