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Pitching on LSD

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:22:43 +0000

Allegations of performance-enhancing drug use have stained professional baseball in the last few years. But using drugs to get an edge is nothing new to the sport. Many players routinely took amphetamines before games. Joe DiMaggio was rumored to have drank 10 cups of coffee before suiting up. Today we’re going to hear from one of the more eccentric icons of baseball: Dock Ellis. Pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1970s, Ellis was an unusual player, an intimidating, cerebral presence on the field.
He once won 13 games in a row. And he led the 1971 Pirates to a World Series title. But Ellis, now 63, might just be remembered for one of the strangest accomplishments in the history of sports.

Listen now! (6:23)

Suspicion at the Dog Park

admin — Mon, 21 May 2007 18:53:36 +0000

Recently, “Weekend America’s” Neille Ilel learned something disturbing about a regular at the dog park near her: he was on the state sex offender registry. Dog parks, especially in the sprawl of California, are one of the last places where people from very different backgrounds, who aren’t connected in the usual ways — work, kids, a love of organic vegetables — actually hang out and talk. She brings us a story of community and fear.

Listen now! (11:17)

Adventures in Genetic Testing

admin — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:08:00 +0000

Last year, after making a deal with her mom, “Weekend America’s” Neille Ilel got tested for the “breast cancer gene.” If a woman has a mutation on BRCA1 or BRCA2, she’s almost guaranteed to develop breast cancer over her lifetime and is at a highly increased risk for ovarian cancer. But knowing about the gene doesn’t necessarily mean there are any easy ways to prevent the disease. Ilel tells us what it’s like to get tested for something you can’t really change.
Listen now! (6:10)

Think Different

admin — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 01:36:18 +0000

The Zune music players came out last week. They’re Microsoft’s answer to the iPod, and they’ve gotten mixed reviews. But look what they’re up against. Everybody has an iPod, and for the most part, people love them. They’re well-designed, they’re simple, they’re small. They’re perfect. And that’s really bumming out one long-time Mac user.

Hear the story (4:59)