Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'comfort'

Lentils: A Legume For The Ages

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 00:01:00 EST

As a comforting, versatile food quick enough for weeknight cooking, lentils will keep you well fed all winter. But they're especially good to eat this time of year, as they're believed in many countries to ensure prosperity in the year to come.

Kelly Sweet On Mountain Stage

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:34:00 EST

The 19-year-old singer traverses both pop and jazz, and seems comfortable singing in multiple languages. She performs selections from her debut album, We Are One, with the Mountain Stage house band.

Season's Greetings With The Singing Saw

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 17:26:00 EST

Although Julian Koster's choice of musical instrument is unusual, the songs he plays on it are not. Sometimes lonely and sometimes haunting, the songs on The Singing Saw at Christmastime are childlike, comforting, fresh and warm. Hear a session from WXPN.

Little Comfort, Joy In Economic Numbers

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:44:00 EST

Christmas Eve brought good tidings, but little comfort or joy as Americans struggled with higher unemployment and shrinking incomes.

Invoking Improv: Best Classical CDs Of 2008

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:06:00 EST

Improvisation is making a comeback in certain corners of the classical world. Early-music specialists honor the tradition of improvising on what the composer wrote, and some young classical musicians who grew up with jazz, rock and world music feel as comfortable with improv as they do with interpretation.

Loved Ones Connect Long Distance With Webcams

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:35:00 EST

Grandmothers and sons and brothers and wives tell NPR stories of using Webcams to connect with their loved ones. Some find comfort during trying times.

The Man Who Left Finance For The Monastery

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Henry Quinson walked away from the comfortable life of an international banker in Paris to join the monastery. He now tutors immigrant children in a run-down housing project in Marseilles. We explore the factors behind the transformation and his reflections on the market from afar.

Comfort Foods For A Weary World

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:10:00 EST

In turbulent times like these, don't we all need a little comfort food? As world leaders converge in Washington, D.C., this weekend for the Group of 20 financial summit, we asked cooks about soothing foods from their homelands.

'Sleeping Beauties', Comforting A Lonely Sinner

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:18:00 EST

An adaption of Yasunari Kawabata's 1961 novella, Sleeping Beauties is a wistful erotic mystery centered around an eccentric German brothel. Mark Jenkins calls it artful and delicate — but with an oddly tone-deaf ending.

N.C. Votes Democratic For First Time In 30 Years

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:25:00 EST

Barack Obama's margin of victory in North Carolina was miniscule — only about three-tenths of 1 percent. But along with his more comfortable win in neighboring Virginia, he managed to chisel away at what had been a longstanding foundation of Republicans' electoral strategy: the solidly red south.

Will The Fed's Latest Rate Cut Help The Economy...

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:06:00 EDT

There is evidence that banks are more comfortable lending to each other. But less evidence that banks are boosting lending to businesses and consumers, which needs to happen to make the economy go. Today's rate cut by the Fed helps, but it won't end the credit crisis.

Multitasking In The Car: Just Like Drunken Driving

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 01:23:00 EDT

Drivers may feel comfortable chatting on their cell phones while navigating the streets. But brain researchers find it's a dangerous combination, even with a hands-free device.

Cough, Cold Medicines May Harm Kids Under 4

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Don't give over-the-counter cold remedies to children under four. That's the message to parents from the drug manufacturers. Doctors say plenty of fluids and keeping children as comfortable as possible are the best remedies for the sniffles.

Politics: It's All In What You Hear

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:04:00 EDT

Author and blogger Bill Bishop argues that Americans are segregating themselves into ideologically-homogeneous communities. Now he worries that the majority of Americans are so comfortable in their beliefs that they can't even listen to opposing viewpoints.

Dar Williams: Time, Tides And Empty Spaces

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:37:00 EDT

The singer-songwriter talks about leaving her comfort zone on her new record, as well as the effect that keeping her household together has had on her songwriting process. Williams also describes the stories behind her new songs, and tells anecdotes about Joan Baez and her college friend, Stephen Trask.

Doc Cheatham: Jazz History's Eyewitness

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:55:00 EDT

Known for his articulation and clarity as both an ensemble player and an expressive soloist, trumpeter Doc Cheatham was comfortable playing big, brassy music. But his sound could also be soft and delicate.

John Jorgenson Quintet On Mountain Stage

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:42:00 EDT

Although his career has been stylistically varied, multi-instrumentalist John Jorgenson is most comfortable performing the Django Reinhardt-inspired Gypsy swing heard here on Mountain Stage.

Evangelicals Up For Grabs... Candidates Court Voters

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:15:00 EDT

In the competition for white evangelical votes, this year there's been a role reversal: It's the Democrat who is comfortable quoting Scripture and talking openly about his beliefs.

U.S. Civilians Recruited To Help Troubled Nations

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:49:00 EDT

The State Department hopes patriotism will compel American civilians to leave their comfortable lives in the U.S. for far-flung locales and potentially dangerous work: saving states the U.S. classifies as "failing." Critics say the program will be seen as nation building.

Discounts Help Bus Travel Thrive In Some Cities

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

As traveling becomes more costly and difficult, intercity buses are providing an alternative. Bus companies are enjoying momentous growth as they remake the experience with discount express service and new amenities. In some cities, cheap, comfortable buses appear to be the ideal solution. But some experts say the new approach will not provide a viable alternative for most drivers.

Malkmus Gets Comfortable on 'Cold Son'

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:52:00 EDT

Propelled by in-unison rock riffs and thundering drums, the upbeat and surprisingly poppy song "Cold Son" toys with dynamics to a surprising degree. Amid Malkmus' characteristically thoughtful words, angular, aggressive melodies build tension before the cathartic release of a singable refrain.

Three Books About Smart, Funny Housewives

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:36:00 EDT

Suburban misfit Marc Acito — author of Attack of the Theater People and other comic novels — relies on three fictional gal friends for comfort, laughs and inspiration.

Robotic Baby Seal Coming to U.S. Shores

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:16:00 EDT

A company that makes a robotic baby seal from Japan named Paro plans to sell it in the U.S. to help comfort people with dementia, autism and other problems related to social isolation. But some doctors say real pets provide the best kind of therapy.

Adem: Comforting 'Tears' for Yo La Tengo

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Where Yo La Tengo's "Tears Are in Your Eyes" possesses the heavy-lidded feel of shared sorrow (with a reassuring hint of optimism), Adem's cover opts for a tone of comparative comfort. His version also functions as a sort of Cliffs Notes to what Adem is all about: a figurative glass of warm milk for a world of nervous stomachs.

'Beauty in Trouble': Love and Longing, at Odds

Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Biting yet empathetic, Jan Hrebejk's latest is a serious farce. But for all its twists, it's essentially a simple tale about one woman's choice between tumultuous true love or a less passionate — but more comfortable — existence.