Will It Kill You to Be Nice? I'm Sick of Christian Bigots.

Image by John Hain from Pixabay

Sunday my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant. 

As is our habit we posted photos of our dinner on Facebook as well as our personal greetings to each other on this, our special day. It was our way of sharing our happiness with our family and friends.

It was so enjoyable and heartwarming for us to read the congratulations and well wishes from our family and friends, of all ages, races, and religions from all over the world.  For three days our friends and neighbors shared in our happiness with their heartfelt greetings. Reading all of the responses on Facebook was very calming and reassuring in this troubled world.  We even received numerous congratulations from my fellow writers of Medium where I posted my feelings about our anniversary, I Have an Uneasy Feeling.

Reading all of the congratulatory responses I noticed something odd. We received notes from our family and friends from all over this country, Malaysia, Singapore, England, and Australia. We received congratulations from all of our neighbors who knew we were celebrating our anniversary. Except for one.

That one neighbor is the one person who wears her Christianity on her sleeve.  She is the one who thinks nothing of covering her Facebook posts on showing how good a "Christian " she is.  She always lets people know how she professes Christs's love in everything she does. Of course, this does not pertain to anyone considered to be transgender, a Democrat, a Biden supporter, a pro-choice advocate, or a member of the LGBTQ community.

This is the person who has told me she does not support our right to be married, but as her church teaches her she must treat us as human beings. This is the same person who, even though her church teaches abstinence from alcohol, readily swills alcohol at neighborhood parties, as long as it's free.

This is the same person who has asked permission and was granted it,  for her and her children to use our pool on hot days.  This was the same person who was welcomed into our home to share our food and drink when we first moved in.  This is the same person who always sends her children to our door when they are selling candy and magazines for their school functions or trick or treating on Halloween.

This is the same person who cuts through our yard with her children on their way to another neighbor's house. This is the same person who gladly accepts peaches from our peach tree and advice from my husband on cooking or computer related issues. 

This is also the same person whose property we have never been invited to set foot upon.  The same person who, along with her husband, will sit by, watch, and do nothing to help, as my older neighbors or myself struggle to free our cars from snow and ice during heavy snowstorms.

This is the same person who congratulated another neighbor couple on their anniversary almost immediately after the couple posted it on Facebook. Not a word of recognition for our anniversary in five days!

Am I pissed?  Am I bitter?  You're damn right I am!  Two frigging little words, "Happy Anniversary", and this hypocritical, bigoted, fake Christian bitch couldn't bring herself to treat us like anyone else and utter those words!

Thinking about this intentional slight I decided to unfriend her and re-evaluate my relationship with her and her family.  For a few minutes, I thought I could forget her slight, but no, I'm fed up with Christian bigots using the Bible to justify their hate.  My feelings and my actions may to some seem petty, but I am a human being with every right to live and love the same as everyone else.  I refuse to be treated as a second class citizen or less than a living, breathing, feeling, human being.

For a second I thought I was being unfair to her children by deciding not to buy the magazines and candy they push every school year, but I am sure they are being taught the same bigotry and hatred that their parents espouse and will grow up to be the same fake Christians as their parents.  She and her family are users and hypocrites and have no place in my and my husband's lives.   

One trait runs true for all of the Trump-supporting Christian bigots in this country - hatred supersedes human decency.  Well, I for one have had enough of them and their vitriol. I want nothing to do with any of them.

What the Hell is Wrong With Google Ads?

For anyone reading this blog, it is quite obvious that in no way do I support the present occupant of the White House, Donald Trump.  I consider him to be an illegitimate president, as well as being the vilest, most disgusting, most racist, most homophobic, most corrupt, most amoral, most misogynist, most divisive, most evil person to ever occupy the Oval office.  He stands right up there with Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Pol Pot, Vladimir Putin, and all of the rest of humanity's revolting despots, whom Trump adores and tries to emulate.

So why does Google keep putting pro-Trump ads on my posts?  I am trying to have these offensive ads removed.  Please be patient as I deal with AdChoice to remedy this situation and disregard the Trump propaganda.

Trump The Uniter.

