Manns Medium

You tell us to have faith that God will take care of all for us and never seek revenge because vengeance is the mine  saith  the Lord but you gather an armory of all types of weapons, support gun laws that say it is alright to kill and swear by the firearm you carry all while claiming to be the ultimate Christian.  How can that be true on its face when your own actions contradict it?  If you truly believed in what you preach, what you teach and what you claim, why do you walk around armed, lock your doors and hire security for your churches?  If you truly believed what you want so many of us to believe then why not leave the safety of you and your family to God. People often wonder why preacher’s kids, lawyers’ kids, those who come from wealthy families and even those unfamiliar sects like the Amish are shrinking and often act worse than those hailing from poor families.  Well wonder no more because it all comes from seeing the hypocrisy first-han...

With all of this recent discovery of the trials and tribulations that veterans have to endure daily just to get those benefits that they were promised and those that they earned, one would think that this was just a flux accident and that these occurrences are not as common as many have claimed.  Those that think that way would be gravely mistaken.  For years now, promises made to those who were willing to get up their very lives to keep this country safe have been reigned upon by so many. It is nice to sometimes hear people say to you that they appreciate your service but because of the numerous obstacles and hurdles you have to overcome just to get those benefits you earned makes that saying mute.  It’s not that we are ungrateful for the sentiment but we would like to see more accomplish to make our returning journey home a little bit more easier to make that sentiment mean what those who say it think it does. Maybe the best way to explain this and how it should be...

An article from and Unknown Author and Publication reports that “LeBron James is opting out of his contract in part to threaten Pat Riley and the Miami Heat — “you need to upgrade this roster or else.  But that’s the thing about a threat; you can’t make it unless you are willing to follow through. You have to mean the “or else” part.  Does LeBron really mean it?  Maybe. Starting July 1 he is a free agent and you can bet 30 teams will make some kind of move to see if there is interest, but only a few have a real chance.”   It further reports that in order to get that upgrade “LeBron was threatening Pat Riley to upgrade but there is another key thing LeBron knows — Pat Riley couldn't upgrade unless he, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh all opted out and made a financial sacrifice. For example, if LeBron and Bosh take $17-$18 million a year and Pat Riley can convince the aging Wade that he will get more money long term if he signs ...

One of the most interesting and a questionable thing that has happened in the new lately has been this article reported by the Inquisitr.com titled “Detroit Water Fight: Activists Ask United Nations to Declare Service a Basic Human Right”.  In it they report that “nearly half of Detroit water customers cannot pay their bills, so they are turning to the United Nations for help. Activists on the Detroit People’s Water Board are now lobbying the UN to declare access to water service a basic human right to ensure that those who can’t or merely don’t pay their water bills continue access to the flowing liquid when they turn on their faucets.  The average Detroit water bill is $75 per month. According to a Free Press report, the average monthly water bill in other areas of the country is approximately $40 per month.  Detroit water and sewer rates have reportedly doubled in the past 10 years. During this same time period the poverty rate in the city...

I’m continually amazed at the arrogance of media members who seem to run straight to people like John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, Billy Crystal, and John Bolton and of course Dick Cheney when it comes to questions about foreign policy.  I’m amazed because I used to think that smart people do not continue to do the same dumb things over and over again but it appears that I am wrong or those I thought were smart is not so smart. When it comes to the unrest in Iraq, many of those now experts who get paid to spew their crap on the airwaves and in front of TV cameras say that the main reason it is happening is because America “walked away” after creating this through occupation.  How many bricks must fall upon our heads before we figure out to move because the building is collapsing?  Now Joe Lieberman is penning an Op Ed in the paper to say that the same will happen in Afghanistan.  They offer criticism but no solutions except keeping military there knowing...

A recent article from the Daily Herald reports about some thinking that gambling machines will save our veterans’ clubs in this State of Illinois and a few of us don’t.  We think that its membership that will ultimately save these clubs but, as I am sure you have guessed by now, I have an extension of why membership is the key and why it is falling off. According to the Daily Herald, “Some veterans groups think video gambling might be the key to fixing finances hurt by membership declines. But some say the wait to add video gambling machines in their clubs can be long.  Bill Geary is corporate secretary of Wauconda American Legion Post 911 in the Chicago suburb. He said the addition of video gambling machines in February 2013 has meant the difference between losing money and making money.  Mike Stojak of American Legion Post 673 in Huntley tells the Daily Herald in Arlington Heights that his club spent two years applying to the state before finally getting machines i...

Growing up, I never really thought much about what memories I would have of my family, my friends or my childhood so I did not do things that would make me look upon them proudly.  Now that I am quickly heading toward the double nickel year old mark, I find myself reflecting about my choices and yes, there are some regrets. One of my major regrets is missing out on letting my father know how much he was loved.  Those who know often tell me that I should not worry about that because my father never really gave anyone a chance to love him.  He was seldom ever nice enough to gain the admiration of many and I often think it was because he did not know how to love.  Because he did not know how to love, he never had to worry about failing at it especially if he made sure that no one loved him.  You see, if you are not love then you never have to return that love.  Too bad that my father did not learn, until it was much too late, that love has a way of surviv...

