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Mark Pachter, director of the National Portrait Gallery, finds a donor to help the Smithsonian Insitution purchase Gilbert Stuart's 1796 portrait of George Washington. His ability to raise more than $20 million for the effort is a tribute to the lasting appeal of an iconic image.

Noah Adams talks with Emmanuel Madan and Thomas McIntosh about their sonic project, the Silophone. The two artists, who call themselves The User, have given an old grain silo in Montreal a new function by rigging it with broadcast lines and microphones. People can call into the Silophone or submit sounds over the Internet. (5:30) See www.silophone.net

The former President gives us a walking tour of his family's farm near Plains, Georgia, now a national historic site, and talks to Lisa about what it was like to grow up there in the 1930s. Mr. Carter's latest book is called An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood.

In the first of a two-part series, NPR's Ketzel Levine reports on author Michael Pollan. His new book, The Botany of Desire, suggests that plants have evolved to be attractive to humans.

Writer William Loiseaux faints -- frequently. He has done quite a bit of scientific, linguistic, cultural and historical research on the act of fainting, and has come to feel proud of his "gift." He's written a treatise of sorts on the topic. It's called In Defense of Fainting. William Loizeaux's essay was originally published, in a much longer version, in The American Scholar.

Xena: Warrior Princess, the popular action-adventure show starring Lucy Lawless as the fierce -- but repentent -- warrior princess is ending after six years. The show was enormously popular because of its strong, sympathetic female characters, its humor, its fight scenes, and its creative risk-taking. Scott Simon talks with Lucy Lawless; Rob Tapert, the creator and executive producer of the series; and Sharon Delaney, editor of the official Xena fan club about the popularity and controversies surrounding the show.

Frank Conrad's garage near Pittsburgh is widely considered to be the birthplace of modern broadcasting. For 94-year-old Harry Mills, memories of Conrad's earliest broadcasts still ring with excitement. Hear the story of radio's early days on All Things Considered. It's part of NPR's continuing Lost and Found Sound series.

Lyle Lovett has released an anthology of his early country songs. He chats with Morning Edition host Bob Edwards and performs a few tunes.

With a new movie about him soon to hit the big screen, Muhammad Ali talks about his turbulent life. Hear the former boxing champion's story on Morning Edition.

Every December, cowboys invade the Rat Pack's turf in Las Vegas for the annual National Finals Rodeo -- and transform the town into a heartfelt and high-stakes roundup. Join NPR commentator John Ridley for a trip to the "Super Bowl of Rodeo."