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  • Aditus

    Talk Talk

    By Aditus

    Conversations. Sometimes it’s too much, sometimes too little, formal, informal, clumsy, artificial, with another word: difficult. Let’s practice, Shall we? #253 Someone is on the bus. The guy beside them fidgets the whole time with an irritating tinkling bangle while telling them, it seems, their entire life story, including very personal things. It’s time to pop in the earbuds. When it’s time to get off the bus, the talker has disappeared and the strange bangle is now on th
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    • 56 views
Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Twenty

I suppose their use is waning these days, which is sad, but have you ever wondered about the origins of Christmas Seals? No, me neither, until I was wrapping presents last year and listening to some noble soul's compilation of old time radio holiday-themed shows. The following one relays the real-life struggle to establish and help fund the American Lung Association -- the parent company of the venerated seals -- in an effort to first combat tuberculosis (and afterwards, lung cancer). It is writ
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MDBCs 20 Dec 2023

December 20th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Abolition of Slavery Day, also known as Fête des Cafres (Réunion, French Guiana) Bo Aung Kyaw Day (Myanmar) Christian feast day: Dominic of Silos O Clavis Ursicinus of Saint-Ursanne Katharina von Bora (Lutheran)
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Nineteen

A great study of life, connections and death, Mon oncle Antoine (1971) is on my personal short-list of significant films. In it, young adolescent Benoît is an altar boy and general mercantile boy-of-all-work. Set during Christmas week, the young man sees funerals, a kid his own age die, his uncle's drinking problem and his aunt's infidelities. The makings of a great holiday film? You bet; one of the best because it reminds us what's really important in life, even in the midst of decay. Especiall
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MDBCs 19 Dec 2023

December 19th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Lillian Trasher (Episcopal Church) O Radix Pope Anastasius I Pope Urban V December 19 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Saint Nicholas Day
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Eighteen

The intrepid few of you brave enough to show you are follow these postings may not have encountered this story before. I humbly present it now as a worthy addition to any holiday reading list.   It was one of those laugh or cry situations. Here she was, trapped in a strange downtown on Christmas Eve, just letting the clock tick towards an unpleasant task on the twenty-sixth. It seemed no comfort at all that Washington Avenue was so beautiful. Colorless lights were everywhere: drap
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MDBCs 18 Dec 2023

December 18th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Flannán Gatianus of Tours O Adonai Sebastian (Eastern Orthodox Church) Winibald December 18 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Seventeen

Robert Nathan’s 1928 novel may seem unfamiliar to you, but the holiday episode from the book (starting with Chapter 11) has been adapted for the Christmas big- and small screen about half a dozen times. His Bishop’s Wife was first presented to movie-going audiences in 1947 as The Preacher’s Wife.   Here is the original to read https://archive.org/details/bishopswife0000robe/page/106/mode/2up   And here are two clips of Whitney Houston performing the title role in 1996
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MDBCs 17 Dec 2023

December 17th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Daniel the Prophet Josep Manyanet i Vives Lazarus of Bethany (local commemoration in Cuba) O Sapientia Olympias the Deaconess Wivina Stur
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Sixteen

A while back I was chatting with a young man one evening, and he asked me what I was doing. I replied "Watching Creature Comforts." Long story short, he had no idea what that was. I suppose these episodes are creaking up to an authentic "vintage" category (as with automobiles, 25 years old or older), so for all you Christmastime spring chickens out there, here is Aardman Animation Studio's 2005 Creature Comfort's Xmas show. Gotta love the powerhouse singing, scarf-mufflered bird!   https://
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MDBCs 16 Dec 2023

December 16th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Adelaide of Italy Haggai Ralph Adams Cram, Richard Upjohn and John La Farge (Episcopal Church (USA)) December 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Day of Reconciliation, formerly celebra
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Fifteen

The author represented today is one I gained an appreciation of only in 2023. He wrote a surprising number of works touching upon same-sex love, and favorably reviewed the work of others dealing with Gay themes. The following period piece ranks in quality with the best produced by the better-known likes of Edith Wharton, Anton Chekhov, and others. Please enjoy   I MR. AND MRS. CLARENCE FOUNTAIN Mrs. Clarence Fountain, backing into the room, and closing the door noiseless
Writing Stories

