Dream About Pennywise the Clown? What the Hell?

Last night I had this crazy dream about Pennywise the Clown from Stephen King’s It. For those of you who have seen this movie, it is creepy as hell. Hilarious at times, but certainly not something you want to be dreaming about. Evil clowns and all do not make for good nights. I presume I dreamed about this because I saw the world’s strongest clown down at the Columbiana County Fair yesterday, and it manifested itself in my dream as one of the creepiest clowns imaginable.

He did all sorts of crazy things in my dream. He hung a couple of people and laughed maniacally, taunted me (very much how he taunted people in the actual movie), and killed some more. What was interesting about this dream, aside from the fact there was a scary ass clown in it, was towards the end I had enough of his shit and magically pulled out a shotgun (it was a sawed off shotgun too, which made it pretty cool), stuck it to his head, and blew him away. Seriously, I am not embellishing when I say this, it absolutely happened that way.

This is comparable to the dream I had with Freddy Krueger in it a few weeks ago. Again, very similar to the dreams in the actual movie Nightmare on Elm Street: eerie, some weird guy running around with that damn hat on with a claw, etc. He didn’t kill anyone in that dream, or if going by how the story went, he didn’t kill me, the person having the dream. I just saw him ducking in and out of the shadows a lot and saying weird things.

Yes, I have weird dreams. Usually I dream when something weird is going on in my life. I dreamed a lot before going to Ohio State, before graduating at YSU, usually every August before going back to school, etc. Dreams go on from one to two weeks with me, and then I do not dream for a long time until the next round. I have no idea why I would dream about Pennywise the Clown of all things except having seen a clown at the fair the same day, but damn, it was creepy.

I guess I will leave with a quote from a movie: “And down here, YOU FLOAT TOO”. If some clown talked to me in a sewer drain, I’d probably run. Stupid kid.

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown

The Sleeping Giant Stirs: Obama's Great Miscalculation

The silent majority has awoken from its deep sleep. Today, we are seeing people from all walks of life and political affiliations stepping up to the plate to stand up and fight for what they believe in. As a result of this stir, you are seeing more and more town hall meetings erupt like what you see above in this video.

Barack Obama did not plan on putting this American unrest into the equation for his grandiose plans. He had counted on a United States that blindly supported his candidacy back in 2008, and with this blind support his believed he could sign legislation into law, however bad and ridiculous it might be, without getting a fight from the people who demanded change from the Republicans.

Allegations have been made that groups like ACORN and the SEIU are busing in people at the request of a higher authority. I cannot make the claim Barack Obama has instructed these organizations to use their muscle to intimidate people, but what is certain is these groups are showing up in large numbers at the instruction of SOMEONE. It could be the Congressmen that are afraid of being confronted about their lackluster policies, it could be someone in the local unions, but whatever the situation may be, these groups are organized for a purpose.

And that is what Astroturf REALLY is, Nancy.

If you push the American public, they are going to push back harder than anything a union or a community organizing group can throw at them, including bringing in the biggest guys they can find to hold off dissenters. Liberal Democrats in Congress are finding this out the hard way, and Blue Dog Democrats like Charlie Wilson are in hiding because they KNOW their constituents will not stand for this treatment.

The resolve and resiliency of the American people is unbelievable when they are insulted and taken for granted. Obama is finding this out.

If you do happen to go to a town hall meeting, I encourage you first to use your head and be aware of your surroundings. Don’t go in there looking for a fight, because chances are if you look hard enough you will find one. It is okay to be passionate, just don’t go crazy. Give the other side their chance to be heard! You will get your turn! If they DO try and shout you down, insist on being heard! It is your right after all. Bring a camera and tape what is going on, in the event something does happen or a group of people like the SEIU try and muscle people into silence. Our politicians need to be held accountable, as do these organized groups of people that are brought in to make a presence known.

Lastly, use common sense folks. If it looks like a fight is going to break out, avoid it if you can. This is supposed to be a civilized debate, not a street fight. When you pack a ton of people into an enclosed space and each of these people are operating at a highly emotional level, you can never rule out the possibility of a fight breaking out. Best advice, DO NOT GET IN THE MIDDLE.

