Capitol Hill Compromises-Also Known As Bribery Everywhere Else

There are some serious issues happening on Capitol Hill that require being addressed. The acts of this Congress are hypocritical at best, and can be construed to be criminal in a number of different circumstances if they were not happening in the scope of the public office. If that is not enough, we have a president flying off to Hawaii for Christmas at the expense of the American taxpayer while the rest of us get ugotz, which is the Italian slang for nothing.

Bribery, overt and blatant, has occurred in the Senate recently. Senator Ben Nelson, Democratic Senator for Nebraska, was given 100% funding for the Medicaid expansion in his state. The other 49 states are going to have to fit the bill for Nebraska for the “indefinite future”. No other state received such assistance, just Nebraska for a YES vote on the healthcare legislation.

So let us define what a bribe is, for those of you not from Youngstown or those who are just curious on the legal definition.

Bribery: noun. “Something, such as money or a favor, offered or given to a person in a position of trust to influence that person's views or conduct.”

Used in a sentence: “When Senator Harry Reid bribed Senator Ben Nelson with taxpayer dollars to pass healthcare reform in the Senate, he was not found guilty of bribery like everyone else under state and federal statute.”

How this situation is legal and how practically every other situation involving the exchange of money to influence someone else is illegal does not really make a lot of sense. Is this to say it is okay to bribe someone else as long as the money IS NOT YOURS???

According to Harry Reid, “You’ll find a number of states are treated differently than other states,” Reid said after he unveiled the bill. “That’s what legislation is all about. It’s compromise.”

Well Senator Reid, how about we define what a compromise is?

Compromise: noun. “A settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions”.

So, the compromise made in the Senate was to give Senator Ben Nelson a complete exemption from paying costs associated with the implementation of this new healthcare plan in certain aspects in return for his support of the legislation itself. In simpler terms, I will pay you money if you concede your vote.

That seems more in line with the definition of a bribe rather than a compromise. Compromise can occur with the language of the legislation. Such as, “If you will include the language for limiting funds for abortion in the new system, I will support the inclusion of the public option language”. Perhaps very general and broad, but you get the idea. No money or costs are exchanged with a compromise, because compromises are based on concessions, not payouts.

The same thinking can go with Senator Mary Landrieu from Louisiana who sold her support for a $300 million buyout for Medicaid cost reductions. There was no compromise in that situation, just a payoff for support of the legislation.

This kind of behavior is disturbing, and 97 other Senators should be beating the war drum right now. With the exception of the Harry Reid who was integral in making the two bribes happen, and Senators Nelson and Landrieu who received the bribes, everyone else in the Senate got ugotz, just like the American people.

Maybe in the future, people who are on trial can use the behavior in the Senate as precedent that all bribes can now be construed as compromises and hence are perfectly legal.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Goodbye or Good Riddance? 2009 At a Glance

Another year has come and gone. It is really hard to believe that it is almost 2010. Now that the holiday revelry is over, it is about that time to start the New Year (which means more reveling)! Hopefully it will be better than last year, because last year was a disaster in many respects. In the spirit of the New Year, I would like to take a little time to highlight some of the good, the bad, and the weird that has happened this year.

The Good

It was interesting trying to compile this list, because it was extraordinarily hard finding good things that have happened this year. As a result, this is a very short list.

-The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XLIV, Lakers win the NBA Championship.
-U.S. Airways pilots landed a plane miraculously in the Hudson River saving lives.
-President Obama becomes the first African American president of the U.S.
-The Vatican has welcomed Anglicans into the Catholic Church

Yes, that is about the best I could find for good news this year. I went out there and tried to search for good events or milestones, but this was about all I could find. Pathetic, is it not? Shall we move on to the bad?

The Bad

Well, where should we begin?

-H1N1 outbreak
-President Obama’s policies have not lived up to the hype
-Congress—this probably deserves its own article of 2009 mishaps
-Ft. Hood massacre
-Deaths of many political and cultural icons, too numerous to list here.
-Unemployment hovering around 10%
-Any number of hijackings, plane crashes, shootings, and kidnappings that have occurred almost on a monthly basis.
-Indictments on both sides of the political aisle prevalent through the year. Rod Blagojevich most recognized.
-Embarrassing moments of politicians. Mark Sanford of South Carolina most recognized for his extramarital affairs in Argentina.
-Nuclear issues in North Korea and Iran taken to new levels

I am going to stop here, because I could go on for about ten more pages of political upheaval (both domestic and international), pop culture embarrassments, and events that are just plain ridiculous that shows the bad side of human nature. We get it, 2009 sucked as a year.

The Weird

-Barack Obama wins the Nobel Peace Prize
-Flying saucer boy turns out to be a fraud
-Tiger Woods commits adultery with over ten women
-Michael Jackson’s death ruled a homicide
-Kanye West—enough said
-Octomom
-David Letterman affair and extortion
-Alex Mangie runs for Canfield Trustee

Mang’s Final Word on 2009: Goodbye or Good Riddance?

2009 sucked—period. It was a terrible year folks. It has been one big letdown politically, culturally, and socially. What else can be said? Good riddance. We can only hope the New Year gets here fast, because I do not think we as a nation can stand any more bad news in the next couple of days.

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown ready for a New Year that is Decent

The Many Shoppers of Christmas! Are You One?

Today was the first significant snow that we’ve had in Northeast Ohio for the season. Today is also the last weekend before Christmas, meaning two things: everyone is out shopping and everyone is driving extremely poorly. It is snowing outside, so naturally everyone now is into the Christmas spirit, and now everyone feels the desire to get out and do stuff.

Given the season, there are a variety of different shoppers out now. Each breed of shopper is unique and can be spotted at your local mall or shopping outlet. Some can be seen at your local state liquor agency as well, but more on that later.

“Holy shit, it is the last weekend before Christmas and I haven’t started shopping” shopper.
“Holy shit, it is December 24th and I haven’t started shopping” shopper.
“I’m at the mall having coffee, but not shopping and proud of it” shopper.
“How does this work and is this a suitable gift in your opinion?” shopper
“Clerk conversationalist” shopper.
“I’m dreaming of a White Russian” shopper.

The “Holy shit, it is the last weekend before Christmas and I haven’t started shopping” shopper. This is the kind of shopper you see out now en masse, because for whatever the reason, they have failed to make any prior effort to get any shopping done until today. Sure, there are plenty of legitimate reasons: work, family affairs, extramarital affairs, and so forth. This is the guy that looks quite nervous looking around at every store window trying to figure out what to get his wife and kids. Not that he is a bad person, but certainly because he has been too busy.

The “Holy shit, it is December 24th and I haven’t started shopping” shopper. You will not see this person until next week, but beware. This is the guy with the road rage that is frantically trying to get to the different stores amidst the backup of traffic. He is also the one that is walking quite briskly (if not at a jog or a run) when in the mall, and is the guy that is constantly looking at his watch and shifting on his feet while standing in line. No one really knows the reason why this person does not shop until December 24th, as these people tend to be repeaters. I have family that qualifies as this kind of shopper, and though they are busy people, they are not so busy that they would have to wait until Christmas Eve. An explanation is still being sought.

The “I’m at the mall having coffee, but not shopping and proud of it” shopper. These are the people that have finished their shopping and are all laughs and smiles at the coffee shop. They were smart enough to get their shopping done early or through an online store weeks in advance. They really have no reason to be at the mall, but often can be seen in groups of other like minded individuals observing the two aforementioned individuals running around aimlessly. While it has been rumored they take pleasure in the misery of those people who have not finished their shopping, no evidence can support that theory.