Of Pride and Power Chapter 15 is live

Chapter 15 Well that was an interesting encounter with the future Queen Mary I. It also highlights some very real-world issues with people of a certain ideological ilk, who play off victimization. I will warn everyone right now, I am going to make sure Mary I earns the title of Bloody Mary that historical epithets have honored her with. Her purges were bad in history, but imagine them several times worse and far more encompassing with modern techniques of propaganda. For a moment thoug
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MDBCs 15 Dec 2023

December 15th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Bill of Rights Day (United States) 2nd Amendment Day (South Carolina) Christian feast day: Drina Martyrs Drostan (Aberdeen Breviary) John Horden and Robert McDonald (Episcopal Church (USA))
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stories

A News Conference on Thrace (part 1)

"Darling, you must know at least half our guests will be spies." "Theonia, it's rude to call them spies on this planet. Thracians call them the press." Her Slavic smile always won any arguments, "Sorry Senator Harry. You shouldn't have married a daughter of New Moskava." The couple's twins arrived from the stairs that went up to the residence. Senator Harry Hanson looked up and motioned for them to come down, and they reluctantly approached. Bryan and Ryan, who were at 16 a pair o
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Fourteen

On the evening of December 14th, 1949, Harold Peary read Why the Chimes Rang by Raymond McAlden (1906) to his radio audience, live. The premise of this episode has Peary’s character – The Great Gildersleeve – trying to out-Christmas his rival for the attentions of his nurse girlfriend. However, the tale of Pedro and his brother changes his intent entirely. Please listen, because this is magic.   First, Harold Peary’s recitation of the tale (December 14, 1949): https://youtu.be
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MDBCs 14 Dec 2023

December 14th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Folcwin John of the Cross John III of the Sedre (Syriac Orthodox Church) Matronian Nicasius of Rheims Nimatullah Kassab (Maronite Church)
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Thirteen

Leopold Mozart -- Wolfgang's father -- was known for his tone poems. His Peasants' Wedding was very popular, and his Toy Symphony was copied out in full score and performed all over Europe, usually attributed to Joseph Haydn. But today we'll enjoy another of most evocative works of winter and holiday good cheer: A Sleigh Ride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwt6fQMjwFA&t=555s  
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MDBCs 13 Dec 2023

December 13th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Further information: December 13 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics) Christian feast day: St Antiochus of Sulcis St Judoc aka St Joyce St Lucy St Odile of Alsace Acadian Remembrance Day (Acadians) Nati
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Twelve

When society creates outcasts -- the weirdos, the queers, the nerds -- the rejected will oftentimes bring good into the world knowing few will ever praise it. The following is one such a tale, as two misunderstoods join forces.       High above the city, on a tall column, stood the statue of the Happy Prince. He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold, for eyes he had two bright sapphires, and a large red ruby glowed on his sword-hilt. He was very much admired indeed. “
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MDBCs 12 Dec 2023

December 12th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Corentin of Quimper Jane Frances de Chantal Edburga of Minster-in-Thanet Finnian of Clonard Thomas Holland Ida of Nivelles Peter the Aleu
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Eleven

Recorded live on the 8th of December 2013, Matthias Beckert leads the Thüringer Symphoniker Saalfeld Rudolstadt, the Montiverdi Chorus and soloists in Joseph Eybler’s Weihnachtsoratorium (Christmas Oratorio) from 1794.   Eybler, as conductor and composer, was admired by Mozart and one of three composers Constanze Mozart turned to to finish Wolfgang’s Requiem after his untimely death. Eybler’s Christmas Oratorio greatly inspired Joseph Haydn when he came to write his Seasons and Crea
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MDBCs 11 Dec 2023

December 11th 2023 - Holidays and Observances   (click on the day for details) Christian feast day: Cian Daniel the Stylite María de las Maravillas de Jesús Pope Damasus I Sabinus of Piacenza Victoricus, Fuscian, and Gentian December 11
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Twenty-Five Days of December

Twenty-Five Days of December -- Day Ten

A "boy left behind for Christmas" turns into a "boy meets boy" story? Read and find out   Satherwaite, '02, threw his overcoat across the broad mahogany table, regardless of the silver and cut-glass furnishings, shook the melting snowflakes from his cap and tossed it atop the coat, half kicked, half shoved a big leathern armchair up to the wide fireplace, dropped himself into it, and stared moodily at the flames. Satherwaite was troubled. In fact, he assured himself, drawing his h
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