The Word Nerds » howard c. http://thewordnerds.org A podcast about words, language, and why we say the things we do Wed, 02 Sep 2009 22:53:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 en hourly 1 ©Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd shepdave@gmail.com (Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd) shepdave@gmail.com(Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd) 1440 A podcast about words, language, and why we say the things we do Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd shepdave@gmail.com No no http://thewordnerds.org/images/wordnerdsavatar.jpg The Word Nerds http://thewordnerds.org 144 144 Workplace Communications (119) http://thewordnerds.org/2009/04/11/workplace-communications-119/ http://thewordnerds.org/2009/04/11/workplace-communications-119/#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:41:42 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/?p=115 Workplace communications: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd are off the job while recording this show, but they will be talking about workplace communications.

The fourth anniversary of The Word Nerds was on March 21. (2:08)

The tone of workplace communications; workplace jargon; methods of communicating on the job (3:06)

Music bumper from “The Corner of Sacco and Vanzetti” by Shibboleth. (20:07)

Conflicts at the office; the dynamics and hierarchies of communication (20:59)

Song: “Work” by Naughty Jack (25:05)

Rude Word of the Week: “whistleblower” (28:22)

Music bumper from “I Hate My Job” by the Peach Stealing Monkeys

Socializing at work, and socializing about work (33:26)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing theme from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 43:55

size: 40.2 Mb

rating: G (Young kids can start getting ready for the world of work at an early age.)

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2009/04/11/workplace-communications-119/feed/ 10 43:55 Workplace communications: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd are off the job while recording this show, but they will be talking about workplace communications. The fourth anniversary ... Workplace communications: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd are off the job while recording this show, but they will be talking about workplace communications. The fourth anniversary of The Word Nerds was on March 21. (2:08) The tone of workplace communications; workplace jargon; methods of communicating on the job (3:06) Music bumper from "The Corner of Sacco and Vanzetti" by Shibboleth. (20:07) Conflicts at the office; the dynamics and hierarchies of communication (20:59) Song: "Work" by Naughty Jack (25:05) Rude Word of the Week: "whistleblower" (28:22) Music bumper from "I Hate My Job" by the Peach Stealing Monkeys Socializing at work, and socializing about work (33:26) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing theme from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 43:55 size: 40.2 Mb rating: G (Young kids can start getting ready for the world of work at an early age.) dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Facebook and Social Networking (115) http://thewordnerds.org/2009/02/14/facebook-and-social-networking-115/ http://thewordnerds.org/2009/02/14/facebook-and-social-networking-115/#comments Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:58:08 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/?p=111 Facebook and Social Networking: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd announced their status to their Facebook friends as they recorded this discussion of Facebook and other social networks.

Our experience with Facebook, and the Facebook experience in general (2:10)

Music bumper from “Social” by Charming (17:39)

The effect of Facebook on language: how we talk to each other and how we refer to aspects of the Facebook experience (18:27)

Song: “MySpace” by Joshua Grosvent (30:58)

Rude Word of the Week: “creeper” (34:45)

Music bumper from “Meant to Be” by Rob Costlow (38:52)

Facebook as the “Internet café”; and other social networks (39:31)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and the Ioda Promonet

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing theme from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 51:01

size: 46.7 Mb

rating: R (Our amusing featured song has some rude and crude language typical of many MySpace users.)

GiantCharming
“Social” (mp3)
from “Giant”
(Charmingpop Recordings Worldwide)

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]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2009/02/14/facebook-and-social-networking-115/feed/ 6 51:01 Facebook and Social Networking: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd announced their status to their Facebook friends as they recorded this discussion of Facebook and other ... Facebook and Social Networking: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd announced their status to their Facebook friends as they recorded this discussion of Facebook and other social networks. Our experience with Facebook, and the Facebook experience in general (2:10) Music bumper from "Social" by Charming (17:39) The effect of Facebook on language: how we talk to each other and how we refer to aspects of the Facebook experience (18:27) Song: "MySpace" by Joshua Grosvent (30:58) Rude Word of the Week: "creeper" (34:45) Music bumper from "Meant to Be" by Rob Costlow (38:52) Facebook as the "Internet cafeacute;"; and other social networks (39:31) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and the Ioda Promonet Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing theme from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 51:01 size: 46.7 Mb rating: R (Our amusing featured song has some rude and crude language typical of many MySpace users.) Charming "Social" (mp3) from "Giant" (Charmingpop Recordings Worldwide) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Puretracks Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at GroupieTunes / appliedSB Buy at mTraks More On This Album dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Abbrevs. & txt (113) http://thewordnerds.org/2009/01/10/abbrevs-txt-113/ http://thewordnerds.org/2009/01/10/abbrevs-txt-113/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:01:53 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/?p=109 Abbrevs. & txt: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd try not to LOL as they talk about text messaging and abbreviations.

Howard Chang is back! The rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated. (2:24)

Abbreviations throughout history: nearly as old as the Roman alphabet (at least) (3:41)

Music bumper from “The Message” by Norman Hedman’s Tropique. (16:08)

Discovering “online” language (18:03)

Song: “The Cell Phone Song” by Acres and Acres (21:42)

Rude Word of the Week: “WTF” (24:56)

Music bumper from “Cell Phone” by Times Four. (28:32)

Popular current abbreviations (29:18)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and the Ioda Promonet

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing theme from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 41:02

size: 37.6 Mb

rating: PG-13 (Our Rude Word is an abbreviation of the big taboo, the “F-bomb.”)

