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Podcast Pick: The Twist 2.0, with Hosts Rick Rose and Q
Full disclosure, I used to be the co-host of The Twist Podcast with Rick Rose. After taking my leave from the show, Rick teamed up with the fabulous Q, and together they’ve been putting out a first-rate, engaging, often funny and always informative podcast: Twist 2.0.The show’s premise is simple: A Boomer (Rick) and a millennial (Q) “walk into a bar,” and start talking. Topics are relevant, current, and often hot. LISTEN UP.
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Steve Hayes: Tired Old Queen at the Movies – Northern Pursuit
Errol Flynn plays a Canadian Mounted policeman and fights off Nazi invaders who’ve landed a submarine in Hudson’s Bay in Raoul Walsh’s wartime adventure, NORTHERN PURSUIT. Filled with typical Warner Brothers spectacle, fast paced action and suspense, it’s a perfect vehicle for Flynn who works with a superb supporting cast which includes; handsome Helmut Dantine as the ultimate, evil commander, Julie Bishop as the pert love interest, and Gene Lockhart as a weaselly traitor. It’s fabulous entertainment for an early spring evening.
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The Savvy Senior: Medicare Expands Telehealth Services to Help Keep Seniors Safe at Home
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
Does Medicare cover telehealth services? My 71-year-old mother has chronic type 2 diabetes but is very concerned about going to the doctor for fear of exposing herself to coronavirus. What can you tell us?
Avoiding the Doctor
Dear Avoiding,
Yes! Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Medicare recently announced that it will be expanding coverage for telehealth services to help keep vulnerable seniors safe at home. Here’s what you and your mom should know.
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Lee Lynch’s Amazon Trail: A Giant
By Lee Lynch
Phyllis Lyon “We lost a giant today,” tweeted California State Sen. Scott Weiner, who is chairman of the LGBTQ caucus. A giant is exactly what the ninety-five-year-old Phyllis Lyon was, along with her partner Del Martin, who died at age eighty-seven in 2008.
My friend the sailor broke the news to me. She e-mailed, Del and Phyllis made a difference in my life. Yours too? No finer compliment could be given.
I responded: Oh, this hurts. They certainly made a difference for me. I was able to read their creation, “The Ladder,” from age fifteen on. They were role models as a couple and in their activism. Thanks for breaking it to me.”
Yes, with my hair slicked back by my father’s Vitalis, in the hand me downs from a boy across the court, hoping to someday own a pinky ring, and waiting to reach an age when I could frequent the rough and tumble gay bars downtown, my girlfriend Suzy and I spotted the magazine founded by Phyllis and Del.
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Molly DeVoss, Cat Behaviorist, Returns to the One Thing or Another Podcast
Cat behaviorist Molly DeVoss returns to the podcast this week to talk about the effects of stay-at-home orders and physical distancing on animals and shelters across the country. We also revisit some advice on adjusting cat behaviors and making sure our homes are well-adjusted for every member of our family, those of us with two legs and those of us with four.
Molly DeVoss, Cat BehavioristBe sure to check out her organization, Cat Behavior Solutions (catbehaviorsolutions.org), and consider making a donation when you stop by.
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What’s Cooking: The Happy Medium’s Gazpacho Recipe
What’s Cooking is a feature at LGBTSr highlighting readers’ favorite recipes. Have a recipe to share? Email us at: recipes @ lgbtsr.com
The following recipe was provided by Jeff McKeehan, The Happy Medium and husband to Dave Hughes of Retire Fabulously fame.
Gazpacho Trivia: This dish, beloved throughout Spain, plays a central role in the hilarious Pedro Almodóvar film, “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”, starring a very young Antonio Banderas.
Equipment Needed:
Blender with approx. 48 -60 oz capacity.
Wire strainer, approx. 8” diameter, with medium-to-fine mesh
Short-handled soup ladle (for pressing contents through strainer)
Flexible spatula for scraping sides of blender and mixing bowl
Large, lightweight (plastic or stainless steel, not glass) mixing bowl with approx. 60 oz capacity.
Container with tight-fitting lid and closeable pour spout, with approx. 50-60 oz. capacity
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Dave Hughes: Stay-At-Home Orders May Provide Preview of Retirement for Some
By Dave Hughes, Retire Fabulously
This article was written on April 2, 2020, about three months into the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, most state governors have issued stay-at-home orders. Everyone except essential workers is urged to stay home and only venture forth to procure necessities, maintaining a distance of at least six feet from others. Soon, we will be asked to wear face masks. Some people already are.
