Each week R-Mean has been releasing brand new music as part of his Mean Mondays series. Last week, the Los Angeles based emcee teamed up with none other than KXNG CROOKED for the 9th installment. On the track Deeper Than Rap, R-Mean and Crooked exchange dope rhymes over a Pharomazan produced instrumental. Fans who enjoy the record are encouraged to go back and catch up on R-Mean’s Mean Mondays as soon as possible.
I love listening to NPR. My other obsession: I am crazy about podcasts. There is something about audio consumption that is just so comforting to me. It reminds me of my childhood when my step mom would read Harry Potter to my brother and I before we went to bed. It’s not just news I enjoy but the personal stories that I can learn about from so many different shows. Now, I have my own “story” time when I’m doing the laundry, driving home from class or taking my dog for a walk.
I could go on and on about the ones I love, but here are my top three. Do yourself a favor and follow these podcasts. Download the NPR app and start listening. You won’t regret it.
Modern Love is a sort of an extension to the Modern Love column that is printed in the New York Times. David Jones is the editor of the column and advisor to the show. What I love about this podcast is just as they describe “a show about love, loss and redemption,” there are no limits to which type of love can find its way into the story. In some episodes, I’ve listened about the love of a turtle, the loss of two dogs or the love of friendship. Modern Love knows no bounds and does not discriminate against those of the LGBTQ community either.
Some of the same stories are in print for the New York Times, but what I find unique about listening to the podcast is that a famous actor will read the story, and afterwards, the host will talk with the author. Sometimes the story happened years ago, and you get an update on how their lives are going now. Also, Jones comes on at the end to talk about why he thought the story needed to be told on Modern Love.
Two recent episodes I’ve listened to is A Life Plan for Two read by Olivia Munn and Learning Humanity from Dogs read by Ethan Hawk. The first one is about teenage love that blossoms over time, resulting in just two people stuck in the friendzone. The author is now a comedian and she and her friend still receive letters rooting for the two to get together. The story read by Hawk is about a man who is fighting for his sobriety when his wife unexpectedly leaves him. He returns to his empty house with his two giant, St. Bernard dogs. His heartbreaking and inspiring story is about how he learned unconditional love from his dogs.
Speaking of unconditional love, BBC’s World Service Outlook podcast is amazing. Often times, they interview people from all over the world who have been captured or tortured, or simply in a very trying situation that they were able to overcome. The most shocking recent episode was about a Georgian woman who is the mother of a sociopath. A very tragic story. Right at the top of the show, we learn about her background and her own personal battles. Then, the listener learns about what her son did to earn this diagnosis. It is chilling. It is truly a miracle that this woman was able to overcome her son’s crime and speak about his condition so objectively.
Another amazing story on Outlook is the episode called Awake But Trapped Inside My Body. Since eleven years old, a young girl has been struck with a rare neurological condition where she loses control of her body. For several years, she is consciously aware and left with her own thoughts, but unable to do anything with her body. She was an aspiring Olympic swimmer when her world came to a halt. She also talks about the book she wrote about her experiences, detailing how the medical workers were very unprofessional when they think a patient can’t hear them. Her story was absolutely compelling.
Last, but certainly not least is Fresh Air. This show was the reason I started downloading podcasts. I would miss the last half of the show driving home listening to the radio. What I love about Fresh Air is the variety of the podcast. Often times, there is something to do with literature, music, popular culture, politics or personal stories. It’s truly amazing. The host Terry Gross has been on the show since it first started in the 1980s. Gross’s ability to listen and not judge is endearing — she is able to ask her guests some of the most difficult questions.
Recently award-winning chef José Andrés joined Gross to talk about the chaos that ensued in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. He explains how chefs and customer service people are able to handle chaos and adapt quickly. Andrés’ helped prepare 100 thousand meals a day. It was amazing to learn the impact he’s making by using his skills as a chef.
