Boomerang! Episodes » family

Episode 32 Featuring Pablo Neruda and Immigration

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:46:01 +0000

Big Talk: Why do parents insist on finishing what they’re doing before they help?… Turning Points: Pablo Neruda was a poet who happened to get involved in international politics. Laura goes back in time to speak with this Chilean wordsmith… On Boom Radio, Clodagh is licking her chops about new software applications…. Dave Schmave tells the story about a doctor who needs a bit of Schmave’s medicine… You never know when you’re going to have to count to ten in French… Immigration laws may decide who becomes our next President. On The Big Idea, Hayley & the King of Complicated Stuff discuss this complex subject and tell the tale of one illegal immigrant… Natalie makes her room REALLY her room on Power-up… Widget and Whack turn to physics to discover what killed Spiderman’s girlfriend.

Episode 30 Featuring Sitting Bull, Spying and Privacy

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:06:32 +0000

Big Talk: Do you drop the hammer on that “special dish”?… Turning Points: Sitting Bull was the last great chief of the buffalo-hunting Sioux. Laura goes back in time to speak with him at the moment of his greatest sorrow … Boom Radio: Word meanings DO change you know, and Clodagh finds this especially interesting… Dave Schmave tells the tale of luck– and confidence…. Widget and Whack explain a law of physics, using as an example the man of steel himself… Freedom, safety, privacy– it’s a complicated world out there these days, and Hayley tries to sort it out on The Big Idea. … News Update: Forget football and baseball— it’s time for badminton … White-tailed deer are some of the most common wild animals. But as Natalie explains, that doesn’t diminish her Natural Wonder.

Episode 27 Featuring Tecumseh and The New China

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:42:27 +0000

Big Talk: Should you let your Dad chaperone a school dance?… Turning Points: You hear of many different Native American tribes fighting to keep their land and way of life. On Turning Points, Laura goes back to 1811 to speak to Tecumseh, a chief who worked to unite ALL tribes as one… Cloe has an idea for “reality” TV on Boom Radio… Dave Schmave tells the story of D-Day through the eyes of a pilot shot down in France… Bartzie Boy takes over for the wandering Freddie Finklehammer on Weird Words… China has always been that country “way over there,” that people didn’t know much about. But there’s a “new” China that will be difficult to ignore as Hayley reports on The Big Idea… News Update: If you like pink we have the restaurant for you… Natural Wonder: They’re slimy, they’re sneaky, and they would love to eat your tomato plants. Other than that, slugs are just regular folks…

Episode 22 Featuring Woody Guthrie and Buy Now! Free!

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:29:42 +0000

Big Talk: Why does Mom want me to play outside? Turning Points: A lot of people have heard of poet and songwriter, Woody Guthrie, but few know his incredible story. Kelsey goes back in time to 1946 for an interview… Boom Radio: Ben Jammin thinks Hummers are kid stuff …. In News Update, Devin discovers at least one good reason to save a few locks of hair. Hayley ponders the sociable customs of the walrus — all 3,000 pounds of them — in her Natural Wonder…. THE Big Idea: Alicia and the King of Complicated Stuff demonstrate how differently the world is seen by “buyers” and “sellers”… Freddie returns from his yearly vacation in lower Iceland for another game of Weird Words… Schmave’s Elevator: Schmave’s Dad goes on a long trip, annointing him “the man of the house.” Dave figures out what that means — the hard way.

Episode 13 Featuring Charles Schultz and The Civil War

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:05:58 +0000

Turning Points: Good Grief! Get out our baseball mitt and stay clear of Lucy. Kelsey goes back in time to interview Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schultz… Boom Radio’s Ben Jammin has some suggested applications for gene splicing… Dave Schmave happens upon a rock saleswoman whose big time spirit not only captures his heart, but that of his mother’s… Big Talk: Do not interrupt me! (Ever heard that before?)… The Blue against the Grey – no, this wasn’t a football game. Alicia and the King of Complicated Stuff examine the causes of the American Civil War… Freddie Finklehammer is back on the stump with a few of his Weird Words… News Update: Here comes Sacagawea; on the face of a dollar coin yet!… Our Natural Wonder girl ponders the incredible voyage made by salmon – from freshwater to the sea and back again.

Episode 10 Featuring Marco Polo and The Great Depression

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 20:58:29 +0000

Kelsey takes the time machine back to the 13th century to meet a guy who had really been around – Marco Polo… Big Talk: Why are grown-ups so doggone slow?… Devin the Duff figures there’s not much difference between good luck and the bad variety… Dave Schmave helps out a friend with family problems… Weird Words: How about sockdolager for example… When Great-Grandpa tells you about the good ol’ days, he might be telling you about The Great Depression. But these days weren’t good or great! On The Big Idea, Jessica and the King of Complicated Stuff report on why America got so “depressed” in the 1930s… Census: Were the good ol’ days really so good?… News Update: Good news for all you misodoctakleidists… Rachel figures hippos must do some pretty serious eating to gain 500 pounds in the first six months!

Episode 40 Featuring Gertrude Bell and The Last Drops (Water 3)

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:43:16 +0000

Her accomplishments are breathtaking. Yet you ask someone: “Who is Gertrude Bell?” and the reply usually comes back blank. In our Turning Points interview, Natalie goes back to 1921 to speak with the British mountaineer and desert explorer… Boom Radio: Clodagh believes online “security” questions may be a tad too complex… When Schmave goes down to visit relatives in southern Illinois, he ends up on a pie run he will never forget on SCHMAVE’S ELEVATOR… August comes to rescue of an elderly computer user on this month’s Power-up … Our third and final Big Idea segment about water covers everything from bottled water to dams… Toby and Gramps run into a veteran of the Everglades in this segment of their American Journey.

Episode 42 Featuring “Izzy” Stone and Living Small

admin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:10:23 +0000

Widget & Whack: Mass & Weight …
Bubba Kowalski, chanting monks, lazy objects… In their latest physics primer, Widget & Whack somehow relate all of these to the concept of mass.
The Count: Estonian …
How to count to ten in Estonian. because you just never know…
The Big Idea: Living Small …
Hayley & the King of Complicated Stuff suggest old trademarks of the “American Dream” may need some shifting — from quantity to quality.
Turning Points: I.F. “Izzy” Stone …
At the age of 14, Izzy started his own newspaper. The Progress didn’t last, but he stayed in journalism. And in his search for truth over the years, Izzy managed to anger — and inspire — readers on all sides of the political spectrum.
BOOM Radio: Trillion…
Clodagh provides a mind-boggling explanation of just how big a “trillion” really is.
Schmave’s Elevator: A Happy Birthday…
While riding his bike, Schmave comes across an elderly acquaintance on the lam from his retirement home birthday party. Schmave and pals help their “old” friend truly enjoy the day.