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 FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF features the poem, "Shipwreck", by Emily Dickinson.

To support this podcast: Venmo @mdm773. Thank you.

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 tempered with higher thinking, calmness, and mindfulness. Additionally, we must curiously observe why societies continue to be threatened by feminine power and the subsequent clamping down on female independence and their economic and intellectual parity with men.

Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf rounds out today's episode with an excerpt from the play, THE CRUCIBLE, by Arthur Miller.

To donate to this podcast - Venmo @mdm773. Thank you.

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 the Witches" from MACBETH, Act IV, Scene I, by William Shakespeare.

To donate to this podcast, please send donations through my Venmo account: @mdm773. Thank you.

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 mysterious, the weird, and the macabre to the strokes of midnight. Alicia works with two other artists - Dan Precision, sound engineer/editor/musician...and Eugene Jaworski, an oil painter and sketch artist, specializing in fantasy art. This power trio combine their gifts to surround and entwine their audience, carefully dragging them into another dimension. We ask Alicia about the details of her podcasting and storytelling, and we go together with her into the dark and ask her what she fears the most. She tricks and treats us right back, by reading a couple of excerpts from some of her favored writings.

(Sprinkled throughout the interview, you may hear what sounds like technical glitches. This is just Alicia's state as a disembodied voice, phasing in and out of this mortal realm. To help me upgrade my equipment to support the sonic tonalities of the Great Ones of The Afterlife, support MARS MESSINA PRESENTS through my Venmo account: @mdm773)

Check out A TALE AT MIDNIGHT on YouTube...

Follow A Tale At Midnight at https://www.instagram.com/ataleatmidnight/ and https://www.facebook.com/ATaleAtMidnight

Support A Tale At Midnight at https://www.patreon.com/ataleatmidnight

email A Tale At Midnight at [email protected]

Original art and logo by Eugene Jaworski

https://eugenejaworski.wixsite.com/gallery

https://www.facebook.com/TheArtofEugeneJaworski

https://www.patreon.com/Jaworski

https://www.facebook.com/TheArtofEugeneJaworski

Music, soundscapes and post production by

Dan Precision at Bombshelter Recording Studio

http://bombshelterchicago.com

https://danprecision.bandcamp.com/music

For further information, contact Mars Messina at [email protected]

Episode 27 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS features the second edition of Pleasant Screams, episodes dedicated to the spooky month of October. Today's episode is called, MOMENTO MORI. We will talk about the funereal traditions of the Irish Wake, as well as the Italian celebratory Day of The Dead, aka All Soul's Day. We are addressing these topics in memorial of Mars' mother, Peggy, and her grandmother, Julia, who both passed away on October 9. We will close with BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF with the readings of two excerpts from the novel,... WUTHERING HEIGHTS, by Emily Bronte...which happens to be a favorite of Peggy's. Rest In Heavenly Peace, Mom & Grandma.

To support this podcast, please send donations to my Venmo account @mdm773. 10% of donations continue to go to Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Louisiana. Thank you.

Episode 26 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is the first of five special episodes for the month of October, which I call, Pleasant Screams. Episode 26 is Pleasant Screams: HAUNTED HOUSES. We will explore a few of many haunted houses that dot the United States, and will end with BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF featuring a reading of the entirety of the short story, THE TELL TALE HEART, by Edgar Allan Poe.

To donate to this podcast, please do so through my Venmo account, @mdm773. Thank you.

To email me, send your message to [email protected]

I am also on Facebook and Instagram.

Episode 25 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS explores the brutal murder of British student Meredith Kercher. Called "Mez" by family and friends, the sweet young woman realized a dream by studying abroad in Italy and immersing herself into its vibrant culture and language. She died only a few months after arriving in Perugia. Three people were convicted of her murder: Rudy Guede (whose DNA was all over the crime scene, as well as inside of Mez's body), Raffaele Sollecito, an Italian national and IT student who happened to be dating the third suspect, American student, Amanda Knox, who became the obsession of the prosecution team, and whose image was sensationalized in the global media.

Knox and Sollecito's convictions were overturned, as none of their DNA was at the crime scene. However, the Italian Supreme Court states that Guede did not act alone. Many believe that Knox and Sollecito know more about the crime, and that they're evading telling the real truth. Knox and Sollecito have moved on with their lives, Guede has been released on a reduced sentence...and the Kercher family still struggles.

BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF ends with a tribute to Mez.

Venmo  @mdm773

For Episode 24 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we will fill our mouths with the Miracle Of Birth as we bite into The Authentic Napoletana Pizza! We will explore the origins of the art, science, and culture of pizza making, and we will discover what makes an authentic pizza in these modern times. Napoletana Pizza is actually protected by UNESCO and one must become a certified pizzaolo in order to make these authentic Italian creations. We will go through the ingredients, recipes, and processes. We'll end with BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF with little tales from the experiences of actual pizza delivery guys.

To donate to this podcast, Venmo to @mdm773. 10% of donations are going to Second Harvest Food Bank to help Southern Louisiana recover from Hurricane Ida.

Episode 23 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is called, God as The Manifestations of The Laws of Science. Mars continues on meditations on the nature of God; is that nature in direct conflict to the laws of science? Do they co-exist, in some form? Are God and Science one and the same? Creationism is discussed alongside such laws of science as the Big Bang Theory, Evolution/Natural Selection, and the Theory of Relativity. Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf closes out today's edition with a reading of an excerpt from The Beatitudes, found in the New Testament.

To contribute to this podcast, please send a donation via Venmo, @mdm773. 10% of donations will go to Second Harvest Food Bank in Southern Louisiana, to help in the effort to recover from the Hurricane Ida disaster. Thank you.