Inappropriate Conversations

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.

On Saturday, December 8, 2018, CBS will broadcast "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" for the second time this year. It's a perfect time to look back on an Inappropriate Conversations audio commentary soundtrack for the holiday classic. 

Looking back at the 2018 Pride48 Podcast Expo in New Orleans with great memories of how the event went, looking forward to next time. 
Also, an attempt to take recent SCOTUS nominee testimony before the U.S. Senate judiciary committee seriously, and where that ultimately leads.

Different Drummer: Yvette Nicole Brown

The JV Club #25

Live from Pride48 New Orleans Podcasting Expo 2018:

Allies

Intersections

Different Drummer(s)

Loving someone as they are, and hiding who they are

Rogers' message: you are not a mistake

Peaceful Neighbor

Understanding the quiet gay activism of Mister Rogers

Vanity Fair interview with Francois Clemmons

Different Drummer: Francois Clemmons and Fred Rogers

Special thanks to Nicole Villacres from Greetings From Nowhere and Pride48.