The Dangers of Ignoring Human Nature

Human nature is an unusual thing, though many times it is predictable. We expect people to behave as we know them to behave. Sometimes when a person is trying to act differently and when we hope the result will be different, contrary to what we hope would happen turns out to be the same predictable behavior, either out of maliciousness or because of weakness—human nature.

There is a familiar allegory out there known simply as “The Scorpion and the Toad”. For those of you unfamiliar with this story, a scorpion is looking to cross the river and comes across a toad. The scorpion calls out to the toad, asking him to take him across the river. The toad replies to the scorpion that he will sting him, and says no. The scorpion, quite persistently pursuing the toad, finally says that if he were to sting the toad, both of them would die.

The toad, a rather intelligent animal, thought about this logic for a few moments and agreed. After all, he had been pursued by the scorpion for a rather lengthy period and the reality that both would die if anything happened fit the logic that it would be okay.

Halfway across the river, the scorpion stings the toad in the back. The toad, rather indignant but powerless now, yelled out to the scorpion “Why did you this? Now we both will die”. The scorpion responded, “It is my nature.”

Regardless of the agreement and the logic the toad used, his ignoring the nature of a scorpion in the end doomed him. Much like this example, human nature is predictable but not always logical. It can follow patterns. Someone whose nature is loyalty will rarely be disloyal. Someone whose nature is dishonesty and self servitude will rarely be honest about his true intentions or have a genuine interest in the success of anyone but himself.

Sometimes it is easy to fall into the trap of ignoring human nature, and it is when we ignore what our instincts are telling us do we truly find ourselves in trouble. It may be convenient to ignore it, or it may be presented in a way where the true nature is hidden behind a veil. It may come disguised as flattery, or it may be disguised by the promise of grandeur.

The point of this is simple: do not ignore the nature of people, whatever that nature is. If your instincts are telling you one thing, chances are your instincts are correct. Do not fall into the same trap the toad did, because what is logical is not always what is predictable.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

The Mang's Christmas Albums: No, We are Not Ridiculing Music Here (Much)

Normally at this time of year I would criticize the musical choices of our local radio broadcasters (I will not name names Clear Channel, but you know who you are). It would not be unusual for me to take a few shots at such musical abominations such as “Happy Christmas/War is Over” and “Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time”. I might even make the comment that Andy Williams needs to relinquish his monopoly on the Christmas music market and stay in Branson, MO where he belongs.

But alas, I am not going to make those comments (even though I pretty much did in that last paragraph). Instead this year I would like to point out the musical genius of a few Christmas albums that you have some familiarity with and a few you might not, just to show you I am not a heartless bastard who likes to do drive-bys on Christmas music.


"A Charlie Brown Christmas" by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965)

Perhaps the quintessential Christmas album. You are probably thinking it is overplayed, but the reality is only two songs on this album receive major airtime, and one is significantly cut. "Linus and Lucy" is the most frequent, and "O Tannenbaum" is the second most frequent, though the song itself has been shortened in length quite harshly.

The rest of the songs on this album are terrific, but they are heard infrequently. It is all the more reason to appreciate it as a masterful Jazz composition as well as a masterful Christmas composition. The Vince Guaraldi Trio was a brilliant group, and without the soundtrack, the show itself would not have been the same.

"A Merry Mancini Christmas" by Henry Mancini and his Orchestra and Chorus (1966)

This is an album very near and dear to my heart, and I'd say it is my second favorite album of all time. Of all of the albums listed on here, it is by far the most retro in sound, and sadly the songs on this album receive zero airtime on the radio.

Most of the songs on here are medleys, which is interesting as you do not get many medleys anymore (when was the last time you heard one on the radio?). But the transitions are flawless and the voices are very smooth. The orchestra is fantastic.

Unfortunately, this kind of album could not be produced today, as by today's standards (however unusual), this might come across as too generic. And for its brilliance, it is very simplistic and easy to listen to.

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"Christmas with the Rat Pack"

I try to avoid compilations if I can but this collection of songs by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. is probably as good of a collection as any. While it does not cover the entire Christmas selection, this album covers the highlights (though I strongly recommend you pick up their individual Christmas collections).

You may be thinking that a handful of these songs are overplayed, namely Dean Martin's "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" and "Baby it's Cold Outside". This is true, they are overplayed. However, for being played as often as they are, they are not particularly as annoying as say "Last Christmas" by Wham!

Any way you slice it, the Rat Pack is class defined.

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"Dr. Demento Presents the Greatest Christmas Novelty CD of All Time"

You know how I said I try to stay away from compilations? Yeah, I lied. This is a very unusual album, and occasionally these songs will find their way onto the radio. It is by its definition a novelty CD. The songs that most frequently find airtime are "Christmas Don't Be Late" by the Chipmunks and "Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer" by Elmo and Patsy.

In a few rare instances (like today on a station that barely was coming in out of Cleveland) you will come across a song like "Santa Claus and His Old Lady" by Cheech and Chong, which is hilarious, or "The 12 Days of Christmas" by Bob and Doug McKenzie, which is equally hilarious. But outside of that, don't count on hearing any of these gems. This one is definitely worth a listen.

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"Twisted Sister Christmas" by Twisted Sister (2006)

The good, bad, and the ugly all wrapped up into one. Believe it or not Twisted Sister does some pretty decent songs on here, and at the same time they have come up with some unusually bad pieces.

This is an album you will probably will never hear on the radio, unless 93.3 or 102.9 do a special classic rock Christmas request.

"Oh Come All Ye Faithful" is hilarious as it reworks "We're Not Gonna Take It", so even though it is a Christmas song, you still come away feeling pissed off at the world.

I hope some of these albums bring happiness and joy to your Christmas season. Some are brilliant masterpieces while others bring Christmas music to the lowest common denominator.

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Enjoy!

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Greed and Success: Is Greed Really Good?

I have taken a little time off from writing due to work constraints: political, accounting, or otherwise. But Mang Now is going to be back with some regularity and hopefully on a weekly basis. As I am currently in the process of applying for different jobs with the State, there comes with it some downtime that lets me do some writing as well as other endeavors like studying for my CPA.

Anyone who knows me well enough will tell you I am not a fan of today. I find today’s world to be highly superficial, materialistic, impersonal, pointless, and for a lack of a better word, unsatisfying.

An evening or two ago I ended up watching Wall Street, the timeless classic that made the motto “greed is good” into a household phrase. There was an exchange in that movie between Bud and his father Carl that I think is often overlooked when considering the scope of the whole movie.

Carl: He's using you, kid. He's got your prick in his back pocket, but you're too blind to see it.

Bud: No. What I see is a jealous old machinist who can't stand the fact that his son has become more successful than he has!

Carl: What you see is a guy who never measured a man's success by the size of his WALLET!

Bud: That's because you never had the guts to go out into the world and stake your own claim!

Carl: Boy, if that's the way you feel, I must have done a really lousy job as a father.

I think that is often something we overlook today. In my opinion, greed IS good. It serves as motivation. It makes us want to do better, to be better in life. But are the words “material gain” and “success” interchangeable? That is an idea I have struggled with on a regular basis, and I think it is something a lot of people today struggle with. What I have concluded is success is all in the eye of the beholder.