First, I would like to express my most sincere gratitude for those who must go to work, often placing themselves in danger: those in the medical professions, grocery store employees, delivery drivers, etc. You are heroes!
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Leslie Jordan Becomes An Instagram Sensation
Actor Leslie Jordan has been around for decades but recently found himself becoming an Instagram sensation during the national semi-quarantine. You can see his videos HERE, as he helps lighten a very dark time.
“For a really long time, I had 20,000 followers. People would tell me, “Oh, that’s nothing,” and I said, “Are you kidding me? 20,000 people want to hear from me.” And then Megan Mullally from “Will & Grace” reposted something I posted, and I had 80,000 followers. They kept saying, “That’s still nothing.” I go, “What do you mean? That’s 80,000 people.” And it stayed at 80,000 for a really long time, and then I’m not sure what happened. The shutdown, of course, we all had to hunker down and stay at home, and my number started — I would just notice, oh my gosh, I’ve got like 20,000 more. Who are these people? I had no idea. It’s all of a sudden becoming popular, and how is this happening?” – Leslie Jordan, in the Washington Post
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Cathy’s Wealth of Health: Staying Healthy with a Rainbow of Foods
By Cathy McNease, Herbalist
I know of no better food advice for a long healthy life than to strive towards eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Each color provides a power pack of nutrients to stave off chronic diseases and promote vitality. The USDA recently provided a new icon to represent a healthy diet, thanks to the work of Michelle Obama in attempting to raise food consciousness and tackle the childhood obesity epidemic. The image is a plate with ½ being devoted to fruits and vegetables, ¼ for proteins (lean meats, beans, eggs) and ¼ for grains (with the suggestion that at least ½ of the grains are whole grains). Off to the side is a small circle representing reduced fat dairy products (a glass of low fat milk or a container of yogurt). The brilliance is in its simplicity. Whether you are a child or a senior, you can understand the guidance. (Go to www.choosemyplate.gov for more dietary guidelines.) Most of us, even the healthiest of eaters, need to eat more fruits and vegetables. Reminding yourself of the rainbow helps move you towards that goal. -
An App for That: Spending Tracker (Apple App Store)
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
If you’re like me, you wonder from time to time just how much you’re spending at Starbucks, what you’re laying out for lunches every week – in my case at work – how cost-effective your spending habits are, and, very importantly, how much you’re spending versus your income every month.I’ve been using a simple, free, very user-friendly little app on my iPhone called Spending Tracker, by MH Riley Ltd. It has the option to upgrade for the pro version at $2.99. I use the free version because all I really do with it is add expenses and income. That suits my needs. It also supports family sharing, which is a big plus if you want that. It requires iOS 9.0 or later, and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. I’m sure there are comparable apps for non-Apple users, but I’m an all-Apple guy and this is my recommendation for those who like to keep it simple and at no cost.
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The Savvy Senior: How to Get Help from Social Security During the Coronavirus Pandemic
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
I’ve heard that the Social Security Administration has closed all their offices because of the coronavirus pandemic. How are they accommodating people while they’re closed down?
Recently Retired
Dear Recently,
Yes, that’s correct. The Social Security Administration has closed its 1,200 field offices throughout the country to protect benefit recipients and workers from the coronavirus pandemic. Their offices have been closed since March 17. How long they will be closed is unclear. It will depend on the course of the pandemic.
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From the Archives: 6 Questions for Author Paula Martinac
By Mark McNeaseEight years of LGBTSr have given me a rich archive of interviews, reviews, podcasts and content. Here’s a ‘6 Questions’ interview from 2018 with author Paula Martinac. Her most recent novel, Clio Rising, was released by Bywater Books in April, 2019.
Paula Martinac I recently had the pleasure of interviewing author Paula Martinac. Her latest novel, The Ada Decades, tells the story of Ada Shook, a librarian who begins the book as a child discovering a shocking postcard image in her father’s possession, and ends seven decades later as a reluctant witness to history. Told in eleven interconnected stories, the novel examines issues of race, class, and the slow climb toward LGBT equality in a pre-Stonewall world.
See Paula’s in-depth answers to ‘6 Questions’ below, and mark your calendars: I’ll be chatting with Paula on a podcast sometime in the next month or two. I’m excited to continue our conversation. For now …