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 and in seemingly good health, he suddenly died. The pope was found sitting up in his bed, clutching papers, wearing eyeglasses and a smile on his face. The Vatican declared cause of death as a heart attack, but an autopsy had not been performed. Suspicion shrouded the death scene, as the Vatican refused to release details that trickled out in other ways. Did the pope, indeed, die as a result of a misdiagnosed illness? Was his death a result of neglect by his handlers? Or did he, indeed, fall victim to assassination, as many have claimed and set out to prove?

BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF closes today's show with a small reading from ILLUSTRISSIMI, a book of letters written by the man, himself - Albino Luciani, Pope John Paul I

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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 state (terrain) that creates disease. We will also discuss the controversy created as these theories clash in the wake of the SARS CoV 2 pandemic. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF wraps things up with an excerpt from the novel, THE PLAGUE, by Albert Camus.

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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 address the laws of physics that allowed for this mission, and others like it, to happen. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF splashes down with excerpts from the famous JFK Moon Speech.

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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 primal fear of its citizens. Who was The Axeman? A member of The Black Hand? A Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde split personality? Several non-connected killers? A woman? A feral demon from the hottest hell? BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF concludes today's episode with a reading of Kurt Weill's MACK THE KNIFE, with updated lyrics, as sung by Marianne Faithfull.

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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 reading of the poem, "A Morning Wish", by W.R. Hunt.

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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 and contemplation in the midst of hubbub, laughter and tears, you may recognize yourself in this story and - hopefully - know that you are more precious than the fanciest and most extravagant gifts under a tree. Merry Christmas, everyone. See you next week for a new year and a new season.

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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, and meek individual. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF concludes today's episode with a reading of A CRADLE SONG, by William Blake.

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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, as a society, to build a better future? With the formidable problems facing us, individuals probably cannot do much. Instead, we  - as a collective and as a cohesive community - should focus on building our youth to not only face, but thrive in, an uncertain future. I will discuss one way in which this can be managed. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF concludes with a small philosophical exercise.

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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 up with a poem by Rudyard Kipling, called, THE POWER OF THE DOG.

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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 Oswald, the president's alleged assassin, went to Mexico City and spoke with a known KGB assassin. The CIA knew this trip and transaction transpired, but did nothing about it. The CIA knew that Oswald was a Marxist sympathizer, that he planned an assassination of an Army major, and that he had defected to Russia before and was planning to, again. Yet, he was allowed to be in Dallas on November 22, 1963, when Kennedy's motorcade was scheduled to ride past the building in which Oswald was employed. Why? Was Oswald a double agent hired by the CIA, or did they just turn away and let Oswald do what he meant to do? BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF opens today's episode with a reading of excerpts of the play, JULIUS CAESAR, by William Shakespeare.

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