RelationsTimes 4
“Cell Phone” (mp3)
from “Relations”
(Groove Tonic Media)

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]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2009/01/10/abbrevs-txt-113/feed/ 11 41:02 Abbrevs. #38; txt: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd try not to LOL as they talk about text messaging and abbreviations. Howard Chang is back! The rumors ... Abbrevs. #38; txt: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd try not to LOL as they talk about text messaging and abbreviations. Howard Chang is back! The rumors of his demise were greatly exaggerated. (2:24) Abbreviations throughout history: nearly as old as the Roman alphabet (at least) (3:41) Music bumper from "The Message" by Norman Hedman's Tropique. (16:08) Discovering "online" language (18:03) Song: "The Cell Phone Song" by Acres and Acres (21:42) Rude Word of the Week: "WTF" (24:56) Music bumper from "Cell Phone" by Times Four. (28:32) Popular current abbreviations (29:18) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and the Ioda Promonet Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing theme from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 41:02 size: 37.6 Mb rating: PG-13 (Our Rude Word is an abbreviation of the big taboo, the "F-bomb.") Times 4 "Cell Phone" (mp3) from "Relations" (Groove Tonic Media) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Napster Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon MP3 Buy at mTraks More On This Album dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Baby Talk (100) http://thewordnerds.org/2008/03/22/baby-talk-100/ http://thewordnerds.org/2008/03/22/baby-talk-100/#comments Sat, 22 Mar 2008 17:43:25 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2008/03/22/baby-talk-100/ Baby Talk: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd use their best adult vocabulary as they discuss baby talk.

Dave thanks Andy, Beverley and Jianxia for their support through the PayPal donation button. (2:00)

This is show #100. The recording date, March 21, is the third anniversary not only of The Word Nerds, but also of Schlaflos in München. (2:14)

Thanks to Blue and Cihat for emails. (3:08)

Baby talk, reflecting the circle of human life; different applications for baby talk (4:18)

Music bumper from “Little Child” by Jamie Varley. (14:35)

How babies learn to speak: Noam Chomsky’s theory of universal grammar (15:27)

Song: “Boogie Woogie Baby” by Deanna Bogart (24:28)

Rude words of the week: “baby” (28:04)

Music bumper from “Court of Greedy Kings” by Val Davis. (30:25)

Stories of our own first words, and our children’s first words (30:43)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and Ioda Promonet

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 37:28

size: 34.3 Mb

rating: PG (Howard very briefly mentions sexual contexts for baby talk.)

New AddressDeanna Bogart
“Boogie Woogie Baby” (mp3)
from “New Address”
(Deanna Bogart)

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You RideJamie Varley
“Little Child” (mp3)
from “You Ride”
(Sota Music)

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More On This Album

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2008/03/22/baby-talk-100/feed/ 8 37:28 Baby Talk: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd use their best adult vocabulary as they discuss baby talk. Dave thanks Andy, Beverley and Jianxia for their support ... Baby Talk: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd use their best adult vocabulary as they discuss baby talk. Dave thanks Andy, Beverley and Jianxia for their support through the PayPal donation button. (2:00) This is show #100. The recording date, March 21, is the third anniversary not only of The Word Nerds, but also of Schlaflos in Muuml;nchen. (2:14) Thanks to Blue and Cihat for emails. (3:08) Baby talk, reflecting the circle of human life; different applications for baby talk (4:18) Music bumper from "Little Child" by Jamie Varley. (14:35) How babies learn to speak: Noam Chomsky's theory of universal grammar (15:27) Song: "Boogie Woogie Baby" by Deanna Bogart (24:28) Rude words of the week: "baby" (28:04) Music bumper from "Court of Greedy Kings" by Val Davis. (30:25) Stories of our own first words, and our children's first words (30:43) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and Ioda Promonet Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 37:28 size: 34.3 Mb rating: PG (Howard very briefly mentions sexual contexts for baby talk.) Deanna Bogart "Boogie Woogie Baby" (mp3) from "New Address" (Deanna Bogart) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon Buy at GroupieTunes Buy at mTraks Download More On This Album Jamie Varley "Little Child" (mp3) from "You Ride" (Sota Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Stream from Rhapsody Buy at Amazon Buy at GroupieTunes Buy at mTraks Download More On This Album dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Body Words (98) http://thewordnerds.org/2008/02/09/body-words-98/ http://thewordnerds.org/2008/02/09/body-words-98/#comments Sat, 09 Feb 2008 20:22:09 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2008/02/09/body-words-98/ Body Words: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd put their noses to the grindstone and go toe-to-toe in a tete-a-tete, as they talk about body words.

Dave thanks Scott and Mary for their support through the PayPal donation button. (2:05)

This topic is, of course, the theme of Charles Hodgson’s book Carnal Knowledge. It was suggested to us by Julia MacAdam. (2:32)

Idioms that use parts of the human body, from head to toe (3:43)

Music bumper from “Broken Heart” by Briareus. (18:30)

Derivatives–English words derived from Latin words for body parts (19:21)

Song: “Head Over Heels” by Emelee (23:14)

Rude word of the week: “ass-kisser” (26:43)

Music bumper from “Mandan Heartbreak Song” by Keith Bear. (29:33)

The heart and muscle memory: there may be a biological reason we think of our innermost thoughts as connected to the heart. See The Lost Arts of the Mind by Darren Bridger and The Heart’s Code by Paul Pearsall (30:18)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and Ioda Promonet

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 38:05

size: 34.9 Mb

rating: PG-13 (The Rude Word would get a middle-schooler sent to the office.)
KissEmelee
“Head Over Heels” (mp3)
from “Kiss”
(Barak Entertainment)

Buy at iTunes Music Store
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EarthlodgeKeith Bear
“Mandan Heartbreak Song” (mp3)
from “Earthlodge”
(Makoché Music)