Safety comes first with these things. That is all from the Mang on this issue tonight.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Full Moons and Crazy Behavior: Hype, or for Real?

It must be the full moon that explains a lot of the crazy things that have been happening lately. Typically when this happens, you will see that a lot of things that are a minor annoyance become extremely irritating. Also, you will see a lot of people acting particularly unusual and even crazy on some levels.

Lately, Glenn Beck has been acting a little crazy. I like Beck, because even though how he frames things is hilarious while at the same time deeply disturbing, what he says is not very far from the truth. I have been thinking lately that Beck is going to crack soon. Today, with the full moon, he just might have.

Glenn Beck having a conversation with Nancy Pelosi’s cardboard cutout head worn by some girl on his show while having wine as the lights are dimmed with 50s style lounge music playing in the background was more than I could bear to watch. He carried on the conversation and did all of the antics we know and love with the faces and impersonations. I mean, it was hilarious, but completely over the top.

As I was telling a friend of mine, this is like my old political science teacher I had at YSU. Maybe this is why I enjoy watching Glenn Beck, because the mannerisms, the impersonations, and the approach to talking about some of these subjects are so similar to this professor’s style. For those of you who went to YSU for political science, or for those of you that made a phone call from the Royal Oaks to get me out of going to class on my behalf, you probably know who I am talking about. Definitely one of my favorite professors though.

But the real question is what the hell does the full moon do to people? Maybe I am completely off base here, but it seems that whenever it comes out every person on the road seems to be driving extraordinarily bad. Either they are driving below the speed limit, choosing to not use turn signals, coming to a complete stop at their turn and THEN turning on their turn signals, or driving in the left lane without passing, all in succession. It is not uncommon to come across a few of these things, but on full moon days, they all seem to happen one after the other, especially when you need to get somewhere.

Maybe it is just a manifestation, but how does that explain Glenn Beck? Or Barbara Boxer who said these protestors dress well? Would Barbara Boxer on any normal day say this kind of thing? Knowing her, she actually might have. Would Nancy Pelosi be so bold as to say the right wing is incapable of creating a legitimate grass roots movement if this was not full moon time?

Well, the answer is yes, these people likely would have done these things regardless of a full moon. They’ve been doing this stuff for seven months now. Perhaps this all is a figment of my imagination.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Freedom of Speech, So Long as You Agree With Me: The New DNC

This video is appalling. This video is absolutely appalling. I wanted you to watch this to see what the Democratic Party is putting out in regards to people who oppose this healthcare plan.

This is not to say all Democrats believe this, but certainly the Democratic National Committee has wasted no time going after freedom of expression. I know many Democrats are unhappy with this plan, as are many Republicans and independents. It is a shame the national party is making this an issue of whether you are with us or against us. Instead of having a free debate, they are shouting down people with differing opinions.

If you want to talk about demonization and ostracizing people for the opinions they are entitled to about this healthcare policy that Congress is playing so fast and loose with, look no further than what the propaganda machine has spit out now.

If you oppose this healthcare plan, the Democratic National Committee and the White House are labeling you as part of an angry mob. Certainly, this is what the video shows. If you are against this healthcare plan, you are labeled a right wing extremist. I know of many Democrats that are leery of this healthcare plan, and none of them I would consider to be right wing extremists.
The untruths are staggering.

If you want to talk about an angry mob, let’s talk about the SEIU and the Teamsters that are told to pack these halls to give the appearance that all people support this plan. Oh yes, I have seen this before. I do not know where these people come from, but when they are called upon, they show up in a mass group wearing their union t-shirts. Maybe you have seen this before too. Seems a little more like intimidation to me than a free and open debate in my opinion.

And they call US the Mob. Sorry folks, we do not engage in intimidating tactics. We just want to be heard. It is because of the tactics being employed by the Democratic National Committee, Congress, and this President that we have to feel like the enemy every time we open our mouths.

And it is time for the President to wise up and take responsibility. The healthcare plan was his baby, the cap and trade plan was his baby, and this stimulus plan was his baby. I’ll be damned if the President keeps shoving off blame to the Republicans, because this new mess belongs to him. We don’t control Capitol Hill, YOU DO.

