Will There Be An October Surprise? And if there is, will it matter?

      Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

We are already in October in a presidential election cycle, and both candidates are in a dead heat. Older Americans are well aware of a phenomenon known as the October Surprise and are waiting to see if we will have one this year.

An October surprise is an event or scandal that is revealed in the month before the November election and can change the election results. One of the most recent and well-known October Surprises was during the 2016 election between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Eleven days before the election, FBI Director James Comey announced he was reopening an investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. His investigation previously found that Clinton may have been careless in using a private server, but she did not commit any crimes.

At the time of the announcement, Clinton held a substantial lead over Trump, but this quickly disappeared after the announcement. Trump went on to win the Electoral College and become President, while Clinton overwhelmingly won the popular vote.

Political pundits continue to say Clinton would have handily won the election had it not been for Comey announcing his decision to reopen the case publicly. Some say he broke the tradition of the Department of Justice to get involved in political investigations so close to an election. Others say he did it intentionally.

Yesterday, Washington, DC District Court Judge Tanya Chutkin unsealed Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s filings of evidence in Trump’s January 6th election subversion case. This is the evidence that will be introduced at Trump’s trial if and when it takes place in the future. The revelations included testimony that Trump said, “So what”? When he was told that his Vice President, Mike Pence, was taken away to a safe place in response to threats against his life.

All of the evidence presented was shown to be Trump’s actions as a private presidential candidate, not the President’s official actions. The new filings supposedly negate the Supreme Court’s declaration of immunity for Trump’s official duties.

The filings included evidence that Trump was responsible for planning, overseeing, and implementing the January 6ty attempt to overthrow the election of Joe Biden. In other words, Trump acted with criminal intent.

This is nothing new to all who are not glued to Fox News. Oddly enough, Fox News has reported these filings showed Trump acted criminally before and after the insurrection. Some pundits believe these revelations could be a real October Surprise. They reason that for many Americans with short memories, they could be a reminder of that horrible day. Those intending to vote for Trump may be influenced to have second thoughts.

I believe these new revelations will sway very few people. People who have always supported Trump, knowing he is a pathological liar, convicted felon, rapist, racist, and misogynist, will continue to support him. They are too much like him. Even if proof is revealed that Trump had viciously raped and slaughtered a kindergarten class of small children, they would still support him.

The only candidate an October Surprise could hurt would be Harris. Trump has ample time to fabricate the evidence for such an event. Be prepared for some nastiness ahead.

I Will Soon Be Sending Out a Newsletter to My Subscribers.

                                           Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

I am working on creating a weekly newsletter to send to my subscribers. My newsletter will contain the articles I published in the previous week and possibly a photo or some interesting tidbit of what I have experienced in my everyday life.

My newsletter will be free to subscribe to. That’s right, it won’t cost you a cent. It will be a weekly newsletter, so I won’t clog up your email inbox.

Once I have finished tweaking my newsletter, I will be ready to send it to my current subscribers. For new subscribers, I will include a link to subscribe at the end of my future articles.

My newsletter will not be hosted on Medium but by Kit.com. Once again, it will be free to subscribe to. At some point in the future, I may try to monetize it with a donate button or an affiliate ad, but it will always be free for my readers.

If any of my current subscribers do not want to receive my newsletter, please unsubscribe to receive Medium email notifications. I will be importing the current list in a couple of days. Whatever you decide to do, I thank you for your past support. Wish me luck!

I Don’t Want Medium’s Algorithm Choosing Who Reads My Stories,I want my followers and other Medium members to be able to choose what they read.

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Yesterday, I published a story titled “You Can’t Read What You Can’t See.” Today, I have been thinking about how there must be some way to circumvent the algorithm and let readers choose what they want to read.

Some people say that following a favorite writer or subscribing to their work is the best way to ensure people who want to read your work can find your articles. However, since I have been a member of Medium for quite some time, I feel this is not correct.

Even though most of us have numerous followers, we realize that often, once some of those followers follow us, we never hear from them again. Also, the fact someone is following us does not necessarily mean they will see our work once it’s published,

I think hitting the Medium subscribe button is entirely unreliable. I have had some bad experiences with subscribing to writers. In one incident, I noticed I was not receiving email notifications from those I subscribed to about newly published articles. After researching, I discovered that Medium had unsubscribed me from every writer I had previously subscribed to. The same thing happened to some of my subscribers.