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More On This Album

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2008/02/09/body-words-98/feed/ 6 38:05 Body Words: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd put their noses to the grindstone and go toe-to-toe in a tete-a-tete, as they talk about body words. Dave ... Body Words: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd put their noses to the grindstone and go toe-to-toe in a tete-a-tete, as they talk about body words. Dave thanks Scott and Mary for their support through the PayPal donation button. (2:05) This topic is, of course, the theme of Charles Hodgson's book Carnal Knowledge. It was suggested to us by Julia MacAdam. (2:32) Idioms that use parts of the human body, from head to toe (3:43) Music bumper from "Broken Heart" by Briareus. (18:30) Derivatives--English words derived from Latin words for body parts (19:21) Song: "Head Over Heels" by Emelee (23:14) Rude word of the week: "ass-kisser" (26:43) Music bumper from "Mandan Heartbreak Song" by Keith Bear. (29:33) The heart and muscle memory: there may be a biological reason we think of our innermost thoughts as connected to the heart. See The Lost Arts of the Mind by Darren Bridger and The Heart's Code by Paul Pearsall (30:18) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and Ioda Promonet Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 38:05 size: 34.9 Mb rating: PG-13 (The Rude Word would get a middle-schooler sent to the office.) Emelee "Head Over Heels" (mp3) from "Kiss" (Barak Entertainment) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Amazon Keith Bear "Mandan Heartbreak Song" (mp3) from "Earthlodge" (MakochAtilde;copy; Music) Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at Napster Buy at Rhapsody Buy at Amazon Buy at GroupieTunes More On This Album dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Silence and Speechlessness (96) http://thewordnerds.org/2007/12/09/silence-and-speechlessness-96/ http://thewordnerds.org/2007/12/09/silence-and-speechlessness-96/#comments Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:23:04 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2007/12/09/silence-and-speechlessness-96/ Silence and Speechlessness: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd sit in silence for a few seconds–and then find that they have something to say after all. They explore speechlessness and silence.

We are currently somewhat speechless because of overwork. (2:02)

Speechlessness: when words fail us. (3:33)

Music bumper from “Silence” by Caitlyn Smith. (10:29)

Silence: sometimes empty, sometimes expressive (11:42)

Song: “Silence” by Shannon Hurley (19:48)

Rude words of the week: “dum-dum” (23:43)

Music bumper from “Silence Speaks” by Rhymz Suhreal. (28:16)

The silent treatment: silence as a tool, and as a weapon (29:16)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 34:11

size: 31.3 Mb

rating: G (Silence is powerful, but by itself it is usually inoffensive.)

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2007/12/09/silence-and-speechlessness-96/feed/ 2 34:11 Silence and Speechlessness: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd sit in silence for a few seconds--and then find that they have something to say after all. ... Silence and Speechlessness: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd sit in silence for a few seconds--and then find that they have something to say after all. They explore speechlessness and silence. We are currently somewhat speechless because of overwork. (2:02) Speechlessness: when words fail us. (3:33) Music bumper from "Silence" by Caitlyn Smith. (10:29) Silence: sometimes empty, sometimes expressive (11:42) Song: "Silence" by Shannon Hurley (19:48) Rude words of the week: "dum-dum" (23:43) Music bumper from "Silence Speaks" by Rhymz Suhreal. (28:16) The silent treatment: silence as a tool, and as a weapon (29:16) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 34:11 size: 31.3 Mb rating: G (Silence is powerful, but by itself it is usually inoffensive.) dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Public Speaking (93) http://thewordnerds.org/2007/10/06/public-speaking-93/ http://thewordnerds.org/2007/10/06/public-speaking-93/#comments Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:43:25 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2007/10/06/public-speaking-93/ Public speaking: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd sit very isolated in the Word Nerds studio, and yet speak to thousands of listeners about public speaking.

Oratory, rhetoric, and forensics (2:02)

Music bumper from “Forensic” by Nick Murray (14:29)

“Everyday” public speakers: teachers, podcasters, managers, and toasters (15:10)

Song: “Beer Toast” by Bobby Chitwood (25:43)

Rude word of the week: “rabble-rouser” (29:18)

Music bumper from “Rendered Speechless” by Briareus (34:02)

How to improve your public speaking: our humble advice (34:41)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 43:16

size: Mb 39.6

rating: PG-13 (Our featured song is an unabashed celebration of alcohol consumption.)

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2007/10/06/public-speaking-93/feed/ 7 43:16 Public speaking: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd sit very isolated in the Word Nerds studio, and yet speak to thousands of listeners about public speaking. Oratory, ... Public speaking: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd sit very isolated in the Word Nerds studio, and yet speak to thousands of listeners about public speaking. Oratory, rhetoric, and forensics (2:02) Music bumper from "Forensic" by Nick Murray (14:29) "Everyday" public speakers: teachers, podcasters, managers, and toasters (15:10) Song: "Beer Toast" by Bobby Chitwood (25:43) Rude word of the week: "rabble-rouser" (29:18) Music bumper from "Rendered Speechless" by Briareus (34:02) How to improve your public speaking: our humble advice (34:41) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 43:16 size: Mb 39.6 rating: PG-13 (Our featured song is an unabashed celebration of alcohol consumption.) dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Small Talk (90) http://thewordnerds.org/2007/08/04/small-talk-90/ http://thewordnerds.org/2007/08/04/small-talk-90/#comments Sat, 04 Aug 2007 04:20:00 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2007/08/04/small-talk-90/ Small talk: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd, who haven’t seen each other for several months, make and discuss small talk.

We encourage you to check our our friend Charles Hodgson’s book Carnal Knowledge. (2:22)

The inspiration for this show was the book How to Talk to Anybody About Anything by Leil Lowndes. (3:21)

In response to a voice message, we explain our system of rating our shows. (7:41)

Small talk: what is it, who uses it, and when is it used? (12:18)

Music bumper from “Talks in Circles” by Threeleggeddog (21:50)

Forms of small talk, and small-talk danger zones (23:04)

Song: “We Talk About Cars” by Ric Seaberg (29:09)

Rude word of the week: “gossip” (33:48)

Music bumper from “Essence” by Evan Stone (36:33)

When speakers move beyond small talk (36:56)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 43:09

size: 39.5 Mb

rating: PG (Just a tiny hint of rudeness in our discussion.)