And if the American people are pissed, it is because you made them that way, not because they were paid by the vast rightwing conspiracy.

By the way, to the DNC, you had 8 years to complain over Bush, and you did frequently. The free advice is, if you can’t take it, don’t dish it.

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown

New "Elm Street" in 2010: Monday's Mang Postponed a Week

First of all, Monday’s Mang is on a temporary hiatus this week. I am traveling and do not have the equipment I need to make the video. I have the video capabilities, but I need the audio equipment because the microphone on my computer sucks. Unfortunately, it is at home. However, we will be in Oklahoma next week and we will have a show from out there. Now, onto today’s topic.

I came across something quite intriguing today. It is something I have mixed feelings on and cannot say I am entirely thrilled about. What I am talking about is the 2010 remake of the Wes Craven classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street”.

I am a “Nightmare” fan and have always have been. One of the most well known horror flicks of the 80s, the movie was legendary and almost iconic at the time for young and impressionable minds like mine and others. In school, it was all people could talk about around Halloween: Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and of course, Freddy Krueger, the unholy trio of silver screen killers. We have seen the remakes of Halloween and Friday the 13th, and now we will see a remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.

The Nightmare franchise has had its ups and downs over the years. Certainly the movie series has become cheesier over time and the acting has gone downhill. Some fans hate every sequel past the original because of this. However, I believe the original movie (and the second chapter, Freddy’s Revenge) were worthy as legitimate horror flicks. Anything past the second chapter I treat in a separate category: hilariously bad. I love the sequels, because Freddy was hilarious and mildly disturbing—not scary however. I think in one of the sequels Freddy popped his head through the door and yelled “Where’s the bourbon!?”, as he was dressed in a tux or something crazy like that. It was just funny as hell.

I found “A New Nightmare” to be disturbing and very well done, which is a sequel of sorts. This is another movie I treat separately from the original and the other sequels.

I enjoyed “Freddy vs. Jason” immensely. The movie definitely had its moments and at times was pretty funny. Definitely the movie was for the fans, and it had been talked about years and years before it came out. I remember being at the swimming pool when I was younger with a few friends talking about how cool it would be to see this movie made. I was not disappointed.

The problem is the remake of the original movie. As with all remakes, they never quite live up to the hype. I do not doubt that the movie is going to be interesting and I intend to go see it. However, I remain skeptical when these things come out. I maintain the old adage that if it is not broke, don’t fix it!

To be perfectly honest, I think I would be happier with a sequel that is extremely well done than a re-creation of the original. An extension of a series is something very different than trying to recreate an original. You risk ruining a good thing if the film is done badly.

We can always hope that the remake is done well, however, and I truly hope the producers do this movie the justice it deserves. It has potential to be an MANGTASTIC movie, but it also has the potential to be a huge flop. Unfortunately, we will not know until the day it comes out. But in the meantime, I look forward to an interesting movie, however bad or good it might be.

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown

Columbus This Time Last Year: Lookback

I can’t believe it has already been a year since I moved down to Columbus. This time last year, I was looking at apartment buildings, getting ready to start at Ohio State, wrapping up my old job with my uncle, and having anxiety attacks daily because this was all very new to me and I was not sure how to handle it. Looking back, it probably was not as big of a deal as I made it out to be, though I can also understand why I felt the way I did.

The music that definitely sticks out in my mind from that time was the collection of 60s music I burned. There was 10 CDs, so they got a lot of playing time I as drove back and forth from home to do the apartment searching. Every time I hear Tommy James and the Shondells, Jefferson Airplane, or Sonny and Cher I think about when I first got down here.

It was a pretty exciting and scary experience at the same time being on my own the first time. The first week down here, it was hot as hell. And I mean it was beastly hot. As it happened, there was also that huge windstorm that blew out the power for three days. My roommate and I decided to walk down the UDF to get ice to protect the $200 in groceries we bought the day before, as the wind kept blowing and trees were falling down around us. That is not a joke either. UDF was all the way down on High Street, and you could actually hear the trees cracking at the base under the pressure of the wind on Starr Avenue. Trees were down in the middle of the road, and even after walking through all of that, we got back with a couple bags of half melted ice. I think we ended up listening to the Steelers on the radio that night with our neighbor Dave while eating chips and salsa and playing Apples to Apples. We also had a shit load of candles on the porch and we just hung around outside. Looking back, that was a pretty fun time.

