• LGBTSR

    Devil’s Wood Chapter 3: Who’ll Stop the Rain? (AUDIO)

    February 2, 2026 /

    Devil’s Wood begins when two boys wander into the woods outside Lambertville, New Jersey, and uncover a strange walking stick buried in the soil. One boy feels an immediate, nameless dread and keeps his distance; the other is drawn to it, pulling it free and revealing a grim truth beneath the earth—a human skull buried alongside the object. The discovery hints at an old, unfinished wrong, and a wood that has long remembered what was done there, waiting patiently for someone to find it.

    The stick first surfaces in the life of Peter Brightly, a forty-two-year-old antique dealer struggling to hold together the fragments of his life after a painful divorce. As Peter becomes increasingly attached to the object, his health, judgment, and moral center begin to erode. The wood exerts a quiet pull, the past presses closer, and Peter is forced to confront how far he is willing to go to protect his own sanity.

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  • LGBTSR,  Savvy Senior

    Savvy Senior: Do I Need to File a Tax Return This Year? 

    February 1, 2026 /

    By Jim Miller

    Dear Savvy Senior,

    What are the IRS income tax filing requirements for retirees this tax season? I didn’t file a tax return last year because my income was below the filing threshold, but I got a part-time job in 2025, so I’m wondering if I need to file this year.

    Semi-retired Joe 

    Dear Joe,

    Whether you need to file a federal income tax return this year depends on several factors: how much you earned in 2025, the source of your income, your age, and your filing status.

    Here’s a quick guide to this year’s IRS filing thresholds. For most people, it’s straightforward: if your gross income (all taxable income, excluding Social Security benefits unless you’re married and filing separately) is below the threshold for your filing status and age, you generally do not need to file. But if it’s over, you will.

    2025 IRS Federal Filing Thresholds:

    • Single: $15,750 ($17,750 if you’re 65 or older by Jan. 1, 2026).
    • Married filing jointly: $31,500 ($33,100 if one spouse is 65 or older; or $34,700 if you’re both over 65).
    • Married filing separately: $5 at any age.
    • Head of household: $23,625 ($25,625 if 65 or older).
    • Qualifying surviving spouse: $31,500 ($33,100 if 65 or older).

    For a detailed breakdown, including taxable vs. nontaxable income, you can request a free copy of the IRS “1040 and 1040-SR Instructions for Tax Year 2025” by calling 800-829-3676, or view it online at IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf. 

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  • Health Beat,  LGBTSR

    Health Beat: Sleep Changes with Age, and What Can Help

    January 31, 2026 /

    By Mark McNease

    Another night, another wake up at 3:00 am. It doesn’t matter that we’re in California and it’s three hours ealier – the routine is the same. Having talked about this to many people my age, it seems like it’s just part of the changing sleep patterns that come with getting older. I’ve gotten use to it, but on those rare occasions when I wake up at 5:00 am, or even 4:30, it feels like I’ve slept late.

    If you’ve experienced this same phenomenon you’re not imagining things, and you’re definitely not alone. As we get older, sleep often changes in frustrating ways. Falling asleep takes longer for many people, although that’s never a problem for me. I often drift off halfway through a TV show at 8:30 p.m., maybe 9:00 p.m., and consider it a win if I get six hours of sleep. Then I wake up at 3 a.m. for no clear reason and lie there thinking about an acceptable time to get out of bed. Being in bed awake in the middle of the night doesn’t work for me: I explain it as feeling the way I imagine a turtle on its back feels. I just want to get up. Nothing is quite as disturbing to my fragile peace of mind as imagining terrible things in the dark while I’m stranded on my back.

    One of the most important things to understand is that sleep changes with age are normal, but chronic exhaustion, if that’s a result, is not something we have to accept. Our bodies produce less melatonin as we age, and our internal clocks tend to shift earlier. That means lighter sleep, more awakenings, and earlier mornings. Add in medications, aches and pains, hot flashes, anxiety, or sleep apnea, and it’s no wonder rest can feel elusive. (I’ve been using a CPAP machine for seven years, and it’s not weight-related, which many people assume.)

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  • LGBTSR

    This Week’s Fun Facts: The Mysteries of Greenland Revealed

    January 21, 2026 /

    Some things you may not know about Greenland

    It’s drifting west, literally.
    Greenland sits on the North American tectonic plate and moves about 2–3 centimeters west each year. Tiny, but measurable with GPS.

    There are no roads between towns.
    You can’t drive from one city to another. Travel happens by boat, plane, helicopter, snowmobile, or dogsled depending on the season.

    Greenland has its own name, and it’s not Danish.
    In the local Inuit language, the country is called Kalaallit Nunaat, meaning “Land of the People.”

    Ice hides a canyon bigger than the Grand Canyon.
    Beneath the ice sheet lies a massive canyon system over 750 km long, discovered using radar. It was completely unknown until 2013.

    Time works differently near the Arctic Circle.
    Parts of Greenland experience months of nonstop daylight in summer and months of darkness in winter with no sunrise or sunset at all.

