What does a conductor do? Not trains -- orchestras. They're important, even if it seems like a mystery.

Who Leads an Orchestra (Colorado Symphony, May 19, 2023)

What Does a Conductor Actually Do? (Redlands Symphony, accessed Jan 12, 2026)

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*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

In heavy times, I often turn to Barber's "Adagio for Strings." Come share some space with me.

Adagio For Strings, Op. 11 (Leonard Bernstein YouTube, accessed Jan 11, 2026)

Adagio for Strings (Wikipedia, accessed Jan 11, 2026)

The Story Behind: Barber's "Adagio for Strings" (Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School, Apr 28, 2022)

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*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

Everyone has to go, so are we doing it responsibly? Eco-friendly toilet paper may be the answer, but they're not all created equal.

Eco-friendly toilet papers are trendy, but their actual environmental impacts vary (Isabella O'Malley, ABC News / AP, Jan 8, 2025)

https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/eco-friendly-toilet-papers-trendy-actual-environmental-impacts-129017394

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas just wrapped up, and some cool things are on the horizon. Also, scary things.

CES 2026 (Rio Yamat and Shawn Chen, AP, Jan 9, 2026)

CES 2026 live updates: See the latest news, surprises, and strange tech from LG, Samsung, and new startups (Shannon Connellan, Amanda Yeo, Crystal Bell, Eric Miller, and Timothy Beck Werth, Mashable, Jan 9, 2026)

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

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*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

Did you know that sheep are smart, have complex emotions, and like to crash discount supermarkets?

On the lamb: 50 sheep break away from flock and storm German supermarket (Deborah Cole, The Guardian, Jan 8, 2026)

10 fun facts about sheep (BCSPCA, accessed Jan 9, 2026)

15 fascinating sheep facts — learn more about sheep intelligence and emotions (World Animal Protection, Jun 6, 2025)

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*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

The Palm Beach Cardinals, a single-A affiliate baseball team, is temporarily going by the Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas in tribute to the summer-loving reptiles. Plus, other minor league stage names...

The Palm Beach Frozen Iguanas is the Sports Team South Florida Needed (B. Scott McLendon, Miami New Times, Jan 7, 2026)

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*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.

Welcome back, friends! After a hiatus over the 12 days of Christmas, I'm back. A brief catch up, and a chat about the public domain.

Heather Cox Richardson Substack (accessed Jan 6, 2026)

Betty Boop and 'Blondie' enter the public domain in 2026, accompanied by a trio of detectives (Andrew Dalton, AP, Dec 31, 2025)

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*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.l

Surprise -- I'm going on hiatus for the 12 days of Christmas! Condensed Soup will be back on January 7th with a brand new episode, refreshed and renewed. I leave you with some hopeful thoughts for 2026, and a reading of one of my favorite poems, "The Work of Christmas" by Howard Thurman.

Until January 7!

Instagram: @condensedsouppodcast

condensedsoup@proton.me

*This episode was recorded in a cruise ship cabin.