For Episode 122, MARS MESSINA PRESENTS shares a recent study out of USC's School of Gerontology that asserts that deep, controlled breathing reduces the proteins - Amyloid Beta 40 and 42 peptides - that are the "bad guys" and the catalysts that set off the progression of Alzheimer's Disease. The study states that deep, controlled breathing, done twice daily at 20 minutes each session, reduces these peptides in both young and old brains/bloodstreams. I will go into the nuances of this study, and ...
Aug 19, 2023•47 min
Episode 121 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS timelines the indictments made against the 45th President of The United States, Donald Trump. Four cases have been brought against him, with over 70 charges. We will timeline what happened when, and why. I am also predicting the outcome, whether he will be found guilty or not guilty. I am also predicting the winner of the 2024 presidential election. This episode runs long, so there is no BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF this week. To send correspon...
Aug 12, 2023•1 hr 6 min
For Episode 120 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we will talk about Leslie Van Houten, the now elderly ex-con, formerly the acid drenched, brainwashed, violent killer of the infamous Manson Family cult. We will talk about her surprisingly and comparatively normal, loving background and why she chose to turn her back on it. We will discuss the draw to Charles Manson and his commune and what propelled them from being free-loving hippies to ghoulish killers. We will address the processes of penitentiaries...
Aug 05, 2023•57 min
The topic of Episode 119 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is the conflagration that - per the laws of physics and chemistry - was a FIRE-NADO, known as The Great Chicago Fire. The fire began on the evening of October 8 and ended around midnight, October 10, of 1871. We will address all of the contributing factors that resulted in the firestorm that devastated Chicago, and we will unveil the mystery behind Mrs. O'Leary and her cow (no, they didn't start the fire). It's important to know how and why that ...
Jul 29, 2023•33 min
Episode 118 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS takes us to a relaxing mindscape, where we walk along the beach. Letting our physical and psychic tension melt away, we breathe in the air and the mists of tranquility and relaxation. We learn how to incorporate this creation of stillness into our daily lives. To send correspondence, email thisismarsmessina@gmail.com To donate to this podcast, Venmo @mdm773. Thank you.
Jul 22, 2023•28 min
Episode 117 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS asks the question: is it Consecrated Cash or Latter Day Lucre? In recent news, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (known colloquially as The Mormon Church or The LDS Church) has been accused of amassing more than $100 Billion in wealth and not using it for charity...or for anything, for that matter. Further, the Church was accused of evading taxes. We will talk about the investigation into this case and the investigation's results. We will also a...
Jul 15, 2023•58 min
In Episode 116 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we will discuss how not only are the skills of critical thinking and faith complimentary rather than conflicting, we will talk about each vis-a-vis creationism and evolution. We posit that both of these skills can and ought to be present in the contemplation of each of these theories, and that these theories are NOT mutually exclusive. We will outline how clarity of mind, and not a spirit of contention, can help us accept both theories - through both crit...
Jul 08, 2023•37 min
Episode 115 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS celebrates summertime by examining the history of amusement parks, from the very earliest pleasure gardens and right up to the virtual reality rides that thrill us today. We will talk about the different categories of rides and the various themes one finds in an amusement park. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF concludes this episode with a reading of the short poem, "Poems Written in the Pleasure Garden", by Thomas Hewitt. To send correspondence, e...
Jul 01, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 115
The idea for the topic of Episode 114 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS was a rather synchronous event; Mars chose this as a topic just before hearing the news of the missing submergible vehicle that reportedly imploded on its way down to the Titanic wreckage. Both are stories of how authorities cut corners on safety measures to save time and money...but ended up costing lives. We will discuss, in detail, what contributed to the crash of this DC-10 jet at O'Hare International Airport in May of 1979. We w...
Jun 24, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 114
Episode 113 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS reports the news that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is presently scoring higher in the polls than status quo candidates, President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump, who are pretty much in a dead heat for second place. While the election is about 17 months away, as of this writing, the poll shows a willingness of the average voter to consider a third option. Kennedy carries with him a powerful name and a staunch anti vax stance. Will one or the other place...
Jun 17, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 113
Who can be an expert at fianchetto, but has more stalemates than checkmates? Why, the chess player, of course. For Episode 112 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we will talk about the origins of the board game, Chess, and how this activity is an art, a science, AND a sport. As is wont on MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we will also discuss how playing chess is good for one's mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as possibly one's physical health. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF ends with an excerpt...
