We Had a Wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner

But the dessert was a surprise!

This would have come in handy! Photo by Amy Reed on Unsplash

Yesterday, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner celebrating with our neighbors. My family lives about five hours away, in the snowbelt area of Central and Northern New York, and quite frequently, driving is hazardous during the holidays. So we don’t like to take a chance of being snowed in. My husband’s family lives in Malaysia, and naturally, they don’t celebrate the holiday.

We are fortunate to have fantastic friends who are our next-door neighbors. Since we moved here, they have invited us to spend Thanksgiving with their family. This year was no exception. Our neighbor usually orders the largest fresh turkey available from our local turkey farm, as at least 16 people are usually in attendance.

We had finished our sumptuous meal and were enjoying a variety of tasty desserts, my favorite part of the meal. I had utterly stuffed myself and was looking forward to a bit of rest. Suddenly, a neighbor who lives across the street was at the door saying the sewer had backed up, causing sewage to leak into the basements of several homes on the street.

My husband rushed home to find we had minimal leakage, but the house wreaked of the smell of sewage. Two houses across the street had raw sewage pouring into their basements from basement utility sinks and toilets. The only thing I could think about was that I had IBS, and I couldn’t go too long after eating without needing to go to the bathroom.

Of all days for this to happen, when large families were gathering to indulge in a heavy meal. There were no public bathrooms nearby, and most stores were closed. There was only one gas station about three miles away.

No one knew who to call in such an emergency, and no emergency numbers were listed for our town. Finally, one neighbor called his friend, a town supervisor who sent the town highway department to assess the situation.

Luckily, they found the blockage and opened the sewer within an hour. Three hours after finishing a hearty Thanksgiving meal, our holiday nightmare was over. I was relieved, in more ways than one.

I hope you all had a happy, uneventful Thanksgiving. If not, please share with us.

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A Wish for a Happy Thanksgiving to All My Medium Friends

And thank you for your support

Photo by SJ 📸 on Unsplash

I’d like to wish a very warm and happy holiday to my fellow American friends who are celebrating Thanksgiving. May all your hopes and dreams come true, as you give thanks for friends and family.

As you sit down to either a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey and all the fixings, or you celebrate with a meal in keeping with your family’s ethnic traditions, remember that we are all one big family-the human family.

Even though many Medium members living all over the world don’t celebrate American Thanksgiving on this particular day, rest assured you are included in our Thanksgiving thoughts as we gather together in the spirit of love, hope, and gratitude.

Photo by Larm Rmah on Unsplash

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Do We Have to Live With the Aches and Pains of Old Age?

They’re no fun, but they’re a part of life

Photo by Philippe Leone on Unsplash

It seems as though I awaken to another part of my body hurting every morning. Sometimes, I lay in bed and count how many aches and pains I have. This morning, instead of getting out of bed immediately, I contemplated my aging process.

When I was much younger, the only pains I could remember were growing pains as my arms and legs lengthened in adolescence. Now, the bones are doing the opposite as I lose height.

I am 76 years old now. My pains started about ten years ago. I began to realize I couldn’t engage in the same activities I did when I was younger, like running or walking, without hurting my knees. I don’t think I could run now if I tried. Tennis was out, as was any sport aside from bowling.

I began developing COPD, and the asthma I suffered from as a youth returned. So, if I did anything strenuous, my breathing would create more problems than my decreased physical stamina. But I am not talking about being unable to perform athletically, like when I was in my twenties.

I have arthritis, sciatica, a pinched nerve in my lower back, and bursitis in my left shoulder. I know why I have those pains and what I can do to help relieve them. I know the pain worsens when the weather gets bad. I can’t take NSAIDs, so I suck it up.

The aches and pains I want to talk about are those that come out of nowhere for no apparent reason. For example, this morning, I counted slight pains in my right shoulder, my left knee, my right elbow, and my left ankle. I could also feel small, weird pains in my stomach. I have undiagnosed stomach problems, so I have these most days, and it’s probably gas-I hope. Why am I having these annoying little pains?

When I managed to crawl out of bed, I could hardly raise my arm to turn the bathroom light on. I hobbled into the bathroom to begin my morning routine. My hot shower did wonders in relieving most of my pains. When I got out of the shower, I stretched, improving my bursitis-affected shoulder's range of movement.