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2007/08/04/small-talk-90/feed/ 8 00:01:01 Small talk: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd, who haven't seen each other for several months, make and discuss small talk. We encourage you to check our ... Small talk: Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd, who haven't seen each other for several months, make and discuss small talk. We encourage you to check our our friend Charles Hodgson's book Carnal Knowledge. (2:22) The inspiration for this show was the book How to Talk to Anybody About Anything by Leil Lowndes. (3:21) In response to a voice message, we explain our system of rating our shows. (7:41) Small talk: what is it, who uses it, and when is it used? (12:18) Music bumper from "Talks in Circles" by Threeleggeddog (21:50) Forms of small talk, and small-talk danger zones (23:04) Song: "We Talk About Cars" by Ric Seaberg (29:09) Rude word of the week: "gossip" (33:48) Music bumper from "Essence" by Evan Stone (36:33) When speakers move beyond small talk (36:56) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 43:09 size: 39.5 Mb rating: PG (Just a tiny hint of rudeness in our discussion.) dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Myth and Legend (85) http://thewordnerds.org/2007/02/17/myth-and-legend-85/ http://thewordnerds.org/2007/02/17/myth-and-legend-85/#comments Sun, 18 Feb 2007 03:34:22 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2007/02/17/myth-and-legend-85/ Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd tell some tall tales about myth, legend, and language.

Dave encourages listeners to digg our podcast (see the sidebar on the right side of our main blog page) and to visit the Word Nerds Forum to participate in the thread about this show. (2:52)

Myth and legend: Why do they exist? What kinds of stories are they? (4:06)

Music bumper from “Natural Man” by Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials (22:26)

Myth and language: words that come from mythology (22:51)

Song: “Mythical Frederick” by Tom Smith (26:05)

Rude word of the week: “bullshit” (28:05)

Music bumper from “Tell Me a Bedtime Story” by the Jay Lawrence Trio (32:26)

Hidden mythological etymologies (”hidden mythetymologies”) (33:14)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and IODA Promonet

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 41:02

size: 37.6 Mb

rating: PG-13 (The Rude Word is probably ruder than middle-school kids should be tossing around in the hallways–at least at this moment in history.)

Thermal Strut
Download “Tell Me a Bedtime Story” (mp3)
from “Thermal Strut”
by Jay Lawrence Trio
OA2 Records

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2007/02/17/myth-and-legend-85/feed/ 8 41:02 Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd tell some tall tales about myth, legend, and language. Dave encourages listeners to digg our podcast (see the sidebar on the ... Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd tell some tall tales about myth, legend, and language. Dave encourages listeners to digg our podcast (see the sidebar on the right side of our main blog page) and to visit the Word Nerds Forum to participate in the thread about this show. (2:52) Myth and legend: Why do they exist? What kinds of stories are they? (4:06) Music bumper from "Natural Man" by Lil Ed #38; the Blues Imperials (22:26) Myth and language: words that come from mythology (22:51) Song: "Mythical Frederick" by Tom Smith (26:05) Rude word of the week: "bullshit" (28:05) Music bumper from "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" by the Jay Lawrence Trio (32:26) Hidden mythological etymologies ("hidden mythetymologies") (33:14) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and IODA Promonet Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 41:02 size: 37.6 Mb rating: PG-13 (The Rude Word is probably ruder than middle-school kids should be tossing around in the hallways--at least at this moment in history.) Download "Tell Me a Bedtime Story" (mp3) from "Thermal Strut" by Jay Lawrence Trio OA2 Records Buy at iTunes Music Store dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Speed (82) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/12/23/speed-82/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/12/23/speed-82/#comments Sat, 23 Dec 2006 18:29:11 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/12/23/speed-82/ Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd are in a massive hurry to talk about speed.

Dave responds to feedback (2:08)

The pace of life, the speed of thought, and the speed of speech (5:41)

Music bumper from “Speedbaby” by The Gentlemen (18:05)

Words and phrases about speed and acceleration (18:39)

Song: “I Run Faster Than You Can” by Faris Nourallah (24:50)

Rude word of the week: “slow” (26:58)

Music bumper from “Things Happen Fast” by Fuzzy Logic (30:29)

Slowing down (31:08)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and IODA Promonet

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 37:07
size: 34 Mb

rating: PG (The Rude Word is only mildly insulting, but we refer briefly to the contents of spam messages on our forum.)

King Of Sweden
Download “I Run Faster Than You Can” (mp3)
from “King Of Sweden”
by Faris Nourallah
Western Vinyl

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/12/23/speed-82/feed/ 11 37:07 Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd are in a massive hurry to talk about speed. Dave responds to feedback (2:08) Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America ... Howard Chang and Dave Shepherd are in a massive hurry to talk about speed. Dave responds to feedback (2:08) Jesse Thorn of The Sound of Young America sent us a copy of Sky Maul: Happy Crap You Can Buy From a Plane, by Kasper Hauser. Voicemail from Kristin of The Manic Mommies Our forum is now spam-free! Come talk to us and each other! At the time of recording, our web host had a problem with iTunes. But that problem is fixed now (December 23, 2006). The pace of life, the speed of thought, and the speed of speech (5:41) Music bumper from "Speedbaby" by The Gentlemen (18:05) Words and phrases about speed and acceleration (18:39) Song: "I Run Faster Than You Can" by Faris Nourallah (24:50) Rude word of the week: "slow" (26:58) Music bumper from "Things Happen Fast" by Fuzzy Logic (30:29) Slowing down (31:08) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network and IODA Promonet Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 37:07 size: 34 Mb rating: PG (The Rude Word is only mildly insulting, but we refer briefly to the contents of spam messages on our forum.) Download "I Run Faster Than You Can" (mp3) from "King Of Sweden" by Faris Nourallah Western Vinyl Buy at iTunes Music Store Buy at eMusic Buy at RealNetworks / Rhapsody Buy at Napster Buy at GroupieTunes Stream from RealNetworks / Rhapsody dave,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Derivatives (78) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/10/15/derivatives-78/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/10/15/derivatives-78/#comments Sun, 15 Oct 2006 16:54:18 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/10/15/derivatives-78/ Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about derivatives–words that come from other words and how we came to love them.