                                         en.wikipedia.org

I just saw Trump's news conference announcing the Israeli-UAE peace agreement.  I was a bit confused because I didn't know Israel and the UAE were at war. But that's not why I'm writing this. When that wimpy little shit Jared Kushner started to talk in his little boy voice I was captivated. 

As Kushner started to praise Trump, which he always does and which is a requirement of anyone speaking at a Trump press conference I found myself agreeing with him for the first time ever.

Kushner called Trump a "uniter" and that he likes to bring people together.  I couldn't agree more.  Donald Trump has done more to unite every Nazi, every fascist, every white supremacist, every bigot, and every hate group in this country.  He also has united every sane, decent, caring, loving human being in defiance of his divisive, hate-filled, evil policies and administration. 

Have You Tried the Supplement PQQ (Pyrroloquinoline Quinone) - I Have

I have the misfortune of having COPD, Asthma, and BPH, along with arthritis and the other maladies of old age.  I am taking prescription medications for the three I just mentioned, but they are not super effective.  So I am constantly searching for supplements that would reduce inflammation so I could breathe better or that would reduce the symptoms of BPH.  A couple of months ago I ran across PQQ (pyrroloquinoline quinone) and did some research into the supplement.

I found that, according to the studies and reviews, the supplement helped increase users' energy, mood, and improved sleep.  It is also touted to reduce inflammation and promote healthy aging by protecting the mitochondria of cells.  I did not find any adverse side effects attributed to PQQ when taken as directed.  So I decided to give it a try.

When I received the supplement I read the directions and started taking 1 capsule a day, as recommended.  I did not see an increase in my energy level, my sleep, or my mood. As a matter of fact, I think I felt less energy.  I did notice that there was one side effect, that I did not discover in my research.

As I stated above, I suffer from BPH, benign prostatic hyperplasia. One of the symptoms of BPH is frequent nighttime urination.  I take 2 prescription medications for this and as a result, I have to get up about twice a night to go to the bathroom. When I started taking PQQ I began to get up to go to the bathroom 4 or 5 times a night. I suspected the change could be attributed to the PQQ, so I quit taking it for a couple of days.  Nighttime visits went back to the normal numbers.  I then started taking the supplement again to see what would happen.  Once again my bathroom visits dramatically increased.

I only took PQQ for about 3 weeks and the worsening of my BPH symptoms was the only side effect I noticed.  I saw no benefits from taking the supplement and I didn't want to lose sleep every night to find out if it had any benefits. This is my experience with PQQ and I am not saying that others will have the same results.  Perhaps it only has negative side effects for those suffering from BPF. 

I'm Really Starting to Worry

Image by Enrique Meseguer from Pixabay 

Every day I see the polls that show Joe Biden leading Trump, in some cases by larger margins.  I should feel some degree of comfort for a substantial Trump loss in November, but I don't. I live with the knowledge that Trump has never in his life played by the rules.  Anything he has ever gotten has not been acquired honestly, including his election in 2016.  As his re-election is a mere 90 days away Trump is involved in numerous investigations, including rape, fraud, tax fraud, and money laundering, to name a few.  Most of the crimes he is being investigated for fall under the jurisdiction of New York State, therefore he cannot receive a pardon.  Once he leaves office he can immediately be arrested and could possibly spend the rest of his life in prison.  He is like a dangerous rabid cornered animal afraid of what may await him and his family.

Under normal circumstances, I would feel good that this disgustingly corrupt president will soon be voted out of office.  But these are not normal times.  Every day I see Trump and his minions attack our democratic institutions in an attempt to ensure his re-election and keep him and his family out of jail.  He has declared war on voting by mail and has installed a Trump mega-donor as the new Postmaster General, to destroy the United States Postal Service in an attempt to prevent voting by mail.  He is afraid that people who mail in their ballots will vote against him.

He has even floated the idea that he will postpone the election until the pandemic and its associated economic destruction have passed.  This would clearly be a violation of the Constitution, but I wouldn't doubt that he would try it.  

