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Book Review: The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten, by Philipp Schott, DVM
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezThe Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten, by Philipp Schott, DVM
c.2022, ECW Press $17.95 280 pagesOh, those tiny little claws are sharp!
You don’t expect something that small to draw blood, but there it is on the back of your hand. Fortunately, the pain is overwhelmed by the big ears and the huge eyes and the tail like a car antennae. You fell in love with your kitten one-point-three seconds after it landed in your hands and in the new book “The Battle Cry of the Siamese Kitten” by Philipp Schott, it does more than purr!
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The Weekly Readlines December 16
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a feature at LGBTSr.com, offering news you can use every week.
Quote for the Week: “I will never not fight back.” – Robin Tyler, comic and activist
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES First the good news: President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, ensuring federal protection for same-sex marriage and requiring states to honor marriages performed where they are legal. And the Biden administration proposed a crackdown on those ubiquitous (Not)Medicare Advantage plans.
Krysten Sinema surprised absolutely no one when she changed her party affiliation to Independent. If she needs another attention fix, she may well become a Republican. And Texas broke through the anti-trans floor to sink even lower, demanding personal information on all the transgender Texans it can find. Scary times.
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LGBTSr Subscriber Survey: How Do You Prefer the Weekly Readlines News Roundup?
Compiling the Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) news roundup takes the most time, so I’ve decided to send them all in the subscriber email as opposed to an excerpt and link. But … would you prefer to receive them as a separate email each week, or as the lead in the weekly LGBTSr email with other new content/links?
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Cat Talk Radio with Molly DeVoss and Co-Host Dewey: Urination Issues, with Brian C. Hurley, DVM
Medical issues play a huge role in what causes cats to urinate outside the litter box. Listen as Molly and Dr. Hurley talk about what some of the challenges are in diagnosing these problems in cats. They talk about the different types of conditions seen in felines and why some cases are recurring and very difficult to figure out. If your cat has ever had a litter box problem, or you want to know more in case problems arise, be sure to tune in!
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Savvy Senior: Little Known Property-Tax Relief Programs Help Seniors Save
Dear Savvy Senior,
I recently learned about a property-tax relief program for seniors in the county where I live. Apparently, there are hundreds of these programs across the country that many retirees, like me, are eligible for but don’t know about. What can you tell me about this?
Overtaxed Eddie
Dear Eddie,
Great question! Residential property-tax refund and credit programs exist in nearly every state, but unfortunately few people know about them. These programs can help retirees and many other Americans by reducing their property taxes. Here’s what you should know.
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Cover Reveal: ‘Triple Threat: 3 Marshall James Thrillers’ Releasing January 1
I’ll be starting 2023 with a bang, releasing the three books in the Marshall James Thrillers series as a single volume January 1 – and at just $6.99 for the eBook! Here’s the cover reveal. Look for a release-day update when we welcome in the New Year.
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The Weekly Readlines December 9
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a feature at LGBTSr.com, offering news you can use every week.
Quote for the Week“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” – Mark Twain
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIESFirst the good news: Georgia Senator Rafael Warnock WON! The Respect for Marriage Act heads to Biden’s desk. Brittney Griner was freed from Russian captivity. And that’s just the last 48 hours. What a week!
The manufactured case of graphic designer Lorie Smith, wannabe victim and Evangelical tool, afforded SCOTUS the chance to display its comedy chops, with Samuel Alito scoring big with a joke about Black kids in KKK costumes. Can an HBO special be far behind?
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The Twist Podcast #206: Warnock Wallops, Marriage Miracle, Top Tiny Gift Ideas, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose for a super busy news week: Senator Warnock locks it down for another six years, the Respect for Marriage Act heads to President Biden’s desk, Brittney Griner gets freed from Russian captivity, and so much more!
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Podcast Pick: Queer We Are, with Host Brad Shreve
Many of you will know Brad Shreve from his recently retired podcast Queer Writers of Crime, in with he interviewed a long and stellar list of authors specializing in LGBTQ+ mysteries and thrillers. Brad has launched a new podcasting venture and it’s a good one: Queer We Are. Brad has in-depth conversations with guests ranging from drag icon Miss Coco Peru, to author John Berendt, whose Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil was a sensation as a book and as a movie.
Each week on Queer We Are, Brad Shreve hosts LGBTQ performers, athletes, politicians, activists, and even people you never heard of making a difference in their neighborhood. Guests share motivational, yet entertaining stories about their successes, challenges, and what they learned along the way.
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On Dreamshaping: Treating Ourselves to Illness
Mark McNease
I recently spent several weeks with a cold—or a flu, or a sinus infection, or some dreadful combination of them all. A cough still lingers, the voice still gives out if I talk for more than a few minutes. This kind of seasonal illness has been with me for most of my life. It brings discomfort and frustration, dread at what awaits me in my elder years, and the perfect excuse to start reaching for those comfort foods and behaviors I believe I’m entitled to under the circumstances because I deserve this. It’s a way to quickly short-circuit any deeper or prolonged analysis of what’s really happening: I’m in a sate of discomfort, and I want something to make me comfortable that doesn’t require more effort than getting it from an ice cream container into my mouth.
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The Twist Podcast #205: Stocking Stuffers, Christmas Carcinogens, Holiday Listicles, and the Week in Headlines
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we welcome December and the end of 2022. What a year! We’ve got disgusting food trends, naughty stocking stuffers, our very own Bad Boys and Good Girls list, and the week in headlines.
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Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources: Ways to Reduce Caregiver Holiday Stress and Enjoy the Season
By Angelica Herrera Venson, DrPH, MPH
The following excerpt is reprinted with permission from Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources.
It’s surprisingly easy to push caregiver holiday stress aside. Some of us have the idea that the holidays are stressful for everyone, so we have no right to complain.
But, that’s simply not true.
The holidays are harder for caregivers than for many other people, as you have so much on your shoulders. Some caregivers even forgo family holiday activities entirely, as the person they’re supporting can’t participate.
Despite this, humans are resilient. Caregivers even more so. We know how to find out feet again, to get back up and keep going. We’ve learned, too, how to celebrate the good things. How to look for the bright small moments that make all the hard work easier.