• An App for That,  LGBTravel,  Travel

    An App for That (and a Website, Too): Mister B & B Helps Locate Accommodations for the LGBTQ Traveler

    October 26, 2021 /

    An App for That is a regular feature at LGBTSr highlighting useful apps and technology tips for our readers. Have an app to recommend? Email me at: Editor @ LGBTSr.com

    My husband Frank and I love to travel (we just did another two-night stay at Philadelphia’s Morris House Hotel, and had the best meal of the year at Talula’s Garden). I enjoy short getaways we can drive to, but we also like cruising and the occasional vacation that requires a dreaded trip to the airport.

    I’m a hotel guy myself. I love waking up in a hotel, working on a laptop while I have coffee in the room or a public space. And while we’ve never stayed at an Air B&B, I know a lot of people use that kind of service. The market for renting out rooms and homes has exploded over the last decade, giving travelers more options that they could have imagined just a few years ago. Enter Mister B & B, a service that connects the LGBTQ traveler with friendly accommodations in the destinations of their choice.

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  • Kapok

    Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources: The Impacts of Discrimination on LGBTQ Seniors

    October 25, 2021 /

    This article is excerpted with permission from Kapok Aging and Caregiver Resources. You can listen to my conversation with Angelica here. – Mark/Editor

    By Angelica Herrera Venson,DrPH, MPH

    Angelica Herrera Venson

    There are currently more than 9 million people in the United States that place themselves in the category of LGTBQ. That’s no small number.

    Of these, 2.7 million are around the age of 50, and another 1.1 million are 65 years of age or older. It is expected that this number will double over the next three decades.

    Many LGTBQ individuals have faced discrimination, in one form or another, throughout their lives. Older LGTBQ seniors come from a generation that isn’t known for inclusivity. Some may have hidden parts of their identity or preferences in an attempt to fit in with the world around them.

    Older LGTBQ individuals continue to be underrepresented in the media and even Pride parades. They’ve faced many challenges throughout their lives, some of which may influence their physical and mental health.

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  • Savvy Senior

    Savvy Senior: How to Protect Yourself Against Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms

    October 25, 2021 /

    You can hear my interview with Savvy Senior’s Jim Miller HERE.

    By Jim Miller

    Dear Savvy Senior,

    Can you tell me about stomach aneurysms? My father died from one about 10 years ago and I’m wondering if that can increase my risk of developing one myself.

    Almost 60

    Dear Almost,

    While you don’t hear much about them, stomach aneurysms, also known as abdominal aortic aneurysms, are very dangerous and the 10th leading cause of death in men over 55. They also tend to run in families, so having had a parent with this condition makes you much more vulnerable yourself.

    An abdominal aortic aneurysm (or AAA) is a weak area in the lower portion of the aorta, which is the major artery that carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body. As blood flows through the aorta, the weak area bulges like a balloon and can burst if it gets too big, causing life-threatening internal bleeding. In fact, nearly 80 percent of AAAs that rupture are fatal, but the good news is that more than nine out of 10 detected early are treatable.

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  • LGBTSR

    AudioFile Magazine Recommends ‘Reservation for Murder: A Kyle Callahan Mystery’

    October 22, 2021 /

    Made my day! AudioFile Magazine recommended the audiobook edition of ‘Reservation for Murder: A Kyle Callahan Mystery‘.

    From the review:

    “This contemporary cozy mystery will please listeners who enjoy a well-constructed story delivered by a promising voice actor. The story takes place in idyllic Lambertville, New Jersey, in The Passion Inn, which is owned by a gay couple who have left the violence of New York City for a life in a community of art galleries, bistros, and charming shops. Then the couple discover that murders can happen alongside picturesque bridges and peaceful canals. Narrator Sean Rhead speaks authoritatively and animates the inn’s guests. The arrogant, deep voice of the first murder victim, a successful gay mystery writer, is especially well delivered. This title is Book 6 in the Kyle Callahan mystery series. It’s worth hearing as an LGBTQ literary work and a clever mystery.”

    You can listen to my interview with AudioFile Magazine founder and editor Robin Whitten HERE.

    And listen to my interview with narrator Sean Rhead HERE.

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  • The Weekly Readlines

    The Weekly Readlines October 22

    October 22, 2021 /

    The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a feature at LGBTSr.com, offering news you can use every Friday morning. Subscribe here for virtual delivery.

      BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES

    The good news first: Dr. Rachel Levine, transgender U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health, has been sworn in as the first transgender four-star officer in the country’s history.

    Posing for their portraits in the Hall of Infamy, Senators Manchin and Sinema seal the fate of Democrats with their preening resistance to the Party’s agenda. Expect more treachery.

