Strung Out

Send us Fan Mail On this podcast, Martin and Pastor Drew talk about "The Fraying."  Signs of societal collapse is all around.   Climate change has only made the situation worse.   We are heading toward some sort of profound era--but what is it going to be?  Will the institutions out there even serve the purpose for which they were created?  In that sense, is it time to take the Christ ou...

Send us Fan Mail Part one of a two-part series, Martin talks to Pastor Drew Jacques about a recent CBC podcast in which Mary Hynes interviews British author Julian Barnes about his recent book and the notion of "what would the world be like if Christianity didn't exist and Paganism won?"  Drawing from that question Pastor Drew argues that to some extent, true Christianity, the teach...

Send us Fan Mail Orion Couling and Zack Meyer could be two guys you'd see at a bar, hoisting a couple and relaxing after a long day.  But for these two gentlemen, a long day means a long night and that bar may have a ghost or two lurking around.   They are both members of Shadow Carriers, which is a ghost tour guide group with tours in Michigan, New Orleans and Chicago.  Their specialty is th...

Send us Fan Mail Let's face it, if you are an independent musician, you know that the pandemic only added to what was already a difficult profession.  However, when no one could go to any concerts, suddenly the big venues, festivals and yes, labels were feeling some of the pain.  And interestingly enough, there were those who, like workers who realized that they didn't have to work for t...

Send us Fan Mail We have been watching an incredible game of chess being played out on the world stage with the latest sham election and annexation of Ukrainian territory by Vladimir Putin.  While some decry it as desperate measures by a desperate man, it can also be looked upon as a wily move to force the West into direct confrontation with Russia.   Whether we like it or not, we are on the board...

Send us Fan Mail The flurry of activity on the world stage is at once alarming and also hopeful.  As we bid farewell to the reign of Elizabeth II, we can use her as an example of a figurehead of an empire that once stretched around the world.  There was a deliberate decision after World War II to have that empire evolve into what is known as the Commonwealth Nations.  While far from perfect, it ha...

Send us Fan Mail Martin talks with musician, historian and director of the Chicago School of Irish Music, Sean Cleland and champion Irish dancer, musician and founder of the O'Leary School of Irish Dance in New York, Niall O'Leary about the status of Irish music and Irish-American music today.  Some notable deaths, Paddy Maloney, Mick Maloney (no relation) and on the Chicago scene Dennis...

Send us Fan Mail There are some people in this world who have been blessed with amazing talent.  And as the saying goes "to whom much is given, much is expected."  In the case with Marcus Gentry, we have an individual who took that saying to heart.  Marcus Gentry  MGA (marcusgentry.com) is a motivational speaker, singer, songwriter and actor.  His portrayal of Dr. Martin Luther King in h...

Send us Fan Mail In the United States, we have this odd holiday, called Labor Day.  Labor Day was created because the day for labor, May Day was considered too "anarchist and socialist" after the Haymarket Affair took place in Chicago.  There were a lot of people; anarchists, socialists and even communists helping to form the fledging labor movement in the US.   At that point in history,...

Send us Fan Mail As we approach the end of August, Martin takes a look at the big headlines and stories that are making the news.  Everything from Mar-a-lago to Bison gorings.  One of those is good.  And recording outside in the beautiful Chicago weather, the podcast at one point goes to the dogs.  Tune in.  Support the show We are always grateful to have you listening to STRUNG OUT.    Here are s...

Send us Fan Mail Reading a BBC article about Jonas Hill's latest movie, Stutz, mentioned that he would not support the promotion of the film through appearances at festivals and other public events.  The reason being is that Hill suffers from anxiety.  The movie itself is about anxiety and his work with a therapist to comes to grips with it.   This weekend being the Chicago Air and Water Show...

Send us Fan Mail Martin draws the correlation between the drought in Europe, the War in Ukraine, the destabilizing effect of finding top-secret documents in Mar-A-Lago and where we are at right now in the world.  Are you tired of the chaos yet? Support the show We are always grateful to have you listening to STRUNG OUT.    Here are some important links: SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.buymeacoffee.c...