I know some Medium writers publish newsletters in which they promote their work and offer products or services. I’m not interested in starting an e-business or making a bundle of cash, but I wonder if I could publish a weekly newsletter with my published stories for the week.

I plan to start a newsletter and place a link to subscribe to it in each of the articles I publish. If someone subscribes, they will receive one email each week that includes the stories I have published. I won’t try to sell them anything, either products or services, but I may share an interesting fact or something about my life. They will also have the option to unsubscribe.

If my newsletter is well-received, I may monetize it through ads in the future. But that’s wishful thinking for now. I will continue to publish my stories on Medium, as usual. If anyone feels they connect to my work or enjoy reading and interacting, they can subscribe. Otherwise, they can scroll on.

In the past, I tried something similar to a newsletter by creating a publication where I published a weekly summary of what I had published that week. The same problem existed — no one saw it. I also considered using Substack but soon realized it wasn’t right for me. I didn’t want my readers to pay for reading my work. I am also not a super prolific writer, which would hinder my progress on that site.

The problem with both Substack and Medium’s subscriber notification processes is that the subscriber’s mailbox is inundated with emails on a daily basis. If I implement my newsletter, I will only publish and email it once a week.

My newsletter is only an idea right now. I don’t know that much about starting and maintaining a newsletter at this time. It could be just another hair-brained idea that came to mind and will soon disappear, but I think it’s worth further thought.

I would appreciate it if any of my readers could share their thoughts about what I have just proposed doing. I am not tech-savvy or an entrepreneur, so I may be way over my head considering a newsletter. Thanks in advance for your input.

Just When You Thought Diarrhea Wasn’t Bad Enough

Photo by Paul Zoetemeijer on Unsplash

Diarrhea is an unpleasant topic to talk about or read about, but it’s even more unpleasant to those people who are suffering from it. Everyone, at one time or another during their lives, has to deal with this affliction. But there are millions of people with gastrointestinal disorders, such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s Disease, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

I am one of those people who suffer from diarrhea more often than I would like to admit. When I suffer from an attack of diarrhea, I am forced to stay home if it is a nasty case, as I can’t venture too far from the bathroom. If it’s not a bad case, and it’s during the day, I can take some anti-diarrhea medicine, go to the gym, or go shopping, as long as I know there is a bathroom nearby.

There have been times when I have been afraid to drive from one location to another without having an accident. I haven’t been able to eat breakfast at a restaurant for many years because I inevitably have a sudden attack of diarrhea. It would be not only embarrassing but also disastrous.

When I have an attack during the day, even though it is unpleasant, it is not as bad as having an attack in the middle of the night. Waking up from a sound sleep with a sudden urge to go to the bathroom is frightening. Frequently, there are only a few seconds to get out of bed and make it to the toilet before my intestines explode. There have been times I didn’t make it. It’s embarrassing to say, but it does happen if you have a bowel disease.

You might say that living with this unfortunate condition cannot get worse, but it does. What makes suffering from an acute attack of diarrhea worse is that when you desperately need your anti-diarrhea medication, the pharmaceutical companies have made it extremely difficult to do so.

Drug companies have packaged their tiny pills in blister packs. Attempting to access one of the pills, I see the directions, “Cut here,” referring to a line on one of the pill chambers. This is where I have a problem. At 2 a.m., suffering from severe abdominal pain, sitting on the toilet, frequently in dim light, how in hell can I find a pair of scissors?

I’ve tried to tear the pack open but without any success. Once I find a pair of scissors or other sharp objects, I struggle to free the pill from its blister. After an ungodly amount of time, I manage to extract the pill and swallow it.

Why can’t the drug manufacturers offer these types of pills in a bottle instead of Fort Knox-like packages? Don’t they realize some older adults do not have the manual dexterity or presence of mind to retrieve their much-needed medications during a late-night attack of diarrhea? I genuinely believe that they do this intentionally.

