With the recent Blood Moon event, we take a moment to consider how this would have been interpreted in past millennia. The Eastern mystics or wise men had already charted the heavens and were skilled in mathematics, so they would probably predict what could occur in the heavens. But there were plenty of ordinary folk who weren’t so well informed, and were likely to imagine all kinds of scenarios, including super-natural powers or beings.

Ignorance was also a factor with the realisation that there were plenty of gay people in the world, and we are grateful for authors like James Baldwin and Randy Shilts for their spirited explanation of the circumstance in which they found themselves, as they came out and coped with the society around them at that time, in the mid-to late 1900s, and the unfolding of the AIDS crisis. We note the ever-changing media landscape, with newspapers closing and being replaced with irresponsible social media.

We take a moment to sympathise with our northern hemisphere friends – who find themselves at the mercy of Mother Nature with disastrous bush fires, heatwaves and loss of life.  Is this the new normal, we ask? Is climate change really happening?

Opening the Anniversary Book, we have a chance to reflect upon some icons of our times, including gay Danish author Hans Christian Anderson, died 4/8/1875, a reclusive odd fellow best known for his fairy stories; and UK pop singer Geri Halliwell Spice Girl, born 6/8/1972; and Australian pop singer Vanessa Amorosi, born 8/8/1981.

Listen to these stories, opinions and more – presented with some merriment by Chris, Gordon & Phil.

Show #815 – First broadcast on 31 July 2018

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