TEXT OF INTERVIEW

Kai Ryssdal: This is, believe it or not, the Friday before Christmas. What better time to take a break from the big news of the week and discover what lies beneath, courtesy of Rico Gagliano, Brendan Newnam and the Marketplace staff.

Rico Gagliano: Rod Abid, senior producer of the Marketplace Morning Report, what story are you going to be talking about this weekend?

Rod Abid: Charles Dickens’ toothpick has just sold at an auction in New York. It sold for $9,150.

Gagliano:To who?

Abid: Strangely enough, the buyer does not want to be identified.

Gagliano: How much do you want to bet it’s the guy who has George Washington’s teeth?

PERSON: Yeah, exactly.

Brendan Newnam: Senior producer of Marketplace Money, Deb Clark, what story are you going to be talking about this weekend?

Deb Clark: OK, this probably reflects my loathing of Christmas. I do everything…

Newnam: Is this a “bah humbug” story?

Clark: Kind of. I do everything I can to avoid holiday shopping. So Wal-Mart has a twisted idea: you can order online — which is great right? You can avoid the queues — and then you get to pick it up at a Wal-Mart store.

Newnam: What?

Clark: Yeah, isn’t that crazy?

Newnam: Especially during the holidays. Why don’t they just ship it to Grand Central Station?

Clark: It’s like sending things to Mecca during the Hajj.

Gagliano: Stacey Vanek-Smith, senior reporter at Marketplace. What story are you going to be talking about this weekend?

Stacey Vanek-Smith: Well, President Obama this weekend is going to be appearing on a holiday wrestling special.

Gagliano: You’re kidding.

Vanek-Smith: No, he’s got a message for the troops he’s going to be broadcasting.

Gagliano: I thought he was going to take the opportunity to, you know, work some policy issues out.

Vanek-Smith: Yeah. They’re going to settle this health care debate once and for all.

Gagliano: You thought you were going to take down health care, Joe Lieberman. Now I’m going to take down you!