He has illegally sent federal troops to Portland and other cities to tear gas and arrest peaceful protesters who are merely exercising their First Amendment rights.  But he allowed white, armed militiamen to take over the Michigan state capital and threaten to hang the governor.  He has vilified the Black Lives Matter movement, as a symbol of hate, in an attempt to racially divide the country.  With over 160,000 Americans dead from the coronavirus he continues to attack the medical professionals and insists that families send their children to school during the pandemic. 

In his latest executive orders, he has signaled his intention to destroy social security, the safety net that millions of senior citizens rely upon for survival, and offered a mere pittance to those unemployed Americans trying to live during the pandemic.  His orders did nothing to stop the spread of the Trump virus or ease the suffering of the American people. The executive orders were nothing but propaganda stunts.

Our national intelligence agencies released information that once again there is evidence of foreign involvement in our elections. There is evidence that Russia, China, and Iran have a strong interest in who wins in November.  Intelligence sources point out that China and Iran favor Biden, while Russia favors Trump.  The difference is that while China and Iran may only favor Biden, Russia is actively interfering in our election process already. But Trump only attacks China and Iran for interfering!

In southern states, as usual, attempts at voter suppression targeting people of color, continue but rarely are met with resistance from the predominantly Republican local governments and local courts.  Since the Black and Brown vote may well be the deciding factor in this election, it is easy to see how Trump and the GOP want to diminish the influence of these usually Democratic voters.

It seems as though every morning I wake up to new evidence that Trump is trying to once again steal the election by suppressing the votes of those who oppose him and his administration.  All with the assistance of his master, Putin.  Ordinarily, I would be comforted by the fact that this is a two-party political system, a government of separation of powers, and an honest and effective justice department and judicial system.  But not this year!

First of all the Republicans in Congress have remained in lockstep in their support of every corrupt, unconstitutional, and illegal action Trump has taken to ensure he remains in office and continues to financially benefit from his office, while he vows allegiance to Russia. The Republicans are no doubt terrified of Trump's retaliation for showing any semblance of having any balls by holding him accountable for his actions.  They are not only terrified but I am sure most of them are financially dependent upon Russian money.  If we ever survive this attack on our country and Constitution there should be a Nureneburg-like criminal court to bring these traitors to justice.

Perhaps the most terrifying aspect of this attack on our government is that our very own Justice Department has become the enemy of the American people acting as Trump's own Gestapo. Bullfrog Billy Barr is no longer the attorney general of the country, but Trump's enforcer tasked with protecting Trump at all costs.  Relying on the integrity of the Supreme court and the federal court system has become iffy at best, with some judges and even a Supreme Court justice owing their fealty to Trump.  I can no longer trust our judicial system.

As the election nears not even the press is willing or able to stand up to Trump and ask him questions that need to be asked.  Trump's attacks on the Post Office, Black Lives Matter, voting rights, his relationship to Putin, his rape allegations, his taxes, and most importantly his refusal to address Russia offering bounties to kill American servicemen in Afghanistan, all must be addressed until we get satisfactory answers.  His press conferences are no longer that.  They are campaign rallies and the major television networks allow him to get away with it.  Mainstream media helped him get elected in 2016 by ignoring Clinton and they're doing the same thing now.

I am not confident that we will have a new president in 2021.  Either Trump will refuse to leave if he is defeated, while Congress and the military do nothing or Trump will once again steal the election with Russia's help and the assistance of the Department of Justice. The period between election day and inauguration day will make the pandemic look like a cakewalk.  If Covid-19 doesn't destroy our country, Trump and the GOP will.

Death By Trump

Image by Pexels from Pixabay 

As of today, over 156,000 Americans have died from the Trump virus, and approximately 1,000 more die each day.  And he does nothing about it, but lie and ignore the facts as put forth by scientists and epidemiologists to help save lives. He has called the pandemic a hoax and downplayed the seriousness of the disease.  He has touted the use of ineffective and outright dangerous drugs as a treatment of a disease he has said will disappear shortly.  He has denied that children can be affected by the virus and are actually immune to the disease. He is even trying to force parents to send their children back to school without adequate protection, as his son continues his education online.

