MARS MESSINA PRESENTS

Today is MARS MESSINA PRESENTS One Year Anniversary! We focus on a special topic for Episode 52 - Holocaust Survivors turned Activists. We begin with the proposed 1977 Nazi march through the streets of Skokie, Illinois - a bastion for Jews and, more specifically, Holocaust survivors. While the Nazis demanded first amendments rights, the residents of Skokie proclaimed these demonstrations and symbo...

Episode 51 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS spotlights a few exercise gurus, as well as regular folk from more typical walks of life, on their journeys from dis-ease to optimal health and fitness. We will discover that optimal wellness is not an overnight miracle, but rather a lifestyle, a long process, replete with ebbs and flows. We will also discuss how even those with a sedentary lifestyle can achieve...

Episode 50 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS revisits the topic of Episode 10 - The Delphi Murders. There seems to be a break in the case, and we will talk about it, in this episode. After 5 years of mystery, Indiana State Police seem to be on the brink of making an arrest in the case of two teenage girls who went missing while hiking on trails near their homes. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF...

Episode 49 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS takes a look at the vision-like, realistic dreams that most people have in the months, weeks and days leading up to their deaths. Quantitative, scientific research studied many different patients over time - all who were lucid and not encumbered by delirium or under the influence of medication - and found that most of them experienced dreams while both asleep an...

The topic of Episode 48 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is on the emotion/vice of ENVY, and how envy spurs the behavior of bullying - either as playing the bully role, egging the bully on, or playing an apathetic, silent bystander. We focus on the root cause of feeling envy and what we can do to diffuse it, so that we don't fall into the bully role...but, also, that we are less likely to fall into the vi...

Episode 47 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS seeks to give you a break from the realities of grim news in the world and offers a bit of comic relief. For today's episode, we will talk about factoids connected with the enduring phenomena known as The Brady Bunch, a TV sitcom that ran in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and is seen in reruns, today. Specifically, we will be referencing the hilarious book, "Gr...

For Episode 46 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS,  we will explore the timeless and timely Ancient Roman Empire and examine the similarities, differences, and parallels between this empire and present day United States of America. It's imperative that we learn lessons from the past, in order to secure a bright future. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF closes today's program with a few dire w...

Episode 45 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS focuses on the biblical character, Salome, the young princess who danced before King Herod Antipas in exchange for the head of John The Baptist. Salome and her story have become a popular subject for the arts, ranging from paintings to plays to operas. Salome is portrayed as young, provocative, lusting for blood and sex and power. She drives men wild and, theref...

Episode 44 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS speaks to the vibrations that enter into our ears and create an electrochemical phenomena that we perceive as music. I will talk about the various biochemical and neuronal mechanisms that are affected and activated when we immerse ourselves in music, and how music is more than entertainment - but an efficacious means of mood enhancement and healing. BEDTIME STOR...

Episode 43 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is sure to strike terror in your hearts. We are talking about math, specifically Common Core Math. Common Core Math is something of a godsend to today's student, while it looks crazy and pointless to adults. Basically, this new way of doing math breaks the problem down to simple components that make problem solving easier for children. It was developed in answer...

For Episode 42 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we examine the life of Albino Luciani, aka Pope John Paul I (not to be confused with the more famous John Paul II). This man was considered by some to be quiet, meek, and baffled by the enormity of his calling, while others said that he was just as shrewd and decisive, as he was gentle and congenial. He was the pope for only 33 days when, at the age of 65 a...

Episode 41 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS compares and contrasts two theories that define disease and its causes. The first is the Germ Theory, as authored by Louis Pasteur and the second is the Terrain Theory, as outlined by Antoine Bechamp. The former points to external microorganisms that invade the body as the genesis of disease, while the latter states that it is strictly one's internal health stat...

To celebrate Episode 40 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we fly to the moon and back with the Apollo 11 Moon Mission. We will explore - in as much detail as we possibly can within the confines of a podcast hosted by someone who is not an aerospace engineer - the myriad steps and nuances and attention to detail it took to send a crewed spacecraft to the moon and return it safely back to earth. We will add...