I’m sorry for sharing such graphic details of dealing with my gastrointestinal problems, but I needed to rant in hopes it would make me feel better. I’m also forewarning my younger readers of what joys of aging lie ahead.

Do You Have an Occassional Neighbor?

Photo by Andre Ouellet on Unsplash

Do you have an occasional neighbor? I’m sure you do. I think everyone has one. What is an occasional neighbor? I define one as someone who lives close to your home but only recognizes your existence when they need something from you. Otherwise, as far as they are concerned, you could be dead.

My occasional neighbors live across the street from me. The family includes the parents, two obnoxious boys, and two rarely seen dogs. I might add that they are avid Trump supporters and religious fanatics.

My husband and I fly our Pride flag during Pride month and sometimes year-round. Other neighbors also fly their Pride flags, which are not as large as ours. Our occasional neighbors have not commented about our flag, at least not to our faces. The only time they have referred to our sexuality was when the wife approached me to tell me she heard we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, but she could not wish us well as her church did not condone our lifestyle. I thought my simple reply of “Fuck you” was appropriate.

Another interaction I experienced with the wife and husband occurred during a snowstorm when I was stuck in my driveway, unable to free my rear tires from a patch of ice. While struggling to dig out my car, I noticed the two of them brushing the snow off their car while occasionally looking my way. While unsuccessfully attempting to free my car from the ice and snow, a young coatless Amazon driver of Middle Eastern descent stopped his car, took my shovel, and dug me out. I thanked him and offered to pay him for his time. He refused, saying, “What are neighbors for”? How ironic!

As spring approached, my next-door neighbor, another man in his seventies, and I tried to free his riding lawnmower, which was stuck in the mud. Once again, our loving Christian neighbors sat on their asses across the street, watching us wallow in the mud. They did not attempt to offer any assistance to two old men who could have suffered a stroke.

The situations I described above are not my only interactions with my occasional neighbors. Without fail, at the start of every school year, the wife shows up at our door with her two boys in tow, acting as though she is one of our closest friends. Of course, she is helping her kids sell magazines, candy, or other such items and expects everyone to shell out their hard-earned money to help her little brats.

The next time she darkens everyone’s door is at Halloween. She makes sure her fat little kids get their share of the candy. And, of course, they never say “Thank you.”

Just before Halloween, one of my neighbors always has a big Halloween party for the kids and adults. Our occasional neighbors always show up, never bring anything, and never express their appreciation to the hosts. Even though they have attended every party and cookout given by the rest of the neighbors, they have never invited anyone to their home.

One summer, the wife asked if she and her boys could use our pool. Like a fool, I said yes. For such a religious family, I have never heard such foul language coming from the mouths of her teenage boys. She never attempted to correct them, so I guess her church condones that language. Luckily, they soon got their own pool, so I didn’t have to host them ever again.

Now that you have met my “occasional neighbor,” I am sure you can think of your neighborhood and find your “occasional neighbor.” I guess they make our lives a little more interesting, if not aggravating.

I've Been Doing a Little House Cleaning on Medium and with My Blogs

                                   Photo by Mark Hang Fung So on Unsplash

I know it’s not spring, but I’ve been doing some spring cleaning the past few days — not in my house, but on Medium and with my blogs. I have been thinking about doing it for a while, and after some hesitation, I finally did it.

For over 15 years, I have been writing and maintaining personal blogs on another platform using custom domains. Although my blogs never earned much money over the years, my stubborn pride prevented me from giving them up. As anyone who has written their own blog knows, blogging is a tough endeavor, almost always destined for failure, at least for amateurs like me.

About a year ago, I discovered that Medium writers could redirect their blogs’ custom domains to their Medium blogs. Before realizing this feature existed, I had been publishing articles on my Medium blog and then republishing them on my websites. I thought if I could point my domain to my Medium blogs, I could save some time and trouble, as well as benefit my stats on Medium and my websites.

I linked two of my oldest websites, Steveso Thinks and Stephen Sovie’s Blog, to my Medium publications of the same names. I published an article on Medium explaining what I had done and settled back to see if it made a difference.

One issue I did not realize I would have was that pointing my custom domain to Medium prevented me from doing anything with my websites. I couldn’t publish anything solely on my website. I couldn’t even access it. I was still paying yearly for my custom domains but could only publish on them through Medium.