He has fought social distancing, the use of masks to stop the spread of the disease, and called such measures unpatriotic.  All solely to get people back to work to help the economy and help his re-election. His ass-kissing sycophants serving as governors, especially in Southern states, refuse to enact measures to save the lives of their citizens, for fear of drawing the ire of Trump. As of now, the virus is ravaging these states and the governors do nothing.  Blind loyalty to Trump is killing thousands.

Luckily I do not live in the South, under a Republican Trump executioner.  Fortunately, I live in New York where we have a governor who is competent and who has acted quickly and decisively.

But I still do not feel safe from the deadly effect of Trump's dangerous and irresponsible behavior. 

With every poll showing that Trump is losing by rather large margins to Joe Biden, Trump is panicking.  In an attempt to suppress the vote, especially voting by mail, Trump is attacking the Post Office. In May he appointed Luis DeJoy, a major Trump donor to be the new Postmaster General, which gives Trump major control over the workings of the Post Office.  Since DeJoy has taken control he has ordered cost-cutting measures which in essence has caused major delays, in some instances, of postal services including delivery of the mail.

Obviously, Trump wants to dramatically slow the delivery of mail in the future, especially mail-in ballots that could be votes for his opponent. The problem is that not only election ballots will be affected, but everything else handled by the Postal Service, including prescription medications.

From the start of the pandemic people, especially the elderly, have had their prescriptions delivered by the Post Office.  I am one of these people.  I do not want to risk contracting the Trump virus by standing in line at the pharmacy, so I have my medications delivered.  Since Trump has begun to manipulate the Post Office for his benefit I have noticed a slow down of the delivery of my medications.  Before Trump's despicable actions I used to receive my medications 2 to 3 days after they were shipped.  I am now waiting for a week or more.  I am still waiting for one medication to be delivered and I only have one pill left!

I don't think I will be in grave danger if I have to wait a couple of days longer for my medications, but I am sure that some people will suffer very harmful effects or even death if their medications are not delivered in a timely fashion. 

Election day can't come soon enough for millions of us Americans who are in danger of dying because of the actions and inactions of Donald Trump.  I can just see death certificates specifying the cause of death as "death by Trump".

What I Have Discovered That Helps My BPH Symptoms

Publicdomainpictures.net

Like millions of American males, I suffer from BPH or Benign prostate hyperplasia.  One of the many symptoms of this condition that is particularly bothersome and annoying is frequent nighttime urination.  Men who suffer from BPH often have to wake up several times a night to go to the bathroom.  There have been times where I have had to pee every two hours.  This is not only aggravating but it robs you of a good night's sleep.

Sure I see my urologist once a year and faithfully take the medications he has prescribed.  The medications are those that most urologists prescribe their male patients, but to be perfectly honest they don't work that well.  I have discovered that I still get up to pee just as much with medications as without.  

I have tried just about every OTC product that is available.  They all promise to reduce nighttime trips to the bathroom and some even promise to shrink the prostate. They mostly contain the same ingredients such as saw palmetto, pygeum, stinging nettle, pumpkin seed oil, and beta-sitosterol.  I have tried each of the ingredients separately and in combination, but nothing happened.  It seems as though every few weeks a new product comes out promising spectacular results in treating BPH symptoms.  Each new product inevitably contains the same ingredients mentioned above.  They just don't work!

Every article written about frequent nighttime urination with BPH insists that you must stop drinking liquids after 6 PM or so. They also say DO NOT drink alcohol.  Of course, no one pays attention to that crap and I'm no exception.  While ignoring this suggestion I occasionally had a drink or two in the evening while chatting with friends.  It was during these times that I noticed that when I drank red wine, especially more than one glass, I only got up to pee once or twice at the most. Drinking beer or gin and tonic had somewhat similar results, but not as good as red wine.  Whenever I spent the evening drinking red wine I enjoyed a more restful night.  

When I mentioned this fact to my urologist he explained that not everyone reacts the same way about what foods or liquids we should use or avoid.  He told me "if it works do it". It works for me, but it may not work for others, but it's worth a try.  And drinking red wine is a hell of a lot more fun than taking a mouthful of OTC supplements!

You may be interested in reading articles I have previously written, "I Have to Pee Again" and "The Myth of Saw Palmetto".