Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'mantra'

When Greed Became Good on 'Wall Street'

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:43:00 EDT

Brokers who walk around saying, "greed is good" have Oliver Stone and Stanley Weiser to thank for the mantra. Twenty one years ago, they paired up to make the movie Wall Street. Weiser says he sometimes wonders if he's not to blame, just a little, for the mess we are in now.

Piano Prodigy's Mantra: Practice Makes Perfect

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:23:00 EDT

Marc Yu, a 9-year-old musical prodigy, began learning the piano at age 2 and was playing Beethoven by 3. He says he practices up to eight hours a day. "You don't want a Beethoven piece to sound like somebody else," he says. "That's disrespectful to the composer."

McCain Previews Experience-Over-Youth Strategy

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain had a rally Tuesday in Kenner, La., where he acknowledged his Democratic opponent Barack Obama. McCain previewed his likely campaign mantra that paints him as the experienced candidate compared with Obama's youthfulness.

Devastations' 'Mistakes' Simmer and Shimmer

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 10:26:00 EDT

Equal parts sin and salvation, Devastations' Yes, U reaches its noirish climax with "Mistakes." Starting with an electronic drumbeat and a dissonant squall before sliding into slow-burning funk and the dispassionate mantra of "I make mistakes," it's unclear whether the song leads down the path to temptation or the road to recovery.

Candidates Adopt 'Change' Mantra in N.H. Debates

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 16:00:00 EST

If you listened to the Republican and Democratic debates Saturday night, you heard one word over and over and over again: "change." The phrase has become the mantra of the 2008 presidential race.

GOP Presidential Hopefuls Debate Aggressive

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Republican presidential candidates' debate in Orlando, Fla., becomes a brawl, as they take aim at each other rather than issues. All are competing to be seen as the heir to President Ronald Reagan. But in a crowded field, few are willing to follow Reagan's mantra not to attack other Republicans.

Vintage Keyboards and a Reverb-Driven Mantra

Tue, 22 May 2007 17:44:00 EDT

The tripped-out music of Black Moth Super Rainbow is as mysterious as its members' bizarre personas. Recording under strange monikers, they use old keyboards to craft a psychedelic electronic mixture, somewhere between Air and The Black Angels with just a hint of Krautrock.

An Electrified Mantra, Straight out of the '90s

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:11:00 EDT

There's something familiar about The Ponys' "Poser Psychotic." The two guitars create a dense blare, the rhythm section throbs with low-end gristle, and singer Jered Gummere intones in a slacker drone. There's no chorus, but it's compelling nonetheless, and in ways that feel eerily recognizable.

Mantra for New Minds: Pillow Fight!

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 16:00:00 EST

In New York City this past weekend, a group called New Mind Space, which says it "disseminates urban bliss," sponsored a come-one, come-all pillow fight in Union Square.

The Serenity Prayer: Faith in Times of Peace and War

Fri, 14 Jan 2005 00:00:00 EST

In 1943, theologian Reinhold Niebuhr wrote the Serenity Prayer, an appeal for grace, courage and wisdom that's become a mantra of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and appealed to people around the world. We speak to Niebuhr's daughter, Elisabeth Sifton, whose book explores the circumstances that led her father to write the prayer.