To me, success is doing a job I like doing even if it doesn’t translate to making the huge dollars doing something that would make me miserable. It can be living modestly if it is with someone I’d want to spend the rest of my life with. Success to me is being happy.

Unfortunately, the media and society in general promote success in different ways. Making a ton of money is one way. Sleeping with as many people as possible is another. Is this an adequate view of what is success? I do not know. I will not knock anyone’s hustle, but I can point to several examples where people had attained both of those goals but were completely miserable. I have seen firsthand what financial obsession can do to a family as well.

I think what I am trying to get at here is to evaluate what is really important. Greed is good, but don’t let it define who you are as a person.

Alex Mangie
The Mang

College Shakeup: Potential Super-Conferences on the Rise

It has finally happened. Colorado is officially making the move from the Big 12 to the PAC-10. Nebraska has done everything but officially come out and say they are moving to the Big 10 from the Big 12 (and was actually reported on Y103 this morning that it has actually occurred which is not accurate), with an announcement expected sometime today or early next week.

Is this the end for the Big 12?

There have been reports that if Colorado and Nebraska make the move, then Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State would move to the PAC-10, practically dissolving the Big 12 conference. The remaining schools would be Iowa State, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, and Baylor. These schools will need to align with a conference somewhere, particularly Kansas.

This would create a super-conference in the PAC-10 comprised of some of the best football programs in the nation. If that happens, I cannot see the Big 10 just settling for a 12 team conference. It almost forces the Big 10 into expanding, and the Big 10 will probably take another look at Missouri down the line if what is expected at the PAC-10 comes to fruition.

Also, it raises a question about the SEC, because the conference has been very quiet in regards to all of this. Geographically, it makes more sense for Texas and Texas A&M to join the SEC. Also, SEC teams typically have bigger TV contracts than the PAC-10 (ESPN reports that the typical contract for an SEC team is $205 million compared to a $58 million contract in the PAC-10). There are already rumblings about Texas A&M considering the SEC as an alternative to the PAC-10, and I would not be surprised if the SEC begins making contact with Texas.

Big 10 options—Remnants of Big 12 and looking at the Big East

If the PAC-10 expands further than Colorado, the Big 10 should (and probably will) expand further than just Nebraska. They have several options to consider, one of which will involve Notre Dame.

The Big 10 can consider forcing the collapse of the Big East by approaching West Virginia, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati, in hopes that it would force Notre Dame into joining the Big 10, bringing the number of Big 10 schools to 16 (supposing Nebraska comes through). It would be risky, because I am not sure if Pittsburgh, WVU, and Cincinnati would be a good fit for the Big 10, though academically they are a good fit. However, you have the chance of picking up the coveted Notre Dame program.

The Big 10 can also choose to look west and pick up Missouri. I think Missouri would be a good fit in the Big 10, both geographically and academically. The Big 10 can also consider bringing Kansas into the fold. It would preserve the rivalries between MU, Nebraska, and Kansas. Additionally, they can still look to pick up a school like West Virginia or Pittsburgh, in hopes Notre Dame would still be in play. If the Big 10 can pick up one Big East school, it might force a collapse of the Big East program notwithstanding, as it is already a weakened conference.

I am in favor of the second alternative, because geographically with 16 teams, you can make two divisions: Big Ten West and Big Ten East. Chances are this would be the last expansion of the Big 10, and if they are sitting on 15 teams, the pressure is going to be on for Notre Dame to join and be number 16. It would be enticing because Kansas, Pittsburgh, and WVU tend to have decent basketball programs, and Notre Dame would benefit in both respects.

The Mang

Arizona Rising--The Front Line for Real Immigration Enforcement

In effort to reassert the authority of the states, in upholding what is in fact a federal law, Arizona has passed what is broadcasted as a “controversial law” in regards to illegal immigration. It is not entirely dissimilar from the federal law, perhaps less stringent in certain aspects. But nonetheless, Arizona’s answer to a poorly planned federal approach to immigration policy has met widespread criticism from those on the left that are quick to make the issue about race rather than upholding the current laws.

Unfortunately, it is out of necessity this law was created because the Obama Administration has failed to take action in securing the borders. It is one thing Obama has in common with Bush—inability to follow the law on immigration policy and failure to take the necessary steps in securing the borders.

Before going any further, let us address the issue of racial profiling. Mexico is a Latin American country. Hence, illegal aliens are going to be of Latin American descent. So, naturally, if there is going to be an illegal immigrant in Arizona, 99.9% of the time it is going to be someone who is Latin American. That is not making a racist statement. That is the reality of the location and situation. Arizona’s law discourages racial profiling, but if it would please the far left, Arizona should make it mandatory that EVERY person pulled over or questioned for lawful cause must show proof of citizenship.

The real question is who benefits from opposing Arizona’s new legislation? Could it be certain individuals are seeking votes? I believe that to be as true under Bush as it is under Obama. It could be certain groups want open borders. Hate to break it to those groups, but few countries have an open border policy for non-citizens. Sorry to rain on the parade for those people, but that is the law here in the U.S. No open borders.

Why would Arizona pass this law? Kidnappings are the highest in the nation in Phoenix as a result of the illegal immigration situation. Murders are on the rise in the state. There are a fair amount in the prison system that is costing the state money that otherwise would not have to be spent to house these illegals.

Arizona should be applauded for trying to do something, rather that ostracized for political motivations. The same cities like San Francisco that welcome illegal immigrants under the banner of a “sanctuary city” are being let free to run amok of things rather than criticized for their failure to follow federal law.

You want to cut money in the federal budget? Cut off federal funding to cities that openly declare they are sanctuary cities and have legislation supporting that stance. If the federal government can cut funding to states that refused to lower their speed limits, they can cut funding to cities that refuse to enforce the federal law. Those cities would shape up in a hurry, but no one has a cajones to do anything about it.

Grow some backbone for God’s sake and do what is right and lawful rather than pandering to the far left and using race as the be all and end all excuse for doing or not doing something. Race is the excuse for everything anymore, and as an argument it is growing old fast. No, it is already old and cliché and those using race as a criticism for everything people do not agree with need to get a new line.

This is not that difficult folks. Mr. President, do your damn job and enforce the law.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

The Return of Mang Now! Post Election Edition

It has been a few weeks since writing, but the reality of work has prevented me from doing anything with great certainty outside of the campaign. Even in consideration of losing the 6th Congressional primary by a mere 1,634 votes to a person whose character and morals I continue to question, I believe the experience has been completely worthwhile. I have taken a lot away from this race, and I intend to continue to participate in running races in the future.

To those of you who have noticed that my Allen for Congress magnet continues to remain on my car door, I am aware of that fact. When I am ready, I will take it off.

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Interesting races as of May 4th. Carol Rimedio beats Dave Ludt. County Sales Tax Renewal passes huge. Fisher blows out Brunner.

Politics is a funny thing. Once you become involved in the election process, everything else seems to become boring. Accounting, for instance, is not very appealing right now given the excitement and strategic planning of a campaign. There is so much that goes into a race that it can be very consuming and time demanding, and for once I think I have finally found something I enjoy doing for a living that actually has potential to pay off. It also means I now have to muscle through the CPA exam even when my heart is not 100% in it, but I will do my best.