Send us Fan Mail Travel along with Brian FitzGerald and Marty McCormack as they roll down I-80 during a four-day Iowa tour.  It's almost like you are part of the band, as Brian restrings his instruments, the guys fiddle with the air conditioning and shake off the heat from the first of two gigs that day.  Discussion covers the new album, fame and our amazing fanbase.   Support the show We are...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Marty talks about loss.  How some people equate it with material things, others loved ones.  Loss comes in all shapes and sizes and the true difference is spontaneous loss and deliberate loss.  The former being everything and anything that is both impartial and emotional.  The latter is when loss is chosen by another to affect you.   Loss can also be a sign of cha...

Send us Fan Mail On this episode, Marty runs through what has been going on in his art world.  Not only does he have a lot of art waiting to start, but he has run into that age-old artist problem: he needs money to do all the art he thinks the world needs.  So, he talks about how important it is for support, especially the site like Buy Me A Coffee, that he has started using.  Next, he mentions ho...

Send us Fan Mail The height of summer is here.  And like a lazy summer ballgame, Marty and Sandeep toss the ball back and forth a bit, about issues that are out there, but not necessarily hot button issues.  Enjoy! Support the show We are always grateful to have you listening to STRUNG OUT.    Here are some important links: SUPPORT THE SHOW: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/MartyfineaK MARTIN'S W...

Send us Fan Mail As Martin gets closer to his birthday, he discusses three issues that could see some change in the next year.  However, for that change to happen, people need to look at the idea of how Democracy works on three separate, but equal gears. Legislation, Moral (religious) and Civic Responsibility (or Societal Responsibility) gears must mesh in order to make the machine that is Democra...

Send us Fan Mail Our podcast is in three parts.  Part one looks at the recent Supreme Court decisions and how they seem to reflect a push for a quasi-religious stance on what should be secular law.  While it can be argued that overruling Roe v. Wade has "kicked the issue to the states," the fundamental challenge of abortion is still there.  That abortion crosses into a realm of where rel...

Send us Fan Mail While there's a lot going on in the world that dominates the front page of our news feeds, there are those stories that are compelling, interesting and for the most part buried.  Marty and Sandeep talk about three such stories that may have not made it onto your news radar.  Enjoy as the guys go where no podcasters like to go.   Don't forget to support the show!  Martin...

Send us Fan Mail This program runs on love.  Show some love today! Martin McCormack (buymeacoffee.com) Sandeep Gopal is back in the saddle after a bout with Covid, and not a moment too soon.  He and Martin discuss all the latest topics that have been happening around the world, including the War in Ukraine, China, India and here in the US of A, the January 6th hearings. Listen in.  Support the sho...

Send us Fan Mail PLEASE --help keep my podcast going.  Will you consider a gift?  Go to: Martin McCormack (buymeacoffee.com) Martin talks about rewilding and how it is starting to gain traction around the world.  The premise is that certain places that have been used by human beings, such as farming, ranching or in one case a bridge, can be returned to a state of wilderness or near wilderness.  Th...

Send us Fan Mail Martin McCormack (buymeacoffee.com) On this episode, Marty talks about having a long tour ahead to Colorado.   He then talks about how the visual arts (especially painting and drawing) have been the art that has been with mankind the longest and why that is so important in this world.  The final segment has to do with the need for warning labels on some "so-called" news...

Send us Fan Mail What do the recent massacres in Buffalo and Uvalde have to do with the carnage in Ukraine? Both involve the wrong use of guns of war.  What is behind the thinking that propels forward this idea of war force being something that is proper to possess and indiscriminately use?   Martin discusses the age-old problem of the tyranny of the few over the many.  Although the gun violence a...

Send us Fan Mail The Midwest has always been considered a "stable" area when it comes to climate and climate change.  Predictable is an even better word to describe our four seasons.  Anchored by the Great Lakes, we have a reliable water source that is perfect for agriculture, industry and population growth.    But even here, we are starting to see what the change in the climate is doing...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been in a situation where you overheard someone say something that struck you as amusing? Profound?  Have you ever read an ad or tweet that inadvertently came out totally hilarious?  Those are called SNIPPETS.  And it turns out that Pastor Drew Jacques has collected various snippets (notebooks full of them) as a hobby.  Snippets can help us alleviate some of the dull...