Language, Noun Gender, & Worldview

Fascinating research presented by Robert Krulwich on NPR this morning.

Boroditsky proposes that because the word for "bridge" in German — die brucke — is a feminine noun, and the word for "bridge" in Spanish — el puente — is a masculine noun, native speakers unconsciously give nouns the characteristics of their grammatical gender.

Have a listen.

Out of the 'Dirge'

Wow! Great interview with Elvis by Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition. From the opening notes of "Doomsday," I was thrilled to get a pause in my morning routine to hear this.

Morning Edition, March 19, 2009 - Based on the catchy arrangements of Elvis Perkins' sophomore release, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, the album seems like a more upbeat, light-hearted affair than its predecessor — that is, until you take a closer look at the lyrics.

"I don't let doomsday bother me — do you let it bother you?" he sings on "Doomsday," chirping over a pleasant blend of brass, tambourine and even a marching drum. Though he originally wrote the song as a waltzy "dirge," he ended up shifting the mood after discussing it with his band mates. The same joyous sound permeates the album, often serving as a hopeful contrast to its troubled origins.

Elvis Perkins is the son of Anthony Perkins, the actor most famous for his role in Psycho. Anthony died of complications from AIDS when his son was a teenager. Tragically, Elvis' mother, Berry Berenson-Perkins — a noted photographer — was aboard one of the planes that struck the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.

"The songs are their grandchildren they didn't get to meet," Perkins says. "They strike me as offspring from time to time, and some of them on the new album sort of stare back at me a little funny."

His feelings for his parents also emerge in songs like "123 Goodbye," which includes the line "I love you more in death than I ever could in life," though Perkins prefers to sing about these thoughts rather than talk about them.

"I've never been a good storyteller when it comes to regular conversation," he says, "which I think is in part why I've been driven to write these songs. I get to put as much as I like into it, say my piece and sort of feel more successful [that way]."

Click the link above to listen to the full interview with Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep.

Listen!

This American Life Impresses Once Again

Do yourself a favor, sit down without distractions, and listen to this.

Episode 375: Bad Bank

The collapse of the banking system explained, in just 59 minutes. Our crack economics team—the guys who explained the mortgage crisis, Alex Blumberg and NPR’s Adam Davidson—are back to help all of us understand the news. For instance, when we talk about an insolvent bank, what does it actually mean, and why are we giving hundreds of billions of dollars to rich bankers who screwed up their own businesses? Also, two guys go to New Jersey to look at a toxic asset.

Other shows on the financial crisis: Giant Pool of Money and Another Frightening Show About the Economy. And you can get daily updates about the financial crisis on Alex and Adam's Planet Money podcast and blog.

These recent episodes of the Planet Money podcast go into more depth on the issues in this week's show:

2/9/09 Get Tougher Please—especially the interview with Adam Posen
2/27/09 He Nationalized a Bank
2/2/09 Japan's Lost Lesson

Simon Johnson, the former IMF official on this week's show, has a blog called BaselineScenario.com.

Also, on C-Span—Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner praises this episode.

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Prologue.

Host Ira Glass plays clips from TV in a recent senate hearing and talks about how confusing the current banking crisis is. But fortunately today, we have the team that brought us our show that explained the mortgage crisis a year ago, back to explain entire the banking system in 40 minutes. (3 minutes)

Act One. The Collapse of the US Banking System Explained in Just 39 Minutes.

Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson tackle a very tough subject: trying to explain exactly what a bank is and does. They talk to a number of experts about what has gone wrong in banking, but not before bringing us all up to speed on some banking basics, like understanding a bank balance sheet, and a bank’s assets and liabilities, and the squishy business of what banks say about their balance sheets compared to what they are.

Alex and Adam walk us step by step through the complications of the US government buying up bad assets from banks, and explain why, when it comes to footing the bill, the government might just prefer to not be in charge of the very banks it is having taxpayers bailout. From a dollhouse, to a hypothetical bank worth tens of dollars, to the trillions of dollars being spent to keep banks afloat, Alex and Adam talk economy, and where we might be headed. (39 minutes)

Act Two. Clean Up Crew.

Not everyone hates the idea of “toxic assets.” Reporter Lisa Chow goes to New Jersey to follow two guys on their quest to clean up some of America’s bad mortgages—by buying them, and going straight to the homes themselves to have a look at how dire the situation really is. (13 minutes)

Song: "The House Song," Peter, Paul and Mary

The Wanderings of My Subconscious

or The Kale Birther, A Crowded Train to New York and Chicago, The Hectograph, and The Predator

I imagined a woman who doesn't want a baby, births kale instead. I climbed over the heads of people on an aisle-less train, trying to get my bags. The hectograph churned in the background. The Predator enveloped everything below me it its being, scaring me awake.



I've realized I really like the tone bed that is This American Life, more than I necessarily like the content of the shows. I am, of course, always quite enthralled with dedicated listening, but I'm aware also that the sound of the show gives me the same sense of relaxation, even if I'm not paying attention.

The film world is abuzz with mumbles, as mumblecore reaches the pages of the NY Times and others with the debut of Hannah Takes The Stairs. This is the defining film movement of my generation, eh?