Accountants talk about the busy season—a once a year gig that lasts for three and a half months. Campaign staffers and candidates are quite aware that there are two busy seasons for them. During an election year the entire year itself may be a single busy season. It can result in days that start at 5:30AM and last until 1:00AM the next day. The campaign may require traveling as much as 8 hours on the road in a single day. It may involve fighting with the Secretary of State or the Federal Elections Commission. Very likely, it will result in keeping track of all the finances and paying payroll taxes with all the appropriate agencies. If things are going the wrong way, you may find yourself knocking on the doors of 1,000 people in a single week.

One thing for certain is it is never boring. Crunching numbers or playing the best game in the world? I think I know where my loyalties lie.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Mahoning County Results: Donald Allen: 52% Bill Johnson: 36% 103 precincts won out of 124.

Columbiana County Results: Donald Allen: 43.4% Bill Johnson: 42.8%

Jefferson County Results: Donald Allen: 41% Bill Johnson: 37%

Don't Fear the Healthcare Reaper--The Real Fight Begins Now

It is always darkest before the dawn. That is what I can say about tonight’s passage of this healthcare takeover initiative. Tonight we witnessed history, certainly without any question. Healthcare reform as defined by the liberal Democrats, and only the liberal Democrats, has passed in the name of what one Congressman referred to as “social justice”. I do not want to get into the details too much in regards to “social justice” theory, but for purposes of this article let me just say it is something I have reservations about.

Healthcare has become the obsession of liberal policy. It has been for years. They went to any and every length to get this piece of legislation passed, in spite of the wishes of the American people. There has been overwhelming opposition to the legislation as it had been drafted. There have been protests nationwide. Phone lines have been jammed to the point of collapse on Capitol Hill. And despite all of this, they passed this legislation. Even with 54% of Americans disapproving and only 36% approving, they passed this legislation. Public opinion be damned.

Will of the people or fulfillment of their own personal crusade? I think we know where the truth lies. You can see it in their eyes. You can hear it in their voice. Pelosi’s face was practically glazed over with giddiness tonight. Congresswoman Slaughter’s attitude and tone of voice clearly indicated a high opinion of her own self-worth and came across very condescending. I know what narcissism looks like because I have lived it in my family, and people like Pelosi and Slaughter are showing the classic symptoms.

In the words of Chris Matthews, I think there were a lot of thrills going up the legs of the Party leadership there tonight.

It is like these people are crazily obsessed, and you could have pointed that out in any one of those liberals in the lineup tonight. They think they know what is best for you, and their body language and tone of voice clearly show that is how they think. And they think they are wonderful for it.

Let us set the record straight. There are going to be a lot of people going on a permanent vacation from D.C. this November, and I look forward to playing an active part locally in that process. When the Supreme Court hears this case (and I say “when” because they will hear this in the near future guaranteed), they will find it unconstitutional, and everyone that voted for this disaster of a bill are going to have nothing to show for it—not even their job.

You cannot in good conscience find this bill as written to be constitutional, and I believe the Supreme Court will do the right thing. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I sure as hell am happy I did not infuriate the Supreme Court on more than one occasion over the last couple of months. Unfortunately for our president, he cannot say the same thing. And no amount of judicial ass kissing is going to save him. Sell crazy somewhere else—we’re all stocked up here.

The Democratic Party and their interest groups have made a career in dragging things through court. Now we will return the favor 20 fold. By the count of Real Clear Politics, it may be 38 fold and growing. How is that for a stimulus package? The Feds are going to have to hire a lot of attorneys to defend this one.

Do not fear the reaper. Republicans will fight tooth and nail, and for every inch. We should not fear the reaper. The liberal Democrats, however, should fear the reaper. Because in their case, the reaper is going to come to them in the form of 9 Justices clothed in black robes.





The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

We're Not Gonna Take It: Battle Royale in Congress over Healthcare

It is Battle Royale in Congress, and we're not gonna take it. The healthcare debate is coming quickly down to the wire and every Congressman is now considering his or her own position in the scheme of what will be one of the most controversial votes in history. Shots are being taken at both sides of the aisle. Republicans are stonewalling, having fortified themselves in a seemingly unbreakable, unified stance. Democrats are fighting amongst themselves. Blue dogs are fending for their seats in the upcoming election against anxious and awaiting conservative candidates, but Speaker Pelosi continues to bring down the hammer with her obvious fake smiles and pandering.

President Obama himself came out to Northeast Ohio to pick off a vote from Dennis Kucinich, who politically will be safe in November but no less will likely face stiff opposition regardless of the district’s makeup. Obama even came on to FOX News of all places, the very place he and his administration has criticized up and down since 2008.

My God, the carnage! The humanity! And you thought politics was boring and uninteresting. No, this is a very real thing, and far from boring. The shady deals, arcane proceedings in Congress (i.e. “deem and pass”), the masses rising up in opposition—Yes, THIS is politics today. THIS is the transparent process Pelosi referred to in all of her hypocritical glory.

Welcome to the party. Finally, Obama and Congress have awakened the angry giant that is the American people, and they have flooded the phone lines at the Capitol and have gathered en masse across the country to boldly stand up and declare, in the words of Twisted Sister, “We’re not gonna take it!” There is even Jim Traficant, a politician and convicted felon, coming out and fighting for the voice and will of the American people, however unusual his approach.

At this point, the Democrats do not have the votes. They are shy a handful. There will be no Republican crossovers. The Democrats will need to pass this bill on their own. Madame Speaker, in all of her wisdom and desperation to pass a failing legislative initiative, is invoking the “Slaughter Rule” (so appropriately named after Congresswoman Slaughter), or more commonly known as “deem and pass”. It is a vote on the rules that would in effect deem the legislation passed. No matter how you slice it, it is a vote for or against healthcare takeover, no matter how they try to disguise it.

It is shady and underhanded, and while it is apparent that Republicans have used this approach on different legislation over the years, never has it been done on something so comprehensive and transformative for the worst. It is a sham and insulting to think the Congressional leadership is trying to pull this kind of stunt.

But Obama says the bill will be posted for three days before passage.

Well, unless you are employing a small army of people, the likelihood of getting through a few thousand page bill in a couple of days is not very good. The way you beat transparency is to fill a bill with so much legalese and in a massive number of pages and let the public go through it. It may be available, but it sure as hell cannot be examined properly in a short amount of time.

I do not know if they will pass it. I know the leadership is going to employ every tactic at their disposal to do it, but I am unsure as to how some of the Congressmen will respond. It is my understanding the lawsuits to fight this legislation have already been drafted and are ready to go to court should this bill pass.

My advice: find some time to call and email your Congressmen. Make your voice heard on this one. It is not too late to make a difference.

