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Biographer Gabriella Kelly-Davies Launches ‘Biographers in Conversation’ Podcast
“In this episode of Biographers in Conversation Gabriella chats with Bernadette Brennan about her book: A Writing Life. Helen Garner and her Work, a literary portrait of one of Australia’s most vital and revered authors.”
About Biographers In Conversation
Biographer Gabriella Kelly-Davies chats with biographers across the world about the multiplicity of choices they make while researching, writing and publishing life stories.
In each episode she explores elements of narrative strategy such as structure, use of fiction techniques, facts and truth, beginnings and endings and to what extent the writer interpreted the evidence rather than providing clues and leaving it to readers to do the interpreting themselves.
She also asks writers how they researched their books; how they balanced a subject’s public, personal and inner lives; and ethical issues such as privacy and revealing secrets.
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Twist Podcast Co-Host Rick Rose Featured on ‘Where Do Gays Retire?’ Podcast
I’m pleased to share that my Twist Podcast co-host Rick Rose was recently interviewed on the Where Do Gays Retire? Podcast, hosted by Mark Goldstein. LISTEN HERE.
Summary (from Where Do Gays Retire?)
Rick Rose, a retired producer, writer, and director, discusses his move from Shreveport, Louisiana to Madison, Wisconsin. He shares his reasons for choosing Madison and talks about the climate and amount of snow in the area. Rick also discusses the LGBTQ+ community in Madison and the absence of a specific gayborhood.
He highlights the growth and economy of Madison, the ease of making friends, and the presence of arts and culture in the city.
Rick also mentions the local food and dining scene in Madison. Madison, Wisconsin has a vibrant arts and entertainment scene, with a thriving comedy community and a diverse range of performances and events.
The city also has a strong public transportation system, with options for biking, electric transportation, and plans for an Amtrak center.
Healthcare in Madison is highly regarded, with access to quality providers and affordable insurance options.
While crime exists, Madison is considered a safe city overall. The city also has a significant Native American community and is working towards preserving and promoting Native American culture and tourism.
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Cathy’s Wealth of Health: Healing the Liver in Spring
By Cathy McNease, Dipl CH, RH
Healing the Liver in Spring
Spring has arrived with its chirping baby birds, windy weather and multitudes of fragrant blossoms. The Spring is associated with the Wood Element (Liver and Gall Bladder). We will be the healthiest when we attempt to attune our energies to that of the natural seasons around us. Imagine your energy is like that of a tree – if you observe the natural flow of the tree’s Qi (vital energy) through the seasons, you get an idea of being in harmony with Nature. In the winter the energy is deep in the trunk and roots, storing up for seasons to come. In spring the tree’s Qi (vital energy) moves upward and outward to the branches, forming buds.
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One Thing or Another: Pills for All Our Ills
One Thing or Another … a lighthearted look at life, aging, and the absurdities of it all.
Mark McNease
Too many episodes of heartburn after a meal? It must be GERD! Cholesterol numbers not what they should be? Here’s a statin!
I don’t know about your doctor—how could I?—but my primary care physician is one of those nice, softspoken, well-meaning doctors with a great office manner who reacts to every ill I present him with by prescribing some new medication. Most recently, it was something for Restless Leg Syndrome, which I dutifully took as prescribed for several weeks while I kept reading about its applications and side effects. Two things stood out: it can increase my risk of deadly melanoma, and it shouldn’t be stopped without first weaning off it for an extended period of time. Hmm, I thought, finger to lips while I processed this information. I’m not interested in making myself more vulnerable to skin cancer than I already am, as a fair-skinned older man of British and Irish descent. And I really don’t want to take something I can’t decide to stop taking without lowering the dose first over a period of weeks. I don’t have the patience for it, and I don’t like anything that can have its hooks that deeply into me.
Of course I stopped on my own, with just a day of real or imagined discomfort. The bigger issue for me is that my doctor, like too many others, made no attempt to determine if I do, in fact, have Restless Leg Syndrome. This kind of instant diagnosis happens all the time. Too many episodes of heartburn after a meal? It must be GERD! Cholesterol numbers not what they should be? Here’s a statin!
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The Weekly Readlines April 5
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
The right indulged in another manufactured freakout, this time over the White House Easter egg hunt, and Biden’s observation of the Trans Day of Visibility. The egg hunt has had the same rules about not including religious imagery for 45 years, and trans visibility day has been on March 31 since it began in 2009. Meanwhile, Trump escalates his fusion of politics and Christian nationalist grievance, declaring that election day will be ‘Christian Visibility Day.’ As if anyone could miss the most ubiquitous religion in America.
