Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'pleasure'

Milkshake Study Explores Brain's 'Reward Circuitry'

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:16:00 EDT

A new study using chocolate milkshakes and brain imaging suggests obese people may overeat because it takes longer for their brains to register satisfaction or pleasure.

'How To Lose Friends' — And Your Own Bearings

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Based on Toby Young's scathing magazine memoir, this big-screen satire pokes fun at modern media's celebrity obsession — though ultimately it succumbs to the pleasures it pretends to scorn.

Watching Events Unfold At Beijing Olympics

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

For NPR's Tom Goldman, one of the pleasures of being at the Beijing Olympics Games is the opportunity to watch events unfold without interruption. Renee Montagne talks to him about the weightlifting competition, basketball and controversies surrounding the opening ceremonies.

'Tell No One' a Twisty Thriller, but Worth Untangling

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:45:00 EDT

The French box-office smash is overstuffed with conspiracies, but beautifully constructed and thematically rich — so it remains a pleasure even as the story becomes increasingly implausible.

Food, Glorious Food: Three Books with Bite

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:21:00 EDT

For years, Betsy Block thought the only way to indulge in her favorite pleasure — food — was to eat it. Then she discovered food writing and found a way to have her cake without sneaking even one bite.

Recipes: '101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks'

Tue, 27 May 2008 14:07:00 EDT

Sangria is one of the great pleasures of summer entertaining; its fruity, winey buzz goes equally well with spicy dishes and cool salads. So pour a glass of Wildberry or Spanish Sangria — the recipe's on us.

Lyrics Born: Hip-Hop's Simple Pleasures

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:26:00 EDT

Lyrics Born, an indie rapper from San Francisco, recalls a time when hip-hop was almost invariably fun, brisk, and at least somewhat lighthearted. "I Like It, I Love It" speaks to a moment when hip-hop, pop, R&B, and a sing-along hook rolled together as one.

Three-Dish Cure for the Dim Sum Blues

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:54:00 EDT

The Chinese smorgasbord of small-plate dishes known as dim sum is one of life's unreproducible pleasures, writes T. Susan Chang. What if you live far from the bustle of Chinatown? Never fear, she shares three simple recipes to sate your craving.

What's 'Go-Go'... A 'BPP' Assisted Listen

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EDT

Robert Reed, keyboardist for go-go pioneers Trouble Funk, died last week of pancreatic cancer. He helped pioneer a kind of music that anyone who hasn't lived in Washington D.C. might never have had the funky pleasure of encountering.

Eric Jerome Dickey Finds New 'Pleasure'

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 10:32:00 EDT

Writer Eric Jerome Dickey has written a string of best-selling novels about contemporary African-American life. His latest work, Pleasure, is a story about love, jealousy, and obsession from a female point of view.

Death Cab's Chris Walla Gets to 'Sing Again'

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 10:25:00 EDT

"Sing Again," from Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla, is two and a half minutes of pop pleasure, a bass-propelled brand extension stacked with harmonies, gratuitous helicopter noises, and an unmercifully catchy chorus.

Finding Balance and Pleasure in 'The House of Mirth'

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:00:00 EDT

As a young woman living in Paris in 1968, author Mireille Guiliano found friendship -- and frustration -- in Lily Bart, Edith Wharton's naÃ¯ve, self-interested heroine who struggles to make decisions that are in her self-interest.

The History and Science of Ice Skating

Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:30:00 EST

Ice skating is one of the great pleasures of winter. But the origin of the idea of attaching blades to our feet has not been well understood. Researchers at Oxford University think they may have an answer. Federico Formenti, co-author of the study called "Human Locomotion on Ice," says it all started in Finland.

Pricey Goods Yield Greater Pleasure

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 08:55:00 EST

If you want to people to enjoy your product, raise the price. Researchers asked people to taste wines with different price tags. The testers' brains showed more pleasure at higher prices than the lower ones, even for the same wine.

Cut the Nutri-Hype. Eat Real Food

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:25:00 EST

Have that burger, says author Michael Pollan, and honor the importance of pleasure in food. The author slices through the nutri-hype with his latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. Plus: Pollan reveals his own guilty pleasures.

Cable Dispute Blocks Big Game from Football Fans

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:00:00 EST

One of the biggest professional football games of the year Â� Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers -- will likely not be available for your viewing pleasure Thursday night because of a dispute between the league and cable TV companies. Stefan Fatsis of The Wall Street Journal and Robert Siegel follow the money and weigh the arguments over who is the bad guy in this dispute.

A 'Stone Pleasure' to Play Jimmy Reed

Sat, 08 Sep 2007 12:57:00 EDT

In the 1950s, no bluesman was more popular than Jimmy Reed. He wrote hits like "Bright Lights Big City" and "Big Boss Man" and pioneered the ubiquitous "thump" guitar riff. Two accomplished Texas bluesmen, Omar Kent Dykes and Jimmie Vaughan, pay tribute to Reed on their new CD.

She's Down a Pint (Of Ice Cream)

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 16:00:00 EDT

Labor Day weekend offers a chance to indulge in one of summer's truest pleasures: ice cream. The more butter fat, the better. Author Anne Fadiman is heartened to learn that Americans are ditching their ice-cream guilt.

For Okkervil River, a Pop Slant on Thorny Issues

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 15:25:00 EDT

Okkervil River's The Stage Names is a critically lauded album that touches on themes of a short story. But lead singer and songwriter Will Sheff says the goal is pure listening pleasure.

'Jane' Isn't Quite Austen, But It Is 'Becoming'

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 10:00:00 EDT

The dialogue in this fanciful "biography" certainly isn't up to the beloved novelist's standard, but the performances do sparkle and the look is Merchant Ivory-lush -- so there's plenty of pleasure to be had.

Alaskans Split Over Sen. Stevens' Jam

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Constituents of longtime Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens often refer to him as "Uncle Ted". But when federal agents swooped in and searched his home outside Anchorage -- possibly looking for evidence that could tie Stevens to a corrupt oil company executive -- some took pleasure in his pain.

Sweet and Savory: Odd Food Combinations

Sun, 18 Feb 2007 15:32:00 EST

One of the pleasures of eating is the taste of something different. But there are some food combinations you would never guess go together. Potato-chip cookies? Sauerkraut cake? Why, those sound every bit as outrageous as ... pumpkin pie.

The Art of the German Art-Song

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 17:09:00 EST

With contemporary singers paying less attention to Brahms, it's a pleasure to turn the clock back to the 1960s to hear mezzo-soprano Janet Baker sing an album of his songs. Baker has a voice of deep purple velvet, as well as intelligence and a sense of detail that can make each song seem like a miniature opera.

Yellowstone by Snowmobile: A Guilty Pleasure

Sat, 20 Jan 2007 11:01:00 EST

At Yellowstone National Park, managers will soon decide whether to continue to allow snowmobiles. Meanwhile, a ride through the snowy expanses of the park remains a decadent thrill.

Taking Pleasure in Graham Coxon's Pain

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 17:05:00 EST

"Standing on my Own Again" finds Coxon vividly describing the thoughts -- not to mention the frustration and brutal heartache -- that accompany watching a loved one leave. It's easy to get lost in Coxon's catchy, heartsick gem.