I was fortunate to have a good roommate too. We go back a few years to undergrad back at Youngstown State so we both kind of knew what to expect. There were no major surprises, and I think we may have fought over something one time in the entire year we’ve been here. I cannot say that for other people I know, so I think we both lucked out. It only sucks because we are both fairly indecisive people, and making a decision on anything from food to other stuff can sometimes be a pain in the ass. It is fun though, we always bust on each other about something.

School of course was interesting. I do have a few regrets about my initial approach to it. Not so much about the program itself, but my overall attitude. I have my own theories on what happened, but I need to work on a few things for future reference. I did make some awesome friends down here though, and even though I may have slacked on the school work to do more things socially and unrelated to school work, I can’t say I would have changed anything in regards to my work load. Also, Ohio State football rocks, even though we are probably going to get our asses kicked against USC this year like we did about this time last year.

Though a lot of bad things happened in my family last year, my time in Columbus was awesome, and I expect another awesome year this year, whether I am in Columbus, Youngstown, Pittsburgh, or anywhere else.

Truly Yours,

The Mang
Conservative Capo of Youngstown and Friend

The Mangtastic Realization

A good friend and I went out tonight and hung out in the Short North in Columbus for awhile. It is August 1st, and every first Saturday of the month is what they call “The Gallery Hop”. It is a pretty cool. All of the stores are open late and you have a variety of entertainers on the sidewalks as well as businesses selling their stuff. The restaurants are packed and the bars are slammed with people. Tonight we were lucky to have good weather. Saw break dancers, singers, bands, and a host of other things.

Also, this is the night all of the beautiful people come out. I am not exactly where they all come from, but on these kinds of evenings thousands of ho-bags come out. You know, the ones that are of supreme hot quality wearing almost nothing except you will never, ever have a chance with. Now, whether or not you would even want to is another issue that I will get to in a minute. But they are accompanied by some hapless young individual, perhaps of the guido persuasion, the prep frat boy persuasion, the angst filled artist persuasion, or some combination of the above. Other times they are in groups of five to ten. If you have ever gone out, you probably have some idea of what I am talking about.

For a while, I have often asked myself, what do these particular guys have that I lack? And this has been a question I have wrestled with for the longest time. Until tonight.

It suddenly dawned on me: I don’t give a shit. I simply do not give a shit. I can never be those guys, and certainly those guys could NEVER measure up to me. The Mang is a multifaceted being and he operates on a number of different levels. And while I find it hilarious that three different people tonight came up to me and said they were looking for “some bitches” (since they were too damn drunk to figure out Sugar was half a block away on the left), I know I can never actually go down to that kind of level. Chances are those guys will get damn lucky, and I wish them the best.

What I look for in a girl is not what I saw tonight, and though with all of the short skirts, the long hair, and the stilettos, I know deep down I’d be after only one thing, because nothing else is there. And given the kinds of attitudes that come with these particular kinds of women, I’m not sure I could actually tolerate their mouths to actually spend a single evening. Well, check that, maybe I could. The Mang, while multifaceted, is also human. Certainly, being the eligible bachelor that he is (who also speaks in the third person), who is he to turn down a good time if a good time is to be had?

I guess the question that needs to be asked is: would you want to trade places with any of these people? A tough question, it does need to be asked. But my answer would have to be no. As with a lot of things, the idea of it is probably a lot better than the reality of it. While the lifestyle seems attractive, there are a lot of problems that come with it. If anything, I’d prefer profiting off the nightlife scene than living it every single weekend like a lot of these people do.

This is also known as “the grass always seems greener on the other side”. This article is not to knock the weekend scene, because I do enjoy going out. And who am I to knock the hustle of someone else? Merely, this is just a declaration that the Mang is unique and cannot be measured against others. That is a reality I can live with.

The Mang

Conservative Capo of Youngstown