Costo weighs in on the weight-loss game with its new $179 three-month plan, in partnership with Sesame, its healthcare vendor. You can sign up after snagging their super popular $1.50 hot dogs with a whopping 700 calories. Seems like the perfect combo.
Disney shareholders rejected a push for an anti-trans policy in an explosive annual meeting, and the Talented Mr. Ripley got a remake on Netflix that has everyone calling it a masterpiece.
SMALL PLATES AND FINGER FOODS
LGBT Adults More Likely To Experience Discrimination In The Exam Room – MSN
A Queer Muslim HIV-positive Journey – POZ Magazine
Joe Biden Calls Trans People “Fabric Of Our Nation” In Trans Day Of Visibility Proclamation
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Dreamshaping: Name Your Poison
Narration provided by Wondervox.
Dreamshaping: On Shaping Reality and Living Our Dreams is a feature at LGBTSr on the ways we create our lives.
Mark McNease
Observing the current cultural and political climate, I’m reminded of a scene from the westerns once so popular with American moviegoers. A bartender in a grimy, dusty saloon, says to a weary customer, “Name your poison.” The customer asks for whiskey—they all drank whiskey in the movies, with names like Rot Gut and Dead Eye—and the bartender serves him from a bottle on the shelf. The customer throws back a mouthful from a greasy shot glass, grimaces as it burns its way down his throat, then smiles, slaps the glass on the counter and orders another one. That sure felt good.
Today we have many things to choose from besides whiskey as we name our poisons. We have twenty-four hour cable news channels to make sure we’re alarmed, angry and indignant. We have addictions of a breathtaking variety, from sex to nicotine to apps making us feel special with every little balloon bursting on our smartphone screens, while data miners dig further and further into what remains of our privacy. But like that weary cowboy in that filthy saloon, we like the way it feels going down and we order another one.
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Savvy Senior: How to Ease the Winter Blues
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
What can you tell me about seasonal affective disorder? I’ve always disliked winter, but since I retired and am home a lot more, the gray, cold winter months make me feel really blue.
Sad Sam
Dear Sam,
If you get depressed in the winter but feel better in spring and summer, you may indeed have seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a wintertime depression that affects roughly 5 percent of Americans.
In most cases, SAD is related to the loss of sunlight in the winter months. Reduced sunlight can upset natural sleep-wake cycles and other circadian rhythms that can affect the body. It can also cause a drop in the brain chemical serotonin, which affects mood, and can increase the levels of the hormone melatonin, which can make you feel more tired and lethargic.
If you think you may have SAD, a trip to your doctor’s office is the best way to diagnose it or you can take a SAD “self-assessment” test at the Center for Environmental Therapeutics website at CET.org/assessments. If you find that you have SAD, here are several treatment options and remedies that can help.
Jim Miller Light therapy: The most effective treatment for SAD is sitting in front of a specialized light therapy box for 20 to 30 minutes a day, within the first hour of waking up in the morning. Light therapy mimics outdoor light to cause a change in brain chemicals linked to mood.
While you can buy a light box without a prescription, it’s best to use it under the guidance of a health care provider and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Most health insurance plans do not cover the cost.
The best light therapy lamps provide 10,000 lux of illumination, many times stronger than typical indoor light, and have a diffuser screen that filters out ultraviolet rays and projects downward toward the eyes.
Some top-rated light therapy products include the Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Lamp ($145); Northern Light Technology Boxelite-OS ($205); and the budget friendly Verilux HappyLight Luxe ($70), all of which are available at Amazon.com.
Cognitive behavioral therapy: Even though SAD is considered to be a biological problem, identifying and changing thought and behavior patterns can help alleviate symptoms too. To help you with this, choose a therapist who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy and who has experience in treating SAD. To locate someone in your area, Psychology Today offers a search tool at PsychologyToday.com/us/therapists/cognitive-behavioral-cbt.
Antidepressants: Some people with SAD benefit from antidepressant treatments too. Some proven medications to ask your doctor about are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the extended-release antidepressant bupropion.
But keep in mind that it may take several weeks to notice full benefits from an antidepressant. In addition, you may have to try different medications before you find one that works well for you and has the fewest side effects.
Lifestyle remedies: Some other things you can do to help alleviate your SAD symptoms include making your environment sunnier and brighter. So, open up your blinds, sit closer to bright windows and get outside as much as you can. Even on cold or cloudy days, outdoor light can help, especially if you spend some time outside within two hours of getting up in the morning.