Episode 39 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS spotlights the elusive serial killer, The Axeman of New Orleans. His reign of terror lasted a year - from 1918 to 1919 - in a New Orleans that was going through a transformation from violent/decadent/sleazy to genteel/proper/strict. Then, when all seemed under control, a shadow emerged with ax in hand and slashed a deep gash into that thin facade and exposed the...

Episode 38 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS kicks off a new year and a new season by addressing health and wellness. Health is the form and Wellness is the function of a fulfilling lifestyle. We will set realistic goals by addressing the 6 Dimensions of Wellness: emotional, occupational, physical, social, intellectual, and spiritual. We will end with BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF, with a rea...

Episode 37 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS delivers Christmas cheer in the form of the reading of a short story! A CHILD'S STORY, by Charles Dickens, is not particularly a Christmas story. Rather, it captures the spirit of Christmas, serving as a parable for The Journey of Life - an adventure wrought with bittersweet experiences and relationships all the way through. As you capture a moment of reflection...

Episode 36 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, as a lead-in to Christmas, takes a critical look at the identity and mission of Jesus of Nazareth. During his lifetime, some saw Jesus as a pious Jew and a respected rabbi. Others saw him as a dangerous, seditious, and blasphemous radical. He saw himself as The Son of Man. We will explore all three labels to come up with a composite of this enigmatic, glorious,...

Episode 35 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS contemplates the unique struggles and opportunities facing the rising generations. It was once the American Dream to grow up, buy one's own house, get married and raise a family in that house. Then, when the children turn 18, they strike out on their own and repeat the chase. Today's youth are finding the American Dream increasingly unattainable. What can we do,...

Episode 34 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS poses the question, "How did dogs become man's best friend?" and tries to answer this question. How did the dog evolve from the wild wolf, one of Homo Sapiens' most dreaded competitors in nature, into our lovable and loyal mate? Some theories are discussed here, as well as how some specific breeds evolved. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF wraps things...

Episode 33 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS examines the 35th President of The United States' complicated relationship with the ever-increasing-in-power-and-secrecy intelligence service, The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). We posit that it is plausible that the CIA may have ordered  - or allowed, at least - the assassination of John F. Kennedy. We also explore the possible reason why Lee Harvey Os...

Episode 32 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS revisits November 10, 1975, when the freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank in icy and stormy Lake Superior, at the Canadian/American border. Discussed are the history of the massive ship and how it got tossed about like a cork on the rough seas, amidst hurricane force winds, all of which resulted in the largest shipwreck in Great Lakes history. BEDTIME STORIES FRO...

Episode 31 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS records a brief history of the 1692 Salem Witch Trials during the Puritanical era in Massachusetts. As we cover this dark moment in American history, we ask our audience to reflect on how superstition, jealousy, fear, and lying can all have an adverse effect on everyone in a given community or a larger society as a whole, if these weaknesses are not bridled and...

For Episode 30 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we gather around a virtual Halloween bonfire for a reading of the narrative poem, THE RAVEN, tell ghost stories, and proclaim a warning against behavior that can potentially get you accused of being a witch and hung on the gallows. Happy Halloween. Try to stay safe. To donate to this podcast, Venmo @mdm773. Thank you.

Episode 29 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS features another edition of Pleasant Screams - shows DEADicated to the eerie month of October. Today, we are talking about Witches - specifically, about an encounter that I once had with a coven of witches. I will talk about my experience with a certain high priestess and the temporary working relationship I had with her. We will end with a reading of "Song of t...

Episode 28 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS features another edition of Pleasant Screams, shows DEADicated to the spooky month of October. We are handing out tricks and treats this week, by introducing our listeners to the YouTube podcast, A TALE AT MIDNIGHT. The narrator for A TALE AT MIDNIGHT is Alicia, The Dweller In The Clock. She is a disembodied voice that is sentenced to tell tales of the mysteriou...