When asked what they like to read, people say fiction, nonfiction, science fiction, mysteries, poetry, etc. Naturally, their favorite authors are those who write in their favorite genre. When writers, especially novice writers, join Medium, they try to emulate their favorite authors or try something different.
We all remember how excited we were to tell family and friends that we started writing on Medium and how they asked, “What’s that?” We then explain how Medium lets us write about anything we want.
After we’ve been joyfully toiling daily to produce what we think are masterpieces of literature, we realize something. No one is reading our stories. We search the Medium site for answers. We see all kinds of advice. We need more followers. We need to publish more often. We need to engage more. Reinvigorated, we get right to it. And still, no one reads our work.
We begin to look around and see who the more successful writers are, the ones who get the most attention and earn the most money, at least according to them. We discover a new genre of writing that only some people outside of Medium have ever heard of: writing about Medium itself!
We begin to realize that most of those articles we searched for advice are very popular. We also realize that the one article we wrote about our questions or frustrations with Medium was our most popular and lucrative article. A light goes on. Why not devote all my attention to writing about Medium?
To hell with becoming another Hemingway, Grisham, or King. We can become famous writers in the new writing genre called Medium. So, now, when friends ask what kind of articles we write? We can proudly say, “I write about Medium?” And then laugh all the way to the bank.
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The latest election polls are tied, with Harris and Trump receiving 48% of the vote. To most people, this means that this will be an extremely close election. But to many, his means so much more.
When people are asked why they support Harris, responses include her support for reproductive rights, her sane, steady leadership, her support of a robust healthcare system, she has proven to be a strong supporter of the middle class, and her willingness to work with Republicans, and she would be a unifier.
When asked why they support Trump, people’s responses include a better economy under Trump, the fact that he will prevent immigrants from Africa and South America from coming across the border and that he’s a strong leader. Overwhelmingly, people say that Trump is like them; he talks like them and has the same values.
We all know how Trump talks and what his values are. He calls immigrants vermin, rapists, and criminals. He mocks handicapped people. He brags about sexually assaulting women. He denigrates women. He calls service men and women, veterans, and those who gave their lives for our county suckers and losers.
He admires Hitler and wishes he had generals like Hitler. He has said women who’ve had abortions should be pushed. Trump’s administration has asked the Supreme Court to legalize anti-gay discrimination and not protect transgender rights, according to Glaad.
Recently, four-star Marine General John Kelly, Trump’s former Chief of Staff, in an interview said Trump thought Hitler did “good things” and that Kelly thought Trump “met the definition of a fascist, would govern like a dictator.” As expected, Trump replied to Kelly by calling him a “degenerate and lowlife.” Once again, whenever someone disagrees with or criticizes Trump, he responds with belittling name-calling.
Now, back to those poll results. What the results really mean to people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, non-Christians, immigrants, and women who plan on having a family is quite apparent. 48% of the American people, some of your friends, neighbors, work colleagues, and even your family DON’T WANT YOU HERE!
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In January 2025, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th and final President of the United States. He immediately began working on his retribution list, carrying out his promise to punish those who had been disloyal to him. He is acting with impunity thanks to his hand-picked Supreme Court, which granted him dictatorial powers.
His first official act was to nullify the Constitution and replace it with Project 2025. He has directed his Justice Department, now known as The Department of Revenge, to arrest former officials and political opponents, including Harris, Biden, Obama, Liz Cheney, and others, who are charged with treason and will be summarily executed.
He then set his sights on the media. As promised, he revoked the broadcast licenses of CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, and MSNBC. The Public Broadcast System was abolished. FOX News, Breitbart News, and Newsmax are designated as the only broadcast networks allowed to report the news. The Washington Post and The New York Times are no longer allowed to publish any news that Trump’s Truth Ministry has not approved. Local and hometown newspapers are under the direct control of the Truth Ministry and will function at Trump’s pleasure.
Social media and other internet sites that previously allowed open political discourse will now be under the watchful eye of newly appointed Free Speech Czar Elon Musk. X and Truth Social will now become the official mouthpieces of the Trump Regime. The world-famous social publishing site Medium will no longer publish any articles unflattering to Trump, his family, or his handlers.
The names of anyone who has written articles considered unfriendly towards Trump or his agenda will be handed over to Musk for possible imprisonment or execution. AI-written articles will encouraged over those articles that could be regarded as woke or inclusive.
Dear Leader will continue to carry out his policies of mass deportation and denial of fundamental human rights to people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, and non-Christians as time, his health, and JD Vance permits. I will attempt to report on further developments here on Medium if Musk hasn’t caught up with me yet.
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At my age, I have accumulated a lot of pet peeves, but there is one that really pisses me off. And it refers to my fellow male adults.
I have the misfortune of suffering from IBS, which necessitates me frequently having to visit the bathroom, wherever I may be. I think I know where every bathroom is located within a 40-mile radius of my home. Yesterday afternoon was another one of those times. I was shopping at Costco, spending much more money than I intended, when I suddenly felt the urge to go to the bathroom.
I sprinted, the best I could, to the bathroom, which was located at the far end of the store. Luckily, all of the stalls were empty. Entering the first stall, I noticed the toilet seat was down and soaking wet. It was the same for every single damn one of the five toilets! I had to take paper towels to spread on the entire seat so that I wouldn’t be sitting in some lazy SOB’s pee.
There were plenty of urinals in the bathroom, so why did so many damn lazy men see the need to use the toilets? I see the same thing at Walmart and Lowes. Okay, maybe you’re shy and don’t want any other men looking at you peeing, or perhaps you’re afraid Donald Trump will come in and compare you to Arnold Palmer. I understand.
If, for some reason, you need to pee in a toilet, don’t be so damn lazy. Please bend over and lift up the toilet seat instead of peeing all over it. No one wants to sit on a seat covered with your pee. Ask your mother to give you a refresher course in toilet training.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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