Moderate exercise such as walking, swimming, yoga and even tai chi can also help alleviate SAD symptoms, as can social activities.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
Comments, suggestions or encouragement always welcome! We’re listening …
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Cat Talk Radio with Molly DeVoss and Dewey Vaughn: Feeding Your Senior Cat
Senior cats, those seven years and older, require a different diet than younger cats. With the right nutrition, cats can live long, healthy, happy lives. Tune in to find out what you should be looking for in your senior cat’s food.
Cat Talk Radio is all about cats, what makes them do what they do, why they occasionally misbehave and what cat guardians can do to fix it. We educate you on how to modify unwanted cat behavior by providing the proper environment and stimulation, enabling cats to express their natural behaviors in ways that are preferable for both the humans and cats. You will learn how to have fun with your cat, fascinating cat facts and be inspired to try new things, which will lead to a happier relationship and closer bond with your cat. We’ll also call attention to the plight of cats in our country, feel compassion for their challenges and share the message.
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Now You Can Leave a Voice Message Directly for LGBTSr!
Now you can leave a voice message directly for LGBTSr, telling us what you like or making suggestions. Just CLICK HERE and record! It’s that simple. We hear you!
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Subscriber Giveaway! Enter to Win a LGBTSr Coffee Cup – the Perfect Stocking Stuffer
I’ll be giving away TWO LGBTSr branded coffee cups to two lucky subscribers. Enjoy your favorite beverage while you read your weekly LGBTSr email. All you have to do is subscribe HERE. I’ll be pulling two emails/names at random on December 25. It may take a week or two for shipping, but you’ll be cruising into the New Year with a lovely cup from a website dedicated to embracing age and celebrating life.
You can also browse all my branded merch at my MadeMarkShop.com site, should you wish to support all my projects with a purchase!
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One Thing or Another Column: So You Think That Hurts?
Narration provided by Wondervox.
A lighthearted look at life, aging, and the absurdities of it all.
By Mark McNease
Somewhere after our fiftieth spin around the sun our conversations begin to center less on our plans for the future, and more on our aches, pains, and possibly debilitating side effects of the medications many of us take. “What did you think of your weekend in the Poconos?” becomes, “Can this really cause crippling flatulence? My doctor said it’s rare.”
I never really wanted to know about sleep apnea, or bad cholesterol, or Restless Leg Syndrome. Yet here I am, finally enjoying the benefits of turning 65—Medicare card, Social Security, a near-complete indifference to the opinions of others—while I visit one specialist or another for all these ailments. Need a new CPAP machine? Have to get another sleep test! Wondering why my legs have ached for months? Here’s a prescription that probably won’t harm you in the short term. It’s also used for Parkinson’s, but I don’t have that, so no worries. It’s just twitchy, achy legs. And that cholesterol drug you’re only supposed to take for a few months? It’s been five years.
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The Weekly Readlines December 1
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a feature at LGBTSr offering news you can use every week.
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
Santa comes through early: Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler, husband of Bridget Ziegler, notorious co-founder of Moms for Liberty, has been accused of sexual assault … by the woman they’ve enjoyed a three-way with for years! Apparently no children were indoctrinated in the process.
Tiring of his own act, Tommy Tuberville has signaled he’ll lift his block on military promotions, with the exception of “woke” higher-ups, assuming someone can define a word no self-respecting woke person uses.
In her new book, Liz Cheney says Kevin McCarthy told her Trump knew he’d lost, and that his trip to Mar-a-logo shortly after the failed coup was an effort to get poor depressed Donald eating again.
The Koch network endorsed Nikki Haley, while the Mercers prepare to back Trump, guaranteeing Republican voters a choice between heinous and horrible.
Garden gnome-slash-Speaker of the House Mike Johnson declared Trump’s two impeachments “meritless,” and Hunter Biden agreed to testify before Congress providing it’s a public hearing. Fearing they’ll melt like vampires in the sun, Comer and his clown committee are not having it.
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Savvy Senior: Smart Home Devices to Help Seniors Age in Place
Narration provided by Wondervox.
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
I’ve been talking to my mobility challenged mother, who lives alone, about automating her house with some smart home products to make it more convenient. She’s very interested but we’d like to get your opinion as to which types of smart devices are most helpful for seniors aging in place.
Searching Daughter
Dear Searching,
If your mother is game, smart home products – such as smart lights, video doorbells and voice-activated speakers – can be very useful for aging in place. These devices can add safety and convenience to a home by providing voice and app-controlled operation, which is extremely helpful for seniors who have mobility issues or reduced vision.
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