I ate my breakfast and drank my tea; I have IBS, so I can’t drink coffee. I unenthusiastically took off for the gym to engage in my workout routine. I felt happy when it was over but glad I had completed my exercises. With a slight spring in my step, I walked to the car, knowing that this euphoria would not last.

Only a couple of hours after lunch, I developed a pain in my ankle when I walked. “Where did that come from?” I asked myself. It was just another mysterious pain, reminding me I was getting old. I sat down on the couch for a while to catch up on the news and rest from my workout. A half-hour later, every muscle and bone in my body felt like I got hit by a truck. My joints were as stiff as a corpse.

Tonight, I know I will go to bed to rest my achy bones and sleep like a baby -until morning, when it all begins again, with new pains in new locations and old pains reminding me of my age.

I don’t like the aches and pains, but I accept them, knowing I can lessen their intensity with stretching and exercise. I don’t always feel like going to the gym, but I know if I sit on my ass at home, I will soon be crippled by the aging process. I also know the alternative to the aches and pains is unacceptable. They are all part of life.

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The Cleansing of America

When will mass deportation begin?

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

During his campaign, Donald Trump said that immigrants poisoned the blood of our country. He has also called Mexicans criminals and rapists, you know, exactly as he is. He has accused Haitian immigrants of eating our pets. He has called immigrants animals, monsters, and killers. He has accused some countries in South America of emptying their insane asylums and sending the patients to the U.S. He had absolutely no proof of anything, yet you believed him.

He had promised if he is elected, he will deport illegal immigrants on day one. You must have agreed with everything he said, and harbored the same hatred and racist views as him because you voted for him.

On January 20, 2025, Trump will do exactly what you wanted him to do. He is planning on deporting millions of illegal immigrants on his first day in office. The cleansing of America will begin.

You can be assured that the vast majority of the deportees will be Black and Brown people, with the exception of some Ukrainians, as a gesture to Trump’s idol, Vladimir Putin.

Trump’s plan initially targets illegal immigrants who have criminal records. Then, the undocumented aliens will be the next to be deported. It will be virtually impossible for documented family members and American citizens not to be caught up in the mass deportations. But that is the price Trump and his fascist administration are willing to pay.

You won’t see any white Europeans deported at first. Their turn, and yours, will come when it’s time to eliminate those who are “different,” such as non-Christians, LGBTQ+, and anyone opposing Trump and his fascist regime.

Once the deportations have succeeded in bleaching the American population, Trump will have succeeded where Hitler failed. Our country will be white and Christian, ruled by millionaire white men, where slave labor is once again the foundation of our agricultural system.

All of you rabid MAGA followers will be relegated to leading relatively meaningless lives dedicated to serving the rich and privileged. You will receive meager wages with which you can hope to support yourselves and your families, according to what Trump’s government will allow.

Speaking of families, women will most likely provide for future workforces, as the government will say when and who will become pregnant and by whom. Once again, only heterosexual couples will be allowed to marry once they have been approved by the government.

This may not be what you wanted, but hey, you got rid of those damn immigrants and made America white again. I’m sure your immigrant ancestors must be proud of you.

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This Too Shall Pass

It might be like a kidney stone, but it will pass!

Photo by Ronin on Unsplash

I am not a religious person, even though I was raised a Catholic. I haven’t been to church in years, as being gay, I was sick of sitting in church hearing the priest calling me an abomination and saying I was going to hell. Usually, it was one of the same priests who was actively molesting altar boys while the bishop was covering up his deeds.

I live in a small village in Western New York State, which, despite having a college, is quite a Conservative community. We have one of each of the following churches, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, All Souls Universalist, and Baptist. We also have quite a few storefront evangelical churches. But the Baptist church in town stands out from the rest.

The pastor and his wife have been called “Hippies” by many of their good Christian neighbors, mainly because they don’t dress or act like traditional members of the clergy and have progressive views. I guess you could say they are “liberal,” you know, like Jesus Christ.

The church also does weird things, such as ministering to homeless teens, giving them free warm meals and clothing, and providing free holiday meals to the poor, regardless of who or what they are, minus the preaching. I’m not saying the other churches don’t serve the community, but they tend to serve only the members of their own churches.

There is a digital sign board in front of the church emphasizing that “ALL” are welcome. The sign also delivers timely and supportive messages to the entire community. However, the messages are not always well received by all.