I leave you with the wise words of Twisted Sister to Madame Pelosi. "Oh you're so condescending, you're goal is never ending, we don't want nothing not a thing from you! We're right, we're free, we'll fight, you'll see"





The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Mang Now Endorses Donald Allen for OH-6 Congressional District

It has been longer than I would have liked since last writing. As it happens, we have been extremely busy with the May 4th Primary Elections coming upon us quickly. In politics, a month and a half is not a lot of time, especially when you have 261 miles to travel (4 hours and 40 minutes total from Canfield, OH to Portsmouth, OH). Dinners, events, town halls, local meetings, parades, and everything in between are involved in these kinds of campaigns, and there is the strategy and fundraising that are conducted amidst all of it. It makes for a lot of late evenings and early mornings.

The 6th District is my home and it has been for the last 24 years. It has always been special to me, even in the state of disrepair many areas are in here. That is why I and others are putting in a great amount of time into this Congressional race, because we all feel the Ohio 6th District deserves better representation than what we are seeing with Congressman Wilson.

Donald Allen is running for Congress in the 6th District in the Republican Primary, and I believe he is the best man for this job. He genuinely believes in working for the people of the district and cares about the problems people are facing here in Ohio during this economy. An independent businessman and local veterinarian, Don Allen truly knows the meaning of hard work and has faced the same realities every other hardworking American has faced—making payroll every pay period, paying taxes, paying insurance benefits for employees, and dealing with the reality of an economic downtown that has hurt everyone except Big Government.

One thing I can say for Don Allen is the man is genuine. I try to work for people of great character and integrity, and everything the man said he would do in the time I have spent working with him has been done, and usually with a smile on his face. He has yet to disappoint in my eyes, and a person who says what they mean and mean what they say is good in my book, and certainly worth a chance in Washington D.C. Additionally, he has a wonderful family (and a lot of cats), and I know someone so devoted to his family and his country (having served in the military for over twenty years) will be a good fit in the Capitol.

The time demands on a Congressional candidate are staggering, and he has made every effort and accommodation to run downhill into this primary. Our task is even more complicated given the difficulty in the geographic logistics of this district—261 miles is a lot of district for anyone. And yet given the balance between work, family, and campaigning, he is still going all out.

Someone who is honest, hardworking, and knowledgeable about the issues is someone we need to have in Washington. I would encourage you to look at where Donald Allen stands on the issues of healthcare, energy policy, foreign policy, and the other different issues we are facing as a nation today. His website is: donallenforcongress.com

Mang Now! officially endorses Dr. Donald K. Allen of Boardman, Ohio.


The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

On Crime and Local Politics

I have always been intrigued by organized crime and its connection to politics. It is something I have had exposure to in the media, through word of mouth from people who have heard rumors, and through generally researching over eighty years of articles published by the Youngstown Vindicator on the subject of organized crime and politics. We all know the stories, we all know the players--Bertram de Souza usually gets a dig in at the Mob and politics whenever he gets the opportunity to do so. It is something that we will never truly forget, even if we actively try to.

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Even at Ohio State during my Fraud Examination class, Phar-Mor was the the very first thing we covered. Walking into class, late mind you, I heard the words over the speakers "Hi, this is Ron Verb, you are on 570. What do you think about the Monus scandal?", with a big panoramic image of my hometown projected onto a twenty foot screen.

There are only a handful of books out there that exclusively deal with organized crime in the Mahoning Valley, and the two that come to mind immediately are “To Kill the Irishman” which primarily was about Cleveland’s organization but directly tied in the players in Youngstown and “The Merchants of Menace” which I believe is the only historical book that covers the Mafia in Youngstown for the first half of the 20th century. “The Merchants of Menace” is a rare book that is available in the library but cannot be taken out. Any research has to be done in house. It is expensive to purchase a copy of it, as it has been out of print for a long time.

Over the years I have collected different items to include in the research, more historical of course rather than modern (old police reports, old pictures, old magazine articles, mug shots, old fingerprints, etc.). Some of the items date back to the 40s. Some of those items related to events that happened only a block or two away from where my grandfather grew up.

There is a lot of story to tell from the last thirty years alone, and unfortunately I do not believe it will be told in its entirety until twenty or thirty years from now. The reality is it is a story that cannot be told, at least not now. I do not believe enough time has passed to delve into the details well enough and to obtain accurate accounts of the events as they unfolded. While it something I would like to research further, I am still not entirely comfortable asking a lot of questions about what happened twenty years ago. And I doubt many people would be willing to answer many questions about those events. I also suspect people would not be happy with my digging around in that particular past.

It would be a phenomenal story, involving crime, law, party politics, money, and the interactions of two city crime factions vying for control of Youngstown from Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

Maybe when enough time has passed, the story will get told. Unfortunately, given the current makeup of Mahoning County, that time simply is not now.

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Comfortably Numb: Technological Enslavement and America's Future

There was a movie that came out back in 1987. It was called “The Running Man” starring the current governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Interestingly, it took place in the year 2017, not exactly far off from our time. The premise was a game show that criminals would fight for their life through, ultimately with the chance of winning their freedom and a substantial cash award. It was a live show, where the numb and entranced masses cheered for blood, even taking bets on who would get killed first.

I mention this movie because I find it interesting and relative to our time. We have not come quite to that point in entertainment, but we are getting closer. Society in 2017 in the movie basically was reminiscent of a police state, where the government pacified the masses of people with these kinds of shows that were both outrageous and violent. The economy of the world has collapsed and the government is the ultimate authority on cultural activity, and all the while no one seems to care.

My generation and the generations behind me are pacified now. Everyone is worried about getting the newest BlackBerry or iPhone and new “apps” and no one really is paying that much attention to what is going on around them. Life is a party for many of them, and the majority does not have any interest whatsoever in current events. They drink, go to clubs, listen to music, fuss around on their cell phone, play video games, watch TV (not the news though), and they meander around worrying about the most trivial of things. Many of them are plugged into their MP3 players whenever they are going to and coming from classes or work, making any kind of human contact impossible. Human avoidance is one of the symptoms of what has evolved over the past ten years and if you have not noticed this behavior I suggest you take another look around.

Meanwhile, this country’s economy is going to hell. The Chinese hold an exorbitant amount of American debt. Iran is in the process of getting a nuclear weapon. A planned overhaul to the healthcare system for the worst was narrowly dodged but now being brought back to the forefront. Cap and trade is still being talked about. The Federal government is looking to pass another “jobs” bill to compliment the one that busted last year. Unemployment is still in double digits.

And yet, we are concerned about our cell phones, Tiger Woods, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Jersey Shore, and any other slew of popular culture/technological mind entrancements that has enslaved this country. I am of the firm belief that while technology has its benefits, it will eventually be one of the causes of our downfall.

How many hours do you spend a day in front of a screen? It could be any screen: computer, cell phone, television, PDA, take your pick. One study from Ball State University concluded that on average Americans spend eight hours a day in front of a screen of some kind. Eight hours. That is one third of a day. And this is not considering people under the age of 18 mind you.

Pacification.

We as a country are fascinated with the trivial and are losing sight of the important things. For example, 54% of the eligible voting population voted in 2008. This was a presidential year, and half of America could really give a damn. But I bet they could tell you the latest happenings in popular culture. Do not even get me started on the off-year elections.