The derivation of “derivative” (2:42)

How we became infatuated with derivatives (5:17)

Music bumper from “Court of Greedy Kings,” by Val Davis (11:07)

Word Power through derivatives (”plant that seed, watch it grow”) (11:23)

Song: “Carbon Copy” by Sister Machine Gun (21:34)

Rude word of the week: “rip-off” (24:52)

Music bumper from “Melancolica” by Mauricio Cuburu (33:00)

“Challenge words” for our listeners – use your knowledge of root words to post your best guestimates on our blog (33:36)

  • anthropomorphic
  • euphonious
  • hecatonstylon

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 40:02
size: 36.7 Mb (We’ve gone back to a higher bitrate to improve our sound a bit.)
rating: PG (Our featured song has a brief allusion to drinking.)

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/10/15/derivatives-78/feed/ 9 40:02 Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about derivatives--words that come from other words and how we came to love them. The derivation of "derivative" (2:42) How we ... Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about derivatives--words that come from other words and how we came to love them. The derivation of "derivative" (2:42) How we became infatuated with derivatives (5:17) Music bumper from "Court of Greedy Kings," by Val Davis (11:07) Word Power through derivatives ("plant that seed, watch it grow") (11:23) Song: "Carbon Copy" by Sister Machine Gun (21:34) Rude word of the week: "rip-off" (24:52) Music bumper from "Melancolica" by Mauricio Cuburu (33:00) "Challenge words" for our listeners - use your knowledge of root words to post your best guestimates on our blog (33:36) anthropomorphic euphonious hecatonstylon Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 40:02 size: 36.7 Mb (We've gone back to a higher bitrate to improve our sound a bit.) rating: PG (Our featured song has a brief allusion to drinking.) howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Our Summer Reading (75) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/09/09/our-summer-reading-75/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/09/09/our-summer-reading-75/#comments Sun, 10 Sep 2006 01:48:41 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/09/09/our-summer-reading-75/ Dave Shepherd, Barbara Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about their summer reading. (2:14)

Dave’s recent favorites:

Barbara’s summer reading:

Howard’s books of summer:

Music bumper from “The Beach 1969″ by Paul (11:56)

The functions of summer reading (12:33)

Song: “Summer Rain,” by COMEG (19:42)

Rude word of the week: “pulp” (23:15)

Music bumper from “Perfect Summer” by COMEG (28:08)

Social networking through reading (28:46)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 35:51
size: 24.6 Mb

rating: PG-13 (We actually don’t make any rude references; however, Howard talks about the Dan Savage column “Savage Love,” which is really only appropriate for adults.)

Tags: ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/09/09/our-summer-reading-75/feed/ 11 35:51 Dave Shepherd, Barbara Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about their summer reading. (2:14) Dave's recent favorites: The Word Nerds Discussion forum Online fora related to magic The Kite Runner, ... Dave Shepherd, Barbara Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about their summer reading. (2:14) Dave's recent favorites: The Word Nerds Discussion forum Online fora related to magic The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini Baseball as America, by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Dai Vernon: A Biography, by David Ben The Secret Art of Magic, by Eric Evans and Nowlin Craver Barbara's summer reading: The World is Flat, by Thomas Friedman Winter Wheat, by Mildred Walker The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion Howard's books of summer: Skipping Towards Gomorrah, by Dan Savage A Natural History of the Senses, by Diane Ackerman The Students Are Watching, by Theodore R. Sizer Music bumper from "The Beach 1969" by Paul (11:56) The functions of summer reading (12:33) Song: "Summer Rain," by COMEG (19:42) Rude word of the week: "pulp" (23:15) Music bumper from "Perfect Summer" by COMEG (28:08) Social networking through reading (28:46) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 35:51 size: 24.6 Mb rating: PG-13 (We actually don't make any rude references; however, Howard talks about the Dan Savage column "Savage Love," which is really only appropriate for adults.) Tags: language, books barbara,,howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Endings (73) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/29/endings-73/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/29/endings-73/#comments Sat, 29 Jul 2006 15:16:45 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/27/endings-73/ Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about endings–of conversations, relationships, jobs, etc. (NOT of podcasts; we are not leaving!)

Linguistic cues for endings (1:56)

Music bumper from “My Living Will,” by The Finale (10:05)

Non-verbal and non-oral cues: body language, “the thin envelope” (10:50)

Song: “Last to Leave,” by Hot Rod Cadets (17:49)

Rude word of the week: “unflushable” (21:26)

Music bumper from “Go Away” by Poptart Monkeys (22:36)

Technological changes in the way we end things (23:09)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 32:18
size: 22.2 Mb

rating: PG (A young child should not really be using our Rude Word to designate a person.)

Tags: ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/29/endings-73/feed/ 5 32:18 Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about endings--of conversations, relationships, jobs, etc. (NOT of podcasts; we are not leaving!) Linguistic cues for endings (1:56) Music ... Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about endings--of conversations, relationships, jobs, etc. (NOT of podcasts; we are not leaving!) Linguistic cues for endings (1:56) Music bumper from "My Living Will," by The Finale (10:05) Non-verbal and non-oral cues: body language, "the thin envelope" (10:50) Song: "Last to Leave," by Hot Rod Cadets (17:49) Rude word of the week: "unflushable" (21:26) Music bumper from "Go Away" by Poptart Monkeys (22:36) Technological changes in the way we end things (23:09) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 32:18 size: 22.2 Mb rating: PG (A young child should not really be using our Rude Word to designate a person.) Tags: language, endings howard,c.,,howard,s.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Fustian Circumlocution (72) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/23/fustian-circumlocution-72/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/23/fustian-circumlocution-72/#comments Sun, 23 Jul 2006 13:11:06 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/23/fustian-circumlocution-72/ Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang ponder a plethora of orotund expressions. That means they are talking about extravagant ways of expressing yourself. (Thanks to Michael Buchko for the topic suggestion.)

