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The Twist Podcast #210: Special Guest Susie Hobson Joins the Fracas!
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we welcome our guest Susie Hobson for a lively conversation about the day’s top news, listicles, conversation and comedy.
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The Twist Podcast #210: Special Guest Susie Hobson Joins the Fracas!
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we welcome our guest Susie Hobson for a lively conversation about the day’s top news, listicles, conversation and comedy.
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I Was a Gay Sneetch (Living in a Star-Belly World)
Subscribe to my Substack, Mark McNease on Topic, for musings, commentary and news.
Dr. Seuss was in the news again recently when a school administrator in Ohio stopped a reading of his classic, ‘The Sneetches,’ after a child compared the treatment of the starless Sneetches to racism. “It’s almost like what happened back then, how people were treated … like white people disrespected Black people, but then, they might stand up in the book.” It was insightful enough to startle the administrator, and she ended the reading of the book, which was being done as part of an NPR podcast.
I don’t have any patience for terms like ‘cancel culture’ (or ‘woke’ or ‘critical race theory’ or ‘groomer’), but it’s evident that silencing others is not the terrain only of one faction or another. Unfortunately, the right is always better at finding meaningless little nuggety words and phrases with which to assault people who don’t submit to their orthodoxy. ‘Cancel culture’ is just the sort of smug accusation that works for limited minds with no capacity for introspection. Meanwhile, right-wing extremism marches merrily along, doing its best to roll over and silence anything that challenges its privileged and fragile assumptions. There are few more potent and effective practitioners of cancel culture than Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Tucker Carlson, Libs of TikTok, and the entire right-wing echo chamber.
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I Was a Gay Sneetch (Living in a Star-Belly World)
Subscribe to my Substack, Mark McNease on Topic, for musings, commentary and news.
Dr. Seuss was in the news again recently when a school administrator in Ohio stopped a reading of his classic, ‘The Sneetches,’ after a child compared the treatment of the starless Sneetches to racism. “It’s almost like what happened back then, how people were treated … like white people disrespected Black people, but then, they might stand up in the book.” It was insightful enough to startle the administrator, and she ended the reading of the book, which was being done as part of an NPR podcast.
I don’t have any patience for terms like ‘cancel culture’ (or ‘woke’ or ‘critical race theory’ or ‘groomer’), but it’s evident that silencing others is not the terrain only of one faction or another. Unfortunately, the right is always better at finding meaningless little nuggety words and phrases with which to assault people who don’t submit to their orthodoxy. ‘Cancel culture’ is just the sort of smug accusation that works for limited minds with no capacity for introspection. Meanwhile, right-wing extremism marches merrily along, doing its best to roll over and silence anything that challenges its privileged and fragile assumptions. There are few more potent and effective practitioners of cancel culture than Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Tucker Carlson, Libs of TikTok, and the entire right-wing echo chamber.
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Cat Talk Radio with Host Molly DeVoss and Co-Host Dewey: Kidney Disease – with Dr. Brian Hurley
Learn about Kidney Disease and Renal Failure with Dr. Brian Hurley. Kidney Disease is one of the leading medical causes of death in cats. We discuss early warning signs, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
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Monday Musings: Beware the Unwoke Mind
The following is from my Substack twice-weekly email, Mark McNease on Topic. Subscribe here for musings, commentary, and The Weekly Readlines news roundup every Friday.
“What would you say about someone who is not WOKE? They are “asleep,” “unconscious,” “indifferent.” They are “Mind Closed, Mouth Open.”” – Diane Ravitch
“Beware the unwoke mind.” – Amanda Marcotte
I recently told a friend I was nominating the word ‘woke’ for the one most in need of retiring in 2023. It has become both ubiquitous and meaningless, useful only as a slur employed by right-wing types to hurl at everything they don’t like or agree with. They take great pleasure in accusing those interested in social justice, equality, and accurate history of being whatever they think ‘woke’ means. At this point it only serves as a weapon and a form of mockery. I don’t believe I can have a serious conversation with anyone using the word, since the only people still saying it are wielding it as a verbal cudgel they feel no obligation to define.
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Monday Musings: Beware the Unwoke Mind
The following is from my Substack twice-weekly email, Mark McNease on Topic. Subscribe here for musings, commentary, and The Weekly Readlines news roundup every Friday.
“What would you say about someone who is not WOKE? They are “asleep,” “unconscious,” “indifferent.” They are “Mind Closed, Mouth Open.”” – Diane Ravitch
“Beware the unwoke mind.” – Amanda Marcotte
I recently told a friend I was nominating the word ‘woke’ for the one most in need of retiring in 2023. It has become both ubiquitous and meaningless, useful only as a slur employed by right-wing types to hurl at everything they don’t like or agree with. They take great pleasure in accusing those interested in social justice, equality, and accurate history of being whatever they think ‘woke’ means. At this point it only serves as a weapon and a form of mockery. I don’t believe I can have a serious conversation with anyone using the word, since the only people still saying it are wielding it as a verbal cudgel they feel no obligation to define.
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DIY Day: Roasting Coffee At Home
I recently researched home coffee roasting for a character in my newest book (the sequel to A House in the Woods, in case you’re wondering), and, yes, it’s a thing!
How To Roast Green Coffee Beans At Home
What’s better than learning how to roast coffee beans? It’s a rhetorical question because for us, nothing beats learning how to roast coffee beans at home.
Understanding the roasting process broadens your appreciation for the art and the science that goes into pouring the perfect cup of coffee. Home roasting also ensures that your coffee is as fresh as possible, and the roast is as light or dark as you prefer.
Home Grounds is a strong advocate for home roasting – we love it! We’ve seen countless people intending to try it just once, only to become home-roasting addicts. It’s a passion for lifelong learning with never-ending surprises and satisfaction. Enjoy the best tasting coffee in your home by following our simple guide. We cover the various methods, their pros and cons, and explore which one is best for you.
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Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources: How to Change Your Mindset with the New Year
The following excerpt is reprinted with permission from Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources.
The new year is often a time for reflection and resolutions. It’s a chance to look back on all that’s been and think about what comes next.
Doing this as a caregiver can get a bit overwhelming though.
If you’ve been fully immersed in this role for a while, it might feel like life is just one intense day after another. Or, it might feel like you’re going nowhere, simply spinning your wheels and waiting for things to get better.
Maybe now is the time to do something new.
I know, that might sound like a big ask right now. Stick with me, though, as we’re focusing on a simple idea that can make your life easier.
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Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources: How to Change Your Mindset with the New Year
The following excerpt is reprinted with permission from Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources.
The new year is often a time for reflection and resolutions. It’s a chance to look back on all that’s been and think about what comes next.
Doing this as a caregiver can get a bit overwhelming though.
If you’ve been fully immersed in this role for a while, it might feel like life is just one intense day after another. Or, it might feel like you’re going nowhere, simply spinning your wheels and waiting for things to get better.
Maybe now is the time to do something new.
I know, that might sound like a big ask right now. Stick with me, though, as we’re focusing on a simple idea that can make your life easier.
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Savvy Senior: A Checklist of What to Do When a Loved One Dies
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
What steps need to be taken after a loved one dies? My 71-year-old uncle, who’s divorced with no children, has terminal cancer. He’s asked me to take care of his affairs so I would like to find out what I need to do after he passes away.
Unsure Nephew
Dear Unsure,
I’m very sorry to hear about your uncle. The death of a loved of can bring about a host of different tasks and responsibilities. Here’s a list of some things you can do now, and after his death, that can help keep a sad event from becoming even more difficult.
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New Release! ‘Double Trouble: 2 Maggie Dahl Mysteries’ Now Available on Amazon
Now on Amazon! Why not start the new year with some page-turning detection? Join Maggie Dahl and the cast of characters from the Maggie Dahl Mysteries as she finds herself in a new life, new town, and new adventure searching for killers who may very well be searching for her.
Double Trouble brings together the first two Maggie Dahl Mysteries: Black Cat White Paws, and Open Secrets. Maggie and her late husband David had left New York City for a new life in Lambertville, NJ. Soon after following their dream there, Maggie finds herself pursuing it alone after David’s sudden death. She opens Dahl House Jams, she devotes herself to success, and she comes face to face with murder.
In Black Cat White Paws, Maggie throws herself into solving the murder of her neighbor, whose cat Checks quickly becomes part of Maggie’s family. Her sister moves from Philadelphia to help her in this difficult time and forget her own rocky relationships with men. Soon the sisters are tracking down a killer and revealing a shocking secret that has kept a notorious case unsolved … until now.
In Open Secrets, Maggie has become a minor celebrity in town, and she suddenly finds herself trying to learn what happened to another one: local author Shanna Delaney, whose second book of essays threatens to reveal secrets someone wants kept unknown. Throughout the two books, we’re introduced to characters who all have one thing in common: life in an idyllic Delaware River community that had not seen a murder in decades … until Maggie Dahl came to town.