On November 5th, Millions Will Vote,

On November 5th, Millions Will Vote,

For a decrepit, steaming pile of human excrement.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

The 2024 Presidential election is now just days away, and millions of Americans have already voted. Millions more have made up their minds or are still deciding on who they will vote for.

Yesterday, The Economist, in their latest edition, stated that “the American economy is the envy of the world”. The stock market is at the highest it has ever been. Inflation is on the downturn. The unemployment rate is 4.1%, down from 6.4% under Trump. Millions of jobs have been created in the past 4 years, recovering from Trump’s pandemic failure. Once again, the United States is respected around the world.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to trash the United States at every opportunity. He continues to attack NATO and our allies. He continues his love fest with Vladimir Putin, as he promises to allow him to do whatever he pleases with Europe. He continues to admire the dictatorships of China and North Korea, hoping he will be able to emulate them if he is elected.

Trump continues to attack immigrants with vile accusations only a complete moron would believe. He daily attacks his political opponents and anyone who dares to disagree with him, promising prosecution or even execution in revenge.

His dementia grows worse with every one of his signature rallies. He does not offer any substantive policies. Instead, he talks of “the enemy within’, Democrats and his opponents in Congress. He provides his admiration for Arnold Palmer’s penis and how much he loves women. He calls himself the “father of IVF.” He says “he loves “fertilization.” He promises to be the “protector of women” as he offers Stormy Daniels more hush money to keep quiet before the election.

Instead of offering aid and sympathy to the victims of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Trump attacks FEMA workers and tells the victims not to trust aid workers. He attacks Biden and says he can do better.

Sometimes, he does not know what city he is holding a rally in. He attacks the citizens of the very city he is speaking in and threatens them with what will happen if they don’t vote for him. He often goes off in an unintelligible word salad, leaving his followers unaware of what he is talking about. Other times, he refuses to answer questions and has a sing-along instead. Sometimes, he says nothing, merely pacing the stage.

Perhaps the most shining example of Trump’s mental decline and desperation is when he attempted to show Kamala Harris he, too, could work at McDonald’s. The only problem was that this was only a fake photo op. The store was closed to the public, and the customers were screened, Trump supporters acting as customers.

This attempt to show Trump as a “working man” reminded me of when a neighbor’s little girl had a Playskool grocery store where she sold fake products to fake customers. Back then, I thought this was cute, but Trump’s skit is sad, demeaning, and pathetic.

Even Fox News has been forced, at times, to show Trump’s cognitive decline in his speeches and those interviews he has dared to partake in. With every new day, Trump appears to be addled and exhausted. What will he look like on election day? Think of someone you knew or know who was suffering from advanced dementia. It isn’t pretty.

Trump is showing the classic signs of dementia, including aggression and sundowning. For a person who is a pathological liar, a narcissist, a racist, rapist, and incapable of empathy, his dementia can be dangerous. Is this the kind of person you want leading our country and in possession of the nuclear codes?

Remember, you sometimes get what you vote for.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

I’ve Discovered a New Way to Ease My Prostate Problems.

And it’s not a prescription drug

Photo by Point3D Commercial Imaging Ltd. on Unsplash

If you are an older male, you probably know what Benign Prostate Hyperplasia or BPH is. You are all aware of the symptoms, which include a frequent need to pee, a weak stream, trouble starting to pee, dribbling, not being able to empty your bladder, and perhaps worst of all, getting up several times during the night to pee.

These symptoms are caused by the enlargement of the prostate gland, which occurs as we grow older. Some of us hardly notice this, while others are severely affected. When the symptoms become bothersome or negatively affect your daily life, you need to see a specialist called a urologist.

I used to get up 4, 5, or 6 times during the night to pee, and it was killing my sleep. I was tired all day long. Years ago, my urologist prescribed a couple of drugs, one of which is called finasteride. Finasteride shrinks the prostate, which in turn reduces the symptoms. However, there are many unpleasant side effects that are almost as bad as the symptoms.

After taking the drug for several years, I suffered from leg pains on an almost daily basis. I also experienced lightheadedness. Worst of all, the drug caused a loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. I had had enough and asked my doctor to allow me to drop this medication.

He prescribed tadalafil to replace the finasteride but warned that my prostate would begin to enlarge again, saying he would monitor the growth yearly. After withdrawing from finasteride, I began to research what natural supplements can shrink the prostate. I discovered that beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol, may be effective in shrinking the prostate.

I went to Amazon and researched the supplements available. I also checked for drug interactions with the other medications I was taking. Seeing there were no interactions, I went ahead and placed an order for the brand with the most positive reviews. After receiving my first bottle, I began taking two capsules a day.