The “How does this work and is this a suitable gift in your opinion?” shopper. This is the shopper that gets to the top of the line and then proceeds to ask twenty questions about the product being purchased instead of asking someone working the floor. Upon receiving those answers, they then ask the clerk if they believe the gift they are buying is appropriate for whoever is receiving the gift. A good salesman, the answer is usually “yes”, though there are the occasional clerks that do go out of their way to answer that question in depth. By this time, there are twenty people backed up in the line, and upon the departure of this person, it is accompanied by many apologies from the clerk. The usual response is “well, it is the season”.

The “Clerk conversationalist”. This is not to be confused with the “How does this work and is this a suitable gift in your opinion?” shopper though the effects tend to be the same. These are the people that insist on having a conversation with the clerk, completely oblivious to the fact that there are twenty other people waiting in line. It is always nice to speak with the clerks and share a few words. That is not the problem here. Some, however, can go on for five or ten minutes after making their purchase while the rest of the line sits there waiting.

“I’m dreaming of a White Russian”. This is the shopper that has conceded the season and has in turn gone to the bar to forget the madness that is Christmas. You may hear some grumbling about the holiday rush and/or in-laws that are causing problems. On one occasion, there was a Santa Claus who was hanging outside the state liquor agency drinking a bottle of vodka from a brown paper bag a few days before Christmas. I kid you not, this happened when I was about seven years old when we stopped at the liquor store on South Avenue to pick up some wine for a Christmas party. I quickly realized that even Santa Claus needed a break from the holidays, though it often had plagued my mind how he could fly a sleigh and reindeer if he could barely stand up.

These are only a handful of the many varieties of shoppers out there, but these are the most obvious to even the most novice of observers. If you are out and about the next week, observe the people around you. You might spot some of these individuals, or you may be one yourself like I am. I am usually the “Holy shit, it is a week before Christmas and I haven’t started shopping” variety myself, though it has been the occasion where I’d be out on the 24th.

Merry Christmas, but there is more to come,

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown, local Grinch, and pain in the ass shopper.

Big 10 Expansion in the Works and Speculation on Additions

The inevitable has finally occurred in the NCAA. The Big 10 Conference has announced plans to expand to 12 teams within the next few years. It was bound to happen eventually, but it seems that plans are now underway to seek out another addition to the conference. Undeniably such an expansion will have an impact on the Big 10 as a conference, and certainly the conference that loses a team, supposing that one team is not a non-conference team.

Notre Dame would be the most logical choice of any team out there currently. Unfortunately, what is most logical is not always the most practical. Even though Notre Dame plays a Big 10 schedule for the most part (Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Penn State, and occasionally Ohio State once in a blue moon), a fundamental problem is the contract with NBC. Word has it NBC will not let the Irish out of their contract, though many people believe NBC should jump at this chance now since the Irish have had a number of bad seasons.

Looking to the Big East, you have potential candidates in Pittsburgh, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. Pittsburgh would be the natural choice, though commentators are saying Rutgers would open up the eastern media market. Geographically it does not make a whole lot of sense for Rutgers to join, though I personally do not have a problem with their program. Pittsburgh would be a good addition and geographically makes sense. Also it provides a great rivalry with Penn State, and academically Pittsburgh fits well with the Big 10. Cincinnati I am not thrilled about as a pick, but there has been talk about them joining. West Virginia also would be an interesting pick.

Big 12 conference brings the rumors of Missouri, Iowa State, Nebraska, and a very long shot University of Texas. Texas would be a hell of an addition for a number of different reasons, though I do not foresee such a transition. Iowa State would certainly be a good choice, and Missouri brings a lot to the table as well. While I think Nebraska is not a bad choice, I question how realistic that move would be.

I cannot see Texas anywhere but the Big 12, and the same with Nebraska. The Pac-10 has been eyeing Texas for awhile, but they stand about as much of a chance as the Big 10 has. Geographically, it makes as much sense for the Big 10 as it does for the Pac 10: no sense at all. Academically it is very attractive, as well as athletically, but in either the case of Nebraska or Texas, I just cannot see a situation where they would leave the Big 12 conference.

Ideally, if the decision were up to me, these would be my top choices. Granted, the more realistic choices are in the second tier and below, but there is always an outside chance of getting ND or Texas.

1st Tier Choice: Notre Dame or Texas
2nd Tier Choice: Pittsburgh, Iowa State, or Missouri
3rd Tier Choice: Rutgers or West Virginia
4th Tier Choice: Nebraska or Cincinnati

While all of this is merely speculation, we will know eventually who the lucky team will be to join the ranks of the Big 10. I am very excited to see the Big 10 openly talking about an expansion and it gives us a lot to look forward to in the next year.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown, local Grinch, and Football Enthusiast.

Traficant Press Conference Evaluated

Jim Traficant recently had his press conference at the Hampton Inn this morning. While there was no announcement of a Congressional run, it is apparent that something is going to happen on that front sometime in the near future. The former Congressman made the announcement that he was looking to run in one of three districts, which likely will be either the 17th, the 6th, or the 16th. There was indication that a former staffer, Linda Kovachik, would be in charge of taking out and circulating the petitions, though it was not announced which party he would run for or if he would remain an independent.

The primary reason for the conference was the announcement that Traficant would be supporting the creation of an Indian casino in the Mahoning Valley, via the Etanna Tribe which is in the process of officially becoming a recognized tribe (*I believe that is the correct spelling).

This is not an entirely bad move, particularly in light of the fact that the State of Ohio screwed the Mahoning Valley with the passing of this recent casino amendment. Jim Traficant has always been an advocate (however outspoken) for the people of the Mahoning Valley, and this fits in line quite well with his persona. Traficant claims he has been in talks with who he identifies as “equity bankers” and other influential investors in the area, and he is involved in leading the charge to ensure that a casino is built “somewhere” in the Mahoning Valley.

Where it is built may be entirely political, if the project does in fact go off. I would be willing to bet that wherever the casino is located will determine which Congressional district Traficant will decide to run in. That is just one person’s opinion, but I think it may very well reflect the reality of what Traficant is trying to accomplish.

The issue is whether or not Traficant has the clout to pull off something as big as this. At the end of the day, Jim Traficant is a former Congressman and a convicted felon. This is not to discount the good he has done for the area over the years, but will anyone play ball with him knowing his past? Does he have enough clout and influence to make a legitimate run at this project, no less a run at Congress?

The other question is does Jim Traficant need to succeed here? Would merely sparking interest and trying to lead the charge against what will be tremendous opposition and stonewalling be enough? Maybe Traficant knows this is not going to happen well in advance, and he is counting on failing at this so he can make his case when he decides to run. It would be the classic scenario: Traficant tried to do good only to be stopped by the man, and only because such a project was being proposed by a location in Northeast Ohio. It would strictly be an “us versus them” situation, and it could be something Traficant knows he can capitalize on.

Bottom line with this is Jim Traficant wins if he succeeds or if he fails, so this move to push for an Indian casino in the Mahoning Valley is actually a smart one.

It will be an interesting political season. Traficant running in either the 6th or the 17th bodes well for Republican candidates for a number of different reasons, and 2010 shall be an exciting year in the Mahoning Valley when you throw that wild card into the deck.

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown and Local Grinch

And Racketeer of the Year Goes to..... Al Gore

Today I am going to give praise to someone I never thought I would. This individual has pulled off a remarkable feat that would be improbable for one man to pull off on his own. I truly am impressed at what this individual has accomplished, because it was ingenious.

Al Gore has successfully created the world’s largest environmental racket and has become extremely rich because of it, all with a smile on his face. He is the biggest racketeer I can think of in known history, and I have to give the man kudos for duping an entire planet, as few others in history have accomplished this task. Bravo. But please, let me tell you why this man is a racketeer for the sake of argument.

A “racket” is defined as a business that is making money by selling a solution to a problem that the business itself created or manufactured, specifically so that the purchase of the solution is always needed. Hence the illegality of rackets in the legal sense.