    Most people live on a thin coastal strip.
    About 80% of Greenland is covered by ice, so nearly the entire population lives along the coast—often wedged between mountains and sea.

    Greenlandic words can be very long.
    The Greenlandic language (Kalaallisut) is polysynthetic, meaning entire sentences can be packed into a single word.

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  • DEVIL'S WOOD AUDIO,  LGBTSR

    Devil’s Wood Chapter 2: Going, Going, Gone (AUDIO)

    January 21, 2026 /

    Devil’s Wood begins when two boys wander into the woods outside Lambertville, New Jersey, and uncover a strange walking stick buried in the soil. One boy feels an immediate, nameless dread and keeps his distance; the other is drawn to it, pulling it free and revealing a grim truth beneath the earth—a human skull buried alongside the object. The discovery hints at an old, unfinished wrong, and a wood that has long remembered what was done there, waiting patiently for someone to find it.

    The stick first surfaces in the life of Peter Brightly, a forty-two-year-old antique dealer struggling to hold together the fragments of his life after a painful divorce. As Peter becomes increasingly attached to the object, his health, judgment, and moral center begin to erode. The wood exerts a quiet pull, the past presses closer, and Peter is forced to confront how far he is willing to go to protect his own sanity.

    Read More
  • DEVIL'S WOOD AUDIO,  LGBTSR

    ‘Devil’s Wood’ Cover Survey, PLUS Listen to Chapter 1: Sticks and Stones

    January 19, 2026 /

    I’m 10 chapters into my new book, Devil’s Wood, about a cursed and ancient walking stick that brings ruin to anyone who posseses it. But why? Where did it come from? Who made it? And can the evil in the Devil’s wood be stopped?

    HELP ME CHOOSE A COVER! TAKE THE SURVEY HERE (limited to 40 responses). Cover on the left? Cover on the right? A combination of the two, or start over?

    And now …. I’ll be publishing one chapter each week of the audio version right here. You can check back every week, or SUBSCRIBE TO MY SUBSTACK, On the Write Path With Mark McNease, where I’ll be sharing it with my subscribers every Monday.

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  • LGBTSR

    LGBTSr Now Has Text To Speech (TTS)

    January 18, 2026 /

    Great news for readers and listeners alike. LGBTSr.com now offers TTS (Text-to-Speech), a feature that provides an audio version of every article, column and blog post. Whether you’re visually challenged, or simply giving your eyes a break, you can now listen to the articles we offer every week. It’s all part of our ongoing mission to make content more accessible, inclusive, and enjoyable for everyone.

    For older adults and just passersby who prefer listening over reading, or anyone with visual challenges or busy hands, this feature is for you. Service has been at the heart of my mission with this for 15 years, and it’s going to keep growing this year. Stay tuned, and fasten your headphones.

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  • Book Bin,  Book Reviews,  LGBTSR

    From the Book Bin: Chuck Wendig’s Stairway to Horror

    January 16, 2026 /


    By Mark McNease

    I’ve been a fan of Chuck Wendig’s ever since I read his fantastic Black River Orchard.  He writes what I call literary horror, something I aspire to myself. He also lives not far from here, but I don’t know where. I just recognize Bucks County, PA, and the towns he uses in his stories – some real and some fictional. I also really like his blog Terrible Minds, where he reviews apples, talks about writing, and offers his sometimes bleak critiques of a world spiraling into madness. I’m currently reading his latest book, The Staircase in the Woods (April, 2025). It’s another knockout, and this week’s choice from the Book Bin.

    Image

    But first, About Chuck Wendig in his own words

    Wait, Who The Hell Is This Guy?

    Chuck Wendig is the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers, The Book of Accidents, Wayward, Black River Orchard, and more than two dozen other books for adults and young adults. A finalist for the Astounding Award and an alumnus of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, he has also written for comics, games, film, and television. He’s known for his popular blog, terribleminds, and books about writing such as Damn Fine Story. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his family.

    Terribleminds is his blog. Here he rambles on about writing, parenthood, food, pop culture, and other such shenanigans. It is NSFW and NSFL.

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  • LGBTSR

    Fun Facts: Some Surprising National Days in January

    January 7, 2026 /

    • Jan 8 – National Bubble Bath Day 🛁
      Self-care, but make it bubbly

    • Jan 11 – National Milk Day 🥛
      Surprisingly wholesome

    • Jan 14 – National Dress Up Your Pet Day 🐕👑
      The internet’s true holiday

    • Jan 20 – National Cheese Lover’s Day 🧀
      A lifestyle, really

    • Jan 21 – National Hugging Day 🤗
      Consent-based hugs encouraged

    • Jan 23 – National Pie Day 🥧
      Sweet or savory, no judgment

    • Jan 24 – National Compliment Day 💬
      Free and underrated

    • Jan 31 – National Backward Day ⏪
      Wear your shirt inside out. Why not?

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