What we mean by fustian language: pompous, bombastic ways of saying very little by using a lot of syllables; some quotations from fustian speakers and writers (1:54)

Music bumper from by “Fancy Prance” by Itchie Cat (13:04)

Our favorite fustian terms (13:35)

Song: “Confused,” by Natalie Brown (20:50)

Rude word of the week: “windbag” (24:54)

Music bumper from “Winter Wind,” by Jon Schmidt (27:08)

Why is fustian language sometimes unavoidable? (27:56)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

time: 35:51
size: 24.6 Mb

rating: PG (Not especially rude, but full of very challenging words.)

Tags: ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/23/fustian-circumlocution-72/feed/ 9 35:51 Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang ponder a plethora of orotund expressions. That means they are talking about extravagant ways of expressing yourself. (Thanks ... Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang ponder a plethora of orotund expressions. That means they are talking about extravagant ways of expressing yourself. (Thanks to Michael Buchko for the topic suggestion.) What we mean by fustian language: pompous, bombastic ways of saying very little by using a lot of syllables; some quotations from fustian speakers and writers (1:54) Music bumper from by "Fancy Prance" by Itchie Cat (13:04) Our favorite fustian terms (13:35) Song: "Confused," by Natalie Brown (20:50) Rude word of the week: "windbag" (24:54) Music bumper from "Winter Wind," by Jon Schmidt (27:08) Why is fustian language sometimes unavoidable? (27:56) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat time: 35:51 size: 24.6 Mb rating: PG (Not especially rude, but full of very challenging words.) Tags: language, fustian howard,c.,,howard,s.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Jokes (71) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/15/jokes-71/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/15/jokes-71/#comments Sat, 15 Jul 2006 15:20:34 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/15/jokes-71/ Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about jokes and humor. (What a bunch of chuckleheads!)

The philosophical underpinnings of humor (2:01)

Music bumper from by “The Corner of Sacco and Vanzetti” by Shibboleth (11:20)

Categories of humor (11:57)

Song: “Inside Joke,” by Little Thom (22:51)

Rude word of the week: “bombing” (or shall we say, this segment is bombing this week?) (27:23)

Music bumper from “Make Me Understand,” by Matt Thorpe (29:31)

What makes something funny? Perspective and delivery (30:12)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

time: 36:12
size: 24.9 Mb

rating: PG-13 (We discuss some provocative sexual and religious aspects of joke humor, and our song has a few mildly rude words.)

Tags: , ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/15/jokes-71/feed/ 8 36:12 Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about jokes and humor. (What a bunch of chuckleheads!) The philosophical underpinnings of humor (2:01) Music bumper from by ... Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang talk about jokes and humor. (What a bunch of chuckleheads!) The philosophical underpinnings of humor (2:01) Music bumper from by "The Corner of Sacco and Vanzetti" by Shibboleth (11:20) Categories of humor (11:57) Song: "Inside Joke," by Little Thom (22:51) Rude word of the week: "bombing" (or shall we say, this segment is bombing this week?) (27:23) Music bumper from "Make Me Understand," by Matt Thorpe (29:31) What makes something funny? Perspective and delivery (30:12) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat time: 36:12 size: 24.9 Mb rating: PG-13 (We discuss some provocative sexual and religious aspects of joke humor, and our song has a few mildly rude words.) Tags: language, jokes, humor howard,c.,,howard,s.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Conversational Rules and Etiquette (70) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/08/conversational-rules-and-etiquette-70/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/08/conversational-rules-and-etiquette-70/#comments Sat, 08 Jul 2006 13:52:40 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/08/conversational-rules-and-etiquette-70/ Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang discuss the rules, etiquette, and media of everyday conversations.

Various ways the Word Nerds audience can converse with us, and with each other (1:59)

Face-to-face conversation (4:59)

Music bumper from by “Conversations” by Saurab Bhargava (14:43)

Conversing on the telephone (15:21)

Song: “Cool Conversation,” by Dminor (20:51)

Rude word of the week: “loudmouth” (25:13)

Music bumper from “Done Talking,” by George Hrab (26:56)

Email, IM, and Internet conversation (27:14)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

time: 38:30
size: 26.5 Mb

rating: PG-13 (We discuss the conversational conventions of sexual intimacy.)

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]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/08/conversational-rules-and-etiquette-70/feed/ 8 38:30 Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang discuss the rules, etiquette, and media of everyday conversations. Various ways the Word Nerds audience can converse with us, ... Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, and Howard Chang discuss the rules, etiquette, and media of everyday conversations. Various ways the Word Nerds audience can converse with us, and with each other (1:59) Face-to-face conversation (4:59) Music bumper from by "Conversations" by Saurab Bhargava (14:43) Conversing on the telephone (15:21) Song: "Cool Conversation," by Dminor (20:51) Rude word of the week: "loudmouth" (25:13) Music bumper from "Done Talking," by George Hrab (26:56) Email, IM, and Internet conversation (27:14) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat time: 38:30 size: 26.5 Mb rating: PG-13 (We discuss the conversational conventions of sexual intimacy.) Tags: language, conversation howard,c.,,howard,s.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Failure and Success (69) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/01/failure-and-success-69/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/01/failure-and-success-69/#comments Sat, 01 Jul 2006 14:29:23 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/01/failure-and-success-69/ Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about failure and success, having recently seen many students succeed (and some fail) at the end of the school year.

Metaphors for success and failure in sports (3:46)

Success and failure in school (11:06)

Music bumper from “Loser Blues” by Electrobuddha (19:46)DaveHowardLoser.jpg

Euphemisms for losing (20:24)

Song: “Nothing to Lose,” by Clip (26:07)

Rude word of the week: “loser” (30:07)

Music bumper from “Loser,” by Comeg (32:53)

Winning and losing in a free-market, capitalist society; a pep talk (from Bill Gates? No; see the commment below.) (33:28)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 39:59
size: 27.5 Mb

rating: PG-13 (In our Rude Word segment we quote a rather rude definition from Urban Dictionary.)