While everyone is so preoccupied with their newest and popular gadgets, music, and entertainment (no matter how bad and trashy the entertainment is becoming), things continue to get worse in this country and no one seems to care. They may acknowledge that something is wrong, but you will not see much action from these people. They are too busy to be bothered. And when apathy continues to the rule the day is when the problems become unsolvable.

“The Running Man” shows a population of people so preoccupied with glorified, outrageous entertainment that they cease to care the world they live in has fallen apart. And that is where we may be heading if we are not careful.

2017 may not be so far off after all.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Here's to the Single People: Valentine's Edition

It is Valentine’s Day again. There is twenty some inches of snow on the ground, it is cold and unbearable outside, but nonetheless, that has not stopped Valentine’s Day from coming back again. A tremendous day for lovers, an awkward day for those who have been going out for a three weeks and are not sure how to celebrate, and a single person’s worst nightmare.

Valentine’s Day is what it is—a day for lovers. At least, that is what the card, flower, candy, and PajamaGram companies work hard to make you believe. After all of the commercials advertising the importance of Valentine’s Day (the flowers, the chocolates, the jewelry, the cards, etc.), it is completely understandable how people can feel extremely depressed on Valentine’s Day.

So in honor of all the single people out there who have to put up with this day (even when they might try to avoid it at all costs), I dedicate the following songs.





















Happy Valentines Day,

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Good Music is Timeless. Today's Music and Yesterday's

Last night The Who performed at the Super Bowl. I was actually pretty ecstatic to see them live, because they typically have forgone doing live shows (barring any kind of future tour they may do if that ever happens). And at the age they are at, and minus Keith Moon and John Entwistle, that is completely understandable. The Who may not be what they used to be, but certainly they still rock hard to songs that are actually enjoyable.

There are of course the critics. They can be broken down into two distinct groups. You have the people that are the original fans who are complaining because the band does not sound as good as it used to and that the lineup has changed. I know a few of these people and they present a legitimate argument. No, the band is not the same, and no they do not sound as good. Fine—with age, that is to be expected. If you can do 1/10th of what any of those guys do with a guitar or a drum at 60+, I would be seriously surprised.

Then you have the younger generation, probably anyone a part of Generation Y and forward. I do not include Generation X because that generation at least knows who these bands are. These people do not care for this kind of music, nor do they really appreciate or know what decent music is because mainstream music producers have loaded the airwaves with crap. They have been trained to listen to this crap. This is the generation that has grown up with rap music, grunge, boy bands, spoiled and overexposed teen queens (Simpson and Spears), and maybe caught the tail end of music from the 80s, if they were lucky enough.

If you have not already noticed the disdain I have for music of the current generation, then please take note of it now. I do not claim it as my own. I was fortunate enough to have been exposed to real music, and breaking out the vinyl is looking better and better as the years go on.

The problem you have is the music of today is not great. Rap music is not great, but rock today leaves a lot to be desired. As a genre, rap is a sorry excuse for music. It is neither timeless (a true sign of good music) or original. I am a fan of G-Funk and Gangster Rap to an extent, but since the mid-90s, rap music has been overrated. When was the last time you popped in a Nelly CD or a Tupac CD? How about Dr. Dre? I bet it has been a long time. For the most part, this music is not timeless.

Rock music today seems to all sound the same. I will tip my hat to the grunge scene, but overall it is a letdown. The genre lacks the major bands and groups. We do not have the John Mellencamps, the Van Halens, or the CCRs today. We have a lot of bands, but most of them are nothing to write home about. The number of rock songs in the top 50 has declined substantially between the 70s and today if that is any indication of things. A few of those top hits recently were covers of versions of songs done years ago. Some of these hits were not even original and likely made the top 50 because they have been done before.

In place of rock, we get a lot of single act pop groups and rap that seem to be glorified by the mainstream for whatever reason that may be. None of the music is timeless. When was the last time you popped in a CD from the early or mid 90s? If you actually have done so, I am willing to bet it was grunge related. I doubt you popped in a CD by Mariah Carey, Seal, Ace of Base, or any other slew of popular music that fell by the wayside and became cliché.

Good music is timeless. That is why Sinatra is still popular. That is why the Beatles are still popular. And yes, that is why The Who is still extremely popular today, even in their old age and less than stellar physical abilities. These kinds of groups had tremendous abilities and musicianship that has long been gone from the modern music of today. The songs these artists composed and performed are extremely memorable and definitely repeatable, and there were volumes upon volumes of good music over the period from 1950 to the early 1990s. There was a sense of originality and uniqueness that you do not find today.

And that is why I would pay decent money to see The Who as compared to a band like Nickelback any day of the week.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

The Obama Posters: Stylistically Communist With Comparisons

***NOTE***. Before jumping to any conclusions about our thought process here over at Mang Now!, we encourage you to first look at the image comparisons preceding this introduction to better understand our point of view and where we are deriving these opinions to follow. We do not, nor have we ever, believed the Obama Administration is communist, but we find it very intriguing that stylistically these posters are extremely similar.

I realize this article is coming late—almost an entire year late. But having been combing through political articles lately, I again came across this item that I wanted to discuss back in 2008 but have never got around to writing about until now.

The Obama Poster is something that is very familiar. We have seen this poster before at many places. Stores hung them up, restaurants put them in their windows, and people who were generally fans of Obama when he was running for office had them plastered everywhere. It was hard to not see at least one of these posters while walking down the street. At Ohio State, they were everywhere.

It is a peculiar poster and one that interested me greatly: the angle of the face, where the eyes were pointing, the use of the colors, and the overall feel of how it jumped out at me. I never liked this poster, and in fact it creeped me out. But it did intrigue me. I had seen it before, and though I had already determined long ago what the poster was similar too, I am only now writing about this because it popped back into my mind.

The reality is I HAVE seen this poster before, or at least the style. Two individuals in history were notorious for having this style of poster: Che Guevara and Vladimir Lenin. The comparisons of these images are downright creepy, because the similarities are unbelievably close. It was why the Obama poster made a shiver run up my spine, because the Obama Campaign has employed posters that were inherently communist in style.

You might be thinking a poster itself cannot be inherently communist unless it is in fact a communist poster. But if you look at historical political posters in America, you would find very few that are similar in style to the Obama poster. In contrast, if you were to look at posters from Soviet Russia and from communist/socialist states in South America, you would find posters very reminiscent of the style of Obama’s poster.

What does this mean? Well, that is something I will let you judge for yourself. If you look at the colors, the style, where the eyes are pointing, the expression, they all are extremely similar. Granted, not all communist posters are like this and some are completely different, particularly in different countries.

However, it is either coincidence that these posters happen to be alike or someone was doing their homework and came to a determination they wanted to make the posters of this style.

I do not know, but all I can present here is a comparison for you to evaluate.

-
The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Technology and Dating: Better or Worse Off Than We Were?

It has been a little while since last writing, but it has been a busy few weeks. Actually, it has been a very busy couple of weeks. There is a lot to talk about with the economy and the government, but though these are important issues (and certainly they need monitored closely and I encourage you to do so), I wanted to write about something else tonight.

