Inappropriate Conversations

Inappropriate Conversations and Walk The Earth podcasts are now available on Spotify. It's a transition that will include reintroducing some of the oldest episodes of each, over time, in a process I've called TalkBacks. 

Different Drummer: Johann Sebastian Bach

For two consecutive years now, the Pride48 podcasting expo in New Orleans has been a landmark in summertime vacation plans. Each year has been a combination of seeing old friends again and meeting new ones. These are conversations I intend to continue.

Different Drummer: Bernie Taupin

"He's my brother. Let us live in peace." (Taupin)

The concept of parental control, even censorship, was clearly a part of my upbringing. I could cite numerous examples of inconsistencies, though:
Three's Company, Soap, American Graffiti, National Lampoon's Animal House, Queen, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Harold Robbins (The Betsy), Xaviera Hollander (The Happy Hooker), Hermann Hesse (Siddhartha), Alex Comfort (The Joy of Sex, More Joy of Sex), Bari Wood & Jack Geasland (Twins).

Different Drummer: Dolly Parton

George In Atlanta #52

It is not possible for me to look back to February 2012 and Inappropriate Conversations #81 and not think of community. It's particularly true this year. This recording would not have been possible without a strong, supportive online community, one that now seems to be gone. At the same time, another online community, Pride48, is providing deeply meaningful support for its participants at the news that one of our podcasters has died, too young and suddenly. This is the right time for the voices of old friends to be ringing in my ears.

RIP, Matthew Ulmen

November and December of 2014 included an intense focus on Christmas as a holiday for Inappropriate Conversations, and in many ways this year's TalkBack series is an echo of that time. As I did at the beginning of these look-backs, I'm going to inverse the order of two shows posted back then. A few weeks ago, I did that based on the start of Advent. This time, I'm going to do it based on the combination of Boxing Day, December 26th, and the true beginning of the "12 days of Christmas" starting after the holiday itself. Neither show relies heavily on the calendar date, but it's nice to mix things up. 

I've noticed that the Different Drummers throughout this series were all musicians. That will change with the next TalkBack post. This one, though, focuses very heavily on the Different Drummer and his music and lyrics. 

December 14th as the release date for this TalkBack of Inappropriate Conversations is not a coincidence. Looking back to December 2012, I wanted to speak broadly about secular visions of Nativity, but a mass murder at an elementary school could not be ignored. The episode is segregated, with the sadness and anger at the end. Now, 6 years later, it seems like we've had countless aftershocks to that mass-murder earthquake, and it's fair to ask if we've become numb -- some willingly, valuing possessions over people, and some as a psychological defense mechanism.

I also referred to circumstances in the same Connecticut crime a couple of months later, talking about my first experience staring down the barrel of criminal's gun.

All the same, Merry Christmas from Inappropriate Conversations and Walk The Earth!

AMC is televising "Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey" for the 2018 holiday season, with (sometimes very early) morning broadcasts on December 12th, 21st, and 24th. It isn't a Rankin-Bass classic, but it is worth the time to look back at the 1977 half-hour special. So far, the only commentaries of this sort I've done have been for Rudolph and Nestor. Make of that what you will.