What is Al Gore selling? The theory that global warming is caused by the action of man. This is a theory that has been under scrutiny long before Gore took up the torch, but has seen much more scrutiny since Gore has been publicizing and pushing the theory worldwide. What is the solution Al Gore is selling? The pushing for a reduction in carbon emissions, supporting the passage of legislation like cap and trade, and calling for the transition to “clean energy” sources and infrastructure.

Al Gore has made an obscene amount of money from movies on climate change, books on climate change, and speaking engagements that take in over $100,000 per engagement in many cases. But the holdings of Al Gore is where the real money is at, as Gore has a vested interest in seeing the theory of global warming flourish within his own company Generation Investment Management. Here is their investment philosophy:

“When we founded Generation in 2004, our intention was to show how integrating sustainability research into a long term investment strategy could strengthen fundamental investment analysis. Since then, our conviction on the importance of sustainability in delivering long term performance has only increased.”
—Al Gore and David Blood

HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If global warming was not real, I am willing to bet it would have an extremely adverse impact on this organization financially.

Al Gore has a financial stake in global warming, and that is the reality. At the end of the day, Al Gore is a capitalist. Is he really that far to the left with the environmental crowd, or is he pulling one of the biggest scams this world has ever seen? I have always been taught to never knock another man’s hustle, and this hustle has made an unbelievable financial impact on one person who has been selling a bill of goods to the world. The theory is highly controversial and unproven, and yet people keep throwing money at it, and inadvertently to the former vice president.

Al Gore is getting rich of a theory he himself has promoted without 1.) a scientific community consensus and 2.) proving beyond any kind of doubt that there is clear and convincing evidence that this theory is true. The rest of us are left holding the bag.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

The Thanksgiving Edition

Today is Thanksgiving. It is a little hard to believe it has already come and that tomorrow officially kicks off the holiday extravaganza—yes, I know tomorrow is Black Friday. My cousin at dinner informed me of her intent to go out at three in the morning to buy herself a 42 inch LCD television, and nothing says holidays like standing outside in the freezing cold waiting to rush the doors and buy a massive television.

I will be braving the stores a little later on as J.C. Penny’s has some pretty good deals. Can you say 70% off pants and dress shirts? I seriously need the pants and the shirts, otherwise I would be staying in bed.

This has been kind of a bittersweet Thanksgiving, as most of the family on my father’s side has passed away over the last two years. It is sad my grandparents and aunts and uncles are no longer with us, but it is kind of a relief to actually have a holiday meal without having to go home feeling angry or depressed. I will admit this was a very unusual thing this year, as there was no fighting, no arguing on the telephone, no snide remarks about the food, and no airing of the grievances like is typical of the Seinfeld holiday “Festivus”. It was just a “normal” holiday without all of the drama, and it is definitely something I can get used to.

We actually spent Thanksgiving with my mom’s side of the family this year. It was good seeing my other cousins for a change, and my aunts and uncles and grandmother who have been quite supportive over the last few years. It is really a shame I was unable to hang out more with my cousins from down in Mansfield over the years, it seems like they would have been a lot of fun to be around. I really need to make it a point to get down there more often, as the reality is they are really all the family I have left. My cousin is turning 21 fairly soon, and she would be a blast to hang out with more often.

There is a lot to be thankful for this year. Family, friends, a good education, health, and work of some kind are just a few. Work is not perfect, but at least it is something.

I am hoping this year is going to be a better year. It is a year of transition, and certainly an end of an era in many respects. As to that remark, I can only say sometimes we need to let go of certain things and move on. It is both a happy and a sad thing, and I guess this is typical of most changes.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and have a very enjoyable holiday weekend!

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

In Support of the YSU Fee, but with Limitations

Youngstown State is a particularly unique school when it comes to the topic of student activities. By and large, majority of the students on the campus of YSU are not involved in extra-curricular programs and student groups because they are either commuters or simply do not care about joining a student organization. At the same time, you have a small amount of students that really do want to make YSU a better place by providing the funds necessary to create an atmosphere conducive to both learning and socializing apart from daily class work. So, what do you do with this situation? Do you levy this fee for the betterment of a small interest in spite of the majority of people that do not use it? Or do you do this because this is something that will encourage people to join student groups because there is money now available? As I said, the situation is unique.

There is a severe lack of money for student groups. I know this because I used to be the president of the College Republicans at YSU. I can attest to the lack of money available, and I know other heads of student organizations that will say the same thing.

YSU student groups are disadvantaged particularly because there is not a whole lot of money in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties to find outside of SGA. Sure, people will give money to the University, but you would be hard pressed to find anyone that is going to give any kind of significant money to a student group. If you couple that with the fact that there is a lack of students on campus after class making it hard for things like recruitment, holding meetings, and holding events that are both social and academic in nature, then we find ourselves in the situation like we are in at YSU currently.

If this was a normal situation, I would be against this additional fee. Anytime I hear a fee or a tax would be going towards subsidizing a small minority of people in spite of the fact the vast majority of people would not be benefiting, I am always wary.

However, this situation is not normal. With few exceptions, trying to run a successful student group at YSU with a lack of funding is near impossible. I wish that was not the case, but it is the truth. Organizations at universities in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Akron, Cincinnati, Athens, Kent, and Steubenville all are successful because they readily have some kind of access to funds of some kind, be it from within the university or from the surrounding cities and suburbs. YSU does not have that luxury, and our groups do suffer for it.

The question though that needs to be asked is, if this fee does come to fruition, would this additional money going to student groups further student involvement on campus? To be completely honest, I cannot say with certainty it would given the situation at YSU currently. I would like to think so, but part of me believes this extra money would not make a difference.

That aside, I believe this additional money would provide a means that would encourage more involvement simply because the access to the money is available for students that want to participate in academic related activities or to do events that are academic in nature.

I would like to make sure though that this kind of fee does not go out of control, and that is something I hope SGA would ensure. The only danger with this is future levying of fees on students, and that can be a slippery slope to more fees. Having said that, I would like to see a limitation on levying future fees to a certain dollar amount every so many years. That or subject any subsequent increase in student fees by the SGA to a vote by the student body.

As typical of most government bodies, the more money that is available, the more money that is spent, so naturally I would hope there would be some kind of restriction on any future fees. I think the additional fee will be helpful, but I certainly believe it needs to be restricted in the future.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Christmas Rock: Steamroller and TSO. Is One Truly Better?

Youngstown seems to have been rocked with the season, as we have had two outstanding groups come here to perform. Trans-Siberian Orchestra came to town a couple of weeks ago, gracing the Covelli Centre in all of their excellence. Tonight, Mannheim Steamroller performed to a near sellout crowd at the DeYor Center and rocked hard.

Over the last few years, TSO has gained an international fame, and as time has gone on, has gradually taken the lead over the original “Christmas rock” group Mannheim Steamroller. Granted Chip Davis and Steamroller have other works aside from their Christmas music, but predominantly they are known for the Christmas fare.

The question has been raised about which group is better, and of course every person is going to have their opinion on this. A lot of people are not going to know who either group is, simply because they might not be into Christmas music. A lot of the older generation (talking thirties +) are going to have a preference towards Mannheim Steamroller, as that was the group they grew up with and know. For the under 30 crowd, you will see a preference towards TSO for the same reasons. TSO rocks a lot harder than Steamroller, and anything less than TSO is going to be considered too soft.

The Mang’s perspective: these two groups simply cannot be compared, and I will tell you why. The kind of shows they put on are significantly different, and the kind of music they play is also different. Both rock very hard (and I say that having seen what they are capable of live), but it simply is not the same playing field.

Granted, I will highlight the strengths of each group at the end of this.

The shows are completely different. TSO has a hell of a light show to accompany what is best considered an “arena rock” performance. I have never seen anything quite like it, and it was a memorable performance when I saw them when they first came to Youngstown a few years ago. It was Christmas metal at its finest.

Mannheim Steamroller basically goes on stage and rocks out. There are no pyrotechnics, the light show is not nearly as involved as what TSO presents, and there is not really a story that ties the entire show together. They just have a number of talented musicians that really enjoy playing, and do a phenomenal job doing so.

Musically, Mannheim Steamroller is not of the same genre as TSO. Yes, there is some crossover and similarities, but some of the songs are very different. For instance, Mannheim Steamroller’s second half of the show emphasized Renaissance rooted Christmas music. It was awesome. Was it as hard rocking as TSO? No, but that does not mean it was worse or better. It just means it was different.

I am not sure how you can compare a song like “Still, Still, Still” by Mannheim Steamroller to any song by Trans-Siberian Orchestra. It is a beautiful arrangement but it is not hard rocking. Better, or different? Same thing goes for “Veni Veni” by Steamroller. These songs are not specifically arena rock or metal.

Where are the similarities? You can compare songs to see which group rocks harder. “Carol of the Bells” by Steamroller to “Christmas in Sarajevo” by TSO. Both are outstanding arrangements, and I am even hesitant to pick which one is better. Again, this is really a matter of personal taste, because even these two arrangements I would not consider to be of the same genre.

Some songs cannot be compared, because there are some songs one group has done that the other has not. I would love to see a Trans-Siberian Orchestra version of “Los Peces en el Rio”. The Mannheim Steamroller version is awesome, but TSO could have an awesome metal spin on this if they get around to it.

Strengths of TSO: phenomenal show, unique metal arrangements for Christmas songs, and very hard rocking. If you had to choose the show to see if both were performing on the same night, it would have to be TSO hands down. They have outstanding musical talent and a great show to accompany it.

Strengths of Mannheim Steamroller: outstanding musical arrangements that cover a wide variety of musical genres and eras, and the musicians are versatile and can play a number of different instruments extremely well. They can rock hard if they want to, and their drummer, Tom Sharpe, is unbelievable in his talent. They can also take it down and play beautiful compositions, as arranged by Chip Davis.

Both are outstanding, but this writer is not going to make a choice on which is better. Both are equally talented in their abilities.









The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Best in the NFL? The Case for the AFC North

It has now come to that point in the season where people start making declarations of which team is the best in the NFL. Some are already picking Super Bowl matchups. Steelers-Vikings, Bengals-Saints, New England-Dallas, take your pick, these are all possible matchups. But it begs the question, which team currently is the best in the NFL?

The Saints and Colts are running hot right now and either team could make a good case. Patriots are always a tough team to beat, and though they have had some issues, they are still worthy opponents. The Broncos had the number one defense until recently, but they lost two straight to AFC North teams. The Vikings are highly touted as a favorite for the Super Bowl, but they themselves are subject to question because with the exception of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, the Vikings have not come across anyone with a winning record. They narrowly beat the Ravens, and they lost to the Steelers. Are they truly Super Bowl material? What about the dark horses out there lying in wait for the playoffs?

I want to make the case for the AFC North though, not particularly because I have a bias towards the Steelers but certainly because of the level of playing three out of the four teams are playing at. AFC North represents smash mouth football—period. You would be hard pressed to find another division that plays as brutal as these teams do. The Steelers and Ravens have been known for this style of playing, and last year more than proved how brutal a game can get when these two teams meet. Personally, I have not seen a series of games as hard hitting as I have seen when the Steelers and Ravens matched up those three times last year.

What about the Bengals? I am impressed with the Bengals, truly I am. They are definite contenders this year, and they proved that when they swept the Ravens and beat the Steelers. I have no doubt in my mind that if the Bengals keep playing at this high level of roughness that is so customary in this division, they will go far in the playoffs or get to the Super Bowl. They have a decent running game, a good passing game, and defensively have really stepped up their game. They have a lot of weapons to work with and they will be a tough team to beat both in and outside of the AFC North division.

Also, it should be mentioned that if the Steelers lose to the Bengals, I believe the Bengals will win the AFC North. If the Steelers win, it will make things here on out very interesting.

What about the Steelers? There is a lot to talk about with the Steelers. They have turned their style of defense into both an art and a science, and though they have taken some hits with some key injuries like Aaron Smith and Lawrence Timmons, the return of Troy Polamalu and the adjustments made to the defensive line have made this defense as strong as it has ever been. Offensively, they look like a very balanced team. The combination of running backs in Mendenhall, Moore, and Parker (currently injured) make this team dangerous. They tore up the number one defense on the ground last night in Denver if that is any indication. The receivers are very high quality, and Roethlisberger has not only individuals like Ward, Holmes, and Wallace to throw to, but also has Heath Miller at tight end, who is money in the bank.

I am not sure how you beat the Steelers at this point, but if there is anyone out there who can do it, it has to be the Cincinnati Bengals or the Baltimore Ravens.

What about the Ravens? I still believe the Ravens have a good team. Granted they have had a rough year so far, but fundamentally I believe they are still a tough team to beat. The Steelers are going to have their hands full, and Cincinnati’s efforts were no walk in the park either. Playoff potential for the Ravens? They can still make it supposing the Steelers and Bengals take some key losses over the remainder of the season, and if the Ravens significantly step up their playing and work on fixing some of their defensive problems. While this is not the Ravens of the 2008 season, they still are no slouch on the field.

What about the Browns? To put it as short as I can, there is always next season. That does not mean the Browns fan should not be completely outraged, because they should be. They got a bad deal this year in Mangini, and though I have tried to play up Mangini as best I could, I simply cannot justify this poor season. The management is terrible, the team does not have a goal or identity, and frankly it is time to start over. It is not entirely the players fault, as most of this is a management problem. I want to see a strong Browns team, because it makes the division that much stronger. But I do believe Cleveland is being cheated big time.

Regardless, the AFC North is going to have some kind of representation in the playoffs this year from one or more of these teams, and they will make a devastating impact on whomever they end up facing off against.

My prediction: Someone from the AFC North is making the Super Bowl this year. In the meantime, enjoy the picture of this Bengals cheerleader. If the Bengals play as perfect as she looks, they go to the Super Bowl.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

A Congress Full of Sonny Corleone's: Let's Not Forget Who the True Boss Is

I suppose you are a true politico if you spend your Saturday evening watching the healthcare debate on C-SPAN. In many circles, this is the ultimate is lameness. There is no alcohol, no glamorous women, no evening scene, but a whole lot of coffee and cigarettes. There is a degree of making observations, complaining about the opposition, and planning on what the next step will be in the process, but it is far from anything anyone in my age category would consider “a good time”. I wish I had more friends that had an interest in politics and such (and I certainly wish I had more lady friends that had an interest), but I guess we have to run in our own circles sometimes, even if means sacrificing certain social aspects in the interest of being unique and having a hobby.

The House of Representatives passed their version of the healthcare bill 220-215. While I am certain these people are completely insane and have a political death wish, we saw history in the making tonight. Watching Speaker Pelosi waltz up to the podium to announce the final results was enough to make anyone rethink eating (as the mere sound of her voice causes the stirring of the stomach deep from within). Listening to her speak about how since one Republican voted for the bill makes it a “bi-partisan” bill makes me quite unhappy, because in some way she probably does believe that in her warped mind, or she is putting on a pretty good act. Anymore, it is hard to tell with these people.

We ended up flicking back and forth between the debate and The Godfather Saga tonight. A friend of mine actually got a brand new flat screen TV, a Visio, and Al Pacino and Marlon Brando looked better than ever. I began to watch and then thought about the characters themselves.

If you think about it, we have a ton of Santino Corleone’s in Congress today. When I say that, I mean we have a lot of people acting purely on emotion, sometimes getting good results, but oftentimes getting a bad result. Healthcare is emotionally a supercharged issue, and we have a Congress that charged into this thing headfirst without really considering the repercussions, much like Sonny would do in The Godfather. They may be completely well intentioned, but they totally disregard the future results of the decision they are acting on today.

I do not need to tell you what happened to Santino, and if Congress is not careful in their approach to things, they will be heading down the same path. Of course, rather than getting pumped full of bullets at a toll booth, they will be getting the boot from D.C.

Congressmen should not be like Santino Corleone. Congress should be like Tom Hagen, a consigliere. Consigliere’s provide counsel, look into things, give recommendations, and advise. However, the boss does not have to agree with the consigliere. Furthermore, if the boss is not satisfied with the consigliere, a replacement can be brought in at the word of the boss.

The American people are like Don Corleone, the boss. The people decide who is going to represent them in Congress and allows them to make their own recommendations on bills. The only difference is we actually give them the power to make the bill decisions. However, the American people still reserve the right to keep or dismiss Congress, just as Michael Corleone had the right to keep or dismiss Tom Hagen from his duties.

Unfortunately today, the boss and the consigliere are having a disagreement. Congress wants to pass healthcare reform, but the American people are not enthusiastic. Some polls have Americans equally favoring and disfavoring the new healthcare legislation, and some polls like Rasmussen have more people opposing than supporting healthcare reform.

The don is left with a choice. Keep the consigliere or dismiss him? If Congress tries to pass this 2,000 page monstrosity against the wishes of the American people (let’s be honest, 220-215 is hardly a mandate folks), will America give Congress the boot in 2010? Congress is not the boss, although it is trying to be given how it has approached different pieces of legislation over 2009.

I said earlier Congress is full of Santino Corleone’s. As Vito Corleone said, “Santino made a terrible don”. He did not think rationally all the time and was ruled by his emotions, and that has become evident with the current Congress we have. There is a very good reason these people are not the boss, and a very good reason why the American people ARE the boss.

Congress should not forget who they work for, or they will be replaced by the true boss: the American people.


The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Small Cracks in a Windshield: Democratic Power is Slipping in Mahoning County

I have been thinking about the last few days today trying to figure out what happened election day and what it means. A friend of mine basically said these kinds of things happen for a reason, and I have received a number of phone calls giving encouragement. I am grateful for good friends and family. But I do not want to talk about the recent election results, but I rather want to talk about the future of the Mahoning Valley.

This election proves a relative unknown can stand up to the entrenched “old guard” of the area and have a decent showing. On November 3rd, you saw an unknown candidate come into a race of entrenched politicians and beat the incumbent and pull within 310 votes of the challenger who had 23 years of political experience. That is a damn good accomplishment for anyone in Mahoning County, especially for a Republican. Yes, Zarlenga won, but it was an embarrassing showing for someone who should have swept house. We lost by 13%, and given the precinct breakdowns (loss by 28 in one, loss by 40 in another, won by 37 in my own, and so forth), we have a much better idea how to approach things next time.

Dick McCarthy got the ball rolling though when he ran against Ron Gerberry, because Dick was a relative unknown in the 59th House District. The results were Gerberry 60% McCarthy 40%. In Mahoning County, that is good for any Republican. If McCarthy comes back to run, you will see that margin slip further in his favor.

The reality is the Democratic hold in this county is cracking. It is slow mind you, but it is cracking. There are subtle indicators and whispers of it (and it will never be conceded by anyone in the Democratic power structure), but I know it and I think they know it. Do you think it was a coincidence that my opponent who has been out of politics for six years suddenly had the urge to jump back in at her age?

A 24 year old Republican running in Mahoning County that has a strong education and who has been active in politics for almost six years locally? That is a terrifying notion to an older Democratic Party that is trying to hold on, and I have no doubt in my mind this probably played some kind of role in why we had three people in this race instead of two. And you can bet they are terrified of young and teenage Republicans too. They will never admit to it, but I know what they see, and they see a potential threat in the making if any younger Republicans step up.

For Republicans to make breakthroughs in Mahoning County, we need to start at the township, council, and school board levels. Period. We can put up county candidates and state representative candidates now until hell freezes over, but it is not going to make one damn difference if our people are not at the lower rungs of the political spectrum.

We need young people who are not entrenched in local politics. That is why I am absolutely thrilled there are Teenage Republicans and College Republicans. Even at those young ages, these people do know the score and have some good ideas. They are bright, energetic, and are not tainted like every other current officeholder who has been in power recently or from the past. To the old guard, that is another terrifying notion.

I am treating the Democratic power hold as a windshield. One small crack is all it will take to threaten the integrity of the windshield, and one or two bumps in the road can cause massive fractures and a complete shatter. A close Republican loss can give hope, and one or two Republican wins can fracture the Democratic machine beyond repair. It may take awhile to get there, but it is a lot closer than what you might think.

All we need is a little momentum, and you will see it soon.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown and Future Canfield Trustee Candidate in 2011

Election Day Recap: We Lost, But We Scared the Hell Out of Them

Before dwelling on the events that transpired election day, I do want to first thank enormously the team I worked with on this campaign—Donovan O’Neil, Ryan and Evan Beil, Amber and Josh Ivack, John Blue, Jim Shaw, Claudia Kovach, Michelle Jones, and Mara Frisco. I am extremely proud of all of these individuals because they put a ton of time in on this campaign and put in numerous hours when they didn’t have to.

Accomplishments: knocked 1,250 doors (most of which on the weekends), passed out literature at football games every home game, and put in a full day on election day. Congratulations guys, we are the only campaign in our race that did any of those things, because our opposition ran on an entrenched name and had someone else run her campaign for her. We ran this campaign on the up and up, and it was clean. We did not shamelessly attach ourselves to someone else in another race, and we actually put the man hours in on this unlike my opponent. Congratulations guys for doing this the right way. We also won 1/8 precincts, so it was not a clean sweep. 5/8 of those precinct losses were marginal, within 20 votes.

If you want to see the Republican resurgence in Mahoning County, look no further than these people. Most of them are either in high school or college, and we literally scared the hell out of the opposition in this race. We beat the pants off the incumbent and nearly knocked off one of the entrenched “old guard” challengers who really ran on her name than putting forth any meaningful time. How do I know this? Well, when you talk to over 1,000 people and they say you are the first one who came knocking on the door, you find out who is campaigning and who is running on a name pretty quickly.

As far as my opponent, I will not say much. Typically, the best person does not win elections, but the best campaigner. This time, neither the best person nor the best campaigner won. I believe in all of my heart we ran the best campaign, but because an entrenched politician suddenly showed an interest in running for office after lying dormant for a number of years and used her name recognition to campaign, we are now stuck with the same old politics we have seen in Mahoning County for the last thirty years. She did not deserve to win, and I am not sorry for saying it. I have been told there is a lot more to this story than what meets the eye, but I will wait to see what transpires in January before making any kind of judgment.

I am not afraid to run again, and you can bet I will be back making waves not only in 2011 but as soon as January arrives. The politics of this town is dirty, rough and tumble, and in your face, and damn it I am not afraid of these people anymore. I may have difficulty speaking at times, and I may not have a loud voice or an overtly talkative nature, but I am a good listener, and I do not owe any favors to anyone. And there is not one politician in this town currently who can say that. I lack the bravado and ego of these people, and I smell BS from ten miles away. Most of the politics in this town is bravado by the way.

And that, my friends, is why these people are so afraid. And that is why you all need to run, particularly those in college and high school currently. You do not owe any allegiance to anyone and you do not owe any favors. Mahoning County needs fresh faces that are not entrenched

We did a good thing here today everyone, and though I am a little angry about how things turned out, I am extremely proud we ran a clean campaign and to have worked with all of you these last few weeks. We came farther than many expected us to, and we managed to catch a lot of people off guard. I look forward to working with you again soon, be it on my own campaign or your own campaigns in the future.

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown and Future Trustee Candidate for Canfield 2011

Awesome Horror Theme Songs--For Your Enjoyment

Today is going to be a day for Halloween related theme music. There are truly some creepy themes from some of the horror movies over the last forty years, and in the interest of keeping with the spirit of the Halloween season, I would like to include some of them for your listening pleasure. I am hesitant to place a ranking to any of these themes, because each is unique in their own special way. In my opinion, the creepiest theme song I have heard from any of the horror movies would have to be “Ave Satani” from The Omen, but that is just one man’s opinion. I will let you be the judge this time.

The Omen




This is an interesting theme. In fact, it is entirely in Latin (and actually covered by Gregorian), and I will include the translation of the lyrics. Musically it is a masterpiece, though certainly a disturbing one.

Sanguis Bibimus ("We drink the blood.")
Corpus Edimus ("We eat the body.")
Tolle Corpus Satani! ("Elevate the body of Satan!")
Ave! ("Hail!"),
Ave! Versus Christus! ("Hail, Hail Anti-Christ!")
Ave Satani! ("Hail Satan!")


Nightmare on Elm Street



This is still one the great horror theme songs of all time. Regardless of how you may feel about the franchise, it must be admitted that Wes Craven had good taste when he brought in Charles Bernstein to do the musical score for this film.


Halloween



John Carpenter at his finest. It is interesting to note that Carpenter both directed this film and came up with the musical score, so the man does have many talents. We all know the theme, so no further elaboration is needed.


Psycho



We are reaching back to 1960 here, but this theme is still a timeless masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann.


Friday the 13th



Not the most memorable, but certainly we all know the “Ki ki ki” “ma ma ma” that is in every movie of the franchise, and it deserves to at least be on the list because of that.


Phantasm



Often overlooked, I must concede. In fact, if I had not gone out there searching for themes beyond the typical, I might have missed this one.


Rosemary’s Baby



Yeah, this is a creeper. I have not seen Rosemary’s Baby in a long time


The Exorcist



This is known as "Tubular Bells", but still a worthy inclusion.


IT



Yeah, if you are not creeped out by this theme, then you probably have not had the pleasure of watching IT by Stephen King. I’m actually too scared to pick up the book, because I have heard it is far more traumatizing than anything in the movie.


Children of the Corn



OUTLANDER! To be completely honest, I only sat down and watched this movie in its entirety a few weeks ago, even though it came out years ago. I'm not really sure why I never got around to seeing this, outside of a few parts here and there on TV. I think this is a decent theme.

Now, I know I did not get to every horror theme song. Yes, I know I missed Jaws, The Shining, Poltergeist, Amityville Horror, and countless others. But I had to make a judgment on some of the better ones and I believe this is a decent collection.

Enjoy!

Alex Mangie

The Mang

Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Most Underrated Horror Flick: Halloween 3-Season of the Witch

I am writing this while watching the movie Halloween, arguably the best Halloween related film of all time. Unfortunately, we will not know for sure which movie is the best horror film until later this week, but I did want to take a little time now to cover what in my opinion is the most severely underrated horror film that came out of the 80s—Halloween 3: Season of the Witch.

Believe it or not, this is probably my second favorite movie in the Halloween series. The original Halloween is definitely my favorite of the bunch for obvious reasons, but Season of the Witch received such a bad rap from fans because of the lack of Michael Myers that it was doomed to ever be shown on TV with the rare, exceptional appearance. Similarly as has been with previous Halloween’s, it is not going to be on TV this year either.

Musically, Season of the Witch is as good (if not slightly better) than the original score for Halloween. In fact, I would say it is quite exceptional for a horror film, as typically horror films are not known for musical scores. Do not get me wrong, the right use of music and sound can make or break any horror film, but as with the theme for Halloween, tracks like “Chariots of Pumpkins” from Season of the Witch are also quite memorable. I will include a link so you can hear it if you haven’t already. John Carpenter was responsible for the musical score of this film, though he was not the director for this installment.

Regarding the plot—some critics have argued that the film was based on a flimsy plot. To an extent, they are right. However, let’s be honest for a minute: every sequel subsequent to Halloween was itself flimsy. You have a killer who has been stabbed with a knife, poked in the face with the rough edge of a clothes hanger, and shot with a gun out of the second floor of a house. He then conveniently gets up and walks away, only to be in the middle of an explosion at the end of the sequel, and then proceeds to do ten more sequels suffering other damage that would be fatal to everyone else but him. Furthermore, he goes on to do two more remakes.

Do you still want to talk about flimsy?

As you might have guessed, this third installment does not have Michael Myers. The plot of this installment involves a man by the name of Conal Cochran, who has a plan to kill children through the use of three Halloween masks made by his company Silver Shamrock. The masks are created by a fairly large piece of Stonehenge (enter the flimsy plotline). The protagonist is Dr. Dan Challis, and he is involved in trying to figure out what is happening in the town as well as later attempting to stop Cochran from following through on his plan. I do not want to give away any more of the details in case you have not yet seen it, because the story is interesting and has quite the unique ending.

Is the plot farfetched? Absolutely. It would be a tremendous feat to move a Stonehenge stone across the Atlantic and across the country. A tourist attraction, you would think at some point someone would have noticed the stone was missing, or at least saw someone trying to move it. It was also mentioned there was a problem with the ending, at least in terms of how practical or realistic it would be by today’s standards. However, there are a ton of far-fetched movies out there that are praised even though there is absolutely no chance of them being realistic. It could be that this was just a good movie and did not need to be 100% realistic.

The Halloween series, according to John Carpenter, was intended to be an anthology of stories related to the season of Halloween rather than a marathon of sequels involving a crazed (but methodical) killer who simply would not die. Carpenter took the job with Season of the Witch under the condition that it would not involve Michael Myers, and that promise was kept.

Looking back on the series as a whole, it turned out to be quite the horror franchise. However, it does leave the mind to wonder as to what other stories Carpenter might have concocted as they related to the Halloween season. Season of the Witch is certainly different from the two preceding films, but I think that is precisely what Carpenter intended to happen. Sure, it does not continue the first two plots, but the film was still very enjoyable and watchable. Granted some of the effects and props are a little cheesy (it was the 80s after all), but I still enjoy this film immensely.

If you get the chance, try and check it out.

As for the next article, I am looking to do something Halloween related before getting to some of the best horror films of all time. Keeping in the spirit of the season, we move forward with this theme for at least one more week.

-

Enjoy a Halloween 3 trailer and "Chariots of Pumpkins".







Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Trustee and Conservative Capo of Mahoning County

Origins of the Jack O'Lantern, an Old Irish Fable

Welcome back everyone. Briefly I want to just say that I have been unable to update the site mainly because of the focus on the campaign. Tonight, I actually have a little time to do some writing, as the rest of my time has been spent working, campaigning, working, paying taxes, and more campaigning the last few weeks. The good news is the Mangie Team has been doing a hell of a job getting our message and name out there, and we are hearing a lot of good things. The bad news of course is I have been unable to write as much. Such is political work I guess.

I can’t believe it is already mid-October, and as it happens Halloween is around the corner. Where the time has gone, I have no idea, but I am really excited for the Halloween season. Every year at Halloween the Mang prides himself on carving pumpkins. I used to do a couple, but last year it turned into three, and this year I am looking to do five or six carved pumpkins as well as decorating the front porch. I’ll probably end up doing a couple of patterns because some of the patterns out there are intricate and look outstanding. But for the others I will most likely create my own designs because, well, that is how I roll.

It is quite interesting the story behind carved pumpkins. Commonly these are referred to as Jack O’Lanterns. There is a folktale that goes with the origination of the Jack O’Lanterns as we know them today, and the story comes out of Ireland. There are different variations to this story, and this is only one of them.

As the tale went, there was a drunk who went by the name Stingy Jack who lived in an Irish village. Jack had a reputation around Ireland for being a prankster of sorts, causing problems for the decent villagers by tricking them, deceiving them, and generally being a public nuisance. There was not a person he did not attempt to trick, and he even played the Devil for a fool. Jack managed to trick the Devil into climbing an apple tree, and upon reaching the top, Jack placed crucifixes all around the tree to prevent the Devil from climbing down. The Devil bargained with Jack, and in exchange for the removal of the crosses, the Devil promised to not take his soul when Jack died.

Eventually Jack did die. Upon reaching St. Peter at the pearly gates, it was determined that Jack led a lousy life and caused problems for everyone he came in contact with. As a result, Jack was banished from heaven. Jack went to Hell and was greeted by the Devil at the gates. The Devil, who was somewhat bitter with Jack, decided he would uphold his promise not to take Jack either, leaving Jack to wander in darkness for eternity.

The Devil granted Jack a favor to find his way through the darkness between Heaven and Hell. He provided an ember to light the way, which Jack kept in a carved out turnip. For the rest of eternity, Jack would be doomed to walk in the darkness only to be guided by the light of his Jack O’Lantern.

It is interesting to note that the Jack O’Lantern was not a pumpkin originally, but rather a turnip. In Ireland, turnips, potatoes, and gourds would be carved out every year around October 31st to ward of Stingy Jack. As it happens, this day was an old Celtic holiday known as Samhain. This day typically would be to honor the deceased, and was considered to be the time when the veil between the world of the living and the dead was the thinnest. This is quite similar to the modern day Halloween we have come to know and love. Eventually when the Irish immigrants came to America, they discovered that pumpkins were significantly easier to carve than a turnip. Hence now we have pumpkin carving.

So that is the story of Jack O’Lantern and carved pumpkins.

As I mentioned before, Halloween is one of my favorite times of year, so in the coming few weeks I’ll probably do some more interesting writing on the subject. You can look forward to Mang’s Top 10 Halloween Movie List, as well as some more different articles on other aspects of Halloween. Maybe we’ll do something on witches, there is a lot of interesting history on the matter. Dracula also has a storied history so I might cover him in the interest of keeping the Halloween spirit.

Now, I could go on and on about political stuff, but I think for purposes of this month, we are going to do some fun stuff. I’ll keep giving some updates on my campaign, but mostly I want to try and keep the spirit of the season active on this site until November, which of course means it is already the Christmas season according to every major retailer out there. Now THAT is something to be scared about.

Enjoy the following video!

Your friend, political candidate, conservative capo, and spookster,



The Mang

And the Award Goes To.......Barack Obama! On the Nobel Prize Debate

To my readership, I must apologize for the lack of entries as of recent, as I have been trying to conduct a campaign while going to work. It is either I will write crap when I sit down to write late in the evening, or I will write less, but decent stuff. I am opting for the latter temporarily. In the meantime, onto today’s topic.

Recently President Obama was awarded the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize, along with a whopping $1.4 million. In fact, he was bestowed the honor just today, and it was the first thing I saw on the news. I thought to myself, “Hmm, that is very interesting”. Today on my lunch break I perused around the Internet trying to learn more about this award and trying to get my mind around how on earth Barack Obama could possibly be awarded this honor after such a short duration. Before you leave and say I am just being a jerk for saying these things on this man’s day of honor, let us try and objectively look at what is happening here.

The Nobel Peace Prize is based upon the work of an individual for the years PRECEDING the date of nomination, which happened to be early last February 2009. While there has been some room for movement on this, by and large this is usually the case with the prizes.

The problem is Barack Obama was barely president for two weeks when the nomination process closed for the Peace Prize. Prior to becoming president for two weeks, Obama was a half term Senator from Illinois with a background in state government which has very little to do with what Alfred Nobel claimed this peace prize was for: “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”

Let’s talk about this statement briefly. President Obama, being so early in his presidency, has done neither the most or the best work for fraternity between nations. If an example could be provided where in the last 8 ½ months either of these items have been fulfilled, I would gladly like to hear anyone out.

Let’s talk about the abolition or reduction of standing armies. This is very interesting to me, because Obama has done neither. A standing army is defined as “a permanent army maintained in time of peace and war”. Currently, this is not going to change. The U.S. government is not going to downsize its military anytime soon, no less abolish it. Democrat or Republican, that is not going to happen.

As far as holding and promoting peace congresses, this is just too early to tell. Folks, President Obama has been in office for 8 and ½ months. That is not a whole lot of time we are dealing with, and even if he has begun trying to talk with different nations, the reality is we are in the very beginnings of such processes. Is it possible Obama may do something great in the future? Sure, I do not doubt that. However, is he worthy of this award based on the last few months? Not a chance in hell.

Logically by Alfred Nobel’s own words, this just does not seem to fit the description of what Obama has done.

Taking this in a different direction, is Obama truly worthy of this award compared to others? I have a question for the Nobel Prize Committee. How can you justify awarding Obama with this honor after a few months while failing to award John Paul II for his tireless work and efforts for peace in the world over a number of years? How can you justify not awarding this honor to Ghandi? These are two individuals of tremendous stature and respect and honor that have been overlooked by this committee in favor of a president who has served for not even a year based on “the hope” as they claimed.

Republican or Democrat, you cannot honestly believe Barack Obama deserves this award. Yes, he may do tremendous things in the future, but the reality is this was just too early.

This is no disrespect to President Obama, but you know what, there are a host of people who have fought for peace who have put their lives on the line trying to achieve it. Some have even taken a bullet and forgave their assassin after the fact. I just think this was very bad timing on the part of the Nobel Committee, and it comes off more political than anything else.

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Trustee and Conservative Capo of the Mahoning Valley

Anyone Else Know How Libertarian Rush (band) Is?

Has anyone ever truly listened to the words in the song “Tom Sawyer” by Rush? It is an interesting piece both lyrically and musically, and I happened across this song on Y103 earlier today at work. Sure, I have heard it before plenty of times, and even have seen Chester Cheeto get high to this song on Family Guy (see the clip towards the bottom because it is just one of those things worth seeing over again). I am not exactly sure Neil Peart is the best drummer ever by the way, but the lyrics to the song just seem interesting to me.

I did not realize how libertarian Rush was until I actually sat down and looked at some of their lyrics. The statements being made in songs like “Tom Sawyer” are very powerful stances.
“Tom Sawyer” is about a very independent person, defined as the “modern day warrior”. Lyrics like “His mind is not for rent, to any god or government, always hopeful yet discontent, he knows changes aren’t permanent, but change is” are very interesting to me, because these kinds of stances are not something typical in the music scene.

A lot of rock bands are anti-establishment, and a lot of the music scene in the 60s was from a very liberal perspective, but Rush falls into a unique category. Rush is not necessarily what you would call anti-establishment, but certainly it is playing up to a libertarian philosophy. “Tom Sawyer”, “Freewill”, “The Trees”, and so forth are only a few examples that illustrate this.

Some will say Green Day, Blink-182, and Metallica to an extent are close to libertarian in their lyrics, and to a certain extent they are. Just some of these bands walk a fine line between being simply anti-establishment for the hell of being anti-establishment and libertarian, and a lot of these anti-establishment bands are from the punk rock genre. Rush is not punk rock by any stretch, and though lyrically their music deals with interesting themes and ideas, it is not something that is as in your face as some of the earlier mentioned bands.

I will say Rush is an acquired taste, and this kind of statement is not uncommon. Rush even has said they are either loved or hated depending on who you ask. I just find some of their music quite fascinating, which of course is why I took a little time to discuss them here tonight.

Of course for the Family Guy fans, enjoy Chester Cheeto and Rush.




Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Illegals and Health Insurance: How Does This Make Sense Again?

Today I am going to deviate from some of the more fun issues to something a little more political in the interest of keeping things somewhat fresh around here. While I could go on and on about pastas and sauces, there are other interesting things going on in the world.

Today’s issue is illegal immigrants being afforded healthcare coverage if they want to opt in to the government plan. Apparently, there has been a pushback from a small group of House Democrats (not all, just about 20) to include a provision to cover illegal immigrants if they would like to get coverage.

Let me break this down as simple as I can and maybe if someone in D.C. is reading this it will get through their skulls. I will start off with the first fundamental issue here. Illegal immigrants are not American citizens—period.

What does that mean?

If you are here illegally, that means (try and follow me here Congress) you are breaking the law. While I know that does not mean a whole lot to some in the Republican Party and some in the Democratic Party, it means a lot to the legal citizens of the United States.

Some in this small entourage of Democrats who are pushing to include illegal aliens in the healthcare plan argue that it will keep them out of the emergency rooms, hence bringing down costs.

Well ladies and gentlemen, here is a thought. They really should not be here in the first place, should they? So in theory, it would be illegal to be here and a violation of the law of the United States, but regardless of the fact you are here illegally, we still want to allow you to acquire health insurance through the Federal plan.

How on earth does that possibly make any sense? How is that rational thinking?

Here is an idea. Instead of letting illegal aliens buy insurance, why not simply treat them in the emergency room, and then notify the authorities to deport them? Furthermore, if you knowingly treat someone who is here illegally and do not report them, it should be a 5th degree felony as incentive to do the right thing as an American citizen by getting people to follow the law.

By allowing illegal immigrants to buy into American insurance, we as a country are basically saying even though you are breaking the law, we still want you to have insurance. We will not make an effort to deport you for breaking the law, but we are willing to give you health insurance.

Make no mistake: if you are a legal citizen and you break the law, you are going to jail. If you are here illegally, that does not seem to be the case anymore. You are rewarded if anything. Some will say we do not have the manpower to deal with the problem, and to that I say that is complete and total garbage. If we really wanted to get serious about this problem, we could, but we don’t. When was the last time you heard anything about illegal immigration outside the context of the healthcare debate? It has been awhile, and I try to follow the news daily.

Am I the only one seeing a problem with this?

It is as simple as this: if you are a citizen of the U.S., you should be entitled to the privileges of being a citizen. If you are not a citizen of the U.S., you are a criminal and should not be entitled to the same privileges and benefits as those of the legal American citizen. Good or bad for the economy aside, these people are breaking the law, and somewhere along the line some people forgot that.

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Alex Mangie

The Mang

Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Youngstown’s Best Spaghetti Sauce: If You Want Controversy, You Found It-Part 2

So this is the moment of truth. I have received a lot of comments and messages about this, so I hope this final list is adequate. We do have some honorable mentions at the bottom to look at as well, and they are pretty good.

Onto the list:

5.) Sunrise Inn: The pizza here is outstanding, and the sauce is just as good. I only discovered this place back in July up in Warren, but it has been here for ages. Good portion size, adequate amount of sauce, all very enjoyable.

4.) Caffe Capri: More of an upscale independent restaurant, it was not always this way. This place has an interesting history, because the family that owns the Capri has been in the restaurant business since 1939. Formerly known as the Isle of Capri in Struthers, the restaurant reopened in Boardman, and then moved again to its present location in Boardman. The sauce and portions are fantastic, but you also get to see some of Youngstown’s “finest”. During my trips there, I have seen convicted felons in both business and politics as well as mobsters. I do not think this is reflective of the clientele of this place, but it is just that even criminals know where to get good food. Good food, awesome bar (very retro looking), Youngstown royalty, Youngstown’s “finest”, and good looking hostesses/waitresses. Yeah, it makes for a good evening.

3.) Scarsella’s: Phenomenal place to get spaghetti. I usually will get the chicken parmesan and the sea shells when I go here, because it is a favorite and is what my grandparents and I both used to get when we went there years ago. Good portions, lots of sauce, but for some reason salads are ala carte. I cannot remember the last time I went there for dinner (except when I get takeout there), but it really one of the best in Mahoning County. Lots of memories at that place.

2.) The Wave: This place is not even in Ohio, but a short drive over to Sharon, PA. I am including this place because it is close in proximity to both Youngstown and Warren regionally. The sauce here is amazing, and the restaurant has been at its current location for a long time. It is an old time place. Kitchen is in the basement, they use a dumb waiter to bring the food upstairs, and it is relatively small and family oriented. The sauce is tossed here. IT IS TOSSED! It is hard to find a restaurant that tosses the sauce in the spaghetti, even in this town. The churches and the ITAM’s in town do that, but I believe the Wave is the only restaurant that does it.

By the way, that is the correct way to make your spaghetti for anyone who is curious. You toss the sauce in the pasta before serving, rather than throwing the white pasta on the plate and putting some sauce on there. Only problem with The Wave is they skimp on the sauce big time, and you have to ask like ten times to get extra sauce here. Sometimes they are good about it, and sometimes they aren’t. Just how it goes though.

And for the best…

1.) The Elmton: It is the small Struthers bar and restaurant that everyone in town knows about. Ironically, it is also the very first place I went after I was born. I came home from the hospital, and we went to the Elmton for pizza. Of all the places you take a newborn, it is a bar in the city of Struthers. No wonder I turned out the way I did. I think I even had a birthday party or two down there now that I am looking back on this, which is really unusual because kids that age typically do not want to have their parties at, well, a smoky bar. One time I think I downed an entire cup of those hot pepper seeds when I was there at one of those parties…

I love the Elmton, and in fact I was there tonight for chicken parmesan. They have the classic red sauce which is the right consistency and they give very generous amounts of it with dinner. Is the sauce tossed? No, but it is not a hassle, because frankly there is so much of it I can easily mix it myself without getting a hodgepodge of dry noodles. It is perhaps a nuisance, but one that is easily fixed.

We are dealing with a sweeter sauce here, which is something I am fine with. Other places have a spicier sauce, but here we have a sweeter variety. Some people are not big fans of a sweet sauce, but I happen to enjoy it. Now, I doubt this sauce is made in house like everything else, but really I do not care so much about that as long as their supplier gets the sauce right. The texture and consistency and thickness of the sauce is typical of what you would find at most restaurants in the Mahoning Valley, with a unique taste. So the fact the sauce is not made in house is fine by me at this point.

Portion sizes are huge, especially for the money. $8 for a huge plate of chicken parmesan and spaghetti is a pretty good deal, since most places you’ll be paying $11-15. Granted this is a small town bar and restaurant, but damn, the food is fantastic.

Honorable mentions: Belleria Pizza, Café 422, Dona Vito's, and Alberini’s. Each of these places has good food and sauce, and like some of you that have commented about doing this as well, I have used Belleria Pizza sauce in my own cooking at home when I want to make a quick pasta meal. I believe it is good, but I cannot say it makes the top 10.

Many of these were tossups and can be interchangeable, but it was hard to drill down a definitive list without stepping on a few toes.

One of these days I will get around to pizza, but it is going to more reminiscent of a March Madness Bracket than a top 10 list, because there are too many independent pizza shops in this town.

Salute,

Alex Mangie
The Mang
Candidate for Canfield Township Trustee and Conservative Capo of Youngstown