Things are not simple today. That is not the same as saying things are difficult, because difficult times transcend decades and generations. Things are always difficult. What I am talking about is generally, things are complicated and not simple anymore. Even though we have advanced technologically and are more connected than we ever have been in history, the reality is things are more complicated than ever. Are we better for it? It is hard to say.

People are plugged in constantly. They are either on their computer, their cell phone, their iPod, their Bluetooth, BlackBerry, or any other electronic device constantly. Whilst partaking in such activities, you then have to deal with the barrage of updates for all of these devices that are supposed to “make your experience more enjoyable”, whatever that means.

Socially, there are countless mediums. Email, text messages, Facebook (and other social networking sites), cell phones, video chat (Skype), instant messaging, and so on. The ways to communicate are endless, and bearing that in mind, your ability to keep up with each of these forms of communication is necessary because while some people prefer one way of communication, others will prefer another way. And for there being so many ways to communicate, it has become completely impersonal as time has gone on.

Example? Let us examine the singles scene and dating/going out/hooking up and compare different decades so we can see the effects of communication/technology.

1980s. Your primary means of communication in the 80s was a land line phone. For those of you who already forget what those are, the phones plugged into your wall and did not drop calls. As a result, your only option for communication was by phone and phone alone. If you wanted to ask someone out, you would ask for their phone number. Yes, simple I know. You call the house, they pick up, you go out. Simple. Calls would occur between morning and 11:00PM (unless you didn’t have other people living in the house or you were perfectly fine waking everyone up). You would have to wait to call back the next day. There was great comfort in this, and it actually worked to the advantage of people because it forced them to wait and was not instantaneous. You can learn a lot about someone from their reactions to waiting.

1990s. Advent of the cell phone. Email was catching on, but the phone was the primary means of communication still, and it was not acceptable to ask people out by email or Facebook (which strangely seems to becoming more accepted today, God help all of us). The cell phone probably was the greatest invention for dating and going out, because it really did make communication easier without a.) having to tie up the phone line at the house and b.) having your family probably within earshot of your conversation. But again, this was very simple, because the phone (even in cellular form) was still the primary means of communication in the 90s. It, did however, open the door for instantaneous communication, which continues to pose problems.

2000s. This is where things have become complicated. Email is now officially a norm. Texting has become just as big as talking on the phone. You have vast social networking sites which are cool but at the same time one more communication you need to keep track of. Video chatting is becoming more widespread as computers have improved. You still have your cell phone, but with limitless capabilities. Online dating sites are becoming a regular thing for many people and serve as a primary means of communicating with people to go out with. Of course, this is without so much as knowing how much of that information on that person’s page is true or knowing the character of that person that you could at least get a glimpse at in person.

Amidst all of this in the 2000s, we are dealing with instantaneous communication. I have had some friends freak out when a girl or guy does not return their text message right away. I have also had friends completely give up because the other person did not respond to a phone call, only to find out later that the girl sent a message on Facebook. And then you have these damn games people play with texting. You know what I am talking about too.

And did I mention that unless you are completely disconnected from the world of Facebook (and few this day and age are), the person you are going out with pretty much knows who you talk to on Facebook, what you are doing, when you are on, who your friends are, etc. etc. etc. And that has been a big problem for some people I know, even when there was no basis for getting into a fight.

People also forget that it was only ten years ago when waiting until the next day to hear back was normal.

I put the question to you: Is this better than it used to be? Be honest here. You might legitimately find this to make things 100% easier, but from my own experiences and the experiences of people I know, this seems to be a point of frustration that keeps turning up. For me, it comes down to this: one or two ways of primary communication or twenty? Personally, I know which one is less aggravating. Unfortunately, the “crazy train” that is technology is not making things any simpler.

-

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Pressing the Panic Button: Brown Turns Massachusetts Red, Democrats Scrambling

My father made the comment that this was perhaps the most important election in recent history—more important than 2008, 2006, or even 2000. January 19th, 2009 will forever be remembered as the day the American people stood up in a singular voice and said NO to extreme liberalism in government. And that stand was made in the heart of liberalism, Massachusetts. For the first time in over 30 years, a Republican in the form of Scott Brown has taken a Senate seat.

This was not a victory for Republicans, but a victory for the people of the United States. Yes, a Republican claimed victory to a seat long held by the famous and storied Ted Kennedy, but it was the independents that prevailed this day. Without the independent vote, no Republican would have won in Massachusetts. The fact so many independents and Democrats came out to vote for a Republican against a long standing tradition of Democratic politics speaks volumes for the times we are living in. They may not be thrilled with the Republican Party, but this goes to show you the alternative is not well received or even outright hated.

The people of Massachusetts, like their fellow countrymen in New Jersey and Virginia, have stared into the abyss of liberalism, and decisively decided that now is the time to step back from the edge. This was never about Scott Brown or Martha Coakley, but it was all about the control of the Senate and what a Democratic victory would entail—passage of a healthcare takeover that majority of Americans are staunchly against and passage of Cap and Tax were enough to scare the blue out of (and the red into) Massachusetts.


Pressing the Panic Button

Finger pointing and blame has ensued at the commencement of the Scott Brown era. Obama is blaming Bush, Congress in blaming Coakley, and Coakley is blaming Obama and Congress. No one is claiming on the left that this is a referendum on Democratic policies. No one on the left is willing to admit that maybe the side deals they cut with the unions and other Senators to pass healthcare reform may have driven people back to the right.

The panic button is being pressed, because now the Democratic leadership in Congress has a serious problem. This election, though they will never admit it, has scared a lot of people. A challenge is going to be keeping moderates and blue dogs from backing away from these policies for fear of losing their seats in November.

Another challenge is going to be what to do with the healthcare bill period. Here are some options.

1.) Option one is to drop it entirely, which politically is a bad move, but not the worst move.

2.) Option two is to push this thing through before Brown is seated, which would be political suicide for the Democrats, and is the reason why they will not do it.

3.) Option three is to go back to the drawing board, which would be the best move politically, but they will have to settle for a lot less than what they hoped to achieve. But at least they might keep their jobs.

4.) Option 4 is for the House to try and pass the Senate version of the healthcare bill. While this is possible, it is the opinion of this author that there is too much pride on the side of Pelosi and other notable House Democrats to ever give in, particularly without a public option.

5.) Option 5 is the “nuclear option”. If they have balls enough to try it, so be it, but it would not be a good move politically. They might as well pack up their offices now if they try it.

6.) Option 6 is reconciliation. Reconciliation as a process will cause other problems down the road, maybe not only for healthcare reform, but certainly for other pieces of legislation. This is a possible option they are looking at.

There will be much discussion over the coming days of the ramifications of this election, but no matter how you slice it, this election was a referendum, and undoubtedly is a major turning point that cannot be ignored, no matter how the circumstances are spun by the White House, Congress, or the media.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

For those About the Rock 2010: Time for Political Action, Not Apathy

It is almost officially one year since Obama took office ladies and gentlemen. I suppose this would be considered a milestone for some people, but overall things have turned out like they were expected to have—one big mess.

