In 2005, there were 26 This American Life episodes.Episode 280 – "In Country" Show description: On the experiences of United States National Guard reservists and Marines in post-invasion Iraq Act 1: When Weekend Warriors Work on Weekdays – Ira Glass Act 2: Marine Life – Jack Hitt Episode 281 – "My Big Break" Show description: On personal struggles leading to unexpected success or failure Act 1: Take My Break, Please – David Segal Act 2: What Happens in Baghdad, Stays in Baghdad – Jen Banbury Act 3: Oedipus Hex – Shalom Auslander Episode 282 – "DIY" Show description: An entire episode of a story about the wrongful murder conviction of Collin Warner. After 21 years in prison, Warner's friends managed to prove Warner's innocence and free him from jail. Act 1: Untitled – Anya Bourg Act 2: The story of Collin Warner continues Episode 283 – "Remember Me" Act 1: Thinking inside the box – David Wilcox Act 2: Where's Walter? – Starlee Kine Act 3: Giving up the ghosts – Shalom Auslander Episode 284 – "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" Act 1: The Karachi kid Act 2: Not far from the tree – Amy O'Leary Act 3: Because I'm the mommy, that's why Episode 285 – "Know Your Enemy" Act 1: The Minister Meets the Martyr Act 2: I Am Curious, Jello – David Segal Act 3: Eight Percent of Nothing – Etgar Keret Episode 286 – "Mind Games" Act 1: Untitled – Ira Glass Act 2: The Spy Who Loved Everyone – Jorge Just Act 3: Invisible Girl – Scott Carrier Episode 287 – "Backed Into a Corner" Act 1: Working Class Hero Sandwich – Shirleen Holt Act 2: Don't Drive Like My Brother – Jonathan Menjivar Act 3: Confessions of a Not-So-Dangerous Mind – Brian Montopoli Episode 288 – "Not What I Meant" Act 1: Froggy Goes A-Courtin' – Gabrielle Galanek Act 2: Cat Got Your Tongue – David Sedaris Act 3: Romance Languages – Ben Karlin Episode 289 – "Go Ask Your Father" Act 1: Make Him Say Uncle – Ira Glass Act 2: My Favorite Martian – Paul Tough Episode 290 – "Godless America" Act 1: The Substance of Things Hoped For Act 2: God Said, Huh? – Julia Sweeney Episode 291 – "Reunited " Act 1: Not Your Parents' Parent Trap – Nazanin Rafsanjani Act 2: If By Chance We Meet Again – Ira Glass Act 3: French Kiss – Sarah Vowell Episode 292 – "The Arms Trader" Prologue – Ira Glass on the Lackawanna 6 Act 1: Petra Bartosiewicz on the arrest and conviction of Hemant Lakhani Act 2: continuation of Act 1 Episode 293 – "A Little Bit of Knowledge" Prologue: Ira Glass and Nancy Updike Act 1: Small Thoughts in Big Brains – Alex Blumberg Act 2: And Daddy Makes Three – Dan Savage Act 3: Sucker MC-Square – Robert Andrew Powell Act 4: The Art of Adult Conversation – Alexa Junge Episode 294 – "Image Makers" Act 1: Dewey Decibel System – Alex Blumberg Act 2: Goldstein on Goldstein – Jonathan Goldstein Act 3: Hearth Shaped Box – Julie Hill Episode 295 – "Not What I Signed Up For" Act 1: The Double Whammy – Ira Glass Act 2: Small Fish, Smaller Pond – Nick Hornby Episode 296 – "After the Flood" Show description: Stories from survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Prologue: Ira Glass interviews William Nichelson about the role of state and federal authorities Act 1: Middle of Somewhere – Ira Glass interviews Denise Moore, a hurricane survivor Music interlude: Memphis Minnie, When the Levee Breaks Act 2: Forgotten, But Not Lost – Alex Blumberg interviews Lorrie Beth Slonsky and Debbie Zelinsky about an occurrence at the Pontchartrain Expressway bridge Music interlude: Fats Domino, "Walking to New Orleans" Act 3: Social Studies Lesson – Alex Blumberg interviews Ashley Nelson Ray Charles, Them That Got Act 4: Diaspora – Cheryl Wagner Act 5: Displaced Persons Camp – Lisa Pollak interviews survivors of Hurricane Charley in Florida Episode 297 – "This Is Not My Beautiful House" Show description: Stories from the Houston Astrodome and New Orleans about survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Act 1: Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow – Jane Feltes Act 2: No Place Like Dome – Ira Glass Act 3: Land Grab – Lisa Pollak Act 4: The Long Way Home – Nick Spitzer Act 5: Water Bed – Alex Kotlowitz Episode 298 – "Getting and Spending" Act 1: Mothers of Invention – Alex Kotlowitz and Amy Drozdowska-McGuire Act 2: That Guy – Diane Cook Act 3: Mall Rat – John Hodgman Episode 299 – "Back From The Dead" Act 1: In the Event of An Emergency – Ira Glass Act 2: 'P' Is For Porta-Potty – Sarah Koenig Act 3: Friday Night Floodlights – Lisa Pollak Episode 300 – "What's in a Number?" Act 1: Truth, Damn Truth, and Statistics – Alex Blumberg Act 2: Not Just a Number – Ryan Gist Act 3: What do we do with these numbers anyway? – Ira Glass Episode 301 – "Settling the Score" Air date: November 11, 2005 Prologue – Ira Glass Act 1: One Good Deed – Erin Einhorn Act 2: The Things That Money Can Buy – Beau O'Reilly Episode 302 – "Strangers in a Strange Land" Air date: November 18, 2005 Prologue – Ira Glass Act 1: Not Just Tourists, Tourists Who Care – Chris Tenove Act 2: Johnny Get Your Mouse – Amy O'Leary Episode 303 – "David and Goliath" Act 1: Lab Rugrats – Ira Glass Act 2: Dreams of Distant Factories – Rachel Louise Snyder Act 3: Adventures at Poo Corner – David Sedaris Episode 304 – "Heretics" Act 1: Rise – Russell Cobb Act 2: Fall Episode 305 – "The "This American Life" Holiday Spectacular" Act 1: Twas the Morning After – David Rakoff Act 2: No Tenenbaum, No Tenenbaum – John Hodgman Act 3: My So-Called Jesus – Heather O'Neill Act 4: An Animal Farm Christmas – David Sedaris Act 5: Christmas at Valley Forge – Sarah Vowell Act 6: What Would Joseph Do? – Jonathan Goldstein