The recent stories about the long wait veterans have to endure to see a doctor for the first time and the possible loss of life because of this wait is nothing new to veterans and those trapped within this system.  For some they are quick to blame this administration for these stories but if they do a little research, they may learn that this has been an on-going problem since the  Reagan  Era if not further back.  So let’s not get lazy and ask only those veterans we know or the new breed of veteran, ask those who have been sitting in VA facilities for years.  The issue should be if this time will be treated as those times were.  A major story for a few months then as another shiny object appears, becomes just another whisper in the back drop.  You see, stories that sell papers may be the objective but to those veterans trapped in this maze, it is a little more than that, it’s a matter of life or death. I believe it was Montel Williams who suggest...

In the last few years and months, there has been saboteurs hired to take out the backbone of American Consummation.  This person(s) have been given a clean and clear shot at bringing down the trucking industry.  It appears that only a few have been able to see this travesty mounting and the attack unrelenting but those few have little voice or influence in stopping this menace before they are able to succeed with their plan. I’m talking about those hired to fix the industry because it’s them who seems to be taking it down this proverbial rabbit hole from whence it may never return.  Those who believe that making it mandatory for driver’s to sleep 10 hours when that is naturally impossible.  Those who believe that once that semi stops moving that the hours it is stopped should count toward the total driving time.  Those who believe that a driver with 5 plus years of driving experience needs to be told when to pull over and rest before going on.  Those w...

For years now there has been a war waging between choosing experience and higher education.  Savvy business owners have gotten many convinced that in order to take their company to the next level, they need “new blood” or someone who can think outside of the box.  They have convinced themselves and several others that this is the only way to gain an edge on the competition.  Many other businesses have gone a different route and kept their same old tired way of thinking and just bought out their competitors.  Those businesses then find that just throwing money at their lack of vision does not propel them any further than they are already so then they reluctantly embrace the higher education avenue overlooking experience.  You see the real problem is when you get so comfortable in your position you tend to fall into a certain business rut and with that goes all your creativity which is necessary to move any object forward.  Many believe to move forward all y...

Simply put, when we allow our emotions to spur us to make corrections to anything, we tend to travel to the extremes in order to do this.  There are millions if not billions of examples to prove this point and for the sake of brevity; we will only concentrate on two. The example is gun control in which many of us seek a complete end to guns being available for purchase and the opposite believes that they should be able to own any kind of weapon that man makes.  Somewhere in the middle is a compromise that we all could support but those who believe strongly on either side of the aisle will exert all the strength necessary to prevail in this battle.  One side will go out of their way to make it difficult for even law-abiding citizens to possess a weapon.  The happy medium, having a longer wait on guns purchase anywhere which allows all to be checked and re-checked before a permit is issued.  The wait time is nothing a criminal is going to adhere to so he/she ...

Simply answer is yes and like all small businesses who finds fortune and grows into a very large corporation, they have also traded in those outstanding customer service representatives who got them to where they are for those who follow closely the corporate policies that says whatever we say is right and whatever we hear from customers are wrong. I come to this conclusion after receiving a phone call from a Comcast representative who flat out admitted that they go by whatever is typed into their computer and even if you keep excellent notes of whom you spoke with, at what time you spoke with them, why and the results, if they do not match up with what information is on their system, it simply did not happen.  So my question is, this being the case at what point did the customer cease being a customer and became a pawn and slave of Comcast? So that every American had a voice is one of the many reasons veterans like me were willing to and some did, die for and especially w...

The news of Army Sergeant Bowie Bergdahl exposes mixed emotions for me as a former member of the military.  It also creates lots of questions not only for those responsible for his release but for the choices made that caused his capture and it especially compels me to slap the media for how they are about the manipulated this news to gain them more viewers and page viewers instead of just trying to report the truth. My first is the choice Sgt Bergdahl made to join the Taliban.  I say join because unless you were experiencing a “Gandhi” moment and thought just your very presence would make the relationship between Americans and the natives better, leaving the camp with just a compass and a bottle of water makes no other sense.  Once you were there and found that what you were hoping to maybe accomplishing was to no avail, where are the bruises and injuries from trying to escape during your capture for all those years?  I see no evidence that you made any attempt...

In a recent article describing the results of the Boston Marathon Bombings, medical professionals are finally getting the new definition of post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD really is.  The Mayo Clinic Staff was the first to define it as a mental condition triggered by a terrifying event and now others may be getting the clue. The article reported that “a little more than a year after the Boston Marathon bombings and the five-day manhunt that terrorized Watertown neighborhoods, the impact of the ordeal on local children and teens may have been more far-reaching than anyone suspected. About 11 percent of kids surveyed who were at the marathon finish line suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, according to research conducted within the six months after the bombings, trauma experts say. That’s about six times higher than the PTSD rate in kids who  weren't  at the site of the April 15, 2013 attack that killed three people and injured 264, according t...

2014 NBA Championship Poem Now the stage is set And the time draws near, The NBA Championship Is almost here. The San Antonio Spurs Are going for five, And since they been here before, Expect their crowd to be live. But mistake free ball Is what they must play Otherwise the Miami Heat Will end their day. They have planned all year King James and the crew To taking the crown This is not new. So we gather together, One and all To watch this great battle Knowing one must fall. The Spurs or the Heat So who will it be? We’ll just have to take our seats And wait to see. Ronnie Manns 6/1/14