Jun 10, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 112
Episode 111 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is a True Crime episode devoted to the Leopold & Loeb homicide case. In an attempt to commit "the perfect crime", 19-year-olds Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb murdered Loeb's 14 year old cousin, Bobby Franks, in May of 1924. The case engendered worldwide fascination because of the viciousness of the crime, that the murderers were believed to be homosexual, and that the murderers and the victim were all Jewish. The case was mainly fascinating in that defen...
Jun 03, 2023•30 min•Season 3Ep. 111
For Episode 110 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we will explore the history of the ancient Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl. He is described both as a winged, plumed serpent and as a tall man with a white beard. Believed to be the Creator of the Universe, humankind, and the earth by the ancient Aztecs, they believed he would return to them. Tragically, as the Spanish conquistadors landed on their shores, the Aztecs thought that these bearded white sailors were gods rising from the waters. Instead, they discove...
May 27, 2023•37 min•Season 3Ep. 110
Episode 109 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS focuses on the similarities between the Man Made Of Clay in the Jewish mystical tale of The Golem, The Creature from Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's novel, FRANKENSTEIN, OR THE MODERN PROMETHEUS, and current AI technology. We will speak to the benefits, but mostly of the dangers, of humans playing God and giving life to that which is dead. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF ends this episode with an excerpt from, FRANKENSTEIN OR THE MODERN PROMETHEUS, ...
May 20, 2023•39 min•Season 3Ep. 109
Evil Gargoyles...Subterranean Lizard People....Prophecies of The Apocalypse...Headquarters of The Illuminati...these are only a few of the conspiracy theories that surround the Denver International Airport (DIA), and we will be talking about them and a few others for Episode 108 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS. We will end today's broadcast with a quote from Philip K. Dick. To send correspondence, email thisismarsmessina@gmail.com To donate to this podcast, Venmo @mdm773. Thank you....
May 13, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 108
Episode 107 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS explores the Top 10 Most Depressing Jobs. We will talk about what makes them depressing...while realizing how much society needs these fields and these workers in order to function. Why is there even a such thing as the idea of a thankless job, with its comorbidity of feelings of worthlessness? We will also discuss different reasons why people might feel worthless, while realizing that we do not have to take things personally. In fact, this feeling state of b...
May 06, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 107
Episode 106 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS devotes itself to the oft-sought-after but not-oft-voted-for "Outsider Candidate". We seem to thumb our noses at the independent candidate or a third party, yet we distrust the Two Party System in our representative democracy...or is that, our democratic republic...or....is it an oligarchy? We will revisit how often this nation chose an outsider for President, even if that outsider was actually part of the establishment - but successfully portrayed himself as...
Apr 29, 2023•46 min•Season 3Ep. 106
For Episode 105 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, we will discuss the emotion we call, Worry. We will draw attention to the distinction between healthy amounts of worry and incessant worry - or rumination - and an associated worry disorder known as Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Scientific research shows that most of the time, our worries never come to fruition and , when they do, we handle it much better than expected. We will learn how to cope with worry and turn it from the unhealthy type to the...
Apr 22, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 105
Episode 104 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS takes a close look at OpenAI's newest, and 4th, version of its chatbot called, ChatGPT. ChatGPT-4 is a large multimodal model (accepting image and text inputs, emitting text outputs) that, while (generally) less capable than humans in many real-world scenarios, exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic benchmarks. ChatGPT has only been available to the public since November 2022. In March 2023, Version 4 hit the scene by ACCURATELY...
Apr 15, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 104
Episode 103 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS celebrates the convergence of the Islamic holiday of Ramadan, the Jewish Passover, and the Christian Lent/Holy Week/Easter. Every 33-ish years, these holidays all fall at the same time. We will discuss each holiday, individually, and regard them - collectively - as a powerful time for all people to come together and pray for peace. Together, we can bring peace into the world. The ancient texts erupt from the mouth of God, pleading and commanding that we do so...
