Episode 22 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is dedicated to the largest fresh water system in the world, THE GREAT LAKES. Learn some fun facts & figures about these sea-like bodies of water, that harbor their own deep and dark secrets, unknowable to even those who love them and live amongst their shores, all while using them for entertainment and as a trashcan. We will end with Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf with a reading of an excerpt from the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow epic poem, THE SONG OF HIAWATHA.

If you'd like to donate to this podcast, Mars' Venmo account is @mdm773. 10% of all donations will go to the Second Harvest Foodbank, the largest charitable anti-hunger network in Southern Louisiana, in the wake of Hurricane Ida. My sincerest and most heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this storm and other environmental catastrophes pummeling our nation.

The subject of Episode 21 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is Universal Basic Income, or UBI, for short. I will talk about this implement in the so-called War On Poverty, its modern day roots in the Johnson and Nixon administrations, some history behind it, and its pros and cons. This episode is slightly longer than most, because there's so much to examine and it's a timely topic. I end with a few answers submitted when I posed the question: What Is The Greatest Pleasure You Have Ever Felt?

Episode 20 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS explores the world of Artificial Intelligence, or AI. We attempt to keep the science separate from science fiction as we talk about what is soon on horizon for the human workforce/consumer, as AI emerges from the realm of imagination into reality. We'll also discuss how important ethics and ancient wisdom are in correlation to futuristic technology. We end with Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf with an excerpt from THE DEFENDERS, a sci-fi short story by Philip K. Dick.

Episode 19 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is Part II to last week's episode, but also works as a stand-alone. Last week, we discussed the psychology of Batman. This week, we explore him as a sort of Jungian archetype. He represents both the Hero and the Shadow. We'll discuss the Hero's Journey and Shadow Work/Facing the Dark Side of the Collective Unconscious. We end with Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf with a reading from HEART OF DARKNESS, by Joseph Conrad.

For today's episode, we will move with stealth and style through the mind of a very human superhero, The Caped Crusader, The Dark Knight...The Batman. We will revisit a brief history behind the comic book character and his popularity. We will then tap into the psyche of Bruce Wayne/Batman and discover his motives. Along the way, we may discover something of ourselves. Batman - purely human - is our hero and our mirror.

Episode 17 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS focuses on Silas Jayne, a wily and criminal-minded owner of horse stables and a ruthless horse trader. Well connected with the mob and the police, Jayne apparently got away with murder, many times - including the slaying of his own brother, and that of missing candy heiress, Helen Brach. We will end with Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf with a reading from THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW, by Washington Irving.

Episode 16 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS features Mars as a news reporter, reporting on news items that did not make Page One...or Page Forty Six, for that matter. MESSINA ON DA SCENE reports newsworthy news that is a bit off the beaten path. We end with Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf with a reading of the W.B. Yeats poem, THE SECOND COMING.

Episode 15 provides medical and psychological evidence that fun is a vital part of an adult's health. It is not a luxury, nor should one suffer a guilt trip for having fun. It is part of life and a factor in aging gracefully. I will give suggestions on how an adult can recapture that childlike experience of having fun and I will talk about the following activities: Parkour, Swimming/Aqua Aerobics, Dungeons & Dragons, and Geocaching...all of which can be done at any age, and at any level of fitness or intelligence.

Today, we explore the Superstition Mountain range, located east of Phoenix, Arizona. This terrain serves as a beautiful landscape within the Valley of The Sun, and is a favored place for hikers, campers, and other adventurers. It is also home to supernatural phenomena and unexplained death. The Superstitions are sacred land to the Native Americans, particularly to the Apache Tribe. I will be talking about some of the folklore and mystery that surrounds these mountains, my own superlative experience hiking the Superstitions, and Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf features an old Indian tale called, THE WATER JAR BOY.

Today's topic is on God, specifically, God The Mother & The Divine Feminine and - even more specifically - the role she played/plays in the Ancient Hebrew culture/religion and how she even appears in monotheistic, patriarchal Christianity (and I'm talking about The Eternal, Ancient Heavenly Mother, rather than Mary of Nazareth, who wasn't called "Mother of God" until 3rd Century, CE). Bedtime Stories From The Acoustic Bookshelf features an excerpt from the poem, "The Naked Goddess".