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]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/07/01/failure-and-success-69/feed/ 17 39:59 Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about failure and success, having recently seen many students succeed (and some fail) at the end of the school ... Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about failure and success, having recently seen many students succeed (and some fail) at the end of the school year. Metaphors for success and failure in sports (3:46) Success and failure in school (11:06) Music bumper from "Loser Blues" by Electrobuddha (19:46) Euphemisms for losing (20:24) Song: "Nothing to Lose," by Clip (26:07) Rude word of the week: "loser" (30:07) Music bumper from "Loser," by Comeg (32:53) Winning and losing in a free-market, capitalist society; a pep talk (from Bill Gates? No; see the commment below.) (33:28) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 39:59 size: 27.5 Mb rating: PG-13 (In our Rude Word segment we quote a rather rude definition from Urban Dictionary.) Tags: language, failure, success howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Greetings and Partings (66) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/06/10/greetings-and-partings-66/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/06/10/greetings-and-partings-66/#comments Sat, 10 Jun 2006 16:23:16 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/06/10/greetings-and-partings-66/ Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang discuss greetings and partings at the end of the school year, when they must say good-bye to a lot of people.

The functions of greetings and partings (1:50)

Music bumper from by “Goodbye, Good Luck, Good Riddance” by The Joel Lightman Band (18:26)

Idioms of greeting and parting (19:03)

Song: “Turn Around and Say Good Bye,” by C.J. Chenier (24:59)

Rude word of the week: “buzz off” (27:48)

Music bumper from “Goodbye Farewell,” by Dead Heart Bloom (29:51)

Do demographics play a role in forms of greetings and partings? (30:23)

The emotionality of saying good-bye (34:24)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 44:10
size: 30.4 Mb

rating: PG (Although our Rude Word is not particularly rough, we do hint at some much ruder substitutes for it.)

Tags: , ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/06/10/greetings-and-partings-66/feed/ 13 44:10 Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang discuss greetings and partings at the end of the school year, when they must say good-bye to a lot of ... Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang discuss greetings and partings at the end of the school year, when they must say good-bye to a lot of people. The functions of greetings and partings (1:50) Music bumper from by "Goodbye, Good Luck, Good Riddance" by The Joel Lightman Band (18:26) Idioms of greeting and parting (19:03) Song: "Turn Around and Say Good Bye," by C.J. Chenier (24:59) Rude word of the week: "buzz off" (27:48) Music bumper from "Goodbye Farewell," by Dead Heart Bloom (29:51) Do demographics play a role in forms of greetings and partings? (30:23) The emotionality of saying good-bye (34:24) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 44:10 size: 30.4 Mb rating: PG (Although our Rude Word is not particularly rough, we do hint at some much ruder substitutes for it.) Tags: language, greeting, parting howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Memory and Language (64) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/27/memory-and-language-64/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/27/memory-and-language-64/#comments Sat, 27 May 2006 12:45:55 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/27/memory-and-language-64/ Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang try to recall why they settled on the topic of Memory and Language. (2:11)

Storytelling (4:19)

Music bumper from “Remember” by Bob Kirkpatrick (10:40)

Attribution of words (11:25)

Song: “Future Memory,” by Heth and Jed (17:21)

Rude word of the week: “special” (21:11)

Music bumper from “She Hates Love Songs by Katie Davis (25:05)

Memory loss (25:33)

Do we need language to remember? (28:32)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 36:04
size: 25.3 Mb

rating: PG (We would not want to encourage any very young listener to use our Rude Word against classmates.)

Tags: ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/27/memory-and-language-64/feed/ 10 36:04 Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang try to recall why they settled on the topic of Memory and Language. (2:11) Storytelling (4:19) Music bumper from "Remember" by Bob ... Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang try to recall why they settled on the topic of Memory and Language. (2:11) Storytelling (4:19) Music bumper from "Remember" by Bob Kirkpatrick (10:40) Attribution of words (11:25) Song: "Future Memory," by Heth and Jed (17:21) Rude word of the week: "special" (21:11) Music bumper from "She Hates Love Songs by Katie Davis (25:05) Memory loss (25:33) Do we need language to remember? (28:32) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 36:04 size: 25.3 Mb rating: PG (We would not want to encourage any very young listener to use our Rude Word against classmates.) Tags: language, memory howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Non-verbal Communication (62) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/13/non-verbal-communication-62/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/13/non-verbal-communication-62/#comments Sat, 13 May 2006 16:56:22 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.info/2006/05/13/non-verbal-communication-62/ Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about environments in which we communicate without using any words: elevators, restrooms, automobiles, interviews (1:59)

Music bumper from “Jona Lee” by Roomful of Blues (12:32)

Non-verbal communication in romance, sports, and the classroom (12:51)

Music and dance (19:19)

Song: “There Ain’t No Words,” by Harrison Kennedy (22:08)

Rude word of the week: “dumb” (25:43)

Music bumper from “Flag of Democracy” by Ernie Van Veen (28:09)

Posture, body language, and gesture: making a good (or bad) impression without words (28:34)

Substitutes for body language in the cyberworld (32:22)

People who like to talk with gestures (33:11)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 37:50
size: 26 Mb

rating: PG-13 (We discuss the etiquette of the men’s room, as well as the sexual implications of social dancing.)