Apr 08, 2023•42 min•Season 3Ep. 103
Episode 102 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS requests that you find a comfortable place to lay down/sit, and wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing. We are taking a time out from the stress of the world. Mars knows places, and is going to take you there... To correspond with MARS MESSINA PRESENTS, email thisismarsmessina@gmail.com To donate to this podcast, Venmo @mdm773. Thank you.
Apr 01, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 102
Episode 101 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS takes up where we left off last week, when we talked about how a STEM education was once made much more effective and successful combined with a Liberal Arts education, and can be, again. This week, we are creating a new school concept that would revolutionize society and get us back on a winning track that creates a much more curious, creative, compassionate and well-rounded society. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF serves this new school idea up ...
Mar 25, 2023•58 min•Season 3Ep. 101
Episode 100 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS takes a close look at the history of our educational system. There was a short span of time when a student was fortunate enough to not only learn a trade or a profession, but had to take mandatory Liberal Arts classes. The first, of course, taught the student a specific career path and how to make money in it. The second taught the student how to think critically and inquisitively, with respect for differing opinions. Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, as ...
Mar 18, 2023•40 min•Season 3Ep. 100
Episode 99 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS explores the body's largest organ, the skin - aka, the integument. We will study the different strata and structures of the skin, and discover that it is - all at once - a communications system, an architectural structure, a military defensive system, a Streets & Sanitation unit, and a fashionista. We will also address the most common types of skin cancer, how it's treated, and how to prevent against it. BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF ends wit...
Mar 11, 2023•50 min•Season 3Ep. 99
Episode 98 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS reports the latest news concerning the almost Made-For-TV circus side show that is Alex Murdaugh's murder trial and his subsequent conviction of the double homicides of his wife and son. We will also take a look at the prominent family, who dominated the legal landscape of South Carolina for generations and had a voracious appetite for getting what they wanted...and getting away with what they wanted. They seemed to have even left quite a body count in its wak...
Mar 04, 2023•52 min•Season 3Ep. 98
Episode 97 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS is the first, and I hope not last, Book Review episode. This show's featured books are a mix of new, classic, fiction, non-fiction, novels, epic poems, and meditations. The FIVE books are: 1) THE PLAGUE, by Albert Camus, 2) THE CREATIVE ACT: A WAY OF BEING, by Rick Rubin, 3) JOHANNES CABAL THE NECROMANCER, by Jonathan L. Howard, 4) A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens, and 5) THE INFERNO from DIVINE COMEDY by Dante Alighieri and translated by poet laureate,...
Feb 25, 2023•38 min•Season 3Ep. 97
Episode 96 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS studies a scientific theory that is both ancient and modern, the field of PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY. We will trace the subject back to its beginnings, engendered through the teachings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Researchers have picked up these ancient studies, once again, in the last couple of decades. We seem to be aware of the body-mind connection, but what is the mechanism that makes this possible? THE VAGUS NERVE. Not only can the vagus nerve tell us t...
Feb 18, 2023•53 min•Season 3Ep. 96
Episode 95 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS takes a close look at the First Amendment of the US Constitution. We will address what it actually says, what it means, what it protects and does not protect, and how we apply it into our daily lives in an effective way and in a way that elevates society. Plato said that the law is "the ally of the city". So, why do we use it like a sledgehammer? BEDTIME STORIES FROM THE ACOUSTIC BOOKSHELF concludes with the short poem, "Justice", by Langston Hughes. To send c...
Feb 11, 2023•44 min•Season 3Ep. 95
Episode 94 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS launches with a quick news item, before getting on with the subject of the episode. The news item is concerning the Chinese high altitude balloon that has flown into US airspace. Is it a wayward weather balloon, like the Chinese claim? Or, is it a surveillance balloon sent deliberately, as the US reports? The main subject: how to create a "living" vision board that is actually useful in helping you clarify and attain your goals, dreams, and intentions. BEDTIME...
Feb 04, 2023•43 min•Season 3Ep. 94
Episode 93 of MARS MESSINA PRESENTS speaks on the mysterious, powerful and dangerous Chicago Outfit, a branch of the Mafia in the United States. At the height of its powers, the Outfit was involved in such things as racketeering, gambling, rum running, and other illegal and legal activities. They are also suspected of being behind an assassination attempt on Fidel Castro, and the realized assassination of President John F. Kennedy - not to mention helping him win the presidency, in the first pla...
Jan 28, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 93
