U.S.A. Episodes
Beyond Gravity
What does an astronaut fear most? Believe it or not, it’s not dying. What tricks do you play on yourself to get to sleep the night before lift-off? What do you feel when you are standing in front of 180 feet of rocket which is about to propel you into space? Why would you eat at least one meal on the ceiling of the space shuttle each mission?
Jim Wetherbee is one of NASA’s most distinguished servants. During his 20-year career at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Jim…
The Good, the Bad and the TV Anchor
If you ever seriously considered a career as a TV Anchor, you had better listen to this episode first. Elizabeth Pearson Garr has been there. After growing up at Stanford and studying at Harvard, she ventured out to the wilds of Billings, Montana to become a TV anchor for KULR-8, an NBC affiliate. Within a few hours of her first day, the noon anchor went off sick and Elizabeth was reading the news - for the first time! Spoiler alert: it didn’t all go to plan. Listen in to a hilarious day in …
Inhuman Trafficking
WARNING: Today’s episode contains adult themes, specifically sex trafficking and human trafficking, so please take that into account.
Amanda Blackwood is a gem. She’s fun. She’s full of life. She’s also a survivor of human trafficking. Amanda engages in a raw and intimate conversation about her experiences of forced drug prescriptions as a child, subsequent sexual abuse by strangers and relatives, and repeated trafficking by men she thought she could trust.
Amanda talks about…
Vietnam War: Helicopters and History
It's 1968. The Vietnam War is at its fiercest. Robin Bartlett is a platoon leader with the U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Division. Robin’s platoon is deployed on regular helicopter combat assaults, sometimes twice a day. Getting into the Landing Zone is perilous - so is getting out. Robin recounts the day when his helicopter had ascended to 1500 feet, received gunfire and then moments later, the engine cut out. What followed was pure terror.
It was a pleasure to welcome Robin back after …
Beyond the Baseball Color Line
Rebecca Bratspies, New York environmental and human rights lawyer, shared with me the extraordinary and inspirational life story of Jackie Robinson, the first black player in US Major League Baseball, back on April 15 1947, after crossing the Baseball Color Line. Having written "Naming Gotham - The Villains, Rogues and Heroes Behind New York's Place Names", Rebecca was able to share stories of many other characters who have been commemorated on New York bridges, tunnels, parkw…
Donut Dollies
During the Vietnam War, a group of courageous women embarked on an extraordinary mission to uplift the spirits of American troops stationed far away from their loved ones. The Donut Dollies. With unwavering bravery, they ventured into war zones armed only with warm smiles. Their story often goes unheard, but not for my guest today, Penni Evans, who left college at the end of December 1969 to find herself in Vietnam by the March of 1970. She was 22.
Penni had so many stories to tell, …
Jazz for Peace
Jazz musician Rick DellaRatta witnessed the 9/11 attacks from a rooftop in New York City. While watching the unfolding tragedy in front of him, he was inspired to write a poem which later became known as "Jazz for Peace”. Rick didn’t realise it at the time, but Jazz for Peace would become a worldwide movement promoting peace, garnering international recognition and support, most notably from Barack Obama and the United Nations who acknowledged its impact. Rick shares memories of this ex…
JFK and the Lone Star
President John F Kennedy arrived in Dallas, Texas, on November 22nd, 1963, appearing to be in good health; almost exactly three hours later, he left the Lone Star State in a casket. Those two facts are the only things most Americans agree upon concerning that tragic weekend. If you think you know who was responsible, you’re in for a surprise. History matures over time. New witnesses come out of the woodwork as the veil of secrecy is steadily lifted. Sara and Katanna found those witnesses - a…
Symphony of a Mind
"If you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism." Today I had the privilege to meet one person with autism. Stuart Ross Carlson is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder but he is defined by his extraordinary musical ability. He is a concert violinist and composer. I tried to understand the contradiction between the very earthly challenges that Stuart and his family face every day and the apparent ethereal effortlessness with which he communicate…
Vietnam War: The Trail
The story of the Vietnam War has been told many times in many different ways. But how often have you heard what it was like on the ground for infantry soldiers walking The Trail - that daily grind of cutting through the jungle in pursuit of the enemy? The unbearable heat, leeches, C-rations, booby traps, ambushes and counter-ambushes. It’s a gripping and terrifying story which my guest Robin, a Vietnam Veteran, tells with passion and surprising humour. It’s a story that must be told over and…
Date Me
Dating can be hard enough. But imagine you had been involved in a life-changing accident, were adapting to a new life in a wheelchair and were ready to pick up from where you left off with… boys. Date Me is such a story of a young girl who experiences the highs and lows of human interaction. Find out how she takes back control.
If you’re feeling a little sorry for yourself right now, listen in to this episode for a pick-me-up. Kristin has endured more than most in her life to date. P…
The Jar
Here’s a definition of insanity for you: throwing in a good job, leaving behind a salary and travelling 10,000 miles across the globe to follow a hunch, a seed of an idea. Then driving around the United States, randomly turning up in bars to interview complete strangers and asking them deep personal questions about themselves. That’s what Ken did. Find out how he got on.
Personal comment:
Ken was great fun to talk with. He’s taken some risks in life but his most recent one seems t…
The Arizonian Nomad
Can you imagine selling all your worldly possessions, your house, your car, your furnishings and reducing your ownership of ‘things’ to a 22-inch suitcase and a backpack? Well, that’s exactly what today’s guest did, leaving Arizona to travel the world as a digital nomad. Find out how she did it.
Personal comment:
Brenda was on a house sit for a friend near my home. Since she was from Arizona in the United States, some 5,000 miles away, I was curious. And so I sprung myself on Bren…
Marsy's Law
Listen to the tragic story of a young man and his family, and how the law fails families like this time after time. Also, listen to his subsequent fight for justice and find out how you could play a small part in helping. [WARNING: Contains adult themes.]
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to talk with David. He speaks with such strength and dignity for a man who has experienced such a devastating loss. I wish him, his family and all the Marsy's Law teams across the USA the …
Misfit in Hell to Heaven Expat
Have you ever had that experience where life was ticking over quite nicely, and everything felt normal? And then something happened, and suddenly life wasn't normal anymore. What about if that something was that you died?
AUDIOCLIP FROM MISFIT IN HELL TO HEAVEN EXPAT
It's hell in there...
You can find an extended version of this episode at:
youtube.com/@battingthebreeze
Thanks to Kathy for sharing a fantastic experience. If you would like to know more …