A few days before my next yearly visit with my urologist, I had my blood drawn for a PSA (prostate specific antigen) test, which is a screening test for prostate cancer, and an X-ray of my prostate. At my appointment, my urologist reported that my PSA was OK, and the X-ray showed my prostate hadn’t enlarged. I was relieved.

I told him that I had started taking beta-sitosterol about a year ago. He told me that was the reason my test results were so good. I was happy he said this, but after leaving his office, I wondered why he hadn’t told me about this supplement a long time ago,

Everything is getting back to some semblance of normalcy for me. It may take a while longer, but I feel so much better. I am not advising anyone to take this supplement, but it might be worth talking to your doctor about it.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

Another Gardening Season Has Ended

 

It’s not to early to plan for next year.

                                                          Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

 

Even though fall is perhaps my favorite time of the year, one aspect saddens me: it marks the end of the gardening season.

I lovingly tend to various plants in my garden for almost six months each year. In my raised bed gardens, I cultivate tomatoes, Chinese eggplant, Chinese long beans, Chinese bitter melon, and a variety of hot peppers. My husband is Malaysian-Chinese and does most of the cooking, if you’re wondering why I grow so many Asian vegetables.

In another section of my garden, I tend to bonsai plants. I have tropical bonsai, which I let soak up the summer sun until the weather gets colder, and then move inside. I also have several native trees I am hopefully turning into bonsai trees, which stay outside but are sheltered from the icy winds of our rather harsh winters here in Western New York.

Usually, the weather is crisp and fall-like at this time of year, but this year is different. The temperature is in the 70s Fahrenheit. Some plants appear not quite ready to give up on the growing season, so pulling them out of their comfortable bed is sad.

The worst part of dismantling the garden is pulling away the vines of the beans and melons from the trellises in which they have been intertwined. I did manage to find a few melons I had missed while picking what I had thought was the last of the crop.

Before pulling the hot pepper plants, I harvested a couple of pounds of the hot little devils. I also found about five Chinese eggplants I hadn’t seen before. After a couple of hot, sweaty hours, I finished everything. It looks so bare now! Soon, everything will be covered with snow.

We have frozen many bags of hot peppers and long beans, which we will use all winter, saving us from purchasing them from the grocery store. I will, however, miss not eating bitter melon and eggplant until next year, as they don’t freeze well.

I will now have six months to plan my garden for next year. I will likely plant the same things, but I can always research what other plants will thrive in my gardens. While I wait until next spring, I’ll relax and do a lot of reading and writing. Does anyone else enjoy gardening or tending to houseplants? Please share your interests.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

Why I Don’t Click on Your Link

 

And why nobody clicks on mine?

                                                             Photo by henry perks on Unsplash

Please Click On The Following Link.

We have all seen this or similar prompts in the Medium stories we read and on other sites we visit. But how many of us actually click on the prompt?

If you’re like me, you ignore it. With the numerous phishing scams exploding on the internet, we all have to be highly vigilant. Unless we know exactly what clicking on a link will lead us to, we should ignore it.

Many writers here on Medium have a website, blog, newsletter, or Substack account we are hoping to promote, and we place a link at the bottom of our article, urging the reader to click to subscribe. You will see my subscription link below this article.

Most readers don’t click on these links because they are unsure where the link will take them or don’t want to receive any more emails in their inbox.

Promoting a blog or newsletter can be a real challenge, but using a promotion link on our stories is one of the best ways to get the word out. I’ve recently started my own newsletter and am now using the promotion link. It’s not easy to get readers to click on my link. I know others share the same feeling.

My advice to anyone planning to use a link to promote their website or newsletter is to explain clearly where the link will lead. If you plan to sell a product, be honest with your readers and tell them. Explain this to your reader if you promote an informative newsletter or personal blog.

If I see a prompt link that is confusing, either with a picture or slogan that does not relate to the article I have just read, I will ignore it. I do not want to risk my computer being infected with malware or other viruses that could be disastrous.

Thank you for reading. Please support and subscribe to the writers you like, but be careful.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

Some Days I Hate Technology,

 

Today was one of those days

                                                        Photo by Noah Buscher on Unsplash

 

I love technology because it usually makes my life easier. I have to love technology because my husband is a technology geek who has turned our home into a Smart Home. I can turn everything on with Alexa’s help and clean my floors with a robotic vacuum cleaner. A robot even mows my lawn. And, of course, I couldn’t live without my MacBook.

Today, however, was one of those days when I was not too fond of technology. A few weeks ago, I had a problem with my laptop continually crashing while I was trying to work. The problem went away as mysteriously as it began. This morning, I was on Medium and was not experiencing any problems.

I have been having a problem trying to link a customs domain that I own to a Blogger site I use. Even though I own the domain, I don’t use it for anything. I thought I might as well connect it to my Blogspot site. Following instructions I received from Blogger and my domain server, Ionos, I managed to screw everything up. I thought this afternoon would be a good day to contact Customer Support at Ionos. I was wrong.

Everything was going smoothly with the customer service representative, and I was excited to have my problem resolved soon. I was very close to the end of the process when my laptop crashed. The rep patiently waited while I restarted my computer, and it crashed again. This happened two more times. I was at my wits’ end and apologized for my disaster. He suggested I try again tomorrow, and I agreed.

I am now running a full disk scan as I write the story. So far, my computer has not crashed, and hopefully, it won’t before I finish this article. Tomorrow, I will try to link my custom domain to my blog site again. My blood pressure will return to normal, and I will hope for the best.

Have you ever had one of these kinds of days? I’d love to hear about your experience.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

I’ve Decided to Share Some Things You May Not Know About Me

 

Do you care to share a little about yourself?

                             My favorite food, Thai cuisine. Photo by Jerome Jome on Unsplash

I’ve been on Medium for over six years, but I don’t think my readers know too much about me. Many of those who did know me are no longer on this site. Since there are many new Medium members who read my work, along with some longtime readers who know little about my life, I have decided to share a few things about me.

Some people who have read some of my work know that I am a married, liberal, old, gay guy who writes a lot about politics. But there is quite a bit more to me than this. I am going to share some of my likes and a few of my dislikes so you may understand who I am a little better.

First of all, I love food. I love to eat. I grew up eating the basic American food, which included meat, potatoes, and vegetables. I always thought this was a very bland diet, and I still do. Early on in my life, I discovered Tabasco sauce and spicy food.

My favorite cuisine is Thai, followed by Chinese, Cajun, Malaysian, and Mexican. My husband is Chinese-Malaysian, born in Penang, Malaysia, which is noted for its extraordinary cuisine. He loves to cook, and needless to say, he does most of the cooking. He is also a big fan of Gordon Ramsey, so he cooks a great deal of Western gourmet food.

Ten years ago, we lived in Malaysia but moved to a small Rochester, New York suburb. It was a big dietary letdown. Our town has nothing but pizza places, greasy spoons, and restaurants serving the same menu. Our neighbors have no idea what ethnic cuisine is, thinking Taco Bell is authentic Mexican food. We have tried to introduce to them what we eat, but they will have nothing to do with it. If they haven’t eaten it or heard of it, they won’t try it.

Fortunately, we can take a half-hour drive to Rochester, where there are numerous ethnic restaurants due to the large foreign student population associated with the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology. If we decide not to eat at home, we usually dine out in Rochester once a week.

Aside from enjoying my culinary delights, I love all kinds of animals. When I was a child, I suffered from severe asthma and was not allowed to have any pets with fur. I did have turtles, fish, and snakes, though. I had always wanted an elephant, and I still do.

When we lived in Malaysia, we had a cat, Nero, a prairie dog, Chi Chi, tropical fish, and an assortment of designer geckos. We both wanted a dog, but living in a condo, owning a dog was impractical. Shortly after we moved to our new home, we adopted two Cattle Dogs, Cato and Lucky. Sadly, Lucky passed away suddenly, leaving Cato the spoiled king of the house he is.

 Cato

We have two Quaker parrots, Blue and Gizmo, who amuse us with their chattering and occasional flights around the living room. I have a reef tank full of coral and colorful saltwater fish. Sitting back and watching them swim around the tank is so relaxing. Saltwater tanks are beautiful but quite expensive.

My husband, Kevin, had always wanted a chameleon; now, living in the United States, he has one, Hannibal. Hannibal doesn’t do much, but he amazes us with the array of colors he displays. He loves to be held but prefers to sit on our heads.

In the summer, I have a small raised bed garden that occupies my time and provides us with tomatoes and a variety of Asian vegetables, which my husband incorporates into his culinary masterpieces. Another hobby I have is bonsai, which I started about three years ago. I enjoy taking native trees and preparing them to be bonsai plants. I’ll be long gone before they can be considered actual bonsai plants, though.

Eating mainly Asian food helps me maintain a healthy diet, which is accompanied by my gym routine. I am a bit overweight, but as much as I try, I can’t lose much weight. But I’m not going to starve to death to have a slim body!

You know what I like, so now for a few things about me that you might find odd. I do not like watching television in bed, which is something my husband loves. I prefer to watch television until late and then go to bed. Once in bed, I must have the fan on and my right leg out of the covers. I do not like to be in a warm room to sleep.

I hate vacuuming and even the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Luckily, the house has robotic vacuum cleaners that run while we sleep. My husband is a tech and has transformed our home into a Smart Home. We even have a robotic lawn mower!

I also hate waiting. I am always on time for appointments, and I get upset if I am kept waiting. If someone says they’ll meet me at such and such time, they better show up on time. If anything, I am mostly early when I have to be someplace at a specific time.

I also hate bigoted, racist people, but you probably already know this. I have a few other peeves, but I can write about them another time.

It felt pretty good introducing myself to you in this way. I’d like to get to know my readers better, too, so I encourage you to take the challenge and tell me a little about yourself.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.

I’m Afraid of Election Day,

And you should be, too!

Photo by Melanie Wasser on Unsplash

As the upcoming presidential election approaches, I’m becoming afraid. I’m scared of what will happen if Trump wins and what will happen if he doesn’t. I’m afraid of what will happen on and around election day and after Trump takes office if he wins.

I have every reason to be afraid. Trump has already said the election is rigged if he doesn’t win. The Republican House Speaker has refused to say he will certify the election results if Trump loses. Trump also has threatened “bloodshed” if he is not elected.

Trump’s campaign already has plans to fight the election results in swing states if Trump loses. They have introduced legislation to suppress the vote in areas of swing states with heavy Democratic voter registration. Republicans in Red states have managed to gain control of local election offices, which could decertify election results if Trump loses.

I fully expect violence on or after election day if Harris is declared the winner. There is no doubt that Trump will incite his supporters to take to the streets to commit acts of violence in response to what he will call another election stolen from him. Violent acts will continue until Congress meets to certify the election. If Speaker Johnson does not allow a vote to certify the election results, January 6, 2020, will look like a picnic. The aim of Republicans would then lead to either the House of Representatives or the Supreme Court, both firmly loyal to Trump, to choose the President.

Even with the SCOTUS rulings on presidential immunity, which were made to protect Trump, I am sure Biden would not take any action, feeling it would not be proper. The situation would be a complete takeover of the country. The January 6th coup would now be completed.

It is highly likely that Harris will trounce Trump in the popular vote but lose to Trump in the antiquated Electoral College. In the end, the votes of five or six states could nullify the votes of the entire country, giving Trump the Presidency. We will have had our last election.

If this happens, I doubt Trump will wait until his inauguration to begin his reign of terror. Trump’s minions will begin the transition from the Constitution to Project 2025. Once Trump takes over, I believe he will act quickly to mete out his revenge on every one of his political opponents, including Harris, Walz, and Liz Cheney. No politician, Democrat or Republican, will be safe from his retribution.

I know Trump will aim for media outlets that he perceived to be unfair to him, including CBS News, for fact-checking him, and ABC, NBC, and MSNBC. They will most likely lose their broadcast licenses, as Trump has promised many times before.

I am particularly afraid that bloggers and writers like myself will be among those he has promised retribution to. Millions of us on this platform and others could be targeted. All it would take would be one Trump supporter, who has read and found issue with one of our anti-Trump stories, to report us to the Trump retribution team.

Once in office, I do not doubt that my husband and I will lose many of our rights to exist as a gay couple, including nullifying our marriage, along with others. After SCOTUS overturned Roe v Wade, Justices Thomas and Alito signaled gay rights would be next. Personally, this is what I am afraid of. We will be brought back to the early sixties, but it will be more dangerous.

But I also fear what another Trump term will mean for others. There will undoubtedly be a national abortion ban, as well as a ban on contraceptives and IVF. What will happen to the right to vote for people of color? Will women still have the right to vote? Will Christianity become our national religion? So many rights we have enjoyed could be gone with another Trump term.

Trump has promised to establish internment camps for illegal and undocumented aliens. Also, as promised, millions of immigrants will be deported with the help of the National Guard. What happens when the National Guard of a red state tries to enter a blue state to enforce Trump’s policies? God only knows.

Republicans have been trying to gut Social Security and Medicare for years. Under another Trump administration, there will be nothing in his way to do what he pleases with these two vital programs. For the millions of people who benefit from Obama Care, that, too, will be taken away from them, leaving them dangerously uninsured. Finally, those millions of senior citizens who receive Social Security benefits will have them partially or totally taken away. For many seniors, this is their only source of income. What will they do? Trump won’t care.

As scary as Trump is, his Vice President is worse. It is evident that Trump’s mental acuity is quickly declining. He is suffering from dementia and most likely other serious health problems, which he is hiding by refusing to release his medical records. It is doubtful he will be able to complete his full term or even his first week as President.

One plausible scenario is that soon after Trump’s inauguration, Vice President Vance and the cabinet could invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which calls for the removal of the President if he becomes mentally or physically incapable of carrying out the duties of his office. This would leave Vance in total control.

My future and the futures of millions of my fellow Americans are in doubt. I realize that many of these people do not know what Trump and Project 2025 will do to our democracy and freedoms, and they don’t want to know. This angers and saddens me. It also enhances my fears because my only hope is they will make the right choice this election day. Please vote as if your life depends on it because it does.

Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed reading this article and wish to subscribe to my newsletter, click below.