Tags: ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/05/13/non-verbal-communication-62/feed/ 1 00:01:01 Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about environments in which we communicate without using any words: elevators, restrooms, automobiles, interviews (1:59) Music bumper from "Jona Lee" ... Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang talk about environments in which we communicate without using any words: elevators, restrooms, automobiles, interviews (1:59) Music bumper from "Jona Lee" by Roomful of Blues (12:32) Non-verbal communication in romance, sports, and the classroom (12:51) Music and dance (19:19) Song: "There Ain't No Words," by Harrison Kennedy (22:08) Rude word of the week: "dumb" (25:43) Music bumper from "Flag of Democracy" by Ernie Van Veen (28:09) Posture, body language, and gesture: making a good (or bad) impression without words (28:34) Substitutes for body language in the cyberworld (32:22) People who like to talk with gestures (33:11) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 37:50 size: 26 Mb rating: PG-13 (We discuss the etiquette of the men's room, as well as the sexual implications of social dancing.) Tags: language, nonverbal howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Race and Language (60) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/04/29/race-and-language-60/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/04/29/race-and-language-60/#comments Sat, 29 Apr 2006 16:49:10 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.info/2006/04/29/race-and-language-60/ Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang welcome a voicemail on the Nerd Number from Hillary Israeli, on modern Hebrew as an invented language. (2:06)

Dave and Howard discuss racial labels and epithets, and the boundaries of acceptability. (4:35)

Music bumper from “Nada” by Jaime Beauchamp (16:24)

Race and identity: what is “race”? (17:01)

Song: “Black Madonna,” by Sophia Ramos (25:54)

Rude word of the week: “halfbreed” (29:06)

Music bumper from “Meant to Be” by Rob Costlow (31:52)

Race, ethnicity, and diversity in American English (32:29)

The legal language of race and ethnicity (33:43)

Ethnic labels as names for sports teams (35:00)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 39:57
size: 27.4 Mb

rating: R (We explore many aspects of race and speech, including many of the most hurtful and belittling racial epithets in modern American English.)

Tags: ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/04/29/race-and-language-60/feed/ 3 00:01:01 Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang welcome a voicemail on the Nerd Number from Hillary Israeli, on modern Hebrew as an invented language. (2:06) Dave and Howard ... Dave Shepherd and Howard Chang welcome a voicemail on the Nerd Number from Hillary Israeli, on modern Hebrew as an invented language. (2:06) Dave and Howard discuss racial labels and epithets, and the boundaries of acceptability. (4:35) Music bumper from "Nada" by Jaime Beauchamp (16:24) Race and identity: what is "race"? (17:01) Song: "Black Madonna," by Sophia Ramos (25:54) Rude word of the week: "halfbreed" (29:06) Music bumper from "Meant to Be" by Rob Costlow (31:52) Race, ethnicity, and diversity in American English (32:29) The legal language of race and ethnicity (33:43) Ethnic labels as names for sports teams (35:00) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 39:57 size: 27.4 Mb rating: R (We explore many aspects of race and speech, including many of the most hurtful and belittling racial epithets in modern American English.) Tags: language, race howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No Language of Deception (56) http://thewordnerds.org/2006/04/01/language-of-deception-56/ http://thewordnerds.org/2006/04/01/language-of-deception-56/#comments Sat, 01 Apr 2006 16:35:00 +0000 Dave http://thewordnerds.info/2006/04/01/language-of-deception-56/ Dave Shepherd welcomes Adam Curry, Ashlee Simpson, and Howard Stern to the Word Nerds’ studio. APRIL FOOLS! Just kidding! It’s really Dave and Howard Chang. Dave and Howard respond to voicemail from Patrick regarding the Rude Word of the Week. (1:59)

On April Fools Day, Dave and Howard explore the relationship of language to deception and humor. Dave presents a mental deception he learned from Frank Freer, the late magic dealer in Berlin. (4:06)

The trickster in myth; deception and theatrical performance (10:25)

Music bumper from by “Had Me Fooled” by The Defibulators (15:12)

Dave’s magic teacher, Jamy Ian Swiss, is the Honest Liar. (15:57)

Con games, hustles, deception in sales, and the Nigerian Prince email scam (16:52)

Song: “I Don’t Wanna Lie,” by Beatrice Ericsson (25:57)

Rude word of the week: “quack” (29:30)

Music bumper from “Just Looking” by The Jerrys (31:07)

Official and public deceptions: wagging the dog, and the “War Magician” (31:37)

Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Theme music by Kick the Cat

Closing music from “Grapes” by Evan Stone

time: 38:39
size: 26.5 Mb

rating: PG (Howard’s discussion of the trickster in mythology is briefly just slightly violent; otherwise this show is kid-safe.)

Tags: , ,

]]> http://thewordnerds.org/2006/04/01/language-of-deception-56/feed/ 0 00:01:01 Dave Shepherd welcomes Adam Curry, Ashlee Simpson, and Howard Stern to the Word Nerds' studio. APRIL FOOLS! Just kidding! It's really Dave and Howard Chang. ... Dave Shepherd welcomes Adam Curry, Ashlee Simpson, and Howard Stern to the Word Nerds' studio. APRIL FOOLS! Just kidding! It's really Dave and Howard Chang. Dave and Howard respond to voicemail from Patrick regarding the Rude Word of the Week. (1:59) On April Fools Day, Dave and Howard explore the relationship of language to deception and humor. Dave presents a mental deception he learned from Frank Freer, the late magic dealer in Berlin. (4:06) The trickster in myth; deception and theatrical performance (10:25) Music bumper from by "Had Me Fooled" by The Defibulators (15:12) Dave's magic teacher, Jamy Ian Swiss, is the Honest Liar. (15:57) Con games, hustles, deception in sales, and the Nigerian Prince email scam (16:52) Song: "I Don't Wanna Lie," by Beatrice Ericsson (25:57) Rude word of the week: "quack" (29:30) Music bumper from "Just Looking" by The Jerrys (31:07) Official and public deceptions: wagging the dog, and the "War Magician" (31:37) Music courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network Theme music by Kick the Cat Closing music from "Grapes" by Evan Stone time: 38:39 size: 26.5 Mb rating: PG (Howard's discussion of the trickster in mythology is briefly just slightly violent; otherwise this show is kid-safe.) Tags: language, linguistics, magic howard,c.,,podcast Dave Shepherd, Howard Shepherd, Howard Chang, Barbara Shepherd no No