Another interesting podcast is Breaking Free From The Evangelical Purity Movement by author Linda Kay Klein about the shame caused by churches that “claim women and girls are responsible for the sexual desires of men.” She walks the listener through her love of the church and how her mother’s love for the Evangelical church lead her there. After years of shame and feeling unworthy for having kissed her boyfriend, she left the church in her 20s. She talks about how she has had to manage the shame and guilt while still trying to keep her faith intact.
Podcasts are like books for the ears. Find Modern Love, BBC World Service Outlook and Fresh Air when you download your podcasts. They’re all good about offering new episodes frequently so you’ll never get bored listening to their shows. You can thank me later.
I am a roaming Catholic. Most people think of “roaming Catholics” with a smirk, meaning someone who is Catholic and attends Mass regularly, but who does not belong to a parish. I am not one of those.
That being said, I do LOVE to travel. For pilgrimage, or for pleasure, memories made together on the road are dear to my heart. We often go to Orlando, FL and have frequented Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and other adventures that have made their way into the area. We leave on the Friday before our week away and arrive in Kissimmee, FL, on Saturday afternoon. After check in, we leave again. The Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe is our destination.
Many people who are traveling do not always attend Mass. Their missed obligation is confessed or shrugged away, “We’re out of town, God doesn’t mind…” Or does He?
On Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass; they are also to abstain from those labors and business concerns which impede the worship to be rendered to God, the joy which is proper to the Lord’s Day, or the proper relaxation of mind and body. 1. The precept of participating in the Mass is satisfied by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day. (Canon 1247-1248)
Anyone who knows my dad understands that missing Mass on a Sunday is out of the question. It simply isn’t done. He searched for a church in the yellow pages to fulfill our family’s obligation. And what a church we found in the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe, It is simply breathtaking and its history is amazing, answering the needs of those who flock to Orlando for entertainment and needing their Sunday Obligation met. The place was built with donations from the faithful and is growing to this day. With gorgeous grounds, including a Rosary garden, the place is a destination for Catholics.
Each Mass begins with a greeting and the priest always asks where everyone is from. The Catholic Church is truly universal! We’ve seen worshippers from all walks of life attend Mass at this sacred place. We’ve seen people come in dressed in their Sunday best and some in their theme park attire, complete with fanny packs and Mickey ears. We attend the Saturday Vigil Mass, thanking God for a safe journey and with gratitude for the fun we are about to have.
Speaking of gratitude, there was one family trip that I will never forget. My cousin and I found a European cruise when she was beginning college and planned to save up for four years to go. We were to go to Barcelona, Capri, Naples, Rome, Florence, Monte Carlo, Nice and Avignon. Such a trip was highly anticipated and even though my husband and I had gotten married and had a delightful honeymoon, he happily joined the plans. Our godmother came with us and, as a surprise for my cousin, upgraded their two tickets to first class.
Trouble struck the minute we arrived at the airport. Our arrival in Barcelona was to be a day before the ship set sail from its port, and we felt that this was a clever way for us to try and shake off the jet lag. What we didn’t know was that the plane that was to carry us to Atlanta’s International airport was late. If we were very lucky, we would get to Atlanta JUST in time to run through the airport and reach our flight to Barcelona.
The flight from Shreveport to Atlanta was excruciating. We eagerly awaited our arrival with cold sweat on our palms. Upon our arrival, we had to run to the OPPOSITE end of the airport. In the confusion two of our party were separated and went to the wrong terminal. Our frantic calls to their cell phones went unanswered. We actually boarded the plane without them.
Saying as many Hail Marys under our breath as one can in the allowed time, we were relieved to see their faces. It seemed that the plane couldn’t leave because there was some first class luggage that was to be loaded onto the plane. My aunt’s and cousin’s luggage as it turns out, and because they were first class, our luggage was loaded as well. Whew!
When we toured Barcelona the next morning, we visited the Cathedral. It was amazing, and there was a Vigil Mass that afternoon. Because the Church is truly universal, we could follow the order of the Mass. It was amazing to hear it in another language, and it was in Catalonian, not Spanish. We could still worship as we knew all the times to respond. We were eternally grateful for arriving safely and praised God for His help on our journey. •