You have an energy policy that is threatening to take away jobs in the 6th District where I live. You have a healthcare policy that is beyond comprehension. Congress is making side deals and offering bribes to pass this garbage piece of legislation. Unions are getting a free pass on their health plans are going to be exempt from taxes until 2018 while everyone else pays for them. A number of Obama’s appointments have stepped down in shame, but only because the people called him on his poor choices. The stimulus did not stimulate anything but the anger it caused in people.

My Congressman Charlie Wilson leaves a lot to be desired, and if anything has failed to stand up for his constituents. A so-called blue dog Democrat, he has voted with the Democratic Party 98% of the time. So much for being a blue dog. Do not get me started on Congressmen Tim Ryan and Zach Space. Seriously, do not get me started on these two. Zach Space is going to have a difficult time next election, but unfortunately, we are stuck with Tim Ryan until the districts are redrawn or he moves on to something else. I hoped to God he would have run for Senate, but alas we were not that lucky.

The local politics of Mahoning County are as expected, and it is tolerated for the time being. We can do better, and we will do better. I am counting on a good year this year.

I do not know about you folks, but I have been on a slow burn over the last year. Clearly this country is headed down the wrong path. We needed change in 2008, and in 2010 we need reconsideration. You asked for change, and you got change. Now I ask you to reconsider what you asked for initially. We need change in this country, but we do NOT need this kind of change. We do not need to sacrifice everything we hold dear strictly in the name of progress, and if you are uncomfortable with the government trying so swiftly to take over the health system and radically change our energy policies to the detriment of hardworking Americans, I implore you to speak out.

The time for being silent is over and the time to get involved is NOW. You can support a local PAC, a candidate, a Tea Party, or you can help out your local party. If you want to see Scott Brown win in Massachusetts and become a Senator to stop this madness in Congress, by all means send him a few dollars or go online and sign up to make phone calls for him! We can stem the tide of these ideologues, and I am not afraid to call them that because that is what they are.

Today is the day to take back our country, because tomorrow may be too damn late. If these jokers in Congress are willing to have major votes on holidays and in the dead of the night to avoid having people pay attention to what they are doing, then imagine how much farther they will go to get their way.

I am begging you to do SOMETHING, whatever that would be. You are the engines of democracy, not these people down in D.C. right now. It is time to send them a message that they answer to us, not the other way around.

For those about to rock, we salute you,

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

2010 Elections-- Are the Democrats Done?

2010 is upon us I suppose, and that means mid-term elections. There has been some speculation as to what is going to happen this coming November, though most tend to agree that there is going to be a substantial shift in the political winds on some level. Whether or not such a shift would be cause for the Republicans to take back the House or even the Senate remains to be in doubt, but the Republicans are expected to pick up a number of seats.

This coming election is not going to be so much an election rather than a referendum on the policies of the current administration and Congress. While it is still early in the political season, there are some interesting indicators that are worth noting here that will illustrate how bleak things are looking for the Democratic Party.

-Barack Obama has crossed below the 50% approval threshold and has been in the upper 40% area since early January. Real Clear Politics has averaged a number of polls (and does so almost daily), and Obama today currently sits at 48% approve, 44% disapprove. It took Bush almost two terms to get where Obama is at now in under a year.

-Similarly, Congress has an approval rating of 26%. Things have not changed much, even with sweeping reform plans for healthcare and energy policy. After being in control for 4 years, clearly they are not perceived as better than their conservative counterparts.

-Scott Brown is neck and neck with Martha Coakley in Massachusetts for a Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy for a number of years. It could be argued Massachusetts in the most liberal state in the country. It is so close that Barack Obama will be making a visit as well as numerous labor organizations that will be dumping money and volunteers to hold onto a seat that has been Democrat for what seems like an eternity. Corruption has been a major problem in this Democratic stronghold, and only adds to the problems Coakley is having in her election bid.

-Senator Harry Reid is polling extremely poorly against the Republican candidate, whomever that would be among the field running against him.

-Polling continues to show opposition to healthcare reform as it is currently structured. Real Clear Politics average of the healthcare polls show 39% favor it and 50% are against it as of today. Of the ten polls averaged, including Gallup, Rasmussen, CNN Opinion Research, and NBC News, only one poll showed more people favoring than opposing. Despite these kinds of numbers, Democrats continue to move forward oblivious to the opinions of regular people.

-The election of Christie in New Jersey and McConnell in Virginia indicate a sway in opinion. This is important because Virginia is a swing state that went for Obama, and New Jersey has always been politically to the left.

-Unemployment is above 10%. That does not bode well for this administration or Congress. Barring some miraculous turnaround, this is not expected to change significantly between now and November. If that is not enough, you cannot get a loan during this economy, so that means fewer jobs yet will be available.

-More polling data indicates that 56% of Americans believe we are on the wrong track. 36% think we are on the right track. If things do not shape up here in the next few months, expect the former to edge up, and expect some big gains for Republicans in 2010.


These indicators are not very encouraging for the Democratic Party. If the trend continues, you likely will see some big gains for Republicans in 2010. Will it be enough to have a takeover like in 1994? While it may not be probable, it certainly is possible. One thing is guaranteed though: Republicans are picking up some major seats in 2010, it is just a matter of how many.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

World Without Alcohol: What Would Fill the Social Void?

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like without alcohol? Seriously, if there was no alcohol in this world, where would everyone go to be social? It really is an interesting question, especially in a society that has been conditioned to drink and go out socially at bars and clubs. Chances are if you are going out on a date, at some point you will find yourself at a bar. If you wanted to go out and watch a football game with friends, you will likely end up at a bar. Going out somewhere after work to let off some steam and decompress? Likely it will be some kind of bar if you are going out with coworkers. New Year’s, St. Patrick’s Day, or Thanksgiving Eve? You are probably going out to some kind of bar at some point in the evening.

Alcohol seems to be the great social equalizer, a level playing field of sorts. Drinking and being social have been conditioned to go hand in hand. If alcohol was to completely disappear tonight, you would find millions and millions and millions of people worldwide without a clue of what to do to be social in an alcohol-free world. Society has become so conditioned to it that I do believe it would cause serious problems if it suddenly became absent.

There is no real replacement for it if you think about it. What today could take the place of the bar scene? The thing about it is you need to be doing something someplace that could hold anywhere from a regular crowd of people to a place filled to the brim. Pool halls? Coffee shops? Bowling alleys? Juice bars? Arcades? Fight Club? Battle Royale?

I mean, what exactly is the alternative to the bar scene at this point if you want to go to an environment with a lot of people so you can be sociable? Where are you going to put millions of people to be in a social situation? Sporting events do not really count, as they are not the best way to meet people. Movies are too quiet and you cannot really have a conversation there.

If you were to try and pick someone up, the bar scene is the natural choice. You maximize your chances because there are a maximum number of people there, and there is a decent chance others are there for the same reason. Of course, pick-ups at the bar scene are a gamble, but often is a first choice of attempt. There are other issues that go with bar scene pick-ups, but let us just assume that the bar scene is the primary target. No alcohol means no bar. Where does one go if he is she is trying to pick someone up? If you are in school, it is easier. Out of school, where is one to go if there is no bar scene?