    Texas continues its march to ruthless minority rule, while supply chain problems keep toothpaste off the shelves, and school boards across the country fall to sometimes well-spoken conspiracy theorists. We wish we could say it’s only a movie.

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  • Savvy Senior

    Savvy Senior: How to Find Financial Assistance for Aging-in-Place Improvements

    October 22, 2021 /

    By Jim Miller

    Dear Savvy Senior,

    Do you know of any financial assistance programs that can help seniors with home improvement projects? I would like to help my grandparents make a few modifications to their house so they can continue living there safely, but money is tight.

    Searching Grandson

    Dear Searching,

    Yes! There are a number of financial aid programs available that can help seniors with home modifications and improvement projects for aging-in-place, but what’s available to your grandparents will depend on their financial situation and where they live. Here are some different options to explore.

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  • Restaurant Reviews

    Restaurant Review: Talula’s Garden Gets 5 Philly Yums (and a Best of 2021)

    October 20, 2021 /

    By Mark McNease

    Restaurant reviews are based on a 5 Yum scale, 5 meaning put it on your must list, 1 meaning avoid at all costs. 

    Talula’s Garden
    210 West Washington Square
    Philadelphia, PA 19106
    (215) 592-7787
    Website: talulasgarde.com
    Spend Meter: $$$$
    Service: Excellent

    Imagine finding a new favorite boutique hotel in Philadelphia’s Center City. Then imagine discovering one of the city’s best restaurants barely a block away. It sounds improbable, but that’s exactly the situation we found ourselves in, waking up in that very hotel, having enjoyed what my husband Frank calls “the best meal of 2021.”

    The Morris House Hotel is a true gem nestled in the heart of the historic district. Its designation as a historical site means this beautiful, 18th century structure can’t be torn down. It sits like a jewel from another era amid hospital and office buildings, and there’s a quiet defiance to it: I’m old, I’m elegant, I’m not going away. Note: if a modern aesthetic and a streaming vibe are more to your liking, this hotel may not be for you. But if you enjoy a bit of a staid colonial feel decorated to suit the times it was built in, this is a must-try. You can see my full review and slideshow from our last trip HERE.

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  • The Weekly Readlines

    The Weekly Readlines October 15

    October 15, 2021 /

    The Weekly Readlines (rhymes with headlines!) is a feature at LGBTSr.com, offering news you can use every Friday morning. Subscribe here for virtual delivery.

      BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES

    The good news first: President Biden issued a statement for National Coming Out Day. It’s been awhile. Merck sought authorization for a COVID-19 pill, bringing us one step closer to ending the vax-antivax madness. And Social Security is set to get a 5.9 percent cost of living increase next year. Ca-ching!

    Nominal Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema threaten to destroy their own party’s agenda and one-term Joe Biden, promising a return to neofascism.

    And in a perfect gift reveal, the Saudis gave then-President and Mrs. Trump fake furs, assuring that no animals were harmed during the purchase of his presidency.

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  • One Thing or Another Podcast

    From the Podcast Archives: Author and Halloween Expert Lisa Morton Joins the One Thing or Another Podcast

    October 12, 2021 /

    It’s that time again! Here’s a fun conversation from last year with author and Halloween expert Lisa Morton.

    October is my favorite month, bringing with it two annual events: my birthday, and Halloween. It’s been a double dose of goodness all my life, and this year is no exception, despite the stresses the coronavirus has put on us all. Halloween is a good opportunity to live a semi-normal life and scare up some fun. Listen in as I chat with author Lisa Morton about her writing, her life, and her experience as a bonafide Halloween expert.

    About Lisa Morton

    Lisa Morton is a screenwriter, author of non-fiction books, and award-winning prose writer whose work was described by the American Library Association’s Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror as “consistently dark, unsettling, and frightening”.  She is the author of four novels and 150 short stories, a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award®, and a world-class Halloween expert. She co-edited (with Leslie S. Klinger) the anthology Weird Women: Classic Supernatural Fiction by Groundbreaking Female Writers 1852-1923; forthcoming in 2020 is Calling the Spirits: A History of Seances. She is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award®, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and winner of the 2012 Grand Prize from the Halloween Book Festival. A life long Californian, she lives in Los Angeles.

    Coming up on the One Thing or Another Podcast

    Sociologist Hilary Levey Friedman discusses the history of beauty pageants in America and her new book, Here She Is

    Enjoy the One Thing or Another Podcast on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, and at OneThingOrAnotherPodast.com

    Join my email list for updates, podcasts, giveaways, and my monthly newsletter!

    Copyright MadeMark Publishing

    Comments or questions? You can reach me at Mark @ OneThingOrAnotherPodcast. com

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