To the dismay of the other good Christians in the community, the church proudly displays its support for the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month every June. Did I mention the church is the only church that performs same-sex marriages?

The day after the election, I passed the church and noticed a new message on the signboard. It read, “This too shall pass. It may be like a kidney stone, but it will pass.” Feeling depressed, this message cheered me up and gave me hope for the future. I am sure the members of the neighboring churches were clutching their collective pearls!

I very rarely give kudos to churches or religious organizations, but I felt this one deserved a shoutout. If I ever decided to return to church, this one would be my church of choice. I would be welcomed as a worthwhile human being in the same manner as Christ would do.

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How I Became Obsessed With Google AdSense

Something I am not proud of

Photo by Greg Bulla on Unsplash

Sixteen years ago, while living in Malaysia, I started writing a blog using Google Blogger. I monetized my site using Google AdSense and began earning a little money—not much, but I was happy. Then, suddenly, Google notified me that my account was canceled because of policy violations. They did not explain what the violations were.

After numerous emails with Google, I learned that many suspicious clicks on my ads originated from the same ISP. A short time later, I discovered that a friend was trying to help me earn more money by frequently clicking on my ads whenever he got bored.

I contacted Google to explain this finding and requested that my account be reinstated. Almost immediately, I received a reply from Google informing me I had been banned from AdSense for life. I got a life sentence from Google!

Ten years later, I have moved from Malaysia and am now living in New York State. I thought maybe after ten years, I could contact Google to have them reconsider my account. Within minutes of contacting them, once again, I was told I was banned for life.

I gave up the idea of monetizing my blog with AdSense and subsequently moved it to Medium, where I have earned more money than using AdSense.

Like an idiot, I created another blog with Blogger where I share my stories after they have been published on Medium. And, not learning my lesson, I applied for a new AdSense account. But this time, I used a different Gmail address, with my home address in the US, not Malaysia. It worked.

I added AdSense to my blog, carefully following Google’s directions. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work. I got a message saying my “Site needs attention.” They didn’t say what attention it needed, though. After several more attempts, I was notified that my site was verified, but they couldn’t find my AdSense code. They told me to “Please fix the issue.” I have been trying to fix the issue for over two months!

If anyone who has dealt with Google knows, it is impossible to contact their Customer Support. The only option is to use the Google Community, where other Google users can help. I have not been able to get any answers from this option.

The question is, “Why am I doing this?” I have spent hours and days trying to solve my problems with AdSense and add it to my blog. I don’t understand why. Even if I succeed in adding AdSense ads to my blog, I don’t have enough followers to earn any more than a few cents a month. I can earn more money on Medium in a day than I could with AdSense in a year.

I know Google is a huge and powerful conglomerate. They could care less for a nobody like me, so why should I care? Sometimes, I feel like Don Quixote fighting the Google windmill. I don’t like to be told I am banned for life. I don’t like to be treated as though I am nobody and my concerns are unimportant. That’s why I haven’t given up—yet.

I know anyone reading this must think I am crazy. Maybe I am. I realize I am obsessed with this problem and should be embarrassed, but I’m not giving up until the last minuscule thread of hope is gone.

I feel the same way writing here on Medium. My reads and earnings are down, and they continue to decline. But I am not going to let Medium defeat me. Like with AdSense, I won’t give up without a fight.

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Steve Sovie''s World Newsletter for November 17 to November 23, 2024

Stephen Sovie stephensovie@stevesoviesworld.com via sendgrid.info	12:08 PM (9 minutes ago)
to me

Welcome to Steve's World. ​ Letchworths State Park, New York Happy Thanksgiving Photo by SJ  on Unsplash​ I'd like to take this time to wish everyone who reads my newsletter a very Happy and Safe Thanksgiving. Whether or not you celebrate this American holiday, I hope you take the time to be with friends and family to celebrate each other. I would also like to thank those of you who opened and read my newsletters. To be honest, I am a bit disappointed with my efforts' results, but I hope to see a better future ahead. Please help me by sharing the links to my newsletter with anyone you may think would be interested. Also, feel free to make any suggestions that you think would be helpful. This past week, I have written articles ranging from my views on this year's celebration of Thanksgiving to what my favorite foods are to writing. ​ Check out my recently published Medium stories. ​ Would You Like to Know What My Favorite Dishes Are? | by Stephen Sovie | Never Stop Writing | Nov, 2024 | Medium This Year the Holidays Will Be Different | by Stephen Sovie | Write A Catalyst | Nov, 2024 | Medium Why Would Anyone Follow and Subscribe to You | by Stephen Sovie | Never Stop Writing | Nov, 2024 | Medium Self-Promotion is Like Self Abuse, | by Stephen Sovie | Read or Die! | Nov, 2024 | Medium There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool, | by Stephen Sovie | Steveso Thinks | Nov, 2024 | Medium Why I Choose to Publish Where I Do | by Stephen Sovie | Never Stop Writing | Nov, 2024 | Medium Yes, Anyone Can Write on the Internet | by Stephen Sovie | Never Stop Writing | Nov, 2024 | Medium I’ve Thought About Writing on Substack or Patreon | by Stephen Sovie | Write A Catalyst | Nov, 2024 | Medium ​ ​ Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. If you are not a Member of Medium or cannot open the above links to my articles, you can click on the link to my blog, Steve Sovie’s World, where you can read them for free. ​ ​ $5.00 Please Help Support My Writing If you like reading my articles and would like to support my writing, I would appreciate it if you could donate a little... Read more Send a tip ​ 113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205 ​Unsubscribe · Preferences​ ​

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Yes, Anyone Can Write on the Internet

But not everyone will succeed

Photo by Benjamin Dada on Unsplash

When I retired more than ten years ago, I moved to Malaysia to be with my now-husband. Since I was not allowed to work, I searched for ways to occupy my time. While surfing the Internet, I discovered blogging. According to the articles, anyone could be a writer and start a blog, and the best part was that you could make money by blogging. This was precisely what I was looking for.

Of the many blogging platforms, I chose Google’s Blogger, primarily because it was free and because Google said it was the most user-friendly. As a person with absolutely no technical skills, I knew Blogger was perfect for me.

I immediately went to work creating my new blog. Thanks to Blogger, it was easy. I didn’t even have to know any coding or SEO—I didn’t even know what it was at the time. I was well on my way to being a writer and blogger, or so I thought.

I had so much fun writing blog posts about life as an expat in Malaysia that I decided to start a couple more blogs. This is when the problems started.

My Malaysian blog was moderately successful, with a good following. I even earned a few bucks. I was quite proud of myself and considered myself a writer, so writing my new blogs would be a snap. Unfortunately, nobody followed or even read my new blogs. I was writing for a nonexistent audience.

I ran into more problems. When you use Blogger, Google Analytics comes with it. This tool analyzes your website and notifies you of any problems that are found. My website had numerous problems, according to Google, but I had no idea what their analyses meant. To make matters worse, Google doesn’t tell you how to fix the problems. It’s like going to your doctor, and he says you are sick but doesn’t tell you how to get better.

I still have one blog on Blogger today, and I still have the same problems with Google. My biggest complaint with Google is that it is impossible to contact customer support. They’re so big they don’t care.

Today, I write predominantly on Medium, where I don’t have to know HTML, SEO, or any other technical skills. I can be a writer here on Medium, but that doesn’t guarantee I can be a successful writer. I still have to work hard to promote my work and engage with other writers.

The Internet may be correct in saying anyone can write or, for that matter, anyone can paint. It’s what you write or what you paint that makes the difference. You can write your diary or paint your house; neither one makes you a writer or painter. The lesson to be learned here is not to take everything you read on the Internet too literally.

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There’s No Fool Like an Old Fool,

Yes, my fellow retirees, you’re going to pay for your actions.

Photo by Kaspars Eglitis on Unsplash

I remember seeing a lot of old guys walking around Walmart and Lowe’s proudly wearing their red MAGA hats. I remember hearing them talking together about how Trump will take better care of veterans and retirees instead of Biden giving all the money to illegal immigrants. Occasionally, I heard them say they’d never vote for a woman, especially a Black woman. I’ve heard a few oldsters say, “We’ve already had a Black President; we don’t need another one.”

Well, they didn’t get another Black president or a woman. They got what they wanted: an old White male racist, just like them. By voting their racism, they got a hell of a lot more than what they wanted.

Two programs every senior citizen over the age of 65 depends on to survive are Medicare and Social Security. During Trump’s first term in office, he attempted to change both programs in ways that would be devastating to senior citizens. Thanks to the Democrats in Congress, Trump didn’t succeed.

As Trump campaigned for his second term, he promised to initiate these changes. But did these old fools listen and pay attention? Of course not. Even though Kamala Harris vowed to protect Medicare and Social Security, they didn’t believe her because she is a woman and she’s Black.

Now Trump has nominated one of the most unqualified people in the country to lead the Medicare and Medicaid Programs, Dr. Mehmet Oz. Dr. Oz was a successful surgeon who saw he could make more money by becoming a television huckster hawking medical misinformation and unproven supplements. His colleagues at Columbia University voted to remove him from the faculty of their College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Dr. Oz has voiced his support for privatizing Medicare, which could lead to higher costs for seniors and fewer options. Prescription drug prices will most likely increase, as the private insurance companies running the Medicare Advantage plans would have no competition.

Assisting Dr. Oz, will be Trump’s choice to lead Health and Human Services, the conspiracy theory nutjob, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Kennedy is a staunch opponent of vaccines and drug research. He supports the discontinuation of research into new drugs to treat cancer and other deadly diseases. He also supports eliminating the Food and Drug Administration, which protects the safety of our food supply and prescription drugs.

These old fools will not have to worry about their healthcare costs or lack of insurance because Kennedy and Oz’s plans for the future will most likely kill them. That’s an acceptable price to pay to make sure a Black woman never becomes President.

Regarding Social Security, no one knows what will happen to the program. Trump-backed Republicans favor raising the retirement age to 70 and cutting some benefits. According to the Republican Study Committee in the House, their 2025 budget sees social security benefits cuts affecting 3 in 4 Americans. Hey, but at least the old racist white guy is in charge!

I know that a majority of these old MAGA fools get their news from Fox News, so their ignorance is understandable, if not acceptable. But what gets my ire is the nation’s largest organization that purports to advocate for senior citizens, AARP, did not once warn seniors of the dangers of a Trump presidency. Instead, they asked its members to study the candidates’ views on Social Security and Medicare and make a wise choice. As if its member would actually do that!

Instead of pushing Life Insurance, Car Insurance, and its favorite Medicare Advantage plan, AARP chose not to take a stance in the most important election of their members’ lifetimes. They are nothing but cowards and wimps protecting their own financial interests.

As Trump continues to name his picks for his Cabinet, or as I will from here on call it, his “Wrecking Crew,” things will become worse for not only senior citizens but all Americans. The old adage proves to be true once again: “There’s no fool like an old fool.”

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Self-Promotion is Like Self Abuse,

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But it has to be done.

Photo by Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

When I was a child, I was taught that talking about yourself was considered bragging and thus discouraged. I always felt guilty talking about my accomplishments, and I still do today.

Because of my upbringing, I had a difficult time promoting the blogs I created after retiring. I thought once I wrote and published a post, that was it. It didn’t take long to realize no one was reading my posts or even aware I had a blog. I was even too shy to tell family and friends.

I soon discovered that writing a blog wasn’t hard; it was promoting it that was. That’s probably why I never earned any money. Then, I started writing on Medium in addition to my blog.

For the past couple of months, I have been wracking my brain for ways to promote myself and my articles. I then read a story by Adrian CDTPPW, in which he describes the stress he encountered in his efforts at self-promotion. His story is worth a read for all of us:

I have been going through similar experiences to promote my work. I have tried sharing on X, only to have one or two people read the articles I shared. Now that X is going down the tubes, I will no longer share on that platform.

I have had a little better luck with Facebook, where I have switched to the Facebook professional mode. After sharing my articles, I am getting a few reads. It’s not great, but every little bit helps.

I also started a newsletter, separate from Medium’s newsletter, where I share my previously published Medium stories with people who have subscribed to it. My newsletter is sent out once a week, unlike Medium’s subscriber notifications, which are sent out as soon as an article is published. So far, the results have been rather disappointing.

I have recently started promoting my articles and newsletter on LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Patreon, even though I am not too optimistic about getting good results. I’m sure there are other avenues for promotion that I haven’t discovered yet, and I’m sure I will give them a try, too, sometime in the future.

Adrian was right about self-promotion being stressful. But unlike writing a blog on WordPress or Blogger, writing on the Medium platform makes promoting our work somewhat easier. Don’t get me wrong; you still have to promote yourself if you expect to be successful. I compare promoting articles to trying to sell ice to Eskimos—not easy!

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