Granted, this situation will never happen. But it does go to show you the role alcohol has played in society and continues to play as time goes on. With all of its imperfections, it does serve a kind of purpose. I will say that I have several reservations with alcohol in general and the increasing role it is playing in America’s flirting with alcoholism, but at this point in time, I cannot see any kind of alternative that would even begin to fill the void supposing the popularity of alcohol ever declined or disappeared altogether.
Just something to think about.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Mang's Random Insights Into the Interesting and Mundane

I am home tonight hanging out because the snow continues to fall here in the Midwest. It has not stopped for days, and it is going to continue until at least next Monday. Welcome to northern country! Given the choice between watching Jersey Shore and making fun of people on that show and writing an article on something interesting yet mundane, I suppose you have guessed what my choice was. Or you haven’t because you in fact are someone from the Jersey Shore that cannot seem to understand words written by someone not written in a brogue or a text message.

Sometimes I wonder why our society promotes such behavior, and then I sit back and realize why everyone acts the way they do. But I digress, I’ll probably have an observation on that fairly soon.

Onto the article.

Quote of Day

From Real World, as I was flicking through the channels. A girl on Real World got a new bedroom, and on the wall was one of her favorite presidents. A Republican no less. Who the president was escapes me, because I did not get to see who it was. Her friend had this to say.

“It bothers me that my roommate does not have a sense of her political philosophy. She does not seem to understand that the more to the left the better. Because to be left is to be right”.

After which she pranced around the room in her short shorts while her guy roommate (who made it known that he was trying to score with this chick and is why he wanted to room with her) took a picture of her chest.

Yeah, I think that about says everything. Barely legal teens given luxurious boarding in Washington D.C. that they aren’t paying for pretty much sums up that mentality. If you asked her what she meant by her quote, I would wager she would have no idea except peace, love, and the rich are evil. Damn neo-hippies.

Political Irony

In an article by the Washington Examiner, there was an interesting observation that is worth noting about how this current Obama presidency is going. “When George W. Bush returned, bloodied and bruised, to his Texas home after eight years in the White House, 43 percent of Americans surveyed by Scott Rasmussen ‘strongly disapproved’ of the job he had done. Today, after less than a year in office, 46 percent express the same intense level of opposition to Obama.”

If you think about that statement, it is very telling of how things have gone over the past year. There will be criticism that the Republicans purposely tried to sabotage things, or even that it was their doing that caused these problems in the first place. The reality, however, is this year was Obama’s to win or lose. When you have the executive and legislative branches in your control, the only one you can blame is yourself if things don’t go according to plan.

Big 10’s Time to Shine—SEC, ACC, and Pac-10 Stumble

The Big 10 rose to the occasion this past week, and as a conference they ought to be commended for pulling some major stops. Ohio State shut down a high powered Oregon team and Pryor lived up to the hype. Penn State edged out LSU in a fantastic game, though there was a questionable call at the end that will be remembered for years to come. Wisconsin beat Miami, which is always something that warms my heart to see a Florida team fall to a Midwestern team.

Michigan State could not seal the deal against their Big 12 opponent Texas Tech (who itself had issues with their recently fired coach), but the reality of that was they had 14 players out of the picture and were having some severe personnel problems. Northwestern tried a fake field goal of all things, and for their boldness I commend them on a hard fought battle.

Are we seeing a Big 10 resurgence? Not so fast my friend! The Big 10 had an excellent bowl series, with Iowa in the wings for a showdown January 5th at the Orange Bowl against another ACC opponent Georgia Tech. But the Big 10 needs to shape up and continue playing at a high level. The Big 10 may have turned a few heads this past week, but overall it is still considered the weaker of the conferences. If the Big 10 can field some contenders the following years, that may change a few opinions.

In the mind of this author, until Ohio State can beat a USC or an LSU or a Florida, this conference will continue to be viewed as the conference with the big guys that cannot run as fast as the other guys. Pryor showed some speed, our running backs looked good, and we need to keep it up.

CPA Examination

Today was the day for the Uniform CPA Examination, section BEC. I have to say even after studying for this thing, it still seems like the odds of passing are (in my mind anyway) 60-40. Granted the first time I took this exam without studying I pulled a 73, so you would think with more studying would put me over, right? Well, unfortunately, instead of feeling like a smashed one out of the park, it feels like a high fly ball that could go foul or fair and I will not know until a month or two down the road.

A friend of mine directed me to a site called Another71.com. It is actually an interesting site about the CPA examination, study materials, advice, and so forth. I spent a little time there checking it out, because the creator of the site took an enormously long amount of time trying to pass this thing. I offer my congratulations to him for sticking with it, because he more than most can probably attest to the fact this exam was made by the devil himself. Check out the site if you can.

Tomorrow or Wednesday I am going to start studying for Regulations. Maybe you have shared in this misery, maybe you haven’t. But rest assured it is the bane of the existence of most people until they can pass this thing.

Those were just a few things on my mind.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Welcome 2010! And Some 2009 Reflections

First, an appropriate song to celebrate 2010, in honor of times that aren't the best, but certainly with the need for some good:




Happy New Year! 2010 has finally arrived after a much needed transition to a new year from 2009. Whether you went out last night, went to a movie, stayed home and chilled, or were out of town enjoying the revelry at some other location, I think it is safe to say that most people are glad that 2009 is no longer here. I was thrilled to get out and do something last night, because it is always good to try and start the year on a good note. The Mayor’s Ball was fun, downtown Youngstown was actually the cool place to be, and First Night had a good showing.

I often have said 2009 was a bad year, and it certainly had those moments. But looking back upon the entire year, it seemed to be a year of transition. It was a year full of change, uncertainty, fear, and quiet optimism. It was also full of political and social turmoil, and 2010 does not seem to be relieving us of either of those situations anytime soon. Case in point being there are midterm elections coming up, so be ready.

Briefly I am going to cover some of the finer and worse points of my own year, just to put some closure on things. Actually this is an exercise that would benefit a lot of people just to put things in perspective for themselves and their own lives. Part of this is taking a break from studying and waiting for the Rose Bowl, but I promise there will be better commentary on things next week.

2009 Highlights
-Graduated with a Masters from Ohio State, and met a lot of amazing people.
-Bought a duplex in Canfield, of which I am a half owner
-Did accounting work for a franchisee of Taco Bell, and worked in Oklahoma for two weeks
-Ran for political office and lost, but beat an incumbent
-Lived in Columbus for awhile and had a blast, and looking forward to going back eventually
-Work for a Congressional campaign in the 6th District

2009 Write-offs
-Lost a grandmother and two aunts this year.
-My friendship with my uncle of the last 24 years is now over. Only hate remains. Probably the worst part of 2009 for me.
-School is finished, barring an application for a Ph.D. As Lewis Black said at the end of the movie Accepted, “And do me a favor, enjoy your time here. You got four years, these are the best years of your life, and then…you’re ******!”. Maybe truer words have not been spoken.
-Unsteady work means uncertainty, and that means a lot of worrying. 2009 was a year for worrying.

So that is the list of good and bad this year. As with all New Year celebrations, there is the issue of resolutions. As such, I only have two of them:

-Be a happier and confident person
-Pass the CPA Exam

That’s it. Happy New Year everyone and pray for an Ohio State victory today. Go Bucks!

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown