-
The Weekly Readlines Special Edition July 2: SCOTUS Turns the Clock Back
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines) is a round with news you can use every week. Today’s special edition is brought to you by a house on fire.
Quote for the Week: “The logic would be amusing if it weren’t so embarrassing.” – Justice Sotomayor, scorching Gorsuch in her dissent in the LGBTQ discrimination case.
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIESSCOTUS took a blow torch to freedom at the end of its term, slicing and dicing 50 years of affirmative action, gut-punching Bidens student debt relief effort, and greenlighting anti-LGBTQ discrimination as the cherry of top of their hate fudge sundae.
LGBTQ NEWSMoms for Liberty’s Conference Infiltrated by Activists Calling Out Its Hate
Advocate.comHouse Democrats organize against anti-trans bills across U.S. – Axios
AxiosLGBT Support Makes Good Economic Sense
Marketplace.org -
Cat Talk Radio with Molly DeVoss and Co-host Dewey Vaughn: How do you teach Animal Welfare?
A listener wrote in about her community and their lack of respect for animal welfare – especially to the community cats. She asked how do we raise awareness so that people treat their animals correctly and abide by the law? Great question and some good banter about this topic.
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.
-
Fun New Video Promo for LGBTSr!
-
So What’s All This About AI?
By Mark McNease
This seems like a good time to address our most recent bogeyman, or should I say bogeyrobot? AI (artificial intelligence) is all the rage these days, with a great deal of misunderstanding and fear around it. Like every new technology – and AI isn’t really new at all – it can be used for nefarious purposes, such as impersonating people, their voices and images in service to someone’s agenda, and it can be used for the good in innumerable ways.
When we ask Alexa or Siri or Google to research something, we are essentially using AI. The technologies in our cars are reliant on forms of AI. It is, frankly, already pervasive in our lives and has been for a long time, and it will only increase. Autocorrect. GPS. Word suggestions when we type. Algorithms everywhere. These are all forms of AI, and we’ve gotten used to them. We will get used to its other, newer, forms too. It’s all about adapting and, for me, embracing these new technologies.
-
Savvy Senior: How to Locate Interesting Volunteer Opportunities in Your Area
By Jim Miller
Savvy Senior
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend some good organizations or websites for locating interesting volunteer opportunities? I’ve been doing some volunteer work since I retired last year, but most of the jobs I’ve tried haven’t been very fun or satisfying.
Retired Volunteer
Dear Retired,
For many retirees, finding a volunteer opportunity that meets your interests, utilizes your talents and fits your availability can be challenging. To help you find some interesting and satisfying volunteer opportunities, here are some tips and online tools that can help you search.
-
Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast #65: Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery (Chapters 31 – 41)
Fasten your headphones for the final ten chapters of Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery. This was perhaps the darkest book in the series, in terms of its psychology. Kyle and his friend, retired homicide detective Linda Sikorsky, solve the cold case of a murdered teenage girl. As they reveal the truth, they bring answers to her grieving father, even as they bring down the New York City District Attorney. The shock waves will reverberate in the city for years to come.
-
The Twist Podcast #230: SCOTUS Two for One Sale, Golf Grifting in the Governor’s Mansion, and a Guest Interview with Herbie J Pilato
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we combine our pennies for the next Supreme Court sale, offer DeSantis a mulligan for his golf payola, and enjoy Rick’s interview with the marvelous Herbie J Pilato.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2023 MadeMark Publishing
-
On the Map: Still Life with Lunch in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
By Mark McNease
We made another of our favorite getaway trips to Strasburg, PA, to visit friends. I’ve always told people we were going to Lancaster, but this was actually the first time we took a several-hour trip to that city just a short drive away. You can read about a previous trip HERE, complete with a slideshow, sites to see, and our recommendation for the wonderful Carriage House hotel. We always stay there, and it just seems to keep getting better. We book the large suite adjacent to the office, providing us a comfortable bedroom and a second room with a couch, second TV, and table perfect for my laptop.
This time we made sure to go to Lancaster proper, and I was nicely surprised. For some reason I’d always assumed it was a small-ish town like Strasburg, but it’s much bigger. It’s a historical city that has both a sense of history, and modernity, and an almost college-town vibe. I have to make special mention of the restaurant where we ate lunch, C’est La Vie. The food was outstanding, and our server, Ben, deserves stars of his own.
-
The Weekly Readlines June 21 (Now Every Wednesday!)
The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a Wednesday roundup of news you can use.
NEWS FLASH! I will now be providing The Weekly Readlines every Wednesday, and sending it to our email subscribers as a stand-alone supplement. All other content will arrive in their virtual mailboxes on Friday as usual. – Mark/the newsroom team
Quote for the Week: “Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will.” – Anonymous
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIESIn a bit of good news amidst the onslaught of hate, a Federal judge permanently blocked Arkansas’ ban on gender-affirming care for minors.
Hunter Biden reached a plea deal on tax-evasions charges and a gun violation, causing right-wing head explosions nationwide.
The most recent one-term president was raked over the coals in an interview with Bret Baier on Fox, essentially admitting to obstructing justice. But will he soon have a jumpsuit to match the spray tan?
LGBTQ NEWS’Just Us’ Documentary Explores The Lives Of LGBTQ People
Colorado Public RadioBuilding Support, Celebrating Contributions Are Key to LGBTQ+ Pharmacists
Pharmacy Times -
Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast #64: Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery (Chapters 28-30)
Fasten your headphones for another three chapters of Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery. This was perhaps the darkest book in the series, in terms of its psychology. We have Kyle traumatized and seeing a therapist. We have a cold case involving the brutal, seemingly random murder of a teenage girl. But was it random? Follow along as Kyle and his friend, retired detective Linda Sikorsky, try to solve the case, for Kyle’s own well-being, and to provide answers to a grieving father. The shock waves from what they discover will reverberate all the way to the New York City District Attorney’s office and beyond.
-
Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast #63: Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery (Chapters 25-27)
Fasten your headphones for another three chapters of Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery. This was perhaps the darkest book in the series, in terms of its psychology. We have Kyle traumatized and seeing a therapist. We have a cold case involving the brutal, seemingly random murder of a teenage girl. But was it random? Follow along as Kyle and his friend, retired detective Linda Sikorsky, try to solve the case, for Kyle’s own well-being, and to provide answers to a grieving father. The shock waves from what they discover will reverberate all the way to the New York City District Attorney’s office and beyond.
-
Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast #62: Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery (Chapters 22 – 24)
Fasten your headphones for another three chapters of Kill Switch: A Kyle Callahan Mystery. This was perhaps the darkest book in the series, in terms of its psychology. We have Kyle traumatized and seeing a therapist. We have a cold case involving the brutal, seemingly random murder of a teenage girl. But was it random? Follow along as Kyle and his friend, retired detective Linda Sikorsky, try to solve the case, for Kyle’s own well-being, and to provide answers to a grieving father. The shock waves from what they discover will reverberate all the way to the New York City District Attorney’s office and beyond.