I saw no difference in my statistics, so it made no sense to continue pointing my custom domains to Medium. I decided to return to publishing on my blogs on both platforms. But it wasn’t that easy. I managed to unlink my domains from Medium quite easily but could not access my websites.

Each of my custom domains is registered with a different web hosting site, and I have been wracking my brains out about this for two days. Since I am not familiar with the intricacies of setting up and maintaining domains, I am lost.

I can probably fix the problems with my websites if I want to spend a lot of time and effort on customer support on each one, but I have decided it’s not worth it. After careful consideration, I have decided to swallow my pride and let go of my two long-held websites with their custom domains. Instead, I have created a new blog on Blogger, Steve Sovie’s Blogs, where I can republish some of my Medium articles from my publications there. Maybe I will purchase a custom domain at a later date, but as of now, it’s not a priority.

I doubt anything I have done will affect the performance of my Medium blogs or other writing. I don’t expect my new blog to be a success. I just want another site to share my work on and to preserve the memories of my past blogging adventures. I’m never going to stop writing and I’m never going to stop trying.

What Do the Red, White, Blue, and Stars and Stripes Mean to You?

                                    Photo by David Everett Strickler on Unsplash

Growing up, I always looked forward to the Fourth of July and Memorial Day celebrations. I particularly enjoyed the parades and fireworks and the red, white, and blue bunting and flags along the parade route and surrounding the fireworks venue. I can remember the pride I felt when I looked at our nation’s colors. It was a warm and gratifying feeling. I was proud to be an American and proud of what she stood for.

I never lost that feeling as I grew older. I remember the goosebumps I felt while attending the Fourth of July celebrations at the Esplanade in Boston. I was among a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life, from every country of the world, from every race and religion, and every gender identity. I can’t describe how proud I was at those moments living in America.

Our country’s colors, including the stars and stripes, remind me that we are a nation of immigrants. Except for Native Americans, every citizen of this country can trace their ancestry to every country in the world. Some came looking for religious freedom or to escape war and famine in their home country. Sadly, some were forcibly taken from their homes in Africa and the Caribbean and became part of the slave trade.

Americans and people living outside of our country have always viewed this country as a melting pot where citizens from all over the world can become Americans. I have always loved this concept, but is it still valid?

Since Donald Trump came down that escalator at Trump Towers, the meanings of our country’s colors have changed. Trump’s MAGA crowd has taken over the Republican Party our parents knew. Those colors that once stood for liberty, freedom, justice, and equality no longer do so. They now represent white supremacy, Christian nationalism, and anti-immigrant and LGBTQ hatred.

Where we once saw flag-lined streets of American flags proclaiming our traditional welcoming and supportive values, we now see oversized pickup trucks adorned with the American flag but the Confederate flag, the ultimate symbol of white supremacy and hatred.

We see tee shirts emblazoned with captions stating “America for Americans,” “White Lives Matter,” “Mass Deportation,” and “Go Back to Where You Came From,” printed in red, white, and blue and the American flag.

We see similar tee shirts attacking the LGBTQ community, with some prominent politicians supporting the complete elimination of gay rights and imprisonment or even death of those who are members of this community. Disgustingly, the leaders of the anti-LGBTQ community are also leaders in the Christian community.

The current Republican candidate for President, Donald Trump, who is the child of immigrants and who has two immigrant wives, has promised mass deportation of migrants in the first days of his new administration if elected. The Trump platform, otherwise known as Project 2025, will destroy what’s left of the rights of those migrants who have come here legally. Project 2025 will also destroy all rights and freedoms gained by the LGBTQ community, as well as women and other minorities.

When I see what is happening in our country today, I am amazed that so many people abroad do not share the same feelings. Millions of people in Central and South America, Asia, and elsewhere still see America as a place that promises rights and freedoms to those who have been denied them in their home countries. This is why so many people risk their lives to come to this country.

If these people can see the beauty and the wonder of American values so much that they are willing to die to attain those freedoms for their children, why can we, who have been born and brought up in this country, see the value in protecting those freedoms for ourselves and future Americans?